Not Everyone's Mama

What to Wear for the Rest of Your Life: Ageless Secrets of Style by Kim Johnson Gross

Every woman’s closet-no matter the size-is a room of her own. In that space hang side by side the special occasions and the everyday, the triumphs and the disasters, the memories we want to keep and those we should jettison. Gross helps us to reconsider our closet identity and discover who we want to be. She shares her personal journey and the intimate, poignant and often humorous stories of the dozens of women she interviewed across the country. Along with calming fashion advice about how to choose flattering clothes that will fit any woman’s shape and style, Gross’s engaging stories will help every woman evolve gracefully from wife to mother, from empty-nester to globe-trotting adventurer–whatever role she chooses–while letting her style express her inner beauty.

I keep reading that this book is for women over 40, and while I’m not over 40 yet, with the way the years have been flying by since I’ve had children, 35 will turn to 40 in no time at all. 

That being said, I don’t think this book is just for women over 40.  It’s for any woman who absolutely hates to go into their closet to find something to wear.  I am in the category.  I used to wear the cutest most stylish clothes and then children hit.  I became a stay at home mom.  My closet is now full of t-shirts and yoga pants, with just a few other outfits that I like how I look in.  Yet I hold on to the comfortable (both in how it feels and that it’s comfortable mentally) rather than going out and finding what I look good in now that I am no longer a size 10.  I have all my size 10’s still in the garage.  This book has made me admit that even though their is a slight chance that I may fit back into a size 10 again with a lot of hard work, my body has changed A LOT since I was 24.  The things that looked good on me then most likely won’t look the same on me now. 

And there is no excuse to have a closet of clothes that I hate just because I am not physically where I want to be.  I need to dress how I want to feel.

You know what I’m talking about.  You put together the perfect outfit for the perfect occasion and your confidence shoots up about 1000 points. 

You wear jogging pants and a t-shirt to soccer practice and stand next to all the mom’s who just got off work and are business chic, you feel slightly dowdy.

I’m a mom.  I’m not dead.  I put all this time into my hair and make up and then have nothing to go with it. 

I think after reading this book, reading her tips, her stories she shares, along with tidbits from other women, I am ready to tackle my closet and my dresser.

Pato is ready for me to tackle my closet and my dresser.  He’s been telling me for a long time that if I’d just get rid of the stuff I don’t wear and the stuff that isn’t very flattering, he would be more than willing to put up the money for me to go get a new wardrobe.  I just haven’t had the confidence to get rid of the old standbys.  No longer.  One of these days I shall have pictures of me cleaning out my closet.  Pictures of stacks that can go to Goodwill or to a woman’s shelter to help others.  Something that looks awful on me might very well look fabulous on them!

Thank you to Kim Johnson Gross for writing What to Wear for the Rest of Your Life: Ageless Secrets of Style.  I could relate with so much that she wrote.  And I shall do it.  I shall tackle the closet and it shall become a closet I won’t be dread stepping into.

Thank you to the Hatchette Book Group for sending me the copy of for writing What to Wear for the Rest of Your Life: Ageless Secrets of Style!

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I have got the coolest sweepstakes to tell you about!  I’ve never heard of another one like it!  It’s the Hampton Hotel’s Chain Of Friends Sweepstakes!  Are you ready for this?

The grand prize is 1 winner winning the hotel (100 rooms) for 2 nights!  100 rooms!  Can you imagine the party?  Tell you what, if you win, you have to invite me.  Yeah, I’ll be right on the top of your list! 

100 other winners will win a weekend stay for themselves and 3 friends!

It’s not the whole hotel, but honestly, I’m not sure who all I’d invite if I had to invite enough people to fill up 100 rooms.  3 would probably be more manageable for me. 

Can you see my family members saying, Heather, we’ll help you fill up those rooms!  Not a problem!

Also, if you’re ready to make your travel plans now, then you should know that Hampton Hotels is launching the Great Getaway Advance Purchase promotion so you can maximize your stay and play. They’re offering guests 20% off the best available rate at participating hotels when you book at least seven days in advance for stays until July 15, 2010. Visit hampton.com to take advantage of this great offer.

Head on over and enter the Hampton Hotel’s Chain Of Friends Sweepstakes!

And remember it’s H-E-A-T-H-E-R M-A-N-N-I-N-G in Iowa if you by chance win!

I’m kidding.

I think.

Good luck!

Thanks to MomSelect and Hampton for giving me a chance to win an overnight stay at a Hamptom Hotel myself for telling you all about the Hampton Hotel’s Chain Of Friends Sweepstakes!

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I love working with CSN stores.  They have so many sites to help you out at home and I love checking them out.  We just got a new bed, and I was checking out http://www.BedroomFurniture.com to see what they had for furniture that would match.

I would LOVE to have the Howard Miller Ty Pennington Zoe Personal Storage Cabinet.  When I say love, I mean it would be true love.  That shows it in a different finish than I need, I would go with the black.  I would also love the Woodbridge Home Designs 889 Series Dresser in Black.  Who wouldn’t? 

