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Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Budget Rewind - September 2013



September 2013 is probably my most shameful shopping month ever.  At least I'm not being dramatic about it!  I remember it being a pretty rough time at work and I know I was shopping to relieve stress.  Not a great plan!  So anyway, this is going to be mostly bad.

Good
Banana Republic Anchor tee: $4 - cute tee that I've worn at least 4 times and still like.
Limited Mint necklace $7 - I still like this and I think it might be short enough to wear even with Mr. Baby grabbing everything.
Gap Star tee: $6 - I've worn this a lot just with shorts and sandals in the summers.
Gap White Tank: $6 (originally $23)  (worn here) love this tank!  The burnout stripes are fun.
Gap Striped tank: $5 (originally $25) navy and white stripes are good for me.  This is another summertime MVP.

Medium
Athleta Tankini Top:  $35 and Swim bottom:  $30 - I needed a sportier swimsuit and this one has been okay. 
*Nine West Sunglasses: $10 - I have the worst time with sunglasses, probably because I refuse to pay more than $10.  I'm sure I wore these quite a bit until they broke.  
Payless Nude flats: $20 - I liked my nude pumps so much that I decided I needed flats.  I specifically went to Payless to get these and stubbornly bought them.  I don't really like these that much but I still have them and wear them sometimes. 

Bad
Limited Polka Dot Skinny Jeans $10  (worn here) - these are probably too trendy for me.  Although, when I look at how I have worn them, they are kind of cute...  
Limited Bootcut Jeans $45 - I had decided that I really needed a pair of non skinny jeans.  So I bought these for more than I should have.  They shrunk in the wash so are a little shorter than I'd like.  I reserve them for casual outdoor activities.  Not great fr $45.
Limited Dalmatian print belt $3.50 - impulse buy!  It's cute, but I haven't worn it much.  If I had a more neutral wardrobe, it would be an awesome addition.  I should really wear it with my LBD sometime, that would be cute!

Ugly 
Payless Cognac Sandals: $4 - these were pretty uncomfortable which defeats the purpose of flat sandals.  The color was too orange.  I wore them a couple times before buying a better option.
Payless Gray booties: $7 - somewhere along the way I decided that i should get some flat booties, so these seemed like a good idea.  Only I couldn't figure out when to wear them.  They looked dumb with skirts or dresses or skinny jeans. 
Michael Kors Striped tank: $7 - I just bought this because it was MK and cheap.  I've worn it once.  In theory I should like it.  I need to either wear it more or sell it!
Jones NY Striped Blazer: $7 - this is another hard to style piece.  I had almost bought the coral blazer from gap that everyone had, but never did.  So when this striped version was available, I grabbed it. I just don't know what to wear with it.  
Restricted Wedges: $3 - so dumb.  Cute but super impractical shoes.  In my original budget post, I as "
I mean, what was I supposed to do - leave the $3 shoes??  Let's not be crazy, okay!"  Yes, 2013 Andi, leave the $3 shoes!  


So much shame and buyer's remorse on this list.  


Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Budget Rewind - September 2014


September 2014 was a pretty good month.  Probably because I knew I was pregnant, so was buying things with that in mind.  I did end up with a few things that are now too big (yay?), but I knew/hoped that would happen, and they should be pretty easy alterations whenever I have time to sneak some sewing into my schedule.  So here's the breakdown:  


Good
  • J.Crew polka dot popover (similar) $24 - I love this shirt so much!  And I've worn it quite a bit considering it didn't fit for a few months of pregnancy.  
  • F21 Long silver necklace (similar) $8 - another frequently worn necklace.
  • Old Navy Pink skirt (similar): $3 - this is too big now, but I think I can take it in myself with a few simple stitches.
  • H&M layering tanks (gray and navy) (exact): $5 each - Really great for wearing under everything.  These are stretchy enough to provide a little support without being uncomfortable.


