Body After Baby: Supportwear Review, Giveaway and Discount Code!

Ben is almost a month old already. How did that happen?  It seems like he's only been here a week or so. We are both doing great. I guess when I think about it, I feel much better a month after his birth, than I felt a week after his birth! I remember a few days after being home with him thinking how long will I be this sore? 

In comes the Angelica from Body After Baby:

Body After Baby sent me their Angelica postpartum support garment to review. I'm so glad they did! I've been wearing the Angelica about 5-6 days a week, for about 6-8 hours a day. To be honest, sometimes I don't have time to take a shower and get dressed put on fresh sweats until 2 or 3 in the afternoon. That's when I put on the support wear, and usually wear it until bedtime. 

Speeds Recovery

• Stabilizes weak and stretched muscles from pregnancy and childbirth
• Targeted compression promotes circulation and reduces swelling, both of which speed recovery
• Supports tummy, hips, and lower back
• ObGyn recommended anatomical design focused on recovery
• Anatomical crotch panel supports and protects perineal tears and episiotomy incisions
• Reduces bloating discomfort

Comfort Focused

• Unique MicroNet™ soft-touch fabric free of harsh chemicals and dyes
• Lightweight and breathable MicroNet™ fabric keeps moms cool while recovering
• Undetectable and discreet under all types of clothing
• Adjustable and detachable shoulder straps

I'm happy I've had the chance to use the Angelica. I do think it helped me with recovery. Especially in the early days when having cramps from my uterous contracting, and general soreness. My hips and lower back have been pretty sore some days. I think it's a combination of general after birth recovery, and sitting in a chair most of the day while nursing and holding Ben. 

As far as comfort while wearing the Angelica it was what I expected. It is snug like other shape wear I've worn under bridesmaid dresses etc. It's super snug putting it on and it does suck you in the entire time. But at the same time, it's breathable. I took the shoulder straps off and it stayed on easy enough. it was just easier to nurse and more comfortable for me without the extra straps. 

I will recommend to my girlfriends and anyone who is is looking for postpartum advice to have support, and Body After Baby would be my first choice! 

Do you have a little one on the way? Or know someone who does? Enter to win an Angelica for yourself or for someone you know! 


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Oh and that's not all! EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT!  Body After Baby is also offering a discount on their other Postpartum & Pregnancy shape wear to Let's Just Build a House readers! 

30% off the Body After Baby Postpartum Collection (descriptions below)
Code: Build2
Expires: April 30, 2015
Limit: 25

The Angelica – For Post-partum Recovery 
The Angelica by Body After Baby is for postpartum women that want to reduce pain and recover faster so they can regain the strength they need to actively focus on their new baby. No other products focus solely on the recovery process. At Body After Baby, we believe a comfortable, supported mom is a better mom so start the recovery process today.

The Sienna – For Post C-section Recovery 
The Sienna by Body After Baby is for C-section moms that want to recover faster and more comfortably so they can regain the strength they need to actively focus on their new baby. Unlike C-section panties or post partum belly bands designed for vaginal deliveries, the Sienna supports the major body parts impacted by pregnancy including the hips, and lower back, not just the C-section incision. 

The Leilani – Post-Pregnancy Shapewear
Is it time to get back into your skinny jeans? You’ve been through the initial postpartum recovery stage and now it’s time to reclaim your body. The Leilani by Body After Baby is for postpartum active moms – whether active at the gym or at work or anywhere in between – that have healed from the delivery of their baby, lost the majority of the pregnancy weight and are now focused on losing serious inches. Unlike bulky post-pregnancy bands, the Leilani can be worn under fitted clothing and also supports all the body parts impacted by pregnancy including the hips, buttocks and thighs. Plus the slimming, “no back fat” design helps you look your best even in the most form-fitting of clothes.

Expecting and the Post Pregnancy collections seems far away? How about a discount on the Maternity support band?!

50% off The Motherload – Pregnancy Support Belly Band
Code: Build1
The Motherload by Body After Baby is for active pregnant women that need to relieve back, hip and abdominal pain and to reduce sciatica. Unlike other pregnancy support bands, the Motherload is especially designed for active pregnant moms. 
Expires: April 30, 2015
Limit: 10 



As always all opinions are my own. I was provided with this product to review.

Scout for President in 2016 and a Giveaway!

