Stitch Fix #3

It has been literally YEARS since I've done a Stitch Fix order, but with my successes at finally losing some weight, I decided to place an order. Plus, my neighbor/friend, Susie, has been working there for a few years and was quitting so I wanted to see what she would pick for me, ha. If you want to see my other fixes plus the Fix I did for Drew, click HERE.

Here's what Susie sent me in my Fix!

1. Daniel Rainn - Liona Flutter Detail Blouse - Size S - Kept

2. Democracy - Stacey High Rise Fray Hem Skinny Jeans - Size 6 - Kept

The minute I pulled this shirt out I knew it could be a keeper, 

and it fit PERFECTLY.

I love flowy tops and the colors and style were awesome.

These jeans were also really great! They are so soft and fit just right.

3. Bobeau - Bartie Hacci Ribbed Sleeve Knit Top - Size S - Kept

This shirt is SO soft and perfect for so many options.

Hanging out with friends, date night - you can wear it a lot of ways.

4. Lush - Warren Split Neck Blouse - Size S - Kept

This top is perfect for work and so many other things.

Church, date night, anything! The color and fit were also awesome.

5. Market & Spruce - Bambi Belted Cargo Jacket - Size S - Kept

The best part about your neighbor doing your Fix - 

we had just talked about my need for more jackets!

PLUS she knows my favorite color is pink. This was a huge hit!

Bottom line: This was a great fix! It definitely helped that one of my best friends picked these pieces for me because she knows my wardrobe well and knows my likes/dislikes. I love that we had been talking about me needing more outerwear, and boom, I get a jacket, ha. She picked items that were perfect for me, and now I'm super sad she doesn't work for Stitch Fix anymore!

#AMonthofFaves Shopping Small

I like checking out GirlXOXO's #AMonthofFaves prompts at the end of the year. I don't follow all of them but I really like to do a few of them, and the one I'm doing today really caught my eye. The prompt was 'Favorite Products/Small Shops'.

I had a goal this year to do a lot more local shopping for Christmas, and thanks to COVID, that didn't happen as much as I wanted. I ended up relying a lot on Amazon and Walmart for gifts to limit the stores I went into and risk of exposure. 

BUT there were a few stores I was able to shop at OR ones I show love to throughout the year I wanted to share. All are women owned and 2 are women of color - let's support our ladies who are killing it out there!

First, I love the shop in the next town over from us called The Wildflower Republic. The shop is co-owned by women and a lot of the items in the shop are handmade by other women! They sell my beloved pocket tees and headbands, unique/custom wood signs, homemade candles, handmade earrings and jewelry, natural bath products, so much great stuff! Kelly and I went in on my most recent DiTL day, and I got bath bombs for the girls {they LOVE them and I hate buying them the chemical filled ones at regular stores, a pocket sweatshirt for myself, a necklace for my sister and sister-in-law and some presents for B {can't spoil it since he reads my blog!}. Lots of variety for anyone you need to shop for. 

Pocket tee love!

Combining a pocket tee AND Christmas? Yes, please!

I can't stop buying these headbands!

A sign I had made for my in-laws!

Now, let's talk about a few bookstores, shall we? Y'all know I am a library girl at heart. But I love giving gifts as presents! #booknerdforever I used to buy books from Amazon but have learned they don't treat authors well, so I've been branching out to do a better job of supporting authors and our community. I have 2 local-ish places I love to frequent. Lark & Owl Booksellers is in our cute little town and is owned by a collective of women. Pre-COVID they also had a lot of activities - a book club, trivia events, children's activities, lots of great stuff. They also have a little cafe inside that SERVES alcohol! Who doesn't love alcohol with their books?!? The second, Black Pearl Books, which is owned by a Black woman, is newer to Austin and started with an online presence that has grown to a storefront! I have bought books online from there and hope to visit in-person soon. [As a reminder, bookshop.org is an alternative to Amazon that gives a percentage of its sales to independent bookstores, so you can also check them out to see if a bookstore in you community is listed.]

For clothes, I am OBSESSED with Grace & Lace, which was founded in Austin [still headquartered here], started by a woman, and was featured on Shark Tank. Melissa's story is so amazing. I buy a lot of clothes there and have found the quality to be really top notch and their customer service has always been excellent if I've ever needed to return/exchange. They ship all over the US, so check them out! Right now the whole site is on mega-sale!

My newest purchases

Super soft 'burnout' tank

I love this top!

