I've Moved...

Hi friends!

My blog has moved - be sure to come follow me HERE at www.emilykaysteiner.com

xo

Marin // 0-2 months

I don't want to overdo it with the baby updates on here, so instead of doing every single month, I thought I would combine months together! Marin is officially two months old today - Tuesday, July 18th. Here are some updates on how she is doing over the past two months <3

Loving Lately

Oh man...it has been nearly a month since I posted! Been so busy and caught up in the newborn bubble, trying to get in a new groove, but I'm back and want to share some of the new cruelty free makeup that I have been loving.

Recent Empties

Happy Monday friends! 

I wanted to share some cruelty free beauty products that I have recently finished up using. There were quite a few things over the past month that I was not really impressed with, but that's part of the game isn't it? Trail and error. Of course, just because something didn't work for me, doesn't mean it will be that way for everyone! I definitely believe in trying things out for yourself ;)

Newborn Must Haves

I'm sitting here in the living room with a Fixer Upper marathon on the TV and my little 2 week old in my lap, cooing in her sleep. I thought...just the perfect time to put together a little post about all the the baby items that have been so useful and essential for us since Marin arrived!

I tried to do a lot of research when buying things while pregnant because I really didn't want to waste money. I also knew that there would be things that came up that we needed after she arrived...so even though we were pretty well prepared, we did end up having to run out and grab a few things after her birth too.

Keep reading for a list of my top ten newborn items that have been invaluable over the past couple weeks!

Recent Fashion Favorites

Hello friends! 

Sorry it has been awhile since my last post...new mommy life and my little Marin are taking up quite a bit of my time, but I wouldn't have it any other way. We are living in the newborn bubble and finding our new normal one day at at time.

Now that summer is upon us and I am no longer confined to maternity clothes, I've wanted to revamp my wardrobe a bit. I thought I would share some pieces that I've ordered recently (because who has time to actually go to stores and shop? lol). Still waiting on most of them to be delivered, but I'm hopeful they fit and excited to start mixing and matching to create some fun new outfits for these warmer months!

Marin Jane

Our family welcomed little miss Marin Jane on Thursday, May 18th at 9:05 pm.

She finally arrived after 29 hours of (induced) labor, weighing 7 lbs and 13 oz, measuring 21 inches long...and looking just like her Daddy! 

Everyone is home, healthy, and so very happy <3 

The Swimsuit Struggle

As a new mom, one thing I haven't really been looking forward to this upcoming summer is bathing suit season. After 39 weeks of pregnancy, I still have some work to do to get back into pre-pregnancy shape. However, I've found out that there are some great options out there for swimsuits that are mommy-friendly and still super cute and fashionable! 

Things I'm Loving

Picked up this makeup mist and the lower lash mascara from Pixi and they are both now must-have makeup items in my daily routine. 

Grabbed this Free People cardigan on sale after loving it many times on The House of Sequins Instagram page. 

Love this blush dress that was featured on Somewhere, Lately - and it is only $55!

I got this awesome brass mid-century inspired lamp for my nightstand recently. I also love this one, but we don't really have anywhere to put it right now!

Eyeing this BIDKhome square glass perfume tray for my dresser - think it would go so well with the new brass lamp!

Life Lately

Still here...still {very} pregnant.

Baby girl is officially due a week from tomorrow, so we will see if she hangs on until then, decides to show up early, or keeps us waiting past 40 weeks! Somehow I have a feeling it is going to be the latter...

Popping on here today to share happenings from the weekend and a quick Mother's Day recap!

Blush Love

I just love this shade of light pink, and I'm extremely happy that it is so popular right now. Being a trendy color means lots of lovely, girly items available in so many different stores! I have pulled together some of my favorite blush items from H&M to share with you in this post...

Korres - The Best Of Gift Set

I received this Korres gift set for Christmas and haven't had a chance to start using it until recently! I wanted to use up some other skincare items first, so that I could use all the products in this gift set at the same time.

