It’s Official…

I closed on my house yesterday, woohoo😊 Everything has either been moved into storage or moved in! Notice I said moved in, not actually unpacked. I’m seriously wishing I had a fairy Godmother. You know one simple bippity boppity boo and everything would dance right into place.

There’s so much stuff! It has officially taken over the house which is starting to produce some serious anxiety for my BF and I. Clutter has a way of making me feel scattered, probably because I can’t find what I need. Or, maybe it’s because it brings out the procrastinator in me. I’m not much for avoidance, I mean that never solves any problems, but when the clutter and chaos get to a certain point, it’s tough to get motivated. Who wants to dive into the mound of randomness that has built up over the last several weeks?

On the upside it’s not because of my once very sloppy nature; in my 20’s my closet was a waist high pile of clothes mounded on the floor, I would spend tons of time digging until I found what I wanted. My high school locker was even worse, I couldn’t even close it, I think at one point I was keeping things in my friend’s lockers. I was such a mess, it’s amazing I got through a day back then! At least at this point in my life I can blame the mess on moving.

This mess is rapidly becoming a serious problem, it looks like it could threaten my ability to start decorating for Christmas! That is so not happening. Hallmark Christmas movies are in full swing, the leaves are falling, Thanksgiving is early this year, and all the decorations are under one roof. I even know where we put them. My BF dedicated an entire storage area for Christmas decorations. Basically, that means this mess has got to go by the end of this weekend! The kitchen will be completely cleaned and organized, the kids are going to wrap up putting their remaining items away and I will take advantage of the organizing Jon did yesterday and wrap up the garage.

I’m ready to tap into my inner Clark Griswold and bust out the blow ups for the yard, oh yeah… that’s plural!!! I’m pretty sure my mom was on the verge of disowning me because of my love of holiday blow ups. Last year for my birthday I was given a 12’ Santa’s sleigh for the front, I’m not sure if he noticed when we moved, but I brought an 8’ snowman, a cute blow up Christmas tree and a happy penguin. I might be the only person who admits to loving these fine decorations, but it’s all good. What they lack in class they make up for in making people smile. Last year Carter proved my theory that they make people happy. As soon as he saw Santa’s sleigh he ran yup and gave Santa a big ol’ hug. (I should probably mention Carter was 4 at the time😊). That’s really the goal, we want to make people feel welcome, have some fun, create new memories and make the house twinkle inside and out!

It’s time to start thinking about gathering with family, baking some goodies, listening to holiday music, watching our favorite movies, and playing some games. It’s definitely the most wonderful time of the year!!!

Where Are the Cool Mom Clothes??

I know that’s kind of an oxymoron, cool and mom don’t generally go in the same sentence. In the US, Women between the ages of 30-50 account for 13% of the population, that’s over 42 million women in the US alone. Um, I think that means we should be able to find clothes that don’t make us look like one of the Golden Girls. Or worse yet, like we are trying to be friends with Kylie Jenner, so not ok!

Today I’m not talking about how to improve myself in any way, this is even a touch trivial, but it’d be nice if it were easier to find clothes that made me feel confident and even a little sexy. I said a little sexy, not the coy, frisky tight clothing of our 20’s. Why does it seem so complicated? Maybe this is why Jennifer Anniston is always caught in jeans and t-shirts. Of course, she still looks drop dead gorgeous, but maybe she keeps it simple because there aren’t enough options for women in their 30’s, 40’s and 50’s.

As my kids have gotten older two things make me step back and assess my appearance before going out;  1.  Is what I’m about to wear appropriate for being around teenagers? 2.  Do I look like I’m trying to be a teenager? Can you imagine how mortified my daughter would be if one of her friends came over and I was wearing the same outfit?!? I gave myself a rule to follow, just because clothes from the Junior’s department fit, doesn’t mean that I can wear them! It’s been hard letting go of some of my go-to stores, especially the comfy clothes like leggings from PINK, ahhh, the things I do for my kid😉

I want to feel good about myself, I want to feel feminine and fashionable. I’m not ready for moomoo dresses and mom jeans. I have found a few places where I tend to find things that bring my wardrobe back to life.   Here are a few favorites:

White House Black Market

https://www.whitehouseblackmarket.com/

I always feel like the catalog is a misrepresentation of this company. It feels geared toward business and almost has an older feel to it. But, I love this store, the jeans and reversible tanks alone keep my coming back for more. I generally order most things online. They have great quality most everything is washable, and their clearance prices are fantastic!

Target https://www.target.com/

Everyone knows Target, I find myself shopping there more and more. I almost have to schedule when I go, because I can lose hours in this store, ok I might be shopping for more than just clothes😉

ModCloth https://www.modcloth.com/

Great for dresses, they have a large selection of A-Line and Midi dresses, feminine and fun. Prices here are moderate.

Kohls https://www.kohls.com/

I think Kohl’s is one of the best kept secrets out there. I get most of my work dresses, cardigans (the cute kind), and even workout clothes. Bonus, their prices are easy on the pocket book.

Stitch Fix https://www.stitchfix.com/referral/leighculian?sod=w&som=e&utm_source=mailto&g=w

This is a subscription box service and if you haven’t tried it, you don’t know what you are missing. This is my periodic treat to myself. You answer some questions, enter your size and pricing preferences and what you need and request a fix. The jeans are magical! I swear they are like Sisterhood of the Travels Pants kind of awesome. I can go to the store and try on a dozen pairs of jeans and none fit, they send one pair and it’s like Hollywood magic, they fit like a glove. I also like that the box sends tops that I like but I wouldn’t have necessarily tried them on had they not been delivered to my house. If you keep all items the discount makes Stitch Fix an affordable option, but you can read more about it online.

Lorna Jane https://www.lornajane.com/

I can thank my younger sister for introducing me to this one, love her! Athletic ware, Ok ladies this is the most expensive athletic ware I have ever purchased. But, they have sports bras that are AMAZING! Lorna Jane Sports bras are cute, sassy and they have pads! I don’t have to look like a pre-pubescent boy when I’m working out, woohoo!!!! Now you understand why I’m willing to pay the big bucks😉

These are a few of my favorites. Leave me a comment if you have a go to store I missed that makes you feel like the fine woman you are! I’d love to have more options. Happy shopping!

Thanks for the feedback:)  one cool mom gave me some information on a couple of sites I haven’t used before.

http://www.altardstate.com/      They’ve got some great looking tops, dresses and accessories and I like their lookbook section.  I think that will help keep me from going to the same cuts and styles I usually choose. I will be checking them out!

https://www.afterpay.com/index

This site has a large variety of merchants and items.  It ships same day and they have payment options if you want to take advantage of them.  I can’t believe I hadn’t seen this site before.  Becky, thank you for sharing!!!  I have a feeling this could keep me entertained for awhile!

 

 

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