When the store is fresh out of the running shoes you specifically went in there to buy, don't fret.
Do what I did today - channel your inner sixth-grader and impulsively choose the fluorescent, rainbow sorbet shoes.
Take those home instead of the normal, responsible, bo-ring shoes you intended to buy.
Wear them out of the store.
Leave the box behind and immediately obliterate any chance of returning them should you change your mind.
Then go home and get your run on.
If you are pregnant, going to become pregnant or if you just had a baby, your wardrobe should be equipped with the Everywear Skirt from Ingrid & Isabel.
The fabric is amazing. It's a sturdy poly-nylon blend and lays amazingly flat with a matte finish - not like your average yoga pants that sport a shiny nylon sheen where you bend.
The foldover waist is itch-proof, plus it's long and covers your belly - happily holding you snug before and after baby comes. If you're looking for the absolute best maternity skirt money can buy, look no further than the Everywear Skirt.
Ingrid & Isabel say:
Pregnant moms told us they need an everyday skirt that makes them feel beautiful. They want length and a style that works from season to season. They want a comfortable fit from early pregnancy through postpartum. 
Voila! A long, work-to-play, errands-to-dinner skirt in our signature fabric. The same belly panel as our Everywear Pant lets you wear the waistband over the belly, fold it to the waist or hips, or pull it all the way down around your bum and hips for extra hug and coverage. Because of the stretch and recovery of the fabric, it can be worn throughout and after pregnancy.
I can't say enough good things about this bit of fine maternity fashion. At $88, it's worth it - sure to average $0.25 per wear by the time you're done with it. I am due this week and strongly considering ordering the Everywear Pants anyway.
One tip, the belly converage runs snug. It's comfortable, but I ordered a 2 (10-12-14) and it fits, but I am normally a pregnant 8-10, so order up a bit for maximum satisfaction.
For me, the perfect dress meets the following criteria:
1) Fits well and Looks great
2) Travels well and Doesn't wrinkle
3) Wipes clean and Dries quickly
4) Doesn't hug the tummy
5) Can be sporty and Sexy
6) Is comfortable and Comfortable
This dress is a myth you say?
Nope. The Patagonia Bandha dress is all of these things and then some. That's why it's made the list of Fussworthy Must-Haves.
Patagonia says: "Light, sleeveless, sexy and fully mobile, the Bandha's V-neck drops into a knotted bodice with a high waist and an A-line drape. Made from fabric (92% nylon/8% spandex) originally developed for climbing tights, the dress has enough resiliency and shape retention to shake off wrinkles and dust. Below-knee length; 46" from shoulder to hem (size M). Recyclable through the Common Threads Recycling Program. "
I bought two of these dresses last year from the Patagonia store and am excited to give them another spin this summer. Black and Seaport Blue look as perfect as the day I bought them.
The Bandha dress is $75 and worth every penny. Just pull it on and you're instantly polished. You can wear this to dinner, the beach, running errands or camping. You could wash it in a river bed, be dry in ten minutes and look amazing.
Okay, that may be a stretch. But, let's be honest. On any given day, being a parent can be as challenging as scaling the face of a cliff or negotiating frothy, white-capped rapids. So, you may as well look unbelievably put-together while you're doing it.
This product review conforms to the Fuss Formula.
One tip I got from the Patagonia sales associate - hang it dry to keep it looking new. Heat from the dryer can break down the elastic.
At the risk of this post reading like a fourth grade essay ... I love my Petunia Picklebottom Touring Tote diaper bag. It absolutely rules. Here's why:
1) It's deceptively roomy. (12 x 14 x 6.5)
2) It has conveniently placed pockets that I actually use.
3) It zips closed.
4) It has an easily adjustable seat belt strap. When it's long, you can wear it like a sash and still manage to carry your baby comfortably.
5) It also includes a short strap that I have never used, but it's cool of Petunia to throw it should I ever change my mind.
6) It comes with stroller clips so you can quickly unclip the strap and clip the bag to your stroller.
7) It comes in a variety of patterns and fabrics, including gorgeous brocade and wash and wipe treated canvas.
8) The back zipper compartment holds a changing pad and air-tight wipes container.
9) You can run out the door without your baby without having to change over to a purse because it looks more like a purse than a diaper bag.
10) It screams "Hip Mama" loud enough for people to bestow mad compliments upon you every time you leave the house.
