Happy Halloween

Per Halloween tradition, here's another hilarious Ellen video:

You can see 2013's here and 2012's here.

17 Weeks

I simultaneously love and hate these pregnancy questionnaires so I give you full permission to skip over this post.

How far along? 17 weeks. I can't believe I'm four months pregnant already! Baby is the size of: a pear. About 5 inches long and weighs about 6 ounces. Maternity clothes? They're not really necessary yet, but I really hate any and all waistbands. I've slowly been acquiring some items from Target and PinkBlush. I have a few maternity tops that I love and I pretty much live in leggings. Sleep? I wake up a lot to change positions. I usually fall asleep pretty quickly afterwards, but it's still not extremely fun to wake up at least five times during the night just to roll over. Movement? I felt my first kick on Saturday! I usually push a little bit on my stomach when I'm laying in bed just to see if I can feel anything. As my hand was laying on my stomach, someone decided to push back! Best moment of the week? Feeling the baby kick. Crossing my fingers for more movement soon! Miss anything? Sleeping on my stomach. Food cravings? Not so much cravings, more like there's only a few things I can eat. I go through a family size bag of frozen chicken nuggets a week, and I really like pasta, rice, and potatoes. Anything make you queasy? The dishwasher! Andrew is on permanent dish duty. Showing? My stomach is starting to protrude. I'm just waiting for the day that it looks like there's an actual baby in there and not just a large meal. Weight gain/loss? Morning all-day sickness got the best of me (and still occasional gets the best of me) and I lost 7lbs the first trimester. I'm slowly getting back to my pre-pregnancy weight. Hopefully I'll be able to start packing on the pounds now that I can eat a little more. Stretch marks? Not yet. Happy or moody? Happy. I haven't had too many mood swings thus far. Looking forward to: finding out the gender in two weeks! At our 12 week ultrasound, the tech told us what they thought it might be so I'm excited to either confirm or deny that.

Top: PinkBlush  |  Leggings: PinkBlush  |  Flats: Target (similar)  |  Headband: Wet Seal

Happy Blog Birthday Snowstorm!

Today marks two years of having this little ole' blog of mine.

It's crazy to look back and see how far it's come. In the past two years, Snowstorm has had three different names, gone through many design makeovers, and has gained quite a few followers. I've also purchased a domain name, became more involved in the blogging community, and made quite a few friends along the journey. Snowstorm has been here to document my wedding, many trips, and now a baby joining the family.

Blogging can seem like a strange concept to others, but those who do it know that you find an amazing sense of community through it. So thank you to everyone who has commented, helped, contributed, reached out, etcetera and so on.

If you have a moment, I would love if you could take this quick, one question survey to help improve my blog. Just click here.

Hidden Netflix Gems

Pregnancy has led to more hours than I would like to admit spent watching Netflix. Even if I wasn't pregnant, I'm sure I would watch close to the same amount. I'm lazy, sue me. With all the time I've invested in Netflix binging, I have discovered a few unknown (at least unknown to me) shows that must be shared with the world. So, stop whatever productive thing you're doing and sit down to watch these gems.

Yiro Dreams of Sushi- I love sushi. Coincidentally, I can no longer eat sushi in my pregnant state. Regardless, Andrew and I watched this documentary on the best sushi maker in the world. I don't know why it was so captivating to watch, but it was. If you like sushi, it will be even better.

Blackfish- We all know that Sea World is constantly in a legal battle against someone. I never put much thought into it until we watched this documentary that follows the life of Tilikum, an Orca that has found it's way into the top breeding position at Sea World, even though Tilikum was directly involved in the deaths of three humans. It is an insanely interesting documentary, and it makes you want to go all Free Willy on the killer whales. (Another great documentary that's similar is The Cove, but it's no longer offered on Netflix.

Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead- This documentary follows Joe, an overweight man with quite a few health problems. He decides to take control of his life and starts on a 60 day juicing cleanse. It's quite amazing to see all the changes he experiences. While this is happening, he road trips across America, interviewing people on their health and food choices. It will definitely make you reevaluate your diet. We may or may not have purchased a juicer after watching it.

