My 100 Day Dress Challenge

 

I’m on day 24 of my 100 Day Dress Challenge. The challenge is a marketing strategy that asks women to wear a Wool& dress for 100 days straight. Upon completion and submission of photographic evidence you are rewarded with a $100 coupon to use on your next Wool& dress. Fortunately, I find myself at a time in life when monetary reward is not as important as other outcomes associated with the challenge:

·       Removing decision fatigue from my mornings. Every day there are so many decisions that begin in the morning with “what should I wear today?” During the challenge, I no longer need to answer that question – the decision has been made.

    ·      Moving towards minimalism. I will never be a true minimalist but am very attracted to the idea. After years of following Flylady and decluttering daily I’m ready to pare down what I own even further. Fewer things magically create more time. In this case it is straightforward: I am doing much less laundry.* (see below for explanation)

    ·      Enjoying indulgence in both quality and comfort. Wearing natural, well-constructed fibers feels incredibly good. In the heat of summer I’m cool and in the chill of cold air-conditioning I’m warm. Wool breathes and regulates your body temperature. It releases odors, debris and stains.

Before I began the challenge, I read blogs of wearers’ experiences, so I knew to expect a mental challenge to join me. I’ve had days that I thought I would just give up,” I’m tired of wearing this potato sack!” And I’ve had many more days I would comb the Wool& website planning my next dress. Most days I’m grateful that I can be ready for the day in such short time. Yesterday I had a revelation while planning my work wardrobe. Initially I thought I would buy 2 more dresses and begin a 3 day rotation. As for the challenge: 1 – I’m really not in it for the money and 2- putting the original dress on after work and wearing it for about 6-8 hours still counts. However, buying more is antithetical to my lofty “being a better person, kind to the environment” ego. I realized that wearing the clothing I have is even better than buying more, so there’s no need to purge my closet. I still like the minimalist idea of the 3-outfit rotation though and will try that as I use up my current clothing.

Many reviewers report that no one notices when you wear the same dress daily, but I’m still vain enough to think maybe people do. I’m more concerned with other teachers noticing than with my students. I considered a little announcement at our department meeting, but didn’t want the attention. Hopefully I’m close enough with everyone, that if gossip start flying “why is Carol wearing the same 3 outfits?!?!” someone will clue me in and I can then explain.

Finally, for those who are intrigued or still have questions here is the practical application:

• The dress must be worn daily and the company recommends 8 hours of wear. Many days I wear the dress for 12 hours, so a few days of 4 hours balances out.
• Every night I put the dress on a felt hanger between a doorway so it can air out. Even if it looks wrinkled or bunched up (perhaps after wearing it belted) by morning it looks as if the night fairies came and ironed it.
• *Yes, you can wash your dress during the challenge, but you will find that wool is a naturally forgiving fiber. I’ve been washing the dress once a week, but even on day seven the dress looks and smells clean. Dog hair releases and falls away, spots are easily treated by rubbing a cloth with warm water over the spot.
• Styling is encouraged. Scarves, belts, sweaters, jackets, leggings, can all be used to change your look. Some women even scrunch up the dress to look like a top and wear jeans. Apparently a “hijab clip” may be in my future to help alter the dress temporarily.
• There are different wool blends. I am wearing the Sierra dress which feels like French terry or a light sweatshirt material. The weight allows it to drape well.
• My dress is the Sierra in XXL/Long. When ordering, the sizing changes based on regular or long. At the time I ordered not every size was available in Black. I think I would prefer the 1X/regular length.

    My day 30 (there is a smaller 30 day/$30 challenge that I can do instead) falls on the day I go back to work for the school year. My day 100 falls on Halloween.

This is not a paid promotion/sponsorship and if you choose to give it a try, all I get is another buddy to join me on this quest.

Post Pandemic NYC Revives

 Over April break I spent an overnight in NYC with my youngest daughter - this was on her request. Although I have loved the vibrancy of the city from my teen years forward, the pull it used to have is no longer there for me. But my rebel soul enjoyed the challenge: NYC post pandemic - when many people around me are still in awe that they step inside a restaurant - I’m there!

