Need Help Getting Dressed

I'll be back this week with the rest of our house tour but I wanted to pop in quick and share my secret to dressing myself. (Don't worry, you'll soon see that I'm not turning this into a fashion blog.)

Before I had Clark I loved shopping for clothes. I had plenty of time to browse and try on clothes.  Shopping was fun. After having Clark, my free time was drastically reduced and dressing myself quickly fell to the bottom of the priority list.

I then discovered the Putting Me Together Clothing Challenges. I did the Fall challenge in October and it totally changed my perspective on buying clothing and putting together outfits.  The sign up for the Winter Challenge is today and if you're in a clothing rut, I encourage you to join in on the fun! 

Aubrey is the blogger behind Putting Me Together.  She puts together a capsule wardrobe (with a shopping list) and 40+ outfits from that wardrobe.  I have totally embraced the capsule wardrobe life.  I found with the Fall challenge that I didn't feel the need to continuously shop because I already had a ton of cute clothes. I think having the capsule and the outfit guide really showed me that I could do more with way less.  I also LOVED the daily outfit guide.  Decision fatigue is real and not having to think about what I need to wear is truly amazing.  Borderline life changing. (Not a dramatization.)

Here are a few of my outfits from the Fall challenge.

Here's a sample of some of the outfits are in the Winter Challenge. I got the full outfit guide this morning and I'm obsessed.

via Putting Me Together

Part of the Challenge includes access to a Facebook group that I love.  Everyone in the group is so kind. It's refreshing to be part of a positive online community!  You can get outfit feedback, find good deals, etc.  Super fun.

As a previous challenge member, we got early access to this challenge's shopping guide and I've already put some items to good use!

I just thought I'd share this little secret of mine!  You can join in on the fun here!  

*Totally not sponsored. Affiliate links for the program are included but only because I'm a big fan of the Putting Me Together Challenges!*

Holiday Home Tour 2017 (Living Room)

It's Christmas house tour time!

We've had our halls mostly decked since the weekend before Thanksgiving.  It's been our tradition for the past 5 years or so.  We travel for Thanksgiving so we decorate the Sunday before and just pretend it's not there until we leave mid-week (because who wants to overshadow Thanksgiving? Mmmm, pie.). And then we come home to a Winter wonderland!  

(Do you spy the dog looking for leftovers in Clark's booster seat?  Nothing but professional photos around these parts.)

Part of couch buying decision making process included making sure we had room our Christmas tree.  It works really well in this spot.  First holiday crisis avoided.

We've got the decorating of the 12' tree down to a science. We did have a fuse issue that left the top half of our tree dark for a few days but all is well again. Phew. Second holiday crisis avoided.

The ornaments are nothing fancy and there's a concentration of them unevenly spaced at the bottom. Everyone asks how we keep Clark out of the tree.  We have a few kid friendly ornaments picked out that Clark is allowed to move around. He's a rule follower like his parents so this is working to our advantage. He keeps repeating "Mine decorated that. Hang the ornaments."  It's pretty darling.  He is quite bossy though and demands the lights on during his awake hours.  No arguments here.

We splurge on fresh garland for the mantel.  The smell is worth every single penny. Nate and I both agree it's not Christmas until there is pine smelling garland in the house!  And a mess of pine needles on the floor.

I really hate clutter so I replace a few items that normally live on our bookshelves with some vintage finds. Like that elf.  He's not one of those hipster trouble making elves. He's old. And doesn't move and has zero magical powers. I will not succumb to elf peer pressure.  (This is more of a pep talk for my future self.)

Ike is dreaming of dog bones and day where he isn't bossed around by a toddler. 

I'll share some other spots around the house later this week or next. Until then here's a peek into our kitchen. 

SHOP THIS POST/RELATED POSTS

I hope you enjoyed the tour! I'll be back with more once I'm done watching like ten terrible Christmas romance movies on Netflix (Hit me up with your recommendations)!  I'm clearly terribly busy so this post may need to wait until next week.

Gift Ideas for Women

Today I'm sharing some items on my Christmas wish list.  Just like my toddler, I need none of the following items but it's fun to dream!

First up, a couple items from the Hearth and Hand line at Target. Like every other 30-something in America, I will take one of everything from Joanna's line. These towels and blanket are at the top of my list. Oh, and all of the candles. Then there is the cross pillow. I actually just purchased a few of these for our basement and I'm obsessed. I thought you might be too!  Speaking of our basement (which I can't wait to share!), I'm looking for some unique prints and this Stranger Things poster fits the bill!

Hand Towels, Blanket, Pillow, Stranger Things Print

I'm madly in love with both of these dresses from Amazon. I already own one of each but I want them in all of the colors. They are super comfy and they have pockets. Need I say more. They are easy to dress up and down.  I also really want a clothes steamer which seems like the nerdiest gift. But ironing is terrible. 

Short sleeve dress, Long sleeve dress, Clothes Steamer

I've taken an interest in Hand Lettering and watercolors.  I own the Hand Lettering book and it's so good!  The brush pens and watercolor book are on my list!  I'm really into learning new skills lately and a 30 day challenge sounds like fun!

Hand Lettering 101, Tombow Brush Pens, Everyday Watercolor

I also enjoy shopping small for gifts.  This wallet from my friend Jen's shop (Paisley + Sparrow) is just the right size.  Everything in Jen's shop has a PURPOSE. This item's purpose creates sustainable business opportunities for women locally and globally.  I think these family portraits are perfection. Simple yet charming.  I'm really into big earrings lately and this shop has so many cute colors/patterns to choose from!

Wallet, Family Portrait, Earrings

What's topping your holiday wish list/giving list?