You Know The Other Parents Are Judging You By Your Outfit, Right?

My daughter is attending a new school this year – one that surprisingly has a busy calendar of activities for the parents to note, memorize and attend.  The kids are only 2 mind you but there is a teacher visit at your home, several parent mixers, seminars, a curriculum lowdown night, picture day, parent teacher conferences, holiday events and more to log into my expanding calendar. Mind you, I LOVE the idea of community involvement and appreciate such planning on behalf of this very organized school and parent’s group.  Yet somehow I found it a bit dizzying and wondered to myself how parents of multiple children deal with it all. (Please explain if you happen to be one!)

I just attended my first parent mixer.  And I felt oddly anxious about it like it was MY first day at school.  Remember the butterflies you got at the prospect of entering a new classroom with no known friends, wondering who would sit next to you at lunch?  That was me as I prepared to put my best foot forward and couldn’t for the life of me decide what to WEAR!  I’m a fashion blogger that has styled hundreds of models in my lifetime yet I had to change my outfit 3 times to finally feel confident walking out the door!

Image from white coffee magazine

Outfit 1 was too flashy.  While the outfit might have screamed Stella, and announced fashionista (which I’m perfectly comfortable with), it felt too over-the-top for a parental meetup.  And first impressions are everything.

So I put away the bling and created a preppy, understated outfit.  And soon enough I was starting to feel like Goldilocks.  The first bed was too big. The next was too small.  Well this outfit was too boring.  Not me.  Undress!

Outfit 3 if I had to title it would be called, “conservative chic.”  I dusted off a Shoshanna work dress from my past life which was colored a neutral (i.e. relatable) camel and sported a fit and flare style.  I accessorized with sensible stacked heels and a smart Prada purse along with simple, modern jewelry.  Finally!  I figured I could pass as a working mother coming straight to the meetup, without scaring anyone off with a suit.

Shoshanna dress, Prada purse, Zara heels, Sisley necklace

Phew, that took a  lot of over-thinking.  Who knew parent – school meetings could be so stressful?  And the school year hasn’t even started. Ha!

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Fab Fetes: InStyle Summer Social with Single Edition Media

Mommies always need a night out.  So when Single Edition Media and InStyle invited (and paid) me to attend their Summer Social, I celebrated with a resounding ‘YESSSS!!  I’ll GO!  Take me!  Get me outta here!”  haha  Ok seriously, what mom wouldn’t enjoy a fashionable night out on the town and a chance to listen to music that didn’t involve nursery rhymes?  They had me at the invite.

I saw this as the perfect reason to dust off my high heels and get dolled up.  Plus I was excited to network with the brands and meet the other bloggers and ‘influencers’ of which I was honored to share the title.  Shout out to Fashionista Momma (pictured on the left) and A Little Glitter, (pictured in the middle), my two favorite new blogging buddies from the event!

For more silly Gifs from the event check out Bosco’s party pics here!

Here’s a pic of the party people.  As you can see, it was a very pink party!

What a fun adventure it was traveling through the loft-like venue, discovering beauty and lifestyle brands along the way.  Funny enough my two favorite finds were flower related.  Odeala Rose has the most gorgeous bouquets ready to deliver to your door.  Trust me, as an event planner I’m picky about my floral arrangements.  These will not be your typical 1800-flowers  but rather, upscale, stylish bouquets that you hope your prince charming would be smart enough to buy! I mean just look at the unique arrangement below!

Plus, they send you a snapshot of the actual bouquet so you can make sure you like what you see.  I can’t tell you the amount of times I’ve been disappointed in a flower service that sent something of lesser quality than the advertised product picture.  The picture perfect check was a great selling point and so was the flower delivery box!  Modern and cool!  They say you can’t judge a book by its cover but I say, you can judge a present by its presentation.

My other favorite brand was named Peony, hence the similarity in flower theme.  This athletic wear made me actually want to work out.  And if you know me personally, you know that is a major feat.

Turns out the Creative Director is just as cute as the clothes.

Another highlight of the evening were the complimentary manicures care of Essie.  Pre-baby, my nails were ALWAYS manicured and I even changed up the color on a weekly basis to match my weekend outfits. (Oh! What endless time I had back then!)  Needless to say that doesn’t happen anymore.  So this was a true treat.

photo below from Style Fox

Other pampering beauty treatments included Sarah Potempa hair curling (check out the curling iron that rotates on its own!), Jose Eber Salon offering blowouts, Neutrogena’s Hydro Boost Moisturizer sampling, and Sally Hansen giving everyone airbrushed legs.

photos from A Little Glitter and Style Fox

While mingling and indulging in all these services we tasted guilt-free (less caloric) wines from Brancott Estate, coconut water from Zico and munched on Gardein veggie snacks shaped like fish and chicken (fooled me!)

Don’t you love those branded pillows??

Here’s another peak into the scene

Thanks to all the InStyle Magazine, Single Edition and all the sponsors for making this a special mommy night out!

photo from InStyle Magazine

Sarah Potempa /Essie /Brancott Estate /Think Thin /Gardein /Dickensin’s /Jose Eber /Sally Hansen /Neutrogena /Nicole Benisti /Peony /Sun Chips /Thierry Mugler /Zico

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