Name: Sandy Frinton
Age: 32
Hometown: Poughkeepsie, New York
How far along: 28 weeks
Favorite look: Jeans

I’m a preppy, classic dresser, and I typically wear clothes from the Gap, Eddie Bauer, and L.L. Bean. My husband likes me to wear the kinds of things I always wear. He doesn’t like “pregnancy clothes.” I don’t think he’s used to my new body.

My favorite maternity clothes are my husband’s old Levi’s jeans from college. I found a bunch of them when we were cleaning one day. They’re in all different sizes so I can grow into some of them. His big jeans were a great find because I’m still too small for maternity jeans. His Levi’s are baggy, long, and so comfortable. You can’t beat the fact that they were free. I don’t want to invest money in clothes until I’m skinny again.

People say that I look cute in his jeans and I like that I don’t look as big to the outside world as I really am. I top the jeans with his old oxford shirts—white, pink, yellow, and pinstriped. I just throw them in the washer and dryer and roll up the sleeves. With his clothes, I’m sporting bigger sizes, but I feel confident knowing I’ve kept my style.

Name: Jill Holder
Age: 33
Hometown: Brooklyn, New York
How far along: 36 weeks
Favorite look: Power suit

I’m very short, so I’m conscious about looking round and stocky. I like to wear clothes that give me a shape. Most maternity clothes are “tenty,” like smocks and baby doll dresses. I just can’t do the look where clothes balloon out over the belly.

So my best find has been the business suit I bought for less than $50. It’s charcoal gray and has pants, a skirt, and a jacket with a zipper down the front and two pockets on each breast. The jacket also has a clip so I can taper it in the back. I like that I can switch off between the skirt and the pants. Everything is made out of cotton jersey, so it’s comfortable and machine washable.

I spice up the suit with a pair of black leather mules. It’s easy to forget I’m pregnant because I look so chic in the outfit. I can walk into a meeting and be taken seriously. One guy at work didn’t even know I was pregnant. When I wear bulky maternity clothes, people just look at my belly. When I wear my suit, people look at my face.

Name: Angie Tucker
Age: 29
Hometown: Garden Grove, California
How far along: 26 weeks
Favorite look: Stretchy separates

It’s difficult to find stylish clothes that I’d wear if I weren’t pregnant. It’s bad enough that you gain weight, yet don’t look pregnant until the fifth or sixth month—the last thing you want to do is wear dorky clothes.

I’m normally thin and big-busted with an hourglass shape. I like to dress sexy and wear fitted fashions, and pregnancy is no exception. My favorite look is a long, black stretch polyester-blend skirt with a black short-sleeve top. The top was $14 and the skirt was $20. The shirt is stretchy and snug. It shows off my belly and has a scoop neck that looks great, especially when I wear a little choker necklace. The skirt has a drawstring waist so I can roll over the top to make it shorter if I want. I wear black slides to show my toes. I get a lot of compliments when I wear my sexy outfit. It’s nice to know I can be pregnant and keep my personal style

Name: Jadie Gamble
Age: 38
Hometown: Atlanta
How far along: 31 weeks
Favorite look: Bathing suit

I’m kind of chubby, and I got bigger sooner than other women. When I was six months pregnant, I probably looked like I was at eight months. I’m really big now and people ask me if I’m having twins. But I’m not worried about the weight gain—I think I look pretty good all around. In fact, I like showing off my pregnancy.

I bought a great black one-piece swimsuit with spaghetti straps for $35. It has a skirt that makes my thighs look nice, and its scoop neck shows off my cleavage. The other day I felt so good in it, I pranced around the pool.

I actually feel more confident in a bathing suit when I’m pregnant than I do when I’m not expecting. In a bathing suit, people definitely can see that I’m pregnant. My husband likes when I show some skin, too. He says I look like a really cute pregnant chick.

About the Author
Julie Weingarden is a writer based in Royal Oak, Michigan. Copyright © 1999-2002 ClubMom, Inc. All rights reserved.

