Law Mama Liz

Time Out

2012-04-03T12:13:00.000-07:00

Hi there! (clearing out the blog cobwebs) I have been incredibly unmotivated and uninspired by blogging lately - it's just started to feel silly, vain and self-indulgent. I still love reading blogs, but I think for now it's time for me to take some (official) time off from blogging.

I've been feeling more confident and creative in getting dressed every day, but I don't feel the need to share it as much as I used to. And I don't have a personal computer anymore - so blogging involves a lot of running around to each of the different computers in our house, and I'm just kind of over it.

So for now, I'm just going to admit defeat and not feel guilty about not blogging for a while. I'm still active on twitter and instagram, so hopefully I can keep up with you there. Blogging just isn't for me right now.

Farewell, until we meet again!

A Day in the Life

2012-01-31T16:20:00.000-08:00

Sorry about the blogging fail lately. I just haven't been feeling super inspired to post lately, but hopefully things will pick up this month.

Yesterday I decided to snap a picture an hour and post it up on instagram (you can find me @lawmamaliz), here's my day, hour by hour:

8am:

9am:

10am:

11am:

noon:

1pm:

2pm:

3pm:

(oops, missed 4pm!)

5pm:

6pm:

7pm:

8pm:

9pm:

10pm:

Did you participate in the January Photo a Day challenge on Instagram? I did, I should probably share my pictures here too... coming soon! And next up, February Photo a day.

12 for '12

2012-01-03T15:24:00.000-08:00

Source: helloagaingirls.com via Law Mama on Pinterest

It seems like the obligatory blogger thing to do, writing up a list of resolutions. But the start of a new year begs for a fresh take, a new perspective. So I'm taking this moment to put down what I'd like to accomplish this year, habits I'd like to change, and habits I'd like to start.

One: Eat well: while we've done pretty well with moving to whole, unprocessed foods, I still am a sucker for refined sugar. I need to stop buying it, because once it's in the house, I'll eat it.

Two: Less unfocused internet time: I do this too much - I check facebook, twitter, email randomly throughout the day whenever I feel bored, distracted, or stressed. It's a waste of time.

Three: Blog more: I'm definitely tired of solely outfit blogging, and I really enjoy looking back on my posts about life, so I'm going to do more of that this year. I lost steam, probably because I wasn't as interested in outfit blog posts as I have been in the past. I'm not really looking to build a huge following or make money at this, so I'm happy to blog what I love for now.

Four: Get tidy & organized: I need to be more regimented about housekeeping. It gets away from me more often than I'd like, and then I have to do a marathon cleaning session because people are coming over. I'd like my house to company ready all the time, because it's a nicer way to live.

Five: Be a better wife: it's too easy to focus more on mothering, and I need to remember to devote quality time and attention to my husband. That means more date nights, more time together as a couple, and less bickering about dumb stuff.

Six: Be a more engaged mother: put down the phone, turn off the TV and play with Zeke. As much as possible. Because he's going to be a grumpy teenager before I know it and I should enjoy this time with him while I have it.

Seven: Make smarter, more ethical purchases, especially with regard to clothes. No more impulse buys of cheap crap clothes from Target and Old Navy.

Eight: Get back into being crafty: I used to knit a lot, and that went by the wayside when I took the bar and then had a baby. I'd like to knit another sweater this year, maybe even a crazy cable knit sweater.

Nine: Get knocked up again. It's time. I'm ready for baby number two. I'll let you know as soon as I've told facebook.

Ten: Sort out my career. I'm stalled out right now, trying to figure out what I want to do. The few interviews I've done haven't panned out, but it's probably because I haven't been really ready for it. But I'm about to renew my Bar membership (or possibly put it on hold for a few years). I need to do some serious thinking about what the next few years will hold for me.

Eleven: Get dressed every day and do hair and make up. I'm typically good about this (thanks in large part to starting this blog last year), but it doesn't hurt to remind myself how much joy I get from feeling put together and stylish.

Twelve: Make and plan dinners regularly. I go through phases of being really good about this and being really bad about this. I need to get back to being really good about this!

I feel like these are all attainable goals, and reminding myself to be a better me never hurts! What are your resolutions?

Linking up with Baby Rabies and her 12 to do in 2012...

Merry Christmas (a little late)

2012-01-02T15:53:00.000-08:00

It being a new year, and the holidays finally being over, it seems like I should have time enough to blog... I'm working on a resolutions/goals post, but in the meantime, I thought you might enjoy a play by play of Christmas. Let me tell you, so much fun with a kid who knows what's going on! Last year he kind of was into it, but this year was all about Santa and opening presents. So much more of the Christmas magic with a toddler in the house.

