5 Summer Challenges To Get Ready For Fall 🍁

Thanks to Klassy for sponsoring this video! To get 15% off your first order check out https://klassynetwork.yt.link/jnq2fcE or use code Klassy339

Summer heat got your garden looking tired? Linda’s got you covered. In this episode, she tackles 5 summer garden challenges to help you refresh, reset, and get your space ready for a gorgeous fall. From rearranging sun-scorched containers to pruning overgrown trees and banishing stubborn weeds, Linda shares real-world garden wisdom and practical tips for late summer survival.

🌿 Learn why white lantana is her MVP plant for hot weather
🌿 Discover easy ways to clean up dead foliage and improve garden health
🌿 Get smart about pruning, container shifts, garden hygiene, and watering
🌿 Peek into Linda’s fall bulb plans and design decisions
🌿 Enjoy a fun surprise garden visit from five sisters (and their stylish 90-year-old mom!)

Plus, Linda gives a sneak peek at what’s coming in August and September — with new contributors, beauty topics, and tips on healthy aging.

📌 LINKS MENTIONED:
✔️ Horticultural Vinegar – great for eco-friendly weed control
✔️ Myrtle Topiary Playlist – because August is topiary season!
✔️ T-shirt: “Let’s Root for Each Other” – linked below
✔️ Favorite tools: Works pruners, hori hori knife, and more

✅ Be sure to subscribe and hit the 🔔 to follow along with Linda’s evolving garden journey and lifestyle wisdom through the seasons.

#LateSummerGarden #FallGardenPrep #LindaVater #ContainerGardening #GardenMaintenance #Lantana #PruningTips #WeedControl #TopiaryCare #OklahomaGardening #SeasonalGardening #HealthyAging #GardenCleanup #HorticulturalVinegar #HeatTolerantPlants #LifestyleGarden #Deadheading #SummerGardenFix #GardenVlog #PlantCareTips

✔️ Retro Metal Fan: https://amzn.to/45d8udF

✔️Brass Closet Hooks: https://amzn.to/4mmVKIi

✔️Tea Kettle: https://amzn.to/40QqObo

SIGNATURE STYLE SATURDAY PLAYLIST 🌿

THE GARDEN LIFE: Season 1 PLAYLIST 🌿

WEDNESDAY WALKABOUT PLAYLIST 🌿

GARDEN TOUR PLAYLIST 🌿

GARDEN HOME INTERIOR PLAYLIST 🌿

Premiumbeat YouTube ID
SSP9YNQ8ARLEUCAX
MPT7H7R16WXKW1RY
PZVVHDRMLKRZWSK7
B1DHHRI0NZVMXFGN
RXRI0UIS5V7UPYWX

SHOP MY AMAZON FAVORITES HERE: https://amzn.to/3NLPpqs

🌳 WAYS TO FIND LINDA 🌳

BOOKS
A Year Of Garden Inspired Living: https://a.co/d/4AAxr4k
The Elegant and Edible Garden Book: https://amzn.to/3kz6eIf
Order Your Garden Journal: https://amzn.to/3JMeMHk

MY RECOMMENDED/AFFILIATE PRODUCTS:
Shop Linda’s Amazon Favorites: https://amzn.to/3NLPpqs
For the Garden: https://amzn.to/3PPDrgH
Linda’s Favorite Pest Controls & Fertilizers: https://amzn.to/4hOE9aj

🍯 Some videos sponsored by our friends at Manukora Honey. Try some of our favorite manuka honey full of antioxidants, pre-biotics, and superpowers. Head to https://manukora.com/linda to get $25 off your Starter Kit.

SOUTHERN LIVING PLANT COLLECTION: https://southernlivingplants.com

Join this channel to get access to perks: https://bit.ly/3ipscuo

✅ HOW TO JOIN MY YOUTUBE Channel on your phone or iPad: https://bit.ly/2W3oijz

🔛Instagram: / potagerblog

🔛Facebook: / lindavatergardens

🔛Pinterest: / lindapotager

My USDA Gardening Zone: 7a
Linda Merch: https://lindavatershop.com
Zazzle Seed Packets: https://www.zazzle.com/linda_vater_seed_packet_envelope-256860347131992223

