Like millions of people around the world, we felt like we were already friends with Arielle Charnas before ever having met her in real life. As the founder of wildly popular personal style blog and fashion brand Something Navy, Arielle has created an intimate relationship with her followers, which has only intensified since she became a mom 21 months ago. Through the humorous, honest, and often addictive glimpses she shares of her life as a mom, she has been able to reveal a new, deeply authentic side of herself that is at once inspiring and relatable. The last few months have been especially life changing for Arielle, who recently introduced her first ever clothing and accessories collection exclusively for Nordstrom, breaking records and reaching $1 million in sales in less than 24 hours, and just this week she announced she’s expecting baby number 2 in June 2018. While it’s easy to assume that this powerhouse mama and entrepreneur has it all together and that life is exactly as it appears in her gorgeous Instagram photos, she’ll be the first to tell you that balance is a myth. As she explains, “I wish there was a really good answer for this but I don’t think there ever really is an actual balance. I try my best every day but it’s challenging. The guilt is something I feel I’ll always have to deal with.” Here, Arielle shows us around her new Manhattan apartment and shares her thoughts on beauty, birth, and the boundaries she’s learning to create surrounding social media.
At home with …Arielle Noa Charnas &
“I wasn’t planning to get pregnant for a long time at all, I’m very impulsive and once I decided I wanted to get pregnant it just completely took over. I decided in April that I wanted to have a baby and I made it my mission. I got pregnant in June and although that is a very short time of trying, it’s really crazy how wanting to have a baby can really take over your mind and body. I wanted it so badly. I went to my first doctor to get everything checked once I decided to start trying. From blood work alone, she told me I’d have a difficult time getting pregnant because I had PCOS (Polycystic Ovaries). She immediately put me on a medication called Metformin and told me to stop drinking alcohol and coffee. I listened to her, I stopped eating certain kinds of foods, I stopped exercising, and listened to a million different peoples advice. None of it worked. I went to a new doctor who did an ultrasound/sonogram and told me I didn’t have PCOS at all and that I was just irregular from coming off the pill. She told me to relax, get off the medication, drink wine, work out and live your life. That’s when I got pregnant—and I got pregnant even without experiencing a period. I feel like so many people tell similar stories to this one, when you stop trying and thinking about it, that’s when you get pregnant but I don’t believe in any of that. No woman can just STOP thinking about it. I believe it’s just a matter of luck and everything aligning at the right time.”
On Arielle: Mara Hoffman dress
On finding out she was pregnant...
“Oh my god, I think that was the best moment of my life. I was feeling small symptoms over the weekend thinking no chance it’s pregnancy because I was getting negatives the last few weeks. After describing to a friend exactly what I was feeling, she was like, ‘You’re pregnant, and you’re having a girl.’ She freaked me out how confident she was with her response and even though I had a doctor appointment the next day, I went home and took a test and saw the plus sign. It felt like an out of body experience. I didn’t think it was real. First my heart started racing like crazy because I was home alone, and a wave of anxiety came over me. Then, I immediately called my mom (sorry babe) and told her and we started screaming on the phone. I tried to calm myself down because I knew something was growing inside of me and I didn’t want to harm it, haha. I then called Brandon and told him and he just kept saying NO WAY, NO WAY, NO WAY. It was one of the best days of my life.”
On Arielle: Yumi Kim dress
On Ruby: Dolce & Gabbana dress and matching bloomers
“I’m proud of how free I am with her. I’m not crazy overprotective, I let her explore, try new things, get dirty. I never thought I’d be like that because I’m such a neat freak but I love seeing her experience and learn and have fun.”
On Arielle: Yumi Kim dress
On Ruby: Dolce & Gabbana dress and matching bloomers
“I’d like to improve on being more present in the moment. My job consists of being on my phone 24/7 and I really want to improve on shutting off from that world when I’m with Ruby.”
On Arielle: Yumi Kim dress
On Ruby: Dolce & Gabbana dress and matching bloomers
Lessons for my daughter..
“To be independent, to create a life for yourself, be friendly and nice to everyone, live life with an open mind, know your self worth and that family is the most important.”
