11 days to go: Maternity Leave, Baking, and Crafting

Well, I'm officially on Maternity Leave and have been since Thursday. I'm a little bummed because it appears that since I'm not having complications that I will not receive Maternity Leave pay until the baby is born, which is a load of crap. I'm 38 weeks pregnant, I don't think it's much to ask to have two weeks off prior to my due date. (I think I'm covered by some state benefits at this point but I'm still a little frustrated)

So I started off my maternity leave by having lunch with a few of my coworkers from my previous job. It was really great to see those ladies and enjoy some much needed Pho. I haven't eaten Pho since I started my new job so I was pretty excited. It felt like it had just been a few days since I saw everyone but I guess that is just a testament to the friendships and the type of people we all are. It was also cool to hear that the girl who took my place appreciates the time and effort I spent in training her. She said things are going well and she has me to thank for it, that was pretty cool. Regardless of whether or not things are peachy, the comment made my day!

I got home later and finished the Boppy Pillow Cover that I had already started a few days before. Part of my "nesting" has been to sew things by hand and this was no exception. I found a great, free pattern and it only cost me $6 to make the cover. Covers cost an arm and a leg and most of them aren't my style, so I took matters into my own hands! I'm decent at hand sewing but my next project will be an absolute BEAST (I'm making the baby her first horse!).

 

And today, after the house was already warm enough for the AC to kick on, I decided to bake. I have an over abundance of squash in my garden this year and decided to make Zucchini Bread. I found a recipe on Pinterest and went for it!

Start with all the ingredients, a laptop, and a stand mixer.

Start the task of slicing and grating a 7 pound zucchini.

Mix the ingredients. Add zucchinis and mix some more.

Split the mixture between two pans, cross your fingers, and put them in the oven for an hour.

Administer the toothpick test and remove from the oven.

Remove from pans, take a photo, instagram said photo, and EAT.

I have never had luck making bread so I'm happy with the outcome of this little Pinterest inspired product. Not to mention, my husband went back for seconds (whoa!).