Hitting 34 weeks this weekend and I still can't believe we will be holding our baby boy #2 very soon! I'm starting to feel the effects of a giant belly much more these days which means less sleep and more pain in my ribs but it's nice to know in a few short weeks I will be relaxing and the only thing on my to do list will be preparing for our bundle of joy.
Dressing this growing belly isn't always the easiest since I refuse to wear maternity clothing so I've resorted to cheap Forever 21 and Target tanks, stretchy pants and low-rise jeans. The rubber band is my best friend these days.
I have 3 weeks left of yoga teacher training and am that much closer to becoming a certified instructor so today I'm sharing my favorite yoga must-haves and wishlist items. Click above to shop any of these!
1. Yogitoes Towel - I never really used a slip-resistant towel in the past but now it seems mandatory at many of the hot yoga studios. With all the recent humidity and heat in LA, I've noticed some hot classes can be extra sweaty which does wonders to detoxify but can also be a hazard. I love this peachy color too.
2. Forever 21 Heathered Knit Tank - My fave workout tank and it's only $5.90. Doing hot yoga frequently means tons of laundry and repeat outfits so this tank makes it easy to stock up! Runs a little big so stick to your size for a looser fit and size down for a tighter fit.
3. Teeki Yoga Pants - stretchy, lightweight and made from a recycled bottle blend fabrics.
4. BKR Waterbottle - I mean...why not.
5. Manduka Yoga Mat - Just bought my first one, the LiveON 5mm to start. It's made from 100% reclaimable and recyclable foam. It's super lightweight which is great for my current status but I plan on getting a heavier grade one once baby arrives!
6. Evian Facial Spray - I just received a sample to review of this stuff and I love! This spray is perfect for re-hydrating after a lot of hot yoga. A quick spray on the face a couple times a day is perfect for busy days on and off the mat. Can't wait to try it after plane rides too. Wanna try? Enter below to win your own sample of this stuff!
*Financial compensation was not received for this post. A sample product was gifted via Brandbacker. Opinions expressed here are my own.
I’m always a little shocked when I hear about women who love being pregnant, even more so now that I’m going through a second pregnancy. To be honest, I think they are all lying or omitting some truth. And if they are not, well then I'm just extremely envious. Growing up I always wanted to be a mom and at one point I wanted to have lots of children! Today, I feel much differently. As I head into my third trimester, I've been reflecting on my truths which I realized when I was pregnant the first time and am validating once again: I hate being pregnant. This has nothing to do with the end result because my son has far surpassed all expectations of what I thought he would bring to my life but I struggle with the process of getting there. Nothing in this life is easy and I would never expect that receiving the greatest thing in life would be easy, but that’s not a reason to be uninformed or even misinformed about the reality which I don’t ever remember learning about. The truth is, for me, it is a difficult challenge but I’m learning as I go to not only accept certain things and not view them as weaknesses, but also to be comfortable with pushing the limits society has put on me to make this truly my own experience. The Struggle Besides the obvious ailments such as breathing like a 400-pound man, peeing 35 times a day and feeling like I’ve broken every rib on the left side of my body, my biggest gripe with pregnancy is an overwhelming feeling of inadequacy. As someone who likes to go full force 100% of the time, I find it difficult to be so limited in what I can do, lift, eat, DRINK. What the fuck is a mocktail?! No thank you. I struggle with the inconsistencies in the information that is available (or unavailable, for that matter) regarding what really is OK to consume during pregnancy because I know for a fact there are women in Japan getting down on some sushi yet I feel an overwhelming sense of fear and guilt if I dare eat a piece of raw salmon. That’s not to say that I don’t. The exhaustion has also been very limiting to me since I hate being tired but it seems no matter how long I sleep, I'M ALWAYS TIRED. Luckily, I only have a couple more months of eye-prying at work left. For a control freak who has lost much control, the struggle is real. Between months 3 and 6, the struggle to control my emotions was very real. I now understand the complete meaning of the term “hormonal” and unfortunately so does my husband. I would consider my normal self pretty even-keeled and although I can be outspoken and have a slight temper, at least I know my reactions are validated by deep rooted beliefs and principles. Being pregnant, however, releases a full blown range of unjustifiable emotional outbreaks that even I can't understand! I'm talking 13-year old, crying in my room over chubby thighs emotional. The Coping Luckily the hormonal rave party has ended and now I am just feeling like a blimp, but a calm one at least. I was lucky enough to discover yoga in my life before my pregnancy and I do feel this has been a source of strength and relief for me for many reasons. Staying fit has been important to me throughout this journey. Can you image having these 99 problems plus an extra 50 pounds? I would die. Yoga has helped me to stay fit, strong and on good days that physical strength is enough to overcome any feelings of emotional weakness. Pushing myself (safely, of course) has actually helped me feel more capable on and off the mat. With all the research I've done regarding what is safe and what is not, I've come up with a set of my own rules which helps me keep my sanity. I don't restrain from everything at all times and I don't read every cheese label but this moderation, in moderation shall keep me content. And no, I do not want to get pregnant again nor will I ever retreat my statement that I hate being pregnant but I see the light and it’s only three months away and this makes me feel okay.
It's official! We are expecting baby #2 on October 3rd, 2015. We're so excited to embark on a new (and crazy) adventure but mostly to give Koji a sibling. Parenting is hard and exhausting but our son makes it all worth it so we can't wait to add to the madness.
As we start the new year, everyone's focus shifts to setting new goals and the fresh start. I too, have thought about my goals and looked back at what I did and didn't accomplish in the past year but now I am focusing more on the process and what steps I will take to make my own personal progress. Although I still don't have a clear idea of the end result, I am allowing myself to be OK with that so long as I'm working with direction and enjoying the ride. I think most mothers will agree that caring for your child helps you to do that by forcing you to stop for funny little moments or to stop and think of creative ways to discipline. While I've set my goals loosely for this year, my main goal is to be more mindful of what I'm doing, how I'm doing it and why. Happy 2015!
Isn't this skirt from Target awesome?! We thought so! This is what we wore to the Arizona Bridal Fair. Check back for more outfit posts from the Soiree Girls coming soon...Shop the Xhiliration Sequin Skirt here.
We're all going mad for plaid this fall season and I'm lucky we finally had some cooler days here so I could wear my favorite fall vintage find, this plaid cape. I love everyone's looks this month! Check their blogs out here:
Do you want to be part of our holiday blog challenge/link up?! For November and December I would love to include more people and not just mommies! If you are interested please email me at asenda34@hotmail.com!
We're back to our Cafe Marcel ritual, except only on Sundays these days. It's such a great little place to get yummy crepes and really good coffee. Something I really enjoy about Tucson is the small town feel and getting to know these people and businesses that keep us coming back!
I've teamed up once again this month with my fellow fashion mommies! Our challenge this month was to create outfits with one of this season's biggest trends, black & white combining some sort of print and pattern. Make sure to check out the rest of these stylish mamas and their blogs:
I haven't been able to post too much lately because we have been moving for what seems like forever but I'm super excited to start posting some looks here in the desert!
There are a lot of things I will miss about living in So-Cal, one of them being the BEACH of course. So I thought I would dedicate a little post to my favorite beach essentials. I'm eagerly waiting my new Bikini from SportsDirect.com, they offer super cute styles at ridiculously discounted prices. I'll be reviewing this bikini by Golddigga, although I will probably be poolside and not oceanside by then. Check out more of their ladies swimwear!
