**edit--the title should really be "how to successfully pants shop with an infant who needs to be held all the time" lol. Obviously, you can put a kid in a stroller if they'll tolerate it, or in a cart if you need one! Its sometimes hard to snag big dressing rooms for carts and strollers though, so this could still apply :-) **
For the past couple of years, the majority of my wardrobe has revolved around leggings/tights, dresses, flats, and boots. It was simple. In the winter, wear leggings and boots with dresses. In the summer, just wear them with flats or sandals. I LOVED it. I love the simplicity of throwing on a dress and looking like a well put together human.
Well. In my attempts at modesty, all said dresses have higher necklines. Unfortunately, with a breastfeeding infant, pulling my entire dress up to NIP (nurse in public) TOTALLY throws the whole "modesty" down the toilet. Plus ummm that would be super awkward. AND that also means I can't pull the top down, either, unless I want to rip the fabric or stretch the neckline out to epic-ly ugly proportions.
It's sad. I feel like giving my dresses a mini-funeral. But you know what? It's a different season of my life, and I will be in "baby-making/birthing/breastfeeding" mode for the next number of however many years so I'm retiring and donating most of those adorable dresses, and it's really OK. And for real, I do have some kick butt skirts that I love to wear so I am not totally out of luck, but this summer, I have a feeling that I will be chasing a little cute monster everywhere, so I need to be able to get on the floor and play, etc.
What that means though, is that I need to do some shopping specifically for some good summery shorts/capris. I recently started keeping a budget again using an app called the "Easy Envelope Budget App" (EEBA--available for free on both Android and Apple devices--it's pretty great!) and I set our "clothing" limits for the year very low because we're saving for a house. In short, I need shorts, and I need 'em cheap. Pardon the pun. :-)
I decided to do some hunting at Goodwill with Gianna. Shopping was uber successful. I went home with blue capris from Old Navy (casual) and dress capris from Ann Taylor for $8. Holla for a balla! Wow that was lame. Anyhow, I wanted to pass along my shopping adventure success strategy.
Here's how you do it:
0. Wear a skirt (this makes sense later)
1. Wear baby in k'tan
2. Bounce and walk and shop
3. Know your size (obviously with brands it can be +/- 1 size, but you know what I mean...) and find cute stuff in said size
4. Go to dressing room. Yes. You must and can try the clothes on.
5. Hike skirt up and push up under k'tan.
6. Put on pants very carefully by putting legs in holes and squatting to pick up pants to fasten. (baby will probably be asleep by that time...bending over=no no...don't want to rock the boat lol)
7. Examine yourself in mirror, and remove very carefully by dropping pants to floor, removing feet, and kicking up into hand.
BLAM. You just went pants shopping while wearing a sleeping baby. Win!
