FRYday : Emily

Oh, November. Due to the nature of Small Fry and another business I run, and just plain being the crazy Holidays, it is the busiest month of my whole year. It packs a real punch of emotions, awesome highs, and despairing lows. A lot of interested parties ask Jenna, Nicole and me: “How do you do it?” and I think a lot of times that question comes with a motive of trying to undermine and poke holes in the “how” of it all. So, I thought for those interested, I’d share! I wouldn’t dream of speaking for my other Fries, but here’s my “how”.

fryday : emily

I (after thoughtful discussion with my husband) choose to work in, and on occasion outside, the home. Russ owns his own business too, so at times it is out of necessity for our finances, at times it is just a personal desire to contribute, and also at times just to use my talents and feed my interests. Luckily these things are almost always with my children in tow. If I can’t bring them along, I schedule everything during their life-saving shared naptime (naptime don’t ever leave us!), and if it’s a bigger time commitment, which is rare, I call on Russ or our parents (parents, don’t ever move!)

I used to think I could do it all. But, I’ve quickly learned that I have to protect myself and my family from that trap. I had to learn to say no. And re-learn it, and learn it one more time. It’s not easy, I hate missing out, I have a little bit of F.O.M.O. no matter where I am. I miss my kids and my husband when I have to be away, and I feel the momentary longing to be at the party, or styling the photoshoot, or the girl’s night. Maybe from an outside perspective it looks differently, but I say no to a lot, and choose to be home. I wish I knew the exact quote, but something a long the lines of “Don’t trade what you want most for what you want at the moment” rings in my head often. I have such a clear vision for the type of marriage, family, and life I want, and that makes it easy to see when the choices I make are building or hurting that vision. At this moment in my life, I can gratefully say that my kids are getting the best of me.

With that being said, my house is always a mess. My dinners are simple, and a lot of times take-out. My husband is patient with me when he has no clean shirts to wear because they’re all in the wash. If I get a meaningful text out to a friend I feel like I’ve conquered the world. Sometimes I’m face down in a pillow crying over how I wish I could do one thing well versus ten “just enoughs”, but then I remind myself that this life is a choice. Even the smallest of choices are building me up to the woman I hope to be one day. I think when that day comes, I’ll look back at this frazzled and worn person and be grateful, because I fought for her. Everyday. I hope you all have a happy weekend!

xo,

Emily

•••

We had two awesome print articles published for us this month! One via the Nov/Dec 2013 Texarkana that you can view online here.

And an essay and spread for Somerset Life. You can buy this Autumn 2013 issue in most craft and book stores, but here’s a little peek!

SL 1

Keep reading to see the essay!

Read more

give thanks printable

Do you remember David Lesue from our Holiday Gift Guide for Pop? Even with business booming, he created this perfect Thanksgiving printable for all his Small Fry fans. David Lesue Print

This print is even better in person, it creates this awesome gold-foil look that we love, and is the perfect addition to your November decor! Download below. Also, if you’re looking to purchase any of David’s work, it is all still available through Kickstarter here.

See the rest of our Thanksgiving themed posts right here!

Thanksgiving Round-up

Holiday Gift Guide : For Bebe

Welcome back to Gift Guide Wednesdays! Today is all about that bouncing baby in your life. Some of our very favorites, new finds, and as always something for every price range!
Holiday Guide: bebe1. Winter Water Factory [$30+] is our favorite baby clothes line, hands down! From baby’s layette to sweet playclothes for the bigger kids, they have it all covered. Their clothes are sweetly simple yet pack such a great punch in color and print. Use “smallfryholiday” at check out for 15% off!

2. Freshly Picked Moccasins [$60] If you have a pair of Freshly Picked moccs than we’re preaching to the choir. They are simply put, the shoes your baby will wear. They stay on, they are beautiful and soft and timeless. They hold your baby’s foot shape and a million other memories. Our favorite part is when you take them off your baby’s feet and flip them over you can see their little toe prints in the leather.

