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What to Pack for a Road Trip – Plus Size

July 5, 2017Sara 7 Comments

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I just walked in the door from a really long outing with the family today (Tuesday). We were out for longer than we have been out in one day in a long while and I was totally hoping it would knock the kids out but it seems to have energized them. I’m ready to sleep though. We hit up the museum where we each had our favourite parts; Merle was in geode heaven, I am all about the Middle Ages, Roo thrives on Greece, and while Tom isn’t a huge museum fan I think he secretly liked some parts because I caught him reading lots of information plaques and taking pictures. Maybe I will win him over 😉 Then we hit up the big Value Village where we found some books, and then we went out to dinner. Now I am writing this blog post while eating my leftovers and trying to stay awake. Maybe I’ll rewatch Friends in the background to keep me alert.

This week I have a packing list for a 2 week road trip in summer than starts in California and goes to Arizona. Arizona is pretty bloody hot right now so I didn’t bother adding any type of light jacket. The thought behind this list is comfort, and I may or may not have included an extra shirt or two in case the heat is so intense you sweat through them all before laundry time 🙂 The breakdown is as follows:

A t-shirt, graphic tee, tunic, peasant top, black “dressy” shirt, and a chambray shirt for layering (or by itself).
One cardigan, and one pullover which will work for air conditioning, and cooler days/evenings.
For bottoms I included one pair of shorts, jeans, wide leg (loose fit) pants, and a midi skirt.
A cute, knee length style, and a flowy summer maxi/midi dress.
a bathing suit for any beaches, pools, or water parks you may hit along the way.
Accessories which include a woven summer hat, sunglasses, and a lightweight scarf.
Three pairs of footwear which should include a casual sneaker, sandals, and then something fun like and espadrille, mule, or flat in a good colour/print.
Finally a big tote to easily throw all the car crap in quickly when needed, and a regular shoulder bag.

I made this quite a casual list because car travel needs comfort. If will have any situations that require something more dressy than black pants, and a black shirt then you will have to adjust the options accordingly. I will put together the outfit options from this list for the next post.

What are your go-to’s for a long road trip? I get car sick easily (it sucks) so since I can’t read then music is the next best thing. I would say a good playlist is a top rank for me, along with books and an iPad for the non driving parts.

If you like this post you can find more packing lists and outfit options in my:
Packing Light Series
What to Wear Options

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What I Wore This Week

July 3, 2017Sara Leave a Comment

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The weekend is over and I can now speak from personal experience that Ikea can in fact almost cause you to get a divorce. Man oh man it was a doozy. On the way back I was ready to jump out of the moving car and then hitchhike home. Now we have to build the furniture which should be fun :/ We did get a new light fixture for the main room which is really cool. It replaces the monstrosity that Tom always banged his head on.

We are heading to the zoo on Tuesday because we haven’t been to the ROM in such a long time that Merle barely remembers it (I don’t know why it’s been so long because museums are literally my favourite place to be). Last time we were there she was still so young that she ran right in to a plate-glass window and fell on her ass because she didn’t know it surrounded the exhibit. I’m kind of looking forward to seeing how freaked she gets by the bug section. Is that mean? First time around she was literally in love with the hissing cockroaches, now she freaks out the she sees a dust ball blow across the floor.

I ordered a pretty cool pair of flats from Zara two weeks ago but when they came one was noticeably lighter in colour like it was in a window display and bleached by the sun. I was disappointed but returned them then re-ordered them (not available in my store) so I am hoping that they work better this time. Of course they get stuck in the mail for the long weekend so they weren’t delivered on Friday. I was kind of hoping to break them in this weekend but I don’t think I want to risk wearing them for a full day at the museum.

So all in all aside from the Ikea battle our place is kind of coming together here. I’d still really like to freshen it up with some white paint though because whoever painted this place beforehand thought it was a good idea to paint the vent surround (that hangs lower on the ceiling) a much darker shade. It should be white so it kind of blends with the ceiling. We didn’t have time or money to repaint before we moved in and now it’s a pain in the ass to do it since there is no place to move the furniture out of the way.

