May 30, 2013

Rockabye Mommy - newest "must" for every woman!


If you haven't heard or read Rockabye Mommy yet, waste not a second longer , and head on over get yourself acquainted with a newest "must" on every woman's ( mom or not) daily reading list. 

Rockabye is an invaluable resource for expecting mommies who need an extra hand and expert advice. We will take the research, planning, shopping and designing off your shoulders, allowing you to relax and enjoy your pregnancy. From “to do” lists and baby-proofing to shopping and designing your nursery, Rockabye’s expertise and design sensibility will inform and prepare every mommy with what they ought to know. We are here to help you save time and be your ultimate super-hero, so you can balance your career, family and social life. Read more about the founders here

But there is more: 


I am very excited to be one of the newest contributors to Rockabye Mommy. Look for my posts weekly and I will ensure to update you here as well! 

I think you'll love the atmosphere of Rockabye Mommy just as much as I do - from design to maternity styling to pregnancy and parenting advice, RM got you covered. 

May 29, 2013

PREGNANCY LIFE SAVERS

pregnancy savers



Wonderful , special and miraculous as pregnancy is, it is no secret that there are some discomforts and "side-effects" that come with it. Should you have been spared of common complains of pregnancy - count your lucky stars and then come back and count them again. Having experienced a few different variations with a few different pregnancies, here are some of my finds and solutions. I hope you find them helpful. 

ONE :  Keep your legs happy.
 
This is an absolute must for tired, swollen, restless and plain hurting legs , especially at the end of the pregnancy. "Legs" is something I use more then regular person would ( dancing and city walking you know) ,  and I am sure every city dwelling mom can relate just as much. It was not until THIS pregnancy that those "beautiful" spider veins decided to make an appearance. Ask any OB and they just shrug and tell you "it just comes with the pregnancy",  and painful as it may be, there is not much solution that I have been offered. Through trial and error I found this Mustela lotion, and after a month of using I am loving it. Reviews have told the truth, and I am confirming it too.

TWO: Face.

I found that my skin has reacted differently with every pregnancy. While there are times when you definitely can see that beautiful "glow", there are also times when those crazy hormones ( that I DO love and appreciate) play some not such fun tricks with my skin. Getting older is not helping it either. This pregnancy I have tried L'Occitane as a solution for my skin ( on a recommendation from a friend) , and LOVE it. This, this and this products are my daily routine. Make your choice as to how heavy/light you want your moisture to be, and you can adjust your routine to your specific skin's needs as pregnancy progresses by simply mixing two products together without having to go and buy a new skin care regimen. Price-y as may be, I am only 1/2 way through the products, and the set has covered me through my entire pregnancy, so I say it is definitely worth the investment.

THREE & FIVE: Hair.

Every single pregnancy I get a lovely oily scalp for the entire first trimester. Many products as there are available, I found that the combination of Nexxus natural shampoo with a pinch of BAKING SODA works best for me, making my hair look shiny, healthy, while controling that hormone induced oil production. I use the "shampoo+soda" combo the entire first trimester ( and it really is a small pinch of soda, more is not better in this case), and as the body regulates and adjusts, I found that it's a beauty trick that's great to use to cleanse your hair from the product build up once every 10 days or so. Natural and gentle - just what my hair likes during pregnancy ( and after having a baby too!)

FOUR: Body.

The beautiful and changing pregnant body goes through a lot of demands to keep that little occupant ( or a few!)  happy, so why not pamper a little? Personally, I love these two among many other products ( I change my pampering as my mood changes).  The oil keeps the skin supple and has a great ( to my nose ) aroma that can be enhanced with any natural essential oils ( just make sure what you are using is safe for pregnancy), and the lotion really does offer a great relief , especially on those "feeling-extremely-tried" days.

ps: find morning sickness remedies here

SENDING LOTS OF GOOD WISHES YOUR WAY TODAY!

May 24, 2013

WEEKEND-READY. IN STYLE.

weekend ready

1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/10/11/12/13/14

Are you ready for a long weekend?
The weather is promising to be nice and it is always fun to kick off with some fun , say outdoors or hop on a train and explore the near by surroundings, don't you think? 

