Friday, May 27, 2011

Nursing clothing

I have been debating wether or not to buy nursing clothing, well shirts. To me it sounds perfectly logical too but I have been reading a few women say they are a waste of money. I have a nursing cover and a few camis that I could wear under a shirt.

Being a new mom I feel that nursing tanks and shirts make so much more sense and that it would make it easier. I don't have a ton of pre-pregnancy clothing that is super loose fitting a few tops here and there. Should I maybe just get a few more, more loose fitting shirts so I can wear a cami under?

I am going to keep this post short but PLEASE I need some feedback!!

xoxo,


Thursday, May 26, 2011

Ideas and Input

Good Afternoon everyone!! I hope your day is going amazing!! I am a bit stressed today but over all I'm doing very well.
The pregnancy is going pretty well its just getting a bit tiring. I feel huge although I'm told that I'm tiny, but I will make it through, what other choice do I have? (only kidding its not that horrible) Sleeping is a chore and almost a joke I think I maybe get 3-4 hours a night, on a good night it'll be 6 hours. That is just not cutting it.

Anyway the reason why I am writing this blogpost is I was thinking of doing makeup classes for women in my area. I was thinking like the basics, how to match your foundation, how to make your makeup work for you, a basic smokey eye, etc. I think things like that would really be helpful to some women, I would suggest that they bring their makeup (not a TON of things but you know a good portion).

I really want to know any ideas you all have. If you were to go to a Makeup basics class how much would you pay(realistically)? What would you want to learn? Would you prefer it to be one on one or with a group of ladies? I'd really appreciate a TON of feedback on this please!!



XOXO,


Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Update on moving

So if you watch any of my videos or follow my twitter you'd know that we have been on a back and forth battle of wether we are moving or not because of several different things.



Well we have found out/ decided to move and though it is going to be a bit stressful being in my third trimester trying to get moved in and settled all before baby Reina gets here I am also excited and relieved.









I am excited because we can paint her room whatever color we want, we can paint basically anything any color we want as long as we paint it back before we move out. Point number 2 why I am excited/ relieved is that we are going to be getting a 2 year lease that way we have an idea of how much rent and all of the financial costs will be as far as housing for the next two years will be. We will also not have to worry about moving (if we decided to) until Reina is almost two which again is a nice relief!



I am definately not excited about the moving part although I can't help move anything that is also why I am a bit stressed. I just don't want wifey and everyone else to have to do the work while I sit and do.... I have no idea what I'll do. I think I am going to make up little sub sandwiches for every one while helping but I'm not sure what else to do. If you have any suggestions let me know please



One nice thing is that we will have about two weeks to get everything moved in we will get the keys to the new place on the 1st and then we don't have to be out of the place we're in now til about the 17th or so. So that's why we will be able to paint and move at more convient times when its not 1000 degrees.



I also am looking into getting my real estate license before Reina gets here as well. With moving and getting everything settled in I really don't have much time being in my third trimester has made me so exhausted even more than the first tri! I find myself sitting at the table almost nodding off its crazy!



I will have a pregancy update soon I just wanted to let you know a bit about the move.



XOXO,

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Mommy purchase

So we have ordered a few things for baby Reina and I am so glad we have. We have a few weeks left but all of you moms out there know how it can be when your counting down the weeks and it seems like its coming so fast.

The first thing we purchased was a gate for her room, since she is in the "den" there are no doors on her room and we just want to be able to have something to keep the dogs out if we want to.

We purchased the gate off target.com and I cannot wait to get it. It should be here next week the delivery date is the 12th - 16th I believe. The gate we chose:
Product Image
Image from Target.com




The gate is Regalo Extra Wide Wide-Span Gate, It retails for $74.99. We chose this particular one for many reasons; there were a ton of great reviews, we like the latch opening, we liked that it had a "doorway" to walk through instead of "jumping" over it, that it was obviously extra long and would fit our space.
Since it is obviously not a cheap piece we are hoping it works up to our expectations so we shall see and I will let you know how it works.

The second item we purchased was the breast pump, also from target.com and the delivery date is the same as well. I have decided to breastfeed but we also want to be able to have Tiffany feed Reina too. Also there are just times when it will be easier to give her a bottle. My whole take on breastfeeding is that I am not going to stress myself or the baby out over it. Of course I really would like to exclusively breastfeed but that may not work.
Regardless we purchased the Medela brand I have done research for months on the different brands and styles, etc. I feel that Medela brand was the best for us and the style I wanted I knew was electric.
So I continued with research for another month or two, and I finally decided I wanted the Medela Pump in Style Advanced Breast Pump with Backpack:




Product Image Medela Pump in Style Advanced Breast Pump with Backpack
Image from target.com


This particular pump retails for $279.99 and we got it on sale for $251.99 so that was a $28.00 savings which helps! So again I had done a lot of research on this breast pump and a ton of women had said it was completely worth the cost and especially if you are going to have more than one child, and or going to be breastfeeding for at least a year. 

