A little while ago, I received this comment from an anonymous reader:

  "First off, I love your blog...thank you for sticking with it. I know you said you shop at garage sales and Goodwill a lot, but can you please give those of us who are fashionably challenged a few tips on what stores or brands are your favorites? :)"

   I wish they would have signed their name so I could thank them properly!  But in any case anonymous fan, thanks for reading the blog, and letting me know.  It's so encouraging. And thanks for being brave enough to comment and ask for tips.  I think we all feel like we can use fresh input/ideas when it comes to wardrobes.  You're not alone!

   I honestly had no clue of the scope of my 2nd-hand shopping addiction until I tried to put together outfits for this post.  I could barely even get fully clothed without putting on at least one or two articles that were from thrift stores!  I guess that's kind of something to be proud of, but it really doesn't make for an effective "this-is-where-you-can-shop" type post.  But I managed to find a few here.:)


   This outfit isn't totally brand-new, the skirt is from Goodwill.  Sorry, sorry, I tried.  But the shirt is from Forever 21, and that is definitely one of my first go-to stores if I am going to buy something new.   Their products are the highest quality sometimes, but they are CHEAP.  Especially their jewelry.  You can get a necklace as low as $2! So if that's what you're looking for, that's a good place to start.
  As a general rule, I buy things on sale or clearance, but this chambray shirt was full price, and the reason I made the exception for this was because it is a wardrobe staple.  I know it's something that I will wear for years, can be used in a myriad of different outfits in innumerable ways, and so to me, it's worth it. 

   The necklace however, was on clearance for around 4 bucks at Banana Republic.  Score!  The shoes....I have no clue.  I think I bought them back in high school.  Sorry, I'm seriously not cut out for this fashion blog stuff, because almost everything I own is either really old or 2nd-hand.  Bear with me.

   O.k. for this one we've got Old Navy on display, which is another one of my favorite stores.  The hat, dress, and pants are all from there.  The dress was around $7, the pants around $10, the hat was somewhere in between those.  This outfit, or different variations of it, are a go-to for me.  They can be weather appropriate for just about anything if you add or subtract a sweater, and it's so comfortable and covering I feel like I can do any kind of activity or physical exertion that motherhood might throw my way.


   This outfit is comprised of some more Forever 21 (the top, around $12) and Ross (the skirt, $10).  Ross is a store that sells name brand clothing for way, way less than normal retail price.  I'm not sure if Ross is everywhere or not, but if you have one nearby, you should definitely check it out.  I know people who can make these maxi skirts for as cheap as $6.  But if you're sewing-skills-challenged such as myself, you wouldn't brave it and $10 new would seem like a steal. 

   There's much talk these days of "momiforms".  I kind of love and hate that phrase.  I think I love it because, well, it's true.  There is a go-to uniform of sorts that every mom has and finds herself wearing over and over again until it drives her and everyone else crazy.  Sure, we would all like to take an hour or so to try on different options and accessories, mixing patterns and prints and colors until we find something fun and new and fresh and.....I just got exhausted writing that, much less doing it.  It's just not practical anymore.  When I was 18?  Sure.  Now that I'm 27 and mother of 2-under-2?  Not happenin'. 


   So what do we resort to?  The momiform.  And I think I hate that phrase because it dredges up visions of khaki pants and polo shirts, like a Target employee or something.  But on the contrary....it doesn't have to be awul, it just needs to be easy, practical, and comfortable, and ready to tackle whatever the day may bring.  Elbows-up-to-suds at bath time, snotty noses, spit-up peaches, laundry detergent splatters, stray cheerios.....you get the picture.  We're not talkin' silk and satin here, ladies.

   In the winter, it is drizzly and rainy and gray around here, and although some days are surprisingly sunny and warm, it's is usually quite cloudy and chilly.  So my first and foremost concerns, are to be dry and warm.  That's why I find myself, time and time again, turning to this outfit.  I guess you could say this, is my momiform.


   Horrible quality pic, I know, but work with me here.  A neutral, cozy sweater dress, skinny jeans, and rain boots.  I feel invincible in this outfit.  I can jump, run, squat, dance and bend in it, and you better believe a baby and a toddler will require you to do all of those things, multiple times a day.  It is not restricting or revealing, and I am as comfortable as if I were in my p.j.'s. The neutral colors allows me to experiment with accessories like hats, head bands and scarves, and really change the whole look of the outfit, when really, we all know I'm just wearing the same thing every few days. :p  It's every mom's dream, really. 
   For someone who is cold-blooded and lives in a large, drafty farm house, warmth is a PRIORITY.  I feel like I struck gold when I found this sweater dress because somehow, it is mysteriously always the right temperature.  I don't need to add a jacket or coat on most days to go out, and when I come back in, I'm not sweating.  Magic.  On extra-chilly days I just throw on a scarf and it's perfect.

