Purses and Pears?

I recently started working with a woman who had been out on maternity leave and was getting ready to go back to work. The stress of leaving her child and having to figure out what she could wear post- maternity is stressful itself. Most women are not exactly ready to hop back into their pre-maternity wardrobe, and without a doubt don't want to wear their maternity clothes a second longer than necessary.

We took a couple steps back and did a closet consultation, which means we went through her closet and worked with items that she had pre-pregnancy, to see what that fit now and what would fit within a month or so. We quickly made a list of must-haves to get back to work. One of the items needed was an updated purse. A diaper bag is not part of the working wardrobe and she was ready for an upgrade to what she had been using. Determining whether buying a really good quality purse on sale would be a sound investment was crucial because she really needed clothes to get back to work in. After much deliberation she decided to go for it! I was thrilled because I knew in the long run a great quality purse is a great investment.

I hear a lot from clients about their purchases, and as a general rule, how glad they are they took my advice and made a purchase I suggested, but you gotta love this update:

One day on the ride home from daycare I decided to give Charlie [older brother] a pear (yes, a whole pear) to eat in the car. Yes, I figured it could be a mess but it’s a pear, how bad could the stains be?

He did well. We get home and I bring Sam in the house while Charlie saunters in. I have to be clever and lure him into the house from the garage because his drive to lawn mow, wheel barrow and drive his truck is instinctive and magnetizes him away from the house.

We manage to get in the house without fussing and without letting Angel sneak out. Whew! I am catching my breath and taking a quiet private moment to congratulate myself when I see Trevor playing, pear nowhere in sight. Crap! What if Angel ate it?!?! Panic in my veins I ask Charlie as calmly as possible, "sweetie, where's your pear?"

"I put it in your bag mommy."

Gasp! Not at all the answer I expected. For those who don't know, I am totally cheap when it comes to purses, except my current one, a $200, on sale, Dooney & Bourke. Visions of pear juice and bits on the canvas interior roll through my brain like a powerpoint slide show. Oh my gosh this is gonna be my moment to show my toddler how self absorbed and materialistic I can be.

I walk (telling myself not to run and not make a big deal) to my 'bag'. Sure enough, inside my bag, resting on a mound of paper, receipts, and a notebook, is the pear. I had a Hallelujah! moment. No pear juice, no pear bits, no pear stains! I love my toddler; he put the pear 'away' when he was done.

Morals of the story: Pear was a good choice for the car ride home. Canvas lining is better than silky lining in bags. Put your purse out of a toddler’s reach, not next to diaper bags.

:) happy mommy