Maternity Clothes

Finding cute and stylish maternity clothes is quite the challenge. 12 years ago when I was pregnant with Brennan maternity clothes were even more frumpy. I was excited to be contacted by Seraphine, maker of stylish and fashionable maternity clothes. Their clothes are even a favorite among celebrities .

The hardest part about finding cute maternity clothes that fit well is the different stages of pregnancy. This being my 2nd pregnancy I began to show early, around 10 weeks along. I was pretty thin before getting pregnant and wore a size 4 or 6 depending upon the brand. According to all the maternity sizing charts this would make me a size small. I am also tall though so in pants and long sleeve shirts small typically doesn't fit me. I did buy some size small stuff at the beginning of my pregnancy because my pre-pregnancy clothes didn't fit and medium and large seemed huge at that point. Those things lasted until about 25 weeks when some of them began to feel very snug. I then invested a a few medium and large items which lasted me through the middle stage of my pregnancy. I am now 39 weeks pregnant and for the last few weeks not much fits or is comfortable anymore.

I decided to review the Blue Wash Straight Leg Maternity Jeans when I was first contacted by Seraphine, in my 22nd week of pregnancy. At the time it was cold outside and I have a few pairs of cute knee boots I was dying to wear but tucking my boot cut maternity jeans into them wasn't going to cut it. A cute pair of skinny jeans was just the right thing. Based upon their sizing charts of my pre-pregnancy size I would wear a Seraphine size 1 (US size 4) or Seraphine size 2 (US size 6). I went with the Seraphine size 2 because I had gained some weight and didn't want the pants to be too tight. Shipping was very quick but unfortunately the jeans were too tight to be comfortable. After talking with my contact at Seraphine and describing my fit problems they suggested going up two sizes to a Seraphine size 4. My contact indicated that the smaller sizes are cut slimmer through the butt and hips and that was where the jeans were too tight. I am glad I went with the size 4. They are comfortable even at this stage in pregnancy and don't look sloppy at all. Colorado has had an unseasonably warm spring so I haven't gotten to wear them with boots but I think they look cute with ballet flats too. Another thing I like about not having a full belly panel is that these jeans will work for the postpartum period when my pre-pregnancy clothes still don't fit but I don't want to be wearing frumpy, full belly panel, maternity jeans. 

Check out the pictures yourself, the jeans are super cute, even at 37.5 weeks pregnant!

Disclosure statement: I was provided a pair of jeans at no charge by Seraphine in order to facilitate this review. All statements and opinions are my own.

The Art of Dressing Up

Is it a lost art in modern America? Certainly not in my mind but I have been stunned on several occasions on what others chose to wear to what I would consider semi-formal events.

Last weekend hubby and I attended a bull and oyster roast put on by the PTA from our children's elementary school. The event was held at the local Elk's lodge (not necessarily formal but can be dressed up) and we paid $35 per person for dinner and unlimited drinks.

This is what we wore and we were by far the most dressed up people at the event:

Here is what the other people wore (not actual pictures of people from the event):

The dressed up jeans and t-shirt. I don't have a problem with this look if you are picking your kid up from school or taking them to soccer but to a $35 per person event? (Photo credit Google images)

There was one other guy wearing a sport coat and tie besides hubby. The third best dressed guy had a dress shirt on and cargo pants and army boots. I am not trying to rag on anyone, cargo pants and army boots are ok but for a $35 per person event? And he was the third best dressed guy in there. (Photo credit Signal One)


The woman were especially lacking. I don't think anyone else was even wearing a casual dress. I saw 2 women with outfits like this, dress slacks, nice top, accessories, well pulled together. This I can live with for the type of event we were at. (Photo credit Express)

Is fashion like politics were everything is local? I didn't grow up here so maybe no one dresses up but I have run into this all over the country as well. When I lived in Colorado I was appalled how few people wore dresses to annual work Christmas parties, although everyone did look very nice and no one wore jeans. Last year hubby and I spent a long weekend in New York City and while there saw a Broadway show. Hubby wore almost the same outfit, I substituted a knee length black halter dress with gold shoes and accessories. We were some of the most dressed up people at the show! On Broadway for goodness sakes. If no one dresses up for a Broadway play these days, when do they dress up?

It isn't about cost either. Both the dresses I described cost $20 each, 1 from Dress Barn and 1 from Target. With both outfits I spent more money on my shoes, $40 each pair from Off Broadway. After investing say $80 total with dress, shoes, and accessories, I have worn each outfit at least 5 times and will continue to wear the outfits for years to come.

So what is it? Am I old fashioned? Has dressing up gone "out of style"? I feel like in my everyday life as a mom and nanny I don't spend much time on myself. I relish the few opportunities a year that I get to get dolled up and truly look pretty. Do other people not feel this way?

Don't even get me started about people wearing jeans to weddings and funerals. That also makes me crazy but is a whole other blog post.

Are Those Shorts PTA Approved?

As a mother of three approaching 30 I struggle with age appropriate clothing choices that are still young and fun. I have always had a tall, slender build although my midsection is definitely my problem area.

When I was younger I shopped in the juniors clothing section. Cute pieces, good style, not too outrageously priced. Even as a young mom I continued to shop there. My hips were wider and I had a bit of a butt yet it all still worked but things have changed over the past few years.

