It's that time of month again...my next Stitch Fix has arrived! I can't even tell you how fun it is getting this mystery box of clothing every month. I'm really loving it. I only wish the prices were cheaper. Some things are reasonable but others are way too much for someone who usually shops at Old Navy.  So far I've gotten things ranging in price from $28-$78.

If you're not familiar with Stitch Fix, it a nifty website where you give them your sizes and style preferences and they hand pick 5 items (clothing and accessories) for you. You pay a $20 styling fee per box, but it goes toward your purchase if you decide to keep anything. Also, if you keep all 5 items, you get an additional 25% off! Whatever you don't want, you send back in a prepaid envelope.


 They claim to get better at picking styles you'll like with the more boxes you get and the more feedback you give...and that seems to be true! This is my third fix and definitely my favorite so far. I thought I was going to be in big trouble when I opened this one up, because I liked everything!

 On to the photos! And yes, my toddler was dancing in circles around me while we were taking them. ;)


First outfit, Esther Mixed Material Graphic Print Blouse by Daniel Rainn, and Kate Distressed Boyfriend Jeans from Kut From the Koth. I loved both pieces, but they were both on the pricey side. 



 Next up, Keara Abstract Dot Print Dress from Mystree, and Alamere Beaded Cuff Bracelet from Zad. This dress is super cute! I like it, my husband likes it, and the price was reasonable. Sounds like a keeper! The bracelet is cute too, but as I've said before, I'm not a big jewelry person so I'd have to really love it to want to keep it...and it was nice but nothing all that special about it.



 And finally, Stacie Graphic Print Kimono from Renee C. This kimono-cardigan type thing is a very different. I kind of like it, but I'd probably never wear it.

So there you have it. This was a tough one...I really wanted to keep 3 items from this box, but just couldn't spend the money right now.  I ended up keeping the dress and the top from the first photo.   The jeans were cute, but I couldn't justify spending on one pair of jeans what I pay for 2 pairs usually! ;)

If you're interested in signing up to try Stitch Fix, I'd really appreciate it if you'd use my referral link: https://www.stitchfix.com/referral/3988708.   It'll give me a $25 credit, so I can maybe keep more things in the future! ;)   

So my second Stitch Fix box has arrived! Yay!   Even though I was kinda iffy about my first box, I was still pretty excited to see what they sent me this month.

If you're not familiar with Stitch fix, they have stylists that pick out 5 pieces of clothing/accessories for you to try based on your style preferences, for a $20 "styling fee" that is also credit toward your purchase if you keep anything.  They include a free return envelope so you can send back what you don't want.  Check out my blog post "My First Stitch Fix Review"  for more info!

Though I didn't end up keeping anything, I was pleasantly surprised with this fix!  Most of the items seemed to be a lot more like my style.  In this box I got 2 sleeveless tops, a maxi dress, a pair of orange jeans and a fun statement necklace.


These are Pink Martini brand Joshua ankle jeans in orange, and the top is Kristine floral print blouse.     The pants are not something I ever would have picked out for myself or tried on in a store, but I actually kind of like them! Unfortunately they were too small, but I did request that they send them again next month in the next size up.     I liked the shirt too, but I didn't like it $48 worth. (um, nah.)


Market and Spruce Harlin v-neck plaid knit shirt.  Once again, I liked it, but not enough to pay what they were asking.



Arc n Co  Bellatrix embroidered maxi dress.  This one looked pretty out of the box, and it was actually affordable, but when I tried it on it was just awkward. It was way too long, and the top didn't fit right at all. Plus, the slip layer underneath stops right under my crotch, which is weird. It visible on the outside where it stops, so it just looks silly. Why not just have it the whole length of the dress?    So yeah, this was a big no.



And finally, the Pixley Bellatrix necklace.  This is pretty cool looking, but it was a little too much necklace for me.  I'm not really the statement necklace kinda person.  I would have modeled it but it didn't really go with any of the clothing.

So, I didn't end up keeping anything in this box. You might call it another fail, but I was actually happy that they did a much better job picking out things for me this time.  Aside from the dress, I did like everything.  I would have kept the pants if they had fit.   So I will go ahead and try another box next month!   It is a lot of fun getting a grab bag box of clothes every month. I just wish the prices were a little more reasonable. Some items are okay, but others just seem ridiculous.

Want to give them a try yourself?  I'd really appreciate it if you'd use on my referral link!   https://www.stitchfix.com/referral/3988708

 First I must note that this is a review on buying from thredUP....not selling.  I have not tried selling on it yet so I don't know too much about it.

A friend recently introduced me to the website thredUP.  As someone that's always happy to find a way to shop that doesn't require me to carry a cranky toddler around the store, I was intrigued and had to check it out. ThredUP sells gently used name-brand clothing, shoes, and handbags at an affordable price.

