Life in Pajamas

Good News...Being Lazy Can Help With Weight Loss

As someone who loves to be lazy, I was very happy to stumble upon this article in The Telegraph  with the headline "Sleeping for more than nine hours may help weight loss." It's not often that I see a tip for weight loss that is appealing but sleeping more...sure, I can tackle that task. 

As Mother's Day approaches this weekend, I know the dream of 9 hours of sleep for many Moms is simply a dream. I read recently that basically Moms are sleep deprived until their kids actually leave home. Whether it's taking care of a newborn, toddler, school aged child or worrying about a teen, sleep has become elusive to many Moms. Lack of sleep can cause depression, a weakened immune system, possible automobile accidents, problems with eye hand coordination, memory loss and of course heightened anxiety.

Uninterrupted sleep might be just the perfect Mother's Day gift this weekend.

What Do Moms Really Want This Mother's Day?

Today I'm asking a question I'm pretty sure I know the answer to: What do Moms really want this Mother's Day? Here's my list:

*Sleep Most Moms are sleep deprived and the chance to sleep that extra hour or two or three on Mother's Day is the perfect gift. If breakfast in bed is on the agenda, surprise Mom by doing breakfast once she wakes and not before.

*MeTime Moms are of course the most selfless humans on the planet and day after day put their needs pretty far down the list so for this one day a little "Me" time is another great gift. Maybe it's a quiet pedicure with her favorite magazine, maybe it's reading the Sunday paper from front to back undisturbed, maybe it's a relaxing bath undisturbed or a walk in the park.

*Peace Moms are pretty used to chaos all around them so a day of peace or at least the pretence of peace is a first rate gift. An extended time out from fighting, arguing, begging, nagging will go a long long way to make the day fabulous.

*Food Families have a pretty good idea of what Mom loves to eat and food is definately part of a Mother's Day celebration. The key is that Mom doesn't have to do any, repeat any of the work so whether Mom dines in or out it's nice to plan the day filled with yummy food Mom loves.

*Flowers Flowers are a great gift for Mom but sometimes are a little too easy so I suggest making flowers part of the mix. Maybe start the day or end the day with flowers from the kids. Cut flowers are always nice or consider having kids plant some flowers in the garden for Mom or make Mom some pots with flowers all ready planted.

*A Simple Thank You A couple little words of appreciation and gratitude go a long way on Mother's Day. A card, a phone call, a hug, a tweet, a text, a fb message, an email. However it comes, a "Thanks for being a great Mom" and an "I love you Mom" is and will always be the #1 gift Moms really want this Mother's Day.

What would you add to the list? Oh, and Happy Happy Mother's Day! Hope you get to spend at least part of the day in your favorite pajamas!

Make Some Sleepover Fun with a Scavenger Hunt

For many kids, this week is Spring Break and the perfect time to host a sleepover with friends. At The Pajama Company, we love sleepovers and think a Scavenger Hunt is a super fun way to make memories and get all guests working together.

A Scavenger Hunt is great fun to plan and can be done in your house, yard, neighborhood, town, mall, park or really anywhere with activity. Divide your party into a few teams depending on how many guests you have. It's good to have at least 3 per group. Each team gets a card, paper, or small poster with a list of things or "activities" that must be found or done.  No need to physically collect the item, the team just ticks it off when found or accomplished.  Set a time limit for the "Hunt" and everyone meets back when time is up. We love mixing up the list with physical items as well as activities. Depending on the ages of your guests, consider having teen or adult chaperone's if doing the hunt at the mall, in town or in a neighborhood. Now is the time for a little creativity to come up with a list packed with fun. Remember once the team has seen the item or accomplished the activity, the box is ticked. Some activities require a picture so be sure to bring a cell phone or camera. Here are some ideas we like.

*Find a purple crayon

*Find a teenage boy and ask him to sing his favorite song when he was 5

*Find a teenage girl and ask her to sing her favorite song when she was 5

* Find a dog and write down his/her name

*Find a cat and write down his/her name

*Ask someone over 50 to sing his/her favorite song when he/she was your age

*Find a sweatshirt or tee shirt with a sports team logo and write down the team

*Find a Mom and tell her you love her hair

*Find a Dad and tell him you love his hair

*Find a mans shoe size 12

*Find a Grandma and ask her favorite movie of all time and write it down

*Find a Grandpa and ask his favorite movie of all time and write it down

*Find a pair of pink flip flops

*Find a chocolate chip cookie

*Find a penny

*Find a woman with hair past her waist and get her autograph

*Find a man with a mustache and have a team photo together

*Find a child or adult named "Abby"

*Find someone wearing red socks

*Go in a restaurant and get a team picture with a family of strangers

*Find a firefighter and ask what is his favorite disney movie of all time and get his autograph

*Find a child or adult named "Ted"

*Find a baby who can do a "high five"

*Find a couple over 50 holding hands

*Do a good deed for a stranger and write it down

*Find a puppy and say "I Love You"

* Find a policeman and ask what is his favorite character on Sesame Street and get his autograph

*Find who is on the cover of "People" Magazine this week and write it down

*Find someone drinking coffee and ask to have a sip

*Find a couple over 60 and ask them to do a ballet twirl or ballet move together

*Find a woman over 30 and get her to yell "I love Justin Bieber"

Whether your scavenger hunt is in a neighborhood, town or mall, we think you have some ideas here to get started. Share your ideas here and have a fun party.

Today Celebrate "Wear Your Pajamas to Work" Day

Today, the day after tax day, is officially "Wear Your Pajamas to Work" day. Truly, working in pajamas just feels right. Working in pajamas promotes creativity with a little happy tossed in. How fun that Martha Stewart did her show today in pajamas and was joined by her entire audience. How fun that Bob and Sheri of 107.9 of Charlotte, North Carolina and Cool 101.3 in Milford, Delaware did their radio shows in pajamas.

Pajamas have been fashion news all year from the red carpet to street style. We loved seeing Rihanna wearing pajamas for her Japan movie premiere of "Battleship." We love that Mary-Kate Olsen shops in pajamas.

Yes, today was a great day in pajamas but now it's nearly midnight and I'm thinking I might just wear pajamas tomorrow and the next day. The fact is that working and living in pajamas is trendy, current, casual, sophisticated and happy. The fact is that I might just celebrate "Wear Your Pajamas to Work" day one more day or two or three or 365.

Footies for Grown Ups...Yes!!

Remember the footies you wore as a child? Well, good news...they're back! And back for good. We know that there's a little kid envy out there for footies and we are here to help. We've managed to find some fabulous footie models over the years to prove once and for all how much fun footies are for those young at heart. Here are a few of our favorites.

 

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.