Monthly Archives: March 2012

Allons, mangez!

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More school lunches brought to you here after popular request (to see more lunch ideas see here and here)

Jam & turkey sandwich, cheese slices, carrots & blueberry fruit bowl, animal crackers, water

Fruit bar, yam and black bean burrito, crackers, spinach square, cranberries, apple sauce 

Kiwi fruit, mandarin orange, strawberries, spinach squares, sliced chicken, granola bar

Turkey and cheese sandwich, 1/2 a banana, strawberry, herb roasted baby potatoes, Pop Chips, water

Corn pancakes, Kashi Roasted veggies crackers, hummus, strawberries, water

Thursday latelies: Touch and Smell reviews and a giveaway!

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Don’t forget to comment to win 2 lipsticks from Make Up Forever!

*Only Canadian entries

Congrats to Amanda, the winner of the lipsticks, hope they’ll brighten up your day!

The contest is closed.

It’s raining prints!

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Last Spring it was colour blocking, this spring, it’s going to be raining prints. So, pack your solid colours away and draw out your prints. Here’s some of the prints that will be blooming this spring.

Florals

Nature

Animal

Ethnic

Kaleidoscopic

Stripes

Geometrical

And finally, mix them all together!

images c/o theyallhateus, prettystuff & fashionizers

Maternity Monday: Prepped for April Showers

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Spring can be sunny, it can be flowery, it can signal the beginnings of warm weather yes, however it can also rain a lot! Here’s some chic ways to face the rainy weather!

Running late to work….

rainboots, shirt, satchel, bangles, skirt

A lazy Sunday afternoon….

 

Rainboots, Hobo, Watch, Tee, Scarf

A rainy dinner date…

Rainboots, Leggings, Top (The blue one is currently $4!), Jacket

Check out Longdistanceloving for other inspiration boards!

One

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Darling readers, well we made it. One year of Simply Stylish Mom. I can’t believe how quickly it’s gone. It all started with my husband’s conference and when he arrived back I hit him with the news: I need a change, I’ve started a blog. The poor guy.

My first month consisted with lots of posts (to get the blogging bug out of my system): beautiful Moms, favourite charities, one of my favourite things to do, style articles (leather leggings, Spring trends, Mommy shoes,  Vancouver posts (things to do during Spring Break, sales and swapmeets), my first review and reminders that I’m indeed a parent (here, here & here).

April was full of firsts: royal wedding fever (and also weddings for that matter), Mother’s Day gift ideas, my first interview, Midi skirt love and my first giveaway.

The summer months consisted of my first events I attended as a blogger, my first outfit posts (these make me laugh out loud!) summer style posts (white jeans, maxis, colour blocking),  plus a few gems (I love this post).

In the Fall, I started doing Thursday latelies, videos where I documented the little things in life, more personal moments and my Fall/Winter 30 for 30 and the beginning of my maternity posts for my pregnant readers!


 2012 marked some noticeable changes such as more serious articles, professional photos (thanks Meg!) I’ve really enjoyed writing this blog and what has come out of being a blogger – aside from all the wonderful events I get to go to, I’ve loved meeting and getting to know some incredible, creative and inspiring people in North America. I hope to continue growing Simplystylishmom over the next year or so. As all Oscar’s speeches go, I have so many people to thank: my wonderful readers, my loving friends and family for their ideas, input and criticism, my little boys for their love and laughter and most of all to my greatest fan: my husband. Without his patience, positive reinforcement and flexibility I couldn’t have put so much time and effort into SSM and to this I’m so grateful. The only downsides I’ve found from writing a blog have been spending so much time on the computer and less time with my boys and cleaning my house. In this vein the second year of SSM will be marked with more family time, less computer time (thus perhaps less posts, sorry!!) and a greater effort in green living.

To kick off my new blog year’s resolution and as a thank you for your continued support, I’m offering a giveaway today! You’ll win a Green Works gift pack (includes all-purpose cleaner,  bathroom cleaner, glass and surface cleaner, toilet bowl cleaner, dishwashing cleaner (original), dishwashing cleaner(water lily) & biodegradable cleaning wipes). To win this simply share what your favourite Green Works® product is.

And once again, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!!

xxo, SSM

Conditions: This giveaway runs from March 26th to April 14th, 2012, and is open to Canadian residents only. You may enter may enter this giveaway across multiple blogs, but may only win one prize. 

The winner is Coleen! Congrats! 

Maxi Mommy dresses

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Originally not a fan of maxi dresses, I’ve grown to love them and even need them – they’re sooo good for Moms, so graceful and stylish and still modest and refined. When you bend over to pick up a child there is no fear of the skirt being too short…

Here are some of my favourite maxis (under $100) I’ve found for this Spring.

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Old Navy, Express, Arden B, Topshop, Freepeople, J Crew

The Academic Mommy

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Living on campus and being part of the academic scene I come across a lot of Moms who are academics or PhD students who are going to be academics. Not only is there pressure to publish and to achieve as a woman in a male-dominated industry, there’s also the more superficial – but still important concern about what to wear. Many friends of mine or my husbands ask for advice on what to wear at job talks, interviews, conferences or campus tours and so I thought I’d dedicate a post to those special women in the world: the academic Mommy*. Like all working Moms there’s the early mornings, the preparation of your families lunches, the quick breakfast and then the car journey to the respective preschools, daycares and schools. And in the midst of that early morning hullabaloo you’ve got to get yourself dressed and looking somewhat presentable. Here are some tips for the academic Mom about what to wear,

  • Keep it simple. 1-3 pieces eg. a dress, or a dress and a blazer, a blazer, shirt and pants, a trench coat, top and pants or for travelling and informal functions, dark wash jeans and a shirt. Rather than buying lots of inexpensive items, purchase a few more expensive but quality items that work with several outfits and will last a while.
  • Neutrals are safe, mixed with blues and greys. Don’t just wear boring black!
  • Have a pop of colour in your accessories for interest eg. a red purse, some brightly coloured jewellery or shoes.
  • Wear comfortable shoes but don’t always wear flats, find comfortable pumps or wedges.
  • Wrap dresses are your best friend: purchase a few and wear them with cardigans, blazers, flats and pumps. They are elegant and stylish and can be dressed up or down.
  • Finally, a tip from my teaching days: wear dark sunglasses when outdoors – you don’t always want to have to make eye contact with your students, sometimes you just need to hide away!
SSM’s Vancouver picks: J Crew (soon to be opening on Robson Street), Anthropologie, Misch, Olivers&Lilly, Violet, Obakki
To any Vancouver Moms reading this post, feel free to peruse my services offered.

*I first thought that a post on the academic mommy post was redundant because I don’t think academic moms should dress differently from other working moms.