Maternity Monday: It's all in the face.

In high school, I had perfect skin. We're talking maybe one small zit every few months. I didn't own concealer because I had nothing to conceal. It was awesome.

Then, I got pregnant. And my pores obviously hated me for it, because they exploded into raging, red pustules.

You know, acne is one of the great ironies of pregnancy. The fact you are "with child" should mean you've finally reached full-blown womanhood, yet your face looks like you're enduring the throes of puberty. Frustrating as all get-out, if you ask me.

Add the teenage pizza face phenomenon to the dark circles you've now got under your eyes from getting up nine times a night to pee, wrinkles from worrying, and a host of other skin problems that may have crept up on you (ruddiness, dryness, blackheads): it's pretty much a fool-proof recipe for low self-esteem. Which is the last thing you need as a pregnant woman.

So, what do you do about your complexion issues? Here are some tips that will help you achieve that elusive "maternal glow" everyone is always talking about (which I am convinced doesn't really exist without effort):

1) Start with good hygiene. You need to cleanse your face regularly to remove oil, dirt and build-up. Look for a cleanser that's non-drying and non-irritating. I use Aveeno Positively Radiant cleanser and I really love it. It contains natural ingredients and it's soap-free, oil-free, hypoallergenic and noncomedogenic (which means it won't irritate acne). Plus it smells great.

Also, avoid anything with scrubbing beads in it. You should exfoliate once in a while (perhaps weekly), but every time you wash your face is too often. It's going to cause more irritation and dryness than you had before. Your daily cleanser should be smooth and gentle.

For dryness, use a non-irritating moisturizer. If your face is super-dry and flaky, you'll want to use a heavier moisturizer. Otherwise, find something a little lighter. I use Lancome Primordiale Optimum, which even has SPF 15. So that's awesome, too. Some people swear by Mary Kay or Neutrogena.

If your acne is severe, you probably need to use a medicated face wash or ointment. Talk to a dermatologist about what is best. You don't have to suffer through pizza face just because you're pregnant.

2) Use concealer. Most of us grown women have wrinkles, bags under our eyes or ruddy areas on our faces. And that's OK. A good concealer can take care of them. It's amazing how a little concealer under your eyes will wake you right up. Like Botox, without the needle and weird paralysis. I also use concealer around my nose because I tend to get a little red there.

This article has a lot of good tips about using concealer.

Be careful not to use it on your blemishes, though. I know it's tempting to hide them, but they aren't going to get better if you cake them with make-up. Be patient while they heal.

3) Mascara is a must. Unless you have naturally dark, full lashes (lucky), you ought to use mascara. If applied correctly, it will enhance your beautiful eyes, making you look and feel amazing. I happen to own both waterproof and regular mascara. I use the waterproof one if I know I am going to be out and about all day, but I use regular mascara if I'm only going out in the evening. That way, I don't have to spend a ton of time and effort removing mascara I only wore for a few hours, since regular mascara is a lot easier than waterproof to take off.

4. Lip gloss. I know Jae loves a good lip gloss, and I do, too. Lip gloss is your secret weapon to looking hot even when you feel horrible. I heart Lancome's Juicy Tubes because they are super-shiny, stay on all day and come in a variety of fun colors. I have a more neutral one from Smashbox that I like as well. Neutrogena has some good ones that double as lip moisturizers, too. You don't have to spend a ton on lip gloss and you'll still reap the benefits of it. Pucker up!

5. Put some color into it! If your face seems pale and lifeless, liven it up with a little pink blush on the apples of your cheeks. Not too much, though, or you might look like an overdone news anchor. And trust me, I've seen my share of overdone news anchors (male and female alike).

Bronzer is fabulous if you want a more sun-kissed look -- just be careful not to apply too much or you'll look like a freaky victim of tanorexia. You're going for subtle glow, not radioactive.

So, that's it! Try these simple tips and see if you don't feel better about yourself. I guarantee you'll feel more confident.

Oh, also ... if you think there's no way you can do any of this make-up stuff on your own, find a friend or family member whose make-up looks great and ask them to help you. I am sure they'd be more than happy to! Or, if you're more of the anonymous type, head to the cosmetic section of your favorite department store. Most will do free make-overs and they'll show you how to achieve good results when you're applying your own make-up.

Freaky Friday: Top Ten Reasons for Clearance Bins

Hey, I love a good deal as much as the next girl. See my Black Friday post for how insane I get for sales. But some things are on sale for a reason. Not because it is the seasons, just because they are horrific and no one will ever buy them. Well, hopefully no one will ever buy them.

