Winning!

Life As Always has been pop-u-lar lately, y'all!

Thanks so much to both my new and loyal readers!

 

I was nominated for TWO more Liebster Awards this week by Lindi at Sweet Southern Sparkle and Kari at Life Lived by Kari.

Thank you so much ladies, I'm flattered!!

 

 

The Liebster Award was started to nominate new bloggers in order for them to gain recognition and inspire confidence to keep going. 

And mainly it's just an opportunity for a fun little Q&A...

 

Here are Lindi's questions for me:

 

1. Why did you start blogging?

I have a degree in journalism and I love writing, but since I wasn't really doing it professionally back in 2006 I decided to start My So-Called Life at the suggestion of my good friend Jeanna. That blog was pretty much about me being single and fabulous ridiculous, so shortly after I got engaged in 2011 I switched over to this blog, Life As Always, with the goal of chronicling my life with Stewart for our friends and family members. As an added bonus, in the past couple years I have also been warmly embraced by this whole crazy blogging community and I've made some really good friends!  

 

2. What is your favorite beauty product?

Mascara. I love this stuff so, so much. It's my favorite part of getting ready in the morning, because I feel like it just pulls together every other aspect of my makeup and overall look. Without it I just feel tired and blah. I also love the precision the application takes; it appeals to my meticulous nature. I actually probably wear too much sometimes, but it's like an addiction... just one more coat! I love it.

 

3. What was the name of your very first pet?

I don't know that she was my very first pet, but my main childhood pet was a tabby cat named Tigger. I got her in the fifth grade when she was just a kitten and had her all the way into college. I really miss that cuddly fur ball! 

 

4. What does your blog name mean to you?

Well, it's pretty simple, actually. I'm Sarah Alway and he's Stewart Alway, so... Life as "Always" -- get it?!
 

5. If you could pick one place to travel to where would it be?

A trip to Australia and New Zealand is the next thing up on our travel bucket list. We thought we might be able to make it happen before starting our family, but the news of Baby Boy has put that trip on hold for the time being... 

 

6. What are your hobbies besides blogging?

I guess reading would be the main thing I'd consider a "hobby." I am a huge book nerd. But I also love athletic outdoorsy stuff like hiking, snowboarding and water sports.

 

7. Who is the most influential person in your life?

My mother. She is the sweetest angel to ever walk the planet and if someday I grow up to be even half the person she is I will consider myself to be a successful human being. She inspires me on a daily basis to be better than I was the day before.

 

8. What is your dream job?

Besides being a TV news reporter like April O'Neil? I actually don't have many lofty career aspirations these days. I just want to work in a position where I am valued and respected, where I enjoy what I am doing and have a great team to interact with. And these days all those expectations are being met, so maybe I have my dream job after all...

 

9.What is your go to wardrobe item?

When I don't have to get dressed for work it's ALWAYS my Lululemon yoga pants and a zip up hoodie. I could seriously live the rest of my life in that outfit. And it's probably the only thing I will wear for the entire duration of my maternity leave. Gift certificates are currently being accepted if you want to send one my way...

 

10.What is your favorite kind of candy?

I'm actually more of a savory than a sweet person, but as a loyal Seahawks fan I'd have to say Skittles!!

 

11. What advice could you give to a new blogger?

Make sure you're aware of some basic blogging don'ts before you get too far into it. There's nothing worse than a fake, whiny blogger who becomes a link up whore with a blog drowning in giveaways. Unless of course that person is also a no-reply blogger.

 

 

And here are Kari's questions for me:

 

1.  What is the best vacation you have ever been on?

A whirlwind tour of Europe with Stewart in the fall of 2010. Stew is a British citizen and seasoned world traveler; the perfect tour guide for my first trip to the UK. We visited many cities in England, Ireland, Italy and France over about three and a half weeks, including Cinque Terre on the coast of the Italian Riviera, where we got engaged.

 

2.  What are some key items on your Bucket List?

Most of our bucket list items include traveling the world. I already mentioned the trip down under that we'd like to take, but we also really want to do a South African safari, snowboard in South America, see the pyramids of Egypt... oh, all sorts of things. And of course we'll want to take Baby Boy to England someday so he can see where some of his roots come from.