Medium

  • Gap navy skirt (similar): $12 - this should maybe be good?  It's also too big and needs to be taken in.  
  • Gap white/black tee (similar): $7 -  I just haven't worn this as much as I thought I might.
  • Old Navy windowpane top: (similar) $10 - I really like this too but haven't worn it very much.  I will have to wear it more!
  • H&M black/gray leopard tee: $13 I just bought this because I was excited about h&m opening but everything else I liked seemed like a gamble on whether it would fit for very long.  I like it but probably could have left it.
  • Old Navy white skirt (similar): $3 - I thought I liked this more than my white skirt from Banana Republic, but I've grabbed that one more often this summer.  Maybe the embroidery is awkward?  Basically, I had a white skirt that I LOVED about 12 years ago, and no other white skirt will ever be good enough, but I keep trying to find the perfect replacement.  
Bad (but not too bad)
  • Gap white/gray skirt: $12 - the picture in the collage isn't right at all, it's more of this style.I thought I would like these stretchy skirts more during pregnancy and right after, but by the time it was warm, I really preferred maternity shorts. 

So there you have it.  September 2014 might make up for the shame that I am about to share tomorrow with September 2013.  It's really bad, you guys.










Monday, September 28, 2015

September Shopping


Hey, guess who actually bought some clothes in September?  This girl!  I knew I needed to get serious about jeans shopping before fall actually arrived, and finally bought a couple pairs.  You can read all about that here and here.  Still on the fence about the Loft pair.  I suspect I will keep them, but I just hate spending that much on anything.   

Gap Slim Straight Jeans: $42 (originally $70)
Gap Chambray Dress: $7 (originally $60) (similar with sleeves)
Loft Curvy Skinny Jeans: $42 (originally $80) - currently 40% off with code FALL40)
LeTote subscription: $30 (originally $55)

Total: $121 (originally $265)

Since I barely spent any money on clothes in the last 3 months, I'm still like $400 under budget for the year.  Which really means I probably don't need such a big clothing budget, huh?  Or I should probably use some of that money to buy some new tennis shoes.  Maybe that should be my October shopping task.  

As always, linking up for Budgeting Bloggers!  




Friday, September 25, 2015

LeTote Green Dress



After a few years of thinking about it, I finally signed up for LeTote.  I'm at a weird place right now with my closet, so I figured it was a good time to try something different.  This dress was in my first tote and I knew it wouldn't work for church, because the front was a little short, and the top was just a wardrobe malfunction waiting to happen when carrying a grabby baby.  So I went for the "overdressed housewife meeting her husband for lunch" look.  Is that a thing?  Let's say it's a thing.  

Anyway, the dress was a bit too large, and a bit too short, but it was fun to wear.  I think I dressed it down enough that it wasn't too weird for a random weekday.  

If you aren't familiar with LeTote, it's basically Netflix for clothes.  Monthly subscription, they mail you clothes, you wear and mail back.  Repeat.  You can either let them pick out what they send, or request specific things.  For the first one, I just went with their picks based on my style profile.  Each tote has 3 clothing items and 2 pieces of jewelry.  Here's what they sent me:

I actually didn't wear all 5 items from the first box.  I just wore this dress and the bird shirt and sent it back.  The jewelry was cute, but I didn't have any reason to wear it, and was anxious to send the box back to get my next one.  The striped drapey cardigan thing just isn't my style, plus the weather wasn't conducive to long sleeves last week.  

For the second one, I chose specific things.  I tried to pick a dress I can wear for church, and picked jewelry that should work with the dress and with Mr. Baby.  I just got that box, so I'll be wearing all of those items and sharing my thoughts on it soon!  

So far, I think it's a fun way to get new clothes without buying new clothes and cluttering up my closet.  It's also nice as I'm between sizes and hopefully changing sizes.  I wish there was an option to just get the clothes and not the jewelry, because jewelry isn't something I need to wear right now.  I also wish you could send things back one at a time, like you can with Netflix, instead of each tote coming and going as one.  I'd like to wear the dress, and send it back right away, rather than waiting until I've worn all of the other items.  There are rumors of a maternity line coming soon, which I think would have been totally awesome!  

If you are interested, you can get half off your first month by using my referral code.  It will also give me a $15 credit, so YOU ALL SHOULD DEFINITELY DO IT! 

This post wasn't sponsored by LeTote, although I wish it was.  When exactly do companies start sending me free stuff?  I'm sort of joking, unless you are a company that wants to send me free stuff.  

Jacket: JCF (similar)
Dress: LeTote
Tank: Gap (exact)
Belt: Madden (exact)
Sandals: Target (similar)

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Jeans Shopping - Loft

Remember like 2 weeks ago when I said I went to Loft after my Gap jeans shopping adventure?  I'm finally going to share my Loft story.

