How to: Be a Good Shopping Companion... for Yourself

Every so often, the fashion gods smile upon me and somehow, some way, I'll score a free hour to hit the mall sans kids. This happened a couple of weeks ago when I had to meet my husband up near his work and then realized I could have him drive the kids home in our big car while I stole his Jeep and went shopping by myself for a while and ah, it was bliss.

But here's the thing -- I love shopping with friends. And I like to think that I'm a good shopping companion, because I'm not afraid to tell my friends when something looks weird. But what happens when you score a few minutes to shop solo and you can't have friends with you to tell you what looks good? Luckily, I don't mind shopping by myself, but I know some girls who won't go without a full jury to help them pick out a pair of socks.

Here's how I like to shop all by my lonesome, but still make sure I'm making good choices.

1. Shop with a Purpose

Shopping on your own can be overwhelming when you don't have your girly wolfpack to direct you through the stores. When I'm shopping with friends, they naturally lead me around the store and point out cute things. When you're alone, you don't get that. And while you might have dreamed for a spare moment to wander through the mall without children, it's best if you have a goal in mind -- are you looking for a couple of new everyday shirts? Do you want a new pair of heels? Narrow it down a bit so you don't walk into a store and see all the displays and huff because there's nothing that catches your eye. No one likes a huffer.

2. Grab Extra Sizes

Know what sucks? Shopping by yourself and not having a friend who can run and grab you another size. I make my friends WORK while we shop. And while you might be able to ask a sales associate, there might not be one in the fitting room the whole time. So when I'm shopping by myself, I always grab one or two extra sizes for whatever I'm trying on. That way, when I can't squeeze into one size, I don't have to get all awkward and hope that a sales associate will happen by -- I can just grab the next size up.

3. Make Nice with the Sales Associate

OK, so a sales associate might not be there to wait on you hand and foot, but it's totally OK to ask her opinion. Here's the trick though: Only ask her if you like the way she's dressed. Chances are, she's wearing clothes from the store anyway, so if you like what she's wearing, pop out of the dress room and ask for her opinion. She'll LOVE doing more than rehanging clothes and you'll get the opinion of someone whose style you admire. Winwinwin.

4. Take Pictures

So the other day -- when I was shopping without kids, husband or friends-- I was trying on this adorable pair of Roxy linen pants that I wanted to buy for when we go boating. Linen beachy pants on the boat -- I die. They had them in a ton of colors, but the problem was that I couldn't' decide which I liked more. I went back and forth, I asked the sales girl and finally, I decided to snap a cell pic.

Seeing the pictures side by side told me the black were waaay more flattering. Seriously, look how much wider my legs looked in the white and I was going to BUY THEM. The mirror lies, but the camera doesn't -- I bought the black. And have worn them repeatedly, but not on the boat yet. So sue me.
  

5. Edit

When shopping with friends, there's always someone who is like "Um, Jae, don't you already have like 6 pairs of red heels" and I'm like "Why thank you friend" and buy something else. But when you're shopping on your own, you don't get that. So before I buy anything, I do a couple of things. First, I think of three ways to wear the item I'm holding. Three completely different outfits. If I can't think of three off the top of my head, it goes back. Then, I make sure I'm not re-buying something I already have at home. If it passes those two tests, to the cashier it goes!

This all just gives my itchy debit card finger because I just remembered I wanted to buy another pair of those linen pants. Do you have any good solo shopping trip or are you solely a girl's girl shopper?

What I Wore: Found! + Wizards of the West Giveaway

So, you know how I spent all last month looking for the perfect pair of camo skinnies? I FINALLY found them and love them so much that it merits a giveaway WOO!

I had a friend comment to me that she hated buying clothes from a certain well-known store in my area because everyone else was wearing the exact same thing. And I kind of agreed, which is why I kind of loved it when Wizards of the West contacted me for a review and giveaway. Because the store is packed with stuff that no one else will have, which means fewer awkward moments for you, right?

