my first stitch fix : a review!

Now that it has been over a year since I had Finola, and my body is (for the most part) in the shape I'd like it to be, I have started to re-focus on my 'personal style.' 

Long ago, pre-Finola, I posted about this same issue (read here.)  Then, of course, I got preggo again, and I muddled through it fashion-wise, trying to look as cute as I could while waddling around with a seriously giant tummy.

Truth is, I love fashion.  I have scoured fashion magazines since I was old enough to read.  Starting with the classics : Seventeen, Teen, and YM.  (Luckily I have an older sister who had subscriptions to all of these!)

While we didn't have tons of cash to spend on clothing ("If you want extra clothes you must get a job!") my mama liked to takes us shopping in the fall and spring for new pieces, and sometimes a little in between.  We were mostly limited to our small-town mall, which had only a handful of options in the 80's and 90's : Deb, Maurices, KMart and JC Penney.  Sigh.

As soon as I turned sixteen I got a part-time job and yessir I spent way too much of my hard-earned paychecks on clothing.  Finally I could go to "real" malls and shop at "cool" stores like American Eagle and Express!   I shopped for clothing every chance/dollar I got.  I tried to follow the trends - sometimes looking cute, sometimes not-so-much.  But I loved to try.

During college I hit the jackpot and got a job at a shoe store in the Mall of America.  I still get a feeling of euphoria, completely intoxicating, when entering any mall - especially MOA, which I try to visit once each time I travel to Minnesota.  This job only increased my clothing addiction (and slowly growing credit card debt) because I justified my purchases by wanting to dress as stylishly and professionally as possible - and I had to have great clothes to go with my great shoes!

Now, I am married and on a budget.  There are no credit cards or reasons to dress professionally.  Most of my clothing I buy at Target or F21 or H&M...because it is the only way I can remain somewhat stylish and stay within my $20(ish)/week clothing budget.

I find, though, you can still be stylish and stick to a budget.  Even as a stay-at-home mama who dresses mostly casually!  (um, can you say "yoga pants"?)

But because I love clothes and want to sometimes get something out of the ordinary -- I decided to finally try Stitch Fix, a personal styling website that I have seen so many other bloggers use and post about.  I shied away from it for quite a while, thinking I would have to spend too much money to participate in such a thing...

but I was very wrong!

You set up your personal style profile and are matched with a stylist, who will send you items based on your profile, any fashion board you might have on Pinterest, and whatever else you communicate to her.

The whole thing is completely personalized - you choose price ranges, when your "Fix" is shipped to you, how often, and what you ultimately want to keep.  Anything included in your Fix that you don't love you can send back, free of charge, in the shipping bag they provide.

SO EASY...and so fun!

Now let's get to the good stuff...what I got in my very first Fix.

I actually really liked all five items I was sent.  I thought my stylist Emma did a lovely job sending clothes that could be items I would really like.

{disclaimer: I neither styled my hair or put on makeup for these photos...hence the frequent hidden face and appearance of fedora!}

Item #1 : Corinna Striped Heathered Dolman Top (by Market and Spruce)

I love the comfy, yet casual/sexy fit of this dolman sweater.  Plus, I am a sucker for anything in a heather gray.  This is an item I could wear a lot, and mix up with a lot of other pants/accessories I already have.  The price was a bit high for what I typically pay for a top...and I think maybe I could find the same thing at Target for much cheaper.  Super cute, but...sending back!
 Item #2 : Joshua Colored Ankle Jean (by Pink Martini)

If you know me you know this is pretty much my favorite color EVER.  Love me some aqua.  These pants were soft and definitely different than any other pair I own.  I have yet to buy any brightly colored denim, despite it being a popular trend.  I am more of a dark indigo-hued jeans kinda girl.  Why?  I have very short legs, with some curve and some runner's muscle...and they are not usually the part of my body I try to call a ton of attention to.  I actually like the shape of my legs, and I don't mind at all being petite...but I prefer to highlight other areas.  However,  I would have really considered these pants, except they don't fit me well in the butt and waist!  I definitely have some junk in the trunk, at least in comparison to my waist.  So it is simply hard to find pants that fit just right!  Other than that these might have been a keep...but I sadly have to send them back!

