a girls guide to goodwill....happy shopping!

What is your favorite thing to wear?  Fill in the blank and then start in that section on your visit to Goodwill

• Mine is dresses....For the most part, that is always where I start when I go into Goodwill.  The dress section is usually one of the smaller sections so is easy to make your way through piece by piece.  Some of my favorite dresses are the brands 'White House Black Market', Calvin Klein, and Max Studio....

Next I will go to the section of things needed....right now it is summer clothing- tank tops and capris.

• tank tops/shirts can be a tricky section- they are usually color sectioned instead of size. This section is usually the largest area so trying to go through each shirt to find one you like can get overwhelming.  A good way to narrow down your search is to recognize right out of gate you will probably not look at each shirt.....try to avoid looking at the colors you do not usually wear or are not comfortable in (red, yellow, and brown would be mine)- unless I have an unlimited amount of time I do not even go through those color of shirts.  Also pay attention to the fabric of the shirt- an Old Navy grade cotton shirt that has a moderate amount of wash to it will either be forming the small balls you will see on cheaper cotton or on it's way to forming them- avoid these (Gap, Banana Republic, and J.Crew have a well made grade of cotton).........Goodwill has too many 'better' options to settle for a tired looking shirt that has it's foot in the retirement door.  Polyester in shirts and dresses are easy to wash, hold their color, for the most part do not wrinkle, and can be worn dressed up or dressed down....these will usually be a good buy at a second hand store.

The pants section is a great resource for our stylish wardrobes

•  In our area the pants size is marked on the price tag.  Most of the price tags are facing the shopper...this makes it so that you do not have to piece by piece search for the pants- I will walk down the pants aisle scanning the sizes...when I see a size 12 I will pull that pant out just enough to see if it is a brand or style I like (I recently purchased 2 pair of BKE Capris that retail on the Buckle Store site for $118.each- My purchase price was $5.99 per pair- while this brand caters to more of a younger cliental their curvy fit has a versatile age look...stylish but not teenager- The name brand 'American Rag' and Bisou Bisou are the same way).  A darker washed jean is great for slimming and for dressing up an outfit.  Be careful of the 'flare' or bell bottom look (where the bottom of the jean in quite a bit wider than the calf area)- Rarely are these jeans worn in a way that makes others want to run out and copy your style...add a cheap jean fabric that shrinks just a bit and you've got high water bell bottoms..oh no no no no.  NO!!
• Capri's are versatile- they are able to be worn in the summer (to hide upper leg cellulite, white legs, and unshaven legs) with flip flops or cute sandals and also in the winter with a pair of boots.  The capri will come just low enough to tuck inside your boots and look like pants or if they are a wide leg capri you can wear them on the outside of your boot.
• If the jean or pants say 'mom cut' just walk away....really fast and do not turn back. no exception to this rule

Shoes, Shoes, and more Shoes!!!

• Yes others have worn the shoes prior to you trying on.....think of it as you are doing your part in the recycle trend- If your worried about foot disease count your blessings that we live in a era where fungal foot spray is sold over the counter at Wal Mart.
• Going through the shoe section is easy- take a quick walk through it, gazing for the cutest    pair(s) of shoes you can find- try on for size and that's that.....I've scored Tory Burch, Coach, Ugg, Cole Haan, Kate Spade, etc... in the shoe department- I've also scored some pretty cute Pay Less shoe store shoes from Goodwill......
• A bit of a heel is always good- it tends to be slimming.  Heels have come along way in the past 10 years (like pregnancy clothes)...company's like 'sofft', Born, b.o.c.,  and Naturalizer have come out with a comfortable easy to wear high heel.  Jimmy Choo and Stuart Weitzman also have a nice heel- these may be found at Goodwill stores in larger cities where these stores reside but not a high possibility of finding them at our local goodwill (if you do BUY THEM!!)

Oh la la it's the purse section.........

• These are best bought from upscale second hand stores, discount retailers like TJ Maxx or Marshalls, or flea markets in Maui that have knock off Louis Vuitton and Prada's.......Goodwill does get them in- these are the purses behind the glass counter when you check out- you don't want to be paying $24.99 for a used knock off that screams 'worn out and tired looking'
• If you do shop purses from Goodwill look for: Fossil, Lucky, Diesel, Hobo International, The brand 'Guess' and Steve Madden may be cute but can be purchased at the discount stores like Ross brand new for a Goodwill price.

Belts, Scarves, Shorts, and Skirts........

