eShakti Review

So right now, I'm wearing this blue dress.
 It's, so far, my favorite dress for summer.  I got it from eShakti after they contacted me about doing a review.

I know, pretty, isn't it?  Mine has straps, because one of the awesome things about eShakti is that all of their garments are customizable. They can have things like the neckline, length, and sleeves altered, and all of their clothes can be tailored to your dimensions so that you can have clothes that fit and look just right for you.

That said, I wish I hadn't gotten straps on mine. I was really keen to have straps because I like to wear a bra, all the time, since I'm somewhat large chested.  That said, the wide strap option which I picked just aren't quite wide enough to cover my bra straps properly, and that the straps are about 2 inches longer than I'd like.  I find that I wind up tucking the straps in and wearing it braless anyway.  I'm actually planning on busting out my trusty seam ripper and removing the straps.

So that begs the question- why is it my favorite dress at the moment? Because it fits me nicely and is such a pretty blue, I adore the wild floral appliqué, and it's so breezy and comfortable. Also, because it's a smocked top, it's very easy to breastfeed Snapdragon while I'm wearing it.  See? And did I mention that it's nice a cool? Well, it is, and that's important since our A/C is dysfunctional. It's well made, and the skirt is fully lined so there is no need for a cumbersome or uncomfortable slip (which I never bother with) and you don't have to worry about the sunlight showing the whole world just what your legs are shaped like.  (Maybe I'm the only one who worries about that who doesn't like wearing slips?)

That was on Mother's Day.  Yeah, I'm wearing a shirt over it so it's not entirely visible, but I don't love wearing sunscreen when I don't need to, so I'm a fan of the lightweight cotton shirt.  

I admit, I had a lot of trouble picking from all the great clothes on the eShakti site when I chose this dress.  This was the runner up and I am very seriously considering ordering it still and calling it my anniversary present. 

Yes, that's right. If you hover over that image it says 

"You want to buy me for Slee..."

I'm not ashamed of that.

I mean, seriously? Gorgeous.   And again, it'd be nice and breezy and easy to put on and take off for these hot summers of changing clothes, going to the beach, and trying not to sweat to death.

Please don't get the wrong idea. eShakti isn't just peddling strapless maxi dresses of just the right length for your height. They have dresses of all lengths, pretty blouses and tunics, skirts, pants, and every level of dressiness from kickin' around the house caftans to polished evening dresses.  These are just some of my favorites.

 

I love how colorful this shirt is.

  

Could it be more Modern June Cleaver?

See? Pretties.

What you should know.  

They do have a stock of ready to ship items, but most of what eShakti does is made just for you.  To help you out they have a easy to use sizing chart with simple instructions to make sure you can supply them with accurate measurements.  

Their garments are made in India.

When it says cotton satin what it means is a nice smooth cotton, yo udon't have to worry about any weird sheen to the fabric making it feel too formal and stuffy.

They ship your custom order in 3 days.

They have customer support available five days a week, eight hours a day, and you can follow eShakti on Twitter.

You should also know that I've been meaning to write this review for quite a while now, but I've been putting it off because I knew that in putting up pictures I'd have to show you that darn stripey butterfly dress that I covet, and that I'd sit here fighting the urge to buy it.  

Bottom line?  If you have a hard to fit figure, I'd definitely recommend eShakti.  If you are a bigger girl and it's hard to find pretty things in your size, I'd definitely recommend eShakti.  I already have recommended eShakti to my mom, and you don't recommend things to your mom unless you believe she'll be happy, because otherwise you'll never hear the end of it.

So go, look, fall in love, and get something comfy that makes you feel good about being you, just the way you are.

Then come back and tell me what you like the best.

Disclosure: I got a pretty blue dress for free from eShakti so I could give you my opinion of their product and site.

Wordless Wednesday: Snapdragon is a Sculptor of Modern Art

Wordless Wednesday

Towel Day

Snapdragon would like to wish everyone a happy Towel Day!
Being the hoopy frood he is, he is on a trip and far from home, but certainly knows where his towel is. He keeps it close to wipe up the milk face when he's done nursing in public.

Douglas Adams, so long, and thanks for all the fish.


If this made no sense to you, you need to pick up the formerly increasingly misnamed Hitchiker's trilogy, and spends some quality time getting your campy geek on.


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It's getting hot in here...

Here in the northern not-quite-wilds, it's been suddenly hot. Like, mid nineties hot. Like, sticky-sweaty-sun-beating-down-on-you, isnt-it-supposed-to-be-May, oh-my-goodness-I-think-I'm-going-to-pass-out hot. On top of that, Snapdragon's been running a bit of a teething fever, so I'm trying extra hard to keep him cool.
Of course, this means that our central air had to go and die on us, so we're having to get creative about how to keep cool. Note the ice pack with which Mr. Snapdragon is playing. I've also been wiping him down with a moist sponge every so often. Nonetheless, I'm hot, and I don't like it.
So I ask, how do you keep cool without air conditioning?
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Survival

That's what we've been focusing on lately. Survival.
It started with a sweet baby who had a cold, and fussed night and day, stubbornly repudiating sleep.  Although that was energy consuming, it was survivable.  I felt mostly peachy, and armed with about 150 mg of caffeine a day, I was good to go. Sleep was for wimps.
You see where this is going, right?
Well, in my foolishness I forgot that I can only survive so long on caffeine and no sleep.  The result, now I've caught a different cold, which I've passed on to Mr. Teething with a Cold.  That's right.  A whole new round of fevers, running noses, coughs and misery for the baby, coupled with mom who feels like she has snot for blood.


