May 23, 2013

Friday Free-For-All

Save the (play)Date Red or Meet Me at Storytime Pink?

Happiness is when you discover the website Good Guide and find ratings on all of your regular products. Disappointment is when you discover that your favorite cleanser, the one that is a bargain at the drugstore and never destroys your face, is rated as a health hazard. Anna now refuses to wear both jeans and [...]

The Best Hotel Amenities Programs Are Going To The Babies

NMAP_inset

  This is awesome. Seriously, the best thing to come across my newsfeed in a long time. If you’ve ever been called to another city for a work duty, or been cajoled into traveling on a vacation by your less-burdened other half, while breastfeeding then you totally get why the Hard Rock Chicago gets all [...]

Get Ready To Fantasize – Designer Maternity Sketches for Kate Middleton

courtesy of WWD / Andrew Gn

These are fantastic; a selection of designers created sketches of what they think the Duchess of Cambridge should wear, should she ever trade non-maternity shifts for a more traditional elastic option. Or, in princess terms, more belly room than a shift, but not so far as actual elastic. How much would you love having thirteen [...]

Layering Tantrums

Bauble Bar Ombre Chain

I fully expected to argue with Anna over clothes ten years from now, when she is experimenting and in the tween borrowing phase. I did not expect to get into an argument with a two year old this morning who broke the necklace that I let her wear. Let me tell you, it was a [...]

What Mom Really Wants

4-30-13

I am consistently bothered by the countless articles / posts/ ads telling you what gifts you should buy, most recently the barrage of ideas for Mother’s Day. Sure, we’re all stumped at times and need ideas for something cool that will generate a delighted smile, but what bothers me is the one-size-fits-all idea that is shoved down [...]

Ms. Hollywood

Too Cool For School

I am a sunglass freak and as a result, so is Anna. While I usually drop good change on one decent pair to last me through the summer season (which, to be fair is nine months out of our year in Florida), the toddler glasses are so much less expensive that you can buy multiples [...]

Friday Link Love

4-26-13

Food I have been indulging freely in liquid cheesecake this week. It’s my birthday week, cut me some slack. I made a batch using the recipe from the Momofuku Milk Bar cookbook (also found here), and it has been winking at me every time I open the fridge. I first spread it on brownie batter [...]

DVF For Gap Kids Has Landed (again)

DVF-Gap-Kids-2013

The second DVF for Gap Kids collection is now available in stores and online. DVF mamas can exhale a sigh of relief – the teeny tiny wrap dresses are back! Available in both little girl, toddler and infant sizes (sorry boys, no dice), the collection is a lot of tribal yellow and blue, pink and [...]

White Out

2013-03-03 13.36.13.2

As I walked Anna out to the playground to join her classmates this morning I knew there was going to be a lot of sweat in her future. The air was already balmy at 8 am, and the only thing she wanted to wear today was a sweater. I generally encourage her involvement in her [...]

My Birthday. Otherwise Known As Thursday.

4-18-13

I fully realize that Anna’s outfit doesn’t quite go together here, but honestly, it took a little work to girl up the blue polo and it needed the full effect of hot pink shoes and a casual cool ponytail to pull it together. Then the ponytail was pulled out promptly after exiting the house. And [...]

The Essentials: The Little Pink Dress

LPD

The LBD, baby version. LPD. “One is never over-dressed or underdressed with a Little Black Dress.” —  Karl Lagerfeld   The Beloved Womens LBD The little black dress has long been hailed a life-saving staple in womenswear. If you only buy one dress, it should be a simple black version, in a moderate length, cut to [...]

Ridiculous Baby Products: The Potty Watch

courtesy of Super Undies

Geez. The copywriter on this potty watch ad needs to evaluate her control issues. “Help the daycare professionals help you buy furnishing them with a potty training “potty watch.” Now you can make sure they are being reminded to ask your toddler to use the bathroom, even if your not there!” Umm, yeah, I’m pretty [...]

Friday Free For All

Friday-4-12-13

Do you feel like you are more or less motivated on Friday mornings? I usually get the ‘OMG, the week is almost over and I’ve accomplished nothing‘ adrenaline rush which nudges me to put my head down and bust out some work.  Unfortunately, I also get a little anxious to start the weekend and my [...]

