Profile of a Hot Mom -- Lila Jane

Hello, ladies and jellys.


I know, I've been vacant. I apologize. What with the move that happened recently and then the baby pooped in the bathtub...yeah, it's been a busy month.


But, rather than blathering on about myself all day, I'd rather share with you a little bit about some of the other hot moms I know, and that, frankly, you should know too. As I mentioned in a previous post re inspiring women, I have so many fabulous ladies in my life, and the name of the game is lifting each other up, man. So, to that end, let's meet our first hot mama.


This lovely lady has been a friend of mine since the early days, and we were oh so very pleased to have the chance to be pregnant together and have our firsties so close in age. We've been swapping mommy stories from the beginning, so it makes sense that she begins this series. Her name is Lila, and part of Miss Violet's long name (Violet Elizabeth Jane) was inspired by Lila's own middle name, Jane. Such a great name. Anywho. Let me introduce you...

Name: Lila
Age-ish: 29
Residing in: Walnut Creek, CA
Occupation: Technical Writer
Kid(s): Ava Elise, 17mo


Describe your style in 3-5 words ~ Classic, sophisticated, almost European.


How would you say motherhood has affected your style? The most obvious is the change in my body's shape after giving birth, which had the biggest influence on my wardrobe choices. But even now, though my weight is back down, I feel like it's distributed a little differently and I have to cater to that. I feel like I can't get away with wearing the youthful-looking clothes I've hung onto from, literally, my youth -- like I have to dress like a mother now that I am one. Also, I have so much less time to spend getting ready now, so I've had to shorten my routine quite a bit. I wash my hair less often since it takes so long to blow-dry. While I was working from home, I was determined to shower and pull myself together at least minimally every day; no wearing pjs all day! (I succeeded about half the time.) My goal was to wear clothes that were comfortable enough to wear while taking Ava for walks, but that if I ran into someone I knew while I was out running an errand I wouldn't try to hide! In the summer, that was usually shorts and a tank top and sandals or espadrilles. When it was a little cooler out, it was leggings and a tunic. If I was going to try to fit a workout class into the day at any point, I'd wear yoga pants and a sports bra so I could be out the door in a flash. (Time sneaks up on me when I'm chasing after Ava all day.) Now that I'm back in the office and leave the house before Ava even wakes up in the morning, it's pretty much business as usual pre-baby.


How do you maintain your style while juggling kids and work and home, etc? I feel like you really have to make more of a concerted effort when you add a baby to the already long list of responsibilities. At times since giving birth, a shower has been a luxury I couldn't afford. I'd be lucky to brush my teeth on a daily basis. And between loads of Ava's laundry, it may not have always been possible to throw in one of my own. I used to think leaving the house without makeup was the worst offense but now if I'm wearing makeup it's only because I applied it in the car on the way to wherever I'm going. (Or maybe I've always done that.) You just do what you can do and don't worry about it.

Who's style do you most admire? I admire any woman who has a sense of her own style, dresses to the occasion, and knows what's flattering to her shape regardless of the trends.

What's your favorite fabulous mommy accessory? Glamourmom has the most amazing nursing tops that I literally lived in for the first six to eight months while I was breastfeeding and even after. The long sleeved options are the best in the winter and they even have longer styles that are much more flattering to a protruding midsection and inflated hips while you recover from childbirth (and beyond).

Somewhat related, what is your hot-mom must have? When you want a little extra bling, I've discovered that bracelets (like bangles) are a much safer option than dangly earrings and babies love playing with them so they double as entertainment when you're out and about.

How do you stay confident? Honestly, I just try to push through and get as much done as I can, and if at the end of the day, I feel like I did my best, I guess that makes me feel like I accomplished something, and that gives me a sense of confidence.

What do you love most about being a mom? Ava is my greatest joy. I never thought my heart could hold so much love and happiness. I am enamored with everything she does and says. She's developing into this incredibly focused, intelligent, determined, and affectionate little girl who is going to change the world. And I feel like she makes me try harder to be a better person, because I want to inspire her to change the world. (Did I really just write that?)