For me I think it is the best obviously I won't know for a while until I can use it but I am thinking it will be great, again I will let you all know my thoughts on it.

If you have any questions please ask!!

XOXO,



Thursday, May 5, 2011

LOVE MODE CLOTHING GIVEAWAY

The fabulous online clothing store Love Mode has contacted me to hold a contest giving away a $25 gift card to one of my subscribers/ followers!!!


Love Mode have awesome clothing for women that is super cute and stylish they even have some similar styles to forever 21 but CHEAPER!!! They have a ton of cheap juniors clothing, and trendy clothing that is in style now and is also going to be in style in the summer through-out fall!



Another really awesome thing about Love Mode is that they are affiliated with Kiki's Fashions the maternity clothing store that has maternity clothing for extra cheap!!

Ok so the rules for the contest are:
1. You must be following me on this blog, and my youtube channel.
2. You must like Love Mode on Facebook- http://www.facebook.com/shoplovemode
3. You must be in the U.S. or Canada.




Hip Diaper bag/ Messenger style!

I made this diaper bag for my wife!!
We picked out this fabric and decided it was perfect for a diaper bag!!

I used the tutorial from A Mingled Yarn.



I love a functional diaper bag that doesn’t look like a diaper bag – and that can also be used as a regular messenger-style bag if you want. I don't think that diaper bags have to look all baby-ish.

This bag’s finished dimensions are: 14″ long, 12″ high, 5″ wide, with a 36″ long strap. You can customize the bag to make it bigger or smaller. (your own measurements – just remember to add 1″ for seam allowances.)

Materials
1 1/4 yards cotton (44/45″ wide) for the exterior
1 1/2 yards for lining
coordinating thread
12″ coordinating zipper
2 metallic snaps (optional)
1/2 yard Velcro
5/8 yard 1/4″ elastic (optional)

Pattern
1. Cut out the pieces.
A) Strap: 37″ x 5″. Cut 1 of fabric and 1 of interfacing (I recommend interfacing the strap or adding another layer even if using heavyweight fabric).
B) Front/back/flap piece: 15″ x 13″. Cut 4 of lining, cut 2 of fabric, and cut 2 of interfacing.
C) Side gusset: 6″ x 13″. Cut 2 of fabric, 2 of lining, and 2 of interfacing.
D) Bottom gusset: 6″ x 15″. Cut 1 of fabric, 1 of lining, and 1 of interfacing.
E) Back zippered pocket piece #1: 15″ x 3″. Cut 1 of fabric.
F) Back zippered pocket piece #2: 15″ x 11″. Cut 1 of fabric.
G) Front exterior pocket: 15″ x 9″. Cut 2 from fabric.
H) Side exterior pockets: 6″ x 9″. Cut 4 from fabric.
I) Interior pockets: 17″ x 9″. Cut 2 from lining.


2.I labeled the pieces with masking tape and marked them with letters corresponding to the list above. This helped keep track of the pieces.
Also: if you are using a uni-directional fabric (with motifs that all point the same way, like the fabric I chose) take care when laying and cutting your fabric.

3. Make strap.
Press under 1/2″ on each long side of strap piece (A). Then press (iron) under 1/2″ on each short side. Fold strap in half lengthwise, wrong sides together, matching up all pressed edges. Press flat. Keeping all pressed edges even, topstitch a 1/4″ seam on all 4 sides of the strap. Set aside.


4. Make flap.
a) You will need 1 fabric flap piece (B) and 1 lining flap piece (B). On the lining piece, attach smaller halves of metallic snaps to each corner on one long edge. Snaps should be placed so that they are 1″ in from each side of piece.
b) Pin lining piece to fabric piece, right sides together. Sew a 1/2″ seam around three sides, leaving one long edge (the side without the snaps) open. Turn right side out, using turning tool to push out corners. Topstitch a 1/4″ seam around three finished edges. Set aside.
5. Make exterior pockets.
a) Back zippered pocket: (I chose not to add a pocket) Pin piece E to piece F along long edge, right sides together. Using a 1/2″ seam allowance, stitch a 1.5″ long seam at each end. Stitch the remainder of the seam (12″ in the middle) with a long basting stitch. This will be where you insert the zipper. Press seam open. Pin zipper to middle basted section, placing top of zipper and zipper stop close to the ends of the basted section.
Using a zipper foot, attach the zipper. Remove basting thread. Pin wrong side of zippered pocket piece to right side of a back lining piece (B). Topstitch a 1/4″ seam around all four edges. The lining piece will serve as the pocket’s interior.



b) Side pockets: Pin two side exterior pockets (H) together along shorter edge, right sides together. Stitch a 1/2″ seam; trim. Turn, press, and topstitch a 1/4″ seam along edge. Cut a 2″ piece of Velcro. Stitch the fuzzy half to the interior of the pocket, 1/4″ down from the top edge. Place the pocket piece against one of the interfaced side gusset pieces (C), matching bottom and side edges. Mark placement for other half of Velcro on piece C, then stitch in place. Place pocket piece against gusset piece, with Velcro lined up, and stitch a 1/4″ seam around three edges. Repeat for other side pocket.

