The neon trend can be hard for anyone to pull off. Women who are expecting usually stick to solids and darker colors to divert attention away from their expanding bellies and girth and therefore fashionistas who are expecting are more likely to avoid this particular Spring trend.
However, I’m here to tell you it can be done by incorporating accessories in your wardrobe.
1 BANGLES
Go bold and expressive by layering multi colored bangles with any outfit to brighten the room and your mood. I like Berry Jewelry Neon Bangle Bracelets which come in a set of 4 and you can pick up at a heavily discounted price of just $30 at Nordstrom while supplies last.
2. NAILS
If you work at a place that permits expressive nail color, you could get away with wearing neon yellow nail polish.
Bags can be conversation starters. From totes to clutches to colorful backpacks, you can show off your chic and trendy side of your style aesthetic through colorful bags in the season’s hottest shades!
If you’re on vacation, chances are there will be a lot of down time in the hotel room. Your child may find the lack of space in the room restrictive, which could prompt unruly behavior or temper tantrums. Help them avoid boredom or cabin fever with some fun games and toys. It’s unrealistic to bring the contents of the playroom with you on vacation
. However, you can bring along some compact game and toy options, or you can create your own activities that require little to no equipment.
Here are some ways you can keep your little ones entertained during your hotel stay:
Dress-Up
If you have a little girl, have a mini-fashion show in your hotel room. The two of you can get her prepared for her debut with outfit preparation followed by spa services. Perform a special facial, paint nails and create a fun hair-do. You can easily pack a few accent pieces in your suitcase, like ribbon, costume jewelry or your daughter’s favorite dress. This activity is ideal for the child who enjoys planning and is enthusiastic about dress-up. It will require some patience on her part– but if you keep the energy high and have fun, it will keep her occupied and the two of you will have a blast.
Puzzles
Puzzles are time-consuming activities that can keep a child’s attention. If you have enough room in your luggage, pack some jigsaw puzzles. The two of you should pick out a jigsaw that is your child’s favorite animal or animated character, so they’re excited about the final product. The more enthusiastic they are about the content, the more time they’ll commit. If you have limited space for jigsaws, you can bring along some printed word puzzles. Include terms or words that are at your child’s reading level. You can make the theme of the puzzle reflect your child’s favorite hobbies, books or movies.
Card Games
Cards are compact and can be easily transported–they make a great alternative to board games. You can bring along a pack of regular playing cards for games like go fish, speed or gin rummy. Bicycle offers a six pack of kids card games that include Go Fish, Slap Jack, Memory, Matching, Old Maid and Crazy Eights. These cards are well-illustrated, colorful and designed especially for kids. Uno is another fun card game that is great for the entire family, as you can incorporate many players.
Music Video
Get the creative juices flowing and produce a music video with your kid. They can choose their favorite song, and the two of you can storyboard the visual elements. You can orchestrate outfits and practice choreographed dance moves. The video can be recorded on your tablet or smartphone. Many smartphones have video editing capabilities or apps, so you can instantly assemble the footage and polish it up for presentation. Your child will love to watch themselves perform and it is a fun, creative activity the two of you can do together.
Bath Adventure
Liven up bathtime and make the tub an adventurous oasis. The tub is like a mini pool where your kids can hang out and play with their bath toys. Bring along the essential rubber ducky or foam figures, so your child can entertain themselves with these toys. You also can go one step further and create an exciting bath adventure. You can purchase themed bath kits at toy stores.
The Pirates of the Tub play set includes 36 foam pieces that make pirate figurines, islands, a raft, boats and the Jolly Roger flag. The pieces will stick onto tiles, the wall or sides of the bath tub. The set also includes three pirate squirters that your kid will love.
Summer is here! If you haven’t gotten into the type of shape you want for bathing suit season, don’t sweat it! Go as you are, mamas!
Summer gets whatever body it gets, right!?!
I’m all about body confidence and am looking forward to hitting the pool and beach this month and next!
I curated a selection of super cute and sexy bathing options for moms from my partners.
All of the bottoms are high waist and most offer an assortment of coverage while still looking quite chic and cute.
I thought maybe because they’re so inexpensive that you’d be sacrificing quality but a scan of the reviews from verified purchasers reveal that there are few complaints in that deparment.
