31 Days of PINK for Breast Cancer Awareness

We're very passionate about spreading the Breast Cancer Awareness message, it's something that is very near and dear to our hearts. As you may have seen, my mom, Jane and I all pledged our commitment to spreading Breast Cancer Awareness with Estee Lauder in their 2010 Breast Cancer Awareness Ad Campaign -



We were honored and inspired and humbled to be a apart of this campaign. It wasn't the easiest thing in the world to do, but we knew the power and the message that Estee Lauder wanted to achieve... and that's why we agreed to do this. Our cousin (a mom of 3) passed away from Breast Cancer in 2004 after a 7 year battle, she was our true inspiration for this photo. Being a mom of 4 myself now, it really hits home to me that awareness for this cancer is key.

So it got me thinking... what can I do to spread the word even more? And how can I reflect this through my 365 Days of Fashion Advice for Moms?

31 Days of Pink. Tomorrow (October 1st) marks the beginning of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and I am pledging to wear something PINK every single day throughout October. I don't have a ton of PINK clothing in my closet, so this will be the challenge and fun in it. I will be adding some touches of pink to remind myself about the importance and power and beauty in the color and what it stands for, especially, throughout the month of October.

JOIN ME!!!!!!

I've recruited my friends Colleen from ClassyMommy.com and Whitney from MommieswithStyle.com and I'm asking you to do the same!

I'm not talking about wearing PINK from head to toe... but somehow, someway, bring it into your outfit starting tomorrow. The one thing that struck me about hearing Evelyn Lauder speak yesterday was that there's nothing too small to help bring awareness to this cause. I'm excited to bring this fashion-angle and fun to the awareness.

31 Days of PINK... come on ladies, let's do it!

Petit Couture on Totsy NOW!

One of my favorite, favorite place to shop for my nieces and sons is Petit Couture. Hands down, their burnout crews are amazing! They're soft. They're comfy. They're stylish. And they last and last and last. I just can't get enough of them.

Petit Couture offers children’s apparel that combines modern fashion with whimsical elegance. Which is exactly how kids clothing should be. The collection is made of cotton and cotton blends with signature touches that are sure to delight!

Don't miss out on this sale! You will find yourself layering these tees on top of thermals all winter b/c your kids love it so much!

Happy Birthday to my son Alexander!

My son Alexander is all about the fashion. He loves dressing up and looking "handsome." Today is his 5 year old birthday! 5 years old! It's amazing to think that 5 years have gone by... time goes by too fast. My boys are the reason I'm doing what I'm doing. They are my inspiration and my loves.

I wanted to wish my Alexander a Happy Birthday today over here because he's very excited he's now 5 years old!!!!!

And as we call him at him... he's our "sweet home ally-bama!"


To my Alex... or as we like to say at home, our "Sweet Home Ally-bama"... I love you more crazy! Thank you for being the best son in the world. Happy, Happy, Happy BIRTHDAY!

Celebrity Mom Style for Less

Celebrity Mom Style for Less

There are 3 distinct styles among these moms celebrities - preppy chic, boho chic and rock and roll chic. I love seeing and watching what celeb moms are wearing, it definitely impacts fashion sense for moms.

How can we look like them (at our prices!?)?

Reese Witherspoon always looks fabulously preppy chic. Whether she's in jeans and a baseball cap or khakis and a tank... or like she is here, skirt with cardigan, she look effortlessly beautiful. Her fashion sense resonates with a lot of moms because she's classic. She looks like she shops at the Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic and J.Crew. Her style is attainable.

Get her look for less...

[caption id="attachment_8739" align="aligncenter" width="230" caption="Reese Witherspoon"][/caption]

More Old Navy...

Katie Holmes is such a style icon. She always looks stylish, chic and perfect. I love her boho style... she's laid back, she mixes different prints and pieces together. She's not afraid of fashion and I love that!

Get her look for less...

[caption id="attachment_8740" align="aligncenter" width="293" caption="Katie Holmes"][/caption]

More Gap...

Gwen Stefani is the mom rocker! She always look rocker chic... and it's not even so much that she's trying to stay in "character," this is her style. It's very cool... I wish I was daring enough to go rocker chic!

Get her look for less...

