We Love the Local List- San Jose and the Bay Area

This is a new blog series where we can each sing the praises of our favorite local shops, brands, and restaurants. 



Supporting local businesses does even more than supporting small business owners (though that is great too). It keeps your money local to you (not off wherever the Waltons are vacationing), creates more jobs for your friends and family, and even helps the environment. 



Why is shopping local good for the environment? We talk a lot about commutes and how much fuel people use to travel, and the same applies to your stuff. The further your stuff has to travel, the more fossil fuels they use and energy they waste. Large companies and chains pretty consistently show less responsibility and concern for the environment and the communities they are in, so you can effect positive change locally and decrease your environmental impact just by shopping and eating local! 




 This blog intends to encourage us to get out and explore the businesses near where we live. See it as a fun challenge to see what you can support nearby and be surprised what amazingness you may have missed. You can also check out other lists to find the coolest places to go when you travel to new places!  





Mandy Chronert is one of the few people I knew while living in the Bay Area that actually grew up there. But she is the Bay Area, born and raised, and it's no surprise that she knows all about the gems around San Jose. When I moved there, I was blown away but just how many businesses were there, and it could be hard to see past the Targets and shopping malls to all of the amazing local businesses that also hide out in the area. I learned, and especially miss some local restaurants, but we are still lucky that Mandy can point you to some real gems! Take it away Ms. Chronert-




My Bay Area Local Love List:




1. SJMADE (http://www.sanjosemade.com/) – what a cool way to see local products and ideas at festivals and outside of Whole Foods on the Alameda. I've seen everything from natural beauty products, jewelry, clothing for local sports teams, coffee, and all the tasty treats (macaroons, biscotti, cupcakes) you can imagine! I follow them on Instagram to figure out when and where I can find new local things, which when I type that out it sounds ridiculous, but it is the best way to follow these small businesses in the bay area. 




2. Therapy (http://www.shopattherapy.com/) – clothing store with multiple Bay Area locations. It's comparable to Anthropologie, but with local products. Shopping or even just browsing is definitely my preferred mode of retail therapy. 



Thoughts from B- Yes, this store is awesome. We spent many a night walking through and lusting over house stuff in there. 




3. San Pedro Square Market (http://www.sanpedrosquaremarket.com/) – cool multi-use space that offers little pockets of food, beverages, entertainment, and shopping. 



4. San Jose Municipal Stadium (http://www.milb.com/index.jsp?sid=t476) – home of the minor league San Jose Giants baseball team. This is one of the best affordable activities to do in San Jose. There are frequently free tickets to the baseball games that you can pick up at local grocery stores (cost of an average ticket is $10.00 normally). It's such a quintessential San Jose activity that I have enjoyed since I was a small child. I still go to games whenever I can and my best friend even got married on home plate during the off-season last spring. The food and souvenirs are all local favorites (you definitely have to try the churros).



B Thoughts- Uh, this is an awesome suggestion. It would never occur to me to think about local sports stadiums as a place to celebrate regional food and such, but it's genius. 




Thank you Mandy! Have other stores, restaurants, or brands that you love local to the Bay Area? Write me a list! I know there are plenty. 





Want to write your own Loving the Local List? You fill my heart with joy! Just send me a list of your five to ten favorite local brands and stores (it doesn't have to be just around the street- a State specific snack or small chain of restaurants works just fine). Write a few sentences on why you love each thing (and I love pictures if you have them) and send them to sunshineguerrilla@gmail.com.







Would you like to buy more environmentally responsible or Made in America products? I've got you covered! Check out my Mega List of Shopping Lists for tons of ideas for any shopping trip.

Read more

We Love the Local List- Murfreesboro, TN

This is a new blog series where we can each sing the praises of our favorite local shops, brands, and restaurants. 

Supporting local businesses does even more than supporting small business owners (though that is great too). It keeps your money local to you (not off wherever the Waltons are vacationing), creates more jobs for your friends and family, and even helps the environment. 

Why is shopping local good for the environment? 