Tight clothing before you even have a bump can be very frustrating. If it isn’t your first pregnancy you may notice these changes earlier than other newly pregnant women. Most of the time, the first trimester is too early for maternity clothes, with their big elastic waistbands or big pouches, and yet no ome wants to have to spend money on new clothes every few weeks until the maternity clothes fit you.

If it is warm outside, your range of choices may be a bit wider than when the temperatures are colder. Try light, loose-fitting shorts with elastic waistbands for running around town, your house, or heading to the pool. Loose pull over short sleeve shirts and tank tops are perfect for avoiding your shirt stretching at the buttons over your growing breasts. Sundresses that don’t have a waist at all are a great choice, and something that you might already have in your closet. The idea is to be comfy!

If it is cooler outside and shorts are not an option, or you have to work in an office where you have a dress code, try looking for some black slacks or pants that don’t button, and instead have elastic or a draw string so that as the day goes on, there is room for you to grow and get comfortable. Black slacks can be dressed up or dressed down and can be worn with anything, so your options are unlimited. Stick to the tops in your closet that don’t have buttons if your breast size is rapidly growing, as pullovers and sweaters won’t look so stretched. On weekends or when running around town, try to stick to sweat bottoms as the elastic waist can move with your body.

When you get home for the day, there is nothing wrong with pulling out your comfortable pajama’s or a lounging outfit that has no buttons or zippers and putting it on for the evening. The third trimester, and after your baby is born, is soon enough to be uncomfortable all day, so there is no reason to be uncomfortable during the early days of your pregnancy.

Whether you are petite or plus size you can discover some funky and trendy maternity outfits at cheap discount prices. Looking good is half the battle when it comes to feeling good. And looking good is just a matter of spending a little time finding the right maternity clothes for you. Appearing stylish is a goal that can be achieved through the entire pregnancy experience.

Some women believe they have to look thin to be beautiful. That is so far from the truth it is not even funny. There is a wide selection of cute maternity clothes in retail stores or online that can make you feel attractive again no matter what size you happen to be. There is absolutely no reason why any woman should have to squeeze uncomfortably into an outfit that is way too small in an attempt to look stunning. It’s not the size, but the style and fit that will improve your look.

The purpose of maternity clothing is to help you feel as comfortable as possible with your increasing weight and size. But that doesn’t mean you can’t find some trendy maternity clothes that you can feel good in. Finding some funky maternity clothes just takes a little bit of searching online or through retail stores. The cute maternity clothing you crave is out there, it just has to be found.

In addition to maternity pants, shirts, skirts and dresses there are other items of clothing that can increase a pregnant woman’s comfort. Finding the right underwear is very important too. If you want to look good you need to feel good. Nursing bras should have the ability to stretch, which is why cotton bras are the most popular during and after pregnancy.

If you are wanting to continue feeling sexy for your husband you may experience the need for some maternity thongs. They have become a very popular item of late. They can be found in very soft fabrics that will stretch comfortably below a woman’s belly. They can be made of stretchy cotton fabric for the ultimate in comfort and also come in an assortment of exciting colors and prints. Just because you are pregnant doesn’t mean you can’t wear similar clothes that you are already used to.

Other items of clothing that can still be worn during this period are jeans and T-shirts. Jeans and T-shirts are specially made for mothers-to-be. They have special stretchy areas that will conform to your shape while still looking trendy and attractive.

Skirts and dresses can also be worn regularly during pregnancy. Skirts are probably the most popular form of apparel during this time of your life. They can fit loosely for comfort while hiding some of the extra shape you are doing your best not to display. Dresses are also popular for the same reasons. This type of apparel gives you a little extra room for both growth and comfort.