Have you ever had the whole Ikea fight experience? It shouldn’t be missed 😉

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What to Wear in Paris and Prague Outfit Options

June 29, 2017Sara Leave a Comment

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When I go to bed at night I always reflect on the day and 99% of the time I shake my head at how unproductive it was. Then I go to bed with the promise to myself that tomorrow I will do better. When I actually pay attention throughout the day to exactly why it is so unproductive I think about the meme that says “trying to accomplish something with children around is like having 152 things going through your head while someone is continuously hitting you with a stick.” That applies to so many things with kids and people who have more than two and still have it all together, I tip my hat to you. Twelve years in and this shit is still hard. So currently I have allowed my older daughter to have her PS4 back (taken away due to ridiculously messing room) and my youngest is quietly watching Charlotte’s web on the iPad so I can sit in silence and actually string two thoughts together on here. Annnnd she just asked for milk and cookies, like 45 seconds after typed that :/

This post is part two, to the What to Pack for Paris and Prague request I got on Instagram. Last post I mentioned how I tried something new and picked the entire list from the store & Other Stories. I found that I kept picking pieces from there so I made the decision the put together the entire list strictly from them. I pretty much want their whole inventory so it was easy. I also talked about how my choices reflected my personal wardrobe the most out of every packing post I have made (I think).

The trip is for 10 days so I put together 18 outfit options from the pieces in the list. A quick breakdown of what the list includes in case you missed last post or you found yourself here from Pinterest (or another social media site) is as follows:

Several shirts (a tank or camisole, striped t-shirt, a graphic/band t-shirt, and a silk blouse)
A couple of sweaters (an oversized, off the shoulder sweater, and a pullover) a cardigan might make a good substitute for one of these choices as well since they are very versatile.
Three bottoms (a blue denim, a grey or black denim or trouser, a skirt)
Two dresses (shirt dress, summery casual dress) this lace one is great too.
A light jacket for cooler evenings or rain. I picked a linen jacket that looks great belted on the website (there is also a leopard one that I have my eye on that almost made this cut).
Shoes, 3 pairs. This is were I always have difficulty but ultimately a walking shoe, a slide, and a sandal made the list. An alternative to the slip on walking shoe would be a sneaker or some kind.
Accessories. The pieces that tie everything together and what you will use to change-up your looks. These include a hat, scarf or scarves of varying colours and prints, sunnies, and possible some simple jewelry. Like a dainty necklace, bracelet, or rings.
Purses. Ultimately you only need two maximum. A larger tote/shoulder bag, and a crossbody. These two should get you through any kind of travel situation that may arise. Any more than two is just a waste of precious suitcase space.

So as you can see the pieces above can be worn is so many ways. I put together 18 outfits but the possibilities are much more with some creativity.

This weekend is Canada’s 150th birthday and there is so much going on. I’m not sure what we are doing yet, but I hope you all have a great weekend!

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What I Wore This Week

June 26, 2017Sara 2 Comments

Apparently I love these distressed jeans since I wore them 3 out of 4 days 😉

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Holy Value Village scores batman! This Sunday was their summer clean out pre sale for their savers club members. Monday is the actual sale date for everyone. It’s 50% off clothes, shoes, and accessories and we hauled really well.

There were a few non sale items we got that were also great finds like the Harry Potter Monster Book of Monsters licences plush which has been on our Wishlist for a long time. I honestly can’t believe we found that there, and the bonus is that when you pull his tongue he growls. I have a thing for old product advertising posters and I found a replica alcohol advertisement from 1922 (on a large, wooden wall plaque). But my biggest score of the day was a Botkier Trigger Satchel that is $300 new but I got for $4.50 (50% off $9.00). I just happened to walk by and thought, “hey, that looks like a moto bag that I would carry.” Then I recognized the name and did a quick google search and saw the price. I was like, “yep, sold.” I also found another purse which is a vintage, hand tooled leather purse similar my other one I use frequently but a darker leather and a slightly different shape, a pair of culottes (actually capris but are culottes on me) and a cute dress from H&M.

As per usual Roo found some fun t-shirts, and a pair of Little House on the Prairie style boots she wanted. They are Steve Madden and are in great condition. Merle got an Ikea wooden artist dummy to replace one that she had before that broke, a board game, and some Mexican marionettes that are creepy as shit. She has a thing for marionettes and animatronics which she definitely doesn’t get from me.

Tom found some work clothes and shoes. He usually has more success there than I do but today I seemed to score well which surprised me since they clear out fast during sales. So we spent the day traveling to various Value Villages, hit up the grocery store for the week, and then took the girls swimming. I am tired now so I am signing off. I have a packing list for 10 days in Paris and Prague coming up this week that I kind of love. It emulates my style perfectly. I hope you like it as much as me.

Have you found any good deals thrifting or store bought recently?

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What to Wear in the UK Plus Size Outfit Options

June 20, 2017Sara 2 Comments

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You know when you are eating something sweet and it’s so rich that you are almost gagging but it’s still so good you don’t want to stop eating? That just happened with some chocolate truffles. It actually happens all the time but I try to finish it otherwise someone else will eat it on me. Unattended or abandoned food is not safe here 😉

Also that cold that I had? The one I thought was going away decided that it wasn’t ready to vacate quite yet. Several symptoms just won’t let go, and I’m going on week four of a stuffy nose and slight cough. I would have been concerned but those are the two symptoms that have stuck around for Roo too, and she got sick at the same time as me. I guess this is just a hanger on’er.

