Holiday pajamas are very important and matching holiday pajamas from Petite Plume for the whole family are even more important. There is nothing cuter than a little one in proper pajamas. Petite Plume has a set of proper pajamas for everyone and even matching robes, can you even?
Our Christmas pajamas from Petite Plume were a BIG hit last year in real life and on the internet.
There are so many cute prints to choose from when it comes to Christmas pajamas shopping but Petite Plume is the company that nails it ever year in my opinion. From the style to the quality, Petite Plume is what you want to be wearing on Christmas morning with your loved ones or, if you are like us, starting Nov. 1 to start celebrating the holiday season!
The matching robes for dad and baby are the icing on the holiday cake!
I got some questions about Petite Plume sizing and when we ordered ours, we ordered a couple of different sizes because we wanted our Christmas pajamas to fit and we wanted them to fit NOW. AKA – we didn’t want to deal with the back and forth of returning and shipping in case the sizing wasn’t correct on the first round of orders. I recommend doing this if you are in a hurry for your pajamas because they are traditional pajamas and it can be up to personal preference on how you like your pajamas to fit, despite sizing.
Phoenix was easy to order for but Kevin and I ended up being the size we didn’t expect. He needed bigger pants and I needed a bigger top (breastfeeding, ok?) than we expected.
SHOP MENS >>
If you are as excited about the holidays as we are at The Crystal Press, check out our holiday posts here.
SHOP KIDS >>
SHOP WOMEN’S >>
I can’t recommend Petite Plume enough for not only holiday pajamas, but all year round. When Phoenix was under one – I used to literally dress him in the pajama onesies from Petite Plume that his God Mother gave him because I loved the look that much. Does that give you an idea of how amazing these PJs are?
In fact, here is Reb holding him at Tazza Kitchen in a Petite Plume onesie. The little sail boats were a real hit!
We hope you love Petite Plume pajamas as much as we do and are embracing the holiday season! XO, Cath & Reb
The best designer tote bags for fashionable mothers exude MILF-ness (yes, I said it) and have room for all of the trappings of motherhood: the extra makeup we didn’t have time to throw on before we left the house, sippy cups, blankets, snacks, and diapers galore. While what is inside of our designer tote bags might not always be glamorous, the fashionable mom values a tote bag that is functional and fashionable for her everyday life.
When I was pregnant, I scoured the internet for hours and hours looking for the perfect designer tote bag that would not only double as a diaper bag but one that would also be a good piece to add to my bag collection for other things such as travel, work, and play. During my research, I found that my favorite handbag designers had amazing contenders for this new mama’s search.
From the fashionable mom’s favorite designers such as Chloe, Saint Laurent, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Christian Dior – these totes are functional for new moms and experienced moms alike.
Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. You can see us wearing white boots all year round.
*this post was written in October 2020, but has been updated with recent picks for the season.
As I sit down to write this I am thinking * have I already written this blog post? *
This isn’t the first time this thought has crossed my mind and for good reason. While different styles and trends come and go each year, there are plenty of things that remain tried and true favorites for the both of us. Boots, and specifically white boots for the purpose of this list are staples in our closets year round! (See us both wearing different pairs of white boots earlier this year).
Catherine has been rocking the white boots for years now (see her initial post here), and they always take her looks to the next level. They catch your eye unlike any other style of shoe, if you ask me. Something about the white, when paired with darker leggings or tights, or with shorts can be super striking!
Who said you have to switch to a neutral color palette once fall hits? No one! Certainly not us.
We have both been branching out of our regular simple, neutral style patterns lately. For the most part, over the past few years, you’ve seen a lot of black and neutral colors here on The Crystal Press. Lots of playing it safe. A lot of that is because of the switch to more stay-at-home style, but even before that we liked to keep things pretty simple.
BUT, like I said in my last post with the Zebra dress, we have been feeling rejuvenated when it comes to fashion, which has brought some serious EXTRA-ness. Feeling inspired again feels great, not to mention has made for some great photos. For this shoot, we just wanted to have FUN, but in the process, we were reminded that our style is always evolving.
Cath has been having a moment with hot pink and I had to take advantage of these awesome photos and find some awesome hot pink pieces on our favorite retailers.
I have been hesitant about Amazon fashion but lately, my exposure to it on all things social media has seeped into my pores and changed my mind. If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I have been somewhat uninspired with the shopping world lately for a variety of reasons. Some of my favorite stores in Richmond, VA have closed due to the pandemic (RIP Nordstroms & Need Supply Co) and while I usually love online shopping, I haven’t found that many fashion purchases that I am pining for.
Agent Nateur is a natural skincare brand that is made out of high quality ingredients from European Countries and holi (glow) eye serum is the product that got me addicted to this brand. You can purchase it on the Agent Nateur website or at Revolve, Net-a-Porter, Nordstrom, and Dermstore. (If you are in a hurry for your Agent Nateur products, I recommend getting it from Revolve for their free 2-day shipping practice!)
