Easy Pyjama Alteration

At the beginning of the summer I was faced with full drawers of pyjamas for both of my kids.  The problem:  all the pjs had long sleeves and pants and were not that appropriate for summer weather.  I was not very motivated to go spend a pile of money on summer pjs when I already had so many and that they would likely grow out of  by summer's end.


My solution:


The Before looked something like this:

And, with the help of a simple pair of kitchen scissors, the After looked like this:

Voila! Summer pyjamas in seconds. Who needs hems!?

(I know this post is a few months late in relevance, but thought I would share in hopes that come next June as the temperatures start to rise, you may remember my simple alteration and save yourself a few dollars and hours at the mall.)

Who In Their Right Mind ... ?

What parent in their right mind would take their kids to buy a snow suit during the weather we have been having this week? (For those of you who are not Southern Ontarians, it has been hotter than heck!)

(Insert me looking very guilty and down at the floor to avoid looking you in the eyes.)

I know, so silly ... but there was this great ski/snowboard sale that I was waiting for at a local store where really great brands get put on sale for more than 50 % off.

Hey, it's not like I made him wear it outside of the store!!

Mission was accomplished.  We brought home a new amazing quality snowsuit that will last my son two years plus my second son for another two years for a fraction of the original cost.

And for the record, this event did not take place yesterday, one of, if not THE, hottest day recorded in Toronto history! 

Source

What crazy things do you do to save money on kids clothes?

Practical & Cute Snack Bags

I recently happened upon these super cute snack bags/pouches made by Greenalicious Bags.

Greenalicious Bags

Greenalicious Bags

I was struck by these bags because of their really cute designs. After speaking to Laurie-Ann, the woman behind Greenalicous bags, I learned that they are all made out of reused kids clothes (hence the cute designs, jean pockets and zippers) and lined with organic cotton. They are ideal for holding food in lunch bags, snack pouches in back packs or as I do for myself, as a wallet.  And they are VERY reasonably priced.

I bought three - one for each of my sons and one for ... me! :

It always bring a bit of peace of mind when I know a product is made by a Mom who is concerned with health - both for her family and the Earth.  Greenalicious Bags was created because of Laurie-Ann's concern with all of the synthetic materials that our kids (and the Earth) are exposed to and her desire to have a more healthy way to transport snacks.  I love her tagline:

Greenalicious Bags - made by a mom, endorsed by Mother Nature!

And the best part ... Laurie-Ann has agreed to give away TWO! Greenalicious Bags to two lucky C&CS readers this week. So here is your chance. All you have to do is subscribe to C&CS as a follower or via email AND leave a comment here this week telling us what or who you would use your new Greenalicous bag for. The giveaway will end on Sunday at noon.

Grey Spandex is a No No

Grey spandex just isn't flattering, no matter who you are.

Just got back from a Booty Camp Fitness class tonight and there were a few victims of grey lycra out there with us.  I don't know what it is, but grey just doesn't do it and does not look good - it shows every nook and cranny, every little skin divot, every single spot that you don't want people staring at  .... god forbid if you actually do have some trouble areas because grey will call them out.  I guess the only exception may be Cameron Diaz if she chose to grey-it-up or maybe Kate Hudson ... but for the rest of us who still have fitness goals to achieve, I would air on the side of caution and steer away from the cloudy hue.

I love the colour grey so would love to jump on the bandwagon of fitness clothes in this wonderful shade, but I'm sticking to black. Black is a gal's best friend in this department; it hides, blends, shadows those "dimples" we're all so fond of and it creates illusions. Grey ... not so much. Just to be clear: grey is fine in loose fitting fitness clothing (i.e. something that doesn't hug your skin) and for shirts, tanks and undergarments. It's the bottoms I'm referring to.

Sorry if you have grey spandex in your fitness apparel repertoire. Perhaps you are the anomaly in this fashion situation or just so fit you can pull it off.

