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MOm home mom uniform:
Liz Stanley
Pampering yourself
activities with your todDLERS
march 2015
$ 3.50
March 2015 Mom at home
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m Edittor’s letter
Raquel Saravia
Dear readers, I’m excited to announce this magazine as the first edition of “Mom at Home”. I hope you find enjoyable and useful the diverse content of this edition and the continuing editions, if you let me. Experiencing motherhood and all the knowledge that it entails, made me realize that all the information I got from various sources should be easy to find in one place. That’s when I got the idea of a magazine that covers all the details of being a modern mom. I compromise myself to give you updated information, things you should know, and little hacks and tricks to take care of yourself and your family. March 2015 Mom at home
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CONTENT
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fun with your toddlers
BUILDING A FORT
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pampering yourself
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become your husbans’s best friend
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mom uniform
liz stanley
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vine kids?
Famous mommies
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www.erinpelicano.com
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motherhood
BUILDING A FORT FUN WITH YOUR TODDLERS
Before having your baby, You’ll wonder: What if he is this way or that way? What if he has a disability? What if I’m not a good mom? What if... But once you have your baby you’ll realize that the love you have for him/her trumps everything that could possibly happen. Realizing what it is like to love as a mother is the most amazing thing. The love that you have for your son or daughter is incredible and that only gets higher when she or
he will grow. One thing any mother knows is that you will love your kids for eternity. No matter what happens with the baby you’re pregnant with, you will love him or her just as much as well. That said, there are some moments that are better than others. Make memories for you to share with your toddler. Such as blowing on tummies, dancing together, playing games together. One way is Building a Fort. Here’s how:
YOU WILL NEED Firstly, you need to get your stuff together, see what’s around the house that you can use to built this amazing fort. Sheets or blankets are a must. You’ll also need pillows, sofa cushions, safety pins, broom sticks to support the fort, ans flashlights. Pretend you’re about to camp with you kid. You might also need snacks, fairy lights, board games, wall hooks, and toys.
Be sure you have everything you need to make it a special and fun evening. Let your kids do whatever they want with the fort, this also helps their motor skills. But also remember that it’s a game. Don’t be to harsh to them while constructing, you can always help, they are learning. The shape, the size, the time you’ll play in the fort it’s all up to you and your toddler. Make the process fun. After all, it’s a game, and there shouldn’t be boring parts in a game.
BE CREATIVE!
Brave little engine. Brilliant best friend. Mom at home March 2015 6Thomas & Friends Trackmaster TM
TM
Avalanche Escape Set
www.fisher-price.com
#worldwidemommies
Joy Sunyoung Fitzgerald, Portland
Beatrice Valenzuela, Mexico
Fanny Gentle, Switzerland
Johanna St. Clair, S.F Maura Ambrose, Texas
Erin Gleeson, UK Temi Adamolekun, South Africa
FIND OUT MORE: WWW.MOMATHOMEMAG.COM
McKinli Hatch, Sidney March 2015 Mom at home
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liz stanley 8
Mom at home March 2015
look up MOM UNIFORM Liz Stanley founder and owner of “Say Yes”, an award winning lifestyle blog to inspire stylish and crafty living with a focus on family. Liz works with a team of amazing staff to come up with the best projects, ideas, and trends to share each day with a readership of design-focused females in their 20s and 30s. Work on Say Yes has been featured by The Huffington Post, Real Simple Magazine, San Francisco Chronicle, Parents Magazine, HGTV, and Martha Stewart to name a few. Say Yes has also partnered with many lifestyle household brands like Target, Gap, Crate and Barrel, Adobe, Ergo, Hyundai, and West Elm.
Moms who pull off balancing childcare and looking good while doing it are tremendously inspiring to us at Mom at Home. Which is why we wanted to introduce you to Mom Uniform, to get a peek into the closets (and homes) of some of our favorite fashionable moms across the globe. First up: Liz Stanley, the San Francisco-based mother of Edie, 1, and Henry, 7; and blogger behind lifestyle site Say Yes. Her website is based on 4 basic sections of the lifestyle of a woman. First, “Stylish” section, this one points out any theme based on beauty and fashion. This is why Liz caught up our attention
for how she manages to dress up being a mother, but whitout stoping looking like one. Second, “Crafty” section where she teaches mothers DIY’s on things you can do for your children, your husband, for your house , and for yourself. Third, “Travel” section, this one’s about all the adventures she has with her family, that you can experience too. And lastly but not least, the “Tasty” section that talks about delicious recipies for you to make in any ocation. Here, she shows off four of her favorite go-to looks while we chat with her about work, motherhood, and style. March 2015 Mom at home
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HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONAL STYLE? HAS IT CHANGED SINCE YOU’VE HAD CHILDREN? “It’s definitely become more laid-back and more sophisticated (i.e. I don’t shop at Forever 21 as much anymore). Although, I moved to California from New York a year or so after I had my first baby, so I can’t decide if my style became more laid-back because of motherhood or because of Northern California! Guess we’ll never know…”
Liz, in her community garden, wears a thrifted blazer (from the boys department), an Anthropologie dress she hunted down on eBay, and hat and boots by Madewell.
