Deep Thoughts While Cleaning out my Closet

Hey friends,
Sometimes I write in this space to help myself process thoughts. So even if it is just my mom reading this... Want to chat, Momma?

Yesterday, I took on the major job of cleaning out my closet for the season. Seeing as the summer temperatures are here to stay, I no longer have a need for a closet filled with sweaters, boots, and winter coats. Even more, without having to physically go to work every day, my style needs can basically be summed up by t-shirts, leggings, or a pair of cut off shorts.

So, I do this about twice a year. Once in the spring and once in the fall. I usually start here as a reminder as well as some much needed inspiration to be intentional in my purging. With that in mind, the process for me looks like this:

I have one huge bin that stays in the garage. All of the items I know I want to save but will certainly not wear until a complete shift in the seasons goes here.

Then I have two under the bed storage bins. In one bin, I put my spring/summer clothes items that I still want to save but that just don't make the cut for the items that I want on constant rotation in my closet. In this particular season, this looks like work items that I would certainly grab for when we return to school in August, but that I have no need for in my every day life. (Pencil skirts, fancy blouses, dresses I would only wear to events like weddings, heels etc.)

The other under the bed bin, is for similar clothing but that lends itself more towards the cooler weather. In this bin, I put sweatshirts and zip up jackets that I would grab if it was raining or if we were going camping and some professional items that I might grab for before it gets deep into fall/winter.

The last pile of items is either, throw away (ripped, holes, stained items) or give-away. For this go around, I had a large amount of items that have been in storage for season after season but that I just don't grab for anymore. Super nice things, that were once favorites from Anthropologie or J Crew but that now seem, too young, or too short, or just a style I would never wear anymore. Like, why did I ever wear jeans that were low rise? Thank goodness high rise became the thing because I don't think I can ever go back to that. For these items I ordered a ThredUp bag. I'm not super set on making money on the items, but because a lot of them look like new and are nicer items... I thought this would be the better option for me during this particular purging session.

So all of that to say this. When I was finished sorting items, I began to hang things back up in my closet. It does feel lighter, and easier to see things in there now. But there were still so many things I know I won't wear this summer and absolutely not an inch of space left in my under the bed or garage storage bins and it made me think... why do I have SO much stuff?

Why do I constantly feel enticed by a morning email alerting me to a must shop sale? Why do I waste countless hours over the course of a day, week, month, year virtually browsing the sale sections at Madewell, Anthro, Nordstrom... Why do I see bloggers awesome scores for such a good price and feel the need to add that same item to my wardrobe? Why do I buy more when each of the items in my closet were once something that I felt like I had to have and no longer feel that way about?

Sure, it's normal for some bit of style trends to ebb and flow but... I have SO much and often feel like I only grab for the same three t-shirts.

In reflecting on this a lot yesterday, I was almost annoyed with myself. I am not immune to the easy self-gratification of an online purchase. I love the thrill of a delivered box of goodies sent to my door with my name on it. I get it. But the bigger question is... do I NEED it? Do I need to self gratify with clothing purchases? Do I need new clothes to feel good about myself? In a religious sense, have I made clothing an idol?

I was humbled. I am humbled. And I am thankful for this time of recognizing the surplus because it is just that... SURPLUS.

So all of these thoughts to say, that I feel a conviction to stop. And that's kind of hard for me to commit to. How long can I go? What if there's a really cute thing that I want? But that one sale will surely come?

Right now, I feel a strong conviction to STOP. To live with what I have and find re-working the items that are squished in the closet and bins upon bins as a new creative challenge.

I felt the need to write out my thoughts here, because whenever my thoughts become printed words, it feels like the decision is made more permanent. So here it is, my blog post proclamation to find contentment with the surplus of clothing items I have now and to resist the urge to gratify with more.

What about you? Have you ever reflected on this idea? Would you be able to halt the need to buy, to browse, to want? It's pretty challenging in this current state of culture, right? But here I go, all the same. I will let you know how it goes.

Stay tuned.

