What's Hot? What's Trending? LauRen is a trendy Mommy Blogger that loves Fashion - Food - Family - Fun! It's all the F-words a Lady should know! From her personal struggles being a first time mom to products she can't live without, you can laugh, cry and SHOP with this little fashionista!
At 39 weeks pregnant, I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to get any maternity photos done. I had tried and tried to set up a shoot date but it seemed something was lurking at every calendar page turn. Especially with all the rain we’ve had the last few weeks, but somehow by the grace of God we did it!
My girlfriend Catrina Earls takes the most amazing photos and we always trust her to take our family photos. She is so quick and wonderful with the kids (and my husband Dallas). She makes photo shoots painless for everyone! So you can imagine my excitement when Catrina called and said "We have a break in the rain tomorrow. Wanna Shoot?" I originally had planned for a much different shoot theme and had wanted a very strong black and white shoot with uptown Charlotte in the background. However, social distancing had other plans. Much like my nursery plans, I had to pivot, but I think what we came up with was beautiful and heartfelt. Catrina always finds these little gems about Charlotte to shoot at. Cotton fields, Sunflower fields, Peachtree groves, and now Lavendar fields boast her portfolio. I really wanted these maternity photos, not for myself but for Cashton. I wanted to be able to look back and enjoy Cash’s last few days as an “only child” while still celebrating baby Strager #2, and I feel like the lavender fields were the perfect place to do that.
A little over a year ago my family moved to Ballantyne, kinda by accident. We were living in Olde Providence out near Matthews and our Aupair Elena had just come to live with us. We loved our home but with 3 adults and a toddler things started to feel cramped so I thought, "I'll just start LOOKING for new places to live." After about 2 months of unsuccessfully looking I almost gave up on my search but decided to open my scope to the city of Ballantyne. It was our first day out in Ballantyne with our realtor and the first house we looked at when I fell in love. We looked at probably 5 houses that day but I kept going back to the first. The only thing is this house was legit only on the market for 24 hours and our house wasn't even listed yet. We decided to put in an offer anyway, to at least say "we tried". They called us back a couple of hours later and said "Congrats you got the house!" I didn't know whether to scream with excitement or throw up. However, the move has been AMAZING for us. We love our new community and were recently featured in Ballantyne Magazine! You can catch my full interview here!
Being pregnant during a pandemic is CRAZY! My husband can’t go to doctors’ appointments with me; we can’t see our family or friends, and baby showers (and sprinkles) are going digital if you have one at all. It’s crazy to think that you can’t share your excitement with the people you love in such a special moment. (Well, you can, but it’s over Zoom.)
Sunday was a special day! Not only was it my late father’s birthday, but it was also my virtual baby sprinkle for baby Strager! My mom and Aupair Elena helped make the whole thing come together and I couldn’t be more grateful for the two of them! I still can’t believe we were able to pull off having everyone “together” from around the country. Even if there were some bumps along the way (which you can hear about on my Mommyhood2Menopause Podcast).
Thank you to everyone who helped sprinkle baby Strager number 2 with love! We love every single one of you who joined us. It means the world to us that you took time out of your day to be part of it. We got to check in with our loved ones from Utah, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, California, Virginia, Georgia, Texas and of course Florida!
Virtual baby showers are clearly a new thing to all of us! So, it's no wonder we had a rocky start, as 50% of the people on the call were first-timers to Zoom. We tried to play audio games where you had to "Name That Baby Tune" which was hard because only half of our guests could hear the music. My recommendation to anyone trying to throw a virtual baby shower or sprinkle is to keep it simple. If you are going to play games make them visual. Maybe a game of "Is It Mom or Dad?" Where you can show cute baby photos of the parents to be and have your participants guess which parent it is.
Thank you to my mom for setting up and throwing me a sprinkle when we didn’t think it was going to be possible at all during this crazy time! I love you! Thank you Elena for intercepting packages and for helping my mom gift wrap until the wee hours of the morning.
Thank you to Alpha Lit Charlotte for a beautiful backdrop and to my husband for his constant patients and support throughout this pregnancy. This new baby boy will be so lucky to have all of you in his life!