 

3.  What is the best gift you have ever been given?

Oh good grief, let me just go ahead and give the most cliché, sentimental answer ever... our son. He will be the light of my life and the center of my world for as long as I exist, and I suppose I have Stewart to thank for this incredible gift. Now was that a Hallmark moment, or what?

 

4.  What do you like more: clothes, shoes, purses, or gadgets?

I suppose if forced to choose I'd have to say shoes. Clothes would be a close second, but shoes are just so much FUN. They're generally not something I splurge on, but I adore shoes... a likely side effect of my addiction to Sex & the City in college. "Hello, lover..."

 

5.  If you could obtain any degree without ever having to take a class, which would you choose?

The thing is, I am a total school nerd. I loved each and every class starting with the first day of kindergarten, and if it didn't cost so dang much I'd probably still be pursuing one degree or another, just because I enjoy being a student so much. So to answer this question in a rambling way, I suppose I would choose a law degree. I was accepted into law school after completing my paralegal certification a couple years ago, but ultimately decided not to attend due to the crushing debt it would inflict on our family. And the fact that I really wanted to be a law student... but not necessarily a lawyer.

 

6.  How many hours of sleep do you get every night on average?

Since getting over my first trimester exhaustion (where I was sleeping about half my life away) I've been back to my usual, about seven hours a night. It's never enough, but it's all I've got time for these days...

 

7.  What is something you could never leave home without?

My iPhone. I am completely and utterly addicted. It's a problem. Have you seen that commercial which should put us all in our places? It might as well be my life. And I'm ashamed...

 

8.  If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Oh goodness. My basic instincts scream mac 'n' cheese, but I think I should probably choose something more nutritionally dense... any Mexican dish would probably do. How about fajitas? That'd work...

 

9.  What city would you most want to live in?

I have always wanted to live in San Francisco, and after visiting I am also now completely obsessed with London. That being said, I'm pretty happy with our move to the suburbs. Living in a small city like Snoqualmie has been a welcome change from the fabulous yet fast-paced Seattle lifestyle.

 

10.What is your dream job?

See above.

 

11. The beach or the mountains?

 Ouch... this is such a tough call, and ultimately a decision I cannot make. It's like being asked to choose between snowboarding and wake surfing, two of my absolute favorite activities! In any case, at least you know that I would always choose outside versus inside...

 

 

Thanks ladies, for your thought provoking questions!

 

Now I am supposed to nominate 11 other bloggers and provide them with 11 questions to answer, but I already did that back in June and also in January, and I've got a lot going on this weekend so I'm going to choose to cut this off here. That being said, if you are one of my new followers in the past week or so (and I've gotten so many!) please consider yourself nominated and visit one of my previous posts to answer some of my own silly little questions. And be sure to let me know  if you decide to join in on the fun!

 

Have a great weekend guys and dolls!

 

Dear Baby Boy... 27 Weeks

Dear Baby Boy,

Boy, did we have another exciting week! You've been with us every step of the way this football season (including that game you caused me to miss because I couldn't stop puking) and I'm convinced you've been our little good luck charm this season. And last Sunday was no exception as we watched the Seattle Seahawks WIN THE SUPER BOWL! Daddy and I are so excited about this once first in a lifetime experience!! He really wants to make sure and collect as much memorabilia as possible to show you when you're older. We're getting you some onsies, t-shirts for when you're older, newspapers, making photo collages, and even ordering a commemorative football. And you experienced it all with us, my little sports fan! Yesterday was a long cold day, but the Seahawks homecoming victory parade and rally were totally worth it. I'm sure you were snug as a bug in a rug, anyway.

I spent Saturday morning with my dear friend Cailin, who is generously throwing us a baby shower and also offered to help me register for all the crucial items that will help us keep you alive and happy following your arrival. I was so incredibly grateful for her help! I had no idea there was such a plethora of items available... holy moly!! But I think we picked out only the best stuff, don't you worry.

This week marks the end of the second trimester, and I have gained 21 pounds. It pains me to even say that out loud, although I'm right on track for weight gain and I know it's all for your ultimate benefit. But it's scary for Mommy to see numbers like that on the scale, so looks like it's back to the gym more frequently for us!

