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60 Ultimate Cookie Exchange Recipes {and When It's Time to End It}

If you're looking for a winning recipe for your holiday cookie swaps, then scroll through this round-up  of 60 Ultimate Cookie Exchange Recipes on Taste As You Go!   Do you ever get That Feeling in your gut when you realize that what once brought you happiness now fills you with dread? You know the one... It's That Same Feeling that causes you to ask yourself repeatedly " Why am I doing this again?" I've been trying to battle that super persistent feeling for the past few weeks by giving myself little pep talks: "Don't give up now. You DO want to do this!"  "Don't you remember how much you used to love doing this? Just keep going!" " Do it one more time and you'll see -- everything will be fine. You'll feel much better once you get it over with." But no matter how many times I tried to get excited about it, I found a reason to avoid doing it. (Thank you, Caroline.) That's when I knew it was time to e...

Weekend Reading {and a Pregnancy Update}

Sparkler-Photo-by-Karina-Carvalho


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Happy July, everyone!

The past few days have been important ones in my little world. I am now 34 weeks pregnant and have actually survived being in the hospital for 20 consecutive days. Given my condition when I was first admitted, my doctors weren't sure I'd still be pregnant by the time July rolled around... So, everyone concerned is happy that my condition has stabilized.

I still have a few more weeks to go until I deliver, though. And there are some days when my emotions get the better of me and I spend my time feeling depressed about being here. Those are the days I have to dig deep and make a real point of sticking to the routine I've established.

My day starts pretty early with a session on the fetal monitor. Then, over the next hour or so, I have a parade of doctors and nurses coming in and out of my room. They take my vitals and I answer their questions -- "No bleeding... no cramping... I'm tired today because I didn't sleep very well... No pain in my legs... Yes, I'm going to the bathroom without issue..." -- I give up on going back to sleep.

Instead, I wash my face and brush my teeth. I raise the shades on my windows and look for deer hiding in the trees. (Yes, this is actually part of my daily routine now.) Then, after making my bed, I open my laptop and jump into work. Unfortunately for my coworkers, that means sending a good number of emails before 8 AM.

I fill in the rest of my day by doing word and number puzzles, going for walks around the hospital, and reading. Lots of reading. I'm nearly finished with my current book and am actually keeping on top of my blog reading.

Speaking of which... Here are some of the things that have captured my attention -- in some form or another -- since last weekend.

  1. I've been lamenting the fact that I missed out on celebrating National Lobster Roll Day and can't wait until I'm out of the hospital so I can make these again.
  2. I wonder whether this service will help me decide what to hang on the wall behind my desk at home.
  3. I think Caroline and I are going to love making these together when I'm home from the hospital.
  4. Have any of you tried using these instead of tea towels or paper towels? I'm curious to see whether they're really life-changing.
  5. This podcast about food fads was really interesting to listen to. Especially the section about the rise in popularity of the slow cooker.
  6. I am now obsessed with this popcorn and am only slightly embarrassed by how quickly I ate a bag of their sharp cheddar variety.
  7. I laughed while reading this article about one of the latest fashion trends. I laughed because I couldn't agree more.
  8. Oh, and I'm also obsessed with this granola bark. I had to have one of the nurses make sure I didn't eat the whole bag in one sitting.

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One year ago: A Month of Dinners: Menu Plan for July {MENU PLAN}
Two years ago: 26 Refreshing Summertime Beverages {ROUND-UP}
Three years ago: 46 Summer Picnic Recipes {ROUND-UP}
Four years ago: A Picnic-Scape for the Fourth of July (Get the Look with J+G Design) {GUEST POST}
Five years ago: On the Side: Scenes from the Commute {LIFE}
Six years ago: Feed Me Friday {FUN}
Seven years ago: More Than I Bargained for at Blue Fin {REVIEW}
Eight years ago: Grill More Than Just Your Meats {RECIPE}

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