Bella Band

Alright, my slightly ADD self is tired of blogging about mommy inventions. So this is my last one. I may have saved the best for last. It's the Bella Band! As you can see from the picture above, you can wear this all during your pregnancy, and after. It's really great at the start of your pregnancy when your pants are uncomfortable, but you aren't big enough for maternity clothes yet. You can wear it with your pants unbuttoned. I'm currently using mine to hide the muffin top when I wear my jeans that button, but don't look very flattering right now. My smart sis also told me that she used hers as an under top/cami type thing. It fits really snug, so you can use it as a bra (only if you are itty bitty up top like me...none of us want to see your business sagging to your knees) while nursing. I hear there are knock offs of this that are just as good, but this is the one I have. Love it! Here are a few more things I was going to post about, but like I said, I'm over it!

http://www.bumbobabyseat.com/

http://www.miracleblanket.com/index.htm (WHY didn't I think of this...or why didn't someone else think of this 9 years ago when Alex screamed all night for months?!)

Hide them thangs!

I have been very blessed to have been able to nurse all of my children. It wasn't until the 3rd that I got one of these incredible nursing covers. I had always just covered up with a blanket. This always turned into a problem when the babies got old enough to grab it and pull it off, leaving mommy in all her glory completely exposed. So here is mine (my sweet friend Jenn bought it for me as a gift).

Mine is the Bebe Au Lait brand. But there are also "Hooter Hiders" available, and I'm sure lots of other brands. LOVE THIS INVENTION! The first time I saw it (maybe my sisters), I thought it was ridiculous. I thought, "Why would someone spend money on this piece of fabric, when a blanket works perfectly fine!" Little did I know that they are wonderful! Lightweight (so you and baby don't sweat to death), hooks around your neck (so baby can't pull it off), has a little plastic insert in the top that leaves it open (so you can see baby, and baby can breathe), and it covers the whole top part of your body...not kidding, you can practically strip down under this thing and know one would know. This is a MUST HAVE if you are a nursing mommy!

Cool to me a Mama!

I was sitting thinking the other day (I know...dangerous, right?), and I realized how far fashion has come in the last 10 years. Not just everyday fashion, but fashion for pregnant mamas and new mamas. Since I have an almost 9 year old, and a newborn (and one in the middle), I have seen how far we've come. So I'm going to dedicate my next few posts to show you some of my favorite mommy fashion inventions. Let me know if ya'll have any favs!

This is my sling (the black and white one). I love it dearly! When I had my boutique, I was prego w/ Hadley. I was at market in Atlanta and went to the baby floor. Luck would have it that I passed by the Sweet Fletcher booth and met one of the owners. She was so sweet and sold me this sling. It was a sample so I got a great deal on it! I was a sling mama with Hadley, and have continued it with Eli. Love it. It is so much easier to hold him while chasing Hadley, than toting the car seat around. I would've LOVED for these to have been around when Alex was colicky and screaming constantly. Not that they didn't have slings back then, but they definitely weren't this cute and hip! I always get compliments on it. Check out Sweet Fletcher for more cool designs.

Sweet Fletcher
Sweet Fletcher

Also, I have my eye on this one. It's called Baby K'Tan. Not as fashionable, but I think it'll be easier when Eli gets a little bigger. Shoot me an email or leave a comment if you know of any others I need to be considering!

Baby K'tan

It must be Halloween...

...because all of the freaks are out in their costumes. Oh no, wait, it's just another awards show! The ACMs were last night, and once again, the fashions were interesting to say the least. So maybe I am being too harsh. I'll show you some pics and you be the judge of it. Here's my rundown of the 2009 ACMs.

Category 1: Unknown

Why unknown? Because I have no idea what this get-up is. Still scratching my head on this one.

Category 2: Barbie

Peaches 'n Cream Barbie

Barbie Cake...See pics below in case you are not from the generation I am

(I think there has been some form of Barbie cake in every generation).

I was afraid Carrie was going to turn around and the stage hands were going to be enjoying a piece of her...er....her dress!

Category 3: I left 1/2 of my dress at home I was afraid that if she made a sudden move, we were going to get flashed.

Poor girl. I love Miranda, but someone lied to her and told her that her dress fit.

Is anyone else tired of the neckline and waistline merge? Who wants their daughters leaving the house dressed like this?

Sorry for being so negative about the ACMs. Just not thrilled about how my hometown was represented. Ya'll tell me if you have different opinions! On a happy note. Taylor Swift is still covering her body...thank God! Seems like our role models for our girls are getting younger, and hemlines are getting shorter...and as we see above, necklines lower. Alright, I'm off my soapbox!

Ciao!

Iron Sharpens Iron

I got an interesting phone call a few days ago. It was a man and he said, "Hello Holly, this is Sam, and your friend Joel gave me your contact info. I don't really have much of a reason to call other than to introduce myself. Joel said you were a really sharp businesswoman in the Nashville community who I must know." (Joel, by the way, was in a networking group with me when I was a recruiter, and is a wonderful businessman, and great family man). Ya'll, I couldn't help but laugh out loud when he said that, and returned his comment with, "Yes, maybe 2 kids ago! I'm not so sharp now, but rather dull." Anyway, we had a good laugh and agreed to meet for coffee soon to talk business.

As I thought about this conversation, I was first of all, very honored that Joel would think of me this way...a sharp businesswoman is quite a compliment! And while I run my own business now, it is nowhere on the level that I was doing business "pre 2nd child." But I also started thinking of the woman I was 3 or so years ago, and the woman I am today. Have I lost it? What do we "career women" sacrifice for our children? Or is it a sacrifice at all? When/if I get back to where I was in my career, how long will it take for me to switch back into business mode, or is my "business brain" gone. Don't get me wrong. I love my job as a mommy, and my life is richly blessed because of my children. But (excuse my transparency), you can't help but wonder if you will be able to hold a professional conversation when that time comes without saying somthing like "May I use your potty?"

As I pondered all of these questions in my mind, I started thinking of the people in my life that have been so dear to me since I have become a stay at home mom. They are very "sharp" women! Even though most of them are in similar situations as me, we have very intellectual conversations, they are just different than what my conversations would be 3 years ago with my colleagues.

All in all, I think I have come to this conclusion. If God wants me back in the workforce, he will help me make that transition just fine. In the meantime, he will continue to put women into my life so like we are told in Proverbs 27:17 we can keep each other sharp. Thanks to all of you who are my iron

Proverbs 27:17
"As iron sharpens iron, so man sharpens his fellow man."