I can’t believe we are PREGNANT. If you follow me on Instagram, you know Zack and I are expecting and I’m 20 weeks!

I love reading others journeys so wanted to share my thoughts and answer questions for you guys from the first trimester.

NOTE: For all the mamas and mama-to-bes struggling to get pregnant or in the process of trying to conceive, know I am here for you. I am honored to share this with you but if this is triggering in any way, please focus on your mental health and know you are in my prayers. If you are in a place where reading about pregnancy is not good for your heart, I get it and I am sending you so much love.

HOW WE FOUND OUT:

A good old at-home pregnancy test! I had been off the pill for about 2 years in order to work on getting a ‘natural’ period after years on the pill ‘bleeding’ and disguising my 8+ years of hypothalamic amenorrhea.

5 days after my missed period I remember thinking “I’m pregnant” and I could feel it deep down. My period has been SO FREAKING regular the past 8-9 months (it took 7-8 months after coming off hormonal birth control pills to get my first natural period after 2 years in my food freedom journey already overcoming hypothalamic amenorrhea).

We were going out to dinner with friends to a Mexican restaurant and I really wanted to drink and enjoy the night. So I had a little TOO much to drink. Spent Sunday hungover and vowed to take a pregnancy test on Monday. I had an old test, took it, and it errored out (meaning the second line didn’t show up). I immediately ran to our closest grocery store (walkable from us) to grab another test kit and only grabbed one (big mistake!). I took another test right away, waited the 2 minutes and it showed 2 lines: pregnant! I honestly just sat on the toilet in our powder room sobbing with excitement and overwhelm and just sheer unknown of it all. I took a second test right away and it errored out again! I then ran back to the store, bought 3 more kits and took another 2-3 tests before I finally felt it all come to fruition: I WAS PREGNANT.

After 8 years of amenorrhea (missing period), I really didn’t think this would happen for me SO if you are on your recovery journey, KNOW IT IS WORTH IT.

HOW I TOLD ZACK:

I placed it on our bedroom dresser that exact same Monday night for when he came home from work to change into his gym clothes. I actually got his reaction on film and I still cry every time I watch the video. We also got reaction videos from our friends and family which I hope to share soon too.

REAL TALK:

The first trimester was HARD. Kicked my butt. I was unmotivated, feeling super ALONE, and struggling with feeling like my whole ‘identity’ was changing. From how to handle a growing business as a ‘mother’. From a single couple to a ‘family’. From a wife to a ‘mom’. Wanting to still feel confident and at times – sexy. I wasn’t ever the women who ‘dreamed of being a mother’ and I honestly wasn’t sure when we would have them. Everything was/is changing and sometimes change is just freakin scary. To how my body’s changing, plus feeling just SO unexcited and exhausted each day. I STILL DON’T HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS.

Taking naps and being in bed by 8-9 pm (when my normal was 11-Midnight) was regular. I know this may sound silly but the identity piece really hit me- and it’s why I finally found a therapist to help me walk through it during pregnancy (not waiting).

The best thing I’ve learned is that this can only add to your happiness, not subtract from the person you ARE. You can be YOU and a MOM. It doesn’t replace you. And it may be the best thing that happened to my business as I’ve been busy hiring on, delegating, etc for the future of my company. Of course, we are BEYOND excited and don’t want this to come off wrong, but again, there are just a lot of mental and physical changes taking place in this journey.

EXTREME NAUSEA WAS A REAL DAMN THING that I swear I’ve tried blocking it out of my memory. I was dry-heaving about every other day but only really threw up once. I was the most nauseous I’ve ever been and it was WORSE at night – compounding itself during the day because I couldn’t hold down much else other than Saltines and minimal water. I truly went from chugging water to barely being able to handle it. IMAGINE THE MOST HUNGOVER/CAR SICK YOU HAVE EVER BEEN X 10000 and for weeks on end. Thankful I made it through 🙂

I could no longer ‘wait’ for breakfast like I did before – I usually wasn’t hungry until an hour after waking- and truthfully RAN downstairs in the morning to eat. I hear some people even leave crackers on their bedside.