Catching Up- Spring Break and Back to Work

Hi everyone, I hope you're enjoying some awesome spring weather this weekend. Every day lately, I've been reminded of how truly wonderful this time of year is. The lighter evenings, delicious smells of blooming flowers, and the warm sunshine... it's all good for the soul. 

Spring Break already feels like the distant past. I can't believe how quickly that week flew by. It started off so relaxing. My mom and dad had the bigs over for a sleepover on Sunday night and Taylor still went to her at home daycare down the street. So our very first day of break took Dustin and I to our favorite beach. I caught up on some work reading and he got in a long distance run. Then I met my two besties to get our nails done (a belated birthday tradition) and had some afternoon appetizers. It was one of the most laid back and relaxing days I can remember. 

On Monday afternoon, Dustin's Uncle Dave drove in from Sacramento to stay with us for the week. We love his spring visits. It's so nice to have family here with us. Uncle Dave is also the world's greatest handy man and comes down to work on whatever random projects we acquire throughout the year. This years' projects were painting the soon to be girls' room white, spray painting their green bed frames an off white, and helping us build new shelves in Taylor's closet to accommodate better storage for Donovan's things when he moves into her room this summer. 

So for the rest of the week it was a hefty balance of keeping the kids occupied, organizing way too many things around the house, and getting those projects checked off our to do lists. It never seems like it will be that big of an undertaking until it gets started. I spent one entire day going through clothes bins in the garage and it was so overwhelming! I finally went through all of Donovan's old clothes. (I may have cried bagging up his baby clothes) and then edited all of the girl bins to make sure I have organized bins for future Taylor clothes. It took hours and only kept getting messier and messier as I went. Then, it was time to organize all of the closets! It was CRAZY! 

Not to mention that while we were painting rooms, we had both bigs on their perspective mattresses on the floor in our room. 

 It was actually sweet laying there with them every night and watching movies as we all fell asleep, exhausted after a day of hard work. 

 Emmerson got in a little play time with her buddy Ella one afternoon. Note this girl's choice of mis-matched shoes and hair accessories. 

 Mixed in to our busy days of house projects were Donovan's baseball games. His competitive team had a mid-week scrimmage and then a tournament all weekend. We were at the baseball field a lot!

My parents and Uncle Dave were excited to see him in action, too. 

 This week marked his first week of "kid-pitch." He was so nervous but equally excited about it. The first time he pitched, he struck out the first two batters and got the third out with a pop fly. Every time he threw a strike, he's cover up his lower face with his mitt to hide his great, big smile. It was the cutest thing ever! I was so proud of him. His team had a hard run in the tournament, but it was a great learning experience for all of them. I love watching this little group of boys play together. 

 On Friday, my mom and I took the kids to our favorite outdoor shopping spot for a belated birthday treat. I always look forward to this tradition. It gets a little harder to actually shop with the kids in tow. But it's so much fun to be together anyways. They had put in this new play structure since last I had been there. I've never seen anything like it and the kids LOVED it! They climbed up and down over and over while my mom and I enjoyed a much needed cup of coffee. 

 The bigs broke open their piggy banks that morning and collected their saved money to buy themselves a treat at the cutest toy store. Emmerson quickly chose this stuffed dog because she was majorly in need of another stuffed animal. #nosheisnot

And Donovan looked around and around before settling on a dart board. 

 We had lunch at a Mexican food restaurant. 

 And the lucky kiddos even got an ice cream treat from their Oma. It was such a fun day!

 The girls and I squeezed in a quick trip to Oma Oma's house. I always love our visits to her house which happen much too seldom. It's not easy to keep a tab on a two year old running around this place. But we enjoyed our time together. Emmerson especially was so sweet on this little stop by. She sat like such a little lady, enjoying a scone and chat with Oma and I. Em is becoming the kindest, most loving young lady. I am so proud of her. 

Taylor ended up catching a nasty cold right as we were about to return to work. On Sunday, I stayed home with her while the family went to baseball. I painted her finger and toe nails for the first time. She was so much more patient that I expected her to be. It was so cute!

We've been reading lots of books about going to the potty lately. Gearing up for summer time potty training. I think we're getting close to being ready. 

