Nesting

If you're on prego watch (I'm looking at you, Mom), then I'm sorry for the misleading post title.  I'm not talking pregnancy, I'm talking thermostats.

Ye Olde Honeywell.

Have you guys heard of Nest?  It's a fully programmable thermostat that learns from your habits, uses wifi to check forecasts in your area, and can be monitored and adjusted by an app on your phone.  We've heard many people talking about the convenience of Nest (too cold in the morning?  turn on the heat with your phone from bed.) and the energy- and money-saving benefits.  Yes, it's a pricey investment at $250, but we did the math and we estimate that we'll have recouped the cost through savings on our heating and cooling bills within a year.  And obviously it's a cool techy-gadget, so it was only a matter of time before Steve wanted to bring one home.

Set up and install was crazy easy.

It came with a screwdriver and stickers for labeling wires.

All connected!

It's designed by Apple expats, so the whole process was really intuitive.

Smart.

The design is sleek, and the display only "wakes up" when it senses you standing in front of it.  And obviously it's much smaller than our old thermostat.

Profile comparison.

Footprint comparison.

The most time consuming part of the whole process was removing the anchors from our old thermostat, patching the wall, and painting over the bare spot.

The wall's (almost) good as new.

We've had Nest for about two weeks now, and it's still following the schedule we gave it.  From everything we've read, it'll continue to follow our lead for another week, and then it'll start adjusting to our weather and habits without us having to change the programming.

Do any of you have experience with Nest?  What are your thoughts?

All the (Stitch) Fixins

Fashion blogger I am not, but I am so excited about Stitch Fix that I had to write a post about it.  Stitch Fix is a "personal styling service."  They have a stylist send a package of 5 items of clothing/accessories to you whenever you decide you want it.  You  get to keep anything in your fix that you like and send back anything you don't like.

Here's how it works.  You sign up for a Fix through Stitch Fix's website.  They'll ask you all kinds of questions about yourself.  What is your height and weight?  What size tops/bottoms do you normally wear?  How are you proportioned- short/long torso, arms, legs?  You also get asked about how you feel about your body.  Are there certain aspects of your figure that you like to show off or hide?  Then you get asked questions about your fashion choices.  They have several styles that you are asked how much you like or dislike.  You can sort through collections of clothes and indicate if you like some, a lot, a few, or none of the clothes pictured.  You can also tell them if you're hoping to add a specific item to your wardrobe, if there's types or colors of clothes you don't want to receive (for example, I rarely wear skirts or dresses, so I asked not to receive those) or if you'd like to shift your style at all, and how adventurous you'd like your Stitch Fix package to be.  Lastly, you get to decide when your Stitch Fix arrives.  You can schedule a single package whenever you want or you can schedule recurring Fixes.  And you get to tell your stylist how much you'd typically spend on different types of pieces so they can attempt to operate within your typical budget.

Once you've got everything set up, you are charged a $20 deposit, called a "styling fee."  Stitch Fix will have one of their stylists hand-pick items to send to you based on your exhaustive answers to all the stuff mentioned above.  Your Fix arrives when you tell it to.  You then have three days to try on the items in your box and decide what you'd like to keep and what you'd like to return.  If you keep all five items in your fix, you get a 25% discount on every item in your fix.  If you decide to keep at least one item from your fix, your $20 styling fee gets applied to the cost of anything you want to keep.  Any items you don't want to keep?  They provide a prepaid envelope in your Fix- just put anything you don't want in the bag and drop it in the mail when your three days are up.

I got my first fix last week.  I have to say that part of the fun was the excitement of waiting for it to come.  I was curious to see what my stylist would pick for me since they give you the opportunity to link to a Pinterest board to your profile to give your stylist a flavor for what you like, and the idea of someone hand-picking pieces for me that would have a similar feel to items on my Pinterest fashion board was pretty thrilling.  The package arrived a day earlier than expected and the packaging itself was so pretty!  All five of my items were inside, along with the name of my stylist, and an inventory and price list for each item in my Fix.  Pulling items out of the package was like Christmas.  My favorite part was that each item of clothing included a card showing two different ways you could style the item.  I felt so excited to not only have someone send me things they thought I would like and would look good on me, but also give me some ideas of what I could wear with it!

So let's see the items, shall we?!

