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Sunday, October 20, 2013

I only put a song on repeat when I'm alone


Every once in a while, I get hooked on a song.
Not in the "I need to hear it every single day" way.
No, I'm talking about listening to it for almost an hour (or more) straight every few weeks.

Tonight, I was working on a project in the kitchen.
I got tired of hearing the television so I got out my headphones and pulled up my music on my phone.
I did start out listening to a playlist and made it through to the end... to the song.

And then I put it on repeat and listened to it for over an hour.
What song?

Kings of Leon- Sex on Fire

I think I first heard it last summer (2012) while on vacation.
And there's just something about it.

It's not the lyrics. I'm not fantasizing about having mind blowing sex with someone I hardly know.
It's the music.
And it's the voice.

The music is almost haunting to me, in a good way.
It just stays with me for hours, sometimes days.

And I love the raspy, almost forced sounding voice of the lead singer.
It just sounds like there is so much raw emotion coming out of that guy.

I can literally listen to this song for hours, whether I am doing something or just sitting in one spot spacing out.

But I only do it if I am in the car alone, which rarely happens, or if I have my headphones on.
I am fully aware that other people might not/don't share my weird tendencies.


Any songs do this to you?


Friday, October 18, 2013

I wanted to pee alone so I went to a crowded restaurant


If I don't know you, I am an introvert.
If I know you, I am an extrovert.

I can talk to family or friends about anything and everything.
But when I first meet someone, I am reserved and nervous as hell.
It's that tendency to babble that makes me look like a crazy person.

So planning to attend a get together with people that I have NEVER met before is totally outside my comfort zone.
But I did it. And I loved it.

I follow Michelle over at You're My Favorite Today.
Have you met/read Michelle? You should.
She was one of many women across the country hosting a ladies night out this past Wednesday.

The brain behind the event was Jen over at People I Want to Punch in the Throat.
She hosted a get together last year and so many people were bummed that they didn't live close enough to attend. So she and a few other ladies behind the book, I Just Want to Pee Alone, decided to have a national night out. Women in different cities planned events for people like me to get out of the house, away from our families, and hang out with other ladies.

Michelle co-hosted the event in the Minneapolis area with Joy from Evil Joy Speaks.
Have you met/read Joy? You should.

The day I Just Want to Pee Alone National Night out was announced, I read it first on Michelle's blog. And I knew that I had to go. It's impossible to make friends if you don't ever go anywhere where you could make friends.
And since I already liked Michelle through her posts, I knew I had to go to meet her in person.

So I stepped out of my comfort zone and went to meet people.
I did my hair, put on make-up, and yes... I wore jeans, not yoga pants. (Michelle has a picture to prove it.)

When I got there, Michelle actually knew me through my picture and the fact that I had RSVPed to the event. It's a little weird 'meeting' someone who you feel like you already know due to internet stalking her reading her blog for months. But I did and here we are:

 It was a little nerve wracking. I tend to babble or bring up weird shit when I don't know someone very well. (Okay, I do that with my friends, too.... but friends don't judge you for it like a stranger might.) But you could tell that most everyone there sort of felt the same way. And that was comforting.

The 3 hours seemed to fly by and before it was over, we had a list compiled of email addresses and Twitter handles and plans to meet up again after the holidays are over.
I doubt I'll be nervous this time since I really enjoyed the evening and the company. At least, I hope I'll be less nervous.

This is the great group of ladies that assembled for a night out:

 
I got to meet a few lovely people that I would never have had the chance to meet otherwise.
I left there that night with a new Facebook friend and 2 new Twitter followers.
The next day, I got another new FB friend and a new new follower on the blog, which is thrilling.
And also left with the knowledge that I made Michelle's night by telling her my secret fro touching up my gray roots when I cannot get to the salon:
That's right. A simple brown Crayola washable marker, taken out of the craft drawer. It blends right in and washes right out. (It rubs off on a pillow if you don't wash it out.)
It's a hell of a lot cheaper than going to the salon more often and it's less messy than spray colors.
Michelle did make sure to ask if it came out and I told her the truth: "If it didn't come out, I wouldn't still have to hit up the salon every 3-4 weeks to get my color done."

The next time you want to pee alone and there is an event near you, GO.
Just go.
You won't regret it.
Pinkie swear.