Obsessed with opening presents. He was so stoked to be finally allowed to go for it!

Of course we had traditional cinnamon rolls for breakfast. Zeke really enjoyed them, as you can see.

Our tree was amazing this year, despite some lighting snafus - I had to redecorate in order to deal with several dead strands of lights, but the end result is gorgeous! I'm sad to be taking it down soon.

This year instead of going to someone else's house, we hosted Jerm's family here. It was a big responsibility, but I think everything turned out well! Zeke had a blast with his grandma and aunts and uncles.

Yikes - I look as tired as I felt. Playing Santa = not enough sleep for several nights in a row.

We had another round of breakfast with Jerm's family, namely bacon and orange rolls, plus lots of coffee and eggnog. Sugar rush!

My sister-in-law and I gave each other toms. So funny!

Once again I praised Jerm for installing a dishwasher (while Zeke and I went to Hawaii last spring. I love my husband.).

While I cleaned up, Jerm and his mom thought Zeke needed candy. Zeke thought this was an awesome idea.

You might have noticed my photos are a bit sharper than before -- Santa got Jerm a DSLR for Christmas, and of course, I've been playing with it too. So awesome, and so fun. I'd forgotten how much fun technical photography can be. We attempted a few fancy shots, but the toddler wasn't being cooperative.

Until we broke out the marshmallows. Which were promptly dumped on the floor.

So that was our Christmas - fun and tiring and amazing. How were your holidays?

THE dress

2011-12-19T15:07:00.000-08:00

First: let me apologize for my lameness in blogging lately. I've definitely lost steam and direction as of late, and haven't felt nearly as inspired or excited about blogging. So my remedy has been to take an extended break. I keep hoping for some inspiration or excitement to hit me before I actually blog, and it finally has.

So, moving on. There seem to be very few formal/cocktail dressy events in my holiday party scene, so when one comes up, I am STOKED. This year we were invited to a very dressy dinner, and I have been looking and looking for something to wear for it, under $100, and I have had no luck. Until. I found THE dress at Banana Republic. On the sale rack. It was amazing and I bought it.

I did my hair and make up (red lips are meant for holiday parties, am I right?), and had so much fun, while Zeke got to stay home and play for hours with my mom. Yay for grandmas! They definitely make the best babysitters.

(The shoes are from Target and the blazer is from my suit - BCBG for Max Azria)

(also we managed to forget our real camera, so all my photos are from my iphone)

Disneyland Photo Dump

2011-12-09T22:50:00.001-08:00

We had a lovely time at Disneyland, and I had big plans to blog about it posthaste, but that didn't happen. Life has been busy, and as always, the first thing I let slip is the ol' blog. Oh well. Here are some of the fun pictures we took. And, did I mention, I'm now the mother of a two year old? Like truly a toddler. I can't believe it either. Oh, and Jerm and I have been married seven years. No big. [seven sounds a lot bigger than six]

Disneyland Hangover

2011-12-02T12:13:00.001-08:00

We had a blast. An exhausting blast. I think my feet still hurt several days later. But we had so much fun. I'm still sorting through photos, but here are a few to whet your appetite.

I'm going through the pictures we took on the big camera next - we took so many! A lot of editing in my future. Hopefully by Monday, because we have a busy weekend planned I'd like to share as well!

MAMA STYLE: Going to see a certain Mouse

2011-11-16T06:58:00.001-08:00

Sorry for the recent radio silence this week. I've been pretty busy with family visiting and getting ready for Zeke's second birthday party, Thanksgiving, AND a planned trip to Disneyland for the day of his birthday. I know, we're crazy. I'm not entirely sure it's a good idea to take a two-year-old to Disneyland, but it's something I've been wanting to do since I went with my sister and nephew when Zeke was 4 months old. And he's still free, so there's that.

