While most women don’t necessarily look forward to trying on and finding a new swimsuit, getting one on a crazy sale can definitely make the process easier. That’s why you need to run, not walk to your local Target because it’s having a major swimsuit sale with styles starting at just $14!
In addition to offering size-inclusive options ranging from juniors to plus-size and maternity, Target is also offering selections in new brands that allow for bra-sized and even slimming options. If you want to shop online, you’ll enjoy free shipping and returns––so you pretty much have no excuse not to put on the damn bathing suit. Keep scrolling to see some of our faves!
Slimming Control Floral Lace-Up One Piece – Beach Betty
A slimming bathing suit? Yes, please! This pretty floral lace-up one piece ($25) is flirty and feminine, offering just the right amount of comfort and support.
Plus Size Ruffle One Piece Swimsuit - Kona Sol
Hello gorgeous! This ruffle one piece ($35) offers modesty, coverage and comfort with plenty of style. The jewel-toned color is feminine and functional and perfect for days at the shore.
Current Lightly Lined Ribbed Strap Halter Bikini Top - Shade & Shore
Target's bra-sized swimsuits from Shade & Shore are perfect for busty mamas. This black floral halter suit ($24-top) allows for proper sizing and support––something you can't get enough of when your kiddos are yanking on your swimsuit in the pool!
Crochet One Piece Swimsuit - Aqua Green
If you're a one-piece kinda gal, then you'll love the coverage that this crochet one-piece ($45) brings. Adjustable straps and removable cups make this a versatile suit perfect for anyone!
Open Back Bandeau Tankini - Kona Sol
The coverage of a one piece but with a little more pizazz, this open back tankini ($20) is absolutely gorgeous! With removable cups and a basic color palette, you can pair this bandeau top with almost any color bottom.
APlus by Anthropologie launched Mar. 15 online and in select store locations, featuring over 120 styles in sizes that range from 16W to 26W. The new line adds tons of diversity to the store that previously capped out at a size 14, while still maintaining the classy and feminine styles we’ve come to love about Anthro.
Keep scrolling to see some of our fave picks from the new collection.
Virginia Dress
Oh, hello spring! This chiffon Virginia Dress ($190) with a maxi silhouette and smocked waist is the perfect way to welcome warmer weather. The beautifully colored and elegantly detailed piece comes with adjustable straps and will more than carry your style into summer.
Imaginarium Jumpsuit
APlus' Imaginarium Jumpsuit ($140) has it all: stretchy, rayon fabric, an adorable gathered V-neck and side slant pockets. The navy essential transitions perfectly from day to night and is comfortable, too.
Oceanside Cropped Wide-Leg Pants
The Oceanside Cropped Wide-Leg ($120) have no limits. Perfect for spring, summer or fall, the linen bottoms are light and breezy, and come in cream, navy, dark olive and sunflower. Enjoy the wide-leg silhouette through all your warm weather outings!
Marrakech Draped Jacket
The draped front of the stylish Marrakech Jacket ($140) softens any look instantly. Choose between a dusty olive or stonewall color, and enjoy the artistic flair of this snap and zipper front jacket as you pair with pants, dresses or skirts.
Calais Top
Flowy and dainty, the Calais Top ($78) is a nice change from a boring T-shirt. The floral front is contrasted by a gray backing with ruched sides that make this a great blouse to pair with shorts, pants or skirts for sunny spring weather.
Is Kate Hudson raising her daughter “genderless?” Despite rumors that the celeb mama is all in for raising daughter Rani Rose without using a boy/girl context, Hudson herself took to Instagram to answer this question with a resounding no.
During a recent interview with AOL, Hudson was asked, “Does having a baby girl make you do anything differently or change your approach at all?” Husdon responded at the time, “It doesn’t really change my approach, but there’s definitely a difference. I think you just raise your kids individually regardless—like a genderless [approach].” Hudson went on to add, “We still don’t know what she’s going to identify as. I will say that, right now, she is incredibly feminine in her energy, her sounds and her way.”
So does her response really mean Hudson is raising Rani Rose with a totally genderless approach? According to an IG post that Hudson wrote in response to the interview, it looks like these rumors just aren’t true—just mischaracterized.
