Mattress Hunting

Well, hubby and I finally decided that it is time to see our mattress go. We bought it only two years ago (right before we got married) but we obviously had no clue what we were doing. After two years on the mattress, the center is nothing but a hole (despite turning and flipping the mattress), it creaks and groans, and has no support. We wake up smushed together in the center (which isn't always so terrible :p) with aching backs. With my growing baby belly, getting in and out of the "grave" is impossible! I am doing a lot of research on mattresses this time to ensure that we don't buy the wrong one. The one we currently have was very expensive, and we don't want to make the same mistake twice!! 


Here are some things I have learned:

• Spend at least 10-15 minutes on each mattress before buying: this gives you a better idea of what is to come
• Anything over 390 coils is excessive and your body won't be able to tell the difference
• Get a mattress that is around a 6 on the firmness scale (Medium-firm mattress). It is the most beneficial for achy backs
• You can haggle the price! Most mattresses are marked up 50%! That's why they are so darn expensive!
• Find a store with a good return policy, so if you end up with a mattress you don't like (like us unfortunately) you can return it within a certain time frame.

We are going this afternoon to shop around. Let's keep our fingers crossed that the outcome will be good! We need a couple nights of rest before Lindsay comes and keeps us up all night! :)

Busy Busy Busy!!

Whew!!!! I am about worn out! Mark and I have had a lot of things going on recently! We powered through Thanksgiving relatively unscathed, then were given a beautiful baby shower by some of my family! The entire shower was absolutely gorgeous. I am so blessed to have such a caring family. My aunt and cousin from Ohio planned the shower with another aunt (who was in the process of moving from Washington state to Tennessee). As you can tell, I must be very loved to have people sacrifice so much! :)  A couple of days after the baby shower, I was given a SURPRISE baby shower by everyone at Boston Avenue Charter School. It was amazing as well! The party was a blast, and completely took me off guard.  I am feeling particularly spoiled these days :p

In only one day, my parents will be coming to visit from Tennessee for Christmas! I have a TON of things to get done before they arrive. My biggest project the past few days has been getting Lindsay's nursery in shape. I bought 230 hangers from Target, and ran out!! I have SO MANY CLOTHES for her! I know she will be appreciative :) I am using hot pink ribbons to separate the hung clothes into different size groups, and have bought extra poles, etc to give the closet more storage space. Its such a time consuming project that I might just have to take a picture of it when its finished.

The inside of our house is relatively ready for Christmas, and Mark is currently feverishly working on Christmas lights outside. I'm so excited about this Christmas! Hopefully on Christmas day I will still be able to bend over to pick up presents!!

No Yeast Cinnamon Rolls

One great thing about being pregnant is the variety of cravings I get on a daily basis. Yesterday it was fried chicken, Chinese food, and chocolate cake (Don't worry, I only indulged in one!). Today's craving: Cinnamon Rolls. yummmmmm I dug through the refrigerator looking feverishly for frozen cinnamon rolls... no luck. I then rummaged around for ingedients to make my own and... SCORE!! I didn't have any yeast, so I found a yeast-less recipe! I changed up many of the ingredients and quantities to meet my own taste and supplies on hand. (I did not have much cream cheese, so I improvised by making Confectioners Icing, and added the small amount of c.c. I had) Here's what I came up with!

No Yeast Cinnamon Rolls (aka the Pregnancy Roll!)

Filling:

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1 TBS cinnamon

1/2 ts salt

2 TBS butter, melted

Dough:

2 1/2 cups flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 ts baking powder

1/2 ts baking soda

1/2 ts salt



1 cup milk
6 TBS butter
Icing:
3 oz cream cheese, softened
4 TBS milk
1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 ts vanilla

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425. Combine filling ingredients in a small bowl, then mix with a fork until well blended.
2. In a another, larger bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
3.Whisk together buttermilk and 4 Tablespoons melted butter in a separate bowl, then pour into the middle of the dry ingredients. Stir together until dough just comes together (do not overmix or it will become too hard.) Kneed slightly with your hands until the dough forms into a ball, then slice it in half.
4. On a lightly floured surface, roll each half into a 12×8″ rectangle (slightly longer than a sheet of paper.) Press half the filling mixture into the center, leaving 1/4″ of the dough clear on all 4 sides, then roll like a sausage. Pinch together seam, trim ends and cut into 8 slices. Repeat with the other dough half, then place rolls in a lightly greased cookie sheet with sides.
5. Brush cinnamon rolls with remaining 2 Tablespoons of melted butter and bake for 13-15 minutes, or until tops are golden brown.
6. Meanwhile, to make the icing, mash together softened cream cheese and powdered sugar with a fork until smooth. Mix in milk, 1 Tablespoon at a time, until creamy, then add vanilla. Drizzle onto hot cinnamon rolls and spread evenly!!

These Cinnamon Rolls are amazing!! They are so buttery and fluffy... yum!! Today's craving was definitely a success :)