Though pregnancy comes with natural ups and downs, I truly do feel like I can say it's been an amazing and enjoyable experience! One of the main reasons is because I continued working out and eating well while being pregnant. I completely understand that not everyone can work out, and that eating well is a personal choice we all have to make for our own bodies. But I am so thankful I was able to keep up with both (even though it was hard) for the majority of my pregnancy! Here are my top 3 tips for doing both while pregnant. A lot of instagram friends have asked, so at the end you'll find my work out schedule. I've have kept this pretty consistent even into my third trimester. Remember, there is no shame in whatever you choose to do and EVERYTHING you do should be done with your doctor's approval. 1. Find healthy foods that satisfy your cravings Your body is generally not craving McDonalds. Bodies are typically not that specific (though our minds can be. ;). When you're craving McDonalds, you probably are craving salt. When you want a huge creamy milkshake or smoothie, you might be thirsty and need to guzzle some water. When you just want a chocolate bar, your body might be looking for natural sugar. But do remember that our mind is a creature of habit. If you eat chocolate bars everyday, it will tell you that you need a chocolate bar. If you eat fruit habitually, your mind will eventually tell you that you want fruit. I kept a pretty healthy diet of fruits, veggies, and high protein during this pregnancy. I did have some unhealthy cravings, but I tried to find healthy alternatives. When I wanted chocolate, I'd do chocolate covered strawberries to keep some fruit in there and cut down on the chocolate amount. When I wanted carbs, I'd eat some of my favorite low salt pita chips. Over time, your body will crave healthy things, even while pregnant! 2. Keep a consistent gym schedule & go easy so you don't give up For me, being consistent was key. Some days, I wouldn't feel good and my brain would try to convince me not to go. But when I reminded myself, "Chelsie, even the act of getting to the gym is important. You don't have to push yourself or kill yourself. If you can't lift, just walk on the treadmill for 10 minutes and leave." Whenever I spoke that into myself, I'd always end up going and then would do way more than I thought. And I'd leave feeling like a total baller and so motivated. My work out of choice is lifting. I didn't push myself or lift heavier while pregnant. I kept myself on my normal routine, went slow, and stayed at a consistent, low impact weight. But I actually got more tone and stayed fairly limber, even with all the baby growing. ;) 3. Stay inspired & know your why I know the things I personally value and try to put those things first. In the end, I know it'll make me happier. Feeling limber and strong makes me feel whole and at peace. It makes me more fun to be around and motivated for my day. I knew that my 'why' was that I wanted to be fully myself when Amelia came. I wanted to be healthy and able to keep up with her. I wanted to be able to take her with us on airplane rides, hiking trips, and lots of outdoor things. If working out 3 times a week did that for my mental health, happiness, and body, I could push myself to do it. So do whatever brings you that type of personal peace too. ✌️ My workout plan while pregnant: *This was approved by my doctor, as should any work out program be that you do while pregnant. As long as I wasn't lifting much more than 30lbs and it didn't feel uncomfortable, it was generally pretty safe. Each workout has about 20-30 minutes of lifting, 10 minutes of stretching, and 10 minutes of walking *Google any of the below names to see how to do each exercise correctly) Mondays: Shoulder & Triceps 1. Front Dumbbell Raises 3 sets of 12 at 10-15 lbs in each hand 2. Tricep Straight Bar Cable Pressdown 3 sets of 12 at around 40 lbs 3. Shoulder Shrugs 3 sets of 12 at 20 lbs 4. Dumbbell Shoulder Press 3 sets of 12 at 10-15 lbs in each hand 5. Tricep Overhead Exentsions 3 sets of 12 at 15 lbs 6. Upright Row with Dumbbells 3 sets of 12 at 10 lbs in each hand Wednesdays: Chest & Back 1. Machine Bench Press 3 sets of 12 I start with 10lbs on each side and I increase to 20 lbs. This is light, but I go easy while pregnant and always have someone around (even on a machine) in case it doesn't feel right. 