I hope you had a great Mother's Day! My daughters gave me a foot massage while I read Victoria Magazine. Does it get better than that?

Life with four young children is never dull and often physically exhausting. Sometimes I walk past a mirror in the evening and just have to laugh at how disheveled I look. Has that ever happened to you?



I tried an experiment this past week... I filmed myself at the beginning and the end of the day. Raw. Realistic. You will see messy hair, smudged makeup and stains, but most important, you will see real life. The real life of a mother of four young children. I know that this is just a phase in my life and that it won't always be this way. I won't always be dead tired at the end of the evening with messy hair because my toddler likes to rub my head before he goes to bed :)

It won't always be this way, so I'm trying to enjoy it while it lasts. Even though my days are long and exhausting, this is deeply satisfying work. I hope you enjoy this twist on my outfit of the week video.

Here are my morning and evening pictures, coupled with links to the outfits I'm wearing on those days.


Grey cardigan, Lands' End seafoam fit and flare dress, demi-camisole, Okabashi slippers.


Red floral blouse (linking similar), jeans (these run big and stretch... I'm looking for new jeans), Sam Edelman sandals


Garnet Hill sweater, denim skirt, fleece-lined tights, Trench (linking similar), rain boots (linking similar)


floral maxi dress (please note: I found the exact one I have on Amazon!), white leggings, Sam Edelman sandals

Also mentioned in today's video: my rebounder, the nail polish I'm wearing (use code JenniferS for 25% off), Ambleside schools (atmosphere sets affections).

News
📍Join me for the Mapp & Lucia book club's final installment, which will take place this summer. You can read my book club announcement here.

📍Check out my affordable eCourses: The Ten-Item Wardrobe, Chic Financial Principles for Debt-Free Living, and How to be Efficient at Home.

On Instagram
Follow me on Instagram @dailyconnoisseur where I have been posting regular OOTDs...

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#ootd It’s still chilly outside! This is my favorite thing to wear when I have nowhere to go. I’m enjoying your comments on today’s laundry video 🧺 Also, our kitchen cabinets are being painted today. I can’t wait to show you the big reveal! Hope you’re having a lovely day. #dailyconnoisseur #tenitemwardrobe #madamechic #springwardrobe #capsulewardrobe #floralmaxi

A post shared by Jennifer L. Scott (@dailyconnoisseur) on May 9, 2019 at 1:24pm PDT

Comment of the Week
On last week's laundry post, Anon writes, "Here's a discovery I made after a laundry pod failed to dissolve and hardened into a lump of plastic after a trip through the dryer. I tried a number of things to get it out of my clothes, but finally resorted to Dawn dishwashing liquid. It worked! Then I tried it as a last resort on some old stains that seemed beyond hope. It worked on those, too.

Just put it on the stain, let it sit for a few minutes, then wash the item in your regular detergent in the washing machine.

I'd love to know if this trick works for others. The idea came to me because this is how to get tempera paint out of clothing (a tip from kindergarten days)."

Hi Anon, thank you for that tip. I'm sure that will come in handy for many people!


Thank you for watching today's video. I hope it gave you a laugh and also gave you some encouragement. You are not in this alone. We are all in it together— messy hair at the end of the day and all!

Love,

Jennifer

See you in my next video for The Chic Assignment Check-in! I would love to know... what do you look like at the end of the day? Tag me with your photos #dailyconnoisseur or #jenniferlscott

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The Clueless Gardeners are back and more clueless than ever! In today's video we are having mature plum and bay trees planted in our backyard garden.



Ben wanted privacy from the neighbors in our backyard... I was more interested having fruit that we could pick this summer. At any rate, we both got what we wanted in the form of two beautiful trees: a plum and a bay tree.


The plum tree

I would have preferred to have another fruit tree in lieu of the bay but Ben convinced me. The bay tree is so exotic and beautiful and you can use its leaves in cooking. As soon as we get our kitchen back I am looking forward to flavoring our soups and sauces with bay leaves!


The bay tree

Today's video is a collaboration with our real life friends who have a YouTube channel called The Busy Gardener. Cameron and his family are wonderful and, if you like gardening videos, I highly recommend their channel. They are actually knowledgable with gardening... ha! They have many videos featuring their beautiful Southern California orchard. Be sure to check out their channel, tell them we said, "hello" and subscribe!

