30 Chic Days: It's a wrap!

It has been interesting to think about this topic for almost a month. I'm ending the 30 days by joining a wellness center at a hospital near me so I can swim laps and go to exercise classes frequently despite weather. It is also a lot less expensive than what I have been doing.

Enjoyed this process and time to move on!

30 Chic days: Day 27 - sweating for a good cause

It is true Atlanta summer weather - hot, humid, lots of rainy days where brief downpours leave it, yes, more humid. And every plant outside is growing like a weed.

Well, I was out early this morning in old, but still decent looking, capris and a short sleeve t-shirt starting to prune back the bushes in the front yard before they engulf the house LOL. Good weight loss technique too. I have decided that being chic includes looking at least decently put together even when doing grungy chores. No more ready to toss yard work clothes for me.


After 2 1/2 hours of that I am showered and enjoying the air conditioning although I will be vacuuming, etc. later today.

I put on a very comfy and cool summer dress with sandals and a casual necklace. I like it better in the photo than looking in the mirror. What's up with that?

30 Chic Days - Days 20-24: A chic home for potential buyers?

I'm joining Fiona and Sue to track 30 days of "chic" living.

Days 19 - 21

A chic home right now means a light, bright and spacious one that will appeal to buyers while still nurturing us as long as we live here.

Over the long weekend we continued to work on our downsizing and sale prep projects.

We have made a lot of progress and each time a room is nearly done we wish we had done it sooner. I think the lesson is to rethink decor and belongings regularly!

I spent a lot of time going through genealogy paper files and reduced the volume by about half even though I printed out the documentation from my genealogy software. The challenge was to not get started doing more research!

My husband worked on priming the new sun porch window frames and made a lot of progress.

We put the upstairs bathroom back together and it looks totally different with just a change of paint, bathmat, curtains and artwork. I will buy new towels at the last minute so they will stay fresh. Remember how dark it was? Not to everyone's taste.

It is a bit too light colored for us now but we tried a shade a bit darker and again it made the room too dark although it provided better contrast. Hopefully light and bright will appeal as a blank slate for potential buyers. The paint is called French White. We added new curtains too.

  We can use our blue or brown bath mats - which do you think looks better?

30 Chic Days - Days 15 - 19 and it is July!

I'm joining Fiona and Sue to track 30 days of "chic" living.

Days 15 - 18

My focus for these days was on trying different things in the small daily decision areas.

Eating: We ate all dinners at home. I worked on having healthier snacks and having them at home rather than going out for coffee and a cookie.

What I wore: More summer Project 333 wardrobe capsule mix and match. Adding at least a necklace to make each simple summer outfit more elegant. I have eliminated another pair of sandals for all day use. Feet hurting is so not chic.

This combo of a light yellow and washed red works because the saturation of the colors is the same and I still get the contrast I need. I have to say that this one finally made me understand combining colors with the same level of saturation. After wearing this all day I may not repeat it as I just didn't love it enough. What do you think?

Then I tried to get accessorizing this dress to look more chic while staying very cool and able to get a haircut. I ended up wearing it with the scarf and light colored sandals. Afterwards I thought that I should have worn the necklace too.

Then I moved on to my navy shorts for a very casual day of laundry, etc. Put on two necklaces to give it a bit more punch without added heat although it is hard to see in the photo. You will notice I am wearing my Ecco walking sandals a lot as my feet have been hurting! I am happy with my haircut though.

How I moved my body: Activity based exercise - spraying weeds, painting walls, dog walking. Longer walks by myself, stretching DVD and a Pilates session for formal exercise.

What I have been reading: Nothing new here - mysteries, blogs, news. 

30 Chic Days - 11 to 14

I'm joining Fiona and Sue to track 30 days of "chic" living. I've been busy these 4 days but don't have much to say.

Days 11 - 14

My focus for the week was on continuing to make the interior of our home more "chic".

Eating: We ate all dinners at home. I worked on healthier snacks.

What I wore: More summer Project 333 wardrobe capsule mix and match. Adding at least a necklace to make each simple summer outfit more elegant. Some new options.

How I moved my body: Activity based exercise - spraying weeds, painting walls, dog walking, and my stretching DVD.

30 Chic Days - Days 8-10: Simple elegance every day

I'm joining Fiona and Sue to track 30 days of "chic" living.

