Boots! Boots! Boots!!! That was the focus of my shopping spree at the Mall of America. And I was successful! Three pairs successful. I am also very excited about my leopard print dress and my black faux-fur vest. So much fun!!
It was also pretty awesome when I was purchasing a new plate set and one of those fabulous pairs of boots in a department store and a very generous, random stranger approached me and gifted me with a 20% off ENTIRE PURCHASE coupon that she wasn't using! Of course, being the good friend that I am, I immediately called my friends over so they too could benefit from the coupon. We saved over $70 between the three of us just with that coupon alone! Sweet deal!
And apparently, a woman with diabetes on the prowl for amazing fashion finds need not have their insulin pump running while hunting. With the frantic pace we kept in order to make the most of our time, I didn't need insulin for hours! (And we still didn't make it to all the stores we wanted.) So is shopping for fur a cure?!
Which leads me to an obvious conclusion - Must. Shop. More.
But is it practical to rely on shopping as my blood sugar control? Perhaps not. First of all, my wallet only carries so much credit, and second, there are too many needs in the world to blow all my money on shopping for myself.
So with that thought, I will lace up my unattractive yet practical running shoes, get my butt on the treadmill to help with the blood sugar control and start saving my coins.
And maybe if I start grocery shopping with the same vigor as I mall-shopped, I will get similar health results at least once every couple of weeks when stocking my cupboards.
And dang! will my feet ever look good in my new black wedge-heeled boots as I push that cart.
Would a fur vest be overdoing it a little for the occasion? ;)
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Disoriented Guess-ing
Shopping is a workout. Sure, not a hard-core one. But zig-zagging through store after store, mixed with frantically tearing off clothes and redressing yourself after trying on multiple layers can be exhausting. At least it's enough to drop my blood sugar levels drastically making me shake, sweat profusely and feel like I want to eat an elephant. (And I am a vegetarian ;)
The shopping bus I am about to climb aboard will deliver me straight into the town of hypo-glycemia.
I must get prepared.
I need to create a mental checklist to get through this alive.
a) When moving hard and fast...turn off insulin pump
b) Load my over the shoulder bag with glucose tablets
c) Fill my bag with fruit snacks and protein bars
d) Become very aware of the location of all washroom facilities along the way in case of the need for emergency shower improvisation in the sink.
I suppose the worst thing that could happen (aside from losing consciousness, someone calling an ambulance, and me receiving a whopper of a medical bill in the mail two weeks later), is that I could lose my way. Did I mention I get disoriented and can't concentrate when I have a low blood sugar? I mean, seriously...what if I thought I was in "Express" and instead landed myself in "Guess?"!! That could be a financial disaster! My jeans could end up costing me double, and I wouldn't even realize it until I recovered and found myself actually in Express.
Oh the dangers of shopping! But Guess what?!? (Bad pun, I know.) I don't care. That is a minefield I am willing to risk navigating.
And I am almost certain of one thing...
It will all be worth it as I strut in my new (expensive!) hot jeans!
The shopping bus I am about to climb aboard will deliver me straight into the town of hypo-glycemia.
I must get prepared.
I need to create a mental checklist to get through this alive.
a) When moving hard and fast...turn off insulin pump
b) Load my over the shoulder bag with glucose tablets
c) Fill my bag with fruit snacks and protein bars
d) Become very aware of the location of all washroom facilities along the way in case of the need for emergency shower improvisation in the sink.
I suppose the worst thing that could happen (aside from losing consciousness, someone calling an ambulance, and me receiving a whopper of a medical bill in the mail two weeks later), is that I could lose my way. Did I mention I get disoriented and can't concentrate when I have a low blood sugar? I mean, seriously...what if I thought I was in "Express" and instead landed myself in "Guess?"!! That could be a financial disaster! My jeans could end up costing me double, and I wouldn't even realize it until I recovered and found myself actually in Express.
Oh the dangers of shopping! But Guess what?!? (Bad pun, I know.) I don't care. That is a minefield I am willing to risk navigating.
And I am almost certain of one thing...
It will all be worth it as I strut in my new (expensive!) hot jeans!
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Shop, Drop and Scream?
