mariapelletierblog-blog
MARIA PELLETIER
PREGNANCY BLOG
27 posts
Don't wanna be here? Send us removal request.
Last Seen Blogs
cristalwayfinders
Wherever you go, I'm always with you.
julianna-ta
Записки сумасшедшей
atd-sportscars-blog
ATD-Sportscars
cristalwayfinders
Wherever you go, I'm always with you.
Text
Pregnancy & Nursing Friendly Swimsuits
When I started looking for new suits for the summer & our babymoon I was surprised how hard it is to find cute maternity suits. For once, I didn’t have to worry about how my stomach looked in a bikini and I wanted to take advantage, but I also still wanted a good amount of coverage for top & bottom. I ended up spending a little more money for some higher quality suits with good thick fabric. I justified the cost with the fact that I think these will also work nicely when i’m nursing post baby as well.
I bought swimsuit options from JCrew, Old Navy & Athleta. I was really disappointed with the fabric quality of the JCrew suits and returned them. This is the first time I ordered an Athleta brand swimsuit, I purchased some workout clothes from the store for the first time last summer and was really pleased with the quality, comfort and practicality of the clothes while still being stylish. So I think this is going to be a new go to store for me. They also have a lot of travel friendly, anti-wrinkle clothes i’ve been eyeing for my next travel adventure.
White Bikini: Looked great with my organic spray tan. I wore this for my maternity photoshoot with a sheer lace robe. Nice thick fabric, not see through when wet. I loved the full coverage bottoms and it fit comfortably under my bump.
Top - $46, Bottoms- $49
Black Bikini: I was able to use a black bikini top I already had from Old Navy but the bottoms no longer fit/had the coverage I wanted so I purchased some new ones from Athleta and am really happy with the fit & style.
Top - $24.94 (not the one I have but looks similar), Bottoms - $49
Athletic Suit: I wanted at least one suit for the babymoon that would be more hiking/water adventure practical. I love that the top has UV protection. I also love the zipper for a post-baby nursing friendly suit. The side scrunch at the waist is perfect for a growing belly and is plenty roomy with full belly coverage.
I paired the top with these bright patterned sporty swimsuit bottoms. The pop of color I think keeps the outfit looking young & fun.
Rashguard - $54 , Bottoms - $54
For a 1-piece, I brought this suit I already owned from Anthropologie. I purchased it last year pre-pregnancy and it’s accommodated my growing bump through the earlier months of my pregnancy nicely. The front fabric is starting to stretch over my belly and i’m not getting as much top coverage so I don’t think I can wear this much longer but it will be great post-pregnancy as it’s a very flattering suit and high quality fabric.
Lace Front 1-Piece - $118
One thing I didn’t purchase but in hindsight wish I had were waterproof shorts. They would have really come in handy for the Road to Hana where we were constantly hiking to waterfalls and swimming holes. I didn’t want to put my yoga pants on over my wet swimsuit so I was always struggling with a wet towel around my waist. Here are two options from Athleta that look great:
Petal Short - $49
Kata Swim Shorts - $44
Some other shops that I love, didn’t get a suit from, but hope to in the future are:
Albion Fit
The Bombshell- Pana Stripe, I’m planning to purchase this as a post-pregnancy/nursing friendly suit. $118
I’ve also been eyeing this Jade Scuba Top & Tangerine Bottoms for a post-pregnancy option. Top - $88, High-Waisted Bottoms - $64
Kortni Jean - The suits are mix and match top & bottoms with cute colors and prints and modest coverage. They also come is sizes for littles so the mother/daughter matching suit options are ENDLESS!
Even matching suits for the whole family ;) Maybe I can trick tim into this after a few beers...
I hope this helps all you expecting mama’s out there who are on the hunt for some cute new suits! If you have a favorite store for maternity/nursing suits please let me know on my Facebook Page!!
Xo,
M
#pregnancy update#pregnancy fashion#maternity fashion#maternity swimsuits#bump style#ootd#fashion blogger#athletica#old navy#jcrew#kortnijean#albion fit#nursing friendly#nursing friendly swimsuit#babymoon#travel#vacation#vacation style#bikini#athleta#anthropologie#summer style
0 notes
Text
Traveling while Pregnant
I love traveling. Flying to different destinations was something we did several times a year growing up. With 30 years of experience under my belt, I consider myself a savvy traveler. However, with constant changes in security rules & regulations and now the added factor of pregnancy, I’ve really had to up my game. Packing and flying for our babymoon at 6 months pregnant brought on some new challenges. I’ve learned that being prepared and starting ahead of time can make all the difference. Here are some of my must have travel tips.
NOTE: As I wrote this, it became a mini novel so I’m breaking this post up into three parts. Part 1 is how I prep for a flight. Part 2 will be my Carry On & Travel Must Haves and Part 3 is some overall travel tips I’ve learned throughout the years.
How I prep for a flight:
Prepping for a trip is stressful. There’s a lot to keep in mind and get done in time for the flight. Add on that being pregnant and only having a few hours of energy a day and it’s even harder. So this trip I really tried to break up my to-do list so I was only tackling a few tasks per day.