Of course, like I always do, I've been trying to figure out what to wear when we're at Disneyland. There are definitely significant sartorial challenges with amusement parks! There are multiple goals to keep in mind, among them: comfortable feet for lots of walking, easy layers for an entire day outside, and comfort while getting on and off sometimes awkward rides. I know a lot of people would give up on appearing stylish, but that's not me. I'm not one to give up and wear white athletic shoes and sweats just because I want to be comfortable. There are other options!

disneyland look 1 by lawmama featuring faux pearl earrings

First up, a comfy sweater with boyfriend jeans. See: you can still be comfortable (and have breastfeeding access, though I'm hoping that'll be kept to naptime while we're there), and look put together and stylish. Obviously, I am going to need some Disney accessories while there, because when else can you use Minnie ears to add a pop of color to your ensemble? And Toms = comfy feet, not sloppy feet.

disneyland look 2 by lawmama featuring acrylic scarves

Next up, another layered and comfy look, probably better if the weather is on the cooler side. This time I added an awesome messenger style diaper bag; we're bringing our stroller and I'm going to be grabbing the bag for rides over and over, so I need something comfortable that easily slides over the handle bar without much fuss. I have a pair of Bensimon sneakers on my wishlist, since they are yet another shoe that proves comfortable doesn't have to equal frumpy.

disneyland look 3 by lawmama featuring tortoise sunglasses

And finally, a fun colorful outfit minus any mouse details. And I love a pair of super dark rinse jeans against white converse. If you're going to wear white sneakers, this is how to do it. This hoodie and hat are perfect if the weather is cool (and a perfect pull up style top for breastfeeding). Add a practical and fun diaper bag and a little pop of color to the lips for an extra kick.

There you go, a few practical and fun outfits -- because while while you want to look put together at Disneyland, it's also not a fashion show. Nothing looks more ridiculous than high heels at a theme park, am I right? But again, there's no reason to give up and look sloppy either. There's a happy midway point between the two, and that's where I usually dress.

What do you wear at theme parks? How have you negotiated the balance between fashion and comfort?

Can this outfit be saved?

2011-11-10T08:00:00.000-08:00

I was reading a recent post over on BiblioMOMia and she talked about building an outfit from something simple that you had to throw on in a hurry. It got me thinking - I threw on this simple and kinda frumpy outfit to drop Zeke off at his babysitting play group next door, and I thought, "Can I save this outfit? How can I make it less frumpy?"

[bad iphone pic and pre-make up, but you get the idea.]

So I hit up my closet to see if I could make this outfit less frumpy. First I lost the hoodie (even though it's a really cute hoodie), it just wasn't making me feel stylish. I dug through my shirts and found this long neglected but much loved cat print shirt, twisted on my new infinity scarf that I will wear everyday for the next week because I love it so much, and then grabbed my trusty new Frye boots. They never let me down.

Anyway, here's the result:

Still a very casual outfit, but a lot more put together than the makeup-less hoodie girl from the first picture. I was almost going to take a day off from posting to let myself be frumpy, but I'm glad I put in a little effort to save that outfit.

Finally Fall

2011-11-09T08:00:00.000-08:00

jacket: vintage | sweater: H&M | jeans: Gap | Boots: Gap

The weather has finally cooled off enough to wear some cute layered outfits. This one was inspired by this one on Mandy over at Harper's Happenings. Isn't that a cute outfit? I had to stop myself from running to H&M to buy a similar top, and instead remembered to dig through my sweater drawer. It's a close enough approximation.

And maybe someday I'll wear my hair down again. I've kind of been in a bun/ponytail phase lately, which probably means I'm due for a haircut. Luckily I have one scheduled soon! I'm thinking it's time for a big change - well, not too big, but I need to change up my look a bit. I've had super long hair for a while now, I'm thinking of going shorter.

Colored Leggings

2011-11-08T17:22:00.000-08:00

A little what we wore today, since Zeke decided that he needed to join my photo shoot today. He was particularly stylish today with his skinny jeans and flannel shirt, so why not? I usually wear this shirt dress with a belt, but I haven't been feeling it lately so I went without. A little bit more shapeless, but a lot more comfortable.

And I'm so happy to finally participate in an Everybody Everywear challenge again. Even if I'm technically wearing leggings, not tights. Hey, I'm a stay at home mom and I have to wear something that can be worn going down a slide with my kid. This fits the bill!

Night Weaning Saga Begins

2011-11-07T15:25:00.000-08:00

I love bedsharing. I think it's been so great and I've loved cuddling with my baby all night long. But. Now my baby is entirely a toddler. A toddler that still wants to nurse every two to three hours at night. I'm ready for this to change.

I'm trying to get Zeke out of our bed as gently as possible. I'm starting to feel suffocated and exhausted of nursing in general, but he still seems to need the emotional comfort of nursing, so I'm not ready to wean him yet. I'd like to wait until he's ready, but I need to sleep. And I'd like to get my fertility back someday too, but having a toddler stuck to my teat all night isn't conducive to ovulation or conception, apparently.

