hawt mom monday: under pressure.

how much weight did you gain during pregnancy? [just over 30 pounds. thanks for noticing.]

wow are you sure there's just one in there?! [yes. + i'm only 7 months pregnant. again, thanks for noticing.]

so are you back to your pre-pregnancy weight? [smaller, thanks for asking. you try to breastfeed a nine pound newb and see how fast he hits empty on the boob tank and you're ravenous for chicken breast at 4 am bc you can't even keep up with the calories you're burning.]

it's amazing to me how the common courtsey filter just shuts off when you're expecting right?

it's equally amazing how much pressure there is afterwards to find your thinnest fittest hawtest + best bod ever. not surprising either - when you consider that the questions above are just one grain of rice in that pressure cooker. check out any gossip magazine/blog today + half the top stories are about how fast or slow it took so and so to lose the baby weight.

and us moms will try anything to get there. i personally know mom's who are doing weight watchers. curves. hot yoga [count me in]. running [count me in again]. atkins. the cambridge diet. that crazy medical soup diet. walking. hiking. trying. anything. right this minute. to get thin + fit + into their skinny jeans like miranda in that episode of sex in the city where burger breaks up with carrie with a post it.

hawt mom monday isn't about pressure. it's about celebrating what only us moms can truly appreciate + understand: that we literally gave our bodies up for 40+ weeks to take on the first step of our most important role yet. there were swollen ankles. and maybe even stretch marks [knock on wood dear man upstairs you are so good to me please never let me get those.] there were weigh-ins every other week and then every week [which is just cruel]. there are suddenly boobs. there might be more to sit on. there might be more in general. and while it's obv worth every pound and craving, it doesn't come without the post-game pressure.

even lately - getting back into the dating game aka bedroom - the pressure it totally there. pre-marcus, i don't think i ever cared if i had stomach definition, or toned arms/legs, or ... you get me. it's not even about a size on a tag. it's about confidence + wellness + feeling better than ever - even with your clothes off. it means eating clean + making healthy + sustainable diet and lifestyle choices. i'd like to think i surround myself [even in the bedroom] with only people who also appreciate me even on days where there isn't much definition because i had to pull a few extra pta meetings last week and missed a few key power hot yoga classes.

after smiling + nodding through the 'are you sure it's not twins'. and politely+ tactfully asking the nurse in the waiting room not to loudly announce your weekly weight gain during third tri. and politely trying not to cringe when a hungry man states 'you look good for someone who had a baby' as if that should be considered some weak compliment [read: IT IS NOT A COMPLIMENT].

hawt moms and hawt moms in the making? we get it. we get the pressure. we get to support each other and make sure to be point out the positives and let our mom friends know when their asses are looking extra hawt at soccer practice. we get that it is a true. accomplishment. to make 4 work outs happen in any given week between cleaning. cooking organic meals. pta-ing. drop offs. pickups. hot wheels on the living room floor. reading. bike rides. loving. working. and doing it with our heads on straight and our lip gloss on. we get that as moms, we are equal parts totally proud of what our bods have accomplished, and certainly much more sensitive about what our bods look like now.

 i totally hope that when + if you peruse this blog's archived hawt mom entries - you notice that i try to type out topics that are accessible whether you gained 25 or 60 pounds. and whether you still have 25 or 60 pounds left to lose.

because us hawt mom's in the making? we get the pressure cooker. we get it and we handle that heat so well that we can hop right in the kitchen and whip up organic lunches to boot ;)

hawt-on mamas ;) even under pressure.

-kare
xo

hawt mom monday: the knocked up edition.

don't panic. that energizer bunny in the commercials does amazing things, but i am surely not knocked up.

but you probably are.

in the past few weeks, i have been thrilled to find out that NINE beautiful ladies in my life are expecting baby number two. aka. elastic waist band fashion - the sequel.

so i figured we should probably discuss the hawt pregnant mom look. because apparently in about 2-3 more months, you will all be wearing paneled elasticized pants, sweating and complaining about being pregnant in the hottest summer months while marcus and i are beat boxing at the closest splash pad or frolicking at the beach.

so congratulations to all my favourite beauties with child. remember the rules to staying hot during pregnancy:

