Happy Friday, friends! Thanks for all of the great questions this week! What are you up to this weekend? We have zero plans which makes me happy. I think I’m starting to enter full nesting mode. 5 weeks to go until baby boy #2!

I was wondering what undergarments you use.  I’ve been wearing Gap’s camis with the built-in shelf bra for like 15 years! I feel like it’s time to upgrade, but I still want somethings that is smoothing and supportive, but not too bulky under clothing.  Any suggestions?

I have been wearing Hanky Panky low rise thongs for years. They are the only only underwear that don’t give me a wedgie and it is literally like you’re wearing nothing. The majority of my bras are by Natori. In my opinion they are like second skin! So so comfortable and supportive. My best suggestion is to go to a department store and get measured. Cosabella boy shorts have been my savor at the end of both of my pregnancies and during post partum. 

I’m currently looking at switching prenatal vitamins, and I was curious what you recommend. Also, I’ve read that DHA is important to implement as well. Do you have any brands that you recommend or like?

I have used Care/of prenatal vitamins this pregnancy and have been really happy with them! A lot of prenatal vitamins actually have DHA in them so just make sure you aren’t taking double the amount that you need. 

How did you tell Dave you were pregnant with Charlie? Wanting to tell my husband we’re expecting in a creative way!

The first time I called him crying (it was 4 weeks after our honeymoon, we ended up having a miscarriage), the second time I just called him with so much excitement (Charlie) and the third time (current) I face timed him with a positive pregnancy test on my forehead. Nothing too exciting! 

I’m due with our first boy at the end of the year and would love a sneak peek at your nursery for some much-needed inspiration.  Will you be sharing a nursery reveal this time around? What are your favorite resources for making it feel like a magical place?

Yes! I’ll be sharing a full feature once everything is in! Our crib is from All Modern, dresser and chandelier is from Land of Nod, rug is from Serena and Lily and chair is from DucDuc. More details to come!!

We are doing family photos outside with myself, my husband and my 10 month old boy.  What are some good tips for getting the best family pictures?  Colors to stay away from, what to dress my little guy?

I would say tell your photographer to capture the in-between moments! Review photos on his/her camera to see if she is capturing what you are envisioning. Don’t go into it with any expectations, otherwise they will appear too staged or you’ll be stressed the entire time. In terms of outfits, I never like to go with anything too bold. I would stick to neutrals with some texture or come up with a more subtle color theme for everyone (like blues, grey, etc.). That way years from now you’ll look back on the photos and be happy with what you wore. 

I just moved into my first apartment by myself – no roommates or boyfriend, and loving it! I’m on the hunt for a new dresser and love your interior design taste – would love to know if you have any favorite dressers that would work well for a bachelorette pad.

So exciting! Not sure if you’re in Chicago, but my friend Meg has an amazing company, MegMade. She rehabs vintage pieces and everything is customizable. Great pieces for a girl’s pad! Otherwise, I personally love browsing Joss and Main or One Kings Lane. 

I’m going on a girls trip to NYC in November and want to get a cute fall dress or skirt/top combo  for our night out. I’d love for it to be long sleeve since it’ll be colder then and under $150 – any recommendations?

I love this Club Monaco skirt (get 25% off when you spend more than $150!) paired with a simple black turtleneck. I also love this turtleneck dress, this pretty embroidered dress, this classic velvet dress and I love the colors in this floral dress. 

Do you have any websites/places you go for looking for staples and trendy items that would be under $100 per item?  If you have any recommendations for filtering web pages/brands too, that would be very helpful!  Whenever I go to a website like Nordstrom there are 3,000 items to go through, and it gets very overwhelming.

Yes! I love ASOS, Chicwish and Urban Outfitters for staples/trendy items. I love filtering by brand when I shop! At Shopbop there are a few brands that I love to browse: Endless Rose, English Factory, Cupcakes and Cashmere, BB Dakota, J.O.A. and Blank NYC. At Nordstrom I like to narrow it down to Wayf, Leith, Treasure & Bond, Topshop and Halogen. 

I know you’ve mentioned that your sense of fashion design does not extend to interior design, but I have loved all of the small glimpses of y’all’s new home in your posts! Are you working with an interior designer or planning on doing so in the future? What have you enjoyed about putting together your home and what has been difficult?

Thank you!! We are not working with an interior designer and I don’t really plan to. My mom is actually an interior designer so I like to run ideas past her but for the most part I’m just choosing what I personally love and hoping that it goes together well! In all honesty, having a crazy toddler makes me really think twice about the things we put in our home. Nothing is too formal (that isn’t really my taste anyways) and my goal is to make our home feel warm and inviting. We are moving really slow and making sure that we are investing in items we love rather than filling it with cheaper crap that I’ll hate in a few years. Slow and steady!

I am expecting our first baby boy in December and I have a few baby showers coming up in the next few weeks to celebrate.  Have you seen any dresses that would be great for showers?

ASOS and Hatch Collection have some of my favorite maternity dresses! This and this are pretty! This one is edgy and cool!

I’m curious what you ask for when you get your hair cut. I’m trying to grow out a lob and I love your hair! It’s a great length/style.

