Winter Capsule Wardrobe: functional and stylish winter wear
January 16, 2025Focusing on a well-planned winter capsule wardrobe offers you functional and stylish winter wear. The following are some tips for how to curate your closet to work for you!
Categorize your clothing.
Take the time to go through each item in your closet and put them in the following categories: tops, bottoms, solo pieces, and extras (shoes, belts, purses, coats). Go through your items and toss/donate what doesn’t fit or has stains or is torn.
KonMari your wardrobe.
If you have not heard of the KonMari method, I highly recommend you check it out. Basically, touch each item you own and if you do not feel an immediate joy then toss or donate it. Once you have gone through your items, you are ready to create your functional and stylish winter wardrobe.
Utilizing neutrals and classic basics like a good dark wash jean will help establish a tried and true wardrobe. Layering basic tees, sweaters, and pants allows you to get more outfit options from fewer clothing items.
You do not need a lot of clothing to create functional and stylish winter wear.
Curating a seasonal capsule wardrobe is not a new topic for me. In fact, I have written before about my spring capsule wardrobe here. For example, using the site calculator on combineclothes.com, I logged: 12 tops, 10 bottoms, four solo items, and 10 extras. With just this amount of items, I have enough clothing items to generate 1, 360 different outfits. I think I’m good for at least the winter season!
The misconception is that in order to have a great look, you must have lots and lots of clothes. I do not believe that to be true. With lots of clothing comes clutter and your mind will tend to forget what items are available in your closet. Sticking with a few key pieces each season not only helps you identify what you have to wear but it also reveals when there is a gap and a true need to buy a necessary item. In the case of my closet, I have found that I am in need of a classic blazer that can serve as business professional and keep me warm during the winter months. Another closet staple I would like to aquire is a trench coat.
Here is my curated winter capsule wardrobe. From this volume of items alone, I can create over 400 outfit options! Admittedly, I will still add an item or two to this group! Let me know if you choose to create your own winter capsule wardrobe.
How to Plan a Productive Yet Relaxing Start to the New Year – tips for setting yourself up for success
Planning a productive yet relaxing year seems a bit of an oxymoron, am I right? However, with some easy tips, I feel you too can set yourself up for success this year.
Journal.
Keeping a journal is cathartic and beneficial. Because I have written in a journal off and on since childhood, I count my journal keeping skills as consistent even though I do not write every day. Putting your thoughts down on paper can ease your mind and provide organization to your ideas.
Journals are also a beautiful way to track your progress or see where you might have faltered. For me, this blog is a good journal outlet. It can be a progress tracker or show if there is an area to work on. You can read my post from a year ago, here, and compare where I was to where I am.
Use a planner to plan a productive yet relaxing New Year.
A planner of some sort will allow you to keep track of your obligations as well as plot your success. A planner gives visual encouragement to your goals.
I love a good planner. It is a thing of beauty. TJ Maxx usually has a great selection of yearly planners at cost efficient prices. Amazon does as well, like the one shown below. *As an Amazon Associate, I may earn commission on any viable link at no cost to you.
A good planner can actually make your planning experience a relaxing one. Build in a day of rest for a productive yet relaxing New Year.
This tip seems counterproductive but I have experienced the most peace when I implement one day of rest per week. I call it Sunday Bumday. Try it out, you might be like me and find that by the end of an entire day where you do nothing, you are recharged to tackle your goals.
For a day of rest, literally do as little as possible. For me, the only obligation I have on my day of rest is to attend church and to have a lunch prepared. Besides those two items, I do nothing. There are no people invited over on Sunday, I do not leave the house. Typically there is a nap built in and reading time or something else that brings me joy. On my days of rest I might sew or attempt to play the violin or I might binge watch tv all day. There is so much freedom in having one precious day of rest. I might even go for a walk. Don’t just take my word for it, here is an article with scientific backing to promote a day of rest.
Now, these tips may not be life altering, but they may be just what you need to plan a productive yet relaxing year. Happy New Year!
A Year in Review: A look at my 2024 Resolutions
If you are handing out a pass or fail grade on my 2024 Resolutions, I’m afraid you would give me a failing grade. I did not complete the two resolutions I made from 2024, but I did learn from them. Here is what I learned.
My 2024 Resolutions
My resolutions for 2024 were pretty straight forward: 1. Run a 5k and 2. Write 52 blog posts. While I did not achieve either, there are definitely lessons I am taking away from the experience. You can read about all my hopes and excitement for the 2024 year in my January 2024 blog post.