1. invest in amazing bras. your boobs are the best part of pregnancy and post-partum. work it out + don't cheap out. omg just typing that made me remember that when he was born mine were a 32d. that is no lie. glory days of my bustline.
2. wear mascara. on your worst day when you can't stop vomitting and aren't sure how you will get to work. just.put.on.mascara. then. when your boss pulls you into a surpriseHERESTHECEONOWPRESENTYOURBIGIDEA meeting and you DON'T look like total death: thank.me.later.
3. you don't HAVE to wear maternity clothes. they are overpriced. they are ugly with a side of ugly with the exception of h&m maternity and j brand mat skinnies. i lived in printed maxi-dresses that were perfectly fitted so i didn't look like a cow with my fave jean jacket. not done up. obv. but super cute, not maternity. i think the dresses were like 15 dollars at winners. i kid you not. don't limit yourself. but also don't be the pregnant woman who is busting out of her pre-baby clothes. you know the one who is so pregnant she doesn't realize that that cute dress that she THINKS covers her bump is actually caushing a LILO moment? find the middle ground people.
4. lu.lu.lemons. the ones with the foldover waist. your ass will continue to look great [as long as you're active and healthy] and your bump will be cute as you know what.
5. lip gloss. like i'm talking splurge on the good stuff. no man can resist a woman with a hot pout. even if her ankles are swollen and her midsection is expanding by the hour.minute.second.
6. have sex. hawt mom's have sex [not i said the mouse+responsibly speaking] and that means hawt pregnant mom's have sex too. it is important to stay sexy during this chapter. it will boost your confidence. it will help balance your hormones. it will be the best cardio of your day. i think your man would agree with all of the above and if he's reading over your shoulder right now either hate on me now or again, thank me later.

so congrats to my glowing girlfriends, and stay hawt mama's - even on this part of the ride ;)

-kare
xo

hawt mom monday: the hawt pant edition

i was out for wine/dinner/drinks/shopping/alloroneoftheabove with the lovely linny_bop awhile back and we were sipping away discussing really serious and relevant topics - like the revelation that came when she was babysitting one of the cutest baby's of all time [no, not marcus] : you can't wear just anything around a toddler. they pull. they climb. they want you on the ground with them. it's a new game for the fashionista.

want to step out in a trendy low cut top? yea? when you bend over at the indoor playplace to pick up your child or climb up the structure with them and you give the creepy dad-next-door a great look at the goods, think again. [this has happened. this is not good.] love yourself a short skirt? yea, me too. until you go to the park on a hot summer day looking totally adorable and then flash the entire playground. classy. not good hawt mom etiquette.

so clearly i am over the moon with one of this season's hottest and trendiest looks: the bright and bold appropriately low cut and behold all colours of the rainbow skinny trend.

we likey:

left: playdate with kids right: potential playdate without kids

i own dark green skinnies. burnt orange skinnies. bright red skinnies. bright green skinnies. there is a good chance i will get cobalt blue skinnies only because marcus got them first and i am uber jealous and already tried to squeeze into his size 2-3yr's and they are JUST.A.BIT.SMALL.

they are perfect for hawt moms. playdate appro. and also girls-night-out-approved when you swap out your over the knee riding boots and call in the red soled louboutins and a wicked snakeskin handbag. they are work appro. play appro. everything in between appro. most designers are doing them with enough stretch that you can bend over/climb up/get down/all around and not be pulling this hawt-mom DON'T.

it doesn't mean you can't wear your hottest cocktail dress or the short skirts or the tight tops. but you save those for the other kinds of playdates. the ones where you just might order off the menu and not from the creepy dad-next-door.

so if you're looking for this hawt-mom-in-the-making? just look for the brightest legs around ;)

-kare

hawt mom monday: the archive and on-time edition.

hey hawt moms:

we're totally celebrating ten posts in the hawt mom collection! let's start the party with an inspiration shot of one of the hottest moms of all time ever:

v. becks.

let's take a week to recap on our must-have hawt-mom rules:

1. hawt moms do hot yoga. [modest right?]

2. hawt moms don't do plumber's crack on playdates.

3. hawt moms know that heels have a time & place!

4. hawt moms must master the hot ponytail.

5. hawt moms stay fit and well!

6. hawt moms know how important it is to laugh. at themselves.

7. hawt moms have damn fine denim.

8. hawt moms have hawt diaper bags.

9. hawt moms don't wear jogging pants to the grocery store.

