What we wear matters

Sustainability should satisfy the needs of the present without adversely affecting the ability of future generations to satisfy their needs. *source

The next time you find yourself needing or wanting something, try making a change to something that’s more sustainable. Finish up what you have (from your dryer sheets to your sandwich bags) and donate what you don’t love (from those old shoes to that jacket you no longer wear). Then start the conversation with friends on the products they use, and do your research.  

When we know better - we do better!

I’m certain that if you start finding meaning behind the goods you spend your money on it will fuel your passion to do better.

It’s taken me many years to get to where I am now, and every day I’m learning how I can do better. I’m keeping it as simple as I can and starting the topic with what we wear… I plan to share other ways of reducing our environmental impact down the road.

The fashion industry is the second largest industrial polluter to our earth *source.

You might hesitate because sustainable brands can be more expensive.  And there’s a good reason for that - starting with, people are getting paid fair wages.  The way I justify this is simply, “quality over quantity”/ “less is more”.  And I’ve also found that sustainable brands are better quality, therefore they last longer.   

I’d much rather have 10 things I LOVE, than 100 things that are just ok.  

Wearing these cute and extremely comfortable shoes (click here for $20 off), my favorite bag, and this with this for an arm party.

Here are a few examples of the simple changes I’ve made that make a difference (in our own lives and the lives of others):

Need new shoes?  My current favorite: shoes that are made from recycled water bottles (photo above)! An equal favorite for our whole family is the shoes that give one for every one purchased.  

Outerwear. Several years ago I entered the flagship Patagonia store in Seattle and I found myself immersed in all the good that one brand can do for the environment and local community.   Sustainability is the core value that the company was founded on.  The jacket I purchased that day my daughter has since claimed. The quality is so amazing, it still looks brand new.  I use that Jacket as my mid layer when skiing, so I’m justifying replacing it with this one. Merrel and Sorrel are a few other leaders when it comes to sustainability.  I like that these brands not only encourage people to get out in nature, but also come with a mission and reminder to help others minimize their environmental impact.

Jeans. Madewell and j-crew recently announced their fair trade certified denim and they go far beyond that to improve their impact and support their communities.  You can read more here - It’s impressive!  Although this wasn’t the mission the company was founded under, I appreciate a large business seeing the need for change and setting an example.  I have high hopes that this is a sign of change in consumerism!

Jewelry! My journey in becoming a Noonday ambassador has given me the knowledge to realize how powerful our purchases can be.  I now crave wearing things that matter and have a story behind them.  When I wear pieces of jewelry that were handmade by artisans and come with a story it’s like I can feel the positive energy coming from the impact.

Socks. Made from wool (natural and renewable) these are my go-to socks in the mountains or lounging at home. The SmartWool Advocacy Fund supports organizations that aim to protect the natural environment and create opportunities for future generations to get outside. Again, this is one of those items where the quality is so great you won’t need another pair for years to come.

Backpacks. My littlest recently needed a new backpack and as we noticed all the $40 backpacks at Target it made me go home and research a backpack that not only had sustainability behind it, but something that would hold up for more than a few years before needing a new one.  I found Fjallraven and since learning about the company we’ve purchased 2 backpacks after a quality test was done on one of our last trips.  

I believe it’s our responsibility to start making these shifts.  Avoiding fast fashion can be hard - but again, even small changes make a difference.  I’m not after perfect, just after doing better than I was yesterday.  I encourage you to try one new sustainable brand and feel the impact it makes.

As always, I’d love to hear your passions on this subject and any changes you’ve made.

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Valentine's Day love letters

This is one of those little traditions with big impact!

I want to focus on raising children who know how to express their love and feelings for others - and I’ve witnessed this tradition successfully do just that.

We simply write one thing we like about each member of our family on separate paper hearts. We each do this as many days as we can leading up to Valentine’s Day. I place a stack of paper hearts beside everyone’s bedside to help them remember. Once they write a note, they secretly (just because it’s a fun excuse to be sneaky) tape it to the recipient’s door.

I can’t express all the feels that come from this simple tradition!

When our children look back on their valentine’s day I hope they remember the expressions of love in our home.

We are a work in progress people… and funny is encouraged.

Happy February y’all!

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the family meeting

5 reasons for anyone to attend a conference

I recently attended the Shine conference and reaped the benefits in such a powerful way!

There’s a conference for everything. That’s a sure sign that conferences can be life changing!

The idea is to learn how to evolve into the best version of yourself.

Google your interest, side hustle, career, and you’ll find a conference for it.

From the photography conferences to the restaurant conferences I’ve attended, here are the top 5 reasons I’d encourage you to attend a conference.