Overall: the city will survive and predictions of it becoming a "ghost town" are wildly condescending. In Grand Central Station most of the lower level restaurants have closed. However walking the streets (we were mostly downtown) there are tons of restaurants that have been allowed (probably for a lot of $) to expand outdoor dining onto the street; so the streets look quite different with all of these restaurants. While in an Uber I felt like we were going through a tunnel with these dining huts on both sides. They take up former parking spaces right on the street. Many are decorated with flowers so it's quite pretty. 

There were noticeably fewer yellow taxis. Twice when trying to hail one, we gave up and ordered Ubers. Some of the large tourist area stores were closed such as the flagships Gap and Old Navy in Times Square. But down in SoHo all the regular designer, mall brand and boutique stores were open and had shoppers, although dressing rooms were closed. Many kept count of patrons allowed indoors but being a mid week in April we never had to wait to enter.

Mask usage is similar to what I see in Connecticut: 95-99 % usage while those eating, drinking, smoking, running  or biking are unmasked with no complaints.

Citibikes were everywhere and my daughter would've been happy to rent one if old mom wasn't so hesitant. There are many bike lanes so my safety concern was quickly tamped down. But I haven't even ridden a bike in years and didn't want to pay the $30 ($15 each per day) and then discover it killed my back after 5 minutes. They even have electric ones that I would choose for myself.

Carol 2.O Renewal: Pandemic, New Job, Still Getting Healthy

Wow! It's been a while, but I love writing and it's time I stop monopolizing my MFP Group discussions and return to my blog. 

2019: renovated my new home; moved there; son was married; graduations (commissioning) and just an all around crazy year. My weight increased but not as heavy as when I began this journey in October of 2016.

On Jan 1 I created a small group on MFP of 10 women. We are now down to 3 of us but continue to provide weekly, sometimes daily, support to each other. This is when I donned the "Carol 2.0" moniker.

2020: From Jan 1 to early December I dropped 40 lbs.! However I've fluffed up a bit by the end of January 2021. After a scheduled break over Christmas I haven't been able to get back on the losing train but I'm not quitting at all. This is my lifestyle and if I'm "practicing maintenance" for a while, that is OK.

After years of primarily raising my children with a few part-time stints, August 2020 brought me a full-time job as a High School Building Sub. Everyday I work school hours and fill in where needed, often in the front office or library. Miraculously this school has been full in person all year 7 school days that were remote. The students are respectful, the faculty & staff are friendly and I truly feel like I have a work family. 

Diet: I'm using My Fitness Pal and counting calories. Naturally I can get more quantity when I go low carb and fill up on vegetables and fruit. But I'm not restricting anything as a rule; just keeping my calories around 1560/day keeps me losing, albeit slowly.

Exercise: I'm walking and playing outside. I usually have 1-2 walks with my old dog of about 1 mile each and then most of the past year I take daily walks of 2-3 miles alone. This has decreased since December also and I keep trying to get back up to 5-7 days/week.

At 55 years old I have a lot to offer: I've lived a great life thus far, I'm looking forward to my new career (I'll be working as a part-time teacher next year) and I'm determined to get and stay as healthy as possible. Most of all I enjoy writing and need an outlet. 

(P.S. - I've ignored the P word....some days I felt like I was living at the start of a dystopian novel...working and being with people has been my salvation...I have lots to write about this experience we've all been through over the past year but, not today)

10 months off: Book Review and Substitute Teaching...still Heart Health Centered

Quick update to the blog world!

Weight Loss - last year was kind of a "wash" - I lost some, gained some and basically maintained. Being the optimist I am that is OK! I'm not giving up and I've cemented some very good habits. For example at some point this fall I filled our candy dish with candy corn...it became old and hard and I threw it away! First time in 52 years I threw away a candy I would normally have craved.

Exercise - again I'm holding the course. A couple minor injuries (shoulder then knee) caused quite a delay in my progress. I made the hard decision to sell my skis (😢) which brought me so much joy. But I just don't want to risk an injury that would cause such a great interruption in my health goals. Five years from now when I've lost more weight and am feeling fantastic, I can rent some skis and try it out again.

I'm actively substitute teaching this year, just a few days a week but I'm really enjoying it!

