Ain't No Mom Jeans

Mom Street Style - June 2009 Mom

Meet Corey, our very fashionable June mom.  I ran into Corey while shopping, and was immediately struck by the perfect balance of sexiness (those legs!!) and sophistication in her outfit.  All finished nicely with a Vuitton bag, which never hurts. 

Corey pulls off short-shorts with ease, and adds a little height to her small frame with a pair of ever-so-slightly-wedge-heel flip-flops.  High heeled flip-flops can be tough - so many of them look made for teenagers, but Corey's are nice and sleek and therefore work for moms.

In order for moms to pull off short-shorts, it requires good legs, and getting the right proportions.  Showing so much leg should be offset by a slightly more conservative top.  Corey's is perfect.  Not only do the nautical stripes lend a bit of French-girl sophistication, but the higher neck and A-line shape get the proportions exactly right.  The shirt skims over the waistband of the shorts making her look nice and thin (I doubt that Corey is hiding a post-baby belly but the key here is that you COULD hide one) and the overall effect is a fantastic, flirty little outfit. 

Your Pre-Baby Body Called, it Says it's Not Coming Back

I had a good day today.  After Mike came home, he took the babe, and I went out to do errands for my summer trip home.  I ended up in Gap Body, looking at bikinis, which are currently on sale for a mere $5 - $12 a piece.  So of course I had to try some on.  I was looking for something simple.  That's all.  And by simple, I mean something that makes me feel like a tan, Brazilian supermodel sex goddess.  A tan, Brazilian supermodel sex goddess who needs a bottom that comes up high enough to hide her c-section scar.  And a seat large enough to cover the pregnancy induced cellulite that still hasn't gone away.  And a band that doesn't sit too tightly on my hips, lest my tan, Brazilian supermodel sex goddess muffin top is squeezed.  I'm still nursing, so thankfully the boobs are Brazilian super model sex goddess all by themselves.  I actually had to squeeze those babies into a Large top (NOTE:  My pre-baby boob size was XS) to keep them in the said Brazilian supermodel sex goddess category - otherwise, they would easily flow into the Pamela Andersen wannabe porn star category.  Which would be, to use a favorite term from my childhood, "highly inappropriate."

Best Nursing Bras For Summer

Nursing bras are a must if you are nursing.  Yes.  But they are, for the most part, ugly.  So ugly, in fact, that prior to having a kid, I almost decided not to nurse given the ugliness of the bras.  (My priorities were slightly different then.  In my defense, my childless, unmarried friends supported this line of thinking.)  I did get over the nursing bra ugliness after the little man was born --  I must have been distracted by, OH I DON'T KNOW, the pain meds, constipation meds, hormonal skin, dark circles, the hospital's granny panties, ginormous maxi pads, a still-huge but now jelly-like belly, the total lack of sleep, and oh yeah - the BABY.  To say the least.  But at some point, I started to care.  And that time was last summer.

Summer, usually a time of tank tops and halters, was the first time I realized how ugly the ugly nursing bra dilemma truly was.  While winter clothes safely hid my ugly nursing bras, summer clothes did not.  I was faced with 3 choices:

1.  Who cares! Show off the ugly nursing bra with pride!  You are giving sustenance to a new life! You are Earth Mother! (Hint: I did not pick this option)

2.  Buy all new summer wardrobe that safely hides nursing bra (Hint:  My husband was opposed to this option)

3.  Find a nursing bra that works with existing summer clothes.

Yes, Number 3 was the winner.  But easier said than done.  In order to wear your existing summer clothes of camis, strapless dresses and deep v-necks, you need to find a nursing bra that is either hidden (aka strapless) or has straps and cups that can show without looking matronly or too bra-like.  Obviously, white or nude nursing bras will not work (both are too bra-like).  Here are my picks for the best nursing bras for summer:

Father's Day Read: Daddy Loves Me!

This is one my favorite books and it makes a lovely gift for Father's Day from your little one.  Daddy Loves Me , by Karen Moore, is about this super cool Dad who does all kinds of fun (and even helpful) activities with his kiddo.  From buying "special treats" at the fruit stand (amazing . . . not cookies or candy) to popping the bubbles while WASHING the dishes, this dad and kiddo duo do it all!  Told from the little one's perspective, it really emphasizes how special that time is with dad.  Not to mention, it has a few good activities that dads might not think of on their own!  I am telling you mommas, check this one out!         --j

Modern Nursery Rockers - Budget Conscious Alternatives

Hey, just a quick post to follow up on STS's review of the gorgeous though pricey Luca Glider and Modernica Rocker.  Oh man, I luv your taste, girl, but we would be in big trouble on a shopping trip together!

