Baby Mama Drama :: Jeanne of Shop Sweet Things

As mentioned last week, I came to the conclusion that given my overall neglect towards any motherhood or pregnancy books, it was time for me to call in some reinforcements.... some all-star moms I have tons of respect for.... and then beg them to impart to me all of their wisdom! It's a lot like asking to borrow your roommates notes, cause you always skipped and slept through class, so you can cram for finals. 

I'm thrilled to kick off this vibrant, quirky and information packed series, 'Baby Mama Drama', with non-other than the lovely Jeanne of Shop Sweet Things! She's the mother of two ridiculously adorable little ladies (I mean, look at those pinchable cheeks!) and lives in sunny San Fran. I've enjoyed following along with her since we first met a while back at Alt Summit. Since day one of finding her blog, I was hooked on her approach to motherhood, shopping, blogging and design..... so it was an obvious choice to use this series as a secret ploy to lure all her tricks and tips out! Read on below to find out her secret mama beauty products, her pregnancy essentials and what to do on mommy's day off. 

NAME :: Jeanne Chan

BLOG :: Shop Sweet Things

TWITTER :: @shopsweetthings

CHILDREN + AGES :: Hayden, 2.5 years old & Hadley, 3 months

 

Honest first thoughts when you found out you were pregnant?

Both of my pregnancies were planned, so I was pretty excited when I found out I was pregnant. It did feel  weird in the beginning knowing that there's another living "being" inside of me, and that the body is no longer just my own. The thought of no sushi, no fine cheese and no wine for the next nine months was just brutal. 

If you had to do it all over again, what would you do differently and what would you do the same?

I don't know if there's anything I would do differently as I was pretty happy throughout both of my pregnancies. What I would do the same is that I wouldn't go out spending money on maternity clothes unless I really have too. I'm pretty proud of the fact that I didn't end up having a bunch of pregnancy clothes afterwards. I'd rather save the money for later to reward myself with a new wardrobe after I settle in with my post-pregnancy body. (And yes, your body does change after pregnancy!) 

Most embarrassing pregnant moment?

I think this one is pretty common... it's when I have crumbs or food stains on my big belly and don't know it until someone tells you, "oh, here's a napkin, maybe you want to clean that off your shirt?" 

 Golden ticket piece of wisdom for a first-time mom?

Letting your friends and family know in advance that you want to rest up and spend quality time with the baby first before you welcome visitors. It can get overwhelming the first couple of weeks and you don't want to seem like you're frustrated at the people who care about you the most. If you communicate that in advance, it will save you some headaches while you take care of a crying newborn in your hands.

You can’t possibly raise a child without …

Baby wipes! I can't leave my house without them! 

Favorite mom blog?

I don't follow mom blogs per se. But I do follow bloggers who have kids and I love reading their experiences from time to time. Some of my favorites include A Cup of Jo, Oh Joy, La La Lovely, Kenzipoo, What Would Gwyneth Do, Inspiration Cooperative. 

Lifesaving beauty products during pregnancy?

I don't know if this is consider a beauty product but I loved using the Bliss Lemon Sage Soap during my pregnancy. It smells so good and refreshing and it literally opened up my senses. This is especially good when you feel a little nauseous.

Lifesaving beauty products after pregnancy?

I've never been the type that spends a lot on skin care. But after having kids, a really nice Day and Night cream really makes a difference. I'm currently loving Restorsea. It's a little on the spendy side, but it's really worth it! My skin never felt so nourished. I think letting your natural beauty shine is really the way to go once you become a mother, so anything that helps improve your skin (and spend less time on make up) is a beauty savior. 

Your pregnancy essentials?

Leggings, lots of water, pre-natal vitamins, soy milk, a nice pair of flats or sneakers.

Your now ‘go-to’ mom essentials?

Baby Bjorn (when I'm out), sleepy wrap (when I'm at home), Elle Macpherson Nursing Bras, and more cool sneakers.

Does the feeling of ‘I’m not prepared for this’ ever go away?

