Kelle, Author at Enjoying the Small Things

Your Thoughts Appreciated: 2018 Reader Survey

February 5, 2018 By Kelle

Happy Monday!

Did you watch the Super Bowl last night? We didn’t do anything major for it this year other than making a pot of chili with all the fixings, and I fell asleep pretty early, but I did manage to catch the halftime show. Contrary to what I found trending in the news about it this morning, I thought JT did great (minus the fringe on his leather jacket) and especially loved all the “selfie kid” memes that came out of it. As for commercials, I have some catching up to do, but–as always–I’m a sucker for the commercials that make you cry and any advertising that highlights inclusion, so when my friend texted last night, “Did you just see that commercial? Limb differences in advertising! Tears!” I quickly Googled and found the Toyota commercial, and instant tears the second the mom holds that little baby up and “Odds of Winning…” types across the screen. Advertising holds so much power beyond convincing you to buy something, and all I could think of was the number of moms holding babies with physical challenges, watching that commercial in living rooms across the country and how much that meant to them–how much it empowered them to see a future of opportunities for their child. And that ending slogan…”Start Your Impossible.” Yeah, baby.

The real reason I come to you this morning is a little favor to ask though. I’ll make this quick and easy for you, but it would mean so much if you could fill out a short survey that tells me a little more about you. This blog space is so special to me and has connected me to the most wonderful people (that’s you!). I truly love everything I write and share here, but as I continue to expand this space and create content, I want to know you better and what you like to read here. Analytics tell me some general information about readers, but truly your feedback is what connects me most to your hearts and interests and passions. I always want this space to be a place that celebrates what gives us life from confetti-and-balloon events to the ordinary moments that daily feed our souls, and celebrating those moments can come in many forms–from heartfelt essays to D.I.Y’s. Knowing what you love to read here helps me align my passion with yours so that this space can serve us both–Win/Win.

As always, I so appreciate any time you take to connect. I read your comments, your direct messages, your e-mails and always do my very best to write back and answer your questions. If you’re a frequent commenter, I probably know you by your screen name and your picture and possibly things you’ve shared about yourself over time (you’d be surprised!). Because if there’s one thing I love about the Internet, it’s the real people behind the screens and the way this little world can make us feel less alone, more inspired and motivated to color our communities with good.

So tell me, tell me anything!

Click here to get started, I love you!

Happy Monday!

Happy February: 6 Ways to Celebrate Love

February 1, 2018 By Kelle

Happy February! Let the Lovefest commence. I mean, not that it’s not going on all the other days, but I love that this month is a grand invitation for all the fun and whimsy of celebrating love and lovely things. And PINK! And let’s not forget the parenting February rite of passage, standing in line at Michael’s five minutes before closing the night before Valentine’s Day, ringing up $500 worth of craft supplies to make the Valentine box that was assigned two weeks ago that you’ll now be making by yourself until the wee hours of the night because you’re convinced recreating the “Valentine Vending Machine” you saw on Pinterest will somehow make you a better mom. Don’t worry, it won’t.

My kids love Valentine’s Day, and we celebrate it with a lot of little things–heart-shaped pancakes for breakfast, love-themed care packages, and a whole lot whimsical touches we put on everything beginning with the very first day of February.

Bringing you 6 ways, you can celebrate love this month today…

1. Say It.

Remember how exciting it was to pick out those boxes of perforated Valentines when we were little ? Don’t let the fun die out with adulthood. Send some good ol’ snail mail Valentines to your friends and family. I’m obsessed with vintage Valentines. These ones are adorable, inexpensive and just begging to be sealed with a kiss (no seriously, swipe on some red lipstick and smack your lips on that envelope).

2. Display It.

Perhaps it is because my holiday enthusiasm has rubbed off on them, but my kids love when we put out little bits of holiday decor to make the house festive, even if it’s as simple as heart-speckled dish towels. Tuck a heart throw pillow in the corner of your couch, add lipstick “I love yous” to your bathroom mirror, dangle some felt hearts (we made ours) over your dining room table.

We picked up these cute Valentine hanging pockets at Target’s Dollar Spot, tied them to the backs of our chairs, and the kids are looking forward to finding freats and treasures in them for Valentine breakfast.

