PinkBlush Maternity

I’m so excited to share with you all a recent collaboration I had with PinkBlush Maternity. I have loved this clothing line throughout both pregnancies! Whether I’m buying a cute sweater or a summer dress, I’ve loved everything and have gotten a lot of use out of their cute clothes. 

I have fallen in love with PinkBlush’s dresses this pregnancy. On days I’m feeling really lazy but still need to look put together, I gravitate toward their dresses because you just throw on these cute dresses and look like you spent a lot of time and energy getting ready when in fact, it was so easy! I love effortless looks that look like you put a lot of time and thought into. Because Lord knows there won’t be a lot of time for me to get myself ready once I have two little ones!

A huge bonus is that some of their dresses double as nursing dresses! I had the hardest time knowing what to wear after Ryder was born when it came to nursing in public. I hated feeling like I was stuck always wearing the same tanks under the same loose T’s for almost a year of nursing! I’m so excited to have more options of cute clothing to wear after this baby is born and I’m needing clothes that make nursing easy and convenient! 

My first look is this gorgeous dress. Perfect for a date night out! This dress is spaghetti strapped but it has a built in bra (and pads!). I loved that because I hate trying to figure out what bra to wear with dresses that require strapless. And strapless bras while pregnant are not comfortable, especially as the bump gets bigger. I'm in love with this pattern that kinda “hides” my bump. Ok, it’s not HIDDEN! But it tricks your eye and makes it look much smaller than it actually is! I love patterns for this reason. 

Get this dress here

My second look was this cute maxi! OMG, so comfy!!! This is a dress that will also come in handy for my nursing days ahead. This dress comes in multiple color options and I had the hardest time deciding because they are all so cute! This dress is such a great option to have in the summer months because you can wear it alone on hot summer days and because the dress is so cute on its own, you don’t need to put much else into the outfit to make it interesting. And, I love that I can just throw on a jacket or a sweater in the evenings if the weather is a little cooler. This dress is really comfortable and I wear it all the time because of that!

Same dress, different color here

A special thanks to PinkBlush for inviting me to do this collaboration with them. I highly recommend PinkBlush! Their items are very reasonably priced. Plus, you can get the dresses and tops that double as nursing clothing! I’m so excited to have cute, fun things to wear other than just a chambray over a nursing tank after the baby is born (and for when I need to nurse discreetly in public). I’ve seriously had times where I wanted to wear tops and/or dresses that didn’t work well with nursing and then when I did need to nurse I’d have to excuse myself from everyone and go to a room or bathroom where I could lift up my entire top or dress and nurse while covering my post pregnancy bod with three swaddle blankets! LOL – never again!

Click here to start shopping some PinkBlush Maternity looks! Happy baby bump shopping :)

             

Healthy Go-To Snacks

I’m hoping to get a list of a few EASY snack ideas down before the baby gets here. Because I won’t be able to think straight at that point in my life and need to just have things to grab that are super easy. I don’t know why it was SO hard for me to find time to make myself snacks and meals throughout the day when Ryder was a baby. But this time around, I won’t have a choice because I’ll also need to remember to feed my toddler, too! LOL

I love making smoothies at home for a quick snack. Sometimes I’ll make them for breakfast, but I prefer to save this for snacks and have a heavier, bigger breakfast each morning to start the day. 

This is an easy go-to smoothie for me. I always look up other smoothie options on Pinterest, but I get so overwhelmed on there sometimes! So many options and things to try! So I just stick to the basics and make this smoothie. Super easy! 

**1 scoop of protein powder + 1 cup mixed frozen berries + ice + 1 cup orange juice**

(picture via google)

Here are a few more of my current go-to snacks:

-fruit and string cheese

-apple and peanut butter

-cheese wedges and crackers

-yogurt and granola

-healthy protein/granola bars

-Naked or Odwalla juices

-smoothie (recipe above)

But even though I have this list of my "go-to's", I still struggle staying on track. I survived mainly on graham crackers, Naked juices, Poptarts and anything else that required NO prep and I could eat with one hand while nursing Ryder in his younger months. I'm hoping I can plan a little better this time around and give myself some time to make healthy snacks and meals for myself and for my family. 

