Payless is where I buy most of my shoes. They have a brand that makes the most comfortable and affordable flats. Also, being someone who’s never been accused of being small, it should come as no surprise that I have large feet. Payless has always come through with shoes that are cute, comfortable and, most importantly, fit. The news of their demise was shocking and left me wondering, but where should I buy my shoes?!

I went to Payless the next day to purchase some replacement shoes before they closed. As I checked out, I chatted with the woman working. She was a couple of years younger than my mom and had worked for Payless for nearly a decade. She told me they found out about the closure just before the news broke publicly but had an idea it was coming. She wasn’t sure what was going to happen to her because she was sure she’d have trouble finding a job at her age. I felt for her, I was mourning a place to buy shoes, but she was mourning a paycheck.

I’m at the older end of the millennial generation and have been slow to adopt technology at times, but, online shopping is my jam. I get at least one package from Amazon each week, sometimes more. They aren’t always frivolous purchases. I write this having just placed an order for dividers I needed for class. With a couple of clicks, my dividers will be here Tuesday and saves me a trip to the city to buy them.

As I closed the tab on my most recent Amazon purchase, I realized I’m a part of why people like my Payless cashier are losing their jobs at brick and mortar stores all across the US. While I may not often buy shoes online, I do depend too much on the ease of pointing and clicking without thinking about the impact on my neighbors.

So, I’ve decided to go for a year without making personal purchases on Amazon. I want to be intentional this year about not giving in to the ease of buying dog toys while binge watching Netflix, but going to the store and buying them from one of the places that sells them locally. Do I want to pre-order a specific book? A call to my local bookstore will work. I will likely still use Amazon for work- my account is the one we purchase a lot of event supplies from, and that will continue. But when I need something that doesn’t involve planning a disco party or casino night, to the store I go.

I’ve also decided to record my experience. Who knows if people will care? Maybe it will challenge others to shop more locally? But, I’m going to reflect on my experience and share some of them here. Here’s to a year of intentional shopping!

Just call me old fashioned.

I did just use a drop cap and prefer the oxford comma.

I have decided to resurrect this old site to share an adventure I’m going to embark on this year. But, here’s a few life updates to bring you up to speed.

I moved to the small town I work in this summer. I loved Lexington, but got tired of driving back and forth to work. So I bought an old house (circa 1899) within walking distance. It is adorable, is poorly insulated but has a porch perfect for tea or wine with friends.

My long time doggie companion, Tuck, died last March and I swore I wouldn’t get another dog. That lasted exactly 7 days, and a few weeks later I adopted Lexi. The rescue said she was a shiz tzu… turns out she is, but mixed with a couple of big dogs and she is in every way Tuck’s opposite. But she’s a good dog for me.

I developed some crazy food allergies, or at least learned I have them a month or so ago. So I’m learning to navigate a wheat/corn/oat/soy/tomato/nut/orange free life. And if you ever what to feel gross about what you’ve been eating, try watching for evidence of corn and soy in your food. I’ve cut it all out and have to admit, I feel a lot better.

Life basically consists of work.school.dog training.sleep. My friend Shelly and I were talking yesterday about how we’ve found ourselves in this place of routine in the last few years. Nothing really changes and the days all look the same. I think this is what adulthood looks like? I don’t know, but I’m not terribly mad about it. It feels settled and I like settled.

I’m going to be posting here a bit more. Don’t know how much, or if it will even interest anyone, but I’ll post the details of my self-made adventure tomorrow.

My kitchen has no obvious place to hide my trash cans (trash & recycling), so they sit out in the open, which isn’t the most beautiful thing. I thought about transforming a cabinet or dresser into a hideaway but chose to use the changing table since I already had it and it would be a less expensive project. I searched Pinterest for tutorials and inspiration for this project but found very little about how to convert one and lots of pictures of bar carts, so I had to wing it! I think it turned out pretty well if I do say so myself!

The best thing about this project is that I already had most of the necessary supplies on hand. Here’s what I used.

• Changing Table (Free!)
• Stain Grade Panel (Lowes $31.98)
• Sand Paper & Tack Cloth
• Valspar Chalk Paint in White (already had, but costs $29.99 at Lowes)
• Valspar Chalk Paint Sealing Wax (already had, but costs $16.99 at Lowes)
• Navy fabric (Hobby Lobby $8.38 for two yards)
• 1″ Corner Brackets ($1.98 for four)
• Rustoleum one coat stain in Walnut (10.48)
• Tung Oil  ($9.98 at Lowes, already had it)
• Tension Rod

The first step was to clean up the table, remove the current cardboard shelves, take out the middle shelf entirely and sand it down. Using the chalk paint doesn’t require that I strip all the old paint off, but I wanted to be sure to remove the shiny finish and that the surface was nice and smooth. After I was finished sanding I used the tack cloth to get all the dust off and prep the surface for paint.

