Thank you to The Chic Society for bringing us The Chic Assignment. The Chic Society is the private membership group on YouTube. Membership is only $1.99 a month. I release a "vodcast" (a video podcast) every Friday and we go live (either on YouTube or Zoom) once a month. There are also two upper tiers who receive recognition in The Chic Assignment check-in.
Chic Assignment no. 2 Enjoy the artwork of Berthe Morisot
Berthe Morisot was a French Impressionist painter who lived from 1841 to 1895 in Paris. She is known for her elegant works full of feminine charm. Check out a gallery of some of her most famous works on Google Arts and Culture. We will learn about Berthe Morisot in the mid-month check-in.
Chic Assignment no. 3Discover a new vegetarian dish to make for dinner this month. Tomorrow, I have a long overdue What’s for Dinner featuring meatless meals. You won’t want to miss it and you won’t believe who I’m collaborating with.
Chic Assignment no. 4Immerse yourself into spring cleaning. Likely you’ve already begun, but this month I will have some exciting ASMR spring cleaning motivation to keep you on track with your cleaning.
As always, we are going to continue reading and recommending good books. This month, I am reading Dress Codes: How the Laws of Fashion Made History by Richard Thompson Ford. I will be interviewing the author on the channel this month so stay tuned for that.
After sharing my surprising intermittent fasting results, many of you requested a "what I eat in a day" video. That is what I am sharing with you today on the blog and YouTube channel.
I hesitated to share a video like this because I do not do any special diets that are normally associated with intermittent fasting (such as Keto). In fact, I eat quite "normal" food. I do have carbs and I do have sugar. So please know that this video is not meant for advice on what you should eat. You should consult your doctor or nutritionist for that.
Despite my reservations to share what I eat on a typical day, I am going ahead and sharing because I think it will give hope to people who do not want to do any sort of extreme diet. I ate like this for one year (it's how I've always eaten anyway... I just cut out the nighttime snacking and moved my breakfast up) and was still able to lose 30 lbs.
So many people in the comment section referred to their grandparents and great grandparents who also ate this way. They did not have any special diet tricks. They just enjoyed their food and did not have any excess snacking. So it is a rather old-fashioned way of eating.
I did not plan my meals around this video. I just turned the camera on one morning and decided to show you everything. I hope you enjoy today's video!
📍Please note:I am currently in the process of having my blog not only redesigned, but moved to Wordpress. Please be patient during the process as the blog might be temporarily disabled over the course of this month. You can always stay au courant with me over on YouTube to never miss a video. I'm excited to work on the blog and make it a better experience for you, dear reader!
📍If you are looking for more content, consider becoming a member of The Daily Connoisseur through the MEMBERSHIPS feature. I publish one vodcast every Friday and do one livestream or zoom call once a month. It only costs $1.99 a month. There are also upper tiers available for people who are interested in supporting the channel on a higher level and receiving monthly mentions in the videos.
Becky writes, "How do you homeschool and have your own business? Especially making videos and writing? I love having my little ones home but it’s hard to find time for my own work!"
Hi Becky, this is a great question! I tend to batch-work and we also homeschool four days a week. We do homeschool longer throughout the year (we take about one month off for the summer) in order to make up for the four-day week. I also work every day in the early morning and late evening. It's not ideal, but work is also an important priority for me so I make time for it. Thanks for asking!
I hope you enjoyed today's video. If you do intermittent fasting let us know how it's going! I'd also love to know what you eat in a day. Let us know and your comment could be chosen as comment of the week on the blog.
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Today I'm sharing the ten things I wish I knew before I started homeschooling my children. Thank you to Babbel for sponsoring today's video. Babbel is the #1 language app in the world with over 10 million subscribers.
We are finishing up our fourth year of homeschooling and I am reflecting on the things I've learned and what I wish I knew before embarking on this journey. I elaborate on each of these topics in today's video, which I hope you enjoy.
1. Consistency is key. The #1 tip I hear from veteran homeschoolers is to keep it consistent. We have been very consistent with math and the results show. With other curriculums we have experimented with finding the "perfect" one. What I've learned is that there is no perfect curriculum! Sometimes it's better to stick with the same one. Keep in mind that, over time, the consistent work will pay off.
2. Don’t be afraid of different ways and modes of learning. Desk learning, nature study, learning in the kitchen... there are so many ways and locations to learn. I discuss the Babbel app here as well. I was shocked to discover that 15 hours of Babbel has been proven to equal one semester of college Spanish.