[caption id="attachment_8741" align="aligncenter" width="184" caption="Gwen Stefani"][/caption]

More Juicy Couture...

Head Cold? Chicken Soup Recipe

There's one thing I try to prevent from raging through my home... COLDS! I always tell the boys to wash their hands and don't share straws/utensils and or anything at school. Having little kids, it's difficult to explain the "whys!" so much.

Well... COLDS have hit our home, and it's TOUGH! I've got it. 3 of my sons have it. And my husband has it!

Last night my husband made a delicious Chicken Soup for us all... believe it or not, it was like a miracle. It made my throat feel better and my headache go away a bit.

With school in session... colds are bound to hit our homes... if this happens, I wanted to pass along a delicious recipe!

CHICKEN SOUP

Ingredients

• 1 (3 pound) whole chicken
• 4 carrots, halved
• 4 stalks celery, halved
• 1 large onion, halved
• water to cover
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules (optional)

Directions

1. Put the chicken, carrots, celery and onion in a large soup pot and cover with cold water. Heat and simmer, uncovered, until the chicken meat falls off of the bones (skim off foam every so often).
2. Take everything out of the pot. Strain the broth. Pick the meat off of the bones and chop the carrots, celery and onion. Season the broth with salt, pepper and chicken bouillon to taste, if desired. Return the chicken, carrots, celery and onion to the pot, stir together, and serve.

Totsy Pick of the Day: Pawparazzi

OMG... these are the CUTEST pets ever! I just bought 3 of them for my nieces because they are obsessed with having fashionable accessories for their "pets." I'm telling you, this is just a must-have gift for the girls in your life.

Pawparazzi aren't just plush toys, they're little pets living big lives!

Pawparazzi Pets have unique personalities that encourage young girls to use their imaginations to unlock and explore the exciting world of these tiny superstars. The pets inspire individual expression and creativity and encourage social interaction and collaborative play.

When I was a little girl, it was all about the Pound Puppies... do you remember those? I used to love mine! Nowadays... it's all about Pawparazzi!

I bought these 3 for my nieces: (And a sidenote: $6.20!)

Why I Love to Blog

I had the pleasure of speaking at The X Factor: Marketing to Women in the Digital Ageyesterday. I was on a panel with Avi Savar, Founder & CEO, Big Fuel Communications, Seth Baron, Advertising Program Manager, Google | YouTube, Honor Brodie, Editor in Chief, Tory Burch, and moderated by the amazing Maura Curtin, Executive Director, Social Media Advertising Consortium. We spoke on The Power of the Individual Voice: Social Media & the Blogosphere. I shared my story about how I got into blogging and why I've stayed in the "world." As I was driving home last night from NYC, I was chatting with a friend from college and telling her about the conference and what I spoke about. She's not a blogger, but has often wanted to get into it. She's heard me go on and on and on about blogging for about 3 years now... but last night was the first time she ever point-blank-asked-me: But why do you love it?

Here's 10 Reasons WHY...

1. I get to work-from-home with these little guys...
[caption id="attachment_8640" align="aligncenter" width="390" caption="They do usually have BIG smiles on their faces. LOL..."][/caption]

2. Thanks so Twitter, Facebook and Skype I get to communicate with my friends (I like to call it my virtual office) all day long.

3. I get to meet some pretty incredible people.

4. I have the opportunity to work with brands and companies whom I love.

5. I love being able to write every single day about the things that I am the most passionate about (yes... even sometimes a sale at Lands' End!)

6. A day at the office can be a night at the Emmy's.

7. I'm able to get my kids involved in my work.

8. Get to be my own boss.

9. You can be anywhere and work (as long as there is internet).

10. Love being able to report on fashion for moms.

FALL FASHION: Menswear for Women

Fall Fashion is all about the MEN right now... for WOMEN! How funny is that, right? It's true, though. If you look at some of the top trends... you'll see that they are very inspired by menswear. Last year was all about the boyfriend jean (which we're still seeing), but there's a few others that have been able to the women's Fall Fashion arsenal that are pretty cool.

So what MENSWEAR is in trend right now (and that you may be able to borrow from the man in your life!?)...


