Life hacks for REAL women!

Sister, you are not alone!

Life is crazy, frantic at times, and always, always changing. Morphing into something that we've either worked ever so hard for, or something completely unexpected - that we are not prepared for.

Either way, the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (aka women as a whole) need to be supportive of one another. BE that woman that is willing to fix another's crown without broadcasting to the world that it was crooked in the first place! Part of that is to encourage one another's feats in this life. A way to make way enough for all of our anticipated feats is to have a few "hacks" under our belts so that we don't get tripped up over day-to-day stuff.

Real life hacks for real life women.

I am in no way whatsoever an expert on this subject. Or maybe I am. Because I am just a real life woman. Not a celebrity. Not a celebrity wannabe. Not young and hip. Not yet old and wise. I'm just a woman somewhere in the middle who is embracing the realization of long worked-for dreams and - at the same time - still scrambling to leave my imprint on the hearts and lives around me.

So the following list will not be your usual beauty hack list. It will not be your normal "guide for the busy career mom" list. Instead, I'm merely a fellow sister who is interested in ways to simplify my life and still take care of my body, my health, my family, and my home. If you are in the same boat as me, then I hope the following list is helpful!

Time Saving Life Hacks

Learn to say no. Far too many of us struggle with saying "no" to people. As a result, we're too often saddled with time and energy-draining tasks and responsibilities we really didn't need to add to our already stretched schedules. Learning how to say "no" - politely, but firmly - is the single most important life skill to help preserve precious time and be able to prioritize what's truly important.

Flip your mattress every three months. Unless you're currently sleeping on a one-sided mattress, such as ours. A delicious, luxurious pillow-top that is exquisite and - very definitely the most impressive mattress we've ever indulged in. Yet, because of the amazing pillow-top, there is now a distinctive sag along the middle of the bed. BUT...if this isn't YOU...flipping your mattress every few months will even it out and prevent that sagging, which in turn, will save you a WORLD of pain in the form of poor posture and lousy, lousy backaches. Flipping a mattress really isn't a one-woman job, particularly a queen or king, but it's definitely worth doing; a hurting back will take a whole lot longer to deal with than finding someone to help flip that mattress!

Keep snacking. One of the first things we women tend to cut out during a busy, hectic day is our food intake. Believe me, preaching to the choir here. But don't wait until you're practically starving to put food in your body. Taking long breaks between meals tends to make your body tire more quickly due to lack of glucose. This leads to a dip in our productivity level. Snacking every couple of hours on something nutritious and delicious is not only good for our metabolism, but also helps to keep our energy levels higher, enabling us to work at our optimum. PLUS...it prevents us from binging on unhealthy choices due to extreme hunger.

Keep salt, pepper, etc in your drawer at work. Speaking of eating...despite our best intentions, many of us end up eating a lot of our meals at the desk. I'm not the only one who does this, am I??? Because of this, I've learned it's so helpful to keep a few essentials like plastic ware, little packets of salt, pepper, ketchup, herbs, etc. in my drawer at work. (I also stash a few packets of low-salt peanuts and single serving JIF peanut butter.) You never know when you might need them and nothing is worse in the middle of a stressful, hectic day than to open your lunch only to discover it is going to be bland just because you didn't have time to run to the cafeteria or on-site cafe for some basic things that add life to our food.

Do not incessantly check emails. This one is tough for many of us. I get my email via my computer, but also by way of my phone AND my fitbit. It's really touch to ignore emails and - I'm not necessarily saying to do that. But I AM promoting the thought that email should be checked two - maybe - three times a day at max. Stopping what we're doing every time we receive a new, incoming email distracts us and leads to loss of focus on the current task, which - in turn - means less productivity.

Unsubscribe from useless lists. I finally took time a couple of weeks ago to go through my "spam" mail and unsubscribe from the countless email traps I had fallen into over the past several years. No, they don't "share" your information; they merely email you 7,246 times a week. Am I right, or am I right? I also went into my Facebook settings and withdrew from "groups" that no longer had meaning to me.

Fashion/Beauty Hacks

Utilize shower time. In a perfect world...wait...actually this really DID use to be my life...I would spend much-needed time pampering my skin and my body. After all, we DO only get one in this lifetime. But when life is busy - which is pretty often for a lot of us - every single second counts, which is why it is important that we make sure to utilize our shower time! :) Keep a body scrubbie in the shower and regularly exfoliate from tip to toe, clean AND cleanse your face, don't be afraid to use shampoo or conditioner in exchange for shave gel. It really does work Just. As. Well. It's also okay to apply moisturizer that you would normally do later in front of the sink - while IN the shower. Maybe most importantly, before you emerge from the shower, stand for a few seconds, if not a few minutes, and let the water flow over your body. Close your eyes, and relish the hot water, the feeling of having cared for your body.

