This is especially key with kids because kids thrive on routine and it's often the adults in their lives who are insisting on variety under the guide of 'doing it for the kids.'
We go to the same playground almost every day, same breakfast every morning, one bakery for Saturday morning croissants, and one museum membership in a city with dozens of them. There is obviously some flex here or there but we are largely remarkable consistent.
They really do. Kids are meant to bump up against boundaries they feel safe with and we expand them in developmentally appropriate ways as they grow and evolve. I think your approach is excellent.
I literally came on here to leave the SAME comment 😆, see my name and wondered if AI knew my brain or something. Mind blown and laughing even harder! (Hi Kelsey!)
I have one pair of diamond earrings that I wear daily. My husband bought them for me for our first wedding anniversary/birthday/Christmas. We will celebrate 30 years next January. 🥰
I do this, but with a necklace my husband gave me when we got engaged. I wear it every day. The original chain eventually wore through the bail, so last summer I took it back to the goldsmith who made it and got the bail repaired. It looks brand-new and I'm looking forward to wearing it daily for the rest of my life.
Such great ideas! Would you mind sharing what your signature bag is? I’m in the market for a new tote and I’d love it to be good quality and not fall apart!
Yes - just updated the post because I got so many questions about this! My three bags are all Celine (major splurge) but two were bought gently used via The Real Real. I use the micro belt bag nearly every day, a larger version for weekends / trips and the cabas phantom tote for toting my laptop around / meetings. I will say the craftsmanship is impeccable and they all look brand new even though I use them all the time xx
I definitely do this with entertaining/bringing people food. I have four dishes that I can make with my eyes closed and everyone loves them and I usually have most of the ingredients in the house (except for the fresh stuff). I rotate them seasonally. If someone has a baby, goes to the hospital, or needs help, or if we host last minute, it’s not stressful at all and I enjoy being able to help out last minute.
Oh yes, this reminds me that I usually make tacos (I have a great taco meat recipe from the Well Fed cookbook series) when we have other families over. A wide range of toppings so people can customize.
Same with my bahi mi chicken rice bowls with pickled veggies, etc. Both are always a hit and easy to scale up.
And I usually make King Arthur GF brownies or cocoa krispie or fruity pebbles marshmallow bars. Universal appeal and ridiculously easy. I use Mom's Best brand for the cocoa bars because they're GF. Add a dash of vanilla extract after marshmallows are melted and top the bars with Maldon sea salt to balance the sweetness.
I couldn't think of one for me personally but one I did for my kids (5,7) is a variation of your sock trick! Switching to a few packs of the same blue/burgandy/black socks for both kids (they fit the same size) and -putting them in a small basket by the door- was a total game changer.
I also share your dilemma of an entryless home whilst dreaming of a mudroom. 😆 So we have cubbies with their shoes in, everyone has their own Cubby basket for shoes and the socks (and gloves and hats in the winter) sit on top. No more rooting around laundry baskets searching for sock matches. Life saver!!
This is a great idea about the socks. When my kids were little, Target made the best red cotton crew socks for toddlers and I bought packages of those and kept them in a basket by the door. Later I read that Monty Don bought only red socks bc his boys would steal his socks!
Love this! It’s fun to think of the “decide once” things in my life as my “signature” trademarks.
For me:
Signature shoes — brown Blundstones three seasons of the year, daily.
Signature coffee — whole bean Sumatra from the grocery to grind at home. Just that!
Signature place (I had never thought of that in this way but I do have one!) for birthdays and fun outings — a local native plant nursery that has a gorgeous outdoor cafe under a tree canopy. 🥰
Signature purse — been carrying the same vintage Coach crossbody for 15 years. I found it at Goodwill for $11!
Brilliant. My husband has been onto this for years and I always fought back for the love variety. However! Honing in on my signatures will help the constant scramble I have to always come up with something new. Who is to say I can change up or update “the signature” after some time? Thank you for this timely message!
Kendra Adachi - the "lazy genuis" has a principal called "decide once". It goes - chose something and keep doing it until it no longer works! So it can 100% be for a season for a shorter period. Also I've heard people say having a few basic decisions made make spontaneity so much easier and more welcome as its then fun, not stressful
Sports bra (Nike), sports socks (under armor), underwear (all same brand all black), gym shirt (Nike in 5 colors), leggings (sweaty Betty black), asics kayano only. I don’t like thinking at 5 in the morning, it all has to be foolproof! Thanks for a great article, I should do this across more things!