We talk a lot about commutes and how much fuel people use to travel, and the same applies to your stuff. The further your stuff has to travel, the more fossil fuels they use and energy they waste. Large companies and chains pretty consistently show less responsibility and concern for the environment and the communities they are in, so you can effect positive change locally and decrease your environmental impact just by shopping and eating local! 



 This blog intends to encourage us to get out and explore the businesses near where we live. See it as a fun challenge to see what you can support nearby and be surprised what amazingness you may have missed. You can also check out other lists to find the coolest places to go when you travel to new towns and cities!  






stolen egregiously off of Amy's facebook page


I am especially excited for this post, because it was written by Amy Roberts, who writes the truly gorgeous, personal, and thoughtful Meanderblog. I love her blog, in which she shows how you can have incredibly lovely style while prioritizing experience over possessions. I was so excited that she agreed to write us a post, and it was cool to see she reads this blog as well! Amy is a longtime resident of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and she has pointed to some wonderful local businesses there. This rapidly growing area has so many local gems. Thank you Amy, and take it away!

THE GREEN DRAGON PUBLIC HOUSE

www.greendragonpubtn.com

An homage to the literary works of J.R.R. Tolkien, The Green Dragon is a hidden gem in the center of town. It's a small, family-friendly hole in the wall (no, really - there's a wall with a door and a sign forbidding rings of power) right next to the train tracks, but once you step inside, the atmosphere is a perfect combo of fantastical and truly local vibes, and the friendliness flows as openly as the craft beers. Frequent visitors of the farmer's markets, much of their food is sourced from local growers and makers, resulting in some truly original, seasonal, and delicious menu items fit for lunch or dinner, especially when paired with a cold ale. And since it's conveniently located right next to a Greenway entrance, you CAN simply walk into Mord... er, the pub.

THE WREN'S NEST

www.thewrensnestvenue.com

Image courtesy of Jenny Lindsey Photography

If you're looking for an event venue, consider The Wren’s Nest. A quiet, secluded property nestled in the trees, The Wren's Nest is an exceptional outdoor or indoor venue, used mostly for weddings (like ours!). It's hallmark structure, The Maples Barn, is a vintage barn that is over 100 years old. It was relocated to its current site during the fall of 2012, and carefully restored and improved to accommodate elegant functions. Our experience there was unforgettable, as the owner Sam did everything in his power (including loaning us a table from his HOME for our cake to sit on) to make our day perfect. There's so much beauty, history, and hard work in this place, and it shows year-round.

JUST LOVE COFFEE

www.justlovecoffee.com

Before my husband introduced me to Just Love, I rarely drank coffee. If I did, it was so dirty and bitter I had to load it down with sugar, cream, and anything else I could get my hands on. Then I tried Just Love's fairly traded coffee, and it was a new awakening. So clean, smooth, and rich was this dark, hot liquid, and so carefully crafted was my experience of it, that I was genuinely hooked from the very start. They maintain personal, fair relationships with their growers from all over the world, and they were founded when the owner, Rob Webb, and his family adopted two sweet girls from Ethiopia. Their mission is to use hand-roasted coffees to help others whose passion is to “just love," and within its first year, the company was able to give back nearly $100,000. An amazing, local company that produces amazing coffee and makes measurable, positive change in the world.

LEMONGRASS

www.facebook.com/Lemongrass-Sushi-and-Thai-Restaurant-197792543577534/

Ask any of our friends and they'll probably be able to tell you our favorite sushi restaurant is Lemongrass. We've tried all the sushi there is in Murfreesboro and this place takes the lead by a long shot. We recommend ordering the "Come With Me Roll" where you let the chef get creative and design you your own unique roll. Have a seat at the bar and watch the owner work his magic!

BATEY FARMS

www.bateyfarms.com

Batey Farms is an 8th generation family owned and operated hog, row crop, and hay farm right in the middle of Murfreesboro. They provide the community with tons of seasonal fun, like strawberry picking in the spring and a corn maze in fall. They also have an On-Farm Retail Store where you can browse products from many different family farms in the area.

OUTREACH THRIFT STORE

www.outreachmurfreesboro.com

The best thrift store in town if you ask me. Not only are their prices absolutely incredible, but they are devoted to helping provide those in need with basic clothing and household items. I always walk out of here with an unexpected treasure!

