Monica Lee

What’s in my hospital bag?? (also included husband & baby bag)

I remember before I got pregnant I would daydream of precious moments like this…
So I’m currently soaking up every minute while I can.

It’s official, we are nearing the home stretch!!
I’m just a few days away from being 35 weeks and I am the type that likes to be totally prepared.
I’ve been wanting to get this post up for y’all for a while now but I also wanted to make sure it was REALLY helpful and informative.

It took me so long to figure out what on earth to pack for myself.
This is my first baby and I really have no idea what to expect!
I reached out to a few friends of mine who recently had babies and also did a whole lot of
research and came across some great lists!

Honestly all of the lists/info was a little overwhelming and every list has something different!
So I’ve somewhat been putting this off…

Well, I finally just sat down last weekend and made a packing list for:
1. Myself
2. My Husband
3. and BABY!!

I’ll share each of our lists and include direct links to the items if possible!

WHAT’S IN MY HOSPITAL BAG!

Have these accessible in an outside pocket:
1. Chapstick/Gum (apparently your mouth gets super dry during labor)
2. Hair tie (you are not going to want your hair all up in your face during labor)
3. Phone Charger
Clothing for me: (linking each item in order below this list, just scroll through to see all items)
1. Robe (this is the exact one that I’m bringing but I linked a cute one below as well)
2. Slippers// Flip flops for shower
3. Nursing bra/ Top/ Pads/ Silverette Cups
4. Sweatpants/Stretchy leggings
5. Sweater/Cardigan
6. Warm socks
7. Going home outfit — (I may just end up wearing my sweats but…)  I’m thinking of packing some stretchy comfy jeans, a casual top that works for nursing & my converse or some type of comfy shoe!

Toiletries for me:
1. Makeup – I know myself, and know that there will be lots of photos being taken & I’ll want to look somewhat put together once he’s here!
2. Make up remover wipes
3. Hair Brush/ Hair Clip
4. Toothbrush/ Toothpaste/ Deodorant
5. Shower Essentials/ Lotion/ your own towel
6. Granny Panties/Pads/Depends Diapers — Y’all my diapers came in yesterday and I’m honestly PUMPED.
7. Glasses
8. ***BRING YOUR OWN PILLOW***
9. Nursing pillow/Boppy
10. Breast pump/accessories (so they can teach you how to use it)
***EDIT***
Your hospital will most likely have a pump for you to use and apparently they’re better and                                                           stronger than the pump you’ll have at home! But DO bring yourself some nipple cream!!

Extras:
1. Camera – for better quality photos
2. SNACKS – this was on EVERY single list.
3. Baby book

WHAT’S IN MY HUSBANDS HOSPITAL BAG:

1. SNACKS – labor & delivery typically lasts a LONG time and your man is going to get hungry
2. Toiletries
3. Change of clothes
4. Pillow/Blanket
5. Flip flops for shower

WHAT’S IN HAYES’S HOSPITAL BAG:
(Some hospitals provide you with a TON of things so you really may not need all of this stuff, but if you’re overly cautious and like to be overly prepared then you can follow my list!)

1. Car seat – obviously not actually in the bag…
2. Light blanket for car seat
3. Swaddling blankets
4. Hats/Mittens
5. Burp cloths
6. NB-3 month sleepers and onesies
7. Diapers (will most likely be provided)
8. Going home outfit

Okay, THAT’S IT!
All you experienced mamas please feel free to comment and let me know if I’ve left anything out or included something that’s totally not necessary! And if you’re a new/soon to be mama please leave me a comment letting me know what you think/if this was helpful for you!!
And if you’re not a mama or soon to be mama but still over here reading this I LOVE YOU.
This was a SUPER requested post so I hope it was as helpful as all of you were hoping!
Love y’all so much.

Surviving The First Trimester

Happy Friday, and thanks for hoppin’ over here!
This week has been flyyyying by, and this post was totally supposed to be up Tuesday.
Whoops!

I wanted to share a few things with y’all that helped me survive the dreaded first trimester.

Hopefully it will help some of you who are newly pregnant or hoping to become pregnant.

And for those of you who’ve had similar experiences to mine, 

hopefully it makes you feel understood.

Before getting pregnant, I always knew that when I DID become pregnant

I would make some serious life changes.

I would eat only organic, I would eat veggies with every meal,

I wouldn’t overeat and I would read every label that was either going 

on or in my body.
 Oh, and I would work out every single day, even if it was just 15 minutes of moving.

HAHAHA

Well, those were all great and beautiful thoughts….

BUT that’s not exactly how my pregnancy has played out so far.

When I initially found out that I was pregnant I was about 4 weeks.

I didn’t really have any symptoms besides feeling tired and having sore boobs.

Piece of cake, totally manageable.

I swear the MINUTE I reached 6 weeks, the nausea hit.

I am one of the lucky ones, and I never actually threw up.

But I had pretty bad nausea on and off from week 6 through week 9.
And the bloating…holy crap the bloating was on another level, and painful!
So I wanted to share with y’all a couple things that helped me manage all of the
not so fun things that come with the first trimester of pregnancy.

