Clothing Maintenance

To follow-up on last week's post (my wardrobe staples) I thought I would share how I take care of my clothes.

My younger self was very lazy and wasteful. I washed (and dried) everything. Therefore, I ruined/shrunk a lot of clothing which resulted in excessive turnover. I donated or threw away clothes constantly. I cringe to think about it now. 

In the past three years, I've developed a capsule-ish wardrobe. I have clothes that I actually enjoy and look forward to wearing. I often purchase multiples of the same item because I like it so much. With that said, I want these items to last so I've had to take more time and effort to look after them. I have a few guiding principles I follow now...

1 | Fold sweaters. We all know this one, but folding is annoying so I used to hang everything. I had the horrible hanger marks in my sweaters and never even thought about changing this practice. I told you... lazy. I simply had to clear off a very small section of shelf in our closet and voila - I now fold sweaters.

2 | Don't overwash. Do cashmere sweaters need to be washed after each wear? No! I don't know why I felt the need to wash everything after a singe wear. I guess I didn't know any better. I blame my mom😂 My sweaters certainly aren't "dirty" after wearing them for 9 hours at work where I've had zero physical exertion. I also tend to wear a tee under my sweaters to act as a barrier. 

3 | Purchase reusable laundry bags. I bought this set of five from Amazon for $8 and it has been a game-changer! I wash everything (cashmere, wool, silk, bras) in the washing machine. I put all my delicates in these bags. Wash on a cold, delicate cycle with gentle detergent then lay flat to dry. I only dry clean two items in my wardrobe - they're both Burberry trench coats with 5-6 parts/layers. 

4 | Take the time to use a sweater comb. I tend to wear cashmere so pilling is apart of my life. I have this sweater comb and I use it weekly, after ironing (with this iron). I really hate ironing and combing my delicates so I force myself to do it weekly so it stays manageable (usually 3-5 items). 

5 | Have stain removers on hand! I always carry a Tide-To-Go Pen in my bag. It's been used dozens of times (by myself, friends, coworkers), but there are some stains too big for the pen. Fun story - I spilt coffee down the front of my outfit at work a month ago. I was wearing a charcoal sweater and white jeans! It was everywhere. I could have died. Fortunately, I live close to where I work. I quickly drove home and covered the coffee stain in OxyClean Gel Stain Remover. I let it sit for 3 minutes while I changed into different pants then threw them into a cold wash with detergent and OxyClean powder. The stain was completely gone! I've used this combo on a lot of Evie's clothes. 

Two Years

Evie girl is officially two-years-old! 

After weeks of coaching, she can tell you "I'm two!" when you ask "How old are you?"

Evie is an absolute joy (95% of the time). She's happy, kind, and charming. She'll give you a pat on the back, stroke your cheek with her hand and whisper "I love you" before bed. It's heartwarming and manipulative. She knows the little things that will buy her more time before bed... asking for water, grabbing one more book, and showering us with affection. 

Ev has her moments that call for time-outs. We have a designated corner in the condo where she sits for 2 minutes when she's hit us or thrown something in the midst of a tantrum. She doesn't get time-outs often, but they're usually pretty effective. She takes them seriously. She will sit for the 2 minutes, but she really does not want to apologize when she's allowed out. It pains her to say "I'm sorry." It's usually whispered. 

Current favorites include coloring, babies, cleaning and Cocomelon nursery rhymes (on YouTube). Coloring has been a favorite for awhile, but she's really into bath crayons and coloring on the iPad with the Apple Pencil. Evie has become a baby fanatic in the last couple months. She wants to help all (real and doll) babies. She gives them blankies, pacis, toys. She pretends to feed them and now has stroller for her baby dolls. It's adorable. I know Evie is my child from her love of cleaning. She says "I sheen" every single day. I give her Method all-purpose spray and a rag. She sprays the floor and wipes until I take it away. Evie doesn't get much screen-time, usually just when we're traveling. She doesn't have an interest in TV, but she does request "baby" on our phones which means looking at pictures of her or Cocomelon nursery rhymes on YouTube. 

I love this stage because she's so affectionate, but also very predictable. She eats well (still obsessed with yogurt) and sleeps great. She sleeps 12 hours every night (7-7) and takes one nap (1.5-2 hours) every afternoon. She's even getting better to travel with. I thought 10-18 months were really difficult ages for travel, but the last few trips have been so much better now that her attention span is longer than 3 seconds. 

We're currently at the beginning stages of potty training. She sits on the potty 4-5 times every day at daycare, but cries every time we mention the potty at home. Her incentive is toilet paper. The girl is desperate for a couple squares of TP. Wish us luck with this one!

Weekend Update

We celebrated Evie's birthday!!

I cannot believe she's two-years-old! We kept coaching her to say "I'm two" when we asked "How old are you?" She was so confused. She kept responding with "Good!" because we usually ask "How are you?" She also couldn't stop singing Happy Birthday to herself by the end of the day😂

I baked a bunny cake like my mom used to make for my sisters and I. She kept asking to "open the rabbit" throughout the day. We gave her the entire cake expecting her to smash it, but she just scooped off all the frosting. She didn't even touch the cake. 

