It’s been awhile since my last Mom Uniform installment. Most likely because once we lose daylight savings time I go into a deep hibernation. If you don’t leave your home, you don’t need a uniform! But there is nothing like the holidays to pull you out of your yoga pants! With just a little over a week until Christmas, I bet you are running around town doing this and that. Why not look put together while doing it?! {This uniform is actually yoga pants in disguise.}
Start with a pair of faux leather leggings that feel more like PJ’s than pants. Pair with a popover shirt that is long enough to cover your toosh -it’s just more flattering. Don’t worry about the weather or doing your hair because a beanie takes care of that. A pink coat makes this uniform. It adds the pop of color and warmth! A soft coral lip and a subtle shimmer on your lids are all the accessories you will need. Finish with a pair of comfy, cool sneakers -so you can run all day long.
Please note: The link for the pink coat is different than the coat pictured. Zara sold out of the coat I chose, but the Vince Camuto is a great alternative!
This seems like a ridiculous question right? Well, I must ponder this very deliberately because it is a real dilemma for me. You see, I dropped my phone about 3 weeks ago and it has been a roller coaster since then. The shattered screen was replaced, only to have seemingly set off a domino effect. First Siri would no longer chat with me. The mic/camera was then replaced. The new screen then glitched and blinked every time I touched it. The latest screen {Yes! That would be screen #3} worked for 2 hours. Two beautiful hours. Currently my phone works {most of the time} except for the bottom left corner. Why is this important you ask? Well, that is the corner for the number shift command -including punctuation and symbols on your keyboard. That I am almost willing to live with, since I can still use voice command to insert those characters. It is also where most ‘home’ commands are in most apps. Also annoying!
However, I am mostly sad about the emojis. Those darling little characters that make me smile every day! Sometimes one emoji can replace words altogether.
So my big decision is whether or not to send my phone to CA to be repaired. My gut says to just live with it. And then I wonder….Can I live without emojis?
LESSONS LEARNED:
1. Don’t check Instagram while on a walk.
2. Buy AppleCare
3. Take your shattered phone to the Apple store no matter what!
**In all honesty, it is just a phone. It is miniscule on the scale of real problems. It is just such a damn hassle.
A challenge just in time for the holidays! Following up on core and arms, it is time to focus on the booty! Keeping it simple, the exercises and repetitions stay the same all month. You just need to find the time time. No weights, no equipment needed. Put aside 10-15 minutes a day during this busy holiday season. You will thank yourself come January 1!
I have included links as a reference for each exercise.
Ok, you super fit, beautiful things! It is time for another 30 day challenge. I have been feeling under the weather with an extremely vicious head cold, so I decided not to model the exercises. Please forgive me. If you were part of the Core Challenge last month, you will remember that I asked my friend Amy to help build a challenge that: 1. Will take less than 15 minutes a day. 2. Require little to no equipment. 3. Will give us noticeable results.
I am thrilled that this challenges focuses on arms and back! In an effort of full disclosure, I am a bit obsessed with my arms looking fit and toned. It is one of the first things I look at when I see a picture of myself. I am sure Amy would give me a fitness based reason why it is vital to have strong arms and back, but my motivation is mostly for appearance sake.
This month Amy did add small hand weights. She gives alternatives in the printable workout if you don’t have any at home. Also, I tried to find images that matched Amy’s exercises- but since she is so crafty it was hard to do. Be sure to read all of Amy’s tips on how to complete each exercise.
Start today, start tomorrow, or whenever you feel ready for it. Download and print the latest 30 day challenge here.
This is a totally quick share today. If you are not reading Humans of New York you must start today. TODAY! Brandon Stanton snaps a photos and interviews folks on the streets of New York. His questions are provocative, which elicit unexpected responses. His posts often restore my faith in humanity and remind me to be thoughtful of strangers. Everyone has a story.