I have been using everything for about two weeks now. I am really enjoying the products and like the results that my skin is getting from them! I don't think this specific gift set is still available, but there are similar ones and I've linked to each individual product below too. 

April Empties

I can't believe it is already May! April went by so quickly - and throughout the month I held on to all the products that I finished up so I could share them with you. Some of them were awesome, and I plan to repurchase (or already have repurchased) and some were, well pretty "meh"...so I'll be trying out other things this month.

Target Treasures

Happy Friday ladies! Do you all have fun plans for the weekend? We have a couple things on the books...Damian's high school musical tonight and a couple of Aubrey's soccer games to go to...but other than that, I want to spend Saturday and Sunday getting a few things checked off the "Before Baby To-Do List". We will see how much I actually get done though... ;)

Thought I would pop on today and share some of my favorite finds from Target that I have picked up recently. You all know my love of Target by now, and I am always amazed at what great things can be found there - and in so many different categories (clothes, cosmetics, shoes, home decor...etc, etc.) These are all things I've purchased over the past two weeks and am loving so far!

Bumpdate // Third Trimester

Well, we are getting towards the finish line here. Only a couple more weeks left (if I'm lucky). We are excited and ready to meet our little girl! I am currently 35 weeks and 5 days, so I have about 4 weeks left if I were to go up until my due date of May 25th.

I thought that was likely to happen, as I've heard most first time moms go that long (or longer) ...but at my recent doctor's appointments they've been keeping an eye on my blood pressure and such as they were worried about pre-eclampsia.  That s**t is no joke, apparently, so I have more appointments this week and we will see what they say...but the word "induce" was thrown around at my last appointment. Hoping that isn't necessary, but I'll do what ever we need to to get baby girl here safely! 

Loving Lately

 Happy Friday my friends! Hope you have all had a nice week and have some fun plans for the weekend. 

I am traveling up to Akron for my maternity pictures with Bethany Zadai (same awesome photographer that did our engagement pics)! The pictures are Sunday, and I am SO excited - the weather report looks good and we are hoping to get some really pretty outdoor shots. I'm actually headed up a day early, on Saturday, to have a girl's night sleepover with one of my besties!

Sharing some things that I have been loving lately - have my eye on all of them, but haven't taken the plunge and purchased any yet! xx 

Baby Shower // Columbus

Happy Monday!

This past weekend, my Mum threw me a beautiful baby shower on Saturday for all my friends and family in the Columbus area. She had help from my little sister and grandma, and it was such a perfect day. They put so much work into all the details and it turned out so lovely...I'm so grateful for the generous friends and family we have and how excited they all are for baby Steiner to arrive!

Current Wish List

Happy Friday my friends :) Are you excited for the weekend? I have my second baby shower tomorrow, which I am really looking forward to! I know many of you probably have some fun Easter weekend plans with your friends and family!

Popping into Blogland today to share some things on my wish list - some beauty items, some fashion pieces, some randoms! Hope you all have a wonderful weekend xo

Skin Care Tag

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I found this tag circulating around YouTube the other day, and even thought I don't make videos, I thought it would be a fun one to do a blog post about! 

Skin care is so important. It is something that I didn't pay much attention to when I was younger - but as I've gotten older, I've taken the time to learn more about it and invest in products that are good quality and that actually work. I always feel that less is more, and consistency is important - and those are principles I try to bring to my skin care routine as well.

Tea Time

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Kinda of like coffee talk - except I don't drink coffee ;)

I don't know about you, but I am already dragging this morning. Maybe it is because I didn't sleep well last night (yet again). Despite being tired, I'm so happy to see sunshine and warmer temps outside - it is supposed to be in the mid 70s today in Columbus! 

Some things on my mind this Monday morning...

Pregnancy Must Haves

When I found out that I was pregnant, I decided that I wasn't going to fall victim to all the trendy "must have" items that were floating around the internet. Especially being a first-time mom, it is overwhelming how much is out there...that everyone is telling you that you "need". Don't fall for the gimmicks! Doing so, you will just find yourself spending hundreds of dollars on things that aren't really necessary. 

