Asking Favors (or Favours if You're Canadian)

Interrupting regular scheduled programming to tell you guys about something that's uber-important.


As you guys know, I volunteer at my local hospital as a parent support worker. And it's fulfilling and lovely and was the best possible way for me to deal with my issues surrounding my super traumatic pregnancy last time around. I do a lot of work in the antepartum ward, which is where I spent six weeks of my last pregnancy before giving birth to a preemie and hanging out in the NICU for four weeks. Mostly I just pop by to chat and bring treats to the mamas who are staying on long-term bedrest.

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to spend some time with a beautiful bedrest mom -- Katrina. We chatted for a while about mom stuff and I was surprised to hear that she was pregnant with her sixth baby -- she looked so young! I gave her some deets about NICU life, as her son would most likely spend time there and I promised to come visit her the week after.

Tragically, I received a message on Saturday that this gorgeous mom had passed away from serious complications in childbirth. Her son was fine -- he's a tough little fighter -- but her heart had simply stopped. When I was at the hospital this past Tuesday I learned a little more of the circumstances and felt sick and helpless, especially when thinking of this mom's family. That's the worst part about working at the hospital -- sometimes really sad things happen and you feel like you can't really do anything to help.

Which is why I was so happy when I was contacted through my blog by a group putting together a fundraiser for Katrina's family. They actually didn't know I had previously met Katrina, but asked if I would be willing to donate something to the fundraiser as a local blogger. We came up with the idea of a "Jae's Favorite Things" basket to be auctioned off during a silent auction at the fundraiser. I'm excited to get involved and so glad that this group thought of me.

Now, here's where I'm going to ask for a favor... or favour. Local girls, the fundraiser is at Viking Crossfit in Orem next Saturday. Here are the details:

If you can make it, that would be superb. I've seen some of the auction items  and door prizes and it looks like a lot of fun and I'm planning on stopping by as well. If you're not local and still want to help, there's an account set up at Wells Fargo under "Team Katrina" and also an indiegogo campaign, which you can access here.You can also score more info about the fundraiser and ways to help on the Team Katrina Facebook page.

Money definitely doesn't heal broken hearts, but I hope that through financial support, Katrina's sweet family will be able to take the time they need to grieve the loss of their mother and wife. Medical costs for a NICU baby can also be baffling. I also want them to know that even people like me -- who only knew Katrina for a short while -- were still touched by her life.

I know that usually my blog is light and peppered (and by peppered I mean doused) with sarcasm, but I wanted to take a time out to remember Katrina. Now, I'm off to shop for my basket - I'm thinking shoe gift cards and lots of beauty products and fun accessories. Pop by next Saturday and help support Katrina's fam, pretty please?

Thanks for putting up with the change in posting -- I'll be back to normal next week. You guys are peaches and the best readers a mom/fashion/llama blogger could have.

Summer Shoe Candy!

 ** This post has been sponsored by ShoeDazzle.com. All opinions are my own. **

Remember on Monday where I said that if you didn't get a good MD present, you can go buy shoes instead? Well, I'm gonna help you with that.

ShoeDazzle.com asked if I would check out some of their Spring and Summer offerings and since I spend most of my time looking at shoes anyway, I was happy to oblige. I went online and took a fun fashion quiz about which styles I liked and what types of shoes I wanted to see. Once you're done answering the questions, a stylist then puts together your own showroom with options you'd like the most. Of course, you can also browse around for other shoes too, which is exactly what I did. Now I'm excited for summer and *might* be ordering some wedges. Because I really need them.

 These are my picks for face summer shoes. Even if you don't buy them, you can see how pretty they are, right? Drooooool.And, can you help me decide which ones to get?

I finally found a pair of camo skinnies, praise the heavens. Can't wait to show you. But in the meantime (they're being shipped) I love these adorable flats. Can you imagine these with a khaki skirt and bright T-shirt? I die. Or colored skinnies! OK I'll stop now I'm sorry. 

I'm debating these as one of the pairs I want to buy. There's just something about a white shoe in summer time and that button is bringing out the 5-year-old in me. Large wooden buttons are just one of the joys in life. Screw raindrops on roses.

