If you're not having a baby a week before New Years Eve...

o

...then you have no excuse but to get yourself to Urban Outfitters and buy yourself one of the sassy party dresses they're displaying right now.

These pics don't really do the dresses justice, but they're pretty, sparkly and affordable.  Check out more inspiration (with better pics) at the Urban Outfitters website.

If I'm actually remotely awake, I will attempt to wear something like this for my NYS Eve festivities - picked by the lovelies at Sweetspot.

But I haven't seen midnight on NYs Eve for (...how old is Archer?) 3 years. So pressure's on you. Don't disappoint me!

Bringing Home Baby

Jacadi Floral Print Velour Suit

Is it wrong that I think of things like what outfit should new baby wear home from the hospital?

Don't answer that.

Whatever. I'm an over-planner and I feel more in control of a situation that I recognize is entirely not within my control if I *think I know what I'm doing. Clear as mud?

The reality is I'm pretty much out of time to do anything more than what I have to do between now and the big day next week. So my home-from-the-hospital-baby-wearing-plan is really more about surfing the internet while watching a PVR-ed "Once Upon a Time" (a show I'm probably going to give up on soon if you must know) than actually going out to actually shop for an outfit. And oh yeah, there's that small matter of IT'S LIKE IMPOSSIBLE TO DO ANYTHING NOW WITHOUT MONUMENTAL EFFORT.

Sigh...

But I share anyway...

I could go a number of ways with new baby outfit. There is the classic French "I could have been royalty" baby looks from high-end baby retailer Jacadi. Not cheap and entirely not practical. I mean, what baby really need a pea coat... really. But soooo pretty. I could see the top Velour Jumpsuit working out though.

Jacadi Cotton Knit Pea Coat

Jacadi Hand Embroidered Jumpsuit

And then I could go hipster-style. Archer's take-home outfit was from Mini Mioche, one of my favourite places for baby clothes and right now they've got these great zippy onesies that would be oh so comfy and I think I would use a lot after. But alas, they appear to be sold out of the sizes and colours I need right now.

Happy Romper from Mini Mioche

 I think I would settle on options from the Dwell Studio layette (a word I didn't really know before I had Archer) collection.

Gio Aqua Newbie Outfit

Gio Lemon One-Piece

Practical, comfortable, and most of all, adorable.

Hmmm... wonder if Dwell Studio can rush a shipment by next Wednesday.

My last maternity-wear purchase....ever.

What the heck am I doing buying anything new to wear like 3 weeks before I have a baby? I can't help it. It's a sickness. And it's holiday time, y'all. The prettiest dresses of the year are out right now and I don't want to miss out on the fun. So despite the fact that I can hardly walk from one side of a room to the other at this point, Archer and I made our way to Eaton Centre to pick up this little number... on a SATURDAY - AT EATON CENTRE -  3 WEEKS BEFORE CHRISTMAS.


Like I said, it's a sickness.


But there is one and only one place that I consistently find super cute and reasonably-priced maternity clothes like this dress: H&M. 


It's kinda crazy. Only Eaton Centre in Toronto sells H&M Mama (only store in all of Canada, I think) and there are literally only 3 racks of Mama clothes -- but in a way, this kind of rocks my world. It's sorta like having your own personal shopper. The wise fashionistas at H&M have made all the hard fashion decisions for you. It's like they've said, "Oh we could give you more choice, but you don't need it - this is all you need." I think I would like the rest of the store better if it was set up this way.


There's not much online on the Canadian H&M site (maybe because they don't sell it at other locations in Canada - sorry!) but if you wanna browse, check out the UK site. And for those who don't live in Toronto, the Mama sections are just generally a good source of inspiration for a mom-to-be who wants to keep a bit of stye in her life during those hard 9 months.


It's a bit difficult to find the Mama stuff on the H&M site - you need to go to the category you're interested in - like "trousers" (UK fancy-speak for pants) and then look at the Mama category. It's all there. Check out some of these great inspirations looks (all pieces I've seen - and some I've bought - at the Canadian store):

I might talk about my love of H&M Mama a little more in a later post but for now, it's all about my last dress... well, my last maternity dress. Let's not get carried away.

