HOMEWORK and PAJAMAS

For many parents, the beginning of school is a happy time of year. Our children go off each morning and as parents we breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that the need to provide them with daily entertainment is over.
Not for me. I actually enjoy vacation and the chance to spend time with them. Sure, my boys are older now and don't need me to plan out each day and keep them busy all the time, so I truly enjoy the relaxing down time with them. During the summer, there is no morning rush, no making sandwiches and getting everyone out to the bus on time followed by running errands all day like a crazy person in order to get home to greet them with a smile when they walk in the door from school.

But as much as I might dread the daily sandwich-making, as I slab something on the bread with my eyes half open while trying to sip my coffee and wake myself up….. the most dreadful part of the day is actually still several hours away….. HOME WORK. Truth be told (and it is a good thing my boys do not read this blog) I hated homework as a child and now I hate it even more!!!! Really - I cannot bear the whole afterschool routine of "do you have homework? Did you do your homework? Sit down and finish your homework!"

So what do you wear while you are busy jumping from child to child trying to help them with their work?

As far as i am concerned, it needs to be something comfortable, relaxed and washable (for those nasty little pen marks).

My personal preference, and this may surporise you, is PAJAMAS; they are relaxed, comfortable and cozy. I put them on as soon as I get home. Perhaps not very fashionable but with todays selection of sleepwear you can easily run afternoon carpools in them too.

Dressing for School

Here in Israel September 1st is always the first day of school (unless, of course, the teachers decide to strike...).

I happen to have fond memories of the first day back at school as a child. I would wake up extra early (my mother would not even have to pull my covers off and drag me out of bed) and then pack up all my new school supplies and choose just the right new outfit to wear before going outside to wait impatiently for the school bus to show up just so I could see my friends.
What I was going to learn, my schedule and even who my teachers might be just never seemed to concern me - in fact, I do not remember giving it a moment’s thought.

Of course, most of that initial excitement came to a crashing halt on day 2 and by the time the week was over, and I had already worn everything new, I simply dreaded going to school. And then, naturally, the blanket wars with my mother soon began.

Nowadays, as a mother myself, I try to meet with my children’s teachers to explain to each of them the unique and wonderful traits that my kids have, in the hopes this will help them go through school with a little more joy.

But what do you wear when going to school to meet a teacher or principal?

If you send your children to a religious school and they have a dress code, then obviously you have to stick to the rules and wear a skirt, longer sleeves etc.

For your first meeting, I would suggest that you wear something that is put together but simple, confident but at the same time sweet: a basic skirt, with a simple shirt that has a ruffle or a bow, and shoes that are not very high (flats are best). Keep your makeup and hair simple. You want to make sweet but firm first impression.

You might very well be thinking: Well, what about the high powered, "I can get the earth shaking" look?

Save that for when you need to go in and yell.

Jewlery for your Feet

When the humidity outside reaches 90%, all you want to do is stay indoors enjoying the air conditioning and drinking some lemonade.
Indeed, in weather like this, the first thing I do when I walk through my door is take my shoes off. Though it is a habit that was instilled in me as a child, I still find myself removing my footwear simply to cool myself off and let my feet breathe a little.
During these hot summer months there is nothing like a good pair of flip flops. They are lightweight, allow your your feet to breathe and with the tremendous selection available it is easy to find what suits your needs.
Havianas is a Brazilian-made flip flop known for their comfort, durability and style. Long gone are the days were flip flops were only worn on the beach with a bathing suit. Today, with a flowered decoration, they can be the perfect accessory to a summer dress, for day or evening wear.

Contact LYNN at 052-444-6715 to purchase a pair of foot jewelry - I mean flip flops - and enjoy.

Here and There

While shopping with a client last week, on the search for some basic light weight summer dresses, she insisted we make a stop a a newly opened store to check out what they have.

Poh Ve Sham is located right next door to the Roladin bakery at 35 Maskit Street in Herzliya Pituach, tel.: 09-957-1712. The store owner is a graduate of Shenkar and also studied at FIT and really has a personal eye for fashion. The clothing and accessories range in price and are fun, fashionable and easy to wear. The selection of dresses is enormous. Whether you are looking for a dress that is short or long, with or without sleeves, casual or a little dressier, you are sure not to leave empty-handed.

With great sales in progress, it will really be worth your while.

Ask for Nissim and be sure to mention Individual Style sent you.

SUNSATIONAL

It is that time of year again, when a little notice comes in the mail to remind me that my car needs a checkup. So I book an appointment for early in the morning, in hopes that my car will be returned to me by noon. I jump out of bed at 6:50am throw on some clothing, hop into the car and get it to the garage. Fortunately, the garage is only a 10 minute walk from my home, so instead of taking a taxi back, I opt for walking home.

The time is now 7:15 am and I am strolling through the streets of Raanana and enjoying the relative quiet on the roads. I begin to rub my arms and feel a burning feeling. Wondering what it could be, I look down and see nothing - not a bee, mosquito nor any bug in site. It is hard to believe but it is true, the burning feeling I am having at 7:15 in the morning is coming directly from the sun. Yes, while many of you have not even begun your day, I am already being fried. The sun is so hot and strong that I feel no amount of SPF will block the shining rays.

So it made me wonder:
How should we dress to protect ourselves from the sun and yet not feel too hot?

- Wear loose-fitting clothes that will allow perspiration (a whole other topic) to evaporate freely- muumuu like
- Cover as much of your body as possible
- Colors: the light colors reflect heat away from the body and keep you cool, but darker colors protect you better from UV rays: find a balance
- Wear a hat, one that provides shade to your face (preferably with a 2-3 inch brim)
- Make sure your sunglasses have UV protection
- Always wear sun cream


Yes, you may need to compromise a little on fashion for the next few weeks, but do not worry. With many companies starting fashion friendly /sun smart lines of clothes, it won’t be long before you will be looking SUNsational.

Legs, Legs and More Legs

With all the uncertainty on Wall Street these days, here is one thing you can be sure is on its way up:HEMLINES. They seem to be getting shorter and shorter these days, don't they? Maybe this is because short skirts have less material and therefore cost less (we wish), or maybe the explanation is even more straightforward: Short skirts make us feel good, even happy, and they are a reminder of our youth, when life was simple and carefree.

Yet as many of us hover around the age of forty, we can not help but wonder: Are we too old to wear a mini-skirt? Should we steer away from those shorter hemlines because we don't want to look like we are trying too hard to look young?

Basically, it comes down to this: How old is too old to wear a mini-skirt?

The answer is simple:

Unless you are religiously observant, and refrain from wearing short skirts for reasons of modesty, then you are not too old to wear a mini-skirt, as long as you follow these basic rules: (click on the link)

www.helium.com/items/1119378-mini-skirts-age-women-mature-fashion-style -

If you do decide to reach for that higher hemline, just be sure not to forget to shave, wax or laser and then apply plenty of moisturizer. And then have fun showing off those legs.

Swim Wear That Flatters

It was a great beach day, so I took my boys out of school (they are not missing much anyway), packed up the car and drove to the coast in Herzliya. We carried our stuff and settled down on several lounge chairs underneath umbrellas (I try to stay out of the sun to avoid wrinkles, aging and skin cancer). The beach was perfect, the sky was clear, the sand was white and the water, aside from the many jellyfish, was simply delightful.

After a quick dip in the Mediterranean, I sat myself down to enjoy the view, but I could not help but be distracted by the many - and I mean many - women strutting about in the worst possible choices of swimwear. I am not talking so much about design as about fit and style. When you need to put Vaseline on your limbs to squeeze in to something, or when you are in a bikini and much of your body is flowing over, I find myself gazing at these strangers and thinking: “you have made the wrong choice.”

Then I am always left with a Shakespearean dilemma: to stare or not to stare. Clearly, I should not stare - it is rude, not nice and if the woman sees me staring it will only make her feel great, as she will assume that she looks good, so by staring I am just reinforcing bad behavior.

I am all for great body image and for women feeling good about themselves no matter what size they are. But we all need to be realistic and make choices that are flattering and appropriate.
For tips on how to choose a bathing suit that will flatter, check out www.shine.yahoo.com/event/the-thread/swimsuits-that-flatter-every-body-type-471364/