What I Wore - Mixing Neutrals Then and Now

The photo on the left is me less than 3 weeks before Lucas arrived.  The one on the right is me about 3 1/2 months post-partum.  The only difference between these two outfits is my leggings.  When I was pregnant I was wearing Old Navy maternity leggings.  Now I'm back in my beloved Paige ponte pull-on pants.  I loved this outfit when I was pregnant because it was so comfortable and I love it now for the same reason.

We've been experiencing some decidedly un-springlike weather lately (at least for Southern California) so it's been back to scarves and boots.  I love scarves for this kind of weather because they add warmth without bulk and are easy to take off if you start to get hot.  You can just tie it onto your purse and then you aren't lugging around a bulky jacket.

Scarf - Target - old

Top - Banana Republic Factory - old

Leggings - Paige - old

Boots - Cathy Jean - old 

I'm linking up with Style Elixer, Pleated Poppy, Get Your Pretty On, Three-fer Thursday, and Plane Pretty.

Baby Bloggy Boot Camp

This post is written by me on behalf of Liz Lange and Ergobaby.  Product was provided.

Recently I had the opportunity to attend Baby Bloggy Boot Camp.  Since I'm pretty new to blogging and have a new baby, I haven't been able to attend any of the amazing blog conferences out there, but the SITS girls held this half-day blog conference for pregnant and new mommy bloggers during their Women Get Social conference.  I was so excited when I found out about it and even more excited when I realized I would be able to attend because babies were welcome!

It was an uncharacteristically rainy day here in Southern California, but Lucas and I braved the weather and headed down to San Diego.  I was lucky enough to sit at a table with a great mix of bloggers from someone just thinking about starting a blog to some really amazing and established bloggers.  Lucas was having a rough day so I didn't get to chat with other bloggers as much as I would have liked, but I did get some really great information from the wonderful speakers. 

In addition to all of the amazing stuff I learned, we got some A-MA-ZING swag!  Look at all of this awesome stuff!

 
Two wonderful ladies from Ergobaby were there to show us their new 360 Baby Carrier, Ergobaby Swaddler, and Ergobaby Wrap.  As I mentioned in my newborn essentials post, swaddlers are an indispensable tool for getting your baby to sleep and these swaddlers by Ergobaby solve the concern of hip dysplasia common to swaddling by having this little strap between your baby's legs.

I'm a HUGE proponent of babywearing and between the Ergobaby Wrap and the Ergobaby 360 Baby Carrier, you can wear your baby right from the get go, all the way up to 3 years old!  What is so exciting about the Ergobaby 360 Baby Carrier is that it can be used FOUR different ways!  Front inward, front outward, hip, and back.  This pretty much covers any and all ways you might want to wear your baby and I am so excited to be able to try them all out as Lucas get bigger.  

In addition to the amazing products from Ergobaby we received some samples of a variety of products from the Honest Company and a super cute color-blocked maternity dress by Liz Lange.  I loved my Liz Lange skinny pants (seen here and here) during my pregnancy, and even though I'm not pregnant any more, this dress is still going to be a part of my wardrobe.  I love the way that Liz Lange clothes are an affordable way to look great without spending a ton of money!

All in all this was an amazing opportunity and I'm so grateful I got to go.  It left me really excited about blogging, and extremely hopeful that once Lucas is a little older I'll be able to attend a full blog conference!

 This post is written by me on behalf of Liz Lange and Ergobaby.  Product was provided.

It's a Boy! (and one last maternity outfit post)

 

Sunday, 1 day late, we welcomed our newest little man, Luke, into the world.  These outfit photos were from our last date night before we became a family of four so I thought I would share them today since I can't share pics of Luke (Josh doesn't want me posting photos of the kids on the blog).

One of our dear friends was kind enough to watch Jake while we used a gift certificate to Morton's.  It was a perfect last date night since it is fairly safe to say that we won't be dining anywhere that nice for quite a while.

