7 Things Every Mom Needs
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I don’t know about you, but my days of high heels, small purses, dangly earrings, eye liner, and leather jackets are over – or at least on indefinite hold until my children get older. I need to be able to chase after them on a moment’s notice, carry everything we need in a day, not have my ear lobe ripped out, put on makeup in under a minute, and throw all of my clothes in the washing machine. Among other things.
Here are my must-haves for life as a mom that check all the boxes, while still looking at least a little cute…
Comfortable Shoes
My go-to shoes that I’ve been wearing exclusively for the past couple years are Rothy’s. They seem kind of expensive for what they are (recycled water bottles?!), but when you wear them Every. Single. Day. they are well worth it. I’ve had my first pair for 3 years and they still look new – they don’t wear out and you can even throw them in the washing machine if they get dirty. You may have to do a little trial and error to see what size and style look best on you (the cute pointy ones did NOT work for me), but once you find it, your feet will be in heaven. My favorites are the loafer (I have to size up by 1/2 size) and the slip-on sneaker (true to size). The sneakers provide slightly better support and I can wear them all day – they passed the zoo test – so clearly I had to buy them in both white and black. The loafers are super cute and I like them best in patterns – Mocha Spot and Olive Camo are my favorites at the moment. Here’s $20 off if you want to give them a try and see for yourself.
If you’re a flip flop person, check out OluKai. While I personally wouldn’t wear them to the park where I may need to sprint after my 21-month-old at any given moment, they are great for many other situations – a day trip to the beach, quick summer errands, or walking the dog around the block. They’re super comfortable and much more supportive than your average flip flop, with footbeds that conform to your feet.
Carryall Bags
I have been on the hunt for the perfect carryall bag for all my children’s crap for years now. With just one kid, I was happy enough with typical diaper bags. With two kids, the ones I previously owned weren’t quite big enough so I’ve branched out beyond the diaper bag to regular backpacks that have a lot of compartments for all those small kid items that you need to find on a moment’s notice (applesauce pouch NOW or meltdown in 3…2…1…). I have finally found the perfect backpack: the shortyLOVE boxer. Unfortunately, it costs more than my leather handbags – but when you’ve already wasted much more money than that on inferior bags, it feels worth the splurge. Here’s $10 off if you want to splurge on one for yourself.
For going to the beach, I have discovered ALOHA Collection bags and they’re awesome. The large tote can hold all of our beach essentials (with the beach toys being dragged separately in a foldable wagon by my husband) or whatever we need for going to a pool. The bags are water resistant and machine washable, so I don’t have to worry about them getting wet, sandy or sticky. I also love their lightweight fanny packs, so I can keep my essentials on me while chasing my kids around. Here’s $20 off your first one.
And while we’re on the subject of fanny packs, I must say that I’m really glad they’re back. I used to use them way back in the day when they were acceptable (also the time when Rollerblades were popular – and I could frequently be spotted zipping around with my fanny pack), then they became unacceptable for a long time, then they came back but only if you wore them over your shoulder, and now I’ve started to see moms cooler than myself wearing them like regular fanny packs again (whew!). The fanny pack (or “waist pack” as I believe is the preferred term these days) is a great complement to the carryall bag, since it’s handy to be able to keep your valuables easily accessible and on you while setting down your backpack at the park/playground. For a stylish everyday pick, the Herschel Waist Pack is awesome. I even threw my black on in the washing machine when I got mineral sunblock all over it, and it came out perfectly.
Simple Jewelry
I used to love to accessorize with a lot of fun jewelry. Now I just see dangly earrings and necklaces as things my children can grab and yank, and it does not feel good to have your ear lobe ripped out or to be innocently choked. I do still like to wear some jewelry, though, so I stick to cute small stuff from Stella & Dot. They have a lot of good options for small earrings, and I love the delicate name necklace that fits me snugly so there’s not enough room for small hands to easily grab it.
Quick Makeup
It’s hard enough to find time to shower daily as a mom, much less take the time to put on makeup. While of course no one needs makeup and every woman is beautiful just the way she is, some of us feel better with a little bit on. I’ve never been a huge makeup wearer, and I like a natural look, so when I discovered Sam & Maddy by a local NYC mom, it was love at first foundation. The BB cream is perfect because it’s a lotion, foundation and sunscreen all in one. Then a quick swipe of the cream color stick on my cheeks, a dab of eye shadow, and some mascara, and I’m good to go in under a minute. Don’t forget to pick up the eye makeup remover too – it’s just like Lancôme’s except better and cheaper.