No, not really. A kid's pattern and habits change all the time. I constantly have to adapt and learn new parenting skills. I don't think that's going to stop until the day they get married, haha!

Today has been declared ‘Mommy’s Day Off’.... what’s your ideal day?

A spa day spent at a pool with a glass of champagne and good food. A massage becomes even more of a treat once you have kids!

Photos :: via Jeanne

34 Weeks + Baby Mama Drama

Over the past few months, I’ve started to realize why mothers really bond together. There aren’t many other people you could discuss, with a straight face, some of the things mom’s discuss with each other. Heck, I still whisper the word ‘breast feeding’ like a twelve year old boy. Admit it, it’s a weird thing to say out loud... at least for modest me.

Once this whole pregnancy thing became more real, and since I really haven’t read a single book or blog about how things in the motherhood department work, I’ve relied heavily on friends to keep me informed on all my ‘what to expect when you’re expect-ings’. If it wasn’t for them, I would still think all births are like they are in the movies. Oh, it lasts longer than 15 minutes and you don’t have a fresh blowout and full makeup on? Seems like a lot of work.

Once the panic set in that we had entered, what E calls ‘the red zone’, I knew it was time to call in some reinforcements. The big guns. The fellow mamas I know, new and seasoned, who have already ventured to the places I’m about to go. I decided to ask these ladies to share their advice, memories, tricks and survival skills with me in a little series I decided to call ‘Baby Mama Drama’. It started first from a selfish need to compile as much information as I can so I don’t have to read any motherhood books, but also, I realized every mom has been in the place I’m at. No one really knows what they are doing, you do in fact ‘fake it until you make it’... and even then, do you ever officially ‘make it’? Maybe that’s when you send them off to college or maybe it’s the first time they actually say ‘thanks mom’. It’s always refreshing to hear from others about their experiences first hand, the honest parts, the perfectly imperfect parts and the humorous parts. I’m deeply thankful these women took the time to depart their wisdom. Whether you’re a mom or not, we can all learn a lot.

So what better time to kick this off than the week leading up to Mother's Day. Be sure to check back later this week for the first ‘Baby Mama Drama’ post!

34 Weeks // dress (similiar) - jacket - boots - scarf (similiar) - bag (c/o)

My Dream Project :: Fishs Eddy

A couple of weeks ago, I was invited by the lovely ladies over at Fishs Eddy to stop by and help with an in-store display they were putting together for their Vintage Collection. Since they are literally one of my favorite stores of all time on planet Earth.... I may have over eagerly committed my entire schedule and possibly my first born for whatever it was they wanted. On any given Saturday afternoon, you’re likely to find me in their digging through the sale section for one-of-a-kind dish finds or scouring boxes of old knick knacks they collect and display effortlessly. When E and I got married, they had yet to set up their gift registry options and I personally made my own online registry just for all my Fishs Eddy needs. This is a serious love affair y’all. 

Along with Grace and Maxwell of Design Sponge, Todd Oldham, Nancy Matsumoto and Susan Brinson, we were set free to roam and raid the store to create our very own unique table setting out of both their vintage tableware and also anything we could snatch up. Fishs Eddy has more than enough to inspire anyone from conventional to quirky, traditional to odd and everything in between. The goal was to display the table settings to help inspire customers to not be scared to mix and match and dress up their own table in any way they please. Which, as you know, I’m one for unconventional table settings and mismatched decoration.... so this was pretty much my dream. Could I do this all day, every day? You betchya.  

If you are also a lover of dishes, vintage table ware, rustic decor and fun accent pieces in your kitchen.... be sure to visit the store here in the city or pop onto their website and be ready to hand over your entire paycheck. 

