Archives for June 2019

Dress: Elan V-Back Maxi Dress // Hat: Brixton ‘Joanna’ Hat {wearing a S} // Sandals: Loeffler Randall {similar here & here} // Bag: Old, almost exact here // Sunglasses: Saint Laurent

A good hat and a flowy beach coverup is all I need and want this summer. Thankfully, I have my trusty {and all-time favorite} hat from Nordstrom and this beautiful blue striped dress packed for my family vacation next week. I love that you can wear this dress to the pool or to a restaurant and anything in between. It comes in tons of colors and sizes, is super flattering and a great price at under $60. As for my hat, you probably know I’ve been wearing this hat for years now. No matter how many options I have, it’s always the first hat I pick up when I pack for the pool or the beach because it goes with everything, its comfortable, and it’s indestructible. I think I’ve already worn it at least 30 times this year! You also can’t beat the under $50 price tag. Nordstrom has the best selection for vacation dressing with tons of under $100 options {I loved this coverup in white so much that I bought it in black and blue too!} If you have any fun summer beach or pool plans, head to Nordstrom to find tons of budget friendly options. You won’t be sorry!

Photos: The Retro Penguin

thank you to Nordstrom for sponsoring this post!

What are you packing in your hospital bag? Great question! I haven’t packed one yet – I have most of what I think I’ll need, but just haven’t put it all together. Will try to share those details as soon as I have them!

Are you going to do a nursery reveal? Yes, of course! As soon as it’s finished….we are still waiting on a few major pieces…..

What have you been doing to stay in shape? Are you working out at all? Working out during fertility treatments is often a no-no {at least it was for me} so I haven’t worked out in over a year. Whenever I start to feel guilty or sad about this, I try to change my mindset to focus on gratefulness. I’m carrying a healthy, happy baby and if that means I’m not in the best shape of my life, then so be it! There will be plenty of time later in life to worry about being fit 😉

How are you dealing with the mental shift of gaining baby weight {if you have?} This goes hand in hand with the answer above – I’m just grateful that my baby is growing and healthy that I don’t stress about my weight. My doctor gave me a goal in terms of weight gain and so far I’ve been able to achieve that! So, I’m proud of myself and my body for finally {!} doing what it should be doing.

How are you handling feeling dead tired? I’ve actually been feeling relatively good during the days! I struggle most at night when all I want is to lie on my side in my bed. Usually my back is aching by then and thats the only position that gives me any relief!

How are you handling craving foods you don’t usually crave? I am just going with the flow! I am not stressing too much about my cravings – I just give into them. If I want ice cream, I eat it. If I want pasta, I make it. That’s it!

How are you feeling? Are you nervous at all or feeling anxious about the baby coming? Physically, I am feeling as good as I could be I think! Other than an aching back and some acid reflux, I am doing well. Starting around 34 weeks, I started feeling a dip in my daily energy, with dinners out becoming a little harder too. Thankfully, everyone around me has been super sweet and understanding, so I am just taking it a day at a time!

How would you prepare differently or similarly for being pregnant? I did a lot of things in order to get pregnant, and I feel nothing but gratefulness that it all worked out in the end! So, to answer your question, I wouldn’t do anything differently.

What do you wish you would have known about being pregnant beforehand? I’m really trying to think. I don’t know! I always wondered what it would be like to feel a baby kick inside of me, and what it would be like to have a big belly! But no one can prepare you for what either of those things will really be like, so you just have to wait and see for yourself!

How have you felt throughout your pregnancy? Honestly, I’ve had an incredible pregnancy. I always thought it would feel like I was pregnant for foreverrrrr but really I’m just amazed at how quickly it has all flown by. I can’t believe baby is almost here!

What are some things you expected/didn’t expect and what are some things that surprised you? I knew a woman’s breast size increased once she had a baby because the milk comes in and causes them to swell – but what I **did not** know was that your boobs get big while pregnant! My chest grew by almost two cup sizes and I was not expecting that.

What are you most nervous about for labor & delivery? Are you super nervous? I honestly haven’t let myself think toooo much about labor and delivery this entire pregnancy because it always seemed so far away. Now that it is less than a month out, I am starting to feel quite anxious about it! It kinda feels like I’m about to take a test that I haven’t studied for – not because I don’t know what it’s supposed to be like, but because everyone’s experience is so different and I don’t know what mine will be like. I know all will be ok in the end, but it’s just the unknown that makes me feel a bit uneasy.

