Baby, it's cold outside!

The temps are low around here and that means it’s time for us mild-winter-weather Washingtonians to bundle up! Personally, I love the drastic change of seasons. This is real WINTER, people! None of that “oh I’ll just run out in my sweater” weather. No – you need a REAL coat. Right now! Do you have one? Maybe. Do you need another one? Probably. Who wants to wear the same coat from now until March? I can’t do it. Plus, you know where we live. Next week it could be 55 degrees. But I still don’t want you running out in your sweater. You have other options! Let’s see what we’ve got.  (Keep in mind I have been all 3 of the friends below, so I do not make this stuff up!)

Exhibit A: the stylish mommy (meaning you run around all day and though you’re super buff from carrying that carseat, you still get out of breath and hot easily): This coat could potentially work for all 3 situations we’re discussing today. It is basically a year-round option at an affordable price with several important features: a HOOD (who has time for an umbrella? Also I don’t like how much space they waste in my nice handbags), a removable lining (hello spring and summer! Take that bad boy out and you are good for the warmer months and pack well for travel), a belt (yes please to make the look more polished) annnnnnd it comes in regular and petites. (I have pretended that coats I fell in love with fit, when really they were too long with droopy sleeves – ick! So, either alter or embrace a specialty size as needed.) My friend who looks like brunette barbie has the regular in black and I have the petite in khaki. Both of us have been pleased as punch and for less than $200, I am considering buying it in the other color! (shhhh I know I know Christmas is about GIVING not receiving. I’m all about giving but I have to be honest that I usually exchange a lot of what I receive… why can’t the husband ASK me what I want?! We have a horrible problem with this. The other day he suggested I get some slippers… so I did. How was I supposed to know that was a cryptic Christmas “hint?” And then I came home and showed them my steal of a deal on black sequin moccasins. Apparently this was a bad idea. He had ordered me an even cuter (can you believe it?) pair online for Christmas! What can I say. Sometimes my over-achiever-ness ruins surprises.)

Exhibit B: the public transit (but stylish) commuter (meaning you might wait for your unpredictable bus for longer than the “one bus away” app says you will): Two of my very beautiful friends have this coat. They are both the type that would look cute in a paper sack, but really trust me this coat is super cute. I love that is extra warm (read: tailgating appropriate), again has a hood, and my other fave feature – a belt! This is especially great for the puffy/down coats. Sometimes they can get a big sausage-ish (sorry) and the belt really breaks that up. It’s also 30% off right now! So go here and get shopping. This coat can easily be worn for 6 months in Washington, and when it warms up, go back to exhibit A. 

Exhibit C: the door-to-door diva (meaning your only time outside is from the door to the car, possibly across the street for coffee, then back from the car to the door): This girl should still be warm, but does not necessarily need to be practical. Thus, let me introduce my friends known as cashmere and faux fur. While they aren’t pals with mother nature, they are besties with the warmth of a car service and parking garage. This diva probably doesn’t even leave her desk for lunch, and if she needs to, she has Jimmy John’s on speed dial to deliver. (Can you tell who I most identify with?!) Anyways, for this friend, I recommend a bit more luxury. One of my favorite places to shop right now is Topshop for Nordstrom. It is affordable and super trendy, yet still high quality. I have loved seeing this collaboration grow, and I encourage you to check it out! Both of these coats are fun and fabulous. They don’t break the bank, which is good, since they aren’t Miss Responsibility, but they are still useful and versatile. You can wear this one casual or dressy with skinnies (love that it’s a little longer), and this one is super yummy to wear for holiday parties, or outerwear with dresses or pants.

Put on your last year’s coat and get shopping! Or, if you’re too cold, just cozy up on the couch and click one of the best phrases ever invented, “add to bag.”

PS - Gavin likes having a coat collection too. Write a comment or email me if you need shopping tips for where to buy for baby! :)

Baby on Board. Literally.

Hello! We are back! Broke-O and baby took a vaca! We went ALL the way across the country… a little math equation I call 4 flights, 4 days, 4 generations! It was pretty amazing to introduce Gavin to my 95-year-old grandfather, who instantly nicknamed him “the little fighter.” Who still gives out nicknames at 95, much less original ones? My grandpa. You can learn a lot from a guy who enjoyed a martini a day for most of his lifetime.