DEMOS'

www.demosrestaurants.com

If you live in Murfreesboro, you've been to Demos'. The very first Demos' Restaurant was born out of Jim and Doris Demos' desire to offer exceptional food and service at affordable prices, and they succeeded. The franchise has now spread to four locations in Middle Tennessee, but their roots will always be in Murfreesboro. They offer a variety of meals for lunch and dinner and are a staple in the community.

Thank you Amy and be sure to go to Meanderblog to get inspired by her adventures!

Want to write your own Loving the Local List? You fill my heart with joy! Just send me a list of your five to ten favorite local brands and stores (it doesn't have to be just around the street- a State specific snack or small chain of restaurants works just fine). Write a few sentences on why you love each thing (and I love pictures if you have them) and send them to sunshineguerrilla@gmail.com.

Would you like to buy more environmentally responsible or Made in America products? I've got you covered! Check out my Mega List of Shopping Lists for tons of ideas for any shopping trip.

Read more

We Love the Local List- Murfreesboro, Tennessee

This is a new blog series where we can each sing the praises of our favorite local shops, brands, and restaurants. 



Supporting local businesses does even more than supporting small business owners (though that is great too). It keeps your money local to you (not off wherever the Waltons are vacationing), creates more jobs for your friends and family, and even helps the environment. 



Why is shopping local good for the environment? 



We talk a lot about commutes and how much fuel people use to travel, and the same applies to your stuff. The further your stuff has to travel, the more fossil fuels they use and energy they waste. Large companies and chains pretty consistently show less responsibility and concern for the environment and the communities they are in, so you can effect positive change locally and decrease your environmental impact just by shopping and eating local! 





 This blog intends to encourage us to get out and explore the businesses near where we live. See it as a fun challenge to see what you can support nearby and be surprised what amazingness you may have missed. You can also check out other lists to find the coolest places to go when you travel to new towns and cities!  





Rochelle is my cousin, friend for life, and one of two people I am happy to listen to their stories basically forever (side note, how beautiful does she look at the end stretch of her pregnancy?). She moved down to Tennessee permanently after her college graduation, and has spent 8 years living in the Nashville surrounding area. The whole place is gorgeous, and growing fast, so it is the perfect place to start exploring if you want to spend more of your money locally. Lots of businesses have to be bouncing up (including tiny businesses like Shelly's), but I love that Shelly points us to a couple of Nashville institutions as well. Plus, she is an amazing mom of 2 (about to be 3), so if you need some insight on where to find the best baby clothes, I would totally trust her. Take it away Rochelle!

1. The Pharmacy (Nashville) – This is our standard date night place. The burgers here are amazing and all of the meats are locally sourced. They also have awesome beer here and make their own phosphate sodas to order. Micah always orders the Farm Burger which uses locally sourced ground beef, bacon or ham, and a fried egg. I change it up, but I love the Mission City burger which has fresh pico de gallo and guacamole and crema fresca. So yum!


2. McKay’s Used Books and Music (Nashville) – this is our other date night standard. We pair it with The Pharmacy every chance we get. This place is basically a giant two-story warehouse of used books, music, movies, and video games. You can take the stuff you don’t want and sell it there and use the money to buy more of those things in the store. It’s amazing. And anything that they won’t buy they will put in free bins outside the store for people to take. We have spent a ridiculous amount of money in this store but when you can walk out with a stack of books and cds for just a few bucks a piece you feel like you won the lottery (if you are a nerd like we are).


3. Usborne Books & More (nationally) – Okay, so let’s be totally clear here, I’m a consultant with this company, so I’m already kind of in love with it. But hear me out – I love this company so much. Usborne Books & More sells books for kids ages birth through YA fiction. The basics are that the founder of the company wanted to make educationally engaging books that could compete with the media available – I think they deliver. Don’t get me wrong, my kids still love the tv, but when we need a break from television and movies I automatically pull out these books. There are nearly 2000 titles in the catalog and I’ve watched my kids fall in love with reading thanks to these books. They have lots of educational tools too and schools routinely use Usborne products in the classroom. Usborne Books & More is the American branch of the British company, but any of the books printed in black & white are printed in the United States. For the rest of the books, you can check out their ethical standards here: http://www.usborne.com/about-usborne/ethical-policies.aspx


