A Mom Who Plays

Last week, my mom and sisters came to town and went swimming with me after I was finished with my work day. I love hanging out with them. My sisters and I still fight sometimes, but they are becoming some of my very best friends. 

After getting to the pool, we found a grassy area to camp out and chow down on some melted Chick-fil-a cookies. After the cookies were devoured and our hands were somewhat smeared with chocolate, we all hopped in the cool, refreshing water of the pool.

I've seen so many articles floating around the internet lately about how moms should get in the water and play with their kids and stop worrying about what they look like in their bathing suit. It's such a weird concept to me that some women are so self-conscious that they stop themselves from having fun. My heart breaks for women who deal with these body issues or insecurities. I mean, we're all human. We all have insecurities with our bodies time and time again (at least I know I do). I mean, swimsuits sort of fit my body weird. Let's be honest. Swimsuit tops don't always fit so well when you have broad football-player shoulders paired with the world's flattest chest. But you know what? It's fine. I've come to realize the only person who notices that is me. People have other things, more important things, to be concerned with than what I look like in my swimsuit. And so I swim.  

I think the biggest reason the whole "Moms Get in the Pool" phenomenon is foreign to me is because of the mom who raised me.

My mom. Oh my gosh. She is so much fun. She's the first one in the pool. She's the first one to try anything that seems the least bit intimidating. Growing up, my dad worked a lot and wouldn't always be able to go on vacations. That didn't stop my fearless mom though. She would plan the vacations and take her four kids on adventures by herself. She will take her ranger on joy rides through the mountains, zooming up rocky terrain or speeding through mud puddles. 

I'm sure my mom has insecurities, or has had moments where she feels she's not good enough or not pretty enough (we all do), but those are not the moments I've been exposed to. I believe I grew up not thinking about what I looked like in my swimsuit because I grew up with a mom who never spoke aloud of what she thought about herself in a swimsuit. Rather, I grew up with a mom who swam and played in a swimsuit. 

One day, when I become a mother myself, I hope that I can teach my children to play and explore and learn and laugh, like my own mother taught me. I hope I can teach them to have confidence in themselves. I hope I can teach them that they are capable of doing anything they set their minds to. I hope I can teach them to be kind (oh, how I hope they will always be kind). I hope I can teach them to contribute good to the world, making it a better place for those around them.

And I know the only way I can teach my own children any of this is by showing them. I need to be a mom who plays, a mom who explores, a mom who never wants to stop learning, a mom who believes in myself, a mom who believes in others. The best way to teach them will be by example, just as my mom taught me. 

I'm so thankful to have a mom who plays (and a mother-in-law too, you should see that woman on the slopes).

And I'm so glad I snapped these photos on my waterproof camera. We look pretty happy with wet hair and makeup-free faces. I'm looking forward to more summer days filled with playing. 

Sunday Best: Welcoming Winter

sweater: AdornIt, jeans: Kohl's, boots: Kohl's, necklace: Maurice's, leather cuff: Millie Made

Earlier in the week when I sported this sweater, I was uncomfortably warm. It shouldn't be uncomfortably warm to wear a sweater in December but that's been the case as of late. All last week, I went on my jogs with Munch (our pooch) outside in shorts and a t-shirt. Winter, say what?? 

I can't complain. I've loved spending the extra time outdoors basking in this odd December sunlight. However, I'm ready for some snow. And this weekend, some snowflakes finally started twirling from the sky. Perhaps we will have a white Christmas after all!  

XOXO - Have a super fab week! 

P.S. If you need any last minute stocking stuffers, check out my mom's Millie Made shop. She creates amazing leather cuffs and other jewelry. The one I'm wearing in these photos says, "BE BRAVE", a constant reminder for me to break out of my comfort zone and take some risks. I'm so grateful for that message I can wear on my arm.

Sunday Best: Fancy Pajamas

jacket: Forever 21, top: Violet Hill Boutique, pants: Bella Me, sandals: Target, necklace: Nordstrom

My husband did not approve of me buying these pants. I came out of the dressing room wearing a smile and the pants, and what did BWell say?

"They look kinda like fancy pajamas."

I don't see how that's a bad thing though. I wish I could wear fancy pajamas all the days.

