Fabulous Find- Mom-organization

My mom sent me an article on this company and when I checked out the website I had to pass it on! Momagenda makes organizers just for moms. Cute colors, various sizes and components, these organizers are so cute. I am going to order one asap. Plus anything pink is fabulous...



This got me thinking of my favorite mom organizing tools. These Diaper Bag Organizers are the best and I use them every day! Available at Green Binky, they can go with you as you change purses and bags. Not every day has to be a diaper bag day, sometimes I just take a cute bag with my organizers! There's a pod for diapers, dirty clothes, binky and snacks. Brilliant!



One last great organizer is the Baby Briefcase. Available at the Pump Station, this is a way to keep everything from immunizations to birth certificates to hospital records straight. Durable, this baby briefcase can take you through one or more kids!



They also have these closet dividers. I am always trying to organize Landon's hanging clothes by size. Otherwise some cute things get lost and never worn! Babies grow fast. These make it easy to arrange by size or gifts.

Fabulous Mom- Interview with Alex Mason

Every month I will feature a fabulous mom I know about or have met. I think we can learn so much from each other if we ask the right questions. Alex Mason has agreed to be my first mom interview. Her paintings can be seen at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas, Cedars Sinai in Los Angeles, and gallery's across the country she is one busy mama! She is an artist, wife and fabulous mom. Here's her take on my questions.

1. How would you describe yourself?

BUSY, juggling a new baby, a 3 year old, a large neurotic dog,
marriage, new business and painting career. Every week is a roller
coaster of energy and emotion.

2. How do you continue to follow your passions and dreams while being a
mom?

Preschool and part time help, along with a super supportive husband
who hustles his buns off for me, have allowed me to pursue the
starving life of an artist and even go back to night school for two
years to learn textile design so I could start my fabric line. Really
my husband is very good at motivating me when I get down or uninspired
and he always puts my work first over his own needs of his free time
after work. Meaning he always sacrifices his days off to take care of
the kids or lug art supplies around for me so I can work, when he
would rather be watching basketball or football.

3. How has motherhood changed you?

Before I had children, I never really cared about making money. I was
always more concerned about creating paintings and drawings that were
truly inspired rather than formulaic or just created to make a buck.

Now that I have children, I am more concerned about making money. Not
that I want to create uninspired art that I think will sell, but, I
am more concerned now about the commerce of my art. Also, once my
fabric samples are ready, I imagine that getting that business rolling
will take precedence over my painting.

I have a ball with my girls and my new focus on making money is my desire to provide the best possible education and opportunities for my children that I can. It seems to take a lot of money to raise a child in Los Angeles and provide the same comforts and activities that I was blessed with as a child.

4. What do you do for yourself so that you can still be fabulous?

Facials, pedicures, shopping, reading, Yoga, going to
Church and praying, spending time with friends, Red Wine and having
fun with my husband.

5. What is the best mom advice you've ever gotten?

Sleep during their naps.

6. What are your top five fabulous must haves?

1. Dark Chocolate
2. Red Wine
3. A great Nanny and baby sitters.
4. Pedicures
5. A good haircut

7. Complete this sentence: "Being.... makes me One Fabulous Mom."

Being able to go with the flow makes me one fabulous mom.

You can see more of Alex Mason's work at: AlexKMason.com

Fabulous Films-Searching for Debra Winger

There aren't many films that delve into motherhood and work, but Searching For Debra Winger does it one better by looking at the pressures of being an actress and a mother in Hollywood. Rosanna Arquette takes an emotional and sometimes very insecure look at being a mom and trying to juggle your career and passions. She talks to everyone in Hollywood from Gwyneth Paltrow to Whoopi Goldberg. One of my favorite parts is when she interviews Sharon Stone who talks about aging.
Salma Hayek has something to say too:
"Happiness is never perfect. But the way you can achieve happiness is if you have a life that is complete. You have your work, you have the emotional part, motherhood, health, spirituality...and if you make sure you have a full life with all of these..friends, family, and you give importance to all of it... then I think you can have it all. The problem is if you become obsessed with one part of it. It throws it all off balance."
When Rosanna does find Debra Winger their conversation is candid and real, She talks about what Hollywood is really like and how she has reconciled getting out of it. Tell me what you think of what Salma said above or rent the movie and tell me your thoughts. Can we have it all? Do we want it all??