PREGNANCY CRAVINGS:

Anything salty and cheesy and CARBY 😂  Starbucks red pepper egg bites, avocado on sourdough toast, easy to digest proteins like tofu and tempeh and loved eggs! (most meat and seafood was a no-go), Annie’s Mac n cheese, saltines, chips, Trader Joe’s jalapeño corn puffs or any type of puffy snack like Less Than Evil puffs that sit light on your stomach, Trader Joe’s frozen pasta meals, Simple Mills cheddar crackers, carrots with garlic or jalapeño hummus. 

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I tried to eat things with veggies in them (veggie burgers, Otamot sauce with veggies in it, chicken soups with veggies, stirred in spinach to noodles) because veggies were HARD (and honestly pretty non-existent for weeks). As a dietitian, I’m here to remind you that is OK – and being healthy as a mother means consuming nutrients in the form of calories, not just greens!!

FOOD AVERSIONS:

ANYTHING sweet!!, didn’t love peanut butter as much!!!, oatmeal, protein bars or protein powder, broccoli or really most vegetables. Coffee (even decaf sounded terrible). Meat. Also really couldn’t get down plain water?! So I drank a lot of lemon water & iced tea if you noticed that in my IG stories 🙂 You also probably noticed a lot of snacking, sandwiches, pasta, etc. Those were my food groups for awhile! I ate every 2 hours instead of 4-5 big meals which helped with the nausea.

EXERCISE:

I couldn’t do anything super intense but pretty much stuck to my regular routine as my OB noted that could help with the intense nausea. A workout helped me drink more water (water was tough to get down) and also took my mind off of my body feeling just different. It helped me mentally and so I stuck to bodypump 1-2 x per week, lifting a body part or full body 2-3 x per week and a SolidCore class 1x per week and a long walk or two every day still. Definitely no jumping or HIIT for me at this point.

FAVORITES:

1. PharMeDoc Pregnancy Pillow – the BEST for putting between your legs for extra back relief and stomach support – especially helped with nausea to ease my stomach pains in first trimester
2. Expecting You — A Keepsake Pregnancy Journal – the cutest journal ever to gift or grab yourself to remember this journey
3. Vitamin B6 – these REALLY helped me with nausea!
4. lululemon Align Pant 25″ – these have grown with me and I wear usually 6/7 days a week :). Also love the lululemon Align 6 inch short (love the Water Drop color) for summer!
5. Bio-Oil Skincare Oil, Body Oil for Scars and Stretchmarks – has felt so good to rub on my growing belly at night! I have Zack do it for me 🙂 Nothing wrong with stretch marks if that’s what mother nature intends for me but have loved this as my skin has gotten drier. Also love using Burt’s Bees Mama Belly Butter with Shea Butter

SYMPTOMS:

Weeks 6-8

Confirmed pregnancy around 5 weeks. I didn’t have any initial symptoms when I took the pregnancy test but began about a week later around 6 weeks with sore breasts.

Week 6- had an ultrasound (vaginally) to confirm I was pregnant and was actually already able to hear the heartbeat. I cried and basically had tears in my eyes the entire appointment. Zack was on FaceTime because of Covid restrictions.

Week 7-10

Extreme nausea, MANY days of extreme fatigue that would ebb and flow. Most days I was able to focus on work, I just went to bed early and needed 9-10!! hours of sleep most nights. Many occasions of feeling like I’d throw up but couldn’t really eat much at a time. The best way I can describe it is the worst car sickness or worst hangover you’ve ever experienced, all day for 4-5 weeks on end. Eating every 2 hours was a necessity. Even if it was a few saltines. 

Weeks 6-8 the worst symptoms 

Week 9: things started getting better during day & didn’t feel as out of it. Nausea worse at night.

Week 13 it finally started to subside and by week 15-16, I truly felt like an ENTIRELY new human. So if you are in the thick of the first trimester, I am cheering so loudly for you and YOU WILL GET THROUGH. Weeks 18-20 (which I hope to do a Trimester 2 recap) really have been THE BEST with feeling the little one move around finally and just getting excited for our big 20 week ultrasound (that we are doing at 22 weeks because of travel).

I TRULY can’t thank you all enough for the amount of love and support we have. This baby is already so loved and I couldn’t be more grateful.

QUESTIONS or thoughts on this post? Please let me know in the comments section so I can support you! 

Since a lot of us are working from home, I figured I’d share my favorite ‘essentials’. I have been working from home for almost 5 years so this girl has got her routine DOWN. And I hope you’ve gotten a little better after the past few months. I know it still feels strange to work from home right now, even after I’ve been doing it for so long. It also took me awhile when I first started so don’t be so hard on yourself. The below items help me be productive and engaged in my work and HAPPY every single day.