Lastly, I discovered the cutest shop, This is Tisa, at a local A Christmas Affair last year. Tisa {a Black woman} makes adorable office supplies {clipboards, notebooks, stationary} as well as all sorts of other things - t-shirts, key chains, mugs, cups. Everything is bright and colorful with a positive message. I've bought gifts for both girls and my mom and have enjoyed everything from there! 

And those are some of my favorite local places - I didn't intend to only talk about women-owned businesses when I started thinking about this post, but that ended up being a really nice little bonus, didn't it? Where do you love to shop?

Drew's First Stitch Fix

 I hadn't had a fix from Stitch Fix in YEARS {fix #1 here and fix #2 here}, but one of my closest friends, Susie, has worked for the company for a couple of years, and I decided to have her send me a fix, and then I got a wild hair and had her do one for Drew too {she does women and kids}. I will share my fix soon {spoiler alert: it was great!}, but I wanted to share Drew's now!

What's different about a kid's fix vs. an adult is kids get 10 items instead of 5. The same discount applies if you buy all the items - you get 25% off. I did find that the kid prices were a little more reasonable than the adult pricing - I find the adult clothing to be a little pricier than I normally like to pay.

Drew told Susie she wanted sequins, and Susie knows how picky Drew can be, so she was super stressed about finding pieces for her. When we got her fix, Drew wanted to do a fashion show with her own posing for everything, but her hair is a mess, so I think she looks like a very tousled, very cute model haha.

First up, a cute unicorn dress. How cute is this? It's a keeper!

Then she tried on this adorable cat sequin sweater that was so soft and these cute flower leggings. I was really impressed with all of the quality.

Her favorite outfit BY FAR was this sequin star shirt and star jeggings. She has worn this combo 3 times {including twice to school} in the couple of weeks we've had the clothes!

Drew loves layers so this cardigan was perfect. It's cute, cozy, very soft, and a great choice for Texas winters. 

I love this top, and it matches with these tie-dye shorts AND the flower leggings really well.

Drew loved the back!

There was 1 dress that was the same size as everything else, but it was TINY. Luckily, I have another tiny person in my house, and Paige was so excited to get an outfit too!

The only thing Drew didn't like was a pair of flower slip-on sneakers {like Ked's} - I thought they were ADORABLE. We kept them anyway because it was cheaper to get the discount and keep the shoes, plus I think Paige will happily wear them in a few years!

And with that, we had Drew's first fix from Stitch Fix!! It was definitely a winner!

Amazon Lately

I know this post is just ridiculous, but I thought it would be fun to share my last 10 Amazon purchases. I got this idea from Mix & Match Mama, but as to be expected, I have no affiliate links or anything - just liked this silly idea.

First up, my coffee pods!

I do not like strong coffee, and this is their mildest blend.

I add a lot of nutpods, some sweetener {depending on how healthy I'm being, it could be Stevia or honey ha}, and some water.

Trent's red cream for his MTHFR - a MUST HAVE

We got 2 of these sets to build Trent's bookshelf.

I have the pipes put together, and I hope Brent and I put it up this weekend.

This amazing acne treatment!

Trent earned some money from Brent's parents,

and used it to buy this book. Can't hate on that!

The girls picked these little mini-houses with their earnings ha.

We are always losing goggles, so I got this set of 2 and 2 more pairs from our grocery store. These are SO much better and only $12.99!

I've read about how good xylitol is for healing cavities,

trying it out with the kids who inherited my bad teeth.

The girls needed new water shoes for all our summer adventures.

Drew picked these whale ones.

And, of course, Paige picked PINK and unicorns and hearts.

I also got myself a pair of lightweight trail and water shoes.

What have you bought lately?

Stitch Fix #2

Over Thanksgiving, I got my second Fix. It's so weird how not knowing what clothes are going to come in your package makes the whole experience so exciting. If you don't know much about Stitch Fix, I explained it when I got my first Fix. So let's go!

1. Fate Harison Pullover Sweater - Size S - Status: Kept

I really don't like shopping for winter clothes, so overall my winter wardrobe is pretty pathetic. This sweater was perfect for what I'm lacking. I wish it had been long enough to wear over leggings, but I think there are some crazy long tanks at Target {or so my sister says} that you can use when you want to pair a shorter sweater with leggings, so I'm going to need to check those out. I wore this one day in NYC and it fit/felt so great!

2. Octavia Bolton Plaid Scarf - Status: Returned

I have 2 scarves almost exactly like this, so I didn't feel like this was something worth keeping. I am definitely growing my scarf collection but just didn't need another one like this.

