Spring break is nearing its end. It's been a good one. We've gone on two trips, seen lots of family and friends, and cooled off in Indiana and Flagstaff. We're hiking tomorrow, going to Matthew's pinewood derby on Saturday, and doing a Ben's Bells activity at a local coffee shop on Sunday. We've also taken care of some dental cleanings, gotten Elizabeth's sports physical done for track, and I organized and cleaned a bit. Lastly, I've reconnected with Sweet Lady Genevieve. It had been a while since I'd strummed some chords in earnest. I'd forgotten how fun and stress-relieving that is.
All in all, it's been both a fun and productive spring break. Job offers are starting to roll in for this last quarter of the year, and my first two weeks back are pretty packed. I guess we'll be back at it in just a few days. Until then, we'll try to enjoy what's left of this reprieve.
Thursday, March 23, 2017
Wednesday, March 22, 2017
Stitch Fix Fail
I tried Stitch Fix for the first time a little more than a month ago. I loved it. I told everyone I loved it. Some friends signed up for it because of my experience, and most were impressed, too. Only one friend sent everything back but that was because of price; she liked all the pieces and looked super cute in them. Because I, personally, had had so much fun and success the first time around, I ordered another fix and had high expectations. Well, you know what happens when you set your expectations too high.
Yep. Disappointment. Boo. But because I received credit for each friend referral ($25), I didn't lose any money. However, let me be clear. I would have much rather spent my credit on clothes that I love and make me look my best. These did not, and I will show you why I sent back the whole package.
Item #1: Pixley Eisenhower Strappy Top, $48
I like the print and the color, but this top did not fit me. I did not fill it out the way it is intended to be filled out, and the next size down was not available for an exchange. Returned.
Item #2 Mavi Aiden Rose-Colored Distressed Skinny Jean, $98
First of all, I've never paid $98 for jeans. Ever. And I really don't intend to, either. But I also wouldn't pay $10 for pants that make me look like I'm not even wearing pants. The color is the same as my skin tone, and I don't think these jeans are big enough for me, either. I was uncomfortable in more than one way. Returned.
Item #5: Papermoon Kasidy Geo Print Skirt, $58
My stylist informed me that I had pinned this skirt on my Pinterest board. Hmm. It appears I had. Right. Only it looked like this in the photo on Pinterest.
Isn't it fascinating how longer legs, slender arms, a better-fitting top, and a tan can completely change the look of a piece? Yeah.... Well.... I look like an old lady in this outfit, and when you add the neighbor's cat (shoutout to Ringo!) I look like all I have are my cats. That's not the look I was going for.
I tried to be open-minded, however, and followed the Stitch Fix protocol of matching this one and only new piece that fit me and looked decent with something I already owned. So I pulled a slimmer-fitting top in a much brighter color out of my closet and paired it with the skirt. This was better, but I still wasn't in love with the skirt. Returned.
Yep. Disappointment. Boo. But because I received credit for each friend referral ($25), I didn't lose any money. However, let me be clear. I would have much rather spent my credit on clothes that I love and make me look my best. These did not, and I will show you why I sent back the whole package.
Item #1: Pixley Eisenhower Strappy Top, $48
I like the print and the color, but this top did not fit me. I did not fill it out the way it is intended to be filled out, and the next size down was not available for an exchange. Returned.
Item #2 Mavi Aiden Rose-Colored Distressed Skinny Jean, $98
First of all, I've never paid $98 for jeans. Ever. And I really don't intend to, either. But I also wouldn't pay $10 for pants that make me look like I'm not even wearing pants. The color is the same as my skin tone, and I don't think these jeans are big enough for me, either. I was uncomfortable in more than one way. Returned.
Item #3: Le Sample Sanford Knit Top, $48
I guess this top fit okay, but the cut was strange and the color is nothing but blah. Off white and gray?That does not scream Sara. At all. This was not for me. Returned.
Okay, time to peel myself out of those skinny jeans!
Item #4: Papermoon Flayla Lace Detail Henley Knit tank, $38
This top made me look huge. Even Elizabeth (who took all these photos, by the way) said this isn't an outfit I should ever wear outside of our backyard. The top was bulky, boxy, and frumpy. No thank you. Returned.