1. Align Pants

Trust me, you want comfortable leggings when working from home. And THESE are it. No seams on the waistband so it doesn’t cut in, buttery fabric, doesn’t restrict you. I have them in 5 colors and always want more. I put on a work ‘outfit’ daily which usually involves a tank/crop and a sweater/jacket with leggings. Make a uniform and you can get ready in 10 minutes!

2. Decaf Coffee

I’m a decaf person. Some people shudder. Some people get me. I switched to decaf because I would have TONS of anxiety and huge lows in the afternoon when I drank coffee or any type of caffeine in the morning.  I made the switch gradual by trying ‘half caff’ first and now rely on decaf to still have my ‘morning coffee’ routine without the side effects. I personally love Purity Coffee as it’s organic, specialty grade and free of contaminants, plus their decaf is Swiss-water processed which means there’s no chemical solvents used like in many popular decaf coffee brands. I’ve been drinking it for over a year (I grind the beans 1x a week, store them in a Pyrex and use a re-usable K cup) and love it with Silk almond or oat milk.

Use code ‘deanna’ here which gives you 20% + free shipping.

3. Daily Journal

SO many of you guys have purchased my journal or hopped into journaling to improve your body image and mindfulness. My goal is to remain off of Instagram for at least the first 1-2 hours of my day. So I stretch my hips and back/do some yoga moves, journal and start my morning routine all without distractions or consuming others thoughts. I can listen to MY priorities and focus on what I need. This is a HUGE aspect of the work I do, especially if I see what others are doing on IG before I’m clear on my goals for the day, it can distract me. So stay off social media for the first few hours if you can and journal. I swear my days are 100% more productive.

4. Stand-up desk

With my scoliosis, I truly can’t sit all day as my back feels AWFUL. Right now, I use our kitchen island as it’s perfect height. But when we move into the house we are building, I plan to get this guy.  Other keys when using a stand-up desk: comfy shoes! I stand in Ugg slippers/boots or these shoes as that offers the most support. Sounds silly, works way better than any of the mats they sell J

5. Steno notepad and post-its

My schedule is all in Google or Outlook but that doesn’t mean I don’t take notes, create my to-do list and write reminders. I’ve used an app before but good old pen and paper still works well for me. I keep it simple. I have a big steno notepad like this beside my computer at all times to jot notes during calls with companies, co-workers or brands. I go back through the notepad once a week to look at what I’ve learned/accomplished and if I missed anything. I create to-do lists each morning on these and date the pages. I also block the time on my calendar to get these to-do’s done. The post-its then hold creative ideas, concepts I’m thinking about, items for Zack and I to discuss in the evening. Putting together a system that works for YOU is key!

Other fun essentials I keep on my desk: weekly flowers from Trader Joe’s to just make me happy.

What are your work from home essentials?

I absolutely LOVE getting to coach and educate dietitians on building a business from Instagram. My program, Dietitian Entrepreneur Academy, is for dietitians and RD2Bes who are ready to start and grow their virtual business (holler if clinical is NOT for you!), find and work with their ideal client through Instagram and have the tools/systems in place to grow and create passive income streams. And why I’m sharing with you my 5 key tips on starting out! Note, my virtual business is a MIX of private practice plus other revenue streams, which is why I’m not saying ‘private practice’ here. Private practice isn’t the only option for entrepreneurship!

1. Understand your ICA (ideal client avatar) and niche.

If you’re speaking to EVERYONE, you’re speaking to NO ONE. Stay narrow and become the go-to expert in that market. This is the key to finding clients you love to work with and charging your worth. If you’re confused on how to narrow down, my Academy provides you with a proven framework that helps you learn the pain points of your dream client and get them to be paying customers!

2. Don’t be a perfectionist.

Perfection is the #1 thing that will hinder you from taking the first steps. Don’t have a perfect LLC name? Go with something easy like “First Name Last Name Nutrition”. Don’t have a perfect website? You can find clients through Instagram without a website and build it as you grow/create income. It doesn’t have to be perfect to start and build momentum/consistency.

3. Create niche specific shareable content.

You want your content to be shareable. And educational. People want to learn from you, not look at you. ‘Learn from you’ content should be 70% of your content and ‘look at me’ content should be 30% (so people can get to know, like and trust you).

