Life in Pajamas

What Do I Think About the Possible Louisiana Ban on Pajamas in Public? Glad You Asked!

When the headline first appeared in my Google Alerts that a parish in Louisiana was attempting to enforce a ban on wearing pajamas in public, I barely gave it a second glance. Unfortunately, wearing pajamas in public seems to be a hot topic these days. Even today's  Wall Street Journal tackles the topic. We've heard recently of schools banning its students, or even parents, from wearing pajamas on its premises and now this prospective anti pajama legislation in Louisiana.

 

But as I read more about Caddo Parish District 3 Commissioner Michael Williams’ attempt to push through an ordinance that would prohibit anyone from appearing in public wearing “a garment sold in the sleepwear section of department stores,” I realized this was emblematic of a more concerning trend in our country.

 

Now, I’m not just saying this because I happen to own an online store which sells only sleepwear apparel. I am saying this because I believe clothing is one of the greatest forms of personal expression in our modern world. And personal expression is something that must never be limited in a successful democracy.

 

I founded The Pajama Company eight years ago because after a career in the fashion industry in New York and living and traveling abroad working for an international women’s NGO, I realized pajamas were my favorite type of clothing. After two decades of wearing power suits and dresses, I found pajamas were what I wore to feel my most creative, to feel my most comfortable and to express myself most fully. I've done my best work in pajamas.

 

That kind of power should never be taken away from the people.

 

Now perhaps you are reading this news and agree that kids wearing plaid pants in public is distasteful. Chances are you would also frown upon boys wearing baggy pants or girls in short skirts with heels. I personally am not a fan of men in basketball shorts or women in leopard print. Fortunately, in America we all have the right to make our own judgments, to share our thoughts with our friends or our social networks. We can celebrate the ridiculousness of the fashion choices of people we see on the street on sites like People of Walmart or on shows like What Not To Wear. But we would never walk up to those people and tell them to change their clothes. We would be dismayed to see them charged with a crime based on their choice of apparel.

 

As we learn from TLC’s Stacy and Clinton any item of clothing can be manipulated to look either tacky or stylish. For me, there is nothing better than putting on a crisp pair of pajamas with mascara and a great pair of boots or flats.

 

And I know I’m not the only one who feels that way. Pajamas and items sold in the “sleepwear section” of stores have recently been worn on the red carpet by the likes of style icons Rachel Roy and Ryan Gosling and highlighted by fashion columnists and bloggers. In November, Marie Claire ran a slide show touting the latest trend of pajamas in fashion with a subhead reading “there’s nothing sleepy about this timeliness trend: Loungewear wakes up to luxe.”  Glamour instructed its readers to look fashionable by staying in pajamas over the weekend. Even Prada designed a line of high end pajamas, which are definitely not meant to be concealed in the bedroom.

 

And how dangerous can pajamas be when a pastor of a church in Toledo sponsored it's second annual "Pajama Pants Sunday" last week?

 

Williams cited citizens’ uncomfortableness with the trend of public pajama wearing as his reasoning for the ban.

 

For a child of the 1960’s like myself, there is something especially uncomfortably familiar with an authority figure attempting to ban youth from exhibiting a fashion trend for fear of what it represents. 

 

How is this different than schools and businesses banning young men from wearing their hair long in the 1960’s or schools preventing kids from wearing denim in the 1950’s? For that matter, it is even reminiscent of a time when women wearing pants was frowned upon in public. 

 

It's nice to see that Commissioner Williams doesn't feel the "crime" of wearing pajamas warrants jail time, merely community service. Who joins me in cheering pajama clad citizens who already affect good in our society, who already volunteer in their local communities?

 

Last year a high school in Vermont banned pajamas in school claiming pajamas inhibited students’ work ethic.

 

I imagine the legions of bloggers and those who work from home would take issue with that statement.

 

Whether you think pajamas are appropriate daily attire is for you to decide. As for me, please excuse me while I put on my pretty striped cotton pajama pants and get back to work.

My Pets and Me

It's another night with my pets and me. Husband is traveling, kids are all out so it's just me, my laptop and my furry friends. Sounds like a quiet night? Think again, it's actually quite the opposite. Lucy, my rescued 8 year old mix of sweet neurosis is typically worried and is of course a dog on edge tonight. She's sensitive to sudden movement, she's aware and suspicious of most everything and everyone. She's likely a textbook case because when she loves, she loves deep but when she's not sure, her behavior can be truly volatile. She's an unpredictable girl. You may be lovely but that's not quite good enough here. Lucy will decide.

