5 (favorite) Reasons to Rent the Runway

Linking with Mama H of Mama Knows, Honeychild as the new host of Five Favorites. She’s one of the funniest bloggers out there and somehow mixes spiritual edification with LOL humor seemingly effortlessly. Become a follower if you aren’t already! 

A black tie wedding fit for Princess Kate in a dress of her own finally committed me towards trying the service that lets me afford to wear a dress of someone much richer. Friends of style have raved and cheered and looked awesome. Business executives have rightfully marveled over the two Harvard creator’s business savvy. Its called Rent the Runway, and it is perhaps the most inclusionary, convenient, and financially wise idea to hit normal people fashion since the genius of Marshall’s.

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It works like this: Browse the hundreds and hundreds of high end designer dresses from 120 of the industry’s top designers including everyone from Missoni to Oscar de La Renta, to Tibi and Elizabeth and James, to Marchesa and Carolina Herrara. Pay as low as $30 to wear dresses worth as much as $3500 and feel like a million stylish $ for a special night or the entire four days during your rental ownership.

5 Reasons Why I was scared:

1. I won’t find my style

2. It won’t fit

3. It will be too long and, thus, a waste of money

4. I won’t be able to figure out the return policy

5. I’ll hate not owning it

5 FAVORITE Reasons Why it’s my new Favorite

1. Designers at a Discount

While I think almost 4 kids and pushing 30 qualifies me for buying investment pieces, there is something scary and mostly stupid about dropping top dollar for trends because as Heidi Klum likes to remind us while wearing short skirts, “one day you are in and the next you are out.” Additionally, even though approximately my cousins pay attention to my Instagram, internet pictures can easily wreak havoc on feeling good about outfit repeats. So! Instead of spending who knows on a who knows, $30 to test something thats $1900? I’ll take it!

2. Dresses for Everyone

With 120 designers from which to choose and hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of styles, trends, classics, dreams that are actually affordable, there is truly a dress for everyone!!!! As a 25 week pregnant woman who stands at 5 feet nothing let me be living proof that there are dresses for everyone. And, hemming tape is delivered with dress. Hunting and reading the profiles is key. Kind women who have worn the dress offer height, age, weight, body type and photos to indicate whether or not a particular style will work. Stylists offer one on one help. It’s actually difficult to mess it up. AND! Choose two sizes for no additional cost and a whole different dress for just $25!

3. Delivered to your Door

Too many babies to try on a dress at the mall? Too busy staring at unfolded laundry? Spaghetti again? Shipping costs adding up to much more than just $30? RENT THE RUNWAY!

4. Easy Return and Easy Refund

When day four arrives, slip the beauty into a UPS drop box and wait for a super friendly email confirming its arrival back at RTR.    Buyers remorse or it doesn’t fit? Call them and they will credit you!

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Its so easy, a mom who just accidentally crashed the car with three screaming children inside, can do it.

5. Its so much fun to borrow clothes!!!

So much fun. We all felt like a Bagillion. Do it!

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A few of my favorites:

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Missoni: Real Price $1900, $RTR 30

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Herve Leger RTR $80, Retail $1950

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Nicole Miller, RTR $90, Retail $485

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Halston Heritage: THE MOST MATERNITY FRIENDLY DESIGNER!!!! RTR $100, Retail $585

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Tibi: RTR $30, Retail $475

But buyer beware: RTR tends to be generous and offer a free makeup SURPRISE! Babies, or rather, my baby, can sense that sort of potential happiness, and spread it all over a bed spread, their face, and can even get it dangerously close to a very expensive gown that is not mine. Additionally, 3 year olds, and also 4 year olds, but especially 1 year olds, do not, I repeat DO NOT, understand “no touching its a rental!” Keep baby wipes close by and run out on a dream date with the husband 🙂 Also, if Monday morning rolls around and a late night of baby in utero partying kept you up much too late to function, and the dress must go back, just be sure all four doors of the car are securely closed before backing out of the garage. Or else, the car door breaks. And your children might make fun of you. And you might deserve it.

 

I’m not even a little bit getting paid for this, so believe me. 

