Sunday, February 21, 2016

Review: Lularoe for the Plus Sized Gal (Part 1)

Hi friends!  I hope you are well!  We are pretty good.  We are trudging through our break time and finding simple ways to enjoy it.

Photo from LulaRoe Facebook Page
Today, I'm writing a review that I've spent a very long time working on!  I'll be reviewing Lularoe clothes specifically for plus sized ladies.  The reason I'm writing this post is that I've been contacted several times by friends who are plus sized asking about size, fit, comfort.  One of my friends said she searched online and couldn't find anything about how Lularoe fits plus sized women.  As a plus sized woman, I know how hard it is to look for clothes especially online.  I know how it can be SO disappointing to drive to a store where they are supposed to have plus sized items and have nothing fit you.  And I know what it's like to be very self conscious about trying to shop and being too big especially in front of strangers.  Even though it's awkward and I feel super insecure posting all these pictures of myself, here goes!  I am in no way sponsored by Lularoe nor do I have any affiliation with the company.  The items I have were either purchased by me, given as a hostess credit for parties I've hosted, and I won 1 item in a giveaway.

First off, I've had both online and in person parties.  If you are interested in these clothes, I highly suggest an in home party with a local consultant.  They bring over tons of clothes and you can try them all on.  You invite your friends and they can shop too.  What's AMAZING is that my friends of all different shapes and sizes could shop together!  I normally cannot shop with most of my friends because I have to go to specialty stores or special order things online.  It was really really fun!  We had snacks, wine, and chatted.  I saw so many friends from different facets of my life that night and it was amazing!


I'm sure you all want to hear about the leggings.  YES!  They are as buttery soft as everyone says they are.  They are really cute!  They only come in two sizes for adults One Size (sizes 2-12) and Tall and Curvy (sizes 12-22.)  Personally, I bounce around in most companies sizes.  Sometimes I'm a 20, sometimes I'm a 22, sometimes I'm a 24.  Lularoe leggings fit me fine.  My friend told me that they fit her mom who is a size 26 as well.  They do vary a little bit from pattern to pattern however.  My blue umbrella pair are super stretchy and comfy but there's also extra bunching at the bottom.  Some of them don't have as much extra length.  Some of them are a little more snug in the tummy area.  I carry a lot of my weight in my tummy.  These variations are not bothersome enough for me to stop buying them.

I LOVE the fun patterns!  At first, I was self conscious about wearing such loud prints.  I tend to wear a lot of black, wanting to look slimmer and wanting to fade into the background.  I will say that people will look at your loud pants.  I've gotten a lot of compliments on them and they are great conversation starters.  However, there are times when I feel like people are staring and I'm working on not letting it bother me.  Also, after I started photographing myself in the leggings, I decided that they actually are quite slimming.  I have large legs in both thighs and calves.  I feel like the patterns kind of trick the eye into thinking my legs are slimmer than they are somehow.  I didn't have access to the athletic leggings to try on.


Here are some outfits that I have and some that I tried on at a party.

Dresses: Personally, I couldn't fit into the Amelia dress or the Julia.  They were too tight in the bust for me. (ETA: Now offered in extended sizes.  To check them out check out my follow up post.)  The Ana (bottom middle worn in 3XL) and the Nicole (bottom left worn in 2XL) dresses work for me.  They are a little snug in the bust but they fit and I can wear them.  I really like the way the skirts are cut, they mask my large stomach.

Shirts: I have a Classic T (top left), a Perfect T (top right), and an Irma (not shown.)  The Irma is boxy on me and I'm still trying to work with it.  The one I have is an XL and I can wear a L.  The Classic T is awesome!  It's a great length and it goes a little longer in the back.  It also flows away from the tummy at the bottom.  I have a 3XL but I could wear a 2XL but it's more snug in the belly.  The Perfect T has slits on both sides and flows away from your midsection as well.  It's also longer and it's very flattering on me.  I have a 3XL and could easily wear a 2XL.  The Randy shirt does not work on me.  I can get it on but it's very tight on my stomach.  (ETA: Now offered in extended sizes.  To check them out check out my follow up post.)

Kimono: I got 3 Lindsay Kimonos.  I'm wearing a blue striped Lindsay in MEDIUM in the top left photo and a teal glittery Lindsay in the lower right picture.  These are cute little additions to my wardrobe.  It's nice to have something to throw on over an outfit.  They are more flowy than cardigans and give a more artsy look.  I felt that the Monroe wasn't really my style with the fringe

Skirts: In the top middle photo, I'm wearing a Lucy skirt in 2XL.  I wear it under the bust with a shirt tucked in and it looks like a dress.  I love the lace!  It's so feminine and pretty!  This isn't something I would have picked out for myself but I tried it on at the party and like it.  Also, you can wear it as a strapless dress.  I've tried it this way with a belt and it was SO cute!  I haven't worn it out like that but I will next date night.  The Maxi skirt is really cute!  I'm wearing it on the lower right corner in a 3XL.  I can also fit in the 2XL.  These are stretchy and have a yoga waistband.  Not pictured is the Cassie pencil skirt.  I can fit in the 2XL and the 3XL but it emphasizes my large belly.  It looks fine with a long shirt over the top.  I didn't have access to try out Lola or Azure.


