Style Snippets: Mom Jeans and Other Fashion Don'ts

My on-going fear as a SAHM is that I will become the true epitome of THAT MOM.  You know, the one who wears her jammies to take the kids to school and thinks that dressing up is wearing a clean shirt and sweatpants to the library.

This fear has always been my motivation to being a lazymom.  I'm afraid that someday I will realize that without my kids I have no identity.  Well, guess what Ladies!  Our kids will someday leave the nest and we will be alone with our husbands again.  If we have centered our lives around our kids, what will be left of us as women and as wives?  What will be left of our marriage.  My mom once told me that if I don't take care of myself, I won't be able to take care of my family and my home.  

Sooooo true, Mammas!!!!  In that instant I had a revelation.  I was holding my 6-day-old firstborn in my nasty, stanky arms that hadn't seen the inside of a shower for days, nor had I changed clothes in as many days.  My mom took the baby and assured me it was ok to let babies cry.   (it really is--it's what they do.)  She made me take a long shower, get dressed in real clothes, blow out my hair, and put make up on.  It was miraculous how I felt afterwards.  And guess what!  The baby really was fine.  From that point on I have always made time each day to make sure that I feel good about how I look before going out.  

Don't get me wrong.  I don't shower or wash my hair daily.  For one, it's not good for the oils in each, and for two, it takes too much time.  But I do make sure that I at least wash my face and brush my teeth and hair.  I also try to "put myself together" clothing-wise even if it means sweats (like today).  I have going out sweats and going to bed sweats.  The going out (to the grocery at the most) sweats are black bootcut yoga numbers.  Believe it or not they don't stretch out at the knees (my absolute pet peeve!) and from a distance they could be mistaken as regular pants.  I usually pair them with a cute, clean top (no boxy t-shirts!!!) and a cute hoodie or denim jacket.  This is an outfit I wear out maybe once a month.  (Today is that day!!!)  I always make sure though that on that one day I take the time to do my face and to do my hair.  

You will be amazed at the difference in your outlook on life if you take a few extra minutes a day to take care of yourself.  Let the babe scream for five minutes while you put on some mascara and lip gloss.  Plan ahead the night before and do like LM1 does.  This will allow you the extra moments for yourself.  Trust me, your kids will appreciate it, not to mention what your husband will think.  

Remember that you have been fearfully and wonderfully made!  You are the handiwork of a loving and very creative Creator God.  Nothing He makes is worthless, especially not you.  He lovingly made you and placed you in your life to serve Him.  You are immeasurably loved and there is no end to your potential in Christ Jesus.  Don't be afraid to let the beautiful woman that God created you to be come out and show her face.  Take care of yourself every day and watch the miracle that will take place in your heart, in your life, and in your family.  

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This post was somewhat inspired by this post.  There will definitely be more posts like this in the future!  So be sure to keep your eyes open to these little Style Snippets.

:::

LM2

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My Life Is Forever Changed

...because of this!

I am so not kidding you either! We were at the mall to get a few other things and I wanted to get a pair of jean capris and I needed to get some maternity underwear. (Hey, listen! There comes a point in ones life when rolling underwear is no longer a funny side effect of a growing belly. I'm tired of it!)

Anyway, my Sugar Daddy was paying for my goods when I remembered (finally!!!) to look for a support belt. I'd been hearing about how one might help eleviate all the lower belly pain I was having, but every time I went shopping, I forgot about it. So I tried it on and immediately the pain was gone. It was incredible! I was so stunned that it kinda, kinda left me speechless. All I kept saying is, "I cannot believe this! There's NO pain!"

We had promised Natalie we'd take her to the Disney Store and we were all starving, so we did those things first. But then I headed right back to Mimi. I walked in and the lady just grinned. I slapped that belt on the counter and said, "I am wearing this outta here." She just laughed. But I tell you what, I put that sucker on and walked out of the store like a regular person. No waddling here! I couldn't believe that I was actually walking semi-normal again. Once we were home I walked up and down the stairs like I used to.

