Bargain Shopping at Zulily

If you're like me and you're addicted to those members only shopping sites a la Rue La La, Gilt Groupe, Ideeli and the like, you'll love Zulily, a destination that features daily deals for moms, babies and kids with discounts up to 90%. Sales start at 6am PST and you can score discounts on everything from maternity apparel, infant and children's clothes, toys, car seats and more.

Click here to score an invite and get shopping!

Pregnancy Fashion: Formal Events

Formal events have got to be a pregnant woman's worst nightmare. It's hard enough dressing stylishly on a daily basis, let alone finding a cute cocktail dress to fit an ever-expanding belly. Mr. M and I recently attended a wedding and I knew I had to get creative when choosing attire so I turned to my fave site Rent the Runway in search of a flowy cocktail dress that would accommodate a growing bump. Just to note: this is not maternity wear, the dresses are normal sizes.

Here's my tip for finding a fab cocktail dress that fit an almost 7 month bump: Search by body type and click on apple, since when you're pregnant your body basically is an apple shape.

Specifically look for flowy, grecian style dresses in stretch or jersey fabrics. Definitely read the reviews as well - reviewers will note that dresses run large, which in this case is a good thing.

I settled on this gorge cobalt blue Mark & James by Badgley Mischka draped dress and sized up to a small from my normal xsmall size and it fit perfectly. Please excuse the insanely poor quality of the pics - Mr. M snapped these on his phone right before we left.

If you're not a member of Rent the Runway click here for an invite.

Found: A Stylish and Affordable Diaper Bag

Oh, the diaper bag. This is something I've struggled with for awhile now. Since it's an item I'll be using everyday, I wanted something super stylish and not those canvas polka dot disasters that usually come to mind when you hear the words diaper bag. Now, I'm the first person to spring for luxury goods, but it did seem a little silly, even to me, to drop major dough on let's say, a Gucci diaper bag, since I would imagine that thing will see its fair share of stains.

I finally found the perfect super chic and reasonably priced line of diaper bags courtesy of Timi and Leslie. The celeb-fave line (Jessica Alba carries the Charlie and Victoria Beckham was just gifted one at her recent baby shower) features bags done in faux leather (easier to clean!!) that look more like a great oversized handbag than a diaper bag. The best part? Every bag is under $200 and you can often find them on sale at online retailers like Zappos and Amazon. I'm personally trying to decide whether I want the black patent Baby Jane or Rachel.

Head over to the Timi and Leslie website to check out the convertible collection and to locate either a real store or an online retailer that carries the goods.

Natural Beauty

This is very un-PC to admit, but I'm usually not a fan of natural and organic products. A few here and there I like, but generally I prefer my beauty products chock full of chemicals. But since about 60 percent of topical ingredients get absorbed into your blood stream, I decided to take a natural approach when I found out I was pregnant.

Alba Botanica Body Cream has quickly become one of my favorite products because it's super hydrating without feeling heavy and greasy and takes the edge off of that stretched skin feeling as your belly grows. I love the Kukui Nut and Coconut Milk formulas because they smell absolutely delish and intensely nourish. When I need something a little lighter I'll swap the body butter for the Cocoa Butter Hand and Body Lotion, which softens, smooths and restores elasticity with a lighter lotion formula that absorbs super fast.

Pregnancy Fashion: The Jegging

Pregnancy fashion is a slippery slope here, at least for me. When I first started getting a visible bump, I began looking into maternity clothes and instantly wanted to die. I mean, have you seen what is out there? Eventually I bit the bullet and ordered a few items, including a pair of jeans and they were huge. My pre-pregnancy size is a 0 so that’s what I ordered in maternity but no dice; the fit was just terrible. So on to plan B – the jegging.

The jegging is seriously a pregnant woman’s best friend because they look like jeans, but feel like leggings and are absurdly comfortable. Better yet, because jeggings are so soft and stretchy, you can buy non-maternity jeggings and they’ll fit just fine. Admittedly, I'm a huge denim snob and only wear JBrand, True Religion, COH etc., but with a new baby on the way, husband finishing up business school and me being the sole income, there was no way I was dropping that kind of money on jeans right now. Coincidentally I was in Old Navy picking up an adorable pair of unfortunately no longer available faux snakeskin flats (side note: you would never expect, but ON occasionally has insanely cute shoes) and stumbled upon the Rock Star Denim Legging and decided to try, especially since the Ruby wash (a cool inky color) totally reminded me of the JBrand Bruiser wash that I absolutely love.

They are seriously one of the most comfortable pairs of pants I own and I’ve been wearing the hell out of them lately. And they’re on sale right now for $19. Seriously get them, get several. I sized up to a 2 because I was worried about shrinkage after washing and they’re perfect. And if you’re wondering how to rectify the stomach situation, just leave unbuttoned and use a band to cover or fold the waistband inside.

Acne: Nature's Cruel Pregnancy Joke

I’ve been hearing about the infamous pregnancy glow ever since I can remember so way back when in early November when I found out I was a mama to be I instantly had visions of radiant skin (that I didn’t have to fake myself with highlighters and shimmer powder). Oh if I knew then… What actually happened, as often does with pregnancy, is I encountered a serious case of acne. Literally I would look in the mirror and just think what the HELL is going on here?

Ready for the best part? Most acne meds are off limits when you’re expecting. That’s right, no salicylic acid, no benzoyl peroxide, no basically anything that actually clears acne. I knew it was time to get creative if I wanted to actually leave the house, so check out my solutions to this very serious problem.

Sulfur will be your new best friend. It’s a great spot treatment and totally safe to use during pregnancy. I was digging through my beauty stash and stumbled upon some Proactiv Refining Mask that was sent to me awhile back and thought bingo, here we go. Just dab on trouble spots before bed and wake up to clearer skin. It's totally unsexy for your partner to see you like that, but desperate times...

If your acne is more of an all over situation, break out the big guns and use a mask that contains kaolin and sulfur, like my personal fave Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque. I was turned on to this by my husband’s cousin’s wife who has successfully pushed out two kids while remaining breakout free. This refreshing mask sucks out impurities, rinses away blackheads and helps shrink the look of pores. And at less than $5, for a huge tube, it’s dirt cheap. Use twice a week to keep skin under control.

Tea Tree Oil is nature’s answer to benzoyl peroxide because it kills bacteria, a main cause of breakouts. Keep acne flare ups to a minimum with a tea tree oil-infused face wash, like all natural Jason Natural Products Tea Tree Oil Satin Soap for Hands and Face. I know what you’re thinking, or at least what I was, that there was no way in hell I was putting something on my face that you also use on your hands. But this contains pharmaceutical grade organic tea tree oil plus skin soothers like vitamin E. Just trust me here.