I was standing in front of my closet the other day and found myself staring at all of my beautiful clothes carefully draped on hangers. I was looking at the sweaters folded so perfectly, even my shoes aligned by season. Everything has its proper place.
Because it has gone untouched for two years.
Because I can’t wear them since my body doesn’t fit into them.
Because being pregnant for nine months for the second time and then giving birth has put my body in the worst place it has ever been. Ever.
[image: containerstore.com]
Trying to get back into those pre-preggers clothes is still a challenge for me, fifteen months later. And I have no excuse. I can no longer say, “My daughter is four weeks old which is why I am wearing these pants.”
There’s nothing I can say other than, this really sucks.
After I had my son, I was back in my pre-preggers clothes within five months. Did I work at it? Yes. Did it come off pretty easily? Yes. Can I say the same as the result of giving birth to my daughter? Ummm, no. This girl seriously screwed me up.
But this longing to wear the clothes in my closet is more than just a “baby weight” issue. It’s the fact that I work from home and there is no longer a need to get all dressed up…can I get an Amen from all of you stay-at-home moms, too?
When I was an elementary school teacher, I had to and wanted to look professional. I actually enjoyed putting my outfits together, pairing each one with perfect jewelry and accessories. My students always thought I was the “young, cool teacher” which was total incentive for me to sport the latest trends and keep up with my fabulous fashionista reputation.
Now, as I arrive at work after walking down the stairs to open my laptop, there is no real need to wear an adorable skirt with tights, boots and accessories because my daily outing is basically dropping my son off at pre-school (and if I’m lucky, a quick stop at the supermarket or Target with my daughter). That is just not a solid reason for me to put on my smashing dangle earrings and designer boots. Furthermore, not being able to fit into anything that resembles total cuteness makes this even harder to become a fashion plate like I once was…
Don’t get me wrong, I feel so blessed to be able to work from home while raising my kids. I wouldn’t trade that decision for anything and I know many women would love to be in my shoes. However, I am having some serious issues with my closet and what I find myself wearing these days. It’s typically the same black shirt and pants ensemble, yoga pants or anything super comfortable. I lack the sheer motivation to really get “dressed.”
So aside from some hard-core dieting to get back into those clothes hanging in my closet, I’m thinking a call into Stacey and Clinton may be in order. You think they’ll take on a mommy blogger?
I feel your pain! I have a 19 month old so I’m pretty sure I can no longer use the “I just had a baby” excuse. Started WW last week. So far, so good. Oh and can I tell you how jealous I am that your closet is organized. Even though there are a ton of clothes in mine that don’t fit me, it stills looks like it exploded!
Steph @ A Grande Life
AMEN! i was just having this conversation with hubs over the weekend! i saw this super cute pair of heels, but KNEW i had NO WHERE to rock them. its a bummer. i actually just saw old navy’s ad for the “goga” pants and thought “i need some new ones.” that’s all i wear! sweats, huge t shirts, hair up…i only put shoes on to get my daughter off the bus!
.-= tina´s last blog ..burlap "be mine" banner =-.
Sometimes I’m tempted to put on a dress and heels just to see how it makes me feel. But then my son comes up to hug me and wipes his nose on my shirt and I decide it’s best to just stay in whatever it is I already have on that doesn’t require dry cleaning!
.-= The Mommyologist´s last blog ..I’m Pretty Sure I’ve Been Demoted =-.
I was back at my pre-pregnancy weight within a week of giving birth –both times, BUT somehow after I gave birth to Z (second one), it was tougher to keep them off! Something to do with age, I think.
And you’re right… having to work outside of home gives one the incentive to fit right back into those pre-pregnancy clothes.
.-= Buckeroomama´s last blog ..i heart faces – week 2 : Best Face =-.
So aside from dieting to get back into the clothes, is there motivation to wear the “nice” ones when you are home?
.-= Theta Mom´s last blog ..A Stranger In My Closet =-.
Hey don’t feel bad it’s been 15 years since I last had a baby, what’s my excuse? I never had a job that I had to dress up, lab wear is scrubs, simple and expandable. lol..