Last month in an attempt to get him to sleep more at night and nurse less we tried moving him to a big boy bed. The result was that he'd sleep from about 8pm to 1am, then climb into bed with me after much crying and nurse off and on all night. Not really that big of a difference from his normal pattern of sleeping in our bed from 8pm to 1am for his first of many night feedings.

When Zeke and I went to see my dad we shared a bed and it was nice, so when I got home I wasn't as big on pushing the bed thing. Which has probably been a mistake. As has been asking him whether he wanted to go to "mama's bed" or "Zeke's bed" - obviously he chooses mama's bed when given the choice. So starting tonight we're going to try this super gentle way to start our night weaning. I'm conflicted about whether or not to start him in the big boy bed or not, but my gut says that it's not a good idea to push too much at once. So we'll probably stay in mama's bed for now.

Anyway, wish me luck. I'll probably be pretty sleep deprived (more than normal), but I hope it leads to more sleep in the long run! I mean, he's going to be two in a few weeks. I think he can go seven hours without nursing, right? Right. And we're running into my goal of nursing for two years. I'm not sure what I want to do after we hit that goal, but I'm pretty sure that sudden weaning won't work well for Zeke even if I don't think I'd mind it that much, at least at this point.

Boots + Shorts = Awesome

2011-11-02T13:18:00.000-07:00

sweater: Old Navy | shorts: Target | boots: Frye | locket: UO

I meant to post these yesterday, but Zeke woke up just as I was getting into it, so today it is. The weather has been perfectly in between summer and fall, so I finally got to try out these shorts with my new boots. I was hoping these shorts would translate well into fall, and I'm happy that I was right. And these are the infamous Frye boots that I just purchased. Seriously love them, though we're still going through a break in period. But nothing blister causing, so there's that.

I think this may be the first time I've paired shorts with boots -- usually it looks to weird for me, but these shorts are so skirt like that it works (at least to my eye). Next thing you know I'll be wearing formal shorts.

Our Halloween Costumes

2011-10-31T12:16:00.000-07:00

Here's what we wore for Halloween this year. I figured out Zeke's costume first, because a) kid is obsessed with trains and Thomas the Tank Engine, and b) I wasn't feeling the actual Thomas costumes, so we went with stuff he could wear again. He was comfortable and happy in his costume, and even kept his hat on for most of the party. Hopefully things will go as well for tonight's trick-or-treating!

Then I was inspired by Jessica Quirk's Homemade Halloween series to be Rosie the Riveter. It kind of coordinates with Zeke in that we're classic Americana figures. The hair was a big tricky, as I have way too much of it to hide under the bandanna, so I subbed in a high bun and tied the bandanna slightly differently. The bright red lipstick and black liner was just fun.

And then Jerm's been growing his beard lately, and I was able to borrow the awesome outfit from my dad, so he went with lumberjack. That's a vintage Pendleton flannel! Nice. Thanks Dad! I'll mail it back soon. Jerm ran out at the last minute to buy the ax at the hardware store (we didn't own one which is weird since I thought we owned every tool known to man), and the lady at the cash register said it was the fourth one she sold that day. Weird, right?

It was fun being in costumes that were more like real clothes but weren't a complete cop out like some costumes out there.

Boot Quest

2011-10-28T16:24:00.000-07:00

I've been coveting and hunting for a pair of tall riding boots since last fall, when I did the 30 for 30 and it seemed like EVERYONE had a pair of the Steve Madden Intyce boots. But I just couldn't bring myself to get a pair (the fact that one of my good friends had a pair didn't hurt either -- I don't like to be twinsies). So I just waited and online shopped and waited some more.

I mentioned before that I've been wanting a pair of the Frye Melissa Button Boots, but I just couldn't take the price, so I found several pairs of boots that were cheaper. Here are some of the boots on my list, including the Steve Madden boots:

boot quest by lawmama featuring ak anne klein shoes

Ak anne klein shoes
$169 - piperlime.gap.com

Steven by Steve Madden round toe shoes
$149 - endless.com

Chinese Laundry genuine leather boots
$99 - piperlime.gap.com

ALDO glaze shoes
$170 - nordstrom.com

Bandolino mid heel boots
$100 - dsw.com

I was about to order a few pairs to try on, planning to send the others back, when Jerm said I should just get the Fryes. Apparently I've been talking about getting a pair of Frye boots for long enough that even he felt bad for me.