1. Clarity. Give yourself a break from your normal routine. Attending with a close friend can double as a girl’s trip :) This break is sure to bring perspective and clarity to the direction you’d like to head. For many there’s a drive or flight involved, leaving for downtime that you might not otherwise have in your daily life. Breaking out of your comfort is a brave and powerful action!

2. Reflection. January is such an ideal time for reflection. But a conference at any point in the year will help you reflect on your past to help determine where you want to drive your future. Conferences have a way to break you out of the mold that you could be stuck in. You will learn the next steps to improvement.

3. Education. Learn from the professionals for a fraction of the cost and time than it would take to do this independently. The newest tools and resources always make an appearance at the conferences.

4. Social Support. This is what’s it’s all about! The people! Feeling the energy of others! Let’s come out from behind our screens. This is a way for many to see old friends and create real-life relationships. What better way to do this than to be around like-minded people. Creating relationships has never been easier than knowing that you already have something in common by attending the conference. There are often opportunities to meet your favorite authors or creatives that can open up all sorts of opportunity and storytelling!

5. Passion. Time to go out and live your passion with a fresh perspective (whether this be a conference about motherhood or geology)! I’m certain you’ll return home with knowledge and power to bring additional fun and meaning to your life.

These are a few of the Noonday world changers I met at the Shine conference. This is when I witnessed the magnitude of the situation and what I’m personally capable of. We aren’t just selling beautiful unique jewelry, but together we have created 4,500 jobs and touched over 20,000 family members in developing countries. We’ve pulled women out of sex slavery, shown them their worth, taught them to make jewelry, and paid them fair wage so that they can provide for their family in a safe and sustainable way.

Lovely links in December

Only 9 more days of the Advent season. Our “Gifts of Togetherness” has helped slow down this month as we focus on the moments and memories vs. the stuff and the shopping. You can see my original list of activities we do this month here, and you can follow along on the daily activities here.

I do love shopping - I just like it in moderation, especially this time of year. Right now I’m building my gift list on Amazon and plan to have everything shipping at once.

We are gifting our children with surprise experiences that will go along with the theme of their 4 gifts (want, need, read, wear). Unwrapping their passports will be their “need” and also one very small clue.

This weekend we made our annual gingerbread village (complete with a town square Christmas tree and a blizzard of powder sugar of course). We plan on doing this activity tonight!

Between the holiday parties and the girls’ nights out, I’ve run out of festive outfits. I’ve now worn this one too many times. I could use something like this to make it through the rest of this season!

Last day to order these lovely earrings for your BFF to get by Christmas is on the 17th!

My daughter and I plan on making these to add to our little boxes of Hygge inspired gifts in my last blog post.

Have you ever done a progressive dinner? We did this with friends last weekend (each home hosted a different course) and our home served the desserts with Hot buttered rum and a White Christmas Cocktail. Now I’m looking for a few more Christmas drinks for entertaining - let me know if you have a favorite.

We always make this gingerbread recipe on Christmas eve, but everyone is already on sugar overload so I’m considering making this one instead… wondering if they’d know the difference. I’ll keep you posted :)

I will travel for the best breakfast food!

Finally discovered how to use a foam roller - this doubles as a workout and a massage!

Enjoy the Joy!

This is how I prepare for the season of giving

For optimal enjoyment in the month of December I like to have at least a dozen gifts on hand by the first week. These are used for hostess gifts, neighbors and other special people in our lives.

I typically purchase multiples of my favorite things. I prefer Hygge inspired gifts (comfort, warmth, wellness, contentment).

The gift boxes I made last year included my Grandparent’s Kolacky recipe, hot chocolate spoons, candied pecans, magnolia bowls, peanut butter truffles (just peanut butter mixed with powdered sugar and dipped in chocolate), and my favorite candle.

This is my favorite way to recycle all the shipping boxes we receive this month. I try to avoid using plastic and instead make the storage part of the gift. You can find unique and inexpensive bowls and glassware at Homegoods or TJMax. I purchase these canning jars every year for the smaller edibles and love the Magnolia line I mentioned above. Adding some fresh greens from your garland or garden is a lovely final touch.

One year I purchased kitchen towels and wrapped pears inside attached with a mini photograph.

Gift giving is all in the heart, and the presentation. I like to include my favorite things because I think it helps with the idea of it coming from a place of love.

Happy gift giving.

My favorite socially responsible companies

*** edited with a few additional favorites ***

All your favorite brands are sending you black Friday emails… SO, I wanted to share some amazing brands you might not know about; the brands/companies that make you feel good about spending your money!

I think one of the best ways you can put thought into gift-giving is supporting small businesses and/or purchasing goods from those who are giving back and are socially responsible.

