Giveaway: $100 H&M Gift Card
I realized something disturbing recently. Mazzy is beginning to have a better wardrobe then I do.
During the first year or so of Mazzy’s life, I dressed her up in onesies, footie pajamas, multi-colored leggings and dresses with those matching little undies. All adorable. Most of it in shades of pink. But they were baby clothes. I never wanted to wear any of those things myself. (Except maybe the footie pajamas.)
Now that Mazzy has turned two, her wardrobe is changing. Baby clothes are out and little girl clothes are in. And I’ve got news for you— little girl clothes look a lot like adult clothes in smaller sizes.
For Mazzy’s birthday party, I dressed her in navy and red. And do you know what color her shoes were? BLACK. Yes, black little ballet slip-ons. One woman commented under the birthday party post that she wanted to buy Mazzy’s outfit for herself. I know— I do too!
But shopping for myself isn’t nearly as much fun as it used to be. There are RULES.
Shirts have to be form-fitting on top, looser around the waist and on the long side. Pants have to sit low but not too low. Ruffles are out. Dresses cinched with a belt might make Kirsten Dunst look hipster chic but they make me look like I got dressed in the dark. Too much cleavage makes me look like I am for sale on the corner. Pale colors or pastels might as well be a sign hanging above my head that says: DEATH LOOMING. And button-downs have a way of pulling in exactly the wrong spot.
Shopping for Mazzy is freeing. She looks good in EVERYTHING. She doesn’t even have to try the clothes on and analyze her ass in a three-way mirror to make sure!
I read once that the reason men are required to all wear the same tuxedo to black tie events is so they can show off their women.
That’s what I have become when I am in the presence of my daughter. A man in a tux. Wearing the same uniform every day (jeans, boots, solid color top) in order to show off my increasingly stylish little girl.
A week ago, H&M gave me an $100 gift card plus a 25% Off VIP card (good with every purchase through June!) to spend at their store and another to give away to one of my readers (details at the end of the post). I wish I could tell you I used that opportunity to buy some clothes for myself.
I did not.
Shopping for myself is work. Shopping for Mazzy is much more fun.
As soon as I found out H&M had a children’s department (I didn’t know that, did you?), I walked in, asked a salesperson to point me in the right direction, took one look at the huge selection of super cute clothes and spent my entire gift card on my daughter.
Do you know how many items you can buy at H&M for $100? I bought TEN and still came up a few dollars shy. Add the 25% VIP discount and I only spent $75!
Below is what I purchased. The majority of these items are just $9.95 (that’s less than most of the kids’ clothes at Old Navy). And that white shirt at the bottom came in a pack of two.
So you see, H&M isn’t helping my “man in a tux” problem. What with their super stylish little girl clothes and their low prices.
I mean, did you see Mazzy in her cherry red cat cardigan with the three-dimensional polka dot bow up top? How can I ever compete?
I’ve either got to spend that last $25 on myself or I better start working on my Clooney.
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GIVEAWAY:
$100 H&M GIFT CARD + 25% OFF VIP DISCOUNT CARD (good for every purchase through June 30, 2012)
RULES:
You must be a Mommy Shorts Facebook Fan to enter. If you are not one already, you can become one by clicking “like” in the facebook widget on my right sidebar or by clicking here.
1) Name a style or item of clothing that you can’t believe you used to wear in the comment section below. For example, parachute pants. Am I the only one?
2) For a second entry, sign up for the H&M newsletter to get an additional 20% off any single item by clicking here and then leave a second comment below.
3) For a third entry, please retweet the following: I just entered to win an $100 H&M gift card via @mommyshorts http://bit.ly/tbnU1r @hmusa #giveaway
4) For a fourth entry, please subscribe to the Mommy Shorts YouTube channel. If you are already a subscriber, just leave a second saying so.
Winner will be announced on December 22nd so you have time for holiday shopping. And tuxedo dry cleaning.
stirrup pants, long shirt and the clip you put on the side to make the shirt fit tighter (I can’t remember the official name of them but I had mutliple colors). Oh yea that was stylin’!