Use two-in-one UV products.  When it comes to making your beauty regime easier, using two-in-one products is a must. Pick a cream that moisturizes AND offers UV protection, or opt for a tinted moisturizer that, both, cares for your skin while covering minor blemishes and redness. When life is at its busiest, it's the little things like these that can make all the difference.

Your hairdryer. I've learned a trick or two in my 50 years on this earth and one of those is that your hairdryer is for waaayyyy more than merely drying your hair. Hmmmm....For one, it can be used to help break in new shoes. Especially heels, y'all!!! Just pull on a thick pair of socks, slip into the shoes, and apply the heat from the hair dryer to the tightest corners or spots in your shoes. Keep repeating until the shoes fit comfortably.

Ice Cube Organizer. Okay, admittedly the Container Store, Target, and - of course - Amazon, sells all manner of things organizational-wise. But if you're interested in saving pennies (like I am!) and it's NOT all about "looks", then consider an inexpensive ice cube tray. You can buy two for .99 cents at Dollar General, ladies! These hold rings, trinkets, hair ties, etc... They fit nicely into ANY drawer and can help make reaching for what you need SO much easier!

Coconut Oil is life! Coconut oil can be used for a myriad of things, from health, food, all the way to beauty, and the healing of the body. WHERE has it been all of our lives, ladies??? I have personally used coconut oil to cook with, bathe my feet in, DRINK, AND use it for cuticle softener for both my fingers and my toes. Gargling with coconut oil every night does WONDERS for the body; just trust me on this and give it a try! It also is so much superior to manicure and pedicure lotions. It is absorbed by the body quickly and gently, and does not leave an oily residue. When applying at bedtime, it provides the perfect overnight moisturizer for the cuticles, the heels of your feet, and your lips. KEEP coconut oil on hand! (I buy the solid.)

I hope this list of life hacks helps in some way. If you have another, PLEASE comment below! We ae in this together, and ALL suggestions are welcome!

Navigating social media.

A couple of years ago Mike and I jokingly (but also seriously; does that make sense?) said that our brains simply could not handle any more new technology when it comes to social media. I flourished in all that was Facebook, while he held out many years before finally throwing in the towel and creating an account. But the others...Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Snap Chat, and - now - even Marco Polo, were just too much to keep up with. Never mind the fact that I truly do not think I have the right brain cells to navigate Snap Chat.

It's hysterical watching my students snap all day and work those phones like a boss with one hand, while I deliberate over each and every FB post and carefully and thoughtfully choose each photo for Instagram. I joined Twitter a number of years ago, broke up with it, got back together with it...a few times, but then ended that relationship for good. To quote Taylor Swift, "We are never, ever getting back together!"

A while back when we decided that I would most likely be running the business full time after this school year, and that - if that was going to be the case - then I needed to try to grow it even further, I knew I needed to really throw myself into Instagram and Pinterest. I researched like a doctoral candidate, learning why the heck a hashtag was so almighty important, and how to attract the "right" people to my pins. I have to say, I thought I had come. So. Far.

Until I took an online social media workshop for businesses and realized that I. KNOW. NOTHING.

I learned about Tailwind, which helps you coordinate, schedule and then pin to your boards, and Insta pre-sets so that you're Insta feed looks "uniform and inviting." Now, I realize that some of you probably are laughing at this point and saying, "Oh, she's so funny; she didn't know about TAILWIND?"

Um, no.

In addition to not knowing about it, I quickly realized that learning about all of the available technology that is so handily at your fingertips to help you gel your blog and your business website with your Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest, is like going down a rabbit hole. A very deep rabbit hole! The last week or so I've found that I'm alternately fascinated and elated with the possibilities, but also bewildered and frustrated. LOL!

However...I feel like I've been "hooked." Now it's not only a challenge to figure it all out, but I'm looking forward to seeing if this can really help a business...and a blog...and a website... 

                                                            G R O W.

Please! All of you that have any tips for me at all, feel free to drop a comment!! 

Newest love of mine!

If you've been following the blog for the past few weeks, you'll already know that I've been looking at what is best for the future of The Bohotique @Wildernest. My year of keeping clothing, household goods, caps, bridal accessories, tshirts, etc., in inventory turned out to be a bit much for us.

YET:) I feel pretty strongly about keeping it going at some level because of all of the positive love we've received from our customers and guests here at The B&B. The challenge has been to look honestly at what does well in our little niche boutique and then concentrate just on that.

