My entire style as a 32-year-old mother of five is blending functionality with comfort. Being stylish and chic isn’t at the forefront of my mind when I pick an outfit out. What is? Well, the following questions flow through my mind-

• Can I nurse in this outfit comfortably and easily – bonus points if I can also use a baby carrier while nursing in said outfit (what is baby wearing? You’ve come to the right place. Read on and I will tell you)
• Is this outfit restrictive, or will it snag on anything? Will I step on it?
• How fast can I chase an eloping toddler in those shoes?
• will this squeeze my head
• I even picked my makeup based off of its functionality – it needed to be tinted, moisturizing, and have adequate SPF. (Such a mom move – I remember when we used the matte caked on… eeeeehhhh)

I had to do a complete 180 when my family moved from the northern mountains to the flat sunny beach land. Gone were the days of layers, hoodies, wool socks, and fleece gaiter (not the animal in every – YES, EVERY – body of water). I needed to learn the minimal amount of clothing needed, the right shoes, and the correct amount of SPF. (I wish everything was 100)

What I have learned that works for me is biker shorts with pockets! Any T-shirt – I usually just steal, I mean borrow, whatever my husband has hanging up so nice and neat on his oversized side of the closet. I then go with a nice set of Hey Dudes – why, you might ask? I find they have great arch support and do well being thrown in the laundry! Then we move to the bag. ANY cheap crossbody bag will work. Currently, I am using a bag my daughter was given at a gymnastics meet. It’s falling apart at this point and needs to be replaced, but I was going to get my use out of it for the price of gymnastics. I will link a bag I have also used in the past. If you are also a crossbody bag girlie and you have an expensive one that will last me a minimum of 5 years, I am all ears and please drop that link in the comments. I am not one for sunglasses, so I usually wear a hat to block the sun.

Now do you remember me referencing the fleece gator above? WELL. There is a Florida version! It’s amazing, it’s cooling, and it’s full of all that SPF you need to block the sun off of your neck.

Any of my outfits aren’t complete without a baby backpack – BABY WEARING – we have arrived at the point in this post that I will tell you about baby wearing! It’s a hands-free way to keep your newborn, infant, toddler, and even preschooler close to you. There are carriers for the front, the back, and made out of every kind of material imaginable. I’m going to drop my go-to below – the infant Tula – I will use this until my babies are about 18 months and then I switch to the toddler Tula.

I hope some of this can be of use to you as you !

Disclosure: These are affiliate links, meaning I may earn a commission if you choose to buy.

Florida neck gator – https://amzn.to/3XDUvuI the blue one is $2 off right now

Infant Tula – https://amzn.to/4ldZegD– I always go with the cheapest option – but there are tons of patterns available

Cross body bag https://amzn.to/4cgwxLR

Visor – https://amzn.to/4llXXV1

Best Shoes EVER – https://amzn.to/429mbcc

Long Biker shorts WITH pockets- https://amzn.to/4hVAKG3

The receipt- the entire outfit represented