Well, hello everyone. Now, I have made no secret about my dislike for August. This time of year kind of drives me bonkers, and I am in desperate need for ways to refresh, reboot, escape the burnout of late summer gardening and just late summer heat fatigue. And I bet you guys probably are too in desperate need of those same things. So, let’s talk about five ways that well, five things to just help us make it through August that will make us feel better, give us a sense of immediate gratification, and well, just kind of help us segue into fall. We also I’m also very mindful that we want to live in the moment because there’s a lot to be said for August. Let’s not hate on August too much. Uh, so we want to both simultaneously live in the moment and also prep for fall. So, what do you say? Let’s do it. Let’s do it. Well, let’s pretend, shall we? Let’s pretend that I have invited each of you individually over for a cup of tea this afternoon because it’s one of the things on my on my reboot and refresh. It’s been a while since I’ve given you any kind of tour of the cottage. And by the way, I want to thank all of you who said you so enjoyed the tours that we’ve been doing and all the places we’ve been visiting, but you really miss the cottage. So, in deference to that, here is a little tour of the cottage and some changes that I have made because even the smallest changes can give us a new outlook on life. I can remember my mom saying, “If you need to change your attitude, move the coffee pot from one section of your kitchen to another.” And in that vein, I rearranged the parlor. Again, what’s interesting to me is despite how small it is, I’ve really, it’s been very, very accommodating to my need for constant rearranging and refreshing. Now, Stuart, right here, I want to put an inspiration pick of something that I saw when we were in Ireland at one of the manor houses. This is also a furniture arrangement that I have seen a number of times in those in in English settings, in Irish settings, and in Scottish settings. And that is with two chairs around a central table in front of the fireplace. And case in point, refer to that picture. So, I thought I can do that here in the cottage. And it’s really very cozy. I have had several guests over, both large and small, recently. and it has been very comfortable. And the other thing is is this table is high enough so it kind of gives us a little bit of a dinette feel or a dining feel, kind of a breakfast room vibe. And so it’s perfect for serving tea if that’s what you’re going to do. Now, another thing that I did to kind of reboot things in addition to rearranging was I started thinking about problems that I wanted to address uh this time of year and in the fall. And thanks to you, I finally have gotten around to it, though I made a boo boo in the process. So, this big old cardboard box that Stuart just almost tripped over. Um, right here in the parlor is here because it is supposed to rain. And if it rains, I don’t want this to get wet. Why? Because it’s going back to where it came from because I got the wrong size. What is it, you ask? This is a rot iron railing for my side steps that Kayla’s going to help me install, but I thought I only needed a sixstep and she says, “No, I need an eight step.” So, this is a rot iron railing and that will go up later, but for right now, it is taking up resonance. It’s taking up residence in my front parlor. Something else that I did that I think we all do, all of us that are passionate indoor and outdoor gardeners, and that is there’s nothing that refreshes like plants. So, as you well know, it’s very much a signature touch of mine. I love these rabbit foot ferns and I had to go to Lowe’s the other day for something and they had several. So, I picked them up big and small and it gives us almost um well, it just gives a very refreshing vibe to the parlor. So, I’ve got them on my sideboard. I’ve got them over here uh in front of the fireplace. I’ve got a little one on the table. And I just I like the way they look, but more importantly, I like the way they make me feel. They make me feel fresh, uh more spring-like in the dead of summer. I of course have some of my topiaries that I’ve brought in, and I routinely rotate those in and out so they get all the light they want. and they want a lot of light. And then I just kind of capped it off with a little white orchid, which is still in that same kind of white and green kind of springy vibe in the dead of summer. And I got that at Trader Joe’s. So, when we come back, I want to show you a couple of things that I got in Ireland and something that I learned. Well, hello everyone. And today’s video is sponsored by Classy, and I want to talk about it because it has so seamlessly uh kind of fit into my late summer in a number of different ways. Number one, I told you that I went to Ireland and I packed a couple of classy items for which I did not also have to pack a complimentary bra because classy pieces are all about no brahma drama and they are just imminently comfortable and especially when I’m on a plane or when I’m on a bus touring different gardens, I want to make sure I’m comfortable. So, I packed this piece which is lightweight and I think kind of figure forming. And then I also love this piece because it’s such a great layering piece and I think it’s kind