This recent post had over one million likes on Facebook alone! It might be the best one EVER! The story below that goes with the selfie of Tom Hanks and a cabbie:
“So get this. I’m driving down Park Avenue one day and this guy waves for me, so I pull over and I ask him where he’s going. He tells me 74th street, and I tell him that’s too far for me, because my shift just ended, so he says ‘thanks anyway’ and walks away. But then I think about it, and I start feeling bad for the guy, cause hey— I got a conscience. So I call him back to the cab and tell him to hop in. And he gets in the car all excited, all animated, and he’s talking about all these things. But he’s got his cap pulled down way over his eyes, so I can’t see who it is. But pretty soon I start to recognize his voice. And when we get to a light, I turn to him, and I look him in the eye, and I scream: “WIIIIIIILLLSSSSSOOOOOOON!!!” And that really got him. He started laughing hard. He sees that I’ve got this Ferrari hat on, and a Ferrari shirt too, so he starts calling me ‘Mr. Ferrari.’ The whole ride, he keeps calling me ‘Mr. Ferrari.’ So after we get to his destination, we snap a quick photo, and he goes on his way. And I think that’s it. But that’s not it, cause get this. Over the next few weeks, I just happen to randomly pick up people that know him. People who have acted with him before, people who work with him. And every time, I tell them: ‘Tell Mr. Hanks that Mr. Ferrari says ‘hello.’” Every time I say that. Then one day I’m driving, and I get a text from one of the people that I’d driven, and it says: ‘Mr. Hanks wants to invite you to see his Broadway show.’ So I bring my lady to the show, and we get to go backstage and everything, and after the show, we’re waiting for him in his dressing room, and he walks in and screams: ‘Mr. Ferrari!’ Can you believe that story? And you wanna know the craziest thing? The name of his show was ‘Lucky Guy.’ How crazy is that? Cause that was me. A lucky guy!”
You really must follow him and read his posts in some way:
AND it’s Friday! Perfect time to plan a little something fun-whether it’s a new place to eat or a whole weekend away! I hope that I can inspire you to go out and enjoy this glorious city of ours! xoxo-d
STAY:
While I am sure it is fantastic at TreeHouse Point in the summer, I am drawn to want to stay there in the blustery months. This tree house bed and breakfast in Fall City is the stuff big kids’ dreams are made of…..
EAT:
Trove , owned by Rachael Yang, on Capitol Hill is 4 shops in one. Parfait, Noodles, BBQ and a Bar. Eager to try this spot! If it is anything like her other restaurants {Revel & Joule} I know I will love it!
SEE:
The latest exhibit at the Seattle Art Museum, Pop Departures, makes my heart beat faster!
READ:
Everyone is taking about The Boys in the Boat. It’s the story of the University of Washington’s 1936 eight-oar crew and their epic quest for an Olympic gold medal. Go DAWGS!
SHOP:
Paper Hammer has a store front in downtown Seattle, but it’s heart is in Tieton, WA. Read about Ed Marquand and his unique paper goods shop.
DO:
Most tourist will hit the Space Needle, but the Smith Tower is another spot to take in the gorgeous sights of our magical city {at a fraction of the cost}! It just celebrated its 100th birthday. The observation deck is open most days form 10am-5pm.
I celebrated my 4oth birthday this summer and wanted to share with you one of my favorite details! A year ago, I wore a temporary tattoo to Aaron’s birthday party with his name on it. He thought is was fun and I thought I was bad ass-and so began my obsession! For my birthday party, I ordered temporary tattoos for my girlfriends from Pepper Ink. I couldn’t wait to share my love of ink with my girls! We all wore feathers on our right arms for the night! It was such a fun way to kick off a new decade. Who says forty is middle aged? We are just hitting our stride! Hello, Forty.
I found Pepper’s Etsy shop and have been wearing her tattoos off and on for about a year. The quality of the tattoos are amazing and you can literally not tell they are temporary. I also use the Liquiskin Tattoo Shine Remover, which eliminates the shine of the temporary tattoo-making it look virtually real. Pepper’s tattoos last well over a week, which is incredible! I love that I can change my tattoo with my mood, my outfit, or the season.