Agent Nateur holi (glow) is Luxe & Effective
I have been using Agent Nateur products for over a year (see my first review of Agent Nateur here) and I am still impressed by this skincare brand, especially the multi-purpose eye serum called holi (glow). I love how luxurious my skincare routine feels as I dab this serum under and around the delicate skin of my eyes. The other night, I had finished my shower and night time skincare routine and my husband said “Wow, your skin looks amazing. You’re glowing!”
The Agent Nateur Glow comes from the Ingredients.
I say that this eye serum is multipurpose because it can be used on bare skin, during your skincare routine AND it can be used over makeup for a natural looking glow. Have you seen the Gucci Multi-Use Gel Gloss that is a clear serum-like makeup? Holi (glow) does provides this same glossy effect while also taking care of your skin.
The ingredients in Agent Nateur’s holi (glow) eye-serum are not something that should be overlooked. I know how carefully Jena Covello, the creator of Agent Nateur, sources her products and this eye-serum is no exception. Some of the ingredients in this eye serum are cucumber and lavender water, Sodium Hyaluronate, pitaya, and caffeine. Each of these have an active roll in decreasing age spots, dark circles, and puffiness.
If you are looking for a luxurious and effective way to elevate your skincare regimen, especially for your eye area, look no further than Agent Nateur’s holi (glow) eye serum. It rings in at just under $100!
You’ve heard of Instagram stories, you’ve heard of Facebook stories, now we bring you a whole new brand of tappable stories: Google Web Stories.
Everyone loves to watch stories unfold, whether it is in a book or in a movie, and we are convinced thats why everyone is craving so many story like features on social media and the internet in general. Rebecca and I (Cathclaire) are super pumped to be working with Google on their launch o their very own story platform called Google Web Stories.
Are you a creator on the internet? Whether you are a blogger, freelance writer, or someone who loves to create content for fun – check out Google Web Stories as a place to share what you create! Rebecca is creating stories surrounding the category of fashion and my stories fall into the category of Beauty.
Packing my hospital bag for the first time was overwhelming to say the least. Here are the products I packed and USED during my hospital stay when I had Phoenix. I hope it helps your hospital bag packing feel less overwhelming <3
I one hundred percent overpacked for the hospital because even though I had heard birth stories etc, I still didn’t know what to expect with having a baby. I did, however, know that I would want to feel as luxurious as possible while at the hospital aka I was going to do my darndest to turn that hospital room into the Four Seasons.
Phoenix’s first birthday party was one for the books and some of my favorite memories TO DATE. I kept the party decor minimal with a simple silver colored theme and made the centerpiece a wall of printed out photos of our family over the past year. The collage wall was a BIG hit and I highly recommend making your own for your next birthday party!
Like most parents, Phoenix’s first birthday was SUCH an emotional day for me.
It’s like I could feel the time passing in every cell of my body while wishing it would stand still for just a few moments.
I know, I know in my rational mind – that would be hella weird if time actually stood still. It feels like just yesterday I was writing his birth story!
His first birthday made his growing up absolutely undeniable and while I am enjoying every stage, I am also trying to make sure the moments don’t pass me by! Enter: the collage wall.
Here is my birth story from March 3, the day she became a mother thanks to Phoenix Michael. Thank you to the staff at St. Francis Medical Center in Richmond, Dr. Paoloni at River City OBGYN, and my mother – my inspiration and my lactation consultant. Best in the biz if you ask me <3
Baby Phoenix was due on Feb 24, 2020 but he wasn’t showing any signs of coming by then.I was 100% okay with that because I knew that he would come when he wanted and well, I was terrified of pushing a baby out. Like, terrified.
I felt like Beyonce when I got to the hospital because Sunday was not a busy day. It felt like they closed off the L + D wing of the hospital just for me. LOL
My husband would joke that I am totally fine having an “April baby” aka just let me be pregnant for forever. My fear of labor and delivery was SO real, but then again, I assume that it is for every woman.
Phoeny was showing no signs of coming so my doctor suggested an induction for Monday, March 2nd. The driving factor for me being okay with this suggestion was that it was my Aunt Mary’s birthday – who is one of my favorite people on the planet that passed away a couple of years ago. With the induction being Monday, my doctor suggested that I come into the hospital Sunday night to get the process started. At this point, I am just ready to go with the flow. Or so I am trying to tell myself.
All packed and ready to go!
Until I wake up Sunday. Actually, I didn’t even “wake up” because I barely slept that Saturday night. My mind was full of all kinds of thoughts and the unknown was haunting me. I wake up Sunday and pack for the hospital. Kevin left to run a couple of errands before hospital time and I knew I needed to meditate. I went up to my office to meditate and sobbed the entire time. Not because I was sad, but just because I was terrified. We can just call these feelings “pushing a baby out jitters.” I was SO scared. I didn’t know what to expect with labor, delivery, or being the mother of another soul.