Hudson wrote, “Recently someone asked me something along the lines of, if having and raising a girl is different from boys. My response was simple. Not really.” The celeb mama went on to write, “This whole click bait tactic of saying I’m raising my daughter to be ‘genderless’ is silly and frankly doesn’t even make sense.”
For Hudson’s full response—which incidentally is a totally rad view of raising kiddos—check out her IG post here.
If you’re in search of a fun way to celebrate your baby’s upcoming big day, you’re going to want to check out these celebrity first birthday parties. Whether it’s over the top decor or understated elegance, these party ideas are first birthday-worthy for anyone!
As usual, the Kardashian-West family threw quite the soiree. The Alice in Wonderland theme for Chicago’s first birthday had all the accoutrements––themed food, characters walking around the party, amazing decorations and of course, tons of celeb guests.
Molly Sims and husband Scott Stuber celebrated the first birthday of their third child, Grey, with an adorable camp theme. They roasted marshmallows, hung out in teepees and had fun with a scavenger hunt!
Can you tell me how to get to Luna Street? Chrissy Teigen and John Legend threw an adorable Sesame Street-themed party for Luna’s first birthday, and can we have a slice of that cake, please?
Baby shark do, do, do, do, do, do…oh, sorry! Can’t help ourselves. Michael Phelps and wife Nicole hosted a shark-themed party to celebrate their first son’s birthday, complete with a jaws-ome cake!
Ciara and husband Russel Wilson threw a dainty and feminine party for their daughter, Sierra. Gorgeous flowers, a whimsical basket of balloons and a beautiful cake make this a party fit for a princess.
Adam Levine and wife Behati hosted a colorful and magical party for their first daughter, Dusty Rose. We love the bright balloons and would you look at these unicorns?!
Of course Nicky Hilton Rothschild’s daughter Julia would have a glamorous party! The pink and doll-themed get together put the cake centerstage for baby girl’s first birthday.
We love the simple and childlike decor for baby Sonny’s first birthday. The Hills alum Whitney Port celebrated the big day with husband Tim, and lots of perfectly coordinated party accessories.
E! host and mama to Duke, Guliana and her husband Bill celebrated their son’s first birthday ranch-style. The family dressed in farm garb and had quite the massive cake spread that makes us jealous!
We will always take a page from Lauren Conrad’s design book! Conrad and hubby, William Tell celebrated baby Liam’s first birthday with a sweet and simple party, with lots of whites and metallics.
If you’re concerned about how gender stereotypes affect kids, you’re not alone. Half of all parents think that the way TV and movies portray girls, women, boys, and men influence the way kids see themselves — and not for the better. Research bears this out. According to Common Sense Media’s report Watching Gender: How Stereotypes in Movies and on TV Impact Kids’ Development, what kids watch affects everything from their self-esteem to their relationships to their career choices.
There’s something you can do. Knowing how much kids look to media for gender cues on how to look, how to act, and even what to become, you can play an active role in replacing these outdated messages with ones that will spur your kids to achieve their full potential — not only as men and women but as human beings. Be aware that as kids grow, they are especially keyed into specific gender messages that target their ages. (Find out what kids are learning about gender at each phase, and get age-based conversation starters.) When choosing media for your kids, check out Common Sense Media”s suggestions for TV and movies that have positive gender representations. Here are just a few of our favorites:
MOVIES
Mulan Moana
Big Hero 6
Searching for Bobby Fischer
The Eagle Huntress
Hidden Figures
Wonder Woman
The King’s Speech
TV
Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood
Doc McStuffins
Julie’s Greenroom
Annedroids
Project Mc2
The Legend of Korra
Glee
Stranger Things
And use the tips below on what to look for in movies and on TV. For each age group, be on the lookout for shows that:
Young Kids
* Equally value boys and girls and masculine and feminine traits.
* Go against stereotypes and traditions, such as men caring for babies and women supporting their families.
* Use a gender-neutral color palette (not just pink for girls and blue for boys) and different sound effects (not just explosions for boys’ shows and tinkling fairy sounds for girls’ shows).
Big Kids
* Show role models whose actions are based on what’s happening in the show rather than on their gender or appearance.
