Mommy, I feel "nervousited."

"Nervousited," I ask? 

"Yes, "my 5-year old says. "That means I feel nervous and excited about starting Kindergarten. "

Boy does that describe how I feel about her starting Kindergarten!  I explain to my daughter that both of those feelings are very normal and that most of the other children are probably feeling that way,  too. 

She doesn't start Kindergarten for two weeks, but today is her first day at the new daycare she will attend after school.  Because she's attending a charter school,  they don't have after school care available.  So,  she will be moving to a daycare closer to her school that can pick her up afterwards.  At 9:15, I phone my husband to see how the drop-off went. Good,  he says.  At 10:00, I phone the daycare to check on her.  All is well, of course.

My Mama Bear instincts are in overdrive right now as I worry about the older kids at the new daycare and my barely on the chart petite daughter.  I try to remember that there are teachers there to supervise and different isn't always bad.  It's just different.  My doesn't worry about anything husband reminds me that everything will be just fine. Of course,  I also remind myself, we can remove her and find a better option if things don't work out.  Phwww! When did becoming a parent become so hard?   

Cleaning for the Cleaning People

Today is our postponed cleaning day after being out of town for a week. It's time to clean up before the cleaning people come to the house. It's a wonderful feeling walking into a clean home after work.

I've had several people ask why I have to "clean" before they come. "Isn't cleaning what you pay them to do?" Clearly, these people have never had children and do not understand the sheer amount of mess children can make in a short amount of time! I give you:

Exhibit A: Great Room Playing Area

We don't have a playroom in our house, so the space near our TV watching area is where most of their toys are stored. I usually try to have them clean up their toys every evening before bath time, but if we skip even one or two days, the area quickly turns into a disaster. 

This morning's picking up of their toys was complicated by my cat leaving me a "treat" nearby. Ugh. And, yes, I know my daughters have a lot of toys. I don't really allow them to play on my iPad or phone, so I suppose we've compensated with toys...though not on purpose! Believe it or not, twice a year I donate toys to our daycare or our local women's shelter. Looking at these pictures is making me think a clean out is in order soon...

So, if you've ever wondered why people have to "clean" before the cleaning people, now you know...

Love my van, but hate...

THE GAS MILEAGE!! Okay, so don't get my wrong. I'm not about to give up my van. I've had it two years now, and am still loving the space, sliding doors, auto rear door, etc. What I'm not loving is how much I have to spend on gas every two weeks! 

My van averages about 17 miles to the gallon in the summer when I'm running the AC at its max what feels like constantly. And, while living in California may have its perks, the high cost of living is not one of them. 

I'm especially feeling the pain in my wallet after going car shopping with my husband since his old car was totaled. We got a great deal on a hybrid that averages 39-41 MPG in the city! My van's mileage is looking pretty pathetic right now. 

Of course, that begs the question as to why anyone has not created a minivan hybrid??? Obviously, people who drive vans want them for both comfortable everyday city driving and extra space for long trips. While my hubby's car will be great in the city, my van is definitely going to continue to be our go to vehicle on long trips.

So, if you are out there and reading my blog auto-makers, please make a hybrid minivan! I'll be first to trade in my lovely when they come out😀. 

July 2015 Stitch Fix Review

It's that time of the month again and as usual, I was super excited to get my fix. I did my usual sneak peak when my email arrived and couldn't find two items online. I like that Connie sends me pieces not out there yet, so I was interested to see what they were. I asked for more maxi dresses since I got a great one last month. This month's review has fewer pictures of me in the items because my hubby was out of town and I had less time to take photos with my two young children afoot.

Market & Spruce Embroidery Detail Blouse

I was unsure what to think of this blouse when I first looked at it. The blue is a good match for me, but Boho isn't my usual style preference. It is very pretty on the hanger.

Much better on than I expected! Since my hubby wasn't around, I sent the pic to a friend, my youngest sister, and my mom. They all liked it on. I'm wearing it today with a pair of Margaret M pants.