4. KidtoKid (Murfreesboro & Nationally) – I love some consignment shopping and this is easily the best consignment store I’ve shopped in for my kids. The store is large and the clothes and gear are in great condition (often you can barely tell they were ever worn). The prices are great too. The one here in Murfreesboro even has this adorable separate door for kids to walk through. They sell a handful of new items also, including Re-play plates, bowls, cups, and cutlery. They also sell consignment maternity clothes (huzzah!) and they are current and in good shape.

Want to write your own Loving the Local List? You fill my heart with joy! Just send me a list of your five to ten favorite local brands and stores (it doesn't have to be just around the street- a State specific snack or small chain of restaurants works just fine). Write a few sentences on why you love each thing (and I love pictures if you have them) and send them to sunshineguerrilla@gmail.com.

Would you like to buy more environmentally responsible or Made in America products? I've got you covered! Check out my Mega List of Shopping Lists for tons of ideas for any shopping trip.

Read more

100 Things I Love this Week Part 3- Wedding Stuff

 

51. Jill at Shear Expressions in Franklin PA- If you need an updo for any reason and you are in Franklin, you would do yourself a big favor to go to Jill. She is so fast and she does a really beautiful job. I am so glad that we went to Shear Expressions for our wedding hair-I have been in plenty of wedding where the hair made things run behind, but they went so fast that we actually started the day ahead of schedule! It was a wedding miracle!

 

52. My whole Bridal Party's hair- I mostly just let the girls do what they wanted, and everyone looked so beautiful. I hope they felt that way too, because who likes not feeling pretty when you put the effort in? I thought they all looked gorgeous!

 

53. Princess Cupcake Charm- A Little nod to original wedding theme (Disney Princess/ Seven Deadly Sins at the FHS Track with a wheelbarrow and Celine Dion). Mostly, they fell apart or got lost, because apparently the charms weren't made to actually be used, but they still made me happy. And I got to kick mine to Shell once it fell off.

 

54. Technology- There is a lot to be said about Aunt Ann not being there, but being there for decorating, for getting ready, for the ceremony, and for the reception. Even if she just looked like a phone with a pretty cool white cover. I know it's not the same as the real thing, but it is a whole lot better than nothing, so I will be thankful for it forever and ever. 

 

55. Getting honked at by cars- it cracked me up. It will probably never happen again for a happy reason, not a mad reason, so I enjoyed it.  

  

56. Getting our picture taken on my grampa's antique firetruck- My grammy was not too excited about the idea when I asked her, but both she and my Grampa looked pretty excited about it on the day, and getting those pictures there will mean more to me than pictures at some random place that is just photogenic. I am lucky that people will humor me!

 

57. Having liturgy we really cared about, and a priest who really seemed to care about us- I loved that Bishop Sean was so open to our changes in the liturgy, because the politics inherent in their wording meant so much to me. He was also extremely caring in the last few weeks leading up to the wedding. But one of the very best surprises of the day was  Bishop Sean's homily. I didn't know it, but I had taught a devotional on one of the same texts we chose, so he spoke about what i had said as this high schooler on a mission trip and applied it to some of the things we had insisted our wedding was about. It was an important reminder of the things that matter to me, which surprisingly haven't changed that much since I was 18. It was just incredibly special, and I will remember it forever.

 

58. The Boy's cousins at the wedding- Is it a pleasure for every bride to see their new in-laws get into the party? Because if only Josephine and Nonno had danced, I think on some level the party would have been a success. I felt it was a major win that they all at least seemed like they were having a good time. 

 

59. These asparagus- this is definitely in the top ten wedding decisions we ever made. They were delicious, and phyllo-y, and cheesy, and amazing. And my Nana was the best and saved me some. I only have good things to say about all of our vendors, but JPC was really the bomb and the food was ridiculously delicious. I didn't hear any complaints. And if someone had complained about the asparagus I would have made them leave! (I kid) 

60. And while we are on the subject of how awesome JPC is, I have to say I loved all the flowers too. They really made some gorgeous miniature centerpieces and I loved our bouquets as well. I was just so happy to see how beautiful they turned out, and I loved all the little vessels they dug up for the flowers as well. I have to say, no that I am slowly gaining some perspective on the event, having great vendors really makes a world of difference, and pretty much all of ours were the bomb.

