Our First Halloween as Homeowners

Flats: Yosi Samra // Leggings: Aritzia // Sweater: H&M // Bag: Zara (old but great similar option here) // Hat: Forever 21

Usually I love Halloween. In the past I always had fun dressing up for school and confusing my students (especially when I dress up like Paul Bunyan) but this year is different. This is the first time I'll live somewhere where we get actual trick-or-treaters and I'll not be at school. In fact I'll be very near my due date! Living in the city in an apartment, we always dodged that bullet, but this year we have a door and a porch and everything. Super weird for us city dwellers. In fact, in all my life, I've never lived in a single family home until we bought this one! My whole life in Chicago has been shared walls up until this point in my life. 

So with being home and the prospect of the door bell going off every few minutes, I'm contemplating leaving a bowl of candy of the step. I'm in no position to be hopping up every 2 minutes to answer the door. What 39 week pregnant woman would be? Is it terrible that I've considered hiding downstairs in the basement? Tell me I'm not the only one!

So these pictures are from the cutest little pumpkin patch called Kuwahara Farms in Draper, UT that my friend Sandy took me to. She went a little pumpkin crazy and bought a bunch for her front stoop. However, again, the city girl in me gets the best of me and I refuse to put pumpkins on my step because 1. It's an invitation for rodents to come nibble on them. I mean, look how crazy everyone goes for pumpkin flavored anything. Why would wild creatures feel any less desire to eat the free unattended snacks? 2. Although I live in a nice safe neighborhood, I still have that city fear in me of jerk-face kids vandalizing and smashing the pumpkins. I'm not sure how long it will take to shake the city mindset out of me but after 34 years of living in Chicago, but it seems I always assume the worst and prepare accordingly.

Boy, I sure sound like a Halloween bummer. At least there will be a big bowl of "the good stuff" on our front porch and hopefully Andrew can get home from work early enough that I don't have to answer the door every 2 minutes. Wish me luck on our first Halloween as homeowners!

Pictures thanks to Sandy

38 Weeks

Dress (c/o Le tote) // Sweater: Topshop via Nordstrom // Hightops: Old Navy (from last year but similar here and here)

If you haven't noticed my maternity uniform trend, let me lay it out for ya. Soft cozy stretchy dress, big cardigan sweater and sneakers! It works so why mess with a good thing. This particular dress is my absolute favorite! I wore it in pink on Monday's post. The fabric is just perfect and provides coverage and length for my tall frame so that I don't have to worry about it riding up. Also this oversized cardigan sweater has gotten alot of wear around the house but this was the first time I actually wore it out of the house. I got it a few months back at the Nordstrom Sale. It runs insanely big, so if you click over and are bummed it's only left in a 2 or 4, have no fear! Mine is a 4 and it's still pretty huge!

On to the pregnancy details! Mondays seem to be when all our weekly doctors appointments are so this was from this past Monday's appointment. I was 38 weeks so now I'm 38 weeks and 4 days...but who's counting. Umm...US! For the last few visits baby girl was measuring perfectly on schedule, not too big not too small. I was even losing weight every week when I went in! Then, all of a sudden this week I gained 4lbs and she was measuring two weeks bigger! Wow.

I'm probably not the only pregnant woman at this point who would welcome labor and wants to be done with pregnancy. I'm just so excited to remember what it feels like to not be nauseous and sick all the time. To not be disgusted by most food and unable to cook or eat anything with more than 2 ingredients! It's been a really hard 9 months and I'm just SO ready for some of the good stuff. I mean, I know a baby is hard work but so is having the stomach flu for 9 months along with all the various other pregnancy problems I've had. I'm just ready for something to change because this has really worn me down. I've tried to stay as positive as I could and keep myself occupied and get projects done, but I'd be lying if I said it was easy not feeling like myself pretty much since moving here. Whenever Andrew asks if he can get me something, I say "take the baby out" or if he can do something for me, " TAKE THE BABY OUT!"

So here's hoping she will decide to come a little early and finally cut her mama a break. I think she owes me one!

