What a Great Mother's Day!

                   Happy Mother's Day to ALL Mother's!! Mother's Day isn't even over yet and I have had a wonderful Mother's Day this year. My wonderful hubby has been spoiling me rotten. And it hasn't even been just today. My fun started Friday.


My garage sale loot



                   Friday I went to a garage sale and got 125 pieces of clothing (name brands in excellent condition), 14 kids story books, and a real Eureka 4-in-1 multi purpose vacuum cleaner for Sagan. It works great and Sagan loves to help me vacuum and now he can help for real. The total was $15.50!  Most of he clothing items were only $ .10 each. The vacuum was $1!  Saturday I went back to the same garage sale and got 17 more clothing items (mostly jeans) and 8 more books for $13.30. I ended up with 142 garments, 22 books and the vacuum for the grand total of only $28.80!! Most of the clothes were Ayla's size and what doesn't fit her or she can't grow into, I can eBay. I LOVE garage sales! And later that evening my honey took me out to Asian Buffet for dinner. I LOVE my sushi!



My little Helper



                   In addition to getting to enjoy a good garage sale Saturday, The kids, husband and I went to our towns annual Old Time Fair. We didn't do much but walk around and look at the items each booth had for sale but it was still fun. The kids wanted to play on some blow up rides they had but we decided $10 a child was too much. Especially if Sagan couldn't play on any but 1 or 2. And there were alot of big kids. So we went home and set up the pool, our own jump-o-line, and the kids tent. Then we went to lunch at Dairy Queen. (I haven't cooked a meal since lunch Friday.)



My shopping rewards



                   Later that afternoon, I got my hair cut and actually got a style (one that I always revert back to because it suits me). I had considered going shoulder length but chickened out. They say people look younger with shorter hair styles and it is so true. I look like a little girl with short hair. So, I opted to keep my length and go for what I know works for me. I LOVE it! Then I went shopping and the hubby said he didn't know what to get me for Mother's Day so treat myself, so I did. I found 6 tops (on sale no less) at Rue 21. I don't usually like their stuff but actually found quite a few things I liked this time. Then I stepped next door to my favorite store to shop for clothes, Maurices! I intended to go there first but since I spent a bit at Rue 21 had to watch myself at Maurices. I found 3 tanks (on sale) and a great cream vest. I didn't go in looking for the sales, they just found me. :-) The best part of the afternoon was that I got to do it all without the children. I went home and again didn't have to cook. The hubby made me a bowl of cereal. (I like cereal.)

                   Sunday morning Rene made breakfast and cleaned up after! What a great hubby!

My new hair cut and two new tops



Then after a leisurely morning doing a few chores like laundry (laundry waits for no man. It just keeps getting bigger if not attended to) and tiding up I went to Walmart, again without the children, to do a little grocery shopping. I took a detour before heading to Walmart and stopped off at Rue 21 again to pick up a purse I had seen but didn't get the day before. I left with 3 more blouses, 2 t-shirts ($3 each) and a canary yellow purse. (They have a cute matching wallet I think I will have to go back for later.) All items on sale!





                After getting home and putting away the groceries I met the family over at the folks house (grandmas and grandpas). Again I didn't have to cook! Mom made Tacos. They were great! Thank you mom!! Now that the kids are in bed and it's quiet, I think I'll play my new mystery game app I got for my iPad and close out a wonderful weekend.

                I hope all you moms out there had just as good a Mother's Day as I had!! Again, Happy Mother's Day!! You deserve it!

Shopping For The Perfect Wardrobe

              So many of us only have 1 size in our closets. When shopping we are reluctant to try on anything that "isn't our size".  We grimace to think anyone would even suggest such a thing! I say that's the wrong way to think. 

            And then there are others who have 2 sizes in their closets- the size they are in now and the size they use to be. Not good. Having clothing in our closets that are too small for us only make us feel bad about our size and figure we have now. We need to feel good about how we look and our clothes should fit and be comfortable. We SHOULD feel confident and even sexy.  

              Don't be afraid to have 2 or 3 different sizes in your closet, it's only a label (no one else knows what the label says). When out shopping, the important thing is to have the garment fit and fit well, even if that means you have to go up a size or if your lucky, down. We all know women's clothes are not like men's. One size DOES NOT fit all. Different designers vary in their sizes. The New York & Company size 6 may not fit the same as the size 6 of the Maurices brand. Also, not all the same exact garments (such as a cute blue t-shirt at Maurices) fit the same. They pile the fabric into a thick stack and as the cutter is cutting, the fabric on top is cut the right size but the bottom ones are just a bit bigger. It's like when you are trying to cut a thick stack of paper. The top cuts are right but the bottom are a little bigger. So, try on a few in the same size before you give up on that cute blue t-shirt.

