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I’ve been advised by well-meaning friends and family members to refrain from buying too many baby outfits and clothes, despite the powerful urge, because clothes are usually what friends and family end up gifting ya…and everything ends up with poop and spit-up on it anyway, buuuuuuut Carter’s was having an online sale last week (it might still be going on), and when I saw these cute clothes — gah! — I couldn’t resist.

I just want a few newborn baby pics of BG (Baby Girl) wearing things that I picked out for her, since I know there will come a time in the not-too-distant future when she’ll refuse to let me dress her.

*Tears* I know, I’m getting ahead of myself… All I can say is that I’m extra hormonal, and the thought of her eventually not needing her mommy’s help is making me weepy. 🙁

Anyways, thanks to the gals who recommended these baby gowns with the elastic at the bottom. I never knew such a thing existed, and I think they’ll come in really handy for middle-of-the-night changes.

Carter’s also had matching hats, mittens and teeny, tiny baby socks (!), so of course I had to go there…

I also got BG a few of these one-piece outfits with snaps (Carter’s calls them “Sleep and Plays”) because they were the babiest of the baby clothes, LOL!

Yes, the baby outfits that look like baby-sized versions of grownup clothing are cute and all, but I also want her to look like an actual…ya know…baby, for as long as possible.

If she cooperates (and if Tabs allows her to share the spotlight), maybe she’ll even star in a few Outfit of the Day posts. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. I’m sorry that I haven’t been posting as much as usual this week, but I’ve been extra tired and achy (my back and my lady parts, especially!). This whole growing a tiny human thing is pretty exhausting…

Do you, or someone you know, ride a motorcycle? I have several biker babe friends — like, legit motorcycle riding chicks with their own hogs, helmets and other accoutrements — and they, along with these $89 Bare Traps Harly Mid‑Calf Boots, are probably the closest I’ll ever get to motorcycle riding.

GIRL, I do not belong on a high-speed two-wheeled motorized vehicle (or a two-wheeled vehicle moving at any speed, really). I drive too slow, I’m too nervous, and I have the reflexes of an ancient turtle, so there’s just no way that scenario would play out in my favor.

So I don’t do motor bikes…but I do do biker boots, and I love this pair because they look like melted chocolate…

Yum!

They hit just about mid-calf, so if you’re on the short side like moi, they’re purr-fect. Not too high, not too short.

Wish I discovered Bare Traps sooner because they feel heavenly on my feet. I can wear them straight out of the box without having to break them in at all.

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I kinda wish Christmas lights were a year round thing. Ya feel me?

Some of the folks go all out with the Christmas lights in Union City, California.

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There’s a good reason why you’re looking at a picture of me wearing pizza pajamas while pretending to sleep on my bed hugging this crazy-@ss pillow, and it is because the Leachco Snoogle is the best friend to sleep-deprived ladies everywhere (pregnant or otherwise), I kid you not.

And you don’t have to be pregnant to enjoy the benefits of the Snoogle. You just have to want/need the most awesomest pillow EVER.

El Hub gave it a try the other night, and it blew his mind. “Wow,” he said. “Damn.” His exact words.

I’ve been talking about sleep a lot (for the past eight years, LOL!), but it’s been worse than usual lately. I guess that my tum reached the pregnancy tipping point. I thought the bump was baby cute and small for a long time, but now it’s massive and rapidly gaining ground!

In the few days before the Snoogle, I wasn’t getting any sleep at all. Everything ached, and my improv multi-pillow homemade cocoon, which I called “the pregnancy doughnut,” wasn’t cutting it anymore. My neck, shoulders, back and hips ached. One morning I just hit my limit, so I went to Babies “R” Us and got the Leachco Snoogle.

That night I slept the whole night through, thanks to the magic Snoogle. 🙂

It costs about $60, but after you’ve gone three days without hardly any sleep, $60 seems like a bargain. You can’t put a price tag on a good night’s sleep. BEST $60 I’VE EVER SPENT!

So, what is the Snoogle?

It’s a large curved body pillow shaped kind of like a letter “C,” and it has a removable, washable cover. You sort of sleep on your side with it, but you can also use it and sleep on your back. To sleep on your side, one end goes under your head, the curve supports your back, and the other end goes between your legs.

And you can also flip it around and hug the back end of the “C” if you want.

