I’ve featured this Gul Hurgel fruit-print dress in the past (seen above on the ultra-chic Rebecca de Ravenel — and PSST, you can coordinate with your mini!), but I still marvel over it. The other day, I was walking by a Brooks Brothers and I stopped and admired a cherry-print dress I saw in their window display. I simply love the shirtdress cut — so flattering, so timeless. You can make it feel younger by pairing it with Supergas or chic slides or even a contrasting print mule, but it would also look sophisticated and sweet for a more formal or conservative affair with heels or mules.
Setting aside Gul Hurgel and the Brooks Brothers shirt-dress, I’ve been seeing a lot of fruit prints this season, so I thought I’d share a couple of my favorite finds:
I shared some of my favorite sources for traditional baby shoes a week or two back and then invested in a few new pairs for mini’s wardrobe just this week, especially with Easter and a lighter palette for her wardrobe right around the corner. I went with a classic pair of white Elephantito Mary Janes (heads up: these were surprisingly challenging to track down in mini’s size — they seem to be low in stock everywhere), these velcro Supergas in the pretty pink/lavender color (also low in stock), and these linen bow shoes (heads up: in select sizes, you can find this exact pair for nearly $15 less on Amazon). Between these three pairs, I feel like we’ll have casual, dressy, and in-between moments covered for the vast majority of spring outings. Three other pairs I am eyeing seriously but trying to hold off on snagging until a little later in the season (I have a hunch mini will outgrow her current size by mid-summer): these Cientas in the washed denim or the pink (I like the way these look with sundresses and more casual outfits, too) and these blue toile espadrilles (ZOMG).
I was so moved and inspired by the many thoughtful comments, emails, and direct messages I received after sharing an update on this pregnancy earlier this week. Thank you times a million. I heard from several moms who have had multiple c-sections and many of them mentioned that the second recovery was easier — maybe because we know what to expect? Or our bodies recognize the recovery path? Or we are simply too distracted by our children to be able to dwell much on the recovery aspect? (I also personally feel as though motherhood has reconditioned me with regards to my squeamishness around medical and physical issues. You’re wiping butts and cleaning spit-up for a living: you’ve got to adopt a shrugging attitude towards the many emissions of the body.) Whatever it is — I found that remark heavily reassuring. Amidst the many words of encouragement, this stood out to me from one reader:
“In the moment it can all feel so scary. Take it one day at a time and don’t get too far ahead of yourself.”
I have opened up my phone to re-read this note about fifteen times this week. Upon each re-reading, a wave of serenity washes over me. I am reminded of something I told myself in the days leading up to mini’s birth: “you can do anything for an hour.” (I had been told a c-section would last around an hour.) Then, as I lay on the operating table, I found myself thinking: “you can do anything for ten minutes. Just make it through the next ten minutes.” Then: “You can do anything for a minute. Just make it through the next minute.” Then, I finally broke it down into Hail Marys: “Come on, Jennie. You can make it through a Hail Mary.” One day at a time, one minute at a time, one word at a time. It all becomes so much more manageable on those terms.
What a gorgeous reminder of two things: first, to set realistic goals (read: small, measurable ones — which in turn reminded me of my mother’s “one per day” rule) and second, to live in the moment. These are two exceptionally difficult charges during pregnancy, which can occasionally feel like a long and unwieldy sit in a waiting room, spiked with unrealistic expectations, but are more broadly applicable to any particularly fraught or frenetic stage of life.
Sharing this lovely reader’s entreaty in the hopes it might find companionship with one or many of you on this spring Saturday, whether you’re lumbering through the final weeks of your own pregnancy, grappling with a break-up, grieving a loss, or struggling with any personal woe, be it big or small. (There’s no hierarchy of pain on this blog.)
These days, I wake to the sight of her empty bassinet, but feel something entirely different. Most mornings, my eyes travel over it thoughtlessly, so accustomed am I to seeing it there, her existence and all of her paraphernalia so deeply incorporated into the quotidian activities of my life that I barely give it a second thought. I’m too distracted by her cry, or too tired to think much of anything. Other mornings, I wake and look at it and fight the urge to cry. I thumb through pictures of her in it from just a few months ago, her limbs scrawny and her face red and squished and my recollection of this time continues to soften and float, suspended, in a haze of tenderness.
Did I adequately cherish those moments? Those mornings and noons and nights with her snoozing in it by my bedside?”
+If you are attending a horse race with your littles in tow (we went to Foxfield in VA for many years and then the Kentucky Derby a few years back), this is the PERFECT outfit for a mini.
+OK. OK. OK. We need to talk about the book Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney. A few of you recommended it to me over the course of the last few months and then my sister said she could not put it down. I am blown away by the portraiture. I’ve never met a female protagonist quite like Frances, or a love interest quite like Nick, and the book’s simultaneous sangfroid and candor are remarkable and fresh and unlike anything I’ve ever read before. Be warned: there are a lot of explicit sex scenes in it and I would not recommend it to most people for that reason. But the writing is absolutely incredible, I have to say. I’m shook.
+Loving these wood toys from a Russian Etsy shop: keys for an infant and a lace-up activity for toddlers.
By: Jen Shoop
Magpies! There are a couple of really good deals running right now on items that rarely dip low in price:
+Saks is running 25% off thousands of items in its Friends & Family sale. A great time to stock up on Kissy Kissy jammies for minis and micros. I also noticed that all of their Noodle & Boo products (I use all of this line’s products for mini and especially love their conditioning polish spray for hair) as well as Laundress products are 25% off — cheaper than Amazon has ever gotten on these linen closet staples!
+Petite Plume is offering 20% off its darling pajamas with code EASTER20. I bought mini this nightgown and this bunny eye mask for the occasion, but now I’m swooning over this toile set, too.
+Finally — I saw that the ultra-chic Caitlin Fisher of Daily Cup of Couture snagged a pair of satin Newbark bow slides (seen above) and was surprised to find that The Real Real has a number of gently-used pairs on offer for well under $70! If only I was a size 7…(and don’t they remind you in the cutest way of those darling VEB baby shoes I wrote about?!)
The lovely Pamela Munson (a Magpie woman of substance!) generously sent me this gorgeous straw tote with white leather handles (seen above as styled by the ultra-chic Daily Cup of Couture). I have been wearing it everywhere despite inauspicious temperatures and questionable seasonality; we’ve still been lingering in the 40s many mornings. Aside from its beach-y but feminine style, I love that it stands up on its own (can’t say the same for 90% of my other bags), that its handles are the perfect length (easy to wear over the shoulder), and that it goes with literally everything. Runner up: this plaid tote I bought from her spring collection. Love the shape, color, and coated fabric!