Thank you for joining us today. I hope you have a lovely weekend and we will see you on Monday!

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In today's video I'm sharing my 7 best tips for taking care of your ten-item wardrobe.



I keep my laundry routine pretty simple. Here are my 7 tips...


🧺 Use a high-quality detergent Use the best quality laundry detergent you can afford, preferably a more natural detergent. I have found over the years that the quality of a laundry detergent really does make a difference in preserving your clothing. In this video, I'm using Hiketron detergent, which is high-quality and smells so good (use code JENNY15 for 15% off) also for a comprehensive collection of natural detergents, check out Grove Collaborative.


🧺 Take care of stains as soon as you can If you are at home and stain one of your garments, take care of it immediately. Use either a stain remover or a high-quality laundry detergent. I have traditionally used Shout stain remover, but if you have a natural one you would like to recommend, please share it below.


🧺 Wash your clothes inside out and on delicate By washing your clothing inside out, you can prolong the wear and tear on your garments. I also find that they fade and pill less.


🧺 Use mesh laundry bags for delicates Wash any majorly delicate clothing in a mesh laundry bag to prevent snags. Delicate lingerie along with pantyhose should always be washed this way too. I am linking some great laundry bags here.


🧺 Dry appropriately I hang the majority of my clothing up on the dryer racks in my laundry room (linking a similar wall mounted dryer rack here). Anything that does not require air-drying, I will place in the tumble dryer along with our wool dryer balls. (Here I am linking wool dryer balls on Amazon and Grove Collaborative.) I do not use dryer sheets as they can contain harsh chemicals.


🧺 Steam or iron to get rid of wrinkles I use a steamer with nearly all of my clothing. I find it a gentle, quick, and convenient way to get the wrinkles out. I do use an iron for Ben's shirts. I love this steamer because you can use it horizontally and vertically. It also heats up in 30 seconds and is easy to travel with.


🧺 Hang your clothing well If your closet is crammed with too many clothes hanging on wire racks your clothes do not have the opportunity to breathe and they can become misshapen and even musty! I like to hang my clothing well-spaced on nice hangers. This is a must! Ditch the wire hangers from the dry cleaners and invest in padded non-slip clothing hangers such as these velvet hangers.

News
📍Join me for the Mapp & Lucia book club's final installment, which will take place this summer. You can read my book club announcement here.

📍Check out my affordable eCourses: The Ten-Item Wardrobe, Chic Financial Principles for Debt-Free Living, and How to be Efficient at Home.

On Instagram
Madame Chic in China...

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我懶洋洋地坐在客廳的扶手椅軟墊上，菸草的味道逗留在空氣中，溫暖的夜風從敞開的大窗戶吹進屋子裡，精緻的繡帷摺襉恰到好處地垂落在地板上，古董唱機正放著古典樂⋯ 慢活 放慢生活的步調，試著品味每一刻，正是時尚夫人所引導的。 書中的每個章節洗禮著我，開始懂得真正的生活——不光是活著，而是要提領出生命的況味。 此書有三系列，我還差一本（笑 喜歡法式文化的朋友我很推薦唷！ #積木文化出版 #五感生活 #珍妮佛·斯克特 #優雅 #生活 #cite #madamechic #jenniferlscott #grace #gracefullife #appriciatelife #wonderfullife #books #bookstagram #photography #thoughts #relax #bedroomdecor #bedroomcorner #roomdecoration I sat lazily on the cushions of the armchair in the living room, the smell of tobacco staying in the air, the warm night wind blowing into the house from the big open windows, the exquisite embroidery tattoo just right fell on the floor, the antique record player is playing classical music 🎶 Downshifting Slow down the pace of life, try to taste every moment. Each chapter of the book teaches me to begin to understand the real life———not just to live, but to bring out the flavor of life. I recommend this book to my friends who like French life🇫🇷

A post shared by ЅUℕℕᎽ (@phantphant_tzu) on May 8, 2019 at 7:18am PDT

Comment of the Week
I really enjoyed reading your comments from Monday's outfits of the week video. I especially appreciated your response to the "boring American mom" comment I received. Amy B. reminded us all of the great quote from C.S. Lewis, "The homemaker has the ultimate career. All other careers exist for one purpose only - and that is to support the ultimate career." Hers was the most liked comment on YouTube. I love Lewis' sentiment and hope that it encourages you as we head into this Mother's Day weekend. Thank you, Amy!