 


  
   Alrighty then, now that all of you think I need to desperately go on a shopping trip and get some variety in my wardrobe, I will bid you adieu.:)  What is your momiform?  I'd love to see it.  Post a pic and link up here and we'll all commiserate together on how we wear the same things every day!  It's a party!  And if you need some inspiration, here are some other momiform looks I love.









   Here's to making over moms in their p.j.s, one pair of sweat pants at a time. :)  Over and out. 

   Sometimes I'm a little late to my New Year's Resolutions.  As in, making them in February.  But January is still so hectic with the dust settling from Christmas, and New Year's parties and so on, and there's all this pressure to quickhurryupfastrightnow choose your resolutions and start them, and sometimes I need to let my head stop spinning and clear up a bit, and then a new one comes to me.

Like this one.....GET IN THE PICTURES WITH YOUR KIDS.

   We all like taking a ba-jillion pictures of our kids, and with good reason.  They change/grow so quickly and we need to capture these moments while we can, and they are going to cherish them later.  But I remember as a child just LOVING looking through old photo albums that had pictures of our parents.  The ones of us kids were fun to look at too, but whenever I saw one of Dad and Mom, I just sort of stopped, and stared.  I loved taking it all in....the ebony waves of her hair, the sandy brown waves of his, the dark, doe-brown eyes of Mom, Dad's striking green, the dress she was wearing, the muscle tee on him, the dishes she was washing, the way he carried my sister and I around on his shoulders....whatever it was, it captured them in that moment, and that is something that otherwise I would never really get to witness.  Because when our parents are young, well, we're babies.  So we don't get to experience that part of them unless it is through pictures.  So preserve those moments for yourself, but also for your children who will one day be so glad you did.

End rant.

   Yesterday we had an unseasonably beautiful day, and the girls and I went outside for some fresh air.  And yes, the grass truly is that green, folks.  I didn't even touch the saturation on most of these! Just a gorgeous, breathtaking January day.  We even went for a little bike ride.  O.k. I'll stop making you all jealous.




    Jocelyn's been doing this strange, bizarro thing lately where when you go to kiss her, she tries to lick you.  Odd, and quite surprising, I will say.  Little stinker.


    Charlotte didn't do much but lay on her blanket looking cute.  Which I must say she did quite well.



    What?!  One of the three of us together?  Unheard of!  Impossible!  Miracle of miracles!  And....a little fuzzy.  Can't win 'em all.


    One thing I do love about our place is the gorgeous trees.   Call me picky, but that is always one of my "must-haves" when looking at places to live.  O.k. so it's not a deal-breaker, but I'd always prefer for it to have old, stately-looking trees, if at all possible. 



    Look who's standing up!  This little muncher is sooo strong.  Jocelyn at this age would barely even lift her head much when you laid her on her tummy.  I am preparing myself for an early walker.


And one with Uncle Shelby, who was the photographer for a lot of these.

   So, that being said, I know first hand how HARD it is to get pictures of yourself with the kids.  You have a million opportunities to snap ones of them, but not so much ones of you all together.  It's hard to get them to hold still for one thing, much less prop up a camera on some rickety contraption and set the timer and manage to miraculously get everyone looking for one moment in time.

   Obviously, the easiest/best solution is to have a professional photographer at your beck and call.  But since most of us don't (with the exception of a few that are married to one, lucky ducks) we have to come up with something else.  Like a friend, spouse, or brother to take the pictures for you.  In this instance, I used the latter and we had a marvelous time.  Shelby was so kind to indulge me in a mini photoshoot and I finally got some pictures of me and the girls.  It had been TOO long.  And you don't have to travel far at all!  These were just taken in our back yard.

  So  that is my inspiration for all you mommies today....get IN the picture.  And aren't you glad times have changed from this, when the mother didn't want to be in the picture?  Those poor kids....I'd bet they'd love to look back and see what their moms looked like then.  So bizarre.  P.S., that is a really interesting post, but I'm not personally endorsing that blog because of her EXTREME liberal views.  In fact, it makes me so steaming mad sometimes when she talks about abortion or politics that I can hardly see straight, but then I figured it's actually good to read something out of my little personal bubble of beliefs, so that I can know how to address/ respond to issues with non-believers.  Another bunny trail....

With that, I will sign off.  It's the weekend everyone!!! Hope you have a great one. 

Time marches on.

   Wasn't it yesterday that I was staring in disbelief at that little pink line that meant a human was growing inside of me for the very first time?!  Who was I to think I could be a mother?  I was never one of those 16-year olds that scurried around church looking for a baby to hold.  I didn't just l-o-o-o-o-o-ve babies like some girls do.  I didn't dislike them, I just liked other things better.

    And now somehow, here I am, with a two year old, and a 6-month old.  Can it be?  Sometimes I look at them together and just shake my head thinking, "Do those really belong to me?" This is craziness. And since I'm a little overdue on their 2-yr and 6-month updates, we will do those now. 

Jocelyn
    Her most recent favorite activity is "tea party".  As I type (and nurse) she is bustling around her little table and chairs, pouring tea, arranging fake food and letting her imagination run wild.  I love it.

