– a brand new bike to cruise the neighborhood with made entirely from recycled Nespresso pods (since our SF bikes were stolen from our locked garage), both extremely cool and beautiful! –
It is Friday and thank you Jesus! This week has been more tiring than most, in large part because the end-of-pregnancy-insomnia has officially kicked in. I wake up almost every night between 3:30-4:30AM and can’t go back to sleep. One time I got up and watched a movie and then fell back asleep. Another time I made cinnamon rolls and watched Real Housewives of NJ… it’s been interesting.
I must admit that I’ve become more irritable in general in the last month of this pregnancy. I think that’s what I get for having it so easy the first eight months! So now the achey back with the insomnia… I’m reminding myself to practice my breathing and get outside and walk to get out some of this very pregnant woman angst.
In very exciting and happy news, we have most of our nursery furniture in (!!!), and my sister is coming in town this weekend to be the best sister ever and help me organize baby boy’s dresser and closet.
Christian has also been a gem. He’s home by dinner time if not earlier every day which means he can help in the kitchen or put together strollers and set up baby monitors. It’s only reminded me how thankful I am for his new job and flexibility compared to our old life. I can’t begin to imagine what it could have been like had we had our first baby years ago. Significantly harder and much lonelier, that’s for sure.
Other than that, I am continuing to spend a lot of time at my desk in attempt to work ahead in preparation for the next month. I’m getting so excited about holiday gift guides! It still feels too early to decorate for the holidays, but I think I’ll get a second wind eventually. When do you plan on decorating?
Some of you may remember this post when I shared that I was using Rent the Runway Unlimited to help supply my pregnancy wardrobe as my body changed month after month. Well I’ve been consistently using it since July, and I will say it again and again – it’s been a lifesaver.
I am able to consistently have four pieces on rotation, and if something doesn’t work I just slip it back in the mail and select something different. There have been times I’ve loved something so much that I’ve kept it for weeks… like this turtleneck dress in today’s post. If you really fall in love with an item you can hold onto it for as long as you like or you also have the option to buy it at a discount to keep.
Best of all, items come in only two business days and the dry cleaning and insurance is taken care of. So select it, wear it, and send it back via UPS at no cost.
As we enter week 37 of pregnancy, my biggest third trimester wardrobe tip would be to take advantage of a service like this! I really have not bought much clothing-wise during this pregnancy other than a few staples (denim, leggings, fitness leggings, some tees, etc.) because I’m able to use Rent the Runway Unlimited. I can try new pieces in the privacy of my own home and send them back for free if they don’t work.
Best of all, I know that once I’ve had this baby, I can continue swapping out pieces while my body slowly gets back to pre-baby clothes. And I love knowing my closet won’t be full of pieces that are all different sizes!
If you’re new to Rent the Runway, you can get 50% off your first month of RTR Unlimited with the code RTRKATHLEEN.
If you’ve tried it before, I’d love to hear what you think! I would also love to hear anyone else’s third trimester outfit tips. We can all learn from each other! Thanks so much for reading and sharing – XO –
Thinking a little cozier these days as my due date approaches, and I’m loving this robe in all of its prints. So cute! I also recently bought these slippers and am loving them.
I bought these earrings last year and am so happy to see they’re back in stock! I wear them in my middle ear piercing (I have three). I’m always surprised at how many compliments I get considering how tiny they are. There are only a few pairs left, so I don’t think they’ll last too long.
I’ve seen a few girls with this leather bag personalized, and it’s seriously so cute. Crazy cute!
Can’t get enough of joggers these days. I bought this pair in the Anniversary Sale and they somehow still fit. Also loving this leopard + camo pair.
I’ve talked about MZ Wallace many times on this blog (most recently here), but I can’t get enough of this leopard version. They’re so incredibly lightweight and fantastic travel bags. I know I’ll use them more than ever once baby is here!
Holiday gift guides will be gearing up soon. I plan on covering picks for him, her, last minute picks, buys under $100 and so on, but if there is a specific category you’d like see, I’d love to hear! Thanks so much for reading and sharing – XO –
When we were getting married, I remember being asked what I was going to give Christian as his wedding day “gift.” I thought, “um… a wedding band?” We chose not to buy additional gifts as the wedding celebration and band exchange felt like pretty big gifts in themselves.
