Two Things I Can't Live Without This Summer

If the last two months of pregnancy weren't hard enough, throw in record highs and you've got a recipe for one very grumpy momma. I don't handle heat well under normal circumstances, but with this miniature built in oven I've got right now I feel like the only way to top sweating is sit in a bath of ice water. That just doesn't really sound fun though. Instead I've discovered two things that make each day just a little more tolerable.

The first thing is this jersey knit skirt from Old Navy. I have this one in plum, one in dark heather gray, and one in navy blue from last year. I also have a green and white stripped one that I bought at Fossil a couple years ago.

What I love about these skirts is that they are super stretchy (a must when you are the size of an elephant) soft and comfortable (another must) and they make them for tall girls like me. I'm not kidding when I say I wear one of these skirts every single day. The other thing I love about them is that even though they are perfect maternity skirts, they aren't maternity at all, so I don't have to stick them in a box once the baby is born.

And what is my other can't live without? Well, did your mom ever make you an Orange Julius as a special treat when you were a kid? Ours did and I loved them. Somewhere along the way though I forgot about them until just recently when I was looking through my recipes. I added a few things to the basic recipe to make them more tropical than plain orange, and once the kids are in bed I get out the blender and my husband and I sit down in the basement with one of these in hand to cool off .

Start with a basic Orange Julius recipe

4 oz Frozen orange juice concentrate

3/4 C Milk (half and half if your having a bad day)

1 tsp Vanilla

1/4 C. Sugar

10-12 Ice Cubes (I use less if I am adding frozen berries)

Next toss in half a banana, some fresh or frozen berries (I usually have strawberries) a few chunks of fresh pineapple and a splash of coconut extract

Blend everything together and pretend that you are on a beach somewhere instead of sweating in your basement.