Feminist Friday (back next week!)

Feminist Friday is taking a break this week, but will be back next Tuesday! If you have a suggestion for next week's theme please leave it in the comments section! You can read all previous themes and posts on the Feminist Friday tab above, too!

I've also got a Feminist Mom Bloggers Twitter List. If you'd like to be added to it let me know and anyone is free to follow it :)

Hot Milk Review and Giveaway by The Rare Bit

....and the winner is

JennLovesAustin! Please contact me within 48 hours to claim your prize!


When I was pregnant with Blondie Boy my Dad sent me over some XXL t-shirts because I had nothing that I could sleep in. I loved sleeping in those big t-shirts but it would have been nice to have some cute, pretty pajamas that fit over my bump, too. The review below is from my friend and fellow expat Meg from the Rare Bit who's expecting her second baby this June.

Want to hear a pitiful story?  Of course you do!  When I was preparing for the birth of my son, everybody told me not to bother packing any nice pajamas to wear in the hospital.  “Everything will just get gross, so just bring something you don’t mind getting ruined” seemed to be the overwhelming advice.  So I resisted the urge to buy something pretty and special, and just threw some old things in my hospital bag.  But after my little boy was born, and we were happily ensconced in the maternity ward, I wanted something a bit nicer to put on.  It seemed that all the other mummies were wearing cute PJs, and there I was in my ratty old yoga pants and t-shirt.  Don’t get me wrong, I was ecstatic to have a healthy baby and with my new role as a mother, but as trite as it sounds, it would have been nice to have something special to put on that matched how special I felt.

So now that I’m expecting another baby, a fun new set of PJs was definitely on the list of things to pack in my hospital bag, which is why when Hot Milk approached me about reviewing some of their night wear, it felt like kismet.  My knowledge of Hot Milk mostly centred around their fab nursing bras, which I had seen both in store and online through different retailers.  I always noticed how their nursing bras never seemed to compromise between style and function, and I was hoping the night wear would live up to the same standard.

Hot Milk sent me a set of “Lost in the Moment” pajamas to test out.  I thought I’d be brave and post a picture of myself in these gorgeous PJs, but I’m afraid I’ve chickened out.  This has nothing to do with the fit of the PJs, even though I’m nearly 9 months pregnant, the size medium they sent fit me just fine.  It’s just that Hot Milk promises to “reveal the sexy woman inside the loving mother”, and they don’t let down on that promise!  The camisole top has a flattering cut that definitely plays up the voluptuousness of a pregnant woman’s body, and the boobiliciousness was just not something I’m ready to put up on the interwebs.  But, hey- just look at the pretty model wearing the same thing!

I really loved the PJ pants that came with this set.  Seriously, the cotton is so fine and soft that it feels silky to the touch, and they’re super comfy to sleep in.  At first, the drawstrings that adjust the length of the legs annoyed me, as they kept coming untied, but I soon figured out that a double knot will keep them nice and secure- even when you’re tossing and turning your way through a night in the third trimester.  The camisole also doubles as a pretty nursing top, each side unhooks at the strap for easy and discreet breastfeeding.  I haven’t used this function yet, but I’m sure I’ll appreciate it in a few weeks time!

These PJs are definitely destined for my hospital bag!  I can’t wait to wear them after meeting my new baby for the first time.  But I also have my eye on some more night wear from Hot Milk- I especially love “Calm Rebellion”, pretty, no? 

****PROMOTION & GIVEAWAY****

Right now, Hot Milk is having a great promotion that’s good through the Bank Holiday Weekend!  You can buy one bra and get the 2^nd for half price, which is awesome.  All of you breastfeeding mothers out there should take this opportunity to stock up!

Also, Hot Milk has generously offered to give away a set of “Lost in the Moment” PJs to one lucky Transatlantic Blonde reader!  

To enter, simply follow both of these steps (both of these steps are mandatory):

- Follow both Transatlantic Blonde and The Rarebit and head on over to http://www.hotmilklingerie.com and take a look at all of their pretty things and leave a comment saying what product you love!

Extra entries (leave in separate comments)

-Follow me @Melaina25 on Twitter and tweet: "I entered to win @HOTmilkLingerie PJs with @Melaina25 & TransatlanticBlonde.com! You can too!: http://tinyurl.com/3qn92my " and comment to let me know (1 extra entry)

-Follow @HotMilkLingerie on Twitter and comment to let me know (1 extra entry)

Make sure to leave each entry in a separate comment.

All entries will be verified and deleted if not valid so make sure to leave the usernames you subscribe or tweet with.

One winner will be chosen by random.org on Monday June 6th 12:00 GMT. Winners must contact me within 48 hours or another winner will be drawn. This giveaway is open to everyone anywhere! Good luck! CLOSED!

The Rare Bit was provided pyjamas to review but the opinions expressed are her own.

Feminist Friday VII: Gender Roles

If you read my Pretty in Pink post then the opinions expressed in this post will come as no surprise to you. My inspiration for the theme this week came after my best friend sent me an article about a Canadian couple who are keeping their youngest child's sex a secret so they can be "unconstrained by social norms about males and female." I'll be honest, I didn't make it through the whole article, but my take on it can be summed up quite easily:


There is a big difference between raising a genderless child and raising a child free of gender stereotypes. I would hope and aim to raise Blondie Boy free of gender stereotypes.


He's too young to make decisions based on stereotypes now himself and I won't force or allow others to force stereotypes on him.  If he wants to play with what society tells us are "boy's toys", so be it, and if he wants to play with what society tells us are "girl's toys", then that's fine too.  We don't think about gender when we buy him toys and, to be honest, I'm pretty sure he has more pink tops than he does blue.


If when he's old enough to ask for gifts and ask for a Disney princess dress-up outfit he is more than welcome to it, but in the same way I'm not going to buy him a tutu just in case.  Children should be free to be who they are and play what they want to play with without society telling them they are right or wrong.


We've visited a friend's house and Blondie Boy decided he wanted to push around a pink baby doll pram; my friend chuckled "what would NotBlondeHusband say if he saw that." He wouldn't care. She replied her husband wouldn't be happy if it was her son.  Now if her husband's disapproval was real or just for show I don't know. What is so offensive about a boy pushing a pink baby pram? Would it be as offensive if it was a little girl playing football?


Anyone who knows me will know that I love make-up, the color pink, ribbons, glitter and baking; but I'm adult and those are things I've chosen to like. Do they fall into gender stereotypes of women? Yes. NotBlondeHusband will also point out that I don't ever cook and I rate burps on a 5 point scale: things that you'd probably pin as male gender stereotypes.


Blondie Boy loves to sing and dance, cuddle stuffed animals, play with cars, build towers, read books, climb, run, colour and a whole other host of things. I don't see any of these as being things he should or shouldn't do because he's a boy--these are just things he likes to do and I will always support and encourage his interests. 


I'm not suggesting you need to encourage your children to rebel against gender stereotypes, but what I am saying is if my child chooses to rebel against what society says is normal I will support him. Our DNA doesn't tell us what is suitable for boys and for girls, it is society that creates cultural norms and correct me if I'm wrong but culture isn't always right.


So I'm proud my little boy shakes his booty to Lady Gaga and equally as proud of the massive Duplo towers he builds.  He's my little boy and I'm happy as long as he is being himself.

Gender Roles

Here's how it works. Write a blog post about being a feminist mom, raising a feminist child, a rant or anything that falls under the realm of being a feminist mom based or the theme for the week. Come back and link your post and post the button on your blog.


That's it.


You don't even have to be a blogger to take part - just send me your post and I will publish it on my blog for you. You don't even have to include your name if you prefer.


When you've published it, come back on Friday and via a widget thing you can add a link to your post and share it with everyone. The link remains open for 4 days.


Visit others, comment if you like them or feel inspired by them. Just go out and encourage and support other feminist Moms.


The more support you give, the more you will get back! I can't wait to meet and interact with other feminist moms around the world!

Thank you: Mad Blog Awards

A while back I asked if y'all would nominate me for the MAD Blog Awards if you liked reading my blog and what the freaking frak somehow I'm actually a finalist in not one, but two categories: Blogger of the Year and Best Pre School Blog!


Thank you so much! I honestly can't believe I'm a finalist; I'm still not sure why y'all read my blog sometimes if I'm completely honest! I would be honoured and ever so grateful if decided to vote for me now I'm a finalist! Just click the image below or here and choose "Transatlantic Blonde" from the drop-down list.

I'm rubbish at asking for things but the lovely Vic gives you her reasons why you should vote for me (and other finalists) on her blog Glowstars. You can also read up on the other finalists on the MADs Blog.


Thank you so much I really do appreciate everyone's support and help. It's nice to know that people like you! Virtual cupcakes for everyone :)

Feminist Friday v.VII: Gender Roles

My best friend forwarded me this article today about a couple in Canada who are keeping the sex of their third child a secret and it inspired me for this week's theme. One of my biggest pet peeves is when the terms "sex" and "gender" are used interchangeably--they aren't the same thing.  Sex (whether you are male or female) is biologically determined and gender (masculine or feminine) is culturally constructed. It's not DNA that means little boys play with trucks and little girls with dolls, it's culture. 


So this week I want to know your stories, opinions, point-of-view on gender roles.  Are you or would you raise a genderless child? Do you challenge or conform to gender stereotypes?  Write about whatever you want as long as it falls under the theme of gender roles.

The Friday Feminist Mom Round up

Here's how it works. Write a blog about being a feminist mom, raising a feminist child, a rant or anything that falls under the realm of being a feminist mom. Come back and link your post and post the button on your blog.


That's it.


You don't even have to be a blogger to take part - just send me your post and I will publish it on my blog for you. You don't even have to include your name if you prefer.


When you've published it, come back on Friday and via a widget thing you can add a link to your post and share it with everyone. The link remains open for 4 days.


Visit others, comment if you like them or feel inspired by them. Just go out and encourage and support other feminist Moms.


The more support you give, the more you will get back! I can't wait to meet and interact with other feminist moms around the world!

Clarks First Shoes Experience

When it came time to get Blondie Boy first real shoes we knew there was really only one place to go and that was Clarks for their First Shoes Experience.  The first time we popped in to Clarks at Glasgow Fort the staff member told us that Blondie Boy wasn't walking well enough for shoes yet and they could hold back his walking.  I was pleasantly surprised that she advised us to come back when he could walk from one end of the store to the other on his own; she could have easily tried to sell us shoes, but instead advised us what was best for his feet!

We came back when Blondie Boy was sturdier on his feet and had an amazing experience.  I know that sounds weird because it's just shoes, but the customer service is some of the best I've had in the UK.  Emma, who helped us, was so kind, patient and helpful and made sure Blondie Boy got the most appropriate shoes for him.  

First Blondie Boy got his foot measured, Clarks measures both the length and width, to get the shoe that would fit him best.  There were loads of styles to choose from including trainers, dressier shoes and the ever-so-popular flashing lights style.

Blondie Boy tried on the shoes and had a run around the store and we decided to go with Beetle Fun, a style we thought was versatile enough for him to wear everyday and with nicer outfits as well. Plus there were bugs and spiders on the bottom and he loves the Itsy Bitsy Spider.

I love that the shoes are a clean, classic style. So many children's shoes are cluttered with bright colours and characters and that is just not my or Blondie Boy's style.  I love that his shoes look similar to something his Dad would wear, but still are fun and functional. 


Not only did he get a new pair of shoes, but Clarks knows your child's first pair of shoes is an important milestone and you when you've made your choice, you'll be given a keepsake photo of your child in their First Shoes, a photoframe, a fit check reminder card and an exclusive wall height chart for you to keep track of how quickly your little one is growing! You also get a chance to win big! If you fill in a First Shoes Experience prize draw form in store, you will be entered into a monthly prize draw to win £300 (€330) worth of shoes for the whole family! Each month there is 1 winner of the £300 prize and 10 runners up who each win a free pair of shoes. Entrants will have the opportunity to win every month for 2 years!

I think he likes them, what do you think? They've already survived a dunk in the toilet (it was a clean toilet luckily) so we know they are sturdy, water-tight and Blondie Boy proof!  It's really cute how he carries them around and asks to put them on even if he's wearing nothing else!  After the exceptional service and amazing quality of shoes we will certainly be going back when Blondie Boy grows out of this pair.  You can find your local Clarks store here or order online! You can also find great Clarks deals and offers on Facebook!


Transatlantic Blonde was provided a pair of shoes for this review but the opinions expressed are her own.

Feminist Friday VI: Claiming your Feminist Identity

I'd like to think I've always been a feminist. I certainly grew up believing I could do anything my male counterparts could do and I was never told otherwise. My first real introduction to feminism was through an amazing anthropology course I took to fulfil some random credits I needed my Freshman year at university. It was taught by the amazing Diane Bell and if I'd never taken that class who knows if I would have ended up a Women's Studies major. She was the first of several very influential Women's Studies professors I was lucky enough to have teach and support me.

The first time I can remember actually claiming my feminist identity, the first time I can remember thinking "No that's not right and I have to do something" was during the summer of 1999. I was 19 and one of my friends had a serious boyfriend and the condom broke. She was upset and went to her family doctor for the morning-after pill.  She was 18 and was in a long-term relationship, but she was about to start college and while they had taken precautions obviously sometimes condoms break.

My friend went to the doctor she'd seen most of her life, someone she trusted and what did they tell her "Sorry we are a family practice. We do what's in the best interest of families." They flat out refused to prescribe it to her. Needless to say she was upset, but I was enraged. How could a medical professional decide that my friend had to face a possibly unwanted pregnancy. It was her body, not the doctors.

So I did what any good friend would do and called Planned Parenthood and got her an appointment with a doctor who really did care about her best interest. She got the morning after pill (which is just a high dose of the pill if you must know) and she didn't become pregnant.  My friend is now herself a doctor and is married with a beautiful new son.

That's my "aha" moment; it's not a great story or an empowering story but it's how I remember it. I'd like to think I've always been a feminist, but the first time I can really remember claiming my feminist identity was that day. When did you claim yours?

Claiming Your Feminist Identity

Here's how it works. Write a blog post about being a feminist mom, raising a feminist child, a rant or anything that falls under the realm of being a feminist mom based or the theme for the week. Come back and link your post and post the button on your blog.


That's it.


You don't even have to be a blogger to take part - just send me your post and I will publish it on my blog for you. You don't even have to include your name if you prefer.


When you've published it, come back on Friday and via a widget thing you can add a link to your post and share it with everyone. The link remains open for 4 days.


Visit others, comment if you like them or feel inspired by them. Just go out and encourage and support other feminist Moms.


The more support you give, the more you will get back! I can't wait to meet and interact with other feminist moms around the world!