• Not my area of expertise AT ALL- I've owned the same brown belt for 5 years that was purchased from TJ Maxx- any other belt I own came on a dress I bought....scarves make me look like I have a broken neck and big shoulders so I avoid.....shorts- they hang weird....thinking it's the saddle bags (A standing ovation to Hershey and Ghirardelli for these).  Skirts are an every once in awhile buy....not enough to give any solid advise about.

The Jewelry selection at Goodwill is AWESOME- check it out!!

There is a MILLION more details I could share...if you have a specific question please feel free to ask-

Like water and chocolate, our Goodwill stores are precious resources- a resource that can breath life into anyone's wardrobe no matter what your economic status. 
I would encourage you to not let another day pass without checking out your local Goodwill-

Happy Shopping to you,
Steph

p.s. One last thing- Goodwill is a great place to shop no matter what your clothing size....

The below picture was supposed to be of my friend Deb- on Sunday at church she was wearing the most adorable White House Black Market dress purchased at Goodwill for $5.99- The pictures I took turned out blurry :(

a girl's guide to goodwill...introduction

This blog post is titled 'A girl's guide to Goodwill....introduction'- I am using this post to share my credentials when it comes to Goodwill shopping- My next post will contain the actual advise.  If there is ever any advise I would want you to take seriously from me it is my expertise when it comes to shopping this second hand store....smile.....big grin.....chuckle (but not such a deep chuckle that I pull my face towards my chest and give myself a double chin)
My love for Goodwill started in early high school (late 80's baby)- There is something about rummaging through oddles of used clothes that sits well with me.  Paying $4.99 for a shirt that rack retails for $49.99 sits well with this frugal fashion-ista too.
Sure the smell in the stores can be a bit much, but for pete's sake, we must cut them some slack- The clothes don't get washed before being hung.....that's a whole lotta peoples 'smells' lurking in the Goodwill store air.  
My Matt thinks Goodwill is disgusting- He refuses to wear the underwear I buy him from there.....joking about the underwear but serious about him thinking it's disgusting (Matt when you read this post I swear I have never bought you underwear from Goodwill- But you know those Calvin Klein Jeans you love so much.....yep, those had a $5.99 sticker on them....BOOM!!).  I once bought Matt a whole bag of clothes from Goodwill.  We were parked by a convertible at the time....At some point between me telling him I bought him clothes and us leaving the parking lot the clothes disappeared.  I did not realize this until we got home and I was going to put them all in the wash- he acted like he didn't know where the bag went....many months later he confessed he had put the whole bag of clothes in the front seat of that convertible before we backed out of our parking spot. 
I would venture to guess when the convertible owner opened the bag of treasure they felt like they had won the clothes lottery :)
Against my mom's better judgment she buys me 'Goodwill' gift certificates for my birthday (she thinks Goodwill is gross too)
For Christmas my Eli gave me a 'Goodwill' gift certificate....his only comment after giving it to me was 'That store Reeks'
75% of my closet (accessories, clothes, and shoes) is second hand and has been for 25 years..
of that 75% most if not all are name brand (J. Crew, Anthropologie, Anne Taylor, Michael Kors, Coach, Prada, Kate Spade, Tory Burch, UGG, Banana Republic, Dolce and Gabbana, the list could go on and on)
I don't throw the name brand around to sound pompous, I say it because I would rather pay $4.99 for that Anne Taylor shirt than $6.99 at Walmart for Faded Glory (There is NOTHING wrong with Faded Glory....I have some of it in my closet......but I would challenge you to compare 3 washings of your Faded Glory T-shirt to 10 washings of your Anne Taylor- hands down the higher end fabric will retain it's color and shape every time)....

I can feel my hands typing excitedly...my heart pumping a bit faster as the words pop up on the screen about my love for Goodwill stores- In the next post I will give some tips on how to have successful shopping trips to Goodwill....I will also give a list of name brands to look for in your shopping and a few other helpful hints.

I would like to nominate a new calendar holiday.....

'Happy Goodwill Shopping Day'- A day when all stores, except Goodwill and Chipolte (lunch after a morning of shopping) shut down and everyone goes shopping (like mandatory shopping)....

Would that be taking it too far??

of course not :) :) :)

see you soon,
Steph

Got to do better than five so I'll give myself six

Ok, So....I've got to do better than 5 blog post's this month so I will give myself six minutes to blog-
It's 9:56-

This week started off with Ellie having the stomach flu- Ramped up to Ryan having an allergic reaction to we are not sure what.  The reaction sent us to the ER for an Epinephrine shot, prednisone for a week, Benadryl every six hours, and Pepcid to compliment the Benadryl.  He's got 3 more days of the five day dose. I'm sorry Ry- I know the hives have been absolutely no fun!

