What We Did This Weekend: Wardrobe Replacement Project and Mother's Day
Friday we rounded up some friends for a dinner date. I've posted about the restaurant where we ate at before, but for all of you living in the Greater Kansas City area, we recommend you check out Ciao Bella in Lee's Summit. It's a great little Italian restaurant across the street from the old railroad station in the downtown area. It was really fun to get out of the house and be with friends, if only for a few hours. We still get a little anxious when we get home after dark, so we went straight home after dinner and watched some Monk before bed.
Ever since Christmas, Brookie and I have been shrinking. We've noticed. Friends have noticed. Co-workers have noticed. And since Friday, two complete strangers at the gym told us that they noticed too. Combined, we've lost a total of over 60 pounds since December.
Something else that is easily recognizable is that our clothes don't fit so well anymore. The truly sad part about it is that about a month before we started our "diet," we went through our closets, took out everything that was too small and would never fit again, made a large donation to Goodwill, and then went out and bought new clothes that did fit. Result: I have a pair of pants that I only wore once and now they look ridiculous because they're so huge.
I'm certain I've said this before, but I don't do well with New Years resolutions. My most famous (or infamous?) resolution was vowing to read 10% of the material assigned in my Masters program. I set the bar pretty low because I thought it was an attainable goal. In reality, I don't think it was quite low enough —or maybe my program was not quite interesting enough. At any rate, that was the last straw, and the final resolution, until January 1, 2009.
For me it was a combination of factors that contributed to actually setting and being committed to this years goal of losing weight, not the least of which was the Mr. Happy t-shirt given to me at Christmas by my brother and his wife. It's not like happiest of the Mr. Men inspired me in some way. After all, it was Mr. Happy, not Mr. Fatty-Fat-Fatso. No. What motivated me was the size, large. It was a cool shirt, but I had to suck in my gut to wear it.
But, for the most part, any clothes that we received for Christmas are now way too big for us. So Saturday, after running all sorts of errands in the morning, we went to the Legends shopping center to start our Wardrobe Replacement Project. We were excited, because, as I said, the last time we bought new clothes it was because we were too big for our britches. This time, thanks to our commitment to the weight-loss apps on our iPod, it was our britches that were too big for us.
We pulled into the large parking lot at about 4:00pm Saturday afternoon. It was a gorgeous day. Perfect for strolling through the open air shopping center. The Legends is kind of like a combination between a one-story version of the Gateway in Salt Lake City and the Park City Outlet Mall. On nice days like this, it's always really busy, but we didn't really mind the crowds.
The first store we tried was Banana Republic. In college I found a great deal on some pants on the clearance rack, so I always think that there might be another steal waiting for me inside. But I haven't found one since. We basically did a lap of the store and exited empty-handed.
We walked a little farther and entered the Old Navy, which is usually a good source of cool clearance wear. They were pretty picked over, so we left again without shopping bags. Brookie had tried on a few things, but nothing made the cut.
TJ Maxx was next, and it was the first place we made a purchase. I tried on a pair of dress pants that were nice. They fit so well, and they were such a good deal, that I grabbed a second color off the rack and bought both of them. Brookie wasn't having much luck.
Her luck changed when we stopped at the GAP Outlet. While I was looking through the men's clothing, she came and found me holding a pair of blue capris with perhaps the biggest smile she's ever had declaring GAP to be her new favorite store. When she showed me the size she'd fit into, I gave her a high-five (then again, it could have easily been a Psych-inspired fist bump). She bought the capris and I bought a shirt.
We poked our heads into a few storefronts after GAP, but without any success. And, after two hours of walking and shopping, I can think of no greater way of replenishing the burnt calories than by visiting the nearby Sheridan's for Kansas City's favorite frozen custard. And that's just what we did. Brookie had a scoop of vanilla with hot fudge, and I dove into a pair of chocolate scoops in a waffle cone.
After our treat we pressed on and drove across the way to Target, purveyor of fine goods and occasionally odd, usually creative television commercials. We both found some shorts that we purchased, but Brookie's were Bermuda, and mine were of the gym variety.
Having exhausted our options at the Legends, we drove to the Summit Crossing shopping center in Lee's Summit. Our first stop was Kohls, which seems to be the one place where it's easier for me to find clothes than for Brookie. This trip was no exception. We left carrying one more shopping bag. And in it was a pair of pants and a polo shirt, both of which were sizes that have not been in my closet for about a decade.