We've decided to streamline in 3 areas: Bridal accessories, which will be available both on site and online, NDULGE - which I am merely an influencer for - and THIS...Cleerely Stated inspirational card sets. Truly, if I were to create a line myself, this would SO. BE. IT.  Instead, I give all kudos and all the hearts to Cleere Cherry (is that not the coolest name EVER?!?) who has created an entire inspirational line that is so utterly phenomenal.

I am pretty much obsessed by it.

I began as a customer, but now I am a wholesale distributor of her products.

These inspirational card packets come packaged in ways that make my heart so happy and - when you untie the ribbons and open the package themselves, the cards are just...beyond lovely. I started with the "Make His Day" set - a whole package of uplifting and encouraging notes, scriptures, and quotes that you can tuck into your hubby's lunch, his travel bag, or just leave for him to find next to his sink in the mornings.

I moved on to "Compliment Cards" - colorful little cards that you can slip into a gift, on a co-worker's desk, or hand out to students. Sometimes it's the smallest tokens that carry the most influence. What more could we want than to make those in our world and under our care feel special and loved, even when we are not with them?

Cleere's line is a lot more extensive than this and - if you want to check it out for yourself, start here. The Bohotique @Wildernest will begin carrying her line with the following products (more to come in the next couple of months):

• Compliment Cards
• Make Her Day
• Make His Day
• Bright Notes for Bright Minds

You may begin ordering these four products as of 8pm tonight. You will find them in the SHOP portion of our B&B website. I challenge you to order a pack and start handing out bits of happy on the regular! 

PLEASE, let me know what you think about this line! I am uber excited about it and I am greatly anticipating carrying the entire line by the end of May. But I value YOUR thoughts so very much. Drop a comment and tell me what you think and how you'd use them! 

To kick things off, I'm doing a giveaway - a set of Compliment Cards! Watch the IG story later tonight, like it, tag a friend, and then leave a comment HERE, at the end of this blog post. We'll have a computer generated random drawing tomorrow at 5, and I will announce who can excitedly stalk their mail box for this little packet of all things happy! 

Happy MLK Day! {Praise hands allllll the way up for a much-needed day off after the week the teachers in my district had last week, and have to look forward to this week.) Blessed beyond measure to work with a great group of educators who love kids passionately. 

REVIEW: Whiskey in a Teacup :)

"Dorothea always said that it was a combination of beauty and strength that made Southern women "whiskey in a teacup." We may be delicate and ornamental on the outside, she said, but inside we're strong and fiery." 

- Reese Witherspoon

To borrow a line from Jerry McGuire,  Reese had me at HELLO, or - as is the case here - at the front cover! From that point until I slowly turned the last, beautiful page late last night, I was held willing captive, charmed by the casual elegance that embodies each and every carefully selected photo, gorgeous layout, and the "voice" of Reese herself. Almost as though she sat right next to me, having a conversation, one where you meet a soul sister face-to-face for the first time and you know - instantly - that you would be "sisters" for life. 

Whiskey in a Teacup is a book that you want to make your way through slowly because it is just. that. beautiful. And just that well-written. And the attention to detail, y'all...if ever there was a perfect "lifestyle" book for a Southern woman (or a Southern wannabe), this is it. It draws you in and, most nights, my 30 minute reading time would turn into an hour or more because - as much as I wanted to go slowly to savor it - I was equally as excited to get to the next chapter, the next story, the next recipe.

With chapter titles like Hot Rollers, Red Lipstick, and Steel Magnolias, If It's Not Moving, Monogram It, and My Did-Do Language & Notes on Southern Conversation, this gem of a book is all things girly and heart-warming, but also thought-provoking and inspiring. Sandwiched in between these delightful chapters, are also titles like The Family Table, The Beauty of Female Friendships, and Do Gooding - all things I believe in, strive for, root for. 

And bless the person (in this case a girl, but bless anyone) that credits their high school English teacher for her love of books and storytelling enough to give said teacher their VERY OWN SIDEBAR as a tribute! "Her name was Margaret Renkl, and in my junior year of high school she made me love literature." Reese goes on to say how reading Shakespeare and To Kill a Mockingbird, taught her about character analysis, conflicts between characters, narrative structure and "how to compare characters to real people in history." (For you non-teachers who may be reading this, THAT, folks, pretty much sums up the TEKS for a high school English teacher. Kudos to Ms. Renkl!) 

As you can see below, I went through quite a little stack of dainty little tabs, some inserted to remind me of a thought, others to mark a recipe I can't wait to try out. From her heartwarming stories of summers with her grandparents and traditional Christmas photos with her husband and children all the way to her words on manners and common courtesy and giving back when you've been blessed...I loved every single word of every single chapter. 