Don’t get me started on the beds.  I can’t have second thoughts now.  Well, I can, but it wouldn’t do me a lot of good.   I did almost get this Hillsdale Nova Leather Low Profile Bed when we were deciding on a new bed, but as you know if you’re a regular reader, we went with an Ashley Bed.  I do love it.  I’m just worried I’ll throw out a hip one of these days climbing up into it.

Besides http://www.BedroomFurniture.com, CSN stores also has http://cookware.com.  I have worked with them before when they had the slowcooker giveaway here on The 24/7 mom.  I really enjoyed the experience and now CSN stores has asked me if I’d like to review something from http://cookware.com.  I jumped at the chance.  I just don’t know what to pick.  Seriously, no idea.  There are so many things that I’d like to have.  I just ordered a new food processor, mine had died, so I shouldn’t do that.  My blender died, but I really just used that to shred chicken when my food processor croaked, so do I go with a blender?  Give me some thoughts.  What would you choose?

Should I bring Pato in on the decision process?  Or just pick it out myself?  Decisions decisions.  Either way, I don’t think I can go wrong.

(I haven’t received a product yet, just being FTC compliant.)

Thank you so much to CSN stores for allowing me to work with http://cookware.com on my own.

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It happens.  Every great once in awhile.  Bear with me because I’m sure there will be TMI in this post.

It all started before soccer practice last night.  Nano dumped the garbage in the kitchen.  Lovely.  Coffee grounds EVERYWHERE.

Then we head off to soccer practice.  Jordan was ticked because he wanted to go to goalie practice.  I said it was his last practice with his team.  I knew a storm was rolling in, but they hadn’t canceled soccer yet.  Like this kind of storm – storm.  The possible tornado they are checking out just happens to be right by Pato’s work, about 30 minutes from me, where he was last night.  I was flipping out watching the news.  But I skip ahead.

I sat at soccer practice talking to my brother, sister in law, and niece (who had just got done with her practice) for about 20 minutes when the lightening starts to flash.  They left quickly.  The fields cleared, EXCEPT where my son is practicing.  Oh yes, my son’s coaches decided to keep playing.

There’s not many more places that are more dangerous places to be than an open field when there’s a lightening storm, except maybe in a swimming pool, or outside flying a kite.

I was on the phone with my SIL as they were listening to the weather radio and I keep hearing possible tornado here, dangerous storm on the way to there, I look out at Jordan’s team and they are putting the cones down to scrimmage.  Oh no.  I sent Kat over twice telling Jordan that I said we were leaving, he wasn’t playing while it was lightening out.  His coach said, we’ll get done early tonight.

It took me and two other moms getting out and marching over yelling at our kids to get their butts in the cars for them to finally call practice.

One of the moms said, sometimes it just takes a mother’s brains to get through to these men.

Amen to that sister.

I had to stop at the store to get something for supper still.  We ran in.  Grabbed everything. Jordan told me he needed gum for school.  I said, how come I never hear about this until I’m standing in line and you’re looking at gum.  (He does get to bring gum when he fills up a punch card.)  He stomped off.

I grabbed some trident.

We get in the car and he’s throwing me the silent treatment, complete with nasty looks.  Now, I was getting rather cranky at this point.  I tossed him his gum and he threw a tantrum over the fact it wasn’t juicy fruit.

You have got to be kidding me.  Right?  The other day you threw a fit that you always get juicy fruit and it wasn’t fair that Katiana gets to take treeeee-dent to school on her gum day.  And it’s TRI-dent BTW.  The gum is in my purse now awaiting someone who will appreciate it.

Came home, everyone is stomping around, ticked off at the world.  Make supper.  Jordan refused to empty the dishwasher, which left supper dishes for me to do this morning.  I ended up emptying it when I got up today.  Dishes are done now.  Seriously, he was in wonderful form last night.

Then we sat and watched the news because I swore I heard sirens going off around us.  They weren’t our sirens because they weren’t that loud, they were in the distance.  But they were sirens, none the less. I didn’t want the kids getting up in the top of their beds (bunk and loft) where I couldn’t get them down easily should we need to take shelter.

Katiana was flipping out because she hates the word tornado.  It’s not a good word for her to hear.  I thought she might outgrow it this year, but she didn’t.  For some reason, I don’t think she’ll be a storm chaser when she grows up.

I’m talking to Pato where he was telling me that it was horrible out and they were closing early.  That was at 9.  Do you know what time he got home?  Midnight.  It’s a 30 minute drive.  Turns out there was still 2 tables waiting when they shut down.  They all went to the bathrooms when the sirens went off and the tables decided after it was over they were just going to finish their party.  I hate his work.  The restaurant closes at 10.  Tell me why there are still people there every night at 11:30/12 AM.

To add to the chaos, here comes the TMI, I had killer cramps.  No period yet.  Let’s see, I gave birth 15 months ago, pregnant for 9 months.  I haven’t had a period in 2 years.  But I sure get the cramps that went along with the ones I always used to get when I get my dot.  (As my sister calls it.  Period, dot, get it. Ha ha.)