I so wish that I would have bought one of these 5 months ago. Why did no one suggest one of these to me before!?!?!?!

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Lazy Mom Tip #16

This lazy mom tip is all about organizing the lazy mom way.... using what's already out there! Why reinvent the wheel, right?

So I have to do a shout out to one of my favorite organization websites... organizedhome.com. It has the BEST free planner forms that you can download and print off for your use.

Let me give you a little tour of my favorites...

I use this one for every birthday party I plan. It's great for keeping me on track and then I save it in my kids' keepsake box so they can see their parties over the years.

This one I print off on the other side of the birthday party planner. That way everything I need to know about the party is on one sheet.

I use this one every Christmas when I'm trying to keep track of who I need to buy gifts for still.

This one I printed off on a magnet sheet that I got at Walmart. Then I covered it with clear contact paper to make it a dry erase board and stuck it to the side of my refrigerator. It works great (when I use it!).

So those are my favorites. I've always meant to use this one , but just never have and for those of you who are crafty, this section is great.

So take advantage of organizedhome.com and print off their forms! It's a great lazy mom way of looking like you have it all together!

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Good News!!!

I think we have narrowed down our list of baby names!  Last night The Music Man and I devoured the long list of first and middles name combinations.  We were actually able to narrow it down to four names that we're BOTH happy with.  Can you even believe it!?

We didn't really feel like we could cut the list anymore last night, so we've tabled the discussion for now.  Although, this morning I looked at it again and now I'm feeling like maybe we should just take the list of names to the hospital with us when we go and see who this little guy is first. 

:::

Here are a few hints to what the names are:

The first is not a very common name.  I've only hear it once and he was/is a radio personality that my husband and I have enjoyed for years.  The middle name is quite common and chosen for its meaning.

The second is another uncommon name, although I'm sure more common that the first.  I personally have only heard of it once.  It was the name of a character in one of my favorite girlie movies.  This name shares the same middle name as the first.  

The third name is a much more common name and has only grown in popularity over the last few years.  Chances are you know someone who has named their baby this in the last few years, and that is exactly why I haven't fully embraced it.  BUT, once we found the perfect middle name, I was in love.  I once knew a guy in collage with this middle name as his first.  He was so cute in a boyish way with his curly blond hair, and I always thought that it would be fun to name my future son his name.  A person with this name just had to be cute and adorable.  

And the last name on our list is a common name, but not often used.  If that makes any sense.  It's like Natalie (my daughter).  Everyone has heard of it, but it's not like Chris and Jenny of the 80's.  It's short and sweet.  (I'm pulling for a little more exotic spelling, but my hubby likes the basic.)  The middle name is another very common name circa 1982, like Chris and Jenny, but again we fell in love based on the rich meaning.

None of the first names have any great significance or deep meaning, but the middle names are all Biblical and rich with meaning for me.  Meaning is important to me, especially with this child because of all that I went through last year.  

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Based on those hints, what are your guesses?  Did the hints help at all?

:::LM2:::

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UPDATE: Baby Name Dilemma

So, as you know my husband and I have been struggling with a name for this man-child within my womb.  Earlier this week we decided to completely ditch all the names that have been suggested, considered, or admired thus far and start completely fresh.  We came up with a list of four names.  

We also came up with a list of five names for his middle name.  It's still more than I would like to have at this point in time (we're just shy of 2 months from due date).  I took each first name and chose my favorite middle name to go with it.  I then wrote the name with all of the other middle names.  I did this for each first name.  As I was writing all these names out I realized that the name I thought I loved wasn't the one I was loving anymore.  A clear favorite had emerged and it was completely different than anything I've considered so far.

