Maternity Wear

My friend Andrea at work is so sweet and always tells me that I look cute even though I have a basketball sticking out of my stomach.  She also suggested that I blog about what I am wearing these days. I thought that was a really good idea since the truth is I still only own 8 pieces of maternity clothing and I am trying to get through this pregnancy on a budget so it has been like a game to me when I go shopping or scrounge around in my closet for an outfit in the morning.

I am not going back to work after Lily makes her debut, so in a few short months life as I know it is really going to change. New Baby + One Income = No Careless Shopping for Mitzi. So, in order to prepare me for my soon to come life style change, I decided I would try and dress my pregnant self on the cheap!I love a self imposed challenge!

Here is what I currently own that is actually maternity (I have still never worn items 5-8):

1. Black Pants - Destination Maternity Brand from Macy's $24.99
2. Black Capri Pants - Destination Maternity Brand from Macy's $19.99
3. Maternity Smooth Panel Skinny Jeans - Old Navy $39.94 (more than I like to spend but a necessity)
4. Denim Shorts - Liz Lange from Target 24.99
5. Black Maxi Dress - Wal Mart $18.00
6. Black Foldover Skirt - Old Navy $19.94
7. White Tank - Old Navy $10.00 (normally $12 but I had a coupon or something)
8. White Linen Pants - Old Navy $32.94 (actually paid $22.94 since I had a $10 off coupon)

The rules I follow when I go out looking for new clothes are:

1. I don't think that just because I am pregnant I have to wear maternity clothes so I rarely even look at them. I am pretty lucky because so far I have really only gained weight in my belly and boobs and a lot of the current cuts of clothes work great for a growing belly so I am still be able to buy clothes in my regular size or up one size (XS-S). I also really like wearing dresses and a lot of my pre pregnancy dresses still work for me. If I wore pants more often or if I was pregnant during the winter and had to wear pants I would have had to invest in more maternity pants for sure. Regular pants with a Bella Band just don't cut it after a while.

2. Unless it is super cute and I love it/convince myself that I NEED it, I never spend full price on anything. I normally shop the clearance racks at Old Navy and Target and find great deals. Most things I buy at those two places cost me less than $10. TJMaxx and Nordstrom Rack are my other go to shopping spots, especially for dresses.

3. I try not to buy anything that I don't think I will wear after I am done being pregnant. Since I am mostly buying clothes in my regular size, I am fully expecting that I will wear them when I done being pregnant also. I figure I will get more bang for my buck this way since I will get more than just a few months of use out of them. I am fully aware that as I near the end of this pregnancy I will probably have to bite the bullet and get a few more maternity items in order to keep my belly covered and stay comfortable.

It really has been a fun challenge to try and dress my ever growing and changing body on a budget! I am going to try to take daily pictures from here on out of what I am wearing to make it through this last trimester!