Archives for January 2014

Being Pregnant: Catherine from Dear Vixen

January 14, 2014

Because every woman’s pregnancy is unique, our Being Pregnant series is a way to share a variety of maternity experiences on the blog.

Today we’re featuring Catherine Gacad of Dear Vixen, a blog born out of an advice column Catherine wrote for the University of Chicago’s newspaper while earning her MBA. Besides blogging about her life in San Francisco and her love of traveling, Catherine voices her opinions on finance, retirement, current events, and faith.

Catherine contacted me about participating in this series because she wanted to share her perspective on being pregnant after dealing with two miscarriages. Read on to learn about how she’s coping with this third pregnancy.

Q. Did you always know you wanted to be a mother? How many children did you imagine you’d have?

For the longest time I thought I’d never have children. Babies didn’t really cross my mind because my whole life was devoted to academics and career. I love kids, but they were never part of my future plan. I didn’t meet my husband until late in life, and it was only then that I came around to the idea.… READ MORE!

What I learned from the Golden Globes

January 13, 2014

Here’s what I learned watching last night’s Golden Globes:

Tina and Amy are always a good idea…
But the Muppets Most Wanted movie trailer featuring fake Twitter reviews was an even better one
High-low hemlines are still au current (see: Michelle Dockery, Sandra Bullock, Elisabeth Moss, Zooey Deschanel, Caitlin Fitzgerald, and Drew Barrymore) — Do you love or hate ’em?
Side-swept hair, side ponytails, and side buns should be worn with a deep part
Up-dos should be messy and vaguely grunge-looking
Silver is chicer than gold (see: Naomi Watts, Mila Kunis, Kate Beckinsale)

Olivia Wilde has a slamming body — even when pregnant
It’s a good thing I binge-watched Brooklyn Nine-Nine over the holidays
I still have no desire to see Gravity or Captain Phillips…
But I now need to see Dallas Buyers Club (alright, alright, alright!)
I didn’t realize American Hustle was a comedy/musical
Real men (at least award-winning men) wear scarves
Jennifer Lawrence’s innocent enthusiasm is starting to border on Anne Hathaway-insincerity
Julie Bowen and Emma Stone need to share a hamburger (or six)…
And the Fashion Police need to arrest one of their own (I love you, George, but c’mon!)
Live tweeting award shows is exciting, but it’s way better to start watching via DVR an hour into the broadcast so you can fast forward through commercials and boring speeches

Also, how fun are these drawings? New Yorker cartoonist Liza Donnelly took a more creative approach to live tweeting; she live draw-tweeted the Golden Globes last night! Check out more of her illustrations on her Twitter feed.

Turning Envy Into Motivation

January 10, 2014

Earlier this week, Joy Cho revealed on Oh Joy! that one of her 2014 goals is to kick envy in the face. After admitting she sometimes feel envious of what others have, Joy shared her intention of using her envy to motivate her towards her goals.

Envy is a toxic emotion, one that I wish I didn’t feel so frequently. Although I’m occasionally envious of my friends, the green-eyed monster most often rears its ugly head when I’m reading someone’s blog or looking at their Instagram photos. And since I spend a lot of time online, I’m constantly being bombarded with news and images of other people’s acquisitions and accomplishments.

When I’m suffering from blogging-induced envy, I usually just unsubscribe to the blogs or unfollow the individuals on Twitter and Instagram that are the sources of my discomfort. While it may temporarily alleviate my envy, that passive approach doesn’t get me any closer to getting the things I want (whatever it is those people have).

Following Joy’s lead, I’d like to manifest my envy into something productive this year (although I’m sure I’ll still need to click “unfollow” from time to time). I have some big plans for the blog in 2014, including a complete redesign next month! So instead of trying to fight the green-eyed monster, I’d rather use that energy on improving and growing the blog. And I need your help.

So can we talk?

I’d love know how I can work harder to make my blog more enjoyable for you, the reader. What type of content would you like to see more of this year? Are there any new topics you’d like me to cover? Your feedback (via comments, email, or even Facebook messages) would be such a huge help!

PS – A good reminder: Jealousy is all the fun you think they had.

(images via Remodelista)

A bag for him: Sons of Trade

January 9, 2014

For the past couple of months, I’ve been searching for a travel bag for JB, one that could accommodate his laptop, magazines, and other carry-on necessities. Tired of using the messenger-style laptop bag I received gratis from a public relations firm where I briefly worked and the Eddie Bauer laptop backpack I’ve owned since the early 2000s, he had taken to shoving his electronics alongside mine in my Lo & Sons bag.

Now, The O.G. is sturdy tote, but no bag is meant to be overstuffed! So when it came time for our 10-day trip back east for Thanksgiving and our babymoon, I was concerned about packing. We were bringing a lot of carry-on items and probably each needed our own bag. (Also, I didn’t want to share!)

In the nick of time, Sons of Trade, a lifestyle brand for men, solved our problem by sending JB a Tactical Tote for our trip to St. Thomas. Ruggedly stylish, the coated canvas tote converts to a backpack when the top is folded over and snapped into place. JB mostly wore it as a backpack because he couldn’t comfortably fit the tote handles over his shoulder, and the bag nearly touched the floor when carried by hand. And it’s not like JB’s a short dude. The Tactical Tote is just one large bag!

But the bag’s large size was its greatest asset; it fit all of JB’s electronics, magazines, and travel essentials with room to spare. (Note: The bag is unstructured, so you’ll need to secure your laptop in a protective sleeve if using it as a computer bag. Sons of Trade also sells coordinating tech accessories on their site.)

And because he carried it folded over, JB felt confident that the bag’s plethora of pockets were inaccessible to pickpockets and other curious strangers. Obviously, that’s hugely important when traveling.

Although we won’t be doing any traveling for several months after the new baby’s arrival, JB plans to continue using the versatile Tactical Tote as a diaper bag. The pockets are perfect for holding diapers and wipes. All that’s missing is a changing pad, but we’ll just throw in the one from the now-torn diaper bag he used when Levi was a baby. (Although this portable changing pad is lovely, and, bonus, it’s machine washable!)

PS – Stay tuned for a full recap of our babymoon in St. Thomas next week!

Disclosure: Sons of Trade kindly sent a Tactical Tote for this post, but all opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that help me bring new content to the blog!

What’s new at West Elm?

January 8, 2014

Every day I check the mailbox hoping to receive something fun like a letter, a package, or magazine. Heck, I even get excited over coupons to my favorite stores!

I don’t even mind receiving (most) catalogs. Nowadays, many could pass for home design and lifestyle magazines, don’t you think? One of my favorites catalogs to flip through has always been West Elm. However, recent Twitter chatter about West Elm’s latest issue alerted me to the fact that I haven’t received a copy in a long time.

Jumping over to their website, I saw for myself what all the fuss was about. Their new collection is gorgeous! Here are a few West Elm pieces I’d happily add to my home (if I had a few extra dollars to spare):

Stripe vases to add texture // A leather sectional that’s easy to clean // A simple mid-century dining table that’s light on its feet // A chic office chair that could live in a guest room // A DIY-inspired notice board // A graphic kilim to ground a living space

Archives for January 2014

So can we talk?

Disclosure: Sons of Trade kindly sent a Tactical Tote for this post, but all opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that help me bring new content to the blog!

This is not a sponsored post. I’m just a West Elm fan!