Faking That "Pregnancy Glow"

Hey y'all!

Let's get right to the point. I am entering my 19th week of pregnancy. I have had a wonderful pregnancy so far (no morning sickness!!!), but my skin has been suffering. I am no stranger to breakouts, but my hormones have been doing a number on my skin lately. I've also had some redness and dullness. No fun! I keep waiting for that "pregnancy glow" to kick in but no such luck. When you're pregnant, you have to be careful because a lot of ingredients in skin care items are not safe for pregnancy. You definitely have to avoid acne products which makes it tricky to treat your skin. I have been trying lots of different products over the last few months and have some things to share! 

My friend Sadie was in town for a visit and as we were shopping the other day, we spent some time at the makeup counters in Nordstrom. Sadie has the prettiest skin and the girl working at the counter complimented her glow. She said she was an esthetician and was really into skincare and couldn't help but compliment Sadie's skin. I about knocked the poor girl over begging her to help me so I could have glowy skin too!!! She was so sweet and understanding as she had similar skin issues when she was pregnant with her son. I purchased a few products and am loving the result so far. Keep reading to see what I am using to fake a pregnant glow!

In the morning, I wash my face with my Tula cleanser. This is a super gentle probiotic cleanser that is safe for pregnancy! I have been using this for several months now and can honestly say it is seriously amazing stuff.

Tula Cleanser

Next, I apply the Philosophy Oxygenizing Gel Cream. Love this! It is a moisturizer that infuses oxygen into your skin. It claims to refresh your skin and make it look more radiant and y'all I seriously believe it does.

Philosophy Gel Cream

For my makeup, I use this CC cream in the shade light. It has amazing coverage and looks really pretty BUT you must apply it with a Beauty Blender to get the full glowy affect. I have used it with my fingers and with my makeup brushes and it does not give the same look. I swear you will thank me later if you go out and get a Beauty Blender! I also use this blush by Clinique in shade "Precious Posy". It is the perfect pretty pink and it has some shimmer to it. Nothing glittery or obnoxious but just nice and glowy (let's see how many times I use the word glowy in this post...good gracious!). 

At night, I remove my makeup with the Neutregena makeup wipes. I cleanse my face with the Tula cleanser and use my Clarisonic to exfoliate. Then I use the Garnier Micellar Water to get off any excess makeup. I follow up with the Philosophy Gel Cream or the Tula Day + Night Cream. A couple times a week I use the Tula Exfoliating Mask. 

                          

                        

                                    Tula Moisturizer                                        Tula Mask

I also have a new serum from Clinique that I am just starting to incorporate into my skincare routine. It's too early to review, but stay tuned!

Do you have any other products you'd recommend for glowy skin???

Thanks for stopping by!

Announcement and Updates!!

Hey y'all!

I am so excited to share our exciting news...we're having a BABY!!! Ah! Matt and I are thrilled! I am currently a little over 15 weeks pregnant and feeling great!

I have been neglecting my little blog for a while now, but I can finally share my excuses reasons for putting it on the back burner.

Before finding out I was pregnant, I was interviewing for a full-time teaching position and finishing up my spring semester of grad school. I was offered the job and was so excited to know I'd be back in 2nd grade in the fall. When I found out I was pregnant, I was so fortunate to have the support of my principal and staff and will now be taking on a different role at the school so that I can stay home with my little muffin after he's born. Thank you Jesus for your perfect plan!

My first trimester was amazing and I know a lot of mommas out there would tell me how lucky I am and I know it! I did not get morning sickness and have felt really great overall. I do get nauseous if I don't eat, I've been pretty exhausted in the afternoons, and I'm hungry all. the. time.

I thought it would be fun to do some weekly "bumpdates" (like "updates"...get it??) on the blog. I am a first time momma and really don't know what to expect, but would love to document this journey. I've included some pictures of milestones thus far! Enjoy!!

This was our announcement! 

We gave these Mother's Day cards to our moms as a way of telling our families. They were so surprised!!

               

 

The picture on the left is the first image we got of our lovebug! The picture on the right is from our 12 week ultrasound. He looks like a really little baby!

