I’ve written before of my insecurities surrounding unplanned and unmarried pregnancies. I’ve been though two as a teenager and while people were not rude to my face or may not have thought anything but “Oh her belly is so cute!” I felt like I was always being watched and judged by my appearance.  I still do, but being nearly 23, married, graduated from collage, and much more stable in life I feel more confident in who I am and proud of my growing belly.  Still, I know I look like a teenager to most people in real life due to my small height and a hint of my insecurities still lingers. I feel like I need to wear a wedding ring to “justify” my growing belly and my 3 year old toddler to strangers who are always looking as we pass by.

However, as pregnancy progresses, so does weight gain. Especially in this hot 90-100 degree heat. I held onto my real wedding ring set as long as I could, but during my 6th month of pregnancy I couldn’t tolerate the itchy-too-tight feeling any longer.  So, I went on a search for a fake and reasonably priced ring in a larger size to hold me over the rest of the pregnancy and until my fingers can resume their normal size.  On my search I stumbled on Fantasy Jewelry Box and found just what I was looking for.

They had so many options to choose from for what I needed among their gorgeous wedding sets and engagement rings.  I seriously spent days looking at the pages over and asking options of my friends!  I originally was going to get a wedding set that looks very similar to my real rings, but my thought was, “If I’m getting a new ring for a few months, why not have fun with it?”  I decided to get something that looked different than what I always wear and enjoy something new. I figure this new ring is kinda like my maternity clothes, it’s fun to try something else on but I’m sure it will be nice to be reunited with my real clothes in a few months along with my real rings.  Unlike maternity clothes however, I also thought that if I chose a ring for during pregnancy, I could pick one that I could wear on my left hand later (maybe with a size adjuster though). I am normally a 4.5 size finger (I know, I’m small!) and I ordered a 5 so it’s not a drastically huge difference in size but enough room to accommodate weight gain and heat swelling, and won’t be too big for later on.

My biggest factor in deciding which to pick? The size of the stone. Since I am such a small framed person, my fingers included, I didn’t want the ring to take over my hand.  I aimed for a ring 1 carat or less and thankfully, there is a “Small Carat Ring” selection to help minimize the searching. I found their different categories really helpful in finding what I was looking for. I also loved that they included several pictures of the ring, including one on a model’s hand so that I could visualize the purchase more. We all know that things look different on! Out of all the websites I looked at for lower cost sterling silver rings, theirs was the only one that had that extra picture and it was a huge help in my decision. I liked that the website is very detailed in exactly what you are looking it, from the carat size (both center stone and total), band material, stone cut, etc. And if you aren’t sure what all that means they have a Jewelry Learning Center to help. Therefore, you know exactly what you are getting when you order!

So what did I end up with? I chose the Asa’s Antique Style CZ Engagement Ring. This ring actually has a 1.5 center stone, but I have had a green amethyst ring in the past that was very similar and I knew the style/size would be fitting for me. However, Fantasy Jewelry Box is more than just beautiful wedding style rings, they also carry birthstones, earrings, necklaces, broaches, bracelets, and even some men’s items. So, I also got a long beaded necklace since they are my newest jewelry love. They can spice up any boring outfit (maternity or not)! I decided on the Angelina’s 56 Inch Faux Pearl and Silver Bead Necklace Set. Yes, 56 inches in really long but I love that you can double it over and create several different necklace styles with it. Plus, the pearl and silver goes with just about anything. I love both so much, I wore my new ring and necklace to my maternity photo session last week (look for more photos on the main blog soon!).

As for quality? If you take good care of them as they suggest they should last, just like real white gold and diamonds. I have personally worn my ring, all day every day (taking them off for the pool/beach/heavy cleaning) for almost a month and it still looks brand new. My ring looks real without paying the real price and I have gotten many compliments.

So, if you are like me looking for a “ring filler” while your fingers swell during pregnancy or just looking for quality beautiful jewelry for any reason, I definitely recommend Fantasy Jewelry Box. Not just for the beautiful items, but the super fast shipping, great customer service, cute pink box packaging, and they are always having sales and promotions to bring the cost down even more. Signing up for their newsletter following them on Twitter or Facebook is a great way to get started saving and seeing what is new!

Like what you see? Win a $35 gift from Fantasy Jewelry Box right here!

The Rules: One person will win $35 towards one item from their website.  Simply comment on this post telling me what you would pick out from Fantasy Jewelry Box. For a bonus entry, sign up for their newsletter and make an additional comment telling me you signed up. Comments will close at midnight, Thursday August 26th (that’s one week!) and the winner will be announced on this review blog Friday August 27the as well as emailed.

Note: I contacted Fantasy Jewelry Box for a review/giveaway. In turn for a review and to promote their business, I received the ring and necklace set complimentary and they will be supplying the giveaway as well. However, I only post reviews on items I love and strive to write an honest balanced review if there are any flaws.

If you didn’t realize yet, I’ve got another bun in the oven. Even though I’ve been through 3 other pregnancies and generally know what to expect, I find myself devouring all the information I can about pregnancy and baby development.  You would think I would have them memorized by now, right? Well, practically. And in truth, a lot of the typical well known books do get old after a while, with dry medical terms that scare you while they supply their information. They also some times lack real life experience and personality, resembling a boring text book.

Enter the new pregnancy book: The Hot Mom to Be Handbook by Jessica Denay. While this book does not have fetal development each month, instead it focuses on what other pregnancy books lack: real daily life, encouragement, and humor. The book isn’t all about physically looking great while pregnant as the definition of “Hot Mom” but turns inward as well. I absolutely love the opening introduction:  “A Hot Mom is a woman who is confident and empowered. It doesn’t matter what age you are what shape or size; EVERY mom can be a Hot Mom! It’s a choice. An attitude and a way of being. It’s knowing that you are not the best mom unless you are the best YOU.” I love that it focuses on real life daily issues, from choosing a doctor that isn’t a “McDreamy” to protect your marriage, starting a baby blog, finding a maternity bathing suit, the importance of good nutrition, dealing with unwanted advice, having “gadgetitis” for baby things, etc.

Besides the practical and relatable advice provided in a fun way, I love that this book has great quotes, stories from other “Hot Moms”, facts, and check lists interjected through out. She also includes lists with fantastic resources for every type of momma, like ones on a budget or eco-minded, as well as a place to journal and answer questions at the end of each chapter to capture thoughts.  This book truly has it all for any type of mom preparing for a baby, taking into account all types of lifestyles during pregnancy and each woman’s vision of birth and parenting. She even talks about cloth diapering and hypnobirthing!

And best of all, the down to earth humor Jessica interjects in every single sentence and title keeps this book so much fun even in serious topics like “post-party depression.” I could not put this book down and could not stop laugh-out-louding  while reading this book. I would stop often to share a fun fact or funny too-common-in-our-house situation with my husband.  In short: this book is much more fun and practical to read than the typical pregnancy book. It has something for everyone, whether you were waiting for the perfect day to pee on the stick or the positive line shocked you and you aren’t so excited about this new change in life. I love that she deals with so many aspects of life that get washed over in other pregnancy resources, dealing with real feelings or situations and telling it like it is.

This book is definitely a must have for any mom-to-be, whether it’s their first time “baking” in the womb or a seasoned baby baker!

You can find this book on Amazon and more from “Hot Moms” at The Hot Moms Club online.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of HarperCollins and received a copy of The Hot Mom to Be Handbook to facilitate my review. Mom Central also sent me a gift certificate to thank me for taking the time to participate.