PS I love Stacey and Clinton and would love to be on their show.
.-= Vodka Logic´s last blog ..Sunday Rerun-The Path =-.
I know, Stacey and Clinton are the BEST!
.-= Theta Mom´s last blog ..A Stranger In My Closet =-.
RIGHT ON!
Thats why in 2010 My friends have challenged me to wear all my clothes and get dressed up whether its Girls night out , or date night with the hubby. Plus I work like 10hrs a week so am not a total SAHM so I do get to wear my stuff sometimes.
I have the weight probs too my TUMMY. 16 months after twins and I need work , so I am going to buy a proper ipod and start joggin or something lol.
Great post!
.-= Nikki´s last blog ..People’s Choice Awards – Few Favs! =-.
I am right there with you! Loosing 40lbs would just thrill me to no end!
.-= Brandi´s last blog ..Snoop Dog, I mean Boys! =-.
I’m currently in-between clothes, the skinny clothes and my fat clothes. And once I am to my goal weight, it’s cuteness all the time here – I mean really I want to look fabulous! Of course, I may need Stacey and Clinton then because it has been years since I’ve shopped for stylish clothes and I might not know what that means anymore. You can totally get back to your pre-preggers clothing!
.-= TooManyHats´s last blog ..Monday Menu Mania =-.
I totally feel your pain…my dd is 15 months old…she’s #4. I wanted to look like i did after having baby #1….I started WW last May…and by August I had met my goal! It was easier than I thought!!! Good luck! I know what it’s like to stand in the closet starting at a whole new wardrobe!
Thanks for the encouragement ladies! Funny how after baby #1, it just throws us for a loop, huh?
.-= Theta Mom´s last blog ..A Stranger In My Closet =-.
Besides the fact that I’m sure S&C would take on a mommy blogger (we, as your faithful followers could start a petition, if you’d like) , you are being hard on yourself. As long as you feel good about where you are in life – and you’re pleased with the decisions you’ve made…then it doesn’t matter that you can’t wear your cutsie clothes anymore…you have 2 beautiful children to show for it!!
~WM
.-= Working Mommy´s last blog ..Lesson #44 – Showering Can Be Fun {Giveaway} =-.
Haha…okay I love “What Not to Wear” but when I picture you I don’t think you are at that point.
Even though I’ve only had one baby (and plan to keep it that way) I can understand what you mean about the desire to dress up and look “normal.” G.I. Joe hears me say “I soooo look like a mommy today.” a lot. And he’s always like “You are a mommy. You should be proud to look like one.” Yeah, not what I was looking for. Most of my pre-preg clothes hang off me because I lost so much weight so I look frumpy. This week I went to the office for 2 days and was spazzing trying to find something to wear.
I think its healthy for moms to do what makes them feel good about themselves. We have to keep our sanity sometimes that means going out and buying a dress that fits and looking more cute and less mommy for a day.
.-= Mrs. G.I. Joe´s last blog ..Ask Mr. and Mrs. G.I. Joe =-.
I understand what you are going through. For some reason with my first it just fell off and with the second it took a bit longer. However with 2 very active boys that never sit still {not even for a minute}, I can say I hardly snack which has helped. I can’t even sit down to eat a meal….not the best way to lose weight
.-= Tina´s last blog ..Ouch that Hurt! =-.
As a working mom, I long to be in yoga pants and t-shirts all day. I loathe dressing up, but because it’s more than I’m uncomfortable, not that I don’t like to look good.
I completely understand the “wanting to look good” part. I feel better when I know I look good.
Oh, and I hear you on the baby weight. My son turned 2 last month. NO EXCUSE.
.-= Kmama´s last blog ..MEme Monday: My Most Memorable Birthday =-.
Tina, I am so with you the unable to eat a meal part…but that still has not got me to the point of pre-preggers cuteness. And I agree Mrs. G.I. Joe, I am not in need of Stacey and Clinton, just throught that would be pretty funny and you’re right, we DO need to take care of ourselves, which is why I felt the need to post this.