Be thankful that when I googled "bad grey spandex," no applicable images were to be found.

P.S. As I mentioned yesterday, lots of amazing things planned for June (only one week away), so hurry up and sign up to become a "follower" of this blog or subscribe to receive email updates. This will not only allow you to keep up-to-date with everything that is happening, but it will also be required to qualify to win all of the great giveaways!

Closet Cleanse Check-In

If you haven't checked out our step-by-step closet cleanse just yet, click here and here.

For everyone else, just checking in to see how we are doing?  I will have to be honest, I am planning to gut this weekend. To try and do anything before then is unrealistic. I expect lots of stories after this weekend of interesting things you unearthed, sentimentals you decided to keep, but hopefully, most of all, that you were ambitious, determined and can see the back wall in some parts of your closet.

A lot of you responded to this post about finding out what your personal style type is and you shared that you thought you were a cross between many of the six types described.  I know that the descriptions given were vague, but let me explain in a little more detail.

I, as an example, am a natural/sporty type.  This does not mean that I gravitate to sweat suits nor does it mean that I can not wear anything trendy, dramatic or classic. It just means that the look I feel most comfortable in and most like myself in is probably a comfortable fabric, clean lines, not overly detailed, simple in design and dressed up easily with accessories.  It does not mean that I can't own all of the latest must-have items, it just means that if I was to wear a pair of sassy, patterned four-inch heels, instead of pairing it with a matching sassy, patterned dress or a nicely tailored suit or a seventies-inspired jump suit, I may just go low key and balance it out (in my way) with jeans, white shirt and funky necklace. 

Another example. As you know, I just bought this dress for a wedding I attended. Really liked it. Fit me great and I pulled it off fine. Just because I am natural/sporty doesn't mean I don't like it, it just means that if I was able to find a solid colour, uber soft jersey dress with a funky attitude that fit just so ahead of the lace dress, I probably would have slipped it on, called it heaven and bought a fun pair of shoes to go with and called it a done deal and worn it ten times more often than the lace one I bought. I hope this helps.

Some of you have also been asking about what to do with the clothing that you decide not to keep after the closet cleanse.  Would love to hear from all of you out there and the places you know about. Katrix mentioned a consignment store in the Ottawa area - can you provide details for us i.e. address or website?

For those of you in the Toronto area, a friend of mine's Mom operates a wonderful not-for-profit place called New Circles that helps men, women and children.  It is a really special place that operates like a boutique and items are free for referred clients that are in need. They are always looking for lightly used clothing and right now are particularly looking for dresses suitable for upcoming prom events. Click here to find out more about donating clothes to them.

There is always a clothing exchange with friends as an option, maternity clothes to expecting relatives/friends, Goodwill, Once Upon A Child, etc.  Please let us know what you will be doing with your clothes.

Closet Cleanse: Helpful Hints for this Weekend

When you are cleaning out your closet this weekend, or ever, some helpful hints/suggestions ... ORDERS!

• Keep only what fits now (unless you are pregnant). When you lose the weight, you're going to want new stuff. Make room. And talk about depressing - the feeling you get when you attempt to put on an item of clothing that is too small.
• Do you even like it? Don't keep it if you don't like it because guess what?  You won't wear it if you don't like it.
• Pitch anything with bad memories.  Sweet memories - sure, bad/sad/depressing/induces anger or sobbing memories - get rid of it!
• Get rid of duplicates, unless it is a basic that you wear more than once a week.
• Finally say good bye to ANY undergarment that is uncomfortable, requires wedgie picking on a regular basis or thong adjusting or leaves bright red marks/lacerations on your skin when you take it off.
• One Year Rule - if you haven't worn it in one year (especially clothes that are meant to be worn on a regular basis), give it away. Only exception here is formal wear or items that are once-in-a-blue-moon apparel.
• It must be comfortable - if you regret wearing it or constantly have to adjust yourself while in it, trade it in for something you love and that feels nice on.
• Don't keep something just because it was expensive. Doesn't matter how much it cost, if you don't wear it and you're never going to, it's taking up precious real estate.

