Family Archives - Page 13 of 47

AM/PM: A day in the life of Emily Meyer from Tea Collection

September 24, 2013

AM/PM chronicles a day in the life of busy mothers to explore how all different types of moms juggle their responsibilities — from stay-at-home moms to moms who work full time outside of the home. If you’ve ever thought to yourself, “I don’t know how she does it” about another mom, read on!

Today we’re talking about motherhood with Emily Meyer, Co-founder and Chief Creative Officer of Tea Collection, one of my favorite children’s clothing companies. If I could, I’d happily outfit Levi exclusively in Tea — I love their modern designs, especially for babies and toddler boys.

Tea has been growing rapidly since its inception in 2002 (in fact, it won the 2012 Cribsie award for Best All-Around Children’s Wear For Stylish Tots), which means Emily has years of experience being both a businesswoman and a mom. Let’s take a glance at a typical day to see how she gets it all done.

Q. How old are your children?

A. Clement, 4; Georgia 2

Q. Do you have the same job that you had before becoming a mom?

A. Yes, same job!

Q. Walk us through a typical work day… What time do you and your kids wake up?

A. 6:30AM

Q. What does your morning look like?

A. Get dressed…figuring out what to wear! Breakfast with the kids. Chat with mom or my sister on the way to work.

Q. What time do you eat lunch?

A. 12:00PM

Q. What does your afternoon look like?

A. Working with design on the next collection. Reviewing e-commerce business. Select images for the upcoming catalog. Catch up with emails. Brainstorm, discover.

Q. When is dinner?

A. 7:00ish

Q. What does your evening look like?

A. Playing with my kids. Reading books. Lights out at 8:30 (for the kids)! A bit of TV with my husband and a glass of wine. We love Mad Men!

Q. What time do you go to bed?

A. 10:30PM

Q. What do you most look forward to doing on the weekends?

A. My husband and I have townie bikes with seats on the back for the kids – we love riding around Palo Alto, visiting the Cantor Art Museum at Stanford or going to nearby parks. Sometimes my husband brings his guitar out to the backyard, strumming while the kids do water play (in the warm weather). Outdoor time is paramount.

Q. How do you de-stress when you’re feeling overwhelmed?

A. Sleeps solves everything. A nap is one of the most luxurious gifts anyone could give me.

Q. What’s your dream job?

A. I have it! But when I retire I want to be a Blues singer.

Emily’s weekends with her family sound idyllic, don’t they? One of these days I’m going to own a bike — and live someplace temperate where I can ride all year long! To learn more about Emily and Tea Collection, please visit teacollection.com or follow Tea on Facebook and Twitter.

P.S. — Did you know that Tea also sells women’s clothing? This season I’ve got my eye on a Tea Collection fashionABLE Scarf, which was designed by Tea and hand-woven in Ethiopia by fashionABLE artisans. fashionABLE is an organization that helps build small business cooperatives in Africa, providing meaningful work with fair wages to women. Each of their scarves comes with a note that tells the story of one of the courageous women who works with fashionABLE.

The Corporate Cup and the fire truck

September 18, 2013

I’m here. But I’m exhausted.

In addition to working on a new social media freelance job, I’ve spent the past two days preparing for a quick trip to New York City — and by preparing, I mostly mean trying on the contents of my closet, shopping for new clothing, and putting together outfits for the BHG Stylemaker Workshop & Party on Thursday.

At 17 weeks, I’m at that awkward pregnancy stage where my regular clothes are too tight but my maternity clothes are still too big. And my baby bump isn’t so much a bump as it is a squashy ring around the middle of my belly. It looks like I ate a three-burrito lunch at Chipotle.

However, packing would have been a challenge even if I wasn’t pregnant. I’m not the type of person who can pull shirts off hangers and simply fold them in a suitcase; I first have to try on every outfit…down to the shoes. I also struggle to pack light because of my giant size-10 shoes. They take up so much room! I’m almost embarrassed to admit that I’ll be checking my suitcase for a two-day visit to NYC…

Before I pack up the computer in my trusty Lo & Sons O.G. bag, I’d like to share a couple of photos from this past Sunday.

After a rocky start (a thunderstorm woke Levi up at 5am, I had a bloody nose for almost an hour, and Levi was in time out before 8am), Levi and I made our way to Aksarban Village to meet JB at the finish line of the Fight for Air Corporate Cup race.

By the time we found parking and maneuvered our way through the crowd, we had about 10 minutes to spare before JB ran past us. To pass the time, Levi helped me looked for runners wearing red. When found somebody in a red t-shirt, he would call out, “Hi, daddy!”