Hello and happy new year! We've been working super hard getting the baby's room put together and we cannot wait to share with you soon!

Today I will give you just an itsy bitsy peek of just a teeny part of the nursery. I've been working on what to hang on the walls for awhile now. Some of it is DIY, a couple have been gifts, and I've been scouring Etsy for a few perfect prints too. I love finding art and prints you can't find anywhere else.
Speaking of original art, I have the cutest original artwork for the baby's room to show you today. I'm not kidding when I say it's the cutest. It's also sort of hilarious. Okay, it's really hilarious. Especially if you are a dog person.

Right before the holidays, our friends at Uncommon Goods sent us a super adorable and fun print for the nursery.

You are screaming over the cuteness aren't you? It's perfect. My husband is into history and politics, and well, I think Scout would make a really great president. We wanted to incorporate Scout into the the baby's room somehow, since we are pretty sure they will be darn good friends someday.

I added a photo mat and a wood thrifted frame to make it official. It's going up on the wall this weekend! I can't wait to get it hung up with the rest of the goodies I've been collecting!

Have you ever shopped at Uncommon Goods? You should check them out. They have thousands of unique items, and fun stuff to be personalized just like the puppy president print! Check out Uncommon Goods when you are shopping for your next personalized gift...or better yet treat yourself! You will have a ball just looking at all the treasures they have to offer.

I can make your shopping even MORE fun. Uncommon Goods is offering 1 reader of Let's Just Build a House a $25 gift certificate to shop with! One lucky reader will win!  Enter below in the Rafflecopter widget!  There are several ways to enter to win, just enter your email address then choose 1 or all the options to enter!

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{{GIVEAWAY}} Teak Closeouts Furniture!

Disclosure: I received this product as part of an advertorial.

I know I’m not the only one thinking Spring. With Daylight Savings Time beginning this past weekend I know it’s right around the corner. Not to mention the 70 degree weather we had yesterday!

Teak Closeouts was kind enough to send us one of their 48 inch teak benches. It was delivered one day in February, but then the box sat for over two weeks until Adam had time to help me put it together. (aka put it together himself, while I take photos...)

Then, Adam had to travel to Georgia for a week for work. So the big box sat some more in the living room. Until I had cleaned the entire house and watched all my reality television on the DVR…then I wanted to do something else. So I hauled the box down the basement, opened the sucker up and said to myself:

“How hard can it be? You can do this Trina!” And I did. By the way, Scout was no help.

It took about 30 minutes to put together, and 10 of those minutes was spent rooting around the garage for the rubber mallet. So, technically 20 minutes to put together. I used the allen wrench that came with bench and the screws were provided too. The only tools of my own I used were a box cutter and the rubber mallet.

The directions were super simple. Just a small diagram with some arrows.

After I put it together I hauled it outside to the back patio. That’s it. You don’t have to “finish” the wood. Sure, there is teak oil if you want a darker wood look, but I like it plain and simple.

The bench is heavy and sturdy, but not too heavy. I moved it outside by myself.

We're using the bench on our downstairs back patio. We have a fire pit and enjoy evening cocktails with friends right here. 

We're working on landscaping this year, and I’m going to have a perfect spot for it under a shade tree in the yard. Knowing me, I will be rearranging the outside furniture as much as I do the inside.
Thanks so much for the great teak bench Teak Closeouts! 

Teak Closeouts offers Teak outdoor garden furniture at discounted, sale, and closeout prices. They have the best price on teak benches, teak tables, teak chairs, and all teak furniture. 
Save money with Teak Closeouts!

How would you like to win a teak bench just like mine? Teak Closeouts SO generously is offering up a teak bench just like mine to a reader from Let's Just Build a House blog! How great is that? Just in time for Spring! I bet it would be a perfect Mother's Day gift too for your mom! Enter below in the rafflecopter widget!

a Rafflecopter giveaway I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. All opinions are 100% my own! There are NO affiliate links in this post.

Whatever Wednesday {{and giveaway reminder!}}

We had one nice day this past weekend. Scouty and I spent most of the morning Saturday playing outside.  Well, he got to play outside. I worked on something for the back patio. (Which I will be sharing so soon!)

But then puppy got a bath...because with Spring weather, comes mud.

And with Spring weather comes thunderstorms and mini tornadoes...