DO YOU HAVE ANY STYLE ICONS?
“The older I get and see how hard it can be to maintain your style as a mother, the more respect I have for older women, women in their 50s, 60s, and even 70s who somehow still look fabulous with effortless grace and subtlety.”
WHAT PIECES WOULD YOU CONSIDER YOUR “MOM UNIFORM ” STAPLES? “Ripped jeans (okay, so I haven’t become too sophisticated I guess), Bensimon sneakers, a white tee, and military coat. In S.F. a layer like that is a requirement year round!” Liz Stanley talks about a lot of fashionable mothers on her blog Say Yes. She recently started a mini series on her blog called Secrets of Stylish Say Yes Moms featuring moms from the blog’s staff, readers, and other moms where she finds inspiration. Liz tries to talk about moms that impressed her by how put together they look. Moms that had a sense of style that
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other moms can follow or just really admire. What makes an essential look to a mother? What makes a mother stylish? What it’s the key to look cool and put together? How to dress and find clothes that makes you look young but still a mother? All this kind of questions are the secrets that Liz tries to cover up on this mini series. An example of a recent mom she
talked about in the blog was Sarah. Liz said about her style: “It’s comfortable, confident, and casual but doesn’t scream soccer mom. It’s just-cool. I’ve been excited to pick her brain and find out her secrets…” We invite you to look up this series on her blog. Who knows? Maybe one day you’ll become a Say Yes stylish mom and you’ll be sharing your secrets.
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WHAT’S A DAY-TO-DAY OUTFIT LOOK LIKE, A BUSINESS/MEETING OUTFIT, AND A NIGHT-OUT OUTFIT? “A work-from-home/day-to-day outfit look would be the ‘mom uniform’ outfit. A business/meeting outfit would probably be Madewell boots, Zara high-waisted jeans (non-ripped for a meeting, most likely), a black tank, blazer, or vintage jean jacket.”
WHAT PIECES FOR BOTH YOURSELF AND YOUR KIDS ARE ON YOUR WANT/NEED LIST?
Liz, in her living room with Edie, wears a Zara sweatshirt, Goldsign blue jeans she distressed herself, and a JORD wood watch. Edie wears a dress by Cauliflower Kids that Liz helped design, vintage shoes, and Hansel From Basel tights.
“I can’t get enough maxi dresses and really good-fitting jeans. I also can’t stop looking at car coats, ponchos, and wool hats. Although, I have a hard time actually pulling the trigger and buying them. For my 7-year-old son, cool sneakers and nice sweaters are always in my shopping cart. For my infant daughter, vintage-inspired classics, like rompers and capes, are my jam. I don’t pay too much attention to designers for myself, but for my daughter I’ve been loving all those small companies that have managed to design beautiful classics that aren’t overly feminine and sweet. Mabo Kids and Briar Handmade are two favorites I can’t get enough of. “
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO A WOMAN ABOUT TO HAVE HER FIRST CHILD?
“Don’t beat yourself up. Don’t read too many forums. Talk to a few friends, read a couple good parenting books (no more than two), but don’t let it take over your life. Don’t lose yourself in it. You’ll be amazing without that stuff.”
Liz, in her kids’ amazing shared space, wears a t-shirt by Zara, DIY beaded necklaces, and a vintage jacket. Edie wears a Mini Boden cardigan.
“I also try to give topics according to the time of the year. I have a lot of entries that talk about wardrobe essentials for spring, summer, winter, fall.. I like to center the info on the year stations” Liz says.
Last year she touched on different trends for winter but besides that, Liz did a round up of her favorite pieces for winter. On Say Yes web page, she shows you her top 15 essentials for winter. What’s on your winter essentials
list? Look up the article on her blog and tells us if her list is spot on, or is there anything big she’s missing? She has a section for you to leave your comments, doubts, requests you want to ask her personally.
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WHAT WAS THE BIGGEST SURPRISE TO YOU ABOUT HAVING A CHILD?
“I honestly had thought I wouldn’t care about fashion or style once I had a kid. Growing up, my mom never bought clothes for herself, so I assumed I’d just end up like that. Surprisingly though, I feel like I can actually be a mom and have a sense of style and don’t have to sacrifice too much, which has been a pleasant surprise.”
