Because I like making things easy, following the same outfit formula of jeans, a jersey blazer and a printed tank. Along with my Rebecca Minkoff love bags. I bought another version in the recent Rebecca Minkoff sale, and this is the first time I've shared an outfit with it on the blog. You can see the unboxing here.
I got some rare kid-free time to go shopping! That almost never happens, I think the last time was just before Christmas! I had signed up for a secret santa 'Christmas in July' gift exchange with some Aussie mum vloggers I've met through YouTube, and decided to take a couple of hours to finish up shopping for the person I drew. I had a lot of fun shopping, and picked up a little necklace for me too that you might have already seen here.
As I was kid free, I decided to take out my little Rebecca Minkoff small Love bag. I thought that the peachy-coral would look nice with the pale peach leaves printed on the tank, but they are so pale they never really show up in photos. I still liked the combination though. As it was much too cold for a sleeveless tank, I added the blazer on top. I really liked this outfit and had a productive couple of hours of shopping too.
Since I liked the outfit combo above so much, I repeated it again to go to playgroup. I had the boys with me so went with the bigger grey Love bag. It fits my wallet in it, unlike the smaller peach one. Just nice having everything on me ready to go instead of carrying just a few cards like I did for the shopping trip above.
The neon pink scarf was a nice pop of color with all of the neutrals, and kept me cosy in the cooler morning. I took it off in the afternoon though when it warmed up.
It was good to give this tank another wear too - one of my favourites, each time I wear it I worry it's gone too long between wears. I'm thankful for the Brisbane winter weather that means you can still wear sleeveless tanks with just an extra layer like a blazer on top.
Blazers can definitely be worn out of the office. Try pairing them with denim, they work just as well with jeans as they do with pencil skirts. A casual fabric, like these jersey ones, or a knit one, can help make them more comfortable and suited for weekend outfits.
I've been wearing my kimonos with jeans a lot lately. Kimonos and denim is a go-to outfit for me over summer, and I wanted to embrace winter with my jeans but still enjoy my kimonos for a little longer. I wore them with bright tanks because even though it's winter here in Brisbane it's still fun to add some colour to your outfit.
Florals aren't just for spring! Wearing them to welcome the first day of winter with this cosy kimono. The navy kimono and mustard tank aren't a new combination, I wore it before here in summer, but it's a combination I love so much I was eager to wear again! This time with jeans instead of shorts, as it is still winter.
Had a busy day, with daycare drop off and pick up, working from home and baby boy's specialist appointment in the afternoon, so I wanted something easy and comfortable. By picking classic black jeans that go with everything and a top and kimono I've worn together before, I knew this outfit would work. Anything that makes getting dressed in the morning quicker and easier is good as a mum!
It was a chilly morning, but the warmer cotton of this kimono and the cocoon style enveloping my arms made this perfect for tackling the chill.
Unlike the kimono above, this kimono wasn't as cosy. I did regret it a little in the morning as we had an early start, with some errands before our ABA mother's group, and it took awhile for the weather to warm up. I wore this in the first week of winter though, when I wasn't quite ready to retire my kimonos for the season!
The ankle boots were an effort to make me feel warmer, but really they just annoyed me. I forgot that the zips on the hems of these Jeanswest skinny jeans make them difficult to wear with ankle boots, they just aren't a comfortable combo.
Despite these minor annoyances, I did like this outfit. I love blue and pink together, and this was a fun way to wear the combination, even if this kimono will be set aside to wait for warmer weather!
Black jeans go with everything and are a great wardrobe staple and alternative to the traditional blue. Wearing a pair of neutral black jeans lets you be a little more colourful with the rest of your outfit too. A printed kimono adds more interest to your outfit, making a bold but easy to wear colour combination when paired with a bright tank.
There is something about the simplicity of a printed kimono with skinny jeans. Add in some shimmery tanks and you have such an easy stay at home mum outfit! As I shared last week, I've been loving this kind of outfit formula before the cold winter weather arrived. Wore these outfits for two very fun days out and about with the boys, Converse were a necessity. As I had a few things to carry, I went with my trusty mini MAB bag. It carries everything!
I worried the purple skinny jeans and printed kimono together might be a little too matchy-matchy, but I'm so glad I gave this a go as I really loved the combination! I debated wearing my trusty Havaianas over my Converse but figured it could still be quite a cold day. It wasn't, and a few times I regretted jeans and wish I'd gone with shorts!
We headed down the coast with the boys to see the Gold Coast 'Monster Machinery' day. We'd never been before, but with two boys who love all kinds of vehicles, it was the perfect destination. Unfortunately it looked like most of the people on the coast thought so too, it was so busy! The council set up all their vehicles in a park, along with some emergency vehicles, boats, and Lightning McQueen and Mac from the Cars movies. The boys loved it! They ignored the biggest digger (although to be fair I wasn't going to push them to stand in the huge line!) abut they had fun clambering over everything including jumping into the big scoops and pushing the horns on some of the trucks and riding in the fire engine and ambulance.
