Makeup of the Day : #glossierpink : Feminine Everyday Pink

I've heard other bloggers and YouTubers mention the brand Glossier before. They're a company that creates beauty products with the idea of enhancing our natural beauty and really putting our skin first. They're putting together a Pinterest board for #glossierpink, which is similar to this year's Pantone Color of the Year. I decided to incorporate this beautiful baby pink color into my makeup. You can see this color on my cheeks, lips, and if you look really close, there's just a hint in my eyeshadow as well. I hope you enjoy this look!

Products Used:

Face Base:
It's Skin Baby Face One Step Base - Green
NYX Full Coverage Concealer - CJ12 Green
Flower Beauty EE Erase Everything Ultimate Foundation - UF2
Revlon ColorStay Combination/Oily Foundation - 180 Sand Beige
Maybelline SuperStay Better Skin Concealer - 10 Ivory
It's Skin Baby Face Pore Powder

Face Color:
Maybelline Master Contour Palette - Light/Medium (Bronzer & Highlight)
Makeup Geek Blush - Head Over Heels

Brows:
Flower Beauty Brow Pencil - Dark Brown
NYX Tinted Brow Mascara - Espresso

Eyes:
ELF Smudge Pot - Pearls of Wisdom
Lorac Pro Eyeshadow Palette - White in inner corner, Nude on lid, Mauve in crease and lower lash line
Maybelline Master Contour Bronzer in outer v
Makeup Geek Blush - Head Over Heels in crease
Kat Von D Tattoo Liner - Trooper on upper lash line
J Cat False Lashes - EL213
Innisfree Skinny Waterproof Microcara Mascara on lower lashes
Revlon Ultimate All in One Mascara on upper lashes

Lips:
Flower Beauty Color Proof Longwear Lip Creme - CP2 I'm Blushing

Thanks so much for reading!
Love,
Alaina

Week 24 - 2nd Trimester Pregnancy Symptoms, Overview, Updates, etc.

Week 24- Feb. 19-25

Our baby boy Calvin Lee is due June 17, 2016!

Doctor Appointment:
So I guess everything is good at the moment. My doctor said I was measuring 30 cm or consistent with 30 weeks. She didn't make it sound like a big deal and said we'd find out more next time when I have my ultrasound. She made it sound like it could just be a lot of fluid and if it's just my uterus that's big, it's okay, that doesn't necessarily mean Calvin is also big. So that has me somewhat worried. I guess what really worries me is that she didn't really say what it could be. It's also the first time they've measured my uterus so I'm unsure if this has just happened all of a sudden or if I've been big the whole time.
Justin didn't get to make it to this appointment and of course, it's the first time I was actually in and out in a reasonable time. Usually we wait for at least 30-45 minutes every time. Haha.
We heard his heartbeat as soon as she put the doppler on my belly (previously it takes a minute to find it) and it was at 145 bpm.
So at my 27 weeks, 6 days appointment I'll have another ultrasound and take the sugar test.
Not gonna lie, I'm awfully nervous for the gestational diabetes test next time. If Calvin is big, this could be the problem. I can't tell if I'm more afraid of actually being diabetic or just the idea of possibly having to go back for the three hour test and wasting all that time to find out if I actually am diabetic, not to mention getting my blood drawn all the damn time. Not cool, not looking forward to that. But we also get our last ultrasound that day too, so Justin gets to hang out with me while we wait the hour for the diabetes test. And we'll get to see our precious baby boy one more time! We didn't get to see his face well last time so I super hope we can see it better next time around. :) And I am praying everything is okay otherwise. Measuring big is getting me very worried and I know I shouldn't, but I'm probably going to spend the next month reading what others have experienced with similar issues.

Bump:

You can definitely see a difference from when I wear normal clothes vs. maternity tops, etc. Maternity tops are just made to emphasize and flatter the bumparoo. I am so glad that (at least at this point) I am falling more and more in love with my bump each week. I am loving the way I look with this growing bump, although I still think the weekly pictures I am taking for this blog are always like the most unflattering pictures ever. Haha. In daily life, I love the way I look, sometimes pictures can be a different story.

Maternity Clothes:
Well I was refraining guys, I don't need new clothes (yet), but the Target Cartwheel app had 25% off Liz Lange maternity tops and tanks... so I had to go. My Target has the crappiest selection of maternity clothes ever, so I only got two tanks and then I found one regular t-shirt that was on clearance and got that in an XL.

Emotions:
Perhaps I snapped at somebody for their comment on the bump. I don't know why it upsets me or why I couldn't control myself that day. I remember at the beginning of my pregnancy I was very easy to snap at people, but I thought I was doing really well here lately.
I also was reading a book aloud for Calvin called "On the Night You Were Born." Yep, that made me cry. It talks about how he is one unique individual baby and there is and never will be anyone else like him. It just made me think about the true miracle of life. That these two little cells joined together on this journey to become this baby at this time and he's growing in my belly.

