Olive Me!

Two weeks ago I shared a “Beauty Break” featuring a new product from a local maker, Olive Me. What makes me so passionate about this brand is not only is it a locally made good, but it’s owner and creator is my very good friend Nikki Ferritto. When she launched her skincare line in May 2017 I was so excited I had to get the word out about her amazing product. I was able to share her amazing product with some of my blogger friends this past summer. Now I have finally found the opportunity to sit down with Nikki to hear her story to share with all of you. For those of you who follow my blog you know I love anything local and I love sharing it with you my readers, so if you’re in the market for some skincare to freshen up your natural glow here is all you need to know about this amazing local brand, Olive Me!

Styled by Stacy: What inspired you to make a skincare line?

Nikki, Olive Me: Honestly, I never washed my face growing up. Whenever I would use a cleanser my rosacea on my cheeks would flare and I hated it. So I just resorted to warm water in the shower and that was it. After college I started testing out different oils to use on my skin, but hated how oily and greasy they made me feel. That was until I tried olive oil! I was in awe of how much it helped my skin, took off my makeup, and didn’t make me break out. I should have known better though - growing up in an Italian family we use olive oil for everything! My grandmother even told me she used to make a bed sore balm with it to put on family members and friends who were stuck in hospital beds and it worked wonders for them. I started getting creative and adding other ingredients and I eventually came up with the perfect formula. It was something I just did for myself, but I knew this needed to be shared with others. There are 2 extremes today in the skincare industry - the basic drugstore, chemically filled products that people buy in bulk, or the extremely expensive all natural scare products that people spend a fortune on. My belief has always been that skincare shouldn’t be expensive! And it should be something we already fuel our bodies with. Skin is our largest organ after all and anything we put on it gets directly absorbed into the body, so why are we not taking the time to nourish it with foods and naturally growing plants like we do with our food? This became a passion of mine and a message I wanted to share with the world.

SbyS: How did you get started?

N: People would always ask what I do to keep my skin so smooth and tan, but when I would tell them I just use olive oil they wouldn’t believe me! So in Christmas of 2016 I started giving my product to family and friends just to try. There were no labels or names, literally a blank bottle of yellow liquid that I promised would help them. I received amazing feedback and people kept asking for more. That is when I realized that my message of simple, safe, and effective ingredients needed to be shared and could change the world so that is when I decided to take it to the next level and opened an Etsy site in May 2017.

SbyS: Where do you source your material/ how do you manufacture your product?

N: I create all of the products out of my apartment in downtown Cleveland! OliveMe Beauty has its own set of kitchen tools like mixing bowls and spatulas, and when I begin a production day I turn my kitchen into mini manufacturing plant. I buy most of my materials online through various wholesale websites that I have vetted out before. I do buy all of my olive oil from Costco though! I swear by their brand - it is some of the best out there. A lot of olive oils these days are watered down and mixed with other oils so you lose the quality of a true extra virgin olive oil. Costco’s brand does not do this and is secretly known to be one of the best wholesale olive oil’s out there! It’s the same brand I cook and eat with as well!

SbyS: What's been the most challenging about starting a small business?

N: Learning how to wear all the hats. I sometimes go from web developer, to marketer, to CFO all in one night. I love creating products and do have a background in business, but I have had to learn a lot of different skills to keep things running smoothly and efficiently. It has been difficult at times but definitely a learning experience.

SbyS: What's been the most rewarding?

N: Seeing the non-believers turn into believers! It took my mom 6 months to try my products. NO JOKE! She was convinced oil would never work on her oily skin. After begging her (and honestly, my dad forcing her) to try it for a week, she was convinced. She went to CVS and returned all of her old products and has been telling everyone about it since! She was just the first - there are plenty of others who had a similar situation though. It warms my heart to know I can spread this message and change people’s skincare routines and overall health. I get so excited when I see them gain confidence to rock their skin with no makeup or worry about a crazy 12 step routine and dropping hundreds of dollars on products that they honestly don’t need.

SbyS: What’s your favorite product you offer?

N: The face oil! It is so versatile and was the first product I’ve ever created, and the reason I started this line. Believe it or not, I use it as a makeup remover, face wash, moisturizer, mask, and makeup primer. It is crazy to think you can do all of that with one product, but it truly is the power of switching to an oil based skincare routine!

SbyS: Why  did you choose the CLE to launch your small business?

N: I am born and raised in CLE so it’s a given! CLE has a very large group of driven entrepreneurs creatives though so it is the perfect place. It makes the environment so exciting to work in and there is always someone to help a hand or mentor. I am looking forward to some collaborations I have coming up with other local CLE businesses and learning from them

SbyS: Where can you buy your product?