I loved my outfit, we had a fun day despite the crowds and lines, the only thing I didn't love was my bag choice. I specifically chose this much loved Rebecca Minkoff MAM bag as it fits everything I need to carry as well as my camera, and I'd planned to vlog the day. I took a cute video clip in the car on the way down and noticed the battery was getting low. Not an issue, it's pretty good and usually warns in advance. We finally found a parking spot, walked the long distance to the event, the boys got excited to see the vehicles, and I whipped out my camera to get a good pic, to realise the battery was dead. Luckily I had my phone, but the people waiting behind us to take a photo next were not impressed by my fumbling around!
I then had to carry around a heavy camera, bag and the baby bag. I wouldn't have minded if I could have used the camera, but it was a bit frustrating carrying around something so heavy when I couldn't use it! 😫
Another outfit with the same outfit formula! Colourful skinny jeans, basic tank, kimono and Converse. This time I charged the camera the night before, so there were no surprises! I wasn't entirely happy with the kimono though - we had an early start and it was a bit chilly in the morning. Perfect for the rest of the day when it warmed up, but made me realise my kimono wearing days are getting less frequent now winter has arrived.
With toddler T's birthday coming up, we decided to take him and his brother out for a Pony Playdate. A local organisation runs it, they have a beautiful paddock and some farm animals. It's Horses In Mind (not sponsored) at Hemmant. The boys got to spend a morning on the farm learning about (and yes patting and chasing!) the chickens and ducks and guinea pigs. Then it was time to learn how to take care of ponies, and they got to use all the different brushes to get them all nice and clean. This was magical, I had a go too and it was so fun brushing this little pony together. They were such good ponies!
Then after they measured up my tiny boys for tiny saddles, they got to hop on and take the ponies for a ride around the paddock. We got so many good photos and videos, thanks to having the camera charged this time! It was such a fun day out.
The white Converse might seem like a strange choice for a day on a farm! I'd picked them to wear over my boots as they had been getting a bit dirty and I'd been planning to wash them anyway. Getting covered in mud seemed like the best thing to do before finally throwing them in the wash a few hours later.
Colourful jeans don't have to be tricky to wear! They can be just as versatile as your standard blue jeans. You can match the colour to something else in the outfit like I did with the purple jeans and kimono together in the first set of pics, or you can keep things simple and add a pair of colourful red jeans to a classic black and white outfit. Easy, fuss free dressing that's perfect for a day running around with kids. Linking up with Flashback Fashion, Lizzie In Lace, Friday Faves, Shoe & Tell, Mix It Monday, On Mondays We Link Up.
While it's still summer here in Brisbane, a few weeks back we were hit with some very un-seasonal weather. A sudden cold snap lead to the coldest February day in over 100 years! While most of my winter things are boxed away over summer, I managed to find pieces to make my cami tops more appropriate for the cold weather. I've been wanting to wear them more, before summer ends.
I didn't include this cardigan in the box of winter knits I pack away for summer, as I keep it out to wear in the office now and then. I was so glad I kept this as it was perfect for a chilly day. With the grey cardigan, grey skinny jeans and metallic silver flats and the neutral printed cami it all looked a bit boring, so the purple accessories were the perfect way to add a little bit of colour. It met the purple style challenge theme perfectly too!
I didn't expect to be pulling out my jeans so soon into the year, but I wasn't too upset at having a chance to wear these grey skinnies. They are the most recent addition to my denim collection after I got given them last year and a pair I'm sure will get a lot more wear over winter.
It was nice how easily this outfit came together. There was a break in the rain in the morning too, so we managed to get out and have our morning walk before having a quiet Saturday at home watching the rain fall outside.
A little bit of double denim. Again, I had the style challenge theme to dress to. This time the theme was 'indigo'. I'd planned a lovely navy dress to wear, but the weather made me change that pretty quickly to the denim jacket. With the black skinny jeans, it's an easy way to do double denim, and it kept me warm enough on a cold and rainy day. As did all the running around I had to do - after a week where things seemed to go from bad to worse, Friday was me trying to keep things together and get everything done to get to the weekend.
I'd picked this cami to wear as I've been trying to wear my camis more recently, and this one is one of my least worn. It's a cropped style, but being petite it's normal length on me. While I like this cami in the photos, I didn't feel very comfortable wearing it. The cropped length becomes more apparent when you've got your hands full with a wriggly toddler, and I found myself tugging the top back down a few times. While the ruffles are beautiful and the colours mean it goes with so much, it was just too fussy to wear. The back is cropped shorter than the front too and I found myself wishing I'd worn a normal length top many times when bending down to the boys, even though my jeans are mid-rise.