Food:
No out of the ordinary cravings lately. No aversions, haven't had those for quite awhile. 

Sleep & Dreams:

I know I've been having weird dreams, but I suck at remembering them again. Been having some trouble falling asleep. I hate waking up to pee 2+ times every time. Up until recently it was only once per night and I could deal with that, but it's getting intense these days.

Energy:
Pretty normal.

Exercise:
Trying to make up for the crappy week last week, I went to the gym on Friday, the first day of this week.

Physical Symptoms:
Hip and lower back ache-iness continues. I can hear my joints pop pretty often these days. Some nights when I get up to pee my hips just ache and I have to limp to the bathroom. :( The round ligament pain also seems to be sticking to nighttime. When I stretch out or get out of bed is when I feel it most.
More calf cramps in the middle of the night!
I wonder if my feet have gone up 1/2 size. It finally got a little warm this week, so I put on my flats that I haven't worn in a few months and they felt a bit tight. Maybe I'm over-thinking it? Maybe it's just because my feet are chubbier and also get a little swollen by the end of the day? Some days those little feet just ache.

Movement:
He's been kicking right above my belly button lately and it's actually kind of a strange and irritating spot. I don't know how I feel about it. I like feeling him and knowing he's good in there, but that spot is just awkward. Also, he seems to kick so high up, but I know my uterus can't be that big already...
But overall, these kicks are getting intense. He's growing big and strong in there. I can't imagine what it's going to be like in a couple months lol.
I think we experienced our first moment of startle for little Calvin. I was at work and somebody in the hallway dropped a box loudly, then Calvin immediately kicked, when he hadn't been moving around for quite awhile. Could have been a coincidence, but I'm not sure. 

Favorite Moments of the Week:
My aunt has been in town this week. Seeing her and spending time with my family was nice.
Tuesday night I was making cookies and I sat down in front of the stove for a minute before they were ready to come out. Justin came and sat down on the floor next to me and asked if Calvin and I would sit there together and wait for cookies in the future. It's so crazy to imagine that kind of stuff and it makes me so happy.

Baby Purchases:
Went and registered at Babies R Us, but didn't buy anything. Man, they have so much cute stuff! Just wandering around Target I came across a little plaid hoodie for just $5 so I picked it up. He won't be able to fit in it forever, but I couldn't pass it up. Lol.

What I Miss:
Taking hot baths. My back was hurting the other day so I laid down in the tub to help relieve it. It helped, but that water was borderline chilly. Haha.
And not peeing all the damn time. I literally always have to pee. Always.

Random Thoughts:
I know it's pretty early, but we're sending out baby shower invitations this week! I'm pretty sure our baby shower invitations are more ahead of time than our wedding reception invitations were. Haha.
While my aunt has been in town, she actually made the comment to my parents that she thinks I'm carrying twins. I don't know if this is based on the size of my belly or what, but she has identical twin girls who she didn't find out about until the last month of her pregnancy, so perhaps she knows what she's talking about. Lol. That would be awfully crazy. Then I start thinking about possible signs that it could be more than just Calvin in there... I feel kicks awfully high, I look gigantic (according to everyone), especially for a first pregnancy, and there have been a couple occasions when I felt kicks super low and really high at the same time, which freaked me out. So then when I went to the doctor on the last day of this week and she said I was measuring 30 cm at 24 weeks... well let's just say that isn't helping my twins worries. Haha. We've had two ultrasounds, they should have seen this by now, right? It just makes my head race!

Thanks so much for reading!
Love,
Alaina and Little Calvin

Crock Pot Creamy Chicken Ranch Stew

Here's another crock-pot recipe for you guys! I hope you enjoy. It's an adjusted version of a chicken dish I found on Pinterest.

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Crock Pot Creamy Chicken Ranch Stew Recipe

1 boneless skinless chicken breast
3 medium red potatoes cubed
1/2 cup baby carrots chopped
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup water
1/4 cup milk
1 chicken bouillon cube
1/2 teaspoon parsley
1 tablespoon ranch dressing mix/seasoning

Cook on low in crock-pot 8+ hours, shred the chicken breast and add back into the pot and it's ready to go. Makes 4 servings.

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It's just me and my husband at home so a dish that serves four is perfect. We have enough for us for dinner, but also leftovers for work without having to eat it all week long for lunch.

This would probably be good with some corn mixed in there too. Whenever I add corn to a crock pot dish, I always add it when I get home, maybe 15 minutes before we eat so that it warms up, but keeps it's crispiness.

I hope you try this out. Send me pics on Instagram!

Thanks for reading!
Love,
Alaina

Makeup of the Day : Loving Coral!

I can't stop thinking about this bright, fun, springtime coral color! I wanna wear it everywhere. On my lips, my cheeks, my eyes! I love the winter, don't get me wrong guys, but I'm ready for spring pretty soon here too! :) So here's my makeup of the day. I hope you enjoy.

