Fashion Friday: Almost Spring

As the days get brighter and less gloomy, we are celebrating what looks like the beginning of spring with some pastel colours & lighter hues! These maternity jeans from ASOS and leggings are pretty much the only pants that fit me anymore. The pink & cream heart jumper is by New Look Maternity and when I first purchased it I thought it looked awfully bell-shaped and didn't love the way it fit. Now in the last month of pregnancy I am grateful for that extra fabric! I can't remember where my scarf is from...I think it was a gift. The brown leather shearling boots are from LoveClothing (about 2 years ago) and up until recently I had been seriously considering donating they were gathering dust at the back of my closet. But now I am so glad I didn't! I guess I've rediscovered my love for them and have been wearing them quite a lot lately as I'm limited to the flats department. The pearl bracelet was part of a wedding gift from my mom that she bought me in Sorrento.

  

Emilia's peachy pink leggings are from Zara and her "Cuddle Me Quick" top was a gift from Target (I think!). She is also wearing a light pink headband & mint bow from Layniebug Designs and her Clark's shoes. And yes, those are her Ugg cleaning products she's hugging in the pictures above...ha ha ha! 

We hope you're having a fabulous Friday! 

xoxo

Anna

What I Ate Wednesday {26.2.14}

Breakfast

Organic porridge with light soy milk, almonds & cinnamon. Lately I've actually been having it with almond milk and almonds which is sooo good! But Jonathan made it for me this morning :) 

Lunch

This was the most amazing lunch I've had in a long time!! And best of all, it was home-made! We are so proud of our newest creation using our toastie machine! It's basically a caprese sandwich toasted in a sandwich maker so the mozzarella goes all gooey and melted...oh my God. I could have eaten this for breakfast, lunch and dinner! To make this we used Italian bread, mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, rocket, salt and a little olive oil.

Dinner

Dr. Oetker Vegetale pizza - I eat 3/4 and Emilia eats the other 1/4 :) This is our favourite brand of frozen pizzas - the bases are thin, the ingredients always taste fresh & they're probably the one of the healthier pizza options in the frozen food section! I like the pizza vegetale, Jonathan likes the pollo.

Dessert

A mix of Maltesers & Peanut M&Ms...yum! I mixed up two funsize packs of each :) 

I also had 8 glasses of water along with my iron supplements & about 4 Rennie tablets! What did you eat today? Feel free to link your What I Ate posts in the comments below!

xoxo

Anna

Mommy Monday: 36 Weeks Pregnant with Baby #2!

Wearing cupcake socks in the cupcake room...he he he ;)

How far along?  36 weeks! 

Total weight gain/measurements: 29lbs! I gained 2lbs this week putting me at 144. This is the heaviest I've ever been and I can definitely feel it! It's getting so difficult to find clothes to wear that are actually comfortable and/or fit. I know some people disagree but based on experience I think being pregnant in the summer is much easier in terms of what you can wear...maxi dresses, ballet flats, tank tops and t-shirts are so much more comfortable than loads of layers, knits and bulky coats - at least in my opinion! 

Maternity clothes: Both items in this picture are maternity...the New Look jumper makes me look huge but it's comfortable so that's all that matters right now! And the ASOS jeans are one of the only 2 pairs that fit anymore :( 

Stretch marks: Still no new ones.

Sleep: It's been good overall. I need to take a nap once a day though, usually I do it during Emilia's naptime (she still naps 2 hrs which is amazing!). 

Best moment this week: We got our strollers...the Jané Twone in blue for our double stroller and another lighterweight Cosatto Giggle 3 in 1 travel system for single use (although you can use the Jané for that too). I think Jonathan just wanted to get another carseat for his car! 

Miss anything? Lots of things at the moment! Feeling like myself, being able to mount stairs without getting out of breath, or have enough energy to do everything I want to do! 

Movement: Lots - he is really strong too...I keep getting poked by elbows or knees which can feel so weird!

Food cravings: Last week it was Diet Coke. Thankfully I seem to have been able to cut that habit out quickly! 

Anything making you queasy or sick? Still off coffee/tea.

Gender: Boy 

Labour signs: Braxton Hicks contractions now and then. Pelvic pressure & lightening crotch! 

Symptoms: Heartburn (I live on Rennie tablets), fatigue, shortness of breath, back-ache...and generally feeling huge! 

Belly button in or out? Out

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy!

Looking forward to: Meeting the baby...getting my hospital bag completely ready (we're almost there).

Check out my 36 week pregnancy vlog below!

To compare this pregnancy to my first one, check out my 36 week update here!

xoxo

Anna

My Week in Pictures - Feb.16th-23rd

Here's a look at my last week through my Instagram pictures!

Sunday 

Sometimes you just need some Sunday croissants :) This was the day after we got back from our mini break to Dublin and we weren't quite ready to let go of the hotel breakfasts...