A Few Weeks Out:
Travel Wardrobe. In the past, I’d go on a shopping spree purchasing some cute new outfits for an upcoming trip. But between my attempts at minimalism and trying to live more on a budget with a baby on the way it’s important to me to use what I have. Make sure you pick out the clothes you want a few weeks out (2-3 weeks I would say) so that if you do need to purchase any items you have enough time to find them in store or if your pregnant, order online.
I was surprised with how many sun dresses, athletic clothes and maxi dress I already had that still looked fit for maternity.
I did discover that I was going to need to go up a size in all my swimsuits. And thank goodness I 1) tried them on and 2) gave myself enough time to order from a few stores & have them come in a week later with free shipping, and then picked the few that worked best. If I had tried them on the night before our trip or not at all I would have been out of luck our first morning in Maui.
I ordered some suits from Athletica for the first time and am really happy with them (will share in an upcoming post). They were more sporty for Maui, I know we’ll want to do some easy hikes to waterfalls, possibly sailing and snorkeling as well. I also wanted a suit that gave me a little more coverage with high-quality material. These were cute while still fully covering all my growing bits.
I also ordered some new sandals, mine were years old and falling apart, a super cute sun hat and some swimsuit coverups. I bought all of those off amazon. Each item was $20 or under, came within 2 days with free prime shipping & free returns. Done & Done.
Research where you’re going: If you didn’t do this when you booked the trip, I reach out on social media asking if anyone has traveled to the place we are visiting and if they have any recommends. I’ll ask people to send me their full itinerary if they have it. The internet is a great tool, but for travel it can be overwhelming for me with all the options. Having a few friends recommends helps narrow down my options. I also use Yelp to help pick vendors.
My ultimate travel pet peeve is getting somewhere and wasting you day trying to figure out what to do that day. For this babymoon, we haven’t booked anything except the rental car & maternity photographer (!!!!) because I don’t know how I’ll feel. But we have a specific list of restaurants, luau options, waterfall & beach locations, sailing & snorkeling vendors, & spa menu that we can easily pick from each day.
A Few Days Before:
– Organic Gel Mani & Pedi, Wax, Brows. Maybe not a necessity for you, but definitely a necessity for me. It’s you’re babymoon, pamper yourself! And you can let your husband know it’s cheaper to get it done at your local hole in the wall then the hotel spa…
- Put mail on hold. You can easily put your mail on hold for free at USPS.com
- Laundry - Wash any clothes you plan on packing to get ahead of all that laundry. Less chance of forgetting something this way as well.
Day Before:
- Snacks – As a prego, I can go from fine to hangry in seconds. Also, airplane food & ordering everything out when traveling can get expensive. I usually stock up at Trader Joes the day before my flight on protein bars, dried fruit & nuts.
- Organic Spray Tan & Eyelash extensions. For me, a must have. Between the tan and lashes you roll out of bed feeling fabulous with no need to put on makeup. You can find a groupon or living social deal to help with cost. Just make sure to check the yelp reviews before booking to make sure it’s a reputable place!
Night Before:
- Charge all electronics (lap top, ipad, camera batteries & backups, go pro, etc)
- Back up your phone and photos - I’ve lost one too many cell phones while traveling… I’ll have to write another post on bags to pack so your phones don’t fall out so easily…. :/
- Lay out toiletries you’ll want to pack on the bathroom counter so you don’t forget anything. Pack up as soon as you’re finished using the day of your flight.
- Pack meds in a weekly travel container and put in carry on bag. Necessary for a prego who needs to be taking prenatals and any other meds during pregnancy. The travel container is much more space efficient than packing all your individual medicine bottles. Make sure to put in your carry on bag the night before so there’s no risk of forgetting your meds.
- Clean out the Fridge- Clean all dishes in sink, wipe down all counter tops (kitchen, bathroom), sweep/vacuum house. Nothing kills a relaxed vacation vibe like coming home to a house that is a disaster. I’m going to level with you, I didn’t accomplish as much cleaning as I would have liked this time around at 6mo pregnant. But the bed is made and there won’t be anything rotting in the kitchen when I get home so I’ll consider that a win.
Morning Of:
- Empty Kitchen Trash
- Don’t forget to grab those charging electronics!
- If you are renting a car, don’t forget to pack your car cell charger.
Ok, so do you think i’m totally neurotic yet? My ultimate dream is to have a laminated packing list for things like “beach day,” & “vacation” so we won’t forget anything when traveling with a little one. Ahhhh, #TravelGoals
1 note
·
View note
Text
24 Week Glucose Test & Baby Classes
Today I had to take the Glucose test that checks for gestational diabetes. I should have the results by end of day tomorrow. I’ve heard a lot of pregnant women complain about the drink. The taste didn’t really bother me. However, five minutes into drinking the the glucose drink I got a massive migraine. You aren’t allowed to eat or drink for an hour after taking the drink so I wasn’t able to take my emergency migraine meds until after the blood draw an hour later. I have a check in with my neurologist on Monday so i’m going to bring it up to her. I’m not thrilled on having to take so many nausea and migraine meds during the pregnancy. Even through they’ve all been cleared by my OB, and i’m on a large amount of folic acid supplements, I still wish I wasn’t pumping all these meds into my body. At the end of the day, it’s what I need to function and be able to get out of bed but it does concern me. She seems fine though, super active, always moving and growing so I need to worry less about it.
