$#!+... It is Time for Swimsuit Shopping

Yes... It may be late summer, but I am finally doing my summer swimsuit shopping.  Why now, you may ask.  Well, because Kohl's has 30% off and free shipping for cardholders, and then I have Kohl's cash to use.  Yep - I can completely justify my purchase now. Oh yeah - and don't forget Ebates! (If you are going to shop, might as well save some money and earn some money when you can.)

So, shopping for a new swimsuit stems from an experience about a two months ago.  I went on a weekend vacation, where I packed probably like four or five of my swimsuits.  Do you want to know how many I wore?  One.  Because the others all shrank! Can you believe it? Who the heck does quality control for these swimsuit companies??  Okay, okay... well I have to be honest.  Sadly, some of my bathing suits were from the college days and pre-marriage days, and since I don't pull them out often, they just sit in my drawer taking up space.  I had no idea which may or may not fit.  So the one that actually did fit, was the one that I had purchased post-first baby but before second baby.  Which makes complete sense right?  For my bottom, I had already squeezed my widened hips into those bad boys, and I purchased a top appropriate for my post-breastfeeding "lovely lady lumps".  Anywho, of course I was disappointed that I couldn't squeeze these childbearing hips into my old bikinis but I have to be realistic.  I own a post-two beautiful babies body and I am in my thirties.  What was I really expecting?

So here I am tonight... shopping for swimsuits and it sucks.  It is sucking the life out of me.  Sucking the motivation out of me.  And making me want to walk to the kitchen and grab a few chocolate chip cookies to help me through the rest of the shopping experience.  And while it would be easier to just walk into the store tomorrow and try them on and make my purchase, I'd much rather have them sent to the safety of my home where I can try them on in my personal mirror and not have any sales associates hear my wails of terror when I look at myself.

Now, don't think I am ashamed of my body.  Fully clothed, it looks pretty dang good! It's just that I am still coming to accept the under-my-clothes changes that come with age, babies, stress, etc.  And the fact that I am not exactly getting to the gym to get fit, I have to adjust to what my body is going to do with what I give it.  Now let me tell you, throughout the summer, I have read some beautiful blogs about swimsuits and body images.  And how mothers should not be afraid to wear them.  And how we should have confidence and be proud.  And I have raised my head up high while reading those and internally shouted "Hell yeah!".  But the reality of it is, it is easier to put those words and ideas in writing rather than into action for some of us moms.

So, I shall continue to peruse the swimsuit selection tonight.  Maybe I will manage to find something appealing and get it for a great deal.  Or maybe I will just fill my shopping cart with some new bathroom rugs I have been eyeing...

Shop, Shop, Shop

So I know we all love to do a little bit of shopping here and there. And I know that I am always looking out for great deals.  I wanted to leave you with some of my go-to sites incase you have yet to discover how wonderful they are and how useful they can be - whether you are looking for something as a gift, something for yourself, or something for the house.

Ebates - This is an awesome site because you simply log into your account, use their links to shop at different retailers, and earn cash back.  I was a skeptic at first, and then I received my checks.  They even help you find promotions to use on your purchases.  SOLD!

Sassy Steals - If you have not looked at this online retailer, you are missing out!  This is one of my favorites to shop.  I discovered it just around Christmas time, and gave me some awesome gift ideas with some pretty amazing prices.  Now I look to it for birthdays, holidays, or personal "wants" and "needs".  If you don't mind, my referral code is 2638020, just incase something catches your eye!

MyHabit - Early morning shopping make your day? At 9 AM (PT), MyHabit posts sales for a variety of categories - men, women, kids, home, etc.  These event's last 72 hours or unless they sell out faster.  Lots to browse through, even

FYI - I have linked all the following to referral URLs that can (hopefully) give me credit(s) for helping spread the word about these retailers and inspire some shoppers.  Once you join, you can benefit as well as you spread the word to your friends and family about your new discoveries!