Small Style: Eye of the Tiger

There are a lot of challenges that come with being a first-time parent and one of them is not spending ALL of my money on baby clothes. I mean, I have 18 years to fill my son’s college fund but possibly only a couple before he can voice opinions about his wardrobe. I couldn’t resist these tiger-printed pants and coordinating sweatshirt from one of my favorite lines, Kira Kids. I’ve been a fan of this brand since my baby was in the womb—when I found out we were having a boy, this was one of the first onesies I bought. Their clothes are cool, playful and worth the splurge—they’re well-made with a worn-in feel, so my baby can cover them in peanut butter and dirt and they’ll come out of the wash looking the same as the day I bought them.

Bay Area parents: Kira Kids now has an adorable shop in downtown Los Altos, so if you’re in the ’hood, make this your first stop after brunch at Bumble. In the meantime, catch my interview with their super sweet founder, and if you love little clothes as much as I do, enjoy 15% off in-store or online with the code OUAB15 until March 30.

Crawl So Hard (plus a discount!)

It’s official: I can no longer plop my baby down on a play mat and trust that he’ll still be there after I’ve grabbed my coffee. He recently mastered crawling and couldn’t be happier about it. He especially loves to abandon his designated play areas and plow toward anything hazardous. When I spotted this onesie, I had to get my crawler in it. The clever take on the Jay-Z and Kanye hook sums up his new favorite activity while indulging my love of rap lyrics.

Now for a backstory: I was practically crying into my breast pump at a wedding when another mom happened upon me. It was my first night out post-baby, and I’d forgotten one of the pump’s 117 parts. This kind mom commiserated with me while I sat sadly in a back room with a dress around my waist and empty bottles attached to my bra, frantically texting my husband who was taking full advantage of my perpetual designated-driver status, and wondering if I’d ever get the hang of all this. Fast forward a few months later, and that mom, Erin, is now designing baby duds, including this onesie, and I’m practically a pro at pumping.

I recently got the details behind Erin’s line, adorably dubbed The Wittle Co. A graphic designer by trade, she was disappointed with the less-than-cool options out there for little ones, especially boys. I can relate. I mean, how many “Cute Like Mommy” onesies does a kid need? So she started making her own baby clothes—plus a safety sign for her car that wouldn’t ruin her street cred— and after getting compliment after compliment, opened up shop. Since Erin likes to help a mother out, you can enjoy 20% off any order with the code ONCEUPONABLOG.

Here are more pictures of my little man on the move, who would only sit still for a few short seconds before toppling forward and taking off on all fours. I can’t believe he’ll be seven months old in just a couple days. That shit cray.

The Wittle Co. onesie. Freshly Picked moccasins.

Mother-Son Style: Geometric Prints

Before I found out we were having a boy, I’d been dreaming about sugar and spice and everything nice, including the clothes. Oh, the fun I would have dressing my mini me! She and I would master the adorable art of mommy-and-me outfits! So when the doctor said, “It’s a girl! No wait, it’s a boy!”, I resigned myself to admiring those matchy-matchy ensembles on my friends with daughters. But now that I’ve got six months of motherhood under my belt, I’ve realized that with some creativity, it’s totally possible—and possibly just as cute—to coordinate with my little man.

For my first attempt at mother-son twinning, my goal was for our outfits to look similar but not identical. Hopefully, this means my son will be slightly less embarrassed of me when he’s old enough to discover these photos on Facebook. I started with an oversized, tribal-print cardigan for me, then found a South American-inspired shirt with geometric graphics for him. Instead of denim for both of us, I put baby in navy knit pants (confession: I returned his first pair of jeans because he looked like a boy, not a baby, in them!). The final touch? Fringe on everyone’s feet—cute moccasins for baby, killer boots for mom.

To get in the fall spirit—and get some cute pictures—we went to the pumpkin patch. Baby preferred posing with his dad and a wheelbarrow full of pumpkins over me, but he didn’t spit up on either of our outfits, which I’m taking as a sign of approval. For Halloween, we’re planning a little something for the whole family to match. I can’t wait!

On mama: Golden By JPG cardigan. Freda Salvador boots (also available here).
On baby: Tea Collection shirt. GAP pants. Freshly Picked moccasins.

My Favorite Nursing Cover

The biggest shock to me as a new mom was what a game-changer nursing is. Everything from my schedule to my shirts suddenly revolved around my baby’s appetite. At first, I stayed behind closed doors whenever my baby might be hungry. Although I was more comfortable this way in the beginning, it’s certainly no way to live. So I spent hours researching different nursing covers (usually while nursing) that might help me feel more comfortable feeding my child somewhere other than my couch.

