Thursday, February 14, 2013

Bumpdate Week 24

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Ohmygoodness ya'll. I got my shower invite for my side of the family this week, and isn't it the cutest thing you've ever laid eyes on? I teared up when I saw it! The above one is from the site- Tiny Prints, mine didn't look as sweet after I blurred out all the personal information and I wanted for you guys to have the full effect. I don't know too much about the shower they're planning, but I'm so excited and I just know it's going to be the perfect way to celebrate our little girl! The invite is so precious, I want to find a cute frame for it to keep in her room.

This week we finally finished our registry too at Babies R Us. It went so much better than our wedding registry- I actually really enjoyed it instead of pooping out after 45 min and telling Matt to get whatever he wanted. I had started it online initially and then went in-store with my Mother in law. We had such a great time go up and down the aisles. Some items were pretty tough to register for, there's so much preference involved and you don't really know what type of bottle, nipples, or pacifiers your child will prefer until they get here. I just went for the ones I know my Sister in law used and hoped for the best. I also just copied what other Mommies (like The Girl in the Red Shoes) have posted about loving or things they wish they registered for. Any suggestions, let me know in a comment! What do you say is a must-have and what can I skip? Please leave a list below!


How far along? I'm 24 weeks today, that's 6 months along already!! Isn't that nuts? I can't believe how quickly the time has just flown past. More about that next week, this post is to review week 23. 

Total weight gain: I don't own a scale, so I won't know my true weight until my next appointment in March. I've probably gained another half pound, so maybe 5 lbs now? I'm beginning to get a double chin too, it's been the worst part of the pregnancy so far. My mom said it would happen, she said her face blew up!

Stretch marks?: Nope. I'm still using the  Burt's Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter and haven't noticed anything showing up yet. I'm hoping that as long as I stay steady on my weight gain I may skim by without them, but I'm not holding my breath. It's mostly genetics so we'll see how it goes, my mother didn't get any stretch marks, but I mostly take after my dad's side and he had all brothers so no one knows what the gene is on that side.

Maternity clothes: I've only bought the Old Navy Maternity Smooth-Panel Rockstar Jeggings and so happy I picked up two pairs because that's all I'm wearing now. Well, those and my Kiki La'Rue Jeggings (I want to get the green ones for spring!). Between these three pairs of pants I'm hoping to stretch them out for the remaining months. I just don't see the point in sending money on clothing items I wear for such a short period of time.

Belly Button in or out?: In, but more and more shallow as each day passes. The top part is beginning to ridge out a bit more too. It's much easier to clean now ;)

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 I couldn't resist this little bunny at Target! 
It's so soft and I just love bunnies, Baby L had to have it.

Sleep: Oh goodness. I came down with a cold Saturday and I'm still fighting it off. All I want to do is sleep, and baby girl is have a dance party in the womb. Also, the only position I want to lay in recently is on my back, which you're not supposed to do, so I've been kind of doing the "lean" and sleeping on my back with a pillow under one side so I'm not completely flat. That helps a bit, but my sleeping is still chaotic.

Best moment this week: On Sunday I was catching up on some blogging and I could literally see it when baby girl kicked!! I called for my husband to come and check it out and then we watched my belly move and groove for the next 30 minutes. It's like having an alien inside you, I felt like I was in a sci-fi movie or something! It was the neatest thing to watch. I'm trying to catch it on camera and if I do, I'll be sure to post it!

Worst moment this week: Getting sick, again! It's unbelievable. I've been sick 4 times now and not taking anything is the worst. I had my flu shot at my last doctor appointment so I expected to not get sick again for the rest of my pregnancy, but that was only wishful thinking. 

Have you told family and friends: Yes!

Miss Anything? Getting a full night's sleep and not having to pee every 45 minutes. 

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A sweet family friend got this diaper bag for me and I couldn't be more thankful. I love the colors and the features it has. It's large, but not huge, and has plenty of pockets for everything. It even converts to a backpack!