  I think I can now say she is officially potty-trained. During the day. She is doing wonderfully and rarely has an accident, but her mama chickened out and is doing diapers at nap time and night.  I started out doing underwear only, and she woke up a few times from a nap dry, so I know she can do it, but I just did not feel the motivation to stick with it through such a busy holiday season.  Now that the holidays are over, I am ready to start thinking about it again.  I still think if I had stuck with the panties-only thing, it would have worked.  As soon as she wakes up, she doesn't go in her diaper.  Even if I'm busy and leave it on for a while, she asks to go potty in the potty.  So maybe I will have to test my "all-or-nothing" theory out with Charlotte.:)
    Ever since the play, Jocelyn has been all about Mary.  She points to every Biblical figure in a storybook, nativity scene, poster, etc.  that looks somewhat close to Mary and shouts, "Mary!"  She even called me Mary for a while, and I think she thought that's what my name was. We corrected her, and now she likes to call me Shelley.  There is something so stinkin' cute about her little voice saying my name, but I'd rather go by mama, thank you very much.
  She truly loves her sister, and has started playing so much nicer with Charlotte. I am thrilled.  This week for the first time I have even been able to leave them together, alone, in their room, as Charlotte plays on the floor with toys, and Jocelyn is busy with her own activities.  Not quite playing "together" yet, but happily co-existing is plenty for me. 

 She is going to be my big helper, I can already tell.  She is hardly ever more pleased than when I let her measure ingredients for me, load laundry into the dryer, sweep the floor, or dust with a rag.   Those are some of her favorite things to 'play'.

 She is still sleeping in her crib, and I want to prolong  switching to a toddler bed as long as I possibly can, because naptime and bedtime is so easy right now.  We do her routine of stories, prayers, brushing teeth, etc. and lay her down and she talks happily to herself and her toys until falling asleep.  I really need to transition them soon as Charlotte is getting too big for her cradle, but I don't want to yet!  Any advice for making that transition go smoothly?

 Of course she is not perfect, and we have quite a few things we are working on right now.  For example, don't ride your sister like a pony, and don't eat the clay Mary figurine, even if she is your favorite......................


   It's nice to hug, but it is not so nice to hug and squeeze and tackle and squish.  This goes for sisters AND friends.  And strangers at the library. Sigh.  And pouting is not becoming to a lady.

 But even less becoming, are full-out fits.
   But in spite of all her areas that need improvement, I refuse to fall prey to the "Terrible Twos" mentality.  I think the reason they seem so "terrible" is because they are morphing from basically a baby into a little person who suddenly wants to explore, investigate, taste, feel and experience everything, all at once.  That desire to learn and that budding curiosity is something I think we can extinguish, if we're not careful.  We can create fear, worry, distrust and anxiety in a child, when I believe it is more natural at first to be fearless and brave.  And so I am determined to approach this time as a great threshold for learning and opportunity and not wave it off as the "Terrible twos" and throw my hands in the air in despair.  I actually really cringe whenever I hear someone refer to this age that way.

Charlotte
   Is 6 months old! *confetti* *cheers*  Each time with a baby I feel as if I round a giant corner at 6 months.  Raising an infant 0-6 is climbing Mt Everest, and 6-12 months is the way back down.  I always feel my subconscious heaving a great sigh of relief as if to say, "We made it.  We did it.  You are still in one piece.  Take a moment and celebrate your survival."  And I am SO happy to be here, where I am right now, and not 5 months ago. :)
 Charli has two teeth! Did I say that one last time?  I can't remember. She's had them for a while.  She occasionally tries to test them out on me, but realizes her mistake pretty quickly.

  She has also started solid foods, but I am taking it REALLY slow as she is extremely prone to constipation.  Any suggestions of helping that?  Other than prune juice and Karo syrup?  Jocelyn struggled with it terribly too.

   Her most recent acquired skill is crawling!!!  She sort of army crawls and pulls herself by her arms and scoots all over the place.  That counts, right?  She is fascinated with toys, dolls, and crinkly things, and can entertain herself happily for quite some time.  Still working on sitting up though, not quite there yet.

   Holy blue eyes!  Those continue to take me by surprise.  She is more vocal than I remember Jocelyn being, and babbles to herself quite a bit.  And talks to us too, for that matter.  Sometimes she can sound quite demanding with her little "words" even without crying, and I find that so cute.  I'm sure I won't forever, but for now, it's definitely sweet.:)

    Mama likes to match her two little girlies, and occasionally, gets in on the fun herself.  Poor Daddy feels like he lives in a zoo sometimes with all the animal print going on around here.  On second thought, maybe he just feels left out 'cuz he doesn't have any.....I'll have to work on that. ;)

   Well I must run.  Duty calls, and my Little Miss needs some Mommy time!  Hope you're all gearing up for a fabulous weekend.

P.S.  I know, I know those tabs on the side aren't working yet. That is totally my fault, and totally something I will (hopefully soon) remedy.  In the meantime, I hope it doesn't bother anyone too much!  This blog is a work in progress.:)