 

11 weeks, 12 weeks, 13 weeks, 14 weeks

   

IT'S A BOY!!!!!!!!

Thanks for stopping by! Any and all baby/pregnancy advice and tips are appreciated! :)

The Most PERFECT Top for Spring!!!

Hey y'all!

It's been a while! I know I'm not nearly as consistent as I'd like to be, but I'm working on it. We've had lots of "life stuff" happening lately. Friends and family visiting, career stuff, personal stuff, just all the stuff! I will share more soon, but for now thank you for giving me grace. We are in full spring mode in NorCal with mild temps, rainy days, and beautiful flowers! Matt snapped these pics with my iphone before we ran out for some ice cream yesterday, because sometimes you just need ice cream!! I'm on spring break right now so I plan on doing lots of cleaning and organizing around the house. Do you have any spring cleaning tips? I'm thinking about doing a post on that and would love your input!

I am so excited to share this look because this top is so perfect for spring!! I will seriously be wearing it ALL. THE. TIME. It is so light and flowy and the length is perfect. It's long enough in the back so you could even wear it with leggings. The lace, bell sleeves are my favorite part! At $48 it's also budget friendly. It runs a little big so you may want to size down. I'm wearing a small for reference.

Outfit Details:

Top is Nordstrom / Jeans are Gap / Tote is Nordstrom / Wedges are old / Earrings are Kendra Scott / Necklace is Kendra Scott / Lips are "Requiem"

Hope you are enjoying the springtime! To my friends in Texas and Oklahoma, stay safe!!! I always hated the spring weather there... :(

Easter Traditions

Hey y'all!

As we enter Holy Week, I thought I would share a little bit about Easter. As a Christian, Easter has always been a very important holiday for me. I have also enjoyed the fun notions of the Easter Bunny, Easter baskets, and Peeps (duh!). I've gotten a new Easter dress every single year *tradition*. My parents always did egg hunts and to be honest, we had egg hunts up until just a couple of years ago! We also grew up either going to brunch or having a big brunch with family friends. So many great memories and traditions.

Things are going to be a little different this year. If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I have done a lot of traveling this year. I feel so fortunate to have been able to go home so much after moving to California. All those trips add up though, so Matt and I will be here for Easter. Unfortunately, we haven't found a church home out here. I grew up in the Bible belt where there is literally a church on every corner. That is not the case here! Churches are limited and the ones that we visited were not a good fit. We loved loved loved our church in Texas so we have been watching sermons online. I would love to get plugged in somewhere, but for now I am so thankful for technology so we can watch and be a part of our home church. If you are in the north Dallas area or are looking for a church to watch online, I invite you to check out Hope Fellowship! So, our Easter plans this year will include watching church online and going out for brunch. Even though we won't be with our families and we won't have our past traditions, it doesn't matter. Our Redeemer lives and that is something worth celebrating!!!

Although I am not buying a new Easter dress this year (just going ahead and breaking all of the traditions!), I picked some of my favorites if you still need some ideas!

                              
BB Dakota $98              Trixxi $52                Adrianna Papell $130                ASTR $46.80 (40% off!)

What are your Easter traditions??

Recent Happenings

Hey y'all!

I know it has been forever since I have done a blog post. I don't have any great excuses other than LIFE. I've realized that I have gone out of town every month since September, plus two trips in both January and February. Things have been busy and I have completely failed in the blogosphere. I won't make promises, but I do hope to get back in the swing of things. I thought I would update you on what has been going on lately...

Matt and I celebrated our first Valentine's Day in California. 

                          

We took a weekend trip to Pismo Beach.

                                     

I spent a week in Seattle visiting my sister in law.

                                     

I finally got a new phone. Hallelujah! 

Bit the bullet and started using R+F "Unblemish" regimen. Anyone using R+F products? I also got the night serum and sunless tanner. So far so good! 

Married off my dear friend Alicia!

