The Master Mom Blog

"You can have anything you want in life if you dress for it."

-Edith Head

My clients not only believe in that quote, they live it! In an attempt to really hammer home the point to my dear readers that Moms need to take care of themselves on the outside to feel like them on the inside, this week I'm gathering my four most popular "Mom-centric" blogs into one place for your reference. 

We have the blog that started it all, the week Max was born. I followed that one up 5 months later with a blog telling my readers what to buy when they were still in between sizes, and then one on what to do with all of the clothes that didn't fit. A year post-baby, I gave you my 7 Lessons Learned in My First Year as a Mom.

In other news, I was thrilled to learn this week that Washingtonian Magazine is adding a Mom-focused magazine to its arsenal, edited by none other than Kate Bennett, the most fashionable mom/fashion editor in DC. A lot of people in DC, men and women, seem to need a reminder every once in a while that not only is it OK to look good, but it's OK to look REALLY GOOD. It's even OK to look REALLY GOOD on an everyday basis, not just special occasions!

For your entertainment I'll finish this up with a true fashion stylist confession, and then a really cute picture of Max to distract you from my confession. Are you ready? "I too drop my child off at daycare in the morning in my pajamas." But! I add a really cute coat on top like a brightly colored trench or my studded green Army jacket to pick things up a level. Now that it is summer and a cute coat doesn't work when it is 95 degrees, I'll just have to make my husband drop him off so I don't have to get dressed that early.

RLS Update!

This week I thought I would let you know what exciting things we have been working on here at Real Life Style. I'm almost done catching up after taking 2 weeks off for a Thailand adventure. Didn't you wonder why I was strangely silent during the Oscars? For the record, my favorite outfit was Jessica Chastain in Giorgio Armani.

This spring I will start giving a new Personal Style Workshop, beginning with my fave Cleveland Park Moms & Babies group. The babies will be staying home for this one. I designed the workshop after I met a pediatrician/mother of two-year old twins on an airplane who told me that she didn't have time to have personal style. That broke my little fashion/mommy heart! So if you or your friends need help finding your personal style, contact me! 

Last week I gave a presentation on Aging Gracefully with Style for a fabulous group of women in support of the Brandeis National Committee. Women over 50 have specific fashion needs and questions which I was thrilled to address. Thanks again for having me ladies! 

Exciting news for those of you who are having trouble getting onto my schedule in DC or New York. Real Life Style is expanding by taking on two new fabulous stylists, one in each city! But don't worry if you don't live in NYC or DC, we all travel! I will be officially introducing these wonderful women to you in the next few weeks. I will also be freshening up my website, which has been pretty neglected since I had my son 14 months ago. He has just started walking which means I have neglected it long enough! 

Looking forward to sharing more spring fashion with you soon!

 

A New Year, A Chance for a New You (And Me)

I hope everyone had a great holiday week! You might have noticed that I did not post a blog last week. Usually, I pretend not to work when I leave town. This time, I kept my resolve and really didn't except for some emergency FedEx mishaps that needed to be dealt with. Instead, I enjoyed the last week of Max's first year with us and spent quality time with family. Sorry to all of the friends I did not call!

I'm not usually a New Year's resolution list kind of girl, but I was inspired by the lessons I've learned this last year, my first as a Mom. My first blog of 2012 questioned whether or not I would be able to practice what I'd been preaching to my Mom clients for years, not to forget to take care of themselves along the way. So before the resolutions for this year come the lessons learned from this past one.

7 Lessons Learned (In my first year as a Mom)

1. I now know it is ludicrous to tell my Mom clients to put themselves first. Instead, I work with them to make beauty and style (a big frustration for those with no time or sleep!) easy peasy!
2. Prioritize your sanity over the environment for the first few years. Don't take 10 months to be okay with paper plates, as I did. You were right, Mom!
3. If the takeout is good enough, no one cares if you didn't cook. Especially if you add a salad with homemade dressing and an exotic ingredient, such as pomegranate seeds. Luckily, I live across the street from 2 Amy's, the best Neapolitan pizza in DC!
4. Being able to walk out the door with wet hair and still look like you spent half an hour blow drying it is priceless. Spend the time and money on Keratin treatments and a good haircut. 
5. Keep shopping. Don't decide you'll buy new clothes "when you've lost the weight." Buy a new top that fits and makes you feel cute once a month as your size continually changes. It could cost $15 at H&M but inspires you to schedule a much needed night out. 
6. Don't forget about your husband! Ok, easier said than done, but a subscription to a theatre series ensures that we have a date night at least once in a while and exercise our baby brains with a little culture. 
7. Putting on concealer actually makes me feel less tired. Bright lipstick adds another hour of sleep to your face. See my beauty obsessions blog here.

Now for the Resolutions...

A New Year's Resolution List (Suggested)

1. Get a pedicure and a massage at least once a quarter. See my new favorite polish! Like Ruby Slippers for your toes...

Essie Leading Lady $8

2. Remember that I deserve the above

3. Keep spending a lot of money on my hair

4. No yoga pants unless I'm actually doing yoga

5. Do more yoga. Looking for cute yoga pants? See blog on what every girl in yoga class is wearing.

Lululemon Groove Pant New $98 

6. Spend money on important things (like the world's most expensive 1st birthday cake!)

7. Spend less money at Whole Foods by going to Trader Joe's instead

8. Accept all invitations for fun activities, regardless of how tired I am or how much work I have

9. Wear more red lipstick. Tom Ford lipstick is perfection!

Tom Ford Jasmine Rouge $48

10. Last but not least: Be grateful every minute for my beautiful family and the ability to live a life doing what I love, empowering women to feel good about themselves through fashion and style

And a bonus resolution: 

Be kind to yourself when you deviate from your list!