From the moment we moved into our lovely new home in Santa Monica, I became preoccupied with setting up our little girl’s nursery. I had my design ideas (check out my original inspiration board) and of course Pinterest, where I clarified my vision; I had my intentions of creating a sustainable, non-toxic and eco-friendly nursery befitting an Organic Beauty baby, but getting started, and pulling the whole thing together was proving to be a much bigger challenge than I had expected.
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Super sensitive skin can be a real downer. It seems like everything from a scented lotion to the tiniest drop of an abrasive ingredient can set your skin on a downward spiral of redness, breakouts, and bumps. Finding pure, organic, unscented skincare that is actually effective for slowing the signs of aging, protecting skin, and balancing skin can seem downright impossible.. Well fret no more!
Ok, mama’s-to-be, here is some good news for you! After the nausea, fatigue and anxiety of the first trimester, things are about to get way, way better. The second trimester gives you a much needed bit of respite between the drama of the first three months (check out my Holistic 1st Trimester Must-Have’s), and the common discomforts of the 3rd trimesters. Most women get their energy back, generally feel better, and can get back to their lives as normal.
I have to say, I loved the second trimester. My baby started moving around, I felt great, I was going to prenatal yoga several times a week, and could often be heard uttering things like, “OMG I love being pregnant!” It was an easy, beautiful time. This is when you’ll most likely have your baby shower, go on a baby moon, and enjoy some QT with your partner. Without the joys of hemorrhoids and swollen ankles. BUT, to experience this time as magical, you’ve got to take some steps to take care of and support your body and baby. These are your must-have’s to make this happen:
The second trimester brings with it a bunch of changes to your body, which can make comfortable sleep hard to come by. A good body pillow is an absolute must. Although there are tons of different ones out there, I love Bump Nest. It’s insanely comfortable, versatile, and comes in a variety of adorable colors and patterns.
Herbs do an awesome job at decreasing the various ailments of pregnancy — like swelling and bloating, aches, anxiety, and more. I’m a big fan of Herblore Pregnancy Tea, which is loaded with potent herbs like dandelion, nettle, red raspberry leaf, and chamomile, among many others! I drank it throughout my entire pregnancy, and loved the results!
Though you hopefully started moisturizing your belly in the first trimester, the second trimester is when a lot of growth happens, so it’s time to bump things up! This all-natural stretch mark oil from Earth Mama Baby Angel is free of the parabens and mineral oils present in most pharmacy-bought brands. With organic calendula, borage and jojoba oils, and sweet orange, it does an amazing job at preventing stretch marks and itching skin. I used it during my whole 2nd and 3rd trimesters, and didn’t get a single new stretch mark (and I am definitely prone to them)!
If your boobs didn’t already start their mega-expansion, the 2nd trimester is where this will happen. I grew one full cup size in my 1st trimester, and then another size and a half in the 2nd trimester. Having a comfortable bra during this..um.. expansive time is absolutely crucial. And to increase it’s versatility, why not make it a nursing bra that you can use for quite some time after birth! I love this organic nursing sleep bra from Majamas, which helps with back pain and super soft and comfy. Plus, when you’re nursing, you can rest assured that the fabric is free of chemicals!
This is the time to start stocking up on a few key maternity items. Though the Bella Band got me through the 1st trimester, by month 6, all my old jeans were too small. A good pair of maternity jeans might be the single most versatile piece of clothes you’ll use for the rest of your pregnancy. I found an awesome pair of skinny jeans at Motherhood Maternity that looked great, and were the most comfortable jeans ever. Though there are tons to choose from, I recommend jeans/pants with a high belly panel for extra support and comfort later in pregnancy.
Prenatal yoga is the BEST way to relieve pregnancy swelling, aches and pains, and to prepare your body for an easy and beautiful labor. It’s also super helpful in preventing excessive weight gain in pregnancy, and is an amazing way to connect with your baby and changing body, and deal with some of the stress and anxiety that can start to crop up as you progress through your pregnancy. I went to prenatal yoga class as much as possible, but on the days when I just wasn’t feeling up to it, having a great DVD to move with at home was a life saver. Desi Bartlett is my yoga teacher here in LA, and her DVD feels just like being with her in class! It features two yoga routines, Strong Mama and Cool Mama, so you can tailor your practice to how you feel on a particular day. I also used the 10 Minute Solutions Prenatal Pilates DVD a ton to mix things up!
Staying super hydrated in pregnancy is crucial for decreasing swelling, constipation, and mucous buildup that can creep in during your second trimester. It’s also vital for your amniotic fluid and nourishing your baby! Since you definitely want to be avoiding toxins like the BPA found in plastic water bottles, investing in a pretty glass water bottle is key. I take mine with me everywhere to make sure I’m drinking my 2-3 liters of water a day, and love the stylish streamlined look of these bottles from Takeya.
