mothersmilk: Shine On

One thing new parents in America in 2004 have to cope with is the astounding amount of time, energy and money you cand spend focusing on equipment .

What's the best stroller -- should it be lightweight or heavy duty and do I care if it has a tray in front? What's the safest car seat? Isn't there a safe one that isn't ugly too? The crib, the diaper bag, the clothes, the toys, the play pen, the books, the bottles, the soft carrier, the nursery mobile, the changing table, the creams, the lotions, the nursing bra, the nursing pads, the breast pump -- and these are all things you're supposed to pick out before the child even comes into the world. Even the most minimalist moms will be surprised by how much you can end up buying despite your best intentions.

Then, three or four months later, boom, half of it is useless and irrelevant -- the baby has moved on. All that time finding just the right bottle, and really, all of them now seem to work just fine. The $40 nursing bra you bought in three colors? Sorry, you're actually a different size now. Your stroller needs are different, the best-smelling lotion turned out to cause a rash and the fact that you even worried over finding a cute diaper bag just seems embarassing.

So when you find a new use for something, it's occasion for celebration.

Last week, during my haircut, I had the chance to read Allure magazine (an event that in itself was actually almost a cause for celebration). In a story about rich women who use cheap beauty products, one socialite recommended Lansinoh, the cream for sore nursing nipples, as the world's best lip gloss. So I came home, dug out the jumbo tube I haven't needed since The Princess was six weeks old and tried it on my lips.

The socialite was right. So shiny. So soft. And it will not come off. I mixed some with a little bit of red lipstick and it was even better. Yum.

Now if only we could find a new use for the ugly car seat.