This week started off for my sis and her family about the same way ours did.  My sister's husband started having significant stomach pain which sent them to the ER- They live about an hour and ten minutes away from the hospital- during the drive, the pain became so unbearable an ambulance was called to meet them about 20 minutes out- Once at the ER my bro in law was admitted for further testing of his gallbladder- It was determined that he had a large gall stone and an infected gall bladder- His gall bladder was removed yesterday.  He had hoped to go home today but because of an elevated white blood cell count he will remain in the hospital until it comes down.  The Dr,'s believe the elevated count is due to steroids administered during the surgery- His count will be taken again in the morning and if it is back in the normal range he will get to go home. Poor guy, keep him in your prayers...
10:00
 Tomorrow is our Eli's last day of high school- He's excited :)  His school issued the kids their cap and gown...I gave Eli strict instruction that it could not sit in the back of his truck getting all ratty and wrinkled...He actually listened and took what I said to heart because when I walked in the door I saw it sitting on the counter- Good Job Eli Ben!!
10:03
I'm a minute over...
Gotta Go

p.s. the below pic is my new cover pic on facebook- The pics range from 2005 to current
p.s.s. I tried to set it to 'friends only' but it would not let me- It's a public picture....If we are not friends on facebook and I don't know you please don't 'friend' me- please don't stalk me- please don't send me e-mails
I'm old, grumpy, and grieving that my first born is all grown up.....this makes me ungracious, mean, and confrontational to stalker peeps....

Spiritual Muscles

Even as the words came flying out of my mouth I could feel the conviction-
'SHUT UP!!'- words I have never spoken to one of my boys until last night..
Along with the soft voice of conviction came the loud voice of justification- all the reasons why I had said what I did...
Yesterday seemed to be the never ending day- up late with sickness only to be up again at 3 am to rush off to the Emergency Room, followed by the demands of everyday home life, the needs of a toddler, etc... By 10 last night, when those words came flying out of my mouth, I 'felt' like I deserved some peace and downtime- hadn't the day been long enough for all of us.

I immediately apologized but could tell the sting of my words were still there...they couldn't be taken back.  I went to bed last night with the heavy feeling of 'mommy failure'
As the sun was rising this morning I went walking- pouring my heart out to God...I was trying to explain to Him (even though He already knows) how I was feeling...
The visual of a hamster on a hamster wheel came to mind- the hamster frantically running around and around getting no where.  To be honest, most days I feel like I am running on that wheel..
dealing with the same laundry
the same dishes
the same house cleaning
the same whining
the same attitude's
the same self talk that is trying to tell me all the ways I am failing as a mother, as a friend, as a wife.

As I was explaining all of this to the Lord, he brought to mind a picture I had seen of a girl who had been working out.  She took a picture of her leg muscles to show the progress she had made- Those muscles did not just happen overnight...They had taken a lot of hard work and repetition....working on the same area over and over, doing the same thing again and again.

Our seasons of dealing with the 'same' are not wasted.
Those same dishes, that same laundry, cleaning the toilets again and again, the attitude in our child that needs correction for the hundredth time, the self talk that needs to be told God's truth to bring it under His submission again and again...
All of it (you fill in the blank) is not just us running with no purpose on a hamster wheel...

The Lord is allowing us to grow and develop our Spiritual Muscles- The internal muscles we need to navigate through our Christian Walk successfully- Life is not easy, it is demanding and difficult and He knows we need to be prepared...most often this preparation comes our way by the 'same' day after day after day- and usually the 'same' is not something we consider easy.

Galatians 5:22-23 tells us what Spiritual Muscles look like in a Christian's life...
Love.....the repetition of choosing to love that person instead of letting bitterness take root because they have hurt you for the umpteenth time
Joy...choosing to be thankful for that load of laundry because it means your family has clothes to cover their back- choosing to be thankful that you have to prepare dinner because this means your family has food to fill their stomachs
Peace....Peace that no matter what comes our way today- good or bad- God has it under control and will give us the strength we need to handle it
Patience...when want to run ahead of God and just handle things on our own and in our own time this means we stop and wait....patiently until God shows us the way
Goodness...when our deeds and actions are motivated by virtue and Holiness not self centered motivation that is self seeking
Gentleness....'I love you sweetie and know you've had just as long as a day as mommy' is what I should have said instead of 'SHUT UP!'
Self Control...the action of choosing God's way and completely submitting to His authority

Take heart dear sister as you start your day- not one hard moment is wasted or in vain...