..and for those items that you are really humming and hawing over, here's a tip from my sister-in-law:

Flip all the hangers backwards in your closet. Every time you wear something, turn the hanger back to its regular position. After 3,6,9 months, do a check - anything that is still backwards gets the boot!

Closet Cleanse Step 2: Brought to you by The Farmer's Trophy Wife

Closet Cleanse Step 2:  Doing The Dirty Work

Brought To You By The Farmer's Trophy Wife

*image from here*

Are ya ready?!

First…let’s pick a time when we can actually focus on what we are doing. Nap time or after kids are in bed is great. Depending on your closet I’ll give it about an hour to accomplish step 1…we are going to do this in baby steps…or if you are an all-in-one type of gal, you can wait till LadySmith is done all the posts, line them up and tackle this project all at once.

Since my me time is short and sweet, I’m going to have to do this slowly, ok?!?!

1- Take everything out of your half of the closet and empty your dresser drawers. Dump it all in one huge pile somewhere (except the pressed stuff…feel free to place this neatly beside the gigantic pile!)

2- Gawk at the gigantic mass of stuff you didn’t even know you owned

3- Attack the pile by going through everything and making two piles:

• like it
• don’t like it

Don’t bother to try anything on at this point. We are at the basics…either you like it, or you don’t.

Feel free to be ruthless, cold and cut-throat. You won’t hurt the feelings of that sweater that you loved the color of, but hate the sleeve length. It will get on with its life and so should you.

Cathryn from The Farmer's Trophy Wife

4- That’s it. Bag up the stuff you don’t like and as soon as possible take it to the nearest salvation army/donation bin/woman’s shelter….don’t give ANYTHING in there a 2nd thought. (Stay tuned to Cashmere & Carrotsticks for more ideas of where you can drop your clothes off).

5- Put everything back in your closet…your darling other will appreciate that and you will be shocked at how much more space you have to put your new stuff in once we go shopping!!!!

Hope you have fun and can’t wait to hear what you unearthed!!

Love…

Cathryn

________________________________________

 

Thanks Cathryn!

 

I think this is the biggest and most important step.  Keep your personal style in mind ladies (and Dad!).  This is your chance. Why keep something that is just collecting dust that every time you are going out and turn to it you think, "ugh!" - pitch it!  Bonus points (and prizes?!) for pictures se nt via email to cashmereandcarrots@gmail.com and would love to hear some comments. Come across anything funny or that you need advice on? Ask the readers!

I am going to give everyone at least a few days to get this step done as I know it is going to take me at least that long. In the mean time I will continue my regular posts and be back with more closet news soon.

Closet Cleanse: Guest Blogger Alert

So I have to admit, the whole closet cleanse thing was not my idea. I was surfing around one day and came across a really fun blog - The Farmer's Trophy Wife. Click here if you haven't visited it yet.  Cathryn - the Trophy Wife herself - has agreed to guest blog on my site and share with us all of her steps to a clean closet.  So without further ado, here's Cathryn:

__________________________

New Year = New Closet!

by The Farmer's Trophy Wife

Don’t be shy now…I know there are items floating out there in your closets that you haven’t worn in at least three years…or things still from high school (?!?) or the dreaded items that still have the tags on!!! Let go of the guilt (so what if you didn’t wear it…your bank account has moved on…so should you!) and the dreams…yes, I too would like to be able to fit into my high school jeans. But it’s not going to happen. I’m 31…and I need to let go of that dream…. (sob)

But maybe…if we all join together and fight our closets and it’s demons together….it won’t be so scary…and kinda fun!



*image from here*

 I want this to be a participation thingy…so leave a comment or send an email to LadySmith and let us know how things are going.