My stylist informed me that I had pinned this skirt on my Pinterest board. Hmm. It appears I had. Right. Only it looked like this in the photo on Pinterest.
Isn't it fascinating how longer legs, slender arms, a better-fitting top, and a tan can completely change the look of a piece? Yeah.... Well.... I look like an old lady in this outfit, and when you add the neighbor's cat (shoutout to Ringo!) I look like all I have are my cats. That's not the look I was going for.
I tried to be open-minded, however, and followed the Stitch Fix protocol of matching this one and only new piece that fit me and looked decent with something I already owned. So I pulled a slimmer-fitting top in a much brighter color out of my closet and paired it with the skirt. This was better, but I still wasn't in love with the skirt. Returned.
This second fix was, sadly, a Stitch Fix fail. I didn't even find the style cards inspiring.
Rather than keep the skirt for free by using the rest of my credit, I decided to send it all back. I still have $55 left ($20 of which will be used for my next stylist fee), so I'm giving it another try. I updated my style profile and deleted all pins on my Pinterest board that I didn't absolutely love so as not to confuse my stylist in any way. I also requested "timeless pieces in classic cuts/fits that come in pretty colors/prints." We'll see what happens on April 5th.
Tuesday, March 21, 2017
Escaping the Heat
Who knew we'd have to escape the valley heat in March? It's spring break around here, and we had planned to visit Joshua Tree National Park again since we liked it so much last year. However, the weather there is similar to the weather in Phoenix, and the temperatures are in the 90s. No thanks.
I looked into a few different possibilities like Prescott and Canyon de Chelly, but we decided to just go to Flagstaff. There's plenty to see and do there, and the weather forecast was dry and cool. So we hit the road last Thursday and came home Sunday. And we did a lot in between. Brian's mom also came along on the adventure.
Campgrounds in Flagstaff are not yet open for the season, so we tried a KOA for the first time. It wasn't bad, maybe because it was off-season. It was pretty busy with campers coming in all times of day and leaving in the morning. I imagine it can get crazy during the summer. Though more spots than I had expected were filled, I'd say more than half the campground was open. It was a nice place, and they put us in a good spot with plenty of room under lots of pines.
We set up and had our lunch around 2:00 on Thursday afternoon.
We explored and relaxed at the campground for a bit. Our spot backed up to the horseshoe pits and a playground for the kids.
Later in the afternoon, we decided to visit Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff. It was so much more than I had expected! There were several buildings, many telescopes, lectures on the solar system, and a fun science experiment program. We spent between two to three hours there, so we were able to see some cool stars when it got dark.
This is the biggest telescope I've ever seen, and it's housed in the most beautiful of buildings!
The young woman who did the science experiment show was very entertaining and enthusiastic about science!
Friday morning we visited Walnut Canyon National Monument. It's a beautiful canyon filled with lots of ancient cliff dwellings. We hiked the Island Trail, a one-mile stairmaster adventure that goes down and back up 400 steps to a walkway around an island of rock in the middle of the canyon.
Such a pretty view all around!
We were always on the lookout for Humphrey's Peak.
From Walnut Canyon, we went to Sunset Crater National Monument. After a lunch break by a big pile of snow, we walked the Aa Trail of lava and then went to an overlook of the volcano.
There's the snow-covered peak again!
Back at camp, both the kids and adults had some of that famous KOA fun. :)
We also had lots of snacks.
On Saturday, Brian and Elizabeth wanted to pre-ride the course for the Flagstaff mountain biking race in May. Matthew had his bike, too, but he stuck with Sue and me as we hiked. He'd go a ways on his bike then come back or wait for us to catch up. In the meantime, he'd play in every patch of snow.
What he loved most was finding "Charlie Brown Christmas trees."
We caught up with Brian and Elizabeth. She was done riding, but Brian wanted to see some more of his course. He went on while the rest of us turned back towards the trailhead. We took our time and the kids played in more snow.
He finally returned from his ride, and we packed everything up and headed to Bearizona.