Face:
Flower Beauty Erase Everything Foundation - 1
Maybelline Dream Velvet Foundation - Warm Porcelain
It's Skin Babyface Pore Powder
Benefit Hoola Bronzer
Benefit Dandelion Blush

Brows:
Flower Beauty Brow Pencil - Dark Brown
NYX Tinted Brow Mascara - Espresso

Eyes:
Wet n Wild Fergie Eye Primer
Sleek Makeup Ultra Mattes V2 Eyeshadow Palette
ColourPop Super Shock Shadow - Animal
Revlon Ultimate All in One Mascara
Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara
Rimmel ScandalEyes Pencil - Nude

Lips:
Jordana Sweet Cream Matte Lipstick - Tiramisu

Thanks for reading!
Love,
Alaina

John Frieda Brilliant Brunette Visibly Brighter In-Shower Treatment and Multi Tone Revealing Shampoo & Conditioner

If you've been following me awhile, you know that I have been using natural products to dye my hair for awhile now. If you just go to my "Hair" page, you'll see many posts about my hair adventures.

However, I'm tired of the maintenance and have decided I'm going to work on getting my regular hair color back before my son is born (DD 6-17-16) so I don't have to worry about my hair with a new baby.

With that being said, I decided to try out some of these brunette products from John Frieda.

In-Shower Treatment:
This stuff really works. I would say it changed my hair the full "1 shade lighter" just like the box claimed. I went from essentially black to actually brunette.
It does have a strong scent at first, but I have also never dyed my hair with anything other than henna and indigo, so those who dye their hair more regularly might not find it to be a strong scent. I just opened up the shower curtain halfway so I wasn't stuck inside that closed space with the scent.
I washed my hair with the Multi Tone Revealing Shampoo, then wrung out my hair. I put on gloves (the box didn't instruct you to do so, but from the reviews I read, people recommended it) and applied the In-Shower Treatment all over my hair. It gets foamy and feels like it penetrates well, so you don't have to be super precise with the application. I let it sit for 5 minutes and rinsed, then shampooed and conditioned as usual using the Multi Tone Revealing line again.
It did seem as though my roots were lightened quite a bit more than the lengths of my hair which have been dyed over a few times. With that being said, I think this will work wonders on virgin hair. I think my roots might have gotten two shades lighter.

Shampoo & Conditioner:
The shampoo does have sulfates, so I would only recommend this to those natural brunettes who just want to enhance their own color. Sulfates are going to kill your color. So, in my case, the sulfates are actually helpful since I trying to get back to my regular brunette hair.
Both the shampoo and conditioner have a slight tint to them, it looks like a caramel color.

Afterwards, my hair felt nice and soft and really manageable, so unlike many reviews I read, I didn't find it to be damaging or drying for my hair. Now I can't attribute the softness just to the treatment, it could also be from the shampoo and conditioner. Overall, using this whole system together, I was very happy with my results and would totally recommend to anyone looking to slightly lighten their brunette hair in a super natural looking and easy way. I will keep you posted on any long term results in the future too.

I hope this was helpful!
Love,
Alaina

Makeup of the Day : Bronze Eye & Nude Lips : Monday at Work

I actually woke up at a decent time this morning and was able to do a full face of makeup. I didn't touch my hair, so don't judge. I just had to sacrifice my hair to use more than one eyeshadow on my lids. Haha. I'm sure you know how it goes...

So here's what's on my face today:

Face:
Maybelline Dream Matte Foundation - Warm Porcelain
Maybelline Super Stay Better Skin Concealer - Ivory
It's Skin Babyface Pore Powder
Benefit Hoola Bronzer
Benefit Coralista Blush
Flower Beauty Brow Pencil - Dark Brown
NYX Brow Mascara Gel - Espresso

Eyes:
Maybelline Color Tattoo Crayon - Gold Rush - as an eye base
Loreal La Palette Nude 1 - matte browns for transition & outer v
ColourPop Super Shock Shadow - Game Face - on the lid
Revlon Ultimate All in One Mascara - upper lashes only
Rimmel ScandalEyes Pencil - Nude - waterline

Lips:
Jordana Sweet Cream Matte Liquid Lipstick - Creme Brulee

Since I actually spent time doing my eye makeup, I left the lips very neutral so not to attract too much attention. I am obsessed with the new Jordana Sweet Cream Matte Liquid Lipsticks! I've worn them every day since my lovely husband Justin helped me find them on Friday night. I have a swatch post here if you want to see the other colors available at Walgreens. I'll have a full review up soon enough!

I hope you enjoyed this little post!
Thanks for reading!
Love,
Alaina

Removing and Fading My Henna and Indigo Hair Color

As you probably know if you've been following me for awhile, I really got into henna last summer, then for winter plunged into the indigo world. But now I am five months pregnant and don't plan on dying my hair once my son gets here. I just don't plan on worrying about my hair and trying to maintain anything with a new baby around. Plus, henna and indigo aren't your typical 30 min hair dying extravaganza, it's a half day process.