I’ve never had SUCH a hard time eating well in my life. Sometimes it’s due to the fact that your to-do list is always a mile long as a mom. You can’t stop. So I forget to eat. I seriously NEVER thought I’d say that. It used to drive me crazy when I heard moms say things like that!! Too busy to eat!? YEAH RIGHT, I thought. But, it’s true. Sometimes it’s because while I was at the grocery store with every intention of getting healthy meals/snacks, my toddler had a melt down and I had about 5.2 minutes to get everything I could grab before I was gonna pull my hair out. 

Sometimes I’m so tired, I literally can’t think straight. Sounds strange. But being overly sleep deprived does weird things to you. So instead of getting a parfait at the Starbucks drive-through (or a cup of fruit), I’d get a huge, 900 calorie pastry. It’s like I am unable to make normal/healthy decisions. Your brain just can’t function properly off of 2 hours of sleep! 

Sometimes it’s because I have a toddler. And he has yummy snacks just staring at me. LOL. Like pretzels and cereal and organic fruit snacks, etc. So I eat my horrible 900 calorie pastry AND some of Ryder’s Pirates Booty because he didn’t eat it all. And maybe sometimes I also eat ¾ of his peanut butter and jelly sandwich just because it’s sitting there… again, looking at me. And wow… mmm.. I forgot how good a pb &j is! LOL 

There are a lot of reasons why it’s so hard to stay on track as a mom. It sounds SOOO crazy until you’re in it. I’ve eaten more grilled cheese sandwiches off my own kitchen floor this past year than I have EVER IN LIFE (especially the “off the floor” part). 

It takes a LOT more energy now (as a parent) to find time, energy and brain power to feed yourself well. And then to find the time, energy and brain power to work out?! SO, SO hard. But it’s something I hope I can learn to balance better through the years. Taking care of yourself is so important! I hope to be a good example to my kids through my eating and life habits and that they, too will just naturally make good, healthy choices for themselves. 

What are some other EASY go-to snack options you like? I tend to gravitate to fruits. I love fruit and can’t get enough!

          

Maternity + Nursing Dress

I have been living in this black dress! It's so comfortable, you guys. I seriously feel like I'm in a comfy robe when I'm wearing it. The bonus about this dress is that it doubles as a nursing dress. I know this dress will get a LOT of use after the baby comes. I really struggled with what to wear and feeling like I didn't have a lot of options when Ryder was born when it came to clothing and nursing in public. This dress is super stretchy and allows easy access to nurse in public without all the fuss. I'm so excited to have some pieces that truly work for being majorly pregnant AND nursing. Double bonus (insert high five)!

Speaking of nursing... I am so nervous about how I'm going to balance the full-time job that nursing is with a toddler. Friends have told me that I'll learn to multi-task and nurse while she's in a carrier on me. What?! I know this will need to be a talent I learn. But I'm seriously concerned! LOL I have the Moby carrier, which I used twice when Ryder was little. I felt SO hot when I wore it. And all that fabric! Ugh! It just wasn't my thing. If I needed Ryder to be on me in a carrier, I preferred my LilleBaby Carrier. It was just more structured and I didn't have to think about how to put it on and what piece of fabric went where... I just snapped it on! But I'm thinking it will be hard to nurse her while she's in this carrier because it is more structured. Any tips for balancing nursing 24-7 with a toddler are greatly appreciated!! How to strap her on me so she's comfy while eating, how to distract Ryder while I'm feeding her, etc.

Anyway... I wore this dress out at a concert this past week and felt so comfortable. I stuck with some of my most comfy flip flops and an easy bag. BAM. Done. Easy. It was a hot night (the concert was outdoors at Coors Field) and I love having flowy clothes on (as apposed to tight, thick clothing that just seems to trap the heat even more!). Because everything seemed simple and plain, I decided to go with a bold necklace. I love this necklace because it will always and forever remind me of our maternity photo shoot we did while I was pregnant with Ryder. It's crazy how attached I get to random things because of the memories they hold!

Black Nursing Dress // Flip Flops

Clutch // Necklace is old, similar here

            

Just Peachy

This peach dress from PinkBlush is adorable! It's so lightweight and we all know that is necessary when you are pregnant in the summer heat. I love dresses lately because they are so easy. I really like that it doesn't take much thought to get ready when wearing a dress, especially when they have cute patterns like this one! The dress is a statement in itself and you don't need much else to make the outfit interesting.