4. Show up EVERY SINGLE DAY. Even for 15 seconds!

I know this sounds easy. But almost every Dietitian Entrepreneur Academy student has told me ‘but I don’t have anything to say’.  When you work through my proven method, you are given the EXACT tools and templates in order to create clear stories to build a community and sell. Start by reverse engineering what people are saying to you in direct messages to create relevant content.

5. Don’t do free work for brands.

Know your worth! Share your top 3 favorite products on stories and that’s it. Ensure people get to know you because of those. Keep this simple (ie your favorite grocery store, coffee brand, etc). Don’t agree to promote product just because brands are sending them. Remind them you can trial them but can’t promise to post. When brands ask to send you stuff, you MUST send them a pitch about what you have to offer (that is NOT free). If you don’t have a pitch or strategy here, I also work through this in my Dietitian Entrepreneur Academy. NO FREE WORK! 

Are your ready to finally build the virtual nutrition business of your dreams? If so, apply for Dietitian Entrepreneur Academy HERE.

 

Below are my top picks on where to start to improve your relationship with food and your body. These are great to take steps towards food freedom and can compliment an online program or working with someone. Books are a great first step to changing your mindset!

Intuitive Eating

1. Intuitive Eating: A Revolutionary Program That Works by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch

Food/Body

1. Anti-diet by Christy Harrison

2. Health at Every Size by Linda Bacon

3. Just Eat It by Laura Thomas

Body Image

1. Body Kindness by Rebecca Scritchfield

Exercise

1. Train Happy by Tally Rye

Overall Self-Worth/Mindset

1. The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown

Disordered Eating

1. 8 Keys to Recovery from an Eating Disorder: Effective Strategies from Therapeutic Practice and Personal Experience by Carolyn Costin

Reminder: These do not replace working with an expert to truly find food freedom. If you’re looking for more support, don’t hesitate to subscribe here to get more guidance. Learn more about working with me in my group coaching program, Food Freedom Breakthrough here & enroll today to get the accountability and framework you need along with these great books.

I get questions all the time about metabolism and how to know ‘if I’m eating enough’. I have helped women reverse diet, eat more than they ever thought possible, stress less about food and improve their metabolism after years of undereating and restriction. So I wanted to address signs that you may not even notice that tell me <as a registered dietitian> you are under eating.

In part 2 of this metabolism series, I’ll talk about ways to IMPROVE your metabolism!

1. You’re listening to a calorie counter.

Did you input your height and weight into a calorie counter app (ie MyFitnessPal) and it told you to eat 1200 calories?

Yea, I’ve been there too. Calorie counters don’t know you, don’t know your daily activity, your dieting history or how much muscle you have. They are a computing software that spits out numbers. If you’re relying on them to tell you how much to eat, you may be UNDEREATING.

I know I aimed to stick to 1200 calories during college when I was marathon training, only to overeat at night/on the weekends, be super inconsistent with my intake and be HUNGRY a lot.

2. You’re thinking about food ALL THE TIME.

If you’re thinking about the next time you’re going to eat right after you finish eating OR you can’t seem to concentrate on other things between meals because you’re thinking about food, you’re probably NOT eating enough.

Tips: start with breakfast by eating ENOUGH (for me that included WAY more fats than I ever thought I could eat). I realized I didn’t think about food as often. It can be scary to increase your food alone so work with a dietitian to help you understand how to introduce foods back in or how your body responds to fat vs carbs. You can apply to my group coaching program waitlist HERE if interested in working with me.

3. You think everyone else can eat a bagel but you definitely CAN’T.

You can eat a bagel. You can eat the pasta. Sometimes you may want to try a gluten-free bagel or chickpea pasta at home and that’s fun!

But don’t let yourself miss out on eating pasta at your favorite Italian restaurant or eating a bagel in NYC. Or, if a bagel is a true fear food, eat it daily! Figure out meals that keep you satisfied with that bagel. You can eat the food, it’s just because you are stuck in a restriction/undereating cycle you think you can’t.

4. You want to build muscle but aren’t seeing any changes.

You truly can’t REPAIR muscle fibers without FOOD. You get micro-tears in your muscles every time you resistance train and you must repair them for them to build. Best ways to repair them include your post-workout meal, recovery days, and eating enough to actually support that.

