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Has anyone else recently hit the “nothing is comfy, nothing fits” stage or pregnancy, or is it just me?
Read moreHas anyone else recently hit the “nothing is comfy, nothing fits” stage or pregnancy, or is it just me?
Read moreWe are a sucker for Christmas jumpers and can never resist adding a new one to our wardrobe every year. Some of us are fans of the OTT Christmas prints, where as some of prefer more subtle sweatshirt style jumpers. We have put together a selection of our favourites that you NEED to add to your wardrobe, from a range of high street stores.
We also highly recommend shopping second hand when it comes to Christmas jumpers. You can get some amazing jumpers from Ebay or Vinted, they’re almost always like new and for a fraction of the cost.
We hope you’ve found a jumper here that you like and it’s helped give you some inspiration! I am definitely in the subtle sweatshirt camp so I have my eye on the “Fight For The Claus” jumper. I absolutely love it!
We are SUCKER for anything seasonal whether it is decorations, candle scents, book genres OR our personal favourite.. pyjamas! Specifically Halloween pyjamas for kids! I never dress the boys the same during the day, but at night time I can’t resist them in matching pyjamas. There’s something so incredibly cute about it. We have put together our top picks from the high street of kids Halloween pyjamas that we think you’ll love too.
We hope you liked seeing our top picks for Halloween pyjamas for kids! There are so many gorgeous sets out there and we are already so excited to see what they release for Christmas!
Filed Under: ECO LIVING, ECO PARENTING, FASHION, GUEST POST, HOME, LIFE, SUSTAINABILITY //
Hello mamas! I’m Helen, the founder of Stork, an online marketplace for pre-loved kids and babies’ stuff. So happy to be guest posting on That Mama Club to tell you all a bit about how I got hooked on pre-loved shopping….
Last year, I was obsessed with finding a pair of yellow wellies for my daughter. They had to be completely plain, no handles, no logos, and an iconic, daffodil shade of yellow. Sound familiar? Of course they do. It’ll be no surprise to many mamas reading this that I was on the hunt for Peppa Pig’s boots. Peppa, or ‘Pe-PIG!’ as my daughter calls her, is, let’s say, an extremely influential figure in our household (Screen time limits vs Peppa addiction is a topic for another day). I was hopeful that my little girl would be so thrilled to have the same boots as her favourite TV character that there would be no fuss about wearing them on muddy puddle days.
I had no luck on the usual kids clothes sites or in high street shops, but after a lot of social media-ing and asking around, I found a second-hand pair another mum was selling that were 100% perfect. I was already thrilled when they arrived, and then I read the handwritten note that came with them.
‘These boots have jumped in puddles, splashed in the sea and walked along the Breton coast. Here’s hoping they have more adventures with their new little feet!’
And err, well there must have been something in my eye… sniff! Before that moment, I don’t think in a million years I would ever have described shopping as a beautiful experience. But to feel that connection with another proud mum and another adventurous toddler was really, really special.
I first got hooked on shopping pre-loved when I was pregnant with my first child. Classic maternity wear didn’t suit me at all, plus I didn’t fancy spending much on clothes that I’d only wear for a month or so. I got into the habit of picking up oversized shirts or loose dresses from thrift shops every so often, donating them back once I was too big for them. It was fun and easy.
But prepping for the arrival of our baby was another story altogether. Like most other parents, I felt overwhelming pressure to buy, buy, buy to make sure she had everything she needed. Everything had to be perfect, everything had to be the most expensive I could afford, everything had to be brand-new. Pram, crib, Moses basket, bouncy chair, baby clothes, car seat, breast pump, nappy bin, nightlight, bedroom furniture, activity mat… it was a small fortune.
I wish I knew then what I know now. Firstly, to ignore all those department stores ‘must-have’ lists and check with other parents what products are actually essential. So much of what’s on the market is overpriced and unnecessary, marketed to play on our fear of not being the perfect mother.
Secondly, after having my daughter, I found I actually preferred her to have clothes and toys that came packed with stories, love and memories, whether that was from friends passing on their children’s outgrown things, or buying pre-loved from other parents.
A soft blanket another baby had been wrapped in was just as cosy as a store-bought one. She would have sweet dreams (and sleepless nights) in a crib lent by an old friend, just the same as if we’d forked out for a new one. A second-hand car seat was just as safe, plus came with the trusted recommendation that it was comfortable and easy to use. All these items had been used, were in great condition, didn’t cost us a fortune and were pre-loaded with the love of other families.
From then on I was hooked – I loved chatting with other mums when I bought things, asking advice and sharing tips. I really appreciated the lower cost, especially after maternity leave pay dried up. It was important to me that my money supported other families, instead of just being poured back into the same old chain stores. And I started to feel great about wasting less, as I’d resell, donate or recycle as much as possible once we were finished with it.
Gradually I started to realise that with the amount of people out there doing the same, the pre-loved community was actually a pretty incredible movement. There was a whole network of (mostly) mamas on social media who were managing to earn extra cash, support each other and keep their kids dressed in gorgeous little outfits at the same time. In and around naptimes/mealtimes/home schooling/all the rest of it, they’d somehow managed to create this wonderful, sustainable, circular economy. I felt totally inspired!
Fast forward 14 months, I was pregnant again and determined to carry on shopping pre-loved. But I knew what I was looking for this time, and it was often hard to find exactly what I needed. I didn’t want to rush or order things I wasn’t completely happy with, nor did I want to go back to using faceless chain stores, or impersonal and complicated selling sites. So in a welcome burst of second trimester energy, I decided to launch Stork for parents in the same position as me. It’s an online marketplace just for kids’ and babies’ things, and it’s full of kind, thoughtful, supportive, eco-conscious, thrifty, positive, entrepreneurial, and generally wonderful sellers and buyers.