So I took the plunge and ordered a pair of the Frye Melissa Button Boots in brown.

winners by lawmama featuring dark skinny jeans

Old Navy asymmetrical sweater
$55 - oldnavy.gap.com

GAP dark skinny jeans
$70 - gap.com

Frye shoes
$348 - zappos.com

Pashmina scarve
£5 - peacocks.co.uk

They arrived this afternoon, and I am IN. LOVE. They're lovely. There will definitely be a break in process, but the leather is of such high quality that I'm not too worried about it. I think it'll be worth the investment -- I can wear them for years and resole them when they get old instead of having to replace them. And believe me, I am going to wear the heck out of them to get my money's worth!

Sometimes it seems like a better value to just get the thing I want that will last a long time, despite the cost now. What do you think? Have you splurged on anything recently?

As an aside, Endless is amazing -- I ordered these yesterday morning and they arrived this afternoon. That's with free shipping! Awesome.

What's this? An outfit post?

2011-10-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

sweater: Old Navy | dress: Target | leggings: American Apparel | boots: Steve Madden | belt: Thrifted

I'm not sure how it happened, but what used to be my blogging bread and butter (outfit posts), have now become the rare bird. I was feeling overburdened with trying to dress well, and it was kind of a relief for the past few weeks to not worry about my clothes that much. I mean, I still put together some cute outfits that I now regret not photographing, but mostly I wore simple jeans & t-shirts kind of outfits. And that's what I needed to do for a while.

And can I just say, I'm loving that it's finally boot weather. It was full on fall in Seattle, but Northern California is a full ten degrees warmer, at least, and it's only just dipped down to be cool enough for them. I'm currently on the hunt for a great pair of riding boots to get me through the winter, and I have it narrowed down to three. I'll try to post about them tomorrow, because it's taken me some serious online shopping to do that narrowing. Am I the only one who shops for shoes online just for fun? And then I only buy once in a while after thinking about it for a while. I think that's why I prefer online to IRL shopping, because I have time to really consider my purchase analytically. It's somehow a lot less emotional.

Getting busy...

2011-10-26T11:12:00.000-07:00

Between the co-op babysitting group and Zeke getting sick, I just keep pushing the blog off to the side. It's so easy to put off since it's really kind of a time suck of a hobby and my life is better when I don't focus on it as much.

But that's hard on you, my three readers, so I thought I'd post an update of what we've been doing (as well as promise to get back into weekly blogging).

Zeke took forever to get over his cold I wrote about in the last post, and then we just got busy. And last weekend, Zeke and I took a trip up to Western Washington to visit my dad and stepmom. They live in the country and let me tell you, Zeke had so much fun chasing chickens, "driving" the lawnmower, and even got to sit on a horse. It was a nice visit and I'm sad they're so far away!

dressed for the weather

chicken chasing is so fun

he's still talking about the time "I drive lawnmower!"

and he's still amused by how much gas this horse passed. "horsey toot!!"

other people's houses = unconventional toys. like this brush.

taking the ferry to the airport and on home

I'm glad we took one last trip before he turns two and we have to pay for a trip, but also? I'm so over flying solo. Once I get on the plane it's fine, but security is tough. And I know they're easiest on moms (did you know they don't make kids go through the body scanner? We always get waved through the metal detector only.), but managing all the stuff plus a wiggly toddler is rough. So much easier with multiple people.

So, I'm planning to get back in the groove of blogging, I even took an outfit photo today for the first time in weeks. And I totally have bought clothes that have never seen the blog. Weird, right? But I definitely needed the break.

Weekend Update

2011-10-03T13:57:00.000-07:00

I've gotten really bad about posting on Mondays. Or Tuesdays for that matter. But Zeke is taking an extra long nap, so I thought I'd post about our adventures this weekend.

On Saturday, we went out to a local street fair event, Oaktoberfest. There were a lot of great microbrews, so obviously, Jerm was in.

But the highlight for Zeke?

Clearly, meeting firefighters and getting to climb into the firetruck. It was super awesome fun time.

And then? He got a balloon! OMG. He proceeded to whack people with it while we stood around tasting beer. Let me just say, that did not go over well with the childless hipsters. Oops. The hipsters with children (I don't think we're quite cool enough to be part of that crowd), were amused.

All that balloon whacking resulted in a popped balloon shortly before we made it to the car. Also, we regretted bring the cheapo umbrella stroller in lieu of the teh awesome BOB. That thing is so much easier to steer, reclines, and is just generally awesome (especially since it only cost us $60). Jerm thinks it's an embarrassing yuppie stroller. Which it kind of is, but seriously, every third person with kids in Oakland owns one, and anyways, ours is already two years old and dingy compared to the fancy new ones. Jerm doesn't even realize how basic the BOB can seem after you see all the the crazy fancy strollers out there. Hello, Orbit? Buggaboo? I'm looking at you.

