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I’ve created a Holiday Gift Guide for 2020 to simplify your Christmas shopping this year as well as making gift-giving personal, thoughtful, and less stressful. Especially with Black Friday tomorrow you can score so many good deals on the products below! Happy Holidays!
Hope everyone is ready for the upcoming holidays! One thing I love to do this time of year is shopping and scoring a great deal for Black Friday. Since I’m also pregnant (I’m currently at 36 weeks) I’ve opted to do all my shopping online and it’s honestly been so convenient. One of my favorite brands, PinkBlush (a brand for maternity and beyond), is having one of the largest sales of the year for Black Friday! If you’ve been following me on Instagram, they are the same brand that gifted me the adorable and cozy MAMA sweatshirt I wore in October to a fun day at Linvilla Orchards (blog post here).
PinkBlush Black Friday Sale Details
PinkBlush is having the largest sale of the year for BlackFriday offering up to 50% off sitewide (50% off clearance, 40% off dresses, 30% off bottoms & jumpsuits, 25% off tops, sleep, and robs) as well as free shipping to U.S. and Canada on all orders beginning November 22 through November 29 with code BLACKFRIDAY. PinkBlush has a huge selection of maternity clothes such as such as dresses, sweaters, pants, delivery robes and so much more - all at affordable prices (they also have non maternity items!).
Today I am teaming up with PinkBlush to bring you three looks which are all perfect for the holiday season.
Sweater Dress: Black Knit Off Shoulder Maternity Midi Dress
At 36 weeks pregnant it’s hard to find a dress for the holidays that is stylish yet comfortable at the same time. This knit off the shoulder midi dress from PinkBlush checks off all the boxes. I also love the off the shoulder detail and am definitely going to wear this for the upcoming holidays! Also, how cute is the baby bump in this knit dress?
Sweater: Heather Grey Soft Knit V-Neck Scalloped Trim Maternity Sweater
This casual look is another one that I love. This gray sweater is very soft and has a beautiful v-neck with scalloped trim. This outfit just screams cozy and can be worn all day from running errands to lounging at home with family. It’s perfect to pair with leggings and boots.
Sweater: Waverleigh Ivory Balloon Sleeve Boat Neck Knit Maternity Sweater
Last, but not least, this cozy ivory balloon sweater is perfect for a growing belly! This sweater is definitely one of the most softest tops I own and I love how you can dress this sweater up or down. I wore this look on the way to a holiday brunch in the city paired with leggings and over-the-knee boots.
PinkBlush $75 Giveaway
If the news about the PinkBlush Black Friday sale wasn’t amazing enough, to help you with your holiday shopping, I’ve partnered with PinkBlush to give one of my lucky readers a $75 gift card! The giveaway is being run on my Instagram account today (11/24) and closes at 12PM EST tomorrow (11/25) and is open internationally.
Below are the giveaway rules:
Follow me @MyGoldenBeauty and @pinkblushmaternity on Instagram
“Like” the photo with the giveaway on my Instagram account @MyGoldenBeauty
Tag a friend in the comments section in the photo with the giveaway on my Instagram account @MyGoldenBeauty (Each comment counts as one entry!)
Anyone who has won a @pinkblushmaternity or @shoppinkblush giveaway within the last 6 months is not eligible to win.
Thank you to Pink Blush for sponsoring this post.
Cardigan: JustFab (c/o) / Long Sleeve Shirt: ASOS / Leggings: Blanqi
Booties: JustFab (c/o) / Handbag: Saint Laurent
With the holidays right around the corner (which equals eating so much delicious food) and at 36 weeks pregnant, I want nothing more than to be comfortable. This outfit pretty much checks off all those boxes: all black to hide the preggo tummy and food baby, a cozy cardigan in case its chilly (in this beautiful leopard print) and a pop of fun with the ankle booties. JustFab has an amazing selection of boots and booties for the fall and winter in all different styles.
Thank you to JustFab for sponsoring this post.