After Gap, I was fairly sure that I needed a size 16 for jeans, so I headed to Loft with that plan.  Guess what size they don't carry in stores?  So, I grabbed 14 in every style/fit option, and hoped for the best.  I was pretty sure none of them would fit.  And then they all fit!  Hooray!  Loft has a system that is based on leg shape and fit.  So, you have every combination.


The Modern Skinny was pretty good, but a little tight in the waist.


The Modern Straight seemed awkward.  I don't think I could wear boots over them, and I still think that's a priority this winter.


The Relaxed Skinny was just very bad.  This style is not doing me any favors.



The Curvy Straight was really comfortable, but I still didn't like the leg opening.


The Curvy Skinny was only available in my size in the light wash.  I loved the way these fit, but the color isn't super flattering.  I asked the sales associate if they had any in a darker wash, and she offered to order me some.  But then I asked if there were any sales going on, and no.  I'm not going to pay full price for jeans at a store I know regularly has 40% off sales.  So I waited patiently and ordered them a few days later.  I really like them!


But I can't decide if I should keep them or not.  On the one hand, I will need more than 1 pair of good jeans this winter, and I should probably have a pair that doesn't have holes in it.  But I'm hoping to keep losing weight, so do I really want 2 pairs that fit right now?  Or should I hold off and buy another pair of jeans later in the fall?  For now, I'm leaving the tags on these.


The Flare gets an honorable mention.  I might end up with these later in the year.  It's hard to adjust to the flared silhouette when I've been in skinny jeans for the past 5 or so years.  I just don't even know how to wear flared jeans in the snowy winter.  Are the hems just wet and salty all the time??  I vaguely remember this being a problem in college.

Anyway, those are my jeans shopping stories for now.  I wasn't sure how hard it would be, but I had success at both of the stores I visited.  Not too bad!

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Twofer Tuesday Turkey Tracks Top




Extra points for SUPER ALLITERATION!  This top came in my first ever LeTote box (more about that later), and it was my favorite of the 5 items, so I wore it 2 ways.  Granted, it was the same day.  But I wore one outfit to lunch, and one to dinner.  You can tell I look significantly more frazzled in the second outfit pictures, because Texas Roadhouse isn't a great restaurant to have a 4 month old with you.  I mean, the rolls are delicious, but the wait staff is line dancing when I could really use a drink refill, and I just get annoyed by that whole thing.

Anyway, according to LeTote, this shirt is covered in wrens, but according to my father-in-law, they are turkey tracks.  And I can't really disagree, if Google images is telling the truth.  Either way, I love a black and white printed top, so I don't really care.

Shirt: LeTote (similar in navy, similar)
Necklace: H&M (similar, similar)
Skirt: Old Navy (similar, similar)
Sandals: Carlos Santana via DSW (similar)
Cardigan: JCF (exact in various colors)
Jeans: Gap (exact)

Monday, September 21, 2015

Weekend Update



Well, it's been about a year since I last wore this skirt!  I tried it on yesterday morning expecting it to not fit, but it did!  Hooray!  So I wore this outfit to church!  Mr. Baby thought the necklace was super fun to grab.

Speaking of fun, my mom is visiting at the moment!  She got in Friday evening.  Then we took an impromptu road trip to Grand Island on Saturday to see one of her best friends.  That was really fun, but kind of ridiculous.  Babies aren't the best road trip companions, but he really did quite well.  It was his first time being on the road for more than an hour or so.   We learned pretty quickly that he was lonely in the backseat, so my mom kept him company while I played chauffeur.

We are having pretty amazing weather right now, so we've gone on a few walks, and otherwise just getting as much grandma/baby time in as possible.

Necklace: Lucky B Boutique (similar)
Cardigan: JCF (similarsimilar)
Tee: Gap (similar)
Skirt: JCF (similar, similar)
Flats: Target (exact without captoe)

Friday, September 18, 2015

New Hairstyle: The Frun



In the last month or so, I keep hearing about the "hun" hairstyle, which is just a half-up bun.  But sounds stupid and disappointingly has nothing to do with Attila.  So I invented a new, even dumber sounding and looking hairstyle, called the "Frun."  It's a bun, but with SO MUCH FRIZZ!

