Housewifery Tips Pt. 5

"Fall/Winter Capsule Wardrobe"


So, after almost a year of staying home, I have realized the freedom of not 'Keeping up with the Jones' '

so to speak. I've basically been wearing a capsule wardrobe without even realizing it! Because when

you're not seeing people every single day, what's the point?! I have definitely felt less of a need to be

constantly shopping. Which was definitely a problem that I had. I was one of those people that had a

really hard time leaving a store without something. And now that we live in a 1,200 sq. ft. home. And I

am here all day. I've noticed that the need for clothes has gone down considerably. Or as Carrie

Bradshaw put it, "I've been cheating on fashion, with furniture."

So, that got me to thinking. Maybe I should just go all out and really do the Capsule Wardrobe thing.

So basically buying a smaller amount clothes that you LOVE. Instead of a closet packed with clothes

you have had for years and never wear. You can read a lot about this in the book, Lessons from

Madame Chic. One of my favorite books, that I feel that I am constantly referencing in my everyday

life (you can get it here). So let's get to it. 

What do I want for my fall/winter Capsule wardrobe? Here's where we are at right now. It's early

October in Tulsa, which means it could continue in the 80's until mid to late October. So I'll still be

wearing out some of my summer things just a little longer. So my closet will still be a little crowded for

another month or so. I'm just doing this now to help you get started! Right, so obviously I need my style

words. I'm going for Versatile/Comfy/Vintage (or Retro).

So the clothes that I buy/keep have to fit inside of those three words. And if they don't, then I can't keep

them. Here is what I have so far.

TOPS 7

Madewell Crop Top, these were in my summer wardrobe, and are coming with me all year. I am so in 

love with these tops. They are PERFECTLY made, and the exact right cut, and length for a crop top. 

They go with all pairs of my high-waisted pants. And exactly perfect over my anthro jumper, as well as 

my skirts! And I also have one in white, but it got a stain on it that i'm determined to get out.

This was actually a long sleeve chambray that I got from Target a couple years ago, that I turned into a

sleevless one. And it is perfect for every season. It goes great under sweaters for layering in the

fall/winter!



This one I got from Gap last year, and it is also great under sweaters, or tied up over dresses, or even on

its own. And I love that the back is longer than the front. It really dresses up a pair of work out pants.

For that night you have to run to the store, but just really don't wanna put on pants.

This is an oldie, but goodie! I got this from Modcloth 3 years ago. And this bad boy is still going

strong! I love the blousing at the bottom, It's also perfect under sweaters, but also tucks well into skirts!

Another Modcloth find, a button up made out of the softest knit fabric ever. Its funny because I also 

bought this a few years ago, and it seriously went unworn for maybe 2 years. Because up until a couple 

months ago, I really wouldn't have considered myself a "button up person" (I don't really know what a 

button up person is, but I was sure that wasn't me..) Until I put one on and thought, "What was I 

thinking, I look fabulous." So I've been patting my past self on the back for this one. 

Way to go 21yr old Kaylan!

This top is from Anthropologie's sale rack last spring. And It's another perfect year-round top. I used to

be self conscious of wearing sleeveless tops in the summer, because I didn't think my arms were toned

enough, and then remembered to get over myself, and now I love it! 

PANTS 2

I have 2 pairs of pants, a black, and denim pair of the BDG Twig High-Rish Skinny jeans from Urban

Outfitters. Not trying to be dramatic, these pants are life. I am seriously so taken with these. And let's

take a second and just ask the question no one is asking. WHY on earth did we ever stray away from

high-waisted pants?! Classy, no butt crack, flattering, no need for the "fat girl sit" (You all know what

I'm talking about. You sit down, and have to pull the front of your pants over the little pudge that comes

out. We all got it Ladies.) Everytime I wear these pants, I picture myself before, like an info-mercial. A

black and white frame of me all uncomfortable, with my old pants bending over, and trying to sit. And

then all of the sudden I'm wearing these, and i'm in color, and so happy. 

Seriously I cannot stress enough. You NEED these!

SKIRTS 3

So, after a long stint of Mad Men, and A LOT of research into the origin of 1950's housewifery. I could

not help but be drawn to the amazing flare of some vintage pieces. And this Etsy store, Gold Canary 

Vintage, is Where It Is At! I have followed this store for a little over a year now. And I can seriously

just look at her shop. All of the clothes are so beautiful. And amazingly priced. And they are from

Englad. So you're not just getting something timeless and vintage. You're also getting something that

some groovy chick wore at the turn of the century! Yes Please!