I could have written this post (and wish I had – see, there’s that content envy thing I told you about). Everything from to how cute EVERYTHING looks on my own daughter right down to the “rules” that make shopping for myself no longer fun.
I never wore parachute pants, but I can’t believe I once wore jams – remember those? Brightly colored shorts with obnoxiously loud patterns? Granted, I was in 6th grade at the time – they were popular for a spell in the 80’s. But WHY? They were so, so ugly.
I subscribe to your YouTube channel.
As a little girl, I refused to wear pants and would only wear leggings. Garish, ugly, 80s patterned leggings. It was NOT a good look… And it lasted for years! 🙁
3) Tweeted
4) Just subscribed to the YouTube Channel!
Just tweeted!
i cant believe i wore big puffy scrunchies in my hair, that usually matched my shirt! lol
And I signed up for the H&M newsletter. Can you tell I really want to win this giveaway? I really like H&M and really, REALLY need some new clothes! (Yes, I would use it on me, not Vivian.)
Colored jeans! Bright pink, stark white, sky blue! Oh my! It was NOT a good look for me!
How about Units? You could mix and match different articles of Units to make an outfit. My favorite was the belt that I doubled as a mini skirt 🙂
Already a Mommyshorts Youtube subscriber! YAY!
tweeted!!!
I had a pair of baggy cotton “skater” pants in red and blue plaid. They had a patch on the baggy back pocket proclaiming “skids”. Oh, heinous. Everytime they mysteriously got thrown out, I would hunt through the trash in the garage to find them. I wish I still had them.
In 7th grade I had every color and pattern of “MC hammer pants” you can imagine. You know those pants with the big flaps on the side that pulled to the front and then buttoned. I don’t know what I was thinking but at the time I sure did think I was cool. lol I was also a victim of ugly sweater vests with turtle necks which were sometimes paired with the “hammer pants”. :/
i used to wear these giant plaid, flannel shirts, tied in a knot at the bottom. if that isn’t bad enough i always paired it with doc martens. no worries, i’ve learned about femininity since then.
Second comment after H&M newsletter: Mexican blanket poncho I stole from a guy friend in high school. We dressed like homeless people.
also, signed up for the h&m newsletter!
entry #3: i just tweeted “I just entered to win an $100 H&M gift card via @mommyshorts http://bit.ly/tbnU1r @hmusa #giveaway”
I signed up for the newsletter, but realized that they don’t offer online shopping? What is up with that? Bummer!!!! I HATE going to stores, especially this time of year!
Coca-cola brand clothing. Oh, and remember those Limited Express jeans that folded over at the top??? bahahahha! I had a pair or two.
twitter name: @drdpdo
Those were awesome! I especially loved that the critch was down around your knees 🙂
I used to wear this awful uncomfortable beige mohair cardigan over like slips in high school. I thought I was Courtney Love of the central Jersey suburbs. I fit in so well amongst my classmates, budding Snookis and Situations.
*crotch
Signed up for the H+M newsletter
Tweeted:
https://twitter.com/#!/stilljes/status/147332052985987073
Subscriber to yo youtube channel.
Those ankle-length peasant dresses with the buttons all the way up the front, and a straw hat with a big sunflower on it, a la Blossom. Oh yeah, I was stylin’!!
BTW, H&M also has some great maternity clothes!
I cant believe i use to wear Oshkosh overalls with matching jelly shoes in the 80s. Somehow i thought i was cute.
I remember wearing diaper shorts and now I think “yuck”. It’s amazing how we used to think something looked good and now we hate that style.
Ohhh I had the parachute pants. They were terrible, but oh so comfy, LOL The other I had was a loose fitting denim jumper. One piece, long sleeves, neck to ankles, and buttons up the front. I loved that thing! LOL
I am a fan! 🙂
And I can’t believe I used to wear cut off jean shorts with inseam it’s borderline inappropriate!
not to brag (totally bragging) but I use to have a matching black acid washed jean jacket/jeans ensemble. the glory years.
http://www.etsystalkers.com/
I also signed up for the H&M newsletter!
