by jenn_davis | creative tips, personal
Recently I have been asked a lot about skin care (which I have discussed before on this blog), particularly pre and postpartum skin care and what I have found works best for me. I thought I would share a few products and tips for maintaining healthy skin throughout pregnancy and those crucial few months after childbirth.
1. WATER. This is by far the most obvious, yet can me the most difficult to remember. Water, water, water. It gets so old….right? The truth is that water not only helps with water retention (hello 3rd trimester!), but it helps keeps your skin moisturized and prevents stretch marks. So drink up, my friends!
2. COCONUT OIL. I have publicly pledged my love for this product before, but I can’t say enough about it for both pre and postpartum body care. Every night I cover myself in it….literally everywhere (lady lumps, thighs, butt, etc). It can leave an oily residue on some clothing so be cautious what you wear right after applying. Coconut oil is also great to use after you have your baby because stretched skin needs to stay moisturized to return back to its original state. (TMI observation: If you and your husband/spouse anticipate any intimacy then I would skip this until afterward. It’s slippery and doesn’t taste great to most people (wink).)
3. OLIVE OIL. Honestly, I tend to be an olive oil snob. Once you have tasted high quality olive oil, you never want the cheap stuff again. But, for the sake of skin care….plain old run of the mill olive oil should do the trick! (I do try and stick with organic though.) I usually try and coat olive oil on my skin about twice a week, always at night, and after I get out of the shower so my skin is nice and soft. I usually top it off with a lighter coat of coconut oil but don’t forget the clothes here as it can stain as well.
4. BODY LOTION. Invest in a good body lotion. This particular one is what I use, from Whole Foods. I only apply the oils at night and will occasionally use this afterwards, but mostly I use the lotion for morning application so I don’t feel greasy throughout the day.
5. SHOWER GLOVES. My best friend introduced me to these gems several years ago and I was immediately smitten! They have a slightly rough texture and are able to exfoliate your skin as you wash. When I was pregnant with my son I was unaware how itchy my skin could get as it stretched and while in the shower one day I scratched my stomach so bad that it left bruises (similar to stretch marks) all over. I was terrified that I had scared myself, but thankfully the bruising healed along with the marks. Since then I have always made sure to use these gloves when I shower so any “scratching” can be done in a more gentle (but still effective) manner! You can pick these bad boys up at pretty much any drug store for only a few bucks.
6. SHRINKX HIPS. I probably neglected this product more than I should have when pregnant with my son, but I have heard some amazing results from people who used it as it is recommended. I wore this off and on for a few weeks but found that it was not as comfortable as I had hoped. Shrinkx Hips is designed to help close your hips as they naturally open during pregnancy. This time around I plan on being a little more committed to this product. (**Remember to apply your oils before wrapping to help keep your skin soft)
7. THE CINCH. If I had to choose one product that I had to have, it would be the Cinch Wrap. This little gem was no joke. Not only did it flatten my tummy after my son was born, it did very quickly! Now, before you roll your eyes, let me just say that the use of this product was not fueled solely on vanity. Did I want my figure to, once again, at least remotely resemble that of a woman? YES! But, I also knew there was a good chance that nothing would be left unscathed, and I was totally ok with that. Not only did the Cinch help shrink my uterus, but I found that it also helped with the pain and discomfort that went along with that process. (Often times when your uterus is retracting it can cause severe contraction and cramping pains – especially when you first start breastfeeding) The Cinch also came in handy while I was nursing. It helped correct the terrible posture I had developed during pregnancy and thus made breastfeeding much more comfortable! (**Remember to apply your oils before wrapping to help keep your skin soft)
8. ACE BANDAGE. I added this here because both the Cinch and the Shrinkx Hips are not very inexpensive. An ace bandage, if used correctly, can have the same or similar effects. Also, I have had several girlfriends who had trouble immediately fitting into their wraps right after birth so they wrapped themselves with an ace bandage until the swelling went down enough to fit into their wraps. (**Remember to apply your oils before wrapping to help keep your skin soft)
9. PRENATAL VITAMINS. This is my go-to vitamin. Many other prenatals left me feeling a bit nauseous but Rainbow Light seemed to be gentle enough for me to take any time of day.
So, this is pretty much my skin care routine for the next 6 months….and has been for the past 8 or so! If you have additional products that worked for you I would love to hear about them!
xoxo,
by jenn_davis | personal, sunny slide up
It’s “Get To Know The Sunny Slide Up Girls” week here on the blog. We will each be answering personal questions this week. Have an additional question? Feel free to comment below and ask away!