The Touring Tote retails for $146 and I paid $98 on sale on the PPB Boutique site. I have a bright green brocade that has since been discontinued, but I love it. I also have the Cake by Petunia Society Satchel in dark pink. It was $325 and a bit big, so I use that as an overnight bag for Lei. For the money and sheer joy it brings, the Touring Tote is a Fussworthy Must Have.
This product review conforms to the Fuss Formula.
Do you have a favorite bag that works for you as a parent? Please leave a comment and tell us about it.
In Loser Wardrobe Challenge Part I I layed out a plan to clean out my closet and generate fundage for a brand new wardrobe. The specifics - here's the plan as I listed it back in August:
Step 1 - Clean out closets and make eBay pile. Oh how I do love eBay. Step 2 - Stop eating. Just kidding. Hit the gym. Step 3 - List my eBay goodies. Step 4 - Enlist the help of my cousins-stylists, choose stores and make hair appointments. Step 5 - Makeover/Shopping day is November 7th.
Here's the progress: 1 - Closets are clean and eBay piles are everywhere. 2 - I have stopped eating and hit the gym with my fists as I walk past it. 3 - Have listed 50 of the roughly 100 items I vowed to purge. 4 - I am focusing on Anthropologie and J Crew for chain stores and boutique shopping to round out the new look. I desperately need a new Burberry trench, but really can't justify that much of a splurge at the moment. 5 - February 17th is the new November 7th.
It feels good already, but I won't be realizing the vast expanse of space in my closet until I start shipping my precious belongings next week.
It's funny how tied to "stuff" we can be. I've had this closet, jam packed with gorgeous things that don't fit, staring at me every day since I became pregnant in July 2008. I have touched about ten items since that time and my closet is petrified into a museum of who I once was.
As I piled, photographed and listed each of these things I could remember when I bought it, why I wanted it, what I planned to do with it and how I looked at the time. I couldn't trust my intial desire to hold on to each. Is it more cost-effective to keep it? Am I really ever going to wear it again? Do I even like it? I had to make a rule that it was all going to go and stick to my guns.
It's addictive - the urge to purge. I'm less than two days into this closet-emptying exercise and I already feel lighter. Now, if I can just keep from filling it back up again.
It's a new year. Are you in the mood to clean house and start the year fresh? Post to comments and share your fuss with us!
As I mentioned here, Lei's brush with disaster was the impetus for this post on all things fabulous for feeding. I have compiled a list of extraordinary items for you and per the Fuss Formula my reasons for including each in this feeding frenzy of must-haves for nourishing your wee ones.
Once I got rolling, I realized that there are quite a few fussworthy finds, so I separated them out into breastfeeding and toddlerfeeding categories and numbered them to keep the confusion to a minimum. I'll tackle breastfeeding goodies today and toddlerfeeding in tomorrow's post. Enjoy!
I breastfed Leighton for nearly nine months. At that point, she had long since lost interest in the boobies except to smack them and laugh at me and I could no longer muster the will to pump in the face of such naughtiness on the part of my sassy daughter. I'm still a little sad about it, especially after reminiscing about all of the sweet gear that comes with breastfeeding, so I'm glad you're along for this trip down a most recent memory lane. Here we go ... The Daily Fuss's can't-breastfeed-without-'em items.
1) The Medela Freestyle breast pump is easily the best pump in town. As I discuss here in enthusiastic detail, it has expressive power, battery life, can pump both sides at once, is hands-free and clips to your waistband so you can walk around whilst you pump. This amazing little friend is worth every last penny. It retails for $379 (catch your breath) but I got mine brand new and sealed on eBay for $245. I would pay full price for it if I had to buy it again. Don't tether yourself to a pump pack the size of a boom box, get the Freestyle. You'll be glad you did.
2) Wee Go glass bottles are super duper cute and have a nice, safe, colorful, grippy cover. However, they are $18 each. I picked mine up at Babygap.com and unfortunately, I can't drum up a justification to overcome the excessive price tag. So, I'm sticking with my $2.50 Evenflo Classic Glass bottles. I actually used a box of each the 4oz and 8oz bottles for Jelly Belly filled shower decorations and ended up loving them. Here, I professed my love for the Adiri Natural Nursers, but once Leighton reached five months, she lost interest in them and I found the Evenflo Classic Glass easier to use - you can run them under hot water to heat them up quickly. We also enjoy the Avent Natural Feeding bottles now that Lei sucks down a huge baba before bed. They are made in England, have the wide mouth and are easy to hold. You can pick them up for roughly $10 apiece.
