Before I Can Admit Fall is Here

In March, I drove my kiddos home from school, excited for a whole week off for Spring Break. And here we are 7 months later, still on that Spring Break. Covid edition style. Then the Home School edition started. Then the Summer edition. And back to the Home School edition. Right? What day is it? What time are we supposed to log on where? And I’m pretty sure we all just had another snack. So if you would have told me that on that afternoon in March that we’d still be home in October, I would have not even slightly understood what that meant. I would have been so confused if someone told me that we wouldn’t live somewhere else for a month over the summer, or travel to California to see our family. No school field trips or soccer games. A cancelled New York work trip for me. My amazing husband lost his job. Definitely not what we planned on. But we have had fun, we have been in nature daily, and the four of us have spent almost all our time together. I realize that we have so much to be happy about. Others have not been as lucky, and I am rooting for everyone who has it harder than we do.

Sooooooo before I can admit it’s truly Fall, I need to acknowledge all the good that made up our summer and beyond. Here’s a big look back through my camera roll and a bunch of memories…

Hiking. Onsies. BMX biking. Watercolors. Italian ice. Poke bowls. Polka dancing. Open invitations to neighbors’ pools. Flexible schedules. Charades. Coffee. Bare feet running on hot asphalt. Then finding a shady spot. The ice cream truck. Mailing letters. Colored pencils. A new dog. A new parakeet. Which my kid named Margarita. So I can also add that name to the list of good things. Kickball in our backyard. Rocking chairs. Ice baths. Mo Willems. Yoga for my Homies. Our late dog, Blue. Walking. Birthday banners. Space to run outside. Bikes to ride. Sand to dig into. Pine needles and leaves. Lots of kid snuggles. I still get so many. A week adventuring on Lake Austin thanks to generous friends. Sharing funny Instagram videos with our kids. Reading comic books in a hammock. Chalk blasts. So good. Google them. Blanket forts. Bunk beds. Family workouts by Daddy. Looking through our old photos together. Skateboarding. Kayaking. Birthday cakes. Legos. Baking. Fishing. Wearing my pink wig. Googly eyes on hand soap. A beach road trip in my rainbow Hot Wheels car. Mountain biking. Rope swings. Homemade ice cream. Ice dying t-shirts. My parents’ house. Lightning bolts shaved in haircuts. Trampolines. Balloons. Watermelon wonder. Cake. Sand. Sun. Tents. Naps. Books. Wine. Stories. Giggles. Jokes. Wit. Creativity. Family. Friends. Love. And loads of simply playing at home. I’m so dang happy for our time together, and I love this little family of mine so very much.

Most photos are from my iPhone, but there are a few really lovely ones from Aelish Lascoe, Brooke Schwab and Tim of Adventures & Weddings.

Oh Yeah Buttons Rock

These buttons were designed as a small take-away gift for a job I did last year. The team was looking for something fun, not breakable and not too expensive that each guest who visited the space could take home to keep. I placed hundreds of these buttons in a clear bin with a decal on the wall above that said ‘take one’. They worked beautifully and added such a happy little extra to the whole experience.

Bonus of the gig is that my kids thought they were pretty cool too. They’ve put them on their backpacks and their jackets, and we’ve given some as gifts too.

Button art designed by me and the lovely Angie Coussirat of Noted. And ordered from Shutterfly.
Clear plastic Looker Bin (not pictured) from the Container Store. I used the largest one.
Photography by Rebecca Sanabria, who I would definitely give the “you rock” button to!

PLAY PLAY PLAY

“I really regret playing,” said no one ever. Here is where I will share a photo that could make me happy forever. If you’d like to see all of the photos in my PLAY, PLAY, PLAY series, click here.

{ Nothing but heart eyes for these two shaggy dudes. }

Feliz lunes everyone!
Photograph by Brooke Schwab.

Holiday Collection 2019

The holidays are coming, and you might have a zillion things on your to-do list…but I hope you don’t! I hope you find a ton of time to play and hike and snuggle your loved ones. Or at least, you navigate all the busy-ness you do have like a rock star.

And I also hope you make time to send a holiday card. We can all post a photo to social media in a second or two, but this is different. I feel it myself, and I see it with my kiddos as our mailbox fills up. Being able to hold a card that came straight from a loved one connects us in a way we don’t often do these days. If we’re on your mailing list, feel free to send us a holiday card, a Christmas card, a Hanukkah card, a Naw-Ruz card… because sending something that makes you happy—makes us happy! With so much negativity and division between humans these days, this is a tactile reminder of some of the good. Quite literally sending a piece of paper with the sole purpose of wishing people well! How simple and lovely is that? One tiny thing that brings JOY, one act of kindness that hopefully leads to more and more kindness. It connects us and reminds us of the good in people and in the world.

My husband and I stuff and address our Christmas cards together with our kiddos. We talk about the people we are sending them to, we tell stories, we make fun of each other and how crooked they put on address labels. I’m grateful for the time together and the happiness shared.

Click a card below and it will take you straight to the page where you can purchase via Tiny Prints or Shutterfly. And thank you. Your purchase helps my family, and I am so grateful. Let’s all go spread some JOY.