2 // Now Solutions Sweet Almond Oil.
My skin was crazy dry all winter — until I started using this inexpensive oil after showering. Finally, relief! I had been so uncomfortable after bathing; this did the trick, and for a fraction of the price of other interventions I had considered and tested.
3 // Chantecaille Just Skin Tinted Moisturizer.
I bought this tinted moisturizer on a whim during a Blue Mercury promotion and will never go back! I have written extensively about this product already (and even updated my Best of Everything: Beauty post to replace it as my top pick for foundation/tinted moisturizer).
4 // Rhodia Gridded Notepad.
These Rhodia gridded notepads changed my life. Dramatic statement? Yes. But they’ve gotten me into the habit of a practice known as “bullet journaling” — one I more affectionately and privately title “list therapy.” I find myself creating lists of all kinds, from the mundane (“What We Need at Eataly”) to the meaty (“Experiences I Want for My Children” and “Things to Unlearn“). I love these notepads because they are oversized and “seamed” along the top. I’m a leftie, so not having to contend with a spiral is a gift.
5 // Spanx Faux Leather Maternity Leggings.
I am so into these waxed Spanx maternity leggings. I have been desperately trying to make do with what I have despite an urge to buy new things (I’m so sick of my rotation of boxy sweaters and maternity tees), but I’m glad I sprang for these. They’ve added a welcome little edge to my wardrobe and make me feel more pulled together than when I’m sporting my standard-issue cotton leggings. I’ve also been stopped by several expecting mothers asking where I’d found them!
I wrote all about this wunderproduct a few weeks ago here, but trust me: it’s worth the hype. I am convinced it’s been the key to clear, even skin.
9 // Microfiber Dish Drying Mat.
Mr. Magpie and I are in a stand-off about this purchase. I like that it’s an intentional space for drying the various (read: many) hand-washed pots, pans, and implements we go through every day, as we cook nearly every night. It’s thick and absorbent. I personally like the style. But Mr. Magpie insists it was an unnecessary acquisition — “that’s what we have dish towels for,” he’s grumbled. Personally, it brings me joy to keep clutter contained and organized. You decide!
10 // Harney & Sons Soba Tea.
My favorite recent discovery: this soba tea tastes like delicious toasted rice water and is the perfect substitute for a post-prandial cocktail or dessert. So funky and delicious.
+The view from my bed. The west-facing window at the foot of my bed is not exactly scenic, but it looks out onto a small courtyard whose treetops dance when it’s raining or windy. The south-facing window over Mr. Magpie’s sleeping form to my left opens onto a quiet drive in front of an elegant apartment building whose glassed-in lobby showcases an enormous chihuly glass chandelier. Neither view reveals foot traffic — just the shape-shifting of trees and the tangle of artful glass. Urban poetry.
+The formality of the dining room. In the very center of our apartment, we have a small but proper dining room, segregated from the television and the living space. Recently, we started eating dinner together in it almost nightly, as a little pod of three: we say grace, we pass plates, we share the roses and thorns of our respective days. For many months prior, I fed mini at five P.M. so that I could bathe her and have her ready to play with Mr. Magpie when he arrived home around six. After her bedtime at seven-thirty, we would prepare dinner for just the two of us, relishing the stretch of quiet, adult time. It took us a long while to give up that leisurely time together. But we have recently evolved into what I consider a proper family, one that breaks bread together, with our daughter alongside us. We listen to music. We clink glasses. We attempt to act calm and disinterested when mini eats — as she did over the course of a recent week — the entire skin (!) of a twelve-inch (!!) pan-seared trout (!!!), several ounces of veal, a heap of brisket Mr. Magpie had corned for eight days and a hunk of homemade carraway-seed-studded Irish soda bread I’d baked in a delayed celebration of St. Pat’s, and a mound of vermicelli noodles doused in nam pla (Vietnamese fish sauce). Mr. Magpie and I have discovered that mini eats more — and more adventurously — when she sits at the table with us, eating what we eat, and when we do not remark upon what or how much she eats. We refrain from entreaties like “just two more bites and then…” or “don’t you want to try a bite of xyz?”, which can occasionally try my patience and result in a pathetically spare dinner for her. But there are many later-at-night marvelings over what she has eaten: “Did you see how much of the potato she ate?” “I can’t believe she ate all that spicy sausage.” Etc. The stuff of parenthood, I tell you. And Louise anticipated — and accommodated — this new life stage together.
+My writing nook. We used a rug to square off the roughly five by seven foot enclave in which I do all of my writing. It is nothing but a desk against a wall, and though she is exposed and can feel infuriatingly ill-placed when I am in a flow and little feet are amok, the fact that I was able to squirrel away this little bit of space for my own purposes makes me feel as though Louise sanctions my creative endeavors.
+The fact that we have a washer/dryer in unit. This is not a given — even in the nicest of apartments — in Manhattan. God bless the apartment gods for this gift.
+The warm taupe color of the walls (we did not pick it), which glow incandescent when the lights are dim and candlelight dances against it.
+The smallness of the kitchen. I go back and forth on this one. Some days, I curse the pathetically limited workspace of our “galley plus” (not quite a galley, as she is several feet wide, but not large enough to qualify as anything else) as I find myself frenetically stacking and schlepping piles of bowls and ingredients to make enough space to complete a cooking session. On gentler days, I like the efficiency she affords, as everything is within arm’s reach: the stove, the fridge, the cabinet, the sink. It makes for nimble cooking. And we have thoughtfully stored our implements within it, sussing out which whisks and measuring cups we tend to favor and keeping those easy-to-access while stowing duplicates. I can cook by touch here.
+The crown moulding. Old-fashioned and just my style.
+The length of the master bathroom. In an otherwise petite apartment, the master bathroom feels unexpectedly gracious, as she runs along the full length of the master bedroom. And because of her configuration, there is no way to clutter her expanse: she is recalcitrant in her narrowness, forbidding the introduction of storage bins or shelving. She is determined to establish the feeling of space in an otherwise diminutive apartment.
+The heft of the doors. Mr. Magpie and I have a potentially idiosyncratic rubric for evaluating the quality of a home: how heavy are its doors? In our early apartments, we found the doors were thin, lightweight, unsatisfying to slam. Louise’s are stolid, stubborn, heavy, and surprisingly good at mitigating sound. They bespeak workmanship and age. I love them.