Also, I feel like a little bit of a failure this week because the results of my glucose screening test came back higher than normal. This means that I need to have another, more extensive glucose tolerance test done to determine whether or not I have developed gestational diabetes. Even though I know this is nothing I "caused" (it's the result of hormones from the placenta blocking insulin reactions in my body), I still feel guilty for not remaining 100% healthy throughout this pregnancy. That being said, we'll wait until the results of the second test come back before jumping to any conclusions...

This week you weigh almost two pounds and are about the size of a head of cauliflower. You sleep and wake at regular intervals, opening and closing your eyes and maybe even sucking your fingers. With more brain tissue developing, your brain is very active now and I can definitely tell when you're feeling restless in there. Your lungs are still immature, but you practice inhaling and exhaling and would be capable of living and breathing (with a lot of medical help) if you were born now.

I haven't developed any new symptoms this week, but continue to experience pretty consistent stress and anxiety, which I'm trying to get under control by eliminating some of the less crucial activities from our lives. Mommy and Daddy just really need some time together to bond, nest and prepare for your arrival. This weekend we have big plans for shopping, painting and research...

We're heading into the home stretch now!

Love Always,
Mommy

Live & Learn -- Listen to your wife

Well, I think we all remember the unfortunate incident a couple weeks ago when Stewart was right I had a late-night detergent explosion in the laundry room. But this time I had the last laugh...

Believe it or not, we've lived in our new house for almost a year now. This means that it's about time for our one year warranty walk with our builder (where we check everything and they have to fix all the cracks, scratches, mistakes and issues that we've noticed and have been documenting for the last 12 months). And one thing that's really been bugging Stewart is me the microwave.

 Almost from day one, our microwave started getting little bubbles underneath some of the buttons. I told him I thought we just needed to peel an extra layer of plastic off the display panel, but Stew insisted that was not the case, and instead I just needed to push the buttons more carefully because my fingernails were the cause of the problem. I've tried to be more careful (really, I have!) but the problem has just gotten worse and our microwave was starting to look like something out of a college dorm room.

Since our appliances are under separate warranties, Stew called the company to complain about his wife's frustrating habits the faulty buttons. Apparently, the parts are so expensive to replace that KitchenAid would rather replace the entire microwave instead of just the display panel. Sweet... new microwave. However, Stew was thoroughly convinced that I would also destroy the new appliance as well, so he wondered if there was even any point.

In the meantime, the friendly KitchenAid rep had a suggestion... since they were willing to replace the whole thing anyway, she kindly requested that we at least attempt to remove the layer of plastic in case it really was just an extra layer that was meant to be removed. Exasperated but willing to indulge her, Stew picked at the corner of the display panel...

And off peeled that superfluous layer of packing material like panties from a drunken sorority girl!

Underneath? Perfectly smooth, straight from the factory quality microwave buttons.

I told you so I told you so I told you so.

Of course Stew insisted that he had really been thinking the same thing the whole time, but...

I told you so I told you so I told you so!!

See... sometimes it is in your best interest to listen to your wife.

 
This has been another edition of
Live & Learn Thursday!

Join the party... follow your hosts and link up your post!

Simple Moments Stick -- $200 Giveaway!

Today I have the pleasure of joining up with my friend Susannah from Simple Moments Stick. I have had the pleasure of getting to know her through blogging and she's just such a doll. So when she told me she was getting ready to celebrate her blog's second birthday party, I was happy to get in on the celebration. Cupcakes all around!

But get this, instead of getting Simple Moments Stick a gift, Susannah is offering a $200 Paypal Gash Giveaway! That's right... cash money to buy whatever you want...

Or if you'd like, go ahead and save those dolla dolla bills and use them to have $200 worth of sushi delivered to me in the hospital after Baby Boy is born...

 

Today, Simple Moments Stick is two! Birthday parties are the best way to celebrate but, since we can't all get together to party, a group of 23 bloggers teamed up to offer up an absolutely AMAZING prize!!!

It's a $200 Paypal Cash Giveaway!!!
 