I don't know about you, but I love Morton's so I knew I was probably going to overeat.  That meant I needed something that was not too tight on my stomach.  These ponte maternity pants from Target were perfect because you can pull the belly panel up as a full panel or fold it down underneath.

Then I wore this blousy non-maternity top to draw attention toward the girls and away from my ever expanding belly.

All in all, it left me feeling comfortable while still looking dressed up for my hubby.  Things might not be quite as regular on the blog as I adjust to life as a mommy to two but I hope you will bear with me.

Top - Nordstrom Rack - old

Ponte Pants - Target Maternity - $29.99

Kitten Heels - Nine West Outlet - old 

I'm linking up with Style Sessions, I Feel Pretty,  and The Pleated Poppy.

What I Wore Wednesday - Ready to Pop

 

You know you are ready to pop when you can see your belly button through a thick sweater.  I'm due on Saturday so we wanted to squeeze in one last date before our days of getting out without kids are gone for the foreseeable future.  We decided to meet for lunch and a movie while Jake was at school.  Since I knew I would be sitting in a movie theater for a couple of hours, I wanted something extremely comfortable.  I had planned to wear something else, but when I put on the top, it was too short because my belly has gotten enormous.

Luckily, I had this tunic sweater in my closet from my pre-pregnancy days and it was perfect.  Long enough to cover my rear end and super warm and cozy.  Add in my leggings, which are rapidly becoming my favorite article of clothing for comfort's sake if nothing else, and some wedge boots and I was ready to go. 

 Tunic Sweater - The Limited - old

Leggings - Old Navy

Boots - Cathy Jean - old, similar here

I'm linking up with What I Wore Wednesday, I Feel Pretty, and Style Sessions.

What I Wore Wednesday - Red & Leopard

This is a crazy week for us.  Chanukah comes early this year, craaaazy early.  In fact, it starts tonight.  Because I'm due in about a week and a half we aren't traveling so our family is coming to us for the holidays.  We have my sister's family coming tonight and then tomorrow my in-laws are coming for Thanksgiving.  Added to that, I'm helping at the Thanksgiving feast at Jake's school today.  This all means that we are super busy, but at the same time, I'm trying to take it easy because we do not want an early arrival.

As a result, we are keeping the holidays very casual this year.  No getting dressed up in our house.  The boys are thrilled because this means they can wear their football jerseys on Thursday.  For me, it means these jeans.  These under the belly legging jeans from GAP that my sister is lending me are seriously the most comfortable things ever (other than actual leggings of course).  All of the maternity pants that cover the whole belly leave me very itchy and uncomfortable so I prefer under belly styles but a lot of them are really tight.  These are not.  They have an adjustable waist (like toddler pants) so they have continued to fit as my belly has grown.   Unfortunately, it doesn't look like GAP has them anymore but if you can borrow a pair of these from someone who was pregnant before, I highly recommend them.

This top is also my sister's.  I love thermals because they are so cozy!  The heart shaped pocket is adorable and gives me a warm place to put my always freezing hands so this top is a win in my book.  I decided to add in some leopard flats because I really like the combination of red and leopard and this does it in an understated way.  These flats dress up a casual outfit and add a little pop of interest.

Top - borrowed

Jeans - GAP maternity - borrowed

Flats - Payless  

I'm linking up with The Pleated Poppy,  I Feel Pretty and Style Elixer.

What I Wore Wednesday - Mixing Neutrals

Growing up I always heard not to mix black with blue or brown.  That rule seems to have pretty much gone by the wayside.  At least I hope it has because this outfit combines all three.  My leggings and scarf are black.  My striped top is actually white and navy, even though it looks sort of black.  Finally I have on my cognac boots.  I think it all goes together and in fact I really like this outfit.

That being said, I didn't realize how big I have gotten until I looked at these photos to write this post.  I am 37 1/2 weeks pregnant, but still I was surprised.  In the last couple of weeks I have suddenly been starving.  Like, if I don't eat right now I may pass out and/or murder someone, starving.  ALL. DAY. LONG.  I'm terrified to be weighed at my check up on Thursday.

