My Birthday and What I'm Grateful For

Dress: Zara (Similar HERE and HERE) / Booties: Steve Madden
Headband: Banana Republic / Bag: Chanel Classic Bag

December has to be one of my favorite months of the year. In keeping up with blog traditions, today I’m sharing a birthday outfit (first ever with a bump!) #stylethebump along with something sentimental. Usually each December is filled with endless holiday parties, dinner (last year we dined at the Four Seasons - one of the most beautiful buildings in Philadelphia!), a big party and full on glam. This year is definitely looks quite different for a number of reasons. At the beginning of 2020 I would have never thought we would be in the middle of a pandemic (and still are!) AND being pregnant! As my due date is fast approaching I’ve requested that we stay in, have some yummy cake, order dinner and celebrate – before we become a “party of three!”

Here are birthday blog posts from the past:

• 2019 – 5 Things I’ve Learned This Year

• 2018 – Birthday Q&A

• 2017 – 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Me

In keeping up with true blog birthday traditions today I’m sharing 5 Things I’m Grateful For.

5 Things I’m Grateful For

1. Loved Ones - This year, 2020, I am more than ever grateful for my loved ones. I’m also so grateful to have such a loving and supportive family in everything I do. I wouldn’t be where I am today without any of them.

2. Basic Necessities - I am grateful for my career and a roof over my head. It’s really sad to see what’s happening in today’s world especially this year.. people loosing their jobs, homelessness and not being able to provide for their families.

3. Travel & Experiences - I am forever blessed and grateful to have all the travel and experiences I have had the opportunity to have each year. This year I’ve learned to appreciate all the travel experiences I’ve had in the past especially with two big vacations being cancelled - India and then South Korea/Japan. I truly believe travel makes you learn and grow as a person.

4. Happiness - I am a pretty optimistic and positive person, which I never take for granted.

5. The Present - Don’t worry about tomorrow and enjoy the present as you can’t control the future. Be happy and appreciate what you have!

I am also grateful for all of YOU - Thank you for supporting me over the years on this blog journey!

Third Trimester Pregnancy Recap

Dress: ASOS (35% off!)

As I’m nearing the end of my pregnancy #38weekspregnant there’s so many emotions that are going through my mind. The third trimester is between weeks 28 and 40 (i.e. months 7-9). It’s so crazy to think that it’s been an entire 9 months and time has certainly flown by. I’m excited to meet this baby whose been kicking me everyday (I’ll miss those sweet kicks!), a little sad because I will honestly miss having this bump #stylethebump and nerves (also exciting at the same time) of how Labor & Delivery will go, postpartum and life with baby.

Below are my other pregnancy posts in case you want to catch up!

• Pregnancy Announcement

• Virtual Baby Shower

• Baby Shower at the Moshulu in Philadelphia, PA

• First & Second Trimester Recap

• Hospital Bag Packing List

Here are some questions I received during the last few weeks:

How are you feeling? Like I said above there’s a mix of emotions. Physically I feel great and I think because its been a combination of having a positive outlook throughout my entire pregnancy as well as staying physically active. I aim to get 30 minutes of exercise per day. Lately as my due date is approaching, we’ve amped it up with walking 2 miles each morning (which ends up being 30 minutes) and then in the evenings I’ll do various exercises on my exercise ball.

What have you done to prep for baby? It’s been a slow and steady prep I would say over the last few months. My husband and I both work full time and in the evenings we usually cook dinner together, I work on my blog and we catch up on tv so we mostly do projects over the weekends. Some of the things we have done are:

• Nursery (Not 100% done yet - there’s some decor items I still need to get but the main items are finished)

• Got our bedroom ready with the halo bassinet, changing area, etc.

• Installed the car seat

• Found a pediatrician

• Took classes such as childbirth and breastfeeding classes through our hospital

• Had a baby shower

• Packed our hospital bags (myself, husband and baby)

• Stocked up on food and snacks

Are you in “nesting” mode? I thought at #38weekspregnant I would have been in full on nesting mode but sitting around and doing nothing for more than a day drives me crazy! I’ve been keeping busy with my full time job, blogging and getting things around the house ready. I’m also not one to take naps - I can count the number of naps I’ve taken this whole entire year on one hand.

How has it been being pregnant during the pandemic? It’s been an interesting journey to say the least, not only is this our first baby but on top of that, going through it during the pandemic has been quite the experience. The worst thing I would have to say is that my husband is not allowed to come to appointments with me - so think of that first appointment you ever had and hearing the heartbeat, the 20 week anatomy scan, growth scan, etc. there’s so many missed moments. Luckily our hospital allows us to have one support person with us during our stay (however no visitors permitted). You also have to wear a mask during your entire time at the hospital - can you imagine delivering a baby with a mask on?