Deciding that the selection at the Target at Legends had been weak, we went to the Lee's Summit store next. Having found most of what I set out to buy that day, I helped Brookie find tops, skirts, dresses, and pants for her to try on. Unfortunately, the employee at the fitting room counter told her she was only allowed six items at a time, so it took her four trips to sort through what worked and what didn't. We made our final purchases after hearing the "Attention Target shoppers: The time is now (insert time here), and we will be closing in..." announcement three times.
By the time we got home we had been shopping for six hours that evening. It was 11:00pm before dinner was ready, so we ate our BLTs and broccoli salad, watched an episode of the Cosby Show from season 7, and called it a day.
Sunday was Mother's Day, so we called ours and wished them a happy one. We have both been blessed with wonderful mothers, and they deserve much more than the cards, gifts, and sacrament meeting handouts they most likely received that day.
Speaking of sacrament meeting handouts, that has always been a sore subject for us on Mother's Day. Brookie doesn't ever stand so the young men can hand her chocolates, flowers, or whatever else they're giving out to honor mothers. Two things always happen: first, whoever is conducting makes it a point to say that all women over 18 should stand until they get what's coming to them; and second, when Brookie doesn't stand, someone else always points out that she should be standing, and when she declines again, the concerned brother or sister feels it necessary to share their testimony that all women are motherly, something of which we are well aware.
We're certain that Mother's Day well-wishers are well-intentioned. But for us, being offered a sympathy gift, and then being singled out for not wanting one, has more of a negative effect than anything. We understand why they don't want to leave anyone out and make them feel bad, but honestly, it's Mother's Day, not National Women's Appreciation Day.
On our way home from church we were talking about the church Mother's Day ritual and why the sympathy gifts were so frustrating. We contrasted that with the best Mother's Day gift Brookie has ever received: a pair of hand-made cards from the two oldest kids of our best friends. The sentiment behind those cards wasn't that they wanted to make sure that she wasn't left out. It was their appreciation for the motherly love and caring that she had shown for them. Those cards are now two years old, and they're still on our fridge.
After church we were invited to have dinner with some friends of ours. Since dining with family on Mother's Day is kind of not an option for us, we were glad to share a meal with friends instead. After dinner we talked for a while and had a little cheesecake. But it started to get dark outside, so we knew it was time to get home.
And that's what we did this weekend.
Ever since Christmas, Brookie and I have been shrinking. We've noticed. Friends have noticed. Co-workers have noticed. And since Friday, two complete strangers at the gym told us that they noticed too. Combined, we've lost a total of over 60 pounds since December.
Something else that is easily recognizable is that our clothes don't fit so well anymore. The truly sad part about it is that about a month before we started our "diet," we went through our closets, took out everything that was too small and would never fit again, made a large donation to Goodwill, and then went out and bought new clothes that did fit. Result: I have a pair of pants that I only wore once and now they look ridiculous because they're so huge.
I'm certain I've said this before, but I don't do well with New Years resolutions. My most famous (or infamous?) resolution was vowing to read 10% of the material assigned in my Masters program. I set the bar pretty low because I thought it was an attainable goal. In reality, I don't think it was quite low enough —or maybe my program was not quite interesting enough. At any rate, that was the last straw, and the final resolution, until January 1, 2009.
For me it was a combination of factors that contributed to actually setting and being committed to this years goal of losing weight, not the least of which was the Mr. Happy t-shirt given to me at Christmas by my brother and his wife. It's not like happiest of the Mr. Men inspired me in some way. After all, it was Mr. Happy, not Mr. Fatty-Fat-Fatso. No. What motivated me was the size, large. It was a cool shirt, but I had to suck in my gut to wear it.
But, for the most part, any clothes that we received for Christmas are now way too big for us. So Saturday, after running all sorts of errands in the morning, we went to the Legends shopping center to start our Wardrobe Replacement Project. We were excited, because, as I said, the last time we bought new clothes it was because we were too big for our britches. This time, thanks to our commitment to the weight-loss apps on our iPod, it was our britches that were too big for us.
We pulled into the large parking lot at about 4:00pm Saturday afternoon. It was a gorgeous day. Perfect for strolling through the open air shopping center. The Legends is kind of like a combination between a one-story version of the Gateway in Salt Lake City and the Park City Outlet Mall. On nice days like this, it's always really busy, but we didn't really mind the crowds.
The first store we tried was Banana Republic. In college I found a great deal on some pants on the clearance rack, so I always think that there might be another steal waiting for me inside. But I haven't found one since. We basically did a lap of the store and exited empty-handed.