On Monday, my mom stepped in to watch Taylor while we all went back to school/work. Taylor had a yucky cough and runny nose all week. He two year molars finally broke through on the bottom last week, too. This weekend she is feeling much more like herself again. 

The work week was a busy one. I ended up having to step in and substitute in a fourth grade class all week. I haven't been in a classroom consistently for a long time! It was fun and so, so tiring! Ha! 

This weekend, Dustin and I drove to Ramona for a baby shower. His old college roommates are finally jumping into parent hood. They're both due in June. It was fun getting to see so many friends that I hadn't seen for years. 

Today the boys drove back to Ramona for a double header scrimmage for Donovan. The girls and I are relaxing at home in our pjs and trying to pull the house together for another busy week ahead. 

Whew! I think that brings you all up to date. 

A few spring break and work outfits of the week...

Beach day with Dus. Hello legs that have not seen the sun in months!

Hair cut day!

 And shopping day with mom. Other than these three days, I was in my sweats or leggings grinding it big time at home. 

 Back to work. I bought two pairs of the wide-leg crops from Madewell. I'm a fan! They're just like work appropriate jeans. 

And that's a wrap! Have a wonderful week everyone!

Is it time for bed yet?

Whew. This weekend was one of those weekends where I am craving nothing more but an extra day off. I think we took on a bit too much around the house and man alive, I am pooped! 

Let's see, Friday night Dustin and Donovan went to the varsity baseball game. D's practice and Dustin's freshman game were canceled because of rain from earlier in the week. The girls and I got in our jammies early and watched the Christopher Robin movie. Then we were all in bed pretty early. 

Saturday morning it was freezing! The kids built a huge fort out of every blanket and pillow in the house and I made homemade orange scones. We devoured them! I went for a walk with my bestie around the neighborhood while Dustin started some yard work. When I got back, I got Taylor her lunch and laid her down for her nap. Then I joined the fam out in the yard. Donovan and I tackled some major weeding on our back hill while Dustin re-seeded the lawn, gearing up for spring. 

By the time Taylor woke up from nap we were beat! I spent the evening cooking and picking up around the house while the kids played with the neighbors outside. We all conked out super early knowing we were losing an hour of sleep. #springforward

This morning we were sooo lazy. No church for the Heins. We pretty much stayed in our jammies all day. I had the crazy urge to spring clean around the house. I ripped Donovan and Emmerson's closet apart, packing away things that didn't fit, adding more spring tops and shorts from storage, and bagging up lots to take to Goodwill. All the while, Taylor was like a mini tornado making all of the work about three times as challenging as it should have been. It took way too long but I finally pulled their closet together. Then... the rest of the house called. During Taylor's nap, I did the usual weekend chores: laundry, vacuuming, mopping, dusting...  I also cut Dustin's hair! I've never done it before but on a whim I volunteered myself and it didn't turn out half bad!

My parents and Oma brought over dinner. It was delicious and such a blessing for this tired momma. Now the kids are tucked in and I can barely keep my eyes open! 

Not many pictures this week but I did manage to do my awkward morning selfies to document what I wore to work this week. 

 Bringing back my summer jumpsuits... this is an Old Navy fav. I layer it with a tee underneath and a jacket on top to get me through the cool mornings. 

 Wednesday was a rainy day. I'm not a huge fan of the riding boot look these days but rainy weather is a perfect day for them. 

 Friday morning when Donovan looked at me like I was the hugest dork asking, "Mom, why do you take these pictures of yourself in the mirror, anyways?" 

And no weekend clothing pics because I was either in my jammies or knee deep in the weeds on the hill with leggings and a hole filled tee. Not my best look. 

 Documenting that one time I actually got Taylor's hair up in a ponytail without her ripping it right out. 

 Happy kids eating scones on Saturday morning. 

Even Grampie snuck by for a scone. 

Ready to chop my hair into an A-line lob like this. Time for a change. Spring fever, perhaps. 

Dreaming about the kid's room swap but feeling tapped out on inspiration at the moment. Spring break will be here in a few weeks and that will really get the ball rolling. Maybe some freshly painted walls will be just the thing to point me in the right direction. 