of youthful looking but still age appropriate. And I uh wore this several times just like with a cardigan over it. Um but I could also wear it exercising which is what I am getting ready to do now with one of these really cute polka dot tops. This one has a little bit of a flare at the bottom. So, the brilliant thing about some of these classy pieces is that they just segue so well from one point in your day to another point in your day. And by that I mean, for example, this one that I’ve got on now, um, as I showed you earlier, I was in a really cute outfit because I was visiting. Uh, my family is in town and we all went to lunch and I wanted to I haven’t dressed up in a while, so I wanted to be kind of cute. So, I wore a cute summery outfit with this navy blue and white polka dot one. I could have worn obviously the red and white or the brown and white or the black and white. And all of these darling tops are just kind of in my continual rotation during the summer. I rotate one in, rotate one out, and they are just so versatile. This one I wore when I went out to lunch. But what I love is I could come home and all I had to do was then just throw on my leggings and some tennis shoes and I’m ready to do my workout on the rower. I don’t have to, you know, I don’t have to put on a new top. I don’t have to put on a new bra. Most importantly, I just can wear this and then tomorrow I can wear another cute one. But classy is just the best. If you want to try out some of these things, then I really invite you to be part of the classy network. You can use the QR code right here with my discount. And they just are so wonderful transitioning from one part of your day to another part of your day. But as I am discovering and will rediscover as the seasons change that they really transition from one season to another season as we begin to layer up for fall. So there you go. become part of the classy network and check out this QR code. Okay, the biggest thing probably that I brought back from Ireland was how much I enjoyed an afternoon cup of tea. When Hubs and I honeymooned in Africa, that was the first time that I really oh, I kind of embraced this routine, this ritual, if you will, of afternoon tea. And the first time we went to Ireland, I realized how much I liked it. But for some reason, this trip, it really came home to me that it could make a big difference in my life for a couple of different reasons, I think. One, because in the late afternoon, I found myself being really, oh, just feeling uneasy and restless. And this will give me a way to kind of slow down and be a little bit more mindful and prepare for the rest of the day. But the other thing was I realized that my tastes have changed and where in the past I have always taken my tea black, I really like it with a bit of milk or cream now. That makes it seem a little bit more decadent and for me gives me just a little bit more calcium and vitamin D. So Stuart, I’m going to make a cup for you. Do you like milk, cream, sugar, one lump or two? Just like yours. Just like mine. Okay. The other fun thing I think is to put to use stuff like your sugars and creamers and your teapotss that normally just sit in the cabinet or on the shelf unused. And this makes it that much more special. And recently I’ve actually had people over for tea and I’m going to try to make that a ritual that I do once a week with a friend. It might be a little friend, it might be a big friend. Um, it might just be Steuart and myself or it might be Hubs and myself, but nevertheless, I think it’s really a nice late afternoon thing to do. Uh, it’s also been made a lot easier because I bought one of the tea kettles that were in every room in Ireland, every hotel room in Ireland. You just plug them in. And you might say, “Well, Linda, why not just use your microwave or why not you just use your tea kettle?” Well, that you put on the stove. Well, because this kettle, it heats up just like that. It’s so easy. And I can heat up a whole pot of water in no time at all and pour it into here. There’s a reason that the Irish and those in Scotland know to have these tea kettles. And since I’m trying to drink less coffee and maybe a little more tea, that helps me embrace this practice as well. The other reason that I really like it is because I also rediscovered scon while while I was in Ireland. So when we come back, uh Stuart will have a little bit of a scone treat for us. But right now, I want to show you something else that’s going to help me kind of refresh my space. And that is two prints that I got at a gift shop in Dublin. And I just really love these. Obviously, I love this for the blue and white, but what the other reason that I love it is because it was Hubs who discovered it. It was behind a bunch of other things. They weren’t terribly expensive. Hubs discovered it and he said, “This looks like you.” And more importantly, it looks like um the flowers that were some of his favorite flowers, the sea holly and such that we saw so much of in Ireland. So, that is especially meaningful to bring back. And then I found this butterfly print. And I was wanting I have been looking for another print to kind of fill this void right here on my wall of butterflies. I’ve got a Ricky sheath here. This was the collection that belonged to Jaime’s brother. So many of you comment on