Besides, if not for a simple pool dip, they can be great for impromptu photo shoots for the Gram:
Hit the beach in this Green and Monstera High-Waisted Bikini which features a smocked bikini top with ruffled trim in a pretty emerald green.
I love the retro look to Asos’s Curve ASOS DESIGN Curve swim suit. The ruffle design on the arms provide ample coverage for any mom who is not comfortable with her arms being exposed and coverage. The polka dots and pin stripes are a perfect imperfect match.
The color blog mix and match trend is so hot. This bottom gives off a tropical feel and is ideal for a vacay in the Islands. Ordinarily I try to stay away from swimsuits with zippers in the back which this suit has but I love it!
I love the color block on this high waisted bikini set and especially the side panels which create a slimming effect and illusion of a narrower hip if that is the look you crave.
This Shein Plus Striped Colorblock Cami One Piece Swimsuit is giving me Baywatch vibes. Get it for just $15
Soak up the sunshine in the Orange Stripe and Floral High-Waisted Bikini set. Adjust the lace-up back straps on the high-neck bikini top to find your perfect it. Matching high-waisted bikini bottoms provide flattering tummy coverage and give this set a summery retro-inspired look you’ll love.
Porsha Williams is making sure her fans are getting pumped for her first solo Bravo TV special.
TheReal Housewives of Atlanta star is sharing more details of the pregnancy of her first child, Pilar Jhena McKinley, in a three-part special, Real Housewives of Atlanta: Porsha’s Having a Baby. To promote the show’s Sunday night premiere, the reality star posted an Instagram snapshot to her 4.5 million followers.
In the photo, Willams is covered in purple flowers, showing nothing but her baby bump and tan panties. Williams is also donning a smoky eyeshadow, long eyelashes, and a bold red lip as her dark hair is pulled back. The star is also rocking a sparkly ring and flashy nails. The photo received more than 54,000 likes and more than 300 comments from Williams’ fans.
It’s that time again…for a round up of the most popular blog posts you might have missed. I just sent this to my email newsletter subscribers and figured I’d share it here as well!
You can skip to the category that apply or resonate with you. No pressure. Click. Read and if you like it, share! Thanks!
I think it’s interesting that there was a survey of parents who give their children these names regret them after a celebrity names her kid that too! Doh!
When you are trying for a baby and you get those all-important positive results when doing a test, you life changes right then. You become so much more aware of your body and the amazing things that it is doing. You read every book or subscribe to every application about pregnancy, and you track things week by week. Those scans are exciting, the preparation is all part of the fun, and then when your baby does arrive it changes you once more.
Those first few weeks and months can often feel like a blur. One day merging into the next as you soak up that newborn bubble. Family visit, friends text, but once the initial excitement has calmed down, you are left with the baby and trying to create this whole new life and routine based around having someone else’s needs to cater for. It can be overwhelming. This is why it is so important to raise awareness of your mental health during this time. Being a new mum, or even being a second or third timer, it is still isolating, and every baby is different. Becoming a mum changes you beyond what words can describe, but there are some major benefits that you can take advantage of. Here are some of them. Hopefully it will inspire you to make some great changes in your life and to bring your family along for the ride.
1 Change your career
One of the big questions that you may be faced with now that you are a mom is wondering whether or not your career was all it was cracked up to be. Some women only have a certain amount of maternity leave before they need to head back into the workplace. Is this right for you and your baby? Of course, some people don’t have a choice, but often being a mom changes the way you see things and you decide that perhaps now might be the time to do something different. Here are some of the things that you could consider to change your career and how being a mom may help you do it.
2 Work from home and start your own business
Not everyone has the desire to leave the home after they have had a baby, work long hours and then subsequently not get to spend anytime with their little ones. It can often be the case for successful professionals when they return to work. However, why not use the skills that you have developed in your current job to start your own business? Maybe you have had an idea for some time, or perhaps since becoming a mom you have spotted a gap in the market for a product or service. So many mothers use their maternity leave to start up something from home, and have it become a real possibility that they don’t have to return back to work as it becomes their jobs. Working from home can give you greater flexibility around your family, and can often be the dream position for many mothers. You could make it your reality.
