If we were having real coffee together, we’d be sitting outside on my deck, and I’d tell you to look over the edge of the deck so you could see the little blooms on my Lenten rose, and we’d talk about how it is so amazing that this unlikely plant was able to be transferred from a small pot in my house, into the soil in the ground, and covered with snow for nearly 6 months, and un-expertly over-trimmed this spring by yours truly, and STILL eventually sprout these beautiful little roses again.
Nature is one big miracle.
But first, what are you drinking today? For me, it’s the same green smoothie as every other day: mango, spinach, water, and Bolthouse Green Goodness juice (because it’s a little creamier and makes the texture of the smoothie basically like an ice cream shake), but depending on the moment could also be sparkling water and coffee and homemade strawberry lemonade if we’re past 6pm.
Grab your tea, your iced coffee, your sparkling water… time for our monthly coffee date.
American Ninja Warrior
YEAH WE WENT THERE. Like, literally went there.
American Ninja Warrior recorded part of this next season here in Minneapolis, and Bjork’s actual-ninja-cousin got to compete, and we went and watched it live, and it was probably the highlight of my summer.
I can’t really say much about what happened and YOU KNOW THIS IS HARD FOR ME but I would just like you to keep an eye out for Leif, The Swedish Ninja, and his two top-nerd-level fans (hint: both wearing glasses) in the stands during the Minneapolis qualifiers on this season of American Ninja Warrior.
Any ANW fans or – better yet – ANW athletes out there?
Capsule Wardrobe, Maternity Edition
(It’s not like my closet was exactly that clean, okay? I definitely did move an overflowing laundry basket and a few random straggler socks out of the way for this picture.)
Remember how I was super into the capsule wardrobe thing? It’s still going strong. Here are the ideals that keep me devoted to the capsule concept:
- Buy things you 100% love
- Buy things that 100% fit
- Buy things that 100% fit your lifestyle
- Buy less
However: one small challenge to the capsule = being pregnant again.
With what my doctor nicely described as above average weight gain (shoutout to banana cream pies, raspberry crumble bars, and mocha peanut butter pie which will be coming to the blog soon) AND a larger-than-average 21 week baby in there, it’s safe to say that I have now fully transitioned to a completely maternity wardrobe. I know a lot of people hate maternity clothes, but I actually don’t mind them – a) comfortable, and b) special. I really longed to wear these clothes last year.
So the fact that they are maternity clothes is not a problem, but the extra few all-around pounds plus the limited choices in styles has made the categories of love and fit a tiiiny bit challenging.
So far, here’s what’s in my summer capsule:
- a few maternity layering tanks / tees from Target
- a few pairs of maternity shorts from A Pea in the Pod
- a few maternity tops from A Pea in the Pod and Motherhood Maternity (and I’m sorry but I really dislike that name, MM)
It’s a good start, but I still feel like I’m a little lacking. For example, I love to wear summer dresses, and I have yet to find a maternity dress that fits somewhere between the styles of draped tent and rubber band.
So, in terms of cute tops, dresses, and other summer maternity essentials… what are your suggestions for me? Where to shop, what to buy? Keep in mind I work from home and never wear anything remotely fancy and dog hair is a permanent fixture of my lifestyle.
Shhhower Cap
Do you guys wash your hair every day? People say it’s better for your hair – I say it’s easier for my life.
Enter: a shower cap. A real live shower cap. This is the one I bought.
I’m not going to say it’s cute. I know they try to sell it as cute and fashionable, but please. Come on. This really does not look cute on anyone, does it? Even floral patterns can’t make you NOT look like an instant mushroom-head.
But on the plus side, it’s awesome at keeping your hair fresh, smooth, and dry while still showering in between hair washes. It’s made from a really nice sturdy-but-soft-ish material and has a tight (but manageable) seal around the outside to prevent those little frizzies around your face. I love it. I use it on ALL Day Two and Day Three hair days.
Do you wash your hair every day? Every other? Yeah, we’re getting personal here.
Meal Prep
Maybe I’m trying to make up for lost time from the first trimester when the only thing I cooked or ate was deliciously cheap packets of noodle soup, or maybe I’m finally becoming an adult.
Either way, this month I’ve been a lot more intentional about meal prep and IT’S BEEN SO AWESOME! Less waste, more intentional grocery shopping, and healthier eating.
Here’s my system, if you can call it that.
On Sunday, I do these three things:
- I prep overnight oats for breakfast to last for the week.
- I prep one single lunch recipe to last for the week. Usually this is something simple like chicken and rice bowls, roasted veggies and tofu, summer soup, etc.
