Why I Dare Wear a White Dress + GIVEAWAY!

How crazy do you need to be to wear a white dress and hold a toddler?  It helps a LOT that Addie is really, really clean.  In the middle of meals she asks for her hands to be wiped several times because heaven forbid she continue eating with messy hands. *gasp*  A liiiittle OCD if you ask me, but that’s for another day.  Also, I do this on days I’m around Addie minimally, like on days she goes to daycare instead of on the weekend when I’d be with her all day.

However, even with the cleanest toddler, a white dress is probably not the wisest choice.  Nor was it wise when I wore white jeans on Easter–or to ever wear white jeans for that matter.  But I still do it, knowing the high risk of potential consequences, and not just because I care SO MUCH about my outfit.  It’s because it’s just something I want to do–I like wearing white–and doing little things like this for myself remind me that even though I’m a mom wrapped up in a lot of needs of a tiny toddler, I can still do some stuff for me.


Don’t get me wrong.  I’m definitely willing to give up things for my family’s sake.  Every parent knows what I’m talking about, from nitty gritty things like no longer dictating your own schedule and free time to big picture thing like adjusting your ambitions and life goals.  That’s part of parenthood; it’s kinda what you sign up for!  But I think I’m best at loving my family when I’m not completely, totally, utterly lost in serving their needs and when I do things for ME sometimes.  When I have a grasp of my own self and haven’t gotten completely lost in my family’s needs, I don’t feel like my worth is threatened and I don’t become bitter or burdened when I need to give up stuff on my family’s behalf.

And when I say “do stuff for me” I’m not even talking about huge life changes, though sometimes you’ve gotta do those too.  I’m talking about doing little things as acts of care for yourself each day that remind you that while your family’s needs are super important, you’re important too.  Your family’s needs and caring for yourself aren’t mutually exclusive!

Small acts of self-care are a pretty low bar, but done regularly and frequently they add up big time.  Plus they’re easier to do and maintain because they’re less costly and less inconvenient for your family.  Some of my friends treat themselves to a glass of wine or a sweet treat.  Some of my friends make it a point to go on a peaceful run.  Some friends go on short trip sans kids with their spouse or friends.  Some of my friends keep their kids in their cribs an extra 10 minutes just so they can finish reading a book.  And me…I wear white dresses sometimes.  ðŸ™‚  (Though, maybe I should really be exercising instead, haha!)

Whether you’re a parent or not, if you haven’t taken care of yourself in a while, treat yourself a little.  We’re all doing the best we can, and you deserve some love and care!


(And that’s exactly why you should enter the giveaway at the end of this post!)

You just got a little peek into my #StoryOfMotherhood, which is hosted by Lily Jade to celebrate mamas in light of Mother’s Day.  Lily Jade is the company who made my bag–my DIAPER BAG–and the several other diaper bags I use.  I don’t use anything else because these are gorgeous and have tons of organization!  (Past posts I’ve written: diaper bag review HERE; making shabby outfits chic HERE; and 6 kid-friendly business casual pieces HERE.)

This one is the Rosie in Camel (HERE), part of Lily Jade’s new line.  I love that it has a little more structure and vertical room than the other bags I have, the Madeline and Caroline.  It’s also got two huge zipper pockets in the front and back, keeping my phone easily accessible but totally safe.  Lily Jade bags can be pricey, but they’re very, very durable and super chic.  Once you’re out of kid stage you can use this as a bag just for YOU because it doesn’t look like a diaper bag at all!

In the Rosie just yesterday I comfortably fit a Miracle 360 cupa Contigo straw cupmy 32 oz Hydroflask water bottle (kinda big!), my wallet, a 4″x6″ pouch with my stuff, 2 cuties, an Oxo tot food holder, a Munchkin snack cup, a few diapers, bag of wipes, another bag of disinfectant wipes. keys, Benson’s and my phones, and Benson’s wallet with room to spare.  Without kid stuff I can fit my 13″ Macbook Air!

You can to win one through the widget at the bottom of this post.  There will be over 30 winners!

Now, about the outfit.  This dress is 100% cotton, almost fully lined except for a few inches above the knees which you can see in a closeup above.  It comes in a few print too.  It wrinkles kind of easily and the white shows the wrinkles more than the other prints, but otherwise it’s a nice casual dress for the spring and summer.  I’m normally S/M and wearing M.  Fits me pretty loosely with a lot of room to spare.  


I’m super excited about the shoes too!  I have a white pair from last year that is a very similar style, which I love (HERE).  This Old Navy pair has very soft foot straps, but they don’t feel as durable as the white BC Footwear pair I have.  It feels like the material could possibly rip if you put enough stress on them.  Definitely a reflection of the different prices.  The soles feel similar, which is a kind of faux wood.  Honestly, both soles are kind of hard, and shoe inserts would probably fix that but for some reason I haven’t tried that yet.  That said, I did accidentally need to walk 1 mile in them, plus stood for several hours, plus wore them earlier that morning and walked and stood even more than that, and the pain level was average among other heels.  They’re really cute though!  
I got both of these on sale in store, but later I saw them for even cheaper online since Old Navy runs sales so stinking often.  So, you know…in the spirit of doing something for yourself, get yourself some cute shoes!  ðŸ˜‰  AND enter the Lily Jade giveaway!

Shop for the Look:
Dress: Old Navy (exact)
Jacket: Old Navy (very similar Target)
Shoes: Old Navy (exact)
Watch: c/o JORD
Bag: c/o Lily Jade (exact)





created in partnership with Lily Jade

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