3 Use your empathy skills to help
When you become a mom you develop empathy and caring feelings like no other, and so it might be great to use this to your advantage in terms of a career. Counselling or helping people through traumatic times could now become a career option for you as you learn to listen more and empathize with certain situations, especially with things like postnatal depression. This is when getting skills and knowledge such as taking on a bs psychology online degrees could work in your favor. This could definitely be a rewarding career change, and it may work around your family such as taking on part time hours, or even looking into things such as starting your own business in this field.
4 Help other women go through pregnancy and giving birth
Lastly, you may have absolutely loved giving birth and your whole pregnancy and might want to help others have a positive experience as well. So a career change could see you doing things such as training to be a nurse or midwife, or perhaps just being a doula who is present at the birth and becomes a birthing partner for a mother to be. It could be a very rewarding role and while it can be demanding, and often requires you to work shifts, it could certainly change your life and enable you to share in the positive experiences with others.
5 You learn to prioritize
Now that you are a new mom you certainly learn how to prioritize in different ways, and so it may be worth thinking about how this could be effective when it comes to your life day to day. Not only do you ensure that your child has a schedule and routine in place, but this can also work for you as a mom as well. So here are some of the ways that you can learn to prioritize and make some changes along the way.
6 Get a cleaning schedule going
When it comes to cleaning, it can often be put on the back burner when you become a mom, and for good reason. You have other things that you want to be doing instead. However, cleaning is something that you will still need to do, so it might be worth ensuring that you do all that you can to get yourself a schedule going on. Often little by little you can come up with a plan that enables you to stay on top of things, without it being a big deal to you. There are so many different methods you can follow online that could help you get something together yourself. Whether that is tackling a different room each day, or just doing specific jobs daily to keep on top of things. You will feel better for getting things in order.
7 Meal plan and batch cook
It might be time to start thinking about a meal plan and batch cooking. This can really help you out on those days where you feel lethargic, are running on low energy and need to concentrate on your little one. Having a home cooked meal already cooked and frozen makes things so much simple, and you know you are getting a nutritious meal. It might be worth ensuring that you can meal plan which helps you to be more aware of what it is you and the family are going to eat. It helps to avoid the temptation of convenience food or take away, and also enables you to save some money on your food shop. It makes it easier to do things such as online shopping, which frees up your time for other things.
8 Become strict with the finances
Of course, part of being on maternity means that you may not be bringing in as much money as you normally do, and while this can cause you a bit of stress and worry, there are also things you can do to help you take advantage and make things a bit easier. You can prioritize and become a little stricter with the finances. Meal planning is one of the ways but you can also do things such as ensure that work on things like electricity usage and shop around for the best deals within your budget.
9 You are still you
Finally, as a new mom you are still the same person as you were before you got pregnant. While things may have changed for you, and while you may be thinking about some of the other things that have become more important in life, it is still important to take care of yourself. Here are some of the things that you can do.
10 Give yourself time for self-care
Self-care is so important as a new mom and there are many ways that you can do it. It might be as simple as a hot bath or a chance to read a book, or it could be something like getting your hair done or your nails. It might seem like a small thing, but it can make the world of difference to your mindset and how you feel.
11 Work on your mindset
On the subject of your mindset, it is also very important for you to ensure that you work on your thought process and your outlook on life. It can be easy to feel negative and down in the dumps when you have just had a baby, and this is when you can be at your most vulnerable. So take some time to be more aware of your thoughts and try and actively be more positive.
12 Make your lifestyle a focus
Finally, make your lifestyle more of a focus for you. It can all be part of your self care, but if you can, be aware of your diet and the food that you eat, how much exercise you take and also ensuring that you drink plenty of water. These may be the basics, but combined they can help you to feel so much better in yourself.
Let’s hope these tips help you when it comes to the changes you feel as a new mom.
One topic of concern to some mothers with breast implants is whether they present any health risk to their baby through possible contamination of their breast milk. In particular, they ask about whether silicon, silicone gel or platinum used in implants can leak into their breast milk.
Silicon and Silicone
Moms should know that silicon occurs naturally. It is the second most abundant element in the earth’s crust. It is thought to be essential for connective tissues and is found in tendons, bone, skin, hair and nails. Silicon is used as an anti-foaming agent in fruit juice and is found in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and proshtheses. The only known health hazard results from inhaling crystalline silica dust into the lungs causing silicosis. Silica dust is never used in implants.
Breast implants contain silicone gel, a synthetic polymer made up of silicon, oxygen and other elements, most typically carbon and hydrogen.
