Loving life with Lymphedema

This is my very last minute Cyber Monday post.  It's been kind of a crazy week, but I wanted to share my best finds, because they are 30% off today only!  Target is having 30% off clothing and shoes for the family!  Here are my top wide width shoes.  I've also included my favorite pants that fit Bertha.  Happy Shopping!! xo-Allie Wide Width Shoes Universal Threads Wenda Wide Width Cut Out Bootie A New Day Wide Width Reese Quilted Sneaker A New Day Micah Wide Width Pointed Toe Loafer All In Motion Cathleen Wide Width Winter Boots Pants All In Motion Stretch Cargo Pants A New Day High Waist Leggings Wild Fable High Waist Leggings Wild Fable Liquid Leggings Wild Fable Faux Leather Leggings

After being a Mom to little's there are few things that gross me out, besides my kid's loose teeth (cringe) and snakes!  However I do love a good snake skin print, which is why I was so excited to receive Pandere's new Dolphin Rambler Shoe which has a beautiful detail of snake skin without screaming it. I have tried two other styles of Pandere Shoes, The Barista and The Rodeo.  Both have been an amazing fit for Bertha, but the Dolphin Rambler was next level.  The first day I wore them was a busy day running around doing errands and cleaning my house.  I was so pleased with the fit and how comfortable they were.  I also love that I can adjust the fit, for two main reasons. 1. When I wear my wraps I frequently adjust them during my day. When I adjust and tighten my wraps I have the ability to adjust the shoe as well. 2. I only have Lymphedema in my right leg and foot.  If you have Lymphedema or another condition with swelling in one of your feet you know how ...

 I'm at SAHM (stay at home Mama.)  About a year ago I started working again, but due to recent health issues I decided to step down from my position.  Although it was a difficult decision to stop working and be home full time. I know it was the right choice for my health and my family.  Especially since COVID started my days have been pretty low key.  My kids are bigger now and gone are the days where I would have to guess if it was poop of chocolate on my shirt.  And I thankfully I no longer need to pack a change of clothes for everyone in our family (including myself) for a simple day out.  I can actually wear a white shirt and it is still stain free by the end of the day . . . unless I myself have spilled . . . which happens more than I would like to admit.  I've graduated to being able to wear dangle earrings without fear of them being ripped out!  If you have kids you know what a big deal these things are. Even with all of these exciting...

I felt like this last summer was from the movie Inside Out.  It's a Disney Pixar movie talking about emotions and how they all have a place and are important, I highly recommend you watch it with kids or just yourself.  Also this next part will make way more sense.  Spoiler alert!   This summer we made so many beautiful and fun memories with family and close friends, they all were "Joy memories" shinning brightly gold, but like Inside Out "Blue Sadness" kept creeping in tainting those memories-Erysipelas.  It had been so long since I had an infection and even longer that I had a recurring infection, but here it was, one infection after the other.  I was on antibiotics and like clockwork once I ended one antibiotic another infection would start.  I was trying to get in to see my Infectious Disease doctor, but with COVID everything was backed up. (I have a previous Blog about finding out my infections weren't Cellulitis, but Erysipelas, you can find...

Winter in the PNW means rain, rain, a randomlly sunny day that is like 70 degrees, followed by-you guessed it rain.  Where I live in Oregon we do have some light dustings of snow and every 2-3 years it "dumps snow" which means a couple of inches.  Basically the whole city shuts down when this happens and we all hunker in for the 1-2 days it last.  It's the one time a year I love our steep driveway, it's the best sledding hill!  Winter and rain boots has been one of the most difficult items to find that fit Bertha .  Here are a few style I found that should work for us Lymphies and Lippys. xo-Allie Sorel Out and About Waterproof Bootie Living in Oregon and as a soccer Mom I need a good basic boot to keep Bertha dry.  I especially like these boots, because they are lace up, so you can adjust them if you only have one "Lymphie foot."  This is the boot I've had for the past few years.  I read reviews and decided to size up 2 sizes to a 12 and I'm glad...

