Hello dear readers, I hope you had a wonderful weekend. This is spring break for us, so I am going light on the writing this week, but I do have two fun Q&A videos for you. Today we discuss the most frequently asked questions about the tidy videos:

What is the homemade cleaning solution I use in the video? How do we make white sofas work with small children in the house? What are the benefits to having a sink full of suds? I also answer some frequently asked jewelry questions.

Important tip: Be sure you wash the suds off the dishes before placing them in the dishwasher. This will prevent your machine from getting clogged.

Check out the video for all of my answers. If you are unable to see the video above, click here, look in the sidebar of this blog, or visit my channel (and don't forget to subscribe) at www.youtube.com/TheDailyConnoisseur

News
I am a guest on Kimberly Wilson's Tranquility Du Jour's podcast, this time discussing Polish Your Poise with Madame Chic. It's a nice, juicy interview. Be sure to check it out!

Over50Feeling40 shares my what we wear matters video in their article, What We Wear Over 50.

NPR has a great article on How Dressing For Success at Work Can Pay Off

Comment of the Week

Johanna C writes:

Raised in the world of music, I was trained and led by example to always present myself well as a form of respect. I have certainly been through phases of not doing so at times. During University, I recognized that the students in the College of Fine Arts were always well dressed. At first I thought I was just seeing a display of artistic students who loved fashion. However, I realized that the music/art/architecture students were immersed in a culture where our professors mattered to us. They were our mentors, people who had put decades into mastering their craft so that they can be great teachers of their art. I was required to dress presentably for my private lessons and for any setting that I may be performing, even a rather informal small gathering. My private instructor would often give mini lectures on the importance of dressing appropriately. Though dressing well for my lessons started as a requirement, it morphed into a habit that said, "I respect you and your dedication to teaching me, and I am ready to learn." Now, as a teacher myself, I know that dressing well for my students says, "I care about the important work of sharing this art with you, and I'm here to do my best." * On a side note - As a child I would begin my lessons with my teacher by bowing to each other - my teacher would say "I am ready to teach," and I would respond, "I am ready to learn." I still look back on that as a way that I was taught to respect my mentors.

Hi Johanna, I absolutely loved your comment on the importance of dressing well. It is a form of respect and it does matter. Thank you for sharing your story with us!

Question of the Week
I often get asked if it costs anything to subscribe to my YouTube channel. The answer is no, it's free! When you subscribe, you can have the option of being emailed when a new video shows up. This is optional. To visit my YouTube channel, click here.

I will see you on Thursday for part two of the Q&A video, where we discuss finding quality friends and the correlation (or lack thereof) between money and class. See you then!

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We come to the last video of the week. I hope you enjoyed the tidy home theme on The Daily Connoisseur. I sure did have fun sharing the videos with you! We recently rearranged the furniture in our guest bedroom. This week's video is a quick tour of the room and how I got it ready for my cousin's stay. If you are unable to see the video above, click here, look in the sidebar of this blog, or visit my channel at www.youtube.com/TheDailyConnoisseur


Comments of the Week
Polly writes:

You gave great advice on the exhaustion! Cutting way back on activities and expectations, getting tiny little rests (I would rest on the sofa while my children played around me--10-20 minutes of that gave me enough of a second wind for the rest of the day), going to bed *early* (when my daughter was a baby I went to bed at 8pm every night, because she was such a fitful sleeper! and I got up at 8 am when my 3 year old woke up), and thinking through the planning of essentials such as meals and laundry really go a long way. The season doesn't last forever, but it feels endless when you're sleep-deprived!

Choosing a tiny, kind thing to do for yourself each day is also helpful, in my experience. A hot bath, some time to sit and knit, fresh air, 20 minutes to read a book, sketching or writing for a few moments...these were all small refreshers that I took when my children were very tiny. Just a few minutes of some small investment in your own creativity or peace of mind makes you feel so much more human and energetic.

And it does get so much easier! You just cannot do it all when you have young children...and that's okay. Choose the best and the rest will fall into place!

Hi Polly, you give wonderful advice. I agree that investing some time in yourself each day is essential to recharge your battery. Thanks for the great comment!

TheLatonya999 writes on the Quick Morning Makeup Routine video:

Believe it or not, I am 44 years old and you just taught me how to apply makeup. Most videos of this type are just far too complicated and I don't have the attention span nor the time to apply make up in such a complicated fashion. Thank you so much!

Hi Latonya999, I love this! Sometimes you just need to see someone else's routine to get inspired to do your own.

Thank you for joining me this week. I hope you have a wonderful weekend! See you next time.

Jennifer x



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Thank you for your great response to yesterday's kitchen tidy video. Today is a quick family room tidy. Depending on how much energy I have at the end of the day, I usually tidy up the family room before I go to bed. But we have all had those days when we leave it until the morning. Please note: this is not a deep clean video. In deep cleans, the rug is vacuumed, floor mopped and all surfaces dusted.

Join me as I plump and fluff and dust the family room. And be careful that the paper airplane does not hit you at the end of the video!