it. And then I think this piece will be just brilliant right here. So it will fill this void. And I will call this wall done or almost done. And I think it will be just the thing to kind of finish off this space. So when we come back, why don’t we have a scone. Well, cheers. The other thing, this is part of get to know yourself better, which by the way is a whole theme that we’re going to be doing in September. ways we can get to know ourselves better because self-nowledge is a powerful powerful thing at any age, but I think especially when we get older and as part of my get to know myself better, I’m trying to be more attentive to things. And one of the things that I’m attentive to or was attentive to is that I I have always just liked tea in general. However, I have always known I did not like chamomile tea. But now I know that just forget all the others. Forget Earl Gay and all of that. forget the lavender teas. What I really like best is just Irish or English breakfast tea. They are my favorites. Now whether or not that’s a black tea or a darceling, I don’t know. I’m not that I’m not that uh well-versed in tea, but I do love this. Twinings is a brand that I like and I like it even better with a scone or a scone as we Americans say. These I got at Trader Joe’s. Now, they are not uh localal, so typically I will have half of one as a treat and save the other half for the next day. Yes, Stuart did get one. Well, I dip mine yet, though. Oh, yeah. You got a dip. Now, biscotti is also pretty good, but she’s got them frozen a little bit, too. And I find I like them better when they’re frozen. So, it’s just a fun thing, a classic thing, a traditional thing to bring out in the dead of summer. It may be hot as the dickens outside, but you can embrace a cool activity typically reserved for fall or the winter in the middle of August. So, our second challenge, do this along with me if you want. Not that you’re you’re probably already doing these things, but sometimes I need little reminders like this that there are things that I can do to make me embrace the season. And one of them is a seasonal snack, if you will. Little play on words of freezing what you find fresh in the market. So, yesterday I bought I don’t know how many blueberries at Trader Joe’s. You can see here I’ve already frozen some. And by the way, it’s one advantage of having these takeout containers that just seem to uh propagate in your kitchen, but these are great for storing these kinds of things. So, this is my seasonal snack number one, and that is to That was fun. I got down here. Yeah, that was fun. I probably need to let these thaw just a little bit before I try to remove them. But what I do is not without great effort, I might add. You guys are thinking, Linda, that was fun for me. That was fun for you. Yeah. Yeah. Is just freeze them. Well, this this spatula is not an optimal scraper, I guess, to get these off of here, but is freeze lots of berries because blueberries, everybody knows that they’re so high in antioxidants, blah blah blah blah blah. And more importantly, that they’re just delicious. And equally as importantly, HubS really likes to have them in his oatmeal in the morning. Yeah, that’s it. We’ve been eating a lot more oatmeal lately. That must be an Irish thing, too. So, at any rate, that’s what I’m doing with these. But then I am also I got these yesterday and I don’t know how many of these hubs has already eaten so far and I got a bunch of nectarines and they are at the perfect degree of ripeness now. So, I’ll be doing the same thing. And I just freeze these in individual slices like this. Then take them off of the cookie tray. Again, I ain’t telling you anything. You don’t already know. It’s just a reminder to do this before you think, “Oh, I forgot to do that and now I wish I would have done it.” And it’s not an unpleasant activity and maybe it will make you hate August a little bit less. So, I’m doing fruit this week and next week I will be doing vegetables and probably uh basil and put up some pesto. So, for right now, and I’m no cook, obviously. That’s what people say. Oh, well, Linda, you’re the expert in. And I just want to gau because I’m not an expert in anything. I I am just trying like everybody else. And I think sometimes it’s helpful to see somebody who is not an expert doing something because then you can tell yourself, well, if she can do it, maybe I can’t. Maybe I can, too. I’m I’m like I’m sure my daughter-in-law Taylor would be rolling her eyes at how I’m doing this. But nevertheless, here are some little seasonal seasonal I call them seasonal stacks. little seasonal things that you can do to make you not hate the month of August and help you kind of just make it through till fall. Plus, oh my gosh, having these fresh nectarines in the winter, not to mention right now is truly a wonderful, wonderful, wonderful, wonderful thing. Almost as good as that scone, but maybe but maybe not quite. Barely. Okay, the other thing to harvest right now, um, wouldn’t it be nice if we all have blueberry bushes and peach trees in our yard to actually harvest? But one thing I can harvest, so to speak, is lots of my colus. I think I told you that I’m just making cutting after cutting after cutting of my cholus so I can have huge pots for the garden tour uh benefiting Oklahoma Cancer uh breast cancer