Editor’s Note: Steffi Badanes is our newest Pajama Company intern. You will see her around this blog, Facebook, Twitter, Polyvore, Tumblr, Instagram, and Pinterest. As always, we asked Steffi to introduce herself to you by answering some very important Pajama Company questions.
1. Describe your favorite pajamas.
They’re a pair of blue and green argyle pajama pants that say “nerds rule” on the butt! I love David & Goliath. They always make the cutest PJs!
2. What would your perfect day look like?
I love spring/summer weather, so it would have to be at least 75 degrees out. I love wearing shorts and tank tops, so hitting the town in a cute outfit with some close buds is perfect!
3. What was the last book you read?
I’m a college student. The last book I read was a memoir about eating disorders for my writing class called Wasted by Marya Hornacher. It was tough to read at points but a really honest look at the human mind of someone with an eating disorder.
With Mother’s Day only a few days away, we think it’s all about Mom this week. We want to celebrate her and let her know how much we love and appreciate her. We want her to have her perfect day on Sunday and think it might include a little “Pajama Time.” Mom’s are often the last one to be pampered in the family so Sunday is her day to do just that. We’ve put together some of our favorites just for Mom and think our nightshirts, pajamas and gifts might just put a smile on her face. Happy Mother’s Day!
"Apples" from PJ Salvage $60
"Vintage Sunglasses" from Munki Munki $94
Big Feet Pajamas Aqua Cotton Jersey Footie $44
Emerson Street "Married With Teenagers" Nightshirt in a Bag $28
All of us at The Pajama Company want to wish you a Happy Happy Valentine’s Day! We hope your day is spent with those you love with a large dose of happy and a chance to celebrate in pajamas. We also want to tell you about the Share The Love campaign from our partner Every Mother Counts. Every 2nd Monday we host “Maternal Health Monday” where we work to spread awareness to the issues of maternal and child health around the world. We also donate 10% of our sales those days to the important work of Every Mother Counts with the goal of making pregnancy and childbirth safe for moms everywhere.
Did you know that 800 women die every day from pregnancy and childbirth complications? This tragic fact makes reproductive health problems the leading cause of death world wide for women ages 15 to 44. The worst part is that experts estimate that 90% of these deaths are preventable.
Today, in celebration of Valentine’s Day and as part of their “Every Heart Counts” month long campaign, Every Mother Counts is asking our female members of Congress to keep women and girls at the heart of our country’s work here and abroad. We hope you will check it out and join the conversation. Be sure to follow @EveryMotherCounts on twitter and Like the campaign on facebook.
By Anne Badanes, The Pajama Company Holiday Editor
Have you ever noticed how people resemble their dog? A lean neighbor with long spindly legs is accompanied on her morning runs by a greyhound. My size zero athletic trainer has a new three legged Chihuahua puppy that she named Trinity. Tiny Trinity began as a rescue pup but now hops up the stairs oblivious to her missing leg. We had an English Cocker Spaniel with unruly hair who ate anything in sight and escaped from the house to socialize in the neighborhood cul de sac. I fear he took after me.
I was constantly apologizing to my neighbors for his wandering spirit and his obsession with their compost pile. At Christmas time, I attempted to make peace by giving them yummy bags of homemade Puppy Chow, a fun and sweet gift for dog lovers and those whom your dog may “love”. It is super simple to make and easy for kids to help make!
Ingredients:
1 stick of margarine
½ cup of peanut butter
6 ounce bag of semi sweet chocolate chips
1 box of Crispix or Rice Chex
2-3 cups of powdered sugar
A LARGE Brown Paper bag from the grocery store
Melt the margarine, peanut butter and chips in a large pan on top of the stove. Stir it regularly so it doesn’t burn. Take if off the stove top and pour the box of cereal into the mixture. Mix with a spoon to coat the cereal with the chocolaty mixture. Meanwhile, put the confectioners’ sugar into the paper bag. Pour the coated cereal into the paper bag and shake it around gently. The sugar will stick onto the coated cereal.
You can serve this tasty snack in a big bowl immediately or store it in a sealed container. I put about a cup of it in a small cellophane bag and tie a bow on it for my neighbors. Even though our dog died several years ago, puppy chow is part of my annual baking. My neighbors still love getting it.
As for my athletic trainer, I am buying her pajamas with dogs on it. She prefers sleep to sweets.
First impressions are tough. For me, I usually wonder whether my clothes are right when I meet someone new. Ta Da…right now my attire is perfect as I am wearing my favorite plaid pajamas while I write this blog for The Pajama Company. Here is the the story of my pajama passion.
During my college years, long flannel nightgowns were popular and I wore them for years. While they hid a stomach full of late night pizza, they made me look like an over sized Wendy in Peter Pan. Moreover, they’d get tangled around my legs in bed. At a bridal shower, flannel nightgowns were called armor for new brides. I heard that and quickly switched to SSS nightwear–short, silk and sexy. Not only were those flimsy things chilly, but they were hard to launder. Once I had a baby who woke up several times each night, I needed something else to wear to bed.
Fortunately, that was about the year that Ellie joined our family as my new sister in law. She was one of the first women I knew who loved pajamas and always looked cute in them. That was years before she began The Pajama Company. Yes, she’s a woman who has walked her talk for years–the pajama evangelist. She gave me a pair of pajama bottoms and I became a convert.
Currently, my favorite pajamas are the ones I am wearing now, a pink plaid pair that was left here when my daughter moved out. I have a drawer stuffed with my own pajamas, but this pair hung alone on a hook in her bedroom when she left for college. As I straightened up her room, my emotions were in limbo between tears and the elation of an empty nest. I saw the lonely PJs and remembered all the mornings when I was unable to get her out of bed. They were soft and smelled of her. I paused on the way to the laundry basket, wondering whether to launder them or retain her scent.
Happy Cyber Monday! We want to make your holiday shopping SIMPLE at The Pajama Company today and have four pajama deals just for you. Only one Discount Code can be applied per order so choose the discount that best suits you.
Use Discount Code MONDAY today at checkout and receive 15% off anything in our store
Use Discount Code BEDHEAD today at checkout and receive and additional 20% off Bedhead Pajamas
Use Discount Code SIMPLE today at checkout and receive free UPS Ground Shipping within the USA on orders $25 and over
Use Discount Code BARGAIN today at checkout and receive an additional 25% off our Today’s Specials sale merchandise
Make your shopping count for a little bit more today because today we have partnered with Every Mother Counts for our “Maternal Health Cyber Monday” event. We will contribute 10% of our Cyber Monday sales to Every Mother Counts focused on increasing education and support for maternal and child health around the world. Today we are “Doing Good in Pajamas” and thank you for shopping with us.
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, people didn’t wear pajamas. As avid fans of everything “PJ,” it’s hard for us at The Pajama Company to understand or even begin to comprehend. Regardless of how horrific the thought is, pajamas were only truly introduced to England and the rest of the world in 1870.
British colonists discovered and adapted the loose fitting attire from the East, embracing it especially on hot days. Eventually, a form of Indian pajama was brought over to England, quickly gaining popularity with men as a change from traditional nightshirts. Many of the original patterns of Indian pajamas came over as well, adding an element of style to the sleeping outfits.
Twenty years later, pajamas first entered the U.S.A., creating a huge fad with men and women alike. However, it was much colder during the winters for Americans, so the weather necessitated some changes to pajamas. They became thicker and warmer and footie pajamas followed soon after.
Pajamas haven’t changed much since first becoming big in the 1800’s. The designs of one hundred years ago are timeless. You can still find traditional Indian pajamas or funky, babydoll jammies from the 60’s. We add options, but never divert too much from the tried-and-true, amazing design of the pajamas we love.
In the mood for a classic? Buy some traditional flannel footies.
Nothing beats music in your pajamas. A midnight dance party with your best friends, that one lullaby that helps you get to sleep, and the song you listen to while getting ready for school, grooving in front of your mirror. Music and pajamas go together like peanut butter and jelly. Their loose-fighting design enables some truly “out-there” boogie moves. Their bright colors encourage a little loss of inhibitions. The comfort level ensures that you feel free to express yourself, whether by curling up into a ball of sleep or bopping around your bedroom.
Music can truly define a night (regardless of if it’s spent sleeping or partying). Here, we share a few of our favorite pajama jams and fellow pajama lovers rocking out.
A couple of rock stars in their footies:
A cover of Bruno Mars’ “The Lazy Song” (our theme song!) done in fab pajamas:
A great “summer nights” song to play over the radio for late night pajama drives with friends:
A sweet lullaby to send you off to sleep:
PS: Match your slick moves and cool tunes with this funny instrument pajamas: Music Pajama by Papa Bear.
.jpg "Homecoming in Pajamas!")
