My 1st Stitch Fix

Nov 11, 2015 by Lauren

This year, I made it a priority to be healthy and, as such, spent tons of time exercising/cooking healthy food and literally ZERO time blogging.  But more on that later.

 

The result of my new healthier life is I am finally able to reward myself with Stitch Fix (because I can finally fit into their sizes)!  For those of you who aren’t familiar with Stitch Fix, the basic premise is you fill out a survey with your sizes, preferences and clothing needs of all varieties.  Stitch Fix matches you up with a stylist and they ship 5 items to your door (as frequently or infrequently as you wish).  If you keep all 5 items, you get 25% off your order.  As long as you keep at least one item, the $20 styling fee is used towards the cost of whatever item(s) you’re keeping.  Pretty cool.  If you like what you receive, you can even request to have the same stylist for your next Fix.

I was really nervous because I’d heard mixed reviews AND, if I’m being totally honest, because I was afraid I still wouldn’t fit into their clothes.  I’m right on the fence between two sizes (I know you’ve all been there…#breakingnews it sucks).  But, I sucked it up and boy am I glad I did.  My 1st Stitch Fix was full of exactly the kind of thing I’d hoped for: things I like but maybe wouldn’t have put together or even chosen for myself.

 

I took photo evidence for you and my awesome stylist, so here goes:

Spoiler alert: THE JEANS FIT!  WOOHOO!  They are super soft, stretchy skinny jeans.  At first the wash (which you can’t really see here) made it look like I peed my pants (dark in the crotch and inner upper thighs) but that was only something nitpicky me would notice, I’m sure.

Status: Kept!

The shirt was kind of strange.  It looks fine on (which surprised the hell outta me), but it’s so scratchy that my inner arms were starting to get raw just from taking pictures in it.  The gold/black main part of the shirt is a fabric I can’t identify other than the scratch factor is 10/10.  The vinyl sleeves looked cool from far away but up close…basically this whole shirt is a Monet.  Great from far away, up close…nightmare.

Status: Returned!

 

I asked for a dress and anything purple, so my stylist really delivered on this one.  At first I wasn’t sure about the laser cut outs at the bottom because fingers fit really nicely into the cutouts and I could just see the dog jumping or kids pulling on my clothes annnnnnnd RIIIIP.  But this dress was so adorable I had to give it a chance.

Status: Kept!

 

 

I also asked for a blazer.  This is what arrived.  HELL TO THE NO.  Ok, ok, I will say one positive thing: the color is gorgeous.  Now that the sugar-coating is over…it looks like a Kohl’s reject.  Lumpy, uneven bottom, uneven collar that won’t lay flat, has pull marks in the stomach even though it wasn’t tight at all, wrinkly fabric (even though it was packaged nicely and shouldn’t have been wrinkled).  Not for me.  Still want a blazer but preferably not this one.  Oh wait…there was one more problem…

 

RUFFLES.  Chiffon RUFFLES.  Maybe that was my bad for not specifically mentioning my strong feelings on (most) ruffles but seriously…I am 33, not 3.  Save the ruffles for someone’s bloomers.

Status: Returned and hopefully sent to the dump.

 

The necklace was sent to go with the dress/blazer from hell.  It was pretty cute but, like the blazer, wouldn’t lie flat and the clasp literally fell off in my hand.  Not to mention, for $28 I need to LOVE the necklace.  I didn’t love it.

Status: Returned, broken.

 

Overall, I think my stylist did an amazing job of combining what I asked for and what I needed.  I can’t wait for my next Stitch Fix!  If you think you’d like to try Stitch Fix for yourself, here’s my referral link: https://www.stitchfix.com/referral/6105907

Don’t hesitate to use it. 🙂

read more

New Year, New Stuff

Jan 20, 2015 by Lauren

Every year I like to look back at the past year through photos, blog posts, emails and etc. and get a good overview of how last year went.  It’s less a list of resolutions and more a guide on how not to F up/how to keep being awesome.

As I looked back over the last year’s worth of Facebook posts, photos, blogs, and more, I realized there were quite a few areas in which I could vastly improve.  Probably the most obvious of which was how (in)frequently I post here.  According to my records, I wrote 6 blogs last year.  SIX.  That’s one every 2 months (and in reality, more like 3 in one month and nothing for 3 months).  Not cool.

After some introspection on the matter, I made two decisions.

#1.  Things have to change.  See, I started writing this blog when we got married and I moved to Goofy Ridge.  Adam and I celebrated our 7th anniversary yesterday.  Suffice to say, my perspective has changed in the last seven years. 🙂  When I began this blog, I would talk to my suburban friends about my life and frequently hear them shocked and amazed at how things operate in a rural area.  Those of you who remember the Frank bumper story know what I mean.  But, like many things in life, the longer you’re exposed to them, the more normal they seem.  Maybe it’s because we have two kids now and we just don’t get out much but I’m finding myself exposed to fewer things that you might find on Dog the Bounty Hunter and more and more things likely found on a riveting episode of Guy’s Grocery Games.