1.  Susannah from Simple Moments Stick
2.  Amy from The Silver Lining
3.  Kotryna from Girl with a Movie Camera
4.  Becky from Rebeckann's Random Thoughts

1.  Sarah from Life as Always
2.  Sybil from Peace it all Together
3.  Wendy from Effie Girl
4.  Elena from Cropped Stories

1.  Jayda from Avocado Grove
2.  Erin from Simply Just Lovely
3.  Ginny from My New Favorite Outfit
4.  Kelly from Sparkles and Shoes

1.  Jamie from Handling with Grace
2.  Charity from The Word of a Nerd
3.  Julie from Tidbits and Scraps
4.  Stephanie from Just a Little Bit Louder

1.  Elizabeth from Oak and Oats
2.  Lisa from Mostly Lisa
3.  Caroline from In Due Time
4.  Stephanie from Army Crafter

 

1.  Jenn from Quirky Pickings
2.  Amy from Taking Steps Home
3.  Ashley from Have Chashley, Will Travel

a Rafflecopter giveaway

We are the champions, my friends -- Super Bowl XLVIII

It was way, way better than we ever could have dreamed it would be...

 

The Seattle Seahawks completely annihilated the Broncos with a 43-8 Super Bowl WIN last night.

 

We listened to the national media pick Denver as the favorite to win over and over last week, and we kept our mouths shut, knowing that the Seahawks -- the Super Bowl Champion Seahawks -- would show up on Sunday ready to play.

Boy, did they ever.

I almost felt sorry for Peyton Manning toward the end... Almost.

The Seahawk's performance in Super Bowl XLVIII will most definitely go down in the history books. And we've been with them every step of the way, ever since that day last summer when we attended Hawks Training Camp and started to think maybe... maybe this was our year.

Russell Wilson said it way back when: "Why not us?"

And now it's finally happened: For the first time in franchise history, the Seattle Seahawks are the football champions of the world, and my heart is swelling with pride for our team, our city, and the 12th Man. Oh, and especially my husband, who has been waiting his whole life for this...

Hawk Yeah!

We knew that if the Hawks won the Super Bowl we would want to be in the city to celebrate. So we asked our super duper fab friends Matt and Alissa if they would be willing to host a Super Bowl party at their amazing house on the top of Queen Anne Hill, and they were happy to oblige!

We're very superstitious about football. For yesterday's game, Matt happened to be standing when the Hawks first scored. Hence, he had to remain standing for the rest of the game. No-brainer there... Little Remi was also super excited by all the action, and whenever she started barking it was important that a human barked right back at her. Oh, and of course Jell-O shots had to be taken every single time the Hawks scored. Tara even made some virgin ones for baby Marshawn and me!

 

Erin and I were also convinced that Baby Jackson and Baby Marshawn were super good luck this season! I can't wait to tell Baby Boy all about it someday!

 

 

After the big win, we immediately headed out into the city to celebrate with the masses. I only made it as far as a bar in Lower Queen Anne until about ten o'clock, but Stew took advantage of his once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to celebrate the Hawks first Super Bowl win with the rest of the crazy fans in Pioneer Square, where they were climbing light poles, setting fires in the streets, and generally whooping it up as only crazy football fans can. It's probably better that I wasn't there...

And today we're just basking in the glory of it all. Sorry to everyone who was disappointed last night, but I've been telling you all along that the Hawks had the ability to take it all the way this year. And I do tend to be right once in a while.

To the Seahawks, the city of Seattle, and especially the 12th Man... we've put our hearts and souls into this season, and we've been rewarded tenfold.

The Seattle Seahawks -- Super Bowl XLVIII Champions!!

 

 

 

Washington Blogger Meet Up

Happy Super Bowl Sunday, everyone!

Has there ever been a more exciting day in football?!

SEAHAWKS!!

I'm so anxious I can barely function, so I'll try to distract myself for a moment by telling you about another very excited event that occurred yesterday...

The Washington Blogger Meet Up!

It all started with the Cara Box Exchange, a box swap among women hosted by Kaitlyn at Wifessionals... 