Have you been lifting for 3+ months with no change? Think about if you’re fueling enough to create that change.

5. You’ve been ‘dieting’/in a calorie deficit for 6 months+.

If you’ve been ‘dieting’ for 6 months+ (truly in a calorie deficit), your metabolism may have adapted. It doesn’t mean your metabolism is changed forever. It just means you’ve been dieting for too long and your body needs some change. Work with a dietitian who will help you out of the dieting cycle and into eating enough for YOU.

Don’t forget to hit SUBSCRIBE to my email list to get even more from me and if any of these signs sound like you, APPLY to my group coaching program waitlist which will open again next month!

Sponsored by Kellogg’s^®

You guys know I love ALL breakfast foods at ALL times of the day which is why I’m excited to celebrate National Breakfast Week with Kellogg’s^® Frosted Mini-Wheats^® and use this as an opportunity to talk about a super important but often overlooked nutrient – fiber.

Fiber might not seem like the most exciting topic, but it’s actually very important in helping support digestive health and overall wellness. And morning is a great time to get it so you can start your day on the right foot!

I mention fiber at breakfast (and all meals) and many times people automatically think of fiber drinks or powders. Sure you can get fiber that way, but who would want to when you can get it from real food like fruits, veg, and whole grains.

Did you know Frosted Mini-Wheats are high in fiber? Their first ingredient is whole grain wheat. Plus, a bowl of cereal is much tastier than relying on fiber pills or powders. No need to choke down that grainy drink for a quick fix when you can get your fiber from something easy and delicious.

Chewing your fiber by eating real foods you actually enjoy is a much better option.

High-fiber cereals are also a smarter choice over a fiber ‘supplement’ because of the additional nutrients they offer – like B vitamins and iron. Plus, a cereal like Frosted Mini-Wheats is great foundation for adding nutritious foods to your morning meal, like milk and fruit, making it incredibly easy to build a balanced bowl in just a few minutes. Remember that the next time you feel too busy for breakfast!

So this National Breakfast Week, empower your morning meal with nutrients you need – like fiber! It can be as easy as pouring a bowl of Frosted Mini-Wheats. Plus, Kellogg’s offers more than 30 different cereals that are at least a good source of fiber, making it easy to find an option that works for you.

This post has been sponsored by Emergen-C®. All thoughts and reviews are my own.

With tons of travel this winter (Tampa for Thanksgiving, West Palm Beach for Christmas, Washington D.C. for a Wedding, plus a trip to Europe over New Years), I’m preparing the best way I know how. For me that means a healthy and BALANCED diet (not cutting out any foods and honoring my body), lots of water, movement each day and enough sleep. I also wanted to highlight other key essentials I continue to include daily during the winter to feel most like myself.

1. Daily Protein Smoothie

It may not be daily during the winter (because I have to then bury myself in my heated blanket) but I still love a high protein meal each day 🙂

My protein smoothie includes 1/2-1 frozen banana (depends on how hungry I am), a handful frozen blueberries, 1/2 serving frozen cauli rice, 1/4 avocado, 1 cup unsweetened almond milk, a few ice cubes, cinnamon and a scoop of the Emergen-C Protein Fuel & Superfoods which has 15 g of organic protein while also delivering as much vitamin C as three oranges in each serving.

2. Getting Outside Daily for a Walk

A walk every evening right when I close my computer is my own mental commute to distinguish ‘work’ from ‘home’ time. I work from home so putting guidelines around work vs home time and getting outdoors is HUGE for my productivity. 10 minutes in nature (in the winter I just bundle up) can do so much for your energy and productivity, and drinking Emergen-C Energy+ loaded with Vitamin C, seven B vitamins, and natural caffeine from green tea also helps me revitalize my body and refocus on my business as well.

3. Keeping up with my morning routine

This to me means decaf coffee (I weaned off caffeine 5+ years ago for personal reasons-gave me anxiety), journaling, stretching, and getting slightly ‘ready’ for the day in a work from home outfit and light makeup. Also have recently loved the new Emergen-C Elderberry Immune+ gummies as the holiday season because they have 750 mg of vitamin C to support immune health and are similar to the fizzy drink but instead in delicious gummy form.

Thanks for reading about my winter essentials and learning a little bit more about what’s important to me this winter season.

Let me know if/where you are traveling this holiday season!