1. What is your most embarrassing moment?
Ummm….there should be too many to choose from but I’m not typically embarrassed by the things most people get embarrassed by. Nudity? Not really. Flatulence? Nope. When my son throws a temper tantrum in public? Not a chance. I think as a realist I try and accept the reality of any situation and strive to find the humor in it. Typically to be embarrassed means that we feel the need to explain ourselves or even apologize to someone…..which now that I mention it, this is typically the only time I feel embarrassed…..when I feel like I have said something to someone and it came across wrong or I was misunderstood. In those circumstances I am usually quick to pick up the phone to try and explain, whether it’s necessary or not. Other than that I can pretty much make a fool of myself and not bat an eye. 🙂
2. What sound do you love?
My son singing. When he speaks at all, really. A two year old’s words are so spontaneous, imaginative and unfiltered. Life has yet to set many restrictions on him and it’s refreshing in so many ways! Also, my daughters heart beat. I haven’t met her yet to be able to hear her sounds, so until then it’s her BPM’s that make me melt!
3. What is your favorite time of day/day of the week/month of the year?
When my husband and I put our son to bed at night and say our prayers together. Everything is calm and quiet. He usually makes sure we don’t forget to thank God for golf carts and then he kisses us both and demands we leave his door open. We oblige…every time.
Day of the week: Saturday and Sunday = Family Fun Day!
Month of the year: OCTOBER! The month my husband and I were married, Pumpkin Spice Latte’s, Scarves, Football, Falling leaves and Halloween! This October we will get to meet our little girl…unless she decides to come sooner (which she won’t, late babies run in the family)!
4. List 10 things you would tell your 16 year-old self, if you could.
10 is a little ambitious. I would have never sat down and listened to my future self list 10 things I thought I should know, so let’s compromise with 5.
– Stop lying in the tanning bed. It’s stupid and one day you will turn 30 and see what mom warned you about.
– The reason you think you can do anything is because no one has ever told you that you couldn’t. One day someone will, and in true Jennifer fashion you will set out to prove them wrong. This will get you far in life and into a very rewarding career, but it will also be a double edged sword as you will waste a lot of time doing things for the sole purpose of proving people wrong. Be mindful of time wasted. While it might build a certain amount of character, it’s the one thing you can’t get back.
– Everyone doesn’t have to like you.
– Pay better attention in grammar class. It will save you a lot of time searching Google when you start to question yourself.
– One day you will realize that the two door 1987 Buick Regal with navy velour interior (that your parents got you for your first car) gave you more character and a better sense of humor than anything you could have imagined. So if you start to feel yourself question or judge someone for what you deem as “cool”, you just remember that awkwardly tall high school sophomore who made a hand drawn flip book titled “The Regal Adventures” that was passed around the school and eventually made that car a legend…..and get over yourself, because clearly you aren’t as “cool” as you once were.
5. What is the best decision you ever made?
Saying “yes” when my husband asked me to marry him. Haven’t regretted that decision even once!
6. When is the last time you laughed so hard you couldn’t breathe?
This happens on a fairly regular basis. We laugh a lot in our home. This past week my husband and I were watching season 1 of Modern Family and Phil was arguing with his wife, Claire, that he was more athletic and could beat her in a 5 mile race. Her argument was that she runs over 5 miles every day and has completed half marathons, while his argument was that he speed walks in his special shoes that were designed by doctors. Then it clips to him walking through their neighborhood with what looks like ski poles and black orthopedic shoes on. Honestly, Brad and I had trouble breathing from laughing so hard!
Watch it here (it’s the only clip I could find)!
7. What is your idea of a perfect house?
Lots of light where the indoors seem to casually merge with the out. Everything would be mostly white with rustic wooden beams on the ceiling and clean architecture. Think west coast meets Finland or Denmark and my perfect house would be found there somewhere.
8. Where is Stephanie?
Here you go, you observant little readers, you. Steph decided she loved being a new mom so much that she wanted to take time and focus on her Photography and family. Who can blame her, have you seen little PJ!!!? I mean, I only spat at her and told her how selfish she was once before I got over it….hahaha, TOTALLY kidding!!! We are all really great friends and that’s the beautiful thing about this blog, we support each other 100%!
9. How did we all meet?
Heather previously wrote a little piece on that. Read it HERE!
Happy Thursday!
by Mandi | personal, sunny slide up
It’s “Get To Know The Sunny Slide Up Girls” week here on the blog. We will each be answering personal questions this week. Have an additional question? Feel free to comment below and ask away!
1. If you had to work on only one project for the next year, what would it be?
Well – If you would have asked me last week, I would have told you that during the next year I am going to work on taking my personal company, Dry Ink Designs, to the next level, by adding employees, streamlining my target client, etc.
However — I have big news! As of last week, I am ENGAGED! So… my big project for the next year will be my wedding and I am beyond excited!
2. If you could learn anything, what would it be?
I love everything about decorating my home on a budget and the one thing that holds me back from going DIY crazy is the fact that I can not sew. I have a sewing machine, I have fabric, I have TONS of ideas – but just can’t make them happen… One day.
3. What sound do you love?
I love music around the house. I grew up in a house where there was no shortage of music. My mom was a church organist for years and my dad plays every string instrument he can get his hands on. The house was always full of hymns, wedding music and christmas carols on the piano and bluegrass and other “guitar” songs by my dad on his guitar, banjo or mandolin. To this day – my dad has his guitar and banjo everywhere we go! I feel so lucky that my FUTURE HUSBAND 🙂 has the same appreciation for music. I love walking in the door to hear him picking out a new tune on the guitar or learning new chords on the banjo!