Research has reported cases of esophageal dysmotility (slow movement through the esophagus) in infants that were nursing from mothers with silicone implant). Another study reported “rheumatoid-like symptoms” transferred to a child from a breastfeeding mother with silicone implants). However, this study examined only two children.
A larger study did not show any adverse outcomes in infants of breastfeeding mothers with silicone implants. Another study found that there were actually higher levels of silicon in cow’s milk infant formulas than in human milk. (It should be noted that this study was funded by the plastic surgery industry.)
The silicon-containing anti-colic agent simethicone has been widely used for decades and there have not been shown to have any toxic side effects to infants.The American Academy of Pediatrics therefore recommends that mothers with silicone breast implants should breastfeed if they choose to.
The American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Drugs does not feel that the evidence currently justifies classifying silicone implants as a contraindication to breastfeeding.
Bottom line: There is very little reliable data about breastfeeding with implants. Given that silicon is so abundant in our environment, and that there are overwhelming advantages of breastfeeding we strongly encourage women with breast implants to breastfeed if they wish to.
PLATINUM
While the limited evidence available suggests there is little risk from silicon, this may not be the case with platinum, which is used in silicone and saline implants. Platinum is a toxic metal that is especially damaging to early development.
There have been some studies showing significant levels of platinum in silicone breast implant gel and envelopes. Platinum has also been shown to leak out of the implant and accumulate in the tissues of women exposed to silicone breast implants . The question then becomes should women with saline or silicone breast implants be concerned about platinum?
Our research has found only one study to date that looked at platinum in breast milk in mothers that had silicone breast implants. It included 18 women with silicone breast implants and 5 women without ( the control group). The authors examined blood, urine, hair, nails, sweat and the breast milk of these women.
The concentration of platinum in blood did not differ between mothers with exposure to silicone through implants and those without. Both groups did have detectable levels of platinum thought to be related to environmental exposure. Similarly the concentration of platinum in urine did not differ between mothers with exposure to silicone through implants and those without.
However, there was a significant difference in platinum concentration in the hair, nails, sweat and breast milk in the implant group versus the control group, where no platinum was detected.
The study concluded that women with silicone breast implants had much higher levels of platinum than women without implants whereas saline implants did not contain any platinum. However, the methodology of the study has been questioned.
Bottom Line: Due to the small sample size, more research needs to be done to replicate these findings. However, it does raise some questions about platinum in breast milk. If mothers are concerned about platinum or silicone in their breast milk, Lactation Lab offer custom test kits to measure the levels of the components of their milk, along with recommendations for how to address any concerns.
The neon trend can be hard for anyone to pull off. Women who are expecting usually stick to solids and darker colors to divert attention away from their expanding bellies and girth and therefore fashionistas who are expecting are more likely to avoid this particular Spring trend.
However, I’m here to tell you it can be done by incorporating accessories in your wardrobe.
BANGLES
Go bold and expressive by layering multi colored bangles with any outfit to brighten the room and your mood. I like Berry Jewelry Neon Bangle Bracelets which come in a set of 4 and you can pick up at a heavily discounted price of just $30 at Nordstrom while supplies last.
NAILS
If you work at a place that permits expressive nail color, you could get away with wearing neon yellow nail polish.
HANDBAGS
Bags can be conversation starters. From totes to clutches to colorful backpacks, you can show off your chic and trendy side of your style aesthetic through colorful bags in the season’s hottest shades!
This Valentine’s day if you are pregnant and heading out to lunch or dinner with your honey, here are a few fashion accessories inspirations for spicing up your look and for getting festive for the day of love that does not require you actually wearing the color red in your choice of clothing because, how cliche, right?!
HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY love muffins!
1. You can go with a large faux or natural red flower in the hair like Miss Victory Violet above especially if you cannot pull off fire-engine red hair like most of us cannot do.
2. Red Nails can get your partner feeling hot for you…
3. A red scarf wrapped as a winter layer or part of your outfit is a great way to add spark …
4. A red lip is so sultry and sweet….
5. And so is a red bag because it is loud and stands out…so fiery!
Things are getting crazy out here for furloughed federal workers.
Over 800,000 workers are out of a job and waiting for the federal government shutdown to end while bills pile up and they scramble for ways to cut costs. Many are taking advantage of grocery giveaways and free meals but what about the stuff in the home that are piled up unused?