  My fingers practically chose these pants and this awesome sauce cuff all on their own.

Camo skinnies: Wizards of the West (here)
Tee: Joe Fresh (here)
Cuff: Wizards of the West (here) 

Earrings: F21 (similar)
Shoes: Nine West (here)

I took it easy for their first run -- just a white tee. But I did a little shopping over the weekend and can't wait to test drive them with some neon and sky-high heels. I have them cuffed here, but when folded down, they have an awesome hem zipper too. Love!

 Please just shut up about this cuff I love it TOO much. It's rebellious without being juvenile and I loved the juxtaposition between these ladylike heels and the camo and claw. Camo and claw is my new favorite ever even though my husband said the claw freaked him out. 

Anyway, U.S. residents AND Canadians, here's the giveaway. Two easy peasy entries and you could win $50 to spend on your own Wizards of the West gear. Check it:


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Also awesome? WotW also gives credit for sharing your stuff on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, so you can earn points toward free stuff. I heart that muchly.

Giveaway ends Friday at 12am, just in time for me to announce the winnerweiner during Freaky Friday.

I'd finish this post off with a happy declaration of how summer is here and blah blah blah but honestly, my kid got the barfing flu last night and I'm probably not going to be leaving the house today and my daughter is chain-watching "National Treasure" and our summer is off to a pretty pathetic start. Do over next week and online shopping binge today? Yup!

Freaky Friday: Jae vs. Thinspo

While I was prepping this week, I kept coming across stuff on Pinterest and Tumblr about getting thin and working out. And honestly, like 80 percent of the quotes and pics I came across were pretty darn vile. SO I started actively searching for the worst thinspo I could find. You know what thinspo is? It's inspiration to be thin. Not to work out or be healthy mind you... just to get thin. Most of it revolves around just not eating ever. Pinterest no longer allows thinspo on the site and if you search it, you get a warning about eating disorders. So now Pinterest thinks I have an eating disorder, which is fantastic.

I compiled some of the worst of the worst here. Thinspo is super gross. If you need inspiration, try fitspo (fitness inspiration) or I don't know, get off the computer and hit a yoga class or something. Anything but this awfulness.

Look, I'm not anti-thin. Sometimes I think anti-thin is just as bad as anti-overweight in society -- like it's OK to mock skinny girls. But honestly, if you're a size 0 or a size 18 I don't care one bit as long as you're happy, healthy and where you want to be. Not salivating over a cube of cheese or hiding in the house or repeating "Water has 0 calories" all day long. Just be smart and do what you can do. And then throw these mantras in the garbage.

Uh, today's girl is taking a nap too... so...

 Whatever. If he can't hold you up, dude probably needs to hit the gym himself. I am an expert on blaming on embarassing things on other people. Watch, I'll do it right now: Jae and manly man walking on the beach. We're kicking in the surf and playfully splashing each other a la The Notebook. He goes to lift me... grunts... and staggers. Instead of feeling bad, my eyes narrow. "Easy there, Hulk Hogan" I say sarcastically. End Scene.

See how easy that was?Moral of the story: If someone says anything about your weight, just turn it back on them. Works every time.

 ....said the woman who's never eaten cheesecake. 

 Yeah you should definitely alter your body to fit cheap overpriced lingerie made in China. Great freaking plan.

 Apparently you were never "in" an English class amirite? Hows about you stop worrying about being in or out and worry more about your atrocious grammar? 

PS There is most definitely life in between. I've been doing it for quite some time.

 No, no. It's definitely grumbling. It's saying "Give me a sandwich please." Wow, your stomach is really polite and there you are starving it to death, you jerk.

 You should probably see a handyman for that abusive mirror you've got there. Maybe get one with softer edges? Oh an also stop hating yourself because that's not the mirror's fault.