1. Boyfriend Blazer
2. Fedora
3. Vest
4. Boyfriend Jean
5. Oxford Shoe
6. Big-face Watch
7. Men's Cardigan

5 Reasons ALL Moms Should (at least) Try Skinny Jeans

5 Reasons ALL Moms Should (at least) Try Skinny Jeans...

I'm not saying we'll all love them... but we should at least TRY them.

WHY!?

1. They can be flattering if you find a pair that FITS well.

2. They look gorgeous with tall boots.

3. Your teenage daughter may actually mistake you for being "cool!" LOL...

4. There are so many different options out there right now for them, you can really find a pair that gives you amazing coverage and that also has twice the amount of spandex in the denim.

5. Pair it with a longer tunic and a belt... and you're good to go!

Totsy SPOTLIGHT: kinderLOOM Rugs by NuLoom

I'm drooling... DROOLING over these amazing RUGS from NuLOOM! I am snatching up one for my son Henry's room.

Founded with a desire to push boundaries and break the rules of what is expected from a rug, NuLOOM was created to fill the void between brilliant design and affordability. So add excitement, adventure and fun to the kid friendly areas of your home with a KinderLOOM rug by NuLOOM!

These rugs are going fast... with prices this low right now, make sure you get your child one for their bedroom or playroom!

Here are my faves that I'm trying to decide between:

Fashion Forward at 4 years old...

I did not pick out one thing for my son, Alexander's first-day-of-school. He went shopping with me this weekend and has his own fashion agenda...

This is what he picked out for the first day of school (no joke).

My little fashionistO!

As he calls them, HANDSOME SHIRTS! Look at that smile!

How far would you go for a fashion deal?

I'm about to "out" myself as fashion-mom-crazy... hold on.

In October of 2000 (I was married in 2001), I went to a DKNY Kids Sample Sale and went C-R-A-Z-Y buying things for my "kids." Yes... it's true - my first born was born on September 25, 2004.

I guess it's a good thing Matt was really in love with me because some guys would have run in the opposite direction when they saw me come home with piles of clothing for kids we didn't have yet.

*Disclaimer here: The items were cashmere blankets, cashmere sweaters, cashmere booties and hats and cashmere sweats... along with the cutest dresses and skirts you've ever seen. You can't pass up that kind of stuff when it's about $15-25.

The kicker of all kickers... some of the clothing was a size 6. As in KIDS size 6.

So... you can imagine my delight tonight when I finally saw our son (after 11 years of holding on to them) wear them.

BCBG Max Azria

I know that Max and Lubov Azria of BCBG Max Azria probably didn't have the "mom-wearability" thought in their minds as they created their Spring 2011 collection, but... I have to admit, they did an incredible job making their collection wearable by moms (whether they truly meant to or not).

I'm going to disclose the fact that I have already loved BCBG. One of my very fashion-forward friend's in college introduced me to BCBG back in 1998 (thank you, Jessica!) and I fell in love with their clothes immediately. Whenever I put something BCBG on, it just fits well. Actually... only a couple of weeks ago when I was in L.A. for the Emmy's, I went on a BCBG shopping spree, buying 4 dresses (I even went back to get more!) at a Loehmann's out there.

Getting back to Spring 2011... BCBG was simple, classic and minimal. There wasn't anything jaw-dropping about it, but that's why I loved it even more. The clothing was wearable... there weren't bells and whistles and boas, everything was graceful and pleasantly sophisticated.

My standouts from the show:

Petit Bateau Photo Contest

There's nothing like dressing your children in a little luxury. Nothing. Like. It. That's what it's like dressing them in Petit Bateau.



I have been a fan of Petit Bateau for years... I will never forget the ladies in my Donna Karan office giving me beautiful striped pajamas for my baby shower with William. He (along with his brothers) wore them about 500 times! I couldn't get over the quality of them... regardless of how many times William wore them or I washed them... they still looked brand new.

William is now almost 6 years old (which still baffles me!). He's turning into a "little man"... but not without Petit Bateau.

[caption id="attachment_8413" align="aligncenter" width="224" caption="My beautiful boy..."][/caption]

I love William in stripes, he looks so handsome!

I'm excited to announce that PETIT BATEAU is having a photo contest! There will be 2 winners - both winning a $100 gift card to Petit Bateau!

Here's how you enter.

"Like" Petit Bateau on Facebook and "Like" Mom Generations on Facebook... Then post your favorite photos of your child in stripes!