I usually ask for a change! Ha. Generally I cut 1-3 inches off to freshen up the ends and add some layers. That’s it!

I recently got married, but have been struggling with whether to change my name. Growing up, I always said I would because my last name is at the end of the alphabet, 10 letters long, and is really hard to pronounce. But, now, when faced with this decision, I am struggling. There are so many pros and cons. How did you make the decision? And, what would you suggest I consider in making the decision? I would really appreciate your advice on this one.

It’s funny, I kind of felt the same! I always knew I wanted to change my name but when the time came to actually do it, I was really sad to lose Schneider. I guess I felt that taking Dave’s last name was symbolic of our future. Being a team, starting a family and representing ourselves as a unit. I think the biggest hardship in the matter is actually changing it. I remember my dad telling me that I’d always be his little girl and I found comfort in it – knowing that I would always be the person I was before, I’d always be Liz Schneider. All I can say is (in my opinion) that the pros far outweigh the cons in the end. 

I procrastinated on setting up our engagement photo shoot, and now it looks like we will be doing it in the winter in Chicago.  Any ideas ideas for looking cute while trying to stay warm and cozy in December?

I would do a cute sweater dress, plaid scarf and riding boots. Or something a little sexier like a slip dress with black booties and a leather jacket? OR skinny jeans, booties and a cozy sweater. I don’t think you need to be completely bundled up. I would try to ditch the heavy coat if you can and then put it on in-between shoot locations if it is really cold.  

We’re expecting our first baby toward the end of November and have tentatively scheduled our newborn photo shoot. Since I have no idea what my body is going to be like after childbirth, I’m kind of overwhelmed with trying to pick out an outfit. What do you think would be flattering and photograph well?

I would do something simple and comfortable. You can see some of the photos we took with Charlie here. I was honestly kind of proud of my new mom shape so I showed it off a little. I probably would have looked a little better with a longer hem line like this or this. I wouldn’t get too dressed up and would probably stick to skinny jeans, flats and a pretty top – maybe this blouse or something a little darker or a pretty cashmere sweater. I also love this sweater dress paired with boots!

I know you’ve said previously that you lost your baby weight quickly (I think 6 weeks) but that you felt different/less toned despite being the same weight, so you got a trainer at Equinox. I’m wondering, after you made progress via training, did your body feel like it did before? Was it a similar shape as your pre-pregnancy body? What are some of the ways your body is different post pregnancy, even once you’re back in shape?

Yes, working with a trainer and really focusing on weight training definitely got my body back in shape after baby. Honestly, I was in even better shape after working out with a trainer than I was before I got pregnant with Charlie (when I got pregnant with Charlie I could have been 5-8 lbs lighter). The side effects from pregnancy that I have noticed on my body are weaker stomach muscles and wider hips. I don’t know if everyone experiences this but the hips are kind of hopeless (your bones widen) and I have to work twice as hard with core work. My shape is a little different with my hips but not in a drastic way.

After the holidays die down I am really going to focus on healthy eating. I’m going to give myself a month or so to just settle in and then I’m really going to try and stick to a lean, clean and green diet. Honestly, it’s not that bad! You’re so proud of what your body can do that it isn’t a top priority right away. My best tip is to be active throughout your pregnancy. This pregnancy has been significantly healthier for me and it shows in my weight gain, muscle tone, stamina, etc. I anticipate a much easier recovery because I’ve really focused on not getting ahead of myself (read: with Charlie I ate donuts/croissants everyyyy morning). If you don’t use pregnancy as an excuse to over indulge, etc. you’ll be fine and your body will recover well!

I’m curious whether you dye your hair.  Or do you do any do any treatments to make it shiny or boost color?  It always looks so healthy and shiny!

I do not color my hair! I haven’t colored my hair in 3 years (I went a little darker for our wedding) so what you see now is natural. I personally think my hair can look a little ashy but I appreciate the compliments! I think my hair stays shiny because I use a clean shampoo/conditioner – I love Kiehls Amino Acid Shampoo and Olive Fruit Oil Conditioner. I don’t use a lot of heat on my hair (I probably blow dry it max 2x a week) and rarely put product in it. I think a lot depends on the natural texture of your hair and I guess I got lucky!

I am relocating to Chicago from Charleston SC, would love to know some of your favorites or must have winter wear for a new resident!

A thick scarf, the warmest gloves, a warm coat (everyone and their mom has one but I swear they are the warmest), cozy socks and waterproof boots. 

How are you adjusting to live in the suburbs? We just moved to Naperville from the city with our 10 month old and I’m having a hard time with the transition. I feel so bored! 

We love it! It is definitely quieter but honestly I felt very ready for the change. I think it helped that we have family close by and our best friends are in the town next to us (along with a bunch of other close friends near by, too). We have had such a crazy summer of weddings that sometimes it still doesn’t feel real that we moved. We try to get out and about as often as we can, I’m always meeting new moms at the park or library, I take Charlie out to lunch on our days together and really try to do the same things we did in the city. 

Make sure you submit your questions for next week via email with the subject “Coffee with Liz.” xoxo!