Oh Hey

IMG_1629_Layers_v1

IMG_1619_Layers_v1

IMG_1612_Layers_v1

IMG_1631_Layers_v1

Button Up: Old Navy / Jeans: Old Navy  (Santa Catarina wash) / Slip Ons: Old Navy – these are unfortunately sold out, but these other slip-ons are great for the season! / Lip: MAC Amplified Dark Side

Happy Friday! I don’t know about you, but I feel like Old Navy has been killin’ it this season. I haven’t been wanting to spend a ton of cash on clothes lately while I’m in sort of that post partum transition period, and I’ve been scoring major deals here on jeans, shoes, sweaters, and more!

I love a good plaid button up for fall, and I have been loving everything burgundy lately, so I had to snatch this one up. I also just added the same shirt in red and black buffalo plaid to my Christmas List which is perfect for the holiday season.

Speaking of the holidays, this velvet tee was also a recent purchase that I’m going to be wearing all month long. I got it in the Galactic color, but they are all beautiful.

Lastly, if you’re a mama like me, you may be looking for some adorable holiday outfits for your kiddos. My boys will likely not allow me to match them forever, so I took advantage while I could and I grabbed this shirt in 5T, 3T, and then they have a matching one for baby. How presh, right? They will be looking adorable on Christmas Eve!

So many things are on sale right now…the options are truly awesome…so it’s a perfect time to head over there and scoop up some steals!

It’s been a crazy week around here with the launch of our new 20 minute workout program coming in January! I’ve been signing up so many new challengers and coaches to be a part of our team test group with me, and I couldn’t be more excited! It’s not too late to commit, so please feel free to reach out if you have goals to reach in 2019.

That said, I’m looking forward to relaxing a bit this weekend. I plan to work on (and hopefully finish) my holiday cards (while sipping wine and watching Christmas movies of course), and the boys are SUPER excited about a visit to Santa’s Workshop!

What are you most excited about this holiday season?

Have a great weekend!

XO,

Gina

 

Maternity Shoot With Tyler Lyons

289A1481

Our little man has arrived!!!

I will be sharing my birth story along with some adorable photos of our new little addition here on the blog soon, but seeing as I never got around to posting our maternity photo shoot with Tyler Lyons over here, I decided first things first!

We headed to Rockaway Beach for some sunset photos in early July, and while family photo shoots with two kiddos under 5 are no, picnic, Tyler handled it like a champ and he was able to capture some beautiful photos of both the bump and the fam.

It’s still surreal to me that our little babe is no longer in my belly but rather he is here, outside in the real world! So grateful to have these photos to look back upon and remember this pregnancy with our sweet, 3rd little boy. <3

289A1570

289A1693

289A1643

289A1519

289A1617

289A1588

289A1718

289A1763

289A1757

289A1719

289A1785

289A1751

289A1808

289A1679

289A1632

289A1514

289A1460

289A1844

Wearing — Dress by A Pea in the Pod Maternity (now on sale!)

On Zack —  Button Down: Goodfellow & Co for Target / Shorts: Goodfellow & Co for Target

On Nico: Button Down: Cat & Jack for Target / Shorts: Cat & Jack for Target

On Luca: Button Down: Genuine Kids from Oshkosh for Target / Shorts: Old Navy

Thanks again to Tyler for capturing these awesome shots. We will cherish them forever.

I thought motherhood the 3rd time around would be easy peasy, but we are having a few challenges, especially with nursing. So we are heading to an ENT specialist in Long Island today to see if he can help. Luckily, nothing severe is going on or anything like that. Baby is getting plenty of food…it’s just that mama is in a ton of pain in the process. So hopefully we can figure out the cause and we can resume nursing in a less painful way!

Otherwise, things are your pretty standard sleepless nights and balancing raising three. The big boys go back to school on Wednesday which means that things may get a little easier, but we also have to get up super early on a sleepless night! LOL. I’m sure we will figure it all out and get into our new “normal” routine soon.

Hope you all had a Happy Labor Day Weekend!