There are several places where you can sell your stuff. There is always eBay which was a pioneer in online sales of used items but which can still be time-consuming to set up. Now we have several mobile apps that have helped people bring in major bucks.
The following excerpt from sites like Techilicious may be helpful and talk about 8 places to sell your old stuff
1. Decluttr
Decluttr is a mobile app that provides a fast, easy and free way to sell and Buy CDs, DVDs, Games, Books, Mobile Phones and Tech.
There are no auction fees and they pay the next day and they pay to ship your old DVDs, CDs and Games and send you a pre-paid box! You cannot go wrong because you can accept or reject the offer for the items. A lot of it will be sitting in your shelves anyway. As long as you’re home, you might as well go through your house and scrounge up any stuff you think you can sell and start stacking those offers. It could add up!
Poshmark app is the place to sell your high end monogram handbag you never use, old Louboutins and rarely used couture items you cannot fit anymore or simply do not like. Major shoppers probably have handfuls of unworn clothes in their closets.
People have made full time income from this site. It functions similar to to eBay in that it allows people to buy and sell clothing and accessories with ease making it an ideal platform to offload some of the unwanted gifts during the holiday season.
Since launching in 2011, it has transformed into a community of five million sellers, who so far have been paid out $1 billion, according to Poshmark.
Poshmark takes a $2.95 commission on all sales under $15. It takes a 20% commission on any sales above $15.
If Craigslist is an online version of the classifieds, OfferUp is a tech-savvy version of Craigslist.
It sports a gorgeously intuitive, picture-heavy interface for buyers to find anything from appliances and antiques to clothing to electronics in their respective locations.
This sophisticated clothes reselling marketplace focuses on branded fashion from j. Crew to Louis Vuitton, with items displayed in a magazine-esque design that showcases editor’s picks and categories such as “unique and surprising shoes.”
Sellers can compile a personalized homepage or “closet” showing items for sale as well items they’ve liked from other sellers. Users can follow sellers and brands in order to keep track of new items.
Best for: Designer bags and accessories, with somewhat lesser demand for high-end clothing and shoes.
There are dozens of fashion reselling sites out there, but Vinted offers an additional feature: the option to swap items without incurring any fees.
If you prefer to make some cold hard cash, it’s also an easy option for putting stuff up for sale. Where high-fashion-centric sites require sellers to send in their prospective items for checking before sending on to the buyer – thus lengthening the time before you get paid – Vinted lets sellers and buyers conduct their own exchanges, with seller ratings and the option to follow particular sellers and brands.
Best for: Clothes that are in good condition, from mass market fashion to designer brands, though the bulk of listings seem to be for mainstream fashion.
Chairish is a beautifully designed site and iOS app focus on the reselling of unique or designer homeware, as well as antiques and jewelry. The site’s homepage shows timely curations of the available products, such as barware in time for Father’s Day, or items from “New Miami Sellers.” A couple hundred new items are posted each day, with the site’s catalog filtered by designers, styles, and cities, so that buyers can hunt down anything art-deco in Chicago, for instance.
Best for: Vintage or antique furniture, house accessories, or jewelry in good condition.
With nearly 1.5 billion users, the reach of Facebook Marketplace can’t be beat. Marketplace defaults to listings in your local area, so you don’t have to worry about shipping your item. That makes it great for larger items, like furniture and appliances. But there is a brisk trade in a wide range of products.
Best for: Nearly anything in your house, including big items such as appliances and furniture and smaller items like clothing or accessories.
Over 54 million people use Craigslist every month, posting anything from jobs to event listings. The buying and selling of secondhand goods represent a brisk trade on an overflowing marketplace that still looks like a 90s-era message board. It’s often the place to pick up a bargain from people who just want to get rid of their stuff.
Best for: Nearly anything in your house, particularly big things such as appliances and furniture. Smaller items like clothing or accessories are better suited to other sites
While there are plenty of legitimate and reasonably lucrative ways to make money at home, there are some scammers who are out to take your money.
For local sales apps, never agree to meet a buyer in a remote location and go with a friend to avoid being robbed or scammed.
If you have an old vehicle you are looking to unload, look for these signs on the road an in local listings that read ” we buy junk cars near you ” and see what type of deal they’re willing to offer and compare to Carmax or other established platforms.
