Panelist Preview with Lani Inlander
Updated: Apr 29, 2019
Making women feel fabulous sounds like the perfect way to spend a day! And Lani gets to do that every day!
Lani is a personal stylist, working primarily with moms to help them revamp their closet, fine tune their style and what looks good on them, and make it so that it never takes more than 5 minutes to pick out what to wear!
I'm excited for everyone to learn from and hear from Lani at our March event, The Maternity Planner @ MM LaFleur, Changing Bodies, Changing Roles, and #BetterThingsToDoThanShop.
Buy your tickets today to learn some insider tricks from Lani.
- Julie
Who’s Lani? How would you describe yourself and what you do professionally?
I live to serve and support other women on their journey. I tell people that I have the best job in the world, I get paid to make women feel good about themselves. Most of our clients are working mothers and it is my job to help them create a wardrobe they love, a wardrobe which instills confidence and lets others perceive their power. Also, I absolutely love all babies and children and wear my heart on my sleeve 😊
What’s one thing you wish you could’ve known before embarking on your journey to motherhood?
One thing I wish I had discovered sooner is Audible. A few people had told me to try it when my first was little but for some reason it took attending a workshop on organization where the instructor recommended it as a time saving option to try it. See, I was a book purist. I thought that if I only absorbed 75% of a book through listening to it, I should just read it. However, 75% is better than not reading a book for 5 years! All those hours of dishes and prepping breast milk and baby food wasted…Audible turned drudgery into me-time.
I also wish I had the book Overwhelmed by Brigid Schulte available to read (ahem, listen to on Audible) before I had my first child. Understanding why things become so uneven between spouses as well as the ways we sabotage ourselves would have been truly useful before I started the bad habits and patterns!
What’s your working mom hack?
Instead of managing an afterschool babysitter and multiple after school activities, I have my kids in the after-school program at their elementary school. They can play outside with their friends and take classes like chess, soccer, and yoga there, and I don’t have to do anything but pay for it and pick them up at 6pm. As an added bonus, someone else makes sure their homework is done!
What do you do (guilt-free) for yourself each week?
At least once a week I take an expensive boutique exercise class. I’ve learned that this is the only way I will be keep the commitment to myself to exercise. No one in my family can object to one hour, and in an ideal week I also find a few other hours to exercise. Maintaining my health and a certain level of muscle in my body is not optional with two active boys!
One quote that perfectly describes your motherhood experience
- Gretchen Rubin
What are you into these days?
What are you reading right now?
I’m currently listening to Off the Clock by Laura Vanderkam for the second time and reading Jean Case’s Be Fearless. I have Laura Vanderkam’s new book, Juliet’s School of Possibilities, as well as Gretchen Rubin’s new book Outer Order, Inner Calm, on pre-order. Next up is The Book of Essie for the first book club I have had the courage to join since having children. I’m currently in a good place with reading, which really contributes to my happiness!
What products or services (for mom or baby) are you into?
This special ice pack, cooler, and small bottle set by Medela was the lifeblood of my pumping routine, which involved a lot of moving around. I never thought I was good at science or math, but I was terrific at figuring out when and how to pump and transport milk during frequent business trips. Separate car and battery powered chargers were also essential accessories. All working moms should be charging Milk Stork as a business expense! This was not around when I was breastfeeding.
I send all new working mom friends (read: previous TMPevent panelist) Lori Michalich-Levin’s book, Back to Work After Baby: How to Plan and Navigate a Mindful Return from Maternity Leave. I also recommend her Mindful Return blog to all moms constantly.
Favorite baby gear?
The Rock ‘n Play sleeper is the single best baby product we had.
I wish the Keekaro Peanut Changing Pad had been around for my kids!
This California Baby Diaper Area Wash/Spray is genius. Spray it on a dirty baby so you don’t have to rub too hard on their delicate skin, then use it on an older kid when they have an accident and you want them to feel and smell fresh, but a bath isn’t possible. This spray and these green disposable diaper sacs were diaper bag mainstays for me. I still use the diaper sacs as handy garbage and puke bags on the go.
Podcasts you’re listening to
Best of Both Worlds by Laura Vanderkam and Sarah Hart-Unger
Happier with Gretchen Rubin
Lani Inlander
Owner & Chief Stylist, Real Life Style
Phone: 917-355-8104
Email: lani@real-life-style.com
Instagram: @lanireallifestyle
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