A Place of Legacy

I don’t know about you, but I have always dreamed about having a place that me and my family return to year after year to make memories. I love the idea of having that spot where photos show the evolution of childhood - mastering a bike without training wheels, smiles with missing teeth and ice cream melting over sticky fingers. I didn’t have this one sort of place myself, but my husband does. A quiet Adirondack cottage on a lake in the middle of no where. And while it certainly is rustic, my children love it. Even more so, they feel ownership of it. As a person married into the lake life, I don’t have that sort of sense of place there. I typically see the work involved in getting there, being there and leaving there. The mom work. I am not disregarding this work because it truly is work. The washing, the packing (so.much.packing), the cooking, the rocking in an ancient rocker that no man has even nursed a baby in, the trying be present and have fun when truly, you may not be… But this year I am trying something different - instead of seeing the lake as something to get through, I’m going to try to see it as investing in my children’s legacy. I want them to remember the work, to appreciate that it does take work, but to also remember a mom that made it special for them. Who enjoyed the lake right along with them, as a participant, not a bystander.

So what that means is I am going to need to romanticize life like I have never romanticized before. I am leaning in! Here are a few ways I’m romanticizing the lake:

• Pinterest to the rescue! I’m looking up outfits and aesthetics that speak to me and being on the lookout for those real life details.

• Reframe my thoughts. Leave prior experiences in the past. (I.e babies who do not enjoy sleeping in a new spot!)

• Be enthusiastic about the parts of the trip I enjoy (boat trips, ice cream in town, local syrup from little spot on the side of the road, the clambake!) and leave the rest. Focus on the good!

• Make room for more good. My husband and I spoke at length about this. What does our little family want to do? A visit to local historical spots so we can geek out? Yes! A hike with pretty views? Yes!

• Cousin camp. For the kids but also for me? I love doing arts and crafts with my kids and adding extra cousin magic with my niece and nephew helped me keep the kids entertained in a fun-for-me-too way. And this cousin camp was pretty low key. Each night I drew up an itinerary for the kids to find first thing in the morning. A couple simple activities go a long way! They knew what to expect and could get excited about it without saying whats next, whats next?! They could be in the moment too.

***Post Script - this post was drafted before we went to the lake, and I’m just getting to posting it because …life. Was there a boat fire? Yes. A baby that didn’t sleep? Of course! Smoke detectors that needed batteries in the middle of the night? Also yes. But there were good things too. Cousin camp was a HIT, and I think I may have started a new tradition. We had the best day exploring an old fort with a special scavenger hunt my husband made with amazing treasure at the end, and we are still enjoying the maple syrup each Saturday with our pancakes. So yes it was still a totally crazy trip, but this time, I’m letting the fun my children had outweigh all the other noise.

Lake views

Cousin camp itinerary

Tie-dyed cousin camp shirts

Field trip to an old fort

Fort fit

Water baby

Bathroom Detox - 5 Ways We Are Cleaning Up The Smallest Room In The House

Photo Credit: https://www.sfgirlbybay.com/2018/04/24/bathing-beauties/

1. Cleaner Cleaners

   I’ve been working on slowly substituting all of our cleaners with those with less harmful ingredients, but the bathroom, for me, was tone of trickiest. I mean, this is the place I wanted the sterile clean that only bleach could provide. After doing some digging, I’ve landed on some less harsh cleaners that still pack some punch like this toilet cleaner from Method (https://methodproducts.com/shop-all/antibacterial-toilet-bowl-cleaner-spearmint-24-fl-oz?sku=817939012215) and the Glass Cleaner Concentrate from Grove plus my all-purpose Thieves.

2. Ditching Plastic Shower Curtains

   I recently read about the chemicals that PVC shower liners release, and it was a total duh! Moment. I don’t heat up plastic anywhere else in my home, why would I do this in the shower?!?! (This is the article:https://purelivingspace.com/a/s/blogs/home-air-quality/why-you-should-ditch-your-vinyl-shower-curtain) I immediately tossed ours and replaced with a cotton one. While I definitely haven’t perfected our system yet - there is SO much water being absorbed! - I feel a million times better knowing my family isn’t huffing VOCs every time we take a shower or bath.

3. Add Some Green

   I love the look of greenery throughout the home but especially in the bathroom. It instantly ups the spa feel! After killing several aloe plants, I’ve landed on a zamioculcas, (ZZ plant) and it is thriving! It can tolerate low-light and lower moisture which is perfect for my inconsistent watering.