2. Row Machine 3 sets of 12 at around 30lbs 3. Pec-Deck Machine 3 sets of 12 around 15-20lbs 4. Hammer Strength machine 3 sets of 12 around 20lbs 5. Lat Pulldowns 3 sets of 12 around 15 lbs Fridays: Legs & Biceps 1. Squats with dumbells 3 sets of 12 with 10lbs (I am very careful and cognizant of my foot and belly placement). 2. Calf Machine Raises 3 sets of 12 with around 20 lbs 3. Bicep Curls 3 sets of 12 with around 10-15 lbs in each hand 4. Leg Adduction / Abduction Machine 3 sets of 12 of each motion. 5. Preacher Curl Machine 3 sets of 12 at 15-20 lbs 6. Leg Extension Machine 3 sets of 12 Extra Day: Outdoor Cardio Day Hiking/walking/swimming/etc
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And most of them, you can find at Target!! Whoop whoop! I often get questions on Instagram about what beauty products I use. Not because I'm super great at make up, because I'm really not. (For that, ask my sister. She'll teach you how to do a sassy wing like nobody's business :). But I do try to be more simple and natural in the products I use. So I figured I'd put together a short blog post with some of my faves. I've tried over the last few years to convert my beauty items to be more natural products. Because more natural products are a bit more expensive, it forces me to cut down on how much I buy and keep it minimal. I can't just buy stuff I don't use. And using the app that rates beauty products Think Dirty (that name 😂) has helped me find items that don't contain so much junk. If I'm slathering something all over my face, I want it to actually be good for me and not just smell good. :) So here's a list of my top favorite things I've found over the last year in trying to convert my beauty drawer to things that are better for me and the environment. It's definitely not a full list, and I of course still have some items that aren't fully natural. But my hope is that I can slowly find cost effective and natural products over time that will replace all of my non-natural make up. Hope this helps! 1. Pacifica Face Wipes & Facial Cleanser (Rose Water Wipes & Kale Detox Cleanser) Target I love this brand. My favorite thing to do after a long day is to sit on the couch, watch the Office, and take all of my make up off with a wipe. Finding these wipes has been awesome, because they are WAY softer than others and make my face feel like I just had a spa treatment. I have to be conservative when using them though, because I could use three a night. ;) The cleansers are also super gentle on my skin and a little goes a long way! I've used lots of their wipes, and my favorites are the Rose Water & Cactus Water. I used the Kale Detox Facial Cleanser. 2. Love Beauty and Planet Shampoo & Conditioner (Hope & Repair) Target I recently grabbed these at Target and love them so much. They are expensive, but my hair felt amazing and I got a bajillion comments on how good it smelled. They aren't quite fragrance free (esp. due to how great it smells. ;) But paraben and sulfate free is cool too. Also, their bottles are made out of recyclable materials. 3. Root Pretty Mascara + Eye Shadow Online I used to wake up with my eyes swollen every morning and could never figure out why. I'd always have a little excess mascara under my eyes, from not quite rubbing it all off and it was definitely aggravating my sensitive eyes. I switched to this mascara and literally have not had the swollen eye issue once. Kind of freaks me out that I had been putting so much gunk that was hurting my eyes for so long! Root Pretty's stuff is organic and fragrance free. Their eye shadow is also super pretty, and I have some of their gold and pink colors. I may just have sensitive eyes, but I do love the Root Pretty brand and am SO glad I switched to using them. (and it smells yummy too!) 4. Purely & Jordan Essentials Lipsticks Jordan Essentials Purely I own a bunch of Purely's lip therapy chapsticks and I LOVE Jordan Essentials lipsticks. I have the worst chapped lips ever. It's basically impossible for me to wear lipstick and both of these products are made well and ease my chronic-ly peely lips. ;) I own Pink Champagne and Bravo Brown from Jordan Essentials. And basically all the lip therapy