1. Brooke – can you share the details of your rings that you wear (I think in place of your engagement ring)? Also, is there a reason you don’t wear your engagement ring all the time?
The rings on my ring finger are the Cartier love ring with my wedding bands around it. I get a lot of Q’s if it’s just one ring, but it’s actually three separate bands. There’s no real reason I don’t wear my engagement ring all the time, it’s just more comfortable to wear the bands instead.

2. You guys have the best collection of band tees – can you link your favorites (that you own) and what sizes you have in them?
Meggan: Unfortunately a lot of my favorite ones are sold out! I buy a lot of Junk Food tees and Daydreamer tees though – usually a size small! I have this Rolling Stones one and there’s one medium left (I have it in a small).
Brooke: I just did a graphic tee roundup on yesterday’s post, so be sure to check that one out! As for ones that I have – this one (in a size P), this one (XS), this one (medium, should have done small), and this one (small).

3. What anti-aging skincare products did you use while pregnant? Or any current faves you know are preggo friendly? I’m newly pregnant and not being able to get Botox and use retinoids is bumming me out.
Meggan: I used Tula while I was pregnant but a line that I’ve been loving lately is Kopari. Their products are paraben, sulfate, silicon, and phthalates free! Some of my favorite products are the deodorant, face cream, and coconut rose toner.
Brooke: When I was pregnant I used Tula as well, but would also recommend Kopari & Colleen Rothschild if you want to try out some different products – I love everything from both of these lines as well! I would recommend getting (pregnancy safe) facials, and try the GloPro for collagen production! We’ve both seen amazing results with ours – skin feels more even, plumper, and just overall better. 

4. I’m moving from an apartment into a house in a few months and was wondering if you had any suggestions on how to go through everything? I don’t want to bring things I don’t need!
Brooke: I started going through all of my stuff about 3 weeks before we moved and donated 15 contractor bags full of clothes and home things that were still in good shape. It was a pain, but I was so glad I didn’t move any of it once we stared unpacking in our new house. If you’re feeling overwhelmed about going through everything, I would just set a timer for 30-45 minutes a day and start that way. Focus only on going through your things for those 30+ minutes and after a week, you’ll have spent over 3 hours on it. If I was on the fence about something, I donated it. I used to want to keep everything, but I never ended up wearing/using it, so now I donate or sell if it’s not something I would put on and wear right then and there. Good luck!
Meggan: I loved cleaning out our house while we packed – it felt sooo good! I tossed anything that was broken, stained, or unusable (I couldn’t believe all the crap we had in our “junk” drawers). Donated items we hadn’t used or worn – lots of random kitchen supplies, toys, knickkacks, and furniture that I knew wouldn’t work in the new house. If I was on the fence about donating, I decided that if it hadn’t been used in the last 6 months it was going. I tried to do it room by room so I wouldn’t get overwhelmed. And for the donations – a lot of places will come pick to your house and pick it up which made it super easy!

5. Brooke – you mentioned using a designer for your new house. I’m in a similar situation as you (moved into a new home, starting with absolutely nothing) and I’m wondering if you can talk about the pros and cons of using a designer. How did you pick one? Do you think it ultimately saved you money in the long run? Would you recommend it?
Congrats on your new house! I wasn’t really planning on hiring a designer b/c I love interior design – it was actually my husbands idea, but now I’m so happy that we did! I thought a designer would just try to take over and I wouldn’t be able to pick anything out myself, but I was completely wrong. The things I have loved – you have access furniture that is to the trade only, you get to customize pieces for your home, you have someone to bounce ideas off of, and having someone who really knows what they’re doing is just comforting when you’re ordering large furniture pieces. I was the queen of buying, returning, and reordering furniture b/c I thought I knew what I wanted, but once it was delivered it didn’t look right. I was nervous everything would be so expensive, but designers get heavy discounts which is great! I would say the only con is that designers always have great ideas, so you can end up spending a lot more than you had planned if you’re not careful lol! Also – (not a con for me), but make sure you really like the designer you decide to work with b/c you spend a lot of time together so you need to be on the same page and ensure you have a similar style/taste. We found our designer b/c he did a lot of work on the house we purchased, but a lot of designers are on instagram (also consider e-design!). Overall, no I don’t think we have saved money because furniture is still expensive and designers have to get paid as well, but if you can find a designer who is willing to work within a set budget and you lay out all the expectations up front, I think you will be really happy! If you’re considering it, I would highly recommend it! Whew – sorry that was looong! But it’s a big decision, so hope that helps! xx

6. I just got eyelash extensions and am wondering if you girls have them? If so, how do you keep up with them so that they stay looking good?
Brooke: I have had them a couple times, and I just can’t decide if I like them. I never had them filled – I only had them put on for special occasions, then I just let them go after that. I love them because it makes getting ready so much faster and I wear less makeup, but I don’t like the upkeep. I think if you want them to continue looking great, you have to commit to getting regular fills.
Meggan: I don’t have them!

