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Floradise

A lifestyle blog by Marette Flora

Pregnancy Update

 

Pregnancy Update

I’m finding that people are correct in calling the second trimester the honeymoon period. I am feeling re-energized in Week 19 of my pregnancy and I don’t really have many symptoms bad enough to complain about!

I was not sure how to go about sharing a pregnancy update, so I went ahead and filmed the pregnancy tag video that floats around YouTube. I skipped a few but here are the questions I answered:

  • How many months pregnant are you?
  •  How did your family react to the news?
  • Do you know the sex of the baby?
  • Do you want more children?
  • What’s been your biggest craving?
  • What’s been the best part of being pregnant?
  • What’s been the worst part of being pregnant?
  • Do you have any names picked out?
  • Who will be with you during labor?
  • Do you have a birth plan?
  • Natural or medicated birth?
  • Will you breastfeed?
  • Do you plan to work or be a stay at home mom?
  • Do you have any nursery ideas/themes?

 

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Fitness Favorites and Ways to Find Low-Cost Workouts

Lately I’ve been all about finding ways to sweat at home, whether it’s trying a workout I found on YouTube or practicing yoga on my own when I can’t make it to class. Life has been crazy lately, which means running has taken a backseat. My most recent long run was almost 12 miles a couple of weeks ago, and it will likely be my last major distance for a while. My plan is to instead focus strength training and yoga, and to be kinder to my body.

My current fitness favorites:

Whitney Simmons’ YouTube channel: I like that her videos are short and sweet, and she often shares workouts that can be done at home. I appreciate at-home workouts for days when I can’t make it to the gym during child care hours or days when I just don’t feel like running but want to sweat a bit.

Resistance bands: I bought these because I’ve been doing the workouts on Whitney Simmons’ channel. She often incorporates these into her training. I bought the red and purple bands, but I have been mostly using the red. I underestimated the resistance and probably didn’t need the purple yet. I like that they enhance simple movements such as squats and lunges.

90 Degree by Reflex clothing: I recently became an ambassador for 90 Degree by Reflex, which means I was provided complimentary outfits. I already owned some yoga leggings, but I was excited to try more of their athletic clothing. It came at a perfect time, because I want to transition into focusing on yoga over running in the months ahead.

Carb Boom! Energy Gels: I first used these energy gels to train for the Chicago Marathon in 2016. I loved that they taste so much better than other gels I used to purchase. They never upset my stomach, a major win! They don’t contain artificial sweeteners or flavors and are made from real fruit purees/concentrates. My favorite flavors: Grape Pomegranate, Raspberry and Strawberry Kiwi. I stay away from the Banana Peach, Vanilla Orange and Apple Cinnamon because those flavors tend to gross me out during runs. I prefer fruity flavors. I typically order a sampler pack; you can select your flavors. While I won’t be running long distances much, I wanted to mention these because they have helped me through multiple rounds of half-marathon and marathon training.

Sources of free or low-cost workouts:

I love finding workouts for free or at a lower cost, especially now that I often have to pay for child care to work out. I find that in a city like Chicago it’s easy to find free classes or events.

Some methods I’ve used to find free/affordable workouts:

  • Many fitness YouTubers include their workouts in the description bar or on their Instagram captions. I screenshot them and see if I can do any of them at home.
  • Search for free community yoga classes in your area. Many studios offer at least a free class per month or week. Other studios offer a pay-what-you-can class each week. I recently bought a Groupon for a yoga package at a nice discount.
  • Other fitness studios also offer a free first class. Search EventBrite or Facebook events for free fitness classes. On EventBrite, enter your location and fitness (or bootcamp, running, yoga, etc.) in the description and then narrow results by Price (Free vs. Paid).
  • Search Pinterest for at-home workout ideas.
  • Join a running group for meetups or track workouts.

What’s your favorite workout right now?

July Goals

If you read yesterday’s post, you know how I am always go, go, go nowadays. I’m not complaining — I’d rather be pulled in many directions and be able to stay home with V than have to leave her at day care in order to work. I love spending my days with her and I know they will eventually come to an end when she begins school. I’m savoring this time with her now. With that said, some days I feel like I can’t keep up with life and time. How can it possibly be July tomorrow? How?! Setting goals is a way for me to make a game plan and try to stay on track when it feels like life is barreling past me. Today I’m sharing my July goals, but first let’s check in on my  June goals:

Family:


Fitness:

  • Start half-marathon group training with my coaches on June 28. I had a work trip so I have to start group training next week. I plan to run on my own though.
  • Film a yoga video. I filmed one but didn’t post it. I plan to re-film it this month. 
  • Attend two yoga classes in the studio/local park/garden. I didn’t make it to any classes.