With that being said, I also just plain missed my regular medium brown hair (and wanted to be able to play around with my Hair Secrets extensions in this color again! They're actually an awesome way to tell when I'm getting close to my regular hair color haha.). So here are the experiments I carried out to get myself back as close to my natural hair color as possible.

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Test #1 :
Recipe: About equal parts honey, lemon juice, olive oil heated, and cheap conditioner applied to entire hair, wrapped in saran wrap and let sit for 30 min. Washed out 2x with daily clarifying shampoo and 1x regular shampoo with sulfates, then conditioned.

Results: This actually worked pretty well on the roots that had been dyed just a couple weeks back. I bet it would work awesome if you had only done your hair once or twice, but the lengths of my hair have been dyed over a handful of times so I knew that would be harder to remove. Noticed the slightest change in the rest of my hair to have more of an overall brown look as opposed to the blueish burgundy of the black.

Test #1

Test #2:
Recipe: 2 parts coconut oil to 1 part conditioner, 1 Tbsp lemon juice, 1 Tbsp honey, 4 vitamin c tabs crushed. Did not cover the hair, left in 45 minutes. Washed out 3x with regular shampoo with sulfates, then conditioned.

Results: I am starting to see the natural red-brown tones coming out, although the hair is overall still pretty dark.

Test #3:
John Frieda Brilliant Brunette Visibly Brighter In-Shower Treatment and John Frieda Brilliant Brunette Multi Tone Revealing Shampoo & Conditioner

Results: I took before and after pics, so it really helps to see the difference. You can definitely tell a difference. It took my hair from essentially black to noticeably brown. It's still a super dark brown, but you can at least see that there's the warmth of the brown tones. I think it lightened up my roots a little more too. This is recommended for use once a month, so if my hair is still awfully dark in a month, I might try it again.

Test #3

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I know I'm not back to my natural hair just yet, but with time I have confidence I will get it back over time. I'm just glad I'm back in the brunette spectrum. I was just getting tired of the black.

I hope this was helpful!
Love,
Alaina

Jordana Sweet Cream Matte Liquid Lipsticks Lip Swatches & Pictures

My sweet husband helped me find these lipsticks! He had been on the hunt for a couple days checking the Walgreens stores around his work with no luck. Then finally we stopped by a couple together and finally we found these! I just had to get them all. A full review will come shortly, probably on my YouTube channel, but for now I hope these lip swatches are helpful for you!

Love,
Alaina

Lipsticks of the Week : 2/15-19 : Matte Liquid Lipsticks

As a continuation of the post last week (maybe we can make this a thing?), let me show and tell you guys about the lip products I wore this week. And now we have pictures of the products on my lips too!

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Monday:
Milani Amore Matte Lip Creme - Gorgeous
I thought this looked more like a deep purple/pink fuchsia color in store, but it's actually pretty much a deep red with a berry tinge to it. Still a pretty color, just not what I was expecting. I hate how lighting can do this!

Tuesday:
ColourPop Ultra Matte Lip - Koala
Still keeping with the matte liquid lipstick trend, I wanted to wear something I hadn't worn in awhile (or ever worn to work lol). Not exactly the best work appropriate color, but my job isn't really a very formal situation anyway. I find that this is one of those colors that isn't going to look flattering on everyone. When I wear this with little makeup, it looks crazy, but paired with some concealer and winged liner, it balances out better.

Wednesday:
MeMeBox I'm Lip Crayon - Natasha
This is the first time I wore this lipstick. I got it in the mail from MeMeBox Tuesday night. As soon as I put this color on, it really reminded me of MAC Ruby Woo. I love the finish of it and it still has a little bit of tackiness to it to make it more comfortable on the lips. It does transfer, unlike MAC Ruby Woo which has so very little transfer. I really like this lip color.

Thursday:
MeMeBox I'm Lip Crayon - Greta
This one seems to be a little more dry than yesterday's Natasha, but still a beautiful color and finish. It's a super easy, wearable, everyday color. The only issue is when I opened this guy up the product fell out, it was broken at the base, so now I have to be careful with it.

Friday:
MeMeBox I'm Lip Crayon - Vanessa
The packaging makes this color look like it will have more purple in it, but it's really just a dark red, in my opinion. The dryness level seems to be right in between Natasha and Greta.

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I hope you enjoyed another week of my lipsticks. 

Thanks for reading!

Love,

Alaina

Week 23 - 2nd Trimester Pregnancy Symptoms, Overview, Updates, etc.

Week 23 - Feb. 12-18

Our baby boy Calvin Lee is due June 17, 2016!

Watch my video update here.

Bump:

Haha! This is totally TMI, but I'm sure somebody out there is curious about when this takes place, so here we go. This week I officially cannot see the lady bits.
Also my bump was looking uneven one day this week and I mentioned it to Justin, so he came over and looked at it and agreed that is was more rounded to one side. Last time I noticed this, he couldn't tell, so the bump is definitely growing.