The main thing to watch out for is not buying outfits that are too snug to begin with. It’s usually wise to purchase apparel that has a little “growing into” room. Buying things too tight means you will outgrow it quicker. If you have a large shopping budget you may be able to get away with buying things to fit. But if you are looking to save money by going with cheap discounts you should consider finding maternity clothes that will have a little extra room for growth. By shopping this way you will be able to save money by wearing those funky clothes for a longer period of time.

Now that you can see how important it is to find cute, trendy and funky maternity clothing for both your comfort and your appearance it’s time to start searching for them. Shopping online allows you do find cute petite or lovely plus size outfits in the convenience of your own home. Once you know what’s out there you can then visit the retail stores and start trying on the clothes that will help you to feel the most beautiful possible.

About the Author
This article is brought to you by My Maternity Clothes, an online source for petite and plus size maternity clothes. For more information please visit My Maternity Clothes.

Bring your photos. Bring the photos that you want to work on in the next few weeks with you when you go to the scrapbook store. I like to separate the photos by layout so that I can work with one set of photos at a time. Portable photo organizers are great for this.

Choose cardstock and patterned paper. Use your set of photos to choose background and accent papers that coordinate with the colors in the photos. The best way to do this is to hold the photos next to the papers as you walk through the store. Be sure to choose enough paper for the background, matting, accents, journaling blocks and any title blocks. It’s a good idea to start thinking of a general design for the layout so that you can estimate how many sheets of paper you will need.

Choose coordinating embellishments. Since the paper is the base of the layout, next you can choose the embellishments. The colors and patterns in the paper will help you decide what embellishments will work best with the layout, whether it be tags, stickers, die cuts, fibers, charms, etc. Avoid buying every embellishment that would work on your page (because inevitably there will be many), and choose the one or two that will feature your photos best.

Decide on the title style. Titles can be the hardest part of a layout. Luckily there are tons of products that make them easier, whether it’s a die cut title, sticker title, eyelet letter title, punched title, letters on tags, or any of the many variations. The colors and embellishments that you’ve already chosen will probably help you determine which type of title will work best on your layout.
Once you’ve chosen all of the products you need, your layout will be ready to assemble. You can move on to choosing the products for the next set of photos. After you’ve bought the products, put them into page protectors with the photos for the layout, and you’ll have everything you need to complete your page in one spot. Using this system will make scrapbooking a much faster process when you sit down to complete the layouts since all of the products will be chosen already – and you’ll be saving money by only buying what you need.

About the Author
Andrea Steed is the author and creator of Scrap Tutor, a web site and CD-ROM that teaches you how to create scrapbooks and how to perform many popular techniques used in scrapbooking. For more information, visit www.scraptutor.com.

With a new baby on the way, you’ll want the perfect crib to coordinate with your nursery and provide a safe sleep environment for your little one.

Not only are there different styles of baby cribs, but there is now a wide selection of convertible cribs. Many baby cribs are designed to convert to toddler beds, children’s benches, and even adult daybeds for later use elsewhere in the home.

There are so many different types and sizes of kids bedding and baby bedding for children that it can sometimes be baffling to try and determine which bed size is best, and there is really no correct answer to this. It is all based on the individual child and other considerations.

The crib must meet all recommended safety standards. Most new cribs on the market today comply with both mandatory and voluntary safety standards.

For example, the bars or slats of the crib railing should be no more than 2 3/8 inches apart so a baby can’t wedge his head between them. A mattress should fit snugly into the baby crib. There should not be any room that allows your baby to get his or her hands (or any other body parts) caught between the mattress and the baby crib.

Carefully choose the location for your baby’s crib, in particular don’t place the crib against a window, near drapery fixtures, or near furniture which could help your baby climb out.

This article may be used without permission as long as it is shown in its entirety with links intact.

Because a baby crib is the only children’s product manufactured with the intention that a child will be left unattended, parents should be extremely careful in the selection process. You might find this link very handy with your selection process http://www.epinions.com/

About the Author:
For more pregnancy and baby resources visit http://www.babycribsinfo.com/.