I can’t believe it’s already been one month! it’s been full of newborn cuddles, lack of sleep, midday naps, baby smiles, tears (mostly from me), tiny hands and feet, night sweats, crazy hormones, nursing, new routines, creating sweet memories, falling more in love with rob watching him be the best daddy, and so much more!
Read moreHospital Bag Essentials
I’m not sure if I’m 100% qualified to be writing this post. If you read Gemma’s birth story you’ll know that she was four weeks early and when I went to the hospital I initially thought I was going to be sent home so I didn’t bring anything with me! I didn’t even have my bag packed lol, so that was fun face timing my mom telling her what to pack and where everything was. All jokes aside, you truly don’t need much!
Read moreGemma's Birth Story
Rob & I are so excited to announce that our sweet Gemma Leigh was born on September 3, 2019 at 4:03am. She was 5 lbs 11 oz and 18.25 inches long. She has the most perfect little face we’ve ever seen! Even though she arrived four weeks early (her due date was October 2), she is super healthy and we’re doing great!
Read more35 Week Pregnancy Update
5 more weeks! Time is flying by you guys! I feel like I say that during every update I write, but it’s just so true! In five more weeks (give or take) we’re going to have a sweet baby girl in our arms. There are still times when it seems surreal, but now that I’ve had my baby shower and the nursery is coming along, reality is starting to set in.
Read moreBody Positivity During Pregnancy
Body positivity and loving yourself seem to be trending now a days, and for good reason. Learning to embrace your flaws, love your body, and recognize that every body is different, yet beautiful, is such an important message to spread. However, I believe body positivity should go beyond the way our bodies look. It should also be about how we feel.
Read more31 Week Pregnancy Update
31 weeks!! I can’t believe it! For some reason when I say only 9 weeks to go, it hits me that it’s almost time for baby girl’s arrival! I feel like I just told Rob I was pregnant and now here we are, about to start the nursery in hopes it gets finished in time lol.
Read more26 Week Pregnancy Update
I can’t believe we’re at 26 weeks! Two more weeks & I’ll be entering the third trimester which just seems crazy. (That also means glucose test - fingers crossed I pass.) Time is definitely flying by. Summer is in full swing & soon enough it will be over, and then it will be time for baby girl to arrive!
Read more22 Week Pregnancy Update
We had our gender reveal on Memorial Day and it was a success. In case you missed it on Insta, we’re having a sweet baby girl come October! I shared a video of the reveal on my stories and saved it under the baby girl highlight if you want to watch!
Read moreThe Best Resources for Switching to Non Toxic Products
My Favorite Resources for Switching to Non Toxic Products
Hi ladies! Today I’m sharing my favorite resources to use when evaluating the ingredients in my current products and finding non toxic alternatives. It’s been almost a year since I shared this blog post about my initial thoughts on switching to safer beauty products.
Since then, I have successfully replaced the majority of my beauty products with non toxic options that work just as good, if not better than the products I was previously using. I have also switched over the cleaning products in our home to plant based, non toxic options and couldn’t be happier with the results!
If you are just starting your journey to natural living, it can be super intimidating. Considering the FDA only bans 11 ingredients from being used in cosmetic products (where as Europe bans 1,300+), it is up to us to do our own research and determine what ingredients are and are not safe. So, where do you start researching? Here’s a list of some great resources that I’ve found to be super helpful when ditching & switching from toxic to non toxic!
THINK DIRTY APP
You’ve probably heard of this one, but the Think Dirty App is a great way to find out what's in your current products and if those ingredients are harmful or not. The app rates products on a scale of 0-10, 0 being not toxic at all and 10 being very toxic. You can scan the barcode on your products or type in their names, and can then read further about each ingredient. If some of your current products are super harmful, the app does provide options that are clean which is nice!
EWG.ORG
The Environmental Working Group has an app called Healthy Living powered by Skin Deep and Food Scores. They also have a website. The concept with the app is similar to Think Dirty, where you can scan or search your products, see their rating, read about the ingredients, and find safer alternatives. I like EWG a little better than Think Dirty because it also includes info on food! Their website also has TONS of articles and guides to help you make informed decisions!
FOLLAIN.COM
Follain is a website as well as brick & mortar store where you can shop for clean beauty products. Every brand they sell has to go through their approval process. They also have a list of restricted ingredients which is nice. You can read about their standards here. They are a great resource because you are able to shop confidently, knowing that you can trust they are selling brands who use clean ingredients in all of their products. They take the guess work out for you just in case you don’t feel like doing the research on your own!
THE DETOX MARKET
The Detox Market is another online & brick and mortar store where you can shop for clean beauty products. They partner with brands who fit their standards and pass their approval process. They also have a list of restricted ingredients. Again, they take the guess work out and you know you can trust them! Read more about TDM here.
ABOUT PAGES & BLOGS
As you come across brands you may want to try, make sure you read the about pages on their websites. After reading the about pages, you will have a pretty good sense of the brand and if you can trust that their products are what they claim to be. You will also be able to compare brands once you read a handful of about pages. Some may impress you more than others and some might be super basic, making you question their reliability. For example, I came across the brand Lawless on Instagram. When I read their about page, I was sold. I knew I could trust that their products are super luxe but also clean!