 Yeah, because your blog should be a measure of all things socially acceptable. Have you SEEN my blog? I talk nonstop about llamas, nachos and Big Macs. I ate a Twix last night at like 10:30. I have no shame -- if I guaged what I ate based on what I did and didn't post on my blog I'd just nonstop shovel food into my face because honey badger don't care. 

PS the people who read your blog don't care that you ate a hot dog relax. 

 Apparently this person has never hung around me when I'm hungry. I don't get calm. I lose my shiz and get reallllly cranky to the point that my husband knows to ask "When was the last time you ate?" whenever I'm in a bad mood.

 Tell that to the Crypt Keeper. 

.... so... you want to be a ghost?

I feel much better after word vomiting all my feelings about thispo. This is the real reason to have a blog. Just remember that fitness is a way to enjoy life, not make it miserable or punishing. Don't use this faux inspiration for anything but comedic relief. 

You're better than salad and ribcages.

10 Reasons to Invest in Cute Workout Clothes

Bonus post today before I head out to -- you guessed it! -- a workout! I've got kickboxing today and then I have big plans to gut my house, which I'm bummed about. But summer officially starts tomorrow and I refuse to start it with a messy house overflowing with toys. So I have to do one of those cleanups where it gets way worse before it gets better. Awesome.

But first, workout. Can we talk about the cuteness level of your workout clothes? No, a cute pair of capri-length leggings won't make you lose weight faster, but it definitely makes it way more pleasant. And less jiggly! And, as the ever-multitasking mom, my workout clothes have to do a lot more than make me look good whilst doing lunges.

Therefore, I present to you: 10 Reasons to Invest in Cute Workout Clothes

1. Because there's a good chance that you'll have to run to the grocery store afterward. I swear, 4 out of 5 times after I'm all sweated up, I end up having to run somewhere else before I can officially hit the showers and get ready for the day. And looking sweaty is one thing. Looking sweaty and super frumpy in your husband's sweatpants? Something else entirely. DO NOT WANT.

2. Because it motivates you to get moving. Look, if your pajamas and your workout clothes are one and the same, you're gonna have a bad time. I notice a 180 turnaround once I change out of my sloppy clothes and into actual workout clothes. They make me want to do wall sits rather than watch wedding shows on TLC. Mind over matter, people.

3. Because thumb holes. Thumb holes are amazing. Albion Fit sent me this amazing top (shown below) and it has thumb holes and that automatically makes me love it more. Good for cold workouts or just looking like a pro even when you have no idea what you're doing in yoga class. And to be honest, when doing yoga, I put the thumb holes on and then roll down the sleeves under my palms for a little extra padding when doing wrist-heavy poses, too.


(My fave workout outfit for Piyo and weight days -- leggings, flowy, wicky top from Albion Fit and my ever-present headband and Nikes)

4. Because you're sweaty. And sweaty shows through normal clothes. And while that's totally like "I am woman hear me roar" it's not particularly comfortable. I like mesh-based clothes that don't show every sweaty crevice, thanks.

5. Because your regular bra is not a sports bra. And we've talked about jiggling before. Also, I can't stand clasps and metal stuff when I'm trying to get my zen on.

6. Because different workouts call for different clothes. Not every piece of workout wear is appropriate for every type of fitness. And if you have workout ADD like me, you do more than just one thing. So stocking up on different options for different types of fitness makes sense. I don't wear yoga clothes to do cardio because I want my clothes to function in different ways for each activity.

7. Because they aren't that huge of an investment. I've gotten amazing deals on super cute workout clothes that made them uber cheap. Okay, if you're a hardcore marathon runner, you might want to spend more on high performance stuff. For the rest of us mere mortals, a $15 of shorts is fine. Some places where I find killer deals on clothes include Ross and TJ Maxx, GAP, JC Penney (the leggings above are from there) and even F21 for easy yoga stuff and sports bras. I have little boobs, don't judge.

