Thursday, April 25, 2013
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Wordless Wednesday: The Life of a Lil' Farm Girl
We have been a busy bunch in the last couple months. Family visits, farm trips (and farm work), a trip to Washington, D.C. hair cuts, lots of play time, Easter, first day out in the field working ground and oh yea ... I'm still preggers. 35 weeks now, time sure has flown! We're all looking forward to meeting Baby Girl!
 |
| Spent a day on the farm with Daddy. Here we are in the farrowing barn. |
 |
| Cute little baby pigs |
 |
| Daddy's little assistant. |
 |
| Oink |
 |
| Lots of cute colored babies taking a snooze. |
 |
| Going in for a KISS! |
 |
| Taking a ride around the farm (for no particular reason) in the new tractor. RayRay was driving , kinda... |
 |
| And pose ... such a diva |
 |
| Snow in late March, starting to melt away. Spring is in the air! |
 |
| "I don't want to take a bath!!! (Five minutes later) I LOVE bath time." Sigh ... |
 |
| Grammy and RayRay being silly |
 |
| Grampy and RayRay |
 |
| A cowgirl in training. But really, is there any other better way to watch cartoons than from the back of a "horse," I think not! |
 |
| Silly girl! |
 |
| I think this was her 3rd haircut, getting more comfortable with sitting still, now. |
 |
| Big D and I in Washington D.C. about to meet with our legislators to talk farm issues. |
 |
| Big D's big sissy and her family live in Arlington and we were lucky enough to be there to help her celebrate her birthday! |
 |
| Easter egg hunting at church |
 |
| Pretty serious about this egg-hunting. |
 |
| Family photo at church |
 |
| And pose! I had like 12 photos of her tilting her head back and forth. So cute! |
 |
| We don't have any pigs or cows on the farm where we live right now. Just a lonely old goat. So when we go outside RayRay is constantly trying to feed the goat dried up old weeds. |
 |
| On the way out to the field to work ground - April 6 - and so it begins .... |
 |
| But Daddy always makes special time for his girl. I'm sure we're headed to see the goat again here. |
 |
| And here I am. 35 weeks. Feeling pretty good for the most part. Good days and bad days, ya'll. Excited for the new baby girl to arrive! |
Thursday, April 4, 2013
The Truth About GMOs
I had this post nearly completely finished, then stopped and realized it just wasn't me. And if you've read much of my blog and/or met me in person, you know this blog is ... all me. No one pays me to say this stuff. I don't sugar coat my life, including the struggles of being a working mama, I stand up for what I believe in and I'm passionate and proud to be a farmer and farmer's wife.
You'd know that I support free choice, especially when it comes to food. I have friends and family from all walks of life who choose to purchase organic foods and products and are members of CSAs (community supported agriculture). I would never bash someone's choice to purchase organic versus conventionally produced food. But if given the chance, I will be happy to educate those around me about the food that we produce on our farm and why.
You'd also know that I get frustrated at the over-use of unnecessary labels on food. Labels on food that honestly don't amount to squat other than to confuse food buyers into thinking it's somehow healthier or better for you. Do I occasionally get caught up in labels? Sure! But I do my best to stay educated on my food options and make selections based on sound science and principles as opposed to misrepresentation.
For instance, if you want a truly organic food product, it should have the USDA Certified Organic seal. If it just says organic, well who knows if it really is since it's not regulated organic and umm ... under the USDA Certified Organic program, they have strict strict regulatory standards. How about natural? Or antibiotic-free? Cage-free? Or better yet, hormone-free? Free of high fructose corn syrup? Or two of my favorites rBST-free milk and gestation stall free pork?
Well I could have individual posts on each and every one of those labels and probably many many more, but today, I want to chat a little bit about GMOs or genetically-modified organism especially with all the recent buzz about labeling foods that are GMO.
G.M.O.
Geez, it's sounds so scientific and unnatural. Why wouldn't you be a little cautious? Why wouldn't you want to know what the heck that means? I honestly think it's great to question the origin of your food, how it was produced and where. But on the other hand, it's easy to be misinformed especially about GMOs since there are plenty of groups spewing untruths and shoddy science getting attention from the media that are against biotechnology, conventionally-produced foods and many even bashing modern farming practices in general.
