Pregnancy Essentials for the Third Trimester

Since I wrote a little post about my “essentials” for my first two trimesters, I thought I would add a post about my essentials for the third trimester, which to be honest wasn’t much. But here are a couple things that I found invaluable during the last three months.

Lacrosse/Massage Balls

I’ve had these balls for years and I’ve already written a review about them here. But since I was not indulging in paid massages and since my husband is not one to give massages, I found these massage balls to be a back and shoulder saver! I’ve had them for over three years now and they moved with me from house to trailer to apartment, and I even took them with me to my hospital stays back in December and January. During my third trimester I used them everyday against the wall to massage and also for pressure points, and seriously I’ve had very little back pain during my whole pregnancy.

Ovia App

This free app has been a fun little way to keep track of baby’s growth and to learn more about her development (she’s the size of a potato, a cabbage, a melon!). I also used this for my kick counter and when I started having some contractions, I also used it to time those as well. You do have to use an email to sign up and they send you updates, but just give them a junk mail email address like I did.

Books

So if you’ve been around here for awhile, you know I’m a fan of books of the “personal growth” or self-help variety. So of course when going into something as hard as parenting that I have no clue about, I wanted to do some reading (especially since as an only child with only a couple friends with kids, I have zero experience with kids. Also confession: I have yet to change a diaper in my life but I figure I’ll learn on the job lol). Anyway a couple books that were recommended to me that I felt helped me get a better idea of what to expect:

On Becoming Baby Wise: Recommended by several friends, this book gives you examples of ideal feeding/nap/activity schedules, and helps you understand what to expect for the first several months of life. I felt 100 times better prepared about becoming a parent after reading this book.

Happiest Baby on the Block: Recommended by the nurse practitioner who ran a newborn care class. This book arms you with tactics to calm a crying baby and also lets you know some babies just cry a lot and it’s not a reflection of your parenting. I feel better equipped to handle a fussy baby after reading this book.

What I Didn’t Need

Something I didn’t use or need were pregnancy belly support bands. This was something a lot of people told me were a “must” so I purchased this one, the highest rated one on Amazon. I found that since I didn’t have back pain, I just felt constricted and uncomfortable when wearing it (especially when you put it on while standing and then go to sit in the car). But I think I might be a different case than most women because I’m carrying a lot higher due to my fibroids which are taking up space in the lower part of the uterus. So of course take my advice with a grain of salt. I also purchased these from Amazon on a reader’s recommendation but found that they didn’t really provide any support. (I also tried the Blanqui tank for support and bought a dupe to do a comparison review but ended up not wearing either of them, but I plan to keep these a bit longer for postpartum). In general, I just don’t think I like any sort of belly covering (including maternity jeans with an over the belly panel as well as over the belly leggings). Anyway since I didn’t use these but I don’t want them to go to waste, I’m putting them up in the shop for free here except I’m asking for $5 in shipping costs.

The One That I Sold Away: Celine Medium Box Bag Review {February 2023 Update with Celine Teen Box Bag}

I rarely regret selling a handbag because usually by the time I’m ready to sell it, the bag has gone unused for quite some time. But of course there’s always an exception to the rule, and for me the exception is the Celine Medium Box Bag. Once in awhile I find myself wistfully thinking “I could really use that bag right now.” I originally purchased the bag back in 2015 through Fashionphile (my favorite consignment site) at a price that is less than what they are selling for now used. Yep, can you believe this bag is just as pricey if not pricier 4 years later?! Talk about holding its value (also I know with the end of the Phoebe Philo era, all great Celine classics are going up in price).

But just look at that beautiful light blue color:

The calfskin leather of the box bag was surprisingly durable, even though it was such a light color. I had it for several years and by the time I sold it there were only one or two light scratches. There’s no color transfer and no major gouges, despite my usual roughness with bags. The leather held up beautifully.

The clip closure is relatively easy to use (and not as bad as say the closure for the micro belt bag, which was always a pain). The shoulder strap is adjustable and pretty easy to adjust (it was like one of those clip mechanisms you find on belts). The inside is subdivided into three main compartments which made organization easy. One of the compartments was zippered and a tad smaller than the other two. You can’t hold a lot in each compartment since the inside of the bag isn’t as roomy as you would thing. I would be able to hold my wallet in one compartment, my phone and keys in another, and sunglasses and some lip balm in the third. But it could hold the essentials easily enough.

So why did I end up selling it? Well first of all the bag is not light. The thick calfskin leather with the all the compartments ends up weighing down the bag even when empty. Also I don’t usually carry boxy bags as my everyday bag. My ideal everyday bag is Celine’s soft cube bag (reviewed here), so I only ended up carrying the box bag on date nights or special occasions.

However hindsight is 20/20 and what I really should have done was sell one of my Chanel bags (similarly boxy and only used for special occasions) and kept this one. Ah well, sometimes there’s just a bag that gets away. But if I were to seriously repurchase this (and I still might in a more neutral color because it’s such a classic!), my go to shop would of course be Fashionphile (their selection of Celine box bags here) or TheRealReal (their selection of box bags here).

Do you guys ever have bags or items of clothing you regret selling? What were they?

And if you’re interested, here are all my other Celine bag reviews.

{February update with the Celine Classic Teen Box: I also purchased this in late late December after seeing the Celine Triomph Teen Bag at the Celine store in Hawaii (and not purchasing it). I loved the size of it, and it reminded me of the Celine Classic Box but it was lighter since the Triomph had one less compartment (as compared the the medium Box that I once had). But in the end I couldn’t pull the trigger because of 1) the price (even with the Hawaii price of being $300 less than retail, with tax it was going to be just under $4000 and that’s how much I paid for my new Chanel Classic many years ago 😱) and 2) I’m just not 100% about the new Celine clasp hardware with the two C’s (to me it screams Hedi Slimane Celine and I’m pretty much a Phoebe Philo loyalist even though I am a huge fan of the Tabou bag above and that’s a Hedi era style). So I went with a secondhand Classic Celine box (from Fashionphile) in the new-ish Teen size. Unfortunately the leather on the box is super stiff and not forgiving to aging. The leather was quite creased, to the point of almost cracking in a year or so. So back it went. Oh but if you’re interested to see what fits (and also what I’m talking about on the leather) you can see my video of the bag in my Insta story highlights—just scroll to the end).}

Weekend Update/Ramblings

What?! A weekend update post so soon after giving birth? I must be crazy, and I have to admit my sleep deprived mind probably is a little. But I find I have so many thoughts about motherhood and about this week in general that I wanted to share just a few here for you guys but also for myself to read back on later. This post will not be edited/proofread and my mind is running on maybe 20 hours of sleep for the past 5 days so be warned that there will probably be errors and/or this post may not make sense lol.

Guess which day I become a mom lol

I don’t even know where to start. Motherhood is such a trip, or maybe more like jumping off a cliff really. I was never one of those girls who always wanted to be a mom. And I wrote in the past that I actually came to terms with the fact that I might not end up being one and I was totally ok with that. So I never really bought into the “mama” tribe thing. Like I would tune out women who would wax on about the joys of motherhood and even get annoyed at some women who would only talk about their children. Or whenever someone said the most fulfilling thing they’ve ever done was be a mom, I thought it was a bit cliche. But now I’m starting to get it. Just giving birth and figuring out how to take care of a newborn feels like some sort of special hazing to get into a sorority— the motherhood sorority. And currently it’s hell week lol. Surgery pain, lack of sleep, frustrations and pressure with breastfeeding (and man Kaiser is relentless about this), and a crying baby are all overwhelming. I don’t want to sound like I’m complaining but this is hands-down one of the toughest weeks of my life (and I did pledge a sorority once—and later dropped out lol). But through it all I find these perfect quiet moments where I just stare at my sleeping daughter, and it makes it all worth it (I would do all this and more in a heartbeat just to be her mom). And I just can’t believe I she’s my baby. I love her so much and I’ve only known her 5 days.

