Children books that teach kids about being tall and short

ashley — Tue, 08 May 2012 16:55:31 +0000

This is a great book we found at the library that tells the story of two friends whose sizes do not necessarily reflect their ages. My kids loved it.

Another good read for kids is Too tall Paul, Too Small Paul about two boys who become friends and teach their classmates not to judge them because of their size.

Both were available at our library

Top Things To Consider When Choosing Maternity Clothing

ryan — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 19:57:31 +0000

Bringing a new baby in to the world is a magnificent moment for a woman. Carrying around the baby weight, on the other hand, is not nearly as exciting. If you are experiencing the pregnancy blues, here are some wonderful tips to help you look and feel your best during your pregnancy.

Tip #1: Find clothing styles that you would normally wear. You don’t need to settle for clothing options you don’t particularly enjoy. On the contrary, find pieces that compliment your style and that is close to the style that you normally wear. You want to feel beautiful and confident, and keeping in the same type of clothes you normally wear will help with that. Don’t wear bold prints if you feel your best in classic neutral colors.

Tip #2: Maternity Pants are Worth It Maternity pants can either make you or break you. Even the cutest top won’t make you look like a million bucks if you have pants that are fitting you in all the wrong places. Find maternity pants that fit your curves and are comfortable. Watch out for pants that you constantly have to adjust, whether its because they keep sliding down, or because they are too tight.

Belly bands are also a great alternative. Belly bands are an elastic-like band of fabric that you wear over the top unbuttoned pants to allow you to extend the life of your normal jeans during pregnancy. Simply wear a long shirt to cover your band and people will assume you are wearing a layered shirt if it shows.

Tip #3: Buy transitional pieces for your maternity wardrobe. There will be times when your body is in a “transitional” period. This period is when you are starting to outgrow your normal clothing, but haven’t grown enough to fill out a maternity outfit. Having a few transitional pieces can really help during that month or two while your body is transitioning from not looking pregnant to definitely being pregnant. These pieces are wonderful to keep and use again after the baby is born.

Tip #4: Show off your curves. In the past pregnancy was all about wearing long, boxy blouses and shirts. Loose, baggy clothing does nothing for your body shape. Find clothing that is form fitting so you will look your most flattering.

Purchase a few dark colored clothing items. As a golden rule, dark colors have a slimming affect. Having a few navy and black tops and pants can really come in handy on those days when we might be feeling a little uncomfortable with our pregnancy weight gain.

Tip #5: Remember to layer. When you are pregnant, wearing clothing layers can really come in handy during those times when you feel like you are in a sauna and your family and friends feel like they are in a blizzard. Wear jackets and cardigans that can easily be removed or put on, depending on your fluctuating body temperature.

Mommy Long Legs is rated Best Tall Maternity Jeans!

ashley — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 18:09:22 +0000

Woo Hoo! Mommy Long Legs has been rated the Best in Tall Maternity Denim! (crowd applauds!) by About.com. We are so flattered and so excited to finally see our name getting out there! Keep spreading the word so tall women everywhere can feel beautiful and comfortable during their pregnancy.

Judge Not, that ye be not judged.

ashley — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 18:06:09 +0000

I must admit, I teared up a little while I was reading this. Sometimes as a mother, I feel like every minute of my day is filled with second guessing the decisions I make for my kids. (case in point, we went from the aquarium to the movie theater today. The second outing was a last minute decision and we didn’t have time for lunch…so they had popcorn and licorice as one of their square meals…Awesome). Obviously, they enjoyed it, but I’m left feeling like I somehow failed. It was such a relief to hear another’s point of view and remind me that I am not alone in some of the crazy day-to-day situations we find ourselves in as parents. Enjoy this article!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kara-gebhart-uhl/mom-judgments_b_1319775.html?ref=fb&src=sp&comm_ref=false

ashley — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 18:04:40 +0000

Pregnancy Brain? I’m sure you’ve all heard of it. But now a new study posted in Newsweek magazine is showing that a fuzzy, forgetful brain is actually good for you and might help you prepare for motherhood. In other words…You’re NOT crazy.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2012/02/19/the-pregnant-brain-how-mothers-think-differently.html

Onward & Upward with New Summer & Spring Items

ashley — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 18:03:39 +0000

There are times that I really contemplate why I do what I do and even consider shutting up business and heading for an early retirement as a beach bum. Last week, was one of those weeks. But then, I get an email like this, and it breathes new life into our mission: To help tall girls feel beautiful during a wonderful time of their life. It was after this email that I made the call to add more products to our line. Thank you wonderful customers for making us feel loved.

“As a 6’2” women it is so hard to find normal clothes, let alone maternity clothes. I was doing some “pre-pregnancy” tall maternity clothes research. I came across your site. Thank you for venturing into the world of tall maternity clothes! I look forward to seeing what you will add to your line. Pregnancy is supposed to be a time of happiness and joy, not stress because you can’t find clothes that are long enough!!”

Sincerely,
Lauren

Epidurals: Fact or Fiction

ashley — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 17:53:16 +0000

I was just thinking about this issue (very randomly) the other day. I get frustrated with the notion that women who choose pain control during birth are uneducated, lazy, or willing to put their babies health at risk. I know that I was very informed and thus empowered in my decision to use those glorious wonderful epidurals during both my deliveries. I also know I created life, and pushed it out, the same as any other woman out there. (In fact, I am Woman Hear me Roar actually came on the radio as I started pushing…note to new mothers…make a playlist so this doesn’t happen to you! It’s hard to push when you are giggling over the Irony of it all) (And yes…I did just say giggle during labor. It can be that enjoyable…at times)

This article is a great, well balanced point of view on the research (and sensationalism) floating around regarding epidurals vs natural delivery and the risks (or lack thereof) involved. (Don’t worry, if you haven’t delivered yet,this is not another scare tactic. In fact, it is just the opposite.)

The bottom line is: Whether you choose pain relief or not, Breathe easy. Educate yourself. And be confident in what ever delivery decisions you make. You are woman! ROAR!

Click here to read the Article: The truth about Epidurals.

Tall & Pregnant? Science says you might have some new rules

ashley — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 17:42:06 +0000

Here is an interesting (albeit brief) article on a recent study regarding tall women, weight gain and the affects on pregnancy, delivery and baby. It still seems pretty preliminary but at least science is recognizing that tall women might have a different set of rules to play by than their shorter counter parts. We will be interested to see (and share) the results as more data comes out about tall women and birth outcomes of this study.

Washington State Journal of Public Health Practice B. Saltzman/Volume 4, S1

Abstract: Background: The Institute of Medicine current guidelines for maternal weight
gain during pregnancy may not be appropriate for tall women. Methods: We conducted
a population-based cohort study using linked birth-hospital discharge records in
Washington State. We compared tall women to women of average stature. We
calculated relative risks using Mantel-Haenzsel methods to assess effect modification by
height within BMI categories for multiple adverse outcomes associated with gestational
weight gain: small for gestational age (SGA), large for gestational age (LGA), csection,
birth trauma, and post-partum weight retention. Results: SGA occurred less frequently
in infants born to tall women than in women of average stature (5.2% vs 9.8%) and LGA
more frequently (17.8% vs 9.8%). Relative risks of SGA and LGA did not differ by height
across BMI categories. Among women with a normal pre-pregnancy BMI who gained
the recommended 25 to 35 pounds of weight during pregnancy, tall women had a lower
risk of csection compared to women of average stature (RR=0.69, 95% CI 0.59-0.81). The
risk of csection became similar when tall women gained 45 to 55 pounds (RR=0.97, 95%
CI 0.83-1.14). Conclusion: Our results on csection suggest that tall women can safely
gain more weight during pregnancy than average height women. Our ongoing
investigation on birth trauma and post-partum weight retention will fully assess the risk
of higher gestational weight gain on adverse birth outcomes in tall women.

Why Mommy Long Legs?

admin — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 09:18:50 +0000

Mommy Long Legs was a concept created during my first pregnancy. As a working professional woman, I struggled to find appropriate and stylish maternity wear that fit my 6’2″ inch frame. I was tired of searching and I knew I was not alone. My husband and I decided there needed to be more choices available for women of lengthy proportions. We believe EVERY woman deserves the simple pleasure of quality, affordable and stylish apparel.

Disgruntled Customers

ashley — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 05:21:39 +0000

Every now and then we get a disgruntled customer. It’s bound to happen (especially when our target market has radical hormones raging through their body at any given moment). But also, because sometimes…we make mistakes. We try to avoid it…but it does happen.

This is especially hard for me to accept, because I have always been a perfectionist. Those of you who know me are nodding in agreement right now, aren’t you! I was the kid growing up who had straight A’s and never missed an assignment (It never really crossed my mind that you could). This trait has been a powerful influence in helping shape my decisions but also my shortcomings.

You see…I get really emotional when I let someone down. I feel like I have failed. And, that emotional flux is seeping over into the way I manage my company. Its funny because, I’ve talked to a few men today about this same topic and they blow it off, disregard it, let it go. Where as I, invest too much time, and apparently an entire blog to the situation. I have not yet decided if letting emotion into your business plan is a desirable or despicable trait. Juries still out because if I didn’t have emotional investment in this business, I would stay up until Midnight, processing, packaging and shipping orders. If I was not emotionally invested I woul never sacrifice Sleep or time with my kids. Two of my very favorite things.

So the question today is, how do you invest yourself but not lose yourself when owning a business?

Our goal at Mommy Long Legs is to make tall girls happy. It is the philosophy that keeps us in business and helps me justify my kids being in daycare 2 days a week. It fulfills me to know that women like me, finally have that huge smile on their face when they slide into a pair of jeans that actually still touch the floor. I am lucky enough to not have to work. I was a stay at home mom and still could be if desired. But its this love of helping other tall women feel beautiful that drives me to make our business better.

So, when I have a customer who is less than impressed, I strive to make it right. I bend over backwards to accommodate. Sometimes I offer free shipping, or discounts to make up for our oversight. I try to take care of my customers at all times.

But at some point, and in the words of my good friend Stacey, just like I take care of my family, and my customers, I have to take care of my business. In other words, all that bending over backwards starts to ache. (I know all you pregnant ladies out there, know what I’m talking about!)

This is why we have policies in place. These policies create a black and white, non-negotiable set of terms for each by which each party can abide. To avoid any confusion, especially in online retail sales, we ask all of our customers to agree to these terms before purchasing. The problem is that I love my customers. I want to help them and I start smudging those fine lines. I start bending the rules to make it work for them. And then every now and then, it backfires, and customers expect more and more. By this time, the line drawn in the sand is all wobbly and eveyrone is left standing confused and unhappy.

What I’m trying to say is, that while we still strive to offer excellent and individualized customer service, our policies are in place to protect us and our consumers. We will be strictly adhering to those shipping, return, & exchange policies that are marked on our website. No if’s, and’s or but’s about it. (Did I just sound like a MOM there or WHAT?)

I hope all you lovely ladies can understand. And I hope you can still feel that we are here to take care of you and that beautiful baby bump. Finally, I hope that you can understand, that while I love taking care of my customers, I also have a responsibility to take care of my business so I can continue to take care of my family.

I’ll leave you with an email I recieved from a customer today that reminded me for each challenging situation we face, and expend negative energy, there are 10 positive interactions that we overlook. If I’m going to get upset at a criticism received, then I should leap for joy at the positive feedback we get in multitudes.

Thank you so much for trying to accommodate me…I really appreciate it. …Thank you again for trying to make this work. Even if it doesn’t work… I will still recommend you (and your friendly service) to my tall friends (who don’t have watermelons.