Today I wanted to sit down and chat with you about a variety of topics. I give you an update on how I've been doing with the pregnancy and share some of the upcoming videos you can expect on The Daily Connoisseur. I also enlist your help regarding your recommendations for good cookware and comfortable sneaker-like shoes (a frequently asked question I get!).



I also share some funny stories from family life, and read a beautiful poem for you at the end to help usher us into the summer season. I hope you enjoy today's video and are encouraged by it.

Discussed in today's video: Too Many Pumpkins, Sam Edelman Gigi Sandal, Mapp & Lucia books, my beloved rebounder, my favorite aprons, and A Victorian Posy.

News
For more of The Daily Connoisseur, take my eCourses, Creating Your Own Ten-Item Wardrobe and Chic Financial Principles for Debt-Free Living.

On Instagram
ShabbyStacy shares a beautiful picture of At Home with Madame Chic

I have a vast selection of French themed reading material so I was lucky enough to find these very pretty (and heavy!) gold Eiffel Tower bookends at a thrift store in Canada. Of course they had to come home with me!! The things I lug home sometimes. . . 🌼💕🗼💕🌼 #paris #parisfrance #eiffeltower #bookends #eiffeltowerbookends #frenchdecorating #frenchdecor #books #frenchbook #golddecor #instafrenchie #instaluxe #elegantdecor #romantichomes #ilovefrance #parisinbloom

A post shared by Stacy Stewart (@shabbystacy) on May 29, 2018 at 3:29pm PDT

If you would like your Instagram featured on The Daily Connoisseur, take a photo of one of my books and use the hashtag #jenniferlscott That's the easiest way for me to find you. Other popular hashtags are #MADAMECHIC and #dailyconnoisseur I appreciate everyone who shares my books on social media. Thank you!

Comment of the Week
Regarding last week's freezer meal video, Amanda writes, "I've been making your freezer meals for the past 3 weeks and I love it Jennifer. The meals are so good and it makes my weekdays so much easier, knowing there is delicious meal for us when we get home from work/school is wonderful. Also, I love how much veggies your recipes use! My toddler daughter loves the broccoli! I take an hour or two on Sunday to prep the meals for the week- my favorite part is the tidy kitchen all week!"

Hi Amanda, I'm so happy that the freezer meals are working for your family. I love having them available as well and the kitchen does stay clean!

Thank you for watching today's video. Please chime in with any comments or recommendations you have. I would love to hear about your cookware recommendations and shoe recommendations. I would also love to hear your thoughts on all of the topics discussed. Your comment could be chosen as comment of the week on the blog! See you on Thursday for a bloopers video.

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FTC: This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are my own. This post may contain affiliate links.

In today's pregnancy chat, I discuss the skincare I'm using, the drinks I'm enjoying, my maternity wardrobe, and how to deal with fatigue and exercise when expecting.



Skincare
For skincare, I have been using Belli Beauty, which is a natural skincare line for pregnant women that is approved by both OBGYNs and dermatologists. The four skincare products I discuss in the video are Healthy Glow Facial Hydrator, Pre-Treatment Scrub, Anti-blemish Cleansing Facial Wash, Belli acne control spot treatment.

For those of you who are not pregnant, and are looking for natural skincare, try Pellu Beauty (formerly Nudu). Also, the natural SPF line I mentioned in the video is MyChelle.



Drinks
The primary drink during pregnancy should, of course, be water. And I am trying to drink more water than I normally do to stay hydrated. As for special drinks, I have been enjoying one small coffee every morning (I usually make it iced). If I want an additional coffee or tea during the day, I drink Teeccino vanilla nut herbal coffee. I love the taste of this rich drink. Teeccino does contain chicory, so please ask your doctor if it is safe for you to use during pregnancy.



Wardrobe
I will do a maternity ten-item wardrobe video in the future, but until then, I have been enjoying my returning maternity dresses from Seraphine, mixed with new maternity pieces from zulily. In this video, I'm wearing one of the Seraphine dresses.



Exercise
For exercise, I have been jumping on my rebounder, although I will have to give it up soon as I go further into my 2nd trimester. I am going to miss my rebounder! I also walk on a regular basis and count housework as exercise :)

News Items
Congratulations to the winners of the Ana Luisa Jewelry Giveaway: Kimberly G, Rowena M., and Natalie V.!

