planner tips

PLANNER / PENS

My friend sent me this funny meme because every year around this time (and also in August with back to school) I get REAL into my planner. Then it sort of fizzles out, and then I pick it back up. The thing is though, when I start using it again my brain feels so much freer from all the little things I'm carrying around in my mind. I have a whole post here about monthly planning, but a few quick tips for the new year are below.

PLANNER TIPS:

1. No one planner is going to solve it all for you. Find one that you like and USE it. I'm trying this new one this year I picked up on a whim at The Container Store. I like how it's not too much extra stuff. Just space for notes or to dos for each day and a quick 2 pages of goal setting at the beginning. Oh and love the pocket in the back and the book mark band!

PLANNER

2. I don't write in our recurring appointments. I know what time my kids go to school. I know that we have speech on Tuesdays and dance on Thursdays. I use an online calendar too with my husband, so for my planner I use it more for daily to-dos and any one-off things I need to remember like dentist appointments, lunches, deadlines, etc.

3. Delegating tasks to each day of the week is much better for me than one giant to-do list. One big list is overwhelming. Two or three to-dos a day is doable. 

4. Batch your tasks. I try to have one day that is super computer heavy, one day of errands, and one day of home projects. It's hard for me to transition between tasks so if I'm doing similar things all day long it gives me an easier flow. Fewer transitions means less distraction.

PLANNER

5. I use the notes section like a journal. I take notes during our church sermons and like to revisit them. I write them in on Sunday's section or on the monthly notes pages. I keep all my planners year after year as a way to remember what we did - and now I also have the quotes, verses, and mantras that were important to me at that time.

6. 15 minutes weekly will help your sanity. On Sundays or even Monday mornings, I take time to look at my google calendar, fill in my planner, and pencil in to-dos for each day of the upcoming week. This quick week-at-a-glance time is so helpful for me. I meal plan, set goals for workouts, and check-in with Al about the week.

7. You don't have to have a plan for each day. Have a flex day. I try to leave one day fairly empty as a catch-up day for anything that didn't get done that week. Same for meals. I aim to cook 3 times a week with at least one meal providing leftovers. I know at least one evening we'll grab something or feed the kids eggs and pancakes and door dash something for us. Flex days help you not feel like you’re failing when the plan just doesn’t happen.

8. A new pack of pretty pens helps. I’m liking these!

PLANNER

I hope this helps jumpstart your year friends! One of my goals is to do fewer things better and this planner reset is helping me do just that.

SHOP THIS POST

Savoring This Season

Beautiful custom art from KR Custom Art. This was based on our chRISTMAS as card photo this year!

Hi, My name is Katie and I’m a worrier. My favorite things to worry about are things I cannot control, like time. I’ve been like this as long as I can remember. Tests, trips, life changes, really anything that throws a wrench in my routine fills me with worry. I’m not a doomsday worrier - I’m not hoarding food for the end of the world or building a bunker to hide from zombies. I’m more of a, “oh gosh this big new thing that will cause change is coming up and how is it going to be and what will I do and how will I react and am I prepared and do I know enough?” sort of worrier. 

You know what fretting about change and time does to you once you become a parent? It compounds it by one hundred million bajillion (those are scientific numbers based on a personal study of one). Think about it - the whole parenting experience is a ride of wanting and worry. Trying to conceive, being pregnant, having a newborn, negotiating with a toddler, and raising children into respectable, self sufficient human beings is…ALOT. For me personally, I tend to bounce between a looping track in my head that wonders if I’m doing any of it right, with interjections of pure ache that my kids are changing just as I got comfortable in their stage. It’s a real mind F, isn’t it - parenting? Just as you finally feel confident, they go and grow and make you hit play on the worry track once again.

For the past 15 years or so, I have been a next-stage kind of gal. When I was dating my now husband, all I could focus on was when we would get engaged. When I was engaged all I could focus on was starting our life and having kids. When I had a newborn, all I could think about was the day they would sleep through the night or crawl or walk or eat solids. But now, as I just rounded the corner of my mid thirties, I am becoming a last-stage person. Now all I want is to go backwards. To go back to when I had a toddler and a baby. To go back to when life seemed simpler. Hindsight is always twenty twenty, because when I was in the thick of it I so badly longed for the day when I would have kids in school and could write again. And here I am finally with time to write and I write about how I want to have babies at home. What a kerfuffle I have created in my mind.

Word of The Year

All of this is a very long introduction to my word of the year. Now that it’s February, it felt like I should finally declare my word. Because writing it down makes it real, right? If you’re new, I’ve written about my words of the year previously here and here. I use my word of the year to remind me of my intention and overarching goal for the year. I somehow work in into passwords I use frequently, tape the definition to my bathroom mirror, and sometimes even put the word on a bracelet.

As I feel all of the aforementioned feelings of worry and wanting for time to slow down, I was trying to find a word that was the antithesis of worry. My therapist* reminds me a lot when I get into these worry spirals about the future to just, “be where my feet are,” meaning just stay present. I literally stop and press each of my toes into the floor as a physical way to re-root to the moment. I nearly settled on gratitude for my word because another technique I’ve learned from therapy is to stop the train of thought at the positive. Rather than thinking, “Oh wow, this moment with my kids is so special, but oh no they are growing and it won’t be this way again,” I just stop the thought and end it with gratitude. Instead I think, “oh wow this time with my kids is so special. I am so thankful for this moment.”

*A quick note on therapy: I started therapy again (did it a bit in my early twenties) a year ago and it has made such an impact on my life. You don’t have to be in deep despair to benefit from therapy. I am a firm believer that it could improve every single person’s life as a way to enhance the positives and better understand the negatives of our personalities and tendencies.

“Gratitude”. Felt like a real winner of a word. I even had this bracelet made after this kind company contacted me (go check out their stuff! Beautiful pieces. Make great gifts). But I just didn’t feel in my gut that that word was “the one”. I felt like I needed something more visceral. Because the deep sorrow (really that’s how it feels - that my babies are growing and time is moving on and I can’t stop it or change it) is so overpowering at times that I completely miss the moments that I’m worried are fleeting. 

“Because the deep sorrow (really that’s how it feels - that my babies are growing and time is moving on and I can’t stop it or change it) is so overpowering at times that I completely miss the moments that I’m worried are fleeting.”

I need to stop and savor these times. I need to throw up a shield at that voice in my head (enneagram 1 here, hi hello from the voice in my head) that tells me all of this good will go away and just SAVOR it all. Our friend Merriam-Webster defines Savor as “to delight in: enjoy” (this of course is after the first definition that relates to tasting food which also feels on brand for me). 

I LOVE this article by my pretend fairy godmother, Brené Brown about dress rehearsing tragedy. Which is exactly what I do. She writes, “When we're overwhelmed by love, we feel vulnerable—so we dress-rehearse tragedy.” I don’t really imagine terrible things happening to my kids like she alludes to in the article, but moreover just fret about the fact that they have the be molded and guided to live up to their full potential and that responsibility is mine and each day that they grow, I have less and less time to help and be with them.

So many tools of Brené Brown’s that I’ve learned over the years help stop this fear of the next shoe dropping, the first being “Name It To Tame It”. Just stating that “I feel sad that time is changing the way things are” helps me connect with myself and my husband and pause to relish in these moments of good. Phrases like, “this is so great,” or, “this is everything we prayed for,” or “I’m having real fun!” allow me to savor this season.

Five Year Journal

My husband and I both are trying harder to start a practice of gratitude. We have had a lot come at us in the past two years, and through the grief our biggest take away is that life is short and every day counts. I received this this Five Year Journal for Christmas. Each evening, we reflect and I write down the good parts of the day. Little things the kids did or said, how I was feeling, even things that do worry me are written out for commemoration. Each page is a day with a spot for five years so over time you can go back and see how your days compare. It’s neat and I hope some day my kids enjoy reading it.

As I write this, my kids are destroying the playroom as snow (ice) falls outside. We are all still in our pajamas and I plan to serve granola bars and apple sauce for lunch. This disorderliness at one time would have driven me mad or made me feel like I wasn’t doing it right, but instead I’m just sitting in it. I’m savoring this season of messy playrooms, packing lunches, and tremendous growth. I am so thankful that each day I fall asleep with the luxury that the life we have is the life I always wanted. Yes, the heartache still looms near - that this season is in fact “the good old days” and it too will sail away soon, but I am choosing to savor it as long as I can.

Cheers to 11 more months of 2022. It’s not too late to pick a word and hone in your desires for the year. If you need help, some of my words from previous years have been “steady” (2021), “cultivate” (2020), “slow” (2019), “presence” (2018), “accept” (2017), “love and hope” (2016), and “new” (2015).  Also, click here for a playlist I created that really captivates these times I want to hold so close. It’s called “Core Memories” (if you’ve seen Disney Pixar’s Inside Out you’ll get that reference).

If you like these kind of articles, I’ve written similar ones you may enjoy reading. On Distraction, on Having a Special Needs Kid, on Looking for Signs, and That Time I Lost My Son.

My Week Off Social Media

My Week Off Social Media:

How I Started My Undistracted Life

The title alone of this makes it sound as if taking a week off social media is the equivalent to summer vacation or some other 6th grade essay prompt. But rather than “What I Did On My Summer Break,” I’m writing “What I Did On My Instagram Break”. The ironic part is that the two - summer break and instagram break - aren’t that different from each other. They both provide respite and a slow-down. And after a whirlwind December, that was exactly what I needed. 

Before we get in to what I did (or didn’t do) without social media, it’s important to understand how I used social media. Not only do I use Instagram for pleasure and to fill in the lulls of my day, I also use it for my job and an income. So I am on the app A LOT. I have been fairly good at setting boundaries with it - for instance, I put my phone away at night to just enjoy time with my husband after our kids go down for bed. At the beginning of 2021, I had gotten very good about not looking at my phone first thing in the morning, but that habit faded away seemingly unnoticed sometime in March. 

It’s important to note that I don’t think social media is bad. I’m not one of those people who thinks it’s a terrible tool that the government and advertisers use to track our behavior (it very may well be, but have at it, Big Brother, while you see just how many times I purchase things from Amazon). The thing with social media, for me, is that it was my go-to distraction tool. Have five minutes before pick up? Scroll. Hate folding clothes and want to avoid the task? Scroll. Open my phone to email or text someone and see a notification? Forget what I’m doing and scroll. 

The distraction of scrolling Instagram made me even me more distracted in other areas of life. It would send me down several different rabbit holes and trains of thought until by the end of my busy day, after posting links and shuttling kids, scrolling and scrolling, my brain was left fried and frazzled. I was doing less writing and opening more browser tabs. I would forget words to common items. I would look at my husband while he was talking to me, but really would be adding to the running list in my head of things to do. The constant influx of new topics, new pretty things, new accounts I followed, new DMs, new funny videos were all leaving me mentally exhausted and completely DISTRACTED. 

A huge tool to my social media detox was the book Indistractable by Nir Eyal. In his book, the author explains how and why we get distracted (spoiler alert: it’s to escape pain / doing something we dislike) and tools we can use to reframe and retrain our thoughts to overcome distraction. I appreciated that he didn’t just advocate quitting social media altogether, because if you remove one distraction, you just replace it with another. He writes,

“Unless we deal with the root causes of our distraction, we’ll continue to find ways to distract ourselves. Distraction, it turns out, isn’t about the distraction itself; rather, it’s about how we respond to it.” -Nir Eyal, Indistractable

His book and my week offline have changed the way I view my habits and my will power.

As I read Mr. Eyal’s book, I realized that the main trigger for my distraction is during Liminal Moments, or transitions from one thing to the other throughout the day. As a mom with two small children, it feels like I have many, many liminal moments during my day. I have a hard time beginning tasks because I know I’ll be needed shortly so I just sit and wait for the next time to be needed thus creating a stream of liminal moments interspersed by snack times and pick up times and bed times. It’s no wonder I often felt as if I never accomplished anything during the day. I didn’t. I scrolled in between tending to other’s needs, leaving me simultaneously restless and burnt out. 

So if transition times were my downfall, I needed to be more intentional with my time. It wasn’t that I was looking to not scroll at all, but I needed to scroll less when I should be doing more. Enter, Time Blocking. I’ll share more about this here in a minute - but I set my timer for one hour to write and I’m now at the end of that hour. :) 

And we’re back. Day two of my time blocking (or as Mr. Eyal calls it time boxing) schedule and I am already loving it. Mr. Eyal mentions in his book, Indistractable, that,

“a blank schedule and a mile-long to-do list torment us with two many choices.” Whereas, “limitations give us structure.”

Time blocking (as I call it) is just that - blocking time for certain tasks. I’m only on day two of this experiment and I can attest that I feel more accomplished and rooted versus flying by the seat of my pants, so to speak, from one thing on my list to another. 

The author suggests, “eliminating all white space in your calendar so you’re left with a template for how you intend to spend your time each day.” I have been doing this but keeping 15-30 minute windows between tasks. Yes, I realize I’m basically building in liminal moments which was my distraction downfall, but I’ve found that setting aside this time - I’ve been referring to it as “Wander Time” - allows me the freedom to let my brain wander. During Wander Time I can order that thing on Amazon that I keep remembering while in the shower, or return a phone call that I ignored because I was in the middle of a time block, or delete a bunch of junk emails, or browse through the new arrivals at H&M. When I log back into social media next week, I plan to use these small chunks of time to get my scroll-fix. By building in this time to let my brain go down the rabbit holes that it so loves, I can scratch that itch, but I know it has an end time. When the next time block begins the phone goes down, the email window is closed and I solely focus on that next task. 

I realize this is not rocket science, but for me I already feel so much more intentional with my time. I have also realized I can accomplish a lot less than I expected in a day. I use to get so down on myself for not ticking more items off my list, but in actuality, when you plot it all out with how much time you can devote to each task you realize you can only fit so much into one day (important to note that you don’t have to block enough time to complete the task, but just begin or progress on it). 

Finally, because I know I’m getting wordy here (if you’re new, welcome to the latest episode of Katie Can’t Be Concise), my goal going forward is to time block something from each of the three life domains - work, relationships, self. It may seem silly to block out specific time for being with family, but honestly hanging out with my kids is often when I would pick up my phone the most. Ouch, just writing that hurts me. What a terrible example I’ve been giving them. By setting aside time to just BE with my kids rather than around my kids while also trying to do five other things, I’m more present and deliberate as a parent. I am finding I enjoy them more because they’re not interrupting me trying to multi task and I notice more of their beautiful souls and unique personalities. I savor them. Which is the whole reason I wanted to be less distracted - to notice more the things that matter most.

