5 WAYS CAN STILL SUPPORT SMALL (WITHOUT SPENDING MONEY) DURING COVID-19

I had planned to write this blog post with all the ways you can enjoy shopping at Junk in the Trunk Vintage Market this weekend. It grieves me to even look at these photos from last fall (full with baby Penny), knowing that so many are feeling the loss of not being able to visit or set up shop this season. I've had the privilege to be a vendor at this market for the past 4 years and it has been one of my favorite events to be a part of each year.

Oh how I wish I could be sitting in my booth this weekend, watching the bustle of smiling faces walk around enjoying the atmosphere, listening to live music, sipping yummy coffee and pushing along all their unique finds the market always offers. I miss this. I miss the crowds, the new faces I get to interact with, the hugs of old friends coming to see me. I miss it so much.

With our world shifting and facing unknown in our midst I have seen so much creativity come from it too. Creative ways businesses have come together to support one another. Sharing their favorite places they love, buying from local small shops, connecting with other business owners in the same boat, shifting their products or services to online communities to help cater to every day needs for others. It's been amazing to watch the way people can come together in the midst of crisis and I've been so thankful for that. 

So it got me thinking, even though I would much rather be in person for this market I still want to offer some slice of it to those of you who planned to come or have been there in the past (maybe that's how we first met!?!). I would hate to miss out on the opportunity for you to enjoy some of the offers I had for the weekend.

This weekend I have deals across my Etsy shop that I ONLY give to those that show up at the markets. The great thing about this is you can pick and choose a few items that you've had your eye on or stock up on some thing for Mother's day around the corner or the holidays down the road and do it all from the comfort of your home. The deals will be up longer than the event usually goes for too--staring Friday morning April 24th until midnight on Sunday, April 27th. 

Here's how you can still shop my products this weekend and save!

Save these codes to use for the weekend:

Get 3 art prints for $45 (value of $54) with code 3PRINTS

Get 3 greeting cards for $12 (value of $15) with code 3CARDS
and automatic FREE SHIPPING on purchases $35+

I know these times are making us all feel a bit weary, so in case you're wanting to support small but don't have the means to in this moment I also wanted to leave you with a few ideas you can support in little, but BIG ways for the businesses you love so much!

Thankfully there are many ways the government is helping out businesses in this time of crisis and I'm so grateful for that as well, but what the government CAN'T replace is the people...the community walking through the doors experiencing the atmosphere, enjoying the fruits of the labor that has been poured into these businesses. People are the reason these places have been born and the reason these places thrive, without the community of people gathering around them nothing would move forward, get better, or make it through. 

Below I listed  5 ways (although I'm sure there are more) you can show up and support without  spending a dime, but instead just a little bit of your time. I hope it inspires you and gives you a little more insight on how you can and are making a difference for small businesses right now and for the future. 

5 ways you can support small:

1. FOLLOW! FOLLOW! FOLLOW!

On instagram, on facebook, if there's an email list to join then SUBSCRIBE! Following along goes a long way for these small businesses, it not only keeps you in the loop on everything we're creating and bringing to you but also builds trust with others as they see you following along and supporting our business too.

2. ENGAGE, LIKE, & COMMENT ON POSTS...WE'RE REAL HUMANS TOO!

Go take a few minutes to tell 5 small businesses why you love following and supporting their business. It might seem like a little simple thing (and it is) but hearing these things from the people that are on board for what we're producing means MORE than you'll ever know. It gives us that boost of encouragement and reminds us again and again why we're doing what we love doing. 

Along with that, when these social media platforms see that our followers are engaging with us it tells them that more people are interested in our business. So the more you're engaging the better the chances are that more eyes will see our posts! 

Here's a few things you can comment if you're feeling stuck:

-"Thank you for sharing your posts, i love follpwing your journey" 

-"I love (insert your favrotie product), I'm so thanful I found it through you"

- "I'm so glad to be following here, always inspired by you"

-"Thank you for (insert how their business has changed your life in some way)"

3. BE A SHARER

So you've followed and engaged with these businesses and for a reason you're sticking around. How about tell the group of people that are closest to you why you love these businesses too! You have the power to influence others and your influence into our businesses has a huge ripple effect for us. Share on your stories, your tweets, share pics of our products in your home and tell your friends where they can find us too--tag us! The next time one of your friends or family members has a need for something we offer, direct them to us before they start to scour Amazon! Chances are too, your shares will get reposted and more eyes will be able to engage and see our offerings! WIN WIN!

