Minimalism Project #26- Miss. E's Clothes

When my daughter was born, our friends and family were more than generous.  We were gifted many adorable outfits for Miss. E.  Combine that with enthusiastic grandparents and we have a lot of clothes that our daughter has now outgrown.  I went through these clothes.  I threw away clothes that were stained.  I donated outfits that we didn't really use much (largely because of the fit).  I organized her dresser drawers, took out the summer outfits and I stored away the clothes that we want to keep for any future children

Here are the before pictures:

Here are the after photos:

All of the "stored" clothing was put into Ziploc Vacuum Bags.  I was given this tip by a friend and these bags are fantastic!  I can now store a year's worth of clothes on one shelf in the basement, where I used to only be able to fit 6 months of clothes.  The bags were awesome and super easy to use.  (I am not being compensated for this opinion.  I just want to share a great product with you.)  I have all of my daughter's clothing in 3 of these Ziploc bags.

Here is the loaded bag before vacuuming:

The bag after vacuuming:

They worked great!  I highly recommend them. 

High Five For Friday! - 16.10.15

Happy Friday everyone!  We had a good and busy week!  Here are my five highlights:

1.)  My brother-in-law, mother-in-law, and father-in-law came to visit.  We had a lovely visit and Miss. E enjoyed seeing her Grandparents and Godfather.

2.)  I got to see my brother and parents for Thanksgiving.  We had so much fun and the food was delicious.

3.)  We took some Fall leaf pictures.  They turned out okay.  Here are two photos that we took of Miss. E:

4.)  I got to see a friend who lives all around the world.  She and her family move from country to country with her husband's company.  It was so good to see her!  We have the type of friendship where we just pick up where we left off.  It was such an uplifting visit.

5.)  Hubby didn't have any work on Thursday, so he did all of the laundry.  It was such a relief to have it all done when I got home from work.  It was a wonderful surprise!

How was your week?  Link up with the lovely ladies below and tell us all about it!  Have a great weekend!

Wardrobe Wednesday- 14.10.15

 We are well into Fall here and so far, I am loving my Capsule Wardrobe.  Here are 4 of my outfits:

#1)  Light Chambray + Black Dress Pants + Plaid Blanket Scarf

I am in love with this (thrifted!) chambray shirt.  It is a great fit, comfortable and I like the look.  I also love this blanket scarf which is warm, but not itchy.  Sometimes that kind of scarf is hard to find!

#2)  Leopard Top + Black Pencil Skirt + Black Shooties

I wore this outfit for my anniversary date.  It feels sexy without being trashy.  The skirt is fitted and the top is fun, but there isn't too much skin showing.  I would probably pair this with black patterned tights when the weather gets a little colder.

#3)  Boot Cut Jeans + Black Long Sleeve Top + Military Style Vest + Lululemon Vinyasa Scarf 

This is a comfortable, everyday outfit.  It looks good and is perfect for chasing my daughter around.  The scarf was a birthday gift and I really like it.  It can be worn, like, 10 different ways, but so far I have just worn it as an infinity scarf.

#4.)  Plaid Infinity Scarf + Green Sweater + Black Leggings + Light Brown Booties

This outfit is sooooo comfortable (hello, leggings!), but still manages to look put together.  I love this sweater.  It is slim fitting with a swingy bottom.  It is perfect with skinny jeans and leggings.  My leggings, by the way, are super thick and not see through in any way.  I like how the boots almost elevate the leggings to look like "real" pants.  

If you want to connect with me you can find me on Twitter.  Tweet your Fall outfits with the hashtag #wardrobewednesday.  I would love to see what you are styling for Fall!  You can find me on Instagram with the username @PeacefulSimpleLifeBlog .  (I can't figure out how to link to my Instagram.  Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated!)  Happy Wednesday!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hi Everyone!

Today is Thanksgiving, so I don't have a minimalism post for you this week.  We had a fun weekend with my husband's family and my family.  We have so much to be thankful for.  I am thankful for a God who loves me unconditionally.  I rest all of my hope in Him.  I am thankful for my amazing family.  My husband and my daughter are my world.  I have supportive and loving parents and in-laws.  My brother and brother-in laws are so important to us and are wonderful people.  I am thankful for my friends, both the ones that I connect with in real life and you that I connect with through blogging.  I never imagined that the blogging community would be so supportive, fun and encouraging!  Thank you for reading and connecting with me!

I am thankful to live in a country where we are free to express our religious views without persecution, where we have access to education and health care that so much of the developing world lacks and where we can have our say in the government that runs our country.  I am counting my blessings today.

Here are my latest Vlogtober videos.  I hope that you will check out the other ladies' videos as well.  The links to the channels are in the information under my videos on Youtube.  Enjoy!

High Five For Friday- 9.10.15

Hello Friday!  This is going to be a busy weekend.  It is Thanksgiving in Canada this weekend and we will be celebrating with family.  Here are the five highlights from last week:

1.)  Anniversary Date Night.  Last Friday, Hubby and I celebrated our 5th anniversary. We went to the city for supper and then saw a movie.  We saw The Intern, which was pretty good.  Except for one part.  I can't tell you because that would be a spoiler.  Ha ha.  We enjoyed our date and had a great time.

