i think i’ve said it before (i know i have), shopping for kids is HARD. i think before i had kids, it was one of those things i thought would be kind of fun. dressing this cute little person. and sometimes, it is. but prior to having kids, what you forget to include in your fantasy, is what it’s like to SHOP with kids, get them to try things on (FORGET IT) and here’s the kicker- at the age of TWO, have an opinion about what they will, and what they definitely WILL NOT, wear.

so. fun.

coats are their own minefield. my kids seem to always be running just a little hot. it’s cold out, i want them to be warm, but getting a kid in a coat is like getting a pack and play back in a bag. feasibly it can happen, but it’s a process. also, there are a lot of useless coats out there. ill made hoods (don’t stay on, not big enough, misshapen), bad fabrics (must be very washable) and frankly, for girls- just plain silly. the purpose of a coat is warmth. a shiny satin looking coat with no lining? can’t imagine the purpose. so my road for coats this year has been long. the hood needs to be good (preferably fur trimmed), there needs to be a warm lining, and it needs to be long enough that bellies don’t get cold. my mother-in-law recently ordered the CUTEST coat for my daughter, and when it arrived, i was pained to realize the buttons weren’t faux. no zipper! what 1 year old holds still long enough to button up 6 double breasted buttons? not realistic. so, i’m back on the hunt.  this is what i’ve found.

soooo, i used to run. like so much so, that i even surprised myself. i remember running around 10 miles with a friend, and thinking, holy cow. i just ran 10 miles! i wasn’t fast, but i was steady. i even did a couple half marathons….

yeah. i haven’t done anything i’d consider ‘active’ for about 3 years. unless you count that barre class i went to about a month ago. and i don’t, because i haven’t done anything since. pregnancy really changed my body, and… i’ve been a little whacked out about what’s going on. everything is… different.

doing nothing has also made me realize, i’m the worst about excuses. i don’t have anything to wear, i don’t know where to go, i’m so out of shape, i don’t have enough time… i’m starting to understand the ‘just do it’ slogan. that’s why my ONLY goal this week- sweating 30 minutes for 7 days in a row. it can be anything. walking the kids around greenlake, doing a yoga vid, going to a class… the only goal is 30 minutes, every day, for 7 days. just to jump start it. just to make myself work it in. and i’m not doing my usual…oh i’ll be happy with 50% success. 7 days martin! 100%!

just do it.

above: i decided to give up starbucks this week (i do have coffee at home) and invest in some cute new workout gear… the best deal out there? fabletics. your first outfit is half off! you can also choose to be vip…not sure if i’m on board with every month, but maybe every other month? 1, 3 and 6– the bra, tank and capris– $30! 2– $10 love this contigo water bottle– no gross mouth piece to get icky. 4 + 5 – got these at target, looks like they’re a little less expensive on amazon. 7– champion headbands $5 target. 8– nike free flyknit  $90 nordstrom.

every once in a while, i get my act together and actually get something useful done. one of my favorite examples of said rad-ness, is meal planning.

back before #2 came, i had this system down where i had 6 weeks of dinners planned and 6 weeks of weekly corresponding grocery lists, and it was like CLOCKWORK. then, well, you know, things change.

but! today i can happily report that i have 3 weeks of breakfasts, lunches, dinners and SNACKS planned, with prep and shopping lists. i’ve expanded the plans to account more for dining out, leftovers and freezing. i’ve become a little more realistic about what i’m really interested in tackling (max 2 new recipes a week) and i’ve even allotted a few pre-made meals and packaged dinners. it feels DOABLE. it’s also extremely satisfying to pull out the chart and have one less thing to figure out. i’m halfway to my goal of 6 weeks planned.

i keep a binder with the color coded plans, and put all recipes for that week, behind them. i call out on each printed recipe, key ingredients in bold print at the upper right corner (makes prep and shopping lists FAST), and even have a section for things i want to try for future meals. interested in meal planning? i’ve made a pdf of 6 color coded meal planning sheets available for a little more than the cost of a latte ($5 via paypal). included: 6 color coded sheets, a sample sheet so you can see how i fill them out, and a blank shopping list as a small special bonus. want one sheet for free? here you go!