Career/blog:
Travel:

  • Decide on the dates and destination of our winter family trip. We finally booked our winter vacation! We went back and forth on destinations for many reasons, but I’ll share more on that later.
  • Add to our travel fund. Done. I also plan to set aside part of my work bonus for travel, as i always do. 

July goals:



Family: 

  • Finalize plans for our Canada trip.
  • Go on a date night.
  • Plan activities for my nephew’s upcoming Chicago visit.
Fitness:
  • Start marathon training. Run at least 25 miles this month.
  • Go to two yoga classes.
  • Film a yoga video.
Blog/Career:

  • Surpass June’s sponsored/freelance income. 
  • Film five YouTube videos.
  • Post consistently on my blog and social media.
Travel:
  • Find accommodations for our winter trip.
  • Explore two new places/activities in Chicago.
  • Add to travel fund.

What are your July goals? What did you learn or accomplish in June?

Updated: A Day in the Life

I recently realized that the last day in the life post I wrote was before Victoria came to live with us. Our lives have completely changed since then! The adoption is official and she has grown so much in just a short amount of time. Today I’m sharing a typical day in my life as a work-from-home editor and mom. However, it’s hard to say what a typical day is because the order of the tasks I do in the morning changes. Some days I don’t have time to water the plants until lunch or after work. Some days I wake up late if Victoria doesn’t wake me up at her usual time. (She’s pretty much my alarm clock now.) Some days will be completely thrown off for random reasons.

But here’s how a typical day goes:

6:30 or 7 a.m.: Victoria crawls into my bed and wakes me up. (Graham is already at work.)

7:10 a.m. She will cuddle with me for about 5-10 minutes max. I get dressed, give her a banana or apple, and head to the bathroom for skin care, teeth brushing, cleaning my Invisalign trays, etc. I come back and make the bed.
7:15-7:25: Make breakfast and coffee. I rinse off any dishes in the sink to prepare for the dishwasher. Victoria likes to help me with this if she is not preoccupied with her coloring book and/or toys. 
7:25-7:45: Eat breakfast. If I make eggs Victoria will most definitely want some. 
7:45-8:15: Participate in blogger group threads and share my new blog post while Victoria plays. I also work on freelance tasks.
8:15-9: Victoria’s bath, teeth brushing and play time. I dress her and give her some watermelon, her favorite snack at the moment. 
9:-9:15: At some point I might start a load of laundry. I also start turning on my work computer. I water the plants and Victoria likes to help.
9:30: Work begins. I let Victoria watch the Sprout channel for a little bit. Victoria often also starts a puzzle and sporadically works on it in between playing with other toys. I tend to take mini breaks throughout the day to help her with puzzles, read or give her snacks. She also likes to ride her bike around the house wearing her helmet. It’s super cute.
12: Lunch time. I prepare both our lunches and if not already done, wash any dishes or clear the dishwasher.

1: Victoria naps and I work more.

2:45: Graham comes home from work. (His schedule varies, so some days he comes home later.) This is when he mostly takes over so I can get my work done and attend any phone meetings I have planned. He might take V to the park to ride her bike, give her a snack, hang out on the patio, watch a movie/show with her, or just play inside.

At some point I have a snack and more caffeine, if needed.

6:00-6:30: Finish work and start prepping dinner. (I might put something in the oven to finish up while I complete my day. Or on some days Graham might start dinner.) Sometimes I can’t start dinner until after 6:30.

After work: Dinner as a family. We might walk to the beach on nicer days. I will soon have group half-marathon training one night a week, but I should be home in time for a later dinner together. Graham will make dinner on those days, if he is not working.

8:15-8:30: Start getting V ready for bed. We help her put her toys away, brush her teeth, change into pajamas, etc. I also read her a book and she goes to sleep. (If I am still on my way home from class/event/obligation, Graham does this, but she usually wakes up when I come home, so I will have to put her back in bed and read her a story.)

9-10:30 or 11: WHATEVER I/WE WANT! Graham and I finally have time alone together. I have been running on the treadmill frequently if I don’t get a workout previously. On some nights he is especially tired and might go to sleep early, so I will do one or two of these: Watch my guilty-pleasure reality shows, wear a face mask, watch YouTube videos, take an epsom salt bath, or finish up any blogging or freelance tasks I have left if I am not completely exhausted. If he’s awake, Graham and I will hang out, talk about our life/plans and/or watch something together. We’ve been loving “Master of None” lately.

And that’s my typical weekday.

What does a typical day look like for you?