On Arielle: Mara Hoffman dress
“I think how much of yourself you give up. I’m not the same as I used to be (in a good way though). I’m just so much more mature and realistic. Time is super valuable to me, I don’t have time for any negativity in my life, my friendships changed, my career changed. I think the change is what was the most challenging for me at first but it all makes sense to me now. My life before Ruby was all about Brandon and me. I never thought about anything else; it’s so good for me though because I genuinely feel as though I have a purpose now.”
On Arielle: Yumi Kim dress
On Ruby: Dolce & Gabbana dress and matching bloomers
“Another challenge is the tantrums. My daughter has such a strong personality, she’s so affectionate and gentle but she’s determined and she wants what she wants. Learning patience is a challenge!”
On Arielle: Naked Cashmere sweater
“My home decor style has changed because I’m only thinking safety a majority of the time; steering clear of sharp edges and light colored carpets. As far as fashion, my style has changed drastically. I never thought I’d see something and say, ‘Oh that’s way too young for me.’ I say that all the time now. I don’t feel comfortable in a lot of things I used to wear. My style has become more classic and simple. I’ve evolved so much fashion-wise but I’m into it. I’m a Gemini—I like the changes!”
On Arielle: Yumi Kim dress
On Ruby: Dolce & Gabbana dress and matching bloomers
Restoration hardware sofa and pillows
“Staying in the moment is my biggest struggle when it comes to my day-to-day life. Thank god this is what I consider a struggle but it’s really hard to find that line that separates my real private life and my life on Instagram. I’m trying to make a conscious effort to be in the moment when I’m with Ruby and be in the moment when I’m doing work. The issue is that they both go hand in hand. I make separate time without my phone to play with Ruby, read to her, bathe her, put her to sleep, wake her up. I just try to take each day at a time and improve each day.”
On Arielle: Yumi Kim dress
On Ruby: Dolce & Gabbana dress and matching bloomers
On creating balance between work and motherhood...
“I wish there was a really good answer for this but I don’t think there ever really is an actual balance. I try my best every day but it’s challenging. The guilt is something I feel I’ll always have to deal with. I work from home which I think makes it most challenging for me—I feel as though I can never be 100% in either aspect. When I’m working, I feel guilty when I hear Ruby playing in the other room and when I’m not working, I feel guilty when I hear my team on calls or talking/prepping for jobs. I think the key is to try and be present in whatever you are doing in the moment. I may run back and forth throughout the day but I try to really be there when I’m there. As far as travel goes, my trips usually only consist of a day or two. I love my daughter more than life itself and there really is no better feeling than being with her all the time, but it’s kind of nice to get away for a day or two. I come home feeling ready to be the best mother ever—it revives me.”
On Arielle: Yumi Kim dress
“Aside from becoming a mom, I think I’d have to say that flying to Poland and starring in a Tresemme commercial worldwide was the most exciting moment for me. It was pretty wild to see myself on TV every day. The other most exciting moment would be my clothing line with Nordstrom. It’s a huge moment for me and my career and it’s what I’ve dreamt of doing my whole life.”
On Arielle: Mara Hoffman dress
On balancing motherhood and marriage...
“Becoming parents brought to light why it is so great to marry someone who is opposite of you. I always wondered how my husband and I worked so well because we are SO different but we balance each other and we balance each other with parenting. It was always important to me when I was pregnant knowing that hiring a nanny was a priority. We both love our lives, we love our jobs and we love our date nights and we never want to have to give that up. That’s why we love living in New York City. Once it’s 7:30 PM and Ruby is asleep, the city gives back to us and we are young kids again getting dinner and drinks or seeing a movie.”
Beauty...
“My beauty routine hasn’t changed too much aside from the fact that I just don’t wear as much. As I’ve gotten older, I dropped the eyeliner, dropped the foundation and have been embracing that au natural look as often as possible. My favorite short cut however is eyelash extensions. You wake up looking pretty and not having to do much before running out of the house.”
On Arielle: Yumi Kim dress
On Ruby: Dolce & Gabbana bloomers
Ruby Lou's nursery
On pregnancy...
“Least favorite part: The end. Waiting for her to arrive felt like an eternity. I was so swollen. Favorite part: everything else. I LOVED pregnancy.”