 

(I know, Mom.  I watch too much tv.)

 

(No, I do not watch Dog the Bounty Hunter.)

 

(Or Guy’s Grocery Games.)

 

#2.  Those of you who have followed me this long deserve an explanation of what I WAS doing, when I should/could have been blogging.  🙂

 

 

But, you’ll have to wait on that until a later date.  Those fun-sucking kids I mentioned?  (Oh, did I not mention they’re fun-suckers?  They’re fun-suckers.  Luckily, they are also cute.  Most of the time.)  Anyway, the fun-suckers are boycotting nap time today.  More on my 2014 Blog Absence Explanation to come.

read more

Announcement #2

Jun 13, 2013 by Lauren

I promised more announcements, so here we go!

 

This blog has been going through somewhat of a transitory phase lately.  When I originally decided to become a blogger, I wanted to share all the funny stories and things I’ve learned about living in a rural area.  My suburban friends were in awe that the things I wrote were really happening and my rural friends didn’t see what the big deal was!

 

But, time marched on and now I’ve lived here for 5+ years.  I’m not learning new things about the area and the lifestyle as often as I used to.  Is it possible *gasp* that the area is growing on me?

 

I’ll explore that possibility another day but, today, I want to let you all know that I’ll be transitioning away from the funny stories and towards the things I love to share with you.  Growing on Goofy will become more of a lifestyle blog.

 

What does that mean for you?

 

It means you can look for more posts about great recipes, farm life, parenting, kids and, of course, puff quilts!  I’ve been shifting towards this for so long that you probably won’t even notice! 🙂  I’m really excited about how everything is going and I thank you all for your support over the years.  I hope you all continue to read and enjoy Growing on Goofy and, as always, if you have any questions or concerns about how things are going, I’m always eager to hear them!

read more

FINALLY!

Dec 19, 2012 by Lauren

Waaaaaaaaaay back in January, I wrote about Adam and I having a joint New Year’s Resolution to lose weight/be healthy.  We’ve been slowly reaching our small goals of eliminating unhealthy foods and becoming more active.

But today was a BIG milestone for me.

I know, in previous posts, I mentioned that I hate reading weight loss blogs that specify a starting weight and then go on to discuss how “gross and fat” they were at that previous weight.  Number one, it’s hard to read people beating themselves up.  Number two, weight is very different on different people.  I read a blog once where someone’s “gross and fat” weight was 150 lbs.  This person was also probably 5’1.  Now I, on the other hand, am over 5’8.  I read that blog and thought…150 lbs…SERIOUSLY!?!  I may never see 150 lbs again.  That might even be an ultimate, post-ALL-babies, post-tummy tuck, post-divine intervention weight for me. 🙂  But that’s ok.  Which brings me to my next point.  Number three, when you talk about being “gross and fat” at a certain weight, it shows a complete lack of comprehension of the fact that a lot of people reading your blog are at or above that “gross and fat” weight.  And what are those readers to think?  If 150 is “gross and fat” what does that make 200? Or 250? And so on.  Not a smart move, in my opinion.

So today I’m going to talk about something else.  I’m going to talk about another number.  It’s not my goal weight, it’s not my starting or ending weight.  It’s my “I swore I’d never get to” weight.  I recognize that this number is ONLY a reflection of my individual body size/type.  I swore I’d never get to 200 lbs.

Well, I did.  And then I blew past it.  And then I got pregnant and I blew WAY past it.  But I worked hard, and I lost all the baby weight and then some.  I still couldn’t get back under that damn 200 mark.

But today, I’m proud to say that thanks to a much-too-lengthy case of pneumonia all my hard work, I DID IT! I am FINALLY FINALLY FIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLYYYYYYYYYYYYYY under 200 lbs.

I don’t write this to brag (ok, maybe a little) but to thank you all for your love and support.  This isn’t the end of my journey, but man it is nice to meet this small milestone! 🙂

read more

Enough is Enough (or Sometimes a Bitch Snaps!)

Jun 6, 2012 by Lauren

Those of you who’ve read this blog for any length of time know that it’s not a totally infrequent occurrence for me to be asked about my “pregnancy” even though I am not currently pregnant.  It’s something that never ceases to embarrass me, no matter how often it happens.  If you follow my personal Facebook page, then you already know it happened again last Saturday.  For something so mortifying, it’s actually pretty motivating as well.  So, I decided enough is enough, and I wrote the business owner a letter.

 

Dear Sir or Madam,

My husband and I visited Towerline Speedway last Saturday.  We drive by on a regular basis and were thrilled to see that you were open for business again.  We mentioned to the woman at the cash register that we were very excited to see another small business owner in town and that we would have visited sooner but the weather was simply too hot.  This is where things went rapidly downhill.

The woman at the counter agreed that it had been miserably hot, which “must be difficult since you’re pregnant.”

