Second Pregnancy Stitch Fix Keepers

(Click the image or here to get your first fix!)

Well, time for me to send my clothing back that I am not going to be getting. I ran a couple of polls on Facebook and Instagram asking for help because I really was torn on what to get. I knew I wasn't going to get all of them, the scarf. Just can't do it! So I had to decide. And I was so surprised with how many people loved the maxi dress. Honestly, the fit wasn't the best but the color...AMAZING! Teal is my color for sure! So...what did I decide on...Here were the choices again:

So...What did I get?

The sea foam green and grey top and the black and white stripe shirt. Both by Half Moon Maternity. I knew even before I put on the grey top that I was going to get it. It is so me. Simple, soft, but has a pop of color on it that is perfect for my hair. And the fact that it doesn't have the pregnancy ruching on the side means that I can wear it post pregnancy and not feel guilty about it! The stripe shirt, as I said yesterday, I didn't think I would like it but I LOVED IT ON ME! It was so flattering and really made me fell like I wasn't all that pregnant. That I still had my normal body under. HELLO SMALL WAIST! So I went with these two items! YAY! So excited! I am sad though as these will be my last pregnancy fix. I get them every 3 months and the next one arrives in Oct. I don't think I will be back to my normal size (or smaller) by then as I will have just had the baby. I will delay my next fix until November or December probably for this reason. I am so excited though knowing that I can actually wear the clothing from Stitch Fix now. Makes all the hard work I did before getting pregnant and even while pregnant all the more worth while!

Are you ready for your first fix? CLICK HERE to get scheduled today! 

Want more daily motivation and inspiration? Click here get free advice, support and encouragement + a free copy of my Clean Eating guide to help you get started on your health and fitness journey! 

Second Pregnancy Stitch Fix Items

(Click the image or here to get your first fix!)

Guess what I got in the mail this week??? HURRAY FOR STITCH FIX! Join me in my dressing room (as it were!) Just to put this out there, I normally hate trying on clothing. I usually am disappointed, but I LOVE this service so much. It is fun to see what someone who actually knows what they are doing choose for me. So...here we go! My stylists is amazing. Not only did she listen to the feedback I provided, but she checked out my Pinterest board and even read through my blog posts to get more insight into me. So Patricia, if you are reading this...THANKS and HI!

This second fix was great!

My 5 items were:

Item A&A2: Long teal and navy print maxi dress. Partnered with a solid super soft teal pregnancy shirt which is also so super soft!

Item B: Teal and sea foam green top- so soft!

Item C: Black and White Stripe Top

Item D: Elephant print infinity scarf. So super soft and luxurious.

My thoughts on this fix. I am not a scarf person. I don't really like things up on my neck area. Even in the winter, I try to avoid them if I can. Cowell necks are really as close as I get to scarfs, and even then those still bother me a little. I don't know how people wear them just as an accessory. I love my neck. My grandmother always commented on how beautiful my neck was, (she was very sweet and loving), and I just don't like to cover it up! But I will say this about the scarf, it was so soft and delicate and beautiful pattern. It just isn't for me. I included the pictures so you can see it!

The maxi dress was great. My stylist is trying to get me to wear patterns, I just personally didn't like how it fit. When I think Maxi dresses, I think more stretchy and give. And this one did not have much room for me in the hips. Might be, because my butt and hips have expanded, but still, the dress just wasn't for me. And my stylist included a shirt for under the dress, which was AWESOME and the perfect color. I love the shirt. It is just a solid teal shirt but oh so very soft! (maybe the scarf could have gone with that too??)

Down to my last two items. One I loved before I even put on the other I thought I wouldn't like it but ended up loving it on me! hmmmmm. which one did I choose??? I knew I would love the grey and sea foam green shirt. The black and white stripes, I didn't think it would flatter me very much because they are horizontal stripes. But the pattern on it actually made me look AMAZING! And even accented my waist (yes I still have a waist at 30 weeks pregnant.) It actually made me look amazing!

So...What will it be. A, B, or C? What do you think? Which do you like best?

Are you ready for your first fix? CLICK HERE to get scheduled today! 

Want more daily motivation and inspiration? Click here get free advice, support and encouragement + a free copy of my Clean Eating guide to help you get started on your health and fitness journey! 