research in Oklahoma City. And so I am taking lots of cutings and they make pretty little bouquets in the process. Look really cool in the jar. And they look cool in the jar and it’s fun to watch. This is a, you know, a kiddo thing. It’s just fun to watch the roots grow. And then lastly, if anything speaks uh to August, any flower speaks to August, it would be sunflowers. So I also got a bunch of sunflowers yesterday at Trader Joe’s. I cut a lot of the seed heads, the conicle seed heads of echgonatia perparia. The flowers had already beginning to had begun to go south. But I love the way these seed heads look. And I can even in on a sunny day in August, I can light a candle if I so choose while I am enjoying my tea and scones. So there you go. Just a couple of seasonal snacks. You guys might want to consider freezing a bunch of the fresh fruit that’s available and treating yourself to a big bunch of happy sunflowers. Here’s a quick closet quick tip. I learned this from Real Simple magazine and it said to get some of these hooks to hang in your closet if you have room because then when you’re picking out a wardrobe for when you travel or whatever, then you can put all of your pieces here and you can kind of see how they coordinate and such and it just makes it easier. So, I’ve got a number of these hooks throughout throughout my closet, and I will provide you guys with the link, but it really does help. And I do feel like my closet is a little less congested now. Well, when I was telling Hubs, who is well aware how much I hate August, about what my title was, he said, “Well, make sure to tell them about our cute new fan.” So, this is a very cute new fan and it has improved Hub’s quality of life significantly because it blows on him at night in bed and probably if you’re parmenopausal or menopausal it would be it would kind of rock your world too in a good way. It’s called Avorato and it has this retro look. It’s metal. This is not a sponsored post but I will provide you with a link. It’s metal. It comes in a creamy white color and also in this forest green which Hubs just really really liked. He was so pleased with himself when he brought it in. Um, but mostly it’s just cute. And this was just like $59 which I think is great for a metal fan because I told him I didn’t want anyone any of those great big plastic box fans that are always falling over. This one is great. It’s got multiple settings. Feels good over here. And it feels good. And it’s very quiet. That’s the loudest setting. It’s like white noise, too. Yeah, it’s like white noise. Yeah. Yeah. So, anyhow, Hubs loves it. And actually, I have come to love it, too. So, there you go. That’s Hub’s recommendation. Okay. But I digress. Our next topic is I am not a person that can take do their entire closet in one day. Uh, but I can take a section at a time and I am trying to reduce the amount of clothing I have in my closet that I don’t wear and give them to somebody else who can use them, who will actually wear them and who can um, well, just optimize their value on the planet. So, I’m going to take one section today and I’m going to go through it and I want your input on some of it because I’m looking at it in three different ways. Number one, what I want to keep. Number two, what I want to keep but I think needs some adjusting if I am going to keep it and hopefully be motivated to wear it. And then number three, what I am getting rid of. I guess there’s a fourth category. I’m not sure and I want your input on it. So here is the first section. And I encourage you, by the way, one of the best compliments that I get from you is when you tell me, “Linda, I had to stop the video and immediately go out and do something in my garden or immediately go out and do something and then watch the rest of the video later.” That is my best compliment you can give me. Likewise, one of the best things you can do for me is when you share your tips and then I stop what I’m doing and I run out to execute them. So, this might be a fun thing that we all do together. Just take one section of your closet. So, I am taking this section. Stuart, come on into my closet. And I’m taking this section right here of my longwear items, coats, long dresses, and that kind of thing. And I’m reassessing to see what I want to keep and what I don’t want to keep. I have an objective of maybe getting rid of a fourth to a third and we’ll just see how it goes. So, we’ll speed this up. I’m going to take everything out. I’m going to put it on my bed and then we’ll go through each piece one by one. [Music] Stare’s laughing at me. Well, stuff hides behind other things. [Music] That was also an arm workout. That hurts my my elbow. Um, so now I’m going to go through this according to those different categories. So, starting with number one, I’m going to go through these as briskly as I can. This is a Jay Peterman coat that I’ve had forever, forever and ever. And I I love it, but whenever I wear it, I kind of feel like it’s a bathrobe, and I’m not sure about that. So, here’s what I’m thinking. Part of the reason I just love it is I love the fabric on it. So, what I think is I’m going to have this remade into a stool or an ottoman and use it to be recut and made into a stool. So, that way I can still put it to use. I can still keep it. I might be able to even keep some of this