Reader Q&As are finally back! Your questions have been piling up and in the next three videos I answer them. Today, I'm answering a question about cleaning in your nice clothes. What should you do if you get really hot while cleaning the house? Also, what about people who live in a place with the same climate year-round? Should you have a year-round ten-item wardrobe instead of a seasonal one? How do I prepare my nightly and weekly reflections?
I hope you enjoy my answers in today's video. Be sure to come back and watch the next two installments as there is so much more to discuss!
News I will be doing a book club this summer on The Daily Connoisseur! We will be reading the Mapp & Lucia books by E.F. Benson, starting with the first two books, Queen Lucia & Miss Map. I am choosing these books because they are perfect summertime reads and are so apt for The Daily Connoisseurs. Also, if you have a kindle or other eReader, these books are free! They are also available in paperback or to listen to on Audible. I have not formally announced this yet, but wanted to give you a head start in reading so you can join in on the book club.
Comment of the Week AnnMarie writes: I've been working on a capsule wardrobe for about 4 months now, not on a regular basis. I go through my clothing when the kids are in bed and I can make stacks of clothing without them dismantling. It's a process but once you get going it's easy! When I say it's a process I mean you start weeding through your clothing and discover you don't have a personal style. To help discover my personal style I utilized Pinterest. Base on my Pinterest research I discovered my style, romantic modern chic, or something like that ??.?
Hi AnnMarie, Looking on Pinterest is a great way to discover what styles you like. You could also look at magazines or observe people you admire (who dress well) and figure out what your style is. I love romantic modern chic. It sounds fabulous!
Today, I would love to know your thoughts on today's discussion. What do you wear when you clean the house? How do you avoid wearing exercise clothes all day, everyday (or not?)? Do you live in a place with a year-round climate? Have you cut distractions in your home? What do you think about modern TV shows with all of their violence? Let me know and your comment could be chosen as comment of the week on the blog!
Stop by on Thursday to see part two in the Reader Q&A series, when we will discuss poise in arguments, plus size advice and bra fittings among other topics. See you then!
Today's video is a collaboration with Mina Irfan from The Universe Guru. Mina contacted me with this great idea to do a collaboration on 5 Tips for an Efficient Home. Today, I'm sharing 5 tips on my channel, and she is sharing 5 tips on her channel. You can watch her video here.
This was a really fun topic for me. I had way more than 5 tips, but I streamlined them to the most pertinent.
Prepare the night before Think about what makes your morning hectic. Is it breakfast? Getting dressed? Preparing school lunches? Helping the children get ready? Whatever it is that causes you stress, see if you can take care of it the night before. Set the table for breakfast. Set out the lunchbox and place non-perishables in it. Choose your clothes for the next day. Have your children lay their clothes out. Place all backpacks by the front door. Everyone's nightly to-do list will be different, but you will come to appreciate this added effort the night before to make your morning run smoothly.
Use your slow cooker The slow cooker (or crock pot) is my favorite kitchen appliance. Late afternoon/ early evening are very busy times at our house. The children are back from school and we are doing homework, practicing instruments, catching up and having downtime together. I'm also normally quite tired during these hours. That's why I love to prepare a meal in the slow cooker in the morning, when I tend to have more energy and while the kids are at school. I love the feeling of having dinner prepared come 5pm! It also makes the house smell so good. I love that our home smells of home-cooking when the children get back from school. The benefits of the slow cooker are endless.**
Embrace routines We live in a world of order and our homes should reflect that. Try to eliminate chaos wherever you can by implementing routines for everything from dealing with the incoming mail to going to bed at night.
Run your home like a small hotel What do you like about staying at a hotel? Is it the serene, clutter-free bedroom? The immaculate lobby and reception area? The sense of calm and order? Get excited about running your home, just as if you were the manager of a small, boutique hotel. With this motivation, you will plan your meals with gusto and use your implemented routines to create an orderly and efficient home.
Adopt a ten-item wardrobe The benefits of the ten-item wardrobe are vast, one of them being that it makes your home life run more efficiently. Why? Because you are not wasting countless hours choosing what to wear. You are not wasting money on clothes you don't need and aren't your true style. You end up choosing to look presentable every day which boosts your energy and productivity, plus so much more.
I hope you check out my video today where I expound on all of these topics, and why I believe they can help you to run your home more efficiently.