Fabulous Weekend- Polo Match

Hubby and I took Landon to his first polo match this past weekend. At first I thought a baby at a polo match was sheer INSANITY, but instead it was wonderful. We met some friends there and had a lovely picnic. Landon ran all over the field above the polo field so we could watch and he could still play. What really made it feel more fabulous was a little planning. We had china, cloth napkins, silver, homemade chicken salad (hubby has been watching TOP CHEF) and wine and cheese. It was a great day. This was the second to last match of the season, but we have vowed to catch more matches next year!

Sanity Break: Lunch for two

Once every month or so I do a Mommy and son lunch with Landon. I know this would not seem like a sanity break, to go to lunch with your fourteen month old, but it is. Lunches out with girlfriends become frenzied, trying to entertain the little mister and have a conversation. It's hard to talk about anything when you're asking someone constantly; "Do you want another Cheerio?"
Lunch with just him and me feels like a little vacation. I give him my full undivided attention, take him to a place that is loud enough to be kid friendly, but nice enough for me, and we have a ball. A funny thing happens too, I fall more in love with being a mom and with him. That is Fabulous.

Fabulous Find: Stationary

Thumbing through Town and Country Weddings I found a pot of GOLD! I have seen some stationary but this website blew my mind! Felix Doolittle has stationary, cards and the like but it's Felix Doolittle Jr that is so Fabulous. Here are a few of the items I will be ordering faster than you can say Play Date!


Stationary For Kids


Playdate Cards


Shower Invitations


Book Plates

Fabulous Holidays- Christmas Cards

If you haven't started on your hunt for cards you need to! I went to Fine Stationary and ordered these cute photo cards. They have everything from William Arthur to Kate Spade Papers. They are really a one stop shop! We did Landon's 1st birthday invitations with them too.
These cute kids in the picture are not mine! We were going to dress up and do a picture but I realized our vacation this past July to Hawaii was filled with wonderful kodak moments. So I picked what I think is the best one.
Other stationary sites I love:
Papyrus
iomoi
Exposures
Shutterfly
Be sure to order asap! That way your fabulous cards will get to everyone on time!

Fabulous TV-Tim Gunn's Guide to Style

Tim Gunns Guide to Style on BRAVO is my new favorite show. Tim along with Veronica Webb (super model of days gone by), make over a new woman every week. Things get emotional as they go through their closets and dig through their underwear drawers. Looking great and feeling great is a way of taking care of yourself, putting yourself first. A lot of times we put kids, husbands, even our dog first. Then when someone asks you the simple question of why you're holding on to your faded black sweatpants you weep. You weep because it's not who you want to be! You weep because you can't believe it's who you've become and you're embarrassed. I had a similar moment with my best friend when she looked me dead in the eye and told me "you've lost your MOJO!" I cried. I had been through fertility hell and the last thing on my mind was myself, let alone my wardrobe. I took a good look at myself and started wearing jewelry again. I will always remember the quote from Steel Magnolias: "what separates us from animals is our ability to accessorize!" I think of that often when I feel too bogged down to be fabulous. That's when I change my outfit and my mood and get my MOJO back!
Tivo Tim Gunn's show, and in the mean time here is his list of essentials every woman needs to build a wardrobe. If you don't have these you need to get them asap! These are the ABC's of FABULOUSITY!

Trench coat

Classic dress pants

Skirt

Blazer

Classic white shirt

Day dress

Cashmere sweater

Jeans

Sweatsuit alternative

One indulgent trendy item

Fabulous Find: for babies

Okay I hate the choices of fabrics for car seats. I mean who in the hell likes to see a brown or jean covered chair in the back? Zero style. YUCK.
Instead go to Lexie Rose and get yourself a stylish car seat cover. They make them for infant and toddlers seats.
While you're at it get your cutie a shopping cart/highchair cover from Handmade 4 Baby. You know those carts are nasty, and restaurant high chairs are GROSS!
They make ones for boys too! Landon's Blue Toile shopping cart cover was the talk of Sherman Oaks!

Fabulous Holidays- Halloween

Last year Landon was a just a babe but that didn't stop us from having a great Halloween. We went to a couple of houses with "The Chicken",



but then we had a dinner party for close friends. It was fun greeting kids at the door but also getting to have a nice dinner! The Mr. made Coq Au Vin. Delicious! This is a great idea if you have a little baby because after trick or treating they'll be asleep!
This year Landon will be moving from the barnyard to the sea. I think Babystyle.com is the best for costumes. This Octopus was too much to resist. They have one in Pink for girls too! This year we'll have another dinner because Landon's Godmother and my best friend, is coming to town again. Halloween is her Christmas and she is the Queen of Style. I'll let you know what we cook up!