I am 99.9% sure you will love wearing a temporary tattoo. Even if it is a tiny heart on your wrist. Give it a try! Pepper is offering Where is June? readers 25% off any order through her Etsy shop {excluding wedding favors}. Awesome! Simply visit her shop, Pepper Ink, and enter the code WHEREISJUNE at checkout. I promise you will like yourself in a tattoo. You have nothing to lose! {These would make awesome stocking stuffers, too! It’s never too early to shop.}
Last week I had jury duty for two days in downtown Seattle. Following the judges’ instruction I did now tweet, post or comment on social media about my days of service. {Such a rule follower!} One perk of jury duty is the hour and half lunch breaks. On day 2 I ventured with a few of my fellow jurors to Pioneer Square for a bite to eat! Lucky for us, we found Little Uncle.
I instantly fell in love with the space the moment I walked down the stairs. The space was casually cool and very comfortable. Tons of exposed brick, a library, and a sofa and coffee table. For those of you who may have partied in Pioneer Square {years and years ago} it occupies the space that was once Marcus’ Martini Bar. Only open for lunch, the menu is small but mighty! I ordered the Phad Thai. The portion size was perfect for lunch and came with individual packets of red chili flakes, sugar, and peanuts. You could make your dish as spicy or as sweet as you liked! The show stopper was the house made Hibiscus Lime Soda! Seriously, amazing.
Little Uncle is certainly worth a trip at lunch time. For those of you traveling to Seattle, it would be the perfect spot for lunch before or after the Underground Tour!
And a quick shot in the Halls of Justice. The floors were spectacular.
And the rainy season is upon us here in the Northwest. Lucky me, I am chaperoning an outdoor field trip next week. 70% chance of rain, means a high likelihood our trip is going to be soggy. Even a rainy day field trip deserves a great uniform. This time of year it is all about layers. The temperature is not extremely cold, but the damp can cut right through.
The uniform::
A long ribbed tank and a plaid flannel shirt under a rain shell to guarantee staying dry and warm. Mid-rise skinnies with lots of stretch. Lace-up rain boots. I am seriously coveting these beauties. I appreciate that they are low and would be easy to walk in all day. A colorblock wool hat- a necessity for me! Curly haired girls loathe a rainy day. Throw on a hat and tie your hair into a low knot and no one needs to see a big, frizzy head of hair. A backpack to carry all of the essentials. And finally, a bright lip stain. While the day may be dreary and the clothes neutral-your lips can be cherry red!
It’s October 1st. The first official day of hibernation season. If you are like me, fall is the start of a long, slow trip. Destination: Sofa City. In the Spring and Summer, I can bounce out of bed before my kids are awake and go for a run or workout with friends at boot camp. Fall and Winter? Not so much. So in hopes of breaking the vicious cycle, I asked my friend Amy from Orbit Fit for a monthly challenge. I had a few requirements: 1. The challenge will take less than 15 minutes a day. 2. The exercises require little to no equipment. 3. After 1 month there will be noticeable results. If I had my druthers, this month’s challenge would be focused on arms. However, Amy pushed me to chose a challenge that would actually…challenge me. Hmmph.
A message from Amy:
Think you could go do 100 sit ups, 50 oblique twists, 50 Plank leg lifts and 100 leg raises? No? Follow this plan and I guarantee you’ll do all of that and more 30 days from now. Nearly 80% of people will talk to their doctor about low back pain at some point in their lives … prevent this conversation by strengthening your core! Set an intention this month for a strong core. An intention isn’t a goal, it’s a way of being… stand tall with a strong core, sit with good posture, and do the following exercises that take less than 15 minutes per day.
So here it is. The first Where is June? challenge. Start today, tomorrow, or whenever you feel ready for it. Download and print the 30 day challenge here. Need visual aids. I bravely demonstrate the four exercises below.
So there you go! I am starting today. Are you in??
