Archives for August 2017

My Master Closet Purge

August 30, 2017 / By Courtney / 2 Comments

So, the kids are back in school and, if you’re anything like me, you’re excited to finally have the time to get your home in order. I’m pretty good about keeping up with things here day to day, but my master closet was just becoming an anxiety inducing space. I had collected way too many items, yet kept shopping so all in all it just became way. too. much. I would get anxious just entering the space – the space I was, at one point, so happy to have has my own. I knew I needed to grab the bull by the horns, so to speak, and just get it done.

Before I tackled the beast, I did some research. I asked my Instagram followers for any tips. (Thank you, by the way!) I read online about closet organization and purging and capsule wardrobes and so on and so forth. I just didn’t want to do a light purge like I’ve done in the past, I actually wanted to make a difference in my wardrobe and in the space of my closet.

The thought of a capsule wardrobe to me was refreshing but not realistic. I knew I needed to get rid of a significant portion of my wardrobe (my goal was 40%) but going down to the bare minimum of clothing and rotating twenty or so pieces à la capsule was just not for me. I just need a bit more variety. (Even if that variety is all stripes). And I’m ok with that!

So, if you’re anything like me and caught in the middle of too many clothes and wanting less but not way extreme, I hope you find this helpful. Here are some tips I learned along the way of my master closet purge.

Make a top ten list. When I was brainstorming and researching this project I actually sat down with a notepad and wrote out my top ten favorite items to wear. Items that are a given – I put them on and am happy with the result no matter what. This had to include everything from workout gear to pj’s to going out. I found that my list generally matched what I was reaching for over and over and over again in my closet. For example, almost every single morning I wake up and put on a Gap breathe tank top whether it’s for the bus, to run, or errands. When I finally dove in to work on my closet I kept those (I own five) and the other work out tank tops (that I hadn’t touched in years) I got rid of. Makes sense.
Set the mood. This may sound super silly, but I do think it helped me. For someone that loves to organize, I really dreaded this project solely because, well, it didn’t feel good to me to get rid of things I had spent money on. (Some of which I barely….ok never, wore). It felt wasteful, and it was admitting to myself things needed to change. So I made it all a bit more fun. I lit one of my favorite candles (no. 30!) and played some music. If you want a chuckle, work on your closet with Andrea Bocelli’s ‘Time to Say Goodbye.’ I actually was laughing out loud.
Remove everything from your closet. EVERYTHING! This was, hands down, the best piece of advice I received. Maybe it was a mental thing, but since everything was out it helped the decision making process about what to put back in.
It’s going to get worse before it get’s better. If you are someone like me who panics with mess and clutter just take a deep breath and remind yourself of this: it’s going to be a gigantic mess. And then it’s going to be great!
Let yourself own pieces that women should just be able to own. Even if it doesn’t make sense with your lifestyle. Do I ever wear a black pencil skirt? No, not at all. But owning one is ok. Owning five, is not.
Get over the guilt. It’s ok to give away something even if you spent a lot of money on it. Even if you never wore it. Even if it was a gift from so and so. And, even if you absolutely still love it and want it but you are just plain sick of wearing it. I had a few dresses I still was madly in love with, but, I had just worn too much. So they took up space in my closet because I still loved them, but, never wore them. They have to go. And it’s ok.
Be ruthless. I got to the end of my purging, everything was hung back in the closet all organized and beautiful and I immediately thought ‘huh, I still have a lot of clothes.’ Even though I got rid of 117 items (!!!) my closet still felt full. So, I went back in. I was ruthless. Anything I had hesitated over putting back in, I got rid of. One dress actually went back and forth to the closet and donate pile a few times. If that is happening, it’s a sign to donate!
Sleep on it. Even after you are ruthless if you still feel things are too much but can’t cut any more down, sleep on it. I tagged about eight pieces to rethink about in the morning. I ended up keeping two.
Learn from your top ten. Now that I’ve realized I live in Gap breathe tank tops (almost daily) that is all I need to buy. Even if J Crew comes out with a suuuuuuper cute striped one, at the end of the day I’m reaching for my top ten’s. In the future, I will replace those when they get worn, not buy a bunch of random ones. Figure out areas in your wardrobe where you can do this. For me, it was work out gear, pajamas (I love Old Navy tanks and pants!) and jeans. (As far as jeans are concerned I used to be such a jean snob! I thought the higher the pricer the better the fit, quality, look – etc. Yet honestly so many more affordable options are just as good, if not better . Old Navy rockstar jeans make me feel like a million bucks and their new 24/7 line literally makes me feel like I’m wearing pajamas. Kut from the Kloth is a great line too. I even don’t want to take them off immediately when I get home! What a concept.)
Find a plan for your clothes you aren’t keeping that makes you happy. Whether that is donating, selling, whatever it may be. For me, I’m lucky enough to have younger sisters a similar size, so, my still loved pieces head their way. I recently saw a photo of my middle sister, Allie, in Montana in a dress I had given her a few years back that was mine. It made me so happy to see her look so darling in it!

