A review of the Marianna top

If you don't own the Marianna maternity/nursing top from Milan Maternity, you seriously need to grab this soon for your closet!  I was able to snag the Marianna top in both white and blue, and I just LOVE these shirts.  Check them out below, and then let me tell you why :)

Let's start with the logistics of the top.  Per the Milan Maternity shop, it is a "henley maternity top with pintuck detail and mandarin collar. 3/4 length button cuff sleeves. Unbutton to desired length and lift up the inner tank sheath for modest and discreet nursing."  It is really nicely fitted in the chest and arms but does allow some room with their again awesomely stretchy material around the waist to accommodate your growing babe.  

This shirt hits all of the top marks for me:  It is REALLY easy to nurse in, it is form fitting while still being modest and appropriate, and it makes my flabby mama arms look amazing!  The best part about this shirt though?  You can practically pair it with almost anything.  I've worn this top on cooler summer days with a pair of shorts or a pair of capri pants, as well as I'm now wearing it in the fall temperatures with jeans or khakis.  I definitely forsee it being something I'll add a scarf or a light jacket to in the fall and wear throughout that season as well.  The fabric is light and airy, but clings to your skin so it does provide some warmth when in cooler temperatures.  I am so glad I decided on getting both colors of this top, I could wear this all week!

Hint, hint Milan Maternity!  Make more colors of this top! :)

What do you like most about the Marianna top?

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Avoiding unwanted pregnancy advice

Let's face it.  Pregnancy brings about so many wonderful, amazing things, but it also brings out SO much unwanted advice from friends, relatives, medical personnel, and heck, even strangers get in on the action!  No matter where you stand on any issue of parenting, child-raising, or even how you approach your pregnancy, there is always going to be someone who did things differently than you did or will, and they surely just have to tell you about it.  Here are some tips and tricks I've used during both of my pregnancies to avoid unwanted advice.

For whatever reason, a lot of the pregnancy advice I was given both times around was from strangers.  I don't know if I had a sign on my forehead that prompted people to come up to me and discuss my bump, but it happened a lot.  My main go-to in this situation was to pretend I didn't hear them or was too engrossed in what I was doing.  Mainly, I could tell by their first remark if it was going to be a good or bad conversation, for example, when an elderly woman recently pointed at my belly and said to me, "I know what you've been doing!"  Um, yep.  When I start to hear those remarks straight out of the gate, I get really interested in what I was doing and pretend either I didn't hear them, or didn't know they were talking to me.  It seriously works like a charm for people you don't know, I promise!

I've also found during my second pregnancy, that so many less people attempt to give me advice when I am either with my toddler or when I tell them I have a toddler at home already.  I wish I would have known this the first time around, because it if would have avoided some of those awkward conversations with strangers, I may have just fibbed a little and said I already had a child at home.

For people who know me, however, it is a little tougher.

Over the phone?  My husband happens to be on the other line sometimes, or all of a sudden, "Oh, shoot, little man is getting into XYZ, gotta go!" both seem to be really excellent ways to politely end the conversation.

In person?  Well, if you really know them (like well-intended family member advice), there is always the I have to use the ladies' room for the 50th time this hour excuse.

If push comes to shove though, and you find yourself being given advice that is either completely unwanted or totally opposite of how you plan on doing things, you may have to just grin and bear it.  I've found that just nodding and smiling works wonders to end the conversation sooner, because if you disagree, most of the advisers are going to try and tell you why you're wrong, which is always fun.  And, being polite and nodding through a few short conversations isn't going to hurt anyone sometimes.

What is some of the worst advice you've been given while pregnant?

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Make-up Tips During Pregnancy

Anyone who has been pregnant can tell you- it's not all glow and beauty.  Pregnancy is an amazing, beautiful thing, but to be honest, you may not always feel the most beautiful during certain parts.  Along the way during pregnancy, there are several tips and techniques that make looking great just a little bit easier, especially when it comes to make-up.

1.  Keep it light!  Especially during the first trimester, it is really tempting to layer on the make-up to cover up how tired or sick you may feel.  But adding on extra layers of concealer, foundation, powder, etc. can just lead to looking cakey and overdone.  As you get into the end of the third trimester, many women experience swelling, and your face is not immune to this.  A swollen face caked with make-up is not the look you're going for!

2. Watch your products!  In my first trimester during my second pregnancy, I broke out with more acne than I had ever had in my life.  However, most face washes, scrubs, or treatments were very harsh and drying to my skin.  Your skin can react completely differently to the same exact products you previously used prior to your pregnancy, so be careful that your lotions, washes, and scrubs aren't making the problem worse!

3. Waterproof is key for your eye make-up.  I'll just leave it at a few key words to explain: morning sickness, hormones, and happiness.  Enough said. :)

4. Highlight, highlight, highlight!  A good highlighting cream or powder when applied sparingly to the right places can completely wake up your face in a fresh and glowing way.  Putting a few dabs or sweeps on your upper cheekbones, right below the crook of your eyebrow, and close to your tear duct on the inside of your eye, when done lightly, can really give you back that glow, even when you don't feel so glowing!

5. Find a safe sunscreen and use it.  During pregnancy, as we mentioned before, your skin changes and reacts differently to your products, your make-up, and the environment.  While your face may not have suffered a sunburn before, it may now.  Keep your skin healthy by protecting it!

What are some tips and tricks you use in your make-up routine while pregnant?

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