Memory Lane & Estella NYC / November 14, 2014 by Kate Brightbill

My first baby will be turning six next week. She excitedly whispered with her cousin the other day about how it will feel to be six... so much promise in a new number, a new year. She has been talking about what she will do when she is six, how she will be able to read this book, or reach that dress from her hanger "when I'm six." She is probably right. She is growing like a weed, and practicing her reading whenever she gets a chance. She is going to conquer fears, dream big, and attain goals in her next year. She makes me so proud. She is beautiful inside, and she is kind.

Actually, currently loving is about three and a half years "currently loving." It seems about right to finally write about these gems of children's footwear.

I tried several sandals on my baby Sophie when she started walking. Some fell off every three steps. Some gave her blisters. Some fell apart. Some just broke after three uses.

Then Saltwater Sandals came in the picture. A friend's daughter was wearing them and raved, and we got Sophie her first pair of Saltwaters. They never fell off. They became immersed in water, and molded to her feet and became more comfortable than ever. They would not fall apart regardless of hard use and long walks. We've never turned to another sandal since.

Maggie and Sophie get one pair of sandals annually, and these are them. If I'm going to write about small style, these deserve a post for themselves, and there you have it. It's about time! My one and only first-hand recommendation for kiddo sandals.

Regarding colors- the three pictured are our absolute top picks. Bright pink is the next runner up. We've never picked navy, but always, always considered them. They last forever and pass down incredibly. :) If sandals are what your child needs, these are the best!

xo.

Notecard Lovin' / January 23, 2014 by Kate Brightbill

I've been terrible at sending mail. Like, really terrible.

Not anymore, I say...

I ordered new notecards and the new leaf has officially been turned. I love writing notes. I love having the stack of notecards on my {newly organized!} desk. The colors make me smile, and the custom name at the bottom makes me feel so official.

My new resolution is one-note-per-week. When I was a kid, I absolutely loved checking the mailbox, because all of my mail was handwritten notes. As an adult, the bills and marketing mail heavily outweigh the handwritten note. Just a sweet note to say "hello!" and "I'm thinking of you this week," can make my day, so I'll be doing my part to make someone else's day!

I think my friends will like it. :)

PS. Minted has the best custom notecards AND adorable customizable Valentine's day cards!

PPS. Top photo taken by Pictilio.

Thanks Minted for inspiring me and for the note cards! All opinions and love of my new stationery are my own, obviously.

So Good: Minted / November 6, 2013 by Kate Brightbill

I love Christmas cards. I love giving them! I love receiving them! I haven't sent any in a few years because I've been slacking, but (maybe this isn't something you admit!) I still have the one we made in 2009 up on my fridge. I keep it there for two reasons: 1. I can remind myself to do them again, and 2. The memories from the day we took the pictures are such good ones, and I love to be reminded of REALLY good days... don't we all?

I ordered my Christmas cards for this year yesterday. Now that I'm in my 30's, no more procrastinating! I'm not sharing mine on here yet, because all my friends won't open their envelopes from us with any apprehension at all. I will, however, make a little recommendation for you: use Minted!

Minted is a San Francisco company (cha ching! points for them right there! ;), they have gorgeous choices, and every one I've seen is amazing quality. Their turnaround time is 10 days for me, which I personally think is fantastic. It means that I'll get mine November 15th, so I'll have a full month to get them addressed and in the mailbox to get there in time. I'm kidding! I'm totally having them out December 1st. That does remind me though: Minted can address them all for you if you're on the slacking train like me.

There you have it. You think that's all? Nope. I got hooked on iMovie today!! What does this mean?

It means that Sophie, Maggie and I made our own commercial all about how much we love Minted's holiday cards! It's the funniest thing: my children will smile for pictures for anyone except me, BUT they'll make videos with me all.day.long. The catch is that they want to watch them back- all.day.long. haha.

Enjoy! xoxo!

Kate

Minted. StyleSmaller from Kate Brightbill on Vimeo.

I was not compensated for this post. Minted provided Christmas cards that I am 100% thrilled to mail to dear friends & family this year. All opinions are my own.

So Good: Skylar Luna Pajamas / September 11, 2013 by Kate Brightbill

We ordered Skylar Luna pajamas the other day.

Sophie picked the colors and I've never seen her so excited for something to come in the mail. I had no idea that it would be such a big deal that she got to choose her pj's on her own! Every day after we ordered them, she's been asking if today was the day they would come. She's SUPER excited about my in-laws coming in town tomorrow, so she really wanted the new pj's to come in time for them to see.

They came! And they're every bit as lovely and soft and organic and eco-friendly as we hoped. The girls giggled when they put them on, and Maggie couldn't stop shouting "MATCH! MATCH! MATCH!" because- well- the girls kind of matched... also because she is in a phase where she repeats words until everyone hears and acknowledges. I love toddlers.

Maggie loved hers so much that when I asked her to get dressed this morning, she insisted that she needed to keep her pajamas on. "No clothes" today, she said. They're so cute that I was perfectly fine with that. You can only get away with this sort of thing for about two years of your life, so I figure I may as well allow it. ;)

I'm also excited because I've found my new go-to gift for little friends' birthdays! Pajamas are one of those things that are thought about LESS than daytime clothing, but as a mother, I've realized that the bedtime clothing and cozies get so much more use than the daytime outfits. Beautiful 100% cotton organic pajamas it is! Thank you Skylar Luna!

Here are some other options we like (for boys AND girls!):

Samples were provided for review but we were not compensated for this post. ALL opinions are our own. We LOVE Skylar Luna. xo

Loving: Peppercorn Kids / September 5, 2013 by Kate Brightbill

I love telling you about brands that make us smile.

Peppercorn Kids is one of those brands. Your child loves fish? Hey, here's a purse they've created just for you! Bows? A giant bow necklace! Perfect. Hearts? Yes, this will work perfectly. Foxes? Pilots? Sparkles? Check, check, check.

My girls are the types who want to play dress-up every day all day, inside and outside. I have strict limits about wardrobe practicality when we go on adventures, but I'm totally game with them using their creativity to accessorize anytime.

I love Peppercorn for their design ingenuity. I love that I've eyed their pieces on other sites without realizing until recently that all of these cute things are created by one brand. They're just delightful for little girls. They have even created some stylin' pieces for boys {if I had a boy, I'd totally love these ties!!}. ;)

Also, obviously near and dear to my heart: they recently donated 500 of their beautiful pieces to St. Jude's cancer research patients. I dearly appreciate companies who do what they can to bring smiles where they're desperately needed.