Amazing sale on classic kids clothes

Bella Bliss, a Lexington, KY company, is hosting a huge sale right now on their fall/winter items. Head over there quickly to stock up for next year. I'm thrilled with the items I was able to pick up for the boys today (and I even threw in a skirt for myself!!).

A few of the darling offerings......

(for $12 and made of pima cotton- you better believe I bought both for Peter for next Christmas!!)

 

(in numerous colors with contrasting ric rac on the back)

 

(tons of intarsia sweaters- I already own two and LOVE them. Amazing quality)

 

(Darling bow skirt that also comes in an adult woman's size)

 

(sweet as pie boy bubble)

 

(and matching sister dress!!! I DIE!!!)

 

 

They also have tons of pima cotton basics like peter pan collar shirts, turtlenecks, long sleeved polo shirts and rugbys and adorable cordoroy pants, ruffle overalls and regular overalls. There is cute stuff even for 8-14 year olds. Plus, almost everything is monogrammable!!! I can also attest that the quality is amazing! Also, there is free shipping during the sale on orders over $100. Hope you all find as much as I did!!

 

 

 

 

Fall Wishlist

Since I still haven't packed away my summer clothes, I don't really know what I "need" for the fall, but here are a few things I've tried on or lusted after online lately

Milano Rib Blazer- I tried this blazer on in the store and it is just perfect. It would look great with jeans for a dressed up weekend look yet it's still totally work appropriate. Even better, it would totally work with a nursing tank underneath. I love my navy wool blazer from LE, and I know I would love this one too. It comes in a few other colors (all with the contrast edging) if you are looking for an updated blazer this fall. This striped blazer looks fabulous too.

I tried on the downtown field jacket in the store after I had seen a few bloggers blog about it. I love, love, love it!! It looks better IRL than it does on this dual denim model. I like the olive and the navy and would totally buy both except for B would not appreciate the addition of two more jackets to our front closet. I'm going to be lucky to pull off one! I'm going to ask my mom for this for my birthday as she is just as jacket obsessed as I am :)

MCW- I immediately thought of you when I saw this striped cowlneck dress. I love, love, love it. I doubt I will buy it as I'd be terrified of how my backside would look with the stripes going across, but someone should definitely buy this. I'd have a hard time deciding between the ivory/navy and the kelly green/navy.

 The Hopsy Studs from Bridier Baubles are just my cup of tea. Glamorous yet always appropriate and a perfect shade of pink. My mother-in-law would look great in these and will probably be receiving a pair for her next birthday. We don't see each other very often as they live in FL, so I don't think it would be too weird to own the same earrings. Right??

The other thing I'd love to find are a pair of well fitting colored cords. A deep burgandy, plum, green or red is what I am thinking about. I just need to try on a few pairs as I know there out there this season.

So what's on your fall wishlist? Any fabulous finds I should look at too?

What to Wear: The Nursing Edition

Trying to find clothes that are cute and "transitional" (ie- I haven't lost all my baby weight yet) post-partum is not fun.  No one wants to buy a whole new wardrobe that won't be worn for long, and there are definitely occasions that you want to dress up for (ie- not wear yoga pants and a tshirt) during those weeks/months after giving birth.  This has been my life this summer.  I am now at the point wear I am fitting into more and more of my regular clothes (with about 7 lbs left to lose) but am now faced with another dressing dilemma. 

Nursing/pumping at work clothes

While the above shirt is labeled as nursing wear, it is not something I would wear (ever), nor is it appropriate for someone who has to work in an office and pump three times a day (for the next 9 months of my life).  I breastfed Spencer for approx 13 months (wanted to stop at 12 but the darn kid wouldn't drink whole milk at all and the pediatrician said he had to be drinking milk or formula before I could stop nursing), and I'd like to do the same for Peter.  I've also come to the point when it's time to head back into work and get out of the comfy yoga pants/maxi dress mode.  I don't know how many of you are in similar situations, but I thought I'd put together some ideas of what to wear when you/your precious babe needs access to your lady parts 5, 6, 7 times a day!!