UPDATE* I just got the results from my doctor. My glucose came back normal and i’m in the clear. I’m surprised considering how much my body reacted to it but thankful. The blood test did show i’m slightly anemic so I’ll need to start taking iron supplements.
Tomorrow I’m planning to start signing up for my birth & baby prep classes and i’m going to start looking into hiring a doula. I’m really apprehensive about the birth and Tim isn’t always the most understanding when it comes to pain. Doula’s also come for a few home visits before after baby and can give advice on nursing, sleeping, and any other questions you might have. So I think for a first time mom it would be really helpful for me.
For the classes i’m planning to sign up for 1) Baby First Aid/CPR 2) Sleep Training 101 3) Breastfeeding 101 4) Caring for your Newborn. I’m taking the classes at Mother’s Haven in Encino. It’s also where i’ve signed up for my Mommy and Me classes.
There’s also a birth prep class which i’m considering but I want to see if that’s something I can go over with the doula.
I also will be booking a walkthrough of the hospital we’ll be delivering it.
My baby shower invites went out this week. I’m so excited to celebrate Baby P and my sweet friends & family are working so hard to prep and plan such a pretty shower for me! My registry went live, you can check it out here: https://www.babylist.com/maria-pelletier
I’m addicted to adding cute baby girl clothes I find on instagram to the registry. She may not have a set up nursery when she gets here but baby girl’s outfits are going to be on point!
I’ll leave you with some photos of what i’ve been eating lately because apparently I love taking photos of my food.
Top: Asos Maternity
Necklace: Gorjana
Watch: Fossil
Jeans: Gap Maternity
#pregnancy blog#pregnancy update#babyshower#migraine#migraine headaches#glucose test#second trimester#tic journey#pregnancy fashion#babyshower invite#birthing class#doula#clean eating#paleo#bump fashion#chia pudding#swellbottle
0 notes
Text
Life Lately - 24 Weeks
I’m writing this on a Sunday afternoon while enjoying a snack and taking a break from all my housework. My energy has really picked up, I can go about 2 hours and then I need to rest, but then I can do another 2 hours. Before, standing in the shower for 5 minutes completely wiped me out so this is huge progress. I’m getting lots of heartburn these days, a better appetite (she still prefers Paleo over greasy foods unfortunately), and starting to get lower back pain. For any other mom’s-to-be I highly recommend using a foam roller (specifically on your butt) to help message tight muscles and ease lower back pain. Here’s a YouTube video I just found with similar exercises to what I do. I also have a really bad pain in my back right rib cage constantly. It feels like there’s a knot and it makes it hard to breathe. I feel like I always need an adjustment from a chiropractor. Tim cracks it for me every night and that helps. I can already feel it flaring up and can’t wait for him to get home to crack it...
On Friday I went to an art exhibit, if you follow me on Instagram you saw the amazing photos my friend took of me (Thanks, Morgan!). This was at The 14th Factory near Downtown LA. I’m not usually a modern art fan but this exhibit was phenomenal and laid out in a really engaging way.
Afterwards, we went to Grand Central Market in Downtown LA. There are so many great restaurants to explore. I tried two new places, a coffee shop (C&B Coffee) where I got the most delicious drink & Horse Thief Barbecue.
C&B Cofee’s Iced Turmeric/Ginger/Almond Macadamia drink (with honey and black pepper). This was AMAZING.
Hot Fried Chicken, Sweet Potato Casserole and Cornbread. THIS WAS SO GOOD!
The whole day was a lot of fun but I was completely wiped after that big adventure. It’s probably the most i’ve done this pregnancy as far as being out and about and on my feet.
Saturday we pretty much stayed in bed until 5PM. Tim is recovering from the flu and I was wiped from my Friday adventures. That evening we did venture to ikea to start looking for furniture for the nursery. I didn’t really like the nursery furniture to be honest. But we did get a new bedspread and curtains for our room.
For a food update, here’s what i’m trying this week:
For breakfast: make ahead chocolate coffee protein chia breakfast bowl.
New Paleo Friendly Granola to have on top of my breakfast bowls & dairy free yogurt and and new breakfast cereal to replace oatmeal. I just had the granola for my snack and it was delicious. Still need to try out the superfood breakfast cereal.
#pregnancy update#second trimester#pregnancy blog#TTC journey#travel#wanerlust#the 14th factory#grand central market#paleo#clean eating#bump style#maternity fashion#ootd#C&B Coffee#Ikea#Horse Thief Barbeque#24 weeks pregnant
0 notes
Text
6 Months Pregnant!
I can’t believe we are already 6 months pregnant! It’s starting to fly by now. I’m relieved to announce i’m finally feeling better - more energy and less nausea. I haven’t thrown up in at least 2 weeks! I still have food aversions (anything in the junk food category) and she really seems to be preferring this “clean”/paleo diet. Happy to stick with it if it means more energy and not throwing up.
Now that the countdown has begun we are working on cleaning out the room that will be the nursery & starting to pick out furniture & decor items for the nursery. We’re attempting an Ikea trip this weekend... It always sounds like a good idea, until it itsn’t.
The baby registry is almost done and ready to make public. I’ve found so many cute shops for baby girl clothes :)
We’re also starting to narrow in on some names we like which is exciting.
Update on my adventures in minimalism - I cleaned out our bathroom cabinets & the TV stand and bookshelf in our livingroom last weekend. This weekend I want to clean out the guest bath cabinets. I feel good tackling a small area every week, it’ll definitely add up and make a difference by the time the baby comes!