I finally got this poncho-style cover and with it, the confidence to leave the house. The stripes help it pass for something I’d normally wear—nursing or not. I love that I can pop it on, remove and/or rearrange things with nobody the wiser, then slip my baby underneath. The opening at the top is big enough to peek in on him, or I can adjust it so that I can see his sweet head but still keep other things covered up. So far, baby has had no complaints either, and he’s been happily fed everywhere from airplanes to fancy restaurants and even within spit-up distance of the Declaration of Independence.

Dria nursing cover.

Though you can’t tell from these pictures, our dog likes getting out of the house more, too.

The Perfect Postpartum Pants (Plus a Baby Bear!)

I’ve been a mom for six weeks now and—confession time—I’m too scared to try on my pre-pregnancy jeans. After pushing out a human, I think my body has been through enough trauma. It doesn’t need to be squeezed into skinny denim prematurely. It also needs pajamas-level comfort, with the option to appear in public now that my stroller game is getting stronger. That’s why these are the perfect postpartum pants in my (very) new mom opinion—and they’re not from the maternity section so, ego boost! They’re soft and slouchy with a kind elastic waistband. They come in pretty patterns, which means any spit-up that inevitably ends up on them is more likely to blend in. And they’re less than $20, so I won’t feel bad about wanting to eventually put them aside in favor of my old jeans, whenever I’m ready for them.

I’m also still loving this loose tee (also seen here with my favorite maternity staples), and who can resist a hooded and footed bear one-piece for baby? I just put Will in it for the first time and couldn’t even handle the cuteness! It’s the only thing I want him to wear everyday from now until forever.

One more of my bear cub...

On mama: H&M pants. Gap tee. Kendra Scott necklace. Splendid sandals.
On baby: Gap one-piece.

More bear outfits because it turns out that babies are even cuter when they’re dressed as animals...

My Everyday Maternity Staples

I’m more than 40 weeks pregnant and waiting patiently for our baby boy to show up. My husband, on the other hand, is waiting not-so-patiently. He’s ordering extra hot sauce on my Chipotle tacos and Googling how to induce labor with ankle massage. While these last few days may pass slowly, for me it feels like the nine months have completely flown by.

As I look back on pictures from my pregnancy—I took one almost daily to share with my husband—I realize that I’m usually wearing a dress or some version of the following: a basic tee or tank, jeans or leggings, comfy shoes and a layer from the pre-maternity section of my closet. Since I’ve already talked about my love for maternity dresses, I figured I’d share the other wardrobe essentials that helped me get through all three trimesters without spending a fortune or completely abandoning my style.

Tops: I love the ruched tops from Gap’s Pure Body maternity line. I picked up long-sleeve, short-sleeve and tank styles during my second trimester and am still wearing them at 40-plus weeks (in fact, they’re the only tops I’m wearing lately!). They’re really flattering and come in easy-to-wear neutrals. I’ve also loved having a few looser-fitting tops on hand. Gap is almost always having a promotion, so I recommend stocking up on a few different shades and styles when they’re on sale.

Bottoms: When it comes to comfort, it’s hard to beat leggings. I’ve been living in this pair. I also decided to splurge on one solid pair of maternity jeans. This was well worth the cost since I wear denim almost daily, including at work, and having a pair from one of my favorite brands helped me feel like my usual self. The only downside that I’ve experienced with maternity jeans—even the pricier pairs—is that they don’t stay up very well, so I’ve relied on the BellaBand to keep them in place. This band is also a sneaky way to wear your regular bottoms unzipped.

Layers: These are the pre-pregnancy items from my closet that I found myself reaching for regularly. I often topped a long-sleeved maternity tee with a cozy, open-front cardigan during the winter, and now I’m layering my chambray shirt—unbuttoned, at this point—over my maternity tanks on warm days when I still want some coverage. And thankfully, my favorite fatigue jacket still fits. Money-saving tip: While there are some really cute maternity jackets out there, you can probably pass and get by with one you already own if you don’t need to zip it.

Shoes: While I’ve been lucky not to have any swelling in my feet or ankles, I’ve still wanted to keep my feet happy as they carry around more and more weight. Low-heeled ankle booties became a staple since they comfortably add a little bit of height and pair well with everything from jeans to dresses (as seen here). Pretty flats (why these are the best, according to my husband) and slip-on shoes are key for days when you just don’t feel like bending over to deal with zippers or laces. For me, that includes any day with a doctor’s visit since I want to quickly shed every non-essential layer before getting on the scale!