As a farmer, farm wife and mom, I want to take just a couple minutes to give you my perspective. And please know, if I believed GMO foods were harmful in any way, I sure as heck wouldn't raise them or feed them to my family.
By definition, GMO is an organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques. Organisms that have been genetically modified include micro-organisms such as bacteria and yeast, plants, fish and mammals. GMOs are the source of genetically-modified foods.
One of the first and most illustrating examples of a GMO crop is golden rice. Golden rice was created to fight a vitamin A deficiency, which affects 250 million people around the world, causing blindness and even death, mostly in small children. Rice is one of the most common foods, globally, with half of the world's population surviving on just a single daily bowl of rice a day. And since getting vitamin supplements distributed around the world would be nearly impossible, scientists engineered a grain of rice that already had vitamin A in it and so golden rice was born, saving millions of lives around the world.
If you'd ask me, I'd tell you that GMO crops are beneficial to world sustainability and health in many ways beyond just the golden rice example.
For instance, we can produce more with less, using fewer resources, including less herbicides and pesticides and reduce our overall carbon footprint within the agriculture industry.
In a day and age when residential areas are pushing out into farm country, we have fewer acres to produce food with, but more people to feed. In fact, it's been said that by 2050, we'll have a 2 billion increase in world population (current world population is 7 billion).
With GMO or biotech crops, we can increase our yields grown on the same or even less acreage (granted we don't have another drought!).
We can reduce crop damage from gnarly weeds, diseases and insects, which means herbicide applications are more precise and only used when/where needed.
We can even potentially improve nutritional value of foods or provide other health benefits (ie. golden rice!). We can reduce the use of fossil fuels with fewer trips across the field.
We can also improve water quality with the more precise use of chemicals (only used when/where needed).
Many folks question the safety of biotech/GMO foods, which like I mentioned earlier is a good thing! But the truth is that biotech seeds/plants undergo more safety testing than ANY OTHER agriculture product, including organic crops.
With continued research and development, biotech or GMO seeds will continue to produce better yields, improve nutritional benefits of certain crops, use less water, and allow for the increasingly precise use of fertilizers and pesticides.
I certainly wouldn't raise GMO crops if I thought they were harming the Earth in any way. I heard somewhere that "We do not inherit the land from our ancestors, but we borrow it from our children." I agree completely, I want to be able to care for the land so that it continues to provide for the next generation. Period.
Continued research is always necessary so that we can improve the genetics of our crops and livestock, production practices and regulatory standards. I don't oppose research or regulation, but I sure do oppose mistruths or false portrayl of the extremely beneficial nature of biotech crops.
Moving forward, farmers need to be more sustainable and produce better, more nutritionally-beneficial crops and that's exactly what we intend to do, but with a background in sound science, always.
You'd know that I support free choice, especially when it comes to food. I have friends and family from all walks of life who choose to purchase organic foods and products and are members of CSAs (community supported agriculture). I would never bash someone's choice to purchase organic versus conventionally produced food. But if given the chance, I will be happy to educate those around me about the food that we produce on our farm and why.
You'd also know that I get frustrated at the over-use of unnecessary labels on food. Labels on food that honestly don't amount to squat other than to confuse food buyers into thinking it's somehow healthier or better for you. Do I occasionally get caught up in labels? Sure! But I do my best to stay educated on my food options and make selections based on sound science and principles as opposed to misrepresentation.
For instance, if you want a truly organic food product, it should have the USDA Certified Organic seal. If it just says organic, well who knows if it really is since it's not regulated organic and umm ... under the USDA Certified Organic program, they have strict strict regulatory standards. How about natural? Or antibiotic-free? Cage-free? Or better yet, hormone-free? Free of high fructose corn syrup? Or two of my favorites rBST-free milk and gestation stall free pork?
Well I could have individual posts on each and every one of those labels and probably many many more, but today, I want to chat a little bit about GMOs or genetically-modified organism especially with all the recent buzz about labeling foods that are GMO.
G.M.O.