* Don’t exaggerate gender traits and behavior (female characters with red lips, long lashes, cleavage, unrealistically long legs, and flowing hair and aggressive male characters who resolve conflict by resorting to violence).
* Show girls and boys in healthy and equal friendships.
Early Adolescents
* Emphasize that worth and happiness don’t come from the way you look (especially important for female characters) or from physical strength (especially important for male characters).
* Show role models who date and have relationships in addition to — not instead of — other important hobbies.
* Feature transgender characters who experience both ups and downs and are accepted and supported by their peers and communities.
Teens
* Feature boys and men expressing their emotions constructively, having diverse interests (other than only sex), and being accepting of nonheterosexual characters.
* Avoid gender-based racial stereotypes.
* Have a variety of dating scripts that don’t always show boys making the first move and girls waiting to be asked out.
* Show female characters who call their own shots and voice their own needs.
_____________
Want to share your stories? Sign up to become a Spoke contributor!
Common Sense Media is an independent nonprofit organization offering unbiased ratings and trusted advice to help families make smart media and technology choices. Check out our ratings and recommendations at www.commonsense.org.
What’s in a name? There are a series of questions everyone asks you when you are pregnant. When are you due? Do you know what you’re having? Do you have a name? This last question is usually followed by a few suggestions. Choosing a name feels like such a daunting task if you haven’t had the perfect name picked out for the past 10-15 years like some of my friends.
With my first pregnancy, we had a list of names and a few top contenders, but we weren’t going to pick one until we met her. We wanted to make sure the name fits the baby. Towards the end of the pregnancy, our top choice changed. We had mentioned to our friends and family the top picks when they asked, always noting they are the current faves but we want to meet her. We will regret this always. I remember reading something suggesting not sharing the name, and I wish I had taken the advice. I highly recommend just saying you “haven’t decided” when people ask, and if you are forward enough, follow up with “we aren’t taking suggestions” because a whole list of names will pour out like a flood. A few people got way too attached to our original top pick, and when we would mention that our top pick has changed, they ignored it completely. What seemed playful to them, was annoying and disrespectful.
When choosing a name, we took 8 things into consideration
Will she get made fun of?
Yes. Every child will get made fun of in school for one reason or another. Kids can be quite creative. Any name can be used as teasing material.
People we’ve known with that name.
It is inevitable that you or your partner will have known, or currently know someone with the same name. While you don’t want your child to remind you of someone/something unpleasant from the past, you should just accept it and move on. If you like the name for your kid, use it.
Children she’ll share that name with.
I guarantee you know someone, or will meet someone, who has a child with that name or knows someone with a child with that name. I’m not sure why this is big deal to this generation. Growing up all my friends had the same names. Katie, Jen, Erin, Jessica, Lyndsey, etc. It was not frowned upon to use a common name. Now it’s a challenge to come up with a “unique” name. If you like the name, use it.
What type of personality does the name fit?
Personally, for a girl, I loved the long princess’s names. My husband liked the short and sweet names. While most names can go many ways, especially depending on the nickname, some names are just too proper, or too eccentric for your family and lifestyle.
Does the name fit a professional setting?
I feel like this is the one often overlooked, especially for girls. I love names like Coco, Apple, and Bambi. They make great little girl names. However, when I envision my girl all grown up, and in the workforce, I don’t see her being taken very seriously with such a playful name. Personally, I’d pick a name that could support that as a nickname while young, then she can go by the given name when she decides.
Are the spelling and pronunciation simple enough?
First I think about when she is little. Will this be a hard name for her to learn to spell? Will her little friends be able to say her name? Then as she gets bigger, will the teacher be able to pronounce her name? Will her birthday party invitations be spelled correctly? As she grows up, will she have to spell her name multiple times to ensure it’s correct? Having a common name with a unique spelling sounds great in theory, but as you grow, it gets old when no one spells your name right. Living in LA, I’ve also seen a few families name their kids a name the elders can’t pronounce because they have such a thick accent.
What will the monogram look like?
I take into consideration the monogram. Making sure you don’t spell something silly in the initials. No one wants to get something monogrammed ASS, or BAT.
