My blog has moved! Follow me on google+ to stay updated at www.casualclaire.com!
39 Weeks Pregnant Update
Can’t believe there is under a week until my due date! Still doesn’t feel like Maddie Grace is in a hurry to arrive anytime soon though. It’s a rainy day here, perfect for being stuck in the hospital all day, but instead I’m at home just waiting and incredibly tired and low on energy since I can’t sleep. Every night my nerves and anxiety start getting to me – I run through a to-do list of all the things I need to get done, I start wondering what she is going to look like and how it’s going to feel when she’s here, and sleeping is just impossible. I mean she is going to be here so soon and our lives are going to change incredibly, it’s a really hard concept to wrap my mind around. When I ate breakfast this morning I noticed that our milk expires April 21st and had a crazy moment where I realized that we will have a baby by then!
Overall I’m still feeling good though. I have definitely not been exercising as much as I was as my energy level is so low, but I try to get out on short walks every day that it’s not raining, do some work on my exercise ball, and do some yoga every day. Also on my to-do list is making sure the house is clean and we are caught up on some of our home improvement projects before Maddie Grace arrives. Plus, I’ve been making lots of bows for baby girl (and adding the extras to my Etsy shop).
Despite being 39 weeks pregnant and feeling like a very sleepy whale, I had a great weekend. We spent a lot of time with friends, explored a park by our house, celebrated a friend’s birthday, and got to watch one of my best friends since freshman year of high school get engaged to the man of her dreams! Seriously, how perfect is this?
There couldn’t be a couple more deserving of such happiness – let the wedding festivities begin!!!
Also, please take a minute and follow me on Bloglovin’!
J.Crew Sale – Shorts
Right now J.Crew is running a huge sale and has an extra 30% off regular sale items and 50% off final sale items with the code SHOPNOW.
J.Crew shorts are a summer staple for women and several of them are included in the sale. I prefer the shorter length so I’m feeling these 3″ chino shorts in which they have this pretty porcelain green color on sale for $29.99 from $45.00, which with the 30% off comes down to $20.99 – a pretty good deal. Plus if I use ebates I get an extra 3% cash back. As of right now they have a lot of sizes left in these shorts, and I think this is a nice color that will be easy to match and be nice for the summer. In the 3″ short they also have a lime green color on sale, but I don’t think it is a little too bright for me. Maybe as a mom now I should be looking at the longer short option, but I just stuck with the 3″ short mostly because I liked the color better. There are several other women’s short options on the sale as well so if you prefer 5″, 7″, 9″, bermuda, or boyfriend shorts check it out.
Also on the women’s sale are lots of cute bathing suits worth a look, however they are very limited on sizes, and if you can look past the fact that it’s almost summer (which I can’t) this cute vest which comes down to $55.99 from $138.
I found some nice men’s options as well although these were also very limited on sizes. Your best bet in finding good sizes is for the men’s shirts, most of which come out to be about $35.00 after the extra 30% off. My husband really liked this one because he thought it was one he could pull off wearing to work:
Anyways, who doesn’t start off early Saturday mornings browsing sales?
Shopping for Mama and Baby
The one thing I can always do while I wait for Maddie Grace to get here is shop, of course. I’ve had fun the past week shopping some for baby, and also shopping for post-baby clothes for me… finally!
Shopping for Mama
I recently discovered the store Aro & Company through a fashion blog, and joined their Aro Stylist Affiliate Program. They have clothes that are adorable and affordable. Plus, for my readers the code CASUALCLAIRE10 will get you an extra 10% off your order! I recently made my first order and purchased the pictured above burgundy v-neck top that was on sale and a yellow tank top that will be perfect for this summer. They are both great quality and shipped quickly (and shipping was inexpensive) and I can not wait to be able to wear them! Aro & Company gets new arrivals all the time… now I’m eyeing the top on the far right above they just got in and didn’t have when I ordered – so cute.
