Archives for November 2013

November 29, 2013 By 3 Comments

Shopping With Purpose This Christmas

Thanksgiving has come and gone and I didn’t get one picture.  Not one.  I wish I could say it was because I was soaking up the grateful tone of the day and not the reality of dealing with a kid crying over having to taste sweet potato and squash casserole.  Our rule…you have to taste it.  You don’t know if you like it or not unless you taste it.  And oh the drama.  But we survived.  And it was a good day.  I may have eaten an ungodly amount of Gooey Butter Cake, but my Aunt Linda really does make the best.  It’s perfection.  And she freezes it…we ate it straight from the freezer and WOW!  Amazing!  And I did get to spend the day with some of my most favorite people.

We did a little Thanksgiving shopping at Target last night.  I use to go Black Friday shopping every year.  I had strict rules I followed to ensure the shopping experience was adrenaline pumped and savings was, well, saved.  You know, the biggest bang for your buck.  I enjoy the thrill of running down aisles and fighting with little old ladies.  Technically I’ve never fought with an old lady.  Last night we went well after Target had opened and I quickly remembered my Rule #3 Never browse.  Get in and out.  We ended up waiting in the world’s longest check out line for a grand total of $45.74.  It was redonk, yet fun.  And I discovered the world’s most beautiful crock pot.  Be amazed.

The last two years I’ve done most of my shopping online except for a few things here and there.  Every year I try more and more to shop with purpose.  I’ll never kick my Target or craft store habit…Joanns, Michaels, Hobby Lobby…I just can’t, but I am trying to be more purposeful with most of my shopping.  So here are some of the places I am loving on this year.

Krochet Kids: Empowering people to rise about poverty.  Hoodies, hats, bags, iPad/iPad mini covers, Christmas stockings and more.

TOMS: One for One shoe motto…buy a pair and they donate a pair.  They’re legit…I’ve seen the proof and their shoes are rad on the cute, comfortable and fashionable scale.

Noonday Collection:  My fave.  They use fashion and design to create economic opportunity for the vulnerable.  Jewelry, Home & Gifts and Accessories.  Seriously a one stop shop for incredible women in your life.  I could shop for days on this site.

And even better my friend Brea is having a Noonday Trunkshow this Thursday night from 6-8.  Drinks and snacks provided.  Check out the invite HERE and all you locals come shop till you drop.

Sevenly:  Supports a different world changing cause each week.  Items for men, woman, kiddos and your pets.  One of my favorite sites.  Amazing clothes and accessories plus the cutest kids stuff.  All for amazing causes.

Timbali Crafts:  Well you know how I feel about them already.  It’s love.  And they have a new website which makes ordering much easier and you can see all the available patterns now.  I was blown away.  So many things I want to order.  And the Christmas ornaments…don’t even get me started.  Supports and empowers hard working women in Swaziland, Africa.  All sorts of bags, iPad & Kindle padded covers now online, ornaments, home decor, aprons, headbands and ties.

FashionABLE:  Creating sustainable business in Africa.  Scarves and leather clutch, iPad sleeve and wallets.

Mocha Club:  I need Africa collaboration with FashionABLE.  Amazing products.  Shirts, scarves, prints, mugs, coffee, jewelry.

So those are a few of my favorites.  I know there are plenty of other great companies out there who are changing the world.  I’d love to hear about your favorites.  Share and help us all shop with purpose this Christmas.

Happy Friday!

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November 27, 2013 By 3 Comments

We Are Those People

Yeah, so we are totally the people who are decked out in Christmasness before Thanksgiving.  I feel a little shame about it all, but not enough to not tell you guys about it.  I think mainly in part because this is definitely a Josh Kelley thing and not me.  Who knew he’d be the “let’s put up Christmas decorations the day after Halloween” type of guy.  But alas, he is and I kind of love it.

In fact we’re closing in on the two week mark for already being Christmas ready…tree, stockings and all.  I wasn’t feeling well one Saturday and was laid up in bed most of the day.  When I finally emerged from our bedroom the tree was up and Christmas was in full swing.  The kids had even already watched Elf.  It made me smile…smilings my favorite.