 



eighteen with an 'always remember'

I have refrained from blogging much this month because I am processing....processing that by tomorrow morning at 4:39 a.m. (May 17) I will have an 18 year old
Processing that in 2 weeks my 18 year old will graduate from high school.
Processing that Matt and my season of raising our Eli is over.

What a blessing it has been to see our son grow into a man
but this mom is sad (like crying even as I write this post)
so so happy for our Eli but so sad to move on from this season.

Eli Ben, your dad and I are so grateful for you- That God has allowed us to be your parents.  As you start out your adult life may you always remember this:

• Life will get hard- it always does sweetie.....when it does DO NOT GIVE UP- You are more than a conquer in Christ....pray for wisdom and strength and He will faithfully see you through WHATEVER hard time comes your way.
• You will have opportunities to loose your integrity- your integrity is your honesty, morals, principles. Usually these opportunities come with promises that nobody will know what you have done- or maybe it will seem that everybody is doing this 'something'.  It may promise lots of money or make you look super good- It may promise a 'great time'.....ALWAYS CHOOSE TO UPHOLD YOUR INTEGRITY- Proverbs 10:9 promises that 'Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out.'
• Be careful of Pride- Pride is when you think your way (or you) is better than others.  When you look down on or put down people and build yourself up....Pride will always go before a fall- PRACTICE HUMILITY.  It's so hard and against everything you may feel like doing but so worth it- Let God build you up- let it be Him who defines the worth of what and who you are.
• When you fail (not if) YOU TRY AGAIN. and again. and again....there is not a great man or woman out there who has not had to try again after failure- It's the ones that have stopped trying that have missed great opportunity.

You've got this thing called 'grown up life' Eli Ben.....you've got it because you know and love Jesus.
It also helps that here on earth you have a dad that adores you and a mom that will stalk your every adult move and make sure you know my thoughts on certain things....smile :) :) :)

Happy 18th

All my love,
Mom

And after burning his brother with his own 18th birthday candle Eli broke out into a fit of laughter...this pretty much sums up this boys life- pester then laugh then pester than laugh- this is a trait he has learned from his dad :) :) :)

family time funnies :)

We've gone through 'family time' phases....

• Watching the whole series of Bonanza
• Trying to watch 24 until we realized it was a minute by minute show....bleh....MOVE FASTER- seriously we don't want a minute by minute- (month by month or year by year would be fine!!) (and we stopped watching)
• UNO
• Skip Bo......lots of lots of Skip Bo has been played at our house
• Eating at a local Buffet...like over and over again until all the food started tasting the same- the last visit the gentleman behind us had a chest cold....he hawked up a lugie....the moist kind that you can hear gurgle right out of the lung....I set my fork down mid meal looked at Matt, both of us completely grossed out....with food left on our plates, we all headed for the door.....to never return again
• Eating at Costco every Sunday after Church when we lived on Kauai.....we never did get tired of this
• Bike riding- it came down to spending more money on a seat than on the bike- a bad seat on a long bike ride will do you in for a good long while.....on a side note the boys would always ride behind and hit my tire with their tire...complete obnoxiousness
• Currently, it's looking at funny sayings on the Internet and reading them out loud to each other..............we all then bust up laughing in unison :)

love me some family time

p.s. Eli turns 18 in 3 days
      Ry turns 15 in 3 weeks
      Ellie turns 3 in a month

p.s.s. Eli graduates in 3 weeks
         Ry graduates in 3 years
         Ellie graduates in 15 years

p.s.s.s. By the time Ellie graduates we will have had a child in school for 27 years.........wow!


Below are some of our laughs from tonight

Happy Mother's Day

I love my kids-
I love that my boys took the time to write cards and give their mommy some fabulous gift cards
I love that the teachers at Elle's school were so thoughtful in having the kids make cards

I love my mom.....a woman who has poured her heart into both her children and grandchildren-
I love Matt's mom...a woman who is incredibly strong and gifted in so many areas
I love my step mom Debbie...a woman who has a tender sweet heart that loves her family....
I love and am so grateful for Ellie's Birth Mom Heather...I see her everyday when I look at our Ellie

I love being a mother- a gift the Lord granted me the August before my 20th birthday...
it is the hardest, most demanding blessing I have ever been bestowed....

Thank you Lord Jesus for the gift of Motherhood....it is breath takingly hands down AMAZING!

Happy Mother's Day

sippy cup spill on the card :)