Enjoying the Small Things

Enjoying the Small Things

Do You Change Out Your Pillow?

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This post is sponsored by The Pillow Club.
When it comes to finding things Brett will love, there are two indicators that make something an immediate win–if it has to do with sleep, or if it has to do with anything that cuts down germs. These are his most notable quirky passions, so much that they’ve become a bit of a family joke. Searching for the perfect gift for him, my sister once called and said, “I was thinking maybe a sleep mask, some hand sanitizer and Clorox wipes–think he’ll like it?” Brett is passionate about good sleep–so much that every room in our house is equipped with sound machines and, in ours, room darkening curtains. He believes sleep is the foundation of a good day, and he’s as passionate about the entire family getting good sleep as he is about his own. Then there’s the germs. Good God, what this man has done to protect himself from germs. He once saw a restaurant show that revealed how dirty draft beer dispensers are and how they harbor germs, and he’s never ordered a draft beer since. He has an electric ultrasonic sanitizer for his phone. He waited two weeks to set up a date after the first time we met because he heard I had a cold. Getting a clear picture here?
That said, you can imagine my smile when The Pillow Club approached me to see if their Core Pillow-a pillow designed around the concept of better uninterrupted sleep and eliminating pillow germ buildup–was a good fit for our family. Are you kidding me? Brett’s going to love this baby.
Here’s how it works:
We spend about a third of our lives sleeping–that’s roughly eight hours a day in bed with our heads on our pillows. We upgrade our cars, our homes, our furniture; we rearrange things, we tidy things, we switch things out. But for spending so many hours a day with our heads on our pillows, how often do we think about switching out our pillow? Not the pillowcase, but the actual pillow. Think about it. We smash it down with the weight of our heads night after night. We breathe into it. We cough into it. We might even drool into it. Our pillows harbor all sorts of dust and germs that can cause allergies, acne, etc. How often do you switch out your pillow for a new one?
The Pillow Club, like Brett, cares about sleep and germs too. They designed their Core Pillow so you’re not stacking, folding and adjusting your pillow throughout the night to get it just right.
It’s the first pillow that isolates an actual support layer in the center of the pillow to create the perfect blend of soft and firm. You sink into the soft outer layer (which takes pressure off of your body ensuring you don’t toss and turn) while you settle into the Flow foam support (which ensures you never have to stack, fold or adjust your pillow while you sleep).
And since you, like everyone else, are probably too busy helping with long division and maintaining that New Year’s meal planning resolution to think about things like when you should switch out your pillow, The Pillow Club does it for you and makes having luxury pillow replaced when they’re ready (they recommend every 6-12 months) affordable and convenient. When you sign up for The Pillow Club, you get two pillows delivered to your door every year for just $10/month (that’s 40% off their buy outright price).
Members then have the option of shipping back their old Pillow Club pillow, and TPC will rewrap the pillow in an outdoor waterproof cover and donate the used pillows to animal shelters as dog beds. Friday is very in favor of this.
I’m very picky with pillows and have to say, this pillow is super comfortable and supportive.

But we all know, the real tester of anything sleep related in our home is Brett, and he put his stamp of approval on this baby.

“Anything you want me to add to this post?” I ask as I’m finishing this.

“Tell them it’s flu season. Wash your hands.”

Want to try The Pillow Club subscription? Use code HAMPTON50, and you’ll receive your first 2 pillows for only $10 (that’s 50% off!).

Sweet Dreams.

When Minutes of Grooming in the Bathroom Equals a Vacation

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Thanks to Dollar Shave Club for sponsoring this post.
This is a photo of me and Brett on vacation.
And by vacation, I mean enjoying a simple moment of grooming in the bathroom because when your day starts with cleaning up a pile of dog poop while the kids cry because their sock seams don’t line up and continues at a constant speed until you’re propping your head up to stay awake while attempting to help with fraction story problems, you look forward to a simple grooming routine in the bathroom as if it’s a trip to Tahiti.
That means when I finally do find a sliver of the day for some cherished self care time in the bathroom, I want it to feel special. When I turned 40, one of the things I promised myself was that I’d turn up the volume on some slapdash daily routines to transform them into more purposeful rituals to be enjoyed. No more slapping water on my face to pass as “washing,” or digging through drawers to find a dull razor because I forgot to buy one, or making do with products I don’t love because they’ve been sitting in my bathroom for years.
I’m stocking my bathroom cabinets with things that make me feel good and investing more in my self care routine so that those quiet moments of grooming in the bathroom feel less like a chore and more like a vacation.
It helps when we find products that are affordable and when shopping for them is convenient. Have you heard of Dollar Shave Club? Dollar Shave Club has all your grooming needs – shower, oral care, deodorants and most importantly, shaving. They sent me their Ultimate Shave Starter Set (only $5!) and Post Shave Cream.