Maternity Clothes:
Got a new pair of pants a size up so I can be comfortable. There's quite a bit of room to grow in these ones so hopefully fingers crossed, they'll work until the end. Oh, they're also boot cut so my ankles won't suffocate. Also got a new shirt because it was cute and I couldn't pass it up. Don't worry, I'll feature it in a lookbook or ootd someday soon. I really want to get more into showing off my outfits. I even had a request for it on a recent update video, so I better get on it! The crappy thing is the only time I get to wear anything cute is on the weekends, so I gotta remember to show you guys on those couple days.

Emotions:
Good. I painted my nails before Justin and I went out for Valentine's Day and I injured one nail while putting on my seat belt. I told Justin he was lucky he had me for a pregnant wife, because there's some ladies out there who would have cried over this. Haha.

Food:
Still loving those Greek yogurts, I'm hooked on the whipped ones this week, they have a little less protein but I love the texture. Controlling the snacking is still going great, I even did well over the weekend, which is the hardest time!
Some days it feels like the extreme hunger is back. There are just those days when I eat my regular breakfast, but am starving by 11, when I usually wait until noon to have lunch. 

Sleep & Dreams:

I woke up in the middle of the night after a dream and said to myself, "remember this dream to record on the blog!!!" So I didn't do that very well. I can only remember part of it, so here is what I remember. I saw a newborn baby in my dream. He had thick dark brown almost black hair that was kind of poofy and maybe almost a cm long and he had little brown eyes. I don't think it was supposed to be Calvin, but for some reason I just felt in my heart that it was Calvin.
Now it's perfectly logical for Calvin to have brown eyes and brown hair because that's what I've got. Justin was born blond and has green eyes and dark brown hair now. My dad has brown hair and eyes, my mom and sister have dirty blond hair and green eyes. So realistically, Calvin could have any combination of light/dark hair and light/dark eyes. Now how creepy would it be if Calvin looks just like this baby from my dream? Haha. Coincidence? Perhaps, but I don't want to think of it that way. Funny thing is, as I was reading the baby apps for Week 22, I saw that his eyes don't even have color yet. Hmm...
Also had a couple scary dreams. And I'm pretty sure those were the first dreams I've had where I wasn't pregnant. And I think I'm getting better at remembering my dreams this week at least.
I also had a dream with my Grandpa Nick in it. He died when I was like 10. I can remember seeing him walk around. There was just something about the way he walked that I always remember, he just had a particular step or perhaps it was a limp. I don't remember anything else about the dream but him. That same night I had another dream where I looked down at my belly and I looked like I was in shape. I definitely was not pregnant and my abs looked pretty good. Haha.

Energy:
Moderate energy this week. It's getting to be a pain getting up out of bed or off the chase part of the couch and I really need to lay on the other end of the couch haha.

Exercise:
It's been crappy. It's been snowy and cold nearly all week so we only got out for one walk.

Physical Symptoms:
Lower back aches have begun. It's not a constant by any means, but some days you can just tell that it feels more strained.
Sometimes my hips feel somewhat achey. It's nothing intense, you can just tell that they're different.
Round ligament pain is intense again. Sometimes in the middle of the night, it hurts to even straighten out, I have to lay with my legs curled up.
Restless legs - I need to look into compression socks or something. By the end of the day some days I just want to walk in circles to keep them from laying still and hurting. Laying them flat or above my heart doesn't help, but sometimes sitting straight up on the edge of the couch helps a bit.
More stretchmarks have appeared. I am definitely your example for the fact that lotion and body butter don't prevent them.
Headaches.
I can't remember if it was early this week or last week, but I had a massive horrible calf cramp in the middle of the night. It was horrible. Thought my leg was gonna fall off. Then my calf ached for like two days afterwards. Pretty intense.

Movement:
I can definitely notice movement on the sides of my belly these days. I can tell that the uterus is wider.
Ok, someone tell me, can he smell in there? From what I've read, it seems to be a very iffy topic, and even those who say he can smell say it starts at different weeks in the pregnancy. So I need an answer because when I cook dinner, especially something very fragrant, he goes crazy. He moves around like a little crazy dude. I've noticed it off and on for a couple weeks now, but I really noticed it Monday night when I was making fried rice and orange chicken. The scent of that orange sauce was intense! Am I excited about dinner and that's making him excited? Can he feel the heat of the stove? Or is it just coincidence? I know he has patterns to his movements and I make dinner around the same time. I'm just curious! :)
Justin felt a good kick Monday night laying in bed. With me laying on my side, I had him wedge his hand between my belly and the bed. He looked pretty excited because it must have been more intense than the first time he felt him. :) Calvin just goes crazy before bed pretty much every night but Justin doesn't have the patience to just sit there with his hand on my tummy waiting for him to move again.
Also you can definitely see the movements these days too. :) I really like that. 

