How I feel fresh in the Austin heat featuring New Ban® Total Refresh™ Cooling Cloths

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of New Ban® Total Refresh™ Cooling Body Cloths and Lucky Magazine. 
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I live in a place that has 100 days of 100º or more. As any Austinite can attest, staying cool can be a bit of a challenge... and by "a bit", I mean that it's darn near impossible. Feeling fresh in the filthy heat became even more of a challenge when Lucy was born. Suddenly, I'm out and about with a baby strapped to my chest while carrying a toddler and chasing after a preschooler. I've become a person who sweats.

My outfits these days have two requirements: to keep me as cool as possible and to make me as comfortable as possible. What I've been wearing lately has mainly been different permutations of this:
  light, flowy tank // loose shorts // flat sandals // cross body bag
An oh, my bag. I am rarely seen without my bag. Some may say that it's constant presence and attachment to me is akin to a fourth child. I don't dare leave home without it because it contains the essentials:

Diapers, baby wipes, toys, pressed powder, sunglasses, a nursing cover, 

and New Ban® Total Refresh™ Cooling Body Cloths. 

Admittedly, I sometimes don't get to shower every single day and I'm the kind of person who can't stay cooped up at home. Combine that with the fact that Texas is sweltering and that I'm literally chasing children all day, Ban's new body cloths are my new favorite discovery.

You may be saying to yourself, "Indiana, why don't you just use the baby wipes to freshen up?" Let me tell you: that's what I used to do sometimes, but after trying Ban Total Refresh Cooling Body Cloths, using a mere baby wipe to freshen up will never do again! The problem is this: baby wipes can mop up excess sweat okay, but more often than not, they would just end up making me feel sticky. And since Jude has sensitive skin, we use unscented baby wipes, so they never left me smelling markedly better or feeling substantially more refreshed. The Ban cloths, however, leave me smelling great and feeling cool. I bought all three scents just so I could try them all and stash them in different places (diaper bag, gym bag, and glove box). My favorite scent is Enliven: 
If the non-baby-butt smell isn't enough to convince you, consider the "PowderSilk" and cooling technology. Each cloth comes out of the package feeling cool to the touch and contains microfine, translucent powder that leaves your skin feeling dry and soft. Since coolness and comfort are my goals while getting dressed, I'm going to do all that I can to maintain that throughout the day.
There's no trace of white residue and the wipes can be used anywhere on the body: the face, underarms, chest, etc. I love to use them on the back of my neck and along my hairline. It's an instant pick me up and an easy, convenient way to freshen up, too. I really don't know why these didn't exist sooner, but I'm glad to have discovered them.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have a bike ride to take my kids on and some sweating to do.

Question: How do you stay fresh after being out in the summer heat? Any other tips you can offer? 

For more info, including where to purchase, please visit FeelBanFresh.com. Thank you so much for supporting companies like Ban who partner with Adored Austin to help support my family.


This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Ban. [disclosure policy]

Like a cloud

On Saturday night, I got to attend Austin Fashion Week as an award nominee for the first time. It was an honor to be up for the 2014 Trailblazer Award, and I was almost as excited to just have the excuse and opportunity to get dolled up. The occasion called for over the top fake lashes and bold coral-red lips:
The occasion also called for the dreamiest skirt in the world. When I came downstairs Jude asked me if I was dressed like a cloud. The only answer to that was "Yes! Yes, I am!":    date: 3 May 2014 // occasion: Austin Fashion Week Awards
skirt: Emily Hallman (USA, local Austin designer) // crop top: American Apparel (USA) // necklace: Noonday Collection- sold out (fair trade- found here) // bracelets: Jook + Nona via Zulily (USA) // clutch: c/o My Biotiful Bag // headband: Target
It was really important to me that I wore something that showcased a local designer, because at no other time do people inquire "who I'm wearing" over and over again. But three days before the event, I still hadn't found anything to wear. Thankfully, I was extremely fortunate to find this killer skirt in Emily Hallman's sample sale section on her website, and she graciously let me come to her studio on Thursday to try it on to see if it needed any adjustments. And wouldn't you know it, but it was a perfect fit!

I knew I wanted to ground the poshness of the skirt with a more casual top, and I remembered seeing (my favorite eco-stylist) Merl Kenzie Instagramming this shirt, touting it as "extremely flattering", so as soon as I knew the skirt would work, I immediately jaunted over to the American Apparel outlet to snag the top. Merl was right! Even at a solid size 12, I felt confident enough to rock the crop. I completed my outfit with thoughtfully chosen accessories (a fair trade necklace and a purse made of recycled plastic) and a gold headband I picked up last minute at Target.