Before we had kids and even a whole two years after Harper came along I held on to my tree decorated just the way I wanted.  All glass balls Josh and I had painted our first year of marriage plus a few glittery ones and robin’s egg blue snowflakes to seal the deal.  Then I realized I liked the hodge podge tree so much better.  I like all the ornaments the kids made and all the special ornaments mom and other people have given us.  So now our tree is an over stuffed explosion of color and memories and handmade lovelies.  It’s just the perfect tree for us.

I still love a good Thanksgiving.  I still like gratefulness and we’re still pushing on with our thankful leaves.  It’s just that, tomorrow while giving thanks, we’ll probably be listening to Christmas music in the background and making Christmas lists.

So bring on the turkey and stuffing, but let’s wash it down with egg nog and candy canes.  Christmas, the Kelleys are ready for you.

Happy WednesdaY.

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November 26, 2013 By 6 Comments

Hey There!

First things first, the winner for the Timbali Crafts giveaway.  Thank you so much to everyone who entered and helped get the word out about this amazing group of woman.  I’ve heard from lots of you who have already ordered and I’ve heard several of you got your packages pretty quick.  That’s awesome.  Let’s buy with purpose this Christmas…it’s kind of a grand idea.  Okay, so the winner is:

“ERIKA KLOSE SAYS:

Laura, I would buy the small tote. Just my favorite shape and size.”

Super congrats Erika!

In other news, Harper’s pow-wow at school was outstanding.  I know, I know.  A pow-wow?  Outstanding?  You’re trying to call my bluff, but I’m for realz.  It was amazing and I cried…actually, it could probably have gone into the weep category.  I was a disaster, a disaster I say.  She’s just getting too big, but you know what, I really like the little lady she is becoming.  She’s my girl.  And the squash blossom hair and missing front tooth…I can’t even talk about it.

Josh Kelley painting trim + diaper only Amon + that dang red cast = picture worthy.  Josh is Amon’s favorite favorite favorite person.  It’s quite sickening.  I tell them all the time that they disgust me 🙂  It’s redonkulousness at it’s best.

 Speaking of that dang red cast.  Yeah, so, I kind of hate it.  Like I hate laundry, cooking, ants invading our house and Satan.  It’s so difficult to work with and it has caused my good sleeping toddler to lose his flippin’ mind.  I think were finally getting back  into a sleeping routine again, but we’re tired.  And don’t even get me started on how difficult it is to dress a full arm casted crazy toddler human.  I’ve boycotted all long sleeve shirts and pulled out all of Huddy and Sol’s little tiny tees.  So what if it’s November and winter, short sleeves all the way until that cast is off.  I’ve been getting looks while we’re out.  Those judgers, they just don’t even know.  I should let them try and fanagle a long sleeve 18 months shirt over that thing.  Then they’d just smile and give me an empathetic head shake…they’d probably by me a drink.

And holy moly…we got snow yesterday.  Like a lot.  It came out of no where.  We went into Target and came out to cars covered with snow.  It was magical.  I don’t think we’ve had a more giddy walk through Target’s parking lot.  Amon’s hair is perfectly perfect for accumulating snow.

When we got home there was no going inside to even put on jackets.  They jumped out of the van and immediately started a full on snowball fight.  And Huddy is amazing at making snowballs.  He has a system and it actually works.

Oh, hey what, you’re appalled Amon is wearing a short sleeve shirt when it’s snowing?!?!?!  #dangredcast

And lastly, but maybe the most important thing I’ve ever blogged about, ever…this cereal.  Shut the front door.  Now I will preface this with the fact that the more likely it is for a person over the age of 80-years-old to like a cereal the more likely it is that we Kelleys will love it.  I don’t know why and I certainly don’t get it, but we dig us some old people cereal.  That being said, this cereal may be my most favorite ever.  We ate the entire box in 24 hours.  It’s true.  We have zero shame when it comes to cereal.  The mapleness and all the different crunchy textures and well, just be still my cereal loving heart.  I found it at Kroger and after I tasted it, I then told the kids they couldn’t have any more.  This was unfortunately after they’d each had like two bowls already…except Sol…he pretty much only likes Cheerios, waffles and any type of egg for breakfast.

If you buy some, let me know what you think.  I’m thinking of using any Christmas money I may acquire to purchase an ungodly amount of boxes.  Like I said #noshame

That’s it for today.  Hope your Tuesday is fantastic!  Peace out.

