2nd Trimester Must-Haves.

Now that I'm officially rounding off my second trimester and rolling into the third, I thought I'd follow up with some "must-haves" for the second-trimester.

It's no wonder they call this trimester the easiest... it's definitely been pretty good to me.  There weren't a lot of things I couldn't live without.  The ease of this trimester might also have to do with the fact that I spent most of it on my behind doing whatever the heck I wanted.  Ah... a teacher's schedule in the summer.  I lived in comfy clothes most days and showered when I felt like it.  The weather was even pretty good!   Okay, here's the rundown:

1. Gap Cowl Neck Tank.  This was a great first maternity purchase for a couple reasons. One, it was LONG so it could cover up the fact that I was holding up my shorts and jeans with hairties (see #6). Two, it's comfortable. Three, it will last me through the fall by throwing on a cardigan. And, four, it was super cheap ($6.99).  So I got two. :)

2. New bra. I'm not brand-specific in this suggestion.  All I'm saying is the puppies grow, and they need support.  I've loved the ones I found at Nordstrom rack for $4.99 each like the one in the photo.  It's wireless, but has removable cups.  It's comfortable and stretchy and does the job.

3. Dresses! That awkward I-don't-want-and-can't-really-wear-my-pants phase is not fun.  Dresses are comfortable and flattering most of the time.  AND easy. One piece and you're dressed.  Also, many non-maternity dresses work for quite a while.  I'm still wearing a few these days.  (image: Target, no longer available online)

4. Camera.  The bump grows FAST.  Document in some way.  I'm still trying to learn how to use the camera I'm borrowing from my bestie. (Thanks, Ash!)

5. More dresses.  I have this one in black (duh) and green.  It was $12.99 from Banana Outlet.  I wore them at least once a week this summer. So. Comfortable.

6. Clear hairties.  The clear ones held my pants up better than the others because of the tighter elastic.  I used these for jeans and shorts up until about 22-23 weeks.

*Not pictured*

7. Maternity Jeans.  Again, I thank my bestie, Ashley.  She is letting me borrow a tub of her maternity clothes and it is AH-MAZING!  You guys, maternity jeans are so comfy.  (I'm using that word a lot this post... #comfyequalslazy) There are two pair in particular that I love.  One straight/skinny cut demi-panel pair from Gap and the other is a full-panel dark skinny pair made by Hudson.

8. Comfortable Shoes.  People tell me my feet will go back to normal, but I'm not convinced.  Anywho, my shoes don't fit.  It's one thing when your pants don't fit, but shoes??? Ugly.  Even shoes that fit hurt. Good thing it's still summer and I can squeeze into flip-flops.  I've tried on ballet flats and closed-toed shoes for fall and it wasn't pretty.  I'm dreaming of crocs................ yikes.  People wear flip-flops in winter too, right?

9. Belts.  My attempt to show that the belly is more shapely than gut-ly (I'm making up words).