FYI some of these photos were taken 8 months ago or so! I happened to have them so I put them into this post quick! It’s funny because I haven’t lost any weight since I started working out regularly. But looking at these pics, I have definitely lost inches which makes me really proud of my hard work at spin class!

1. PLUS SIZED DRESS | 2. DRESS | 3. SHOES |4. ARROW NECKLACE

This Eliza J dress truly makes me feel like I could be the Duchess of Cambridge! Ha! Ok not really. But I feel really sophisticated in a chic way! It’s also so versatile – I feel like this dress could be worn to a brunch, to work, to a dinner party or even to an event such as horse races. Seriously, it can be worn for so many different occasions! There are so many different aspects that I love about it – not to mention that it comes in plus sizes as well! The plus sized version is more than %60 off! It’s 60% off plus an additional 25% right now.

It is a beautiful chiffon material, that makes it feel so expensive and such a treat to wear. It is fully lined inside, so you don’t have to worry about wearing a slip with it, which is awesome! As I mom, I totally believe in outfits that are the least fussy – the less fussy the better! I also love that the hem of the dress comes to just above the knee, and then there is a sheer “ruffle” at the bottom that adds length to the dress. This really elevates the dress for me, because it takes a more cocktail style of cut to something really classy.

1. DRESS | 2. PLUS SIZED DRESS | 3. NECKLACE

How cute are the sheer sleeves on this dress?! They come down just below the elbow, and I love that they hide my arms, since you guys know that sometimes I am self-conscious about them. The sleeves are truly so slimming and flattering! The waist has elastic, and the belt is adjustable and you can remove it all together if you prefer. I personally really like the belt! There are also tiny buttons that run down the front of the dress. I love that the neckline is not super deep, because it makes it work-appropriate!

1. PLUS SIZED DRESS | 2. ELIZA J DRESS | 3. SHOES | 4. ARROW NECKLACE

This dress can also be worn with a few different colors of shoes and in varying styles depending on what you are wearing it for. Here, I am wearing it with these nude pumps.  You could also wear this dress with strappy heels or some cute flats! Personally, I would mostly wear this dress with either nude or white shoes, but depending on how you accessorize, you could also do gold, silver or black!

1. PLUS SIZED ELIZA J DRESS | 2. DRESS | 3. SHOES | 4. ARROW NECKLACE

Just as I was about to post this, I realized that the regular sizes are no longer in stock! What a bummer! I hope they come back! But there are a TON of chiffon dresses available! Here’s a link for some in similar styles!

Oh! While you’re here, don’t forget to head over tomy post about Vanity Fair Bras! We are giving away bras to 100 of you and I am so excited for you all to try them!!!

Thanks so much for all your lovely comments on my dress via Insta DM! What is your favorite dress to wear to work? I’d love some suggestions!

The post This Dress Makes Me Feel Like Kate Middleton! appeared first on Ali Manno (Fedotowsky).

 1. RILEY’S 2-PIECE PJS | 2. MY PJ TOP | 3. MY PJ BOTTOMS | 4. LETTER BOARD

Anyway, over the last three years I’ve definitely collected lots of tips and tricks to prepare my kiddos rooms for the best sleep possible! Whether it’s things I’ve learned on my own, suggestions I’ve learned from all of you, or tried-and-true tips I’ve been given by sleep experts – all of the things I’ve compiled in this blog are things that have worked for me and my family! So, I’m sharing them with you guys in hopes that your babies (or toddlers!) get some good sleep too! And as always, please feel free to share your experiences and tips in the comments below. I love it when we help each other by sharing all of our own experiences. That’s my absolute favorite thing about this blog. Mamas (and daddies) coming together!

My first two posts in this series were geared more toward parents of infants or expecting mamas. But this one is really for any parent who needs some extra sleep! But if you are expecting, I HIGHLY suggest creating a baby registry at Walmart and adding these things now. You should also check out my other two blog posts in this series – 1) General Must Haves and 2) Must Haves in the Kitchen. Then use this link to create a registry and easily add all the items! If for some reason you get a product that you need to return, you can easily do it online or bring it in store! Which will be a lifesaver for larger items that are harder to ship. Plus, if you want to add anything that I didn’t talk about, search for it on Walmart’s site and I swear there is a 95% chance it will be there! I was shocked but how many items they have and how many retailers/brands they work with. Ok let’s get into this!