Living in Austin we’ve been lifetime supporters of the local Toms shoes. We moved to Austin months after their business opened in 2007 and we’ve purchased a few pairs of toms every year thereafter between the 6 of us. The way we look at it is shoes are a need, so we make the choice to spend this money on a shoe company that gives one pair for every pair purchased. Another “one-for-one” brand is Warby Parker (we’ve been purchasing our eyewear from them since we found them operating out of an old school bus in Austin). They now have a beautiful storefront and their inventory includes sunglasses. These companies have inspired me as a consumer!

My search for companies that make a difference is the reason I started selling Noonday! If you want your money to make a difference in some of the world's most vulnerable communities, Noonday partners with Artisan Businesses that share a passion for building a flourishing world. Working with Noonday has grown my knowledge of how important it is as a consumer to be socially responsible for our purchases. You can read more about Noonday here.

One World Play Project - This company sells soccer/playground balls that can withstand the toughest playing conditions in the world (Unpoppable, Unbreakable, Non-Deflating, Non-Toxic) and with the help of your purchase gives playground balls to communities in need.

MiiR - where every product funds trackable clean water & health projects.

Twice as Warm - Each purchase provides a new clothing item to 
a person in need: ‘Wear One, Give One.’

The gift of something edible is simply easy to please! In my opinion, especially if it involves Chocolate or coffee:

With fair-trade coffee and a clear mission statement, ‘to make a difference in the world’, Dominican Joe Coffee Shop is seriously admirable and socially responsible. Local to Austin!

Goodio Chocolate - Goodio was created on the principles of sustainability, well-being, and transparency.  It's a vision to bring Nordic-inspired flavors to a chocolate brand for the global consumer.

Patagonia - In addition to selling sustainable clothes and accessories, this company donates its time, services, and a portion of its sales to making the world a cleaner, greener place.

Feed - founded in 2007 with the simple idea of creating products that would engage people in the fight against hunger in a tangible way. Every one of their products has a number stamped on it that signifies the amount of meals or micronutrient packets provided with its purchase. I found Target selling a few of their products years ago and purchased a sweatshirt and have been following the company since.

WakaWaka - Every purchase of safe and sustainable WakaWaka products will help spread light and power to the more than 1 billion people without access to electricity.

Conscience Step - A company that believes it’s more than how it looks, feels and lasts, but knowing that it’s creation didn’t happen at the expense of people and planet.

Some of my favorite gifts to give are the With fair-trade coffee and a clear mission statement, ‘to make a difference in the world’, Dominican Joe Coffee Shop is seriously admirable and socially responsible. 

A subscription box that gives back!!! Every product inside of CAUSEBOX has a beautiful story and helps create a better world — because it matters how these products are made, and who they empower.

If you have a favorite company/brand that is socially responsibly I’d love to hear about it!

Happy Thanksgiving

This Thanksgiving break at home is turning out to be a balance of getting a few projects done, time with family, and a couple Friendsgivings filling our grateful hearts!

I found time to finish our vacation video from the last trip we took this summer! I still have our spring break trip to document, but if I don’t get around to creating that video, I’m happy having printed photographs. Our kids love going through these videos, and it’s clear to us how much it helps retain their memories. I recently switched to youtube for sharing my videos because my Vimeo account is maxed out.

I hope you can find the time to choose one simple photo or video project to organize, print or create.

If you are looking to create a video, I’ve shared video tips here.

If you are looking for a much simpler project, I’ve shared my favorite way to create simple albums here.

Happy Thanksgiving! I so thankful for this space allowing me to share all that I love.

Christmas Pajamas

New Christmas Pajamas!!

Our home gets so excited about this! New PJs is something we wrap for our children each year on the 1st of December.

It’s more a symbol, than a gift. This is the evening that begins our celebration of the season with our Gifts of Togetherness!

As December approaches I’m always on the hunt for the pajamas they will wear all month long and wake up Christmas morning in!

We’ve done the Fair Isle style many years and it’s such a classic and always tempting to recreate. With 4 kids I’ve learned it’s better to invest in quality pajamas so they last many years of hand-me-downs. I’ve included a variety of my favorite quality brands for this reason. Here are the styles I’m eyeing this year:

I hope this helps you knock one thing off your TO-DO list so you can enjoy all the simply sweet blessings the month of December brings.

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Our camp gear

Investing in the right camping gear can make all the difference in the great outdoor experience.

I gave my thoughts on camping last year, and we are now in the middle of another beautiful camping season here in Texas.

I’ve heard some friends say its the investment in gear that keeps them from camping. I recently gave a friend the idea to gift her hubby for his birthday some of the camping essentials, and I thought I’d share the list here.

I’ve created a list of a few of my favorite things when camping. AND hubby also made a guest appearance listing his favorite camping gear. Keep in mind, Kevin really enjoys the camping experience (from the organizing to the cooking) and I enjoy sitting back and letting my senses take it all in! Our list should be a good balance of the comforts and passions of camping.

