Swapping out Your Seasonal Favorites for Fall
Football season is a time where we Southern gals reevaluate our closets. For some, that means switching out Spring and Summer clothes for Fall and Winter clothes. Here are 5 tips to help get your closet ready!
I’m on a plane heading to Montana in a flannel shirt and puffy vest and all I keep thinking is...Fall is here! For us in South Louisiana, that means football season, hunting season and cooler temps (Well, hopefully by Christmas). Football season, like everything else this year, will be a little different. There will be more at home gatherings and a little less tailgating at the stadium. Football season is also a time where we Southern gals reevaluate our closets. For some, that means switching out Spring and Summer clothes for Fall and Winter clothes. Here are 5 tips to help get your closet ready!
1. Clean your summer items before retiring them for the winter to help them last a few more years. Nothing is worse than pulling out your favorite linen shirt only to find it has a stain.
2. Move warm weather items towards the back of the closet or higher in the closet, making space for the fall and winter items (In other words....swap your stuff!). For me, that means taking swimwear out of drawers and putting them in a bin at the top of my closet and bringing my bin of sweaters down to put in the drawer. Garment bags are a great idea for special summer items to keep dust and moths away. Tip: Swimwear can be stored in an air tight space saver bag if necessary for space.
3. Evaluate your flip flops and sandals. I know we southern girls wear our flip flops and sandals pretty much year-round, but this is a good time to evaluate what you wore in spring and summer. You might find some that are uncomfortable, loved so much they are falling apart or even a pair or two that you bought on impulse, but you really just don’t like. Let them go. If they need replacing, this is also a great time because summer items are on sale.
4. Evaluate your winter boots and shoes. Do they need to go to the repair shop for new heels or soles? Do they need polishing and conditioning? You can add this to your errand day list if needed.
5. Are your winter clothes clean and stain free? Do any items need repair? Is there anything trendy that needs to be added so that you are your amazing, stylish self? Add this to your action list or errand list so they are ready to wear at the first cool snap.
That’s it. 5 simple things that will make the seasonal switch much easier! Now go out and cheer on your favorite team in style! (Don’t forget your mask in your favorite team’s colors!)
Want more Fall inspiration? Check out our blogs on tailgating and decorating for the Fall!
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Routine: The Key to Survival and Success
If I had to pick one thing I could share that would make the biggest difference in your life, it would be routines.
As a teacher, there were no excuses for being late. I had to be on time to receive the children or the parents would then be late themselves! Not only did I have to be on time, but also I really needed to be there early to attend to a few things before the students were walking through the door. Oh, and I had to get 2 small children dressed and ready for school as well. I conquered this challenge with this beautiful thing called a routine.
If I had to pick one thing I could share that would make the biggest difference in your life, it would be routines.
As a teacher, there were no excuses for being late. I had to be on time to receive the children or the parents would then be late themselves! Not only did I have to be on time, but also I really needed to be there early to attend to a few things before the students were walking through the door. Oh, and I had to get 2 small children dressed and ready for school as well. I conquered this challenge with this beautiful thing called a routine.
Routine = sequence of actions that you do repeatedly.
Simple. You repeat these few things every day. It takes discipline at first but you can do it!
There are 3 times that routines should be in place to make your life less chaotic.
Morning-as easy and as simple as you can make it.
Afterschool or work-do the things necessary to start tomorrow strong.
Evening-reset your home, check for last minute to-do’s and put things in place.
Here are some examples of daily routines for kids and adults:
Morning:
Get dressed
Brush teeth/hair
Eat breakfast
Get lunchbox, backpack, purse, wallet, etc. (items that have a “take with me” home) and walk out the door.
After-school (young kids):
Snack (in a designated spot so the children can grab without your assistance)
Homework
Repack backpacks
Make lunches(this can be part of the evening routine if needed.)
Play
After-work (Routines aren’t just for kids):
Hang up work clothes
Start laundry
Pay bills/answer emails/take care of “home business”
Start dinner (check weekly meal plan)
Pack lunch (unless it’s dinner leftovers)
Homework help/sign any paperwork that the kids have and have child put back in the appropriate space.