Now that we are welcoming our first child (this month!), the question of a push present has come up. When I think of a push present, it symbolizes something a little different. This is a memento on the day of your child’s birth. An item to symbolize the creation and carrying of this little person and their awaited arrival. And maybe even something you can give to them (or their wife) one day when they’re older.
I was lucky to receive my push present a little early – two carat diamond stud earrings from Clean Origin! And here’s why these diamonds are a little different than what you might expect –
They are made in a lab rather than dug from a mine, which means they’re 100% ethically sourced as well as environmentally-friendly. This also makes Clean Origin’s diamonds 20-40% less expensive than mine diamonds. You could spend the same amount and get a larger carat size or get the same carat size at a much lower price. This is a great pitch when talking your husband into a new jewelry purchase… just sayin’.
The only thing that actually makes lab diamonds different than mine diamonds is how they’re formed. A lab-created diamond is grown using technology that replicates the natural diamond growing process. Therefore, the end result is a diamond that is chemically, physically and visually the same as those grown in the Earth.
SO, with all of that being said, gorgeous diamond stud earrings definitely aren’t your only option! Below are some of my top push present picks for the girl who loves something extra sparkly.
Diamond Earrings | These are two carat, three-prong stud earrings that I know are timeless and classic.
Diamond Band | I love stacking bands on my both my right and left hand. A beautiful band is such a fabulous gift for not only a push present but any big celebration – anniversary, holiday, etc. I love this Duchess Diamond Band!
Bracelet | If you’re a bracelet gal, these tennis bracelets are showstoppers. So gorgeous.
Of course Clean Origin also has unlimited options in the engagement ring and wedding band space as well. You can see all of those on their website.
If you are expecting and have a push present in mind or your husband gave you something super special when your first was born, I’d love to hear what it was! Thanks so much for reading and sharing – XO –
– prepping for our first Halloween in our new home and wanting to be the house with the good candy (bowl available here) –
The Friday of Halloween weekend!!! Now THAT is a good time. After living in a townhouse and apartment for six years and having little to no trick-or-treaters, this was our first year in our home and things were popping off! I loved seeing all the costumes and was fully prepared with tons of candy. I have more in case more kids come tonight! There was a little neighborhood block party before kids went out for candy. Honestly, it was adorable.
I wanted to share another photo of this gorgeous dining room chandelier you guys have been loving and asking about. I love it so much and seeing it right when you walk in our front door makes me so happy!
Anyone have festive plans in store for the weekend? Christian and I will be hitting up our first and only class, a “birthing basics” class, that is offered at our hospital. They offer a ton of different classes, some over the course of weeks and others are just a few hours. We opted for a quick little run through of the experiences ahead, but I think it will mentally be good for us. It should be over before the Georgia vs. Florida game, and therefore C is being a good sport!
Things are starting to get a little bit more real as we put together the carseat and stroller, wash the little baby clothes and brainstorm about where the temporary changing table will be as we wait for ours to come in. I’ve learned that furniture delivery windows are much longer than I anticipated, but that’s ok as we plan to have him in his bassinet in our room for several months at first. I’m hoping to share a full nursery reveal with you guys in January (fingers crossed!). If it comes together the way I’m envisioning it, it’s going to be so sweet!
Other than that, we are nesting and trying to enjoy these quiet days before life changes indefinitely. And honestly, the bigger this belly gets, I’m ready for it. Hope you guys have a beautiful weekend and Happy HALLOWEEN weekend! XO –
A question I get quite often is “what do I wear for engagement photos?” Truth be told, I never actually took engagement photos. My sister snapped a photo of Christian and myself for our save-the-date and we called it a day. But because I do get this question so often I wanted to put together a blog post with some ideas. I’m also sharing my top picks when choosing something to wear for this kind of photo session!
You can also find some couples photos of Christian and me in the “marriage” category of this site that might give you some ideas on poses, framing, etc.