Thursday

I literally cannot look at this picture without laughing!! Emilia loves her bathtime and Jonathan used to be a swimming teacher (he actually used to teach babies to swim) so he has always been wonderful at getting her used to the water. It's amazing to see how comfortable she is in it! Here I think she looks like a little moon peeking out from all the suds, ha ha ha! 

Friday

Last week I received the prettiest stationery from Charm & Gumption. The owner of the site is actually a dedicated viewer of our vlogs & wanted to send me some of her products as a gift. I love the Remember detailed to-do list notepad and Get Fit notepad. I also got some gold foil prints which I'm excited to frame & hang in the babies' nurseries!

Saturday

Albi got neutered on Wednesday. The poor guy was very out of sorts after his check-up on Friday as he had to wear the cone of shame (he was being bold & licking his wound). Lucky for him, Emilia sensed he was feeling down and decided to comfort him by reading him a story...upside down. It's the only way, really!

Hope you enjoyed this post - I will try and do these every week from now on!

xoxo

Anna

What I Ate Wednesday {19.2.14}

Here's what I ate today!

Breakfast

Breakfast was eaten at Costa, after my doctor's appointment this morning. I have always wanted to try their wholemeal porridge which is new on the menu and I'm happy to report it was really yummy and very filling! Super convenient for breakfast on the go too, or if you skipped it that morning and need something healthy to fill you up. I also had a decaf medium americano. 

Lunch

Toasted ham & cheese panino made with our new toastie machine (which I am obsessed with!). I like this multiseed ciabatta bread, we use extra mature cheddar and crumbed ham. And you know I can't be without my cherry tomatoes :) I also had a big pint of water with Spatone.

Dinner

Don't judge me! But ever since we went to Dublin last week I've been craving Diet Coke...sometimes it's the only thing that hits the spot! I only allow myself one can a day...I know, I know - it's terrible for you. But save me the lectures, I'm not a saint :) For dinner Jonathan made black bean beef stir fry with noodles and (ugh) peas & corn. I am sooooo sick of peas & corn!!! But Jonathan and Emilia like them, and Jonathan is chief dinner maker so I can't really complain! But personally I would have preferred stir fry veggies...

Dessert

These remind me of my last pregnancy...I think I actually was craving them in my third trimester too! They are Cadbury's Choc' Full of Pretzels and I saw them while grocery shopping today and couldn't resist! They're the perfect mix of sweet & salty. Yummy!

Aside from this I had more water, another Spatone and about 3 Rennie tablets for heartburn. You can also check out my What I Ate Wednesday video below:

What did you eat today?

xoxo

Anna

34/35 Weeks Pregnant with Baby #2!

How far along? 35 weeks! Yes, I skipped a week...but not really, as my original due date according to my last period was March 24th. In the first trimester my due date changed to a week later according to baby's measurements. For the past couple of weeks now the baby has been measuring 1 week ahead so I'm just back to my original due date! 

Total weight gain/measurements: 27lbs, stayed at 142 again!

Maternity clothes: My t-shirt is just a relaxed, oversized one I got from GAP around the time I first got pregnant. It's non-maternity but very comfortable. It's just a pity the weather isn't nice enough to wear it without a big cardigan! My leggings are very much maternity (they actually are worn all the way over the bump, hence all the crease marks!) and I got them from ASOS.

Stretch marks? Still no new ones.

Sleep: Okay, when I'm not attacked by heartburn! 

Best moment this week: Our mini break to the Westbury in Dublin for Jonathan's birthday...take me back!

Movement: Lots & lots!

Food cravings: Ham & cheese toasties (same as last week!)

Anything making you queasy or sick? No.

Gender: BOY!

Labour signs: Tons of pressure, Braxton Hicks, lightening crotch (same as last week!)

Symptoms: Fatigue, heartburn, lots of false labour signs like mini irregular contractions (Braxton Hicks). Shortness of breath...oh and I'm well & truly waddling now!     

Belly button in or out? Out!

Wedding rings on or off? On.

Happy or moody most of the time? Happy!

Looking forward to: Meeting this baby boy! I'm getting to the stage where I'm very much over being pregnant...

In the meantime, here are some adorable baby buys I picked up from DPAM in Dublin last week! They were having a 70% off sale :)

Baby boys' sleepsuit (dark blue) size 1m

Baby boys' velour set (navy blue)

Tee-shirt (dark brown) size 3m and pants (medium khaki) size 3m

Monster jumper and baby boys' trousers (medium grey) size 3m

Teddy bear cardigan, baby boys' trousers and tee-shirt (turquoise) size 3m

Baby boys' monster dungarees (size 3m) 

Grey striped vest & soft baby blanket

Check out my 34/35 week pregnancy vlog below!

