Mom Style Isn't Mom Style Anymore

Not all that long ago, you could spot a mom trying to relish a few moments of shopping alone just from her clothing.  I mean, we've all heard of the term "mom jeans!" In the not so distant past, moms were known for their lack of style. It's like we had children and suddenly, we were no longer allowed to wear frilly skirts or cute shoes. We had to trade in our heels for scuffed up running shoes because, well, let's face it. We'd be doing a lot, I repeat A LOT, of running after that toddler on a daily basis.

 Flats: Target ($5, on clearance)

And if you're like me and you're a working mom, then it's easy enough to find excuses for wearing that same ole pair of black slacks or khaki pants to work each day. I mean, when it takes everything you've got just to get out of bed in the morning, putting together a stylish ensemble can be too much. Not to mention, that in the past, moms have fallen into the "I can't wear that because I'm a mom" trap.

Top: maurices ($7)

Pants: NY&Co ($15)

You know, we've been able to find cute and stylin' moms, but they've always been the ones that are wayyy up there. You know, the adorable Jessica Albas and Isla Fishers of the world. Basically, they're in Hollywood or NYC, and yes, I guess they give moms hope that there is stylish life after the bump.  But still. When I see those moms, I just think, "Well, of course, they look good. That's what they get paid to do. They have hundreds of thousands of dollars to spend on cute clothes and they have nannies and all that jazz." So, yeah, while they are totally stylin' with their cute babies and toddlers, I still want to sit back and say, "But I'm just a normal person. I can't do that."

But here's the thing, ladies. Times are a changin'.  We can do that!  There are all kinds of adorable bloggers popping up to help us with our style.  We've got gorgeous Jill at Glamamom, the stylin' ladies at BonBon Rose Girls, the adorable mom and daughter pair at Style Journey and the incredibly cute and witty Tricia at The Domestic Fringe. The truth is, I can go on and on, listing bloggers that are putting themselves out there and showing the real world that not only do we know how to get dressed, but we can actually be fashionable about it, too! These are real ladies, not movie stars, who are showing the rest of us that we can still be fashionable and stylish, even with tots and babies on our hips.

Ladies everywhere are breaking free of the Mom Style rut! They're tossing out their boring mom jeans and hopping into colored skinnies.  They're trading their scuffed up running shoes for cute flats and sparkly sandals.

So, here's to me and you, not running away from "mom style", but embracing it! Because I'm learning that "mom style" doesn't have to mean frumpy. It doesn't have to mean boring. It simply means that I can do my thing, while chasing kids and cooking dinner and teaching third graders (that one's just mine). And you know what? We can pass for cute and stylish while doing it all!

I'm linking up today with The Pleated Poppy, Wardrobe Wednesday, Dear Abby Leigh, Transatlantic Blonde and Rolled Up Pretty.  

If I Were . . . (Featuring PersunMall)

I'm a busy mom with nowhere to go but Disney on Ice... (Which I actually enjoyed every bit as much as the kids did!)

But if my husband I somehow managed to get a sitter and we went on a hot date, I might wear a little something like this gorgeous frock.

I'm a teacher. I like to infuse my everyday style with a bit of personality, but let's be honest. I'm not prancing about in heels and sheath dresses.

But if I were, I might wear a sleek and sophisticated dress like this one.

Sometimes I like to sit back after my kids are in bed and I've got 30.5 seconds of silence before I drop off to sleep and imagine that I have somewhere important to be. Maybe some big political party where everyone is dressed to the nine's and people are discussing the hot issues of the day. Or maybe some fancy restaurant where the dinners cost more than my wardrobe.  If I were, I'd definitely check PersunMall http://www.persunmall.com/black-and-white-cocktail-dresses-c310/ for beautiful black and white cocktail dresses.

Do you have an occasion to dress up?  If you're like me, and the fanciest place you'll go this year is Disney on Ice, where might you wish you were going? And more importantly, what would you wear?

I'm linking up today with Still Being Molly and Monday Mingle.

Tasty Tuesday - Creamy Cajun Linguine

Tasty Tuesday is once again brought to you by eMeals. I'm only my second week into my eMeals subscription and I am loving it. Last time I talked about eMeals, I forgot to mention that they are not a free service... but they are totally worth the money!  $21 for a 3-month subscription boils down to only $7 a month. In the first week alone, this service saved me about $30!

For a busy mom like me who is always looking for the best deal and doesn't have a second to spare for meal planning, this service works!

Here is my favorite meal from the past week.

