Langston's Quarantine Birthday Bash

Welcome back y'all,

We celebrated Langston's birthday Saturday and had so much fun! I planned my sons 2nd birthday about a month and half ago. He loves cars so it was a easy decision to go with a race car theme. Of course, no friends or extended family came due to the Rona but lil man still had a blast. 

First things first, when planning a kiddos party refer to pinterest! I am obsessed with pinterest, I have been for years. The color scheme was simple, traditional car themed party colors. This made it really easy for me to use items I already had in my arts and crafts kit. And yes, I have a huge arts and crafts bin. I made the invitation on a website called Canva. I have used it several times to make invitations and borders for websites and flyers. I love the website, it is user friendly and fun for me.

The major DIY project for this party was a balloon arch. They are inexpensive, cute, festive, and they  make the perfect backdrop. Langston loves balloons. I purchased everything for the arch on amazon., back when prime was up and running like a well oiled machine. Then I went to Youtube and did some research. After taking some mental notes and saving some videos for future reference, I swindled my husband into helping me.

I purchased a ballon arch kit similar to this one on Amazon. I gathered up all my balloons and got to work. First I blew up about 40 ballons in various sizes. 

Using an electric ballon pump was so clutch! I highly recommend this one!

My husband blew up the ballons and I tied them! It was a good lil system.

This little tool was so great! I was getting frustrated with tying the balloons. Then I did a quick search on youtube on how a ballon tie and it worked like a charm. It allowed us to blow up the balloons and tie them very fast!

After that we followed this youtube tutorial and began building our arch. There are tons of tutorials online you can follow. 

We found that initially that skipping a hole on the strip, then going back and filling it in was the easiest approach. 

I know party planners that charge $120 to $150 for ballon arches. So doing this yourself is a pretty significant way to save. It was not hard to do, somewhat tedious, but not hard at all. I will definitely be doing this again in the future. I think it came out awesome for our first attempt. 

We wrapped his gifts and used some black sticky felt letters on the outside of the gifts. I was able to use a coupon and print the Canva invitation through the Walgreens photo app, then put it in a black frame we already had. We ordered some pizzas from Mod Pizza, made a salad, and popped some fresh popcorn (which is Langston's favorite snack) and set up two round tables. All of the accessories I ordered from Oriental Trading and Amazon. 

Black felt sticky letters are from Michaels! A must have for a arts and crafts kit. 

We used a checkered plastic table cloth from Amazon for a back drop.  We just pinned it up over the window with two thumbtacks. 

I ordered Langston's cake over a month and a half ago. It is from a small black, woman owned business and I did not want to cancel on her due to the pandemic restrictions. I plan on sharing the cake with my co-workers.

Cake topper is from Amazon. 

My tights and my husband's hat were both purchased from  Amazon.

I reuse this white bow for every holiday and birthday! Just throw some double sided tape on the back and boom! Like new every time lol

Even though no other family or friends could attend this year, Langston still had a ball at his birthday bash. We saved some money and I learned how to make a balloon arch. I know he may not remember his 2nd birthday party but I will gladly remind him every chance I get.

Langston's costume is from, you guessed it, Amazon! The hat has #1 on it so we just turned it around backwards. He wears 2T clothes but the pants did run big on him.

I hope this helps someone! 

Love,

ALW

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Pregnancy Diary: 1st Trimester

Hello hello!

If you haven't heard the news, my husband and I are pregnant with our first child! It's mostly me thats pregnant but it"s easier to say it that way I guess. If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook you already know that we're expecting a baby boy, in April 2018! I am just over the moon excited. I'll be doing a motherhood diary here along with my other foodie/heath nut post's per usual.

How it all started...

Well, I'll spare you the details but, in August before my cycle could show up late I knew something was up. I was feeling extremely bloated. Not a typical period bloat, a super duper bloated feeling. Three days before my cycle was to begin I started complaining to my sister about how I was feeling. She convinced me it was just indigestion, which is very common for me. I grabbed some dandelion root tea, drank 3 cups and didn't feel any lighter. Three days later...no red dot in sight. After work that Sunday my husband and I, decided I would take a pregnancy test. We pretty much knew it would be positive. Before I could even lift the test from between my legs to give it a good look it read pregnant. We cried and hugged, and I cried some more.

The symptoms...

I had pretty severe first trimester symptoms. The common ones you read about. I was extremely nauseous, dizzy, shortness of breath, sleepy and had awful food aversions.  

Around week 7 or 8 I was on my last Invisalign tray. Every time I would go to put in my tray I would gag and throw up. I barely wore it, but thankfully my teeth were straight enough for me to be done with it! Praise God! I also had an extremely heightened sense of smell. This was terrible and only made me more and more nauseous. I had to change our shower soap, clean the fridge out, and make my husband take out the trash more. I know I got on his last nerve! It wasn't me it was the baby right?!