- I look at the calendar to see how many times we’ll be eating dinner at home that week. Guess what? Usually 2-3 dinner recipes during the week is more than enough for the two of us. Once I pick the 2-3 recipes for the week, I order my groceries to be delivered via Instacart. And then I write our weekly meals into my bullet journal so I actually remember that I do, in fact, have a plan when I start to feel the pull towards frozen pizza.
With this (very loose) system, we are eating healthier, and by the end of the week, the fridge is clean and empty – just how I like it. We can eat out guilt-free during the weekend (brunch! brunch! brunch!) and re-start the system again on Sunday.
Boom! Look at me go, mom! I’m a real meal planner!
What do you guys do for meal prep and meal planning?
Facebook Group Fun
You know how sometimes Facebook feels a little blah?
This month we decided to revive our Facebook VIP Group in an effort to make Facebook fun again. Look at all these fun people who are a part of the group! They are awesome. And fun. Did I mention also: fun?
Want to look at pictures of everyone’s pets and see what kitchen tools people love and talk about what you’re making for dinner? This group is your place. It’s kind of like the coffee date, but more often.
The group is moderated by both me and Abby, our social media queen, and it’s been a blast. You should join us!
As usual, Sage would like to close out the coffee date with an inspirational message.
Sage wants you to know that, in her experience, sometimes the best you can do is lay on the couch and chill. Take a few deep breaths. Maybe let someone feed you a treat even though you are still working on those excess neck rolls from winter.
She knows maybe that’s what you need this week and she fully supports you in that.
Full of wisdom, that girl.
Hope you guys have had a really nice, sunny, flowery May! Bring on all the June!
i wash my hair about 3x week (dry shampoo is my best friend!). funnily enough, it usually looks even better by day 3 than days 1/2! i haven’t used a shower cap though, but probably should! it does get frizzy.
I know this comment comes super late and you already heard from pretty much everyone Old Navy, but I’ll echo it anyhow. They had the best jersey dresses. Loft had some cute ones for third tri also (I felt they ran pretty large and didn’t look good until third tri).
Secondly, I just want to say that I am so so happy for you being pregnant again. Best possible wishes that this will be a wonderful, easy and healthy pregnancy 🙂
I’m 33 weeks now and just came across this post – here are a few comfy dresses I’ve been loving:
https://www.target.com/p/maternity-sleeveless-bias-rugby-stripe-dress-isabel-maternity-by-ingrid-isabel-153-navy-green/-/A-53217531?preselect=52956483#lnk=sametab
https://www.gap.com/browse/product.do?pid=337587012&CAWELAID=120280880001762015&CAGPSPN=pla&CAAGID=40375089334&CATCI=pla-72197170136&tid=gppl000001&kwid=1&ap=7&gclid=CjwKCAjwpIjZBRBsEiwA0TN1r2scW_WV6O5BpPXYJ0FUJhRtRK3v_oMhSljUkR_laxSrRwhKBqccgRoCbrgQAvD_BwE (this one makes me feel so beautiful and earth-mothery)
You should check out gap’s summer dresses as well as Pink Blush. They have a few cute options that aren’t skin tight or tentlike!
I really love these posts! Your blog is one of my absolute favorites 🙂
Just a question, are you thinking of ever publishing a cookbook? I would DEFINITELY buy it!
Wow, I just stumbled upon this recipe and it looks so good! Definitely going to try this one at home.
I love the “bodycon” style of maternity dress from OldNavy. It accentuates the bump without being too tight. I’ve also had luck with ThredUp – I got a GAP maxi dress and some work pants from there!
soo i have actually been super impressed with maxi dresses on Amazon…I have lived in them from before pregnancy and right into this week! (33wks) lots of breathing room and cotton ftw!
100% the Leif dress from nordstrom!! Non-maternity BUT doesn’t need to be and literally flatters everyone. You can size up for a fit that’s less tight and it’ll also be useful post pregnancy. I’m also pregnant and have honestly ordered it in 6 colors–and now all of my non-pregnant AND pregnant friends have too!!
As a recent mom, turned capsule shopper, turned just trying to get rid of a lot of stuff, I’ve been very liking Carly Jean LA. She has amazing quality capsule pieces in basics + her dresses are amazing. Like Stella maxi dress would be perfect for summer and a growing belly. A lot of her items are also breastfeeding friendly. I starting buying it late in the pregnancy + while I had extra weight and breastfeeding (and I’m still breastfeeding my 17 mo old) and I love that they are totally mom pieces, and they fit great when you are bigger or smaller. I referred so many friends there and I get zero commission 🙂
Congrats on the pregnancy! I love your coffee date posts. 🙂
I just entered my 30th week and also have found it hard to find clothes I love. Have you tried Ingrid and Isabel (their actual website, not the Target version)? I have been living in their active pants since about the 20-week mark and found them to be a lot better quality than GAP and Old Navy. They also have a lot of cute dresses which are a bit more fitted. Lastly, ASOS has some really cute maternity dresses. Best of luck to you Lindsay. Delightful news 🙂
I loved Seraphine and Hatch (def a splurge) for maternity dresses.