Please, a red canvas peeptoe wedge? Shut up about it. It's adorable. These with a pair of bermies on a summer date night? Your legs will look a mile long and your feet won't want to fall off like every time I wear heels on a date. I really want these too. UGH.  What is it with red shoes? I have 7 pairs already and I need moooore.












These sandals are boss. Like, I know that flip flops have their place in the world, but after wearing them for a while I kind of want to set them on fire. I love the ankle detail on these. Would they not be amazing with a maxi dress? The answer is yes. Yes they would. 












I love the "match everything" color of these wedges. They would seriously go with pretty much every piece of clothing I own. I'm also loving the way the leather wraps around the cork. And straps make me happy, especially when they hit under the ankle bone. Hellooooo tiny ankles.











Oh, excuse me cutest nautical espadrilles of all time. Would you like to belong to me? I would wear you on my boat with my swimsuit and be the cutest mom on the dock and everyone would be jealous oh please? 

These are another pair I am seriously considering. White and camel makes sweet, sweet love together and I can appreciate that. I have too many shorter summer dresses that are practically begging me to buy these.













Or I could go polka dot with these wedges. Because polka dot makes me so happy. Can you imagine these with a pair of cuffed skinnies, white tee and aqua belt? Instant make-people-jealousness.


Alright, what's your vote? I am in shoe overload and seriously can't choose! Let me know in the comments and I'll totally yield to peer pressure, I just know it!

And, if you're in the mood for shoes too, follow this link to ShoeDazzle.com -- it'll score you 25 percent off and free shipping, which puts the majority of these shoes around the $30 mark. And that's my happy place for shoes.

That reminds me... I really need a pedicure.

What I Wore: Mother's Day

So how was everyone's MD? I just met up with some of my friends for a workout and we all had mixed results. Mine went over well! I got a new Morali flat iron and my new favorite toy in the whole world -- a Keurig! I am a big tea drinker so my husband bought me like, the biggest, baddest Keurig they make. That thing is so cool... and it does cold drinks too. Brilliant! I them promptly went online and bought literally 100 k-cups for the thing. I enjoy excess. I've brewed like 900 cups of peppermint tea in the last 24 hours.

Of course, I also got the cute prezzies from the kids. My daughter gave me a book all about me in which she refers to her brother as "the devil." And my son gave me a dead plant that he potted at school, but then hid in our closed-off, dark guest room for a week without water. Classic, right?

Also, I got my nap. After wearing this and then changing into stretchy pants for the day.

 Dress: Dorothy Perkins - sold out (similar)

Blazer: F21 (here)

Belt: ASOS (similar)

Shoes: G by Guess (with ankle strap)

Earrings: I have no idea I bought them at TJ Maxx lol!
Cuff: F21 (here)

 I'm totally doing the bend and snap here but you must see the gold on these heels LOVE.

 Accessory pic! Love me some gold and black accents.

This dress is a bit big for me so I belted it, but like, five minutes into wearing this I ended up ditching the belt. It was hot and there is nothing worse than belt sweat amiright? 

So yes, I felt pretty good about Mother's Day. However, if you're one of the moms who felt totally passed over yesterday, you have my permission to buy a pair of shoes. With your husband's credit card. 

Freaky Friday: Llama Drama

I'm interrupting regular Freaky Friday to bring you this awesome tale of animal taming and to reiterate how much I dislike the end of the school year.

Yesterday my son's preschool class had a field trip planned. We live fairly close to the Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple, which has a huge llama farm attached to it, so the kids were going to take a tour of the grounds and then feed and ride some llamas. I was going to opt out of going because I pretty much always opt out of going, but my son gave me a puppy dog look and asked if I'd come too, so I loaded up the car and headed over.

While we situated the kids at the preschool, Andrew's teacher let us know that yesterday's group went and weren't able to ride the llamas because apparently they got out of the pen and ran away and the keepers couldn't catch them again. So, the keeper asked that we head straight for the llamas when we got there and take care of the kids' rides before the llamas got wise and took off again.

I had no idea llamas were so diabolical.

So we all pull up to the Temple. There are at least a dozen other moms there to the 20 or so kids and luckily, one of my friends was there with her son. We let the kids run off and play as we chatted for a minute. The kids all sat on the temple steps to hear a spiel from the keeper.