trim. If you guys have a better idea for it, let me know. I could keep it as a coat, but I just don’t wear it enough as a coat. But I do want to keep it and I want to use it in some way. Okay. Now, this is a quint piece and it actually has a top. So, what I’m going to do is I’m going to put it with the top and hang it back up cuz I will wear this, but not now when it’s 115 out. Okay, this is an INC jacket. And this is going to fall into my I’m not sure what to do with it because I have another one that’s almost identical to it and I have several trench coats. Stuart’s you’re looking like you have an opinion. Well, then I think you wear this one in the next Michael Jackson video. Well, yeah. And it’s and it might seem a little dated. So, that’s going to go in my I’m not sure. Okay. I haven’t really gotten rid of anything yet. Okay. Now, this this even though I don’t wear it very often, this is definitely a keeper. I just got this last year from Banana Republic. It’s got that monochromatic look that I just love with this scarf. So, definitely I am keeping this. And I do I don’t have a separate coat closet, so I do keep these coats in my closet. Okay, this piece I know I am going to hand down. I got it just last year, but I wore it a lot and I’m kind of tired of it and I think somebody else can put it back to use. because I have other pieces that I can wear that um would serve the purpose. So, I don’t need that. Um this I love this suit. This Yeah, this is a Jay Peterman suit. I need to take this off. I I have a tendency to leave my buttons on and attached. I should at least put them in the pocket. But this is a suit. I’ve actually worn this quite a bit. I wore it to some art openings. I wore it to uh the kids Uh what was it? They the kids maybe engagement party. I can’t Oh yeah, an engagement party announcement for the kids. So I love this. It’s great for holiday wear. I don’t wear anything underneath it other than um so it’s just it’s kind of sophisticated. So this is a keeper. Now this this dress I actually and I’m looking at so much of this stuff and all of it was either bought on sale or probably secondhand. This is a Sundance dress. When I bought it, it was a little bit too big for me, but it has emotional attachment because I wore this to an event in Singapore for Johnny’s wedding. Now, the problem is I just don’t wear it a lot because it’s so long. So, this I’ve decided to keep, but I’m going to cut it off, I think, to about here. I’m going to take it to the alteration lady, and that way I will wear it. And I think it’s beautiful. I think over the holidays it would be great with a velvet velvet jacket over it or some kind of black shrug. So this I am keeping. It is going into the needs revision category. Love this St. uh uh Jay Peterman jacket. I don’t wear it a lot but it was on sale. I love it and it’s very dramatic and it’s I think kind of statement making in the fall. So, I like this and this is a keeper. This Sundance vest, however, is not. I got this and the reason being it just requires too much styling effort. It requires too much belts, too much thought about different ways to make it look good. And I bought it secondhand. So, I think this is going to go in the giveaway department. Now, you’ll notice that a number of the things that I bought are prints. And I am just not going to buy many prints anymore because I just uh I just I don’t know. I just like the the versatility and I think it’s more figure flattering sometimes if you don’t have Now I’ve got both of these dresses and they’re almost identical. So which one would you keep and which one would you give away? Stu Stuart, you give them give them an A and a B or something. Okay, this is A. This is B. Let me know your thoughts. Okay. Now, this is an ouchie one. So, in fact, right here, Stuart. Do you what? I thought that was like a bag. Okay. So, this is an ouchy one because this is the dress I wore to my son’s wedding. Now, you can’t tell because it’s underneath this jacket, which I also wore, this silky jacket. This is from Anthropology. And this is the dress that’s underneath it. And it it doesn’t look so great off. It looks beautiful on. But I will in all likelihood never wear this again. But again, sentimentality kind of holds me back. Should it stay or should it go? What are your thoughts? I’m going to put it in the I’m not sure pile. I am leaning towards letting it live another life on someone who could who could maybe also wear it at another wedding. I think it’s beautiful, but I just don’t know that I would ever wear it again. So, that is going into the I’m not sure pile. I am sure about this silky jacket from Anthropology. It is really elevated and it’s beautiful at Christmas time and it’s a great jacket to just kind of throw over your shoulders. Now, this dress you may recognize because I wore this dress in a long version commercial that we did for QVC and also for our channel. And I would wear this one again. So, both of these are keepers. Okay, here are two other pieces that I’m going to keep. This one I’m going to keep because I got it not that long ago from Jay Peterman. Um, it’s a little bit big even though it says extra small. Uh, but this will be great for Christmas time. And this J Crew black trench coat I also bought on eBay and I wear it a lot so I will keep it. The other advantage of doing