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: Emily Thomas, our Creative Director

Favorite simple beauty routine or product: I’ve recently started using Clinique’s CC cream, and I love it! It’s not quite moisturizing enough on its own for my skin, so I layer it over One Love Organics’ Skin Savior, and then top everything off with a swipe of Bare Minerals’ Ready foundation. (On more casual days, I sometimes leave off the CC cream and just do the powder, but I like that the cream gives me my SPF!)

Favorite simple fall activity: In terms of simple and fall, it doesn’t get much easier than my favorite pumpkin chocolate chip muffins. Here is the “recipe:” 1) Take a Betty Crocker chocolate chip muffin mix (the one in a bag) and dump it in a bowl. 2) Add 4 tablespoons canned pumpkin puree (like Libby’s), a 1/2 cup water with 4 tablespoons removed, and a few healthy shakes of cinnamon. Stir together. 3) Bake for 16 minutes in a 400 degree oven.

Favorite tech device/app/strategy that simplifies your life: It sounds obvious, but my iPhone’s native Notes app is my go-to! This incredibly simple and incredibly handy app helps me seem more together than I am and be a more thoughtful person than I would be otherwise. I keep so many lists on it, including gift ideas for my husband, restaurants I want to try, books I want to read, things I’m looking for at the flea market, measurements of crucial areas in my house, and the food preferences of my friends and family members (which makes buying treats for them easier!).

Favorite morning routine that simplifies your life: Hrmm. I would not really say I have a morning routine… I’m more the roll-out-of-bed-and-out-the-door-in-twenty-minutes type. (Really. 20 minutes.) However, I have been making smoothies for breakfast recently, and I love that they give me a nutritional “win” to start my day. I’m not picky about the makeup, but right now my go-to combination is half a banana + frozen blueberries + plain Greek yogurt + chocolate protein powder + whole milk + a splash of OJ + spinach.

Favorite evening routine that simplifies your life: A walk around our neighborhood, pre- or post-dinner. Unspooling my day through conversation with John is the best way I know to settle my thoughts and get clarity.

Favorite trick for simplifying your schedule: I have finally admitted to myself that I can ONLY use a monthly view calendar, and it has to be paper (see mine here). So much of what I’m scheduling needs to happen in relation to other things, and I hate having to click back and forth between days or switch between the day view and the month view so I can see every event happening on a certain day. Seeing everything at once helps me to keep my schedule simple and balanced, and not overload any one week or day.

Favorite simple weeknight recipe: When the most important factor is getting dinner on the table fast, these are three of our go-tos: Vegan Chana Masala, Vegetarian Black Bean Enchiladas, and Lemon Parmesan Pasta with Grilled Chicken.

Favorite simple date: I am continually inspired by all of the couples who share their date ideas in our Southern Newlywed series, because the Thomas household is the worst at date nights. Honestly, just not making dinner ourselves is a treat since we usually cook seven nights a week! So, grabbing dinner from Chick-fil-a or Noodles & Company feels indulgent and fun on a weeknight, and gives us extra time to just be together and talk instead of rushing around getting dinner on the table.

Favorite simple way you love on your beau: Listening to him. It’s embarrassing to admit, but too often I think I can write an email or sort mail or read a blog post at the same time. News flash: I can’t. Listening to him with both ears and both eyes is a great way to show him how much I appreciate him and the fact that he wants to talk to ME! That is a privilege I try not to forget!

Next up in this series: Kristin!

P.S. Looking for more ways inspiring gals simplify their lives? We love our friend Emily Ley’s Simplicity series!