Christiano is barely nursing anymore.  I don’t know why I haven’t gotten it yet.  I shouldn’t complain, but I worry.

To top it all off, Christiano got up at 4:30.  I finally rolled out of bed at 6 when I resigned myself to the fact that he wasn’t going back to sleep.  Got up, emptied the dishwasher, did the dishes, fed the birds, fed Christiano and Alyce who thought she needed to get up too.  Got the oldest 2 out of bed at 7.  They are both showered and dressed and waiting to go to school.  For once everyone is ready early.

But I’m still cranky.  I got up at 4:30.

Christiano has his 15 month well child check today.  Which means, he’ll be cranky.  I think they get shots at 15 months.  Isn’t chicken pox one of them?  Oh joy above joys it shall be another fun day.  I plan on coming home and crawling back into bed with him.  Pato’s off until 5  so he can keep Alyce home with him while I take Nano.

On the plus side, we had a blast yesterday morning.  It was just my family at story time at Barnes and Noble and the kids had fun.  My SIL and my sister brought their cameras, but I forgot mine as I jetted out the door.  So, of course, we get the lovely I hate my stupid Blackberry pictures.  But, they are pictures none the less.  I should get pics from Ab and Shel, cuz they <3 me.

Alyce and Nano

My niece, Mikayla

My nephew Carter and part of Cambria.   You can see Cambria better in the picture above with Mikayla.

Here is hoping for a better day!

Have a great day!

P.S.  I was planning on drawing winners for the giveaways last night but ended up having to unplug everything do the storm.  I’ll get that done today and then start listing new ones!

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Counting today.  4 days left until my kids are out of school.  4 days until my peace and tranquility that comes from only 2 kids fighting is dissolved.  4 days left until I hear nothing but mom can we go to the pool today?  4 days left until the madness begins.

And Jordan trying to play hooky.

Huge explanation of what is wrong with him.  Reminded me of the Shel Silverstein poem, Sick.

Jordan, you have 4 days left, no fever, no cough, no nada.  Get in the shower.

It’s not fair!

Get used to it.

Are your kids out of school yet?  We were supposed to have our last day on May 31, which is odd, because that was Memorial Day and it would have been off anyway, but that’s what the calendar said.  Due to a winter from hades – that makes no sense does it – we had a gazillion snow days and go to June 4th.

I cannot believe that Katiana is almost done with kindergarten.  This year has flown by.  Fast.  Jordan’s got one more year at the elementary and then he’s off to the middle school where he will finally get to go with his cousin Taylor.  They’ve been waiting for that.

Did you have a good Memorial Day?

I had all these plans, which included delivering some bird bread to my brother and sister in law’s cockatiels, going to Pato’s work for lunch, and going to the park with the kids.

None of that happened.  It all laid on the kids getting their chores done.  At noon, Jordan finally started doing his.  By 7 PM, the living room still wasn’t picked up.  I was so irritated.  The girls finally had the living room done at 8.  Nice huh?  A nice day blown out the window because no one wanted to do what I said to do.  They were still asking to go eat at daddy’s work at 8.  Sorry.  You have school tomorrow.

I grilled out chicken instead and we had chicken tacos.  Yippie.  Not really.  I cannot cook on the grill.  I’m determined to get it right.  This is our brand new grill that we got in April.  Pato cooks the most wonderful things on it.  Of course, Pato cooks the most wonderful things on the stove too.  I’m not the greatest cook.  I have a few signature conglomerations, and the rest of it ends up being so so.  The grill is worse though.  I keep the temp down and I still end up burning half of it.  Pato cracks up when he gets home and sees the left over results of my grilling, which there is plenty of because no one will eat the burnt stuff except for him.

Today I’m supposed to go to story time at Barnes and Noble with my sister.  I’m waiting for Christiano to wake up and see how he’s feeling.  Last night he started having some tummy problems again.  I’m wondering if it isn’t teething.  I don’t know.  The poor kid goes through so many diapers.

I’m off to jump in the shower and get Alyce showered just in case we go.  Then dig through my closet in search of something that fits.  My pants have been falling off of me, even without using a weight loss product.  Wait, I have 4 weight loss products named Jordan, Katiana, Alyce, and Christiano.  They’ve kept me running lately.

Have a great day!

P.S.  If you’re here for the Mailbox Monday post, you can find it here.

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Welcome to Mailbox Monday!!  A blog hop to boost your subscriber count!

Hosted by Simply Stacie, This Mama Loves Her Bargains and A little of this A little of that…

Here’s how to join in the fun:

• Add your blog link to the linky
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Everyone is welcome to participate.  Each week a new linky will be generated so make sure you stop by on Monday’s to add your blog.

Your blog *must* have a place for people to e-mail subscribe. We will be subscribing to everyone’s blog who participates.  If there isn’t an e-mail subscribe option, your link will be removed from the linky.

Help us spread the word about Mailbox Monday! Write a post for your blog and add the blog hop code.

Let’s have fun and meet (and read via email) some new blogs!!

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