This coral crepe blouse and the blue floral necklace were in my fix.  I have to say, I loved the style of the blouse on first sight but was a little sad about the color- I didn't think coral would be a good color on me.  To my surprise, it worked!  And the fit of the blouse was PERFECT.  The neckline was flattering but not too exposing to wear to work.  The pockets and eaupulets gave it a little safari flair and the sleeves were just a tiny bit puffed to keep things feminine.  My favorite part was the bottom hem.  It was very flattering and it flowed enough to do exactly what I told my stylist I wanted- minimize my hips and tummy.  Unfortunately my posing in the photo pulled the hemline up high enough that it did exactly the opposite!  #FashionModelFail

Dog cameo.

I also loved the blue floral necklace.  I would have never thought to pair it with the coral shirt, but one of the suggestions on the style card that came with the shirt showed a necklace almost exactly like it, so I gave it a go and LOVED it.  Verdict: kept both!  Wore this outfit on a shopping date with my mom.

More dog cameos.

This purple and black stripe dolman-sleeve top was also included.  Normally dolman sleeves just bug me, but Steve thought it was really flattering.  It is a really nice weight- it feels like a light summer terry sweatshirt.  The style card showed it with jeans or tucked into a pencil skirt (I'd have never have thought to do that!) and the casual suggestion showed it with a mint scarf.  I opted for a chunky mint bracelet for easier photographing.  Verdict: kept it!  Wore this out to sushi with Tabi and Will.

Someone get this girl a camera tripod, stat.

Next was this cute patterned tank.  I loved it on sight, and the fit was right on.  I grumbled a little at the care instructions- hand wash cold, hang dry- and a little bit more at the price ($38 for a TANK??), and put it back in the box.  The next day, I tried it back on, and with a few different combinations of pants and shorts and cardis and blazers I already owned, and decided that the neckline and the pattern would make it fabulous as a shell that I could wear to work all year.  Verdict: kept!  I wore this to my friend Kalen's wedding shower.

Seriously need some photography help.

The last item in my Fix was a pair of Kut from the Kloth jeans.  I was wary.  Pants and I rarely get along.  I've got a high waist, long legs, and my hips are much wider than my waist proportionally.  And I had tried Kut jeans on at department stores before with disastrous results.  The jeans were a really dark navy wash in a slim boot cut, and unlike most Kut jeans, the back pockets were blissfully unadorned.  Much to my surprise, they fit.  LIKE A GLOVE.  They were the perfect length for me to wear with flats provided they didn't shrink in the wash (33" inseam, told ya I have long legs) and dark enough that I could wear them to work.  Even better, they had a lot of stretch and felt so comfy.  They were priced about $5 more than I've seen similar styles from Kut in department stores.  Verdict: kept!  Sorry, I don't have any pictures of the jeans because it's been in the low 80s here for the last few days and I just can't convince myself to wear them while it's so warm outside.

So if you've been keeping score, this means that I decided to keep all five items that came in my Fix, which meant that each item in my Fix would be discounted 25%.  And with my $20 prepaid styling fee, I essentially got one piece for free.  FUH.  REE.

Now, from what I understand, most people don't love everything in their first Fix as much as I did.  So when I logged back into StitchFix to let them know what I was keeping, they also asked for feedback.  How did each item fit?  How did I feel about each item- love? like? OK?  What did you think of the prices of each item?  When they asked for other comments, I asked to keep my same stylist.  I've read other stories in blog land about people getting passed from stylist to stylist with mixed results, and since I had such a positive experience the first time around, I wanted my gal, Ishara, to keep on keeping on.

Overall I am pretty darn happy about my StitchFix experience.  I had a lot of fun waiting for my Fix and discovering the items my stylist sent me.  It was fun to try things on in my own house with access to my own closet.  And I loved the little cards with styling suggestions.  I also totally rocked it in terms of getting items that I thought were cute but pushed my fashion boundaries a little, and the fit of each item was great.  And can I tell you how marvelous it is to find a pair of jeans that fit without trying on a million bazillion pairs at the mall?!  The only cons I experienced were getting sent items that included non-lazy-girl washing instructions (although I did cheat for the items marked "hand wash" and just turned them inside out and sent them through a regular cycle in a lingerie bag) and the fact that some of the items were priced at more than I'd normally pay for them if I picked them out myself.  However, because I kept all five items in my fix, the discount I scored brought the price of each item pretty close to or under what I'd budget for them if I had been looking for them at my local mall.

