Nostalgia

The other day we went to the park. ​​We always go to the park. Sophie & Maggie run around and play together and have the best time together, but this time was a little different. There was a girl exactly Sophie's size and they began to play together. They wanted to get on the seesaw together, do the monkey bars, and slide side-by-side.

​It's a good thing that my four-year-old makes friends easily. It's a great thing actually. She's developing the way a normal little girl should... making new friends at the drop of the hat and playing her little heart out.

It also somehow struck me in a new way... I got sad. I kind of wanted to cry as I watched her being a big kid! So weird right? Sophie playing with friends is not a new thing. This particular day she just seemed so big!! She didn't want any help getting up on the monkey bars or climbing the high ladders. She wanted to be independent and play with her friend, not so much Maggie and me. ​

You know how when you have a newborn, you think it's the hardest thing ever? And then your newborn becomes a 2-year-old and you say to yourself "how did I think newborns who sleep and coo all day was difficult?" And you realize that most of the challenge in that stage of life is actually emotional turmoil... the newness and gravity of the reality that you have a little life to cherish and devote your cares for-ev-er... ​              

Four years old is a bit like that. We've made it through the really tricky, testy, crazy active years and now we're at this sweet spot where we have long, very interesting chats about what goes through an imagination, and she helps me do basically everything throughout the day... but I'm back to the emotional challenges. I'm emotional about the speed of growing up. I'm sentimental about the sweet things that she says and the grown-up way she dresses herself and packs her own bags and helps herself to oranges in the fridge. 

If she gets really tired during ballet and decides she just wants a hug from her mama, I'm okay with that. If she drops her ice cream and needs a hug, I'll be there. I'll be grabbing these moments and cherishing every one before she gets too big to need them all. I love being these girls' mama.​

How nice it is to remember that what once terrified me now thrills me: that I truly will be their mama for-ev-er. :)​

And we have oh-so-many laughs and cuddles to be had between now and then.

XO,​

Kate

Emma Style

Today's small style is brought to you by the darling little Emma, daughter of Pocket Stylist Erin. She's got it all going for her: the stripes, the bright Gap jeans, the springy sandals (Saltwater Sandals are the BEST sandals for wear and tear)... and her favorite SaraRae headband. Always need a bit of bling.

It's also a very important part of childhood to wear those temporary tattoos with princesses on them. ​And that scarf? Stay tuned for a how-to on a couple different ways to make them (with AND without sewing!)

Silvana di Franco... thanks so much for the beautiful photography...

And so much thanks to Em... 

...for being our little model and for being one of the best at sharing secrets. 

​XO,​

Kate

My Secret Household Tips

When I got married almost 8 years ago, I didn't know how to make pancakes, I shrunk nearly all our clothes in warm water washes, and stains... well, if something spilled on us, that article of clothing would never ever be the same. Domestically handicapped (very) young, married girl. ​Fast forward to now: I have two little girls who love getting messy... extremely messy. I am one mama who wants my children to enjoy their childhood and not always be worried about what might get on their clothing. Clothing just does not matter as much as celebrating joys of being kids while they're kids. ​

I've learned quite a few tricks along the way to get the clothes, the house, and the kids clean after the beauties and messes of "life" happen:​

1. Lemons are the superfruit in cleaning. They make everything smell just a bit brighter! If you have a disposal in your kitchen, follow the smelly food with a lemon rind and it'll smell fresh and citric instead! It's also a wonderful glass cleaner to get the hard streaks and residue off your dishes. 

2. Growing up, every single time anything spilled on a carpet, we were trained to immediately run to get a white rag and Club Soda. There was nothing that couldn't be cleaned off rugs with a bit of club soda. Dab on the stains that may spread if you try rubbing. The spot will be wet after, so get a dry towel to rest over it until it dries so that dirty kid feet don't track their day through it. (I'm directly quoting my mom here, thanks mom!)

3. So maybe you think your little one has gone to use the restroom for a bit, but they've actually gotten a hold of a permanent marker. Your bathroom is covered in graffiti.. what do you do?​ Nail polish remover. It's like wiping a little spill off the counter. The easiest cleanup ever!