3) We rarely use our Boppy now, but it was in high demand up until three weeks ago - I couldn't live without it. Now, we use it as a fancy TV pillow. I received the Boppy Barenaked pillow ($30) and organic cotton Boppy cover ($25) as shower gifts from my Giggle registry. There is no way you will get that load of wash done in the three hours you have between feedings. So do yourself a favor and register for two.
4) I was freshly sprogged up and searching online for a legitimate way to escape stretch marks when I stumbled upon Tummy Honey Butter. I used two jars through my entire pregnancy and I DON'T HAVE ANY STRETCH MARKS. Friends who have used it don't either. I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin'. You should get it. And, remember to rub it on your BOOBS! I pay $20 a jar at early-pregnancy-tests.com. They sell pregnancy and ovulation tests super cheap too - not to mention a thousand other things. Love that site!
5) Lily Padz are an amazing replacement for those cotton breast pads that get all wet and harbor ferocious bacteria leading to mastitis. At least ... that's what happened to me. I had successfully used Lily Padz for weeks and then I got nervous thinking that sticking silicone pasties on myself could be unhealthy and clog a duct. So I bought organic cotton pads and within a week had an infection fever, clogged ducts, pain the whole nine yards. I researched Lily Padz and found that hospital studies have proven them to be more clean and effective at stopping leaks than their cotton counterparts. I bought my Lily Padz at the fancy pharmacy by my house and paid $24.95 each for two pair. They lose their stick after a while but still work, so I had an everyday pair and another for special occasions like work meetings and weddings.
6) The Baby Bond Nursing Wrap is a soft, twisty piece of cotton knit fabric that basically turns any shirt into a nursing top so you can see your baby without putting your bare skin out there for the world to see. It's a keen invention and the product tagline is ever so clever - For Nursing and Conversing. Feed Your Baby. Nourish Your Relationship. Accompanying this brilliant design is a quality burp cloth that can hang from the wrap, as well as a handy little bag for storage. It looks great, rolls up quite small and goes right in the wash. I did not pay the $35 retail price as the wrap was sent to me courtesy of Baby Bond, but I absolutely would. In fact, the Baby Bond Nursing Wrap is the newest addition to my new mom gift bag.
7) If you are even thinking about breastfeeding you need The Ultimate Breastfeeding Book of Answers. I've read every chapter and found it to be the most useful and reliable book I have aside from What to Expect - both of which were shower gifts. It retails for $20 but you can get it for half that price on Amazon.
8) We cloth diapered Leighton and Caroline (love her) at Giggle talked me into trying Bambino Mio. We ditched them quite quickly (they leak) for Fuzzi Bunz (best pocket diapers EVER) which left us with sixteen Bambino Mio Nappies or prefold cloth inserts. So, we used them as burp cloths. I like them better than any other burp cloth we tried. Swaddle Designs burpies were an easy favorite, but they are pricey and I only like the one with the flannel strip, not the ribbon, yet you are forced to buy one of each in a two pack. Boo. Plus, they fade in the wash. Double boo. The cheapy cloth diapers from Babies R Us basically turn to cardboard over time. So, lucky me, stuck with high-quality, super-soft, multi-purpose nappies. At $35 for eight, I would buy them all over again - just skip the covers.
9) It may seem that including the Bebe Au Lait Hooter Hider AND the Baby Bond Nursing wrap is redundant or conflicting. However, if you are serious about breastfeeding get both. The Hooter Hider is an apron-like cover that allows you to see what you're doing underneath. The bonus of the Hooter Hider is that it shields baby from the distractions of the world whenever necessary. I received two as gifts and have spent the $32 to give them as gifts, as well. I praise the Hooter Hider in greater detail here and continue to give it two boobs up. Although, I will note that new moms may have an easier time with Baby Bond as it is less cumbersome.
We welcome any comments you have good or bad about any of the products featured here. Feel free to mention any that we may have overlooked too! You never know what will turn up as the next Fussworthy giveaway. And remember to check back tomorrow for fabulous toddlerfeeding gadgets, utensils, feeding seating and more.
This product review conforms to the Fuss Formula.
As you may have gathered, a number of my items can be found at Giggle. It's my favorite baby store and I registered there when I was pregnant. I love it so much I contacted them to be an affiliate advertiser. In the interest of full disclosure, The Daily Fuss does receive a small percentage of purchases made at Giggle when clicking through from our Giggle banner. Your support is certainly appreciated. Happy shopping!
The Moby Wrap is basically one large swath of 100% stretchy, cotton knit - like soft and sturdy tee shirt material. You fold it in half the long way, criss cross it over your shoulders and secure it around your waist. Then, you peel a layer open and tuck your peanut inside. I saw someone on the street with one and I sought it out online.