We just had to have a mini tornado when husband was away on business...so Scout and I spent an evening in the basement....followed by a few hours without power....but at least there was Facetime!

And in case you were thinking Scouty looks too skinny lately (you were thinking that weren't you?) Don't you worry...

He got to finish a pork roast. Well actually, he buried most of it in the back yard. Saving it for later I guess?

Did you see our Majestical Jewelry Giveaway this week? Lucky you, you can enter below and if you already entered, get yourself an extra entry today with a tweet!

GOOD LUCK!

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{{Sponsored Post}} Majestical Jewelry Giveaway!

Disclosure: I received this product as part of an advertorial.

Just showing off my bling today. I don’t know about you but I love large statement necklaces.

They’re a fun way to jazz up a plain outfit for the office, or a night out. I'm big on accessorizing. I don't normally leave the house without jewelry! The lovely folks at Majestical Jewelry sent me this black and gold necklace and drop earrings (and a treat for you...keep reading).

I'm a huge fan of black and gold lately!

I absolutely love the set together, but I know I will be mixing the earrings with some other necklaces from my own collection, and the same goes for the necklace. 

Majestical Jewelry has a huge selection of fashion jewelry to choose from. They offer a great variety of trendy statement pieces to classic and simple. Not to mention a selection of classic pearls, gemstones and charms too. 
Some of my favorite finds from Majestical Jewelry:

Green, Gold & Cobalt Drop Earrings

Geometric Necklace & Gold Earrings

Chevron Bangles

Do you like to mix and match your jewelry, or are you a matchy-matchy gal? 
Want to win some of your own Majestical Jewelry?

Would you like $20 to spend at Majestical Jewelry? Enter below! Good Luck!

Don't wait to wait to see if you won!! Majestical Jewelry is kindly offering $15 off  of $55 or more orders to LJBaH readers with the coupon code: 15DOLLARSOFF

a Rafflecopter giveaway FYI: This is a sponsored post, but as usual, the words and opinions are my own! This post does NOT contain any affiliate links.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers!

Monogram Wall Art: My take on the 3D Wall Art Trend

I won this fantabulous wood monogram from a giveaway back before the crazy holiday season began. I could only find time to blog about holiday crafts and parties and décor when it came in. Sorry so late. But it still deserves blog time.

I entered the giveaway at Dixie Delights and was super giddy when I won. I was so excited that I placed my order the same day I received the email. Then, I started decorating in my head. (I’m not the only one to do this right?)  I planned to spray paint it gold and tie a ribbon on it and hang it in my entry way mirror. I love gold now. I think blogland has influenced me… But I lurrrrve gold right now. I need more golden-y goodness to accent my gold glam table.

bare wood monogram.

But then the box came. And my golden decorating vision was demolished. Apparently, I was so excited I didn’t read the measurements when I ordered. It was too large for the entry way mirror. In fact it was bigger than my entry mirror itself. My decorating daydreams were squashed. Squashed I say!

Okok, not really squashed I suppose, I'm being a tad dramatic. There are plenty of other places it could go.  Like 100 places actually since we have about 5 things total hanging on our walls.
(We paid a chunk of moolah to get these babies smooth, so it’s hard to put holes in the walls…3M strips are our friend, but we still get all sweaty and nervy when we hang stuff with them.)

So anyway, I started redecorating. Real life decorating this time. This time I just ran around the house with the monogram, holding it up and asking opinions of Adam, my visiting friends, the dog. I liked it everywhere, but just didn’t LOVE it anywhere.

Then I remembered how jealous I was that Ashley and Kelly both did this cool looking 3D wall art. It just seemed too modern for my decorating style to do the same. I could never have modern-y words or phrases looking all high tech and 3D and amazing on my walls like they did. But I had a rainy afternoon, and a big bucket of leftover SW Restrained Gold in the garage. I got to work.

All it took was a teeny craft paintbrush, & a small roller. 30 minutos later I had a beautiful painted monogram. It took 30 minutes because there were 1,028 nooks and crannies I had to fill. If I were using spray paint, or if I had a handy paint sprayer, it would have taken 30 seconds. (Hint hint, I want a paint sprayer) Either way, it will be easy to change the color if I need a change. Which I will someday. Obviously.

