Capsule Wardrobes!

My issues with clothes go way back. Well no. Actually things started out alright. My mom tells me that in Kindergarten, I used to pick out my outfit and lay it out beside my bed the night before. In Kindergarten. (Yes, I have all the character traits of the typical oldest female.) I clearly thought I had it together back when I was six.

However, later on, I remember starting to struggle because I never knew how to shop wisely for clothes. Yes, by the time you're in high school, you are trying to figure out who you are, so most of us felt uncomfortable in our bodies and our clothes. No real surprise here for adolescent Kayleen. You know how it was. It was always difficult trying to fit in, yet stand out, yet not stand out too much. The strategy I settled on was to develop a pretty wacky fashion style in high school. If you went to high school with me you know what I'm talking about. I chose to err on the "original" side. Ha, I'm going to leave it at that.

Even though I decided I wanted to stand out, I still wasn't completely comfortable with my style. For one thing, I felt self-conscious that my clothes were never the "right" brands. Growing up we didn't have a lot of extra cash to go toward buying expensive clothes. I remember when I got my first big paycheck from being a hostess at Salty's restaurant when I was 16. I went out and cashed that baby and went SHOPPING. Oh it was glorious. I enjoyed shopping then, and I still do now. I've always been pretty impulsive. I've never been good at planning. Actually waiting for something I really wanted was always been a foreign concept to me. I know, it sounds pretty terrible, doesn't it?

In my married years, one way I've been able to indulge my love of shopping without completely bankrupting us is by thrift shopping. I just love thrift stores! One always finds oneself in sort of a treasure hunt. A gold mine for original clothes and wacky styles! And best of all - you can get a lot for a little. At least you used to (things have changed a bit) but! Still much more rewarding than walking into Macy's with 50 dollars and coming out with one lousy blouse. What's the fun in that? More about this later...

The only problem with my insecurity with clothes was that it actually led me to go overboard. I have gotten myself into a mess where I had way to many clothes, and with a very high percentage of which I did not actually care for all that much.

All in all I think about how I'm turning 30 this year. In about two months actually - and I knew that I needed to change my relationship with clothes and shopping. Big time. No more of this impulsiveness. No more wasting money on clothes I wouldn't end up wearing. No. More!

Enter the internet. And the wonderful concept someone came up with called the Capsule Wardrobe. A quick search will give you lots of information about what a Capsule wardrobe is and how to build one. This is the one I followed. (I don't read or particularly like fashion blogs, but I like regular old girl/mama blogs and this is the one I found most endearing and least snobbish ;)

I knew this is what my closet needed - and my bogged down spirit. A huge reduction in inventory! A true purging!

After all, the laundry situation in this house had been getting way out of hand...

Ugh! And that's just the dirty clothes. At this point, there were still a massive amount of clean clothes piled on top of the couch waiting to be folded. Is it just me or are the CLEAN clothes piled on couches more of a bane to my existence than dirty ones on the laundry room floor??



Okay, and check out the closet...

(top clothes are Mike's, obviously)

Ridiculous...I mean, it was really absurd how many clothing items I owned! Maybe it wouldn't have been so bad if I wore most of them. Heck, even if I wore (on a regular basis) at least 50% of these clothes. But the truth is I probably only wore about 25% of them.

Yes yes, I know you can blame some of this on the fact that I am still in the having babies stage of life. In the last 7 years since I've been married I've gone through quite a lot of changes. I couldn't exactly be wearing the same size clothes through four pregnancies. But I don't really give myself all that much sympathy for that. I was still quite bad at impulse shopping and thrift shopping. I also would be reduced to tears sometimes getting ready for church and throwing outfit after outfit on the floor declaring I had "nothing to wear!" (Okay, that was happening mostly during my earlier postpartum days but still)

Here the four big things that appealed to be about the capsule wardrobe:

1.) Simply a reduction in the amount of clothes in the house. That should translate to less laundry. Or at the very least, doing laundry more frequently but not being faced with huge piles of laundry that completely overwhelm a person. 

2.) Easier to make choices about what I want to wear any given day. Less to wade through and throw on the floor after trying it on and hating it!

3.) The idea that being more intentional about what I want to own will aid in healthier shopping habits. NOT impulse buying, but rather planning for the next season.

4.) Really loving what I do own. As a Facebook friend said, "Only buy what is truly fabulous!"

Last week, I began my project. First, I took everything out of my closet. Everything:

scary.