Love Cathryn
__________________________

Stay tuned for the next post: Closet Cleanse Step 2: Doing The Dirty Work

I'm A Natural/Sporty, What Are You?

So if you missed yesterday's post on determining your personal style type and why it is important, click here. 

I myself am a natural/sporty type. I love getting dressed up and looking nice but I like simple, plain, easy clothes that can be accessorized to the degree I'm feeling. I do not like bedazzlement on my clothes and don't dress for the "look at me" factor.  In fact, when I try things on, I like them to flow effortlessly from the moment I put them on. I want them to be a part of me, not scream at people as they walk by. I am a jeans and a T-shirt gal through and through ... but maybe throw a funky necklace and some kick ass boots in there for good measure.

I'm thinking about who may be reading this and whether I should attempt to peg them.  Do feel free to share the type you came up with. (Thanks Katrix for sharing yesterday).

As far as Wendy's other questions about our lifestyle and influences and the amount that we entertain ...

I am a stay-at-home Mom so have very little use for all of the suits and dress clothes I have leftover from when I used to work in an office.  I need comfortable, hassle-free clothes that provide some sort of fashion i.e. tight pants that give you a muffin top when building Lego towers on the floor are not good for my self esteem, but some skinny jeans that fit nicely with ample stretch could be an option. 

I do not attend semi-formal or formal events on a regular basis, however, from time to time do have functions in conjunction with my husband's work, dinners or other special events that I need suitable clothes for (can't go shopping with a few hours notice of a dinner event ... need go-to staples in my closet). 

I love shoes, but have a very firm belief, that no matter how high and sexy a shoe is, a woman still must be able to walk half decently in them and not teeter like a fawn learning to walk (just my opinion!).

I love jewellery. Not the fancy, blinding types, but the funky, unique, vintage kind that is just perfect to spruce up a plain shirt.  Bangles are my absolute favorite!

I am so ready and excited to gut my closet.  Not great timing that we are also amidst a master bedroom paint change.  Stay tuned for more and please do share any revelations you are having.

Our Closet Cleanse Begins - Step One

Today, our closet cleanse here at Cashmere & Carrot Sticks begins with Step One: Finding Your Personal Style.  We are so lucky to have some great contributors this week to offer their expertise to ensure we get this done, we get it done right and we know exactly what we need to fill our closets with once they are cleaned out :)


So today, our guest blogger is Wendy Margolese Buba of "Work Optimal." Wendy is an image consultant who has excellent instincts for what suits a person and has been dressing friends and family for years! Today, before we begin our closet purge, Wendy is going to share with us some thoughts on our individual style and how important it is.
__________________________

First Impressions

by Wendy Margolese Buba

We are a visual society and clothing is a powerful non-verbal language.

 

We instinctively judge by appearance – consciously or unconsciously.  That means that people, whether we like it or not, are constantly judging us as well.

 

When we are talking about style, there is no right or wrong look (although sweatpants are no one's ideal "look").  What is most important when thinking about your style is staying true to it.  You never want to try and look like someone else, mostly because you won't feel as confident or like yourself.  Sometimes it's disappointing, but we must realize, we are not all Sarah Jessica Parkers or Victoria Beckhams, nor would we feel right dressing like they do.

 

Wardrobe choices are influenced by our personality and our lifestyle.

 

By understanding our lifestyle and how it relates to our wardrobe choices, we will dress with confidence and feel good about ourselves.

There are six basic style/personality types, which one are you?


1)  Dramatic
You like to be noticed for what you wear i.e. Jennifer Lopez, Samantha from Sex In The City

2) Classic
Your wardrobe is always well coordinated i.e. Natalie Portman, Kate Middleton, Miranda from Sex In The City

3) Romantic
You like luxurious and textured fabrics with feminine details i.e. Charlotte from Sex In The City

4) Creative/Whimsical
You have a unique look i.e. Sarah Jessica Parker or Carrie from Sex In The City

5) Natural/Sporty
You have a relaxed attitude to dressing i.e. Kate Hudson, Jennifer Anniston

6) City Chic

You always have the right outfit for the occasion i.e.Victoria Beckham

You may be wondering if you always have to buy within your style type?  The answer is no, but if you do, don't be surprised if you don't feel as comfortable wearing the item, although you still may get compliments.  You may also find that this same item is one that you feel guilty about throwing out in this week's closet purge as it has barely been worn. Sound familiar?

