Sunday Runday: Maternity Running Clothes

I mentioned earlier that I was going to do a little write up about my switch to maternity running clothes.  Mostly because I was at a complete loss when I needed to find something to wear.  During my first pregnancy I did okay with wearing my regular running clothes, with race shirts in a large instead of a medium.  Except during the end, when even those larges didn't do a great job of covering my stomach.

This time, I've had more problems with my running pants being uncomfortable and my shirts riding up.  Given the amount of races I've been doing/have planned, I thought investing in a maternity running wardrobe would be a good idea.  I now have two "outfits" I rotate between.  One cheap, and the other expensive.

My cheap outfit comes from Old Navy, who seems to have a great corner on the maternity active wear market.

Old Navy Tank

What I like about this shirt is the fit in terms of comfort.  It's soft and doesn't ride up in the slightest.  There have been complaints that the built in bra isn't terribly supportive, but honestly, I've never been able to get away with relying solely on the built in bra for shirts, so that doesn't bother me too much.  The only thing I dislike about the shirt is that it isn't more tailored.  So when I wear it, sometimes I feel like I look more fat and less pregnant.

Old Navy Active Roll-Panel Yoga Capris

 I was reading that sometimes yoga pants are a better option than running pants during pregnancy because the cotton is more comfortable and breatheable.  I don't know if that's true, but I decided to go with it and grab a pair of these yoga capris.  The roll panel is nice because it can adjust to varying points of the pregnancy, although I got these late enough that the panel is always rolled allll the way up.  They're incredibly comfortable, and I think supportive enough that I haven't been dealing with bounce of discomfort while running.


With running clothes I've found that often you get what you pay for.  More expensive clothes tend to fit better, more comfortably, and last longer.  So I thought the same might be true for the maternity version.  With that in mind, I got a couple pieces from some higher end brands.

For Two Fitness Tank

For Two Fitness has been around long enough that almost every pregnant runner I know has a tank.  Which speaks well of the quality.  Personally, I really like the fit of it, which is more tailored than the Old Navy counterpart.  As far as comfort, the two run neck and neck.  Between you and I, I don't love the "running for two" saying in general, but it definitely helps with the fat/pregnant debate.

Ingrid and Isabel Active Long Pants with Crossover Panel

This was a recommendation from a runner friend.  And recommendations are my favorite way to find out about good products.  She told me she loved the Ingrid and Isabel pants, but they were a little pricey.  That being said, she was wearing a pair from her last pregnancy at the time, which bodes well for longevity.  These aren't compression pants, they are more compression-like than the Old Navy version.  Which I actually like.  I do regret a little getting the pants instead of the capris, because people, it's getting hot here! 

Any other pregnant runners out there with recommendations for maternity running clothes?  I've got 3 races in the next two months!

Mommy Mondays: The Fashionable Toddler

I rarely talk about Thatbaby's day to day wear.  I've shared my favorite brands, but not specific outfits.  Because Thatbaby doesn't really wear "outfits" per se.  Mostly I throw him whatever is clean (which becomes more difficult every day.  I think he's a mess magnet).

But when we took our family pictures last fall, I put some real thought into what he was going to wear, picking and pairing some of my favorite pieces.  I know a lot of people complain that it's hard to find cute clothes for little boys, and I would vehemently disagree.  Here's a prime example:

Sweater: H&M.  Seriously, I love H&M sweaters.  We stock up every winter.  They're classic and timeless.  I love the same styles on Thatboy!

Shirt: Old Navy.  I love this shirt.  It's a button up with little dogs on it.  As soon as I saw it online, I wanted it.  But of course, at that time they were all sold out of his size.  When we were in Palm Springs, I stopped into a store and found it on clearance.  Fate!  Thatbaby calls it his doggy shirt and wants to wear it all the time.

Jeans: Janie and Jack.  The thing I like about Janie and Jack clothes are that they are incredibly durable, but also the pants have adjustable waists.  Which is nice, since Thatbaby usually gets taller before he gets wider.  Which means we usually have to go up a size for height, and need some help from keeping those pants from falling down around his ankles.

Shoes: Pedipeds.  Yup.  We're still wearing those!

The boons of the Holidays

As I've mentioned before, I'm not fantastic at spending money on myself. The one exception is when I get gift cards, because they can't go in to my bank account and be used to pay for gas, groceries, or my car. So Thatboy has caught on and has spread the word to his family to give me gift cards for the holidays.

I've spent the past few weeks using my lunch breaks to go shopping and I've accumulated quite the stash.

First I hit up BCBG.

You may recognize this skirt from my pictures from Harvard's party. In fact, I got it specifically to wear to Harvard's party since most non-work days I look in my closet with that "what am I going to wear" dread. And especially what am I going to wear to a cocktail party? I love the zipper in the front, and Thatboy pointed out it can also be worn in the back for a more conservative look.

Then I hit up my go-to, Banana Republic:

A new party dress! Because I always need nice dresses for weddings and parties. Although I'm getting to the age where I don't have a wedding every week. In fact, 2010 was the first year we didn't attend a wedding since 2003.



I also got a new pair of wool black pants. Because I can always use work pants. I wear a suit to work every day, so black pants are a given staple in my wardrobe. And wool, because on most days my office barely gets above a balmy 50 degrees. The airvent above my desk is especially helpful at keeping my ice from melting.

And along that same vein, I also hit up Macys for another pair of non-black work pants.

I know they're black in this picture, but the ones I picked up were grey. And I LOVE them. I love the way they fit, I love the way they feel, and I love the way they look.


Maybe it is important to treat yourself every now and again. Like with a creamy, lobster dish loaded with cream, butter, and Parmesan. It's another Valentine's Day treat!




And this one calls for cooked lobster, so you can cook it anyway you like - including my favorite boiling method.



Lobster Thermidor (From the Fannie Farmer Cookbook)
2 1/2 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup sliced mushrooms
3/4 Tbsp flour
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 Tbsp dry sherry
1 cup cooked lobster
salt
2 Tbsp grated Parmesan Cheese

1. Preheat oven to 450. Butter a shallow baking dish. Melt 1 1/2 Tbsp butter in a saucepan. Add the mushrooms and cook until soft. Then remove mushrooms from heat and set aside.
2. Melt the remaining Tbsp of butter, stir in the flour, and cook until smooth and blended.
3. Slowly stir in the cream and cook over low heat, stirring until the sauce is smooth and thickened.
4. Add the sherry and cook another minute. Remove from the heat and add the lobster and salt. Spoon into the baking dish, sprinkle with cheese, and bake 10 minutes.