There are a multitude of ways to carry your wee one in the Moby Wrap - from preemie to thirty-five pounder. Each Moby Wrap thankfully comes with a color photo instruction booklet to illustrate the various holds. And, at $44.95, it's a bargain compared with the other types of carries that can cost upwards of $100. Admittedly, my next purchase was going to be the Lillebaby Everywhere Carrier if the Moby didn't work. And Moby is much kinder to your back muscles.
I am enamored with my Moby. When Leighton was fresh from the oven, snugging her into the Moby was a sure fire way to calm her down if she started crying. I could breastfeed her in it without disturbing her. And, I could do other things while holding her if needed. What? No way!
I will admit that wrapping myself in what appeared to be a small hammock was intimidating at first. In fact, I felt that way about a number of my baby accoutrements. It's one thing to register for sweet baby gear and quite another to identify the moment in time each becomes potentially useful. Eventually, you must decide whether you're ready to use a particular piece of your sweet baby gear beyond the walls of your home so as to publicly declare its utility.
I overcame my fear in the midst of Leighton's very first meltdown two days after coming home from the hospital. I pulled out my freshly laundered, kakhi-colored Moby, followed the instructions, and slipped Lei between the fabric folds. Voila! It felt like a giant ACE bandage held my baby close to my body in a most comforting way. She was safe and secure higher up on my chest and her weight was distributed across my entire back. She was quiet and instantly asleep, I was comfortable and ... my hands were free! Damn. It was magical. I kept a nukka in one of the other fabric fold for easy access if she started fussing again.
We used the Moby to take Leighton to restaurants. Okay. Some were technically bars, but they serve great food, we sat out on the patio and we never stayed past sundown with Lei. It folds up flat so it's easy to toss in the bottom of the stroller. It's perfect for air travel too. It won't set off a metal detector and you can skip the car seat with a teeny weeny baby because they're attached to you.
After a few days I had the wrapping routine down to under a minute. I mastered the cradle hold and eventually a few of the others. I highly recommend the moby and it gets more fun as your baby grows. We're going to try the Lotus hold today.
This product review conforms to the Fuss Formula.
We love to hear about your experiences - good or bad. Please post a comment and share your fuss with us!
I see how it happens. You wake up one day and realize that you've been rotating the same two pair of stretchy-fold-over-waist-lycra-blend pants for months and you can't even remember if they're really maternity pants or not.
What's worse, you decide that you will do no more than "trim" your hair until you've lost the last of the baby weight.
Or maybe it's just me.
Nah. If I were alone in this, Oprah would never have makeover shows, Real Simple magazine would fold and Stacy and Clinton would be job hunting.
I have some fabulous pieces in my wardrobe. I just don't know if they will ever fit me again. Or, if I will like them anymore by the time they do. This leads me to the single conclusion that I must inject some rules of reality tv into my life and create my own weight-loss makeover challenge. Kind of like The Biggest Loser meets What Not to Wear.
What Not to Lose? What Losers Wear? I'm not sure what to call it, but I will lose the last of the baby weight, clean out my closets and then buy a new wardrobe. Eeeeeeeyah! I feel motivated and empowered. Loser Wardrobe Challenge maybe?
Sounds simple enough.
Here's the plan: Step 1 - Clean out closets and make eBay pile. Oh how I do love eBay. Step 2 - Stop eating. Just kidding. Hit the gym. Step 3 - List my eBay goodies. Step 4 - Enlist the help of my cousins-stylists, choose stores and make hair appointments. Step 5 - Makeover/Shopping day is November 7th.
This will be fun. Unless Baby Fever gets the best of me. If it does, we'll do a maternity makeover.
Does this sound familiar, dear readers? If you starred in a reality tv show, what would it be? Please share your fuss with us!
At first I thought, "Thanks for the apron-boob-cover-smock" when I received it as a baby shower gift. Oh. Such a fool!
I can't even count on my fingers and toes how many times I have used my Bebe Au Lait Nursing Cover A.K.A Hooter Hider. It's breastfeeding awareness month and so I felt the need to mention how handy this little item is. Thirty-five dollars of fun and I have given several as gifts just this year.
The Hooter Hider fabric is hip, it covers your baby whilst feeding and it folds up to fit in your diaper bag. Plus, it holds itself open so you can see your baby and stay breezy too.
Personally, I believe we should be able to feed our babies wherever and whenever in whatever manner we please, with or without coverage.