4. So now what do we do about those tough stains on clothing? The  1.5 year old ate tomato soup and uhoh, it's everywhere. Your answer? Dishwasher soap. Dishwasher soap in liquid or pod form can be used to rub into those stains and cut through all the discoloration and GREASE stains too! Credit for this one goes to my mother-in-law. She can get anything out of my kids' clothes! Make a little paste with water and the soap, then rub gently on the spots. Let it sit, then rinse. Repeat as much as you need, but it generally gets right out... seriously.

​5. I cannot handle the smell of a gross sponge. It's the worst! Sometimes I get a new-ish sponge and it gets left wet in the sink (not pointing fingers here, but it's not me that does that!). What a waste right? Nope. Just stick that smelly sponge in the dishwasher with your dishes, and it'll come out looking and smelling fresh and clean! 

And a few bonus tips for ya:​

6. ​​Hairspray ​ is your solution for ink removal. Just my kids or do all like to take pens to their clothing and sheets?

7. Tea bags clean hardwood floors and leave them looking shiny and bright!

8. ​Pot stains and grime are best scrubbed after filling them with soapy hot water and setting them to boil for five minutes! Once you let them cool, they're 100 times easier to clean (that's not a legit stat, just my own observation).

​9. Stick dirty sneakers in the washer. Let them air dry and they'll be good as new most times! 

​10. If you've run out of nail polish remover and you need to remove the polish from your nails STAT, use polish and wipe. It somehow works the same way and removes the polish easily! Amazing.

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I'd love to know all your tricks and tips, so feel free to leave a comment with your suggestions! ​

XOXO, Kate

Mama Profile: The Ladies of Small Fry Blog

I'm delighted to share a little interview with the lovely ladies over at Small Fry Blog today. These girls manage to be stylish, sweet, and inspire readers every day! Their love for simple joys of childhood are highlighted in every single post they create. Follow Small Fry on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

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What motivated you to start Small Fry Blog? 

We wanted to create a space where we highlighted the joys and beauty of motherhood. While there are plenty of things that aren't beautiful about the hardest job on earth, we simply want our blog to be a place to remember the happy times!​ (also see their post "Why Small Fry?")

How did you meet and decide to work together? ​

​We've been friends since junior high. Sometimes people are shocked to find we are real life friends who love each other and the opportunity to work together. We started the concept and development of Small Fry in August 2012. 

How do each of you use your strengths to contribute to the blog?

Before we started Small Fry, Emily was a stylist, Nicole a photographer, and Jenna a graphic designer. Emily does all of the writing for Small Fry, Nicole the photography, and Jenna the graphic designs. We have a little system where each of us ​has touched a post. From start to finish, we work together on an idea, so each post is filled with love.

What has been the highlight of your Small Fry venture?​

So many highlights it's difficult to choose! I think one of our favorite opportunities so far has been working with various amazing & gorgeous mothers who we've featured in our film series. We love seeing these moments with their children captured on film. it's a treasure for them but also for us to watch! 

What are advantages and disadvantages to working together, as opposed to creating your own blogs?

It's definitely a perk to share the work load, have friends that know what it's like to run a blog & creative people to bounce your ideas off of! It can always be a challenge working with people, understanding different personalities & work styles. we definitely aren't void of that but we try our best to have a really good open dialogue & communication which has so far helped avoid any major issues! In the end we really love each other and enjoy working together. ​

What is the best part of your days and weeks? 

Jenna: the best part of my day is that moment in the evening after we've bathed the kids and are reading them stories just before bed. It's when that moment of "ugh is it bed time yet?" leaves, and in its place is the feeling of buying just a little more time with them awake.

Nicole: I love mondays. For me it's like a New Year's day once a week. I can start fresh, start new with goals & aspirations. ​​

Emily: Sundays. The one day we get to spend all together with no stress on what needs to get done, where we need to go, or what needs a scrub down. one day that's at our own pace and all about family. 

What is the best part about being a mother?

Jenna: the best part about being a mother is the relationship I get to have with these little people. they trust in and love me so much. That responsibility I have to love, protect & teach them- though it can be overwhelming- is the most amazing role i've ever had. 

Emily: the best part about being a mother is watching all the love and care and energy you put in start to show. Hearing them say they love you, or complimenting the breakfast you made or telling you they liked your hair today? Nothing is sweeter.

Nicole: best part is having humans love you so completely, counting on you for everything & thinking you are the most wonderful thing there is. 

What are some favorite Etsy shops and small businesses?