My top tips for selecting something to wear for your engagement photos:
Know what makes you feel confident. I think it’s most important to feel comfortable and confident when you’re having your photo taken with your significant other. Know what silhouettes flatter your body. Know what makes you stand up straight.
And on that note, it doesn’t have to be white and it doesn’t have to be a dress. I picked white and cream dresses above, but that’s because that’s what I would wear because I feel more comfortable in dresses and skirts than pants. If you feel the most fierce in a jumpsuit or pants – you do you! These are YOUR photos. You’re taking the time and money to shoot them, so truly, it only matters that you feel great and love them.
Consider splurging. One idea would be to buy something extra fabulous you can also wear to a shower or engagement party. I think these rare special occasions are such a great time to treat yourself because you’re going to have the photos to look at forever. You can save money on the honeymoon wardrobe.
Take photos of yourself in the outfit and see how it photographs before you meet with the photographer. This can just be a mirror selfie you delete later. But see how the fabric and cut photograph. Do you like it? Are the details that make the dress so special lost when a photo is snapped? We all know that sometimes things photograph differently than they look in person, and for a photo shoot… no one is going to see what it looks like in person. It kind of only matters what it looks like in photos.
I hope that helps some! If you have any other topics like this you’d like to see on CBL, please let me know in the comments. Appreciate you guys – XO –
Where do you begin with a new home? Hire a designer?
I think this varies person to person depending on your confidence with your interior style, budget and motivation to decorate your home. I have never hired a designer but for this home I knew we would need to purchase a lot of new pieces and wanted some assistance with those big decisions. I have worked with two very talented local women on many of the rooms in this home. Often times it’s just me asking them, “do you think we should go with this one or this one? These drapes or these?” But just having someone else to help me with those decisions has been really helpful and absolutely worth the investment.
Will you do a home tour soon?
I don’t think this entire home will feel complete for years, but I’ll be sharing rooms as they are finished! We just moved into this home in July and it’s much larger than any space we’ve ever lived in. Many of the pieces of furniture we’ve ordered take 8-12 weeks to even come in, so it’s just going to be a process. But I will share as much as I can along the way! I’m also saving lots of snippets and links in the “GA Home” saved stories on Instagram.
Can you share more information on your rugs?
I plan on doing a full blog post just on rugs as this is so highly requested! I still have to complete a few more rooms… we just moved in a few months ago so things just take time. Most of the rugs in our Georgia home are from Annie Selke.
You can also search “rug” on this site tons of posts with the room’s rugs linked come up. I have also tagged rug sources in the “GA Home” saved stories on Instagram. That saved highlight is where I’m saving all home sneak peeks before room reveals go live!
Will you share your tablescape for your Thanksgiving dinner?
I’m taking a more relaxed approach this year as I’m 35 weeks pregnant and just don’t have the energy to go all out this year, but you can see previous years setups here, here and here!
What are a few items you splurged on for home decor that were definitely worth it?
Our dining room light fixture is gorgeous and a splurge that I think it totally worth it. Painting the exterior of our house was another splurge that was most definitely worth it!
Splurge vs. save for your house?
I always think sofas and chairs are worth splurging on. We spend so much time sitting on furniture that it’s important that it’s both beautiful and functional.
I like to save on accessories and throw pillows. I always want to mix things up so the big pieces are the only items that stick around for years and years!
Do you clean your own home or are you planning on hiring a service?
This is a question I get quite often that always surprises me. But apparently you guys are interesting in house cleaning! I had someone come every other week in Orange County, and she was incredible. We still text and keep in touch, she is a gem. In San Francisco I was quoted 2x as much to clean an even smaller space, so I cleaned our apartment myself that year. Now that we are in Georgia I’ve hired two lovely women who come together every other week, and so far they have been wonderful! I know when the baby is here I’ll be more thankful for them than ever.
When I clean myself it takes at least half a day of my time when I could be working. I don’t mind cleaning, but logistically and financially my time is better spent working and hiring professionals. I always do interim cleaning between their visits!
Just moved from Phoenix to Atlanta. What are some good basics to start a winter wardrobe?
