I’ve spent the better part of my twenties projecting an image of the person I wanted to be on Closet Therapy. (I want to buy this! I’ve joined bar method and will work out 5x a week!) That’s not to say I wasn’t being myself, but I always had a sense of disconnect with my ‘CT’ persona, probably because I’ve placed such a strong filter to hide my personal life. That made for awkward moments when I actually ran into readers in real life. Especially on one particular day when I posted a Wearing Today and immediately changed back into a t-shirt and sweats to go run errands. :P

I’ll never have the quintessential fashion blogger’s life: wearing a skirt and heels to go to the corner liquor store, pausing for a moment in the parking lot to snap pictures. Or, spending hours on perfectly shaped lemon bars to eat with my blood orange mimosa. Nope, I work 40-50 hours a week, have a 2 hour commute and have just enough time in the evenings to feed, bathe and kiss a chubby little baby good night. And I love it. And I’ve decided, these are the moments and stories I want to document and share. My interests haven’t changed, you’ll still see a lot about fashion, style, beauty (and food!), but I think it’s time for some me time.

I know I’ll lose a few of you who are uninterested in the inevitable mommyhood posts to come, but I’m hoping that I’ll gain a lot more too. Who knew the comments section of my blog would be the most valuable place for me to learn tips from some of the most encouraging women out there. So please come follow me at my new blog, sheenn.com.

Sheena

Surprisingly, these are stiffly constructed which remind me of actual toe shoes. This makes it a tough fit for people with wide, narrow or bony feet. Also they do run a little large so if you’re thinking of ordering some for yourself online, definitely round down in sizing. $74, (Toms.com)

In preparation for today’s return to work, I spent the weekend at the local mall picking up a few work basics. Unfortunately, at my “local mall” Forever21 and GAP are as fashionable as it gets. It took me 2 hours to pick out 3 uninspired work separates. What a disappointment, especially after months of sweaty fitness classes in an attempt to wear normal clothes again!

So imagine my anticipation for the upcoming Marni collection at H&M. I can’t wait to get creative again about what I wear, after a long year of maternity dresses, stretchy pants and “easy access” nursing tops.

Dote’s designs are somewhat Theory-esque with modern silhouettes and don’t scream “Motherhood”. The only catch here is the line is from Singapore and can take up to 15 business days to ship, and they’re closed until January 12 for the holidays. But I did find a few styles at figure8maternity.com. Tip: their coupon codes are stackable so use as many as you can.

Meanwhile, please excuse me while I go off on one more rant. I don’t know what irks me more, websites that use obviously un-pregnant and/or non-nursing women as models (I doubt the pink dress above looks like that on a DD chest) or the ones that use “real” shots of women using their clothes, and by “real” I mean it looks like the pictures were taken in someone’s backyard.

Not only is Tea having an awesome $15 dress sale, but all sale items are an extra 25% off today, making each of these cuties $11.25 each. I’m stocking up in sizes 6 mo – 2 yrs. :) Coupon code: HEYEXTRA25

One of my favorite additions to the nursery is this 3 Sprouts Organic Storage Bin that I use to store baby’s toys when we are done with tummy time. They are on Gilt today but be forewarned, they are not discounted. It’s nearly impossible to find these guys on sale… they seem to pop up on sale sites but still sell at retail price. (Kind of like Aden + Anais.)

Oh, and Cora likes it too.

Happy 4 weeks little Madeleine!

It’s so hard to believe that it’s already been a month since you’ve entered our world. Seems just yesterday you were our teeny little newborn, completely content to sleep around the clock, that is, until the minute we left the hospital! You’ve already given me so much — more love than I can contain, more patience than I knew I had and more happiness than I could ever imagine. I am looking forward to spending the rest of my life repaying that to you by giving you everything I possibly can. XOXO

You’d think all baby clothes are made like this but the onesies we’ve picked up from Baby Gap and other random stores just don’t fit very well. Also I’ve learned (the hard way) that over-the-head onesies are no good for a newborn… in addition to being extremely paranoid about their flimsy necks, it’s ridiculously difficult to take off a soiled onesie over the head without getting any dirty parts on their head. :P

Also just love that Petit Bateau baby stuff makes babies look like babies. Cute, adorable, tiny little babies. :)

10 days ago this little bundle of joy entered my world, and I still can’t quite believe it! Little Madeleine arrived last Monday, October 17th at 6 lbs 3.5 oz and we were both blessed to have a speedy delivery and recovery. I’ll be in and out to share updates as I get to know our little girl and settle into my new role as a mother (really?) so I hope you guys will continue to stop by and visit. :)

Meanwhile I’m learning quite fast and have become a pro at a few new things this week, including:

• How to text with my left hand.
• How to scarf down a Double-Double in 2 minutes flat.
• How to talk endlessly about nothing, to soothe the baby.

One thing I am failing at miserably though is restful sleep. And I hear that part doesn’t get much better…

A few products that make the twice-daily pregnancy showers bearable… All are new favorites, and some I’ll definitely use in my regular routine post-pregnancy!

1) Embryolisse Lait-Creme Concentre
I can’t count how many times I’ve seen this moisturizer on top beauty picks list, from celebrities, makeup artists, magazines and bloggers. I remember trying to hunt this down on my last trip to NY, hearing that this facial moisturizer was readily available in drugstores, with no success. Finally thought of buying it on Amazon (duh!) and have been using it for only a week and already see a difference in my skin texture. My skin has been red, blotchy and shiny since pregnancy and with daily use this seems to calm my skin back to normal. Even hubby mentioned, “Hey, your skin is looking better.” — without knowing I switched products, and he never says stuff like that?

2) Dr. Bronner’s Lavender Pure-Castille Soap
Something so calming about this soap as a way to unwind from the day. I love the light scent and it primes the skin perfectly for lotion. I buy the largest bottle and use a Simple Human dispenser in the shower, which makes it super convenient.

3) Maclaren Alleviating Leg Lotion
The third trimester is so so brutal on my legs/feet, I’m constantly looking out for muscle rubs and ways to de-swell. This oil-based lotion absorbs quickly into the skin with a light scent of orange, mandarin and patchouli. Every night I quickly rub it in and raise my legs for 15 minutes to get a little circulation back into my feet.

4) Tocca Cleopatra Hand Lotion
Frequent bathroom trips = frequent hand washing = dry, dry hands. I love the scent of Tocca’s Cleopatra hand lotion. Doubles as quick, refreshing scent therapy whenever you need to block out an offending smell that is threatening to make you nauseous. Just apply and cover your nose. :)

5) Shiseido Oil-Control Blotting Paper
Oil blotting seems to be an all day thing. I used to love Clean & Clear’s oil papers but it was so gross to use in public — the entire sheet gets glossy from absorbing oil. Shiseido’s papers are discreet, quick to remove oil and crumple up small for disposal.

6) Mustela Stretch Marks Double Action
I’ve tried several stretch mark creams during pregnancy and realize they all do the same thing — moisturize your skin so it can stretch easier during late pregnancy. What I found, though, is absorbency makes a huge difference. Tummy rub oils are great, until you put a shirt on (gets itchy and messy!). Belly balms are okay, if you have 30 minutes to soften the balm, rub it on in little patches and don’t care about the shirt it will rub off on. This cream is more of a lotion, absorbs quickly and is perfect for both day and night.