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November 25, 2013 By 9 Comments

2013 Kindness Advent

So wow, Thanksgiving is this week and then December starts Sunday…this is craziness.  The year is already closing out.  We have a busy week so we got everything ready for our kindness advent this weekend which will start Sunday…December 1…25 acts of kindness leading up to Christmas.  You can read about it HERE along with lots of ideas.

I’ve had several emails and messages about what things we will be doing for this year.  So here’s what the Kelley family has planned for December:  Taking polaroids of shoppers, flowers to Ms. Sherry Harper’s school custodian, treat for our garbage man, buying Christmas for a family, overpay for the Contributor, buy & pump someone’s gas, Redbox rental bucket, paint rocks & leave them on the playground, donuts for school staff, decorate someone’s mailbox, gift card for a single mom, sticky notes on mirrors in a public restroom, treat for our mailman, handout kids books in a store, share a dinner, cookies to our pediatricians office, buy someone’s lunch in the drive thru, load bubble gum machines with quarters, buy school supplies for Harper’s classroom, share Sonic happy hour, babysit for a couple, leave gift cards in shopping carts, give away a recipe with all the needed groceries, bring in neighbors trashcans and give a surprise for a gas station worker.

We’re excited to get busy.  We’re excited to be really intentional with kindness this Christmas season.  We added some new things we’ve never done, but also left several of our favorites.  The kids are ready and already asking when we get to start.

Tell me what you guys are up to for December?  Advent…no or yes?  If yes, what kind do you do…treats, verses, activities, etc.  I’d love to hear your ideas.

Happy Monday.

Oh and almost forgot, the Timbali Crafts Giveaway ends tonight at midnight.  CLICK HERE to see how to enter to win all these goodies.

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November 21, 2013 By 552 Comments

Giveaway Day {because today is a good day}

**GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED**

Ahhhhhh!  You guys are crazy awesome and kind and thoughtful and THANK YOU!  Thank you for such incredibly kind words yesterday.  I cannot truly express how much I appreciate them, but it’s a lot!

Today, today is going to be grand…I can just feel it.  So lets rock it out with an awesome giveaway.  While on my trip I met with Julie, the sweet lady who heads up Timbali Crafts.  I totally loved hearing her speak about all the amazing woman who are apart of Timbali Crafts.

Every Thursday around a 100 woman in Swaziland, Africa gather at a central carepoint and cut all their fabric for the week. They then go home and sew.  They sew for purpose.  They sew to help provide for their families and it is truly a beautiful thing.  These woman not only sew, but they also help feed kiddos at the surrounding carepoints every week.  They work hard and their work is good.  They are truly impeccable woman.

Not only do they get paychecks for the items they sew, but they also have an opportunity to set money aside each month for savings and at the end of the year, whatever they have set aside Timbali matches.  They are doing some fine work and I am always on the lookout for companies just like this.  Companies who are legit and honest and doing what they say they are doing.  They are providing jobs…they are empowering woman in Swaziland.

So let’s get to it.  It’s definitely a good day for a giveaway.  Winner takes all.

Here are the details of each item:

Revised Sling Bag.  I bought one for myself and haven’t quit carrying it yet.  Roomie and durable and well made.  Pockets on the outside and inside with a stellar Swazi made tree button.  This is a must have for sure.

Wristlet.  It’s adorable and light weight and perfection.

Padded Kindle Case.  These are not available on the website just yet, but I had to snag one while in Swaziland.  They are padded and colorful and so well made.

Timbali Headbands for Education.  These are actually made by Swazi girls working to pay for their school fees.  All proceeds go towards ensuring the girl has an opportunity for education.

Bird ornament.  Every year I buy the kids a new ornament.  My mom did this for me and for one of my wedding gifts it was all the ornaments she had collected for each of my 20 years.  20 priceless ornaments just for me.  So now I do the same for the wee Kelleys.  This year they each got a Timbali ornament and I am in love with them.  Harper got a bird, Huddy and Sol each an elephant and Amon got a giraffe.  They are over the top adorable.