She talked exactly like this:















So naturally, I started giggling.

She explained that they would walk down to the llama pens, feed the llamas and then take them down to the ride pavilions. Sure! I took Andrew and we walked. Which is when he informed me that the farm stunk and he wanted to go home. Oh, no, Andrew. We must stay! It's so fun! He took one look at those llamas and was like:



So we stayed back and looked at some peacocks while the other kids fed the llamas.

Then, the Lover Lady -- as she came to be known in my brain -- let the llamas out of the pen and proceeded to put them on DOG LEASHES.

DOG. LEASHES.



She had one high school-looking helper and only two llamas that would let kids ride them, so I thought oh, OK, she has the helper to help lead the llamas. They started in the direction of the pavilion and all of us moms and kids followed.

Halfway down the hill, the Lover looks at me -- dressed in my stylish and very country-looking Fryes, of course -- and says "Can you handle this llama?" And me and my friend are like:



But since I never say no to ANYONE, I said yes.OF COURSE I could handle the llama. I have my Ph.D. in Llama-Handling with a minor in I'm a Freaking Idiot Who Needs to Learn to Say No.

I take the leash and the llama. And, while my friend is quietly laughing me, she's handed the other leash. HA! And I get all smug like:



Because suddenly I'm the best llama wrangler you've ever seen. And I'm wearing my motherfletching Fryes like I was born to live on a llama farm.

So we lead these llamas down to the pavilion and the teacher starts getting the kids organized. This is when my llama and I start developing a deep-seated hatred for each other. I'm just standing there, trying to be as far away from this animal as possible and he wants to be my face. All of a sudden he's like:



And I start panicking, because llamas are scary. I should also point out that I'm afraid of anything erratic. Birds. Spiders. Llamas for sure. They can smell fear.

Also, my llama wants to be face-to-face and his breath smells like death wrapped in congealed bacon and then set on fire and covered in poo.

The Lover puts a kid up on this makeshift saddle thing and tells me to start leading the llama across to the other pavilion. Sure thing, boss! Of course, this is when the llama begins kicking his legs wildly and I'm faced with visions of telling this child's mother that he was killed in a freak llama stampede. When the Lover noticed that my llama was "acting up", she puts ANOTHER leash on him and tells her helper to also try leading him. Suuuuure.

As we start our walk, we find out that my friend's llama will only walk if there's another llama in front of it. So I have to go in front. We make it across one pass and unload the kid and are loading a new one.

And this is when my llama starts growling at me.

But llamas don't growl so much as they make annoyed Marge Simpson noises. The helper holding onto the other side of my llama says "That noise means he's really upset" and then proceeds to put another child on the llama's back. This is when the llama begins to growl louder and toss his head like Ru Paul at a drag show:



He Does. Not. Want.

I'm hanging on for dear life and praying that the kid doesn't fall off and we try and make another pass. Halfway across the pavilions, my llama decides that he's real tired of this crap and wants to go home. He's clearly having some sort of crisis.



The only way to get him to keep going is to put a bowl of food in his face. The helper grabs one and holds it out and the llama then proceeds to viciously bash his face into the bowl, grab a mouthful of food and then eat it in a way that flings mushy food particles all over me.














So the order of people was now helper, helper's bowl, me, my devil llama, my friend and her obstinate llama.

I am now covered in llama hair, llama food and still hanging onto a leash attached to a llama who I am sure wants to eat my soul for breakfast. All of the kids -- except for mine -- wanted to go for a ride and I was basically dead inside. And did any other mom step in for a turn? No! Everytime I tried to catch one of their eyes they'd be like:



An hour later and we were finally done. The Lover took us on a tour of the rest of the grounds, including such delights like
- feeding the koi three full containers of goldfish food.
- seeing two parrots who would snap your finger like a twig
- learning about why cows are our ancestors
- and seeing a random rabbit that jumped across the property

When we finally ended the tour and were allowed to leave I was just dirty and done. I went to the nearest restaurant, scrubbed myself as much as possible and then ordered a cupcake. Last night I also took the world's longest shower/bath combo to get the llama stink out.



And I never want to see another llama again in my life. 


The best news? My daughter has a field trip today.













THE END.