Creamy Cajun Linguine

1 cup water
14 oz chicken broth
8 to 10 oz uncooked linguine
1 lb shrimp, peeled
1 1/2 tablespoon butter
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
2 teaspoons flour
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning (I used Tony Chachare's)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup fat free half and half

Combine water and chicken broth and bring to boil.  Cook pasta in the mixture for 8 minutes.  Add shrimp. Cover and simmer for 3 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Melt butter in a large skilled over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and peppers; sauté 30 seconds. Stir in half and half. Cook 1 minute until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add pasta/shrimp mixture to the pan. Toss.

I served it with a Caesar salad and it was perfecto! Stay tuned for another amazingly delicious dinner from eMeals next week!

Doing Tennis Shoes the Stylin' Way

Okay, ladies, recently I allowed my style to delve into regions before unknown to me. I wore tennis shoes. With skirts. Eeesh, I know.  It doesn't sound pretty... In my mind, "tennis shoes and skirts" conjures up images of long denim skirts and running shoes with visible white socks. Yeah, I can promise you...  that is not what I've worn!

As I tinkered with this style (and polled my friends on facebook), I came up with a few rules.

Numero Uno... No running shoes allowed. I am all about the Brooks Adrenaline... when I'm  running. But to successfully pull off the skirt and tennis shoes look, then you need to wear a cute, patterned, Keds or Converse style shoe.

Shoes: Ralph Lauren, TJMaxx

I own two pairs of these shoes, but clearly the plaid ones are my favorite. =)

Numero Dos... Wear a cute, patterned ankle sock with those cute, patterned shoes. One time, I slipped on a pair of white ankle socks because I couldn't find anything else, and they ruined the entire look. Even if you think that your pink polka dotted socks won't match your plaid tennis shoes, do it!! It's cute, I promise!

They're a little scuffed (or dubby, as my youngest likes to say), but I think the scuffs just give them a bit of character.

Numero Tres... (Look who remembers her high school Spanish. Okay, okay, it's really all thanks to Dora.) You can switch it up a little and pair your cute, patterned tennis shoes with a pair of skinny jeans. My favorite way is to cuff my skinny jeans. Sure, it makes my itty bitty short legs look even shorter, but it tends to look a big spunky. And I like spunky. =)

Shoes: Target

Numero Quatro... You can also pair your cute, patterned tennis shoes with a pair of shorts. This look is perfect for the busy mom during the hotter months. It allows you to chase your kids around the park or the yard without fear of sticks and stones injuring your tender toes. It's also comfortable, while still injecting a bit of personality into your look. I wore this little outfit recently when my youngest was home sick and I had to cart her to the doctor's office.

So, what do you have to say about wearing tennis shoes with skirts? Or with jeans or shorts?  Is this something you'd try or do wear occasionally? Did I leave out any good rules?

I'm linking up today with Monday Mingle, Still Being Molly, Passion for Fashion and Watch What I'm Wearing.

Avi says... (& a Winner!)

I yike motuh-cycles, mama. I want a motuh-cycle at my buthday powty.  She's also said that she wants a pink and purple boat and a yellow butterfly. Yeah, so I'm not sure exactly what kind of party we're having, but it should be pretty crazy.

Dress: Monroe and Main

Shirt & Necklace: Target

Shoes: TJMaxx

Bracelet: Target

Me: Avi, you're my sweet girl, aren't you?
Avi:  No! I not a baby. I a pincess.

Whenever we're both wearing tennis shoes, or skirts or dresses, or flats, she lets a big huge gasp and says, "You! Me! Shoes! (or skirt or dress!) We match, mama!"

Okay, and now it's time to oh so very briefly talk about clothes.  Whenever I'm wearing neutral colors, I just don't feel right unless I add a pop of color. Often I'll add a pop of several colors, but this time I went with one color popping on my toes, and on my wrist and around my neck.

What is your poppin' color? For me, it doesn't absolutely have to be orange. You know me, I'd be happy with any color as long as it pops.

I'm linking up today with The Pleated Poppy, Tranatlantic Blonde, Dear Abby Leigh, Wardrobe Wednesday and Rolled Up Pretty.

And finally... the winner of the Road ID giveaway is Jessica! I'll be emailing you shortly!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tasty Tuesday - eMeals

A friend of mine recently told me about eMeals, a website that creates a list of 7 dinners, with sides. It also creates a grocery list for you! The kicker is that the items you need for all 7 meals are never more than $90. How cool is that??

Last week was my first week shopping with the list. I chose to make and shop for 3 of the 7 meals. On the other days, we'd eat leftovers or have an easy meal like breakfast or grilled cheese and tomato soup.  I still had to add breakfast items, stuff to pack in lunches for the week and snacks.

Ladies, I walked out of the grocery store, shopped for the entire week and only spent $101!

The first meal I made was actually called Grandma's Fabulous Chicken Casserole, which doesn't sound too interesting. I mean, how many times have you made chicken casserole? I was so burnt out on chicken casserole that I hesitated to even try this one, but it looked a little different, so I thought... Why not?