Geez, it's sounds so scientific and unnatural. Why wouldn't you be a little cautious? Why wouldn't you want to know what the heck that means? I honestly think it's great to question the origin of your food, how it was produced and where. But on the other hand, it's easy to be misinformed especially about GMOs since there are plenty of groups spewing untruths and shoddy science getting attention from the media that are against biotechnology, conventionally-produced foods and many even bashing modern farming practices in general.
As a farmer, farm wife and mom, I want to take just a couple minutes to give you my perspective. And please know, if I believed GMO foods were harmful in any way, I sure as heck wouldn't raise them or feed them to my family.
By definition, GMO is an organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques. Organisms that have been genetically modified include micro-organisms such as bacteria and yeast, plants, fish and mammals. GMOs are the source of genetically-modified foods.
One of the first and most illustrating examples of a GMO crop is golden rice. Golden rice was created to fight a vitamin A deficiency, which affects 250 million people around the world, causing blindness and even death, mostly in small children. Rice is one of the most common foods, globally, with half of the world's population surviving on just a single daily bowl of rice a day. And since getting vitamin supplements distributed around the world would be nearly impossible, scientists engineered a grain of rice that already had vitamin A in it and so golden rice was born, saving millions of lives around the world.
If you'd ask me, I'd tell you that GMO crops are beneficial to world sustainability and health in many ways beyond just the golden rice example.
For instance, we can produce more with less, using fewer resources, including less herbicides and pesticides and reduce our overall carbon footprint within the agriculture industry.
In a day and age when residential areas are pushing out into farm country, we have fewer acres to produce food with, but more people to feed. In fact, it's been said that by 2050, we'll have a 2 billion increase in world population (current world population is 7 billion).
With GMO or biotech crops, we can increase our yields grown on the same or even less acreage (granted we don't have another drought!).
We can reduce crop damage from gnarly weeds, diseases and insects, which means herbicide applications are more precise and only used when/where needed.
We can even potentially improve nutritional value of foods or provide other health benefits (ie. golden rice!). We can reduce the use of fossil fuels with fewer trips across the field.
We can also improve water quality with the more precise use of chemicals (only used when/where needed).
Many folks question the safety of biotech/GMO foods, which like I mentioned earlier is a good thing! But the truth is that biotech seeds/plants undergo more safety testing than ANY OTHER agriculture product, including organic crops.
With continued research and development, biotech or GMO seeds will continue to produce better yields, improve nutritional benefits of certain crops, use less water, and allow for the increasingly precise use of fertilizers and pesticides.
I certainly wouldn't raise GMO crops if I thought they were harming the Earth in any way. I heard somewhere that "We do not inherit the land from our ancestors, but we borrow it from our children." I agree completely, I want to be able to care for the land so that it continues to provide for the next generation. Period.
Continued research is always necessary so that we can improve the genetics of our crops and livestock, production practices and regulatory standards. I don't oppose research or regulation, but I sure do oppose mistruths or false portrayl of the extremely beneficial nature of biotech crops.
Moving forward, farmers need to be more sustainable and produce better, more nutritionally-beneficial crops and that's exactly what we intend to do, but with a background in sound science, always.
Friday, March 29, 2013
5 Minutes to a Fabulous Face
Do ever find it difficult to get out of the house in the morning? Getting the kids up? Breakfast made? Bags packed for the day? Maybe if you're lucky, you get to take a shower. But goodness knows it better be quick because you've got somewhere to be and soon! Story of my life.
How about you?
I feel like I'm always in a hurry and I'm always supposed to be somewhere and like 5 minutes ago.
So it's one of those mornings when you don't have time to dry and curl the hair and spend 15 minutes in front of the mirror. Been there, done that. And honestly, in the summer, when it's hot and humid out, what's the point.
In the summer, you'll find me in a ball cap on the weekends, I can just about guarantee it. I'm not one of those girls whose hair dries and lays beautiful and wavy, it's a wild, hot mess most days.
However, you also won't see me out of the house, without a little bit of color on my face. When I was in college, my motto was that "you never know when you're going to meet your soul mate, better look good." Obviously, that motto is kinda moot at this point. But thesedays, when I have a little bit of color on, I'm not afraid of running into someone I know at the grocery (instead of hiding behind a bag of Cheetos).