This is an absolute must-read for anyone planning a mindful, natural birth. Midwife Ina May Gaskin literally wrote the book on the matter, and will help you to commit to an educated, beautiful birth without fear. I absolutely loved reading this book in my 2nd trimester, and felt so much more prepared and aware, not to mention able to have the birth I wanted after reading it. NOTE: Read the second half of the book first, and then circle back to the birth stories in the beginning. It can be really overwhelming to start in on birth stories without any context. This advice came to me from a friend and awesome holistic mama, and she couldn’t have been more spot on. Other great 2nd trimester reads are The Birth Partner and Magical Beginnings, Enchanted Lives.
The world of natural skincare and beauty is definitely having its moment, but just because something claims “organic” or “natural” on the label, doesn’t mean you’re in the clear. Just like with everything we put in our mouths, we have to be super conscious of the ingredients we are putting on our skin. Check out the awesome infographic below to help you know exactly what to include and avoid to be truly naturally beautiful.
The quest for effective, skin perfecting beauty products is tough enough as it is, but throw in some stringent criteria for natural ingredients, and you’ve got yourself a doozy.
Enter: Earthwise Beauty, a potent and effective skincare line made from food-grade quality organic, natural ingredients, herbs, and essential oils. And I have to say, I’m pretty obsessed.
We threw a lovely little housewarming party a bit ago, to celebrate our beautiful new Santa Monica home and all we love about west coast living. (Check out our Sustainable Summer Soiree Inspiration post for all the serving ware and decorative items we used!)
We used our weekly Out of the Box Collective CSA box of fresh, local, seasonal and organic produce as a jumping off point to create our entertaining menu, and filled in the blanks from Whole Foods and food ol’ trusty Trader’ Joe’s.
We love a good party. And now that we live in beautiful and sunny Santa Monica, with tons of indoor and outdoor space to entertain, we were itching to throw a little housewarming party to take our space for a test ride.
In typical Organic Beauty style, we focused on elevated entertaining — using sustainable party accessories, fresh local produce, and an affinity for organic style.
Check out my inspiration board for a sustainable summer soiree, then peep some photos and recipes from our housewarming party where we put it into action!
This last month and a half brought with it a whole load of drama. I won’t bore you with all the gory details, but basically, I developed some pregnancy related fluid in my inner ears, resulting in one ear getting completely clogged (like, pretty much deaf-level clogged), and some debilitating vertigo and nausea that rendered me couch-ridden for the better part of a month. I essentially couldn’t move my head without throwing up!
Not. Fun.
Although my official prognosis is “this just may continue until after you give birth!” (ugh.), my symptoms have gotten a lot better, and I can now walk around and drive unassisted, and was even able to restart my yoga practice last week. Yay!
The whole situation made me feel so out of control.
Thoughts like: “Why was this happening to me??” “I had had such an easy and healthy pregnancy so far, and now this?” and “But I’m so frickin’ healthy! I do everything right!!!” flew through my mind on a daily basis.
Yes, I threw myself a couple of serious pity parties, but I also did my best to maintain a sense of humor and lightness around this miserable situation.
It really made me think about how obsessed we can get with our health, and how harmful it can be to lose site of the big picture and our sense of humor.
Since I launched my own business several years ago, I went through several iterations of what it looked like to work from home. In our little Brooklyn apartment, we didn’t have space for a proper desk, so I typically worked on the couch (not recommended), or at the dining room table (only slightly better). When we moved to our lovely new home in Santa Monica, I finally had a little corner dedicated entirely to my work, and I set about creating the workspace I had been wishing for. What I found astounded me — a dedicated, healthy, and mindfully created workspace made me more productive, happier, and less stressed out during my work day! I actually looked forward to my work and settling down at my little desk. The difference was mind-boggling.
So whether you work from home like me, have a traditional out-of-home office, or hunker down at a shared co-working space, there are definitely some important steps to take to make your work, in whatever form it takes, a more enjoyable experience. After much trial and error and, of course, those failed attempts in Brooklyn, I’ve narrowed down these 5 key elements to creating a healthy, inspiring workspace aligned with how you want to feel throughout your day.
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I'm Natasha Uspensky, holistic nutritionist, Ayurvedic practitioner and healthy lifestyle expert. I created The Organic Beauty to be your resource to celebrate and learn about everything from healthy eating and living for your whole family, to natural beauty and sustainable style. I hope to inspire you to live beautifully and healthfully, in a life you love!
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xoxox