                                 

I've also been working on getting my California teacher certification. This has been a nightmare!!! I hold a valid Texas teaching certificate and have taught for 5 years, but trying to get certified in California is so much work.. They require a ton of very specific documentation, I have had to get fingerprinted twice (paying $70 each time) and have taken an exam (also not cheap). I just want my own classroom again! Why do they have to make it so difficult? :( Ok, rant over.

So that's what has been going on around here. I plan to be back soon with more posts! Happy springtime everyone!!!

Day By The Bay!

Hey y'all!

So El Nino is in full effect in the Bay Area! We have had rain pretty much nonstop with no end in sight. On Monday, Matt and I both had the day off for MLK so we decided to brave the weather and spend the day in the city and going to the aquarium. While it was very cloudy and gloomy all day, we stayed dry and had a really fun afternoon! I took these pics on my phone so the quality isn't great, but I wanted to share this lil adventure with you guys. Enjoy!

We had lunch at our favorite lunch spot, Pier 23. They have amazing seafood options and you can sit right on the water. So fun!

Fish and chips. So goooood! The "chips" are garlic fries and it comes with d ranch for dipping. My favorite thing on the menu!

Matt and I hadn't been to the Aquarium of the Bay before so we were excited to check it out! This aquarium showcases all of the sea life that is found in the bay. It is a fairly small aquarium, but we really enjoyed it. Something you might not know about me is that I LOVE aquariums and sea animals. I think I was a mermaid in another life...

After the aquarium, we walked down along Pier 39 and played tourist. It is always fun to people watch out there! 

Before heading home, we stopped by Philz Coffee. Philz is known for their pour-over method of brewing. I had a Tesora (I think that's the name of it...) Philz Way (medium sweet) and Matt had a chai latte. Delish!

Back on the ferry heading home! Hope you enjoyed this little peek into our day!

Outfit Details:

Sweater is from Loft / Boots are form Nordstrom "Black Gloss" / Necklace is Kendra Scott in "Magenta" / Earrings are Kendra Scott / Bag is Longhcamp / Lips are Too Faced "Melted Fuchsia 

Good Morning!

Hey y'all!

I'm sharing my morning routine today! Hope you enjoy!

For the first time ever, Matt has to wake up earlier than me! My alarm goes off at 7:00am but I am usually awake before then because I hear him getting ready. Winston and I cuddle until 7:00...or 7:15. I get to wake up to this picture of my handsome groom. I also use my phone as an alarm clock. If the battery ever died in the night, I would be in big trouble!

Before I get out of bed, I do my daily devotional. I am really enjoying this Jesus Calling study. It is the best way to start the day!

Next up, COFFEE!!! A cup of coffee is a must have in the morning. I am currently loving the this cinnamon combo with Starbucks Cinnamon Dolce K-Cup and Coffee Mate Natural Bliss in Cinnamon Cream. Delish!

I am a devoted fan of the Today show. I always have it on in the mornings. On Wednesdays (my day off) I lounge on the couch drinking coffee all the way through Kathie Lee and Hoda! 

While watching the Today show, I look at my planner and make sure I am prepared for the day and set any goals that need to be accomplished.

Ok, finally time to get ready. I am loving this Philosphy face wash. It is so gentle and leaves your skin feeling clean and fresh! I use a rx for breakouts from my dermatologist but I didn't picture it. Gotta love being almost 30 and start dealing with acne again! Not. I use this CeraVe moisturizer in the a.m. and love that it is SPF 30 and oil free. Then I use this MAC eye cream. It is wonderful! De-puffs, cancels dark circles, and primes your eye area for concealer. Love it.

I turn on my hair straightener and go make some breakfast. I used to never eat breakfast, but I've made it a new year's resolution. I make a little parfait and prep some coffee to go! Then I put on some makeup and get dressed and it's out the door! 

I leave the house at 8:30. It does not take my an hour and a half to get ready, but I love having a relaxing morning and not feeling rushed. So I take my time. Makes my mornings so nice. I used to feel so stressed trying to rush to get ready because I had to get up so early and just wanted SLEEP! I hear ya. I'm sure that will be me again next year as I plan to go back to teaching full time, but for now I soaking it in! 

What is essential in your morning routine?