A few more questions to think about regarding personal style:

• What are the major influences in your life?
• How do you spend your time?
• Do you entertain a lot? Attend a lot of professional functions?

__________________________

Thanks Wendy!

Before we whittle our closets down to half of what they are during this week's closet cleanse, think about what Wendy has said about personal style. What type do you think best describes you?  What type of clothes do you feel best in?  What makes you feel confident, attractive and the most comfortable (I mean in your skin, not in your sneakers).  Wendy can help you with all of your image and shopping needs - finding your look, dressing for different occasions and shopping in your closet.  Feel free to contact her at 416-930-4687 or wendy@workoptimal.ca

P.S.  I'm Natural/Sporty!

An Invention I Discovered ...

While preparing for a wedding I recently attended, I was faced with the not-so-rare challenge of not quite filling out the bust area of my dress in the way it was intended and necessary (even after alterations ..errrrr!). This is the dress on the model:

Me being the frugal and pragmatic person that I am, did not want to purchase $50 jello-like inserts to stuff myself.

Hmmm .... what could I do instead? I tried stuffing a variety of little bra inserts and nursing pads into my cleavage, but nah, no luck.

Then I had a light bulb moment.

What if I wore both of my strapless bras?  This way the bras would actually fit tighter (and not feel like they were going to fall down all night) and I would get some extra filler from the double bra and padding ... and why not throw in the (surprisingly substantial) inserts from my Lulu Lemon sports bra and presto! problem solved.

If you're trying to figure it all out in your head ... yes, I was wearing two bras and an insert while at the wedding in my fancy dress and the results were great - my dress fit better, didn't feel like it or the bras were falling down, rarely needed to adjust or heave my dress up and I didn't spend $50 on fakies.

I was somewhat proud of myself for this invention.

Feel free to borrow.

Closet Cleansing - Are You In?

In case you missed it, I posted this post last week about cleaning out my closet.

Very few of you responded ... does that mean you're not interested in joining Jennie and I as we clean out our closets? Is your closet already super clean and tidy (likely not if I'm guessing correctly!)? Or does that mean that you just don't like to comment.  What if I throw in a few prizes for those participating? 

Please let me know by Monday, March 7th via comment if you would like to join us in cleaning out our closets.  I will offer an easy step-by-step process (compliments of The Farmer's Trophy Wife) so it will be a piece of cake.

You know it will feel so good!

I Am The Jean Machine

Tonight as I entered Winners with jeans in mind.  I don't usually have much luck with Winners. I am always amazed by those people who seem to find the most spectacular purchases at  Winners - not me.

But tonight was different.  The denim gods were rooting for me.

I picked out approximately ten pairs of jeans, shoved them in a cart and went to the change room.  If you can believe it, EVERY single pair of them fit me perfectly.  That never happens to me.  As I have mentioned previously, I am of the pear-shape variety and am about an 8 in the waist and 10 or 12 in the hips/butt region and that does not make for easy jean shopping (especially when you're looking for a bargain)... except for tonight.

I left with two pairs of name-brand jeans (I could have bought more) for under $70. Yeah!
(Plus $15 to maybe get one of the waists taken in - my favorite alteration).

Well, tonight was my night ... if only I had as much luck in their shoe department.  Can't have it all I guess ;)

I Found A Dress: Mission Accomplished!

After trying on approximately 30 dresses and trying to convince myself into quite a few, I found this:

Source

I really like it. And bought it. At BCBG for approximately 30% of the original price - score!

