Making the Most of Your Weeknights
There’s something so freeing, and equally dreadful, about weekday evenings. I so look forward to the time of night where Conner is tucked away in his room and I have a moment alone to decompress after a day of emails, rude requests, and housework. But as I lounge with my ritualistic glass of wine, idly watching Bravo, a foreboding feeling takes over. It’s getting later and later, and guess what? I need to be well-dressed (not just dressed), and ready for work in the office tomorrow by eight. Yes, by eight. Geez.
Let’s be clear- I love my job, my freelance work, and of course my family- but it’s tiring! Any woman with a crisply pressed shirt and high heels claiming that juggling work, family, and home is easy is a complete fraud. It’s a ruse. She’s got a nanny.
In the last several years, I’ve learned how to make the most of my weekday evenings, and use them to successfully propel me through the week into the weekend. Experience has been the best teacher for me, but also a host of other real working women I’ve been lucky enough to leach valuable information and tips out of. Real women with stressful jobs, messy boyfriends, and loud children.
Learn to #Win at the Thrift Store
My junior year of college, my roommate introduced me to thrift stores. We took the bus to a store a couple of miles from our house, and I apprehensively thumbed through the racks, finding nothing in my size, and being more annoyed than excited. Fast forward like a decade, and I adore the thrift store. There’s nothing more thrilling than finding something of great quality, that’s one of a kind, for a fraction of the cost that you’d find in a department store. It took a few trips to get over that “thrift store smell”. But these days I love it. It smells more like undiscovered treasure than mothballs.
I’ve also graduated from searching for J. Crew sweaters and vintage bags to home goods. Before I bought my house, I didn’t have a reason to venture into the home section. But within the last couple of years, I’ve realized the value in the home section. My house is full of accessories, glassware, Christmas ornaments- you name it- all from the thrift store. Gently used Crate and Barrel merchandise at dollar store prices. My definition of winning.
How to Have a Well-Stocked Kitchen
Buying my own home was great, but getting into my own kitchen was better. It’s not huge, there’s no island, and there’s questionable tile, but it’s my personal playground. It’s where I feel the calmest, the most comfortable, and the most at home. As I stood there on signing day, peering into cavernous, empty, cabinets, I couldn’t wait to hit the grocery store and fill them with awesome things. I was ready to get the show on the road. I tried to make a casual grocery list, and was totally overwhelmed with what felt like an impossible task. How in the world do you go about filling a kitchen with any and everything you’ll possibly need? Where do you even start?
Cue my mother. As a kitchen vet, she sat down with me and helped me write out a comprehensive list of everything I’d need. Talk about an unforeseen cost- I spent hundreds at the grocery store that week. After the initial grocery store haul, and about a month or so in my new kitchen, I began to understand the importance of staple items. The staples are the basis of any meal, any recipe, and a must to have on hand to maintain a smoothly running kitchen. Specialty groceries are super fun- but the staples are what make any kitchen go around. So here’s my comprehensive guide to maintaining a well-stocked kitchen (with free shopping list printable)!
How to Start an Herb Garden
Just over a year ago on Christmas day, I gave birth to my baby boy. From then until early March, I was pretty much house ridden. Breastfeeding a newborn coupled with a terrible Michigan winter basically relegated me to the house. But between the endless feedings and loads of laundry, I dreamt of spring. The sun would shine again, the baby and I would take walks around the neighborhood, and I would start a vegetable garden in my new yard. But by the time spring arrived, I was headed back to work, and reality kicked in. I didn’t have time for leisurely midday walks or a vegetable garden. Adjusting to being a working mom with a new baby was a new type of job, one that left time for little else.
But with time I got back into the swing of my old habits. I began visiting my favorite open-air market on the weekends as I had pre-baby, only now with a 15 pound, sometimes screaming, little boy strapped to my chest. On one of these visits, I passed a merchant selling potted herbs and small plants for two dollars apiece, and wandered over. With only a little convincing, I decided to buy one of each of the potted herbs, take them home, and create my first herb garden. My plans for a spectacular vegetable garden morphed a bit, just as the rest of my life had.
And to be totally honest, I had no idea how to start an herb garden. I just knew that hey, this guy was selling these plants for a bargain, I have a window box on the side of my garage, and it would be really cool to have my own sustainable source of herbs in lieu of continually buying them from the grocery store. After some heavy Internet browsing, I planted a garden that lasted well into fall, and yielded an unexpected amount of herbs. I’m excited to share my experiences, and maybe convince you to do the same!
Easter Brunch Success - and a few extra tips!
My simple Easter brunch was a delicious success. Family gathered, champagne flowed, and the food was delightful. Below is the menu we used, and a few extra brunch hosting tips that complement my Hosting a Special Occasion Brunch post perfectly!
The Menu:
Belgian Waffles (with berries and lots of homemade whipped cream)
Broccolini, Spinach, and Cherry Tomato Quiche
Homestyle Grits
Breakfast Potatoes
Bacon & Sausage
My mom’s infamous Strawberry Cake
More tips on being the Hostess with the Mostess:
- Do whatever you can the night before! I made the dough for the frittata the night before, and allowed it to chill overnight. The tablecloth was ironed and table was set before I went to bed, and the potatoes, veggies, and waffle batter were prepped. Aside for some last minute mopping, the morning was pretty relaxed.
- But don’t take things too seriously. As long as the food is ready (or close to being ready) when your guests arrive, everything will be fine. No one minds you finishing things up. It gives everyone time to settle in for a drink!
- Use your oven to keep things warm! While frittata is fine to serve room temperature, I had to heat a few slices up last minute because I’d let them get a little too cool. Also, as I made waffle after Belgian waffle, I placed them in the oven on 200 degrees to stay warm until it was time to eat.
- Lastly, and most importantly, enjoy yourself. Have a drink, laugh, and relax. It’s brunch.
How To Throw a Special Occasion Brunch
Courtesy of HGTV.com
Easter to me feels like the real kick off to spring. It’s the first holiday leading into better weather, and an opportunity to get together with family to celebrate. It reminds me of little girls in lace dresses with ankle socks, men in shiny patent leather shoes, and of course, heaping plates of potato salad and ham. I don’t particularly love potato salad or ham. But that’s neither here nor there.
Boyfriend and I typically trek out to various family members’ homes to eat multiple holiday dinners, but this year, we’ve decided to switch it up a bit. Instead of roaming the metro area to cover all our familial bases, I’ll be hosting an Easter brunch. I can’t think of a better time to gather a few family members for a casual yet sophisticated celebration in my new-ish home. I chose to throw a brunch for the obvious reasons. Brunch just suggests casual elegance. Celebratory but not too formal. Special but not too over the top. Also, there’s always day drinking involved, which I obviously love.
So how does one go about hosting a “casually elegant” brunch? There’s only a few things you must do to throw a mostly effortless brunch. Here’s my best insight for success in the special occasion brunch department.
The haute in domestic
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