The perfect long sleeve maternity tee

Um, yeah, so it's been a while. And here I am expecting kiddo #3 so suddenly much more renewed interest in maternity clothes :)

I had alot of things left from the first two pregnancies, but I found so many shirts had stains (the belly catches everything, doesn't it?). So I did need to restock the everyday tees, plus I wanted long, soft and comfy since comfort is so hard to achieve in this state. I found the perfect tee- long sleeve, v-neck, flattering, incredibly soft, and really inexpensive:





It comes in black as well as several other colors and stripes.

40% off today with code Winter.


You're welcome :)

Your little carpenter

Nate LOVES tools. Loves them. He has a couple different tool sets and his daddy's wooden tool bench from when he was a kid. He even has a little "real" tool box that he is only allowed to play with when Daddy is sitting with him (Mommy would work to but I like for them to have something that is just theirs). And just to make sure you know everything isn't gendered in our family, I want to point out that I'm the one the kids see actually use the real tools! Anyway, now the baby is mobile and wants the big kid toys, so I thought she should have her own tools. I think we'll start with this tool set. They are made of rubber foam, so nothing to hurt - which also means it's a great car toy. I try not to allow any hard toys in the car because they could become dangerous projectiles, I'm always looking for softer things they can hold onto in the car and here is a perfect choice!

You can find them at 

the anti-mom jean mom jean

You're probably wondering what that title means, it means that while mom jeans have a bad rap, I have found some great jeans for moms. Behold, the secret of the mid-rise waist! I was iffy on them, thought they'd create the dreaded muffin top, look frumpy, etc. But, here's the great part - they are amazing! They hide problem areas - I'm very fit and pretty thin, and I'm still going to have to retire my lowest of low rise jeans for 2 reasons - 1) after having 2 kids it just doesn't work, and 2)I spend most of my day bending over to pick up people or things, and I'd rather not flash my underwear.

These are from the Gap where you can get 40% off your order today (use code FALLFIX), I highly recommend trying these. They are light, thin, stretchy and have that great mid-rise waist. Perfect for fall with a longer top and flats or boots.

A Gym Coverup

Remember how I wrote about workout pants not so long ago? Well, once you've found those, and maybe a workout top (fodder for another post), what else? I don't feel comfortable always wearing my formfitting gym clothes out and about but I also don't always want to bother with bringing a change of clothes if I only have to run an errand or especially if I'm just coming home. SO I've been looking for the right light layer to wear over it, the key is light - no sweatshirts when it's 90 degrees out thank you very much. I also really like the tops they sell where I work out but um, over $100 for a glorified sweatshirt? No thanks.

Then I found this -

It's so cute, comes in nice colors like the bright pink above, or this calming cream -

 It's not cheap, but that's ok as long as it holds up and works it's coverup magic through the summer and fall. Then I don't have to feel like I'm letting it all hang out, as it were, on my way to and from the gym. I'm sure other women out there can relate.





It's from Athleta so there is free shipping and returns, defnitely worth a try!

The perfect shirt?

I wanted a light top to provide a little coverage for casual days with the kids, going to the park, taking walks, etc. I thought a light chambray would be great. With the right shirt I could also tuck it into a skirt and wear it a little more dressed up. I was really surprised to find a great option at Old Navy of all places so it's inexpensive enough to buy a few of (important for all those "special" kid moments), and bonus points for working well as a nursing top!

I bought the dark color and this lighter one as well -

One more selling point, it's long enough to wear with leggings or skinny jeans. The holy grail of shirts? Long, light, nursing access, neutral color, cheap, washable, hmm. You decide!

Baby Steps (and Socks)

I'm not sure how this always happens, one day I'm determined to blog regularly again, and then suddenly a month has gone by since my last post. I wasn't sure how to get back into it, but it had to happen, I thought I'd do it with something cute I've been eyeing for a while now -

and wait, there's more -

They are so cute, and I used to think so unnecessary, but actually Allegra wears her socks each day so we go through them quickly (faster if she chews on them and they end up very wet!) These make a fantastic gift.

Happy Monday!

the yoga pant quandary

I'll be totally honest, I have spent a fair amount of time lately in yoga pants. At first it was because that was pretty much all that fit after Allegra was born (maternity jeans fell off and regular pants were way too snug), but then I started working out while Nate was in school and i would just leave the pants on to go pick him up. He is only in school for 3 hours so it's not like it's all day, but anyway, let's just say I've learned the value of a good workout pant. And have you seen the meme on facebook that says it's dressing up for a mom when she changes from her plaid pajama pants to yoga pants? yeah, Greg laughed sooooo hard when he saw that because he thought that was just something I did.

So, at first I was wearing cotton yoga pants. They did the job. But then when I was able to squeeze into the thicker, tighter more spandex-y ones I had I realized what a difference the fabric and fit make, even on something as elementary as a work out pant.

There are, of course, the Lululemon pants, that cost around $100. But I just can't justify that. It's true, I have a pair I got on sale and I like them, but I went to get some new ones and I dodn't like any, not enough to pay such a premium for the label. I really like other pants I've found - and I'm not afraid to toss them into the washer and dryer every week (or twice a week). I don't want to wear my workout clothes all day so they don't need to be as expensive as my jeans, they need to do the job WHILE I WORK-OUT, and wash well. So please don't let your take away from this blog post be that it's ok to wear your workout clothes all day. It's not (unless you have just had a baby, in which case kudos to you for leaving the house). But while you wear them they should be good ones. And on to the pants.

First, the Gap -

I love the gflex pants. They are thick, feel like they have a bit of compression, stay in place and hold their shape. They wash and dry well too. And they are often on sale. All good things. They also make capri tights which I think will be my next purchase.

Gap has a store dedicated to women's workout wear called Athleta, they have some amazing looking capris, these are my favorites -

They come in several colors including black, which is what I will get (although I really like these bright colors, I just can't bring myself to buy such bright workout pants). According to reviews they are light but not see through when you bend over - key for yoga or pilates (and why Lululemon is having some trouble these days...)

Check out the store, they have cute tops too, everything looks similar to Lululemon, but their prices are significantly lower.

I also like Lucy for activewear, here is a pair of their yoga pants -

I always like them when I see people wearing them. Lucy is also running some deals - free shipping and free returns and their tops are 2 for $40. That's a great deal. And now I'm inspired to go work out.