We walked a little farther and entered the Old Navy, which is usually a good source of cool clearance wear. They were pretty picked over, so we left again without shopping bags. Brookie had tried on a few things, but nothing made the cut.
TJ Maxx was next, and it was the first place we made a purchase. I tried on a pair of dress pants that were nice. They fit so well, and they were such a good deal, that I grabbed a second color off the rack and bought both of them. Brookie wasn't having much luck.
Her luck changed when we stopped at the GAP Outlet. While I was looking through the men's clothing, she came and found me holding a pair of blue capris with perhaps the biggest smile she's ever had declaring GAP to be her new favorite store. When she showed me the size she'd fit into, I gave her a high-five (then again, it could have easily been a Psych-inspired fist bump). She bought the capris and I bought a shirt.
We poked our heads into a few storefronts after GAP, but without any success. And, after two hours of walking and shopping, I can think of no greater way of replenishing the burnt calories than by visiting the nearby Sheridan's for Kansas City's favorite frozen custard. And that's just what we did. Brookie had a scoop of vanilla with hot fudge, and I dove into a pair of chocolate scoops in a waffle cone.
After our treat we pressed on and drove across the way to Target, purveyor of fine goods and occasionally odd, usually creative television commercials. We both found some shorts that we purchased, but Brookie's were Bermuda, and mine were of the gym variety.
Having exhausted our options at the Legends, we drove to the Summit Crossing shopping center in Lee's Summit. Our first stop was Kohls, which seems to be the one place where it's easier for me to find clothes than for Brookie. This trip was no exception. We left carrying one more shopping bag. And in it was a pair of pants and a polo shirt, both of which were sizes that have not been in my closet for about a decade.
Deciding that the selection at the Target at Legends had been weak, we went to the Lee's Summit store next. Having found most of what I set out to buy that day, I helped Brookie find tops, skirts, dresses, and pants for her to try on. Unfortunately, the employee at the fitting room counter told her she was only allowed six items at a time, so it took her four trips to sort through what worked and what didn't. We made our final purchases after hearing the "Attention Target shoppers: The time is now (insert time here), and we will be closing in..." announcement three times.
By the time we got home we had been shopping for six hours that evening. It was 11:00pm before dinner was ready, so we ate our BLTs and broccoli salad, watched an episode of the Cosby Show from season 7, and called it a day.
Sunday was Mother's Day, so we called ours and wished them a happy one. We have both been blessed with wonderful mothers, and they deserve much more than the cards, gifts, and sacrament meeting handouts they most likely received that day.
Speaking of sacrament meeting handouts, that has always been a sore subject for us on Mother's Day. Brookie doesn't ever stand so the young men can hand her chocolates, flowers, or whatever else they're giving out to honor mothers. Two things always happen: first, whoever is conducting makes it a point to say that all women over 18 should stand until they get what's coming to them; and second, when Brookie doesn't stand, someone else always points out that she should be standing, and when she declines again, the concerned brother or sister feels it necessary to share their testimony that all women are motherly, something of which we are well aware.
We're certain that Mother's Day well-wishers are well-intentioned. But for us, being offered a sympathy gift, and then being singled out for not wanting one, has more of a negative effect than anything. We understand why they don't want to leave anyone out and make them feel bad, but honestly, it's Mother's Day, not National Women's Appreciation Day.
On our way home from church we were talking about the church Mother's Day ritual and why the sympathy gifts were so frustrating. We contrasted that with the best Mother's Day gift Brookie has ever received: a pair of hand-made cards from the two oldest kids of our best friends. The sentiment behind those cards wasn't that they wanted to make sure that she wasn't left out. It was their appreciation for the motherly love and caring that she had shown for them. Those cards are now two years old, and they're still on our fridge.
After church we were invited to have dinner with some friends of ours. Since dining with family on Mother's Day is kind of not an option for us, we were glad to share a meal with friends instead. After dinner we talked for a while and had a little cheesecake. But it started to get dark outside, so we knew it was time to get home.
And that's what we did this weekend.
Congratulations on the new clothes! What an exciting thing. You guys really inspired Julie and she is now 2 lbs from her goal. You also inspired me but I have gained 3 lbs since your visit so I guess my inspiration wasn't as lasting.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like a pretty awesome weekend--I can't wait to do a little wardrobe recovery myself! And congrats on surviving another year of Mother's Day at church. You guys are better than me: I think I always left the room.
ReplyDeleteJohn should be more specific. I am two pounds away from my first benchmark goal, not my final goal. You guys totally did inspire me.
ReplyDelete