Blackout Shades

This seems like a super obvious tip. And in some ways it is. But the tip I’m about to give you is one that Riley’s sleep coach told us that I thought was some of the best advice I’ve ever gotten! Sure, it’s important to have blackout shades in your children’s rooms. Molly and Riley both have them in their rooms. Not only do we use the blackout shades but we have blackout blinds to to make the room extra dark! And we will even push furniture up against the sides to make sure no light is peeking through along the edges. We’re serious about our dark rooms! And when you’re traveling, most hotel rooms, unless you’re in Vegas, don’t have blackout shades. So this is what the sleep expert Kimberly told us! Use black garbage bags and tape them over the windows. This was mind blowing to me when she told me this! Genius! Now every time we pack for a trip I make sure we pack black trash bags and painters tape so we can put them up over the windows. This is especially helpful when you’re changing times zones and want to keep your child on their schedule. For example, when we travel from the west coast to the east coast, we put the kids to bed at 10pm (which is 7pm west coast to keep them on schedule) which means they should sleep until 9am (6am PST). Without the trash bags over the windows they would NEVER be able to stay on schedule since the sun would wake them up well before 9am.

 1. BLACKOUT SHADES

Honestly, you could totally do this in their bedrooms! And even though it won’t be the prettiest in your child’s bedroom – it works! Who cares about what it looks like when your kids are SLEEPING! Sleep! Ahhhh glorious sleep! Ha! Just take the time to cut the bags out nicely so they fit perfectly over the windows and it won’t be so bad. Plus, in the first year of your child’s life, you pretty much never go in their nursery unless they’re going to sleep. At least that was the case with both my kids.

Sound Machine

A sound machine is an absolute must in a child’s bedroom. Not only because white noise/brown noise has been known to help not only children, but adults sleep as well. But also because you don’t want your kids being woken up by other noises in your house. For example, we’ve put white noise in both Molly and Riley’s room since they were born and I remember one time when Molly was 1 we actually had a party at the house. And even though it got pretty loud she never woke up! Our house was on the smaller side at the time. It was about 1400 ft.² and all on one level. Her bedroom was about 6 feet away from our living room where all of our guests were. I’m confident that’s because of the white noise. And in general, you just want to be able to live your life when your kids are sleeping. When they’re napping during the day you want to be able to get things done around the house and not have to worry about tiptoeing around everywhere. And it helps Kevin and I! I honestly can’t sleep without it! There are a few good machines you can use. Kevin and I use this one. I LOVE it because it can get really loud. And I like my white sounds LOUD! I can’t even tell you how many we went through before I found this one. And in Molly and Riley’s room we use the Hatch baby rest. I did Instagram stories about this thing multiple times because I SWEAR by it. It’s an OK to Wake light and sound machine all in one! It is the BEST THING EVER to help teach your kids how to sleep later if you have very early risers.

We have this one in our guest room. It’s a much softer/natural white noise (similar to a fan) which many people like. I also recommend a travel one for when you are out and about for car naps or stroller naps!

Air Purifier

I almost didn’t wanna recommend this one because it’s so expensive. And I know a lot of people can’t afford it. But in you’re in the position to be able to get this air purifier for your child’s room I highly recommend it! But not for the obvious reasons which is to purify the air. Yes, that is a great benefit of having one – and if you only need one to purify the air, there are ones under $100 that will do just that which will absolutely help your child sleep better! (This one has GREAT reviews) Especially if they have seasonal allergies, which I’m pretty sure both my kids have.