What do you love most about your home?
Post-Scripts: Little Luxuries for the Home.
A couple of ways to make your home feel more luxurious than its small square footage might otherwise permit:
+An obvious one, but fresh flowers or — better yet — botanicals like sprigs of eucalyptus (shown above) or even dried lavender, which last for a long time. I also like to be creative about the vase situation — things like a copper canister (seen above) or a bee-emblazoned drinking glass or a spongeware pitcher can be a great way to add a sense of elegant rusticity to your home.
+I always have long matches on hand for candle-lighting — often ones that come in a pretty matchbox, like these from Annechovie (great gift to accompany a gifted candle) or these from St. Frank. In one station in my home, I keep matches in a beloved decorative match-strike Mr. Magpie gave me as a gift many years ago. Taking the time to make such a minute part of my daily routine prettier leaves me happy.
+Under-cabinet lighting. We initially went with these inexpensive lights, which are actually quite good for the price and an excellent option for fellow renters looking for more lighting in their kitchens, as they adhere to the underside of a cabinet with 3M stickies. Mr. Magpie loved that they are controllable by remote and can be set to turn off after a designated amount of time. However. They burn through a lot of batteries if used often. We just decided to upgrade to Hue light strips instead, which are genius because they sync up with our Homepod setup so you can say: “Siri, turn off the kitchen lights,” and they’ll turn off. (The quality of the light itself is also substantially better.)
+I have a collection of julep cups (look for less with these) I use throughout our house for various reasons — as a pen cup on my desk, as a toothbrush holder, as a makeup brush holder. A small way to elevate the ordinary.
+One reason why I love The Laundress’ products is because they are so gorgeously scented. I have written profusely on the subject of their Crease Release, which I use in between launderings of our bedding, but part of the reason I am so hooked on this product is because it makes our entire bedroom smell incredible. You can also buy their Fabric Fresh — a far more elegant take on Febreze. We also use Diptyque’s Baies Room Spray, though it is heavily concentrated and I find can be a bit overpowering if you’re not careful with it. I tend to use this only when I also have a window cracked.
+I love to keep a glass carafe of water at my bedside. It makes me feel as though I live in a hotel. I will also put this on our dining table for dinner (another option: this rustic white pitcher), which gives the impression of languor and sophistication, even when my daughter insists on walking over and spitting out bites of food on my lap when she finds them distasteful. Similarly, I have been eyeing these glass bottles as a way to serve juices and other drinks when guests are over. We already have two lovely small glass carafes we often use for milk, juice, etc — but these are coordinated and would be easy to stow in a fridge.
+I have framed special cards and little bits of personal memorabilia in these inexpensive acrylic frames, which can stand up on their own.
+I’ve said it once and I’ll say it a trillion times more: investing in good towels can not only transform your shower experience, but also lend a sense of luxury to your bathroom. I love Matouk’s Auberge and Cairo collections. I have both.
+Lavender sachets in your linen drawers. Such an inexpensive way to perfume your clothing beautifully.
+If investing in an entire new set of dinnerware is impractical for you given space or cost considerations, buy just one or two pieces you know you’ll use heavily from a pattern you love. Maybe you eat cereal daily, for example — order two of Juliska’s Berry & Thread pattern bowls.
+I spent months agonizing over counter stools for our old home and then we sold it before I ever took the plunge. I feel like my indecision was a gift from God because we wouldn’t have needed them in our current apartment, and I think we’d just have had to sold them. High on my list: the borderline ubiquitous Serena & Lily Riviera bar stools, which add just the right amount of casualness and style to a counter area in my opinion. I just found these far less expensive stools that nail the look for a lot less.
+One of the best gifts I’ve ever received was a set of 12 white appetizer plates from Crate & Barrel. They’re just the right size for — anything. They make even the most pathetic of snacks and treats more luxurious, whether I’m treating myself to a mound of stoned wheat thin crackers, or a tangle of grapes, or a fistful of Swedish fish. I also like to keep one underneath my mug of tea so I can easily place the tea bag alongside it. White goes with anything and never tires (I’ve learned the hard way that it’s probably best to go with a white or highly minimalist china print), but I find Aerin’s printed dip bowls fetching and perfectly proportioned for daily indulgences, too.
+Greenery is always a lovely addition to any room. I love this faux olive tree and this boxwood for instant elegance without the upkeep.
+Adding a pair of ottomans to the foot of a bed or beneath a window or underneath a console table affords major style points (richer texture! a plusher, more refined look!) without a huge investment. I’m in love with the palm print (and round shape!) of these, but I also adore so many of the prints available in this affordable style. Bonus: additional seating when you need it.
+Mr. Magpie has mocked me for my endless purchasing of baskets. But they’re such a great, and often inexpensive, way to tidy a space while adding dimension and texture. I love these, and this set of four looks like something from Serena & Lily (but costs far less).
+NOT an affordable little luxury, but I am absolutely dying over these scalloped banquettes and had to include them in this roundup. Swoon.
+A small and inexpensive rug for the kitchen. Buyer beware: these do not last long in our home as we cook a lot and often keep Tilly behind a baby gate in the kitchen (and she will sometimes affix her attention to destroying said rugs), so I find I need to toss them after a good run. But. A fresh rug in a lovely print can completely change the way you feel about your kitchen, dimensions be-damned. I just found this inexpensive 3×4 foot vintage-inspired rug and think it would be the perfect way to invite spring into my kitchen.
+Decant your shampoos and conditioners into dispensers. (And your kitchens in soak into one of these!)
+Similarly, stow loose snacks and pantry items in the containers and jars like these. (I love buying a few different bags of Haribo candy and stowing them all in one or two of these.)
+This will require some engineering/wiring, but these inexpensive sconces are SO chic. My sister recently told me: “I’ll know I’ve made it when I have bedside sconces.” We laughed for a long time about that, because I knew exactly what she meant: they’re for grown-ups with taste.
P.S. I just updated my Best of Everything: Home Edition post to clean up dead links and make important additions, like our beloved bed pillows, which have enabled us to sleep so much better than we ever have before. Also: they never.get.hot. (?!?!?!) Incidentally, this might be a good post to use if you’re building a registry or preparing for a move!
P.P.S. My LR sandals just dropped LOWER in price in Saks, and are now under $90! Thanks to the promotion, I also managed to snag a couple of additional Kissy Kissy layette pieces at 25% off. Saks always has the best selection for this brand.
P.P.P.S. A REALLY GOOD TEE (under $30). I wore this constantly in two colorways pre-pregnancy. Great for layering but also just a chic, timeless cut for wearing with jeans on a Saturday morning.