 

 

Five (sort of) Favorites: Maternity Clothes

Finally linking with Hallie again!

 

If you ever find me picketing (waddling) the streets of Washington with the Feminists anytime soon it might be because of maternity clothes.

While I fully apologize to MLK for this, I have a dream that one day I will be able to walk into a high end department store and browse entire collections of beautiful designer clothes made to fit a pregnant woman well, without the fear of the overpriced dress fabric potentially catching on fire if I stand too close to a birthday cake.

I have a dream that women will no longer be asked to spend twice as much on fabric that is significantly cheaper to manufacture. I have a dream that when shopping I will not have to search so so so much harder to find something that fits during a stage of femininity that should be celebrated and considered normal.

I have a dream that one day when I swim laps at 9 months pregnant I will not be asked to wear a bikini because absolutely no athletic brands make a full piece swimsuit that fits a pregnant athlete.

I’m dreaming of a day when compression technology leaves me less itchy and more comfortable, sans looking like a grandma, because swollen veins hurt and shouldn’t have to be ugly too. Of self-expressive colors and prints with fewer ill placed bows and ruching. Of a recognition that not all pregnant people are one size; some of us are petite and still need to buy pants. That diaper butts should be reserved for infants. That price hijacking should be illegal.

I have a dream that designers will view making clothes for a pregnant figure as beautiful and desirable as the flat stomach because pregnancy is the natural result of all that sex they are always trying to sell.

Please join me in my drama because, women, we deserve better. Most of us happily and actively choose to get pregnant in prime fashion years, and here we are reduced to choosing between expensive yet cheap, hot, itchy fabrics and would you like that sizable bow on your back just above the pregnant bum or around your large belly to make it larger on this shirt that costs about 3 cents to make?

This pregnancy I’m attempting to push the boundaries of my style and experiment with colors, shapes, fabrics, and, even, buttons. Thus, I’m wearing as few “maternity” clothes as possible.

Here are my five forced favorite finds so far:

1. JCrew Pant

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While they still fall down, they do so less. While the fabric would keep me warm in a snow storm, it is well made and reserves the diaper butt for my baby. If I went to work, I would wear these there. I will point out that the non maternity version of the exact same pants is $40 cheaper than the maternity. Not fair!

2. Lululemon No Limits Tanks

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I sized up one, and my belly is all good and covered and it stays in place. The luon absorbs the sweat and moves great.

3. Maxi Dress Via Shopbop

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I have yet to wear it, and I might look like a tent, but its cool and flowy and a great color.

4. Anthropologie tops
Although not advertised to pregnants, this is my favorite maternity store, when I find a sale.

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5. Hatch and Rosie Pope

 

I’ve only browsed. Has anyone tried? Worth the price?

Happy dressing to you, not matter your current size, shape, or reproductive stage!

5 Favorite Spring Trends and Where You Can Find Them on Sale Today

Each year for Lent I tend to fast from shopping. So for the next to weeks, I plan on binging 🙂

Inspired by the Runway, economically delivered to your Wardrobe! Most of the sales are today and tomorrow only so hurry!

Banana Republic: 35% off

JCrew : 40% off

Anthropologie: Tons of Legit Fresh Cuts

BCBG: additional 30% off

Piperlime: always great deals

First! Here are my favorite of many trends from the Runway according to the Harper’s Bazaar. So what if most of these are from 2013? I googled incorrectly. 2014 to come to you soon!

1. Black and White Geometric

Found at Piperlime

Chevron Stripe Peplum TopNavy Stripe Ponte Flounce Dress

Banana Republic 35% off

Inked Brushstroke Tank

Find it at Anthro. 

And if anyone could find a knock off of last years Oscar de la Renta? Please?

2. Monochromatic Color Theory

Sabine Pleated Maxi SkirtHive & Honey Mixed Stitch Sweater

Wear them together! Found at Piperlime and on sale.