Blazer - Nordstrom Rack
White Blouse - Motherhood Maternity
Maternity Pants - Gap Maternity
Shoes - The Walking Company
Watch - Fossil
Necklace - Rocksbox
#Pregnancy Update#Pregnancy Blog#OOTD#bump style#pregnancy fashion#6 months pregnant#TTC Journey#Nordstrom rack#gap maternity#fossil#rocksbox#motherhood maternity
0 notes
Text
Going Paleo
Last week at my acupuncturist appointment she recommended I start a Paleo diet- cutting gluten and dairy out of my diet specifically, to see if that will help manage my headaches. In the morning, I generally wake up feeling good, it’s once i’ve had breakfast the headaches start, and then after lunch my body completely crashes - fatigue, headaches behind my eyes for the remainder of the afternoon. She feels it has to be a food allergy that is a main cause to the daily headaches. I’ve never done well with dairy and when I did the Whole30 diet (which is very similar to Paleo) about a year ago it’s the best i’ve ever felt. I often would eat as a symptom of not feeling well, but that would just make me feel worse and I never felt full. On Whole30 I finally felt full, energized after eating, and wasn’t constantly crashing and going from fine to “hangry” in seconds.
Actually, the only thing i’ve been “craving” in this pregnancy is clean eating. I just haven’t had the energy for food prep. Now that I finally have a little energy back and am able to control nausea with my meds i’m going to get back onto a Paleo diet.
If you’ve ever thought about Whole30 or Paleo i’d highly recommend it. There’s some great sample meal plans on pinterest to make it easier to navigate. You can check out some of my favorite weekly meal plans & recipes on my pinterest board: https://www.pinterest.com/mrspelletier/whole-30/
It’s a great way to cut out bad habits and help you re-evaluate how you think about food. You start really looking at food labels, noticing how much sugar is in EVERYTHING and find some new go-to (clean eating) recipes (like spaghetti squash with meat sauce instead of using pasta).
The first week I tried Whole30 I went to 4 grocery stores to find all the ingredients I needed, spent probably $300 on food, it took me over 7 hours prepping everything (plus ALL those DISHES) and there was so much food waste. So let me save you the struggle, here’s what i’ve learned since then, and am doing this time around because this prego ain’t got time for that:
- Think of your food as protein, veggies and fruit - NOT breakfast, lunch and dinner. If you prep specific items for each meal, you’ll have surplus. Instead, pick a few items to prep for each category and then mix and match. That way, there’s always variety and you don’t have to eat 12 servings of something for every single lunch, unless you are into monotony.
Here’s what i’m planning for meals:
Breakfast
Sweet Potato Toast, almond butter, coconut flakes and fruit
Hard boiled Egg
Turkey bacon or sausage
Make ahead Chia Seed Pudding- http://selfproclaimedfoodie.com/strawberry-coconut-chia-pudding/
Avocado
Snacks
Smoothie - coconut milk, spinach, fruit, avocado
Mama Chia Drink
Cucumbers
Pineapple
Watermelon
Apples w/ almond butter, coconut flakes, chia seeds
Plantain Chips
Lara Bars
Veggies
Sweet potato
Sauteed Spinach
Spaghetti Squash
Zucchini
Green Bell Pepper
Protein
Turkey Kielbasa
Ground Beef
Salmon
Meatloaf - https://www.popsugar.com/fitness/Paleo-Meatloaf-Muffins-34341465
Dessert
“Fudge” - http://www.afitnurse.com/2013/02/clean-eating-fudge.html?m=1
Homemade popsicles
Fresh Fruit
Here was my grocery list for this week based on the above, I already had some things on hand (like the ground beef):
Barney Butter Bare Almond Butter
Avocados
Bananas
Mangos
Pineapple
Watermelon
Frozen fruit mix for smoothie
Cucumbers
Spinach
Spaghetti Squash
green bell pepper
Raw Almonds
Dried Apricots
Plantain Chips
Shredded Coconut
Canned Coconut Milk
Lara Bars & individual almond butter snack packets
Agave
1/4c Carrot Juice
Follow my instastory to get real time updates on what i’m currently making & eating: @maria_pelletier
Send my your favorite Paleo recipes please! And if you try Whole30 / Clean Eating / Paleo, let me know how you like it!
Xx
#pregnancy blog#pregnancy update#ttcjourney#accupuncture#whole30#paleo#clean eating#chia seed pudding#gluten free#dairy free#second trimester
0 notes
Text
22 Week Update
According to my pregnancy tracker App baby girl is the size of a Spaghetti squash, I can’t believe how big (and real!) she’s getting. Now that we know the gender we are finalizing our baby registry, i’m researching baby shower themes and we’re starting to seriously discuss baby names.
I’m relieved to say I think i’m starting to feel better. I no longer feel the complete daily exhaustion. Although, now that i’m getting bigger i’m moving slower but at least i’m able to make it out of the house for the occasional errand or fun event. I haven’t vomited in over a week and am gagging a lot less. She’s still pretty picky about what she wants to eat - all healthy, bland items and I still can only have a few bites of anything but it’s progress.
