4 Things I Learned from Using a Wardrobe App

Have you ever taken a look at your wardrobe? I mean like, really taken a look? I apparently had not, at least until about a week ago. Trying to be more conscious of what/how much/where I buy from, I decided to check out a wardrobe app. I already knew I had too many clothes (and that I have a hard time parting with old items!), but I figured it couldn't hurt to get a little more organized. I am trying to simplify my life, after all! 

Thus the experiment began. I downloaded the MyDressing app and began to snap some pictures. I started with all the clothes that were piled in a heap on the bedroom floor (yep that's me!) and then moved on to the clean laundry that I had yet to put away (yep that's me too!). Over the course of a few hours I had photographed, organized items into categories, and put together outfits (yes I have an outfit that I named hipster casual, no I have no idea what 'hipster' actually is). 

Here are the top 4 things I learned:

1) I have way too many clothes, and you likely do too. It will become apparent when you take pictures of every. single. item. I only made it through approximately 1/3 of what I actually own, and I already logged 7 accessories (mostly belts), 19 dresses, 8 jackets and coats (not fall/winter coats, mind you), 8 pieces of jewelry, 2 pairs of tights, 13 pairs of pants, 13 pairs of shoes, 3 skirts, 19 sweaters, and 16 tops. Yikes!

2) Why oh why did I have to buy that random skirt, shirt, scarf (insert basically any item here)? There are things I own that I've maybe worn once, mainly because they don't go with anything else! The latest trend, latest sale. Guilty. 

3) The majority of my clothing was made in developing nations at factories where women and men (and likely children) were paid unfairly (probably less than $1/day) and treated inhumanely (no breaks, long hours, physical/mental/emotional abuse, etc.). Sigh.

4) There is no purpose to owning four different black undershirts. Or 6 different styles of black t-shirts that all really look the same.

There are definitely some changes to be made, including buying clothing made from sustainable and fairly-made companies, having a purpose for shopping trips, and identifying wants vs. needs. Meanwhile, I'll keep using this app, and trying to figure out which black shirt to wear.

Wabi-sabi: 6 tips to embracing imperfection

“Wabi-sabi represents Japanese aesthetics and a Japanese world view centered on the acceptance of transience and imperfection. The aesthetic is sometimes described as one of beauty that is “imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete””

— Wikipedia

It's Sunday night, which means my mind is a mix of reflection + the did-I-get-enough-done guilt. As we are all fully aware, weekends often go by faster than we would like them too (even for someone like me who enjoys going to work Monday morning!). There's usually one more thing to get done before we turn in for the night, and start the week again.

If you're like me, you've got a mental list that keeps your life organized. Unfortunately, sometimes we give these lists more importance than they deserve. 

The Japanese have a lovely concept ('wabi-sabi') that reflects the beauty of imperfection. And let's be honest, even when it's perfect, it can still feel imperfect (am I not right?!). Read on for my 6 tips for embracing imperfection:

1) Let it go.

Pretty easy right? Wrong. Being in the present moment is quite possibly the hardest and most important lesson that us humans will ever face. Every moment is a new chance to be pulled into the past or the future. As I told my husband the other night, "be here now, it's the only place that actually exists." I've found that a trigger word or phrase helps when I'm thinking about what I could have done differently/better/more, etc. My saying is "stop, let it go". Repeat as much as needed. Soon enough, it will become second nature.

2) Focus on the good.

Had a goal to clean the house? Only got the dishwasher unloaded/loaded? Guess what? You cleaned (part of) the house. That's accomplishment. So what you didn't get it all done. You got something done. And that something deserves to be recognized. 

3) Prioritize.

"What in 5 years is going to matter?" That one question alone will change the way you look at your day. Yesterday when I could have been cleaning/cooking/getting stuff done, I volunteered to take my niece and nephew for a few hours. We played shopping (a piece of my husband's middle school artwork sold for a whopping $1 million), packed a picnic, and played at the park/beach. I will never remember how much I did/didn't get done that day, but I will remember the first time I used our picnic basket, and the memories that surround it.

4) Look at your life from an outside perspective.

Sometimes when I'm feeling like a failure at life I pretend I'm looking down on my life from above. Here's what I see: a badass girl who overcame an eating disorder, quit the job she hated, went to grad school, bought a house, married her best friend, found a career she enjoys, and is in charge of an entire high school soccer program. Even if all of those areas don't look perfect at any given time, when you take a step back, those are pretty neat accomplishments. 

5) Practice gratitude. 

We've all heard this one before, but it really is key. Every night before my husband and I fall asleep, we try to tell each other 3 things we are grateful for in that moment of time. Even when we've had a crappy day and can hardly think of anything, it forces us to come up with something, anything (wine and dark chocolate definitely count). And most importantly, it reminds us of how dang lucky we really are. 

6) Be kind to yourself.

Everyone is doing the best they can with what they know at the time, including yourself. You have to forgive yourself over and over and over again (I've heard that's the secret to a lasting marriage too!). Just last week I overate frozen pizza right before bedtime, didn't workout the morning I had planned on, and made one of my players feel bad accidentally. Instead of beating myself up about those three things, I tried remembering that I was doing my best based on the circumstances (i.e. rough night at soccer, sleepy from a rough night of soccer, and the inability to keep my mouth shut sometimes). And then, see #1. 

Those are my 6 tips to embracing imperfection. Got any of your own you want to share?

How to Give Up Your Gym Membership in 7 Easy Steps

I finally let go of my gym membership awhile back at LifeTime after months of underutilizing it.

My gym routine was usually pretty sporadic depending on the season. Fall = rarely going due to full-time work and high school soccer season (i.e. head coaching = little time for anything else!). Winter = rejoin and go few times/week. Spring = weather gets nicer = me wanting to be active outdoors. Summer = see Spring x 100, and put membership on hold for few months (until Winter returns!).