The Music Man had to make a hospital call and get an oil change in my car, so he wasn't around for this epiphany.  I think I'm going to make this list for him, making sure to offer no clue as to my favorite and ask him for his favorite.  I'm so curious to see what he chooses.  What if he chooses my favorite?!  Then I think we will have named our baby!!!  Oooo... That would be so exciting!  I feel like we've made a big step to actually making a decision!!!!

(I thought about sharing these lists with you and getting your opinions, but then I realized that it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks if we don't like it.  So, I'm sorry but you'll have to wait until this babe is born to weigh in on whether we chose the right name or not.)  

:::LM2:::

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Working Together

Last night The Music Man and I worked on a project TOGETHER!  Now if you know us, you already know how incredibly different we are and that there are very few projects (or activities) that will capture both of our attention.  

He loves anything music related or electronic.... I love that he knows how all these gadgets works and provides them for me, but beyond that I don't really care.  He knows music like no one I've ever met (hence the nickname The Music Man), but I don't know the right words to any song, nor can I name the drummer, bass player, and producer of any album ever created like he can.  

I, on the hand, love anything having to do with fashion, design, organization (my latest passion) -- basically anything that will beautify a space, whether it's a face, pregnant body, or a dining room.  I love to web shop, not necessarily to buy, but to find out what's new.  I love reading design blogs, catalogues, magazines, and books on design.  My current library books are 301 Stylish Storage Ideas, Sink Reflections, Complete Roses, and  I Like You.  I love to watch design shows, the Style Network, and anything on Fine Living, especially anything Sarah Richardson does!

So, yesterday I was busy nesting around the house when it hit me... I HAVE TO ORGANIZE ALL OF THE GIRL-CHILD'S BABY CLOTHES RIGHT NOW!  (As I mentioned, my latest and greatest passion is organizing and the need to organize often hits me at the most inopportune times.  It sends me into a mild panic until I finish.  Then I feel as though the world is right again.  I think it may be a nesting side-effect, but I'm embracing it as a new way of life.)  Back to the baby clothes:  I made five piles: donate, keep, ebay, Gracie, and Brielle.  Donate goes to Goodwill.  Keep is the nostalgic stuff.  Ebay is the stuff to sell on ebay.  Gracie and Brielle are two little girls at church that will be able to grow into some of my daughter's things.  

I immediately put the Gracie, Brielle, and Donate bags into the van.  I packed away the keep stuff.  I then re-organized the ebay stuff into "lots."  When my hubby got home I announced our project for the evening: Posting all this stuff on ebay.  Woo-Hoo!  I just knew it was the perfect project to balance our loves.  For me, it would meet my organizing needs as well and my need to provide affordable, cute clothing for someone else's child.  For The Music Man: it would meet his need to buy new ebay software and productive time on his computer that I was actually encouraging.  

I'm not sure he really shared my excitement about our project, but he was just relieved to finally be doing something with the piles and piles of pink clothes amassing in our basement.  We took pictures of about 15 different collections of clothes.  We posted five of them.  Some of the stuff is winter, so we'll hold off on those auctions till the fall.  

Proof of our hard work...

Ahhhh... my nesting soul is a rest for this moment.  

This was one of the very few baby projects that I have insisted we have to do right now that hubby has not wondered how the heck he got roped into this one.  (I know exactly how he got himself roped into this one.  It's all fun and games till someone gets pregnant!)  Bless his heart!  

He has been great about meeting my sudden "needs" to do something right now.  The other weekend I about had a meltdown because I only had 14 newborn outfits.  So The Music Man's solution was to take me to Babies R' Us and buy stuff.  It worked and it motivated me to delve into the underworld of pink baby clothes to find the neutral yellow stuff.  That motivated me to organize and get rid of the excess pink stuff that happened last night.  

Soon, hopefully before the baby is born, I will have all this stuff organized.  My life and home will be de-cluttered and efficiently organized.  Remember that purging the old, unused stuff in your life and home is the nectar of life.  It will make you feel better.  I promise.  