Normally, I’m not a side sleeper. I’m usually a back sleeper, but sleeping on my back has been too uncomfortable lately.

When I sleep with the Snoogle, I sleep on my side, and everything just seems to align perfectly. I sleep the whole night through and wake up in the morning without any aches or pains. Ah…

The Leachco Snoogle. Man, if you know anyone who’s pregnant, or trying to get pregnant, or is just desperate to get a good night’s sleep and willing to give anything a try, get them a Snoogle. They’ll be lovin’ you for the rest of their life.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

It’s December, there’s a chill in the air, it rained half the day, and there’s a carpet of colorful autumn leaves on the ground.

Yup, it’s sweater weather, which means that it’s also a good time to burn my new favorite candle, the appropriately named Sweater Weather, by Bath & Body Works ($22.50). It’s currently bringing sweater-themed holiday cheer and a cozy eucalyptus, juniper berry and sage scent to my living room right meow.

There’s something about candles and the holidays, right? This time of year, it really feels right.

Conveniently — or, not so conveniently, depending on your perspective on scented candles — a new Bath & Body Works store opened at the mall by my house, and GURL, you know that saying about how you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone? Well, it totally applies to Bath & Body Works, LOL! There used to be one in my town, but they closed a little over a year ago, and I didn’t realize how much I missed it until this new store opened at the mall.

Anyways, the candles. The store has all of their fall and winter stuff out now, and there are a ton of scents to choose from, but it’s not just the fragrances. The candles themselves are also great quality.

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I’d say that I do about forty to fifty percent of my total holiday shopping in and around the check stand/register area.

It’s a problem of mine, and the stores know exactly what they’re doing. It’s all shopping psychology. Everything in that area — all the cute little gift sets, stocking stuffers and snacks — are all placed strategically right in your line of sight, so you can’t HELP but see them and think, “Oh! I need that!” or “Jen would totally love one of those!” Doop-da-doo, I’ll just drop one in mah basket…

Yup, I’m that person. Raise your hand if you are too. 🙂

So that’s basically how I found this Trader Joe’s Herbal Infusion Anthology Tea Set filled with eight samples of different loose-leaf teas (just $6.99). It was in a basket by the cashier, and you know how it goes… You went to get a loaf of bread, but you left with two bags of groceries and some new teas.

How cool is this, though?! The teas are all caffeine free, which could be a good thing if you’re giving it away as a gift to someone you don’t know very well, and there are cool combinations I’ve never seen before, so no “Peach Passion” run-of-the-ill herbal teas. The names sound more exotic than that, like Golden Coconut Masala, Lapacho Apple and Thai’d Lemon Mint.

Golden Coconut Masala one is a bright goldenrod color and has turmeric, coconut, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, fenugreek, black pepper and cayenne pepper. You can see all the interesting tea ingredients because each one comes in a transparent plastic pouch. (I like looking at loose-leaf teas, BTW. I’m nerdy that way.)

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Sometimes I just need a good hug, and this Herbal Hub Microwavable Aromatherapy Wrap gives gooood hug. 🙂

If you live anywhere within 500 miles of a HomeGoods store, I’d start driving there immediately. LOL!

But seriously, next time you go, make a beeline for the bath section, and see if you can find one.

I think they’re regularly $20, but HomeGoods has them marked down to $12.99, and they’re worth every penny (thanks for the awesome rec, Marisol!).

It’s shaped like one of those airplane neck pillows, except that it’s soft like a beanbag and filled with herbs and magic beads (actually, cinnamon, clove and eucalyptus…for aromatherapy!).

You can warm it up in the microwave or chill it in the freezer (if you use it cold, it’s supposed to reduce swelling and ease headaches), and the magic beads retain the heat or cold for about 20 minutes. You can use it on your neck, your shoulders, your back or wherever, and it REALLY helps.

So far I’ve only used it warm, and when you heat it up in the microwave, it releases a soothing herbal scent, ahh…

It’s great for relieving muscle tension after a long day, and um…have I mentioned that I’m 26 weeks pregnant now and that my back aches pretty much from the moment I open my eyes in the morning till the moment I fall asleep at night?

But this thing sure helps, and now I use it every day.

Best dang $13 I’ve spent in a while…

I like to tuck it into the back of my maternity pants (sexy), or sometimes I’ll wear it around my neck to relieve tension in my shoulders.

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