It was a baby and pink themed birthday. She's super excited to open presents now. She got a stroller and baby bottles, plates, spoons. She got a lot of clothes. Brady and I got her a Strider bike and new Babiators. 

 Toddler friendly wrapping by Brady

 Baby things are always a hit

 She's a good little mama

 Ready for her next present

 Eating with her baby

 Blowing out the candles (she did it!)

 Bike time!

So adorable

She was getting the hang of it pretty quickly

Putting her babies to bed

Wardrobe Essentials

Marie Kondo is taking over the world... and I'm here for it! 

Like everyone, I'm all about organization at the moment. I've tackled every inch of this condo (it's only 1200 sq ft so it hasn't been a long process). Oddly enough, the linen closet has been the most satisfying. Maybe I'll take some photos to post later because it really is👌

My closet has been a work in progress for years and it's finally to a point where I'm happy with (pretty much) everything. I've found what works for me in terms of style, color, price. If you've seen any of my "weekly wardrobe" posts then you probably picked up on my uniform... skinny pants, wool or cashmere sweater, flats or sneakers. I'm a simple girl. Here are the basics I cannot live without...

AQUA cashmere sweater

HM merino wool sweater
GAP modern tees/tanks

JCrew v-neck tees
Saint Laurent cardholder
Cuyana tote

Calvin Klein cotton blend bralette

Calvin Klein cotton blend bikini

Natori Feathers Contour bra

Hanky Panky low rise thongs

Balega socks

Rothy's loafers/flats

Adidas Ultra Boost sneakers
Lululemon Wunder Under tights

GAP joggers

Frame denim

Weekend Update

We've had terrible weather the past week! Evie's daycare was closed yesterday and today. They had reduced hours (or closed) every day last week. We have actual snow accumulation, which is the first I've seen in the four years we've lived here.

Poor Brady has two dependents to look after. I'm still on crutches for at least one more week. I nearly passed out trying to get the bandages off my stitches yesterday. Right after that, Evie threw up on our family room rug. Brady had to bathe her then clean the rug. We don't know why she vomited. No fever. Good appetite. We gave her pedialyte with a bland dinner then put her to bed early. 

Brady went the gym yesterday while Evie was napping and I told him I would understand if he didn't return😂

Evie cuddles

Making protein shakes is LOUD

This will seem like nothing to Iowans, but it's a lot for the PNW

Iowa

We timed this trip perfectly for the polar vortex😑

It was bitter cold. We're talking -40° windchill! Needless to say, we spent no time outdoors other than running from the car to the house. However, we did get lots of family time! We cuddled baby Olivia and baby Morgan and played with Mira and Elena💛 Evie loved every minute with her cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents. We tried a few new restaurants. Brady and I even got to have a gym/brunch date while Nana watched Evie🙌 I can totally see the benefit of living close to family! The next trip will be definitely be timed for better weather. 

Get ready for all the baby pics...

Nana holding Olivia and Evie holding Elena's naked baby

Someone wanted to stay up late and hang with Nana and Grandpa

All the nieces!

Evie and Amanda

Everyone taking turns holding Livi

Tyler gave her a ring pop and she LOVED him for it

Sweet girls

Story time with Nana

Brady loves the newborn stage

Meeting baby Mo!

Baking with Auntie Cait

So much snow

These three💛

Trying Arcadia in Campustown. The pourovers were really good

Heaven!

Bompa cuddles in the mall

Campustown has changed so much in the past 9 years... lol we're old

There two get along so well! Evie and Elena fought over every toy, but I suppose that should be expected with TWO two-year-olds.

Evie gave Livi her Mamaroo ball

Evie is very into watching nursery rhymes on YouTube

She loves her Nana so much

Always playing with Bompa's glasses and hearing aids

Cheers!

Mo had the best chub and hair!

There was a lot going on in the photo

Baby Mo

Evie's poor cheeks didn't like the cold weather

Evie's turn to hold Livi

Post-Op

Hip surgery #2 ✔

I had to take my crutches out of the closet again. I realized I've been on crutches three times in the past three years. Fingers-crossed this is the last time. 

I'm struggling to find things to do... Amanda got me a label maker, which I've already put to good use! I actually had this label maker sitting in my Amazon cart and I thought Brady had mistakenly ordered it 😂 She knows me so well! I'm also binge-watching Netflix and Amazon Prime. Any recommendations?? I'm still watching The Americans. I've gotten back into The Office and Schitt's Creek. I watched The Hundred-Foot Journey and loved it.

I made a few online purchases... another AQUA cashmere sweater (I'm addicted), another pair of Boosts (again, addicted), and an iPad. I better stop now or Brady will start asking questions when deliveries appear at the front door.