P.S. I won’t be posting any pictures of my girl here because INTERNET, though I have posted some pictures to Insta story (since those only last 24 hours).

Ingrid and Isabel Maternity Review

One of the brands I got to try during my Rent the Runway (RTR) trial, was Ingrid and Isabel. I first heard of them through their Target line of leggings (reviewed here and sorry to say I wasn’t impressed). So I wasn’t expecting much when I rented their items on RTR. But I have to say I was very pleasantly surprised by the quality and design of their items! Their items are well and thoughtfully made for the pregnant woman, and the fabric quality was much like that of Storq (reviewed here) and I would say even better than Hatch (reviewed here). The only drawback to this brand is that like most conventional brands we don’t know anything behind their ethics of production (this is “their story” here). But if you to plan only buy a handful of maternity items and use them frequently, then at least you are still purchasing consciously and using your item conscientiously (which is the foundation of an ethical closet IMO). Or you could do what I did and rent the item so that you’re sharing rather than consuming. I think this is perfect if you have qualms about adding faux leather (and other plastic derived clothing) to your wardrobe, like the item below.

{Wearing: Vetta Oversized Sweater, Ingrid and Isabel faux leather maternity leggings (rented from Rent the Runway), Everlane Boss Mules (reviewed here), Acne Studios Musubi Mini Bag (review coming soon)}

So I really really loved the faux leather leggings from Ingrid and Isabel. They fit great under the belly (I’m a size M and it was TTS), and they were super thick so no VPL in the back. The back of the leggings are a soft thick stretch cotton, while the front was the faux leather. So the leggings were the ultimate in comfort but looked so sleek from the front. If think these are a great alternative to regular ‘ole maternity leggings and it helps to make it seem like you’re wearing actual pants (when you’re not). I’m 5’4” and found the length to be the perfect ankle length without having to bunch up the leggings (but if you’re quite a bit taller, these are definitely going to be short on you). They’re also perfect for the California winters since they’re warm enough and the front repels rainwater, keeping you nice and dry. I was very much tempted to buy these so they have a permanent place in my closet, but I felt like once I’m post-pregnancy I probably would rather go back to my regular pants so I’m going to wait on acquiring these.

The other item I tried and loved from Ingrid and Isabel, was their shirred maternity dress. It’s mostly made of micromodal so it’s super soft but there’s 10% spandex for stretch. What I loved about this dress is that the shirred parts were perfectly designed to not only accommodate the belly in the front but to also prevent any VPL in the back. So even though the material is thin and stretchy (perfect for the summer really), it doesn’t feel as revealing. It is quite form fitting though, and so for me personally (who’s not a real fan of the big belly bump look—I’m more in the camp of the discrete loose flowing maternity dresses) it wouldn’t be something I’d wear regularly. I think if you’re the kind of mama-to-be that wants to accentuate the bump though, this is definitely the dress for you.

Anyway this will be the last of my maternity reviews! I hope you’ve enjoyed them while they lasted (you can find them all here). Since I review what I buy I’m sure you’ll be seeing reviews of some baby items in the near future. But otherwise you’ll be seeing a review of my one acquisition per month (new year’s resolution) and hopefully some outfit repeating of my pre-pregnancy clothes (can’t wait to wear all my slow fashion items again!!).

Martiniano Glove Shoe Review vs. Everlane's Day Glove

After writing this post back in February where I considered giving the Everlane Day Glove a second chance or trying out the original glove shoe from Martiniano, I could not get the Martiniano ones out of my mind. I flirted with the idea of trying them out before, but seriously couldn’t stomach the $435-$500+ price tag of these shoes (I have no problems splurging on bags but I have trouble splurging on shoes). But even if I were to score this on the secondhand market (I’m currently stalking TheRealReal), I don’t know what my size would be in these flats. And a quick internet search for Martiniano Glove Shoe reviews, pretty much came up with nothing (though I did find this article from Fashionista about them and learned that they started getting popular around 2015—boy am I late to this party lol). So I decided I had to just see for myself what the hype was all about when it came to the Martiniano Glove shoe, and since I wanted to give an accurate comparison I reordered the Everlane Day Glove as well (my original review of it here)

So what did I think?

Let me put it this way, if I were to liken these shoes to cars, the Everlane Day Glove is like a Honda while the Martiniano Glove is like a Rolls Royce.

Everlane at top, Martiniano at bottom

But let me get specific. The biggest difference between the two, as you can see from the pictures alone is the kind of leather they use for the shoe. The Martiniano’s are handmade (in Argentina) from a beautiful, supple, slightly shiny and totally malleable Italian kid leather. It really does feel like one of those luxurious thin leather gloves that’s normally worn on your hands. In comparison the leather of the Everlane Day Glove is much thicker, stiffer, and duller (they say buttery soft in their product description but that is a lie when compared to the Martinianos).

The difference in the leather leads to a difference in fit. I had trouble with the Everlane Day Glove (read all about it here) and even with a week of consistent wear, wasn’t able to break them in. And instead I got a blister on the heel and a few pain points at the top of my foot. I’ve been wearing the Martinianos around the house and have had zero issues and there is no breaking in period because the leather is so soft and malleable. The top of the shoe neither digs in, nor do I have any rubbing at the heel. This is truly a dream of a shoe to wear.

The Martiniano shoes run true to size and I got my usual size 8 (or in this case a 38 and fyi I’m the same size for Everlane as well) and it fit perfectly. The Martiniano glove shoes are made from all leather, including the sole, except for the stacked heel which is made out of wood. In comparison, the Everlane Day Glove has a rubber bottom that cannot be resoled and is slightly more inflexible than the leather soles. However, the leather soles of the Martinianos does mean the bottom is quite slippery and some Martiniano owners have highly recommended adding a rubber sole to the shoe. This means that the with the proper upkeep, you can resole your Martinianos for years to come.

So which one did I keep?

Neither >.<

Ok before I lose all credibility here, I had every intention of keeping the Martiniano Glove shoes but when Totokaelo (where I bought these shoes from) gave me a 15% off coupon for messing up my order I decided that I would send them back repurchase them to get $65 off (that’s nothing to sneeze at). But I decided to hold off on repurchasing because I’m not too sure where these shoes will fit in with my new mommy lifestyle (yes they’re still practical flats that are uber comfy, but really am I going to be caring about my shoes when I’m in full mommy-mode? Will I fret about getting vomit or food on the beautiful leather tops? Will I even care about shoes when I’m sleep deprived? I don’t know so I have to see before spending $400 on shoes). Also I would go over my quota of one closet addition per month if I had kept these shoes (though there’s nothing that says I can’t buy them in the future as an addition for another month). And finally, if I do re-buy these Martiniano flats, I kind of want them in a color other than black (these burgundy ones are super dreamy though I wouldn’t be getting a discount so I don’t know, we’ll see. Or I’ll wait until Totokaelo comes up with other colors—they just released an orange one that I’m not a fan of).

But here’s my final advice for people who are trying to decide between the Everlane ones and the Martiniano glove shoes: if you’re looking for a practical flat that doesn’t break the bank, you have normal to narrow feet with a low profile and/or you’re willing to do the work to break them in then I think you should definitely go for the Everlane ones. At almost 1/4th the price of the Martiniano shoes, the Everlane one is a great value and essentially does the same thing in a similar looking shoe: gets you from A to B (I guess this is the same argument you can make when deciding between a Honda and a Rolls Royce lol). But of course if you have the funds to indulge, the commitment to keep them up, and want a shoe that’ll last and last then the Martiniano glove shoe is the luxury shoe for you.

P.S. If you’re feeling lucky, sometimes TheRealReal has a preowned Martiniano glove shoe. Check here if they currently have any in your size (I’ve been seriously stalking this feed for months and so far no size 38s have shown up, though I’ve seen 37s and 39s!).

P.P.S I snagged a pair of the heeled Martiniano Glove shoes on eBay (for $95!!) so I’ll be reviewing those too (though I still really want a pair of these flats as well).