7.. Meggan – I too wash and dry my hair at night. But I feel like 70% of the time it really doesn’t look that great the next day. Would love to know your routine and any tips/tricks.
Hmmm I don’t really do anything besides dry it! I have really thick and textured hair so I think laying on it actually helps tame it down a little. After I style it in the AM I use this oil to help frizz. with  Do you have a silk pillow case? It helps with bed head, creasing, etc – maybe it could help!!

8. What did both of you do for wedding favors? Trying to think of fun unique ideas of a little something to give our guests! Did either of you do welcome bags for your guests? If so, would also love some ideas on those too!
Brooke: We did welcome bags similar to Meggan’s (I can’t remember exactly what was in there it was so long ago), and I did small wedding favors called flower bombs. I found them on Etsy, and thought it was a cute idea bc people could plant them and when the flowers bloomed, they would remember our wedding (plus they were super lightweight and easy for guests to travel home with since we had a destination wedding). Who knows, people might have just thrown them away 😉 but I thought it was kind of cute.
Meggan: We did welcome bags and I shared what I put in them on this post! And I decided against wedding favors since we did the bags and were looking to save money somewhere since we went way over budget lol.

9. Can you round up some some of your favorite denim shorts for the summer that aren’t too short/are somewhat comfortable?
Meggan: This pair is amazing because they aren’t too short and they’re comfortable (I had to go down a size and they still have wiggle room in the waist). Pretty much the only pair I wear haha!
Brooke: I have and love the same shorts. I stuck with my regular size b/c I have a booty, so the smaller size kept riding up on me (worst feeling with cutoffs lol). A few other pairs that look good – one, two, three.

10. My bedroom has white furniture and bedding with gold lamps/accents, and a suede beige headboard. What kind of rug should I get?!
We would add some color since everything else is neutral! A few rugs we’re loving are here, here, here, and here!

11. OK I am so curious. Are the a lot of “cliques” in the blogger community? Hopefully most bloggers support each other but how do you handle being in the same place as 200 other ones like at #RStheCon? Is it competitive? Do you have your close friends that you stick to or branch out?
Unfortunately the blogging community is clique-y (is that really surprising?), but there are a lot of wonderful and amazing women as well! RStheCon didn’t feel competitive, but everyone definitely had their group (or it felt like that), but that’s just why we’re thankful we have each other. We aren’t so concerned with trying to “fit in” or join a group. We’re happy being ourselves and sticking together! We will say, it’s funny how some people think they’re such a celeb or sooo cool…but literally nobody would know who they are on the street lol. We did meet some of the coolest and sweetest (normal) girls ever at the conference though, so we’re definitely not generalizing everyone! 

12. I just found out that I’m recently pregnant! Super exciting but also terrifying…lol. Any newborn and mama-to-be must haves?
Meggan: Congrats! Ugh it was so long ago I’m struggling to think of everything but I would suggest getting a pregnancy pillow, belly butter (I used this one), panel leggings (so comfy), a tumbler so you always have water, and a cozy robe (I lived in mine in the evening). Luckily newborns don’t need THAT much stuff. I remember stressing about it but in reality they are pretty simple! I loved the velcro swaddles, this bath seat, this drying rack, a sound machine, Nuna carseat, nursing pillow, and this baby swing. And a ton of onsies, diapers, and wipes!!
Brooke: Literally everything that Meggan said – used almost everything she listed, and going to add a few things I loved. This belly oil, and this instead of swaddle blankets (literally best invention ever – two way zipper, so easy!)

13. I am looking for a rug to go in the kitchen under the sink. Any suggestions?
We looove vintage rugs for kitchens, here are some of our favorites in different sizes – one, two, and three.

14. What are good gifts for Mother’s Day? Looking for my MIL and mom! What sites do you use to buy floral arrangements?
Some gift ideas are the Glopro (she will love if she’s a beauty junkie!), anything from Barefoot Dreams (we love the blankets and robes), cute pajamas, a gift card for the spa, a custom framed picture from Framebridge, cool planters (could even go the extra step and get a plant!), a monogrammed serving tray (I have this and love it!), or this wine cooler! When we order flowers, we don’t do online – here’s a tip to get much better/prettier flowers delivered! Look up local florists on Yelp for whatever city you’re sending the flowers to and call them directly. SO much better than online flower delivery! 

