Is everyone else still recovering from the holidays? I know I am very slowly getting back into a normal routine. My birthday always falls in between Christmas and New Years. I don’t like that because I am usually exhausted by all of the holiday craziness. This year my family went out of their way to do something different and make it really fun. I woke up to this thoughtfully detailed itinerary.

In case you are not well versed in fourth grader illustrations, the plan was as follows.  Go into Philadelphia, do some ice skating, play some games, have dinner at Max Brenner, a CHOCOLATE themed restaurant and stay overnight at a hotel.  I am a confessed chocoholic so this was a dream come true. My husband and I logged many hours in the city in our younger days but now we tend to get stuck out here in our suburbia. In my younger days I think I was more interested in Philadelphia’s bars that I saw as opposed to all of the really cool attractions the city has to offer. Despite being less than an hour from our house we just don’t seem to get there. Staying over was an extra plus as the kids think hotels are so much fun.

The River Rink at Penn’s Landing was really cool. There is even an indoor Lodge area where you can warm up and get (adult) drinks and snacks. The outside was set up with fire pits and smores stations. It was cold but still sunny and beautiful.

I love the look on the lady’s face behind me. She must have just pulled gum or something gross off of her seat.

Oh and then there is a cart that said this.

How do you not take a picture of something that says Warm Nuts??

After intense arcade games and air hockey at Dave and Busters, followed by chocolate heaven at Max Brenners I was wiped. But the kids were like caffeinated monkeys. We walked them around the city for a while. They pleaded with us to go underground and see the subway. Our poor sheltered children were fascinated, they were so excited to see an actual subway. We need to get them out more.  Eventually we made it to the hotel. Our room had these huge windows that you could stand in, with sweeping views up Broad street toward City Hall. My daughter immediately jumped up into the window to do her best impression of Willow Smith singing “I whip my hair back and forth.” My son took one look at her, knocked her out of the way, and created his own version, singing “I whip my butt back and forth.” We had to explain to the kids that everyone can see INTO the hotel windows. Unfortunately that made them want to do it more.

By the time we got up we needed to get moving. The kids were bouncing off the walls, literally. They had tied sheets around their necks and were acting like superheros jumping and crashing from one bed to the other. We had planned to go right home but decided to stay a little longer and do all the cliché touristy things. It felt brand new through the eyes of the kids, and really to us as well.

We saw the Macy’s light show. After it was over I got to do a little shoe shopping while my husband got dragged my kids into Santa’s village. Apparently on Macy’s 4th floor there exists a Dickens like labyrinth not really fit for 6 foot men. It was long, hot, crowded and according to my hubby smelled like a frat house without air conditioning. Even the kids looked a little frightened when they finally found their way out. But on a bright note it gave me time to score a super cute pair of black boots on sale!

We walked the kids to Love park to see the famous LOVE sculpture. Oh and some extremely exotic belly dancers. Who were just in their bras. The best part was someone else’s 7-year-old boy who enthusiastically pushed his way to the front while screaming “Let me see those belly buttons!!”

All this walking needed to be rewarded with cheesesteakes and then treats at Reading Terminal Market. Then we decided to head home. And do you know what the kids said when we got home? “We’re bored! What are we going to do tonight?”

So what does any of this have to do with YOUR closet? That’s the insider tip!

*Insider Tip – Make the old new.

I’m sure you’ve heard that rule that if you haven’t worn it in a year than you should get rid of it. Not so fast. Why haven’t you worn it? Are you sick of it? Is it too small? Too big? Too short? Too long? Too blah? Do you like it? If you do actually like it maybe you just need to rethink it. Some of my clients don’t need a full wardrobe overhaul, they just need to view their existing pieces with a fresh set of eyes. Maybe you bought a sequin sweater to wear to a Christmas party 2 years ago. And now it has been sitting in your closet for 2 years since you last wore it.  You may think it is just a holiday party sweater. But what if we put it with your classic navy blazer, (the one that is also just sitting in your closet because you may have labeled it boring and conservative), paired it with distressed denim, (the ones you think are just for summer), and metallic oxfords, (the ones you bought on sale but have no idea what to wear with them). Now you’re old pieces look new. Sort of like going into the city that you thought you had seen a thousand times, but doing different things and enjoying it an entirely different way, like with your kids.

Not sure if you can do this on your own? Let me be your fresh set of eyes! This is one of my favorite parts of a consultation. It is so fun to put together new outfits, and even more so when it doesn’t require buying anything new. Winter is cold and dreary, the perfect time to schedule an indoor appointment. I’ll come over with coffee and when I leave you will have “NEW” outfits!

Something else new we did this year? Or should I say ended the year with…

Here in our teeny, tiny, old town they did something very new. They dropped a lighted mushroom, (Kennett Square is THE mushroom capital of the world!), in the center of town at midnight. A great way to start the year!