Welcome girlfriend! Know that it never gets that cold in the South. My mom always said if you live in the South, splurge on spring/summer pieces over fall/winter because you don’t always get as much wear out of cold weather items!
Do you have a boot spray recommendation for leather or suede boots?
Yes I always spray my suede boots! I’ve used this spray but honestly any suede boot spray is great, it’s more about just actually spraying them vs. which spray you use.
How do you style a slip skirt for a holiday party?
Love this question! You can see some styled outfits in this realm here, here and here.
Etiquette on bringing/sending a gift to a gender reveal in addition to the baby shower?
The gift giving can seriously get out of hand for both weddings and babies, in my opinion. I mean… none of us are the first women to ever get married or have a baby! I think ONE nice gift is plenty to cover all the showers. Rather than several small gifts, splurge on one lovely, memorable gift. This personalized pewter baby cup is one of my favorite gifts to give those I’m close to.
You make pregnancy look amazing! Do you think you’ll miss it?
First of all, thank you, you’re a doll. I have been really lucky with a pretty mellow pregnancy and I don’t take it for granted. While I look forward to not only him being here, but also having my non-pregnant body (and clothes!) back, I do think I’ll miss certain parts. Almost every morning I’ll drink tea in bed and I’ll pull up my nightgown and watch him dance in my belly. If he’s in a weird position, I’ll pat pat pat that lump and he’ll move and even out. We have a rhythm, just the two of us. I’ve gotten caught calling him “my baby,” and Christian reminds me, “I think you mean ourbaby.” I know I only have a few more weeks of having him all to myself!
What stretch mark creams or oils have you used during pregnancy?
I saved this in the “Oh Baby” saved stories (along with other pregnancy-related topics + links!), but I’ve been using this stretch cream. I recently was gifted this belly oil so now I combine the two and put them on my belly and chest. I haven’t seen stretch marks yet, but I also hear this can be more about genetics than which creams you use. However I’m still just using one in case it does help!
Is there anything you did that helped you not get morning sickness or other symptoms?
My annoying answer… not really. I also think this might be genetics. My mom and sister both had easy pregnancies with both their daughters and sons. I’ve been fortunate to have a very similar pregnancy to theirs. The girls I know who haven’t enjoyed their pregnancies have said their moms had difficult pregnancies as well. Tell me what you think!
What will your work pattern be like once you have your baby?
I think I have to have this baby and see how it goes before I can really know. I know that I’ll need some help with him so I can maintain at least three structured office days, but for those first six months I’m going to want to be right there for everything. For the first two months we have hired some help from a guru in town who is literally going to teach me how to be a mother. I already adore her and am so, so thankful to have her help.
Then we’ll have to decide what’s going to work best for our family – daycare, a nanny, etc. Time will tell! Trying to give myself grace and take it day by day.
Are you taking maternity leave?
Kind of… this baby is due right before Thanksgiving, and November and December are my busiest months of the year. So that was really smart of me! I want to give myself time to not only enjoy our first newborn baby but also give my body the grace and time it needs. But I don’t want to disappear from CBL during holiday!
I am working ahead as much as I can to pre-shoot before December and will take December slower than usual. Thankfully January and February are calm months for me typically, so I know I will also have that time to slow down.
In a nutshell: no, I don’t have a traditional three-month maternity leave. But I love my job, and I would still rather do this than anything else.
When will you announce the baby’s name?
When he is born! Truthfully we are still bouncing between two names.
Best moisturizer you have used for dry skin this time of year?
When your skin is dry, I think it’s more about using a facial oil than the moisturizer. I would recommend adding a few drops of face oil to your moisturizer or using around 5 drops of a facial oil on its own without any moisturizer.
Yes they are posted on the blog! Hair can be found here, makeup can be found here.
Do you wish you and Christian had moved somewhere even closer to family than Georgia?
I feel confident that we are where we are supposed to be. This move fell right into place so easily in so many ways, and I am very calm and comforted knowing that I feel we followed where God led us. That being said, my dad is getting closer to retirement and they’ll be able to be more flexible. My sister is a little over three hours away and my brother will soon also be a little less than three hours away. We are 7-8 hours from Christian’s family in Mississippi which is a little tougher, but thankfully they are a happy road trippin’ kind of bunch!