Wishing I had held off buying overalls because now they FINALLY come in TALL! Would-a, could-a, should-a!

I almost late night pulled the trigger on this adorable suit. I wonder how my mom tum would look in a high waisted suit. I very rarely and by that I mean pretty much never shop for clothes in person. Bathing suits are so hard to shop for online, though. Especially when you can't buy the top and bottom separately. Still, so cute though. If my size didn't sell out so fast, I may have had to say yes to the polka dot bikini. 

Speaking of suits... this one for my girls makes me dream of summer. I showed it to Emmerson though and her response was, "Mom, if you get that for me, I will never wear it!" Let me translate for those of you who don't speak Emmerson "If it's not pink or glittery it's not going on my body." 

Bachelorette finale begins tomorrow. What will I have to look forward to on Monday nights now? 

Weather in the high 70s is in the 10 day forecast. Hallelujah! 

I turn 38 in a week. thirty-eiiiight. What??? 

Here comes the new week, friends. Let's do this thing! 

xoxo

Sunday Thoughts

My baby turned TWO yesterday! Two! I don't know whether to cry or rejoice. I am sort of feeling a mixture of the two. It is so fun watching Taylor get older and be able to do more and more things independently. She's even been asking to use the potty lately! It's hard to believe that in the not too far away future I will have no more diapers in this household... for good! But with that comes the reality that there are no more babies to hold and snuggle with. No baby milestones to cheer on anymore. Waaaa! I feel like I am needing someone else to have a baby asap so that I can glean all of the sweet goodness without it actually being my own. 

Speaking of getting older... in a month and a half I will be turning 38. I just had to ask Dustin if I will be 38 or 39 on this birthday. A sign I am getting older. Also, I swear that yesterday after I put on my makeup I had this crazy, puffy spot under my right eye that was a set of wrinkles that I'd never had before. I kept obsessing about it all day. I promptly did what anyone with magically appearing overnight wrinkles would do... began to search out insanely overpriced facial regimens online. After talking myself down off the ledge I opted for some highly rated much cheaper eye creams from Target. I am so bad about taking care of my skin and I am thinking that I may be taking notice of these bad habits a little too late. Better late than never... maybe? Fingers crossed. 

While the midwest is dealing with sub zero windchill factors this weekend we, on the other hand, are feeling like spring. The weekend was filled with sunshine and temperatures in the high 70s. Southern California is known for not having seasons but there are still slight shifts that announce the change from season to season. This morning, opening the sliding door and hearing the birds chirping in the backyard, I could definitely sense that spring is near. It makes me want to pack away all of my sweaters and break out my dresses again. But our forecast is showing rain later in the week and I know we still have another few months of cooler temperatures ahead so I am trying my best to tone down my inner need to flip my closet upside down. 

It has not, however, kept me from eyeing some spring goodies online. I have sort of fallen out of love with Anthropologie the last few years. Mostly because the things I find there aren't really super practical for day to day. Enter my love for all things Madewell. But no one can do pretty, feminine, spring blouses like Anthro can. These were a few of my favs. 

one two three four

Random side story... last Monday two of my besties and I went to get our nails done and have lunch for a belated birthday celebration. While ordering our lunch I noticed I was standing next to one of my favorite bloggers and was wearing almost an identical outfit to the one she had on in her most recent post. #nerdalert Cue the fan girl response when I introduced myself. It's weird how average people on social media platforms feel like current day celebrities. What? Only me? 

Donovan had baseball evaluations this morning. Another sign that spring is around the corner. He was so excited to break out the baseball uni again. I can't wait to find out what team he'll be playing on this year. 

Emmerson has interrupted my typing 5,675,325  times so far. She is currently drawing pictures of every Paw Patrol character for her sister's birthday and needs to know all the most important things like which character I like the best? And then which one next? And then which one after that? And also if I know the eye color of every character and what they each have on their collar... You get the drift. 

Bible reading this week is going strong. We are nearing the end of Genesis in the next few days and then on to Exodus. 