 

61. Marrying into a family where the Cousins will lovingly help me pick the bugs out  of my dress- The thing turned out to be a bit of a cesspool. But a very pretty one, so I won't complain too much. And I love the Boy's cousins Kristy and Kari, who got in there and picked them out.

 

 62. Chalk and big fluffy white dresses- Mostly I am just happy they talked her into wearing that thing at all, because when we tried it on her she was not having it. Even a little. She apparently freaked out the morning of the wedding too, but with a little encouragement from her dad, she held it together, and she rocked the dress most of the day. Pretty much the cutest kids in the whole world. 

63. Bullyhill Brass- Hearing "Wolverine Blues," even from a distance across Anchor Village, just makes me smile.  Same with "Just a Closer Walk with Thee." The sounds of these guys playing are just pure happiness and home to me.

 

64. Doing family pictures at Cocktail Hour- Sure it made things a little more frantic, but it also marked out a chunk of time with each branch of the family once everyone is already feeling festive and fun rather than stuffy. I would highly recommend this strategy to people who really don't want to spend their day stuck in the church taking pictures. 

 

65. Cornhole- My nana and Poppop made the set and it was a big hit I think. I never got to play at the party, but it looked like someone was always playing! 

66. This man's dancing- Amazing.

 

67. Jeremy Ganss- I think I will write specific notes for all the vendors later, but JG didn't even play ABBA, and I still love him. He was on point all night, never played one of those songs that cleared the floor, and genuinely seemed to be having a good time himself, which makes a big difference. Best DJ ever!

 

68. Also, our photographers. They made us robot heads, and they were amazing.They also actually already put up a blog of our pictures, which was totally unexpected, but is why we can show some of those pictures here! Check out the blog at http://www.firstblushphotos.com/blog/?p=1435 !

69. The Photo Booth Pictures! We got these back the next day and I love them so much they make me want to cry. I am just so happy to see everyone having a good night and I wish I had just camped out in there all night! My biggest regret (well, tied with that I never fixed my bangs!) is that I didn't get in here with my cousins.

70.  The lego cardbox- it turned out to be a real tour de force. I am pretty sure no one has ever seen a cardbox like this one, so I am pretty excited it came out so weird and wonderful. Well done to the Boy and all his brothers, biological and honorary!

 

71.  Reuniting with former tutors! Just seeing all these faces made me smile, and they were such a fun addition to the wedding and reception. Hoping that things go according to plan, and this wedding kicks off real planning for an annual tutor reunion!

 

72. Glow Bracelets- Why do they make people so happy? I truly have no idea, but man, they were all over them. Definitely a good investment.  

   

73. Our dance floor! My dream was that it would look glowy and magical, and it looked glowy and magical. Kudos to my dad and pretty much everyone at decorating for making it happen, but as the sun went down it became really clear that we had made something awesome! I was pretty excited about how it all turned out, not to toot my own horn, but this was one of the coolest parts of the party, I think.

74. Having my Bridal F-ing Powers for one day- I never really got into the center of attention thing, but I did love that badass things can happen when you are a bride! After the reception my dad realized he had lost his car keys, and after excessive collective fretting, a call to AAA, and lots of walking around with cell phone lights, I was walking out to talk to my dad and I just stepped on them. It was AWESOME!!! I never have that kind of luck, but that day I did, so yay bridal powers!

 

75. The Boy- Ok, I promise to keep the gushing to a minimum, but I am pretty excited to have signed up for a lifetime with this person. Anything good that came out of this wedding, at its root, comes from a partner who said " Sounds cool, how do we make it happen?" I feel like it shows one of our most formidable compatibilities; I am always plotting an adventure, and he is ready to help make it happen. Plus, he has great dance moves, real confidence, and looks pretty damn cute in a bow tie and suspenders.