Sammy, the cat, is moving swiftly into full blown old age. His 14 years have been sweet and active. He's explored entire neighborhoods and managed to find partners in crime wherever he's lived. He's turned up outside of second story windows, he's done more than his share of hunting. He managed to get a daily second breakfast at a random house down the road for many months before he was busted one year. With his antics behind him, Sammy now spends most of his day curled up in a sweet sleep. He's got a little pharmacy of medications which he routinely scoffs at. His monthly shot is not a happy scene. Tonight he is peacefully snoring next to me. His little face is endearing and almost makes me forget his grumpy demeaner while awake. As with any caregiver of a senior, I know my job is to keep him comfortable, to make sure he eats, drinks and takes his meds. To sit with him and keep him company.  Stay strong Sammy and maybe give me a little paw of appreciation every once and a while.

 So clearly, my home tonight has both a senior citizen wing and a psych wing....but there's more. I'm babysitting a couple months for my daughter's two little kitties. These little guys were adopted from a shelter in Maryland about 10 months ago so I guess they are still kittens? There is a lot of jumping around, scratching stuff and general mayhem with these brothers, Anderson and Cooper. The kitchen floor resembles a small section of a pet store with bowls, toys, balls and scratching contraptions. It's my own fault since I've traded my past life of buying random barbies and skateboards for my kids to now buying little furry catnip toys and flying cat toys on sticks. I'm pretty sure that Anderson is becoming obese but sadly am finding him pretty lovable that way. I know it's not healthy and will ask google "How to help a cat lose weight?" first thing tomorrow.

I'm intrigued by Anderson and Cooper's brotherly love. They seem to really like each other. They hang together. They don't fight, they just hang together. They've never been outside. They're just content with life here on the couch. Maybe I can learn a lot from these little guys.

 

 

 

 

Where Are You Snow Day?

As I look out my Connecticut window, I see another sunny gorgeous day with green grass sparkling and pavements dry. My mind is swirling with all the mundane chores that need to be done. Yes, there's very little food in the refrigerator, drinks are low, dry cleaning is waiting to be collected, the printer is out of ink, and maybe the cat has just enough food for another day. I will have to peel myself off the comfy couch and get out there taking care of it all. It's just another fabulously gorgeous day in CT and I have work to do.

Last year in this part of the world, we were inundated with snow.  We cringed at the frequent snowy forecasts and longed for a glimpse of green grass. We tired of yet another Snow Day happy dance, of yet another epic journey to secure coffee and bagels, We grew annoyed by the peaceful calm of falling snow.

It's all so easy now. No storm prep, no building fires, no hunting for coats, hats, gloves, boots. No watching TV and movies for hours, no playing scrabble, no doing jigsaw puzzles, no napping. No playing cards or mario party. No finishing the almost finished book sitting on the bedside table. Who has time for that when it's not snowing?

 Snow Day, I apologize for what I said about you last year. I didn't mean it. I want you back. Where are you?

 

Hey 2012..I've Got A Good Feeling About You and Me

Hey 2012...I've been thinking about us and I have a good feeling about you and me.

Tonight, 2012,  I have a good feeling about you and me. We're going to get along just fine. This year I've given up on New Year's Resolutions. I don't feel the need to tell you that I'm thinking about being a better person, that I'm thinking about spending time on the elliptical, that I'm not going to eat cake.  Hey 2012, I think you're fine with that too because I think you, 2012, are all about celebrating the year ahead. Yes, celebrating a year of good things.  As I said, 2012, I have a good feeling about you and me. Cheers to our year together!

We Need a Little Christmas (Pajamas)...Now

For many families, Christmas Pajamas are well...just part of Christmas. A lovely tradition.  For some it's Christmas Eve, for some it's Christmas morning. Matching Pajamas for the family make everyone smile. Who doesn't love seeing Mom and Dad in footies? We love the Christmas Eve pajamas because everyone can jump into bed in warm new pj's, all snugly, anticipating Christmas morning.  But, is there a time,  maybe sooner on the calender than Christmas Eve when Christmas pajamas might just be a wonderful and unexpected treat?  We think yes.  Remember the classic song from Mame, "We Need A Little Christmas...Right This Very Minute"!  Consider breaking tradition this year and surprise everyone with Christmas pajamas now or if you must wait consider some of these suggestions of when to give pajamas this year:

• On the Day of the first Snow of Winter
• On the day you decorate the home for Christmas
• On the day you make those first Christmas Cookies
• On the day you wrap presents
• On the day you take the Christmas card photo (and make it a pajama photo!)
• 12 Days before Christmas
• On the day the Christmas Tree is Decorated

The gift of pajamas for Christmas is a wonderful tradition for many.  Is it one for your family?  This is the perfect time to begin.  Kids love to see their parents and grandparents wearing pajamas.  It's just happy.

It's Beginning to Sound A Lot Like Christmas

Tomorrow is Halloween but here in CT there is snow on the ground.  It's so wintry that schools are closed and our town is having it's first "Snow Day" tomorrow.  Feeling oddly festive, I headed to google to ask "How many days until Christmas?"  Clicking on xmasclock.com I got a very precise answer to my question: 55 days 2 hours 33 minutes and 46 seconds.  Thanks google, you're good. 

I heard a few days ago, back when it was Fall that a Manhattan McDonald's started playing Christmas music two weeks ago. Seemed a bit early to me than.  Today it seems perfectly festive.  My iTunes playlist is shall I say, top heavy Christmas. My assortment of artists include Michael Buble, Enya, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Andrea Bocelli, Mariah Carey, Band Aid, Madonna, James Taylor, Bing Crosby, Neil Diamond (please don't judge me), Johnny Mathis and many many more.  My holiday soundtracks include The Snowman, The Nutcracker, Polar Express, A Charlie Brown Christmas, White Christmas and The Grinch.  From Frosty the Snowman, to The Little Drummer Boy, to Winter Wonderland, to Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas to three, yes three versions of "The Christmas Song," I've pretty much got Christmas covered. Country, Jazz, New Age, Pop, Rock, Classic, Folk...I don't discriminate when it comes to genre.  Everyone is welcome to my party.

Surprisingly, I do tend to exercise self restraint and respect my family's rather aggressive pleas to refrain from clicking "Play" until Black Friday. But this year just might be different, this year might be the year I change the rules and  just casually click "Play" with 55 days 2 hours 33 minutes and 46 seconds 'til Christmas.  

Suddenly Winter

It's 4:08 pm on Saturday October 29 and it's a blizzard in CT. Snow is accumulating fast and furious.  Seems like only yesterday I was wearing jeans, sweater, tee shirt and flip flops.  Wait, it was only yesterday.  Preparing for winter takes some time.  Bears and squirrels plan for a day like today. They store up food and ready their habitat. What have I done to plan?  I'm looking out my snowy window and see my outdoor cushions with a white layer of snow cover.  Why didn't I bring them inside while it was still Fall...yesterday? I did some food shopping yesterday.  I bought some cupcakes because they looked nice and a cappuccino.  I really should have bought wood, hot chocolate mix, oatmeal, tea, red wine, soup, crusty bread.  Maybe I should have bought a bag of potato's and a roast? 

Many will likely love the idea of today being "Suddenly Winter."  There are a lot of things about Winter I love.  I'm a lounger so I love pajama days.  I don't suffer from cabin fever.  I relish the chance to stay in, to read, to nap, to sit on the couch with my laptop, to watch TV.  Winter is cozy.  Winter is warm and festive. I like Winter, just not today.  I wasn't quite finished with Fall.  We haven't even carved the pumpkins yet. (Procrastination is sometimes a side effect of lounging.) I was planning to carve them tomorrow...honest. 

Another inch has fallen while I write this post. The town mayor has called for people to stay off the roads.  Power outages are reported, trees are down.  Might Halloween be the first "Snow Day" of the year?  

Maya Angelou said "Nature has no mercy at all. Nature says, "Im going to snow.  If you have on a bikini and no snowshoes, that's tough, I'm going to snow anyway.""

Hello Winter.

 

Today We Are Standing for Mothers and Maternal Health...in Pajamas

Today is Monday and at The Pajama Company it's our first Maternal Health Monday. I started my pajama business six years ago because I love pajamas and love to celebrate the happiness pajamas bring to families. Yes, we lounge in pajamas. We celebrate in pajamas. We work in pajamas. Today, we are doing something important in pajamas. We are taking a stand for Maternal Health. We are saying it's unacceptable that hundreds of thousands of women die every year from pregnancy and childbirth complications.

Eighteen years ago, in my 8th month of pregnancy I was told my baby was breech...upside down in the womb. I was calmly reassured that all was well and I would have a scheduled Cesarean section. I was in London at the time and despite my anxiety at the news, my doctor put me at ease with his description of the procedure. He was right, all went well. I'm well aware that were this scenario playing out in an earlier time, my outcome would not have been bright. 

Sadly, in 2011, for many women around the world, the basic right of bringing a child safely into the world remains a luxury. I know that in many parts of the world a woman facing a breech birth today would most certainly die. In fact, today a woman will die every 90 seconds from complications of pregnancy. This is why we have chosen to partner with Every Mother Counts, a non-profit advocacy organization focused on increasing education and support for maternal and child health around the world. Today we are donating 10 percent of our sales to Every Mother Counts.

Today my daughter is 18 years old. She is thriving. Today pregnancy is the biggest killer of women ages 15-19 in the developing world. Nearly 70,000 young women die every year because their bodies are not ready for parenthood. Incredibly, every year an estimated 10 million girls worldwide are married before the age of 18. If current rates of child marriage continue, 100 million girls will be wed in the coming decade. Excluded from education and other opportunities to develop their full potential, they and their children will be poorer as a result.

Join our Maternal Health Monday campaign and help change the lives of women and their families across the globe...and yes, we're doing it in pajamas.

I Love Being Lazy

Today my husband purchased some weights for our upstairs home gym. The weights now join the treadmill, a crunch chair, a yoga ball and an antiquated stairmaster that everyone detests. The problem with our upstairs gym is that it's in the same room with a quite large TV and a very inviting leather sofa with fluffy pillows and super soft fleece blankets. . 

Six years ago I launched my website selling pajamas.  I've loved pajamas all my life and have always loved being lazy.  In the early years and once last week, I denied my true love of lazy and fained a slight interest in gym equipment. I must have been peer pressured. But, 99% of the time I'm not shy about embracing who I really am.  I'm lazy.  Just plain lazy.  I don't say this like it's a bad thing.  For me it's exhilarating, it's liberating. I even boldly wrote it on a medical form last week in answer to the activity level question.

Last spring I wandered into a yoga apparel store and found the clothes to be really cute for lounging.  I know that's not the intention of the design but from my point of view, it was all about comfort.  I started to look through the assortment and was interrupted by a sales person asking me quite enthusiastically what was my sport.  I said actually I don't have a sport but I still find the clothes really cute.  She seemed slightly surprised and after a bit of an awkward silence I quietly mentioned that I occasionally walk my dog. (I do play golf but insist on riding in the cart so decided not to get into that.) Anyway, she perked up at that and began to suggest a few options for me.  I left the store with some cute yoga pants and a sweatshirt.  I was happy.  I spend a lot of time in pajamas but switching to yoga pants and sweatshirt for an outing is perfect.  I was recently at the grocery checkout when the woman behind me complimented my outfit and asked me where I do yoga.  I said "Actually I don't do yoga, I just really like the clothes." The fact is I don't do yoga and really can't recommend a local place.  But, for anyone looking  to be comfy, I can recommend a great spot to buy yoga clothes and of course a great place to buy pajamas.

I feel strongly about embracing our passions. I have friends and family who love to work out, who love to run, walk, jog, lift weights, go to pilates class, spin class, yoga class, kick boxing class.  I know for many the thought of lounging seems just unpleasant.  For many, being lazy is considered a character flaw.  For me lazy is defined in many ways.  Being lazy is curled up on the couch napping, being lazy is sitting in my favorite chair with a stack of magazines or reading my friend Meg's best selling thriller.  Being lazy is reading the Sunday paper with a piping hot cup of coffee in my favorite mug.  Being lazy is watching TV or surfing the web in my cozy pajamas.

Jerome K. Jerome exclaims in his essay "On being Idle" that "Idling always has been my strong point. I take no credit to myself in the matter—it is a gift. Few possess it." Jerome goes on to say:  "It is impossible to enjoy idling thoroughly unless one has plenty of work to do. There is no fun in doing nothing when you have nothing to do. Wasting time is merely an occupation then, and a most exhausting one. Idleness, like kisses, to be sweet must be stolen." How true.

Winnie the Pooh famously said “Don't underestimate the value of Doing Nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can't hear, and not bothering." Yet again, Pooh, you are right. 

Today I'm not planning on using the new gym equipment and probably tomorrow I'll just be a little too busy doing what I love most. Working in pajamas and maybe taking a short break to be "idle."

 

 

 

I'm Now a "Quidditch" Mom?