It’s okay to change course.
In my mind, I was going to take 2024 and learn to run 3.1 miles in its entirity. I was an athlete in high school. Heck! I even played intramural sports in college. But something has transpired in me over the last 24 years of settling down and raising babies – I became more stagnite instead of active. There have been periods of time where I have attempted 5ks only to end up run/walking them instead of running them. While I did participate in a local 5k, there was an “ah-ha” moment for me in my preparation – I don’t enjoy this.
5k Run In the midst of my struggle to make the time to train for running, a neighbor invited me to walk with her and another neighbor at 5:00 each morning. 5:00 in the morning??? You will never mistake me for a morning girl. However, the invitation answered a prayer of mine to make more friendship connections and it revealed to me that I could be active (we walk 3 miles 1-4 times a week) and not feel like I was dying each time! My course changed from running to walking and I am so happy with the outcome. This is an activity that I have been sticking with.
You can fail forward.
My second resolution: write 52 blog posts afforded me the opportunity to fail beautifully. What does that mean to fail beautifully? I consider it beautiful because I learned so much this year in trying to increase my blog activity. While I only posted 29 out of 52 blog posts this year, I discovered that this is almost triple the amount of posts I have made annually over the last three years! That is quite the improvement.
This failure has only encouraged me to keep going, keep trying, keep learning. There is so much more I can improve upon!
And while you are looking at my year in review, feel free to check out some other 2024 recaps here from the blog, Corporette. Let me know – how did your 2024 go? What does your year in review look like?
Fun and Budget Friendly Weekend Activities for Families
Workweek ends and what is there to do for families? Chances are, you will not have to go far to encounter fun and budget friendly weekend activities.
Brainstorm
What do you like to do? What does your spouse and children like to do? Create a list of hobbies and activities you enjoy. Once you have a list, start doing those activities together.
I’ve been planning little trips, excursions, and activities for my family for years now. Some of my ideas I share around the Labor Day holiday can be read here. While some activities require some financial planning, a lot of weekend activities can be fun and budget friendly.
Shop local
And by “shop local” I mean, look locally for ideas on free, fun, and/or budget friendly events that are in your area. For example, my town puts out a couple of papers: Homewood Star and the Over the Mountain journal. Both publications list local events and their costs. These types of publications give you a great starting point when deciding what to do on the weekends.
Sporting Events
Some people are already aware of the fun times sporting events provide. Admittedly, I am late to this game. With my 19 year old son starting college this past fall, my eyes have been opened to the fun and major production of a collegiate sporting event.
Did you know that some colleges and universities have some sporting events that are free? For example, Auburn University’s women’s soccer games are non-ticketed events. For me, locally, I have attended Samford University’s women’s soccer games for free. Colleges and universities put forth great effort in making these events a fun happening for all attending. Check it out!
Plan Ahead for larger expenses
To protect the family budget as much as possible, plan ahead for big ticket events. For example, Polar Express-like experiences require some planning ahead to reserve your spot and cover the ticket prices. Start thinking now about what your family would like to do in the spring (Easter experiences) and set a reminder for when you need to book your events.
Stay at home
It’s okay to stay home for some weekends. Life is in a constant state of business. It’s okay to plan a weekend at home. Watch a movie, put a puzzle together, or play a game. Another idea that might be slightly scandalous… plan a project that requires the help of the entire family. Good lessons are to be had in working together as a family. One weekend, our entire family worked to get the backyard ready for our son’s graduation party that we held later in the year. Teamwork makes the dream work!
Serve
During this holiday season, there are no shortages of charities that will welcome your family’s help and service. My family has delivered leftover food from restaurants to a local food pantry. This is an easy task and can be done with just your family. Reach out to your church or area churches and ask what ministries they have available that your family can serve in. Chances are, your entire family will walk away feeling positive about their service experience.
Don’t overthink it. Just give an activity a try over the weekend. Sometimes the best memories are made just by simply being together not necessarily spending a lot of money on an activity.
Thanksgiving Recipe: A Shortcut to Use
I’ve finally reached an age where I have my own traditional contribution to the Thanksgiving meal. My sister makes a delicious cheesy potatoe side dish and a delectable carrot souffle’ while my mom makes wonderful turkey and dressing as well as great southern style green beans (bacon grease is the key).