My camping favorites:

This backpack is made from something called Vinylon, making it dirt-resistant, water-resistant, and wipes clean. This is now the backpack we take with on all our adventures!

A hammock is how we teach the art of relaxing to our children when in the great outdoors.

This is the tent I’d recommend for a family of 4-6 people. It’s simple enough for our 7-year-old to set up, and has been through several storms, and never let us down.

Those little ties at the top of your tent, it’s meant to hang this. IMO, it’s one of the the best simple inventions when it comes to camping.

For me, this sleeping pad is a must! It would probably be the first thing I’d suggest you purchase - definitely before the purchase of a sleeping bag, and maybe even before the tent ;)

As for warmth in the tent and next to the fire, I take this cozy wool blanket along.

When in nature the kids naturally keep themselves busy, but when looking for a structured activity as a family we always gravitate to this game, where any age can get involved!

My least favorite part of camping is not having my own bathroom, but having dry shampoo and face wipes really help with making minimal trips to the bathroom.

And when you do have to attempt that middle of the night trip to the bathroom, DO NOT do it without a headlamp. Your welcome.

Kevin’s camping favorites (written by Kevin)

*These items are for car camping, not hiking:

Sitting around the campfire making s’mores with the kids is a must do - might as well do it in comfort. This rocking chair is awesome. They make several different versions - we chose this one because it collapses into a sleeve, making it easier to carry to soccer games.

You’ve got to keep food cold, especially the meat. This RTIC cooler does the job for a fraction of the cost of a YETI. One note, if you’re using your cooler to keep the beer cold and plan on opening and closing the cooler a lot, go for a cheaper cooler… even high-end coolers can’t fight an open lid.

Nothing is a more versatile cooking tool than a dutch oven. Lodge makes THE go to camp dutch ovens. Be sure to get a camp version, which have three legs allowing for charcoal to be placed underneath. Don’t forget the lid lifter and tongs. Don’t be intimidated… there are a ton of videos online that teach you how to cook using a dutch oven. Already know how?, this is my go to spot for recipes.

If you’re using a dutch oven, you’re going to need coals. This starter chimney is amazing. Its large size ensures you’ll have plenty of coals and the whole “science” behind heat rising makes lighting coals without the use of lighter fluid a breeze.

And, if we’re really going to get serious about dutch oven cooking, this cooking table is awesome. It collapses for easy transport, has a wind screen that helps keep coals hot, is sturdy enough to stack up to four ovens at one time and serves as a place to tell this kids “stay away from this table, it’s hot!”

Disposable plates, cups, and cutlery take up room in the car, generate garbage that you need to pack out and are just not great for the environment. A mess kit per person solves for all of this. This mess kit is one of my favorite, as it doesn’t use an all in one “spork,” allowing you to eat like an adult, is made of stainless steel instead of plastic and has a bag to store everything together.

I keep everything stored in this camp kitchen. It allows me to just grab it from the garage and go when packing the car, keeps everything organized at camp and provides a place for my camp stove.

Speaking of camp stoves, this stove does the trick. Starts without needing a lighter or match, is big enough for two skillets, is fairly easy to clean and has decent temperature control compared to other camp stoves.

If you’ve got some room in the car, this turkey frying kit is a luxury worth packing. Not for cooking turkeys, but rather, a source of hot water for cleaning dishes, washing hands or washing your face at the end of the day.

and Kevin :)

My secret to life

Show up!

The act of simply showing up, I believe, is the best way we can show someone they are loved, and in turn, love ourselves.

This is my strength. Some years it’s been stronger than others of course. Those 10 years of pregnancy and nursing were hard y’all. But I still knew my priorities in “showing up”.

Kindness, honesty, compassion, grit, loyalty, trustworthy - I believe all these qualities simply come from showing up.

A friend recently came from out of town to surprise and support me as I hosted my first Noonday party! The love she brought me will stay with me and our friendship forever!

I’ve dropped everything a couple times to fly across the country and show up when I knew emotional support was needed. One of those trips was seriously life-altering.

I believe every day showing up for your family and friends can turn life’s simple pleasures into magic.

Over the weekend I showed up for my husband by planning an unique date night out. On Sunday our family made the choice of showing up at a friend’s dinner invite, instead of our plans to attend another Halloween trunk-or-treat. On Monday we showed up as a family cheering for our daughter’s friend at her last volleyball game. I cried when they had the girls run to their parents to hug them to show their appreciation. Today my husband and I showed up to vote, and showed up for our preschooler giving him a special one-on-one date! And this weekend our family of 6 will be involved in cooking for a family going through some change.

The act of “showing up” will look a little different for each of us.

I’m someone who loves the comforts of my home, and I understand how showing up can be extremely hard for some people. I make a choice to make the efforts and my bucket always feels full in the end!

If there is a secret to life, I think this could be it.

AND of course this includes showing up for yourself!