Two-and-a-half more sleeps!!! That is, until I get on a bus with 55 women (and perhaps one young man who goes with his mother every year) and head to Minneapolis on a shopping tour!!! I can barely contain my excitement!!! Can you tell with all of my exclamation marks!!! (Oops, that was a question wasn't it. Here. I'll throw in a question mark. ?)
I was discussing this trip with my sleep psychologist yesterday, since last year when I went on this trip I had one of my bloody murder screaming night terrors and terrified my friends in our hotel room. Dr. Sleep and I are working on this ongoing problem anyway, so I figured if she could cure me by the weekend that would be nice. (Though it would probably serve her paycheck well to drag out my therapy a little longer.) She did give me one idea that might help change the possible course of our night for the positive. I plan on taking her up on her idea.
But I am worried. Due to a forseeable (and hopefully amazing) loooooong day of busing, shopping and eating which will cause extreme exhaustion, mixed with a heavy dose of adrenaline which if was anything like last year will last until I exit the last store on the last day (that was a lot of "lasts"!), a deadly potion of nighttime antics will likely occur in my overly imaginative mind. I've been down this road before, and it wasn't pretty.
But I recently decided that I should be more optimistic and less pessimistic, so I should probably start now. And I don't really want to give this problem any more power than it already has.
So...I plan that during the next few days, whenever I think about the trip, I will picture all of us sleeping soundly, snuggled in our cheap, hard hotel beds, dreaming about boots and jeans and shirts and skirts. And during those dreams we will be moaning with pleasure as we dance in our new maxi-dresses and leather jackets. (It's a dream! No judging!) And as I picture the scene, I will be sleeping alone in my bed, since the other girls now refuse to sleep with me after last year. (Unless of course they really do make me sleep in the tub like they've been threatening since we signed up for this trip! Oh shoot. There's my pessimistic side speaking again ;)
Now if only Dr. Sleep could help me out with these next couple of nights. I can already feel the adrenaline coursing through my veins. Mr. Insomnia is peeking around every corner of my brain with his beedy little creepy eyes. I'm just sooooo excited!!!
Well, I should go finish making my shopping list for the 45th time. All I have left to say right now is this...Sweet Dreams!!!
I was discussing this trip with my sleep psychologist yesterday, since last year when I went on this trip I had one of my bloody murder screaming night terrors and terrified my friends in our hotel room. Dr. Sleep and I are working on this ongoing problem anyway, so I figured if she could cure me by the weekend that would be nice. (Though it would probably serve her paycheck well to drag out my therapy a little longer.) She did give me one idea that might help change the possible course of our night for the positive. I plan on taking her up on her idea.
But I am worried. Due to a forseeable (and hopefully amazing) loooooong day of busing, shopping and eating which will cause extreme exhaustion, mixed with a heavy dose of adrenaline which if was anything like last year will last until I exit the last store on the last day (that was a lot of "lasts"!), a deadly potion of nighttime antics will likely occur in my overly imaginative mind. I've been down this road before, and it wasn't pretty.
But I recently decided that I should be more optimistic and less pessimistic, so I should probably start now. And I don't really want to give this problem any more power than it already has.
So...I plan that during the next few days, whenever I think about the trip, I will picture all of us sleeping soundly, snuggled in our cheap, hard hotel beds, dreaming about boots and jeans and shirts and skirts. And during those dreams we will be moaning with pleasure as we dance in our new maxi-dresses and leather jackets. (It's a dream! No judging!) And as I picture the scene, I will be sleeping alone in my bed, since the other girls now refuse to sleep with me after last year. (Unless of course they really do make me sleep in the tub like they've been threatening since we signed up for this trip! Oh shoot. There's my pessimistic side speaking again ;)
Now if only Dr. Sleep could help me out with these next couple of nights. I can already feel the adrenaline coursing through my veins. Mr. Insomnia is peeking around every corner of my brain with his beedy little creepy eyes. I'm just sooooo excited!!!
Well, I should go finish making my shopping list for the 45th time. All I have left to say right now is this...Sweet Dreams!!!
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Manolos and Mizunos
Today, the new talk show "Anderson" had a very special guest. Someone who's style cannot be compared to another. She never goes wrong, whether it be on the red carpet or shopping for a new pair of Manolo Blahniks. You guessed it. It was Sarah Jessica Parker.
