Ain't No Mom Jeans

Reading: Refinery 29's Beauty Advice From Glam Moms

I love when moms get a little credit in the media.  Especially in a supportive, cool, or even glamorous way.  I mean, c'mon people - not all of us are posing on the sidelines of the playground gossiping about the latest "mommy war" or wearing patchwork denim vests.  (In fact, I don't have a single mom-friend who is the 'mommy war' type.  Not. A. Single. One.)  

So YAY for Refinery 29 who did a post last week featuring glamorous moms' timeless beauty secrets.  Including pictures of happy moms and happy daughters.  While I'll admit that the mother-daughter relationship is complex....it's also very powerful.  So read it in part for the fun beauty tips, but also for the proud mom-and-daughter pics.  And my very favorite piece of advice?  It came from the mom of Refinery 29's New York editor, Annie Greenberg (both pictured above):

"When asked how old I am, I always add five to eight years to my age. The response is always: 'Wow, you look soooo great!'"

I love this.  LOVE THIS.

Soooo...have I mentioned that I'm 42?

xo,

S

Reading: Pregnant Chicken Awkward Pregnancy Photos

OMG.  Have you seen this?  I'm sure you have.  I'm always the last to know about FaceBook phenomenon, but Hubs gave me a heads up to this as I sat here tapping away about the fabulous and beautifully illustrated children's book, Augustus and His Smile.  Needless to say, while tender, sweet, and the perfect book to talk to your 3-5 year old about feeling happy, sad and the power of doing and being in the moment, Amy Morrison of Pregnant Chicken's irreverent commentary and expert selection of awkward pregnancy photos sent all thoughts of Augustus running with his tail between his legs tonight.  Enjoy!

- M

Etsy: Yes You CAN (A How-To For Moms and a Few Fab Sellers)

After my recent articles about slings and carriers and shopping car covers (a series about handmade alternatives to common baby products), we had several messages from readers who have experienced confusion or frustration when shopping on Etsy. I hate to hear that, because Etsy is one of my favorite places to shop, online or otherwise. Hopefully, a few tips can help make Etsy more user-friendly for moms who are seeking handmade or vintage goods!

What Is Etsy?

 
veryKiki'sonesie for $13

The first step to using Etsy with ease is understanding what Etsy is. Etsy is not a store, it's a marketplace. Like Amazon or Ebay, when you buy something from Etsy you are actually buying it from an individual seller. Basically, Etsy is like a mall, each seller is a store. All this means is that, while you can add purchases from multiple shops to your cart, you will pay for each one separately to their respective sellers. Once you set up an account, which is explained on the Etsy site here, you are ready to buy buy buy!

Playing: Inspirational Outside Art Ideas at Clementine Studio (for local gals) and Childhood 101

Last Friday, Raines and I met a friend (and her two little girls) at Boulder's Clementine Studio for some kiddo art classes.  Clementine Studio is a long-time favorite of mine (R and I are both addicted to their play-dough and other non-toxic art supplies), but their classes are truly inspirational.

The classes have "stations" set up all over the room - there might be glitter painting on one table, some kind of toddler-friendly sculpting at another, and typically involve the most creative use of supplies I've seen to date. 

But our very favorite part?  The outside.

Attention Moms: Think 'Girls Gone Wild' is Dying Out? Think Again (And What To Do)

  Back in 2006, my husband bought me a fantastic book by Ariel Levy called, Female Chauvinist Pigs: Women and the Rise of Raunch Culture.  In this book, Ariel explores the stratospheric rise in popularity of shows like "Girls Gone Wild" and our current sexual stereotypes of women.  But this book is more than just a rant.

It turns out that in order for shows like "Girls Gone Wild" to be successful, they need....well...girls.  They need girls to cooperate.  They need girls to willingly take off their shirts for the camera. And they do.  Why?  Ariel goes on set with a "Girls Gone Wild" camera crew and finds that all it takes, in most cases, is the promise of a "Girls Gone Wild" baseball hat.  So yeah - there's something else going on.  Add to that, the rise in celebrity of porn stars.  Porn stars are getting their own TV shows, are being interviewed in magazines for tips on sex.  Which strikes me as funny.  I mean....people know that porn is fake, right?  YES - porn is actual sex, but these women aren't really having 12 orgasms in a row.  They are just pretending to.

More upsetting, however, were the interviews Ariel did with current high school students - both boys and girls.  There was the usual stuff: girls wanting to be prettier, girls wanting to be thinner...but what struck me as new was the additional (self-imposed) "requirement" that girls now also be sexually sophisticated.  Not just active, mind you, but sophisticated. Sophisticated in a way that really isn't achievable by anyone still in their teens.  So what we've ended up with are high schools full of girls who look and act the part...but who still have no idea how to orgasm.  The bottom line?  These girls aren't enjoying it.  Like porn stars, they are pretending.