Still, sometimes - especially in a busy, crowded place, even baby needs to block out the world. (In fact, I saw a mom using her Hooter Hider on the Amtrak this week just so her baby could nap). Moreover, anything that encourages even a shy mom to breastfeed her beeb in public is a boon to mother-kind.
I have fed Leighton by the pool, in the park, at the zoo, in a restaurant and at Ravinia and many times, my Hooter Hider has been a crucial part of making us both comfortable.
Cheers to you Bebe Au Lait! Two boobs up!
This product review conforms to the Fuss Formula.
TIP: To celebrate five years of supreme Hooter Hiderness, purchase one Hooter Hider at full price and get a second for $5. FIVE BUCKS!?! Yep. Just choose two Hooter Hiders and use coupon code HHFOR5 during checkout.
As if we aren't self-conscious enough about stepping through the looking glass of marriage and parenthood, occasionally something small occurs to crystallize a reality that we are no longer "cool" in the same way we were in our singleton, mingling days. True, wedded bliss and parenthood bring new joys of a magnitude unimaginable to the skinny-jean-clad twenty-two year-old who just hopped in front of you in line as though you were invisible (or because she was texting furiously and wouldn't have seen you anyway).
Please don't misunderstand. I love skinny jean girl. She reminds me how far I've come and how life gets better with each passing year and how I would rather get a root canal than repeat my twenties and lose the insight I earned in that delicious decade.
Skinny jean girl has so much in store for her. She will read chick-lit on the train on the way to work and have her heart broken and spend too much on shoes and ring up a big ugly credit card bill and have an insane hangover and kill many plants and only buy 4x6 picture frames and have a semi-compromising picture show up on a social networking site and get in a huge fight with her mom and forget to take insurance on the rental car and wear something inappropriate to work and not know which fork to use and put her foot in her mouth and accidentally hit "reply all" and get the same, bad haircut twice, and worship Carrie Bradshaw for all the wrong reasons.
Still, when I received two catalogs from Boden yesterday - the first addressed to my maiden name and the other to my married moniker - I was taken aback. Each featured a different promotion. As a single girl I was offered 15% off, and as a married mama only a random 11%. Apparently the difference between being "young and single" and "aging and hitched" isn't the whole skinny jean thing. The difference, very plainly, is 4%.
At first, I moved to toss both in the trash, along with six J. Crew catalogs offering 20% off my order of $100 or more, with little care as to my name or status. Instead, I reflected on all of the foregoing and felt proud that the richness I've added to my life in just the last three years is far greater than the 4% figure that jumped out at me. I also realize that I'm reading much more deeply into this customer SNAFU than it deserves, but it makes for a decent post.
Alas, I have but two questions: 1) Really? Eleven percent is so random; and 2) What the fuss, Boden?
I fancy myself environmentally conscious … or as environmentally conscious as I can be while accepting a continuous flow of online purchase deliveries to my home. With that in mind, plastic shopping bags drive me crazy and finding a store in my neighborhood that accepts them for recycling just isn’t happening. Thus, I am addicted to Envirosax. I’ve been using them for years now.
Envirosax are basically nylon shopping bags that hold lots of stuff, look great, fit comfortably over your shoulder and come in lots of fantastic designs. They roll up and have a snap tab to keep them rolled in your stroller, purse, car or man bag.
I have several of the Graphic Series and a few sax from the Green Grocer line. I have yet to try the Organic, but you can bet that will be my next purchase. The true purpose of this post however, is the Kids Series. Hip and cute! What a great way to teach kids about environmental responsibility.
Envirosax will run you $8.50 per bag or you can buy a set of five for $37.95. The size is perfect, and I believe you can fit more in one of these bags than in a large, paper shopping bag. They hold up well, as long as you don’t drag them on the ground with several bottles of wine in them. Doing so will eventually produce a hole … I would imagine.
I’ve seen Envirosax around the city at various stores, but I buy them off the official website. I have no reason for doing so other than the fact that I like to have access to all of the designs. I realize that I’ve mentioned groceries, but I also use Envirosax for trips to the farmer’s market, as a hamper when I travel, to haul loot home from a trip to my parents’ house, to take food or wine to a friend’s party and for all other shopping. If you are one of those people who likes to accumulate bags from various stores during a trip to the mall because you think it’s cool, please understand that going the ecological/sustainable route is much cooler. I promise.
As a bonus, your kid can follow your positive example and cart his or her kid belongings all over town in eco-friendly style. Oh yeah. Envirosax make great gifts too, meanwhile helping you make a statement about our precious planet.
This product review conforms to the Fuss Formula.