Side note: (Sara, if you're reading... I don't have the journal. But I am kind of wishing I had started with that. Maybe I'll order it and re-do the same reading plan next year?) 

Some of my take-aways this week are honestly how messed up and sinful we are. It's amazing to me that God uses sinful humans to fulfill his promises. As our church always says, God uses crooked sticks to draw straight lines. I have seen this over and over again so far in the lineage of Abraham. 

Reading the Bible chronologically has helped me to really understand that lineage. In the past, I have heard the names and can't always quite pinpoint who was who. Abraham, Issac, Jacob, Joseph... but now that has become clear to me. 

Exercise plan has not been going so well this week. How can I keep myself motivated to get it done? Goodness knows I need it. Maybe the spring weather will help. 

I am off to begin baking some cupcakes. Since Dustin had a baseball game yesterday and I was volunteering in the nursery at church, we decided to postpone celebrating our girl until today. We are having a little family BBQ tonight with Paw Patrol decor, cupcakes and presents. Not too shabby for our two year old, although Emmerson just informed me that "Taylor's birthday isn't really that fun." 

Can you see my eyes rolling through the screen? 

If you're still reading, kudos to you. I hope you have a wonderful week!

xoxo

Can we talk superficial for a moment?

Well Lent is over and that means my fast from shopping is complete. It was a positive discipline for me to practice. It felt most challenging when my birthday came and went. I am so accustomed to treating myself to something for my birthday. But with all the sickness of March, it didn't phase me much to put that all on hold. 

But there is one thing I vowed to gift myself with when I allowed myself the freedom to shop again... A new rug for the living room. You know you're getting old when a rug is all you dream of for your birthday, right? I ordered this one today and I can't wait to see if it will be a good fit for the space. 

I am also craving a haircut. I only get mine done every 4-5 months and it is feeling long overdue right about now. I called the salon to see if by chance my gal had any openings this week while we're off... and she has nothing until mid May! Ugh. Looks like a whole lot of top knots are in my future this month. The beginning of warmer temperatures always makes me want to lighten up my color and shorten my hair a bit. I love these chunky layers and want to use this as my inspiration pic when I do go in sometime in the next month or two. 

(Source) 

I truly have no need to add to my closet right now. I have too much stuff that I don't wear as it is. But Madewell's new arrivals for Spring have certainly tempted me. I have this thing for white blouses. And ruffles. This top has both and it's giving me all the heart eyes. 

And if I happen to be near my Madewell store anytime soon, I'd love to try on this little dress. I think their dresses are so versatile. My favorite thing to wear to work with a denim jacket and flat sandals. 

One staple I have been searching for high and low are some neutral colored d'Orsay flats. I have looked at all different price ranges, manufacturers, and I just can't decide on a pair that I think is worth trying. This pair from GAP is less than $20, the color I am looking for, and the exact style I want but I am so worried that they'll hurt or fall apart after a few wears. I beat my shoes up big time at work and I need a pair that can withstand whatever it is that teaching does to my poor shoes. Any recommendations? I am all ears. 

Other random thoughts...

1. My workouts have been so rough the last few weeks. March just knocked me down flat. First, the time change. I can not get myself up in the mornings... at all! That means that my workouts get pushed to the evenings. And then there's baseball and sickness and excuses for days. It's been tough, guys. I have been completely inconsistent squeezing in just one a week at best AND eating terribly! Dang you Easter candy and mimosas and.... So I am attempting to detox from all the yucky mojo of the last few weeks and reclaim my strength and discipline once again. For the record, if you fall off the proverbial (workout) horse... don't do it in week 11 of BBG. Trying to jump right back in is a killer! 

2. Tomorrow is the final episode of Fixer Upper... ever! I am going to try my best not to sound like a crazy stalker obsessed Chip & Jo fan here, but you guuuuuyyyyyssss! I am sad. Even my kids love themselves some Fixer Upper. In honor of my favorite design duo... I began a new project at home today. And it involves shiplap. And yes, I will pour a little white paint out for my homies tomorrow. Sad, sad day. 