By the way, I've also partnered up with Gold Canary Vintage, to get you 10% off any purchase, with

this discount code HIVE10 ! Guys, jump on this. Her stuff is so classic! And don't forget to message or email me

if you buy something. I'd love to see it!



This I got from J.Crew a couple years ago, and it only fit me for a season. I recently got it taken in, and

now I can wear it again! And I could wear it almost everyday. I think everyone should have a black

skirt. It's such a solid staple!

SWEATERS 5



I just bought this a couple days ago at Loft, they were having a huge 40% off all sweaters and tops sale,

and I jumped on it! I really loved the slight bell sleeves that it had, and its cashmere! I feel like such an

adult just typing that I have something Cashmere..

I love this sweater. I got it from Anthropologie as well last year, and it is one of my fav year round

pieces! Well, most of the year, it'll be good for a couple more weeks, and then to the Spring pile it goes!

But I'm definitely making it last as long as possible!



This classic is from Gap last spring. I got it for a great price, and I love it! This one kind of borders on

being a crop sweater, so its fun to wear things under it!



This sweater I actually got at Jo&June's here in Tulsa. She gets the greatest most random vintage, and

retro items. Including clothes! I think I got it for $12!



This one I also got from Gap, the same time I got the other grey sweater, it's nice to have a simple

basic!

DRESSES 8

Ok, so this is where it gets fun. Dresses are my FAV! All of my other clothing tends to be black, grey,

or white. Which I love. But dresses are where I like to bring in the flare. So here they are!





I absolutely love this dress! I got this on sale on Modcloth also, and the funny thing was it got terrible

reviews, but I was just so taken with the fabric, I didn't even care. And it was only $30 bucks, so I

decided to go for it, and I am so glad. I really really love this dress.



This dress is actually a spaghetti top, which works perfect for fall, because then you can layer on top of

it! Although, the bottom not only is silk, but also has knee high slits in the side, so it only has a couple

good weeks of wear left as well.





Ok, this dress has my heart. Not only do I look like a 1950's housewife to the max. But I got this dress

3 years ago in a vintage shop in PARIS! The funny thing was, it actually did not fit me when I got it.

But it was only $10, and it was in perfect condition. So I had to. And now that it fits, I am in LOVE!



So, my sister in law actually gave me this dress. And I stinking love it. The colors, the cut. All of it! I

am going to make it just below knee length. So I'm showing you the "before" now. I can't wait to wear

it with black stockings, and my high heel clogs.

(Heart eyes, am I right!?)





Right, I know what you are thinking. Yes, I do have a "thing" for vintage florals. But I can't help it, I

just love them! I actually bought this at Salvation Army to use as fabric. And then the second I tried it

on, I knew that there was no way I could not keep it. Although….those sleeves. I am definitely taking

off the sleeves. I'll do it as a cap sleeve dress, and then wear it with sweaters until its too cold.



This groovy thing I for from Urban Outfitters. It has large slits on the side as well, and this one I love

wearing with my platform sneakers. Another thing I'm really into lately. I'm 5'4 (and a half!) so I really

love the extra height! I also love the 90's vibe from this one. Also great with sweaters.



I got this sweet dress from Urban Outfitters last year, and I really love this dress. Plain and simple!



And the best for last! I saved and saved for this fabulous jumper from Anthropologie this Spring. And it

has continued to be my favorite thing in my closet! It is wonderful with crop tops, and sweaters. And

even duster sweaters! I love love love it!!



(Pictured: Gap sweater, old Modcloth party dress)

Something to keep in mind. Just find clothes that fit your body type. I have a small waist, but larger

thighs. So that's why I love my high waisted pants. And I've always had a weird thing with my knees,

so I tend to lean toward longer skirts and dresses. Because that's what makes me feel confident!

I can honestly say for the first time in the last 9 years that I am 5'5 and weigh 145 pounds. And feel

great about myself! Love your clothes, but don't let them make you feel bad about yourself. Wear what

makes you happy!

 I hope someone somewhere got something out of this. I really love the freedom of having fewer

clothes in my wardrobe. Since I have done this, i've had no experience of looking in my closet and

feeling like I had nothing to wear. And I love it! I'll do a separate post on shoes, and coats, and fun

extras like party dresses. 

Etsy | Instagram | Facebook

Housewifery Tips Pt. 4

Have Products You Love

"Fresh Wave"

I was so thrilled to work together with Fresh Wave on a blog post. I think a pitfall that we can

all slip into, is getting complacent. Wether that is with your job, or your cleaning routine, or even the

products that we buy. As for me, I noticed that even after I was away from my mom's house. I still

bought all of the same products that she did! And never questioned it once! 