XO,

Gina

{46} Lately…

It’s been a long time since I have written one of these posts, but I have missed them and they were a crowd favorite, so I want to bring them back over here to the blog! And what better time than when I’m sitting here at 39 weeks and 5 days pregnant patiently (not-so-patiently) waiting for this 3rd baby to arrive. Am I right?

IMG_3886_Layers_v1

Lately I’ve been…

reading Reading all the things you guys. A couple that I want to highlight that I finished recently are Real Food for Pregnancy  by Lily Nichols. Such great insight and research into optimal nutrition for us preggo mamas. Aside from her incredible nutrition info, she also touches on food myths, exercise, and the 4th trimester. Highly recommend this one! The next book I loved recently was Stranger in the House. I finished it in less than 2 days as I couldn’t put this thriller down! Shari Lapena, author of The Couple Next Door, wrote this one which was a huge hit, and I actually think I liked this book even better! I am also currently reading The Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer. Definitely a great read, but also super heavy, so I am taking this one at one chapter per day so I can soak it all in. And lastly, I just picked up Amy Schumer’s book from the library last week, The Girl With the Lower Back Tattoo, which is already to be proving to be a hilarious read.

 writing  Thank you notes from the boy’s bday and baby gifts, and I recently wrote a Baby Mama’s Hospital Bag Checklist that I posted on this here blog if you haven’t seen it yet!

listening  Mixing it up between chill music to relax and dance music to try and dance this baby out. Loving Drake, “In My Feelings” right now. Super original, I know.

thinking About my mama who is driving up to NY right now from MD to come help out with the boys until the baby arrives and beyond. Super thankful!

smelling  The coffee I am drinking…a dark roast from Roatan (off the coast of Honduras) brought to us as a gift from my mother-in-law after her recent trip and made with the French Press. Mmm.

watching  Hubs and I have been watching Mad Men together which is a nice throwback to my advertising background. We are currently on Season 4 and loving it. I am also pumped about the new seasons of both Orange is the New Black and Shameless that just arrived recently on Netflix.

wearing At this point at 39 weeks pregnant, anything that still fits and is comfortable to move in. That mostly means maternity leggings or maxi dresses. I did buy these cute slip on shoes on sale from Old Navy for the fall though.

exercising Right now I’m lucky if I get a couple workouts and some walks in each week. It’s mostly yoga, light weights with holds, or dance aside from walking. Just trying to move a bit to get this baby out already!!! He doesn’t seem to want to budge though.

feeling  Achy all over and just SUPER ready. This is my longest pregnancy yet. Baby #1 came out with an early induction at 38 weeks and Baby #2 came out at 39 weeks due to water break. This is also going to be my largest child at birth (by far I imagine at this point), so he is just feeling super heavy in there and wearing me down big time. Chasing two other kiddos around is a task on it’s own as well!

wanting  This baby to be born. I mean, I think that’s obvious by now, no? Haha.

needing  Today to be the day. Need I say it again? Okay, fine, I’ll give you something else. If baby doesn’t come today, we have been needing to hang up some wall art and family photos in the house that are way overdue. Including some from our recently family photo shoot with Tyler Lyons, which I will hopefully get around to sharing here soon! So that may be a potential project while we are waiting around.

loving  How sweet my older boys have been in anticipation of the new baby. They are constantly giving me belly rubs and kisses, telling me how they are going to hold and help with their new little brother, and even more importantly, they have been playing so nicely together this summer (for the most part) to allow me some rest and work time when I need it. I honestly feel very lucky for them!

wishing For a smooth, quick, painless (hah!) delivery, and my sweet babe to be in my arms soon.

hoping  For some nice weather today so we can get the boys outside to play with their new little pool they got for their birthdays. And maybe I could also go into labor…

craving  ALL the ice cream.

clicking  Around for back-to-school sales for clothes in the next size up for Nico. Old Navy has some great deals going on right now. Also looking around for some post partum wardrobe items. Totally getting sick of all the maternity gear!

following Been loving following Lauren McBride lately, a Connecticut based life and style blogger. She recently became a mama of 3, so she has lots of great mom tips, shopping tips (especially for post partum), and beautiful home posts. Her blog is fantastic, but I also just love following her on Instagram for her daily updates and stories!