Have to get the top altered slightly (of course!), but all else is good.

This is the first time I have worn a skirt this length in a lonnnnnng time. Time to crank up the Jillian tapes!

In case you hadn't figured, that's not me in the picture :)

Sassy Dress for Wedding Needed: HELP!

So one of my nearest and dearest girlfriends is getting married in under a month and my husband and I are flying to Calgary for the wedding.

I have decided I would like to get a new dress for the occasion as most of mine in my closet have been worn several times (and some while pregnant) and I think it's time.

I was so excited as last night I dedicated to going shopping. I had my hopes set high as I knew a BCBG outlet store that is piled high with cocktail-type dresses.

Twenty dresses later and ... nothing. The first dress I tried on was absolutely perfect except it, and about half of the other dresses, reminded me of the difficulties of shopping for my body type - size 8 top and size 12 bottom.  Errrrr. and I'm not about to get a dress and assume that I can take in the top because I've made that mistake before (sometimes it is very difficult or impossible to take in!).

Now, my confidence is shaken, the outlook is bleak. Hello pregnancy dresses?! Hello university graduation dress? (ah, this is one of my friends from university so that wouldn't quite work ... but bonus it still fits), time to turn to my good ol' Joe Fresh black strapless number (that feels like I'm wearing a jogging suit ... in a good way)?

Tomorrow I'm hoping for some luck and need your suggestions. The type of dress I was hoping for was a classy (with a splash of sexy) strapless cocktail dress to above the knee. Now I need your suggestions? Online, boutiques, at the mall?

During Christmas shopping I fell in love with this dress from Banana Republic, but of course reminded myself Christmas is a time for buying for others and obediently did not buy or even try on.

I just saw it online and half price. I am hesitating to order it because I don't want it to turn into one of those dresses you absolutely love because you can't have it and you haven't tried it on and once you do try it on it actually turns out to look absolutely horrible with your skin tone and looks dreadful on your body.

P.S. No pressure. A lot of the people at the wedding I haven't seen for more than a decade, since pre-kids. I have to represent the Mom-segment ... show that there is a body and life after kids ... is there? :) ha ha

Happy Friday!

Valentine's Day Candi!

Some of you may recall my post pre-Christmas featuring great gift ideas and the Candi Factory.

Ladies Undies by the Candi Factory

I fell in love with the Candi Factory when I visited their booth at the December One of A Kind Show in Toronto and I did not leave empty handed. I purchased these for my sister in law, these for my sister and mini kid-versions of these for my three-year-old son.

Man Briefs by the Candi Factory

All of the products are beautiful, unique and made with the softest cotton.  If you're looking for some gift ideas for Valentine's Day or just need some new gitch, the Candi Factory is a great place to start.

Everyday Dress by the Candi Factory

And now for the good part ... all of my readers can receive a 40 % off discount until February 6th just by using the code xoxo at checkout

You're welcome.

Now go and visit the Candi Factory

Teenage Fashion: Hilarious!

Of course most teenagers have much more fashion sense than I do, but it's how they pull it off that is so comical to me.

I can't tell you how often I am out and about and see a group of teenage girls walking together and they are virtually dressed in identical outfits. Sure they may have different colour schemes going on, but all of the pieces are so close in appearance they could have been purchased from the same store and same rack - from the footwear, all the way up to the coat.  In fairness, perhaps the outfits of choice are wonderful, but when you're walking beside three other people and appear to be quadruplets, any bit of fashion kudos gets pitched to the curb.


Source


Another observation: moccasins.  I know these have been popular with the high school crowd for a bit and hey, I'm all for comfort (pyjama pants were the big thing during my formative years). But when the fashion trend goes a bit far and the kids are wearing actual slippers outside, in the winter, when it's minus ten degrees and there is a good two inches of snow/ice/slush on the ground?  I mean their feet must be wet, freezing and slightly frost bitten...

