Many moons ago — when I somehow had time to write a proper blog post — I got the awesome opportunity to work with Caroline of the Unfancy blog.

I was so excited to share with moms how I made my comfortable, casual  minimal wardrobe work for me. I was definitely still learning a lot about capsuling and what was important to me, plus I hadn’t even stepped foot into the ethical/sustainable movement yet, but I did know one thing: I didn’t want to pretend.

I just couldn’t be one of those bloggers who dressed up for a photo shoot and pushed her stroller in high heels in front of the camera, then lounged in pajamas all day. No offense to any of those ladies, I am a huge fan of their dedication and work ethic (and ooooh, the shoooes!!!) and to be honest, I even tried a few times!

But as good as their intentions were, sometimes looking at them made me feel bad about myself. I didn’t know what went on behind the scenes and as a new mom, I scrolled through photo after photo, wondering how they had their shit so together, while I felt like I was falling apart at the seams.

Now that I get how it works, I can cheer them on and love their looks from afar,  while still being content with having far less than I’m used to. It’s all about balance right?  But I want other moms to know that’s NOT normal!  Believe me.  It’s ok to just be us.  Beautifully messy us.

But that’s not the point of this post. Back to the time I wrote for Unfancy. One article that I vividly remember writing was about my base outfits. It was kind of an a-ha moment for me, and as I read the comments, I saw that the philosophy could work for other women too.

The gist is that you want to fill your wardrobe with sensible base outfits – leggings, jeans, tees; really just the normal, comfortable stuff you wear around the house. Then if you have to head out for errands, a doctors appointment, a play-date or whatever, you throw in the add-ons.  Those are the accessories, shoes, and lipstick you might not wear all the time.

Some people call this brilliant, genius, groundbreaking idea “getting dressed”.

But moms know better. We know we are lucky to shower and we know how hard it is to look put together. And thankfully, this method has served me well the last 5 years as a parent. It doesn’t happen 100% of the time, but I have only left the house feeling like a hot mess a handful of times. (Morning school drop-off doesn’t count!)

So I wanted to start a new series, if you will, to show you how I look at home, vs. what I do to make the outfits more presentable for when I leave the house.

Here’s the first look.

I know jeans and a sweater might seem like a surprising choice for May in Southern California, but June Gloom came early and I’m riding this wave as long as I can before the heat hits.

To change up the look before I leave the house, I throw on some jewelry, easy sandals and a jacket (more for style layering than warmth), then jooj a bit by pegging the leg of my jean and tucking in the front of my sweater, just to reel in the sloppiness.

And there you go. Still comfortable, still practical, but I like to think I look like I made an effort, without trying too hard.

So you guys wanna see more? Maybe? I need a good name for the series. And  while you’re coming up with that for me, make the name hashtaggable too, ok? Thanks!

Also… Please help me?