I plan to watch the royal wedding this weekend, so look out for a special royal edition of Teatime with Jennifer on Monday. Get your teacups ready!

For more of The Daily Connoisseur, take my eCourses, Creating Your Own Ten-Item Wardrobe and Chic Financial Principles for Debt-Free Living.

On Instagram
Polish Your Poise with Madame Chic in Japan...

After organizing some paperwork and cleaning the house I'm having relaxed and simple breakfast this morning.. . . Kiwis Lime Water with Ice and my new Bible,"Polish Your Poise with Madame Chic" by Jennifer L.Scott + + おはようございます。 主人がお子たちまとめて習い事へ連れて行ってくれたので、その間私は掃除、洗濯、新学期のペーパーワーク係。 . あわせてマダムシック3冊めを読んでいます。 シリーズを通して、とっても清々しくいい気持ちに、前向きに、人生を自分らしく素敵に輝かせる毎日のヒントがたくさん詰まっています。 + + #simple #breakfast #morning #bookstagram #jenniferlscott #madamechic #cleanhousecleanmind #朝食 #本好きな人と繋がりたい #読書 #読書好きな人と繋がりたい #ジェニファーlスコット #マダムシック #朝掃除部 #気持ちの良い朝 #リラックス #読書記録

A post shared by KCstar (@kanna_c_star) on Apr 6, 2018 at 5:26pm PDT

Comment of the Week
On Monday's faux flowers video, Silver Melody writes, "Hi Jennifer, Your faux flowers are really lovely. Another option is a faceted cut glass or crystal vase...the facets blur the stems very nicely. You can also add small clear glass stones to keep the flowers in place and add more light reflection. My personal favourite is a beautiful ceramic vase that hides everything underneath and lets you support the flowers with whatever means to get the best arrangement, and to my eye, the most aesthetic appealing option for real or faux arrangements."

That's a great suggestion, Silver Melody. Thank you for your great tips!

I'll see you on Monday for a special Teatime with Jennifer: Royal Wedding Edition! In the meantime, I'd love to know your thoughts on the pregnancy topics discussed in today's video. Your comment could be chosen as comment of the week. See you Monday!

Visit my Author Website

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Twitter @JL_Scott

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FTC: This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are my own. This post may contain affiliate links.

Chat with me in today's video where I share a sneak peak into my daughters' bedroom wallpaper renovation. Thank you for your kind compliments about the paper we chose for our own master bedroom. I love it more and more each day. It's such a great feeling when your interior design efforts are successful (as I've had my fair share of failures in the past!).

For our daughter's bedroom, I wanted something sweet and floral (because they both love flowers so much). We chose from Norwall's Pretty Prints 4 book. Their bedroom is not complete as I am still waiting on the curtains and beds to go in, so I am not ready to share pictures yet (although you will see some in today's video). I'll be sure to share an update with you once their room is complete.

I also discuss our recent ten-year anniversary celebration and give my best marriage advice. There is also a pregnancy update. I do hope you'll check out my video this week. If you are unable to see the video above, click here, look in the sidebar of this blog, or visit my YouTube channel (don't forget to subscribe) at www.youtube.com/TheDailyConnoisseur

News
Pre-order the Madame Chic Collection boxed set from Amazon or Barnes & Noble. The set comes out November 1, 2016 and will make a wonderful present for the holidays.

Her Luxurious Africa reviews Lessons from Madame Chic and shares her top 5 lessons from the book.

Life With Dee reviews Lessons from Madame Chic, and shares her favorite takeaways from each chapter.

Modern Mrs. Darcy tries out the ten-item wardrobe. This is an older post, but one worth checking out.


Comment of the Week
Valerie writes:
Hello Jennifer,
Thank you for all of your wonderful books. I just wanted to tell you how much At Home With Madam Chic has helped me improve my days. The breakdown of Morning, Afternoon, and Evening has encouraged me to look at my day as different occasions to enjoy simple pleasures that enhance and add to the day. I usually have the highest stress midday and used to dread the afternoon but now I look forward to a cup of tea and some sort of de-stressing activities. You are such an inspiration, I can't tell you how glad I am to have read your books they are changing my life. I love the wallpaper, your room reminds me of the Granthams' room in Downton Abbey. Thank you again!