June Goals & a Lesson from May

I blinked and it suddenly became June. May was full of celebrations but also challenges. The overall lesson for May was invest in yourself: in time for myself, in career and personal growth, and what my body and mind need. I learned this lesson by neglecting myself on many occasions in the previous months. I put my fitness and career goals on hold and it was beginning to affect my outlook on life. I had to make a change, so I finally allowed myself to invest in what I needed. I signed up for the photography class I had been putting off, I searched for backup babysitters to give myself the help I need, I bought the equipment I needed to pursue my passions, and I invested in group half-marathon training to set myself up for success in my next race. I am now feeling inspired heading into June — motivation is something I have been lacking this year. I’m excited to share my June goals in hopes of inspiring your own and starting a conversation about how you plan to invest in yourself as well this month.

First, let’s check in on my May goals:

  • Plan something to do as a family for Victoria’s birthday. We spent that weekend at our neighborhood park and beach. The weather was gorgeous, so we flew a kite, devoured our snacks, and let Victoria ride her new balance bike. It was a perfect weekend for her birthday, our adoption hearing and my first Mother’s Day. (Let me know if you’d like to see a post on our adoption story. I posted a short update on our adoption day, but I removed it because I wanted to do a better-quality post with more of a story to tell.)
  • Check out at least two area preschools and day care centers. I didn’t do this, but I did interview babysitters.
Fitness:
  • Finish half-marathon training. If you read my recent update on half-marathon training, you’d know why I decided to defer my race entry and start over. It was a tough decision, but it was the right one for me at the time. I learned a lot about what I can better in my next training, which starts later in June.
  • Attend at least two studio yoga classes. Victoria and I attended a mom and toddler yoga class at a local studio. Other than that I practiced yoga on my own last month.

Career/blog:

  • Match March’s freelance income or surpass it. I surpassed March’s freelance income by about $100, which I am proud to say. I planned to do more work but I forgot my laptop charger during our recent trip to Louisville, so I wasn’t able to write more on our drive back to Chicago.
  • Update my blog pages. I updated my header with labels on specific topics that are frequently discussed on Floradise. I will be updating these in the coming months to make posts easier to find.
  • Film at least four YouTube videos. I shared footage from our GoPro, which was found underwater off a Costa Rica beach recently. Would you like to read a post on this story? I also shared our family adventures and our adoption day. Please subscribe!

June goals:


Family:

  • Plan a camping/cabin trip as a family.
  • Go on a date night.
  • Plan a fun activity for Father’s Day.
  • Plan a mom’s day out. 

Fitness:

  • Start half-marathon group training with my coaches on June 28.
  • Film a yoga video.
  • Attend two yoga classes in the studio/local park/garden.

Career/blog:
  • Complete my photography class. 
  • Match or surpass May’s freelance income.
  • Film at least five YouTube videos.
Travel:

  • Decide on the dates and destination of our winter family trip.
  • Add to our travel fund.

What are your June goals? What posts would you like to see on Floradise? In what ways are you investing in yourself?

May’s videos:


May Goals

I never quite know how to begin goals posts without sounding like a broken record by saying “How is it already May?!” I feel like just yesterday it was January 1 and I was setting all sorts of goals for the year. Now it’s somehow time to set May goals and I am wondering how I’ll ever keep up with life. Setting and sharing monthly goals is a way for me to stay accountable and see what works and what doesn’t work. I have learned this year that I tend to take on too much and I need to give myself a break. With that in mind, these are my May goals:

Family:

  • Plan something to do as a family for Victoria’s birthday.
  • Check out at least two area preschools and day care centers. 
Fitness:
  • Finish half-marathon training.
  • Attend at least two studio yoga classes.

Career/blog:

And now let’s check in on April goals:

Family:

Fitness:
  • Ramp up half-marathon training.  Yes and no. I got back on track, but I missed my 8 miler over the weekend because I was nonstop prepping for family celebrations. I plan to complete it this week.
  • Attend four yoga classes. I practiced more at home, but I didn’t make it to four studio classes.
Career/blog: 

  • Match March’s freelance writing income (or surpass it). No. I waited all month for the next batch of work to arrive, so I didn’t meet my goal, but I plan to make this up in May.
  • Make blog updates. I started but I have a lot more work to do.
  • Film at least four YouTube videos.  I posted quite a few videos this month. Please subscribe!
What are your May goals?

More Products YouTube Made Me Buy

 

Five more types of products I purchased because of YouTube videos. (I have various shades of the polish and eyeshadows.)