The talent is so endless! Lately we've been loving Candy Kirby Designs, Little Hip Squeaks, LouandLee, Freshly Picked Moccasins etc....

What have you learned about balance for personal life and blogging life?

At the beginning we firmly decided that if it took away from our families that we wouldn't participate in it. Often, we will cancel a meeting or postpone a shoot because one of us needs to be with their family. That's the joy of our blog, is that our kids are involved in most everything!

Do you have tips for new bloggers? 

Blog about what inspires you and not about what seems popular or trendy. If it's a concept you're passionate about than you'll never lack content or desire! 

What have you learned about yourselves through your blog? 

The blog has taught us that there's nothing we can't do if we are willing to invest in ourselves. We all deal with insecurities, but in celebrating what's positive about our lives & our children we've found a lot of joy.

Thanks so much ladies!

xoxo, Kate

Weekend Links

​People make and write such pretty things. The links I'm loving from this week:

1. ​Tangerine Teakwood Illume Candle... aka the candle with the perfect design. 

2. Bowling in the house is kind of an important part of childhood. Brian had the girls bowling with books the other night, which works fine-ish, but if you want to get fancy, this little bowling set for kids can be personalized and looks totally legit.

3. To be perfectly honest, Oh Happy Day out-did even themselves this week. I want to use every single post they created the past five days, including this rainbow streamer party.​

​4. How beautiful is this cumin-roasted carrot and avocado salad? It almost looks too good to eat, but then again, the avocados are beckoning. I love salads best when the good stuff outweighs the lettuce content, unless we're talking caesar salads. Either way, this one looks basically perfect.

​5. This Heart of Mine blog created marble gorgeousness that I plan to try (with Scotch Natural polish to keep out the toxins). The possibilities are endless, really though. Where do people come up with these amazing ideas?? 

6. I love having tea... okay, okay, I'll confess- coffee- with Sophie, and these vintage green melamine cups & saucers would be great because if they drop, they won't break!  

7. I have to include this read by Girl's Gone Child. There's no real visual, but it was such a well-written piece about having help in your home... it really was an eye-opener to see that these bloggers and creators online aren't actually all super-humans who do everything themselves! 

​8. Lastly, don't forget to look at the Honest blog for a little collection of books for kids that inspire healthy habits! I may or may not have written the post... ;)

Bits of Life

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It's Friday, it's Friday, it's Friday! ​

​It's also 70 degrees and sunny, which adds an extra bit of pleasantness. I've also finally broken through the throat-on-fire theme that's been plaguing me for a full week, so really there's a lot going for me right now. 

​My mother-in-law is in town, so we've also had the fun perks like hitting up Starbucks this morning, exploring the city, and lunching at Marengo (one of my favorite spots for casual food in the city! Just look at that slider below, mmm. and p.s. why doesn't every restaurant have purse hooks under tables?), and having a warm shower that lasted longer than five minutes on a weekday. You know, the big things like that. :)

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Sophie did her fair share of ballet this week. She's always loved it, but she's been twirling around and performing like crazy this week. Maggie wants to copy everything Sophie does, so there have been a couple little collisions during "performances," but to be honest, she seems to have a natural knack for gracefulness and dance (do all parents say that stuff? Maybe, but I'm pretty sure it's true here, ha!) We have no clue where this gracefulness comes because neither my husband nor I are particularly gifted in that department, but we're glad for her. We even finally upgraded her ballet uniform from Target to an official version, and from whatever striped or sparkle tights she chose that week to true pink ones. She'll probably still go for the bold striped tights, but hey, we feel like we've finally invested a tiny bit into her ballet obsession, so we'll see how that goes. She can now use her old stuff for when she just feels like dressing as a ballerina around the house or neighborhood.

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​Meanwhile, Maggie has been investing her time in the arts of exploration and mischief. She will climb anything, crawl through anything, and lately... move everything from one corner of the house to the other. Today was the first time she really took a long walk without a stroller ("long" is relative... it was only a couple blocks), and she did a phenomenal job. I said "stop Maggie," and she would stop. I'd say "this way" and she'd come. She's was checking herself out in store reflections as she walked too... and she was laughing. That Maggie is always laughing.  

​I'll have your links later today! They're good ones... don't miss 'em. 

Happy Weekend,​

Kate