I also recently purchased this Mama Bear tank that I’m obsessed with from Loved by Hannah and Eli. My husband actually loves this one too. I tried to wear it but it doesn’t quite fit, but it too will be perfect for those hot summer days and working out! If you’ve never checked out this store, do so now. They have cute stuff for mom and baby. Some of the baby stuff is on the expensive side and hard to justify when they grow so quick, but I can justify the prices for the mom clothes.
Shopping for Baby
I also actually left the house last week to go shopping for baby clothes with a friend and found some great stuff. At Von Maur I found the Lilly dress pictured in the middle on sale for a steal. Next, Baby Gap had 40% off everything, even sale items, where I found this precious little baby bathing suit that was already on sale, and bunny dress that will be perfect for Easter (assuming Maddie Grace makes an appearance by then – fingers crossed).
One place I always love shopping from and have been a long time fan of is Gilt. One time I snagged a pair of original tall Hunter boots from Gilt for $35, which I’m pretty proud of. But they always have great designer brand baby clothes and gear, as well as stuff for mama (including cute maternity clothes), at great prices. They rotate through what brands they have every few days, and get on their mailing list because the good stuff sells out FAST. Today what caught my eye was John Hardy jewelry, Spanx, Aden + Anais, Stokke, Juicy Couture Baby, and Phil & Ted. In the past I’ve seen David Yurman, Hunter boots, Chan Luu, Pink Blush, and other great brands. Tomorrow (4/3) at noon they are having TWELVElittele diaper bags, which are so classy and functional. For the next 2 days use the code GILT20 for an extra 20% off your purchase.
38 Week Update
38 Weeks – woohoo! Maddie Grace will be here any day! My guess that she would come April 1st and be an April Fools Day baby was clearly incorrect, however. So far I am still feeling pretty good. I am running pretty low on energy and tired a lot of the time, and am starting to get impatient. Everything is done and ready to go so its I feel like all there is to do is sit and wait! I’ve been working on some jewelry and headband pieces to keep occupied, and everyone keeps asking if I’m nesting and cleaning the house but honestly I just don’t have the energy to. Here are the latest bump shots:
We had a pleasant weekend. On Thursday evening the Atlanta Botanical Garden had a members only event that was really nice. There was complimentary french fries, live music, and cupcake tastings. Friday evening my dad came and stayed with us and on Saturday we went to the Stone Mountain Bluegrass Festival, where we heard some bands, indulged in some street vendor food, and looked around at the different artist booths.
Spring Makeup Must Haves and Awesome Straightener Deal
Makeup is becoming more and more of a rarity for me to use these days, and I hear that will continue when the baby is here. However, it is the one thing that makes me feel like I at least look semi-decent at 38 weeks pregnant. Every year I can’t wait for Spring to roll around, for several obvious reasons, one of which is the makeup options. I love being able to add more color, more pastels, and, of course, more pink. This year I’m not being as adventurous, mostly because I don’t have the energy to be, but here are the items saving me from disaster on a daily basis:
1. Urban Decay Naked 2 Eyeshadow Set
I love these shades all year round, but the lighter shades (pretty much the left half of the palette) are perfect for spring and the warmer weather. The eyeshadows are silky smooth and are so ridiculously easy to apply and to mix with each other. There are a mix of shimmery and matte shades, and the shimmery ones are great for these warm days. Throw in a bright eyeliner or add a swipe of pink eyeshadow on top and you are ready to go without overdoing it.
2. Tarte Amazonian Clay Waterproof Brow Mousse
SPF and waterproof are absolute necessities in these warmer months. I broke a sweat just going for a walk today. Add that to the fact that I hate brow pencils because they look so unnatural and this is the perfect spring solution. I have this in the medium brown shade, which if applied too thickly can be too dark for me but with a light hand is just right. It fills in my brows, looks natural, and stays all day/night. A little goes a long ways so this little tiny jar is going to last me forever, making the price worth it.