Call The Midwife- I might love this show only because I'm pregnant, but I've heard others mention how much they enjoy it as well so I'm going to say I would still love it just as much even if I wasn't with child. This three season show follows a group of nurse midwives working in London in the 1950s. It was originally based on the memoirs of Jennifer Worth, and then expanded to include other historically based material. It's an amazing BBC period drama that I wholeheartedly recommend watching.

We Cause Scenes- This documentary is about Improv Everywhere. Ever heard of No Pants Day? Yeah, that was them. By watching this, you'll learn about the humble beginnings of Improv Everywhere, and how the antics originally started by the founder impersonating Ben Folds in a bar to pick up chicks. It's a good-feeling documentary that will make you laugh.

Freakonomics- Yes, yet another documentary. This is based on the bestselling book about incentive-based thinking. It examines the reason for human behavior with interesting and funny case studies. The studies range from whether or not your name can affect your life's outcome, to how bribery can change a high school freshman's grades. It touches on all sorts of subjects, and you feel ten times smarter after watching this one.

Secret Princes- Let me start off by saying that this show is ridiculous. However, I quite enjoy ridiculous shows, so it made the list. Secret Princes is a short series that follows four royals that go undercover. They move to America, live in a crappy house, have crappy jobs, and try to pick up ladies in hopes of finding a women that love them for who they are, and not their money or titles. It's quite hilarious to watch them adjust to "normal" life. Some of the guys you root for and some are just pretentious. It's definitely a show to consider if you need something mind-numbing to watch.

The Office- Okay, okay, so this isn't an unknown show, but it is a must-watch. Seriously, if you haven't watched The Office yet, you need it in your life. I have watched this series all the way through countless times and I'll probably watch it a few more dozen times.

Parks and Recreation- Another show that isn't really "unknown", but a show that should be watched. Plus, Netflix just added the most recent season so there's even more reason to watch it.

What are your must-watch shows on Netflix? Any hidden gems that you've discovered?

*This post contains affiliate links.*

How To Survive Six Months of Marriage

Yesterday marked six months of marriage for us! That pretty much makes us experts on the topic. Although some may disregard any advice I might give, being so young and newly-married, I still thought I would share some things I've learned thus far.

1. Make holding hands a priority. Andrew is way better at this than I am. He always reaches out for my hand when we're walking, driving, falling asleep, etc. It's such a simple gesture, but something that let's the other know that you care. It also reminds me of when we first started dating and when holding hands was such a thrill! I want to always be giddy about dating my husband.

2. Learn each other's love language. My love language is physical touch, which is why holding hands is so important to me. Andrew's love language is words of affirmation. I try to write him sweet notes and funny cards to surprise him. It can really be as simple as that. A little reminder that you're thinking about your spouse is sometimes all it takes.

3. Never go a day without kissing each other. Obviously. Do I really need to expand on that one?

4. Continue being best friends. Your spouse should be your partner in crime, your confidant, and the person you go to for advice. Don't forget about the friendship that most likely kick-started your relationship. Being married to your best friend sure makes it easier to go through the rough patches of life.

5. Laugh together. It's easy to get caught up in the day-to-day tasks that need to be accomplished. Sometimes, it's best to stop with the grocery lists and never-ending house chores and instead, be silly together. Build a fort out of sheets and watch a Disney movie together. Have a ketchup fight (10 points to whomever knows that reference). Doing something that makes you both giddy is always a good idea.

6. The small things still matter. Do you remember when you first started dating, and you would go out of your way to do things you knew the other liked? Whether it was cooking their favorite meal or watching the ridiculously stupid T.V. show they liked? There's no reason to stop doing those things once you're married. Andrew will take me to Texas Road House on date night (I love it, he doesn't think it's that great) and I will humor Andrew by watching his favorite silly movies. Sometimes the simple efforts go the longest way.

What is your advice for having a solid marriage? I would love to know! 

Please comment below and share!

