It’s true. I had ANOTHER baby. The first one turned out so good that we thought- screw it, let’s go for round two! I’m ECSTATIC that my family is complete and I never have to be pregnant again. YAY. My stomach looks like it’s been mauled by a tiger, the bags under my eyes are a deep dark shade and my level of delirium has peaked- but I’m so f*cking happy. Fo real. Love babies. Hate pregnancy. So- about the birth, I decided to have a planned C-section. Yup. If you remember my first birth experience you might understand why. In a nutshell I wanted a water birth. I was under the care of a midwife, had a doula, took hypnobirthing classes, you get the idea. After going two weeks over my due date, being in labor for about 40 hours, having my water manually broken. sleeping with a balloon catheter and not dilating past a 3 I ended up having a C-section anyway. NO FUN. Second time around I figured I would skip all the drama and just plan it. I only stayed in the hospital for two nights before feeling like a champ and coming home. I’m not going to sugar coat it- having a c-section is major surgery and it’s crucial to rest after. I just figured I would rest up at home where I had better food and TV options. In typical Sharzad fashion I made a video about the birth. You can watch it below! I hope it sheds a positive light on having a planned c. Remember not to judge any mamas on how they choose to bring their babies into this world. Most important thing is they do what’s best for THEM. Peace!
Mom-To-Be
Stay’n Soft w/DOVE
I’m excited to partner with Dove for my post! I’ve been a big fan of their products since I was a little girl. My mom told me Dove was the only thing she was able to use on sensitive skin growing up. Some of you may have heard me complain about having dry or itchy skin in my videos over the last few years. It’s always been a nightmare trying to find a body wash that works for me. I have to be extra cautious with what I use or I’ll end up itching myself into a bloody mess. I know- not a pretty picture! That being said it is of extreme importance that I have gentle cleanser to protect my skin from getting dry. So many body washes are filled with harsh chemicals and fragrances- often times it’s the same ingredients found in dish soap. No thanks! I’ll keep my dish soap for the dirty dishes. 
Having worked in the beauty biz for a decade I’ve gotten my hands (and body!) on a variety of cleansers. From the mega fancy ones sold at department stores to drugstore brands and everything in between. Dove Body Wash is totally different; it provides super gentle cleansers plus the unique care of NutriumMoisture technology. Your skin will be softer after one shower. Woohoo! Dove replaces the nutrients that are lost during cleansing while other body washes only add moisture after skin has been stripped of essential lipids and proteins during cleansing. Sounds good to me. I’m sure we can all agree that not all body washes are created equal. Having a gentle cleanser has always been a necessity for me and when I’m pregnant it’s even more important. I want my growing belly to be gently cleansed and moisturized at all times. You can get this magical body wash at any local drugstore around the country at really great price point.
Big thanks to Dove for sponsoring this post. All opinions are my own.
Photography by Rica Blue
Portland, OR
My family and I hadn’t been on a proper trip together at all this year. (Going home to the Bay Area or Chicago where my hubby is from doesn’t count in my book!) There are a few American cities left that I’ve been dying to visit and Portland was one of them. We decided to fly from LA to Portland and spend a week driving through an area of the country none of us had explored- the North West. Our final destination was Bozeman, MT and we had tons of ground to cover in between. For starters, Portland is SO GREEN. As a Californian I’ve been deprived of grass for such a long and I didn’t realize it until I saw how lush Portland was. The vibe was so chill and I felt like the people were totally laid back and super cool. Below are some of the highlights from our trip. Keep in mind I was almost 7 months pregnant on this trip and traveling with a two year old. I can’t wait to hit up Portland when I can drink and do some fancy dinners, but even in my current “condition” I had a freakin blast and so did the fam. 
STAY:
We chose the River Place Hotel for a few reasons. It was historic and beautiful, had great reviews online and was along the river with easy access to everything. Every time we travel to a new city we check to see if our American Express offers rewards or perks at properties we’re interested in- sure enough River Place was one of them. I’ve mentioned my love for Amex perks several times in the past, but just to remind you, I love it because you can get room upgrades, food credits and sometimes spa credits (my personal fav).