3. 41Hawthorn Filbert Abstract Striped Henley Blouse - Size S - Status: Kept

 As soon as I pulled this out of the box, I hoped it would fit. The fabric is different so it doesn't wrinkle and I don't have many shirts with pattern on them. I love the sleeves and detailing. This will be great for our mild winters but light enough for our insane summers.

4. Pixley Darcy Weave Jersey T-Shirt Dress - Size S - Status: Returned

Pointing out why it was returned

When I saw this on the style card, I was disappointed. When I pulled it out of the box, I was excited {the fabric was SO soft and the texture on the dress seemed neat}. When I tried it on, I was disgusted. I definitely carry my weight in my thighs, and this dress just clung to every bump. I couldn't get it off fast enough and almost didn't take pictures I hated it so much!

5. Mystree Chamberlin Striped Drape Front Cardigan - Size S - Status: Kept

This is actually what I pulled out of the box first, and I KNEW I would be keeping it. I am such a sucker for cardigans, and this one is heavier with more pattern than any of my others. Love, Love, LOVE this cardigan. It feels great and hangs to a great length!

So honestly the sweet spot is to either buy 1 item {to make use of the $20 styling fee} or to buy the whole fix {to get 25% off}, but I just loved 3 items so much, I had to get them! I'd say this was a great Fix!

As a reminder, if you decide you want to try Stitch Fix, here's a referral link for me. {grin}

DITL: October 11, 2015

I've been trying to keep it interesting with my Day in the Life posts by not always picking a work day, since it seems those days are usually very similar. So I decided Sunday, October 11, 2015 would be a fun day because it had some unique elements to it. {as you'll soon see!} {Previous posts: January, April, July}

Setting: early fall {although was still over 90* today}
Brent and Allena are 35. Trent is 6.25. Drew is 2.75.

7:30am - Trent comes into our room and wakes me up to see if he can listen to a book on my phone {We check out audiobooks from the library and can download them on our phones. Right now he's eating up Beverly Cleary books. It's fun for me to listen along and remember the adventures of Ramona and Beezus and hear some stories I haven't before.} Sure thing kid so I can lay here a little longer! 

7:45am - I roll out of bed. {Brent went to some friends of ours house last night and, knowing he would drink, knew he was going to spend the night.} I hear Drew singing to herself.

T listening

She might have been singing, but I don't think she was quite ready to wake up!

7:55am - Since it's a Sunday, we'll head to church. I don't usually care what Drew wears day-to-day. She is particular about her outfits, and it's not something I want to fight about. But I do care for church. So we have to negotiate a little!

Not a good picture, but me and my side kick!

8:00am - Decide to fold a load of laundry from Saturday.

The upside to Brent being gone, I didn't have to fold these before I went to bed!

 Where D wants to sit while I fold.

8:15am - Put clothes away. Text with Brent and my cousin, Hagan, for a little bit.

T plays with Legos while I put away his clothes.

He can put his away, but I let it slide this morning.

Drew colors and looks at books.

8:25am - Today is a reintroduction day for Whole 30, so I'm testing how my body handles gluten. I decided to make oatmeal for breakfast, and of course, my helper wants to help!

She 'helps' me pour the oatmeal into the pot onto the floor.

8:35am - Cleaned the floor. Made oatmeal.

8:45am - Ate breakfast with the kiddos. Realize we need to probably start getting a little faster with our getting ready if we don't want to be late for church {like we are almost every week}.

8:51am - Ironed Drew's dress.

9:00 - 9:40am - Get ready, and we are late leaving for 2 reasons.

Reason #1 - this one taking forever to go to the bathroom!

{Notice the seat on the floor - she likes it that way!}

Reason #2 - Listening to books and reading them on my phone instead of getting dressed.

Because this is EXACTLY where underwear go!

9:40am - Get on the road. I had a conversation with Trent about not being his maid and needing to work on his manners.

9:58am - Park at church!

I wanted to take a pic of the kids before we left. This is what we got instead.

10:02am - Walk into church. Late. As usual. DANG IT! The kids were pretty good for all of mass. Trent read some books to himself {I am still amazed that he is reading really good!}, Drew was a little wild. I was a host minister during communion. We had a really good homily about forgiveness and it being impossible to be married to a perfect person because no one is perfect. I love our priest!