Thursday, October 17, 2013

TBT- Jams from October 1985


October 1985.
I was 7 years old, about to turn 8.
I was in the 2nd grade and already addicted to music.

My parents split when I was only 3 and when I spent weekends with my father, he was watching MTV. (You know, back when they actually played videos and had NO game shows or reality shows.) So since he watched, I watched. Thus began my love of music, specifically 80's music.

~I loved (and still love) Def Leppard.
~I thought ZZ Top was so cool because of their car.
~Loverboy sang my most favorite song, 'Queen of the Broken Hearts' (1983).
(My father took me with him to see them in concert when I was in kindergarten. I fell asleep right after I heard my song. I had a shirt and rocked that thing back in class.)

Anyway...

This week of October back in 1985, there were some great songs on top of the charts.
Music that is still used in movies and TV.
Music that makes a lot of people sit back and think about days gone by.

So, without further ado, here are some of the songs that graced the charts in 1985:

Glenn Frey- You Belong to the City
I absolutely love this song. The sax starting it out, the beat of the song (you could see yourself walking around a big city while it plays)... this song gets stuck in my head a lot.
Plus, Glenn Frey was a founding member of the Eagles. The man knows music.


Heart- Never
Ann and Nancy Wilson were the faces and voices of Heart. They made great music, giving us songs like 'What About Love', 'These Dreams', and 'Nothin' At All'.


John Cougar Mellencamp- Small Town
The fact that there were so many old pics of Mellencamp in the video made the song mean even more. He really was/is a huge fan of small town life, something a lot of people know about firsthand.


ZZ Top- Sleeping Bag
"Slip inside my sleeping bag"
That's a tongue twister, to me. I have screwed it up while singing the song more times than not. And I enjoy it every single time. ZZ Top was one of my favorite bands as a kid.


Starship- We Built This City
I never understood the traffic report in the song. I still don't quite get why it was in there. But I still love the song. It reminds me of summer time at the YMCA.


Dire Straits- Walk of Life
I loved this video as a kid. And now? It's a trip down sports memory lane.
Watch the video and check out the old sports uniforms (especially how short the basketball shorts were back then). And in the crowd, you can see the 80's hair and clothes. Still love it.



That's it for this weeks walk down music memory lane.
Do any of these songs bring back memories for you?
Or are you younger than me and think I'm older than dirt?





Wednesday, October 16, 2013

What I Love Wednesday- Oct 17


My absolute favorite season of the year is Fall.

There's just something about crisp air at night, Bulldogs football, the smell of bonfires, freshly fallen leaves, Halloween, and hoodies. Yes, hoodies. I cannot wear them in the summer and they're not enough during the winter. But Fall? Oh yeah.

I have never been much of a 'shorts person'. I really don't like my legs much and prefer to have them covered with jeans. Or yoga pants.
And I love chunky sweaters.
Oooh, and my boots.


I love, love, love these boots.
Yeah, they are a little pricey and I can guarantee that they are the most expensive boots I own. But I allowed myself to buy them once I lost 20 pounds a couple of years ago (2011). It was a great incentive and I freaking love them.

Each year, I look forward to the colors on the trees that shine in the Fall.
On my list of 'places to visit' is Vermont. The pictures that I have seen of the foliage are usually breathtaking and I'd love to see it on person.

I like that it gets cool enough to sit outside with my coffee and not get attacked by mosquitoes.

I like driving around and seeing the Halloween decorations that people put in their yards. Also, more and more people seem to be decorating for Halloween these days which I love.
And I love picking out the perfect costumes for my kids each year. (One day, they'll take that away from me but for now, I get to have the final say.)

When the weather gets cooler in MN, it's usually a little earlier in the year than down in TN and GA. So early October reminds me of November in Georgia, my favorite time of year to go to Georgia football games.
Back before I moved to MN, I went to every home game in Athens two years running. And the latter part of the season was ideal as far as weather.

My favorite games were night games because we hung out with friends in the parking areas all day before heading down to the stadium.
In the mornings when you first park, it's a little chilly and you need a hoodie or windbreaker (UGA colors and graphics, of course). As the day moves on it warms up a little, but it isn't hot and humid like it is in early September.
By the time you head back to your car, you need to hoodie or windbreaker again.
And that beats the hell out of sweating like you're stuck in a giant sauna.