Weekend Update/Ramblings

This might be my last weekend update post for a bit and the posts coming up are ones that I’ve been writing ahead of time for the last couple of weeks to prepare for my maternity leave of sorts. I’m not sure how much time I’ll have to write so I really wanted to get these ideas and reviews out while I still could, so I hope you don’t mind that they’re scheduled. (And I’ll try my best to keep up with comments both here and on Insta!)

I’m quite a bit nervous about the c-section tomorrow (necessary because of fibroids) since I’ve never had major surgery before but whenever I start to feel anxious I just tell myself there’s nothing I can do, and instead I just try to stay calm by focusing on my breathing. Worrying about the future will not do me any good. I also feel fully unprepared for taking care of a newborn though I’ve gone to a couple classes and read a couple books. But I guess many a mom has “winged it” in the past and I’m going to be alright (besides I have the internet now, as well as a bunch of well-informed mom friends just a text away).

Here goes nothing and wish me luck guys!

via GIPHY

Unsponsored Vetta Review: The Oversized Sweater

So I know I’m very late to the game here, because every other blogger in the ethical/sustainable community has tried out items from Vetta. And all their reviews have raved about their stuff (granted most of them were gifted items so I took it with a grain of salt), but I don’t know why I didn’t jump at trying their stuff. Maybe something about the brand being tailored to capsule closets and their items converting as to be worn in a multiple of ways (and sometimes weirdly) kind of made the brand feel gimmicky to me? Plus I wasn’t thrilled that many of the items were made of polyester or other synthetic blends (granted when they are, it’s made from deadstock fabrics so they’re not producing new plastic for their clothes). But ever since starting my foray into the ethical/sustainable closet world, I’m quite picky about choosing fabrics made from 100% natural fibers only (they last longer, feel better, and are biodegradable). But I have to say wherever my prejudice may have come from, I was wrong. Vetta is great and I am especially in love with this oversized sweater!

First of all I have to say a big thank you to Teresa for agreeing to swap clothes with me so that I could have a chance to try out this sweater without breaking my resolution of only one new item in a month! By borrowing this sweater from her, I get to try out a new ethical and sustainable brand without consuming more. Plus she gets to try out my Only Child tops so it’s a win-win!

Okay so onto the sweater. First a note on sizing: they’re not kidding when they say it’s oversized. I’m wearing an XS here and I’m 8+ months pregnant (5’4” and almost 160 pounds now). So if you get this, you definitely want to buy a much smaller size than you’re used to. I really love the 99% organic cotton and the fact that it’s made in a Los Angeles factory that’s 70% solar powered. Vetta takes their values and ethics seriously (you can read more about it here)! All their factories are located in the US so it’s understandable that their prices are going to be a bit higher than say Everlane’s (whose factories are located internationally). So it’s great that Vetta designs their items to be so versatile as well as convertible.

{Wearing: Vetta Oversized Sweater, Ingrid and Isabel faux leather maternity leggings (rented from Rent the Runway), Everlane Boss Mules (reviewed here), Acne Studios Musubi Mini Bag}

But I have to admit, I wore this sweater predominantly one way: with the buttons going down the back without the turtleneck collar. When I borrowed the sweater, Teresa couldn’t find the turtleneck portion so I wasn’t able to try it out that way. BUT I’m not a turtleneck person at all (I don’t like the look of them or the feel of them—like a dog collar around my neck lol) so I’m not sure I would have worn it that way anyway. Also I could see this being a common problem with owning a sweater with multiple pieces: sometimes some parts will get lost. I also wore this open as a cardigan and liked it and thought the dolman sleeves make it more interesting than a regular old black cardigan. But wearing the sweater with the buttons all the way up to the top looked weird to me (especially with a large baby bump).

I have to say I was overall very impressed with the quality of the sweater and I really liked it. It’s also the perfect sweater for being pregnant in the winter since it’s super warm for cotton and the tunic length is great for covering the bump. I felt very svelte when wearing this outfit and got several compliments in it as well. But would I go so far as to buy this sweater for myself? In the end, I think I have to go with no because I’m not sure how often I would wear this sweater if I wasn’t pregnant. The long tunic length isn’t quite the right proportion for my petite frame (and right now the sweater looks shorter because my bump brings the hem line up quite a bit). I think sans baby bump, the sweater would overwhelm me. Also I already have several black cardigans so I don’t really need another (if I didn’t have any black cardigans then this would be a serious contender).

Anyway now that I have a very favorable impression of Vetta, I can’t wait to try out some of their other offerings in the future (that crop mockneck looks pretty nice)!

Have you guys tried Vetta? What did you think?

P.S. Actually here’s a blogger who buys Vetta and she loves their stuff!

Weekend Update: My One Week Money Diary

and they say there’s no such thing like a free lunch…it is when you go out with your mom!

I was inspired by the various money diary posts I’ve seen around the internet to write one of my own. And boy was it a great way to see some of my terrible money spending habits (and this is me trying to be good)! I started on a random Thursday because that was just when I decided to start keeping track but I also didn’t want to make a big momentous start on a Monday just in case I ended up changing my habits knowing I had to hold myself accountable. So without further ado this is how I spent my money this past week (starting from the Thursday the week before)

Thursday

After reading some FIRE articles on a new blog I discover called Millennial Money I am motivated to move money from PayPal (where I earned some money from eBay as well as some affiliate earnings) to my bank account. I also move some money from my savings account to an investment account and buy some Vanguard index funds because they were down for the week. It’s so against my nature to buy when all the numbers are red but I know that’s the best way to buy “cheap” (and update, they went up later that week so now I feel happy about that decision). I need some new batteries for an old school camera so I purchase that on Amazon. Also while on Amazon I end up purchasing these gold hair pins on a whim (ack Amazon is such my Achilles heel when it comes to spending right now. I feel like I’m getting my “high” from buying on Amazon to replace the “high” I normally get from buying stuff for my closet—but I just better not go overboard). I blame too much Instagram browsing during Fashion Week and a recent blog post I read about pearl barrettes for this impulse splurge.
In the afternoon I’m browsing TheRealReal (a terrible terrible addiction/habit even though I’m not supposed to be shopping for my closet right now) when I see a pair of Veja sneakers pop-up on one of my saved feeds (and amazingly it’s my shoe size!!). I don’t hesitate to add it to my cart because with the 20% off code I get it for a total of $60 (retails for $168). Though this means that this sneaker might have to be my one addition to the closet for March (and it’s only Feb, oops). But since it’s shoes, there’s a chance I might return it if it doesn’t fit. But I definitely want to buy them because not only are they the ethical sneakers that I’ve been wanting to try for at least a year, but they’re also secondhand, half-off retail, and since I have some credit for selling things in January I spend $0 on it. {Update: I got them and they are super uncomfortable. The leather is super stiff and there’s hardly any cushioning. They’re quite possibly the most uncomfortable sneaker I’ve ever tried so they’re being returned asap.}
Total daily spend: $12.46 for the Amazon stuff

Friday

Today is an errands day and I go to the Post Office to mail something to my brother in law for my husband ($11.10). Then I go to Whole Foods for some grocery shopping. This is definitely one of the luxuries I haven’t given up yet despite my effort in working towards FIRE. I usually shop between Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods, with WF being the indulgence. And I must have gone shopping while hungry since I bought a lot more than just the basics. I got trail mix because it was on sale, some cheese because they had one of my faves (Cowgirl Creamery Mt. Tam) cut into halves so I wouldn’t have to purchase the whole disc, and a slice of cake facepalm. Also the pregnancy cravings don’t help. I also purchased a cake for my husband (since it’s his birthday tomorrow) and some extra frozen food to stock-up for when I can’t cook post c-section. But basically this is just a whole lotta justification for the larger than normal grocery bill of $92.03 (eek).