Bump Update: 30 Weeks

It's the final countdown! (cue synthesizer!) After this week I will be in the single digits of how many weeks are left until my due date. So mentally I am celebrating the fact that I can say 10 weeks, but I am also getting nervous. Not about birth or labor but about how much our lives are going to change with #3 here in the house. (I am one of the crazy ones that actually like birthing a baby, unmedicated. I feel strong and even more empowered and it is a total Badass moment for me!) But life is going to change so much. One more mouth to feed. One more direction to be pulled. One more child to love. It is exciting, but so very surreal at this point thinking of it.

Her nursery is almost done! YAY! I know she won't be using it for awhile, but it is still nice to have it set up and ready. And honestly, I didn't plan on doing as much as I am. like new crib sheets. I wasn't planning on getting new ones, but when you find some that are the exact theme, you have to get them! I can't wait to show you how it looks! I just sit in there after I put the boys down for bed and just soak it all in. Seeing my vision of 5 years on how I would decorate my little girls room come to life is pretty amazing!  

Nesting has definitely set in. Remember when I mentioned that I just didn't care to clean or do anything? Well, I care now! My house is actually looking pretty dang good. Kitchen is being kept up with. Basement is picked up. I just can't stand messes right now. If it is cluttered it gets under my skin. We just have a couple more rooms left to organize and the house will be ready to go for Elyse to join the family, and family to visit! (10 weeks, family will be here! WOW!) 

Total Weight Gain: Gained 16.7 pounds total. Weight as of this morning 254.4 pounds. Up .4 from last week! YAY! Trying to be Junk Free in July is WORKING! (it is our theme for this month in my exclusive health and fitness support group)

Symptoms: Minor heartburn this week. Trying not to eat too close to bed time. We are eating dinner around 5:30 pm most night instead of an hour later, like we do when I am teaching. So that has helped a lot. Peeing a ton! But I am making sure I am drinking tons of water though so I don't get dehydrated. My new rule, after every time I go to the bathroom I drink more water.

Baby’s Size: Butternut Squash (~17 inches inches, 3.1 pounds)

Maternity Clothes: Yes, bottoms need to wear maternity or stretchy pants. Tops I wear maternity now and my bigger t-shirts. Wearing my new Fabletics sports bra in these pictures and LOVE THEM and the fun colors! A ton more coverage and super comfy!

Stretch Marks: I already have a ton that I got when I gained weight years ago. So nothing new. I am using Honest Company belly balm right now though to help my belly stretch so I do not get any new ones.

Gender: GIRL!!! 

Sleep: Sleep is like never ending for me. I am up at 11:30pm, 1:30am, and 3:30am without fail to use the bathroom. Then I have a hard time falling asleep again, and then Matt is up for work around 5am so I get up then too. Basically I am up every 2 hours to pee! Nights just seem to drag since I can't get comfy, or back to sleep easily. Oh and she likes to move A TON around the 11:30-midnight wake up. It is crazy how active she gets! 

Miss Anything: Sleeping comfortably flat on my belly or back! Sleeping through the night. 

Cravings: Veggies. Are really the only thing I really have to have with my meals. I really don't have any cravings of things that "I have to have". I just really enjoy eating good foods. 

Aversions: Sweets taste too sweet for me, so I can only handle a little at a time. I guess that is my only aversion.

Excited About: This is the last week in the double digits for counting down the weeks. 10 weeks until my due date. It is getting real. I did get some of the nursery set up. Just waiting for a few more pieces and I will share with you what I did and what it looks like. Still trying to force myself from getting my go bag ready and setting up the pack-n-play. But waiting a little longer before I do that.

Workouts: Okay this week! I only got in 4 days this past week. My regular Workouts include: 21 Day Fix yoga & pilates.  Beachbody On Demand Active Maternity and Diary Of A Fit Mommy's Fit For Two 2nd Trimester workouts in daily. Still trying to get in walks everyday for the kiddos at night, but it didn't happen every night with the rain and thunderstorms.

Want more daily motivation and inspiration? Click here get free advice, support and encouragement + a free copy of my Clean Eating guide to help you get started on your health and fitness journey!

Creating Healthy Habits

When you think of the word DIET, what do you think?