            When out shopping, I have found it easier to have an idea of what it is you are looking for. Unless I am just looking for that new spring dress or blouse to add a little more color to my wardrobe, I make a note on my iPhone and even take a pic of the item I am trying to match. It's like going grocery shopping with a list and a full stomach. It keeps you from too much impulse buying and you actually get wearable additions. I'm sure you have all heard before, try to buy classic pieces. Pieces that will carry your wardrobe for years and years to come and add a few trendy pieces to that. 

           I have found that my key pieces that never go out of style are: a knee length denim skirt, a white button up (long and short sleeve), simple solid color tanks, khaki pants (in between  jeans and slacks), black slacks (be careful on your choice- you don't want look older), a knee length straight black skirt, of-course a great pair of darker washed jeans (nothing fancy-no rhinestones, patches, weird washes, etc.), a simple little black dress, a khaki skirt, a denim jacket (again nothing too trendy), black heels, red heels, brown boots, brown wedges and black wedges and a black summer sweater. All of these pieces can carry through for years and can be dressed up and down depending on mood and occasion. By adding some colorful, trendy and now pieces you have a complete wardrobe.

           And don't forget Jewelry!! By just changing a necklace, you can change the whole look and feel of the same outfit. And a lot of the time a cute necklace is less expensive than a new blouse. Accessories like belts, scarfs, vests, and purses are great in helping to change up your wardrobe, too.

          Some of my favorite brands are Ann Taylor Loft, New York & Company, Maurices (any brand that makes me feel thinner then I am gets my business), and Express. http://www.maurices.com/home/index.jsp

           Let's feel good about ourselves ladies. Let's dress to impress-ourselves!

Organize Your Closet and Wear Your Clothes!

                 How many of us wear every single item in our closets? Probably not very many of us. Well, I haven't yet but I wear a lot more then I use to. And I plan on wearing everything in the near future. Because recently I revamped my wardrobe.

                For years I would go to my closet to get something to wear and an hour later half the contents would be lying on the bed or scattered on the floor and I would be left feeling completely defeated and miserable. Or, just end up throwing on jeans, a t-shirt and tennies just to get it all over with and skip the frustration. I want to open my closet be inspired and be able to just pull something out that fits, looks good and makes me feel good.

                I finally got so fed up with it all that I decided it was time to take action. SO, I took the plunge and purged my entire wardrobe. From jeans, slacks, skirts and blouses to belts, purses and shoes. Even jewelry. Anything that I didn't wear on a regular basis I tried on and checked for fit, comfort and style. I had to find out why I wasn't wearing these items. Then I checked everything that was left for any rips, tears, holes, missing buttons, messed up zippers, etc. I also got rid of any (well at least most) of my frumpy grubby clothes. I kept a few for serious house cleaning and painting. And that means I got rid of all the Teeny Bopper T's. Oh, And I took out ALL the pieces that I keep thinking I'll get back into one day. I didn't get rid of them yet, but put them in a bin at the top of my closet and gave myself 6 months to get back to that size. If I don't, no big deal I'll just donate. This way they aren't mocking me every time I open my closet. ONLY THINGS THAT FIT GO BACK IN!

             

            As for shoes, I tried on every pair and again checked for fit, comfort and style. I ended up letting go of a lot of shoes I really liked but never wore. Did you know, that the average woman has around 40 pairs of shoes but only wears 3-4 pairs of those shoes?! We buy the shoes because we like them, so why aren't we wearing them? For me it's a fit problem. I shop with the children who distract, rush and frustrate me so I end up with shoes that I think fit comfortably but actually don't. They pinch a toe or hurt a heel so I never wear them and just leave them in the closet not wanting to admit that I just wasted money on another pair of shoes I can't wear. I keep all my shoes in boxes to help with the storage issue. It does help with keeping the shoes dust free but if I had the space it would be better to have the shoes out so I could see all that I have.

         When putting everything back into the closet and on the shelves I organized the items by color. It really makes it so much easier to find what I am looking for. I also organized by type - Jackets with jackets, skirts with skirts, etc. To help with my space issue and to save the shape of my sweaters, jeans and slacks, I folded them and put them on shelves. It's awful to put on a sweater that has ears on your shoulders from the hanger.

          A lot of my jewelry is out see I can see it. Hanging on thick hooks or pegs to protect the chains and not put too much stress on them. I am still working on a dispaly system for bracelets. I wear a lot more of my jewelry then when it was all tucked away.

           Yes, it took me a while and am still finding a piece here and a piece there that I can get rid of and replace with something much better. But in the long run, I have found it so much more enjoyable to get dressed in the morning. I don't feel so stressed out and rushed in the mornings and actually have time to do my hair and put on a little make-up (usually). I definitely feel more presentable and my husband is loving not only the way I look but also my better moods.