By: Jen Shoop
First and foremost, since we canceled our trip to Tuscany this summer, I’m now laser-focused on plans for a trip back to to the Hamptons with my sister and brother-in-law and our best friends. We are currently mapping out logistics, but I’m hoping to get a house for a week or maybe even 10 days this summer and take a big, deep breather outside of the city a few weeks after baby boy is born. I’ll be sleepless and bleary-eyed, but at least it will be against the backdrop of a Hamptons summer — and, with any luck, laying poolside for long stretches of it. I’m particularly keen on this bucolic dream because last Wednesday night, micro was moving in the most uncomfortable and strenuous of ways and I’m 90% certain he flipped from head-down to breech. I can feel his head in my ribs (a sensation I recall strongly from the final few weeks of mini’s pregnancy) and am fairly confident it’s his feet I feel spiraling around at the base of my abdomen. Both of my babies have also hiccuped a lot in utero and I can feel that the hiccups are coming from the top of my stomach now, too, whereas just a week ago, I’d felt them lower down. I have an appointment this week, so we shall see if my suspicions are correct, and I know we still have time for another somersault into the correct position anyway, but as I lay there, intensely uncomfortable, I felt horribly down. I have been hoping to avoid a second c-section but it wasn’t until I sat up in bed, processing the fact that a c-section could well be imminent (virtually no practitioners will deliver a breech baby vaginally — it’s not considered safe), that I faced this aspiration head-on. I struggled to figure out how I’d manage a recovery with a very active two-year-old at home — especially when Mr. Magpie will have a max of three weeks of paternity leave, and it took me a solid month to feel I was “back on my feet.” And I also realized that there is still a part of me — despite having maneuvered through the process of accepting my first c-section and ultimately coming to terms with it — that feels like I need to experience labor the traditional way, and that I’ll always feel a bit like an outsider to the conventional matrescence experience without it. Illogically (?), I find something virtuous and intentional about a vaginal delivery. A friend of mine — with no mal intent, I know — told me at one point before the birth of her son, “Oh, maybe I’ll just schedule a c-section and dodge the bullet.” Just schedule a c-section. Dodge the bullet. I grimaced, for two reasons: there is nothing easy about a c-section (going through it, or recovering from it) and yet I kind of knew what she meant, because it’s still, irrationally and against all odds, how I think of it sometimes. And I apologize to the many mothers out there who have had c-sections and feel completely differently about the process; please know I am simply sharing my candid and completely baseless emotions on the topic and that, having lived through a c-section myself, I also know that it’s far from “an easy way out” of labor. But there it was: how I truly felt.
The following day, I waddled around in extreme discomfort. Bending over was painful. All of the kicks at the base of my belly sent me straight back to the “lightening crotch” I experienced for months with mini. And the weight of this new information — that a repeat c-section might be highly likely — bore down on me. I had plans to take in the Andy Warhol exhibit at the Whitney at 2 P.M. and I debated canceling them when I took Tilly on her midday walk and found myself inching along at the pace of a snail, wiping tears out of my eyes for no good reason. I longed to call my mother but knew I would just silently sob on my side of the phone — and I didn’t feel up to the histrionics, especially while stumbling through Central Park. Besides, I knew what she would say: you can’t worry about this; you have time. This is God’s plan. You’ll be fine.You don’t even know for sure yet! More than that, I didn’t want to let myself have a public pity party in the face of an otherwise easy and straight-forward pregnancy.
So instead, I touched up my makeup, took a deep breath, and reminded myself that the point is not to experience labor; it’s to bring a child into the world, and as safely as possible. I also told myself: you’ve survived one c-section and you can do it again. And, as a dear friend told me: “It’s the devil you know.” Yes. Yes. Yes.
The trip down to Meatpacking proved to be something of a mistake; I was still highly uncomfortable and it was one of those New York days where you see a little too much on the Subway. (Some days, it’s easier to brush off the weird encounters; other days, you want to shower and meditate and never go below ground again. This day fell into the latter category.) Beyond that, the Whitney was disgustingly overcrowded. My friend and I had bought timed tickets to the exhibit (which was in its final week of showing), but it was so packed that we could hardly see the artwork. Lingering in front of any curatorial placard was an exercise in patience, as oblivious museum-goers would cut in front of us, or back into us, or barrel into our personal space. I was grateful for the distraction of friendship and art (though the experience also confirmed that I am not a fan of Andy Warhol), but I left the excursion depleted.
I sent myself to bed at 8:30 P.M. that evening after a hot shower and a huge bowl of orecchiette with broccoli rabe and sausage (thank you, Mr. Magpie) and when I woke up the next morning, it was as if God had erased — or at least temporarily hushed — every agony and anxiety from my mind. My first thought was: “I feel better today.” My second: “I’m going to focus on planning our trip to the Hamptons.” In place of the begrudging attitude I’d borne the previous day was a sense of lightness and acceptance, a tone I am now pinning to the dream of our intended summer getaway in Sag Harbor.
So, here we are. Somewhere between tearful waddles and a poolside nap in the Hamptons. And with us are a couple of other beautiful finds for summer…
I mean — can you EVEN?! I want them all! I put these dresses on par with the stunning pieces from La Stupenderia (<<I shared a great source for discounted La Stupenderia pieces last week, but should have also mentioned that The Tot also carries select pieces and this one is on sale!)
Personalized Lingua Franca Sweater.
Beyond chic. So cute for a honeymooner in autumn or spring, or a woman who has been married almost nine years (nine years in August?! How can that be!)
I own this sweet tote so it’s not so much a lust list item anymore — but I have been wearing it everywhere, and I envision it will accompany me to The Hamptons! It’s a great size (not too big, not too small). I wish the handles were more practical but it’s not a bad option if I have the stroller. It’s made in a wipeable fabric and it goes with EVERYTHING I WANT TO WEAR RIGHT NOW. Love.
Gal Meets Glam Daisy Dress.
I love the cut, print, length, and especially the sleeves on this ladylike number.
Also ordering another pair of these maternity pajamas (on sale! — I know I’m in the home stretch but these are virtually the only thing I’m comfortable in, with the exception of this $16 jersey dress, which I wear CONSTANTLY AND IT FEELS LIKE A DREAM), daydreaming about anything with a scalloped edge (love this jumpsuit for post-partum me, this floral dress for pregnant me, this gorgeous bedding as a contender for mini’s “big girl” bed, and this dress for mini), and patiently waiting for these $25 steals to be re-stocked in my pixie foot size. Might throw this basket into the Target shopping cart when they do.