3. Love of learning is the most important goal. The goal is not to score a high grade on a test or memorize this or that. The goal is get your kids to love learning and that they will hopefully stay curious for the rest of their life.
4. Never say never! I used to turn my nose up at online curriculum. Now I have put aside my preconceived notions and we have given it a try for certain subjects and have been pleased with the results. The old adage, "Don't knock it 'till you've tried it" is really true!
5. Don’t be afraid to veer off the curriculum. The longer you homeschool, the more comfortable you get veering off the curriculum. You don't have to follow everything the teacher guide says to the letter. If you want to drive a point home or if your child is struggling with something, don't be afraid to explore a better way to teach the concept.
6. When they show interest, capitalize on it! Some days you might have to set your schedule aside and do a deep-dive into a subject your child is showing interest in. This keeps the excitement alive with learning.
7. Make your life easier with meal planning. This tip doesn't have to do with teaching, but it can certainly help your day run smoother. Figure out a plan for how to provide lunch every day. You can make it ahead of time with meal prep, do a crock pot meal in the morning, or have the children make lunch. Whatever you choose, having a plan for lunch will make your homeschool days run so much smoother.
8. Encourage your students to be as independent as possible. Many parents (me) want to be involved every step of the way with school, but truly fostering independence in our children is the best thing we can do for them.
9. When I took to the community tab on YouTube to ask what you wish you had known, the top comment was by B Brundage, who wrote, "I wish I had known that we could spend more time exploring and not doing so much book work in the younger grades making for more enjoyable days."
10. A second comment that received a lot of support was from Julie, who wrote, "There is a lot of “keep students busy” work in most curriculum; use wisdom to spend time on the very most important things. Life skills, social skills within the family, character and independent learning skills are just as important as learning from books. Julie 🌷"
I hope you enjoy today's video. I would love to know if you would add anything to this list. Let us know and your comment could be chosen as comment of the week on the blog.
📍Please note:I am currently in the process of having my blog not only redesigned, but moved to Wordpress. Please be patient during the process as the blog might be temporarily disabled over the course of this month. You can always stay au courant with me over on YouTube to never miss a video. I'm excited to work on the blog and make it a better experience for you, dear reader!
📍If you are looking for more content, consider becoming a member of The Daily Connoisseur through the MEMBERSHIPS feature. I publish one vodcast every Friday and do one livestream or zoom call once a month. It only costs $1.99 a month. There are also upper tiers available for people who are interested in supporting the channel on a higher level and receiving monthly mentions in the videos.
Christine M. writes, "Hi from England. i enjoyed the Zoom meeting on Saturday, really fun. Christina Rossetti has been my favourite poet since childhood. We lived in south west Scotland for a couple of years and not far from where we were was a rather grand house. I found out from a neighbour that in the 1800s it was owned by one of the Pre-Raphaelites and Christina and her brother were regular visitors. The icing on the cake, she reportedly wrote In the Bleak Mid Winter whilst she was staying there. The fact always make the poem/carol special. Thank you for doing these videos."
Christine, I would love to visit that house. I was reading up on the home that Dante Gabriel Rossetti lived in when he was in London. How neat to step into history like that. Thanks for commenting!
I hope you enjoyed today's video. I would love to know your thoughts on all of the subjects we discussed.
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I thoroughly enjoyed this month's assignment. Learning about Clara Schumann and Christina Rossetti was exhilarating for me. I hope you enjoyed it too.
By Unknown author - Self-scanned, Public Domain, Link
We begin by exploring Clara Schumann's Piano Concerto in A Minor, Op. 7 - 1 Allegro maestoso performed by Isata Kanneh-Mason. I am sharing ten interesting facts about Clara Schumann's life, found in this Classic FM article. I found her life to be rather fascinating. She was the bread winner of the family, for example, which was very rare for that time period. She was also a musical genius in her own right, even though many tried to take credit away from her there. Then there's the love triangle with Robert Schumann and Johannes Brahms... so much to unpack! I hope you enjoy her ten interesting facts.
Next, we explore the poetry of Christina Rossetti. You can find her complete poems here and more of her poetry here. I read from her biography from Interesting Literature in today's video. Christina Rossetti lived a fairy tame and scandal-free life compared to many of the artists we have studied, which is somewhat refreshing. I would love to know what your favorite Christina Rossetti poem is. Let us know in the comments.