 1.AIR PURIFIER | 2. HATCH BABY REST | 3. PJs

But the biggest reason I can’t live without ours is because it also helps with temperature control. I don’t know about you guys but I literally have had so many sleepless nights because I’m constantly worrying about the temperature in my kids rooms. Kevin thinks I’m insane. I’m constantly waking him up in the middle of the night and asking “Do you think it’s too hot in here? Too cold?” Mostly I’m worried about Riley since Molly is now older and can use blankets and easily pull them on her or take them off her as she pleases. But we have this air purifier in Riley’s room because even though he sleeps in a sleep suit that keeps him warm and cozy throughout the night, he can’t take the sleep suit on and off like you or I could do with the blanket. If we get cold in the middle of the night we pull the blanket over us. When we’re hot, we kick them off. Riley can’t do that so I’m constantly worried about him being too hot or too cold. Goodness, I cannot wait until I can put a blanket in his crib!

Anyway, even though we have a nest thermostat to help control the temperature in our house. Sometimes when the AC is on it can get really cold in his room since it’s smaller than our master bedroom. So even though I had it set to 72° at night. Sometimes it will still feel 75 in our room but feel 69 in Riley’s room. So what I love about this air purifier is that you can choose for it to blow hot air or cold air. And it’s not like a standing plug-in heater that would be very unsafe to put in your child’s room. Just being able to control the temperature in his room with this thing gave me more peace of mind at night. And instead of staying up all night fussing with the air conditioner for the entire house I can just set the temperature in his room to a certain degree and feel good about it.

The only caveat is, I’m not an expert and definitely would consult the website for this purifier or any purifier to make sure that it’s even safe to do this. I’ve looked and haven’t seen anything saying it isn’t but you should look too!

A Sleep Suit

I just mentioned the sleep suit above and I’m going to make it it’s own entire point because I think it’s crucial for good sleep! This is the way our sleep coach described it to us. How comfortable would you be sleeping in just your pajamas in your bed? With no blankets or sheets or anything to keep you company? Sounds so not great right? Well the same goes for a little ones. They want the comfort of a blanket. But as you guys know it’s not safe to put blankets in your children’s crib until they’re at least 1 and I believe some people even recommend waiting until 18 months. But I just never felt comfortable leaving my kids in their crib and just pajamas for an entire year of their life. I wanted them to feel “comfy and cozy”. I keep saying those words because that’s what me and Molly always say. Comfy and cozy! So by wearing a sleep suit you basically get your little one the comfort of a blanket but in a safe way.

 1. SLEEP SUIT

We’ve used a few different brands throughout the years. I really love this lightweight one when it’s warmer in our house. And they have heavier ones if you live in colder climates or keep your house really cool. But I tend to like this one the most because it’s not too hot, not too cold, as Goldilocks would say. It’s just right! This one is great too! It’s a little more on the lighter side. And we try to keep the temperature in our house around 70 to 73° regardless of what time of year it is.

A Lovey

I talked about Lovey’s in my past post about sleep training and I have to mention it again here. Putting a lovey, which is basically a small breathable comfort toy, in your child’s crib is a must in my opinion. Again, I’m not a doctor so you have to check with your pediatrician to make sure this is something they recommend depending on your babies age. But we started putting one in Riley’s crib when he was four months old. His pediatrician thought he was plenty strong enough to be able to move it away from his face if needed and the material of the lovey we used was very breathable. But there’s something about having something to cuddle at night in their crib that just provides comfort for your kids. Molly, of course because she’s almost 3, has a dozen stuffed animals in her crib now! Ha! If it were up to her she have five dozen in there! But having something in there to snuggle in the middle of the night I found definitely helps him sleep better. Please consult your pediatrician before you put ANYTHING in your child’s crib, even a lovey!

A Bassinet

When your little baby comes home from the hospital you’re going to want a safe place for them to sleep in your room. It’s recommended that you sleep in the same room as your child for the first year of their life. I didn’t do that with either of my kids. Molly stayed in our room for the first six months and Riley only for the first four months. But however long you decide to keep that kiddo in your room with you they’re going to need somewhere to sleep. You could just put your babies crib right in your room if you’re budget is really tight. And if you have a room big enough to fit an entire crib. If you don’t though, a bassinet is a great option.

