Hot Mama Maternity Workout Wear

Jul182013

I am SO excited about today’s post! My beautiful friend Raven is visiting from her incredible blog, Cheers to New Beginnings!, to talk to us about what she is loving in the world of maternity workout clothes. I love living vicariously through this girl and the amazing adventures her and her husband have been on while living abroad. I can’t wait to hear all about her newest adventure – motherhood! Thanks so much, Raven, for visiting and giving all those pregnant mamas out there some amazing options! — Ashley

Let me begin by thanking the lovely and talented author of The Mommy Games for asking me to write this guest post.  I’m honored and delighted.  I write a blog myself, though quite different from The Mommy Games.  My husband, Jon, and I are currently American expats living in Brussels, Belgium, and I started my blog in 2010 to document our lives and experiences as expats.  Though mostly travel related, of late, the blog has been dotted with a few momma-to-be posts as Jon and I eagerly anticipate the arrival of our first bundle of joy in a few short weeks (August 2nd). Pregnancy definitely has its challenges, and one that tends to present itself most every day is clothing.  Looking presentable, and shall I even say cute – while avoiding looking frumpy and whale-like – on a “reasonable” budget can be mentally daunting.

As a former college athlete and regular at the local gym, I have done my best to maintain some level of fitness throughout my pregnancy through a variety of activities.  The hardest question at times, though, was what to wear!  As the running tights and spinning shorts became uncomfortably tight and the tank tops a bit too short, I turned to the following items, which have been a mainstay in my wardrobe of late:

Hot Mama Maternity Workout Wear

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Hot Mama Summer Workout Wear

Jun272013

You know those women who show up to the gym dressed to the nines? Full on hair and make-up and outfits that look more appropriate on a runway than a treadmill? Yep, I am so not one of those. I look for function first and foremost from my workout clothes, and I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve worn make-up to the gym (probably leftover from a late night before).

But since having kids, my schedule has become significantly more packed, and sometimes it’s just easier to dress for a workout early and hope to squeeze it in at some point before dinner. This means that I’m probably going to be running errands, taking the kids to classes or the playground, and doing a number of other things that will require that I run into a least a handful of people I know. And I probably don’t want to look a hot mess.

Thank goodness so many fitness apparel lines realized many women have the same issue, and have come up with some amazing options. Here’s what I’m living in this summer:

Hot Mama Summer Workout Wear
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Mommy Happy Hour

Jun142013

Mommy Happy HourOne of things me and my mommy girlfriends do often is get together for mommy happy hour. We let the kids play while we happily sip libations and gab about what’s new in our lives. One of the best ways to break the boredom of being a SAHM and also stay connected to the outside world is by getting together regularly with other moms. Sometimes it’s just one other mom, and other times we have a veritable open house of moms and kids going in and out. I love having that time to chat and relax while the kids play, even if we do only have an hour before crying and whining ensues.

In that spirit, I bring you the Mommy Happy Hour series, which you can expect every Friday. Feel free to grab a drink (I won’t tell anyone if it’s before 5), hand your kid the Ipad, and see what I’m loving this week!

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Best First Birthday Toys

May312013

Best 1st Birthday Toys by The Mommy Games

Like most kids these days, my little ones are pretty spoiled. They are the first grandchildren for 2 sets of grandparents, and Brad and I generally have more fun picking out toys than the kids do playing with them. This isn’t something I’m necessarily proud of, but no matter how much we try and keep things in check, I’m all too aware of the fact that our place is chock full of toys of every shape and sort. When Rylan turned one a few months ago, I decided to be really conscious of what we were buying him and to aim for quality over quantity (it didn’t hurt that we already had a pile of age appropriate toys passed down from Brandon). I wanted to share with you the toys that had sticking power – the ones that he liked right from the beginning, still get played with daily and can grow further with him, and those that I don’t find so annoying that I want to chuck them out the window onto the Broadway traffic.

Here’s my list for Top 5 Best First Birthday Toys:

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The Best Apps for Toddlers

Apr172013

The Best Apps for Toddlers by The Mommy Games

The ipad is an incredible tool. It’s helpful and fun for adults, but if you’ve ever seen a young child use it, you will instantly understand the potential this tool has for not only entertainment, but also for learning. Most of the time, my 2-year old can navigate a new game and learn it without ever needing an explanation from me. Since they can use their fingers, most children find playing with the ipad pretty intuitive. I personally still consider time spent playing with any electronic device as “screen time,” and limit it in the same way I do the TV, but I will readily admit that my toddler seems to actually come away from playing with the ipad having learned something.