Pardon the close up of our bathroom haha! I was rushing this morning to leave for work! I think I like the blouse better tucked in since it's not fitted to my waist.

Kut from the Cloth Jamy Maxi Dress

Okay, so I asked for more maxis, but, to be honest, I hated this dress. It's so busy and the pattern did terrible things to my waist and hips. It fit my height of 5', 3.5" pretty well, though. I didn't take a picture of me in it because I hated it so much. It does have some interesting details, though.

Pixley Dot Print Cross Back Knit Top

If you are a blog reader, you've seen this shirt out there. I received it last month, but it was too big, so Connie sent it to me in a smaller size. I was very happy to see it back in my fix.

I REALLY wanted to love this shirt. It's so comfy! Unfortunately, the fit around my waist is terrible. And, when my sister told me it made me look pregnant, I knew it was going back. Sigh. It was so comfy and I do love me some polka dots. You can probably guess that given my oldest daughter has a polka dot themed room😀.

Pixley Abstract Chevron Maxi Dress

You've probably seen this dress out there, too, if you read blogs. It's very pretty. Alas, the elastic around my waist did not fit me right. So, back it went.

Market & Spruce Aaliyah Terry Knit Dolman Top

This shirt definitely fits my style preferences. I like red. I like stripes. I usually like Dolman tops. The problems with this shirt are that it doesn't really fit like a Dolman and the inside of the shirt is not very soft or comfortable. Plus, I just didn't like the fading that coincides right with my bust.

All in all, I only kept one item this month. As sad as I was to only keep one item, it was probably good timing since I was on vacation for a week in Europe. I'm already looking forward to next month's fix!

When your Husband is Out of Town

My husband left yesterday on a trip to Europe. I'm meeting him next week. My parents will watch my children for about a week. I'm looking forward to the trip, but I have to confess, I hate when he's out of town. I'm one of those women who is blessed to have a husband that helps a lot with the children. Most mornings, he wakes them up first and then me. We head to the kitchen and he'll start breakfast for the girls and then get ready for work. I finish breakfast, get girls ready, and send them out the door with him to daycare. Then, it's time for me to get ready...

If you are a parent, you know that life with kids is a hectic combination of joy and exhaustion. So, when one parent is gone, the chaos increases exponentially! The day before my husband was leaving, my youngest spiked a fever. That means no daycare. Time to call my mother in law to see if she can help. Luckily, she's available! Then, my husband gets in a car crash on the way to the airport. Thankfully, he's fine, but the car is probably totaled. 

This morning, my youngest spiked a fever again. I spent my first bathroom trip with her collecting a urine sample to take to her pediatrician because she refused to pee yesterday when there with my mother in law. Then, I race through the house getting both girls dressed, my youngest to my mother in law's again, my oldest to daycare, the urine sample to the doc's office, and, phwww! I am lucky to make it to my office by noon! It's only day one of my husband being gone and I'm missing him already. 

I have the utmost respect for single parents who do it all. Parenting is the hardest thing I've ever done, and that includes getting my Ph.D. So, when my husband is gone, I think I appreciate him even more because it reminds me that I'm very lucky to have him in my life. And, it also reminds me to be grateful for the blessings I do have. 

Operation Keep Cat out of Living Room Commences

I have a cat. She's very old. I'm talking like 16-years old. She likes to pee and poop outside the litter box. She's done it almost the whole time I've had her, but it has gotten really bad the past few years. I took her to the vet 2 years ago, ran over a thousand dollars in tests, and came out with the almost certain verdict that it was behavioral and "she looks great for a cat her age."

We started her on Kitty Prozac at vet's recommendation and whoa, problem solved! Awesome!!! Fast forward over a year and my cat is no longer taking the med easily. It seems like every cat on the planet likes wet food. Not mine. She will barely eat the gravy and then only intermittently. Hence, the problem behavior emerges again. Sigh. Getting tired of cleaning up the messes and trying to get the smell and stains out of our mostly unused formal living room.