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Little Green Dress- What Works to Wear While Nursing

While you are pregnant, you hear over and over that you look beautiful and that you are doing something miraculous. Fourth trimester, not so much. The only real impulse we see toward the fourth trimester is to render it invisible- the idea is that infant mothers should stay home, put their boobs away, and get back to their "pre-baby bodies" as quickly as possible.

Well, excuse me for existing. Let me just put on my invisibility cloak.

 If 4th trimester mamas have any kind of fashion profile, I would guess it is old pajamas with baby puke on it and unwashed hair. I can still remember going to our infant care class, and while watching the movie (made ten to fifteen years ago), being horrified at the ridiculous black hole of sexiness that were the women nursing. I mean, nipples take on a new role after you see them in a nursing diagram. Also, God bless all participants for being willing to be filmed in their sad pajamas. Now, the second time around, I know there is some truth to the horrors of the sad jammies, but not as much as you would think.

The fourth trimester is not the sad, banal pass through people make it out to be.

Women in their 4th trimester are still pretty damn miraculous. They made a person, they got that person out, and now their body is healing and changing all over again. Not to mention their body somehow can make enough food to be the only thing their baby needs to start their life. Did you know breast milk can actually help heal the baby? Forget hiding- those things deserve their own parade!

I don't want to spend the next six months feeling like a walking nipple diagram, and I am not going into hiding either.I have done this once already, and I know some of this is inevitable, but I don't think I spent those post-partum months looking like a dirty pile of laundry. That's just a bummer. I also don't want to leave my house looking like I am sleepwalking, even if that isn't that far from the truth.


With all of the writing on what to wear while pregnant, you can't find much at all about how to rock the new mom phase (true for non-nursers as well). I think the general sentiment is that it is ok to give up at this juncture, but I refuse! That being said, most of the last month and a half, I have looked like this:

The trick is to find a balance between that comfort/ convenience and to treat yourself as beautiful, because you still are. If pregnant bodies are beautiful and miraculous, so is the body you have now (maybe even more so).  I have learned some things  about what works for nursing and transitioning other than my eeyore pajama pants (super sad. also, I am wearing them as I write this). Nursing poses all sorts of challenges, so I would love to hear what works for you as well! These are my best tips for dressing in those first few months:

1. Thred Up is your New Best Friend- The first time around, I bought a pile of cheapo clothes from Old Navy in a larger size to get me through. It makes sense- your regular clothes and most of your maternity stuff won't work, but you will be back to something more familiar before you know  it, so why waste a bunch of money? A couple of reasons. First, the phase might go longer than you think (or you could be back here again), so the jeans I bought (and a few tops) fell apart so much that I can't use them again. Secondly, Old Navy's clothes are so cheap because they take advantage of cheap and unethical labor- it's just not worth it.

Instead, I highly recommend buying anything you need for this stage at the thrift store. Don't have a good one nearby? Or (more likely) don't have the time for excessive browsing now? Then try Thread Up. I bought every piece for this phase from them this time. I love what I got, it's well-made, it was cheaper than a lot of what I got last time, and I can feel alright if it comes to an untimely (or pukey) end. Fit is going to be a moving target anyway, so I highly recommend buying your new mom wear used,

2. Embrace the Button Up- In the previously mentioned nipple horror film, the new moms were whipping themselves out from the bottom of their shirts. I refuse to give gravity any help, so my boobs only travel upwards. Because of this, there are two options- low cut tops and button-ups. I also have ginormous unruly boobs, constantly trying to find my babies as if he is Sauron and they are the ring. So I have found Buttons are a nursing woman's best friend, that she can free herself in minutes while flashing slightly fewer people. So far, my favorites are long tunics with buttons and soft stretchy jeans or leggings. I even do dresses with buttons.



3. Belts- Yep, they still help. A good investment that can move through sizes with you. Waists are everyone's friend. Just make sure they are easy to get off so you can be comfy while nursing.

from https://www.etsy.com/transaction/238927482

4. Nursing Covers Masquerading as Scarves- Have you seen most nursing covers? They look like puppet theaters mated with seafood restaurant bibs.I don't want to fight with them,  but I would like there to be at least a few people on this Earth who I haven't flashed. Even just one. I found nursing covers on etsy that on first glance just look like infinity scarves but are big (and thin) enough to make really great covers. I also love these ones from Covered Goods, which have a little more stretch (perfect at certain moments).