I love these ideas! I have a signature food item I bring to gatherings when I’m asked to bring something. Instead of digging through recipes to find something “special,” I always make the appetizer everyone loves (Pioneer Woman artichoke dip with fresh veggies or blue corn tortilla chips). It’s always a hit and I keep the ingredients on hand and just have to buy fresh green onions, which are easy to find even in my rural, mountain town grocery store.
1 tablespoon Calabrian chile paste, harissa, chili crisp or sambal oelek
Preparation
Step 1
In a regular or mini food processor, blend the ricotta and salt until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Step 2
Spread half of the whipped ricotta in a small serving bowl, then dot with half of the honey and chile paste. Dollop with the remaining ricotta, then spread into an even layer. Drizzle the top with the remaining honey and dot with the remaining chile paste. Use a toothpick or the back of a spoon to swirl the top. Sprinkle with more flaky salt. Serve right away.
I love the thought of a “signature”. I have always been a creature of comfort and that sometimes is labeled by others as boring. For us, we have a “signature” lake in the summer that we go to in weeknight and pack a “signature” picnic dinner. Having the same meal planned for when we go to a lake or beach has made going more likely to happen because it cuts down on the choices. I do the same for snacks when we go out with the kids. Cutting down on choices for me makes it more likely I will do something!
This is a great post! I've got a signature cake that I made for my kids' birthdays. I bake "experimental" things for other times. One time my son wanted to try a different frosting for his b'day cake (he chose the recipe) and it was HORRIBLE. Everyone still jokes about it. Won't do that again!
I have one pair of shoes that I wear to work and one pair of shoes that I wear for walks. I was doing great with this arrangement until New Balance updated their design and they no longer work for me. It's so hard for me to shop for clothes and shoes and I'm dreading finding something new that will work.
Oh, I hadn't thought of this until I read your post but we have a "signature" chocolate cake too that we made for every kid birthday for many years. Now that my sons are grown they request something more sophisticated for their birthday dessert.
My 11 year old daughter also asks for the same chocolate cupcakes every year for her birthday, same iceing, just sometimes a different colour. I am useless at baking, but this recipe from "Add a pinch" is so easy that i can bake it, moist and delicious. Hopefully she never outgrows it.
Oh my goodness love love love these ideas…I do love tea in the winter time any way I can get you to share your brothers rec? I promise to not overbuy. I live with a family of 4 in 550sq feet so I have some real limits 😆
That is some fancy tea! We have a little tea shop near us and my daughter loves to try the sample tea they always have on display. We all love the Rooibos Red Velvet tea, it's like drinking a red velvet cupcake. I have gifted it to friends and everyone loves it.
I really love this... I've only really perfected the go to breakfast. Oats with honey, flax, chia, berries and nuts. I am still weirdly excited to eat it every morning three years down the line (despite scaremongering posts about the dangers of daily oats!)
This is especially key with kids because kids thrive on routine and it's often the adults in their lives who are insisting on variety under the guide of 'doing it for the kids.'
We go to the same playground almost every day, same breakfast every morning, one bakery for Saturday morning croissants, and one museum membership in a city with dozens of them. There is obviously some flex here or there but we are largely remarkable consistent.
Ooh these are great ideas. xx
Yes to this! We do M, W, F sandwich in their school lunches and a different combo T and TH! It has helped me so much!
They really do. Kids are meant to bump up against boundaries they feel safe with and we expand them in developmentally appropriate ways as they grow and evolve. I think your approach is excellent.
I laughed out loud at the “I’d share, but I’m afraid you’ll buy more tea”. My husband buys a new tea every time he goes to the store I swear 😅
I literally came on here to leave the SAME comment 😆, see my name and wondered if AI knew my brain or something. Mind blown and laughing even harder! (Hi Kelsey!)
Hahaha too funny! Hi other Kelsey 😆
I love this!! xx
Ha, this is so funny!
