I chose to write this well after the arrival of my daughter to ensure I wouldn’t be going off on a rant fueled by hormones and lack of oxygen (it was really tough to breathe towards the end). Combined with my Cuban temper, it would’ve only made for a lethal dose of snark. But now that Lucy is well on the other side of the belly, I feel it’s safe to share my biggest pet peeves over the last few months (though I can’t guarantee it will be completely snark-free).
It’s a funny thing, parenthood. It’s Saturday, we’ve got a babysitter for 24 hours, and the best and most exciting use I can find for my time is catching up on work and running errands. And this makes me perfectly happy. I was tinkering around on my site, making updates, when I came across this draft of images from my last trip to Manhattan in September 2012. It was fashion week, I was attending some very trendy events, and, newly pregnant, decided it was a good idea to fit into an obscenely tight pair of red skinny jeans. I regretted it almost immediately when, two hours later, I realized I’d forgotten to factor in my newly growing belly’s need for space when sitting. Thankfully, Lucy is now out and safely on the other side of the bump with no zipper marks to speak of.
Found this in a fortune cookie over the weekend and felt it was important to share. I, for one, tend to talk myself out of way too many things and end up regretting being too logical for my own good. So maybe, just maybe, go with it and see where things end up. Leave the logistics of how and why to the Universe.
Another year gone by and, yet again, when the 18th of May rolls around, I get that nagging suspicion I’ve forgotten something…which, of course, I inevitably have. The 18th marked my third year of blogging. When I looked back at year two, I thought there was no way I would top it, but just now looking back at my third year, I realize I have so much to be grateful for – and things are only getting better. Here’s a look back at my favorites (click on each pic to see more). Hope you enjoy. And THANK YOU SO MUCH for reading. <3
I just wanted to give a nod to all the moms out there for the amazing work you do. If you’ve managed to keep your child alive and healthy while maintaining some shred of sanity, I curtsy to you. Today marks four weeks since I began my journey as a new mom and while there have certainly been immeasurable joys to outweigh any and all inconveniences, there’s also this absurd reality that has indefinitely become everyday life.
Truth be told, I’ve probably been nesting for quite some time now – probably, some would argue, well before I even thought about getting pregnant. But once the hormones kicked in, I went into overdrive hitting up HomeGoods in an embarrassingly cliched way.
Tony and I are recovering from Baby Shower #2, which involved the loud chatter of my very enthusiastic Cuban family (who have actually begun to rub off on his Peruvian side) and copious amounts of the very best homemade ethnic food any pregnant woman could want.
For this one, we went with a garden theme, since it was hosted in the beautiful backyard of my aunt & uncle’s home. We enjoyed one of those rare cool and clear Miami afternoons that I usually just pray and/or daydream about. Gotta say, we are both feeling very blessed indeed.
Here are some of our favorite details, including the Polaroid sign-in book, Milk Jar Mimosas, and everyone’s favorite Pomeranian, Romeo.
Event Details:
Cupcakes: Not Just Cakes by Patty, Milk Jars with Straws: Beau-Coup.com, Dress: ASOS Maternity, Flowers: Berkeley Florist Supply arranged in Mason Jars, Favorite Red Lipstick: MAC Ruby Woo.
All photos taken by dad-to-be Tony Espinoza.
Attending my own baby shower was probably one of the most surreal experiences I’ve had in a while. Picking out a crib and registering for baby essentials really only hit me as shopping. Watching my belly grow and become heavy enough to make me shun my heels hardly phased me. But I caught myself staring a little too long at that pink banner hung over our place settings and it smacked me in the face: I’m having a baby. Soon.
Luckily, this was probably a little on the milder side in terms of actual baby-type stuff when it comes to the admittedly foreign realm of baby showers. Having a husband who can illustrate helped string our bottle-themed shower together into a low key, friendly affair for both guys and girls. Not to mention making it feel much more us. I think the fact that we were able to weave beer and champagne into our central theme made us feel much more comfortable with the event.
