April Challenge: Ditching the Dumpy Sweats

There are a lot of things I love about babywearing: the convenience, the snuggles, and the delicious wrap fabrics that I can horde and pet.  But as we are entering the twilight years of increasingly infrequent uppies, what I am grateful for most are the incredible mamas that I have "met" during this journey of early motherhood.

One of those awesome people is Drea from The Maiden Metallurgist.  She is smart, cute, funky, and eloquent.  And she has issued an April Challenge, and very tentatively, I am stepping up to the plate on this one:

Now honestly, I am not really guilty of wearing dumpy sweats anymore.  The first year of any of my kids' lives, absolutely; you would find me in DH's ratty old sweatpants and an oversized faded college t-shirt.  But now that I am no longer gestating or breastfeeding, I have been able to lose a significant portion of baby/nursing weight and wear items that could actually be recognized as legit clothing.

But I am excited to participate in this challenge, because while I don't portray dumpy exactly, I am far from where I'd like to be fashion-wise.  Here are my goals for this challenge:

1.  Post more frequently on the blog.  I appreciate having some accountability to post on a regular basis... instead of just waiting for concerned relatives to email me to ask if I am dead.

2.  Be more creative in my outfits.  I am not someone who can picture different pieces together... who can pull pants and tops and belts and shoes and accessories together in unique and fun ways.  I am either wearing jeans and a basic top, or an outfit that I saw on a mannequin at the store.  I feel like there is untapped potential in my closet, pairing different things with one another, and I need some prompting to experiment.

3.  Purge what doesn't make me feel fantastic.  I am guilty of buying many a Target top that 1) costs $10 and 2) fits.  But I just feel meh when I wear some of them.  Especially in light of my recent personal color analysis, I have discovered the powerful effect of different colors on my appearance and mood.  Time to donate the "doesn't do anything for me" items to the local women's shelter and stick with clothes that make me feel aww yeah!

4.  Don't "save" favorite pieces for something that will never happen, stop relying on boring clothes.  It's seeming unlikely that my kids are going to beg me to take them to the symphony during spring break, or that Duchess Kate will call me up to share High Tea during her next tour of the US.  I can grab the cute sweater instead of passing it by to keep it clean for a special activity that just won't happen.

So join me, and link up with Drea on Tuesday!  Let me know if you do!