Runway Celine Cascading Silk DressLoading zoom

Runway Celine Cascading Silk Dress

BCBG: majorly on sale and comes in 3 bright single colors

3. Whites and Delicates with a side of Frills 

Snowmeadow DressOrigami Shift

Both found at Anthro

White Collars: Found at JCREW

4. Florals

Found at Piperlime for under $40

Framed Pink Floral TopFloral Sequin Peplum TopPoppy Print BlouseStriped Floral Fluted Skirt

Banana Republic extra 35% off

Go Comfy: Left Anthro, Right Jcrew

Patched Brocade Sweatshirt  

Go Feminine!

Cheshire DressFiamma Pencil Skirt

Anthropologie

5. And a Leather bonus!

Mixed Moto Jacket

I own this and I can’t say enough great about it. Go get it way on sale at Anthro. The leather is phenomenal, the fit is fantastic, and its balanced in a way that I don’t actually feel like I need a motorcycle, because let’s be honest, motorcycles terrify me.

Happy Shopping, go see Hallie! and then go see Fountains of Home where the link up is this week.

5 Favorite Dead of Winter Clearance Sales

Linking with Hallie for Five Favorites!

Winter weather got you down? Not looking forward to anything until St. Patrick’s Day? Too many polar vortex issues to get you out of the house and into a store? Join me in my online shopping addiction, and never again buy full price (Fashion Morality 101). These are some of the brands I trust most to wash, wear, wash again, absorb baby puke, wash again, etc…

I’ve created outfits to Mom it Up in Style and On a Budget.

1) JCrew

They are taking an extra 40% of already marked down items. Here are a few that I love and may have already purchased.

geo fan necklaceCrepe baseball topTall Minnie pant in stretch twillHoundstooth baseball cap in beigeCrystal triangles braceletTall Minnie pant in stretch twillTipped sweatshirt

One of my favorite color combinations: Black, White, and Gold and Red (Or a Jewel Tone). It flatters all skin tones, and its simultaneously classic yet bold, too.

Necklace: 40% off 49.99 (original 78)

Tipped Sweatshirt: 40% off 49.99 (original 78)

Red or Emerald Pants: 40% off 49.99 (original 89.50)

Baseball Tee: 40% 59.99 (Original 98)

Bracelet: 40% off 49.99 (original 98)

Hat: 40% 19.99 (Original 48)

2) Bebe and Express

Both Bebe and Express are an extra 50% off! Before the temptation to quit reading my blog forever due to “slutty outfit recommendations” overpowers, search well and judge not, especially if, like me, you are petite and childlike, because Bebe, though often plastic or made with more cutouts than actual purple Cheetah fabric fits (me).

To ensure I actually wear my clothes more, I made a NY resolution to wear denim less and get more fun with pants. This week I’ve worn the same black cord motorcycle zipper pants three days in a row without a visit to the laundry, so the resolution should probably be reconsidered as it is much more gross and a lot less fashionable than I imagined.

My three favorite pants that aren’t jeans from Bebe. It’s these or kids sizes for the most part, because I’m 5ft and smaller than most 7th graders. 

Multi Zip Icon Skinny Jeans at bebeSafari Cargo Pants at bebeHigh Waist Soft Pants at bebe

Take an additional 30-50% off

Red Pants 79.99 (Original 109)

Silk Cargo Khakis 75 (Original 109)

High Waist Silk Patterned Pants Go Crazy!

Express:  19.99-29.99 plus an additonal 50%!!!!!!

Tartan Plaid isn’t just for little girls Christmas Dresses!!

LACE STITCH ASYMMETRICAL HEM TUNIC SWEATERSTUDDED CHIFFON LINED TULIP BACK SWEATERTARTAN PLAID CHIFFON EASY TOP

ZIPPERED BOUCLE PLAID MINI SKIRT

3) Piperline and Banana Republic and Old Navy

Coats Galore!! This is the BEST time of year to buy a new coat. Prices are lowest on coats in January than any other month. My Picks:

Find them Here All of my picks are $50-100.