You don’t need a lot of stuff or a huge Instagram following to join up, and you don’t need to sell instantly because listings don’t disappear down a feed. Everything is categorised by size, colour, brand and condition, so it’s really easy for people to find what they want. Plus if you have any questions about the products, or general advice about what you need, you can always just ask someone! So if you fancy being part of a real community of Pre-lovelies, come and visit us, have a browse or set up your own store. Everyone’s welcome!
Filed Under: FASHION //
January is upon us and I am getting ready to have the mother of all clothing clear outs. Now that I am not pregnant or breastfeeding, I want to finally create a capsule wardrobe. I am looking at creating a main one with pieces I can wear and adapt all year round, and then bits that are seasonally appropriate when needed.
When you open your closet doors every morning do you feel peaceful or overwhelmed? If you’ve ever thought, “I have nothing to wear” before you decide on an outfit, your mornings may be more stressful than they need to be. Advertisements teach us to want more, to want new, to need the same exact item in every colour available. In this article I want to show you in which areas decluttering your wardrobe can bring you consciousness and how to start the process.
Having a clear out and trying to reduce our clothing always makes us more conscious of what we have and what we need. We question items we have bought in the past. We automatically become more aware of the pieces of clothing that we really like and ones we have never even worn.
You feel beautiful and confident in everything because they are all pieces you love to wear over and over – It’s why you chose them!
You save yourself so much time and attention every morning when deciding on what to wear. This is because now you have a limited choice and everything goes with everything!
You can save yourself even more time by choosing your clothes that are well made. Clothing that will last longer and save you time fixing them or replacing them over and over.
You save yourself money. Not only because you own fewer items of clothing, but because you buy buying unnecessary or non matching items.
Because of the fewer items you have in your wardrobe, you now have more space for other things. Or even just more space! Just because you make space doesn’t mean you need to fill it with something else.
As you continue to dress with less, you’ll figure out what you really enjoy wearing, and what best fits your body & your lifestyle. It’s not that your clothes will look better on you, but you will look better in your clothes & more comfortable in your own skin.
Create your own capsule wardrobes and if you fancy it, have a look at a few minimalist fashion challenges. Ones such as project 333 – you have 33 items that you wear for 3 months or ones like 10×10 where you were just 10 items for 10 days! Let us know if you have ago at any of these! We would love to see them!
Filed Under: FASHION, MATERNITY, MOTHERHOOD //
There are lots of struggles when you are pregnant, and one which I think most women deal with is how to style your baby bump. As soon as around week 12 hit me in both my pregnancies everything began to no longer fit, especially bottoms. I even tried the good old bobble trick but that only seems to work for a week or so too.
I kept a lot of my maternity clothes from my pregnancy with Theodore but suddenly came to realise I was heavily pregnant with him in November/December and with Zach I was heavily pregnant in May/June… So the clothes I had saved were not very season-appropriate.
I have a whole Pinterest board for maternity fashion ideas so if you’re still struggling on ideas of what to wear and feel cute in you should have a scroll through there!
You can see my bump week by week and the outfits I wore with Zach in my pregnancy highlight on Instagram.
Also remember, not everything has to actually be maternity clothes. Sometimes just bigger pieces will do.
In my pregnancy with Theodore I bought 4/5 of Primarks extra long simple vest tops, they were around £2 each and went to just above the knee. Pair them with some leggings and then throw any non-maternity top over. It means your bum is covered but you can still be stylish and wear the clothes you already own. I used to throw a nice woolly jumper over the tops in the winter months.
Leggings were my best friend in Theodore’s pregnancy, but in Zach’s, it was far too hot and I stuck to dresses. I’ve never been a fan of the over the bump leggings/jeans so actually just stuck to my regular low cut leggings which fitted perfectly the whole pregnancy. I do personally rate the leggings from Love Leggings as they’re thick enough not to see the colour of your knickers underneath!
Because leggings are super stretchy and there is no zipper or button to do up like on jeans you’ll feel so much more comfortable and will be able to wear them your whole pregnancy.
Wearing your boyfriend’s huge T-shirts will look super cute but I found they made my bump disappear and actually just made me look like I’d put weight on and rather than pregnant. Grab a cute cardigan or shirt and tie it either on the top of your bump or the bottom depending on how you feel.
It really helps define your bump and shouts “hey! I’m pregnant!” which I love. Also tying something around your waist will also help with covering up your bottom, so if you’re wearing leggings that are a little questionable on the see-through front then the tied round cardi or shirt will give your bum a little coverage.
A lifesaver if you’re pregnant in the winter months. Being pregnant raises your body temperature massively and you will find that you’re still sweating when it’s snowing. Long cardigans are perfect for keeping you stylish and preparing you for either cold or hot weathers.
I don’t see the point in investing in a maternity coat. You’ll most likely be too hot
I love a body-hugging skirt or dress during pregnancy. When else do you feel comfortable wearing tighter pieces? (I know I never do!) I love bits like this during the later stage in pregnancy when your bump is so defined I love that it almost becomes this cute accessory you can base your outfit around.
Always remember that when your bump becomes noticeable its what peoples eyes will first divert too, before your face, shoes and boobs.
Styling your bump can be super fun and really doesn’t need to be a stressful experience. And just remember, you’re pregnant, you can wear whatever you bloody hell want and no one is allowed to judge! Comfort comes before anything else – if you want to live in joggers for 9 months then so be it, I definitely did for a long while with Zach’s pregnancy.
Have you got any other pregnancy fashion tips to share? Share them below so everyone can find some more!
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