Holiday Baking List

One of my favorite parts of Christmastime is all of the baked goodies.

I love baking up a storm, trying new recipes, breaking out our classic family ones, and of course, devouring the treats throughout the holiday season.

Midway through 7-layer cookie baking, 2010

It seems as though everywhere I look, there are more and more amazing holiday recipes. If you follow me on Pinterest, you may have even seen lots of baking ideas I've been pinning over the last few days.

Every year, I do a baking day with my mom. Last year, we made dozens upon dozens of cookies...I think 11 different varieties in 1 day.

This year, I have so many things I want to make that I might even start testing things out this weekend and distributing goodies to my office mates, building concierge and neighbors over the next couple of weeks.

Here's what I've got on my list this season:

Raspberry Thumbprints

Cherry Chocolate Kisses

Cocoa Thumbprints

Eggnog Snickerdoodles

Butter Cookie Cutouts

Italian Rainbow Cookies

Chocolate Crinkles

Other recipes from around the web that I would love to have time for!

Candy Cane Kiss Cookies via Recipe Girl

Christmas Candy Cheesecake via Sprinkle Bakes

Eggnog Crumble Crunch Cake via How Sweet It Is

Red Velvet Marshmallow Thumbprints via How Sweet It Is

Hot Chocolate Cookies via Baking Serendipity

Salted Caramel Chocolate Cookies via The Comfort of Cooking

Soft Gingersnaps with White Chocolate Frosting via Two Peas and Their Pod

Sooo...at almost 8 months pregnant, I'll totally have time for all of the above...right?

I'll be sure to keep you posted along the way :)

Now it's your turn...

What's on your baking list this holiday season?

What other amazing recipes have I been missing out on?

Share some link-ups in the comments!

Holiday Music

Since it's a whole week past Thanksgiving, I finally broke out my Christmas playlist on the iPod and queued up the Rockin' Holidays Pandora station on my office computer.

Usually by the middle of December I've exhausted all holiday music in a veritable overdose of the same songs, over and over. But for now? I'm so excited to dive right in.

This year, however, I'm looking for some new suggestions on great Christmas albums or renditions...any recommendations out there?

Admittedly, some of my existing favorites include:

Mariah Carey Merry Christmas. As if that needs to be officially stated! Who doesn't love this album?!

Michael Buble Let it Snow! I actually bought his Michael Buble Christmas album last year and felt eh about it. Shaun had gifted me with Let it Snow! years ago and I've loved it ever since.

Jessica Simpson ReJoyce. Don't judge. The arrangements are great and her Baby It's Cold Outside duet with Nick Lachey is my favorite version of this song...and makes me long for better Simpson days long gone.

Bing Crosby & Frank Sinatra Christmas. Perhaps the only Christmas album that Shaun will listen to willingly!

When it comes to individual songs, here are just a few of my favorites!

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - James Taylor, Bing Crosby versions

Elf's Lament - Barenaked Ladies & Michael Buble

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen - Barenaked Ladies & Sarah McLachlan

Please Come Home for Christmas - Bon Jovi

O Holy Night - any rendition

Carol of the Bells - any rendition

Sleigh Ride - The Ronettes

Merry Christmas - The Waitresses

Little St. Nick - The Beach Boys

Christmas All Over Again - Tom Petty

Run Run Rudolph - Chuck Berry

...just to name a few!

But I'm always on the hunt for new renditions, so please share with me some of your favorites!

29 & 30

Welp...I made it to the 30s!

In both age and weeks pregnant :)

It's pretty crazy to me that at 16 weeks, I looked like this (and conveniently wearing the same shirt):

Hardly any bump at all! And yet at the time I thought that I was already showing so much. Ah how times have changed. 

And though you've already seen this photo, here's what I looked like last week at 29 weeks:

There's no doubt that I'm getting bigger just about everyday!

How I'm feeling:

Generally I continue to feel really good. My body gets tired very quickly these days, especially following my morning and evening commutes. I'm wondering how I'll still be doing this a month (or possibly even 2 months!) from now with a much larger midsection to carry around, but I supposed I wondered the same thing last month and the month before that and here I am, still getting it done!

Aside from that, I've definitely been more emotional as of late. In my head, I know that I'm getting worked up over silly things and I can rationalize that in my head...but it doesn't stop my heart from starting to pound or tears from falling. 

I think a lot of it comes from frustration over things that are totally out of my control; the fact that I simply don't have the energy of my former self, that putting boots on in the morning is a major production that takes my breath away, that climbing stairs feels like I just ran a 5K or that my eyes refuse to accept my contact lenses and so I have been in glasses for the last 6 months.

I know that none of this is so horrible and I'm incredibly lucky and thankful for having a great pregnancy thus far, but I can't help but get excited for the day when these little daily things aren't an issue any longer! 

I did actually make it to the gym earlier this week, for the first time since May. Shaun and I did some treadmill time and I felt really good! I typically walk about a mile a day to and from work, but it was nice to get in some extra (albeit slow!) walking time!

I also have been feeling very nesty and clingy as of late. I don't want to spend any time apart from Shaun and I just want to be at home getting things done. Hopefully this weekend we'll make some great progress on the nursery and have some relaxing QT at home.

Meltdown moments:

- When, in a train car filled with men in seats, it was a woman who offered her seat to me. Then, I was totally out of breath and exhausted by the time I climbed the stairs out of the Path station. These are not problems worthy of a good cry, but tell that to my hormones people.

- When even my gym shorts didn't fit my growing hips and booty and I had almost nothing to wear to the gym

- While watching Walking Dead from a couple of weeks ago...that may or may not have been related to being pregnant, but was just really sad.

Other stuff:

Swelling: a little bit in my hands and I hate it.

Rings: Wedding ring off, engagement ring on! for now...

Doctors appts: Every 2 weeks now! Still love hearing her heartbeat everytime...never gets old!

Nursery progress: It's coming along, but we've got a long way to go! I can't wait to have some good pics to show you.

Baby movement: All.the.time. She is kicking, punching, rolling, flipping and gettin' cozy in there. I am definitely going to miss that once my pregnancy is over.

Cups of hot chocolate consumed: tons

Other foods I'm digging: I'm back on salads, still eating cereal everyday and overall trying to reign in my eating as we head into the holiday season

And that's about it for me for the last couple of weeks! Getting close to the end now as I'm officially 31 weeks today. The baby weighs about 4 pounds at this point and her arrival is feeling more and more real every single day...