Item #3 : Elizabet Striped Maxi Dress (Renee C)

I honestly thought I would not keep this - since I have so many maxi dresses already.  But...I adore it. Fits perfectly, and is comfy and flattering.  I could honestly wear it so many different ways, dressed up or down, in any season, that I cannot even consider sending it back.  Versatility means I am keeping it! :D
 Item #4 : Camden Tiered Stone Pendant Necklace (by Bay to Baubles)

Such a pretty necklace!  I love the aqua and gold combo, and it is definitely different than anything I already own.  What holds me back on this one is the price...I never spend more than $20 on any piece of jewelry and this is twice that.  I would have to be completely in love to spend $48 on a necklace...and I only like this one.  Plus, I am scared Finola will rip it off my neck and break it.  I cannot risk that for the price.  Sending it back!

Item #5 : Alejandro Printed Double Spaghetti Strap Tank (by Ezra)

I wanted to love this cute boho top...I really did.  I love the print and the straps are unique/sexy for hot weather.  And it would be perfect with skinny jeans and in the fall under a cardi.  (or with shorts...but I don't wear shorts...unless I am running.)  The only issue I had was that I can't wear a bra with it -- even a strapless bra shows.  I usually LOVE an excuse not to have to wear a bra...but this top showed too much side-boob.  Dang it.  Sending back!

* * * * * * *

Okay, so even though I only could justify keeping one out of five of the items...I still had a fabulous experience with this -- and plan to do it again!   Get this mama another fix!

If anyone reading this has not tried Stitch Fix - get started by clicking here and using me as your referral (pretty please!) Get your FIX!

 Have so much fun with this!!!!

Linking up with other sweet mamas at A Whimsicle Life and...

she's a walker!

Finola decided she would "finally" start walking at just shy of fourteen months old.  

I use quotes around the word 'finally' because I think sometimes as mothers we think things are supposed to happen at a certain time with our babes.  For example, like the crazy mama I am,  I felt that because Cormac walked at ten and a half months that she would be the same.  Or at least at one year.  Wrong.  I even took her to an orthopedic specialist (this was actually recommended by her pediatrician so I am not completely bananas) to have her feet looked at.  Complete waste of money.

Little Fin just had her own ideas about when she would abandon her super-fast crawl (which she actually still does quite a bit) for the adorable, wobbly toddler walk.

Right now we are visiting my parents in Minnesota and she has been practicing her walk quite a bit.  Oh, and jumping on beds.  Even running some!  (And falling.  A lot.)

 I honestly could watch her walk all day.  

That is all I have for now -- we are enjoying the 'farm' and fresh air and seeing friends and just doing a lot of relaxing.  It is perfect.

Oh, and we are covered in gnat bites.  We love you, Minnesota.

dino cake + bounce houses + zip lines = cormac's third birthday party!

It's official.  My baby has turned three.

There is no trace of baby anymore.

He is potty-trained.

He sleeps in a regular bed.

He starts pre-school in the fall (eek!)

He will correct you if you even mention the word 'baby' in reference to him.

"I'm a big boy," he will tell you matter-of-factly.

We had an really great time on Saturday for Cormac's 3rd birthday celebration.

While the past two years we hosted actual parties on our turf, with both friends + fam invited, this year we decided to trek to Hubby's hometown of Louisville to spend the day with family. 

For the first part of the day we went to a beautiful park and let Cormac and Finola run + play  on the playground. 

Well, Finola walked --- yes WALKED!  (more on that soon!)

There was also a cute little splash pad there that Cormac took a mild interest in before heading straight back over to the playground.  Finola enjoyed the fountains, though.  Her MO is trying to plug up all the holes in the ground that are squirting water.  

ahhh!  it is OFFICIAL! after almost 14 months!

skipped her nap, so she rested on her great grampa Bubba for a while

okay...perhaps she should be a 2T in swimwear?  

this girl is unfazed by most anything

cormac was more interested in the "shooter" than the actual water

great gramma BB and auntie Blanche

blowing out the candles on his dinosaur cake.  we added the TRex, since it is his favorite.