Thrown in the Timabli mix are two Swaziland jewels.  We went to a candle and soap shop there and it was so stellar.  Watching them work was an honor.  It is truly a craft.  Everything was so well made and I fell in love with the soaps.  They are so clean and fresh and from all natural ingredients and smell out of this world.  So I brought a bar home for one of you guys 🙂

And these two beautiful necklaces were made by the kindest go-go at our Ngungwane carepoint.  The work she has poured in to these is unreal.  She asked me to advertise…so here I am…advertising.  I would love to help this sweet woman in some way…we shall see what God may have in store for her.  But until then I can send more of her hard work out into the world.

Alright.  There you have it.  Lots of goodies to mail to one winner.  Lots of love and hard work.  Lots of admirable women and a company who stands for justice and empowerment.

Here’s how you enter:

Please leave a separate comment on this post for each entry.

Entry #1  Go check out the Timbali Crafts website and tell me something you’d be stoked to purchase.

Entry #2  Go “Like” Timbali Crafts on Facebook.

Entry #3  Share this giveaway with your friends on your personal Facebook status or Twitter.  You can use the Facebook and Twitter button at the bottom of this post or just copy and paste the link at the top in your status or tweet bar.

Entry #4  Become a subscriber to the ole’ blog.  Check out the “Email Subscription” to your right in the sidebar…enter your email address, hit the subscribe button and boom…you’re done.

Again, please leave a separate comment on this post for each entry.

Giveaway will end this Monday, November 25th at midnight and I will announce the winner in Tuesday’s post.  Goodies will be mailed directly to the winner.

Thanks for entering and helping to spread the word about an amazing company and group of Swazi women.

Happy Thursday.

**GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED**

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November 20, 2013 By 36 Comments

24 Jars for 24 Months

Last year when this day rolled around we hit the road and drove to Florida to see Aunt Linda and Uncle Tom.  It was exactly how last year…the 1 year anniversary of loosing her…needed to be.  People are different and I have learned more than ever before just that.  People are different.  And they grieve differently too.  Last year I wanted to be in a dark car on a long drive with all my favorite people.  Knowing that when we arrived on Aunt Linda and Uncle Tom’s doorstep a really tight hug awaited me.  That was last year.

This year…the two year mark…two whole freakin’ years since I’ve seen her, talked to her, kissed her, hugged her, been someone’s daughter…it all makes my stomach do flips…but this year I wanted today to be different.  In some ways it’s easier and in a whole other set of ways it’s harder.  Things are just so different and like I never could have imagined.  And it’s hard…it’s really hard.  I feel like I should be handling things better and yet, I feel like I typically handle them horribly.  I felt like I needed to be really intentional with today.  It was looming and I was dreading it’s arrival, so that’s what I needed to do…I needed to be intentional.  And I needed to go ahead and make a firm choice to choose kindness and love for today.  Satan is constantly waiting to get his foot in the door with me.  He sees my anger and my bitterness and my self pity and my sadness and he’s using every sinful thing I serve up to him to drive me straight into the ground.  I needed serious ammo this year and Jesus laid the perfect thing on my heart.

One of Mom’s most favorite things were flowers.  Geraniums being at the tip top of her list.  And who doesn’t like getting flowers.  Whose day wouldn’t be just a tad brighter with a mason jar full of flowers.  She’s been gone 2 years now…24 months…so I got busy filling 24 jars full of flowers to deliver today.  And then I made a list.  And today the boys and I got busy delivering.  I watched as the boxes slowly emptied over the course of the day.  We did some serious driving miles.  And I got a lot of hugs.  And I felt like today was a gift…not a curse…not something to be dreaded, but something to be celebrated…to be embraced.

The best “advice” I was given on grief was from an excerpt out of a grief devotional book:

When your burden is heaviest, you can always lighten a little some other burden.  At the times when you cannot see God, there is still open to you this sacred possibility, to show God; for it is the love and kindness of human hearts through which the divine reality comes home to men, whether they name it or not.  Let this thought, then, stay with you:  there may be times when you cannot find help, but there is no time when you cannot give help.  -George S. Merriam

As I look through the pictures from today I am grateful.  These are real people…these are people I cherish…who Mom cherished.  Some are new moms, working moms, stay-at-home moms and single moms.  Young people.  Old people.  And all the ages in between.  People who are struggling with illness.  People who are just plain tired.  People who Mom surrounded herself with everyday.  Sisters and aunts.  People who work hard at their jobs and take pride in their work.  People who are struggling with life’s curve balls.  People who don’t get the acknowledgement they deserve.  People who have lost loved ones themselves.  Widows and widowers.  People who are stuck in ruts.  People from all walks of life.  I am blessed in a unique way by each of them.

