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CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT: Family. Friends. Hounds. Books. The Beach. Autumn. Cameras. Computer. iPhone. The color orange. Caramel frappucino. The words "dude!" and "nice!". Oh...and world peace ;-)

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18 September 2008

::bustin' out::

Oh boy...I can't even begin to describe how enormous my belly is. These days, if I turn sideways, most people are just plain ol' horrified (she's going to pop any second!), while others seem incredibly curious as to how much longer these little legs are able to support all that weight.

Whatever. At least I have not bought ONE STITCH of maternity clothes this time. Believe it. It is absolutely possible. During the summer, I relied on J Crew summer dresses to keep me cool. Now that there's a little chill in the air, I opted for some cotton jersey dresses by American Apparel.

I love the sleeveless tri-blend pleated pocket dress. It is stretchy and roomy through the waist; perfect for expanding bellies. Although, the dress is intended to be short, so I'd suggest pairing it with capri leggings for more coverage (as suggested by my not-so-subtle husband).

The fine jersey t dress is also an excellent choice. It even comes in 21 delicious colors. My favorite dress is the melange jersey sleeveless funnel neck shift dress. The classic "A" shift dress shape works well with ginorma-belly.

One piece of advice: get the XL size because the dresses run small.

Browse through the AA online store for a huge selection of clothing and accessories for women, men and kids, or visit a brick-and-mortar AA store in your city.

11 September 2008

::toasty booties::

Although it is only mid September, it is not too early to think about warmer footwear for your little one. If you are looking for some alternatives to the ubiquitous Ugg boots, there are plenty of modern styles from which to choose.

Toddler-shoe superstar, See Kai Run, now offers a couple of new fall/winter boot styles in suede and/or leather. Should you decide that the original leather lining is not warm enough for your climate, you may choose to replace it with a fuzzy faux fur lining for more insulation. To boot (pun intended), SKR now offers a baby line called Smaller and preschooler line called Eleven.
If you just want some furry accents, Morgan & Milo offers a faux fur trimmed suede boot that is to die for. For a more flexible style, Livie & Luca's new London boot is cute as a button.

For the snowy days, I recommend Aigle's Giboulee boots. Each pair is handcrafted from natural rubber and lined in warm fluffy polyester. The extra thick isolating insole is sure to to keep your child's feet safe and warm.

10 September 2008

::munchies::

Built NY, a design company that started out selling neoprene wine totes, has added the reusable Munchlers lunch bags to their home collection. A product of Built's joint collaboration with children's book illustrator, Stephen Savage, the Munchler's line is not only fun, but incredibly utilitarian. Each Munchler is easy to clean, easy to handle (for small hands) and it even unzips into a flat placemat.

You can purchase Munchlers directly from the Built NY website, or from Home Rule if you live in Washington, DC.

03 September 2008

::so this is what it was like::

You may have guessed, from my lack of postings, that I've been taking a vacation--a mental vacation that is. Since it is getting harder and harder for me to care for O by myself, we decided it was time to get a full-time nanny for her.

So in my spare time, I've returned to my books. So far, I am averaging two books a week. Non-fiction is still my preferred genre, but I've ventured a little into the world of historical fiction. I know, sounds a little scary, but it actually makes sense.

As a mom about to give birth to twins in two months, you'd think I wouldn't want to read a book about the history of botched-up midwifery and chauvinistic obstetric attitudes. Yet, I found it enormously interesting and informative. It hasn't changed my mind about how to bring my twins into the world (drug me up, cut me up, and sew me up!), but it certainly has opened my eyes to the different opinions of how other women think of the birthing process. I highly recommend "Birth" by Tiny Cassidy for those who are less squeamish.

From the other end of the spectrum, I highly recommend "The Pillars of the Earth" by Ken Follett. In a way, the book is factually informative because the author makes a point of describing life as it was in 12th Century Europe. But as a plus for me, the entire storyline centers around the building of a medieval cathedral. There are some common-sense inaccuracies (wool doesn't burn!!!), of course, but still entertaining nevertheless. There is one HUGE drawback though: the book is freaking looooooong!