Happy Friday! This week was a bit of a whirlwind, and I’m glad it’s over, to be honest. On the positive side, my family came to visit on Monday and I got some great QT with my little brother, Jackson. Although he’s only six years old, he’s beyond excited to become an uncle, and kept kissing my belly and talking to the baby. It melted my heart! On Tuesday, I went to my very first prenatal yoga class, and am so happy that I did. It felt so good to stretch out my hips, and I came home that night rejuvenated and with more energy than I’ve had in a while.
Apparently, I overstretched though, and I was up for most of the night with insanely sore hips. The next day, I felt exhausted and nauseous, and ended up canceling my whole afternoon to sleep it off. So I finally caved and bought a Snoogle pillow. They’re quite the eyesore, but everyone keeps telling me it will help with my nightly hip pain. I’ll keep you posted as soon as it arrives!
After that, the week got better, and I was able to accomplish quite a bit, hike with Boots, visit my friend’s new baby, and hang out with my female entrepreneur group last night, which always makes me feel motivated and rejuvenated.
I want to thank you all for your helpful feedback yesterday. I think the general consensus is that I should post maternity content 1-2x/week, so I’m going to try and stick to that.
This weekend, we’re driving down to Philly to spend the weekend with my sister and her boyfriend. Our fingers are crossed for good weather. In the meantime, enjoy some of these links (I have a lot this week) and have a great weekend!
Custom Art Giveaway: I teamed up with my favorite local artist, Julia Contacessi, to give away a piece of custom art! You can see the piece that I have in this post. Scroll down to enter or click here to see more.
Wicker Bag: The bag in the photo above is just too cute, don’t you think? It will be perfect for my trip to Charleston next month. Buy it here.
Sail to Sable Spring: One of my favorite preppy (Connecticut-based) clothing lines just launched their spring collection , and man is it good! Some of my top picks are this cowl neck striped shirt with gold buttons down the back, a cashmere tassel sweater, and this pretty off shoulder dress (that I wore in this post). Shop the full collection here.
Oh, Padma: If you’re a Top Chef fan like I am (How good is this season, btw?!), you’ll enjoy this interview with Padma herself. She includes a pretty amazing ginger turmeric margarita recipe that I plan to make post baby!
Wrap Top: I am loving the crazy silhouettes for spring, but a lot of the more flamboyant pieces are super pricey. This one-sleeved wrap stripe top is my dream, and it’s under $80. I definitely can’t wear it right now, but you probably can. Do it for me!
Dresser Hack: Because we’re creating a nursery in the room where my office is currently located, I have to move my office and closet into one big “cloffice” space in the coming months. I’m trying to think of budget-friendly ways to do this, and one of those is to make my IKEA dresser a little more chic. I love this IKEA hack and want to do something similar in my own space.
Pinteresting: I went on a bit of a pinning spree for the first time in months. I forgot how much I love Pinterest as a platform to discover beautiful things!
Bump Stripes: Nothing is fitting quite right these days, so I’m bookmarking a ton of maternity clothes for spring. I love this simple striped dress that I know will be on repeat through my due date. Why do maternity clothes have to be so expensive though? Sheesh! I’m planning on popping by Old Navy at some point this weekend for budget-friendly maternity dresses and tops. They have a great selection, apparently.
Orange is the new Black: Hallie looks downright chic in her orange flutter sleeve coat. I’m loving her look in this post.
What’s in your Hospital Bag? My friend Arielle, shared an insanely long list of things in her hospital bag. I love some of the products she chose for a calm environment during labor.
Good Vibes Only: A lot of you guys were asking about the Good Vibes Only sign that I keep on my desk. You can buy it here. I also love this What Would Beyoncé do version.
Recipe of the Week: In Florida, I picked up a copy of Bon Appetit at the airport. I earmarked a bunch of recipes, which inspired me to actually get a subscription to the magazine. This week, I made their charred chicken with sweet potatoes and oranges and it was delicious. Ingredients like feta cheese, Casteveltrano olives, chickpeas, and blood oranges caught my eye. They made the dish vibrant with flavors. Get the recipe.
Boost your Creativity: I’ve been feeling a bit of a creative slump lately, so this Glitter Guide post on 5 ways to boost your creativity couldn’t have come at a better time.
Bon Voyage: I’m majorly obsessed with Gray Malin’s newest series, Bon Voyage. I think I need The Blonde for my office gallery wall.
Prenatal Yoga Resource: My friend Kristin sent me her prenatal yoga and pilates DVD this week, and I’m obsessed. She also has some great online classes that you can buy. She is a pilates instructor to the stars and really knows her stuff!
Oscar Swag: Damn, it must be nice to be an Oscar nominee.
Currently Reading: Still on Bringing up Bébé, but I’m going to finish it soon, so I need some good recs to start next week. Have you read anything lately that you couldn’t put down? Please share!
This week on Lemon Stripes
Living Room Refresh
Off-Shoulder Stripes
Zika-Free Florida Vacation
Vineyard Vines Maxi Dress
The artwork is stunning, what a great giveaway!! Have a great time in Philly!
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty – just started it myself but it’s been a page turner. I caught the HBO premiere earlier this week and decided to make this book our March book club selection. We have so many new moms in our club that it seemed like a nice alternative to reading if you only have the energy to watch (obviously there will be some differences between the series and the book but the storyline is the same). Enjoy!
Glad to hear the book is really good! It’s in my TBR pile!
YES! One of my faves. Sadly I already read it, but can’t wait to watch the HBO mini series. I didn’t realize it was out yet. You just made my day!