Though I had to skip the martinis, the trip was still an educational opportunity for Broke-O the mommy. This was baby’s first plane ride, and we figured we would start with a bang! No need to test the waters with a short flight to California or something. No, we just took a quick jaunt to the east coast. Me, Gavin, and the heavier-than-hell Marc by Marc Jacobs diaper bag. I love that thing, but I nearly ripped the strap off by making it so heavy. Though I sought tips from my really smart mom friends and the fairly smart baby books/sites, I still had to learn a few things the hard way. Which is fine, because I’m going to do this again in a few weeks, and then I can act like the pro and boss the husband around. Here are a few pieces of advice (if you want them – I realize I’m speaking from minimal experience, so take it or leave it) on travelling with a cute little peanut:

see: time to pick up that kindle!

-probably don’t need to bring your back issues of Vogue. And Real Simple. If you haven’t had time to read them at home, you probably won’t have time on the plane with your new little friend. Because my travel companion WAS actually so well-behaved though, I did have time to read. Thus, I recommend the Kindle. Which is a lovely little invention that I left at home. Because I’m a bozo. The plane + baby definitely requires a one-handed apparatus. Have you ever tried to read a magazine with one hand? I know I have small hands, but it is pretty much impossible.

-also, you don’t need your super warm and cozy scarf. You may be used to travelling with scarves and I understand why; they make great pillows and I always believed help keep the nasty plane germs away from my face. I made a point to wear a scarf on the plane no matter what time of year I travelled. Not anymore, fashionistas! First, lugging around your travel buddy-baby AND that bag loaded with (what seemed like) rocks weighs easily… too much for me. So, you are basically a packhorse and then you have on this WOOL-CASHMERE scarf: no. Don’t do it. Then, remember you are carrying the baby who loves to smother himself in a front pack situation. His face plus drool plus your cashmere: no again.

-While you’re at it, just wear as few clothes as possible.  It. Is. So. Hot. On. Planes. Maybe you used to think they were cold. Again, not anymore. Lugging that baby around is a WORK.OUT. And then you confine yourself to the bite-size seat and squish your overflowing bag underneath the seat in front of you – economy plus is a joke for a mommy and baby! We needed economy plus plus. Or multiplied or something.

-when planning your plane wardrobe, whether with baby or not, I (along with everyone sensible) recommend you dress in layers. I hate travelling with a coat, but in winter it must be done. The rest of the year, I usually do a cami, short sleeve t shirt, grandpa cardigan, and boyfriend jeans or leggings. (I really like this sweater too; Leith has some great pieces right now.)

-definitely bring another adult! My bestie and mom was a fabulous and fashionable partner. (We made sure to have a little “episode” as she called it at Nordstrom a few weeks before.) Though most people are very friendly and accommodating with you and your babe, there are just a lot of moving parts. TSA is intense for a normal, competent person; do they have to SHOUT at you about the bag of liquids? It’s so stressful. And then you add in that angry lady in front who needs no less than 6 bins and has the audacity to give ME a dirty look when I leave my (adorable) monogramed necklace on! It was an honest mistake! Bin thief.

Travel safe and smart, fashionistas! Stay warm and watch for a post on winter-wear (especially COATS) coming soon!

Broke-O in the kitchen

As you know, I have set myself some high goals while on maternity leave... One was to work on this blog, and the other was to work in the kitchen. Wait, that second one is a lie. I have never aspired to improve my cooking skills. And by skills I mean I have never learned to cook. For some reason, I just can't prioritize that arena of life or room in the house. In fact, Gavin was about a month old before I really ever took him in the kitchen. He seriously looked around like he was thinking, "What is this strange new place? And why is my mom in it?" When Carrie said she stored her sweaters in the oven on Sex and the City, I literally thought to myself, "That is a genius idea!" Unfortunately, I live with someone who actually uses the oven for its practical purposes, so my sweaters are banished to the bedroom closet. Actually, it is rather fortunate, because if it wasn't for that someone, I probably wouldn't eat! The only thing I make in the oven is cookies and cupcakes. I have prided myself on becoming a pretty good baker... cook - no, chef - absolutely not, but baker - I think you would agree that I can make a mean chocolate chip cookie. And any bozo can make funfetti cupcakes from the betty crocker box. However, my baking skills have evolved in the last decade. 