I have a couple more photos of the outfit on Instagram, and all in all, my aunt and I had a great night. It was such an honor to be nominated for such a prestigious award, and I was as pleased as punch to be out without a burp rag and a baby slung over my shoulder!

Jude liked my cloud outfit so much that he asked if I could wear it to church the next morning. I declined, but I'm thinking of having Emily hem the skirt to just below the knee so I can wear it more often (inspiration). I may even be able to wear it for my ten year anniversary party next month.

What do you think? Should I have the skirt hemmed so I can wear it more often? Or should I save it as is to wear again for another special, formal occasion? 

The trenches

I mentioned the trench coat and the dress that I picked up at Style Encore in my previous post today, so I wanted to take a moment to show them off:
date: 1 May 2014 // occasion: Target run trench: Banana Republic via Style Encore (similar) // dress: The Limited via Style Encore (similar) // bag: c/o My Biotiful Bag // shoes: TOMS // glasses: c/o Bonlook

I've been wanting a classic trench coat for a while now because I'm slowly and thoughtfully working on getting all 10 of Tim Gunn's essential 10 items-- a trench coat being #6 on the list. I have a stellar yellow one, but I've been keeping my eye out for a beige one since 2010! I'm so glad I found it!

The coat is snug, but I'm going to keep it around until I'm back down to my pre-pregnancy weight. The dress, however, now that I've got it home, I realize that I'm not crazy about it since I can't nurse in it easily, but it does fit my current size, so it has that going for it. I anticipate I'll post it on Poshmark or Swapdom later this summer.

  This little clutch from eco-conscious brand My Biotiful Bag holds my wallet, cell phone, and lipstick. I toss this in my cavernous diaper bag to keep my stuff separate from the kids'. Cool fact: it's made entirely of recycled materials. This particular bag is made from the plastic of four 500 mL water bottles.    Oh, joy! I ordered these TOMS using a $20 credit (which new TOMS customers can get here via my referral link) and they fit! Of course, they'd fit better if my feet weren't so fat, but this is one of the few pairs of closed toe shoes (i.e. not sandals) that I can actually get on, so I'm happy!   I'm still wearing glasses. Thanks, weird eyes. Thankfully I have a bevy of cute frames to wear until my contacts fit me again. IF they ever fit me again. *sigh*
By the way, today was the first day that I got out of the house with all three kids alone and went to Target. Everyone lived. No one cried (not even me). I didn't even sweat through my dress. It was a success, and I got the one thing I went in for and nothing else. High fives all around!

Chambray Champion

At what point should I be ashamed that I'm still sporting my maternity jeans? Because at one month postpartum, I'm still doing that. I can feel myself standing at the precipice of a shame spiral, but in the illustrious words of Regina George, "Sweat Maternity pants are all that fit me right now." You can bet that if I actually owned flattering yoga pants, that I'd be one of those moms that wears them non-stop. Since I don't own those coveted athletic pants, I'm going to wear my maternity jeans until one of the following happens: A- I can fit back into my regular pants, B- My maternity pants fall apart from overuse, and / or C- I actually do fall into the aforementioned shame spiral. In the meantime, here's this:

date: 30 April 2014 // occasion: hanging at home
chambray shirt: c/o United By Blue (USA made) // jeans: Paige (maternity) // tank: Old Navy (maternity) // sandals: TOMS // bag: Purse and Clutch (sold out) // necklace: c/o Moorea Seal (white version) // sunglasses: Bonlook
If we're connected on Pinterest, you may have noticed that I've been pinning a lot of clothing and jewelry from companies that have a "give back" model built into their business. In early 2011, when I first started crushing on these kind of companies, truthfully, there weren't a lot of cute, affordable options. I'm happy to report that that is no longer the case. What I wore today features conscious consumer brands TOMS, Moorea Seal (whose brick and mortar opened today- congrats!), Purse and Clutch, and United by Blue.

United By Blue is a company that I only recently learned about. They're an outdoor apparel brand that loves the world's oceans:

United By Blue was founded in 2010, driven by the idea of associating the sale of each product with a concrete environmental action. For every product sold, UBB removes one pound of trash from oceans and waterways through company organized and hosted cleanups. -via UBB's about page

The west coast holds a special place in my heart as my mom and stepdad live in Monterey, California, and I attended California State University Monterey Bay. On a warm night with the windows open, when the wind was just right, I could hear the ocean waves lapping against the shore a mere half mile away. I spent a lot of time enjoying the bay, so I appreciate the efforts individuals and companies take to keep the oceans clean.

