CAPSULE WARDROBE: PROS AND CONS

It's true, the capsule wardrobe is not for everyone.  I get so many comments and questions about my this topic that I thought it would be a great time to do a pros and cons post.  In my case, the pros outweigh the cons...you'll have to decide what you think!

PROS

1.  It keeps my closet and drawers so organized.  I love for everything in my home to look neat, clean and in order, so naturally I love the capsule wardrobe.  Since there are so few items, it is really easy to stay on top of the clutter.  Imagine what your closet would look like if you got rid of everything that lost it's shape, has faded colors, doesn't fit or you feel uncomfortable wearing...you would only be left with a small amount of clothes, but they would be what you love and what looks great on you!

2.  It makes getting dressed so much simpler.  I only have a few items and love them all, so it is really easy to put together an outfit in the mornings!  Plus, this is great for a traveler...I basically just pack up my entire wardrobe when I go on trips, so there are no hard decisions on what to bring!  Imagine waking up and being happy when you get dressed, instead of the usual "I have nothing to wear" fight that goes on in your mind as you are rushing to get ready!

3.  It helps me to save money.  I only shop for shoes and clothes a few times a year and I only buy exactly what I am looking for at the time.  This means that there are no random shopping sprees and regrets.  Which also means, more money saved for traveling!  Imagine shopping a few times a year with a plan, getting items you will enjoy and not blowing your budget and feeling guilty later!

CONS

1.  There are fewer items in my closet.  So, getting creative with my outfits has to be done through my shoes, coats, scarves, purses and jewelry.  I like to keep things simple anyway, so this doesn't bother me.  But, if you like to change up your look each day, you would have to learn to do so with the extras (shoes, coats, etc...).  You never know, it could be a fun challenge!  And remember, don't let it bother you to be seen in the same outfit in the same week.  Who cares!  I bet no one will even notice and if they do, explain the capsule wardrobe and get them onboard too!

2.  There is more washing.  Right now, I am doing The Six Items Challenge, so I have been washing clothes about every 3 days.  However, normally I wash once per week.  It really depends on your own capsule wardrobe and how many items you choose to keep.  Keep more, less washing.  Keep less, more washing.  I still prefer to keep less, personally, because it means that I can choose nicer items!

3.  And on that note, clothes die sooner.  Since I wash my clothes more often, my clothes don't last as long.  Especially in the summer.  I am a big sweater and have to wash my tops and dresses after one wear.  So, by the time the weather begins to cool off, most of the tops I wore during the hot months are threadbare.  My dresses usually last two, sometimes three seasons. My shorts and jeans will last years and years because I don't wash these as often.  So, you can choose to buy lesser quality items and replace them each season, or fill your capsule wardrobe with high quality items that last longer!

So, what do you think...is the capsule wardrobe for you?  If you are already deep into it, is there a pro or con that I missed?  Let me know in the comments below!

MY TOP TEN FAVORITES

We ALL have things that we enjoy, but how many of us actually take time to recognize them and enjoy them?!?!?!  Responsibilities take over and our busy lives control us.  Years go by and we don't realize that we never make time to simply enjoy what we love!!!

A few months back, I wrote down a list of all the things that I really love (my favorites) and have been trying to be more intentional about being thankful for these things!  I want to learn to be content with what I have, instead of wish my life away for bigger and better!  So, here is my list...

1.  Ironman.  Need I say more?

2.  My Le Creuset Caribbean Blue pot and pan.  Each time I cook or bake with them, I feel like my mood is lifted just because the color is so happy!

3.  My iPhone.  It helps make life so much simpler because I use it as my Calendar, Camera, Watch, Map, Notebook, Calculator, Timer, Kindle, Mail, Address Book and for all the Apps that I use and love.  Plus, since I work online, I can work anywhere in the world (which is good for a traveler) as long as I have my phone and wifi!

4.  Basically anything purple, fuzzy or fluffy.  Ironman lately said that I was like the princess and the pea because I have to be comfortable all the time.  This is true!  And most likely why I love fall so much.  It's the time of year when I get to wrap myself up in my purple polka dot bathrobe and walk around the house in my snowflake slippers.  I get to drink my weight in hot tea and cuddle up on the couch with my favorite throws.  I love the cold weather because of the coziness that it brings!  So, while I'm at it, I might as well make sure everything is purple.  It's just such a feminine and flattering color!  

5.  Working out at the gym...errr... relaxing in the gym sauna.  The sauna is a great place to get some alone time.  It is warm, dark and quiet.  I love to go and relax inside for about 30-45 minutes.  I come out so calm.  Plus, it gives me time to think through and sort through things going on in my head, so I feel like I've cleared my mind.  Check out my post, 4 Reasons You Should Enjoy The Sauna.

