Wednesday 29 October 2014

What I Wore Wednesday: Meet House of Polynesia

I'll be having a series of guest posts scheduled over the next few weeks as I'm recovering post c-section and settling into life with our new baby. I'll be writing baby posts but won't be very fashionable! Please show the guest bloggers some love and be sure to visit their blogs! Interested in having a guest post? Just drop me an email!

Aloha every one so glad to be here; I'm Kathleen from House of Polynesia!

So I am a sucker for comfort, and nothing says comfortable to me than a loose tank, jeggings and a flowy kimono/cardigan. With cooler weather and Fall approaching I love layering with light fabrics that are a little generous when it comes to fit. I am kind of loving gray, white, black outfit combos lately. I like the modern and simple look, but I always find a way to add color and for an outfit like this my go to is my turquoise colored necklace. Which is a must for me when I need a little bit of color.



Outfit Details

Tank, Cardigan, Necklace | Forever 21
Pants | American Eagle
Sandals | Target






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Sunday 26 October 2014

One Month



Age - one month

Weight - Okay I'm creeped out because I could have left Blondie Boy's update up! She was weighed last week and was 8lb 6oz--the EXACT SAME he was at the same time. Her cheeks are really starting to fill out so I'd suspect she's more.

Height - 19" at least that's what I put on her passport form 

Sleeping habit - If we time it right she's only up once a night, but I go to bed around midnight and am up between 7-8am. Not too shabby since I can go back to sleep when she does since BB is at school.

Eating habits - She feeds roughly every 3-4 hours sometimes less. To say she is a good eater would be an understatement. 

Favorite activity - Pooping or peeing right after you've finished cleaning her tuchus.

Milestones - There really aren't any the first month that I can think of--she has a belly button now does that count?

Firsts - She's had her first bath and multiple sink baths after that (see favorite activity). She also had her first sleepover at Grandma's house and her first road-trip to Edinburgh to renew her brother's passport.

If you like to compare/contrast here is Blondie Boy's 1 month update.

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Monday 20 October 2014

Newborn Essentials

Baby Girl has been here three weeks now and I think it is safe to say there are some newborn essentials I could not live without. Now what I consider essential is most likely different to what baby books say but I know I prefer honest opinions from real people so I thought I'd share what has become part of our every day life these first three weeks:

Shnuggle Moses Basket



Shnuggle is a hypoallergenic and silent modern Moses basket. It is big enough that she'll be able to stay in our room as long as medically suggested but not so large that it inhibits our living space. All of the dressings are cotton and machine washable which means it is easy to clean--great especially since she has spit up and leaked out her nappies a few times! 



The shell is fully ventilated and hygienic so we can feel safe putting her to sleep and since it's not wicker like traditional baskets it can be fully wiped down and sterilised. The stand is also a great height for me as it is high enough that I can easily bend over and get her without straining myself and the dog can't jump up and reach her either.

Cosatto Giggle Pixelate Travel System


Since you have to limit the amount of times you go up and down the stairs after a c-section, baby girl has been sleeping in her Cosatto Giggle Pram downstairs. It is a great height for me bending down and the pram base is large enough for her to sleep comfortably. One of the things I love the most is the pattern on the inside of the pram base; Baby Girl has kept herself occupied staring at the colourful patterns on several occasions. It's an extra feature I'd never have thought of but is so clever.



NotBlondeHusband has been raving about the Hold carseat and base as it is so easy to click her in and out. With Blondie Boy we had a carseat we had to strap in with a seatbelt every time we got in and out of the car so this is so a vast improvement! We keep getting tons of compliments on how bright and fun the pattern is too, again another improvement from the bog standard black seat we had 4 1/2 years ago!

Thurpenny Bits Feeding Pillow



When we came home from the hospital I didn't have any sort of feeding pillows or supports and was sort of stacking various wedge pillows together and well it just wasn't working. Thurpenny Bits Feeding pillow has made such a difference to helping me support Baby Girl and taking pressure off my incision when feeding.  The portable pillow was invented by Mum Melissa Hyatt-Fosbury out of necessity for something supportive and stylish. It can be carried like a bag and ties at the back so it won't slip off. The cover is washable and can be re-used as a toddler bag (if you remove the pillow) once your baby is older.

HM Nursing Tanks



If I'm at home I like to be braless but when you are breastfeeding that is just not an option; my best friend mentioned how she slept/lived in nursing tanks so I had NBH take me to HM to grab some and honestly I never want to wear anything else. They are super comfortable and my feeding convenient. They give me the right about of support without being overly restrictive and are much preferable to bras to sleep in.

Tommee Tippee sangenic Nappy Disposal System


The nappy disposal bin offers anti-bacterial protection and odour control in a uniquely coloured tub. All you do is put in the nappy, twist and it is wrapped and sealed killing 99% of germs and sealing in smells. It makes night-time nappy changes super easy and means we don't have to rush to get nappies out to the outdoor bin. It is so simple and effective I'm not sure why we didn't have one with Blondie Boy.

Volvic Touch of Cherry Water




I'm perpetually thirsty (maybe a breastfeeding thing?) and have become obsessed with Volvic Touch of Cherry water. I will drink normal water from the tap but instead of pop or juice I've just really gotten into flavoured water. I couldn't tell you how many liters I've gone through but the stuff is good.