I had no idea about these Oscar swag bags! So crazy! I’m glad you’re feeling better and can’t wait to hear more about prenatal yoga!
xoxo,
Classic Catherine
Good luck at Old Navy. My sister was in one of our local stores in CT and their selection was sorely lacking. She was told to order online! Hopefully they have a good return policy…
Enjoy your weekend in Philly!!
Oh good to know, thank you! Will check out the selection online as well.
Maternity clothes…online ordering is your friend as the stores carry very little of what they have online. The Liz Lange line at Target is awesome and the quality is better than Old Navy. Her summer t-shirt dresses, esp. the sleeveless ones, are awesome. I lived in them and enjoyed being able to accessorize with different shoes and jewelry. They sell out fast though, esp. anything in a fun color. Old Navy is good, but some things are really thin and cling in unflattering ways. H&M has a few things, and there is a brand called Pink Blush that has some fun printed shirts and dresses.
So good to know. Thank you! I guess I have a lot to learn 🙂
I love the campaign dresser.
http://goldclutter.blogspot.com
Where is this bag from?!
Cassandra Ann
CassandraAnn.com
It’s from J.Mclaughlin. How cute? Here is the link: http://bit.ly/2lOnbzI
I highly recommend checking out Seraphine Maternity sale! I was able to get 7 things for under $300. Look at the dress I posted on Instagram earlier this week – so cute, striped AND it’s nursing friendly for post baby! Also, LOVE Kristin and am taking pilates from one of her friends. Book wise – All The Light We Cannot See, Nightingale..
Um…. AMAZING. Thank you for the tip! Just went a little nuts on their site 🙂
Love that IKEA hack – may try it in my own space as well! Enjoy your weekend
Xo
Elizabeth
http://stripesandsolitaires.com/
That pillow will also be key when you’re not allowed to sleep on your back anymore- it was the only thing that helped me sleep when I got back pain in my 3rd trimester.
Oh my gosh, I’m so nervous about that part! Good to know it helps 🙂
Sadly the snoogle did not work for me when I was pregnant – too puffy for my tastes. I finally got a good night’s sleep with three regular pillows: one between my knees, one that I hugged, and one at my back. There was barely room in the bed for my poor husband, lol, but it worked! Re: maternity clothes, a Pea in the Pod is crazy expensive but will make you feel like a queen when you visit the store. I shopped there for special occasion outfits (like my baby shower). Otherwise, Loft has cute maternity stuff (online only), and I agree with the poster below that Seraphine has great sales (although I had to size up). Seraphine was also where I finally found a maternity bathing suit that was comfortable and flattering (I ordered and returned three suits before I found the Holy Grail). Good luck!
Interesting! I’ll see how it goes when it arrives and will report back. I have a wedding in May so will check out Pea in the Pod for that. Thanks!
I flipping loved the Snoogle both during and after pregnancy. I’ll be interested to see what you choose to pack for the hospital. I had a 2 week long stay and I ultimately only needed toiletries, entertainment, and snacks. I lived in a hospital gown, which was super comfy. The hospital I delivered at is in the top 10 hospitals for L&D, so it had a ton of amenities and treated mamas really well. Thus, why I didn’t need a ton of stuff.
Just had my first night with the Snoogle and I’m obsessed. I slept deeply for most of the night. Finally!
I remember paying for overnight delivery for my Snoogle. Suddenly, putting a pillow between by knees was not enough. In the third trimester, I added a pillow at my back (with the Snoogle in front). Ridiculous but it worked.
You do what you gotta do! I totally get it 🙂
Love all of your posts, Julia! What a wonderful time for your growing family!!!
Speaking as a seasoned labor and delivery nurse, here are my suggestions for a hospital bag:
1. Hospital rooms can be tight- some hospitals have you transfer from the labor room to a postpartum room. If this is the case, leave all of your baby part of the bags in the car. It’s less to transfer to a new room, and leaves more space in the labor rooms. With that in mind, remember that for the bags your bring too! You do not want to lose space to move around because you have a ton of bags.
2. Do not pack anything that you may not be prepared to part with. Labor, delivery, and postpartum are all a messy part of becoming a new mom. Lots of fluids involved. If you are worried about it getting ruined, or don’t want to wash it, don’t bring it.
3. Remember that even if you don’t have every single thing, or forget some things, it’s okay! Your baby will not notice, and your birth will still be beautiful. Laboring and becoming a new mom is great practice for what’s to come- never set too much stock in a “plan”. A baby can have a mind of their own- and as long as you are happy and healthy, and baby is happy and healthy, you’ve had a successful pregnancy and birth! It’s a beautiful process, but it will be okay if you don’t have everything. Someone can always bring it later if it’s critical.
I wish you the best of luck!
ASOS maternity the best 🙂
Hi Julia
Please could you do a post around your ‘cloffice’ once it’s completed?? I love your room decor/style and would love to see how you combine two rooms into one (of course I can’t wait for the nursery post either). Love your blog!
Thanks
Holly
Absolutely! I plan to get started on it in the next month or two, and will keep you guys posted every step of the way 🙂
beyond yoga makes adorable maternity workout clothes!
Oh wow, they really do. Thank you!
Have fun in Philly!! Currently living here for school (and loving it!), hope you enjoy the city 🙂 Nicole
I just ordered a snoogle and last night was my first time sleeping with it. It’s huge but I slept the best last night than I have in 2 weeks!!
Just tried it last night for the first time and had the same experience. So happy I got it!