FRYday : Jamie

You all know how closely we hold infertility and adoption to our hearts, and after devoting a whole week of posts (start with Jenna’s introduction here.) to the cause, we we found one more layer of a way we could help those looking to adopt. We have partnered with Sage & Harper and Pound the Pavement for Parenthood for a very special project which we will be sharing first thing next week. But, for today’s Fryday we wanted to hand the reigns over to a very special mother and someone we were each deeply touched by recently. Someone who knows the strains of infertility and adoption better than we do, and someone who never gave up the hope of creating her family. Jamie came into our lives and her story had us in tears almost instantly.    Please welcome, Jamie!

sage&harper2“I have always known that adoption would be part of my life, even when I was young. My dad was adopted and I have always been grateful for my grandparents in bringing him home. We adopted our daughter Zoe from Rwanda three years ago when she was two years old. Before we met her she had never smiled or even talked. After we had been with her for around three weeks, we saw both a smile and heard her beautiful voice. I know she felt our love for her and it made her come alive. Now all she does is smile and giggle as she is filled with love from her family. Every time I see that smile my heart is filled with so much gratitude for how lucky I am to have her in my life.

sage&harper

In the middle of October we returned home with our 5 month old daughter Evie from Ethiopia. It has been an amazing experience to be able to go back to Africa to bring home another daughter. It took over 21 months and two visits to Ethiopia to receive a referral and bring her home. She was very sick and malnourished when we met her (four pounds at twenty days old!) and we were worried she wouldn’t even make it. Now she is home with us and thriving. We have been so blessed to have these two girls in our lives. Having a family on our own is a blessing that many of us do not have. Adoption can make it possible for families to be together. Many people do not understand just how difficult adoption can be. You must prove that you can be a good parent and the costs to do this can be staggering. I am so grateful for Sage & Harper in supporting adoption and helping families who could not afford the costs to be able to bring their children home. My family would not be complete without my daughters.”

Thank you so much for sharing a bit of your journey with us, Jamie! We’ll back first thing Monday sharing this new venture with Sage & Harper. Have a wonderful weekend!

•••

Locals! We will be co-hosting a launch party with Dear Lizzy for the Fairy Birds book we featured last week on November 16th! It is shaping up to me a really fun afternoon for you and your kids. Check it out!

invite-1

blinkbuggy!

“I wonder if Sunny is as tall as Dash was at this age?”

“I need all the pictures I have of Quinn and his best-friend-slash-cousin to make a book for her birthday.”

“I want my family out of state family to see that adorable picture of Hayes and Cal in the tub, but it’s certainly not going to go up on Instagram.”

These are all things we’ve found ourselves needing and wanting in the last few months that today’s featured sponsor Blinkbuggy provides. We’re so excited to share how this free service is making documenting our kids lives so simple.

Blinkbuggy

Blinkbuggy, founded by Emma Weisberg, and like so many other parent-created companies, was born out of filling a need for her own family. The interface includes albums for photos, milestones, quotes, art, with profiles for each of your family members, so it is quite literally a family history all in one place. You can upload directly from Instagram or Facebook, but your privacy is first priority.

Blinkbuggy

Keep information just for yourself, share it with your friends in a feed, or create a custom group like just out-of-town siblings and parents, or fellow students in your child’s class. In only a matter of weeks Blinkbuggy will launch their mobile app allowing for uploading on the go. Check out their helpful demo tour here.

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We’ve been posting to Blinkbuggy for the last few weeks and we can’t help but get a little choked up when we visit our shared profile. The design is minimal and tasteful and doesn’t detract from the real purpose, which is documenting our sweet children. After putting in funny quotes, heart warming moments, and accompanying pictures, we wish so badly we could go back and keep track of the important dates, doctor’s visits, and other milestones we’ve forgotten.

Check out our profile here, and let’s be friends! We are so excited for Blinkbuggy’s upcoming mobile app, video capabilities, and printing. We think this is certainly the next big thing and are excited for the future for Emma and her crew!

Take the Blinkbuggy tour here.

holiday gift guide: for pop

As busy parents we know that time and preparation is vital in a stress-free holiday season, so we decided (as much as it pains our Thanksgiving loving souls) we’d start earlier rather than later with our gift guides. We’ll be sharing only one a week until the general cut-off date for online shopping and shipping. Countless hours have gone into curating these gift guides, we really feel we’ve put together a good variety for everyone on your list! New ideas, old favorites, nice and inexpensive. It’s all here, and we hope it helps make your life easier over the next month or so!
holiday gift guide for pop

 

1// AquaFarm [$60] This is such a cool little contraption for on Pop’s desk. The AquaFarm creates a symbiotic relationship where the nutrient rich water feeds the plants, the plants clean the water and send it back out creating a clean environment for the fish below. You can grow basil, mint, spinach or other leafy greens on the trays above. // Uncommon Goods

2// Piola Footwear [$50+] Piola is a really inspiring new brand that produces an all-natural rubber that is then created into awesome footwear, all made in Peru. These rubber factories provide countless jobs and economic development to Peruvian locals. Added bonus, the shoe line is super cool, but not too flashy, just like your man. Read about Piola in depth on their recently funded Kickstarter page!