EAT:
When I posted on my Instagram account that I was in Portland I got a ton of recommendations on where to eat. There was one particular spot that EVERYONE agreed on: Voodoo Doughnuts. I’d heard of this place before and I knew I had to go. I’m not a donut person, but hot damn these were delish! Like SO SO good. Luckily the line was only about 20 people deep, so it wasn’t a nightmare trying to get our grub on. I was pleasantly surprised to see their huge variety of vegan donuts as well. A+ Voodoo Doughnuts. Totally worth the hype! Also, how do you actually spell donuts? Or is it doughnuts?
Homegrown Smoker Vegan BBQ: Umm. Wow. Just wow. I had a life changing burrito at their little food cart. It was definitely a trek from where we were staying, but so worth it. I got the “Buff Burrito” (thanks Margaret!) I was in heaven after the first bite. It had freakin mac and cheese in it!? Say what!?! Yup, and totally vegan. You guys may know I’m actually pescatarian, (a fish eating vegetarian- not a religion) but I can certainly appreciate when something is 100% plant based.
VISIT:
As I mentioned above I was traveling with my two year old son who, like many two year olds has an obscene amount of energy and it is of the utmost importance that he get’s his wiggles out. We headed to the International Rose Garden that was equipped with the most breathtaking roses I’ve ever seen AND a playground. Win win. Definitely pay this place a visit whether you’re rolling with a toddler or not.
Splash pads: This has been the summer of the splash pad for my family. From LA to Chicago and now Portland. After a hot day of exploring the city is was time once again for Idris to get his wiggles out in the water. Enter: splash pad on the river. Perfect!
Over the next few weeks I’ll continue to share my road trip of the North West. Stay tuned!
Watermelon Gazpacho
This is SUCH an easy recipe. It’s RAW, VEGAN, GLUTEN-FREE and ZERO smart points on Weight Watchers. Hello perfect dish. I promise it’s tasty and the best part is you can customize it to your liking. This is a great staple in the summer. I hope you enjoy it and please let me know if you make it.
This is what I did and it made enough for about 4 people.
3-4 cups watermelon or 1/2 of a small/medium watermelon
1 Tomato
1 Persian cucumber to be blended
1 Persian cucumber to be diced and added to the soup
1/2 Red Onion to be blended
1/2 Red Onion to be diced and added to the soup
Jalapeno if you like heat!
Dill (as much or as little as you want)
Salt/Pepper and Lemon to taste
Photography by Rica Blue
Gotta Go!
Pregnancy Facial
My skin has been insanely dry the past couple of weeks due to my constant barfing. Hi morning sickness- I hate you. Please go away. Luckily I live in LA and there are fabulous treatments like the Pregnancy Facial from Kate Somerville to help restore my sad skin. If you live here or plan on visiting you have to check out Kate Somerville. It’s the most beautiful skin clinic I’ve ever been to. I’ve shot two episodes of The SASS there, you can watch one them by clicking here. The second one comes out in a few weeks and I actually got to chat with Kate Somerville herself. It’s safe to say I’m a fan. Fun fact, the Kate Somerville clinic used to be Sean Connery’s townhouse. It’s located right above Alfred Coffee on Melrose where the trendiest people in all of LA lounge, sip expensive coffee and most importantly look very cool doing it. Ok, back to the facial. My girl Laura Kay had magic hands and gave me an incredible treatment that was equal parts relaxing, hydrating and calming. The pregnancy facial is designed keeping mamas to be in mind. There are no harsh chemicals (everything is baby safe!) and it addresses hormonal fluctuations, puffiness and dehydration- my personal fav. If you are a mama to be and you want to pamper yourself, check it out. 
*Images courtesy of Kate Somerville
Maternity Pics
Remember that one time I had a massive belly!?! Umm… yeah, me too. So I finally got my hands on my maternity pics and I wanted to share them. I remember feeling so large and in charge and I seriously did not want to take pics of myself… but looking back I’m thrilled I did. It’s crazy to imagine that my wiggly little dude was once all up in my belly. Daaang. Oh how I love my little shmush. Anywho, enjoy the pics and have an amazing weekend. Also- for any of you preggies out there, TAKE MATERNITY PICS! Your future self will thank you. 
Gotta Go!
Photography: Alana Fickes