**Many people have asked which slow cooker I use. Our All Clad slow cooker is over ten years old and our particular model is no longer available. However, I did some research and this Crock Pot slow cooker is Amazon's pick, is very affordable and has excellent reviews online. If you are looking for a new slow cooker and you try this one, let me know how you like it!
Comment of the Week Oh my goodness, there were so many amazing comments from last week's Teatime with Jennifer video and blog, it was really hard to choose my favorite! Here are two great comments:
Jenna G writes: I have been following your channel and reading your books for a few years now, I've never commented but I just love what you have to say. You have inspired me to live in a new way with a renewed love for the simple things in life. Whether it's food, beverages, clothes, or the simple pleasures of making your home look beautiful, it's just fun! I used to have two closets jam-packed full of clothes, and now I'm down to one small closet thanks to the 10 item wardrobe. I love cleaning out my closet multiple times each year and updating my wardrobe. I find joy in keeping my home looking nice with my husband. And I totally agree about looking presentable always, even when no one else will see you that day! I hope your books and channel are around for years to come. I love looking forward to your new videos each week. :)
Tara M writes: Before reading the Madame Chic series I used to be an offender of wearing yoga pants everyday (I think I am wearing yoga pants in my icon pic :). I too, had the opinion that it didn't matter since I wore a long shirt over and I thought you couldn't tell. I also work from home. But after reading the books, I decided to give it a try. I have to say I have converted. I no longer wear yoga pants daily. I wear real pants. And I will say, "don't knock it til you try it". I feel so much better. I realized that when I was in my yoga pants, I wanted to lounge around, read, or go on the internet. When I am dressed, I am more efficient, more organized and I feel better when I go to the store. I am in a better mood. I love not wearing yoga pants. At the end of the night, early, I take a relaxing bath and put on my pj's and then I relax, pray and listen to some classical or meditation music. So, now I have a place for my relaxation time. I love it!~ Thank you Jennifer for shedding light on this. My cheat is, I found dressy, nice pants, that are just as comfy as yoga pants. I usually wear nice, dressy leggings with a long dress top and ballet flats.
Thank you ladies, for sharing your great testimonials with all of us. I love to hear how the Daily Connoisseur and Madame Chic philosophies are improving your lives.
This week I would love to know... What do you think of my tips for running an efficient home? Do you have any to add yourself? Do you struggle with efficiency in your home life? Let me know in the comment section, and yours could be chosen as comment of the week on the blog!
I'm pleased to start my series on making home life a priority today! I have broached this subject in the past, and have even written a book on the topic (At Home With Madame Chic), however, this topic remains a passion of mine, and I still have so much to say on the subject.
This will be an on-going series over the course of the year, and today we are talking about distractions. The last time I discussed this, I urged you to cut your distractions. Cutting needless distractions is very important, but in today's video, I also give encouragement. Oftentimes you can make your distractions work for you to sweeten the process of getting your work done.
The first step? Write your distractions down on a sheet of paper so you can look at them honestly. Screens, in any form, are the biggest distractions: smartphones, television, YouTube, Facebook, Pinterest, Netflix, etc.
Now, figure out if you can make your favorite distractions work for you. Can you watch a YouTube video, while folding the laundry? Can you listen to an audiobook or podcast while cleaning the kitchen or cooking dinner? You can do these things while feeling motivated to organize, de-clutter and tidy the house on a regular basis. And what should we do about those pesky Facebook and Pinterest addictions?
Check out this week's video to hear my thoughts on the subject. To see the list of my favorite YouTubers, check out the info box below today's video.
Comment of the Week Thank you to everyone who watched my first episode of Teatime with Jennifer! Everyone contributed such lovely comments, it was hard to choose my favorite. I did love this memory from reader, Maureen...
Maureen @ Raising the Capable Student writes: I loved this story too! When my oldest son was born (22 years ago!), he spent a week in NICU. We always dressed nicely for our visits, and on the day we finally brought him home, I wore a dress and my husband wore a suit. It was a day of grateful celebration, and we wanted it to feel that way. It's a great memory!
Hi Maureen, I'm sure that time when your son was in the NICU was incredibly stressful. I'm sure that your dressing well for his visits reflected your hope for him. What a great memory to finally bring him home! Thank you for sharing it with us.
This week I would love to know... what are your distractions? How could your home life use improvement? How do you plan to make home life a priority this year? Let me know, and your comment could be chosen as comment of the week on the blog!
