High Five For Friday- 27.02.15

Happy Friday!  I had a fun weekend getaway and a busy week.  I am still trying to get things back to "normal" around here!  Here are my five:

1) Miss. E turns 9 months old today!  Time is flying.  She has learned so much in the past month.  She is crawling (super fast, of course!), walking around furniture and climbing our lower furniture.  It has been busy.

2)  Hubby sold his truck, which is a huge relief.  He is currently car hunting.

3)  Our mini holiday was a blast!  Miss. E really enjoyed the zoo!  I recommend trying the Calgary Zoo if you are ever in the area.

4)  Yummy fruit wine.  I picked this up at the Calgary's Farmer's Market.  It is an amazing farmer's market with all sorts of wonderful vendors!

5)  I was nominated by a fellow blogger for a Liebster, which is basically a way for those of us without a large number of followers to gain a little bit of exposure and to talk about ourselves a bit.  I will try to do it over the weekend!

Have a wonderful weekend!  If you would like to join in with H54F, please link up below!

Wardrobe Wednesday- 25.2.15

I had such fun over the weekend in Calgary.  One of my favourite parts of the trip was visiting the Calgary Zoo with Miss. E.  She had such fun!  I dressed comfortably, but still felt put together.  This picture was taken in the ENMAX Conservatory at the Calgary Zoo.  It was a taste of the tropics in winter.

I wore my skinny jeans, my black nursing top (for discreet nursing in public), my black faux leather jacket and my leopard scarf.  I also work black sneakers that are not in my wardrobe, but I broke the rules for the nicer weather and the walking I had to do in Calgary.  I never wear my scarves like this, but (for some reason) it felt kind of glamorous to wear it this way.  I also had my aviator sunglasses on when I was outside.  I don't know why, but aviators make me feel super cool.  Even though I'm not.  Ha ha!  Happy Wednesday!

High Five for Friday- 20.2.2015

Wooo hooo!  It is Friday!  Bring on the weekend!  Hubby, Miss. E and I are headed out on our weekend getaway tomorrow and we couldn't be more excited!  Here are my five:

1.) Valentine's Day was a blast.  We went out for supper (yum!), had cake at home (yum!) and then watched a movie.  We watched "If I Stay".  I honestly expected it to be a lot better.  I was ready for it to be done at the end of the movie, but no such luck!  The next day, we got to watch movies in the morning and just chill.  It was awesome.

2.)  Miss. E is crawling around like crazy and pulling herself up on all the furniture.  She is pretty quick and I spend a lot of time chasing her around!

3.) My hubby's brothers came down for a visit.  It is always so nice to see them.  We had a good vistit.

4.) SNL 40.  Did anyone else watch this?  I LOVED that they brought back Jeopardy.  It is my favourite sketch!

5.)  I was sick this week and Hubby was nice and took care of me.  Thankfully, it was only bad for about 2 days.

Have a wonderful weekend!  If you want to join in H54F, link up below!

Winter Capsule Wardrobe- Likes, Dislikes and What I Learned

As a first attempt at a Capsule Wardrobe, I am fairly pleased with how my winter wardrobe went.  That being said, it left a lot of room for improvement and learning.  I am going to recap what I loved and what I didn't, as well as the lessons that I am taking into the future.

Hubby pulling Miss. E and I in our sleds!  Oh, the Winter fun!

What I LOVED:

Bottoms:

-Silver jeans-bootcut
-Old Navy Skinny Jeans (Sweetheart style)
-black pleated skirt from Joe Fresh
-black leggings from Reitmans
-black dress pants with leather detail from Reitmans

Tops:

-Plum sweater from Reitmans
-White collared button up tank from Old Navy
-Blue breastfeeding top- Thyme Maternity
-Purple breastfeeding top-Thyme Maternity
-Buffalo check shirt- Joe Fresh
-Black breastfeeding top- Thyme Maternity
-Striped top- Reitmans

Some of my favourites:

I was happy with all of my footwear and outerwear.

What I DISLIKED:

I really didn't like my grey leggings.  They always seemed inappropriate to wear outside.  I styled them a few different ways but I was never happy with the results.

My Denver Hayes sweater. white sweater from Joe Fresh and my red cable-knit sweater from Joe Fresh all made the dislike pile.  I didn't choose good shapes for my body type and these sweater were not flattering at all.  They were comfortable, but I don't think that flattering and comfortable have to be mutually exclusive.

Weird shape, right?

  

What I had MIXED FEELINGS about:

The dark green cardigan was a beautiful colour but I wish it had been a bit longer.  It worked well paired with a jacket, but on it's own, I never really loved it.

The oatmeal wool cape was super warm, but I hardly used it.  I also like the denim skirt and black and white tank, but I didn't really wear them because of the cold.  I hope that these pieces will be more useful in my future wardrobes, in more appropriate seasons.

I had a black shirt in addition to my black breastfeeding top.  This was redundant.  I wouldn't do that again.  It was a waste of a wardrobe piece.

What I RUINED:
My black cardigan from Joe Fresh.  I really liked the way that this sweater looked and fit but my mommy-brain (ie. super sleep-deprived) somehow tossed it in with a load of fuzzy sleepers and towels.  Ugh.  I tried salvaging it, but nothing worked.

What I LEARNED:

People with mommy-brain shouldn't do laundry.  Seriously.  (Did you hear that Hubby?)   I just need to pay more attention to how I launder my clothes.

Thick knits and bulky material do not flatter my figure.  I am not a big person in height or build, but I have hips, a bum and my "leftover" baby bump (though it is slowly disappearing).  The aforementioned styles of sweaters don't work for me.  I should aim for tighter knits that sit closer to the body.

I got a lot of use out of my plum sweater.  It had a tighter knit, some "see-through" detailing on the shoulders and it was a good length.  I also got a lot of use out of my striped shirt.  It was comfy enough for at home, but could be styled a bit if we were going somewhere.

I plan to buy a bright cardigan for my Spring Wardrobe, in a similar length to the one I ruined.  It hit me mid-hip and was far more flattering than the cardigan that hit the top of my hips.  I hope I can find one I like!

Somewhere along the line I lost my plaid scarf.  I think I left it at my parent's cabin on New Year's Eve.  I really like the scarf, so I hope it turns up!

I plan to take my lessons into this next capsule wardrobe.  I hope I don't make as many mistakes this time!  I will have a few things to donate!  I am (almost) ready!  Bring it on, Spring!

Wardrobe Wednesday- Valentine's Day Recap

I have always loved Valentine's Day.  I feel like it gives a shot of colour into what can be dull time of year.  Winter always feels like it is going to last forever and Valentine's Day breaks up the monotony for me.  Hubby and I went out for supper with Miss. E in tow.  We don't have any 'fancy' restaurants in the area, but I still like to dress up.  I copied this outfit from Caroline's blog Un-Fancy.  When I saw the outfit I fell head over heels for it and knew I had to try to replicate it.  My shirt is fairly similar.  I used a shorter skirt, however, as the midi skirt did not look good on my frame.  Both my shirt and skirt are from Joe Fresh.

Minimalism Week #18- Back Porch Closet

When I first began tackling this project, I thought that it would become more of an organizational project than a minimalism project.  The closet led me to other areas in my house and I was able to donate a bag of warm weather accessories, a blanket, 2 purses and 2 pairs of boots.

Here is my before:

(You can hardly tell our Golden Retriever sleeps by this closet.. Oh my goodness. The hair....)

And the after:

The project branched into other areas of the house, which led to a lot more minimizing.  Of course, once I was on a roll, I didn't take pictures!

I made room for Miss. E's sun hats and toques that will only fit her as she gets bigger.  I donated any winter accessories (mitts, scarves, toques) that I don't wear.  Hubby got rid of some of his winter stuff.  I found a purse and wallet that I don't use.  A lot of little things.  Those things add up, however and I intend to keep this in mind when I am out shopping.  I don't want to wake up one day and find myself overwhelmed by all of the little things that I have collected and hung on to.

High Five For Friday!

Hello Everyone!  I am very excited for this weekend.  We are celebrating Valentine's Day tonight and then my husband's brother and friend are coming down for the weekend.  It is Family Day weekend where I live so Hubby gets Monday off, too!

Here are my five:

1.)  I had coffee with a co-worker and her baby this week.  It was nice to see her.  We chatted and she had some delicious treats for us to eat!

2.)  Miss E and I ran up to the city to get groceries and she was a delight!  Sometimes she gets grumpy when we do our big grocery run, but she was so happy!  She squealed at everyone and gave them big smiles.  It was funny.

                                                        
3.)  I tried a new recipe this week and it was really yummy.  What did people do before Pinterest?

4.)  Hubby and I booked a weekend getaway for our little family.  We are so excited to get away.  Our big holiday had to be cancelled because work has slowed down, but we are happy that we can still do a little trip together.

5.)  Hubby had some days where he came home early this week (not much work...).  I really got to enjoys spending some time with him while Miss. E napped.  She hasn't been a good sleeper as of late, so our evenings are spent nursing and settling Miss. E.

How was your week?  Join in High Five For Friday below!

Wardrobe Wednesday- Playful With Colour!

This outfit feels playful to me.  I like that it is practical (warm and comfy), but that it looks kind of fun!  I like colour so it was fun to pair the emerald sweater with the red checked shirt.  I belted it, which always adds shape with a defined waist.  I mentioned that I was disappointed in some of the pieces that I picked for my Winter Wardrobe and that I felt there was a general lack of colout.  This outfit helps me feel bright and cheery.  I am disappointed that I haven't worn this shirt more.  I plan to fix that by wearing it more this month!  