But moreso, I feel more confident and beautiful, even if my hair is sitting on top of my hair in hot messed-up bun.
Somedays (let's face it, alot of days), I just go with what I like to call the 5-Minute Face. It's quick, it's easy and you'll feel fresh, fabulous and fine!
Cleanse & Moisturize
First, of course wash and moisturize your pretty face. While my recommendation would be Mary Kay's 3-in-1 Age-fighting cleanser and Moisturizer, the important point is that you are cleansing and moisturizing your face. 20 years from now you will thank me for telling you this. Perfect evidence, just check out a Mary Kay consultant or customer who has been using our products for years. Proof is in the pudding, folks, I'm just sayin'. You only get one face and your skin needs care and attention on a daily basis to avoid those yucky wrinkles, lines and dark spots in the future.
Foundation - Keepin' it simple
So after you cleanse and moisturize, let's use a little Mineral Powder Foundation. Brush it across your face lightly using a mineral powder brush, only. The more you brush over, the more coverage you will see. But for our five-minute look, let's keep it quick!
Cheeky Cheek
For a natural look with just a hint of color, use a pink cheek color with a dash of shimmer (not sparkle!) like Shy Blush. Use a cheek brush to lightly sweep color along your cheek bone and on the apple of your cheek. Smile and you'll find your apple!
Nude Lip
I love me some nude lip gloss! Especially a color like Cafe au Lait, its not sticky, but it sure is sweet (and moisturizing too), no need to pack the lip balm, just this gloss!
Color that Eye
For a quick, natural look, there is nothing better than a color like our Chocolate Kiss. Use Chocolate Kiss as a midtone, using a crease brush to sweep from just above the crease in your eyelid down to your eyelashes. Then take your brush to sweep a highlight color like Crystalline or Moonstone to blend the color from your crease to your eye brow.
Lovely Lashes
For a quick finish, take your mascara (I'd recommend our Ultimate Mascara in Black), and make a zig-zag movement from the base of your eyelash to the ends. Start with the top and if you have time, lightly sweep a little mascara on your bottom eyelash only halfway to the corner of your eye (toward your nose).
That's it! You're ready to go, don't forget your cell phone, wallet, oh yea and the kids!
Happy Good Friday and enjoy your Easter ya'll!
(It's probably obvious that I am a Mary Kay consultant. However, this post is not intended to sell you Mary Kay, but to provide you with an example of a five-minute look. If you have similar colors in your cosmetic drawer, try em! But if you need some new color recommendations or have questions, just drop me a line!)
How about you?
I feel like I'm always in a hurry and I'm always supposed to be somewhere and like 5 minutes ago.
So it's one of those mornings when you don't have time to dry and curl the hair and spend 15 minutes in front of the mirror. Been there, done that. And honestly, in the summer, when it's hot and humid out, what's the point.
In the summer, you'll find me in a ball cap on the weekends, I can just about guarantee it. I'm not one of those girls whose hair dries and lays beautiful and wavy, it's a wild, hot mess most days.
However, you also won't see me out of the house, without a little bit of color on my face. When I was in college, my motto was that "you never know when you're going to meet your soul mate, better look good." Obviously, that motto is kinda moot at this point. But thesedays, when I have a little bit of color on, I'm not afraid of running into someone I know at the grocery (instead of hiding behind a bag of Cheetos).
But moreso, I feel more confident and beautiful, even if my hair is sitting on top of my hair in hot messed-up bun.
Somedays (let's face it, alot of days), I just go with what I like to call the 5-Minute Face. It's quick, it's easy and you'll feel fresh, fabulous and fine!
First, of course wash and moisturize your pretty face. While my recommendation would be Mary Kay's 3-in-1 Age-fighting cleanser and Moisturizer, the important point is that you are cleansing and moisturizing your face. 20 years from now you will thank me for telling you this. Perfect evidence, just check out a Mary Kay consultant or customer who has been using our products for years. Proof is in the pudding, folks, I'm just sayin'. You only get one face and your skin needs care and attention on a daily basis to avoid those yucky wrinkles, lines and dark spots in the future.