This week I need to start signing up for baby prep classes. I want to take a class on breastfeeding, sleep training, infant first aid (CPR, burns, fevers) and baby basics for first time parents (how to change a diaper, do a swaddle, what to do if she’s crying, etc). There’s also a prep for childbirth class that I will want to take if we have a vaginal delivery. I’m holding off on signing up for now as it’s expensive and Pelletier babies are usually 10lbs+ and come out via c-section.
I’ve already signed up for their Mommy and Me class which starts pretty soon after the baby is born. I’ll meet once a week with other first time mom’s to get some socialization in and also a support group. I’m looking forward to having that support to ask for guidance as we navigate sleepless nights, a potentially fussy baby and any difficulties I may have with breastfeeding.
The place i’m going also offers baby sign language, French and Spanish classes, and Mommy and Me yoga :) So LA ;)
I’m also excited to start designing the nursery. I plan to do a post on that once we have a mood-board put together with the color scheme and some furniture and decor selections.
Xx
0 notes
Text
Adventures in Minimalism
So you’ve probably heard of this new minimalistic trend - tiny houses, capsule wardrobes, less money on “stuff” and more money for adventures. For me, the “ah, ha” moment was the fact that I could never keep up with the clutter. I spent my entire weekends cleaning our house, and there is only two of us! I was reading an article on minimalism and she mentioned how less stuff, meant way less time cleaning and that was it, I was sold.
Consumerism is a bad habit, and it’s not easy to break. For years i’ve been going to Costco, Homegoods and Target every weekend. I’ve had to break up with scented candles, seasonal decor, and constant shopping. It’s not easy, I still have relapses, but i’m consciously trying. It’s probably been about 9 months of trying to break bad habits and slowly cleaning out the house.
As we prepare for a baby, the house is full, the kitchen, the closets... there’s no room for the mass amount of baby stuff we are about to acquire. We live in a 3 bed, 2 bath with a very large backyard storage shed... how did we accumulate so much stuff?!
Right now, there are two main things I am trying to achieve. 1) cleaning out the entire house before baby comes and 2) keeping the incoming baby stuff to the bare minimum.
Here are some tips I have if you are interested in minimalism:
If you have tons of energy and can spend a whole weekend clearing out all the clutter in your life, good for you! If you are like me, that is way too overwhelming. Instead, pick bite sized projects each week. This weekend, I went through my swimsuit drawer and makeup. For larger projects, like the pantry re-do and going through all my kitchen drawers, I waited until my mom and sister were visiting and could help. Also, it’s helpful having an outside opinion about whether to save something or not.
There are also some super easy first steps you can do:
- Unsubscribe to all consumer emails (retail stores, home decor, etc) so you aren’t constantly reminded and tempted. Before minimalism, with our babymoon coming up, I would have bought a whole new wardrobe and could have totally justified it with “I need maternity vacation clothes.” This time around, I’m trying on all the clothes I already have and putting outfits together. Because we live in LA, I already own plenty of warm weather sun dresses that still fit. Would it be fun to get some new outfits? Sure, but i’d rather spend that money on a spa day or sailing. I feel like I have to disclose I did end up buying some new swimsuits for the trip, but thats after trying on what I already owned and my swimsuit tops no longer fit.
- Stop buying beauty products, use up what you have - as you’re cleaning out you’ll be surprised what you find and didn’t realize you owned- 15 tubes of mascara, an entire shelf of shower products and face masks, 40 different colors of nail polish, 7 bottles of barely used body lotion... Whatever you have a surplus of, stop buying those items and use up what you have!
- Work on eliminating food waste - I’m still struggling with this. This is a big one for me. I want to eat healthy, so I load up on perishables - fruits, veggies, proteins, and then end up throwing out a significant amount. A few years ago I was shopping at Costco, Ralphs and TJs all on the weekend. I’ve really paired it back and now buy enough ingredients to make two dinner recipes (which, plus leftovers, lasts us for about 5-6 meals). Start being more conscious about how much you are actually eating. When i’m buying fruits and veggies, instead of buying a full bag of each item, i’m getting realistic with my eating habits, 1 to 2 bananas, 2 apples, 1 zucchini, 1 bell pepper, etc. If i have to go back to the grocery store mid week I can do that, but that actually hasn’t really happened.
Stop buying home decorations - This Christmas I didn’t but any new decor items. I was surprised how easy it was. I was also surprised we had 4 extremely large Christmas bins in the shed and i’d forgotten about 80% of the decor items we already had. I’ve been able to decorate for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and V-day so far with decorations I already found around the house. I’ve survived. Gasp.
Stop buying candles - If you are a candle addict like me, this needed to happen. I had about 30 half used scented candles hidden away throughout the house. For the past few months, I was using up what I had, I had about 7 half-used candles to use up this Christmas. Now that i’m pregnant, I don’t want to use scented candles in our home anymore because of chemicals so i’ve been diffusing essential oils instead. I’m really liking the “motivate” blend and peppermint & lemon. Both give me energy and help with nausea.
And 1 big step i’m taking in minimalism:
Working towards a capsule wardrobe- First step, going through what you already own. I did a first round purge a few months ago and pulled out clothes I still really liked that won’t fit me during pregnancy & put them in a bin.
