Moving Fashion Forward

One thing I have always wanted to do is to write a blog about fashion.  While I don't profess to be an expert, I have always had an interest in different styles, fits, and the more artistic sides of styling and designing.  When I became a mom I was more than a little confused about what kind of clothes I was supposed to wear being a mother and wife while still being young and hoping to look good.

Having figured out a bit of the retail side through outside and inside exposure I have been wanting to share tips on sales, different retailers pros and cons, and ultimately what kind of clothes are age-appropriate while still being functional for moms.  This new blog will be a bit of my fashion journal on what I am wearing, loving, and suggestions on how to look great without sacrificing all your money and comfort.  It is also a forum where anyone is welcome to ask for advice on certain topics, or how they could style and wear clothes they already have.  While it is aimed at moms it can also apply to women who are hoping to dress a bit more conservatively  for whatever reason, (and are over the mini skirt and tank top phenomenon!).

It a bit strange to announce a "launch", but I am looking forward to completing a bit more then opening the site up early next week!

http://whatmodernmomswear.blogspot.com

Some upcoming posts:
Mom jeans
Easy Outfit Updates
Seasonal Sales
Great Finds
Retailer Reviews

Primary Program

Last Sunday was our ward's primary program, where the little kids sit on the stand and sing songs and have speaking parts.

I had been helping Nicholas with his line, "I can be together with my family forever" for the last few weeks and he has never had a problem with stage fright or remembering his parts.

When it came to his class' turn, his teacher had taken a microphone and was asking the kids the questions they were to answer.  Nicholas said his part without a hitch.  The girl next to him had clammed up, and the teacher waited patiently for her answer.  The second time, the teacher asked again, "Where do we come from?"  and Nicholas piped in, standing in front of the mic.

"I'm from L.A.!"

Total highlight of the program....

(p.s. L.A. friends who remember the "choo choo!" incident are probably not surprised :) )

If No News is Good News...

Here's the good news and the bad news. Which do you want first?

I'm a bad news first kind of person...

Bad news: Jared is going to be working and living somewhere without us :( . Big bummer is that the project lasts only 2 months so its not worth it to move with him until we're sure that it turns into a permanent position. Aaaand we have to figure out where in the heck the poor guy will live for 2 months!

Good news: Jared has another project lined up, and this time its in LA! Yay! We are looking forward to going to see him and visit all our favorite places. One perk of being away from Jared is that he will be super busy with work so he will have plenty of time to focus. Also, he is not too far, so we will be able to visit relatively easy on weekends. Its going to be a crazy time but the job is good and we're hoping the future prospects are even better. He starts at the beginning of next month so I will spent the next few weeks trying to get sick of him.

Did I mention I'm starting my Anthro job soon too?

Playing "Real life"

Considering we have no idea how long we will be living up here in Nor Cal it has been a little tricky figuring out how to get back into normal life again. I debated about what to do with Nicholas for preschool, whether or not to enroll him somewhere, and whether we should start getting to know new friends and setting down some roots.

I was feeling a little sorry for myself (ok, maybe a lot), and determined I wasn't going to make any new friends- which is not a usual thing for me to determine. Thankfully, one day at the park I happened to run into a group of moms from one of the neighboring LDS wards. I met some very friendly girls and kids who have been so nice to include us in their activities.

Our favorite little outing was to Fairyland in Oakland. I was wondering if it would dwarf in comparison to our extensive love and experience with Disneyland, but I was wrong. It was so cute and the boys had a great time. I am hoping we can go back again. The concept of the park revolved around Fairy tales, and while the park was a bit "vintage", I found it to be totally charming.

Second decision made was to go ahead and put Nicholas in preschool. I had researched several but was concerned coming in late that we wouldn't be able to get him a spot. Again someone was watching out for us, and my first choice school for him happened to have one more opening and was very accommodating with us coming in last minute. They have been absolutely wonderful and his teachers are the sweetest women I have ever met. He loves it, and has even been lucky to have a boy we met from the park before in his class!

Another blessing has been being able to see my family that I love. In addition to seeing Jared's family, my aunt Emily and her family live just a bit away and we were able to see them and hug those adorable cousins of mine. We left them feeling so much gratitude for their great examples and love for the wonderful people they are.

Lastly, I have been focusing on improving our relationships as a family. My goal has always been to foster nothing but love and friendship between the two boys, and it is not often easy. They are great with each other but we keep working on it. We have started some fun new traditions and activities with them that make our weeks more exciting, like weekly pizza parties, sleepovers, and frozen yogurt dates. Its so funny how the boys have been sharing a room since they can remember but somehow calling it a "sleepover" and putting their beds together brings them so much renewed excitement.

I am hoping that our approach of jumping in with both feet will be as successful here as it was for us in LA, and that we can enjoy all the experience and location have to offer. I am very glad the boys are as eager to explore and have adventures as I am!