This is one book that won't be put on a shelf and forgotten. I know I'll return again and again. 

Now for a giveaway!! In honor of all things ladylike and Southern, as well as strong and "fiery," I have this beautiful teacup and saucer, very similar to the one on the book cover, that I want to send out to one of YOU! Every time you take a sip from it, or maybe just glance at it on a shelf somewhere in your home, I hope you'll remember that you, too are whiskey in a teacup - beautiful yet strong, delicate yet fiery.

***Click on the Amazon link in the sidebar to order your own copy!!!***

The first lady to comment on this post, this teacup is headed in your direction! 

 

Ndulge and make a difference!

 When I closed Bohotique @Wildernest, I knew it was absolutely the right decision, but I also knew that it left a void - a purpose, if you will of something I needed to be a part of.

The Bohotique was about so much more than cute beach hats, trendy cosmetic bags, and girly coffee cups. It was about celebrating sisterhood, and the joys that come along with embracing the women in your community, in your life, by rejoicing with them over their victories, and taking time to mourn with them over their sadness.

It was about hope.

Hope is something needed by everyone. No one is excluded from this need. Even though I had to let the Bohotique go in order to more fully take care of the B&B and the venue's needs, as well as my day-to-day classroom duties, I knew I still wanted to find a way to make even the smallest of differences in ways that are really important to me.

That is when I found ndulge. A company that is owned and run by a couple of sisters whose values and desires so closely parallel my own. They give back 33% of their profits in several arenas, all which help women who are less fortunate than the majority of us.

My first order arrived just a few days ago, and it feels so amazing to say that their products are of just a high quality as their mission statement! A super soft, buttery pair of paisley leggings and a couple of the cutest, softest athleisure tops now grace my {newly purged and cleaned out, by the way!} closet! THE perfect lounge wear for home!

Check out ndulge and all they have to offer, but also that these women do to give back to causes that are important to them: breast cancer awareness, human trafficking, foster care in Nepal, domestic violence, and others!

When you make your first purchase at ndulge, be sure to use the promo code SWilder10 to get 10% off of your entire first purchase!!! 

I promise, it's one purchase you will feel great about AND you'll love the product. Win, win!!!

Blessings on this Taco Tuesday, y'all!!

XXOO Staci

Capsule Wardrobes.

Raise your hand if you have a constant struggle with your closet/closet space?

I do, I do! {both hands raised high!}

Truth be told, we have a rather large, walk-in closet, with more than enough room for Mike and I both to have hang-ups, shelf space, room for shoes/boots/flip flops, and accessories such as caps, scarves, and bags/purses. That's the reality, and the dream.

The day-to-day reality is that, even though I can probably be labeled a "neat freak" when it comes to the visible portions of my home, if you open a closet door uninvited, you better jump back, Jack! There is just no telling what may fall out or down and conk you right on the noggin! 

I have truly great intentions about keeping an organized closet each and every time I clean it out. I have a friend who has a stool that sits in the middle of her closet; a place where she can sit as she leisurely picks out her day's attire. Doesn't that sound dreamy, and so Lisa Vanderpump?

Um, no...just no. First, there is no room for said stool in my closet. Second, there is nothing "leisurely" most days about picking out my clothes. It's more of a hunt and scramble type thing. Let's call it "search and rescue." I summon a deep breath, recall what that item of clothing looks like, and then I go in head-first, throwing, tossing, and moving things about until I manage to locate the precious piece. Usually to find it needs ironing.

Which is another um....no. 

So, in an effort to simplify my clothing life to match the simplification we've made in virtually every other area of our lives, I began to research wardrobe capsules about a year ago. The premise is that you pare down your wardrobe to just a collection of a few essential items that never really go out of style, and that you can mix & match to create a nice ensemble of outfits. 

Depending on your lifestyle, what type of geography in your live in, and your budget, this collection can range in number from 9 items up to 25 or so. The idea is that you spend a bit more on these essentials since they are "classics" and will last you season after season, and then each year (or season, for those who have a capsule for each quarter) you can add 2 or 3 items that are trendy or popular. This is also often where you add your pops of color.

I decided that our trip to NYC during this Christmas break was the perfect opportunity to try this out. Kind of like an experiment; a smaller capsule to practice with and see if I think it's something I could do on the daily. The plot twist was that I not only wanted a capsule, but I wanted it aaaalllll to fit into my carry on bag, because I detest checking bags at the airport just. that. much. 

