By Steffi Badanes, Social Media Intern

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.

4. What song is currently stuck in your head 

Love Today by Mika. It’s just such a happy and positive tune!

5. What youtube video are you watching over and over?

Space Oddity: A music video in space by Commander Chris Hadfield! I’ve always wondered what astronauts do for fun while they’re hanging out in space.

6. Winter or Summer?

Summer. Without question. I love expressing myself through my clothes. You have to cover up your cute outfits with giant puffy coats in the winter!

7. Stripes or plaid? 

I’m such a stripes girl. I wear some form of stripes everyday. I own five different black and white striped shirts!

By Ellie Badanes, The Pajama Company Editor

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

By Ellie Badanes, The Pajama Company Editor

Finally, finally it’s nightshirt weather and we’ve just added 13 new Emerson Street designs to our collection. The fun of Emerson Quillin’s artwork combined with the comfort and style of the nightshirt makes Emerson Street’s “Nightshirt in a Bag” the perfect gift. With the addition of our new designs, we now have an assortment of 71 different nightshirts! Choosing the perfect one for yourself, your friends, your family is now a fun challenge. We have seen Emerson Street nightshirts used for “Girls Night Out” celebrations, “Girls Night In” celebrations, Anniversaries, Reunions, Holidays and more. Priced at $28, this 100% cotton v-neck “One size fits most” nightshirt comes rolled in a cotton drawstring bag that also features Emerson’s artwork. Here are some of Emerson Street’s best sellers plus a few new designs that put a smile on our face. Don’t you agree that pj’s and nightshirts should not only be comfy comfy but also add a little dose of fun?

By Ellie Badanes, The Pajama Company Editor

It’s officially Spring but here at The Pajama Company, we’re still hibernating. We have cute new Spring Pajamas in stock but with snow still lingering in CT, we’re staying cozy in flannels and snuggle socks. We want to believe Spring is nearly here, we want to buy pots of flowers for the patio and bask in the sunshine. We dream of capri pj’s with flip flops but with temperatures in the 30′s, it’s easier to just stay in and hibernate.

We know hibernation is a survival strategy. Animals hibernate as a way to conserve energy when conditions are harsh. Our pajamas make hibernating pretty easy we have to admit. With fun prints and cozy fabrics, pajamas promote hibernating, even when the sun is shining and temperatures are soaring. What better way to rejuvenate than to curl up in your favorite place with that book you’ve been meaning to finish, that gossip magazine you love or with an eye mask for some much needed shuteye. Did you know that a “Catnap” can promote creativity, improve memory and alertness? We might just hibernate another day or two.

By Ellie Badanes, The Pajama Company Editor

We love love love seeing Marc Jacobs in beautiful blackwatch plaid pajamas taking his final bow after his show at this months New York Fashion week. We love seeing pajamas as day wear and think he looked fabulous pairing them with white sneakers. He closed his Luxury line show in beautiful silk pj’s.

Pajamas are all about comfort, luxury and feeling wonderful. Marc asked Vogue’s Andre Leon Talley “What is the most decadent thing anybody could ever do?” and answers “Get all dressed up, do their makeup, and stay at home.”  Lounging at home is luxurious and comfortable. Being home doing what we love is a perfect night and of course, even better in pajamas.

By Ellie Badanes, The Pajama Company Editor

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

What could be simpler than watching football games in pajamas? Right after all the hoopla of Christmas it is time to kick back and watch football, in pajamas of course. I just read that there are 35 bowl games, which means over a hundred hours of football to watch.

My Buckeyes will be at home with no post season game for this year. Instead of watching the Ohio State Buckeyes, we’ll enjoy eating Buckeyes while we watch the other games. Buckeyes are one of the tastiest holiday treats — simple to make and almost impossible to mess up.
Even if they aren’t in the Bowl games, Buckeyes are always winners! Whether you’re watching football or just enjoying a simple day in your pajamas, these treats will make your day a little sweeter.

Buckeyes- you need only five ingredients; 1 ½ cup of smooth peanut butter, 1 cup of SOFT butter, ½ tsp. of vanilla extract, 4-5 cups of confectioners sugar and 4 cups of semi sweet chocolate chip. Mix the PB, butter, vanilla and confectioners sugar together. It might look dry, but using your hands roll this mixture into 1” balls and put on a cookie sheet (I put parchment or waxed paper on the cookie sheet)

1.  Mix the PB, butter, vanilla and confectioners sugar together. It might look dry, but using your hands roll this mixture into 1” balls and put on a cookie sheet (I put parchment or waxed paper on the cookie sheet)

2.  Stick a toothpick into each of the balls and put these in the freezer for about an hour (they can stay longer if you like)

3. Melt the chocolate chips in either a double boiler or just a bowl that is sitting in simmering water. Stir the chips as they melt until it is smooth.Holding the toothpick, dip the peanut butter ball into the chocolate mixture, covering about ¾ of the ball with chocolate. Remove the toothpick and put back in the fridge until you want to serve them!

4.  Holding the toothpick, dip the peanut butter ball into the chocolate mixture, covering about ¾ of the ball with chocolate. Remove the toothpick and put back in the fridge until you want to serve them!

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.

By Anne Badanes, The Pajama Company Holiday Editor

How did the holiday that promises peace on earth become a month of stress? We all know the reasons; we can look at our to-do list and see all the things that we must do. We feel the expectations that others have and we beat ourselves up with the expectations that we put upon ourselves. Many women feel they must be the magicians behind the “magic of this holiday”. We tend to forget that we are human.

For years I taught a seminar to help women avoid the stress of Christmas. It offered practical steps in dealing with those tough holiday issues whether it was extended family, budget worries, an overbooked calendar, or the unspoken “rules” of gift giving. In the seminar, the women evaluated their behaviors and expectations. Then they made hard changes that helped bring sanity and yes, even peace into December.

Here is the bad news. The seminar was held in September. That was early enough in the year for people to make the necessary changes such as telling mom that they wouldn’t be driving to Boise this year….or that they had a $10 limit for nephew’s gifts…or that they would not be in charge of a cookie exchange.

The countdown is here and it seems that everyone knows how many days until Christmas. With a bit of panic in their voices, my friends will say “Yikes only 13 more days until Christmas and I haven’t……..” and then they spew out a list of impossible tasks. I want to tell them there is no way they can get all that done in a month.

Instead of counting days until Christmas,  I concentrate on a few principles to keep it SIMPLE.  These thoughts are nothing new, I’ve gathered them from psychologists and authors who write about holiday stress. Through the years I’ve adjusted them for me.

• I’ll think of my home as a place to relax and enjoy being with people, not a place for a photo shoot for Better Homes and Garden (pick the magazine) Or for a museum.
• I’ll not compare myself to others when they start bragging about all they’ve done/bought/ planned for the holidays. Instead I will think of what is important to me.
• Instead of racing to the malls or downtown, I will shop from home. It will save me money in the long run.
• I’ll show others that I appreciate them using words not expensive gifts.
• When possible, I’ll appreciate the winter solstice right when it gets dark, light a few candles and think about the meaning of the holiday.

 SIMPLE