Total daily spend: $103.13

Saturday

It’s hubbys bday today so we go out for an all you can eat Korean bbq lunch with my mom and my mom pays. Score for a free lunch! After eating til busting, we need to walk around so we walk around the strip mall the restaurant is located in. We check out the Goodwill there and I’m always such a sucker for the book section. I can’t help myself and buy two Dr. Suess books for baby for 99 cents each (one of which is Cat In The Hat— such a classic, how could I not get it). Hubby wants a boba tea so we indulge and share one for $2.90. Then my mom wants to go to Burlington, which we’ve both never been to before, and I end up buying a Boppy breastfeeding pillow for $18.48. But I plan to return a $47.48 breastfeeding pillow I purchased earlier this month on Amazon so that’s a credit of $29 in my books. Finally we stop off at PetSmart to buy some much needed dog food for $55.
Total daily spend: $59.88 (not counting the Boppy nor the -$29 for the Amazon return)

Sunday

I stay home all day and putter around the house (which I find is the best way to not spend money, as long as I’m consciously not looking at my phone to shop). I succeed at spending no money today.

Total daily spend: $0

Monday

I was supposed to go to the doctor today but they cancel on me because she’s out sick. So instead I do errands like pick up dry cleaning ($6.50 and I don’t normally dry clean but this is something I borrowed) and do some more grocery shopping. This time I go to Trader Joe’s, stock up on some extra frozen meals to last us while I’m laid up recovering from the c-section (coming up in less than 2 weeks!!), and end up buying triple the amount of food compared to Friday’s Whole Food run but spend about the same amount of money ($101.08). I also return some things I purchased on Amazon at Amazon books (I love that I can just drop off my returns there and basically get a full refund from whatever I buy at Amazon) and get about $35 back to my card.

Total daily spend: $107.58 (not counting the returns)

Tuesday

I spend today at home working on the blog, tidying up the house, working on the baby’s room and dropping off some returns and stuff I sold on eBay. A very productive day with zero dollars spent. Whew!

Total daily spend: $0

Wednesday

I spend the morning investing in more index funds today because I see the numbers are down again. I invest in pretty small increments because I’m scared of getting burned by buying too many of one fund at once and then seeing the numbers go down. I feel like by spreading my buys I’m hedging my bets more. But I’m able to do this because the platform I’m currently using does not charge me for each trade (this tactic would not be worth it if each trade was say $4.95). I also decide to invest in some Vanguard bond ETFs because I see my current portfolio is basically made up of US large cap equity (ie all big US companies). Bonds don’t do nearly as well but it’s a way to diversify and spread out your risk (especially since 2019 is looking to be a rocky year). After reading this post and this article, I think I’ll be aiming for about a 25% or so bond allocation. Sorry if that was boring, but since this is my money diary I figured it was relevant.

Anyway I spend the rest of the day going to the bank and running small errands. I do buy some vitamins for my dog Ellie (the dachshund, who had a pretty serious back injury last year but now is fully recovered and I give her these vitamins as a preventative measure—plus her coat is looking way better these days). I’m also tempted to buy this cedar spray for my sweaters after reading Lee’s post here about taking care of her sweaters, but I’m going to wait until I’m ready to store my sweaters to purchase.

Daily spend: $28.11

So In Conclusion

Total Weekly Spend: $311.16

I’m so glad I did this little exercise for myself (even though I’m not too sure how much of a thrilling read it was for you guys lol—hope it wasn’t too mundane)! Even though I’m not shopping for my closet (except oops I did on the first day but really this is soooo much better than before), nor am I eating out, I can see that I do spend quite a bit on Amazon. I mixed in some needless purchases (the hair clips, which truth be told are a bit hard to use) along with essentials (batteries and vitamins) so I think I need to be better about sticking with just the essentials if I’m really going to try to cut down my expenses. This also means no more Whole Foods, or it’s going to at least have to be a very rare treat. I probably could do better with budgeting my grocery shopping in general (maybe it’s time to start scouring ads and clipping coupons for Safeway?). Anyway thanks for following along and I might do this just one more time post-pregnancy to see how things change later this year with baby (unless you guys really rather not read about it, in which case I guess I’d do it in my own notebook lol).

Anyone else track your expenses? And for those personal finance pros (or at least those more experienced at tracking spending than me), does my week spending look reasonable or excessive? (I have no idea since this is my first time doing this lol)

What I Wanted in February

I’m happy to report I did not want as much things this month and had fewer items on my running “wants” list. But I think most of that was due to the fact that I was still on my Rent the Runway Unlimited subscription. So instead of browsing things I wanted to buy, my time was diverted to browsing things I wanted to rent next. Like I had said in my RTR review post, it doesn’t cure your bad consumption habits but it does provide a good re-direct and helps you from accumulating more items into your closet.

So what did I want to purchase this month? First thing on that list is the Acne Musubi Mini bag (pictured above). If you follow me on Insta-story you know that I’ve been wanting that bag since last Fall (maybe even summer). I did a poll on Insta and most of you were decidedly against me purchasing the bag, but for one reason or another I could not get it out of my mind. Is it because it’s named musubi (like the Japanese rice ball), which is my all time favorite packable lunch and brings back feelings of nostalgia? Would an Acne Studios bag by any other name be just as desirable? Lol, I think yes. Since last year I’ve stalked the bag on other people’s insta accounts (like loveclothblog and noirgio) and have come to love the pillowy look even more.

The second item on my list is the Martiniano Glove Shoe and that popped back onto my radar since writing the post about the winners and losers among my gifted Everlane items. The Everlane Day Glove flats didn’t quite work out for my high arches and high profile feet (though like I mentioned in my gifted Everlane post, I wonder if I shouldn’t just have worked through the pain to see if I could break them in even more than a couple weeks). But when I tried to find reviews to figure out my sizing for these Martiniano Glove shoes and how they compare to Everlane’s Glove shoes I couldn’t find anything (there were only reviews of Everlane’s version from some of the bigger name bloggers). So that really stoked my interest. What are the differences and is spending almost $300 more for the original worth it? (P.S. those of you who follow me on insta stories know I caved and bought them >.< so stay tuned for a comparison review between these Martiniano glove shoes and the Everlane ones).

And the last thing I really wanted this month was this IRO herringbone pea coat which I had originally rented from Rent the Runway. But since it was during the last week of the subscription I only got to wear it once, which made me want to go out and buy it. I was able to find it on eBay here in one size smaller, and I was veeeery tempted to purchase it but decided to hold off.

I had also briefly wanted this Vince coat I rented through Rent The Runway, but that desire got replaced by the IRO herringbone pea coat above. But in the end I decided against buying any winter coats period (my goal is to have less winter coats, not to acquire more) plus I had already purchased my one item for the month: yep it’s the Acne Studios Musubi Mini bag (which I looooove love love, but of course a full review of it will be up after I use it for a bit). I actually purchased it quite early in February (thus you’ve been seeing it on my posts and on Insta) because I found it for about $350 less than retail, secondhand on the RealReal and pounced on it (I’ve been on the look out for this bag via my feeds on TRR app—more about how that works here). I am very happy with my decision and I don’t feel super guilty (ok well maybe just a tad) since I know it was the one item for the month. I guess if you average my spending between January and February, it’s a tad on the high side but I was also able to sell a lot of things on theRealReal and Fashionphile so my net cash flow for the two months is actually positive.

Oh and things that I still want that were on my January list? Just the Mejuri Single Mini Hoop. Funny how you want things so much at the time, but just wait a month and you could care less (and instead you’re actually quite happy you refrained from purchasing in the first place). Guess we’ll see if either the Martiniano shoes, the IRO coat, or the Mejuri hoop will reappear on March’s list! (Also March is my birthday month and my baby’s birthday month—would it be wrong to buy something extra for myself as a birthday/push present gift? Lol, I’m already finding ways to try to bend my new year’s resolution >.<).