Old Navy is good for dresses
you should def check out Roolee Boutique for cute nursing friendly (side zipper) dresses…
I really enjoyed this post! I am currently 30 weeks pregnant and figuring out what to wear has been the most frustrating part. I am super weird in that I hate all the spandex and legging material, so I have just accepted that I will live in dresses this entire summer. I have found that wrap dresses are my easiest go to. They have some shape, but aren’t tight. I went on Thred Up and found a bunch of my dresses there. As long as you are ok with wearing someone else’s clothes, it’s a great solution!
I have never been pregnant so I can’t vouch for their maternity clothes quality but I know that ASOS has an amazing selection of maternity clothes that I would definitely check out. On line shopping at it’s best, free shipping, FREE returns so anything that doesn’t fit right you can just return, easy peezy. I love ASOS and shop from there all the time and they have cute summer dresses!!
I loved some non-maternity clothes during my pregnancy that transitioned well to postpartum. I wear this Michael Stars dress (in black) for everything (https://shop.nordstrom.com/s/michael-stars-racerback-midi-dress/4279683?origin=keywordsearch-personalizedsort&color=bayside). Layers well! Looks great with accessories and shoes.
I also wear just about everything from an Etsy store called outofline. She has a lot of jersey (stretchy) separates. I am usually a dress wearer, but never found them practical while trying to breastfeed/pump.
I also wore Patagonia dresses and Athleta work-out clothes one size up. Athleta bikinis were the only non-maternity suits I could find to fit my new bust.
I also cried with gratitude when the Nordstrom bra fitters helped me.
Speaking of crying with gratitude, I cried every time I got a massage from Nicole at Juut downtown. Expensive, but she is just incredibly therapeutic. Treat yourself in the third trimester.
…Drinking my cup of Starbucks Joe w/half & half….
Yup I was prego in summer last year and I wore this dress from Target. It’s a striped T-shirt dress that is not too tight, not too loose. Just perfect for casual environments and stylish too. I saw that it’s still a staple of the maternity section the other day.
I’m a hug ANW fan so I’ll be looking out for you friend soon. Glad we both are super fans of the show.
Also, I never wash my hair everyday. More like 2-3 x per week since I have dry naturally curly hair.
Thank you for your wonderful post Lindsay and congratulations on your lovely news. Wishing you all the best!
Huge congrats, Lindsay!! I love Loft for maternity clothes! Super casual but still put together looking, with lots of soft and stretchy fabrics and a good balance of neutrals/colors/prints. Also bought a few things from ASOS which I think is great for fancier maternity dresses (for weddings and the like) that are different from what you’d find at MM/Pea/Target/Old Navy, etc. The quality is not exactly wear-it-for-a-lifetime, but definitely good enough for the 4-5 months you’re maternity sized.
Wren & Ivory for cute maternity dresses!
I really loved Amazon for dresses. They had the best simple, solid, soft knee length bodycon dresses – inexpensive to boot! They were perfect throughout the entire pregnancy and could be paired with a cardigan, jean jacket, chambray shirt, shawl – anything! Dressed up or down. I also got a few things from Roolee and Asos that I enjoyed. I mostly stuck to non-maternity – Gap had some really versatile styles for accommodating the bump!
I have oily hair and I thought that the only way to keep it clean was to wash it every day. A teacher at the Toni and Guy Academy in Plano, TX where I get my hair done let me in on her secret. The more you wash your hair the more oil your scalp produces. I now wash my hair twice a week, (shampoo the roots, condition the ends). I moisten my hair, sometimes in the shower, between washes and use mousse to style it and my hair is a lot less greasy. I try to plan several fresh meals for the week and the rest of the time we look in the freezer for our protein so we use what’s in there and make room for everyone’s different favorite flavor of ice cream during the hot Texas summer.
I echo what so many other people said about Old Navy. My due date was in late September, and I lived in their dresses all summer.
Also, my jaw dropped when I saw you mention shower caps. I’ve started to use one on my non-hair-wash days, but it’s just a cheap clear plastic one that I took from a hotel. I had just told my husband that I wanted to buy a sturdier shower cap, and lo and behold, there was your May Coffee Date in my email inbox!
Love these coffee dates! Okay, so maternity dresses. I purchased a few from the website Pinkblush. Most of their stuff is not my style, since I’m also all about neutrals and not too girly. But I found a navy and tan dresses that I lived in and they have free shipping. And I’m sure you know this, but Stitch Fix has maternity offerings! I really enjoyed the quality pieces they sent me.