Thank you for joining me for today's video. I would love to know if you have any tips to add to my list. Let us know and your comment could be comment of the week on The Daily Connoisseur. I'll see you tomorrow for the latest installment of The Clueless Gardeners!

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Welcome to another week of outfits from my ten-item wardrobe. I enjoy shooting these videos and I hope you enjoy watching them. My intention here is to show you how my ten-item wardrobe works practically with my life circumstances.



This week we are beginning a kitchen renovation. Living in construction with four kids (not to mention homeschooling) has been very interesting to say the least! I will be sharing a video dedicated to the kitchen renovation, but you do get a sneak peak in today's video.

Here are the outfits. Most of the items are older so I am linking similar items when needed.


Lace tee (linking similar), denim skirt (linking similar), Garnet Hill Kork-Ease sandal , and my new phone case is from Casetify.


Grey cardigan, LL Bean Knit dress (they have added new styles!), Sam Edelman Gigi sandal and the Okabashi sandals (They are so comfortable for around the house. I love them!)


Oversized tan cardigan (linking similar), white tee linking similar, Lands' End jeans (please note: these stretch and run large... I will be updating my jeans. As I lose the baby weight these are too big for me), green driving shoes (linking similar). Also featured: my clothing steamer


White short sleeve sweater (linking similar), LL Bean Knit dress, Sam Edelman Gigi sandal, lapis lazuli necklace by Ana Luisa NY Use code Jennifer10 for $10 off.


Oversized tan cardigan (linking similar), LL Bean Knit dress, Sam Edelman Gigi sandal

The nail polish I'm wearing this week is by Londontown Use code JenniferS for 25% off your order.

News
📍Join me for the Mapp & Lucia book club's final installment, which will take place this summer. You can read my book club announcement here.

📍Check out my affordable eCourses: The Ten-Item Wardrobe, Chic Financial Principles for Debt-Free Living, and How to be Efficient at Home.

On Instagram

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#jenniferlscott #smadamechicnaurovni #madame #chic #knihy #casnacteni #cteni #ctenarskydenik #knihovnaprelouc 💄👠👜

A post shared by Ivyknihy (@ivyknihy) on Feb 3, 2019 at 11:55pm PST

Comment of the Week
Dawn writes, "To say I am enthralled with your Madame Chic books would be an understatement! I have been fascinated with Parisian/French life for a few years now. I have read many books on the subject, but yours are my favorite. I have mindfully and purposefully made some changes in how I embrace life. For instance, I clean off the kitchen table and have it set with a table cloth or placemats and a centerpiece (we have a small house and this is our only eating area). I have made sure we sit down to eat several times a week; no more eating in front of the tv or computer. I have put soothing, upbeat music on in the morning as we begin our day. I try to make more conscious decisions about all things. (My daughter just returned from visiting Paris for the first time and I'm anxious to hear her impressions of it.)

I am listening to the music your suggested -- wonderful, calming! Renoir is one of my favorite artists, too. I really like any of the floral pictures but I really liked the one Two SIsters Aka on the Terrace. It reminds me of my two girls, who are almost six years apart in age."

Dear Dawn, I loved your comment! Thank you for sharing your exciting testimonial about the Madame Chic books. I love that Renoir too... it could be my favorite!

Thank you for joining me for today's video. I'll see you tomorrow for the FabFitFun add ons video. See you then!


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Hello Daily Connoisseurs, we are going to complete the final installment of the Mapp & Lucia book club series this summer!



I have had such a lovely time participating in this book club with you! We are going to read the final two books in the series: The Worshipful Lucia (Also known as Lucia's progress) and Trouble for Lucia.



The Mapp & Lucia books by E.F. Benson are some of my favorite books. They are lesser known gems in the literary world with characters and satires that speak to our hearts as daily connoisseurs. I hope you will join us on this final installment. I am announcing it now so that you have plenty of time to read before we discuss them this summer. To see the previous Mapp and Lucia book club discussions click here and here.