Wishing you all a great weekend full of Fall and Halloween fun!

Fall Layers and the Beginning of the End

Dress: Aritzia // Sweater: H&M // Hat: Urban Outfitters // Sunglasses: Toms // Boots

First of all this dress, and really anything from Aritzia are my classic pieces that never go out of style. I don't think there is a single thing I've ever bought there that I still don't own and love! I've turned countless friends onto the store too. The quality is excellent and somehow manages to fit me at 8 months pregnant as well as not pregnant at all!

These pictures were take on the way home from our baby moon in Park City which was pretty much the beginning of the end of my ability to function independently. As soon as I got home I started feeling shooting pains down my back side. I had felt these a little bit before but these were getting intense. So I took it easy and stayed on the couch for most of the night then hoped a night's sleep would make it better.

The next morning I walked from our bedroom to the kitchen and had to sit down. After trying to call the doctor for about an hour, I finally called Andrew and told him I was in a lot pain. I couldn't take a step without uncontrollably bawling and shrieking out in pain. He came home and tried to help me figure out someone we could talk to since the doctors office still wasn't answering. All I could think that made sense as to why there was no answer was that it was Columbus Day and maybe they were closed but that just didn't seem right. After finally deciding that we would just go to the emergency room, we tried my doctor one more time and they finally answered. We found out their power went out which was why it kept going to the answering service. Thank goodness I wasn't in labor.

Getting to the car seemed next to impossible since every step was so incredibly painful but Andrew managed to scoop me into the back seat and get me to the doctor. After crying and squeaking my way into the room, my doctor told me it was my sciatic nerve and that something was pinching it, maybe the baby's head, maybe the pressure from my bones on it. They put me on pain killers and sent me to a Physical Therapist the quickest they could. Never have I felt pain so terrible in my life! A few of the nurses and people I have talked to said that they have had some of that nerve pain as well and it was worse than labor so that made me feel like labor won't be so terrible.

As of now, it's so so much better. PT taught me better ways to stand and sit and gave me exercises to do to make the pain better which have helped immensely. Since then I have pretty much given up on driving though. It's not worth the chance of it coming back suddenly and getting into an accident, not to mention it's really hard to look back and back a car up with a big belly in your way. I'm a slave to Andrew coming home and taking me to the grocery store just for a chance to get out. Now we are just playing the waiting game. I'm due the 7th of November but I'm hoping for earlier. Let's hope she gets here soon and stops being a literal pain in her mothers butt!

Anniversary Weekend Continues

Dress: Le Tote (c/o) // Purse: Le Tote (c/o) // Cardigan: H&M (Runs big! Mine is a small) // Bee pin: Banana Republic // Sneakers: New Balance // Wave Wand: GHD Curve Classic Wave Wand // Lips

Last Friday I told you about we celebrated out 5 year anniversary, but that was just the beginning! We went to dinner Friday night and then the next day we decided to toss a little baby moon trip in there too, because who knows how much time we have left. 

The day started with our Labor and Delivery class at the hospital and then we were off to Park City. On the way there we pulled over on the side of the road when we saw how pretty this spot was. That's really one of my favorite parts of living in Utah. It's not hard to find a pretty place to take pictures because there are so many beautiful places everywhere you look. I was wearing my favorite comfy Summer and Sage dress in my favorite color and was feeling good (not sick!) for a change!

We made plans to stay at the Hyatt Centric  that we have stayed at a few times before and loved, but this time we got a king suite and it was fantastic. 2 fireplaces, a huge balcony and my favorite part was the giant jacuzzi tub. We even got to go in the bigger outdoor hot tub that was actually more like a warm pool which was great because it was safe for the baby and felt amazing on my belly! 

It really was such a great and relaxing weekend! And even though it was our chance to hang out just us, I can't wait to bring our little lady with us on all our adventures. 

5 Year Anniversary Dinner

Dress: Rachel Roy (on sale in 6 colors!) // Scarf: Aritzia // Button down: J. Crew // Flats: Loft (similar)

This Rachel Roy dress (non-maternity) has saved me many times this pregnancy. It's super soft and comfy but is made from a cotton silk hybrid that reads dressy, so it was the perfect choice for our anniversary dinner 2 weekends ago. 

