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her petite perspective

2021 Memorial Day Sale Roundup

May 30, 2021


 One of the best weekends of the year to shop - Memorial Day Weekend!

 There are so many good opportunities to save money this weekend, so if you've been looking to update your wardrobe you will definitely want to check out this list. I have done a roundup of the best sales from all of my favorite retailers + some of the items I got!


You can click on the photos to directly shop the items in each photo!


Abercrombie: 25% off select styles


Adidas: 30% off sitewide


Adore Me: buy 1 set, get 1 free (sale items)


Aerie: 25-60% off the Aerie Collection + $20 bikini tops & bottoms


American Eagle: 25-60% off select styles


buybuyBaby
: 50% off boys & girls clothing + 20% off select car seats, strollers, bassinets, diaper bags, swaddles, & furniture


Carters: 50% off entire store

Dolce Vita: up to 50% off summer styles + an extra 20% off sale

DSW: up to 50% off sandals 

Fabletics: 70% off sitewide when you become a VIP member (you will not regret signing up to be a VIP)

H&M: 20% off sitewide

Lululemon: select items on sale

Mint Julep Boutique: 30% off sitewide + up to 75% off select styles

NastyGal: 50-90% off everything

Old Navy: up to 50% off sitewide



Happy Shopping!


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My Everyday Makeup Routine

May 26, 2021

 My skin has changed so much since I got pregnant, which means I have had to switch up my everyday makeup routine. 


I used to be someone who only used matte foundations but lately, my skin has been loving a more hydrating and glowy formula and I can't leave the house without using a setting spray or it doesn't stay!


So here are the products I use daily to create a natural look that lasts.





1. Tula Brighten Up Smoothing Primer Gel

2. L'Oreal Infallible Pro-Glow 24HR Foundation - I wear shade 201 "classic ivory"
- this is the best foundation brush EVER

3. Tarte Shape Tape Concealer - I wear shade 16N "fair-light neutral"
- these are my favorite make sponges, I dampen them and use to blend my concealer

*I forgot to include this Tarte setting powder that I use on my under eyes and t-zone after applying concealer

4. Physicians Formula Butter Bronzer - I wear the shade "bronzer"

5. Catrice Sungasm Highlighter - gives the perfect natural sheen

6. Kylie Cosmetics Pressed Blush Powder - shade "close to perfect" is my fave

7. Maven Beauty Rose Water Setting Spray - this is a newer brand so it is kind of hard to get your hands on, I got mine in my BoxyCharm one month

8. NYX Brow Glue - the only brow gel that keeps my eyebrows in place

9. Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes 4-in-1 Mascara - my holy grail mascara!

10. Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipstick - I am loving the shade "pure Hollywood"


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My Current TBR + Anticipated Releases

May 23, 2021

 

My Current To-Be-Read List

1. The Last Flight by Julie Clark - This one has been on my list for so long. It was recommended by someone in a virtual book club that I am part of!

Summary from the back of the book: Claire Cook has a perfect life. Married to the scion of a political dynasty, with a Manhattan townhouse and a staff of ten, her surroundings are elegant, her days flawlessly choreographed, and her future auspicious. But behind closed doors, nothing is quite as it seems. That perfect husband has a temper that burns bright and he's not above using his staff to track Claire's every move.

What he doesn't know is that Claire has worked for months on a plan to vanish. A plan that takes her to the airport, poised to run from it all. But a chance meeting in the airport bar brings her together with a woman whose circumstances seem equally dire. Together they make a last-minute decision.

The two women switch tickets, with Claire taking Eva's flight to Oakland, and Eva traveling to Puerto Rico as Claire. They believe the swap will give each of them the head start they need to begin again somewhere far away. But when the flight to Puerto Rico crashes, Claire realizes it's no longer a head start but a new life. Cut off, out of options, with the news of her death about to explode in the media, Claire will assume Eva's identity, and along with it, the secrets Eva fought so hard to keep hidden.



2. I Found You by Lisa Jewell - I have always loved Lisa Jewell novels so I am excited to pick up one of her latest releases!

Summary from the back of the book: In the windswept British seaside town of Ridinghouse Bay, single mom Alice Lake finds a man sitting on a beach outside her house. He has no name, no jacket, and no idea how he got there. Against her better judgment, she invites him inside.
Meanwhile, in a suburb of London, newlywed Lily Monrose grows anxious when her husband fails to return home from work one night. Soon, she receives even worse news: according to the police, the man she married never even existed.
Twenty-three years earlier, Gray and Kirsty Ross are teenagers on a summer holiday with their parents. The annual trip to Ridinghouse Bay is uneventful until an enigmatic young man starts paying extra attention to Kirsty. Something about him makes Gray uncomfortable—and it’s not just because he’s a protective older brother.
Who is the man on the beach? Where is Lily’s missing husband? And whatever happened to the man who made such a lasting and disturbing impression on Gray?