My Thanksgiving contribution? Pecan pie. It is my absolute favorite. Over the years, I have had to make adjustments and include a shortcut or two in order to achieve holiday menu success.
Lower your expectations.
Naively, for my first Thanksgiving meal as a married woman, I thought I would bring a homemade with handmade crust pecan pie. I can now laugh at my expectations. This may be a feat accomplished by others but I have learned that for myself, I need to dial down the idea of perfection.
Memories of purchasing Kentucky bourbon to add to my Kentucky Bourbon Pecan Pie along with large chunks of flour rising up through the middle of the pie come to mind. Oh boy! Since that time, I have discovered the beauty of a ready-made Pilsbury pie crust and the value of leaving the bourbon in a glass and not a pie.
Keep It Simple
Use ready-made ingredients such as the pie crust where you can. Keeping your recipe simple will allow for more time to complete it and less mistakes to take place. Also, following the basic pecan pie recipe included on the back of the light Karo syrup is a win all the way around.
If you are in charge of more than a pie this year, you can see my recommendations for making the day a smooth process, here. I recently found some cute tablecloths for Thanksgiving. You can view them here.
Make it a Tradition
Once you have a found the one item you are good at making, make that your tradition. You do not have to reinvent the wheel year after year. Stick to what you know. For me? The OG pecan pie is what I am going to bring to Thanksgiving dinner.
The beauty of traditions is that the only requirement is that you do it on repeat. Want to start a new tradition? Great, just do it year after year. Think you might not have any traditions? Stop and consider what it is that your family does year after year. That is your traditon.
Now, what are you bringing to Thanksgiving Dinner?
The Ultimate Self-Care Routine for Busy Moms
Finding a rhythm and routine that keeps you sane as a mom is of top priority. Read along as I share with you my ultimate self-care routine for busy moms.
Recognize the season
Being a mom is one of the toughest jobs on the planet. You will never be able to convince me otherwise. So before I launch into this ultimate self-care routine, please note that each mom has various seasons in motherhood. Some seasons are way more time consuming than others. With that being said, use this self-care routine simply as a suggestion and uses it to fit your needs. Hang in there, mama! You are doing great!
My Ultimate Self-Care Routine for Busy Moms
- Walk and/or run
- Devotions
- Wash face twice daily
- End the day with a book
Sleep
No matter the season of motherhood, adequate sleep has always been an issue. When my children were infants, sleep was hard to come by because I was meeting their needs (feedings, diaper changes, as they got older – chase away the boogie man). Older ages brought late night sports activities or waiting up for them to return home from dates. Now, in my mid-forties, lovely perimenopause is reeking havoc on my sleep schedule.
For the past few months, I have been attempting to go to bed earlier because I am getting up early in order to exercise. While the activity is good for me, it has also been good for me to attempt to go to sleep earlier. Now, if I can just sleep through the entire night!
Knowing that I will be waking up at 5:00 a.m. forces me to put aside the mindless scrolling and get to bed at a decent hour. First thing in the morning, I wake up, have a cup of coffee, then meet a couple of friends for a 3 mile walk.
Devotions
In a previous post, I’ve shared the importance of a quiet time. Why does this make the ultimate self-care routine for busy moms? Because a few moments of solitude to pray and meditate on what is most important in life gives me a purpose to my day-to-day.
Wash Face Daily
Why is this simple task so important? I’ve found as I age, the condition of my skin impacts my mood. When my skin is dry and the eye bags are heavy, I feel a little down. A little moisturizer goes a long way to boost my mood! And your skin care routine doesn’t have to break the bank. Recently, I discovered @lorafied on Instagram and she has some great tips for finding good skincare hacks. Below is some of her ideas for Dollar Tree Dupes.
End the Day with a Book
Reading did not become a hobby for me until adulthood. Now, ending the day with a book is a sweet treat for me. Reading allows me to unwind from the day and getting ready for sleep. Reading actually makes me sleepy and I look forward to becoming too tired to read. This habit is a part of my self-care routine because it helps my mind and body to slow down. Check out my Goodreads link at the top of my blog page!
Please share with me your ultimate self-care routine or feel free to copy mine!
5 Fun Things to Do in the Fall
Fall is my absolute favorite time of year! And while it feels like marketing is steamrolling into the holidays, here are 5 fun things to do in the Fall.
Pick Apples from an Orchard
Google apple orchards in your area and see what turns up. There is an amazing apple orchard just down the road from our house in our previous town and regretfully, I never attended. However, this year, we are planning to make a trip to pick some apples – what better way to kick off the fall season? Steele Orchard seems like a perfect day trip.
