Just some random photos

Here are some current pictures of Avery and Zoe:

Decorating a gingerbread man!

Avery calls her sippy cup a "bopple"



Finally enough hair for a clip

Look at all that crazy hair!!!

Happy New Year!

Jeans

So.  I forgot to mention two things in my previous post asking for jean recommendations.  I spent 9 months gaining weight, so I shouldn't expect to lose it overnight.  It's going to be awhile before I reach my pre-pregnancy weight, which means I will be buying a few different jean sizes along the way.  While I love the Gap, I just can't justify spending that much money on jeans that I hopefully won't be wearing for very long.  When I do reach my goal weight, I will have no problem spending more.

Is there such a thing as cheap jeans that still look good?  I say yes.  I've done a ton of research and tried on a lot of styles in the past couple of weeks.  What I found surprised me, so I thought I would give you a quick rundown.

First up:  Riders by Lee
I'm sure you've all seen the ads- they're everywhere.  They're carried in Wal-mart, Kohl's, Kmart, and JCPenney's.  Each store carries different styles.  The style that I liked happened to be at Wal-mart.

Image via here

Pros:  These jeans are well made.  The denim material is a lighter weight and it's soft.  I loved the trouser style hem (similar to the Long and Lean at the Gap) and that they came in short, medium and long lengths.  The flap pocket detail was a nice feature as well as the $18.00 price tag.   

Cons:  The long length isn't stocked at Wal-mart, which means you have to order it online.  They also have a higher rise, so they sit on your waist- aka "mom jeans". 

Kohl's has some Riders that are only available online that look promising.  I might consider them in the future since I was pretty happy with the quality of the ones I found at Wal-mart.  Overall, I think Lee has done a great job at marketing their Riders brand and they've made a good product at an ever better price point. 

Next up:  Merona by Target

 

Have you seen the new line of Merona jeans that Target is carrying?  There are 6 different fits, and each fit comes in a few different colors/washes.  I tried on three of the fits, and found that Fit 1 suited my shape the best.  

Pros:  Nice quality denim, lightweight and soft.  The medium and dark wash look really nice.  There is a smaller hem than the Riders, but still more of a trouser hem than regular jeans.  Target stocks them in short, medium and tall lengths.  The price is $19.99.  

Cons:  The denim stretches out after a few hours and loses its shape.  Best to buy a size smaller than normal.  The long length inseam is about 34"- which to some isn't really considered tall/long.  The rise sits at your waist, so also can be considered "mom jeans" by the younger crowd.

So what did I end up buying?  The Merona by Target and here's why.  The long length was available in the store- which meant I could try them on and take them home the same day.  I don't mind ordering online, but I needed some jeans now and didn't want to wait.  They were also on sale for $15.00, so I bought two pairs- one in the dark wash shown above and the other in the medium wash.  I don't mind spending $30 on two pairs of jeans that I won't feel bad about ditching when I drop down another size.  

Let's talk about "mom jeans".  Most people assume mom jeans are dorky because they're high waisted, have an unflattering shape/cut, and are baggy.  This is so not the case!  Just because they may have a higher rise, doesn't mean that they don't come in fashionable styles.  Riders and Merona both carry bootcut and straight leg styles.  I've come to the conclusion that for me personally, I can't wear low rise/hip-hugger jeans.  They just aren't comfortable.  The rise is too short for my long torso, so I'm always having to pull them up to keep my butt covered.  If I get them so they're tight enough to not fall down, then I'm creating the muffin top that I'm not a fan of either.  It's a lose lose situation.  That being said, mom jeans are great for post-baby bodies :)  They hold you in in all the right places- and like the Riders slogan says, "they're instantly slimming".  Besides, no one has to know they're mom jeans because your shirt covers the top part of the jeans anyways.  And this is where having a long torso helps- higher rise pants don't come up as high on me as they would for someone who has a short torso.  Do I want to wear mom jeans forever?  No.  There are some mid-rise jeans that split the difference between low rise/hip-huggers and mom jeans- and I hope to be able to wear them again someday soon.  But until then, I'll take the Merona's or Riders please.    

One of these things...

...just doesn't belong.  Can you guess which one?

1.  Month:  December
2.  Season:  Winter
3.  Temperature outside:  80 degrees give or take

Thanks for all your suggestions on jeans.  I'm going to try and sneak out one evening this week and see what I can find.  I have always been a fan of Gap jeans- I currently own both the Long and Lean and Curvy styles.  Although none of them fit me right now- hence, the need for some new jeans in the interim.  I'll let you know what I find!   

Need Recommendations

I need some new jeans- here's what I'm looking for:
1.  Must come in a Long length
2.  Higher in the back, lower in the front (I say no to crack and muffin tops)
3.  No skinny jeans
4.  Must have some stretch so they don't get saggy throughout the day

If you've found the perfect pair of jeans, leave me a comment with the link so I too can have the perfect pair of jeans.

Have a great weekend!

Mini Me

Avery used to love it when I vacuumed.  It would even lull her to sleep.  In the early days, our house got vacuumed frequently, almost on a daily basis, sometimes even more than once (no, I'm not that crazy about my house being clean, but when you're kid cries non-stop all day, you'll do whatever it takes).  Fast forward a year, and all of a sudden she hates the vacuum.  That being said, I haven't vacuumed when she's around for a long time. 

The week Zoe was born, we brought out the vacuum numerous times (Franz couldn't take Avery's crumbs all over the place).  She got used to it and was no longer bothered by the end of the week.  This week I did a quick vacuum of the house.  Avery is at the age where she likes to mimic what we're doing.  She doesn't have a play vacuum, so she grabbed the next closest thing.

This video cracks me up!  I love how Avery noticed that I vacuum all the way up to the wall as close as I can get.  Her interpretation of this is to crash her stroller into the wall, hilarious :)  I think this is one of the first times I've seen her imagination at work.  It's fascinating to me that she was able to look at mommy's vacuum and make the connection that her stroller also can move back and forth in a similar way.  Just incredible for such a tiny person!

PS- Yes, that is Top Ramen on the kitchen counter- don't judge.  We're not above Ramen, especially when we're feeling under the weather.