I also pulled out clothes I didn’t like and put in 2 piles - giveaway, and for name brand/lightly worn clothes am selling on Poshmark. I’ve sold about $200 so far. I’ve been pricing my items cheap to sell, but it’s still more money than if I just donated. Whatever I still have left a month before the baby comes, I’ll donate.
I also threw out/donated SO MANY SHOES. It feels AMAZING! I’m throwing out all my cheep-o $20 pair of shoes that kill my feet and slowly investing in good quality shoes. I love the Walking Store.
Now I just have to get the guts to do that with my purses…. baby steps!
I think i’m due to do a second purge as it’s been about 4 months. I still have more clothes than I know what to do with, I wear about 20% of what I actually own and have clothes in drawers I haven’t opened since I did the first purge round and can’t remember what’s in there...
I’d love to hear any tips you have on minimalism if you’re also trying to live a consciously uncluttered lifestyle. If you try any of my tips, let me know how they work for you! It’s a process, i’m already almost a year into trying to implement this change and there is still so much clutter but I can’t imagine if I hadn’t started and i’m going to keep sticking with it.
9 notes
·
View notes
Text
IT’S A GIRL!
If you follow me on social media than you saw our announcement last night that we are having a sweet little girl. We were already expecting this news but it’s nice to know for sure. Between the morning sickness and the way I was carrying all the old wives tales pointed to girl. Also, as I was puking up ice cream cake last week, Tim said to me frowning from the doorway, “It’s going to be a girl. She’s clearly an anorexic Cali girl.” It’s true, our girl seems to be such a Cali snob. If it’s not organic fruits and vegetables or simple protein she’s not interested. All my favorite foods - donuts, pizza, fries, ice cream, candy & chips she has me puke up. I’m currently CRAVING going back on Whole30. hahaha. I just don’t have the energy for the food prep at the moment.
Although Tim’s hopes for his first born being a boy have been dashed he’s coming around. He’s already trying out a name he seems to like which is sweet.
I’m loving all the little girl clothing boutiques i’m finding. I really want to focus on shopping small, female based entrepreneur shops that make ethically sourced clothes. For our style, we prefer neutrals & soft colors - grey, beige, blues & soft purples. I don’t want a ton of pink. I prefer gender neutral clothing as well.
Here’s a few of my favorites clothing boutiques recently discovered:
Billy Bibs
They have adorable bibs, bows and pacifier/teething toy clips
Marlow & Mae
I can not get over how cute these ethically made baby clothes are.
Everly B
Mom of 4 based in Sand Diego. Want to purchase every playsuit she has.
LaLaBu
And of course, something for dad as well.
#pregnancy updates#gender reveal#itsagirl#pregnancy blog#TTC Journey#Baby Clothes#Billy Bibs#LaLaBu#everlyb#marlow & mae#second trimester
1 note
·
View note
Text
Pregnancy and Sickness
These past two weeks have been some of the hardest in my pregnancy. I had to get IV fluids last week and then this Monday I got the worst migraine i’ve ever experienced (unmedicated, I’ve been getting almost daily migraines since the 5th grade so that’s saying something).
My headaches have been getting better with pregnancy, and I’ve been able to significantly reduce my daily preventative medications which are class B. However on Monday, I was hit with a complicated migraine where I lost my eyesight to a blinding white light. I had to leave my car at work and a coworker drove me home. I went to bed to try to sleep it off, woke up 3 hours later, went to talk to Tim and I spoke in gibberish. I tried again, and again, the wrong words came out and I was slurring. That’s never happened to me before and it was terrifying. After about 25 minutes of me having speech issues (and what seemed like stroke like systems) we drove to the ER. We were there for the next 4.5 hours getting an MRI, ultrasound of my neck and head arteries and an EKG. All came back normal. I checked in with my neurologist the next day and she said it was just a really bad migraine.
I’m now in this waiting period of seeing if it’s going to happen again and it feels like a ticking time bomb. Was it just a fluke? Or will I be driving by myself or in a big meeting or shopping at Target (as women do) and get hit with the loss of vision and inability to communicate. It’s so scary.
I’m still seeing and working with my acupuncturist for both maintaining this pregnancy and my headaches/migraines. I’m using essential oils and vitamin supplements to help with the headaches. I think i’m also going to convince my husband I need weekly therapy messages for stress and tension headaches ;) We’ll see if he goes for it.
This pregnancy journey has been such a challenge. The first year was TTC and the emotional rollercoaster that happens with that. And then after finally getting pregnant, it’s been battling being able to function either because of morning (all day) sickness or my chronic migraines & headaches. This experience with sickness has really made me think of women who aren’t as fortunate as I am. I’m in a job where I can work from home if I need to and have an understanding female boss and coworkers who support me. But what if I had a job that required me to be on my feet, or I was paid hourly and had to clock in and out to get a paycheck? We are a two income household and my income is just as important as my husband’s. With him being freelance, having my income gives us both peace of mind that regardless of how good of a month he had my income will cover our bills. Losing my salary if I was unable to work because of the pregnancy would be a huge issue. This experience has really opened my eyes to women who don’t have the same supportive or flexible employment.