On Sunday Jerm got up early to run to Bridge to Bridge Run. Zeke and I slept in and took BART out to the Ferry Building to have lunch with him and some of his friends he ran with. BART was pretty easy since I decided to skip the stroller altogether (I'm afraid of the complicated and urine soaked elevators), though he is getting a little bit heavy for the Ergo.

The weather was great -- sunny and warm, totally not what I was expecting. Luckily we were dressed in layers (as you always should for a visit to San Francisco) and striped town to our t-shirts.

Then late last night Zeke started acting sad and exhausted. At first I thought he was overtired, but he woke up shortly after I put him down for bed and had a fever. Then he threw up. Ew. But we threw him in the bath and he proceeded to play for nearly an hour (after post-vomit dose of ibuprofen). And while he had a restless night, I'm happy to report that there was no more vomit, though he was pretty sad and sick again when he woke up this morning.

But again, thank goodness for baby ibuprofen, another dose and he was happy to play again.

Right now he's taking the longest nap ever, which I hope continues to help him feel better. And I should really go eat lunch since he's been almost exclusively breastfeeding since last night and I'm feeling depleted.

How was your weekend?

MAMA STYLE: can't wait for fall

2011-09-30T08:00:00.000-07:00

can't wait for fall by lawmama featuring a knit sweater

It's been so warm here in the Bay Area that I've been oddly longing for fall. In that east coast, crunchy leaves and early sunset kind of way. I suppose we'll have a fall eventually (probably November), but right now I'd love to be wearing something like this. Right now I'm wearing a strange mix of fall and summer clothes, but I suppose that's what you have to do, right?

Anyway, I'm seriously coveting a cream cable knit sweater for the fall, and I've been eyeing these Frye Melissa Button boots for ages, but I have yet to bite the bullet on either item. I suppose I ought to just get it over with, right? Fryes are supposed to last forever.

A Peek Into My Living Room

2011-09-29T16:07:00.000-07:00

I'm really into reading home decor and DIY blogs (anyone else obsessed with Young House Love and Apartment Therapy? No? Just me?), but a lot of the time I don't see houses and decor ideas that are especially toddler friendly. So I thought I'd write about the evolution of our living room from a completely adult space to something that is very kid friendly but also has room for the adult things too (get ready for a photo heavy post!).

When we first moved into to our house (almost three years), we didn't have a TV in the main living room, and the cats quickly took over the couches. I couldn't figure how where to place everything, but I really liked the idea of making a "conversation space" -- hello, I watch way too much HGTV for my own good.

Here's what it looked like initially:

I'd hit up Ikea and gotten a bit creative with the mantel, but we were still working with the tiny dining table from our itty-bitty duplex and I hadn't figured out how to use the space yet.

And then after watching far too much HGTV I decided to paint the fireplace wall brown. It took so many coats to get coverage (seriously, primer was invented for a reason), but the hard work paid off with a big impact.

Then something big happened that changed the way I looked at decor and home functionality: I got pregnant! We didn't do very much to change the space while I was pregnant other than create a "library" corner to the living room.

No, the big changes happened when Zeke started to get mobile and baby-proofing became something that was imminently important. And seriously, this kid went from laying on the floor playing with toys to turbo crawling all around the house in a week. I swear it was so fast!

So we needed more play space, and fast. The first thing I did was to move the coffee table in front of the fireplace to block access and to reallocate the shelving for his stuff.

Then we realized that we needed more space, and I finally gave up on having the big tan couch in the middle of the space. Once that was out of the way, it was AMAZING how much more open the space was.

So with that very long preamble, here is the ~~finished~~ current space (it's definitely still evolving and far from done).

As soon as Zeke started crawling, we decided to have a shoe free house. There's nothing like spending all day on the floor to help you realize how dirty shoes are. Now that we've gotten into the habit, we aren't looking back. I usually don't push the rule when we have people over, and entirely give up when we have parties, but I figure the main people tracking in dirt are us, so if we keep our shoes off we're doing our bit to keep our floors cleaner!

Having a designated spot for all the junk I carry around on outings has helped a lot with the clutter, and we keep the keys up high so Zeke doesn't set off our car alarms (of course, Jerm never manages to get his keys into the bowl and spends many mornings searching high and low for them. Is my husband the only guy that does that?).