Karma's A Bitch...Literally.

My Favourite New Song, Funky Bubble Land - By Ludacris

I have a not so secret love of all things hip hop.


But I struggle with a lot of the misogyny that comes with many of the artists' lyrics. I am actually someone who prefers the censored version of hip hop songs and I spend a lot of time thinking about whether I can bring a pro-woman message to my all time favourite hip hop song, Jay-Z's "99 Problems..." (a song I can proudly rap every lyric to on command - although it helps if I've had a couple beers first).


Like, is it too much a stretch to put a positive spin on the following lyrics from the song:

Now once upon a time not too long ago
A n*gg* [see I can't even write the bad lyrics] like myself had to strong arm a hoe
This is not a hoe in the sense of havin a pussy
But a pussy havin no God Damn sense, try and push me

Like, Jay-Z isn't actually talking about hitting a woman...it's just him talking about people in general he felt pressured to hit at one point in his life, just using super descriptive words that society (not Jay-Z) has made derogatory...right? 

Anyone with me?

Fine.

And although he's no Jay-Z (who is, really), I have found myself on occasion car-dancing to Ludacris. I am particularly fond of the song "Money Maker." But to the extent Jay-Z's lyrics are problematic, Ludacris creates even bigger problems for me and if I am truly to become a serious fan, I would probably have to return my Women's Studies Minor. I can't even bring myself to quote lyrics from Money Maker. That's how uncomfortable Ludacris makes me feel.


So, it does seem sorta weird to me that today Ludacris (or Chris Bridges in this context) announced that he has launched a children's website, Karmasworld, a site that is described as follows:

Karma’s World was an idea first introduced by Chris Bridges’ third grade daughter, Karma. She wanted to create an exciting educational website that was interactive, full of good music and fantasy. Chris wanted to make Karma’s dream come true, so he brought creative people together to make the website she envisioned.

The result is Karma’s World, which upholds the standards that Chris set. It is a site that encourages children like Karma to learn in an atmosphere of fun, offering academic lessons as well as ethical ones. It teaches the Golden Rule: how to treat others the way you would want to be treated. It teaches an understanding of “karma”: how doing good deeds can bring good into your life. It shows the importance of manners and the rewards of hard work. It reflects Chris’ belief that the habit of working joyously from the heart opens the door to children for a lifetime of meaningful success..

Hmmm... where to start? "Treat others the way you would want to be treated..."....I think I'll leave it to you, smart reader, to figure out what I'm thinking in reading this.


That all being said, who can deny the appeal of the tracks on this site... you try listening to Funky Bubble Land and tell me that that's not pure children's music genius. I dare you.

Santa Baby - What to Get this Mama-to-Be for Christmas

Season 1 DVD of The Wire + New Baby = Happy Mama

Our second baby is pretty much due on Christmas day. How crazy is that? One would think that this would somehow lessen the holiday stress in terms of Christmas shopping.

One would be wrong.

The emails between family members are flying fast and furious: "What do you want for Christmas?" Let's just say the answer to that question for me is very different this year than in years past (those answers were, of course, "world peace, end to world hunger and love for all..."...ermm). This year, I have to be totally practical.

The shock to your family finances when one person goes on mat leave cannot be understated. In some cases (like in the case of someone who's self-employed) you can lose your income altogether. In some cases, you're relying on a modest E.I. allowance. If you're lucky, your company will top up your E.I. payments by some amount for some period
of time.

Regardless of your situation, mat leave means compromises and some sacrifice. If you have a mom-to-be in your life, keep this in mind when Christmas shopping. Focus less on stand-alone gifts and more on gifts that will help her life out when new baby comes. Here are my top 5 suggestions (read: my wish-list):

Read the rest of my post at iVillage.ca

Best Smoothie Ever... You're Welcome.