If you are new to this book club and would like to get caught up, here are the books in order:

Queen Lucia (1920)
Miss Mapp (1922)
Lucia in London (1927)
Mapp and Lucia (1931)
Lucia's Progress (1935) (published in the U.S. as The Worshipful Lucia)
Trouble for Lucia (1939)

You can find the books in paperback form and also many can be heard as audio books. They are wonderful to listen to. I am leaving a link to audible here, or you can try to find them from your local library.

I hope you have a lovely weekend. I'll see you on Monday!

With love,

Jennifer


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Hello my fellow rebounders, I'm back with another rebounding video for you. This is a 5-minute routine I recorded yesterday. As always, please remember these videos are for entertainment purposes only and to please consult your physician before embarking on rebounding.



This is the exact rebounder I use for those of you who are interested. Also, these are the jogger pants I am wearing in the video.

I hope you enjoy this month's routine. It's been fun connecting with those of you who are jumping along with me! If you do jump, I hope that you also smile along with me too. :)

With love,

Jennifer

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Since we are currently without a kitchen, food has been on my mind lately! I thought I'd do something a little different in today's video and discuss the top food trends of 2019.



I am always fascinated by food trends. Tastes come and go and it's fun to look back in history to see what foods were popular. I read this article from Eater, which shares a long list of every food trend to look out for this year (warning, there are pictures of insects on this article). I chose the top ten trends that I have heard the most about. In this video, I go through them with you.

Here they are:

🍴Infusions like ginger water and CBD CBD is finding its way into many remedies as well as foods because of its therapeutic properties. I have not tried CBD in anything. Have you?

🍴Oat milk and Pea milk These are the new nutritious milks on the market. Here is a recipe for oat milk from The Minimalist Baker

🍴Bread, especially sourdough I have been enjoying sourdough toasted with butter and apple butter. It's one of my favorite breads. Here is Lisa from Farmhouse on Boone's sourdough starter recipe

🍴Grazing tables Here is a picture article on epic grazing tables What do you think of these? I can't stop looking at them!

🍴Foil pack dinner recipes Ben and I like to cook fish in foil packs. Moosewood Restaurant's at-home cookbook has some great foil pack recipes.

🍴Chayote
Chayote Rich in nutrients, potent in antioxidants, promotes heart health, blood sugar control, potential anticancer effects and supports liver function.


🍴“Gut-healthy” foods aka fermented foods such as kombucha and kimchi Have you ever tried kombucha? Here is an interesting article on the health benefits of kombucha. Here is some information from the article: Kombucha, a fermented tea beverage, is rich in probiotics and antioxidants, which benefit your brain, heart and gut. The healthy bacteria found in kombucha and your digestive tract absorb nutrients and fight sickness. Eighty percent of your immune system is located in the gut and the gut is considered the second largest part of the nervous system after the brain. That means promoting gut health is critical. One way to do that is drinking kombucha regularly, which may help maintain good immune and overall health.

🍴Smoothie bowls I love smoothie bowls! I have a smoothie bowl recipe in my upcoming Connoisseur Kids book. Basically take any smoothie you enjoy making and put less liquid in. It will be thicker and sit nicely in a bowl with your favorite toppings. Here is an article from Health that features 10 smoothie bowl recipes.

🍴Turmeric I made this Golden Turmeric Latte the other evening and really enjoyed it! Turmeric has wonderful anti-inflammation properties.

🍴Vegetable alternatives to grains such as cauliflower pizza crust I love cauliflower pizza crust! This is a wonderful trend... Have you tried Cauliflower pizza crust?

I hope you enjoy today's video. If you would like to see a follow-up video where I try some of the foods on this list, let me know! (Although I'll most likely have to wait until we have a kitchen again! :) )

Today's video has been sponsored by Home Chef. I appreciate the sponsors I work with who enable me to keep creating great content for you on YouTube. Home Chef is a meal kit delivery service that has millions of happy customers. They have so many selections to choose from each month, the meals are easy to make and you learn so much from following their recipes as each meal is crafted by a professional chef. Use code JENNIFERS80 for $80 off ($20 off each of your first 4 boxes). Thank you to Home Chef for bringing us today's video.

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Welcome to The Chic Assignment for May! We are exploring music, art, jewelry and self-care this month. Let's get right into it.