It was a mandatory phase in high school to bake for the boys - birthdays, football games, etc. As a cheerleader, we always had an athlete who we made treats for the game. Thinking back, I realize this was never reciprocated... definitely not a 2 way street with those guys! Anyways, cheering for 3 years helped improve my baking skills. Some team always needed something, or sometimes a decent baked good helped a mediocre class presentation as well. These tasty treats were normally created in a short time frame, squeezed in between a gazillion extracurricular activities. (I seriously don't understand how any of us made it through high school; I think we're busy now, but do you remember those days? How did we have the energy and why did we wake up at 5am to curl our hair? Ok, maybe that was just me...) Anyways, one time my bestie, E, and I decided to make cookies from a recipe we saw on Oprah. We were loyal Oprah fans. When I was in college, I achieved my lifelong dream of attending a taping of the Oprah Winfrey show with my mom. Unfortunately, the topic of the show was... debt. Of course I missed the day Tom Cruise jumped on the couch! Instead, we received a free book about... saving money. Greaaaat. It didn't matter though; it was still a monumental experience and though we learned nothing, we. were. on. oprah. Enough said. 

So, there we were, a few years prior, attempting these "healthy" (totally fell for it) banana chocolate chip cookies. We had just scooped them onto the cookie sheets and slid them into the oven when we remembered we forgot the baking soda. Or baking powder? See, I still don't understand what the big deal was! One of those two important ingredients with the word "baking" was left out, and we felt this was a significant problem. Thinking fast, we pulled the half-baked cookies out of the oven. They were definitely partially cooked, so there was no putting them back in the bowl to start over. As an alternative solution, we thought maybe we could sprinkle the baking whatever on top of each cookie. A few minutes later, we pulled out puddles of cookies that looked like they were covered in cocaine. We even went so far as to take toothpicks to try and swirl the white powder IN to the cookies... another fail. You can imagine that no team or class had treats the next day after this disaster. 

I assure you that my baking techniques are much improved! I do still however do a serious ingredient check before anything goes in the oven. And, I stay away from all other food groups. And, I thank the husband for his excellent skills in the kitchen. For some reason, we have been assigned to bring the mashed potatoes to Thanksgiving. This is a major step up, because we usually are told to bring rolls or wine. (Clearly, my family knows I can't be trusted.) So, with this major responsibility, I obviously started planning ahead and asked the husband if we should make the potatoes at home and transport them, make them there, etc. "So, we could peel and cut the potatoes and take them over and mash them up?" The (smarty pants) husband replied, "What about boiling them?" Oh. "I forgot that step." 

We'll see how well these turn out!

PS - You know I am a firm believer that presentation is key. Bad baker? Not a chef either? No problem! Look at these cute things you can distract yourself with in the kitchen: 

Apron from Anthropologie (see more here)

Polka Dot potholder set from Anthropologie (great gift idea!)

How hilarious would you be if you showed up to a
cookie exchange with this funny set of cosmetic
goodies from Philosophy? Available at Nordstrom.

I especially enjoy holiday serving platters;
these are from Crate & Barrel and I love the different sizes.

Deal alert! This darling set of 4 appetizer plates is just $9.96
at Target! Who cares what you put on them? They are too
cute to even notice what you're eating. Buy them here.