Decorating for Fall with The Bouqs.com

Confession: I don't really own any fall/Halloween/Thanksgiving decorations. Living here in southern Arizona, we sort-of skip over the fall season. Instead of the start of sweater weather and hot cocoa, we are barely getting out of the triple- digit heat and are still sporting shorts. I decided our house should, at least, reflect this supposed fall we're in; so, I spruced it up a bit and decided to share some easy ways everyone can decorate.

1. Pom-pom garland: I bought different colored pom-poms from Hobby Lobby for a dollar per packet. Then, I took a needle to thread them together, to make this easy, but festive, garland. I love the color it adds to my chalkboard. I'll definitely be making a green and red one once Christmas comes along.

2. Chalkboard quote: After stumbling upon this quote on Pinterest, I decided to make my chalkboard match the season. Every time I see it, it makes me happy. Chalkboards are great way to add seasonal quotes and change a room.

3. Fall-scented candle: Scented candles are a sure way to make your house feel more like fall. I took some twine, found in the Target dollar bins, and wrapped it around the candle a few times to make the glass jar feel more homey.

4. Mini-pumpkins: I found a bag of five mini-pumpkins at Walmart for $2.88. It was sort of an impulse buy, but I'm so glad I bought them. I love all the little pumpkins hiding around my house.

5. A festive bouquet: Flowers are a great way to add some fall color to a home. I recently found the coolest company called The Bouqs, who have been featured on Forbes, E!, The Today Show, Shark Tank, O! Oprah Magazine, and Popsugar. Why are they so cool, you ask? All their flowers come directly from South America, picked to order straight off the side of an active volcano!! Seriously, how awesome is that?! I picked an orangy-red rose bouquet and it has definitely brightened up our house. The pricing is great too- just a flat rate of $40 for all regular size bouquets with free shipping!!

If you order flowers from The Bouqs send me a picture so I can see how awesome the rest of the arrangements are! And let me know how you're making your home feel more like fall in the comments below!

*This post was sponsored by The Bouqs, but all thoughts and opinions are my own.*

15+ Links to Blogging Tips, Tricks, and Advice (Round 2)

You may remember a few months back when I wrote a post that contained several links to blogging resources. Well, I decided to do it again because one, it makes it easier for me to reference the articles. And two, I figured I should share all these great posts with the rest of the world. So without further ado...

How To Get Traffic To Your Website From Instagram

SEO For Bloggers: The Quick and Dirty

The Money Equation for Sponsored Posts

30 Free Image Sources for Stock Photography
10 Useful Blogging Websites Every Blogger Should Know
Fall, Halloween, and Thanksgiving Blog Post Ideas
75+ Places To Share Your Blog Posts
Affiliate Programs Every Blogger Should Join
Why No One Comments On Your Blog Posts
How To Juggle A Daily Blog and Full-Time Career
9 Keys to Crafting a Killer Post
6 Tips For Working With Companies
The Number One Secret to Blogging Success
65+  Places To Sign-Up For Product Reviews
Hundreds of Link-Ups For Every Day of the Week
The Secret Success of Blogging
Never Start A Blog For Money

---

If you'd like to see more great blogging resources, you can follow the group board below. I have tons of other fellow bloggers that work with me to pin great articles that range from growing your blog, learning HTML, coming up with great post ideas, and, in general, making your blog the best it can be.

Follow Alicia's board Blogging Tips, Tricks, and Advice on Pinterest.

A Poem for Baby Snow

If you've followed my blog for a while now and have read our engagement story, you know that the children's book characters Little Bear and Little Tiger are pretty important to us. After we watched our little baby bounce and dance around on the ultrasound for the first time, Andrew wrote the little poem below and I just thought it was the sweetest.

One little bear came running 'round the bend. 

"Running is really great," he thought "but I'd love a little tiger friend."

Along came little tiger jumping up and down, 

she made little bear so happy, he could never wear a frown.

Little bear and little tiger quickly fell in love, 

marriage came soon after and the choirs sang above.

They got a little cottage and they cleaned it up so nice. 

They never left it dirty and they never got in fights.

One day little bear came running home from work, 

little tiger was waiting and gave his ear a jerk.

"Great news," she said while jumping, just happy as could be. 

"Now our little cottage is going to hold three."