this is then you’ll get all of your hangers to point in this in the same direction. Okay. Both of these I have worn and I like them, but they were they were a little bit a few years ago and I just don’t wear them that often and their patterns. Anyhow, I think these are going to go in the giveaway pile because I just don’t wear them enough to warrant it. Now, would I want to keep one as just Yeah, as just maybe I’ll keep this one because I might just use it kind of as a um a house robe, but I’m getting rid of the other one. Now, here is another dilemma that I have. I have a thing for trench coats as you guys may have noticed. This one is an All Saints trench coat and I really like it. And it’s very similar, however, to the one that I wore when I was back east, what I wore in Bunny Williams Garden. And do I really need this many trench coats? I’m not sure. But I’m still going to hold on to this one for a while. And you guys know I love this. I’ve had this forever. You guys have seen it. And this is just uh too wonderful not to keep because I can wear it in the you know the heat of the summer. So this will help me make it through August. Keep keep discard. And the trench coat I wore before. Too many trench coats. Okay, which ones should I get rid of? You saw the first one. I’ve got this one and I’ve got this one. Tell me which one you think I should get rid of or hand me down. Give them an A and a B so they A, B, and the first one would be C. Okay, this is another ouchie one. This is an Oleg Cassini that I wore. Actually, I lied. It’s a Victor Costa that I wore at the reception after I got married. My sister said it was so tiny it was like a placemat and it kind of she said it looked like a placemat. So I cannot fit into it after two kids. I can’t fit into this anymore, but I’m having a hard time getting rid of it. So tell me, maybe I need to make it into place mats. Give me some ideas for this. This is a Kate Spade dress that I found at Goodwill and I loved it and I’ve worn it several times, but I’m kind of now over it. What a fun end of the story of that first blue dress if you actually did make into place mats. I know it would be maybe that’s what I should maybe that’s what I should do. I’ve got a made Well, okay. All of these skirts are keepers. By the way, I have a number of these just inexpensive satin looking skirts that I just got on Amazon and I wear them all and I wear them with tennis shoes and I wear their them very frequently with great big sweaters or little t-shirts in the summertime. They are very very comfortable and they’re great. Okay, this is another kind of ouchie one. I have had this skirt for years. I may try it on to see if it’s a keeper or not. This goes back to those of you that live in Oklahoma City. This goes back to my Herald’s days. Very Ralph Lauren. Um, this was when I was working and I just don’t know if I if I want to keep it or not. It’s beautiful. I’m not sure it even fits anymore. Again, this was before two kids and abdominal surgery. So, I’ll check this out and see. This is another kind of trench coat and I kind of like it but it’s it’s not flattering at all. This is All Saints. So, some of this stuff may need to I may need to sell it on Facebook or Poshmark or something. But, um at any rate, this is going to leave. This is going to stay. This. Okay. This is going This is going to go because this reminds me of funerals because I wore it to a couple funerals. And so that’s going to go. This little dress you have seen me wear many, many, many times. And though it may be a little bit too short for me at my age now, I’m still keeping it because I still like to wear it because it’s very cool and wonderful. Okay, here’s something else. I can tell I’m going to get rid of this. Oh man, I can’t tell you how many funerals I have worn this dress to. Um, but I’m going to get rid of it because again, it’s a funeral dress and it’s polyester and I just I think it’s time for it to it too needs to move on to another to a different world. Okay. And when I come back, we’ll finish up. Okay. Keepers, all of these coats. Stuart said, “You have a lot of waste coats and things like that.” And I do. Most of them I I have bought secondhand. This is a Ralph Lauren. Um, and this is a Jones of New York. This one is very equestrian. So, these are all keepers as is this blazer. I got it not too long ago. And these wonderful Lily silk pants. And I’ve worn these quite a bit. So, these are all keepers. And lastly, this dress. It may be comfortable, but it is not very figure flattering. So, out it goes. This is a Banana Republic suit that I bought um at half price and I really do like it except for I don’t like the pants and the pants are a little bit big and they’re too long. So, these I’m going to take to my alteration lady I think to kind of slim them down to ankle length. and I think they’ll be a little bit more flattering and more importantly I will then wear them. So that is going into the alteration pile. This is a keeper. It may not be that cute but boy is it comfortable for a house dress. And then lastly going into my into my alteration pile. I love all of these things from the slacks from Lily Silk. These I haven’t worn because I just haven’t I have needed to have them shortened and I just haven’t done it. But by golly, I am going to do that because won’t these be