2012 April

Today, I did something that I knew had been coming for a while.

I’ve read about Lululemon for a long time. I’ve heard about their fantastic products and how their materials are like none other. I’ve also heard that as soon as you start shopping at Lululemon, you’ll never look at workout clothes the same.

It all started when I wanted to get a new yoga mat. I wanted a squishy, comfortable, more advanced mat. Since I’ve become a yogaholic and all… it seemed like the next logical step.

We have two Lulu stores in the greater Denver area. I live super-close to the Boulder store, so it made sense that I would go there. I honestly love Boulder. If I could live anywhere in Colorado, it would probably be Boulder. I just love that earthy, granola vibe. Maybe one day I’ll live up there…

I just love this drive into Boulder. The mountains are just so majestic as you're driving in. THE BEST.

Anyway, today was the day that I went I went to meet all my Lululemon mat options. They had three delicious mats to pick from.

Overall, I liked the more advanced version the most. It came with a lifetime warranty and the highest ratings. Alas, it only came in three boring colors.

So, I went for “The Mat” in the end and my choice was made because it came in a pretty, pretty mint green color. I’ve since used it and ABSOLUTELY loved it. It was worth every cent I paid. I also decided that it was time to start using a carrying strap as well… now that I’ve gone all yoga-official.

Isn't she just beautiful???

Before my trip to Lululemon, I also talked to my friend Lisa who encouraged me to try on clothes when I was there. While she’s adorable and a dear friend of mine, she’s also a TERRIBLE influence. Clearly you’ll find her to be a VERY terrible influence, as you continue reading. Although… amongst us friends, we know that a terrible influence can sometimes be a lot of fun!

I’d been determined to HOLD OUT on purchasing expensive workout clothes as long as I could. Lisa described the yoga pants as something fabulous and something that was completely worth the investment, even if I could potentially change sizes again. I’d like to go down about one more size, afterall…

Now, I had never seen anything like this.

How many different kind of yoga pants exist?? Apparently… quite a few. In looking at the displays, I just picked one that matched the shape that made sense to me. Lululemon’s sizes run 0-12. Thank goodness, I’m within that range now! Phew!

I tried on the Astro (full length) and Groove pant (in both a crop and full length.) The Astro and I didn’t click, although… I think we have potential to be BFF in about 15 lbs. Now, the Groove pant and I… well, we’re engaged. They don’t market them as “the Holy Grail of yoga pants” for nothing. O-M-G!

I splurged on these pants and hope they become my absolute favorite. Actually, after wearing them for just a few minutes, I know that they are. Now, if only I could wear them every day continuously…

I look like a total nerd, but wanted you to see how cute this stuff is! (The things I do for my readers.... sigh)

Something REALLY cool about Lululemon: They do free hemming! Yay!!! The pants (of course) were slightly longer than they needed to be… and I can pick them up on Tuesday night all hemmed up and ready to go! LOVE that!

The day's damage...

I have to confess that I got two tanks as well. Gosh, once you try them on… you just have to have them. I couldn’t resist. I’m now the proud owner of these two babies.

Checking out, I knew that this would be my last stop of the day. I had spent plenty for the day… and I plan to wear these beautiful new clothes A LOT at yoga moving forward. A girl’s got to justify the purchase, right?

They even have adorable "green" bags...

All in all…. I think I get what the hype is about officially. Yes, Lululemon, you have a new fan in me. So nice to have met you.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Boxes Everywhere and a {GIVEAWAY}

What I Eat

Consignment Time Again!

It’s time to sell the clothes again!!!!!

My guest room closet is where I store all the clothes that don’t fit these days. When I went in there this week, there was NO ROOM left for additions!!

I sort of look like a hoarder... these were being stored up for Spring consignment though. I promise!

I had been consigning my clothes up until now at a plus size consignment store close to home and had done pretty well there. I’ve been a big fan of consignment ever since I was in college. Being able to sell clothes I don’t want anymore to reinvest in my wardrobe… it just makes sense!

SIXTY-EIGHT pieces were taken to consignment... Can you believe that??

The challenge in getting rid of these clothes is that I had NO idea where to take them! My plus-sized consignment store has a super-small collection of regular sizes, but I wanted to take the clothes somewhere that had traffic for my new sizes.

My co-worker Carla recommended The Clothes Mentor in Littleton, CO. I was excited to hear about them, and I took a huge amount of clothes down there to sell.

The awesome part about the Clothes Mentor is that they BUY your clothes up front. The bad news about the Clothes Mentor is that they sell their clothes for low prices. As a result, most items I sold to them only earned me between 2-3 dollars. Gasp!

Most of those clothes had tags still on them!!! Also, shockingly, they only took about 6 items that I presented to them… of about 30. I didn’t take everything in… I just had a feeling it wasn’t going to go so well. So glad I didn’t schlep all of it in there!

I will say, I shopped around the store for about 30 minutes while they sifted through my clothes. I will definitely come back here to shop. They had GREAT prices on lightly worn clothing. For someone who’s changed sizes a lot, this is a huge win. For example: I got a super-cute top from Banana Republic for $8. Clothes Mentor is a national chain and may be available close to you. Check their locations online.

Now, I had hoped they would take it all, but they weren’t into the professional clothes as much as the casual wear. As a result, I had to find another spot to take the items.

I ended up finding Act II and gave them the remainder of my stash. They LOVED my stuff and as a result, I HEART them!

The clothes won’t sell for huge amounts, but I like to think that there will be some ladies that pop into the store that are SO excited to find my barely worn suits for an awesome price! And, my jeans that were worn just a few times will be a treat to the lucky one who stumbles upon them.

All good things!

Do you consign your clothes?? It might be time to look through that closet and clean out what doesn’t fit anymore, skinny minnies!

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Weekly Weigh In and Snow Boredom

Losing Weight Without Losing Your Fashion Sense During the Process