Reston Mom

hooter hiders

We were at a large park the other day and in one little playground area, a couple of moms were sitting on the wooden edge nursing their babies.  (I'd like to interject here and say that l am all for a woman's comfort and right to nurse in public)  However, neither of them were wearing any kind of cover, not that they were really exposed or anything.  Still, as my girls wanted to play there, I accompanied them while my husband sort of looked on from the neighboring other play area.  I can't blame him....both clearly uncomfortable and a very respectful person, he simply chose to keep a little distance.  And I agreed with him that in a populated public area, nursing moms at least should use a blanket or something.  Anyway...all this to say two things - I might have recommended this nursing cover simply because I love the name Hooter Hider (hee hee).  And, I remember that a friend gave me a simple pashmina when Maddie was born, and I declared it the best thing ever!  It was large enough to wrap clear around me so that Maddie could neither pull nor kick it off, but it was light-weight so it didn't smother either of us.  Plus, it came in handy as a cover over the stroller when it was sunny or when Maddie was napping or as a blanket when it was a little chilly or something for the shopping cart seat.  It was cotton and washable and I took it everywhere!

Tees for Change

Here's a great company - Tees for Change; sustainable tees on a mission.  I adore the baby line, but I'm sure you'll love the women's and men's tees too.  The company was started by a mom during her first pregnancy.  She was bombarded by negative and fearful responses from others when she desired to have a home birth, so she made herself a tee with the words "be courageous" and wore it during her successful delivery.  From that was also birthed this company whose mission is to inspire people to live with passion, purpose, and positivity.  The shirts are fair-trade, organic, and made under sweatshop-free conditions...plus, for every shirt you buy, they will plant a tree through American Forests' Global Relief. 

From now through August 31st, YOU CAN RECEIVE 15% OFF of your purchase just by using the coupon code "RESTON".

TOMS shoes for tomorrow

I think that the buffalo print and picnic canvas print in these tiny TOMS shoes are adorable, but I must say that the pink camo is probably my favorite (as are all things pink).  The thing I love the most about these shoes?  That for every pair you buy, they will give a free pair to a child in need.  They come in pre-walker and toddler sizes...and because we like to wear cute things too - adult sizes. 

great buy at H&M

My friend Amy directed me to this deal:  If you have little girls, H&M has cute and simple sleeveless cotton summer dresses in colorful prints for $4.90 right now.  My girls want to wear dresses every day and only dresses, so you can imagine what a hot deal this is for us.  These are great and will make wonderful day-to-day dresses, swim cover-ups and more....I'm sure my girls will even find a way to wear them to bed!

No slippy hair clippy

I ran into a friend at the grocery store who was so excited about these No Slippy Hair Clippy barettes that she just had to tell me! Apparently they really do work great!  I wish I had known about them when my girls were born with heads totally full of fine baby hair - even now, I continue to search for really great barettes.  I have to say that these are so super cute too that it's really hard to choose! Here are a few of my faves - but there are a ton of styles to choose freom. My girls would go crazy over these and I'd go crazy over finally being able to keep their hair out of their faces!

flip n' flop

Here's a novel idea for the coming warmer months.....flip n' flop flip-flops for ages 4 - 8 feature a book hidden inside the secret compartment of each sole.  The books are designed to teach compassion and empathy "put yourself in my shoes."  The books are tear resistant and water resistant and kids will love keeping the books or other small treasures tucked away in their secret compartments.  You can also buy pairs of stories separately to keep the fun coming. The flip-flops come in four kid-friendly colors.  I'm a sucker for creative ideas like this!

Blush topless undershirts

These topless undershirts have been gaining popularity and I can see why. They seem so comfortable, helpful, and convenient.  Plus, I think they'd be helpful for nursing too - which I was doing alot in the winter when inevitably you have several layers of clothes to get through...try doing that discreetly in public! Anyway, if we were to have another baby - I'd want a couple of these in my collection, absolutely!

Daddy-to-be T's

I have a few friends who are currently first-time pregnant and it is fun to see them exploring the maternity-wear world - which pants are better, the ones with the stretchy band or the big cloth belly? And most importantly, wearing cool T's that hug their growing belly to show the world that there is definitely something wonderful happening in there (it's not just belly-fat people!).  While it may be annoying, these women are being patted, congratulated, engaged in conversation all the time...while their also excitedly expecting hubbies are, what? Sort of sitting on the sidelines, waiting.  Well, they'll get their chance when they finally get to parade around with a cute little bundle in their arms - there's nothing like a proud daddy showing off his new little bundle of joy.  Still, I was glad to see this company making fun T's for the fathers as well - they aren't displaying a huge, traffic-stopping belly - but why shouldn't they get to display some pride too? Try this on for size: "the man behind the belly," "he shoots, he scores," "bullseye," my personal favorite, "look what I did," and more....

Silver mom pendants from Citrus

I've always liked the idea of "mother's jewelry" but I haven't found many pieces that I really liked. Here is one that I do.  It is a simple and elegant way by Citrus Silver to display the names of your little gems without charms that clink like coins or get in the way or just look plain tacky.  Plus, it's a little unusual...a diversion from the usual picture lockets, charm bracelets, or birthstone accessories.  There are a variety of pendants in different shapes and options.  I'd wear any of these and I'd give them as a gift too - the stamping is whatever you want, so these might be suitable for occasions other than just motherhood as well.

Crazy 8 clothes

We don't have one of these yet, but I hope that we will soon.  In August, Gymboree opened it's first of a new chain of concept stores which offer those cool styles that have made Gymboree really popular, but at 30% of the price.  For example, long sleeve T's start at 2 for $6. Crazy 8 outfits newborns to child size 14, both boys and girls. While they hope to have plenty of stores up and running soon, you'll have to shop online until then.

My sister goes on Donny Deutsch show!

I recently posted about the launch of my sister's new business, Mamaisms, and I've been proudly sporting the tees she sent to me.  Her fame continues to grow as she will appear on Donny Deutsch's show "The Big Idea" on CNBC, Jan 16th (that's Wednesday) 7pm pacific and 10pm eastern times. The business will be featured in a "what's new" short along with a panel of successful entrepreneurs who will review the product and idea and give opinions and advice.  I'm so excited for her! (and my other sister, Kathleen, who is a partner too!) If you are interested in starting your own business, then perhaps the show will offer some good advice to keep in mind, and if you want to know which one is my sister - she's the really pretty blonde named Jane Chaucer.

maternity fashion for the non-pregnant

          Recently upon visiting my 20 week pregnant sister-in-law, she was wearing a cute sweater so I asked her where she bought it.  She named a department store, and I said - oh, I didn't know that they had maternity wear there! and....well, they don't, it wasn't.  But, have you noticed that some of the trends in fashion have blurred the lines a bit? Smocks, baby dolls, and flowy fashion have decidedly made it easier for those who are expecting to be in style....causing Mothers Work, Inc. (parent company of Pea in the Pod, Mimi, and Motherhood Maternity) losses of more than $20 in sales. But does it work the other way too?  If you wear these styles, do people suddenly start to wonder if you are keeping something secret? I haven't decided yet what I think about this trend in apparel.  While definitely more flattering on some figures and temptingly comfortable, at a petite 5'3", I always feel like I'm swimming in an overwhelming amount of fabric when I try these styles on, it is difficult to find just the right fit, and I feel like I look pregnant - so I think it probably just isn't for me.