Unsponsored Rent The Runway Unlimited Review

So as I mentioned before, instead of purchasing one new (or new-to-me) item to add to my closet for January (my new year’s resolution), I decided to try a one month subscription for Rent the Runway Unlimited. If you’re not familiar with RTR, they’ve long been in the business of renting out dresses for special occasions (weddings mostly or maybe company parties). And I’m not sure when they started, but they also now rent out everyday clothing and accessories in the form of RTR Unlimited. It’s like a lending library of clothes, where you can borrow 4 items at a time with unlimited swaps (so you’re only limited by shipping times but more on that later). You pay a one month subscription fee (I paid $129, it’s usually $159 but right now they’re doing a great promo for $99 with the code FIRSTRTR) and all shipping and cleaning costs are included. I should note that they also have a plan called RTR Update which allows you to rent 4 items for one month (usually for $89 a month but right now for $69). The RTR Update plan could be good if you already know what you want to try and know your sizing, but the RTR unlimited has a lot more flexibility and if you’re experimenting with styles or don’t know your sizing very well, I think Unlimited is the way to go.

Rented Vince coat

Anyway, I decided to try this service because I was in a real style rut for the month of December and January. I was getting to be uber pregnant but I did not want to buy any more clothes. I was basically living in my Gap maternity overalls from eBay and my Elizabeth Suzann Georgia midi dress, and I was getting bored. I’m not sure where I heard that RTR was renting maternity clothes, but once I discovered that I knew I had to try it out. And what a great idea too because why not rent clothes you’ll only wear for a month or two? This is exactly the kind of service that’s needed to keep our closets small and our consumption to a minimum. They have some great maternity brands including Ingrid and Isabel (not the Target diffusion but the original), Seraphine, Rosie Pope as well as a selection of maternity jeans. I wish I had discovered this sooner instead of purchasing items through trial and error (and finding out I don’t like over the belly leggings and over the belly jeans—or any maternity jeans for that matter). Though I did get to try form fitting maternity dresses (like the gray one up top) and realized I don’t like that style at all. And I got to try out several maternity dresses for my baby shower. You can search through maternity wear by trimester, which is a great way to see what they have available for your size.

I think this is also a really great service in the winter time, when you want to change up your winter coats but you don’t want to own 10 different coats. In fact, I’m thinking of possibly selling more of my coats and keeping only a couple of my favorites, then re-subscribing next winter to borrow as many different kind of winter coats as I want. This year I was finally able to try that teddy bear coat trend by renting one, and I didn’t have to feel guilty about the purchasing of a 100% plastic (polyester) trendy coat that I’d have to sell off at Crossroads when it “no longer sparked joy.” Instead I wore it everyday for 2 weeks, got lots of compliments and then sent it back to try a different winter coat. I also realized that as much as I love the trend, it doesn’t really fit in with my own simple/minimal aesthetic and it skews a bit young for me. I did however love a very simple tan Vince winter coat that’s currently on sale TheRealReal (which I’m tempted to purchase but I already wore it for two weeks and do I really need to own it? Probably not). Also if you have holiday parties in the winter, it’s great to do the RTR unlimited for one month to rent both coats and cocktail dresses!

Loved these Ingrid and Isabel faux leather leggings, I rented it for several weeks!

Finally, I think if you’re wanting to experiment with your style but don’t want to buy a lot of different items (or try to get them on the cheap with fast fashion), this service is so great! I never thought I would like brown (being a mostly blue and black neutrals type of person), but I really loved the brown coats I tried. I also experimented with color and more feminine styles (a pink shearling coat! a royal blue dress!) but still didn’t like those styles. And instead of just an at home try on, you can wear it out in public and really get a feel of whether or not this style is “you.”

There are new styles added every week so that makes it fun and fresh. It feels like shopping every time you send your items in and are ready to try something new. You can “heart'“ your favorites so it’s easy to see what you’ve already picked out, and you can also filter your hearts by what’s available to rent. The RTR app is really good at helping you find what you want to rent next and the check out process is super simple. You can also review and rate items easily on the app. But just a note, using this service won’t “cure” you of your overconsumption tendencies if you you’re a shopaholic. And really, it’s just a redirection of your shopping habits, but it will help keep you from accumulating more.

The clothes come clean and freshly dry cleaned and are shipped in a reusable garment bag (good for them for minimizing package waste, though I wish they didn’t have to use those dry cleaner plastic bags but of course the clothes need to be protected in plastic like all shipped clothing). Shipping is via UPS so it’s pretty quick and easy (and all paid for by your subscription fee).

But here are some of the cons with this program:

~ Some of the most popular pieces are worn as heck. They do have a quality control survey at the end of your rental so you can let them know if you thought the item was worn out. But I can see that for their bottom line, they’re going to try to keep the clothes in rotation as long as possible.

~ Their selection of clothes need some improvement. Since they’ve been focused on party and fancy dresses for most of their existence, they have a lot of great options for that. But when it comes to their regular clothes, I would love to see brands like Acne Studios, APC, Doen, Reformation, and maybe some other higher end brands or other trendy brands (and higher end ethical brands like Stella McCartney). I don’t want to rent J.Crew, which is something I could easily buy if I wanted to. In terms of maternity clothing, a higher end line that’s not easily accessible like Hatch would be a great addition. Also because they only have one of each size of everything, sometimes the better brands are rented out all month and you never get a chance to try them.

~ Logistically with shipping times, you can only really enjoy a small number of items a month. It took about a week for turnaround (I shipped items on a Monday and got another shipment the following Monday). So I probably thoroughly enjoyed 3 items during my one month rental period: a Vince coat for 2 weeks, the teddy bear coat for 2 weeks and the Ingrid and Isabel faux leather leggings for 3 weeks. Everything else was tried on and shipped back asap. In some ways going with the RTR Update plan where you rent only 4 items for the whole month might be a better value (as long as you like all 4 items and they fit).

Also wanted to buy this IRO coat >.<

But overall I’m very happy to have tried this service and I think I got what I needed for the $130 I spent. I got to experiment a little, a got a baby shower dress, and I got to fall in love with some brands (Ingrid and Isabel for maternity clothes are really great!). I’ve cancelled my plan for now (which was really easy to do—it just took one email to them) since I’m going to be giving birth and I don’t see myself “dressing up” or going out very much for the next couple of months. Also I look forward to fitting back into some of my more forgiving pre-maternity clothes and getting to rediscover my own wardrobe again. But I will definitely keep RTR in mind the next time I want to try a bunch of things without accumulating new stuff! I should also mention that if you really love something you rented, you can buy it directly from them for about 50% off their retail price. But to be honest if you can find it either online on sale, through TheRealReal (like the Vince coat I like), or through eBay it’s a much better deal since the stuff from RTR gets worn a lot and it’s probably a lot more worn than if you can find it secondhand elsewhere. If you’re interested, this referral link gets you $30 off your first rental (and fyi I will also be getting a $30 off promo code for my next subscription).

Would you guys rent clothes from RTR?

Weekend Update/Ramblings

Found this gem on Insta, lol this is totally ME

I’ve been watching a bit more Netflix recently, knowing that I won’t be watching nearly as much (or at all) once baby comes. I liked Russian Doll (but I’ve always loved Natasha Lyonne and I’m so happy to see her in the main role for once) and also The Breaker Uppers (it’s like a New Zealand Kristen Wiig and a half-Indian Tina Fey in a Bridesmaids type film. It made me lol a couple times, which is rare for me). If you have Amazon Prime, I liked Alex James documentary Slowing Down Fast Fashion (which really didn’t have too much new information for me, but is a great beginner’s guide about fast fashion). I also watched on Amazon Prime Inside the Billionaire’s Closet about the exotic skin and fur industry, and I did learn a lot from that one (it was quite hard to watch at times).

