Loading...
Browsing Category

BumpNews

5 Things Moms should do ALONE before Summer is Over

I spotted Living Happier After’s blog post on 10 things single moms need to do this summer and I honed in the fact she included 5 things to do with the kids and 5 things to do alone. After having quite the hectic life this summer with my kids home most of the time as I worked from home, and entertaining houseguests all summer, I must say I think the 5 things moms should do alone can apply to any mom, single, married, dating and in between.

They were:

1. Go out to dinner. And eat alone and bask in solitude which is critical to living happier.

2. Get self-care.  A masage or pedicure or facial for yourself will do…again taking care of self. It can also be spending an afternoon reading a book, exploring new magazines, but definitely doing it in a space where there are no kids around…if you can find such a space.

3. Go to the movies alone…also to just get a breather and escape.

4. Visit a local museum or art gallery. Take in some culture in a space where quiet is not only premium but mandatory!

5. Do a personal assessment. Revisit resolutions from January 1 and check in to see if you have let some lapse or if you need to reset and reconnect and recalibrate.

Superb suggestions and I think I am ripe to make some of these happen soon! Read Living Happier After‘s post and complete list of 10 items HERE!

post signature

Bump Watch: Kristen Bell stuns in Monique Lhullier on red carpet

Second time mom-to-be Veronica Mars actress Kristen Bell  stunned in a 2015 navy and beige Monique Lhuiller color block sateen sheath dress with nude pumps and a jeweled Edie Parker ‘Jean’ black and nude pearl stripe box clutch while attending the Harvey Weinstein Company and Lexus presents “Life is Amazing” short film festival at the Regal Cinema at LA LIVE! on Wednesday, July 30 in Los Angeles, California.
Bell confirmed that she and finance actor Dax Shepard are expecting their second child. The couple are parents to one year old, Lincoln Bell, born last March 2013. 
She looked amaze balls, while concealing a growing baby bump in that uber cute dress. 

post signature

PreFall Maternity Styling: Dress your Bump for Short Girls

Vertically challenged girls need hip maternity fashion too!

For pregnant ladies who are short in stature, you want to elongate your frame by wearing long tops, or throwing on a long cardigan over your outfit. Stick with tapered pants or above knee maternity pencil skirts. To lenghthen the torso, wear a v-neck or deep neckline shirt.

Here are some picks to get a look like the one above from the Isabella Oliver StyleMyBump campaign.

post signature

Kate Hudson makes case for getting married for the kids

Kate Hudson made the case for the value in marriage for children. She and her fiance Matthew Bellamy have been engaged since April 2011 and have a son together.

During a recent interview on The View, she addressed her views on marriage and her super long engagement:

I just don’t have—I’m happy. We’re married. We’ve got kids and a family and we’ve got to find our time together alone.  We are in it. I think if we do get married it will be for the kids, really. For us, we’re just happy. I know that’s not really necessarily a golden ticket but there is something beautiful about the security of marriage.  And we’ll get there when we get there.

Clearly, marriage isn’t for everyone, not everybody wants to get married and marriages and unions fail all the time, or run a natural course.


However, I get riled up when I hear people who do not want marriage, diss its value. There is a cultural shift where those who are not married, did not grow in two-parent households and /or are struggling to find a lifelone mate are fighting against the guilt and societal pressure. 

I understand all that, but I still feel that some heterosexuals in committed relationships should not be disparaging a union that many homosexual men and women are fighting to get. Yes, a lot of marriages fail, and people are unhappy and stick with failing ones for the kids when they are unhappy. However, there are plenty of successful marriages out there too. Why compare and point out those that don’t work out to make the case for why marriage sucks?

 
Gay and lesbian couples see the value in marriage hence their ongoing battle to change laws, file lawsuits and campaign for “marriage equality.”