This post is long overdue but better late than never - am I right? I’m currently at 35 weeks in my pregnancy journey but realized I never got around to doing a first or a second trimester recap and Q&A! Time is seriously flying by and what I thought would never be here in the beginning is going to be here before we know it - I wish time would slow down!
The first trimester was exciting yet nerve wrecking not only because this is our first pregnancy but going through it during a pandemic! I’m not sure what’s considered “normal” for appointments but we had our first appointment at 10 weeks and then once a month from there which was a mix of telehealth appointments and in person appointments. Notable moments during the first trimester was finding out the gender (which we waited to tell) and telling our family and friends we were pregnant! we also did a photoshoot for pregnancy announcement at City Hall in Philadelphia which was alot of fun.
Dress: ASOS
A few notable milestones during the second trimester included the anatomy scan at 20 weeks as well as a 32 week growth scan (this one was optional but we jumped at a chance to get more ultrasound pictures!). We also did a gender reveal around Labor Day weekend for our families which was soo much fun! We are both the oldest on both sides so this is our parents first grandchild on both sides. Other notable moments have been feeling the baby kick and having the hubby see and feel baby kicking as well.
Although there have been so many good moments, COVID-19 has brought about another level of stress and unknowns. Luckily we were able to do a virtual shower for our family (blog post HERE) and a baby shower for our local family/friends in Philly (blog post HERE). It has been disappointing that the hubby is not able to attend any appointments which can be scary as a first time mom not knowing what to expect! It was disappointing that he was not able to attend the big scans (anatomy and growth scan but at least I could facetime him).
My Outfit: Dress: ASOS Maternity / Jewelry: Teardrop Earrings
How and when did you find out? When are you due? We found out together in April and it was sort of un-eventful as we were both working from home as the pandemic was at its peak. For the second piece, I am due in December - less than 5 weeks left to go!
How are you feeling? I’ve been feeling really good! I am a firm believer that no two experiences are the same and everyone will give you a different answer when they are asked this. I’ve been blessed and did not experience any nausea during the first trimester. I was a little tired during my second trimester but nothing too bad - a nap here or there was what I needed to combat fatigue. I also believe that keeping up with a workout regime and eating well balanced meals help. Lastly, make sure to have a good prenatal vitamin and iron.
Do you have any food cravings? Any food aversions? I’m actually really surprised with myself that I haven’t had much food cravings. We make it a point to plan a weekly menu ahead of time on Sundays evenings and we cook mostly Monday-Fridays. Weekends are usually a combination of cooking, ordering in and leftovers. If we order in I like to get pizza (from Angelos of course), ramen (especially if it’s a chilly day) or tacos. I haven’t had any food aversions. I have also read that if you are craving strange items you may be lacking certain nutrients in your body. Also, the hubby has been SOOO great with making sure I am eating properly. My breakfast is usually eggs with veggies and toast. Lunch is usually a wrap or salad. Dinner we plan ahead and we usually pick a cuisine (we switch it up between Indian, Mexican, Asian, Italian, etc).
Also the entire “you’re eating for two” is totally inaccurate (I should move this down to the pet peeves section but thought it fit good with the food cravings section!). If you look at the amount of calories you need by trimester it’s actually not THAT many and it also depends WHAT you’re eating - choose to focus on nutritious foods that keep your energy up while supporting your baby's development is the best advice I can give! Although there’s nothing wrong with a cookie or donut here or there… lol.
What is your skincare and beauty regime while pregnant? What are you using to prevent stretch marks? Once we found out I went through my face and body creams and put away any products that contained harmful ingredients - this I mostly found in eye creams. As far as makeup goes I have been wearing less since I’ve been working from home pretty much my entire pregnancy and don’t need to get dressed up. It’s more on the weekends I use makeup if we’re shooting content or going out to eat. For stretch marks I am using: Elemis Body Oil (recommended by my friend!), Bio Oil and Palmer’s Cocoa Butter.