c) Front pockets: Pin the two front pocket pieces (G) together along long edge, right sides together. Stitch a 1/2″ seam; trim. Turn, press, and topstitch 1/4″ around all four edges. Attach other halves of metallic snaps to right side of pocket, through both layers. Measure up 5″ from bottom and in 1″ from each side to place snaps. Fold pocket in half width-wise and press, creating a crease down the center. Place the pocket piece against the remaining front fabric piece (B), matching bottom and side edges; pin in place. Topstitch along center crease, to create two front pocket halves. Cut two pieces of Velcro, each 4″ long. Stitch two fuzzy halves to the interior of the pocket, 1/4″ down from top edge, and centering each piece on each side of the center crease. Mark placement for other halves of Velcro on piece B, then stitch in place. Line up Velcro halves and topstitch 1/4″ seam around edges.




6. Assemble bag exterior.
a) Pin interfaced bottom gusset piece (D) to one side gusset piece (C) along short edges, encompassing bottom of side pocket, right sides together. Stitch a 1/2″ seam, beginning and ending 1/2″ from ends. Press open. Repeat for other side gusset piece.
b) Pin back zippered pocket piece to gussets along sides and bottom, through all thicknesses, right sides together, having zipper near the top. Stitch a 1/2″ seam.
Repeat for front pocket piece. Turn right side out. You should now have a bag exterior that can stand up on its own. Set exterior aside.

7. Make interior pockets.
a) Turn under 5/8″ on top edge of one interior pocket piece (I) and stitch in place using a 1/2″ seam allowance, forming a casing. Cut a piece of elastic 10″ long, insert it into the casing, and secure at both ends. Repeat for other interior pocket piece (I).
b) Pin wrong side of pocket piece against right side of one lining piece (B), matching bottom and side edges, easing in fullness at bottom by creating pleats or gathers. (It’s pretty much impossible to gather vinyl, so I used pleats across the bottom. If you’re using regular fabric for the lining, do a gathering stitch across the bottom and pull up the threads to fit). Stitch a 1/4″ seam around each side. Repeat for other pocket piece.
c) To create two interior pockets on one piece, fold the whole piece in half width-wise and mark the center line. Topstitch down that center line through all thicknesses.

d) To create three interior pockets on the other piece, measure in 5″ from each side and mark lines. Topstitch down those lines through all thicknesses.
8. Make bag interior.
Follow step 6 to attach side and bottom gussets and assemble the interior of your bag, with one exception: leave a long opening on one of the bottom seams for turning the bag. Do not turn right side out.





9. Finishing the bag.
a) Pin unfinished edge of flap to top edge of back zippered exterior piece, right sides together (lining side facing out). Stitch 1/4″ seam to attach.
b) Slip exterior of bag into lining, right sides together. Pin top edges together through all thicknesses. Stitch a 1/2″ seam. Trim seam.
c) Turn bag right side out by pulling exterior through the opening in lining. Sew up opening in lining. Push lining down into bag. Topstitch 1/4″ seam around top opening edges of bag.
d) Lap each end of strap 1.5″ over sides of bag. Topstitch strap ends to bag in an X pattern to secure.





I hope you all enjoyed this tutorial and try it out! It was definately a lot of work but totally worth it and I think I may even try it again!


XOXO,


Wednesday, May 4, 2011

30 weeks!!

I cannot believe we have just 10 weeks left!! It's crazy to think in about 2 months I will have a baby filling up all my time! This pregnancy has flown by so fast and I feel like we still have so much to do!!!





Size of baby: Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds.  Her eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day

Maternity clothes: Yes for shorts/pants. I can still wear some of my shirts but a few have my belly peeking out

Weight Gain: Finally hit 10 lbs!!

Gender: It's a GIRL named Reina Jean!

Movement: She definitely is getting more and more feisty. She moves a lot during the day and even more in the early evening. She looks like she's trying to kick her way out of my right side! She lately has been doing this jiggly move and it just looks so weird

Sleep: The past few nights have been pretty rough for sleeping I just can't get comfortable and my belly has been feeling like its stretching to far my skin feels as though it may rip.

What I miss: Being able to bend over, walk without getting winded, and walk without a waddle. Most of all I miss sleeping on my belly!

Cravings: This week I had a craving for water, passion fruit tea, and Starbucks.

Symptoms: Ha! Let's see: round ligament pain, sciatic nerve pain, difficulty breathing, little baby feet sticking up into my ribs, exhaustion, lower back pain, and just all around uncomfortableness.


What I'm looking forward to: Being skinny again ... ha! Seeing her gorgeous face and spending time learning the new ins and outs of parenthood with my wife.



Best moment this week: Finding out I do not have diabetes!!! (but I am anemic so I will have to take iron supplements)