3. 4moms MamaRoo Bouncer [$199] This is one classy bouncer. We love the clean simplistic design, but add in the MP3 plug-in and mobiles with art by Monet and Seurat, and you’ve got yourself a bouncer you can be proud of. It has several settings that simulate riding in a car, the movement of water and being rocked in a tree. We just have one question: do they make it in our size?

4. Bannor Toys State Rattles [$15] Bannor makes the most incredible line of wood toys, with an extensive teether, stacker, and block collection! We love their state rattles, they make such a great baby gift and beautifully made as well.

5. Boon Whale Pod [$30] We say amongst ourselves often that we’d buy pretty much anything if Boon made it. They just have it all figured out for making baby’s necessities not only functional but beautiful to look at, too. This whale scoop makes cleaning up bath toys a breeze, you simply scoop and drag across the water, it picks up all the toys, and then the draining system release all the excess moisture, and it goes back on its hook for next time.

6. PlanToys Pull-Along Zebra [$16]. If Boon has it figured out for necessities, Plan Toys has you covered for playtime. Their collection is covet-worthy and just that, a collectible. Why not start with this cute zebra?

7. Yepp Bike Seat [$160] The Yepp bike seat may be a bit more than the popular competitor but after using said seat, there are a few clear distinctions. The rubber seat is so much more comfortable than the hard plastic. It absorbs the bouncing and bumping much smoother, making baby’s (and therefore your) ride that much more enjoyable. Added bonus they come in an impressive variety of colors!

8. Toto Knits is a company that we are kicking ourselves for not finding sooner! Not only are the knits organic, locally grown, dyed, and spun, but the company is comprised of single mothers in Kenya. They are paid by each individual piece they knit, so they can work as much or as little as they choose. We love their family-first attitude, and each piece is signed by its maker which makes it that much more meaningful. Considering all that, this classic Breton stripe sweater is only [$32!] But even better enter “FRIEND” at check out for another whopping 25% off!

So friends, what would you add to our list? Any must haves we’ve missed for bebe this season?

Tiny Tourist : Mackinac Island, Michigan

This is the second post in our themed posts under Ford’s Fiesta Movement! This month’s theme is Entertainment, and what provides better entertainment than a little wanderlust? Welcome Chris Klau who is taking us on a kid-friendly tour of Mackinac Island, Michingan!Tiny Tourist Series | Small Fry

“Hi!  I’m Chris Klau.  I have a day job I love and also pursue my passion and hobby on the side through Chris Klau Photography.  My little crew and I recently spent an afternoon at one of our all-time favorite places, Mackinac Island.  Mackinac Island is small island located right between the Upper and Lower Peninsula of Michigan.  And we have found that although it is acclaimed for its history, beauty and charm, many folks still don’t know about it.  There are so many things to do and see there.  We thought we would let you inon some of our top spots and activities so you can start planning your trip with your family soon! I of course had to snap some shots and even filmed a quick video of our trip which you can see here.

1.It’s an island!  Soyou have to get there by boat or plane as there are no bridges that connect directly to the island.  There are several ferry boat services that will take you there.   We love Shelpler’s.  They are fast and reliable and they have a special Mighty Mac departure that takes you under the Mackinac Bridge (that connects the Upper and Lower Peninsula), which our kids really dig!2 Arch Rock2.  Mackinac Island is unique in the fact that there are no cars allowed on the island (except a few emergency vehicles).  So everyone gets around by bike or by horse (there are more than 500 horses on the island)!  The kids think this is super amazing!  We always bring our bikes but you can definitely rent them as well and they have lots of kid friendly options (like buggies) to make sure the little ones are included.  There is a paved path along the entire outer edge of the island.  There is nothing like that bike ride and taking in the beauty of Great Lakes the entire time!  Don’t forget to check out Arch Rock on yourway around!

2 horse

3.  Mackinac Island is home to the Grand Hotel!  This historic hotel is home to the world’s largest front porch and is a magical place to stay when on the island.  We love to walk in the Grand Hotel Garden and the kids like to make wishes in the fountain and run down the hill.  It is a must-see why you are there for sure.