*

HAPPY SATURDAY!

What are you up to on this summer weekend?

What have you been up to lately?

XO,

Gina

Double Celebration

_DSC0128

_DSC0047

_DSC0038

_DSC0034

_DSC0081

_DSC0097

_DSC0162

_DSC0092

_DSC0204

Photos by: Senshi Photography

Dress: Target / Shoes: Call It Spring / Earrings: Forever 21 / Zack’s Outfit: No idea / Boys Outfits – Shirts: Old Navy (similar) / Shoes: Old Navy (Nico / Luca) / Shorts: Nautica

Today marks a double celebration for our family. Not only is it Mother’s Day, but the hubby and I are celebrating our 6 Year Wedding Anniversary! These three guys are my world, and I am so incredibly grateful to call them mine. Today this mama is feeling blessed.

<3 <3 <3

I also want to wish my own mama, my grandmother, and my mother-in-law a very special Mother’s Day! I wouldn’t be here where I am today without the three of you. Love you all to the moon and back.

And to all the other mamas out there…what are you doing to celebrate?

Today we met up with our original Brooklyn mamas crew who were in town for a big playground playdate. Can’t believe our “babies” are now almost 4! Time flies! It was such a nice time and a gorgeous NYC spring day to boot.

Hope you are celebrating and enjoying this special day!

XO,

Gina

Bloom Bloom Pow

IMG_9602_Layers_v1

IMG_9586_Layers_v1

IMG_9598_Layers_v1

IMG_9587_Layers_v1

IMG_9603_Layers_v1

IMG_9596_Layers_v1

IMG_9601_Layers_v1

Floral Pants: Forever 21 – similar / Tank: Old Navy – similar / Sunglasses: Brickyard Buffalo / Bracelet: Mantraband / Necklace: Amrita Singh – similar / Earrings: Stella & Dot – now on sale! / Lip: MAC Up the Amp

In between all of the rain we have had this spring, somewhere in there was a sunny day. These flowing pants were perfect on this day paired with a tank, some shades, and a few baubles. Dressy enough to look like a human being and not portray my usual tired mom-vibe, but not too dressy that I couldn’t run around and climb things with my toddler.

These shots were actually taken in my parent’s yard over spring break with the trees in full bloom. It’s stunning there this time of year. My Dad is quite the photog, wouldn’t you say? He puts up with me, and we got the shots in before everyone woke up from nap time crying so there’s that…

Can’t believe Memorial Day Weekend is already right around the bend. Looking forward to a busy, exciting summer ahead. And speaking of that sun…it’s back out today 🙂

Happy Hump Day!

XO,

Gina

Sporty Spice

IMG_9129_Layers_v1

IMG_9110_Layers_v1

IMG_9136_Layers_v1

IMG_9139_Layers_v1

IMG_9121_Layers_v1

IMG_9116_Layers_v1

IMG_9147_Layers_v1

Sweater: Express / Tank: Old Navy / Jeans: Rag & Bone / Shoes: New Balance / Hat: Baltimore Orioles / Necklace: Love Lori Michelle

It’s tough to find the time to get in an outfit shoot these days, especially with the cold weather with two little ones when your husband is the photographer. I promise I still get dressed…sometimes. Well, at least on weekends. But enough with the excuses. We made it happen last weekend. A casual outfit for a casual day…brunch at Bar Bacon (amaze!), the playground, and a walk through Central Park. The kids both slept through brunch, so it was kind of like a date. It was nice to get into Manhattan and have the kids feel the magic of the city and the tall buildings, but also to escape to our favorite city sanctuary of Central Park.

Since I am generally in workout gear during the week these days, I normally dress up a little more over the weekends. But I felt like going for that sporty look with the sneakers and baseball cap. It’s not my typical go-to style, but it felt right for the day and felt comfortable for what we had planned. I even had a fellow mom strike up a convo with me on the playground because of my Baltimore O’s hat. She was a former Marylander as well. See, not everyone in NY is a Yankees fan 😉 You can take the girl out of Maryland…

…but she will still sing the Star Bangled Banner with an “O!” (All you Maryland people know EXACTLY what I’m talking about! And everyone else is like huh?)