Up next? I’m going to dive into my top ten items, going over why I love them as staples and how they can be mixed and matched. Stay tuned….

Healthy sloppy joes

August 28, 2017 / By Courtney / Leave a Comment

Sometimes it’s really just about the old fashion good stuff, updated of course. When I told M we were having sloppy joes for dinner his eyes lit up like a five year old boy. Really? Yes, really.

Yet these sloppy joes are filled with wholesome fresh ingredients, including veggies! And piled all up on top of toasted up whole wheat buns…this is a recipe you can feel good about feeding your family. Bonus that it’s quick, easy to make, and generally liked by all.

So get this one going after school this week, I so hope your family enjoys!

REAL FOOD SLOPPY JOES
Recipe from 100 Days of Real Food

Ingredients:

1 TBS olive oil
1/2 cup diced onion
1 celery stalk, minced
1 carrot, peeled and minced
1 lbs ground beef (I used organic grass fed)
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 15 ounce can unseasoned tomato sauce
1 TBS honey
1 tsp yellow mustard
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
pinch of cinnamon
toasted whole wheat buns for serving

DIRECTIONS:

In a saute pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add in the onion, celery, and carrot and cook until softened, roughly 5 minutes or so.

Add in the beef and garlic and cook until the meat has browned all the way through, roughly 5 minutes or so. Season with salt & pepper. Drain off any excess fat (I did not need to do this).

Add in tomato sauce, honey, mustard, vinegar, chili powder and cinnamon. Simmer over low until sauce has thickened, 10-15 minutes.

Serve warm with whole wheat toasted buns and some yummy veggies, and ok waffle fries are good too, on the side. Enjoy!

C’s picks – week of August 27th

August 27, 2017 / By Courtney / 3 Comments

How is everyone’s weekend going? Back in the swing of things with school starting? It’s definitely been a long emotional week here. We are all adjusting to earlier bedtimes, longer more ‘focused’ days, and the general back to school routine. Hope you are able to get some fun in this weekend before the grind begins yet again tomorrow. Hopefully one or two recipes on this week’s menu plan catches your eye for your own family. Let’s do this!

Sunday we are off to a baseball party for Logan’s team. Lots of fun in the sun to be had with those boys. I’m baking a batch or two of my go to homemade chocolate chip cookies. Yum!

Monday night I can’t wait to try out this recipe from my former neighbors blog, Shredded Sprout. Love everything about this recipe!

Football Tuesday night for both boys which means a slow cooker dinner is so happening. Can’t wait to test out this slow cooker balsamic chicken. It has potatoes and brussels sprouts in it, delicious.

Wednesday a birthday is happening so we will be out celebrating for that.

Thursday let’s gobble up some fresh pasta with straight from the garden pesto and tomatoes while we can. Love this beautiful recipe so much.

And that brings us to Friday and to dinner out with my parents. Can’t wait!

Happy cooking everyone,
C

Mac and peas

August 24, 2017 / By Courtney / Leave a Comment

So I think now most schools are back in session which means ‘family friendly’ recipes are golden. We are back in the routine of dinner on the table, homework, sports, baths, bed. Feels sort of nice…..for now. Wholesome, easy, hearty meals after those long tiring days for the littles ones are a must.

Take this mac and peas, for example.

Whole grain pasta, minimal cream, freshly shredded cheese. It might not top the healthiest of meals on the chart, but throw in some peas and you can feel pretty good about feeding your kiddos a satisfying meal that will stick with them through sports and all way the way until their (way too early) breakfasts.

My family gobbled this one up. I can’t promise you that yours way (I cringe at the term ‘family friendly’) but this got a 100% success rate in our home. Hoping you get similar odds.

Enjoy!

MAC & PEAS
Recipe from 100 Days of Real Food

INGREDIENTS:

1 lbs whole grain elbow macaroni
4 TBS salted butter
2/3 cup cream plus 2 more TBS
2 1/2 cups freshly shredded monterey jack cheese
1 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper
cup of frozen peas, thawed on the counter for just a bit

DIRECTIONS:

Cook pasta according to directions and set aside.

In the same pot you cooked the pasta, melt the butter over medium low heat. Stir in the 2/3 cup cream and mix until combined. Reduce heat to low. Pour the pasta back in along with the cheese, salt, and pepper. Mix to combine.