Glad to know as mothers, you get it!
.-= Theta Mom´s last blog ..A Stranger In My Closet =-.
Yes – I have written before about how my closet is totally bipolar – I have work stuff and I have sweatpants and nothing in between.
I guess it’s just a reality of life right now!
.-= Lindsey´s last blog ..The godfamily. And red wine. =-.
I think they would take on a mommy blogger in about two seconds!! What do you do from home?? (I need a job with an income)
.-= Lee the Hot Flash Queen´s last blog ..It’s Just Another Menopausal Monday =-.
It is so hard to find motivation to wear nice clothes when you don’t have to leave the house. I have all these cute clothes screaming at me to wear, but I have no reason to wear them.
.-= Evonne´s last blog ..Best Birthdays =-.
Sounds like you need to get exercise on your daily routine…. that with some healthy eating (no crazy diets) will LITERALLY TRANSFORM your body!!
Remember it’s a journey not a 30 day trip…. transition will happen… YOU CAN DO IT!!!
I’d recommend taking some type of class… accountability helps and if you have FUN you’re more likely to keep going!!
So make that your goal…to PHYSICALLY workout AT LEAST 4 days a week!
If you can try 5….but baby steps!
Stop by anytime for a pep talk!
GOOD LUCK!
Exactly girl!!! That’s what I’m talking about!
.-= Theta Mom´s last blog ..A Stranger In My Closet =-.
Oh, how I hear you.
Most especially THIS: there is no longer a need to get all dressed up.
As a SAHM I look at all my clothes and say, well, maybe some day. I finally took all the dressy pants off the hangers and tossed them up onto a hard-to-reach shelf!
.-= Andrea´s last blog ..SO gross =-.
OMG Roxy, I need a pep talk, but your link didn’t show up! I will find you through the email…
.-= Theta Mom´s last blog ..A Stranger In My Closet =-.
Andrea- I hear ya!
.-= Theta Mom´s last blog ..A Stranger In My Closet =-.
Same boat here, but 2.5 years later! With my oldest, I was wearing my old stuff in 3 months, and was floored when, after #2, I was still hanging on to most of the weight.
I go back and forth about wanting to wear cute clothes and being thrilled that I can wear sweats or comfy clothes all day. I never really know which side of me will emerge that day!
.-= LZ´s last blog ..Mexican Meatball Soup =-.
Oh I love that show! Yes they would definetly take on a mommy blogger. Now I work outside the home full time but because I am able to flex my schedule I have thursday afternoons and fridays off. And I love my casual wear. I live for it! I think you can totally make casual cute. Not sure how you feel about velour yoga suits. But I love them! And rock them every chance I get. They are comfy and super cute! And I have super funky colors! They are fun!
But I get what you are saying with having a a closet full of stuff that doesn’t fit. I always think if I lose like 30 pounds I would have a whole new wardrobe!
But work it girl! It is all about attitude anyway. You could were a brown paper bag and if you feel hot you will look hot.
My latest post:
http://thismamaworksit.com/2010/01/10/moms-should-be-allowed-to-have-bad-days-too-dammitt/
I’m sorry, but what mom has a closet full of clothes that are “carefully draped over hangers” and ANYTHING that is “neatly folded”. Please! I stand in front of my closet and mourn the days when I had time to keep everything perfectly stacked/hung. If you’re a SAHM and don’t have a need for all of those clothes, then keep a few of your favorite items and one pair of skinny jeans and get rid of everything else. Why torture yourself?
Theta mom!
I did a similar post last year:
http://alpinekleinbunch.blogspot.com/2009/04/uniform-and-other-random-stuff.html
Things haven’t changed much. I do make an attempt to dress up. I actually love the show “what not to wear”, I just hope someday they don’t show up in my neighborhood
Kristin
See that’s the thing Kim, they are perfectly draped on hangers because I haven’t worn them in over 2 years! I don’t want to get rid of them because then I am conforming to a “new” size and I refuse to do that…I guess this makes me want to lose the baby weight all the more!