On Arielle: Yumi Kim dress
On Ruby: Dolce & Gabbana bloomers
“I was in labor for 24 hours, which was tough but I think my biggest challenge was the recovery. I kept getting infections where the stitches were and also mastitis so I was constantly on antibiotics while I was breastfeeding. Aside from that, breastfeeding wasn’t an enjoyable experience for me. I never made enough milk and always had to supplement. Supplementing made me feel SO guilty—I felt like the worst mother not being able to provide for my daughter. I breastfed for three months and for some reason I just didn’t vibe with it. I will definitely do it again because I always believe in trying but the whole process was challenging for me. I think the emotions were making it challenging, too—I would cry randomly for no reason, I was super sensitive and just learning and having your life change in an instant is a lot to take in. With that being said, I look back now and would do it a million times over if I’m lucky enough.”
On Arielle: Mara Hoffman dress
Birth advice...
“Throw plans out the window! You can’t control getting pregnant and you can’t control your labor/birth. Everything happens as it should and the added stress of trying to make things specific doesn’t do anyone any good. I think it’s so important to just go with the flow and keep an open mind. The experience is absolutely incredible and while the next day you’ll probably say that you’ll never do it again, a year later, you’re ready to go again! Take each day at a time 🙂 I didn’t have a birth plan. I didn’t even think about it. My mindset was whatever happens happens.”
On Arielle: Yumi Kim dress
On Ruby: Dolce & Gabbana dress and matching bloomers
On social media...
“I never took breaks before, but a month ago I took a few days off. It felt so great but I missed it. It’s what I do, I love it and it makes me happy but I think it goes with anything—a break from your work once in a while is important.”
On Arielle: Mara Hoffman dress
On sharing her life...
“I go back and forth with this on a constant basis. Since becoming a mother, I question what I do and how much I share. It’s unchartered territory—I don’t know how this will effect Ruby later on in life but at the same time this is a career I’ve built over the last eight years and it’s defined who I am. Becoming a mother has taken over that definition and it’s about finding a balance between the two. The biggest downside is people thinking they know what’s best for my child and giving unsolicited advice. I actually have some mothers who are so kind and write to me their thoughts but there are so many angry people that just love to hate me and that’s what pushes me away from all of it…”
On Arielle: Mara Hoffman dress
“Another downside is the judgment made upon me because I put myself out to the public. The last downside would be a privacy issue. Ruby can hardly go to the park during the day because of how many people go over and try to take pictures of her when I’m not there. My followers are HARMLESS and the sweetest ever, they feel as if they know Ruby so it’s natural for them to just go over to her because they watch her every day but having phones and strangers running up to her on a daily basis is something that scares me.”
On Arielle: Yumi Kim dress
On Ruby: Dolce & Gabbana dress and matching bloomers
On time alone...
“I get that two-hour nap time break which is when I usually do things for myself, manicure, pedicure, shower, eyelashes etc. Exercise happens every morning while Ruby hangs with Brandon or my nanny.”
On Arielle: Yumi Kim dress
On Ruby: Dolce & Gabbana bloomers
On health and wellness...
“I come from a family of fast metabolisms. I truly never dieted or had to be careful about what I ate. I worked out because my mom pushed me to make it a part of my daily routine because how it affects you later down the line. Taking care of your body now and your body will take care of you later on is what she always says. While I was pregnant, I ate everything and anything. I wasn’t nuts about being healthy, I love fruit and vegetables to begin with but I also love my ice cream and burgers. After birth I had to eat clean for a few months to get back to my normal weight, like fish, vegetables, egg whites, limited alcohol and so forth. Dancing and cardio were my best friends.”
On Arielle: Naked Cashmere sweater, Citizens of Humanity jeans
“Now, I’m just more careful because I think about what I’m putting into my body and what I’m feeding Ruby. As far as exercise goes, I still keep up with cardio but after eight months it became more about toning. I love SLT for pilates!”
On Arielle: Naked Cashmere sweater, Citizens of Humanity jeans
“The hardest part about motherhood is the guilt. The best part is everything else.”
On Arielle: Yumi Kim dress
On Ruby: Dolce & Gabbana dress and matching bloomers
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