15. I know both of you have moved from one state to another so I wanted to get your advice on what is the best/easiest way to move all your belongings? Did you get a moving truck and drive it? Did you ship your vehicle? I have no idea where to start.
Meggan: We hired movers to pack and move our belongings – we honestly just didn’t want to hassle or stress over it. We packed some of our stuff but the movers did most of it. We didn’t have that much since we lived in a small apartment so we shared a moving truck (can’t remember the name of the company we used) to save money. We didn’t look into shipping our car because Chicago to Texas since the drive wasn’t too bad. My MIL flew to Texas with Cam for us though because that would of been miserable for all of us lol!
Brooke: We hired movers for both of our cross-country moves and I’m so happy we did b/c I feel like that would be super stressful to try to do it yourself. When we moved from Chicago to California, we shipped one car and my parents drove the other (I left it at their house in Iowa before our move and they love road trips!). When we moved from California to NYC, we sold our cars b/c we didn’t need them in NYC.

16. My manager is turning 40 this year and I am looking for the perfect gift around $30-$50. We work in Chicago and she is a super trendy mom of 3. Any recommendations would be great!
Love this mug (and it’s extra cute since she’s your boss), these fun wine glasses, a pretty candle, a gift card for a blowout (every mama would love that!), pretty coasters for her home, or a cool pair of earrings.

17. Meggan – I know you have family out in San Diego and I’ve been searching for an amazing hair salon and a salon to get facials/botox/etc! Does your family have any recommendations?!
I know my SIL’s botox place is Revive because I like to get it when I’m out there! I don’t know why but it always works the best/lasts the longest for me.

18. I love white sheets but feel like with our dog they are forever getting dirty! I wanted to see if either of you had any recommendations of good brands that hold up better than others.
Ugh yeah, white bedding + dogs = not great lol. We’re impressed by the quality of Allswell bedding and Boll & Branch!- both hold up really well! Also – I just ordered my dog some wipes for his feet which I heard work wonders with tracking in dirt! Also – these Threshold sheets from Target are amazing! They’re super soft and affordable so not a huge deal when they need to be replaced. 

19. I just got engaged and have started the exciting planning process. We just found our photographer and will likely do engagement photos this summer. I know you’ve probably answered this question a million times, but do you have any suggestions for what to wear for engagement photos in the summer? I’m thinking maybe a couple different dresses, preferably under $100 each. Open to both prints or solids!
That’s so exciting, congratulations! Some cute dress options are this eyelet one, this lace midi dress (so many colors to chose from!), this maxi (love the light blue), and this off-the-shoulder one.

20. I am going to Charleston for my Bachelorette party in the beginning of June. Can you provide me with some cute outfit ideas for the day & night?
That will be so fun! A few things we’re currently eying that you could pack: this dress, this bodysuit, this mini dress, these wedges, this set, this top, and this jumpsuit!

21. I just had my first baby and am realizing I need more button down or nursing friendly tops. I don’t really want to spend money on the tops specifically for nursing…I’d rather purchase “normal” clothes that would work.
Nursing friendly tops we love – one, two, three, and four.

22. I’m going on a trip to Mexico in June and am looking for some fun outfits/not too pricey swimsuits! Any ideas on where to start?
Love this romper (could be worn casual during day or dressed up at night), this crochet maxi dress, this jumpsuit, and this set. Swimwear: loving this yellow bikini, this ruffle one, this smocked bikini, and this one-piece. Have fun!

23. I just bought this pair of jeans from Old Navy (can’t pass up their jeans when they’re cheap on sale – too good). I have some outfits in mind but interested in what tops and shoes you’d pair them with.
We would keep the top and shoes simple since the jeans are patterned and have embroidery. A simple white tee (one of our favorites – under $20!) or a tie button down top like this with sandals or sneakers. You could also throw on a denim jacket (or drape it) for something extra.

24. Can you recommend some cute work dresses formal and casual ones for Friday’s?
For dressier options – this one, this one, and this one (jumpsuit but love). And casual ones we love – here, here, and here.

25. I’m throwing a backyard BBQ 40th birthday party for my husband on 5/19 and by that time I will be 10 weeks pregnant. Can you guys give me some outfit suggestions that will conceal the pot belly and still look cute? I’m thinking jeans and a top since it’s going to be a festive, but casual party. 
We would do jeans and a flowy top – love this one, this one, and this one! All SO cute and super great to hide the tiny bump.

26. I could use your help, I’m looking for a fun statement necklace in red or turquoise. Any suggestions?
A few pretty options: here, here, and here!

26. My sister-in-law to be is having her bachelorette party in Chicago next weekend, but I am not able to make it. Any suggestions on a something I could send to her hotel room? Just to show that I’m sad I can not make it?
We would send a bottle of champagne (or two 😉 ) with a sweet note! Such a cute & surprise that won’t go to waste ;).

You can leave your questions for next week below or email us at brookeandmeggan@somewherelately.com with #coffeetalk in the subject! xo