Wait! Hold it, Kim.  Used clothing?

Well hold on...when I say gently used, I mean it! They're very picky about the quality of clothing they accept. Most items are in like new condition, and the one or two items that I ordered that were marked as having a minor flaw still looked brand new to me..I honestly couldn't find the flaw.

This website is fun, but it is also dangerous.  If you see something you like, you feel pressured to order right away because that item is not likely going to be there for long.    I now know not to go to this website unless I am okay with spending some money, because on all three occasions I have visited the website I ended up placing an order!

One of the dresses I bought from thredUP

Shipping is $2.99 for the first item and .99 each additional item, and free if you spend over $50. Or, if you know you're going to be shopping there a lot, you can pay a one time $19.99 fee and that will cover your shipping for the rest of the year.

Returns unfortunately are not free at the moment, unless you order from their mobile app.  I'm hoping in time as the site becomes more popular they will offer free returns period...because I don't know about you, but when it comes to ordering clothes online, I end up returning more than I keep. Just like shopping at a store, you're not going to like everything you try on.

So in closing, I really like this site!  I just can't go browsing it on a whim or I get into trouble. ;)  If you're interested in giving them a try,  use this link to get $10 off!    http://www.thredup.com/r/WDNSKN

Oh, and did I mention they also sell baby and children's clothes??? 

I've seen so many awesome handmade wreaths lately, and I've been feeling pretty crafty lately so I kind of wanted to try my hand at it. I was a little intimidated, I'll admit, because everyone else's are sooo good, and I really don't know what I'm doing!    But I thought I'd give it a go.  Halloween has always been my favorite holiday so of course my first wreath was going to be a Halloween one.  

I had a general idea in mind, but I didn't really know where I was going to go with it.  I bought a bunch of random things from Michaels and decided to figure it out as I went along. A lot of the stuff I didn't even use and returned to the store.

This is what I ended up with!

I didn't take pictures along the way as I made it, sorry, but it was super easy!  All I did was wrap a furry yarn (from Michael's) around a wreath form, gluing the ends. Then for the mummy-like wrappings,  those are something I already had in my halloween decor,  Walmart usually sells it in the Halloween stuff, I think they call it "spooky fabric" or something like that. I just cut it into strips and wrapped it on, letting some of it hang.   Made a big black bow and added some spiders and voila! Done.  Super simple.

...and other fables and fairy tales.  Haha, its an impossible task, I've realized.  Oh, wait, you thought I was going to give tips?  Oh girl... my tip is this: give it up...its not going to happen.
Or you're asking the wrong person, at least. This is just a rant. :)

Don't get me wrong, I could keep my house clean...it is actually possible...but I would be cleaning constantly, all day long every day.  Who wants to do that?   I pick up the toys, and my toddler follows behind me and throws them all over the floor again.  I dust the tv stand and in minutes its completely covered in dust and pet hair again.  I mop the floor, my husband comes home for lunch and leaves foot prints. I mop it again,  more footprints when he comes home for the day.  Is it normal to have to mop 3 times a day?  I'm not going to do it.

And I don't have time to clean all day long.  Part of the job description of being a stay at home mom is...to be a mom.  I'm raising a person.  A lot of my time is spent taking care of her. Feeding her, bathing her, reading her books, taking her to the park, playing with her, teaching her, consoling her when she gets an ouchie, consoling her when her toy gets an ouchie.    

Laundry and dishes, don't get me started there..the never ending stuff. I was so proud yesterday, I actually folded and put away all the laundry!  I mean, I usually fold some of it every day, but I never seem to get to all of it. There is always a laundry basket sitting around with some clean laundry in it. But yesterday, I finally did it! Completely emptied the basket.   And 30 minutes later I pulled another load from the dryer...and there's that pesky basket of laundry again.

There's clutter everywhere. My house is so small that it just can't be helped.  There's just no place to put everything. Every now and then I'll find some good ideas on pinterest and will go on an organizing spree, but it just doesn't stay organized for long, if I even finish the project to begin with.

And of course there's all the fun little toddler messes like crayon masterpieces on the wall,  spilled cereal boxes, and my toddler's latest obsession with scooping water out of the toilet with whatever she can get her hands on.

I'm fighting a losing battle here.  I'm cleaning the same things over and over and never have time to work on things like my messy bedroom, or the disaster garage. And yet I go to a friend's house...they have a family too and yet their house is spotless.  Is there some sort of magic involved here?  Or have they simply mastered the quick "company's coming!" clean up and its actually a mess the rest of the time? I know I get the most cleaning done when I'm expecting someone to come over.    I'm hoping that's it. Because otherwise, I'm definitely doing something wrong.