4. Loose the loofa

   I kind of shudder to think of how many years I used a loofa. After speaking with many dermatologists in my past beauty pr girl life, I know that loofas can harbor tons of bacteria. Rather than changing them often which just contributes to overall waste, I’ve opted to ditch them entirely. Sudsing up using your hands or washcloth is easier and safer all around.

5. Raise the bar

   Along with the loofa, body wash is now obsolete in our bathroom. I like the eco-friendly nature of a bar of soap. Minimal, oftentimes recyclable packaging, with zero plastic makes it a win over here. The whole family uses the classic Dove Beauty Bar, and we often have a shampoo bar in rotation too (so far, either Peach or Spinster Sisters which we pick up from Grove).

   Trying to live as low tox as possible is definitely a marathon, not a sprint, but I like how each little change adds up. Let me know in the comments if there are any small changes you’ve made that have made an impact in your home.

   -MC-

Easy Gluten-Free Granola

Breakfast is my love language. Gimme all of the pretty spreads, quiches and pancakes please and thank you. However to keep things easy during the week, my go-to more often than not is yogurt topped with granola, nuts, fruit and a hearty helping of honey. I like to play around with toppings and just landed on a new addition to the rotation - this gluten free granola. I recently dusted off my It’s All Good cookbook and decided to try GP’s recipe for GF granola. As luck would have it, I was missing a key ingredient - quinoa flakes. I honestly didn’t even know this was a thing so I thought I’d improvise based on what I did have in the pantry, and I’m pretty pleased with the result!

Ingredients:

1.5 c quinoa (confession: I thought I would be able to simply food process quinoa into a flour/flake situation, but after much pulsing I gave up and simply used plain ole quinoa.)

Sea Salt

1/4c EVOO

1/4c 100% pure maple syrup

1c raw pumpkin seeds

1/2c goji berries

1/2c chopped pitted dates

1/2c chopped dried prunes

Preheat oven to 400*

Whisk EVOO and syrup and pour over quinoa. Spread into a single layer on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Sprinkle a few cracks of sea salt all over. Cook for 15 minutes, tossing midway until golden brown and smelling toasty. Let cool and combine with dried fruit. Enjoy over yogurt or, if you’re like me, by the handful as a guilt-free snack.

-MC-

What Modern Classic Means To Me Today

Oh, hi there. It’s been a bit since I last wrote - quite A BIT actually, because, well, life. However as I type with one eye to the screen and the other to the monitor, I know that my lack of writing perfectly sums up what’s been going on. The desire to enjoy this little space is always there, but between the heaviness of the world and our current busy season of parenthood, I’ve been feeling a bit uninspired (to say the least). When I first started this little blog, it was to share a bit of classic, timeless style inspiration - art, beauty, fashion - and to navigate through a moment that didn’t quite align with my personal style. And while that is all still true, things have changed… I’ve had a second baby girl (total #girlmom) and am mostly a SAHM with freelance jobs peppered in. Ok, but you’ve been doing the mom thing for a while right? Yes, I have, but I guess I’m a mother who felt the real shift between having one child and two. It’s incredible and super fulfilling, but also overwhelming, and I’m only more recently feeling like I can come up for air, two years in. I know it sounds silly, but things like getting dressed- finding my at-home uniform, making time for old interests (reading, cooking, yoga, museums, gardening, obsessive organizing) and adapting new ones (Cricut, ecological documentaries, Pilates, podcasts) has been a bit of adventure in self-rediscovery. All this to say, I’m back and the new content will be embracing my evolved sense of self. Yay, but what does that mean, really? You can be on the lookout for real mom style, recipes I’ve tried and loved, clean beauty, going green at home, and more. If you’ve made it through to the end of this, thank you! I hope you’ll join me as I welcome this new season of modern, classic style.

xoxo

Morgan

My Natural Deodorant Experiment: Myro

*Disclaimer: I know the world is in complete turmoil right now. However in effort to keep myself sane, I’m using this little slice of the internet as a lovely distraction. I hope you’ll join me.

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It was a pretty common start to any clean beauty adventure…after I had my daughter, I started to look for products that were safer (for us, especially while breastfeeding, and the environment). The EWG (environmental working group) has been bookmarked for a while now (click here to get the dirt on your fave products), and my makeup regimen is prettttty clean - when I wear it - , but making the switch to a natural deodorant felt like the big leap. Anyone can use coconut oil, but it felt more significant somehow to take the plunge with deodorant. I mean there were obvious repercussions should this go awry.

