Finding Joy in the Little Things

As I journey my way through the third trimester of this pregnancy and find myself longing for a spring that is not quite here yet, I’ve found that it is the little things that have been bringing a lot of joy to this sometimes weary and impatient soul.

*A family day exploring new places- We spent Robin’s last day off together as a family exploring a creek winding through Jericho and heading to Vergennes for the first time. One of our favorite things to do pre-kids was going to new places and finding new adventures. We don’t get to do it as often now, but it is so fun to now be able to find time to do it together as a family!

* A pedicure- If you haven’t tried Tootsies Mini Spa yet, you are missing out! I visited their new location on Battery St. for the first time this weekend and indulged in a lovely pedicure. I figure I have to have pretty toes to look at while I’m trying to push this baby out, right? And now I have some lovely pink toes to keep me longing for spring!

* A prenatal massage- Ever since I had the privilage of visiting Eileen at Earthy Soul, I’ve been counting down the weeks until I could justify going back 🙂 This Friday is my lucky day and I can’t wait to enjoy 90 minutes of pure relaxation!

*Green Smoothies- Along with the third trimester comes the “not sleeping well, little energy, draggy feeling”. Because of this, I decided it was time to start making my green smoothies again because they always give me a boost in energy. Bonus- Nora loves them too!

Here is our favorite green smoothie recipe:

Ingredients:

1 banana (we chop and freeze ours ahead of time for convenience)

5-6 strawberries (we buy the big bag of frozen strawberries from Costco)

1 heaping handful of spinach or 1-2 cups of chopped Kale

1/2 to 3/4 cup orange juice or milk (I normally just eyeball this)

1 teaspoon honey (optional)

1 Tablespoon ground Flaxseed (optional)

1 Tablespoon coconut oil (optional)

Blend all ingredients together and enjoy! I would suggest putting the greens in first so they are closest to the blade. I also add a powdered probiotic to Nora’s smoothie and my powdered prenatal. Smoothies are a great way to hide those things!

*Receiving my Mamma’s Red Raspberry Brew tea in the mail- This gives me hope that the end of this pregnancy is in sight! I took this herbal tea several weeks before Nora’s birth and had a remarkably quick and easy delivery with her (11ish hours of labor). I find the taste surprisingly pleasant, even for a non-tea drinker like myself.

*A great date night with the hubby- Last night we had the chance to go to the Flynn Theater (our first time!) and see a great Celtic group called Solas. It was so fun to do something out of the ordinary and the concert was amazing!

*Nora peeing in the potty- One of my goals has been to attempt to potty train Nora before baby #2 comes. Today we had our first success! I never thought I would be so happy to see pee in a potty!

 [typography font=”Delius Swash Caps” size=”18″ size_format=”px”]OK, now it’s your turn…what kind of things have been bringing you joy lately?[/typography]