Looking at it, I'm thinking I should keep it, it's so pretty! But I know it's so annoying to wear it's not worth keeping around just for me to realise in a few months it hasn't been worn, to wear it again and feel the same frustrations. I have plenty other camis I enjoy wearing more, so this one is leaving my wardrobe. 5 wears in 3 years is pretty bad cost per wear, but it's time to let it go!
Camis can easily be layered up for cooler weather! They are the perfect summer option with denim shorts, so they work just as well with jeans, with an extra layer like a jacket or cardigan to keep you cosy if it's cold.
When we arrived home from Sydney, it was cold and wet, not the kind of days I feel most motivated for outfit wise. There was also the added 'frump factor'. Maybe because we stayed in the centre of the city, maybe because we frequently walked past restaurants and people celebrating, but everyone in Sydney just looked so put-together and glamorous. I came away from the trip feeling a bit frumpy and very mumsy after having a toddler strapped to me in the carrieralmost every day.
I slipped back into a simple outfit formula for work that I've relied on many times in the past - colourful pants and ankle boots. Minimal thinking required, perfect when feeling uninspired. If you follow me on instagram you'll know I stuck with my pants rut for a few days until the weather warmed up and I pulled out one of my favourite dresses to change things up a bit!
I've contemplated letting these jeans go a few times, as when it comes to colourful jeans I'll usually go for my red or purple pair and these are a bit neglected. But they manage to be jeans that don't look like traditional denim and so work nicely for the office in the middle of the week. Not that blue jeans aren't worn during the week in my office, just that I try to keep them to casual Friday. A habit I had back when I worked 5 days a week.
I did wonder if cuffing these and adding the ankle boots made them look more like the jeans that they are, but it was cold and wet and since I don't have rainboots, ankle boots were the best way to go. I was grateful for these as I walked around in the rain. The brown Balenciaga day bag matches the Chelsea ankle boots quite nicely too I thought.
The star print shirt is a thrifted favourite - it has a nice relaxed fit so it's really comfortable (and I've worn it casually before) but the buttons make it formal enough for work. I find printed shirts great work to weekend pieces!
As you can see, in my rushed and frazzled state this morning I even forgot my usual final swipe of lippie before walking out the door. I spent a bit of time deliberating what necklace to wear, before deciding just to go with a scarf instead as it was easier. This colourful one stood out so I threw it on and quickly took photos before heading to work. Ended up keeping it on in the office to combat the office air conditioning which managed to be even colder than outside!
Picked the burgundy pants for a bit of colour to try and give my mood a boost, and the black henley shirt and ankle boots go with everything.
Just like the outfit above, I've worn these burgundy pants casually too. They are my favourite for work outfits though. I've unsuccessfully tried a few times to get these in other colours, but I've rarely found non-denim pants at Jeanswest since I bought these years ago.
In a rush or an outfit rut and feeling the cold? Colourful pants and a black shirt is a quick and easy office outfit to keep you warm on a rainy day. Add ankle boots, a trench and even a scarf if it's really chilly.
Mid-October we took the boys on their first ever flight, a short trip for a few days down to Sydney. When I was planning our trip I was curious about how I'd keep the boys entertained on the flights and what our first flight experience would be like. I've had a few questions about that too so I thought I'd share more about what the flights were like as well as what I was wearing. Feel free to skip the flight-related stuff if you're not interested and just focus on the outfits, it's a bit of a long post otherwise.
Background to Our Trip:
Toddler T is 3, and Baby Boy is 19 months. Both are good walkers. We took a travel stroller but checked it at the gate along with a suitcase and I had my Ergobaby carrier (which couldn't be used during takeoff and landing or to go through airport security, but can be used at all other times). Baby Boy was on an infant ticket and had to sit in my lap, Toddler T had his own seat.
We flew Qantas both ways. Both flights were mid-morning flights, when the boys are most relaxed. Toddler T was enthusiastically greeted and given a small activity pack gift on boarding and the flight attendants were polite, friendly, and reminded us we could ask them for anything if we needed help.
Simple comfortable outfit for our first flight. While it was a warm day in Brisbane, I suspected I might need the light duster on the plane and in cooler Sydney. This duster washes well, dries quickly and the print disguises any creases so it's perfect for travel.
While I had multiple outfit choices for the boys, I limited what I brought along to just one pair of shoes (my trusty Converse) and these jeans and a maxi skirt. I usually wear jeans when flying, they are comfortable and it also means that the the heaviest item of clothing is outside your bag in case you're getting near the baggage weight limit!
The flight from Brisbane to Sydney is only around an hour and a half, so we didn't have to keep the boys amused for too long. We also luckily didn't have to attempt using the airplane bathroom with either of them. Not always possible, but definitely helpful for us to have a small flight as our first one, and it's one of the reasons we picked Sydney to travel to.
