Dig This Reunion.

After uploading photos from last week, I was at first a little bummed that I missed a lot.  I'm usually so good at remembering to take photos, and here I was enjoying a memorable week with very special people we don't get to see very often, and I forgot to capture things I would have loved to preserve.  Like that one night our kids piled into the hot tub together or the following morning when they wore princess dresses to the beach. 

But after I edited twelve good photos from our time with friends last week and uploaded them for this post, I stopped to notice that the "upload complete" page told a very nice story.  Twelve photos--three rows of four--summarizing everything I wanted to remember.  An album of connection and friendship. 



I met Nici through blogging shortly after I started Enjoying the Small Things and, after e-mailing and talking for a couple years, I finally met her in person when the girls and I traveled across the continent to spend a week with her family in Montana in 2010.  It was very this-should-be-weird-but-it's-not.  We immediately connected--from that first hug shared at the Missoula airport terminal, the one that lasted longer than most hugs do.  And the rest is history. 

We used to joke about how funny it was that we became such good friends because, on paper, we were "so different."  But I don't know what that really means now.  I mean, I guess she grows her own food, sews her own clothes, and her kids eat stuff my kids won't.  But those are just itty bitty things that don't define us.  What does is that we both love adventure and finding new ways to connect.  We enjoy spending time with our kids, being creative, nuturing our families, writing about life and learning from people around us.

Tomatoes, Tomahtos, we're really pretty much the same people.  (recurring theme: ding ding ding ding ding!) 

I do know that my friendship with Nici has taught me a lot about tearing down my own walls.  Because sometimes when I see someone do something differently than me, I conceal my curiosity with judgment.  Like maybe I assume she thinks she's better than me because her kids eat tofu and spinach every day and don't know all the Nick Jr. characters by heart like mine do. 

I think most of our "I bet they think they're better than me" assumptions have nothing to do with them and everything to do with us.  And no one can make us feel crappy about the way we parent, what we eat, how we tend to our marriage, where we shop, how we spend our money or what kind of person we are--no one but ourselves. 

All this to say, there was a time when I thought that maybe Nici coming to Naples and seeing us in our not-so-Missoula-ish glory might not be a good idea.  I mean, we live in a subdivision for Pete's sake.  I thought maybe she'd judge us, but what that sentence really means is that I judged us.  And that's silly. 

It's sort of this awesome little path I'm on lately (lately, as in the past thirty-four years):  the less I judge myself, the more I accept other people for who they are.  Win, win.

So here we are, two life-loving creatives from two different places on the planet.  I live in a subdivision, she lives in the mountains.  I believe in God, she believes in the Universe.  I shop at Publix, she shops her garden.

But we love each other.  And we're curious about each other's lives and what we are learning. 


woods selfie


So last week, my friend and her beautiful family arrived to Naples.  And I was all "Oh my God, you are in my house.  You are tripping over toys in our Sanford and Son garage.  You are in my closet trading shoes with me." 



Our kids picked up where they left off.


Heidi's bathroom turned Merle Norman

And so did we.


Dinner at Heidi's

I toyed with the idea of exposing them to as much of Naples as we could fit in a few days but settled with the much more doable plan of just the best.  Which leaves us at the beach.  With cool people.








And an epic sleepover that took all the elements of a sweet sixteen party (ghost stories--we each have real ones, laughing, three girls to a bed, finally hitting the pillow around 4 am) and balanced them out with good grown-up stuff. Like things we've been through, things we're learning, things we hope to overcome.  Beer that isn't preceded by Root. 



This mama means so much to me, and what an incredible week we enjoyed.

My friend Nici and her family fit well into our little subdivision.  Her mountain kids played with my beach kids and her Slinky curls took to our humidity. 

I'm so glad, way back when, we focused on our sameness. 
Or we would have missed the chance to learn from our differences. 

I dig this chick.

Make People Happy

When we feel vulnerable and unequipped to make things better both in our own lives and in those around us, there's a small place where we can begin. 

To all those in Oklahoma and to those affected by yesterday's devastation, you are in our thoughts and prayers.

Someone sent me this video today.  Zach Sobiech, the amazing young man featured in this short film, passed away yesterday.  His enthusiasm and kindness will be remembered.  This video was twenty-two minutes well spent.

I love what Zach concludes at the end:  It's simple.  Just make people happy.

That, I can do.  When I don't exactly know what to do, I can begin by brightening someone's day. 



And to do a little more today for the victims of the Oklahoma tornadoes, consider donating to the Red Cross by texting REDCROSS to 90999 to donate $10 or see a list of organizations helping in relief efforts here.

