Ain't No Mom Jeans

Mom Street Style: Holly's Year of Fabulous Rocks My World

Are you guys ready for this???? I mean seriously, Mamas, I hope you have a few extra minutes (or an hour) because Holly, above, has the BEST idea for a mom fashion blog. 

Holly's blog is called My Year of Fabulous, and has the following mission statement: 

To look my best every single day for a year or die trying.  I will completely embody twelve looks, one look per month, in my quest to find a style that works for me.  In the process, I hope to rid myself of total fashion intimidation and break free of a life long clothing rut.

She's currently on her boho month, but has tried rocker, mod, and Euro chic.  Isn't that a great idea?  But here's the best part:  This chick is funny.  Check out her blog banner:

Oh Holly.  That is, indeed, fabulous.

In addition to her fashion experiments (with titles like Bohemian Poncho or Oversized Dinner Napkin?  You Decide!) she also throws down some really sage advice on how to achieve the Bohemian look:

...all you have to do is channel the ultimate icon for Bohemian style Stevie Nicks.  Let Stevie be the poet in your shopping heart and if you can’t picture yourself in something on stage, tambourine in hand, belting out “Landslide” – it’s not Bohemian and it’s not for you.

Holly is craft-impaired (we have this in common) and was recently confused by a Starbucks barista as being her son's older sister, rather than his mom.  (We do NOT have this in common.)  But she's not letting it go to her head.  She realizes that "the Starbucks counter is deceptively wide.  Instead of the standard two feet, Starbucks employees are actually taking your order from space, hence, the fuzzy visibility."

And, BTW, her style is real, practical, genuine, thrifty, and TONS of fun.  One of my new favorite blogs.

Holly, thanks SO much for writing in!!  I'm now a huge fan.

xoxo,

S

This Mama's Earth Day Resolutions

There's a feeling of continuity, when you have kids, that wasn't there before.  Once I looked into Raines' face for the first time, everything changed.  I realized that I would never be able to look at anyone again without - at some level - acknowledging that they too came from someone.  They have a mother, and a father and a grandmother and a great-grandfather and we are, ultimately, connected to all of our ancestors and to each other. Once upon a time, we all opened our eyes and stared at the world with wonder. 

So it's hard, I think, not to care about the environment once you have children.  Once your kids have spent their tummy time staring intently at a blade of grass, or cooing happily at the wind blowing through the trees, or eating their fair share of sand, mud and - ugh - lake water....these things suddenly become so much more precious than they ever were before.  

The whole concept of "saving" the environment is a tough one.  Each time I take one of those quizzes to calculate my environmental footprint, I'm often discouraged by the fact that the low-ish use of my car is offset by all of the flying we do.  Or my recycling isn't enough once you consider the length of my showers.  And I'd love to compost, but I can't seem to figure it out.  (Although, my mother-in-law just throws all food scraps outside of her door.  No fancy equipment, no turning things over, no reading endless blogs about it, just BAM.  Out the door, in a pile.)

But I do believe in doing something.  Something beats nothing every time.  And a big part of my something is simply making sure that my kids grow up loving the outdoors.  Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods, talks about how the most passionate environmentalists are simply the ones who've spent lots of happy time outdoors.  (Hunters are high on this list, by the way.)  

So in honor of Earth Day, I've come up with a few resolutions for the year that will help me to celebrate, honor, and hopefully preserve this amazing world we live in.

Friday Fun and Weekend Inspiration

Any big plans for the weekend, Mamas?  I'm already craving Tired Hands Brewery's house-made pickles and candied bacon.  Yup - you heard correctly:  bacon candied, served with maple syrup for dipping.  Also?  Everything is locally sourced.  It's our go-to spot for Happy Hour, and low-key enough to bring the kids.  Yesssssss.

Earth Day is coming up, and John Master's Organics giving 25% off of everything with code earth13.  They have the best shampoo and conditioner, and offer it in bulk sizes...which become much more affordable at and additional 25% off.  I'm stocking up.  I've been using them for years, and did a full review of their products a while back. 

Shopbop is also having a sale - 20% off of everything with code WEAREFAMILY13 - but the last day is Friday.  So many things to love...but I'm totally blown away by this t-shirt dress, think that this swimsuit cover-up is insanely sexy (in the most subtle way), and that this chic maxi would be perfect for pooch-hiding.  I also have my eye on this simple maxi and would wear it exactly as reader Desiree described earlier this week: 

My favorite combo is a black maxi dress, brown leather sandals, wooden jewelry and a nice canvas bag - so easy.

Perfect, no?

I was inspired by this Dad's article about spending one-on-one time with his kids.  He terms it "Parenting a Boy, Not the Herd."  He writes:

I realized I’d not only slowly reduced parenting to herding, but I’d turned conversation with my kids into not much more than relaying information: giving orders, teaching lessons, reinforcing the positive, correcting the negative. But, away from the herd, alone with Gresham, I found myself cracking jokes, retelling stories from my own childhood, asking better questions.