Have you experienced any annoying or bothersome symptoms in your third trimester? I didn’t experience any Braxton Hicks contractions as others do but I did experience the occasional nosebleed. We did get a humidifier for our bedroom which has helped SO much. Luckily I haven’t experienced much swelling and my feet are still the same size (LoL). I would say that for swelling keeping up with your water intake is super important to keep swelling down.

I remember you taking a poll on Instagram on how to flip baby.. What advice did you receive and did it work? From weeks 32-35 baby was in a transverse lie position (only 1 in 400 babies end up that way) and a few people recommended checking out Spinningbabies.com which has exercises that can help flip baby and get them in the head down position. Well after a week of doing exercises constantly daily the ultrasound at the 36 week appointment showed baby was head down! I was so glad if not then the recommendation was to do an EVC (external cephalic version) which I heard is painful and then if that doesn’t work then a C-Section is the way to go.

Are you nervous for Labor & Delivery? I would be lying if I said I wasn’t - but women have been having babies forever and our bodies are made to do this! I have an amazing husband and family - my support team. I also know I’ll be in good hands at the our hospital as I've heard amazing things. Everyones experience is so different so I try not to dwell much on it.

Are you taking maternity leave? Yes, I will be taking the traditional maternity leave from my full time job but will keep up with blogging on the side.

Have you gave any thought to postpartum? If so, what have you done? Yes! I’m so glad we live in a world where things are easily accessible and there are so many blogs out there to do research as well as advice from family and friends. I know that the hospital will provide alot of the items after labor & delivery but some things I have bought myself to have at home which I have heard are great are: Frida Mom postpartum kit, Frida Mom peri bottle, Frida Mom Sitz Bath, Earth Mamma products, Always Overnight Pads, Always Discreet underwear, Nursing Tanks, Nursing Bras and Nursing Pads.

Looking back on your pregnancy is there anything different you would have done? I honestly have to say there isn’t. I am happy that I kept an active lifestyle and I feel as though I did the best that I could do. Looking back on my journey pregnancy isn’t scary and it’s a beautiful experience. I’m so blessed to carry this sweet boy.

Thank you all for your sweet and kind messages throughout my journey!

Pregnancy First and Second Trimester Recap

Dress: PinkBlush (Similar)

This post is long overdue but better late than never - am I right? I’m currently at 35 weeks in my pregnancy journey but realized I never got around to doing a first or a second trimester recap and Q&A! Time is seriously flying by and what I thought would never be here in the beginning is going to be here before we know it - I wish time would slow down!

The first trimester was exciting yet nerve wrecking not only because this is our first pregnancy but going through it during a pandemic! I’m not sure what’s considered “normal” for appointments but we had our first appointment at 10 weeks and then once a month from there which was a mix of telehealth appointments and in person appointments. Notable moments during the first trimester was finding out the gender (which we waited to tell) and telling our family and friends we were pregnant! we also did a photoshoot for pregnancy announcement at City Hall in Philadelphia which was alot of fun.

Dress: ASOS

A few notable milestones during the second trimester included the anatomy scan at 20 weeks as well as a 32 week growth scan (this one was optional but we jumped at a chance to get more ultrasound pictures!). We also did a gender reveal around Labor Day weekend for our families which was soo much fun! We are both the oldest on both sides so this is our parents first grandchild on both sides. Other notable moments have been feeling the baby kick and having the hubby see and feel baby kicking as well.

Although there have been so many good moments, COVID-19 has brought about another level of stress and unknowns. Luckily we were able to do a virtual shower for our family (blog post HERE) and a baby shower for our local family/friends in Philly (blog post HERE). It has been disappointing that the hubby is not able to attend any appointments which can be scary as a first time mom not knowing what to expect! It was disappointing that he was not able to attend the big scans (anatomy and growth scan but at least I could facetime him).

My Outfit: Dress: ASOS Maternity / Jewelry: Teardrop Earrings

First and Second Trimester Q&A

1. How and when did you find out? When are you due? We found out together in April and it was sort of un-eventful as we were both working from home as the pandemic was at its peak. For the second piece, I am due in December - less than 5 weeks left to go!

2. How are you feeling? I’ve been feeling really good! I am a firm believer that no two experiences are the same and everyone will give you a different answer when they are asked this. I’ve been blessed and did not experience any nausea during the first trimester. I was a little tired during my second trimester but nothing too bad - a nap here or there was what I needed to combat fatigue. I also believe that keeping up with a workout regime and eating well balanced meals help. Lastly, make sure to have a good prenatal vitamin and iron.