beautiful as winter whites? So, that pretty much concludes my closet cleanout. Did you guys get a lot done in your closet at the same time? I don’t know that I got rid of a third, but that’s a pretty good pile. That’s a pretty good pile. So, I’m feeling well, I’m feeling a little bit more organized, a little bit lightened because I’ve gotten rid of some stuff I don’t need, and I have a plan going forward for fall in getting some things altered. Okay. And finally, um this is something, you know, interest alert. If you’re not interested in this kind of content, then please just, you know, just move on to the next video. Uh, but I want to talk a little bit about a facial treatment that I get probably once or twice a year. And I’ve done this for years. It is an injectable that I’m really comfortable with, and I’ll explain why. Um, but some of you ask, do I do anything special for my skin? Do I do anything special for my face? Well, this is one thing I do do, and there’s a little video coming up of me sitting in the doctor’s office where I have some um anesthetic cream, some numbing cream on my face before the injections are made. And what is it? So, it’s Sculptra. And Stuart, let’s put a little thing about Sculptra. Um, the reason I’m comfortable with it is I have known about this since 1988. That’s how long I have known about it. Um, I read an article in Newsweek magazine and this was a substance that was originally developed to help AIDS patients who were losing extreme volumes of skin in their face and were having trouble finding jobs. And so this was developed as an injectable so that it could kind of plump up their face in a natural way and help them stay employed. So, what it is is it’s made, if if I’m not phrasing this incorrectly, it’s made out of the same thing that like disposable sutures are made of. It’s a natural uh it’s a natural injectable. Unlike a lot of the other things you see that make your cheeks look great big, this works with your own body and it does not work instantaneously. In fact, it it will takes about 3 to six months for it to reach its full effect and it can last up to two years. And it is something that just builds and rejuvenates on your own collagen. It is something that is a lot more natural than some of the other injectables that just puff you up immediately. It works with your own natural body s systems and I just am very comfortable with it because I knew about it a long time ago and it’s got a very very long testing profile of it being used. So, it’s one thing that I that I do do. I do treat myself to it about once a year, once every other year. And you can target where you have it done. So, for me, I target along my jawline. I target sometimes in my cheeks and sometimes, strangely enough, in my temples. I’m somebody that as I age, my face gets thinner and thinner. And I had kind of a long thin face to begin with. So, some of you this may not be for you. You do you and we’ll all do me. But I just wanted to let you know about it. Um, my friend Jamie, I I have been friends with Jamie for years. She was an emergency room nurse before she started doing this kind of work. I have um I’m very very comfortable with her and it’s fun for me to go in because like I say, we’re friends and I get to see her. So, I will put her information up to This is not a sponsored post. Um, but if you want to go for this kind of treatment, you can find it at the Aesthetic Center for Excellence here in Oklahoma City at 6200 North MacArthur. I think I’ll put the contact information there and their website. But, uh, you asked, I’m answering. And since we’re trying to reboot, refresh, and regroup for fall, well, this is a way that I can do it and give me a little bit of a pickme up. If you’ve got questions about it, just let me know. Um, share your comments. Some people are adamant against any of this kind of work. Um, I actually am just being as conservative if I conservative as I can, just doing things on the margin because I don’t want to do anything drastically. Um, so this is a natural procedure that works for me. So, let me know. Thank you all for hanging out with me today, cleaning out our closet, having a cup of tea, switching our furniture around, freezing some seasonal snacks, and just sharing some time together. If you enjoy this kind of content, then if you would, please give me a thumbs up. Make sure to subscribe, but more importantly, share it with others who might be feeling a little bit lonely or down and might want to be a part of this community. Thank you guys, and I’ll see you tomorrow. And here’s a quick outfit of the day because I know you guys are going to want to know where I got my darling darling apron. I love wearing this, especially with this house dress. And just as another shout out, I got this I don’t know how long ago, but as another shout out to Angie in California. She made it for me and I keep it in this pocket a follower. So that is where this darling apron came from. This house dress is just one that I got years ago online. It’s nothing fancy, but on days like today when it’s just too hot and I don’t even want to be constricted with shorts or things like that on, it works for me. My earrings are TJ Maxx. Um, my turquoise bracelet is one that belonged to my second mother. And well, that’s about it cuz I don’t even have on shoes today. [Music]