Throughout pregnancy, one thing you’ll hear over and over is how important it is to remain active. And while it is incredibly helpful, it can be hard to exercise when even googling best workouts for pregnancy is enough to make you need a nap. Your body is changing and transforming, and it takes a huge toll on your energy. This is why prenatal yoga is so amazing! Not only is yoga one of the best workouts in general, but prenatal yoga is designed to be restorative. It targets overworked muscles while also preparing your body for labor by building up flexibility. If you’ve been wanting to incorporate yoga into your routine, I’d love to tell you about the best Raleigh prenatal yoga studios.
Three Raleigh Prenatal Yoga Studios To Stretch Your Changing Body
Bliss Body Yoga
At Bliss Body Yoga, the teachers believe that yoga is for every body. Their studio contains over 1,200 square feet of space for your practice. The teachers are all certified and are devoted to creating a judgment-free space. While the gentle classes are fantastic for every yogi, the Raleigh studio does have designated prenatal yoga courses. These classes are designed to increase circulation, target tired muscles, and increase flexibility. The studio also has Baby and Me classes where you can bring your newborn following delivery. These courses are a terrific way to get moving while bonding with your little one!
Carolina Birth And Wellness
Carolina Birth and Wellness is a center devoted to making pregnancy more manageable. From their childbirth classes to their life-changing doulas, they have everything you need to feel equipped for labor. The Raleigh center also hosts regular prenatal yoga classes. The teachers are all knowledgeable about the changes facing your body at this time. They’ll walk you through gentle yet effective stretches. The center also has virtual postpartum yoga classes that you can enjoy from the comfort of your own home while settling into a routine with your newborn.
Blue Point Yoga
Blue Point Yoga is a studio that understands that our bodies are constantly transforming, pregnant or not. They have specific classes designed to be therapeutic for life’s changes. Their prenatal yoga courses are led by certified Raleigh teachers passionate about keeping your health at its best. The classes will not just help your body as you move through trimesters but will also connect you with other parents in the area. The classes do not require any experience and will walk you through the stretches so you can have a safe and rewarding practice.
Raleigh Prenatal Yoga
Exercising during pregnancy can be difficult, but prenatal yoga will leave you feeling relaxed and restored. With any of these great Raleigh prenatal yoga studios, you’ll have a safe place to get in a fantastic stretch!
As a maternity and newborn photographer, I love getting to be there for my clients, whether I’m providing recommendations such as these studios or taking pictures I know you’ll treasure for years to come! I’m a mom myself and understand how important it is to capture these seemingly little moments. If you’ve been looking at getting newborn pictures taken once your little one arrives, I would love to connect! Contact me today to find out more.
The cutest baby styles can always be found in small boutiques, which Raleigh has plenty of to shop from! So here are a few of my favorite Raleigh, NC baby stores!
Three Super Stylish And Unique Raleigh, NC Baby Stores!
Shutterbugs Boutique
Shutterbugs Boutique is one of Raleigh’s oldest family businesses, with their baby store beginning traced to 1951, around when Burnie Batchelor founded his photography business. Located at 619 Oberlin Road, Shutterbugs Boutique was started in 2004 by Bernie’s daughter Joy and her daughter. Dedicated to providing upscale clothing for portraits, weddings, christenings, and other special events, Shutterbugs Boutique has a wide variety of unique clothing items that are perfectly meant to be passed down! They offer curated collections such as Spring 2023, Easter 2023, and Luigi kids spring 2023, as well as carrying both boys and girls athleisure, bottoms, outerwear, dresses, shoes, loungewear, pajamas, swimwear, tees, and special occasion outfits!
Alara & Zane
Offered as a baby store where kids can play and learn and where new Raleigh parents can get expert advice from their community, Alara & Zane is located at 200 Park at North Hills Street. Alara & Zane is, most importantly, a place where many can connect. They follow a shop, play, learn, and party concept. Alara & Zane also have memberships, which they offer in daily, weekly, or annual programs. Their shopper membership allows for you to earn points on all retail purchases with the opportunity to earn discounts and more! Alara & Zane carries baby, girls, and boys items such as baby boy and girl outfits and baby accessories. This list includes hats, mittens, hair accessories, socks, tights, sunglasses, teethers, feeding tools, pacifiers, bath and body care, shoes, tops, bottoms, sets, onesies, rompers, pajamas, and so much more!