 1. HALO BASSINET SWIVEL SLEEPER | 2. SNOO SMART SLEEPER

We use the Halo bassinet swivel with Molly and this new SNOO Smart Sleeper with Riley. Both are great bassinets but the Snoo is going to cost you a pretty penny. Riley slept great in the SNOO for the first three months of his life. And then he went through a sleeper aggression at three months and things kind of went downhill from there. And then we transition him to his crib at 3 1/2 months because we knew we wanted to start sleep training at four months and we wanted him to get used to his crib. But for that first three months we thought we had the best sleeper in the world on our hands! So if you can afford it, I definitely think it’s helpful. However, it’s really expensive! And I think that the Halo bassinet is a great option. I like it because it swivels over the edge of your bed which makes it easy to pick your baby up and breast-feed in the middle of the night and the side of it pushes down so you can easily get your baby out of it. Both are great options

A Mobile – But Not For Sleep

A mobile in the nursery can be a lifesaver! And no, not for hanging over your babies crib. In fact, I think a mobile of her crib is actually just distracting your baby from doing what they should be doing in their crib and that is sleeping. But what I think mobile’s are absolutely great for distracting your baby during is a diaper change. So if you can hang one over your diaper changing table do it! Molly wasn’t really this way, but oh my goodness does Riley hate getting his diaper changed! It is a constant struggle to try to get him to stay still or even on his back so we can change his diaper. When we change his diaper in the living room we resorted to putting the TV on for 60 seconds to distract him so we can actually change his diaper. But in his nursery we hung a mobile above his changing table recently and it works so well! I don’t know why I didn’t think of this so long ago! And Walmart has a bunch of super cute ones. I’ll link a few of my favorites below.

Zipper PJ’s

Oh my gosh, make sure you have zipper pj‘s! Because I’m telling you those first few months of your baby’s life when they are waking up every hour to hour and a half throughout the night you are going to want to easily be able to unzip their PJs to change the diaper and then zip them back up. Trust me when I say you are not gonna want to mess with buttons! My best friend Stef gave me this advice before Molly and it was some of the best advice I ever got! Again Walmart has some extremely affordable pj’s. This set of three is only $13 and comes in a girl set and a boy set. That’s four dollars a pair. Gotta love that!

 1. ZIPPER PJ’s(3 pack for $13!)

Two-Piece PJ’s

And once they get older, two-piece PJ’s make life so much easier. Like the pair Riley is wearing in these photos. I also just like a light weight cotton PJ so they aren’t too hot or cold. I also prefer long sleeve PJ’s. It always stressing me out that Riley can’t pull a blanket up over his arms at night and I always worry about him be too cold. Whether it’s because it’s winter or if it’s summer and the AC is running. Oh the temperature struggle is real!

 1. RILEY’S 2-PIECE PJS | 2. MY PJ TOP | 3. MY PJ BOTTOMS

Changing Table

Of course you’ll also need a changing table in the nursery – the photo below is of Riley’s! BUT at least for the first few months of your babies life, you are changing a ton in the middle of the night. And I think that for a good night’s sleep, you are definitely going to want a changing table in your bedroom for the first few months of your babies life. I think this one’s really cute and pretty affordable, either to have in your room as a secondary changing table or even to have in your little’s ones room permanently!

1. CHANGING TABLE

Changing Pad

And if you don’t want to put an entire changing table in your bedroom then a changing pad on top of the dresser in your bedroom works just as well! And then you can move it into the nursery once your baby moves in there. I don’t really have a preference one one changing pad over the other. I think this one with the Chevron print is pretty cute. But if you want something more high-tech we actually have the Hatch Baby Grow Smart Changing pad and scale. I feel like this is especially helpful to people who give birth to premature babies. It’s really important that those babies gain weight consistently especially at the beginning of their life and this changing pad doubles as a scale and tells you how much your baby weighs. I didn’t have any issues with Riley’s weight ever in his life. But we got this because it was just fun for me to see how much he weighed from week to week rather than waiting to go to the doctor every couple months.

