I Honestly Love...

...The Honest Company.

I've been guest- writing for The Honest Company for about ten months, and have never really talked about why it is that I love the company so much, and about what products are stand-out, must-have products for our family.

Where do I even start here?

Well, since you can pick five products for a bundle every month, I'll just tell you about my top five products that I have in my home at all times:

1. Fruit & Veggie Wash: I try to buy organic produce for our family when I can, but just to be frank with you, it's not always affordable! Can I really be spending 50-100% more on organic when my family consumes excessive volumes of it daily? (seriously, my girls are fruit & veggie monsters. It takes a tad more convincing to get my husband to eat the peas and broccoli...) The answer is no. I felt guilty about buying the cost-effective produce until I received the Honest fruit + veggie wash. Game-changer, I'm telling you. Give that bottle a little shake, spray, rub, rinse, and bright, shiny, CLEAN goodness on their plates. It's a no-brainer. Add that one to your monthly family pack, stat. No, seriously. Cleaning fruit is a new addiction of mine (do berries EVER look as bright as they do in the picture above??? Amazing).

2. Honest Dishwasher Pods: These are the BEST. No residue left, dishes are truly clean when they come out, and it really means a lot to me- as a parent especially- that they don't have the harsh chemicals. I recommended them to my mom and she raves about how well they work too... and she's very particular about her dishes.

3. Sunscreen SPF 30: Always. Protect little faces from anything. If you tried the sunscreen from a year ago, it wouldn't lather, but this new version of Honest sunscreen is amazing. Non- whitening, and neither of my children have ever had any sunburns!! Not even kidding.

4. Healing Balm: Okay, so I don't have little babies who get diaper rash anymore (ohhh, my children are such big kids!!), but while I did, this was a miracle-working diaper rash healer. I'd apply it liberally to the area and (seriously!) the rash was gone the next time I changed her diaper. We also use it for little cuts or scraped knees and noses. 

5. 4-in-One Laundry Pods: I got to #5 and I really couldn't decide on the last one, because I use several other products excessively, but this is a must-have for us. The detergent gets out the stains and keeps our clothes fresh-smelling and clean- clean looking and clean from hazardous chemicals.  

This box is the FREE trial. Whaaat? Yes. Free.

(I have to give honorable mentions to the multi-surface cleaner and the shampoo and... everything else...)

Here's the deal: it costs $35 a month to have bundles full of this goodness delivered to my home. In theory, if I had an ample supply, there would be no need to keep them coming, but really? I use the extras for gifts: they have great new-mom gifts (don't even get me started on those cute diapers- that's a post in itself), hostess gifts (Dishtowels! Hand soaps! Candles!), and little add-ons to birthday gifts (perfect lip balm, anyone?). It's great to have fabulous products on hand for anything. The pretty little trial is free (except shipping! yes!!), and a great way to see what it is you love best. 

It is beyond amazing to be able to contribute to a site for a company whose values are to keep families safe at a reasonable cost, and products line up with the needs of our own family. 

Also: make a train from an Honest box with your kids when you get your order! :) 

xoxo, 

Kate

I was not compensated for this post. I received some products for review, and I have purchased some of the products on my own. I have also received some products for guest contributions to the Honest blog.

Happy Father's Day!

I'm amazed at how my husband fathers my children... he takes them to climb trees, play baseball, kick soccer balls, and he builds forts like none other. These girls have no idea how blessed they are, but I do. 

Brian loves videos and creating videos... I'm the picture girl & he's the video guy, but I wasn't about to make him create his own father's day video, so here's my short and sweet little video for him (and I cannot get the quality any better, so you may as well watch it small! #amateur :) 

Happy Father's Day from Kate Brightbill on Vimeo.

for the record: daddy loves football best, with baseball as a close second. Daddy does love burgers, and likes salad... kind of. With pizza... ;) 

Love, 

Kate

So, how was it to be unplugged?

Wellll let me tell you!  

The whole unplugged thing came about suddenly, when last Wednesday I realized I'd spent a whole heck of a lot of time staring at my phone/computer/ipad and thinking I was wasting time but not putting the darn things down for a good bit of time. I said, we've got to stop this, cold turkey. Pioneer ourselves all day Thursday. Nothing is coming of me looking at my phone. Am I looking at some awesome DIYs? Yes. Am I reading about really interesting topics? Maybe even healthy things? Yes. Fabulous pictures? Yes. Is it varied? ALSO yes. But is it truly productive? NO. 

It's not. Simple as that. And what IS productive? Being in the moments. Being undistracted. Being present. Being unplugged.  

I'll admit, I thought I'd at least get a clean house out of being unplugged, and I definitely got the opposite there. We made messes. We were a bit more extravagant in playtime because I devoted my whole self to doing the extras. 