Back to my outfit, this was super comfortable.  More importantly, the top was long enough to cover not only my bum (essential with leggings) but also my support tank that I literally can't go without at this point because my back is really starting to hurt.

What do you think about mixing neutrals?  Does it work?

Scarf - Target - old

Top - Banana Republic Factory - old

Leggings - Old Navy Maternity

Boots - Cathy Jean - old

I'm linking up with Style Sessions, The Pleated Poppy, and I Feel Pretty.

What I Wore Wednesday - Patterned Maxi Dress

We had yet another 80 degree November day so I busted out another maxi dress.  This is a non-maternity dress that I've been able to make work throughout my pregnancy.  This was wonderfully comfortable and with just a few weeks to go, comfort is at the top of my list.

I wore my black wedges again and by the end of the day I realized that they were a mistake.  I've officially reached the point where wearing heels all day is no longer a good idea.  My feet hurt and were swollen so I changed into my emergency flip flops.

I'm hopeful that the weather cools off because I have some really cute cold weather maternity clothes to wear from my last pregnancy and I want to wear them while I still can.  By the way, see my cute fall mantel behind me?  I'll be posting a DIY of those fabulous bottles on Friday so be sure to stop on by...

Dress - Banana Republic Factory - old

I'm linking up with I Feel Pretty, Style Sessions, and The Pleated Poppy.

What I Wore Wednesday

This outfit is actually from about a week and a half ago but I delayed posting it because I wanted to show off my cute Halloween shirt last week.  I have definitely started exploding in size this trimester and I'm not really sure how I'm going to get bigger, even though I know I will.  The hard part is, there is no where for him to go but OUT!  You tall ladies out there are so lucky!

Back to my outfit, this was a super comfortable, yet stylish (my favorite combination) outfit I wore for a trip to the park.  I'm wearing a couple of my 1st and 2nd trimester maternity style must haves.  These are my Old Navy maternity leggings, formerly seen here.  Pregnancy is an awesome excuse to wear what amounts to pj bottoms out in public!

I am so in love with these boots from Cathy Jean.  I also have them in black but in a bigger size because they don't come in half sizes and this pair is tough to wear with thick, cozy socks.  I love that they have a slight wedge heel so they are more comfortable than a flat pair, but are still easy for running around with my little guy unlike a regular heeled boot.

I have on a basic Old Navy tank, layered with a chambray shirt also from Old Navy.  (This isn't a sponsored post, I didn't even realize I was wearing almost all Old Navy until I wrote up this post.)  I buttoned a couple of buttons to give me a little more shape but since this is a pre-pregnancy top, there was no way the rest of the buttons were going to close. 

I added in my favorite accessory, a scarf.  This particular beauty was actually my grandma's.  I love that it has a snakeskin print but in muted tan and grey so it is understated while adding interest.  I also decided to try out a red lip during the day.  I usually reserve red for night.  What do you think, too much?

I'm linking up with Style Sessions, I Feel Pretty, and What I Wore Wednesday.

What I Will Wear Wednesday

 In case there are some pregnant ladies out there who need a last minute costume idea, I thought I would post what I'm going to wear tomorrow for Halloween.   I've seen these cute baby skeleton t-shirts and knew that was what I wanted to wear since I would be teaching all day in my costume.

Luckily I found this super easy tutorial, complete with silhouette cut file, on Keeping My Cents.   I decided to add a face to the baby skeleton but otherwise I followed her directions.  After some quick DIY, I had this adorable little number.  I will say that I was rushing so it didn't come out quite as neatly as I would have liked, but it did the trick for a maternity Halloween costume.

I took these photos after a very long day so I wasn't looking my best and the quality isn't the greatest, but I wanted to share this cute idea with you so I pushed my vanity aside and posted them. 


I'm linking up with Style Sessions, I Feel Pretty, and What I Wore Wednesday.

What I Wore Wednesday - Black & Grey

 
During the Nordstrom anniversary sale, my friend and I went shopping.  I was already pregnant (and showing) at that point so it wasn't that exciting for me, but I always love shopping and in true form, I found one thing, this top, NOT on sale.  Gah!  On the up side, this top is great because I've been able to wear it throughout my pregnancy and will still be able to wear it afterward.

