Happy Monday!  This summer is going by WAY too fast for me – anyone else?  I recently joined an amazing network of women, Fashion Mamas, to network with movers and shakers (who are also mothers) in related fields.  My friend, Jackie Thomson, of Leapfrog PR suggested I do it, and I think it’s because she knows me so well.  I am really, really bad at networking and self promotion.  I know, crazy, right?  It’s like being a marine biologist who is not comfortable in the water.  Many times, when someone asks me what I do, especially if they are older, I reply “I’m a stay at home mom”.  I know it’s, like, Blogger 101 to promote yourself, but maybe I’m more shy than I seem.  I also am terrible at networking with the women in my own little clean beauty & lifestyle sphere.  There are so many amazing bloggers and brand founders out there whom I’ve met and just love, and I never seem to make the time to reconnect with them.  So, networking groups and summits seem to be the best way for me to make connections and reconnections.  I’m always happy once I’m involved, but I need to force myself to make the effort.  Can anyone else relate?  Speaking of summits and conferences, Fashion Mamas is hosting their inaugural Mamas Making It Summit on July 8 in Los Angeles.  I so wish I could attend; True Botanicals, Kite Hill, Shiva Rose and other clean lifestyle brands will be there, and there will be a lot of workshops focusing on brand building, navigating digital media, and philanthropy.

Fashion Mamas was kind enough to feature me in their “Member Spotlight” series, and I thought I’d share it with you since I’m not always great at giving you a glimpse into my life.  There are just so many products I feel the need to share with you that I never get around to telling you about me – and apparently, that is part of this blogger gig…  Are we seeing a pattern here?

Something else a few readers asked me to discuss on Mama Mondays is maternity and nursing fashion.  I know that’s not what I normally write about, but I did have a ten year career in the fashion industry, (I still miss it sometimes) and let’s face it, maternity and nursing fashion are hard.

My favorite maternity clothes have all come from Hatch.  Story of my life: they are not cheap, but they are worth it, and I have worn my pieces a lot after having my babies.  (Full disclosure: I even bought a few new pieces for my postpartum spring and summer body, since I am not yet even close (!) to being back to my normal size.)  By the way, they are having a big sale right now.  Stock up, because in my opinion, this summer’s collection is their cutest yet.

I also bought a lot of pieces from Shop BURU for pregnancy and postpartum.  The founder, Morgan Hutchinson, was frustrated by the lack of cute clothes that you can actually nurse in.  I remember trying to navigate that fine line when I was nursing Annabel, and I feel like I was either in a giant button down/pajamas, or a cute outfit that I had to literally take off in order to feed my baby (in private, obviously).  She bridges the gap, and the prices are budget-friendly.  I lived in every color of the moto pants this spring.

Asos also has some great maternity clothes, but it’s really “hit or miss”, and I hate buying fast fashion.  All I can picture is a 12 year-old child sewing my dress while I’m wearing it….  But, if you’re going to a party or a wedding and you’re 8 months pregnant, they usually have something that will work.

For the tight, stretchy stuff, no one does it better than Isabella Oliver – their quality is amazing.  The second half of my pregnancy, I wore their stretchy knit dresses all the time, and I felt really good in them.

I bought all my nursing bras and tanks from A Pea in the Pod.  Bonus trivia fun fact: My first job out of college was as their assistant buyer for swimwear and lingerie.  So, believe me when I say I know where to shop for maternity and and nursing apparel!

That’s all for now!  Hope this Monday isn’t kicking your @$$.

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