Quick Swap

I have made a quick swap in my fall capsule wardrobe.  I have decided that the black "romperall" is best worn at home as lounge wear.  I don't think that it is flattering, although it is extremely comfortable.

I have switched out my romperall for these leopard overalls.  I am enamored with these!  I love all things leopard and I can't wait to wear them.

I will back next week with an outfit post.  Happy Wednesday, friends!

2019 Fall Capsule Wardrobe

Fall is my favourite season.  It is warm, but not hot.  The leaves turn beautiful colours.  Pumpkin spice lattes are available.  What's not to like?  I especially love dressing in the fall.  I love the colours and the sweaters.  It doesn't really surprise me that my fall capsule wardrobe is quite a bit bigger than my last few capsule wardrobes.  

Before spring, I had created a core capsule wardrobe.  The idea is that I would simply change out seasonal pieces and always work from the same core wardrobe.  I still like this idea in theory, but some of the clothes don't fit well anymore.  I chose to do away with this core capsule idea until I am out of this stage of my life.

My 2019 Fall Capsule Wardrobe consists of 35 pieces.  I will bump that number to 36 if I can get the stain out of one of my sweatshirts.  In my wardrobe I have: 22 tops, 2 dresses, 4 pants, 2 rompers, 2 vests, 1 shawl, and 2 jackets.  I plan to use this wardrobe until the end of December.

I have linked my previous fall capsule wardrobes if you want to check them out:

• 2018
• 2016
• 2015

Happy Wednesday, friends!

Updating Routines

If there is one constant in life, it is change.  Life is always evolving and we need to adapt as change happens.  When changes in our lives happen, I find that my old routines often don't work anymore.  We have experienced some changes in the past month so I thought I would talk about how I have updated our routines.

The biggest change that has happened is that my oldest daughter has started kindergarten.  She goes to school for full days.  Kindergarten school days start an hour earlier than her playschool days.  Another change that is that I have started taking online courses, as I am working towards a different career path.  I have to be intentional about designating time to work on my schooling.

With these changes our morning routine and my evening routine has changed.  We have also developed an after school routine.  When working on new routines it is important to establish what you need to accomplish and the time that you need to do that.  I try to always allow for extra time.  With kids, I find that I need it!

For example, I need to have my daughter at school for 8:30.  I know that before school I need to do my morning routine, both kids need to get ready, we need to eat breakfast and walk to school.  It takes me about an hour to get my routine done and hour to get my kids out of the door.  I add a 15 minute buffer to my kids' morning.  It can take up to 15 minutes to walk to school.  With all this in mind, I start my mornings at 6:00 a.m.  My kids get up at 7:00.  I get my daughters ready and then we head to the breakfast table.  I make my oldest daughter's lunch while the kids eat.  Depending on how much time this all has taken, we either get our shoes on and head out the door or my kids can play for a few minutes.

Routines can't be rigid as life changes constantly.  With little tweaks and adjustments, everyone can feel comfortable and know what they are expected to do.  I will continue adjusting our routines this week as we get used to the changes in our schedule.

Wardrobe Wednesday- Summer 2019 Capsule Wardrobe

I have to be honest with you.  It really feels like summer is long gone.  Our August has been cool with chilly winds.  My wardrobe hasn't been completely appropriate for the weather, as I had been banking on summer sticking around a little longer.  I have been enjoying this capsule wardrobe and the outfits I have been wearing, even if I have been a tiny bit chilly!

Happy Wednesday, friends!

Transitioning Back to School

It's that time of year again.  Summer is over and kids are heading back to school.  Although I love the freedom of summer, I am ready to settle into a routine again.  The transition back to school is made easier if you ease your family back into the routine before you actually head back. 

1.)  Get back to bedtimes.  I honestly stay consistent with bedtimes with my kids all summer long.  We let them stay up late for the odd special event, but everyone in our house is happier when we stick to bedtimes.  If your kids have been staying up later start rolling back their bedtime 15-20 minutes a night until you arrive at their ideal bedtime.

2.)  Wake up on time.  This one will be starting in our house this week.  While we stick to bedtimes, I have been letting my kids get up at whatever time they want.  We will be back to our regular wake up time this week.  After waking up we will also get back to our morning routine so that we will be used to getting ready to leave the house on time.

3.)  Stick to mealtimes.  In our house meal times and snack times get blurry in the summer.  It feels like my kids eat all day long.  My child will not get to eat all day at school.  This week we will start eating at designated times.  I will have to keep my girls busy in between because both of my kids love to snack.

20 Minute Challenge- Update

I started my 20 minute challenge and I can not believe how much it helped.  20 minutes goes by quickly and I have gotten so much done!  I have almost completed the 3 major areas of my home that were needing the most work.  I like the short work time because it doesn't feel like a large commitment or overwhelming.  Even though the time is short, I have been able to be productive.  I have completed our bar area, our cold room and most of the laundry room.  

Laundry Room: 

Before:

In Progress:

Cold Room:

Before:

After:

I have been so happy with my progress.  If you have a problem area in your home that you have avoided tackling, I suggest you attempt this 20 minute challenge.  I think you will be surprised at how helpful it can be.

Goals Update

I usually review my goals monthly, but I really haven't done that this year.  Boy, does it show!  I had forgotten several of my goals (eep!) and even the ones I remember have fallen by the wayside.  I have recently gone over my goals and I know that I need to put some work in if I want to end the year successfully.

1.)  Establish a morning routine.  This one wasn't going too bad until summer hit.  I will get back at it with my routine, especially with school starting soon.

2.)  Treat the Earth better.  This is going fairly well.  I bath much less often (I do quick daily showers instead) and I have been aware of packaging when making purchases.  I need to work on walking or biking more, as my vehicle is still being driven regularly.  

3..)  Save.  This goal is going well.  It is probably because we review our finances quite often.  We are still plugging away, but our savings is definitely coming along.

4.)  Walk five or more times a week.  This goal has been neglected.  I definitely need to work on it!

My word of the year is embrace.  I feel like I am doing a good job embracing life and those around me.  It takes effort, especially on days when things are difficult.    I am happy that I looked over my year's goals.  I will be putting in more effort in the coming months.

Happy Friday, friends!