What plans have you put in place for after baby comes to make the transition easier? My mom is going to move in with us for 2 weeks after baby and we will have a night nurse.

What have you done around the house {besides nursery} to prepare for baby’s arrival? I’ve cleaned out and organized every cabinet and drawer in the entire house. We’ve also finished some larger home projects like re-doing the grass and landscaping in our backyard, and furnishing the front room in our house.

Biggest difference from 1st/2nd trimester? I’m lucky that I felt pretty good in the first trimester, but I really felt a change in the second trimester because I had so much more energy! I felt like I could do it all, which was amazing! I’m so glad that this is when I decided to tackle all the major home improvement projects because I definitely do not have the same amount of energy now!

Have you had any braxton hicks? Yes! They haven’t hurt – my stomach just gets reaaaaallllyyyy hard and then softens 30 seconds or so later. It’s really bizarre!

Have you had any cravings? Recently, all I want is fresh fruit {watermelon, mainly} and popsicles. I don’t hold back and indulge in these things whenever the craving hits!

Have you had any dreams/nightmares? I haven’t had any nightmares, but I definitely have had pretty vivid dreams. In them I am often holding the baby, or breastfeeding him. I have no idea why, but I’m assuming it’s because I’ve heard these things bond you to the baby and maybe that is my way of feeling bonded to him before he’s officially here? No idea!

What are you most nervous about? Delivery!! I just want that part over with.

How do you feel about hair removal prior to labor? Ha! I think a wax prior to delivery would be nice! But I won’t lose any sleep if it doesn’t happen.

Have you had any nerve pain of heart burn since baby is so big now? Thankfully I haven’t had any nerve pain! I had a few days in the second trimester where baby was sitting on a nerve and it was no joke! So grateful I haven’t dealt with that since. Heartburn {acid reflux} on the other hand…….let’s just say Zantac and tums are my best friend.

How are you sleeping? Any tricks for sleeping? I have been sleeping pretty well all things considered! I started struggling with restless sleep sometime around 34 weeks, but bought Unisom and haven’t looked back since! It has been a game changer. I have also always been a side sleeper so I think this helps a lot!

Did you travel anywhere by plane? How was the experience? I went to Miami at 31 weeks and flying was fine! I made sure I drank lots of water, wore loose fitting clothing, and of course wore compression socks. Had no issues!

Did you buy the snoo? We did not!

Did you and your husband have a hard time deciding on a name? We did! Picking a name is such a commitment and you want to make sure you will love whatever you pick for forever! Ah! It also took a while to get both families family trees but thankfully we got them, and landed on a name we both love 🙂

Have you bought anything that you didn’t need? And what could you not have lived without? This is hard to answer since baby isn’t here yet! I haven’t used much yet 😉

Skincare update – what have been your favorite pregnancy products? I have lived for my Weleda belly oil, my Embryolisse face moisturizer and my Avene body balm.

Are you doing a birth plan? I haven’t really thought that much about creating a specific birth plan. I guess I should. Honestly, I just want to do whatever necessary to get the baby out of me and into the world as safely as possible.

Any items that you’ve bought to prep for the “fourth trimester?” Yes! I plan on doing a post about this! My SIL took me to Target and showed me exactly what I’ll be needing. I feel really prepared!

Are you planing on doing Baby Wise, Moms on Call or hiring a night nurse? We will have a night nurse.

Have you been following a checklist? Or flying by the seat of your pants? A friend sent me a really in-depth checklist her cousin made. I want to share it with you all but need to get permission first! It it so thorough and made me feel super prepared!

Are you taking any types of birthing/baby classes that you would recommend? CPR? Breastfeeding? Child birth? Yes! We took the birthing class offered by the hospital and an infant CPR class. I plan to take an online breastfeeding class, but haven’t gotten around to it yet.

What is your caffeine intake like? If I drink coffee, its less than a cup a day. I’m not a huge coffee drinker!

What are you planning for baby’s coming home outfit? Great question – I haven’t decided yet! Probably a really pretty, but soft and simple gown.

Have you used any sort of pregnancy pillow? I already had these long lumbar pillows on my bed that I’ve been using and they’ve been lifesavers! I wrap my entire body around them and sleep great. My belly definitely needs that support.

When did easy things start feeling hard? Around 31 weeks, late dinners started getting hard {achey back!} Around 34 weeks I noticed a change in my overall energy.