Words to live by? As a habitual perfectionist and overachiever, it's taken me some effort to accept that you can't do everything all the time. You can't always have a spotless house and cook amazing meals and throw incredible parties when you have a baby. Something's always gotta give. But you can do any of those things sometimes if you plan ahead and prioritize your day. Also, I allow three times the amount of time it should take me to get ready if I go anywhere. Even with an abridged routine to get myself ready, I still have to get Ava dressed (and that has to be done just before we're out the door or she'll require multiple wardrobe changes), pack the bag with fresh bottles and snacks, and actually get ourselves out the door. Leaving the house is a process and it's much easier when you accept that and plan accordingly.

What's your guilty pleasure? Since depriving myself my entire pregnancy, I've really come to appreciate my daily latte and occasional glass of vino. Also, I love watching Mad Men season five whenever I can squeeze in an episode. (Since it would be impossible to plan my schedule around a show during this phase in my life, it's a huge treat to watch a show at all so I can overlook the fact that the season is over before I finally start watching it.) Oh, and my blog of course, and now this interview. It's taken me weeks to finish (sorry Katie!), not because I don't love talking about myself, but because I can only put in a few minutes at the computer at a time outside of the office. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to indulge!

Some uplifting video goodness

Hello, readers!
Apologies for the lull in my oh-so-witty writing, we spent the last week packing up our old apartment and moving into our sparkling new apartment, which really feels more like a house, or at least a condo, and I couldn't be happier with it. Pics and post re that whole adventure to follow.

For now, I wanted to share a post and video by the wonderful and hilarious Marie Forleo. I found it incredibly relevant to my life at the moment, and so many of my fabulous friends are running their own businesses and just generally being badass at what they do that I thought some of you would appreciate it too.

This is a video from Marie's website on How To Create Your Brand & Find Your Voice.

I very much recommend RSSing this gal's site. She rocks my socks right off!!

Parade of Good Times

Well, this week has been short and weird. Thursday felt like Monday. 

BUT...we had a fun 4th, and I have the pictures to prove it. 

The hometown parade was better this year than I've seen it in several years. And Miss Violet was intrigued by the shenanigans, versus last year when she mostly slept in her bassinet. My mom bought her a fancy Minnie Mouse t-shirt with stars and stripes and cute pair of jean shorts, so she was quite stylish. 

Some of the highlights of the parade:

The Alameda Theatre made a float with a gorgeous scale model of the iconic, historic marquee. 

The Alameda Chamber of Commerce made a Cinderella Pumpkin coach. I don't know why. But it was awesome.

The Swell Bar had a jaunty little nautical themed float, complete with mermaids, vintage sailor girls, and Neptune, God of the Sea

Violet, in her Minnie Mouse stars and stripes, and Grandma

Violet watching the parade with Auntie Shannon

Sleepy baby fell asleep halfway through the parade. Guess it wasn't all that exciting.

Rhythmix Cultural Works, an arts center in town, had a cool float with cogs and gears

This gal had more American spirit than anyone!

And my personal favorite, the period costumes, courtesy of the Dickens Fair float

Independence-eve

I like any excuse to bring out my inner hostess. For the family BBQ tomorrow, I decided to make a cupcake flag.

I used a boxed mixed this time around. Partial as I am to baking from scratch, I was more focused on the decorating tonight. I used a French vanilla Betty Crocker mix and whipped cream frosting from Duncan Hines.

I had intended to make the flag 6x6 but I ran out of cupcakes and space in my tray. So, rather than decorating each cupcake with a different color, I frosted them all, arranged them in the tray, and used the red and blue sprinkles to make my design.

Side note, I'd never had french vanilla cake until now, and it tastes like freakin pancakes. Win.

Home Again

Baby Violet has been spending the last several days with my mom at my grandfather's house. Since Mom won't be here during our moving weekend, she's pitching in now by giving us baby-free time to pack up the house, as well as hogging some nana time for herself with the Little Missy.

As much as I love to get some free time to accomplish a few tasks, the second night of having her away from home found me just a little bit sad. I missed my little monkey while she was away. So tonight, even though Mom was going to keep her again, I every so subtly suggested taking her home for the night, so that she could get back on her sleep schedule in her comfortable environment and give my mom a chance to rest up as well. Of course, baby was cranky and and tired, and so she went to bed an hour early and I haven't had much time with her tonight, but just knowing that she's curled up with her blankie in the other room makes me feel better.