..isabella oliver review..

So as my belly is getting bigger and bigger, it's getting harder and harder to find clothes to cover it, lol. Well, I happened to stumble upon a maternity clothing company called Isabella Oliver. They make some super cute clothes! Here's a little about them from their website:

Isabella Oliver was launched in 2003, and has since become home to two essential women's wear collections; Isabella Oliver Maternity and Isabella Oliver 365.

The brand was founded by Baukjen de Swaan Arons, Vanessa Knox-Brien and Geoff van Sonsbeeck; three passionate individuals whom aspired to create a clothing brand that women would love to wear.

Every Isabella Oliver piece exudes the brand's ethos; pregnancy style solutions for today's multitasking woman. Timeless classics are given a contemporary twist with ruche and wrap accents to create comfortable and stylish maternity essentials in easy, wearable fabrics. We aim to produce effortlessly chic collections; multifunctional must-haves that provide style confidence when you need it most.

And it's not just me that thinks they make cute clothes. They have clothed some of the most famous pregnant women out there! We're talking Angelina Jolie, Heidi Klum, Jessica Alba and Gwen Stefani just to name a few.

Isabella Oliver sent me their most popular item, the Wrap Around Top, to try out.

I'll have to admit, when I first took the Wrap Around Top out of the box, I thought there was no way it was going to cover all of me, because it comes as one piece that looks like this:

The two long "tails" are the pieces you wrap to completely cover your belly. Well, I tried it on anyway and started wrapping. Let me tell you, this is some seriously stretchy fabric! It just kept going and going! It covered all of my belly and tied into a cute little knot on the side.

So now you're probably wondering, if it's so stretchy, do you feel like you're all wrapped up in an ace bandage or something? Well that answer is nope! This is definitely one of the most comfortable tops I've ever worn. It is snug against the body, but not in a way that feels too tight or constricting. Best of all, after the girls are born, I can still wear this top! So bonus for the dual use! :)

So if you're in need of maternity clothes, and you're tired of the tops that make you look like you're wearing a tent, then check out Isabella Oliver. They carry more than just tops too, including dresses, jeans, bathing suits, and lots more!

Note: I received a complimentary top from Isabella Oliver for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received for my opinion.

*All photos courtesy of the Isabella Oliver website.

..officially official..

Well the babies definitely cooperated yesterday. We got wide open shots, lol. The ultrasound tech had no doubt that we are having two little girls :) They have gotten so big since the last time I got to see them. And of course they were wiggling all over the place. The tech kept having to chase them down to get good pictures. By the end of the ultrasound they were fighting! One was punching the other in the butt and then she was kicking the other one in the head. Ahh, the joys of little girls :D

It took us forever to come up with one girl name and one boy name. So after finding out we needed another girl name I thought it was going to be a big, drawn out argument and that they might be born and Baby B still might not have a name. But standing in the checkout line at Wal-Mart last night, out of nowhere, Jeff said a name, and we both love it. So, both of our girls have a name...

Piper Ann and Layla Marie :) Their middle names are after mine and his grandmothers. We're going to be swimming in pink around here, and I can't wait :)

..6 days left..

Until I (hopefully) find out what these critters are! I hope they cooperate at the ultrasound Tuesday. I'm supposed to drink 36oz of water before the appointment and go in with a full bladder. Umm, you want me, pregnant with twins, to load up my bladder and then let someone push all over it?! That's going to be torture, lol :) But they said it pushes the babies up and makes them easier to see. I guess whatever gives me an advantage :) I've had three dreams about them so far, and in each one it has been a boy and a girl. I don't know if that's intuition or just me really hoping. I guess we'll find out.

In the meantime it has been wedding after wedding, and lots of prep work trying to get ready for the new shop. Here's some cakes from a wedding last weekend..

The groom is a big turkey hunter, and the wedding had sort of an Asian theme. It was beautiful, lots of light and dark pink everywhere. I loved it. These aren't the best photos, I made them with my phone. The good photos will be on the Sugar on Top website in the next few days. Better lighting and no one's head in the background :D Hope all of my wonderful friends out here in blog land are having a great summer.

Peace, love and koala fuzz y'all!

..earth mama angel baby organics review..

I first discovered Earth Mama Angel Baby Organics when doing an online search for organic pregnancy products. When I found out I was pregnant, I knew I didn't want to cram my body full of chemicals. Your whole way of looking at things changes when you realize you're not just taking care of yourself anymore. Being responsible for these babies makes me think a little differently. So I was happy to find Earth Mama Angel Baby Organics. Here's a little of what they're about, pulled directly from their website:

"We use the highest-quality, certified-organic or organically grown herbs and oils for our teas, bath herbs, gentle handmade soaps, salves, lotions and massage oils. Our products are 100% toxin-free, cruelty-free, vegan, and free from all artificial preservatives, fragrances and dyes. Our commitment to honor the earth and her valuable resources extends to our packaging as well - we use only eco-friendly recyclable or reused/resuseable packaging and packing materials. It's true - we are even the proud recipients of the BRAG (Business Recycling Award Group) for our green practices.

