Tag: pregnancy

Three Fun Things to Do When You Find Out You’re Pregnant

Posted on by Mery

As soon as you find out your pregnant, it feels like the onslaught happens. You start to see articles everywhere about getting ready for baby. People start sharing their advice for you. And the moment you purchase your first baby item you start to get all sort of targeted mailers about pregnancy (despite my marketing degree, I’m still not sure exactly how this happens even if you don’t give your address, but it seems to). So I’m not sharing about what “they” say you should do when you find you’re pregnant. I’m sharing a few fun things that I did early in my pregnancy that I’m glad I decided to do.

1. Sign up for a mailing list (or two), but make sure they align with what you want to know.
I promised myself (and the Hubby) that I would work hard to avoid as much as I could about scary pregnancy stories. I deal with hypochondria (and overactive imagination) in my mind and knew it would not be helpful to anyone in my family if I got worked up over the worst case scenarios.  I limited my weekly readings to a mailing list that focused on my baby’s development (My Pregnancy This Week from BabyCenter), a clever book my mom found at a yard sale (The Pregnancy Countdown Book), and the wonderful and funny mailing list that almost always shares something I’m going through that week (Alpha Mom Pregnancy Calendar).  It’s really fun reading each week about what is going on in my body and I’ve found in surprisingly comforting when the information I’ve read matches up with what I have experienced (Oh you mean that heartburn I’m feeling is right on time? Good to know!).

 

2. Start noting down at least a few things going on with you to look back on.
I haven’t gone crazy recording down every little thing in my pregnancy,  but I have tried to note down the big things (like the first time Daddy felt her kick and when we announced her name to the world).  I also started doing weekly bump photos at about 11 weeks. I started a digital baby book in Evernote (more on that later) where I’ve been saving everything. I hope to put some of these notes together to print out in a legit baby book sometime but at least I have them saved for now. Even though she’s not here just yet it’s amazing how far away some of the things from the beginning of my pregnancy feels and it’s fun to be able to go back and look at those things now.

 

3. Figure out how you want to share what’s going on with your framily. 
It’s hard to keep track of who you have shared what with. There are a lot of of great options for sharing your updates and photos and it can be a tough decision.


After much consideration we decided we would share via a private Google+ page. No matter what way you decide to share with your close people, go ahead and start sharing those fun updates and photos. Those who are interested will love it and it. It will give you a great way to connect with those people.

 
 

A Simplified Wardrobe While Pregnant

Posted on by Mery

 

 

In November of last year I documented what I wore for the entire month (you can see my outfits here). I had cut back on my wardrobe just a bit and I really enjoyed the process of actually seeing what I was wearing each day. Surprisingly, the outfits seemed to look better on me in the photos than I felt that they did when looking in the mirror (good angles maybe? I’m going to go with I probably look better than I think I do most days). I liked making combinations from fewer clothes. I had mentioned to some friends that I was considering trying Project 333 for the Spring or Summer.

And then I got pregnant.

 

 

No one but us knew we were expecting when this photo was taken, but I was already in need of new clothes to fit my changing body!

Since I was already close to not fitting in my clothes, I immediately had to go out and buy a few stretchy items to get me through until we started telling people and I could request my thrifty momma watch out for deals at the clearance racks, thrift stores and yard sales (she’s since provided me with at least 75% of my pregnancy clothing from there!). I felt frustrated at the thought of trying to figure out how to thriftly clothe my changing body over the next year (let’s face it, things are still going to be a little complicated clothing-wise when the little one comes).

My mom found me this great skirt on clearance. 

But the process has been more smooth than I expected and I’ve learned a lot about dressing simply and with less through the experience. Here are some tips that have worked well for me while trying to clothe my ever-changing baby-growing body.

1. Visit your thrift shop down the road…

I haven’t bought much new since becoming pregnant. A few pieces that I have gotten a lot of use out of, but for the most part maternity clothes (like everything “special occasion”) seem to be overpriced. Plus, I feel like I don’t know what my body is going to be like in a few months and I don’t feel like paying $20 for a t-shirt that may or may not fit. My aforementioned momma has been great at helping me find clearance, thrifted, and yard-saled items at great prices.  Most are in great shape and, if they don’t fit very well, I don’t feel guilty putting them away for after the baby arrives or passing them on.  

My Sister-in-Law helped me find a great on some maternity tops (including this one) on a Facebook yard sale group she is in.

2. Re-organize and store your “old” clothes.

While you can probably still use many items for long into your pregnancy (I’m currently wearing two pre-pregnancy shirts right now), you won’t be able to comfortably fit into everything. Don’t let those pieces clutter your closet and choices. Get a nice plastic bin and pack those away for the time being. Once I got those clothes out of the way, I found it a lot easier to re-organize how I stored my clothes. I’ve loved this since it makes finding clothes to wear easier than before!

3. Keep it clean.

I’ve recently began the habit of doing a load of laundry each day (or so). This keeps my favorite pieces always fresh and clean and ready to be worn. While I’m not against getting a few wears out of clothing, the summer and being pregnant means that isn’t happening right now. Staying on top of the laundry means I can wear my super comfy maxi skirt to work each week if that’s what I want.

4. Don’t be afraid to invest in great pieces.

I’m certainly not for breaking the bank, especially when your body is changing all the time, but if you see a good investment piece don’t pass it up. The skirt pictured below was purchased at full price, but I’ve worn it at least once a week during my pregnancy so I’ve definitely gotten my money’s worth out of it. I’m expecting to be able to use it for at least a little bit after the Little One comes as well.

I love maxi skirts now that I’m pregnant. I may never go back!

While I’m not officially doing Project 333 since being pregnant, I am dressing with less for sure. The whole process has surprisingly made me feel even better about trying Project 333 when my body finds its way back to normal. Courtney also offers a micro-course about dressing with less that I may try to kick off my new wardrobe when that time comes!

(This post does contain an affiliate link, meaning I’ll benefit if you purchase from this link, but there is no added cost to you. The thoughts and opinions shared on this post are completely my own!)