This palette gives you bronzer, blush, and highlighter all in one. The bronzer is perfect for light-medium skin tones like mine. It isn’t too shimmery, adds a great touch of color without making you orange, and blends well with the Bare Mineral foundation I use. The blush is a nice soft but bright pink that is perfect for this time of year without making you look like a clown. And the highlighter is perfect to apply on the tops of your cheekbones and leave you with a nice natural shimmer. The best part is you can apply both the blush and the highlighter with one brushstroke, cutting down on the time it takes to get ready, which is always a bonus.
ALSO
Folica has the world’s best hair straightener, the Sedu 1.5″ Ionic Ceramic Pro Flat Iron on sale for only $99 (from $139.99) for their deal of the week. Usually you can find an extra 15%-25% off coupon code for Folica that you can use on top of this low price (for the next 30 minutes use Spring for 25% off which brings it down to around $75 – and there are other coupons out there as well if you google search them) . I have never used a better hair straightener than this one – the Chi doesn’t compare. The Sedu leaves your hair silky straight in a matter of seconds, and my hair is always shiny, straight, and most importantly healthy looking after using it. Unfortunately however, mine did break after only having it for a year. But if you purchase from Folica it comes with a 2 year warranty and Folica replaced it quickly and easily and the new one is working great so I’m still happy.
37 Weeks Pregnant Update and Nursery Tour
Well as of Saturday I am 37 weeks and Maddie Grace is now considered full-term and should be about the size of a watermelon (although she feels bigger)! It’s unbelievable how quickly the the last 37 weeks have flown by. We can not wait to meet our little girl and are beyond excited that it could be any day now. Overall I’m feeling great, much better than I was just a couple weeks ago. My back pain has improved greatly, I’m sleeping better (most nights, not all, and still not sleeping great), and my acid reflux is manageable. My midwife gave me the go ahead at my last appointment to start doing the natural remedies to get things moving and to help with labor so I have been taking evening primrose pills, drinking red raspberry leaf tea, bouncing on my exercise ball, and taking lots of walks.
Feeling good on our long walk this weekend!
My first of two main goals for the time left is finishing up the nursery. I think we need one more trip to Target to get a rug, curtain, curtain rod, and lamp, but besides that we have just about everything. Here are some pictures:
I am so happy with how everything turned out. Most of the furniture is from Target, except the dresser which my parents bought at a yard sale when they were expecting me. Yes that means it’s really old, but it’s in great shape and only needed a fresh coat of paint. And no, I’m not sure how I feel about the rocker being right next to the changing table, but our nursery is very very small so I didn’t have many other options.
These are two of my favorite things:
I love this sweet and adorable mobile from Pottery Barn Kids. I bought it in the store on Sunday and it was 20% off (pretty sure in store it still is) plus I had a coupon for an extra $10 off. It’s simple, cute, and plays Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. I’m pretty sure Maddie is going to love it.
This pillow is from Sugarboo Designs, a local artist out of Roswell. If you haven’t checked out her stuff, hurry up and do so. It’s a little pricy but it’s all so cute and classy.
My second main goal of the week is getting my hospital bag packed. I’m an over-packer, of course. I have scoured over all the different lists I can find online of what to bring and what not to bring and think I have a pretty good start. Of course, one of the hardest things for me is picking out what outfits to bring for the baby. What if she doesn’t fit in newborns? What if she has way too much pink? What if she doesn’t like hats? What if she’s too small for the clothes I bring? In other words, I’m way over-thinking everything.
I’m in love with this Gray Classic Tote Diaper Bag I purchased from Pottery Barn Kids. I was able to snag it online when it was 20% off plus they let me use a coupon for an extra 15% off. It’s a great size, big enough to hold all the essentials with lots of different pockets and compartments inside, yet it’s not so big that it feels bulky when I carry it. The fabric is thick and sturdy, and has some type of coating on it to make it water/stain resistant which is nice. I had it monogrammed with a C (for our last name) so that I can use it with future children, and I really like the way the monogram looks.
[I'm not an affiliate for any of these brands and do not make commission off of these links. I just really like the products and wanted to share!]
Also, stay up to date and follow my blog at bloglovin!
