Long time, no talk! I haven’t done one of these posts in a good while so I thought it was time for a little update.

Up first, some good things I’ve eaten lately:

This brunch at Cora:

Our Valentine’s Day dinner in:

(I used our favourite marinade for the chicken and shrimp. Have you tried it yet?)

Approximately 57 cupcakes from Sinfully Sweet:

I just discovered this place and have already been there more times than I care to admit.

P.S. Can you tell my appetite is back?

Best book I’ve read lately: All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood. This book is not for the faint of heart. It details the love story of a young girl and a much older man but the writing is very heartwarming and compelling.

Between pregnancy and winter, my skin has been freaking out for months now. I’ve been trying some natural solutions and getting into a new routine with my skin care. My skin is super dry and sensitive while also breaking out constantly, which is frustrating. At night I’ve been using grapeseed oil under my night cream and the Body Shop Aloe Mask on extra dry spots. My Burt’s Bees Herbal Blemish Stick has been a godsend and I’ve almost completely used mine up; time to repurchase! I’ve also discovered a new face mask that isn’t in the Think Dirty database yet but it is formulated without parabens, paraffins, silicone or mineral oils so I feel pretty confident using it. A good mask with cleaner ingredients has been super hard to find and I am LOVING this one. I use this once a week and always notice a huge difference in my skin afterwards. Another product that’s been saving me is the Josie Maran Vibrancy Foundation with argan oil. I mentioned this last spring when I used it for my wedding makeup. I loved it in warmer weather but in cold weather it’s even better. Not only is it a foundation, but the argan oil acts as a skin treatment too. It gives a great glow and isn’t cake-y or heavy. This one is also not in the Think Dirty database yet but again, finding a good clean-ish foundation has been tough. This one is free of parabens and synthetic fragrance which are the two big things I’ve been avoiding.

In the pregnancy world: I have a long and detailed second trimester post in the works but in short, I’ve been feeling awesome. I just hit 6 months and we start pre-natal classes soon. I’ve also been doing a crap ton of baby product research and I’m completely overwhelmed. Tell me about all your fave products, mamas!

I’ve recently done a bit of a Facebook cleanse and I have noticed a big shift in my mood, plus an increase in free time for things that actually contribute positively to my life. I felt I was relying on my phone too much and I’m so happy with how I’ve felt since unplugging more often. I plan to share more on this soon. I’ve also started watching a TED Talk when I first wake up in the mornings instead of mindless internet scrolling. I’d love to hear your recommendations, if you have any.

Things I want to do soon:

• See La La Land in the theatre.
• Start checking things off our baby to-do list.
• Take a fun class or workshop of some sort.

What have you been up to?