I’m excited to share some of our details, including: special home brew favors for the guys (crafted with care by the dad-to-be and home brew master & uncle-to-be MP), milk bottle mimosas for the ladies, a Polaroid sign-in book, story books in place of cards to build our baby’s library, and guava cupcakes (for the Cuban mom-to-be, yours truly). I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.
Check out specific event details after the jump.
Event Setup Assistance: Events by Francesca, Location & Catering: Angelique Euro Cafe, Cupcakes: Not Just Cakes by Patty, Milk Jar Favors: Beau-Coup.com, Centerpieces: Hydrangeas & Spider Mums from Berkeley Florist Supply in Miami set in Ball jars, Heart Manicure by Miya at Portfolio Salon, Chunky Pave Link Bracelet from Brighthouse Baubles, Flowy Top by ASOS Petite.
All photos and graphic design details courtesy of dad-to-be Tony Espinoza.
As if my recent waddling or growing belly weren’t already driving the point home, attending the Big City Moms Biggest Baby Shower: Miami event made it overwhelmingly clear that I am, indeed, incredibly pregnant. I’m no longer in that in-between maybe-she’s-just-packed-on-a-few-extra-pounds stage. I am fully, recognizably preggo with the hormone surges to prove it. But so were all the other attendees at this event and it made me feel slightly normal for a short while.
But attending this event as a first-time mom-to-be was also incredibly educational. I thought I knew what my baby needed until I took a stroll through the seemingly endless rows of vendors and discovered there’s a whole world of new essentials our parents didn’t need but certainly could have used to make their initial parenting years a whole lot easier (Zippyz and Bibbitec, anyone?). Below, I give you some of my standout products (and maybe some gifting ideas for yours truly!). Have you tried any of these products? I’d love to hear what you think.
SOME FAVORITES:
1) Tutti Bambini: A one-stop shop for all things baby, including classes, baby planning, and maternity concierge services.
2) Sweet Dough: Custom cookies, pastries and sweets.
3) “O” Pops by Angie: Custom (and really delicious) cake pops.
4) Project Nursery: Inspiring style for baby’s first room and beyond.
5) Daddy Scrubs: Scrubs and gifts for the expectant dad.
6) Zippyz: Onesies that zip (instead of snap) from foot to belly, keeping your baby warm and comfy through diaper changes.
7) H.O.L.D. Couture: Maternity and post-maternity shapewear. (Not pictured)
8) Give Wink: Baby needs and customizable gifts.
P.S. I had to include my preggo Mad Men alter-ego image, created by none other than my baby-daddy. Totally irrelevant but still kinda cute; especially the way she’s still wearing full pumps when I clearly slid across the room last night in nothing more than a glorified kitten heel. Ah, the joys of pregnancy.
So, the diaper bag. That vinyl thing we’re all supposed to carry around with some sort of overzealous duck print just because we’ve recently bred a munchkin who’ll likely adore that sort of stuff. And that’s just fine for him/her. But why would a 32-year-old woman voluntarily tote one of those things around? I mean, if that’s your thing and you’ve been secretly dying to find an excuse to sport some nursery rhyme-type fashion, then go ahead and rock that duck unapologetically. But I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that I’d be cringing for you just a little on the inside.
I’ve both been dreading and anticipating the hunt for a more fashion-forward solution to this diaper bag dilemma. Before getting pregnant, I wasn’t really the type of gal who’d linger around the kinds of shops that would impart this sort of information. But here I am and my search has led me to some admittedly chic options. Bags with nary a nursery print in sight.
Though I’ll admit that two of the six bags in this post are not officially diaper bags per se, my search did lead me to the “diaper bag insert” solution that can pretty much turn any good-sized tote into a baby-suitable carry-all. Hence, the L.A.M.B. and See by Chloe are still perfectly legitimate choices (insert silly grin on mom-to-be here). The other four are by Timi and Leslie, my new mommy-friendly favorites.
But I’d love to hear from other chic moms out there. What did you wear as a diaper bag? Any designers I overlooked? Please share your wisdom with me! If you know me, you don’t even want to think about the perma-scowl I’d be rocking with a duck print bag.
Click on the pics to visit the retailer’s site.
