Celebrating

6 Reasons Why Fab Moms Need To Stick Together

 

I’ve written about how to spot a fab mom on the playground here.  I’ve featured fab moms every Monday on my @fab_kids Instagram page. And I’ve expressed what being a fab mom means to me.  But to my husband and any other person off the street, the term ‘fab mom’ is simply synonomous with being an over-the-top fashion mom. In everyone else’s eyes it’s like we’re a whole different species, obsessed with fashion, turning back-to-school shopping into a science.

Well it’s time fab moms around the world unite.  Here are 6 reasons why:

1.  It’s a way to normalize yourself.  Fab moms, if you wanna feel normal, (and we all know you’re not), you need to find others like you!  Remember that feeling in high school where all you wanted to do was be able to fit in and sometimes all it took was finding the right ‘clique?’  Guess what, motherhood is high school all over again.  Being a new mom shoves you into a whole new world where making new friends is a basic requirement to survive.  Finding others like you is the key to comfortably fitting in.  I remember this one time a mommy friend and I trekked all the way uptown with kids in tow for a very 2015- Insta meet…you know where you meet in person the fashionistas you’ve been stalking, err I mean talking to on Instagram.  Yea we’re modern moms like that.  And we were willing to travel to the other side of Manhattan to hunt for these other fab moms.  Except when we arrived at the selected playground, all we saw were Birkenstocks, mommy jeans and athletic sneakers.  We were momentarily horrified that we wasted the trekk and slightly defeated thinking we’d never really find our tribe.  Luckily we eventually all found each other by strategically spotting the other highly decorated toddlers (and their designer strollers).
2.  You don’t want to be the only Mamarazzi around.  What’s a mamarazzi? We’re the outlandish mom who acts like her child’s personal paparazzi! With camera phone in one hand and a SLR draped around the neck, we stalk our mini muse’s every move making sure to capture each sashay and over-the-shoulder look.It’s nice to be around other Mamarazzis because fab moms see one another and give each other appreciative looks instead of the judgemental ones that we’re used to getting during our never-ending photo shoots.  Mamarazzis admire one another for the perseverance exhibited when trying to capture the perfect photo!  And they are the perfect bystander to ask a photo favor from.  “Do you mind taking a shot of us in our matching outfits?  The selfie can only capture so much…and we need a head-to-toe, full-outfit shot please.”  Who else would be able to respond with such a supportive, ‘YES, sure!’ and say it without a pinch of criticism or ridicule?
3.  We don’t shy away from Instafame and never say no to an impromptu photo shoot so it’s a minor relief when we find other moms who share the same ideology.  It’s incomprehensible how one would have a Pinterest-worthy play date and NOT record it on social media (right?!?).  Other fab moms get that and even encourage those Instagram posts of the kids.  We’re not trying to raise miniature Kim Kardashians but we don’t mind living out and sharing our lives on social media.  It’s all in good fun and a fellow fab mom is always more than willing to help out, assist and style your photo shoot with you – who wouldn’t love that?!

The above screenshot is of my @fab_kids Instagram account that features the most stylish minifashionistas from around the world.  If you aren’t already folowing, why NOT??

Here’s little J getting some Insta love at the recent Chanel pop-up store during New York Fashion Week.  Notice how she’s so used to the cameras that all this attention didn’t even phase her.

4.  Your kids need to socialize with other fashion kids.   You don’t want your child wondering to themselves, why they’re the only freaks dressed to the nines .  Insert another over-accessorized child or two and suddenly your child doesn’t seem so out of place!

5 Your husband isn’t likely to understand your overwhelming need to find the perfect holiday themed outfit and neither are the rest of the PTA members.  But your fab mom friend will and she will not only share your enthusiasm for the search but be able to rattle off the top 5 places to get the best deal and most unique fashions!  She may even offer to help organize that closet, let you borrow her fab finds and suggest you shop together! Finally, someone who shares your unbridled passion for fashion!

6 Zagat won’t be able to help you but we will!  As a new mom, finding the perfect kid-friendly places to see and be seen is like trying to find a Vogue Italia at Yale University.  No one around you cares or has a clue as to what you’re talking about.  Your typical event sites and local directories won’t point you into a  glam girl section.  No, you need your fellow fab mom as a resource! “Have you heard about the adorable Eloise shop at the Plaza?”  “There’s no occasion but wanna join me for a brunch at American Girl?”  “I hear Laduree has a beautiful garden in SoHo – tea anyone?”  “Can you get me into NYFW?  How about Kids Fashion Week?”  These are all commonly heard sayings amongst fab moms who are desperately looking for reasons to break out their new wardrobe and break in some new shoes (kids’ and moms’ both!).  Kids need reasons to dress-up too!

