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A fun, Impromptu weekend

Hello! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. The theme for this weekend was impromptu as we went into the weekend with very few plans but ended up having a great, but busy weekend.

Friday night we kicked off the weekend by spending time with our next door neighbors who just welcomed an adorable baby boy into their family. Guy was in a milk coma when we were there and happily slept in my arms for nearly an hour! After our visit we ordered pizza and salad from Table 87 and spent the rest of the night catching up on Grey’s Anatomy.

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Saturday morning we slept until 8:30 since neither of us thought to set an alarm. I quickly made smoothie bowl since I woke up craving something cold. This bowl had blueberries, Calfia Vanilla Almond Milk, Vital Proteins collagen powder, spinach, 1/2 banana, a dash of cinnamon and then topped with my favorite Purely Elizabeth granola!

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Agter eating, I rushed over to Aline Pilates for my favorite class that they offer, Prenatal Pilates. The lovely owner, Carey, teaches the class and even though it is a prenatal class, I leave each week sweating and shaking from the tiny pulses.

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I spent the rest of the afternoon making Southern Tomato Sandwiches, one of my favorite Southern appetizers or party staples. I volunteered to bring a Southern dish to Frank & Melissa’s Derby Party but waited until Saturday to finalize which dish I’d make.  Though they look simple, the mix of fresh, seasonal tomatoes and herbs paired with seasoning salt and mayoniase makes these a delicious combination! Once I was done cooking, I some how found myself on my hands and knees scrubbing our kitchen floor corners before using both our vacuum and Wetjet to scrub the entire downstaris.

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Another thing I didn’t spend much time thinking about was my Derby Party outfit. In years past, I could just grab one of my many Lilly Pulitzer or other vibrant, bright dresses from my closet and pair it with my pink floppy hat. Unfortunately on Saturday when I tried on the five different dresses I’d earmarked in my mind for the derby, they either didn’t fit or were a bit too revealing in the chest area. After a few meltdowns, I decided to wear my Pinkblush dress that is quickly becoming a maternity staple. I hate that i’ve worn it for three different events in less than a month, but at this point, it is one of my most flattering dresses.

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As always, Frank and Melissa hosted an amazing party. Just check out the incredible spread they offered their guests including the adorable horse cake pops, deviled eggs, macaroni and cheese, bbq and more! I’m already looking forward to next year’s party when I can enjoy a mint julep instead of sparkling water.

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My body has clearly reached third trimester exhuastion as I slept until 9:45 yesterday! After a relaxing breakfast and coffee while reading the New York Times, we ran some errands around the neighborhood including shopping at the Greenmarket and picking up more herbs for our garden from our local hardware store.

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Since my body was craving a relaxing yoga class, my friend Elizabeth and I made the last minute decision to sign up for Area Yoga’s Prenatal Yoga class. The 90-minute class was exactly what my lower back and hips needed as it was a mix of some power poses followed by a relaxing and stretching restorative flow. There was a block party going on during the class so our soundtrack included the local DJ’s favorite songs from the 80s, 90s and 2000s. I think my favorite was trying to enjoy savasana while Spice Girls blared below. It was very good practice in finding our center in the midst of chaos.

We closed out the weekend with two episodes of Big Little Lies and an easy but delicious dinner that included flank steak, homemade chimicurri sauce, roasted potatoes and garlic green beans.

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Your turn: How was your weekend?

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Second Trimester Favorties

 

It seems like just yesterday I was sharing our news on social media and beginning the overwhelming research project that is having a baby. But, it has somehow been more than five months since we shared our news and at 33 weeks, I am solidly in the third trimester. I’ve started to feel almost all the pregnancy symptoms I read about for so many months but luckily didn’t start experiencing until recently such as foot and calf swelling, bach aches, heartburn and shortness of breath after walking up our flight of stairs. While part of me feels like I’ve been pregnant forever, another part of me isn’t ready for this journey to end.

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Since I’ve finished the second trimester, I wanted to share with you all the things that I found very helpful throughout this “honeymoon” phase of pregnancy. Like many people said, these weeks were filled with energy and overall excitement though I did start to look and feel more pregnant as each week progressed due to my growing bump.  The first section are the items that I swore by during my second trimester while the second section are items that multiple friends and readers have recommended and loved.

SECOND TRIMESTER Favorites

Snoogle Pregnancy Pillow – By the time I hit 20 weeks I was desperately seeking pillows that would help me transition from a back sleeper to a side sleeper. My friend Amanda lent me her Snoogle and it was love at first sleep. I have used it both ways, wrapped around the front of my body and back of my body.

Tums – I’ve had mild heartburn and acid reflux through my pregnancy and have found that once I feel it coming on, I can take 1-2 Tums to relieve the pain. Luckily, I only need to do this 2-3 times per week.

Dr. Teal’s Epsom Salts – My favorite way to relax during the second trimester was with long, soothing baths. I made sure not to make the water too warm, as this can be bad for the baby. Instead, I added Epsom Salts and filled the bath with tepid to luke warm water before soaking and ready for 20 to 30 minutes. These Epsom salts are my favorite as they are inexpensive and can be found anywhere ranging from Amazon to CVS!

Xtend Barre, Orangetheory Fitness and ALine Pilates or barre and prenatal pilates classes – As I figured out how best to listen to my body’s needs, I had to take a break from certain workouts. But, luckily, throughout my entire second trimester I was able to enjoy classes at Xtend Barre and ALine Pilates. These studios feature classes that are catered to pre and post natal and/or teachers who are certified in prenatal fitness and know how to make perfect adjustments to keep me safe. If you’re not a Brooklyn or Manhattan local who can enjoy these studios, I recommend going to Yelp and searching for prenatal pilates studios or calling local barre studios to see if they have instructors who are certified to work with prenatal students.