10. hawt moms have bad hair days. please either get a sexy hat, or refer to # 4.

read up. we're having a quiz next week.

i kid. enjoy ;)

- kare

hawt mom monday: the hat head edition.

even hawt mom's have bad hair days people.

i less than secretly love that marcus is cool enough that even tho it's just the two of us around here, i can still take time to shower/blow-dry/make-up on any given day and he is happy to play around me, comment on my hair do, and steal my make up brushes and run laps around me like it's a mean game of keep away.

but if you have a toddler you totally know that there are those mornings when you both sleep in, you make your cute little animal shaped butternut squash pancakes, look at the clock o.m.g. we need to leave for kingergym in 8 minutes and i am in my shhhh.jogging pants. [seriously i haven't worn them to the grocery store since we talked about it. only post-yoga and at home. promise. pinky swear.]

and so alas: bad hair days happen. but i bring you: two guaranteed ways to feel like a hawt mom even on your rare bad hair day.

1. get a chapeau:

but not a ball cap. altho i won't lie, i think a ball cap can look super cute if the occassion calls for it. but not on the regular. we are talking cute fedora, cute beret-ish hat, one of those uber fashionable turban headbands in chilly weather ... you get it.

2. rock your hottest pony tail and wear lip gloss. remember the hawt mom monday about the perfect ponytail? missed it? read it here.

then stop stressing about your bad hair day, either grab a cute chapeau or rock your best pony and get your hawt-mom buns to kindergym.

-kare

hawt mom monday: the handbag edition

remember last week when the hawt mom monday post gave you the warm fuzzies and you got all "yea i totally do laugh at myself and i'm such a hawt mom for it"? so do i.

but this week mamas, we are typing serious business. we are talking handbags. and not just any handbags.
diaper bags.

oh. diaper bags. possibly the most stressful thing to register for. and such a token item for any hawt mom. because for real? hawt mom's have hawt diaper bags. comme ca:

and not comme ca:

one of my sisters carries this crazy birkin-style yellow patent leather mega-sized designer diaper bag, and the other one carries a gucci. they are totes hawt moms.

the first time around, i kept it classic with an all-black tote a la pottery barn. next time, i hope to upgrade.

i know it's shallow. materialistic. [aren't you past that materialistic stuff kare?] hey, i said i still like nice things.

but when you're heading out of the house for an outing after being up all night with a teething baby or a toddler who just HAD to have his weeeenew [fire truck] brought into his crib at 3 am or woke up at 5 thinking it's time to get up and could not be otherwise convinced so your eyes are puffy and your outfit is less than stellar and your hawt mom jeans were just out of the dryer so too tight for the run to old navy ... a hawt mom handbag will do just the trick and help you still look the part.

-kare

hawt mom monday does funny.

hawt moms know how to laugh.

pre-baby, i may or may not have been one of those girls who is totes uptight in designer jeans and 4 inch heels and an it-bag and a blow out and could tell you my entire outfit brand and price head to toe like it was my job.

[may or may not]

but the hands-down best change in myself since becoming a mom [in my humble opinion clearly] is the fact that i have learned to laugh at myself.

i'm talking no shame, non-balls-to-the-wall, i-do-not-care-if-the-man-next-in-line-hears-me-rapping- 'old macdonald' with-my-son, laugh at myself.

to be honest, nothing is worse than THAT mom who can't get her hands dirty. the one who stands at the sidelines of the park while her toddler dwaddles around the play structure by themselves. the one who yells 'oh, don't put your hands in the dirt. no mommy's designer jeans don't go down the slide. it's not me, it's my gucci!'

brutal.

a true hawt mom has the ability to laugh at herself, enjoy the moment, and be absolutely present with her fam, and look good doing it, obv. besides, those designer jeans? they look way cuter with some sandbox distressing ;)

-karen

hawt mom monday: delicious denim.

hawt moms need a damn good pair of jeans.
i get it. your 'free flow' budget depends on organic groceries, price of gas, price of private school ... i'm with you. i too pay for all of those things.

i do like me a good shopping trip. but since becoming a mom, the shopping funds are often looking meek because i'd rather pay for a course at the rec centre, a great set of books for marcus, etc. family first, especially when it comes to finances.

that doesn't mean that us moms shouldn't treat ourselves. espesh to one delicious pair of denim that [designer or not] totally flatter all the parts that matter, and conceal any evidence that we carried full-size newbs in our tummy's and followed through with birthing, delivery, breastfeeding, and the aftermath. all hawt moms have a damn good pair of denim.

so get yours ;)

- kare

hawt mom monday.

hawt moms must master the hawt mom pony.

and that's no bull-ride i'm talking about.

seriously, name any one hawt mom who doesn't totally rock a masterful hawt mom ponytail? the perfectly not-so-perfect-i-could-have-spent-five-minutes-or-an-hour-or-thirty-sec-on-this-do-ponytail.

kourtney kardash? rocks the hawt mom pony. denise richards? best pony of all time. gisele? you know that girl has revolutionized 'hawt-mom' as a whole, and even she showcases one hell of a pony. the hawt mom across the street also wears it.

now, no two hawt-mom ponytails are exactly alike. i personally prefer my own to ride a little lower. to each her own. pony that is. here's my always shameless shot of my own:

my own version of the hawt mom pony meets jamaican sunset.