I'd totally recommend StitchFix if you're looking to give your wardrobe a shot in the arm, want help creating fresh ensembles when dressing, or if you just really love the anticipation leading up to Christmas (hee!).  If you want to give them a go, you can tell them I sent you by following this link.  I'd also recommend liking them on Facebook- they post great tips and some photos of items you can request in your Fixes.  If you decide to give them a try, let me know!  I'm curious to hear about your experiences with them too!

Monogram Love

I am officially on the monogram train, people.

Where's W?

I have had my eye on these lovely hand towels from West Elm for almost a year now.  I finally couldn't stand it anymore and ordered a the monogrammed one for our kitchen.

Dry your mitts here.

I decided to drape it over the door for easy access after handwashing.  The rest of our kitchen towels live on the door of the oven.  It's very convenient to most of the kitchen, but not the sink.  Having a designated handwashing towel right under the sink has curtailed the tendency of *some people* to dry their hands off with paper towels.

Fashion and function.

I love that the monogram is equal parts vintage and modern- it helps keep the kitchen from going too cutesy-country.  And I am so excited to finally own something from West Elm.  I know it's a dumb thing, but it makes me feel like an adult, having something from an upscale decor store in my home- even if it's only a hand towel.

We Be Kilz'in It!

Go show Kilz's facebook page some love!  Today they are featuring our guest bathroom mirror framing project!! I could not be more surprised or thrilled that social media for a product we use and love noticed this little blog.  Check it out!!

An Ode To Hiking

I know people who are actual hikers.  My friend Jen frequently (and hilariously) chronicles her hiking adventures with her husband Mike here.  One of my facebook friends is always posting about summitting various local ridges and peaks.  Heck, some friends from high school did a sponsorship fundraiser for the number of miles their TODDLER hiked this summer (check it out- he won for the 13-and-under age group!).

Me?  I like hiking.  The groomed trail type of hiking is my favorite.  I like to imagine I could be the type of tough outdoorsy chick who could backpack in to a remote glacial lake.  Riiiiight.  But seriously, I hardly ever go hiking, even though I enjoy it.  I think it's mostly just lack of planning that impedes us, although the weather is also often to blame (I am not a fan of soupy hiking).

Two weekends past marked my second (and likely last) hike of the season.  Steve and I met my dear sister-in-law Tabi and her soon-to-be hubs Will and managed to canvas most of one branch of the Iron Goat Trail before the sun set.  Go here to read up on the trail.

Here's the photo diary of the trip.  PS- the good photos were taken by Will, the rest were taken by me and my trusty iphone.

 Reading up on the trail's history.

Decal emblazoned on the caboose at the trailhead.

So green, even in September.

Approaching the mouth of the first tunnel.

Tunnely.

Looking in.

Looking out (rebel alert)!

Looking up from the forbidden side of the tunnel.

The trail running along the outside of the tunnel.

A picture of a picture...

...Of this!  The west-facing view of the Highway 2 corridor.

One more, just because.

There was this really great bridge.

So we walked on it.

The second tunnel was less, shall we say, structurally sound?

But it did boast crazy calcification.

And stalactites.

Only 96 years old, no big.

We saw dry creek beds.

Crazy tree limb architecture.

Happy little waterfall (Bob Ross).

We made it back to the trailhead just before sunset and were treated to this view (minus the antenna) on our way to bleu cheese sliders and pumpkin ale.  It was a very good day.

Ch- ch- ch- changes

You may have noticed that things look different around here.  Well, there's more where that came from.

Sorry to be rocking the blog boat.  I hit 500 page views this week.  I know it's not a ton, but this blog has only been in existence for a little over a month.  I am averaging 3 or 4 posts a week.  I still think doing this is a kick in the pants and it's giving my life some much-needed balance.  And, perhaps alarmingly, the more I post, the more I think of things I want to post.  You'd never know I was a textbook introvert.  When I blog, I'm like a four year old at bedtime; I just can't shut up.

All that to say, I think I might end up doing this for quite some time.  So I figured I should try to make the blog look legit.  I believe in making your surroundings feel like "you," so the blog should be the same, right?  Hence the mini-makeover.

