30 Before 30 Update #15

Happy Inauguration Day! We're celebrating with a little bit of leftover cake that I baked while crossing another 30 before 30 item off my list - bake a gluten free layer cake.

While I'm well versed in the art of gluten free baking, I had yet to conquer a layer cake. This post on Oh Happy Day convinced me to try it. And you know what? It turned out pretty well, and it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be.

I used this recipe by Barefoot Contessa and tried out my favorite new (to me) product: Cup4Cup gluten free flour. It resulted in a rich, perfectly moist and springy cake that was safe for me to eat while my fellow gluten eaters licked their plates clean. I would highly recommend it, needless to say.

Pro tip: lay four strips of wax or parchment paper underneath the first layer of your cake. This allows you to frost the cake directly on your cake stand while keeping the edges clean, without having to transfer your cake over to the cake stand once it's done. When you're finished frosting, just pull out the strips and you're ready to go.

My layers ended up slightly messier than I hoped, but...it's the deliciousness that counts, right?

#15 - Bake a (gluten free) layer cake. Check!

CONQUER YOUR CLOSET SERIES - ALL TOGETHER NOW

I'm mildly sad that this series is coming to a close - mainly because I've enjoyed hearing your stories about your own closet clean outs, vision board creating, and finding pieces that really work for you. But I'm excited to knock this one off my 30 Before 30 list and move on to the next big project.

The best thing you can do for your sanity is have a clean, well organized closet. Why?

Prevent overbuying or re-buying
It's impossible to see if you already own a pair of black skinny jeans if you haven't seen them in so long you can't remember, because they're crumpled up after falling off the hanger in the back of your closet. Knowing what you already have is essential before you shop.

Save money on clothing maintenance
I once ripped a hole in a very expensive cashmere sweater when it came in contact with a high heel after being tossed on my closet floor. I know, I know. This is incredibly immature of me, but admit it - something like this has happened to you. Or maybe you didn't hang up that dry clean only silk top after you came in from a night out with friends, and now it needs to be dry cleaned again, even though it's not dirty. Not taking care of your clothes costs more money. And wouldn't you rather spend that on a great new bag?

Save time and prevent stress
When everything is put away and easily seen, you'll make your choices that much faster. You get an extra fifteen minutes of sleep in the morning, you can linger longer in the shower, and be out the door much less frazzled than you would be if you were searching for the black tights instead of the navy.

Want to see photos of my own closet, and get some tips on how to organize yours?

TODAY'S MANTRA

As a true "get it done the minute I think about it" type of person, the last couple of weeks have forced me to just relax a bit and let things go. I keep reminding myself that there is a lesson to be learned in every trial, and I am certainly learning my lesson here. I've told myself to breathe, to relax, and to only do the essentials.

The laundry? Let it go.

Cleaning the house? Let it go.

The closet clearing project I had to stop mid-way? Let it go.

I'm happy to have enjoyed a really restful weekend. I had a wonderful brunch with two local bloggers (hooray for checking off #18 on my Thirty Before Thirty list x's 2!), ate a delicious gluten free red velvet cupcake at Sprinkles Palo Alto (okay, two delicious cupcakes), and then enjoyed a relaxing Sunday matinee and nap in the park with M.

I hope you had a wonderful weekend also.