 Hello Autumn my old friend, I've come bootless once again.  Every year when Fall arrives my social media is flooded with girls sporting wide brim felt hats, sweaters, t-shits stating "it's fall y'all!" and of course fall boots.  Two years ago I did find a bootie that fit Bertha . . . and I bought it in 3 colors. But I have had a lot of messages from women looking for Fall Boots that will fit their Lymphedema legs, so I went on the hunt.  As I was searching I discovered to my surprise there are a lot more options out there.  So many that I've decided to split my Blog Posts into three parts: Ankle Booties, Tall Boots and Outdoor Boots & Slippers. I'm always wary of boots with zippers.  Even if they have stretch, if they have a zipper pretty much every boot I've tried on hasn't worked.  Think about that pair of jeans you try to get on, the grunting, sweating and pulling-boots with zippers are those jeans' counterpart to me. So heads up there...

I guess my first question is . . . when was the last time you wore shoes?  Since the COVID pandemic I can count one time I wore a "fancy shoe" it's been all sandals and sneakers for me.  I have been looking for some cute white sneakers, ones I can wear with jeans, stretch pants and even with a skirt or dress.  I usually shy away from colorful or white shoes to try and not draw attention to Bertha.  But I've found a new confidence this year, so with swimsuits and shorts I'm adding any type color of shoe to the list of items I'm going to wear with pride!   I always forget Lane Bryant's shoes come in wide sizes, I checked and found their Lace Up Sneaker .  I ordered the 11 wide, they are so comfortable and I'm able to wear my Sigvaris wraps with them.  I would say they are true to size to running a bit big.  Before Lymphedema I was a size 10, now I size up to 11's, but with these I think I would stick with a 10 wide.  I purchased them duri...

Shop My Look Here! I had to add the question mark, because even before lymphedema at my thinnest I’m sad to say I never felt comfortable in shorts as a young adult. What that translated into is, “I didn’t feel comfortable in my skin” therefore I didn’t wear shorts.  I love flowy maxi dresses for summer, but now that we’ve become campers, the dress thing isn’t very practical. Even at home I find myself sweating up a storm, but a lot of times it's because of hot flashes. Picture you’re walking in a sweat suit in like 100° weather . . . and then walk into a sauna while Satan is breathing his hot breath on you-that’s a hot flash.  Sooo back to shorts.  Jean shorts are so cute, but if I’m going to wear shorts I need them to be lightweight, comfortable and flattering. Those words all describe the new short I found. Wild Fable’s High Rise Ruffle Shorts. They come in 3 colors and are $17!! I’ve learned at Target if you see something you could see yourself loving-grab 1 if not 2 ...

Birkenstocks are probably my favorite shoe brand right now. From their Gizeh:  https://shopstyle.it/l/blpM8   to their Essentials Gizeh:  https://shopstyle.it/l/blpM3  and for Mothers Day my kids bought me the Boston Slip On Clog:  https://shopstyle.it/l/blpMN  which I love-and already have my eyes on another color. So to stray away from Birkenstock is a stretch for me, but I needed some water shoes ASAP to fit Bertha. Thats when I found Target’s Shade and Store Sandal:  https://shopstyle.it/l/blpMT  They come in Regular and Wide sizes 🙌🏻 I ordered my size in wide width and crossed my fingers they would fit. They fit and since they are foam I don’t need to break them in. They have been amazing on my family vacation. The sandals are light weight, fit Bertha and are a great deal to boot! My bro-in-law has the real Birkenstocks and honestly I can’t tell a difference from sight. So if you’re looking for a great pair of summer/water shoes you ca...

I don't mean this to be one of those food blog post where it starts out "...it was an usually warm fall day when I was born . . . "  Most of the time I'll scroll until I get to the recipe.  So here is your permission to scroll if you don't want the background story of my current health issues. Recently my body has been what I call rejecting itself.  It feels like I'll have a season, when the saying "when it rains, it pours" describes my life and how my body functions.  It is difficult for me to slow down and listen to my body sometimes, but I feel like I've gotten better at listening to it's cues of when I need to stop and rest.  Well lately my body is screaming at me and my stubborn, strong willed self has had a tough time listening.  I told my husband my spirit character is John Lock from LOST (see below meme.) I started to have back issues after my daughter was born about 7 years ago.  It would spasm so much if I moved an inch the pain wou...

