We're back in town! After three days of fighting the jet lag (small note: I'm typing this post in a bathrobe, mind you, at 6 AM) we have landed a bit back in reality. Man oh man, what a beautiful trip we had! Thanks to Instagram, it turns out my friends experienced the trip just as I did, which means I can provide a slightly less detailed account than hoped. A small downside for social media, but a big plus is that I can enjoy all the beautiful photos from my timeline for weeks to come. In particular, the photos from The Westin Mission Hills in Palm Springs make me droolingly long for that place: while my husband was hitting a nice ball on the beautiful golf courses, I raced (at a responsible speed, of course) in the golf cart from the pool to one of the restaurants for the best smoothies ever, to then drive Jon around like a top-notch Caddy. Oops, there went some drool on my keyboard again...

This week I'm already speeding through the third trimester of the pregnancy. And although I really have little to complain about, the ailments are secretly starting to pile up. Those delightful ‘restless legs’ that force me to lie with my legs as straight as possible against the wall in the middle of the night, the number of nighttime toilet visits that seriously make me consider putting a potty next to my bed, and during the day a sort of Godzilla-like scream from my stomach if I don't eat something every two hours. Fortunately, every little kick from the little guy makes it all more than worth it! And of course, there are also advantages. For instance, I can totally legitimately buy a new maternity wardrobe. Whether this new wardrobe will fit in my current closets? Well, I hadn't really thought that through. A thousand thanks for coming up with Soopl, a clothing rack that rolls out from a small package to an ‘extended’ wardrobe in under a minute. Let's hope I can keep it to just one extra rack.

I'm counting down the days to the pre-scan tomorrow. It's really unbelievable how clearly you can see the little one's face in such a 3D photo. The technology is advancing so quickly that there is even a do-it-yourself ultrasound machine on the market! When a friend of ours texted every day for two weeks asking if she could come by for her baby gift, I knew: this wouldn't just be a stuffed animal. With an exciting yellow suitcase and a smile from ear to ear, she then walked in to proudly present her gift: the Babywatcher. We have this wonderful little device for a week to occasionally peek at the little baby boy: how special! I can't wait to stand on the doorstep of the next ‘preggo’ in our friend group with a similar suitcase and a mega smile. Guaranteed success!

‘Now just watch the other ladies closely to see how you create that flawless Insta-feed’

If there's one thing that makes me happy, it's freshly painted nails. That addiction goes far: the moment a piece chips off, everything has to be done again. So it seemed to me that purchasing a ‘at home nailsalon’ was not an unnecessary luxury. The result: weekly, friends are at the door to get their nails done at ‘Carolien's do-it-yourself salon’. And as with everything, practice makes perfect, with a big P. Because by now I've discovered these awesome stamps from Caption, with which you can create the most beautiful nail art that is 100% Insta-worthy. You choose your favorite print, paint a layer over it, and then stamp the print on your nail: easy peasy! Soon ‘The Big Nail Art Party’ at my place and everyone is welcome!

Call it a small addiction, but every morning at breakfast it's a fixed routine to scroll through all the delicious Insta-feed. And what strikes me is that so much beautiful fashion is being created on Dutch soil. Gray Label (well, from now on all baby fashion will of course also be closely monitored), 10 Days, Dante6, and ALIX The Label are a few Dutch fashion gems to keep a close eye on. The latter has now gathered a whole fashion squad called ‘Alix kind of Girls’ around her that you wouldn't believe: Nikki Marinus, Claartje Rose, and Vivian Hoorn are a few stunning ladies who are often spotted in designs from ALIX. And I can proudly say that I also belong to that squad! My favorite outfit of this season is this to-die-for leopard suit. Now just watch the other ladies closely to see how you create that flawless Insta-feed...