Yes.  That. I hate when I fall into 'boring old parent mode' and just drone on at my boys about wiping their spills, getting their shoes on, not licking the furniture, etc.  Sigh.  Not only do they not get the best of me when I'm in this mode...but they get someone who doesn't feel like ME at all.  You know?

On an uplifting note, my dear friend Megan sent me the gorgeous video below.  It speaks volumes about how we see ourselves, and how ridiculously hard we are on ourselves.  Get out the tissues, Mamas. 

 

 

xoxo,

S

 

Wearing All Black in the Spring

 

Beth emailed a while back, wondering about all-black outfits.  She wrote:

I love to wear black. I know that may not be the "in" thing to do- but it works for me. Black, a rich midnight blue, dove or heather gray- those are colors I work well with. The problem is that those then look so drab for spring. Any thoughts?

Yup.  See, I'm with you, Beth.  While color is huge right now, I tend to be a more minimalist, neutral kind of gal at heart. From growing up in the 90's, perhaps?  Which also explains my oversized white t-shirt obsession.  But black is pretty fabulous - there's no reason you can't rock all black all year.

Reader Q | How To Style A Basic Nursing Dress For A Wedding (And Stay Warm)

 Reader Question:

LOVE LOVE LOVE your blog - you have helped me a TON! Now, I have a big favor to ask. I'm headed to a wedding in Duluth, in April....which means there could be a blizzard or it could be balmy. I'm going to be chasing a three year old and carrying around (and nursing) a ginormous 9 month old. Thanks to your suggestions on other nursing/maternity items, I picked up this Isabella Oliver nursing dress in French Navy.  It does a good job (with Spanx) of holding in my about 4 months pregnant looking pooch....I feel comfortable in it, but I need shoe and accessory suggestions.

 

Did I mention I am standing in this wedding, and there are NO suggestions in terms of color, etc.? The bride likes my dress.....where do I go from here!? All I have figured out is dangly earrings are out, cause I have a grabber, and maybe wedges would be better for toddler wrangling...Thank you thank you!

 

I've even attached a photo of myself in said dress, so you can see what we are working with ;)

 

Holly

 

Answer:

Holly, you look seriously fabulous.  4 Months Post-partum?  WOW.  

So you need a few options to work with crazy Duluth weather, while toddler wrangling and standing up for the bride?  Gotcha.

The most important one, I think, is the standing up for the bride part.  While there may be no suggestions from the bride in terms of color, I think we should be careful.  While your dress may look great with, say, a hot red pump for date night, I think that's the wrong choice for wedding photos - you don't want your bright pumps competing with the bride in pics.  Know what I mean?

Holly, I came up with a couple of possible looks for you.  They include some subtle accessories, and a way to stay warm(ish) if you find yourself in the middle of a blizzard (which seems likely....Marquette, MI just had a snowday last week).  Warning:  I said warm-ish, not warm.  But you'll look amazing, and won't totally freeze.  Which is the best you can hope for as a bridesmaid, I think. :)

Friday Shopping: Final Week For TMRDNL

Mamas!  Tamar is closing her shop in one week, and everything has been marked down one final time.  If there was something you wanted (previously featured here, here or here) now's the time to shop.  I also wanted to show you a few warm-weather pieces from TMRDNL that I've been WAITING to wear.  So happy that the sun is finally starting to show it's face....

Confession: I Hate Thrifting. (But I'm Trying To Change My Ways)

I've walked into thrift stores only a few times in my life.  The whole setup isn't really my thing.  I hate digging through huge piles of stuff, I have a bloodhound's sense of smell (mold especially kills me), and I find itchy clothing depressing.  I don't care who made it in what decade, I'll take a new jersey knit over vintage polyester any day.   

I do own some vintage pieces, though.  I'm not totally immune to their charms.  All of mine were passed down from my mom.  I wore Mom's old Calvin Klein cut-offs all through high school and college, her sexy red maxi dress when I was pregnant (the only time my boobs were big enough to fill it out), and you may recall seeing her sparkly prom purse on the blog from time-to-time.  But here's the deal:  They were my mom's.  I didn't have to go scrounging through bins, worry about smells, or wonder about a stain.  They all came with stories - familiar stories, stories that are now part of my family lore.

But thrifting...it's intimidating and impersonal and smells bad.  Yet it's cheap.  SO cheap.  And it's better for the environment.   

As a tree-hugger who is not independently wealthy...yet (snort)....if I'm really serious about reducing my own personal environmental impact (and saving some cash along with those trees), I need to take another look at how, and what, I consume.  I'm all about CPW (cost per wear) and buying fewer, better quality items...so how can you go wrong with quality at $3.99? 

I'm assuming, of course, that quality can be found for $3.99.  Because Yentine said so, more or less.  And she's pretty much the thrifting expert in my little online world.  