Tulle Slim Fitted Raglan CoatPim + Larkin Bow Detail CoatTinley Road Vegan Leather Peplum JacketFree People Collapsing Twill Snap JacketTulle Contrast Binding Coat

Rhyme Los Angeles Taylor Leather Trim Coat

4) Splits59

So no matter how many New Year Resolutions I make regarding less denim, Stylish active wear is a must, and as every mom knows, it tends to be what we live in most days. I’m Ok with that if it looks like this:

Pose FX Racerback Pullover - White/SilverNova Classic Capri Tight - ScarletDanica Liquid Cheetah Support TankDismount Viper Scoop NeckDismount Racer Scoop NeckGinger Racer 3/4 Length Tight w/ Lamé

Everything here is under $50 and can be found here. I have to be honest, however. No matter how fashionable, Lululemon fits my body better and washes better. But, with these prices and durability, I’d say its worth it.

5) BCBG and Saks Fifth Avenue

Relatively all of my high end merchandise is purchased at off season deals. Sometimes I wonder if women don’t even look at the really nice stuff in fear that they can’t afford it. Good deals are about timing and persistence. Treat yourself to beautiful fabrics that last and make you feel like a movie star.  Here are some of my favorite fancy dresses that are affordable and relatively season-less.

Joelle Tiered Maxi Pleated Dress

Kat Lace Tiered Dress

Lena Draped Gown

Starr Deep V-Neck Silk Halter Dress

All of these dress are an additional 40% off of the redline. The most expensive gown pictured is $73. Originally, they were $300-400. Go here

And a few designers that you will see at the Oscars.

Aidan Mattox - Sequined Sheath Dress Aiden Mattox: $132. 75

Rebecca Minkoff - Harriet Shadow Leather-Panel Dress

Rebecca Minkoff: $149.40 (Original $500!!!!)

Parker - Kate Leather-Sequin Mini Dress

Parker $115 (Original $385!!)

Alice + Olivia - Nelly Embroidered V-Back Dress

Alice and Olivia: $132 (Original $440)

Find them all at SaksFifthAvenue and keep the packaging forever.

The happiest of shopping in the most boring of months!!! Please let me know if you find anything that works for you. I experience just as much adrenaline in finding other people deals as I do finding my own deals 🙂 

My Favorite Fancy Dresses that other Better Looking People were probably paid to wear

Instead of boring you with a picture of “What I Wore to the Grocery Store,” (vegan leather pullover, motorcycle cords –> confidence in discipline) let’s gawk over the pretty people.

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Her concert wasn’t my favorite. This dress is awesome and made by one of my favorite and most elegantly feminine designers Carolina Herrera.

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It took a significant amount of personal gratitude mantras to silence the jealousy of seeing such a stunning pregnant fashion statement and remembering all those times I looked like a tent. Bravo beauty, and may your pregnancy go well.

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Anyone else wonder how much this awesome gown weighs?

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This is my favorite of the Black and White trends.

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White and Emerald!! I’d maybe spend a salary on this one.

 

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I know lots of smarter fashion critics hated this but I thought it was so much fun and a fresh take on baby pink and baby blue. These are also the colors of the tutus Josie most frequently requests I wear, so maybe I’m just reminded of the joys of playing dress up.

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Classic and fits like a glove.

 

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I have no idea who this is but the color is my favorite and I wonder if she felt like a superhero.

In the unfinished and hilariously fantastic words of Matthew McConaughey “Keep On.”

Walk to Make a Difference

Saturday’s Shoe Feast

I escaped showered and in navy velvet patterned pants waving goodbye to a snow covered, yet shoeless James. The remnants of Josie’s all day candy “can” (e) feast made red sticky dots on her mouth, her hands, and several pieces of my furniture. Rita drank a bottle while wearing only her Santa hat, protecting a broken piece of rogue candy cane with the clenched baby death grip of her right hand. Jim climbed a ladder with tangled Christmas lights draped over his neck, and if Clark Griswald were a real person they would have had much to discuss.

Following 30 minutes of no tears driving and one very wrong turn and an awkward entrance into the United States Deportation office, I spotted the emerald green balloons and skipped my way into a showroom faster and with more spunk than Dorothy and friends entering the Emerald city. There it was: dawned with velvet and satin, crystals and bows, cupcakes and champagne, platforms and stilettos, flats for other people taller than me, suede and leather, ribbon and lace, happy girl after happy girl, one very nice male fiancé. Lots of places are referred to as “shoe heaven” and I AM CERTAIN that NONE of them remotely deserve it because this was the real thing.