The problem, Sir or Madam, is that I am most definitely NOT pregnant.

As you can imagine, I was stunned.  If I’m being honest, this is not the first time a stranger has asked about my “pregnancy,” but I can assure you that no matter how many times it happens, it surprises and embarrasses me each and every time.

I understand that your employee was just trying to be courteous and friendly, as it seems that pregnancy becomes a community event and even strangers want to congratulate you and ask questions about your unborn child.   I know this because I gave birth last July…to an 11 pound baby boy.  I’m sure you can understand that this left me with some rather stretched out skin.  Frankly, I’m no Kate Moss.  The thing is, Sir or Madam, I can’t be the first fat, muffin-topped or otherwise overweight person to ever walk through your doors…and I certainly won’t be the last.

Although I understand that your employee was simply attempting to be friendly, she ended up insulting and embarrassing me.  The thing is, the contents, or lack thereof, a woman’s uterus are not appropriate conversation fodder, particularly with complete strangers.  I don’t care if a woman is so pregnant it looks like she’s smuggling more basketballs under her shirt than Michael Jordan ever dunked, it is still inappropriate, and this situation is a perfect example as to why.  You never know.  I have two friends who were asked about their “pregnancies,” one had a large abdominal tumor and one had recently miscarried.  You never know, and you certainly don’t want to find out the hard way.

I wish that I’d had the clear head and heart at the time to say, “I’m not pregnant.  And that feeling of embarrassment you’re feeling right now?  That is exactly why you should never ask someone about their ‘pregnancy’ again.”  Unfortunately, I was mortified and, instead, turned as I walked out the door and said, “By the way, I’m not pregnant.”  I pretty much ran out the door and avoided looking at anyone the rest of the evening.  It ruined the entire mini-golf experience, and I definitely won’t be back.

I am not writing this letter to fish for apologies or a refund.  I don’t think anyone should be fired.  I know that I can’t stop everyone from making stupid and irresponsible comments but, I hope, after reading this letter, that you will consider having a staff meeting for some “sensitivity training” or something of the sort.  I wish you and your business the best of luck.

Sincerely,

Lauren Shissler

 

 

Hopefully that eliminates at least ONE idiotic and insensitive comment from being made to another overweight or poochy-stomached woman.  Sorry folks, it’s just NOT OK, EVER, to comment on a stranger’s appearance.  Isn’t that kind of Adulthood 101?

 

 

 

 

read more

Winter Weight Loss #2

Jan 31, 2012 by Lauren

I am learning so much about getting healthy these days.  One family member is doing a vegetarian detox.  Another few are starting up with Weight Watchers.  I find it so interesting to hear the different theories, plans and motivations.

 

Recently, I was telling someone about our trip to Sandals.  I mentioned that it took a day or two to get oriented with where things were (specifically, the good food).  I happened to use cheese sticks as an example of one of the foods we were surprised A) was available in the Bahamas and B) that was GOOD (even hand-battered!).

 

The person I was talking to said *insert sarcastic tone* “Well, I see you stuck to your diet.”

 

REALLY?

 

And this is why Adam and I are not stuck on a specific “diet” plan.  People just don’t get it.  First of all, that is a rude and ignorant comment.  If this person had listened, rather than interrupting, they would have learned that in our 5 days there, we ate cheese sticks ONE time, and mostly vegetables, fish and beef the rest of the time.  Not to mention, what business is it of anyone’s whether we stuck to a “diet” or not?  That’s why it’s called VACATION!  Oh, and one more thing, we were never on any certain “diet” to begin with, so suck it.

 

But now, hearing about the different pros and cons of things like the Weight Watchers points system and South Beach Diet’s low sugar recipes, I think Adam and I are getting a clearer idea of what we want to do.  For example, on WW, fruits and vegetables (other than super starchy things like peas and potatoes) are all zero points.  Isn’t that how it should be? Wouldn’t you be better off eating a bucket of apples and asparagus than whatever crap you’re eating now?  I had spiral mac and cheese for dinner, I’m not perfect.  Guarantee I’d be feeling more healthy, more full and more satiated if I’d gone with apples and asparagus.  On South Beach, they want you to get off the white refined sugar and flour.  Duh.  I mean come on people, the one thing we DO know about the evil that is cancer, is that it feeds off of sugar.  If that’s not enough reason to cool it on the sweet stuff, I don’t know what is.

 

Which brings me to the point of all of this.  Adam and I are now on what I am branding the Common Sense Diet.  It’s pretty simple.  Try not to eat crap.  Try to eat lean proteins, vegetables, fruits and whole grains.  Follow that up with some exercise.  Cheat once in a while.

 

I think we can all agree on that.

 

Oh, and don’t think I forgot to hold myself accountable.  As for total pounds lost, Adam is -8 and I am -4.  Slowly but surely.  I’m just happy as hell that I didn’t GAIN weight on vacation.

read more