3. At least I still have this eye candy to drool over! My all time FAV-OR-ITE, every single project is insanely amazing... I mean... Look for yourself. Shea McGee can you take over the Fixer Upper time slot pretty please? Just sayin' 

4. We are making summer plans already and I am so excited for two prospective trips... the always incredible Sacramento visit and also a trip to Tennessee with my side of the family. This is a big deal in the Hein house because we are not the most adventurous bunch and that is an understatement.  But this time, this time... we WILL commit to buying plane tickets and actually taking our kids someplace. I typed it, so it's happening. Done. 

5. Okay, and lastly... I am in major spring cleaning mode. This is what happens when you get a few days off work and you are actually forced to look around at all of the things that you've been putting off since last summer. Here is what I am wondering/seeking advice on. I have 7 years worth of clothes saved from Donovan. Not everything... but all the nice things. And also, everything from Emmerson which obviously I'll pass down to Taylor, but now everything that Taylor is growing out of, too. Bins and bins and more bins. Bins under beds. Bins in rafters in the garage. And in order to put away the current winter items in all the closets, I'd have to buy more bins. 

Is it time? Time to bid adieu to the clothes? My lack of storage options is screaming YES! And yet there's this pesky little feeling hiding deep down in me that makes me so sad to say goodbye to all of the stuff because it is an undeniable leap in admitting there are no more sweet little ones in our future. 

Have you taken that step yet? Was it hard for you? Is it therapeutic in hindsight? Help a momma out. I need to know. 

Thanks for reading/listening to these random Monday thoughts.  Hooray for spring break and time to catch up on this here space!

Favorite Purchase & Currently Craving

Please excuse the awkward bathroom selfie. But these overalls! You guys! I am living in these. They are the most comfortable things ever and from all of the reviews I read before I got them, I think they flatter just about every body type. 

You can find the link to them here. Remember that if you bring in any old pair of jeans to your local Madewell store, they will credit you $20 towards your denim purchase. 

I'll admit I was a bit hesitant to take on this trend. You know, at the ripe old age of 36 and stuff. But seriously, I could wear these babies every day of the week so there is no shame in my overall game. Do yourself a favor and go try them on and while you're at it, kick your sweatpants to the back of your jammie drawer. 

Also, I can't find these sandals on line but they had lots of them at my local Target. I am always looking for a pair of cognac heels, sandals, boots... these are so comfortable and they go with everything. It will only be a short amount of time before these bad boys start making their own tan line on my feet, I wear them so often. 

So help me friends because I am in a season of some serious want. I feel like this happens at every turn of the season for me... I begin to crave new and different. But with the bathroom renovation underway and alllll of the small purchases that added up in a big way towards its completion, I am on a major spending freeze. 

If I weren't, here is what I would be adding to my shopping cart this minute: 

This hat! 

It's packable and perfect for covering up unwashed hair all summer long. I keep looking at it and reading reviews and I feel like it would get some serious usage in my clothing rotation. 

New swimwear

My body is forever changing with pregnancies, postpartum recovery, and all that goes with that. I haven't even attempted to try on any of my old suits yet. But that hasn't stopped me from eyeing a few new ones online. I am loving the one piece trend. 

I have a history of collecting cheap suits that only last for a season or two. But last year I bought my first nice suit at Anthropologie that looks almost identical to this one from Target. 

If I were to splurge on something new for this summer, I would want something that gives me more coverage up top. I have been eyeing suits like this from albionfit. And I also love the look of this one from anthropologie but yikes! The price tag is a bit steep. 

Anyone have any successes with some cute suits with coverage? I am all ears. 

Lastly, I keep eyeing necklaces handmade by my new blogger crush. How pretty is this tassel necklace? I love a long necklace in gold. It goes with everything! All of her pieces are only available for a limited time so I keep eyeing them with all of the shopping constraint I can muster. 

And finally, to top off this vain post of mine... hair! I am constantly going back and forth wondering if I should chop or not. 

(source)

I really like this blunt cut with layers. Mine is a grown out a-line and I am ready to even it out. 

(source)

And the great bangs debate. I have finally grown mine out but sometimes I miss them! Especially when I wear my hair up in a ponytail or a bun. I think bangs seem to make everything look more styled. Hmmmm. 