It's a PROBLEM!! xx
As another tea addict, I always tell my husband there are a lot worse things I could be addicted to :)
I have one pair of diamond earrings that I wear daily. My husband bought them for me for our first wedding anniversary/birthday/Christmas. We will celebrate 30 years next January. 🥰
I do this, but with a necklace my husband gave me when we got engaged. I wear it every day. The original chain eventually wore through the bail, so last summer I took it back to the goldsmith who made it and got the bail repaired. It looks brand-new and I'm looking forward to wearing it daily for the rest of my life.
Perfection! And congrats! xx
Thanks!
That's special!
Such great ideas! Would you mind sharing what your signature bag is? I’m in the market for a new tote and I’d love it to be good quality and not fall apart!
Yes - just updated the post because I got so many questions about this! My three bags are all Celine (major splurge) but two were bought gently used via The Real Real. I use the micro belt bag nearly every day, a larger version for weekends / trips and the cabas phantom tote for toting my laptop around / meetings. I will say the craftsmanship is impeccable and they all look brand new even though I use them all the time xx
The concept of a signature "thing" to reduce decision fatigue is core! Something I was doing and didn't even realize it.
So much of this comes with maturity too, being okay with FOMO!
Yes - I have to tell my brain that we're doing just fine without alllll the options. xx
I definitely do this with entertaining/bringing people food. I have four dishes that I can make with my eyes closed and everyone loves them and I usually have most of the ingredients in the house (except for the fresh stuff). I rotate them seasonally. If someone has a baby, goes to the hospital, or needs help, or if we host last minute, it’s not stressful at all and I enjoy being able to help out last minute.
Ooh such a life hack. I really need to work on my cooking game. xx
Oh yes, this reminds me that I usually make tacos (I have a great taco meat recipe from the Well Fed cookbook series) when we have other families over. A wide range of toppings so people can customize.
Same with my bahi mi chicken rice bowls with pickled veggies, etc. Both are always a hit and easy to scale up.
And I usually make King Arthur GF brownies or cocoa krispie or fruity pebbles marshmallow bars. Universal appeal and ridiculously easy. I use Mom's Best brand for the cocoa bars because they're GF. Add a dash of vanilla extract after marshmallows are melted and top the bars with Maldon sea salt to balance the sweetness.
I couldn't think of one for me personally but one I did for my kids (5,7) is a variation of your sock trick! Switching to a few packs of the same blue/burgandy/black socks for both kids (they fit the same size) and -putting them in a small basket by the door- was a total game changer.
I also share your dilemma of an entryless home whilst dreaming of a mudroom. 😆 So we have cubbies with their shoes in, everyone has their own Cubby basket for shoes and the socks (and gloves and hats in the winter) sit on top. No more rooting around laundry baskets searching for sock matches. Life saver!!
This is a great idea about the socks. When my kids were little, Target made the best red cotton crew socks for toddlers and I bought packages of those and kept them in a basket by the door. Later I read that Monty Don bought only red socks bc his boys would steal his socks!
I love the one-and-done signature sock approach - especially for kids! xx
Brilliant!! xx
Love this! It’s fun to think of the “decide once” things in my life as my “signature” trademarks.
For me:
Signature shoes — brown Blundstones three seasons of the year, daily.
Signature coffee — whole bean Sumatra from the grocery to grind at home. Just that!
Signature place (I had never thought of that in this way but I do have one!) for birthdays and fun outings — a local native plant nursery that has a gorgeous outdoor cafe under a tree canopy. 🥰
Signature purse — been carrying the same vintage Coach crossbody for 15 years. I found it at Goodwill for $11!
Nothing like a vintage Coach - perfection! xx
Brilliant. My husband has been onto this for years and I always fought back for the love variety. However! Honing in on my signatures will help the constant scramble I have to always come up with something new. Who is to say I can change up or update “the signature” after some time? Thank you for this timely message!
Kendra Adachi - the "lazy genuis" has a principal called "decide once". It goes - chose something and keep doing it until it no longer works! So it can 100% be for a season for a shorter period. Also I've heard people say having a few basic decisions made make spontaneity so much easier and more welcome as its then fun, not stressful
Sports bra (Nike), sports socks (under armor), underwear (all same brand all black), gym shirt (Nike in 5 colors), leggings (sweaty Betty black), asics kayano only. I don’t like thinking at 5 in the morning, it all has to be foolproof! Thanks for a great article, I should do this across more things!