I’ve been seeing frilly white blouses crop up everywhere — the more Romeo & Juliet-like, the better. I love this from Endless Rose (under $90), this by Ganni, and this from Mara Hoffman. All would look incredible with high-waisted, light-wash denim and white footwear. (Or, go for the look in dress form — #swoon.)
Timeless in some ways, but gingham feels SO fresh this season. I’ve seen it on everything from mules (shown below) to blouses (<<love; get the look for less with this) to totes (<<I own and love this) and dresses (shown below — this label is SO HOT RIGHT NOW). A few other amazing gingham finds: this $159 shirtdress, this trench, this elegant woven midi, and this dress for minis. For preggos: this and this.
My Latest Snag: The Loeffler Randall Birdie Slide.
Mentioned this a lot, but am so excited about these ruffled Loeffler Randall slides. I love the colors and the frivolity of the ruffle. They’ll go with just about everything in my closet this summer. Did I mention that they’re on sale for $118?! LR makes such great shoes; I find that they’re among my longest lasting pairs in the closet. (Another great option for a chic printed slide for summer from a great brand: these Ancient Greek Taygetes, on sale for $75!)
You’re Sooooo Popular: The Linen-Blend Cardigan.
The most popular items on the blog this week:
+This wear-with-everything linen-blend cardigan. I bought mine in the pretty sky blue color. I love sweaters like this that can be thrown on with skinnies as we move towards warmer weather.
“I thoroughly enjoyed the book and I think it’s the ‘shallow in some parts, starling deep in others’ that makes it a pleasurable, easy read for all.”
Her comment left me thinking critically about some of the unspoken assumptions that undergird my book-scoring rubric for our book club. I realized I place a heavier emphasis on the craft and artistry of a book than I do the pleasure or gratification of its reading. I tend to ask myself these questions as I read:
+Does everything “hang together”? Does the design of a character or a plot point or a stylistic decision jar or sit uncomfortably with me? Conversely, do I find myself thinking critically about elements of the book’s design only to come to a deeper, richer understanding of the text and its themes? (I love when this happens — when I’m tugging at why the author chose to include a specific character or detail and stumble through the lintels of deeper understanding.)
+What leaves me doubting the author’s decision-making? If ever I linger over something too long — say, the inclusion of poetry in a work — and question its utility within the overall book, a death knell sounds and my rating of the book dips precipitously. This is especially true when I find myself wondering whether an editor foisted an opinion onto the author — “I wonder if the author was cornered into adding this section to elaborate on xyz.”
+Do the formal elements of the book resonate with its thematic ones? (One aspect I liked, in theory, about Crawdads, was its nonlinearity: the many recursions, interruptions, and inversions in the structure of the book. The book unfolds by jumping forward and backward in time; the poetry interrupts the flow of the prose; there are many comings and goings of characters. These reverberated with the themes of abandonment and reunion, of movement and stasis, throughout the book, though the shoddiness and proportion of poetry — and its seeming primary intent of simplistically communicating Kya’s emotional temperature — used throughout made me second guess the intentionality of these formal elements.)
+Do any passages of the book stop me in my tracks? The first line of Circe (and many others that followed) sent shivers down my spine — in a good way. When I read the opening line, I thought: “I am in the presence of greatness.”
But the best books, in my opinion, score highly on both the craft and pleasure axes: they grab my attention, keeping me up in bouts of feverish reading, and they astonish me with their depth and beauty. (All of the books listed here meet both criteria.)
However, my rubric is one of a trillion possible permutations. There are many reasons to read. There are many reasons to love a book.
What are yours?
(I shared more thoughts on this topic here, if you’re interested.)
+Contemplating signing mini up for swim classes this summer, and the pool I’m looking at requires that children wear swim caps. How darling is this one!?
+Peel and stick grasscloth wallpaper for the renters (or non-commitals) among us. This would be so fun as a statement wall or in a designated “bar” space.
+Had to have this plaid carryall tote. I just love the colors and shape! The handles make it slightly impractical as a mother but EH. The heart wants what it wants.
I have long admired Italian childrenswear brand La Stupenderia for its elegant, traditional clothing. The pieces are one-of-a-kind — and bear a price tag to match. I was thrilled to find a number of their pieces heavily discounted at Yoox and managed to snag this precious romper (shown below) for micro. I also love this and this for girls and this for either a little boy or girl. Happy shopping!
I am woefully unskilled at prioritizing. I am more likely to tackle little insignificances just for the sake of quickly crossing them off my list and affording myself the impression of accomplishment than I am to sit back and recognize the one big, meaty thing that should be addressed now, all else be damned. I wrote about this in a post on recognizing that pressure is a choice that so many of you (to this day) write to me about. In it, I reflected on the Eisenhower urgent/important grid and bemoaned the fact that I frequently find myself living in the land of distractions and interruptions versus making material progress against the crises and goals/planning sections. I suppose I’m the type to find herself admiring the bark on the trees without giving a thought to the forest.
Though my life and its attendant “crises,” “distractions,” and “interruptions” bear notably lower stakes than they once did now that I am self-employed and splitting my time between stay-at-home-motherhood, writing, the admin aspects of running this blog, and some philanthropic work I am leading (and I deeply recognize the privilege and freedom of this arrangement), I still find myself grappling with structuring my days effectively and ending them with a sense of attainment. Recently, and this could be in part because of the imminence of my son’s birth and the attendant flurry of activity I’ve been navigating, I feel as if I am shutting down at the end of the day mid-stream, mid-thought — petering out instead of closing up shop with purpose.
A few days ago, I told my mother I was exhausted.
“Well, what did you do today?”
I recounted what felt like a pedestrian day balancing motherhood, writing, running our household, and various “extra-curriculars.”
“Jennifer, you’re eight months pregnant. One big thing per day.”
A few days later, Mr. Magpie and I got off a call for a committee that we both serve on in the area of domestic violence. I was excited about a project I’d presented. He nodded encouragingly, but then paused and said, gently, “It sounds great. But it also sounds like a lot of work. I think you need to be realistic about balancing this with everything else — remember that you are running a business and expecting our son, who is two months away.”
His observation caught me off guard. I’d not given a fleeting thought to the calculus of fitting such a commitment into my schedule. His caution reminded me of my mother’s “just one big thing” exhortation.
