Dads, let’s face it. You're shopping last minute: you need something fast and you need something shiny. . . Worry not. I'm a magpie-like connoisseur of shiny objects and here I submit a few suggestions for you to offer up to your beloved baby mama.
My husband is trying to find me a present. I know this because he submitted a question to "Ask Ain't No Mom Jeans". I think he thought it would be anonymous somehow. In any case, he was getting desperate. His highly creative Google search of "wife christmas" yielded (in addition to a link to the 1988 Julie Harris movie,...
What do I get for this incredible guy who is everything to my two tiny boys and me? Curbing my urge to hover, asking less, understanding more and some sugar would probably go a long way, but I can’t wrap those up and put them under the tree, so I’ve attempted to find some cool things to help my dear husband slow down this frenetic pace our life has set and take some time out for himself.
This gift list comes courtesy of our much-loved, contributing author, J. J is the one who found Maura Daniel's amazing nursery lighting, and Avalisa's modern nursery art. J, a self-confessed fuzzy croc wearer, is also someone I turn to for inspiration. She's never fancy or frou-frou...but I can always count on J to help focus my attention on something...
While a backlit digital watch is not my favorite accessory (for those, click here), there are a lot of digital watches out there that can be worn beyond the darkened room of your babe. A good rule of thumb for wearing a digi is to embrace the inherent awkwardness and in fact enhance it by going with something chunky and larger-scale, thereby making it cool. Digis only look truly lame when you're wearing a diminutive ladies' version, which generally have no sense of irony. Check out these cute and styley options in order of price, lowest to highest.
Crackling fire: check. Hot cider and/or spiked eggnog: check. Good book to curl up with: check. Now, what’s keeping those tootsies cozy whilst you partake in all that wintery snow-day goodness? It’s time to update your slipper wardrobe, girl. You don’t want those little piggies getting caught out in the cold! Here are the seasons’ hottest slipper picks.
One of my pet peeves as a mom is that every company designing items for baby seems to think that babies require bright colors, happy faces, and perky puppies/kittens/trucks/flowers on everything. So I have to wonder: do these people even have children? My son can't be the only kid who is completely obsessed with my plain-Jane car keys...
Because we were relying on swaddling as a method to keep our sanity in those early days, we wasted a ton of money trying every swaddling blanket under the sun. We tried various sleep sacks (too roomy - he'd wake too early), "miracle" swaddling blankets (too thick, too hot) and an assortment of others (most were the wrong size and he would wiggle out, or they would cover his face). Then we discovered Aden + Anais.
But in order to recommend fine art photography to Ain't No Mom Jean readers, I wanted to be able to describe - in detail - why fine art photography is worth the additional cost. So I went back to the source and asked our photographer, Melanie. Here's what she has to say:
Melanie: I frequently get asked, "So, what is the difference between fine art portrait photography and Picture People?" Honestly, it's a fair question. I've been a portrait photographer for over 20 years, and I've had plenty of opportunity to think through the differences. Here are a few reasons why fine art portrait photography is well worth the investment . . .
All Moms want/need/must have time off, time to themselves. So on Mother's Day, treat her with a day all to herself. Here's how it works: Choose the day (it doesn't need to actually be on Mother's Day). Wrap up a Mother's Day gift of cozy-but-fabulous spring loungewear. (NOTE: This is NOT lingerie - the goal is comfy and cool not sex-pot. You want her to feel beautiful and relaxed, not guilty because the last thing she wants to do is throw on that bustier). Throw in a great book or trashy magazine. Then, when the day arrives, make sure the house is picked up, and take the kids OUT OF THE HOUSE. Otherwise, despite your very best efforts they will still find their way over to mom. When you return...voila! A happy, relaxed mom. And we all know that happy mom = happy family.
Here are my favorite comfy-cool Spring loungewear picks: