Shop talk

I went on a shopping adventure yesterday to find some transition clothes - the larger size clothes that I need while trying to get the baby weight off the ol' J Lo.  While I was out, I noticed some things - some of which I never noticed before having a baby shop with me.

First, it is nearly impossible to maneuver a stroller/travel system through the racks at a department store (I was at Kohl's).  Maybe part of it is that I am a bad stroller driver but the other part is definitely the close spaces.  It seems strange to me that it would be so cramped - haven't other mothers complained?  I think, among many things I probably didn't notice, I knocked over jewelry, sunglasses, shoes, many articles of clothing and I think a frame of some sort - luckily nothing broke.
Add to that the dressing rooms!  OMG the dressing rooms!  If there is a hidden camera behind those mirrors, they certainly got a laugh yesterday!  Try rolling in that beast of a stroller without dinging the walls, waking the baby or getting stuck in the process.  And then, once in the room, there is barely enough space to change clothes much less see my fat ass in the mirror (which is probably better anyway).

And then there is the challenge of the hungry baby.  There is literally no place to sit, other than the dressing rooms (which is where I did change one of her dirty diapers) or the patio furniture section of the store.  That's where I decided to give H her lunch.  People walked by looking at me like I was mad - big stroller parked to the side and me on a lounger feeding my baby.  I wonder what they would have done if I was still breastfeeding?  Geez, people, mind your own, would ya? 

Little did I know that, the chair I was sitting on actually folded back for more "comfort."  What it almost did was catapult H and I across the store!  Can't we just get a little feeding room?  A bench?  A metal folding chair?  This applies to Kohl's, Target, Walmart and any other store that has forgotten about those of us who have super young bosses!  When it is time to eat, there is no time to be looking for the patio section of the store.

Then there is clothing.  I really hate to shop to begin with.  This is where my "girl" gene has been turned off.  I do not like buying shoes unless the ones I have are so torn up my toes are hanging out.  I hate buying pants - especially now - because I a) do not like trying things on, b) don't have the patience or energy to search for the best deal or something that I like and c) I am not comfortable with my new "momma" size.  And, why are jeans so damn expensive?  Did denim prices go up with gas prices?

And the tags on jeans are annoying.  There is the price tag the store puts on them, the waist band tag that is a pain to take off and leaves behind little threads that are impossible to remove.  Then there's the long leg sticker that has the same information as the waist band tag...why so many tags and stickers?  Maybe if we eliminated some of these tags, we could bring the cost down a tad.

And, it's not just jeans that have multiple tags and stickers, shirts do too.  Sometimes they are so small on shirts that you never notice them and then, when you go to wash them, the little "L" sticker that was on the front of that size large shirt is stuck to the side of the washer or to another item of clothing.  If it is on another garment, you usually don't notice until someone in your client meeting points it out.  And it usually gets stuck on the boob part of your shirt or the butt of your pants.  Never a leg or an arm.

I bought some perfume yesterday as well.  I figure, I can look like a cow but I refuse to smell like one.  Plus, I haven't had perfume in a long time so I just wanted some.  Does every celebrity (and wannabe celebrities) have their own fragrance?  Some have more than one.  I was sorta interested in the Sarah Jessica Parker fragrance called Dawn but ended up with a J Lo fragrance.  Quite fitting since I always refer to my ass as the J Lo.

I learned a lot on my trip.  Next time use my Moby to hold H and be hands (and stroller) free.  Of course that leads to challenges in the dressing room.  Ok so, next time leave H with hubby.  I learned jeans are expensive but the pricing is consistent even though I need more fabric.  And check out the features of the patio furniture you are about to sit in with baby so you are not thrown backwards into the displayed fire pit.

Good luck!