Pittsburgh

Snapshots

Hello and happy Wednesday! Just popping in to share some snapshots from my life lately.

Fall flower arrangement with pumpkin candle for fall decor

I started to decorate our house for fall, but realized my decorations are a little sparse. I think I went on a declutter spree a few months ago and may have donated more than I thought 😉 I’m liking the simplicity, though!

Glade Cozy Autumn Cuddle fall candle limited edition scent Bear Naked granola pumpkin spice granola for fall

Speaking of fall, I picked up this candle and this granola and give them both a 10 out of 10! The candle smells wonderful and the granola is the perfect blend of spices, oats, and white chocolate.

I had some of the granola the other night mixed into in pumpkin yogurt with a cut up apple and it was fall on fall on fall!

Strawberry cake with vanilla buttercream and rosettes with silver sprinkles Strawberry cake with vanilla buttercream decorated with roses and sprinkles

The cake I made for my mother-in-law’s birthday party went well! I ended up doing exactly what I thought I would (for once, haha): a strawberry cake with strawberry filling, vanilla buttercream, rosettes, and sprinkles.

What was even better than the cake was the company that evening.

Puggle and cocker spaniel

Mavis and my sister-in-law’s dog, Dixie!

Hair twins girls with curly dark blonde hair

My sis-in-law and I were hair twins!

Jimmy and I brought Mavis over to my sister-in-law’s house and we all had dinner and hung out celebrating my mother-in-law! It was a lovely evening and so fun watching Mavis interact with her “cousin” lol!

American cocker spaniel sitting on chair

Mavis paid a visit to the vet over the weekend to get her yearly shots, plus a few extra shots so she can go to doggy daycare. I’m taking her for an interview at Camp Bow Wow today to see if she likes it.

Jimmy and I figure it will be good to have doggy daycare as an option for our little energizer bunny to get her energy out from time to time once her little sister arrives!

And rolling right into the topic of Mavis’ little sister, I’m happy to report that she and I had our last iron infusion!

Pregnant IV iron infusion for anemia

I can’t say enough good things about the doctors, nurses, and staff a the Hillman Cancer Center at Mercy Hospital here in Pittsburgh. I felt so well cared for and had great experiences each time baby and I went in for our infusions. My hematologist (and pretty much everyone) was a little nervous baby and I wouldn’t make it to all four infusions before delivery, but by the grace of God we did!

I’m still anemic, but my hemoglobin levels have risen, which is such a huge blessing! I’ll head back to the hospital in November for more blood work and infusions as needed.

Okay, two more snapshots because I love sharing pictures of our pets!

Cocker spaniel and pit bull Black cat with yellow eyes sitting on blanket

Lola and Mavis went to the groomer and got matching bandanas and Malcolm decided to camp out on our blanket and look adorably handsome.

What would a snapshot of your life lately look like?

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Five Things

Hey hey! I feel so behind on all things blog-related. I’m here now, and ready to discuss some random things, as always.

1. A date! I think it was a weekend or two ago that Jimmy and I went to Trax Farms here in Pittsburgh for a little afternoon date and it was lovely. Yes, our idea of a date is going to a farm store 🙂

Girl looking at garden and farm store Trax Farms in Pittsburgh, PA

Speaking of Jimmy and I, our wedding anniversary is tomorrow! I can’t believe we’ve been married four years now. It feels like just yesterday we were walking down the aisle, taking pictures, dancing at our reception, going on our honeymoon, and settling into our new life together. Now we have a menagerie of animals and have been blessed with a sweet little girl on the way. I can’t say it enough: God. Is. Good. 

2. Speaking of our pets… Malcolm turned two in May, and Mavis and Lola each turn 12 this month: 12 months for Mavis and 12 years for Lola!

Black cat laying in windowsillCocker spaniel laying on black lab funny

Lola, Malcolm, and Mavis keep us busy and make our hearts full. We’re constantly laughing (and sometimes crying…) because of these three musketeers. Also of note, Mavis finally went into heat! I’ll probably post more about it in a 12 month update for her!

3. Swimming. Guys, I went swimming for the first time in like three years! Long-time readers will probably remember that I was a competitive swimmer growing up, and then swam for fun at the gym during college and for a year or two after. I finally got back in the pool last week and it felt amazing, aside from all the huffing and puffing I did 😉

Swimming kick board, pull buoy, paddles, and Thermos Intak waterbottle

4. Granola. I made some banana bread granola for our neighbors as a thank you for a baby outfit they gave us and I thought I’d share the recipe. It’s a keeper! When I first posted the recipe, I called it banana nut granola, but I think banana bread granola better suits it.

Banana bread granola in a mason jar

I also have a great chocolate granola recipe and peanut butter granola recipe. I thought I had a few more granola recipes here on the blog, but they’re currently living in my homemade cookbook. I’ll have to post about them soon! Some of the flavors are coconut almond, cranberry orange, and oatmeal raisin. Now I want a bowl of granola with milk.

5. A thank you. Thank you to everyone who commented on my last post! Everyone had such great input and I’m glad I decided to post about the tough stuff we had been going through. You guys rock 🙂