When you get the chance, check out United By Blue's bags and apparel. If your momma is an ocean lover, consider buying her something special from United by Blue for Mother's Day.

Eye have a weird pregnancy fact for you

I mentioned in my previous post how my shoes (and rings) no longer fit since having Lil'Lu. Do you know what else doesn't fit? (Well... aside from my pants, which is obvious, thankyouverymuch). My contact lenses! That's crazy, isn't it? Who knew that that could be a thing in pregnancy, too? I just ordered some prescription sunglasses from Bonlook since I'm not sure how long my eyeballs are going to be jacked. It could be until I'm done nursing (a year?) which just seems nuts to me! In the meantime, I'm sporting some new fashionable frames. 

date: 18 April 2014 // occasion: Easter egg hunt with kids blouse: ThreadSence (USA) // jeans: GAP (maternity) // bag: c/o My Biotiful Bag // necklace: Noonday Collection- sold out (found here) // bracelets: Jook & Nona via Zulily, Alexis Bitar // frames: c/o Bonlook // boots (in background): Dr. Martens c/o PlanetShoes.com
Golly. Feet and hands swelling, babies born into / on toilets, eyeballs changing shape... if Adored Austin hasn't made pregnancy sound frightening to you, I don't know what will. It's really not that bad, I swear!

To remedy any ill ease I may have caused, here's this:
So cute, right? I promise that munchkins like this are worth the weird eyeballs and all!

First outing post Lucy

I did it, y'all! I "got dressed" and left my house for the first time since having Lucy last Monday. I wasn't quite ready to leave the house with all three kids by my lonesome, but while Lucy was napping and Caroline was being fed lunch by my mom, I did make a quick jaunt to Macy's for Clinique Bonus Time and then I picked Jude up from school.
Despite my smug face in the photos (please ignore!), I have to use "got dressed" in quotes because I didn't actually get dressed. I simply pulled a skirt on over the maternity tank and shorts that I had slept in, and I festooned it all with a stretchy belt in a (failed) attempt to make it look like I had a waistline.
date: 4 April 2014 (11 days postpartum) // occasion: errands  skirt (as "dress"): thrifted // belt: thrifted // tank: Old Navy (maternity) // shoes: c/o Loly in the Sky
I got these shoes (and this pair, too) waaaay back in April (see also 1, 2). The team at Loly in the Sky introduced me to their handmade in Mexico / Austin based brand and were kind of enough to send me two pairs while I was in Indiana taking care of my ailing grandmother last spring. Since then I have worn the snuff out of them, and they remain the number one most complimented shoes in my entire footwear arsenal. My outfit may have been a miss, but my shoes? A+!

25 weeks // It's Wednesday... on Wednesday

The very first movie date* I ever went on was to see Addams Family Values (*Note: I am using "date" loosely here as I was a pre-teen and I had simply met a boy with his group of friends at the movies whilst accompanied by a group of friends of my own. He and I shared a tub of popcorn and a twin pack of Slim Jims, but that was the extent of our "date"). Not because of him, but because of nostalgia in general, I've always had penchant for Wednesday Addams. When I married Chris Adams [sic], the irony was not lost on me, and I was Wednesday Addams for Halloween one year. Despite this, I honestly did not realize that this new maternity dress I got from ASOS recently is pretty much a "Wednesday Addams with Child" homage:
  date: 8 December 2013 // occasion: Jude's Christmas pageant + kiddo birthday party
dress: ASOS (maternity) // tights: Target // shoes: Ann Marino via DSW // wallet: Kate Spade (similar) // sunglasses: c/o 80's Purple (similar)

Well, at least I know that I can simply add two braids and some lighter foundation make-up and be Wednesday Addams for Halloween again some time.

I'm still wearing this to Christmas family festivities. Hopefully no one else makes the correlation. 

The witchy shoes probably don't help much.

Now, if you'll indulge me, please sing this to the tune of The Addams Family tv theme song:

She's sleepy and she's kooky,
This outfit's not a fluke- see?,
Does it make you sort of pukey?
Indi's outfit comedy!