“exercise should be an expression of what your body can do, not a punishment for how much you ate”

— unknown

Now that I am consciously thinking about how to downsize/simplify, it was time to reconsider my exercise routine and the effect it had on my life. 

Don't get me wrong, I still love to workout and be active. The whole getting-ready-to-go-to-the-gym-workout-for-an-hour-come-home-and-shower (that rhymed!) was just not working for me. And quite honestly, this life should be working for YOU, whatever that might be. If you're a gym lover and it doesn't cramp other areas of your life, than by all means, keep doing what you're doing. 

If you're not loving it, here's how to give up your gym membership in 7 easy steps:

1) Quit your gym membership (sounds easy, right?!). I'll break it down for you: Walk into gym, tell front desk person you would like to quit your membership. Ta-dah! Now that was easy.

2) Do not (I repeat, DO NOT) feel guilty about quitting your gym membership. At some point this world existed without gyms, and I have to think we were much happier, less-stressed individuals at that time.

3) Find a different routine. What is going to work for you? For me, it's getting up a tad earlier to do workouts at home. I love throwing on a sports-bra (I usually keep my pajama shorts on), opening up the shades in our reading/workout room, and pressing play on my next scheduled workout. 

4) Find the right motivation. What is your motivation? I love the way I feel in the morning after getting a quick (sometimes it's only 5 minutes!) workout in. It can be yoga, jogging, biking, weight lifting, HIIT workouts, Pilates, stretching, the list goes on. Whatever it is, I know the rest of the day that I made time for myself and I don't feel stressed trying to fit in a workout after work/coaching/happy hour (no one wants to workout after drinking beer, am I right or am I right?). 

5) Streamline the logistics. As much as I'm a believer in small daily habits turning into great big things, I'm not about waking up at the same time every. single. day to workout or following other strict rules about my life. I just set my alarm a bit earlier than I'm going to get up for that day to make time, and then I get up and do my thing. It helps to have your workout of choice ready to go for the morning, that way, you've got zilch excuses. 

6) Find activity in everyday life. When I think back to some of the most "fit" times in my life, I wasn't pounding it away at the gym. Actually, it was after an ankle sprain that left me unable to run for awhile. I went to the gym every other day to do light weights and bike, and I walked to class 30 minutes one way each day. Now, I try to bike to errands if they are close enough (love my bike basket that I rigged up!), park at the back of the parking lot when possible, and try to walk when I can (break at work? quick after dinner stroll?). Oh, and take the stairs.

Bell bike basket I found for $20 at a thrift store + bungee cord for $4 = $24 errand running machine.

7) The most important step: Enjoy your life post-gym-membership. I'm sure it's freed up some time in your life to pursue other passions (or sleep more, which is totally ok too!). 

And that's how you give up your gym membership. Time for me to go workout! :)

Homemade Margarita Mix + Easy Chicken Nachos

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

“Cinco de Mayo (pronounced: [ˈsiŋko ðe ˈmaʝo]; Spanish for “May 5th”, or literally, “Fifth of May”) is a celebration held on May 5. The date is observed to commemorate the Mexican Army’s unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, under the leadership of General Ignacio Zaragoza.”

— Wikipedia

Most of us know it as the day of Mexican food and margaritas (we will take any excuse for a drink really!). 

So as I sit here outside on this gorgeous Minnesota spring night (I'm talking about you 70 degrees) sipping my homemade margarita and feeling contently full from my easy chicken nachos, I thought I better share the love.

If you've followed my journey before you know that I strongly despise artificial ingredients in food (well, actually in everything). "It's hard to make a cheese sauce without Velveeta you say". I'm here to tell you otherwise. Besides, doesn't that FREAK YOU OUT that it is a dairy product that ISN'T REFRIGERATED?!?!

Ok, maybe just me. 

Or maybe not.

I'm not the most detail-orientated person on this planet, so I'll do the best I can. 

First, the drinks:

Homemade Margarita Mix 

What you need:

• Tequila. We had some Patron Silver Tequila in the house so that's what I used.

• Ice

• Course sea salt (optional)

• Agave syrup

• 1/2 large lime

Directions:

1. If you want a salted rim, pour course sea salt onto plate. Run glass rim under water. Turn upside down and twist glass around on salted plate. Ta-da!

2. Pour desired amount of tequila over

3. Squeeze 1/2 large lime in (can use more or less depending on amount of tequila you used!)

4. Squirt of agave syrup (vary depending on level of sweetness desired...again, not too particular over here)

5. Use a spoon to stir until syrup is dissolved

6. Enjoy!

It's always a good idea to consume food while drinking tequila (or at least in my experience!): 

Easy Chicken Nachos with Homemade Cheese Sauce

What you need:

• tortilla chips

• rotisserie chicken

• shredded cheddar cheese

• milk or cream

• salt

• cayenne pepper seasoning

• butter

• desired toppings (guacamole, sour cream, pico de gallo, salsa, etc.

• cilantro (optional)

Directions:

1. Make cheese sauce (I like this recipe here: http://www.fifteenspatulas.com/homemade-nacho-cheese-sauce/) - please don't boil the milk and be sure to take it off the heat before you put the cheese in - this is essential for a non-lumpy sauce!

2. While cheese sauce is thickening up (remember - don't let milk boil!), pull apart rotisserie chicken and decide what meat you are using (white, dark, a bit of both).

3. Spread chicken pieces evenly-ish around on chips

4. Once cheese sauce is finished and you've let the cheese integrate into the sauce (OFF THE HEAT!), you can now pour or spoon over chips

5. Top with favorite toppings (I used store bought guacamole and pico)

6. Enjoy!

That was easy, right?! Right. :) 

Cheers!