Day 18 – Most days I roll out of bed groggy, and frankly begrudging that I have to leave the comfort of my bed and fight through the insanity of life in 2017. Most days it’s not until my second or third cup of coffee after my energy drink that I actually muster up some fight. This day was different though: excited to host 10 women for dinner, most of whom I did not know well. I love getting to know people.
I jumped out of bed, threw on my grey tee shirt and my jean skirt and it was time to boogie. Some people say, “put on gangster rap and handle it.” For me, it’s more like classic rock or Broadway show tunes and handle it. I had my check list written out (thanks to my son) with little boxes. I methodically ran through my check list with ease, praying the entire way for a smooth day. One of the things on my check list was ironing my kids’ chapel clothes since two of the three kids were singing in a concert that night. This was different from my normal prep, since I usually don’t iron at all unless absolutely necessary. I guess my kids standing in front of a bunch of people … yep, ironing is a necessity. But I was not having to craft new outfits for them to look their best; so again, uniforms for the win!
I already had to make some changes to my game plan. The table cloth I ordered on Amazon didn’t show, so I had to figure out something else out. I really wanted to hang my curtains, but that didn’t happen either. I was ok with that; I was not going to let that affect my good mood. But when I started my food prep, the avocados that I had had in a paper bag for two days to ripen were still hard as a rock. I had a choice: ditch my appetizer (1/2 a stuffed avocado with manchego cheese and bacon … it is always a fan favorite), or pop by the store on the way home from school pick up. I chose the latter. It was a super-hot day, perfect for my tee shirt and jean skirt. My kids were begging to stay in the car – even though we used to do this all the time in the 80s, it’s socially frowned upon now days. But I only had to run in and grab avocados and my 12-year-old runs a pretty tight ship. She knows all the protocol: lock the doors when I leave, stay in the back where the tinted windows provide coverage and under no circumstances do you unlock the doors for anyone even if they look like they are in a first responder uniform. So I ran in and out with the avocados, and when I got back in the car my daughter asked me why I was running. Well, I have read stories about moms getting in trouble for leaving their kids in the car. I know y’all are safe and know the rules, but people are crazy and don’t mind their own business sometime because they think they know what is right, so I was just trying to be as fast as possible.
When we got home and I was cooking, the thought did cross my mind to put on an apron. But I really did not need to since I had on a tee shirt, and jean skirt and my plan was to change into my white dress shirt for the dinner. I love fun aprons and the look of them to me screams 50s house wife. My mom never really wore and apron, but with my love of accessorizing and making sure I have the exact outfit on for the part, slipping that apron on and tying it in the front just tells my mind I am ready, I am in control and I am going to kick butt on this meal! In the end, this time I opted not to spend the time finding and putting on the apron. I wasn’t needing that mental lifeline it provides because I wasn’t emotionally searching for that sense of control.
Food prep was going great; my kids were ready, out the door for their concert. I was grabbing something from the fridge and bam! the huge bucket-sized container of grass fed yogurt falls from the fridge on to the floor, all the surrounding cabinets and me. People would be arriving in minutes. Hind sight is 20/20; I should have worn the apron. At the same time, I was staring at the disaster working out my next plan of action in my head, my husband texts me that my bestie is having an emergency and my husband and three kids were on their way to the emergency room to help their family. I took a deep breath and cleaned it all up: it takes about three rounds of cleaning to get the filmy yogurt goo off everything. And then I booked it upstairs to change into my white shirt and dressier jean skirt. Yes, the static wardrobe wins the day again: it took such minimal effort, and really saved my bacon in a pinch. The minute I came back down the doorbell rang and all was good. Dinner was perfect, the women had a great time. I did notice later that I missed a yogurt splat across the kitchen and on my oven. Since I had been using the oven it was now baked on, but at least it did scrape off easily. I had a skincare consultation first thing in the morning, so my static wardrobe was saving me again: I could go to bed that night enjoying how the evening all came together, rather than thinking about what I would wear the next morning.
Tip of the Day: Always have an outfit at the ready that you do not have to think about, especially if you have multiple events in a row. With the static wardrobe, a few extras on hand in the event of a yogurt explosion is very helpful. If you’re not using a static wardrobe, have an alternate wardrobe choice in mind and make sure it is ready for public viewing. Basically make sure your second choice is not on the floor in the bottom of your closet.
Day 19 Did I choose to take a wardrobe cheat day to celebrate my friend’s birthday?