Even though I am not new at nursing, the Baby Bear is, so I like being able to see him and help him.Plus, these minimize our baggage, which is the key to active and sane parenting. So, if I want to breastfeed in the middle of Seattle Center while eating a doughnut, I can.

5. Hats and Boots- I don't skip showers often, but they do sometimes land in the evening and both boys have  started his day by spitting up in my hair (and the Mom haircut suddenly makes sense). Hats really help cover that mess up. Both hats and boots can make any outfit look like you did it on purpose.In the right, I am literally wearing pajamas, but I look moderately functional, right?

 

5. Stepped Up Sweats- Modcloth has a series of sweater/ sweatshirts in a bunch of colors called Airport Greeting Cardigan that I swear was designed for nursing.  It has a nice drape so it looks more like you aren't wearing cozy home clothes, the zipper means you can get it off quickly (and it still looks nice open if you aren't quite there yet), and it fasten off the center of your body, so your spawn doesn't get uncomfortable zipper face. It's not cheap, but they always have it in some colors, and lower selling colors are often on sale. I got a charcoal one and liked it so much that The Boy got me an oatmeal one for Christmas.

 6. Long Tank Tops- The last thing you need to mess with when nursing is your butt hanging out. They can also be nice to just feel like everything is held in. I love the tank tops from M Rena; they are soft, extra long, and made in America! Nothing like a practical buy that helps an American business.

 7. Don't Be Too Quick to Turn in your Maternity Clothes- Everybody loses weight in different ways, and there is no shame in getting a little more of your money's worth out of what you bought before digging through what has long been put away. When planning for the fourth trimester, assume you will use the 2nd trimester clothes again (if you are really on point, buy pregnancy clothes that will work for nursing.

Both times in the first few weeks after the birth, I lost more than half of the weight I gained (we'll call this the Baby and Support chunk), the other bit didn't budge (I will guess that is the cookie weight, and it was worth it). This time, I know once I hit a certain point, the weightloss will be slow and just happen as I can be more active. It would be great to bounce back into my normal clothes, but that's fruitless energy to worry about. It turns out that my maternity jeans are way more kind to c-section scars, and a couple of my stretchy, buttoned maternity tops have been the best for yanking out the nunjas. I also like the feeling of my tummy being supported right now. I won't retire my maternity jeans for at least 3 to 5 months.

8. Bras make all the difference- Do not buy anything that looks less powerful than your regular bra. Medela and others sell "Night" bras that basically are built like a training bra. That's nonsense. I had one, it was horrible on all counts. Save your money.

Snaps in the straps (no one needs to struggle here), snaps in the back (don't fall for the sports bra business, because your boobs will resemble James's Giant Peach), and don't have an underwire (ow).  This has been the magic formula for me. I like Bella Materna bras, though I think most are imported now.

9. Maxi Dresses- Comfy and you look put together with minimal effort. I recommend wrap dresses for work or more formal events where your boobs still need an easy exit. I still wear my Breezy Night Stroll dress every week.

10. Bring Yourself a  Change of Clothes- Trust me. Just go get a dark colored maternity t shirt, put it in a bag with back ups for everyone else, and put it in the trunk of your car or basket of your stroller. You will get puked on. Just be prepared.

I hope this helps some poor souls like me who want the internet's help in strategizing their boob cover.  I know I said I am trying to avoid excuses, but if you just had a baby, you just had a freaking baby. If you aren't a celebrity who creepily bounces back into their bikini, or you have a colicky baby, or you just don't care, more power to you- you just had a freaking baby.

You aren't obligated to look pretty or disappear or do anything regarding your looks- you just had a baby for goodness sakes!

 The most important thing, I think, is not forgetting about yourself in all the craziness. I like putting a little thought into this, because it is easy for me to let self-care slide completely. Everybody gets through this phase in different ways, so I would like to hear your strategies!

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