8 months pregnant, wearing a Tahari wrap sweater (purchased at the Bay) and some tank tops from Forever 21

The majority of my maternity wardrobe came from regular shops.  It was easier than I thought to find non-maternity clothes that fit my growing belly! I bought long tank tops and empire waist dresses at inexpensive “junior” type shops (Forever 21, Dynamite, etc.) to get me through my summer third trimester.

I also invested in a couple more expensive pieces that I knew I could wear post-pregnancy. This included a super-comfy Lululemon cool racerback tank that fit me well at 9 months pregnant without getting permanently stretched out, so I can still wear it today now that I am more or less back to my pre-pregnancy size.

I also had good luck at The Bay, where I purchased several wrap sweaters and an empire-waisted Tahari dress on super-clearance. I was able to wear that dress and many other non-maternity frocks through my entire pregnancy, though I did add leggings towards the end as the front hemlines crept higher thanks to my expanding tummy!

While I did manage to score quite a bit of my wardrobe at thrift stores, I did also pick up some things new. However, rather than visiting the usual suspects (Motherhood and Thyme) I looked for other options…

H&M

The H&M in downtown Vancouver carries a limited line of maternity items. Apparently not all H&M locations carry these things so your mileage may vary. While I had absolutely no luck with their maternity pants (I don’t know what kind of pregnant lady would have thighs small enough to fit into them!) I LOVED the basic t-shirts and tank tops I bought there. They cost about half the price of similar items from the specialty maternity stores. They were also longer than any other tops I found, and were still covering my whole belly right up to my 41st week – a feat not accomplished by the couple shirts I had from Motherhood and Thyme.

Online shopping

There are any number of online stores selling cute designer maternity clothes, but when I wanted some inexpensive basics I went with JC Penney. They ship to Canada for a reasonable price and always have lots of sale and clearance maternity items. You can also usually find a discount code over at RetailMeNot that will knock a percentage off your purchase cost. My favourite purchases from JC Penney were a comfy pair of leggings and a robe. I was afraid to order jeans or other pants without trying them on but I did get several shirts that held up well throughout my pregnancy.

Now, while it was handy to be able to pick up inexpensive maternity-specific basics like tanks and leggings , you don’t necessarily have to shop maternity styles just because you’re pregnant. Stay tuned later this week for my final post on this topic…

When my belly started expanding back at the end of my first trimester I was at first able to get by with the rubber band trick, but eventually that was no longer cutting it. I checked out some of the mainstream maternity shops (Motherhood, Thyme, etc.) and was thoroughly unimpressed with the quality and pricing of most of their offerings. Apparently all you have to do is slap the label “maternity” on a piece of clothing and you are entitled to charge at least twice as much as a similar non-maternity item would cost!

Ever the cheapskate, I decided to explore other options for maternity fashion. And now I’m sharing those options on my blog! I’ve broken my recommendations up into three posts.

Today I’m going to start with…

Almost 8 months pregnant, in my thrifted polka-dot dress

Thrift stores

I think it was Airdrie who first recommended I check out Value Village for maternity clothes, and boy am I glad that I did! It took some persistence but by visiting a few different locations I was able to find some great items, including several awesome pairs of pants from the Gap Maternity line (not available in Canadian Gap stores). I also picked up some run-of-the-mill maternity clothes from places like Thyme for uber-cheap prices.

My mom and sister are also avid thrift store shoppers and kept an eye out for items for me. They were both able to find some awesome maternity shirts at their local Salvation Army and Value Village stores. One of my favourite clothing items during my pregnancy was a super-soft Gap Maternity t-shirt that my sister Jen found for me at Salvation Army.

But my biggest two Value Village scores were items I could use post-pregnancy: nursing tank tops from Bravado and Glamourmom, which usually run upwards of $50 a piece, for less than $5 each!

You’d also be surprised at what you might find when you venture outside the maternity section at second-hand stores. While on vacation in Hilton Head I was eyeing a beautiful retro-style blue and white polka dot dress at a fancy consignment shop. It was only a size larger than I normally wear and I decided to try it on in the hopes of at least seeing whether I could wear it post-pregnancy. I was pleasantly surprised to find that, with the dress being slightly high waisted, belted, and having a very full skirt, it actually fit me at 7 months pregnant! I haven’t worn it post-pregnancy yet but I suspect it will be a staple of my summer wardrobe next year as I can just tie the belt tighter.

Stay tuned to my blog later this week for more tips on frugal maternity fashion…

This recipe is based on one I found on the ‘net a few years back (I’ve long since lost the URL). I sent it to my sister, who greatly improved upon it and sent me her awesome version:

Servings

• 8 (this recipe freezes well and is great as leftovers)

Ingredients

• 1 butternut squash (approx 4 cups)
• 450 grams whole wheat elbow macaroni
• 4 tablespoons butter
• ½ cup flour
• 2 cups skim milk
• 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper
• 450 grams shredded medium cheddar (about 4 cups)
• 1¾ cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 cup bread crumbs