N: I have an etsy site which you can access at https://www.etsy.com/shop/olivemebeauty They are also sold at Yoga Strong studios in downtown Cleveland. I do various fairs and popup shops throughout the year as well so follow along on my social media (@olivemebeauty) to stay up to date with events

SbyS: Are there any other fun facts you’d like me to share about your product?

N: We are trying to grow our line! We release a new product every month. We take the time to carefully craft each product though and test it out on multiple skin types before making it available for sale. If you are ever interested in testing new products, follow along on our Instagram - that is where we ask for testers and give free products to those willing to provide feedback!  

What I love most about discovering new local makers is hearing their stories, I had no idea how amazing Nikki was and I’m glad I got to share her brand with all off you. What makes Nikki even more amazing is she is also a lover of local makers and bloggers! She think they are what helps make this Cleveland Community Thrive so she has given all my Styled by Stacy readers free shipping on their purchases by using code “ShipShipHooray” at checkout! Make sure to check her out and shop her goods, my favorite is the lip scrub to read more about it check out my Beauty Break!

Postpartum Shopping List!

As I transition from pregnancy to motherhood I’ve experienced a crash course in everything postpartum and what motherhood has to offer. There are few items on my new mommy must have list that I’ve found helpful during this transition and I wanted to share with all of you. I am by no means an expert but having the knowledge I have now would have been helpful during the first couple weeks of my pregnancy. I owe a special thanks to all my girlfriends and family members that have given me all the helpful hints to make motherhood a little easier.

1. Fisher Price Newborn Rock N' Play Sleeper

Now I know there are all kinds of swings, chairs, and bouncers for baby, and I have several at my disposal but, the only one my little guy will even tolerate is the Rock’N Play Sleeper. I received the sleeper as a gift from a girlfriend, who told me before I even made my registry that she bought me this gift because it was the only thing that settled her baby down. It was a must have. Of course she didn’t tell me what it was until I unwrapped it and good news for her was I didn’t even have anything like this on my registry, boy am I glad she gifted it. The sleeper literally is a godsend. It has a vibrating feature that calms baby and it rocks as well when he’s extra fussy. It also is the only thing he will sleep in apart from his bassinet and sometimes that's a challenge. I’ve discovered my son is a roller, he likes to roll and sleep on his side, in his bassinet he has discovered the perfect groove for his rolly polly body. Although he has yet to find it in the pack and play so for mid day naps (and the occasional sleepless nights) I will put him in the sleeper. He can’t roll or move too much so there isn’t fear of potential SIDS, (which as a new mommy is my new constant fear keeping me up at night),  The Rock’ N Play is designed like a tight little hammock that he just loves! So if you find you have a high maintenance baby like mine try the Rock’ N Play Sleeper, you’ll thank me later.
2. Soothies

As a first time mommy, didn't realize there was different designed pacifiers. I only had the normal pacifiers that your used to seeing everywhere. I did not realize and had to learn quickly that it was too big for an infant to suck on. JR would simply not take it. It was not until I was going through the bag of goodies the hospital gave us when we left that I found a little teal pacifier. This pacifier was an easier shape for JR to handle. I don’t know what I would have done if I didn’t realize the difference. I’ll be sure to leave a picture below for all my first time clueless mommies like me!  
3. Gripe Water

This is a safe remedy my BFF told me about that helps Gas, Colic, and Hiccups. JR sometimes has a hard time passing gas or a bowel movement for that matter, which leads to him getting fussy and uncomfortable. He also gets the hiccups at least once a day, and they last a while hindering him from relaxing to take a nap or sometimes feed. When I was venting to my BFF about this she told me to try Gripe Water, thank goodness I did. It really helps my little guy out when his little bodily functions are not cooperating. A comfortable baby is a happy baby and this remedy helps keep him comfy and peaceful and that's all a mom could ask for.
4. Postpartum Cooling Packs

This is my #1 must have item for new mommies. Everyone prepares you for boob care with lotions, pads, and cooling packs, but not one of my fellow mom’s told me about care for your nether region. If you have a vaginal birth, you are very sore. Like can’t move or sit sore and at the hospital they give you ice packs that double as a pad for relief, but when you get home you are screwed. I had no idea how to stay cool and dry down there. Even my engineer husband was stumped on what we could DIY ourselves. So I did the next logical thing, did a search on Amazon and found Postpartum cooling packs. The one I bought came with 2 reusable ice packs and five washable, red sleeves that help absorb any of the bleeding you may experience after birth. This product is TMI but if your a first time mommy this will make the first 2 weeks of recovery bearable. Your already suffering from sleep deprivation, why suffer anywhere else!?  
5. Poise Pads

