Capsule Wardrobe, Fall, Fashion

Fall Capsule Wardrobe Update

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Fall Capsule Wardrobe of a Stay at Home Mom.


I haven’t learned much from this capsule wardrobe except these few things:

  • I can’t tell the difference between a regular wardrobe and a capsule because I didn’t have a lot of clothes to begin with, so sometimes, getting dressed is still hard. 
  • My clothes suck. Pairing down what I own to “the best” it became apparent that I need a higher standard of quality in my life. I have items with holes, stains, stretched out collars, and almost every sweater I own is pilling like a junkie. 
  • I really like neutrals. My capsule mainly consists of shades of taupe, cream, grey and black. I have the odd burgundy and emerald green. The pieces with more color get the least wear. Lesson learned? I love neutrals.
  • I am cheap.  And so are my clothes. Continually wearing the same things on repeat and I’ve started to get holes in some of my tops, my knees on my $7 jeans are threatening to tear and the clearance flats I purchased are almost worn through. See second point. 
  • I have no idea what’s in style anymore. It’s happened. I fell off the trendy bandwagon. I don’t know when or where, but somehow I’ve went from stylish & trendy to cheap & sometimes frumpy. Whhhaaaaat?
  • I thought if I held out long enough my feet would be back to pre-pregnancy size… well, after a year of squeezing into shoes a size too small, I said enough! My capsule contains all shoes that fit me, and it’s been glorious. 
  • Accessories can be fun! I don’t have many pieces of jewelry, or other accessories but what I have I have been utilizing more and I’ve been enjoying it thoroughly. 
  • Your hair matters. When all you have are a lot of similar outfits your hairstyle can really transform the whole look. Same goes for lip color.
And now, for your viewing pleasure, I’ve compiled shots of some of my outfits from my fall capsule. To get you in the holiday spirit all of these outfits feature my green pants and red jeans. Fa-la-la-laaa.
In summary, I’ve learned that my wardrobe reveals a lot about my life. At this point I’m continuing to wear things from my capsule but have started a mental list of what I would like to upgrade or replace. First on my list? Jeans that fit! Make sure you keep following along. Only about 3 more weeks or so of this capsule and then I’ll give you the final run-down along with more outfits created from this fall capsule.

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Emerson, Fall, Little Things

Little Things

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Hi Emerson,
It’s been a while since I’ve written down all the little things you’ve been doing lately. Time has been flying by now that you’re a toddler tornado. Here are some little things we’re enjoying these chilly fall days:

1. Your first word! It’s official, you finally have a first word at 16 months you decided you’d learn how to say “Up.” It’s fitting since you love to be lugged everywhere. Especially when you are feeling clingy to your Mommy. “Up. Up… UP!” It’s been a great teaching experience as we remind you of your manners and now you say, “Up!” followed by signing please. You are also now saying “Dada.”

During one nap time I told you that Mommy was not coming back in to give you Lovie if you chucked her out of your crib again. I left, and of course, being the defiant toddler that you are, threw Lovie right over the side. Knowing I wasn’t coming back in, you paused and looked at the door and started to yell, “DADA?!” “Dadaaaaa??” Asking if Daddy could come in and give you Lovie again. You sure are a sassy little girl.

2. Paci Obsessed! I’m not sure when this happened, but for some reason you have become obsessed with your pacifiers. We plan on weaning you off them in the upcoming new year after we’re done with traveling, but man oh man, is it going to be a battle. You’ve even made up your own sign for paci. You cry, throw fits, and beg for a paci anytime we’re upstairs.

3. Helping. You want to help with everything. I mean, everything.  Cooking, cleaning, folding laundry, entertaining the baby when he’s over, throwing away trash, unloading the dishes… it doesn’t matter. If I’m doing something you want to be doing it too. We’ve started cooking together, and you love it! I let you “chop” avocados with a butter knife, and the sheer concentration on your face is priceless! You like when we bake the best, since there’s usually a lot of scooping flour involved, which just so happens to be one of your favorite activities.


4.Oliver. You continue to love on Oliver, even more so these days. You give him great big, wrap-your-arms-around-his-neck style hugs, throw-yourself-on-his-back style hugs and hold-onto-dear-life-while-he-runs-away hugs. You pat his back, scratch his hiney, and love to throw his ball for him. You pick out his bones and deliver them to him. You help scoop his food and put it in his bowl. You really love Oliver, so much so, that we’ve now have a problem with you sneaking him your snacks! You’ll go over and slyly hand him a goldfish when you think we’re not looking. You break out in a big grin when he eats it.

5. Swim Class. Ever since we returned from Florida you have been loving swim class! This past time you were kicking with all your might, jumping off the side, and going under water like a champ. You didn’t cry once, and you were nothing but smiles and laughter the whole time. You even started putting your ears in the water, and blowing bubbles. You continue your love of water at home by being obsessive about the bathtub. You could spend all day in there if I  let you.