Liz, in her kitchen, wears an Everlane t-shirt, vintage skirt, Madewell shoes, and a necklace she made herself.
HOW HAS IT BEEN GOING FROM ONE CHILD TO TWO CHILDREN? “It’s been amazing. We waited so long for our second, it’s just magical. An adjustment, sure, but an incredible one. They are so sweet with each other. It makes me want to have ten more.”
WHAT EXCITES YOU MOST ABOUT MOTHERHOOD? WHAT MAKES YOU MOST NERVOUS? “That’s the greatest part—it’s those little things that are most exciting. A first clap, a laugh at an older brother, watching them struggle on picking up grapes or learning to ride a bike. All those moments are just so sweet and amazing. Most nervous? Wondering and praying they’ll grow up happy and confident and feeling loved. It’s so hard to avoid mom guilt. Am I reading to him enough? Is he making friends at school? Does he know when I punish him it doesn’t mean I don’t love him? Is she eating enough fish? Am I eating enough fish?”
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT LIZ:
@sayyesblog
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pampering yourself
BEAUTY
HAIR Shampoo Conditioner Styling Products Hair Ties Hair Masks Headbands or Clips
+ your favorite music
skin HEALTHY SNACKS +
Lotion Fancy Soaps Sunscreen Face Masks Makeup Makeup Remover Face Scrub Bath Salts
nails Nail Polish Nail Wraps Gel Nails Nail Files Nail Polish Remover Cuticle Cream
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+ A GOOD BOOK
When you think of women’s health, I assume, like most people you think of yearly checkups, exams and boob squishing machines. You think of prenatal appointments and breast cancer screenings, and all of those are clearly important, but there are a few things missing from that list that might surprise you.
You sit thinking “I am not the only one out there rocking a messy bun and left over eyeliner that didn’t come off when I washed my face earlier. I can’t be.” It’s ok to stay like that occasionally but every now and then you need to relax and look pretty just for yourself. You deserve a ton of pampering! Stop looking like a “tired mama” even though you are one. It’s important not to just look good on the outside, but feel really good on the inside. Take that on mind.
We often forget about our personal health, the one that we neglect because we’re too busy, or tired from work and the kids need our attention, and then the day is gone. Sometimes an entire day goes by and I am literally surprised it’s 5pm, and I am still rocking my pajamas (perk of working from home, I guess), and he says to me “Go take care of yourself.” It stings a little, but I realize he’s right. My hair hasn’t been washed in a few days, I have no idea what a hot shower alone feels like and maybe I should lock myself in the bathroom and give me some much needed pampering “me” time.
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SADEK MAJED C
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Said Mhamad
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vinE kids?
living
Entertain your child? Here’s how: Need a few extra minutes to yourself? We won’t judge if you hand your phone over to your child in order to get the job done. Thankfully, with the launch of Vine Kids, you’ll always have a quick-fix to entertaining a restless tot in the palm of your hand. Say hello to Vine Kids! “We’ve seen for ourselves – and heard from parents, siblings and others – that kids love Vine. So, we built Vine Kids, a simple new app that gives young children a fun way to watch Vines.” Vine Kids gives children fun videos just like Vine. Through adorable
animated characters, kids can watch hand-selected videos that are appropriate for a young audience.“ The idea came about during an office conversation in early January,” explains Carolyn Penner, head of communication and marketing at Twitter, which owns Vine. “One of my colleagues was talking about how much his two-year-old daughter loves Vine. He said he wished there was a separate app she could use to more easily watch posts that are appropriate for kids. So, two folks teamed up and built exactly that.” “For now we have a camera that senses what age you are and if you post anything bad it is a 200,000,000 fine because kids
do not need to see these bad things and you will spend 25 years in jail.“ Vine kids producer explains. The new kid-friendly app features a series of 6-second clips of things that the littles will love—butterflies flapping their wings, a hedgehog walking across piano keys, Elmo dancing, pigs on the beach, animated robots, etc. Your kid can either tap the video to get some sound effects, swipe to the right to get the next video, or watch the current video on a loop over and over and over again. Kids can watch videos, swiping right or left to see a new vine, and you can tap the screen to hear quirky sounds... just how toddlers like it.
“Happiness is... laughing with your toddler about something entirely nonsensical.”
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become your
husband’s
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best friend
Mom at home March 2015
FAMILY
Marriage, like any friendship, begins with areas of commonality, but the stresses of normal everyday life – children, work, finances, illness, caring for elderly parents – can tax the union and cause it to grow apart. Traditional marriage counseling is one way to deepen your friendship, but you can also engage in some simple practices.