Was it hard? Yes and no. It was so simple at 7am, and SO difficult at 10 (10am felt like Tuesdays- not the fresh start of the week, but not anywhere near the end). So simple between noon and 4, so hard near dinnertime when the world is melting for little girls who are on the brink of hunger but not quite there. All in all it was simple. 

It makes life simpler to keep the phone in the other room and only check it when it rings. It makes life simple to not concern myself with what the world is doing and with what they're thinking, or sharing what I'm doing. It made it simple to be inspired. It made writing and crafting simple. It refreshed.

If I'm to be a blogger, I'm not to be unplugged so very much... but there are BETTER ways to do this technology stuff. Discipline is a hard thing to come by when I'm the grown-up and I make my own choices. I have to really make conscious effort to discipline myself because no one else is going to do it for me. So here's how I've decided to adjust the technology consumption and live an unplugged lifestyle, while still somehow being plugged in and productive around here: 

• Take at least 30 minutes for myself when the girls go to nap and to bed. During the day it allows me to have peaceful quiet times, to pray, to read books, to nap... whatever it is that will refresh me. In the evening: to spend quality time chatting with Brian or just being with him, not distracted. As a mom, I think it's easy to say "ok they went to bed, I have to get everything done and I have to move FAST." Not true. I have to take very intentional breaks, and really enjoy peaceful moments. It will make me a better mom and wife. (Erin Loechner's insight on the subject has stuck with me).

• Create set times to do social media. Set my alarm for five minutes, three or four times a day. During those times, do all the pinning, sharing, tweeting, whatever... very intentionally- and give the girls boundaries of staying in one place and entertaining themselves until the alarm goes off. I've found I can actually do MORE in those five minutes than I would if I aimlessly picked up my phone to do it throughout the day. The girls are also learning the disciplines of entertaining themselves for short periods of time, which I've found to be incredibly healthy for their imaginations.

• I only have my personal email on my phone, and I've unsubscribed from most mailing lists (including most notifications! That's a big one- why would I need to be notified whenever I get a repin or tweet or something?), so when my phone dings (not quite so often), I can feel comfortable checking because it isn't constant anymore.

• Write only during set hours. At night a few times a week, and one hour during naps per day. Also with an alarm set, so there is purpose, rather than distracted writing. 

• Get up and shower before the girls awaken or shower at nap time. I generally just had the girls watch a Dora or Curious George during my shower, but I want ipad-watching to be the treat, rather than the norm. I disciplined myself by disciplining Sophie to not watch anything for two days after she disobeyed, and it's surprisingly easier than it seems.

We're a work in progress. I think it's important to realize that we use technology for work, social, reading, news, writing, and everything in our modern cultures, and it just adds up so quickly. Practicing the discipline of becoming unplugged is such a good kickstart to balancing the day-to-day better! 

There you have it. The little tidbits I've learned... all from one day of unplugging. 

xoxo,
Kate

Oooh, I made a...

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SO, last weekend I attended a shower for two of my favorite people in the world. I had already gotten gifts for them, but I still wanted to do something for them that was sweet, because I love them so much. I got it in my head that I'd make a diaper cake.

Now this isn't something I'm very experienced doing, especially for baby BOYS, so it was a ton of trial and error.

First off, the Honest diapers get you off to a good start- they're crazy adorable even without all the bells and whistles. I went with the dinosaurs here, because- again- it was for a baby boy (tempting though it was to use pink strawberries). I tried wrapping them with this ribbon, then that one, then crepe paper, then landed on a mix: one stripey ribbon and one yellow crepe paper. Still it lacked brightness, and if you know me, you know I like things to be bright. 

The gamechanger? Puppets! Everyone loves finger puppets, and Ikea has the most adorable options for a nice little price. Add one full sized puppet on the bottom tier and voila! Instant brightness, and cheer. 

Make your own! It's simple! If I didn't change my mind on ribbons and such so much, it would have taken me 30 minutes, start to finish. And every new parent needs plenty of diapers!! 

Have fun!

Kate

Getting to Know: Danielle Hampton

There are plenty of blogs out there, but not too many I want to read all.the.time. Danielle is a writer and a storyteller and I adore her blog. She is down-to-earth, genuinely sweet, and takes the time to appreciate life moments. She and her husband have one little boy named Henry and little baby is Charlie on his way!

I'm thrilled to bring an inside scoop on the writer behind Sometimes Sweet today. 

Follow Danielle on: Twitter || Instagram || Facebook || Pinterest

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What do you enjoy most about being a mother?

