Ain't No Mom Jeans

What We're Reading Now: The Tushy Book!

No matter which your preferred term of endearment is: buttocks, nates, arse, butt, backside, bum, buns, can, fundament, hindquarters, hind end, keister, posterior, prat, rear, rear end, rump, stern, seat, tail, tail end, tush, bottom, behind, derriere, fanny, (or, one of the many "R" rated synonyms), one thing is for sure, moms everywhere are obsessed with tushies (either their baby's or their own)!  So join in to honor all kinds of tushies with The Tushy Book.  In this adorable story, by Fran Manuskin, we are all reminded what an important role tushies play: "Sitting down would not be cushy if you didn't have your tushy!"  B & N said it best: "A celebration of the body part some of us love, some of us hate, but we all use every single day—the TUSH!"  So, grab a copy, and laugh with your little one as you enjoy the only book I have ever seen that focuses on this body part!     

--j

Mom Street Style - April 2009 Mom

I meet the most interesting people in Whole Foods.  There was the women with the Dutch accent who was buying 40 loaves of sourdough bread for her freezer.  There was the woman who tried to prevent me from buying aluminum foil because it would make my son's testicles shrink.  And there was the very nice man with a tongue piercing so large that he could barely tell me which vegan ice cream bars were worth serving.  But so far, my favorite run-in at Whole Foods was with Krista.

I ran into Krista while shopping, and loved her whole aesthetic.  She managed to pull off a very cool look, a "I just threw this on and now look amazing" kind of a look, and I loved the color combination of her outfit.

She's wearing Urban Outfitters dark purple skinny cords that she just cut off right above the ankle (a trick that I'll be copying).  The reason they fit so well is because she ripped apart the seams and re-sewed them for a tighter fit all the way up.  Love it.

The Case for Full Panel Maternity Pants

Prior to getting pregnant (and early in my pregnancy) I thought full panel maternity pants were the devil.  I was suspicious of panels in general, and therefore stuck to under-the-belly styles as a rule, but the full panel was downright mind boggling.  Who would wear those things?  Who would want a piece of fabric stretching from basically your crotch to under your boobs?  How is that comfortable? And, god forbid, what if you raised your arms and people actually saw the panel?  Horror, I know. 

But, back then I also wasn't prepared for the skin covering my ribs to be chafed by the enormous bra I had to buy to hold in my pregnant boobs.  And I certainly wasn't prepared for the site of my naked stomach, stretched to huge proportions, displaying a dark line leading from my now-outie belly button to...ummm.  Clearly, there are worse things than showing off a piece of fabric when you raise your arms.

Pimp My Umbrella Stroller

Everyone has one -- and I'm not talking about the super stylish and cool MacLaren version for $100 and up.  I'm talking about the $20 Target special.  The one that is given away as a free gift with purchase at Babies R 'Us.  The one that, despite spending $800+ on a Bugaboo, you find yourself pulling out of the trunk when you are too tired to deal with your "real" stroller.  Yes, I'm talking about the Umbrella stroller.  It's cheap, it's boring, it's very, very practical.  So let's pimp it. 

  First, to keep you little one cool and out of the sun on those scorcher days (or rainy - it actually works for both) check out Shady Baby's stroller parasols available in retro patterns or bold and vibrant single colors.  All of Shady Baby's parasols are UV-protected with a SPF of 50+ so no matter how much time you spend strolling, there will be no evidence on your little one's skin.  Additionally, all Shady Baby's parasols come with a universal clamp that works on almost all strollers and are adjustable in 3 places so they effectively block the sun from all directions.

Chex Mix - Good First Food for Baby?

It’s amazing how much of your self-worth as a mother is wrapped up in how your child eats.  For example, take my friend Jayme.  Her daughter Sophia eats...a ton.  Like a whole avocado for lunch.  Or Jayme will roast an acorn squash, fill the half with applesauce and sprinkle cinnamon on top...and Soph will eat it all.  Because of Soph’s voracious appetite, coupled with the fact that she eats a ton of healthy items, Jayme is considered a great mom.  (Which she happens to be, for many other reasons than Soph’s eating habits.) 

Now take my little man, Raines.  Up until recently, he would only eat breastmilk.  Which is healthy, right?  The ultimate, most perfect food? One would think I would end up in the “great mom” category.  Instead, we were regarded with a mixture of curiosity, pity, and sometimes even a little disgust.  I think some have been comparing me to the women who breastfeeds her 8 year old.  (I will admit, that 20/20 special did make me feel a bit faint...)  But Raines clearly wasn’t ready for solids.  He would press his lips together, push the spoon away, and on those rare occasions when he would try solids, he would often vomit it back up.  Spewing peaches down the front of my shirt is a pretty good way to tell me to lay off.  Message received.

