How I Dropped My Pregnancy Weight in 3 Weeks

I will begin this post by saying I am in no way a health professional or dietician. My quick weight loss results could be based purely on genetics. However, I honestly think my post-pregnancy success is a result of my diligent meal planning during my pregnancy.

My height is 5'-6" and I normally weigh in at 118 lbs. When I was at the height of my pregnancy with the twins, I weighed in at 150 lbs. Three weeks after delivering the kids I was back down to my pre-pregnancy weight.

Below are a few tips on what I ate in a day. I was actually on bed rest towards the end (my petite body frame was not meant to carry multiples)! With that said, I was not only trying to eat healthy, I was also trying to keep my meal prep in the kitchen as minimal as possible. Buying pre-made salads and pre-cut fruit from the grocery store was key.

I literally ate the same meals day in, and day out, which honestly got incredibly boring. All I really wanted to do was eat cookies, fried chicken, and potato chips but I resisted...and man did it pay off! I got all of the healthy nutrients I needed for the babies, and for myself, and dropped that baby weight in no time.

Breakfast:

Non-Fat Greek Yogurt with Fresh Berries and Granola (high in protien)

Whole Wheat Toast with Peanut Butter and Banana Slices

Think Thin Oatmeal with Fresh Berries

Breakfast Shake (oats, peanut butter, almond milk, frozen strawberries, bananas)

Snacks:

Dates (great for fiber)

Dried Apricots (great for fiber)

Cashews

Almonds

Lunches:

Pre-Made Salads with Fresh, Pre-Cut Fruit (both from my local grocery store)

Dinners:

Salmon with Brown Rice (bake it in foil to keep from scrubbing pots and pans)

Grilled Chicken with Steamed Veggies and the BEST rice (Padma's Organic Brown Rice)

Vegan White Bean and Vegetable Stew (great for a cold weather pregnancy!)

Sweet Fix:

Dark Chocolate Covered Banana Chips

100 Calorie Frozen Greek Yogurt

A Travel Themed Nursery

When my husband and I found out we were having twins, our perfect little nursery no longer seemed so perfect. We had the ideal sized room for one baby, but two?! *sigh*

Time to go back to the drawing board, literally.

For this design challenge, I had to seriously put my Interior Design degree to work with lots of sketching. Living in a Victorian Row House, where the rooms are small and the shapes often irregular, this nursery proved to be a serious space planning challenge. BUT, as it is with most designs, these challenges actually lead to great design solutions.

Bulky oversized cribs got switched out for perfect little mini-cribs. A repurposed dresser became all the storage we actually needed. And photo frame ledges turned out to be the best way to display and store baby books. Miraculously, it all came together!

As for the theme, we had to go with travel. It's something my husband and I are incredibly passionate about, we take one big international trip every year. Our point of view is, if you haven't seen the world then how can you begin to understand it? Plus, we were having a boy and a girl, so travel worked out to be a perfect gender neutral design scheme.

Images of the nursery are below, including links to the pieces still available to purchase at retailers. Enjoy!

Race Car and Airplane Mobiles: Restoration Hardware, $54 

Babyletto Mini Cribs: Target,  $249

'Made You Look' Carpet Tiles: FLOR, $16 per Square

Hemnes Dresser: IKEA, $249

Knoppang Picture Ledge Book Shelf: IKEA, $6.99

Circle Mirror Set: Target, $19.99

'Explore' Print: Party Inked on Etsy, $15

Twin Feeding Table: Table for Two, $269

"Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Speak No Evil" Monkeys: Bought during our travels in Bali

Mid-Century Walnut Side Table: Handmade Wedding Gift from a Family Member

Restaurant Review: Due South in The Navy Yard

In the mood for a bit of soul food with an upscale twist? If so, you have to check out Due South in the Navy Yard neighborhood. I stopped by last week for a late, lovely lunch on their patio. It was a gorgeous spring day. The sunshine streamed down on us while the soothing sound of waterfalls from The Yards Park below set the tone for a relaxing, outdoor meal.

Lunch began with an order of the Squash Puppies with Roasted Jalapeño Aioli. The Squash Puppies were perfectly crispy on the outside, while still being fluffy and flavorful on the inside. The Roasted Jalapeño Aioli added a tasty kick to the pup, to be perfectly honest I doused each bite in it! The flavor was just too good to leave on the plate.

The main dish I ordered was their Bacon Pimento Cheeseburger. Juicy beef, crispy (but not too crispy bacon), with a delicious spread of that classic southern pimento cheese goodness. The burger came with a side of Herbed Fries that were total perfection dipped in their Mississippi Comeback Sauce. 

Check out this down home deliciousness next time you are in the Navy Yard neighborhood, Due South's menu and atmosphere will not dissapoint!

Lunch Menu

Squash Puppies

Bacon Pimento Burger with Herbed Fries

Due South

301 Water St SE

duesouthdc.com

Pineapple & Pearls Coffee Shop Opens on Barracks Row

If you live in DC and are a foodie like myself, you have been anxiously awaiting the opening of Aaron Silverman's newest restaurant, Pineapple & Pearls.

For those of you living under a rock for the past two years, Aaron Silverman is the Owner/Chef of the critically acclaimed (but not the least bit pretentious) Rose's Luxury. When Silverman announced he would be opening a sister restaurant literally next door to Rose's, I may have let out an actual squeal of excitement.

The fine dining portion of P&P is set to open sometime Mid-April (according to the barista I spoke to this week); however, the walk-up coffee bar portion is now open. My hubs and I stopped by this week to experience Silverman's take on a latte and pastry. Surprise, surprise I was not disappointed.

I had a perfect velvety cappuccino to drink and tasted almost every food option offered. My favorites were the Pineapple Roll, Mexican Hot Chocolate Roll, and Brisket Brioche. See photos below, let the drooling commence.

Final note, as someone in the design industry, I have to give props to Silverman for his meticulous attention to detail. From the stunning walnut and brass espresso machine to the sleek matte black to-go food bag, every piece of this coffee bar experience has been well executed.

Pineapple & Pearls

http://www.pineappleandpearls.com

Hours: Tuesday-Friday, 8am to 2pm and Saturday, 8am to 4pm

Location: 715 8th St SE