If you came here for a more tangible list of “Things I Did on my Social Media Break”, here you go. On my week long break from social media I…

• Unpacked from all of our December trips (we still hadn’t unpacked from Beverly Hills!)

• Put away Christmas gifts

• Set out 7,000 boxes for bulk trash (an exaggeration, but not by much)

• Put away the Christmas decorations

• Put back up and moved around some non-Christmas decor. (Love how fresh and clean everything feels now!)

• Completed and submitted my passport renewal paperwork

• Purchased this year in a glance white board calendar

• Purchased this time blocking timer

• Purchased and wore every other day this sweat suit

• Played mah Jong with friends

• Changed the art on our Frame TV (on sale right btw)

• Restyled our office shelves and Deacon’s bedroom shelf

• Played around with my new Dyson Air Wrap

• Organized our photos with these boxes

• Archived kid art with these large divided folios

• Finalized details for Emilia’s birthday party this month

• Made a playlist of mellow soul-filling songs that remind me of Core Memories.

• Unsubscribed from every email that came in my inbox that I no longer wished to receive

• Watched Don’t Look Up, The Shrink Next Door, Encanto, and Emily In Paris

• Took the kids to the dentist

• Organized my jewelry with my new Bow & Sprig Christmas gift

• Rested

• Set up the kids’ Tonies Boxes

• Read 3/4 of Indistractable, 1/2 of Not All Diamond and Rose, and listened entirely to The Midnight Library. (I give 5 stars to all three. They are all so wonderful. And I think listening to The Midnight Library while also reading Indistractable - not at the same time, but during the same time period haha - really proved to be thought provoking on how I want to live my one root life.)

• Browsed and cooked from The New Defined Dish Cookbook

• Worked out 4 times - hot yoga sculpt and Peloton

• Went to the Sauna

• Thought about my word for the year - more on that soon!

TLDR (mom, that means “too long, didn’t read): taking a week off social media helped me understand my distractions (constantly scrolling) and the reason for them (boredom, to avoid “pain” i.e. tasks I don’t want to do). It helped me refocus my time and evaluate the relationship between my time and my to-dos. I learned the life changing skill of Time Blocking. And more importantly, I gave my brain a break from the constant bombardment of new topics and instead focused less on the good online and more on the good around me.

I am feeling so intentional and powerful as we enter this next year. I hope to write more, connect more, and continue to improve myself and those around me. Blessings to each of you that you take hold of your life and your time more in 2022 and make it exactly what you want. Cheers friends!

XO,

Katie

Lily Mayo Rose

After almost eleven years and a fierce fight with lymphoma, we said goodbye yesterday to our French Bulldog, Lily Mayo “Lily Girl”. After a hell of a year for our family, our literal creature of comfort, the one who has snuggled next to us through all of the tears and heartache is now added to the list of those unfortunately missing from our lives. 

Sure she was just a dog. And sure I complained about her scooting her rear end on my Turkish rugs. And sure she was allergic to everything outdoors. And sure she had a “puffy front bottom” that needed extra cleaning. But she was our gross, allergic, special pup. 

Lily was ours before we even married. Coming to us from Oklahoma (her given name was “Cameo” in a litter with siblings “Star”, “Shine” and the like), she arrived to New York City on December 30, 2010 and Alex took the most expensive car service we’d ever paid for at the time to pick her up from LaGuardia. When I opened our apartment door to see her for the first time, I dropped to my knees and declared her “even better than I thought she’d be!”. We immediately changed her name because it was eminently clear that she would play much more than just a cameo role in our lives.

Lily Mayo Rose. Lily because that was what I wanted to name my daughter before I married a “Rose”, and you can’t really name a human being Lily Rose. Middle name Mayo after a term of endearment Al and I called each other (we really love condiments). Lily Mayo Rose lived it up in New York City. She attended birthday parties for friends - human and k9, had her own epic 1st birthday bash at Shake Shack, and crashed every Friendsgiving by falling asleep on the table. 

Lily was the star of The Rose Record 1.0 and would often get recognized at the Madison Square Park Dog Run, from where she would refuse to walk home and we would awkwardly carry her like a toddler the six blocks home. We once purchased a Baby Bjorn-like contraption called a Pup To Go and I wore my dog on my chest proudly like the guy from The Hangover. She made it in both West Elm and Pure Wow ads, stopped to get love from every doorman ever, and linked us up with some of the best humans ever who became not just dog-walkers, but family to us.

Our move to Texas put Lily in a new role - that of chief coddler of our family. She was my companion in a town where I hardly knew anyone, keeping me and my growing baby bump company at all times. The heat was not her favorite. And we quickly learned she was allergic to most kinds of grass (and still to the very end preferred to do her business on the concrete like a true city dog). But neither the heat nor the grass were things an Uppababy Stroller with a 40 pound limit on the lower canopy couldn’t solve. And then all of the sudden it seemed she became a senior dog with two bouncing kids poking and hugging her, feeding her snacks, and providing endless Happy Meal Toys to steal and chew.

As with most dog mothers who end up having human babies, Lily got pushed to the back burner at times. But that’s not to say she wasn’t welcomed right up next to me as the little spoon to my big each night in bed. She knew she wasn’t always the star, but she never lost her main character energy. And if she ever did need some attention, she’d just rip a seconds-long fart making sure all within earshot or smell-shot knew she was not to be forgotten.

Lily sat by our sides in comfort and solidarity through law school finals, wedding planning, late working nights, a miscarriage, the loss of a parent, contractions that lasted days, bringing home two babies, middle of the night feedings, middle of the night toddlers, and on and on for all the moments that makeup a life. Her intuition was keen; she knew when one of us was sick before we did and she never let a delivery man show up without ample notification (although always lowering her bark volume during nap time because she just knew!).

She hated vacuums, nail clippers, and being alone. She loved laps, barefoot dreams blankets, and staying in the bed as long as possible. She smelled. She licked. She tooted. She snuggled. She did that little head tilt. She was there, always. 

Saying goodbye to her yesterday was unbearably hard, but we are at peace knowing she is no longer struggling. Deacon and Emilia drew her pictures, talked in their puppy/baby voice, and gave her her final kisses before we said goodbye for now. When I was putting Deacon to bed last night, he rolled over and said “I know she was only one person, but now half our family is missing.” Early math skills aside, it does feel like a big whole hunk of our family is gone. Lily Girl was a huge constant in all of our lives.

Lily Girl, it’s quiet here now. No little prancing paws checking all the rooms for all of your people. Our house and our family will now always feel a little bit empty. Thank you for your boundless amounts of love and comfort. We love you Lily Girl. See you on the other side. 

Rosewood Mayakoba Review

A few weeks ago my husband and I stayed at The Rosewood Mayakoba in Mexico for our ten year wedding anniversary. The experience was unlike any previous Mexico vacation we’d had before. I shared quite a bit about it on instagram (highlight saved here), but I promised a full blog post recapping every thing for those of you who may want to refer back while planning your own visit.

ROSEWOOD MAYKOBA - THE AREA & RESORT

The Mayakoba area of Mexico is about a 40 minute drive from the Cancun (CUN) airport and is situated on the Yucatan peninsula. It has three different habitats - white sandy beaches, twisty jungle-like mangroves, and clearwater lagoons. There are several resorts along the Mayakoba stretch, but we chose to stay at The Rosewood for its beautiful grounds and top notch service; it was our ten year anniversary after all.

The Rosewood Mayakoba’s property contains all three of those ecosystems. They have a large stretch of beach that is combed each day for seaweed with multiple pools (two beach-front), one further back on the grounds and one in the spa. The grounds intertwine among the corkscrewed trees of the mangroves making it SO fun to bike around the property. It felt like we were in Wizard of Oz, but make it jungle. Most of the villas are lagoon-facing and have views of the clear water with its bobbing turtles and swimming fish. The property set up was so different from other Mexico resorts that tend to be one large high rise building surrounding a pool area on the beach (not that those aren’t WONDERFUL, they are, but this was definitely a unique experience).

The resort offers SO many luxury feeling amenities - personalized butler service (Miguel was our and he was a doll and so helpful!), an app where you can request literally anything at any time, bikes and golf carts for getting around the large property, lots of little treats in our room when we would return each day, an generally tons of friendly staff at every turn making sure you have everything you need. There was not one instance of our stay where the customer service was not above and beyond. And that matters a lot to me - especially when you’re paying higher end prices.

OUR ROOM/VILLA

We stayed in a Deluxe Overwater Lagoon Suite and it couldn’t have been more equsistely decorated. Each area of the space was designed with such intention to natural light and functionality. It was sleek yet warm and truly made me want to scrap my grandmillennial taste for a Jenny Kane vibe (only momentarily, don’t worry). We had a little private plunge pool, a deck with sofa and lounger, a living room, dining table that sat ten, a bar & coffee area, bedroom, vanity/desk area, huge bathroom with an indoor and outdoor shower and giant soaking tub. The cool part - over 60% off our villa was OVER WATER. It was a stand alone “house” with private entrance so we totally could have camped out there the whole time and never saw another guest. It was super cool and I loved having the living/dining space to enjoy in the mornings when we would wake up and do a little work before heading out for the day. You can see a tour of it here on my Instagram Reels.

ACTIVITIES

Let it be known that next to eating, my top vacation activity is to sit by a body of water and read a book. I’m not a big excursion gal. Plus we were only there for two full days (we arrived Thursday afternoon and left Sunday afternoon). We did do some biking (the best way to get around the property IMO), lounged near the adult pool and bar (the resort is family friendly and has some really cute touches for kids and families as well as adult-only areas), walked the beach, and visit the spa and gym. They do offer excursions, paddle boarding, kayaking, and more. The spa was SPECTACULAR and I could have spent an entire day there - lots of little paths and ponds to wander with chairs to lounge in. It was quite the oasis. The gym was a good size, had views of the spa pool and had several Peloton bikes.

FOOD

The resort is not all inclusive, which we preferred for this particular vacation. I find that all inclusive places can be a bit more rowdy with the clientele and we were looking for peace and quiet this time around. The resort had several restaurants and bars to choose from and truly all of the food we had was spectacular. It all had a fine dining feeling to it. We ate at Agave Azul one night and the sushi was phenomenal. Another evening we had drinks and lite bites at Zapote and again the flavors were wonderful. I also had plenty of guac and tacos from the taco truck (Aqui mi Quedo) near the beach each day. My favorite part of our dining experience was that at each restaurant it was a unique menu. I’ve been to some large resorts where each restaurant is basically the same menu just switched up a bit, but at The Rosewood Mayakoba we truly. had a different meal at each restaurant. Many of the restaurants do book up if the resort is at full capacity so we had our butler set up reservations for us as soon as we got there (but you can also arrange prior to arriving).

SPECIAL TOUCHES

Ahead of our stay, I emailed the concierge to arrange a private beach dinner for us they truly blew it out of the water (pun intended). First of all, they emailed me back quickly which I always love. And then what I thought was going to be just a table on the beach with dinner was SO much more. We had beach writing, a private cabana, a beautifully set table, and a fire pit area with two chairs. And the BEST playlist. It was all so lovely and felt so special and was a great setting for us to reflect on ten years of marriage and all that we had done and hoped to do together. If you have a big group or a proposal or something special you need planned, they will one hundred percent take care of you!

COVID & SAFETY

At the time we traveled (August 2021), a negative COVID test was not required before entering Mexico. We did for extra precautions, however, self-test at home before going. Before you can enter back into the US you do need proof of a negative COVID test from 72 hours prior to boarding. Our hotel arranged for our testing on-site and made sure we had the proper QR codes and paperwork completed before we departed at the end of our stay. We flew American and having the VeriFly app downloaded and our profiles created a head of time also helped.

As for The Rosewood Mayakoba, the resort felt very safe. It wasn’t crowded, we had plenty of space around us at the pool, beach, and restaurants. The driver and car that picked us up from the airport (sent by the hotel) had hand sanitizer available for us. The staff wore masks the entire time and we wore them when we were indoors near other people. Our driver (hotel staff) on our way back to the airport ensured we made it through security before leaving us at the airport - a really nice touch because it was little chaotic in the Cancun airport.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I absolutely fully recommend The Rosewood Mayakoba for a vacation (and I’m pretty picking). Whether it’s just you and your partner, a group of friends, or even your family, they really do a wonderful job of providing luxury service in a gorgeous setting. Nothing seems generic at The Rosewood Mayakoba. It is an investment for sure, but you definitely receive the highest level of experience comparable to the price.

BONUS CONTENT: HOW TO PACK FOR A WEEKEND AWAY - ALL FROM AMAZON!

As I was linking outfits I wore on our trip to Mexico, I realized I basically packed everything from Amazon! I decided to create a little capsule wardroom all available from Amazon. That way if you’re headed for a long weekend, a girls trip, a honeymoon, etc. you can snag some of these essentials that are all under $40!

Shop this collage via the LTK App here.

For the sake of not writing it on every single one of these items, note that just about everything listed here comes in a bajillion other colors.

SWIMSUITS:

light blue triangle bikini ($29) - this bikini is a little more risk-ay than my normal mom-suits, but it was fun to put on for our private plunge pool in our room. I sized up. The top is super cute with the ruffle. you could always pair with a more full-coverage bottom. (BUT ALSO, when else are you going to wear the bikini than with your sig other on a special trip - just do it and feel confident and have fun!)

black bandeau bikini ($24) - I LOVE this suit! It is super comfortable and had decent coverage while still feeling sexy. I sized up.

white ruffle one-piece ($34) - If you’re looking for a more full-coverage option, I LOVE this suit. I have it in the light blue and it fits so well and the one shoulder ruffle feels special. I love the idea of the white version of it with a pareo around your waist. So chic.

ACCESSORIES:

wrap visor hat ($23) - adore this hat bc it provides good coverage on both my face and chest. AND it’s flat in the back so you can lean back to read books (cough drink margaritas cough) without smushing it. Comes in a lot of colors if the rainbow seaming isn’t your vibe. OH! and it rolls up so it’s easy to pack.

Panama hat ($23) - another roll up hat! So great for packing. This one has less sun protection but looks super cute. Love it with a low bun and caftan.

retro tan sunglasses ($17) - these are my latest obsession as of late. They look a little retro, but are super flattering on most face shapes. The oversize square size is so fun and the light tan color is great for fall (or vacation!).

white oversized sunglasses ($15) - ok these white sunnies are a definite look, but I think they’re so fun for vacay! And they hide almost your entire face which is great if you’ve had one too many cocktails the night before.

tortoise sunglasses ($15) - If you’re looking for a more classic sunglass look, these are perfection. And at $15 it’s totally fine if you loose them to a wave.

straw clutch ($17) - Ditch the diaper bags and work totes. All you need for vacay is this simple straw clutch, some lipgloss and your hotel key. Big enough to hold your phone and sunglasses, too.

