I’m only 25, but I’m married and I have two kids. My best girlfriends from high school are mostly single and uniformly childless and spend their days in the office and their nights at clubs and bars. Me? I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve been to a club or a bar since having babies. And 4 out of those 5 times, I was pregnant and couldn’t drink. Fun times!

These same girlfriends are having a grown-up sleepover (with wine and cheese!) in a week and, of course, I have nothing to wear. Most of the time, I dress for comfort and utility – meaning a clean pair of jeans and a t-shirt are considered “dressing up." My friends, on the other hand, are always fabulously dressed (since they have the free time and the disposable income to shop…a little jealous are we?), and I can't help feeling a little dumpy around them a lot of the time.

Other than wanting an evening-ish piece that will help me feel just as gorgeous as my friends, I need something that will deemphasize (ahem) the persistent leftover bulge around my middle. I’m not about to beat myself up over the extra poundage on my postpartum body, but I also don’t exactly love flouting my muffin top. Witness: le bulge.

In steps TJ Maxx and the $50 gift card they sent me to help solve my little dilemma. Of course, upon entering the store, I immediately veered off course towards the purses, fixating on a drool-worthy soft brown leather handbag with matte gold hardware. Reluctantly, I pried myself away and headed towards the racks of women’s clothing. Everything was well-organized by type and size and it wasn’t long before my arms were laden with some 15 items all under $50.

Most of the items I tried on were tops. I had a hard time finding dresses that fit my criteria (above-the-knee, evening, muffin-top magic) that were also in my size. This top, a black silk v-neck conveniently cinched from under the breast line to the top of my belly, kind of a super empire-waist, if you will. I liked the kimono-like sleeves as well, but the top also did a weird cropping of my boobs that somehow made them look extra saggy.

This next one I liked because it was sparkly. I’m not big on sparkly, but I could totally picture it with a short skirt or a pair of skinny jeans. Alas, skinny jeans are not a part of my near future and a mini skirt would require more sass than I’m able to muster these days. Also, the sequins were itchy. Itchy is bad.

This was one of the few dresses I found. It wasn’t bad for an everyday sort of thing, but definitely not evening. Also, the cut was not helping le bulge.

Moving on...

The dress I ended up purchasing was this patterned silk shift dress. I liked the bright fire-like colors on the dark brown background and the brown bow detail around the neck put it over the top. Simple and modern without being boring. The perfect piece for a night out with my friends or a date night with my husband for just $29.99. Fashion crisis averted!