Maternity Must Haves (2nd Trimester)

I am trying to avoid re-purchasing products that are not both vegan and cruelty-free. I found this amazing CC cream by Juice Beauty from a pushy sales women. At the moment there was not reason not to like it, until I saw the price (EEEEKKK! AWKWARD!) I ended up bringing to the counter and taking it home, in hopes of hating it so I could immediately return it. The joke was on me because this formula has been stellar! It evens my hormonal skin tones, protects my skin with 30 SPF, heck, it even smells like fruity pebbles being packed with certified organic ingredients. I wear the shade sun-kissed glow, which is slightly too dark, but will work for the rest of my summer pregnancy in the butthole of Florida.

At Sephora, I found this awesome, colorless, and scentless “lip therapy” to replace my chap-sticks and to wear as a moisturizer before applying a matte lipstick. It’s easy to grab out of the front pocket of my purse, and could easily slip in a side pocket of a diaper bag for easy access. Will definitely splurge again in repurchase both of these!

One of the few, but very annoyingly common “signs” of pregnancy has been a bloody nose and sinus pressure. It bothered me the most at the beginning of allergy season, to the point where I purchased our first oil diffuser and these two oil blends. The Doterra Breathe is a blend of Laurel Leaf, Peppermint, Eucalyptus, Melaleuca, Lemon, Ravensara, and Cardamom and is meant to maintain feelings of clear airways and easy breathing while minimizing the effects of seasonal threats. The Doterra Serenity is a blend of  Lavender, Sweet Marjoram, Roman Chamomile, Ylang Ylang, and Hawaiian Sandalwood essential oils and vanilla bean and is meant to support restful sleep.

Pregnancy brain is real, SO REAL! I have become the most forgetful person when it comes to times, dates, meetings, and why I walked into a store. The passion planner was a beginning of the year purchase, but is utilized more now that I forget anything and everything. It’s used to keep track of bills, passwords, business inquires, scheduled sessions, groceries, maintenance, bible verses and inspirational quotes to meditate on!  Along with my planner, these thank you cards from Target are so great for jotting down a quick grateful note for the sweet gifts arriving for our babe!

There are few maternity pieces that I’ve purchased so far (1 denim pants, 1 denim shorts, 2 leggings, 2 tees) because most of my closet consist of loose fitting and flow-y items. Most maternity pieces are frumpy, have patterns that I hate, or are loud colors (as if I wasn’t already standing out enough with a bump.) Luckily these pair of jeans have been flattering and just my style! They’re made my Articles of Society and can be found at A Pea In a Pod maternity stores. They’ve lasted from week 14- 27 weeks, and still have a ton of life left in them!

Because I’m a photographer, a lot of people assumed I would do the weekly bump growth trend; where you take a photo doing the same pose, in the same shirt, in front of the same background to see how much your body changes. While it’s a cute idea, it’s not fun when you’re going through a pregnancy solo due to a deployment.  So my own spin on it has been focused on the baby’s growth while showcasing some of the most adorable gifts and updated sonograms. I’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback from it, and you can keep up with new posts on Instagram under the hashtag, “#growingmcclung.” For just the regular, good ol’ bump featuring photos, checkout “#babymcclungbump”.

instagram.com/aangeladriana

Lastly, as with all deployments, comes dominion over the television. We currently only use Netflix and Hulu in substitute for cable, but I LOVE THEM. Parenthood has been on my list for a while and I am so glad I watched every. single. episode! It’s so relate-able, and reminded me of home in the bay area (the show takes place in Berkley, CA). They dive deep into relationships, marriages, parenthood, illnesses, career choices, and eventually bring on a veteran character that is struggling with PTSD. It’s not a cookie cutter family, but it is funny enough to make me laugh out loud all by myself and embarrassingly cry when it’s just so REAL.

Well, that’s it for my maternity favorites for the second trimester!

You can checkout my first trimester favorites here: https://anchorsandplanes.com/2017/03/19/maternity-must-haves-1st-trimester/