Stir in peas and remaining cream. Taste, and adjust salt & pepper if needed. Serve immediately.

Motherhood: And they’re off.

August 23, 2017 / By Courtney / 2 Comments

And just like that, I have two very independent grown boys that will be gone from my side for seven hours of the day. One fifth grader, AKA the big man on campus. And then my little B, just starting on his elementary journey in Kindergarten. This is the one and only year these two will be together in the same school. Part of me can’t believe this moment is happening, and another part is so ready and excited for this next stage of mothering.

As the busses start to whiz by so do all the memories. Logan’s first half day of Kindergarten, the small bus pulling into our driveway to carefully pick him up, still dressed in Crewcuts and wild hair. Little B was in my arms, barely three weeks old. Logan was the epitome of ready. First born, independent, so into his next adventure. Three hours later he was dropped back off, happy as a clam, and asking about his baby brother. ‘Did he miss me mom?’ We went on a long (slow) walk and he told me about his teacher, Mr. Gapp, who he still to this day claims should be in the ‘teachers hall of fame.’

The years rolled on and the school days revolved around my little buddy Beckett. We developed a very set routine of our morning and afternoon bus walks to pick up our Logan. B went from sling to stroller to insisting he walked, which of course meant we had to leave for pick up thirty minutes prior to arrival because every single step involved something new and interesting to look. That, or he would fall down. Again. Oh and let’s not forget the John Deere tractor, a classic for our neighborhood streets. B would drive that thing as fast as it could go to his brother, while neighbors walking by couldn’t help but smile.

There were the bus stop bee stings (three times, weird), and Friday candy days, and the occasional abandonment of a sleeping Beckett at home in his crib (it’s fiiiiiiine) to quickly grab L, and the days he got off the bus and I knew something instantly was wrong (mom, you might be getting a call that I de pants someone at school. Might.), and the days he got off the bus and something was just so right (mom, I got the highest score in my class on my math test!), and collecting all the sticks and rocks and bugs and mushrooms and flowers on our walk home, and the waiting in Grandview pick up line when he got too cool for the bus ride home. (Beckett peeing into a water bottle in the back seat because he had to go so bad that he was going to die. Again).

Yet through it all, I had my sidekick. And even when Beckett reached the preschool ready age and started his own little thing, we still had our time. Our lunch dates. Our afternoons. Dropping off and picking up Logan together. Beckett was right there, and more often than not directly on my hip or wrapped around a leg. It never occurred to me how fast time would go that he would, slowly, begin to let go.

But here we are. He’s still a bit scared of change and hesitant for a new routine but ready (I think) to get on that bus with his friends. Ready to finally have his ‘big kid’ moment. All I can hope is that the last five years I’ve had with him have given him a great sense of security and confidence to carry him through on his own. Well, not exactly his own. I think he knows half the fifth grade, a great position to be in. Thank you Logan.

So where does that leave mom. I recall a few years back when I was chatting with a mom who finally sent her youngest off to kindergarten and something she said stuck with me. She said basically that her hours on the clock just shifted. With little ones, obviously you have them all day everyday. But generally speaking in the evening you sort of wind things down, have (one) dinner, watch some TV, early bath and then bed. With the older ones though – you are on the clock right at pick up and things are go go go from there. First dinner. Homework. Play. Activities. Sports. Second dinner. Shower. And finally, a much later bed. And if you have the big age gap like I do, you’ve been doing both the much ‘earlier’ shift and into the evening ‘later’ shift. It will be a nice change of pace to have that earlier one off the clock.

So the big question: what am I going to do with all my time? Well, I’ll probably stick to the same formula for any time I have free time I’ve been given. 80% of it is family devoted (think cleaning, cooking, organizing, paying bills, errands, laundry, all that lovely stuff) and 20% will be for mom. With my longer span of time ‘off’ though, that 20% will get to be a pretty nice chunk of time. Maybe I will take an Orange Theory class (Kelly? Maggie?). I know I will write for the blog much more. I want to organize my spice drawer and my master linen closet and my gift wrapping….all projects I hope to share on the blog for anyone in need of some inspiration. Oh, and I also want to tackle my own closet! I need to seriously rethink things in there. I have way too much stuff….items I love but never wear. There has to be a better solution. Leaning towards the capsule idea but not as severe. We shall see. Oh, and I’m going to sit. Outside. On my patio. And read. Amen.

So here’s to you Logan. Your last year as an elementary student. Just like your first day of Kindergarten, you could not be more ready and I am so happy for you that got the teacher you wanted. And little B. I’m going to miss you so much my heart may burst, but I am also so excited to see what you are going to do on your own. I’ll be waiting for you both, right on time at the bus stop.

Mom