A Little Leopard

Sweater - Sejour / Maternity Tee and Maternity Jeans - Old Navy / Booties (also available here) - Steve Madden / Bag (similar) - Sole Society / Necklace - Stella & Dot

Oh hey there, guess who's officially full term over here?! 37 weeks!! I really can't believe that I could basically have a baby at any time at this point. Like, I was talking to my Uber driver over the weekend (after I missed my stop and had to backtrack haha - pregnancy brain!) and he was talking about how his daughter was born two weeks early, and I was like OMG THAT COULD BE NEXT WEEK. Freakyyyyy. It's still a little hard for me to picture that the thing moving around in my stomach is going to be a real baby in my arms! 

I'm very glad to be almost done with this whole pregnancy thing, not just because my body is currently falling apart (writing this with two ice packs strapped to my hands!) but also because this whole "pregnancy uniform" thing is starting to get a little boring! Are you tired of seeing a rotation of cardigans over my maternity clothes? Yep, me too! But, this is real life, it's what I'm really wearing, so it's what I'm sharing. 

I'm really glad I ended up picking up this leopard cardigan last month though, because it is so fun to wear and helps me not just wear the same three sweaters over and over. This thing is so soft and freaking adorable. I've been wearing it mainly over all black, but I think the colors will actually transition really well into spring - I have a lavender blouse in my closet that looks so pretty with it. The only thing is it's actually from a plus size brand! I got the smallest size which is a little oversized but definitely works, but if you're smaller than me you'll have to keep searching for the perfect leopard sweater. 

I realized something I haven't shared on here is the winter coat I've been wearing every day! I didn't really think about until it started getting cold was that I would actually need a maternity winter coat. I think I figured that my regular coat could get me through, but nope, that thing stopped zipping up in December. I wanted to find something warm (#polarvortex) but inexpensive since I would likely only ever wear it for a couple of months. This one from Old Navy definitely did the trick! Definitely buy your regular Old Navy size (I'm wearing a large) because it runs really big - I tried the next size up and there was enough space for quadruplets in there ;) It's lined in fleece so it's definitely warm. I wish the sleeves were an inch or so longer, but I'm pretty sure I snagged this on sale for about $40 so it was something I was willing to live with. 

Sweater - Sejour / Maternity Tee and Maternity Jeans - Old Navy / Booties (also available here) - Steve Madden / Bag (similar) - Sole Society / Necklace - Stella & Dot

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Recent Reads

I do a ton of reading (although I have a feeling that may change in the near future ;) and wanted to start coming in here more regularly to share what I've been reading! In the past month I've finished two really good books, one that was okay, and one that was a nice, trashy read - read on for my recommendations!

	If You Leave Me by Crystal Hana Kim If You Leave Me opens in 1950's wartime Korea, following the lives of three teenage war refugees trying to help their families survive while leading entangled romantic lives. The story follows them as the years pass, and covers themes of wartime and loss as well as post-war recovery and growth. But mainly the story is about never-ending love and family obligation, with an interesting focus around postpartum depression. It's really beautifully written too with deep, complex characters. If you're into WWII fiction, I suggest giving a different type of war story a try!
	Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens This book is incredibly popular right now so I thought I'd give it a try, and it did not let me down! Part novel and part murder mystery, the book follows the heartbreaking story of a girl abandoned in the swamps of North Carolina in the 1950's, while simultaneously flashing forward to the murder of a young man in town in the 1970's. I won't spoil anything for you, but just know that I basically had to talk about the murder mystery to someone and spoiled it to Jeff instead - it was that good. But besides the murder plot, just the story of the young girl growing up on her own and learning to survive is so heartbreaking but also beautiful, it was hard to put down.
	The Ensemble by Aja Gabel I had really high hopes for this story, as it has everything I usually love in a novel. The story follows the members of a string quartet as they graduate from school and try to make it as musicians in the real world while growing into adulthood. I just found the actual career path of the group very niche and hard to relate to, which is interesting because I actually played the violin for fifteen years and was a part of string ensembles. The author tries to relate everything in the story, including the language, back to classical music, which I would definitely say is not for everyone.
	China Rich Girlfriend by Kevin Kwan I breezed through the first Crazy Rich Asians during our trip to Hawaii and was amused enough by it to try out the second book. China Rich Girlfriend picks up a little after the first book ends, and follows Rachel and Nick as they travel to Hong Kong and, of course, dives into the drama of a whole new group of the crazy wealthy. I thought it was fun to have a new city for the book to explore and new characters, while still including characters from the first book of course. I was annoyed that, reading the digital version, the author decided to add even more unnecessary footnotes, which are so obnoxious on the iPad app. But, overall it was a fast and fun read, definitely good if you have a beach trip coming up!