I didn’t get to see every person, but most of them.  I had to leave a few vases on door steps and there were those slightly uncomfortable silent moments when me and the other person really didn’t know what to say…and that was okay.  I just wanted today to be different.  I wanted love and kindness to win.  I wanted people to remember.  And I think it turned out to be a pretty good day after all.

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November 19, 2013 By 10 Comments

The Cast Houdini

Well, he was just getting use to his cast.  He was actually starting to use his right hand a little again.  He was even sleeping through the night.  When he broke his arm on Wednesday he did not sleep good Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.  Finally on Saturday night he slept like his regular little good sleeper self again.

And then yesterday happened.  I always thought Huddy and Sol were pretty crazy.  Like the hilarious, funny, wild, little boy crazy.  Huddy once got his head stuck under Harper’s bed as a toddler and had a pretty consistent streak of getting in our cabinets and dumping out bags of food like chips and animal crackers.  But Amon…oh Amon…he takes the prize.  Easily.  He loves our toilets and climbing on everything and getting into everything and breaking…ummmm…almost everything.  And yesterday he managed to take his own cast off.  Yep.  There sat his red cast with some doodled hearts on it.  I couldn’t believe it.

How in the world you ask?  I have no idea.  All I know is Sol said, “Mom, Amon just took his cast off and threw it on the floor.”  And there it sat.  He’s a tricky guy, this Amon fellow.  Yes he is.  So I called the doctor’s office, let them in on the craziness of our child and then waited for them to call back.  Amon took a nap.  Broken right arm neatly resting on Simba.

Just a little later we were headed back to the hospital to get him re-casted.  The dude who put his first cast on also did his second cast.  When we walked in he just laughed.  They put him in a full arm…up to his little shoulder…new cast.  As the dude was putting the new one on he said, “He won’t be getting out of this one.”  I tend to believe him this time.

What’s super funny is just a few nights before we busted him on our kitchen table with a pair of kid scissors trying to cut his cast.  I had completely forgotten about it until I ran across the picture last night.

I suppose we should have taken him a bit more seriously.  #irony

Happy Tuesday.

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November 18, 2013 By 8 Comments

Mustaches & Muffins

Crazy weekend.  Nothing went as planned.  And now it’s time to play catch-up.

Quick post.  2 things.

#1:  For all you locals.  Our friend Dallas of Right In The Mustache is at it again.  First of all, hilarious blog.  You should read it.  You are guaranteed to laugh and what’s not good about laughing?  This Saturday night is his annual Stache Bash at the Cannery  benefitting feeding kiddos through Blood: Water Mission.  Free food, free beer.  And a raffle.  Donations are suggested.

This year I donated this 11×14 “The opposite of love’s indifference” Lumineers canvas.  It will be up for grabs in the raffle.  Go eat and drink and bid on cool stuff for a great cause.

And #2:  I don’t like pumpkin anything.  For realz.  Nothing.  I’m just not a fan.  So last night as we were dropping our kiddos off at the Barnes’ house and Melody was making pumpkin muffins, I was a skeptic.  She talked a big talk for these little tiny muffins.  And they were pumpkin.  I told her I would try one when we picked the kids up.

Well I ate my hatred for pumpkins right up.  These muffins are amazing…and even better, simple to make.  Now, Melody did get the recipe from a co-worker, but I’m dubbing them Melody’s Amazeballs Pumpkin Muffins.  You should “pin it” just like that 🙂

1 can of Pumpkin.

1 box yellow cake mix.

1 bag of Hersheys Cinnamon Chips.

Bake @350 for 20 minutes.

The End.

I had actually never heard of cinnamon chips before…never even seen them before either.  And WOW.  That’s just all I can say.  I want to find every recipe known to man now that calls for cinnamon chips.  Who knew.  They’re delicious.

Melody sent us home last night with an entire bag and now only two remain.  Aaaaaand, I’m about to take care of those two.

2 things.  Both M words.  Both really great ideas.

Happy Monday.

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