StitchFix Box #1

I've jumped on the bandwagon and received my first StitchFix box.  StitchFix is a company that sends you five different pieces (they can be anything from tops & bottoms to scarves & necklaces) each month that fit your profile.  

When you sign up, you go through a questionnaire to help them determine your style so their stylists can send you some pieces you might enjoy.  You also are able to let them know what price range you're looking to stay in as well.  

They ship out your pieces to your house, along with a style card for each piece with two different ideas on how to wear the piece.  For example, I received a cardigan, they suggested pairing it with a dress or with a yellow top, skinny jeans, and flats.  

The beauty of StitchFix is that you are able to try each piece on and mix & match it with items you already have in your wardrobe.  So there is none of the "Will this go with what I already have?" thoughts in the dressing rooms of stores.  Also, you may get things you might not have picked up off the shelves on your own, forcing you to step out of your comfort zone.  Sometimes the results are amazing, sometimes, not so much.  

You have three days to decide what you want to keep & what you want to send back.  They send you a prepaid envelope to ship the rejected items back, so it's super easy.  

The fee is $20 per month and that $20 is credited towards whatever you decide to keep.  So honestly, it's in your best interest to keep something.  If you decide to keep everything, you get the $20 credit and 25% off the entire purchase.  

This is what was in my box this month:  *Please excuse the dirty mirrors - it's obviously time to clean!*

 These are the black skinny jeans I received, they fit strangely.  They were too long, I'm 5'9" so that's saying something.  The material all bunched up at the ankles.  They will be sent back. 

This is the open cardigan they sent.  I'm in love with it but the price has me on the fence on if I'm keeping it or not.  I tried it on with a few of my shirts & I'm not sure I've found the perfect way to pair it just yet.  I may need a scoop neckline under it vs a V neck that most of my shirts seem to have. 

 This is a dolman top, I love this style.  I love the color.  I love the stripes.  It's something that I feel I could find in store for a better price though so it will be shipped back. 

This is the heart shirt that I fell in love with as soon as I pulled it out of the box.  I love the fit, I love the material, I love the print.  I didn't want it to fit well so I could justify sending it back, but once I put it on, I knew I was in trouble.  I'm debating on keeping this or not.  

This is the infinity scarf they sent.  I love everything about it except the price.  It's almost $40 and I cannot justify that on a scarf right now.  So it will be shipped back.  

Have you tried StitchFix yet?  What are you thoughts?  Did you like what they sent you? 

  I was in no way compensated by StitchFix or any other entity to write this review/post.  All thoughts & opinions are my own.  Post does contain referral links to my account.  

Don't Veer for Deer

It's hunting season here in Michigan, today is opening day for gun in fact.  Which means the deer are moving more.  Out of the safely wooded areas, to wherever they can get away from the smell ode de hunter.  

I've seen my fair share of deer on the side of the road, or the tell tale sign of a recent hit with the leftover blood on the highway.  I have had deer almost run into me.  Yes, you read that correctly.  They will come flying out of the woods and almost run smack into the side of our cars.  

Yesterday I was taking Duck & Goose out to meet up with some friends at a magic show the local library was putting on for the kids.  It gets dark, earlier now, so everyone has their headlights on around 6.  As I pulled out onto the main street and headed south a few feet, I saw the head of a small buck pop through the trees several feet ahead of me.  I slowed down a bit, waiting to see if he would attempt to cross the two lanes of traffic for the other side.  

He did, I was able to miss him but the truck heading northbound, wasn't as lucky.  I saw it happen, I heard the thud and then the 'pop' of  the impact.  The deer bounced off the truck and started cartwheeling towards our car.  The bumper of the truck was close on its heels.  I am sure I said something in that moment, but I'm not sure what.  The blood was rushing to my head and drowning out everything.  All I remember is praying those hooves didn't crash through my windshield.  That is where the real danger is.  I've read and heard about those stories.  I braced myself for some sort of impact, praying the boys would be OK in the backseat.  