They know that if they are married:

  • they can pass on inheritance to a married partner, automatically in case of a tragedy or if they haven’t yet drawn up a will. If they are not married, their property could go to an uncaring family member who may have turned their backs on them when they came out the closet.
  •  and in case a partner is incapacitated for illness or after an accident, or during old age, a married partner will be empowered to make decisions, not domestic partners  in most states, still
  • their kids can have both their names and make permission slip signing, the names on pick up forms, and other decisions related to the kids and dealing with schools easier.
  • they know that many insurance companies allow a spouse to pass over health and dental benefits to a spouse which is great if one spouse has a business, is a stay-at-home mom or dad, or works part time or is unemployed. If they are not married, the spouse without work insurance is screwed and has to get private insurance which could be costly.
  • there is societal benefits to the children bearing the same names as their parents. People judge and you cannot help that so if your kid can put off stigma and judgment in this realm, great. 
  • dual income and security, like Hudson said, are more likely to help than hurt a child, but with marriage comes a reluctance to just walk out in rough times. You may be more likely to work it out and try harder before calling it quits.
Anyway, I thought that was interesting. What are your thoughts?
post signature

STUDY: Pregnant Smoking Alters Baby’s genes

A new study concludes that smoking while pregnant actually alters the genes of the baby. The CounselHealth.com wrote:



Smoking during pregnancy could cause epigenetic changes in the fetus, causing birth defects and health problems later in life, a new study has found.

According to the study, newborn children of mothers who smoked while pregnant are more likely to have experienced certain changes to their DNA than newborn children of non-smokers.

Children exposed to tobacco smoke in utero have a higher risk of birth defects and are more likely to suffer from some medical problems than the children of women who did not smoke while pregnant, the press release further added.

The study also added that the difference between the children of smokers and the children of non-smokers continues into adulthood.

Researchers are yet to explain what causes these problems, but earlier studies have suggested that exposure to toxins in tobacco smoke could cause changes to the DNA of the developing fetus.

Researchers studied blood samples from 889 newborns of which 287 had mothers who reported smoking in the first trimester of pregnancy. The study found a link between maternal smoking and altered methylation in 110 gene regions.

The study has been published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

post signature

Alicia Keys is pregnant with her 2nd child

Singer and Pop R&B superstar Alicia Keys announced her second pregnancy with husband rapper and producer Swizz Beatz to her followers on Instagram in the cutest way.
She captioned the above photo:

Happy Anniversary to the love of my life @therealswizzz !! And to make it even sweeter we’ve been blessed with another angel on the way!!  You make me happier than I have ever known! Here’s to many many more years of the best parts of life! 

So sweet! Congratulations! 
The couple married in August 2010 before the arrival of their son, Egypt, 3, later that year in October.
Keys looks to be about 4 to 6 months pregnant, which means if she is that  far along, she did a great job concealing the secret in a world of bump watch and speculation when the media know about your next baby before you do even sometimes. 
Good job!

post signature

Travelers Trend: Topless landmark back photography

Here is another interesting photo trend, this time for your travelers out there. 
A trio of women students who love to travel have are the founders of a Facebook page, “The Topless Tour”, now a movement inspiring travelers to take off their tops at tourist spots around the world and post the photos online.
The women, Olivia Edginton, Lydia Buckler, and Ingvild Marstein Olsen, are students and roommates at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music & Dance in London. 
And it has taken off with more and more tourists taking them up on the challenge and doing their own topless photos and posting them on the group page and elsewhere.
The page has nearly 20,000 likes and counting. The purpose, per the ladies is to unite the “people across the globe to feel the freedom and share their beauty with the world”….I guess one bra-less woman at a time! ha! 
Granada, Spain

Calvi, France

Greenland

KENYA, AFRICA
WOULD YOU DO IT ON YOUR NEXT VACATION?

Celeb Maternity Styling: How to wear stripes while pregnant

Pulling off stripes while pregnant is not easy to do. But many celebs we’ve featured in the past have done it and looked fashionable, such as currently pregnant Vanessa Lachey when she was expecting her first child.
To make it work, go with thinner stripes to take away from the widening illusion of wide stripes. Also, break up the lines with a belt tied above the belly and below the breastbone. 
Another trick to distract from the girth is to carry a handbag across the chest like a messenger bag.
Accent the look with neutral sandals, wedges, shades and jewelry accessories and you’ve got a trendy summer look that will turn heads!