Mother's Day Ideas That Don't Totally Suck: Under $50

Don't you love it when you pine away for a little Mother's Day recognition, but then when your husband asks what you want you're all like "Uhh I don't know" or even worse "YOU SHOULD JUST KNOW WHAT I WANT!"

Well, he doesn't. He doesn't know what you want. But I'm here to help. Whether you're trying to figure out something to buy for your own mom or you need a literal list complete with links to send to your husband, I've got you covered. Here's some of my picks for Mother's Day presents that don't suck.

An adorable tote:

Archila

I have a huge Calvin Klein tote that I use as my church bag that I would pretty much just die without. I mean, I have a normal purse, but I also have to carry a metric ton of crap around sometimes, which is where a tote comes in super handy. Plus, girls like getting bags. The End. And while this one is $55, you can find a ton of cute totes under the $50 mark.







A nap:

Please for the love of all that is holy. A nap. Because although the point of Mother's Day is to celebrate the fact that I have children, I wouldn't mind not seeing them for two hours.


A statement gloss:

Dior Beauty Addict Gloss

Buying makeup for anyone other than yourself is iffy. Unless that makeup is Dior Beauty Addict Gloss. It's the perfect lip gloss and comes in a bazillion shades and the tube is pretty and it makes me happy. This would be such a luxe gift to give to your makeup-lovin' mama or a cute splurge for yourself. PS: A tube of this stuff literally lasts me a year.







Something really super decadent:

I'm not big on candy in general -- I'm more of a bread gal. But when it comes to holidays, I love some big fluffy cupcakes or a huge bakery cake -- just something I didn't have to make and won't feel guilty about consuming. And it's so easy for the guys. Proceed to bakery. Pick out something fancy. Present to wife and mother of your children. Collect kudos. 


Never-go-out-of-style jewelry:

Kate Spade New York - Skinny Mini Pav Bow Studs (Clear/Gold) - Jewelry

Skip the kid's birthstone jewelry and go for something classic instead. Kate Spade bows will last forever and literally go with anything unlike your kid's birth stone. Both of mine are amethyst: ick.




Monthly beauty boxes:

OK, I'll admit I'm a bit of a product whore. So I totally love the idea of a monthly box with beauty products sent to me. Hello, gift that keeps on giving! For $10, ipsy.com sends you a box with four or five samples and full-size products based on your feedback on the stuff you love. Plus, getting something in the mail other than bills makes me happy.


Non-lame bath products:

Ocean Salt

Call me the most predictable girl of all time, but I love me some bath products. GOOD bath products. My brother's fiancee works for LUSH and she is always giving me awesome natural soap, fizzers, moisturizers and stuff because she understands that we both have a deep and bonding love for bath products. I fill up my jetted tub, dump in the smell-goods and queue up Mad Men on my iPad. Bliss.I love this scrub but I also love their Whoosh jelly and solid moisturizers too. And it all smells SO GOOD.



A chick flick and a promise to watch it without whining:

I did this with both The Time Traveler's Wife and Monte Carlo with my poor husband. But sometimes I just want to sit and sob over a movie and not be judged, OK. And DVDs are like what? $8 at Walmart? Even a tiny budget can handle this plus some theater candy.

Folding flats:

CitySlips Luxe Patent Contrast Toe Foldable Travel Flats

Yeah, maybe this is just on my list. But for all the crazy shoes I wear, I would love these as a Mother's Day present. They're adorable and they fit in your purse -- or in my case, giant Calvin Klein tote. And considering the condition of my feet from one too many mean shoes, they look pretty heavenly.










So that's everything on my list this year! What are you hoping for/doing for your own mama?

An Open Message to Anyone Who Isn't a Mom This Mother's Day

*** This is a repost. I'm giving your babydaddy extra time this year. Just print this out and leave it on his pillow and then collect your prize on Mother's Day. Or I'll punch him in the arm and as the sister of four brothers, I have an excellent arm-punch. Check back tomorrow for some gift ideas! ***

Yesterday, I asked what my friends were wishing for on Mother's Day over on my Facebook page. I was planning on doing a post about gifts and wish lists, but I changed my mind after I saw some of the responses. Instead, I'd like to write a letter to everyone BUT moms on this mother's day.