Once the table was fully prepped I applied two coats of the Valspar chalk paint allowing it to dry fully between coats. Once the final coat was dry, I sanded and distressed the table to my liking and then applied the Valspar sealing wax in a thin layer using a clean rag. I left the table to dry completely.

The next step was making the new shelves. The piece originally had three cardboard shelves which were supported by metal cross beams. My design required removing the second one entirely and I needed to replace the remaining two with more sturdy shelves to support the weight of trash cans and coffee supplies. Lowes sells stain grade panels which were perfect for this project! I measured the size of the shelves and headed off to Lowes to purchase the shelving and the corner brackets to hold the wood in place. Lowes cut the boards to the size I needed so all the hard work was done.

The boards required sanding on the edges to smooth them out from the cuts and then it was time for stain!  I wanted this piece to compliment the farmhouse table my dad and I built so I used the same stain for the wood that we used on the table top. I used Minwax one coat Walnut Stain. It truly only requires one coat, covers so nicely and dries quickly.

While the shelves dried, I attached the brackets to hold the shelves. I chose to reuse the original metal crossbars on the bottom shelf. Since there were three original shelves I had three of these strips and I screwed all three into the bottom shelf. Then I used the corner brackets I purchased at Lowes for the top shelf.

Each old shelf had one of these in the middle.

Old cardboard shelves

Underside of the new shelves showing the corner bracket

I knew that I wanted to hide the trash cans on the shelf so I took measurements for fabric panels. I made panels for each of the ends and two for the front to hide the cans. I chose to make two front panels to make it easier to access the trash cans. I simply used thumbtacks to attach the two side panels on the underside of the top shelf and a tension rod to hang the front two panels.

Once everything was dry and attached I simply placed the shelves onto their supporting brackets and all was done!

I later went back and applied a coat of Tung Oil to the wooden shelves. This helps protect them and seals the stain in the wood for a long-lasting beautiful finish.

All in all this project took me just a few hours and $43. Since the table was free and I already had most of the supplies it couldn’t have been a most cost-effective way to solve a problem in my kitchen!

One of the ways that I’m trying to manage my time well is using a meal planning and delivery service. There are now a lot of options to choose from. I’ve previously tried Plated but wanted to see which service fits best for me so I’ve decided to try the major ones out and share the results with the interwebs here. I’m also giving away two boxes that include three meals on Hello Fresh!

The first service I tried is Hello Fresh. They make it easy to pick what meals you’ll receive that week and when they arrive at your house. The food is delivered in an insulated box that keeps food cold throughout the shipping. It always shocked me how cold the meats were even after being shipped– they feel like I just took them out of the fridge!

I was impressed with the packaging of the meals. Each meal has the veggies and various items in a labeled cardboard box. The Type A person in me loves how easily these stack in my fridge making it easy to see and grab everything I need for that meal.

Hello Fresh provides colorful recipe cards that show you what items you’ll be using and how to prepare the meal step by step. The cards also provide information about measurements for ingredients if you wanted to make the meal again in the future. I ordered the two person box with three different meals. This was the perfect size for me. Each meal makes enough for me to have at least one additional meal. The soups and chilis usually end up making enough for more than two meals. Below are just some of the meals I made with Hello Fresh. When Steak Met Potatoes might have been my favorite of all I’ve tried yet!

The recipes are easy to follow and all the ingredients are already portioned out to be exactly what you need. Hello Fresh sends farm fresh organic vegetables and natural, pasture raised proteins. The quality of ingredients make it worth the cost. Buying quality ingredients like this for a single person can really add up and I have a hard time using all the ingredients before they go bad.  Every meal I’ve made from Hello Fresh has been delicious and I’ve enjoyed them all. The only negative critique I have about Hello Fresh is that the meals are high calorie. I noticed when I went to cancel my delivery to try Blue Apron that there is a more “fit” menu and I don’t think I’d previously selected that one. So if you try it and are health conscious be sure you select that choice!

Overall, I really enjoyed my experience using Hello Fresh. Ordering and picking my meals was simple. They offer a variety of options and everything tastes great. Next up I’m going to try out Blue Apron to see how they stack up!