A couple of years ago my mom got me some amazing Paige ponte pull-on pants for my birthday.  They are basically a legging but they are thick enough to be worn as a pant.  I really love them and was able to wear them for about 6 months, but my ever expanding hips and booty can no longer fit into them.  I got these pants at Target to fill the void for the last few months of my pregnancy.  They definitely aren't as nice as my Paige pants, but for the price, and the amount of time I will wear them, they fit the bill perfectly.

The first time I wore this outfit, I went out to dinner and I wore the fabulous snakeskin, pointy-toe, kitten heels in the first two pictures.  I'd like to tell you that I wore them all day at work, but then I would be a big liar.  I want to look stylish, but I'm 7 1/2 months pregnant and I'm on my feet all day.  I just don't have it in me, so I wore these comfy little flats instead.   I decided to include pictures of the outfit with both pairs to show you how this outfit can be dressed up, or down by simply changing the shoes.

Pleione Top - Nordstrom

Ponte Maternity Pants - Target - $29.99

Heels - Nine West Outlet - old

Dexflex Flats - Payless

I'm linking up with What I Wore Wednesday, Style Elixer, I Feel Pretty, and Three-fer Thursday.

What I Wore Wednesday - FALL!!!!

We finally had a few days of fall weather and I couldn't have been happier.  Of course, as I type this, the forecast for tomorrow is 88 but at least there is hope that fall is coming.  This is an outfit that I wore several times last fall when I wasn't pregnant, and while I am missing my favorite skinny jeans (they are a lighter wash), these maternity skinnies I'm borrowing from my sister filled in nicely.

Scarves are my favorite way to accessorize.  They add that little something extra to an outfit but are super easy for those of us who are somewhat challenged at accessorizing.  Somehow the leopard scarf disguises the fact that I am basically wearing jeans and a t-shirt.  In addition to their ability to spice up an outfit, scarves add warmth without adding bulk, and seriously who wants to add bulk?  All of the Halloween candy (not to mention my 32 week baby bump) does a fine job of that without me adding to it with my clothes.

Let's talk about this jacket.  It is cut like a blazer but it's a knit, so it is super comfortable.  Also, the pockets are trimmed in leather which adds another layer of interest.  Add in some black leather boots and I am ready for fall.

Blazer - Banana Republic - old

Scarf - Forever 21 - old

V Neck - Target - love these

Maternity Legging Jeans - GAP - old

Boots - Cathy Jean - similar here

I'm linking up with Style Sessions, What I Wore Wednesday, and I Feel Pretty.

What I Wore Wednesday - Striped Maternity Maxi

I know that I have said that you don't really need maternity maxi dresses, and I stand by that statement.  My regular maxis continue to serve me well.  That being said, this maxi was on sale at Gap Maternity and I had a 40% off coupon code so it only ended up costing me about $20.   For that price I decided to give it a try.

I wasn't sure I was going to keep it, but once I tried it on there was no way it was going back.  It is cotton, but it is the softest, lightest cotton ever!  It is super comfortable and now that I'm 7 months pregnant, comfort is even more important to me than ever.

If I'm completely honest, I only wore these sandals for a little while.  They are super cute but don't provide a lot of support and since I've been having problems with my foot I swapped in my rainbows.  Speaking of rainbows, if you have never worn their flip-flops, run out and buy a pair.  They are so wonderful.  They conform to your feet, last forever, and if you go to their store they have their factory seconds for a lot cheaper even though I can't tell what makes them "seconds".  Just remember you have to break them in, you don't buy them conformed to your feet.  Once you have worn them for a bit, they will be the most comfortable flip-flops you can possibly imagine.

Sorry for my little ramble, I just really love my rainbows.  Anyway, this outfit was perfect for another scorching October day (in the low 90s).  I love the way that a dress is so easy to throw on, but always makes you look a little more pulled together.