Sometimes I just think, "Come on! You're home all day! There's no reason you can't keep the house clean." 
But I don't want to spend all my time cleaning and stressing about the house.  I want to remember playing with my daughter, snuggling on the couch, get togethers with friends.  I'd rather not remember the ongoing battle with the crappy military housing floors. 

I guess my goal should be to get the important stuff done. Keep the kitchen clean, keep the kid clean and fed.  Do the everyday stuff you have to do (dishes, laundry, sweeping).  Work on everything else when I can, but try not to worry so much about the clutter and toys because they're always going to be there. Do the quick pick up when someone is coming over of course, but try not to let it drive me crazy the rest of the time.  Easier said then done.

Do you have any tips for keeping your house clean and organized? I'd love to hear them!    

A couple of tips that sound promising but I haven't actually tried yet...

-Make a cleaning schedule. (ie.  Mondays, clean the bathroom. Tuesdays and fridays, vacuum)

-Pack up some of your kids toys and alternate them every now and then.    This sounds like a good idea to keep the toy clutter reduced some!

Being a stay at home mom, a girl has to find ways to entertain herself.  Me, I love to shop. I am definitely guilty of being a shopaholic.  And I love to go clothes shopping, but since having a kid I find its just not as easy to do as it used to be.  It's hard to relax and shop when you're wrestling a toddler that doesn't want to sit in a cart and would rather be running amok through aisles.   So when I found out about Stitch Fix, I was intrigued.  It's like shopping but the store comes to you! 

Stitch Fix claims to give you your own personal stylist. You fill out a style profile with your preferences, and they also encourage you to make a pinterest board with styles you like.  Then based on your style preferences they send you 5 pieces of clothing and/or accessories right to your home. They also send you styling cards with ideas on what to wear with each item.  You try it all on and then send back what you don't want in a prepaid envelope.  There's a $20 "styling fee",  but its credit toward your purchase if you decide to keep anything.  They also give you 25% off if you keep all 5 items.

But what are the prices like, you ask?   Well, they are a bit on the pricey side.   The website says the average price is $55, and the items that came in my first box ranged from $34-$68.   So, for someone that usually shops at Old Navy....yeah, that's a bit much.  But, despite the high prices I decided to give it a try and see what it was all about.       

So,  on to my first fix! I was super excited when it arrived, however my first thoughts on opening the box were "Hmm...looks like my stylist wasn't paying attention."   Nothing in the box looked anything like the styles I had selected in my style profile, or like the styles I had pinned on pinterest.  Did they even check?  But still, here it was, so of course I was going to try everything on. Maybe I would be pleasantly surprised?


So first up, and please forgive my creepy white legs, lol, I dunno why they look like that in this picture,  we have the Renee C Rawlie V-neck Abstract dress.  It wasn't completely awful, but I didn't love it. It was also too small in the hips so I couldn't have kept it even if I wanted to.



Next, the Gilli Sarina Abstract Chevron Maxi Skirt, and Market and Spruce Sam Hi Lo Tee.    My thoughts on this outfit are, "Blaaaaah."   I know a lot of people are into maxi skirts, but its not my style at all.   And as for the shirt, I liked the fabric but not the fit. Even adding a belt didn't help. Thumbs down on this outfit.



Below is the Renee C Tucker Paisley Split Back Tank.  This one I ended up keeping.   When I pulled it out of the box I was pretty sure I was going to hate it, but I actually liked it on. Its not like anything else in my wardrobe, but its cute.  I like the funky print.  I'm not that crazy about the split back (forgot to take a picture, sorry...) but it wasn't a deal breaker.



And finally, this Bay to Baubles Diaz Leaf & Bead Layering Necklace.   It was kinda pretty, but I'm not a big jewelry person,  so I'd have to really love it to want to keep it.



So, there ya have it. Five things, only liked one.    Even though the first box was mostly a miss, I'm still going to try at least one more. They claim that the more times you order and leave feedback, the better they get at finding things you'll love, so we'll give it another shot. I really do love the idea of this! So here's hoping for some goodies next month. I'll try to get better pictures next time. ;)

So that's it!  Just wanted to share my own review in case anyone else was thinking about trying it out but wanted some more input. Hope it helps. :) 
Want to give them a try yourself?  Sign up for Stitch Fix!

I just finished a little mini project so I thought I'd share.   I was keeping my cooking utensils in a plain white container,  but lately I've been trying to add blue and orange accents to my kitchen,  so I decided I'd paint a couple of large mason jars and use them to hold my cooking utensils.

Don't mind my photo bombing kitty.

Okay, so I haven't been updating this blog as much as I would have liked, but mostly that's because instead of working on one project (or room) at a time, I try to do a hundred things all at once! ;) So I don't have any finished projects to share, just a bunch of half started ones.