To compare this pregnancy with my first one, check out my 35 week update here! 

xoxo

Anna

Fashion Friday: Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day! 

This year we are staying at the Westbury Hotel in Dublin for Jonathan's birthday (Feb.13th). I apologise for the fact that I am wearing pretty much the exact same outfit as last week's except for the jumper, but what can I say...third trimester outfit choices are always a bit limited!! The knit jumper is one of my favourites from New Look Maternity, I wore it to my driving test because I wanted to be as comfortable as possible! I love the zips in the front which also mean you can adjust the size to fit your growing bump! My jeans are from ASOS Maternity and the boots are from Dune. 

The hoop earrings are from Silver Apple Designs, my necklace is Swarovski and the two bracelets are by Dyrberg Kern and Tiffany's. I carried my Storksak Caroline changing bag (not that you can really see it in these pictures!).

Emilia wore this adorable cream top from H&M which has a gold necklace design on it...this was a present from a viewer in Sweden and I love it! Her pink leggings are from Nevada/MD (Sears) and her shoes are Skechers Twinkletoes. And of course we topped it all off with a bow & headband from Layniebug Designs. 

I kept telling her to say cheese, but all she wanted to do was the pouty duck-face...oh well :) 

I hope you all had an amazing Valentine's Day!  

xoxo

Anna

What's in My Changing Bag!

Here is my new baby...well, not really but it's my new changing bag and I love her! She is the Storksak Caroline in leather black. I knew I would be needing something a little bigger now that we're about to have "two under two" which means two sets of nappies along with changes of clothes, snacks for Emilia and everything else that goes along with babies and toddlers. Not to mention room for all my stuff as well! This bag is certainly bigger and more spacious than my other one, the Storksak Elizabeth. It has double the nappy space and a lot more room in the main part of the bag. It comes with two zipped pockets in the front (which I currently do not use), two handles and a stroller strap. 

There is also a large compartment with a button at the back of the bag in which I always carry my phone & camera so that I can reach for them quickly. The Elizabeth has two smaller pockets like this front & back.

Here is a look inside my bag. The Storksak interior has the same design and just like with the Elizabeth you get a changing mat, little pouch (which can hook onto a leather strap inside the bag - I use this for my keys instead) and an insulated bottle holder. I use the pouch for storing wet wipes or used bibs if they're messy. We always use the changing mat when we're out - it's so handy for restaurants or any other public places where you need to change your baby & want to guarantee it's sanitary! I never got any use out of the bottle holder before as I breastfed Emilia but now I use it for her "big girl" cup! It fits perfectly and keeps her drinks cool. 

On one side of the bag there are two huge nappy compartments where I currently keep three in each one but there is plenty of room for more so I will probably make one side Emilia's and the other the new baby's when he arrives. On the other side of the bag are three smaller compartments along with a zipped pocket where I keep my makeup/beauty items such as lipsticks & makeup mirrors.

Inside the main part of the bag I keep my wallet, sunnies, WaterWipes, Emilia's Tommee Tippee plastic bib and a spare shopping bag. In the smaller compartments at the side I store tissues, hand cream and chewing gum. On my key-chain strap I have hand sanitisers, my car key, house key and Tesco clubcard.

To get a better look at everything I carry in my changing bag, check out my video below! Link to my last What's In My Changing Bag post featuring the Elizabeth is here!

xoxo

Anna

Mommy Monday: 33 Weeks Pregnant with Baby #2!

(Don't mind my Christmas socks...he he ;) 

How far along? 33 weeks!

Total weight gain/measurements: 27lbs, stayed the same again.

Maternity clothes: My jumper is from New Look Maternity (bought from ASOS but no longer on the site, sorry!) My maternity jeans are also from ASOS. 

Stretch marks? Still no new ones.

Sleep: Good - although we have had a few rough nights with Emilia which definitely doesn't help :( But aside from that she's generally a great little sleeper.

Best moment this week: We visited PAWS Animal Rescue on Saturday to donate food & check out the kennels we sponsored over Christmas and although it was an emotional experience, it felt good to do something nice for the doggy friends. (More on that here.)

Miss anything? I do miss not being out of breath all the time...and being able to put on socks/boots easily! 

Movement: Tons.

Food cravings: We got a toastie machine last week and ever since I've been craving toasties! Especially ham & cheese...mmm!

Anything making you queasy or sick? No.

Gender: BOY!

Labour signs: Lots of pressure, Braxton Hicks, lightening crotch!

Symptoms: Aside from the ones above, heartburn, shortness of breath, back pain (this is probably due to bending over picking up toys & lifting Emilia) and fatigue.     

Belly button in or out? Out!

Wedding rings on or off? On.

Happy or moody most of the time? Happy!