But for now I really love it. It's a little extra touch to the room, yet still sort of subtle. I think this is the start of a gallery wall on the staircase. Actually, I know it is. I finally have my ticket for the gallery wall train.

A better view of the entire entry.

(See more about those vintage ski poles and why they are there right here)


From the landing:

One more thing. I didn’t look up monogram etiquette to order it. I don’t really know whose name is supposed to be first. The husband? The wife? Not sure.

Either way, we really only have one choice in order of initials when it comes to monograms. I learned this when we were engaged and ordering all types of monogrammed stuff for showers and the wedding.

The only order we can go with is: ANT. If my name comes first then the monogram would be TNA. I’m sorry, but that is just inappropriate to be on a cookie at a bridal shower, or hanging in your living room. Dirty monograms!

Do you daydream decorate?
Do you have a potentially PG13/odd monogram?

Decking the Halls! (for 4 bucks) Yep.

Have you had enough Holiday home tours yet in blogger-land? I hope not. Don’t worry mine is short and sweet. With a treat at the end.
I was in bed sick alllll weekend long so I didn't get to finish taking all of my photos. 
So this will be more like the nickel tour today!

Hurry in...it's snowing!

Here is a better shot of our front door wreath. I rescued it from an estate sale in a big box of wreaths and garland for 50 cents. Watch and see how far this box of greenery takes us this Christmas..

I took off all the ugly bows and ribbons, spritzed the wreath with some gold spray paint for some pizzaz. Then I hot glued some ornaments from the dollar store, and smack a big sparkly gold "N" on it to finish it off. I love it.

When you come in the front door you will immediately see another rescued wreath from the same estate sale box-o-greenery.

 This one got spritzed of white spray paint and real pinecones hot glued on there. I needed a little something else, so I made some rosettes out of scraps of lace. I like this one so much I think I will use it for my front door wreath after Christmas.

DIY wreath.

After you walk in the entry you see our beautiful tree. She is new this year. Last year we had a real tree. Which we LOVED. We would have gotten another real tree this year....

But this one came unexpected to us in July. My Aunt and my parents got it for me at a moving sale, get this...for: $3.

That is not a typo. $3, 10-foot tree. Pre-lit. With the stand and everything. We are lucky ducks. It fits the spot next to our fireplace perfect.

And next, our mantel.

I used garland from the same estate sale box as the wreaths. Luckily this was still in the original packaging.  I didn't need to rip anything off.
I took it outside and gave this a spritz of white to match the snowy look on our tree. It took about 5 minutes of random spritzing.

The white doesn't show up in the photos as much as in person...

The Noel sign was a craft night project. I just cut the boxes and stenciled right onto the burlap. The hard part was stringing the twine through the burlap. The trick was tweezers!

you don't see our dirty fireplace doors...amiright?

Our dining room is festive too.

On top of my china cabinet sits my lantern collection. They are now surrounded by few mini trees. Also from…you guessed it, the box of estate sale greenery. They too got some white spray paint spritzes to freshen them up and match the other greenery in the house.

The believe banner was made at craft night too. So easy!

These trees will hold our holiday cards as we get them through the next few weeks. It's an easy way to display them. I didn't even put hooks in them, just perched them in the tree branches.

Thank you for visiting!

Linking up today for the Dare to DIY: Deck the Halls....with NewlyWoodwards, Primitive and Proper, Decor and the Dog, and Maybe Matilda.

If you haven't entered our giveaway from  PorterDesignCo to with a set of 3 vintage postcard ornaments enter below! Today is the last day! More info in this post.

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Decking the Halls Teaser & a Giveaway from {{PorterDesignCo}}

Who is tired of the holiday Christmas tours yet? Not Me. How about one with a giveaway! Now we're talkin' right?

Our holiday home tour will be live on Monday. Here is a teaser:

I have a few of these beauties on my tree. Ornaments featuring vintage postcards from the early 1900's! These are all custom, handmade ornaments from PorterDesignCo

PorterDesignCo is celebrating its Grand Opening! They are a brand new shop, open just in time for Christmas. The description of the PorterDesignCo ornaments:

"Most feature original postmarks depicting the dates and towns in North-Central Illinois where my great-grandmother, Della, received them. Also included, are many original messages from the senders. "

How sweet right?

Enter right here on the Rafflecopter for your chance to win a set of 3 vintage postcard ornaments from PorterDesignCo:

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