That’s why I’ve hosted posh play dates and hosted dress-up kids’ parties in Manhattan through my organization, Fab kids.  White party for toddlers anyone??  I’m on a personal mission to connect these lost and poorly understood souls.   We all want a mommy meetup that we can actually look forward to and look fab for, right?  Fab moms unite and if you’re in Manhattan, let’s meet up!  I’ve got a fashionable crew of fab moms who want to meet you.

If you know of any fab moms, please share this post with them and encourage them to join our (self-deprecating) tribe on FB!

 

Fab Fetes – How to create a White Party in 8 Easy Steps

White parties have a certain elegance and excitement surrounding them.  They signal summertime, celebrations and …P.Diddy.  And what’s cooler than P.Diddy?  I’ve waited years for P.Diddy’s white party invite but strangely, have yet to receive one so I decided it was time to host one!  I figured it would be a great chance to use all the white decor I already had lying around the house.  You know, the stuff my husband nags me about not using enough of i.e.cake plates, platters and other frivolous items that he doesn’t understand.  But other than trying to prove him wrong, I just wanted to bring people together and enjoy the last bit of summer.  Anyone who knows me I love finding a reason (any reason) to celebrate.  Extending and celebrating summer sounded like a good enough reason to celebrate as any!

I thought it would be cute to anniversary last year’s white themed play date in the park and invite moms and their kids.  Every mom appreciates a fun reason to dress-up and meet up elsewhere other than the usual park / playground.  This time though, the event would be more formalized, with a dinner spread and even florals and candles. (gettin’ fancy here!)

Here’s how to create a white party of your own:

1).  Ask guests to dress in all-white! The stricter you are with this requirement, The better the pictures and the better the ice-breaking.

Juliet would remind you not to forget to accessorize!

2). Feature white furniture and/or table linens (white gift wrap, contact paper, plastic table covers, sheets, drapes and blankets all work too!)

3).  Serve white beverages (We had sake, white wine, sparkling cider, white grape juice, and water)

The branded waters were repurposed sheets of party circles meant as cupcake toppers, designed by That Party Chick.

4).  Serve white foods and snacks.  I served sushi rolls, Japanese chicken and udon noodles, pork dumplings, cheese and crackers, white dip for veggies, and hummus with veggie chips, and popcorn). Kids’ white snacks included Mum Mums and Trader’s Joe’s cereal bars (both of which had white packaging and were served upright in clear vases).

Other non-white foods like the edamame and seaweed salad were served on white platters that showcased the Rocksbox promo code ‘FabGabBlog’ which all my guests were entitled to for a free month jewelry subscription.

5).  Have white desserts (For this party, I presented white frosted cupcakes, marshamellows, powdered sugar doughnut holes, white rock candy swizzle sticks, white yogurt covered raisins, animal crackers and white macaron puffs).

The white rock candy swizzle sticks were a hit amongst the kids!  But who doesn’t love these??

 

6). White decor -Besides my white ruffle linen, I brought down pillar candles and 3 silk hydrangea vases from my living room along with some white baroque frames and set them along the white marble communal table that was already at the rooftop terrace.

7).  Create a white photo backdrop – I set up a simple white banner backdrop with some cardstock and a strip of fuzzy white yarn found on clearance at Michael’s.  You could also hang white: balloons, Chinese lanterns, drape, crepe paper …the list goes on…

These besties were hamming it up for us!

For fun, I had some photo props for guests to use if they liked.

Get toddlers grouped together for a photo by sitting them atop a bench that is just high enough for them to not want to try and jump off.  I learned this terrific tip from my professional photographer friend who took half these photos for us, Gotham Love!

8).  For kids’ entertainment, I had asked parents to bring a silent toy or two that their kids wouldn’t mind sharing.  And I had a bubble maker and white blown – up balloons for them to play catch on – site for the kids.  But music (if the venue would have allowed) and games would have been great additional add-ons.  For our party, the WHITE noise of the waterfall and children’s laughter in the background was our music.

For the parents, I thought that a confessional round where each guest reveals a white lie they recently told would be fun too – maybe next time!

 

All in all, it was a memorable time and a fabulous chance to wear our whites one last time before summer officially ended!

Juliet is still talking about all the fun she had!