Ain't No Mom Jeans

Vacation Withdrawal

Oh how looooong the week back from vacation can seem!  We had a dynamite trip to Dave’s home state of Michigan, and it’s hard to get back in the groove after having so much relaxation and entertainment wrapped up into 10 days—what with older cousins entertaining our kids non-stop, jumping off of boats into crystalline lakes, running down mind-blowingly huge sand dunes and having time with friends and family, not to mention fireworks and a ladies-night jaunt to see Magic Mike (awesome and not at all squicky sitting next to your MIL through that one!).

TGIF, Mamas!

With the end of school and the first official day of summer just around the corner, the vibe has already relaxed around our house. But we’re left with a bit of time to fill, so H. and I have been experimenting in the kitchen during Little Lou’s post-pool naps as the baby man sits and gurgles at us. All this week—our first official, full week off from school—we’ve started and tossed a sourdough starter and whipped up some delish crème fraiche to top off H’s first (mostly) solo cake.

I read Bringing Up Bebe: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting a few weeks back and wanted to try the yogurt cake recipe. H. and I already love cooking together, but Bringing Up Bebe points out that baking helps kids feel a sense of accomplishment and teaches deferred gratification (the book extols the benefits of teaching children to wait and be patient). The recipe uses the yogurt cups as the main form of measurement, so babes can easily whip up the cake on their own. It was a blast to act as baker’s assistant and Huck is beyond thrilled to be taking a cake he made all by himself to our Friday play date. It’s also super yummy and I actually learned how to make crème fraiche, which is way easy and much more tasty than store-bought.

As for the book itself, I was intrigued by a lot of the ideas in Bringing Up Bebe, but in short, this is a love/hate book for me. Love the idea of getting kids to sleep through the night, teaching our kids to be more patient and independent, assimilating children into adult culture rather than the reverse, providing a strong framework and relaxing our expectations of ourselves as super-parents who always put the kids first. Hate that so much of what is possible in French parenting is perhaps less so here: it’s probably a lot easier to make yourself, your career and your relationship a priority (and stay calm!) when you have access to free childcare, five weeks of paid vacation, unlimited sick leave and an actual 40-hour work week. So, I’m struggling a bit with its relevance in American culture and whether in fact I should just move to France.

I thought the sourdough idea from Monday’s Mom Street Style might be fun, and it was, until it started smelling and I realized I’d basically taken on responsibility for yet another living thing. I can barely remember to feed the dog, let alone a fermenting lump of dough on my windowsill, so I guiltily dumped it in the trash. I’ll revisit in fall when school’s back on and the weather is cooler.

Apparently I’m obsessed with food right now, because I became absolutely giddy when I saw this on Pinterest the other day: hash browns in the waffle iron. Total. Genius.

OK, but to get back to to style.  I am droolng over FabSugar's Summer Street Style roundup.  It's a must read for sure, Mamas! 

- M.

Reading | Ain't No Mom Jeans on Mom.me

The days have been busy here at ANMJ HQ, Mamas, and this blog has opened up some amazing opportunities!  We're now writing articles and putting together galleries for Mom.me (mommy?), the newest (and best, besides ANMJ ; ) sanity break for moms. 

Mom.me is produced by BermanBraun, the company responsible for magazine-like, glossy digital lunch break reveries à la Wonderwall.com (the cah-razy-good celeb news hot spot), and Glo.com.  My fav current Glo gallery is a toss-up between The Hot List - 8 Steamy Page-Turners (I'm half way through 50 Shades of Grey and now realize that, with three babes four and under, a mama may need some inspiration from time-to-time), and the drool-worthy Great Escapes.  (While Kasbah Bab Ourika may be a dream-come-true destination, the Postcard Inn at St. Pete's Beach in Florida seems a tantalizingly attainable getaway treat.)

We've created a bunch of content, but what's out there now includes How to Hide a Postpartum Pooch, Beauty Essentials for New (and Tired) Moms, and Handbags that Double as Diaper Bags.

We can't even begin to tell you how lucky and honored we feel to be included in a project like this.  The level of sophistication and variety of content are a testament to how far the culture of moms has come in the past few years and we're proud to be a part of it.  We hope you'll check it out!

- M.

 

Reading | Parenting.com Fashion Tips from Mom Bloggers

So here's what we're reading this week, Mamas.  Parenting.com's "11 Fashion Tips from Mom Bloggers."  Hint: two of them are from Ain't No Mom Jeans (yay!).  Check this great story out for chic and easy ways to rev up your mama style from some of our favorite mom fashion bloggers.

- M. 

S Gets Crafty For Easter (Prepare to Be Jealous)

Mamas, it's all about the children.  I sacrifice and I sacrifice and I sacrifice for the children.  Those precious, precious children.

As proof-positive of said sacrifice and of my worth as a mother (do they not go hand-in-hand?), I give you this, my latest ridonkulous creation my masterpiece:

 

I've titled it:  "Smug Mummy's Easter Basket."

Do you not see the calligraphied "R"?  The "R" for Raines?  Such that on our Easter morn I can don a pastel hairbow and inquire of my precious boy, "Raines?  Can you find the R?  Can you find the R, Raines?"  And lots of rejoicing will follow all of this natural learning - even on Easter morning, Mamas.  We learn.  

Do you not see the glass?  It's non-toxic, even when heated.  And the organic soil?  And the real, growing grass?  Plastic?  Pshaw!!  Never would I let those tiny, gentle hands touch something so base as plastic.  And on Easter?  Horror.

Go ahead.  You can Pin it.  I know you want to.  

But in all seriousness Mamas, I SO wanted to have real Easter grass for Easter this year.  But when I concocted this idea in my "big stwrong brain" (as R would say) it looked more like this:

 

Ahhhh....now I see!  I'm just missing a bow.

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.