Outfit details:
J.Crew Eyelet Top (wearing a size 4), Ingrid and Isabel Maternity Jeans c/o, Vince Loafers, Clare V Bag (back in stock!!), Sonix Sunglasses (also here)
Today I wanted to answer a few of your questions but I ended up receiving so many that I thought I would maybe turn this into a series! What are your thoughts? That way we get a train of questions going and it can be an ongoing thing. You can even submit your questions on a weekly basis via email. But what should we call it? Something that signifies girlfriends chatting since I want this to be open conversation about everything. For today I’m going to answer a few that were submitted and save the rest for next week.
Do you have any advice for new bloggers to not get overwhelmed by how many life and style bloggers there are?
You do you! I am sure everyone tells you this but being a blogger ultimately comes down to doing what works best for you and working hard to do it well. Build a connection with your readers. They trust you to provide them with the best of the best and be sure to stay true to yourself. It’s easy to get distracted by what other people are doing but if you are unauthentic to yourself it will be completely obvious to your readers. I always try to tell bloggers to go into it with blinders on. It’s easy to be positively and negatively impacted by your peers on social media but if you try to just focus on you and what makes you happy, you will be successful.
How do you stay thin and active during pregnancy?
This is a VERY nice question but also not 100% true. When I was pregnant with Charlie I really tried to stay active 4/5 times per week. Usually this meant 2 barre classes per week, 2 really long walks (6 miles) and hopefully another cardio day. I have always been a pretty active person. Also, I stretch A LOT. Like every night for 20 minutes. I think this is because after being a cheerleader for so many years my hips and legs get really tight. It is also helpful in keeping your blood flowing and prevents swelling. In terms of my diet, like I mentioned here, it is all about balance. I try to eat healthy 4 nights per week and give myself a break the other three. For example, I have eaten pasta and ice cream the last two nights. But to make up for it I’ll do a little more cardio today and walk places rather than drive. Tonight I’m planning on having some soup and salad at home and then I’ll have one more cheat dinner on Saturday. Don’t put too many boundaries on yourself. That ultimately leads me to not work out and eat everything in sight. Enjoy your growing body but remember that the croissants, donuts, pasta, french fries – you still have to burn those off AFTER baby (I know from experience with Charlie).
Another thing to note, I do not have the body type that is naturally skinny. I’ve always had to work for my weight. I carry a lot of muscle in my arms and my thighs and I swear I’ve had love handles since I was 5. After training with a trainer for 6 months and feeling strong when I got pregnant again, I really want to walk away from this pregnancy feeling like I did it well.
How do you keep your hair looking to healthy, soft and shiny? What do you do to protect it from thermal damage?
My hair is very thick and coarse which makes it hard to manage sometimes. I really try to keep it off heat majority of the week. It doesn’t look good when I do this (I have some weird crimps/waves in the back of my head) because the coarseness can get a little frizzy but I do notice a huge difference if I give it a break. Summer is the perfect time to do so! When I let it air dry I do usually blow dry the front hairs to smooth them out and then I’ll spray some salt spray (I also love this product and this product) to add some natural waves/texture. Followed by rubbing a little bit of this invisible oil to the ends. On days when I actually do my hair, I use this product before blow drying and only apply it to the bottom half of my hair. I then blow dry it in no particular way. I really wish I knew how to use a round brush but my hands don’t worry together. I then typically curl it using my T3 Whirl Trio wand (I divide my hair in 3 sections), let it cool and then apply this hairspray. I then brush it out almost completely with a flat brush. My hair is really heavy so I curl it tight and then brush it out. Done!
I asked on my instagram stories for suggestions on curling irons and there was an overwhelming recommendation for the Beachwaver! One of which is part of the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. Other suggestions were this Hot Tools Ceramic Curling Iron and the Drybar 3 Day Bender.
How do you cope with being a mom, wife and blogger? Are your days 35 hours long?
Ha! If I didn’t rely on at least 8 hours of sleep a night, I would be a much more productive person. However, I’ve learned that priorities are important in life and I really try to put my family first. I’m grateful that my work reflects me as a mom, wife and blogger. I think since becoming a mom almost two years ago my content has adjusted to my lifestyle. I really try to focus on quality over quantity which means there may not be as many posts as before but the ones that are up are ones that I’m proud of/reflect our lives now. I say “no” to projects way more that I used to. Mainly because my time is valuable and I know there are brands that ask for a lot and I personally can’t produce the content they need. I’m picky about what I choose to share and always want to make sure my work is authentic. Most days it definitely feels like I’m juggling a million things but at the same time it gives me confidence to know that I am doing it all. I could send Charlie to day care every day but he is such a huge part of my business day to day (you all love seeing him on insta stories!) that my work wouldn’t feel as true without him. Some days are good and some days I’m just trying to survive but I know I’ll look back and be grateful that I had him by my side.
How has the transition been from the city to the suburbs? Will you be sharing a house tour?
The transition has been amazing! To be honest, we’ve been traveling almost every weekend since we moved so I don’t know if it feels completely real yet. It’s been amazing to have a driveway and a yard and everything is so much more easy. Personally my stress level has greatly decreased and our pace of life feels much happier. I know the first time we go back to our old neighborhood I’ll definitely miss living downtown.
I will be sharing a house tour! The morning we moved in I actually took video content of every room and will be showing you a full “before” tour. I just need to get my act together and edit it for you. I’ll also be sharing some of our plans for every room – right now my focus is our formal living room, our bedroom and the new nursery.
Ok guys, what should we call this new series? I want it to feel like a weekly catch up session with friends! Feel free to leave your suggestions in the comments! On another note, I’m obsessed with this eyelet top. It’s adorable and the peplum detail fits my bump! I wore it with some easy white maternity jeans.
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