If you are unable to see the video above, click here, look in the sidebar of this blog, or check out my channel: www.youtube.com/TheDailyConnoisseur

Testimonial
Susan writes:

Jennifer . . . thank you for your books and insights! In today's world of "lewd, crude and rude" your books and videos are a ray of sunshine!

Thank you, Susan! I love having this blog where we like-minded people can gather and sometimes take refuge from our unmannerly world :)

Comment of the Week

Sunisteph writes:

Before retiring, my dad would get up at 5.30AM and prepare breakfast for my sister, my mom and me. I remember entering the kitchen with a table full of "tartines"( bread slices with butter and jam) and "petits pains". Even after retiring, he still has a strong morning routine. So I believe Madame Chic had that morning routine ;) I am bad at it and need to work on my morning routine. Greetings from France

Hi Sunisteph, thank you for sharing your memories of your father. How wonderful that he made you a tartine every day. I love that he has maintained a morning routine even after retirement.

Question of the Week

Regarding yesterday's Kitchen Tidy video, Toinette deBrebis asks:

Glad to see I'm not the only one putting on an apron (yours is a very pretty one I might add) and rubber gloves ! I would like to know what product you are using to spray on your counters.

Thanks for showing that just putting in a few minutes to clean up and put things away keeps things under control at home.

Hi Toinette, I am using the vinegar/ water/ lavender cleaner I provide the recipe for in At Home With Madame Chic. I can do a future video showing this recipe if there is interest. Thank you!

Today I would love to know... how do you tidy your family room? Do you do this on a daily basis? Do you find that toys and other stray objects find their way there regularly like I do? Let us know your story in the comment section and you could be chosen as comment of the week!

See you tomorrow for a guest bedroom tour...

Jennifer x

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I hope you enjoyed yesterday's Make the Bed Inspiration post. In yesterday's comment section, Daily Connoisseur reader, Daesman, shared an article about Admiral McRaven, a retired Navy Seal. Admiral McRaven explains at a University of Texas, Austin commencement speech why it's important to make your bed every day.

"If you make your bed every morning you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It will give you a small sense of pride and it will encourage you to do another task and another and another.
By the end of the day, that one task completed will have turned into many tasks completed. Making your bed will also reinforce the fact that little things in life matter."

I loved that quote!

Today we are doing a quick tidy of the kitchen. This is not a deep clean video, I am just tidying up after breakfast, so there is much less to do! For every meal, I like to have some warm soapy water in the sink that I can drop the dishes, pots and silverware in. This helps break up any food left on them before I place them in the dishwasher. I find that this actually uses less water than if I ran the sink for each additional item.

So put on your apron, don your gloves and tidy up your kitchen with me, won't you? If you are unable to see the video above, click here, look in the sidebar of this blog, or visit my channel: www.youtube.com/TheDailyConnoisseur

Comments of the Week

Jamie Z writes:

Since reading your books I have been dressing up more and I love it! I feel better. On occasion I would have a nice dress on coming from an event and would stop by the market and actually feel good about it. Now its all the time! (:

Hi Jamie, I'm so glad you are having that great feeling every day now. Thank you for sharing your enthusiasm with us!

Kerrie W writes:

My mum always said, "Make the bed, wash the breakfast dishes, sweep the kitchen floor, throw out the papers & straighten the lounge. If you do nothing else, the house will appear in order.

Hi Kerrie, I love your mother's advice! A quick tidy every day does wonders and doesn't take as long as we think it will.


Questions of the Week

Jennifer,
Hello! I was wondering if there was a way to subscribe via email to your blog updates. I only saw a feed but not a subscribe button for email. I am a big fan of your books and would love to get blog updates to my email, if that is possible.

Thank you,
Lori

Hi Lori, Half way down on the right side of the blog, you can subscribe via email. Enter your email address in the space provided and you will be subscribed. I believe you need to also check your email and click confirm to receive the emails. Thank you!

Many people ask where I get the music for my videos. The songs I use are royalty-free and from Epidemic Sounds. When posting videos on YouTube, creators must use royalty-free music for copyright reasons. The music in this week's video is
Beethoven Sonatina in G.


Today I would love to know... how do you tidy your kitchen after breakfast? What is your routine?

See you tomorrow for a family room tidy...

Jennifer x

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This is going to be a fun week on The Daily Connoisseur! I have four videos for you, starting with today's video, where I make the bed. Many people have been asking for a home tour and these quick tidy videos I will release this week are a fun way to get a peek into our home.

Here's a little secret about me: I can't function unless the bed is made. I make our bed every morning and really enjoy doing so. Check out this week's video. If you are unable to see the video above, click here, look in the sidebar of this blog, or visit my channel (and subscribe to never miss a video!) at www.youtube.com/TheDailyConnoisseur

News
Over 50 Feeling 40 loves the posture advice in Polish Your Poise with Madame Chic.

Tips on Life and Love lists At Home With Madame Chic as one of ten books to revitalize your spring closet.