I actually have a friend that looks very similar to SJP. She's got the naturally ultra wavy hair and similar facial features. And just the other day I was at a wedding with said friend, and we conversed about those similarities. And of course, Manolo Blahniks came into the discussion.
So I went online to do some research.
Those are some pretty fabulous shoes!!! I mean, I've seen them on TV but looking at them up close and personal (as much as possible in cyberspace) they look fantastic!
There's just one problem. Well two. Okay maybe three. First, and most obvious, there's the price. I am about to embark on a bit of a shopping spree and could "technically" afford them, but they would BE the SPREE. Period. One pair of shoes.
Secondly, I am not sure where I would wear them. I will be attending a fashion show next month but would have to wear only the shoes because I wouldn't be able to afford a dress to match. That could be a bit awkward.
Thirdly, and least importantly because I would suck up the pain if given the chance, I don't think my orthodics would work in them. Just sayin'.
So I suppose I will have to leave the Manolo Blahniks for SJP and just be jealous for the rest of my life. Unless of course I win the lottery that I don't play. That would be nice.
Well, off to the treadmill I go. Gotta put on my sweats and lace up my Mizunos.
Don't worry Sarah Jessica...I promise not to wear those to the fashion show. ;)
I actually have a friend that looks very similar to SJP. She's got the naturally ultra wavy hair and similar facial features. And just the other day I was at a wedding with said friend, and we conversed about those similarities. And of course, Manolo Blahniks came into the discussion.
So I went online to do some research.
Those are some pretty fabulous shoes!!! I mean, I've seen them on TV but looking at them up close and personal (as much as possible in cyberspace) they look fantastic!
There's just one problem. Well two. Okay maybe three. First, and most obvious, there's the price. I am about to embark on a bit of a shopping spree and could "technically" afford them, but they would BE the SPREE. Period. One pair of shoes.
Secondly, I am not sure where I would wear them. I will be attending a fashion show next month but would have to wear only the shoes because I wouldn't be able to afford a dress to match. That could be a bit awkward.
Thirdly, and least importantly because I would suck up the pain if given the chance, I don't think my orthodics would work in them. Just sayin'.
So I suppose I will have to leave the Manolo Blahniks for SJP and just be jealous for the rest of my life. Unless of course I win the lottery that I don't play. That would be nice.
Well, off to the treadmill I go. Gotta put on my sweats and lace up my Mizunos.
Don't worry Sarah Jessica...I promise not to wear those to the fashion show. ;)
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Shopping in Style
I saw this pack of teen aged girls today. (Or maybe 20 somethings? I am losing my perspective as I get older.) They were at a store and wearing sweats. Not of the yoga-type, hug your butt variety, but the thick, comfy, often have a word written across the butt kind. And here's the thing...They actually looked kinda good in them, with their sport head-bands and skater shoes.
Which got me to thinking.
When is it appropriate to wear sweats and when is it not?
I am about to embark on a shopping bus tour which lands us at the Mall of America. I have been on this trip before, and it is always shocking to me how many of the women dress on the bus. A high percentage wear those comfy sweats I speak of, and some even go as far as to wear Pajama bottoms.
Now...I get that you want to be comfortable on a long trip, but what confuses me is that we are shopping all along the way. Would you not want to look good for the thousands of people you will come across in all the department stores and malls we will be attacking? I don't know about you, but I often check myself out as I pass those floor to ceiling mirrors that stores have strategically placed throughout. (A little vain, you think? I think of it more as saving myself from an embarrassing toilet-paper-in-the-shoe kind of moment.) And I want to look good. (Okay...maybe a little vain ;)
And I'm just not sure the sweat-pant look is the right one for me to achieve that. Plus...I'm not in my teens anymore. (I'll let you believe I am still a twenty-something ;)
They did look darn comfortable though.
Oh well. I will choose not to judge others (although I think the PJ's are going a little too far for mall-shopping), but will probably stick to a more middle-of-the-road approach and go with a nice pair of jeans and a pair of sensible shoes. Definitely no stilettos that weekend.
And who knows...I'm finding myself a little tempted to put a good comfy pair of sweats on my shopping list. I think I'll save them though, for some private time with my couch.
There's a time and place for everything right? ;)
Which got me to thinking.
When is it appropriate to wear sweats and when is it not?