And, of course, a love-themed bucket list with simple, achievable items on it.

3. Wear It.

There are seven levels of festive attire for holidays, and you know where I stand here. But don’t worry, there’s a level for everyone (I’m looking at you, minimalists–wear the socks).

Level 1: For the Kinfolk lovers, also known as “I like to keep things subtle”. One small holiday item, worn low on the body so as not to grab too much attention. Try these tights, these adorable socks or these sneakers.
Level 2: A little braver, a simple splash of pink, worn higher on the body. Try a pink neck bow with a white blouse.
Level 3: Go a little bolder with all over color and one more Valentine element…ruffles. Try this pink ruffled blouse.
Level 4: We’re going to up the ante and pair the Valentine colors. Gettin’ crazy here. Mix pink and red, and people will know you’re not messing around–highly suggestive of Valentine’s Day. Wear this dress with red boots, and Cupid’s got an steady target.
Level 5: The jig is up. Get literal. No mistake, you’re dressing for Valentine’s Day when you’re wearing this Love tee. Spice it up, and say it in French.
Level 6: You’re totally an Elf on the Shelf mom if you’re into taking it to home plate on Valentine’s Day with an all over print or themed dress. Perhaps your dream job is “Events Coordinator on a Cruise Ship” if you’re wearing this dress on Valentine’s Day or, oh my God, this adorable little June Cleaver number is the cutest.
Level 7: SO EXTRA. Wear the all-over print AND throw in a Valentine manicure.

I sent a picture to my family the other day of my impressive froth game on my cappuccino and forgot I had my heart nails that showed up in the picture, and my niece texted back, “Oh my God, the nails. You are So. Extra.” (ten second pause before next text)…“but I like it.”

4. Drink It.

My love language is crazy straws. Get an entire pack of these straws at Michael’s right now for $4.

5. Listen to It.

And now, this brings me to the most important part of the post, the ULTIMATE LOVE SONG PLAYLIST. I don’t mess around when I make playlists. I go into THE ZONE and research far more than my “time for foolish things” daily quota allows. I weigh all the options and put unnecessary thought and effort into deliberations such as “How many cute love-for-your-kids songs can I include to appropriately balance the classics and power ballads?” The hard thing is that 80% of songs ever written are about love. I went for classic love songs. A couple things to note though: There are no country love songs here (with the exception of Dolly and Willy), so if that’s some sort of personal blasphemy, I apologize (Is that “unfollow” clicks I hear? ;o). Also, love songs that have been severely overplayed are out (R.I.P, Whitney, but I’m sorry, I couldn’t do “Greatest Love of All”). You might find other songs on this list incongruous with that standard, but as Whitman said, very well than, I contradict myself. All-4-One’s “I Swear” made it. You’ll see I’m drawn to classic crooners–Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, Etta James–and 80’s love ballads most. But there are some modern songs that made the list as well as love songs I played for my babies that I will forever consider as the greatest love songs of all time because…motherhood.

A few favorites to note:
My Funny Valentine by Chet Baker. Gah. The way he sings it. Like slow undressing.
James Vincent McMorrow’s version of Higher Love.
Extreme’s More Than Words. That guitar. Brett and I both love this song so much. I actually had it on my birth room playlist for Dash.
Plumb’s Me. I rocked my babies in the middle of the night to this song. Especially Lainey. It makes me cry.
U2’s With or Without You. I think this song is the hottest love song ever written. I cannot control the feelings when I hear it. In fact, I worry about it. Like, given the right scenario–say, if this song came on the jukebox in a dark moody bar while I have a two-beer buzz–I would 100% make out with Danny Devito if he was sitting next to me.

Okay, I’m done. Play this all month. Crank up the volume. Kiss your husbands. Keep your hands off Danny Devito, He’s married…and likely, so are you.

This picture kills me. So in love, man. So. In. Love.

What I’ve Learned from a Ribbon Wand

January 31, 2018 By Kelle

It was an afterthought really—one last thing to put in her Easter basket last year, and it wasn’t until the thrill of the chocolate bunny and the jelly beans wore off that she even bothered to notice the ribbon wand that was still tucked into shreds of pink paper grass in the back of her basket. But it didn’t take long for her to love it, to find her early in the morning on the landing in front of our entryway where sunshine spills in like stage lights and where there is just enough room between the walls for her to freely twirl her wand while the ribbon dances in mesmerizing loops.