Then, the biggest change help for making our living room kid friendly was to open it up and ensure that there's lots of room for playing. Now normally, this area is littered with toys, but I thought I'd clean it up before I put pictures of my living room up on the interwebs.

Having a place for the toys to go has made it much easier for Zeke to learn about cleaning up and it makes it much faster for me to clean up in the evenings after he goes to bed. I'm still on the look out for a good toy chest to fit in the space, but for now this system is working well! The toys are easy for Zeke to access, and easy for him to put away also.

A few months ago, we added the chair rail and chalkboard paint. We had a clear spot for the rail (there was a line where the chairs had bumped the wall repeated), and we thought chalkboard paint would be a fun thing to try. Zeke loves it, but sometimes this happens:

Um. Yeah. We're working on that (and for the most part he stays on the chalkboard part).

So there you have it! A tour of my evolving, kid friendly space. It's definitely been an adjustment redesigning the space so that it's both stylish and toddler proof, but I think we've reached a happy medium! What do you think? How has your home changed to accommodate kids?

Look familiar? This is my guest post for A Little Bit of This while she takes a week off. Pop over and say hello!

Mama Style: Nursing

2011-09-23T08:00:00.000-07:00

Nursing in Style by Law Mama featuring a v neck pocket tee

I went through a lot of trial and error figuring out what to wear while breastfeeding. When Zeke was first born, I was just struggling to survive and mostly wore open button up pajama tops and cheap Target nursing bras. So glamorous. Then I started venturing into nursing shirts and I have to say, I was less than impressed. They tend to fit terribly and be about as unflattering as possible -- which for a new mom still trying to lose the baby weight was pretty depressing.

Eventually I figured out that it was much easier to just wear normal clothes that could work with breastfeeding. The most natural cut for that is the deep v-neck - and if you wear a nursing tank top underneath, you don't need to worry too much about showing off all that suddenly massive cleavage (seriously, I went from a small B-cup to a full D-cup. A big change for me!). A deep v-neck in a dress makes a dress so much more wearable, and you can't go wrong with a great deep-V tee shirt. You can wear it with everything!

Other great pieces are button up shirts (hello, access to the girls!), and a pretty, lightweight scarf if you want some privacy. I had a hooter hider that I used for a bit, but as soon as Zeke could express an opinion about it, I had to stop using it. A scarf is a great alternative that can add a little color and style to your outfit too.

And I'm a big fan of those handkerchief hem cardigans which both allow easy access and can allow for some privacy when you're nursing in public. Nursing in public can seem super intimidating at first, but really it's no big deal. I swear, most people would much prefer a quiet nursing baby over a screaming hungry one! I have never had anything negative said to me while nursing out and about, and once you get used to it, it makes leaving the house so easy. You have all the food you need with you, at the perfect temperature, ready when needed!

Finally, I included some great nursing accessories: a nursing necklace for when your kid gets grabby and you'd like to keep your hair from being pulled, and an ERGO baby carrier. When Zeke was littler, I nursing him in that thing all the time. The trick is to loosen the straps so baby's head is level with your boobs, and use the hood to help stabilize their head (and to provide privacy). I nursed that kid all over Disneyland, in grocery stores, at Target... everywhere. All in the ERGO so I didn't have to stop to find a place to sit down. And the ERGO comes in lots of different designs -- I like to think of it as my favorite accessory.

And don't forget a great diaper bag. It continues to be useful well into the toddler years for toting diapers, extra clothes, toys, pacifiers, and a water bottle -- gotta keep hydrated!

So there you have it, some tips and tricks for breastfeeding in style! Hope that helps someone out there struggling with this problem like I did at first!

One More

2011-09-21T08:00:00.000-07:00

I have two younger sisters. Jerm has an older sister and a younger sister. Having an only child has always seemed unimaginable to both of us, mostly because of how much having siblings (okay, sisters) have affected our lives. For the longest time I thought I wanted to have three kids. But now that I have Zeke, I worry about how my divided attention will affect him. In a family, there's only so much attention that parents can give, and when there are more kids, that attention is divided. I know a lot of sibling rivalry stems from the kids trying to get that attention, and more and more I remember striving for attention from my parents. As the oldest, I didn't have to work as hard for recognition, since I was always doing the next big thing (like going to kindergarten, riding a bike, driving a car) that required more attention since no one in the family had done it before. And my youngest sister, C, didn't need to strive as much, because with her my parents realized that it was their last chance to enjoy the big childhood experiences.