Make a day of romping through an apple orchard taking pictures, sampling apples and all apple products, and creating sweet memories with your family.
Sew, knit, or crochet
Here me out before you read on – there is something about working with your hands that creates peace. While I am no expert at sewing, my mother’s advice along with YouTube videos have helped me navigate my way to showing off some sewing creativity. Spending time alone making something brings a sense of comfort and accomplishment. Can you just envision yourself sitting by the fire or in front of a good tv show making something with your hands? Try a YouTube video tutorial for any of the above: sewing, knitting, or crocheting. Let me know how it goes!
Bake an Apple Pie
With the apples you pick from your apple orchard trip, bake an apple pie! What better fun thing to do in the fall then to bake a delicious apple pie? This recipe from The Pioneer Woman sounds delicious. For me half the joy of the fall season are all the wonderful smells: apple, cinnamon, pumpkin – oh my!
Go for a Scenic Drive
Friends of mine who were limited on funds got creative with their vacations. They chose to visit all 67 counties of the state of Alabama. What a fun thing to do! Of course, some of their trips were longer than others but some pretty great scenic drives can be made in a day.
My favorite is when I find a pin on Pinterest that has a wonderful road trip already mapped out.
Visit a Pumpkin Farm or Farmer’s Market
My family is fortunate to live near a lovely farmer’s market. Pepper Place Market is located in downtown Birmingham and has a host of vendors that are lovely to peruse.
If downtown city is too much city for you, find a local pumpkin patch and enjoy the sights and scents of fall.
Another wonderful fall activity is camping. To me, when the air is chilly is the perfect time to start up a campfire and enjoy the scenes of nature. A good fall camping location is outlined here in a previous post.This is a fabulous season to complete five fun things to do in the fall!
10 Easy Weeknight Dinners for Busy Families
For when life is crazy, here are 10 easy weeknight dinners for busy families.
1. Taco Night
There’s some relief to the mental load when you have a regular taco night. Taco Tuesday isn’t popular for no reason! Keep Taco seasoning packets on hand or make your own using some common spices and at least one night’s dinner will be a breeze!
I use the following recipe as a guide for my taco seasoning: 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, 1/2 teaspoon of paprika, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of onion powder, 1 teaspoon of chili powder, and 1 tablespoon of cumin. Combine all spices and sprinkle over ground beef while cooking.
2. Pasta & Meatballs
Another easy throw-together meal is pasta and meatballs. You can use spaghetti pasta. Aldi’s carries a bag of frozen meatballs. Cook the meatballs according to the package directions and the pasta of choice seperately. Combine at the end. You may even add more pasta sauce if you desire.
3. Chicken Tortilla Soup
This recipe is one of my favorite recipes of all time! I love to add tortilla chips, shredded cheddar, and sour cream to my bowl.
This soup can be thrown into the crockpot. To a crockpot add: two chicken breast, container of chicken broth, taco seasoning, can of pinto beans washed and drained, can of corn, can of Rotel, salt and pepper. Cook on low for 4-6 hours.
Here’s a similar soup that sounds just as easy to make…
Click this link to check out this recipe. 4. Sheet Pan Fajitas
Time is always precious in the evenings. Having a meal ready to go within 30 minutes is priceless! The following Pinterest pin highlights one of my fave go-to meals: sheet pan fajitas. This meal was a no-brainer for adding to my 10 easy weeknight dinners for busy families.
5. Frozen Pizza
Please don’t come at me for this one! When you just do not have the energy to cook, you can typically count on Publix to have some brand of frozen pizza on a Buy One, Get One sale. On nights that I go grocery shopping, a frozen pizza is usually in our near future!
Photo by Polina Tankilevitch on Pexels.com 6. Roast & Veggies
Another great use of the crockpot is placing a roast with potatoes, onions, and carrots in it. If your roast is frozen, you can place it in the crockpot along with some beef broth on low overnight and in the morning before work, toss in the onions and carrots. My husband likes to add peeled cloves of garlic to his roast recipe. You can try a variation of this by adding peperoncino peppers and a packet of ranch dressing.
7. Orange Chicken & Rice
This is my daughter’s favorite meal and if I am honest, I never fully remember how to make the same recipe twice! We always place the orange chicken over a bed of white rice. Add a little soy sauce and you have an awesome meal.