Favorite Moments of the Week:
Valentine's Day with my lovely husband. Our first as a married couple and our last just the two of us. :) We went out to Longhorn Steakhouse and that filet I devoured was delightful! Haha. Justin had a medium rare steak and every other time I looked at it I couldn't decide if I was disgusted by it's rare-ness or if it looked melt-in-your-mouth delicious. I used to love medium rare steak, but the last few years I keep liking my meat more and more done. Of course I have to order well done these days since I'm pregnant anyway.

Baby Purchases:
No baby purchases, but I always get sucked into the baby section when we go shopping. Just for looking. I just don't want to go crazy til after the shower (which isn't until May 1! so close, yet so far away!).

What I Miss:
I actually kind of miss being able to hide my bump. I haven't really had any strangers ask about it lately, but I'm a shy person and just don't want to have to talk to random strangers about my belly. Haha. Not looking forward to less than sweet comments. Can't wait til somebody asks if I'm about ready to pop... Oh man, not looking forward to those kinds of comments! I love my bump, don't get me wrong, I just don't like strangers. Haha.
I do love being pregnant though, overall. I love feeling our baby boy in there. I am finally in love with the way I look right now. Dressing the bump is fun. Wondering about what Calvin looks like is fun. I'm glad I'm enjoying it instead of just waiting and waiting for the day he arrives. I'm glad I'm able to just live in the moment throughout this whole experience instead of always wanting it to be over with already. I know, I know, this is my first pregnancy, somebody is gonna tell me how much the third trimester sucks, blah blah blah. I really just love the positive outlook I have right now though. I really try hard not to let the negativity get to me. I know I rant on here a lot, but I think that has therapeutic qualities for me. Lol.
The first trimester went by super fast after we got through weeks 4-6 and wanting to tell everybody! And I'm glad the second trimester seems to be taking its time.

Random Thoughts:
I want to see Justin hold our little Calvin sooo bad! I think I'm more excited to see him with this precious little boy than I am to hold him myself! :)

Thanks so much for reading!
Love,
Alaina and Little Calvin

Electric Hair Straightening Brush by Drok on Amazon Review

Buy this product here!

Right off the bat, let me tell you that I was sent this product for free from the company. However, I am not being paid to tell you about it. Here you'll find my own 100% honest opinion of this hair tool, so let's get into the review.

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Here's a little product overview...

As I write this, the pink version of this hair tool is currently $26.99 on Amazon. The black version is priced at $39.99. Either way, I think it's an awesome deal and very worth it.

So this product is exactly what it sounds like. It's an electric hair straightening brush. You plug it into the wall and brush your hair with it to get straight locks.

You hold the power button to turn it on and it's even heat adjustable (which is one of my must-haves for a heated hair tool product). The temperature is digitally displayed in either Celsius or Fahrenheit.

The power cord has a Velcro tie on it so it's super easy to wrap up the cord when you're finished using it. This makes storage super easy. It might sound like a silly little simple thing, but trust me, you'll love this little feature.  

The little bristles don't heat up, it's the plate behind them that heats up, so you don't have to worry about burning your scalp with the brush.

You want to use this on slightly damp hair with a heat protectant or leave-in conditioner applied. 

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Now for the performance of the tool...

As you can see in the picture above, you can achieve straight hair with this tool (my hair is naturally wavy in texture).

It takes me about 20 minutes to do my entire head (I have thick hair and section it off to get the under sections as well). It typically will take me 5 minutes to blow dry my hair, then an additional 10-15 minutes to flat iron. Since you are leaving your hair somewhat damp, using this will cut down on blow dry time, so I would say this takes roughly the same amount of time to do my hair as traditionally flat ironing does. And another thing is, I've only been using it a week or so. I know it will get easier with time and I can probably cut down that styling time by 5 minutes.

This product straightens without looking fake and overly pin straight. I think it gives the most natural straight appearance. No one will think you used a heat tool to make your hair behave this way. It just looks like you have naturally straight hair! You may be able to tell in the picture that there is a little bit of wave on the ends of my hair. That sort of result is what makes it look so natural.

My favorite way to use this is when I wake up in the morning, I run it over the top layers of my hair to calm it down. Sometimes your hair is just kinked strangely in the morning and this product does an excellent job of calming it down quickly without having to go over your entire head. 

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Keep an eye out for an upcoming video review to see this little guy in action on my YouTube channel. 

I hope you enjoyed!

Love,

Alaina

Week 22 - 2nd Trimester Pregnancy Symptoms, Overview, Updates, etc.

Week 22 - Feb. 5-11

Our baby boy Calvin Lee is due June 17, 2016!