Movement: This week feels like Baby L has been doing somersaults in preparing for the Olympics. It's so nuts and the craziest feeling. I know it will only grow stronger and crazier as she gets bigger and has less room to squirm.

Food cravings: Strawberries, watermelon, and grilled cheese.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Just this cold I caught!

Have you started to show yet: Oh definitely.

Gender: Pink, pink, pink!

Symptoms: Linea Nigra has shown up. That's the dark line on my belly going from my belly button all the way down. It's not that dark, but definitely is there. I'm not sure how long it has been there, but asked Matt about it on Sunday and that's when we noticed it was there. I can't see it myself because I can't see past the bottom ridge of my belly button, but can check it out in the mirror.

Happy or Moody most of the time:
Happy as a clam.

Looking forward to: Picking out the furniture this weekend! Hopefully, it all looks as good as it does online....


Happiest of Valentines to you and yours! 
Take time to celebrate all the love around you, with significant others, family, and friends! 

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

InstaLately Link Up 14



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Old Navy  boyfriend cardi , F21 Ruffle Top (old), Old Navy Maternity Smooth-Panel Rockstar Jeggings , Steve Madden Flats 

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F21 Striped Top & Necklaces (Both old, the necklaces is two of the same I combined) 

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Lately I've been obsessed with lavender. I think it started last summer and it stayed with me. I've never been a fan of purple (I don't even want to tell you the ridiculous reason why....my girlfriends still tease me about it), but this lavender scarf stuck with me. (From Target, a few years ago) 

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Target Cardi (this past fall), Old Navy Long Sleeve, Aqua Necklace (from Glam Grab Accessory Auctions) 

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I can't wait to pick up the purples and pink from the Essie 2013 Spring Collection. The colors look similar to other colors Essie has (like Lilacism), but I still want to add them to my collection. 

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One of the things I looked forward to in our new apartment is the fire place! The Mr. and I bought a log this past weekend and used it Sunday night while we watched the Grammys. It's so warm and cozy, with just a touch of romance :) 

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I truly believe in the power of counting your blessings. No matter how dark a day is, there's always something to be grateful for. 

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A childhood favorite of mine! I love splitting the small donuts in half and dunking them in milk. I could easily make a full meal of it! You know, like breakfast. 

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The last week has been chilly willy over here in CA so warm tomato soup with Cheez-Its are the answer. Have you tried the four cheese Cheez-Its? I can go through a box on my own! I got a few people at work stuck on them too. 

Be sure to link up with Jenn and share your week in Instagram! 


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Also, I'm doing another Q and A so be sure to check out this post and comment with any questions you have for me! The post will be up next week!

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Product Review: Ormedic Skincare Products

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Many of you already know that since becoming pregnant, I've been looking for more organic products to use. I've started to really notice the amount of chemicals you use just in getting ready. It's crazy! Although, I'll never give up aerosol hairspray- I just can't do it. When the opportunity came up to review Image Skincare's organic line Ormedic, I couldn't pass it up. Especially after I read their site and what they're all about!

Here's some info, straight from their site:

"The Ormedic Product line combines the latest techniques in medical skincare with fresh, natural ingredients to create balanced, healthy skin. These organic skincare products repair and rebalance skin for a stunning, moisturized look and feel. Moreover, Ormedic products are effective for all skin types. Ormedic organic skincare products contain soothing botanicals that create the perfect accompaniment to unbalanced, sensitive and post-treatment skin."

Um, I'm sold. Especially about the products being for all skin types. I have sensitive skin that dries out easily, and prone to eczema and the pregnancy has made it more so (pretty much every belly butter gave me a horrid rash). I've used all of the below products for a few weeks and none of them have irritated my skin or caused my exczema to flare up. My skin seems to be glowing more than ever even (and not just because of the pregnancy, all I've got from that is more sensitive skin and pimples). I truly LOVE these products, they're amazing!

