22 degrees requires more layers…

I have been aching to wear my new Kuhl hiking pants since unwrapping them Christmas morning!  I paired them with my new CuddleDuds and headed out.  It was cold; 22 degrees to be exact.  I had plenty of layers on the upper body: tank top, Columbia base layer, polarfleece 1/4 zip, Columbia jacket.  I had gloves, a hat and a cowl.  But the thin hiking pants, as comfortable as they are, need a lot more beneath them.  I didn’t really notice until I jumped into a hot shower.  Um, ouch.

It’s my own fault.  I didn’t want the winter pants, feeling it would limit their use.  Why do I so quickly forget how freakin’ cold it gets in New Hampshire?  I’ll have to team them up with my Zoot runner tights with the insulation and they’ll make a perfect combination.

Despite my miscalculations on the weather, I DO love these new hiking pants.  They are the most comfortable pair of pants I think I’ve ever worn!  They are Kuhl Softshell Cargo pants in Charcoal and if they had more colors I’d buy them all!  There are plenty of zippered pockets and have plenty of stretch. While the fit is a bit snug right now (curse those 7 pounds!), they never bind or pinch.  I can see that they will be my favorite pants for the coming hiking season–and for work too!

Now that Mother Nature has reminded me that you can freeze your A*^ off here in NH, I’ll be adding another layer but I won’t give up these pants!

Title Nine

Let me say upfront, I love Title Nine.  Well, I’ve always loved the magazine anyway.  It makes me want to be stronger, healthier and more active.  After all, the models aren’t standing around with perfect bodies modeling clothes you KNOW they’d never wear.  The models DO have perfect bodies, but they have athletic bodies.  Yes.  There is a difference.  There are no skinny-minnies here.  They are actually moving too and not just in some seductive, cleavage-showing volleyball move.  They are surfing, rock-climbing, running, or hiking. In the one volleyball picture you see the model’s BACK.  I think (for me anyway) the biggest draw to this magazine and its clothes is the illusion of a strong, healthy body.  And that appeals to me.  It’s who I am striving to be.

Perhaps that’s what finally got me to purchase a dress for $75.00, something I’ve NEVER done before.  Even the thought leaves me feeling guilty!  But I’m on a mission to reduce my wardrobe and fill it with long-lasting, multi-tasking clothes that I’ll actually wear.  It’s all about quality over quantity and while it might hurt (a lot) to dish out the cash at first, as I think about how much I’ve spent over the years on cheap stuff I never wear, it eases the pain.  After a week of deliberating, I bit the bullet and spent my (upcoming) birthday money on a dress from Title Nine called the “More Dress”.  It’s reversible too, which helped me fork over the cash.  After all, as my best friend pointed out, that’s only $37.50 per side 🙂

It finally arrived in the mail yesterday and when I took it out of the bag my heart sunk.  It’s a thin material (Poly/Spandex) and I just KNEW every lump and bump in my body would show.  I didn’t even have the heart to try it on.  But, this morning I gave it a shot and BOY was I surprised!  It looks great!  The material flows perfectly without being big and baggy.  I love, LOVE the empire waist! It gives a snug fit to the top then the perfect fall for the rest of the body.  I don’t even mind that it doesn’t have a shelf bra.  Hell, it’s not like that’s an issue for me anyway!

The More Dress from Title Nine

I can see wearing this with a cute brown, green, blue or white sweater all spring!  What I can really see is me sitting on the deck, sipping a cold beer after puttering in the garden and feeling absolutely comfortable!  It’s a dress you can actually MOVE in, sweat in, and still look great in.  It will certainly be my companion for our girls weekend climbing Mount Washington in June!  It will feel great to take a shower and pull this baby on after a full day of climbing!  I can’t wait!!

Thank you Title Nine for not only being an inspiration, but for selling great, quality stuff!  www.titlenine.com