chapsticks from Purely. :) 5. Young Living Oils mixed with simple face lotion Young Living Target I love many of Young Living's oils. As my pregnancy has progressed, I've noticed my scars and blemishes becoming more apparent on my face, and so frankincense and lavender have helped ease my breakouts and spots. I mix a few drops into Shea Moisture facial lotion that also has rose oil in it (link to that above). It calms my face so much and I put it on every night. I got this lotion at Target. :) 6. Gabriel Foundation Target I love this foundation! It's rated super good for having no icky stuff in it on the Think Dirty app, and it's not super oily and has decent coverage! I generally wear it over a BB cream. 7. Tom's Deodorant Target Normal deodorant makes me itchy. (It actually makes Ryan break out in a rash!). This is nice because it's better for you and keeps you from being stinky. :) I got mine at a local grocery store, but you can grab them at Target too. 8. Burt's Bees Lipsticks - Blush Basin Target Again, I have the worst chapped lips. And the Burt's Bees lipsticks are SO nice to put on and don't aggravate my lips. (It actually hides the peely chappedness of my lips quite a bit, which is awesome). Being pregnant and fashionable feels really hard. For me, it's not so much the getting bigger. I've maintained a slow and healthy weight gain, so I haven't needed to buy many new clothes quite yet. But it's mostly because your body just feels....different. Especially if you're dealing with morning sickness, bloating, and just being creakier feeling then normal, picking out the most fashion forward outfit is just not always my first priority. Before I get into it, two things. 1. A belly band helps all your pants work with you as you grow in size. You can grab one at Target for pretty cheap and they have saved me. Check em out here. 2. Jewelry and accessories make any outfit and I LOVE supporting my fair trade company and our AMAZING artisans by decking out as often as I can in Trades of Hope jewelry, scarves, and bags. Here's some ways I've made my current wardrobe work and found newer clothes on a budget to make picking an outfit much easier! (Hint hint: lots of thrifting was involved) 1. Thrifted, Oversized Jackets I LOVE to thrift. Love, love, love it. It's not a quick experience and you need to commit at least an hour to looking through all the racks and finding things to try on and test out. But it's so worth it! I've got a pretty good system down when it comes to thrifting and I love that I can spend $30 bucks and get 5 things instead of just one thing! I picked up this boyish blazer (which was a brand popular 20 years ago). I had to cut out the shoulder pads, yes. haha. But I love that it's trendy and a little oversized. It'll fit my pregnant belly for quite some time and dresses up a pair of jeans and white shirt. Not an overly complicated outfit to think through in the morning, which I love. 2. Dresses, dresses, dresses Dresses are the BEST because you only have to think about wearing ONE thing, not two! Plus, I tend to like my dresses a size too big and a little baggier. This fits perfect as my belly stretches. (My blue dress at the apple orchard was thrifted, others were from TJ Maxx and Shop Stevie). 3. Patterns Patterns have an easy way of making an outfit feel a little more glamorous then it actually is. Florals are super in right now, and they make life more fun and bright. And, of course, I can't get away from my typical checkered adventury clothes. That's my signature style and I'll never really stray from it. :) Both of my below tops are thrifted and were under $4.00 4. Overalls Umm, who doesn't love overalls? I wore them nonstop as a kid. I've continued to always have a pair for the last 10 years, when they were out of style and in style too. Again, I generally buy things a size too big as I like things comfy. My overalls have good give and can stretch a few more inches for my belly. I have a jean pair and a white pair, but love how the white compliments any shirt or shoe choice. Plus, just like a dress, I only have to think about wearing ONE thing. So much easier. :) Okay, okay....not moving anywhere huge. But down the street counts, right? We are so excited to share that we are in the process of buying our first house....eek!