Belli Fresh Start Scrub and belly oil – A few friends sent me their favorite belly butters and I spent most of the second trimester working my way through each one. The only one I bought more of was the Belli Fresh Start scrub, which I can use on my entire body and their belly oil. I loved that the belly oil provided me with lots of moisture but absorbed quickly.

Burt’s Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter and Palmers Coconut Butter – While both of these worked well and were recommended by many of my friends, they were a bit too greasy for my liking and left me feeling like I had a sticky mess on my stomach, pajamas and hands after applying.

 Motherhood Maternity rouched v-neck t-shirts in multiple colors – By the middle of my second trimester, I was craving a few shirts that I could wear with jeans or workout pants for errands, relaxing, sleeping and even workouts. I found these on sale at Macys and bought two (black and white) initially but now own five of them. They are so comfortable and flattering that I’m tempted to wear them daily. During the cooler months I wore them under cardigand and wraps, but now I’m pairing them with shorts or jeans.

Workout Gear for a Growing Belly – I quickly outgrew my tigher workout tanks and had to purchase a few that would grow with me during pregnancy. These are my three favorite styles that I wore throughout my second trimester and continue to love during the third trimester. I found the Mumberry Activewear to fit even better as I grew larger whereas the For Two and Brooks fit perfectly as soon as I put them on since they were closer to my normal size and fit.

For Two Fitness Tank

Brooks Pick-Up Tank

Mumberry Activewear (Use code HEALTHYHAPPIER20 for 20% off)

Reader and Friend Recommendations

I hope any of you who are trying or newly expecting find this helpful. I’ll continue to share tips and tricks throughout pregnancy while also trying to have content that resonates with all my readers.

In case you missed it, here are my first trimester favorites.

Your turn: What did I forget?

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Maternity Workouts & Workout Gear

running while pregnant

Before I got pregnant, I thought that I would spend the nine months running and sweating in the same way as before. I had visions of finishing multiple races while wearing a fun pregnancy tank, further developing my muscles and strength during high intensity workouts and continuing to explore and try different NYC boutique fitness workouts via ClassPass.

I quickly realized, that pregnancy is unique for each person. Personally, I found it virtually impossible to workout during weeks 7-12 of pregnancy due to exhaustion and some nausea. Over the past 11 weeks I have luckily been able to return to a consistent workout routine, averaging six workouts per week. However, my weekly workout schedule has evolved and quite different than what I did before.

  • Most weeks, my workout schedule is as follows:

Instead of trying multiple studios and teachers per month, I am more focused. Each of the above workouts leave me feeling strong, energize and most of all – safe. The instructors are able to easily provide me with prenatal adjustments while also focusing on form and technique. These workouts are also helping me prepare for the marathon that will is child birth and being a new mom. These workouts also take place in Brooklyn, which is quite an adjustment from my previous routine.  Walking to workouts allows me to enjoy some fresh air and extra movement while also saving on commute time.

In addition to changing my routine and class choices, I’ve also had to make some changes to my workout gear. By the time I entered my second trimester,  my body was significantly growing and changing. Suddenly I felt as if I had no workout clothes, even though my dresser drawers were filled with sports bras, leggings and tops. I did my best to resist buying things but then realized that the last thing I wanted to feel or resemble while working out was a stuffed sausage. I spent an afternoon going through my dresser and made three piles – donate, keep but store for after pregnancy, and keep to wear now.  Once I purged my drawers I invested in a few pieces that would allow me to feel confident and comfortable while working out.

Here is the workout gear that I’ve been loving during pregnancy.

  • For Two Fitness Tank – I love this comfortable tank as it comes in a number of colors, is flattering and very comfortable. The technical fabric and long length ensures that the top stays in place and I stay cool during every workout  This makes a perfect gift for a new mom who enjoys working out and wants to share her news with everyone.

For Two Fitness Tank

  • Brooks Pick-Up Tank Top – This was one of my favorite workout tanks before pregnancy but now that I am the proud owner of a growing bump, I’ve fallen even more in love with it. Available in more than 15 different colors, this affordable tank ranges in price from $21-$42 depending on color and is so soft and stretchy. In fact, it’s so long and stretchy that I am still able to wear my pre-pregnancy size though I finally ordered 2 new tanks in a size larger to enjoy during the rest of pregnancy.  My friend who is also pregnant raves about the higher neck so she isn’t constantly flashing people during workouts and I love the skimming shape.

Core Power Yoga Ashley

  • Brooks Juno and Brooks Fiona Sports Bras – The first piece of workout gear I had to invest in during pregnancy were new sports bras. My 36A sports bras were uncomfortably tight within the first trimester as I rapidly grew from a 36A to a 36C. Now, at week 23 I’m between a C and a D but luckily, thanks to the adjustable straps on each of these styles, I’m still enjoying both bras. The molded cups limit my headlights during workouts and the light compression provides me with the support I need.  Many of my mom friends recommended these bra styles as they can also be used for nursing after I give birth.  In addition, Brooks sells these bras in almost every size beginning at 30B and going up to 44DD.
  • Nike Power Epic Running Tights – I’ve been surprised to find myself reaching for these black tights week after week, even as my stomach and body grows.  They stretch more than any of my other leggings and the mesh details on the calf help keep me cool.

Your turn: If you’re pregnant or have been pregnant before, what were your favorite pieces of workout gear? Unfortunately, it seems like most brands have discontinued or limited their maternity gear over the past few years, as when I read older blog posts or articles, more than half the links and lines no longer exist. 

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