Clean Eating Meal Plan - Since It's Fit Friday and All

Breakfast

Banana & Strawberry Smoothie

- 1 banana, chopped

- 1/2 cup of strawberries, diced

1/2 cup of frozen Greek yogurt

- 1 tea spoon of honey

- 1/2 cup of unsweetened almond milk

Blend til' smooth. Enjoy.

Health Lessons I Learned from Pregnancy

 

Pregnancy is perhaps one of the most humbling experiences you will ever have.

 

Still two months to go, but already big as a whale.

It was for me.

I never expected so many adversities. Morning sickness, for one, was more crippling than expected. Then there were joint pain, bloating, anemia, diabetes, muscle cramps, and many other problems most people wouldn't experience.

When you're pregnant, your body doesn't function normally, and you can't go about everyday like you used to. All the changes -- and all of them happening so suddenly and simultaneously -- felt rather shocking.

There were emotional developments too, like anticipation, fear, a heightened sense of social awareness, self doubt, etc.

When you're pregnant, you're just not right.

Over the past six-something years of blogging...

Visiting Seattle Part 2 - Must-See Sights and a Little Bit of Style (Fashion Blog Post)

Style First

For second day's sightseeing, I chose a ruffled tank top and a pair of skinny jeans. Because the tank top is dressy, and has much volume, a casual lower half created contrast. Also, due to a lot of running around, flat sandals made a comfortable idea.

 

Space Needle and Seattle Center

Life is Beautiful

We've out-of-town guests, and I've been too busy to blog. But I've two stolen seconds now, so please allow me to share a beautiful moment from last week.

My husband and our first-born on Alki Beach, in West Seattle.

Thank you.

Have a lovely weekend!

Fun with the Girls (Life in Seattle)

Since weekends are usually slow for beauty and fashion blogs, I don't feel so guilty posting boring bits of my day. 

I'm a stay-at-home mom to a 3-year old and a 10-months old, by the way. My days are not that exciting :O)

1. Stringing Presents for Guests

Our family from N.J will be in town tomorrow. We decided to make them something special.

(Should've cleaned instead. Oops.)

This is for Jo's big cousin. It's her first visit to Seattle.

Grandma M will be happy to see this.

All done. Pretty cute, huh?

2. Window Shopping for Fall

Not sure which fall style to invest in? Try checking out trends that are hanging up, before putting money down.

3. Creating Clean Meals

This egg-wrapped turkey and asparagus sandwich is completely clean, and tasted delicious too. 

Hey, the toddler liked it. That's something, right?

Have a nice weekend!

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I Love You, Seattle!

May I please take a moment to show you my beautiful city?

Thank you.

Happy Hump Day!

10 Money Saving Tips for New Stay-at-Home Moms

Thinking of becoming a stay-at-home mom or dad? It's much harder than giving your two weeks' notice.

Oh no! What have I done!

Two years ago, immediately after the birth of our first child, I quit a perfectly cushion-y, perfectly secure job. Even with so-so pay for the software field, I had excess dough for date nights, spa visits, and flights to see families.  

The yuppy lifestyle tasted as sweet as the 4-dollar lattes I frequently enjoyed. Then, all of a sudden, no more paychecks :O(

But still, no regrets. No regrets at all!

For three devastating years, I battled infertility. Needless to say, Jo's arrival was a true miracle. How could I, after so long of a wait, leave her with some stranger as a tiny infant who needed and deserved all my care and attention?

This was my thought: money is awesome. But I have an entire lifetime to make money, and only a few years with my daughter until she goes off to school. It was time to give up facials and lattes.

Commit. And let the savings begin.

Committing to a lifestyle -- and career -- change took a LOT of digging inside -- a lot more than I expected. However, once I committed, I felt more focused on making family no. 1, including helping us save money. And over time, the more I saved, the savvier I got.

So, thinking of becoming a stay-at-home mom or dad?

THINK HARD! And make sure you think of all the aspects of staying at home. Make sure you are ready to give up your career, life, free time, sanity, certainly people's respect, and of course the freedom to afford whatever you want. 

Sounds intimidating? Life as a stay-at-home parent is certainly a hard choice. But trust me, it's well worth the effort.

 

Now, onto the money saving tips:

1. Buy in bulk

A no brain-er. Your baby needs mounds of diapers, wipes, paper towels, etc. Buy in bulk, so you pay less. 

And don't worry about the judgemental snobs who look down on Sam's Club. Do what's best for your family.

If you have x amount of dollars and need y amount of items, make x/y as small of a number as possible.

2. Join Mom Groups

Local mom groups not only offer opportunities to meet new friends, but also offer used baby items for sale or for free. 

The exersaucer my daughter used for almost six months cost $60 at Target, and cost us NADA.

3. Improvise

If your baby's diaper leaks at night, don't automatically size up. She may not be ready. Instead, insert a maxi pad to add an extra layer of absorbent.

If you lose something, replace it with what works, instead of buying a new one. I lost the travel changing pad that came with our Diaper Dude, but replaced it with an old towel. Hey, it worked.

Creativity gets you through anything.

4. Use Premium Brands

Again, ignore the brand-concious snobs. Premium brands work just as well as name brands. I have been using Safeway brand stuff for a long time. They work well.

5. Share with Your Kids

Baby oil takes off eye makeup like magic. Baby wipes clean kitchen counters spotless. Cetaphil lotion, which our pediatrician recommended for toddlers, heals adults' cracked heels too. 

Products that children use work spendidly on parents. Share and save.

I wipe EVERYTHING with baby wipes.

Including makeup at night.

6. Cut Cable

If you are busy tending to a baby, you have less time for silly reality shows. Cut cable, and spend the money on activities with your child instead. Plus, do you really want your kid watching trash anyway?

For better entertainment, get Netflix or Amazon Instant Video. Same good shows, much better price.

$7.99 a month? Count me in.

 

7. Find Coupons Online

You wouldn't believe the amount of coupons and savings you can find online. eBay, for example, offers jaw-dropping deals. I've certainly bid on a few.

Also, there are great coupon sites, like http://diapercouponsite.com/, which offers fantastic deals on your favorite brands. Each day, Diapercouponsite.com finds and shares coupons for fellow moms on diapers, formula and such. Excellent way to save, if you ask me.

Thank God for the internet, right?

8. Buy Cost Conscious Clothes

Pass the pumps, go for the pumas. Why pay $100 for a pair of shoes you don't wear much? You are a mom now, and casual is key. But casual can be chic too. Think: skinny jeans, sweater dress, and riding boots. Not so bad, right?

These flats cost only $12. They are fashionable and comfortable. After two years, cost per wear is like...pennies.

 

9. Get Discount Occasion Clothes

Of course, you still need to dress up once in a while. For special occasions, go to discount stores. You can still find elegant clothes, but for much cheaper.  

No need to spend a lot on something you only wear occasionally. This cocktail dress was only $16.00.

     

10. Don't Babies R Us for Everything

Babies R Us is a fantastic store, but an expensive one. For various baby items, toys and clothes, try discount stores like Ross, Marshall's and T.J Maxx. I found a brand new changing pad for $5 at Ross once. It would have cost me $30 at Babies R Us.

   

Check out this super cute top for my girl.

And check out its awesome price too!

Stay-at-home moms and dads have tough jobs.

 

We work around the clock, and don't get paid.

 

But we sure have become savvy money savers.

 

Any other money saving tips you can offer?