Another great resource to utilize when looking at a brand's website is their blog. I love the One Love Organic's blog because I found SO much useful information in their posts as I was doing my research. Another great blog is the one by Primally Pure. If a brand's site has a blog, read it!
A few bloggers I follow are really into clean beauty which is AMAZING. It’s so hard to find genuine reviews of clean products from bloggers. I feel like most bloggers aren’t aware of what’s in their products, and if they are they just don’t care enough to make a change. Here are two bloggers who do a great job with clean beauty reviews: Jess Ann Kirby and Jenna from Visions of Vouge.
One thing I have learned is that slow and steady wins the race. As you run out of current products, replace them with cleaner options. You DON’T have to ditch & switch everything at once. That can be super expensive and end up creating more waste than not. Another thing I have learned is that as long as you are doing the best you can for you, that’s all that matters. I have not fully transitioned all of my products over yet, and that’s okay! I’ve been on this journey for a year now and it’s definitely a work in progress. But, when we know better, we can do better. It all starts with research!
As always, thanks so much for reading! Feel free to reach out with any questions you may have.
& if you’re not already, follow my new lifestyle Instagram account @pinebarrenliving <3
xoxo
18 Week Pregnancy Update
18 weeks!!
Hi babes! It’s been a few weeks since I’ve shared a pregnancy update, so I thought now was a good time! I’m going to try to do these monthly but we’ll see how it all goes.
Since my first trimester update, not much has changed. I’m 18 weeks and 2 days as of today! The nausea I had been feeling 24/7 in the beginning subsided around week 16 which has been amazing. I feel like I can eat so much more now. As far as appetite goes, I’ve been open to whatever. The only thing that doesn’t sound great is seafood, but that’s probably because we had salmon like three weeks in a row haha. If there’s anything I’m craving it would be Mexican. Before pregnancy, I could always go for Mexican, and now it’s just the same x1000 lol.
As far as exhaustion goes,I’m still pretty tired, so I’ve been trying to get as much sleep as I can, while I still can. I’m a sleeper, and if there’s one thing I’m really nervous about when baby comes, it the lack of sleep. Fingers crossed this babe is like his/her mama!
I’m definitely starting to show a little bit more, but not as much as I thought I would be or as much as other girls who I know that are pregnant and around the same timeline as me. * Side note: this is why pregnancy is such a beautiful thing. Everyone’s bodies are unique and it’s amazing what pregnancy looks like on all different people! * In the morning, I have a little bump that could pass for a food baby haha. But at the end of the day, it’s usually pretty noticeable! It’s been weird because I haven’t wanted to buy a ton of clothes yet, because I’m not sure when I’m really going to pop and what will fit or look okay! So we will see how that goes when the time comes.
All of our appointments have been great and we go in a few weeks for the anatomy scan! I think I made it for like 21 weeks because then it’s one week before MDW, which is when we are having our gender reveal! Rob would be just as happy being surprised as he will be with finding out the gender. Needless to say, he’s going to be the one hiding the envelope from me for a week so I don’t open it too soon! We both want to be surprised at the gender reveal and I CAN’T wait to know if it’s a boy or girl so I can really start planning!
As always, thanks for stopping by!
xoxo
First Trimester Bumpdate
So excited to share all of my pregnancy details so far!
I can’t believe I’m already through my first trimester & will be 13 weeks on Wednesday! Since we just announced our pregnancy last week, I feel like there’s so much I have to catch you up on! So, I’m going to start from the beginning!
Backstory
If you’re new here, welcome! Rob & I got married this past October (I have an entire bridal category here on the blog if you’re a bride to be or want to see our photos). We have always dreamed of having babies and if it were up to Rob, we would have had our first yesterday. After getting married, I knew once the new year came, I wanted to stop taking my birth control pill simply because I had been on it for YEARS and was just over it. I’ve been v into all things natural living lately, so it just made sense for me to eliminate the one medication I had been taking consistently.
Well, I went off the pill in December, had one period, and then got pregnant. We went into it with the mindset of whatever happens, happens. We knew we were both ready to start trying but we didn’t know we would be so lucky to conceive right away! Everyone’s journey is different and everyone’s bodies are different. I know there are couples out there who are not as lucky and my heart goes out to them. We are so grateful and so blessed to be on this new journey together and I am so excited to take you guys along. I also thank you for being here! Just know that wherever you are in your journey of parenthood, you are not alone <3
Initial Symptoms
Besides a missed period, I first noticed my back breaking out and thought to myself WTF this never happens. So weird and when will it clear up?! Then, it was a Sunday and we went to breakfast, and after eating I said to Rob “I think I ate too fast, I don’t feel right.” On Monday, I went to eat lunch (buffalo chicken & rice, one of my faves) and could barely eat one bite. I felt so sick I threw my food right in the trash. Then, I thought to myself, I am 100% pregnant. Tuesday morning I took a test and right away it came up positive! I just stared at it for a little while haha, and then began to plan how I was going to tell Rob, which I talk about below in the Q&A! These initial symptoms have lingered throughout the first trimester. My back is still breaking out 🙄 I feel nauseous 24/7 but it seems to be getting better, and I’m just overall tired.