So, I wanted to put together a quick list of the things that I really have found helpful. None of which will break the bank and all of which have been used (sometimes on the daily) throughout my entire pregnancy - first, second, and third trimesters!

March Favorites

Sorry for my lack of posting the past week or so - life has gotten the better of me...mainly in the pregnancy department. We've been very busy and this third trimester is making everything seem a bit harder to accomplish. 

But enough with the whining and excuses...let's get on to some of my March favorites! ;)

Baby Shower // Akron

This weekend was such a great one! Mostly in part to the amazing day I had on Saturday, thanks to my wonderful friends and family.

My first baby shower was Saturday, March 18th at Uncorked Wine Bar in the downtown Akron area. It was put together by two of my best friends - Michelle and Alissa. I have no words for how much I love these ladies...they put so much time and effort into making the most beautiful shower and perfect day for me. I am SO lucky to have friends like them!  

Bumpdate // 2nd Trimester

Now that I've made my way into the 3rd Trimester (crazy!), I thought I'd do a quick update on how the 2nd Trimester went. It's going by so quickly, I can't believe it. I will be 30 weeks tomorrow, so only like 70 more days to go - and that is if she holds on for the entire time! 

We had a bit of a scare the other day with my blood pressure during one of my routine OB checkups. But, after checking and double checking, everything seems to be fine. Keeping a close eye on it though!

All Over Glow // 100% Pure

Happy Monday my lovelies! 

I wanted to start the week off by sharing a cruelty-free product that I have been loving lately! This is All Over Glow in "Lightly Sun Kissed" by 100% Pure. 

This is a natural and vegan bronzing illuminizer, that contains light reflective pigments. I heard about it through Logical Harmony and loved the way it made her skin look, so I quickly went online to pick one up for myself.

Battle of the Cruelty Free Cleansers

I have been trying out a few different cleaners lately to try and find my favorite, or the one I want to continually use on a regular basis. I had a favorite, but when I discovered the brand was owned by a parent company that tests on animals, I decided to switch it out.

Cleansers are obviously important, as I wear makeup nearly every day and I need a strong but gentle product to make sure my skin is getting totally cleaned. You know when you wash your face and then go to dry it off, and there is makeup left behind on the towel? Yeah, I wanted to find something that keeps that from happening ;)

Over the past couple months I have focused on three different cleansers and have given them each a "rank" ...and found one that I fell totally in love with! 

BRB

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Hello my lovely followers :)

I took a little break from the blog and social media this week, but don't worry - I will be back next week in full force. Posts coming soon include:

// Battle of the Cruelty Free Cleansers
// Wet n Wild Foundation Review
// 100% Pure All Over Glow Review

Currently Loving

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It has been so warm here in Columbus this week (and seems like most everywhere else too) and these awesome temps and extra sunshine have me in the Springtime mood, even though we are still making our way through February! I've been sleeping with the windows open at night and I've loved having fresh flowers all over the house this week...and I noticed some of our tulips and other plants are starting to come up in the garden!

I wanted to pop on here to share some of my recent purchases that I am loving. As I was putting this post together, I noticed many of the items I've bought are a light pastel blue...it must be my go-to color for spring this year ;) 

Charlotte Tilbury Wish List

I was shocked when I found out that Charlotte Tilbury's make up line has only been out since 2013. Her products are such high quality and there are so many people raving about so many of them, you would have thought they had been around for years and years!

I have tried (and loved) a few things from the line, and made one purchase so far - the Legendary Lashes mascara (which I will do a full review of here soon). Recently, I realized my wish list kept growing & growing...so I thought I would share some of the items that I have heard great things about, seen used in gorgeous makeup looks, and want to get my hands on soon!

Currently Reading // February

Keeping up with my New Year's resolution of reading one book a month for the year of 2017...here is the one I just finished for February. 

I chose The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty. I know I am majorly late to the party on this one as many of you were reading it ages ago, but I'm glad I still took the time to read it. I really enjoyed the story, and if you ladies would recommend any of Moriatry's other books, let me know! I'm interested in what else from her collection might be good to pick up. 