As many of you know, we've hopped around quite a bit since we got married. A tiny apartment was our first home of choice, and then we bought and renovated a camper....which was a blast (and what we really, truly consider 'our first home'), and since returning from our roadtrip, we've lived in a cozy and quaint apartment when we aren't traveling the world. It has been perfect for us, especially because we've been so used to living smaller. Last year, we bought 6 acres to build a one-day farm on. I thought that would be the first move we made, but with a baby coming, rent going up, and the thought of building the perfect farmhouse feeling a little daunting, we decided to wait and buy something to live in and rent out as investment later. Soooo.....we put in an offer and it was accepted on a 3 bedroom in our small Florida town. It's only a few streets over from my parents and siblings, which is awesome. It has the cutest fenced in yard (Darling can finally run!) and an extra bedroom for our soon to be babe. We haven't closed yet and so it's still in process, but I couldn't wait to share the news! The house is a little Florida-y looking, but we are planning on doing some fun, minor renovations to bring in a farmhouse feel before we move in December. Make sure to subscribe on the right to get updates and photos about all of our home renovations. We love sharing our adventures. Can't wait to share more soon! Chelsie Now that the first trimester is over, I wanted to blog an update to remember all of the wonderful & weird things that happened during these last few months. This is my first pregnancy and reaching the second trimester is such a gift. Not only because I'm hoping the morning sickness will fade, but the pregnancy risk is much lower and something I won't need to continually fear. Praising God for the protection and continual prayers. But the last couple months have been exciting ones! On a hot day in August of 2005, I met Ryan Antos. We were friends at first and then some years later, he told me he liked me. We were 14 years old, little and awkward, but even in those years, we knew we loved each other so. It's been almost 10 years since the day when we confessed our affection to each other. As a teenager, I was terrified of the day we would separate. I was a realistic kid and I knew it had to come....young love never lasts. And so everyday I would write in my journal that if God could give me anything, I would ask for him. At 19 years old, Ryan asked me to marry him and my faithful prayers, scribbled in a worn journal came true. We've been married over 4 years, and it has been everything I could have dreamed. We've walked through hard things like everyone, sure. But I have been loved enough to last me a lifetime and I have loved enough for a lifetime, and to know we still have a lifetime yet to love one another brings me so much joy. In June, we had started to talk about kids, but weren't sure if we were ready yet. We were both really enjoying our careers and adventures. We traveled so much and I had this weird, irrational fear that once a kid came, all of it was over. So we decided that maybe we would wait another year. At the end of June, God woke me up in the middle of night and told me that I needed to start praying for my future baby and for the faith to not believe my irrational fears. I don't often have midnight God experiences (though I wish I did!), so this was pretty significant. So I committed that every morning, I would take a good chunk of prayer time and pray for our one day child and that God would prepare my heart and my faith for that time. I knew there'd be fear, but I prayed an end to the fear that kept stopping me from even considering becoming pregnant. I was praying all of this with 2018 in mind of course, so we weren't taking any big risks and it was all purely for the future. ;) Fast forward 3 weeks.... On a Tuesday night in July....on the way to a photoshoot, I stopped at home because I felt sick. I had a weird thought that I should take a pregnancy test....fully knowing there was no possible way to be pregnant. But lo and behold. I didn't really believe it when I saw it. I thought I had taken it wrong. I kind of just pretended it hadn't happened because I was alone and freaking out, I told my dog, filmed a quick video just in case it was true, and went on my way. When Ryan came home later, I dropped the news, he was so shocked and overjoyed, and then we went to Target, where I took a bunch more tests. All positive. It felt a little surreal. I didn't know how to respond and was just kind of in shock. Especially because only Ryan and I knew what I was praying for. (and of course, I've always prayed for our future kiddos, but this was a much more specific type of prayer that I was coincidentally beginning to pray WHILE I was pregnant). God is cool and weird sometimes. Check out our pregnancy announcement video here. I wish I can say the fear went away after that, but the fear carried on for about 3 weeks. I stuck with my faith prayers and worked through it. I blogged about some of my specific fears and how I conquered them over at this blog post. And I know you never stop being fearful, but I believe in big faith and targeting specific fears that cause anxiety, so that's what I did. This