Pregnant or not, I am always up for some adventure. Above are my picks for traveling in style ( and you can read here and here why), how about yours?! Are you doing something fun and unusual? ( though sometimes staying in, sleeping and catching up on a good book is plenty unusual too )

whatever your plans are, we are wishing you a very 
HAPPY WEEKEND !
( in style and comfort, of course!)

May 21, 2013

Insta-bits of little life

^^ why not play while at ikea? "tika-tika-tika" is the newest entertainment. and those little fingers are vicious! ^^

^^ i was of the opinion that she needed a nap. she, on the other hand, obviously, disagreed...^^ 

^^ ... but i can't complain, because THIS happens regularly at about 5 after i put her in to go out. it's her ultimate favorite napping place ^^

^^ because, you know, you need ALL your energy to complain when you are not allowed to have the rainbow's worth of candy every day ^^

^^ the level of how busy the day was can be safely judged by the state of pigtails - the busier is my day, the less chance there is they will "make it" til the end ( what is it with babies and pulling everything off?! any tips? ) ^^

^^ set and ready 1/2 before us for blessed Pascha on an Orthodox Easter morning. this celebration always fills my heart with light and brings the warmest memories. i hope they are creating theirs too ^^

^^ rule of thumb for a "stroller dweller" : when YOU get out, your bunny (kitty/doggy) friend MUST get in. no go without it ^^

^^ the tulip festival was breathtaking this year ( and that's the only picture we were allowed to take) i only with there was an app to attach an amazing aroma to this picture ^^

^^ from manageable to nothing closes in one week - check #bumpupdate ^^

^^ being little is tiring ^^

It's been a little while since the last instagram update. Here is a little highlight of some of my favorites, I hope you enjoy them too! 


Have a fab Tuesday!

May 16, 2013

Join us at GAP tonight and meet Stokke strollers in person!

Are you joining us today? 

We have a very fun evening planned…come and get summer ready enjoying 25% off regular prices items and 40% off SALE items with in store shopping, see the Tripp Trapp , iconic Xplory, newest Scoot and Crusi Strollers and more by Stokke in action from an expert and customers,  plus enter for a chance to win a Tripp Trapp for yourself

Featuring local AND national bloggers, style experts, the founder and contributors of Mom's Best Network, plus much more.   It's the opportunity that must NOT be missed! ( and you may or may not see yours truly among the pregnant models for GAP Maternity)

Hope to see you there!

ps: you can bet your money on it, you'll find me around and with Stokke, because, you know, if you havent' noticed yet,  i may just love it that much.

May 14, 2013

COLORFUL MATH with TRIPP TRAPP


School is almost over, the last few weeks are always filled with fun, so how about some colorful math today?
 Stokke has recently came out with great new colors of their iconic Tripp Trapp and , considering this great tool to build your own version ( as your needs, wants and desires dictate), I spent the last hour imagining and creating different looks. It's fun - give it a try!

A fair warning : this may lead you to exploring the design possibilities that can be created with Tripp Trapp. Here are some of my favorites, what about yours?

ps: you can read my thoughts on tripp trapp here and explore more features here.
please, note, this is not a sponsored post. i personally use and love these chairs, and honestly - how can you not?

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE TRIPP TRAPP COLOR COMBINATION?

May 13, 2013

LES FEMME MODA: the BELLY style: staying neutral.

 top : very old, cute one here, here, somewhat similar here. jeans: citizens of humanity ( here and here), jacket: bebe, old ( similar ). bag hobo ( also seen here and here) . shoes: similar also love these these and these

I hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day and a great weekend. 

Ours was simple and relaxing (for me). I got showered with kisses, homemade cards and bracelets, and I couldn't but tear up every time I got another kiss or hug ( those pregnancy hormones...) 

I only wish my own mother was not so far away, or it hasn't been so long since we've seen each other. Some skyping always helps, although sometimes - like yesterday - I sincerely wish that the technology made it possible to touch and hug. Those of you that live close to your family, give an extra hug to your loved ones. It is only now when I live so far that I understand why my grandmother ( who lived far from her family ) has always repeated that "the biggest blessing is to be close to your family".

But on the other hand, being away from the family makes for a tight-knit family within our little circle, so there is always something good in every situation, right? 

WISHING YOU A GREAT MONDAY!