I am remembering tonight that so much is out of our control.  And that thought can paralyze us or fuel us to value and make the very best of what we can control. 

Sending love and sharing our hearts with those whose hearts are broken tonight.

Six Years: Secret Agent Party

It's been an event filled week--the kind that seems impossible to hold all that it did; but here we are, the Monday after, and there's a mind cellar full of newly canned memories to last us a very long time.  Thank God I got the analogy of the day over with.  That was stressing me out.  Moving along...
More later on reuniting with old friends.  For now, someone had a birthday this weekend--the little someone who transformed years of dreaming about being a mama into reality.

Our girl is six. 

After my dad gave her a giant fake diamond for Christmas and we used it as a prop in "Find the Missing Diamond" secret agent games, she decided she wanted a secret agent birthday party this year.



And my dad thought it was so cool that Lainey was born in 2007, the last three digits being 007, of course. Whoa, right?  I mean, we had to do the secret agent thing at some point.  So, a roll of crime scene tape and a few fake passports later, we had ourselves a TOP SECRET soiree for the C.I.A.'s newest agents.




Cupcake toppers: Top My Cupcake Etsy shop



With utmost attention to protecting the agency's classified files, all new secret agent recruits were welcomed with thorough background checks.  Alias creation (ranging from sophisticated names like Rebecca to imaginative alternatives like Sparkle and Stink Bomb), fingerprinting, print scanning--we don't mess around here at the C.I.A. 






Very cool app called Finger Scan that makes you feel all Mission Impossible.











Once all agents were cleared, we set off to follow a series of clues to solve the mysterious case of The Missing Diamonds. 






Left: A password hidden in one of the agent's hats.

After finding some evidence of shed fur, a few dog food kernels and a leash hanging from the tree, the agents concluded Sophie & Latte stole the diamonds.  Until a sweet little wide-eyed girl piped up, "But how could dogs steal diamonds?  They don't have any hands!"  This is true.  This is true. 

But they have good digging paws which came in handy when those sneaky dogs buried the diamonds in the woods.











Moral of the Story:  Kids are smart.  Or something like that. 

And the rest goes something like a good party means the house gets trashed.  I'm still picking up from the house being overtaken by little agents, but it was worth it.


Inexpensive table cloths: Cover tables with butcher paper, stamp it everywhere with a CONFIDENTIAL stamp, roll a line of crime scene tape down the middle.









And look--our youngest agent. 



Coincidentally, this weekend's recruit training included sleeping through the night for him (twice!). So yes, Agent Dash has been promoted.



I'm finding mustaches stuck to everything, and Lainey now wants every activity to include clues.  But it was a good day followed by a sweet night of remembering just how incredible these past six years have been.



Kids clothes have a toddler "T" that follows all the sizes until size 6.  Then it just stands there all alone, no "T" to soften the blow of this-kid's-getting-big.  It comes with so much good though, and as she grows, so do we. 

Another birthday.  More Love.

Happy Monday, Friends.

******

Party Details: 

All print goods I made.  I used Top Secret free font from DaFont.
Fedoras, magnifying glasses, passports, glasses (popped out the sunglass lenses), white lunch boxes, mustaches, black notebook and pen sets: all Oriental Trading.
T-shirts: 5-pack white Hanes t-shirts, painted black tie.
Party Music: Downloaded Mission Impossible and Secret Agent tunes from iTunes

And thank you to Heidi who took most of the pictures in this post so I could tend to C.I.A. duties.

New Disney Story App

This post is sponsored by Disney Story. To find out more about this brand-new story-creation app - and how it puts the power of storytelling in your hands - click here.


If a picture's worth a thousand words, then a number of pictures pieced together to tell a story is worth--well, maybe a book.  Always interested in fun (and easy!) ways we can tell our family's stories with photos, I'm loving the new Disney Story app which gives you a new way to set free and share the stories locked up on your phone.

Summer vacations, birthday parties, a fun night with friends, first ballet recital--Disney Story app allows you to take your phone photos and videos of these events, easily drag them into "storybook pages," add your own text and captions, customize your layout and share your storybook with whomever you'd like with a touch of a button.

We quickly made a story of a recent trip to the beach. It took only a moment to create, and what would otherwise be some disjointed photos and videos of a great evening has been quickly pieced together to create a virtual storybook, easily shared with family and friends.


Click here to see on Disney Story site.


Download the Disney Story app from iTunes--for FREE--right here!

