3rd Trimester Survival Kit {Maternity)

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Pregnancy may seem like a breeze for some people and living agony for others. I can't complain too much because I have relatively easy pregnancies. Besides lack of energy during my first trimester and backache the last few weeks, some swelling due to hot weather I feel good most of the time. But there are few things that make my pregnancy a little less pleasant, so here are my remedies.

1. ALMOND OIL I said it before and I will say it again - almond oil rocks! If you want to prevent stretch marks and keep your skin smooth and silky, slather this stuff all over yourself after every shower. You won't regret it (although you may feel like a pancake for a minute or two ha!)

2. RED RASPBERRY LEAVES I'm not sure if this is going to affect anything but a lot of midwives suggest taking Red Raspberry Leaves during 3rd trimester. It's a uterine tonic and helps to prepare the uterus for labor, possibly even contracting the belly more than usual before active labor begins. I have definitely experienced a lot more Braxton-Hicks contractions this time around.

3. TUMS  Ahhhh hello heartburn! I haven't had this problem until about week 34 which is great considering how early on other ladies suffer. On top of tums, I'm constantly drinking seltzer water. Instead of soda or even ginger ale, the bubbly drink helps my digestion without making me feel bad about my calorie intake.

4. FLORADIX  If you are anything like me, you might have low iron levels. So when the midwife suggested I double my iron intake (on top of eating meat, lentils and upping my vitamin C) my stomach could not take that. Then she suggested Floradix and ever since I started taking it, it's super easy on my stomach which is a blessings (ya know what I mean ladies?)

5. LAVENDER OIL  I don't diffuse a lot but when I do it's usually lavender. It's calming and very pleasantly smelling, which also helps with the odor in the house. My husband isn't a fan of it so I usually add couple drops of eucalyptus.

6. BREATHE RIGHT NASAL STRIPS I've suffered from congestion at the beginning of spring and now my sinus headache came back out of nowhere. The nasal strips help open up airways and breath clearer without any drugs (which is a plus during pregnancy). Even my husband likes using these, which helps his congestion during the night, as well as letting me sleep without his snoring.

Notable Sales

LOFT - EXTRA 70% OFF all sale styles (online today only)

Banana Republic - extra 40% off sale (code: BRSAVE)

Nordstrom - Anniversary sale

J.Crew - extra 40% OFF sale styles (code: SHOPSALE)

Ann Taylor - extra 70% OFF sale items (in stores and online!)

LBD Take Two

dress; Liz Lange Maternity (Target)
belt: Target
watch: Fossil (similar on sale only $80 here)
sunglasses: Tory Burch
clutch: Macy's
pumps: Payless (similar on sale)

There is nothing that makes me feel remotely sexy as an LBD, especially during this stage in the pregnancy. I'm at 39 weeks and hoping baby girl will show up any day now. There a lot of signs that the labor is near but no active labor yet. The heat isn't making things any better so I'm cooling off under A/C in the house. I had grands plans of going to the lake this weekend but it's about 150% humidity around these parts. Hopefully the baby girl will decide to come soon and we can all be happy about that.

Link Up: Fizz and Frosting, Elegantly Dressed and Stylish, Living in Color Style  and Still Being Molly

SHOP MORE LBD OPTIONS

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Favorites {Shopping}

My Favorite: Dresses

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My Favorite: Shoes

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My Favorite: Bags & Wallets

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My Favorite: Accessories

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Hello lovelies! As promised, I've looked through the Nordstrom Anniversary sale and found some great picks for you. I think it's worth looking into shoes, bags and accessories if you are going to splurge on something extra nice. Shirts, tops and jeans you can get on sale later or somewhere less expensive (unless you are the ms. Money Bags of course). 

I love their selection of dresses and all the prints coming out for this fall. How stylish are the new designs from Kate Spade? All the bags, wallets and watches have a clean and simple cut, just the way I like it. Also, pretty bracelets from Kendra Scott and watches are on sale too. Right now is the time to pack some eye wear and accessories for your fall closet. Trust me, you won't be sorry because this sale is pretty good! 