Seriously, I didn't realize how bad my hair looked until we took pictures.  This is a risk you take when getting yourself ready at the same time as a 4-month-old.  I thought the bun was higher, and less frizzy.  More like this one.    I'm sure taking pictures in front of the white garage door made it worse, too.  Maybe in a few years, I'll be able to wear my hair down all the time again.  

Anyway, it's the next big thing!  Tell all the movie stars and bloggers!  A quick google search assures me no one else has invented this hairstyle yet, so I'm pretty sure I'll be famous.  I also learned that Frun is the definite singular way to say lady or wife in Swedish, and is also a Star Wars thing.

Necklace: Limited (similar)
Top: Loft outlet (similar, fancy)
Jacket: JCF (similar)
Skirt: Macy's (similar)
Shoes: Old Navy (similarsimilar)

Thursday, September 17, 2015

Third Thursday Plaid



September is flying by, which means it's already time for Third Thursday Threads with Bri!  This month's theme is plaid, because people like to wear plaid in the fall.  I don't wear much plaid, which I've previously explained is probably due to my high school uniform involving a hideous plaid skirt.

Anyway, this is one of my only plaid items, and it doesn't exactly scream FALL!  But that's okay, because it's still pretty warm here.  And I don't really love fall colors, so I'll continue to wear my brights as the weather cools down.

Shirt: JCF (this year's color)  
Jeans: Gap (exact)
Shoes: Old Navy (similar, similar)

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Another Wedding Outfit



This has been a busy summer for weddings!  We had a lot of weddings back in the first few years after we got married, but then there was a lull.  Maybe one or two per year.  But since May, we've had 5 (one we didn't go to because baby was too little)!  And another one coming up in October.  I like weddings, and I like an excuse to dress up!  This is what I wore to a wedding over Labor Day weekend.  We took our baby with us, because it was a mid-morning wedding, and he's usually pretty happy at that time.  And miracle of miracles: he was quiet through the whole ceremony!  Way to go, Mr. Baby!  He's so smart!  And yeah, I need to think of a clever name for him on the blog.

Cardigan: JCF  (exact in various colors)
Top: Sunset Rd
Skirt:Gibson&Latimer  (similar)
Shoes: Target (exact without captoe)

Olive and White



Ready for my philosophy on colors?  When people say they can't wear certain colors, I usually argue with them.  I think the only color that I like but don't wear often is blush/light pink, because well, my skin is kind of that color, and I get washed out pretty quickly.  

Now, there are some colors I just don't really like, and those are the traditionally fall colors.  Olive, mustard, burnt orange, maroon (although I will make small exceptions for maroon).  So I decided to jump in on an instagram style challenge thing last week, but didn't really think about it.  Day one was Olive and White.  It was too hot to wear my camo jacket.  A quick mental inventory of my closet made me realize I don't have anything else olive, except for the small portion of this top.  I was going to wear my white shorts, but they looked weird with the shirt, so I swapped in the skirt and called it a day.  

Also, wearing white after labor day?  #sobrave #notreally

Cardigan: JCF  (exact)
Top: Tinley Road
Skirt: Banana Republic (similar, similar)
Sandals: Target (similar)

Monday, September 14, 2015

Labor Day


So, this is what I wore on Labor Day.  I was pretty excited to fit into these shorts!  I've hardly worn them in the last 2 years because they were a little too tight, but I tried them on just to see and they fit!  Hooray!  

We spent the day with the Smith side of the family, just eating good food, and hanging out.  We played Clue, which is so stressful (especially when I was only half paying attention due to the adorable baby I was also playing with).  My MIL found the game at an antique shop, I think, and it's missing several pieces, so the revolver is just a black bead, and Professor Plum is a marker lid.  It's pretty funny.  I did not win, but I was right about Mr. Green.  You can tell just by looking at him that he's likely to murder someone in the billiard room.  I already forgot what the weapon was.  

And we're trying to be good about taking family pictures, so I lured the boys outside while I had my camera set up.  I promise you our baby is quite happy most of the time.  He just looks hopeless in photos.   


