Mother's Day Matching 2015

I didn't plan to take a 20 day blog hiatus but it happened. I was busy with the assembly of my annual review portfolio (which always takes longer than I anticipate) and some consulting work. All is well though!
 
Since I last updated I went to the Boden sale and didn't find anything for myself but got a sweater dress for Emilia that she can wear next year. I haven't shopped much otherwise. I bought and returned a dress from Anthropologie. I will review it for fit soon. I also will review the Lindsay dress from Boden which I liked enough to keep.

The above outfit was worn during our Spring Break trip in St. Barths (top photo). Emilia and I also wore these matching Lilly Pulitzer tunics on Mother's Day (bottom photo). We went to the Pittsburgh Zoo with my parents and sister. She and I got lots of compliments on our matchy match look during both occasions. My favorite ones came from little girls who would shout with glee some variation of, "look mommy, they match!" Emilia really likes matching and asks to do so whenever she spots one of our matching options in a drawer or closet. I think it is fun and makes for endearing photos that I can show her when she's a teenager.

I had a lovely Mother's Day weekend, celebrating with my mom, my mother-in-law, and my stepmother-in-law. Maybe next year I will try to rope them into an even bigger matching plan? I hope you had a nice celebration too.

Mother's Day Matchy Match OOTD

Although my semester is long over and I have less on my plate, I am still busy working on my annual review, wrapping up my book proposal, drafting a journal article, and focusing on another project that I can't yet share here. (For the record, I am not pregnant! That's almost always the first thing I think when a blogger writes vaguely about exciting news so I figured I should address it.)

The project (exciting in its own right!) actually started a while back but accelerated in April and is on the cusp of being share-able. I will talk about it as soon as I can. It's taken up the time I usually spend blogging which is part of why I considered stopping last month. But after reading some thoughtful comments and emails and thinking it through, I realized that this space is important to me. I don't have a lot of time to put into it but I think it's worth updating whenever possible. Thank you for following along!

So back to the subject at hand... I decided that Emilia and I should match for Mother's Day. I searched for options that would fit her based on things I already own or would like to buy, and I wound up with a baby gap navy striped dress for her to match something in my closet. I actually wore this dress last Mother's Day (from J. Crew two springs ago)! We got a lot of compliments for matching! And next year when she is big enough for Crewcuts sizes, we will have even more to choose from (J. Crew Factory actually has a few matching mom and daughter pieces! Here's another set for mom and daughter. And this blogger favorite from f21 comes in girls sizes too.).

I had a great Mother's Day and went to South Park to play at the playground, see the bison and other animals, and eat lunch with my family, my parents, and my sister. Sadly, my brother had to work. Later that afternoon we visited my stepmother-in-law and family. And we spent the evening with my mother-in-law and brother-in-law at the Pirates game.

And matching sports clothes is always easy! Happy (belated) Mother's Day!

Details:
J. Crew dress
Old Navy Leggings
MBMJ flats
Pirates hat and shirt

On E:
Baby gap dress
Old Navy leggings
Stride Rite shoes
Pirates hat and shirt

A quick note on motherhood style

I'm only five months in but my mom style is definitely more casual and relaxed than ever. It is more machine washable and separates-focused. I wear a lot of pants these days (sometimes even the ones with elastic waistbands cause... why not?!). My wardrobe is both more comfortable and more stretchy than it was prior to pregnancy and birth. I take more photos in general but less photos of myself (unless they're phone pics). I rarely have time to take head-to-toe outfit photos.

I don't feel like I can dress up as much. But I also don't feel like I have to. I don't have as many dresses that I can wear (at least for now while I am breastfeeding). I don't spend as much time fretting over what to wear or trying on a million things. I don't have as much time to shop or bargain hunt. I don't have as much fun shopping for myself as I do for my little one.

(photo from our NYC trip by Michael or China... the dog is also theirs!)

And I wouldn't have it any other way. Happy Mother's Day to you and yours!