You guys! I am so happy that I did. This has a sort of Southwestern flare that you don't see in chicken casseroles. And when I switched the green chiles it called for to Rotel tomatoes...  My goodness, it was amazing!

Okay, without further ado, here's the recipe so that you can delight your tastebuds whenever you please!

Southwestern Chicken Casserole (My variation of Grandma's Fabulous Chicken Casserole)

3 chicken breasts
1 b1ox of chicken flavored Rice-a-Roni
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can Rotel tomatoes with green chiles
1/2 cup sour cream
8 oz Monterey Jack cheese with peppers, shredded

Bake chicken breasts, drizzled with olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper for about 35 minutes at 350 degrees. While the chicken is baking, cook the rice according to package directions. Shred the chicken. Mix the rice, shredded chicken, soup, tomatoes and sour cream in a baking dish.  Top with shredded cheese.  Bake at 350 for about 35 minutes.

Steamed Broccoli

Steam for about 4 minutes. Then drizzle with olive oil, squeeze the juice of a fresh lime onto it, season with salt and pepper. Throw in some sliced olives and you're good to go!  Everything I saw said to put lemon juice on steamed broccoli, but I was fresh out of lemons. =)

The recipe for the super easy 4-ingredient banana bread can be found here.

Then you add in a little fresh fruit and you've got yourself a meal fit for company!

I've only been a member of eMeals for a week, but I'm already sold on it. They even have an app that is incredibly easy to use and creates the grocery list on your phone so that you don't have to shop with a paper and pen. I kind of felt like I was cheating Saturday morning as I was walking around the store kidless and without a visible list... almost like I was 22 again or something. ;)

~~~~~~~

While you're here, don't forget to swing by my giveaway to win your own personalized Road ID bracelet! Today is the last day to enter!

Why I Do This...

Recently, I was all flustered and embarrassed when talking to a friend about this little ole blog of mine and asked myself the question... Why do I blog? And not so much why do I blog? But why do I blog about my clothes?

Top: NY&Co

Pants: Kohls

Sandals: Shoedazzle

Note to self... Find another pose. This looking down thing is making your hair look rather poofy.

There are several reasons, I guess. Initially, I started blogging because I was bored at work. Yes, I did the majority of my blogging at work during my lunch break or when the workload was slow. Now, I can guarantee you there is never a dull moment in my line of work! Teaching third graders keeps me constantly on my toes... quite literally. It's incredibly fun, rewarding . . . and exhausting! So, yeah, no time for blogging on the clock.

I also first started blogging about my clothes because I needed something to pull me out of my wardrobe slump. I was about 9-ish months post-partum with my youngest daughter and was feeling like a frumpy mom of two. Knowing that I'd be snapping pics of my frumpyness helped me to see the clothes hanging in my closet (or more often than not, on the floor of my closet) in a new light. And it helped me to put a bit of effort into my outfits even though I was sleep deprived from one or the other of my kids getting up constantly throughout the night.

Then I really got into it. I mean, how much fun is it to meet people not just all over the country, but all over the world?!? And I liked sharing a little bit of my creativity with the world.

Necklace: Jackie's eBoutique

Bracelet & Ring: No idea...

But let me tell you... do I enjoy preening in front of the camera? Um, no. I'm especially uncomfortable when someone walks past right as I'm posing all prettily.  Can we say... AWKward! But it's fun to put my outfits out there on the world wide web and be critiqued.  I don't think it's vanity or being self absorbed... I certainly hope it isn't!  I tried blogging about a few things that are close to my heart, but that isn't my talent. Laughing at myself I can do. Talking about something serious and important... I just don't have the ability to make it sound as important as it really is.  So, instead of trying to talk about important things, I keep my posts about the superficial and hope that maybe some flustered mom out there will look at my blog and think... Well, if she can get dressed in an ensemble that is somewhat put together and stylish on 4.5 hours of sleep, then maybe I can too.

Okay, in reality, I'm getting more like 7-ish hours of sleep these days. But trust me, there are times when I get much less.  Ear infections, sore throats, nightmares, early morning runs... they all interfere with the perfect 8-hour night of sleep.  You know how it is!

Finally, my last reason for blogging is to ask for advice. There's often something that I wear over and over again . . . in the same way! So, I ask you how you would wear it and get all kinds of outfit inspiration.  Which brings me to my question of the day...

How else would you style these sandals? I'm stuck!

I'm linking up today with Monday Mingle, Still Being Molly, Sunday Style, Passion for Fashion and Watch What I'm Wearing.

~~~~~~~~

While you're here, don't forget to swing by and enter to win your own personalized Road ID bracelet! You only have until Wednesday!