September Inspirations

September is one of my favourite times of the year. It tends to be a great balance of Summer weather and cooler nights. It also means that it’s the last chance to be on patios, get out on the water, harvest summer’s vegetables gardens and soak up the last bits of sunshine.

I always treat Sept 1 as more of a start to the new year, rather than January 31. I have a few things that I always do below that helps me start what I view as my new year on the right foot:

Buy a New Organizer or Planner

I am impartial to Kate Spade, I think I’ve mentioned it in other posts that I love how clean and creative her pieces are and I usually go for her planners for the new year, but I also love brands like Rifle Paper Co. and even Indigo is a great place to find some of these planners at a low cost in one place:

Rifle Paper Co.

Nota

ORANGE CIRCLE STUDIO

Kate Spade

Put Away your Summer Clothes

Consignment shops won’t take your summer clothes this late in the season, but its a good chance to go through your clothes, and anything you didn’t wear for the summer while its top of mind. I recommend putting things into categories that include: things that don’t fit, things I never wore, things that are ripped or torn, and clothes that I loved. I keep our the loved pieces to wear while it still is warm, and then the rest of them got sorted and stored away, apart from the items that should be thrown out or clearly donated. That way, when spring rolls around, I can quickly look through the box for consignment, decide if any of the clothes fit that didn’t before, and then quickly donate them at the start of the season which helps your items get picked up.

Heres a great article from Mint and Thrift about the benefits of consigning.

Clean off your Bathroom Counters + Go through your products

This is self explanatory, but these places get so dusty in the summer with all the windows open, and its a quick and easy way for the space and your things to feel brand new.

Many of your products will have expired over the last 4-6 months and there are things that I throw in a beach bag that are destroyed by the end of the summer, so now is a good time to go through them. Also a good time to use up the last little bits of sunscreen and get rid of the plethora of bottles you no doubt have after collecting them for the summer.

Identify Gaps in your Wardrobe

I love to check out Fall trends ahead of time in the Spring and Summer, but come September, I am ready to start filling gaps and making a list of what I want to be on the lookout for as the season approaches. I keep a record of these ahead of shopping so I’m thinking about what I want to buy over the next couple of months and keeping an eye out at consignment shops and trying to fill the gaps there first. Loafers and a good Trench coat are ALWAYS something I look out for, and this season bomber jackets and loose fitting denim is back. Although my hips do not make flared denim look cute, I’m all for the boyfriend jean as I start to wear pants again and retire my shorts and dresses. Here are some picks of trench coats I’m looking at for the Fall season:

Karl Lagerfeld

J CREW

Donate or Give Away anything you don’t want

That pile of clothes you went through? This is a great place to start when looking to donate or get rid of items you don’t want. I go through old decor, look at pieces of furniture that didn’t make the cut, or I don’t have room for anymore (Im moving to a smaller townhome, so I need to get rid of anything that doesn’t match!). Garage sales still have a couple of weekends left, so its a good chance to get rid of a few larger pieces, or those with value and donate the rest at the end of the month.

Think about how great its going to feel when you’re stuck indoors all winter and you don’t feel cramped by all this extra stuff!

Journal your intentions for the month and set some goals

September marks the last third of the year, and its a great time to start a new habit, take a new class (boxing, pottery, you name it), or change something you’ve been thinking about, but your carefree summer lifestyle has made it impossible (going to bed earlier, going to the gym in the AM etc.). I love taking a look at my journals here and setting my intentions, but being kidn to myself, understanding that I may not be able to do EVERYTHING I want to do:

1. Journal More. The 15 minutes a day journal is forgiving, and great to quickly jot down things you are grateful for, and what was great about your day.

2. Take a new class, and learn a new skill. I’ve joined a pottery class for the Fall season and can’t wait to try something new and potentially make a new friend along the way.

3. Add in a gym session or two a week. I already go to yoga 2-3x a week and have loved the rooftop classes in the summer, but I know as soon as the cold sets in and I start to make more excuses, it’s not a bad time to make the gym a part of my routine.

4. Reflect and Meditate once a week. I want to turn my Sundays into a better day to get myself prepared for the week ahead mentally. My job, although flexible, is sometimes very stressful, and setting up a good headspace for the week ahead is important.

5. Work in audiobooks. I have just gotten started on this and need to be turning one of these on instead of another episode of another Netflix show in the evenings.

What are you doing to start your September off right?

-E