I fell victim to the Zara sale. Remember that pink tweed jacket that I got a while back? While I love it, it was actually my second choice. My first choice had more of a blue fleck than pink, 3/4 length sleeves, a collar, and buttoned up the front in more of a blazer than jacket style, but it kept selling out in my size. I’d get an email when it came back in stock and then when I added it to my cart it would be out of stock again. Very frustrating in the grand scheme of First World Problems, so when the Zara summer sale started and I saw they restocked it and it was $60 cheaper I was excited. Then it sold out again with seconds (I swear it was seconds) so I gave up. On Mandat afternoon Merle and I went to pick up some groceries and we have to walk by the big Zara to get there. As I was walking by I made eye contact with my jacket. There were 4 in a messy little row. Side note: Have you ever seen how chaotic and messy Zara gets especially during sales? It must really suck for the workers to maintain that. When I worked retail I would have to hold my breathe and walk away when someone rifled through my neatly folded tees. I can’t imagine the amount of work it takes to get it cleaned up after closing. Long story short, I pretty much dived at the rack to check and they had it in my size so I carried it to the cash in a death grip (you know. In case someone tried to snatch it like they do in movies) I kid only slightly.

This brought me to the realization that I have a thing for jackets. I never really realized that until yesterday but I get really upset when the weather gets too hot for me to layer a fun/cool jacket over whatever I am wearing. Some people have a thing for shoes I apparently like jackets. Now on to the real meaning of this post.

I will be short and brief after a long-winded story. These 24 outfits (12 above and 12 below) are the outfit options that I put together for the What to Pack for the UK packing list from last post. The details from the trip are in the original post but I wanted to point out to those that may have not seen it that this list is plus size and meant for a 3 week trip to the UK for the end of June to middle of July, so technically early summer. The trip it is requested for is mostly casual with a few dressy nights. The colour palette was mostly blues with a few colours added, while staying away from browns/beiges. Whenever I make a packing list I tend to include mostly solid colour neutral pieces, while adding a piece or two in a bright colour or pattern. I also like to add some colour variation using scarves and sometimes a shoe. A fun colour or print shoe can add so much to an outfit, everyone should have at least one “fun” coloured shoe.

While the temperatures at this time of year can lean towards hot, it can also get cold and damp in a blink so clothes that are loose, and breathable will work for the heat while adding a sweater over top will transition you through cooler days easily. *The UK is currently having a heat wave, so pay attention to the weather.* Remember that your travel outfit comes from the pieces in the list as well, and is not in addition to. It’s always a good idea to wear your heavier, more layerable items on the plane (planes can be cold) so that you can pack less.

Have you found any good sale deals lately?

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What I Wore This Week

June 18, 2017Sara Leave a Comment

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Have I ever mentioned that I live by a really big mall? Like, a 5 minute walk from everything I could ever need. While on most days it is really convenient to be able to walk to get whatever I need within minutes, on other days it can be dangerous to my wallet. Zara is having a big sale right now and it took everything I had not to go down and check out what was there. I seriously put on my shoes and went to leave 4 times on Saturday but reigned it in each time. That is my version of self control 😉

I totally waited last minute to buy Tom’s Father’s Day gift this year. I’m usually much more prepared but I couldn’t decided what to get him. Merle and I were out shopping together and we were walking through the linen and bedding section of the store. She reminded me that he said that he wanted a new body pillow (his is super sad looking) so we decided a new body pillow and pillow case were a good start. Then last evening around 7:00 I told him that I had to run down to the store because I forgot to buy deodorant (I actually did) but in reality I also want to do a quick perusal and find him another gift to go with the pillow. The girls decided they were going to come with me and ride their bike and scooter, which ironically makes the trip take longer than it does when we walk.

After walking from one end of the mall to the other, we ended up in Urban Outfitters because they always have fun kitschy gift ideas. There was this neat cell phone magnifier in the form of an old fashioned television that I thought he would get a kick out of because he is always watching things on his phone, but I went with a record instead. They had the Beatles double album which is a fantastic album so I figured it would be good to add to his collection. As a final touch I had the girls go into the Urban Outfitters photo booth and take some fun photos for him to put in his card. Everything went well until the last photo when it managed to capture Roo in the middle of falling off her stool. I was going to make them do a retake, but then thought, “nah, that’s totally her so it’s perfect.” For breakfast I made him Eggs Benedict (my favourite too. Everything tastes better with Hollandaise). All in all I’d say he had a good day.

I have a plus size UK packing list coming up this week, as well as I am working on an updated Starter Work Wardrobe/Capsule.

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