Up for a challenge

Last fall I discovered an interesting challenge from Wool&, a company that designs, produces, and sells garments made from merino wool. The challenge is pretty straightforward. You wear (and document that you’ve worn) one of their wool dresses for 100 days straight and they send you a $100 gift card in exchange. The challenge is designed to prove that wool is versatile enough to be the foundation of any outfit.

To be honest, I thought that was pretty intense at first. 100 days in a row is a pretty long time to wear any article of clothing. But the renewed popularity of the whole high-waisted, “mom jeans” vibe from the 90s made me think twice. #hardpass

Besides the appeal of being able to side step around said “mom jeans”, I also liked the idea of buying less “fast fashion,” the kind of stuff that loses its shape after only a few wears, or doesn’t come out of the wash with the same fit. I also started to love the idea of building a capsule wardrobe, that is, a small collection of timeless essentials that don’t go out of style. And the idea of a daily “uniform” really appealed to me.

I like to lurk before I leap, so I joined the Facebook group for the 100 Day Challenge and followed a few ladies on Instagram who were participating. The outfits I saw were creative and appealing. Many of the participants (or as they are more affectionately called, “Woolies”) used only clothing they already owned to accessorize their one wool dress. Most reported that not a single person actually noticed they were wearing the same foundational garment for more than a quarter of the year. So crazy, but true! (Look up the “spotlight effect” if you’re curious to know more.)

The more I thought about the 100 Day Dress Challenge the more I was drawn to it. I realized that having an effortless uniform of sorts that looks well put together every day would be really nice and would also force me to be more creative with the clothes that I already owned.

That was 76 days ago.

Right before Christmas I decided to order a dress, just to see. (By this time, stores were stocked full of “mom jeans” and I was not-so-secretly hoping this was the answer to dodging that whole “mom jean” problem.) As soon as I put the dress on I knew I was going to keep it because it was so comfortable and it paired well with so many things already in my closet. Two days after it arrived, I flew to Wisconsin for a trip, and I wore the dress each day that I traveled (as a mini-challenge of sorts). The day that I returned home I emailed Wool& and let them know I was starting their 100 Day Challenge.

I’ll probably share more of my reflections on the challenge after I hit the 100 day mark, but so far I’ve been really happy with the challenge! I have been more creative with what is already in my closet while also looking (somewhat) effortlessly put together each day. I like the way that I feel — and that’s even better!

And do you know what the craziest thing is? Other than my family, not a single person has noticed or commented on the repetition in my wardrobe. (However, now I bet you will be on the lookout if we see each other in real life!)

This isn’t an ad and I don’t get anything by talking about it, but if you are curious and want to read more about the 100 Day Dress Challenge, you can do so right here. My dress is a Plum Willow, and if you want to see all 76 days so far, pop over to Instagram where I’ve been documenting my progress every day.

Happy Hormones

Hormones play a vital role in overall health and well being. As I have aged (see again: old enough to remember mom jeans the first time around) I’ve realized my hormones just need more support than they used to.

Another thing that I challenged myself to do right before Christmas was applying Progessence Plus each night as part of my supplement routine.

Progessence Plus isn’t an oil. It’s actually a serum that pairs natural progesterone (from wild yams) with essential oils and vitamin E. Some studies suggest that wild yams may help support the natural aging process, promote healthy skin, promote weight loss and prevent hair loss.

I’ve found that my body is high in estrogen, and Progessence Plus works to bring my body back into balance by naturally producing more progesterone that balances out the estrogen that is already there.

The result for me has been astounding. I’ve had more restful sleep, no more hormonal acne, easier cycles, less hair loss, more energy, and more even emotions.

There’s so much to say about this serum! If you’d like to learn a little bit more about it, how to use it, and if it’s a good fit for you, you can read more here.

A Snippet From My Week

The plumbers were here again this week doing a little more work (we had a slab leak + full repipe in January). Since we had another really warm stretch this week we opted for first grade outside!

Thanks for reading! Have you ever created a capsule wardrobe? I am seriously considering it and would love to hear your thoughts if you have! (When you hit reply, your message goes directly to my email. It’s a private conversation between just us.) I read all your messages and try to respond, but not always in a timely manner. Sorry! And if you enjoyed this email, you’d be doing me a favor by forwarding it to someone else who might like it.