I started these Hip Mom Rules when I was pregnant with my second child. Now that my children are older, it's fun to look back on these rules and see how they've shaped who I am as a mom to three boys as we head into their late elementary and middle school years. I'll be posting a new Hip Mom Rule every other Wednesday and a Flashback rule on the alternating Saturdays until I catch up! If you don't want to miss one, go ahead and subscribe! It would make my day. :)
Hip Mom Rule #1: It Still Matters
I knew I shouldn’t do it. I know better. You NEVER wear brown leather shoes with black pants. But, being 33 weeks pregnant and exhausted from a
day of chasing around an 18-month old, I thought, “Who is really going
to care what color shoes I have on when I can’t even see my own feet!” Besides, with a good-looking husband and a cute toddler, who would
really notice me anyway?
Once we got to the mall, I
became increasingly irritated by my poor shoe selection. I'm normally more pulled together than this. My husband looked great; my toddler looked adorable. And please don't misunderstand. It wasn't that I cared a bit about what others thought of my outfit; it was all about the fact that I hadn't taken time to dress myself confidently. I was suddenly and acutely aware of how little time I had been spending on myself as I addressed the needs of my growing family.
The thing with pregnancy and new
momhood is that we tend to put others’ needs well before our own. By the
time we catch a glimpse of ourselves in the mirror, we barely resemble
the put-together, hip women that we used to be. Instead, a bedraggled,
exhausted woman stares back. At no time in my pre-baby life would I have
let being tired prevent me from making at least SOME effort.
A hip mom
won’t be “put-together” every time she walks out the door, but this hip
mom will NOT walk out the door again just not caring. Therefore, I will
not leave for Target in my sweat pants. I will not be in my pajamas
when my husband gets home from work. I will not go three days without
washing my hair, and then cover the evidence with an old, dirty baseball
cap. Black pants, black socks. And if this means asking my husband to
tie the shoelaces on the only shoes that match those black pants, then
so be it.
I want to be my best version of myself, and I see that as including being a hip mom. For that reason, I will continue fighting to maintain some semblance of my fashionable self in
this new maze of dirty diapers, stained shirts, and perfume d’spitup.
Showing posts with label fashion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fashion. Show all posts
Saturday, February 20, 2016
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Hip Mom Rule #6: Just because you can get it on doesn't mean you should wear it
In every mother’s closet, nestled deep in the darkness of the back corner, lies a tub of clothes that once fit. These are what we affectionately call the “pre-baby” clothes. These clothes are the measuring stick by which new mothers will gauge their success in losing the baby-weight. There is great pride in being able to say that you are wearing your pre-baby jeans. But, truth be told, not everyone should be wearing their pre-baby jeans. Ever.
Like every other new mom, I tried on my pre-baby jeans just six weeks after my first baby was born. I had lost a ton of weight and was sure I was back to my old self. Well, let me tell you, there is nothing on this earth that was going to be able to slide my thighs into those jeans. Dejected and demoralized, I put them back in the tub and shoved the tub to the back of my closet.
Almost three years later, one year after the birth of my second son, I again pulled out that tub of clothes. What a day. Those jeans slid on. They were a little snug, sure, but they were on. Now I could join the ranks of women who were in their pre-baby jeans, right?
When I came dancing down the stairs to gloat to my husband, I did not get the reaction I was expecting. First of all, a hip mom should know that just because you can zip them up doesn’t mean they look good. They were snug. Okay, I could barely sit down. Second of all, these jeans were cool four years ago. Jean styles don’t change a lot, but they do change. A hip mom knows this.
My other great insight -- babies change women’s bodies a lot! I used to be able to shop in the juniors section, but in reality, very few moms who have had babies wear junior size anything! So I did what any hip mom would do. I went to the store. I found a great sale on some trendy, well-fitting jeans. I bought a couple of pairs in the smallest size that I have worn since the babies were born. I pulled them on, effortlessly, and looked in the mirror. I may never again have the small hips of my pre-baby self, but with my new jeans, I look pretty good. Okay, really good. And I can sit down and breath at the same time.
Use your old clothes as a guide. Let them inspire you. But let them inspire you to get in shape and accept your new hip momness! Then reward yourself with new clothes. Stay hip. Don’t let the joy of fitting into your pre-baby clothes sabotage your efforts at being the hippest, coolest mom around.
Like every other new mom, I tried on my pre-baby jeans just six weeks after my first baby was born. I had lost a ton of weight and was sure I was back to my old self. Well, let me tell you, there is nothing on this earth that was going to be able to slide my thighs into those jeans. Dejected and demoralized, I put them back in the tub and shoved the tub to the back of my closet.