🎵Chic Assignment no. 1 Listen to Erik Satie Gymnopédies The Gymnopédies, published in Paris starting in 1888, are three piano compositions written by French composer and pianist Erik Satie.

You can listen to all three Gymnopédies for free on this 15 minute YouTube video (which has seen 20 MILLION views!)



🖼Chic Assignment no. 2 Regard the works of Pierre-Auguste Renoir

Visit the official Pierre-Auguste Renoir website to view his works. The 12 most popular works are listed on the first page. I would love for you to share which one speaks to you.

Here I'm sharing one of my favorites: Dance at the Moulin de la Galette

I am sharing this image via Wikepedia

💍Chic Assignment no. 3 Wear a piece (or pieces) of jewelry you don't normally wear. Many of us have a jewelry box or a little dish with pretty pieces, yet we wear the same jewelry over and over again (I do this!). Open your jewelry box and wear an old piece you haven't worn in awhile. It doesn't have to be fancy, just something to freshen up your ten-item wardrobe. Let us know, what you chose to wear.

💅Chic Assignment no. 4 Get manicure and pedicure ready. Sandal season is fast approaching. Whether you wear nail polish or not, it's time to get manicure and (especially) pedicure ready. Buff those heels, apply a cream and treat yourself to some self care by taking care of your hands and feet. If you missed my spring manicure video from last month, I will share it here. This is the foot file I mention in the video: it's an invaluable tool for my pedicures.



I love reading your Chic Assignment updates! Even though I am not able to reply to each one, I appreciate reading them. I know others do too! I hope you enjoy The Chic Assignment in today's video.

News
📍We are doing a budget kitchen renovation Chez Connoisseur. Follow me on Instagram for updates (I will also be blogging this too!)

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Kitchen renovation day one: we survived. Homeschooling with four kids and a kitchen reno is no joke. Ben said something very funny to me right before he snapped this picture, hence my maniacal laughter. This is going to be very interesting! #connoisseurkitchen #dailyconnoisseur #kitchenrenovation #4kids #nokitchen #help

A post shared by Jennifer L. Scott (@dailyconnoisseur) on Apr 29, 2019 at 5:56pm PDT

📍Take my affordable eCourses on the Ten-Item Wardrobe, Debt-free Living, and How to be Efficient at Home.

📍I would like to thank everyone who emails me, comments on videos or posts or sends me messages in other ways. I am receiving so many messages that I am unable to respond to them. Every time I read one of your wonderful emails I truly smile. Thank you so much! In this busy season of life with the children I am unable to respond. I do hope you understand.

On Instagram
Madame Chic in Vietnam...

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my new book, my holidays 📖📖 #peacefulmoments #lessonsfrommadamechic #girlreading

A post shared by Thao Tran (@haileystories) on Apr 27, 2019 at 10:00pm PDT

Comment of the Week
Last week's post on The Dress Code for Parents sparked so much conversation! There were so many comments I could have chosen for comment of the week!
Anonymous writes, "When I was growing up, no matter what was going on in my world, there was one thing I could always count on: my mom looking fabulous! I don't mean in a fancy, expensive, uber-chic way. We were not a rich family! But, she was always dressed in slacks or a dress or skirt, she always had her hair done, and she always wore makeup. Always. She looked bright and pretty, and the sight of her reassured me and filled me with calm. Things were under control. Mom was put together, and so was our lives.

Years later when I was an adult and Mom was diagnosed with cancer, she was determined to keep it up. She went to her mastectomy armed with a full face of makeup on - I know that sounds extreme! Throughout her treatment, she sported the cutest wigs and wore bright colors. She fought courageously and lived for 10 more years! It was only at the very end that she became too weak to continue.

I think my mom understood the psychological effect her grooming had on her family. It always gave us a lift and made our days just a little brighter.

A Grateful Daughter"

Dear Anon, your beautiful memories of your mother were so poignant. She sounded like a marvelous woman. And how wonderful for her to leave you with such fond memories. Thank you for sharing those memories with us.

Thank you for participating in The Chic Assignment for May! I am looking forward to hearing your findings. As usual, I will be doing a check-in mid-month. See you soon!




Visit my Author Website

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This post is not sponsored. Some links may be affiliate.