Mother's Day Giveaway from Rumina!

I am excited to announce my Mother's Day giveaway which is for the coolest nursing tank I've found, from Rumina For Moms. The hands free pump and nurse tanks were developed by a working, breastfeeding mom who wanted to be able to pump hands-free at work, modestly and efficiently. You can read the story behind the tank here. I love that Rumina is a woman-run, family business! Their tanks are available in two styles: Regular and Full-Coverage. You can see how the tank works to enable ease for pumping as well as nursing by viewing this video.

In celebration of my first Mother's Day as a mom, I am thrilled to be giving away one tank to a lucky reader who can select their preferred style and color, in their size. This giveaway is only open to US readers.

I will be reviewing the tanks tomorrow, so that you can have all the information on the differences between the styles and how these tanks stack up to other nursing tank options that are out there. Once the giveaway concludes, I will also be offering an exclusive discount to readers of Consume or Consumed who might want to purchase a Rumina tank for themselves or a loved one.

Without spoiling my review, I will say that I've been wearing my Rumina tanks non-stop since I got them. If you are a breastfeeding mom or a breastfeeding mom-to-be, you don't want to miss out on this giveaway! Thank you to Amanda and Dawn from Rumina for providing the awesome prize! You can enter for your chance to win via Rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

All about my mothers

I've been thinking a lot lately about my mother and the other maternal figures in my life (especially my mother-in-law, my step-mother-in-law, and my aunts), as we approach this weekend's Mother's Day. There are so many positive ways in which familial and/or mentoring women have made an imprint on me. I think of the many moments in my life when I have needed support, encouragement, and words of wisdom from these women. And it has been given from them, unconditionally, without reservation, and without condescension. With empathy, understanding, and love... what a wonderful gift!

It heartens me to think about my mothers' relationships with their sisters and with their children. As a feminist scholar I also find myself thinking about family histories and the various women who shaped the mothers I know and love. I've been thinking a lot about my grandmothers, for example.

Although this holiday has become imbued with commercialism and notions about emotional expression via consumerism, it still strikes me as an opportunity for reflection and gratitude. And so, at the start of this weekend I already feel overcome with reverence for women as influencers, mentors, and maternal presences. Happy Mother's Day weekend to you and yours!

Monogrammed Mother's Day Gift Idea

I've written before about my love for initial jewelry and monogramming. And I'm excited to alert readers who are stumped for Mother's Day gift ideas or even bridal party gift ideas (as wedding season approaches!) that adorable and very reasonably priced totes can be found from Simply Bags. The proprietors contacted me not long ago asking if I would consider reviewing one of their products. I agreed and was excited especially because the company is headquartered not far from Pittsburgh (in Akron). They sent me a Stylish Beach Tote that they monogrammed with my initials and shipped with incredible speed.

When the bag arrived I was impressed by its size and the softness of the rope straps. To give you an idea of its scale, it is slightly larger than a large Longchamp Pliage tote. I love the nautical theme with its stripes, rope straps, and monogram. I am eager to take the bag with me on picnics and beach outings this summer. Sadly, the weather and my schedule have not yet cooperated.

It seems quite sturdy and is fully lined with cotton, including a useful interior pocket. I do suspect that the support panel in the bottom of the bag is just corrugated cardboard but because the bag description highlights its eco-friendliness, I appreciate its biodegradability. The jute exterior is thicker than I expected. I do think the monogramming could be thicker. But for its reasonable retail price ($27.99 which includes customizing), I find the bag to be a good value. I just wish I had known about Simply Bags prior to planning my own wedding! I'm glad I know about them now for future gift-giving opportunities because I am thrilled with this cute beach bag!
 
You should know that custom monogrammed bags are final sale and non-returnable so input your information carefully. You can get your first name or your monogram stitched onto just about everything they sell.

Simply Bags is also hosting a beach bag giveaway on their blog. It runs through April 30th so be sure to check it out! 

