Spring Ready with Western Chief Rain Boots— Mommy & Son Style

March 21, 2016 2 Comments A Well Crafted Kid

Western Chief sent complimentary rain boots to get us ready for a Pacific Northwest Spring and to introduce themselves to A Well Crafted Party readers. All thoughts and opinions are my own. For more information on my posting guidelines please visit my policies page. This post contains affiliate links. Affiliate links help this blog without any additional cost to my readers.

Yesterday was the first day of Spring. The weather here in Portland has been pretty typical… aka, rainy. All the rain is totally easy to deal with when you also get to appreciate how GREEN it is here these days. My back yard is currently heaven on Earth. The day we took these mommy and son style photos was a typical Portland grey. Which was GREAT because I’d been hoping for a good bout of rain so I could pull out my new rain boots and not look silly walking around town.

Ideally I’d pair these classic mid rain boots with more fitted pants… but, these ARE my skinny jeans at the moment due to crazy after-baby body changes. And, thought my knees ended up being a little funny looking due to the tucking the not skinny-enough jeans I was overall fairly happy with my Spring in Portland attire. Getting dressed now days is difficult. Things don’t fit the way that they used to and I always have to dress in a way that I know I can feed the baby without having to completely disrobe. You can’t see it, but underneath my nice little rain coat is yet the millionth button up shirt that I own. It doesn’t even matter the color because they all look alike to me nowadays and are likely covered in some sort of bodily fluid.

I don’t know if I’ll lose some sort of PNW cred for admitting this but, even after living in Portland for nearly 9 years now, I’ve never owned a pair of rain boots until now. I was the crazy lady you’d see getting their feet soaking wet in flats. Yep, that lady, she was me. My shoes and feet have never been more dry! It took a little getting used to wearing rain boots, but after a day out in the rain with dry feet I was pretty much sold on them. I also liked that they were super easy to clean up after a day in the rain than other boots.

My son got the batman rain boots and has never been happier about a pair of shoes. Though, I think what he loved most about his outfit was that I was encouraging jumping in puddles rather than making sure he avoided them. We styled his boots with his jeans, chambray button up shirt and heather grey t-shirt with a bright yellow rain jacket. I love the classic rain jacket paired with the unexpected pop of these rain boots.

And, yep… they have capes!

Outfit Details:

Mommy: Lucky Brand Plus Size Ginger Skinny Jeans (Size 16) | Western Chief Classic Mid Rain Boot in Black | Black Anorak Rain Jacket from Target (Size XL) |Black and White Blanket Scarf – I got mine ages ago and couldn’t find a good link to it… so, here are two similar scarves (affiliate links) BB Gossip Large Tartan Blanket Scarf & Afibi Women’s Oversized Plaid Checkered Tartan Scarf

Son: Old Navy Jeans | Chambray Shirt via H&M (affiliate link – Similar here) | Western Chief Batman Rain Boot | Bumblebee Rain Coast Zinna Gold via Target | Heather Grey T-Shirt

A Well Crafted Lady

Working Moms Series Preview

March 14, 2016 No Comments A Well Crafted Lady

Just dropping in to show you what I’ve been working on behind the scenes these days! This April I’ll be featuring a series on Working Moms— Their challenges and joys while working throughout motherhood. I’m so excited to share the stories of some amazing women!

But, of course, these 13 women are not representative of all women. I’d like to know your story as well! If you are a working mom and want to share why you work, the challenges of a working mom, the joys of a working mom or any story about working during motherhood then please share with the hashtag #wellcraftedworkingmoms

A huge thank you to the women who volunteered and participated in the interviews and photoshoot. Thank you to Momma Bear Magazine for coming and shooting some amazing images that we will be sharing this April and to Madeline Roosevelt from Up Close with Madi for hair and makeup!

Note: This is not a series saying that working motherhood is the way to do things. It is simply women sharing their stories about working in motherhood. I’m not here to add to the mommy wars. I am currently a working mom and wanted to hear the stories of others in the same situation.

A Well Crafted Kid

Dear Mama, Treat Yo Self

August 10, 2015 11 Comments A Well Crafted Kid

This weekend we’ve been celebrating my little man’s 4th birthday. I’m a huge fan of birthdays and celebrating birthdays. Ask anyone who knows me and they will tell you that I go a little nuts around birthdays. Not just my own, but everyone near and dear. I believe it is important to celebrate many occasions in life, but the one that marks the day life began is pretty special to me.

