Sprints and Sprinklers!

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I want to remember them just like this.

Young, brave, silly. Free.

I want to remember this stage of our life. Even though it's been a challenge, it's also been a dream come true, watching my boys grow together in love.

I want to remember this summer, every moment of it. This humidity, thick enough to swallow. The slick wet of the sprinkler, the infectious giggle of my baby, the flare of the sun through the backyard trees. Everett's flick of the frisbee, Daxton eying his brother with adoration. Stevie instructing them with everything he knows. I even want to remember the thickness of my body, the roundness of my thighs, ripe with nourishment for my baby boy. I was created to steward my family just like this. I am blessed.

I want to remember it being so hot, so so hot, that we all ran into the yard to cool off in the sprinkler 15 minutes before dinner. Even the mosquitoes needed a reprieve from this heat, and I won't be able to forget them, since our bodies are now riddled with their bites.

I want to remember Everett screaming "super heroes!!!", as he sprints back and forth through the sprinkler.

Every single moment of this life is a blessing. Every single moment, not just the picturesque ones when everyone is smiling in their perfectly pressed clothing. The messy ones, too. The sweaty ones, the stinky ones, the screaming ones. The moments when I'm overwhelmed because everyone is hungry for dinner, the moments when I'm followed into the bathroom by everyone because they all want to tell me things they need, the moments when I'm so tired that I want to slump into a nap at 4pm. These moments, though trying and taxing, are my great blessings. Because they are weaving together the fabric of this family that I am so privileged to shepherd. When I was a little girl, I never really dreamed of having a family. I always dreamed of having my name is lights on Broadway and wearing a red dress while I accepted an Oscar for best actress ;) Gotta love the dreams of a child! But now I know that this, this life I am living right now, is the greatest dream that could have ever come true for me. It's not easy, it's not perfect, but it is stunning. I revel in this blessing, to be a mom and a wife, and if I never accomplish another thing outside of this family life, I will still be a successful, accomplished, astonishingly blessed woman.

The heat is making me all swoony and that is just okay. May there be sprinklers and super heroes and melty popsicles in your future this weekend! Happy summer to us all!

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Multitasking Motherhood.

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Moms wear a lot of hats. And that's not just because we are trying to hide the dirty hair (just an added bonus).

We are busy, we are constantly innovating, continuously problem-solving, multitasking, thinking through the next meal plan and activity and whew - trying to get some laundry done while we're at it. Don't even get me started on full-time career moms because I don't know how they do it. I can only hope they outsource a lot.

All this multitasking can sometimes lead me to forgetting to take care of myself. Being so focused on the family and their well-being is the nurturing gift of being a mom, but I often have to ask myself, "Did I take good care of me today, too?" This past month my family spent our time in New York while the husband tackled a work project. We wanted to keep our family together and enjoy a mini adventure instead of missing dad for an extended period of time. I loved that we got this time together, but wow, it definitely threw off my normal routine, and Everett's, too! We settled into a nice schedule after a week or so, figuring out where to grocery shop and which parks were better (the ones with big water fountains, duh mom). But one thing I had to figure out was how to squeeze in some exercise while not having any free time to myself - no babysitters, no grandmothers to lean on, no school to occupy him for a few hours. Just me and Everett, all day, everyday.

I got creative with our park dates and amped up my "play" self. Made sure to dress properly for the occasion and hightailed it in the stroller to our favorite local destinations for some good old fashioned park time. It might not have been as focused as an hour at the gym or my new barre class obsession, but it was surprisingly athletic! I really believe that if you get intentional with a goal, you can make something happen! We did all the normal park activities, but I leaned in a little more than normal and engaged with him in a really active way. And you know what? It works! How silly is it that just fully committing to the moment could actually give me the exercise I would have never expected to get. I promise, this motherhood gig is full of surprises.