Shopping At The Mall With Toddlers? No Thank You.

Adam Rich Photography

I am amazed at the number of mothers still walking the mall with their kids. Why would you regularly subject your self to this? I can only assume that they are not actively trying to find anything for themselves or anything specific that they need for an impending date. Or they are just wandering around [...]

Mesh Tank a la Girls

Autumn Cashmere skull-tank

I’m sorry. I know this tank is probably really cute when paired with a little pair of jeans and worn over a tank top, but all I see when I look at it is a coked out Hannah from Girls. I recently became a huge fan of the show after discovering it one night on HBO On [...]

New Diaper Design Day!

Honest

I hereby name today New Diaper Day! It seems like everyone is letting the warm weather better their moods and the reward is some new diaper designs to choose from at our old favorite brands. gDiapers just revealed their Spring gStyles, a very romantic lavender floral design for girls called gfleur, and a blue and [...]

The Right Stuff

Mint-Collection

I had a total flashback moment last night. I was hanging out in bed after I put Anna down and started painting my nails while watching Bravo’s Wednesday night line-up. I love the Rachel Zoe / Brad Brad World / Watch What Happens Live sequence. I can’t get into Decades, but the rest is my [...]

PopSugar and Bauble Bar Giveaway

My-Spring-Style-Contest

Popsugar announced today that they are partnering with Bauble Bar to giveaway $3,000 in baubles. If you are a fan of The League then surely you understand how difficult it is for me to not think of Bobbum Man while writing about Bauble Bar. They sound so similar yet are so, so different. I feel like I [...]

Appy Appy Joy Joy

Slice

Since my phone crashed last week, I have had the (dis)pleasure of sorting through iTunes  attempting to re-install all of my favorite apps. The unexpected pleasant side effect has been that I have discovered a few new favorites. Like Slice. Slice gathers most of the details of your online purchases by rooting through syncing to your email account. [...]

Easter With A Two Year Old. Only The Strong Survive.

Anna Easter 2013

Yesterday was a bit of an odd Easter. Casey was away, living it up in Vegas, and Anna and I were exhausted and grumpy all day. I think we were both sad to see grandma (or Grey as Anna has now deemed her name to be) go home. After a long nap in the morning [...]

BMW Luxury From Maclaren

photo courtesy of Maclaren

You may have heard the rumors last fall that Maclaren had teamed with BMW to create a luxury stroller. Well, it’s true and it’s now available. My husband is thanking his lucky stars that I am already in love with our City Select, or I would be saving all of our free cash for this. [...]

Global Lovin’

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Just as I was thinking that it had been awhile since gDiapers released a new print, Wham! My inbox delivered the sweet surprise of a new Earth Day diaper. The Global Love design is festive for those few parents looking for a hippie chic way to show their support for Earth Day. For the rest [...]

The Essentials: Overalls

Anna overalls

I’ve been watching a lot of Sesame Street lately. As in, more Sesame Street than is good for anyone’s sanity. Anna was home sick yesterday so Casey and took turns staying home with her. At the end of the day we gave each other a rundown of our time with her and realized that we [...]

TMI

Honest-Facebook-TMI

As you probably know, I buy a lot online. Like, almost everything that I purchase. It’s so easy, I can’t understand why people are against it. Is it the threat of identity theft? I hate to break it to you, but my husband and I have had our credit card number stolen multiple times from [...]

We’re stuck with peplum

Peplum crewneck sweater - coral

Here’s a depressing thought. While folding laundry last night I folded one of Anna’s tops that has a bit of peplum. Not full on second skirt, just a little fluff. Right after, I folded a hand-me-down dress from her cousin and was struck with the realization that peplum pieces will still be worn by babies [...]

Today and Everyday is a Holiday

3-20-13

Have you read the article going viral from Huffington Post about the need to curb the excitement surrounding mundane holidays? I kind of agree with it, but am putting my own clauses in. For one, I still want to be able to dress Anna festively for every crazy holiday, if for no reason other than [...]

Off Topic: Pink Interrupts Concert for Crying Girl

Pink Instagram Breastfeeding

This totally redeems all of the local radio I’ve been listening to lately on the way to work. I was already a huge Pink fan, but love her even more after hearing this. You really do become more compassionate when you become a mother, especially to upset kids. I dare you not to tear up a [...]

