My New Favorite Things: Vintage Inspired Faves

The Apron - I completely understand why the apron is no longer an essential part of a woman's necessities. In its heyday every woman wore an apron daily; she did not want to get her dress dirty while she was cleaning, baking, cooking, and taking care of the house in general. Pants or grungy clothes were not an option for the 'proper' lady. One certainly had her day dresses that she would wear in the house but not outside the house, but even those had to be protected by an apron. When women began working outside of the home, wearing *gasp* pants, and sharing household duties with her partner, the need for the apron declined.

These days the only people that wear aprons are older adults and the vintage lovers. Of course, I also wear an apron, seeing that I am a vintage lover and older adult at heart. I find my apron to be a necessity. I am so messy in the kitchen! When I wash dishes, clean, bake, or cook, I always end up dirty; therefore, the apron is my BFF for life. Plus, it has pockets to put a rag in or your cell phone! It also makes me feel feminine, even if I didn't do my hair that day... and that in itself is worth way more than the cost of the apron.

Dresses - I was never a big fan of dresses until I began loving all things vintage. Growing up I was always the jeans and goodwill t-shirt kind of girl. However, the bigger my waist got the less I started liking jeans. If they fit around my waist they were too baggy on my butt. If they fit my legs they were too small around my waist. Jeans shopping is the worst. If I had to pick between going to a Justin Beiber concert or going jeans shopping, I would choose the concert.

Anyway, I realized that there was a better option for me than jeans; skirts and dresses to the rescue! They look super cute, make me feel feminine, and I don't have to worry about pulling a whole outfit together. I have a hard time figuring out if my clothes match, and since the husband is no help in the fashion department I opt for simple outfits instead of taking my chances. I also don't have to worry about finding tops that flatter my body type (which is - big belly and little everything else). I know some women prefer jeans/pants/leggings/shorts, but I love a comfy dress.

ps... speaking of Beiber Fever, watch this video.

My New Favorite Things: Food Edition

I always get ideas for blog posts right before I go to sleep. That usually means that I forget them, but I didn't forget this one. I'm not one to brag (okay, I am), but I am so proud of myself for remembering!

I remember 3 dreams I had last night. Two of the three were about chocolate cake and cereal. I obviously miss these things, but I do have some yummy substitutes!

• Fresh Dates - Seriously folks, these things are delish! They are great with your morning oatmeal or just as a little snack. I would recommend getting the fresh ones though; the ones that are dried are not nearly as flavorful. On a side note, they are also full of potassium!
• Splenda - Mrs. Attempted Domestication has raved about this sugar substitute for years, but being a sugar purist I never even tried it. Now that my triglycerides are high, however, I have given in and joined the Splenda wagon. I get the granulated variety and it tastes pretty darn close to sugar.

• Fruit, Fruit, Fruit - I have a hard time limiting myself 3-5 servings of fruit per day, especially if it is a weekend as I eat when I am bored. My favorites are honeycrisp apples, strawberries, dates, and peaches, but I like virtually all fruits.

• Frozen Yogurt - I get a craving for ice cream nearly every day, but once in a while ill indulge in some frozen yogurt instead. Its not as creamy as ice cream, but that also means that you don't feel as if you're about to explode if you eat a bit too much of it.

• Natural Peanut Butter - JIF and Skippy have really yummy natural peanut butters. I know I eat too much PB, but they are so good! I should get the PB with less sugar in it, but that stuff is like a chore to eat.

Okay, so obviously I have a sweet tooth as all of the above foods are sweet... but that is where my life has changed the most in the past 7 weeks. Thanks for all your support friends!