Foundation - Keepin' it simple
So after you cleanse and moisturize, let's use a little Mineral Powder Foundation. Brush it across your face lightly using a mineral powder brush, only. The more you brush over, the more coverage you will see. But for our five-minute look, let's keep it quick!
Cheeky Cheek
For a natural look with just a hint of color, use a pink cheek color with a dash of shimmer (not sparkle!) like Shy Blush. Use a cheek brush to lightly sweep color along your cheek bone and on the apple of your cheek. Smile and you'll find your apple!
Nude Lip
I love me some nude lip gloss! Especially a color like Cafe au Lait, its not sticky, but it sure is sweet (and moisturizing too), no need to pack the lip balm, just this gloss!
Color that Eye
For a quick, natural look, there is nothing better than a color like our Chocolate Kiss. Use Chocolate Kiss as a midtone, using a crease brush to sweep from just above the crease in your eyelid down to your eyelashes. Then take your brush to sweep a highlight color like Crystalline or Moonstone to blend the color from your crease to your eye brow.
Lovely Lashes
For a quick finish, take your mascara (I'd recommend our Ultimate Mascara in Black), and make a zig-zag movement from the base of your eyelash to the ends. Start with the top and if you have time, lightly sweep a little mascara on your bottom eyelash only halfway to the corner of your eye (toward your nose).
That's it! You're ready to go, don't forget your cell phone, wallet, oh yea and the kids!
Happy Good Friday and enjoy your Easter ya'll!
(It's probably obvious that I am a Mary Kay consultant. However, this post is not intended to sell you Mary Kay, but to provide you with an example of a five-minute look. If you have similar colors in your cosmetic drawer, try em! But if you need some new color recommendations or have questions, just drop me a line!)
Thursday, February 14, 2013
What it's really like to date a farmer
Ever since I was a little girl, I knew I wanted to grow up and marry a farmer. So it's no surprise that when I was old enough to date, I tended to lean toward the farmer and country boy type.
Let me paint you a picture ... I drove a pick-up truck with a diamond tread toolbox and diamond tread running boards and my truck was equipped with a CB and dual antenna whips. Breaker, breaker? (Yes, like the truckers!) To say, I was (am) proud to be a farm girl would be a mass understatement.
I didn't care to play sports, I preferred horseback riding, showing cows and working on the farm. I was (and am) just a little bit country. So the city fellas had little appeal to me. I can't say I dated a whole bunch before I picked up Big D that faithful evening on the campus of my alumna mater nearly 10 years ago, but when I did date, I preferred country boys who drove big trucks. For the majority of my dating life, this was a major prerequisite. God help me when Little Miss RayRay is ready to start dating, I am going to be a scary Mama Bear when it comes to her suitors, country boys or not!
Since it's been quite a while that I've been running in the dating circle, I don't know that I'm a dating expert by any means. But I do have plenty of memories of what it was like to date MY farmer. (And you may recall my post of What It's Like to Be Married to a Farmer or one of the first times I went home to his family farm)
Honestly, some days, it feels like we're still dating, since we (er... I) tend to schedule our dates most of the time.
Dating a farmer isn't the easiest. If I could provide one tip to ladies looking to date a country man, I would say, "Be patient."
Farmers are super busy seasonally with spring fieldwork, planting, spraying fertilizer, summer hay-baling, wheat harvest, double-crop planting, fall crop harvest and fall tillage.
Oh, your farmer-love has livestock, too? Then they are super busy seasonally, plus ALL YEAR LONG. That's my farmer, too. Since we raise pigs as well, they require care seven days a week, 365 days out of the year. But luckily, I grew up a dairy and grain farm, where my family milked 36 cows twice a day plus grain farmed corn, soybeans and alfalfa hay. I grew up learning the true meaning of the word patience.
With patience, comes understanding that your plans may be cancelled when things come up on the farm or you may be late to events and activities. Just be patient, if he cares about you, he'll make the extra effort and you'll notice.
But there are lots of benefits to dating a farmer too. Like if Wranglers and cowboy boots are your thing, then welcome to the official ware of farmers and ranchers!