... because when you have a day like i had today, where your sweet angel faced toddler is running you into the ground with tantrums, antics, full belly laughs and mischief only a 23-month-and-3-week year old-but-who's-counting could pull, when you can hardly keep your head on straight, it's reassuring to know at least your hawt-mom hair's on straight.

-kare

hawt mom monday. the tuesday edition.

this just in: hawt mom's stay fit.

this edition of hawt mom monday is inspired by charley, who launched getfitafterbaby.com and set an awesome goal of completing a triathlon, then conquered it this past weekend! check out her site and read through her experiences as she got fit and accomplished such an amazing feat. doesn't hurt that she's totally gorgeous with a beautiful fam right?

pre-wedding, i worked it out with a sweet hot yoga routine and a [pretty] healthy diet. i was even featured on getfitafterbaby.com as a 'Yummy Mummy!' [shameless.] i felt great. my pre-baby clothes were too big on me. my designer denim which used to showcase a whole lotta muffin top were gaping and lose through the legs. i felt like a total hawt mom.

then we came home. and to say i got lazy is an understatement. i still fit in my clothes, but we are back to muffin top mayhem people. my kid eats a masterful and mainly organic diet while i sneak mass snack attacks during naps and after bedtime. i have been congratulated on my new pregnancy. We.Are.Not.Expecting.

i am guilty. as. charged.
gulp.

so. it's time to shape up and ship out the muffin top. it's time to get back to making the time for myself. i might be an active and totally hands-on mama, but i am so far from feeling like a hawt one these days. so it's back to hot yoga. a lot more exercise and healthy living, and a lot less chips and dip.

to cheers to getting back to my 'before':

and chips and dip: it's not goodbye, it's just so long.

-kare

hawt mom monday: the tardy edition

my bad - life got busy on monday and i promise not to miss another hawt mom monday!

today, i share wise words from a true hawt mom: kourtney kardashian:

"heels are a mommy fashion no no!"

this is not to say that heels are not absolutely hawt and appropriate with the perfect work outfit, date night, or non-baby outing.

but i have to agree - hawt moms know better. and hawt moms don't do heels - at least on playdates ;)

-kare

hawt mom monday

hawt mom's don't do plumbers crack on playdates:

enough said.

hawt mom monday.

so i'm pretty sure that almost every mom aspires to be that perfectly effortless-where-did-she-find-time-to-blowdry-with-a-toddler/baby and her butt is still defying gravity and her outfit rocks and she doesn't have dinosaur stickers stuck to her designer diaper bag - style mom. are you with me? the one who is super confident and quiety says 'Apple, i see you're having a temper tantrum. i'm right here, please let me know when you're ready to tell me using words why you are upset.' in the middle of sherway gardens and doesn't lose their cool or their lipgloss no matter what the circumstances.

i sure want to be that mom. hell, some days i could even convince myself i'm doing an alright job playing the part. but not all days, that is for SURE. my husband has actually laughed at me and said 'i cannot believe you are going out in public like that'. people, hawt mom or not, how can you not love a pair of broken in elastic ankle Roots jogs now and then? and i digress.

so. i'm on a mission to be a hawt mama. and i'm going to share a combo of my own opinions and ideas i come across online etc. to help us start the week off right with a hawt mom monday tip, every [you guessed it] monday.

and if you have your own hawt mom how-to or even how-not-to, please send them my way and they might be featured on the blog! let's kick it off:

hawt moms do hawt yoga:

[real modest kare - we all know you like hot yoga. isn't the blog self indulgent enough?]

swear.to.god. drink a lot of water. then go do hot yoga. try it a few more times. you will see and feel and incredible difference in how you carry yourself, how you feel, how your jeans fit, and how your husband ... well, just try it. you'll be one step closer to being a hawt mama ;)

-kare