COVER UPS:

blue pattern kaftan ($25) - this looks almost identical to this $125 kaftan and can be worn as a cover up or a dress. It was so breezy and perfect for our trip.

white embroidered kaftan ($25) - I’ve had this kaftan/cover up for years and always get compliments on it. The embroidery on it looks MUCH nicer than $25. It is a little see through, so it’s definitely one fo just wearing over a swim suit.

blue pareo wrap ($16) - I have some expensive pareos and honestly, I’m always too afraid to wear them pool-side or near the ocean. I don’t want them to get yucky! This one is $16 and, honestly, looks pretty similar to my nice ones. Tie it up around your neck like a little dress, wear it long or fold it in half around your waist.

PACKING:

makeup brush case ($10) - I have talked about this little tube of genius before, but I have to shout it out again. My makeup brushes take up so much space in my makeup bag when I travel and then they get all grody on the counter in the hotel. THIS cup holds them all and has a lid. I actually use the base of it every single day. It holds on my bushes on my sink at home. When it’s time to travel I just snap on the lid and toss it in my bag. (It also matches this cheap

packing cubes ($20) - I have multiple sets of packing cubes for our family, but this set is my favorite because it has the most pieces for the price and the most sizes that I use most frequently.

DRESSES:

pink wrap dress ($29) - This is the easiest dress ever! Seriously looks so good on so many people. Tons of colors. Sexy yet sweet. And if you roll it instead of folding it, you won’t even need an iron.

green linen column dress ($26) - This look isn’t for everyone, but I personally love it. Long live the mumu and wet hair in a low bun look for vacation dinners. This also comes in black and is so simple and elegant. Add a statement earring and done.

blue long sleeve short dress ($33) - Including this long sleeve version now that we are in to fall. Obviously this capsule is geared towards warm climates, but how great is this dress for right now - heels for date night, sparkly tennis shoes for girls night.

SHOES:

braided sandal ($40) - Goes with everything, block heel for walking on sand or grass, just high enough heel to make your claves look good, but not too high that you’ll be in pain.

studded bow sandal ($16) - Valentin-almost. The cutest studded jelly sandal for pairing with all those caftans.

Want more travel recaps? Be sure to check out these posts about Galveston, 30a, and The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs.

Our Trip to The Broadmoor

A few weeks ago my extended family and I went on a family vacation (more like trip because traveling with kids is never a vacation, am I right?) to Colorado Springs. There were 12 of us - my mom and step dad, my sister and her husband, my step-brother and his wife and their adorable 4 month old twins, and Al, me and our kids (ages 5 and 2). I grew up visiting Colorado in the summers and it was so fun to be wih my children now chasing chipmunks and “climbing” rocks just as I used to do as a little girl.

I would consider this trip “Colorado lite”. There were a lot of us - small kids in included, so we opted to stay at a resort, The Broadmoor, and use that as our home base. This allowed for those of us with different schedules to come and go and meet up with each other as needed without the use of a car (well, in our case it’d be like 3 cars).

For the most part, our trip was a great success. The kids had a blast, we enjoyed time together as a family and savored the cooler temps. Aside from me being under the weather most of the time with an infection, it was all happy memories. That being said though, there were some things we probably wold have done differently, or rather, hoped would have been better considering the price and reputation that comes with The Broadmoor.

The Broadmoor - Pros

Grounds

First of all, it’s a pretty obvious at first glance that The Broadmoor is a beautiful property. Nestled at the base of the mountains, only 15 minutes from the Colorado Springs Airport, it’s a super easy destination to reach. The hotel is centered around a lake with two buildings - East and West one on each side, adjoined by a bridge across. There’s a beautiful outdoor pool one one side of the lake, two golf courses, a spa, and an indoor pool. Shopping, restaurants, and plenty of gorgeous views abound. The grounds are truly stunning.

Rooms

Our room was lovely. We stayed in a one-bedroom suite “Eastmoor Suite” which had a kitchenette (mini fridge, no microwave) and bathroom off the hallway as you entered, and a large main room with king size bed and balcony. Past the bedroom was a sitting room with a pull out couch. This is where we had our kids sleep. I love that the sitting room wasn’t the main area to watch TV etc. and that it was at the back of the rooms so we could put the kids down at night and still come in and out of the room/bathroom without waking them.

Hotel Activities

The Broadmoor reminded me a little bit of a mini-Disney world. There were things to explore at every turn - great for our smaller kids who don’t necessarily need an activity, but more a place to roam. You can talk to the concierge ahead of time (ahead of time is a must) to schedule “Wilderness Activities” like horseback riding, fly fishing, zip-lining, and hiking at some of their further out cabins on the property. We didn’t do any of those due to the age of our kids.

We did, however, make full use of the property and the on-site activities. Swimming at the pool (includes two massive slides), playing on the playground, bowling! (make reservation in advance), walking around the lake, doing puzzles next to the lake, and paddle boating around the lake. That, truly, was enough for our littles. And it was so nice that our whole extended group was staying on site so they could join when they could based on the babies’ schedules and the guys’ tee times.

The Broadmoor - Cons

Dining

There are several dining options on site which we took advantage of - again the 12 people (including 4 littles) meant taking Ubers to other restaurants would be high effort. At first glance, and on the website, the dining options look very grand and distinct. In actuality, they felt a little Epcot-y. The decor was a little…stale. And the food was a little, well, stale. There is one cute bakery/coffee shop to get breakfast and grab-and go-sandwiches. I was so excited for a place to grab “kid food” and easy breakfast to have lake-side. But most of the breakfast goods were rock hard. I think the kid (and I say kid because he was probably 16 years old) working the toaster oven for them left them in a little to long. I’m not going to shade a place like The Broadmoor for one hard breakfast sandwhich. It’s more that when you’re paying resort-inflated prices (no joke 3 breakfast sandwiches and a coffee each morning was $50), you expect the quality of the food to match the price.

We had several great meals, truly. But if you dine at multiple of the restaurants back to back you’ll learn that most of them are essentially same menu. It’s not like some resorts where there’s a sushi place, and a Mexican place, and a hamburger place. By the end of the trip I just really didn’t want a fancy meal. I mostly just wanted some chips and queso. :) The one don’t-miss-restaurant - The Golden Bee. Get the fish and chips.

Service

The other thing that I expect when staying at a resort with as high a caliber such as The Broadmoor is TOP NOTCH service. In any situation I expect the service I receive to equal the price we pay. The Broadmoor is not an economy hotel. It is pricey (and beautiful and worth it - see pros above), but the service in some situations was lacking. Dinner service was either sooooo slow or so rushed because they clearly wanted to turn the table. Some of the staff just seemed sort of aloof at times. It felt like they could see us, but didn't go out of their way to help us or welcome us. I think part of this is because the staff is very young, a lot of kids I’m sure on summer break so they probably aren’t professionals who sense what needs to be done to move a dinner along. I’m sure the other part was the size of our group. There were a lot of us with two rowdy kids (mine) and two twin four month olds. We were a lively bunch for sure.

Colorado Springs Activities

Seven Falls

We didn’t do many true hikes due to our kids (doddle would be an overstatement on how they walk up a mountain), but our whole group did do Seven Falls one day and it worked out so well! Seven Falls is a beautiful paved path through a canyon of mountains that ends at several waterfalls. It is said to be “the grandest mile of scenery in Colorado.” There is free shuttle service from The Broadmoor to Seven Falls that runs every fifteen minutes or so. I cannot say how great this little “hike” was for our crew. The path was wide and paved (read stroller friendly) and there were plenty of little offshoots near the shallow creek where my son (age 5) could go explore. There are bathrooms mid-way and at the top. You can take the old wooden stairs to the top of some of the falls, BUT there is also an elevator (inside a cave! So cool!) that takes you to one of the outlooks. The kids loved doing this and it was fun to be able to see the beauty of Colorado in a way that our large party could do together. There is a restaurant at the top as well as picnic tables in one area if you’d like to pack a lunch.

The North Pole Amusement Park

Growing up my family and I vacationed in Colorado every summer (we always stayed in Evergreen) and a few of the summers we drove to Colorado Springs to visit The North Pole. I have VERY vivid memories of being there and let me tell you, it was just the same as I remember 20 some years ago. I mean that both positively and negatively - it hadn’t changed in twenty years and it HADNT CHANGED in twenty years. But the slightly run-down vibe didn’t bother me or the kids at all. It appeared The North Pole just had rough 2020 like all of us. The rides here are for smaller kids - although they did have one small rollercoaster - and it was honestly a perfect intro to an amusement park for my children. Deacon warmed up after some time and LOVED the rides. He is Christmas obsessed (seriously, we watch the claymation Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer weekly) and it was so adorable to see him light up at every turn with some new Christmas find. The hotel does NOT offer shuttle service to this location. You can drive one of The Broadmoor’s Cadillacs (reserve in advance), but we just took an Uber and got our driver’s number and old him we’d pay him cash if he’d come pick us back up in a couple hours.)

Other Things To Do in Colorado Springs

We didn’t have time to check out any of these other spots since we were only there 4 days, the boys golfed two of those, and I was not feeling well, but there is a ton to do in the area! That, and my kids are always perfectly happy swimming at the pool every day!

• Bear Creek Nature Center

• Cave of the Winds

• Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

• Children's Museum

• Florissant Fossil Beds

• Hiking in North Cheyenne Canyon

• Manitou Cliff Dwellings

• May Natural History Insect Museum (seasonal)

• North Pole Amusement Park (seasonal)

• Penrose Heritage Museum

• ProRodeo Hall of Fame

• The Rocky Mountain Dinosaur Resource Center

• Royal Gorge Bridge

• World Figure Skating Museum and Hall of Fame

• The Broadmoor Seven Falls

• Starsmore Discovery Center (closed in December)

• Western Museum of Mining

• World Ice Skating Arena

What We Packed

Packing for the mountains feels much harder than packing for the beach. I’m very good at beach packing - swimsuit and cover up for day, flowy dress for night. But the mountains have a much broader range of temperatures. We started the mornings in pants and sweatshirts, got warm by the afternoon sun and shed some layers. Nighttime was much chillier so it was more jeans and a top with a sweater or jean jacket.

The only kid things we brought were their iPads and headphones, plenty of coloring books and markers & crayons, some thin paperback books, and one small bag of magnatiles. Magnatiles are so easy to travel with because they lay flat, you can pull a handful out to take to dinner for some tabletop entertainment, and they keep both of my kids entertained. I pack them flat in these bags (which I also use for diapers, art supplies, lip sticks, toiletries, etc.).

Also, I feel like I have to mark the milestone that we DIDN’T TAKE A STROLLER for the first time ever! It honestly worked out fine. Most of the time Emilia doesn’t want to ride in it and we basically just used it to strap her down at the airport so she didn't sprint away. I only really missed it because we didn’t have a stroller to hold all of our junk. The kids each carried their own backpacks and I used this backpack instead of my usual tote bag. (This is our favorite travel stroller btw).

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Final Thoughts

Overall, I would say we would go to back to The Broadmoor. But I might opt for renting a house or staying nearby and just visiting the property for the day. Or I’d go off site more for meals. And I’d probably rent a car. The fact that there were so many of us and we didn’t have a car made it feel much more difficult to leave the property. Generally though, it was a great time with our family. Many memories made in a gorgeous place!

When Kids are Different

Hi! Today is Apraxia Awareness Day.  As you might know, our five year old son has Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS). Apraxia is a neurological speech disorder that affects the way the brain communicates to the muscles and parts of the mouth used to produce sounds. I have a very extensive FAQ here, as well as an instagram Q+A here. 

In talking through my Q+A yesterday on instagram, the topic that seemed to resonate most with people was the following:

“How would you suggest parents talk to their kids about kids [who] are different? What can we do as parents to help make sure everyone feels included and understood?”

This question brings tears to my eyes. As a mom of a child who is different, hearing a parent want to have their child engage with and be kind towards my child warms my heart.

My answer is multi-part (no surprise there). 

Appropriate Terms

I always like to point out when talking about developmental delays that the word “typical” is preferred over “normal” when referring to child development. So you would say “typically developing children” rather than “normal kids”. 

I also prefer that my child’s disorder is not used to describe him as a person, so I prefer the term “child with Apraxia” verses “Apraxic child”. I know some parents of children with Autism feel strongly about this one in one way or another, so it’s also okay to just ask!

Kids State the Obvious

The best part about young children is that they state the obvious. They’ll flat out ask on the playground, “why doesn’t he talk?” or “he talks funny” or “I don’t know what he’s saying.” I view those moments as a chance to let my child know that his difference isn’t something to hide from, ignore, or be ashamed of. That is my chance as a parent to show him that this is just a part of him. 

My response usually results with the child who asked being totally satisfied with my answer like, “cool ok thanks.” The parents on the other hand are usually a little in awe, almost surprised that this wasn’t something that we just laughed off or brushed aside. 

Our Script

So what was our answer when the little kids asked those questions? My husband and I developed a script of sorts to have ready. This helped us clearly identify the message we wanted to communicate and kept us from being flustered in the moment. Here’s what we would say (and still say - with a few modifications now that he does talk.)

“This is Deacon. He doesn’t talk just yet. But he works really hard every day to work on his words. You can ask him questions or ask him to point if you want to play together.”

This script does three things 

1. Shows our faith in him and his future “he doesn’t talk *YET*” implies that he will someday. 

2. Acknowledges his efforts “he works really hard every day” 

3. Gives suggestions on how they can communicate together “ask him questions or ask him to point!”
   

Normalizing Differences

I think the narrative around children with differences has changed over the years. At first it was simply “don’t pick on different kids” and that somehow became “ignore the differences” or worse “ignore different kids.” And that’s not the right angle. The real narrative for engaging with children with differences is to acknowledge the difference, but know that the difference doesn’t define a child.  

We ALL have something that makes us different. We all have struggles we are working to overcome. Teaching our children that ALL people have differences and challenges will help our children learn to EMPATHIZE rather than EMPHASIZE the differences they see in others.

The Hands We Hold

This year, for Apraxia Awareness Day, I wanted to create a space for other parents and caregivers of developmentally delayed children to come together to share experiences, support each other, root for, celebrate, and lift each other up. Those early years were so hard on us. I would have loved to talk with others in a similar boat about what worked and what didn’t. So with that in mind, I’ve created a private Facebook group called The Hands We Hold to be that place. As parents we hold onto our children’s hands as long as they’ll let us. We let them hold on for support, and we hold on to lead them. But we also need the hands of those around us. We need that group huddle, that squeeze of solidarity and prayer. We need multiple hands to hold when our child is delayed.