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This cleanser smells delicious and clean, but is still pretty subtle, I really love the scent. It removes all of my makeup (including eye makeup) and leaves behind no residue.I use either my fingers or my Olay Pro-X to apply the cleanser, it foams nicely (not too much or too little). You also get a lot of bang for your buck with this product because it's 3 in 1 – cleanser, exfoliator, and toner. I've noticed my skin is a lot more even and I don't need as much coverage from my makeup. I've also stopped user my toner, I just don't have the need to after using this cleanser in the shower. This product would be perfect for all skin types, but especially those with sensitive, treated, or irritated skin.

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Ormedic Balancing Soothing Gel Masque

This masque is very gentle, made from organic aloe vera and echinacea to name a few of the great ingredients. I'm always very careful about masques, what I use and how often because again, I have dry skin, my cheeks are ridiculously rosy, and I'm prone to exczema. This masque hasn't dried out or bothered my skin one bit. I use it 2-3 times a week, you just put it all over your face and neck wait 1-5 (the bottle says 5-30) minutes, and rinse with cool water.

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Ormedic Balancing Anti Oxidant Serum

I had to save this for last because this stuff is legend....wait for it....dary! I'm not kidding people, this serum is life changing. Head straight to their site, sign up, and order it asap. I use it all over my face, especially under my eyes. You know my fave under eye concealer? I'm not even using it anymore!! No joke. With the pregnancy, my sleep has been chaotic, I wake up every night a few times, I'm up for about an hour, so I should have dark bags, but with the help of this gem, it doesn't even show! It has Japanese green tea and aloe vera and soaks into your skin easily without any residue. It's also for all skin types, restores moisture, and nourishes environmentally damaged skin.

I seriously can't rave enough about these products, I don't think I'll ever use anything else. Consider me a convert. I'm so happy I had the opportunity to review these, because they're simply amazing. I like the packaging too, simple, clear, and streamlined.

Image Skincare's vision is something I really love; everything is made in the USA, is available in 27 countries, paraben free, and the fragrance (they all smell great!) are 100% from essential oils and not some random chemicals you can't pronounce. Also, for your fur lovers, the products aren't tested on animals!

If you're interested in trying these out, and I highly recommend that you do, call 1-800-796-SKIN to find a location near you that carries the line. Although I only tried these three products, Oremedic has a variety of other products in the line and Image Skincare has other lines as well for your skincare needs. If you have any questions about the products I tried, feel free to comment below or send me an email!  

FTC disclaimer: Image Skincare provided the products for an honest review, I was not compensated for this post and the opinions above are completely of my own, based on my own experience.

So, which is more important to you to have done and why?

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Also, I'm doing another Q and A so be sure to check out this post and comment with any questions you have for me! The post will be up next week!

Monday, February 11, 2013

Pick One And Tell Me Why

Which is more important to you: hair or makeup? 

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I think about this a lot and to every girl, one is more important than the other. If you had to choose to only have one thing done before you left the house for the day, which would you choose and why?

Now, think about this. The question is meant like this; if you choose makeup, you'd be fully done with with blush, gloss, lashes, etc., but your hair would be like the VS models above- barely brushed and pulled back. Now if you choose hair, you get full on hair with curls and volume, but absolutely no makeup. Again, like the girls above on the au natural side.

For me, it's hair 100%. I have clear skin (well, when I'm not pregnant anyways), rosy cheeks/lips, so I'm ok with going out without makeup. Do I look gorgeous? No. Not by any means, but I look decent. However, my hair is one limp cookie. I need to have my hair done to feel pretty. Plus, I figure if my hair looks fabulous people will forgive me for going au natural.  AND I'll probably look pretty from afar.

So, which is more important to you to have done and why?

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Also, I'm doing another Q and A so be sure to check out this post and comment with any questions you have for me! The post will be up next week!