Focusing on your nether region for a little longer, after birth it’s no surprise that you bleed for up to 6 weeks after birth. At the hospital they give you these ginormus pads that I have no idea who they are made for and again when you get home your left fending for yourself. Now if you are like me and are used to wearing tampons, a pad is so uncomfortable especially a giant one. When I went shopping for pads when I got home, I wanted something less bulky and went for the super absorbent, but thin, Always Overnights (with wings)!  Here is the problem with regular pads, they have an almost plastic like layer that is extremely uncomfortable and irritated my already sore nether region. Silly me I didn’t realize I needed something soft and absorbent. Again shout out to my amazing BFF she actually gave me a package of Poise Pads that looked more like panty liners on the packaging so I assumed they were for later on in recovery, they weren’t, they actually were what I needed. Thin, but super absorbent and soft. If you’re like me and not sure what brand to go for here is a #protip!
6. My Brest Friend

I, like many new mommy’s, was told to register for a Boppy to help with breastfeeding, and I’m here to tell you, DON’T! It’s all about My Brest Friend. I found the Boppy to be too small to wrap around my midsection and it was not giving the proper support to JR when feeding. I found I had to stack up extra pillows for a more comfortable position. I resorted to just using pillows until my wonderful sister-in-law who just had my niece 4 months ago told me all about the My Brest Friend. She swore by it, so naturally to make breastfeeding a little more comfortable I purchased one from Amazon, (thank goodness for all those gift cards). MBF is really a great product, it not only makes breast feeding comfortable for baby it also makes it comfortable for mommy. It wraps all around your body offering a nice back support that makes it easy to feed in any chair, or bed. The design also supports baby in the perfect breastfeeding position. I have a little wiggle monster who will thrash and pull on my nipple in his attempt to get comfortable, this pillow eliminates that. If your like me and registered for a Boppy, return it and use the money for a My Brest Friend, worth every penny!
7. Lanolin Cream

Now I know every new mommy knows about Lanolin Cream, and you even get a tube at the hospital. All I wanted to say is when it comes to nipple cream stay brand loyal. I actually registered for a different brand of nipple cream and realized that it does not work as well as the actual Lanolin Cream brand. It didn’t help keep them moisturized they just always felt dry and chaffed. Take my advice and stick to the trusted brand.
8. Baby Sleeper

Everyone buys you baby clothes, and being a fashionista I am all about the cute little outfits for baby. However I will confess for the first couple of weeks a sleeper is the only fashion item on my baby boy. I actually had to go and purchase more because I only had three and they were not enough. Cute outfits for baby are great but for those first couple of weeks when it's just you and baby at home with no place to go or things to do besides snuggle, a sleeper makes life so much easier. It also makes diaper changes easier so you don’t have to worry about pants or other layers. I live in a cold weather climate in Cleveland and sleepers come footed to keep babies feet warm so you don’t have to worry about socks falling off either. It’s the perfect stay at home garment and its all you need in the beginning. I wish I stocked up on more because that is all JR wears unless we leave the house to be social, which has been once in six weeks.  
9. Rocker Recliner

The rocking chair is a nursery staple. I find the traditional glider that is found in most nursery’s is uncomfortable after sitting on it for several hours. It wasn’t something I was looking to buy but I knew I needed a rocking chair to help sooth my little guy. Then while getting a tour of a friend of ours new home I saw that my girlfriend had a big fluffy rocker recliner in her daughter's nursery. She explained that she hated the traditional rocking chairs as well and opted for something more comfortable. Having a rocker recliner allows you to sit comfortably while feeding with support and for those rough nights when it feels baby will never fall asleep unless their in your arms, having the ability to recline and get rest yourself is a wonderful thing, trust me I know from experience. I know a recliner can be kind of bulky and take up a lot of space in a nursery but they come in a variety of colors and fabrics and will fit into any nursery design. My girlfriend had a nice cream colored one for her daughters room and I opted for a dark charcoal gray for my sons classic mustang room.   
10. Two of Everything

If you live in a two story home like myself it helps to have two of everything, one for upstairs, one for down stairs. From a changing area to little comforts for me like lanolin cream, chapstick, or a water bottle. I have a mom and baby area set up on my first floor and second floor. It makes it easy when it's late at night and you find you left the lanolin cream downstairs or a pacifier to soothe baby, it creates a less of leg work for mom and a happy baby. By creating these areas on both stories of my house it's easy to have what I need when I need it that way I can focus more on baby and myself and not sweat the little things.
11. Hands Free Breast Pump Bustier