is something I learned after dealing with trauma and I've taught myself (with some help from good friends) how to heal (continually and in every new season) from the kind of fear that crosses into unnatural anxiety. It isn't easy, but it's possible. My fear eased up and faith and confidence started to kick in as we moved forward. Our month was a little crazy after that. 6 days after finding out, I hopped on a plane to host a 500 person event with Trades of Hope and my team. I had many speaking roles and hosting duties, and it was a little overwhelming with my new-found pregnancy and the onslaught of morning sickness. But all of our Compassionate Entrepreneurs were SO sweet to me and made it the BEST experience. A couple months later, we were hit with Hurricane Irma and our entire town shut down for a week. Everyone was hunkering down, boarding up windows, and buying enough junk food to last them to the end of the world. It was a little crazy, but we got through it and were not negatively impacted other then some flooding on our street. Our poor town is still recovering though! Around this time, I began to start to feel super comfortable being pregnant and was starting to really understand my body and it's needs. I found that, at least for me: - I had morning sickness and the throw ups every morning, but it was not as bad as I thought it'd be. Honestly, you get used to everything. As long as I didn't let it interrupt my day and get me down, I could deal with it fine. (TMI: Also, drinking a TON of water as soon as I got up helped me throw up clean and easy without vomiting important calories. I just replaced the water later). - Swallowing and digesting harsher food was a lot harder, so I need to drink water with every meal or I'd get indigestion. (Something I never had before). I wasn't exhausted or overly emotional like many said I'd be. Honestly, other then feeling a little bloated and having morning sickness, I felt pretty much like Chelsie. And I liked that. So far, so good! Not trying to diminish anyone else's experiences, but I like to share the good just in case it encourages someone too. - Gaining weight is a lot harder then everyone told me it'd be, just because of my body type. So I have to intentionally go out of the way to eat more foods. I just really like my fruit, guys! - Exercising helped being sick, but lifting weights made me dizzy so walking helped a TON. - Getting good books to research pregnancy INSTEAD of googling (and seeing all those terrifying, fear mongering things) was SUPER helpful in managing fear. So maybe those will help you! Or maybe they'll just be for me to look back on and remember. ;) Right at the end of the first trimester and the tailend of Hurricane Irma, we hopped on a plane to Washington D.C. I'm helping homeschool my brother this semester (#homeschoolkidsunite) and we planned a fun trip to help him learn some history. (Plus, it was nice escaping to some AC as we were out of power for a good part of the week). So Ryan and I had fun galavanting around D.C., visiting our friend Elisabeth, seeing the historical sites, and visiting Mount Vernon. It was here that I was certain I saw my belly bump for the first time. I'm kind of lanky, so it's hard for others to see, but there is definitely a little something going on. Apparently, I'm now 15 weeks this week, instead of the 14 I thought. We went in for our 2nd appointment and heard the baby's heartbeat again and scheduled our appointment for finding out the gender, which is exciting! Anyway, that's kind of a recap for you and somewhat for me. I want to remember all of my experiences and I love blogging, so I figured I'd let you in on some of the updates as well. For the next few months, we have lots of exciting things planned including a trip to the mountains to see the leaves, a birthday/costume party, a gender reveal party, and a Harry Potter marathon. And of course, we are still adamantly praying in big faith for our baby and all that he/she will be one day. Until the next update. Thanks for reading, sweet friend! Chels P.S. The formatting is wonky in this blog post. I spent forevs trying to fix it and finally gave up, but so sorry if it was weird to read because of it. <3 It's official! We've made it through the first trimester and all is well with our little kiddo. We're not sure yet if it's a boy or girl, so I've lovingly been calling him/her 'baby groot,' a name no one thinks is very cute UNLESS they've seen Guardians of the Galaxy. ;) But the first trimester is no piece of cake. Throwing up every morning while trying to be a girl boss is harder then I thought it would be, so I've got three tips for all those first time millennial moms-to-be.... who are maybe terrified about what is to come or just need some words of encouragement. For me, finding out I was pregnant was a joyous thing. And then the terror set in. I love leading my company, traveling the world, speaking, and showing up for work everyday. Every calling is valuable, but the calling God has put on my life for this season has always been coupled with the business I've helped grow and run. With my pregnancy announcement, I felt this very weird, self imposed doom and pressure that my work and travel days were over. It was a sinking, frightening feeling. (Also, the