Interested in trying Hello Fresh free? Enter the contest below! I’ll chose a winner on March 20th!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A post shared by Sarah Mudd (@smuddles) on May 24, 2016 at 6:33pm PDT

Job Changes

The biggest change came in the form of a new job. After years of unread applications and dead ends I accepted a great position at Midway University in Kentucky. I left Anderson after 5 years and while I learned and grew a lot it was a much needed change. I flew to interview Derby weekend, was offered and accepted the position the next week. That set into motion a crazy 6 weeks of buying a house, selling a house, finishing a job, starting a job, and moving four states away.

The career change has been a good thing. I have a great team that I get to lead, work for great leadership, and we have the opportunity to build programs and traditions which will last a lifetime. Plus, the institution went coed this fall. Most professionals never get the chance to walk through that transition so that was an excellent experience. My last day at AU was June 27th and I started at Midway July 1st.

State Changes

A new job meant a new state, or rather returning to an old familiar one. I traded a small town in Upstate South Carolina for a small city in Central Kentucky. While I work in a small town that feels very much like Mayberry, I live in Lexington. Prior to moving here my time spent in Lexington had been very small, but I’ve quickly fallen for my new city. I love being able to go to Target or the bookstore and not run into anyone I know, but yet also still be able to get across town fairly quickly. There’s always something going on, we have excellent local shops, breweries and farmers markets. Also, there are horse farms everywhere. Kentucky really is the most beautiful state. Truthfully, the only things I miss about SC are the people and the quick drive to the beach. Daniel Boone once said that “Heaven must be a Kentucky kind of place” and I think he was right.

New House

My sweet little dollhouse on Belspring Lane went on the market May 18th.  The night it listed, I walked Tuck around the block and asked the Lord to bring the right buyer, quickly, who would buy it full price with no more than $2000 in closing costs. Within 36 hours I had one showing and was under contract for exactly those terms. This was confirmation I was making the right move.

Next came the hard part– finding a home in Kentucky. After walking through more than 20 houses and some stressful mortgage gymnastics I bought a two story house with a fenced yard in Lexington. The house is a quick drive to work, has sidewalks that make a mile loop around the neighborhood, and provides quick access to anywhere in the city.

I closed on my SC house June 28th and my KY house July 1st. I am thankful to have had two excellent realtors in the process and a mortgage broker cousin who made the financing piece fall into place perfectly.

Other Changes & Happenings

Even though a new job and house are pretty major things, more has happened in the last year as well.

• I was accepted in the UK Educational Policy doctoral program and started classes in January. I’ve really enjoyed it although it’s been a challenge to balance school work and a full time job.
• I joined the Lexington Junior League! I’ve had friends who’ve been JLers in both Nashville and Waco and loved their experience. JL is a women’s organization that focuses on community service, philanthropy and historical preservation with a healthy dose of social connection. I’ve already started making some good friends and am looking forward to getting connected in Lexington with them.
• I’ve been able to watch a lot of UK football and basketball games with my dad and grandpa. When UK  beat UofL I joined thousands of other UK Fans to welcome them back at Commonwealth Stadium.
• Completed my 6th Base Camp at Anderson, which was by all accounts, flawless.
• Shortly after ringing in the new year, we said good bye to one of my favorite people, my sweet Aunt Pat.

As I reflect on the last 12 months, the Lord’s hand in the details of my life are evident. I’m excited to see where this year leads as well!

Stylists

Both companies provide a personal stylist who picks out clothes to match your personal style and body type. With Stitch Fix you have a different stylist with each box, while with Trunk Club you keep the same stylist with each order. Additionally, because you have the same stylist, you can talk or email directly with your personal stylist when using Trunk Club. (PS- A friend told me after this post that you can have the same stylist with Stitch Fix, you just have to ask for it in your notes.)

Box Frequency

Both companies allow you to ship boxes at your leisure and on your schedule. Stitch Fix  has the option of scheduling regular boxes (although this is not required) whereas Trunk Club does not.

Shipping & Returns

Both come in very stylish and branded boxes. Both include free shipping both to you and for returns. Both are shipped quickly.  Stitch Fix allows returns via USPS and they provide a pre-paid envelope for the clothes to be placed in. Just put your returned items in the envelope and leave it in your mailbox. Trunk Club provides a new label and shipping tape to return items in the box you received them in. Their shipping is through UPS meaning you have to schedule a pick up or take it somewhere to drop off.

Click to view slideshow.

In the Box

Trunk Club boxes include up to 15 items for you to try on at home. You have the chance to review your box before it ships and refuse any item you know you don’t want (I did this with a romper that was both a romper and almost $200– two strikes and it was out.)

