Happy happy FRIDAY! This was such a weird week – whenever I have Monday off I somehow feel like the “short week” feels extra long. Anyone else? I was so busy at work this week and yet the week still moved like molasses. Also, why is it 80 degrees out today?! I finally transition to a fall fashion mindset and mother nature is all JK LOL Nora get back in those tank dresses! Sigh. Ya girl just wants to snuggle under cozy blankets, watch fall flicks and light fall candles. Maybe I’ll just blast the AC and make it happen 😉
Anywho, tonight we start shots again for our frozen embryo transfer! I’m pretty excited – this is a medication and shot I’ve done before (but not for this length of time) so hopefully we’ll jump right back into the swing of things. I have so many more IVF updates since my last post and I plan to share them all on stories tonight. Thank you SO much to everyone who asked questions in my Q+A last night! I’ll likely address some of the more nuanced questions in a blog post, too.
This weekend I have a snuggle / movie date with C, a day date with Monica and a trip to NJ to visit C’s grandparents on Sunday. We haven’t seen them IRL in ages so it will be so nice to catch up live. Other than that I plan to take it easy and get used to my new meds and routine! I hope you have a restful weekend, too!
Cozy Clean Candle
Homesick is one of my favorite clean candle brands and I love even more for their sentimental scents. They carry the most whimsical scents – with ones for cities, states, seasons and places but also life events, stages and moments. For me, a sentimental scent makes the experience of lighting a candle so much more meaningful. When we lived in New Jersey, I would constantly light my New York City candle (it did NOT smell like feet and sewage, so that was nice) to make me feel more at home. I’m currently loving the HOME OFFICE scent and keep BOOK CLUB in our bathroom! Claire and I actually just *added* this BUD LIGHT scent to our cards for our crispy boy loving husbands. I mean, notes of smoked charcoal, a new jersey, and crowded bleachers sounds *perfect* 😉 That beig said, if this candle comes and smells like a frat basement, I will be seriously disappointed!
PS the seasonal and holiday scents are divine but sell out quickly! The Nutcracker was my fave last year.
Tasty Electrolytes
One of the things I learned from my acupuncturist post-egg retreival is that it’s super important to boost your electrolytes. Electrolytes are essential minerals – like sodium, calcium and potassium – that are vital to many of the key functions in the body. I’m already pretty conscious of my hydration levels and electrolyte balance – I crave salt a lot, and have a feeling my electrolytes are naturally lower, so I try to drink a packet a day. I typically rotate between Cure and GoHydrate but heard about LMNT on the Be Well By Kelly podcast. LMNT is sold on Thrive Market, so I figured why not give it a go! It’s a MUCH different formula than the others and I find the sweet and salty combo to be delcious and beneficial. They are paleo friendly and have zero sugar but don’t have that chemically taste either. Kelly talks about them in this post if you’re curious to learn more about electrolytes and the body!
Gold Hoops
One of my dear friends gave me these gold hoops for my birthday after my previous pair from a different brand crapped out (aka became irritating and tarnished). I have super sensitive ears and do best with solid gold! These are beautiful, simple huggies that you can even add charms to. I actually don’t take mine off (unless I’m cleaning them) because they are super lightweight and work well with my small earlobes. I love that the company is local, sustainable, ethically sourced and conflict free! Every Catbird piece is thoughtfully made by a jeweler in NYC – you can tour their studio here.
Simple Mills Cookies
My hormones are all over the place these days with IVF treatments and I’ve had the BIGGEST cookie cravings. I’m not typically a sweets person but I do enjoy baked goods, I’ve just been lazy and have not had the desire to make my own cookies. When I’m in a bind or simply MUST have a sweet treat, Simple Mills is ALWAYS my go-to brand for baking mixes and baked goods. I love that they are GF, DF and made with ingredients I know and have in my pantry. Lately I’ve been snacking on the chocolate chip cookies (very crunchy, kind of like a better chips ahoy) and crunchy toasted pecan (like a combo between a graham cracker and vanilla wafer). I get them at Thrive or at Whole Foods, usually. Looking for a divine desert? Put dabs of Van Leuween’s Vegan Pistachio ice cream between two toasted pecan cookies. Freaking delicious.
Lap Desk
I shared this on stories recently but I’m obsessed with this faux marble lap desk. It’s super chic, folds flat, allows me to work from the couch and protects my body from EMF exposure. If you’re not familiar with EMF, it refers to the phenomenon of electronic and magnetic fields joining and creating radiation – like those coming from cell phones and towers, microwaves, satellites, generators and more. EMF is everywhere! Numerous studies have been done on the effects of EMF on fertility, with mixed results (another one here and here) but most advise caution – radiation is no joke! Keeping that in mind, I try not to get too crazy about it but never carry my phone in my pocket or work with a laptop on my person (especially over my womb). Those are simple steps that can help protect me no matter what! Plus, the lap desk was key when I was recovering from our egg retrieval procedure and when I’ve felt nauseous and bloated during treatment.
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