Mabey She Made It

I’m an introvert–I like people and enjoy my relationships, but in order to recharge I have to have “Me Time.” Finding time for inspiration and solitude is necessary for my mental health, and it gives me time to reflect, ponder, plan, and rejuvenate.

With three little ones, you probably already know (without me saying) that my time alone is limited. And when my husband comes home from work, he deserves my time and attention too. So those moments of true alone time really mean a lot to me.

There are a few golden minutes each night that I look forward to. Its right after the bedtime routine when the prayers, songs, stories, and kisses are done–the kids are in their beds but they’re not yet asleep. I like to sit in my room for those few minutes while Maya falls asleep and just breathe.

Those minutes are also the perfect time to do something quiet like flipping through a magazine for inspiration. All too often, I rely on my phone for providing inspiration, but there’s something magical about print publications. You can see the care in every shot, the details that would be easy to miss otherwise, and the perfection that is refreshingly different than my day to day. (I worked on a magazine before becoming a mama, and know what goes into each page–the design, photos, copy, editing–its all part of the beauty and nostalgia to me.)

And when those golden moments are gone and I’ve dog-eared all the pages I was inspired by, I feel a little more like myself. And a lot more motivated to do something to improve my mind, my home, and my life.

This time around I grabbed the January edition of Real Simple and the February issue of InStyle to look through. (Here’s a photo of the covers so you can find the articles I’m going to reference.)

They both had articles on organizing and updating your wardrobe, and you know how I love clothes. I also wanted to see how my wardrobe was doing since revamping it this past year.

I went through “The Closet Audit” on page 53 of Real Simple to audit what I had. I did a KonMari purge a couple of months ago, so that part was simple–only a couple of things had crept in that I didn’t end up keeping. Then the “Now & Later” article on page 79 of InStyle inspired me to look at some of the articles in my closet and see how I could mix and match them differently than I normally do.

After that I went back and used the rest of the Closet Audit article to figure out what holes I have in my wardrobe and what patterns, designs or colors I can add to make it seamless (ha!).

My conclusion? A few timeless staples would help fill in gaps like a little black dress (I know, why don’t I have one of these?), a blazer (again, don’t ask me why I don’t have one of these), and a neutral pencil skirt. So guess what projects you may be seeing from me in the near future…

I am really grateful for my life and my family. It gets hectic and crazy, but the “me time” I have to recenter and recharge help me be a better mom, wife, and creative.

Want to pick up your own copy of these magazines? Head to Safeway like I did.

Take advantage of $1.00 off participating titles (PEOPLE®, InStyle®, People StyleWatch®, Real Simple®, and Sunset®) with this digital offer until 2/15/16 while supplies last.

“This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and InStyle® and Real Simple® Magazines but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #NewYearMeTime http://my-disclosur.es/OBss