Tuesday 4 August 2015

Late MicroBlog: I don't leave home without it

I missed MicroBlog Mondays, but for a good reason at least: we went Saskatoon berry picking. It was a very hot day so we didn't stay out long, but AJ seemed to like it well enough. We took her stroller and when we found a good patch we just put her on the ground to look around and play with grass.

Our outing yesterday made me think of things I don't use anymore and things I don't leave home without. Before having a baby I'd accumulated various collections of girly things. A lot of them are collecting dust or abandoned in boxes these days.

Purse collection: Unless it's a special occasion (e.g. wedding) I can't be bothered to coordinate my bag with my outfit. Actually can't imagine anymore why I ever wanted to do this in the first place.

Heeled shoes. Never wore them much anyway, but now almost never. Falling during pregnancy put me off heels, even low ones.

Dresses. Most of them, even the ones that fit, don't work with breastfeeding. So until AJ is weaned and/or I'm back at work, no dresses.

On the other hand?

Scarves. Scarves are the best. Some of the things I use scarves for:


  • Tie my water bottle around my waist when out walking.
  • Sun protection for AJ on a hot day
  • Throw it down on the ground to sit
  • Wear it if the weather gets chilly
But the best reason to have one around is that AJ loves to play with them, especially if they have fringe. If she's at the point where she's had enough of everything, but we are not quite home and need to hold out a little longer, I just hand her a scarf and she's happy for several minutes. It's awesome.

I don't leave home without it!

10 comments:

  1. It's crazy that a lot of my list is similar, though I rely a LOT more on dresses now that the Beats are here than before. Granted breastfeeding did make that hard but now they are weaned a dress is a lot faster to get into than my other clothes.

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    1. Yes, I can see how speed matters with mobile babies! :-) I am on the lookout for comfortable casual dresses preferably with front closure, but haven't found much yet.

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  2. I can relate so much to this, and it's funny how such small details can seem such a common experience! (My aha! moment came while we were on holiday. One of my holiday indulgences for sitting on the beach used to be trashy mags, of which I bought several for our recent trip. Amazingly, it somehow hadn't occured to me that this year I'd be spending the beach time not lazing around on a towel but chasing after a little girl fascinated by the waves on the lake! The realization somehow really underscored my changed status :) Other things, I am more ambivalent about as far as changes...on the one hand, I am resistant to becoming 'that' mom - you know, the stereotypical one who has a baby, cuts all her hair off, and starts wearing shapeless looking clothes that disguise food stains well? I've never been girly and don't really do heels, makeup etc, but I always had fun, pre-baby, choosing what to wear. Insofar as my slightly wacky dress sense is a part of my public identity, I don't want to lose that part of myself 'just' because I've become a mom. On the other hand, as you so suiccinctly put it, who really cares? Likie, really? And yes, some of these things seem downright silly now. Having a baby has definitely made me a much better, more acutely aware feminist, which is an awesome and unexpected gift.

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    1. Ha, I love the magazine story. Little moments like that do bring into focus how things have changed. A slightly wacky dress sense sounds awesome and quite compatible with motherhood. I have also tried to keep my sense of style, though everything has to work with the realities of my day, which doesn't involve sitting around looking glamourous. I like to think I am usually put together although standards may differ :-D I rely on little details: e.g. a bit of colour coordination, some relatively indestructible jewelry (or a nice scarf), and no more than one piece of loose or sloppy clothing hahaha. But nothing that will slow me down getting out the door because it takes so long already. For me feminism is about knowing what matters and not letting the stuff that doesn't ruin my quality of life.

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  3. ha I'm sure things change so much!!! All for the better though :)

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    1. yes, indeed. Things change but I find I see things in a whole new way, and so the changes themselves don't matter that much, although sometimes it does come home to me.

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  4. Paloma loves scarves too. I wore a dress today at my first day back at work and it felt good. Hoop earrings too!

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    1. Oooh, dress and hoop earrings! decadent :-D

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  5. I was helping my bestie prep for a dust date tonight and realized I have no cute little clutch to send her with. All my bags are in storage because all I carry is a diaper bag with my wallet in it! Love the scarf ideas. Maybe I should cultivate a scarf habit ;)

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    1. Yup, with all the baby gear to haul around who wants an extra bag? I consider myself low-maintenance but I still had to cut back on personal futzy things. Scarves are so fun.

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