Stitch Fix sends you 5 items at a time and does not allow you to see what’s coming until you open the box (although some fun-hating users have found ways around this). Stitch Fix is like opening presents on Christmas morning, while Trunk Club is an experience like the year my older brother snuck open (and then re-wrapped) his Nintendo before Christmas, so we all knew what was in that box when “santa” came.

One major bonus to using Stitch Fix is that each item in your fix comes with a card that shows you how to pair that item with things you might already own. For me, this is a huge perk. 

Time to Shop

The pro of using a service like these is that you get to try on clothing items at home with your own closet. Trunk Club allows you 10 days to try things on before you have to “check out” online and tell them what you’re keeping and what you’re rejecting. Stitch Fix only allows 3 days.

Price Tags

Stitch Fix charges a $20 styling fee when the box ships. This fee goes towards your purchase if you keep something in the box (which I have always done) and they provide a discount if you keep the whole fix. Trunk Club doesn’t charge a styling fee and only charges per item kept.

In general, I have felt that prices through Stitch Fix were less expensive than Trunk Club. However, items from both companies can often be found through Nordstrom Rack or other sites online so they are similar in quality.

Other Items to Consider

Stitch Fix was easier to set up an account and start receiving fixes. You go online, answer questions about your size and style profile, pick which pictures you like the best and give them a link to your Pinterest style board. Trunk Club‘s site is much less user friendly and you have to schedule a call to your stylist to get your profile complete.Trunk Club started as a service for men, so I’m optimistic it will adapt some to a new clientele over time.

Both companies offer credits for referrals- Stitch Fix rewards you with $25 towards a future fix, while Trunk Club rewards you with $50.

Trunk Club actually has stores you can go into for a personal styling session in several large US cities, which is pretty neat.

In Closing

I enjoyed using both sites and the pros and cons of each really come down to your clothing budget and personal preferences! Let me know if you have questions or observations I missed!

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This post contains referral links to both Trunk Club and Stitch Fix. If you use one of these links to sign up and order a box from either company (or both) I’ll get referral credit.

Trunk Club is another personal stylist company, but the major difference is that you get to keep the same stylist for each trunk. When it was time to order my trunk, my stylist, Gretchen, and I chatted on the phone. She asked me questions about what I do at work, in my free time, clothes I like and about my general body type. After we spoke, Gretchen put together a trunk of 15 items for me, which I was able to review and comment on prior to the trunk shipping.

Once I reviewed my trunk, it was shipped and on my doorstep within a few days. I loved that the box the items arrived in was not just a cardboard box, but a brand specific trunk. When I opened the trunk, everything was neatly wrapped and included a note from my stylist and some make-up samples.

Click to view slideshow.

Inside my trunk were 12 items I reviewed previously (a trunk comes with 15 items, but I declined 3 things when I reviewed my trunk.) Right away I pulled each of the items out and started trying them on with jewelry and other clothing items I already owned. The clothes are the brands sold at Nordstrom and Nordstrom Rack so they were high quality and varied in price.

Some of the things I loved! This Eliza J lace dress was just beautiful- I couldn’t take selfies or a picture that really does it justice. Also, it has pockets, which is every girl’s dream.  I also loved the navy blue shirt with a simple rear tie– I thought the cut was flattering but it was pure silk (high maintenance & expensive). I also liked the black flats and this patterned waterfall blouse, but they were too big. The black shift dress was so comfortable, but I felt like it wasn’t very flattering since there was no shape to it.

Click to view slideshow.

Other items in the box were misses for various reasons– some were too big (white jeans), others too short (skater skirt) or just not my style (black pants). Ultimately, I opted to return everything in my box.

Click to view slideshow.

The great thing about Trunk Club is that you only pay for what you keep. There is not a fee for styling or shipping either way. You have 10 days to try things on and decide what you’d like to keep or return. Like other styling sites, you check out online and tell what you liked or didn’t like about each item so the stylist can tailor the next box to even better suit you.

I loved how easy it was to use Trunk Club and greatly prefer shopping at home to actually trying to find clothes in the store. While I didn’t keep anything this time, I’ll schedule another box soon! I love that there is no risk in scheduling a box, which is a great perk! Also, Trunk Club offers stylists for men as well as women. If you’re looking for a better way to shop for clothes try Trunk Club.

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PS- This post includes affiliate links. Meaning, if you sign up using my link to Trunk Club, I get a bonus for you using the site. Of course, all views are mine!

A few weeks ago I shared some of my favorite things from around the web. While March isn’t completely over, here are the things I have enjoyed since I last shared.