So, I decided to take her back to the vet for some suggestions. We are going to try the med in a powder form. I mixed it tonight in a tiny bit of water per vet's instructions and spray bottled her dry food with the mixture. Let's hope my very picky cat does not notice. In the meantime, I also decided to try and block her access to our living room. Here's my solution...

I went to Amazon and searched for "dressing screens." There were a bunch of different options. So far, it's been effective. The area underneath is only about 2.5 inches, so no way she can get underneath it. Plus, it's pretty easy to move. I'm hoping this will help solve our problem even if she doesn't eat the food with the medicine. 

I'm not sure that my cat is amused by my solution, but a mom's gotta do what a mom's gotta do.

School Supply Shopping...oh, how I love thee!

Does anyone else love school supply shopping? As I've noted, my oldest daughter starts Kindergarten this fall. We meet in early June to do her pre-assessment with her school and we then get her school supply list! While part of me is dreading the cost since I've heard horror stories, the other part is looking forward to it!

I remember getting my school supply list every year. We would set out to get them and the excitement would start. Would I get a trapper keeper this year? What kind of pencils would I buy? Oh, my, erasable pens!!! And let's not forget the look of a new spiral notebook with clean sheets and wonderful smelling, crisp paper!

I asked my husband if he remembered and enjoyed school supply shopping. He looked at me blankly and said, "I guess not since I don't really remember it." I told my daughter that I was excited to go shopping and she told me, "I will probably like it since you did, Mom!" Perhaps I'm part of a special, nerdy breed that loves the newness of supplies before they are corrupted by school work. If so, I hope my daughter learns to love it as much as I did.

May 2015 Stitch Fix Review

It has been a while since I've written a Stitch Fix review, though I've continued to get fixes every month. I continue to love the service. My regular stylist Connie was out on maternity leave, but I'm happy to say she's back! Fiona did a great job in her absence, but I missed Connie! This month when I got my Stitch Fix e-mail and took my sneak peak, I knew immediately that she was back. 

I'm reviewing a bit differently than I usually do...mainly because it's late and I didn't feel like taking pictures of the cards individually. Hopefully, you can see the pictures well enough.

Let's start with the style cards:

Sweet Rain Casanova Henley Blouse

    

Connie suggested that I pair it with a black pencil skirt. I liked it! However, when I took this picture, I had just come home from work (spoiler, I kept it!).  The skirt looks wrinkled and what the heck is that white fluff on my skirt?? I decided to change and take another picture (after nagging my poor husband who was my photographer). 

I paired it this time with my Margaret M pull-on jeans. I left it untucked, but left the sleeves rolled up (though they are a bit sloppy). I like it with jeans, too. I think next time I'll try it with red pants or maybe even a red pencil skirt.

Market & Spruce Lawford Knit Top

Connie knows that I love stripes. This shirt is a very soft knit, but a bit see through, so I paired it with a black tank underneath. I'm a bit ambivalent about the leather detailing at the top, but my hubby really likes it. I llike that it's soft and despite being knit, doesn't stick to all of the areas I don't want to show lol. So, in case you haven't already guessed, I'm keeping it.

41Hawthorn Angela Quilted Detailed Blouse

This was a good choice given that I have other blouses in this style that I like. I also love the color of it. However, the fit on this blouse is a bit off-it's too big! It makes me look wide and my hubby did not like how it hangs on me, so to speak. I'm sad to be sending it back, especially given the detailing on the back.

Isn't the quilting pretty? Of course, now that I'm seeing this picture, I wonder, what the heck is on the back of my pants?

It simply has too much fabric. I don't want to look pregnant when I'm not!

Market & Spruce Juli Lasercut Detail Blouse

I absolutely love polka dots. I am also quite fond of blue. Unfortunately, this shirt is a bit big on me. It has some really cute cutouts on the bottom of it.