As I get older I find myself becoming more and more modest with regard to my clothes. Not that I dressed immodestly before but I am more comfortable in jeans or capris than short shorts. I can wear a bikini but I am much more comfortable in a tankini. The one pair of short, shorts I own are still several inches below my butt but I have been searching for bermuda shorts that fit yet don't look too matronly.

The problem I have is a lot of the misses clothing doesn't fit my tall build well. I now have three pairs of bermuda shorts that fit okay through the thighs and butt but for some reason unknown to me, come up on my waist to an inch below my belly button. Why do modest length shorts have to be high waisted? Can't I find a pair of shorts that don't show off my entire thigh without being so high waisted they are uncomfortable when I sit down or look silly under long tanks or shirts?

I was successful this last week in finding a new tankini. Victoria Secret has been my go-to swimsuit stop all the way back to high school. I had purchased a modest yet a bit sexy tankini two summers ago. It has been used a lot and the stomach area is beginning to thin and wear out. On our road trip I brought one of my bikinis to wear instead. While I know I am thin enough to wear it, wearing it that whole trip made me realize I am much more comfortable with a little more coverage. Thankfully Macy's had some clearance swimsuits still and I found a cute white and black polka dot tankini top with a ruffle at the bottom, paired with cute cut of boy shorts with a tie on each side. I wore it to the water park this weekend and still felt a bit sexy yet appropriately covered up.

So ladies, what does this mean? I am just getting old? Do our values just change over time? Is it because I have been married for a couple years now and my kids are getting older? As Wyn approaches the teen phase I definitely want her dressing more modestly. What are your thoughts?

The Results of My Shopping Adventure

Last night was hubby's Christmas party and we had a great time! We had drinks, a nice dinner, and did a hilarious "white elephant" gift exchange. Hubby ended up with a box of chocolate turtle candies and I ended up with $16 cash wrapped like a tootsie roll. It was a blast. Several of my friends have been asking for pictures of my outfit. After writing about my shopping dilemma here I figured some of you would like to see the pictures too.

Last week I headed to the local mall. It is a mills/outlet style mall that is set up very similar to a mall in Colorado and probably many more across the country. The mall is huge! I spent 4 hours there and only shopped 1/4 of the mall.

Besides finding a great dress and hot pair of shoes, I found a great bargain. Here is the breakdown of my outfit: dress from Dress Barn on sale for $20, shrug from Charlotte Russe $20, shoes from Off Broadway $40.

Don't you love this dress?

Showing off the shoes with the dress


Close up of the shoes

I even found hubby a tie that coordinated with my outfit

At the party

Thanks for all your suggestions! You ladies never let me down!

Off On a Shopping Adventure

Today I am off on a shopping adventure. I am proud to say all my Christmas shopping except hubby's is done. Today I am not shopping for Christmas presents, today I am shopping for my self. Shocking, I know.

Don't get me wrong I used to love to shop. When it was just B and me we logged many hours in the mall with him strapped into his stroller. Even when he was way too big for that stroller (baby containment devices are necessary even for toddlers). I think the last time I shopped at a mall was when one of my besties came to visit in June. That was 6 months ago and I think I bought 3 things for myself, the rest for the kids.

Today I face a dilemma. I am searching for the right dress, at the right price. Kids are in school, good thing I have most of the day. I want a dress I can wear to hubby's holiday party and to church for Christmas. Hubby's holiday party is more like a holiday dinner and most likely different and more casual than any other Christmas party I have attended. I did look up the restaurant it is being held at online and it seems fairly formal so I am going to for the middle ground. My want list for this dress is long sleeves (it has been freaking cold here lately), knee length, not too casual, not too dressy, and I prefer to wear it with tights and black knee boots.

In preparation for my shopping adventure today I did some looking online and I think I may be out of touch with the fashion world. First, Express which used to be one of my favorite stores has some adorable dresses, if I would like to wear a mini-skirt in the middle of winter and would like everyone at the party too see my booty. H & M is a whole new world of affordable fun for me. There are no H & M stores in Colorado. They had at least one promising dress online but all their fashions were paired with ballet flats. Is it not ok to wear knee boots anymore? They keep may legs warm!

My biggest difficulties are cost, and fit. To address cost, I could spend probably up to $100 but spending more than $40 or $50 makes me uncomfortable so I am shooting for that range. Fit is also difficult for me. I have a tall, slender build but weigh 5-10 pounds above my "perfect" weight. As hubby lovingly puts it I have a little "muffin top" so I don't like things that cling to the mid-section. I also I am tall (almost 5'9") so finding dresses long enough for me is very difficult. I am most comfortable in dresses that hit me right above the knee. Then finding the right shoe to pair with it (hopefully from my closet) is difficult. I want to wear knee boots simply to keep my legs warm but I own several pairs of ballet flats and some really cute heels. I am not much of a heels girl though. After 2-3 hours in the most comfortable heels and I am miserable. Looking cute is important but not at the expensive of being uncomfortable.

So anyone have any advice? Stores to look at? Great finds? Specific dress suggestions? I would love any help/suggestions you may have. Thanks!