I enjoy the everyday, little things. Sitting and reading with my son, preparing a good meal for us for lunch, taking walks and talking about what we see. I also love waking up every morning and knowing that we can do with it whatever we choose- go where we want, have an adventure if we see fit! 

What is your favorite characteristic of Henry in his current stage of life?

Oh goodness, this is so hard to pick but I would have to say all of the funny phrases he says on the daily. Toddlers are so literal, and he has me laughing until I cry at least once a day. 

When do you feel most content and at peace with your life?

I'd have to say in those quiet moments when Henry is winding down for the night, sitting on his Dad's lap reading a book. Sometimes I look over at them and think, is this really all mine? It's the best feeling in the world.

What is the best time of the week for you?

Weekends for sure. My husband Hank works during the week so we cherish those two days.

What's an ideal date night for you?

Dinner and a stroll at dusk. We live in a small town with a gorgeous downtown area that's perfect for a walk as the sun is going down.

What motivated you to start your blog? What was your life stage at the time?

I've always been a writer, and first had a Livejournal in the late 90s. I made the switch to Blogger about 5 years ago right after getting married, simply because I wanted a new space for this new life. It's amazing how much it's evolved in that time.

How has your blog changed over the years?

The biggest thing is that it's gone from having a couple readers to a whole lot more, and with that change comes a lot of other shifts too. Even though I blog a lot and share a lot, I never overshare, and I learned what my own boundaries were the longer I did it, and the more my audience grew. I think I used to put a lot more of myself out there, but it's just not realistic (at least for me) once you have a large readership, and more so, a little one!

What are favorite and least favorite aspects of being a blogger?

My favorite: the connections and friendships I've made. Least favorite: some of the negativity that comes along with it- people assuming that your blog is the whole story, when in actuality it's just a collection of little pieces.

How do you balance your blogging schedule?

I only blog when Henry is napping, and then I answer emails at night. I also utilize the "scheduled post" feature in blogger a lot, and if I have a free evening while Hank is at band practice, I will sometimes write a few posts and get them scheduled far in advance. Life and family come first. My blog isn't my job, it's just something fun and extra so it isn't something that ever comes before my home life.

What are some favorite opportunities and collaborations that have come through blogging?

The most wonderful thing is what I mentioned above, the connections and friendships I've made, but as far as collaborations I think my most favorite so far has been working with Method. They're such a wonderful company. I spent all of 2012 on a campaign with them and it was a great time.

What is the best thing about pregnancy?

Favorite would have to be just how AMAZING it is to be growing a human inside my body! Like, can we all just take a second and think about that?! So, so neat. 

What are your top products and tips for new mothers?

The best thing we bought was the Snuza, which is a little device that clips onto your baby's diaper and monitors their breathing while they're sleeping. SUCH peace of mind. I recommend it to every new Mom I meet. As far as tips...just follow your instinct and gut. You know what's best for your baby.

Tell us about your style uniform?

Well, I'm almost 8 months pregnant so right now it's maxi dresses and flip flops! ;) 

What are your go-to brands and shops?

For me I love Anthro, J. Crew, Zara, Target, and ASOS. For the little guys I am a total Zara addict, as well as H&M Kids. 

Do you have a favorite Etsy shop?

Little Hip Squeaks for baby stuff, and then a million more for a million other random things. I honestly couldn't pick if I tried!

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Dani, you are amazing!! Thank you for sharing with us!! xoxo

Other fabulous moms:

Jeanne . Erin . Emily . Small Fry . Natalie . Christina . Casey . Melody . Caitlin . Courtney

Welcome to...

The other day, my mom came in with a vase of flowers for us. Sophie took them right from her and said "thank you gramma!" and took them directly to her playroom and set them in the middle of the table. They looked perfect and beautiful and I smiled at my mom and said "I hope you don't expect the vase to get back home to you." 

It was that moment that I realized that she takes a bit of pride in their little playroom, so I thought I should share it on their behalf. First: our place was rented to us as a two bedroom, and this little nook between the kitchen and dining room was considered a little walkthrough, not an actual room. It's bigger than Sophie's toddler room was (HA), and it's perfect storage for all their toys! I love that we have the girls share a room, and their toys are separate so I can really manage them and keep them in order. Don't get me wrong, they make giant messes in this little room, but at the end of the day, everything has a place. I love that. 

I also have to show you the storage cabinet and other wall, but it's tricky getting pictures of everything, so I'll save that for another day. 

Some of my favorite little elements in their room (almost all gifts!! SO thankful for family & friends who spoil the girls rotten):

Kitchen || Grocery Cart || Table & Chairs || Stacking Ring || Garland || 3-Tier Storage || Aprons (similar)   

Another little corner of our home: we dine in HERE.