It’s been ten months now, and the wonder of the wand has only grown in strength.

“Where’s my wand?” she asks as she shuffles out of bed, eyes half-closed, before the sun rises.

“Where’s my wand?” she asks as the van door glides open for school pick-up and she climbs in, tossing her back pack on the floor.

“Where’s my wand?” she cries, frustrated, when she’s circled the house three times and still can’t find it.

I’ll admit, I was worried for a minute there. It’s not necessarily fair to her, but sometimes because of Down syndrome, I look at things through a different lens. Is she too obsessed? Is this attachment going to be a hurdle for her later? Is the way she shakes the wand stimming? (likely.) Are friends going to think she’s the weird “wand girl”?

And here’s what I’ve concluded: If weird wand girl is wrong, then I don’t want her to be right. On her own (because she’s smart like that), she drops the wand when she knows it’s not appropriate. Hands it to me when I ask for it, leaves it in the car for school, (hesitantly) turns it in for a consequence when she hasn’t followed directions. It hasn’t distracted from things that are important like learning and socializing (her friends love the wand) and paying attention.

Mostly, it does this magical thing though…it brings her joy.

It unlocks a little whimsy in her, encourages lyrical movement, provides a little comfort (like a lovie).

And then there are the bonuses. Like watching Brett get all excited when he’s figured out a way to fashion a new wand—a better wand—out of a dowel rod and some ribbon. I’ve found him in the garage, drilling holes into sticks, threading ribbon through—ribbon he picked out just for her, mind you, at a….wait for it…fabric store.

“Just wait, this one’s going to be her favorite,” he tells me with boyish enthusiasm that makes me want to renew our vows right there in the garage with the heap of Goodwill bags and broken lawn mower behind us.

Or there’s the day she was crying when a friend was over, and the little friend who said to her mama, “I’m going to make her a wand to make her happy.”

Or the old lady in the grocery store who saw Nella twirling her wand in the condiment aisle and left her cart for a moment to come dance in the loops of the ribbon, laughing and twirling her hands above her.

Or the readers who’ve found wands in store aisles across the country and have taken the time to take a picture and send it to me with a little “Thought of Sweet Nella” message.

Or the way she stands next to Gary, patient as ever, waiting while he untangles the 300 knots that have accumulated in the ribbons from all that twirling.

Or my precious Lainey who said the other day, “We should make Nella a Valentine wand.”

Or the swell of happiness I felt the night I stayed up before Christmas to hot glue peacock feathers on felt and braid thin ribbons into long strands to make another wand—I wand I knew she’d love—for a gift.

“Oh, so you think your wand can top my wand?” Brett teased.

The wand has brought a little magic to our family, and that makes me happy.

I know there will come a day—just as they’ve come for the blankets our kids clutched every night as toddlers, and the plush puppies they dragged through stores, and the favorite bunnies that were loved so hard, their whiskers fell off—that the wand will be forgotten, rolled under the bed with the dust bunnies and the lone sock that’s too small.

She will let go and find new things to delight her.

But I’ll never see a wand in life and not think of these years, these snap shots in my mind of her twirling in the sunshine at the front door, or my family hustling to find her favorite wand when it’s lost, or their efforts to make a new one for her, more beautiful than the last…and remember how wonderful it is to get lost in little things that delight us.

P.S. Most of our favorite wands are ones we’ve made ourselves or that have been made for us, but we do love this one we bought from Amazon and this one from Anthropologie.

Do you remember that scene in Inside Out when Bing Bong lets go so Joy’s wagon can make it up the wagon? And he fades away while memories of her as a little girl with him replay? I don’t think there’s ever been a scene in an animated movie that hit me in the motherhood jugular more (close second, when Andy leaves his toys in Toy Story 3 to go to college). I literally shook in the theater, tears rolling down my cheeks, thinking of all the little things my kids have loved and what a special place they will always hold in our family’s heart.

Does your child have a lovie or a cherished thing that will bring back all the feels someday? Do tell.