What exercise routine do you follow? Workouts look ALOT different from what they used to be. When you’re pregnant you can’t workout at 100%, no doing ab exercises and avoid exercises in which you could trip/fall. There’s a few videos through Youtube I use if I’m working out inside such as Prenatal HITT and Prenatal Barre. Sometimes we’ll go out for a walk - there’s a park a few blocks away so it’s always nice to get out and get some fresh air. Regardless if I’m inside working out or outside I aim to get at least 30 minutes of exercise per day.
Where do you shop for maternity clothing? I’ve been wearing my non maternity shirts and sweaters so far. I have bought maternity jeans and leggings for the growing belly. Some of my favorite places to shop for maternity clothing is: H&M, ASOS and PinkBlush.
What are some must have items to get through pregnancy? A good stretch mark cream (your skin will be feeling itchy since it stretches), comfortable clothing such as a good pair of leggings, water bottle and a pregnancy pillow. Also keep snacks with you if you’re going out such as a protein bar, nuts or fruits.
Biggest pregnancy pet peeves? With the pandemic and not going out much, I haven’t “normal” pregnancy things that irritate people - such as strangers touching your belly, commenting, etc. What I don’t like, however, is unwarranted advice and advice that doesn’t have any rhyme or reason.
Are you take any classes to prepare for childbirth? All classes are virtual and essentially are limited but we are taking a childbirth class through our hospital which is offered online and I also recently took a virtual breastfeeding class.
What are you packing in your hospital bag? EEEK!!! I haven’t gotten around to packing a hospital bag but at #35weeks I know I have to get on this! I’ll be doing a separate blog post on what we are packing in our bag so keep an eye out for that!
As social distancing has become part of our norm, many mommas to be have gotten creative when it comes to planning a baby shower. I’ve come to accept the reality that nothing is “normal” with this pregnancy and it’s been quite interesting since this is our first! It can be disappointing when you can’t celebrate these milestones with loved ones especially when things are out of your control, but I’m sure we’ve all accepted this new reality of life and new way of living.
We opted to throw a virtual baby shower for our family and it couldn’t have been better. One thing that I did like is that there was family on the virtual baby shower that would maybe not have been able to make it (i.e. living in different states). We kept the event to about an hour which was the perfect length.
Gown: Self Portrait / Heels: JustFab
Select a date, time and host for your virtual baby shower - I had my mom help me with coordinating the baby shower and had ours well in advance of our due date (2 months prior) which I would recommend to all since your baby could come early.
Create a baby registry - We created our baby registry with Amazon, Buy Buy Baby, and Pottery Barn. Alot of people also recommended Babylist which allows you to add any item from any store but what I didn’t like is that the purchaser of the gift has to make sure to remember to mark off the item as purchased which is why I kept all three registries separate.
Figure out which virtual platform you’ll be using - We used the ZOOM platform since we had about 30 people that RSVP’ed and I like the features that ZOOM offers!
Send virtual baby shower invitations - We used EVITE for our virtual invitations since it’s easy to keep track of responses but you could also Email, create a Facebook group, Paperless Post, Minted, etc.
Pick a theme and/or decorations - This isn’t necessary and doesn’t have to be over the top, but it gets you in the baby shower spirit. We didn’t have a theme but I throw up a “Welcome” poster, “Baby” balloon and flowers as a backdrop - I went for that greenery/white look with gold. I also dressed up in a beautiful baby blue gown by Self Portrait and did my hair/makeup.
Establish an agenda - I created an agenda and also made a powerpoint presentation (my business background kicking in here!). Virtual gatherings can get a little crazy especially when you have alot of people on the baby shower (like I said we had about 30 guests).
Pick out 1-2 virtual shower games to play - We played the Price is Right and Mommy vs Daddy game. The Price is Right Game: Take turns guessing how much different types of baby gear costs. Mommy vs Daddy Game: Beforehand ask questions to both Daddy and Mommy and then have your guests guess who said what.
We also sent out giftcards via mail to each of the game winners!
Open up gifts - This is optional and we didn’t choose to do this over Zoom for sake of time and gifts arriving at different times since they were all delivered via mail.
Thank you - Make sure to thank all your guests for attending and send a thank you to your guests.
I linked a few other beautiful baby shower dresses below!