So Good: Minted /  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

 

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.

 

Fall Back /  by Kate Brightbill

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Oh hey! Memo! Maybe you've heard? "Fall back" isn't popular with the parents-of-young-children crew. Statuses have been updated, tweets have been tweeted, clocks have been instagramed regarding this issue... 

We all got up a bit earlier this weekend, or so it felt. We didn't, really though. I think four years in, I've realized that it's perfectly fine. I am grateful for the morning light, and the earlier dark. It feels terribly hard to get up at six rather than seven, but I know there are {a lot of} people who think 6 is a perfectly acceptable wakeup time. If that's you, I commend you.   

Fall is good. Cozy is good. 

 

 

Loving & Linking /  by Kate Brightbill

Photo via Pure Mamas

Photo via Pure Mamas

Vegan whip cream with carrot juice! I think it sounds amazing. (I acquired a taste for carrot juice early in life- thanks mom!).

Those bloggers with all their good holiday decorating tips...  

Maybe you've seen this before, yes, but have you seen it on People? (eeeee!) 

The loveliest wallpaper, ahhhh.  One day I will not rent and I will use wallpaper {"my house" in pink!! LOVE}. 

This pin. (wish it was accompanied by a tutorial!)

Pretty recap of Blogshop SF. I'm particularly drawn to those leaf headbands by Modern Sequins and macarons by The Sugar Studio. (!!!)

Blogger turned home product designer. Can't wait to see more!

Big fan of the oversized scarf look.

Got these shoes for date nights and holiday parties, and wore them last night... SO comfortable! Actually- impressively comfy considering their height. :)  

Winter hats are ADORABLE on kids. Loving this one, and this. Colors + patterns! 

Definitely want to do the portrait a week in 2014. The series is my favorite and such a beautiful way to see how kids grow. 

 

Bet you didn't think I'd get my links up this weekend! I did it! Excited to start another week tomorrow! See you soon. 

xo. 

 

Happy Halloween! /  by Kate Brightbill

Next year I'll plan further in advance so I'm not spending all of my cleaning-the-house time making costumes, but I'm pretty happy with the way our last-minute costumes turned out! Halloween is so crazy fun. It's the best holiday of the year for Facebook and Instagram, in my opinion. I can't get enough of my friends and their kids in their amazing costumes. You with me?  

(ps. this isn't a legit backdrop. it's just cloud tissue paper I was planning to use with the golden gate bridge costume that didn't work, so we used it for a photo op instead!) 

(ps. this isn't a legit backdrop. it's just cloud tissue paper I was planning to use with the golden gate bridge costume that didn't work, so we used it for a photo op instead!) 

It's a lovely holiday {who SAYS that? With its ghosts and goblins, perhaps the word "lovely" is an overstatement, but with tiny kids, it really does feel lovely}, and it's fabulous getting our fair share of sugar for the house for the year. Maggie hooked us up with toddler handfuls at each house. She's little enough to go for the double dose and people said "aww, it's fine" rather than "no, only one!!" Got to love the double standard. 

People had their brilliant Halloween marketing going on the streets too- pens with business names for the parents, toothbrushes with dentists' phone numbers, etc. I'm good with it all. Starting a business is tough work, so you may as well market your little heart out when you can! ;)  

Our costumes were the last-minute type that Heidi Klum says she would rather stay in than wear, ;)... but I'm okay with that. The surprising thing? Sophie got rave reviews on her bridge. I mean, people were stopping her left and right with compliments. It was strange for us because we're always the blend-right-in costumers that no one notices, so I was feeling pretty good about this. It may actually motivate us to put MORE effort in next year... I already told Brian that he WILL be in costume next year. 

So with all this new found love for Halloween {compliments do wonders, folks!}, I'm still happy it's over. It got chilly here... chilly is relative, I know... and I'm ready for some holiday music and gift-buying!! YES.

Confession? We got coffee from Starbucks this morning and part of it has to do with the red cups. I know I'm not the only one. Those schemes are hugely successful... props to them for being marketing geniuses!

And happy Friday! 

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Halloween! /  by Kate Brightbill

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Is Sophie a fan of her Halloween costume? 

Yes, yes she is. ;)

She requested today... firmly... that for Halloween she would like a Golden Gate Bridge costume. Brian and I suggested grapes. We have a purple hat and everything... all we'd need is to clothe her in purple or green, blow up balloons to tape all over, and voila! Grapes! We'll be doing the strawberry version for Maggie, so they could be fruit themed. 

Nope. Golden Gate Bridge. Or a cracker {she's realized how endless the possibilities for Halloween are, so crackers were the closest inanimate object}.  

Shortly after the conversation, the doorbell rang. Honest diapers at our service...

{side note to those wondering: we did start potty training, but two successes in three days made us realize we should hold off a few months and try again!}.

More important than the diapers themselves? The BOX. Okay, Sophie. Golden Gate Bridge it is. The box settled it. 

Happy Halloween Eve! Here's to hoping I can finish Maggie's strawberry costume the morning of!! Nothing like waiting 'til the last minute, right?