Build Your Wardrobe Basics Challenge

Henceforth to be known as BYWB http://getyourprettyon.com/style-me-pretty-challenge-over-40/ , this challenge is promoted for women over 40.  Though I am not quite there, and it seems about one-fourth to one-third are under 40, building basics is always a good idea.  I heard a fashion guru, sorry I can't remember whom to give credit, say that the reason women feel like they have nothing to wear is because they buy separate pieces and not outfits or shop without mindfulness of how a piece will work in their existing wardrobe.  Integrating and fresh mixing are what I hope to get out of this challenge.  Also, I seem to have several versions of the same idea in my closet and drawers, namely skinny pants and cardigans, I hope to push myself into a classic, modest, but fresh look.

The challenge is co-created by Cyndi Spivey and Alison Lumbatis, popular fashion bloggers who can be found at http://cyndispivey.com/ and http://getyourprettyon.com/respectively.  Even if you don't join the challenge, check out their blogs for ideas.

These are some outfits I have put together this week using the ideas from their sites and participants' ideas on the Facebook page, accessible only with registration.

Monday: Last day of warm weather for a while, I wore green ankle pants, smocked white tee, denim shirt, coral and turquoise necklace, and black flats all from my closet.

Tuesday: Brown suede Bullfrog shoes, leopard jeggings, blue sweater, and cream layering tee also from my closet.

 Wednesday: Red flats, black dress pants, and striped shirt.  Then added scarf and denim jacket, all from my closet.

 Thursday: Got to shop Wednesday at Stage and got red tee and scarf, combined with olive cardi, brown bootcut slacks, and brown Bullfrogs.

Friday: New scarf  and earrings from Stage, charcoal sweater coat, olive henley, skinny jeans, and Doc Martins.

Saturday: Tried new leopard flats from Target and pearls, but too cold and windy.  Went with Ariat boots, handmade scarf, with Hue black denim leggings, Jjill marled sweater dress over striped tee.

This challenge has already helped me move out of the frumps which where I definitely tend to go in winter.  Today is the last day I have to agonize in my closet for three whole weeks!

Book give away

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Poor Cinderelly

N, my five year old, has begun asking to help with the household chores.  When I finally shooed her from the sink for doing no more than playing with the bubbles, she went to wipe down the dining room table.  Directly I heard her singing, "Sing sweet nightingale..." from Disney's Cinderella. So I guess her foray into housework is just a further attempt to be a princess. Smh

One bite at a time Summer 2013

In order to keep myself motivated, I am posting my list of things to clean and organize this summer.  Then, each day I will post a before and after pic, marking off one thing each day-- at least and hopefully.  Here is a preliminary list:
Catchall by the back door.
Computer desk (may have to be done repeatedly)
Top of the gun safe
Entertainment center (may have to be done one section at a time)
Toys (done during nap time)
My dresser (may have to be done repeatedly)
DH's chest of drawers
Bathroom cabinet
Bathroom shelves
Closet (may have to be done in sections)
My bedside table
His bedside table
Desk
Pantry (may have to done in sections)
Kitchen cabinets
Top of each refrigerator 
Catchall by the front door
Toys (in the other pile, also done during nap time) 
Cedar Chest
Joey's closet
Joey's chest of drawers
Joey's book shelf and desk
Bookshelf
Chest of drawers
Linens
Kids' bathroom cabinets
Front porch (may have to be done repeatedly)
This looks like a good start, not totally overwhelming but a little to do each day.
Yes, I think so.

In the Closet

Okay, let me see if I can explain this.  When I., my two year old, sees her older sister use the restroom, she wants to try too.  Great with me!  I plan on getting her potty trained when we get home from vacation.
Today, when N., my four year old, finished using the toilet, I. started pulling at her clothes to let me know she wanted to sit up there too, so I got her shorts and diaper off and placed her on the potty.  She hasn't ever used the toilet before, but I let her sit up there a few times a day.  Still no joy today.

When she was ready, I let her down and she followed me to her room to replace her diaper.  While I was gathering the diapering gear, she ran into the closet.  I called for her to come get her diaper on and she readily appeared--a suspicious sign I should have recognized right off the bat.
I put her up to put a fresh diaper on and noticed her legs were wet, and the wet smelled like urine.  That little mess got off the toilet and went and directly peed in the closet! Really?! Ugh.

Switch Around

While I was cleaning up the girls' room the other day, I got to thinking that since we don't use their dresser, my husband could use it for more clothes' storage space.  So I dumped everything from the dresser into a laundry basket and moved the dresser to our master bedroom.

Since I still needed something for the lamp and monitor in the girls' room, I moved the side table by the front door to their room.

One thing I did store in the girls' dresser was their hair bows.  I have been looking for a way to store them  out of reach and figured out a way to do it for free.  I took two scarves someone had given the girls for Christmas, cut them lengthwise, and pinned them to the curtains that cover the closet.  That killed two birds with one stone because now I have bow storage and I got rid of those scarves.  Frankly, wrapping anything around my kids' necks freaks me out.

Now I have my husband's old bedside table to use as a catch all by the front door.

Out of Order

I had to jump down the list a little because Hurricane Nicandra struck in her bedroom the other night.  She dumped out her sheets and pillow cases, Isa's sheets and blankets, and her old clothes I had in a box to pass down to Esme or Isa, who ever grows into them first-- my money is on Isa.

Anyway, I got rid of another WM bag full of things I no longer need or use and condensed them into one basket.  Those blankets, burp rags, and diaper pads will go to Deysi and Rafa's daughter.  I have some inexpensive, mesh laundry baskets that I use for storage.  So now it is all tucked into one basket under their easel.
While I was in there,  Isa was in such a good mood in her highchair eating a donut that I cleaned out Isa's side of the closet and got rid of another bag of clothes to send to Jackie and Oscar's daughter, Maggie.

I also swept and cleaned under the bed and found four cups and a trash can and a shoe box full of trash.  It's not complete by any means, but I got something accomplished and am ready to spend the rest of the day celebrating our fifth anniversary.