By adding a few new tops and bottoms to my existing wardrobe, it was easy to create a reliable maternity uniform that never left me struggling to get dressed in the morning. While I’m looking forward to eventually rediscovering the other nine-tenths of my closet (there are shirts that I used to tuck in), I’ve loved dressing this bump. If you have any post-pregnancy style tips, please let me know! Now I’m off to go eat some pineapple...tick tock, tick tock!

Maternity Dress Love

I’ve discovered lots of new loves during pregnancy: barbecued ribs, cashew butter straight from the jar, falling asleep on the couch at 8 p.m. This list also includes dresses. Don’t get me wrong—I live in maternity jeans and comfy tees during the week, but on weekends and special occasions, it’s often easier to just slip on (or squeeze into) a dress. You’ll look instantly put-together with minimal effort. I also find them really flattering. They show off the cute parts of pregnancy—like your bump—and hide the not-so-cute parts (my new cravings haven’t only gone to my belly).

While I highly recommend investing in a great dress that you’ll wear all throughout your pregnancy (like this one), it’s a no-brainer to save on styles that you may only wear a handful of times. For maternity dresses that won’t blow my diaper budget, I’ve been turning to Asos, where I found this floral-print dress on sale for less than the cost of some onesies. It was fun and flirty enough to wear on our babymoon in Palm Springs and added some color to our maternity photos (see the rest here). Another tip: For one-time use, consider renting a bump-friendly dress.

Here are more cute maternity dresses that make me wish my pregnancy wasn’t almost over:

P.S. Meet my fellow pregnant friend who swears by maxi dresses.

Little Black (Maternity) Dress

Actually, a more accurate title of this post would probably be “Not-So-Little Black Maternity Dress,” since there’s room for a watermelon in it. But since it’s black and quite fitted, I’d still put it in the LBD category. I’ve already mentioned my new affinity for fitted dresses during pregnancy. I’ve seen one too many pictures of my mom while pregnant in the ’80s to know that muumuus make you look about as shapely as a Christmas tree (sorry, mom!). I added another bump-hugging dress to my maternity wardrobe in time for our babymoon to sunny Palm Springs. The tank-style LBD is perfect for warmer temps as we head into spring here in California.

Ingrid and Isabel maternity tank dress.

P.S. More highlights from our babymoon in Palm Springs.

Must-Have Maternity Dress

So far, my maternity style has looked a lot like my normal style—sweaters, skinny jeans (albeit with elastic waistbands) and booties—with the exception of one thing: the fitted dress. Now that I’m in my third trimester, I consider this ruched dress by Ingrid and Isabel a pregnancy must-have—so much that I have it in two colors (black and grey) and just might get a third. Once you have a bump, it’s fun to wear pieces that show off your new shape—when else will you be congratulated for having a protruding midsection?—and this dress does just that.

More reasons to love this dress? The soft, stretch knit is incredibly comfortable and leaves plenty of room for a growing bump, while the side ruching is super flattering. You also can easily dress this versatile style up or down. It works just as well with booties and a jacket for daytime as it does with heels and fun accessories come date night.

Ingrid and Isabel maternity dress. Velvet fatigue jacket. Sam Edelman booties. 
Michele watch. David Yurman bracelets.

Do you have any must-have maternity wear? I’d love to hear about your favorite finds!

Bump-Friendly Holiday Dress

’Tis the season for holiday parties, which can be a tricky season if you’re pregnant—and not just because you have to skip the spiked eggnog. Finding party-ready dresses that work with your new, constantly changing figure can be a challenge. Enter Rent The Runway, the dress rental destination that was practically designed for times like these. The site has a section devoted to bump-friendly frocks, plus a community of helpful women sharing testimonials, tips and photos of their real-life rentals. And it gets better: Your delivery includes two sizes of your dress of choice, which is crucial when it’s entirely possibly to go up a size overnight thanks to that growing belly.

For the company holiday party, I went with a gold, sequin number by Badgley Mischka that other renters had attested to working well at various stages of pregnancy. They were right. The sparkly stunner felt fun, festive, and most importantly, fit comfortably. Cheers—with, um, sparkling cider—to that!

Badgley Mischka dress via Rent the Runway. Similar Sole Society pumps. Vintage clutch. NARS lipstick in Dragon Girl. Aila nail polish in #likeaboss.

More party-perfect picks—with room with bumps—from Rent the Runway: