Out with the Old, In with the New

Elisabeth Röhm, best known for her roles as Serena on Law & Order and Kate on Angel, is marking a year blogging for PEOPLE.com.

The actress will appear on CSI: Miami this Sunday, Jan. 29. She also has a role on The Client List and upcoming films Transit and Officer Down out later this year. She can be found on Facebook, Google + and @ElisabethRohm.

In her latest blog, Röhm — mom to 3½-year-old Easton August with Ron Anthony — gets a 2012 wake up call when her fiancé suggests her resolution includes chucking the mom clothes!

What was your New Year’s resolution? Three weeks in, are you keeping it? Let Elisabeth know in the comments.

So here we are at the start of 2012 and I’m sure each of us has a mile-long list of things we would do differently from last year. Perhaps little things make the top 20, but there’s always the BIG one that stands out from the rest.

We know that if we at least tackle that one thing, all will be set straight in our universe. One is totally doable, right? With our harried schedules, it seems realistic to say that there would be one big game-changer that we could focus on this year.

I had mine all lined up and picked out earlier this month. I was ready to put it into motion until … dun dun dun! It came to my attention that I may have picked the wrong New Year’s resolution.

Perhaps a few people over the year had pointed out that there was another matter worthy of my consideration. But I hadn’t really paid it any mind — although I’ll admit it had nagged at me. But when you hear something a few times over and over, I guess one could say that it might become a more imperative matter.

I mean c’mon, you know something is urgent when loved ones are handing out a New Year’s resolution to you!

So here it is. I shudder to say it out loud, PEOPLE.com, but I knew it was true when the last and final person (my trying-to-be-sensitive-but-not-quite-achieving-it other half) said it. Ron told me that I wear too many “mom clothes.”

I mean, it kind of sucked when he compared me to an aging woman in ballet slippers and a cardigan who attended our recent New Year’s brunch. But sadly, I’ll admit that we did look an awful lot alike.

Now, just to set the record straight — I thought she looked good, the middle-aged lady that he whispered about in between his bites of fruit and yogurt (he turned over his new leaf a few months ago). So now he’s in the business of advising others on how to improve their lives and stay young?!

I mean, I’ve always leaned towards the preppy look rather than, let’s say, the Fergie-esque get up and dance look, although I appreciate it in others. In fact, I really admire those women who continue to sex it up a little for the duration of their lives. I certainly thought I’d be one of those types, because I come from a long line of women who have stayed youthful and attractive as the years have unmercifully gone by.

Now, let me make something clear: I like the preppy look and by saying that I’m preppy, I did not think I’d lost my edge … that’s just my style preference. I’ve always leaned towards the classic little black dress. To tell the truth, I really like ballet slippers!

However, I had noticed that something changed in my wardrobe choices, starting three years ago. I’ve even blogged about it before. You know … the sensible breastfeeding blouse, the pants that have added stretch, and the low shoes with all that extra support.

I started to go for practicality and comfort rather than style and expression. It happens. We all talk about it. We even laugh about it, as if we are proud to wear our badge of mom honor by displaying those too long sweaters that resemble tents, rather the fitted ones of the past. But I think I may have gone too far, perhaps over the edge into the tacky shoes department.

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