Want to avoid the morning sunscreen battle? Marie Veronique’s organic kid safe screen offers up quality protection and application autonomy as big kids can apply and schmear it on themselves without a goopy layer of zinc

SPF 25 UVA/UVB Protection

Can’t get to the beach this summer due to the watermelon in your stomach? No sweat! Pop on a fab Kara Ross bauble and channel the surf and sea via accessories!! These are my favorites:

www.kararossny.com

EASY, BREEZY SUMMER STAPLES

For the pregnantista, summer poses a sartorial challenge. How to look cool when

external temps and hormones push your internal thermostat to full throttle? It’s all about pieces that offer you, my fertile friend, easy, breezy style. The best part about these pieces? Fashion longevity. Once you bid adieu to your bump, these garments can be can still be worn in style.

MULTITASKING SKIRT

Ingrid and Isabel’s ultra soft knit maxi skirt is a summer staple. It can be dressed up with a flouncy wrap top or worn with a white ribbed tank to the beach. $88 ingridandisabel.com

THE MAXI

The Gypsy organic maxi dress embodies the three C’s essential for summer style: comfy, cool and chic. $98

www.momstheword.com

THE TUNIC DRESS

The au courant combination of bold coral color and fluidity which ebbs and flows over expansive boobs, butt and bump make Rosie Pope’s silk knit dress a winner.defines effortless summer style! $198 www.rosie pope.com

The Strapless Dress

There is nothing more alluring on sweltering summer days than Japanese Weekend’s gauzy convertible berry colored skirt/dress!.$72,

THE GODDESS

This silky, assymetrical MOMSHELL DRESS is the light as a feather fashion choice for weddings, a baby shower, or a night out, $180 www. moreofmematernity.com

THE VERSATILE “EVERYTHING” DRESS

This universally flattering empire waist dress underscores the BUMP IT UP philosophy of maximum style, minimal maternity specific investment. The hanging “apron” ties can be worn 7 different ways (strapless, Grecian halter, halter, skirt, knotted halter, one-shoulder, plunge… so it is extremely versatile $150

If you cant spend the big bucks on maternity clothing, fret not. Maternity moxie can be had at every price point. Test drive these shopping tips for high style on a low budget:

• THE POOR (WO) MANS VERSACE A distant cousin of ready-to-wear, swimwear is home to explosively colored, blouson friendly apparel. Less flashy and far less expensive than ready to wear, these no- name bathing suit “cover ups” can do double duty as pregnancy apparel. Filene’s Basement is filled with tunics that feel like Matthew Williamson and bejeweled linen caftans that smack of Tory Burch. Marshall’s swirly, candy colored Muu-Muu was a dead ringer for Versace.

• INNERWEAR AS RTW: Underpinnings give major look for minor dough. A bias cut slip layered with a belted cardigan and funky jewelry offers Desperately Seeking Susan meets Mrs. Robinson cache. How to get the look? Make a pit stop at some of your chic septuagenarian relatives’ homes and mine their lingerie drawers. Nab gauzy nightgowns, caftans, “bed jackets” and slips. Flea markets and vintage shops are nightgown nirvana. Roomy black satin slips make comfy chic dresses. Bias cut long nighties, especially those with interesting swirls of color or prints, make glam cocktail frocks. Little Pucci-esque robes can be belted and worn with a heel. Also, combining lingerie with something more structured like a knit or jacket adds polish to the look.

NEWS FLASH: The lighter the hair, the less visible under-eye bags appear! But, some of us still need major help. Best bets are the Laura Mercier Undercover Pot ($34), the Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer ($22), and Physicians Formula Talc-Free Mineral Concealer stick ($7). Why these products? They all contain a color corrector that masks the blue, bruised look. Try it!

Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer — .06 oz./1.7 g – $22

http://www.bobbibrowncosmetics.com/templates/products/mpp/index.tmpl?CATEGORY_ID=CATEGORY22762&SEARCH_REDIRECT_KEYWORDS=creamy%20concealer&SEARCH_REDIRECT_COUNT=1

Laura Mercier Undercover Pot — $34

http://www.lauramercier.com/store/shop/FLAWLESS-extras_Undercover-Pot-_prod220017

Physicians Formula Mineral Wear™ Talc-Free Mineral Concealer Stick — $7

http://www.physiciansformula.com/en-us/productdetail/concealer-stick/02167.html

The alcohol-free La Croix Skinny Mojito is the Tattinger for pregnantistas. Add a sprig of mint, lime, Organic Zero sweetener and ice. Dang tasty! I am serving it across the country at all book events!

http://www.lacroixwater.com/

Spend Big Bucks on Maternity? NO WAY! Three Looks Under $75 @ Target with NJ12’s Alicia Vitarelli (video will open in another browser window).

All of the ladies are asking me about swimwear. One of my favorites?  Isabella Oliver’s ruched cami  tankini. It’s cute. It’s comfy. It’s chic.

View here: http://www.isabellaoliver.com/maternity- clothes/maternity-swim/D/30000/P/1:100:1070,  $99.

Excerpt from “Pregancy style book ‘Bump It Up’ launches with a bump-tastic event at the W Hotel” from the Los Angeles Times “All The Rage” blog written by Emili Vesilind (May 5th, 2010)

“I realized, you don’t have to spend your kid’s college tuition on ugly clothes when you’re pregnant,” she added. “I applied an editor’s eye and figured out what works.” To wit, “Every pregnant woman needs a multitasking black dress and the rest should be flowing silhouettes.”

Read the full article here: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/alltherage/2010/05/pregnancy-style-book-bump-it-up-launches-with-a-bumptastic-event-at-the-w-hotel.html

Frederic Fekkai Protein Rx Line

Hormones, stress and exhaustion can do a number on your hair. My leonine mane was transformed to a crown of straw after I had my kids. Some tips to restore luster? My recipe is as follows: A mask of olive oil topped off with a shower cap for 30 minutes. Hop in the shower and lather up with Frederic Fekkai’s Protein Rx™ reparative shampoo. The soy and milk protein hydrates and rebuilds damaged hair cuticles. Finish up with the deep nourishing conditioner which further pumps up brittle hair without weighing it down. Happily, Fekkai, known for the adage, “Hair is a woman’s best accessory” now offers his products at a lower price point so luxurious locks are accessible and attainable.

http://www.fekkai.com/categories/shampoos

Amy at DKNY in San Francisco

It was quite a site: A cadre of preggos dressed to the nines at the W Hotel San Francisco to celebrate my pregnancy style bible BUMP IT UP: TRANSFORMING YOUR PREGNANCY INTO THE ULTIMATE STYLE STATEMENT at a moms night out soiree hosted by Megan Calhoun and Twitter Moms. This was no average book signing. My goal? To bring the concepts of my book to life in a live event. So, instead of a ho-hum gathering at a book store, moms and moms to be were invited for some pampering, a reading, and a fashion demonstration on how to achieve maximum style with minimal maternity without breaking the bank.

Read and see more here: http://www.twittermoms.com/profiles/blogs/bump-it-up-a-go-go-with