 

The starter set includes Dollar Shave Club’s Dr. Carver’s Prep Scrub (exfoliates dead skin cells and helps release and prevent ingrown hairs), Dr. Carver’s Shave Butter (transparent for a more precise shave, helps fights razor bumps), Dr. Carver’s Post Shave Dew (helps provide hydration and relieves on contact), the Executive Razor Handle, and a 2 pack cartridge set all for just $5

 

My favorite is the shave butter because I do not do razor bumps–especially not in Florida when we’re frequently dipping in salt water (razor bumps and salt water are enemies), and I learned long ago that smooth legs need more than soap and water.

I’m very picky about razors, and I love this one–a weighty handle (very important) and high quality 6-blade razor heads. This is me, yelling the iPad password to the kids so they can play games and leave me alone while I’m on vacation.

Of course it’s always nice when Brett and I share products…as long as he keeps that razor away from the beard because Long Live the Beard!

 

You can get the Ultimate Shave Starter set for only $5 at www.DollarShaveClub.com/Kelle and then round out your grooming routine by adding any of their other high quality products. After that, the restock box ships full-sized products at regular price.

To more routines turned rituals…and the products that help make them that.

5 Things I’ve Learned in 10 Years Raising a Child with Down Syndrome

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Yesterday was Nella’s tenth birthday. Many of you were brought to this blog because of the post I wrote ten years ago after she was born, before I knew any of the things I know now. Sometimes people hold back from writing or sharing about something because they think they have to know the things before they write them. I’m so glad I wrote before I knew things. I’m glad I typed and scribbled and hit “publish” when I was naive and hurting and didn’t know anything about Down syndrome. I’m glad I didn’t wait ten years before I offered my feelings about it because a ten-year perspective is so different from a raw three-days-into-it perspective, and they’re both important and needed. But I have learned a few things in ten years, and I’ll keep adding to this list as she grows.

Five things I’ve learned in ten years from raising a child with Down syndrome…

1. Everyone has hard things to deal with, and everyone deals with them differently. Validate people’s pain. Celebrate their victories, even if it looks different from yours.
When I shared about Down syndrome that first year, I received criticism for my disappointment about her diagnosis, criticism for being happy too soon, criticism for not sharing enough hard parts, criticism for talking about hard parts…you get the point. There is no right way to deal with hard things, and every person’s experience, acceptance journey, and pain reaction is different. I was recently told a story of a friend of a friend who was deep in grief weeks after being delivered some news I wanted to categorize as small potatoes on the “our hardship is worse than your hardship” scale that does not exist. I caught myself immediately. We do not judge someone’s pain by ranking it. Feelings are feelings, and if someone is hurting, they need love and support.

2. Don’t give your child special treatment.
It’s hard to specifically link Nella’s successes to things we’ve done because there’s no way to tell if it’s because of what we’ve done or if she’s just naturally gifted in a certain area. However, if there’s one thing we’ve done that I will attribute to her success, it’s treating her just like our other kids, holding her responsible, following through with consequences, etc. When she was a baby and I’d meet adults with Down syndrome who were doing things I wanted her to do, I always asked the parents what advice they’d give. So many parents said, “Don’t treat bad behavior any differently than you would if she didn’t have Down syndrome.” We never babied Nella or talked to her differently than we talk to all our kids. She deserves that, and she’s thrived because of it. Her school is the same. In the early years when she was reluctant to leave the playground or shut down during activities, all of the staff knew not to baby her. She’s cute and sometimes we are inclined to go easy on her because of the challenges she faces, especially if she’s crying; but I don’t want her shutting down or refusing to participate in the real world when she’s an adult and looking for a job. We make accommodations when necessary, but never at the cost of the high expectations she deserves.

3. It’s okay to change your mind.
There’s no need to proclaim, “This is the way we’re doing it!” when it comes to special needs, but if there are important stances you want to take regarding special needs issues, give yourself permission to change your mind later. Very much like any issue in parenting (“I’m never going to let my kids play with a device at dinner”), sometimes given new circumstances, you shift your viewpoint (“Let’s go to Chili’s so we can eat in peace while the kids play on those iPads.”). There are a lot of opinions and a lot of different issues in the special needs community–inclusion, education, therapies, etc. You don’t have to “take a side.” Do what’s right for your child and your family, and know that at any time you can change your mind.

4. Invest in friendship.
One of most beautiful areas where Nella is thriving right now is her friendships. She has friends who do not have special needs as well as a bestie (on our street!) who has Down syndrome like her. These friendships add so much happiness and value to her life, and we make a lot of efforts to spend time with friends and make sure their time together is meaningful–after school playdates, sleepovers, etc. I text mamas, drop off, pick up, plan ice cream dates and movie nights. We make sure her friends know how much they are loved. We print pictures of Nella with her friends and display them in her room, and the message to her is clear–“You’re loved. You’re a good friend!”

5. Community is the greatest gift.
I still laugh that I actually declared after Nella was born, “I just want to do this alone. I don’t want to be part of any groups or marches.” The Down syndrome community as a whole has become the greatest gift. It’s our second family, and the way that we support each other, rally for each other, share resources and love each other is phenomenal. I am so proud to belong to this community, and I don’t know what I would do without this family. We never feel lonely in dealing with any Down syndrome issues because our friends are dealing with them too. And the way we find each other? By sharing our stories. Vulnerability builds community. When you need something, people feel honored to help.