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The Best Board Books for Baby

Dec182012

The Best Board Books for Baby

A board book would be the perfect last minute gift for the baby in your life. Even the smallest baby will like to see the colors and will eventually enjoy exploring the book on their own. They are safe, small, and durable. With the holidays right around the corner, I thought this list of our favorites would be helpful if you are looking to pick up something small and special to put in a stocking or give to a friend who recently had a baby.

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The Best Gift Ideas for your Husband

Dec32012

Ladies, is your husband/boyfriend as hard to buy for as mine? Then this is my early Christmas gift to you. I asked my sweet husband to write about his favorite gifts – ones that he thought all guys would love and that women wouldn’t necessarily consider. He came up with this amazing post, and I think it will give you some great ideas for your holiday shopping! Here’s Brad…

The only question in this world I think the internet can’t answer is – What should I get my wife for Christmas?  If you don’t believe me try googling the words “best gift idea for wife/husband” and after your 20th page of useless items on Red Envelope you will know what I’m talking about.

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My Favorite Baby Must Haves

Jul182012

My Favorite Baby Must Haves

Rylan is just over 4 months old and here’s a list of what I simply can’t live without for him…

Bjorn Carrier – We have two, but this one is the best for lighter babies. It’s so easy to use and the baby can face towards or away from you. I have Rylan in this all the time so that I can do things with Brandon and use both hands.

Aden and Anis bamboo swaddle blankets  – So soft and pretty. We only swaddled Rylan for the first month, but I use these to cover the stroller or bjorn so he doesn’t get sun (or touched by creepy people on the street). The Sleep sacks with swaddle attachments are also a must-have if your baby is breaking out of normal swaddles. The Miracle Blanket is even tougher for them to get out of, but it’s kinda a pain to do up, especially after a diaper change at 2 am. I’m also obsessed with the Aden and Anis burp cloths/bibs. They are the perfect size and shape and I love that they serve multiple functions.

White noise machine – Blocks out all kinds of noise when the baby is sleeping. With a toddler and a crazy dog running around this is a must have.

Summer Infant Video Monitor – This one is the best!! We’ve been through 3 different brands and they all broke on us within 6 weeks. This one has been going strong for a year plus now, and we even added a camera so we can watch both of the boys rooms. It has a scan feature that automatically switches between up to 4 cameras every 8 seconds. Perfect for when you are sleeping and want something that is going to monitor multiple children.

Stroller(s) – You gotta have one, and if you live in NYC it better be good! We actually have 3, and I love them all for different reasons. A Maclaren for easy fold-up, great for when we are going to be taking a cab or car someplace. An UppaBaby with an attached rumble seat, which I use when I have both kids but will be in a more cramped place, like Whole Foods. And a double BOB running stroller. Even though the BOB is enormous, it’s probably my favorite. We have the car seat adapter and I’ve been running with Rylan since he was 3 months old. It’s insanely heavy with both kids and the car seat, which has really kicked my butt into shape. It’s a large stroller to have in nyc, but I like that both the boys can see out. It also does amazing in the snow!

Fisher Price Bouncy Chair and Play Mat – We have some of the other “cooler” versions (that cost like 4x as much), but you just can’t beat the classics. They have more bells and whistles and the kids generally respond to the colors and lights. The others might look better with your decor, but you will be running out to get the gaudy bright colored jungle of toys sooner or later.

Play Pen – We have a Graco, but I don’t think it matters what brand. You just need a place where you can put the baby down and know he’s safe for a few minutes. I actually do “independent play time” in the play pen. I have a mobile and a handful of soft rattles in there for Rylan and he will hang out there for 30 minutes most days while I cook dinner. Brandon did his independent play time in there until he was 18 months old and then switched to his room. It’s also a great place for them to sleep if you are traveling.

Medela breast pump – If you are planning on breast feeding, a good pump is a must. I know there are people out there that never end up giving their baby a bottle, but this mommy needs a break every once in a while. Not to mention that a pump can help you with supply issues. If you are not getting enough milk, pump in between feedings to increase supply. Too much milk and all you have to do is pump a little before you start feeding to keep from drowning the baby. I actually started exclusively pumping for Rylan after about 2 months. I just found it quicker and easier to do things on my schedule and I’ve never really been skilled enough to breastfeed in public. I would highly recommend getting a double pump. It just makes life easier and every minute counts when you have a newborn.

Diapers.com – I seriously don’t know what I would do with out them. I get deliveries multiple times per week. They are quick, reliable and easy to deal with if anything every does go wrong.

I would love to hear from you what make your must-have for baby list!

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