So, the old diaper bag just wasn’t cutting it anymore. It was getting too…shleppy. And I needed to feel less diaper-ish and more stylish. For myself. I needed out of this frumpy style rut and what better style upgrade than a tote/purse that you carry every day. It’s like an upgrade for every. Single. Outfit. It is definitely a worthy investment for your wardrobe.
But, while I love stylish…I also need functionality. I need to be able to whip out diapers, wet wipes, goldfish, and lip gloss at a moment’s notice because let’s be honest ladies, you don’t always get a warning before your kid craps his/her pants or you run into your high school ex boyfriend at the park… or both simultaneously. So when I found this bag… I fell in love. It was like “50 Shades of Grey” on the outside and “Good Night Moon” on the inside, just what I was looking for. The designer of this masterpiece is Kate Landry and all of her bags are “vegan,” not that I really give a sh*t about that, but it does happen to mean that everything is faux leather, which means you can clean it with a diaper wipe when you spill your coffee down the side of it and you are not going to pay the high price of real leather, but you still get the same sexy look- Yaaaaas. It also features a detachable zipper insert for loose items like a wallet, keys, or lip glosses. This zipper insert is so fantastic because you can pull it out and toss it into your giant pool bag if you need to bring those things somewhere, but don’t want to carry another tote. And the best part about all of Kate Landry’s designs in my opinion, is that they are FUN, FUN, FUN! So many color and print options available and she never forgets about the interior of the bag. I’m going to preach on about having fun ladies, because we don’t have to be so serious all the time. Yes, there is a time and place for your classic black leather overpriced Kate Spade tote…like a funeral or a job interview. Neither of which are very much fun. So come on, step out a little, have some fun! Below, you can see that I completely lost my mind and bought TWO of these fantastic Kate Landry Tulip Tote bags. They are online now and only cost $39! You can leave the tulip tassels on or take them off. You need this tote.
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So my fashion has definitely evolved over the years, but especially when I became a mom. I’ve always loved fashion and style, but I’m a thrifty shopper and I can’t bring myself to pay $300+ for a handbag. Once I became a mom, I found myself moving towards comfy clothes more and more. It’s just natural when you have 2.5 seconds to get ready in the morning and your agenda for the day looks something like: changing poopy diapers, sweating your butt off at the park chasing after your toddler, running errands, grocery store, and cooking dinner while your toddler hangs on your leg and uses your pants to wipe her runny nose.
Some moms just give up completely on trying to look “fashionable” and honestly, can you blame them? Sometimes it feels like, what’s the point? In fact, for a little while, I started to…but then I noticed that I wasn’t feeling as good about myself anymore. Not that I need to be in a pair of heels and leather stretch pants to feel good about myself, but the stained sweat pants, old tee shirts, messy bun (not the cute kind), and makeup free face was starting to take its toll on my self esteem. I happen to be a firm believer that you should NEVER dress to impress anyone. If you are dressing a certain way to make your spouse happy, or to fit in with the snobby mama’s that look down their noses at you, just stop. You can never make anyone else happy until you are happy with your authentic self. With that being said… if wearing those old sweat pants and rocking the greasy mom bun makes you happy and feels authentic, then you go girl! Werk it! I am DEFINITELY not here to judge. It just wasn’t working for me and I found myself feeling less and less like I knew who I was. I used to be a middle school math teacher, the head of the math department, and the head of the new teacher program at my school. I loved leading meetings and helping teachers and students. I was a professional and I dressed like one. I knew who I was without a doubt, and was proud of myself. But, once I changed careers and became a stay at home mama, I felt sort of shleppy and worthless. Stella needed to get her grove back. I decided that it was finally time to invest in a new wardrobe for my “new job” as a stay at home mama. Sounds silly I know, but I was ready to feel competent and successful again and feeling good about myself was a huge part of that. Obviously, you can’t build a new wardrobe over night. But in this section, I will be sharing my fashion finds and no-fuss styling tips. Please remember, I’m not aiming for cutting edge fashion. I’m promoting comfortable, easy-wear, functional styles that enhance a mama’s self esteem. |