By week 8 I have very extreme food aversions. Every thing disgusted me. I really didn't want to eat. Since I was barely eating I lost 5 lbs. For some one as petite as I am, this was not a good look. I  dropped down to 108 lbs which is the lowest I weighted since college. The only things I would eat was coconut milk yogurt and a fruit smoothie. My husband would go out and get all my favorite stuff and I would take the smallest bite, and just push it away. 

The worst dizzy episode I experienced was around week 10. I got up for work at my normal time. I went to use the bathroom. As I sat on the toilet the whole room started to spin. I heard a loud piercing ringing sound in my ear. I woke up my husband and I said "babe I don't feel so good".  I was drenched in sweat and just collapsed on the bed by him. He offered to call my store and let them know I wouldn't be in but of course I refused to let him do that. I laid there for about 20 more minutes, drank huge gulps of cold water and then the ringing went away and I felt fine again. I was super late for work that day, but thankfully no one seemed to care very much. I was so terrified that morning. I had never experienced anything like that before and I never did again. Dizziness, yes, but not nearly that severe. 

New rituals...

Since that scary episode my husband decided I need a relaxing bubble bath once a week. I did not argue with that! He has done this faithfully me for me since that happened. I really really look forward to it. I'll come home from work and he will already have it ready for me. He's amazing!

I always make sure the water is not too hot so I don't boil our baby. I literally stay in here for like an hour sometimes. 

Since I found out I was pregnant I started rubbing this on my stomach and breast religiously every night after my shower. I want to prevent stretch marks at all cost! I love a good crop top! So its pretty easy to remember to do. 

I had acne scars on my face and back. I noticed towards the end of my first trimester that the acne scars on my back had darkened. Nooooo! I was so pissed about it too. I am careful with what skin care items I am using now so I try to go as natural as possible. I used a combination of these essential oils on my back scars every night too. 

My sister put me on to this concoction a while ago. I used the sweet almond oil as a carrier oil and I mix the essential oils in a the blue glass dropper in back. Its important to use glass and not plastic.

I am on my feet a lot at work. That, plus increased blood volume due to the bun in the oven is a recipe for varicose veins. I had already inherited a few from my mother so to keep them at bay. I dry brush and use a coffee scrub. I do this once or twice a week. It helps increase blood circulation and exfoliate the skin. It's time consuming but it seems to be working... I think... I hope lol.

Midway into the first trimester I had to switch to a new OBGYN. My initial doctor was retiring from delivery in 2018. I was bummed at first but I think it was a blessing in disguise. I absolutely love my new OB. She's amazing! My first visit I felt a sense of comfortability with her and the office staff. I did some blood work and started on a new prenatal vitamin. 

Only con with these vitamins is that they kind of taste like grass and they discolor your feces. But I mean, gluten, lactose and sugar free. I guess you can't have it all. I keep in my night stand and try to take them every night. 

Good reads...

These two books I have really really been enjoying. They help you track your babies developments along with your growth and bodily changes. They are packed with so much information!

The Natural Mama was gifted to me by one of my best friends. This is the better of the two books because it tracks every thing based on week. Mama Glow is a little more trendy and does not have the best flow. The perk with Latham's book is that it provides you with yoga guidance based on week which I really like. 

One thing I love about The Natural Mama is that it gives you positive affirmations each week! They are bomb too! 

Both books provide healthy, delicious recipes too!

How fly is she?!

All in all I am just so relieved and thankful to be done with the first trimester. It was hard! 

My journey continues and I'll be sure to keep you posted! 

Favorite Affirmation: My body is a vessel for the divine. My body is a miracle. 

With Love,

April W.

Leave a Comment blackgirlsblog, blacklifestyleblog, blacklove, blackvegetarian, confidence, firsttrimester, foodblog, glowmama, lifestyleblog, mcapril, mcaprillately, pregnancydiary

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Food Diary: Instagram Round Up

Hello hello!

Coming back with a foodie post y'all! Yay! If you love food but want to try to eat healthier, I am your girl! Here are a few dishes I have made over the past month or so. They are really really good! I have also included some quick breakfast options/snacks as well. If you follow me on Instagram @Mcapril then you have probably seen most of these images. Hence the title Instagram Round Up. Most of my good food post go on my Insta snap.

Enjoy!

Quick Breakfast Options

Acai Bowl

I love this! Its filling, refreshing and really good without being super sweet! I can't make this for myself on a work day. Because, lets get real I am not a morning person and I don't wake up with nearly enough time to make something this pretty lol. To make the smoothie, acai base I use the Trader Joe's Acai puree packets. They are sugar free and all natural! You can also find these at more common food stores like Harris Teeter and Publix.