If you have a child with a delay (of any kind not just speech!), difference, or special need, would you join us? The more of us coming together and sharing means the more of us that don’t have to feel alone in this journey. Click here if you’d like to join The Hands We Hold.

Disclaimer: The Hands We Hold is a private Facebook group for parents and caregivers of children with delays, differences, and/or special needs. Children’s names are not disclosed. The group is parent led and not related to any medical professionals. Medical advice should always be consulted with a doctor.

To Our Boy

I love that Apraxia Awareness day exists because I get to share about something for which I am clearly very passionate. But this day also gives me time to stop and remember and process all that we have come through and all of the progress our amazing child has made. We are in awe of his determination and spirit. I know this different start to his childhood will only make him tougher, braver, and kinder as he grows. We couldn’t be more proud of you, sweet Deacon.

lost boy

A few weeks ago, I lost my son momentarily. For about 15-20 minutes we couldn't find him anywhere. Which feels like a really freaking long time to lose your kid. My dad and step mom were in town and went to the children's garden at the arboretum which is essentially an outdoor museum for kids. The path winds down from the main entrance with different exhibits or zones along each side. There are lots of sharp turns and hidden areas and small spaces for kids to climb because that's fun for kids. It is not such a fun layout when you're trying to find your kid. 

We had just finished the maze which my five year old thought was SO fun. At one point during the maze I looked at him and said in my serious mom voice, "It's really crowded here today. I want you to have fun, but please make sure you stay where I can see you." We hadn't been back to the children's garden in well over a year for obvious reasons and as we started down the path towards the weather exhibit I thought to myself, "wow he is going to love this. He is just the right age for all of these STEM lessons to really click." I gave myself a mental pat on the back for bringing him to a place where he could learn and play and connect so well with the material. (I had just broken the parenting tip no one tells you: don’t get cocky)

I yelled back at my two year old to catch up while simultaneously looking up to see my son running ahead and laughing as if we were playing a game of tag. I yelled his name a few times, each time with increasing volume and intensity. And finally shouted, "FREEZE" which usually does the trick when I mean business. As I made the final turn down the path, now with my two year old in my arms, I looked up expecting to see him "frozen". But he was gone. Just gone. My step mom was already starting off in his direction and I handed my daughter off to my dad while I ran ahead. 

So far, sure this is scary. I was trying to stay cool and not look like some crazed mother. I really thought I'd walk into the next exhibit area and he'd be there. But he wasn't. And he wasn't in the next or the next or the next. The three of us - my dad, step mom and myself - covered as much ground as we could looking in tree houses and up ladders and inside caves and in all the fun areas that would be SO cool if you weren't trying to find a five year old in a sea of people. I kept thinking, “Oh he'll be right up here,” and then I'd get there and it would be some other boy with some other family and my heart rate would pick up and the fear would creep up higher in my throat. 

After about five minutes (which felt like an eternity), I ran up to the indoor learning center. The two women behind the desk must have seen the fear bulging out of my eyes because they both immediately stood up. I shouted, out of breath and my voice cracking, "I have. (gasp). lost (gasp). my child." Within seconds security and employees on walkie talkies were covering every last inch of the children's garden and made sure the front entrance was blocked so he couldn't leave. (Shout out to the Dallas Arboretum - they knew exactly what to do.) She told me to stay put so they could find me once they got him and I thought surely he'll be here in no time.

As I waited, I looked around scanning the park expecting to see him trailing up the hill with an officer. But I saw nothing. No one was coming with my boy. I heard the muffled walkie-talkie sounds of security personnel stating their name and location followed by, "He's not here". And then my mind went to the darkest of places. Pure, raw, panic that he was gone. That he had been injured. That he was scared. That he had been taken.

I started running toward the woman from the front desk as she was listening to someone on her walkie. They asked for reconfirmation of what he was wearing. (Side note: they never wanted to know his name because they didn’t want strangers to hear us yelling his name.) She told them again that he was in a blue and white striped shirt and had glasses and then I heard a faint, "He's here. He's at the kaleidoscope behind the blocks." 

Oh, thank God. I thought. Now that I knew where he was, my fear dissipated into anger. How could he just run off? And then my anger was quickly blanketed by shame. How could I let this happen?

What kind of mother loses her son? What kind of mother doesn't have enough discipline for her son to listen to her. What kind of mother takes her kids to a busy place on a busy day. What kind of mother lets her son get lost.

We reunited and he was a bit stunned, but still had a nervous smile. He later told me he started to get really scared when we didn't find him quickly. The security guard and myself both gave him a stern talking to and then we met up with dad and step mom and we all burst into tears. We sat on a bench for a while to let the adrenaline stop coursing through our veins. We talked and talked about why that was a bad choice, the danger that could have happened, and on and on. And then we left. 30 minutes into our fun day and the fun was over. I think that's when he knew it was serious, when we weren't going back into the park. We talked more on the way home and again at home with my husband. 

In the days and weeks that have followed, when recounting this story with friends, there's been one piece of advice that is given over and over. Tell your child, if they are lost to find a mom. Look for a stroller. Tell the mom you need help. Kids usually see other kids first and where there are kids, there is a parent. Unfortunately, these days not everyone in uniform may actually be what they are dressed as. But a mom will know what to do.

Especially since my son has a speech disorder (more about that here) that often causes him to panic and “lose his words” when under pressure, I am going to purchase these shoe tags that have my phone number on them. Better safe than sorry. And our summer homework is to memorize my phone number. A friend of mine suggested using a song to do so (she used the tune of frere jacques) and practicing with hopscotch using the numbers in my phone number.

Two books have also helped us recap feelings when you get lost and the impact of our choices: "The Story About Ping" (a classic!) and "What Should Danny Do?" both deserve spots on your bookshelves, whether or not your child has ever run away.

The other obvious takeaways are of course, don't let your child out of your sight, set rules, explain why rules exist (to keep us safe), delicately explain that there are bad people in the world, and put the fear of God in them that if they ever run away they won't see the glow of a TV screen or ipad again ever. 

As for the mom guilt, it's still there. We both learned our lessons that day, though. In hindsight, I hope that losing my five year old for twenty minutes is the worst I'll ever do as a mom. And I thank the Lord that this was our outcome that day. Thank you, God.

Alternate ending: Anyone child-leash companies taking on brand partnerships? ;)

Photo by Caroline Guinn Photography

Rosemary Beach Recap

We' had the best week-long vacation at Rosemary Beach Florida for spring break this year. I had so many people ask about where we stayed and what we did, so I’m hoping you find this post a resource should you ever go (and you totally should!).

A disclaimer: We were Rosemary Beach first timers + we were there with our young kids (ages 5 and 2). So I know for a fact that we definitely didn’t do it all. We barely scratched the surface. I’m including some recommendations from friends here as well, even though we didn’t hit all the spots. Do me a favor if you’ve been to 30a/Rosemary? Leave a comment with some recommendations that I missed (I know there will be plenty!).

About Rosemary Beach & 30A

30A is a the name of a scenic coastal highway that runs through Florida on the gulf side. It’s made up of several beach communities, one right after another. You may have heard of some of the big ones - Rosemary Beach, Seaside, Alys Beach, Watercolor, to name a few (here’s a good map). Fun fact- each community has a different type of architecture and most were founded on the New Urbanist movement - small town feel with walkable shops and parks. Rosemary Beach is modeled after southern Charleston-style homes, Alys Beach has a more clean and white Mediterranean feel, and Seaside is colorful cottages (fun fact - The Truman Show was filmed there!).

My favorite part of staying in this area were the white sandy beaches (the sand is almost pure quartz!) and the bikeability/walkability of everything. It was definitely helpful to have a car at times, but you could totally do it without one (you’d probably just need to use a grocery delivery service or plan to eat out most nights and use the smaller grocery markets for essentials).

Source

Why We Chose Rosemary

To be honest, we chose it because our friends told us to. We were actually set to attend our good friends’ wedding there in the fall but opted not to go at the last minute (covid + some other family stuff). So we had a credit towards our stay through the rental company and decided to use it towards a Spring Break trip. BUT, I am so so so glad that our first trip to this area had us staying in Rosemary. It is so charming. We ventured out and saw a few other neighborhoods, but didn’t get to see them all (again, kids are not always up for the scenic drive). Rosemary is, I believe, one of the more expensive places to stay, but if you can swing it I say go. It’s totally walkable/bikeable and it’s quiet. At no point was anything too crowded or too junked up with tourists. We basically stayed within Rosemary most of our trip because it felt manageable and easy. It felt like it’s own little world. Truly a magical place. Next time I’m plan to hop on a bike or in the car and drive around more to the other areas and get a better feel. We have many friends who love staying in Seaside and Alys Beach.

Logistics

Driving. Rosemary Beach is about a 12 hour drive from Dallas. On the way there, my husband and crew left around 4pm and stopped for the night in Jackson Mississippi and then drove the second leg the next day. There was a little bit of traffic as they approached 30a, so add in extra time for that.

Flying. Sis and I flew in to Panama City Beach airport on a direct American Airlines flight out of DFW. Short flight. The airport is very small - basically one terminal with one coffee shop and maybe two other places to eat. Very easy to get in and out of.

Car rental/ Uber. THERE IS NO UBER in this area. Most people rent a car and if you’re not driving one of your own, I’d recommend it since Ubers aren’t common here. You could totally get by not having a car and just biking everywhere, but with small kids a car was helpful the few times we did live the Rosemary Beach town. If you need a car service (especially one with car seats), book those well in advance. They book up quick for airport transfers. Taxi service is available at the airport, but it can be a bit sporadic.

Groceries. We used Shipt to have groceries delivered from Publix our first night. However, due to the lack of cell service it was kind of a kerfuffle because the shopper couldn’t get a hold of me regarding substitutions. (I felt so bad!). I ended up going to Winn Dixie the next day to get what we were still missing and that was fine. I probably could have just done that. There is a Publix, Winn Dixie, and CVS all at the same intersection about a five minute drive from Rosemary Beach. There are a few local spots you can bike/walk to, Cowgirl Kitchen Feed & Supply and Market at Seagrove Beach both have the essentials if you just need to get coffee/booze/snacks and breakfast items. Cowgirl Kitchen Feed and Supply has some awesome pre-made spreads, dips, and casseroles that we will def be taking advantage of next time!

Where We Stayed / Our Beach House

We stayed at Walter’s Cottage, a rental house through Rosemary Beach Rentals, which worked perfectly for our crew. Many of the houses sleep 10+ people, but there are also smaller carriage houses with only one bedroom. Really though, this rental company had so many offerings and is pretty much the best way to get a house in Rosemary (as opposed to VRBO/AirBnb). Nearly all of their rentals are a Saturday-Saturday rental so plan to stay a full week (you’ll be happy you did!). Breaking down our particular house in to pros and cons below.

Pros:

• Layout of the bedrooms was conducive to kids & my Mother In Law. First floor bedroom with king bed and attached bath, second floor bedroom with king bed and large attached bath with shower, and a second floor guest room with queen bed, room for a pack and play, and attached bathroom with a tub. The closets had lots of storage with drawers and hanging space which was nice to be able to fully unpack our suitcases.

• Location. Easy & quick access to the beach and playground. Here’s a good map. The house is basically next to the beach walkover and across the street from the playground (far enough from the playground to not be a nuisance). It was about a five minute walk to one of the pools (there are three heated community pools!). While these were convenient, it was a longer walk in to town.

• View. We opted to spring for an ocean-view place because it was important to me and my MIL. Waking up to the sound of the ocean is so special. The houses in the area are all tightly packed in and almost woven together. I’m so glad we had that ocean view as opposed to a view of the street or neighbors. To me, it was worth it. I spent most mornings and nap-times up on the balcony off our bedroom watching the waves crash and the tide rise and retreat.

Cons:

• Location. Notice location is on both the pros and cons list. I think it depends on your own personal preference. We were basically on the farthest East street within The Rosemary Beach Community. While close to the beach and the playground, we were about a ten minute walk from town. Which isn’t much at all - especially if you choose to ride the bikes that come with the cottage. However, with kids the walk took us longer. Lots of wandering to pick flowers etc. Which was FINE for us, but I think some people may want to be a little closer to the action. With small kids though, I actually preferred our quiet spot and would rather be closer to the beach (because of all the stuff we hauled down there each day) and a little further from town (much quieter at night).

• Dated. The house, like most rental houses, was a little dated and well loved. The bathrooms, in particular, were not the most inviting, although they were plenty big with lots of storage. We didn’t mind, really, because it meant our kids couldn’t mess anything up. But just a heads up if you’re looking for super updated new new new this is not it. The living area was a little cramped too. We basically only had three adults that needed a place to sit since the kids were always moving around, but if you had a house full of six adults it’d be a little tight. Again - point of the beach is not to sit and watch TV so this didn’t bother us much, but want to put it out there!

• Cell Service. Again, I know the point of vacation is to not be on your phone or working, but the service was so bad our Shipt Grocery driver couldn’t contact met AT ALL one night. It was quite the kerfuffle. We found that we did get good service in the master bedroom which was fine for checking emails and posting on instagram in the mornings and evenings. We called the rental company and the came out and reset the internet and that helped a little, but they just said when there’s that many people in a small area cell service (not just internet but the ability to make calls) is bad. I had decent service early in the morning before most people are up, but then, I believe, as more people woke up and usage surged my service declined. I was so proud of my husband for taking real time off work. This situation helped him stick to it. :) Just know, if you’re planning on doing any real work on your stay, you’ll probably want to bring a hot spot.

• Cleaning Service. Ok this will sound a little snobby, but due to Covid there was not cleaning service at all. Which is fine normally. I don’t need my sheets changed every single day or anything. BUT the house and beds did get very sandy and it would have been nice to have someone in maybe just once during the week to sweep and freshen the towels (we put lots of towels on the ground to combat the sand, and then the towels were black and gross). We did find a stiffer in one of the closets later on in our stay, so we used that to mop the floors of sand which was nice. There was not a broom available, which would have been nice for quick daily sweeping. (Also, kind of related - there was no toaster?!)

What We Did

For a smaller walkable neighborhood, it was pretty packed with things to do. Keep in mind the ages of our kids are 5 and 2 so we spent a few hours each afternoon back at the house for naps/rest time. Also keep in mind the weather in March is temperate. It’s high 70s most days so it’s not burning hot outside. IT was still plenty warm most days to begin swimsuits and near water, but we did have some days where it was too cold and windy to be beachside.