This Isabella Oliver top epitomizes the needs of a multitasking mom, and is something you could wear to the gym, the park or out to dinner, and it would equally serve all purposes beautifully. I wore this on a play date with Everett and Stevie one evening (we had to show Dad the newest of our park finds), and afterward I quickly threw on a different pair of pants and shoes for dinner downtown. We went from the playing on the swings to ordering crepes in about ten minutes flat, and that included freshening my lipstick and throwing on some earrings :)

The pieces in this collection make me realize there are other moms out there who "get it" - the need to take care of your family, take care of yourself, stay active and be flexible with the moments we are given. And feel stylish while doing so (I should have put that higher on the list just now, because who am I kidding - IT MATTERS). The Isabella Oliver brand is attractive because it's created by a mom who recognizes the need for beautiful, transitional clothing for the ebb and flow seasons of motherhood. The amazing part about the fall collection is that almost every piece works beautifully for before and after the baby comes. I think there is something magic in the ruching (and I don't normally care for the look of ruching), but the way it folds can easily accentuate a baby bump or look really slimming when there is no baby bump to display :)

A few other pieces I am loving from the fall collection are this dress (perfect for holiday parties!), this tunic (another multitasking piece), and this top (because seriously, SO cute). If you're into catalogs (I am), you can request one here - and it's a fun read, kind of like a book.

Look 2:
Isabella Oliver Helston Maternity Top, Sebago Claremont Boots, Gap Maternity 1969 Full Panel Skinny Jeans, Kate Spade Stevie Diaper Bag (mine is sold out, similar color here)

Many thanks to Isabella Oliver for sponsoring this post and providing free product. All opinions expressed are my own.

Play Play Play!

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This is always a funny week, the week after Thanksgiving. The societal pull is frenetic, spastic, telling us to hurry up! This sale won't last! Hurry up - the deal is over at midnight! My email inbox is flooded - literally flooded - with zillions of sale notices and the tone of each and every one is - HURRY, or else you might miss out!

You guys. What would happen if we didn't care? Didn't care to MISS OUT.

I can't let myself get overrun by the holiday crazy. So much about the holidays is just wonderful - the meaning of the season, the traditions, the surprise, and especially the wonder. I am finding myself wonder-fied over and over again, because I am introducing my son to the season of Christmas and it is so much delicious fun. He saw a house lit up in icicle lights in our neighborhood the other night, and he was absolutely mesmerized. He just stared. Then clapped. It was THE BEST. He definitely saw lights last year, but it's a whole new year - and he is so much more aware. He opened his first Christmas gift with my sisters over the weekend, and there it was again - the wonder! That distinguished moment of pure, radiant, child-like joy. It was enough to make me like a giddy little girl again. The wonder of the season! That is the good stuff that I want to remember and focus on.

And then I open my email, and literally, all I see are "Cyber week savings!", "Last Day! 50% off!", "30% off starts now!"

I know what you're thinking. Delete your emails, girl.

I totally agree with you.

The thing is, I love a good sale, and I have no problem with a bit of hoopla. I just think it's important to not let the hoards of hoopla rock the internal compass of this season. I want to buy gifts and give gifts, because I am a crazy gifting person. It's one of my favorite things to do. But there is a point where the consumerism suddenly becomes like when you ate one too many cookie. The sugar doesn't taste good, and sort of turns to ash in your mouth. That's how I feel about all the sales and promotions and consumerism - it's just ash. Tomorrow there will be another deal, and another, and another. And suddenly, its not satisfying anymore because DO WE REALLY NEED THIS STUFF. I'm realizing it's my job to remove myself from all of it.

I am reeeeeally close to being totally done Christmas shopping. And it's on me to finish my list, and then be done - and not get sucked into overspending, or lusting after more than I need/want. It's my responsibility. And the one way that I am managing going about that this year?

First, I am going to finish my Christmas list.

And then I am going to play play play!

Get outside and throw around some leaves and remember what it's like. To be a kid. And play. Play hard. Play like it's my job. Man, kids have the best life. They aren't tempted by the notion of a good sale. They are expected to eat well, sleep long and play hard.

That's what I wish for you this Christmas season. Eat well, sleep long, and play hard, friends.