I think most women's maternal instincts kick in the second we see that positive pregnancy test. We want the best for our children and we would do anything to give them the best life possible. That is why our OBGYNs insist that expecting mothers take a prenatal vitamin to ensure the healthy development of our children.
Even before I got pregnant vitamins typically made me sick. I always had to have something on my stomach when I took them and make sure I was finding the gentlest solution for my system. Luckily, I did not have any morning sickness with either of my pregnancies, but I wanted to make sure my prenatal wouldn't send me into a porcelain God spiral either. There are so many choices available on the market and you have to sift through them all to see what works best for you.
I personally wanted something gentle and natural that would provide my baby the multivitamins and DHAs he needed. I came across Premama during this pregnancy and gave it a shot. They have a Duo-Capsule prenatal vitamin as part of step 3 in the products that they offer. I found the time-release capsules helped with nausea and also helped my body to absorb the iron it needed. There is no gluten or allergens, no synthetic fillers and the capsule is vegetarian. They also do NOT have that gross after taste that most vitamins do. Premama is infused with mint so it actually leaves you with a pleasant palet.
Stage 1 consist of a pre-pregnancy birth control cleanse, Stage 2 is a fertility support kit, Stage 3 is the prenatal system and Stage 4 is the lactation support and postnatal vitamins.
Personally, I have only used the prenatal vitamins but I plan on using Stage 4 as well. I had some issues with milk production when I gave birth to Cashton so I am excited to try the lactation support and postnatal vitamins too.
When I tell people we have an Aupair for our son Cashton, I get all kinds of reactions and questions.
Isn't that crazy expensive? Is it weird having someone else live in your home? How did you find her? And I think the most important question... Do you like being a host family? The honest to goodness answer is, "No, I love it!"
Having an Aupair has not only enriched our little guy's life by exposing him to different cultures and giving him stability in a caretaker, but it has also made our lives more manageable and helps our household run like clockwork. The stress I used to feel every day trying to schedule care for Cashton while I am at work and my husband Dallas is on the road for business is a thing of the past.
Although we have been extremely satisfied with our decision to become a Host Familly, it was not a commitment we took lightly. I spent months researching programs and following Aupair agencies on social media. One of the things I loved about Cultural Care was their "takeovers" on Instagram because it gave me a better understanding of what to expect as a host family and an insight as to what the experience should be from an Aupairs perspective.
I also spoke to other families who had hosted Aupairs before, to get an honest "read" on the situation. I asked so many questions like how to be successful in finding the right person and setting house rules. Luckily, my husband's boss had hosted Aupairs for years for their twin daughters and had lots of insight to give us, including their "house handbook." Which was a layout of where to find things in the house, what their family schedules and curfews were as well as emergency contacts, and how both parties should respect each other. This was especially helpful once our Aupair arrived.
As for the other questions my friends and family had, let's take these one by one. "Is it expensive"? I use to think Aupairs were for the super-wealthy but as it turns out, for us, it was pretty comparable to what we were paying for childcare with our nanny and we were getting a lot fewer hours. However, having someone who becomes a "big sister/ brother" figure to your child is invaluable. This person becomes someone who is caring for your child through your ethics, principles, and disciplinary beliefs.
"Is it weird having someone else live in your house?" I could see where a family would be concerned about this topic at first glance. Questions like, "will we ever have our own private family time again" could be a worrisome thought, but as the host family, you set the tone. Different families will be looking for different candidates. We happened to want someone who would become a part of our family and not a distant roommate. Other families might want an Aupair who is a little more independent who spends less time at home when they are off. That is why the interview process is so important and it is imperative for BOTH sides to be open and honest throughout the process.
Another question we get quite often is, "how did you find her?" After doing my research to find an Aupair agency that was right for our family, we decided on Cultural Care. In my opinion, they had the largest selection of countries to choose from when matching with Aupairs. With our Italian background, we knew we wanted Cashton to be exposed to our heritage and Italian language. You can also search by age demographic and gender. A family of all boys may want to have a male figure for their children, while others may feel age is important. We were looking for someone a little more mature for our first Aupair experience, but as lots of us parents know maturity doesn't always come with age so we were a little more open to speaking with Aupairs of all ages. We were, however, looking for someone who would fit into our family dynamic, who could keep up with our busy schedules and gave us "that" feeling. After all, this person is coming to live with you.
