What I Wore: Treat Yo Self

It never fails that mid November through mid December is a chaotic and sleep deprived blur for me. I don’t mean to sound too negative, this season holds some of my absolute favorite moments (see my last post about how much I LOVE holiday traditions), but it’s one of those situations where there are high-highs and low-lows. This is the middle of our crazy season at work, so my day job takes up the majority of my time and energy for a month or two. The hours are long and the work is mentally exhausting. Besides, the holidays themselves are a lot to prepare for- with Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years all falling within a month and a half. Dillon and I tend to do a lot of entertaining around this time when friends are in from out of town, and this year I’m planning a REALLY fun party with my girlfriends that I’ll be sharing with you soon (yay!). Long story short, my mind is being pulled in about a million directions these days, and hours of sleep have been few and far between. During times like this, I find that giving myself small rewards along the way is best way to pull through and tackle my to-do-list. Let’s take a look at one of my favorite trends this year, athleisure, and also talk about a few ways to treat-yo-self when morale is low!

1. Buy an unpractical piece of clothing. This is arguably my favorite way to reward myself for working hard. I tend to be sensible with clothes- the dress code at my day job is really limiting. When I find something that I love and know it won’t cut it at work, I dwell over how much use I’ll get out of it. In my opinion, buying a pair of basic black boots that you’ll wear with everything isn’t necessarily treating yourself, it’s like a necessity, right? 😜 However, buying a pair fur mules that aren’t work appropriate and are totally unreasonable to wear outside during a Wisconsin winter does fall into that category. Because I totally didn’t just do that or anything… (say hello to my new friends). You don’t have to go crazy and spend a ton of money, just buy yourself a little something that will make you smile when you put it on! You’ve earned it 👏🏻

2. Get your nails done! 💅 My favorite time to treat myself to a mani/pedi is on Friday nights. Once every few weeks, I’ll pack some yoga pants in my bag and head to the salon after work to wind down from my week. I know not everyone feels this way- but I LOVE to go alone. Occasionally I’ll make an appointment with a girlfriend to catch up, but more often than not I go by myself and just totally zone out. No one to talk to, no free hands, it’s the perfect excuse to take an hour for yourself and recuperate.

3. Splurge on lunch during the week. Once again, small, but a mood-booster. I’m a total budgeter, so I typically have an idea of what I think is “normal” to spend on lunch, especially if I’m alone. I have no problem going for a nice meal with friends, but if I’m by myself I rarely spend more than five or six bucks. When I’m stressed and just really need a pick-me-up to keep myself sane throughout my work day, sometimes I’ll leave the building and pick up sushi or something else that’s a little pricier, but sounds appealing at the time. I don’t know about you, but the way to my heart is food and booze. My job wouldn’t like me very much if I indulged on wine at noon, so sushi it is!

Dress: Similar. Vest: Similar. Hat: Here. Tights: Here. Shoes: Here. Sunnies: Similar.

And now on to one of the best trends that’s ever happened… athleisure. This fits right in with treating yourself because what could be better than doing adult stuff in sweats with no judgement?! Athleisure can mean a ton of different things, but the general idea is combining everyday clothing with athletic apparel to create a comfy-chic look. Here, I’m wearing tights, a sweatshirt dress (from JCPenney’s “Project Runway” collection which I love), leather vest, running hat, and black high top converse. Pair it with minimal jewelry and some lipstick to make yourself feel a little more put together. This look is perfect for grabbing brunch and getting some holiday shopping done over the weekend! It’s SO comfortable, and super cozy for how cold these Midwest winters get. Outfit details are tagged above ⬆️

Are you ready to give yourself a reward yet?! You deserve it! 🏆 At the very least because you made it to the end of this ramble 😅 The holidays are the most wonderful (and stressful) time of the year. Give a few gifts to yourself, even more gifts to your loved ones, and make it all happen while looking good and feeling COMFY. Braving the cold is hard, but it’s even harder when you have to wear real pants. No one needs that type of negativity in their lives.

Thanks so much for following along! Tag #347Style with your atheisure photos so I can see how you style it! Also, leave me a note in the comments on what your favorite way to treat yo self is 💖

Xo Amanda