Cottage Baby Boutique
Cottage Baby Boutique is a soft and chemical-free baby and toddler clothing brand curated by a mother/daughter team in Raleigh! Inspired to offer softer, cleaner children’s clothes after witnessing the effects of eczema and toxic chemicals. Cottage Baby Boutique specializes in eco-friendly, organically sourced clothing, bedding, and accessories, all of which are hypoallergenic! Carrying size newborn to 2T, Cottage Baby Boutique specifically carries bottoms, dresses, footies, sleep sacks, gowns, pajamas, hand-smocked collections, bodysuits, jumpsuits, overalls, tops, sweaters, and more! Their accessories include bags, backpacks, books, bins, toys, eating and drinking tools, hats and headbands, mittens, tattlers, teethers, lovies, and dolls. Have a favorite mama friend? Cottage Baby Boutique also offers baby registry services, gift cards, and gift sets. They want to make your preparation for baby as easy as possible!
Raleigh, NC Baby Stores
Finding clothing for your little ones can be both fun and challenging at the same time. But each of these wonderful locally owned Raleigh, NC, baby stores is perfect for your next baby shopping day!
Now that you found the perfect shop for everything your little one needs, it’s time to capture their new cute look! I love helping Raleigh families navigate their journey and creating lasting memories with them. So check out the blog links below for more of my work and other helpful Raleigh motherhood tips. Reach out today to chat about your dream photos!
The best toy stores are the ones with a ton of fun products to mess with while you shop for the perfect toy, educational toy kit, or whatever it may be that you need! Luckily, we have a few super fun Raleigh, NC toy stores that parents love!
Three Engaging And Fun Raleigh, NC Toy Stores
The Teach Me Store
An educational supply store for Raleigh parents, teachers, and more, The Teach Me Store is located at 3520 Spring Forest Road and offers over 18,000 products within their 12,000 square feet space. The Teach Me Store has been providing quality products for over 30 years, with a wide selection of products perfect for all ages from birth through high school! Their products include learning toys and games, plush animals and puppets, science and nature activities, math activities, language arts activities, craft kits, art supplies, puzzles, books, history and geography activities, fidget toys, and social/emotional tools. Even better, this store is wonderfully subdivided into categories, which just makes sense (plus they make it easier to find the products you’re looking for)!
Marbles Play Store
Located at 201 East Hargett Street, Marbles Play Store is a part of Raleigh’s Marbles Kids Museum. They opened in 2007 with a mission to encourage healthy and active lifestyles in children, encourage exploration, experimentation, innovation, and learning, as well as to connect families and community members together to unite each other. With a dedication to building intellectual, social, and emotional skills in children, Marbles Play Store offers a variety of innovative, educational, and whimsical children’s products. Their products perfectly complement the museum’s exhibits so your child can take home a piece of the museum while meeting their developmental needs through the power of play! A few items you can find here include:
- Holiday-exclusive themed plushies
- Children’s books
- Puppets
- Puzzles
- Building kits
- Art crafts
- Problem-solving toys
- Lego kits
- Collectible knick-knacks!
Pop Shelf
With two Raleigh locations, Popshelf toy store is easy to access, meaning easy to shop at! Based on providing fun, on-trend products, Popshelf’s goal is to make it easy to find what you need while also providing a fun experience within their stores! Popshelf has a large selection of arts and crafts products, toys, and children’s seasonal items.
Their categories and products include sports equipment, action figures, and sets, toy vehicles and sets, outdoor toys, toddler toys, craft toys, novelty toys, dolls, learning and educational toys, dress-up toys, pretend play products, games, puzzles, stuffed animals and plushes, kids arts and crafts, coloring books, activity sets, and so much more! But a few of their featured products include:
- Magnetic drawing boards
- Disney character products
- Scented slime
- Play-doh
- Hot wheels classic cars.
Popshelf has everything you don’t even know you’re looking for!
Raleigh, NC Toy Stores
If they aren’t already, these fun Raleigh, NC toy stores need to be on your “go-to” list for the next holiday or birthday shopping trip!
Sometimes finding that perfect toy to engage and entertain your little one is a challenge! So I hope these shops have just the thing to make them smile. In all honesty, capturing those smiles is one of my favorite parts of being a photographer! So check out more smiles and helpful Raleigh motherhood tips in the blog links below. Then reach out today to chat about your next session!
Picture this: it’s your first time leaving the house as a brand-new family. You’ve managed to get the diaper bag packed, the baby dressed (twice), and everyone buckled in. As you pull into my studio parking lot, your mind is spinning with questions. Will the baby cry the whole time? What are we even supposed […]