Chic Assignment no. 3 is to start planning your spring wardrobe (fall wardrobe for our Southern Hemisphere readers). How is that going for you? I am still in search of a few key pieces and am taking my time with it. In the past, I have rushed my wardrobe in order to get a video out for you and have regretted it. This year, I am acting as though I am not a blogger (ha!) and am waiting to see what comes. Don't worry, I will still be putting out ten-item wardrobe content to take you along the journey with me. I shared 5 Transitional Looks from my Spring Ten-Item Wardrobe at the beginning of March if you haven't seen that video yet.
Chic Assignment no. 4 is to declutter and organize one cabinet that is driving you crazy. How did that go for you this month? I shared a whole house declutter at the beginning of March where I decluttered several cabinets, including my master bathroom and laundry room cabinets. It feels so good to get those spaces in order.
Thank you to The Chic Society for bringing us The Chic Assignment. The Chic Society is the private membership group on YouTube. Membership is only $1.99 a month. I release a "vodcast" (a video podcast) every Friday and we go live (either on YouTube or Zoom) once a month. There are also two upper tiers who receive recognition in The Chic Assignment check-in. I have listed them here below. Thank you so much to The Chic Society for bringing us The Chic Assignment check-in.
I hope you are enjoying The Chic Assignment challenges this month. I would love to know how your month is going. Let us know the triumphs and challenges and your comment could be chosen as comment of the week.
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Welcome back, friends. Today I'm sharing beauty treatments I get but don't really talk about. Now in everyday life, I would normally never discuss this, unless it came up with a girlfriend. But since this is an informational blog, I'm sharing some of the beauty procedures I get so you can figure out if they would be worth it for you to try.
Let's start with the most pressing questions: Have I ever had cosmetic surgery? The answer is no. Have I had any injectables like Botox or lip fillers? Again, the answer is no.
Funny enough the only two "secret" treatments I get have to do with hair.
The first major treatment I have had is laser hair removal. I received my first round of treatments around 12 years ago at Laser Away in Santa Monica. The areas I had treated were upper lip, under arm, and bikini. I did not do legs because the treatment was already extremely costly. Also, the legs cover such a great surface area and I was worried about the pain issue.
I'm not sure what the professional procedure is like today but back then it was very costly and very painful. I had to top off my treatment a few years later after I had my second child. Sometimes hormones after childbirth cause hair growth to return.
Even though the treatments were painful and costly, I am still so happy I did it. A great consideration when determining whether or not to get a costly beauty treatment is this: will it improve your daily life? For me, it eliminated a time consuming and unpleasant grooming ritual and I don't miss it one bit!
My hair tends to be frizzy and unruly. I typically blow dry it twice a week, but even so, I still have a "crown of frizz" that frames my face in a rather irritating way. The Brazilian Blowout smooths my hair and takes away the pesky frizz. It lasts around 3 months. It does not make your hair straight like a straightening system, but still allows wave, body, and curl, which is why I prefer it to other frizz fighting treatments.
As for skincare, I have been using an exfoliation peel from Paula's Choice on a weekly basis. This has 25% AHA and 2% BHA. You apply it as you would a mask, leave it on for 20 minutes, and then rinse it off, applying your evening moisturizer. This has been a great addition to my weekly skincare rituals. I tend to avoid using other exfoliants for a few days after this. I have seen an improvement in my skin since using this peel. I highly recommend it.
Let's talk about the beauty treatment I'd like to get... microblading or powder brows. Now whether or not I will ever actually get one of these treatments (they are semi-permanent makeup, after all, which gives me pause) remains to be seen. In the meantime, I am trying to grow out my sparse brows with this Vegamour brow serum.
Small Business Spotlight
I adore the Bend Soap Co. located in Bend, Oregon. Their spring collection is now available. Citrus mint is a fresh, crisp scent. Lemon lavender reminds me of being in Provence (it's heaven), and English Garden is an exquisite natural floral. Use my code DC10 for 10% off.
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📍Please note:I am currently in the process of having my blog not only redesigned, but moved to Wordpress. Please be patient during the process as the blog might be temporarily disabled over the course of this month. You can always stay au courant with me over on YouTube to never miss a video. I'm excited to work on the blog and make it a better experience for you, dear reader!