It was our 5th wedding anniversary, so the symbol for gifts this year was wood. We pretty much has a whole wood themed evening. We drove through the woods to make our way to the Log Haven restaurant where the whole place is decked out like a fancy romantic log cabin. They have tons of weddings there and this waterfall you see above is right on the grounds. It was super pretty and relaxing. We had a great dinner where andrew discovered his love of Bison steak and I revisited my love of lobster. For some reason meat and protein have been very hard to eat this whole pregnancy but crab, lobster and shrimp are always something I have a taste for. Guess this baby has expensive taste! 

We also exchanged wood themed gifts! Andrew gave me a wooden framed picture of my favorite shot from our maternity session and I gave him a wood tree ring I had to chase down from a tree guy in Salt Lake to make a little plaque to hang on the wall in our house.

This weekend is my birthday and I'm keeping my expectations low as far as plans go. After last Monday's crazy sciatic pain, I'm pretty much staying at home in bed on my side for the most part on unofficial bedrest. Andrew has something fun up his sleeve but it all depends on how I'm feeling. so let's hope I can get out for a little bit and enjoy some of it! 

Have a great weekend!

Why You Need Le Tote Maternity for Your Pregnancy

Have you heard of Le Tote? It's a completely customizable rotating wardrobe sent directly to your doorstep! Basically here's how it works. For one flat rate ($69 a month gets you access to both maternity and non-maternity items), you sign up and complete a bit of a style profile and pick items you like. After that your stylist will compose a "tote" for you which comes to you as a box with 5 items inside. Before the box is sent out however you are able to customize any of the items you want by swapping them out or changing the size. 

When you are done wearing the items, toss them back UNWASHED in the pre-paid shipping bag and send it back. You can get as many totes as you can cycle through in a month for just your monthly fee. No limit!

There is no bigger time in a woman's life where you feel like you're throwing money out the window on clothing than when you are pregnant. You know these clothes have an expiration date and usually they aren't your favorites.

So what's a girl to do? Try out Le Tote Maternity. I really can't recommend it enough. It's the perfect time to experiment with a borrowed wardrobe. There really is no better way to get size and season specific maternity clothes than this. It's like having a best friend with the exact same size and style as you with and huge selection of her maternity clothes at your disposal, but that's next to impossible to come across.

My Top 6 Le Tote Maternity Ordering Tips

1. Start your subscription three months before your due date. In my opinion, that's when my body is changing the most. The first 5 months you can probably get away wearing a lot of the stuff you already own like flowy dresses, tees, sweaters or stretchy pants, but those last few months you feel like you are getting bigger by the day. Let's face it, you won't be wearing those clothes post-baby, but the early ones you will, so spend your money there because they will double as postpartum clothes. Take advantage of Le Tote's many actual maternity options.

2. Find a brand you like. I found that the brand Summer & Sage made the softest stretchy long dresses so naturally I ordered one in each tote. You can find a brand and fabric that caters to your body by ordering a variety of brands in your first tote to better guide your decisions in the next round.

3. Are you a bag or jewelry person? After you've picked your three clothing items you get two accessories which can be jewelry, scarves or bags. Determine what you like what you will actually wear and choose accordingly. I ordered jewelry in my first tote and it just sat there really, so I decided bags and scarves were more my thing so I picked those as my accessories the next time.

4. Customize your tote! I loved that within hours after my tote was scanned in at the post office an email AND text came to me with the stylists' new picks for me. I ALWAYS changed them. I mean, I'm a personal shopper, I am good at knowing what I like, so I always made sure that in that 48hr window they give you to change your selections, I did!

5. Don't just pick what's pretty. By all means try something new that maybe you wouldn't have if you were buying these items on you own, but make sure you take into account your job, lifestyle and the weather. I remember in one of my first totes picking pretty dresses that would have worked great if I was still teaching, but I'm not. I don't have to go into a professional setting, so no matter how cute the dress was, it didn't work for my lifestyle. I quickly got wise and stuck to the midi length comfortable dresses.