Beach

The beaches in this part of Florida cannot be beat. The sand is white and fine, the water turquoise. The water at this time was still pretty cold (fine for me - Emilia wanted nothing to do with it which let me relax a bit), but they boys had no trouble going in it. A must-do if you ask me, is to make beach-chair reservations. We had four chairs with two tables and two umbrellas for the five of us. It was far superior to lugging our own chairs or just using towels. You need to reserve your chair service in advance and can do so at this site. A storm did roll in our last few days that made the ocean have strong riptides so there were double red flags and no one was allowed in the ocean. Pretty standard for that time of year, from what we were told. Beach activities for kids: feed the birds stale bread, build sand castles, build pools, build tunnels, play treasure hunt (draw a path and bury some treasure under and X), jump on waves, boogie board, play catch, etc. Beach showers and bike racks are located at every walk over.

Pool

The Rosemary Beach community has three heated pools, but only two were open while we were there. We only went to the pool closest to us (the one on the east side of this map). Pools have bathrooms with benches for changing diapers and lounge chairs and a few tables with umbrellas. They did fill up a bit on the colder days so head there early to get a good spot. We often like to beach all morning and then hit the pool for lunch and rinsing off all the sand before going home for naps. You do not need reservations for the pool.

Playground

The playground was just at the top of our little street which made it so great for chilly parts of our days. It was HUGE and the kids loved it. Plenty of benches for adults to sit. There is one little trap door feature on one of the structures which is basically like a pinch your finger trap which gave me a heart attack every time it closed shut. But otherwise it was great. (Shhh there is also a doggie poop bag and trash can there where we would walk up and put our stinky diapers.)

Parks/Greenspace

There are two big green spaces near Beachwalkovers C and G (here’s a good map) that our kids loved to run around in. One night we got take out pizzas from Cowgirl Kitchen and packed the kids’ lunch boxes and had the best meal outside while the kids ran around w other kids. It was idyllic. There is also a larger park down the middle of Rosemary that has a fun little maze that our kids loved doing. Lots of good spaces for getting the wiggles out, picnicking, or playing ball.

Shopping

This is mostly my favorite activity, but the kids did like going to the children’s store one day (makes a great bribe if you need one. :) ). There are tons of darling shops that I could have spent all day in, but here are a few of my favorites: Ex Voto (clothes, bags, jewelry, art), Gigi’s (kids clothes and toys), Rosemary Beach Trading Company (souvenirs, t-shirts, hats, a few toys, etc.), Luminary (clothes, pjs, home accessories, jewelry), Hissyfits (gifts and apparel), Tracery Interiors (home furnishings and accessories), Disco (women’s clothes and accessories), Patchouli (beauty and bath items. good if you forgot something!). There are many others - you can basically. just walk in a circle around Barrett Square and Main Street and spend the whole day (and a hole lot of money),

Where We Dined

This is one area where I feel like we barely scratched the surface. We didn't dine out every night b/c kids. Al and I did have to date nights which I’m so thankful for (thank you to my MIL for staying home with the kids). We really only hit up one restaurant a day, whether for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Making my kid sit calmly at a restaurant for more than one meal a day is work not a vacation. (But, my motto when dining out with kids is the best way to get good at eating out with kids is to eat out with kids. It takes practice to know the rules/expectations).

Only a handful of restaurants take reservations (and book up quickly a month in advance!) so go early and be prepared to wait. We sent Al down a few times to put our name in places. Or you can hit up the toy store or play in the green space while you wait. We were big fans of getting take out to take to a greenspace or the beach or even back to our house on the patio. Many of these offer take-out options, but we ran into a few instances where they were so busy they wouldn’t take our take out orders so call before 5pm if you want take out for dinner!

Here’s a full list of places we went and that were referred to us by friends. Places with * are within the Rosemary Beach neighborhood. Other ones are a bike ride or short car ride away. Again, if I left out one of your favorites, would you please comment on this post and I’ll add to the list?! Thanks!

Good for families lunch or dinner:

• Edward’s Fine Food* (ate there our first night. Delicious but a bit more expensive)

• Cowgirl Kitchen*

• La Crema*

• Summer Kitchen Cafe*

• Crabby Steve’s

• The Hub (like an outdoor food hall with live music)

• George’s (heard such good things. Sad we didn’t make it this visit)

• La Co

• Grayton Seafood Company

• Surfing Deer

• Fish Out of Water

• Amigos

• Amici

• Goat Feathers

• Pizza by the Sea

• Market at Seagrove Beach (groceries and small sandwich shop)

• The Great Southern Cafe

• Bud and Alley’s

• The Wine Bar

• Chiringo

• Local Catch

• The Red Bar

• Chanticleer Eatery

• Stinky’s Fish Camp

• Havana Beach Bar & Grill

Good for Date Night and/or Adults Only:

• Paradis* (best meal I’ve had in years!)

• Pescado* (rooftop views)

• Edward’s Fine Foods*

• George’s

• Havana Beach Rooftop at The Pearl Hotel (cocktails only)

• Citizen

• NEAT (cocktails)

• Cafe30a

Good for Breakfast:

• The Donut Hole (pick up donuts or sit down diner-style food)

• Charlie’s Donuts

• The Perfect Pig

• Big Bad Breakfast

• Summer Kitchen Cafe*

• Cowgirl Kitchen*

• Amanda Coffee*

• The Great Southern Cafe

• Bud and Alley’s

• Chanticleer Eatery

What We Packed

First of all, know that I’m an over packer at heart. Alway have been, always will be. Second of all, remember that my husband drove our car there so we had much more room for extra stuff than had we all flown. The weather in Florida over Spring Break has so much variation it can go from 50 degrees to 80 degrees and there’s usually a bit of rain at least one of the days. Here’s a glimpse of what I packed.

• Clothes for daytime - usually swimsuit, cover up that can be worn to a restaurant (i.e. not see through or just a pareo) should we eat lunch somewhere, or athleisure clothes for walking around

• Clothes for nighttime - jeans and a top or a beach maxi dress for me, cute clothes for the kids (coordinating duh). I tend to wear more comfy dresses than jeans on vacation because it’s more comfortable with all the eating. :)

• Clothes for cold times - I packed jean jackets for Emilia and me and a lightweight jacket for Deacon. Also packed rain jackets (they’re thin and take up zero space) for all of us which we did end up using so glad to have had them. Sweatshirts helpful for chilly mornings.

• Toys for down times/travel - coloring books and crayons, a bag of a few bins of play dough and cookie cutters, a bag of a few magnatiles and character guys (Moana for sis, Mario for D). Each kid also had a “go bag” in their back pack with Water Wow/Imagine Ink pads and small jars of play dough for in the airplane and restaurants. Deacon had this lap board he used in the car and they said it worked really well to give him more of a surface for activities and eating.

• Blankets for Kids - I’m so glad I threw these in the car at the last minute. They both have these blankets that they snuggle under at home and it was so helpful bc the house could be a bit chilly in the mornings and there weren’t soft throw blankets available. Probably something you could skip if you’re flying, but so glad we had them.

• Kids Eating Stuff - When in doubt, assume the rental house will have very little when it comes to dishes and kitchen stuff. We brought a divided plate (I like these bc they next together and take up little room), set of silverware (these come with a carrying case!), and milk cup for each of our kids. They also had their water bottles with them in the car/airplane. It may seem like overkill - they could totally eat on paper or regular plates, but my kids (especially my son who has feeding issues) need routine and familiarity when it comes to feeding times. We just hand washed them each night and they’d be ready for the next day. We also brought their lunch boxes which was a huge help for lunch at the beach/pool or evenings when we’d pack picnics for the green. Oh! and a bib for sis. She needs a bib just about every second of every day. :)

• Beach Stuff - I brought our large Bogg Bag stuffed with Turkish beach towels (love that they’re thinner so take up less space when folded), puddle jumper, life jacket, goggles, and a small bag of beach toys (collapsible pails, shovels, etc.). There are plenty of places to buy beach toys (CVS, Gigli’s, Publix) though if you want to wait and purchase some cheapies there. Some rental houses may even keep some on site to borrow.

• Kid Sleep Stuff - pack and play, sound machine, baby monitor (we use this one for travel bc its cheap, has good range, and doesn’t need internet). All of these you can rent through services like Rent Gear Here and The Crib Connection , but since they guys and my MIL drove they went ahead and brought those.

• What I Wish We Packed - Should either me or my husband have really need to do work besides just checking in a couple times a day, we would have needed an internet hot spot for sure. I think it was partly the location (the houses are all tightly compact and almost intertwined) + an uptick in people using service since it was Spring Break and a lot more people were in the area than normal.

Needless to day, we had a completely magical, connected, fun week. It was worth all of the packing (and unpacking) and time off and dollars spent. I think Rosemary Beach will be a family tradition of ours for what I hope are many years to come. If I missed something, please leave questions or suggestions in the comments!

2021 word of the year

 I have a word! Finally. No, the word isn’t “finally”. I mean I finally, have a word for the year. Typically in January each year I pick a word as a general theme or focus on which to center my year. Previous words of the year of mine in the past have been cultivate (2020), slow (2019), and presence (2018). I can’t remember before that, but I do know somewhere between 2011 - 2015 I had “chill” at least once (I used to get a little worked up at work).

For whatever reason, perhaps an emotional hangover from 2020, or my seemingly worsening ability to pay attention to only one thing at at time, I have had the hardest time figuring out my word for 2021. So when I was stuck, I do what I normally do, I make a list. I knew this year that I wanted to do the following:

• Be more consistent with healthy habits

• Create and stick to better rhythms as a family

• Set more boundaries and limits for work and family time

• Be less frazzled when plans change

• Respond to moments of chaos with calmness

• Better identify and hold on to my beliefs and things I know to be true

• Set the course for our day/life/time together

• Act less on the extremes, seek evenness in my days and actions.

Any and all of those words would make a perfectly inspirational word for the year, but I was looking for something that encapsulated all of that. It took some time with my trusty thesaurus, but low and behold, I found it. 

STEADY. 

“steady (adj), \ ˈste-dē \
direct or sure in movement, firm in position, keeping nearly upright in a seaway, showing little variation or fluctuation, not easily disturbed or upset, constant in feeling, principle, purpose, or attachment.”

— Merriam-Webster

Good old Merriam-Webster defines steady as, “direct or sure in movement, firm in position, keeping nearly upright in a seaway, showing little variation or fluctuation, not easily disturbed or upset, constant in feeling, principle, purpose, or attachment.”

WOW. Let’s take a minute to unpack that definition and how it relates to what I’m hoping for this year. 

“Direct or sure in movement”

I’m really focusing on the word “direct” on this one. I often find myself meandering though our home doing a little of this a little of that. Being direct and sure in my movements will hopefully help with that whole ‘can’t remember what I was doing so I’ll do ten other things’ issue.

“Firm in position”

This particular part of the definition is one with which I struggle. I can be a bit of a chameleon at times, trying to please everyone, or rather, liking what other people like. I want to get deeper into truly and fully identifying things that matter the most to me - as it relates to faith, politics, relationships, even my interior decorating and style - and holding firm to them.

“Keeping nearly upright in a seaway”

Man, I love a metaphor (followed closely by an alteration). I often use the cyclical and overwhelming nature of the ocean, waves, and tides to describe how I experience life. As a mom, “keeping upright” rings true so much because it often feels as if I’m steering the course for our family. My mood becomes everyone’s mood. My demeanor is echoed by the three other people around me. And thus the concept of “keeping upright” is of high importance.

“Showing little variation or fluctuation”

This definition at first read seems a little bleak, but I’m choosing for this exercise to interpret it by keeping consistent. Making healthy choices - moving more, eating more green things - and not varying or fluctuating so greatly from completely unhealthy to healthy and back. 

“Not easily disturbed or upset”

THIS ONE. If I was one to make clear resolutions rather than words of the year, it is safe to say my resolution would be to “yell less.” (But really though, why does no one in my house listen until I say something 3+ times at louder and louder volumes?!). I read somewhere that when frustrated with your kids you should reframe what they’re doing by saying “oh (child’s name) is acting like such a (child’s age).” It helps you remember that how they are behaving is most likely typical and common for their age. So when Emilia “plays” by dumping all of the toys that I just picked up she’s not doing anything more than being two. Yes, of course, there is an opportunity for redirecting and teaching how to look for things without dumping for the sake of dumping, but that is best done in a calm tone, not shouting. Keeping a steady demeanor, especially in times of chaos, is something I think will make our whole home more pleasant and steady.

“Constant in feeling, principle, purpose, or attachment”

This final part is, in my opinion, the best definition of steady. In 2021 I want to feel constant in feeling, principle, purpose, and attachment. After all that 2020 gave us, a steady 2021, sustained and upright, sounds quite lovely. 

I hope to check in with y’all in a few months with strategies and tools that have helped me (hopefully) have a STEADY 2021. In the meantime, I would love to hear from you - what is your word of the year? Perhaps we can use the comments section here as a database of “words” should you want to select one of your own for the year.

Christmas Decor Traditions

What are some of your Christmas Traditions? 2020, of course, is messing with some of ours. We’re missing out on our annual Nutcracker viewing, carriage ride to look at lights, and believe it or not, Sesame Street Live ha! I am so thankful that over the years Al and I have created traditions for ourselves and our children in the form of small gifts that are displayed throughout the holiday season. Unpacking these at the beginning of the holiday season and looking at the items from each year is so so special. And this year in particular, they are truly one of the few traditions we are able to keep. Here are a few things we do; perhaps you can start a few of these in your own home this year!

I’ve teamed up with my dear friend Chrissy who designs and makes all of the gorgeous jewelry over at Happy Magnolias to showcase some of our Christmas Decor Traditions along side her beautiful bracelets. All of these are for sale - just DM her! Last day to order to arrive by Christmas is 12/14.

Annual Ornament Exchange

Bracelets by Happy Magnolias

Bracelets by Happy Magnolias

I love beautiful glass ornaments on my tree. Since we moved into our first home and had our first real tree, Al and I have each given the other a Christopher Radko ornament that in some way represents the year. For example, last year I gave him a family of four owls since it was our first Christmas as a family of four. And he gave me a beautiful blue nativity to represent my growth and friendships I made in my faith last year. I can’t wait to see what he picked out for me this year. I know I got him a good one! Opening these might be the only actual surprise gift we have under the tree for each other. We usually just buy stuff the other tells us they need and wrap it (Gifts is last for both of our Love Languages). While I love and treasure the detail and crafstmanship of Radko ornaments, you could totally create this tradition with your partner or children with any old ornament. Search for “old world Christmas onraments” and you’ll find tons of $10-$20 glass ornaments for just about every subject. Below, I’ve linked some of my favorite Radko ornaments. These also make great gifts for newlyweds, baby’s 1st Christmas, newly engaged, new dog etc. (PS you’ll want to wire these to the tree with these hooks rather than using a string.)