Meet SCHEÉ

I was lucky enough to receive and invitation to their Saturday Christmas Sale, and when I say it was the best day of my life, I’m only lying by 4 spots because I’m obligated to put my wedding and birth of my children before a shoe sale. But, one thing is for sure. I said, “this is the best day of my life,” tons of times.

I slipped off my unmatched socks in record time. Then, I removed one heart sticker and one partial buzz light year sticker from the bottoms of my feet. Next, I hogged each and every pair that I could reach, trying on all of them for 10-15 minutes longer than the rest of the shoppers would have liked.

Each was a one of a kind work of art, crafted in Italy, and made with generosity as its inspiration.

Meet Caitlyn and Sara.

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Caitlyn, SCHEÉ‘s founder and owner, didn’t want to just create a unique luxury footwear line of her very own just a few months out of college. NO! She wanted to create a footwear company that makes Charity its first cause and purpose. Fashion, Charity’s twin virtue, is created not just by the way a product looks, but also, by what it stands for. Each season the Schee team picks a cause and creates a superb line of shoes with 5% of the shoe’s purchase being donated to charity.

IF YOU ARE GOING TO STAND FOR SOMETHING, MAKE SURE YOU ARE STANDING IN A FANTASTIC SHOE.

Go here for more of Caitlyn and Sara’s impressive story and company and while your reading stare at the beauty:

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Meet the GUILIANA

At first, when Sara showed me this shoe I thought, “I would fall down the steps entirely too often with a shoe with two heels.” Even when my abnormal clumsiness is considered, I was wrong. They are so comfortable and insanely easy to walk in, even for a klutz.

And even though it pains me to say, as a Mom, I have had to hold back a bit more on my shoe purchases. The days of undamaged joints, I could wear heels all day and night day after day, but 3 bambinos and too many road races later, my feet hurt fast. So now, I try to stick to a little “keep the credit card inside the purse,” criteria. The shoe has to be COMFORTABLE without looking COMFORTABLE. And it has to be worth the price. I’m willing to drop some dollas if its worth it: if the shoes last, if they fit, if they are made of red patent leather with crystal flowers…

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Ok, ok, ok!! Maybe the red patent leather are not 100% appropriate for the sandbox. So I made up for it with these (sandbox appropriateness debatable but playground fashion just got better):

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They are a wedge. If I ever run a full marathon, I’m confident I could do it in a wedge. And THEY ARE LINED IN VELVET! As I placed my foot into this boot, I repeated the mantra “you already purchased, you already purchased, you already purchased,” and then, I felt the velvet, and the credit card literally splurged from my purse and so did I.

Better than an Ugg by 5 million points in comfort and 5 billion in fashion, and I usually don’t pay attention to these stories but I hear Uggs are really mean to sheep based on my Facebook feed.

I want these.

And if I wore flats I’d buy these.

Reminder: Every Mom is required to open a wrapped present on Christmas morning with her children, and what better thing to open than a brand new pair of shoes, further proving the fact that Christmas miracles do exist and St. Nicholas is real.

If you are rich and famous look at these. (I tried on all of them!) If you have a budget.

Shop Here

Buy for yourself, buy for a friend, buy for your mom, or your favorite blogger. Whomever.

Share this post and Walk to Make a Difference!!!

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(this post was sponsored only by my desire to splurge and share something that I think is amazing.)

Additional Disclaimer: 12 seconds into typing this post, Rita began protesting her nap and won. Like every good mother I gave her a Candy Cane and put her in her highchair. And earlier in the day I lost the daily lunch battle and ate three discarded sandwiches by myself as I stared at my kitchen’s white walls while my kids raced around the kitchen island chanting “PB&J is for losers.” I really needed the shoes 🙂

Five Favorite Mom Friendly Fall Fashions

Urban Dictionary has been successfully and traumatically offending me since I started using it to look up all the high school slang heard on the back of the bus that I didn’t understand and still don’t. It remained true to form today, and is the back of the bus still cool?

The following (abbreviated) definitions should be removed because we can do better than keds!

MOMFIT: Similar to Mom Jeans but includes the whole outfit. They are comfortable but not flattering. Sometimes white keds are involved.