Disclosure: To be clear, Simply Bags sent me a bag to review on my blog. The opinions expressed in this post are still entirely my own. 

Mother's Day Planning

A set of ideas for Mother Day Gifts.

Mother's Day Gifting: Inspirations and Ideas

Cookware Sets by Le Creuset
Totes by Kate Spade

Because Mother's Day creeps up quickly, I figured I would assemble an inspiration gifting board. 

I am fortunate to have many women to celebrate on Mother's Day, annually. Although my grandmothers have since passed, I have a number of strong women who have been maternal figures in my life. My mother and Chris's mother and step-mother support, love, and advise me regularly and demonstrate to me their wisdom. We also have many aunts who have shown us love and support. And we know a number of moms with whom we are dear friends. 

Although my budget is constrained because of the wedding, I have been thinking carefully about how to honor our three immediate figures of maternity in addition to the cards I plan to send to aunts. On Mother's Day morning, I will be participating in the Pittsburgh chapter of the Komen Foundation's Annual Race and Walk benefiting the fight against breast cancer with Chris and his mom. After that I will spend the afternoon with my mom. And the evening we will spend with Jane. The time we spend together making memories is of course far more valuable than anything material. But for better or worse, most occasions of celebration include the presentation of some type of memento or good. I don't yet know what I will gift to them, but I am excited to come up with some things that are hopefully thoughtful and personal to each of them.

Consuming and Mother's Day Consumption

For a while I lusted over the naplak patch Miu Miu flats (aka "ice creams on a few of the fashion boards I frequent, referencing their color patterns that mimic Neapolitan ice cream colors). I never bought them because I never found them for a good price but slowly various knock offs have tempted me. I found the most realistic looking version on dsw.com's new e-shop. Because I had a birthday coupon, free ship code, and a reward certificate I figured I could try them.

Except they are the least comfortable ever. Too big, also. I have another pair of flats by the brand (Penny Loves Kenny) that are triple strap mary janes (pseudo Chloés) and those are fine. These HURT. So back they go. Thankfully I can return in-store. I only hope I can get the reward certificate reimbursed to me somehow.

I wrote earlier about over-consuming because of various sales. And although I had every intention of returning the Tory Burch Pink Patent Reva Flats, I decided to keep them as a present to myself for taking on this extra work.

I got my spring evaluations back and they were glowing! So I feel even more entitled to them. But one of the perils of studying ideology is that I recognize my entitlement's connection with the rhetoric of retail therapy and emotional buying. The lure of justifying purchases by arguing they're rewards that I "deserve" becomes a fiscally dangerous slippery slope of retail risk. And on top of that, eventually, it seems logical to internalize the notion that "you are what you buy," and therefore, your emotional expression to others occurs through what you give them as gifts. Although I can say with certainty that I do not judge others in this manner, I agonize over finding the perfect presents for loved ones.

This Mother's Day I intend to celebrate three moms and at least two aunts. I began worrying about what to buy these ladies the day after my birthday. I bought my mom a pair of black pearl earrings that were meant to match the black Tahitian pearl necklace I bought her last year. But when they arrived in the mail, they weren't the right color and just weren't worth it. So back they go. Instead I got her this Coach wallet to match the signature print bag I got her for Christmas.
I promise that she'll protest that I spent too much. After all, she only asked for a hanging basket (and I got her a beautiful one). But I wanted to get her something more because she has always gone above and beyond in gift giving to me. I know she'd be just as pleased with a thoughtfully composed letter in a pretty card (which she'll get, of course) or a framed photo (which I've done for various holidays). But I found a good deal on this and think she will really like it.

Chris (my s.o.) and I carefully picked gifts for his mom and stepmom. And I know none will measure their worth by the gifts they receive, but I still fear that on some level my love will not be expressed adequately through these gifts. It's an absurd notion to expect such a thing of gifts. But when you allot too much power to things in your own consumer life, it begins to sound logical.