Let’s begin at the end today; sometimes you gotta switch it up a bit, right? If you buy only one thing, other than all the things from the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale this week, because it’s cute and comfy AF, and 100% of the proceeds go to an amazing organization, than make it this amazing fall sweatshirt in support of Every Mother Counts, via TME team favorite Clare V collaboration, and perfect for all of our everything-from-home fall days to come. More on the organization here. We’re a mom team, let’s support the mom team thing–that is after all, primarily what we do here, right?

clare v x emc sweatshirt

In other momming-homefront news: My 10-year-old, middle child, Ceci wrote a blog post for the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale this week. Which is more than I can say for myself. She’s inspired me to wish to fit in children’s clothes again (not likely, just wishful, wish list thinking) and I love her positive get-it-done enthusiasm. Maybe this weekend I’ll get to my own N’Sale post? Maybe. We’ll see. If only I had a liker/typer. Maybe I should call my mom? She’s the only person alive that types faster than anyone else I know. Calling her now. I’ll be back.

My youngest, Grace, started off the 8-year-old-easy-questions-first-thing-in-the-morning one day with, “Is it possible to love people you don’t know?” We ended a long conversation on that with absolutely and a hug. (We started it with mom needs more coffee.) I feel like there’s a BIG idea there, and through the heavy and thick state of the world, it’s the thing that’s giving me hope these days: more LOVE.

My son AJ participated in an amazing pilot program this week through Drexel’s School of Entrepreneurship. The program was so freaking well done. He legit enjoyed it and walked away with a new vocabulary, and all sorts of new ideas sparked and shared. I can not recommend enough. He ‘Zoomed’ it from the kitchen each day so that I quietly got to listen in to small bits. He moves me with his complex analytical thought process, while stopping me in the tracks of my own thoughts for a healthy pause to think on things in different ways. They plan on expanding the program, so I’ll pop a link here next time they do more camps for kids…but if YOUR kids are a little older, and trying to find their place, have them also check out that school. It’s unique; one of a kind in our country. I have a feeling we’ll be seeing more of this kind of thinking, real soon. Or at least I hope so and look forward to it!

Weekly Favorite Finds: Home Organization, #NSale Picks + Scent & Fire

AJ also granted me the gift of a preview into what we’ll be up against this year in terms of balancing physical distancing and maintaining mental health through safe social gathering.  Thank goodness that kid is as grounded and reasonable as he is. And that he can express his feelings in words and is willing to. This is going to be a leetle bit tricky…as people are all a leetle bit all over the place with their rules around social gathering. Present company included. Any other mom out there feel like a walking, masked contradiction? It’s the worst to have say, I’m sorry, but YOU can’t do that, because you are at risk to a kid who works so hard to never complain about anything associated with all the reasons he might be at said risk. And yet, no, mostly has to be the answer. Ugh. To that end:

Let’s make a deal? I’ll work hard to post all things related to the homeschool desk ideas, homeschool classroom ideas, homeschool organization for small spaces ideas, crafts, activities, and play for unschooling ideas in the coming weeks, AND maybe we can prompt a few conversations where we mom-group-source-through comments healthy inspiration for helping all our kids feel psychologically good this year while we balance keeping them all physically safe? And maintain mom sanity? Deal? Not sure about you, but I could use a little inspiration in that area, and y’all are a gigantic, gifted and experienced crowd from which to pull brilliant ideas. So let’s get to that real soon too.

Weekly Favorite Finds with a few of those thoughts on my mind, a Black-owned business ON FIRE, and another look at fun home things from the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale in case you are in that kinda mood.

1 Indoor Mini Golf | 2 Air Pods | 3 SUP |

4 Organized Tools | 5 What To Eat | 6 Coffee Table |

7 Work-From-Home Gift | 8 Sleek Kid Desk | 9 Hand Towels |

10 Desk + Storage | 11 Sweatshirt | 12 Bench

1 Indoor Mini Golf | Over ALL the years, the kids and I have had HOURS of fun, long after they outgrew a toy like this, building challenging mini golf courses all over the inside of the house!!! If you get one thing for rainy indoor quarantined fun…get this. It’ll take the kids 3 hours to build a proper course using the entire house and all sorts of random things (during which time, you work…) and then it’ll be a half-hour of fun for the whole family. Over…and over…and over again. Trust me on this.

2 Air Pods | I finally got some. No regrets. Highly recommend. Can you hear me now?  Yes. That’s the thing of these. In a good way.

3 SUP | The thing I show up with that everyone is always like YAAAASSSS!!!! They inflate quick. They are so fun. And no one gets hurt. In other ideas on physcially distant gathering….gather on stand-up paddle boards at a lake, river, bay near you. It’s so fun, I promise.

4 Organized Tools | Kinda like in a freshman college dorm, where you had a shower caddy…THIS…for school from home. Kids move around a lot. This way, all their stuff goes with them. And looks cute everywhere it sits. And cleans-up and reorganizes easily. I know there’s make-up in the photo…in your imagination and reality, replace with: colored pencils, regular pencils, markers, scissors, glue…all that stuff.

5 What To Eat | I have found, that my mom job is easier, if the kids just tell me what they want to eat and even if they fill the home delivery cart. The doing is quick. The planning takes work. LIFE SKILLS in teamwork exercise: get one of these, everyone jot notes…family meal planning DONE!

6 Coffee Table | Hey there, lovely new drop from CB2. I would like to place you everywhere, and my coffee and feet right up on you. LOVE the subtle gorgeous shape of this piece.

7 Work-From-Home Gift | Have a girlfriend that needs a giggle? Best gift every right about now.

8 Sleek Kid Desk | More to come on this topic, but this one is super-efficient for kids. *This is not adult height. I’ll find you one similar in a roundup. But for kids? Amazing.

9 Hand Towels | Are there ever enough hand towels? Nope, never. Hand towels, dish towels, hot holders, accessories, cute things hanging on hooks, napkins, placemats, use them as you wish, these are gorgeous and a great price too!

10 Desk + Storage | Does anyone file papers anymore? But those drawers ‘tho….they can hold all the things everyone needs for work and school from home, nicely, after school/work for the next day, so that the house can look nice and calm and peaceful and like nothing happened here for just a few minutes!

11 Sweatshirt | I think we’re all clear on my love for 100% profits for an amazing organization in the form of a superb fall sweatshirt in fantastic colors, yes? And come on already, that is a FUN play on words!!!!

12 Bench | Hello. Welcome. Take a seat. Take your shoes off. Stay a while. You are gorgeous. I’m kinda loving new CB2. We’ll come back to that thought when we’re done supporting all the causes and the #NSale. For now, yes, just this bench, everywhere.

Black-Owned Business Spotlight | Scent & Fire

Hi there, Monisha!!! PLEASE…read her “our story” if you can’t relate, you aren’t living through today. Thank you Monisha for giving us a way to decompress, exhale and relax with love, through scent & fire, with a little healthy humor. xo with so much gratitude – A

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Home Picks | This Week’s Edit

Kitchens, Dogs & Cuddles

Thanks for letting me unload. My mind is now clear for finding more home fun for all of us. And to beginning all the “how we gonna do this school-from-home 2020-2021 year thing” posts. Onward–happy weekend.
xoxo, A

PS: Follow along with me on Pinterest for more Home Inspiration and other random distraction via pretty visuals. xo A