Lavender Oil

Using lavender essential oil to help my babies sleep was advice that my friend Suedy gave me a few years ago. She’s pregnant with her first baby now but she wasn’t back then and she told me just because it something that her mother told her! So she actually got me a bottle as a gift and we use it on the bottoms of both Molly and Riley’s feet the first year of their lives. Actually with Molly I think we use it the first two years of her life. And I’m not even kidding you that one bottle lasted us with both kids. Anyway, lavender is a really calming scent and helps people relax and it definitely does the same for a little ones! We just put a drop on the bottom of each of their feet before they went to bed and let the lavender will work it’s magic!

I feel like there has to be things I missing but I can’t think of them right now! So can you guys help me and share any products that you think are essential for helping your little one sleep?! We JUST ordered a new mattress for Riley because his current one is ROCK hard so I will let you know what I think of it after we get it! Hope you guys loved this Must Have Baby Registry Series. I had so much fun writing it!!! Here’s the link again to start your own baby registry from Walmart! I can’t recommend it enough. And I really hope these products help so many parents out there!

And a HUGE thank you Walmart for sponsoring this series!!!

The post Baby Registry Must Haves – For Getting Precious Sleep! appeared first on Ali Manno (Fedotowsky).

Rose Ceremony

Luke coming into the rose ceremony didn’t bother me. If you really care for someone and love them you should fight for them. What bothered me is that when she asked him to leave very sternly multiple times he didn’t listen to her at all. I just don’t think he really respects women. It’s like he thinks or thought that Hannah can’t think for herself and make her own decisions and he had to help her see and feel what he thought she should see and feel.

One thing I found kind of concerning though – when Chris Harrison told Hannah that he had a ring in his pocket and was ready to propose I feel like the look on her face said it all. She seemed like she wanted that. And look, I can’t know for sure what she was thinking and feeling. None of us can. But she didn’t roll her eyes or seem frustrated with it, she just got really bright eyed with the big wide eyes like she couldn’t believe it. But it didn’t seem like it was in a bad way. I most felt like she wanted him to come back in that moment. Again complete speculation but it’s just the feeling I had.

Luke and Chris Harrison

When Luke sat down with Chris Harrison, I couldn’t put my finger on why he was taking such a long pauses in between answering Chris’s questions. I feel like it could’ve been one of two things. Either he was thinking in his head how he can manipulate the answer and everyone around him, or he truly just does feel so misunderstood from the season so he was being super careful about what words are coming out of his mouth. I feel like it was a little bit of both honestly. And don’t think Luke is this terrible human being! Of course not! I bet he is deep down a good person and tries to do the right thing. I just think that he’s so misguided and makes bad choices. I don’t know if it’s how he was raised or something he went through his life. But I do think he’s misunderstood in that way. I don’t think he’s trying to be a complete jerk, it’s like he’s lying and he doesn’t even know he’s lying. In fact that’s exactly it! He’s a pathological liar. The way pathological liars brains work is they lie so much and so often that they can’t even distinguish the difference between the lie and the truth. I’ve grown up with people like this in my life. And they’re not bad people! Some of them are the nicest, greatest people I know! But the lies make life better and you do it so much and so often that you don’t even realize you’re doing it anymore. I think that’s Luke.

The Men Versus Luke

Biggest problem with Luke in all of this is that he doesn’t own up to any of it. I wish that he watched the season, saw what a jerk he was and just came out and said wow I was a jerk. People mess up and I’m sorry. He still would’ve gotten a little shit from all the guys but I think they would’ve come around to respect him taking ownership for it. I just feel sorry for him. I never wish any ill will towards anyone to be honest. Even if they do really shitty things. Well aside from murderers and things like that. But you know what I mean. I never want someone to hurt even if they’ve done something that has shown poor character. But Luke just makes it so hard to forgive anything he’s done because he shows no remorse for any of it. Yes, at one point he did apologize but that was after making excuse after excuse after excuse. It’s like he just says what’s convenient to say in that moment. Okay, let’s talk a little bit about the guys and what they said to him.