See the diamonds on bottom? And, yes, the polka dots are pink! So sad it's going back. It's just a bit too big.

It's too big in the front and under my arms. Sigh.

Collective Concepts Gabriel Tie Waist Dress

This is the piece I was least excited about when I took my online sneak peak. I didn't love the pattern on it and it looked too short for work. When I tried it on, it just felt "meh" to me. It's okay, but special. And, it's definitely too short for work. My hubby also didn't like the placement of the waist on me. So, back it's going.

If you are keeping count, you will notice I only kept 2 pieces. I still consider it a successfull fix because I think 4 out of the 5 pieces were ones I might have kept, had they fit right. I am also very excited that my regular stylist is back and I can't wait to see what she sends me next month!

Mother's Day...and why I'm now going to all school activities

My oldest daughter just turned 5. She's been in daycare since about 5 months of age. Initially, she was in a daycare that was located at my job. I loved the convenience of her being on site and I frequently visited her during the day to play. Right before she turned 2, our site notified us it had to close. I was sad. I loved having her so close.

We found a new place, but unfortunately, the convenience of having her on site was gone. We like our new place and they frequently have parent-child events. Of course, it's not so easy to go now in the middle of the day to visit my girls. We do usually go to weekend or weeknight events.

In my oldest daughter's class, they announced a Mom event for Mother's Day. My daughter told me, "Mom, you never go to school stuff." It hit me that even though I go to the after work things, the day things that are smack during work hours, well, I don't always go to them. I realized that the during the day events were very important to her. So, I told her I would go. She was so excited!

Yesterday was the event. She talked about it all morning before we got to school and was so excited to have me there. I've now made a pledge to try and go to all events. I'm lucky enough to have a job where I can go. I want her to know that she's important. I didn't realize before how important these events were to her, which is sort of silly. I had a great time and even brought my younger daughter over to her class. I often tell people that being a parent is the toughest job there is. Good thing that having children is worth it.

Swap.com...and Why I'm not buying from Thredup as much

I've previously reviewed both MoxieJean and Thredup as places to buy and sell your used clothing online. Since that review, Thredup has made several changes to its policies that make me less likely to purchase from them. Before describing those changes, I'll review another online consignment store I've been using: Swap.com.

Swap.com has a fairly large inventory of items, both new and used. Their pricing of kid's items is pretty good-though I think the seller has more to say in the pricing of the items. Unlike Thredup and MoxieJean, you pay to send your items in to them. As a seller, I'm not likely to do that because, well, I don't want to spend the money. They take more than kid's clothing-they sell movies, toys, etc. Because you pay to send items in to them, you make more money off of selling items...at least that is my understanding. 

If you are a buyer, the website allows several sorting options-by size, brand, type. It doesn't allow by color, which I wish it did. You can create email notifications for certain brands, sizes you like-similar to Thredup's closet settings. They allow returns-read the policy for the specifics. Shipping is free if you spend $50. 

Quality of the items is more variable on Swap.com than on MoxieJean or Thredup. They do have several ratings for the quality. I've returned a couple of items they described as "good condition" that I would describe more as "fair condition." They do have a "like new" descriptor as well. MoxieJean is still the most consistent with regard to quality.

SO, WHY NOT THREDUP ANYMORE??

I've become less likely to buy on Thredup because :1) They got rid of Thredup everyday, which allowed free shipping for a year for $20; 2) They upped their free shipping to orders of $70 and higher, and; 3) They've been doing this "final sale, no returns" thing on many of the items I might want to buy. The reality is, I'm less likely to buy used clothing if I cannot return it. I think this is a big mistake on their part. Most of their competitors allow returns. 

So, checkout Swap.com. I'm glad there is another good consignment option online. I am hoping Thredup reverses some of its changes. I'll continue to also buy from MoxieJean.