Link Up: The Tiny Heart
Happy Shopping! 

Stripes All Around

dress: Jules and Jim
heels: Jessica Simpson (similar here or here)

bag: Amazon (similar current style)

sunglasses: Choies

watch: Kate Spade 

Let's talk about how comfortable and amazing this dress is. I have had it for a while and loved wearing it every chance I get. It has a lining that sits on the figure so nice and doesn't cling to all the wrong places. It's very light and I love the color combo. Amazon has so many different maternity brands and I found Jules and Jim Maternity to have really good quality. Check them out!

Between Nordstrom Anniversary Sale (which will open to public on Friday July17th) and Amazon Prime Day (which is today July 15th) there are so many tempting deals! I love that Amazon and Nordstrom both have free shipping as most of the time I don't know if the stuff is going to fit me and how it's going to look in person. Especially being pregnant, I've bought (and returned) whole bunch of stuff with Amazon and Nordstrom. So if you are looking for something and not sure, it's OK to order a few sizes and than send the wrong stuff back. If you don't have Amazon Prime yet, it's totally worth investing into - add countless video and music streaming to the free shipping and returns, and it's a must. Happy Shopping! 

Link Up: My Girlish Whims,The Pleated Poppy, For the Love of Leopard, Living in Color Style

Shop Jules and Jim Maternity

Attitude of Gratitude {Motherhood Challenges Series}

Lately, I've been counting my blessings. Twice.

There is nothing really major going on in our life, or any health scares that would make me appreciate life that much more. I just think it's part of growing up.

Hubby and I spent our anniversary weekend staying in, cooking, relaxing and spending time together (while Jonathan was visiting the grandparents). We didn't go out to any fancy restaurants or did any extra curricular activities, but simply relaxed  without the toddler running around (read: pure bliss). I think out of all the times that we did plan to 'do things' last weekend was the most memorable. It made me realize how blessed I am.

That is one thing I struggle with, especially when I start comparing my life with other's. Comparison truly is a killer of all joy! There are many things I can complain about, and find negative in my life, especially when you look at social media staged perfection. But when I look closer, when I actually see how many things I'm blessed with, my heart overflows with gratitude.

I'm beyond thankful for a supportive and caring husband, who cares so much for his family. I'm blessed with a man who understands that time doesn't stand still, life is short and family is the most important.

I'm so thankful for the privilege of being a stay at home mom. It fills me with gratitude knowing that we are taken care of, and I don't have to work to support our family. Knowing that my husband takes care of us so that I can take care of our home, be there for our babies and spend time doing what I love is beyond humbling.

I'm thankful for healthy and happy babies and the ability to carry them myself. Seeing so many women struggle with infertility or raising special needs kids breaks my heart. Besides the aches and the pains, the swollen ankles and weight gain, it's the most amazing thing that happens in a woman's body.

I'm so thankful for having my family close by, and the ability to have babysitters. As much as Jonathan gets spoiled (read: a lot) whenever he visits his grandparents, I'm so grateful for the memories he's making with them. My heart melts seeing him follow his grandpa and the special bond they share and when he's playing with his cousin, having the most fun of all.

Gratitude really is a change of perspective and all depends on how you look at things.

When I start feeling sorry for myself that it's hot and my ankles are swollen at the end of the day, or that I have to clean up the house for the nth time, or that laundry never (ever) ends I think of my grandmother. A woman, who carried seven children while living on a farm with cows, pigs, chickens and the whole shebang, also had acres of land for crops and daily cooking, cleaning and laundry all the while living with her critical mother-in-law. She worked from sunrise (sometimes even before) until midnight without taking a break and without slowing down. At that moment, my little pity party starts to look silly and I know I have nothing to complain about.

Slowing down and changing the outlook on life, as well as counting how much we have instead of what we don't have brings such a change, It helps see things in a whole different light giving us an attitude of gratitude.