Or do I wait and let my hair be a frizzy mess all summer and save my pennies for a good cut when I return to work in August. Decisions, decisions. 

Today is the first day all week where we've had a hint of sunshine. It's making me that much more excited for the summer days to come! 

Have a great weekend, everyone! 

xo

Currently

Is it seriously almost JUNE? I apologize for the lack of posts. It's been a crazy few weeks around here as Dustin's baseball season wound down, Donovan's All Star season began which means 3 late night practices a week and 4 weekends in a row of tournaments. 

Also, the bathroom demolition started... TODAY! The two weeks leading up to this have been so crazy. Last minute online purchases are being tracked by the minute to make sure they arrive on time... unexpected delays on purchased items have lead to heated arguments and augmented stress levels between Dustin and I,  not to mention the late night painting we've been doing every night this week so far. Oh, and have you ever spent an entire Sunday toting three small kids through Home Depot AND Lowes. I would not advise it. It's a miracle that our marriage survived it, I tell you. Like I said, it's been CRAZY around here!

So currently, I am locked up in the family room downstairs listening to more crazy happening upstairs with great anticipation of the finished product to come. 

I am working on Emmerson's Shutterfly birthday book because her birthday is in one week! I can't believe our baby girl with be FOUR. Cue the tears. 

I have been obsessing over this blog that I stumbled upon recently. Her style is spot on with everything I love and I have found so much inspiration in her posts. 

My mom, Taylor, and I went shopping and stopped off at Madewell last week and I purchased these which are oddly reminiscent of the pair I used to wear 20 years ago.  Can I tell you how much I love Madewell? I have been living in these since I had Taylor. Seriously, on constant rotation. Madewell offers 15% off for teachers all the time and gives you a $20 voucher to spend on denim when you bring in any old pair of jeans in that you want to donate/recycle. 

I keep going back and forth about wanting to get my hair cut. I haven't had it done since December and it is due time. My hair is falling out like crazy right now... thanks postpartum hair loss. Do I spend the $ to style it up now, or wait until summer is over and the hair loss slows down? 

Dustin and I visited a potential daycare for Taylor for next school year. I may have cried... a lot... after we left. It was a great spot and she will most likely go there but the reality that my stay at home mommy days are numbered just about slapped me in the face. This is the first and only time in as long as I can remember that I am not counting down the days until the end of the school year. I keep reminding myself over and over again that God will provide exactly what I need, as I need it. Putting my hope in that truth. 

I really want to read a good book. Not sure what kind but it has been ages since I've read a book I couldn't put down. Any suggestions? 

That's all for now, I guess. I hope you are all having a great week so far. 

xo

My Experience with ThredUP

Have you all heard about...

I had read about it on a blog months ago and had kind of forgotten about it until I began the Great Closet Clean Out 2017! At the time, I was on a mission to declutter. I literally took every single item of clothing out of my closet and out of storage bins, placed it all on top of my bed,  and then sorted it into  these four categories. 

1. Current Items I LOVED (in season) - they went back into my closet

2. Items I LOVED (out of season) - these went into storage bins

3. Donate - these were dropped off at Goodwill

4. Sell - These became the items I sent to ThredUP

It's not a big deal donating items. I take loads of stuff to our local Goodwill all of the time. But when you are doing a major overhaul of items that you once loved and spent good $ on, I wondered if there might be a better, more profitable option. And there is!

If you are finding yourself in a similar situation and are curious about the process, here's how it worked. 

 First, I  went to ThredUP's website and selected the "Clean Out" option. They have a video there to learn more as well as the ability to search similar items to the ones you are donating to see how much your estimated payout would be. 

If you like the idea, you order a Clean Out Bag and they mail it to you in just a few business days. It comes in a tiny envelope but holy moly, does that thing expand. I mean, I probably filled it with 3 trash bags FULL of clothing items. 