In truth, Steve is responsible for all of the internet magics happening to this page.  He's a wizard.  And he's being very patient with my finicky opinions on banners and gadgets and such.  It's amazing that he's still helping me because I supply him with excellent pointers like "I want it to look kind of like this but not as much with the round and kind of like this but more colorful but not juvenile and I don't have a picture that would work."  See what he has to deal with?

The blog will likely be undergoing more presto change-o in the near future, so please accept my apologies if things feel a little disjointed around here.  That's how projects work.  That's how life works.  It's no surprise that the blog would work like that too.  Thanks for your patience with the virtual-dust.

Welcome Home (Goods)

Steve and I went to the mall to get him some new jeans.  It was an uneventful trip, just the kind I like.  We found his jeans right off the bat, he let me window shop the Nordstrom half-yearly sale, and then we were on our way.

And as we were leaving the parking lot, I saw it.

"ing Soo"

I scared Steve half to death with my sudden vigorous pointing while negotiating a turn.  In fact, I had to go circle the block just so I could get close enough to see WHEN the Home Goods was opening.  And obviously I was excited enough to take a picture of the outside of a store that isn't even open to the public yet.

What's the big deal?  Well, pretty much any blog I follow that has to do with DIY or improving your home or decorating constantly cites cheap on-trend purchases from Home Goods.  In fact, I saw it mentioned so many times that I finally googled it a few months ago and was disappointed to find that not only are there no Home Goods stores in Washington, but you can't actually view or purchase inventory on their website.

So I feel like I've finally been invited to the party!  Thanks for inviting me, Home Goods.  Now hurry up and get the doors open because taking pictures of you from my car makes me feel like a stalker.

The Perfect Summer Drink

I will say it a million times: I abso-freakin-lutely love Pinterest.  I pinned this from my friend Sarah:

Yummmmm.

It was a recipe for fruity frozen vodka slush.  It was gloriously warm today, and I have a deep and abiding affection for lemons, so I showed it to Steve.  When he saw pineapple juice on the ingredient list, he insisted that we had to make this TODAY.  And I'm so glad we did!

You'll need:
2 lemons
2 oranges
48 oz. can pineapple juice
12 oz. can frozen lemonade
12 oz. can frozen grapefruit juice
3 cups white sugar
8 cups water
26 oz. vodka

We had trouble finding frozen grapefruit juice, so we substituted with guava-pineapple juice.  As for the vodka- if you can afford the good stuff, use it.

First make a simple syrup with the water and sugar.

While that's going, combine the cans of juice, the vodka, and the juice from the fresh citrus in a large bowl.  Yes, large.  We used the bowl from our Kitchenaid mixer and it was allllmost too small.  When the simple syrup is done, pour it into the juice/vodka mixture.  Then freeze.

The recipe recommends storing the mixture in an airtight container like tupperware.  It also recommends waiting a day or two for the mixture to really slush up.  Then you simply scoop the amount you want into your glass and add some Sprite Zero for fizz and dilution.

However, I'm an impatient gal.  We wanted to try some of this tonight!  So we tried the mixture while it was still non-slushy.

Connoisseur.

The verdict?  Doesn't need to be slushy to be darn tasty.  I couldn't taste the alcohol in it at all.  Which is wonderful.  And dangerous.  So we decided one glass each was enough and the rest would go into the deep freeze.

Unfortunately, we didn't have any tupperware containers large enough to store all of that slushy goodness.  Fortunately, we did have something even better.

It needs a cape it's so super.

We finally broke down and bought a vacuum sealer last month.  We have found it to be really useful so far (despite violating our rule about cluttering our counter tops with small appliances).  And today was no exception.  We took all of those mason jars that had been loitering on top of our kitchen cabinets and filled em up.  A spin on the vacuum sealer with the wide-mouth jar attachment and we were good to go.

Citrus version of apple pie?

Looking forward to having this around when our sweet tooth strikes, or for parties.  And with the size of the batch, I'm hoping we can make it last for a couple of months (one mason jar is two glasses' worth of slush).  Although it's so tasty, we might have to make another batch soon!

*Update*  We packed up most of this batch and brought it down to the in-laws' house for a barbeque the next day.  It was a hit!  There was a lot of "yummmm"s happening followed by no driving for a good many hours.  Success!!