Looking forward to: Seeing the baby on our next scan (tomorrow)!

Watch my 33 week pregnancy vlog below:

Want to compare bumps? Check out my 33 week update from my first pregnancy here!

xoxo

Anna

Fashion Friday: Mommy & Toddler Style

Today's outfit features one of my new jumpers from ASOS Maternity. I've been wearing this a lot since I got it - I love the pattern & although it is warm and snuggly for the winter, I still feel like I can breathe in it. The sleeves have "holes" in them (the correct term is probably wide stitching or something but I don't know anything about knitting - sorry!) so when worn with a tank top it actually feels quite light & airy. This is important when pregnant as sometimes you can feel like an oven...ha ha ha!

My jeans are also by ASOS Maternity but as you guys probably already know, I don't recommend them as they faded pretty badly after only one wash! :( The boots are by Dune from about 4 years ago, and ever since I've had to stop wearing heels I've been living in either these or my UGGs. 

Emilia's outfit was a birthday present from Marks & Spencer, she is wearing a light pink headband & lavender bow from Layniebug Designs and her shoes are Twinkletoes by Skechers (they light up!)

I also picked up a new maternity coat from ASOS in the sale which was a total steal, reduced from €112 to €33! The best thing about this style is that it can easily be worn when not pregnant and you wouldn't even know it's maternity!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! 

xoxo

Anna

Beauty Tuesday: January Favourites 2014!

Here are my favourite beauty products for January 2014!

This month I had a whole lot of skincare items, a few revisited favourites and not much makeup!

Aussie Miracle Moist Shampoo & Reconstructor Three Minute Miracle Deep Conditioner

I know I have featured both of these haircare products on my blog before, but after repurchasing them last month it made me realise what a fool I had been for using anything else! These have to be my favourite all-time shampoo & conditioner - I have used everything from higher end/more expensive products recommended by hairdressers, to the cheapest drugstore ones and I can safely say that these are the only two that make a visible difference in my hair! I have dry hair so I only wash it twice a week. These make my hair feel soft & silky!

ESPA Nourishing Body Oil and ESPA Smooth & Firm Body Butter

I sort of hate the fact that I am now addicted to these two products as they are so expensive but I can't help myself! Nothing else compares...these are both fabulous for preventing stretch marks and are so nourishing during pregnancy. I use them together so that they will last longer, although I do have a tendency to slather them on as I love them so much (especially the body butter). My skin feels and smells luxurious and wonderfully soft afterwards and they last me about a month.

Estee Lauder Perfectly Clean Cleanser, DayWear Moisturiser and Advanced Night Repair Eye Serum

These are a couple of new skincare items I've been trying out recently and they are working really well for my skin! I use the Perfectly Clean cleanser morning & night (with my Clarisonic) and twice a week for three minutes as a mask. I love how squeaky clean it makes my skin feel! I use the moisturiser both morning & night as well. Both products are for normal/combination skin. I also got an eye serum, which is lovely & lightweight. You can apply it under your makeup and it doesn't leave a shine or yucky residue on your face. I was recommended the serum when I went looking for an eye cream as this formula is not too thick and makes a great starter product for preventing wrinkles. One tiny pump goes a long way - this is all I use for both eyes! I have also used the Advanced Night Repair serum for the face but it did not agree with my skin at all - it broke me out :(

Dr. Lipp Original Nipple Balm for Lips

I received this as a sample in a Glossybox I think and only got around to using it last month but I am so glad I did! This sounds a bit gross (I know, I know...nipple cream) but it really works! The formula is super thick & gloopy so it's definitely something you want to apply at night when nobody's looking...ha ha ha! It feels like you're wearing a coating of honey on your lips. But when you wake up in the morning they will be super soft & flake free! This is the best stuff for cold winter months when your lips are more susceptible to chapping/dryness.

Essie "Fiji" Nail Polish

I have definitely mentioned this in a favourites post before (probably circa Summer 2012) but I went back to using it last month after getting sick of the dark wintery shades. I needed something light & airy for a pick-me-up and this did the trick! It's that perfect opaque "white-ish" pink that looks pretty on both long or short nails. I got so many compliments & questions about this shade when I wore it, I couldn't not give it a mention! It also lasts almost 2 weeks before chipping...Essie polishes are really the best!

NARS Turkish Delight Lip Gloss

I bought this last month from ASOS even though I have been lusting after it for years (ever since Kim Kardashian mentioned it was a favourite of hers back in 2008/2009!). I love everything about it except for the smell...it smells horrible, more like a cleaning product than a lip gloss! Aside from that it is very complimentary on any shade of nude lipstick - today I have it on over Rimmel Airy Fairy. I apply it whenever I want a more "plumped up" look. 

You can also check out my January Favourites video below, where I talk about all of these products in more detail!

xoxo

Anna