Finally I was writing a quick book review and when I finished on Goodreads they provided a link for my blog...hmmmm, ok then, I'll put that here:

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/20439509-carol-davis">View all my reviews</a>

--->Well, that doesn't even work!  Ha ha...if you're interested look me up on Goodreads under Carol Davis (homemakercarol@yahoo.com)...I'm blonde in the picture ;)

My Mom-Brain stays Vigilant on Vacation

Standing in the warm California sun my daughters and I watch for a red Toyota Corolla.  Although we are technically at CBX airport, we are the only ones on this side street with our luggage at the curb.  After dropping off our rental car I thought it would be easier for our Lyft driver to find us here than walking back to the terminal where so many shuttles and taxis jockeyed for position at the curb.

“Eduardo?”

“Carol?”

And so another Lyft/Uber/”Transportation in the the year 2018” ride begins.  Since the car is small, I sit in front noting the driver using 2 cell phones and both are in Spanish.  I’m worried he will take us to the wrong hotel. He fiddles with both phones and I complement that his car is a manual transmission attempting a connection which seems usual when opting for a personal driver vs. a taxi. Yes, he only drives manual. I don’t feel like volunteering that both of my adult children also drive manual and it is a theft deterrent. Feeling a bit ‘off’ I cannot sustain anymore small talk.  

What if his wave to some men on the street is a signal that he has a couple young gringas to sell…and this old lady they’ll need to dispose of. I try to convince myself I watch too much Law & Order and try to decide how this abduction could occur. We are literally within 1/10 mile of the Mexican border. Maybe there is a secret tunnel – Mexicans come into the country through it, but also unsuspecting Americans are smuggled out. If we get into the tunnel by driving into a warehouse and I protest, what could I do? They open the doors and make us get out – we have nothing, no luggage, no purse, no id, no money.  Shouting in Spanish they start to push my girls to another vehicle.  I scream and plead…but will I just be shot?  Does my story end?

Although the road seemed unfamiliar, I’m starting to see San Diego come into view. Maybe we really are moving away from the border and toward our hotel. My heart rate slowly decreases. He’s handling the shifting well, it’s smooth but still a little jerky. We’re definitely in San Diego now and I suppose I definitely watch too much Law & Order. As we pull up to the hotel Eduardo helps us with our bags and we say good bye.  When my notification pops up at the conclusion of the ride I give him the highest suggested tip, after all, we weren’t smuggled to Mexico.

Maybe the Sexism Glass is Half Full

As a product of post-feminist America, I’ve enjoyed a life of limited sexism. After working over a decade, I chose to stay home with my kids and unfortunately felt more reverse sexism for that choice from females than I had ever experienced blatantly from men in the workforce. My children now range in age from 12-21 and during their upbringing I’ve been acutely attuned to how they will perceive sexism and their place in the world as women and men.  At home my husband and I decided and agreed on many traditional roles: he fixes the cars, I do the laundry, he takes the garbage down to the curb, I prepare the dinners.  My children know that this is a lifestyle their parents discussed and agreed upon prior to marriage.  Over the years I’ve taken part time jobs and even went back to school to become a teacher.  My husband thoroughly supported me and has said many times (in front of the children) that he will support whatever choice I make: back to work full-time or home pursuing volunteer activities and my writing. I’ve chosen the latter as full-time work was fun and fulfilling, but definitely impacted a sense of peace in my home that I cherish.

Our Girls Are Being Raised to Dream Big: Let’s Not Insult them with Trite Slogans

On weekends I meet up with a couple of other families at a ski resort where our children ski and snowboard. Prior to a “Girls Rock the Park” event which coincided with “International Woman’s Day” the women’s bathroom shelf was supplied with stacks of post-in notes and pens.  The mirror became covered with positive slogans to encourage girls.  “#Girls Rock,” “Be your best you!,” “Be Brave!,” Clearly anyone could add a note. It was fun to read but I couldn’t think of anything new to add. I walked out wondering what it would look like if the men’s room had the post-it notes for self-encouragement. Obviously, they don’t need that type of superficial encouragement. If boys are being raised with confidence, then why do girls need these reminders?  Fortunately, the girls (ages 11-14) in our group supplied my answer. When I asked if they saw “what was in the bathroom,” they abandoned their hot cocoas and scurried to see. Upon their return they were somewhat deflated and obviously not enthused or encouraged by the signage. They added to the remarks but the oldest pointed out that some of the notes were backhanded insults to boys and it’s wrong to put others down to make yourself feel better. This group of girls clearly doesn’t need little notes of encouragement to try their best and achieve their goals. And it just seems important to me that the girl who eloquently found that putting down boys should not be accepted is being raised by two moms. (so toss out some stereotypes, please)

Plenty of Adult Men are Slayers of Sexism Too!