What are your top tips for moving since you and Christian are pros?
I’ve got a whole blog post about moving tips for you here! Or just search “moving” in the search bar and it will pop right up!
That’s a wrap for this month! You can find my second trimester Q&A here and September’s Q&A here. If your questions wasn’t answered here, it was likely answered in one of the earlier months. Check the “personal” category for all of the Q&A’s on this blog since March.
Thank you so much for reading and for your fabulous questions! XO –
I knew that as soon as we had a house to call our own, I would be investing in organizing the cabinets and drawers. I am majorly type A, and nothing brings me more joy than a functional, organized house!
So today I’m sharing a peek into our pantry, kitchen drawers and refrigerator to show you how I organized them with The Container Store. And most importantly, how you can do it too.
There are services out there you can pay hourly to help you get organized, and for some people that is an amazing option! But I think it’s also great to know that you can skip that expense and do it yourself with a little research.
But before we dive in, I want to be sure to share that The Container Store is having a kitchen sale through November 10th! So if you’re looking to get your kitchen in tip top shape before the holiday season really starts, there’s no better time than now.
PANTRY ORGANIZATION:
We have three large pantry cabinets and I use two of them for food and the third for storage. I ordered a mix of different pieces that I thought would best utilize these shelves. You could go rogue and do your own thing like we did or you could keep it simple by ordering a kit like this one or this one.
The Home Edit Organizer Bins | Order several of these! You can use them to organize larger storage bins or simply use them on their own. They are really helpful in both other containers or pantry drawers.
The Home Edit Divided Lazy Susan | I think it’s always helpful to have at least one Lazy Susan in your pantry. We use ours to store granola bars and snacks, but I know I could use it for anything.
KITCHEN DRAWER ORGANIZATION:
I ordered two of these Linus Large Drawer Organization Kits and they were perfect for the two most visited kitchen drawers in our space – the “junk” drawer and utensil drawer. It makes such a huge difference to have all of the rubber bands in a bin, all of the markers in a bin etc. Rather than stress me out when I open it, it’s now always neatly displayed. Bonus points that it makes telling a guest where the scissors or measuring tape is super easy!
We also ordered this Under Sink Organization Kit and I love it. It’s so easy for cleaning supplies to get lost under the sink, but having this drawer that rolls out makes an alarming difference in knowing exactly what we’re storing under there.
Lastly, I’ve been so surprised at how many of you guys have asked about our dish drying rack! I ordered both this Silicone Drying Mat and this Folding Bamboo Dish Rack. We have a big farmhouse sink, so I still needed a place to dry hand-washed items. It’s been the perfect solution. Plus it folds up easily for storing when you are entertaining.
FRIDGE ORGANIZATION:
The Fridge Organization Kit was the perfect kit to organize our refrigerator. It comes with plenty of containers for storage, sealed food containers, bottle holders – the works.
There were a few things I knew we wouldn’t need, so I eliminated them in the custom order section and then added things I wanted extra of (like the Fridge Monkey). Know that you can take these kits and eliminate or increase the quantities of any of the items to make the kit your own. It’s just there to serve as an incredibly helpful starting point!
If you’ve ever done a deep dive into your pantry or kitchen, I’d love to hear how you organized it! Don’t forget The Container Store’s Kitchen Sale goes through 11/10/19. And for another fab project with The Container Store, you can check out our bedroom closet transformation here and here.
You guys know I love a midi dress. I love them in the spring + summer with sneakers or sandals, and then I love them in the fall with booties, sneakers and a cardigan or blazer/moto jacket. So cute, so flattering and versatile.
I wanted to round up some of my favorite midi dresses right now that are super cute on their own or great layering foundation pieces. And yes… I realize that this jumpsuit isn’t a dress. But it was so cute that I had to include it!
I also threw in some accessories I’m loving right now, including all things hoop and chain earrings. And this bag has been on my wish list for over a year. Love the size and structure!