3. The Missing by Kiersten Modglin - I honestly cannot remember how this came to be on my TBR, I'm guessing it's a booktok or bookstagram find, but I am excited about it!

Summary from the back of the book: When five strangers are abandoned on an island without any idea where they are or whom to trust, their nightmarish new reality begins to unfold.
Someone is lying.
Someone is hiding a terrible secret.
They'd all do anything to get home... Wouldn't they?
As the group struggles to uncover the truth about their mysterious whereabouts, only one thing is certain: every choice they make on the island will affect the others.
And when they uncover a strange note with a chilling revelation, the group begins to question everything they thought they knew. If they want to make it off the island alive, they'll have to discover who brought them there and why...before it's too late.


4. My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing - Another one that has been on my list for way too long, I have even tried to start this book but the I remember getting kind of bored. Well, I recently re-read the plot and am determined to read it now because it sounds so intriguing!

Summary from the back of the book: Our love story is simple. I met a gorgeous woman. We fell in love. We had kids. We moved to the suburbs. We told each other our biggest dreams and our darkest secrets. And then we got bored.
We look like a normal couple. We're your neighbors, the parents of your kid's friend, the acquaintances you keep meaning to get dinner with.
We all have our secrets to keeping a marriage alive.
Ours just happens to be getting away with murder


5. Her Three Lives by Cate Holahan - This book was recommended by one of my favorite bookstagram accounts @crimebythebook, check out her amazing page!

Summary from the back of the book:  Jade Thompson has it all. She’s an up-and-coming social media influencer, and she has a beautiful new home and a successful architect for a fiancĂ©. But there’s trouble behind the scenes. To Greg’s children, his divorce from their mother and his new life can only mean a big mid-life crisis. To Jade, his suburban Connecticut upbringing isn’t an easy match with her Caribbean roots.
  Her private life - A savage home invasion leaves Greg house-bound with a traumatic brain injury and glued to the live feeds from his ubiquitous security cameras. As the police investigate the crime and Greg’s frustration and rage grows, Jade begins to wonder what he may know about their attackers. And whether they are coming back.
  Her secret life - As Greg watches Jade’s comings and goings, he becomes convinced that her behavior is suspicious and that she’s hiding a big secret.  The more he sees, the more he wonders whether the break-in was really a random burglary. And whether he’s worth more to Jade if he were dead than alive.


6. Am I Guilty by Jackie Kabler - I found this read by browsing the kindle unlimited section and the plot drew me in immediately!

Summary from the back of the book: One moment I had it all – a gorgeous husband, a beautiful home, a fulfilling career, and two adorable children. The next, everything came crashing down around me. 

They said it was my fault. They said I’m the worst mother in the world. And even though I can’t remember what happened that day, they wouldn’t lie to me. These are my friends, my family, people I trust.
But then why do I have this creeping sensation that something is wrong? Why do I feel like people are keeping secrets? Am I really as guilty as they say? And if I’m not, what will happen when the truth comes out…?



Anticipated Releases


1. The Maidens by Alex Michaelides - release date: 6/15/2021
 
2. Hostage by Clare Mackintosh - release date: 6/22/2021

3. 56 Days by Catherine Ryan Howard - release date: 8/17/2021


What's on your current TBR list!?


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How To Throw A Virtual/Drive-By Baby Shower

May 18, 2021







Pandemic aside, there are so many reasons why a virtual and/or "drive-by" baby shower might be the best option for you as an expecting Mama. The reason I had one is that here in Germany COVID restrictions were still super tight at the time, meaning no more than five friends were able to gather.  But it was also great because my family and friends living back in the US were also able to participate! This is a great option to consider, even post-pandemic if you live far from family and friends. Not only that, it was much more cost-friendly. 


So here is a brief rundown of how my shower went...


We started by making a virtual baby shower page on Facebook. This was a great way for me to make sure everyone was aware of the event and how it would work! A month out from the shower we invited friends and family both in the US and Germany. We posted our online registry on the page, which allowed anyone from afar to send gifts that would arrive in time for the virtual shower. We set a time for a live stream so that they knew they could still watch me open the gifts they sent. We let friends located in Germany know that the shower would be "drive-by" and then they too could watch me open the gifts they dropped off via the live stream.