I am a youtube subscriber!
Thanks for the awesome giveaway!
Wow, where to start….orange jeans, Z-cavaricci pants, bright neon Champion sweatshirts, I-O-U Sweatshirts, 3 pairs of socks and keds.
Wish I had a picture. It sounds soooo bad.
Facebook fan entry
OK, I am showing my age here,
Remember those Technicolor t-shirts that used to change color with heat? Well, I had a tie dye one. Oh even yesser.
H & M entry:
Banana clips in my hair. Hey, whatever happened to those? I mean people think bump-its are cool now? If they only knew the glory of the bright neon yellow plastic banana clip.
Big Scrunchies. ugh.
i liked on fb, subscribed on youtube (emiliesays), tweeted, and i use to wear my mom’s old plaid bell bottoms to school in eighth grade. i loved them. and i use to love skorts.
I wore this weekly and felt like a Rock Star: shiny purple velvet overalls with only one side clipped and the other hanging so it could swing while I swaggered through the school halls.
Oh and ankle boots designed by a woman hater – the heels were made out of wood and were almost impossible to walk in and the boot itself was made of jean material. They were a rebellious buy I regretted every time I wore them.
I’m not going to even mention the hideously embarrassing stuff my immigrant parents used to make me wear to school before I figured out how to buy clothing for myself.
You Tube follower entry:
carpenter jeans and oversized plaid shirts ala My So Called Life.
I seriously regret my ‘first day of middle school’ outfit…a replica of Mariah Carey’s outfit from the Dreamlover video…or so I thought
Overalls. I don’t understand why these were a fashion must for me, but I recall having three sets: regular, ratty bleached ones, and “nice” dark washed ones. Ah, youth.
I used to wear everything tucked in. And I’ve always been on the thin side, but back in my teen years, I was downright scrawny, so adding all this extra fabric all poufed out in the middle just made me look ridiculous. And of course that was paired with tapered ankle jeans. I seriously cringe when I see photos.
When I moved to USA from Russia to go to college, I saw a pair of shoes at the thrift store and LOVED them. Thrift store is all I could afford, so I bought them and wore them with pride to my classes the next day only to notice that people were pointing at me. Finally, a good friend informed me that they were bowling shoes. See, we don’t have “bowling” in Russia, so I had no idea what the shoes looked like. Not only it has been a joke for years, I still can’t get over the disgusting factor of people sweating in them for years.
In 4th grade, I wore turquoise corduroys which I “pegged” at the bottom, using rainbow shoelaces. Winner?
My 2 year old daughter surpassed me in fashion a long time ago, but how can you resist toddler girl clothes? They are adorable! I wish clothes looked that amazing on me. In middle school I used to wear a lot vests and neck ties that were designed for girls. They had lace and beaded details and I wore them for far too long. Oh the shame!
FB fan, YouTube Channel suscriber and just Tweeted!
Flannel shirts… Ick (I follow on FB)
I also tweeted…
And I signed up for the H&M newsletter… (Do I need to prove it in any way?)
Also, I’m a you tube subscriber of yours. Big fan!
And of course, I am a subscriber of your Youtube show..
I had a purple and white striped velour mini-skirt and matching forehead band in 8th grade. Except I can believe I wore that. I looked HOT.
And I’m a youtube subscriber. 🙂
I had an orange velour V-neck shirt that I really loved, and wore with red plaid pants. It was the ’70s!
And I just subscribed to your YouTube channel. Thanks for the giveaway!
Stirrup pants and jeans with rolled cuffs!
I can’t believe I used to tight roll my pants. Even more disturbing, it is coming back in style. Double yikes.
I was in 6th grade – must have been the late 80’s, and my mother bought me a NEON orange MC Hammer outfit (complete with those ‘looks like you pooped in your pants’ pants). As if that wasn’t bad enough this amazing outfit had a clear, sealed plastic pouch on the top with a real dollar bill in it. Yes folks, a dollar bill in a plastic pouch in the middle of my neon orange shirt!??! What the HE double hockey stick was my mother thinking?!?!
Just one thing?