2.)  Yard Cleanup Complete.  We had been hit with a hard frost the week prior, so my flowers were all wilted and some were dead.  I pulled everything out of the garden and flower beds and we took it to the compost at the dump.  It was a cold day and I swear I had a few snowflakes hit me.  They were melting immediately, but still!  Brrr!  I was all decked out in my toque and winter coat.

3.)  Vlogtober!  I have been participating in Vlogtober, as hosted by Whitney at Come Home For Comfort.  Here is my latest vlog.  Check out the other ladies vlogging this month, as well!  You can find the links to the other ladies' channels on my latest Youtube video's "info" section.

4.)  Date Night #2.  My husband and I attended a supper and comedy night in support of Wounded Warriors.  They are a group who provide support to veterans after they return home from active duty.  The food was delicious, the comedian was funny, and it was all for a great cause.  We had a fun night!

5.)  The Northern Lights  On our way home from date night, the northern lights were amazing!  The sky was lit up with green and pink northern lights dancing around in the sky.  Hubby and I pulled over to watch them.  I don't think I have ever seen northern lights so beautiful.  It was breathtaking.

How was your week?  If you want to join in H54F, link up with the lovely ladies below!  Have a great weekend!  Happy Thanksgiving to my Canadian readers!

Wardrobe Wednesday- Fall Capsule Wardrobe Reveal!

Fall is here.  Definitely here.  The leaves are gorgeous in all the yellows and reds of the season.  The air is downright chilly (3 degrees Celsius or 34 degrees Fahrenheit).  Fall is my favourite season and I was so excited to plan this Capsule.  I really love all of the pieces and I look forward to wearing them in the coming season!  I have a total of 39 items.  I am still looking for a plaid shirt.  If I find one, then I will be at 40, which is sort of my magic number for wardrobe pieces.  I am also looking to replace my jeans over the next few months, so if I find new ones I will just swap them out for the jeans currently in my Capsule Wardrobe.  Here is my Fall Capsule Wardrobe:

Pants:  I have four pairs of pants in my wardrobe this season.  All of my pants are pieces I have used previously in other Capsule Wardrobes.

From Left to Right:  Black leggings (Reitman's), Skinny jeans (Old Navy), Black dress pants (Reitman's), Silver Jeans (Ricki's)

Tops:  I have 24 tops in my wardrobe.  I have room for one more, should I find the plaid top that I am looking for.  My tops are a mix of old pieces and new pieces.

L to R:  Green sweater (Winner's), Plum sweater (Reitman's), Red sweater (Winner's)

L to R:  Grey and black striped top (Reitman's), Leopard top (Suzy Shier), Black and white striped top (Suzy Shier), Grey Gryffindor top (www.lookhuman.com), Black long sleeve shirt (Winner's)

Oatmeal cape (Moose Creek Hat Co.), Cream cardigan (Winner's), Navy and grey cardigan (Winner's)

From L to R: Black sweater poncho (bought from a friend),  Blue boyfriend cardigan (Forever 21), Black cardigan (Me to We Style)

From L to R:  Black tank (Me to We Style), Black Sheer Tank (Joe Fresh), Buffalo check button-up (Joe Fresh), Military style vest (Ricki's), Navy Blazer (Walmart)

Clockwise from top Left:  All You Need Is Less sweatshirt (Joe Fresh),  Dark chambray top (Winner's), Light Chambray (Thrift store find!), and Navy button up top (Winner's)

Dresses and skirts:  I have two dresses and one skirt in my Fall Wardrobe.  Only the striped dress is new.  (Sorry about the camera strap photobomb!)

Striped dress (Joe Fresh),  Black pencil skirt (Ricki's), Black fit and flare dress (Le Chateau-Made In Canada)

Jackets and Coats:  A must have in Canada.  I have one really warm coat and 3 lighter jackets.

Orange toggle coat (Sears), Military style jacket (Aritzia), Black faux leather (Ricki's), Denim jacket (The Bay)

Footwear:  My footwear is all closed-toe and many are boots.  They will get me through the season.  Unless, of course, it snows.  I will then swap out shoes for winter boots.

Light brown boots (Sears),  Leopard flats (Payless), Black flats (Toms),  Tall brown boots (I honestly don't remember where I got these!)  Black shooties (Reitman's)

There you have it!  My Fall Wardrobe!  I am excited to start showing you outfits next week.  Happy Wednesday!

Minimalism/Organization Project #25

This past weekend, I went through one of my 16 month old's closets (she has two in her room).  This closet has been begging for attention for months, but I simply haven't had time.  I tackled it this weekend and it looks so much better.

This is the before photo:

This closet had become a closet where you open the door, toss the item in and then run away.  It was full of clothes that she had outgrown, gifts from her birthday that I hadn't found a home for and other miscellaneous items.

I pulled out all the clothes that she had outgrown and set them aside.  I will do a future blog post on her clothes.  Oh my goodness.  If anything needs paring down, it is the clothes that I have decided to keep for any future children.

I got rid of fifty hangers, which were not needed.  I designated a spot for play clothes and other items that she is still to young to play with.  I donated several items that are no longer in use and that I don't want to hang on to.

I moved a four cube organizer into the closet.  It had originally been sitting out in the room, but I felt like it would be far more useful in the closet.  I was right.  

Here are the after photos:

The closet looks so much better, now!  It is functional and also kind of pretty.  I love not feeling shame when I open the door to it!  Ha ha!  Have a great week!