After the kids took naps at Mimi's house, it was time to head over to this huge place full of bounce houses, zip lines, and just general kiddo awesomeness.  We met up with Nana and Pop Pop as well as Hubby's sisters Molly and Jen, Jen's husband Ben and their 2-year-old Emmie.  It was so great to catch up with them and let the cousins play (aka wear themselves out thoroughly!)

Finola loves her Pop Pop!

that is tiny Cormac on the zipline!  he had no fear!  "That was really fun!" was his decision at the end, with a huge grin.

Finola loved the big slide!

finola and her auntie mollie - blondies!

cuteness overload!

the girls with the curls

the cousins.  this is literally my best shot.  it is like herding sheep getting them together, and looking at the camera is an impossibility.  but aren't they SWEET?

By the end of the day I believe the kids were beyond exhausted!  (I know I personally was over-stimulated.)  But it was worth it to get that quality time with the family and make some memories for Cormac's birthday.  Loved it.  

Love that boy.

An official "three year" post to come...

thirty-three

Monday was my birthday.

I turned thirty-three.  

I really don't mind my thirties.

They are actually pretty great.

My twenties were great in a totally different way.

A tumultuous crazy great full of school and work and dating and then a wedding and subsequent newlywed bliss (aka trying to figure out how to be married and then getting pregnant before you really do!)

My thirties are perhaps less exciting...

but they are a sweet 'calm after the storm'

that I am enjoying thoroughly,

even with wrinkles and sun damage!

the twenties have nothin' on the thirties

I had a really lovely weekend.

After all the annual 4th of July festivities at Hubby's mom's house,

we left the kiddos there for a weekend to ourselves.

Hubby spent Saturday working on renovations,

while I was left to my own devices for the entire day.

It was bliss, I tell you.

I slept in.

I drank coffee at my leisure.

I went for a deliciously long run.

I gardened without care {of children squashing worms or eating dirt, rocks, etc.}

I went to most of my favorite thrift/antique stores.

I even took a long nap.

These are all things some may find boring or commonplace,

but to me they are life's sweet little pleasures

that are somewhat hard to find time for when you are the stay-at-home mama of two tiny ones.

Things I took for granted before having kids.

Then that night we went out for my "birthday date night."

I got to get dressed up and actually wear heels!

We didn't go anywhere particularly fancy,

but the food was so good and I drank a fun drink.

most handsome date EVER.

I drank out of a glass made of ice -- remember that Beth and Kristina???

After dinner we strolled to a wine shoppe and bought a bottle of red from one of the wineries we toured on our honeymoon, grabbed a movie from a Redbox, and headed home to snuggle in on the couch with a glass of wine and a couple of yummy desserts I had picked up earlier.

On my actual birthday, a Monday of all days, my lil guy sang me happy birthday about eight times, and I loved each and every serenade.   It was a pretty normal day, besides picking up some special dinner goodies, including cupcakes - which Cormac helped me sprinkle with even more sugary deliciousness when we got home.

We were supposed to go to the pool for an evening swim and grill out but at the last minute I decided it would be simpler to just cook at home...so I did.

(Yes, I love to cook and meal plan,  so making an extra special meal for my fam kinda added to the fun of the day for me. Yes, it sounds nerdy, but it's true.) 

Here we are, post-dinner, about to eat our store-bought, non-gluten-free vanilla bean cupcakes...

my baking skills are sub-par...so these were store-bought

he sang me happy birthday so many times!

We don't eat desserts very often, but when we do, we relish them!

(aka shove them in our mouths and let the sugar overtake us...)

Here is Finola demonstrating...

My actual birthday present from my sweet loves was this pair of white rockers for our side porch.

Aren't they sweet?  

(the rockers and the kiddos)

I promise I turned 33, not 83.

Such a fantastic birthday weekend.

Thank you to my Hubby for making it so, so special.

how to (almost) potty train your toddler in 103 days (it really works!)

I was one of those moms that pinned a few "Potty Train Your Toddler in 3 Days" pins, read them in earnest, watched the Youtube videos and thought I was prepared for potty training.