Almost three years later, one year after the birth of my second son, I again pulled out that tub of clothes. What a day. Those jeans slid on. They were a little snug, sure, but they were on. Now I could join the ranks of women who were in their pre-baby jeans, right?
When I came dancing down the stairs to gloat to my husband, I did not get the reaction I was expecting. First of all, a hip mom should know that just because you can zip them up doesn’t mean they look good. They were snug. Okay, I could barely sit down. Second of all, these jeans were cool four years ago. Jean styles don’t change a lot, but they do change. A hip mom knows this.
My other great insight -- babies change women’s bodies a lot! I used to be able to shop in the juniors section, but in reality, very few moms who have had babies wear junior size anything! So I did what any hip mom would do. I went to the store. I found a great sale on some trendy, well-fitting jeans. I bought a couple of pairs in the smallest size that I have worn since the babies were born. I pulled them on, effortlessly, and looked in the mirror. I may never again have the small hips of my pre-baby self, but with my new jeans, I look pretty good. Okay, really good. And I can sit down and breath at the same time.
Use your old clothes as a guide. Let them inspire you. But let them inspire you to get in shape and accept your new hip momness! Then reward yourself with new clothes. Stay hip. Don’t let the joy of fitting into your pre-baby clothes sabotage your efforts at being the hippest, coolest mom around.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Hip Mom Rule #1: It Still Matters
I knew I shouldn’t do it. I know better. You NEVER wear brown shoes with a black sweater. But, being 33 weeks pregnant and exhausted from a day of chasing around an 18-month old, I thought, “Who is really going to care what color shoes I have on when I can’t even see my own feet!”
So, I chose to walk out the door in my brown shoes and black sweater. Seriously, with a good-looking husband and a cute toddler, who would really notice me anyway?
Once we got to the mall, I became increasingly self-conscious of my poor shoe selection. Everywhere I looked, I saw well-put together women who had chosen to follow the fashion rules. I felt like Janet Jackson after SuperBowl 2003 – major wardrobe malfunction!! I was miserably conspicuous. Women everywhere seemed to wonder what a well-dressed man like my husband was doing with this fashion train wreck at his side. All because I didn’t take the time to change my shoes.
The thing with pregnancy and new momhood is that we tend to put others’ needs well before our own. By the time we catch a glimpse of ourselves in the mirror, we barely resemble the put-together, hip women that we used to be. Instead, a bedraggled, exhausted woman stares back. At no time in my pre-baby life would I have been too lazy or tired to care how I looked.
A hip mom won’t be “put-together” every time she walks out the door, but this hip mom will NOT walk out the door again just not caring. Therefore, I will not leave for Target in my sweat pants. I will not be in my pajamas when my husband gets home from work. I will not go three days without washing my hair, and then cover the evidence with an old, dirty baseball cap. Black pants, black socks. And if this means asking my husband to tie the shoelaces on the only shoes that match that black sweater, then so be it.
I am a fashion conscious, hip mom, so I must continue fighting to maintain some semblance of my fashionable self in this new maze of dirty diapers, stained shirts, and perfume d’spitup.
So, I chose to walk out the door in my brown shoes and black sweater. Seriously, with a good-looking husband and a cute toddler, who would really notice me anyway?
Once we got to the mall, I became increasingly self-conscious of my poor shoe selection. Everywhere I looked, I saw well-put together women who had chosen to follow the fashion rules. I felt like Janet Jackson after SuperBowl 2003 – major wardrobe malfunction!! I was miserably conspicuous. Women everywhere seemed to wonder what a well-dressed man like my husband was doing with this fashion train wreck at his side. All because I didn’t take the time to change my shoes.
The thing with pregnancy and new momhood is that we tend to put others’ needs well before our own. By the time we catch a glimpse of ourselves in the mirror, we barely resemble the put-together, hip women that we used to be. Instead, a bedraggled, exhausted woman stares back. At no time in my pre-baby life would I have been too lazy or tired to care how I looked.
A hip mom won’t be “put-together” every time she walks out the door, but this hip mom will NOT walk out the door again just not caring. Therefore, I will not leave for Target in my sweat pants. I will not be in my pajamas when my husband gets home from work. I will not go three days without washing my hair, and then cover the evidence with an old, dirty baseball cap. Black pants, black socks. And if this means asking my husband to tie the shoelaces on the only shoes that match that black sweater, then so be it.
I am a fashion conscious, hip mom, so I must continue fighting to maintain some semblance of my fashionable self in this new maze of dirty diapers, stained shirts, and perfume d’spitup.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)