--
And because I’m sure everyone is wondering - Our 20 week ultrasound went great. Baby P was kicking and waving hello. Super active... I don’t think we’ll be getting much sleep when baby arrives! We’ll have our gender photo announcement up this weekend and on the blog by next Monday. Here’s a photo from the ultrasound of our adorable child. I think Baby has Tim’s lips, and thankfully neither of our large nose’s for the moment :)
#ttc#TTC Journey#pregnancy update#20 weeks#pregnancy blog#morning sickness#nausea#migraine#headaches
0 notes
Text
20 Weeks!!
I can’t believe we are already at the half-way point and i’m 5 months along!! It’s actually flown by. Today we will have our 20 week anatomy scan and find out Baby P’s gender! Most people think it’s a girl because of how sick i’ve been. We are planning to do a gender reveal photo shoot this coming weekend and will have some fun photos to post to make our announcement next Monday.
We haven’t had an ultrasound since 11 weeks so i’m excited to see the baby and see how s/he is measuring. Tim’s side of the family has BIG babies so I feel by this appointment we should know which side of the family this little one will take after.
Here’s to hoping I have a better week this week!
#pregnancy blog#pregnancy update#TTC Journey#20 weeks#maternity photo shoot#bump style#blogger#pregnancy updates
2 notes
·
View notes
Text
Nausea, Vomiting & more Vomiting
So my post on Monday was a little too ambitious. I actually wrote that post a few days prior and set it to upload as we had company coming into town. I was feeling pretty good throughout the weekend and started getting a little too confident. Sunday I had a McDonalds sundae and in-n-out burger which are both usually no-gos for me. And then I started feeling “funny” in bed that night. I kept waking up, couldn’t get comfortable and by about 7am I could feel the throwup in the back of my throat. I ended up laying on the bathroom floor for the next 3.5 hours constantly getting sick.
Luckily, my sister in law who is visiting is also an ER nurse and she recommended me going to get IV fluids for dehydration.
We have an amazing Urgent Care right near our home which we frequent (that time Tim chopped his leg with a rusted Ax and it got infected, my quarterly strep infections...) and I was able to get in and hooked up to an IV within 10 minutes. I would HIGHLY recommend looking into good Urgent Care alternatives over going to the ER.
Anyway, it took 2 bags of fluids and 2 types of nausea meds but they finally had me feeling better. I’m on Diclegis and Zofran daily and a new one called Reglan for emergencies. Raglan is a class B so i’m not thrilled about having to take it but having episodes like I did Monday morning can’t be good for me and baby either.
I’m home resting and have been able to keep down white rice, popsicles, watermelon and water.
I’m 19 weeks, almost halfway there and I honestly don’t know how women do this. I’m so thankful this is my first child. I don’t know what I would do if I was this sick and had other kids to tend to. All you mamas out there with multiple kiddos are super heroes!!!
0 notes
Text
Maternity Fashion OOTD
I’m 19 weeks and I think i’ve finally turned a corner! I think it’s been a full week since i’ve gotten sick. I’m so thankful! Last week was a busy work week and I had to be on set a lot. I was able to sneak in a photoshoot at one location during some down time ;)
Green Jacket - Forever21
White Tank - ASOS Maternity
Blue Skinny Jeans - Target Maternity
#pregnancy blog#ootd#bump style#bump fashion#pregnancy fashion#forever21#asos maternity#Target Maternity
0 notes
Text
Nesting - Phase 1
Week 18 and baby prep is in full swing! I have a long list of projects I want to accomplish before Baby P comes. One of the most pressing was organizing our pantry and kitchen so we’d have space for new baby products. My Parents & Sister came down for the weekend to install shelves in our kitchen closet and re-organize our pantry.
Please don’t judge me on these “Before” photos - how did we live like this for a year?!
BEFORE
AFTER
I still plan to do more organizing & sorting but we are off to a great start!
We also cleared out several kitchen cabinet and drawers. I’m really trying to live “minimal,” i’ll post more on what i’m doing to make that change in all areas of our lives later.
Phase 2 of nesting is starting to tackle the nursery. We’re waiting to find out the gender at our 20 week anatomy scan - which is in 2 weeks!
Wait to you see what it currently looks like... yikes...
1 note
·
View note
Text
Baby Registry & New Mom/Baby Books
I’m writing this post from my bed... which is where i’ve been the last 5 days in a row. I was starting to feel better the last few weeks but seems like i’ve taken a turn for the worse. If i’m bed-ridden I won’t throw up. I also just have absolutely no energy. If I try to get up and do things i’ll be constantly sick the whole day. Tim’s become a pro at grabbing the nearest container (drink pitcher, mixing bowl, plastic bag, trash can) and sticking it in my face before I puke all over the floor in front of me. I’m giving him lots of baby prep ;)
With all this time at home, I want to start reading up on new mom & baby self help books. Would love suggestions on what has been helpful to first time moms!
In more exciting news, I’m starting the process of building a baby registry. I’ve decided on BabyList because I can add items from any website on the list including my favorite small-shops and etsy stores. I do know that if you build a registry on target or amazon, you get a discount on all the items you didn’t receive and want to purchase yourself. Which may have been a more economical choice but I just really want those adorable hipster baby clothes and non-toxic wood teething blocks so BabyList it is ;) I’ll share my registry link once I have it more finalized. I’m waiting on adding some things until after we find out the gender in mid march.
I’ve been reaching out to all my mom friends who have been a huge resource on what items they can’t live without, what’s over-rated, etc. I’m also so thankful to be getting a lot of hand-me-downs. I really want to avoid getting a lot of “stuff” so trying to stick to the necessities. It’s just hard to know what your baby is going to like and not like.