What will it sound like when I’m calling her?
You will most likely be screaming this name across the playground, so make sure it’s something that sounds good and rolls off the tongue. You also want to make sure it flows with the middle name if you plan on using it with your stern voice.
After all the things to take into consideration we named our girl Cora. This happens to be the name of one of my dear friend’s Mom and turns out another couple from high school had named their daughter Cora too. We thought we had the perfectly feminine, simple, and unique name. The next year it ended up on the top 10 girl name list. Apparently, this is a name of a character on a popular tv series we didn’t watch. I love my daughter’s name though, and I think it fits her perfectly! Now, if only I could come up with a name for her baby sister…
UPDATE: Lil sister’s name is Bexley.
_____________
Want to share your stories? Sign up to become a Spoke contributor!
I'm Southern California SAHM turned mommy blogger. I have 2 toddler girls. I believe when you look better, you feel better, and you do better. Hoping to inspire mamas everywhere to look and feel their best. I write about all things fashion, beauty, mom life and munchies.
Everyone needs a good pregnancy BFF, and Rosie Pope wants to fill that role for all of us. With her chic maternity line, boutiques on the coasts, a chatty guide to pregnancy called Mommy IQ and a stint as a Bravo reality star on Pregnant in Heels, Pope might as well be the Martha Stewart of modern motherhood. Now, the Brit beauty has trained her eye on little ones with Rosie Pope Baby, her new layette and toddler clothing collection.
If your baby has sweet dreams of lounging on Mediterranean mega-yachts later in life, he or she will love dressing up in Pope’s fresh, nautical-inspired prints. From bodysuits to rompers, dresses to kimono sets, many of the collection’s super-soft, all-cotton pieces are festooned with cheerful rope-and-anchor patterns based on Pope’s original sketches. (Tiny golden anchors embroidered near necklines and ankles are a luxe touch we love.)
To keep from going, well, overboard on the boat theme, you can mix in Pope’s separates printed with bold stripes, chevron patterns, delicate flowers and sweet starbursts. The flutter sleeves and smocking details on some girls’ pieces are irresistibly feminine, while boys can take jaunty first steps in comfy shorts equipped with pockets.
Pope is as glam as it gets for a mom of four, but her practical side is what sets this collection apart. Pajama feet, for instance, can be unbuttoned and folded back to grow with your baby, and there are fold-over mittens to prevent scratching. The clothing comes in sizes newborn to 24 months.
Rosie Pope Baby is sold on Amazon.com and the Rosie Pope Store, and prices range from $12.50 to $38.50. Gift sets are available for $30 to $110. If you want to know more about Rosie, click here to read our Q&A.
What do you think of the new collection? Let us know in the Comments section below!
Take some time for yourself, Moms, and break out the plastic, because Seattle Magazine found some distinguished outfits in honor of back to school and the fall. Get inspired and round up your favorite shopping partners — it’s a take some time for yourself!
Oxford University
Embrace fall’s thesis statement: The latest Oxfords mix prim and proper schoolgirl charm with bold laces and masculine-meets-feminine details for grown-up sass.
Fom left to right: Bass “Reid” brown cocoa suede heel with contrasting cognac waxy milled leather panels, $79.95, available at Nordstrom downtown; By Hudson “Lita” gray and tan suede saddleback flats with plaid laces, $270, at Edie’s on Capitol Hill; Miz Mooz “Nash” brown and beige leather lace-up saddleback heel, $110, and Miz Mooz “Brite” black and whiskey gray leather lace-up Oxford flat, $105, both at Clementine in West Seattle; Prada “Linnea Rossa” quilted patent leather flat with black nylon laces, $480, at Nordstrom, multiple locations including The Bellevue Collection; leather chair courtesy of Masins Fine Furnishings.
If you’re looking to stay on the pulse of Seattle’s local shopping trends, then check out the full article so you don’t miss out!
This is our weekly guest post from our friends atSeattle Magazine, which keeps readers on the pulse of restaurants, personalities, arts, entertainment and culture that reflect the tapestry of our dynamic landscape. We’ve teamed up for an exciting partnership to bring you a weekly dose of fantastic Date Night ideas throughout greater Seattle.