Run Around the Airport
We got to the airport and the gate early. We picked window seats at the gate so that the boys could watch the planes and vehicles on the tarmac, while also giving them a large 'corridor' along the window to run up and down while staying in sight and out of the way of the rest of the waiting passengers. We encouraged them to run frequently while we waited for boarding. Did have to stop them from crawling under the seats and disturbing the other people waiting at one point though....
Boarding Tips
We didn't board right away, and waited until the line was shorter so they weren't standing in one spot too long. Toddler T had his boarding pass so he was responsible for getting it scanned and showing it to the flight attendants as we boarded which got him involved. We found it best to have Baby Boy and I on the window seat with Toddler T in the middle of hubby and I so there were two sets of hands if either boy needed anything. Boarding time is a good time to wipe down the tray tables and other surfaces with a disinfectant wipe too.
Breastfeeding
If you're breastfeeding remember that baby has to stay seated in your lap and sitting upright for takeoff and landing, so you'll need to wear something you can easily pull down or unbutton to breastfeed as your toddler sits up. Breastfeeding during takeoff and landing is a good way to help with the pressure on little ears.
Bring Snacks
The flights were around regular morning tea time for the boys so that they would be looking for something to eat. As they are so small, eating and drinking during takeoff and landing is the best way to relieve the pressure in their ears. In keeping with my usual over-packing style, I had a Bento lunchbox with two 'levels' of snacks, as well as two identical smaller snack-boxes.
This worked out well for our first flight, when baby Boy enthusiastically grabbed one of the smaller boxes and managed to open it and shower the gate area with food. I was relieved to still have the second backup box. We opened out the second 'level' of the lunchbox for snacks for the descent. While they weren't as hungry at the end of the flight, having favourite foods and treats available like biscuits meant they were still happy to eat and help their ears on the descent. One important point to note is that you have to check the customs requirements for food. There are interstate laws about taking fruit across state lines in Australia. This meant we picked strawberries, raisins and apple which could be freshly prepared, cut and washed the morning of the flight and completely consumed before landing. We left out bananas and mandarins as we didn't want to get in trouble for still having the peel, and just bought more fruit when we arrived in Sydney.
Bring Things to Do
As well as the activity pack Qantas provided, I brought a few books along, some colouring books and activity packs with stickers and pencils. We put the bento lunchbox in the seat pocket, along with their drinks and a book and kept the activity packs in the baby bag under the seat in front. With backups in the carry on case we put in the overhead compartment, but never needed to use.
We didn't bring toys as everything you bring will end up on the floor at least once. My teething necklace was the only 'toy' as it stayed around my neck, and Baby Boy gnawed on it a little when he got grizzly during the descent into Sydney.
Plan Your Flight Entertainment
On takeoff we sat the lunchbox in Toddler T's lap so both boys could easily reach it and pick what they wanted to eat. Once the plane was level, we packed it away and did some of the activity books together until the refreshments were served (we asked for a bottle of water at this point to refill the boys drinks). Once they got tired of picking at the bun provided for morning tea, as neither of them seemed to like it, we got out the books to read and did some more activity packs. We followed what the boys wanted to do and changed activities as they wanted until it was time to descend and pack up the tray tables and bring the snacks out again.
Explain Everything
For weeks leading up to the flight we were reading all the plane related books we had, explaining the check in process, take off and landing. Knowing that the plane would go fast, that the plane would be noisy and that eating and drinking will stop your ears feeling funny helped. Instead of trying to detail everything in the moment, we could quickly refer back to earlier conversations. With a toddler who doesn't like loud noises, explaining each and every noise and movement of the plane helped calm any fears. A tip I picked up from my Dad, who would always tell us what noises to look out for next on our flights as kids. It's a habit now!
This is what I wore for our flight home from Sydney to Brisbane. The same duster, jeans and shoes, just a different tank. I wore my Converse every day, there was no room to pack two pairs of shoes with all the extra clothes I had for the boys. I did manage to pack an extra handbag though, ha! I used my Speedy Bandouliere most days. It's so helpful having a cross body bag when you're navigating airports with toddlers in tow.
My jeans were covered with food crumbs after the first flight, but nothing that a baby wipe couldn't fix to make them presentable enough to travel home in a few days later. The ultimate mum essential: baby wipes clean everything!
Comfort is key when flying with toddlers - you don't want to be fussing over your outfit. Make everything machine washable as it will get dirty! A cover-up like a cardigan or duster hides spills and stains and keeps you warm on a cold plane. Converse are comfortable and practical for running around in airports. Jeans are a good choice too as you can easily wipe food crumbs off with a baby wipe. Linking up with Fab Favourites, Mummy Monday, Style Nudge, Hello Monday.