The next morning, I tried something new: as I scanned my to-dos for the coming week, I highlighted the one thing I felt I had to accomplish each day of the week. (My method for organization is to use a daily agenda similar to this one so that I can organize to-do lists against a calendar. This way, I find I never “drop the ball” on following up on an email, checking the status of a refund, mailing our rent, sending a birthday card, etc. — they’re all neatly lined up as to-dos on the appropriate day of the month.) Then I zoomed out and wrote across the top of each week my principal goal for this week and the next, and even added a reminder to run through the same drill in two week’s time. The exercise was enlightening. I realized how bogged down and distracted I can become focusing on little things that will not help me make any headway on higher priority items. I began deferring and even flat-out crossing off agenda items that I knew would deter me, or that simply did not matter in relation to my priorities.
And so, my outlook at the moment centers around the “one thing per day” principle. If nothing else gets done, what one thing matters? On my days with mini, I am trying to clear my plate so that I can focus squarely on her and a shared activity together. But just one. She doesn’t need a playdate, and a class, and a lunch out, and a trip to the playground, and twenty-three errands. One thing. (Where possible.) On my writing days, I outline the one post I really want to make headway on. And then I cordon off days where I can stack the “other things” — phone calls, doctor’s appointments for mini and myself, errands, and so forth — and force myself to realize that I will not be able to accomplish much that is meaty in the categories of writing or motherhood on those days.
As I designed my days, I found myself thinking back on running a technology business with my husband and, before that, running two non-profits, and realized that isolating “one thing” would have been aggressively challenging for me in those times, in part because I know I would have felt that I never had the luxury of attending to “just one thing.” Leading a start-up in the tech sector with so many people to “report to” — investors, customers, employees, a co-founder — felt like a daily roller coaster ride: every morning, I could feel myself ticking up towards the crest of a hill, and then I’d briefly get a view of the theme park before WHOOSH, the day disappeared underneath me, and all I could do was hang on and go-go-go. I’d end the day exhilarated and terrified and exhausted.
Nowadays, as I mentioned earlier, the stakes are lower. No one is going to die if I don’t get that post done, or decide not to take mini to the zoo, or reschedule a phone call, and the ripples of my decision-making affect a far smaller pool of people anyway. I know this on a conceptual level, but I still find that I hold myself to the same standards of rigor, and I feel commensurate guilt if I’m not able to complete everything I set out to do. I feel I owe my readers consistency and quality, and I owe my daughter rich educational experiences and undivided attention, and I owe my family organization, stability, and cleanliness. Achieving these outcomes are just as important to me on an emotional level as any of my goals were when I was in the working world.
And so I realize that I could have prioritized just one thing back then, too. Of course, unnecessary or unimportant phone calls and emails and fire drills could not have been avoided at all times, especially given that I was balancing the wants and needs of a broader range of daily participants. (Sometimes, you need to drop everything and have a heart-to-heart with an adrift employee or a frustrated benefactor/investor or a disgruntled customer.) But if I had more effectively taken the time to reflect on theone thing that would make a difference if achieved on any given day, I am convinced I would have felt more strongly aligned with my goals and more accomplished at the close of each day.
Then as now, this is true.
Give it a try — what one big thing is on your list today? Tomorrow? Does this didacticism help?
Post-Script: The Diaper Bag Reboot and Essentials.
One afternoon earlier this week, my “one thing” was reorganizing and re-stocking my diaper bag and the various other “children’s bags” I have stowed around the apartment as a part of my mission to order myself and my world in anticipation of micro’s entry into it.
I started by re-visiting my diaper bag post from June 2017 and found that not much has changed in two years; I updated many of the links to point to the right products/updated versions in case you care to check it out, but found that I’ll still be toting around more or less the same items this go around. The additions I’ve made thanks to my efforts earlier this week:
+A separate wet/dry bag for micro, which I ordered and had monogrammed with his initials (!!!). I plan to carry around a wet/dry bag for each child with a back-up pair of clothes — especially now that toileting with mini is a consideration and accidents are bound to happen. (I’ve already selected a Kissy Kissy footie backup for micro in his wet/dry bag. Can you tell I’m chomping at the bit? Side note: Neiman’s is currently offering 25% off most full-price items on their site, so this precious salty dog print Kissy Kissy footie had to be micro’s!)
+A new nursing cover. Debating between this style and this one at the moment — I added both to my list of “things to buy in my big baby purchase next month” but need to figure out which is a better fit for me. (Please weigh in!)
+A spare pair of socks and booties. I feel like socks are always going missing — you turn around and one has somehow disappeared somewhere between 63rd and 70th on Columbus Ave. And booties, for peace of mind. I remember a nurse telling us that new parents tend to overdress their newborns — that they don’t actually need to be so bundled all the time. So I peeled off a layer. Then I got home and my mother said, urgently, “Do you think she’s dressed warmly enough?” Ha! I tend towards my mother’s end of the spectrum and prefer to have an extra layer on hand, booties included.
+Munchkin Diaper Trash Bags. I think I’ll probably carry these around for the rest of my life. They have saved me in countless circumstances.
+Weleda Diaper Rash Cream. This is my absolute favorite, and I tried at least half a dozen. This works.
+Herban Essentials Towelettes. I love that these come individually wrapped. I use them heavily when traveling (tray tables and arm rests are filthy!) but have also on occasion found them handy while in restaurants, cabs, and even in the rare occasions when I put mini in a shopping cart (those opportunities essentially don’t exist in New York).
+Solly Baby Wrap. I am so, so excited to give this a try after so many mothers raved about it. Also convenient: it’s super compact and therefore realistic to tote around on the go.
+The toddler-appropriate must-haves I outlined in this post.
+Faux Goyard Pouch. I bought one of these to stow my miscellaneous belongings — my Kindle, a snack or two, my sunglasses case, etc. My bag is the fabric equivalent of a Russian nesting doll. Open it up and find 4309848 mini bags inside. But this approach keeps me so organized and means I can always find what I need within nanoseconds.
I am still using my Goyard St. Louis as my diaper bag most of the time — but, thanks to my trillion and ten pouches, can easily migrate the diaper bag into my beloved MZ Wallace Backpack when I need to go hands-free. I would also strongly advocate for an MZ Wallace Metro tote if you’re looking for great option for a diaper-bag-that-doesn’t-look-like-a-diaper-bag.