So not only did nausea hit me at 6 weeks, but so did food aversions.
Literally ALL vegetables made me gag uncontrollably.

I could not get a vegetable down for the life of me.

The thought of anything healthy would immediately make me nauseous.
At first, this REALLY stressed me out.
I was so worried that the baby wasn’t getting the nutrients it needed.

It wasn’t until a sweet friend of mine gifted me the book,
 “Belly Laughs” by Jenny Mccarthy that I really stopped stressing.
If you’re in the midst of your first trimester, or hell, ANYWHERE in your pregnancy.
I HIGHLY recommend this book.
It is SO freaking relatable and hilarious and will make you feel so much better
and realize that everything that’s going on with you is N O R M A L.
(including being disgusted with vegetables)

Baby boy has been surviving on ALL THE CARBS.

I was REALLY concerned about not getting enough veggies at first,

but apparently being disgusted by all things healthy is fairly common.
However, I have been taking a shot of Ningxia Red every day,
so that has definitely helped ease my mind.
If y’all are interested I’ll do another post about Ningxia
 explaining what it is and why it’s UH MAZING for you & baby.
It was something I took occasionally before pregnancy
but knew it was an absolute MUST when I actually did become pregnant!

For me, the nausea was totally random,
and if I ever let myself get hungry at all it would worsen x100.
I made sure to keep crackers with me at ALL times.
That would almost always settle my stomach and make me feel better.
Even if I wasn’t hungry, munching on them always helped!

Once week 9 hit I would get constant headaches and back pain.

I refused to take any meds in the first trimester but I did use some {young living} essentials oils.

If you’re like me and are B L O A T E D like crazy during the first trimester,

then stock up on some peppermint oil!

Whenever I was painfully bloated I would just rub a few drops on my tummy.

Whenever the headaches hit I would rub a few drops of Panaway oil on my temples.

Those really did help, But if i’m being 100% honest, 

the only thing that would FULLY help me feel better during the first trimester was a good ‘ol bath.

NOW….Baths aren’t highly recommended during pregnancy.

Some people say “absolutely DO NOT take one”, some say they are “totally fine”.

I would always make sure that the water was warm and not super hot.

During your first trimester you don’t want to let your body temperature get too high.

But I swear y’all, I would feel like I was on my death bed,

with a mixture of nausea, migraine, bloated tummy, and body aches.

As soon as I got in the bath it would ALL go away.

Baths really helped to keep me sane during the first trimester,

and as long as your smart about the water temperature

and careful about what you put inside the bath,

I say GO FOR IT.

{As for exercise, if you’ve got enough energy to work out in your first trimester,
DO IT.
I didn’t and i’m totally regretting it now.
I’m attempting to start working out again, but being incredibly out of shape 
on top of being tired and pregnant makes it kind of miserable.}

The first trimester is such a crazy time, especially if it’s your first pregnancy.
You don’t know what to expect and you don’t know what’s normal.
I was so worried all the time.
If I didn’t feel like absolute crap then I was worried that something was wrong.
{please don’t be like me and do that}
Every pregnancy is different and every pregnancy is unique.
However it is totally normal to have good days and bad days.
When you have a good day, ENJOY THE HELL OUT OF IT.
Because the bad/tough days will be back before you know it.
However, if you’ve had tough days and then start losing symptoms regularly,
and by regularly I mean weeks of feeling normal/no symptoms at all
 (after previously having symptoms).
In that case I would definitely contact your doctor, just to be safe!

Today i’m officially 14 weeks and 5 days, and unfortunately i’m still tired as all hell.
I contacted my doctor yesterday and sent him some ingredient lists to
energy drinks I found, asking him if any would be safe for me!
I’ll let y’all know what he says!
To all you pregnant mamas with toddlers running around, God bless you.
You’re the real MVPs.

What’s New?

Hey, what’s up, HELLO.

For those of you that continue to read this little, unorganized, inconsistent blog of mine – 

I love you. 


My life has done a complete 180, and well, i’m still getting used to it.

I spent my first two years of marriage working from home, 

and now i’m working full time an hour away from home.

and boy oh boy it has been an adjustment. 

However, I CAN say that I have never been happier.

Having an actual space outside of my home for my store 

has been the greatest thing to ever happen to me.

The people I am surrounded by bring SO much joy to me every day,

and in just 4 short months I can already see so much growth within myself.

I figured i’d spend today catching all of you up on what’s been going on lately.

1. Kyle and Corey [his cousin] purchased a boat for the fam.

we’ve been spending every single weekend on it and it’s been Heaven.

2. Kyle & I have been on the hunt for a new home a little closer to my store.

The hunt has been ridiculously hard, prayers are welcome.

3. Charley got fleas, which then led to our entire home being infested with them for 3 weeks.

We are now [finally] flea free, hallelujah.

4. I’ve been thinking about slowly starting to design my own pieces of clothing.

when I say thinking — I literally mean thinking — like y’all may or may not be the very first people i’ve actually told about these thoughts. 