I did some initial digging and discovered the seedy underbelly of deodorant/antiperspirant. In a nutshell, when you switch to natural, your pores are still clogged with your typical deodorant/antiperspirant formula so you think this whole “going natural” thing is a breeze. Then after you’ve become weirdly overconfident in your lack of smell (just me?), your pores have purged the formula and you start sweating, and smelling, more than it seems you ever have. You walk around smelling like a PE locker room and reapply often, (like 4x a day often) until your body readjusts and s-lo-w-l-y balances i.e. you smell less. This whole experience takes approximately a month so should you go this route, be prepared and carry a deodorant with you for on-the-go applications.

I had heard about Myro from one of my fave influencers Megan Stokes of Holy City Chic and gave it a go. I was drawn to the chic minimalist packaging and eco-chic scent descriptions. I kicked off my journey with Chill Wave, a scent described as a combo of cucumber, jasmine and mint, and opted for the mint holder. It arrived in cute, insta-worthy packaging, but I held off trying right away as I had just given birth and worried about the roller coaster hormonal sweats. After a couple of weeks, I took the plunge. Shortly after trying it out, I received an email informing me that my shipment was likely affected by extreme summer heat, was compromised and would be sent a new set. (Snaps for great personal service!) I underwent the armpit detox (my poor husband), and while I loved the scent and how cute the packaging looked in my cabinet, I would randomly experience irritation - feelings of burning and itching - that would result in complete armpit peeling, which if you’ve never seen or experienced, is quite a sight let me tell you! I couldn’t figure out why this would happen so I forged on. When I was recently asked to fill out a survey with my experience, I was honest. A day or so later I was surprised to find an email from Myro asking for further deets, and lo and behold the formula I was using didn’t sound right. I was promptly sent new products with animproved formulation. I also decided to switch up the scent in case that was the reaction trigger - this time went with Pillow Talk (violet leaf, ylang ylang and wild amyris). The formula is MUCH better! It glides on like a traditional deodorant and doesn’t melt upon contact. I’m less than a month in with this new formula and scent, but I’m happy to report no irritation. Here are my key takeaways from my Myro experience:

• The new formula is great. I’m still reapplying twice when it’s a warmer day, and I’m a little nervous come summer, but I love that it’s plant-based, and since you get more than one insert per order, I can easily slip one into my bag for on-the-go touch-ups.

• Eye candy: Love the packaging and the scent options. Since Myro is a subscription company, I also like that I can switch them up. (I still want to try the Chill Wave in the new formula. Third time’s a charm!)

• Clean and simple. I feel entirely comfortable using Myro while breastfeeding.

• Excellent customer service and quality control.

Have you tried any natural deodorants? Let me know which ones you’re loving (or not!).

-MC-

Friday Finds - First Day of Summer Edition

Happy Friday and 1st day of Summer! It’s currently pouring here (going on day four AND simultaneously potty training Miss H - omg), but I’m desperately attempting a summer state of mind. Gimme all the fresh veggies (we made this Bo Bun salad last night from Gwyneth Paltrow’s It’s All Easy cookbook - so yum, albeit maybe a bit ambitious for a week night), summery mocktails and beachy reads (recently finished The High Season by Judy Blundell and now scouring zillow for property out East). Here are a few things I’m loving this Friday:

SAVE - Attention mamas, pin, save, screenshot, do whatever you need to do to bookmark this incredible list of things to do with little ones this summer from Sarah Joy.

DESIGN - Here is a list of 2019’s trending paint colors. I’m all about the twist on dark greens right now.

Get - Does anyone else react horribly to mosquito bites? I love this piece from Real Simple that speaks to plants that naturally ward off these warm weather pests.

MAKE - Unsweetened iced tea is one of my favorites. I like to make my sun tea early in the morning and let it brew slowly in the sun until the afternoon. However, I just discovered these amazing quick cold-brew bags from Twinnings, and they are so, so good for that afternoon pick-me-up. Perfectly steeped in five minutes and you’re good to go. Currently sipping on Peach.

READ - At the risk of sounding trite, small changes can have a huge impact. I loved this piece from The Girl Guide on being kinder to the environment. No soap-boxy guilt-trips, just a few great tips on how to green up your routine. Stephanie nailed it! (Total admission, I was glad I was already doing most of these!)

WEAR - I love Quay sunglasses. They offer a huge variety of styles at a price point you wont lose sleep over if you leave at the beach. Check out their quiz to find your ideal pair. PS - why is everything Australian just so much cooler?

Happy Weekend!

