The Best and Worst Things About Being Pregnant During the Holidays
Two of the most magical times are upon us (or me, at least)—the holidays and pregnancy. I am currently 5 months pregnant with my first child (a boy), and could not be happier. Being part of the Little Green Pouch team for over 2 years, I live and breathe all things babies and kids. But no matter how many moms and dads I talk to, mommy blogs or articles I read, there are some things you just don't understand until you are in the trenches yourself.
I have really enjoyed being pregnany so far, and (knock on wood) have had a pretty uneventful 22 weeks. But being pregant during the holidays has its benefits and drawbacks, so I thought I would share what I have found to be the best and worst things about being pregnant during the holidays.
The Best
Maternity Clothes
Can we say elastic waistband? This may be the only time you actually enjoy wearing maternity clothes. I know my husband was jealous during Thanksgiving dinner.
You're Supossed to Gain Weight
As a woman, pregnancy is possibly the only time in your life you will be required to gain weight. While I have been trying hard to stay active and eat healthy, it's still my job for 18 more weeks to gain weight. And what a fun job it is!
Your Hair and Nails Have Never Looked Better
My skin may look like that of a teenage boy, but my hair and nails have never looked better. Not that anyone is looking at my hair and nails (hello, belly), but it makes me feel good, at least.
The Worst
No Wine
Avoiding alcohol during this pregnancy has really not been bad. It's so worth it for what we get in the end. But, I'd be lying if I said there haven't been times a glass of wine would have really hit the spot. And when my family is gathered around the fire at Christmas drinking a really good Napa Valley Cabernet is going to be one of them. My seltzer water with lime just isn't the same. I just keep reminding myself how good it will taste in April.
Everyone Wants to Buy Gifts For The Baby
What about me? I know, I know, totally selfish. But I am well aware that once this little man enters the world, it's going to be all about him—as it should be. So this is my last chance to score something for myself during the family Secret Santa exchange.
The Hormones—My God, The Hormones
I have been lucky that my hormones haven't turned me into a raging lunatic (yet), but I will cry at the drop of a hat. I thought the Hallmark commercials were bad before, but this is a whole 'nother level. Any video or clip including a dog or a dad playing with his kids is totally off limits for me or else my husband will find me on the couch drowning in a puddle of tears.
What do you think are the best and worst things about being pregnant during the holidays?
#MommysLittleHelpers - A Mother's Day Giveaway
We've put together some of our favorite Mommy's Little Helpers and you could win them all (or gift them to your favorite mom or mom-to-be).
Holiday Inspired Real Food Recipes
Happy Holidays! We just can’t wait to celebrate this festive season with our little ones, and we bet you can’t either. And what better way to do so than with some Holiday Pouch Recipes?
We have a fantastic new recipe that is certain to be a party pleaser for kids and adults. Charlotte March’s Pear and Cranberry Puree will knock the stockings off your wee one, and, when topped with a little bubbly, makes for a great treat for mom, dad, grandma, maybe even Saint Nick (a recipe for more presents?). And the great thing about this puree is not only that it is delicious, but also healthy. Indeed, it’s stamped with our Real Food badge of approval.
A few other Holiday Pouch Recipes you might want to try, which are also Real Food Pouch Recipes, include:
We’d love to hear from you if you have any Holiday Pouch Recipes to share. We know you are such a talented and creative group!
As the year draws to a close we can’t help but get a bit reflective. We started this company a little over a year ago, and it has been such an amazing ride so far. Of course, that is all because of you. We are so thankful for each and every one of you, and the incredible support you have shown us. We couldn’t do it without you. Honest and sincere.
We wish you and your families a wonderful and memory-filled holiday season.
In continued appreciation,
Maggie & Melissa
PS: Don’t forget to mark your calendar for our 10 Day Real Food Pledge, starting January 6th. (It’ll make you feel better about all those Christmas cookies and holiday cheer.)
Our Real Food Journey Continues
We’re now in week two of our 100 Days of Real Food initiative. We hope you’re on board! The time is nigh to provide a little inspiration (and motivation?) by letting you know where to find great Real Food Pouch Recipes.
First, we’ll go ahead and toot our own horn, and point you to our Real Food Pouch Recipes page, which is a fantastic 
resource for tasty (and easy) Real Food recipes. There you’ll find Real Food Pouch Recipes like Roasted Apple and Parsnip Puree (with an awesome instructional video), Baked Quinoa e Fagioli with Veggies, Homemade Yogurt (in a Crockpot!), Spiced Up Yams and Broccoli and Carrot and Nectarine Smoothie. These and other Real Food Pouch Recipes are tagged as Real Food, for your convenience, and stamped with our handy Real Food Badge.
Next (horn toot number two), on our new Real Food Pinterest Board you can find a great collection of Real Food Pouch Recipes that meet our Real Food (and tasty) standards. Make sure to follow along. (We apologize in advance if you spend two hours in the “Pinterest Time Suck” after taking a peek at our new board (Melissa is probably there as we speak.))
Finally, we are excited to share a fantastic new Real Food Pouch Recipe from Lauren Kelly, CN (awesome recipe developer, cookbook author, food blogger and nutritionist). Lauren’s put together a Real Food Pouch Recipe that she says “is so easy to prepare, there is no excuse not to make it.” Lauren’s Unsweetened Pear Applesauce in the Slow Cooker is so good that there’s “no turning back after you try this.”
We’ll check in with you next week to see how all is progressing on the Real Food front, and give you a few Real Food Pouch Recipes for the holidays (we can’t believe they are here so soon!).
Happy cooking,
Maggie & Melissa
PS. We’re giving extra credit when you mark your calendar for the 10-Day Real Food Pledge starting January 6th. Let’s do this together!A Few of Our Favorite Things—Holiday Gift Guide
With the holidays fast-approaching, we know firsthand how hard it can be to choose the right gift for your little ones. For the second year, we put together a list of our tried and true favorite things for our Holiday Gift Guide. Below you will find links to all the products we are loving right now for different age groups from 0-6 years. And we had to include some of our favorite gifts for mom, too. We love the convenience of online shopping, but don't forget to show your local stores love, too. We hope you get some great ideas for new products and gifts to try this holiday season.
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