This item was something I saw when I was making my registry but I didn’t think I needed it. Boy was I wrong. When you start pumping it can be time consuming. That's 20-30 min. that you could be eating because baby is asleep or in my case blogging. The first time I pumped I learned real quick that I could be more efficient with my time with my hands free. Because let’s face it, with a newborn that needs your undivided attention most of the time every second counts. I especially like it in the morning hours when I need to eat and pump but I want to get some more sleep, it definitely aids in helping me get more sleep. So if your like me and thought this was an item you didn’t need, take my advice and get yourself one asap. I like the Lansinoh brand because its adjustable, I found mine at Target.   
12. Encapsulated Placenta

The last item on my list are my Placenta pills. This item is a little taboo and its benefits are debatable but for me it was something I really wanted for my postpartum health. The benefits of consuming your placenta are not proven. Although some studies have shown that it decreases postpartum depression, it increase milk production, and gives certain nutrients back to your baby. To have a supplement that could potentially help my mental health after baby was the biggest draw for me. When I got married to my husband I found myself in a state of depression. It wasn’t because I didn’t love my husband or I didn’t want to be married, I think it was more of the expectations of being a wife and a partner and provider for someone else other than myself. With help from my therapist I was able to overcome these feelings but the fear that they might creep back up after I bring a human being in the world has me taking any help I can get. Consuming my placenta is more of a holistic approach to overcoming those postpartum blues. When you have a child that you’re breastfeeding for you really start to look at the things you consume and how it will effect your child. I wanted something natural. It  doesn’t get any more natural than the thing I spent 9 months carrying around along with my baby boy. There are some risks in encapsulating your placenta, if it is not done properly it can cause a bacterial infection in your breast milk and ultimately in your new baby. That's why it’s important to do your research and ask a lot of questions and meet and talk to professionals who will be encapsulating the placenta. I was referred to the Womb Wellness Center in Solon, OH. I talked to both the owner and the woman who was encapsulating my placenta and ultimately felt comfortable and confident that they would create a great supplement for me. I’m not sure how effective it is because I have nothing to compare it to. My husband did notice my daily outburst of randomly crying for no reason ended the day I got my pills, needless to say he’s convinced. If you find that you are interested in something like this for your postpartum plan please feel free to message me and I’d be happy to help and answer questions, I’m no expert but I can share my experience in hopes that it helps.

I could really go on with this list but I narrowed it down to a dozen in hopes it helps any new mama out there. I’m sure there are new things in motherhood to learn about everyday so if you have any helpful hints as baby grows I welcome them and if I’ve left anything out you as a new mama have to share leave a comment in hopes we can all help a new mom out. It takes a village to raise a child and I love hearing from other moms and sharing my thoughts and opinions as well.

Beauty Break!

On a trip to Mexico about three years ago I suffered from dry, chapped lips due to the hot sun. No matter how much chapstick I put on I just could not get enough moisture to my lips. Thanks to an amazing friend who suggested getting some lip scrub from a local maker, I was finally able to repair and restore moisture into my pout when I got back home.

Fast forward three years, the same friend, Nikki Ferritto, Owner/Creator of Olive Me, started her own skin care line and is debuting her very own lip scrub this weekend!! I’m super excited for this product to be added to her line because it's one of my beauty must haves especially for summer. I owe my soft lips to her for introducing me to it and now I get to sample hers!

There are tons of scrubs out there for your feet, face, the whole body, but the lip scrub is a must. With harsh winters and hot summers my lips can always use a pick me up. Even after giving birth, I noticed my lips were a little dryer than usual. With the new mama care package Nikki sent me I was able to sample her new lip scrub and rejuvenate my lips. Also i should mention the lip scrub is locally made here in the CLE. You know how much I love everything local! You have to check out Nikki’s line and her new lip scrub. You can find her products at www.olivemebeauty.com or http://etsy.me/2FEgSKg and on Instagram @olivemebeauty.

Keep a lookout next week to see my Q&A with Nikki and learn more about her amazing beauty line!

Dressing the Third Trimester!

Some of you may have noticed I’ve been a little MIA on my blog over the past couple of months. Reasons being, I hit the third trimester of my pregnancy and it was the holiday season and I work retail, so needless to say I’ve been busy and very very tired. Now my little one is here and I’ve found some time to get back to blogging! I learned so much during my pregnancy and after becoming a new mom and what to expect. With this knowledge comes a new outlook on my fashion choices. Since I bring all my fashion knowledge and know how, to Styled by Stacy, I wanted share some of my learning.