I actually believed I would watch it happen in three short days, as promised.

Turns out either I had some unrealistic expectations or my toddler is an anomaly.   My toddler was not potty-trained in three days.  Nope.  At least not without lots of "accidents."

(If you have tried this three-day method with complete success I would love to talk to you.  Seriously, what magic did you use?)

We "waited until our toddler seemed ready."  Cormac was telling me when I needed to change his diaper, legs practically hanging off the changing table, asking about the potty, and waking up many mornings with a dry diaper.  He was just over 2.5, and all signs showed a green light for starting.

We chose a weekend we would both be home and dedicated ourselves to potty training him.

I bought a bunch of fun Lightning McQueen and Thomas the Train big boy underwear.

I purchased a pack of pull-up training diapers to wear during naps and at night.  (Some people don't do this, solely use underpants and just live through the accidents...I was not willing to be washing sheets constantly if that was gonna be the case.)

I hyped up the fact that we were getting rid of his diapers so he could "potty like a big boy" - and he seemed cool about it.

The weekend arrived and yes, we truly were done with diapers for good.

We rolled up rugs and spent the weekend playing and waiting for him to say he had to go.  There were maybe two accidents.  Maybe.  My confidence soared!  He even pooped once on the toilet!  So cool!  (Yeah, if you don't think this might be exciting you are not a first time potty-training parent.)

After those three days I figured, as promised, we were done with the hard part.  But oh no.  Let us not fool ourselves.  The hard part then began.

To sum up: the next 3-4 months were a rollercoaster.   Trying different toilets.  Sitting with him sometimes for support.  Giving him privacy when that was demanded.   Weekly bouts of constipation because he did not want to poop on the potty.  Quietly pooping (in his pants) in corners and at the end of his naps...places he felt comfortably pooping (clearly not the toilet.)   Accidents - many accidents - mostly when we'd go visit friends with kids and he was playing and did not care to stop and get me to help him go to the potty.  

Honestly the peeing has been fairly easy, but the pooping was our biggest issue.  I have heard with some kids the opposite is true, so I am only giving my personal experience, not necessarily the norm.

Where are we now?  Well, besides the occasional accident when he stays with someone else (I think the different environment probably throws him off) Cormac now goes to the potty all by himself.  He no longer even needs to tell me.  Most times he just walks right in there, goes, and comes out.  Sure his shirt is often tucked into his underwear, but I help him out with that.

He does his daily poop, right before naptime, on the toilet, rather than in his pants (praise Jesus!)

He wipes his own butt.  Uh, the best he can, then I have to check it.  (Yeah, I have gotten good at checking butt cracks.  Fun times.) 

He consistently wakes up dry, even though we still have him in pull-ups.  (I must let go of this!) 

He tells me when we are out that he has to go.  I no longer have to ask/remind him.  I think he got a little annoyed by me asking practically every ten minutes.  

Despite all this success...he still will have the occasional accident.  Like at the grandparents' houses.  Like when he rode his first kiddie roller coaster.  Like at the splash park recently.  (Thankfully that wasn't very noticeable.)

I am not sure if this is normal for a less-than-three-year-old.  I don't know if girls are easier to train.  I don't know if it is easier if your kid is in daycare because there are professionals working with them or if it perhaps harder.

I just know we have progressed a ton over the past few months and so I will focus on that.

Next step in our potty training journey - 'standing and peeing.'   Oh Lord.

my marvelous messy-haired monster 

why I married someone like my dad

adventuring in europe - with two great dads!

Some people say that a woman seeks to marry a man who reminds her of her own father.

Now I'm not talking about physical appearance or anything Freudian, and clearly nothing has proven this theory.  I am also sure there are many women may prefer to marry someone who is the opposite of their own father.

However, it does make a lot of sense that daughters might gravitate towards someone like their own dad.  Our fathers are there (or not there) from the start.  They shape our ideals of what it means to be a dad/husband.  That could be positive or negative.

My husband, in many ways, is very much like my dad.  I never really thought about that when we were dating or even when we got married, but after almost seven years together I see it pretty clearly.