4. WRITE REVIEWS & AFFIRM EACH OTHER

Most likely if the small business you love so much is online they have an easy way for you to write a review on their product or service. Look them up on Yelp or Google and send in a positive opinion about them--(so many people are searching these sites and will read these things so it helps a TON!). If you purchased from an online store (like my Etsy shop for instance) go back to the product you purchased and give it a good rating and a little more detail and insight into why you liked it. These reviews keep the momentum going when others are introduced to the business and see that their customers are excited about the products they've bought. It creates more immediate trust between the new customer and the business when they see others are saying great things--plus it does a great deal to our hearts to hear how much you're loving the things we offer.

5. BOOKMARK & SAVE TO REFER BACK TO

Saving posts on Instagram is another way the algorithm calculates that people are engaging with it. You can save a post you love from products you've viewed on feeds to refer back to when you're in the right season to buy. Or if you're on a desktop computer, bookmark the things you love from these businesses so you can purchase them when the occasion arises. That way you're already set way ahead of the game for when that birthday or holiday present you needed to buy sneaks up on you ;)

AND A BONUS WAY TO SUPPORT IS PROBABLY THE OBVIOUS...

6. MAKE A PURCHASE!

Even if it's just a simple little thing. Every dollar amount is one more dollar that wasn't there before. An art print or greeting card from my shop are my lower price points and are great simple gifts to buy for others or a perfect way to add a little art and encouragement in to your home. I would bet that if you've been invested and following a business for a while you'll most likely find something small and simple you can purchase from them right now.

I hope these were helpful for you and inspired you to think outside the box a little on how to support people in these weird times. I know I am so so grateful for the support you've shown me over the years...ALL of it! Every little bit counts and helps. Hope to see you over the weekend browsing the shop and I'll be looking forward to the day we can be talking in person at the next big market in town. Hope you're staying safe and healthy friends!

All photos take by The Hardins

LIFE AS A FAMILY OF 8

So life as a family of 8 might be the one that has felt the most tiring (except for that time when we had 3 babies under the age of one)! It's probably the adjusting to a lot of things all at once this year that has made our days feel mostly like a blur, I mean we're officially school parents now and waking up before the sun comes up is no joke! While the overall feeling of life right now feels tiring and so full, I think this season more than ever I've wanted to be purposeful and intentional with our time and remembering to still see beauty.

We had the privilege of my sweet friend Karen (Elan Photographie/Fortitude + Finn) come into our home to snap some moments in time of what life is like for us right now. It made me teary looking through them seeing how she was able to grab snippets that say so much about our story. It made me look at the mundane details that usually are our days in a new light. I wanted to write down the little things that mostly get forgotten among the chaos so I always remember these little things that add up to the bigger picture as we're raising these precious hearts. 

A few things that are giving me life:

-a crowded couch of little ones snuggled up next to each other

-the sound of little feet running, jumping, and playing around on our dirty tile floor

-special treats and Shane making coffee for us in the morning 

-a back porch/patio with tiny tricycles racing around the table

-the girls playing coffee shop and restaurant in their playhouse and decorating it like it was their own home

-blocks spread across the floor from hours of sibling play and imagination happening 

-giggles on top of giggle on top of loud giggles!

-Dash always playing with or throwing around balls

-late night conversations with Shane connecting with each other

-snuggles from Penny in my arms

-constant coloring at the art table

-the pure love and delight Penny's siblings feel for her

I believe taking time like this to look a little closer allows gratitude to sink in deeper. And in turn, it changes my perspective when life feels hard and exhausting. I want to come back to these moments when the exhaustion hits and remind myself why I really love being a mama and why it's all worth it in the end.