The first thing you need are good nursing tanks.  I have some from Target, Old Navy, Gap and Motherhood. The pull down ones from Motherhood I like way more than I expected to, and since they don't have clasps anywhere, you don't have to wear anything layered overtop to avoid it looking like a nursing top.

I wear a tank a few days a week, layered under cardigans, sweaters, and blazers. They keep some modesty (I share an office with 4 other females and they're around while I'm pumping most of the time) and still help me to look pulled together when worn with dress pants and a blazer/sweater.  I highly recommend at least two black and two white tanks and then a few colored ones to go under your more neutral cardigans. I find I wear my black and white ones all the time so only having one of each is not enough. Finding time to do laundry mid-week when you are away from the house 45-50 hours a week and have a baby at home is hard, so just make it easier on yourself and have an extra!

Button downs, popovers, or wrap tops are great options when pumping at work or nursing in public. It's easy to be discreet when you only have to undo a few buttons, and the wrap tops allow you to just slide the fabric right under your bra. I actually have the wrap shirt above in two colors (navy and coral from Target) and it's been my go to shirt all summer. It was easy to dress up or down and looks great with accessories, and the ruching on the side helps to hide the post-partum belly. Now that I am almost back to my normal size, it still looks cute on and is completely appropriate for work. I wish they had it in a long sleeve version for this winter!

I love to wear dresses to work. I find that they are super easy in the morning to put on, comfortable to wear throughout the day, and always help me to look pulled together/polished. Many of my "normal" dresses don't work while I'm pumping b/c you can't exactly unzip an entire sheath dress and sit topless in the office, so I've had to find other options.  I find the easiest dresses to wear are vneck or crossover top dresses that are made of a modal or cotton/lycra fabric that has lots of stretch. 

I have the above maxi from Target in blue. I wear a nursing tank underneath (it's a pretty deep vneck) and it's perfect. While I wouldn't wear this to work (too casual), it's been perfect for maternity leave and weekends. It's really long, so if you are tall, this is definitely the dress to buy!!

While this dress is technically a maternity dress, it's got the stretchy vneck and a darling embellishment at the waist which would be perfect for the first few months of nursing when you are still trying to lose the baby weight. I actually have a maternity dress (Liz Lange, Target) that I bought after Peter was here that I have worn all summer. I just bought one size down and it's a very flowy maxi dress so you cannot tell AT ALL that it is a maternity dress. I love it! At the above price (29.99- Target's website), you can't beat this dress for something that looks pulled together (especially under a cardigan) but feels like you are wearing pjs. Certainly something I would wear post-partum!

The above dress by JCrew is one that I adore. I actually have an almost identical one from Land's End that I bought when I was doing this two years ago with Spencer. At work, I just unbutton a few buttons while pumping, and off I go. Easy peasy!!

Cute dress from the Loft that has the vneck. This would be adorable with a cardigan over top for work (white for now, navy or gray for fall).

Wrap dresses (above from Banana) are the ultimate nursing dress. I have two in my closet and am always on the lookout for more.  These are also great for moms who SAH but who need a great dress for church.

Other tips:

I try to keep a few extra nursing pads in my pumping bag. This way if I forget to put them under my tank or in my bra in the morning, I can deal with that at work.

I don't have a hands free pumping bra, but I have heard they are fantastic. I just use one hand to prop both and then type with my other hand. Most of the time while I am nursing, I tend to get onto my Google Reader anyway, so it's more about perusing than it is about typing. If you are actually needing to type while pumping, I would for sure recommend a hands free bra!

Get a great water bottle for work. Nursing drains me of fluid (literally!) and most people are constantly thirsty. It's easier to remember to drink when you have a cute water bottle at work that makes you happy when you see it.

Does anyone else have suggestions for ladies who are pumping at work? What are your favorite outfits to wear? I'm currently at work in a white VV button down and charcoal slacks, and my outfits this week include a button down dress, a cardigan and tank with capris, a navy wrap top with coral chinos, and a skirt and top (this top will be a little tricky but I'll keep my lab coat on when pumping).

Hopefully this helps someone out there!!

Recent maternity purchases

Maternity and nursing sleep shirt

Matching pants (both are on sale!!)