6. Think of what you already own and choose accordingly. I know well enough that I have tons of long sweater cardigans that work great over dresses so ordering jackets wasn't really a smart choice for me. Maybe for you, you're coming into the colder months with a lack of jackets and need some so that will make sense for you. Maybe you already invested in some really comfy maternity pants so you want to focus on picking tops that mix them up. Just think about what you already have in your closet and how it will work with your borrowed items.

See how I've styled some of my favorite Le Tote pieces in these last 3 months below. 

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Fall or Winter?

Dress: Asos Maternity // Sneakers // Cocoon sweater // Purse: Le Tote (c/o)

Stripes during pregnancy are pretty much the only time in your life where you will think to yourself, "do these stripes make me look bigger" and be perfectly ok with the answer being, yes.

I loved the striped dress I wore for our maternity photos so much, and this dress kind of reminded me of it, so I got it. It says it's maternity but there is no side darts or anything that makes it overtly maternity so I think I'll be wearing this after baby as well.

So, How pretty is this backdrop? I had my SLC baby shower earlier that day and but the time I got home, I was shocked to find that I was still actually feeling ok! When that happens, Andrew scoops me up and drives us up into the mountains to see how pretty fall is here. These were taken at the end of September and while the trees scream fall, the snow on the ground makes it look very much like winter. This mix of seasons was so cool and the sunset was incredible. You can see it below! What a beautiful place we decided to live!

Salt Lake City Guide to 20 Colorful Walls Great for Blogger Photos

I have been dying to share this with you all since we moved here! When we flew out from Chicago to look for places to live, we scoured the city and came across some really cool spots for photos.

After 11 years working with middle schoolers, I have a trained eye for finding "graffiti." I almost have an intuitive feeling before I find these things. Granted, these are no middle schooler vulgarities. these are super-colorful and interesting walls and some even works of art.

I've gathered my top 20 spots, including addresses, so you can stop there and take pics too! All are no more than 15 mins from downtown Salt Lake.

Bonus? It's kind of fun to watch me change in various stages of pregnant in these pics since I've been pregnant 8 of the 11 months we have lived here.

1. Blue square wall on The Intermountain Guitar and Banjo 712 E 100 S




2. You Are Here wall on the back side of the Sorensen Multicultural Center 855 W. California




3. Book Wall behind the Hotel Monaco by the parking garage *technically private property 15W 200S



4. Bee Mural - The Honey Stop 1314 S 500 E




5. Car Door - 1300 S 400 E





6. Wavy pastel wall - behind Taco Time 810 S. State Street




7. Sugarhouse Mural - Highland and Wilmington


Photo cred: @lomogogo


8. Color block wall - Highland and Wilmington


Photo cred: Sandy A La Mode


9. Purple and lime green wall (there's a big stripe of green up higher) - Zaniac 1045 E 2100 S

Photo Cred: @Amdician

10. Aqua and Lime green door - Hip and Humble on 1043 E 900 S


Photo Cred: Sandy A La Mode

11. Pink wall- Sexy Blue Boutique 1051 S 300 W




12. Green and blue striped wall - Holiday Inn Express (back wall) 206 S West Temple


Photo Cred: @thekittchen

13. Cute doorway with pink doors. Most of the time there is a little red scooter parked out front and on the side of the building there is a little greenery arch between shop windows - 1310 S 300 E


14. Gold doors - 361 Main Street, Downtown


15. Multi color triangle "wall" (more of a large doorway) 1700 S and Main St


16. Racing pattern gray and white wall - John Kruger Auto 301 W 1600 S


17. Bright green and purple wall - 634 N 400 W


18. Camping mural wall on the side of Tanner Frames -18 E 800 S

Photo Cred @hallwaysrunways


19. Red Brick wall - Firehouse BBQ 565 E 2100 S


20. Eva's Bakery - 155 Main Street

So, have you seen these around? Which one is your favorite? Let me know if there is anything I missed or should add!

Happy snapping!