There are two different ways that you can choose to order the bag. It comes with a shipping label that you attach to the bag and simply drop off at the Post Office or catch your mail person as they do their delivery. Although the shipping is free upfront, they do deduct $9.99 from your overall profit for the cost of shipping. You can also opt to have them deduct an additional $9.99 if you would like them to return all of the unaccepted contents of your bag back to you after it has been processed. 

So, you fill up your giant bag with as many items as you have that are new, or like new. They are quite picky about any fading, pills, stains, signs of wear etc. Then pop that bag right back in the mail. 

My bag took about a month to process. They sent me an email when they received my bag with an estimated processing date and they stuck right to the date they had sent me. 

Once the bag was processed, I received a very thorough email with some of the information below. 

So apparently more that the average amount of my items were accepted. You can see some of the items that I sent down below. I opted not to have my items returned to me, so 34% of them were recycled responsibly. 

And here was my payout. I earned $93.58. $9.99 was deducted for the shipping cost of my donation bag so all in all I earned $83.59 upfront for items that they anticipated would sell quickly. 

Now I know in hind sight $93.58 isn't a ton of money for all the things I once purchased from places like Anthropologie, Ann Taylor, Nordstrom etc. But I have mistakenly tried to have garage sales before, bidding some of my nice items adieu and I literally gave my old Anthropologie clothing away for like a dollar a dress! So 93 bucks was pretty promising, I thought. 

Not only do they give you a total amount for the items that they accepted but they send you a link to track all of your items. These were the items that they accepted upfront. From your list, you can click on the picture of each item and it takes you directly to their site to see how they are listed and what asking price they are listed at. 

Here is how I know how picky their standards are. I seriously think that these items that I sent in were in perfect condition. Like, had I bought them brand new in a store I would have been completely satisfied. But, when I clicked on them online some of them had an asterisk denoting that there was a small flaw (either minor pilling or fading). This actually made me even more pleased with the company knowing how high their standards are. More on that later...

4 of my items were also selected as consignment items. This means that ThredUP does not anticipate that they will sell immediately, but they still meet their quality standards. These items are listed on their site for 80 (I think) days. Within that time frame, you yourself have the ability to adjust the price of the items. ThredUP denotes what percentage of the sale you will receive. You can see in the far right column that two of my items have been reserved to someone's cart but have not yet sold. 

As your items sell, they send you an email with a link to make you aware of how well your items are doing on their site. 

You can use the total payout one of two ways... First, by turning around and shopping on their site. Or by transferring it to your PayPal account and using it any way you want. 

I swore I was going to transfer mine to PayPal. Keep in mind, I had been trying to clean OUT all of our closets... but once I saw how picky their selection process was, I was more interested in taking a look to see what they had to offer. 

You guys, they have SO MUCH GOOD STUFF! 

Emmerson's birthday is coming up at the end of May so I shopped with her in mind. These are just a few of the items I found: 

The two tanks on the left are from Matilda Jane. They are so cute! The white eyelet tank is from Lily Pulitzer for Target and the beaded top is my favorite of all. It's from Antik Batik. An item I would never be able to afford at full price but it was listed at a fraction of its original cost. 

 The details! and by the way, everything came packaged so perfectly. This is only wrinkled because I have stuffed everything in a bag in my closet until I can wrap it up for Em's birthday. :)

 These two outfits from Pippa & Julie and Ann Loren came new with tags on them. I loved the blue striped top. I am picturing it with a big red hair bow for Fourth of July this summer. 

 And these princess dresses. I couldn't resist. At Target these probably cost $20 - $25 dollars each. I got them both for something like $13. They are pristinely clean and I know Emmerson will be so excited about them!

 I couldn't forget about my other girly girl. Do you see the 4th of July theme? I guess I have summer on my mind. Many of these items were also brand new with tags still on. 

I also ordered a pair of work slacks for myself. 

I was so impressed with every single step of the process of selling and buying with ThredUP and could not recommend it more! 

You can get 40% off your first order which is what I did using the code THRIFTY40

Also, if you use this link 

http://www.thredup.com/r/DQFNXN

you can get an additional $10 off of your first order!

And they have free shipping for purchases that exceed $79. 

Take a look and see what you find. I know you'll love it!