And the CUTEST thing ever is that they have little girls clothes too!  I only had access to the leggings.  These are the S/M size and they fit sizes 2-6.  They also have M/L and Tween.  They have other little girls clothes too and I can't wait to try them!  They are a bit more than I usually spend on Avery's clothes but if these leggings hold up really well then I might consider spending more on clothes for her.  Also, this might be the only chance I'll ever have to wear Mommy and Me clothes with Avery.  I have friends who are smaller who can shop in the same section as their kids and I don't think I'll every be able to do that.  Thanks LulaRoe for letting me do this fun dressing like my daughter thing!

If you'd like to buy any LulaRoe, you can join my friend's group: LulaRoe by Star.  OR I'm sure there's a consultant close to you.

I hope this post helps someone that might be struggling with finding comfortable plus sized clothes or wondering if LulaRoe would work for their body.  Giant hugs, my friends!

ETA: I wrote a follow up to this post with more styles and the new EXTENDED sizes:
Part 2
Part 3


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Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Starbucks Smoked Butterscotch Review

Hi friends!  I hope you are well!  We are ok.  We are still on our off-track time and while we are enjoying it, there are just so many germs this time of year!  We will make it through.

Today, I'm doing something new and super fun for me so we'll see where it goes.  Review posts on my blog are actually quite popular.  I love reviewing things!  Especially things in the categories I like so why not write them?

One of my favorite things in the world is COFFEE.  Are you surprised?  I will say that I'm in no way affiliated with Starbucks (but I WOULD be, can someone make that happen??) and all my opinions are my own.  I think people are always curious about the new drinks so I when I got a coupon for a frappuchino I decided to try it.

Here's the picture of the Smoked Butterscotch Frapp.  I got a grande and I got it as is so that I could taste how it's actually supposed to be served.  It was good but it is VERY sweet.  It wasn't so sweet that I couldn't finish it but I wouldn't order another one without adding at least one espresso shot.  I didn't taste any smoky flavor in this drink but it tasted a lot like butterscotch.


In the interest of being thorough, I also tried the hot Smoked Butterscotch latte and the iced version.  (I didn't get a picture of the iced one.)  The hot latte is really creamy and you could smell a bit of the smokiness.  It's not nearly as sweet as the frappuchino.  The butterscotch is a lot more subtle in this version.  The ICED latte is my favorite.  I think something about the ice brings out the the flavor of the butterscotch while the espresso balances out the sweetness.  The iced latte is super smooth but not too sweet in fact if I didn't know it was butterscotch, I would have a hard time pin pointing the flavor. It was just really good and will probably go into my rotation of drinks I order from Starbucks.


I hope these simple reviews help you decide if you want to order these drinks or not.  Have a great day, friends!

Thursday, February 11, 2016

Caring for the Cox Family Winners

Hi friends!  My son randomly picked a number and we assigned that number (15) as the GoFundMe people.  Then I used random.org to pick a blog 1-16 and then pick a number from the comments left on that blog/list.

Here are the winners:

1. CAS-ual Fridays Stamps -
From Lisa Lara's blog:
Daria Z. said...
I love the colorful ferris wheel against the black and white skyline. Such a pretty card.


2. Lawn Fawn-
From Lynnette Kauffman's blog:

Debbie Bonczek said...
Love your adorable card. It reminds me that spring is coming! 
Such a pretty card with all those layers and butterflies. Certainly hope good things are ahead for the Cox family.

Monday, February 8, 2016

Update On Caring for the Cox Family Blog Hop

Hi friends!  I hope that you are doing well!  We are ok.  We are fighting off a little cold in our house which is hard when all the kids are home ALL the time!  We'll make it through though.  The weather is GORGEOUS in California right now so I can't wait to get better and go outside to play!

I wanted to give you some updates on the Caring for the Cox Family Blog Hop:


First off, my sweet friend Kim from Scrap Happy Deals saw my post and decided to MATCH my gift certificate post for this hop!  Isn't she the BEST EVER??  If you donate (ANY AMOUNT) to the Cox Family Go Fund Me Page and leave a comment on my original post, then you will be entered to win a $20 gift certificate to Scrap Happy Deals where they have all the latest CHA release, an exclusive line of Dori style notebooks, and so much more!  I shop at this store at least once a month!  If you end up shopping here, please tell Kim I sent you!

Speaking of the Cox Family GoFundMe Page, this blog hop has raised around $500 for the Cox Family!  That is AMAZING!  However, the page is still $4535 away from reaching goal so if your heart tells you it's the right thing and you have a few dollars to spare, please consider donating to this amazing family!