Engraved Snow Globes

Bracelets by Happy Magnolias

Bracelets by Happy Magnolias

I always loved when my mom gave us something special when we were children and then we were able to take it to our own homes as adults. If only my collection of Muffy Bears could somehow go in my decor now. :) My mother in law did such a great job of this with Al, keeping many of his old Christmas ornaments and it is so fun to have them on display in our own home. When Deaon was one (so his second Christmas technically), I got him an engraved snow globe from here and I’ve done it every year since. Emilia got her very own last year for her first Christmas. They all have their name and the year on them. I love that they both have their own unique item each year to open to add to their collection. Right now they’re all displayed beautifully in our family room where they get A LOT of use, but as the collection grows they’ll probably end up in their bedrooms. I usually get the Make A Wish engraved snow globes from this site, but this year they don’t have them! So we’re going a little more playful and getting some character ones this year, but hey what a good representation of 2020: whatever is fun and easy and…available. These are not the cheapest but, I always buy them on Black Friday. You could do this tradition with any type of snow globe though - especially if you don’t engrave it. Homegoods always has a ton! Below I’ve linked some of our favorite ones that you can personalize.

Blue & White Christmas

Bracelets by Happy Magnolias

Bracelets by Happy Magnolias

I have been slowly building my collection of blue and white chinoiserie pottery over the years, mostly by asking for a piece (like this one) from my mom for Christmas. Now that my collection is large enough to be a substantial part of our decor, I love adding blue and white ornaments and this nativity to our holiday decorations. I love the contrast of the blue and white ornaments on the tree next to the deep reds and greens of more traditional pieces. Finding holiday accessories and touches that blend in with your existing decor can really make everything in your home look cohesive so it’s not like you’re in a whole different house come every December. Below, I’m linking several of our favorite blue and white holiday pieces. You won't believe the good prices on many of these!

Hanging Christmas Cards

Bracelets by Happy Magnolias

One of the biggest joys in my life is receiving Christmas cards. Seriously. I rip open the envelopes with such excitement you’d think that there is money inside or something. Growing up, my mom displayed our Christmas cards from years past on the buffet of our dining room. I vividly remember walking by looking at the photos of my sister and I in our matching holiday dresses. It was so fun to look back! In our home now, we have all of our cards going back as far as our wedding hanging on a string in our dining room. Below them I string up all the cards we receive from friends and family. The kids love looking at their friends up on our wall. Additionally, my sister hole punches all of the cards she receives and puts them on a ring to bring out each season. I think we’re going to do that this year too! To hang the cards, I just use butchers twine, thumb tacks, and these mini clothespins to display them. Tip: hang the string up tight - the weight of the cards will naturally cause it to arch a little.

I hope some of our traditions have inspired you to to start some new ones of your own. The holidays can be very overwhelming, but having some easy things you do each year can make it seem a bit more routine to execute and plenty magical.

And how beautiful are all of these fun Happy Magnolias bracelets?! I had so much fun playing around making different stacks. The different sizes and colors and textures of beads are just too fun. They make great gifts and you still have time to order before Christmas - she’s taking orders up to December 14th. DM her on her instagram page to order.

Moving!

Moving day is here! After what feels like a summer of waiting and waiting to move into our new house, it’s all happening! To be quite honest, I’ve been so excited, but now feel like I just got a swift kick in the feels. This house holds so many special memories for us. It was the first home we ever bought thanks to renting for nearly ten years in NYC. Deacon was only six months old when we moved in here, we had hardly any furniture, and knew only a handful of people in town.

Fast forward to nearly five years later and we’ve done countless projects on this charming, yet quirky 1974 ranch house. I don’t think I’ll ever forget our first couple of years here and getting an idea for an improvement, calling my Father-in-law or my dad and tackling it together with a frenzied excitement. We certainly made our mark on this home one project at a time. We painted the brick, changed floors,wallpapered as many rooms as Al would let me, updated the patio, replaced the windows, dug my own flower beds, swapped out light fixtures, and bought a whole bunch of furniture (some of it good, some of it bad). My taste has evolved over these five years and I truly feel like I know my “style” finally. I also know what is DIY-able and when I need to call in the pros.

But a house is not just the walls and the yard. This home has been a place for celebrations, parties, new arrivals (talking about you, Emmie Sue!) quiet nights at home, picnic snack movie dinners, afternoons in the front yard with neighbors, first steps, first words, and first birthdays. This house has seen it all - fingerprints, meltdowns, dance parties, witching hours, all nighters (me nursing, Al working), nesting like mad, and two sweet babes becoming grown-ass children in the blink of an eye. We will miss this house and will hold these memories close forever and ever.

And while moving during a global pandemic isn’t advisable, I will say it has given us a nice distraction and sense of hope in what otherwise has been a very long and sad season. I’m excited to have new walls to stare at while we ride out this weird time. Now that my emotional spiel has concluded, below I’m answering some frequently asked questions about our move!

Q: To where are you moving?

A: Not far! just a mile and a half away. Same general area of Dallas, just a neighborhood over to a new elementary school.

Q: Why are you moving?

A: Deacon’s program moved to a different elementary school (he’s in a Pre-K program through our school district) so we had talked of getting over to that elementary zone by NEXT summer to stay consistent for his Kindergarten year. But one work-from home pandemic later, we were starting to get antsy and just casually started looking. In true Katie form, I’d had my eye on this house as it was being built and had some time to kill one day and asked my friend (and the best realtor in all the land) if we could go walk it, “just for fun”. Lo and behold, six hours later we had put in an offer. When you know, you know! You know?

Q: What are you most looking forward to in the new house?

A: I’m excited for the storage! There aren’t many basements here in Texas and that has made this Kansas girl perplexed as to where everyone keeps their holiday decor. I love the finishes of our house, but truly it was the amount of storage that sold me. I think I can actually fit all four of my Christmas trees in our storage closet! That and I can’t wait to organize every drawer and cabinet in the place. Bring on The Container Store!

Q: What are you going to miss from the old house?

A: See rambling sentimental rant at top of post. :) But besides the memories here, I’m going to miss our street. We have some of the best neighbors ever and such a friendly community here. I’m hoping we’ll have some new nice people in our new neighborhood, but it’s hard to top some the friends we’ve made on this street.

Q: What are you NOT going to miss from the old house?

A: Two words - TEXTURED WALLS. I love this weird old house (even its odd light switches behind doors), but I am so over looking at these 1970s highly textured walls. Yes, we could have skim coated them ourselves but…$$$$. And it probably wouldn’t have been worth it with these two hooligans running around. What’s funny is that while I never liked them, they really didn’t start to enrage me until this spring. Perhaps a little too much time at home in isolation staring at them?

Q: Any tips for moving with small kids?

A: SCREENS! Haha, joking (but not). It has been hard keeping them entertained while I pack. Al works a lot and we’ve had some other important things happening this summer so it has been hard to focus and buckle down. But somehow, thanks to Daniel Tiger and our moms we got it done!

Other big tip is to get a realtor who knows her/his stuff. Our dear friend Jenn has helped us with all three of our moves in Dallas (we rented a townhome our first year) and she is a total rockstar. Having a realtor who knows the area well, has a fully-loaded contact list of every service person you could possibly need, and understands the process inside and out makes all the difference when buying and selling a home. If you’re looking to move soon, call Jenn!

Here’s to all the love that went in and was fostered here in this home. And cheers to all the new memories and projects to come. Can’t wait to take y’all along for the ride as we decorate, organize, and entertain in our new space.

Beach Road Trip 2020

Hi all! If you’ve been following along on stories, you know by now that we were in Galveston for the last couple of days for a quick family beach trip. We had to cut our trip short by a day because of Hurricane Hanna, but we still had such a wonderful few days on the beach with the kids. I received SO many questions about where we stayed, what toys we took in the car, what someone was wearing, etc. so I decided to log them all here as a resource.

Where Do You Stay?

Many people have chosen Galveston or other coastal towns for summer vacation this year due to COVID-19, but this is actually our fourth year in Galveston! We come with my in-laws and have a blast. We tried it out when Deacon was little because Al isn’t able to take off much time from work and Deac was so small we felt the trek to Florida was too far to make it worth it. It was so easy that we’ve since come every summer! We started coming when Deacon was Emilia’s age which is wild to think about. And the following year we announced my pregnancy on the beach. And last year we had a chunky little six month old sand eater with us. And this year we had two rowdy kids!

2017

2018

2019

2020

We have always stayed at The Galvestonian, a 12-story condo building that has rentals. We love it there. It is down past the main drag of things (which we have always preferred) on East Beach. We love that it has a private beach, beach chair and umbrella rental and set up, free wagons and bikes, a pool, a beautiful lawn with picnic tables and grills, and is very well maintained and clean. This year especially, everyone was in masks unless at the beach or the pool, housekeeping was only as-needed (we just asked for a few more towels each day), and pool and beach chairs were spaced more than six feet apart.

If you’re looking for a place to stay walking distance to the pier and the main seawall restaurants, this is not it. But if you’re looking for a quieter spot geared towards families, The Galvestonian is perfect. I can’t recommend it enough. It’s a beautiful property and everything there is just so easy!

What Do You Do? Where Do You Eat?

The truth is we don’t do much. We spend our mornings at the beach, the afternoons while the baby naps at the pool, and usually go out for dinner once MAYBE twice the entire trip. The best part of staying in a condo is having a full kitchen so we can cook most meals. By six pm, our kids our tiiiiired. And our young kids are not great in a restaurant right now - especially after not having gone in one since February. We usually use the grills on the property one evening, order pizzas from Russo’s one night, and we always walk over to the super charming Beachtown neighborhood right next door and have dinner at Porch Cafe. Porch Cafe is SUCH a lovely spot - truly one of the favorite meals of my year. Even if you’re staying down on the other end of the island I recommend a trip Porch Cafe. The colorful homes around it, the gorgeous interiors, and farm to table menu all make for a lovely beach evening. We didn’t make it over there this year for some family reasons and COVID risk, but we will be back next year! (So yes, if you’re tuning in closely that means several of the evening outfits I packed never got worn. I had hopes to throw them on the kids for a brief moment and run around on the beach a few evenings, but the storm surge made us pivot those plans).

What Do You Do On The Drive?

Galveston is about 4.5 hours from Dallas, but the trip has taken us six hours a few times with traffic and stops. We aim for five hours and made great time this year. I pack a few of our “travel toys” - toys that I save just for restaurants or trips so they seem new and special. Toys that don’t have a lot of pieces, can be played while with in a car seat, and (super important) don’t make noise.

We love these magnetic “paper” doll books - we have the superhero and the make a face kit. I’ve given this ballerina one as a birthday gift and how cute is this girl power one?!. I also packed this other magnetic activity and I even had fun with this one! I take a small bag of Magnatiles as well and they can play with those on the magnetic surfaces of the other games so they don’t fall on the floor. Other hits - finger puppets, Water Wows, this homemade Popsicle color sorting game. Also - Ipads! I am not above screen time and use screens to my advantage. I try to wait a few hours in before dolling out the ipads and headphones. For Emilia this was her first experience with an ipad, I downloaded a season of Daniel Tiger and she just started liking the Peekaboo Barn and Peekaboo Wild games (no internet required). I tuck her ipad into the mirror holder we have facing her seat - i just remove the mirror and slide in the ipad. There’s a hole on the side for headphones to go through the holster. Deacon likes to play Buzzle, Disney coloring book, Putt Putt, and Mario apps (all are no internet required), but more often than not he just listens to spotify and sings.

Al and I listen to podcasts (we listened to this four hour Britney deep dive - so good!) while I answer emails for him while he drives. I could drive and let him work on his own, but I have a pretty firm “she who packs doesn’t also do the drive” rule.

Oh! One other tip, rompers are great for travel for kids in diapers. no waistbands to roll down and cause leakage. And shorts mean no potential burns from carseat buckle. Just make sure they have snaps at the crotch for easy changing. Emmie wore strawberries on the way there, flamingos on the way home. :)

SHOP IT

What Do You Pack?

I over pack because it is my nature, but this year I did try to simplify things a bit. I managed to get clothes for all four of us into one big suitcase + a hanging garment bag and then used the kid’s smaller duffles for diapers, toiletries, sound machines etc. My MIL has this pack and play that she brings for us. We love this collapsible picnic basket to carry non-perishable groceries, my favorite Bogg Bag holds all our beach and pool stuff like Emilia’s puddle jumper and Deacon’s life jacket (The Galestonian has many beach toys you can borrow which is great so we don’t have to take too much!), and our yeti bag holds all the cold stuff. (We do order groceries from the big Kroger on the island, but Arlan’s Market is close to the condo and has many essentials and produce.) I bring very little makeup and hair stuff - I love going make up free and wet hair all week. I basically just bring my flawless in five set for the evenings we go out or take photos.

Monogram Puddle Jumper Cover

Shark Goggles

Life Jacket / Swim Trunks (similar)

Daniel Tiger Towel Poncho / Seersucker Rashguard Swim Suit

Don’t Forget!

After staying in condos for years now, I always remember to pack the following:

• Blankets for the kids - we love these - because its always cold in the condo and who knows the last time the throw blankets were washed.

• A wine opener - this has only happened once, but believe it or not one year our condo didn’t have a wine opener. The horror!

• A knife sharpener - knives in rentals are always dull. This little guy is so tiny, throw him in the side pocket of the picnic basket and be thankful you did.

• Kids cups, utensils, and plates - I just take one set for each kid and wash after each use. For whatever reason, my kids still eat better out of a divided plate?

• Sand Pouch - This is great for getting sand off hands and faces at the beach. We also save our empty water bottles, remove the labels, and fill with sink water and use those as “washing” water to rinse hands before snacking at the beach. No one wants sandy paws in their Doritos bag.

• Extra long phone charger - many outlets in our rentals over the years are already being used by lamps or tvs or whatever. Or the only outlet is behind a dresser or chair. We bring this extender to help with that.

SHOP IT

Our Beach Motto

Let’s face it a vacation with kids this small isn’t really a vacation - it’s a trip. We really try to make this time about them and try to take an easier angle all week. They want chips ahoy for breakfast? Fine (but with a banana on the side). They want the ipad for awhile in the evenings after a day in the sun? Fine. Need to push nap time back a little because we’re having fun at the beach? Do it. Our motto: make it easy, make it fun. Sure I get them dressed a few evenings and make them smile for photos, but other than that I take their lead. And it pays off. The pure, unadulterated joy on their faces is everything. Watching memories unfurl right in front of you is such a blessed feeling. I’m thankful we were able to make it there this year, with Al’s parents, for another couple of sunny, sandy, smiley beach days.