Comment of the Week
Mitzi R. writes:

Jennifer, you are so very right about "you never know what your day will bring you." Something always comes up and I am always glad I have prepared myself for the day. Besides that if you don't get ready for your day it will seem like it never starts and you have wasted a whole day. I agree with you in that I always feel worse if I don't prepare myself for the day (which is why I have learned to prepare myself for the day starting the night before). It is so much more.....I just feel alive when I am prepared and presentable for my day. Starting the night before helps reduce the stress which can come with the morning as well. Thank you!

Hi Mitzi, I agree that the day feels like it hasn't started until you get ready. Great comment!

This week, I would love to know. Do you make your bed every day? Do you enjoy making it? What about the people in your family?

See you tomorrow for a morning kitchen tidy...

Jennifer x


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Raising tidy children. Oh, how I love this topic, mainly because I believe we as parents overcomplicate the issue. We all want our children to be tidy and look after themselves. They won't always live with us, after all, and when they finally leave the house as adults, we want them to leave with good habits to run their own homes. But where do you begin? How early is too early to teach children to pick up after themselves? And what do you do about all that whining and complaining?

In this week's video I share how we do it in our house by discussing the following six points:

Point one: Repetition is key

Point two: Build good habits

Point three: Keep the playroom tidy

Point four: Household messes need to be cleaned up

Point five: Age-appropriate chores

Point six: Reward system? (If this concept really works for your family, then use one. We do not use any charts or reward systems and in the video I explain why.)

The real key is to start now. The younger your children, the better to implement these lifelong habits. Don't put it off for another day (or year). Make it fun. If your attitude toward household chores is negative, your children will adopt that same attitude. Avoid approaching your new household rules with a defeatist mentality. You can do this! And (spoiler alert) your children might actually grow to love tidying.

If you are unable to see the video above, click here, look in the sidebar of this blog, or visit my channel: www.youtube.com/TheDailyConnoisseur

News
Maggie Carlise was expecting frivolity from At Home With Madame Chic, but instead she was pleasantly surprised as she writes in her article called, Reaching for Mindfulness.

Bella NYC recommends At Home With Madame Chic for it's down-to-earth advice.

Colleen Logie chooses At Home With Madame Chic as her book of the month.

Comments of the Week

UseHerNam3 writes:
I think where you get so much resistance is that people still cannot see the wider implications. People are talking about comfort as if there aren't black trousers and t shirts out there that are as comfortable as sweatpants and pyjamas. The reason why people can agree that you should dress for weddings and the theatre is because people (for now) still acknowledge that sense of occasion. The age we live in now, the sense and wonder that accompanies treating daily and perhaps mundane tasks as an occasion is slipping. Going to the supermarket is no longer an occasion, nor is going to the courthouse, nor is going to work. The fluidity that comes with modern times has completely eroded the demarcation between these distinct elements of our lives. As a result we fail to treat it with the dignity it deserves as we cram it into our self-centred ego-driven lives. Comfort is not the issue, nor time, nor budget as these things are not correlated with sloppy dressing. It's about egocentricity.

UseHerName3, I really love your well-articulated point, thank you! Well said, indeed. Looking presentable is not about comfort or budget, or even time. These are all excuses that people make. It can be done on any budget. You can find comfortable clothes that are also presentable and it takes no more time to put on a presentable outfit than an old pair of sweatpants. Thank you for your observations.

Shannon M writes:
Many months ago, you inspired me to create my own 10 item wardrobe : ) I'm a nursing mother of 3, so mine consists of entirely nursing dresses. There are SO many benefits. I can go anywhere throughout the day and be appropriately dressed, from the grocery store to the art gallery, I don't have to even think about it. Wearing dresses helps hide postpartum weight, which makes me feel much more confident. And it's SO easy, I just have to pull on a dress. I'd say that's even easier than people who choose sweats! And most importantly, my children will learn that being a momma doesn't mean you have to feel and look haggard all the time. A momma can be calm (well, most of the time, lol), well-mannered, and presentable. And I've got you and your wonderful work to thank for all this : )

Hi Shannon, I'm happy that the ten-item wardrobe has been so freeing for you! It brings me so much pleasure to hear how it has impacted your life in a positive way.

Rikki T writes:
I'm a nonverbal communication professor, and yes, how you dress absolutely matters - how you behave, the messages you're communicating about yourself and others and the situations, how others perceive you. It matters a lot.

Hi Rikki, your class sounds so interesting. I absolutely believe that our nonverbal communication is very powerful and something that not a lot of people think about. Thank you for chiming in!

Testimonial

Regarding Polish Your Poise with Madame Chic, Liz writes:

Just read your latest book and it is AN ANSWER TO PRAYER! Getting copies for my daughters and all the young women in my life. I have been bemoaning the loss of so many of these things...and gotten a little bit sloppier myself (wearing those exercise clothes too many places!). Thank you so much for this timely tome!!

Hi Liz, I am so happy you loved Polish Your Poise with Madame Chic. Thank you for your heartfelt support!


This week I would love to know... what are your tips for raising tidy children? Do you struggle in this area? How do your children respond to household chores? I want to hear your thoughts on raising tidy children. Chime in below, and your comment could be chosen as comment of the week!


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