When Laurel was a baby, one of my rookie nursing mom mistakes was attending a wedding in a regular dress -- meaning, one with an inflexible neckline and a side zipper that basically made it impossible to nurse without undressing. So when I started looking for nursing-friendly dresses to wear to a couple of weddings this year, after being completely underwhelmed by the nursing cocktail dress market, I was thrilled to land on the perfect style -- a dress that looks fabulous, nursing or not.When Laurel was a baby, one of my rookie nursing mom mistakes was attending a wedding in a regular dress -- meaning, one with an inflexible neckline and a side zipper that basically made it impossible to nurse without undressing. So when I started looking for nursing-friendly dresses to wear to a couple of weddings this year, after being completely underwhelmed by the nursing cocktail dress market, I was thrilled to land on the perfect style -- a dress that looks fabulous, nursing or not.
Today, Lindsey shares a local self-care gem (that is making my feet twitch in happy anticipation):
I am a runner with ache-y Achilles tendons and a (probably related) on-and-off case of plantar fasciitis. I have wanted to try reflexology for a long time: partially I am drawn to the concept of spots on the feet correlating with imbalances in the body, but mostly I love having my feet rubbed.
Today, Carole Arsenault of Boston Baby Nurses shares baby first teeth basics:
When can you expect your baby's first teeth? Most babies get their first teeth between the ages of three and seven months old, although it is possible to get them earlier or even later than seven months. Teeth actually start to develop before birth as tooth buds form in the gums, but your baby's teeth will start to break through one at a time throughout the first two years, typically in this order: bottom two middle, top two middle, side, and then back teeth. The last teeth to appear will be your baby's molars, which come in around two years old. By three your baby will have a full set of 20 baby teeth.
Just yesterday I suggested rotating your kids' wardrobes. Today, Jennifer offers inspiration to rotate yours as well:
If you're like me, you are just now swapping out the summer clothes for fall, and my fall stuff definitely needed a few fun updates. When Nordstrom Rack opened recently in Burlington (dangerously close to my 'hood; there also are locations in Danvers and Framingham), I was intrigued. I should say that prior to my recent trip, I had never been to a Nordstrom Rack and I rarely go to Nordstrom's or the mall, because I'm a frugal shopper and tend to camp out at T.J. Maxx and Marshalls. I like to say it's because I am committed to supporting local businesses (their HQ is in Framingham) but it's also because they are just. simply. awesome. stores. I can maximize 10 minutes wedged between a meeting and school pick-up and come out with a great Calvin Klein dress for $49.
I've known about Tea Collection for a while (I still regret that I never got around to purchasing from their Korea collection a while back), but it wasn't until recently that I had a chance to see their products. And while the clothes are really lovely out of the box, they move to the realm of tremendously awesome once placed on real little bodies. I recently had the opportunity to style some pieces from Tea's fall collection and was struck not only by the quality and design, but by the ability to create really cute coordinated (but not overly matchy match) sibling outfits (read: perfect for family photos or general everyday cuteness). Read on to check out the coordinated outfits I assembled, as well as to learn how to be one of three winners to receive a $100 Tea gift certificate!
Though I typically am a fan of bikinis, given that I'm hitting swimsuit season about three months postpartum, I wanted a little more coverage this season. Just the other week I was looking remorsefully at my bikini collection (which includes a couple of cute bikinis I bought at Lands' End last year) when Lands' End reached out and asked if I'd like to try out some swimsuits for editorial consideration. And I'm thrilled to report that there's just as much cuteness in the full coverage suits as there are in the bikinis. Here are two great picks to consider:
I love supporting the businesses of friends and family, so last year, when I learned that my high school pal Ashley was an Arbonne consultant, I started purchasing my FC5 skin care products from her. And when Ashley found out I was pregnant, she sent me Arbonne's Baby Care Set. Not only was I touched by this kind gift, but since Violet's birth, I've been happy to discover that I dig these products for Violet (save the body oil, which I haven't yet had occasion to use) just as much as I do the FC5 collection for myself.
Ever since Laurel became upwardly mobile, I couldn't help but notice the proliferation of Crocs on kids, but Laurel never showed much interest (save the collecting potential of jibbitz) due to her desire for all things girly. And apparently it's amazing what a flower cut out and the right colors can do. I recently received a pair of Crocs Chameleons Shirley Girls to test out with Laurel and she pretty much wore them for three days straight out of the box. Comfortable (Laurel immediately tore down the sidewalk as soon as she put them on) and girly, the additional hit feature of these shoes is that they change color in the sun. Initially white, within seconds of sun exposure on Friday, Laurel's shoes turned violet (which she of course loves, given our little Violet). And even during the weekend's overcast weather, we found that the shoes still turned color, just not as deep.