MOMIFORM: An outfit worn by a 30 something mom that has lost all sense of style. They include capri-pants, flats or crocs.

Even though I’m still in my 20s and haven’t worn keds since kindergarten, I’ve had many a momfit moments, like the time I recently dropped off James at preschool in the same shirt in which I slept, or all those other times I wore my spandex all day and will still, or used dry shampoo for three days in a row, or worked out in my jeans, or decided the vomit didn’t actually smell that bad. A recent resolution, however, is to get dressed, at least a few times a week, in things other than spandex, even if at the end of the day the way I’m sporting the coated jean trend is through a terrible yogurt/Cheetos excess cheese mixture. The following are few of my favorite tried and true fall fashions that work for me as a mom and further demonstrate urban dictionary’s error.

1. Pleather: It wipes off!

I prefer “Vegan Leather,” actually because it sounds less plastic and more expensive, except it isn’t. Not to offend the Vegans, but I do own and love real leather things, especially the moto- jacket Jim purchased for me as a bday present, but, it can be tough to spend hundreds of $$$ on trends, and I also eat tons of cheese, and I really like it, so here I am offending. The number 1 reason I love this trend IT WIPES OFF! Grab a baby wipe and discipline with conviction, even toddlers will intuitively understand not to mess with a mom in a motorcycle jacket.

These Vera Vegan Leather Leggings from Anthropologie do wonders for the bum and an attitude. They may be more suitable for a date night, but just in case a bowl of macaroni and cheese spills all over the floor and these pants just as the babysitter is taking the reigns, fear not. Walk past the diaper changing station on the way out the door, steal a wipe, and have a drink or three in these awesome leggings. And when their price is compared to these ones at $794 which look awfully similar:

Sold!

If a whole panel of leather, pleather, well worked plastic, is too much, I recently purchased this very practical and moderately priced top from Express that offers a just a touch of the trend.

2. Maxi Dress: Bend over with confidence, Squat with no fear.

For the past few seasons, I stupidly convinced myself that I’m too short for a maxi. One brave day I found an $8 clearance striped racer-back at Marshalls. It looked short and cost the right amount of dollars to experiment with shrinking and wearing. The dryer trick made up for never hitting puberty and as I bent over all day long, cool as could be, exposing nothing, running and playing, each and every one of my 60 inches walked tall. Beyond kid wrangling practicality, they translate from summer into fall faster than a long sleeve t-shirt or pullover can be pulled over your head.

Piperline is having some good sales. Go to girl on a budget, maxi dress.

3. Boot Wedges: Run like the Wind, Wear capri pants without notice

I’m positive this one is old news, but just found these boots

I’m in loove. Great for preggo hurting feet, or regular hurting feet, awesome for a mom chasing after spirited or (disobedient) children, best at discretely hiding summer/spring short pants. Find them (still full price unfortunately) at anthropologie

4. Infinity Scarf: too many reasons to list

Okay, so the one I own and wear is made of spandex and from Lululemon, but maybe I’ll spice it up soon with a graphic pattern or jewel tone? Is that in? I’m pretty much only up on this season’s leather trend.

Here are a whole bunch of things that I do with it.

– it keeps me warm

– it looks nice – its on trend

– it can cover my face when my kids do something bad and I’m laughing but if they see me laughing I’m toast

– it can wrap a newborn when I forget to pack a blanket (always)

– it can hide a nursing baby anytime

– It can be wrapped in a way that covers my bum after a workout

– It can be wrapped to sort of look like a shirt after a work out

– It helps me feel like I sort of accessorized my spandex get ups just in case I don’t fulfill my getting dressed resolution

– I can make it into a hood and pretend to be star wars characters

– I can lay it down on a gross surface when I need to change a diaper

– It can wipe up a mess juuussst in case – It washes well incase it’s a mess

– It’s a way better airplane blanket than those navy felt things they cut back on

5. Duffle purse: ditch the diaper bag, unless you really like yours.

I hope to not offend anyone else with what I’m about to say, especially not the Vegans again, but diaper bags are just a little bit stupid. Sure they have pockets, but paying bucks for less than desirable looking fabrics is just not worth it to me. My fashion enthusiast friend recommended one like this:

I prefer a cross body deal because no hands need to be wasted dealing with a purse when they probably should be used holding a hand or wiping a nose. The ones pictured above have a removable cross body strap taking the bag from the park to dinner or somewhere else that doesn’t require holding hands in a parking lot unless there is married flirting involved. I pack what I need in plastic bags if it doesn’t have enough pockets, and then the kids throw their trash wherever they want making the plastic bag thing pointless.