Each year around my son’s birthday I reflect on the days and hours that brought my little guy into the world.

And, every year I realize… I DID THAT!

I also realize how much my world has changed since that moment. For me, meeting my little man and introducing him into the world was sort of a re-birth of my own. I became a new version of myself. My entire world changed in those moments. Which is why each year around this time, I take a moment to treat myself and celebrate my own little “birth” day.

Today it was a treat of coffee and a moment of reflection and tears. In the past I have gotten a pedicure, new lipstick or something equally small, but satisfying. While I will always make sure that my celebrations do not take place of my son’s celebration (it is his day after all!) or take anything away from my husband’s contribution to the whole thing (his world changed that day too!), I do want to make sure that every year around this time I take a little time and reflect on how my world changed and treat myself in honor of that day.

Ten Ways to Celebrate the Day You Became a Mom - A Well Crafted Party — The day I first became a mom (not an announcement about my current pregnancy, we are still growing strong!)

10 Ways to Treat Yo Self in Honor of the Day You Became a Mom

Below are ten easy ways to treat yourself in honor of the day you became a mom. I should stress that I don’t believe that this is for moms only nor just for mothers who gave birth. This could easily have been titled “10 Ways to Treat Yo Self in Honor of the Day You Became a Parent” and work just as well. Heck, for some people it won’t even be on your kiddo’s birthday but possibly on an adoption day or the day you became a step-parent. The 16-year-old girl in me that used to get so upset around my birthday because it was “MY DAY” wants to also stress that while I believe it is important to remember our own contributions in the coming about of our children, and how our own worlds changed in those first few days of becoming parents, it is still a celebration of our kid’s birth and celebrating our own little changes shouldn’t take away from celebrating the day they came about. Anyways, here are ten simple ways to commemorate your “birth” day!

Revisit the person you were before you became a mom! Go to a favorite old restaurant, enjoy a favorite pastime, read a book you haven’t read in years or connect with friends that you haven’t talked to in ages. I like looking back through photos of before and after the time I became a mom and recognize all the fun I’ve had in both areas of my life. Sometimes celebrating the person you have become takes revisiting the person you were before!
Buy yourself something that makes you feel GREAT. I like to treat myself to small items that I typically don’t buy myself very often such as a new lipstick shade or fun new eyeshadow that I likely will only wear a few times a year, but will love those few times I wear it. For you it could be a new pair of shoes or earrings.
Take off work for the afternoon! Now, this isn’t always possible, but would certainly be a nice treat. Take the afternoon off work, or drop the kiddo off with a grandparent or spouse, and enjoy some ME time.
Make a special date with your kiddo. Celebrating yourself can also be a celebration with your kid. Do a special trip to a coffee shop or go grab a movie together. Make it a tradition that each year you spend a few hours just the two of you. Even if in the future the kiddo moves away you can schedule in a special phone call on that day!
Get yourself a coffee/tea/cocktail and just sit back and enjoy while reflecting over the past few years. Often we are absorbed by our to do lists and thinking about the future. Take a moment to slow down and reflect on the past. Focus on the good times, and enjoy the changes that have taken place since the birth/adoption of your child.
Go out with the girls! Do a ladies night with all of your friends who have also had kids and celebrate what it is like to have a mom’s night out.
Get a relaxing spa treatment or salon appointment. I know, these aren’t for everyone, but a pedicure will always be on my list of occasional treats because it isn’t something I can afford to do on the regular and I love how they make me feel. Get yourself a pedicure or new hair color. Enjoy taking the time to relax and pamper yourself!
Get outdoors. A little vitamin D, fresh air and exercise will get your whole body celebrating!
Sleep in. Let your partner take kiddo duty for the day or let the kiddos do a sleep over and spend the morning in bed. You know that place you used to enjoy with a cup of coffee before the arrival of your bundle of joy?
Hire a house cleaner. Again, this is not something everyone can do, but it can be a treat for anyone and everyone in the household. Hire a cleaner to come and make your place sparkle! Enjoy taking a break and still having your household to do list completed.

Do you treat yourself on the day you became a parent? Do you celebrate your parents on your birthday? What other ways can you think of to treat yourself? Comment below. I’d love to know!