Days 8 - 10

I started thinking about what makes a person "chic" and had to look up the definition - "smart elegance and sophistication especially of dress or manner".

Which led me to looking up the definition of "elegant". 

      1. showing good taste : graceful and attractive
      2. simple and clever

Which led me to decide that what I am really after is simple elegance in everyday life.

My focus for the week was on really thinking about this as I went through my days and made decisions.

Time wise I mostly worked on maintaining and beautifying our home. I started painting the master bath as part of our sale prep checklist and did yard work. I braved Ikea and found a wall mirror and colorful pillow shams to finish the decor in the guest room for a small price.

Eating:
Breakfasts were coffee every day with meals rotating between oatmeal with soy milk, peanut butter and fruit; Shredded wheat with soy milk and fruit; Poached eggs on rye. 

Lunches were
- Tomato soup, open face sandwich of turkey and cheese on rye with cranberry mustard (very yummy)
- Big salad with turkey, crackers
-Turkey Canadian bacon, 2 blueberry pancakes, half a grapefruit

Dinners were
- Chicken enchiladas, steamed broccoli, wine

- Pork sausage, risotto, leftover broccoli & butternut squash
- Vegetarian chili, green salad

What I wore: After I was through painting/doing yard work, every day I wore a summer top and shorts/capris/crop pants with sandals and a scarf if going out. I did make sure to add a [necklace or earrings each day to make me feel more elegant even if I only walked the dog. I liked all 3 outfits for every day life although I did change the sandals for the shorts to light tan ones.

How I moved my body: Activity based exercise - spraying weeds, painting walls, dog walkingl.

What I read: Along with mysteries I also am reading Taste: The story of Britain through its cooking. I've made it to the Tudor period. 

30 Chic Days - Weekend Edition (Days 6 & 7)

I'm joining Fiona and Sue to track 30 days of "chic" living. The purpose of this is to log every day with the goals of:
- Awareness of what I’m doing each day

- Where I am placing my focus, and

- Remembering what I want to achieve.

The weekend - Days 6 & 7

My focus for the weekend (and this entire coming week) was to work on updating our house by painting, continuing to edit genealogy files, and shopping for a few decor items. This will help with staging the house to sell come April but we can enjoy it in the meantime. We bought paint for the upstairs bathroom and I ordered new curtains to add some color once the walls are neutral. This is the online photo. I'll post photos of how the room came out when I'm done painting.

I will get new ivory towels nearer to putting the house on the market.

Eating:
Breakfasts
- Coffee, shredded wheat, banana & blueberries with soy milk
- Coffee, raisin bread slice with peanut butter
Lunches
- Tomato soup, French bread with cheese
- Father's Day brunch of blueberry pancakes & turkey bacon
Dinners
- Chianti, chicken breast, butternut squash, large green salad with mixed veggies

- Chianti, pork loin chop, butternut squash, rainbow chard & orange
Snacks
- Saturday: banana nut muffin, biscotti
- Sunday: apple, cheese, crackers

What I wore:

Nothing surprising or new here. Saturday I wore an orange tank with black capris and I put on a two tone gray elephant print scarf when I went to read at the coffee house. Then on Sunday I wore my blue capris again with a blue and ivory print top.

How I moved my body: 40 minutes walking the dog on Saturday.

What I read: You guessed it - more murder mysteries plus blogs.

30 Chic Days - Day 4

I've decided to join in with Fiona and Sue to track 30 days of "chic" living. The purpose of this is to log every day with the goals of:

Awareness of what I’m doing each day

Where I am placing my focus, and

Remembering what I want to achieve.

Day 4

My focus for the day was posture. I tend to slump when I am sitting especially and I want to work on that.

Eating: Breakfast was coffee and oatmeal with raisins, peanut butter, and soy milk. Lunch was tuna salad, sliced tomato, cucumber & carrots, potato chips and a small frozen yogurt. Dinner was rotisserie chicken breast, asparagus, green salad with avocado, tomato and cucumber. Snack was a homemade low fat banana walnut muffin with peanut butter.

What I wore: I had a meeting today with our interior designer and errands to run. It was hot again so I wore a cheerful top, black capris, a necklace and comfy Ecco sandals. Photo courtesy of practicing with my new phone.

How I moved my body: A brief walk with the dog and 30 minutes of stretching.