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Emerson, Fall, Things we do

Playground Hopping

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One of these past fall days was utterly gorgeous. While we had errands to run in the morning, I made sure to whisk us off to the zoo after her nap. Unfortunately, Claire-bear and I arrived with only twenty minutes of zoo time, so instead of taking 15 minutes to walk to the animal section, we decided to use all twenty minutes and play on the zoo’s playground instead. 

When the 4 o’clock shuffle came, and everyone was politely escorted out, I just couldn’t bear to go home just yet. One Cliff bar later, which Emerson quickly decided we weren’t sharing, and a quick text to the hubster to see if he wanted to grab an early dinner, we packed up into the car for a super quick drive to a playground at the surrounding park. 
We climbed, slid, and even attempted monkey bars once or twice. The air was warm and sweet, with just enough of a breeze to remind you it isn’t summer anymore. The sky was bathed in a golden light that the evening autumn sun brings. 
When we had to leave the current playground, we were still waiting on a reply text to confirm plans. Not ready to give up on the dream I had whipped up 60 minutes prior, we headed to, you guessed it, another playground.  This one was within walking distance to campus. We ran, jumped and climbed as we patiently awaited dinner confirmation. 
Three playgrounds and two hours later, we finally got in touch with the Hubby. When all was said and done, dinner plans were just not going to work out. Emerson and I packed up and headed home. 
Even though the afternoon did not pan out anything like I imagined, it helped me realize that sometimes the best days are the ones that don’t go according to plan.
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Emerson, Fall

Autumn Light

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We turned on the lights, and closed the blinds for the evening. The darkness outside seemed to accentuate the tiredness of my body. Warm thoughts of curling up in cozy PJ’s, resting after a long day, crept into my head. A simple glance at the clock… what the… it was only 7pm. I still had at least two more hours before my husband would deem it appropriate to go to bed.

One of the things most taken for granted in the warm summer months is that precious extra light. As the earth starts to tilt on her axis, and the sun’s ray fall short upon us, I’m reminded of that extraordinary gift. While the sun is starting to retire earlier these days, we’re still trying to soak up as much of it as we can.

Afternoons are filled with a golden glow that you can only find this time of year.  Sweet, warm breezes turn crisp and earthy. Short sleeves are traded for long ones, and sweaters are donned. The choir of cicadas is traded for the rhythmic crunch of leaves underfoot.

Fall is indeed in full swing, and you know what? I couldn’t be happier. While my fingers may start feeling cold, my heart will still be warmed by Autumn’s light, and that’s enough for me.

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Capsule Wardrobe, Fall, Fashion

Capsule Wardrobes and Summer’s End.

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The end of summer snuck up on me and I find myself catching moments of panic, where I fast forward to what winter will be like with a bored toddler on my hands. You know it’s close when Target clears out it’s summer gear in favor of fall scented candles, Halloween decorations, and chunky knit sweaters. Even writing this I can feel my palms begin to sweat.

Cue the self pep-talk:

Don’t be upset, you knew this was coming. Here, let’s take it one step at a time and think of all the nice things about fall…
okay. I mean, it sounds like a good plan.


It is! Just think of all the fun activities Emerson can enjoy this year: hayrides, apple picking, fall hiking, possibly fall camping! 

hmmm… that does sound like a lot of fun. I bet Emerson would love Weber’s farm with the rubber duck races, hayrides, and pumpkin activities. She could even do some sensory activities with pumpkins. 


Yes! And you know what else we love about fall? All the warm, cinnamon spiced scented candles. Let’s not forget scarves and weather warm enough not to need a coat but cool enough for cozy sweaters!

Well, that’s about 75 degrees for me, but I get your point. I do like a good fall wardrobe. Plus, toddler Emerson is going to look way too cute in big cozy sweaters.


Okay okay, so maybe you’ve convinced me Fall isn’t so bad after all! And speaking of wardrobes I think there’s something I’d like to try this fall. Maybe you’ve heard of it? The capsule wardrobe. The idea behind a capsule wardrobe is to eliminate all the work of putting yourself together in the morning, by limited the selection from which you do so. Basically, besides PJs and workout gear, your entire wardrobe for 3 months (or a particular season) is no more than 33 items. Although, truthfully this item limit varies person to person. Some choose less, some choose more. I’m not sure the exact number of piece I’ll choose, but I want it to be reasonable. My wardrobe is already pretty tiny, so it will be interesting to see just how many pieces I end up with. I’m hoping this challenges me to further understand my personal style. What do I prefer? What works well for my body and what doesn’t? And most importantly, what keeps me warm?! Because, and I’m just keepin’ it real, I’m a total baby about the cold. Yet, like it or not, fall has begun!

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