Da-da-da-dant! *snap snap!* Da-da-da-dant! *snap snap*

25 weeks // Christmas party with baby on board

So the reason why I had to wake up before 8 am on Saturday is because I had to book it downtown for a spa / salon appointment to prepare for Chris' work party that night. I didn't want to look completely busted, so I had to get rid of my pesky nose hairs, touch up my stubborn grays, and I decided to go ahead a get a blow out while there. After all was said and done, I felt like a million bucks. A bloated million bucks, but a cool mil, nonetheless:
  date: 7 December 2013 // occasion: corporate Christmas party
coat: passed on to me from my Grandma (similar) // dress: ASOS (maternity) // tights: ASOS (maternity) // shoes: Audrey Brooke via DSW (similar) // studs: Target // bag: on loan from Distillery Austin
I'm sorry about my unbearably smug face here. Eeep.

I loved the swingy movement to the dress. There's so much room in the dress that Jude tried to hide under it... while I was wearing it. Since this has proven to fit both me and my three year old at the same time, I'm sure this will still fit me come spring when I'm much larger. I think I'll be able to wear it with bare legs and flat sandals. Now... who can invite me somewhere where I get to dress up this nice again? Anyone? Anyone?

Lip color is MAC's Russian Red. Nail color is Essie's A List. I only own eight bottles of nail polish, but two of those are A List! 

I broke the shoes in earlier that morning at the salon. They are great and can be dressed down (as evidenced by overalls, no doubt) or up! The bag was the perfect finishing touch.

I love vintage lucite bags. I know that I will never be able to afford this modern take on them by Charlotte Olympia, but I keep my eyes peeled on Etsy and at vintage shops for cool, clear bags. Have you checked out The Distillery Austin, yet? Owned by a local brother and sister duo, their online Austin vintage shop is stocked full with cool treasures like this one. Check out their shop, blog, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest to get the low down and to snatch up super thoughtful, one of a kind Christmas gifts. This vintage lucite clutch retails for $98. Not bad considering that when you get gussied up and carry this, you feel like a million bucks.

25 weeks // Yes, I did buy maternity overalls. Blame nostalgia.

True story: my freshman year of college, for the very first semester, only, I was a pre-med major. This still makes me laugh. 1. What was I thinking?! (I'll tell you what I was thinking... I read The Hot Zone in high school and wanted to be an epidemiologist), and 2. I was weeded out of the program quickly thanks to our 7:30 am pre-med biology.

I am not a morning person. I could easily sleep until 10 am every day if my children would allow (thankfully they're not very early risers, either. They're up around 8:30 or 9:00). Having to drag my lazy booty out of bed before 7:30 am was a daunting task that I often was not up to, both literally and figuratively. In order to save myself time in the mornings, I would keep a pair of overalls beside my bed and simply throw them on with whatever t-shirt I had slept in that night and schlep to class. I wore overalls nearly every single day. One morning, though, I had driven in very early from a holiday weekend at home, and I was dressed in jeans and a sweater and I had even brushed my hair. This kid Ben, who I had sat in front of for an entire semester, did not even recognize me and asked me if I was new.

All that to say that overalls occupy a very dear, very strange soft spot in my heart. When I spied these maternity overalls at H&M I literally laughed out loud. Maternity overalls? How ridiculous. Pretty sure those were on my "what not to wear when pregnant" list. However, I could not stop thinking about them! So when I got a 50% off one item promo code to H&M, I hesitated for about seven seconds before buying them. And when I had to get up at 7:30 am on Saturday for an 8:00 hair appointment, I knew just what to wear:
  date: 7 December 2013 // occasion: morning appointment at Milk + Honey
overalls: H&M (maternity) // t-shirt: ASOS (maternity) // shoes: Audrey Brooke via DSW (similar) // bag: c/o Oliva + Joy (similar) // bracelet: Fashionique (similar)

I think these overalls may be one of the funniest things I've purchased as of late, but I already I know how I'm going to wear them next (thanks to a tip from Valerie, who has never led me astray): track shoes, slouchy tee, hoodie... oh, yes. This fashion throwback is almost enough to make me want to go back in time to my freshman year of college to study premed biology again. Almost!

24 weeks // mom (to be) jeans

Behold my midwest winter uniform-- oversized sweater, maternity jeans, scarf, and ankle boots:

date: 30 Nov 2013 // occasion: Applebee's lunch jeans: c/o Boden USA (maternity) // sweater: H&M // wedges: TOMS // scarf: Amazon // clutch: LV
Brrrrrrr! I really don't know how you midwest and cold region style bloggers do it. How do you wear short dresses and tights in the winter without wanting to immediately curl up and lay inside an oven? How do you look cute and comfortable in your outfit of the day posts? I tried to take photos while I was in Indiana, but I was shivering and chattering so hard that I just looked miserable in every photo.