Cardigan: JCF (exact)
Tank: Gap (optionoption)
Shorts: Loft (navy option, )
Shoes: Sperry (similar)

Friday, September 11, 2015

Weird Week



Happy Friday that doesn't feel like Friday!  It's been a super weird week.  Yeah, I'm not working anymore, but weekends are still different, because John is home!  But this week was crazy because we spent Monday hanging out with his family, and then he had a work conference thing, so was gone earlier and later than usual Tuesday and Wednesday.  And usually, I have some sort of plans or appointments a few days a week, but I didn't have anything going on!  It was actually kind of nice to stay home for a few days.  And next week will be busy again!  I think I have some sort of plans every single day.

Anyway, this outfit is from last Friday, or maybe Thursday?  Yeah, Thursday.  The boy and I went to meet John for lunch.  I feel a little awkward when we meet for lunch, because he's in his work clothes, and I'm just so casual.  But I felt a little fancy in my pretty top.  

Top: Kohl's (dress refashioned)
Shorts: Old Navy (similar)
Sandals: Carlos Santana via DSW (similar)

Thursday, September 10, 2015

Book Review - You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost)


The most surprising thing about reading Felicia Day's book is that she is apparently not as famous as I thought.  She talks about being situationally famous with nerds, but I was thinking, no Felicia, you're actually famous.  Then I mentioned the book to a handful of people who had no idea who she is.  Okay.  And I guess that makes me a nerd?

Anyway, do you know who she is?  I knew her from The Guild and Dr. Horrible's Singalong Blog.  Plus she's been a recurring guest star in a handful of TV shows that I've watched.  And of course, I follow her on Twitter.  

So I knew a little bit about her, but not too much.  Turns out she is way more fascinating than I realized!  From a pretty bizarre childhood, to double majoring in math and violin at college only to move to LA to become an actress.  I thought she was sort of famous first and then made The Guild, but apparently not.  I want to go back and watch it again, because I didn't realize how low budget it was!

I really enjoyed her writing style and stories.  She's a celebrity that I think would be fun to meet, but now that I know she's not as much of a celebrity as I originally thought, that's probably why she seems more down to earth.

She warns the reader that the book might get too nerdy at points.  This was definitely true for me.  I've never gotten into gaming.  The extent of my World of Warcraft knowledge comes from a friend in college who I had almost every class with one semester.  We sat together in every class and he played WoW while pretending to "take notes" on his laptop.  So I'd get pretty distracted like "is that dwarf flying around on a magic tiger??"  But I didn't find the nerdier moments of the book off-putting, just realized that I probably didn't fully appreciate what she was talking about.

All in all, I thought this was a pretty good book.  Memoirs can go terribly wrong, but Felicia Day did alright!  

Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Copycat Aunt

So, this is my niece.  She's awesome.  You may remember her from the last time I shamelessly copied her outfit.  What can I say?  The girl has great style!  Anyway, she recently sent me these pics of her in a super cute outfit, and I thought it would be fun to do another copycat post.  I wore my version out to dinner with my 2 favorite guys, and then we walked around the duck pond.  Somehow, taking outfit pictures turned into copying all of the poses that E did.  


Tree hugging isn't my forte, especially since there was a spider on the tree.  I also sadly didn't have a red hairbow!  

There also weren't any fancy benches at the park we were at, so I had to settle for this boring green one.  


 Thanks for the inspiration, E!

Cardigan: H&M (similar)
Tee: Gap (similar)
Skirt: Banana Republic (eyelet option that I have been tempted to buy!)
Shoes: Target (similar)

Tuesday, September 8, 2015

Jeans Shopping - Gap

On Sunday afternoon, I ventured out to the mall all by myself for some serious jeans shopping. Normally, I enjoy shopping, but this was not an exciting trip.  As I have mentioned, my body is just different now, and while my old jeans all technically fit, I don't feel good in them.  So I was on a mission to find a new pair of jeans that I really like.  And I figured I should probably blog about my experience, because some of my favorite posts from other bloggers are about shopping/fit.  As I was looking at these pictures, I almost chickened out.  But I'm going to forge ahead and try not to complain about my body too much.

Pre-pregnancy, I was usually a size 14 in jeans.  I'm tall-ish, and have always carried my weight mostly in my tummy, so I usually try on jeans that are baggy in the legs/butt, but still don't zip.  The good thing about pregnancy changing my body is that my hips are bigger now (yay??), so I didn't have that problem as much.  Except, despite doing the squats challenge, I still have no butt at all.