A Glimpse Into The Future

I think it’s safe to say that deep down, everyone has a small worry bug in them about having an unattractive baby. Don't even deny it. We’ve all been ‘that guy’ who was introduced to a friend's kid only to turn to your significant other and say ‘Oh gosh, now that was not a cute baby’. I’m guilty. You always have to think, do the parents know it’s not cute? Will I know if my baby isn’t all that cute? We can control a lot these days, but a snaggle tooth or the 'old man river' look some babies get... well, they just have to run their course. Everyone.... keep your calm. There’s nothing a cute baby outfit and a good Instagram filter can’t fix these days. Plus, we all know the tale that unattractive babies usually grow up to be super attractive adults and that super cute baby features don’t always translate into model worthy adulthood profiles. Some couples gene pools create more attractive boys than they do girls and vice versa. Don’t shoot the messenger, these are just the cold hard facts of life people.

Recently, nothing has brought me more knee-slapping comedy than the world of online baby websites. Oh, the black hole. There’s a website for everything you could ever imagine and then ones you wouldn’t even want to imagine. My new favorite? The Baby Morpher! What briilliant and completely necessary life tool will they possibly think of next y’all?

I mean, the photo above pretty much sums it up. If you know me, than you could likely imagine the utter joy and jumping on the couch that ensued after we completed our baby morpher and received this glimpse into the future. If this thing has any truth to it, which I’m sure it does....  appears to be highly advanced technology my friends, then I’m basically giving birth to Blue Ivy’s twin sister. Which means my life long premonition that Beyonce and I are twins separated at birth, is in fact, real. Is that baby morpher photoshopped, you ask? We couldn’t even make up something this glorious if we wanted too.

Don’t forget to note the button that came up at the bottom of the page. Do I want to ‘make another baby’ right now? Heck no.

Photos via :: here, here

32 Weeks + A Nine Month Myth

It’s interesting that the magical number decided for pregnancy was nine months. The way it’s spread out does help you acclimate to each stage and your changing shape in a slow, but steady, manner. What they don’t explain thoroughly enough, is that it’s actually ten months. Yep, ten. At least I wasn't aware that you are pregnant through the ninth month.... making it practically a full ten months. Make sense? Yea, I’m still trying to count on my fingers. But, what I do know is there should be a PSA distributed about the expectant length of being pregnant for women like me who slept through that whole ‘you-know-what' education class in middle school. I kept wondering why the numbers didn’t quite add up.

:: Confessions on Pregnancy ::

- We’re at the stage where the baby does these ‘grazing’ movements from the inside of my stomach. Nothing too extreme, but it’s like a slow elbow brushing from right to left. In those moments, I’ve come to start referring to it as Nessie, The Loch Ness Monster. Seems appropriate. Sometimes when it stops being so lazy and actually pushes or kicks up against my stomach, I’ll push and poke back. In my head, it’s like we’re high fiving each other. ‘Hooray, you haven’t pushed mommy’s belly button out yet!’......‘Thanks mom for letting me take all your energy to grow my kidney’s today!’. 

- At some point, this whole process becomes ‘real’, right? Like, it sinks in? Everyone says it usually happens after your first baby shower and you start accumulating those quintessential things. Oh, does it? I recently came home, checked the mail and while walking to the stairs glanced over to see a box with a picture of a crib on it that had been delivered. I thought, ‘Huh, looks like someone got a crib. That’s nice.’ And proceeded to walk straight up to our apartment as if nothing else should’ve occurred to me.

- My new business idea is this, someone should start an Army basic training style boot camp for woman about to enter motherhood for the first time who are utterly and completely clueless on all fronts.... like myself. What better way to learn new skills than at a high stress situation. If the Duggar mom had more bite, I'd envision her with a whistle in hand, but I think it's best to assume Tracy Anderson would hold court. Activities would involve some, if not all, of the following:

 1. Ninja Reflexes - How to dodge rapid firing pee or spit up.

 2. Origami - The art of assembling a diaper with one hand in under sixty seconds.

 3. Driver’s Ed - The basics on steering a stroller through Soho on a Saturday afternoon so you can  run errands.

 4. Mind Over Matter - How to assemble a pump and/or bottle.

 5. Obstacle Course - How to take a full shower in under five minutes.

 6. Survival Of The Fittest - How to function as a human and communicate with your spouse after forced  extreme sleep deprivation.