Dear Valerie, Thank you for your testimonial. One of my favorite concepts from At Home with Madame Chic is the breakdown of the morning, afternoon and evening, and how it is wonderful to transition into the different parts of the day with renewed hope. Thank you for sharing your story!

This week I would love to know... How did you decorate your child's room? What is your child's style? What is your best marriage advice? How do you celebrate your anniversaries? Let me know in the comment section and your comment could be chosen as comment of the week!

Don't miss next week's etiquette chat where I share my etiquette horror story with you from Geoffrey's. See you then!



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Today's video is a continuation of Monday's pregnancy chat. This time I answer your Facebook questions. We discuss everything from visiting guests, to organizing help, to baby blues, to loving your changing body and much, much more. Thank you to everyone who submitted questions for this video. I am sorry I was not able to answer each and every one. If you are unable to see the video above, click here, look in the sidebar of this blog, or visit my channel: www.youtube.com/TheDailyConnoisseur

To see part one of this blogpost, click here. Regarding last week's post, please note: before trying a new drink (such as the Teeccino Herbal Coffees mentioned in last week's video), or trying a new prenatal vitamin after birth, always consult your doctor first. It is very important that you have your doctor's OK before making changes to your diet and plan.

News
Fifties Fabulous Fun shares a great review of both Lessons from Madame Chic and At Home With Madame Chic on her blog.

Madame Chic around the world
I love to see pictures of the Madame Chic books around the world! You can send them to me on social media using either the hashtag #MADAMECHIC or #jenniferlscott.

Thank you to Kata Kvapilova for sharing this picture of Polish Your Poise with Madame Chic from a bookstore in Prague.



And I love this photo all the way from Italy from Marie Claire. This one is Lessons from Madame Chic...


Thank you, ladies, for your lovely pictures!

Testimonial
Nina M writes: Hi Jennifer, I wanted to tell you that after seeing your TED Talk a few weeks ago, I got rid of 70% of my "impulse buys" and "on sale" clothes and picked out the jewels to wear each day. You are correct about how good it feels outside as well as on the inside to wear my best each day. The tidy organization of my closet also has changed the way my mind is organized! I try so hard now to eliminate the "junk" from my life: food, profane music, and Facebook perusing. Thank you for the inspiration and for the passion to do what you do! You have made a difference for me.

Dear Nina, thank you for your email. I am thrilled to hear that the ten-item wardrobe was a catalyst for you to make other meaningful changes in your life. I am sharing your testimonial with the hopes of inspiring others to do the same.

Question of the week

Regarding the cellphone etiquette discussion, Lily writes:

I'm coming in a bit late with this discussion but I would be very interested to hear your view point on what happened to me last night.
My husband and I were invited to a barbecue at our son's house. After a while my son and his dad were chatting so I went to talk to my, soon to be, daughter in law. She was texting (I think) on her phone so I didn't say too much but sat for a while in, I thought, companionable silence.
After a while I tried to engage her in conversation - she answered me but continued to focus on her phone. I tried again but whatever she was doing on her phone was more interesting to her, so I sat for a little while and then moved away to talk to our son.
It actually made me feel that I was not worth talking to. She tends not to answer texts or to say thank you for presents either and this makes me wonder if she disliked me - yet at other times she is friendly. I continue to be polite and gave her a hug before we left but this is another consequence of bad manners - it causes those on the receiving end to feel, at best uncomfortable, and at worst, wondering if they have done something wrong.

Dear Lily, thank you for sharing your experience with us. Unless your son's fiance was dealing with an urgent or time-sensitive situation, I do believe it is impolite to ignore someone at a party (especially your future mother-in-law) and pay attention to your phone. If she was dealing with something that couldn't wait, a simple, "My apologies, I just need to send this message," said to you would be fine. It could be that your son's fiance is timid around other people or has social anxiety. Perhaps none of these are true and she is one of the many people who don't think anything is "off" about that kind of behavior. Either way, you must not take it personally. You can be a good role model for her by being the picture of poise whenever you see her. She might not have many female role models in her life and you could be an important one for her. Thanks again for sharing your story.

This week I would love to hear from you about any of the pregnancy topics discussed in the video, the testimonial or the question of the week...



