Product Review: Motherhood Tummy Sleeve revisited

I stopped wearing my Motherhood Maternity tummy sleeves weeks ago when I could no longer squeeze into non-maternity bottoms and graduated to full-panel maternity pants. But I have now rediscovered how lifesaving they can still be as the heavier fabrics of fall have my maternity pants constantly slipping down my body. (Seriously, how do some people walk around with the crotch of their pants between their knees? SO uncomfortable!)

These days, I'm wearing the full-panel Secret Fit Belly boot-cut maternity jeans ($25) with the panel pulled up all the way to my ribs and also have the tummy sleeve folded in half around my hips, just below my belly button. My two sleeves are definitely raggedy from too much washing in unforgiving laundromat machines (I recommend hand-washing them), but no one sees them and they save me from the saggy-ass syndrome and let me get away with not having to buy more expensive maternity jeans. I'm sure that the designer jeans stay up a bit better, but this mama is not paying $300 for pants I can't wear after baby is born.

Just a quick, hopefully money-saving, tip!

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Recipe Review: Quick & Delicious Pork Chops w/ Apples & Onions from Rachael Ray

I must admit, I am a horrible cook. I over-salt my salads, am always substituting ingredients that I don't have to the food's detriment, and my pork chops are always either too raw or too tough to chew. Last night, however, I tried a great Rachael Ray recipe off of TheFoodNetwork.com and succeeded in making the juicy, flavorful pork chops of my--and my husband's--dreams!

HERE is the link.

Rachael's secret to cooking a quick, juicy pork chop is to cook the chops on medium high heat for 6 minutes on one-side, flip, and continue cooking for another 3 to 4 minutes with a loose tent of tin foil covering the chops. The tented foil keeps the pork chops juicy and the accompanying cider gravy and sauteed apples and onions make the dish heavenly.

Kids will especially like the apples and onions which my husband described as "dessert for dinner." Yum.

True to my nature, of course, I didn't have any apple cider for the gravy, so I substituted a tiny bit of lemon juice and the dish still came out great. I also went with Betty Crocker mashed sweet potatoes in a box which were delicious and didn't require any strenuous mashing on the part of this tired mama.

Oh, and I still over-salted the salad. Enjoy!

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Product Review: Element Prenatal & Postnatal Yoga DVD

At my last appointment, my OB told me I was gaining a bit too much weight (35 lbs in 7 mo!), so I decided to try my hand at prenatal yoga. I really never liked yoga--I was really into Pilates before getting pregnant--but with the intense, lying-flat-on-yourback ab exercises of Pilates a no-no these days, I thought I'd give it another shot.

I picked up Element's Prenatal & Postnatal Yoga DVD for $9.99 at Best Buy and its actually not that bad at all. The prenatal program is challenging and a tad long if, like me, you haven't worked out for awhile, but I just paused the DVD when I felt winded and still got a good workout. And while the voice over seemed a bit silly to me sometimes ("breathe in and send your love and hopes to your baby"), the breathing exercises that precede and follow the workout are super relaxing. Who doesn't need to relax these days?

There are, however, a few exercises that I skipped being further along in my pregnancy and not having done any ab-strengthening exercises over the last few months. While doing Pilates, the on-hands-and-toes plank position was a favorite of mine, but at 7 months pregnant, I felt like the pressure of the baby was going to tear my stomach muscles. Likewise for the reverse plank except that the pressure of the baby was put on my back and vena cava.

Bottom line: While not perfect, this is a pretty good prenatal DVD for the price. And, it has the added benefit of including a postnatal routine too--although I will probably go back to my beloved Pilates! In any case, my next OB appointment is next week so only time will tell if yoga is helping me curb the weight gain. I'll keep you posted!

*P.S. I am not a doctor and cannot recommend this DVD medically. Also, no one should attempt a new exercise program without contacting her/his doctor first. Don't hurt yourself!

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NYC Sample Sale: Bonpoint Couture Children's Clothing

For those of you looking for some discounted designer duds for your wee ones (from newborn to preteen), French children's couture house, Bonpoint, will be having a sample sale next Wednesday and Thursday starting at 8am.

Bonpoint has some pretty beautiful stuff--Suri Cruise and the Obamas are fans--and it looks like the discounts will be substantial. The skinny:

Bonpoint Fall/Winter Sample Sale
October 28-29
W 8-7 Th 8-3
The Metropolitan Pavilion
123 West 18 Street
(6-7 Avenues) 5 Floor
New York, NY
www.Bonpoint.com

They will be accepting AMEX, Visa, and MasterCards. Go forth and shop!

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