I'm starting a new monthly series called, The Chic Assignment. In this series, I will present four assignments that will better your month. Everything I present will be free and readily accessible to everyone. Let's get started with the month of February.
🎵Listen to 10. Sonata No. 8 in C minor, op. 13 (Pathétique) I: Grave - Allegro di molto e con brio (BEETHOVEN) Try listening to this masterpiece while cleaning your kitchen or making breakfast. Your daily routine will be elevated to new levels.
👗Ten-Item Wardrobe Assess your wardrobe and come up with one item that you absolutely love and one item you realize you could do without. Donate the item that isn't working for you. It's good to get in the habit of constantly assessing your wardrobe in this way.
🌿Natural Home Replace something you use in your home or beauty routine with a more natural product. It can be anything from a cleaning solution to a makeup product. Even if you just switch to cleaning with vinegar, you will sense a shift in the home.
📖 Read (or listen to) one book this month. We can get so busy. Life gets in the way and so do other forms of entertainment. This month, choose a new book and aim to read it within the month. Or listen to an audiobook. You can rent them from the library or if you have an audible subscription, you can easily find something good... Right now I'm reading book 4 in the Amory Ames series, An Act of Villainy.
I hope you will take on this challenge with me presented in today's video.
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On last week's Blow Dry tutorial, Lauren C. writes on YouTube, "I am a professional hair stylist and you did amazing !! I am going to refer my clients to this ! It is actually a great example blowing out your own hair is very difficult to explain !"
Lauren, I was amazed at your comment. I was completely convinced that I had no idea what I was doing when blow drying my hair (I just knew it worked for me). Thank you for giving me the professional thumbs up!
Thank you for joining me today. I look forward to doing the Chic Assignment with you. Check back with us and let us know how you did!
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This is ridiculously fun, what a great idea! I especially love the idea of getting familiar with classical music...I've never really been exposed to this type of music (even though somehow I managed to raise a professional musician, haha!).
ReplyDeleteOther general areas that might be fun to explore with this community: houseplants (I tried to keep orchids alive, because of you and I'd like to try again); outdoor gardening; and maybe something crafty? I've just begun to pick up cross stitch and find it creative, calming, productive and fun!
Thank you, Jennifer! What a great idea for a Chic Assignment for the month. I have been listening to your recommended Bach for Breakfast playlist for the past year and it has been magical. I turn it on when I go into the kitchen to start cooking dinner. It has a calming effect on all of us, and my children sit and read and listen to the music, while I'm cooking dinner. The playlist lasts for about an hour, and so we are usually just finishing up with eating dinner about the time the playlist ends, which is another signal to my children that it's time to clean up and get ready for bed. On the nights that we don't do this, there is a noticeable the difference in all of us! I highly encourage all you Chic ladies out there to incorporate Jennifer's classical music suggestions into your life!
ReplyDeleteSounds fun. The classical music will be the most notable addition to my routine as I’m already doing the other things on an ongoing basis. Started using Grove Collaborative a few months ago and like it a lot. Going back to last week’s blow drying video, yesterday I tried La Beaute serum for the first time and loved it. It takes very little. One short pump was enough for my shoulder length hair. Left my hair quite silky and manageable. I am grateful for the many products that you have introduced us to. Thank you Jennifer for the constant inspiration to improve our lives!
ReplyDeleteToni- thank you! And I love your suggestions. I actually just killed a houseplant and was so sad about it. Since the baby has been born my houseplants are at the bottom of my priority list :)
ReplyDeleteRR- Thank you! I love Bach for Breakfast. We still listen to it regularly. It's so motivating. Thanks for your classical music testimonial!
Frenchcaligirl- Yay! I love Grove too. I placed an order this weekend and still get excited when the cleaning products arrive. I don't know if that's a good or bad thing, haha! Glad you like the serum too! xx
Hello Jennifer,
ReplyDeleteThank you for the Beethoven. Beethoven isn't my favorite composer, but a little Beethoven never hurt anyone. I will listen to it tomorrow morning. I listen to classical radio in the car (where I spend too much time) but not often in the kitchen. So, I will try that out!
About the ten item wardrobe, I recently discovered my specific body shape and that helped me to eliminate items from my wardrobe. I realized that I had several coats which didn't flatter my shape. I took five coats to our new young librarian since I noticed she seemed to like a nice jacket. She picked out three coats and gave two back to me. So, now I have three fewer coats in my closet! Phew!
As for reading, I am loving the "Royal" mystery series by Rhys Bowen. She is a British writer now living in the US. Some of her titles are "Royal Blood", "Royal Flush", etc.
I highly recommend them.