Part 1 of our wedding series is here (Getting Ready and First Look).

One of the most magical parts of the day was the ceremony. I have to say I didn’t give our ceremony a ton of thought leading up. I’m not sure if it was because we were reading vows that have been said thousands of times before (which I love the sacred feeling of them) or because I was confident in our priest/church coordinator but it just isn’t something you ‘plan’ much for. BUT the entire experience of doing a traditional mass, plus feeling the support of ALL our friends and family around us blew both Zack and I away. And the walk down the aisle with my Dad plus the vows with Zack to seal it all definitely give me chills just thinking about. I am still obsessed with this cathedral that I talk about in my post here. Timeline wise (got a few questions on this) we did the first look around 1 pm (Zack got there at 12:45) and the ceremony started at 2 pm.

This moment was everything. UGH. So good. My Dad is my hero! I could tell he was nervous and gripped my arm SO hard. I also have to give a shoutout to my Mom for helping me so much to put things in perspective during wedding planning…she is my hero as well.

Hiding out in the chapel with my best friends while guests were coming into the church. I talked about my bridal party in Part One!

The most special moment with my Dad. I still remember the words he shared with me at this exact moment that I’ll never forget. Mostly that he was really proud of me and the love he sees in Zack and I. Yes, this day is about Zack and I but the love I have for my parents and family shines through as well.

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We did a full mass (got a couple questions about this) and loved having both our godparents read the church readings, my younger cousins bring up the gifts and my aunt sing (she is amazing). It was so fun sitting there with Zack and feeling all the love during the ceremony. I held it together during our vows (but my voice did break and I teared up on the last sentence and many friends said they cried because of it!). We still had 3 hours before cocktail hour (our ceremony ended at 3 pm and cocktail hour at 6 pm) so took pictures around the church, in the infamous “Carnegie Mellon” pillars, downtown on a rooftop garage, and in a local park and then took some videos with our videographer before we headed to the conservatory and botanical garden. It was fun to hang out on the bus with the bridal party, pop champagne and get the party started.

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We hit up those 3 locations (would highly recommend only 2-3 locations max for photos!) and then headed to the reception for cocktails, appetizers, and to get the fun part started. Stay tuned for Part 3!

All our photography was done by the highly talented Steven Dray.

It’s hard to describe the emotions that I feel now, looking back over our wedding. The day was fun, emotional, full of love, and the best party Zack and I could have ever imagined. We have over 2,000+ photos so I wanted to share them in a manageable way for me to share with friends, family, and you guys.

Our vision was a blend of ‘traditional’ and ‘bohemian glamorous’. We got married at a huge, gorgeous cathedral in Pittsburgh and had the reception at a conservatory and botanical garden. The perfect mix of our personalities with a focus on our travel, long-distance love and adventure. And love for food, drinks and desserts, of course.

The hotel we got ready at, Hotel Indigo, was the perfect mix of modern and urban, super accommodating and set the stage for a fun morning. Fun fact: they put Zack and I in the bridal suites that were RIGHT next door to each other. So I didn’t leave the room all day other than the early morning walk my Mom, sister and I went on. So funny.

Let’s dive in!

Here is the robe I wore. I was in love with it and how it photographed!

We wrote hand-written letters to each other that I plan to scrapbook. I ended up writing mine on the bathroom floor at midnight the night before (I had written mine in my notes several days earlier but hadn’t written it out yet!). I cried, obviously, and that’s Zack’s emotional face.

Getting into my dress felt really good. I wasn’t nervous but felt gorgeous. It felt like a normal day, I had put on this dress many times before (I had 4 fittings) but just so much light, calmness but excitement was emitting from me. I kept my bridal party small: my sister, 2 best friends, Zack’s sister and my cousin I grew up with. That was key to feeling calm all day. My mom and Zack’s mom were also such an important part to the day. Zack’s mom had made custom champagne glasses and gotten all the food and snacks I love!

My first look with my Dad was special, but not as special as the moment before we walked down the aisle. I will never forget that (and will share those).

My sister was my matron of honor and my brother was in the bridal party too. We took a few pictures in the hotel lobby- it was so cool and urban- before we headed over to the church for the first look!

More Details:

The First Look

We are both still glad we did a first look. It gave us a chance to see each other to just decompress before I walked down the aisle. We did it in a gorgeous courtyard outside the cathedral and was perfect. It was super sweet to see him and we both cried, again. It was weird to prepare for HOURS (let alone date for 9 years) for this first moment!