The Essentials: Mittens

Babysoy

When I was in the last trimester of my pregnancy with Anna I went to see a friend who had just had her baby and noticed that her daughter was wearing a gown that had no-scratch mittens built into the sleeves. Genius! I had never given any thought to mittens and didn’t really think I [...]

Crazy Socks For Your Little Man

Etiquette Clothiers

It’s not often that a menswear trend is both distinct and widespread among working men and casual guys, so I am excited to see the crazy sock trend spreading like wildfire. Heehee… ‘wild’fire. Remember when grown men would try to rock wacky offbeat ties to appear cool and young, trying desperately to shake off the [...]

Work/Life Balance: We All Think We’re Failing

Anna Valentine 2013 Family

A study by Pew Research on Modern Parenthood came out last week detailing the newest views on full-time jobs balanced with parenthood. Only 16% of adults feel that having two full-time working parents is the ideal scenario, yet 37% of mothers feel that it’s best if they work full-time. Why? Because life is expensive with [...]

You’re A Good Mom

Anna 2012 Shamrock Tights

Why are such simple words so difficult to say? Being a mother often comes with the expectation that you must laugh off your moments of questionable decisions and solicit laughter from your friends, secretly hoping that they will tell you that you did not, in fact, forever ruin your child’s life. I propose that it’s [...]

Same Product, Twice As Much

Gymboree

It pains me to write this. You know I am a huge Janie and Jack fan. I can’t let this go by without commenting, though. Janie and Jack are owned by The Gymboree Corporation, the same people who own Gymboree and Crazy 8. They are basically the upscale version of Gymboree, though one of the [...]

Gap Friends and Family Starts Today

Anna Door Striped Dress

If you hold a silver Gap credit card, you may want to check your email for a special code, then mosey on over to their website to do a little shopping. You now have early access to the Friends and Family event, including 40% off your entire purchase (everything in one purchase online, as many [...]

Last Minute St. Patrick’s Day Options

Gap Kids

So you waited until the last minute and suddenly realized that St. Paddy’s Day is this weekend, and the party at school, where a festive green attire is requested, is in 2 days. Say, maybe, you were totally immersed in planning a birthday party and all other festivities were nearly forgotten. Oopsie. Luckily, I have [...]

Sales, Deals & Steals

B’ink’d – Did you catch the B’ink’d sale on Plum District? Tiny Easter-themed temporary tattoo earrings. Perfect for an Easter basket. Tea Collection – Boys, Girls, and Baby on sale at Haute Look. Some dresses are only $16. Bambeeno Baby – Gilt Lilly + Sid – Zulily Polkadot What – Ends today on Daily Candy! [...]

Anna’s 2nd Birthday

Candy Cookies and Jello

-For more party details, or to vote, go to Project Nursery. Whew. Anna’s birthday party is over, it was a smashing success, and now we can all go back to our normal day-to-day lives. The frenzy of making decorations and desserts is finally over. I love how everything turned out and was sad to take [...]

Perfection is Exhausting

Bob & Blossom

Is there ever enough time in the day when you aspire to be Super Mom Extraordinaire? I have a habit of starting with an idea for a ‘simple, homemade party’ and it always snowballs into a zillion ideas as soon as I start exploring. I’ve been trolling everyone else’s blogs for the past two weeks [...]

A Shoe For Every Season

Baby Havianas

Nothing makes you feel like more of a shitty mom than when you are late for work, trying desperately to shove your daughter’s sore blistered feet into a pair of sneakers that you swear fit only to have her tell you repeatedly “Ouch!”. Then you finally get the aha moment, go grab a pair of [...]

Forget the Trends, Read The Ticker

Lucky Jade Romper

Yesterday the Wall Street Journal published an article on the the luxury brands that you should be avoiding. They intended the advice to relate to your investment portfolio, but really, if you don’t want to invest in the traditional stock portfolio way, do you dare invest in their products? Should we stop fixating on the [...]

The Price You Pay

Watch any episode of any Real Housewives television show and you will learn how much each woman paid for everything that she owns. This is not uncommon or limited to the small screen. Living in Boca Raton, I hear wealth being publicized as often as I am stuck behind a Ford going 10 mph (often). [...]