I was extremely proud of JB for completing his first 10K in just under an hour — and for not being completely sore or winded afterwards. Although Levi was excited when he finally saw the red shirt belonging to his daddy cross the finish line, the highlight of his morning was sitting inside a fire truck! And I’m guessing the highlight of the firemen’s morning was hearing me call the fire truck a “weeoo-weeoo.” Apparently, the firemen had never heard it called that before and had a good laugh.

(I’m fascinated by the way that toddlers describe different objects as their language is developing. For example, Levi calls fire trucks “weeoo-weeoos” because of the siren. Similarly, he calls the alarm system in our home “the beep beep” because of how it sounds.)

Finally, isn’t Levi’s curly hair out of control in the photos above? He had his hair styled for the first time on Monday (previously he just had the really long pieces trimmed), and he looks so much less…wild now. You can check out a before and after photo on Bunny & Dolly’s Facebook page. If you don’t already follow Bunny & Dolly on Facebook, why not click the “like” button while you’re there?

Oh! And I’ll be sharing photos of my experience at the BHG Stylemaker Workshop in NYC on Instagram using the hashtag #bunnydollybhg. I’d love for you to follow along!

Saying I’m sorry

September 13, 2013

Before Yom Kippur (the day of Atonement) begins at tonight, I’d like to apologize to anyone I’ve unknowingly hurt this past year. Blame it on paranoia, low self-esteem or Jewish guilt, but I often worry that somewhere out there is somebody who’s mad at me. Somebody I’ve unintentionally upset or offended with my words or actions.

If that person is you, I’m sorry.

Also, if I’ve already apologized to you for something I said or did this year that I later learned was hurtful, I ask for your forgiveness one more time — just to be sure we’re all good.

P.S. — A touching and meaningful al chet (confession of sins) prayer for parents

i’m sorry card by South City Press

Levi’s Monthly Photo (24 Months Old)

September 12, 2013

I see you scratching your head at the title of this post. Yes, Levi has been two years old for a couple of months now. Today is actually his 26 month birthday! But life was so crazy in July that I missed my opportunity to post Levi’s 24 month old photos and stats.

Instead of my traditional letter to Levi, I’ve decided to simply share some of the highlights from these past two months. To start, Levi’s vocabulary continues to expand tremendously. He speaks in 6-7 word sentences, and we can almost always understand what he’s saying.

Levi made potty for the first time a few days before he turned two, and he’s nearly ready for potty training. Too bad mom and dad aren’t… We’ve actually started putting him to bed in a white short-sleeve onesie so he can’t remove it and his diaper in the morning!

One of Levi’s favorite things to do is look for school buses while we’re driving in the car. He also likes to point out familiar sites. His memory amazes me — for example, he’ll point to Wendy’s and recall that he ate “chicken nuggets and french fries and ice cream” there.

Sadly, Levi and the dog are still not best friends. Although Briscoe is slowly getting more comfortable around Levi, Levi is often reluctant to pet or hug him — although he does love to hold Briscoe’s leash on our walks to the mailbox. My hope is that they’ll become buddy-buddy once there’s a new baby in the house.

And now, some more of Levi’s noteworthy stats and milestones from the last two months…… READ MORE!

Being Pregnant with Lexy from The Proper Pinwheel

September 10, 2013

Because every woman’s pregnancy is unique, our Being Pregnant series is a way to share a variety of maternity experiences on the blog. Today we’re chatting with Lexy Ward, the creative gal behind the party blog, The Proper Pinwheel. Lexy and I met in person at Alt Summit in January, and she’s one of the funniest and most outgoing bloggers I know. Her tell-it-like-it-is personality and sense of humor even comes through in her writing.

Lexy and I chatted during her second trimester — before a handful of fellow bloggers threw her a virtual baby shower and before she had maternity photos taken by You Look Lovely Photography. In fact, I’ve been sitting on this interview until Lexy received these images back from the photographer. Aren’t they so gorgeous and ethereal?

Read on to learn what Lexy thinks about being pregnant…… READ MORE!

Car seats 101

September 9, 2013

All eyes were on Prince William last month as he expertly secured his newborn son’s car seat in the back of his black SUV. In an interview with CNN, William admitted that it went so smoothly outside of the hospital because it wasn’t his first time putting the car seat in his vehicle—he practiced beforehand.

For every Prince William who has mastered the car seat, there’s a Kanye West who’s still confused by the safety device. The new dad revealed on Kris Jenner’s now-canceled talk show that he still couldn’t work his daughter’s car seat very well.

Luckily, there are plenty of online resources for befuddled dads like Kanye (and moms!) to research, choose, and install car seats. Click here to read my post on car seats 101 over on The Neighborhood!