Disney Story Twitter

Disney Story Facebook

ETST Behind the Business: Lua Handbags

My friend Lola--just a hop, skip and a jump across the state--is back in sponsorship, bringing her beautiful, functional camera totes with her. 

Lua Handbags are handmade, durable and designed by the talented Lola who offers a collection of fun fabrics and designs.

Mine has been lugged across the country--from San Diego to New York--and has held my camera, extra lenses as well as all my day-to-day necessities like diapers, wallet, phone, etc. and it's still in great shape.



And my camera clutch is perfect for smaller outings (looks like a purse yet cushioned to protect) or great to throw in a bigger beach bag.



Lua Handbags also offers the new Cross Body Bag, great for professional shoots when you want your gear close by--but still fun for everyday use. 

I've had the opportunity to meet Lola in person.  She's a loving mama of two who's rocking out her business dreams at home.  More behind the business with Lola:


*****




Q.) I have both a Lua handbag and clutch and love them both for different reasons. What went into the design of these bags and what were key features you wanted to be sure to include in their creation?

As a photographer and a busy mom of two kids under three years old, I was always carrying my camera and "lots of stuff" with me, without a proper place for my camera. And I certainly didn't want to carry an extra bag for my camera, so I decided to combine them and created the "Lua Bag": a large bag, big enough to carry your camera and extra lenses, and still have space for other "stuff" (diapers, snacks, wallet, keys, etc.)

The cross body is the "professional photographer" version. Same design as the bag. Just a bit smaller with outside pockets and a side strap, meant to be worn while shooting if needed.

The clutch is the "to-go" camera bag. You can take it on its own, or you can place it inside any other bag. It is perfect for vacations, beach trips, and/or every day outings.


Q.) I've taken my Lua bag on several trips and loaded it up, and it's still in excellent shape. What's the secret behind its durability?

Yay, that makes me so happy!!!! The secret: that it is handcrafted here in Fort Lauderdale with lots of love :), extra attention to detail, and that we use quality materials.

Q.) How did you go from teacher mama to mama who creates awesome camera handbags?

I always loved photography and dreamed about becoming a professional photographer. Before becoming a Special Ed teacher I went to school for fashion design where I fell in love with fabrics in general. Then I worked as a Special Education teacher for 5 years, and always had a camera in hand. After my son was born (second child), I stopped working as a teacher, decided to stay at home with my children and made the leap to merge two of my passions photography and fashion. Lua Handbags was created.

Q.) The name behind the business?

Lua is my daugther's (firstborn) middle name. :)


*****

Lola is offering 15% off any bag for the month of May, using Code ETST.

Welcome Lua Handbags!

Check out the Lua Facebook Page as well.

The Middle Parts

Yesterday ended up serving as a perfect microcosm of motherhood itself, the bookends of challenging morning and evening routines outlining the hearty middle parts of sleeping babies resting on shoulders, small hands reached out for bigger hands in invitations to come explore, and staccato little girl laughter that seemed to never end.

What started as a day with a trip to Walmart--three kids piled in a cart, one crying; a bottle propped up to feed the baby; and a foam Funoodle that wouldn't stay put in the cart--and ended with poor Nella who woke up twice in the night needing her mama; was filled in the middle with good.  Lots of it.  Some of that good we worked to create but most of it fell naturally into place.



Our favorite spot on the Isles of Capri offered only a skinny stretch of beach yesterday--the rest of it covered by high tide.  But we worked with what we were given, moving our blanket from dry spot to dry spot throughout the day and scattering a line of rainbow-colored toys along what we're completely aggrandizing by calling it a beach.  It was a strip of sand, really.  But we create our own reality, and to my kids it's a beach with shallow water for wading and dense sand for digging and hidden treasures for discovering--like broken shells and harmless jellyfish.









And friends.







My kids were covered in sand last night--every inch of 'em sugared with sand that gradually fell off in the carseat, on car mats, onto the garage floor and in a long trail along our tile that finally led to the bathtub.



And with kids finally bathed, beach bags unpacked (or not), wet towels hung out and a few shoulder spots that missed sunscreen patted down with aloe, we ended our day last night exhausted yet satisfied.

I think those two words describe this whole thing pretty well--exhausted yet satisfied.


Red suit, Popina Swimwear



I love what these babies bring to the middle of my days.





We'll continue to search for neglected skinny sand stretches and turn them into colorful beaches. Accept challenging bookends to our days and fill them with happy middles. Take what we've been given and add to it, creating our desired outcome when we can.



And that might come out as a vague metaphor but I'm smiling thinking of about a hundred situations I know I can apply it to right this moment.

Hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day.