May 10, 2013

ON MOTHERHOOD


10 years ago on May 12th I was in the bathroom staring at "those two lines", long awaited for, desired and prayed for, trying to keep myself calm from getting too happy about it just yet. The next 8 months that followed were filled in reading EVERY book out there possible, spending hours on internet , asking ( and listening ) to everyone that had experience - all in hope of scoring an "A" at that thing called "motherhood".

Many days passed since then. I have learned, very quickly - just as many others do, that the "perfect" motherhood is one of those things that is always "almost" at your reach, but you have to go just one more step further to get to it.

In my mind, I had it all perfectly planned out, where my baby would smile and open his little mouth wide for the first spoon of cereal, where I would kiss him goodnight in the little crib and walk out quietly at 8 pm and come back to pick him up, when he is awake at 7 am, smiling, rested and happy. In real life, I had to clean my face and walls, as the first experience with the cereal was ... not that exciting for the baby ( and to be honest, that baby food... i'd spit it up myself just the same) . And night time... Let's just put it simple : I can't remember the last time either me or my husband slept for a longer stretch then 3 hours at a time.

But when I look at those little smiling faces, when I feel someone climb into my bed and snuggle close to me in the middle of the night, when I hear "good morning, Mommy"... there aren't words to describe the love and warmth that spreads through my every cell. I feel so lucky. So blessed. So... dreamlike. I kiss each little sleeping face at night and can't believe that they are real, mine and perfect, each in their own way.

10 years of experience have taught me many things. But if I were to pass on just one to my children, then here it is: It's near to impossible to score "perfect" on parenting  ( although I do find many of the child psychology books and suggestions very helpful) . But as long as there is a happy smile on your child's face, you are on the right path.



for those of you that asked  - stroller is stokke xplory with a cup holder changing bag, and riding board. we also use stokke crusi ( with a sibling seat option) and love both absolutely. please, email with questions - i am happy to help. a good stroller is so important!
 *disclaimer: living notes is not paid to promote stokke, but, having experienced many other baby products, we absolutely love stokke and want to spread the word.

Happy Mother's Day to all of you!

May 09, 2013

Mother's Day mini gift-guide

Mother's day gifts

Make someone happy this weekend with this mini-gift guide:

1. Let her hands be free while keeping the baby close and her back happy with this "back spa" MyCarrier from Stokke. She'll love it, promise.

 2/6 Simple and elegant.

3. Every mom needs a pair of stylish and comfy flats

4. There aren't enough hands for a mom - this cross body bag is a life saver! 

5. Create an aroma bouquet with Jo Malone. Can't go wrong there. 

7. A little fun read for the night time ( or day relaxation time).

WISHING YOU A GREAT THURSDAY!


May 06, 2013

All things beautiful. ART



Art is and has always been for me a point of fascination, curiosity, admiration, personal growth. I couldn't put it better myself, but the following re-phrasing essentially summarizes what I think and love about art.

"Art is like magic. Out of plain and worthless canvas with addition of some ink , something beautiful and breath-taking is created that turns contemporary society upside down."

The mind of an artist , for me, is an endless quest for understanding that may never be completed, but one learns much about self and one's personal journey while on that path.  I can spend hours at a time day after day by a beautiful work and never tire of it.

The video below has grabbed my attention. It's simply fascinating. What are the world's 10 most expensive paintings, why and how much are they? I didn't know the answer before, but I am blown away by this documentary. 



what are your thoughts?

May 03, 2013

LES FEMME MODA: Warm Weekend








jeans: paige denim. top: topshop ( old. similar or here, or budget here). bag : latico , similar. oxford shoes: j shoes, or similar, (also like these and these for summer) . personalized bracelet: c/o lmpd. lips: bobbi brown

We are up to our ears busy preparing for the Orthodox Easter ( Pascha ) that is coming up on Sunday for us. Among the services, cleanings and all other things - thought necessary and typically loved -  the stress of "musts" have caused a serious bout of my morning sickness, keeping me veeery low to the ground the last couple of weeks... Please, accept my apologies for the lack of posting lately. I am resurfacing again, and have lots to share that you will love. In all honesty, I miss you, my "blogging friends". Thank you for your support and readership.

I hope your weekend is filled with sunshine, happiness and adventures! 

To those, that are celebrating Easter this Sunday - Happy upcoming Pascha!


 PS: if you are not familiar with POSE , do check it out! It's a great place for style inspiration and keeping your styling profile together. 

 
Pin It button on image hover