.-= Theta Mom´s last blog ..A Stranger In My Closet =-.
We were kinda hoping they’d take on a friend of ours first… 😉 I totally feel ya. My problem this fall has been even more weight GAIN, and as I look at my spring/summer stuff, I know I have some hard work ahead for me, or I’ll be in PJ’s for church too! 😛
.-= Julie´s last blog ..All Dogs Go to Heaven, Hate it, and Then Come Back to Earth. =-.
Heather I didn’t even fit into my 3rd to last pair of remaining maternity pants this morning so in ONE week I will be with you!
I do think that apart from the extra weight after 2 years some purging and re-thinking is probably a good idea. If you are not working out of the house your wardrobe needs will be different and you want cute AND comfortable stuff to wear!
On hits topic, one of my good friends is a stylist and an awesome one at that! She is going to be featured as one of my organization DIY days as she ROCKS with a closet purge. She also is a mom of 2 and has GREAT ideas for mommy fashion. I hope to be able to do a full review of her site and giveaway for her style membership. It is really awesome! So stay tuned!
It’s hard to look at our own closets and our memories in the clothes and all that! Good luck and as I said – I will be getting my tush in gear with you as soon as I am allowed to exercise. Until then I will be depending on breastfeeding to work again…while I eat queso in mass quantities and dread my first day of actual hard core exercise.
Great Post!
.-= Brittany at Mommy Words´s last blog ..Big Day for Sophia and Miles =-.
OH girl! I agree 150%! I have put on so much weight, too that nothing fits! I am still squeezing my size ten behind into size 6 jeans on occasion (you know the, I MUST do laundry occasion), but for the most part I am in sweats or wind-pants. So many of my friends say, “Well, Kelli, you have 3 kids!” Yes, I do and I can NOT blame this weight on kids because after having child number 3, I was smaller than before child number 1! This is simply “Lazy” weight! But, I am determined to get some off it off so I can wear my super cute clothes to BlissDom!
Oh my goodness girl! I’ve only had one baby and that was almost 3 years ago. The sad truth is I am at my pre-preg weight but that wasn’t awesome. And now, even though I weigh the same, its not all DISTRIBUTED like it once was!! That is very frustrating! I told my hub that I wasn’t going to work on getting to a target weight until after our second because I’m only going to torture myself ONCE. I know everyone says get to your target weight in between but man I’d feel like all that work and torture went to waste so I’m going to wait.
However…still waiting to get preg with #2. :/
One question though…where do you work @ home? I’d love to be able to work from home again. I had one smash job but the lady decided to downsize and now I’m left with nada.
.-= Amanda´s last blog ..Adventures in theater land… =-.
Sharing a small apartment in NYC, closet space is valuable real-estate. I have a rule that if I haven’t worn something in one whole year (for whatever reason), out it goes! Trust me – keep a few of your favorite items and a pair of skinny jeans to inspire you to lose the weight, and donate all of those other fabulous items to others who can use them!
.-= Kim Biltoft´s last blog ..Rolling Over…Almost =-.
I hope they do take on a mommy blogger! And there is something about carrying girls that really screw up our bodies. I have the same problem. I have a closet FULL of clothes but I only wear maybe 1/4 of it. And the last thing I want to do is go shopping for clothes that are bigger. I miss being trendy and looking better in my clothes. Sometimes I get way over dressed to go grocery shopping just so I can feel like a pretty girl again!
.-= Mandi Miller´s last blog ..Getting My Tail Kicked =-.
I shudder to think you’ve sunk to the point where Stacy and Clinton would need to help you! Rest assured. There’s probably not too many among us who don’t have wonderful clothes at the ready but unused in our closets.
.-= blueviolet´s last blog ..Boys Will Be Boys And That’s Not Good =-.
I feel your pain. I missed some of my clothes i used to wear before pregnancy;)
.-= yonca´s last blog ..POM Wonderful Pomegranate Juice Review =-.
This happened to me too, it took me quite a while to finally go by some cute new clothes. Bigger sizes, but still decent. I didn’t figure I deserved them being at home and not contributing to the family financially. Which is a who other discussion.
