The New OOTD Planning Template
It’s that time of year again! The time of year where everyone….or at least it feels like everyone on social media at least ….. begins talking about new habits and new mindsets to adopt in the new year to help you become the best version of yourself. And while I’m always here for self-improvement, if I’m being real with you, I’m not a new year’s resolution kinda girl. I can’t remember one time where I’ve said, “January 1st I’m going to start X,Y or Z.” Partially that’s because I’m the kind of person where when I decide that I need to do something, I start that day….whether it’s January 1st or May 9th. So I’ve never really bought into waiting for the start of a new year to make a change. But all of that being said, I do still really love the concept of self-reflection and (maybe attempted) betterment that comes with this time of year. It’s so inspiring to hear all the excitement, optimism and hope that people share!
Okay this going to seem like a hard left turn after that topic above, but stay with me because it’ll eventually make sense, I promise! My family and I just got home from a week long trip to Orlando to cheer on my husband’s college football team in their bowl game. And as trips are, it was a ton of work to get us all packed and ready, especially with all the Christmas tasks that still needed to be finished during the same time frame. But as we all do, I somehow pulled it together in the final hours and we had an amazing week away! And on about the third day of the trip, I had this little epiphany that got me thinking a little bit. I’m sure most, if not all of you, do this as well, but when I pack for a trip, I specifically plan a full outfit for each day and then group them together in my suitcase. I coordinate with the weather, so I have all the necessary layers and accessories that go with it. It can be time intensive on the front end, but it makes getting dressed that day SO DANG EASY because there is no thought that has to go into it.
My daughter had a blast meeting so many Disney characters on our trip!
Except I don’t know about you, but I don’t function that way at home. Some days I think I waste too much time pondering what I want to wear that day and even trying on a few options before landing on the final outfit for the day. So going back to the third day on the trip and in the ease of getting myself (and my daughter!) ready for the day, I thought…..WHY DO I NOT DO THIS AT HOME?! What if I put the same thought and effort into my morning routine/getting ready that I do for other tasks throughout the week? Maybe that sounds quasi-ridiculous, granted, but what if it also helps me save time in the morning? I’ll take back any precious time that I can scrounge up, that’s for sure!!
SO – if meal planning helps make night time so much easier, then why can’t there be something to help make the morning time so much easier as well?! I think there can be. And I get it – some of you are probably rolling your eyes at me, so I know this isn’t going to be for everyone. But, for those of you who are like us and crave systems & processes to make day to day life a little more automated ….. I took it a step further and actually built a template! I'll be the first to admit it’s not nearly as cool as the Paprika 3 app, but this is better than nothing! The nerd is me actually super excited about this because not only does it help me grab and go in the morning, BUT I feel like it’s going to better help me remember favorite ensembles! Sometimes I put together a new outfit combo and love it so, so much …. but then never do it again because I literally forget about it. Anyone else??
Here’s the other reason that I think this approach makes so much sense – because I really believe it can help make better use of your closet. And if you have pieces that never make it into the rotation, it will be much easier to donate them to someone else in need. After Alli and I started this business, I started shedding a LOT of pieces from my closet that I felt like either didn’t fit right or were hard to wear because I didn’t have the right pieces to go with them. Honestly, the number of items in my closet is probably lower than it’s ever been, admittedly it’s all the stuff from our Amalli Talli line, but I genuinely wear everything that’s in there. And, I’m really holding myself to the one year rule – if I haven’t worn it within the past year, I won’t wear in the next one either. And that in itself can actually make getting dressed so much easier, too.
Circling back to the template that I built - it’s pretty simple. Like honestly so simple. But I think the benefit is more in the exercise than in some extravagant design. I did want to include some tidbits of information that I think play a role in getting dressed in the morning. So you’ll notice that for each day of the week, there’s a spot to denote what the weather forecast is showing for the day. There’s also a place to include any other special events going on that may alter what you need to wear, plus some notes on accessories & shoes to finish your look.
If you are looking for a way to simplify your morning routine and speed up the process of getting ready in the morning, this could be a fun thing to try!! It could be a fun and different New Years resolution, or maybe just a new process to implement for your morning routine. If you do try it, let us know how it goes!!