For Your Listening Pleasure

I’ve become a huge fan of podcasts this year and I have quite a few I subscribe and listen to while commuting and working out. Here are a couple I’ve really liked recently.

• The OTT (I have no idea what that means) Episode 3: This podcast series is technically in the KSR brand of podcasts, but I loved this not because I love the cats. Tyler Thompson (the host, who is a woman) interviews Kami Mattioli (another female sports journalist). I was listening while driving and had to keep telling Siri to write stuff down for me because there were some great remarks along the woman power genre. Judge if you want, but I enjoyed it.
• What Should I Read Next: I literally just started listening to this today, but I love it! Anne Bogel interviews different people and makes lots of stellar book recommendations.

To Encourage Your Heart

Here are a handful of things that made my heart feel warm and fuzzy or made me thing “oh good, me too”.

• Is The Secret to Happiness Letting Go?
• When God Makes You Wait
• What is An Enough List and How It Helped Me Enjoy Everyday
• The Deeper Message of Wanderlust

Bring the Tissues

Here are a few things that have made me need the trusty box of tissues recently.

• An open letter to some Whole Foods Customers.
• For all the UK fans, a tribute to Tyler Ulis. Please don’t go pro, Tyler, we aren’t ready to say goodbye.

What I’m Currently Reading

• “How to Weep in Public” by Jacqueline Novak
• “Unglued” by Lysa TerKeurst
• “Streams of Living Water” by Richard Foster

I’d love for you to share what you’re currently enjoying or have read lately!

Top Favs

Life changing seems strongly worded, but it’s truth!

• Anything by Jennie Allen
  I started reading this book in the fall but finished it recently. I haven’t put it back on the bookshelf because I’m still mulling over the wisdom and the way it has challenged the way I see life and the decisions I make.
• Gregg Doyel Interview on the Matt Jones Podcast
  Some people may think I’m only recommending this podcast because I have a crush on KSR’s Matt Jones (I mean he is dreamy and intelligent after all), but this episode is incredible. Gregg Doyel is like an open book, sharing about his life and struggles with depression, passive suicidal ideation and general unhappiness. I have it saved to go back and listen when I’m not driving to work so I can write down some of the brilliant and wise statements he makes. It’s a must listen. With the risk of sounding like a fan girl, I love the rest of Matt’s podcast, although I wouldn’t categorize it as life changing (commute and gym routine changing, sure). It’s not just about sports, there’s a lot of great stuff about the presidential race and I feel more informed then when I used to watch 24-hour news channels.

On Politics
I used to think that I might want to be involved in politics when I was younger, but this election cycle has me losing all hope in the general intelligence of Americans. With my home state heading into a Republican Caucus this weekend, are a few political posts I’ve found insightful.

• “It’s Embarrassing to Be an Evangelical in This Election” This provides some interesting information about who really voted for Donald Trump in South Carolina. I wish it was shocking, but it doesn’t surprise me. If you think racism is a thing of the past, this shows otherwise.
•  “A Trumptastic Timeline” Interesting timeline of the craziness of one of the front running candidate. I’d like to see these for more of the candidates but found this really interesting.
• The Moment of Truth: We Must Stop Trump: “Donald Trump has no respect for the basic rights that are the foundation of constitutional democracy, nor for the requirements of decency necessary to sustain democratic citizenship.” I’m just going to leave that there.
• The Death Penalty is a Pro-Life Issue Too: A great article about how Christians should not support the death penalty if they claim to be pro-life, for “the one who has any right to throw the stone has absolutely no desire.” Here’s another great one about how the death penalty doesn’t accomplish what people think it does (which I ironically first learned in a religion course at my baptist alma matar, thanks Dr. Skeen.)
• Our next president is set to be the first who is Hispanic, Jewish, female — or a Trump. Interesting perspective on the diversity of the presidential candidates, which is a refreshing thing to see. It’s likely that in my lifetime someone who looks like me will be president, which is crazy since it was just three generations of my family ago that women couldn’t even vote.

Other Life Related

• Apparently a toddler was convicted of murder in Egypt. Worse- the BABY has been sentenced to life in prison. Seriously, the world is crazy.
• Why We Need You to Show Up Before You Have it “All Figured Out: “Life constantly asks us to act only the cards we see.” I need to be better about not letting this truth terrify me.
• Why You Should Give Yourself a Little More Grace: I’m learning this lesson this year. It’s hard, but so freeing.

The other bad thing about no social media is I’m missing when others share good things. If you’ve read a good book, article or listened to a great podcast (they are my new favorite) let me know in the comments!