Now that the weather is perfect for outdoor playtime I love being able to scoot them outside during Naomi's afternoon nap. Our new place gives me lots to explore, trees to climb and spots to dig dirt but another thing they really love to do outside is; play with chalk. And Charlotte's favorite part is when I get the hose out to wash it off-- she loves to, and I quote  'watch the colors dance and run'. Childhood can be pretty amazing. We recently stocked up on some different colors of chalk and other fun things to make their outdoor drawing sessions more creative. 

Here's a list of our top five chalk items!

First of all, I like clothing- every aspect of it. I like the fabric, the details, the textiles, the colors, and the silhouettes. I have a degree concentrating in fashion marketing and I had originally enrolled as a fashion design student. Growing up my mom and I would shop until we dropped and plan entire weekends around shopping trips to King of Prussia. I used to make lists and plan and pack wardrobes for trips and vacations weeks in advance. So the fact that I'm sitting here writing a blog post about having a minimalist wardrobe of only 33 items is pretty ironic BUT my needs have changed and so has my lifestyle. Today, I’m a mom of three-- and most of my days are spend in athleisure but when I do get the chance to put an outfit together or have somewhere to go I just stand there in front of tons of hangers- plain frustrated, thinking to myself…‘I have nothing to wear.' Which is pretty ridiculous because I do indeed have more than enough to wear, the problem is I have too much and only love half of it. So, after reading Chapter 15 in my book Soulful Simplicity I decided that it was time to strip my closet down (pun intended) and really take a good look at what I have, what I love, what I don't love and what I want to create.

Ultimately- I wanted to create a wardrobe that was interchangeable and easy. A mix and match of sorts and the best part-- ready to go. Project 333 is a little bit different from a capsule wardrobe because it’s - and I quote - “A small collection of 33 items including clothing, jewelry, accessories and shoes that encourage you to wear your favorite things every day (not the trendiest things, the most stylish things, or the perfect things … your favorite things).” And that’s where I’m at in life — my body is different, my mindset is different and how I want to present myself to the world is different. I like trendy and I like stylish but I also like comfort-- clothing that makes me feel comfortable. And I’m not talking about all sweatshirts and yoga pants, while I do love those things.

Three reasons to consider building a capsule/minimalist wardrobe:

-figure out what matters

-reduce decision fatigue

-create more space and time for what you love

First, make several piles on your bed - a love pile, a maybe pile, and a donate/trash pile. After your done, walk away, get a drink, do the dishes, watch a show and come back later. This time go through those piles again until your happy with what you have left. Next, make a list of 33 items by category, start with the items you already have and you have started with the 13 core items or tailor to your needs. The 13 core items could (not should) include: jeans, a dress, a skirt, simple tank, and t-shirt or v-neck, button-down shirt, blazer or cardigan, earrings, a bracelet or watch, sunglasses, purse, flats, heels, walking shoes. The first list below is my finalized closet of my Project 333, it wasn't easy but I'm so glad I did it. Now, since I’m starting out during the summer months this is what I came up with for myself,  my personal style preferences and yours will be different -- the key is to narrow down what you really need and what you really love into 33 pieces, or 34 or 36...its ok to give yourself some wiggle room to get started. Also, it’s worth noting that for this partiuclar project you don’t count your intimates, swimwear or workout clothing but I did simplify those areas as well; thats all listed in the second list.

|| TIP ||
 I found that finding a common color themed helped me once I needed to start adding in pieces that were missing. I'm a pretty basic and neutral girl and I'm really drawn to navy as my staple color.  

If your the parent of a school-aged child then you will get to experience many exciting things, like field trips. Well, my national geographic loving Ava has been excited about her school trip to the Zoo for a month now and today is the big day! We woke up to rain but the weather wasn't going to dampen her enthusiasm. And no, I'm not going along-- I know, gasp! But here's the thing-- I'm not a classroom mom, I don't have the skill set and while for some parents it might be the highlight of the year, it's just not for me. Don't get me wrong, I love kids, I love my kids, I have three of them ages 5 and under (and try to maintain sanity) but an entire day spent with large amount of 5-6-year-olds-- not in my wheel house. Someone once told me, figure out your skill set and the places where you excel in life as a person, wife, and mother and release yourself of everything else you think you need to be good at because it will just weigh you down. So I'll tag out and let the ones that love it do it and my hats off to them because they'll help to make my girls day possible and enjoyable. Now, food and cooking -- that's life-giving to me so while I may not be attending the field trip I can make sure she's armed with food to nourish her body.



Before bed, she picked out her outfit and accessories and didn't test her luck at prolonging bedtime because, and I quote 'she had to get her rest'. After everyone was asleep I decided it was time to think about her lunch. Truth be told I was also really excited for her to go on her first field trip since they only go half-days in kindergarten I'm not able to pack her lunch yet buuuuut when I read the letter that came home it said 'no lunch bags & completely disposable'-- say what?! How on earth do I pack her a healthy lunch that won't be able to be iced down-- sounds like a piece of cake, right? It was a long day and I had to put on my thinking cap for this one- obviously, a peanut and butter sandwich was the only way to go, even though I knew she would beg for her favorite, egg salad. I combed the cupboards and came up with a lunch that would hopfully meet all of the requirements, with school, and Ava. 

Our 'fully disposable' lunch went as follows:

- peanut butter and strawberry jam sandwich

- a handful of wheat tins

- laughing cow cheese slice

- applesauce pouch

- berry good lemonade drink--partially frozen

- fruit snacks

- napkins

We didn’t have any paper bags on hand, so I wrapped the sandwich in wax paper to try and keep it from getting soggy from the drink and then packed everything in a ziplock gallon bag, wrote her name, class name, and a special note. I was going to pack two drinks but I know Ava, her tiny bladder and history of bathroom breaks so I didnt want to cause any extra work.



What's your favorite fully disposable lunch to pack? Are you a classroom mom? Does filling up your little one's belly also fill up your love tank? Whatever it is, whatever you excel in just know that you are doing a rockstar job and whatever it is that is not exactly in your skill set, it's ok, you don't have to be good at everything and it's ok to say no and let someone else.