In honor of my recent foray into shopping and sales, I give you the Top Ten Reasons for Clearance Bins, all items I found in the clearance section on websites that shall remain unnamed.


1) They make you look like a character from the Wizard of Oz.


2) They look like a horrible science experiment gone wrong. WHY?



3) It makes you look like you have a weirdly hairy chest.



4) It makes you look like your neck got hungry and decided to eat the rest of your shirt as a quick and healthy snack.



5) They. Are. Horrifying.
(Blank stare)



6) It makes you look like you were mauled by an urban leopard. (And really, is the beret necessary?)



7) It is positively guaranteed to make you look pregnant.



8) It makes you look like a server for TGI Fridays. Yeah, don't look so smug homegirl. You're going to be fired for not having any flair.


9) It looks like it was constructed out of your child's K'NEX kit.



10) It ruins my life and goes against everything I stand for. $6 MOM JEANS. Have I taught the world NOTHING? Going to jump off of a building immediately.

So, find sales. Good ones. But when you find an item on clearance, take a moment to ponder WHY it might be on clearance. It might be a fashion pariah that will make you look crazy.

Black Friday Spoils

Hey guys! I'm back from the shopping abyss that is the Black Friday weekend. On the actual Friday, I usually stick to buying stuff for my family only, because it makes me feel greedy to go out at 4 am to buy things for myself. But on Saturday, it's my husband's family's tradition to go shopping in Salt Lake sans children, and so all bets were off. Turns out, when you don't have kids with you, you can try on ever so much clothing and subsequently buy it all. We went to a few department stores, and then hit the mall with the giant, double decker Forever 21 and I was in LOVE!

Anyways, as promised, here are some of the things I picked up!


I bought this tunic in red to wear with skinny jeans and flats. I was thinking it would be a good choice for a casual holiday party or just shopping around. It's so soft!



This shirt breaks my horizontal stripe rule, but it fits like a glove and I have a weakness for boat necks. So I bought it anyway and plan on wearing it today to bring my baby to the doctor's office. It's an errand running shirt! Sadly, I only bought two things from the giant F21. It was the first store in the mall we went to and I felt like I had to pace myself.


I lo-hove this vintage leather jacket from Sears. The frills complete my life and the tie makes my waist look teensy. Can you imagine this with some dark jeans and a pointy heel? Perfect. It will officially be my date night jacket. Especially because I own two other leather jackets that are similar. I didn't want this to fit because I knew I would buy it if it did. Alas, it was just my size.

Got this cuteness to wear with a pencil skirt. The shape is awesome and totally flattering. I am all about faking a perfect body with well cut clothes. I also found this at Sears, alons with the world's ugliest sock monkey for my baby. I'm so excited!!


Bought this one at Kohls to wear with my jeans and cowboy boots. I love me a banded shirt. See the thick band at the bottom? It brings the shirt in tight so that the rest of the shirt totally camouflages everything. Plus, the random pattern is good too.


My sister in law and I agreed that this shirt was "weird" but that I had to wear it anyway. I wore it with boot cut jeans and flats while we made Christmas stockings, and it was just right for casual wear; cute but flowy and comfortable.


I made the people at Charlotte Russe strip this cardigan off the mannequin I loved it so much. It's sparkly! And has a rose pin! And is red!! Already declared it my official formal holiday party sweater. I wore it already, unbuttoned with the shirt below and a gray pencil skirt. I was in love.


Most flattering shirt OF LIFE. Also from Charlotte Russe, check out the paneling. It totally fakes it like your body is within the tiny stripe of flat fabric inside the ruching. And if it matters at all, this was my husband's favorite item. Which is saying a lot, because when I came home with all of those shopping bags I may have had to restart his heart.

I also picked up a few basic items, a few tanks, an argyle sweater (ARGYLE!!) and some well fitting tees. All in all I am very happy with myself.

Did anyone else brave the crowds for their own selfish pleasure and get some good stuff?

What to Wear: To Thanksgiving

Can I just start off this post by saying how awesome Jenna is doing as our Maternity Monday writer? Love love love all of the stuff she posts and secretly wish I were pregnant.

KIDDING. I would never wish that. But even still, awesome job Jenna!

So another Thanksgiving is upon us, and you know what that means! Getting together with your family so you can quietly compare who has gained weight over the past year and who got secret plastic surgery done! Luckily, I celebrate Thanksgiving in October (weird Yankees) and already finished with that. But I will be partaking in the festivities with my American family, and will have to decide on something to wear.

I find that I always dress a little WASP-y when it comes to traditional holidays. It just seems like the right thing to do. Plus, I like that it gives me lots of layers, and therefore my pumpkin pie-filled belly isn't as noticeable as the night winds down.