Our First Appointment
Up until our first doctor’s appointment, it seemed so surreal. I knew how I was feeling. I knew that the pregnancy test was positive, but it felt SO much more real after seeing our little babe during the ultrasound! It was the craziest feeling. I immediately started crying and then looked over to Rob who was also crying. He cried more at that appointment than he did on our wedding day 😜 There is truly nothing I can compare it to. I am so glad Rob was with me so we could experience it together! We are so thankful that everything looks great so far!
Q&A
What are you most looking forward to during pregnancy?
This is a question that I haven’t really thought about! I guess just seeing how my body changes (even though it can also be scary). I think it’s so incredible that we are able to create a brand new life and the experience itself is something that I want to enjoy as much as possible!
Biggest fear?
I guess my biggest fear is the birth process itself. I know they say not to have a birth plan because it never goes that way, and not that I do have any type of birth plan, but I do know I want it to be as natural as possible, meaning no epidural and letting my body go into labor when it’s ready, as long as there are no medical emergencies preventing otherwise.
Are you finding out the gender / Do you have a feeling about gender?
Yes!! We are finding out the gender! I am such a planner and surprises give me anxiety, so I need to be prepared in all ways possible lol. I’m sure waiting to find out would be the surprise of a lifetime, but I just can’t do it! As far as having a feeling about boy or girl, I honestly don’t know! When it comes to pregnancies in general, I never really have a feeling of boy or girl. Your guess is a good as mine! Maybe once I start showing I’ll have a feeling, but until then it’s totally up in the air!
Any cravings?
If there’s one thing I would say I’ve been craving, it’s ice cold drinks. I usually drink my water at room temp, but ice cold water has been something I’ve been wanting! As far as food goes, with the 24/7 nausea it’s been more of what sounds good and what I can stomach, aka bagels, rice, pasta, fruit … any carbs really. I’m hoping this will change as the weeks go by!
How did you tell Rob?
So, when Rob & I got engaged, he involved our nephew Cooper (proposal post here) and ever since then, I knew I wanted Coop to be the one to tell Rob when we were going to have a baby. SO, the morning I took the test and it came back positive, I called my brother in law since he wasn’t working and Dana was, and had him text Rob to say come over for dinner tonight. Then I went over there with the positive test in a box and told Cooper exactly what he had to do when Rob got there. When Coop gave Rob the box, he said “I’m going to be a big cousin Bert!” as Rob was opening it. It was so cute and Coop did great! Rob’s response was a tad underwhelming LOL but nonetheless he was excited and totally not expecting it!
As always, thanks for reading and thanks for sending in your questions! I plan to do monthly blog posts with updates, so stay tuned!
xoxo
We're Expecting!
Ahhhh! I am SO excited to finally announce that Rob and I are expecting our first little babe this October! This has been such a hard secret to keep, but of course we wanted to make sure all was well before announcing. We are definitely feeling all the feels, but most of all, we are beyond thankful that everything looks great so far. We are so excited for this new chapter to begin and we cannot wait to meet our little babe!
I personally am so excited to expand my content into the world of motherhood. Being a mom is something I have dreamed about since I was a little girl and I am so blessed to be on this new journey with my soulmate by my side. Rob is going to be the best daddy and I can’t wait to see him with our little one! Our hearts are so full right now, and I only imagine they will get fuller with time!
Now, let’s talk details! I’m officially 12 weeks today, and it’s been a crazy first trimester to say the least! You may have noticed I’ve been a little MIA, especially after posting pretty consistently in January. I’ve just been SO tired you guys. I thought I was tired before, HA. This is a whole new kind of tired. And the nausea has been killer. Like it lingers 24/7. Luckily, I never actually got sick, but feeling sick all day, every day isn’t the easiest thing to deal with as I’m sure you can imagine. It gets better as the weeks go by, so I’m hoping I get some energy back as I enter the second trimester!
With that aside, our favorite part of pregnancy so far was getting to see our little babe on the ultrasound for the first time! Rob and I both cried. It’s such a surreal feeling that I can’t put into words. It made everything seem so much more real! Rob literally cried more during that appointment than he did on our wedding day 😜 but I couldn’t ask for more. He is SO excited to become a dad and I know he’s going to be the absolute best.
I’m going to do a few polls on insta stories to gauge your level of interest in pregnancy related posts, so make sure you’re following me over there if you aren’t already. This is a whole new world for me, but I’m open to sharing my experience if that’s something you girls are interested in! I know I love reading pregnancy and motherhood related posts, so I’m hoping you guys do too! With that said, I will follow up with a Q&A post next week! If you have any specific questions, drop them in a comment or send me an email (megan@pinebarrenbeauty.com) and I will be sure to answer next week!
xoxoxo <3