Minimalism Week #17- Laundry Room

I have drooled over Pinterest laundry rooms many times.  Alas, my laundry room is practical, but definitely not pretty!  Over the last few years the laundry room has also stored several items that had no other home.  This past weekend, I went through it and decluttered the room.

Here is the before:

I donated some items and got Hubby to get rid of his oodles of coveralls (he can't wear them to work anymore).  We had a lot of 'junk' that we held on to just in case.  We finally let it go.  Two bags of garbage came out of this purge.  We donated some bins, curtains and rods, and a shoe rack (not pictured).

The after:

Much better!  Everything in the room is useful and practical.  Just the way I like it!

High Five For Friday!

Hello |Everyone!  It has been a lovely week!  Here are my five:

1.)  It has been a busy week for Miss. E.  She got her second tooth, figured out how to get herself back into a sitting position after laying down, and she is figuring out the whole crawling thing.  She loves pulling herself up on our couch, but always does it when Hubby and I aren't paying attention, so neither of us has seen how she manages to do it.  She does it pretty quickly!

2.)  I had a doctor's appointment in the city so Miss. E and I got to do some shopping!  I managed to get a few things on my Spring Capsule Wardrobe list.  I love shopping for Spring!

3.)  I got to have a visit with my friend who lost her son.  She is doing as well as can be expected.  I miss seeing her everyday (we used to work together).  She is a wonderful person and it was nice to get together.

4.)  Hubby has been wonderful as I was trying to get Miss. E to settle and sleep in her crib. She has eczema and was teething, so she didn't want to settle.  She was probably uncomfortable, poor kid!  Every time I came out of her room, the dishes were done.  I was very happy to see that!

5.)  We had our weigh in day again this week.  I have lost more weight and inches (despite the incident with the lasagna last week!).  I love the workout program.  Hubby is doing well with it, too!  We are doing the Bikini Body Mommy 90 day challenge.  We are only taking part in the (free!) workouts.  They are intense, but quick (15-20 minutes).  The quick workouts are ideal with having a little one!

Hope you all had a wonderful week!  Link up below to join in!

Wardrobe Wednesday- My Go To 'Outfit'

I think we all have a 'default' outfit in our closet.  We feel confident in this outfit and possibly comfortable.  I can usually be found in my jeans and my plum nursing top.  The jeans fit well and I feel comfortable in the top.  I can nurse anywhere I go and not have to worry about wardrobe malfunctions.  I add a scarf and sometimes a sweater and I am good to go.  Happy Wednesday!

Spring 2015 Capsule Wardrobe Planning

I have began working on my Spring 2015 Capsule Wardrobe.  I got the idea of doing a Capsule Wardrobe on Caroline's blog Un-Fancy.  I was reading that she plans to do just a warm weather capsule and a cold weather capsule.  I think this would be an awesome idea.  I will do a year of seasonal wardrobes, because it helps me focus my efforts more efficiently.  At this point, I would find planning 6 months of wardrobe to be overwhelming.

First things first.  I enjoyed having a Capsule Wardrobe.  I learned a few things, as well:

#1) I NEED MORE COLOUR: I tried to keep my Winter Capsule rather neutral because I thought it would be easier to make outfits.  I found this to be drab.  I love colour and I should have included a lot more colour in both my clothes and my accessories.

#2) I NEED MORE COMFORT: I also put in a lot of sweaters, but no sweatshirts.  I should have included a sweatshirt or two to help make some easy, comfortable outfits.

#3) SOME THINGS JUST DON'T LOOK GOOD ON ME: I learned that I need to pay much closer attention to the shape of the clothes that I buy.  I had some oversize sweaters that did nothing to flatter my figure.  I could belt them (and I did belt them a few times), but as it turns out,  I hate wearing belts!  Once in a while was okay, but more often then not, I just took the belt off right away. Some of my items didn't work for me.  I thought that they would be great and they were not.  I have several items in the donation pile.  This wardrobe has been a wonderful experience in planning and in knowing what shapes of clothes work for my body type.

When planning my Spring Capsule wardrobe, I will try to keep the things I learned in mind.  I love navy, white, coral and pink in the Spring.  I want to keep a clean, classic look with comfort and colour.  I will keep in mind that Miss. E's first birthday falls in the Spring and I will want something cute to wear for her birthday party!

I have been pinning ideas like crazy and "window" shopping on the internet.  I will start buying items soon and putting the wardrobe together.  I am so excited!  I know that I will have more items in this wardrobe, because I will have the ability to wear more types of clothes because of the warmer weather.  That being said, I have to have some warm clothes.  I live in Canada and it has been know to snow in May!  (Not often, but it does happen!)