I met Joslyn Taylor of Simple Lovely last year in New York City at an event to benefit the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund, and was thrilled to reconnect with her awesomeness at Altitude Design Summit this year. Joslyn is so elegant and has wonderful (seemingly effortless!) style, so for today's four favorites guest post, I asked Joslyn to share four pretty and lovely things to help moms forget the giant mess that home has turned into (when I asked Joslyn to guest post I envisioned being surrounded by soiled burp cloths, breast pump supplies, and take out containers...).
My friend Lindsay Ferrier not only is a fantastic, funny writer (her personal blog Suburban Turmoil makes me laugh and cry, and her style blog She's Still Got It has inspired more than a few shopping sprees), but she always looks fantastically put together while being totally approachable. I have adored Lindsay ever since meeting her at Blissdom, and for today's four favorites guest post, I asked Lindsay to recommend her four favorite postpartum fashion picks. She's such an overachiever that she gave me six.
My friend Amy Turn Sharp is a talented writer, a mamapreneur -- she and her husband craft lovely little wood toys for wee ones via their indie, eco business Little Alouette -- and she also has a baby in the house. So for today's four favorites guest post, I asked Amy to recommend four favorite (indie and eco-friendly) baby things that she and her son Scout are digging right now.
A couple of months ago, after (probably too) many weeks of winging it with my regular clothes, I finally came to terms with the fact that I needed maternity tops. It also quickly became painfully (literally) clear that I needed new bras too. Read on for my thoughts on three of Bravado's maternity/nursing bra offerings, as well as to learn how to win a Bravado nursing bra or tank!
I love wearing dresses, but clearly, going bare legged isn't the greatest option if getting from point A to B involves going outside in frigid winter weather. So I was thrilled to find -- in advance of heading to Alt Summit -- Sara Blakely's ASSETS maternity tights. Though slimming features weren't my concern, I was drawn to these tights given Blakely's Spanx reputation, and clearly, Blakely knows how to deliver the goods. The tights are affordable, supportive, true to size, and feature a remarkably comfortable pregnancy panel (I also bought a pair of cheapo back up tights and they were nowhere near as well made). At Alt, while I did go bare legged in a dress one evening (when getting from points A to B/C/D were all within the hotel), I wore the ASSETS tights another night out with a purple dress with cool metal accents and gray peep toe booties. I felt fantastic. And fantastically comfortable. Even after indulging in too many finger foods.
Today, Heather shares a handy denim (and money!) saving solution:
My active 3.5 year old boys have been blowing through the knees of their jeans well before the rest of the denim shows wear. And while ripped jeans may be fashionable, my boys are taking it to the extreme! I thus was happy to find that Lee makes a reasonably priced jean with a "double tough" reinforced knee, and I was even happier that they come with an inner adjustable waist to accommodate growth. The jeans are really holding up great and I have been able to find them at Sears and Kohl's. So while I still cringe with every jump, climb, fall, and slide, at least I no longer have to add new jeans to my shopping list!
Today, Jennifer shares her favorite beauty solution for the season:
A couple of weeks ago some gal pals and I went to a local salon, Lexington Nails in Lexington, to check a miraculous new gel-based nail polish we'd heard about called CND Shellac. Apparently it's strong enough to resist the smudges, chips, and fading that we moms experience all too quickly after treating ourselves to a manicure. Since the product is so new, this particular salon only offered a few colors, so I went with a basic pale pink just to be on the safe side. It took only 20-25 minutes to apply and dry under a UV lamp. It was crazy fast drying. Like, no-worries-digging-for-your-car-keys-in-your-handbag-right-after crazy fast. We all marveled at our nails over coffee afterward.
If you didn't have a chance to watch episode 5 of Life.Style live on Thursday, I highly recommend you check it out! It was a fantastic eco and budget friendly episode, in which Marie LeBaron of Make and Takes shared ideas for turning trash into craft treasure as well as nature inspired projects, and Allison Czarnecki of Petit Elefant offered awesome how-to's on home beauty remedies using five ingredients or less. I also shared some terrific video submissions showcasing clever ideas for inexpensive gift wrapping, as well as a few of my own inspiration points. Check out the segment to see additional images, video, and inspiration, but as promised, for easy reference below I link up leads shared by me and my guests. Enjoy!
Today's Dear Boston Mamas question comes from Jenny via e-mail:
Dear Boston Mamas, I'm pregnant with my first child and would love to find a prenatal yoga class in Harvard Square or Watertown. Do you know of any good classes/instructors? Thanks!