Most of us say, and rightfully so, that our loved ones are the most important thing in our lives…
THE STORY
…Our friends and our family are the one thing that truly matters when it’s all said and done. The sad reality though is that no matter how much they matter to us life often gets in the way of spending as much time with them as we’d like. This is especially true of those whom aren’t involved in our immediate every day world.
We are busy; life is busy. But have you ever thought about how much screen time, whether it be the computer, television or our phones, sucks away the time that we have left on this earth to spend with the people who matter the most? I don’t know it you’ve seen it yet, but there is an ad for a Spanish liquor that will not only make you stop and think, but it may well break you. These statistics come from the ad:
“According to statistics, over the next 40 years, we will spend:
520 days watching TV series,
six years watching television,
eight years on the internet,
10 years staring at screens.
How much time will you spend with the people who matter to you?”
Terrifying don’t you think? It’s part of the human condition to think that we have plenty of time to do all of the things that make us happy including spending time with the people who matter most to us, even though part of us knows better. I’m not going to lie, this is an area of my life that most definitely needs improvement. Even before I saw this ad I had been thinking that I need to do better. I need to spend more time with the people that I love; I need to tell them more often that I love them. I need to make more of an effort to not squirrel myself away at home instead of spending precious time with the people that matter.
Technology is truly an amazing thing. Without it, I would have never met any of you. I have made some truly remarkable connections through the blog and social media and my life is richer for it. As amazing as that is though, we need to not forget the living breathing humans who are a part of our real lives. They deserve our time and our attention and our love. Our time on this planet is finite; we would be well-served to remember that and make good use of the time that we have. I plan on doing that over the holidays. I’m not a big subscriber to New Year’s resolutions, but spending my time where it counts is at the top of my priority list for 2019. If you need a little motivation, definitely take a moment to watch the video…just make sure you have a tissue handy…
THE OUTFIT
Before I get into the outfit itself, I really want to talk about this down coat that I received c/o Happy Goat Lucky. I can honestly tell you that even with my rather um, “extensive” coat collection, I have never owned a down coat before and man, have I been missing out!
Here’s the thing, when I think “down coat” I think “Michelin Man”. Not a good look my friends. What attracted me to the styles available from Happy Goat Lucky is the fact that they are streamlined for a more flattering fit. And guess what? “Streamlined” does not mean lacking in warmth.
I have worn this coat literally every single day since receiving it, including the day I was walking around Pittsburgh for the Holiday Market, and I was 100% snuggly warm. The style I’m wearing is the Miranda; it has a hood with beautiful detachable fur (for the days that you’re feeling less she-she) and there’s a bottom zipper that opens upwards for walking and sitting ease. Who knew that a down coat would become my go-to every day coat!
The rest of the outfit is my contribution to “Christmas Style” for the Holiday Series from Ada at Elegance & Mommyhood. In my opinion, this is the perfect casual but still put together holiday look. Something about red plaid has always said “holidays” to me, and if you check out the looks on the other Holiday Series lovelies below you’ll see that I’m not alone in that assessment.
My black Tomgirl pants are a looser fit so they’re comfortable no matter what your plans. The addition of the red pumps is what takes this look up a level from purely casual. Dorothy was definitely onto something because a good pair of red pumps are like a little dash of magic for any outfit.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM ALL OF US!!
SHELBEE Shelbee on the Edge“This Christmas I am feeling a bit of a “Bah, Humbug” so when Charlotte Russe offered all of their employees a sweater of their choosing for $10, this cute “Bah, HumPug” sweater seemed perfectly appropriate for my holiday mood lately. Ironically, however, the sweater has cheered me up immensely! I paired it with a mixed plaid scarf in Christmas colors (from Target last year) and my fuzzy camouflage coat (also from Charlotte Russe). Tan skinny jeans (Target) and dark green sock booties (Burlington Coat Factory) finish the outfit. But it wouldn’t be Christmas without my red pom pom earrings (Rosegal) and my favorite knit hat made by my grandmother circa 1950’s. Wishing you all a very merry Christmas and blessed holiday season!” MAUREEN Little Miss Casual“I don’t know about you, but my family get togethers are very casual. Even during the holidays, we like to keep things low key and most of our time is spent indoors. So, when it comes to dressing for the holidays, there’s only one thing that comes to mind – a good Christmas sweater or better known as an ugly sweater. Personally, I am a sucker for an ugly sweater and believe everyone should own at least one in their wardrobe.” CHRISSY Granola and Grace “Christmas will be In Florida for is this year so the temps may be in the 50’s, but the temps may be high 70’s so there’s no preplanning on the outfit for me. However, I’m looking forward to making new memories with our little family!”