Fabulously comfy set of pjs that I can fit into now and will be able to wear later for nursing!

Hoodie cardigan

Matching pants

I'm going to wear this outfit home from the hospital with a nursing tank.  It's so cute on and will be so comfy to come home in (especially if I have to have another c-section).

Adorable shirt WITH pockets!!

This shirt is so comfortable, it has pockets, it looks great over leggings with a cardigan now and will look adorable this spring too! 

I scored all this on sale and am really happy with these purchases.  I haven't bought much at all this pregnancy, so I didn't mind buying a few extra things now.  I do need to get a few more nursing tanks for this time around as mine are SO worn from wearing them constantly for a year after Spence was born.  If I can find a few cute nursing tops (besides just tanks), I'm in for those as well.  I keep checking Zulily as they've had good deals in the past on nursing clothes.  Anyone else out there love the nursing tops they have or other cute new maternity clothes?

Holiday dressing

Absolutely gorgeous black dress perfect for pretty much any occasion.  Very Jackie-ish AND under $100!!  If only my every expanding waistline would fit into this number, I would buy it in a heartbeat.  Anyone else need a classic black dress?

Yes, I dress my baby like a baby........

I've been thinking about this post for the last week and am not really sure how to write it.  I am not into controversy, and I would never want to hurt anyone's feelings on purpose so I hope this post doesn't offend anyone.  I just had "a moment" last week at church and need to get it off my chest.  The "moment" has been building for awhile (pretty much all summer).  I do know that I've brought this on myself.  I do know that it would be easy to change this.  But at what point do I get to do what I want vs what the rest of the midwestern mommies and daddies and random strangers at church think I should do? 

 

As my (10) faithful readers know, this is my buddy.  He is sweet, he is my heart, and, he is ONE!!!  He is not 6, he is not 13, he is not 22, and he is not his daddy.  He is still a baby, and I really, really don't see the problem with dressing him like one. 

Peter pan collars?  Sweet on babies.  Smocking on longalls?  Even more precious.  Bubbles, jon jons, rompers, sunsuits?  I don't care what you call them, they're appropriate when it's hot out and make him look like a little boy.  I may not be jealous of the extreme heat that the south has in the summer, but I am jealous that you can take your babies out in sweet outfits and people don't look at you like you are a crazy woman who might just be trying to turn her son into a girl.

(see, even as a newborn he looked like a boy!!)

I have to say, I am NOT trying to dress my little guy up like he is a girl.  I am dressing him like he is a baby.  If you look at pictures from my brother 30 years ago?  Same kind of outfits.  Sweet sunsuits with appliques, the occasional smocked outfit for church, etc.  These are classic clothes for young boys.  I understand that there are plenty of people out there (especially in the midwest) who don't dress their children this way.  Church clothes are khacki shorts and polo shirts, khacki pants and sweaters, cordouroys and button downs.  Don't get me wrong, Spence has plenty of all of the above.  He certainly isn't wearing smocking to daycare (too expensive to ruin!!) and wears very "normal" boys clothes a lot.  However, there are times when I want him to look sweet and a little more "dressed", and I don't find anything wrong with that. 

(bad picture, adorable outfit!)

I've heard it from some of my extended family "Oh, AEOT's got Spence in a dress again."  I've heard it from B's family, "Seriously, don't they make, like, regular collars?".  I heard it from a woman at church who asked my what my child's name was (essentially because she couldn't figure out why a boy would be wearing an outfit like the one he wore to church)(which was sweetly balanced out by a very darling grandmother who told my husband how sweet his baby boy looked in his cute outfit!).  And I've heard it from others "Oh, he's a boy?" when he's wearing something a little fuller (as above) or something smocked.

Yes, he's a boy.  Seriously, dude, my son has the BEST hair (not to brag but for a 15 month old he has his daddy's really good hair), and if he were a girl, don't you think he'd have bows in it?  And not a bowl cut?  And he'd be in an actual DRESS?????  Shortalls snap at the crotch and have legs.  They are NOT dresses. 