8. Because you should feel good about working out. Most gyms have lots of mirrors. If you don't know where they are, just look for the muscle head guys -- they'll be checking themselves out and taking selfies. I don't know about you, but I want to see myself in the mirror and be like "Oh heyyyy" and not "AVERT THE EYES!" Cute workout clothes can make you feel a little more confident when you're still working on your fitness goals.

9. Because form is important. When doing workouts that include weight lifting, body weight exercise, Pilates, yoga -- basically anything -- you'll need to check your form or risk getting hurt. It's really, really hard to check your form when you're exercising in that oversized T that your husband's work gave him. Your clothes don't need to be skin tight, but they should be form fitting enough that you can check your core, see your posture and allow your instructor to critique your form.

10. Because you're grateful that we no longer work out like this. For one, it's weaksauce and for two, was no one concerned about wedgies? No one?

Although I will admit that the music is so 80-tastic and I love it.


Now, all this being said, it's time for me to suit up and get man-sweaty in like 10 minutes. And I just did laundry so I have infinite clean workout clothes possibilities YAY.

Fitness Tips from a Semi-Fit Mom

Before I write this post, you should know that I am NOT a fitness guru. And I love Big Macs. And it is with that love of Big Macs in mind that I exercise. Because I like to consider myself a moderate kind of gal. Sure, I'll eat the french fries, but I'll also do an hour of strength training. But it wasn't always like this.

... let's go back in time. Back when I was a teenager. And hadn't had the BLESSING of body-ruining children. And just naturally had six-pack abs despite the fact that one of my friends worked at Burger King and got me free Whoppers. And then I'd go for a 5-mile run with my friends who were both named Katy/Katie and it was nothing. Ah yes, those were the days. I want to go back in time and tell teenage Jae "Enjoy that bod, Jae. enjoy those 5-mile runs where you barely broke a sweat and enjoy those Fluff on cookies binges! For meeeeeeeeeee."

Then came baby numero uno. I remember seeing my post-baby body literally five minutes after giving birth and being like "I'm a MONSTERRRRRRR" because obviously, I still looked pregnant. Luckily, the baby weight went away quick, but I had to actually exercise for the first time. And by exercise I mean I'd walk my baby around in a stroller a couple of times a week and do some crunches while she was playing on the floor.

 (Someone notify the authorities I think this woman ate a baby!!!!) 

Then, second pregnancy and six weeks bedrest. While I had a physical therapist come and work with me to keep some semblance of muscle tone -- I was only allowed out of bed for showers, to use the washroom and for one daily wheelchair ride -- my body was WRECKED after that. For real, it took forever to get back into pre-preg stuff. And even then, I could tell that my body had completely changes.

 (This was when I finally realized that the baby weight wouldn't magically disappear again.Also, I gain weight in my face first. Why can't I gain it in my boobs? WHY?)

This is when I started thinking more seriously about getting into better shape. But honestly, I didn't know where to start and I felt stupid and then I'd get all gung-ho about something and stop two days later. I joined a commercial gym. Hated it. I took some classes there. Not a fan. I paid a lot of money to feel guilty every time I looked a treadmill.

Finally, something clicked when my son was about 2 and I've been a regular exerciser ever since. I wanted to give you some of my fave workout tips that have contributed to me being in semi good shape. Am I a Victoria's Secret model? Nope. Am I happy with my body anyway? Yup.

Post-workout grossness and I don't caaare!

1. Get Social

Easily the most effective way for me to get my tush moving was to get some friends in on the action. I'm a hyper-social person in general and working out solo wasn't doing it for me. Not only does working out with friends get me the downlow on all of  the gossip I can handle, but it also brings out my competitive side. I'm much less likely to stop a workout and start eating Cookie Butter when I'm gauging my performance against my friends. I mean, I still eat Cookie Butter... just after I'm done.