The weather report is calling for cooler weather this week and I'm super excited to hopefully bust out a sweater!  My fingers are crossed that for the next What I Wore Wednesday I'll have an actual fall outfit to post.

Dress - GAP Maternity

Sandals - Target 

I'm linking up with Style Sessions, What I Wore Wednesday, and I Feel Pretty.

What I Wore Wednesday - 30 Weeks

30 Weeks

This was the first maternity outfit I wore.  I had Josh take a picture of me in it with my phone and uploaded it to my personal facebook page when I was 20 weeks.  (I didn't have a blog yet.)  10 weeks later, I am definitely filling it out a lot more.

20 Weeks

I realized last night that I didn't have a post for today so as soon as Josh got home I had him snap a few pics really quickly.  We had to leave the front door open because I was listening to the dinner I had on the stove to make sure it didn't boil over.  So...sorry these are not the best pictures.

These shoes, they are not the greatest looking.  I will be the first to admit that.  I've been having some problems with my left foot.  After googling it, I'm self diagnosing myself with extensor tendonitis.  After work on Monday my foot hurt so badly I was limping around my house and icing it so these "beauties" got pulled back out of the closet.  I haven't worn them since I was pregnant with Jake and I was hoping not to have to break them out again but fashion will have to be sacrificed.  As much as I hate to admit it, they made a huge difference.  My foot felt about 90% better so these might be making more frequent appearances.

This whole outfit was really comfortable.  These are the leggings I blogged about on Monday in my maternity style must haves.  This gorgeous tunic was a gift from my very good friend after we found out I was having a boy.  She told me that just because I'm having a boy doesn't mean I can't wear pink and this was her contribution.  As my love for pink runs deep I was thrilled with the top and have worn it A LOT!  I basically felt like I was wearing pajamas to work which is always a good thing.

Shoes - Skechers - in brown on sale for $28

Leggings - Old Navy Maternity - similar here

Tunic - Michael Stars Maternity - in white here on sale for $30

I'm linking up with Style Sessions, What I Wore Wednesday, and I Feel Pretty.

1st and 2nd Trimester Maternity Style Must Haves

With my first pregnancy, I gained a lot of weight, like more than half my body weight a lot, but that is a post for a different day.  The point is, I gained weight all over early on and was in maternity clothes by 16 weeks.  This time around, I've been doing much better and haven't really worn much by way of maternity clothes yet, though that time is rapidly approaching.

In order to make my regular wardrobe stretch I've discovered that a few things are key.  At the very top of this list is maxi dresses and skirts.  I know I've said before how great maxi dresses are in general, but even more so for mamas-to-be.  If you don't have any maxi dresses in your wardrobe you can buy maternity ones if you want, but non-maternity are cheaper and will still be useful after pregnancy.  The key is to find ones that don't have a defined waist, empire waist or tank style are perfect.

A close second on my list of maternity must haves is the belly belt.  This thing is amazing!!  I inherited mine from a friend, who inherited it from her sister-in-law.  I can not say enough about this thing.  It allowed me to wear my pants, completely unzipped, without them falling down.  I know a lot of people love the belly band for this same purpose, and while I have one and have used it, I didn't find it very comfortable.  I have had a lot of stomach aches with this pregnancy and when my stomach hurts, the last thing I want is a giant, tight band pressing in on my entire stomach area.  The belly belt solves this problem completely.  Now it comes in a two pack, one for bottoms that button and one for bottoms that hook.  It also has some little fabric pieces to cover up the bare skin exposed by the fact that your pants are unzipped.  I only have the button one, nothing else and I still couldn't survive this pregnancy without it.  Get one, it will be the best $20 you spend this pregnancy.

That brings me to maternity must have #3: long tops.  No matter what you are doing with your bottom half, you will need longer tops.  Loose, tight, flowy, whatever you have in your closet that is long enough to cover your zipper and fits over your bump.