On the FIRE (financial independence, retire early) front, we have our first month (January) of expenses in and having never tracked my spending before I was surprised to learn I was spending a lot more than I thought (well duh, isn’t that always the story). But really, I thought I was being super good because I’m limiting my purchases to just one item a month for the blog (and that was the $130 spent on RTR— and I’ll be reviewing my experience with their service this week). So I was not expecting such a large sum under the shopping category (over $1000), and a lot of that was buying things on Amazon. Granted January was the month of the move ($1000 moving cost alone) and we did buy some supplies and 1 piece of furniture for the house, so I don’t categorize it as needless spending. But it’s still amazing (and a tad disheartening) how the money just flows out even when you’re trying to be thrifty (no fun shopping, zero meals out, and made my husband bring lunch from home most days). I kind of wish I had done a better job at tracking spending when I wasn’t being “good” just so I could see the improvement. Ah well, better late than never.

And this month will also probably be a big spending month since we are finishing up purchasing the rest of the items on our baby registry. Oh and shout out to Henny for being the sweetest and most thoughtful reader, who gifted me with a stroller bag/organizer from my registry! Thank you so much Henny!! Anyway, we’re trying to be super frugal about what to buy, but it’s so hard when there are so many lists, people, marketing materials telling you what you “need” for your baby. We’re trying to be uber conservative and using discounts as much as possible (a lot of places like Amazon and Buybuybaby have a 15% registry completion discount). But well, we knew having a kid was going to be expensive. Luckily we got a lot of hand-me-downs in the clothing department (and we got a stroller from a friend). This timely article about how to save money with kids had some pretty good basic pointers.

Well 2 more weeks til D-day (due date)!

My Best and Worst Designer Bag Purchases {Updated January 2022}

Though my luxury bag obsession has died down a bit in the last couple of years (thanks to being a bit more conscious about my consumption habits and also getting into slow fashion), I’ve still purchased (and sold) a lot of designer bags in my lifetime. So why not share my experience of the 5 worst and 5 best designer bags I’ve ever purchased and used.

Worst

1) Goyard St. Louis GM bag: I reviewed the Goyard St. Louis tote here and even in the review I stated all the things I didn't like about it.  My main gripe was the fragile and floppy canvas.  Also the straps were quite thin and would dig into my shoulder when the tote was filled up (which is something one does with a tote). This tote was only for the brand-name looks. If you’re looking for a cheaper practical workhorse of a tote I recommend Everlane’s Day Market tote or if you’re looking for a more upscale tote but one that’s still practical, I would go with the Celine cabas phantom tote (which is on the “Best” list below). If you absolutely love the Goyard print and have to have one, the PM size might be better since it won’t flop around as much nor can it be weighed down with too much stuff.

2) Loewe Hammock bag (reviewed here): When I got it, I just really loved the unique shape of the bag.  But because it doesn't close very securely (which my mom demonstrated to me once by pick-pocketing me without my knowledge), I was hesitant to use it as much.  You could clasp the inner hooks together but then it becomes a really awkward shape to carry. The flat handles were also not that comfortable if you were carrying the bag on your arm (and the handles were a bit tight so that if you were wearing a coat, you wouldn’t be able to really carry it in that way). Also, if you aren't careful with how you store it, the leather starts to bend in weird ways.  I sold it for about a $200 loss (for about a year of use).

3) Celine Small Trotteur bag (reviewed here): The problem for me is that it was just too small for my needs.  If I wanted a small going out bag, I’d reach more for my Chanel, so this Celine didn’t get used much.  Plus the metal hardware as a closure isn't as secure as I would like. Looked cute but not super functional in the small size.

4) Valentino Glam Lock bag (reviewed here): Sort of the same problem as the Celine small Trotteur, this Valentino bag was just too small.  Also the leather on this is super delicate and fragile, while the studs would poke and damage my other bags adjacent to it in storage (so it had to be stored separately—what a pain).  Also the look of the bag is so specific to a certain time that it can look outdated fast. I ended up selling it through Fashiophile and got a trade-in bag that made the “Best List” below!)

5) Gucci WOC (reviewed here): I was following the crowd on this one, getting the newest "IT" bag.  The construction was meh and I regretted it pretty much as soon as I got it.  I'm glad I sold it fairly quickly so there was still a lot of buzz around the bag, so I didn't lose much money on the purchase.  I think that was the last trendy bag I've purchased and I'm glad I'm finally starting to learn to buy bags for their quality and not for their name.

Best

1) Celine soft Cube Bag (reviewed here): This is the bag that I traded my Valentino Glam Lock Bag for and it was the best bag decision I ever made (I did the trade over at Fashionphile, which sometimes has a soft cube bag now and then). I used this Celine soft cube bag so much that it was my number 3 most used item in 2018 (and I only got it in September). This bag has held up like a champ and you know how I abuse my bags (case in point). I can throw all my essentials into this bag and then some. It’s the perfect size between a small bag and a mid-size one. The top handle straps are easy to use when carrying the bag on my arm and the crossbody strap is convenient for carrying the bag over the shoulder but it’s thin enough to not get in the way.

2) Celine Small Cabas Phantom (reviewed here): This bag was also one of my top 20 most worn items of 2018. This is a really well-made high-end leather tote. The leather is soft but not floppy and it can stand on its own base. I like that you have the option of pulling the straps and tying them to make the bag smaller and more secure. The small size is the perfect size without being too big and the bag itself doesn’t weigh a ton. Hands-down my favorite luxury tote ever. You can usually find a great selection of authentic used Celine Cabas Phantoms at my favorite consignment site, Fashionphile here. If you’re looking for a more affordable but similar option, I recommend Cuyana’s Classic Structured Tote.

Celine Micro Belt

Celine Nano Belt

3) Celine Micro and Nano Belt bag (Micro reviewed here and Nano reviewed here): The Celine belt bag is so nice I bought it thrice, lol. Yep I started with the mini size (the first size to have the crossbody strap—the small size has just the top handle). And when the Micro size came out, I got that one new at the Celine store in Hawaii (that’s the black one in the pics above). As much as I love that size, it still was too big for my everyday needs and ended up weighing a lot more than I wanted to (mostly because I would fill it up, but also because it was just bigger, had more leather to it and thus weighed more). So the following year I upgraded by downsizing to the newest smallest size, the Nano, and I’ve finally found the right belt bag size for me (that was a classic goldilocks story right there lol). As I stated in the review, I love the Nano size because it’s lighter but also because it has a regular clasp for the front (instead of the finnicky hook thing that all the other belt bags have) and the crossbody strap is adjustable. The Nano is harder to find on any consignment site, though Fashionphile usually has a pretty good selection of Micro belt bags here.

4) Fendi By The Way Bag (reviewed here): This is currently the oldest bag in my collection and is probably one of my most practical bags. I love the foldable handles for when I want to carry the bag crossbody and the three compartments on the inside that make finding things super easy. Even though this was never a popular style, I’m never going to give this bag up. And since this was never an It bag, you can find them for really good prices used.

5) Hermes Lindy 30 (reviewed here): This was my “holy grail” bag for a long time even though it’s such an obscure bag (at least for Hermes). I first heard about it through a purseblog or bagsnob post in the height of my bag obsession days. But ever since then I’ve always thought this would be the first Hermes bag I buy. And so two years ago, when I saw a used one at a decent sale price at the Fashionphile I bit the bullet and have no regrets. I love the way the bag slouches like a duffle (thanks to the soft Clemence Taurillon leather). I also love that I can carry it by the handles or sling over my shoulder. It’s surprisingly roomy and can fit a lot of things if I need to. This was the bag that made me realize that even though the Loewe hammock bag above had a similar concept, it just wasn’t the same (and whenever possible it’s best to go with what you really want over some kind of substitute).