I hope this inspires you to do the same. Maybe grab a journal or pull out the notes on your phone and jot down a few things in your day that you're loving right now. I guarantee it will be a heart changer for you when you need to pull it out again on the days that feel draining. And when it does feel hard and tiring for you, know that I'm right there with you. You're not alone mama.

All photos taken by Élan Photographie Studio

Our Mexican Getaway

Traveling abroad with our little family has been something we've dreamed up before we even started having kids.  Although this trip was a dream come true for us, it was nothing "easy" to say the least. 

Sometimes I have a hard time with social media and sharing parts of our life because I never want to come across that we have it better or easier by any means. What I do love about it is getting to share pretty photos and glimpses into our story, but only in hopes that it would inspire others to take on a challenge like traveling with littles, but know that it never comes without the hard work that goes on behind the scenes.  Our trip to Mexico left us with so many sweet memories with our kids and a handful of "believe it or not" stories that still leave us laughing and wondering how we made it through still sane, so I mainly write this to document our crazy trip to remember later on down the road.

The first part of our trip we stayed in the heart of Mexico City where we got to explore with the kids and experience some of the real culture of Mexico there. Something Shane and I love to do when we travel is see where the locals live and eat and play so we get a little insight into life of wherever we're visiting. I think there's so much to learn and gain from when we allow ourselves to enter into someone else's life and step outside our comfort zone for a bit. 

We walked where the locals would, we ate street food like they would, we were recommended some of the best restaurants and coffee shops in town they go to, and played at places where our kids engaged with people that didn't speak the same language. These were probably some of our favorite moments of the trip and every time I talk about it I recommend others to go to places they can get a small glimpse into the life of wherever they're visiting.

One of our favorite experiences of this trip was going to a friend's wedding we had been invited to a little outside of Mexico City--which was really the reason we planned this whole trip. When they invited us we decided to make it a big family event and tacked on a visit to cancun we had been saving up credit card points for for a couple years. 

The girls were so excited to be at another real life wedding (something they're super into pretending and playing right now). We were able to celebrate with our friends late into the evening dancing up a storm with our kids and we were pretty surprised at how long they made it into the night. A few hours after the wedding ended we were up early to head to our next flight to Cancun--which is where the series of crazy events for us began.

Throughout this trip I kept thinking how thankful I was that we had the chance to even do this--as exhausting as it was. I was thankful for the opportunity, for the work my husband put in early on to plan for our family to go and for the adventure of figuring out every curve that was thrown our way. 

I could ramble on and on about each detail that was hard, but I'm not sure I could fit every little thing on this one post! Instead, I started making a list while we were there of the things that were hard about it with a list written next to it of all the things that made it worth it. 

I think it can get really easy to get drowned in the hard stuff when you're raising babies and trying to do life on top of that. It can be easy to say "I'm never taking my kids on an airplane again" or "we will never do a family vacation with little ones" or so on. But I believe wholeheartedly that if we look for the things that make the challenges worth it, those are the places we can see ourselves start to grow. Those are the places we can see our capacity extend and be able to open our hands up for more beauty that could come our way. I believe when we choose to see things differently not only will we benefit from it's rewards, the people around us will get to benefit from it too. 

So below I'm sharing a snippet of the list I made that I think I will start doing more often. Even when we're at home and the days feel long and draining, I'll choose to get out a list and write down the hard--because the hard is REAL and just because there are rewards that come in between doesn't mean we need to ignore the reality of what is/was challenging. And I will write things next to it that made the hard parts worth it. 

The hard things:

-Loading 5 kids, 5 carseats, 3 suitcases, 2 strollers, & 2 adults through the airport

-Almost not making our first flight out of Phoenix due to a cranky airline clerk
-Unexpected hidden fees for our car rental in Mexico

-No air conditioning in our apartment
-Our rental car getting dinged up while it was parked outside overnight
-Starting another travel day at 2am to head to Cancun
-Our first hotel room being a 20+ minute walk from anything at the resort
-Travel day home: more unexpected fees, mama crying, broken air conditioner on flight, then cancelled flight due to broken air after already flying for an hour, heading back to Mexico to go back through immigration, loading up our luggage and kids (again), tiny hotel room for the evening, then up at 6am to find a flight home (I'm not making this stuff up!)

sparing more crazy, yet humorous details in between all of this...