-MC-

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Spring Skincare Survival

It’s officially Spring -yay!- now tell that to my skin. Ok, to be fair NY in early Spring is basically the same as Winter in NY except I’m exposing my ankles and wearing lighter coats. (So maybe it feels even colder?!?) The heat is still on and the temps are tapping out in the 50’s (plus some serious wind making it feel like the mid-40s), making it the perfect cocktail for unsightly dryness. You know the kind, that you can’t really conceal with makeup and seems to bring out every pore and fine line. I’m combating this seasonal dehydration with gallons of water and virtually bathing in oil. And while my nighttime skincare regimen is chock full of oil-centric items, daytime was always a bit more difficult because dewiness can easily cross the line into greasiness. Enter my current must-have item - Peter Thomas Roth’s Oilless Oil™ 100% Purified Squalane.

The formula is super lightweight, odorless and made from naturally sourced plant-based squalane which mimics skin’s natural moisture. The result is a fast-absorbing oil that bestows a just-back-from-the-gym glow without having to step foot in one (double win). Most days I add a drop or two to my moisturizer for an extra hydrating zing or if it’s a more special occasion that requires foundation - date night, trips to target - add a drop to that too. I love that it gives extra slip and sheerness, without clogging pores. And since it’s super gentle, Oilless Oil can also be worn on the body, cuticles, even hair. (Note to self - this multi-tasker is a must for travel.) Have you tried it yet? How are you fighting dry skin this season?

-MC-

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Chic Dreams Are Made of These - Must haves for a seriously dreamy rest

Last night I was reading “A Brief Respite” in the New York Times Magazine and was knocked out by the phrase that “a nap might be the highest form of wellness”. While not a napper by nature, after having a child whose sleep habits are a sporadic (at best), napping has been more survival than luxury…and not to mention… kind of amazing. But honestly is there anything more decadent than falling asleep AND waking up on your own with sun-dappled light pouring in? Um, if you’re a parent of a child that keeps unusual nocturnal hours, the answer is a big. glaring. no. Here are a few must-haves for elevating the basic snooze.

White Noise Machine: Sharper Image / Linen Spray: The Good Home Co /Pillow: Serena & Lilly / PJs: Lake / Diffuser: LAFCO, Sea & Dune

Sweet Dreams!

-MC-

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Life Lately - March

Hello, world! I know it’s been a while, like a serious while, but I thought I’d hop on to say hi, I miss you. The first few months of 2019 have flew by, and our house has been a whirlwind of germs, mostly mine thankyouverymuch. I’ve never been one to get sick for more than a weekend, but this winter has fully kicked my butt. This is the third cold in a month and a half, and I’m basically pickled in tea at this point. And in those hours of midnight solitude, where insomnia met coughing fits, I’ve had some time for reflection that I thought I’d share:

1. Stop letting perfection hold you back. I’m absolutely guilty of getting sucked in by the perfectly (in my eyes) seeming shots of amazing bloggers out there. And as a result, I haven’t posted all that much because something - nails, hair, skin, counter tops, etc -were not flawless. That is just plain old lame. I’ve decided that I’m going to get over myself and insecurities and post more. This is supposed to be fun, right?!

2. Embrace who my style. This goes back to the first point. Confession, I’m not a shopaholic. Trust me, I shop plenty, but more often than not, lately it’s been for home stuff. Cue the currently #demoday happening right now. That said, I’m also not huge on embracing fashion trends. I wear what works for me which means classic, streamlined pieces - chunky knits, blazers, ballet flats, white button downs, all the stripes. I mix and match to switch things up, but the pieces themselves are not always new. Instead of thinking, “Oh that isn’t newsworthy”, I’m going to make an effort to showcase how I style those pieces and how you can (and should) rework them.

3. Escape the cold. We are planning a trip south this spring, but until then I’ll be thinking warm and dressing it too. Meaning I’m wearing all the white, all the time, bright nails are happening and I must step up my bronzer game. Confession: I kind of hate bronzers. Don’t get me wrong, I love the way they look, when done right, but I hate that they rub off on hats, sweaters, my daughter… A while back I did one of those #tenyearchallenges on IG. Most of the photos I have from 2009 are my now husband and I on various vacations so I posted away. It was a ah-ha moment, when I looked at those photos, I looked relaxed, happy and tan (the totally not good for you kind.) I’ve definitely gotten better about the sunscreen and have embraced the gradual glow sunless tanners for the body, but I need to up the facial glow category for real. If nothing else, it will hopefully look like I’ve slept through the night. #goals. I’d love to be one of those English Roses who looks fab pale and dewy, but honestly, I just look sickly and TIRED. So I’m going to be gradually revisit my bronzer stash because this girl has got to get some glow back.

If you’ve read this far, thanks for joining on this next step of the journey!

-MC-

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