Belt // Necklace

My fringe booties are no longer in stock. Majorly crushing on these beauties though!

This dress is already out of stock! But here is another that I love!
Hope you're all having a fab day!
             

Sunday Funday

Hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July! We got a late start today thanks to a very late night watching fireworks. But Ryder loved it! Staying up past bedtime is a rare occurrence for him and I think he enjoyed hanging with the "big kids". 

This outfit is so simple and easy. This dress is a go-to for me lately! It's not maternity, which I usually don't gravitate towards, especially at this point in pregnancy. But it's so comfy and it's long enough that I don't feel like I have to tug at it to stay in place and cover what it needs to cover! I've also been loving tying thin sweaters or button ups around my waist (hmm... I guess that isn't my "waist", is it?! HA!) lately. I love this style and having the option to throw this on if I get chilly in the evenings. But who am I kidding? I'm rarely "chilly" these days! :-D 

I love this necklace I got it ages ago from Stella and Dot. I feel like it's so casual and goes with everything! Same goes for these glasses. I have a love affair with aviators and these always match no matter what I'm wearing. 

And this tote... I love it! It's reversible, so you get two bags in one, which I love. I have this bag in two colors and grab them all the time when I don't need everything in my diaper bag or I am running errands without Ryder. 

I was checking out at Target today and the woman helping me took one look at me and said "WOAH!! Are you past your due date?! You look like you're about to pop!" Ummm... No! I am not past my due date, but THANKS for that boost of confidence! LOL She went on and on about how I must be sooo uncomfortable and I'm probably "gonna get a LOT bigger" because you gain "SO much more in the last month". Ugh, really?! HUSH IT, lady! Aside from the heat, I actually feel pretty good. I've been able to get decent sleep most nights and try to stay in the A/C when possible. My biggest struggle is keeping up with my Ryder man. He's a busy-body and he's heavy! So carrying him around is hard on my body. But I actually feel pretty good for the most part. 

My emotions have been all over the place this pregnancy. A lot of the time I felt like "OMG, this is never going to end!" But now that I am so close to the end, I'm getting kinda sad that it's going to be over before we know it. I really do love being pregnant (even though some parts of it SUUUUCK) and I think there is no cuter accessory than a baby bump. I LOVE feeling her move in there and I think pregnancy is the coolest thing ever. I also love bitty babies and can't wait to snuggle my little girl. Ohhhh, the baby snuggles. Is there anything better?! 

I got a mani/pedi this afternoon and the lady next to me had a 6 month old sitting in her lap while she got her pedi. This squishy little boy was so adorable! He was so giggly and snuggly and it took everything in me to not BEG this woman to let me hold and cuddle her baby haha! He was so cute and OMG I just looooove babies. I never asked to hold him. Instead I just sat there for about 45 minutes starring at him and smiling like an idiot. I think I was kinda creeping her out but I seriously couldn't look away. LOL I can't wait to meet this baby girl and just the thought of smelling her sweet baby skin, kissing her chubby cheeks and dressing her in cute pink clothes makes me smile like a fool. Less than a month left! Yahooo!

Dress // Plaid button up is old, but similar here

Similar MK aviators here

Tory Burch Wrap Bracelet

Alex and Ani Bracelet

Reversible Tote // Bar Necklace

Similar Key Chain Wallet

Tory Burch Flip Flops

Similar Stella and Dot Necklace HERE

              

Kimono Love

Struggling to stay cool over here with this big bump! But hooraaaaaay for our A/C getting fixed!! FINALLY! I slept great last night, minus the crazy pregnant dreams. Ha! And I am loving this kimono top that is so thin and cool, but I still feel covered. I love that I'll be able to wear this with tanks underneath while I breastfeed as well. I remember really struggling with what to wear so I could easily nurse while on the go with Ryder (without having to take my entire top/dress off!).

I've been crushing on this necklace for a while and Tooth got it for me while we were in Chicago for the birthday. I love it! It's SO cute and I love colorless necklaces that can go with everything.

These shorts are also super comfy and I wore them for a while even after Ryder was born because they are stretchy and forgiving on my tummy in the fourth trimester. When I'm pregnant, I'm usually more comfortable in pants/shorts that have the "secret belly" fit because the fabric going up over my belly is more comfortable. But these are so stretchy, they never bothered me. And once you do have the baby, you don't need all that extra fabric to go up over your stomach, so the low, stretchy cut under the belly felt better after the baby was out.

