Now the Sun is out, snow is melting, birds are chirping, the smell of Spring in the air, it’s time to box up your boots and prepare for the Spring Fashion.  Since I work in a shoe business, I had the opportunity to attend an info session about what Spring 2010 trend is in the shoe world. If Fall was all about boots, Spring is all about sandals. 

World Traveler
Gladiator shoes is still in style with a little twist by adding beads or jewelry stones around the straps or ankles.  A combination of leather and beads give a nice ethnic touch, perfect for a world traveler.

World Traveler by mommylicious featuring Reaction shoes

New Neutrals
The word Neutrals actually lays on the material, not the color.  Raffia, straw, espadrilles, and cork wedges are examples of New Neutrals style.  This trend actually reminds me of the mid 90’s style.

New Neutrals by mommylicious featuring Enzo Angiolini shoes

Soft and Romantic
Ruffles, bow, satin pleating, flowers embellishment, along with soft metallic colors are what the Fashion Industry considered as Soft and Romantic trend.

Soft Romantic by mommylicious featuring Fergie

80’s Mix
Last but not least, the 80’s mix style. I grew up in the 80’s and I think it was one of the most hideaous fashion era of all times. Whenever I saw my pictures from the 80’s with the big hair, neon color leggings, roll up sleeves, I feel like I want to burn all those pictures. 80’s mix is all about animal print, stud, pump, and jelly shoes. Yes, Jelly Shoes made its come back!! When I found out the jelly shoes is back, I was about to fall off my chair. I remember my mom used to call it Cinderella shoes because it looks like a glass. I’m also not a big fan of studded style either. Needless to say, 80’s mix is the only trend I could careless.

80’s by mommylicious featuring Melissa shoes

It’s funny how fashion repeats itself. Maybe it’s a good idea to store your clothes and wear it again once it’s back in style.

I’m currently reading “Mommy Wars, Stay at Home and Career Moms Face Off on Their Choices, Their Lives, Their Families”.  I know, it’s as if I’m not busy enough with my current schedule.  But as a writer, I’m also required to read books for the sake of producing good articles for this blog.  Anyway, this book is about the misunderstanding between stay at home moms and career moms. 

A stay at home mom to a working mom: “Poor woman, they don’t know what they are missing.  My kids are my priority, I won’t miss out anything even for the money”

a working mom to a stay at home mom: “What the hell does she do everyday?  Isn’t she bored?  And seriously, she needs to at least put on lipgloss for crying out loud”

Sounds familiar?  I have to admit it.  Sometimes I do wonder what stay at home moms do everyday.  I know for sure they’re just as busy as career moms.  All the contributors of this book were former career moms who chose to be stay at home moms.  I’m half way through reading this book and I have yet to find a mom who’s happy to stay at home.  All these women were miserable and ended up going back to work mainly because they missed of having adult intelligent conversations, not having enough money or not feeling they contribute enough to the society.  My favorite part of the book is about a woman whom after several years staying at home, went back to work as a writer for several sitcoms.  Her home is in NY but she travelled constantly to L.A.  It was tough in the beginning for her kids who were so used to having her around, but she’s happier.  A year later her work and life balance were a bit easier as her trips were getting shorter.  One morning, she was walking around the park with her oldest son who was seven at that time.  She asked him, “Would you prefer me to stay at home or work?”  He said, “I prefer whatever makes you happy”.

That leads into some confessions I have to make:

1. After eight weeks of maternity leave, I was so eager to go back to work
2. I never felt guilty when I left my son at daycare for the first time
3. My son cried almost every morning until he was 2.5 years old every time I dropped him off at daycare, and yet I never felt bad about it because I knew he’s in a good hand (his teachers told me he stopped crying 2 minutes after I left, and refused to go home when I picked him up).

There are some good days or bad days at work, but I realize I could never be a stay at home mom.  Does it mean I’m a bad mom?  I don’t think so.  Because I’m happy when picking up my son and he runs toward me with his arm wide open giving a big hug.  I’m happy because I’m not overwhelmed with all these mommy duties and get to spend some quality time with my son after dinner.  I’m happy because my husband contributes a lot in taking care of household and raising our son instead of being the breadwinner and leaving everything else up to me.  So why all these matters?  Because it takes a happy mother to raise a happy child.  There are some days that I wish I could take my son to a nearby park during the week, laying down on the grass, starring at the clouds and trying to figure out what the shapes look like.  But you just can’t have everything.  At least not at the same time.