6.  Hallmark Christmas Movies.  Another reason why I LOVE fall is because it is bringing in the best time of year.  Holidays full of food, family, fun and lots of Hallmark Christmas Movies.  I just can't wait!

7.  My Birkenstocks.  These are the best shoes.  I wear them with shorts, skinny jeans and dresses and always feel put together.  The silver color matches everything.  And I love that they aren't just cute, but they are comfy.  This is the perfect shoe for a traveler.  

8.  My Frankincense essential oil.  Aka, liquid gold.  Seriously.  This stuff is amazing.  Boost your mood.  Stay well.  Get clear, bright skin.  Stay calm and collected.  Rest well.  Get rid of wrinkles.  Maybe we should just call this "The Fountain Bottle of Youth"!!!  If I could only choose one essential oil (and that would be torture), I would choose Frank.

9.  My pearl earrings.  I love how these are so simple and go with anything.  Plus, my mom brought them to me from Bangladesh, so they are also sentimental.  I really enjoy seeing someone's outfit with the perfectly matching costume jewelry.  But, there is just something special about wearing the same, simple, sentimental pieces each day.  I just love it.

10.  My sunglasses.  I DO NOT leave the house without my sunglasses.  Ever.  Ironman says that I'm like a vampire because I only like to come out on overcast days or at night.  Otherwise, if I do come out, it's with my sunglasses on.  The sun is just so bright, I can barely stand it.  I always say that I should leave in Europe or somewhere thats dreary all the time...that's the type of weather I love! 

It's your turn...tell us a few of your favorite things!

LYNCHES RIVER COUNTY PARK

I declared yesterday an "only us" day and told Ironman that we were going on an adventure.  After an hour of us googling ideas and browsing Pinterest, we finally decided on Lynches River County Park.  It's crazy that we have lived here all these years and have never gone, even though it's only 20 minutes from our home!

The park has cabins, canoes, fishing, a campground, trails, shelters, picnic tables, a riverwalk, a splash pad and lots of family friendly events going on all the time.  What I was most interested in, though, was the Canopy Walk. 

There were 3-4 sections of the swinging bridge about 50 feet off of the ground.  It wasn't too scary, unless you are afraid of heights!

And it was a great reminder that kids aren't afraid of anything.  As I am carefully walking and holding on and keeping my balance, the kids around were running, jumping and banging their feet against the bridge as hard as they could to make it swing like crazy.  One kid ran by, as his parents screamed for him to stop...I asked him, "You're not scared, are you?" and he said "Yes".  I just laughed and decided he must have meant afraid of his parents.

I was happy that this was so short, until I got to the end and decided that I was really enjoying myself.  Ironman and I both said that our next canopy adventure needs to be zip lining through some forest!  Isn't there a place to do that in North Carolina?

After the Canopy Walk, we headed over to see Lynches River.  It is so dark and muddy!  Let's just say, I would NOT want to fall in.  Think of all the muck and snakes and alligators and who knows what else is in there!  We came a little too late to get in the water, though, so we will have to come back for that another day.  On Saturdays, if you come by 9am, you can get a canoe for the day, float down the river and stop off at a nearby beach for a picnic!

We didn't bring our bug spray and began to get eaten up while sitting still, so we decided to take in the River Walk.  It was quiet and well shaded, so we just took our time.

Everywhere we looked there were interesting bugs, speedy lizards and strange tree bark.  

This area had little ponds full of iridescent water.  Depending on where you looked, the water was green, orange or black and had a shiny glint to it.  We weren't sure if that was normal or if there was something wrong with the water.  Maybe it was polluted?

Lynches River County Park is a great place to rent a cabin or camp for a restful weekend, or take a leisurely float down the river, use one of the shelters to host a cookout or party or even to just walk around to enjoy the quiet.  We will definitely be back to enjoy the bike trails and river!

So, since we are Canopy Walk experts at this point, do you know of another one close by that we should go visit?

THE SIX ITEMS CHALLENGE

Six items of clothing for six weeks.

Could you do it?

During Summer 2014 I came across the idea of a Capsule Wardrobe and immediately fell in love.  Since then, I have been scaling back the amount of clothes I own and trying to be more careful about my purchases.  About a week ago, as I was pinning ideas for my Fall Capsule, I came across The Six Items Challenge.  Basically, you only wear six items of clothing (that you already own) for six weeks.  This doesn't include uniforms, workout clothes, socks, shoes, underwear, pajamas, accessories and coats.  So, I included this challenge in my Fall 2016 Bucket List!

Want to see the items I chose?

3 tops

1 pair shorts

1 pair black skinnies

1 dress

Not much, huh?