So In the last few months I have really tried to be intentional about that products that I buy. Are they

natural? Do I like the way they look? How do the smells go in our house? 

So let's get to it! Here are some thing that i've been trying from Fresh Wave.

 All of the things that were sent to me were specifically to help with pet odor. So I was really curious to

see how it would do in our house. The first thing I tried was their Odor Removing Spray. And I

LOVED this stuff! I sprayed it EVERYWHERE! I sprayed it in our closet, on our rugs, just in the

middle of the room, and I even tried it on the couch! I wish I could send a spray sample through my

computer to all of you. It reminds me of a mix between citrus and essential oils, its soooo good!

There is this little spot of our couch that Copper likes to go and nuzzle into. And because he is so

blasted cute, we let him. But not only does he nuzzle, that also happens to be his bathing area. And

where he takes his treats, AND where he takes his toys to chew on. You get it, it's basically his happy

place. Now of course I clean this cushion constantly, but I am always self conscious that someone is

going to come over and sit on our couch and then leave, and tell whoever they were in the car with,

"Oh my gosh, did you smell their couch?! It smells like Chihuaua butt. "Crazy, I know, but these are

the things I think about. So I tried this stuff on the couch, and to my surprise, it worked! 30min before

we had company arrive, I went and did a few sprays on his 'special' cushion, and it smelled great for

hours! Now I can imagine they left and thought, "Wow, that house smelled just delightful!"

The second thing that I tried was there Odor Removing Gel, I did like this right off because it is small

and easy to conceal, so you don't have to look like you are trying to hard to make your home smell

nice. I mean I love candles, and room spray too guys, but after a certain point, it may just look like your

hiding something. ("Man, those people have like 3 candles in every room, and scent boosters, AND

room spray. Sheesh, they must be dirty.") I tried it in our bedroom and honestly was a little

disappointed, because after the first day, I couldn't even smell it anymore. So I moved it into a smaller

space, aka our small damp hall closet. and it did a great job! The closet within one day went from, "Oh

I hope no one ever opens that door.." to, "I hope no one sees how messy that closet is…but at least it

smells good!"

Thirdly, I tried the Odor Removing Packs! These things are AWESOME! They are so small, you can

literally fit them anywhere. And so inconspicuously! They can go in cars, shoes, backpacks, purses,

and in your drawers! I even gave some to some friends, and everyone really liked them! 

And lastly, the pup shampoo. So I got a great story about this one. Let me set up the scene for you,

wake up on a beautiful Saturday morning. Drink some coffee, do a little Pinterest, have a little down

time, and then have the brilliant idea to give your sweet little Angel Pup a bath. 

Their stuff has such a lovely distinct smell. I can't even explain it! Not to mention, its all natural. So I 

felt more than comfortable putting this on Copper, and my moms dogs. 

(Don't let their faces fool you, I kept the water at a perfect temperature, and sang to them almost the whole time!)

Justin and I were raving to my parents who dropped by with their dogs, how amazing this stuff smelled,

and how we loved that it came in a dog shampoo! So my mom put her pup, Penni in there for a little

spritz as well! About 30 min later we let Copper out for a little morning constitutional, and started in on

our Trader Joes, gluten free pumpkin pancakes. Feeling pretty accomplished, and then I'm stopped by

this really terrible smell…"Justin, do you smell that? What is that?" I look down, and there's the little

Prince, covered head to torso in fresh poop. So. not. kidding. I'm talking, in his ears, all over his face,

his collar, his neck. The whole shebang!

So, guess who got another bath?! 

The funny thing was, my mothers dogs did not have this affect at all! But for whatever reason, Copper

maybe felt like he didn't want to smell like his Sister-Aunts (aka my moms dogs). But after the second

bath, he was perfectly fine. I'd argue to say that he even got some overtime cuddles just for smelling so

dang good! 

Overall, I really liked the Fresh Wave products! I will definitely buy them again. And I really can't wait

to try some other new things they have! And it's even better that they sell their products at Target! Not

to brag, but I pretty much frequent that place on an daily basis. 

What are some of your favorite house products- And why? I'd love to hear!


***All of these opinions are my own, I have not been paid to post about any of these products. 

Etsy | Instagram | Facebook

Entertaining

"My First Dinner Party"

Back when being a housewife was just the assumed roll for a woman, one of your core responsibilities 

was to be the perfect hostess. Especially when it comes to entertaining! To the 1950's (&60's) 

housewife, entertaining was like an art form. And since I am trying to modernize the art of housewifery, 

I thought it was about time to start brushing up on my hostessing skills. And what better way to do that, 

then to throw my very first dinner party! 