Vitamix Professional Series 750




In general I tend to follow medical advice but I refuse to take iron pills because of their *ahem* unsavoury side effects. So instead of taking the iron pills I was prescribed for blood loss/anemia I've been supplementing my diet with added iron. We've been having lots of red meat, fortified cereals and most of all green smoothies. The Vitamix seriously makes green smoothies the easiest thing ever. I throw in a handful of ice, some berries, a banana, handful of spinach and a splash of almond milk and it does all the work for me. All the spinach is blitzed down and I end up with a thick frozen smoothie like you'd get from a shop. Best of all it even has a self-cleaning setting so I don't have to worry about clean up either!

Tommee Tippee Breast Pads



Not the most glamorous item but wet patches are even less glamorous. NBH brought these home for me from the hospital and when they ran out we grabbed a supermarket own brand to replace them. The supermarket own brand were smaller, not individually packed and I still leaked out. Literally every time I used them I wound up with wet patches, not nice. I've gotten more of the Tommee Tippee pads and am much happier and drier now. I wouldn't think there would be a difference between generic and name brand breast pads but I was definitely proven wrong!

....and most important 

My husband

I honestly don't know what I'd do without him being home these past three weeks. This has been a totally new experience breastfeeding but he's been amazing and getting up to change her in the middle of the night when I get up to feed her. It makes SUCH a huge difference especially since I'm still stiff and sore bending over. I can't drive still post section so he's been on the grocery runs, taking BB to and from school--not to mention just entertaining the boy in general--making dinner, taking Baby Girl off me so I can grab a shower. Honestly he is by far my most important newborn essential but unfortunately for you can't buy him in any store; I'm a lucky lady.

What newborn products could you not live without?

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Transatlantic Blonde was provided the linked items for review but all opinions, on review or non-review items, are our own. I'm too tired post baby to be anything but truthful!

Wednesday 15 October 2014

Introducing....

Baby Girl




September 26th, 2014 @12:54 pm
7lbs 7oz, 19" via c-section
(more details, photos and general attention whoring to come...)

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Wednesday 8 October 2014

What I Wore Wednesday: Meet Marshmallows and Margaritas

I'll be having a series of guest posts scheduled over the next few weeks as I'm recovering post c-section and settling into life with our new baby. Please show them some love and be sure to visit their blogs!

Hello! I'm so excited to be writing a guest post for Transatlantic Blonde, all the way from California; I'm Jen from Margaritas and Marshmallows.

I feel kind of weird sharing a post in which I'm wearing Birkenstocks, because, honestly, even though I keep reading that Birks are in style again, I can hardly believe it. I wore these shoes all throughout high school, and even during sorority rush at university -- but only until I realized that everyone else was wearing dressy high-heeled sandals. I don't think I've worn them in more than a decade!


I finally broke them out again recently when we were going out to dinner with some friends. I had already decided to wear this red maxi dress, which I love because it's super comfortable and can be dressed up or down, depending on the occasion. 


To tone down the "old hippie woman" vibe I was afraid I was projecting with the shoes, I put on some new blingy earrings and red lipstick along with the leopard cross-body purse I've been using constantly. And apparently it worked: My husband and the friends we met for dinner asked why I was so "dressed up." Sigh.


What do you think of the Birkenstock trend? Are you on board? 

Outfit details:


Shoes: Birkenstocks (really, really old, but they're the taupe suede Arizona)



Sunglasses: Kate Spade

Lipstick: Trish McEvoy "Sheer Hollywood" (old)



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Wednesday 1 October 2014

What I Wore Wednesday: Meet Greater Than Rubies

I'll be having a series of guest posts scheduled over the next few weeks as I'm recovering post c-section and settling into life with our new baby. Please show them some love and be sure to visit their blogs!

Hey y'all! I'm Caitlin, from Greater Than Rubies, and I'm so excited to be joining you on Transatlantic Blonde all the way from Texas today!

One of the things I love most about What I Wore Wednesday is the chance to come up with "new" outfits from my closet. I used to be so overwhelmed with all the style information I saw every day on Pinterest, blogs, and magazines. I was always shopping to try to recreate that exact look I'd seen somewhere or to keep from wearing exactly the same thing twice. I ended up breaking up with shopping for a year to learn how to really mix and match what I had before I bought anything else.

Now, I look for inspiration from all those places that used to trip me up to shop my own closet for similar looks. In honor of What I Wore Wednesday, I'm recreating my own spin on a gorgeous outfit I saw here a few weeks back that paired polka dots with a bright pop of color.

  Greater Than Rubies

This polka dot button up is one of my go-to's, and I wore it this week with simple gold jewelry, skinny jeans, and a pair of bright ballet flats. I'll probably wear a few variations of this look as it cools down, and change out the bright shoes for a cardigan or blazer, bold statement necklace, or maybe a colored belt for a fresh spin on the look.

I'm so looking forward to seeing what you're wearing this week, and hope you'll stop by Greater Than Rubies for some more remixing inspiration! Thanks so much to Melaina for having me!



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