11:05am - Church is over. Once a month is hospitality Sunday, and we can stay for lunch. Trent calls this the 'feast' and loves it. So we help clean up after mass and the kids play a little. Trent also falls in love with a little rosary holder and convinces Pops to buy it.

11:30am - Feast time! I really wanted a picture with my parents, but it felt weird pulling my phone out, so you just have to believe me about everything that happened in church.

12:05pm - We leave. Kids run around outside for a few minutes.

Bye church!

12:15pm - Stop to get gas. Trent complains. I get irritated and tell him he doesn't have to do anything but sit there so get over it.

12:30pm - Drew starts crying over the rosary holder and wanting to see it, but Trent doesn't want to share. I get her to stop crying and tell both children to be quiet.

This video is a little longer for something I'd want to post normally, but if you get to about 20 seconds in, you'll see why I had to post. {Kathryn, you'll love this!} And I love seeing Drew's pigs sneak over into the shot. {grin}

12:45pm - Drew starts crying because she got her croc strap stuck. I get her to stop crying and tell both children to be quiet. {grin}

1:00pm - We get home, and I get Drew ready for her nap. Read to Drew. She wants to be in pajamas and sleep on Bubba's bed. I comply with both requests, and she promises to not get off the bed.

Terrible picture, but I love that she is resting on me. My snuggle bug.

1:15 - 1:30pm - Finish grocery list, change clothes for trip to the mall. BY MYSELF!

1:30pm - Leave for mall. I might have done a happy dance on the way out the door.

2:05pm - Arrive at Nordstrom's. I need new bras SO bad, so I picked Nordstrom's, so I can get fitted and have some help. Bought 6 bras and some underwear. Love that store! No pictures because duh. Was texting Brent and Kristen while shopping and plan to stop by Kristen's new house after I leave the mall. After I left Nordstrom's, I walked around the mall for a bit. Beau's birthday was in September, but Kristen and Sky were in Florida so no party. I found a present for her {I mean she IS my only goddaughter!}

3:30pm - Leave the mall. Stop at Picnik for another marshmallow chai! SO yummy!

4:00pm - Head to Kristen's. They built a house and moved in January and then found another house in their dream location, so they are moving again! They are doing some remodeling first, so they aren't living in it yet. It's so cute, and I'm so excited to see what they do to it!

Silly besties!

The new casa - can't wait to see it all finished!

Love these peeps. 

We're going to the Auburn-A&M game in 3 weeks. Can you tell who is cheering for which team?

6:00pm - I started trying to leave at 5:00 but didn't make it out of their place until 6:00. Schuyler joked as he came to bring some remodeling rubble out to the trash that we kept getting further away from my car as we talked. Ha!

6:10pm - Arrive at Natural Grocer. I almost talked myself out of doing the grocery shopping, but I knew Monday would be a busy day, so I press on. I not only have to get groceries for our family, but it's also our turn to get them for Drew's class at school.

6:42pm - Done! Natural Grocer is my favorite store, and they have so much less crap food, so they're a much smaller store. I can get in and out SO fast.

Kombucha for the ride home!

7:12pm - Arrive home. Drew is watching a movie {Brent had to wake her up at 5:30!} and Trent is in the shower. When Trent gets out, he gets his pill and cream, and both kids start acting like wild hooligans while I unpack the groceries. I got them pretzels and gum, and they are EXCITED!

7:25pm - Get in the shower with Drew. Allergies have her super nasty, so we're clearing her nose out in the shower at least once a day.

7:45pm - I have in my notes that Drew said 'it makes me so happy', but now I can't remember what she was talking about. Gum? Me? Who knows! But I'm glad my girl is happy, I guess!

Maybe she was talking about her squirty fruits?

7:50pm - The kids continue their naked shenanigans - Brent slings them on the couch, and they laugh hysterically.

8:15pm - Bedtime! I put Drew down, and Brent puts Trent down. #teamwork

8:40pm - Sit down to start this post and watch Once Upon a Time. I feel pretty lame that my feet hurt and sitting feels good. Let's blame it on my unsupportive sandals and move on, mmm-kay?

9:15pm - Trent sneaks out to download a new book. We settle on another one by Beverly Cleary, Otis Spofford. Another one I haven't heard of!

10:00pm - Show Brent my mall purchases, we visit for pretty much the first time all day.

11:00pm - He is watching Rocky III {his favorite one}, and I read The Scottish Prisoner.

Good night from the Gurleys!

11:22pm - I start to nod off while reading, so Brent goes to the living room to finish Rocky III, and I call it a night!