I’ve included more midi dress picks under $100 in the sliding thumbnails below. If you have a theme you’d like to see in these weekly wish lists. I love putting them together, and it’s even better when I know it’s for things you guys are looking for. Thanks so much for reading and sharing – XO –
I remember reading an article that suggested having a food delivery service lined up to make your life easier once your baby is born. I thought this was so smart and something I probably wouldn’t have thought much about otherwise.
We certainly live closer to friends & family than we used to, but we’re still many hours away. Being so new to town, we are still making friends and trying different churches, so I don’t expect or anticipate some running list of meals being brought over. BUT now that there are so many amazing services out there, there’s no need to worry about that!
I’ve shared many times on Instagram that we love HomeChef. But I wanted to make things even easier post-baby. No prep, no clean-up. Below are some of the best suggestions I received from CBL girls for both national companies as well as some that are local to Georgia!
National:
Freshly – my dad has actually used this before. Although he said the menu didn’t have as much variation as he would have liked, he still said the meals were good.
Tovala – I think this looks really good. A top contender!
Nourish Foods – I have tried this company before when we lived in OC and they were good! At the time most of the options were meat but it appears they have more vegetarian dishes in the rotation now.
JB’s Fresh to Go | There is no website but you can get on their weekly email menu mailing. If interested, leave a comment and I will share the email address there!
I hope this might be helpful to some of you looking for the same service! I think we’ll try to start locally, but Tovala is looking pretty delicious if I do say so myself.
Another week has breezed by which brings me closer to this baby’s due date. I feel both ready and totally unprepared. That’s probably normal, right?
At 34 weeks, I kicked it into gear getting my hospital bag organized, figuring out what I want to bring for the baby to the hospital, buying diapers, washing crib and bassinet sheets, etc. I think doing some of these motions are helping me feel a little more calm about the major life pace change ahead. My mantra has always been “outer order, inner calm,” so going through these motions is calming for me.
I do plan on sharing what we packed for the hospital after I have this baby. I want to make sure to share only what we actually needed, so I think it will be more informative after our experience!
The temperature seriously dropped this week so I’ve been drinking all the tea in my sweatpants. It reminds me of almost every day in San Francisco, and I can’t help but continue to be completely overwhelmed with gratitude at the difference in our life from this time last year.
Even with a major cross-country move, the workload of buying our first home and decorating it/working on the exterior, experiencing the third trimester and preparing for our first baby, Christian starting his first job… I still feel calmer every day and more like myself. Of course it comes with its own stressful moments, but I still feel like we’re working toward life goals and things we want for our future. It’s rewarding and feels like an investment rather than a chore. Even with bumps along the road!
If anything, that year of struggle has really made me appreciate so much. So, so much.
What are you grateful for right now? If you don’t keep a gratitude journal or share a few things each night at dinner with your partner – I’d highly recommend it. I am always happier on the days when I do!
I was somehow able to get away with not purchasing maternity clothes much until my third trimester. That’s when things changed and this belly took the lead! I knew that if I didn’t get some maternity exercise leggings, there was no chance I’d stay active. Finding the energy to move your body in the third trimester is challenging enough, but if you’re going to be uncomfortable in your clothes, forget it.
So I grabbed two pairs of Zella leggings from Nordstrom, the Mamasana (photographed here) and the 7/8 legging with pockets. They’re definitely the only two pair of fitness leggings I currently fit into. Bonus points that they are such a great price point.
While I wouldn’t say that I’m necessarily workin’ up a sweat these days, I am trying to get my legs moving or stretch with Pilates. Not to mention that just wearing these leggings with a denim jacket and baseball hat is sometimes the easiest outfit I can grab to feel both comfortable and put together in these final weeks pre-baby.
Do any of you have tips for staying motivated to keep it moving while pregnant? I welcome any advice from the seasoned mamas out there! We are most definitely winging it over here, but every time I feel this little guy moving around I think about how much I’m going to love strolling him in our new neighborhood.
You can see some of my favorite at-home workouts here, a Q&A on my Mirror device here and my January fitness challenge here (WOW that pre-baby body is… different than what we’re looking at these days!).
