Back to School content will resume next week. I thought I had four weeks until baby came, and it’s too, so getting my work ready for me to be gone is paramount right now. But let’s talk about some products I loved (or at least that I thought were worth the money) and one I hated.
So many people recommended PoshDivah’s leggings — influencers I trust sold these to me — and they are trash. Trash, I tell you. The black pair had a hole in the seam. The blue pair fit like they were sewn by demented elves. They sagged in the crotch, were loose in the belly, and too tight in the thighs. Like I said, trash.
Need an affordable legging that isn’t garbage? I like Colorfulkoala. Pregnant? I never found great maternity leggings. They were either thin, scratchy, or ill-fitting. So I took the advice that so many of you gave me and just bought a couple pair of Lululemon Aligns in larger sizes. Not an ideal solution, but it worked.
We are almost to the postpartum phase, praise be. I know my body will feel a bit like a car a teenager took for a joyride, but I’m excited to have it back. And I need a couple of dresses to get through events that will occur in late September.
This Madewell dress struck me as a bit of a 90s throwback with the daisy florals on black, but that’s very on trend. But beyond the print, the dress is comfortable, breezy and easy to wear. The wrap-front should also be flattering on my recovering abdomen.
Also, Nordstrom Rack has the most amazing dresses right now (also for plus-size readers). I was literally flipping through it saying, “I need that one, and that one, and that one.” This tulip skirt work dress from Calvin Klein is amazing. And this Gucci-inspired dress is just perfection. Plus? This ruffle-neck dress from Maggy London is very pretty.
Call me crazy, but I actually like to clean. (I especially love to vacuum.) I’ve seen The Pink Stuff advertised on many an Instagram Reel, but I was skeptical that it was as good as advertised. I was wrong.
The paste is amazing for cleaning chrome and de-greasing an oven or stovetop. The multi-purpose cleaner is solid. But the star of the show is the laundry spray. Got grimy whites? Not with this pre-treater. Hose down your stained socks and dingy towels down in the pre-treater, toss in a little bleach for good measure, and run that cycle on hot. Even my husband’s pillowcase came clean (his hair pomade is the bane of my laundry existence.
As you know, I love a period panty. These Proof underwear are my new favorites. They were amazing during IVF, during pregnancy, and will be great for after. They absorb well, but aren’t bulky. The material is smooth and comfortable to wear. And the scalloped edges minimize visible panty line.
They come in five colors. You can also buy them in plus-sizes. And if you don’t love briefs, don’t miss their other styles.
My two dogs are not big shedders, but they do shed. And last year, I bought a light-colored couch. Mistakes were made. So when an influencer with three big, shedding dogs started promoting this lint roller, I figured that I would give it a whirl.
What I like about the Chom Chom Roller is 1) it really works, especially on fine, soft pet hair (which Avery’s definitely is) and 2) it’s reusable. No more throwing away sticky lint roller sheets. The Chom Chom has a trap on the back that holds the hair, and I just empty it when it gets full. It’s a great, eco-friendly way to keep pet hair off your furniture.
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I also bought a little rubber upholstery brush thing. It’s just a brush but it works wonders. You just brush all the hair on the couch and it clumps up and you can vacuum it up. Makes the couch look so fresh too!
I’m 28 weeks with my third and I really like the Amazon essentials maternity leggings. I found them to be thick enough and big enough to grow with my massive belly. The only annoying bit is the lack of phone pocket, but they are well priced.
Love that Madewell dress. One thing to think about when shopping for postpartum if you plan to try to breastfeed or pump is boob access. This one looks like it has a zipper down the back, which is great if you have access to a private space for feeds or pumping, but less great if you are wrangling a baby alligator under a nursing cover. I severely underestimated the amount of feeds my daughter would need, especially the first few months, and wound up panic buying a ton of button down and wrap shirts and dresses so I’d have more than three things to wear when leaving the house (with or without her).
Would the Chom Chom Roller also work for long human hair? One member of our household who will not be named has long hair and it’s always all over the couch and sticking to clothes and blankets.
Long time (5+ year) Chom-Chom User with long hair here – this isn’t a good solution if the main thing you’re contending with is long hair. Occasionally it will grab mine if they’re intertwined with cat fur, but something sticky is better for human hair. It IS a fantastic solution for furniture and upholstery – also, weirdly, staircases – like the vertical faces that can be a bit awkward to vacuum? Yeah.
I’m a plus-sized woman in my first trimester and I’m PRAYING that my aligns get me through at least the first 20 weeks. There’s not a lot of maternity options for plus sized women. I have no idea what I’m going to wear to work come February or March.
Two weeks, wow, so exciting! My children were born three decades ago, so I have not chimed in on any of the advice posts, seems like you have it well in hand. Just wanted to wish you all the best, and I know you, Kyle and the new baby will be such a great family! Everyone loves to tell their birth horror stories, but both of mine, though different, were comparatively easy and fast, it does happen. Sending you lots of good wishes as you go through this huge, crazy, wonderful life experience!
“Sewn by demented elves” – my coffee almost came out my nose! I’m sorry you had to suffer through trying trash leggings, but thank you for being honest and adding some delightfully cutting wit to my morning.
The Chom Chom is a miracle device.
My mom has been using Pink Solution for decades. It’s LEGIT!
I just bought a pair of maternity leggings from Senita, and I’m really liking them. Good fit (32 weeks) and thick, soft fabric. The only downside is that the belly portion goes a lot higher than the back to go over the belly, so I don’t think they’ll work post-partum.
Hey just wanted to share that I LOVE my Kindred Bravely Louisa maternity leggings.
They are very thick, have a foldover or over the belly waist band, and have a great pockets. They have held up for many months and I know I’ll keep wearing them post partum.
I ended up buying a second pair.
https://www.kindredbravely.com/products/louisa-maternity-postpartum-support-leggings-pocket-style?variant=32568058052704&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_medium=paid&utm_campaign=4694379200608&utm_campaign=8642377863&dfw_tracker=47550-32568058052704&utm_content=86653895923&utm_term=&gadid=406867977344&gclid=Cj0KCQjw3eeXBhD7ARIsAHjssr94iHn1u22B_J9vQej2iKpsPEIBVOFgl7ftg4TDfShJF3g6lAqPB0AaAtFQEALw_wcB