I went into Gap, because they've been my go-to jeans place for at least a decade.  And I proceeded to grab every single style of jeans in both a 14 and 16.  My arms were about to fall off by the time I got to the fitting room.  It probably didn't help that I was also on the phone with my sister.  It turned out that size 14 would button and didn't look too tight, but I knew I'd be uncomfortable in them.  And old me would have probably gone with it, but I have no time for being uncomfortable these days!  (#momstyle, amiright?)


First up, I tried on the Gap Resolution True Skinny.  Not a bad start.  I liked how these looked okay, but the fabric was too stretchy/leggingy.  I want my denim to have some stretch, but these were too much.  Looking at the website, it's because they are 41% Polyester, 34% Cotton, 23% Tencel®, 2% Spandex.  I need more cotton in my jeans, apparently!  


Gap Resolution Slim Straight was next.  My sister recently bought these, and told me to try them.  We are not similar body types at all, so I figured they wouldn't work for me.  Wrong!  I loved them!  And I think they look pretty good, too.  Guess what?  They are 95% cotton.  So they are actual jeans.


Next I tried on Gap Resolution Skinny (Legging) - I can't find these online anywhere!  They aren't the pull-on legging.  Anyway, I hated these.  Again, I don't think they look bad in the pictures, but they just fit too close and were too stretchy.  I can't imagine they would look good for more than 5 minutes of sitting down.  


These Gap Girlfriend jeans are like...  I don't even know what they are.  So stretchy, and yet still uncomfortable!  I feel like the whole point of a girlfriend fit is to be a little bit looser, which doesn't really work with the super stretchy fabric.  The fabric is definitely more of a knit than a jean, and seemed really thick, like my legs would get too hot.


Finally, I tried on the Gap Flare fit, because it seems like we might be getting tired of skinny jeans.  I managed to only get side view pictures of these.  I do love a good flare jean, but my last pair of non-skinny jeans barely got worn.  These are also 95% cotton.  I just like jeans to be jeans, okay?

After all that, I ended up getting the ones my sister told me to get in the first place, the Resolution Slim Straight.  When I got home, I was looking online and noticed a version without holes, so I meant to order those and then return the store ones.  But I let the day get away from me, and now they aren't running the 40% off deal anymore.  I might keep an eye on the sales and see if I can order those to see if I like them better.  I'm just worried about where the fading will hit on my thighs and whether that would look okay or not.

Anyway...  that's the long story of my Gap jeans shopping.  I went to Loft next, but that story will have to wait for another day, because my baby is about to wake up from his nap.

Any thoughts on jeans?  Where do you all find good options?  Do you think I should get some flares?

Friday, September 4, 2015

Challenge Accepted



Here's an outfit I wore last Friday.  And a bunch of words not about outfits at all.

Spoiler alert:  having a baby kind of wrecks your body.  Especially if your body wasn't in the best condition before getting pregnant, like hypothetically if your immune system attacks you.  Anyway, I gained a bunch of weight in the year and a half or so before getting pregnant, because I was dealing with RA, and some of the medicine I was taking made it impossible to lost weight.  Plus, it's hard to exercise when your body hurts so bad (also, cookies made me feel better).  So fast forward to now, almost 4 months post-partum, I'm trying to figure out how to get as healthy as possible.  But like, I have this baby who needs me all the time, and my body still hurts, and I still like cookies.  

Since I'm working with a busted body and limited free time, my plan is to start small.  I hesitate to even blog about it, because I tend to be a quitter, and then it will be embarrassing, but you know, accountability and whatnot.    

In August, I started 2 of those 30-day challenges that I always see popping up on Pinterest.  Squats and planks.  I'm almost done with both of these (and doing more than 100 squats in a row is super hard!), so I'm trying to think of what to do next.  I'm might pick up this challenge on day 6, to continue working on holding planks for longer, and maybe try these variations on squats .  Or maybe try to get my arms all sculpted in time for winter when they are covered.  

I don't have a real specific goal (I mean, I'd love to lose about 50 lbs), but I'm hoping to build my core strength back up so I can start actually working out (true story: I tried doing this ab challenge and couldn't even do the first day, because I have absolutely no core at the moment. I'm hoping that we will have a couple months of cooler-but-not-freezing weather so I can go on more).  Also, my baby is heavy, and I want to get stronger so it's easier to haul him around.  Rumor has it he is going to get quite a bit bigger before he can walk everywhere himself!    