3. Do you have any food cravings? Any food aversions? I’m actually really surprised with myself that I haven’t had much food cravings. We make it a point to plan a weekly menu ahead of time on Sundays evenings and we cook mostly Monday-Fridays. Weekends are usually a combination of cooking, ordering in and leftovers. If we order in I like to get pizza (from Angelos of course), ramen (especially if it’s a chilly day) or tacos. I haven’t had any food aversions. I have also read that if you are craving strange items you may be lacking certain nutrients in your body. Also, the hubby has been SOOO great with making sure I am eating properly. My breakfast is usually eggs with veggies and toast. Lunch is usually a wrap or salad. Dinner we plan ahead and we usually pick a cuisine (we switch it up between Indian, Mexican, Asian, Italian, etc).

   Also the entire “you’re eating for two” is totally inaccurate (I should move this down to the pet peeves section but thought it fit good with the food cravings section!). If you look at the amount of calories you need by trimester it’s actually not THAT many and it also depends WHAT you’re eating - choose to focus on nutritious foods that keep your energy up while supporting your baby's development is the best advice I can give! Although there’s nothing wrong with a cookie or donut here or there… lol.

4. What is your skincare and beauty regime while pregnant? What are you using to prevent stretch marks? Once we found out I went through my face and body creams and put away any products that contained harmful ingredients - this I mostly found in eye creams. As far as makeup goes I have been wearing less since I’ve been working from home pretty much my entire pregnancy and don’t need to get dressed up. It’s more on the weekends I use makeup if we’re shooting content or going out to eat. For stretch marks I am using: Elemis Body Oil (recommended by my friend!), Bio Oil and Palmer’s Cocoa Butter.

5. What exercise routine do you follow? Workouts look ALOT different from what they used to be. When you’re pregnant you can’t workout at 100%, no doing ab exercises and avoid exercises in which you could trip/fall. There’s a few videos through Youtube I use if I’m working out inside such as Prenatal HITT and Prenatal Barre. Sometimes we’ll go out for a walk - there’s a park a few blocks away so it’s always nice to get out and get some fresh air. Regardless if I’m inside working out or outside I aim to get at least 30 minutes of exercise per day.

6. Where do you shop for maternity clothing? I’ve been wearing my non maternity shirts and sweaters so far. I have bought maternity jeans and leggings for the growing belly. Some of my favorite places to shop for maternity clothing is: H&M, ASOS and PinkBlush.

7. What are some must have items to get through pregnancy? A good stretch mark cream (your skin will be feeling itchy since it stretches), comfortable clothing such as a good pair of leggings, water bottle and a pregnancy pillow. Also keep snacks with you if you’re going out such as a protein bar, nuts or fruits.

8. Biggest pregnancy pet peeves? With the pandemic and not going out much, I haven’t “normal” pregnancy things that irritate people - such as strangers touching your belly, commenting, etc. What I don’t like, however, is unwarranted advice and advice that doesn’t have any rhyme or reason.

9. Are you take any classes to prepare for childbirth? All classes are virtual and essentially are limited but we are taking a childbirth class through our hospital which is offered online and I also recently took a virtual breastfeeding class.

10. What are you packing in your hospital bag? EEEK!!! I haven’t gotten around to packing a hospital bag but at #35weeks I know I have to get on this! I’ll be doing a separate blog post on what we are packing in our bag so keep an eye out for that!

Roundup of Best Sweater Dresses For Fall

Sweater Dress: Line & Dot / Booties: JustFab (c/o)
Purse: Chanel / Sunglasses: Quay

Can you believe it’s already the last day of September? We have had cool fall temps here in Philadelphia and it has made me SO excited for fall! I have to admit that I love this time of year - from the beautiful fall decorations and fall foliage, going to the pumpkin patch, sipping on warm drinks and wearing all the cozy clothing!

One wardrobe staple I love pulling out in my closet this time of year is the sweater dress. What I love about sweater dresses is that you can dress them up or down. If it’s chilly outside, then you can layer it up with a suede or leather jacket or a cozy scarf. As most sweater dresses are a solid color have fun with your shoes such as with these print booties from JustFab! JustFab has the most amazing selection of accessories and shoes - their new fall season items are available on their website.

Shop my sweater dress picks below!

Wearing White After Labor Day

Dress: English Factory / Denim Jacket: H&M
Purse: Chanel (Similar) / Heels: JustFab

Who says you can’t wear white after Labor Day? Today I’m breaking this old cardinal rule with this super cute ruffle sleeve white dress by English Factory. After Labor Day people are back in the city, kids are back in school and it feels like summer is over.. which it technically isn’t until mid September. So I’m trying to savior the last few days of warm weather while I can. For transitioning into fall, try breaking up the all white look with a denim jacket or a chic leather jacket. Who says you can’t make your own rules?

Shop my look below!