Southern Weddings

Hi belles! Every season we like to find a way to get to know you more, and to share our hearts. To dovetail with our current Cozy Fall focus, each of the Southern Weddings gals will be sharing our favorite ways to simplify and get cozy in our home lives over the next few months. We hope our ideas are helpful as you work to streamline and simplify your own lives for what matters most!

Photo by Blue Ribbon Vendor Katelyn James

Say howdy to: Kristin Winchester, our Client Relations Director

Favorite simple beauty routine or product: My first thought was my shower cap (ha!). I am an infrequent hair-washer (y’all would be shocked), and I love having something that keeps my hair from getting wet. And clearly a good dry shampoo goes hand-in-hand with my shower cap! Simplify and extend a good hair day a few more days? Yes, please! Also, taking care of my skin is important, especially as I get older. Insert my favorite Clarisonic brush to get all the makeup off at the end of the day and a good night cream (currently Philosophy Nighttime Hope in a Jar) to plump up my skin while I’m sleeping!!

Favorite simple fall activity: Two words: Apply Cider. It’s not officially fall in our house until I make the first batch of apple cider. In terms of simple and fall, this might take the cake. I combine a jug of organic apple juice and Williams-Sonoma mulling spices and let it simmer on the stove until our house smells amazing and I can’t wait one more minute to pour myself a glass. I store the leftovers in a glass jar in the refrigerator, and heat up a mug at night while we are curled up on the sofa watching television.

Favorite tech device/app/strategy: Admittedly, I love how Em uses the native Notes app and I have similar lists of things I need handy. I am a big fan of a few apps that help me execute things saved in my Notes–think restaurants to try (Open Table), favorite coffee orders for friends (Starbucks) and books to read (Kindle).

Favorite morning routine that simplifies your life: We make the bed every day (except Sundays). I think that this sets the mood for the day, and I really love turning down the covers and climbing in bed at night. I’m also a BIG advocate of eating breakfast and love having easy-to-grab (healthy-ish) breakfast options at our finger tips. A few of our favorites: Oatmeal Bars (can be frozen and thawed in the microwave), Baked Oatmeal, and Luna Bars with a side of fruit.

Favorite evening routine that simplifies your life: Besides wiping down the counters and loading the dishwasher to leave things fresh and ready for the next day, we set the coffee pot timer and put out our mugs. It’s one less thing we have to do in the morning and waking up to freshly brewed coffee feels so fancy, yet it’s so very simple. Also, if you love fancy coffee but want a DIY option, go buy this kitchen gadget, add some vanilla to the milk, and magic: a fancy, frothy coffee.

Favorite trick for simplifying your schedule: Meal plan, meal plan, meal plan! And it doesn’t have to be gourmet (we have a few go-to meals that we rotate through each week and always keep breakfast for dinner as an available plan B). It’s amazing how much less stressed I am when I know what we’re having for supper at the end of the day. With our current schedules, I love to meal plan and grocery shop on Sundays, and typically do another quick run on Wednesday to pick up fresh bananas and any other miscellaneous fresh produce/meat we might need to finish out the week. My Emily Ley planner/app keeps me on track with what I’ve planned so I don’t forget.

Favorite simple weeknight recipe: When time is limited, and I need to get supper on the table in a hurry, my go-to trick is to get everything ready that morning: the crockpot + a few chicken breasts + salsa + 6-8 hours on low = perfectly pulled chicken for instant tacos, burritos, Mexican salads, etc. You can warm up a can of black beans and some tortillas and have a near-instant meal! These are three of my non-crock pot favorites: Pad Thai, Turkey Burgers with Sweet Potato Fries, and DIY Pizza (with pre-made dough from the grocery store)!

Favorite simple date: Y’all know I love a good date night. We Winchesters love ice cream and recently discovered a little dessert shop near our house that makes the best milkshakes. It’s quite a treat for us to have a weeknight, post-dinner adventure to get a sweet treat and sit and talk about our week or our plans for the weekend ahead. We happily substitute fancy decaf coffees when the weather turns cooler (plus one for FL, where it is ice cream weather almost 365 days a year)!

Favorite simple way you love on your beau: I make sure there is always chocolate milk in the refrigerator! Taking a page from the 5 Love Languages book, I have learned simple ways to show KPW love through service, which includes making sure I pick up a few of his favorite foods during my weekly grocery store run.

Next up: Nicole!

P.S. Check out Emily’s simple favorites, too!