Someone was looking out for us, because that deer came mere millimeters from our car.  I let out the breath I wasn't aware I was holding and shakily, turned on the hazard lights to warn the cars behind us to slow down.  This transpired in seconds.  I pulled into a store's parking lot to catch my breath and stop the shaking hands.  When I had calmed down enough, I took a quick turn around the outside of the car to make sure there was no damange.  

Duck called from the backseat

"What happened Momma?  What was that?"  

"That was a deer, he ran in front of the cars"

"That's not safe!  You have to be careful!"

"Yes you do, honey.  Yes you do."

 

 

Food Review: Slow Cooker Quinoa Chicken Chili

Recipe and Photo from The Girl Who Ate Everything

Winter has started the tug o' war in Michigan with fall.  You start your mornings by having your breath stolen from you when you walk out the door to the below freezing temps outside.  By the afternoon, the sun has "warmed" things up and you might be able to get through your errands with just a warm sweater on.  But make sure you keep your jacket nearby, the sunny skies can be deceiving. 

This type of weather begs, BEGS, of warm chili and pulling out the slow cooker to do the work for you.  I love nothing more than to walk inside the house after being gone all day and smelling dinner.  One less thing for this hectic mommy to check off the 'to-do' list.  

I had pinned this recipe months ago, back when we were on the verge of spring.  When I was going through my boards of recipes, figuring out meal ideas, I found this one again.  I have several different chili recipes pinned, but for some reason, this one seemed perfect.  

Yesterday I took Goose to a doctors appointment and started this after we got home.  I cooked it on high for about 3 1/2 hours and it turned out amazing.  I totally forgot to grab quinoa while we were out so I just threw some rice I had on hand in.  I thought it was a great substitute.  We topped ours with sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese.  It made a ton so I froze the leftovers for another night when I'm running behind.  Which seems to be often these days.  

Is your mouth watering yet?  It should be.  This is super easy to make and so yummy.  All of the boys, from 1 year old Goose, 2 year old Duck and The Husband gobbled it all up.  I did use mild sauces in the chili beans though, since the little ones tummies tend to not agree with some of the spicier versions.  

Yields 8 Servings

• 1 (28 ounce) can of diced tomatoes 
• 1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chilies 
• 1 (15 ounce) can of black beans, rinsed and drained 
• 1 (15 ounce) can of chili beans, rinsed and drained 
• 1 (15 ounce) can of corn, drained 
• 2 cups chicken broth 
• 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts (use 3 if they're small) 
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
•  2 teaspoons onion powder 
• 2 teaspoons cumin 
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes 
• 2-3 teaspoons chili powder 
• 1 cup of quinoa, rinsed 
• toppings of your choice (cheese, sour cream, avocados, and tortilla strips)

1. Make sure you rinse the quinoa and then add everything into a 6 quart slow cooker. 
2. Cook for 6-8 hours on low or 4-6 hours on high. If you're using frozen chicken you may have to cook it longer. 
3. Remove chicken and shred it with two forks. Return to slow cooker. 
4. Garnish with cheese, sour cream, avocados, and tortilla strips.

I paid for all ingredients for this recipe, I was in no way compensated by either The Girl Who Ate Everything or any other entity to write this review/post.  All thoughts & opinions are my own.  

Spooky Lights & Giggly Frights

Things have changed since we've had kids.  There is the usual suspects; lack of sleep, the house looking like a toy tornado hit it every night, saying things you'd never thought you'd ever utter.  "We don't lick toilets!"  

But something else has changed, and that's feeling the urge to make each season & holiday seem magical to them.  

Before, I would only change out the decor of the house for Christmas.  I'd haul out totes & totes of sparkly ornaments and yards of glittery garland.  It would take a long weekend to complete the change out.  