Fall is also when all of my shows come back on, which I wrote about here.
Not long after writing that post, I found out that A&E canceled The Glades. I hate them and I hope all of their Halloween candy is rotten.
Also, how in the world did I forget about Elementary?!? Love that show.

And Thanksgiving will be here before we know it. I cannot stress enough how much I love Thanksgiving meals in our house. Turkey, cornbread dressing, homemade mashed potatoes (no box stuff in this house), homemade mac and cheese, and deviled eggs. I'll need to amp up my cardio during those few days.


What about you? What do you love about fall?




Tuesday, October 15, 2013

You Can't Bury Strangers in Corn Pits


Yesterday, I wrote about the fun times had by my family at the Twin Cities Harvest Festival and Maze.

Overall, we had a great time.
But there were moments that I wanted to throw something at people.
(I'd have thrown corn but that would have made me just as bad as others at the festival.)
And there were moments that made me realize why I only like my own kids and hate other peoples kids. But I'll get to that in a minute.

Upon entering the grounds, we had to wait in line to get in.
Not a problem.. I can wait. And it gave the kids a chance to see just how tall the corn stalks were compared to them. (They had only ever really seen stalks on the interstate in Illinois and Iowa.)

There was a sign that read (CLEARLY):
Credit card payments in the left line
Cash payments in the right line

So, we lined up left since we never seem to have cash on hand.
And of course, there were people who got up to the front and totally screwed it up.
Some of them even bitched out loud that there should have been a sign.
?!?!?!?!?!?

Another sign that was CLEARLY visible was the one saying:
DO NOT TOUCH THE CORN

Now, I imagine that if you lightly touched the stalk, they probably wouldn't care. It's likely that the sign was there to keep people from flat out destroying the corn stalks.
Judging from the amount of corn kernels on the ground, people simply cannot read.

An ADULT in front of us SHOWED his kid how to open up the husk and get the kernels out.
That's lovely. Teach them early how to NOT follow rules.
And he wasn't the only one.

But the one that got me the most?
The little boy behind us that not only kept touching the stalk while his dad watched, but actually RIPPED the corn cob off the stalk and proceeded to peel that thing like a banana.
And like I said, his dad watched the entire time.
Only when the kid chucked the corn behind him into the corn field did his dad say a word. And even then, he just told him that he could have hit someone if they were hanging out in the corn field.
Yeah, that's awesome. You're not okay with the kid hurting anyone but it's just fine if he breaks every other rule and destroys property.
Awesome. Maybe that kid will end up at a party with 300 other kids one day destroying an ex-NFL players home.

The next thing that chapped my arse was the spot where everyone was peeling the sticky tab off of their entrance bracelets. The kids weren't putting them on their own wrists.
And there was a huge trash can right there for you to toss the trash.
But the adults couldn't seem to find the giant, blue trash can and dispose of their trash.
Why do that when the ground looks so wonderful covered with them?


Once we finally got into the festival, that's when I kept thanking my lucky stars that my children behave in public.
And no, I'm not talking about tantrums. I have dealt with that before and I know first hand that when a child is that emotional and already raging... they will not listen to reason.
I don't actually recall hearing too many of those, except from the tiny babies that were hungry or cold.

I'm talking about the kids that were running around like crazy, knocking things over and almost knocking people over. The kids that were being rude and inconsiderate while their parents stood there and said nothing.

While waiting at the face painting tent for our turn, there was a family ahead of us.
They had 3 kids, all girls. The youngest looked to be about 3, the middle kid was around 8 or 9, and the oldest was probably about 13.
When the youngest was done and painted up, she ran away for a minute or two. Her father (?) barely noticed. Luckily, she came back to them.
But then she grabbed the mirror hanging on the tent and almost ripped it down. It was the oldest sister that finally got her to let go and told her not to do it.

Once the all 3 girls were done, the oldest and middle were both looking in the mirror. Apparently, the middle one, we will call her Diva, didn't like sharing and SHOVED her sister away... right towards my youngest child. Luckily, the kid was able to right herself a split second before she knocked my kid on her ass.

I had to endure those kids, and their crappy behavior, for a total of about 10 minutes. It was the longest 10 minutes of my life.

Then there were the kids in the corn pit.
It was a giant pit of kernels held in place by a barrier of hay bales.
My kids took off their shoes and got in and started to play.
I stayed on the outside of the pit to take pics.

While standing there, a few kids came running along the top of the bales, knocking into people left and right. And I can honestly say, I don't know where their parents were at the time.
One of them actually clipped me in the shoulder.
Did she say sorry? Of course not. Apparently, she was never taught to do such a crazy thing.


Honestly, my anger is geared more towards the parents than the kids.
Children will actually behave if they are taught the difference between right and wrong.
Deep down, when I see rude little snots, I know that it's probably not their fault.
(Okay, yeah.... some kids are just wild and no one can get them to behave.)

It's the parents that stand by and watch their children being snots that bother me.
Why don't they say something?
Why don't they pull Junior aside and let him know that if the behavior continues, they will be going home where he can sit in time out?

Now, I've said before that my kids aren't perfect.
But I can honestly say that they have never done the things mentioned above.
And only once can I remember one of them plowing into someone.

One time at Target, Button was in the little kids section with us while we were trying a coat on Peanut. Button took off at a sprint through the racks and almost knocked a woman down.
She's never done it again.
Not after the look from me, the talk from my husband and me, and the fact that we made it clear that we would not tolerate rudeness.

People usually aren't born mean. They aren't born racist, rude, inconsiderate, or spoiled.
It's what they learn (or don't learn) from their parents that make them act terribly throughout their childhoods and into adulthood.

I thank my lucky stars everyday that my mother never permitted that sort of behavior and taught me to be considerate and helpful.
And I'll continue to teach my kids to be the same way.



It always comes back on the parents.
Kids don't get the side-eye... the parents do.


Monday, October 14, 2013

Corn kernels and pumpkins: An afternoon at a corn maze


I love just about any kind of festival.
But I do hate crowds.
You can see how that can be a problem.

But Sunday, we braved a crowd and headed to the Twin Cities Harvest Festival and Maze.
I read about it through another blogger and thought we should check it out.

I haven't been to a corn maze since I was a kid.
And I knew the girls would love to see a maze of corn and maybe get their faces painted.
Luckily, I was right.
The complaints details about the face painting, crowds, kids, and the fact that people don't read signs will have to wait until tomorrow.

Peanut and Button loved the face painting, except during dinner later 
when all Peanut wanted to do was "itch her face".


We went through the maze, with a map.
Photo from http://www.twincitiesmaze.com/
That giant circle to the right is where the festivities were held... and where they kept the food.
They had a small hay bale maze for the little kids, a giant slide, live music, kids play area, a petting zoo, and hayrides. They also had helicopter rides but I believe it was a little over our price range for the day.


They also had a corn pit.
Yes. An entire pit filled with corn kernels.
And my family seemed to love it.
They all took turns being buried and seemed to really enjoy burying Daddy.


After we came out of the maze, we decided to head out and go have dinner somewhere.
But of course, we had to pick up some pumpkins on the way out.
Peanut looks a little awkward in the middle pic... her pumpkin was a little heavier than she thought and she was ready to hand it over to me shortly after I took the last picture.




Overall, the kids had a great time and my husband and I didn't try to maim anyone.
If you are in the Twin Cities in the next 2 weeks and want to go to a great maze, head out to Brooklyn Park and see the largest one in Minnesota.




Thursday, October 10, 2013

TBT- Jams on the radio from Oct 1996

I've said before that I might OD on nostalgia.
That's right... just call me Iona.

Photo from http://nakedtile.blogspot.com/2011/05/pretty-in-pink-iona.html


This week back in October 1996, I had just graduated from high school and was trying to find myself as a college freshman. I remember a lot of the songs on the radio and songs being pumped through the sound systems in dance clubs.

Since I love trips down music memory lane, I am devoting this blog post to the music that was burning up the charts 17 years ago.

All of the songs below were in the top 30 on the billboard charts this week back in 1996.


Alanis Morissette- Head over Feet
As much I was okay with this song, I cannot remember the last time I heard it or wanted to hear it. But I will still, gladly, rock out to You Oughta Know.


Merril Bainbridge- Mouth
So funny that a lot of adults thought this song was such a questionable song, sexually. Wonder what those same parents would say about it now compared to what's on the radio? Or on the VMA's?


Donna Lewis- I Love You Always Forever
I remember when this came out and sooo many girls just loved it. But hearing it coming out of that many radios in cars and dorm rooms, I got to the point where I couldn't stand it anymore. Fingernails on a chalkboard after a while.


Blackstreet- No Diggity
Oh how I loved/still love this song. I remember driving around with my college roommate listening to this and the song below. It was such a great jam.


Quad City DJ's- C'mon Ride the Train
'Ride that choo-choo...Wooo wooo!'
Seriously, this song takes me back to college like no other song. Whenever I hear it now (yes it's on my iPhone) I find myself strolling dancing down memory lane.
'Move yo' arm up and down, and make that choo-choo sound'


No Doubt- Spiderwebs
When I first saw No Doubt on MTV, I wanted to be like Gwen Stefani. She was such a cool rocker chick and had soo much energy. Not to mention, I loved her voice. I remember people using the chorus to Spiderwebs as their outgoing answering machine message. (Yes, answering machines. Few people knew about voicemail or even had a cell phone back then.)
 

Sublime- What I Got
I loved this song. I love Santeria. I loved Wrong Way. And when I found out that the lead singer of Sublime, Bradley Nowell died two months before the release of 'What I Got', I was sad. I didn't know him, of course, but this band just had potential. What would have happened if he'd lived?



Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go ride a train.



Wednesday, October 9, 2013

What I Love Wednesday- Oct 2


Those that have read my blog before, all 10 of you, know that I am on a journey.
I am trying to lose my excess weight and keep it off.

I know that walking is one of the best things that you can do for your body and it's far less damaging than running. (I am not a runner... unless an axe wielding maniac is right behind me.)
But how much walking should I be doing a day?
I have no clue, honestly.
But I know that according to most online polls, people who use pedometers are likely to walk twice as much a day as those who don't use a pedometer.

So I went looking for a great pedometer.
And I was irritated beyond belief at the pedometers that I found.
MOST of them are meant to be worn on a bed, put in your pocket, or even slipped into your purse.
My purse? I sling that thing around daily. Yeah, I'm sure my readings would be super accurate.

And on hips?
As some of you may know, all people have a different gait.
One chick may swing those hips while walking like she's sashaying down the runway.
Another chick may barely move any of her upper body while she walks.

And then there were the bands.
I actually do have a Nike Fuel band.... but it's not quite as accurate as I'd like.
It's worn on the wrist, not on your hip or shoe.
I wore it solid for over a week and I can tell you, it wasn't accurately tracking my steps.

And now Fit Bit has come out with the Flex, also worn on the wrist.
Reviews on it vary. Some love it, some say it's constantly fogging up in the shower.

I didn't want a pedometer on my hip.
I didn't want a pedometer on my wrist.
I didn't want a pedometer that would get lost at the bottom of my purse.

I wanted a pedometer made to go on my shoe... you know, shoes... that go on feet... the things on your body that actually take the steps that you track?

But oh my word, it was hell finding one.
Some of them claimed that you could wear them on a shoe but people complained that they were too bulky and slid off easily.

Finally, I stumbled across an about.com page that listed the best pedometers, as voted on by readers.
The overall winner was the FitLinxx Pebble.

That was exactly what I was looking for in a pedometer. ****
Something small, something lightweight, and something that was accurate.

One problem, though.
It only had info on corporate programs for these pedometers.

BUT then I found the tab about their "Partners" and found myInertia.
This site does have corporate pricing but they also sell to individuals.
The pedometer is $59.99 and the 1st 4 months of using myInertia's online site is free. (After the initial 4 months, it's $4.95 a month to access your info and use the site.)

I then used The Google to find reviews of the Pebble. I found a great one by a guy named Ben on Walker Tracker.
I admire anyone that wears 3 pedometers at a time. How else can you compare the accuracy of readings?

I ordered mine last week and recieved it within just a couple of days.
And I love it.
You get the pedometer and a USB stick, the little tiny ones that you forget are there.
Anytime you walk near the computer (it must be turned on), it offloads your data.
Meaning, you can stick the USB stick in your laptop and travel with it. It can always be with you and as long as you wear the pedometer, you have a step count.

I have counted off in my head steps around my house and then went to see if the pedometer agreed.
And I'm thrilled to say that it's accurate. (It does have a slight delay when offloading to your computer but that hasn't bothered me at all.)
It's small enough and light enough that I do actually forget that I am wearing it.

Since I've had it on, I find myself pacing a lot, building the number of steps a day.
And let's face it, the more I walk, the more weight I am likely to lose because I'm up and mobile, not beached on my couch eating chips.

It should also be noted that your friends and family can get a Pebble as well and you can challenge each other and see who can clock the most steps.
Sometimes, accountability and competition are key.


**** My sister/BFF works at an health insurance company. They are always offering incentives to their employees to 'get healthier'. A few years ago, she was given a small pedometer for her shoe and the more she walks, the more she gets a small incentive bonus for walking.

Since I don't work there, I couldn't get one.
But it was her pedometer that I had in mind when looking.
Lo and behold... the pedometers are from the same company, FitLinxx.




Monday, October 7, 2013

New Jewelry in the shop


“Costume jewelry is not made to give women an aura of wealth,
but to make them beautiful”- Coco Chanel


Last time I posted about the shop on Etsy, I mentioned that I was going to be putting my favorite necklace/pendant in the shop soon.

And I did!

I hand painted the back of the cabochon on this necklace to match the
 splatter/sponge paint effect on the beads. And yes, it's nail polish.


This one can be worn more than one way.
I plan to make a few more of these using different color schemes.




There are a few more things already in the shop besides what is listed here. Come over and check it out and see if anything calls to you.


If you like sparkly things, bounce by the shop:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/TravelinChickDesigns

You could also hop over to FB and make me a happy, happy lady by liking the page:
https://www.facebook.com/TravelinChickDesigns






Thursday, October 3, 2013

They're my pants and I'll wear them if I want to


Please, let me point out that I don't care what YOU wear. If you want to dress up and strap on your heels everyday and get the most use of your make-up, that's your right to do so. If you like it, you wear it. And I'll be over here doing the same thing. 

Fashion.
There are so many opinions on fashion in the world, on TV and online.
Trends come in and just as quickly go out.
Kids steal the best kicks off of other kids.
Designer bags are in such demand that there are 5 year wait lists.
Or you can buy the knock-off because you just HAVE to carry that bag to be in the cool crowd.

I don't get into trends much. Why should I? It's called a trend... it won't last.
And then what do you do with the bag? Donate it? Sell it even though everyone lists it as 'so last season'?
I like classic.
Give me a pair of jeans and a classic, plain shirt and I'm good to go. (Old Navy is where you'll find me buying shirts.)
And yes, I DO wear designer jeans. But I wear them for one reason only... they make my ass look good. I was not blessed with junk in the trunk. I was not blessed with a shapely rear end. And no matter how many squats and lunges I kill myself with, my rear is still not one to write home about at all. (Yes, I've tried less expensive jeans. They don't look good. And luckily, I'm not the only one that believes this about jeans. Have you met Rachel? She wants you to have the butt of your dreams.)

But there are days when jeans annoy me.
I don't feel the need to wear a great pair of jeans every single time I leave the house.
What do I wear?
YOGA PANTS.

And I'm not alone.

A couple of weeks, Amy over at Motherhood and Miscellany posted about being a Yoga-Pants-Wearing-Mom. And I found myself nodding at so much of what she said.
I, too, wear yoga pants in public. They look better than what I wear at home (sweatpants).
And they don't make my rear look totally flat.

But then about a week later, Amy followed up with another yoga pants post, More on Yoga Pants. And Kindness. And Being Judgmental.
As soon as I saw the title of the post in my feed, I knew I would be upset by the time I finished reading it. Because I just knew, somehow, that the opinionated Judgy Janes were out in full force.

And I was right.
She got the typical responses on BlogHer. You know... "you're a slob" and "you don't have respect for yourself" and even "you're husband is offended and ashamed".
Wait, how many husbands pay one bit of attention to their wives clothes?
The husbands I know only care what their wives wear if they get a bill in the mail from Macy's or Neiman Marcus that has a total due that rivals a down payment on a home. (Or if their wives are revealing a little too much skin on a daily basis. Then, they tend to care.)

But the worst was the responses that Amy was somehow "setting a bad example for her kids".
Wait. WHAT?!
How in the WORLD do you get to that?

Please, go and read the second blog post about this and then come back.
I'll wait.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Intermission~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Welcome back!

So, yes, I was not happy.
And I couldn't get it out of my head.

I have 2 daughters and I wear yoga pants.
And I am NOT setting a bad example for my kids.

I totally agree with Amy that children should be taught that what is inside a person matters far more than what clothing they choose to wear. That's where it starts.

If you raise your kids with a judgmental attitude toward things like that, they'll be the adults in 10-20 years judging a whole new crop of people for what they're wearing.
THAT is setting a bad example.
Teach your kids to be who they are, not what the world expects them to be.

My oldest has already shown signs of trying to be like other people instead of being herself.
So when I found a shirt in her size that said 'Be True Be You', I bought it. And I made sure she understood what the words meant.

Amy's post came right after we saw a group of girls at Target right after school let out one Friday and 3 out of the 4 had the same brand of backpack, Vera Bradley.
Vera Bradley is a little over priced, in my experience. $12 for a CHANGE purse? Most people don't keep 12 bucks IN a change purse.
(The 4th girl had a sports pack. Either her parents cannot afford the other backpack or she chose to get what she wanted. I hope the latter is true.)
I pointed the pack out to my daughters and told them that it's more important to be you, not like your friends.

My girls' bio mom was a chameleon. When I first met her, she was dating a guy that listened to Insane Clown Posse and wore those jeans. You know the ones... family of 5 can fit in them and they're covered in chains?
Yeah, well bio mom dressed just like him for about a year.
And then she must have gotten tired of pretending because she started dressing like she used to before she met him. And of course, he was totally confused.
He thought she had changed.
What he didn't understand was that he had been dating a fictional character all that time and she was in costume. And when the show ran too long, she got tired of it and retired.
They didn't last another month after that.

My girls LOVE their cozy pants. Peanut would wear them all year if we let her, but of course, we don't. (Mainly because she'd burn up in the summer.)
They don't see me judging people day in and day out. (Sure, I do it a little in my head but I try very hard not to ever let them hear it. And even then, it's usually someone dressed a little risque for a school event.)

Celebrities wear expensive clothing and they are always up on the latest styles.
But what do we all flock to see?
Why, the pictures in US Weekly and People showing us the stars in their sweats, with no make-up, of course. I think it's US Weekly that shouts "Stars! They're just like us!" and then they show the women wearing YOGA pants to lunch with friends.
Celebrities dress up when they have to... but most of them refuse to wear any make-up outside of work.
I follow a lot of my favorite celebs on Twitter and Instagram. And I see what they wear when they have a day off.
Hey, they dress just like Amy and me!

I know that a lot of fashion trends are actually started by celebrities. And I'll admit that I've bought some things in the past after seeing a celeb wear it.
But let me be clear... I bought those things because I liked them, not due to the fact that a celeb was wearing them. I couldn't care less what a celeb thinks is cool... if I don't like it, I don't look twice.
And I'll be damned if I will go out and go broke buying what celebs and fashion mags claim to be 'must haves'.

And to answer at least one question, no.
I do not wear yoga pants every single day.
When I go to weddings, I dress up. If it's a black tie affair, I do it up.
If I had a meeting at my girls old school, I wore jeans and a decent top.
During our wedding planning, I always dressed nicely to attend vendor meetings.

Because sometimes, yes, you should dress better.
But most of the time? No one at Target gives a crap what I am wearing.

I ran all of this past my own husband to make sure he wasn't 'offended' or 'ashamed' of me.
He said: ''You do wear yoga pants a lot. But you aren't a slob. You shower, you brush your teeth, pluck the eyebrows, and you don't stink. It's not like you are a mess walking around and have let yourself go. And you even put on mascara sometimes if you feel like it.''

So, if my husband doesn't have a problem with my attire, and my children don't have a problem with my attire, and my friends don't have a problem with my attire... why does the rest of the world care?

I am who I am.
Always have been.
Always will be.

This is my life, my time on this planet.
I will go to the store, travel, shop, and see the world.... dressed the way that I want to dress.




How about you? Do you cave to what society expects of you or do you like to make waves and live the way you want to live?