So I should note that I obviously have a favorite type of bag and these kinds of bags make up 4 out of the 5 on my “Best” list: it’s the bag with both top handles and a long shoulder or crossbody strap. I love the convenience of these bags because it makes it easy for me to grab things from my bag by holding on to the handles or I like to sometimes carry it on my arm by the handles, but when I want to go hands-free, I can sling the bag over my shoulder. I have other favorite bags, like my classic Chanel flaps (which I use only when going out or special occasions), my Balenciaga work bag (for when I need to carry a lot of stuff), and my Longchamp nylon bags (for travel). But these bags are not my most used bags, instead they each have their specific use case scenario. So of course take this best and worst list with a grain of salt but in general I can attest to the quality of Celine bags (or at least old Celine bags), and would not recommend the Goyard totes, trendy Gucci bags, or delicate Valentino bags.

{Januaury 2022 Update: Here are my best and worst luxury purchases as of 2022, and I also did it for 2021.}

Vince Blair Sneakers Review and 100 Wears Later

I never originally reviewed these Vince Blair slip-on sneakers (similar here) because they’re not particularly ethically made so I thought it didn’t fit within the realm of my blog (though I did do a comparison post about it here and you can see how they first looked brand new). But as a reader reminded me, an ethical closet is not just about buying secondhand or from companies that tout themselves as ethical and sustainable, but it’s also about slowing down your consumption and really using what’s already in your wardrobe. And you want what you have to be durable and worth it, so I really like doing these “100 wears later” posts (the first one was the Everlane Day Market Tote) to showcase how some of my favorite items have lasted. And since starting to use the Stylebook App (since Jan 2018) to keep track of my wear and cost per wear, it’s easier now than ever to see when I reach this 100 wear milestone. So how have these Vince Blair sneakers fared? They’ve held up like a champ!

These are my first pair of Vince shoes but I’ve eyed their shoes in the past (oh and just to note, these run true to size for me. I got these in a 7.5 but I wear an 8 in Everlane and other narrow shoes. But if you have narrow feet I think they run large so you would want to go a half size down). Yet I could never bite the bullet and purchase them because of their somewhat steep prices. But when I found these at a Nordstrom rack (while shopping with a Nordstrom employee so I got even more of a discount), I couldn’t resist! And I’m glad I didn’t because these are my most worn shoes in my closet (other than my Everlane street sandals which are sadly no longer sold). I got a gray pair of Blairs, similar to this one or this one, and they hide the dirt well. Even the white parts of the shoe don’t look that bad. They’re super comfortable to slip on and off, and have a great rubber sole for grip. I wear these without socks and even 100 wear later, there’s no smell (granted I don’t wear them that often in the summer because it can get quite warm and I hate sweaty feet)! The inside are lined with leather and that might be why there are no smells (and definitely why they’re so expensive). The inner leather lining is so luxurious but comfortable and it would be awesome if all slip-on sneakers came this way.

I’ve tried other similar slip-on sneakers, like the M.Gemi Cerchio (reviewed here) and the Rothy’s slip-on sneakers (reviewed here), but none can hold a candle to my Vince Blairs. The M.Gemi ones were too heavy and the Rothy’s are okay but just don’t feel as comfy as the Blairs and they’re also a tad heavier than the Blair.

I also wear my Blair sneakers out in light rain and it does fine (though this might not be true of the ones that are all leather on the outside as well. I think my pair has a synthetic gray material for the top). The elastic pieces make the shoe fitted but not too snug and the inner sole is padded just right so I can walk in them for hours. These have been my go-to shoe especially during the last 6 months of pregnancy because they’re so easy to slip on (no shoe-laces baby) and they have such a great grip so I feel safe walking around them in even the most slippery of situations.

Just like my last 100 wears post, I hope to write another review for these Blairs titled 200 wears later!

Weekend Update/Ramblings

Scene from last weekend’s baby shower, 20 days left till my due date!

In preparation for the baby and thus a decrease in my blog posts indefinitely, I’m writing up some posts ahead of time. I really just want to get a lot of these ideas and posts out before my mind becomes all consumed with all things baby. So to anticipate this maternity leave of sorts I’m going to be shifting my blog post schedule to Tuesday and Thursday (so just twice a week) with a Weekend post on Sundays so that it might be awhile before you get any radio silence on this blog. But I’m sure I’ll be posting snippets on Insta story still if you guys are interested in my life with baby.

Anyway I’ve been reading a lot of great things around the web lately, which I had planned to mention last weekend but I forgot. So here they all are for your viewing pleasure:

Grechen’s post about privilege is a good reminder that we “ethical style” bloggers are extremely privileged to be able to do what we do (to even have the mindspace to be able to think about what we think about and to have the financial security to buy what we want). In Hawaii, we say “If can, can; if no can, no can” lol and I think that applies to us here in that if we can buy better/go vegan/use less plastic we should but if you can’t, you just can’t and there’s no judgement for that. And those that can, need to do more than just buy their way to better. There needs to be action (which I’m still thinking about).

Luxe posted about some tough lessons learned while renting a car without personal auto insurance (but she had coverage through her Chase card). Being in Cali I’ve always had a car and thus car insurance so I never take the rental car insurance. But there’s plenty of good reminders on what to do when you are ever found with rental car damage.

I loved Leah’s truly honest and authentic post about her assumptions: “And so, as a white woman reared in an Evangelical Christian, politically conservative culture, I tend to share "aha" moments and theoretical explorations as they happen to me. I've talked about colonialism, Capitalism, privilege, Christian hypocrisy, ignorance, and humility with a framing that assumes that my reader needs to hear about those things, because, of course, *I* need to hear about those things. But I am now recognizing that my reader can be anyone at all. And sometimes my framing, while useful for an audience that is some iteration of "me," can read as trite to someone who has not only explored these questions in greater depth but may, in fact, have been born into a reality that has forced them to absorb and answer to these negative paradigms since birth. I apologize for assumptions that belittle those experiences.” Dang her writing is so good!

Andrea’s tips on keeping your white/light colored clothes clean looking is so great. I second her high opinion of the Oxiclean Maxforce gel stick and have used it consistently myself to get stains out.

I’m really liking the look of this tie-dye skirt and have even gone so far as to look up how to dye silk in order to try to do a DIY version of this using some Grana silk items I have. But realistically, I don’t think I have time for that.

I was very curious myself of the difference between the Alice & Whittles rain boots with Everlane’s rain boots so I was glad to see Karin do a comparison post of them here.

And finally I love Ceely’s Marvelous Woman Monday series, and this past week she featured an everyday hero who took action to help the homeless in her community.

Rothy's Giveaway Winner

via GIPHY

Happy Valentine’s Day you guys! Just wanted to announce the winner for the $200 Rothy’s gift card is Lisa A (you’ve been notified)!

As for me, I’m just taking a tour of labor and delivery later today and have been busy with a bunch of Kaiser baby classes so no post yesterday and no post tomorrow!

See you guys next week!

Gifted Everlane Items: Where Are They Now?

So I rarely see other bloggers talk about what happens to their gifted items. I guess we are supposed to assume that each piece that we raved about when we first got it, is still an amazing workhorse in our closet. But we all know that’s not true because that’s not true about most items that enter our wardrobe (gifted or not). Also I’m sure bloggers don’t want to look a gift-horse in the mouth (I had to look that idiom up to get it right and what an interesting phrase) and burn bridges with future sponsorship/gifts. Buuuut since I’m not looking for any sponsors or gifts this year I’m going to tell it to you straight: not all the gifts I got from Everlane were a winner. Here’s a list of things I was gifted and what were the winners and losers.

Winners

Everlane Easy Chinos (reviewed here): These were easily my favorite pair of pants from Everlane and I wore them a ton. They made it to my most worn items of 2018 list as well as lowest cost per wear Everlane list. Can’t wait to wear them again post pregnancy!

Polka dot shirt dress (reviewed here): I really love this dress and the cupro material, and the only reason why I stopped wearing it was because the baby bump was making it a tad too short. But again I plan to rock this once my body shrinks back to it’s normal size.

Renew lightweight puffer (reviewed here): This was my last gifted item from Everlane and I’m glad I was able to try it out. I love how lightweight it is but still keeps me warm. I can no longer zip it up currently but that hasn’t stopped me from wearing it layered over sweaters or with a scarf.