Re-boot laundry
Kids evening Routine:
Mary Poppins called it, “Tidy up the Nursery” time. Aka: Clean up your mess! Setting a timer (2-3 minutes per child’s age. A 5 year old should get 15 minutes of time. If it takes longer, you will need to reassess the amount of toys they are allowed to pull out) and turning on music makes this task more fun with smaller children. Supervision is best with this step because kids love to hide their messes in their closets, under beds, in hampers and anywhere they think they can get away with it. No, your kid’s not a jerk, this is normal.
Get out school clothes. If this is a nightly struggle, try getting out a weeks worth on Sundays. (I used a 5-tier hanging shelf that hooks to the closet rod.)
Baths
Books (quiet time)
Bed-as in lights out because Mom and Dad need some grown up time.
Evening routine:
Lay out your clothes for tomorrow. This step is huge because so much time is wasted in the AM on this one step!
Put your purse, keys, wallet, mail, backpacks and everything else that goes with you in the AM in one place. This place should be it’s designated home every single evening. (No more searching for things in the morning!) Having a phone charger in that place would be smart so it’s all there together.
Check the weather. Do you need to leave a little early due to fog, rain, snow? (Well, not so much snow in south Louisiana, just hurricanes.)
Check the calendar. Do you need anything besides the usual items? Valentines Card? Mardi Gras beads? LSU shirt?
Reset the house in 15-30 minutes. For me, this is making sure the dirty dishes are in the dishwasher, sofa cushions and sofa pillows are straight, extra blankets are folded and in the basket, toys (dog toys for me) are put in their home. I usually throw the dirty kitchen towels into the dirty clothes basket as well and wipe counters. This is also the time to put away all the items that are not in their home. Remember to be a good example and put away things when you use them so this is not a daunting task.
Make a list of your routines and post it until it’s memory. You can hang them in sheet protectors and have the kids check them off with dry erase markers as the job is done. You are there to supervise the children, not do the job for them.
Not sure where to start when making routines? Give us a call and let’s set up a consultation to get you on the right path. How much time will you gain by implementing these routines?
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How to Set Up Your Command Center
Why do we need a command center? Having a space that houses the “important” information/materials saves us TIME which means less stress! Here are some of the key elements to a functional command center.
What is a Command Center?
A Command Center is a space in your home that serves as a central space to keep schedules, keys, purses, backpacks, incoming papers, and/or important information.
Why do we need a command center?
Having a space that houses the “important” information/materials saves us TIME which means less stress!
What are the key elements to a functional command center?
Calendar-paper or white board (Cozi is a favorite family calendar App)
Place for incoming and outgoing papers, mail/shredder is great here too.
Designated space for personal paperwork. This might be a file, drawer, basket.
Place for notes/invitations-HINT-put invitation information into calendar app. Once the gift is bought, you can toss the invitation.
Magnet board/white board/bulletin board. We found this one that can be both!
Place for keys, sunglasses, purse, wallet and anything else needing to go out the door with you in the am.
Pens, pencil, stamps, calculator or any supplies needed to make this space function best.
Where should it be?
Hint: Notice where you set things down when you walk in the door. It should be located near that space (kitchen, laundry, inside a cabinet, entryway table).
Show us your Command Centers! We want to see!
We would love to see pictures of your command centers. Use the hashtag #chaosorganizing when you post the picture.
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Snack Solutions for Kids
I can see it like it was just yesterday, the backpacks being drug across the floor as my children walked into the kitchen looking like they were rolled in a dust pile from playing on the playground.
“MOOOM, I’M STARVING!”
Fortunately, I quickly learned that having healthy snacks on hand in the fridge or pantry made my life much more pleasant and it kept me from worrying about them eating so much junk food. (Small Mom win!)
Here are a few of our favorites.
I can see it like it was just yesterday, the backpacks being drug across the floor as my children walked into the kitchen looking like they were rolled in a dust pile from playing on the playground.
“MOOOM, I’M STARVING!”