I do think that Thanksgiving deserves a more sophisticated outfit than a t-shirt and jeans. Sometimes I am in awe of people who just refuse to put on nice clothes. Am I the only person who loves to play a little dress up sometimes? Geez.

I've put together a pretty typical Jae Thanksgiving outfit. I like to be comfortable but not to casual.

Start with a nice, crisp white collared shirt. This one is from American Eagle.


Roll the cuffs up, and voila. It's dressy but still casual.


Add a crazy adorable cardigan like this one, also from American Eagle. Actually, thanks to Jenna, I've found myself wearing cardigans more often. So cute in the fall and winter right. I also have an obsessive love affair with argyle-like patterns. It's sick how much I love them. I love how preppy they look. Totally allow the sleeves of your white shirt to peek out.

Consider belting the cardi to give it more shape. Love this one from F21.

Okay, that's your top half. Now:




Add a pair of slacks. I prefer slacks over jeans for holidays, but if you have a dark wash go ahead and wear them. No ripped up or light wash jeans please! These slacks from Gap are cut well and gray! Gray slacks are crazy awesome.


Pop on a pair of flats, like these beauts from Torrid. Here's my theory. K, so sometimes you get all dressed up in heels, and then you go to the hostsses house and she wants you to take her shoes off, and then your whole outfit is out of whack because it only worked with heels, not bare feet. But if you wear flats, which I find most hostesses could care less about, even if you do have to take them off, you're not wearing long pants that pool around your ankles like you would with heels. Make sense? Then you can walk around barefoot and you don't look all glammed up with nowhere to go. YES I ACTUALLY THINK ABOUT THIS STUFF.



Pop on yet another WASP-inspired accessory. I like neatness on Thanksgiving over trendiness. This one is also F21.

And, a bracelet that mimics the bow on the hairband. See how that all ties in?


And, not forgetting the most important accessory of all




GET IN MY BELLY.

So, stress less about sucking in your gut while passed out on the couch from your turkey coma, and more time eating a second and third helping of pie, pleeeeease? For me?

P.S. Don't expect me around on Friday. It is MY DAY. I will be taking the retail world by storm as I shoppeth till I droppeth. Wait till next week for stories of crzy Black Friday shenanigans.

Maternity Monday: The Power of a Good Haircut

Senior picture, circa 2004

Until I had my first baby in 2007, I always had long hair. In high school, I was known for my bodacious blonde locks which were normally styled to perfection (see above picture). I kept up my adored 'do after getting married, but then pregnancy came along and WHAM! I didn't want to fix my hair anymore. Nausea and fatigue tend to alter one's priorities, unfortunately.

So my hair looked like this almost every day:

2007

That's right -- pulled back into an effortless, messy, unflattering bun-thing. Bye bye, beautiful Victoria's Secret model waviness.

No wonder I felt horrible about myself when I was pregnant! My hair, which was once beautiful, became a lifeless blob on my head and it did nothing for me. Well, except make me look as miserable as I felt.

A flattering hairstyle is crucial to good fashion. You can put on the cutest outfit in the entire world, but if you have an '80's mullet, it will mean nothing. Not to mention, cute hair does wonders for a girl's self-esteem, which is commonly a pretty rare commodity during pregnancy.

This time around, I decided I wasn't going to fall into the lazy hair trap. So, about six months ago, right before I got pregnant for the second time, I got myself a totally chic and manageable pixie cut and some highlights. And this is me now:

Frumpy mom, be gone!

I must say, I feel about a million times better than I did last time and it's mostly because of my haircut. It makes me feel good about myself, so I want to wear fun clothes, I want to do my make-up, and I want to look cute! And my husband loves my confidence.

Just think: it all started with a good haircut.

Here are some tips to getting a great style that will boost your self-esteem:

1) Figure out what your face shape is. Here is a good site that will help you determine the shape of your face, thus allowing you to pick the right haircut for you. This site tells you what cuts to avoid and what cuts will flatter you, so you can get a general idea of what to look for.

2) Start Googling. Find pictures of hairstyles that work with your face's shape and also appeal to you personally. I used Elisha Cuthbert's pixie cut as my inspiration. Once you get several pictures you like, print them out and bring them to your stylist.

3) Find a good stylist. This is a MUST. The person with the scissors needs to be able to execute the style you want, or you will likely end up looking worse than you did before! Be willing to pay for a good haircut. For most women, low-end chains just won't cut it (haha, punny). Do you have a friend with totally cute hair? Ask her where she goes to get it done. Feel free to stop the girl in front of you in line at the grocery store and ask her who does her hair if you love it. That's where you need to go for your life-changing 'do. A good stylist can replicate the style you want and even tailor it to better fit your needs. The chick at Dollar Cuts most likely can't.