i’m always planning my next meal (no seriously, when are we eating), to that end, here’s where i virtual hoard all the things i want to eat.

inspiration for end of week. when i need motivation, i go read a bunch of stuff here and get all jacked up on the good stuff. maybe it’s hokey, but it’s like low rent therapy. i feel like i’m having trouble with body image and self starting some sort of exercise routine. i admire friends that can tackle working new activities into what feels like a daunting schedule. or maybe i just admire the ability to have a little more backbone when it comes to want vs. need. do people want to exercise? i want to read a book. i feel pretty certain i’m going to prefer it over the pain of an exercise class. the few times i have worked up the courage, i haven’t regretted it, but… i don’t know. i’m searching for what would MAKE me go do it. pretty soon, it’s going to be that i can’t pull on my favorite jeans. then i’ll probably just freak out that i’ve let things get too out of control… YAY!

i also went through all my make-up, and threw out over half of it. i don’t even have that much, but… there’s something weird about holding onto something you think might make you look ‘pretty’ some day. bizarre. i’m done with this idea that a lipstick is going to make me feel better about myself. if i don’t want to wear it today, i probably don’t want to wear it ever. plus, the purge feels way better than knowing i have it ‘just in case’. there are so many things i seem to hoard away for a someday. i’m slowly working through finding what they are, and tossing. i don’t know why i do it, but so far, it feels pretty good to let them go.

above- leaf photo used from whimsy box. didn’t find credit for should, would, could print, but somewhere from etsy?, ‘fortune favors the brave’ print by alyssa nassner.

soooooo… not so long ago i was putting together images thinking i was going to make some radical change with my hair. it’s the same ole story, right… seasons change, you feel rut-like. rut-ish. rut-tastic. the easiest thing to do is start hacking away.

so… i made an appointment. then i got angry at how much said appt. was going to cost (+ time). and then i cancelled the appointment. and then i freaked out over the weekend, and almost started cutting my own hair. then i went to someone I HAD NEVER MET. and, the rest, as they say, is history. so my hair looks… the same, but with bangs. i’m dissatisfied with the amount of the bangs i ended up with, the way it was thinned (i have crazy massive hair that has to be thinned out), and i’m tired of my own color. so… i’m pretty much right where i started.

also, does balayage involve a phD, and is that why it costs $200? is foil not a thing anymore? i haven’t colored my hair for… almost 4 years. i’m apparently a rube when it comes to hair dyeing in 2014. i just need to look better. better is apparently going to cost me.

i seriously feel like i’ve been pregnant for 3 years, and am only now coming out of the fog. wardrobe-wise i have some re-tooling to do. things in my closet are all over the place, and i’m struggling to define my style. i want to be put together, but with minimal work. i’ve heard the easiest way to accomplish that is ‘the uniform’. that sounds like a snore. so… the summary of that is, i want to look put together, like i have style, it has to be easy, and i don’t want to look boring.

so, since i basically have nothing figured out, here’s a collage of things that i want for fall. guess i’ll keep wearing jeans and tees til i can figure out something more exciting. what’s on your wish list as the seasons change? i’ve heard friends talk about booties and coats, skirts and new tights… having had most of my coats forever, i’m most wanting an updated coat. i think red fits my ‘not boring’ requirement perfectly.

1- cuyana leather tote $150, 2- renee’s accessories nordstrom $38, 3- stripe luxe boatneck tee gap $26.95, 4- articles of society denim $49, 5-new balance 420 $69, 7- jcrew toggle coat $398

this past sunday my grandpa turned 94. i received an email about a week ago, that he wasn’t doing all that well.

i don’t have a lot of newer memories with my grandpa. i moved away from arizona almost 20 years ago, and there haven’t been a lot of visits back there over the years. i do go see him when i get anywhere close, but the last time we saw each other was my wedding. and that was… 8 years ago. (pictured above- grandpa LOVES to rock the pastels!)

of course we’ve talked on the phone, and letters… but i miss seeing his face. i’m stricken to think he’s Read more →