What I read: More mystery book for relaxation and the phone instruction manual some more as a learning project.

30 Chic Days - Day 3

I've decided to join in with Fiona and Sue to track 30 days of "chic" living. The purpose of this is to log every day with the goals of:

Awareness of what I’m doing each day

Where I am placing my focus, and

Remembering what I want to achieve.

Day3

My focus for the day was thinking about what being healthy and chic means to me and how to translate that into action. One thing I know is it includes eating healthfully and I put extra thought into today's grocery shopping. The result was that I came home with a greater variety of vegetables.

Eating: Breakfast was coffee and a peanut butter sandwich on whole wheat cinnamon raisin bread. Lunch was a cranberry oatmeal scone, poached egg and 2 pieces of Canadian bacon. Dinner was ratatouille with Parmesan cheese, mango, and garlic bread with half a glass of Merlot. Snacks were a skim latte and half a grapefruit.

What I wore: It is a bit cooler today but quite humid and I will be out and about. I wore a sparkly tank top, capris and sandals with a tiny necklace my Mom made for me out of one of her grandmother's earrings. The necklace and giving myself more defined eyebrows help me feel a bit more chic even though quite casual.

 

How I moved my body: A brief walk with the dog.

What I read: The manual for my new smartphone. I am trying to transition!

30 Chic Days - Day 2

I've decided to join in with Fiona and Sue to track 30 days of "chic" living. The purpose of this is to log every day with the goals of:

Awareness of what I’m doing each day

Where I am placing my focus, and

Remembering what I want to achieve.

Day 2

My focus for the day was eating healthy foods and being productive without creating stress. I did more home selling prep along with starting to go through genealogical records to reduce paper records.

Eating: Breakfast was coffee, peanut butter sandwich on whole wheat cinnamon raisin bread and half a grapefruit. Lunch was a small serving of leftover turkey burger, pinto beans and potatoes with carrot sticks and a small dish of vanilla frozen yogurt. Dinner was a glass of wine, beef fajita tacos and black beans with tomatoes and cucumbers. Snacks were a slice of cheese, crackers and half an apple. I drank 6 cups of water. 75 too many calories according to my tracker.

What I wore: It is going to be 94 F and rainy/humid today so I wore shorts, a tank top and sandals. I am focusing on making sure I make an effort with accessories even when it is hot or I am at home.

My fun sandals go well too

How I moved my body: A brief walk with the dog; lots of up and down the stairs as I worked on the house.

What I read: Finished that murder mystery and started another.

30 Chic Days - Day 1

I've decided to join in with Fiona and Sue to track 30 days of "chic" living. The purpose of this is to log every day with the goals of:

Awareness of what I’m doing each day

Where I am placing my focus, and

Remembering what I want to achieve.

Here’s what I will be reporting on each day for thirty days:

What I ate

What I wore

How I moved my body

What I read

My focus for the day

So here it goes!

Day 1

My focus for the day is more home sale preparation while taking conscious steps to improve my health and body and spending time with a friend.

Eating: I have decided I really would like to be thinner and am looking back at my weight when we moved here 19 years ago. Since then I have gained about 19 pounds (at one point more) and I want to reverse the trend. I can't keep gaining a pound a year so I'm tracking what I eat using MyFitnessPal.com and it has revealed too many carbs and a bit too much sugar. My challenge is  finding healthy snacks that are filling especially in the afternoon!

Today breakfast was shredded wheat cereal with 1/2 banana, 1/2 cup blueberries and unsweetened soy milk. Coffee too of course. Lunch was a tuna and tomato sandwich on rye with carrot sticks. Dinner was a glass of merlot, turkey burger, small servings of roasted cauliflower and steamed potato, and a green salad. Snacks were a fig bar and a non-fat latte. I drank more water than usual which is a strategy I am trying out.

What I wore: It is going to be 96 F today and I'm going out with a friend for coffee so a loose blue knit dress with a scarf to add color and to combat the air conditioning at the coffee house. You can see that reddish bathroom that is next on the painting list in the background as well as a blue wall that is after that.

How I moved my body: 30 minutes of stretching/core work, half a mile dog walk and then wall washing. I had to laugh because I was remembering the movie Karate Kid where he has the boy waxing a car to strengthen his arms and I did get arm exercise for sure.

What I read: Mostly blogs and Facebook posts today. I did start a new mystery borrowed from the library.