5. My sister and I went to the My2KTour with 98 degrees, Ryan Cabrera, and O town and it was hands down one of the most refreshing and fun nights of my life.

Boy Bands Forever.

6. I’ve recently become addicted to vietnamese iced coffee.

(Damn you, Hello Tealicious)

7.  I’m becoming myself.

In this big filtered world it’s very easy to lose yourself, to mimic others, to try to be like everyone else, to try to be perfect.

 It’s so easy to compare yourself and your relationships to others and to forget that you’re unique and perfectly imperfect in your own special way. 

In the last few months i’ve learned a lot about myself, i’ve learned who I do and don’t want to be. I’ve learned that it takes life lessons and difficult times to grow into the person you’re supposed to be. 

I’ve learned that Gods grace covers me far more than I deserve.

I’ve learned that nothing in life comes easy and hard work and prayer are essential.

I’ll be back tomorrow with a little outfit post for y’all.

Happy Monday and keep it real.


Are Leggings Pants?

Sweater: ShopMCE [similar]

Leggings: ShopMCE [similar]

Booties: Zara

Necklace:  Kate Spade

“Anyone that doesn’t agree with leggings as pants can physically fight me. 

And i’m going to win because I have a full range of motion,

due to the fact that i’m wearing leggings as pants.”

HAHA 

Okay, but really. 

I know this is a super sensitive topic and everyone has a right to their own opinion.

Although I completely see why some people say NO to leggings as pants,

I always find that there’s an exception.

I mean, 

if there is any sort of camel toe whatsoever in the leggings you are choosing to wear as pants,

then you are wrong.

However, if you are comfortable with the camel showing then you werk it girl.

I’m not here to put shame on anyones game.

To me, I feel like if leggings are a certain thickness then they are socially acceptable.

Let me re-phrase that…Leggings as pants are ALWAYS acceptable, 

However, in some cases it is essential to wear a longer top…

Like if the leggings are see through when you bend over or if you’ve got a visible CT…

Or if the leggings are so thin that you can see every lump and bump the good Lord blessed you with.

Those are typically called tights…Tights & leggings are NOT the same.

Feel free to learn all about the differences at this link here.

The leggings i’m wearing above are pretty thick,

the inside is kind of like a furry fleece material.

I felt pretty comfortable wearing these as pants with a shorter top…

Maybe not 100% comfortable,

 Like I probably wouldn’t have met up with a big group of friends in a social setting,

but comfortable enough to run a few errands during the day.

One thing i’ve learned is that there’s always a time and a place for leggings as pants…

If you’re new to the leggings as pants world and are wanting to try it out,

Head over to walmart and strut your stuff girlfriend,

no judgement can come from the people of walmart, 

and I can guarantee you, you won’t be the only one in there wearing leggings as pants.

To those of you who are against leggings as pants, I forgive you.

And to those who are wearing leggings as pants while reading this, Godspeed little soldier.

Shredded Chicken Nachos and Hair Product Advice.

Pinterest never seems to fail me y’all. 

Of course I’ve personally had some pinterest fails, but Tuesday night I totally nailed it.

Around noon I realized I had nothing in the house for dinner,

so of course I went to pinterest to find out if I could make something with the things I already had.

Then I stumbled across the EASIEST recipe ever 

[and later found out that it was freaking delicious as well]


This recipe can make tacos, nachos, really whatever your heart desires,

and mine was really desiring nachos!


For the original recipe click here.


Or just keep reading to see the step by step instructions by yours truly!

Shredded Chick Nachos


What you’ll need:

Frozen Chicken Breasts (I used 3 and we still had plenty left over)

Jar of Salsa (I just used a traditional mild salsa)

1 Can of Rotel

1 packet of taco seasoning

1 can refried beans 

Shredded cheese

Your favorite tortilla chips (we LOVE on the border tortilla chips)

And any other additional toppings you might want!!

What you’ll do:

1. Place frozen chicken breasts, jar of salsa, can of rotel, & taco seasoning in crock pot.

2. Cook on high for about 4-5 hours, then cook on low until chicken looks ready and shreds easily.

3. Heat up your refried beans

4. Then start putting your nachos together!!

AND VOILA! 

I was a little nervous that Kyle wouldn’t love this recipe because he is more of a beef person,

WRONG. We both had 2 full plates and then shared another plate!

These are SO good and SO addicting. 

If you’re on a diet I don’t recommend them because

 it’s kind of impossible to stop yourself from eating them lol

But seriously y’all this is one of the easiest recipes I have ever made.

This would be REALLY great if you have company over to watch a game or something! 

Let me know if you decide to try out the recipe!!

On a completely different note…

I need a little hair help!

As you all can clearly see I’m a HUGE fan of the wand, and my hair is almost always curled.

However, my hair is naturally board straight and I have a hard time getting it to hold

the curl for a long amount of time.

I use Garnier Fructis hair spray every now and then but don’t feel like it does much..

So, do any of you have some magic product you’ve found that really helps to hold your curls?!

I hate most hair sprays because I can’t stand when my hair feels stiff, so keep that in mind!

I am just desperateeeeee for something to help hold me waves/curls longer!