** This post contains affiliate links.

I recently shared five products I was inspired to buy after watching YouTube videos. Welp, there’s more than just five products on the list of beauty products YouTubers made me buy influenced me to buy. Today I’m sharing Round 2. Luckily, these are all affordable products! Bonus: These are all cruelty-free brands.

Despite purchasing all of these products, my makeup collection is fairly small. I bought a lot of these products to replace non-cruelty-free items. (I am still using up some of my non-cruelty-free items before I replace them with those not tested on animals, because I don’t want to waste products either. I also recently donated gently used and sanitized products to a women’s shelter.)

Five more items I bought:

  • Makeup Geek shadows: I had never even heard of this brand before watching beauty gurus on YouTube. I liked the affordability and pigmentation I saw in videos, so I decided to give these a shot. While I like them, I notice some of the foiled shadows come apart easily. (I have broken a couple of these eyeshadow pans.) The mattes are nice, though, and Coco Bear is my favorite shade.
  • Wet n Wild Megaglo Contouring Palette: I wanted to try contouring, but I didn’t know where to start. I heard in multiple videos that this is a great starter palette, and they were so right! It’s also super affordable. I used up a whole palette and was sent a new one as a free gift with a recent foundation purchase (below). Score!
  • Wet n Wild Photofocus Foundation (Desert Beige): I loooove this foundation; it’s the only one I use right now. It’s my perfect shade, too. I like the vast shade range in this collection, and it looks great on my skin. I would say it’s natural coverage, which is why I like it for everyday use. If you have oily skin you might not enjoy that it stays slightly dewy. I don’t love the scent but I can look past it for $5.99.
  • KL polish in Gumption, Snickerdoodle and Dass Esspensive: These are cruelty-free as well as free of harsh ingredients. Also, this formula lasts longer on my nails than other brands I had been using. I like the polishes, though you can only order them online. (Dass Esspensive is beautiful but it’s sold out on KL Polish’s website.)
  • Milani Retouch and Erase Light-Lifting Concealer: Many YouTubers have been talking about the Milani products that were released recently, including this concealer. I decided to replace my empty Too Faced concealer with this, but I got a shade that is a bit too light for me, so I still need to try it in my correct shade. On first impression, I think I would like more coverage.
Note: Products are cruelty-free to the best of my knowledge. You should always conduct your own research if you’re interested in becoming cruelty-free.

What are your favorite products right now?

Shop some of the products**

 

 

Related posts:

Vacation beauty empties
July beauty favorites
5 beauty products YouTube made me buy

 

5 Beauty Products YouTube Made Me Buy

 

** This post contains affiliate links. I am compensated for purchases through these links at no additional cost to you. Sites may use cookies. 
5 Beauty Products YouTube Made Me Buy

This post was inspired by the popular tag on YouTube about products YouTubers made us all buy. These are just five of the makeup products I wanted to buy after hearing rave reviews about them on YouTube. Of course, there are countless makeup products I’ve heard about that sound amazing, but when it comes to beauty products, I stick to cruelty-free and mostly affordable. Check out some of the makeup I was compelled to buy and what I think about each:

  • Wet ‘n Wild Megalast Liquid Catsuit Lipstick ($4.99): I recently saw several YouTubers rave about these affordable liquid lipsticks while searching for new lip colors to wear. I have a recent goal of wearing lipstick more often, and these seemed like a great option. I invested in a few shades and so far I love them. They last a decent amount of time on the lips and they are easy to apply.
  • Milani Luminoso blush (about $8): Jaclyn Hill, Kathleen Lights and many others have called this blush a favorite  and I can see why. First, the packaging is lovely. It also applies nicely and looks good on a variety of skin tones. It is my go-to blush.
  • Milani Make It Last Setting Spray (about $10): This is a recent purchase, so I don’t have too many thoughts on it yet besides it smells nice and the spray isn’t too forceful.
  • Physicians Formula Butter Bronzer (about $13): I bought this because of Kathleen Lights, but I purchased it online before swatching it. Had I tried it in person I would have seen that it’s a bit too light for me most of the year. I am able to use it when my tan has faded, though. It smells like a tropical paradise, as I’m sure you’ve heard, and the packaging is cute.
  • Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance eyeshadow palette ($42): Pretty much every single YouTuber I’ve ever watched has given this palette positive reviews. I kept seeing it and admiring the beautiful shades, so I added it to my Christmas wish list and Santa brought it to me! I used it exclusively during a recent vacation and loved how I could do a variety of looks with the eyeshadows. The packaging gets easily dirty, but it’s still lovely.


Have you purchased anything specifically because you heard about it from a YouTuber? What was it and what did you think?

Shop the products**

 

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