Today I had my own tiny sexist experience. But the response from several men is what really blew me away. I belong to a FB group for a certain type of electric car. I’m a bit of a gearhead myself with an interest in cars and worked for many years installing computer systems and training others how to use them which at the time was a field with more males than females. I’ve maintained my technical expertise to a degree. Here’s the post which I couldn’t resist responding to:

I’m the only one from the US, the others are from Europe, Canada, Asia, and Australia so I literally had men around the world standing up for me to that one ignoramus. I accept that ignoramuses like Hal exist for every social, political and cultural idea and belief. As long as they are the minority and not hurting anyone they can stay in their holes and coexist with others. I realize I’m not going to change Hal’s belief system but hopefully he realizes that in a public forum his view will not be accepted. (the next morning even more men & women responded with their dislike of Hal's comment - he has since been removed from the group.)

My Daughter Can Disarm a Sexist

Last summer my college student daughter found herself hired as a kitchen worker in a large touristy restaurant by a female manager. When the male owner met her, he clearly looked her up and down and told his manager that they’d have to see if they could find a job for her “out front” (as a waitress or hostess). Insulted but undeterred my daughter showed up for work and in her usual style fulfilled and exceeded all expectations of the job!  She later learned from the other staff that she was the first female to last more than a couple of days in the kitchen.  So she has her own story of handling sexism and she didn’t shrink, she didn’t leave, she didn’t report the jerk, she SHOWED him what she was made of and just maybe he will view his next female employee with a little more respect.

What does this all say about American today? It says we need to be grateful for where we are as women. We need to use these types of stories to demonstrate the positive examples that can be emulated. Rather than covering our news feeds with every bad sexist comment anyone ever said, let’s show our sons and daughters examples of how to identify and overcome sexism.

Why I Don't Watch Daytime TV

I had already finished a morning appointment and walked Otis so I sat down to enjoy my 2nd cuppa of the day. Hoping to catch some Olympics/South Korean lifestyle info I tuned in to NBC's Kathie & Hoda (but it's Jenna)...I'm listening to their idle chit-chat, which is fine for my downtime, then they introduce their bi-weekly diet & exercise tips called "One Small Thing."  My ears perk up, I’m always interested in new reasonable ideas to help my health and weight loss journey. Sweet little Joy the nutritionist offers up melting chocolate chips and pouring them over rice krispies (made from brown rice) as a healthy snack. Joy honey, chocolate chips and cereal eaten dry during the day is how I got to be this size in the first place!

One Small Thing - that will NOT help you lose weight or get healthy

When Dr. Oz seemed to speak so logically on Oprah, I tuned in to one of his first shows.  He was reviewing the book “Eat This, Not That.”  An example he gave was that when you go to Burger King (….whoa! Wait a minute, Burger King for healthy food? Ok, I’ll listen, maybe they have salads) instead of getting the Whooper whatever you can substitute a veggie burger.  That was the last Dr. Oz episode I watched. Fast food is quick, cheap and unhealthy. And for some people there are times when “quick & cheap” trumps unhealthy and a fast food meal once a month may happen. But if you are trying to be healthy, here’s an idea: don’t go Burger King!

There’s also a nationwide health club that purports to be for regular people (not weightlifters). I’ve seen their commercials and they serve Pizza!  That’ll make sure you keep coming back (double meaning there, get it?).

My weight loss journey (I’m 17 months in) is incredibly slow, really, really slow,  but it is working and my doctor is happy with my progress and lifestyle changes.  I feel happier, healthier and know I am cementing knew habits.  Occasionally I do grab some of those chocolate chips out of the cabinet, Joy. Fast food is a twice a year emergency meal and I go to a gym that offers water bottles for sale (and protein shakes for those weightlifters I hang out with).

Americans are already the fattest people in the world. Even our average birth weight is higher than other Western countries. The only way I can hope to effect any change to our society is through awareness. Please be aware of what you are putting in your body. Be aware of the motivations of big food corporations, which is primarily profit, not health. If you are tiny and fit, like Joy, don't discover a food that us fatties have been bingeing on all along!  If you want to indulge on the weekend, have a chocolate croissant or something else that is in a portion size.