4. What is your favorite time of day/day of the week/month of the year?
My favorite time of the day is that moment The Mister walks in the door. I get a wonderful hug and for a moment, nothing else matters!
Favorite day of the week is Saturday. Running your own business you tend to work around the clock and you are always on call. For the first year, I felt like I had to answer every email no matter what time of the day it was or what day of the week it was. Recently, I have decided to make Saturday my day (for the most part). I can take my time cooking breakfast over coffee and conversation with The Mister. I can head out to the lake or go for a long walk or bike ride. To me, Saturday is my escape from the “real world”.
Favorite month of the year….December. I am the same with Heather on this one! I love the crisp air, the christmas songs playing everywhere, running around to find that perfect gift for your family members, decorating the house and christmas tree, christmas padgets, christmas movies and of course the food! Everyone is so festive and has a smile on their face!
5. Describe your relationship with your parents.
I have an amazing relationship with my parents. I love that I can go to them for advice, I can hang out with them on the weekends and I can talk to them about anything and they will support me unconditionally. I also love how they have taken in The Mister in to their life and our family. Funny story, but they knew him before I did. My dad and The Mister’s dad were college roommates. I have known his parents and his has known my parents for years before we actually met. It is so amazing to fall in love with someone that your dad is already friends with and your mom already likes. Now the four of us hang out, take trips, go to dinner and it is just amazing!
5. List 5 things you would tell your 16 year-old self, if you could?
- Start eating healthy… now. Your perfect body will not stay that way forever!
- Choose wisely where you go to college, as these will be some of the best years of your life. While you are there travel abroad, stay up late with girlfriends, study hard, meet new people that are nothing like you knew from home, live in a dorm and go to the football and basketball games while they are free!
- Choose good friends. Your girlfriends will stand by you for life and your guy friends will become irreplaceable.
- Date! You are so young, do not get in one relationship and stay there… date different types of guys to figure out what you really want.
- Get involved in sports. Learning to push yourself, learning the basics of working out and learning teamwork will help you in more ways than you can imagine.
- One extra – learn to drive a stick shift. Not all cars are automatic honey!
6. What are the 5 things that make you most happy right now?
- Being in business for myself for almost two years!
- Knowing I have found the man who I will spend my life with and build a family with
- Having a wonderful family and network of friends that love and support me
- Riding my bike and feeling like a kid again
- I have to admit it – starting to think through planning my wedding. It is so exciting!
6. Describe a typical day in your current life.
The alarm clock typically goes off around 5:30, but it is around 6:30 before I actually wake up. I lay in bed and check the emails that came through overnight and respond to the ones that I can. I get up, shower, get ready for the day and then either work from home or head out to one of my clients offices where I work away on the project of the day. I never know what that project is – it may be a logo, a brochure, an ad, photos, etc. Typically for lunch I meet with a client, potential client or friend to catch up. Then after lunch it is back to the grind until around 5:30. Note – calls for wedding stuff, errands and blog writing may be tossed in during the day as well! Around 5:30 I head off to The Mister’s office where we jog to the gym, I take my class and he works out for an hour before we jog back and head home. One we are home it is time for dinner – and yep, we usually cook some amazing Pinterest recipe as well. After dinner we try to do something together if we are both home… look at wedding venues, play cards, watch a tv show, etc before it is time to head off to bed.
7. What is your favorite part of your body and why?
I have 2 🙂
- My eyes – when I see them they make me think of how similar they are in color to my dad and sister
- My hands – they look exactly like my Grandma Grace’s – so I think of her everytime I see them
8. What is the best decision you made?
The best decision I have made personally is starting my own business. It has been the hardest and most challenging thing I have ever done, but.. the most rewarding. I look back now at the accomplishments I have made and I am so proud. All of what Dry Ink is today is because of me!
9. When is the last time you laughed so hard you couldn’t breath?
I am crazy ticklish…like crazy bad. The Mister found this out and from time to time, he will surprise attack me and I laugh so hard that I literally can’t catch my breath… It is hilarious!
10. What is your idea of a perfect house?
One day we plan to build our forever home – I do not know where it will be or exactly what it will look like – but I have a vision. I want a new house using old and vintage finds.
I want a house that is a home for our family – a big front yard with a long driveway, a wrap around porch with a blue ceiling, a back deck and back yard with a place to grill and entertain, kids running around the yard and through the house on socks, I want movie nights on pallets in the den, friends and family stopping by often to say hello, a big garden out back full of veggies and herbs, art work by me, friends, family and my children decorating the house, and love. I want lots of love!
11. Were you named after anyone?
Oh was I. My official name is Amanda Ruth Heilig. Amanda is just a name that my parents chose, but Ruth – that is another story.
My mother’s given middle name was Ruth, my mother’s aunt’s middle name was Ruth and my mother’s grandmother’s (my great grandmonther) first name was Ruth. So much history!