2. Be Accountable

I'm SUPER easy on myself. When I'm not accountable, I won't work out, period. Like, ever. And then I start feeling like crap. And I know that not everyone has a group of friends who happen to like to exercise together, but that's where online friends come in handy. Blog about it. Get a Facebook page going. Use MyFitnessPal on your smartphone. Anything to put it out there that you have a goal and that you really, really want to reach it.

3. Make it Quick

When I work out with friends, it's usually an hour. And I'll admit that sometimes, an hour seems like a HUGE chunk out of an already super busy day. But when I work out alone, it's much faster. Because guess what? Exercising for 15 minutes is pretty much 100 times better than sitting there justifying to yourself that you don't have time to exercise. Two tools I love? Skimble, a workout app where you can plug in your time limit, equipment and type of workout you want and you can choose from like a zillion quick workouts. I also love BodyRock.tv's DailyHiit website, where they do high-intensity workouts that are never longer than 12 minutes. Awesome.

4. Trick Yourself

For me, working out is definitely mind over matter. Most of my battle is talking myself into actually doing it and then looking for the results. One of my favorite tricks is to get into workout clothes the second I get out of bed in the morning (tomorrow I'll show you some of my faves). Once I'm in workout clothes, it only makes sense that I would actually ... you know... work out. It takes away excuses.

Another trick I use is that I don't weigh myself. Ever. Last time was 6 weeks after my son was born and he's 4. I know that I would obsess over a number that doesn't present a clear picture of my effort and progress. Instead, I use clothes and performance to gauge how I'm doing. I want my clothes to fit and I want to get stronger. I'm proud to announce that yesterday I did 16 "bro" pushups, where you do a regular pushup and then hit your shoulder with the opposite hand each time you come back up. I felt like a champ, especially because a few weeks before I was doing them on my knees.

Screw the scale. You have bigger fish to fry.

Mmmm fish.

5. Give Yourself a Break

One of the things that derailed my progress was before was the idea that I either had to be the most amazing fitness enthusiast in the history of time, or nothing. Look, there are two types of people out there. 1) The live-to-exerciser who wants to spend all her time at the gym and take gym selfies and eat a crapton of quinoa. 2) People like me, where exercise is kind of a drag and something that I don't love to do, but I do it because I want to give my body a little credit and look good in a T-shirt.

Psst: You don't have to be all GO HARD EAT PROTEIN WEAR SWEATBANDS type to get your workout on. Give yourself a little break here. If you can't exercise today, whatever. Do it tomorrow. Missing one day doesn't give you permission to never exercise again. It does give you permission to rest up, spend a day eating chips and watching Real Housewives and then getting back at it again tomorrow. I think that was one of my biggest downfalls before -- I felt like if I couldn't give fitness 100 percent, 100 percent of the time, that I shouldn't bother. But giving like, 60 percent, 75 percent of the time still burns calories and makes you stronger than 0 percent, 0 percent of the time, right?

Right now I'm mixing up Turbo Kick, Piyo, which is a Pilates-yoga mix and HIITs for when I'm short on time. Now, spill -- what are your tricks for sneaking in a workout? Or did I just make you start craving a Big Mac?

Sorry.

What I Wore: Double Duty

I had a ca-razy weekend running around. I spent all day Saturday putting together my "Jae's Favorite Things" basket for the Team Katrina fundraiser and it was so much fun! Plus, look how cute it turned out!

It's packed with stuff like a gift card for shoes, sunnies, a super cute summer scarf in leopard print, natch, tons of my favorite makeup, bracelets, you name it. So come to the fundraiser and buy it, k? That would be swell.

Because the end of the school year is so miserably busy, I find that everything I wear has to pull double duty. There's a good chance I'll have to go to the school for something or grab some lunch with friends or hit the grocery store because I'm in charge of soccer snack and oh yeah, look semi-put together in case I have to FaceTime a client at some point. It's cold and rainy today, but when it's warm out, I'm all about the summer dress.