I've prided myself in managing to escape the "Soccer Mom" years.  Not being a "Soccer Mom" wasn't  a path I insisted on or overtly encouraged, I think I just got lucky. I remember standing  on a cold and rainy  field not once, not twice but three times for each of my children as toddlers playing soccer in the wee hours on an English morning.  The atmosphere was wonderful.  We parents watched the action while commiserating abut our shared circumstance.  We felt sympathetic towards each other and celebrated any achievement on the field together.  We shared our thermoses of coffee.  We felt a kinship.  I must say I liked that. 

I never experienced the sideline atmosphere while watching an older child play soccer but imagined it might be different from the toddler years when just lying down on the field was cute.  Aside from one isolated Fall as a middle school "Football Mom" I have escaped the sideline experience entirely...until tonight. 

All is well, all is calm this evening when suddenly my high school senior daughter announces she has joined the "Quidditch" team and that soon she will be playing matches.  I see in her eyes and hear in her voice that she is luring me to become a "Quidditch Mom."  I'm slightly stunned tonight because I have managed to not be a sports Mom of any sort for an extended period of time to only find that now in my final "High School" hours I am to be a "Quidditch" Mom?  I appreciate that this sport is not exactly mainstream but it seems to still require an appearance on a field and quite possibly on a field on a cold and rainy morning.  How funny to now be in my 12th year of high school with my youngest very very close to graduation only to have a "Quidditch" team enter my life.  Yes, I had o google it.

Perhaps this is just a moment to reflect on my good fortune to date. I can recreate the scenario from many years ago and once again bring a thermos of mediocre coffee to a cold and rainy field and stand among my peers.  Go "Quidditch" team..woo!

 

Because it's Raining

Because it's raining, today was the perfect day to head to the movies.  Today it was the 4:00 show of "One Day" starring Anne Hathaway and Jim Surgess.  It was a story encompassing twenty years and the lives of two people.  I was crying by 5:00 and really crying by 5:47.  Was the movie that sad or did I just need to cry because today is the day after Labor Day, the "official" end of summer and it's raining?  Perhaps some days are just meant for crying. 

Now that I've stopped crying I can take a moment to reminisce about my favorite "Saddest" movies over the years.  I think "Old Yeller" was my first sad movie and would become one of many dog movies to make me cry.  I must admit that "Airbud" was a rough one for me (my dirty little secret) as was "Homeward Bound" and "Because of Winn Dixie."  I was actually very upset at "My Dog Skip" when Willie went to college.  There is something so sweet about the love and loyalty of a dog.

I've also found myself in "Sad Movie" tears around Christmas.  I have a regular shelf of films for the occasion and yes, a few require the tissue box.  Please tell me I'm not the only one to be touched to tears by "It's a Wonderful Life."  That bell on the Christmas tree just says it all.  "Holiday Inn" with Bing Crosby and Fred Astair is another Christmas favorite of mine with a sweet ending. I also cried for an embarrassing amount of time after watching "The Holiday" back in 2006.  I think it was the story of Kate Winslet as Iris Simpkins and her friendship with Eli Wallach who played the Oscar winning writer Arthur Abbott that affected me most.  They saved each other.  It was so sweet. 

I so prefer happy endings, especially at Christmas.

As far as my "Sad Movie" experience goes, yes, I'll cry if a character gets hit by a bus although I'd really really rather that not happen.  I'll also cry when a genuine love story unfolds to a happy ending.  In an attempt to recover from my "One Day" afternoon, I watched "Notting Hill" and found the film truly cathartic. The combination of self-deprecating charm, quirky friendships and unexpected romance made the movie just so sweet and replaced the earlier sad movie lump in my throat with a new lump...but a happier one I can live with. Thank you Hugh Grant.

It's been a long time now but I also can remember a particular evening when I cried for more than a couple hours after watching "Beaches" with Bette Midler and Barbara Hershey.  Some may think Bette's song "Wind Beneath My Wings" is about a man but no, it's a song about her best friend. It's a song about friendship.

So, tonight I thought I'd check out a Saddest Movies of All Time list.  Do you agree? Would these films make your top "Saddest" movies list?

1.  Titanic

2.  The Green Mile

3.  A Walk to Remember

4.  The Notebook

5.  Grave of the Fireflies

6.  The Bridge to Terabithia

7.  The Pursuit of Happyness

8.  Schindler's List

9.  Marley and Me

10.  Beaches