Swim Trunks / Life Jacket

Swimsuit (similar)

weekly and monthly planning

It’s a new month (well, six days into it) and the start of a new week! When I sat down yesterday (Sunday) to do my planner for the month and week, I realized there are some tips I use that I should share with y’all. So here are some small ways I keep on top of what we have each week and month, and how I tackle my constantly growing to-do lists.

WEEKLY

Tip #1: Write out the week ahead. This one seems like a no-brainer, but each Sunday (or heck, even some early Monday mornings), I sit down with my planner and phone and look ahead at the week. I keep my calendar on my phone/computer for the most part (especially because that’s easiest to share with Al), but have also found that writing out the week ahead in my planner helps me not forget anything, as well as helps visualize what we have each day. If I skip this step and just think “oh everything is on my online calendar”, I often realize the morning of that something has been cancelled, a time has changed, or I failed to get a sitter for an appointment.

Tip #2: Spread out the “to dos”. For ten years when I was in the corporate world I worked off of one master to do list. I just kept adding things to the page and updated it each week. This worked well for a job that I focused on exclusively for eight (ha more like ten to 12) hours a day. However, once I became a stay at home mom I quickly realized this method wasn’t going to work. Whenever I had a free ten minute chunk of time, I’d look at my to do list and be totally overwhelmed at everything on there and I’d end up starting several things and never finishing one. Now I have learned to put a few to-dos on each day. So since I have child care on Tuesdays and Thursdays, I typically have more blog work tasks written out for those days. Mondays I tend to catch up on housework so I don’t put much on my list then aside from “laundry” and maybe what errands I can do with the kids. Knowing that I can usually only tackle, at most, three tasks on days when I’m mom-ing full-time has allowed me to 1.) be more productive and 2.) not feel like I’m failing because I only did three out 75 things on my list that day. Breaking down the giant to-do list into smaller bites makes it seem so much less overwhelming.

Tip #3: Locate the week’s “special items”. This one matters more when school is in session, but still can apply to our summer lives. Go find the “special things” things you need for the week. You know what I mean: the birthday gifts, special clothes for spirit week, items that need to be returned, etc. I find gathering all of those items is 75% of the battle so I go find them and set them in a safe place where they won’t get thrown/put away (for me the counter in my mudroom). That way when it’s purple shirt day (Stepmom reference, anyone?) the purple shirt is located and clean!

Tip #4: Think about meals in a general way. Before we had kids, I was so strict with my meal planning. No matter what time I got home from work, we were still going to have X because that’s what my meal calendar said. Cue God’s plan to make the type-A woman less rigid: children. So if it’s a short nap or short temper day, swapping the dinner plan for something easier is OK! Especially right now for us as we are in the middle of selling our house, showings can come up at the last minute. The key is to not plan them for certain days, but rather have an idea of what you have on-hand to cook and can make the call either the night before or the day of. Looking at the week ahead and highlighting when you have late extracurriculars or your partner is out of town or any other dinner-dilemma inducing schedule, can help you get an idea for when you should just pick up something and when you should have time to make that from-scratch recipe you’ve been wanting to try. I now plan only three (MAYBE four) meals a week. The other nights are left for take-out, leftovers, and (before quarantine times) out at a restaurant. I loosely plan for three out of the four of these categories of meals:

• one make-ahead meal (casserole or slow cooker),

• one fast meal that takes less than 30 minutes,

• one meal that makes enough for two nights (often the same meal that is the make-ahead meal),

• one “special” dinner (a new recipe I want to try, or something that takes a bit more time/skill, or something decadent that I know everyone loves)

Mug / Bookmark / Planner / Pen Cup Candle / Pens

MONTHLY

Tip #5: Use the monthly calendar to create your master to-do list. I use the monthly part of my planner to highly the non-regularly scheduled things. For example, I don’t write down “speech” on each Tuesday and Wednesday because I know in my head (and its written out on the weekly section) that my son has speech therapy every Tuesday and Wednesday. Essentially, I don’t want to clog my monthly calendar with the normal daily items; I use it to highlight the big stuff - the vacations, no school days, one-off appointments, visitors, parties, etc. Once I have that visual picture of what’s coming up, I build my to-do list around it. So if I see we have a birthday party parade the second week of the month, I’ll put “get birthday present” on my to list for the week prior. To many of you, this seems like “duh!”, but I’ve mentioned before to friends this method for staying ahead and some were like “whoaaaaa”.

Tip #6: Have one big project for the month. Especially in these times when we are all at home all the time, it can feel hard to come out of “survival mode”. But frankly, this is our new normal so it’s time to try and install new processes to make this life work for us. It is easy to feel like my weeks are full of the small minutia of our lives - folding clothes, running errands, tidying the house, and that nothing “big” ever gets accomplished. When I was pregnant with Emilia and nesting hard-core, I implemented a “one big thing a month” and it helped so much! So whether it be plant flowers in the flower beds, frame and hang art in a room, clean out a closet, upload photos to the cloud, book travel plans, or clean out the pantry - plan for just ONE of those a month. And then build in the necessary time to do it on your weekly calendars. So if I know I want to get the front flower beds done, then I block off a weekend for it (and make sure Al isn’t golfing so he can help with the kids). When I wanted to reorganize our kitchen cabinets and drawers, I realized I needed to do one or two cabinets a week because I didn’t have a large enough chunk of time to empty the whole dang kitchen and the put it back together again in one day. Planning for one project a month helps you feel like your making progress on your long-term goals without feeling totally bogged down by the little daily must-dos.

Tip #7: Schedule in the fun stuff. Al and I try to do one date night a month (as I type that I feel like once a month is far too infrequent, but it’s our reality with two small kids and his very demanding career). We coordinate our calendars in advance, make the dinner reservation, and book the babysitter all at the beginning of the month. Planning it all at the beginning of the month helps us actually make it happen and it gives me something to look forward to. It doesn’t just have to be date nights though, it could be big family outings, girls nights out, heck even a hair appointment for me is considered a super fun activity. Doing whatever needs to be done to have the fun stuff booked results in a greater probability that it will actually happen.

Mug / Planner / Bookmark

A note on planners:

I love a planner/calendar/system. And I have tried many. My friends in junior high and high school used to make fun of me because I’d get a new planner half way through the semester because the old one just wasn’t cutting it for me anymore. I’ve been using The Simplified Weekly Planners for three years now and I have found that they work best for me. I love the weekly version because, as you just read above, I think more in terms of weeks than days. (They also have daily and teacher versions, but frankly I don’t have enough going on for a daily version). I love the gorgeous cover deigns (this floral! this happy stripe!) and the high-quality paper that doesn’t bleed. I like that there’s space for everything I need, but not too many areas that I feel like I need to complete. I use the academic versions that go from August to July because my brain thinks in terms of the school year, rather than the calendar year. Anyone else feel like back to school is actually the real “new years”? (P.P.S. please Dear Lord let there be school in a safe manner this year because a teacher I am not.). Just want to shout out these planners and all of the Emily Ley Simplified products (I also have and use these!). If you’re also a school-year-is-the-new-year type, now is the time to get one of these planners now so you’re ready in August!

Aside from the tips above, my general planning “philosophy” (if you will) would probably be “Be prepared, but be flexible”. Don’t over plan and don’t stress out trying to keep to your plans. Plan just enough to not feel ambushed, but be flexible enough for the unexpected.

Be prepared, but be flexible. Don’t over plan and don’t stress out trying to keep your plans. Plan just enough to not feel ambushed, but be flexible enough for the unexpected.

I hope that helps some of y’all if you’re feeling in a planning rut!

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What is Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS)?

Today, May 14th is Apraxia Awareness Day! If you’re new to following our journey, my son, Deacon (age 4.5) has been diagnosed with Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS). CAS is a motor speech disorder that makes it difficult for children to plan and produce the precise, specific series of movements of the tongue, lips, jaw and palate that are necessary for intelligible speech.

We started this journey nearly three years ago and it has been tedious and scary, yet also extremely rewarding. Two years ago when I first posted about Deacon’s speech, he had but only a handful of words. On last year’s Apraxia Day he was working on his name and putting words together. Now, after two years of treatment we finally have an official diagnosis and he is using larger syllable words and sentences!

While it may seem like Deacon has started talking all of the sudden, his progress is a testament to hours of work in a specialized school environment, private speech therapy twice a week, and practice at home. Three years ago I cried and prayed over him, hoping to one day hear him say, “I love you, mom”. He now says that and more. So much that I often have to ask him to be quiet!

We still have a long part of the road ahead of us and he will continue private speech for years to come, but we are so thankful to have tremendous teachers, SLPs, and a community organization in Apraxia Kids to help us navigate this disorder and create a plan for Deacon.

His determination is an inspiration. He has fought so hard for what many children develop naturally and easily. His favorite song is “There’s Always Tomorrow” from Rudolph. He can now use his voice and sing it; and what a beautiful reminder it is: There’s always tomorrow / for dreams to come true. / Believe in your dreams come what may. / There’s always tomorrow / for dreams to come true. / Tomorrow is not far away.”

We share about our journey each year in an effort to provide education and awareness of Apraxia so that Deacon always feels encouraged and never isolated. Below I’ve compiled a more in-depth FAQ explaining more about CAS, diagnosis, the difference in treatment between it and a regular speech delay, and what you can do to help and engage a child with CAS. I hope you take some time to read it and learn more. And if your child also has (or you think they may have) Apraxia, I’m always happy to chat! You are not alone!

Childhood Apraxia of Speech FAQ

Source unless otherwise noted:  Apraxia-kids.org

What is Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS)?

Childhood Apraxia of Speech is a motor speech disorder that makes it difficult for children to correctly pronounce syllables and words. Children with apraxia know what they want to say. The words are in their heads but often the child is not able to produce the words clearly. For unknown reasons, children with apraxia have great difficulty planning and producing the precise, specific series of movements of the tongue, lips, jaw and palate that are necessary for intelligible speech

Can children with CAS understand what you’re saying?

Yes! Children with CAS understand language and speech. Yet others might mistake and misjudge their unclear speech or quietness as a lack of intelligence. Many children with apraxia experience a great sense of failure and frustration in their attempts to communicate. Some children grow even quieter; others may act out their frustration.

What is the difference between CAS and a speech delay?

A true developmental delay of speech is when a child is following a “typical” path of speech development, although at a rate slower than normal. A child with apraxia of speech is on a “different” path, and has difficulty planning the movement sequences required for speech. This may result in inconsistent errors (saying the same word differently) and difficultly with smooth transitions from sound to sound or syllable to syllable to form words, phrases, and sentences.

How is CAS diagnosed?

A speech language pathologist (SLP) with experience evaluating and treating children with apraxia can test how well your child understands language (receptive language) as well as the type and length of utterance he/she uses (expressive language). To test for CAS, the SLP will look at your child’s oral-motor skills, motor speech skills, and speech melody (prosody). Getting a full diagnosis is difficult, as many children don’t have enough expressive language to fully complete the test. It took two years for Deacon to get a diagnosis.

What makes CAS treatment different than regular speech therapy?

Because the main problem of CAS is speech motor planning and programming, a speech therapy approach needs to focus on the actual sequenced movements of speech structures and muscles during speech attempts. The approach used by the therapist should aid the child in producing clearer and more accurate words, phrases, and sentences that result in clearer spontaneous speech. Apraxia therapy incorporates The Principals of Motor Learning and includes:

• Focused attention by the child, reinforced by early success

• Intensive, frequent, individual practice

• Multiple repetitions of speech movements

• Memorization of speech movement sequences (not movements/sounds in isolation)

• Multi-sensory Input

• Slower Rate

• Multi-sensory Feedback

• Systematic progression through hierarchies

• Emphasis on Self-Monitoring

• Compensatory speech and language strategies

• Prosody remediation

• Addressing all aspects of disordered communication

• Careful selection of target words considering function, vowel production and phonotactic difficulty

Source: (Murray, McCabe, & Ballard, 2014; Strand and Skinder, 1999)

Will Children with CAS ever “get over” apraxia?

Many factors influence a child’s journey through therapy for childhood apraxia of speech, like severity of the disorder, comorbid disorders (e.g. autism), and frequency of therapy. Professional articles and experienced SLPs report that most children with CAS, with appropriate help, eventually achieve optimal verbal communication to some degree.

How can I help when interacting with a child who has Apraxia?

• Try to create a tension-free and interesting “communication environment”. Encourage but do not insist he/she try to speak. Praise his/her attempts at speech, if only for effort. Know that sometimes he/she might not respond or might respond “I don’t know” as a way to help themselves get out of a difficult communication challenge.

• Be patient. Sometimes the fast pace of others can leave a child out of the experience although he/she may be able to successfully communicate if others just offer a bit more time and patience.

• Watch for and even create opportunities to help a child make friends. It can be difficult for a child with apraxia to “break into” social communication and situations.

• Be aware that sometimes children with apraxia are also physically uncoordinated, making competitive sports or even drawing, cutting, and other motor tasks difficult.

• Some children may communicate in alternative ways. Often sign language, augmentative devices, or pictures can help a child as a bridge to clear speech.

Is there an organization for Apraxia?

Yes! Apraxia Kids has been so beneficial for us in learning about this disorder, connecting with other parents, and providing tons of information and resources for free. Find them at apraxia-kids.org.

What are some more resources?

Apraxia-Kids.org

This is a great in-depth overview of CAS.

Think your child may have CAS? Start here.

Are you an educator who wants to learn more about CAS? Go here.

This book was my bible the first year of our journey. Speaking of Apraxia: A Parents' Guide to Childhood Apraxia of Speech by Leslie Lindsey 

DISCLAIMER: I am not a medical professional, nor a speech-language pathologist. All information provided is from the apraxia-kids.org website or taken from my own personal experience as a parent of a child with Childhood Apraxia of Speech. Consult your doctor and/or speech language pathologist for specific details pertaining to your child.

Photos by Caroline Guinn Photography

Our So Called Quarantine Life

Hi. How’s your self-isolation/quarantine/social distancing going? For us it’s been over two full weeks of self-isolation at home. This is starting to seem normal now which is good, I guess. But it also makes me realize just how little time it takes to change patterns and habits. The first few days were hard, there was still so much unknown in what was going to happen with school and work and well, life. Last week was definitely an acclimation week – lots of naps for all of us, sleeping in, lots of tears and meltdowns from everyone.