For me I think, calorie restriction. 1200 calories total. But after learning about how my body works and what it needs to function (when not pregnant) I require almost double that. RESTRICTING FOODS OR CALORIES LEADS TO DISASTER! Ever wonder why diets fail? THIS IS WHY! Your body needs fuel, it needs calories, and restricting will just lead you to at some point binge eat, then the guilt sets in, then the desire to continue can dissipate.

It's about making healthy habits rather than restrictions! Choose to eat healthy carbs instead of white bread, or regular pasta. Choose to eat fruit as treats, instead of candy. Because fruit is nature's candy! Choose to exercise for just 30 minutes instead of busting your butt in the gym for over an hour. It is all about finding that balance of good eating, enjoying what you are eating and doing the right kinds of exercise that will benefit your body the most!

You can go HERE AT CALCULATOR.NET to give you a rough estimate on how many calories you need to maintain your weight, to lose 1 pound, 2 pounds and so forth. Now I am not a calorie counter, because I follow the 21 Day Fix program where I use color coded containers for each food group. And based on my weight and height and other factors, I fall into a calorie bracket. Then it tells me how many of each container to eat. It is so easy and takes the guess work out of EVERYTHING! 

And make sure to PIN for later or print out this FREE document to help you know what foods you should actually be eating vs what not to eat. This is using the 21 Day Fix containers but these are the foods you want to be consuming! If it isn't on the list, do not put it in your mouth. But isn't this list great! LOOK at how many things you can actually enjoy! (this is just one of the many documents you get access to in my free or EXCLUSIVE health and fitness support group! If you would like more info on how to join or what it is about please EMAIL ME so we can chat. I would love to help you reach your health and fitness goals and make a true healthy lifestyle change!)

Make the word "DIET" a bad word in your book. Diet's don't work, they don't last. A healthy lifestyle change is what works and will give you the results you want and deserve.

Today think about some healthy swaps you can make to your everyday life. Like, replacing your bread in the morning with 1/2 cup of oatmeal. Adding veggies to every main meal of the day (breakfast, lunch and dinner). Drinking more water when you feel cravings set in. 

**Comment below with some healthy swaps that you can do! Share some ideas with all of us!** Also dust off one of your old workout videos. Pop it in and give it a go! See how it makes you feel. Remember that feeling and do it again tomorrow!

Want more daily motivation and inspiration? Click here get free advice, support and encouragement + a free copy of my Clean Eating guide to help you get started on your health and fitness journey!

Fit And Healthy Plus Size Pregnancy: Same Weight, Feel Amazing 3rd Time Around

Here we are. My crunch time in pregnancy. Tomorrow marks my final 10 weeks until my due date and with my last 2 pregnancies, the last 10 weeks I GAINED the most weight. Especially with Collin. Since I stopped marathon training and I just sat on my butt and really didn't exercise, and ate whatever I wanted. Look at these 2 pictures. I am the exact same weight in both of these pictures. 254 pounds. (which is a really scary number to admit to everyone but there it is.) The left is me with Collin at 39.5 weeks pregnant. The right is 29 weeks (last Wednesday) with Elyse. But...

BUT! I FEEL TOTALLY DIFFERENT NOW THAN I DID 2 YEARS AGO! 2 years ago I felt sluggish. I felt tired. I was hungry all the time and I ate whatever I wanted. I didn't really like how I looked, I knew I was pregnant but in my eyes I LOOKED HUGE and I FELT MISERABLE!

NOW, I feel amazing. I have more energy. I know I am feeding my baby the right foods and actually getting my veggies in everyday and superfoods that I never even knew how to get in my daily diet. I actually love how I look, which is a first for me.

I have completely changed my lifestyle of eating and exercise. I am working so hard to eat the right foods. The right portions. And yes, I eat other foods too, but I really try to limit how much "extra" I eat, and what I eat, unlike I did 2 years ago with Collin. I finally learned what to feed my body and I want to share all that information with you and support you if you are ready to make changes in your lifestyle too. Let's get you started today if you are tired of getting stuck in the same cycle of yo-yo dieting and are ready to make a life long change for the better! Let's chat. Email me or comment below!

Want more daily motivation and inspiration? Click here get free advice, support and encouragement + a free copy of my Clean Eating guide to help you get started on your health and fitness journey!