Don't know how to fix a leaky pipe, repair a blown fuse, rebuild a broken cabinet door, no fear, farmers (at least mine) tend to be pretty darn handy around the farm and house. My farmer installed every bit of our bathroom, plumbing and all, he has fixed electrical issues and much, much more. And did I mention, that he often comes to my rescue when my car is broke down, trailer lights aren't working or I locked my keys in the car. Farmers make pretty handsome heroes (especially mine!)
So this Valentine's Day, if you find yourself frustrated with your farmer who maybe didn't make a huge deal out of the holiday with a card, roses and chocolates, just remind yourself to be patient. He's working hard everyday to help produce food for a hungry world. Give him a big hug n' kiss, cook him a juicy steak (and/or make him take you out to dinner!) and love the guy for who he is, never for who you want him to be.
And for any singletons out there, looking for their farmer-love, feel free to check out www.farmersonly.com, a dating site designed exclusively for farmers and ranchers!
Happy Valentine's Day!
Let me paint you a picture ... I drove a pick-up truck with a diamond tread toolbox and diamond tread running boards and my truck was equipped with a CB and dual antenna whips. Breaker, breaker? (Yes, like the truckers!) To say, I was (am) proud to be a farm girl would be a mass understatement.
I didn't care to play sports, I preferred horseback riding, showing cows and working on the farm. I was (and am) just a little bit country. So the city fellas had little appeal to me. I can't say I dated a whole bunch before I picked up Big D that faithful evening on the campus of my alumna mater nearly 10 years ago, but when I did date, I preferred country boys who drove big trucks. For the majority of my dating life, this was a major prerequisite. God help me when Little Miss RayRay is ready to start dating, I am going to be a scary Mama Bear when it comes to her suitors, country boys or not!
Since it's been quite a while that I've been running in the dating circle, I don't know that I'm a dating expert by any means. But I do have plenty of memories of what it was like to date MY farmer. (And you may recall my post of What It's Like to Be Married to a Farmer or one of the first times I went home to his family farm)
Honestly, some days, it feels like we're still dating, since we (er... I) tend to schedule our dates most of the time.
Dating a farmer isn't the easiest. If I could provide one tip to ladies looking to date a country man, I would say, "Be patient."
Farmers are super busy seasonally with spring fieldwork, planting, spraying fertilizer, summer hay-baling, wheat harvest, double-crop planting, fall crop harvest and fall tillage.
Oh, your farmer-love has livestock, too? Then they are super busy seasonally, plus ALL YEAR LONG. That's my farmer, too. Since we raise pigs as well, they require care seven days a week, 365 days out of the year. But luckily, I grew up a dairy and grain farm, where my family milked 36 cows twice a day plus grain farmed corn, soybeans and alfalfa hay. I grew up learning the true meaning of the word patience.
With patience, comes understanding that your plans may be cancelled when things come up on the farm or you may be late to events and activities. Just be patient, if he cares about you, he'll make the extra effort and you'll notice.
But there are lots of benefits to dating a farmer too. Like if Wranglers and cowboy boots are your thing, then welcome to the official ware of farmers and ranchers!
Don't know how to fix a leaky pipe, repair a blown fuse, rebuild a broken cabinet door, no fear, farmers (at least mine) tend to be pretty darn handy around the farm and house. My farmer installed every bit of our bathroom, plumbing and all, he has fixed electrical issues and much, much more. And did I mention, that he often comes to my rescue when my car is broke down, trailer lights aren't working or I locked my keys in the car. Farmers make pretty handsome heroes (especially mine!)
So this Valentine's Day, if you find yourself frustrated with your farmer who maybe didn't make a huge deal out of the holiday with a card, roses and chocolates, just remind yourself to be patient. He's working hard everyday to help produce food for a hungry world. Give him a big hug n' kiss, cook him a juicy steak (and/or make him take you out to dinner!) and love the guy for who he is, never for who you want him to be.
And for any singletons out there, looking for their farmer-love, feel free to check out www.farmersonly.com, a dating site designed exclusively for farmers and ranchers!
Happy Valentine's Day!
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Stylin' the Baby Bump
Pregnancy is a real blessing. It's an amazing journey for a woman's body and I feel pretty blessed to be carrying a healthy and active little girl for my second time around the baby block.