So, since someone should benefit, my Top 10 Sickness Survival Tips.


1. Cancel, cancel, cancel.  If it's not absolutely necessary, cancel it.  Appointments, blog memes, whatever. Call, email, txt whomever you need to so you can focus on recovering.
2. Love the environment later.  I am all about the hankie for blowing your nose, but frankly, I only have so many, and doing laundry when I'm really sick isn't helping anyone out.  So yep, if I'm really sick and running out of cloth nosesipes?  Toilet paper works.  So do tissues, but really?  Buying paper specifically for nose blowing? No thank you.
3. Accept help.  It's harder than it sounds, but being the Allmother and doing all things by yourself all the time is just going to leave you more tired and more sick.  Let your spouse/partner/older kids help out by cooking for you- even if it's gross macaroni and cheese.  Starving doesn't actually help anyone heal.  When they ask "can I get you anything," don't sigh "no," because the directions you'd need to give them are more than two sentences.  Take a deep breath, make eye contact, and tell them what you need.
4. Got water?  Keep a glass or BPA free reusasable water bottle by your bed or by the couch where you're laying trying not to die.  Fluids are your friends.
5. Have someone help you kidlet proof your bedroom and any other room you might lose consciousness in, and then keep the door closed so that if your baby gets loose while you're busy not dying, you don't have to freak out that they're going to eat your tax records, get tangled in computer cords, or find the power drill.
6. This one involves prep.  Sick toys.  You're sick, your kidlet is probably sick too.  Keep a box of EASILY WASHABLE toys that baby only plays with when sick.  Then have someone HELP you put away the regular toys and get these out when you're sick.  Whether they're hard toys that are easy to scrub down or soft toys that wash up well, be sure to wash them and put them away when everyone's recovered.  These are extra fun for the wee one, and more apt to capture baby's attention longer because they're a special treat.  
7.  Use the phone.  Remember that whole starvation sucks thing?  Well it does. Sucks the life right out of you.  So if it comes down to it, and you can afford it, don't be afraid to order in.  You're not going to snog the pizza gal, so you're probably not going to get her sick.  And even if the food isn't the wonderfully nutrient packed goodness you'd have cooked if you were feeling 100%, again, starvation bad.
8. DVDs.  You're not going to get anything done.  Don't try to pretend you're going to use this down time to catch up on the family tree, or knit that baby blanket for your best friend's sister's shower. No one wants a plague blanket.  Veg out already and get better.
9.  Accept that some days you just don't have 9 in you and roll on.
10. Keep your phone handy so you can text, IM, tweet, and FB your way through.  To those of you who can't do these things on your phone... well, I'm sorry, but after last year's bedrest episode, I can't imagine not having any means of contacting the outside world and my best suggestion is to bring your laptop to bed with you.


Note- I never assume anyone is going to be so helpful as to take the baby for most of the day. Besides, if you're breastfeeding, that wouldn't help at all anyway.  

Wordless Wednesday: This Mother's Day

Wordless Wednesday

Sweet baby keeping sickie mommy company

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Wordless Wednesday: Helpful!Dog carries in the phone book

Wordless Wednesday




See http://wordlesswednesday.com
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Mother's Day

This year for Mother's Day (shouldn't it be Mothers' Day?) my daughter, who is awesome beyond all logic gave me something truly magnificent.

That's right, it's a POLICE CALL BOX ON A FLOWER POT.

*sniffle* She knows me so well.

Why am I so excited?

Um, it's a POLICE CALL BOX on a FLOWER POT!
If you don't get it, i'm terribly sorry, there is only one remedy.  Watch Doctor Who and read the once increasingly misnamed Hitchiker's trilogy.  Start HERE and HERE.

One Year

Precisely one year ago.

You didn't have a name. You were 21.5 inches long. You weighed 8 pounds. You were sweet and tiny and had a smell that was unlike any other smell I'd ever smelled before. You had big curious eyes which so easily became sleepy eyes. You wanted to nurse and be held.

You have more names than a baby needs. You are 32 inches long. You weigh 25 pounds. You are sweet and big and have a smell that is unlike any other smell, even when your diaper is fine. You have big curious eyes, and hands, and knees for crawling, though you try to walk with one leg and drag the other beneath you for balance. You like to giggle, high five, wave hello and bye bye. You like to nurse, even when you're not being held. Even when it means crawling over and latching on yourself, but you still like to be held.

I love you.