SAHM

My Wardrobe Rehab Experience

Posted on July 19, 2011 Written by Tonya

On a typical day, here’s how you’ll find me dressed:

The unofficial official stay-at-home mom uniform: yoga pants, sports bra, tank top and sneakers. Despite how unglamorous this outfit is, I stand behind it; versatile, functional, comfy.

Last October, I wrote a post called What Not To Wear, where I lamented about the awful state of my closet and my need for an overhaul. In my post I mentioned my friend, Nancy, the best-dressed, most stylish person I know.

Nine months ago, Nancy was contemplating the idea of starting her own personal stylist business. Well, she’s done it and I was lucky enough to be one of her first projects clients!

With a closet full of every size under the sun, clothes that didn’t go with my SAHM lifestyle and client meetings, date nights and blog conferences that I longed to “dress up” for, I needed some major help. In other words, I was in need of some style of my own.

Nancy’s company, Inside Out, Wardrobe Rehab entails a three-phase process: 1) Closet Overhaul, 2) Shopping and 3) Putting It All Together. My experience spanned from March – July and honestly, I’ve never felt or dressed better.

1) Closet Overhaul was my favorite part. I love purging! It was so great having someone there with me as I tried on articles of clothing that have been in my closet for far too long and getting a second set of (honest) eyes to confirm that it was time to let go. I ended up donating nearly 50 items!

2) The Shopping phase was the most difficult for me because I’m not a big fan of clothes shopping in general and it was difficult for me to see what Nancy was seeing with some of the selections, but I trusted her and ended with some fabulous pieces that are timeless and will last forever.

3) Putting It All Together consisted of just that; creating complete outfits with what I already had in my wardrobe paired with my newly purchased items.

Here are a couple of my new looks:

Thank you for helping me bring my inner fashionista out, Nancy!

Among many of the fashion tips and tricks Nancy taught me, my four best take-aways were:

Find a good tailor! All pockets can be sewn shut or removed completely and pants can (and often times should) be hemmed.
I look really good in bright colors, something I would have normally avoided.
A blazer and a necklace can do wonders for any outfit.
Nancy is awesome! Well, actually I already knew this, but her business, professionalism and fashion sense are amazing and I know, if she can help me, she can help anyone with their own wardrobe rehab.

If you have any questions about the clothes pictured above or my experience, feel free to ask.

Stay tuned for an upcoming post on some of the outfits Nancy has helped me put together for BlogHer ’11… God bless her!

And meanwhile, please check out Inside Out, Wardrobe Rehab’s Website/blog, follow her on Twitter and Facebook for great fashion tips and advice on everything from finding the perfect dress to wear to a wedding, dressing for an interview and packing for your summer vacation.

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Top 10 Things I Don’t Miss About Working

Posted on July 11, 2011 Written by Tonya

It’s hard to believe that I had a life before I became a mother, but I did! I really did.

I worked in marketing in Corporate America for 12 years, which seems like eons ago now.

Some days I miss it and others, you couldn’t pay enough to go back to work.

In no particular order, here are the Top 10 Things I DON’T Miss About Working:

1. The Attire. Coordinates, cardigans, suits, panty hose and shoes that hurt my feet. Daily.

2. The Meetings/Meetings About Meetings. Generating so many great ideas but having way to implement them due to lack of interest, resources and/or budget, so let’s schedule another meeting! Hours upon hours of time I’ll never get back. Sigh.

3. Corporate-isms. Annoying phrases such as: think tank, ROI, the bottom line and synergy come to mind.

4. The commute. No matter how great the stereo system is in your car, sitting in traffic is the worst time-sucker EVER! Way worse than Twitter.

5. Deadlines. Marketing is a very deadline driven and there are a lot of moving parts and pieces. Herding them all together due to some of the slackers I worked with was no fun.

6. Corporate Politics. The paperwork, policies and hoops you have to jump through – essentially all the crap that gets in the way of being able to do your job.

7. Voice Mail. Creating your own greeting, remembering to change it when you’re out of the office, leaving voice mails for others and collecting your own. I cursed that little blinking red light every day.

8. Water Cooler Talk. While I appreciated the social aspect of office chit chat I often couldn’t help thinking I needed to be back at my desk working.

9. That One Guy (Or Gal). You know the one I’m talking about, the one that stinks up the break room with their microwavable lunch, the one that has horrendous breath, the one won’t look at your eyes when he talks to you, but your chest, the one that has to compliment you every single day in a really creepy way. Ew.

10. Stress Level. Um… see above.

If I had to do it all over, I’d definitely find a way to work from home.

Oh, wait… turns out I do report to a three foot boss. And with that, I better get back to work.

This post was inspired by Stasha’s Monday Listicles, a linky right up my alley!

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A Strange Encounter

Posted on July 4, 2011 Written by Tonya

Happy Indpendence Day!

A few weeks ago, I bamboozled Lucas into going to the park by way of the bank, thus taking the very l o n g way to the park so that I could get in some exercise.