Acai Base Recipe

Acai packet
Coconut Water
Banana
Frozen mixed berries

After this is blended you just pile on your toppings! This day I topped mine with a homemade pumpkin spice granola (recipe post coming soon), flax seeds, sliced banana, chia seeds, frozen mixed berries.

Oatmeal and OJ

This is pretty basic but its honestly my go to on a work morning! I just pour out my over night oats, add in some fresh strawberries and bananas and top it with walnuts and chia seeds! This is low in sugar, high in fiber and the chia seeds are just packed with nutrients to get you going. Its hearty, filling and did I mention quick! You can eat the over night oats cold or hot. I typically always heat mine up for about 45 sec in the microwave. Here is my post on the recipe for the overnight oats if you missed it! 

Waffles With Fruit Topping

Super basic I know, but some mornings I crave this before work! Its all in the waffles. Trader Joe's really out did themselves with these seasonal waffles. These are the legendary pumpkin waffles. They are only 180 calories in 2 waffles! I just warm up my organic maple syrup and pile on the fruit. It looks like this week all we had was strawberries and bananas lol. These are so good! and I prefer using the organic maple syrup because it has no artificial sugars and no nasty high fructose corn syrup in it like the common brands.

Green Smoothie and Grapefruit

Green Smoothie Recipe

1/2 frozen banana
1 regular banana
Frozen Mango chunks
Frozen Peaches
Frozen strawberries
Handful of spinach
Handful of kale
1 cup of Trader Joe's Green Plant juice
1/2 scoop of Vega Vanilla plant protein powder
1 spoonful of chia seeds

For my green smoothie I found that not using crushed ice helps maintain the consistency longer. This is helpful if your taking your smoothie on the go. I have also used pineapple coconut water in place of the green plant juice and it is still bomb. This smoothie alone will keep me full for about 2 1/2 hours!  I have really been craving grapefruit lately. Odd I know lol. I just slice it open and sprinkle a little bit of coconut sugar on top! Sooo good!

Lunch/Dinner Options

Arugula "Chicken" Salad

I am vegetarian so this is Gardein chicken. It is a chicken substitute made from plant protein.
This salad is really simple but so tasty. I just lay down my arugula, top with carrots, tomato, cucumber and corn. Add on some craisins and croutons then top with with the cooked "chicken" strips and add on my dressing. Here I used the Daiya vegan ranch dressing. It was really really good. Taste just like Hidden Valley to me minus the dairy. Score!

Gardein is my favorite vegan plant based meat substitute. It is reasonably priced and taste really really good. If your are transitioning or want to try out some new stuff I would say check them out. They have a ton of good recipes on their website  too!

Tofu Pineapple Stir Fry

This was a really really great recipe that I kind of stole and tweeked from one of my favorite youtubers Rachel Talbot. I love her channel. She does recipes, home decor/lifestyle and a little beauty too. Her vids are just very relaxing and informative to watch!

How to make: Marinate some extra firm tofu in the Island Soyaki marinade and sauté that up. I added in some roasted asparagus and some sautéed red peppers. The star ingredient was the grilled pineapple. It gave this a nice sweet taste! I dumped all that over some brown rice and that's it! Took all of like 30 min to prepare.

Ramen Veggie Noodle Stir Fry

Ramen! Doesn't it just remind you of like freshmen dorm room college days. Well Ramen has gotten pretty bougie and fancy since my college days. It never gets old! My sister and I love this Ramen restaurant here in Charlotte called Futu Buta. They really know how to do some fancy ramen. Mine is not nearly as decadent but still pretty damn good for a self proclaimed chef lol. 

This is really easy to make. Can you tell that is trend here? lol. First, the veggies of your choice.  I used, carrots, shiitake mushrooms, kale, onion, and garlic. While this doing its work, cook 3 packs of ramen noodles in some veggie broth. Do not cook these long! Literally like 10 min. You do not want them getting mushy. After this, add the noodles in with the veggies and little bit of the veggie broth and top on the seasoning. I added in some coconut aminos, vegan worcheshire  sauce and some liquid smoke. Let it all simmer. Top it off with some fresh green onion and that is all my friends! 

Roasted Veggie with Brown Rice and Hummus

This is like my go to dinner! I love it! It goes with out explanation. Roast your veggies, add rice, tomatoes and hummus and whala! My all time favorite hummus is the horseradish hummus from none other than Trader Joe's! Try it, trust me! 

I hope these recipes inspire you to try something new and to make healthier choices in what you eat. Cooking at home is always best if your on a health journey! 

Enjoy!

Love,

April W. 

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