Some examples...

They have enough humor and patience to deal with an incredibly emotional and dramatic woman.  (Sorry Mom, but you know it is true. We are spirited.)  Sure, they both sometimes use humor at inappropriate and maddening moments which only seem to add fuel to whatever fire is already burning.  Also they both only take nagging for sooo long until they snap and tell us what-for.   But on the whole God granted both these men the patience of saints.  Truly.

this pretty much sums up my dad

dads are superheroes!

Both are really hard-working.  My Dad was a pastor and pretty much worked every day.  Besides all his church duties (which you may not know are limitless) he drove bus to make extra money, because at our church (definitely not a mega-church with lots of cash rolling in) the pastor got paid basically nothing.

dad as a young pastor - in his office

My husband has worked plenty of long hours during his years working a corporate finance job (okay, nothing like being a pastor) but what amazes me is all the work he does besides that...like working on our crazy reno-project house...and keeping our personal finances in order...and making deliberate quality time for me/our marriage..and helping me a ton with the kiddos on the weekend.  I also know if he had to he would work as many jobs as necessary to keep us fiscally responsible/comfortable. I appreciate all of this hard work - more than I can express.

Oh, and both men are also hard workers when it comes to manual labor.  Both love the outdoors and on camping or hiking trips they will carry the heaviest packs and hike the longest.  I could have never married a wimpy guy who didn't like getting dirty and sweaty and doing manly outdoor things!

hubby hiking the grand canyon rim-to-rim

dad summiting mt. temple for the first time

filtering water during one of our camping trips to the red river gorge

on a winter camping trip in frigid northern mn.  yes, we all had to do this with dad.

we were always taking canoe trips with dad 

paul showing off his j-stroke - learned from my dad!

Both love to read, and are very intelligent.

Both are affectionate dads.  My dad was always one to hug us, put his arm around us, tell us he loved us.  Paul is the same.   I love that he has no problem kissing and hugging our kids even to the point of excess.  I do it, too!  Our kids will hate us for it in middle school!

Both are stern disciplinarians.  It is pretty amazing seeing the similarities between these two men when it comes to child-rearing.  They won't put up with crap.  Soft hearts, but hard spanks.
There are also several very distinct differences between my Dad and my Hubby.  My Dad is very laissez-faire about money, while Paul is very conservative.  Paul is very logical, my dad is more philosophical.My dad loves packing as many activities and sights as possible into vacations, while Paul believe vacation is more about naps and relaxing as much as possible.  My dad has a very high energy level, getting up early and staying up late, drinking coffee and running on very little sleep (hmmm...who does that sound like?) Paul, on the other hand, seems to need more sleep than normal humans and doesn't drink coffee. (I love him despite this character flaw.)

But...both love the Lord.  The most important similarity of all.

That, for sure, was a deal-breaker when I was contemplating marrying Paul.  When we first started dating faith was not a big part of our relationship.  Years later, when marriage entered our thoughts after many breakups and growing up a lot, I really wasn't sure that Paul would be the spiritual leader in our marriage/family that I had always envisioned myself marrying (clearly because of my own Dad's values.) But Paul stepped up and puts my doubts to rest.  He showed me his faith in Jesus was strong - whether we were together or not.  That gave me confidence that I could marry him.

dad walking me down the aisle...already getting a little teary

So, thank you Dad, for modeling so many amazing qualities that a father should have.  For showing my sister and I, whether we were conscious of it or not, what to look for in a man to marry. We both married men that are pretty awesome, and I believe that had everything to do with you.
And thank you Hubby - for being an incredible 'Dada' to our two babes.  They adore you, because, like my Dad, you make the moments you have with them count.

hubby with a tiny cormac - learning the ropes of fatherhood

one year down!

your little mini

needing lots of rest with baby finola

drooly kisses!

dada's arms are always a safe zone

Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there. Remember, you have an incredible responsibility (nay - opportunity!)  Your little ones are watching and learning so much from you. The boys are learning what a man/father can be.  And the girls...

...well, they may end up marrying someone like you.

No pressure, dads.  ;)