ALSO, REMINDERS: The blog hop is still open!  All you need to do to win is leave comments on the blog hop.  There are over $150 in prizes to be won!  Also, if you want to make a card for the Cox Family there is a LINK-UP HERE so they can see your card online OR if you want to win a $30 gift certificate to Hero Arts please check out Amy's post for details.

Huge thank you to all the sponsors of our hop (CAS-ual Fridays Stamps. Lawn Fawn, SugarPea Designs,) all the designers who participated, and each blog reader for making this a successful event!  The outpouring of love is wonderful!!  

Wednesday, February 3, 2016

Caring for the Cox Family Blog Hop (and Giveaway)


Hi friends!  I hope you're doing well.  I have a very special post for you today.  I am joining with my new friend Karen Kelly to put on a blog hop for our dear friend Ann Cox and her family.  Please join us!  We have AMAZING sponsors, some awesome of our awesome bloggers are offering up giveaways on their blog, and there's going to be a whole lot of beautiful creations too.  I'm the FIRST stop on this hop so I have all the info for you!  

Ann Cox is a fellow card maker and a teacher.  She and her husband Kevin have been together for 20 years and have a little 2 year old boy named Liam.  Kevin is the primary caretaker for Liam while Ann teaches.  Recently, Kevin had to have triple bypass heart surgery and he's having trouble with his kidney (he donated the other to his father.)  This amazing family needs a little help to get through this hard time.  They have had to put Liam in childcare and they have medical expenses piling up.  The amazing Karen Kelly has set up a page to help raise funds for the family.  Please check out their GoFundMe page: https://www.gofundme.com/g81dn0.  

We have AMAZING sponsors for this hop!  Check out these awesome prizes!
CAS-ual Fridays Stamps $50 gift certificate 
Lawn Fawn Stamps $50 gift certificate 
SugarPea Designs $50 gift certificate 

To enter to win the prizes, please complete the hop and leave comments on each stop.  Bonus entries will be given to those who donate to the GoFundMe page (not required to win.)  Winners will be drawn on Feb 11 and posted right here.  

If you would like to show your support for the Cox Family by making a card and posting it to your blog, there will be a linkup at our last stop CAS-ual Fridays.

Here is my card for this hop.  I wanted to send the family something that would cheer them up so of course I'm sending a card that looks EXACTLY like my daughter.  (I know, I'm weird.)  The stamps are from Mama Elephant and the patterned paper is Doodlebug.  




I'm also offering an additional giveaway.  My friend Kim just opened up a new scrapbook store, Scrap Happy Deals.  I have purchased a $10 gift certificate for this blog hop.  If you make a donation to the Cox Family's GoFundMe page and would like to win, please leave me an additional comment letting me know!  ETA: Kim from Scrap Happy Deals read my post and has decided to match my purchase for this gift certificate!  That means if you donate and leave a comment here you will be entered to win a $20 gift certificate to Scrap Happy Deals!  Thank you Kim!!

Your next stop on this hop is the AMAZING Karen Kelly!   

Here is the full hop list, I've updated with all the permalinks that I could.  If you get lost along the blog hop, please come back here for reference.  

Monday, February 1, 2016

New Title, New Honor

Hi friends!  I hope you are doing well!  We are pretty darn good around here.  Today is the first day of the boys's off track time.  They will be off for five weeks and at this point you should probably cross your fingers that we'll make it through.  I say this in jest.  I love having my boys at home but there is a WHOLE lot of bickering that happens.  

Truth time, last month I was really struggling with who I am versus who I used to be.  I used to be a crafter and a blogger.  That has faded away a lot for me.  There have been a lot of reasons for this but mostly it was having three kids has been really hard for me.  I struggle with having three people in three different life stages who need me for pretty much everything.  Honestly, it's been in the last couple months that I feel like it's finally starting to get more manageable.  I felt like my whole identity was mom and I felt like I wasn't even a very good one since it's just so hard for me and I am always forgetting someone's permission slip and sometimes we have pizza for dinner because I just can't manage anything else that day.

One day, I got an email that shifted how I feel about myself quite a bit.  I had been selected to be on the Unravel Pediatric Cancer Glitter Squad for 2016.  This is not something I applied for or even knew about.  I was selected because the people at Unravel saw the work I put into fundraising for them last year and picked me.  I was floored.  I cried.  A big part of the tears was that someone saw ME.  I mean, they really really saw my heart and gave me the honor of joining them to make this year great for Unravel.
I realized that I'm something else now.  I'm a volunteer.  I'm following a passion to make this world a better place for our children.  And while I hope to get back into crafting and blogging, this new title -Glitter Squad Member- might be the the highest honor I've been given next to the title Mom.  

Thank you for letting me share my happy news with you all!  Have a great week!