Warm best,
Alexandra
Hi Jennifer,
ReplyDeletewhat a co-incidence, I spent all of January practising this sonata (the whole thing). I loved it when I was younger, and it is sheer joy to play it again. In January I also spent time listening to classical music without doing anything else. Believe it or not this was actually a little difficult as I have become so used to always doing something, and sitting and listening almost feels lazy!
I love your monthly challenge idea. What about a 'read a biography' month? It can be so inspiring to read about the lives of others and the challenges they have overcome. Maybe you have a favourite we could all read? One I loved was 'A Century of Wisdom: Lessons from the Life of Alice Herz-Sommer.' Alice was a concert pianist who survived a concentration camp by playing the piano for her captors. She was still practising the piano for 3 hours a day in her 100s, and lived to be 109! Her lack of bitterness and words of wisdom are truly profound, as is her gratitude for life, music and friendship. I think you would love it.
Madeleine
What a fun idea! I'm looking forward to taking up your monthly challenges. :)
ReplyDeleteWell that was different ! I found the music a bit lively for my 9pm shower tonight😂, but it made it more interesting!
ReplyDeleteI tried something natural on my scalp I've been wanting to try for a while....a scalp cleansing scrub made with bi-carb soda, cinnamon and olive oil. It was a bit tricky getting it through my hair to my scalp, but once it was on it felt nice and warm under the shower cap.
Next.... to tackle a book. I haven't found one I have enjoyed for quite a while and seem to have gone off of novels🤔 So the search begins!
Thankyou Jennifer 😊
Alexandra- thank you for the recommendation! Those books sound like ones I'd love.
ReplyDeleteMadeleine- that is amazing you can play this piece. I love it! And thank you for your biography suggestions.
Maureen- thank you! I look forward to this!
Wellyboots- Haha! You made me laugh! The scalp cleans sounds so interesting. I'll have to look into that.
Thanks ladies!
Jennifer xx
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ReplyDeleteI love this idea for chic assignments! I especially love that you keep it simple, but meaningful. One suggestion I have for people who are not as used to listening to classical music is to try listening to movie scores. John Williams, Elmer Bernstein, and so many more have created beautiful pieces that many would recognize, and are so much fun to listen to! This is my first time posting, and I just wanted to thank you for your books, posts, and videos. They are such great reminders to enjoy all aspects of daily living, and to live them to the fullest. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI seldom listen to music at all -- never mind classical. But one of my parrots has been vocalizing in a frustratingly repetitive way, so I put on the Mozart station on my internet radio for her. (As Mozart had a pet starling who inspired some of his music, I thought he would be a good pick for a parrot.) She seems to like it as she makes soothing sounds while listening and I have found that it also alleviates a lot of my anxiety. I listened to it while cleaning the house, and it doesn't disturb me while I'm reading. Classical is definitely a win!
ReplyDeleteI have a minimalist wardrobe already, and I always get rid of stuff that just doesn't work anymore. My absolute favorite piece is my red merino wool Boden dress. It's long sleeved, slightly deep U-neck, fitted snugly through the torso and waist, then falls into an A-line skirt -- ingeniously hiding my slight "pooch". I LOVE this dress! It makes me feel beautiful and confident. And I bought it for $12 at a consignment shop, so I spent very little money for something that makes me feel like a million!
I did, however, get rid of something that I recently purchased at a consignment shop. A silky red and black plaid skirt with a ruffle down the side by Lauren. It looked good on me in the shop, but it was a tiny bit big in the waist, so it hangs too low. A belt is a no-go with it because of the ruffle. Trying it on with some of my tops, I found that I really didn't have much that would "play well" with it. So into the Goodwill bag it goes. (I always keep a box or bag in my front closet dedicated to stuff consigned to Goodwill. When it's full, I put it in my car. Goodwill is on the way to Whole Foods, so it's no hassle to drop it off.)
I already use natural products exclusively for hair care (except hair dye!), skin care, and cleaning products (Thanks again for cluing me in to E-Cloths!) The only addition I made was your recommendation: Kamedis Calm Eczema Therapy cream. This stuff works FAR better than anything I have tried. Thank you so much for turning me on to this! I don't itch at all now, and the redness has gone away. Yay!
As for reading, I already read voraciously. I am currently reading The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy, and am enjoying it immesnsely.
A suggestion for a challenge for another month: winnow away makeup that you don't wear. Why have several foundations, blushes, or lipsticks, when you always wear just ONE that looks the best on you? Don't you want to wear whatever looks the BEST? If you are using a particular thing, say, foundation, but aren't thrilled with it, it may behoove you to go to Sephora or Ulta and get some samples of different ones in your shade. Try them on at home with your own things in your own lighting. I have a minimalist wardrobe with my makeup as well as my clothing. I only want to wear what makes me look best at all times, so I don't keep anything that makes me look sub-par. Things that you can't get samples of can readily be returned, so keep your receipt.