Ok, so let's jump in. I decided to host some of my absolutely favorite people in the world. My mother, 

and best friends Shari, MaryBeth, and Emilie. I knew they would be honest, and ton of fun. So let's 

jump into some fun tips I learned. 

Plan your meal/theme

I decided to keep it simple this time, I didn't theme anything I just wanted to focus on food and 

presentation. So for this meal I chose 4 courses. Appetizers, soup, main course, dessert & coffee. When 

planning out your meal, think of your colors, tt seems silly, but my mom told me that when she was in 

Home Economics, they always taught about making your plate look beautiful! So try not to make 

Salmon, carrots, and pumpkin soup. Think colorful! And think about taste pallet, and your timing. For 

example, you may not want to make homemade bread, beef wellington, and a soufflé your first run. All 

of those things require being served hot and fresh, and all need your oven.

 Here was my exact menu:

Appetizer: Goat cheese & fruit

Soup: Mushroom Bisque

Main Course: Chicken Kiev, Asparagus, New Potatoes

Dessert: Chocolate Cake

Don't break the cardinal rule!

"Never experiment with a new dish for a party. If you've found a recipe that sounds exciting, give it a 

test run on the family before presenting it to guests. This may mean investing a few extra dollars in a 

dress rehearsal, but if it spares you the embarrassment of failure or the disappointment of a less than 

smashing success, it's worth the small tab."

-Betty Crocker, Hostess Handbook

I quote this because I broke the cardinal rule! Other than the appetizers, and the sides, I had never made 

any of these recipes before. And I can tell you from first hand experience, I put a lot of unnecessary 

stress on myself by doing this. The only thing that can be tricky about cooking for close friends and 

family, is that they have most likely tried all of your most impressive dishes before. And let's be honest, 

12% of the reason we throw dinner parties is to impress our guests with the fact that we are really an 

undercover chef. But I know now for the next party, I will definitely make something I know, or test 

my recipes on my live-in Guinea pig, Justin.

Have a schedule

In every way, have a schedule. An oven schedule, a cleaning schedule, a decorating schedule. 

Things to do the day before:

Clean your home

Bake anything you can make ahead, bread, cakes

Make sure all of your serving dishes, and plates are cleaned and ready to go

Things to do the day of:

Make salad dressings

Prepare drinks, punch, tea..

Get ready in plenty of time, and apron it up!

And things to do the hour before:

 (I just used my iPhone and told Siri to remind me of things, such as…)

Remind me at 6 to light candles

6:15 set the table

6:30 to warm bread

6:45 set out hors d'oeuvres

Think about when the party is over

As you can see, these plates are vintage. I got the whole set at the flea market, and the woman was 

telling me about how these should never be washed in the dishwasher. Really not that bad in theory, 

but when you are using the serving platter, dinner plates, soup bowls, dessert bowls, coffee cups and 

saucers. Then you absolutely need to keep in mind having a smooth transition between courses without 

causing a "scene", meaning making everyone wait on you to wash dishes before they can eat the next 

course. However, no one wants to stay up until 11pm washing dishes, and then have to wake up the 

next morning to put them all away. So right before everyone arrived, I filled up my sink 1/4 of the way 

with boiling hot water and dish soap. Then when everyone finished each course, I just put the plates 

and silverware in the water, and then after everyone left, all you need to do is drain the water, and rinse 

and dry your dishes! Problem solved!

Think space & budget

So, we are all dealing with different size spaces, and budgets for a party. But just try to keep in mind 

what you can do, and afford. And just like I said in my last post on grocery shopping , don't forget to 

shop your pantry first. See what you have. You may just be short 1-5 ingredients for a whole dinner. 

And now to space, my kitchen is not only open to the living room, but also to our teeny tiny dining 

area. So when entertaining, I always need to be aware of how much time I want to spend speed 

cleaning before people get there. First, I always make a conscious effort to make sure that our 

dishwasher is cleaned out before a party. That way as I am cooking, I can just rinse things off, and load 

it into the dishwasher.

Guys, this book is so for real. It uses to be my Grandma Nadyne's, so that makes it all the more special 

for me to reference. My goal is to use this as my guide to host all manner of parties. Things definitely 

didn't go perfectly the first time, but I plan on continuing to host until I perfect it! So hang around if you 

want to see some more hostess tips, and all of the recipes for my dinner!

Etsy | Instagram | Facebook

Housewifery Tips Pt. 3

"Grocery Shopping"

This may seem silly to some of you. But I seriously love grocery shopping. It's like a sport to me. So

over the last two and a half years I feel like I have perfected my flow. And I'd love to share it with you!