I took a bevy of cute dresses and tights with me, but I was so cold that I ended up alternating between my maternity leggings and these Boden maternity jeans. After practically living in them for the last ten days, let me tell you that, hands down, these are the best maternity jeans I have ever owned. They have pull tabs inside so the waist fits properly and they're my first pair of full panel maternity jeans. Plus the cut is extremely flattering.

When I was first pregnant with Jude, I did not understand the allure of the full panel maternity jeans. I thought there was really no reason to have over a foot of fabric encircling your midsection. I bought mainly maternity bottoms with a demi panel (the band designed to sit under the belly instead of on top). Mistake!
As you can see, the full panel jeans look way less sexy than the demi panel jeans, but they are way more practical. The demi panel is fine for first trimester, but once the bump becomes more pronounced, I strongly prefer the full panel. The taller band makes everything look smoother, does not roll down as often, and is remarkably more comfortable. Sure, I'm not Urkleing my pants as much in the demi panel versus the full panel, but I'm way more comfortable!

Twenty four and a half weeks down... 109 more days to go! Who wants to bet that I end up wearing these jeans for at least 50 of the next 109 days?

22 weeks // Feelin' Like a True Texan + an Ariat Giveaway [closed]

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Ariat. 

I've been meaning to get legitimate cowboy boots for a long time now. One cannot live in Texas without real western boots, right? Why they don't issue us all a pair with a breakfast taco and plate of brisket at the state line upon arrival, I do not know. If I were governor of Texas, I'd certainly make this my first line of action upon inauguration.

I had a cheap pair of boots that I bought for my time on FNL, but, as my best friend Bee pointed out, every time I wore them, they were so painful that my littlest toenails would fall off (I am bewildered as to why I continued to torture myself with them, actually).

Fast forward to a few years later: the heels were worn down, and I could no longer squeeze my feet into them at all (Remember? With each child, my feet have grown a half size), so I finally gave them to Goodwill a few months ago. Now they're someone else's self-inflicted torture devices. Goodbye, cruel boots! And...

Hello, new dream boots! Look, y'all! Authentic Ariat cowboy boots-- toenails still intact:

date: 17 Nov 2013 // occasion: City Life gathering

dress: c/o eShakti // boots: c/o Ariat // cardigan: Lands End Canvas // bag: thrifted // Texas necklace: c/o Maya Brenner

There's something about this outfit. Whenever I wear it, Chris just lights up and offers to take me out to BBQ. I should probably wear this seven days a week!

I swooned a little when I opened the Ariat box and laid eyes on these beauties for the first time. The patina, the stitching, the almond shaped toe... these are pretty much perfection. Admittedly, I had a little panic attack trying to get them on the first time, but once I learned that I needed socks and that I needed to use the boot's pull loops, all was great! Who knew those loops were actually functional? 

Sadly, as much as I'd like to wear this dress all the time so Chris offers to take me out to dinner, this may be the last time I can don this dress during this pregnancy. The front is starting to creep up now that the bump has become a formidable force. The boots, on the other hand, have just been broken in, so I expect these will join the heavy rotation for fall. I'm going to wear these with dresses, skinny jeans, maxi skirts... oh, man. I'm just thrilled to finally own a pair of well made, classic western boots. It's hard to believe that I didn't even own a pair growing up in the country, living next door to a horse stable and riding ring!

And just to be sure these boots are with me in the long run, I ordered these a half size up from my current size in case Baby 3 follows suit and causes my feet to grow another size. Fingers (and toes) crossed that that will not be the case, though!

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Dig these boots? Click here for your chance to win an amazing Ariat giveaway! 

Make Ariat A Part of Your Fall Fashion Wardrobe

Since 1993, Ariat has designed advanced riding footwear and apparel for top equestrians. Our fashion collection evolves from an authentic bootmaking legacy of quality, comfort and style. In our design process, we unearth handmade details and rare materials. With this season's footwear and apparel, we have reinvented traditions, drawing from Western and English heritage alike.   

The contest is hosted on Ariat’s Facebook page and is open from November 18 – November 27, 2013. One winner will receive a product of their choice from Ariat.com. Three winners will receive a pair of Ariat boots of their choice. Two winners will receive a pair of Ariat jeans of their choice. Winner will be announced on December 2, 2013 via the Ariat Facebook Page. Winners will be contacted via email and have 3 days to accept.  

What are you waiting for? Enter now!

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Ariat. The content and opinions expressed here are my own. Please see my disclosure policy for more details. 

To learn more about Ariat and enter their fabulous giveaway on Facebook, please visit: http://bit.ly/1hQteNk.