Feel free to forward this to your significant other or adult children with my regards.

(Disclaimer: This is not directed at my own husband, who is actually quite good at Mother's Day)

**********************************************************************

Hey, you.

Remember that time that you gestated another human being in your uterus?

Oh, you never did that? That's because you're not a mom. I feel like creating life, in and of itself, should be a reason for a "Hey, thanks for making me alive," or "Thanks for creating our children" gift come Mother's Day each year.

If that isn't enough for you, how about a "Hey, thanks for getting that baby out of your body despite the fact that both birthing options are kind of horrifying" gift?

Let's face it: Pushing a baby out of your lady business or being cracked open like an egg isn't exactly a day at Disneyland, k? It's work. In fact, sometimes they even call it labor. Not only does it hurt like a motherfletcher, it makes you feel all kinds of fat. So let's remember that.

And don't worry, I've got adoptive mothers covered too. Because it's not like taking on the responsibility of somebody else's biological child is a big deal or anything. 

Still not enough for you to throw a little something together for your significant other or mom on MD? First, you're a huge jerk. Second, moms are entirely responsible for making sure that their kids are functioning members of society. Instead of golfing on the weekends or being the "fun parent," we read boring books on parenting styles and worry if our kids pick their noses too much to ever be successful. And while sometimes it's fun to shape a human being, a lot of the time it just plain sucks. Because one day, when that kid pushes another one at the playground, whose fault is it?

You guessed it, his mom.

We also get blamed for serial killers. Try that on for size.

Sure, moms get lots of hugs and kisses, but they also have to deal with a lot of crap. And exactly zero of it is like a Gerber commercial. Instead, they:
- Clean up more human feces than anyone should ever have to.
- Make dinner four times over because Becky doesn't eat meat and Dad hates salad.
- Go to work and feel guilty and ostracized by the "Mommy and Me Happy Adventures Club" that she'll never get to join.
- Keep the house mildly presentable so as not to alert CPS.
- Fish stuff out of the toilet.
- Try to get the kids to calm down at bedtime because dad decided to play a round of living room football, despite the fact that Mom has been counting down the seconds till bedtime so she can do the laundry.
- Do the laundry.
- Deal with teachers and the school system as a whole. Worry about testing scores in preschool and stress over the lunch menu and whether or not she'll be judged by not making an all-organic bento box instead of just paying for the stupid chicken nuggets.
-Make daily choices that will affect another human being's future. 
- Feel guilty any time she's away from kids. That includes while using the bathroom.
- Give up all privacy rights, even when showering. Especially when showering.
- Deal with anyone and everyone who wants to voice their opinion on how she's doing her job as a parent. Thanks, stranger, but I *know* tantrums in Walmart aren't ideal.
- Find friends for play dates that aren't annoying, smelly, bratty, angry, or mucus-y. It's harder than you think.
- Be sexy. No, you try being sexy directly after using a booger sucker dealie on your congested kid. It's disgusting.
- Feel guilty because our homes aren't done up with turquoise blue DIY tables, owl accents, and handmade wreaths that are changed out for every season. 
- Be an all-star photographer. Then blog all of the cute stuff kids do without ever complaining that all you want is a nap.
- Give up the idea of a full night's sleep for the next 18 years at least. 
- Know that no matter what you're doing, you should be doing something else. If you're making lunch for the kids, you should be balancing your checkbook. If you're working, you should be at a soccer game. If you're staring your child right in the eyeballs to lovingly give him all of the attention he needs, you should be getting romantical with your spouse.
- Are told - ad nauseum - that we should enjoy every little moment that ever happens in the history of our motherhood. Yeah, when my kid barfs on my shirt, there's nothing I want to do more than get out the Kodak and write about it in my diary. 

And then, THEN, you forget to do something nice for Mother's Day? Really? After 364 days of basic slavery to everyone but herself, the mama in your life doesn't get so much as a "Hey, thanks for doing everything for everyone ever"?

Then you sir, are a huge dillweed.