3 Grand Hotel Make a wish fountain

4. There are tons of great spots to eat.  We love the Gatehouse for lunch which is located just down from the Grand Hotel.  They have great food and the kids love the Worms in Dirt dessert!  Speaking of dessert, Mackinac Island is famous for it’s fudge shops!  They have so many unbelievable flavors and when you walk through the downtown the smell of fudge lures you into one of the many spots that sell it.  This trip the kids opted for an ice cream instead from our favorite spot Ryba’s.   We usually take it to the park down the street under the Historic Fort Mackinac and watch the boats come in and out!4 jack ice cream

5.  During our time on the island we always make a playground stop. There is an amazing playground right by the island school that we think is a somewhat hidden gem and has an amazing view of the Mackinac Bridge!  And before we leave the island we always make a final stop by the water and let the kids skip stones and do kid things – like get wet!  We always bring extra clothes! There is a great spot right across from the playground to stop.  As the kids toss rocks we toss around memories of the day and soak in the remaining time!5 jack playground 5 kids rocks
Thanks, Chris! Doesn’t this look like an incredible afternoon?

This post is sponsored by the Fiesta Movement. Thank you for supporting the companies that make Small Fry possible!

sage & harper

Today is the day! The collaboration we hinted at last week is finally live and for sale starting today on Brickyard Buffalo! and we’re so excited to share the details. Ali Fenlon, the designer and seamstress behind Sage & Harper has been sending a portion of her shop’s proceeds for quite awhile to Pound the Pavement for Parenthood (a charity that sponsors couples struggling with funding their adoption or In Vitro treatments) the amount of good that both of these groups are doing is so inspiring and we feel so blessed to be able to jump on the bandwagon with them. Ali is a burst of energy and just being around her invigorates and excites us, isn’t that the best kind of person?

bag

Ali had us sit down and select fabrics and prints to create our very own version of her popular cross-body satchel. We were like kids in a candy store pouring over stacks of tweeds and leathers and vibrant graphic prints. We were inspired by Fall and selected this awesome ostrich leather, with a thick gray tweed and just the right amount of stripes on the strap and lining. After our afternoon playing designers, Ali got to work and a month or so later brought back the results. We’ve all been that girl in squeezing past someone in the grocery store aisle and practically taking them out with our giant mom bag. Not pretty. This one is the perfect mid-size bag, it will fit all your necessities, but isn’t bulky.

sage and harperBut, more importantly than the pattern or the buckle pairing is the purpose. We asked Ali to share a little bit about her role in all of this and what motivates her:

“The answer is simple. It’s People. I believe that our relationships make the world go round. This project to benefit Pound the Pavement and ultimately a deserving couple has been an incredible journey of humility. My greatest calling as a Mother to my children has chipped away and refined me to reveal my true self. I want that same experience to be possible for a couple who couldn’t otherwise do it on their own. The ache and longing of infertility echoes through my mind but I’ve found immense healing and gratitude from other supportive women and gifted doctors who made my dream of a family a reality. I’m honored to sponsor Pound the Pavement in their cause and mission. More so, I’m incredibly grateful for Emily, Nicole and Jenna in collaborating for this project. Their impeccable taste and giant hearts made this Sage & Harper bag a home run!”

Pound the Pavement

The latest couple to be sponsored by Sage & Harper‘s donations is Matt and Stephanie.After years of negative pregnancy tests, burst cysts due to Clomid, and exploring all avenues, they finally found themselves with In Vitro Fertilization as their next step towards creating a family. With Matt in school full time and Stephanie working hard to support them, funding this next step is near impossible. Thanks to Ali and Pound the Pavement Matt and Stephanie’s funds are covered. We hope that this bag will give this gift to even more couples!

sage and harper

We love the message of both Sage & Harper and Pound the Pavement to give those who need it most a leg up. As you do your Holiday shopping this season, we hope you’ll keep this bag in mind, as we have seen firsthand the good it can do!

Shop today at Brickyard Buffalo!

Matt & Stephanie’s photo courtesy of Jill Witt.

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