Which leads us to our last question. "Is it scary to invite someone into your home before ever meeting them in person?" Yes, but imagine how your Aupair feels. You are in the comfort of your own home. One constant is changing for you, everything is changing for them. Of course, you have to be confident in your match, but once they arrive the faster you can make them feel welcome and settled the stronger your bond can become. Think of it as your niece or nephew coming to stay with you for the first time. They will need to know, where the grocery store is and maybe how to use the washer and dryer. Little things that we take for granted and do every day might be a first for them.
I think once you realize that your Aupair truly wants to be there to support you and your family, your nerves will be put to ease. I knew as soon as I met Elena at the airport that we had made the right decision. Now that is not to say that things will always be easy. There will be a learning curve as well as times your Aupair may feel homesick but if you try to work through things together, as a family I truly believe you can be successful in this experience. You also have the support of your local LCC (Local Childhood Consultant) to help with the transition if needed.
Mother's Day is right around the corner and if you haven't figured out what to get Mom just yet, let me help you pamper her this year.
I can assure you that any mom would love to receive a little self-care after being stuck in the house for weeks on end. We could all use a good microdermabrasion and a blowout but that doesn't look like it's going to happen anytime soon. So, why not give Mom the tools to do it herself?
Here are my Top 10 gifts Mom will love.
1) The gift of Switch! Switch is a monthly subscription-based rental program that lets you "switch" out high-end jewelry as often as you like. Imagine being able to rock Chanel, Dior, or Tiffany's pieces for as little as $29 a month. Plus with the code MerolaLauRen22J you'll get a $25 credit towards pieces that you fall in love with and want to keep. Of course, Mom would love it! You might too!
2) A fun Pop Socket! I got this one as a gift from a fan, and it is by far one of my favorites. I get so many compliments on it, and it is the perfect blend of statement and practical. The fun part is that they are available through Etsy and you can pick your own shape and pattern.
3) A good book! You can never go wrong with a thoughtful inspirational or fictional book. Stick to ones you have enjoyed and you know Mom will get a kick out of too! I recently read Demi Moore's "Inside Out" as well as to "Catch and Kill" by Ronan Farrow and both were amazing!
4) Gold undereye masks. This is a personal favorite in the beauty department. I post them from time to time on my insta stories and I get so many inquiries. They help with puffiness as well as fine lines and wrinkles.
5) Perfume. Here is a simple gift you can never go wrong with especially if mom has that signature scent. I personally think Chanel's Chance is a crowd favorite. It's light, floral, and easy to wear.
6) The Nurse Jamie face roller! What a game-changer in my skincare routine! It is an uplifting facial massager that helps with loss of firmness and elasticity, fine lines and wrinkles as well as inflammation! (Also great for hangover recovery.)
7) The Dyson hairdryer. Whether you have straight, curly, or wavy hair this hair dryer is the best thing ever! (Next to a salon blowout of course.) It comes with two styling concentrators and a diffuser. Sure this would be a Mother's Day splurge, but Mom is worth it and so is this dryer. Its powerful and fast, cutting drying time in half! It also boasts intelligent heat control to protect your hair and give it that extra shine.
8) The Clarisonic. Oh, you thought I was kidding about that microdermabrasion? The Mia 2 or 3 is perfect for any skin type because its bristles are interchangeable. Maybe you're looking for a full scrub of those blackheads or just beautiful polished skin. The Clarisonic can provide both. It comes programmed with a two minutes timer which is all you need to hit your t-zone, cheeks, and chin.
9) Flowers. Sure it's a traditional gift but nothing says "I love you" like a beautiful bouquet to brighten Mom's home during quarantine. Mom not into flowers? Opt for an edible arrangement or a chocolate-covered strawberry box.
10) Last and certainly not least, give Mom the gift of fashion. Any woman would love a new clutch or pair of shoes to rock when we emerge from our stay at home orders. A night on the town with some new accessories may be just what the doctor ordered.
Shop any of these gifts by clicking the links above or the photos below.