Athleisure Clothing
If one good thing came out of the global pandemic, it was that athleisure clothing became acceptable to wear all the time. Also the discovery that we could connect with friends “face to face” around the world anytime we wanted via Zoom. But mostly the athleisure thing. I honestly don’t think I can ever go back to wearing real clothing all the time, because anytime I put on jeans to go out somewhere, I’m itching to get back to my leggings or joggers the second I walk in the house. There are a lot of options for this type of clothing – here are some of my favorites:
Vuori – the most comfortable joggers EVER. I started getting Facebook ads soon after the pandemic hit, and for a long time I balked at the price. I tried buying cheaper joggers, but none of them were great. So after wasting money on several pairs of subpar joggers that are currently sitting untouched in my drawer, I finally decided to try these and they were worth every penny. The “performance jogger” is my favorite and they fit me true to size – they’re a little fitted so you don’t look dumpy, while still being loose enough that I don’t have to wear a thong with them (another item of clothing I may never be able to return to full-time), and insanely soft and comfortable. I have worked my way up to four pairs and am making no promises to stop.
Aritzia – the best leggings. The TnaBUTTER are so soft and fit so well that you don’t even know you’re wearing pants, and the TnaLIFE are super versatile and great for lounging, exercising or going out for lunch. Both are very flattering and high-waisted to tuck in that postpartum tummy.
Athleta – even though Athleta has been around for ages and I’ve always been a shopper of Gap brands, I’ve somehow just discovered them. Probably because I was always trying to buy cheaper workout clothes and was turned off by the prices and lack of constant 40% off sales. But let me tell you: it’s worth it. I have their Pranayama Wrap in a few different colors now and it’s perfect over leggings since it covers your @$$ and has deep pockets for your phone and whatever other knickknacks your children have just handed you to hold. I also put it on in the morning over my pajamas instead of a bathrobe and it’s awesome for that too. Athleta has a lot of other great sweatshirts, t-shirts and workout clothes, but another standout for me is the legging with cell phone pocket – genius! This is especially perfect for summer when you don’t need outerwear and have no other place to stash your phone.
Peach – I found out about this company through a friend who works for them as a style consultant. It’s basically the perfect mom wear – comfortable, stylish, versatile, stretchy, and machine washable. They also have some great cell phone leggings, a jean jacket with some give, and an “indoor vest” which I was on the hunt for last winter when I kept wearing my puffy vest inside just for the pockets.
Practical Outerwear
While that nice leather jacket sits in the closet waiting for the day it can make an appearance again, what do you wear when you need a jacket? I love a good utility jacket – one that is machine washable and has multiple deep pockets for your phone, keys, tiny hair elastics, half-eaten string cheese, and Magna-Tile that you didn’t realize your toddler was still holding when you left the house. I really like this inexpensive one from the Gap, but if you’re going for slightly higher fashion, this Lily Aldridge for Velvet Ruby Jacket looks and feels great.
Appropriate Bras
Last but not least, let’s talk bras. After breastfeeding two children for a year each, my already-small boobs – which once upon a time were at least kind of cute and perky – have deflated into literally nothing. I used to wear a 32B, but none of my bras were fitting right and were all very uncomfortable. I tried bralettes, but while comfortable, only accentuated the fact that there was nothing there. And I decided that it was unacceptable to wear a sports bra under normal clothing. Somehow Facebook read my mind and started serving me up with ads for a newish company called Pepper that focuses on smaller-chested women. I took their sizing quiz to discover that I am now a 32A (ok fine) and ordered a few different styles to try, all with free returns. I’m sold! I can finally take the plunge to get rid of all of my old ill-fitting bras and am one by one replacing them with Pepper bras. I don’t need anything too fancy most of the time, but they have some pretty lace ones and even their basic one looks nice – certainly a lot better than my sports bras. Here’s 20% off if your boobs are in the same boat as mine.
Got any other favorite mom must-haves? Share them in the comments below!