2. Big bulky tunic sweaters paired with leggings and boots. I have a couple tunics and they aren't even maternity tops, but they work great since they're pretty roomy. And leggings are awesome, because they're stretchy and feel like your old pair of comfy yoga pants.
Source: polyvore.com via Meggie on Pinterest
3. Dresses and flowy shirts with detail around the collar. This draws attention to not just your beautiful baby belly, but also that glowing look in your skin that says "I'm having a baby!" Again, dresses (like the one below and the one I'm wearing above) can also be paired with leggings during the winter months or with a jean jacket or colorful cropped jacket for a more casual look.
4. Skinny jeans, tanks and jackets. These are three simple pieces I would highly recommend including in your maternity wardrobe, just for the mere versatility aspect. And the jackets do not need to be maternity tops, in fact, none of mine are. But then again they aren't exactly the kind of jackets that can be buttoned up. And skinny jeans aren't your enemy, as long as you use a belly band you can still wear your skinny jeans during the early months of your pregnancy. They can be paired with boots, flats and even heels. And while I'm not a major wearer of heels, as long as they are comfortable, go for it. Otherwise, don't torture yourself. For my first pregnancy, my feet swelled up so big, that flip flops became my best friend.
But it does take a toll on your body and your emotions. Do you find yourself crying after watching a sappy music video, listening to a song on the radio or heck, crying for what can be determined as no reason at all. Do you forget your cell phone at home, two days in a row in fact, lock yourself out of the car or just forget what you're supposed to be doing altogether, ya we call that pregnancy brain, though I think I may have pregnancy brain even when I'm not pregnant. Sigh.
Your lower back aches, your bras no longer fit right, your tummy itches, someone is kicking you from the inside and when you stand up you feel like you are also lifting two additional 50 pound dumb bells.
It's hard to feel beautiful when you're in alot of discomfort, trust me, I understand. Sometimes I just tell Big D, that I need to be reclined immediately in the easy chair or I'm going to hurt someone (haha, just him actually).
But baby bellies big and small are a pretty beautiful thing and you know what you deserve to feel gorgeous, too!
 |
| Lace-topped dress from H&M ($30), Jean jacket from Target (its old) and cowboy boots from Kohls ($35). |
I attended a conference last weekend and was overwhelmed with comments on my prego wardrobe. Folks, this is a major side perk of being preggers, strangers are more than giving of friendly compliments in my opinion. Like, I said, peeps love those baby bellies.
So I thought I'd share a few baby bump fashion tips and especially the six best, basic items to include in your maternity wardrobe!
So without further ado, let's get to some quick pregger style tips ...
1. Cotton dresses are great because they can be dressed up or down. I love Nicole Ritchie's prego style and this fun cropped leather jacket over the simple grey dress paired with that hot red clutch is a win-win look!
2. Big bulky tunic sweaters paired with leggings and boots. I have a couple tunics and they aren't even maternity tops, but they work great since they're pretty roomy. And leggings are awesome, because they're stretchy and feel like your old pair of comfy yoga pants.
3. Dresses and flowy shirts with detail around the collar. This draws attention to not just your beautiful baby belly, but also that glowing look in your skin that says "I'm having a baby!" Again, dresses (like the one below and the one I'm wearing above) can also be paired with leggings during the winter months or with a jean jacket or colorful cropped jacket for a more casual look.
4. Skinny jeans, tanks and jackets. These are three simple pieces I would highly recommend including in your maternity wardrobe, just for the mere versatility aspect. And the jackets do not need to be maternity tops, in fact, none of mine are. But then again they aren't exactly the kind of jackets that can be buttoned up. And skinny jeans aren't your enemy, as long as you use a belly band you can still wear your skinny jeans during the early months of your pregnancy. They can be paired with boots, flats and even heels. And while I'm not a major wearer of heels, as long as they are comfortable, go for it. Otherwise, don't torture yourself. For my first pregnancy, my feet swelled up so big, that flip flops became my best friend.
What items from your wardrobe did you love when you were (or are) preggers (besides the yoga & sweat pants, because trust me those get plenty of wear around my house, too)?