I have been enjoying your books and realize how much my mother (who was French) lived this way. My mother did her hair and makeup everyday. She was never without her signature rope of pearls and pearl earrings. This included when she did all of her housework. She was truly a “homemaker”. I don’t ever remember eating on a bare table although she did save a lot of things for “best”. She delighted in stainless flatware and left the silver plate in its chest for years. My mother in law taught me to use everything and not put things away for a later date. She once told me how she came to that conclusion. She told me, “ if I die and leave all these things never used, do you think a second wife would leave it all sitting there and not use it? No way! So, I’m going to be the one to use all these things and not leave it for someone else!” When I came home after visiting, I began to use everything! Beautiful towels “just for show”, no more! Between both mothers’ advice I’ve lived a very good life. I’ve polished my mother’s silver until it gleamed and do use it mostly on holidays. The silver plate will wear off so I treat it like the treasure it is. But I still set a nice table every night for dinner for just the two of us.
ReplyDeleteI will admit that I do not have a 10 item wardrobe. I am still weeding through trying to get rid of clothes I wore to work. Retired for a year now I realize how unlikely it is that I will ever use a lot of these things again. But being retired and on a fixed income has made me a little more careful about tossing out things that I may later regret especially since their replacement cost is high. I find it difficult to ferret out what a ten item wardrobe should consist of now that I’m retired. Most often I strive for comfort over fashion. While I’ve only recently discovered the world of blogs, I wonder that I have not found any geared toward the retirement community and think that I might look into this myself! I can think of quite a few topics that could be featured.
Regarding your challenges for the month, I’m not sure how to access classical music. Since downsizing 2 years ago we no longer have our old stereo system. We mostly listen to my husband’s playlist on his iPod. Do you purchases discs/records, use the radio? While I can find your suggestions on the internet, do you purchase theses on iTunes? I would welcome your suggestions.
As for reading, I use my kindle daily. It has gone to France and Italy and all over the United States. Since 2010 I’ve downloaded and read more than 750 books. Not to mention actual books I have collected and borrowed from our local library. I love to read! So, I’m looking forward to finding a way to listen to your recommendations of classical music this month.
Hello Jennifer,
ReplyDeleteWardrobe: I love my flowing navy skirt from J Crew but realized I needed a top to wear with it; I found a J Crew clearance navy,lace, sleeveless top ($89 down to free with my birthday reward) to pair with this skirt. I needed a warmer option for a funeral earlier this month, and found a J Crew navy (very soft) long sleeve tee to put underneath it; a gold belt pulled it all together. Saying goodbye to my Esprit black closed toe ankle tie sandals as they always squeak about 5 minutes after I start wearing them. :)
Natural Home: I found many new natural items on the clearance rack at TJMaxx; especially enjoying the A La Maison Deodorant in Sea Salt. It works fabulously! Here is a link for your readers: https://www.amazon.com/Maison-Deodorant-Fresh-Salt-Ounce/dp/B06Y3Z56DR/ref=pd_ybh_a_55?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=Z06F0B5HVPR538BQVNA9
Books: Listening to more books than reading these days but especially enjoyed Dr David Jeremiah's Count It All Joy book; I've been listening to it over and over as it is packed with Truth and encouragement.
Listening: As per your listening assignment, I had to laugh! My daughter has been practicing this piece for months...maybe a year! Listening to many different musicians preform this piece is quite enjoyable. It is a pleasure to have daughters that play professionally on the piano and violin--even one daughter that plays by ear on the piano and violin.
Encouragement for home school moms: if you feel lacking in any area of teaching, pray for wisdom and for the gaps to be filled in areas you are not proficient. I was a beginner pianist, and taught my children the basics; the first 3 have excelled after using a beginner at home program. Thanks to the Lord for His goodness.
Julie at http://thecarnsfamily.blogspot.com/
Wonderful idea!
ReplyDeleteI've been doing my assignments and now I have one idea for you musically:
A guitar soloist: Pablo Sáinz Villegas
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzEFQW9CXGc&spfreload=10
Using a bar of Kirk's castile soap at the sink for hands and for dishes. Vinegar in the laundry for rinse cycle. Olive oil for a body lotion.
~Jody
I just ran across this video and I'm disappointed that it's the last day of February. I can't wait to see the new challenges! It's so hard with work and children to take time for ourselves. I plan to listen to Beethoven while I'm cleaning out the fridge tonight. :)
ReplyDelete