Careers, Callings, and Coincidences

I don't generally like to talk about my job because inevitably one of two things happen:  a) people don't understand it and I can't explain it in a consice way that really covers all the bases, and b) I end up doing more defending of my job title, my school district, or the public education system in general than actually explaining anything.  But since I am trying to write this blog for me and not for concerned parents or new teachers or union reps, this is going to be real (according to my view of things, at least).

Public education as a system is really messed up.  We are controlled by the government.  When budgets get tight, we lose money.  When new bills are proposed on education, they are often passed or failed with very little input from people who actually work within the public school system or study it for a living.  Unions protect teachers' rights, but sometimes not enough (I'm looking at you, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker), and sometimes too much.  Teachers are so busy trying just to keep their heads above water that it is extremely difficult for them to be knowledgeable about current research on best practices in their field.  Kids are coming from a wider variety of challenging backgrounds now than ever before.  All that to say, working in public education is really freaking hard.

Yet here I am, a teacher.  I loved my second grade teacher.  She was brand new the year I had her, and gorgeous and nice and she smelled good and I liked it when she read books to us.  In sixth grade I helped a student in my math class with her assignments and at the end of the year she wrote in my yearbook that I was the best math teacher she ever had.  I read with first graders when I was in middle school and loved getting covered with unassuming hugs as soon as I walked into their classroom and seeing their eyes light up when they discovered they could figure out a tricky work by themselves.   I found that I was good at helping other people understand things, and I loved the moment when some new bit of knowledge finally had an impact for them.  It's like a drug, helping people do things they didn't know they could do before.  The combination of my ability to help people do and learn and become, and my addiction to the high of watching them do and learn and become makes me believe that I am called to be a teacher.  It sounds hokey, but it's the truth.

My mom tried to talk me out of becoming a teacher because she knew I'd never make a really good living.  I had to pay for part of my BA because the private school I attended was too pricey for my family but offered a first-rate teacher prep program and I wasn't to be dissuaded.  I did my student teaching in a district an hour away from my crummy apartment while my husband was deployed in Iraq.  It's not been an easy row to hoe, and I've considered giving up on it a few times.  The needs are far greater than the resources available to meet them.  It's terrifying and disheartening and hilarious and draining and empowering work.

Five years ago, I became a specialist teacher, a math coach.  The most simple way I can explain my job is that I help teachers develop their own skill as practitioners.  I expected to meet resistance from my colleagues when I started the job- me, a 25 year old helping veteran teachers?  I knew it seemed laughable, and I wasn't even sure if I was qualified to do the job.  But I was drawn to it because I had wanted to quit teaching before- weighed down by the lack of support I had to do my job as well as I wanted to do it.  I wanted to be the stop-gap for my colleagues and for students who struggled in math like I did as a child.

What I didn't expect is that it would still be so hard 5 years later.  Not the actual coaching part, working with teachers and students.  I find that to be rewarding and fulfilling, and I feel like I'm good at it (having practiced for five years).  It's the politics that wears me down.  I could easily brush it off  if all of the nay-saying and tearing down came from outside of my school district, or even if the criticism was constructive (just because I'm in the position of teaching others doesn't mean I don't have more to learn).  I have gotten better at hearing rumors about myself- I am power-hungry (although the last thing I'd ever want to do is be an administrator, yuck), I have never taught in a classroom before and have no basis to understand what teaching is like (truthfully I've only  taught three grades- 2nd, 3rd, and a 2/3 split), I am a waste of district money (even though a quick glance at our math scores or even a conversation with a random teacher would reveal that we are in desperate need of math support), I do nothing but eat bon-bons all day (although I typically work 50-60 hour weeks just like most of the teachers I know), that I don't have anything to offer them that they don't already know (the simple fact that I have spent the last 5 years thinking/reading/practicing math instruction as a full-time job says otherwise), etc., etc.  I still have a hard time not taking it personally.  Even though I know that it is typically defense mechanisms, or poor communication, or politics, or leadership issues that feed these rumors.  I would desperately like to defend myself from these rumors, but often defending yourself simply propagates the rumors you try to dispel the most (call it the Methinks-She-Doth-Protest-Too-Much Syndrome).   So I try to address rumors when I am asked, but mostly I just try do my job as well as I am capable of and let my work speak for itself.