I want my baby to be a baby for a year or two or three.  Is that too much to ask?  Is it really that odd that I don't dress him exactly like my husband?  He has the rest of his life to dress like his daddy.  Yes, he looks cute in a button down and cords, but he looks much sweeter in his smocked longalls and peter pan collars.  And that sweetness will go away soon enough.  Why do people feel the need to rush him through this sweet, innocent baby stage? 

Listen, I don't care what you dress your kid in as long as said child is clean, so let me do my thing too.  You want your baby in skull and crossbones?  Go for it (Gap did it well last year)!  You want your kid in a sport jersey all the time?  I can totally respect that (though I may not respect your teams ;)).  Your favorite kiddo's outfit says "I dig my mom" or "Daddy's little pumpkin".  Totally cool.  It's your sweet babe, and you are picking out the clothes that you think are cute because you know that in 4 or 5 years, you will have very little control over what he will wear (it'll only be the Superman tshirt that he has worn every day for the past week or the shirt that is getting way too small but is the favorite) and so you have to get it all in now while you can.  Well, that's all I'm doing too.  And, honestly, I'm going to do it no matter what others say, but that doesn't mean it doesn't hurt my feeling at times. 

Moral of this (very long, very ranty) story?  If we have 2 or 3 more children and they're all boys, I'm going to have to convince B to move down south where momma's believe in smocking!!

Weekly winner!!

Very fun surprise this Monday evening as I was checking FB.  I was the weekly winner on Salmon Cove's FB page!!  The weekly winner gets a $50 gift card towards Salmon Cove products.  I've blogged about the company before.  The quality of the shirt I already own is phenomenal, and it's the first shirt I  pull out of my closet when I need a polo (easy choice because it's navy, it's monogrammed, and it's seriously the perfect fit!!)

Pink and green!!

The Harbor Springs button down- perfect name for this up north couple!!

I would highly recommend "liking" the page on FB to see if you could also be one of the weekly winners!!  Why not, right?  Seriously, who would turn down this chance?  Let me know if you head over there or if you already own some of their products.

Now, the questions exists, do I get a long sleeved polo, a short sleeved polo, or do I buy B a new shirt??  Any advice? 

PS- Don't forget to check out their blog here!!

A little birdie told me....

that Bella Bliss is going to have a monster sale on Wed. 

Not entirely sure what it entails, but I know I will be heading over to the website first thing Wed morning to check it out.  Spencer has a few outfits from them and I just love them.  Made of true pima cotton, they are so soft, wash up very well (no fading!), and are almost all monogrammable!  I think it's hard to find sweet, simple, yet high quality boy's clothes, and Bella Bliss definitely has great items.  They also have fantastic sweaters that are pricey, but worth it for the quality.  My mom found one for me at an upscale consignment boutique, and it's beyond adorable.  It's a 2T, so Spence can't wear it yet, but once he fits into it, it'll be a staple!!  There are also gorgeous things for girls!

Check it out and, if you get anything, let me know!  I'll do the same!

Anyone going to a party?

If you are, here are a few cute dresses and skirt for your consideration........

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via

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via- in multiple colors!!

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I just love pretty dresses.  I wish I had an excuse to wear fun ones more often!  My work dresses are so much more staid than the ones above.  Any other fun summer dresses you love??  Or any great work dresses that you love (and I need to order?)?

Happy Tuesday!!

TDF CUTE!!!

Jana Oosthuizen (daughter of Louis) and her mom Nel-Mare

Check out the back of her caddy outfit!!!  OOSTY!!!!  Seriously, I DIE!!!

Plus that cute little ping hat?  Squeal!!!!

Blow this one up and check out Stuart Appleby's daughter's caddie outfits.  The older girls have gingham lined outfits and the little boy has polkadots!  So preptastic!

Another shot of Mia, Max, and Ella Appleby.  Mommy points to Mrs. Appleby for thinking up these outfits!!

Fr those who are looking for a little more adult eye candy......

Andy Roddick caddied for Zach Johnson in the par 3.  I would have followed that pair all day long!!

A.R. looks so good in those aviators!

And one of my two "golf husbands" (Luke Donald) looks pretty fine himself!!

Bummer that Luke ended up winning- that pretty much takes him out of the race for Sunday, if superstition holds true.  His wife is beautiful, no???