Losers

The Academy Blazer (reviewed here): As much as I wanted to love this blazer, I think I just have to admit I’m no longer a blazer-wearing person. Also the shorter style just isn’t as on trend or as cute as the oversized one. I sold this on eBay and kept the $65 to go towards my hospital bills (I was feeling a bit poor at the time so I sold a bunch of things to go towards the hospital bill).

Short Sleeve Popover Shirt (reviewed here): As much as I liked the shirt in theory, I ended up not wearing it as much as I had hoped. I think in the end it reminded me too much of my Episcopalian school uniform (from when I was in K-5) and I never felt stylish in it. Also the collar kept getting makeup on it which is a pet peeve. Also sold it on eBay.

Mixed Bag

Day Glove Flats (reviewed here): I think I was one of the very few people that didn’t love love these flats. Even in the review I disclosed the fact that I ended up selling these (and donated the sale money) due to the fact they gave me blisters. But every time I see a pair on Insta or on a blog I get a twinge of regret and wonder if I should’ve just slapped on some bandaids and worked harder to break them in. I’m debating on repurchasing these or possibly going for the original Martiniano Glove shoes that these are “inspired by.”

Form Bag (reviewed here): This was something I boldly asked Everlane for, without them asking me if I wanted anything that month. And I was super thrilled when they said yes. But I put it in this mixed bag category here because even though I still love it (love how it looks and how I can carry it), I find that I don’t wear it as often as I thought I would. It might be because I’m still sans baby so I can get away with carrying small bags (which I rather do since they’re lighter and don’t get in the way). I’m keeping it around since it’s a great mid-size bag and am hoping it would work as a minimal diaper bag.

What I have left

And I think that’s it. I was gifted about one item per month from about March to October, so a total of 7 items. I’m extremely grateful to have had this partnership, especially when I think about all the winner items I keep wearing on repeat (or will get to wear once baby comes). Currently I’m putting a hold on the partnership since I’m trying to decrease my clothing consumption and also because I don’t want to be buying things for my pregnant body, just in case I don’t wear them once my body settles back to its “regular” shape (in whatever form that’s going to be—I’m trying to keep expectations low lol). So I might hit them up later to see if they’d be interesting in partnering again, but if not that’s okay too. I’m just grateful for the things I did receive!

Weekend Update/Ramblings

If you have Amazon Prime, please do yourself a favor and watch Generation Wealth. It touched on so many topics revolving around how our society views money from the greed culture, porn culture, and the all-around misconception of money (and having more) being the end-all be-all. I’m going to watch it at least one more time because I feel like I haven’t fully absorbed it all yet. And then I’m going to go back to Eckhart Tolle’s New Earth to remember how to overcome that materialistic greed ego within me and to remind myself of what happiness really is (for me that starts with being present with gratitude).

Speaking of gratitude, I’m very grateful for a reader who emailed me this week making me aware of some of the negative self-talk about my body on this blog (e.g. when I say my short stubby legs). I’m pretty self-deprecating in nature and this kind of talk doesn’t really bother me (my legs are short, so what?) but I can see how it’s not healthy nor is it helpful. I do believe in dressing proportionately for my petite stature so I don’t like when clothes cut off at awkward places (like tops right at the hips or midi dresses right at the calves) but I should be aware it’s the clothing and not me. So I just want to apologize to all those who’ve noticed my negative self-talk because I really don’t have anything to complain about (I love my body just the way it is and for the miracles it can do—like make a human for goodness sake). And thanks to K for bringing this to my attention!

Rothy's $200 Giveaway {closed}

via

It’s that time again where I’ve accumulated enough Rothy credit to do another giveaway! My two pairs of Rothy’s (the original points and my newer sneakers) are both going strong so there’s no need for me to get more. So as a thank you to all my readers (and a happy Valentine’s day), I want to pass along the promo code! To enter the giveaway just fill out the form below (one entry per person please). Giveaway ends on Wednesday the 13th midnight and a winner will be announced on Valentine’s Day.

Hatch Maternity Review: Is it really worth it?

Hatch was one of those brands I heard about even before I got pregnant, so when I did get pregnant I decided I wanted to try them out to see what all the hype was about. But have you seen their prices?! Their tops range in the $100s while their bottoms and dresses are in the $200s. And I could not just see myself spending that much on maternity clothes, even if their slogan is For Before, During, and After. Who are we kidding, I won’t be wearing maternity clothes after the baby is born, I’m going to jump back into my Elizabeth Suzann Clydes and Everlane-everything-else. So The RealReal to the rescue (you can read about my TRR purchasing experience here). So by purchasing Hatch items secondhand on TRR, I was able to try out pants and 2 dresses for about $40-$60 apiece.

{Also I should note that I purchased and tried a pair of Hatch leggings that I reviewed (and compared to with Storq, PACT, and Target’s). You can read that review here. I got the Hatch leggings in a size 2 and found that it was a smidge too small for my third trimester body even if they were under the belly leggings and I’m usually a size medium.}

{Wearing: Hatch Nantucket Dress, Everlane Boss Mules (reviewed here), Celine soft cube bag (similar here, reviewed here)}

So I’m not even going to show you the pants because it was dang awful. The fit was bad, the material was bad, everything was bad. But I will show you the two dresses I tried on. First up the striped Nantucket Dress, which I kind of loved until I took outfit shots with it. I’m a bit too short for this dress and it makes my legs look stubby especially from the side and back because of the dipped back hem. Wearing heels would make this dress fit better proportionately but I’m not about to wear heels when pregnant. And since I didn’t love it, back this dress went. But the construction was really good and it was made from a very thick and sturdy 100% cotton material. This particular dress was made in New York and thus presumably made ethically (if following US law) though not all of Hatch’s current items are (more on this below).

The next dress I tried on was an older silk piece from when Hatch was an offshoot of the Hatch founder’s first line, TwoBirds. I’ve noticed that most of the offerings on Hatch currently are blended with plastic (polyester) which makes the garments cheaper to produce. But the prices are still quite high for garments blended with such “fillers”. Since shopping mostly ethical and slow fashion, I’ve really paid attention to fabric content and only buy clothes made of 100% natural fibers (cotton, silk, wool, etc.) since not only does that mean the garment is of a higher quality, but they are also fully biodegradable at the end of its life (100% natural fibers are also more expensive so you’re getting better bang for your buck). There are very few pieces in Hatch’s current collection that’s 100% silk so I jumped at the chance to try this very old Hatch piece from The RealReal.

I would say the silk quality here is pretty good, at about the same level as Cuyana’s silk items (but not as good as say Elizabeth Suzann’s silk). This item was also made in New York. But I’ve noticed that many pieces from Hatch’s current collection are no longer made in New York, and instead are made in China (so I don’t get why such the high prices like this dress, the one Meghan Markle wore). A polyester viscose dress made in China at most cost them around $30 to make (loosely based on Everlane’s transparent pricing of their triacetate dress here), so charging over $200 seems excessive.

Anyway I liked this silk dress for the interesting details of the sleeves and the quality of the silk even though the overall shape isn’t the most flattering. But layered with some of my other ethical pieces, I was able to transition it in a winter outfit below:

{Wearing: Grana cropped cashmere (sold out, similar), Hatch silk dress, PACT leggings (reviewed here), Vince Blair Sneakers (similar), Celine Soft Cube Bag (similar, reviewed here)}

So would I recommend Hatch clothing for expecting mothers? No, to me it’s not worth the price. Like I said before getting it secondhand makes it slightly more worth it, but I think there are other maternity clothes designers out there that produce better items at better prices (especially since Hatch is not necessarily producing their items in a social or environmentally responsible way—which you know is important to me). I think when you buy something from Hatch, you’re paying a lot for the brand name and not for the quality and design of the product. Stay tuned for another review of a maternity brand that I liked much better and found to be of a better value!

Have you guys tried Hatch and what did you think?