Source

 And don't get me started about the pants - the extremes of low-slung versus low-rise. You know the low-slung pants that some "cool" guys where that actually do up below the bum. I know this has been observed and said a million times, but truly, how do they stay up? If I put my pants under my bum and cinched a belt around my thighs (where the waist of the pants was), all I would have to do is take a step and they would fall down ... and my pants are a lot tighter too! And the low-rise jeans. I just don't think my body shape was ever meant to be anywhere near a pair of these pants, let alone inside them. Thank goodness the waistlines of pants are creeping up again. 

Source

I should finish this post up as I am truly sounding like a mom who is barking about the younger generation (which automatically indicates my diminishing cool factor).  You know what I mean though right?

I Despise Sweater Pilling

Am I the only person that experiences sweater pilling? Because I sure don't hear much chit chat about it very much. 

Source

Regardless of how old each of my sweaters is, it seems none of them look so great because of the pilling that occurs.  Obviously there are a few that are the Queen Pillers but very few don't pill at all.

I've tried just randomly picking off some of the sweater jam, but good luck! I even bought this mini machine with a motor that is supposed to somewhat shave off the pieces of fluff and I guess it works to some degree, but the amount of fabric that needs to be covered makes the task pretty daunting.

While shopping for Christmas presents I chanced upon "The Sweater Stone" in Eddie Bauer, never bought one and now they're sold out. I'm sure it's just a gimmick that doesn't quite work, but a girl has to dream.

 

The Sweater Stone By Eddie Bauer


So I want to know, what do you do for your sweater pills? Chuck your sweater, excruciatingly pick off all of the fluff, or do you have a secret you can share with me to end this suffering and bring back my sweater love?

Not a Fan of Button-Crotch Pants

Just to clarify the title, I am referring to button-crotch clothes for toddlers, not myself ... (do you remember those button up crotch body suits from the 90s? I tried to find a picture, but none were really appropriate).

Anyways, back to the subject - pants and shirt for toddlers and babies that button at the crotch.  Undershirts that have three-buttons at the bottom I can handle, piece of cake, but pants and one-piece rompers - no way!  People talk about these easy- access pants like they are God's gift to the diaper changer, but I beg to differ.  My one-year-old is such a squirmer that with every extra button I have to snap shut, the odds that I actually can get him re-dressed after a diaper change drastically diminish.  I much more prefer the slip on joggers and elastic-waisted jeans or pants - one stealth sweep move and they're on.

Source

I also find that my kids can't wear the snap-crotch items of clothing for as long because as soon as there is any pressure on the snaps, they pop open or are much more difficult to close while the child is lying down. The clothes aren't too small by any means they just fit like they should, but the snaps aren't strong enough for the pull of the fabric.

I know the parent population is split (ha ha .. I kill myself!) on this one - what is your take and personal preference? 

Cozy, Feel Good Clothes **

**Repost

Do you ever have those days when you wake up (usually to a darkened morning and rain) and you just want to crawl into your sweatpants and comfy clothes. Luckily, as a stay-at-home Mom, I can do this if I feel like it.

Yesterday morning was one of those mornings. Usually I reach for a super cozy sweatsuit but this morning was extra special - I reached for my "heart" sweatshirt.

Now before your jaw gapes open and you start judging, hear me out ... this sweatshirt was my Mom's and she passed away seven and a half years ago. I specifically remember her wearing it in the 80s when I was growing up and we lived alone together - special times and wonderful memories.  For some reason, she held onto it (I guess it was one of her favorite rainy day shirts too) and I just couldn't part with it either. It resurfaced recently and I love throwing it on - instant all-day hug.

This shirt is definitely eye-catching, that is for sure ... and not the least bit flattering, but here's hoping you don't become so focused in your fashion aspirations that you overlook the necessity of a cozy, sentimental shirt like this.  And no, the InStyle book I referenced earlier this week, would definitely not approve.