3// Cooper & Kid [$65] is a company we featured last year, but love it as a gift for dads, uncles and grandpas. The concept is simple. Cooper and Kid create boxable adventures for families to enjoy, with themes like adventure via discovery, hands-on building, gender neutral, and creative expression. They are shipped right to your door and ready for action. For those hard-working away from the home parents who have only a couple hours here and there, this creates such memorable experiences in a snap!

4// Clic Case [$50] Phone cases are a tricky thing. They can’t be too minimal or you’ve got a cracked screen on your hands, too bulky and they won’t fit in your back pocket. Too girly and you’ve got one embarassed Pop, but these gorgeous wooden cases are just sleek enough, just hardy enough to make the cut. // Via Fab.

5// Ergo Carrier [$100+] Guys know how hot baby wearing is by now, yes? What better way to prove we’re right then to give the gift of baby wearing ourselves? Ergo nails it with gender neutral prints that mom or dad will love to wear. // Ergo

6// Life Factory 22 oz [$25] Whether the dad in your life is a thrill-seeking outdoors type, or just speed walking through an airport terminal, they need to stay hydrated. Life Factory keeps up no matter where they’re headed. // Life Factory
7// David Lesue Stately Type [varied] We’re loving this graphic designer’s up and coming line of typographical state prints and apparel. He has a map of the USA, and shirts of all fifty states up for grabs and we think they all make excellent gifts! His Kickstarter is still going now, check it out here to see what you can claim for backing!
8// Uncle Goose blocks [$35+] We are smitten with Uncle Goose over here. They make the most insanely awesome sets of blocks and we’ve each started our own collections. We thought this Elemental set would be perfect for the science lover in your life, and when assembled they make an awesome display for office shelves as well! // Uncle Goose
We’d love to know, what you’re planning on getting for the men in your life? Even with these ideas we’ve got some tough pops to shop for over here.

paying gratitude forward

Happy November, everyone! We like to start the month off with a way to focus on gratitude every day with the kids. Last year, we created this tree, and this year we wanted a way to not only feel more grateful but actually show gratitude. If you’ve ever “Been Booed” around Halloween-time, you already know the concept, but here’s what you’ll do:

Print off the download at the bottom of this post, as many times as you like!

thankful print to pass around the neighborhood

Pick a couple friends or neighbors that you feel especially grateful for. This exercise doesn’t need to be anonymous, but a good doorbell ditch is good for the soul every now and again! There is space to add a personalized note if you’re confident in masking your penmanship, and of course everything is better with a little treat. A plate of cookies, or a prepackaged dessert, whatever you like.

thankful print to pass around the neighborhood

Dress warm (how cozy is Quinn’s scarf?) and find a good place to hide while you watch your friends answer the door.

thankful print to pass around the ni

The idea is to spread the gratitude forward. With every person that is thanked, two more will in their place creating a ripple effect. These little exercises in gratitude have been wonderful ways to teach the boys about the purpose of this month. Even better still, isn’t hard to be down or upset when you’re really feeling grateful? It’s really a win-win, and we hope you’ll join us!

thankful note for neighborsSee the rest of our Thanksgiving themed posts right here!

Wreath graphic credit here.

lily jade giveaway [closed!]

Congratulations to Michelle Redd for winning this giveaway!

Today we have a giveaway (and 20% code!) from one of our sponsors, Lily Jade! Lily Jade makes the most gorgeous bags for moms. Each of the styles has the included “baby bag” organizer which includes sixteen functional pockets and an easy-to-clean, detachable inner, you can use your bag for baby, then simply slip out the insert with its contents, to become a beautiful tote for Mom’s independent days out alone. No unzipping required. Genius, right?

mom fall thread essentials

We had local friend and blogger, Stacey style the gorgeous leather Caroline bag for three occasions, to really show it’s versatility. Here’s what she came up with (outfit details at the bottom of the post!):

mom fall threads mom fall threads fallthreads1

Here’s Stacey’s review: “The bag was great because it could hold all my essentials from toys, snacks, and diapers for Franklin, to filling it with our apples, Frankie’s baby pumpkin, and then my interior design materials when going to a home consultation. It is such good quality, and the leather is so soft. It is stylish and doesn’t come off as a baby bag. It is functional and stylish at the same time, and big enough to hold just about anything!”

We love the red bag and how it adds color to the popular neutral color schemes that are so on trend this Fall! So now that yo’ve seen it in action, are you ready to win? This bag retails for $375 and boy do you deserve it!

lily jade diaper bag

 Here’s how to enter:

Leave a comment letting us know your most grabbed for item in your purse (not counting your phone!)

For extra entries: Follow Lily Jade on Facebook and Twitter.

Post about this giveaway via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or Pinterest and leave each link below in the comments.

The winner will be chosen November 11, good luck!

Can’t wait for November 11 to own this gorgeousness? We don’t blame you. Head over to Lily Jade where the bag is now on sale PLUS when you use code Smallfry20 you’ll get an additional 20% off. Everybody wins!

Photo Contributions courtesy of Stacey Sargent. Outfit Details after the jump!

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