-Made it back to the states with a 45 min layover to make our connecting flight
-Making it to Phoenix to have 3 kids and almost a husband getting sick as we landed (yep, had to clean all that up for a nice welcome home present into the states)

The "worth it" things:

-Getting to walk the streets in Mexico City and explore with our little family

-Talking each day with the girls about the new things we got to experience

-Eating Mexican street corn with the kids

-The girls getting excited to see the big statues in the middle of the city

-The girls saying "hola" and "gracias" to everyone

-Raleigh eating fried octopus 

- Finding a really good local coffee shop after wandering the city and feeling lost

-Talking to locals
-Seeing friends get married and being at a Mexican wedding
-Buying the girls Mexican dresses they wore practically the whole rest of the trip
-Watching the girls dance until midnight
-Arriving to our room in Cancun, feeling thankful we get to do this
-Sitting at the pool and swimming all day with the kids
-Seeing iguanas the size of raccoons and watching the girls get excited about it
-Watching their excitement over the sight of flamingos too
-Family night swimming
-Watching Jaelynn jump off the bridge into the pool fearlessly
-Watching Dash splash and getting braver about jumping into the pool
-Dancing on the beach with my girls to the Mexican band playing next to us

-Sitting next to Shane as we watched our kids play (these are the best of days!)
-The girls cuddled up next to each other all together on the couch each night
-Sitting with Raleigh on our big airplane home watching movies with her
-The kids being total troopers and going with the flow through it all

I hope through this post you don't hear me complaining, because I'm not at all. In all honesty, I would still do this trip and hope to do more traveling abroad trips with our kids as they grow. If anything, the hard moments just give me perspective. Perspective that the control I think I might have can be gone in a second. Perspective to remember that viewing someone else's life through the internet isn't always as easy or glamorous as I sometimes make it out to be. Perspective to look for the opportunities I can learn and gain from through the hard parts of raising kids. Perspective to trust God to take care of us and that even through the stress of it all I always have a choice to be kind and love well. 

There's no doubt this trip left us with a handful of memories and stories to share for years to come, so if nothing else--that's something alone I can be thankful for. 

Cabin Time

I'm sure you've seen me post a time or two on Instagram how much I dread the heat during Arizona summers. Like so much that I start playing Christmas music in July just to get me dreaming of cooler days! haha! To help our summer blues we tried to plan as many little getaways as possible to get us through so the long weeks and hundred temp days wouldn't be as debilitating. (Am I sounding dramatic!?! Try living here in the desert for the summer and then you'll see what I mean ;))

Anyways, a couple times this summer we've gone up north to Flagstaff and its been a breathe of fresh air. Shane's grandparents own a cabin tucked in the woods where he's been going to ever since he was a kid and I love that we get to bring our kids here to play and do things he did when he was growing up. I love that there's been years and years of memories in this place throughout our family history and making more memories with our kids here almost brings me to tears. 

You can't help but take the days slower and soak in the surrounding beauty when you're up there. We took a small hike up the backside of the cabin with the girls where we found a rustic tree house that overlooked the country. It was a sweet sweet moment watching my girls get so excited to be adventurous and get dirty. 

I wore my new favorite baby sling from Sakura Bloom to keep Dash close to me as we hiked and walked around the lake all weekend. This carrier is a new must have for mamas that I'll rave about over and over again. I love that its lightweight and easy to get on and off without all the bulky buckles or extra fabric hanging all over. Its also so pretty isn't it!?! Honestly I get at least one compliment about it every time I'm out and about with it on. The fabric on it is so breathable which makes it the perfect carrier for our hot weather. 

We're about to head out to California for our last family trip of the summer and before Raleigh starts pre-school (WHAT!?! did I just say that out loud!?! queue all the tears). We'll be staying in another cabin in the woods which I'm excited to show you all. Can't wait to be sitting in the lake, drinking coffee in the woods and walking around doing slower days again with my best people.