I've seen a lot of gift guides floating around the internets, and while there seems to be a gift guide for every type of boyfriend/husband/dad out there I haven't found the Gift Guide for Your Grumpy, Sober, Pregnant Friend/Partner/Sibling/Person You Are Obligated to Get a Gift For". In preparation for black Friday and holiday chaos I'm sharing the products I actually use regularly that have made this pregnancy doable, as well as recs y'all shared. I received feedback after posting this on IG that this should actually just be a gift guide for people who appreciate comfort, it's not exclusive to pregnancy. So if you are preg or prioritize comfort do send this list along to people buying you gifts for black Friday shopping. 

Listing the original prices but black Friday should give us some heavy discounts.

My Recs

Lululemon Align High Rise 28" Leggings ($98): These are pricey but they are MAGICAL which makes them a great gift. I'm in my regular pre-pregnancy Lululemon size (8) at 33 weeks pregnant, and everyone has said these are also great post-partum. A lot of y'all also recommended the Align Joggers

Origins Leg Lifts Lotion ($30): A friend gave me this lotion and I wish I had discovered it earlier. I've put my legs through some crazy sh*t (like running a marathon) but they have never ached/been as tired as they are in pregnancy.

Bombas Socks ($16+): I cannot express enough how sweaty pregnancy is and how uncomfortable my feet are. Nice socks that feel like sweaters hugging your feet help. 

I also recommend the grippy socks as hormones loosen pregnant people's joints which makes us clumsier. Lawd knows I was already falling all over myself. 

Supportive Fuzzy Slippers ($12-$24): On the topic of aching feet, I found these on a list of podiatrist recommended slippers and then read in the reviews that TIBAL recommended these at some point so we KNOW these are good. **Make sure to get the hard bottoms NOT the fuzzy bottom sandals - they are different!

Mermaid Noire Candle ($16): During first trimester every smell, including the smell of my home, made me feel sick to my stomach - EXCEPT this candle. I burned it 24/7. Now that I'm out of the throes of first tri I'm burning the Brown Sugar Milk Tea candle.

Meundies Hooded Robe ($72): Y'all know how I am about robes. Harrison got me this for Christmas a few years ago and it has carried me through 3rd trimester. It has a hood and pockets which I thought are mandatory features I have never used but I hear from the moms will come in extremely handy during nighttime feedings.

Baggage Claim Eye Masks ($25): These under eye gels feel glorious after a night of insomnia. Sidenote: I thought I was adjusting well to the insomnia but recently saw a picture of myself and realized I am in fact not coping as well as I thought. But these eye gels feel good and that counts for something. 

Cooling Pajamas ($45+): NIGHT SWEATS ARE VERY VERY REAL and I swear by these pajamas - sweat wicking, cooling, comfortable. Note: I got a few DMs about pajamas and I feel the need to clarify that these are NOT sexy pajamas - they are purely functional.

Kindle Paperwhite ($89) : The adjustable backlight means you can read poolside while everyone else is taking shots, or in bed when you are up with insomnia and don't want to turn on a light and wake up your partner from their precious, amazing, easy to come by sleep. 

Savage Fenty Jumpsuit ($90): Pockets, hood, extremely soft and warm. This was a Christmas gift last year and the medium is carrying me through the end of third trimester. The zipper front means it should work for breastfeeding, pumping, and anything else one needs to whip out a boob for. You can sign up for a membership, purchase the items, and then cancel the membership to get discounts.

Love Scrub Mesh Body Exfoliator ($18): I am one of the white people who washes every part of my body regularly. This is like a loofah except it stretches out to be FEET long so you can wrap it around yourself to scrub and exfoliate hard to reach spots and spots get harder to reach and bending over becomes impossible.

Nike Free Run 5.0 Shoes ($100): Harrison got these for me after I complained about my feet hurting. Super supportive, foamy soft, and they slip on which is mandatory as bending over to tie shoes is no longer an option. I had to go a size up in these.

Slides ($28): I've always been opposed to adults wearing slides because they feel like I'm going to high school soccer practice but these slip on and off so easily and are v. supportive. Third trimester has turned me into a person who leaves the house in socks and slides. They're that good.


Recs from y'all: 

Shipt membership ($99) 

Frida Mom Recovery Kit ($39)

Frida Mom Hospital Bag Essentials ($99)

Bidet ($50) *IYKYK*

Compression Socks ($20)

Gift cards for maternity clothes and essentials:

Gift Guides: Gifts for the Pregnant People in Your Life

Tuesday, November 23, 2021

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As the days get shorter and colder and seasonal depression sets in, a friendly reminder for us to seek help when we need it and to set the boundaries we need to take care of ourselves. Sending everyone love this week.

TW - suicide. The Veterans Are Not OK (WaPo): 17 military members die by suicide daily. The challenges vets face in trying to get help.

Ending the Motherhood Penalty (TLNT): This defines the motherhood penalty in the workplace and gives specific examples of how to create a better workplace for mothers.

Door Dash Driver Reveals the Impact of Not Tipping (Daily Dot): The tipping feels so extra on top of the 10000 other fees on the delivery apps, but this article gets into how your food gets picked up and delivered, and how the tip plays into when you get your food.

No One Cares! (The Atlantic): The overvalue we place on others' opinions of us, and how to escape the trap of caring too much. 

The Sexfluencers (Vox): Now that sex work has gone mainstream with OnlyFans and other social media, where do sex workers stand?

Big oil is making violence against Native women worse (The Lily): The link between resource extraction and violence against Indigenous women is so widely documented that Canada is exploring a recommendation that before a resource development project is approved, it must be assessed for the risks it poses to Indigenous women and LGBTQ individuals. Should the US follow the same?

The Personality Profile of Psychologically Healthy People (Psychology Today): The traits that make greater well-being and how we can use this information to impact our own well-being (even if we don't possess all these traits directly).

The Psychology Behind Meeting Overload (HBR): What leads us to attend more meetings than we should, and strategies to overcome.


2021.11.14 Sunday Reading List

Sunday, November 14, 2021