But we’ve been following the rules. I long for control, and when I can’t control a situation I look for control’s very close sibling – rules. So I we haven’t left the house and we haven’t had anyone in our home besides us. It was hard and different. And then, one day, it wasn’t as hard, and the next day seemed a little easier, and the next day and the next day, until we reached our new normal. We still have meltdowns, we still have tears (omg the rage tears while working out – anyone else?), but we also seem to be settling in to this new life and making it work for us. Some things are helping a lot. Some things don’t help at all. Here’s what’s working for us two weeks in to our quarantine life:

1.) No More News

I stopped watching the news. I found the two hour long morning news and hour long evening news I usually have on in the background was making me more anxious. Don’t get me wrong, I LIVE for a sappy montage that The Today Show does so well, but it was all the other stuff -  the counting, and death toll, and politics of it all was just too much. I’m seeking the good news portions of this time through Instagram, but the rest of it I just can’t right now. I’m not trying to downplay the severity and hard work of those in the front lines, but for me, right now, I need to stay in my little bubble a bit. The main news message hasn’t changed – this is bad, it’s getting worse, stay home. That’s as much information as I need right now, to be honest.

2.) Routine vs. Schedule

Deacon used to be in school from 12-3pm every day with different therapies occupying our mornings. We used to have a part-time nanny with Sissy on Tuesdays and Thursdays. And Alex worked 70+ hours in his office downtown. And now we’re all home. All the time. Last week was HARD. But this week, knowing that “spring break” was over, I knew I needed a plan. Now the Type A, Enneagram 1 in me would LOVE to have a color coded by the half-hour schedule and full lesson plan workbook. But that is not how my four and a half year old and fourteen month old roll. I did, however, learn early on from Deacon’s teachers that routine is so important to his behavior, so that’s what we have. Not a schedule, a routine. And a fluid routine, one that can adapt and change as needed. As one of my favorite Peloton instructors, Ally Love. says fluidity over flexibility because flexibility has a breaking point. Generally our fluid routine is this:

MORNING:  “School” – active play (on my part too) with educational moments woven in when possible. Free play welcomed as well, but at least two “activities” (could be as easy as puzzles or blocks) that allow for one on one conversational moments for Deacon and me. No screens for 3 hours until I call upon Daniel Tiger to entertain them while I set out lunch.

LUNCH:  Y’all. MAKE LUNCHES AT NIGHT. Just like I did for school days, making lunches the night before is saving me right now. Our first week at home I felt like all I did was make food, scream at kids to hold on while I cleaned it up, and repeat. Packing their lunches in lunch boxes is saving me so much time and also allows for fun sporadic picnic moments when the weather is nice. Even iif you’re at home without kids, this will probably make your work-from-home situation a little easier as well.

AFTERNOON:  Mandatory one hour “recess” after lunch outdoors. Rain or shine. This has probably been my favorite part of our days. Getting dirty, using every last outdoor toy at all times, and feeling the mood-boosting power of sunshine.

NAP/QUIET REST:  Emilia goes down for her nap at 1:30 like a champ. (We dropped to one nap a day when she was 11 months old and it has made her sleep super easy and consistent). Deacon is allowed to have his ipad or toys in his room. No one is allowed to speak to me for one hour. Seriously. Not even Al. I call it the sanity hour and it is usually when I sprint-tidy the house like a mad woman or say screw it all and sit outside and work on the website. Deacon now has tele-therapy for PT and speech most afternoons so I grab him after an hour or so we can call his therapists. It’s been precious to see him look forward to seeing his instructors again. The sessions aren’t as beneficial as IRL, but they are keeping him consistent and it’s important to me to support these private practices that are very near and dear to our heart.

SNACK WALK: Emilia wakes up around 4 or 4:30. She has snack and we walk around the block or swing outside. It’s been nice having Alex join us for these walks, definitely a perk to this whole situation. This is also when I begin happy hour because quarantine rules are airport rules - you’re allowed a drink or gummy worms whenever you want.

DINNER/BATH/BED: Same as it always was.

A note on “school”, we just got circle time instructions and some lesson plans from his teacher on Friday and did his first circle time at home. First of all, so dang cute! And his teacher worked so hard to make a presentation with her voice and videos so it’s just like school. He loved it! I created a little circle time nook in the playroom using this calendar that we already had (he asked for a calendar for Christmas; he’s def my child) and I bought this schedule from Lakeshore Learning last week when I was in a home school panic tailspin. I think it will help him see what our routine is and let him have ownership over selecting a few activities for our morning school time. You could totally make something similar on the computer or with construction paper, but as the girl who played make-believe school most of my childhood, I am pretty excited about my “classroom”. Overall, I’m keeping in mind that he’s in Pre-K and all he really needs right now is play, routine, and attention.

Shop our “classroom”

3.) Get Outside Often

See Recess section above. Deacon, in particular, must have time to run, jump, and spin. As a sensory-sensitive four year old he needs that stimulation to equalize his temperament. We had one day last week where the rain just wouldn’t let up so we couldn’t go outside and that was the only day where he really had a meltdown. But it’s not just for him, fresh air and sunshine just make everything seem a little better. I personally see and feel God when I see and feel the sun. I hope when I look back on this time I will remember their smiles in the sunshine and feel glad.

4.) No New Projects

At the start of this I was all “I’m going to clean out my closet! I’m going to organize the laundry room cabinets!” HA! Did y’all see that routine? I can barely fold clothes (omg what is with the laundry – we go nowhere but have twice as much laundry as before?!) or unload the dishwasher. What was I thinking? Not in this season of life with these small needy people. Last week I was feeling unaccomplished because I hadn’t done any of my Quarantine Projects, but this week I release the expectation to do anything other than the as-needed tasks of daily life that come with four people who never leave the house.

5.) Self-Care Matters Even More

I don’t necessarily mean your Basic B self-care here (although, yes still masking quite often because my skin is a visual representation of the stress I feel), I mean taking time for myself. Never getting a break makes me real cranky (see previously mentioned sanity hour section in our routine). I’ve realized that if I don’t find a way to move my body each day I feel super tired, super moody, and super stressed. As Elle Woods stated, "Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don’t shoot their husbands, they just don’t." Saving not just my life, but Al’s too. (Psssttt the Peloton app is free right now and has tons of workouts that aren’t just cycling. I also still use and love 21 Day Fix and PiYo from BeachBody On Demand). Additionally, I have been feeling zero guilt for telling Al I’m “taking to the bed” and that I don’t want to hang out with him for an evening. We all need our space and alone time.

6.) Don’t Stop Connecting

We are really missing people. Especially our parents. My mom was supposed to visit for Spring Break and we usually see Al’s parents at least once a week. It has been hard, but we are thankful for FaceTime and their understanding that this what has to be done to keep all of us safe. In addition to family, I’m trying to keep make an extra effort to reach out to my single friends, my extroverted friends who are in their personal hell by not socializing, as well as our elderly neighbors. We’ve put a sign up on our front window to motivate neighbors out walking and have delivered artwork to our neighbors’ mailboxes (after washing our hands and placing in ziplock bags). Zoom, Google Hangouts, and Marco Polo have made us have happy hour just about every night and we aren’t complaining at all. My family even had a karaoke contest on Marco Polo last weekend that was highly entertaining. Connecting and finding community in all of this is what will keeps us going and staying positive.

7.) Gratitude & Prayer

It is not lost on me that the complaining and irritation I have from quarantine life is so ridiculously petty and diminutive when people are dying and healthcare workers are risking their lives and time with loved ones to care for the sick. I think most of my anxiety lately comes from worrying about those on the front lines. It pains me to see their exhausted eyes and bruised faces from masks and goggles. The lack of supplies and beds truly keeps me up at night. I wish I could do more. But all I can do is follow the rules by staying home. That, and pray. I pray constantly for the strength and health of those infected and those treating the infected. I pray for the continued determination by educators who have somehow reinvented school in a matter of days. I pray for protection for children who no longer have school as their safe space or their place to feel love. I pray for those who are not just out of whack from this change, but are now out of work. Prayer, petition, and thanksgiving says Philippians 4:6. I’m praying and I’m finding the moments of gratitude in all of this. It’s all we can do.

I hope you are acclimating to your new normal a little easier this week. I am giving myself (and my people) heaping scoops of grace right now. There is no right way to feel or handle any of this. We are all doing our best. I hope reading about what is working for us helps settle or motivate you in some way. This is how we are living and coping two weeks in; who knows what will work next week or the week after that. All I know is sunshine, alone time, and a fluid routine are getting us by…one day at a time.

Everyday Crosses

Monday morning Deacon woke up agitated. Probably from a crummy night’s sleep (thanks allergies), and was generally cranky. He got more and more worked up as the morning went on– whining, stomping, crying, the works. I tried to talk him down all while doing what I call “the morning sprint”: chase down two kids who hate getting dressed, make breakfast, clean up breakfast, pack lunches, load the car, supervise teeth brushing, take the dog out, give six different five-minute warnings to put on shoes, and search for the always missing pacifier so the baby doesn’t scream in the car. I usually try to do as much of that as I can the evening prior or before the kids wake up, but I was too tired the night prior and woke up late that morning. So I did what most mothers do when they are tired, rushed, and over it: I yelled. I resorted to shouting at him to calm down while explaining how we didn’t have time to get upset right now. In case you’ve never attempted it, shouting “calm down” and using rationale to an upset four and a half year old does not make the four and a half year old any less upset.

On the way to church (we go to church on Monday mornings for mom’s group) I started feeling awful for my response to him. Deacon has some sensory sensitivities and usually outbursts like that are a result of him being overstimulated from situations. In this case my hectic pace to get out the door on time made him even more upset. My franticness resulted in a frantic boy.

(Background: One of Deacon’s goals at school this year is a pre-writing skill to draw a plus sign on his own without help or demonstration. We have been practicing a lot lately - “line down, line over”.) Once in the parking lot, after unloading everyone and while wrangling the baby, a purse, a diaper bag, a coffee, and two sippy cups, I started towards the sidewalk. Deacon was dawdling. I snipped at him to please hurry up. He continued to take his sweet time, drawing with his finger all over my filthy car. I half ignored half acknowledged as we moms do and said, “Oh yeah, bud I see your plus signs. Let’s go please.” He got loud and said, “No mom! They’re not plus signs. They’re crosses!” For the first time all day, I paused. I stopped and looked at the message written there on the car and on my son’s face. As Deacon stood proudly next to his crosses I felt the nudge to recall that this life is a gift, one that shouldn’t be lived 100 miles an hour. I remembered how important it is for me as the mom to slow down because my pace becomes my child’s mood. And If I don’t slow down, I’ll miss all these little miracles that happen with our little people each day. If I don’t slow down, I’ll miss the everyday crosses.

I'm Baaacckk!

Well, I did it. It’s back! I’ve thought about and teased about bringing back The Rose Record (TRR for you long time fans ha) for a few months. I have wanted to give it ago again for quite some time, but I was worried a.) no one would care, b.) no one would show up, or c.) I would fail/humiliate myself. So just by you reading this you’re already solving one of my concerns; thank you! Can’t say I’ll be able to cover the other two, but hey, why not?

In all seriousness though, it feels good. At the beginning of this year, I shared on Instagram that my word for 2020 is CULTIVATE. I liked that word for its synonyms of “prepare”, “raise”, “tend”, “mature”, “work”, and “ripen”. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’ve been raising and tending to things for a while – those things being my marriage and my kids. But this year I was feeling the itch to expand the focus a bit and work on cultivating ME. (I still sort of shutter at the selfishness I feel just typing that, but I’m working on that.) This year I wanted to apply myself to “improving or developing”. I’ve definitely improved and developed some skills by re-launching TRR, and I feel more creative and energized than I have in a long time.

When I shared my word on Instagram, I still hadn’t really thought I’d start a website again. I thought more that it would explain to people why I’m telling them about what ornament storage box I use or the blow dry brush I love. I go down some serious rabbit holes during my free time- online shopping, product reviews, beauty demos, life-hacks, book recommendations, and more. It feels good to share these random finds from daily life, albeit that’s just what most of them are – random.

Something happened though when I put these intentions out into the world. By vocalizing and sharing what I had been thinking and feeling for awhile, I realized how badly I wanted (more like needed) to continue. So I thought, what the heck I’ll just re-launch The Rose Record and see where it takes me. But somewhere in the building of this new site, I realized this wasn’t just a spur of the moment endeavor that I would tire of in a few weeks. During every nap time, every evening, every tiny bit of free time I found myself hurrying through my to-do list so I could get on and work on the site. I stayed up late (a big deal because I’m usually snoozing by 9pm), woke up early, gave up exercise and errands because I just wanted to work at making this new space of mine on the internet. It’s not perfect and it’s not as pretty as a professional could make it, but YOU GUYS I MADE THIS FREAKING WEBSITE. I used my brain for something beyond nap schedules and making meals and cleaning up the meals and wondering how long laundry can sit in the dryer before you have to rewash it. Not that any of those things aren’t important. My number one priority is still tending to my people, but man it feels good to do something extra for myself.

The other funny part about all of this is that anytime over the past few years when I would briefly think about starting again, I would quickly tell myself that I had nothing to write about. But since tooling around on here and thinking I should take the leap and just TRY, I can’t stop coming up with content ideas. My mind races throughout the day with things I could share, parts of life I want to document, items for gift guides, or collages I should make. I feel inspired. I feel busy (in a good way). I feel motivated. I feel smart. So if taking this leap means I get to feel all of those things and only have five page views and zero clicks on my links so be it, (but also you should click the links and tell a friend ). This is going to be fun!

I feel inspired.

I feel busy (in a good way). I feel motivated. I feel smart. So if taking this leap means I get to feel all of those things, then why not?!

A few house keeping things to help you navigate the new site. The links across the top will take you to blog posts for those categories. Right now they’re empty since I decided to start from scratch on The Rose Record 2.0 rather than build on to my old site (new site is built on squarespace, old site is blogspot). But do not fear - the OG TRR is still around, you can find it here. I’m looking into getting all the old content transferred over, but it has to be done manually and there’s only one of me. I plan to rephotograph some of the old tried and true recipes and add them here, as well as merge the old gift guides over since so many of those still work as wonderful gift options. All in due time; baby steps. You can search and sign up for email updates from the side bar to the right. And make sure to check out how this all came to be on my About Me page.

And finally, a huge shout out to many of original TRR readers who encouraged me to start again. Your support and reinforcement made me believe I could do this in this day in age. And thanks to Al for cheering me on always. Take a look around! Let me know what you’d like to see. I’ll be back soon with some more content!

XO,

Katie

P.S. If you’re new here, I’m long winded. Sorry! I guess that’s the beauty of a website vs Instagram caption. I promise I won’t write a novel for every post.

Photos by my talented friend Caroline Guinn Photography