To prepare, I did cheat a bit (okay, maybe more than just a bit) and consulted a stylist at Front Door Fashion, a group of in-house stylists based in Dallas, who get "to know you" via your online portfolio, phone calls, texts, emails (really, whatever works for you - they are super flexible). They ask about what you are needing, wanting, etc. and then they hand select a group of clothing and accessory items that they hope are just what you are looking for, pack them into a box, and ship them (usually next day) to your front door. You have several days to try on the clothing in the privacy of your own home, decide what (if any) that you want to keep, and then you ship what you don't want back (free of charge) to your stylist. You pay for just what you keep.

***Brief caveat*** This is not a cheap service and the items they send tend to be really quality items and at a price point that you (me, anyway) would not normally pay. Keep an open mind and remember that these are pieces that are here to stay.***

However, since I had a plan, and I knew I needed some really good "essentials" I decided to give it a go. I got lucky with my stylist, Rachel, and we hit it off right away. You do have the option of choosing your own stylist and you can read their profiles here, but since I didn't know any of them and - really - didn't have a clue as to what my style could be categorized as, I took a chance on whoever picked me up:) Thankfully, it was Rachel!

Rachel listened to what I wanted to do with a capsule wardrobe and I tried to convey my style preferences, but I didn't do a very good job. The first box that I immediately received from Rachel was one where I returned every single piece. Every. Single. Piece. 

I almost gave up at that point. But Rachel reached out and asked more questions and - this time - I just let it flow about what I wanted. It wasn't in "fashion terms" or probably even anything that made sense...except she got me that time. Knowing that we were about to travel to New York City for the holiday, the next box was filled with 9 things that I wanted to keep forever and ever and ever. 

But I'm a teacher and a thriving entrepreneur; I can't afford that:)

Instead, I picked out five items that I knew I could wear again and again, through the next several years, and I splurged. Yes, splurged, a word that isn't usually in my vocabulary. (I'm tagging Rachel in this post, so I hope she either plugs her ears here or gives me a "thumbs up" sign of approval:) But y'all remember that old show that used to come on called "The Look for Less"? 

I performed my own version of that, taking what I had learned from Rachel, and then shopping at Old Navy. It was that easy. I didn't even go into the store; merely ordered online and got REALLY lucky that everything fit! Score. 

Below, you'll see the items that made the cut for the trip. 19 total items for me (minus undies and TSA-approved toiletries), including outerwear and my duffel and cross-body purse! Mike and I DID, very successfully, pack compactly and precisely, and each boarded the plane with 1 personal item and 1 carry on! Y'all, I lived out of that one weekender bag for an entire week. It. Can. Be. Done!!!!

1)Navy TART wrap dress (Front Door Fashion)

2)Floral/geo print thin Debbie Martin Designs scarf (Front Door Fashion)

3)Black Stevie Ponte pants (Old Navy - also great for under the gray dress; thicker than leggings)

4)LINDA black/cognac suede bootie (JustFab - 2nd winter to wear these)

5)Black & Gray long sleeve T (Old Navy)

6)Boyfriend Jean (Old Navy)

7)Blue/cognac print poncho (Chico - gift from Amy last year)

8)Heather Gray Jersey Crew Neck Tee Dress (Old Navy)

9)Taupe long car coat (Old Navy - carried this on the plane so I didn't have to pack)

10)Packable cold weather coat (Old Navy)

11) Cognac cross-body purse (Old Navy)

12) Rust beanie & gloves (Jane.com)

13)Navy/Cognac monogrammed rain/weather boots 

14)Black buffalo plaid duffel with cognac straps (Jane.com)

15)Cognac earrings (Front Door Fashion)

16)Gold cuff (Target)

17)Multi-colored infinity plaid scarf (Jane.com)

Each item was easily mix and matched and paired with at least one, if not two, other outfits. My go-to colors (obviously) were the neutrals (black, gray, navy, cognac) with pops of color (rust, gold, and various shades of blue) thrown in. I never repeated an outfit for the entire 7 days! 

Mike and I each purchased a set of "packing cubes." Mine are shown here (red) and his are blue. This set (from Amazon) came with 4 cubes plus a handy matching "dirty clothes" bag. If you match your cubes to the bag you wish to carry on, fill only those bags, then you are good to go! This experiment was not only useful and beneficial, but also super fun!!!

Tomorrow morning is "clean out closet while binge-watching something interesting" in order to scale down my closet, make it more manageable, give really great clothing that I know I'll never wear again to folks who will, and come up with the perfect Winter into Spring Teacher Capsule Wardrobe.  (Photos on that after it actually happens:)

***If you decide to give FDF a try, please use my referral code!*** ALSO, they accept appointments at their Dallas location. So if you're looking for a fun and different "girl's day," this just might be it! I plan to make an appointment myself in the near future!