These tanks are great.  They are long, soft, stretchy, cheap, and come in tons of colors.  Also they aren't so low cut that your newly enhanced bust is on display.  (Remember I teach 6th graders so I try to be extra aware of this.)  You can layer them under tops that are too short to wear with your unzipped jeans, under a tied or unbuttoned button up, or wear them tucked into a maxi skirt.  All in all they are a great basic.  I didn't buy new ones, I just wear the ones I already had.

Rounding out my list of maternity must haves are leggings.  Leggings are perfect for those days when you just don't want to deal with clothes.  Pull on, pull off, basically wear pajamas all day.  Not pregnant, I'm not sure where I fall on the whole leggings as pants issue.  Pregnant, I say bring them on.

Leggings are one area where I really advise buying maternity.  I wore my regular leggings for a while, just rolled down, but then they started to press in on my bladder and that is not a good situation.  I really wanted the under belly ones because it is hot here so I didn't want another layer.   I bought the GAP supersoft leggings on sale but they were way too sheer for me so back they went.   I lusted over some more expensive nicer ones, but since this is our last baby I couldn't justify it.   I lucked out and found the last pair at old navy for 97 cents.  You read that right, 97 cents.  These look the same, I don't know why mine were so cheap, not that $15 is very expensive.  My best advice is to check out your local stores, try some on, and bend over.  If you can see everything, keep looking.

Obviously every woman is different and every pregnancy is different (I'm a prime example of that) but these few things can make your wardrobe go a long way.


I'm linking up with Style Sessions, What I Wore Wednesday, and I Feel Pretty.

What I Wore Wednesday - Colorblock Sweater Dress

It was finally a little bit cooler here (it's back to hot again though) so I was really excited to be able to wear something more fall-esque.  I've decided that's a word, by the way.  I had my back-to-school night and because my school is far from my house, I don't go home in between.  This meant that I needed something that would still look nice after a 12 hour day and would keep me relatively comfortable through the entire 12 hours.

I actually bought this dress on sale at The Limited last year at the end of the season but then didn't end up wearing it because it has wool in it and I'm allergic.  I love the way it looks but didn't have a slip that could go underneath it so it sat in my closet, sad and forgotten.  Then when I was searching for something that could still fit over my bump I came across it and knew I had the perfect solution.

I recently bought the Bumped by Blanqi maternity support tank which worked perfectly under this dress.  It helped support my ever expanding belly while protecting my sensitive skin from making contact with the wool dress.  Win-win!

I love the combination of navy, cranberry, and burgundy in the color-blocking of this dress.  It really reads fall to me.  As an added bonus, the navy meant I could wear my favorite comfortable heels again.

Dress - Limited - old

Navy Heels - Giani Bernini from Macy's - old 

I'm linking up with Style Sessions, Plane Pretty, What I Wore Wednesday, and I Feel Pretty.

What I Wore Wednesday - Geometric Print Dress

The weather has been kind of strange lately.  Cool in the mornings, then super hot in the afternoons.  Since I spend most of my day in the classroom it doesn't make much difference to me, but this week I had morning recess duty so I had to consider the weather more than usual.  This dress was the perfect solution because it has long sleeves but is a thin, cool fabric.

I tend to shy away from bolder prints and probably would have walked past this dress but my sister was with me and convinced me to try it on.  I love the style and adding the red belt not only creates a waistline (when I'm not pregnant, here it just separates the girls from the belly), it also adds a bright pop of color.

Let's talk about these shoes for a minute.  I have to admit, I'm usually a Nordstrom's girl, but I was looking for a comfortable yet stylish pair of navy pumps and Macy's had my perfect pair.  I am super in love with them.  They are a subtle snakeskin print with a patent leather heel.  The heel is sturdy and they have some cushioning inside, both of which are good for being on your feet all day.

Overall, this was a great outfit.  It lasted me from 6:30 in the morning until 6:30 at night and kept me looking stylish and pulled together, yet comfortable the whole time.

Dress - GAP - old

Belt - Kohl's girls department - old

Navy Pumps - Giani Bernini - old 

I'm linking up with Style Elixer,  Pleated Poppy, I Feel Pretty, Suburbs Mama, and Plane Pretty.