Because I've done the Capsule Wardrobe for so many years now, I really don't own much more than this anyway.  However, even for me, six items is slim pickings!  I'm counting on the shoes, coats and accessories being a big help.

One obstacle I know I'll face is the changing weather.  We are just now leaving behind the blazing hot summer of South Carolina and headed into the Fall (thank goodness).  Although the challenge is to only wear these specific items for six weeks, if the temperatures drop quickly, I will have to switch out the shorts, tank and dress for warmer items.  We will just see how it goes!  I actually already started this challenge on October 20th, so my six weeks will be up on November 1st...and I'll post an update on how it went, of course!

I'm really excited about stretching myself here...would you like to join me?  If so, comment below or send me a personal message.  I'd love to keep in touch and encourage each other!

MY FALL 2016 BUCKET LIST

Before we get started...HAPPY FIRST DAY OF FALL!

Fall is my favorite time of year.  The weather is cooling off and the best holidays are approaching...Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years (aka plenty of food, family, friends, fun and Hallmark movies, LOTS of Hallmark movies).  Also, Ironman and I celebrate our wedding anniversary December 8th.  See what I mean?  Best time of year all around.

I keep a Bucket List all of the time, but it's mainly big things that I want to cross off during my lifetime.  I never thought of having a seasonal Bucket List until Amanda from The Next Seven Blog posted hers.  Of course, I loved it and knew that I had to do it!  So, here it is:

play hide and go seek in a corn maize
have a picnic in Charleston
carve a pumpkin for my front porch

My first pumpkin carving - 2006

find the best pumpkin spice latte around
play tourist in my own town
jump in a pile of leaves (and hope there are no spiders or snakes present)
go on a hayride
bike the Swamp Rabbit Trail

Swamp Rabbit Trail - 2014

get a Fall pedicure (no hot pink allowed)
make and eat some caramel apples
host an open house
enjoy the Lights Before Christmas at the Riverbanks Zoo
have a sauna and whirlpool day at the gym with friends
go geocaching
take a hike

Table Rock - 2013

participate in The 6 Items Challenge
go on a weekend camp trip
cruise the Blue Ridge Parkway
go on a moonlight kayak trip
explore Lynches River County Park
bake an apple pie
get a facial
go see the lights during Christmas at Biltmore for our anniversary
watch ELF 5,786,932 times

Click HERE to get yours!!!

So, I don't know if I will really be able to do ALL those items on my list, but I sure am going to try.  Tell me something that YOU love to do during Fall...I'd love to get some more unique ideas!

PS...did you know that Fall goes from September 22nd through December 21st?  I had no idea and have always just assumed that Winter began on December 1st!  Still learning something new everyday.  Also, don't forget to check out Emily's Fall Bucket List at Just Because...she is my partner in crime and we will be blogging about all our upcoming adventures these next few months as we cross things off of our lists!

WHAT 31 DAYS WITHOUT PIZZA OR NETFLIX TAUGHT ME

During the entire 31 days of August, I went without Pizza and Netflix.  To you, that may sound easy peasy.  However, when I told Ironman, his exact words were, "we're going to die."  So, although I started out with the worst case scenario rolling around in my head (death), it actually wasn't too bad and I am glad that we did it!  Since Ironman and I do pretty much everything together, me skipping out on these beloved items meant that he would end up doing it also.  That really helped it not be so hard since I wasn't doing it alone!  And the good news is, we didn't die, but instead learned some lessons along the way:

1.  There are other ways to watch a movie.  Even though we weren't watching Netflix, we did watch a few movies by other means.  One night, we went to the movie theatre in town to see the new Jason Bourne movie.  We hardly ever go to the movies due to the cost, but we turned it into a date night and really enjoyed getting out together and seeing a movie in the theatre!  Plus, it helps that we love all the Jason Bourne movies and this one was just as good as the first three.  And other than going to the movie theatre, we ended up renting a few movies through iTunes.  Again, because of the cost, we usually wait months (or years) until the new movies show up on Netflix.  I realized that when we are watching something on Netflix, I know that I can always go back and re-watch something.  However, when we pay a lot of money to see a movie in the theatre or on iTunes, we really focus during the entire movie.  This is so much more enjoyable!

2.  There are other things to do.  So often, Ironman and I just turn on Netflix because we can.  Then we scroll and scroll and scroll looking for something decent to watch.  This is such a waste of time!  However, during the time we weren't watching Netflix, I realized that we stayed pretty busy!  We went to the gym more frequently.  We had friends over.  We went out more and socialized longer when we were invited places.  We sat on our front porch and talked.  We read books.  We found things to do the entire month of August and were never bored!  Also, I found that I worked better.  Since I work from home, I find myself turning on Netflix in the background just so that I don't feel like the house is so lonely and quiet.  However, without that background noise, I found myself concentrating better while working and getting much more done!