Now here's how it's going to go down: You're going to take five minutes to think about the mom in your life, whether she's the one who birthed you or the mother of your kids. And if you even try to say "But my wife isn't MY mom" I give her permission to divorce you immediately. As far as I'm concerned, your wife does as much, if not more, to feed and clothe you as your mom. Not to mention no wife wants to see her husband give expensive gifts to his mom and then forget about the mother of his kids. Because we all know your kids will bring home cute homemade presents from school, but honestly, they're crappy. Cute, but crappy. Until they start making Nordstrom gift cards at kindergarten or teaching shiatsu massage, you're going to have to step up.

After you've thought about it, you're going to act. Moms don't need huge expensive gestures on Mother's Day. Seriously, just something that says "When I thought about it, I realized that you actually DO stuff and I should recognize that and not be a complete d-bag about it."

For some, it's a card. For others, it's jewelry. For some, it's a gift card and a massage that doesn't have sexual connotations attached to it. For others, it's getting the kids out the house so that your wife can take a freakin' nap for two hours.

Look, I'm not complaining about my lot as a mom. I knew what I was getting myself into when I signed up for the job. And there's nothing like it in the world. But it's HARD. And it makes me CRY. And I'm tired ALL THE TIME. And sometimes, there's nothing I want in the world than to get a little thumbs up and a "Hey - you're awesome" to remind me exactly why I didn't kill my three-year-old after he threw a flashlight in the toilet. It takes more will power than you think.

There's no reason that you can't show a little respect to moms this Mother's Day. It's once a year. No one is asking for a huge festival. Just a day that doesn't completely suck.

You can handle this.

Don't be a dillweed.

Love, Jae

Freaky Friday

 Sorry I'm late getting around to this today, guys. My daughter's school had a Walk-a-Thon to raise money for supplies and stuff. The way it was structured is that the soccer field was measured to be a quarter of a mile long. For every four laps the kids did, they got a special prize. The prize for the 20th lap (5 mile mark) was a pair of sunglasses and my daughter was determined to get a pair. Unfortunately, the event was only 90 minutes and she only got 18 laps in. When I went to go find her, the rest of her class had already stopped and were sitting together and there she was, puffing around the track all by herself. Her face was all red, she was all sweaty and when I called to her to stop, she burst into tears. She's a bit sensitive, my kid. When I asked what was wrong she said "I just really wanted those sunglasses and I only had two laps left!" I think my heart broken into a zillion little pieces for her. I helped her get a drink and meet up with her class while talking up the 18 laps -- almost 5 miles! -- that she did instead, but I could  tell that she was really disappointed.

I called my husband to tell him all about it and both he and I felt so bad for her... she tried SO hard. SO naturally we've made plans to take her out and spoil her a bit tonight. So I'm taking an afternoon siesta and then I'm off to do something fun!

Stupid Walk-a-Thon.

Anyway... onto the freakiness before I sign off for the day! 

 I know this happened a week ago, but I haven't had a chance to comment yet. I would just like to point out a few things.

1) This is a woman who has said she has the butt of a 20-year-old stripper. Just marinade on that for a moment.

2) I really think she was screwing with everyone at this point. Like oh, they hate me? Let me show them just how bad they can hate me!

3) Let's not act surprised. This is a woman who wore this to the Oscars:

She has a history of going sans underwear. 

 Alison sent this over in a compilation of bad prom dresses. Oh, I must have missed the part where dressing like Britney Spears in "Toxic" was a viable choice for prom!

I just envisioned a girl walking down the stairway to meet her date in this. It reminds me of "Never Been Kissed" when the nerds come to prom dressed as DNA. WHERE would that ever happen?

 She also sent me this swimsuit with a note that it looked a little "burny." Agreed. I would also point out that the angle on the model's crotch is disconcerting but don't look now.

 Jumpsuits made of denim because it's 1973 and you can. (Thanks Dawn!)

 You guys know how I feel about ugly man shoes. They are a travesty. Especially when styled in what might be the worst color of "bottom of the pool" blue and with fringe. 

 I think I may have had this skirt in like, 1993. Of course, I also had bad teeth and bifocals in 1993, so that's not a good thing.

I can't even with this. The Cosby sweater is bad enough. Pair it with a floral skirt and it's like they're just testing the model's gullibility.

Alright, I'm out to go assuage the guilty feelings my poor daughter has caused me. Enter overindulgent parent mode NOW.