While we were standing in line at the bank, he started fussing. In other words, he was on to me and wanted nothing more than to get out of the stroller and create some sort of havoc. To calm him down and keep him put, I gave him my iPhone.

This practice is normally a last resort and used mostly at restaurants so that his dad and I can finish our meal in peace and down our adult beverages with a small amount of dignity.

I have several toddler friendly apps on my phone; Voice Cards, Talking Tom, Toddler Puzzle Shapes and ABC Train, just to name a few. I also have “emergency” episodes of Yo Gabba Gabba and Sesame Street and a playlist devoted to Lucas’ favorite tunes.

At any rate, he knows his way around an iPhone, without too much input or instruction from me. I don’t know how he knows, he just does, so I wasn’t too surprised when the middle aged gentleman in front of us asked me how old Lucas was. After I told him, he responded with shock and awe that someone so young could use the device so well. I laughed it off.

Lucas and I carried on a conversation about the shapes in the puzzle he was working on and I reiterated nine more times that we would eventually make it to the park when the man blurted out the most bizarre thing: “Daycare kid?”

I was a bit taken aback and it took me a good 30 seconds to reply, “No, I stay at home with him”, to which the man had nothing to say. No further insight into his strange question at all.

I’m still confused.

Up until now, I’ve been able to avoid any sort of Mommy vs. Mommy or Mommy vs. stranger who may or may not be a Mommy run-in, not that I would call this a run-in per say, but it was certainly one of the first out in public Mommy moments I’ve had that has stayed with me. I haven’t been able to shake this exchange for some reason. Why is that?

What did he mean by “daycare kid”?

What do you think? I would love to get your take.

P.S. If you have a favorite toddler app, please let me know!

101 Things To Do With Your Toddler

Posted on June 17, 2011 Written by Tonya

I first saw this list on Pinterest and then the blog, Counting On Me and Lucas and I are slowly but surely working our way through it.

If you’re ever at a loss for what to do with your tot, and who hasn’t been, surely you will find something that you both can enjoy. 101 is my favorite. 🙂

Color
Blow Bubbles
Play Hide-and-Seek
Peek-a-Boo
Play Chase
Do Finger-plays
Sing a song
Collect rocks in a basket
Make an obstacle course out of cushions and/or furniture
Make a fort out of cushions and sheets
Go for a Walk
Make a Car out of a Box
Read a book
Go to the park
Finger-paint
Play with Play-Dough
Toss Bean bags into a Bucket
Play the shell and pea game
Dance to music
Download games for toddlers from the Internet
Practice putting things in and taking things out of boxes and bags
Make a temporary slide out of a table leaf and your couch
Roll a ball back and forth on the floor
Scoop dirt or sand into a child’s bucket (or use a serving spoon and bowl)
Practice climbing by stacking boxes on top of each other (only with adult supervision)
Put on a puppet show
Go fishing with a yard stick and yarn
Make a Horseshoe game
Make a Shape Puzzle
Play paper basketball
Run through a Sprinkler
Play with a bucket of water and a sponge
Make a Drum out of an oatmeal box
Play with a kazoo
Wash windows together
Bang on Pots and Pans with a spoon
Brush each other’s teeth
Play dress-up with stuffed animals and your child’s clothes
Stack canned or boxed food on top of each other
Let child stack mixing bowls inside each other
Make a playhouse out of a large box
Let child play with a sticker sheet (make sure your child doesn’t eat them!)
Put stickers on fingers for finger puppets
Play a musical instrument together- i.e.recorder, piano, etc.
Go on a Smelling Hunt
Frost cookies
Plant a flower or vegetable plant together
Roll a tennis ball into an empty trash can or bucket
Draw on a mirror with dry-erase markers
Play hide and seek together – trying to find a stuffed animal or other object
Have a splash party together in the bathtub
Put a leash on a stuffed animal and walk around the house
Record each other on a tape recorder (great for scrapbooks or journals!)
Make and try on paper hats
Give a piggy-back ride
Play “Horsey”
Talk into an electric fan (it distorts your voice)
Play tug-of-war with a blanket
Collect flowers (felt, artificial, real…)
Make a camera and go on a Safari
Play games with frozen juice lids
Disconnect your phone and pretend to make phone calls to relatives
Leave your phone connected and really make phone calls to relatives – let your child talk too
String large beads onto or along a shoelace
Squirt each other with squirt bottles
Glue shapes onto paper
Make sock puppets
Make paper puppets
Fill an old purse with toys
Use a paper towel tube as a megaphone
Make binoculars and go “Bird Watching” or “Stuffed Animal Watching”
Put snacks in different fun containers (paper sacks, empty canisters, etc.)
Act out a story from a book
Walk on a balance beam – use a 2×4 placed on the ground
Draw with chalk on the sidewalk
Sketch an outline of your child on the sidewalk or paper with chalk
Paint child’s palms with tempura paint and blot on paper. Makes a great card for loved ones!
Put lipstick on child and kiss a mirror
Make a puddle on cement and splash barefoot in it
Let child decorate and eat an open peanut butter sandwich
Make a toilet paper barricade for child to go under, over, or through
Do the Hokey Pokey
Make a super-hero costume out of household items
Do Knee-Bouncing Rhymes
Play “Red Light, Green Light” saying “Go” and “Stop”
Make a shoebox train for stuffed animals
Make a pillow pile to jump on (keep it clear from any hard surfaces, including walls!)
Make an easy puzzle with felt and Velcro
Make bracelets or collars for stuffed animals out of pipe cleaners and jingle bells
Learn numbers from a deck of cards
Play the matching game with a deck of cards
Make a domino chain
Have a picnic in the park, backyard, or living room!
Play dress up in Mommy or Daddy’s clothes
Make a tin cup telephone and talk to each other in it
Make a nature collage
Mirror each other
Make a “Mummy Mommy” with toilet paper
Make a tape recording of short music selections and instructions to move in different ways
Make and walk along a toilet paper trail
TAKE A NAP!