STS's diligent pursuit of nursery design reminded me that I am slacking on getting baby no. 2's room ready, so I got to work on finding some clean-design nursery deals.  Let me just tell you my mouse pad was smokin' and I found some super-duper budget conscious alternatives I had to share.

Overstock.com has a good-looking, upholstered, high backed Modern Rocker and Ottoman matching set in khaki for only $376.99 + $2.95 shipping (yes, under three dollars) .  If khaki won't do it for your nursery, you could have it reupholstered and still come in under $700, particularly if you take some time to shop around for a well-priced but durable fabric (like a $10-$15/yard micro suede) and skip more expensive options like piping, or find a student upholsterer at your local trade school.  Don't forget to dig for an Overstock.com coupon code--there's usually one floating around for 5% or 10%--and you can save a bit more.

Also on Overstock.com, there are both white and blue Cradle Rockers that are dead ringers for the  Modernica Rocker at less than half the price, only $159.99 + $2.95 shipping.  

Another great deal that's going on right now, if you're OK with limited color options, is 50 percent off on select Nurseryworks rockers.  Fawn & Forrest, one of my fav online modern nursery goods purveyors, has both the Sleepytime (high back) and Storytime (low back) rockers for $450.00 and $400.00 respectively, only $99.00 shipping on either chair.  Nurseryworks furniture is also eco-friendly, so you can feel good about rocking your babe on renewable materials and in a formaldehyde-free and low-VOC environment.

If you're not a rocker but more of a slumper, another option I found on  Overstock.com is the mid-century-inspired Meadow Loveseat for $479.99 + $2.95 shipping (or choose the chair $379.99 or sofa $499.95, depending on the amount of space and degree of slumping that suits your needs).  This great style also comes in the equally nursery-friendly shade "Baltic."

I am presently considering Ikea's spacier Karlstad Swivel Chair $399.00 and footstool $199.00 in Ullevi Orange to match my boy's new Pixel Organics Lions, Tigers & Kitties . . . Oh My! bedding from HappyGreenBaby.com.  The chair has a high back and an adjustable rocker function and, as I'm handing down my 16 month old son's more baby-ish decor to our second kiddo, it will be going in his room and I think he'll get a kick out of it.  This option is only a deal if you live within driving distance of an Ikea Store, however, which I do not.  Freight shipping for the chair and footstool to my house in Denver, CO is going to run a steep $291.76.  How much do I want this bad boy?  I have 24 hours to decide. . .

Now, I grant you, you will likely have to do some assembly on any of the Overstock.com or Ikea items and the color selection and quality will probably not be at the caliber of options like the Luca or the Modernica.  But just because you don't have the cash or the inclination to drop a grand on a spendier option doesn't mean you can't have clean modern style or that you have to settle for an oak nightmare.

Happy rocking & cheers! M.

Review: The Luca Glider by Monte Designs

As I was anxiously awaiting the arrival of my firstborn, I (as almost all first time moms) scoured the internet searching for the right pieces to go into our babies nursery.  This task seemed so big and all for such a little baby that really doesn't know or care what is in his or her room.  EXCEPT, give them something to glide or rock them in.  A glider or rocker is a must in any nursery and for what the options are out there, it really takes some searching to find a good looking glider.  I was lucky and was able to spurge on the glider or rocker we decided on because my parents were awesome enough to have kept the baby furniture from when I was a baby and gave it to me.  I couldn't have been more thrilled about that.  Not that it's the furniture I would pick if choosing brand new but the sentiment was there and I LOVED it!  I digress. 

My Default Shower Gift: Aden + Anais Muslin Swaddling Wraps

It's one of the first skills you learn as a mom:  how to swaddle.  You watch the nurses whip the fabric around your kid so fast that it's a blur.  Gingerly you try to repeat their movements, and softly tuck an edge of the blanket beneath the tiniest arm you've ever seen.  You kid starts wailing.  The nurse comes back in and WHAM!!  Just like that, your kid is swaddled and happy.     

For some (like my husband and I), swaddling becomes an life-saving way of life, practically an art form.  A well wrapped swaddle often made the difference between getting four hours worth of sleep as opposed to just two.  If that doesn't sound like a big difference, then you have either never been a mom or you have given birth to freaks of nature that sleep through the night. 

Because we were relying on swaddling as a method to keep our sanity in those early days, we wasted a ton of money trying every swaddling blanket under the sun.  We tried various sleep sacks (too roomy - he'd wake too early), "miracle" swaddling blankets (too thick, too hot) and an assortment of others (most were the wrong size and he would wiggle out, or they would cover his face). Then we discovered Aden + Anais.