Look at the close friendships you already have and their benefits. You value that you can be yourself, talk about anything without being judged, you have a lot in common, and if you have an argument, you’re less likely to shame or blame your friend. You’re also more careful with your friends because you don’t want to hurt their feelings. With your spouse, however, you might take them for granted and not care what you say or how you say it, which just leads to more fights and resentment… and how is a close friendship possible when there’s so much resentment built up?
A main component for a successful and fulfilling marriage is having a trusting friendship with your spouse. Like any deep friendship that you have with someone, it takes being a good friend to have a good friend. But why is it important that your spouse become your best friend?
“Life is better with your best friend, that’s why... I married mine”. - Anonymous
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FUN TIMES
You have got to spend time together. Join him in some of his favorite activities and get him to join in your favorite activities as well. Try new things together too, to see what you like. Alicia, Capetown “My husband likes to fish and I’ve tried to fish with him a few times, but it’s really not my thing. However, I still love to go out on the boat with him. Now whenever he goes fishing I just bring my favorite book and read while he fishes.”
SHARE HIS EXCITEMENT What makes your husband excited? What is he passionate about? Find out about those things and ask questions or research the topic to learn more. His excitement may be a favorite sports team, a certain band, a political stance, or a video game. When he starts to tell you about his team’s new quarterback or talk politics don’t just stare up at him blankly counting the seconds until the conversation is over. Join in his excitement. Let him know that even though you don’t personally care about these things, you care about him and the #things that make him happy.
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LOVE HIM FOR HIS WEAKNESSES
Still wanting to know how to be your husband’s best friend? Don’t forget to love him for his weaknesses too. It was probably his best qualities that first attracted you to your spouse. But now that you are married you have started to see some of his weaker qualities. Don’t bash him for them. Carolina, Puerto Rico “My husband is not a Mr. Fix-it kind of guy. If I were to hand him a tool box and say, ‘Hey the dryer is broken, go do something about it.’, he would look at me with his sweet little lost puppy dog eyes and we’d bust out laughing. We both know he is not that kind of guy and I never give him grief over it.”
LIFT HIM UP A lot of times we expect our husbands to be so strong both physically and emotionally. Sometimes carrying the weight of the world to be that sort of man can be very draining for your husband and family. One way to be your husband’s best friend is to give him a break sometimes. Share that burden with him, doing so will show how much you do love and care for him.
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FORGIVE No one is perfect. He is going to mess up. He is going to forget a birthday or an anniversary. He may forget you planned a special dinner and bring his friends home to watch the big game. It’s okay to get mad, that is natural. But don’t drag it out and don’t let him suffer from guilt. Forgive him and move on.
PRAISE HIS TALENTS
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Just as we all have our weaknesses, we also have talents. What is your husband’s best talent? Let him know how amazing you think those things are. Even if you have been together for 30 years and he has heard you tell him time and again how incredible he is at the things he does well, keep telling him. That praise is very encouraging to him, exactly the kind of things best friends do for each other. Tanya, Brighton “I’m the one that does the cooking in the house, most likely because my husband is occupied at work. But on weekends, he likes to cook us delicacies. I always compliment him on that and he just makes this kind of smile that I can’t get over seeing.”
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DON’T TAKE HIM FOR GRANTED
By far the worst thing you can do when wanting to be your husband’s best friend is to take him for granted ever. Yes you took a vow to each other, but you can’t just expect him to be there for you whenever you need him and not pay attention to his own needs. In order to be anyone’s best friend you must always be alert to their needs and feelings. How alert are you to the needs of your husband? Do you keep his best interest in mind during all your actions?
PUT HIM FIRST Put him first. He is your husband and you want him to be your best friend. That means he needs to come first. Don’t ditch plans with your husband to go shopping with your friends. Think about it, if one of your friends constantly bailed on you with new plans when someone else came about, they wouldn’t be on your BFF list any longer.
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Rebecca, Seattle “Me and my husband, each one of us needs space. So I hang with my girl friends, he hangs with his mates; or we hang out with our friends together. And we also have plans to go out just the two of us, so we can have time for ourselves.” March 2015 Mom at home
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famous mommies Take a look at this famous future mommies rocking their baby bump
Keira showing her baby bump at The Oscars red carpet. Also keeping it loose for a comfy evening at the awards. And the dress, very motherly looking if you ask me.
Knightley
Keira
Kate
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Blake
Middleton
Lively
Keeping it classy and loose. Almost intentionally for keeping it under radar. If it wasn’t for that hand grab we wouldn’t notice that beautiful baby bum. Cheeky Kate, trying to go unnoticed.
Beautiful Blake showing off her big and beautiful baby bump. She has nothing to hide, she’s pregnant and she wants you to know it. The only one that can pull off that tight look with a pregnant body.
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KIDS 24
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