This is a drive-through wildlife park. It was really neat to see the animals so close up, but I'm on the fence on whether this is a good idea because it does have a bit of a Jurassic Park feel. They have mountain goats, burros, big-horned sheep, wolves, bison, and bears. As we entered the bear enclosure, one of the workers reminded us to keep our windows up because the bears have been getting aggressive lately. "They've been tearing off mirrors and windshield wipers on stopped cars. So please don't stop." Okay. No problem. We will keep moving!
I'd probably get aggressive, too, if all I saw and smelled were cars driving past me day after day.
After you do their 3-mile drive though, there are regular zoo-like enclosures to visit. We also attended their Birds of Prey program, an educational show where the birds and owls fly right over your head.
Brian was not attacked by this peacock.
So, it was really nice to get out of the 95-degree weather for a few days. We had plenty to do and the weather was really perfect. Great weekend in Flagstaff!
I looked into a few different possibilities like Prescott and Canyon de Chelly, but we decided to just go to Flagstaff. There's plenty to see and do there, and the weather forecast was dry and cool. So we hit the road last Thursday and came home Sunday. And we did a lot in between. Brian's mom also came along on the adventure.
Campgrounds in Flagstaff are not yet open for the season, so we tried a KOA for the first time. It wasn't bad, maybe because it was off-season. It was pretty busy with campers coming in all times of day and leaving in the morning. I imagine it can get crazy during the summer. Though more spots than I had expected were filled, I'd say more than half the campground was open. It was a nice place, and they put us in a good spot with plenty of room under lots of pines.
We set up and had our lunch around 2:00 on Thursday afternoon.
We explored and relaxed at the campground for a bit. Our spot backed up to the horseshoe pits and a playground for the kids.
Later in the afternoon, we decided to visit Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff. It was so much more than I had expected! There were several buildings, many telescopes, lectures on the solar system, and a fun science experiment program. We spent between two to three hours there, so we were able to see some cool stars when it got dark.
This is the biggest telescope I've ever seen, and it's housed in the most beautiful of buildings!
The young woman who did the science experiment show was very entertaining and enthusiastic about science!
Friday morning we visited Walnut Canyon National Monument. It's a beautiful canyon filled with lots of ancient cliff dwellings. We hiked the Island Trail, a one-mile stairmaster adventure that goes down and back up 400 steps to a walkway around an island of rock in the middle of the canyon.
Such a pretty view all around!
We were always on the lookout for Humphrey's Peak.
From Walnut Canyon, we went to Sunset Crater National Monument. After a lunch break by a big pile of snow, we walked the Aa Trail of lava and then went to an overlook of the volcano.
There's the snow-covered peak again!
Back at camp, both the kids and adults had some of that famous KOA fun. :)
We also had lots of snacks.
On Saturday, Brian and Elizabeth wanted to pre-ride the course for the Flagstaff mountain biking race in May. Matthew had his bike, too, but he stuck with Sue and me as we hiked. He'd go a ways on his bike then come back or wait for us to catch up. In the meantime, he'd play in every patch of snow.
What he loved most was finding "Charlie Brown Christmas trees."
We caught up with Brian and Elizabeth. She was done riding, but Brian wanted to see some more of his course. He went on while the rest of us turned back towards the trailhead. We took our time and the kids played in more snow.
He finally returned from his ride, and we packed everything up and headed to Bearizona.
This is a drive-through wildlife park. It was really neat to see the animals so close up, but I'm on the fence on whether this is a good idea because it does have a bit of a Jurassic Park feel. They have mountain goats, burros, big-horned sheep, wolves, bison, and bears. As we entered the bear enclosure, one of the workers reminded us to keep our windows up because the bears have been getting aggressive lately. "They've been tearing off mirrors and windshield wipers on stopped cars. So please don't stop." Okay. No problem. We will keep moving!
I'd probably get aggressive, too, if all I saw and smelled were cars driving past me day after day.
After you do their 3-mile drive though, there are regular zoo-like enclosures to visit. We also attended their Birds of Prey program, an educational show where the birds and owls fly right over your head.
Brian was not attacked by this peacock.
So, it was really nice to get out of the 95-degree weather for a few days. We had plenty to do and the weather was really perfect. Great weekend in Flagstaff!
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