Just as our foremothers did, Earth Mama Angel Baby honors the ancient knowledge of natural and herbal remedies and plant medicine. The wisdom we rely on has been passed down from great-grandmother to grandmother to mother to daughter, which we combine with the safety and assurances of contemporary evidence-based research."

Earth Mama Angel Baby Organics recently sent me some of their new Happy Mama Body Wash to try out.

"Earth Mama Angel Baby’s exhilarating new body wash is safe for pregnancy and ideal for noses that are sensitive from morning sickness. And since Earth Mama Angel baby products are formulated to be safe for pregnancy they are safe, and perfect, for the entire family. With fresh Ginger to combat queasiness, Happy Mama Body Wash is USDA Certified Made With Organic ingredients, including zangy organic Lime and organic Pink Grapefruit essential oils to give spirits a lift, in a naturally safe organic olive oil castile soap base. No harsh detergents and zero toxins mean it's safe for pregnant women and the whole family."

This body wash smells SO good! The ginger and the grapefruit really wakes you up in the morning. The lather is wonderful and it rinses away clean. Sometimes body washes feel like they leave a residue on my skin, but this one definitely doesn't. I also love that it can be used not only for pregnant mamas, but for babies as well.

They also have much more than lotions and body washes. For tea drinkers, they have several blends including Morning Wellness Tea, Heartburn Tea and Third Trimester Tea. This was the first product from Earth Mama Angel Baby Organics that I've tried, but it definitely won't be my last. I've got my eye on the Happy Feet Herbal Foot Soak and the Natural Stretch Oil (I have a feeling that with twins, I'm gonna need this!).

So if you're looking for organic products that you can feel good (and safe) about using on yourself and your little ones, then have a look around Earth Mama Angel Baby Organic's website.

*As always, no monetary compensation was given for my opinion. *All photos courtesy of www.earthmamaangelbaby.com

..3 months!..

I'm 12 weeks this week, woot! I can't believe it's been 3 months already. A little over 5 months and they'll be here! Speaking of not believing, who's belly is this? It's like I can literally see and feel myself getting bigger every day, but it's so cute :) You can finally tell I'm actually pregnant, and not just hooked on Krispy Kremes, lol. I've got to get some belly pics up. The morning sickness is much better. The only time I usually feel bad is at bedtime. I think laying down makes my heartburn bad, which makes my nausea worse. Luckily Tums help, and my doctor said that I can always take over the counter meds like Prilosec. 3 weeks until I get to see the critters again, I can't wait.

Oh yeh, did I mention I'm on a big mashed potatoes and gravy kick? LOVING me some KFC lately, lol :D

Peace, love and double the koala fuzz y'all!

..bun in the oven chronicles..

Ok so I got a little bit of a surprise yesterday. I had to go back to the OB for an exam and some bloodwork, and they said since my doctor didn't get to see me when I was in last week (he got called for a delivery), that he wanted me to have another ultrasound. That was fine by me, because I'm a worry-wort and I'll take any chance to see the critters! :)

They said they were still right on track size-wise, and their heartbeats were good. Baby A was flipped upside down, lol. They were both just hopping all over the place while we were watching, it was crazy :) Also, they said they want to see me every 4 weeks until I hit 6 months. Then it will go to every 2 weeks until 8 months, then it will be every week. So when I go back I will be 15 weeks along. My new due date is October 18th. The Dr. said that with twins, "full term" is only 38 weeks. So, it's really crazy to think that they could be here in just 6 short months! I've already started stockpiling diapers, just to make it a little easier.

..bun in the oven chronicles..

Well, today certainly was a crazy day. We had our first doctor's appointment. They said they were going to do the ultrasound first, and it felt like it took forever to get us in a room. I know it was really only a few minutes, but I was super nervous and excited all at the same time. I got in and laid down, and Jeff sat in the chair next to me. On went the gel (which was surprisingly warm!) and then the tech went to work. I knew something was up when the first words out of her mouth were, "Oh my." So then I start straining to see the monitor, and she asks, "So this is your first?" And I'm thinking good grief what is it? Well, have a look. (Click on it to see the whole thing)

That's not two pictures of one baby :D We're having twins!! I couldn't believe it. But it's really weird, because I've kinda had that feeling all along that it might be more than one. So super excited! :) She said that both babies looked good as far as size, and that their heartbeats were really good.

Here's Baby A, waving for its closeup :)

And here's a profile of Baby B. I just love its little belly :)

Yeh, so we're excited, and freaked out a little, and totally on cloud 9 a little too. I mean, one was enough to be happy about. Two is just great, and sorta insane :D The nurse said I'm like the 5th set of twins they've seen in the last month, but I'm the only one who got them without fertility drugs. I will go back in 6 weeks for another ultrasound, and the tech said we should get to find out genders then. She also said that based on what she could see as far as the sacks they were in, that they're probably fraternal. That makes me happy, because that means it could be a boy and a girl. That would be awesome :) But honestly, we just want healthy!