In today’s blog I’m going to be talking about maternity wardrobe. In the beginning of my pregnancy I blogged about how I remixed my current wardrobe and what pieces I added all in the attempts to stay fabulous while pregnant. With this blog I want to get real. Dressing the bump was fun and exciting in the beginning, then you hit the third trimester. For me nothing fit, my maternity pants were getting too tight, my undergarments were getting smaller, and all my flowy tops I wore in the beginning of my pregnancy where now fitted and tight around my boobs and my bump. Getting dressed every morning was a chore. For a fashionista who loves to style and put outfits together, I suddenly found myself hating getting dressed in the morning. While trying to stay positive and fashion forward I stuck to 5 key pieces which helped me get through those last few weeks of pregnancy feeling comfortable and fashionable. For all my soon to be mama’s out there I had to share because sooner or later you will be in the third trimester boat. If you stock up on these key pieces now you’ll be fashionably equipped to take on the last weeks of pregnancy in style.

1. Jackets, Cardis, and Kimonos

These items helped me out in the beginning of my pregnancy and they stayed with me till the end. By the time the last trimester hit the only thing that still fit were my basic tee’s and tanks and the easiest way to dress up a basic is with a fun cardi or edgy jacket. The best part about these key pieces are you probably already have it in your wardrobe. I was pregnant during the winter months so finding cozy cardigans was easy and during the holiday season I was able to buy a lot on sale so I didn’t break the bank either!

2. Leggings

As I stated above, a couple weeks into my third trimester I found that my maternity pants were getting too tight. That belly band can only stretch so much and I became uncomfortable. The last month of my pregnancy I gave up on wearing pants all together and strictly wore leggings. I know there are a lot of comfortable affordable maternity leggings out there but the basic cotton active leggings at Old Navy fit perfectly and I owned some already. I just stuck with those and bought a few one size up just in case. The larger sizes also helped postpartum when I still had some swelling and baby weight. But I do wish I stocked up on some fashionable maternity leggings, like a leather pair I found on Asos.com but decided against it because I thought my jeans would be enough. Invest on some basic comfortable leggings and don't be afraid to splurge on some more trendier ones, trust me. Four weeks doesn’t seem that long but for a fashionista stuck with the same black leggings day in and day out it did get a little repetitive and I craved some pizzazz in my wardrobe.   

3. Dresses and Tunic

Since most of my pregnancy was during the winter months I didn’t think to stock up on dresses, but I quickly realized that I needed to invest in some fall/winter dresses asap. They just made dressing in the morning so much easier and comfortable. I am very small chested normally so a lot of dresses I already owned did not fit unfortunately but I was able to find some inexpensive ones at Target and Old Navy.

Tunics made dressing easy as well. A lot of the tunics I already owned fit over the bump perfectly and some I had to buy a size up. The best part about both dresses and tunics, they pair perfectly with leggings and a pair of cute booties for the winter season!

4. Built-In Tanks

With my ever growing bump I developed a sharp pain right under my right breast. My OB said this was normal it was just all the stretching and moving around of my organs that caused this and the cute little foot from my little boy that liked to rest right there as well. This made wearing bras with underwires uncomfortable, even some of the bra’s I purchased with no underwire where to tight. In an attempt to maintain modesty I decided to try some tanks with the built-in bra. I found some great nursing ones at Target in tons of different colors perfect to wear under dresses and sweaters, and I found them to be just tight enough for support but not too tight that they made me uncomfortable like my bras. Definitely worth a try if your like me and need some more breathing room, plus the tanks are a lifesaver when breastfeeding. I’ve been wearing mine everyday since I’ve been home from the hospital.

5. Accessories

This is the easiest and inexpensive way to update your look pregnant or not. I love a good accessory, from a statement necklace to a trendy hat, and don’t even get me started on shoes! Toward the end of my pregnancy I was rotating out 6-8 dresses and tunics when dressing for the day but I would change up what accessories I wore to refresh my look. I have quite the jewelry and shoe collection so this was easy for me. If your not like me and lack some fun accessories check out Target. I love their clearance section, I usually find some great pieces there. I also love to look for inexpensive accessories at Forever21 and H&M.

As a soon to be mama you might find other pieces that work for you but these five kept me fashionable and comfortable during the last days of my pregnancy. I don’t care if you are into fashion or not during those last couple of weeks, comfort is the name of the game. Fashionista Stacy went out the window, but now that I’m hitting 4 weeks postpartum I am ready to get back in action! So stay tuned for updates on what I’m loving and everything you’ll need postpartum to stay fabulous!!