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Lessons from Leontien
I have never met anyone like her.
She was a fighter. She fought for her life, fought for her farm, fought for her friends and family and fought like hell for her dreams. And while she may've lost the battle with cancer, she will always be a winner in my book, always.
She was an inspiration. She inspired literally thousands from around the world who faced similar challenges, who fought similar battles. She inspired anyone that was lucky enough to meet her, follow her blog or her story. She inspired us to not just walk toward our dreams, but run, and with a conviction and energy like never before. Her story, her strength and her legacy will continue to inspire us all every day.
She was a believer. She believed in the greater good. She believed in kindness toward others even when she was in great pain. She believed in loving others unconditionally. She believed in living life to the fullest. Making every single day count. She believed in the power of life everlasting. She believed in her dreams - setting goals for the future no matter what the doctors told her. She believed in the Lord and found peace and understanding in His plan for her and her legacy.
We could all certainly learn about from Miss Leontien. I know I could. She has inspired me to be a better person - to live every single day to the fullest and never for once take for granted this life God has granted me. Life is all too short. And it was especially too short for Miss Leontien. But her gift of life will keep on living in her memory. Her strength will continue to inspire others to believe and to love.
Yesterday Miss Leontien would've turned 34. In honor of all those whose lives she touched, I would like to inspire you to pass on the kindness.
Donate to a local food bank, the Salvation Army, volunteer at a homeless shelter or nursing home, give your parents a hug, tell someone how much you care, write a hand-written note to an old friend, buy someone special flowers, treat your office staff with a surprise breakfast, give that hard-working server an extra 20 percent tip, find a family in need and offer them some support.
The options are limitless.
I am planning 34 acts of kindness for the next 34 days, some will be random, some will be small, but they will all be in honor of Miss Leontien and how in what big ways she touched my life. Today, I purchased Starbucks for the car in line behind me. I've never done it before, it was fun, but a small and random act of kindness. How will you pass on the kindness?
Comment below and let me know or share it on the Love for Leontien Facebook page.
Kindness is contagious. I picked it up from Leontien. Will you catch it, too?
She was a fighter. She fought for her life, fought for her farm, fought for her friends and family and fought like hell for her dreams. And while she may've lost the battle with cancer, she will always be a winner in my book, always.
She was an inspiration. She inspired literally thousands from around the world who faced similar challenges, who fought similar battles. She inspired anyone that was lucky enough to meet her, follow her blog or her story. She inspired us to not just walk toward our dreams, but run, and with a conviction and energy like never before. Her story, her strength and her legacy will continue to inspire us all every day.
She was a believer. She believed in the greater good. She believed in kindness toward others even when she was in great pain. She believed in loving others unconditionally. She believed in living life to the fullest. Making every single day count. She believed in the power of life everlasting. She believed in her dreams - setting goals for the future no matter what the doctors told her. She believed in the Lord and found peace and understanding in His plan for her and her legacy.
We could all certainly learn about from Miss Leontien. I know I could. She has inspired me to be a better person - to live every single day to the fullest and never for once take for granted this life God has granted me. Life is all too short. And it was especially too short for Miss Leontien. But her gift of life will keep on living in her memory. Her strength will continue to inspire others to believe and to love.
Yesterday Miss Leontien would've turned 34. In honor of all those whose lives she touched, I would like to inspire you to pass on the kindness.
Donate to a local food bank, the Salvation Army, volunteer at a homeless shelter or nursing home, give your parents a hug, tell someone how much you care, write a hand-written note to an old friend, buy someone special flowers, treat your office staff with a surprise breakfast, give that hard-working server an extra 20 percent tip, find a family in need and offer them some support.
The options are limitless.
I am planning 34 acts of kindness for the next 34 days, some will be random, some will be small, but they will all be in honor of Miss Leontien and how in what big ways she touched my life. Today, I purchased Starbucks for the car in line behind me. I've never done it before, it was fun, but a small and random act of kindness. How will you pass on the kindness?
Comment below and let me know or share it on the Love for Leontien Facebook page.
Kindness is contagious. I picked it up from Leontien. Will you catch it, too?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