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I hope you had a wonderful mother's day weekend! This week, I have two videos for you discussing pregnancy. In today's video, I talk about my own journey with this third pregnancy (I am currently 34 weeks pregnant), with everything from weight gain, to hair loss, to skincare and beauty. I also recommend my favorite non-caffeinated drinks and show you some presentable pajamas. On Thursday, be sure to check back with the blog, because I will answer your motherhood and pregnancy related Facebook questions.

If you are unable to see the video above, click here, look in the sidebar of this blog, or visit my channel: www.youtube.com/TheDailyConnoisseur

Items mentioned in this week's video:

Baby Be Mine maternity nightgown

Everly Grey maternity nursing pajama set

Pero instant natural beverage



Teeccino** Dandelion Caramel Nut (pictured above, made with the coconut cream and almond milk creamer)

Teeccino** Vanilla Nut (this one is my favorite!)

Califia Farms Better Half unsweetened coconut and almond milk creamer (so delicious!)



Rooibos Rocks tea (pictured above, iced)

** There are conflicting reports on whether chicory causes uterine contractions during pregnancy. Teeccino's official statement is that their chicory herbal teas are safe during pregnancy. This is their official statement from their website:

"Is Teeccino safe for pregnant women and nursing mothers?
YES! All the herbs in Teeccino have been in the human diet for thousands of years. There are no stimulants or drugs like caffeine that could cause uterine contractions or hyperactivity by the infant.
Although there is misinformation repeated on some internet sites about chicory being contraindicated during pregnancy, there is no scientific substantiation of this claim. On the contrary, there is the long history of pregnant women drinking chicory-based beverages with no problems whatsoever.
Teeccino is nutritious for both mom and baby. Many health care practitioners, midwives and doctors recommend Teeccino to their pregnant patients. Learn more about the effects of coffee and caffeine on women’s health."

To be safe, be sure to ask your doctor if chicory tea is safe for you to take during pregnancy.

News
La Dame Darling recommends Polish Your Poise with Madame Chic as one of 7 Darling Books for April

Honey We're Home recommends Lessons from Madame Chic and At Home With Madame Chic for great French reads.

Comment of the Week
Last week's discussion on screen time etiquette and addiction was amazing! So many of you chimed in with your observations, questions and musings. I really loved this comment from AquinoFamily99. She was responding to the question that some of you posed, asking about the difference between crayons and screens at restaurants for children. I loved her insights! Here is an excerpt from her comment:

Screens vs paper @ restaurants -
Usually when kids are coloring or writing on paper they are very reachable, as someone else stated. On the screen, whether they are playing or socializing, they are usually unreachable to the people present.
Usually. Not always.

I have read several articles over the last few years about the real, physiological addiction and the brain chemistry concerning electronic games and computers. The symptoms are similar to that of drug addiction where taking the 'drug' away causes withdrawal, denial, guilt and physical illness! It's worse for kids. There are programs and safehouse-type institutions to help addicts!

We keep our kids screen time down to once a week and are very choosy about the games. I have seen the addiction begin first hand in one of my children as his behavior dramatically changed. This is a serious issue.

Screen vs paper books -
I don't think anyone here would judge you for reading on Kindle, checking email, playing a game or using social media, just as we would not judge if you were reading a book.
It's more about when you do these things and whether it's keeping you from living life or spending time with humans.
If you wouldn't pull out a novel on a date, you shouldn't pull out a kindle book or other screen activity.

AquinoFamily99, I couldn't have put it better myself. I really loved your input on both of the issues you touched upon. I have noticed with my own children that when it's time to put the screen away, they develop irrational behavior (tantrums, anger, defiance), where as with a simpler project such as a coloring book and crayons, they do not have such swinging emotions. Because of this, we seriously limit screen time in our house and, like you, are very picky about what they do play with. Thanks for your wonderful comment! And thank you to everyone else you weighed in on this discussion. It's worth checking out the comment section on both the blog and YouTube channel to see what your other connoisseurs are saying about this subject. I will do a part two on this topic one day in the near future.

This week, I would love to know your thoughts on the pregnancy chat. Do you have any stories or recommendations for us? Have you tried any of the herbal coffees or teas I recommend? Also, what do you think about AquinoFamily99's comment on screen time? Let us know, and your comment could be chosen as comment of the week on the blog.

See you on Thursday for part two of the pregnancy chat videos.



FTC: All items mentioned in this video were purchased by me. All opinions are my own.

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