Love it, thanks for sharing! xx
I love these ideas! I have a signature food item I bring to gatherings when I’m asked to bring something. Instead of digging through recipes to find something “special,” I always make the appetizer everyone loves (Pioneer Woman artichoke dip with fresh veggies or blue corn tortilla chips). It’s always a hit and I keep the ingredients on hand and just have to buy fresh green onions, which are easy to find even in my rural, mountain town grocery store.
Ooh that sounds delicious - looking up now! xx
I started making a 3 ingredient spicy and sweet whipped ricotta dip for every event. Takes me 5 minutes and it's incredible!
Would love that recipe!
If you can't read the recipe (it shouldn't be paywalled but stranger things have happened) let know and I can just paste it in
could you paste in? looks delicious!
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/764612965-hot-honey-whipped-ricotta?smid=share-url
Thank you! Looks delicious!
Ingredients
Yield:
2 cups
1 (roughly 15-ounce) container ricotta
1 teaspoon flaky sea salt, plus more for serving
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon Calabrian chile paste, harissa, chili crisp or sambal oelek
Preparation
Step 1
In a regular or mini food processor, blend the ricotta and salt until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Step 2
Spread half of the whipped ricotta in a small serving bowl, then dot with half of the honey and chile paste. Dollop with the remaining ricotta, then spread into an even layer. Drizzle the top with the remaining honey and dot with the remaining chile paste. Use a toothpick or the back of a spoon to swirl the top. Sprinkle with more flaky salt. Serve right away.
I love the thought of a “signature”. I have always been a creature of comfort and that sometimes is labeled by others as boring. For us, we have a “signature” lake in the summer that we go to in weeknight and pack a “signature” picnic dinner. Having the same meal planned for when we go to a lake or beach has made going more likely to happen because it cuts down on the choices. I do the same for snacks when we go out with the kids. Cutting down on choices for me makes it more likely I will do something!
Ooh a picnic at the lake sounds so dreamy. Thanks for sharing! xx
This is a great post! I've got a signature cake that I made for my kids' birthdays. I bake "experimental" things for other times. One time my son wanted to try a different frosting for his b'day cake (he chose the recipe) and it was HORRIBLE. Everyone still jokes about it. Won't do that again!
I have one pair of shoes that I wear to work and one pair of shoes that I wear for walks. I was doing great with this arrangement until New Balance updated their design and they no longer work for me. It's so hard for me to shop for clothes and shoes and I'm dreading finding something new that will work.
Signature cake! Love it! And wonder if you can find the OG New Balance through another site that has older designs? xx
Oh, I hadn't thought of this until I read your post but we have a "signature" chocolate cake too that we made for every kid birthday for many years. Now that my sons are grown they request something more sophisticated for their birthday dessert.
Signature chocolate cake sounds dreamy! xx
My 11 year old daughter also asks for the same chocolate cupcakes every year for her birthday, same iceing, just sometimes a different colour. I am useless at baking, but this recipe from "Add a pinch" is so easy that i can bake it, moist and delicious. Hopefully she never outgrows it.
Oh my goodness love love love these ideas…I do love tea in the winter time any way I can get you to share your brothers rec? I promise to not overbuy. I live with a family of 4 in 550sq feet so I have some real limits 😆
Twist my arm! Ok this is his #1 - It's really only practical as a once in a while tea (we use for guests) as the price is quite high per bag: https://kettl.co/products/soba-cha-tea-bags?variant=21634114256956 xx
I was hoping you would share a link! I love tea but you have encouraged me to have less variety! ;) My go to is Yorkshire Gold.
Thanks for sharing! Found a kettl location right here in Brooklyn! So excited to try!
I love this tea! You can buy the loose-leaf version in a subscription, which makes it cheaper. :)
thanks for sharing, sounds delish... and he might really like the honey bug bite tea from Third Culture
That is some fancy tea! We have a little tea shop near us and my daughter loves to try the sample tea they always have on display. We all love the Rooibos Red Velvet tea, it's like drinking a red velvet cupcake. I have gifted it to friends and everyone loves it.
I really love this... I've only really perfected the go to breakfast. Oats with honey, flax, chia, berries and nuts. I am still weirdly excited to eat it every morning three years down the line (despite scaremongering posts about the dangers of daily oats!)
That sounds lovely! Noting! xx
I personally love this. It eliminates so much decision fatigue, plus I think it's kind of chic to have all of this signature stuff :)