I have been guilty of wearing my 6 year olds pokemon shirts.
I am subscribed on youtube already. 🙂
Stirrup pants in an array of fluorescent colors!!
I signed up for the newsletter, subscribed to youtube (beautybyarielle1) and re-tweeted (@a_thib)
I’ve been buying my kids clothes at H&M forever, I love telling people how affordable these amazing outfits are!
My biggest garment of shame probably has to be those heat reactive t-shirts that changed color where your body was warmer. I already had boobs.
I’m already a longtime H&M newsletter subscriber!
I’m also subscribed to the MommyShorts YouTube channel!
I like you on FB with my username Mary Happymommy.
Your daughter is too cute!
I can’t believe I used to wear 3 or 4 pairs of tube socks at the same time, all layered over each other, to match my outfit.
I subscribed to the H & M newsletter.
When I was in high school my friend & I would wear tight white t-shirts, short plaid skirts, knee high CHAMPION socks (complete with the C on the side) with low top doc martins about once a week. Not kidding. And we weren’t doing drugs. And we did not go to a school with a dress code. My mom still has the pictures and laughs at them regularly. Pretty sure we were going for the Britney Spears “Hit Me Baby” look with what we had in our closets. I’m embarassed typing this.
tweet–https://twitter.com/#!/mami2jcn/status/147353307072045058
Also, tweeted, am FB fan, YouTube fan, and am subscribing to H&M. Good lord I must be desperate for some clothes!!
There are some pictures of me floating around wearing a knit sweater with a horse head on it that features a blue jewel eye and A REAL MANE! Seriously.
But then I was goth in highschool and the fashion mistakes keep on rollin!
I follow you on FB
Short shorts and an over sized boys sweatshirt, my favorite one was banana yellow… I was actually stopped by teachers to make sure I was wearing pants. Mom, why did you let me out of the house dressed like that?
Sorry, I meant to write I follow you on FB AND I can’t believe I used to wear those spandex shorts with the lace at the bottom.
Acid-washed jeans….enough said! Why are they trying to bring them back? EW!
I can’t believe, I didn’t buy a pair of girl’s jeans until I was twenty-one. I am NOT built like a guy! What was I thinking?
Liked, Retweeted, and signed up to H&M (favorite store *ahem*) 🙂
I already subscribed to Youtube Channel. =)
SHOULDER PADS. Yes, my mother put me in dresses with shoulder pads as young as age 4. I think it is really important that growing toddlers project their strength and power onto the other toddlers by broadening their shoulders. They knew who was boss.
I’m a fan of you!
Also – just tweeted! (twitter handle is lishybug)
I subscribed to the H&M newsletter. And lastly – I take really offense at Typepad not having the common courtesy to call me by a name. I’m more than just a facebook user. … well … some days. Anywho, My names “Cara” in the unlikely event that I win this and you’d like to say “Cara won the H&M Gift card!” as opposed to “A Facebook USer won the H&M gift card!” because then everyone will be all up in your business trying to claim whats rightfully MINE! 😉
Also – I should never have worn those stirrup pants. They were a bad idea. 😛
Tweeted the giveaway from @kawvalleycloth
And finally, I signed up the newsletter. I needed that, so thank you. I love H&M! I need to go visit them. :o)
Subscribed to MommyShorts youtube! (I shouldve already a long time ago, I DO watch the videos!)
Tight rolled pants! What were we thinking with that one???
Signed up for H&M newsletter!
tweet: https://twitter.com/#!/marison459/status/147358862578692096
Another one for stirrup pants. And those big hug oversized button-down shirts over them. Yeah.
I subscribe to your YouTube.
now I subscribe to H&M fashion news. 20% off! Weeeee!
Like you on FB Heather Mahan
Stirrup pants for sure!
Tweet
http://twitter.com/#!/hmahan_0529/status/147360785256022016
Already a subscriber on Youtube!
I can’t believe I used to wear bike shorts under tank-tunics 🙁 BLERG
I spent a couple years(13-14 years old) wearing guy clothes. I was hiding my body I guess, but it was so unflattering.