 Then, I began making five piles:

-Clothes I loved and would wear right now

-Clothes I maybe loved

-Clothes I knew I hardly ever wear

-Maternity clothes

-Winter clothes (since I'm working on my "spring" capsule)

(I also set aside workout clothes and jammies. Those don't count, though of course you should reduce them down if you know you own far too many yoga pants and zip up hoodies!)

E.J. helped

I have to admit, it was actually more challenging than I was expecting. I mean, I do enjoy my clothes. I enjoy thinking about where I got them, why I got them, etc. So, I don't think this process is meant to make you part with clothes that truly mean something to you, or make you fit to a particular formula. At first I tried to hit the "37 Item" number, but it quickly became evident that that exact number wasn't going to fit for me. Which is totally fine, of course!

In the end I wound up donating over SIX garbage bags full of clothes.

I ended up keeping:

-7 dresses

-15 shirts

-4 pairs of jeans

-2 pairs of shorts

-4 pairs of leggings

-6 cardigans

-4 other sweaters/long sleeved shirts

-5 pairs of shoes

So, I don't even know what that number is but I know it doesn't add up to 37. The point is to do what works for you.

AHHH much better.

In the end - this was a wonderful thing for me to do! And the added bonus to it all is that Mike participated with me! He only had to get rid of ONE garbage bag full of clothes, by comparison, so yeah....pretty crazy. (My brother in law showed me this handy guide for a Men's wardrobe reduction)

I went through and thinned out the kid's wardrobes as well. Louisa really enjoyed helping me do hers, and Josie did too. Turns out it's much easier for them to go through and grab an outfit, too, now that they aren't bogged down by the clothes they never like to wear!

Lessons I learned:

-It was important to me to challenge myself. I had some items of clothing I had been holding on to since high school. I had clothing items I knew I hated but felt "hey, I might need to wear this someday". I also had way to much floral ;)

Na, I still love floral.

-I learned that I need to reduce my thrift store shopping. At least in the clothes department. I discovered that probably 80% of what I donated was items I had bought from Good Will or Value Villiage! I guess people gave away those items for a reason. Not to say I will never ever frequent there. Some things I did keep. I still love this black and white dress I got there, and a couple of sweet tops. But overall, I think I got myself into trouble by tricking myself into thinking MORE cheaper clothes was better. No. Less is More Kayleen.

How the laundry room looks right now (squee!!)

-I learned that I need to make sure I buy clothes that fit and flatter me better. I tend to buy clothes without trying them on (I really dislike dressing rooms in stores!) I don't know, I either need to force myself to try stuff on or at least be willing to return it once I do try it on and know it's not right. In the past I've been reluctant to do that. (Hey, it's not easy bringing four kids to the store much less taking them in the return line!)

-Realistically, I know our closet is not going to always look like this. It will obviously get messy and I will still buy items when I need them. It's okay. At least with 75% less, it will be much easier to manage!

-Finally, I still like clothes. There is still lots of fun in it for me. I enjoy pretty patterns, unique pieces, and being able to express myself through my attire. I like being feminine, fresh and clean, as well as age appropriate and modest. As I mentioned, I'm turning 30 this year. I'm happy to say that I feel pretty comfortable in my skin these days. I know who I am and I like who I am. I really do think it's fine to enjoy clothes. As long as a person (if they are a Christian) practices a certain amount of detachment. It's not good to pour too much of yourself into your looks or your material things. After all the Lord told us,

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. " -Matthew 6:19 



Michael Anton

 

At 2 1/2, it seems like our little Michael is hitting all these new milestones/developments rather suddenly. I know that's not really the case. Over the course of weeks and months I'm sure there have been slight changes that add up, and then suddenly we notice them!

At first I thought it was mostly his language development that was the most significant. But there's so much more to it. He is becoming more capable and independent. For example, he gets himself dressed by himself now. I just find this so astounding. I have to make sure his closet drawers are filled with clean shirts, pants, and underwear now because he goes right to it to change. Of course, this happens multiple times a day!

He has thoughts and feelings about everything now. It's really interesting, and from this mama's perspective, so sweet - to watch him figuring out his emotions. And how to express them. The other day I was in the bathroom (hey, it's been 6 years since I've gotten to actually close the bathroom door) and he just walked by and peeked his head in and said, "I love you!" He has always an affectionate child. But now his affection is more focused and deliberate.