Kimono // Tank

Mine are old, but similar here

Flip flops // Necklace

Hope you're all having a fab Friday! Happy early 4th of July! :)

        

Baby Products I Love

Here are some of my favorite baby products that I loved using with Ryder and can’t wait to use again:

Como Tomo Bottles
These bottles were recommended to me by an employee at Right Start and I love them! They told me they were good for breastfed babies because the nipple is more “natural” and less of a shift for the baby. I loved them and Ryder never had any issues with gas, etc. We gave him his first bottle when he was about a week old and he never had a problem switching from boob to bottle. These are the best bottles for a newborn. Later on, when he needed a more fast flowing bottle I did start to use Avent bottles and I loved those as well.

Hooter Hider
I loved my nursing cover from Hooter Hider. It has metal in the neck so you can see the baby while you’re feeding and adjusting. It was so hard for me to feed Ryder with a regular blanket wrapped around me (or my neck) because I couldn’t see what was going on! LOL It took me a while to really get the hang of breastfeeding and this nursing cover was a lifesaver in public, so I could see what was going on, but others couldn’t!

Medela Breast Pump
I loved my pump and used it almost every day! At the beginning I felt like using the pump helped me to build up my supply. It took me a long time (like 2 months!!) to really get the hang of nursing and breastfeeding. For both Ryder and me. Thankfully I had a friend who I reached out to in the middle of the night with a thousand questions. It was 3 am and I was desperate. I felt clueless and was so confused. She wrote me back almost immediately and I was SOOOO SO appreciative. She recommended that I pump 1 time a day after a feeding (after the same feeding each day so my body knew to expect it) and store that milk for times I was gone or just to allow my hubby to feed Ryder and get some bonding feedings in with him. I did that for several months! After Ryder’s morning feeding I would pump and I had so much milk stored up that we had to get an extra freezer in our basement. LOL! This pump was great and I’ve even traveled with it. I got the backpack bag for the pump and it was really convenient. You can use it with batteries or plug it right into the wall.

Honest Company
I love the Honest Company! We’ve tried the sunscreen, the diaper cream, the bubble bath, etc. I’ve liked everything but I really love the diapers and wipes! These wipes were less aggressive on Ryder’s infant skin. (He got a couple of bad rashes when he was really little and I think the chemicals in the wipes were making it worse! Plus, the diapers are so cute and fun! I love getting new patterns!

Earth’s Best Baby Formula
When I got toward the end of my nursing career with Ryder I was really worried about what chemicals I was putting into his body with formula. There are so many different kinds out there and a friend recommended this brand to me. I felt so much better about giving him organic formula! He never acted like he didn’t want this (as apposed to breast milk) and it was luckily a smooth transition. I could give him a bottle of breast milk or formula and he was A-OK!

Lille Baby Carrier
I LOVED my Lille Baby carrier. It was really comfy and it’s like the Bjorn and the Ergo got married. You can wear this carrier with the baby on your chest, your back or either hip. I really loved this carrier and how versatile it was and had no complaints. Neither did Ryder!

Something I’m really looking forward to trying the second time around:

Halo Bassinet
Something I’m excited to try for the first time with my second baby is my Halo Bassinet. I’ve heard it’s amazing for C-Section mommies and it’s very easy to get the baby in and out of the bassinet for feedings in the middle of the night. It has a sound machine, feeding timer, night-light and music built into the bassinet and I can’t wait to try it out! I had Ryder in a bassinet next to our bed after he was born and it was so difficult for me to sit up, get him out of the bassinet, feed him, then get back up and out of bed to put him back in his bassinet after each feeding. I needed a lot of assistance from Tim in the beginning just to sit up out of bed! This struggle multiple times in the middle of the night was rough on everyone. So I am hoping this bassinet makes night-time feedings much smoother for all of us. Those first few weeks after major surgery are rough! This bassinet has an adjustable height, swivels, and has one side that will lower when you press on it so you have easy access to move baby from bassinet to bed for feedings and snuggles. I can't wait to try it!

picture via google

Comotomo Bottles // Hooter Hider

Medela Breast Pump // Honest Company

Earth's Best Formula // Lille Baby Carrier // Halo Bassinet