I digress…speaking of my hometown…we will be heading back there on Friday after the boy’s doc appointments (6 and 2.5 yr. check ups already!). Saturday we will be celebrating my baby boy Luca as he will be officially welcomed into the Church! Very excited to celebrate his special day, which he will also share with his Papa who is turning 35! Looking forward to a day of family, friends, and celebration!

Hope you are all having a fantastic week!

XO,

Gina

New Year – New You

NEW YEAR

Exactly one year ago, I decided I had enough of being unfit after having my first baby and made the commitment to my health and fitness by starting P90X and becoming and online fitness coach. Two days into the program, I found out I was pregnant with baby #2 which changed the course of my journey.

In this past year, I have built a business with over 120 challengers, trained a team of 9 coaches to do what I do, completed PiYo throughout my pregnancy, gave birth to a baby boy, completed 3 rounds of the 21 Day Fix program, and reached my pre-pregnancy weight while kickstarting my journey toward finally getting back to that healthy, fit self again.

Since starting this journey, my CONFIDENCE has been lifted, and I truly believe I can do anything I put my mind to whether in my personal life or in my business life.

Beginning JANUARY 4th, I am FINALLY going to take on that P90X journey that I wanted to begin one year ago. I’m actually going to do P90X3 (because 30 min per day is the perfect and realistic time frame for me to get a workout in with two babes), and work on toning in the new year.

It’s never to early for resolutions, so if YOU are looking to make a change in the NEW YEAR, then I would absolutely LOVE to have you come join me in starting your journey…either your health & fitness journey, or if you are looking for a new business opportunity.

I will be starting THREE groups on January 4th:

1) 21 Day Fix – comes with a color coded portion sized meal plan containers, 30 min workouts, 30 meals of Shakeology, and my accountability/support group

2) Mixed Program Challenge Group – I will work with you to determine a program that would be a good fit for you based on your likes and goals for health & fitness. Also comes with a meal plan, Shakeology, and my accountability/support group.

3) Coach Open House – For those looking for a new business opportunity in the new year – a way to make cash for shopping or vacations – or those who want to build a full time income on part time hours – this is the place to get a sneak peek behind the scenes look of what it’s like to be a coach.

It’s a NEW YEAR, so cheers to a NEW and IMPROVED YOU! It’s always the perfect time to make a change for the better 🙂

COMMENT below with your e-mail address if you are interested in more information or email me at gina.notes26 {at} gmail.com

Happy Monday!

XO,

Gina

Fall Fever

IMG_9669_Layers_v1

IMG_9665_Layers_v1

IMG_9672_Layers_v1

IMG_9683_Layers_v1

IMG_9659_Layers_v1

IMG_9577_Layers_v1

Plaid Button Down: Old Navy / Sweater: Target / Denim: Rag and Bone / Booties: Target / Necklace: H&M / Watch: Michael Kors / Bracelets: Tory Burch, Stella & Sparkle / Earrings: Stella & Dot

Hey gang! I know it’s been awhile since I’ve done a fashion post. Trust me, it’s not because I haven’t wanted to! It’s just that with working at home with two little ones these days, it’s hard enough to get DRESSED in clothing outside of athletic wear let alone have the time to have PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE that I got dressed haha. But alas, a wonderful friend of mine recently moved to NYC with her fiance, and they made the trek out to Brooklyn to see us for brunch this past weekend. I decided this was a great opportunity to, you know…put on real clothes, swipe on some makeup, and actually blow dry my hair for once! 😉 Not that she cared how I looked when I showed up, but it’s the little things people, it’s the little things! So, thank you Tissy! It was a gorgeous fall day for a neighborhood stroll, and we ended the evening with Halloween festivities later that night!

This week is going to be a crazy one as we are leaving for Maryland on Wednesday night to spend the weekend there celebrating one of my BFF’s getting married! So excited for our first night out without the kids since Luca was born, although also slightly anxious…even though I know they will be in good hands with family. Going to do my best to stay on track with Round 2 of the 21 Day Fix this week as well amidst the craziness.