On the day of the shower, we set an hour-long "drive-by" time. I and three close friends (two helping hands and a photographer) stationed ourselves outside to await the quick fleet of guests. Friends were able to drive up, drop their gifts, snap a picture with me for memories, and leave with a sweet favor in hand. After the hour, we restationed ourselves inside and 30-minutes later began the live stream of opening gifts. Friends and family were able to tune in live and leave comments while watching my excitement in real-time. Even better, those that were not able to watch at the time were able to go back later and watch my live reaction to the gift they sent!



So, what do you need for your Virtual/Drive-By Baby Shower?


1. A virtual landing page & online registry - this is the best way to keep everyone in the know + where you will host the live stream for the virtual portion.

2. A good location - a home with good street space or somewhere with a clear parking lot.

3. A gift table - One of three main components to the drive-by part is having somewhere for your guests to drop their gifts.

4. A photo backdrop & photographer - component 2/3. This was super important for me because even though I was not able to have a "traditional" baby shower, I still wanted the memories of one. 

5. A favor - The final component for the drive-by portion, something simple to send your guests away with to thank them for dropping by!

6. A tripod - The easiest way to ensure a smooth video live stream for your faraway guests.

7. Helpful "hosts" - although much less work than an all-out baby shower, I would not have been able to do it without the three incredible friends that helped me!



This innovative baby shower allowed Baby and I to still be showered in love from friends and family all over! It was such a great way to celebrate this big life change, despite obstacles like the pandemic and distance. I am so so thankful for everyone who drove by and sent gifts from afar. We truly felt so so loved!!


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2nd Trimester Bumpdate

May 15, 2021


14 weeks

18 weeks

we are having a boy!!!

21 weeks

23 weeks

24 weeks

27 weeks
 

As I sit writing this post I am almost 32 weeks pregnant (what!?!?) But we are here to talk about the second trimester which is weeks 14 through 28. So much happened in the second trimester that I am not even sure where to begin. SO many body changes, new symptoms, plus we found out the gender! 


Although it took a little longer than I thought, my nausea and intense food aversions finally went away and I was able to enjoy food again! I definitely started having cravings but nothing weird (no pb and pickles here). I craved (and still do) mozzarella sticks and sour candy a lot. To the point where I was getting mozzarella sticks from a restaurant on base almost every weekday!


I was able to pick up working out again. Although this was really hard at first (I worked out maybe 5 times my entire first trimester) I knew it would be good for my body and I would be thankful for it during labor and my postpartum recovery. I am so thankful to have worked with a company called Expecting and Empowered. They offer workout guides specifically for each trimester and postpartum as well. I will link their page here and you can use my code "KAYLA10" to get $10 off any of their guides! 


The biggest symptoms for me have been headaches, heartburn, and general discomfort. I would say the heartburn has been the most prominent and most annoying to deal with. Before pregnancy, I had never experienced heartburn, so it was a very weird feeling the first few times I got it, and it actually took me a bit to realize what it was. Needless to say, TUMS have been my BFF since I figured it out. 


One thing I did during the second trimester that I would recommend to literally everyone is taking a birthing class. A family member gifted me with doula services including a three-part birthing class where she walked me through every nitty-gritty detail of birth such as early labor signs, vocabulary, emergency interventions, post-partum care and so so so much more. As someone who does an insane amount of research, I thought I was fairly well prepared, but now I truly feel educated and ready for labor and birth. 


My 2nd Trimester Must-Have Items

1. Palmers Tummy Butter - It was the first pregnancy item I bought and I have been loving it!

2. Pregnancy Pillow - I mentioned this in my first-trimester bumpdate but truly I cannot sleep without this pillow.

3. Hydroflask - I have a hard time remembering to drink enough water (even pre-pregnancy), keeping this with me at all times has really helped!

4. Calvin Klein bra - this is the most comfortable bra I have ever owned and it is literally the only one I wear to support the growing sisters.

5. Fabletics Maternity Leggings - I really struggled to find maternity leggings that fit my petite frame. I have truly only grown in my belly so every pair of maternity leggings I found were too big and very unflattering. These offer the best fit and all the coverage! They pull all the way over my growing belly and do not sag in the booty. I wear my normal Fabletics size XXS.


I cannot believe that soon I will be sharing my last trimester bumpdate and welcoming my SON into this world. I am so excited I can hardly stand it!


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      • How To Throw A Virtual/Drive-By Baby Shower
      • 2nd Trimester Bumpdate
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