Conor –

I think Conor saying “fuck you” to him at the beginning of the episode was completely uncalled for. And calling him a psychopath isn’t helpful either. I mean, really, what good can come from calling an actual psychopath, a psychopath. It’s just hurtful and unnecessary.

Matteo –

I don’t remember him at all but he said he made it to Rhode Island and I thought it was super mature and nice of him to say that he thought that Luke had been punished enough until this point because of not only feeling ostracized from the group, but from what he’s experienced from being on the show and publicly dragged through the dirt. Not that he didn’t deserve it. But I kind of agree that he’s been punished enough. Heck, I was the Bachelorette and probably had the love and support of 90% of the viewers, if not more. Most of the time the Bachelorette does. That 10% that didn’t care for me and said horrible things about me on the Internet broke my heart. I remember sobbing and feeling so defeated by it. So I can’t imagine being Luke, regardless of the shitty things he’s done, and how he must feel right now.

Chris’ question about them both not being virgins –

I found this question to be completely unfair. Not being a virgin and questioning the person you think you’re about to propose to within two weeks on whether or not they’re having sex with other people are two completely different things. I don’t believe that Luke ever said that it wasn’t OK that Hannah wasn’t a virgin. I’m pretty sure he knew that she wasn’t and he never said that. Instead he was upset that she just had sex with someone else when in his mind he loved her and they were going to be together forever. I said in my last blog and I’ll say it again, but I do not blame him for asking the question. It’s how he did it that made it inappropriate. He made it about faith and not about feelings. And when he made it about faith he was essentially judging her and calling her un-Christian. That was shitty!

So I just wish Chris Harrison didn’t ask that question because my answer to that question is yes, not being a virgin and not sleeping with someone two weeks before you’re about to get engaged to someone else are two completely different things. I get that this is the Bachelorette and that’s how it works. But people are people that have human feelings. How would you feel if the person you were completely madly in love with flat out told you they slept with somebody else the night before and you were planning on proposing week later. Can you imagine how heartbreaking and devastating that would feel? I just want us all to remember that. I know it sounds like I’m defending him in this. I’m really not. I’m just trying to see the little bits of good within him and cut him a tiny bit of slack because he’s been through enough. I read an article, or headline rather, saying that he left the Men Tell All In Tears. And it makes me sad. I don’t want anybody to feel like that. So I’m not defending him at all in this. Except for this one question. It wasn’t fair.

Is Mike The Next Bachelor?

Honestly, based on some things I’ve heard through the grapevine I thought Mike was a shoe-in to be the next Bachelor. Which honestly I wasn’t super pumped about. Look, I think there for sure should be a black bachelor. IT IS TIME!!! And I think Mike would honestly be a great Bachelor! The problem is we never really got to know Mike. We didn’t see enough of him on the show and he didn’t last long enough to really get to know him. Traditionally the Bachelor or the Bachelorette comes from the top four. And that’s because you really get to know those people and fall in love with them. I like Mike but I haven’t fallen in love with him because I just don’t know him yet.

But I will say after watching the show last night, I do not Mike will not be the next Bachelor. He didn’t get enough time on screen which is the number one reason I know it won’t be him. And we also didn’t hear him give a big speech about how he is ready to find love. Every single season the next Bachelor or Bachelorette gives a mini speech about how they’re ready to open their heart and find love again. I did it, Hannah did it, and every other Bachelor and Bachelorette has done it at the Men Tell All or Women Tell all. At this point I think it’s pretty safe to say it will be Tyler or Peter. Who do you think it will be? Or are you still convinced it’s Mike?

Hannah

Man, I was so happy to see this side of Hannah. I know I’ve questioned her maturity and decisions many times throughout the season. I hope you can all agree that I did it with the upmost respect for her. She is part of my Bachelorette sisterhood and I would never want to speak badly of her. Anything and everything I said comes from a place of love. However, I will say last night I was just so proud of her! She spoke with class and authority and love for herself. Most importantly. Respect for others as well.