 

I was sitting on the couch and he came over to snuggle with me.

He cares about which tee-shirt he is going to wear and talks about each one (at length) when he puts it on.
He tells me every morning, "No jelly, mama. No peanut butter. Just bread and honey, mom."
He talks about the chickens and how they are his friends.
He prays for nana and papa and Tessa (their dog) each night.
He likes to tell jokes at the dinner table (really just being silly to make us laugh.)
He laughs at himself.
He adores his daddy and anything he gets to do with him just the two of them.

Superheroes. Oh, the Superheroes. It's amazing to me how little boys latch on to the idea of villains and good guys so naturally. Right now he really likes Captain America (partly because there is so much merchandise out there in anticipation of the new movie coming out) and of course Batman. Oh, I love watching him play!

I tell him all the time that he is so handsome and I love the smile that spreads across his face when I tell him that.

He still gets into mischief, but I feel like we are getting to that point where we can trust him more. He will still spill and break things, but I can tell his conscience is developed enough where he actually *thinks* about what the consequences will be to his decision. (Sometimes he still chooses to be naughty anyway :) We still get nervous when it's been a few minutes since we've heard him and he's wandered into a room...but now it's not so much dread (what is he into?) as just listening to make sure he is playing with his trucks and trains instead of trying to get onto daddy's laptop or climb onto the window sill! Yes, he's still a climber :)

Michael is such a tenderhearted little guy. He just melts our hearts...honestly you cannot even imagine how much I love this little boy! He picks me flowers. He gives me kisses. He tells me he loves me. I sometimes wish this stage will never end!

I hope and pray so hard that we can raise a good son who will be a good man one day. I look around at how this world is changing so rapidly, and largely for the worse. It's so hard to be masculine and brave and holy these days! I fear that manhood is under fierce attack, and even Christians are not paying enough attention. The things kids are exposed to too early, the crap they have to deal with just trying to grow up - it makes my heart sick. How will he fare in this world that promotes selfishness, narcissism, and relativism? The good news is that our Michael has his good daddy to look up to. And hopefully an attentive and strong mother, too. But, the world's influence is so powerful! So insidious! I get pretty worked up about these fears of mine.

Oh my sweet innocent!

.....but for now, I just want to enjoy his childhood. I want him to enjoy his childhood. I want to pray for him and keep him safe in our home for a few more years. Safe from those villains. I want to protect his childhood and let him grow up feeling secure and loved, so that when it does come time for him to go out into the world - that he is prepared....that he has a strong foundation to begin from and to always fall back on.

Start children off on the way they should go,
    and even when they are old they will not turn from it

                                         Proverbs 22

 

Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction;
    pay attention and gain understanding.
I give you sound learning,
    so do not forsake my teaching.
For I too was a son to my father,
    still tender, and cherished by my mother.
Then he taught me, and he said to me,
    “Take hold of my words with all your heart;
    keep my commands, and you will live.
Get wisdom, get understanding;
    do not forget my words or turn away from them.

                                          Proverbs 4

we love you Michael bear.

*p*h*f*r *park day*

I decided to take a bunch of photos yesterday morning while we were at the park: A) Because it was a stunning morning. Finally some SUNSHINE! And B) I was feeling really nostalgic. It had been a while since I took the kids to this very favorite park of ours and I used to take the girls here all the time when it was just them and we first moved into town. I could visualize 2 year old Louisa and 6 month old Josie in the baby carrier. It is so weird to me that they are now the "big kids" and I've got another two year old and infant :)  I'm sure I could find you a few blog posts of those photos....

Anyway! We got out of the house early, 9:30(!) and even had a packed lunch. In all honesty, I do not normally have a lot of stamina when it comes to taking my kids to the park. I love taking them to different places, but it's usually about an hour and I'm completely ready to go. I always chuckle when someone else, like my mom or Mike or my sister, takes them to the park because they'll easily be there for a solid TWO hours and I'm like; no.

Of course, it makes sense; when I take them I still have the rest of my day to think about in terms of energy conservation and other things that need to get done like lunchtime and naptime and all that. I also have to laugh because it takes me over an hour to get everyone ready and out the door and then we spend only an hour at any given place? Oh well :D And, every once in a while there is the exception. I think we were there yesterday for at least 2 hours. Maybe 2 and a half. And it was glorious because we ended up coming home and everyone (including me) took a 2 hour nap! Yay. Perfection.