We will pick 2 winners on October 7th, 2010 at 5PM EST.

Fashion Night Out

Are you ready for a little spring fashion!?

Fashion week begins tomorrow: 9-9-10.

As much as I love watching the shows and reading all the latest news on the styles and trends... there's one night that stands out for me along the others - Fashion's Night Out!



This past February I participated in Fashion Night Out and had a blast! It was so much fun to be a part of this spectacular night - embracing fashion and shopping and NYC.

This year I can't be there on the night of the 10th... so I'm doing the next best thing - I'm buying a tee shirt to support Fashion Night Out -



Why buy a tee and support Fashion Night Out?

40% of proceeds raised from the sales of this stylish and savvy tees (S-XL) will go to The New York City AIDS Fund in The New York Community Trust.

Twitter Party TOMORROW NIGHT!

Tomorrow night (September 8th) is our September TWITTER PARTY! Please head on over and join on in... no RSVP'ing required!

Details:

8PM (EST) on Twitter.

Hashtag: #totsyparty

Must be following: @mytotsy @AudreyMcClellan @MomTrends

We're talking Halloween costumes and party decorations and some "spooky" FUN! We'll also be chatting about the Fall Fashion season.

Don't miss out! We have wonderful giveaways - stock up!!

Foot Petals

One thing every woman needs to have in her emergency fashion arsenal is Tip Toes! Stick them right on the front of your shoes, below your toes! I love that they're flower shaped so cute and chic.



Why Tip Toes?

Well... here's my top 5 reasons:

1. Your feet will not slide forward in your heels any longer.

2. They are great at cushioning the ball-of-foot.

3. They will prevent calluses.

4. Will prevent your nylons from running... this used to happen to me all the time!

5. They ultra-comfy.

10 Things My Son Needs to Know...

William's first day of school was today... the BIG Kindergarten! Drop-off was pretty straight-forward. William didn't cry. Shockingly, I didn't cry either. It was a big moment for him, but he was ready for it. VERY ready for it... so I think that made it much easier for me. We took a ba-zillion photos. I took about 20 minutes worth of video. And my William took it all in stride... I think he's finally adapted to this "blogging" thing. ;)







After picking him up from school... and hearing about his first day, I thought of 10 things that I hope William realizes about kindergarten!

1. Someday he'll be wishing 85% of his class consisted of GIRLS! :)

2. There is definitely recess next year.

3. He is the only McClelland boy in school right now... enjoy the freedom while it lasts!

4. The pencil sharpener will work soon enough... the teacher promised.

5. I won't ask to hold your hand to the classroom every single morning...

6. Glad you're less worried about taking the school bus than I am about you taking it!

7. Aren't you glad we packed a big snack?

8. I'm glad you knew one person in your class...

9. Sooner or later you will run into Ryan, Carly and Aidan.

10. Tomorrow I'll pick you up with your 3 brothers... and they'll see what's in store for them throughout the next 3 years. :)

First Day of School

Today William starts Kindergarten. Quite honesty, I can't believe it. My oldest son is starting school. Real. Big. Boy. School.



He doesn't understand the rite of passage at hand today. Right now he's just running around the house chasing Henry... not a nerve in his body about today. He's ready for it. He's been ready all summer. He's excited and has already asked me about 10 times this morning what time school starts. He has been in morning preschool for 3 years, so afternoon kindergarten will be a little different for him.

But this morning, when I woke up... I was thinking. This is where it all begins. These are the kids he will be in school with now... some of them, until senior year of high school! This is where they will meet... this is where friendships will be made that may even had the possibility of lasting a lifetime. Crazy to think that. I still remember my first day of school. Miss Tragar was my teacher. She had curly hair, a beautiful smile and long fingernails. I really remember her fingernails, they were always polished beautifully. I met Faye Lerish and Kari Molvar that year... 2 girls that I was friends with all through high school... and with the emergence of Facebook, I still can keep in touch with now! This is what William has before him today.

I don't know how the day will unfold (yet). I don't know if he'll suddenly get nervous as Matt and I start to leave the classroom. I don't know if I will cry (or if Matt will). I don't even know who is teacher is yet (I'll find out when we head there). All I know is that he's ready... and truthfully, so am I. I'm just really, really nervous for him.