📍If you are looking for more content, consider becoming a member of The Daily Connoisseur through the MEMBERSHIPS feature. I publish one vodcast every Friday and do one livestream or zoom call once a month. It only costs $1.99 a month. There are also upper tiers available for people who are interested in supporting the channel on a higher level and receiving monthly mentions in the videos.
Toni W. writes, "Spode Blue Italian would be my choice of your two featured dishes.
In Spring I set our table with a vintage set of Franciscan Desert Rose dinnerware. To be honest, I never put these away last Spring because we decided to try to keep a bit of Spring in our 2020! One year our little boy was so enamored with our Spode Christmas Tree dishes that he asked if we could use them all year and so we did that for him that year. 🌹 🎄 Have some fun with your dishes. :)"
Dear Toni, that is the sweetest story. I love the idea of bringing out the Christmas china all throughout the year. Maybe we will have Christmas in July this year. I bet your son has great memories of that.
I hope you enjoyed today's video. What are some secret beauty treatments you are interested in? Let us know and your comment could be chosen as comment of the week.
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I'm collaborating with my friends at Riverbend Home to share two elegant spring tablescapes in today's video. We are featuring the classic Spode Blue Italian line and the timeless Portmeirion Botanic Garden collection. Riverbend Home has given The Daily Connoisseur a 10% off code DCSPRING10
The first tablescape draws inspiration from Spode's iconic Blue Italian line. The dramatic blue and white plates are complimented by the blue, cream, and lavender hues in the tablecloth and bouquet.
The bouquet is composed of lavender and cornflower blue delphiniums and cream roses. The delphiniums create a dramatic display. Due to the height of the flowers, however, the bouquet might need to be removed when having dinner. This tablecloth is from Williams-Sonoma and is around 13 years old. I wish they still made this pattern!
The iconic Blue Italian was launched in 1816 by Spode and has been in production ever since. Featuring a finely detailed 18th century Imari Oriental border encompassing a scene inspired by the Italian countryside, this collection is timeless and adds beauty to the table. Napkins are by John Robshaw.
I top the table off with crystal goblets and candlesticks. The napkins are a mix of taupe gingham and a beautiful pattern by John Robshaw. When you don't have enough napkins for each place setting, it's a great idea to mix and match them by alternating the different patterns, or by placing different napkins at the head of each table.
The second tablescape is built upon the lovely Botanic Garden line from Portmeirion (DCSPRING10 for 10% off). A true British classic, Botanic Garden was created by designer Susan Williams-Ellis in 1972. The mix and match floral motifs, inspired by 19th century botanical illustrations, bring the garden to your table. I love that many of the plates are different, offering a veritable botanic art show for each place setting.
The idea for this bouquet was a chic, yet understated rounded bouquet of green hydrangeas mixed with pink roses. These colors bring out the botanic radiance of the plates.
Cheerful yellow gingham napkins from Amazon bring out a sunny aspect from the place setting, which is offset by a subtle cream jacquard tablecloth and quilted runner.
When creating a spring tablescape, build upon what you already have. Don't be afraid to mix fabrics and colors. Lots of cheer and elegance can be brought to the table with a fresh bouquet and stately candles. I hope these two tablescapes gave you some great ideas for Easter or any other spring celebration you might be taking part in.
📍Please note:I am currently in the process of having my blog not only redesigned, but moved to Wordpress. Please be patient during the process as the blog might be temporarily disabled over the course of this month. You can always stay au courant with me over on YouTube to never miss a video. I'm excited to work on the blog and make it a better experience for you, dear reader!
📍If you are looking for more content, consider becoming a member of The Daily Connoisseur through the MEMBERSHIPS feature. I publish one vodcast every Friday and do one livestream or zoom call once a month. It only costs $1.99 a month. There are also upper tiers available for people who are interested in supporting the channel on a higher level and receiving monthly mentions in the videos.
CJ Richard writes,I am a well-mannered, well-spoken, well-read, adventurous, well-traveled, intelligent, witty, competent, capable woman of 65. I have no reason not to be confident! Confidence does increase with age. I am grateful to be my age. Also, I am humble. 😛
CJ, your comment made me smile and was of the most up-voted comments on the video. I love your humbleness! Haha!
I hope you enjoyed today's tablescape video. Let us know how you like to decorate your spring table and your comment could be chosen as comment of the week on the blog.
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FTC: This post is not sponsored. The Spode and Portmeirion collection was sent by Riverbend Home to be featured in today's video. I use affiliate links, including Amazon affiliate links. Thank you for your support.