Directions

• preheat oven to 325°F
• slice squash in half and discard seeds; place, cut side down, in a pan with some water and roast for 1 hour until very tender
• when squash has cooled, peel skin off and discard; puree squash in food processor until it has a smooth consistency; set aside
• bring a large pot of water to boil; boil pasta to al dente – about 6 minutes; drain pasta and set aside
• in a very large pot, melt 4 tablespoons butter and slowly stir in ½ cup flour to form a paste
• off heat, SLOWLY whisk in 2 cups of milk; return to medium low heat until sauce fully blends and thickens
• add pureed squash to the thickened sauce
• add mustard, salt, nutmeg, and cayenne pepper
• stir in 3 cups of cheese (set aside 1 cup for the topping) and 1¾ cups of stock, alternating cheese and stock by cupfuls
• taste sauce, adjust seasonings if needed
• add pasta to cheese/squash sauce and toss to coat evenly
• transfer mixture to an oven-safe dish (9”x13” glass pan)
• cover the pasta with the remaining shredded cheese, and sprinkle on the bread crumbs
• bake in the oven at 325°F for 25 minutes
• let stand 10 minutes before serving

Another thing I’m happy for is the wonderful neighbourhood we live in: Garneau. When we moved to Edmonton we knew we’d never be able to find a Vancouver level of walkability, but Garneau comes pretty darn close. It has been so great to be walking distance from things like the pharmacy, grocery store, and the impressive shopping on Whyte Avenue.

When Robert was just one day old we were able to pop him in his stroller and walk the couple blocks over to the pharmacy for supplies, and since then he has been on a ton of outings. We’ve been up and down Whyte more times than I can count, and we’ve stopped in several times at some favourite 109 Street haunts such as Transcend, Redbike, and Sugarbowl. He’s also been on transit a bunch already: We’ve taken the LRT downtown several times, and the bus to newborn checkups.

This past Saturday I changed it up a bit and took him for a walk in Old Strathcona with the ergo baby carrier. This meant we were able to stop and check out Handmade Mafia in Orange Hall. We would never have been able to navigate the stroller in such tight quarters!

I was sad that I wouldn’t be able to participate since I no longer live in Vancouver. But then I went to the Timeraiser website and found out that there is also a Timeraiser Edmonton, and it’s happening next month, on October 16th. Yay! You can even view the artwork that is up for auction in advance on their website. I look forward to attending the event and hopefully having a successful bid while there.

While we missed the paid shows we did see some buskers during our perusal of the festival grounds. My favourite was this hula-hooper and her rather elaborate underwater-themed routine:

As with all the other summer festivals I’ve experienced since moving to Edmonton, there was plenty of opportunity for “festival food”, however I was strong and did not succumb to the siren call of the mini-donuts this time around. Instead we checked out the non-food vendors. My former Vancouver Synchro teammate, Cheryl, was there with her local jewelry business – Cloud and Lolly – and I picked up a couple of her funky pendants made from Scrabble tiles. My other favourite vendor was Geekware, which makes gift items from reclaimed computer hardware. Their Macbook power button earrings are definitely on my wish list now.

Posting here will be light while we get used to our new “roommate.” In the meantime check our Flickr album for more photos of our little man.

Generation X – I can’t believe this book is almost 20 years old! And I can’t believe I didn’t already own a copy. A steal at $1.

Riding with Rilke – There were a zillion copies of this book at the sale. I gather it was part of some sort of “Edmonton Reads” promotion sponsored by the library? Anyhow, given that it was selected for such a thing I figured it probably couldn’t be too bad. We’ll see…

What Not To Name Your Baby – We’ve already got a short list of names picked out, but this seemed like a fun read and will hopefully provide some validation for our choices.

Fit To Deliver - I borrowed this book from a friend in Vancouver but returned it to her before I moved away, so I was thrilled to find a copy to have for my very own. It’s an excellent reference for any active woman who wants some guidance on how to keep fit both during and after pregnancy.

I had been looking forward to enjoying an Eva Sweet Waffle while I perused the sale, but the waffle truck must have packed up and left before I got there. Boohoo. I settled for mini-donuts instead. I have to say Edmonton in the summertime offers far too many opportunities for mini-donut consumption. I think I’ve had them at least once a week since the beginning of July!

However, I have come across two favourites that I now check daily:

Offbeat Mama

This website is run by Ariel Meadow Stallings, who had a blog that I read for about a decade (until she took is offline a couple years ago). She also runs Offbeat Bride, and is a wonderful writer and curator of content.

“Offbeat Mama seeks to celebrate and empower women as they navigate the realities of parenting. We believe that while having a child changes your life forever, it doesn’t necessarily mean abandoning your identity.”

Some of my favourite Offbeat Mama articles deal with making good use of smaller living spaces (for us city dwellers who don’t want to move to the suburbs just because we had a baby) and tips on how to best take your baby with you on non-traditional family outings such as backpacking trips.

Free-Range Kids

It’ll be a while yet before our child is old enough that we have to worry about things like letting him walk to school, but it’s good to start thinking about it early, right?

“Do you ever…let your kid ride a bike to the library? Walk to school? Make dinner? Or are you thinking about it? If so, you are raising a Free-Range Kid! Free-Rangers believe in helmets, car seats, seat belts — safety! We just do NOT believe that every time school age kids go outside, they need a security detail.”

This blog is great to read for the postings sharing views of other “free-range” parents, but also for the absolutely ridiculous stories that illustrate just how overprotective a society we live in. Like the one about the 10-year-old boy whose mother was questioned by the police after she let him walk 1/3 of a mile to soccer practice on his own.