Reading: Celebrity Mom Fashion on WhoWhatWearDaily.com

I have a love-hate relationship with Who What Wear Daily.com.  While I love most of the items featured, I'll be the first to admit that I love them in a sort of a fantasy-world kind of way.  There are only so many date nights or parties out where this mom is able to whip out the sky-high heels and gorgeous, silky clothing...so I often find myself frustrated after reading their articles about Anna Sui's new Cloaked Tiers Skirt or the adorable lace-up (and very high heeled) booties worn by Jessica Alba.  Love them, but how often would I wear them?  Not very. 

Reading: Happiest Mom's Thoughts on Shopping For Yourself

There are few blogs that I read religiously.  The Happiest Mom is one of them. The Happiest Mom, aka Meagan, is the mom of five (and therefore qualifies as an expert).  I find her blog filled with some of the most well-written, thoughtful, and insightful articles I've read in years.  She manages to capture and convey the essence of motherhood without relying on old stereotypes or cliches.  Her voice is unique, yet I think you'll find it familiar.  She articulately puts to words so many of the things I feel, issues I struggle with.  I find her inspiring.  

What We're Reading This Week: Potty Training Books

OK, yes, I know many of these books have been around for quite some time, but they are, in fact, what we're reading this week. With my sweet potato rounding out his 26th month of life on Earth and preschool starting in September, we're gearing up for the marathon that, apparently, is the feat of potty training a boy child.  We're loving reading these books as we sit on each of the three (yes, 3!) potties hanging around our happy home and wanted to share:       

What We're Reading This Week: Wearing Flats With Tights from Blue Collar Catwalk

Dear reader: have you ever considered the rule of thirds with regard to your flat footwear?  How about the sheen and texture of your shoes in relation to your tights?  Have you recently scrutinized the curves of your feet and how your flats accentuate them, either elongating or shortening your leg, depending on their fit?  No?  Mmm hmm. . .  I didn't think so.  

Neither have I, and I suppose that's why I've been largely unsuccessful at pairing flats with skirts and tights.  Not that I've tried that hard.  I either a.) spit and curse my 5'4" (and 5/8ths!) height, then put on a pair of heels instead, or b.) spit and curse my 5'4" (and 5/8ths!) height, then opt for trousers.  

"How many times have you put flats on with a pair of tights and just feel ... off? You either look barefoot, cut off at the ankles, or weighted down and a bit shlumpy. I think we've all been there. . . " the genius behind Blue Collar Catwalk sagely writes.  Kyla has pondered these questions and she nailed the formula in her recent post Flat Out Lovin' It Part 2 - Flats With Tights.  At 5'3" with a 30" inseam and looking as smack-down fabulous as she does, Kyla's definitely the go-to-gal on this subject.

Check out her post for the most insightful analysis of flat-wearing (with skirts and tights, no less!) heretofore and for some amazing styling tips that will inform your fall through spring wardrobe.

- M 

 

What We're Reading This Week: How to Wear Dansko Clogs From The Style Bakery

  Silly me.  I had assumed that only mums would be interested in trying to make Dansko clogs fashionable.  So imagine my surprise when the Style Bakery fielded this question from one of their readers:

I'd like to know how to look fashionable wearing Dansko clogs. They are so comfortable... but I'm transitioning from high heels and want that chic look. Is it possible?

And after our own internal Dansko debate on Ain't No Mom Jeans (found at the bottom of the Cool, Winter Slip-On Shoe post), I was curious to see how another, not-necessarily-mom-focused style site would handle the Danskos.  Would it be bloody?  Snarky? 

Style Bakery's response was actually very diplomatic and graceful.  It should not go unnoticed, however, that their primary recommendation was to invest in a pair of honest-to-goodness clogs, which is (in my opinion) a far cry from the Danskos.  Furthermore, they urge their readers to try wearing their Danskos with the same kinds of outifts one would wear with actual clogs:  skirts, dresses, skinny jeans.

This advice is exactly opposite of our guidance in the Cool, Winter Slip-on Shoe post.  If you recall, we recommended that you hide those Dansko babies under a nice bootcut jean. 

So now I'm re-thinking:  how bad are the Danskos?  Readers -- would any of you ever pair your Danskos with a dress or skinny jeans?  For now, I'm sticking to my bootcut denim recommendation, but am open-minded.  Some styles need time to grow on you. 

You know, like a fungus. 

xo,

S

ps.  The Style Bakery did find a pair of Danskos that resemble real clogs, as well as some fantastic clog options at various price points.  Read their full response here.