Fortunately, I quickly learned that having healthy snacks on hand in the fridge or pantry made my life much more pleasant and it kept me from worrying about them eating so much junk food. (Small Mom win!)
Disclaimer: I’m not a nutritionist; just a mom and former kindergarten teacher that wanted to have some healthy choices for her kids to have on hand. My daughter, Riley, has learned even more smart tips now that she’s babysitting school aged children. These ideas are a conglomerate of things I did and things we’ve learned from other Mama’s through the years.
Here are a few of our favorites.
Sweet
There is nothing better than cold (or frozen) grapes after a long, hot day in a Louisiana classroom. Fruit is a big winner at our house. I also love dehydrated fruits.
As long as the apples were cut, my kids would devour them. If I left them whole, they would rot! Why is that???
To keep apples from turning brown, add a little lemon juice to the container. Using a peanut, sunflower or almond butter “dip” is a great way to add some protein too.
Also, if you are making a lunch with fruit as a side, mixed fruit is not too popular with kids for some reason. They much prefer tiny compartments with a variety of separated food.
And if your children have a sweet tooth, Trader Joes has chocolate covered bananas and strawberries that you can keep in the freezer. Let’s be honest, this Mama LOVES these too. It’s just enough to curb my sweet tooth.
Sour
Tart fruits such as grapefruits, oranges, green apples or tart cherries are a great alternative to sour patch kids!
***Cut grapes in ½. Sprinkle with some lime juice. I haven’t personally tried this but Riley says you will love it if you like sour candy!
Greek yogurt is delicious!
Lemon and Lime sparkling water is a refreshing treat too!
Salty
Baked carrot chips or kale chips are a great go to snack if your kiddos need a salty fix.
Here is a great recipe to try.
Trail mix and Veggie Straws are another great choice. You can always add dark chocolate chips to mix the sweet and salty flavors.
Hummus with cut up veggies such as carrots, celery, or bell peppers is also a healthy snack! You can put small baggies of different veggies in your fridge snack bin and the individual packs of hummus in your pantry snack bin! These are great for snacks or lunches!
Sweet Potato Fries have been a family favorite of ours.
Wash and dice your sweet potatoes. Put in a bowl; mix with olive oil and Lipton Onion Soup Mix, salt and pepper. Spread on a cookie sheet. Bake at 400 until brown and crisp on the bottom, about 15 minutes, then flip and cook until the other side is crisp, about 10 minutes. Serve hot.
Riley uses her air fryer instead of the oven to make these. Whatever your choice, it’s a healthy snack!
High Protein
My son needed protein ASAP to improve his mood. I would cut up ham or turkey along with cheddar cheese and he would devour it! You can also roll the meat slices. My kids called these “meat roll-ups” and ate them right up.
Celery or apple slices with peanut butter is also a winner. Peanut butter also comes in individual serving sizes. Be sure to check the sugar amount in the peanut butter if this is important to you.
Thin slices of salami make a great “chip” to dip in warm Brie.
I also search the Internet for great snack, lunch, and dinner ideas. Here is a blog I love with one of my kids favorites!!
Snack Bins
I had a large, plastic basket in the bottom of my pantry for the non-perishable snacks. Had I had more pantry space, I would’ve had the individual hummus cups in a bin, the individual, peanut butter cups in a bin, etc…you get the point. I didn’t have the space back then for it to be beautiful, so I did the next best thing and made it practical!
Here are my tips when choosing a bin:
Clear if possible. That way you can see when you are running low and add the items to your grocery list.
Needs to be large enough to hold a weeks worth of snacks. I really didn’t want to go to the store more than that! Who has that kind of time?
These are just a few quick go-to ideas that I hope can help you!
As for storage bins for the refrigerator or pantry, check these out!
Here is another choice from The Dollar Tree. These are not as large but work great if space is limited.
Don’t over think this! Start with something you have around your house and change it if it isn’t working.
We Mama’s have enough on our plate!
The last point I’ll make is make sure your children know that this is where to go for snacks after school. Labeling is a simple way to alleviate having to show them over and over!
Here are a few of our favorites:
We have more pantry organizing ideas in this blog. Take a look!