For the chicken, cut two to three chicken breast into cubes. In a small bowl add: half a teaspoon of garlic powder, half a teaspoon of ground ginger, salt & pepper to taste, the zest of an orange, a quarter cup of soy sauce, and a tablespoon of honey. To a skillet, add your cubed chicken and as it cooks, pour the mixture over top until cooked through. Sometimes, I will add a teaspoon of cornstarch to my dried, cubed chicken before placing it in the skillet. This is a crowd pleaser in our home.
8. Baked Chicken & Roasted Vegetables
Any type of sheet pan dinner is an easy win for me. For baked chicken, place your chicken breast and desired chopped vegetables on a aluminum foil-lined pan. Drizzle olive oil and desired spices (such as garlic powder, Italian seasoning, thyme, salt, pepper, etc.) over chicken and veggies, baking them at 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Ta-da! Dinner is served!
9. Tater Tot Casserole
I fell in love with this casserole during my years that I watched 19 Kids and Counting. My version is slightly different than the original.
Cook ground beef with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Once meat is drained, add to a casserole dish that already has frozen tater tots on the bottom. In a separate bowl, combine a container of sour cream, a can of mushroom soup, a teaspoon of garlic and onion powders, and a cup of shredded cheddar cheese. Layer the mixture on top of the tater tots and meat then cover with a layer of shredded cheese. Bake on 350 degrees for 30 – 40 minutes.
10. Hamburgers
If I’m being totally honest, by the time I got to the 10th meal, I really was struggling for an easy win. Grilling hamburgers is an easy dinner for me because typically, I only have to patty up the burgers then my husband does the rest – ha!
Well, how did I do? Any new recipes that you would like to give it a try? There are certain tasks that us moms will continue to do until we pass away – wash laundry and cook dinner are two that come to mind! In a past post, I shared about my year of attempting to have 365 different meals. You can read about my attempt here. May these 10 easy weeknight dinners for busy families provide you a little bit of inspiration – enjoy!
Home Organization: Hacks for Every Room!
That title might be a bit deceptive. Not sure I have a hack for EVERY room but I will share the knowledge that I do have. Keeping a house running smoothly will require some home organization hacks along the way!
Functional Bathrooms
Having a double vanity sink would make one think there is enough space for all one’s bathroom products. One would be wrong. Having a proper organization hack will help utilize the small spaces underneath bathroom sinks. I’ve utilized double tiered shelving as well as hair appliance storage. You can check out my hair appliance organizer here. (As an Amazon Associate, I may earn commission from any viable link.)
Smart Tips for an Organized Kitchen
No matter the size of the kitchen, there are plenty of items to fill it! For a small kitchen especially, there are organizational tips and tricks. For example, a lazy Susan is a wonderful hack for organizing spices. Upper cabinets that extend all the way to the ceiling are also a nice addition of space.
Snapware glass containers are great for food storage and stack nicely in the cabinets when unused.
Hacks for a Clutter-Free Bedroom
Under the bed storage organizers are a brilliant hack for saving space in the bedroom. I use a couple of zip-up storage containers.
In our youngest son’s bedroom, canvas storage totes are used to hold not only clothing but toys and books as well. You can read about our recent update to our son’s room, here.
Creative under-the-bed storage solutions. Any quick Google search can generate a wealth of home organization hack resources. An account I discovered on Instagram that has amazing home organization hacks is @lelaburris She also has a beautiful blog that highlights some great organization tips. You can read about it here.
Using these hacks, think of ways to create space-saving storage solutions and organization in your own home! Let me know what other home organization hacks you incorporate at your house. I’d love to hear from you!
Trends in Jeans I’m Predicting for Moms this Fall:
Fall is my absolute favorite season and with it comes a whole new opportunity to change wardrobes and styles. As a mom – maybe even just as a woman – finding a good pair of jeans is always a challenge. We, as moms, want to look nice but have the functionality to take care of business when necessary. Here are some trends in jeans I’m predicting for moms this fall.
Wide-leg Jeans: the classic friend
As much as I loved the pairing of skinny jeans with an oversized sweatshirt or tunic, I’m loving the wide legged jean’s silhouette. For an apple shaped girlie, the wide leg draws the eye to an area other than the tummy. While I feel some are still wearing the skinny jeans and leggings, the wide leg jean is on trend for
this fall.