Me, after my sob sesh
We get to the hospital and are greeted with smiles from all the nurses at St. Francis. Just like that – we are shown our room and it’s time to put the hospital gown on and IVS are inserted. I remember getting so hot with how quickly things started – idk if I was going to pass out from overwhelm or what. Luckily, I didn’t. My doctor comes in an hour later to insert what is called a balloon to start the dilation process. This wasn’t painful at all. In fact, Kevin and I rather enjoyed our first night in the hospital. We ordered uber eats – Capital Ale House to be exact and it was delicious. I didn’t start feeling crampy and uncomfortable until the wee hours of the morning. I had some pain meds for this and tried to sleep, but of course didn’t because I WAS SCARED.
Hospital essentials: rose water, Young Living peace + calm essential oil, + Kosas Lip Balm
When my doctor comes back in the morning around 7 am to take out the balloon and check how dilated I am, I am barely at 4.5 cm. The plan was for him to come back in the afternoon to break my water. He suggested getting the epidural before the water break. I was not sure if I wanted to be limited to my hospital bed at such a low dilation point, so I opted for waiting on the epidural until after he broke my water and upped the pitocin dose. Holy moly.
Once these 2 things happened, I was feeling contractions to what felt like the end of the earth. I 100% should’ve gotten the epidural when he suggested it because by the time I could get it, I was in so much pain it was hard to stay still during the actual epidural process. I remember asking my nurse “Can we do the epidural between contractions?” She replied by telling me that the epidural process takes 20 minutes. My next question was in complete hysteria – “What if I get a contraction when she is inserting the epidural?” She looked me straight in the eyes and told me that in that case, I have to breathe very slowly and more importantly – NOT MOVE. My mind was blown. I had no idea how I was going to stay still during these contractions. Thank God for my nurse because a contraction came right as the anesthesiologist was inserting the needle into my back. She braced me and coached me and kept me sane and still. PS Getting the actual epidural did not hurt and I do not have a high pain tolerance, for all inquiring minds.
Once I got my epidural, I felt like a new cathclaire – just like all of the mommas say. The next time I got checked, we were getting close to time to push and the doctor and staff were confident we would have a baby by 10 PM March 2nd. Keep in mind, I haven’t eaten since dinner Sunday. However, I did have 4 blue raspberry popsicles.
My doctor comes in after I had been pushing for about an hour. I continue to push for another 2 hours. My mom on one leg and Kevin on the other. You guessed it, there was no baby by 10 PM on March 2nd. I had been pushing for a long time. Not only was I starving but I wanted my baby out. My doctor suggested the vacuum to help get Phoenix out and I almost lost my mind. This is where I have to thank Dr.Joe Dispenza for all of his books, workshops I attended, and breath work teachings. I had to stay calm, focus on an elevated emotion and my vision for the future. Getting into a good state of mind at this point was not easy to say the least. It was as if in that moment – when the Neonatal team (about 15 people) came into my labor and delivery room that I knew why God sent this meditation practice into my life. For this very moment. I had to dig deep, elevate my emotions – even in the most exhausted state of mind – and focus on my vision for a healthy baby in my arms as soon as possible.
Dr. Paoloni tells me we have 3 chances to get him out using this contraption he referred to as a vacuum. I can feel the tears as he says those words, wondering – what if I can’t get him out in those 3 pushes? I don’t even mutter the words of that question because I know I can’t even allow my mind to go any further down that rabbit hole. Instead – I say okay, with no questions, and push as hard as I can. I HAD to tell myself that I have the choice to make this part of my story traumatizing or helpful. Before I knew it, Phoenix was in my arms and I was sobbing saying “I’m sorry” over and over because he was crying. I know most babies cry when they come out but I couldn’t help but think that he must’ve been absolutely terrified being brought into the world sucked or whatever, that way. Another rabbit hole I didn’t let my mind trick me into going down. I shifted to gratitude for my baby in my arms and joked “buddy, you need Botox!” because of all of his sweet, sweet baby wrinkles. Probably not most mother’s first words to their son but it was hilarious and I love him and wish those wrinkles were still there today at 9 weeks old. Phoenix was born at 12:11 am March 3rd.
And to answer everyone’s other favorite question, yes I tore. I tore a lot. My labias looked like the size of the Atlantic Ocean after giving birth. But don’t worry ladies, everything goes right back to normal. I was up and moving the next day. I attribute that to all of the supplements I took postpartum. Read all about those here. I know everyone’s story is different and beautiful, and that is why I wanted to share mine with you. Thank you to my rock/my husband, all of the amazing nurses at St. Francis Hospital, to my mother – my biggest inspiration and my lactation consultant, and to Dr. Paoloni at River City Obgyn for a safe and healthy delivery. Thank you doesn’t begin to express my gratitude. XO
PS – To all of my expecting momma’s, go to the chiropractor. I was having hip pain in my last 2 weeks of pregnancy and I think that is why baby Phoenix was stuck, causing him to need push assistance. My mom told me to go, Dr. Raika told me to go, and I didn’t make it priority! I’m no doctor, but I think that would have made all the difference in my delivery. Speaking of the chiropractor, that was our first stop after leaving the hospital. We went to see Dr. Jassy in Midlothian to get mama (me) adjusted and baby Phoenix because his neck seemed out of wack. It made all the difference and I also can’t thank Dr. Jassy enough for all of his help! Go see them for all of your chiropractic needs! XO