But this past week it had become enough.  I am tired of being abused by my peers and the general public.  I am tired of having maxed out my earning potential.  I am tired of working (unpaid) through Spring Break and all but two weeks of summer vacation and hearing people in line in front of me at the supermarket or in the classroom across the hall complain about how lazy teachers (meaning me) are.  I am tired of the legislature forcing my district to make heartbreaking budget cuts although the state supreme court ruled that our state is not adequately funding public schools (its paramount responsibility, according to its own constitution).  I am tired of working on projects only to have to abandon them the following year because OSPI adopted a different idea and our district is expected to comply (often without funding or support).

I wanted to quit.  Not just go back to the classroom (although I miss having my own batch of kids); I wanted to quit the entire swamp of crazy that is public education.  I could use my skill set to be a personnel developer for HR departments of private sector corporations, and I could make more money at it than teaching.  So I asked Steve: Have I lost my perspective?  Or am I making sense?   He had seen me slowly become more downtrodden and cynical as the years passed and little changed.  He urged me to consider leaving my career in education, my calling, to save my sanity. 

Usually when I ask Steve if I've lost my perspective, he recommends a nap.  I felt like I had been thrown off a skyscraper- more terrified than I had ever been, oddly free... hurtling through space madly grasping for a parachute pull that isn't there.

I was still a jumble of questions and emotions when we met my in-laws for dinner the next day.  I had just started telling them about my consideration when our server came to the table.  He looked oddly familiar.  And I did something I rarely do- I started talking before my brain kicked in.  "You look familiar to me.  Are you in a band?"  Yeah, he said, looking a little embarrassed.  "You're in The Classic Crime, right?"  Yeah, he said again, small smile, still embarrassed.  "You guys are my favorite band!!"  I practically screeched with excitement (just goes to show you that there is no correlation between age and maturity).

I have loved The Classic Crime since I heard their song "The Coldest Heart" off their first album.  It came on the radio, I loved it, and looked them up on the internet.  It was love at first listen.  I have since bought every album of theirs and dragged Steve to one of their shows.  They're a local band.  They play poppy alt-rock that always features a sophisticated sound and honest, thoughtful lyrics.  You can hear their whole collection on iTunes and Amazon.  Yes, you should go check them out.

Here's where things get interesting.  The Classic Crime and their label parted ways after their last album.  In order to make a fourth album that would be similar in quality to the last one, the band needed funds.  So they started a Kickstarter.  If you're unfamiliar with this concept, I'd encourage you to visit the website www.kickstarter.com.  It's a pretty powerful model- the general public decides if your project is worth funding.  If enough money is donated, the project is funded.  If not enough money is donated, everyone's money gets returned and the project doesn't happen.  The band was nervous about doing a kickstarter, but their fans chipped in and raised the money for the band to make an album IN ONE DAY.  By the time the funding window closed, the band had raised enough to make a music video, do some PR, do a US tour, and (hopefully) put a little change in their own pockets on top of it.  Here's an excerpt from the band's posting the day the project closed:

This is more than an album project, this is something that completely validates the journey we've been on since we formed in February of 2003. These past 9 years have been... tumultuous. Time and time again our hopes lifted and fell and lifted and fell and then eventually settled in some murky, low, cynical, jaded place where old band dudes with ponytails reside. "Is this even worth it?" We'd ask ourselves. "Do people even care anymore?" Record labels definitely weren't kicking down our door. Maybe we can't do this anymore, we thought.
And then we launched a Kickstarter project. 
And you responded.

And here was one of their band members, waiting tables to pay the bills so that he could continue pursuing his calling despite the ridiculous highs and lows that come with full commitment to what you know you're supposed to be doing with your life.

I think the big coincidence of meeting one of the members of my favorite band was a little more than just coincidence.  I wanted to quit, but I cannot abandon my calling.  Not yet.  I can feel the discordance between what I want for myself and my district and my teachers and students... and how things really are... it's growing louder every day.  I want to be lifted out of my cynical, low, jaded place.  I want to know that what I'm doing is helping mitigate or lessen the discordance for others.  Even if it's a few people.  And if my work supports those few people, makes their lives better or more meaningful, then it will be enough. 




Seriously, go check out The Classic Crime.  Do it now.  In itunes or Amazon.