Wedding Season Wrap Up

This weekend we attended our 9th and final wedding of 2013. This was a light year for our wedding circuit. While it was the last of the season, it was the FIRST wedding of the year that I enjoyed not-pregnant! Yippee! While you know I consider myself a professional wedding guest and I love wedding season, this last one was just not the same... probably partially because I realized I have absolutely NO sober dance moves. Sad but true; I know. This became startling obvious at the first wedding we went to in February, which was particularly well-lit... that didn't help. I learned that wine-free Erin just needs a little help on the dance floor. I have never claimed to be a great dancer, but everyone knows that moves improve with some liquid courage. This is also extra unfortunate because the husband happens to be a great dancer. There, I said it. A little wild, but pretty good. So it was a long summer for him on the dance floor. Don't worry too much about him, though - it appears he found plenty of other dancing partners and wasn't too concerned with me and my (delicious!) diet coke on the sidelines.

See what I mean? Wild. The pretty blonde he's
dancing with is busy planning her wedding,
which will be THE event of 2014. 

So, as the weddings wrap up for this year (unless someone surprises us within the next 6 weeks or so!), I encourage you to do a few things in the off season to prepare for next. Whether you attend a dozen weddings a year or just one, remember what the boy scouts say: be prepared! 

• Shop in the off season: there is no better time to pick up a fabulous dress! Personally, I hate repeating dresses at weddings. Most of the weddings we attend recycle the same group of people (and I mean that in the nicest way - but last year we were practically living with our friends since we went to weddings with them every weekend), so I prefer to not always be "the girl in the ____ dress." I like to be the girl in the pink dress, the girl in the blue dress, the girl in the leopard dress - you see what i mean? I recommend looking for dresses that are wearable for all seasons, but try not go get anything too heavy, as most of the weddings are September-May. Go for silk or chiffon, and stay away from all wool (too hot) or all cotton (too casual). Scour the sales racks and then just leave the dress(es) in your closet (hanging nicely please - not rolled in a ball) until the spring. You will be SO relieved to save yourself a shopping trip then, and you won't see yourself coming and going at next year's soirees. Check out off-price retailers like Nordstrom Rack and TJ Maxx, since their product isn't always as seasonal. Don't like to dig for deals? You don't have to! Nordstrom Rack is now available online: happy shopping! I also suggest owning at least one LBD: my favorite of the moment (for price point and sweet style) is below and available here: 
  
• Send your gifts: as the etiquette police, I (politely) ask that you get this done! You technically have 1 year to send a wedding gift, and the couple technically has 1 year to write a thank you note. I prefer that both get done within the first 0-6 months. It is so easy to send a gift online now and usually obtain free shipping. Since we attend so many weddings (and I realized I was spending a fortune on wrapping paper), I have started sending gifts before the weddings from the online registries and try to check it off the list shortly after receiving the invitation. (The only problem is my pregnancy brain couldn't remember who I did and didn't send gifts too.... so if you have short term memory loss like me, be sure to this down somewhere... or something!)
• Find more reasons to celebrate: Now that wedding season is over, don't turn into a video-game-addicted, glued-to-the-tv-for-football, hermit! These sweet adjectives may apply more to our male readers.... But for the ladies, same goes for you! There are still plenty of occasions that call for get-togethers, and if not, let's make some! We recently had our friends over about a month into newlywed bliss and they filled our evening with laughter as we heard about their hilarious/disastrous honeymoon. Likewise, it is so fun to go (aka invite yourself) to the newlyweds home and enjoy fun night eating and drinking off all their new toys! Who doesn't love to be the first to use a monogrammed wineglass? That is a Saturday night win in my book! Seriously though, sometimes we have to remind ourselves to do this when there isn't an event booked on the calendar every month. Not a chef or professional entertainer? No problem! Take a page out of my (kitchen-challenged) book and get a Papa Murphy's pizza - cut into squares and put on a pretty platter. (All pizza is more fancy in squares. Plus there is something about take-n-bake that makes you appear slightly classier than delivery. After all, you do have to drive to get it AND operate the oven with some degree of intelligence.) Add a salad and a bottle of wine and everyone's happy. Read more about my adventures in cooking in the next post.... 

OK - now that you have read this, you have permission to go watch football. But invite someone over to watch with you, would ya? And do some online shopping from the couch. 

PS - Thank you so much to those who subscribed via email! I really appreciate you! The winner of the drawing is... Brandon Hemphill! He will be receiving a little something special in the mail. Keep reading for more potential contests or deals! Thanks again.