couple people that have decided to tell me "enjoy this time before the baby comes, because you'll have no time and no life afterwards" may have set me off a bit). After talking to many of my millennial girlfriends, I find that this is a common fear for my age group (an age group that is increasingly pursuing entrepreneurship.... and wants parenthood and entrepreneurship to co-exist.). Our generation's values have shifted a bit and some of us are scared of WHO we have to become in order to be a mother, as it may look different then tradition. But no matter, let me speak truth for a second. YOU are still YOU when you're pregnant and your baby is just a beautiful addition to your life. And if you live as fully YOU while pregnant and after, your baby will be all the better for it. WHO you have to be is exactly YOU. I promise. My mom lived this truth for me. She loved us kiddos with all her heart, but we were a part of her and my dad's sweeping adventure, not the other way around. And I firmly believe that seeing my parents live out their unique them-ness created healthy, happy kids in us. So three things I'm learning and reminding myself of through this wonderful, scary, weird ride: 1. Your pregnancy and mommyhood can look however YOU want it to If you desire to stay home and have the ability to, do it. If your personality was built to work full time, do it. If you want to travel with a baby on your back, go for it. If you're longing to homeschool your kiddos, pursue your calling. My family traveled, ran businesses, homeschooled me, and brought me along on all their adventures. Their life did not stop when I showed up, but they immediately immersed me in the fullness that was them. I was a part of their love story, their adventures, and their passion for this life. And I loved growing up that way. I always felt part of something bigger than myself, and that gave me security and a love for life. Just do you. And don't let anyone else define what it needs to look like. The adventure does not end when a kid comes around. Your story can become sweeter, deeper, and more full. 2. Start creating your own affirmations to speak over yourself. As soon as I found out I was pregnant, I was super happy. And then about a week in, the fear set in. I wasn't super maternal...so how could I be a good mom? I work too much and really don't want to stay home....would I mess my kids up? I have an amazing closeness with my husband and don't want it to go away....what if it does? These are all erroneous thoughts that fear tries to plant in our minds. That fear will come and all of us deal with it. But creating 'affirmations' or statements of truth really do help you continually overcome fear. So I sat down and wrote out five affirmations that I repeat to myself everyday. They can be super simple or more complex, but they have to attack the root fear you feel and replace that thought with truth. For me, many of my private ones turn into prayers of faith over my family and child. Some examples: My work ethic, strength, passion, and drivenness will teach my kids how to love their life and work hard for something they love. My adventurous spirit will show my children how to embrace and fully live life. I will make time to do what I love in my career AND spend time with my kids. Traveling will teach them to appreciate this world, love everyone, and to adapt to change. My relationship with Ryan will change and become even deeper and better.... because of what we created together. These are just some examples. I challenge you - whether you're pregnant or just terrified of one day being pregnant (like me) - start creating your own and speaking them over yourself now. 3. Keep the adventure alive through pregnancy It can be tough to still feel fun when you're sick and bloated. But don't stop doing the things you love because of it. Take a ride down to the beach, go hike your favorite national park, have a game night with your husband, go on a mini roadtrip with friends. I have intentionally placed fun things through out the next few months that remind me of who I am and what I love. I love to travel. I love adventure. I love community. And yes, my life will change. But I can still live fully in those things while pregnant and with a child. Keep those little reminders by intentionally planning you-like activities through-out being pregnant. This, just like affirmations, will remind you of who you are and what brings you joy. You millennial mom-to-be (or one day mom to be): Remember that life does not end when you have a kid. You are still you and no one can make you not YOU. You control the way you parent, the way you work, the joy you have, and the life you want. So don't let society or any negative Nancys tell you what kind of 'mom' you have to be.
There is no right way for anyone, but by living as fully yourself while you're pregnant and when you have your baby, you will find so much more joy. And you will teach that precious child how to do and find the same thing. We can do this together, friends. It case you haven't heard, we're pregnant and due in March! We made a goofy video telling some of our friends and family, and we can't wait for this new adventure ahead! |
Hey, friend! I'm Chelsie!
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