A couple months ago, my husband found a very good condition easel sitting on someone’s driveway on the way home, waiting to be picked up by the garbage truck in the morning.  He knocked on the door and asked the person if he could take it.  The person said yes.  After I cleaned it, the easel looks almost new with some minor scratches.  He also brought home a black plastic garbage bag which contains some art supplies.  I let the bag sitting in the garage thinking I would go through that once the weather gets warmer.  Last week I checked the bag and found some chalks.  I brought it inside and decided to play with the easel.  At first we drew some pictures, then I showed my son some letters and numbers.  Being such an independent child, he insisted on writing on the easel himself.  Then I held his hand and started to write letters and numbers.  We started with numbers since it was easier to write.  I used the method that my mom taught me as a child, which is using the shape similarities, e.g. number 1 looks like a stick, 2 looks like a duck, 3 looks like an ear, 4 looks like an upside down chair, etc.  Not all numbers have shape similarities, but this method actually helps.  Then we moved on with letter A, B and C.  He knew a few letters from the daycare, books and flash cards, but never through the actual writing itself.  Obviously his coordination is not good enough to write those letters and numbers by himself, but in the end he could write number 1.  I praised him as he practiced.

my son "number one" work of art

That night I read him “Cleo’s Counting Book” for his bedtime story and he recognized number 1 to 5 instantly.  He also recognized letter A, D and K.  Having said that, I realized that my son learned numbers and the alphabets a lot quicker through hands on experience.

I always try to cut corners everywhere I can when cooking as time is so precious for me.  I found a way to make those Salt and Pepper Tofu in just a few minutes.  It’s super easy and hubby loves it.  Even though it’s not so much of restaurant quality, but it’s still delicious considering how quick and easy to make it.  The key is to use a ready to eat soft fried tofu that you can find in most Asian grocery stores.  The soft fried tofu tastes a lot better with this recipe because it gives extra crispiness when baked / toasted. 

Ingredient:

• Two Package of Soft Fried Tofu
• 3 Jalapeno pepper
• 2 tbs chopped garlic
• salt and pepper to taste
• Vegetable cooking oil

1.  Season soft fried tofu with salt and pepper and bake it in the oven at 350 F for 10 - 15 minutes until it’s soft and crispy.

2.  Heat oil in frying pan and stir fry chopped garlic.

3.  Add the tofu into the frying pan, season it again with salt and black pepper. 

4.  Add jalapeno pepper and stir for a few more minutes in medium heat oil.

5.  Serve over steamed rice.

I belong to two moms group, the Indonesian moms and the American ones.  Once a month we would get together without kids and hubbies, and just hang out.  Occasionally we would have a family event together.  Last night I had “girls night out” with my fellow American moms.  We went to Jliu restaurant during happy hour, ordered appetizers and martinis.  I had a total blast.  I have to tell you that I have met so many wonderful moms from both groups, and these people really keep me sane.  Here’s what typically happened when a bunch of moms get together:

• We complain about our hubbies.  We love ‘em dearly, but talking about them is just unavoidable.  It’s like eating pizza without beer, burger without fries, reality TV without drama.  You get the idea.  No moms’ day out complete without bashing on our hubbies.  Some of the things moms typically complain about:
  • How often they get to go out to either play sports or simply hang out with friends 
  • How little they involve in taking care of household (very typical in Asian households)
  • Throwing temper tantrum when they get frustrated
• Kids kids kids!!!  Potty training, sleeping through the night, troubles they got in school, bad habit, transitioning from crib to a “big boy’s bed”, super-hyper kids.  Boy…  don’t we love ‘em? 
• Last but not least… Mother-in-Law.  Super protective mother-in-law, those who know it all and try to teach us how to raise our children using ancient knowledge, Mrs. Santa Clause who shower our kids with excessive gifts, or the one who simply don’t want to be bothered by our kids are the typical “black listed” mother-in-laws

Although it might seem like all we do is complaining, we just want to share our experience that being a mom is the hardest yet most rewarding job ever.  Sharing our frustration about the job we cannot quit to fellow moms is just a way of telling ourselves that we are not alone and we do something right in the end.