Cute Workout Gear For Moms - Not Just For Working Out

My pet peeve has always been when moms (or anyone, really) walk around in workout gear all day long.  Bugs me.  It's not like our daily activities are so strenuous that we need the superior wicking of climalite 24 hours a day.  Put some real pants on.  And a bra that doesn't give you uni-boob.  This was a style pitfall to which I was SURE I would never succumb.  Until....4 weeks after the little man was born, I found myself despairing because I had copious amounts of spit-up on my only good pair of sweat pants.  The old me would have objected at the clear oxymoron:  "good pair of sweatpants."  But screw old me.  I was sleep deprived, all other clothing rubbed painfully against my c-section scar, and at this point, walking outside was a lofty goal, with a daily shower a pipe dream.  So I decided to embrace the workout-gear-as-outfit philosophy.  It's comfortable, it's practical (getting out of the house is cause for celebration so one might as well go somewhere, even if it's Target), and with the vast array of cute workout clothes on the market, why not?  Over a year later, I still find myself in workout gear well into the afternoon hours.  I hope my husband finds uni-boobs somewhat sexy.  Here are my current picks for cute workout gear:

For Runners

Since we're heading into Spring and Summer, I'm focusing on warmer weather looks.  The running look is the hardest one to find cute gear, simply because the gear needs to be so functional, and runners are not necessarily known for style (unlike,say, Yoga chicks). 

Finally, Modern Nursery/Playroom Artwork . . . Thank You Avalisa!

    As part of my constant quest to cuten up my little one's nursery (is it even called a nursery anymore? she's 18 months old, hmmmm . . .) I decided it was time for some artwork.  I have always loved the canvas wall art by Avalisa so I finally decided to splurge and purchase one.  From abstract and letters to animals and "things that move", Avalisa's masterpieces are sure to liven up your little one's room with her bright colors and simple designs.  We purchased the panda bears in brown in the largest size (28"x28") and use it as a stand alone piece in the corner of the room.

Review: BumGenius 3.0 Pocket All-in-One (AIO) Cloth Diapers

So, you’ve decided to get your eco-freak on and go cloth? Nice! I successfully cloth diapered my son for his first 10 months, until solid foods (and my gag reflex) really kicked in in full force.  By his 9 month birthday, I was wondering what in the world these insane environmental types were talking about when they indicated I could somehow “flick” the “solids” into the toilet.  Diaper spraying had become an eye-watering, dry-heaving torture and I hated the LIES!  I couldn’t take it anymore.  To make a long story short, I abandoned cloth diapering and started down the slippery slope of ease, comfort and extravagant waste.  And I liked it.  A lot.  I call it The Fall.

Hot Shoes for a Well Deserved Night Out

It' been a long time since I bought a killer pair of heels.  I did insist on wearing heels throughout my pregnancy, but I have to admit that it was usually wedges or chunky heeled platforms.  And I certainly didn't buy new heels while pregnant.  After the little man was born, my high heels were pushed even further back in my closet.  I do too much baby-wearing or just running around for high heels.  So when date night comes (or girl's night out or whatever), I'm usually pretty excited to bust out my high heels.  Except.  I have noticed that in the last couple of years high heel trends have shifted a bit.  The bootie - which was just getting big when I was pregnant two years ago - is still here, and is influencing the stiletto.  Stilettos are now serious, dominatrix looking things, straps and studs and craziness everywhere, and the resulting look is a little stronger - more sexy, less sweet.  I predict that this shoe trend will continue well into fall....and this trend makes my tasteful (yet still sky high) strappy sandals look almost dowdy by comparison.  Time for a seriously sexy shoe to sex up my old existing going-out outfits. 

My first pick would be the Fendi's High Heel Gladiator Sandal, pictured above left.  Since my first picks are usually out of the question from a price perspective (I'm picturing my husband's face as I outline for him the various merits of an $830 sandal...) let's just use the fabulous Fendi's as a source of inspiration for other hot date night shoes.  If however, you are not scared away from an $830 price tag, you can buy the fab Fendi's at www.eluxury.com.

Since date night shoes are hardly practical, I want to find something as cheap as possible, but that still accurately captures the strong, sexy look.  Here are my picks for affordable, drop dead sexy date night shoes: 

A Scratch & Sniff Easter Read: Little Bunny Follows His Nose!

 

Roses, strawberry jam, pickles . . . who can resist!  This scratch and sniff book by Katherine Howard has it all!  Just in time for Easter, this adorable story is about a bunny who lets his nose lead him on an adventure through fields of flowers, a strawberry patch, a forest, a garden and more. Available at bookstores everywhere and, of course at Amazon.  And how is this for value, my vintage 1970's copy still smells!  A real must have for scratch and sniff enthusiasts of all ages!  

--j