3.  There are other good things to eat.  Each Sunday afternoon, Ironman and I go to ALDI and stock up for the week.  During August, I noticed that I did much better with planning and preparing meals because I knew that I couldn't just go pick up a pizza at the last minute.  This was great for our budget, but also for our bodies since we ended up eating so much healthier!  Also, when we went out to eat at any restaurants, I ended up trying some new foods instead of just ordering a pizza like I normally would.  This definitely got me out of my box...I am such a creature of habit!

Overall, the 31 days without pizza or Netflix was really good for us and got us out of our rut (the pizza and Netflix rut just feels so good, right?).  However, I have to admit we were really excited to get that first pizza and finish Limitless, which we had started in July!  Also, we found that it was hard to have some type of "rule" around friends and family.  We would end up feeling so bad when someone suggested pizza or Netflix and we had to break it to them that we couldn't participate.  The good news is, though, that everyone was understanding and we really have cut back big time on our pizza and Netflix obsession!

So, tell me...what is something that you absolutely LOVE and it would be really hard for you to give up for a month?

COFFEE TASTING AND FLOWER GAZING

This past Saturday, my friend Emily, from Just Because, and I decided to skip town and head to Hartsville, SC.  Each time I think of this cute little city, I imagine all things artsy.  For years, I have been sneaking over here with my sister Mary Ashley for lunch and a bit of boutique shopping.

The Midnight Rooster has always been our favorite spot, but over the years, it has been sold a few times and passed through several owners' hands.  Each time, it's less and less like the original that we first fell in love with.

  However, because of so many memories and fondness of the place, I keep going back hoping to find it like I loved it years ago.  It's never the case, though.  

I don't want to say that the food isn't tasty or the service isn't good.  Honesty, it's fine and any newbie would probably be impressed.  As someone who enjoyed The Midnight Rooster with the original owner, though, it's just not the same.  Each time my sisters and I go, we get all sad and frustrated and say we are never coming back.  So, long story short, although I enjoyed going there with Emily and I got a yummy crepe, it still was a slight disappointment.

After our breakfast, we checked out a few of the boutiques on the main street.  They do have a few cute shops that I enjoy looking in, but many of the store fronts are empty.  

Since Greenville updated their downtown and Florence is in the process of doing ours, I wonder if Hartsville will catch up with the times and get their downtown more active again!  I know that this place has so much potential.  It reminds me of what could be a real life Stars Hallow...basically a dream for all Gilmore Girls fans!

We spotted a rooftop bar, but since it was way too hot, we decided that we will have to make another trip here when the weather cools down!

 So, after a quick gas station stop for some bottled water, we drove just a few minutes to find Kalmia Gardens.  The last time I visited the gardens was in 2006 with Ironman.  I remember it went from burning hot (almost unbearable) to pouring rainstorm within an hour.  We ended up going to see a movie at the old theatre because the weather was so bad.  

It's ironic because when Emily and I went this past Saturday, it was overcast and cool, but by the time we got to the gardens it was burning up and our clothes felt painted on.  Apparently the weather is still just as fickle, a decade later!

There was much more greenery than there were flowers, but that made each flower that we did spot all that more exciting!  Isn't this one gorgeous?  I would love to figure out what type flower it is!

The funny thing is that Emily and I are both not good with bugs and spiders and anything creepy crawly.  So, we kept bumping into each other as we both tried to walk in the middle of the walkways. Each time I felt something touch me, I would jump to worst case scenario and imagine the largest spider in the world camped out on my back or in my hair.  One bug actually did fall down my shirt and crawl around a bit before I got him out!

After our long, hot and treacherous journey (haha...no really), we decided we needed another little coffee break.  I mean, there is no such thing as too much coffee right?  Emily had a friend suggest Crema Coffee Bar and we both ended up really liking the place.  The front doesn't look all that exciting so I probably would have never tried it without the suggestion.  

However, the coffee was great and I appreciated how they had a little "library" where you can take a book and leave a book!  I really want Ironman to build me a Little Free Library in our front yard.  Wouldn't it be cute to have a little neighbor library like that?  As of today, there is still no one within my zip code that has one!  So, that's a sign that I need to put up the first one, right?

See the little library (bookshelf) in front of me?

 Overall, Harstville was a fun day!  But, in all honesty, I liked playing tourist in Lake City better!  I can't believe that I am actually saying that.  Since we didn't visit the Museum or rooftop bar, though, Emily and I have already said that we will give Hartsville another go sometime soon.  

Can you guess where we are off to next weekend?