We took a few photos before heading in to our separate areas in the church. Our ceremony was at 2 pm and cocktail hour was at 6 pm so it was nice we took most photos during that timespan AND we got to make it to cocktail hour a little to mingle with guests.

Stay tuned for the ceremony and reception complete with rooftop photos, Zack being lifted up, donuts and more to come!

My Dress: Made with Love Bridal (from Blanc de Blanc Bridal)

Zack Tux (and groomsmen): The Black Tux

Bridesmaid Dresses: Show Me Your Mumu

Photos: Steven Dray Photo

Videographer: LightMotion Studios

Hair: Sarah McCarrison

Make-up: Valarie Panei

Flowers: Sapphire and Lace

Tan: BlushTan Pgh

The wedding count-down is on! We are only 5 weeks away! Zack and I are both so EXCITED for the day to be here but are working to be present in each day right now, especially as our final planning evolves. It has been fun to hear from our friends who are traveling in for the day, finalizing details with our photographer, and talking to our venue coordinator about the day and timeline and fun surprises we have planned.

But, instead of more wedding talk, I wanted to share with you what I have been doing in regards to my skin for the big day. Absolutely none of this is needed for your wedding day but I am happy with the results and glad I am taking measures NOW to fine tune my skin care routine. Also, honing in on a skin care routine you love before your wedding can impact how you feel about yourself on the big day, which can help relieve that pressure you feel to diet, over-exercise, etc that many brides can feel.

Five Months Out

I invested in a skin care routine I liked. This includes Tula, CocoKind, and Primally Pure.

I use:

Primally Pure Cleansing oil to take make-up off every night (I use a pad and it seems to be softer on my eyes than straight cleanser). I also love the blue tansy deodorant (the smell lasts ALL day and smells like the freshest flowers) and the complexion mist.

Tula face cleanser each night after oil to clean my face

Tula day and night cream each night after washing to moisturize

Cocokind Organic Facial Repair Serum when my skin is drier than normal (typically 2-3 x per week at night)

Tula Revitalizing Eye cream to help with puffiness/dark circles/lines

I don’t re-wash my face in the morning (I shower at night and use these products then) but do use the day and night cream linked above before make-up!

P.S. I started out with this Tula kit to ensure I’d like the products!

Four Months Out

I visited Jenna, a friend and Registered Nurse at Sistine Plastic Surgery to try micro-needling. I had heard about this as a way to get a ‘radiant glow’ and be preventive in skin aging by sloughing off the first layer of dead skin. The wedding has been a welcome excuse to focus on my skin!

The Sistine location I went to in Pittsburgh (Highland Park) was gorgeous and Jenna was so welcoming and professional.

She walked me through what she would be doing as I’m super crazy and careful about my skin after abusing it in the sun when I was younger 🙂 The SkinPen used honestly doesn’t hurt at all with the cream used. Right after the procedure, my skin was RED. It felt like a sunburn. I applied the gel I was provided every hour or so to keep my skin moist. Day 2 my skin was tight and I kept applying the gel. Day 3 my skin was starting to slough off and reveal fresh skin underneath. Day 4 my skin was just about clear. Day 5 my fresh skin felt great and I was able to apply make-up. I created a photo slide of Day 1 to Day 5 below.

You can see on Day 5, my skin looks SO good. I am super happy with the results and Jenna even mentioned you can get this done every few years to be preventive about skin aging. Even weeks later I am still noticing a difference in my skin texture, clearer skin tone and smaller pores. It’s still key to wear sunscreen and eat a diet full of healthy fats and nutrients but I have loved taking the time (with the prompt of my wedding) to really focus on my skin!

If you are local to Pittsburgh, Sistine was nice enough to offer $100 off ANY treatment with Jenna, RN OR a free consultation to discuss your skin. Just visit www.sistineplasticsurgery.com to schedule an appointment and mention my Instagram handle or name “Deanna”.

One Month Out

I’ve been using Crest White Strips on my teeth to keep them white. I’m not changing much with my skin care routine I love! I plan to trial run my organic spray tan I will get before the big day this month as well. And I had my make-up trial with my make-up artist as well that I am obsessed with.

That is all!

Any skin care routine questions?