Using a style sheet from Prep101, here are some additional styling suggestions and inspiration in moderate price points:

post signature

Summer Baby Shower: Out-of-Box Custom Decorations and Mocktail Recipes

Big Dot of Happiness on Pinterest
Summer baby showers are the best and can be the most fun because you have the option of also going outdoors, to the backyard or at a picnic spot and enjoying the fresh air.
They aren’t necessarily less stressful to plan, however.  The decorating part doesn’t have to be too burdensome. More and more companies are making it easier for party organizers to decorate events by selling some “out-of-the-box” packages of decorations. 
Big Dot of Happiness on Pinterest

For example,  Big Dot of Happiness (www.bigdotofhappiness.com) offers variety of high-quality unique and customizable party themes and makes it simple to throw a decked-out event that’s sure to impress. You can search for themes, for custom boy or girl parties or build one from scratch, including shower game novelties and other cute cut outs and ideas. 
Check them out its Pinterest board for more baby shower, birthday party and wedding shower ideas.

Big Dot of Happiness on Pinterest
And for a refreshing alternative to alcoholic cocktails, serving mocktails with custom names unique to the parents or impending arrival is also a hit trend.
The folks over at  Soda Stream wanted us to share with you these fun recipes to try for those with their soda stream machines and products. If you don’t have them, feel free to substitute in club soda or a similar drink.
And congratulations to Bellyitch Bumpwatch  mom-to-be Scarlett Johnasson for becoming Soda Stream’s first global ambassador. Good for her. 
Enjoy these recipes:

Pink Grapefruit Preggatini

SodaStream Diet Pink Grapefruit
Pomegranate Syrup or grenadine
Splash of lime
 The Storkie
SodaStream Cranberry Grape
Orange Juice
Splash of Lime
Lullaby
SodaStream Club Soda
Tangerine Juice
Splash of Lime
Cucumber “Mama” Mojito
SodaStream Mojito
1 cucumber, sliced
ice

post signature

Alyssa Milano to cover Fit Pregnancy (VIDEO)

Look for Mistresses star Alyssa Milano to cover the August/September issue of Fit Pregnancy

Inside the upcoming issue, the former child star (Who’s the Boss) reveals that she had a bit of morning sickness for the first three months of her pregnancy this round but not with her son, Milo.

That’s how she knew ” it was going to be a girl,” Milano shared.with the mag.

The mom-to-be is pretty busy juggling life with a hit show, while also co-hosting Project Runway All Stars and being a mom to a toddler while being a wife to Hollywood agent David Bugliari.

“I’m mentally preparing to be working pretty much until the end of this pregnancy,” she said, while also revealing that she is also managing a renovation on the family home outside Los Angeles. Wow!

 “I  feel good, but I’m tired, and I don’t know if that’s the pregnancy or because I’ve been working so much.”

As to whether she is one of those moms who love pregnancy or hates it, Milano revealed that she loves it.

“I don’t think it’s as romantic as we project it to be through the media, but I think what the body goes through is miraculous,” she added. “It’s such a cool thing to experience. I feel blessed that I’m getting another chance to do it, especially at 41.”

Check out a behind the scenes of the cover shoot

Alyssa Milano Interview on Pregnancy and Motherhood

photo: courtesy Fit Pregnancy

post signature

Batman138 Bro138 Dolar138 Gas138 Gudang138 Hoki99 Ligaciputra Panen77 Zeus138 Kilat77 Planet88 Gaspol168 Sikat88 Rupiah138 Garuda138 Gacor77 Roma77 Sensa138 Panen138 Slot138 Gaco88 Elanggame Candy99 Cair77 Max7 Best188 Space77 Sky77 Luxury777 Maxwin138 Bosswin168 Cocol88 Slot5000 Babe138 Luxury138 Jet77 Bonanza138 Bos88 Aquaslot Taktik88 Lord88 Indobet Slot69 Paus138 Tiktok88 Panengg Bingo4d Stars77 77dragon Warung168 Receh88 Online138 Tambang88 Asia77 Klik4d Bdslot88 Gajah138 Bigwin138 Markas138 Yuk69 Emas168 Key4d Harta138  Gopek178 Imbaslot Imbajp Deluna4d Luxury333 Pentaslot Luxury111 Cair77 Gboslot Pandora188 Olxtoto Slotvip Eslot Kuy138 Imbagacor Bimabet