So, this is a day late but I still thought I could fit our park day into a "pretty, happy, funny, real" post. I was so feeling the contentment yesterday morning. There is a lot going on with my (extended) family right now and it's not all pleasant. I have had a heavy heart. Mornings like yesterday, where I felt God's love for me pretty profoundly are really special. Just in how He has blessed me with four incredible children, you know? That we are all relatively healthy, that we can spend time together...that we live in a safe, clean, beautiful place! Well, mornings like that keep a person going. And I am incredibly thankful.

pretty

 

 

happy

 



For you mommy

 My darling Emmett boy. Do you realize a year ago, you were still in my belly making it hard for me to get up and go anywhere? Now look at you, you sweet, busy baby!

 

 

 

 

Louisa was acting like such the 6 year old girl and collecting acorns pretty much the whole time. To "either give to the chickens or plant at home" :) I love to see her concentration and imagination at work these days!

Taking steps!

 

 

funny

Michael was cracking me up. He is getting close to turning three, and his language has finally just exploded. Instead of saying, for example, "hat?" when looking for his hat, he now says, "Where's my hat mom?" And it's just so fun for us to hear it that way now. It's hard to explain but just him adding those extra words to his sentence structure is such a thrill.

He is also better at playing with other kids. Though he cracked me up because I heard him say to one of the little boys, "HI. I'M MIKE"

First of all, we don't call him Mike. Second of all the way he said it was just too cute. Early socialization. It's the cutest.

real

 "You'd better hold on, momma. These days are just flying by."

I know baby. I know.

 

 

More at Like Mother, Like Daughter. Thanks for stopping by!

 







Things that Grow

I love living, growing things.

I mean, who doesn't?

I remember growing up and going into my grandmother and great-grandmother's gardens at different times and just feeling so happy and alive. My great grandmother, especially, was a very talented gardener. She grew the prettiest roses and peonies. For this reason I had peonies as the primary flower in my wedding bouquet. One of my favorite movies growing up was The Secret Garden. I would often imagine myself as the main character, Mary Lennox. My mom grew flowers and a vegetable too. Not consistently, but our yard always did have growing things in it and was well maintained. I would love to come home after school, grab a blanket, and grab a nap outside in the sunshine. I loved it when my parent's mowed the lawn and the yard smelled so amazing. To this day, cut grass is still one of my favorite smells.

And yet, for all my love of gardens, it hasn't been until this year, that I've really felt like the stars could align for me to actually work on growing something for myself. Sure, since becoming a home owner, I've had little opportunities here and there to grow a few things. But overall, my focus has had to be growing babies - with not so many breaks in between, that has needed my considerable attention and energy :o) Gardening takes time, patience, energy, and money!

There was this house we looked at before buying this one, that I still think about a lot. It was a cute blue house and the backyard was the sweetest. My favorite part was the patio, which had a trestle with beautiful wisteria growing over it. Sometimes I really wish we had bought that house.

Lilacs from my Mike's parent's house

Mike enjoys growing things too. I think he got it from his mom and dad, who keep up their yard very nicely. His dad grows dahlias and roses, and his mom has raspberries, strawberries, flowers and other things. Me and the kids love summers at their house because there is so much to enjoy outside over there.

Helping these awesome kids of mine grow is still the priority ;)

It's a gift and a joy to watch things grow. Outdoors and IN :) And I'm so grateful to live in a place with so much green. Sure, we get a lot of rain, but as my grandma likes to say, without all the rain we wouldn't have so much green!

I really hope that my desire to make the outside of our house a magical, beautiful place will be fulfilled. It is a work in progress. I am by nature a pretty impatient kind of gal, so I want it all to be done NOW. But again, gardening takes time, energy, and money. Three resources that are not necessarily in abundance at this season in life! But obviously we can work toward that goal slowly but surely! Another challenge I have when it comes to gardening besides being impatient is that I'm also a bit of a perfectionist. As you can see, I never let my babies get dirty...

 

No but really, I have in the past been a bit frozen about where to start because I want everything to be just so, but I've finally accepted this year that no one has a perfect garden right off the bat. Or, ever! Because gardens are living, growing, changing entities. There will always be weeds, slugs, and imperfections. But that doesn't mean they aren't beautiful! On the contrary!

So I say....bring on Summer! Bring on the growing things! (But stay away slugs! :P)

Check out my Gardening Pinterest Board. What fun plans do you have for this year's gardening endeavors?