When it comes to food, I can't say I've been the picture of good health during this pregnancy. I started off with the best of intentions, but truth be told, this baby has a serious sweet tooth (yes, I'm totally blaming the baby) and up until recently, my breakfast would often consist of a Starbucks Hot Chocolate (with whip, duh) and apple fritter, which I'm quite sure actually contains no apples.

But I'm committed to make a strong finish! And my super awesome smoothie fits both the sweet tooth bill and I think is probably relatively healthy. Enjoy!

- a handful of frozen mango chunks (buy these whenever you see them on sale - they can be expensive)

- a handful of either frozen blueberries or strawberries

- a big handful (look how precise I am with my measurements...) of baby spinach

- 1 cup of organic vanilla soy milk (our iVillage nutrition expert Lianne Phillipson-Webb says that if you're going to buy anything organic, soy milk is it)

- 3/4 cup vanilla yogurt

- 1 tbls of flax seed oil

I got the spinach in the smoothie idea from my sister-in-law and was skeptical. Sounded a little *too healthy for me. But trust, it's delish. Just ask Archer!

"Looking good for labour" or "My extreme example of how mass media screws me up"

Have you guys seen this crazy picture that is supposedly of a woman at the very moment she's giving birth? I have to tell you, I'm totally skeptical. But the editors at iVillage assure me it's for real.

Well, that's just great. Does this picture mark the beginning of a whole new pressure on women to look hot while giving birth?

To compare, this is what I looked like about an hour before giving birth to Archer:

I would like to put it out there that I have no recollection of saying it was ok to take a picture of myself in this condition. I blame the drugs (and oh yeah, the fact that I had been in labour for 34 hours at this point).

So I want to be clear right now for round #2: it is decidedly not ok for anyone to take a picture of me in the throws of labour.

That being said, I can't help but thinking, that I would like to try a *little harder this time not to look like a total train wreck. To be clear, I want you to know that I know, that looking good is the least important part of this day. I get that.

But I am going to pack my hospital bag with a few items that I didn't have the first go around:

1. Cuter pjs-lounge wear: Don't spend a lot on this. There is a pretty good chance that they will get permanently ruined. I'm not getting into details. Some of you will know what I'm talking about. But these super comfortable pants are on sale at the Gap right now. They are a nice neutral colour and plain (as opposed to flannel bunny-type pjs) and they have that fold-over top that works

super-well for pregnant and new moms. And while many will tell you to have button-down tops for nursing, I prefer the tank and flowy cardi-type look and it works just fine for nursing. I'm thinking I get a new set from Joe Fresh in a black will be the way to go.

2. Slippers: You still need to pack fluffy comfy

socks (dude, hospitals get cold) but when you're up and walking ar

ound, you'll want slippers. The last time I went to the hospital in Crocs. I had no choice. You know the term canckles? Well I had thighkles. And for a long time after giving birth too. Crocs were all

I fit. Shoe karma is a bitch. Seriously. So if you're there, no worries, but how excited am I that this time I could

actually fit into these little velvet slipper from Banana Republi

c? On sale for $30! They will make me happy when I'm home too.

3. Things that make my skin dewy: I am not advocating for make-up during labour. That's unrealistic. But you do get all dry. You're not really supposed to drink anything which is ridiculous and makes you feel all pruney. So a good moisturizer and a hydrating lip-gloss is the way to go.

4. Stuff for my hair: First, to the extent that I'm able to control the actual date I have my baby (and now that I've said this out-loud, I do realize I've totally jinxed that), Ill try and get my colour done as

close as possible to my due date. I didn't do this the last go-around and by the time I was actually physically able to leave the house with Archer to go get this done, I had a good full inch of grey at my roots...lovely and awesome for the self-esteem. Second, I'm going to practice doing a good braid prior to the date. I think that and a headband (you really want your hair out of your face) during actual labour is the way to go. Here are some inspiration shots. Granted they're from the runway and not a labour and delivery room but I'm sure I'll feel just as glamorous as they did during the time if I do all of this, right?

:)