Dress: Old Navy (this year's version)

Chambray: Papaya (cheap one here)

Boots: Breckelles (here)

Belt: Aldo (similar)

Earrings: Buckle -- they're just plain hoops so I really doubt you need a link for that.
Ring: Inspired Silver (similar)

This is the easiest, peasiest alternative to wearing the same old tee and jeans that you're already sick of and awesome for hot weather. If it was really scorching, I'd ditch the chambray for a lighter shirt and skip the boots and do wedges or sandals instead. Endless possibilitiesssssss and just as easy as pants.

 

After all the running around, Saturday night was dedicated to The Great Gatsby and per my Facebook post, I totally wore yoga pants. It was two and a half hours long people! And I ate nachos! I need yoga pants for that. And I loved the movie -- it totally brought me back to Romeo + Juliet days and my husband was happy because it included classic cars.

Alright, I'm off for the day. Stay tuned this week because after my nacho binge, I'm ready to talk fitness + fashion together, including what I do when I totally don't feel like working out, some of my new fave workout clothes and some awesome accountability tools. Deal? Deal! 

Aaaaand now I'm craving nachos.

Asking Favors (or Favours if You're Canadian)

Interrupting regular scheduled programming to tell you guys about something that's uber-important.


As you guys know, I volunteer at my local hospital as a parent support worker. And it's fulfilling and lovely and was the best possible way for me to deal with my issues surrounding my super traumatic pregnancy last time around. I do a lot of work in the antepartum ward, which is where I spent six weeks of my last pregnancy before giving birth to a preemie and hanging out in the NICU for four weeks. Mostly I just pop by to chat and bring treats to the mamas who are staying on long-term bedrest.

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to spend some time with a beautiful bedrest mom -- Katrina. We chatted for a while about mom stuff and I was surprised to hear that she was pregnant with her sixth baby -- she looked so young! I gave her some deets about NICU life, as her son would most likely spend time there and I promised to come visit her the week after.

Tragically, I received a message on Saturday that this gorgeous mom had passed away from serious complications in childbirth. Her son was fine -- he's a tough little fighter -- but her heart had simply stopped. When I was at the hospital this past Tuesday I learned a little more of the circumstances and felt sick and helpless, especially when thinking of this mom's family. That's the worst part about working at the hospital -- sometimes really sad things happen and you feel like you can't really do anything to help.

Which is why I was so happy when I was contacted through my blog by a group putting together a fundraiser for Katrina's family. They actually didn't know I had previously met Katrina, but asked if I would be willing to donate something to the fundraiser as a local blogger. We came up with the idea of a "Jae's Favorite Things" basket to be auctioned off during a silent auction at the fundraiser. I'm excited to get involved and so glad that this group thought of me.

Now, here's where I'm going to ask for a favor... or favour. Local girls, the fundraiser is at Viking Crossfit in Orem next Saturday. Here are the details:

If you can make it, that would be superb. I've seen some of the auction items  and door prizes and it looks like a lot of fun and I'm planning on stopping by as well. If you're not local and still want to help, there's an account set up at Wells Fargo under "Team Katrina" and also an indiegogo campaign, which you can access here.You can also score more info about the fundraiser and ways to help on the Team Katrina Facebook page.

Money definitely doesn't heal broken hearts, but I hope that through financial support, Katrina's sweet family will be able to take the time they need to grieve the loss of their mother and wife. Medical costs for a NICU baby can also be baffling. I also want them to know that even people like me -- who only knew Katrina for a short while -- were still touched by her life.

I know that usually my blog is light and peppered (and by peppered I mean doused) with sarcasm, but I wanted to take a time out to remember Katrina. Now, I'm off to shop for my basket - I'm thinking shoe gift cards and lots of beauty products and fun accessories. Pop by next Saturday and help support Katrina's fam, pretty please?

Thanks for putting up with the change in posting -- I'll be back to normal next week. You guys are peaches and the best readers a mom/fashion/llama blogger could have.