I have made some progress with my dining room though so I thought I'd share some pictures. I forgot to take a before photo, but originally I had an oblong table in it with no chairs, and the table was just a catchall covered in clutter. And completely bare walls!

Now I have a new (to me) round table with chairs (hooray!) and a spiffy rug underneath. I've added some wall art to my blank walls...a chalkboard and candle sconces, and some decorative mirrors I got from Ikea for only $2 each! I just wish I had gotten 2 more. I also got this cute little wine rack table for really cheap. I'm not sure if i'm going to keep that, because I can't really keep wine bottles in it with a toddler running about, and it's also a bit smaller than I'd like. So I'm still trying to decide on that...I might replace it with something a little bigger later, if I find something I like. Anyway, on to pictures!

Now the room still isn't finished...I've got to hang some drapes, and I'm planning on giving my barstools (not pictured) a makeover. The other half of the room isn't pictured because its...well, a mess. The pass-through window counter has become a catchall so that needs to be cleared...and my desk is also on the other side of the room. Yes, you read that right. My desk is in in the dining room...that's how small my house is! No other place to put it! But anyway, I thought I would share my progress so far!

Ariel,
After being obsessed with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse for the last year and a half or so, yesterday you have suddenly decided you would rather watch Bubble Guppies. I only had two episodes of it recorded, but you'd still rather watch those two episodes over and over rather than watch a new Mickey Mouse episode.  Not that I'm complaining, after all I have seen all of the Mickey Mouse episodes dozens of times now,  and its nice to get a little break. I think the Hot Dog song has been stuck in my head for a year straight now.

You also have a new Bubble Guppies doll that we got for you a few days ago (before you stopped watching Mickey), and it hasn't left your hands for more than a few minutes since you've gotten it.

I can't help wondering if perhaps you and Mickey had a fight that I missed.  When I mention his name, you shout "No!" and hide your face behind your hands.  But you don't seem to mind me talking about Minnie.  Whatever he did, I'm sure he didn't mean it and that he's very sorry.

I just thought it was funny how quickly you changed your mind about something you've loved for so long.   But...maybe tomorrow you'll want Mickey Mouse again. I kind of hope so.  You have way too many Mickey Mouse toys, clothing, and room decor to be giving him up completely.

Not to mention I've been dying to see your reaction to meeting your pal Mickey Mouse in person at Disney World!

Gave my laundry room a little pick-me-up.  There's still a lot more I can do with this room, but I thought I'd share this small bit of progress just so I have something to share!

First the before picture.

And after!



Amazing the difference a few baskets can make!  Most of the clutter is still up there, but out of sight now in the baskets. I got them at Michaels for 50% off.  And I added a rug from Walmart just to give a little more color to the room, it was so stark and cold before.    There's still plenty more I can do in this room.  I'm thinking maybe a wall mounted ironing board and maybe a card table for folding clothes   And there's wall space for more shelves, or maybe some art, if I can find the sort of wall art appropriate for a laundry room (trip to Hobby Lobby, anybody??) Wish I could think of a way to cover up where the washer hoses go into the wall, that's pretty ugly....but hey, it is just the laundry room. Not like anybody sees it but me!

If anyone has any more tips for sprucing up this small space let me know! :)

I'm not good with blogs. I've started a few in the past, and they always end up petering out. I just don't seem to keep up with them.  But here I am again...starting yet another!

What is this one about?  Well, its the new year. I don't really bother with making resolutions usually, nobody ever keeps them, but this year I really want to put my mind to making my home feel more like...well, home!  First I should probably mention that I'm a military wife, so no home ever ends up being home for too long.  We're new to Las Vegas now,  been here for about 6 months and honestly, I don't like it. It doesn't feel like it will ever feel like home here, but I realize that I'm stuck here and I may as well try to make the best of it!

I live on base.  I don't know if you've ever seen base housing before, but its pretty basic and boring.  White walls, ugly white tile floor that always looks dirty. And this one is tiny. Like, really tiny.  Two bedrooms and very small living space.   So despite having only been here for a few months, my house is a disaster because I have no place to put anything!

I was just letting the mess take over and being depressed about it...but then I started checking out pinterest and blogs and have gotten so many ideas for organizing and for diy projects. I've got so many ideas floating around in my head now that I want to try!  So I'm hoping I can spend this year working on all that. Hence the start of this blog, where I can share my progress (hopefully there will be some!) and projects with anyone who cares to see it.  You will get to see photos of the mess that is my house right now, and hopefully photos of it looking much better later!  Though...I do have a toddler (and a husband!) so I'm probably doomed to always have a messy home. But hopefully I can make my small space work a little better for me and make it feel more like home...until its time to move on again.

I may post other stuff too. About raising my wild toddler, or rants about military life.

Or maybe I won't post much of anything, as usually ends up being the case. We shall see. ;)

A photo of my family, taken by Canico Studios.