This morning, I put on a warm and woolly sweater to deal with today’s cold air. As I was preparing for the day ahead, however, I realized that the sweater absolutely wouldn’t do. Not because it clashed with the rest of my outfit, or because it was too dressy or casual for the day’s activities – but because of one little word that rhymes with “inner ear.”

Yep, you guessed it (or maybe you didn’t…) YAKIR!

I had to giggle as I realized that my fashion these days is 100% dictated by one thing, and one thing only – a 14 pound little guy who sleeps most of the day.

Why is that?

Well, the sweater in question has a zipper down the front, and Yakir manages to hurt himself quite often when he smashes his head into the zipper or the clasp. Furthermore, the sweater, while cozy on the inside, is quite rough on the outside. And it just didn’t seem like a sweater that he would want to cozy-up to all day. And so, I put it back into the closet, saying goodbye to it for this winter.

And that made me think about how so much of my fashion and my actions these days are dictated by this little man.

What’s my favorite possession at the moment? It would be a close fight between two items.

The first is my UGGs. My in-laws gave them to me for Chanukah. I, as the uninitiated, barely even knew what they were when I unwrapped them. Since then? I don’t think they’ve left my feet more than a dozen times. I love them. I love them for their warmth and their comfort – but I particularly love them because I can slip them on. After all, how is a new mom with a baby dangling from one arm, car keys in another, and lunch-boxes, coats, and more in the third arm supposed to sit down and tie her shoes?

And so, I love my UGGs. I am usually a pretty discerning person when it comes to matching colors. My shoes always have to match with my clothing and my scarf almost always picks up some of the accents as well. Now? It’s UGGs all the way – and if they don’t match, well, the benefits of slipping on cozy shoes far outweigh the consequences of wearing mismatched items!

The other item that I can’t live without is my Kindle. I don’t know if this is a big marketing point for Amazon, but the Kindle actually allows me to read while nursing. Imagine trying to use your hands to balance and assist a baby – while also trying to turn pages and hold a book in your hand. The Kindle is brilliant. I can place it on the couch and continue reading, hands-free! Certainly, there are other reasons that I love my Kindle, but the ability to use it with only one, or no, hands is definitely high on the list.

At some point, I will have to rejoin the world – wearing work clothes, thinking about my appearance and looking dignified. For now? It’s all about what feels cozy to a 2 month old, what slips on quickly for a harried mom, and what allows me to function hands-free!

Here’s to Mommy Fashion at its best!