Have you read anything good lately? Let me know!!

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This Weekend...

This weekend I...

...did a much better job of getting out of the house than last weekend!! We decided to continue our quest to see all of the top Oscar films and went to see Green Book. I thought parts of it were a little cliche/predictable, but overall I loved the movie. Out of the Best Picture nominees I've seen, I would put my money on Green Book winning - you heard it here folks! We decided to grab a casual dinner while we were out and stopped in to Luella's Southern Kitchen for some fried chicken - so good but my body was not happy with me afterwards!! This baby likes her vegetables I guess!
...paid a visit to Jeff's baby sister - can't believe that little girl is already five months old!! We are also still very amused by the concept of her being an aunt to our daughter in just a couple of weeks ;)
...thought I was going to fall asleep for the night around 5pm but decided to rally instead and wound up hopping into a couple bars along Southport with Jeff (fed the baby a couple Shirley Temples ;) before grabbing dinner at Corridor. We always look at the menu but end up splitting a pizza and the chopped salad - so good!
...met up with a friend for brunch at Blue Door Farm Stand in Lincoln Park. I've somehow walked past a ton of times but never noticed it before - it's so freaking cute inside! As one of the reviews on Yelp said, it's like Joanna Gaines threw up in there ;) Baby girl appreciated the egg white veggie omelet I fed her, but mommy needed some sweets and stopped by Summer House for a couple cookies before heading home!! Only a few more weeks to eat whatever I want so I'm really going for it.
...baked up some cupcakes for a friend's Super Bowl party. If you know me, you know I'm only into sports for the snacks!! My baking trick is to use a box for the cake itself (swapping out the oil for butter and the water for milk) but then adding homemade frosting. Tricks everyone into thinking the whole thing is made from scratch!

Here's hoping you had a good one!

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Friday Finds

one / two / three / four / five

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January Budget

Every month I post about my clothing budget. My budget per month is $350, which may seem like a lot to some and a little to others, but feels just right for me. You can read my thoughts on my 2018 budget here.

I've been counting down the days until my due date (eek less than four weeks now!!) but somehow this budget post still snuck up on me - I literally almost forgot! I really have barely shopped this month, and really it's because now I'm feeling like it's too late to buy anything else for while I'm pregnant, and most normal clothes are not going to work on me. I did grab a few new sweaters, but they're all things that will work post-pregnancy. I was really excited to score the sock booties though - they filled a hole in my closet and I got a ton of wear out of them until Chicago forced me into snow boots for what feels like eternity ;)

Here's what I bought in January:

Steve Madden Booties (also available here) - originally $109.95, on sale $79.96. I kind of shied away from sock booties when they came onto the scene just because I wasn't quite sure how to wear them. But now I've realized that they are amazingly comfortable. Just like the sock-style sneakers I've been wearing, there's absolutely zero rubbing at the ankle which is amazing because almost every pair of booties bothers me there. And in the winter, you can tuck the sock part into your jeans or tuck leggings into them, and still wear regular socks and not have cold ankles. Win win win. If you're considering these, snag them fast as they look to be selling out!
Target Sweater - $27.99. I was having a bad day last week and went on a little shopping binge (nothing like a little retail therapy!) and this sweater was one of the things that made it home with me. It is so soft and I love the pretty stripes, it reminds me of a Madewell cardigan I wanted all season but couldn't buy because of the wool content. I sized up to an XXL in this but tried on the XL too and could have gone with that as well.
Halogen x Atlantic-Pacific Striped Sweater - $59.00. Another gray and pastel striped sweater - can you tell what I'm feeling this winter? I wore this sweater here and love it, the stripes are so cute! I sized up to an XXL in this also to accommodate the bump, but I think it would run true to size if you weren't pregnant - it's meant to be pretty fitted.
Sejour Leopard Cardigan - $99.00, used Nordstrom Note $0. I've seen a few leopard sweaters around this fall and really wanted one, but again had problems finding one that wasn't itchy. This one is so soft and cozy, and I think the leopard pattern is the perfect scale. I've worn this a lot so far as I run out of clothing options, you can see it on my Instagram here.

Total Spent: $166.95
Total Saved: $29.99

I have a feeling I won't be doing a ton of shopping in February unless I start to get really bored leading up to my due date and start buying clothes for post-pregnancy ;)

Did you budget in January? Find any good scores??

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Striped Cardigan

Sweater - Target / Maternity Tee - Old Navy / Maternity Leggings - Blanqi / Booties (also available here) - Steve Madden / Bag (similar) - Coach Factory / Necklace - Stella & Dot

Another week of sub-zero temperatures, another week of indoor photos! As you probably know, this has been my maternity go-to wardrobe lately - a tee shirt, my trusty maternity leggings, and a cardigan. 

I picked up this cardigan during a trip to Target last week, and honestly, I almost bought up the whole A New Day section, everything is so freaking cute!! I had been having a rough day between a bad night's sleep thanks to nightmares, being unable to get comfortable no matter what I tried, wanting to be done with the whole "being pregnant" thing, and being stuck inside due to the cold and ice - Mommy doesn't want to slip!  There may have been some tears involved. So I decided a Target binge was in order (plus a stop at the Starbucks in my store) and I really went for it, I came home with a ton of stuff for baby and the house plus a few treats for me ;) 

Of course, driving in the cold and ice turned out to be a mistake, because when I got back to the house Jeff and I both couldn't get the car back into the garage, even with me driving and him pushing! The alley was a mess thanks to snow and ice and deep tire rivets filled with slush and we were seriously stuck. I actually ended up running to CVS to grab a bag of kitty litter (since I remembered Red Foreman yammering about it on That '70s Show years ago - lolllll) and somehow while I was gone Jeff got it back in by himself. He says he just kept trying but I suspect neighborly intervention. Phew! 

Anyway, I probably shouldn't have taken that trip to Target, but I got this sweater out of the deal, so I'm still chalking it up to a win. 

Oh, and by the way, I officially hit 9 months pregnant this weekend! So ready for this baby girl to arrive - fingers crossed she comes just a little early!! 

Sweater - Target / Maternity Tee - Old Navy / Maternity Leggings - Blanqi / Booties (also available here) - Steve Madden / Bag (similar) - Coach Factory / Necklace - Stella & Dot

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What to Pack for Spring Break

It's crazy to think that at this time last year I was busy planning for our trip to Charleston for my birthday! This winter has been rough the past couple of weeks (maybe an understatement with the -50 degree windchills we're supposed to have tomorrow!), and I think the worst part is knowing that there's no escape until Chicago decides it's time for spring. I currently can't travel (and we definitely won't be traveling once baby girl is here!) so I'm just living vicariously through everyone else's Insta-Stories and, of course, looking at all of the new resort arrivals. If I was taking a spring break trip, here's what would be in my suitcase:

Beach: Swimsuit / Bag / Shorts / Sandals

Nighttime: Dress / Earrings / Bag / Sandals 

Daytime: Bag / Top / Shoes / Shorts 

Travel: Suitcase

And here are a few more things that caught my eye:

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