Tuesday, February 18, 2014

My Stitch Fix

Thank you Randi for telling me about this awesome thing called Stitch Fix. It was like Christmas when the box showed up, and I couldn't wait to see what they chose for me.

So, first let me just say that I do not pose for photos well. Don't. Never have, never will. So, no commentary on the weird face I am making in at least several of these pics. Also, it had been a rough day at work hence the rockin' ponytail I am sporting. Don't judge.

With that.....here we go!!


Hubby was trying to make me laugh
Esten Button Up Sleeveless Blouse
$54.00
Navy

Sorry the picture is so dark, but this shirt is Navy and it has tiny hidden buttons down the front. The fabric was amazing. So super soft. I did not like that it was sheer and would have required a tank underneath. Also, this shirt hung so loose that I felt like it made my stomach look larger than it is.

Returned



Yup, still trying to make me laugh. Sigh. 
 Burlington Ruffle Overlay Sleeveless Blouse
$48.00
Pink

Way.Too.Big. Again, fabric was soft and it was super cute - before I tried it on. This was nicer than the blue one in that it had a liner inside for modesty sake.

Returned




Colibri Solid Tab Sleeve Blouse
$48.00
Green

Loved that this has the buttons on the sleeve to hold them up short. Loved that it was nice and long. Didn't love that it was so big. That loose top, legging look just doesn't seem to fit my shape well. I did look in the mirror at this one for a bit trying to decide, and ultimately I just didn't "love it $48.00 worth".

Returned



Did I mention I hate posing?
Cassandra Tailored Button Up Shirt
$28.00
White

When I opened the box this was my second favorite piece. Nice heavy fabric, great structure, fitted, totally me. Sadly, my "girls" just didn't agree. The button puckered at the chest and from the side there was no mystery left to anything. I was the most sad about this one not working out.

Returned




Camelot Stripe & Polka Dot Cardigan
$28.00
Navy

#1 fave piece! Love cardigans. It's an obsession. Blue is my favorite color. Machine washable. The sleeves are really long so I can pull them down over my hands - I really like that in a sweater. I think the combo of stripe & polka dots is fun and different. And I couldn't argue with the price point.

This baby stayed with me!

I liked this one so much I actually posed for a fun pic!
Being Silly!
So, overall I was a little sad that I kept only one piece.....but on the other hand my wallet was happy I only kept one piece. :)
And I am loving the piece I got. Too bad it was 85 degrees today and I wore a dress. :(
From the overall experience the best part was just the idea of having to step out of my comfort zone - the idea that I WILL try on everything no matter what it is was a little exciting to me. It felt like my own little version of Stacey & Clinton shopping with me.

I can't wait until my next fix gets here at the end of March. Stay tuned!!

4 in 14 February - Project

For our Valentine's this year we did some searching on Pinterest. There were lots and lots of ideas. Obviously we could only pick one. Bummer! We were armed with a couple different ideas when we went to the store.
Lil' Miss was super pleased to discover this little gem of information - Kool-Aid doesn't have sodium.

Red is her favorite, but we got an assortment
 These six packs were only $1 each. So, for $4 I bought everything I needed for a class full of Valentine's. Not too shabby if you ask me. Once we got back home, it was super quick and easy to make them.
Made on my computer, printed & cut out. 
These only took a second to make, and Lil' Miss picked the colors, words, and border clipart.
Then came assembly:
Love curling ribbon!!


The transportation was a concern, because this was heavier than it looked. So I just happened to have an old file box sitting under my work table from a previous cleaning adventure.
Perfect Fit!

Easy tote handle!
The box was still heavy, and she had to take in her treats for the party. Luckily enough we had parent-teacher conference the night before. So, we took the tote and left it on her desk. Valentine mission accomplished.

4 in 14 February - Recipe

My daughter has been asking, and asking, and asking for Shepard's Pie. Now, I will say that I myself find Shepard's Pie to be delicious. In order to keep it from getting dry, I start with a base of cream corn. Or at least I used to. Did you know there is 400mg of sodium in 1/2 cup?!?!? What!!

The other issue is the cheese. Did you know there is 170mg in just one ounce (Approx 1 slice) of cheddar? For someone who loves to pile on the cheese, this was a problem for sure. So, I did measure out one ounce using a food scale. That was not very much cheese at all. So, our Swiss had only 60mg per ounce. Hence the cheese blend was born.

Current total 240mg

Meat & Potatoes....good to go here.

Current total still 240mg

Now, back to this pesky cream corn.

Thank you Google for being helpful and finding me this cream corn recipe.

 I gathered together the ingredients and did some calculations.
Measured Out
Now, if you read the recipe you will note that salt is listed. Obviously this is not ok for us. So, I left it out. Also, grated Parmesan has 100mg for just a Tbsp and this recipe calls for 1/4 cup. Nope. Deleted. 
The milk cost me 120mg and cream a whole whopping 5mg. 

Current total 365mg 

I was a little nervous going in to this, but here we go....

Ready to Cook
Cream Added and Cooking

All Done, and Not Too Bad!



This total made a 9x9 glass pan - which is the normal size I make for my family. 
Now, let's do some more math....
365mg for the pan / 6 equal size servings cut = 61mg for dinner. 

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

4 in 14 February

So originally the goal was to have a different cute "pretty shelf" for every month. I am surprised by the lack of seasonal decor in my home. I went to a particular home decor / craft store in my area because it has the greatest square footage and has never let me down before. I thought for sure I would find amazing Valentine's things there to make my pretty shelf the highlight of the living room. What I found was an eight foot run of items that were of the little cute animal trinket variety. Not my style. So, I got a couple of items that I liked and ran with it. It is skimpy and not to my expectations, but here it is.

4 in 14 January - Save

Save - Money. Produce is expensive.
I know this is a little late for my final 4 in 14 January post.....but sometimes life is hard and things have to wait. This post is especially close to my heart, more so than when we started this project, because it has to do with food. Food in our house has suddenly become the focus of almost every moment of every day. We have recently learned our little girl has a very serious disease that requires a very restrictive diet. She is doing well for now, but we are still adjusting.
Last year we got the idea that having our own garden would be fun. This stems mostly from the fact that our daughter visits my mom back east every summer and she has an extensive garden. The little one helps. So for our own little green-thumb adventure we started by clearing a space on the side of the house with excellent morning sun.

side yard

My husband was super helpful and built us a beautiful garden box that is nice and deep so that we have room for a good solid root bed. He used the big empty space on the pool deck to lay it out - so don't mind the strange water shots. We didn't have a flood. 
why are all my pictures sideways??
He read a few articles online from different sources. He combined all his research to come up with the best plan. He used redwood, and found tips to build it upside down and then use the posts to anchor it in the ground. He spent all day working to make sure it was straight and level, and even that the best faces of the wood grain were faced out to make it pretty. 

Since this new bed was so deep, it is going to take a few layers of soil to fill it properly. Here are the three bags he got me started with. 
As I said, this project is now much more dear to me heart. I am excited, scared, anxious, and overwhelmed at the idea of growing my own food. I guess everyone did it once upon a time. And we do already trade citrus with all the neighbors, as it grows in abundance here in Arizona. Hopefully my thumb is green enough.