What rhymes with hug me? (and Friday links)

September 6, 2013

I don’t listen to Top 40 radio very often anymore. For the most part, pop music has just gotten so bad lately, and Omaha radio stations tend to repeat the same ten songs–the majority of which aren’t even current hits.

Still, every once in a while I’ll flip to Q98.5 FM, Omaha’s modern hit music station, when I’m not interested in what’s on Sirius XM’s The Spectrum (think Mumford & Sons, The Avett Brothers, ZZ Ward, and Frank Turner) or On Broadway stations. And if I’m lucky, Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” will be playing. Billboard’s Song of the Summer is such a guilty pleasure. The beat brings me back to my post-college days of dancing at bars and clubs in Washington, DC. It kind of reminds me of Justin Timberlake from his early solo days in the 2000’s.

If you know the song, you’re probably familiar with the part that goes:

I feel so lucky

You want to hug me

What rhymes with hug me?

Well, as this laugh-out-loud website proves, a lot of things actually rhyme with hug me. You will need your speakers turned on for this!

And a few more links for your Friday…

If you think warming a can of soup on the stove is too much work, this new Campbell’s product is for you. (Los Angeles Times)

The lessons an illustrator learned by collaborating with her four-year-old daughter–and the amazing drawings that resulted. (The Busy Mockingbird)

A couple of years ago, I went through a homemade hummus phase. Now I’d like to try this recipe for guacamole hummus. (Sacramento Street)

Wouldn’t a custom house portrait make such a sentimental going-away gift? I want one for when we eventually move back East. (Style by Emily Henderson)

These pumpkin breakfast pies remind me of gourmet Pop Tarts! (Frock Files)

Did you know there’s a right way and wrong way to exfoliate your face? I’ve been doing it incorrectly for years! (The Beauty Department)

Don’t forget to enter our BRIKA giveaway to win a Hazel Village stuffed animal of your choice!

Have a happy weekend!

image source

A Rosh Hashanah message from Levi

September 5, 2013

L’shana tova to my readers celebrating Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, today!

Also, thank you so much for your lovely comments, tweets, and Facebook messages regarding yesterday’s big pregnancy announcement! JB and I are so happy to be able to share this exciting time with friends and family.

And baby makes 4!

September 4, 2013

First comes love. Then comes marriage. Then comes baby in a baby carriage.

And sometimes, two and half years later, comes another baby in a baby carriage!

That’s right, I’m pregnant — again! Levi is going to be a big brother, and JB and I can’t wait to fall in love with another baby when we meet him or her in late Feburary.

But we’re also terribly nervous about having to care for a newborn again. Middle of the night feedings seem so far behind us that I don’t even remember now how we survived on such little sleep! (That’s the point, isn’t it? We’re designed to forgot how sick and tired and scared we were so that we’re willing to do it all again: pregnancy, child birth, and the newborn months.)

My intense first trimester hormones were part of the reason why I had such a miserable July and why I’ve been blogging so sporadically this summer. Feeling mentally, physically, and emotionally drained made it so much harder for me to deal with every day work and life stresses. Some days I just shut down completely! Luckily, my family was able to fly to Omaha to help out with Levi and the day-to-day running of things when I was at my worst.

For some women, pregnancy is their happy place. Oh, how I wish that were true for me!

Tomorrow I’ll be 16 weeks pregnant. I don’t have a roundish basketball bump yet, but I’m definitely thicker around the middle. And a bit mushy. I knew I’d look pregnant sooner the second time around, but not being able to fit into my pants as early as 10-12 weeks was slightly devastating nonetheless. I’m pretty sure I could still button my jeans that stage when I was pregnant with Levi!

I’ve already broken into my stash of larger-sized bottoms from my previous postpartum days. Although the scale has barely budged, I’m literally in pants two to three sizes larger than I normally wear. The doctor said this is to be expected, of course; my muscles are stretched out from my first pregnancy. Plus, I’m extremely bloated. I suppose I could start wearing maternity pants now (ooh, comfy elastic waistbands!), but that would feel like giving in too quickly.

While I have no plans to turn Bunny & Dolly into a full-fledged baby blog, I’ll continue to keep you updated throughout my pregnancy. You can expect posts about maternity style, things for baby, and my quickly-growing bump in the months ahead. Also, you should probably follow me on Pinterest, as I’m sure I’ll be pinning lots of mama- and baby-related images there, too!

Thank you all for your love and support!

P.S. – JB chastised me for not including the dog when counting the members of our family, which would make his version of the post title, “And baby makes 5!” Sorry, Briscoe.

(Top photo taken at 15 weeks, ultrasound taken at 12 weeks)

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