So keeping Yentine's first tip in mind (HAVE A GOOD ATTITUDE, which may have been the root cause of my past failures)....I went thrifting.  At the Goodwill in my tiiiny hometown, population 25,000.  If you ever wanted to set a thrifting bar low, go to a small, isolated town with an overabundance of non-ironic Carhartt.  But unlike Philly, in my tiny hometown I can park without fear (the PPA is NO JOKE) and I have free babysitters (thanks, Mom!).  

My thrifting trip was....hunh.  Successful?  Keeping an open mind, I did end up trying stuff on, and even walked out with an item or two.  To prove I was there illustrate, I took pics.  

Mom Street Style: Che Styles Her Cut-Off Denim In The Philippines

I always get a kick when I hear from a reader in some far-off country.  Like...someone in the Philippines is reading my blog?  No way!

The internet is cool.  So cool.

T-Shirt Showdown: LOFT Vs. James Perse

A few of you lovely Mamas recommended LOFT's Sunwashed tees.   I had been hearing good things about them...and Jordan (from Ramshackle Glam) swears by them.  It turns out that the shape of the Sunwashed Tee is reminiscent of my current favorite - the Casual Tee by James Perse - so I thought it would be a fun little exercise to compare the two.  Basically, we're comparing a $20 tee to a $50 tee.  

Ready?

Friday Fun (And Reader Finds!!)

WOOT WOOT Weekend, Mamas!  The last two weeks have been very, very long.  I have been inexplicably sick (with a cold!  It's just a cold!) for over two solid weeks.  This nasty virus has robbed me of motivation, sucked me of enthusiasm, and taken my patience out for a looong vacation.  Grrrrrrr.

Even my kids have been attempting to cheer me up.  "Mom, it's OK!" Raines said to me yesterday.  "You're the best mom EVER EVER...even if you're always grumpy!"

Awesome.  Let's put that on a mug for Mother's Day, shall we?  "World's Greatest Always-Grumpy Mom!"

(NOTE:  Mike, you had better freaking NOT.  Just so we're clear.)

So.  For this issue of Friday Fun, I have exactly ONE find.  Happily you, lovely Mamas, have been doing a little shopping while I've been sniffling, and have been emailing me all sorts of fun finds.  

Stephanie is pregnant and is wondering if this pair of silky, printed, elastic-waist pants from Anthropologie would be rad, or bad?  Call me crazy....but I kinda love them.  Add a white tee and flat, metallic sandals, and WOW.  Summer perfection.  Either color is gorgeous, but I'm leaning to...pink?   

Helen writes:

After moving to New Jersey from LA in January I was looking for a long sleeved dress that is relatively warm, nursing friendly and pretty enough for a date night.   I stumbled upon your post about affordable dresses on Zappos, and that's how I discovered the Patagonia brand dresses. I ended up buying two of them!

Helen ended up with Patagonia's Bay Laural Wrap Dress in black (currently on sale for $36!!), and the sleeveless Margot dress (also on sale for $36).  They are both nursing friendly, and Helen reports that they can also help disguise a small pooch, as well.

Belinda's been on the hunt for the perfect boyfriend jean, and thinks she found them.  I agree!

Heidi makes a pretty convincing CPW (cost-per-wear) argument for this gorgeous maxi dress:

I really, really loved your style resolutions for 2013 article a few months back, and thanks to you I have the beginnings of a decent wardrobe that's not full of things that sort-of-but-not-quite-fit for the first time in five years!

I love, love, loved the gray maxidress you featured two years ago, but couldn't find it anywhere when I started looking for something to wear this summer. I live in Jordan right now, and it's already 80 here most days so summer starts a bit earlier for me. A few years ago I would have bought a couple of dresses that I sort of liked from Old Navy and never have felt good about them...but I remembered your point about cost-per-wear and held out until I found something I loved. And I did! This maxi dress from Shopbop is exactly what I was looking for: beautiful drape, pooch-hiding blouson top, modest enough that I can get away with wearing it here in the Middle East, but still sexy thanks to the V-neck and the drape of the skirt.

Instead of a half dozen crappy dresses, I have one that I truly love and that makes me feel beautiful.  Thank you, thank you, thank you for encouraging women like me to find what makes us feel good about ourselves and giving us pointers as to how to get there!

Yay, Heidi!  Love this!

Jenny found a fleece moto jacket in taupe.  Yessssssss!  Only smalls are left, but they're on sale for $40!

Patricia has me dying for this scarf....so Lem-Lem-ish, yet roughly half the cost...

And lastly...my one lone contribution:

I love this shirt.  Pooch-hiding, nursing-friendly perfection.  Sadly, I did not buy it.  Yup - too grumpy.

 

Here's to a weekend without tissues, red noses or phelgm!  

Wow.  And here's to never having to hear the word 'phelgm' on this blog ever, ever again.

Now I'm off to find my Kindle.  My sister got me hooked on Game of Thrones during my long two-week lie-in....and I'm totally hooked.  (Although, I may never sleep peacefully again.)

What are you doing this weekend?  Something fun, I hope?

xoxo,

S