Separately, I have two of the extra-large size of the Land’s End boat bags — one monogrammed with mini’s initials and one with micro’s. These are so handy for so many reasons, and I especially love them for road trips since everything is easy to access without any zippers or clasps, but right now, I’m using micro’s to stow the gear that is his and his alone (carriers, a limited number of toys and stuffies, pacifiers, etc) before we need it strewn about the apartment. I also have a medium-sized L.L. Bean bag with mini’s initials on it that the nanny uses when she takes her out — it’s stocked with things like a change of clothes, a second OXO wipes dispenser, sanitizer, snacks. I am contemplating buying the same thing for micro, but am currently distracted by this Parker Thatch tote as an alternative. How cool would it look with his name emblazoned on the side?! Then again, it doesn’t stand up on its own…decisions, decisions.
P.P.S. I found myself going down a rabbit hole re-reading my posts before and just after mini’s birth and lingering with special tenderness over the beautiful and helpful comments from so many readers. I love all the words of encouragement here and here.
By: Jen Shoop
Q: I am looking for flats, preferably under $100, that are interesting but still the “traditional” flat, i.e. no slingback, no slides/mules, etc. Preferably no bows either. Searching for these seem to be like searching for a unicorn lately.
A: I hear you! Slides, bows, and other embellishments are so in vogue right now. My first thoughts were:
+Margaux’s classic ballet flats (seen above) — people rave about the quality and comfort of these shoes. They are significantly pricier than you mentioned, but you can get 10% off your first purchase by signing up for emails. Their demis are less expensive, but they do have a bow, so I’m not sure if that’s a dealbreaker for you.
+Loeffler Randalls. I have always had really great experiences with LR and you can often find past-season styles on Amazon for a song. I own these and these exact styles in different colorways and wear them heavily — and have done so for countless seasons. Incidentally, I feel so passionately about their styles that I updated my Best of Everything: Clothing Basics post to include them, which led me to add a bunch of new items to that roundup. Check it out for more wardrobe must-haves.
+Sam Edelman’s Sally Flats. I love these in the on-trend optic white, which would look incredible with anything from light-wash denim and a floaty blouse to a tailored shirtdress for work.
+J. Crew’s Pointed Toe Flats. Traditional styling, and come in a range of great colors. J. Crew is always running promotions so I’d wait and pounce until they issue their next one.
+Rothy’s. Again, people go insane over these, especially from a comfort standpoint — I have been eyeing a pair of their loafer styles forever. I think you can get a discount by signing up for emails.
+These scalloped flats in the neutral suede color would look lovely with just about anything. Reminiscent of Chloe.
Q: My daughter is being baptized in May, and I have no idea what to wear! I want to look appropriate but fashionable.
A: I hear you! My first thought was a pretty white spring dress. That’s the route I went at mini’s Baptism, and I wore something like this. Elegant, timeless, and looks beautiful in pictures with your daughter in her own (likely white) baptismal gown. (I wore this dramatic dress in white to my son’s baby shower two weeks ago that I’d also consider — very forgiving for a pregnant or post-partum figure! Not sure how comfortable you’d be with that dramatic bow in a Church setting, but just throwing it out there.) If you’d prefer to avoid white, something like this elegant Milly (love the cape sleeves and that pink-orchid color), this feminine RedValentino, or this affordable lace pretty (which I’d wear with a J. Crew cardigan in a similar color — i.e., pink on pink / lavender on lavender). For something refined and more on the conservative side, try this $59 shirtdress (so elegant) or this polka-dotted stunner ($100). For a splurge: anything by Saloni, but I am in love with this floral and this white eyelet stunner. All of their dresses are terribly elegant and sophisticated — and elongating!
Q: I need new couch throw pillows but I don’t know where to go to find affordable ones or how to pick a scheme. Our curtains are gray with darker gray embroidery and our rug is navy and white… I don’t want too matchy-matchy but I do what them to go.
A: Ooh, I love this challenge because you have some great, grounding dark colors and classic styles that are just waiting for a pop of color and print. My suggestion would be to start by browsing a few pillow sites and looking for a bold pattern you love that incorporates one or both of the shades you mentioned (gray and blue) but that preferably introduces a new (bright!) color as well. Some of my favorite pillow sources are Caitlin Wilson, Aurelia6311, and Whitlock & Co. Spend some time looking through their prints and see what stands out to you. Based on what you described, I could see myself being drawn to this dragon print, this artful floral, this elegant Schumacher, this funky toile, or this chic chinoiserie. I would order two pillow covers in the print of your choice and then supplement with a few solid-colored throws — don’t be afraid of picking a pillow in a unique texture or in one of the contrasting colors in your print, though! For example, if you went with the funky toile, maybe pick up on the yellow in that print with two of these in the yellow stone color. Or if you went with the dragon print, try a slightly different shade of blue in the form of this. Or this in the soft pink color if you went with the chinoiserie. In short: use the printed pillow to bring several of the colors you’re using elsewhere together in one place, and then supplement with a contrasting color.
Also: make sure to buy your pillow inserts 2″ UP from the size of the pillow cover. So if you buy a 24″ x 24″ pillow cover, buy a 26″ x 26″ insert. I didn’t understand why my pillows always looked sad and deflated until an interior designer taught me this trick — it’s the only way to achieve that full, stylish look you want.
Q: I saw in an Instastory that you had some sort of cube charging station on your bedside table. What was it?! I need to organize the tangle of cords on my bedside table.
A: Yes! I use this one. I was so tired of having a tangle of cords threading over my bedside table. Now I plug my Kindle cord, my iPhone charging cord, and my daughter’s monitor in here, using these velcro cable ties to “abridge” the length of the cords and keep them in check — and still have multiple spare outlets for when I need to also charge my laptop, my iPad, or the iron (I often iron in my bedroom). I love the cube design because it can fit so many outlets in one small space that can sit on my bedside table, discreetly, versus having a long strip outlet dangling down the side of my bed. It also means I don’t need to constantly fish behind my bedside table for the outlet strip; it’s always in easy reach. My only gripe with it is that it’s not heavy on its own so you need to kind of balance which outlets you’re using or it is likely to topple over. Still, a huge improvement.
Q: Where have you been buying all of your son’s baby clothes? I’m expecting a boy as well and looking for good sources for traditional clothing.
A: I’ve had a lot of questions about this ever since sharing some of the items I purchased for his layette in a series of Instastories. I bought a lot of “nicer” pieces from Lou Lou’s Baby Boutique earlier this year — I love it for traditional styles like Peter Pan collar onesies, gingham rompers, and knitted sets. I also picked up a few pieces from Jacadi (I’m especially drawn to their rompers and overalls) and Florence Eiseman jon jons for summer. For everyday wear, I anticipate micro will be wearing a lot of Kissy Kissy footies, 1212 onesies (the softest EVER), Polarn O. Pyret pants, and sleepers/footies from Livly, a newer-to-me label that I am smitten with (and many pieces are on sale here)! All of their pieces come in the softest pima cotton with the cutest prints. Finally, I did buy a couple of special pieces from Spanish label Nanos (including several pieces from this look — OMG) and Ralph Lauren (including a quilted field coat like his dad’s).