So, I'll admit this to you, because I feel like relationships are best built on honesty. I am a major

"TACF" - Type A Control Freak. Or for now, let's just call it "Monica Geller". So I'm going to rate my

levels of my MG for you so that you understand I'm aware of how crazy I sound. However, I shop

every two weeks for 14 days worth of food at a time, and I can do it all in under an hour. So you tell

me whose crazy! (probably still me.)

• Shop your pantry! First things first, go look in your fridge and pantry and see what you have. You may have forgotten about that bag of garbanzo flour for chickpea pancakes you have stashed away behind your protein powder, true story. (Don't we sound so healthy?!

• Time to purge! This is probably my favorite thing to do. Every other Tuesday, the day before shopping day. I get a trash bag, and go through my fridge, I throw away all of the leftovers no one ate or the things past their expiration date. Then I slowly move everything around and take out all of my shelves and clean them! I love doing this. You would not believe how amazing it feels to open a clean fridge!

• Start your menu! I like to start mine on paper, I write out the recipes that sound good, and I know that we like. (level 1 control freak) And then I go to my pinterest board for the rest. 

• Time to organize! After I make my menu on the front of my page, I turn it over and write the ingredients that we need, (level 2) After that I organize them into sections (meat, dairy, produce, etc). Then I like to put them into my phone in the order of the way the store is set up... (Level 3!) I do this because it helps me to minimize the amount of time that I would normally spend looking at snacks and cereal, and dessert that I don't need. Or aimlessly wandering around from one side of the store to the other over and over again. 

• Task list phone app! So this app automatically comes on your iPhone, so if you have an iPhone, take advantage of this app! I put in all of my grocery list items into it, and then I just check them off as I go, and they disappear! It's amazing, and efficient!

• Don't forget snacks & lunch! So one of my big mistakes when I first started was omitting snacks, and lunches. I don't know why, but I used to always convince myself that I didn't need them, but I would inevitably be starved the next day at 10am, or 4pm, with nothing to eat!  So don't forget to include some things to munch on. Almonds & blueberries, bananas, hummus & veggies, etc.

• Have a budget! So I don't know where this rates for you, but we budget $160 every paycheck for groceries. It will typically get us 10 dinners, and 5-8 lunches, breakfast every morning for two weeks, and snacks! Yes sometimes we do go over, but in that case, we would usually just skip the eating out a couple of times, and it makes up for it just fine. 

• Price Check! Praise the Lord, Tulsa is finally catching up with the rest of the world, we have a Trader Joes! Then comes the dilemma, So many duplicates of so many things. However, I have noticed half of my things I get from Sprouts you either can't get from TJ's, or some are just cheaper (meat, canned beans, bulk nuts, frozen fruits…) Whereas I can get lots of things from TJ's for cheaper, (Ghee, salsa, packaged veggies, and fruits) about a month ago I started to put prices next to the items on my grocery list so that I could be sure! 

• Under Budget? So here's a tip if you come in under budget, it's always exciting to see that you have $20-$30 that went unspent, but don't go mentally spending it on "that one thing" from Target just yet! Go to your bank, and get out the exact amount that you have left over, even if it's $23.86, and put it in an envelope or your wallet, for those times 8-12 days into your pay period when you KNOW that you will need that one random thing from the store!--you know, that thing you send your husband to get. 

• Going bad? Juice it! Clearly not everything. Please don't juice anything weird and say that I told you to do it. I just mean, if you have any extra fruits and veggies, why not just throw them in the juicer! Cucumber, Kale, Spinach, any berries! It's so convenient and a great guilt free snack!

• Time for a pep talk! Ok, I can't tell you how many times I think to myself, "Ugh, but I just really want Chik-fil-a.." But remember, you just spent over $100 on food, and by golly, you are going to eat at home! You will never regret just going ahead and fixing something at home, but you may regret the two bean burritos that it felt more convenient to quickly grab, rather than cook. 

• Putting things away! I know you thought I was done, but this is the last one. So you know all of those random bowls, vases, jars, and serve ware you never use? Time to pull them out! I always put our fruit and veggies in open bowls, it makes them look so much more appealing! I also always cut off the lid, and front flap of my egg containers, so that they stack easily and it just makes it look nicer!

So this is my way to grocery shop, I'm sure that everyone has a different method, but this is what works for me, and I honestly enjoy it! I started doing things this way because I noticed when I put a lot of pride into the presentation of our pantry and fridge, that I actually looked forward to cooking! So hopefully this helped someone out there with their grocery shopping rut.

Enjoy!

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