This is what's left on my Right Now list:

1. Reorganize changing table

2. Name this child

3. Organize recipe books

4. Move the cradle up from the basement

5. Remodel my living room and bathroom

6. Visit Ikea, See Jane Work, and the Container Store to stock up on organizational products

7. Buy diapers, wipes, butt creme, Vaseline, and gauze pads (I'm having a boy and apparently you need Vaseline and gauze pads for boys.  I'm not really sure---I'm a girl-mom.  If gauze came in princess designs I may be a little better equipped.)

8.  Do spring planting (veggies in the back, flowers out front, and pots on the deck)

9. Decide once and for all what diaper bag I will use

10.  Get a pedicure

At any moment I may be struck with the need to do any one of these things or a brand new project not yet mentioned or even thought of with no fore-warning or preparation.  Be praying for The Music Man.  He needs it.  I'll be sure to keep you posted.  I only have a little over 2 months to go and there's still a lot to do.  

If you ever have questions about what do do to de-clutter your life or how to deal with a particularly frustrating area of mess in your home, be sure to ask.  That's what us LazyMoms are here for.  To help you out!  You are not alone!

:::LM2:::

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Lazy Mom Tip #15

Time for another lazy mom tip!

I got this lazy mom tip from a friend of mine a year ago and I've been doing it ever since. My friend told me that got tired of digging around in the bottom of her purse for things like chap stick, lotion, and other things like that. So she went out and bought clear cosmetic zip bags to keep these things in. Brilliant!

So now I have two clear cosmetic bags of my own that I keep in my purse. One holds little travel size medicines in it like, Children's Tylenol, Pepto Bismol, and Ibuprofen. My other bag holds this stuff for me...

A Tide-to-go stick, chap stick, lotion, allergy tablets, germ-x, fingernail clippers, and tweezers.

Now I know this is TOTALLY obvious, but what's so great about them is they are CLEAR. So now when I'm driving down the road I just rummage my hand around my purse and pull out one of these bags and I can easily see what I need right away.

Love, LOVE, LOVE this lazy mom tip! I got my cute little clear bags at Walmart in the cosemtic section for about $3.00.

So there you have it... be sure and tune in next time for tip #16!

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Panic!? What Panic!?

I have mastered the panic! At least I hope so.

This weekend I had a near meltdown. My sympathetic husband's solution was to take me to Babies R' Us and let me go nuts. $160 later I was beginning to feel better. I came home and went through the stuff packed away in my daughter's closet and pulled out the things I thought I might need with this next baby.

Ahhh....

After dinner, Sympathetic Husband helped me get to the gigantic bins filled with baby clothes in the basement and I sorted through all the pink frills to find a handful of yellow, green, and blue things to put on my man-child.

Ahhh....

Yesterday I washed and dyed burp clothes in hues of blue, green, orange, tan, and brown. (More to come on that later this week.) By late last night, I was physically exhausted from all the bustling activity, but mentally I couldn't stop myself.

Ahhh....

I had a hard time waking up this morning, but when I did, I literally jumped out of bed (what a sight that was!) and jumped right into my day. I stripped the beds completely naked (as the girl-child says) and got those going. 

Ahhh....

Breakfast is next on the agenda and then we are off to Target. I order a couple things online and unfortunately they aren't going to work, so I'm returning them. I need to get some Dreft and then it's back home to begin washing baby things. 

Ahhh....

By 2 o'clock this afternoon I will probably be absolutely exhausted, but I will feel so much better about the fact that my son will be here in roughly 10-11 weeks.  Things are beginning to look like a baby will live here.

Ahhh... Nesting is good for the pregnant soul!

Next on the list: Begin posting old maternity clothes and girly baby clothes on ebay.

Baby Tip:  (Really this is a LIFE Tip!)  Purge! Purge!! Purge!!! It's the nectar of life!

:::LM2:::

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