The ones in bold, we’ve done or do on a regular basis. Have fun!

SAHM

Posted on May 31, 2011 Written by Tonya

The other day, I read (and re-tweeted) two lists: 10 Things Never to Say to a Stay-at-Home Mom and 10 Things Never to Say to a Working Mom and both lists got me thinking about my SAHM role.

It’s been almost two years since I became a stay-at-home mom and honestly, I’m still getting used to it.

Sure, I have somewhat of a schedule: music class on Mondays, tumble class on Wednesdays, nanny help for a few hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays and a free-for-all Friday. No matter what, we get out of the house. For my sanity, just as much as Lucas’.

I like to say I’m a stay-at-home mom, that does anything but stay at home.

Apart from the classes, we have passes to Legoland, Disneyland and the zoo. There are also weekly visits to parks, libraries, toy stores, pet stores, book stores and Daddy’s office. When we’re not out and about, we’ve got a host of in-door activities, but if given the option, I’d rather be out! At home, there’s the Internet, TV, laundry and other chores. Plus, some days it feels like the walls are coming in on us.

If I was stuck inside all day every day, I would certainly lose my mind. So while I don’t have meetings to attend or a closet full of suits to wear anymore, I plan, I schedule, I organize, I manage, I orchestrate, I clean, I cook (sort of), I live for nap time, me time and date nights all while staying at home. Whatever that means…

Slowly but surely, I’m learning to embrace being a SAHM, but I’d be lying if I said that didn’t spend a lot of time day dreaming about returning to work full time.

On one hand, I can’t imagine having anyone else spend as much time with Lucas as I get to or allowing them to be such an active participate in his growth and development. I do realize how lucky I am that I am his primary care giver, but on the other hand, there are days that I would give my right arm to have a 7:30 meeting and drop him off somewhere along the way.

It’s an age-old argument, but as I see it, being a mom, stay at home or not, is hard work. No matter where you do it from.

For some, returning to work is a financial necessity and not a choice. I get that. And when I think about being a SAHM in those terms, I know I’m one of the fortunate ones.

Are you at stay-at-home mom? If so, is it by choice? Do you miss working?

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The Fun Has Just Begun

Posted on February 22, 2011 Written by Tonya

In the beginning, it was diapers, sleepless nights, onesies, bottles and burp cloths, but in just a few short months, Lucas started crawling and then soon after that, walking and is now talking and communicating with me like I never thought he would and I realize that the fun has only just begun.

I am blowing bubbles and playing chase in the backyard, squishing Play-Doh between my fingers and picking up puzzle pieces from all over the house.

I am taking more photos than I ever have before and making memories to last a lifetime on trips to grandma and grandpa’s, the zoo, beach and amusement parks.

I am drawing with sidewalk chalk, crayons and finger paints, playing on park swings, slides and monkey bars, getting drenched at water fountains at the mall and during bath time.

I am planning play dates, packing lunches, snacks and sippy cups and making sure my iPhone is fully charged and is loaded with plenty of kid friendly material.

I’m laughing through family dinners because I’m getting covered in spaghetti sauce, apple juice and yogurt. I’m squishing grapes and pretending to feed choo choo trains.

I am teaching letters, numbers, colors, body parts, manners, patience and more.

I am revisiting the simple joy of Disney movies, Dr. Seuss at story time, pretend and hide-and-seek.

I am kissing boo-boos better, nursing colds, attempting time outs and trying to keep my own temper tantrums in check.

I’m learning to slow down, follow bugs, stop and smell the flowers and delight in the wind.

I’m looking at world in a whole new way….

…through the eyes of my son.

This post was featured on Natalie’s blog, Mommy of a Monster, in her weekly feature, Monster Likes #8 on Saturday, February 26, 2011.

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My Wardrobe Rehab Experience

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