Do you have any nausea? Only recently have I had a few days where my stomach feels a little sour. I never get sick, but I just don’t feel totally normal either.

Do you worry about PPD or PPA? I don’t! I will cross that bridge if I come to it, but don’t plan on stressing about it unless I have to.

Favorite pregnancy snacks? Dried mango from Trader Joes & watermelon!

What are you doing to avoid wrinkles and stretch marks? Hyaluronic serum, moisturizer for wrinkles and Weleda belly oil for stretch marks!

What are your plans for the first few months postpartum? I plan to take it one day at a time!

Do you think you will get an epidural? Heck. YES.

When did you start wearing maternity jeans and what are your favorite brands? I think I started wearing maternity jeans around 20 weeks. I ordered every brand under the sun and my favorites were actually always from H&M.

Are you planning on sharing your journey to pregnancy? Maybe one day!

Doing anything specific to prepare for birth? Not really….no…..I know I probably should be doing ALL the things, but I haven’t…yet. Here I am *not* studying the test even though I’m complaining about feeling anxious…..🙈

How are you dealing with the swelling? Any tips? Compression socks and floating! My doctor said 30 minutes of floating in a pool everyday will significantly help swelling + improve overall blood flow. I also recently {as of this week} started getting lymphatic drainage massages. I think {hope?} the combination of all three are helping!

Why/how do you always know weight of your baby? The sonographer weighs him every time I go in!

Ok there you have it! There is my third trimester update 🙂 Let me know if I missed any questions in the comments!

I feel like I’ve shared my favorite beauty products with you all before, but they’ve never really been the kind you can buy at a drugstore or supercenter like Walmart. Walmart’s beauty section is insane, and so many of my everyday items come from there so I figured what better time than now to share those with you all! After dozens of requests, my favorite everyday beauty items under $30 are below….

Biolage Shampoo & Conditioner

True story – I’m one of six kids, my dad shops at Costco and all he bought for us growing up was Pantene Pro-V 2-n-1. If you aren’t familiar, 2-n-1 is when they combine shampoo and conditioner. Considering 4 out of the 6 kids are boys, and my mom has pin straight and silky fine hair, no one ever complained {myself included!} I didn’t know any different. I actually used Pantene Pro-V 2-n-1 well into my 20’s and it was only recently that a conversation with Brittany, the woman who cuts & colors my hair, that I realized I should probably move on from the 2-n-1 life. Here’s why: when you put conditioner on your roots, it weighs it down. Shampoo on the other hand needs to saturate and cleanse the roots so that it really gets out the dirt and grime. These two do two totally different things – and require different applications – but a 2-n-1 forces you to apply it the same. When I was complaining to Brittany that my hair always felt heavy she asked me what shampoo and conditioner I was using and literally dropped her jaw to the floor when I told her it was Pantene Pro-V. I mean here I am with a $500 Dyson hairdryer, but I spend $4 on a bottle of 2-n-1. I started laughing because 1. she’s right, and 2. because I needed a change. But I wasn’t ready to give up the ease of buying my shampoo at the store. I didn’t want fancy shampoo or conditioner that I had to order online, or that cost $30+ – I just don’t value a shampoo or conditioner at that price. So I went to my local Walmart and browsed the options. I settled on Biolage and haven’t looked back {going on 2+ years now!} There isn’t anything crazy special about this shampoo or conditioner other than I like the smell, I like the way it makes my hair feel, I like the price point, and most importantly, I like that I can now apply the shampoo and conditioner separately. Winning!

Bioderma Micellar Water

I can’t remember who, but a follower told me about Bioderma’s micellar water a few years ago and I haven’t looked back since. It is the most gentle way to remove make up or grime from your face after a long day {I use these pads and/or a q-tip} and a bottle lasts forever. You can’t beat the price either. I can’t go a day without using this! If you’re wondering what micellar water is, you can read more about it here!

Essie Gel Couture Nail Polish

I realized a while back that nail salons dilute their polishes to make them last longer, which in reality makes them more watered down. Salons have also started charging $5 extra {!!!??} if you want to use a ‘gel couture’ color which is just absolutely ridiculous. They say its because it lasts longer than a regular polish {and it does!} but that doesn’t mean I’m going to pay the amount that the bottle costs just to use it. Long story short – I hate walking into a salon and relying on their polishes, so I always bring my own, and the ‘gel couture’ line from Essie is my long-time favorite. I just keep the bottles in the center console of my car and bring them in with me whenever I go. Fairy Tailor is my favorite blush pink, but I also recently bought ‘Lace Me Up’ which is pictured above {also on my nails} and I really love it.