AMBER Avec Amber“Christmas is a time to gather together to celebrate the year’s highs, reflect on the lows, and appreciate each other as we look ahead to another new year. My family keeps it casual, so this cozy plaid wrap, sweater, and jeans combo is an ideal Christmas outfit choice.”
CHERYL Cheryl Shops “Merry Christmas, Ada! While I live in San Francisco, I was born and raised in Chicago, which is where I spend Christmas with my family. I’m always excited about going home for the holidays, because I get to break out all of my wintry things: cashmere sweaters, leather skirts, and wool coats. This look encapsulates all of those elements, plus a fun pair of shoes for a little holiday sparkle. If it’s snowing, however, I might have to change out the shoes for some Uggs! “
JENNIE A Pocketful of Polka Dots“This year for Christmas I thought I would step outside my norm and wear a fun holiday sweater! I usually like to dress up a bit, but liked the idea of doing a cute and casual look. My red Hunter boots add to this festive look.”
.LAURA I Do deClaire”We celebrate Christmas by going to church on Christmas Eve as a family, all dressed up. My daughters get a Christmas dress each year. I like to wear something festive for the occasion that has some red in it so this skirt is perfect! On Christmas we enjoy opening stockings and presents as a family in the morning and then in the evening we celebrate our oldest daughter’s birthday!
MONICA Jersey Girl, Texan Heart“Happy Holidays y’all! I hope you enjoy every minute of this holiday season with your families and friends. I can’t wait for Christmas because I love giving gifts and seeing reactions, and of course the food that my mom makes!” ADA Elegance and Mommyhood“Nothing says Christmas to me more than Plaid. So this year, Vivian and I will be wearing matching plaid tunics (from Old Navy) for our Christmas celebration. We even dressed up our button-downs with pretty necklaces. But truly I cannot wait to see her face on Christmas morning as she opens presents – she is so excited! From our Christmas tree with love“Gëzuar Krishtlindjet!” That means “Merry Christmas” in Albanian – my native language.”
CHRISTINE Bon and Chic Style“This Christmas’s Eve I’m going for a minimalist look with this chic black velvet slip dress layered with a simple white turtleneck underneath. We always go to Christmas Eve midnight mass and I like to wear a simple dress for the occasion. The sock booties complete this effortless chic outfit and will keep me warm too! Joyeux Noël.”
DEBBIE Fashion Fairy Dust“Holidays at our house are super casual. Honestly, this look is dressier than what I’d be wearing; you’d be more likely to find me in this flannel shirt, but paired with boyfriend jeans and my Bearpaw boots. I did kick it up a notch for the Holiday Series though by swapping in my black pants and red suede pumps. The look is still casual and comfortable, but the pumps and pants makes it a little more special.”
THE TIP
Down coats are a good investment and the perfect addition to your cold weather coat arsenal. If you keep your eye out for a more fitted style, you’ll not only be toasty warm but look fabulous at the same time.
THE LINK UPS
Check out the weekly link ups I participate in for even more fashion and style ideas…
I’ve been loving my down coat too. It’s amazing how warm they really are. No wonder everyone in Denver has one. How come I’m so thick about certain trends at times???
XOXO
Jodie http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
Never got a full on down coat, but the packable down jacket has been my secret weapon for a while. I can layer it under my wool coat on cold Illinois winter days – and when the weather flips personality, I can bag it up and throw it on my purse.
YES to the red shoes! And yes to the linkups – I really need to get into those again.
A packable down jacket…how cool! And definitely yes to all the red shoes/boots! You should start linking up…somehow I did not realize that you had a blog.
Oh, it’s been years at this point since I was in a linkup. Used to blog as circlecitystyle, but I couldn’t sustain it at that point in my life. I’m at granolabat.blogspot.com now. It’s going well so far!
You bring up a good point about spending time with the people that matter most to us. Since I started blogging I can tell you I have spent more on my iPad and iPhone than what I would like. While I do my best to cut my time down, it just seems I am always on it. I don’t even want to know how much time full time bloggers spend on their devices. I never owned a down coat before. I bet it’s all kinds of warm and toasty! I have puffer jackets that I am still freezing in. Love… Read more »
I am not sure what a down coat means. But it looks warm. I am often dressed to cold when I go out on the bike. Because I want to be stylish then too…..but it s stupid because I am always cold on the bike!😂😂😂
A down coat aka a puffer coat, is down filled, typically a nylon type material on the outside and super warm. They are often big and puffy, hence puffer coat. By bike, do you mean bicycle or motorcycle? I won’t get on our motorcycle if it’s under 70 degrees…I hate being cold…lol!
Debbie http://www.fashionfairydust.com
Love those red heels!
Great message too as usual! Since my dad has been on hospice we have all been spending more time with him; it’s a shame it took that to get us to make the time but I am grateful we have it. I keep asking him what he wants to do and all he says is be with his family. It is all that matters.
xo,
Kellyann