I here ya on the stranger in the closet lol !! I have so many clothes i dont wear because i am a SAHM and sometimes iam in my work out clothes all day they are just way more comfy to wear when your cleaning & Cooking and running after a 6 year old ! I try and put it together at least twice a week but that dont always happen !! and i think my clothes are suffering LOL ….
.-= Connie ´s last blog ..Happy Birthday Elvis =-.
OMG, I totally hear ya!! A few months back I had a playpen full of clothing that I dumped off….some I couldn’t fit in, some out of style and other just plain old! Now I’m just down to some essentials and that’s it! But still are feeling a little snug that I would like..gotta lose my last 15 pounds!! ugh!
Ok – This is totally me!!!! When I got married I had lost 28 pounds and looked AWESOME. Two months after that, I got pregnant. It was so hard to lose the weight. Two and half years later and I still dont fit in my clothes. Maybe one day!
.-= Pres. Kathy´s last blog ..NEW YEAR’s GIVEAWAY! =-.
I’ve been fantacising about putting a call into Stacy and Clinton for quite some time now! My body changed a lot after I had my son, and I eventually had to get rid of most of my wardrobe b/c my hips spread permanantly or something and I could no longer fit into most of my clothes. I used to wear expensive, dry-clean only type clothes, and now I’m wearing sweats from Old Navy. And yes, it’s hard to want to get all dressed up when I don’t work and I’m busy with small children all day. I abhor being uncomfortable at this point in my life. It’s pretty much been a struggle for me since I became a mom because I love to look cute, but I hate to be uncomfortable.
.-= existentialwaitress´s last blog ..There comes a moment in every husband’s life… =-.
Girl, I am right there with you. Don’t want to be uncomfortable but still want to be wear cute stuff…
.-= Theta Mom´s last blog ..A Stranger In My Closet =-.
I can relate to having clothes that don’t fit anymore. I think anyone who has had a baby has been in your shoes. Sometimes your body just doesn’t go back to where it used to be and you gotta either work harder and try to get there or just accept it and use it as an excuse to go shopping. lol But seriously, I don’t really dress up either anymore now that I work from home. I was never really stylish before, but I especially am not now. Maybe you should call Stacey & Clinton for both of us?
.-= shelly´s last blog ..What if It’s God Speaking? =-.
I love reading your blogs, I am right there with you!! I got dressed up today because we were checking out a new preschool, and my 4 year old son says to me, “wow, you look nice mommy”. did he have to sound so surprised?? Now, I have to walk him into preschool each morning (for whatever reason they only do car line in the afternoons) so maybe running into all the other mommies will provide incentive??
Sigh. It’s always the girls that get you. I guess blaming my 11 month old is not so credible anymore, huh?
.-= Ashley´s last blog ..Motivating Monday =-.
I’m right there with you. I visit my closet from time to time to say hello the wonderful clothes that used to fit. I haven’t given up on fitting into them again some day soon.
.-= UnknownMami´s last blog ..I Comment Therefore I Am =-.
I feel your pain. My baby will be 30 on the 20th and I’m still working on that baby weight!!!
.-= Debby´s last blog ..BEAUTIFUL BLOGGER AWARD =-.
So hilarious. That is exactly what I’m going through right now. I have actually been giving all my old pre pregnancy clothes to my friend’s 10 year old daughter. Pretty sad, that’s how small I used to be. I have also become addicted to watching What Not to Wear- daydreaming that they would deem me the next fashion victim! I started exercising last week and I’m going to take it one day at a time. As long as I promise myself I will never give up, I see a light at the end of the tunnel. I think there is a way to look cute and be comfortable too. I just need some time to figure that one out!
.-= Juli´s last blog ..One Word: EXERCISE =-.
I work from home and there is no longer a need to get all dressed up…AMEN from this SAHM! I love Stacy and Clinton!!!! I’ll eat tofu if you get on that show!
.-= Teresha@ Marlie and Me´s last blog ..100 Followers Challenge Winner! =-.