Our Wedding // The Ceremony

Part three of our wedding - and honestly, the most important part...the ceremony. It was really just magical. Short and sweet, and super intimate. 

Hazel ♥

Well, I had a different post planned for this morning... but last night we suddenly and unexpectedly lost our sweet & grumpy cat Hazel (aka Hazel Basil). It happened so fast, I still can't quite wrap my head around it.

Valentine's Day Gift Guide

With Valentine's Day coming up, I thought I would throw together a little gift guide of some items that would be great gifts for the ladies in your life.  All these great items are linked below! 

100% Pure

I'm very excited to share a new cosmetic brand with you all that I've tried out recently, and really been loving! 100% Pure is an organic beauty company that is dedicated to providing skin care, cosmetics, and bath and body products that are cruelty-free and completely free of any harmful toxins.

Every single thing they offer is 100% natural and 100% cruelty-free,100% free of artificial colors, artificial fragrances, synthetic chemical preservatives and all other toxins.

I recently placed quite a big order with them to try out a variety of things, and their products did not disappoint! Keep reading for a break down on everything I tried out, along with my honest opinions, swatches, and more...

Neutral & Modern Nursery

Once we found out we were pregnant, one of the first things I started thinking about was the nursery. We have a little guest room on the second floor that is the perfect size and location (right by the master bedroom stairs) ...so it was quickly decided that is where baby girl would go. 

I have never liked bright colors, or overtly gender specific rooms for kids. Like, we are having a girl... BAM - let's paint the walls bright pink, or shove it full of princess stuff! ....No. 

Our style has always been very muted, minimal, and neutral - so that is how the nursery will be too. There might be a splash of "girly" here and there (such as the bunny above), but all the furniture and decor will be very modern and you probably won't be able to honestly tell either way if the room is for a boy or girl baby.

Thing that made me happy this week

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Happy Friday! I hope you have all had a good week - mine was hit and miss...good days and not so good days, but that happens sometimes, right? :)

I try to keep a positive attitude and wake up each day, ready to have a better one (if the previous wasn't so great). I love making these posts too - thinking back on some of the things that brought me happiness during the week. Please share with me the things that have made you happy throughout this past week too!

Our Wedding // Getting Ready

Photography by Jameykay & Arlie

Happy Friday everyone! I'm here to share Part 2 of our wedding photos - this time it is all the pictures from the morning and getting ready. Warning - this post is definitely picture heavy! 

Aaron and I had to run out before 8:00 am to get our marriage license since we are from out of town...it could only be done on the day of the wedding because we got into North Carolina on Saturday and the office was closed until Monday (wedding day!) I was so nervous something was going to go wrong...I double and triple checked that we had everything we needed, but we found the place easily enough and everything went off without a hitch, so it was back to the Inn to eat and start getting ready!

Drugstore Beauty Haul

Recently, I've rediscovered how great some of the cruelty free "drugstore" brands can be! There is something to be said for higher end makeup, however, I think you can always find great options in most product categories at more wallet-friendly prices too. 

I wanted to share some of the items I've picked up over the past couple weeks from places like Target, CVS, and Walgreens. Some of the products I am loving and using daily, and some of them have fallen a bit flat - but it's okay because it is much less heartbreaking to be let down by a $4.00 lipstick rather than a $20 one! ;)

Bumpdate // 23 Weeks

As of Thursday, January 26th, I am 23 weeks pregnant...so instead of a whole trimester update at the end of my second (the way I did with my first), I thought I'd do an little update now!

And in case you were wondering...here are the deets on my little maternity fashion above:

Sweater // Forever 21

Tank // Target (must have!!)

Leggings // Blanqi (another must have!!)