Covergirl Translucent Powder

I’ve talked about this powder on my Instragram before, but it’s one of those things I’ve been buying for years because it works, and because its affordable. I can have one in each purse, one in the car, and one in my bathroom without thinking twice. If I was buying the Laura Mercier translucent powder for example, I definitely would not have so many to go around. I also like this powder because it’s pressed and super easy to apply. I often use it as the first product on my face after my serums and moisturizer to give my face a little buffer before the bronzer goes on. I also always apply after putting on sunscreen – even if I’m at the pool, I hate a greasy looking wet face, so I always pat a little of this on. It goes on clear, takes away shine, and is just the best.

Neutrogena SPF 15 Moisturizer

I’m so grateful that I found this product because it was truly the very first ‘beauty’ product I ever bought and I loved it immediately. Had I bought something similar and hated it, I may have gone many more years without wearing a face moisturizer with SPF, but because it worked out, I started wearing SPF on my skin daily at the age of 14 {thank you to my mom for encouraging this!} I remember I bought it at the Walmart in Pass Christian, MS after my mom told me I should start wearing SPF on my skin daily {we spent our summers in Mississippi and the only place to shop was the local Walmart -I lived there!} I had no idea what to buy, but recognized the brand Neutrogena, picked the first moisturizer I saw, and became hooked. It’s lightweight, non-greasy and goes on smooth. I literally liked it so much, I used this same lotion for almost 15 years. It was only 2 or so years ago that I decided to switch it up! I still keep a bottle in my cabinet for traveling or when I want to get back to my roots. You never really forget your first true love! 😉

L’Oreal Telescopic Mascara

I like loooooonnngggg skinny lashes. I don’t want them clumpy or thick, so when a friend introduced me to L’Oreal’s telescopic mascara I was hooked. Back in the day when I worked at Neimans and got a significant discount, I would buy one from Giorgio Armani, but when I left Neimans and lost the discount, I pretty much vowed to never buy expensive mascara again. What’s the point? It all dries out after about a month anyways, and you can find really amazing options for way, way less. This one from L’Oreal is my all time fav and definitely something I have in my make up case at all times. Makes your lashes crazy long without all the clumps.

Neutrogena Hydroboost Face Masks

I love a good cheap face mask, and these are great. They are super hydrating and feel amazing on the skin. I like to buy them in bulk and keep them in my refrigerator. I also love to bring out a few when girlfriends come over, or when I go home to visit my mom or sister and we all do them. Don’t get me wrong, I love an expensive face mask too – but when the masks are $2 a pop, you don’t have to feel guilty about sharing one with everyone!

Batiste Dry Shampoo

I used this for the first time when it was gifted to me by a girlfriend on her bachelorette trip. It was in our ‘goodie’ bags and I brought it home after the trip hooked. I think having my girlfriends show me how to use it was also key {I’m kind of a novice when it comes to dry shampoo} but if you’re looking for one that isn’t too sticky, but that works well and is a great price, try this one from Batiste. To use, lift up sections of your hair and spray at the roots {keep bottle a few inches from head}. Massage the product into the roots and then brush. Works like a charm!

Bare Minerals SPF Sunscreen

Of all the items pictured, this is the only item that is relatively new to me. Since becoming pregnant, I have been looking for a healthier ‘non-toxic’ sunscreen and this one fit the bill. Y’all know I love my Supergoop!, but this one is nice because you can buy without having to order online. I have the face stick and the mineral SPF 50 and love both.

Dove Bar Soap

Started this post with a product I grew up using, and ending it with another one. Dove bar soap is something I haven been using since I was a kid. Another bulk buy from Costco, this is what my parents bought and used on us growing up so it’s just what feels familiar to me. I know most people these days probably use shower gel and a loofa, but I’ve just never been able to make the switch. Nothing makes me feel as squeaky clean as this simple soap and I love it. I also love the gentle exfoliating bar too if I’m feeling fancy 😉

Ok that’s it for now! Of course there are sooo many more items I use and love that are under $30 but it would take me all day to walk through them all. Walmart seriously has the most extensive collection of beauty items and brands {and oftentimes less than other retailers!} so check them out and let me know your favs in the comments!

Photos: The Retro Penguin

thank you to Walmart for sponsoring this post!