All that said, I do however wish they did address the fact that sex in the fantasy suite can be hurtful to someone. They made it all about a woman being able to do what she wanted with her body and have sex and it’s not anybody else’s business. And while I kind of understand that I also don’t. I’ve already kind of explained myself on this, but I just wish somebody brought up the fact that having sex with somebody and having sex with somebody else a day or two days or three days later it’s hurtful. Because at the end of the day that’s what it’s about in my mind.

Having sex with more than one person in a week isn’t wrong. Some of you may disagree with me but I don’t think it’s wrong. As long as you feel good about it. But what does feel wrong to me is being in a relationship with three different people that are all telling you they’re in love with you and then having sex with more than one of them. Does that make sense? And I get that it’s the Bachelorette. But I guess I’m just saying it’s kinda messed up! But in the same breath, I will say that sometimes in order to make up your mind you need to have sex. I feel weird even saying this because I’m married with kids but I can wholeheartedly say that if one of my guys didn’t leave in the top three on my season, I would’ve had sex with more than one person. But because one of the guys I really cared about left, I only slept with the guy ended up with in the end. It feels weird to talk about this publicly but I’m just gonna put it out there. But thinking back on it, it really doesn’t seem like that’s okay – to sleep with two people in a week when your are one a WEEK from getting engaged to one of them. I’m so curious what you guys think about this. It’s just such a difficult situation to talk about because it’s not normal life. So I don’t blame Hannah whatsoever for sleeping with more than one guy. Because I’m pretty confident that she slept with Jed as well. I just find it hard for everyone involved.

I was able to find her dress from Men Tell All! It is on the pricey side, but so pretty and available a handful of sizes as of now!

 1. HANNAH’S MTA DRESS 

The Finale is SO Soon!

Ah! Can’t believe this season is already almost over! I think we will be finding out who the Bachelor is super soon and I am really excited! I know you guys sometimes say that I know spoilers ahead of time, but I can honestly say that as I am writing this I do not know who the Bachelor is going to be! Also I CANNOT wait to tell you my Bachelor/ette news, it’s coming so soon! Let’s chat all about this weeks MTA episode, and who you think or want to be the Bachelor!

UPDATE:

I just wanted to write a quick update to this post. I truly feel bad that anyone thinks that I am in anyway insinuating that the way Luke treated Hannah was OK. I’ve read read this blog and try to find a place where it seems like I’m saying that and I don’t see it. But I think where I did mess up is that I didn’t clearly state in this post how sooo not ok his behavior towards her has been all season! I believe he’s naïve to an extent but I also believe he did some serious manipulating throughout the season. I talked about this in multiple past blog posts, so I guess I just kind of thought you guys knew I felt that way about him all along. But it is completely my bad for not reiterating that in this post. And even though as a mom (and human) I feel bad for the way he was bullied last night. And I truly feel that bullying is not OK – no matter what the circumstance. And I’m very firm on that! I’m also a mom to a daughter and I would never want my daughter to end up with someone like Luke. So I’m not saying he’s a great guy, I’m just saying he’s a human being with feelings and what he took on last night was A LOT.  Just because he hurt others doesn’t give anybody the excuse to hurt him back. That’s all I was trying to say. Just because Luke can’t always do the right thing. That doesn’t give us the permission not to do the right thing either.

And same with Hannah! I know Hannah didn’t make some of the best decisions this season. And I have been vocal about disagreeing with the way she’s handled some things. But just because you or I disagree with some of her choices, it doesn’t give us the right to be nasty to her. And once again, I obviously make mistakes, but I try really hard to have empathy for her and understanding when I disagree with her. I know people who know Hannah personally and they say she has a huge heart and is an incredibly sweet person. And I know that’s true! She’s a young girl who is trying to find love and doing in a very public way. I commend her for putting her life out there. And I support her through and through EVEN when a disagree with her! It’s really hard to learn about yourself and grow personally on national television for everyone to judge. I know because I’ve been there. So sending Hannah a big hug today too!