Cara (car-rah) noun : beloved friend

"Make Friends -- Receive Gifts -- Share Encouragement"

The swap was based primarily around Instagram. A couple months ago, women signed up from around the country, and each one was paired with two others from their own state. I have spent the past couple months getting to know Jennifer (who I prepared a Cara Box for) and Caitlin (who sent me a Cara Box). Although we exchanged emails here and there, I loved connecting with them through Instagram, because it gave us the ability to share little glimpses of our lives and we were able to interact through short comments or quick hellos.

It was actually Jennifer who came up with the genius idea to have all the Washington bloggers get together in person and exchange our Cara Boxes. I was so nervous (my first time meeting other bloggers in person - it felt like a blind date!) but the afternoon turned out to be so much fun!

We all met up at Le Rêve, a French bakery and cafe in Seattle's Queen Anne neighborhood. Unfortunately Caitlin couldn't make it because she's about to give birth like any second, but it was so fabulous to chat with Ashley, Kendra, Jennifer, and Rebekah in REAL LIFE!

And they were all just and sweet and fun as they appear on their blogs.

I'm so thankful that I decided to go out on a limb and try out the Cara Box Exchange for the first time this year, because meeting these lovely ladies was such a great experience!

I'll tell you more about the box I received from Caitlin when we all do a reveal in a couple weeks, but in the meantime, have you ever met any other bloggers in real life? I'd love to hear about it!

Hey Friends, I'm Over Here!

Pssssst!
I'm over here today, guest posting for Erin at Love, Fun & Football!

I've been sponsoring Erin's adorable blog this month, and it's been such a blast. She is so sweet and talented (and she did my fab new blog design a couple months ago!) and I've just loved getting to know her.

I've actually been really inspired by Erin's debt story and her goals and strategies to becoming debt free this year, including co-hosting No-Spend January and brainstorming free stuff to do. That's actually what influenced my post for her today... 

I remembered a while back when I took it upon myself to explore my own city… something so easy and simple that most of us often forget it’s an option. And it's free!

I've lived in the Emerald City for almost 10 years now, but I rarely take advantage of all the fantastic sights and activities that this beautiful place has to offer. So I'm getting back out there, wandering through the streets of Seattle in search of exciting new adventures...

Be sure to pop on over to Erin's blog today and read about my latest!

Dear Baby Boy... 26 Weeks

Dear Baby Boy,

We sure did miss Daddy while he was at White Pass last weekend, didn't we? But I thought that snowboarding probably wasn't the safest activity for me right now, so I decided to stay home and get some projects done instead. I'm sure they had no fun without me though.

I finished taping off the Chevron stripes in your room, and now I just need to find the time to paint them. It actually wasn't too difficult or time-consuming at all, and I have a genius plan to make sure the paint doesn't bleed through the tape. I hope you like how everything turns out!

On Tuesday night Daddy and I toured the birth center where you will make your debut, and let me tell you... this place is the Taj Mahal of hospitals. Nothing but the best for you, my love!

I'm still feeling pretty great, but this afternoon I do want to talk to the doctor about some lingering tingling and numbness in my hands and feet. I also want to discuss her thoughts on cord blood banking, which I've been researching and think might be a good option for us. And I'll also complete the dreaded glucose screening... I wonder if it's really as bad as everyone makes it seem?

This week you are the size of a head of lettuce, 14 inches from head to heel, and I can definitely tell! Sometimes I swear I can feel you punching me on one side of my belly and simultaneously kicking me at the other end! I don't mind though, I love to feel your movements and to know that you are getting bigger and stronger. You weigh almost two pounds now and your ears are better developed and more sensitive than before. You can hear both my voice and Daddy's voice as we chat with each other... we'll try to keep it clean! You're inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid; good practice for when you are born and take that first gulp of air. Oh, and your testicles are beginning to descent into your scrotum... sometimes I forget that I have a little penis in there, weird!!

I have been rushing around like a crazy person, trying to prepare for your arrival while still taking care of all my other daily tasks. Sometimes I have to remind myself to continue to eat well and get plenty of rest, because that's what's most important for us right now, obviously. I ordered a book that will help us in developing our birth plan, and we're pre-registered at the hospital should you decide you want to join the world a little early. So many things to think about!