Anyway, that's my story.  Any advice on easy/fun workouts to try?  So many on pinterest are like "Beginner workout: do 10 pushups!" and I'm like "I can't even do 1 pushup, thanks!"  

*and now I need to go do 190 squats before I go to bed.  Who thought this challenge was a good idea??

Cardigan: JCF
Tee and Skirt: Gap
Shoes: Sperry

Thursday, September 3, 2015

Mom Clothes



I pretty much love my new lifestyle, where I just hang out with my baby all day and don't go to work.  People ask if I miss my job, and I keep expecting to, but really, I haven't missed it so far.  I do miss some of my co-workers and clients, but I can keep up with most of them via email or social media, and have been meeting some of them for lunch, which is fun.

Most days, I just don't know what to wear.  I don't think I'm the type of lady who will start wearing yoga pants all the time, but my previous style of skirts and dresses every day isn't all that functional anymore.   I think it will get easier as the weather cools down, because I have approximately 4 million cardigans.  Layering always adds some interest.  But then I remember that my pants/jeans selection is pretty non-existent right now.  So fall/winter might get a little interesting.

Anyway, I wore this the other day when it was a bit cooler.  We just went over to my friend's house to hang out with her and her baby.  It's pretty fun to see them!  One of these days, the babies will actually notice each other, and then we are in trouble.

Cardigan: Gap outlet
Tee: Gap
Shorts: Old Navy
Shoes: Sperry

Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Currently September



Let me just pick myself up off the floor after realizing September is here already.  Where did the summer even go?  I swear time has exponentially sped up since my baby was born (said every mom ever).  Anyway, it's time for the Currently link up with In Residence and Dearest Love

Reading: Baby books!  I'm having so much fun reading to the little man these days.  I know he doesn't quite have a clue what is going on yet, but he seems to enjoy it (or at least note hate it).  As far as grown up reading, I'm between books right now and not sure what to pick up next.  I'm on hold for several books at the library, so I don't want to start anything too long.  

Making: piles of things to sell or donate.  I've got a serious case of "GET RID OF ALL THE THINGS!" so I'm trying to make wise decisions.  

Pinning: venison recipes.  I'm trying to use up what we currently have in the freezer to make space.  Pretty exciting, I know.

Anticipating: a busy fall to follow our busy summer!  My mom is coming to visit later in September, and then October will be here, which means John's birthday, one of our best friend's weddings, and my birthday!  I just feel like Christmas will be here before we know it.  

Loving: life!  I'm just so happy being a mom to such a sweet little guy.   


Cardigan: JCF
Top and Shoes: Target
Skirt: H&M

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Book Review - Armada


I've been anxiously awaiting Armada's release ever since I read Ready Player One.  I had read some reviews saying it was nowhere near as good, which I was kind of expecting, because RPO was SO SO GOOD!  And despite my lowered expectations, I was still disappointed.  I figured even if it wasn't as good, it would still be good.  And well...  I guess it was an enjoyable read, but it just felt really forced.  The story line was basically aliens invading earth, and video gamers are recruited to save the day.  Not exactly an original plot.  There were also about a million references to other books, movies, and video games that deal with aliens invading earth, which I am sure I didn't appreciate as much as some might.  I suspect I didn't quite get about half of the references.  Probably because my favorite video games are less about aliens and more about plumbers saving a princess. Or dancing.  

The more reviews I write, the more I realize that my rating system doesn't make sense.  I'm all "this book was dumb!" and rate it 3 stars, which according to Goodreads is "liked it."  My rating system is probably more like:

5 stars = loved it!  will tell everyone to read it
4 stars = liked it.  will recommend it to specific people I know love to read, or like that specific genre.
3 stars = meh.  I wouldn't tell anyone to read it, but if you said you were going to, I wouldn't discourage you
2 stars = I'd recommend you skip it.
1 star = looking at my reviews, these are mostly books I had to read in school or that online book club I used to be in.  These are books I will likely go on rants about.  Or maybe didn't finish because they were so awful.

So anyway, Armada was just okay.  If you are super into alien video games, you might like it better.  But I'll probably continue to read novels by Ernest Cline.