I am about to embark on a shopping bus tour which lands us at the Mall of America. I have been on this trip before, and it is always shocking to me how many of the women dress on the bus. A high percentage wear those comfy sweats I speak of, and some even go as far as to wear Pajama bottoms.
Now...I get that you want to be comfortable on a long trip, but what confuses me is that we are shopping all along the way. Would you not want to look good for the thousands of people you will come across in all the department stores and malls we will be attacking? I don't know about you, but I often check myself out as I pass those floor to ceiling mirrors that stores have strategically placed throughout. (A little vain, you think? I think of it more as saving myself from an embarrassing toilet-paper-in-the-shoe kind of moment.) And I want to look good. (Okay...maybe a little vain ;)
And I'm just not sure the sweat-pant look is the right one for me to achieve that. Plus...I'm not in my teens anymore. (I'll let you believe I am still a twenty-something ;)
They did look darn comfortable though.
Oh well. I will choose not to judge others (although I think the PJ's are going a little too far for mall-shopping), but will probably stick to a more middle-of-the-road approach and go with a nice pair of jeans and a pair of sensible shoes. Definitely no stilettos that weekend.
And who knows...I'm finding myself a little tempted to put a good comfy pair of sweats on my shopping list. I think I'll save them though, for some private time with my couch.
There's a time and place for everything right? ;)
Monday, September 5, 2011
So Who Makes the Rules Anyway?
"What Not To Wear" is coming to my house!!! Okay, not actually to film or anything. (Hopefully I wouldn't "qualify" for the show ;) But still...it's coming soon! Through my television set! Yes...after having only four channels my whole life, we are getting SATELLITE TV!!! I know, I know. I know what you are thinking. You are thinking "Susie! They invented that YEARS ago! Get with the times!" Well, I finally am. We are breaking down and paying for TV. What an honor. ;)
But as I began anticipating the show coming to my living room, I started to wonder...who makes the rules of what not to wear? Obviously there are flattering outfits and there are unflattering outfits. But what about "rules" such as what date on the calendar it becomes unacceptable to wear white pants. Or how about what age is the cutoff for wearing mini-skirts. I mean, sure, there should be guidelines. But if Jennifer Aniston who is in her forties can look tastefully hot hot hot! in a miniskirt, then does the "not appropriate after 35" rule apply? (Let's be clear here...I am NOT saying I look anything at all like Jennifer Aniston. Unless of course you can see me in my dreams. THEN, that mini-skirt looks mighty fine. ;)
Of course, I do NOT want people to ever have the opportunity to say to their friend..."Did you see what Susie was wearing today? Ugh. So inappropriate for her age and body type." No, I am going more for the reaction of..."Did you see what Susie was wearing today? She looked fantastic!" (A girl can always dream, right?)
So, once again I am scrolling my wardrobe through my mind and wondering...would Stacy and Clinton approve?
Regardless of the answer, you can bet on this: I will be setting my PVR to record every single episode on my quest to figure out if I am on the right track.
In the meantime...please go easy on me. My four channels have done nothing for me in this department.
At least give me one season. ;)
But as I began anticipating the show coming to my living room, I started to wonder...who makes the rules of what not to wear? Obviously there are flattering outfits and there are unflattering outfits. But what about "rules" such as what date on the calendar it becomes unacceptable to wear white pants. Or how about what age is the cutoff for wearing mini-skirts. I mean, sure, there should be guidelines. But if Jennifer Aniston who is in her forties can look tastefully hot hot hot! in a miniskirt, then does the "not appropriate after 35" rule apply? (Let's be clear here...I am NOT saying I look anything at all like Jennifer Aniston. Unless of course you can see me in my dreams. THEN, that mini-skirt looks mighty fine. ;)
Of course, I do NOT want people to ever have the opportunity to say to their friend..."Did you see what Susie was wearing today? Ugh. So inappropriate for her age and body type." No, I am going more for the reaction of..."Did you see what Susie was wearing today? She looked fantastic!" (A girl can always dream, right?)
So, once again I am scrolling my wardrobe through my mind and wondering...would Stacy and Clinton approve?
Regardless of the answer, you can bet on this: I will be setting my PVR to record every single episode on my quest to figure out if I am on the right track.
In the meantime...please go easy on me. My four channels have done nothing for me in this department.
At least give me one season. ;)
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