Snippets....Again

- Now that we're back from vacation, I feel like we need another vacation, ha!

-Last night, we decided (well, I decided and Justin played along) to make a family manifesto. My plan is to have it printed as a 20 x 30 photo at Costco ($8.99), and then either frame it or Mod Podge it to some pieces of wood and hang it by our front door. I'm still making a few tweaks, but I love how it came out, and I think it would be a fun family tradition to do every 3-5 years.




- I used to LOVE peanut butter. However, a few months ago Justin was working at an organic peanut butter place, and they gave him a case of Almond Butter. We've been using almond butter in place of peanut butter, 'cause hey it was free. However, sometime last week, I put regular old Skippy peanut butter on something...and I could hardly eat it. It tasted like chemicals. Justin told me that he noticed the same thing--maybe once we're out of the almond butter, I can convince him to buy Adams Peanut Butter, or the stuff that you ground yourself in the bulk section of the store.

-I've totally slacked at taking photos of the 30 in 30 thing, though I have actually stayed on plan really well.

-I re-started Insanity last week, and I'm still sore as all get out. I have a feeling that it's hard no matter how in shape you are or how many times you've done it, 'cause each time you're doing your best.

30 in 30: Week 2

I said this last week, but this weather has really been throwing me for a loop. I'm just not used to needing to wear sweaters and long sleeves in June! Consequently, I added extra items into my wardrobe most days this past week--I was getting tired of the black long sleeve/ black cardigan/ black fleece, which were the only semi-warm clothes that I had included in the wardrobe. I'm simply not willing to add them in to the 30 items because I know (hope) that it's going to finally get hot here any day.

So, I guess I cheated. Or made exceptions. Oh well...it's still been a positive thing because knowing that I have to take a picture of myself has helped motivate me to actually get dressed most days instead of just kicking it around in yoga pants. It's also making me think a little more about my wardrobe--what I love, what I love for other seasons, and what I could probably give away.

Tuesday 5/31
Lizzy and I met Justin for dinner at a local burger joint and then went grocery shopping. This was my attempt to be comfy, but maybe a little cuter than the usual jeans, sweatshirt, and tennis shoes that I normally wear for our big grocery shopping trips. I decided that these jeans would be a temporary placeholder in my 30 items until the weather warmed up and/or I found another pair of shorts that I like.


Wednesday 6/1
Honestly, I was exhausted Wednesday morning. I literally threw a belt and boots over my pajamas...so nothing that I wore was from the plan. I don't usually wear leggings out in public because I don't think they're particularly flattering on me, but oh well.


Thursday 6/2
Headed to Mom's Group. Everything I wore today was from the plan! Also, I debuted my glitter shoes, which I love!


Friday 6/3
Went to my little brother's graduation. Everything other than the cardigan was from the plan. Found some new shoes...I know they're wannabe Tom's, but I thought they were cuter than Tom's, and they were on super clearance for $5, so I bought them in turquoise and yellow.




Saturday 6/4
No picture. This is becoming a trend for Saturdays. I think I wore jeans and a sweatshirt.

Sunday 6/5
Went to church. It was actually sort of warm all morning! I was self-conscious about the jersey material clinging to my stomach, but it looks like I'm actually okay.


Monday 6/6
Spent the day running errands. Found a pair of shorts that will replace the second pair of jeans for the remainder of the time on the plan.

30 in 30 Progress

So, my 30 in 30 challenge has been a little bit more difficult than I anticipated because the weather has TOTALLY thrown me for a loop. I thought we were on to warmer weather, so I planned my 30 Days of clothes around summer weather. Instead, it's been raining and frigid since last week.

Anyway, as some of you asked, I have been taking pictures...even though I don't love looking at pictures of myself at the moment. And the door without trim drives me nuts, but it's the only location near something that I can set my camera on to take a self-portrait.

Wednesday 5/25
Heading to a Youth Event at a church where the band was playing


Thursday 5/26
Running errands. I changed into jeans and a t-shirt after working out around noon, but after that we just went to Justin's softball game anyway.


Friday 5/27
Hung out and then took the band photos


Saturday 5/28
No picture, but I actually did wear clothes from the plan. We had band practice and then visited with Justin's parents. I wore jeans and the pink C9 shirt. And my black fleece 'cause it was freezing.

Sunday 5/29
Headed to church. Threw in a second pair of jeans due to being tired as heck of the first...not sure whether they'll be one of my 5 "extra" pieces or just a cheat item.


Monday 5/30
Visiting with my parents. I changed into black shorts for part of the day.

30 in 30--My Own Special Way.

Many of you are probably familiar with the 30 in 30 Challenge from Kendi Everyday. Essentially, you pick out 30 items of clothes and re-mix them for 30 days. I believe that Kendi usually includes shoes, and other challenge hosts include accessories as well. I'm about to embark on my own special version of 30 in 30--with a few tweaks that I think will help make this more enjoyable for me personally, since it really isn't about fashion per say for me.

My goals in doing this are many:
1- To recognize the abundance with which I've been blessed ('cause let's face it...even only 30 items of clothes is an abundance).
2- To make getting dressed simpler by limiting my options to things that I love.
3- To help me see if there are any holes in my limited wardrobe that absolutely need to be filled.
4- To help me be creative with the ways that I put outfits together.
5- To cut down on my laundry, including from the clothes that I try on, elect not to wear, and then sit on my bedroom floor for a week until they're so wrinkled that I have to wash them again.
6- To give me incentive to actually get dressed.
7- To make packing for upcoming trips easier. 
8- Because maybe some day someone from Old Navy/Target/Kohls will come across the blog and say "Hm, we should offer a greater variety of clothes in tall sizes."

So, without further adieu, here's my wardrobe for the next 30 days, minus several items that are currently in the wash, which include 1 pair of jeans, a pair of black dress capris, a black 3/4 sleeve cardigan, a black long sleeve crew neck shirt, and a red ribbed tank.

And here's some of the modifications to the original challenge that I'm making for myself, to help keeps things fun for me and less stressful:
1- This is supposed to be fun. If it ends up making me cry, I reserve the right to stop or take a day off.
2- If an item is legitimately no longer the right size, I can replace it with another item that is. Same goes for any item that gets ripped or stained.
3- I am not including shoes, accessories, swimwear/cover-ups, workout clothes, or undergarments (which for me includes camis) in the count. Some days I might end up wearing my workout clothes all day long before I actually get a moment to work out...oh well, bonus outfit for me.
4- I have not filled a few items on the list. Some of these are for items that I don't own yet but intend to purchase (like a pair of shorts). Some I'm just leaving open, and may pull from my existing wardrobe as needed. Because it's my project, and I may do as I wish, the end.