Bump:

Spent some time looking back at my previous weeks' pictures and holy crap! I thought I was getting so big in those early weeks, I thought that bump was significant at 14 weeks! But now I'm like, nope, I really didn't even look pregnant yet. Haha. It's just funny how it felt in the moment. Can't wait to look back at these pictures lately and say, wow, that belly wasn't nothin'! Haha.
Then I look at the 5 weeks picture and say, man, I sure hope we can get back to that some day. It seems so far away. Then at the same time, I'm really happy with my body right now and I think, I want to look like a woman, not a teenager. Maybe I don't want to go back to that. Haha. We'll just have to see how it goes I guess. Honestly, my big thing is, "if I don't get back to where I was, that's a lot of clothes to go to Goodwill and a lot of new clothes to replace them. New clothes = money". Is it bad that that's always my first thought...?
So that's the pregnancy brain train of thought this week anyway. Lol.

Maternity Clothes:
Down to about 4 pairs of comfy pants, which I can make work during the week. It's leggings and dresses for the weekends. I've been liking wearing tighter tops lately. I just feel even bigger when I wear more bulky things like sweaters. I'm about finished with the skinny jeans that have no stretch, they are seriously suffocating my ankles and calves haha.

Emotions:
Emotions are still going good.

Food:
I had one craving for an iced shortbread cookie, so although I had lunch in the fridge at work, I went and got Bread Co. (Panera to those outside St. Louis Mo) just so I could have one. I've been really working hard at not snacking after dinner and I've had a couple excellent days this week. Hoping to keep up the good work in that department. 

Sleep & Dreams:

Getting comfortable sucks. I roll over a million times per night. I know it has to be bugging Justin at this point too.

Energy:
I've had normal amounts of energy lately. Not overly tired. It still really depends on the day though.

Exercise:
Walked Friday, tried to walk Saturday but my sister arrived earlier than expected and picked us up in the midst of our walk lol. Did a weights and yoga ball workout Monday during breaks while making dinner. Did three workout videos Tuesday for a long workout and felt super awesome about it. I usually only workout for 30 min, so this 1 hour workout made me feel extra good. It was cold and windy and sometimes snowy this week so going for walks was not an option I wanted to take.

Physical Symptoms:
Round ligament pain is back with a vengeance after a few weeks of a break.
More zits. They seem to like the chin and nose area this week. Super. And they're kinda hurty too. My skin is just so oily lately. Seriously. I'll wash my face at 6 am, and by 7:30 it's just an oil slick.

Movement:
For three weeks I wrote down when I felt 3+ movements around the same time during the weekdays. I took this information and made a little chart. With this chart I discovered that Calvin's most active times are around 10:30 am, 1-2 pm, and 8-9 pm. Pretty interesting right? And it's crazy how accurate it is.
Also, I saw my belly move for the first time on Sunday (21 weeks, 2 days). It was ever so slight and it happened twice in a row, and it was pretty cool to see. 

Favorite Moments of the Week:
On Sunday Justin came up behind me and put his hands on my belly and whispered that he had to sneak up on us so Calvin wouldn't know he was there. He's convinced Calvin knows when he's trying to feel him and intentionally stops moving. Haha.

Baby Purchases:
None this week. Just need to paint the rocking chair and create Calvin's name decor for above the crib and the nursery will be finished. But we have plenty of time so I don't know if we'll be working on that anytime soon. Wish the baby shower was sooner so we wouldn't have to be rushing to get leftover things in the month before he arrives.

What I Miss:
Laying on my belly, not having to roll around in every direction to get comfy at night, laying on the couch comfortably, overall I just miss being comfortable.

Random Thoughts:
What if I never have time to sit and do my makeup for an hour like I like to do on the weekends?
Can I still wear purple lipstick and push little Calvin around at the grocery store?
No, I don't plan on changing my colorful makeup habits just because I'm gonna be a "mom," but what if I just don't have time for heavy winged liner and neon orange lips? That idea is somewhat worrying. I hope Justin is ready to just watch Calvin on Saturday mornings so I can at least have one day a week where I can wear my favorite full-face fun makeup.
I like to take 5-10 minutes to do something basic, but more than that, I love those days when I get to just sit and play with my makeup: no rush, no stress, just being creative and having fun.

Thanks so much for reading!
Love,
Alaina and Little Calvin

Valentine's Day Date Night OOTD - Maternity - 22 Weeks Pregnant

I had this top picked out to be my designated "Valentine's Day top" the day I picked it up from PinkBlushMaternity.com weeks and weeks ago. So here is my outfit of the day for our Valentine's Day celebration.

Outfit Details:
Boots - eBay
Jeans - Ross
Top - Pink Blush Maternity
Necklace - Charming Charlie
Earrings - Claires?
Bracelet - Enchanted
Watch - Valentine's Day gift from hubby :)

Lipstick - NYX Matte Lipstick - Indie Flick

(get ready with me video filmed for the makeup, so keep a look out on my YouTube channel in a week or two)

And a little bit of crazy cat lady flair. Haha.

I hope you enjoyed!