These jeans were a purchase for my senior daughter. They are an absolute hit! *As an Amazon Associate, I may earn commission on any viable links.* Cargo Jeans: the trendy friend
This is one trend, I am uncertain I will get on board with. The jury’s still out on how I feel about all the pockets of the cargo jean. In my search for examples to share, I came across another blogger’s take on the fall season jean trend and like her perspective. You can read her thoughts, here.
Retail Cheapskate is always providing great deal ideas! Thick-cuffed Jeans: possible friend of short girls
Being 4′ 10″, I love any excuse to cuff or turn up my jeans. Carefully curating my wardrobe affords me to show off some great, classic styles. You can read about my capsule wardrobe planning, here.
Elastic Waistband Jeans: every mom’s friend
Another win in my book is jeans with an elastic waist band. I mean, what’s not to love? Now, to be honest, I’m not sure the style below is for me; however, these came on my radar as I was viewing various jean styles on Instagram.
Four types of jean trends for this fall: wide-legged, cuffed, cargo, and elastic waist bands. Which trend will you try?
These jeans are No Boundaries Pull-On Cargo jeans from Walmart. Essential Tips for Setting Up My Son’s Dorm Room: A Parent’s Guide to College Living
What an experience to move our son into college. Getting his dorm room ready was a fun and a little bit frenzied time. The following are essential tips for setting up my son’s dorm room: a parent’s guide to college living.
1. Planning the Layout.
Consider the layout of the space when planning dorm room purchases. Seek out the appliance guidelines of your college/university of choice. Before our move-in day, I looked up dorm room pictures that other parents had supplied in Facebook groups. Having a visual idea of how we wanted the layout of the room to be made moving items in much easier.
A snapshot of our starting space. This picture makes the dorm room look so small. I am so pleased with the “after”. 2. Dorm Room Must-haves: Essentials for Comfort and Convenience
This is the area rug we purchased for my son’s dorm room. It is extremely soft AND washable. *As an Amazon Associate, I may earn commission on any viable links. My family and I created a list of must-haves for our son’s dorm room. Now that he is moved in, here are my top 5 must-haves: 1. XL moving bags WITH straps that wrap all the way around the bags. 2. Woo Zoo fan. (We purchased ours at Costco) 3. Multiple sizes of Command Hooks. Unfortunately, we did not get the right sizes for our son’s wall art but we did get the correct, heavy-duty size for his curtains. For his dorm, absolutely no holes can be made in the walls so Command Hooks are a must. 4. A toaster oven/air fryer combo. (My husband found a unit that can: air fry, broil, bake, toast, and one more I cannot remember – ha!) 5. An area rug. And I’ll add a bonus – a rolling laundry hamper. The wheels make it easy to roll back and forth from the laundry room.
These XL Moving Bags were a HUGE help on move-in day. *As an Amazon Associate, I may earn commission on any viable links. 3. Decorating on a Budget
Shopping Amazon Prime Day deals in July was a HUGE help in securing some great deals for my son’s dorm room. My husband likes checking out local overstock/discount stores for deals – places like Ollie’s or DirtCheap.
For all the curtains in my son’s dorm, I sewed them. My mother and aunt provided the fabric and I provided the labor. My son has curtains in his living room, bedroom, and bathroom. This is a big budget helper.
College parent groups and Facebook Marketplace are also great spots to grab some budget-friendly dorm room items.
The Collar Find is a wonderful account for college tips and tricks! 4. Preparing for Move-In Day: Tips for a Smooth Transition
For the actual move-in day, try to remember a few tips: 1. Not everything is going to go as planned – the earlier you can come to terms with this fact, the better. Lists upon lists were made and we still forgot some things. 2. Set your Woozoo fan up immediately. The air circulation will cool you down as you are unloading boxes. A friend shared this tip with me and it was a big help. We even brought a second portable fan to simply have running during move-in then we took it home at completion. 3. Try to keep conversations light and positive. Even if your son does not act like the move-in bothers him, he is still processing a lot of emotions. 4. Place all that you can into the XL moving bags. These bags are a game changer and save so much space. I picked up this tip from @thecollarfind on Instagram. 5. Have conversations BEFORE move-in day about your expectations of goodbye. Having at least a loose idea of leaving expectations helps prepare the mind slightly for the transition.
Moving is not always an easy nor smooth task. In fact, sometimes it is downright horrifying. You can read some of my cautionary advice related to moving here. My hope is that you have a great college move-in experience with your child! Let me know if you use any of my tips and tricks in this parent’s guide to college living.
The “after” of our son’s dorm room.