Now, the nesting instinct is taking over to do this, on a much smaller level - we don't have that much storage space, for each holiday.  Money is tight at the moment so it's not like I can run to the nearest home decor store and stock up on decorations.  My original plan was to wait until Halloween items have gone on clearance and scoop them up for next year.  

Really, that is still my plan.  But I was given a great head start to stocking up on items thanks to the blog, The Review Wire & HalloweenExpress.com.  They had a sweepstakes for a $75 gift card to HalloweenExpress.com and I was the lucky winner.  

I had entered to put the money towards the boys Halloween costume, but when I received the email that I had won, The Husband & I had already purchased their costumes.  So I browsed their decoration section and was thrilled at the selection!  

I bought a Halloween wreath, a spiderweb table runner, a skull with a strobe light inside it, and two light sabers.  The light sabers are going to be a Christmas gift for the boys, so I cannot comment on how well they hold up or work, but I can say they are bigger than I thought they'd be.  Which is a good thing.  They almost look like the real deal, and I can tell I may be rethinking my choice on giving the boys swords for Christmas. 

*Click on each picture to be taken to the site*

 This is the Halloween wreath.  I didn't realize that it also had a few lights on it as well, which made me a bit more excited about it.  A few of the bows and fern leaves fell off when I removed it from the shipping box and one or two more fell off when I accidentally dropped the wreath attempting to hang it up.  But nothing that cannot be fixed with some super glue.  I love the size of it, perfect for hanging on the front door.  Bonus - it also has a flat back, so it will lay flat.  Which means it will sit between the front door and the storm door, perfectly.  I love it!   

 

I purchased the gray skull, I thought it looked the most "realistic" of the three you could pick from.  I wasn't expecting much from it honestly.  But once again, I was surprised by the quality.  It's made from a plaster like material and seems like it will hold up through the years.  I do wish the strobe was a bit more hidden but it works.  

 

I saw this runner and thought it would be perfect for either our dining room table or our credenza in the kitchen.  In this picture, it appears to have a "whitish" backing to it, when in reality, it's all black stiching and netting.  So unless you lay it over a white runner/table/cloth of some sort, you won't get this effect.  Our table & credenza are both a dark wood so the runner sort of fades into the table.  I love the length of it though and I plan on using it for a base for other Halloween decorations as centerpieces on our table next year.   

I won a gift card in a sweepstakes to purchase my items, I was in no way compensated by either The Review Wire or HalloweenExpress.com to write this review/post.  All thoughts & opinions are my own.  

Movie Review: Captain Phillips

Wanna hear something crazy & insane?  The last movie I saw in theaters was almost four years ago.  FOUR YEARS!  Before I was pregnant with my oldest.  So when The Husband repeated over, and over, and over he wanted to see Captain Phillips every time the trailer came on TV, I decided we were overdue for a date night.  

For those of you who may not know, Captain Phillips is a true story of the Captain Richard Phillips.  His ship, the Alabama, was taken over by Somali pirates off the horn of Africa.  The pirates then took Captain Phillips hostage, hoping for a handsome ransom by the US Government for his safe return. 

Even though I knew how the story ended, it had been all over the news, I was on the edge of my seat.  I could feel my heart in the my throat as the pirates successfully attached a ladder to the edge of the boat and climbed aboard.  

I was holding my breath as the crew hid below, in the engine room, sweat dripping off their faces, silently begging whatever force there may be, to not be discovered.  I grabbed The Husbands arm when Captain Phillips made an escape attempt after being shoved into the lifeboat by the pirates.  

I have to say, ending my four year dry spell at the movies, I was not disappointed in our choice of movies.  Tom Hanks always does an amazing job in his roles and once again, he reinforces his star power in this role.  

I give this movie two thumbs up!  

I paid for the tickets to this movie on my own, I was in no way compensated by either the movie theater or the public relations of Captain Phillips to write this review/post.  All thoughts & opinions are my own.