Meal plans can be simple as well. Here’s a great example of how to maximize your meals and minimize your groceries. I’d love to tell you that this is my meal plan, but I’m just not that good at the cooking thing! A dear friend of mine created this genius meal plan and thankfully shared it with me.
Being organized with food will take a little more planning on the front end but you will gain so much time during the week not having to run to the grocery store more than once or staring at the fridge waiting for a dinner idea to come to you. Trust me, I do not like to cook so planning was awful but needed!
Keep it simple!
Good luck y’all! I’m cheering for you!
Want to have a little fun with us while gaining some organizing tips? Join Martha-Carol and her daughter, Riley for Cocktails with Chaos on Thursday nights at 8:30pm on Facebook!
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How to Put Together a Vacation Capsule Wardrobe
After months of quarantining in our homes, are you ready for that favorite summer getaway? It’s needed even more so this year. I am truly tired of my own home and I LOVE my home. Let’s get you ready to GO! Alexandra Martin from Hemline Towne Center Boutique joined us on our Facebook live and showed us how to put together a capsule wardrobe for vacation. Read on to discover all her fabulous tips!
After months of quarantining in our homes, are you ready for that favorite summer getaway? It’s needed even more so this year. I am truly tired of my own home and I LOVE my home. Let’s get you ready to GO!
“Capsule wardrobe is a term coined by Susie Faux, the owner of a London boutique called "Wardrobe" in the 1970s. According to Faux, a capsule wardrobe is a collection of a few essential items of clothing that do not go out of fashion, such as skirts, trousers, and coats, which can then be augmented with seasonal pieces. This idea was popularized by American designer Donna Karan, who, in 1985, released an influential capsule collection of seven interchangeable work-wear pieces.” -Wikipedia
Alexandra Martin from Hemline Towne Center Boutique joined us on our Facebook live and showed us how to put together a capsule wardrobe for vacation. Read on to discover all her fabulous tips!
5 reasons why a capsule wardrobe is great. (for vacation and in regular ‘ol life)
• You use items you already have
• Just a few new on trend items changes your look.
• Mixing and matching classic pieces creates hundreds of different looks with just a few items.
• Invest in the basics by buying high quality items that last longer. Some can be worn year-round.
• Accessories take up less space in a suitcase or closet but can make an outfit go from day to night.
Items you need: video items from Hemline are in parentheses.
• Short sleeve top- focus on things that can be styled a variety of ways. (Layered or worn with different bottoms)
• White short sleeve top (White eyelet)- Elevate your typical tee with a white top that can be worn with shorts and sneakers during the day or dressed up with wedges and jeans in the evening.
• Light weight blouse (Tie dye pink)- this could be a fun summer color. A blouse can be trendy but also last long after summer is gone. You want to choose one that mixes and matches with the shorts and jeans that you are bringing. This is definitely an investment piece that can be worn over and over.
• Classic cotton tee- laid back, easy to throw on with shorts, leggings or jeans and a pair of sneakers or flip-flops.
• 2-3 Shorts (High waist, tie front)- keep it simple. Neutral color.
• Jeans (white skinny jeans)- white jeans in the summer look great with any top! Very versatile.
• T-shirt dress (Short black)- you can’t go wrong with this one. Easy one and done look. Comfortable and flowy. Can be worn with a variety of accessories for various times of day.
• Button front dress (Striped tie waist dress)- effortless and easy. Perfect for date night or “off duty.” Can be versatile by varying shoes (Sandals, white sneakers, or classic wedges).
• 3 shoes. Yes, I just typed that. Seriously. You can do it. I’m not sure I can. white sneakers (quick slip on for shopping time!), neutral sandal/flip-flop (beach to pool or even lunch), nude wedge or block heel (jeans, shorts or dress. Elevates your look).
• Hat- Martha-Carol added this one because she loves hats!
That’s it. Now throw in your swimsuit, towel, hair and makeup stuff and off you go! Enjoy! Don’t forget the sunscreen!
To see the video in full, click here.
Need help paring down your closet to the essentials? Let us help you! Call us at 225-205-6400.
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