4) Be prepared to maintain your new style. I can tell you right now if I wasn't willing to style my pixie cut the way the stylist intended, it wouldn't be so cute or hip. I have really thick, wavy hair and it needs to be styled daily or I look like Anthony Michael Hall during his Brat Pack days. Which is so. Not. Cool. Here's the thing -- when the stylist is giving you your rockin' hair cut, ask him or her to show you how to style it. Ask them what brushes and products you'll need. They are happy to explain it to you because they WANT you to look awesome. Then, go home and practice. Spend some time playing with it in the mirror, figuring out what you like.

So, do you feel frumpy? Maybe it's time for a new hair do! Just because you're a mom doesn't mean you have to have a lifeless mom 'do. You deserve to look hot!

Freaky Friday: Fall Fails (YAY Alliteration!)

Woo hoo! It's the weekend before Black Friday!! I am counting down the hours, I swear. I went shopping on Wednesday and was like do I even buy anything? Everything will be on sale in a week... (For inquiring minds, I caved and bought make up SO SUE ME!)

Anyway, with the end of fall creeping up on us, let's check out some of the worst fall trends and fashions that I've come across in my blogging...


Deep, purple color? Check. Flattering cut? Check! Giant, pregnant belly inducing rose for no apparent reason? Got it, boss!


K, correct me if I'm wrong, but was this EXACT shirt and vest combo worn on National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation? I really think it was.


Quick note: Oversized buttoned collars make you look like a giant milkmaid. Avoid.

(Just the sound of muffled sobbing)
IT IS TOO EARLY FOR ME TO HAVE MY EYES ASSAULTED BY CHRISTMAS SWEATERS, OKAY?


"My arms are freezing but my belly is burning hot! Oh, perfect." By the way, the vest and sweater are attached for inexplicable reasons that I don't understand.


This is a blue velvet bodysuit. I shouldn't have to say anything more. BLUE. VELVET. BODYSUIT. What outfit are you wearing that requires a weird blue velvet shirt to be jammed down your pants?



I feel like this would be what Beetlejuice would wear to Thanksgiving. That's not me saying I approve of it. I did enjoy Beetlejuice. I abhor insanely giant ankle sweaters that look like him.

So everyone clean our their closets for the influx of good deals that are on their way!

Fashion Whining: I Have Nowhere to Go!

On with my crusade to wipe out all of the fashion related whining and excuses possible for not looking like a presentable human being.

My next problem is with people who ignore or opt out of fashion because they have nowhere to go and no one to impress. They head off to a meeting in their sweats thinking, "Oh well, I'm not trying to impress anyone, am I?"

Uh-uh. That does not fly with. If the only time you think about the way you look is when you're trying to impress someone or have somewhere special to go, then I am going to break it down for you right now. As a mom, you probably RARELY have anywhere special to go, and unless you count your slobbering nine month old, will not have anyone to impress. Which means you'll never put any effort into the way that you look and end up sloppy.

I want to know when, as mothers, we lose our will to have some pride in the way that we look? I mean really, I know we're busy people and all, but why discount YOURSELF as being the reason that you give a little time to your appearance? I'm not talking about spending hours to get ready each day, either. I'm talking about choosing well fitting clothes carefully, and basically being in a state where you wouldn't be mildly horrified if you ran into an ex-boyfriend.

I would be SUPER offended if the general public thought that I put on PANTS just because I was hoping to catch someone's eye. Unless I am getting dressed up for a hot date, I get dressed, do my hair and makeup, etc, because I like the way that I feel when I look good. Simple as that. No alterior motives.

So, at the risk of sounding like Tony Robbins/a L'oreal commercial, why not put some effort into yourself because you deserve to be impressed with yourself. You deserve to not have to avoid the mirror at the mall because you feel haggy. You deserve to have someone tell you that you look good, but not even care because it's not about that. And most of all, you deserve to feel a little like your old self, the self that wasn't attached to a nursing baby and a scary diaper bag and cookie crumbs.

I don't care if your only errand for the day takes you to the post office, for heavens sakes. PUT. SOME. PANTS. ON.

SO! Challenge time. Try, just one day this week, to put an extra ten minutes of effort into your clothes, hair, whatever, on a day where you have no one to see. Just give it a shot. If it doesn't brighten your day considerably, if you don't LOOK for a reason to get out of the house, and if you don't act just a little differently, you have my blessing to wear elastic pants for the rest of your life. I swear. No judgments.

But if you do... you owe me $500, or whatever Tony Robbins is charging.