Mainly I'm just excited to meet you. I said the other day that I irrationally MISS you, even though we've never met before. I just can't wait to see you and hold you and kiss you and cuddle you. But let's hang tight just a while longer, okay?

My baby boy, you are our greatest adventure...

Love Always,
Mommy

Live & Learn -- Lazy Ass

I had something else all lined up to post about today, but then this came up and I knew I had to address it immediately...

You guys... I think I'm suffering from Lazy Ass Syndrome!

I promise, it's not what you think...

I mean duh... of course we've all been guilty of being a "lazy ass" at some point in our lives. Because sometimes you just need a day (or a week) of lying on the couch watching reality TV and eating take out. It's good for the soul, I think.

But when I was at Breakfast Club with Heather and Lindsee this week and learned that this is an actual, physical condition, I was totally surprised and amused! Anyway, here's what we're talking about...

Have You Got Lazy Glutes?

"The Glute muscles consist of the Gluteus Maximus, Medius and Minimus. Each one has a different role and collectively they are responsible for the extension, flexion, abduction and rotation of your hips as well as helping to stabilize the hips. They are a powerhouse of muscle responsible for speed and acceleration."

If you sit down a lot during the day (hello, desk jobbers!) your glutes are not able to engage properly and you will have tight hamstrings and hip flexors. So when you go out for a run at the end of the day, your glutes are affectively asleep and the opposing muscles are restricted.

What Does This Mean?

Your hamstrings, quads and hip flexors take the load and become fatigued, leading to injuries.
You have no power, speed and acceleration in your run.
It can cause issues all the way down the kinetic chain from your back to your feet, including hip issues, Runners Knee (PFS), sore ITB, calf and Achilles injuries and back pain.

But your butt will feel fabulous, because it's not doing any of the work!

How To Get Your Ass In Gear!

Focus on engaging them when you run and run uphill.
Perform static or forward lunges and deep squats, just before you run and in between training sessions.
Perform hip extension exercises (lying face down on the floor) and side lying leg lifts.
Think about your Glutes, tensing and releasing them – and focus on using them when you get out of a chair. Use them to push off while walking, and exaggerated backward walking.

Strengthening exercises and stretching are also key.

So there you have it: Lazy Ass Syndrome... not just for Couch Potatoes.

Live & Learn!
All information in this post was drawn from Hedge End Running Club.

 

  

This has been another edition of
Live & Learn Thursday!


Join the party... follow your hosts and link up your post!

Birth Center Tour

As my pregnancy progresses, it's likely that the focus of this blog will shift more and more toward all things baby. "Certain truths are self-evident," or however the saying goes. Anyway, this is one of those posts, and I apologize to those who prefer my ramblings about drunken tailgating, childhood ridiculousness, and sh*t Stewart says.
Regularly scheduled programming will commence shortly eventually...

 

But for now, I wanted to recap the tour we took last night of the Birth Center at Swedish/Issaquah.
 

 

If you didn’t know this was a hospital, you might think Swedish/Issaquah was an alpine resort. Out of the large windows you see views of forested hills and mountains. And inside are the very latest features in a birth center: oversized rooms with a Jacuzzi tub, birthing balls, squatting bars, iPod docks, and HDTVs. Oh, and there's a Starbucks and a maternity and baby shop in the lobby.
 

Image via

That photo is no exaggeration, folks. All of the birthing suites really do look just like that, picture window views included. And our tour guide was even sure to remind our husbands to bring their swim trunks for the Jacuzzi... Stew has big plans to sit in there and watch a movie whilst I labor away. Somehow I don't see that happening.

I knew from the first time I set foot in this place that I wanted to deliver our baby here. It felt welcome, safe and secure... the perfect location to celebrate Baby Boy's first birthday. This is where I go to my regular appointments and that experience has been great, but last night's tour really solidified my decision to go with Swedish/Issaquah for our birthing needs. Oh, and did I mention that they also have refrigerators stocked with free food, complimentary newborn photography sessions, and massage therapy available after you give birth?!

Nothin' but the best for my family!