Q: Can you share some hostess gift ideas? A friend graciously offered up her London flat for me to stay in for a week and I have no idea how to thank her. I could always go with a case of champagne…
A: My first thought was a super-elegant gift for her home, like a St. Frank Textile throw or monogrammed throw from The Loveliest Company (<<they have THE MOST STUNNING monograms), one of these pomegranates in terracotta (it’s scented and can be used to perfume a closet or bathroom), or a Molton Brown gift set. If those feel a bit impersonal, you might also consider a chic pair of pajamas or a Slip eye mask (or both!). Finally — and this might be tricky given that you’ll be abroad in London — I always love to give food gifts, something like a shipment of really good coffee from your favorite roaster or a box of baked goods from a great bakery, like Levain here in Manhattan or Miette out in SF. If that’s too tricky to import/ship, maybe a “hamper” from the storied Fortnum & Mason (based in London)?
Q: Would love to hear more on how you are building out your sons wardrobe for the first 3-6 months? I know you said you want to focus on soft, comfortable items for when he is really little, and I feel the same way! Would love to know where you turn for “basics” like sleepers, onesies for the daytime, etc when you don’t want to spend a ton but also want quality for his fresh newborn-ness 🙂
A: I shared some of my favorite finds for micro’s layette above, but wanted to specifically respond to this question from the standpoint of “affordable basics,” since I recognize that I can be a little spend-y with children’s clothing. I love trolling Amazon for price breaks on Kissy Kissy (like their footies — which are usually $10 cheaper than you’ll find them at Saks/Bloomie’s/Nordie’s/etc.) and Polarn O. Pyret. Both of these brands are incredibly soft and well-made and come in great prints and colors. I have also found some great basics at Primary; I especially love their leggings, long-sleeved tees, and socks. Really great, non-frou-frou, unbranded essentials to stock up on. For affordable jammies, check out Burts Bees. They come in super cute prints and I’ve bought the rugby stripe ones for mini in a couple of sizes. Finally, and unsurprisingly, Gap is my go-to source for reasonably-priced what-to-wear-at-home stuff, like these striped onesies and these white bodysuits, and they’re constantly running promotions! I remember ordering a bunch of pieces from my hospital bed in Gap’s “up to 7 lb” size (i.e., preemie size) for mini when she dropped to six pounds shortly after she was born — and also a number of pieces from Boden’s sale section, which also carries itty bitty sizes (their size newborn runs really small — I remember I ordered a box set of their onesies on sale). I love this onesie, this rainsuit, and these overalls. Also: don’t forget about gift sets, which can often be a really good value, even if you’re only buying for yourself. This $80 gift set includes a blanket, bib, hat and four onesies! Finally, every baby boy needs some Osh Kosh in his life.
Q: I’m looking for a dress to wear to a cousin’s London wedding in late May. The specs: 4:30 pm, Kew Gardens, mostly Brits in attendance. I have a curvy, hourglass build and tend to look best in structured pieces and rich colors. Whaddayagot?
A: Sounds like an elegant affair! The time of day and the fact that it’s in London take some mental configuring. I generally feel that any wedding after 3 PM is suitable for proper evening attire (including full-length gowns), as you’ll be dancing into the twilight hours, but you may get a different vibe depending on invitations and what you are able to glean from the bride and her bridal party’s attire. My first thought was to look at Saloni, though they are investment pieces. I feel like a broken record here, but their pieces are stunning and elegant and tend to live in this territory between cocktail attire and whatever’s just beyond. This is unreal and I feel like a curvy, hourglass build would be lovely in it. This slightly less va-va-voom style is conservatively sexy, too, and in such a great color. I think it also straddles the line between daytime-appropriate and evening-appropriate with aplomb.
I would also take a look at Shoshanna — she tends to feature elegant, structured pieces that might look at home at this event. I love this pretty midi-length dress, though not sure how comfortable you’d feel in a pastel, and this black-and-white one, too. In a similar vein: this affordable lace dress, which comes in a rainbow of colors.
This Shona Joy dress features a nipped waist but is not necessarily “structured” in the way you’re looking for — but it stands out to me as a possibility, especially in that fire engine red, or maybe the forest green.
Finally: this is a front-runner I’ve been recommending to so many readers for summer weddings. IT IS TO DIE FOR. The color is so unusual and elegant, the sleeves and nipped waist so dramatic. Love.
Q: I am looking for a bridesmaid dress for a friends October wedding in Boston. The requirements are full or midi length, solid navy, and on the formal side. I will be 3 months post-partum so am looking for something “forgiving.” Not super focused on nursing-friendly, as I tend to like myself better in fuller coverage up top and figure I will just make it work for the evening.
A: Pretty! The first dress that jumped out at me was this Mikael Aghal, though not sure how you’ll like the neckline. This one is a bit more conservative up top and may be comfortable for you — and I think it’s equally elegant. This is in a similar vein, but costs a lot less. I think the cut would be very forgiving!
Q: My husband needs shoes for inclement weather, but doesn’t like the look of a Wellie. Recs?
A: The classic would be the L.L. Bean “Bean Boot.” The moc is convenient and easy to slip on, though I personally slightly prefer the style of this slightly higher-shafted variation. I also love these Hunter Chelsea boots — they are like a cropped wellie. Hunter is THE rain boot brand. I had my pair for like 15 years and they’re just now giving in. I like these in the olive green or maybe the red??? There’s also the Sperry Chukka boot — though I’m not sure how your husband would feel about having to lace-up. We’re big Sperry fans in this house, though. Blundstone and Muck Boots also get really good reviews (read them!) but I’m not as smitten with the look of either style as I am with the ones above — however, I do concede that men have different…priorities.
+In the market for a nursing cover — any rave reviews?! I’m torn between this style, which can be repurposed in a number of different capacities, and this one, which is mildly horrifying in its apron-like-ness. I have a gut feeling I’ll prefer the latter from a functionality standpoint (and I anticipate principally using it at home anyway, when we have guests), but the former is so much more attractive. I had a similar one to the former with mini and always felt like I was suffocating in it, but maybe this one is a better design? Ah, help!