Happy Shopping! Go buy something leather! but first head to MoxieWife for more!

Five Favorite Fitness Accessories

Before I begin rambling about five of my favorite fitness accessories, I owe an enormous thank you for such a kind, generous response to my last post about miscarriage. Thank you, thank you for all of your comments! And a very special thank you to Grace for sharing it with her millions of readers.

Five Favorites – my first edition! Fitness! Go to one of my favorite blogs MoxieWife.com for more

But first, another tangent:

The days of my dating life were filled with them: fast runs with my boyfriend by my side. It was quality time with him for me, a loquacious girlfriend quieted by an inability to exert herself physically and pull together coherent sentences for him, better butts for both of us. Once married, it took approximately 5 million times of his diverting against my repeated asking, “want to go for a quick run together?” before I figured it out. He hates running. He just liked me. It was all a courting strategy.

Five years, each of them my favorite, later, we have finally figured out a work out we both like to do together. Crossfit! We started last night. I’ll keep you posted. So maybe I’m jumping the fitness gun since we’ve only officially done it once, but it was super fun and without any transition at all, I’ll jump into my five favorite fitness accessories.

1. Lululemon’s Run Inspire Crop

 

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I know, I know, they cost $88 and are made of spandex, BUTT (pun intended) if you’ve ever seen yours in these, regular spandex will be difficult to get back into. I estimate somewhere around 400 workouts being magically placed into your upper thigh, gluteus maximus area in one pair of pants. Additionally, they wash better than any pair of pants I’ve ever owned, and I wash my stuff after every single work out. I’ve owned mine for almost three years. I’ve washed them approximately 5 billion times. They still look brand new. My bum has grown a few sizes in them during pregnancy, and no one but the mirror told me that they noticed. I’ve only thrown on a pair of boots and a long sweater pretending they weren’t work out pants a handful of times making myself feel like a fashion genius while actually fooling zero fashion aware people. Splurge!

2. Brooks Ghost

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I’ve tried many a shoes and these are my new favorites. They are super flexible and cushiony without the feeling of wearing a huge shoe. They support my mother of three, three and under, damaged joints and make them feel not as damaged. Aesthetically pleasing? Not as much as those trendy Nike’s, but I simply cannot just do anything when my feet hurt. Expensive? Absolutely, but I think that’s the case with all running shoes. They don’t actually make you disappear no matter how much you ask them when picking up scrambled eggs off the floor for the 7th time that morning, even if the name suggests it.

3. Stylish Pullover – Target Special

Any time I think of the word pullover, I also think of my favorite, “no its a cardigan but thanks for noticing!” scene in Dumb and Dumber.

As a busy mom, and a lazy dresser, a quick smell resistant sweater is key to transitioning from a work out into the rest of the day when there isn’t time for a shower, or you just don’t feel like taking one. I found my favorite one for target for $2.97 one glorious morning on super sale, partially making up for the $88 spandex. TJ Maxx has great ones, too.

4. Sport Beans

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If I ever had to climb a bean stock, I’m pretty sure these beans could get me to do it. As a small girl, sometimes I need some extra energy to get me through a long run, especially when I’m nursing. They help me recover faster, and they don’t make me throw up like those terrible gel meals or Gatorade. And! If your toddler hates pedialyte, like mine, they have electrolytes and they think its candy, mostly because it sort of is candy. FYI: The ones with caffeine are disgusting.

5. Burpees with kids

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Monetarily free, comedic relief for days. Usually we race each other and Josie wins. Rita rolls around, James, jumps and falls. It’s a barrel of laughs and sweat, and a full body work out complete.

 

Happy Toning!