Flats // Target (old - similar)

Our Wedding // The Details

Now that I have all the professional photos back and organized, I thought it was far time I did a couple posts to share pictures from our amazing wedding day! There are so many, I'm going to split it up into a series of five posts - first up, The Details <3

Currently Reading // January

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I might not have mentioned it on here, but one of my goals for 2017 was to read 12 books -- one a month. That might not seem like a lot, but last year I read a grand total of three (yikes)...so it will be a vast improvement from that. I want to make time to read because I have always loved it, and my busy life has gotten in the way the past couple years. But since I'm done with grad school and am no longer forced to read things that are dull and uninteresting, now I want to focus this year on getting through some good books, both new and old.

First up on my list for January was The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware. I loved reading The Girl on the Train last year, and this book seemed to be very similar in genre and style, so I figured I would enjoy it...and I was right.

Cruelty Free for Baby

Ever since I found out I was expecting, I have been on the hunt for how I can continue purchasing and using only cruelty free products when baby girl arrives. I was a bit surprised at the lack of resources out there! There are plenty when it comes to cosmetics and everyday household items, but not much information in the arena of babies. 

After some research though, I was able to find some great brands and products that I can't wait to try out! On the plus side to going cruelty free (as if more reasons are needed)...it tends to go hand in hand with products being much more organic and natural - free from nasty chemicals, additives, and fragrances. This is great for babies and their delicate and sensitive skin!

Maternity Style

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My maternity style so far has been pretty casual - and one thing is for sure, I just want to be comfortable! As your body grows and expands in areas that have never been that round, it can been odd feeling and uncomfortable at times, so the last thing I want to do is wear something just because it is cute or stylish. However, just because I want to be comfy, doesn't mean I have to sacrifice my personal style either! 

What's in my Nightstand

I've always loved posts like this - little "tours" around other blogger's homes, showing some of their furniture, decor, and organization. I saw a "What's in my beside table" video recently from one of my favorite YouTubers (Rhian - Wifelife) and thought I would do a quick post on what is in my nightstand!

My nightstand is actually a find from Craigslist - my husband is the king of finding awesome vintage pieces on there! It is an old solid wood, mid-century modern piece from the brand Heywood Wakefield, and came as a set with our dressers. I absolutely love the style...mid-century is our favorite and we try to incorporate pieces from this era or re-created in this style throughout our house. 

Pixi Beauty

One of my favorite cosmetic brands right now is Pixi Beauty. It is a newer discovery of mine, after finding out it is a cruelty free brand (thanks to Logical Harmony) and picking up a few items from my local Target. This line was developed by long-time makeup artist, Petra Strand and, in my opinion, is very high quality, especially for its availability and affordability. 

If you have read some of my previous posts, you know I love the Glow Tonic by Pixi and have been using it regularly for a few months now. It has helped me really cleanse the dirt and makeup off my face each night (and sometimes morning) and has helped control my pregnancy breakouts!

After falling in love with the Glow Tonic, I decided to try out some other Pixi products. I picked up the Skintreats Glow Mist, H2O Skindrink, and Multibalm in Watermelon Veil. 

Friday Five

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Happy Friday! I am excited for the three day weekend that is coming up - there is nothing better than actually getting to enjoy a Sunday night because you know you don't have to get up for work the next day ;)

It has been a good week, but super busy. This is the first week Aaron was back traveling for work, and we miss him - we had gotten use to having him home over the holidays! My 29th birthday was yesterday and there has been so much going on we are putting of celebrating until later...maybe this weekend! Last year of my twenties - but it is going to be a good one!

We are also trying to finish up major parts of our kitchen renovation. The process has been such a nightmare...but I'll save that for it's own post once it is completely done and I can share pictures. 

Anyway, here are some of my favorite things from this week...

New Makeup Hits & Misses

Hello lovelies! Hope you are all having a good week - I am starting to get back into the swing of things after the holidays and the new year. I was sick for awhile over Christmas and finally starting to feel better again.

I wanted to kick off 2017 on Beauty Blether with a post about some new cruelty free makeup items that I have tried out. Some I have loved, and some have been super disappointing...so wanted to share my thoughts and experiences in case you were looking to try some of these products!