The big ticket item I still haven’t decided on yet is what type of stroller we will get. I would like to get one that has the car seat that locks into it. I always see moms who don’t want to transfer baby from car seat after he/she falls asleep to stroller so I’m thinking the stroller/car seat combo might be easiest. If anyone has any recommendations or tips i’d love to hear them!
Here are a few of the registry items I know for sure I want and am excited about:
Cheerily & Co
Cheerily & Co
Cheerily & Co
Giggle
Puj tub on amazon
Wipes down clean, no need for laundry!
They see me Rollin’, but I won’t be Fallin’
#pregnancy blog#baby registry#babylist#amazon#dockatot#keekaroo#puj tub#aden and anais#morning sickness#nausea#second trimester#ttc journey
2 notes
·
View notes
Text
16 wk bump work style & favorite maternity fashion
I’m in that awkward stage where i’m showing but the “bump” still looks more like “budge” the “is-she or isn’t-she” stage where it’s not totally clear if it’s a food baby or a human baby. Wearing loose fitting clothing just makes you feel even more big and uncomfortable with your changing shape and i’d love to wear more form fitting tops but I don’t feel quite comfortable in those yet either. It’s made dressing for work difficult. If anyone has any tips for that “in-between” stage i’d love to hear them!
To date, I’ve shopped at Motherhood Maternity, ASOS Maternity, Target Maternity, LEGO (high end Australian Maternity brand), HATCH (high end US maternity brand), and Nordstrom Maternity.
So far, Motherhood has actually been my favorite. The clothes are comfortable, fabric is soft and price is good. I’ve been able to purchase most of their clothes at the outlets or online on sales. I just bought a pair of $178 maternity designer jeans on sale for $75.
So many of my mom friends swear by ASOS. I’m so-so about the clothes. The fabric quality is poor but the clothes are cheap. I’ve also had a hard time finding the right size and they don’t have a store in the US so it’s just guessing online. I’ve returned most of what i’ve purchased from ASOS.
I like LEGO & HATCH because I’m trying to work towards living minimalistic and have a capsule wardrobe. My goal is to purchase only a few maternity clothes items that are high quality & fit well. However, I was really disappointed with the pants I got at HATCH, they were white and see through and the material was itchy. They were final sale so I may give another item of their’s a chance but now i’m stuck with $80 pants I can’t wear....
Most of LEGOs maternity clothing is also nursing friendly. I’m trying to purchase as much nursing friendly maternity as possible to again get the most use of these clothes. I bought a white tank that was on sale. It was a good quality fabric but was too big. This is another purchase that I made that was final sale. So again, it’s just hard with online stores finding the right size which is especially difficult during pregnancy.
A bunch of friends have also recommend Old Navy. They have a lot of great maxi dress options under $20 that i’m planning on getting once it get warmer. The only thing is they don’t seem to have a lot of nursing maxi dress options and again i’m trying to avoid buying too many clothes that I can only wear a few months in pregnancy and not postpartum as well.
Also, i’m having the hardest time finding comfortable nursing bras. I need to get new sized bras asap and figured i’d pull the trigger now and purchase everyday nursing bras so i’ll get longer use out of them. I’ve probably purchased and returned $300 worth of bras. The designer ones from Nordstrom were SO uncomfortable. I just purchased highly rated, reasonable priced bras ($16 - $30) from Motherhood Maternity. Will do an update on what I purchased if I liked them. Any nursing bra recommends would be appreciated!
Wearing in photos above:
Scarf: Saks Off 5th
Black Tank: ASOS Maternity
Black Trench Jacket: Forever 21
Pants: Madewell (not maternity, used my Belly Band to wear them)
Shoes: Old Navy
Watch: Fossil
#ootd#pregnancy blog#old navy#ASOS maternity#ASOS#hatch#motherhood maternity#lego#second trimester#bump style#maternity fashion#saks off fifth#forever21#madewell
0 notes
Text
Babymoon Plans!
We just booked out babymoon and i’m so excited! We’re going to Maui in mid-April. I’ll be 6 months, enough to have a belly for some cute photos, but not so pregnant that i’m feeling more like a whale... hopefully...
With Zika, our options for a babymoon were limited. My parents generously gifted us a week through their timeshare and we’re staying at The Westin Ka'anapali Ocean Resort Villas.
We have traveled to Kauai a few times and LOVE it. We prefer to be active and sightsee instead of laying by the beach and Kauai has so many great waterfalls, hikes and 4-wheeling options. But we always hear people rave about how beautiful Maui is. This time around I either can’t or know I won’t have the energy to be active so it seemed like the perfect time to give Maui a try. I plan on drinking my body weight in virgin daiquiris, getting a prenatal massage, lots of snoozing in a cabana on the sand and enjoying fresh fruit snacks on our patio in a bathrobe. If i’m up for it, I may try to kayak, snorkel or do some stand up paddle boarding.
We’re still planning the trip so i’ll share our itinerary once we have it settled. Tim’s great at finding off-the-beaten-path spots to explore.
We are renting a car and will also get groceries at Costco to help with cost. The room we are staying in is a 1 bedroom with a kitchen & washer and dryer. We’ll be there for 6 nights of full bliss!
1 note
·
View note