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The weather is lovely in LA this time of year, and the heavy rains earlier this spring have revitalized our green spaces for the first time in several years. It’s beautiful to see, and it makes certain little alcoves of the city into nature escapes. Griffith Park’s been looking especially inviting lately, so we thought it was time for Asher’s first trip to the zoo!
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Hi friends! Missed y’all. I’m getting back into the blogging swing of things, and wanted to share Asher’s birth story and the baby announcement cards we sent our beloveds with all y’all.
No one ever said momming was easy. Yet motherhood is something I’ve been drawn to my entire life, and frankly a little desperate for over the last few years. I have to admit, though, as baby’s arrival is impending, I’ve found my anxiety starting to get the best of me. I recognize it’s hormones and hysteria, so I’ve been doing my best to manage the panic in a handful of different ways.
Coming to y’all with a little beauty roundup today! I’ve shared these items over on my instagram a bunch, especially in stories, but wanted to take a minute and chat about them over here on the blog. I’ve been ripping and roaring through beauty products during my pregnancy- the piles in our bathroom are out of control- and these are some of the ones I keep steady in the rotation.
When I got pregnant, I immediately started stressing about stretch marks. My hips and booty are covered in faded ones (I used to yo-yo thirty pounds or so in college, and it was tough on my body) and I knew my skin was predisposed to them. So from early on, I’ve been obsessive about lubricating my skin for the inevitable stretch. I tried a bunch of different lotions and belly balms, cocoa butter, shea butter, coconut oil, bio-oil, and this belly oil from Hatch was a serious winner.
It hydrates incredibly but absorbs fast, so I didn’t leave greasy spots on my clothes (that was the issue with bio-oil, which I’ve always loved and used to fade my old stretch marks). It’s made with sweet almond and jojoba oils, packed with calendula and other botanicals. I enjoyed the pretty, as well as functional bottle, and it’s generously sized to last an entire pregnancy- I’ve used it twice a day since about ten weeks and am just now 2/3s way through. And most importantly- it works. I’ve made it to 35 weeks and nearly triple my previous waist measurement without any new stretch marks so far. I’m probably jinxing myself by saying that, but this stuff is really impressive.
Every natural deodorant someone has raved about, I’ve tried. And every single one broke me out in itchy, painful, hives (I’m pretty sure it’s the baking soda that does it to me). But this Kopari coconut oil deodorant changes that game for me. It’s gentle and moisturizing, prettily scented but not cloying l, and does a great job of keeping my hormonal stinkiness at bay, even in the crazy melting heat we’ve been having.
Speaking of that heat- it’s been tag teaming with hormones to make my skin crazytown. It’s been oily with dry peely patches, and generally troublesome. I’ve been using this Son and Park beauty water as a second toner after P50, and I really like the soothing hydration and light feeling. When I really love most is for an afternoon refresh though- a few swipes with a cotton pad gets rid of the greasies and the grime.
I’ve been a longtime facial oil fan, and this deeply clarifying face oil from Uma Oils is my holy grail. Clove, tea tree, juniper, lavender, clary sage and geranium oils, among others, employ the wisdom of Ayurvedic principles to balance congested skin. It’s amazing. It soothes and heals, combats blemishes and moisturizes. I’ve seen a serious difference in my skin since I added this to my regimen- breakouts are rare, and tiny (just a clogged pore or two) rather than disastrous to my complexion.
I keep a few sleeping masks on my nightstand, and have been using this Sound Sleep Cocoon from Dermalogica lots lately. Not only does it seal in my nighttime routine and pamper my skin overnight, it feels super soothing. And since I’ve been wrestling with pregnancy insomnia, the French lavender, patchouli and sandalwood oils that help bring on restful sleep are especially welcome.
And of course, you don’t need to be pregnant to use and enjoy the benefits of these products… they’ve just been working exceptionally well for me during this time!
Xoxo Ravayna
Black is supposed to be slimming, but I don’t think that really matters when you’re hugely pregnant. I’ve been living in and loving black maternity jumpsuits for most of my pregnancy, and to be honest I have a few similar ones I’ve been wearing over and over and over again. Shameless outfit repeater, right here.
I’m still pinching myself over our amazing trip to Europe. Two and a half weeks in Paris and Barcelona was the babymoon of my dreams, and I feel so lucky that we were able to fit it in to our crazy spring schedule. (And I do mean crazy- we came home just in time to start unpacking before David’s ankle reconstruction surgery!)
Before I get into recapping our trip, I wanted to share a bit about our flight (we flew on Norwegian Air’s aptly named new Dreamliner, and it was so SO nice) and the in-flight habits i rely on to make long-haul travel just a little easier.
This post is part of a paid sponsorship with Ferring Pharmaceuticals, but this journey, story, and all opinions are my own.
As I shared, David and I are OVERJOYED to be expecting our first child. This pregnancy has been dreamt of, wished for, and frankly, pursued with persistence. I’m normally pretty emotional, but each moment of joy, whether getting that first positive test, seeing the little blob on an early ultrasound, telling a friend or family member, manages to bring me to tears. You see, for a long time we thought adoption would be our path to a family, that I’d be unable to have children naturally, so every pregnancy milestone celebration is exceptionally sweet, an experience I never thought I’d get to have myself. Grab a cup of tea or wine, this story starts a long time ago.
So the cat’s out of the bag, and the secret David and I have been keeping is revealed… come this fall, baby will make three!
We are so excited to finally be expanding our family, and it feels surreal to be into my 2nd trimester. I wanted to take a minute and share a bit, give y’all a pregnancy update.