However, my middle sister, A, had to work for attention. Since she wasn't the first or the last, she had to find another role. And often it was that of troublemaker. Looking back I wonder what kind of person she would have been without our youngest sister (who I wouldn't give up for the world, she's an awesome person). Would she have tried so hard to grow up? Would she have been more babyish? We really can't know.

With three siblings, there's always someone left out as well. We'd often pair up against the other kid, usually C and I against A when we were young, then when we were older, A and I had more teenage interests in common and we'd abandon C. Somehow A & C rarely teamed up against me (I'm everyone's favorite sister like that.).

But it does make me think more and more that I'd like to be done after two kids. Not for any other reason than I want to be able to give them more attention. Not that big families are lacking in that, just that I'm not sure I'd be up for the task of making sure each child didn't have to fight for my attention.

And I'd like to think the duality of two siblings would be more peaceful than three. I mean, I expect my kids to fight and have disagreements, but I'd like to think things would be less fraught with only two kids. I mean, it's not like they can team up and pick sides like with a sibling set of three.

Now, who knows what my life will be like after we've had baby number two? I may change my mind, and I reserve the right to do so. But for now, I really think that our family will max out at four people. Which is kind of weird to say considering how much I loved pregnancy and tiny baby time.

What do you think? How many siblings do you have, and how do you think your place in the family affected your personality now? Did it affect your choices on whether or not to have kids and how many to have? It's such an interesting topic since it really affects everyone. Even only children must have an opinion on it.

Gun Show

2011-09-20T12:14:00.000-07:00

tank: Target | jeans: Lucky | shoes: Worishofer

If you can't tell, it's summer in the Bay Area. That's right, September = summer here. I bought these super cute and comfy Worishofers after seeing them on Miss James a few months ago (they're surprisingly affordable too). They haven't gotten as much wear as I'd like, so I'm trying to remedy that during the current warm spell.

An awesome side benefit to being a mom of a toddler: incredibly strong arms. I used to think rockclimbing was the best way to tone up one's arms, but now I know the truth: carrying around a 28+ pound toddler on a daily basis will give you amazing guns. I love how my arms and shoulders look in racerback tanks nowadays thanks to that kid.

Leave it to Zeeker

2011-09-18T21:18:00.000-07:00

scarf: Target | cardi: Old Navy | tank: GlamourMom | pants: William Rast for Target | shoes: Toms

What? An outfit post? I know, right? Finally. Sorry it isn't more awe inspiring, but I figured I got dressed, played with color, AND managed to photograph. I wore this to run around while Zeke played at the co-op playdate. It was cool and cloudy, and it turned out to be a perfect outfit for the occasion. I am kind of in love with pink + red right now, and this outfit epitomizes the ideal combination for me.

So while it may not be the most thrilling thing, I at least felt put together and perfectly appropriate for the situation. And I think that's more realistic than implying that I wear heels and dresses to do chores and chase a toddler around the house all day. Because June Cleaver I am not.

P.S. I actually do call Zeke "Zeeker" on occasion. And Zeekie is another favorite. Not sure why it changes the spelling, but it does.

Playdates and Camera Troubles

2011-09-14T11:41:00.000-07:00

Everyday, I intend to photograph my outfit, but everyday I postpone it and by the end of the afternoon I get busy with dinner and last minute chores before Jerm comes home and I forget.

And then I can't decide which computer to use to edit my photos (my old laptop has been having troubles, and Jerm's desktop is what I have been using, but it's been on the fritz too). So I inevitable procrastinate and don't deal with it. But I really am trying to get back into outfit documentation, at least a few a week, since I really do like to keep track of what I'm wearing, and I usually put more effort into an outfit I plan to photograph.

In other news, let's talk about the play date co-op!

Let me just say, three toddlers are way more work and energy than one toddler! For the first few hours, the boys were thrilled to play with Zeke's toys (other people's toys are far superior to one's own, obvs.), but eventually it was naptime. And I didn't have a good strategy for that - I thought we could all lie down and have quiet time in the living room, but that sure didn't work.

For tomorrow I'm planning on setting up the pack n play in the other room and I'll use a divide and conquer approach... hopefully at least one of the boys will take a nap, and ideally my kid, since I have to deal with him for the rest of the day! It's pretty clear that Zeke is very used to being nursed to sleep, because any other method takes a ton more work.

In light of that, I'm about to head over to get Zeke early so he can just nap at home with me (because he really needs the nap!).