Love,

Alaina

Lipsticks of the Week : Feb. 8-12 : Matte & Colorful

This week I kept fighting the urge to buy new lip products. I tell myself, "Alaina, you have a ton of colorful lipsticks that you don't wear enough! Don't buy new products, just "shop your stash" (as Emily Noel would say." So that's what I've done this week.

Also this week I've remembered just how much lipstick livens you up. Even if I just did my brows and slapped on some mascara, by adding a colorful lip it automatically looks like I actually put in some effort. Haha.

So let's take a look at what I've been wearing this week.

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Monday : Maybelline Vivid Matte Liquid - Nude Thrill (my full review here)
This is a good Monday color. On Mondays I tend to be particularly lazy with my makeup. I always sleep in too much and just can't get into it. But I do love this formula. So comfy on the lips, easy to reapply, doesn't last the longest, but that's okay. This is the color I chose when I didn't want to stare at my lipsticks for five minutes decided what color to go with.

Tuesday : LA Girl Matte Flat Finish Pigment Gloss - Obsess (my full review here)
Super long-wearing, no fuss lipstick to last all day, except at lunchtime it can be a pain to remove without some oil. I actually like to put a chapstick on top, rub my lips together, then scrub it off with a tissue. I just find with these long wearing super matte liquid lipsticks, it's easier to just remove it all before a meal and reapply it completely once you're finished eating.

Wednesday : Milani Color Statement Matte Lipstick - Matte Orchid (my review on a shade that I didn't really like here)
I wanted to wear a hot pink lipstick this day but I thought, I'm gonna tone it down a bit and not do something so neon, and so this is the color I settled on. Plus I couldn't think of a good hot pink matte lipstick that morning, all I have are cream finishes (I think...).

Thursday : Limited Edition Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick - Snow Peach (1956) (review here)
I love the two limited edition lipsticks I got from this collection. You can still find them on eBay too. It's such an easy lipstick formula. It has a glossy finish and just feels comfy on the lips. This color in particular is fun and colorful without being overboard in any way.

Friday : ColourPop Ultra Matte - Trap (review here)
This is my favorite "Friday lipstick." I reserve my favorites for Fridays, I don't know why. I usually for some reason care more about my makeup on Fridays. I will do a full face compared to my usual very minimal makeup (if I'm feeling it and I get up before my first three alarms). It's a little edgy and I just think Fridays are good days for it.

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As you can probably tell by now, matte is my thing. I love a good matte lip (and pretty much all matte makeup). It's just easier to take care of throughout the day. They don't fade or transfer as bad as glossy stuff, and they don't tend to bleed either. Although some formulas can be less than comfy, matte lips are the way to go if you want something easy and long-wearing for the workday.

So I hope you guys enjoyed this little tid-bit of my makeup for the week. Let me know if you enjoyed this and perhaps we can make it a thing and do it more often.

Thanks so much for reading!
Love,
Alaina

The First Half of my First Pregnancy Milestones Overview

Here's a little week by week breakdown of some of the milestones and events that have taken place so far in my pregnancy! We're "halfway" there!

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Screenshots from 5 Weeks Pregnancy Update video.

3 weeks, 5 days - First true positive test!

4 weeks, 4 days - First doctor appointment

5 weeks - Morning sickness appears, begin slathering torso with body butter, feeling bloated, fatigue
5 weeks - Told Justin's parents!
5 weeks, 1 day - Told my younger sister & nieces!
5 weeks, 2 days - Told my parents and older sister!
5 weeks, 3 days - First new bra

6 weeks, 3 days - Peeing all the time begins, first mention that I feel baby is a boy
6 weeks, 6 days - First ultrasound! Already hating regular pants

...a lot of the same random symptoms going on, but nothing too exciting...

Week 11 - morning sickness is done, back to the gym, giving in to maternity pants

Week 12 - Harmony test taken, one baby name chosen, round ligament pain really begins!, less peeing at night

Week 13 - extreme hunger begins, acne appears everywhere, super oily skin, cleared out the nursery-to-be, second name picked out, +7 pounds from the start

Week 14 - Harmony results came in 10 business days

Week 15 - Bump officially "popped," gender reveal

Week 16 - First comment on the bump from a stranger, energy definitely back, strange bout of morning sickness a couple days, itchy belly, another boobie growth spurt begins, finally can feel my uterus, think I felt him moving

Week 17 - heavy breathing, knee pain, definitely felt first kicks

Week 18 - less starving feelings, feeling movement like crazy

Week 19 - another comment on the bump by someone who didn't know, stretchmarks appear on the thighs and hips, light-headed-ness, boobie growth spurt confirmed, thought I felt him from outside, wedding band is freaking tight, shoulder pain

Week 20 - anatomy scan!, noticed uneven bump, belly button is changing, feeling kicks above belly button, +23 pounds from the start

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Here is my pregnancy updates playlist if you want to hear more in my weekly updates.

I hope this was helpful or entertaining for you! I know it will be cool to look back on!

Thanks for reading!

Love,

Alaina