Hope you are all starting this week off right!

XO,

Gina

Easy Breezy

IMG_8904_Layers_v1

IMG_8899_Layers_v1

IMG_8938_Layers_v1

IMG_8909_Layers_v1

IMG_8944_Layers_v1

IMG_8891_Layers_v1

IMG_8940_Layers_v1

IMG_8883_Layers_v1

Tribal Palazzo Pants: Target (sold out, but similar here) / Tank: Old Navy / Sandals: Dolce Vita (sold out but similar here) / Sunnies: Vintage Kenneth Cole / Necklace: c/o Stella & Dot /Earrings: c/o Stella & Dot / Bracelets: Guilty Jean, Stella & Sparkle, Vintage / Watch: Michael Kors / Lip Gloss: Smashbox Savvy

Can you believe today marks 31 weeks of pregnancy! WOWZA!!! The 2nd half has been flying right by! I delivered at 38 weeks the first time around, so I am starting to get a little nervous about everything we have left to do before baby’s arrival? Now you might be thinking, what could they possibly have to do? They already have everything they need, and they are even having another boy! Well, trust me when you live in a small Brooklyn apartment, you need to figure out how you are going to go from fitting a family of three to a family of four! Haha. We spent this past weekend getting our TV mounted on the fireplace so that we can eventually get rid of our entertainment center to make room for the rocking/glider chair that we will have to move OUT of the nursery (through the window, because it won’t fit through the door mind you), so that we can then fit crib #2 into the nursery. Whew! Just thinking about it makes me exhausted already.

I found the most comfy palazzo pants at Target during the spring time, and as soon as I saw that stretchy waistband, I thought they would be perfect during my pregnancy. I could not have been more spot on! At 31 weeks, these (non-maternity) pants fit me with room to spare! And they are SO incredibly comfortable!

We are gearing up for a 4th of July trip to Seneca Lake this Thursday…but not before I check in with the baby doc on Wednesday. Fingers crossed for a good appointment and a good trip to come!

Make it a great week everyone!

XO,

Gina

Bright & Sunny {With Stella & Dot Part 2}

IMG_8576_Layers_v1

This past weekend, our little family of three (almost four) decided to escape the city for a little fresh air in Upstate NY. We explored the town of Beacon and settled down at a nice little spot on the Hudson that we found on Airbnb in the town of Rosendale. It was a lot of fun to tour around some unfamiliar places, try new restaurants, window shop, and hike new trails. The Wallkill Valley Rail Trail was a perfect hike for a prego mama and a newly hiking toddler. Nice and flat! We had a gorgeous view of the trestle bridge right across from our place, and the town of Rosendale was only steps away. It was a lovely get-a-way and it was so nice to spend some time in the great outdoors.

IMG_8533_Layers_v1

IMG_8605_Layers_v1

IMG_8585_Layers_v1

IMG_8538_Layers_v1

IMG_8561_Layers_v1

IMG_8581_Layers_v1

IMG_8552_Layers_v1

Dress: Old Navy / Sun Hat: Snagged on my trip to Mexico – similar here / Shoes: Cynthia Vincent / Sunnies: Vintage / Watch: Michael Kors (now on sale) / Lip: Revlon Hydrangea / City Slim Clutch, Rebel Pendant & Ring, Bianca Earrings (can be worn multiple ways!), Wanderer Cuff, Pave Triangle Cuff, & Eden Bangle: All on loan from Stella & Dot

This is Part 2 of my Spring/Summer photo shoot with Stella & Dot. I have had my eye on this Rebel Pendant for almost a year now, and now there is also an amazing Rebel Ring to match.  I am also in love with this City Slim Clutch in the metallic color. It’s super chic, and can be dressed up or down depending on the occasion.

Shop the shoot here at my online trunk show, and keep in mind that today is the LAST day to guarantee shipping for Mother’s Day! The rest of this collection is fabulous, so you will definitely want to check it out. Trust me, mom will approve! Shoppers will be entered to win free jewelry and pieces at 50% off.

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend, and I hope you get a chance to get outside today and enjoy this sunshine!

XO,

Gina