Anyway, I appreciate all the comments. It’s very obvious that all of us are very passionate about what happened last night. And I really just appreciate you guys coming here and sharing your feelings. I won’t always say the right thing. I try to, but I’m not perfect. So I appreciate the feedback as always.

As always, I will end my post with a few recap photos from the past week! First, make sure you check out my blog post from this morning! It contains the 3rd and final portion of my Walmart Baby Registry series! I feel like I saved the best for last… because it’s all about sleep! It is SO important to get good sleep when you are a parent, and I give you all the tips and tricks that I have gathered over the past few years of my kiddos lives!

 1. RILEY’S 2-PIECE PJS | 2. MY PJ TOP | 3. MY PJ BOTTOMS | 4. LETTER BOARD

Also, I wanted to share with you a few items that are still available from the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale! It is now open to the public! Woo!

I love this outfit because it is so “comfy and cozy” as me and Molly say! The cardigan is lightweight and can easily be worn in layer without add bulk! That’s one of my favorite parts about it because I typically can’t layer sweaters like this. There is still great stock in it, in a bunch of colors! As for the Rails flannel, it is a great deal! Typically Rails items are all at least $150, so to get this for less than $100 is amazing. It is really soft and honestly I could wear it to sleep because it is so comfortable! The jeans are on sale for $59 and there are a handful of sizes left if you still want to grab them!

1. CARDIGAN | 2. PLAID TOP | 3. JEANS | 4. SHOES

I have been in love with these Nordstrom brand pajamas ever since I gave birth to Riley. Let me tell you, they are the softest pajamas that I have ever owned. I only wanted the softest material to touch his new baby skin. And I think these are the only pajamas I’ve ever bought and that didn’t shrink in the wash. That’s one of my biggest problems with PJs – I’ll buy them and the fit perfectly and then I’ll wash them and they don’t fit anymore. These totally don’t shrink and hold their shape! They are apart of the sale, and so are the more summery short sleeve version for only $32 for the set, that still have black in stock!

 1. NORDSTROM BRANDS LONGSLEEVE PJ’S | 2.  NORDSTROM BRANDS SHORT PJ’S

My favorite joggers are fully in stock! Wooooo!  These BP. lounge jogger pants are part of the sale! They are high-waisted and so comfortable! I am obsessed! They are only $35! They come in both regular and plus sizes! I’ve said this in my other blog post about these pants but they are truly my favorite item in the sale! After I bought them I wore them for two days straight! And that’s not an exaggeration! I even napped in them one day because they’re so comfortable! And I love that they are dressy enough that I can wear them in a sweater like I am below but I can also dress them up even more with a lace Cami or dress it down with the white-tee like I did in the side-by-side photos below. I’m telling you, if you haven’t gotten these joggers yet please get them! You will truly love them so so so so much! The sweater is still in stock in a few sizes too!

 1. SWEATER | 2. BP. JOGGER LOUNGE PANTS

These heart PJ’s are so feminine and sweet. They are sold as separates and are on sale for $25 each. You could totally just buy the joggers and a pair it with a white tee and it would be a really cute PJ look! I’ve been investing in PJs more often lately because you spend so much of your life in bed that I want to be super comfy and feel good even when I’m sleeping. Plus I kind of like putting on a cute pair of PJs at night! Heck, I’m a mom and on days I don’t have to go to work I’m in my PJs most of the day anyway! So might as well have some cute ones! Stock is still pretty good for these!

HEART PJ TOP | HEART PJ BOTTOM | HEADBOARD | SIDE TABLE/DRESSER | MIRROR

So this dress sold out REALLY fast in the leopard print. I mean look how cute it is!!! It is still in stock in a floral print, and I am really, really hoping that this dress comes back too! Both prints are apart of the Nordstrom Sale and are only $38! I just can’t even believe that price because the dress is so gorgeous and high quality! I also found a faux leather jacket that is apart of the NSale and really similar to mine, for only $65!

1. DRESS | 2. JACKET | 3. SIMILAR PURSE | 4. BOOTIES

The post The Bachelorette – Hannah’s Men Tell All appeared first on Ali Manno (Fedotowsky).