So I'm kind of a hippy at heart.  My Mom bought Organic, recycled and put Carob in our stockings before it was cool.  I will always love my black, white and grey wardrobe, but also show me a Free People flowy top I haven't loved.  These leggings are the best of both worlds!  Black and white tie dye!  There are from Target's brand Wild Fable and the same fit as the camo leggings I posted about ( Loving Life Saving and Splurging on Camo Leggings .)  Spoiler alert they are the Save option. What I love about Wild Fable is they have most items in Regular and Plus sizes!  I love my athletic leggings, however these are more cotton than spandex (95% cotton 5% spandex.)  On a recent vacation I pretty much lived in these leggings.  I've paired them with athletic wear, but also with a jean jacket and tunic top to work. Tie Dye Leggings:  https://shopstyle.it/l/bdo0M Plus Size Leggings:  https://shopstyle.it/l/bdo0N Leggings . Plus Le...

It feels good to be back and posting.  My hope is that my finds help other Lymphie Ladies out there find shoes and clothes that fit them and make them feel great!  I'm finally finding my working Mom life groove and finding a new flow of life.  That being said here are my past week's looks with links to all clothing (or similar items) linked for your convince. Boots  .  Boots 2 .   Boots 3  . Boots 4 Snow Pants . Coat . Similar Beanie .  Sunglasses Leggings . Leggings 2 . Black Leggings . Black Leggings 2 Shoes . Shoes 2 .  Tunic . Jean Jacket . Backpack Jeans . Boots . Shirt . Hat Jeans . Jeans 2 . Jeans 3 Shoes . Similar Top . Plus Similar Top .  Jean Jacket Jeans . Jeans 2 . Jeans 3 Shoes . Jean Jacket . Similar Top .  Sunglasses

A last minute invite to play in the snow with our friends would usually put me in a panic, but since I found winter boots that fit Bertha , an invite like that was music to my ears.  Growing up before I developed lymphedema I lived at the mountains.  My grandparents build a cabin up there before I was born and almost every free weekend my family packed up for the short drive up the mountain.  In the summer we would camp, hike and go huckleberry picking.  While our winters were filled with sledding and skiing.  We found other adventures all of the months in between.  Growing up it was a second home.  Although the town has changed and it's always booming with people from everywhere,  I can still remember the simple days of walking to the town store to pick out a treat, hide and go seek where my brother would never seek me in the deep dark forest and hearing the babbling brook that ran through the property while laying in a hammock looking up at the ...

So now that I'm working I especially love coming home and shedding my work clothes and crawling into my cozies.  Ok lets be real, my "work clothes" are jeans and sneakers most of the time, but still work clothes none the less.  While shopping for my new favorite jeans (See previous post: Loving Life In New Jeans) I also found new cozy joggers.  It literally feels like I'm wearing nothing they are so soft.  And hell-o stretch!  They are not tight or restraining on Bertha . Who else has been that Mom who has done school drop off in less then appropriate clothing?  Praying the whole time there won't be a reason you need to get out of the car . . just my hand is raised?  Well if you're looking for a pair of home pants that you could still possibly pull off wearing to drop the kids at school or a quick trip to the store, look no further than these beauties. Until next time! xo-Allie Joggers . Sweater . Slippers

I think Marilyn Monroe got it wrong "jeggings are a girls best friend."  It seems like all of my jeans decided to give up on me at the same time.  For a while I was stuck with trying to figure out how to dress with only leggings as an option.  Thankfully those days are over! I finally decided to power through discouragement, disappointment and sweating of jeans shopping.  For some suggestions I found the perfect pair for Bertha at American Eagle .  After I got over the fact that it looked more like I was shopping for my daughter than myself, I grabbed a stack of jeans in various sizes and headed towards the fitting room.  The winner is . . . drum roll . . . the AE Ne(X)t Level Curvy Super High-Waisted Jegging.   It comes in so many different colors, sizes 00-24 and short, regular and long lengths.  I also love that they show how the jean fits on real women on their website.  I always hear AE and Aerie showed normal real bodies, but it wa...