Shout out to moms and women everywhere on this fine Mother's Day. I'm so grateful for the gals in my life who have been nurturers, supporters, givers of light, and positive influences. There are so many of you. I am especially grateful for my own mother, a lady who I'm happy to say has always been one of my very best friends. We as women have so much power to bring beauty and goodness into the world. I thank all women who have been living examples of that for me.

Best friends since 1990. Love you, Mom.  

Truth Tuesday

• My new favorite thing is taking Munch for a walk after Brian and I get home from work. Too bad stubborn Luna won't walk on her come-with-me-kitty. Then we could be all be a happy, walking family. 

• I hate feelings of inadequacy. Hate it, hate it. I'm the worst at criticizing myself. It's probably my biggest thing in life I need to learn to overcome. 

• I have a hard time making friends. I'm bad at opening up to people. But once I make friends with someone, I can promise I'm fiercely loyal. Perhaps that's why I struggle with making friends . . . I take friendship pretty seriously. 

• I have all these beautiful flowers springing up in my yard and I'm just praying to God that I don't kill them all. 

• Sometimes I think it'd be a sweet life to just move around and live in a tent. But then I remember that I really love my house. I feel like my house is my friend, like it has this old, amazing soul. Is that weird? Probably. 

• One of my BIGGEST pet peeves is when people don't take you seriously. Now that I'm no longer a student and I'm trying to infiltrate (yes, infiltrate, it's that serious) myself into real adult life, I find it ridiculous how people treat me sometimes just because I'm young. Age is just a number. I mean, I know wisdom comes with age. But still, I've met some pretty irresponsible people in their 40s. 

• Today I interviewed the President of Winger's. I wish I could say it was because he was giving me a lifetime supply of sticky fingers. Really, it was because the Winger's in Logan closed down. I wrote a short article from his interview, posted it and sobbed big tears the whole time.

• I watched "Gravity" with my mom over the weekend and unlike the rest of the world, we thought it was really boring and I felt like the touching parts were forced. I still love Sandy B. I'm just being honest.

• I hate Tuesdays. I'm so glad this one is almost over.  

Millie Made Giveaway

I'm not one to normally do giveaways on this blog of mine. However, this giveaway is under special circumstances since the lady behind Millie Made is my lovely mama! My talented mother, Camille Keller, is one of the most creative human beings I know. She started a new hobby of making leather jewelry. After making so many new bracelets that she couldn't wear them all, I encouraged her to open a shop. Then voila, Mille Made was born.

Millie Made provides beautiful handmade jewelry at affordable prices. Most popular are the leather cuffs. Millie Made also believes in the power of words and what a positive impact words can have on our lives. That's why each bracelet includes a special word stamped into the leather.

I know it is a common thing for people to choose a "word of the year". This would be a perfect way to wear your word of 2014 with you at all times, to keep you motivated. Whatever the word (as long as it's not too lengthy) it can be stamped wherever you'd like on the bracelet. Wear your word on the front of the bracelet for all to see, or the word can be stamped on the inside of the bracelet so it can be your sacred secret.

One winner of a custom made leather cuff from Millie Made will be chosen at random. I will announce that winner on Friday, January 17th.

One entry per person. To be eligible to win, you:

1. MUST be a follower of A Little Bird Told Me
2. MUST like Millie Made on Facebook.
3. Leave a comment below with the word you would want on your bracelet and a reason why you chose that word.

Feel free to also comment on what you would want the bracelet to look like (design and colors), but I will for sure get that information (along with your wrist measurement) if you are our winner. Feel free to peruse through Millie Made's Etsy Shop for more ideas. She also makes the tiniest and most adorable newborn cuffs for both boys and girls.

Happy commenting! I wish everyone could win! These bracelets are beauties and my mom puts much love in each individual piece.

PS- Sorry for the Christmas decorations. Believe it or not, I FINALLY took our trees down this weekend.

Girls' Night Out at the Pumpkin Walk

The week before Halloween, Brian went out of town due to work for two days. I'm not one of those people who gets freaked out when I'm home alone or anything like that. However, I do go a bit crazy after being cooped up in my house by myself for too long. Think Jack Nicholson from "The Shining". Heeeere's Johnny!

I decided that I needed to get out of the house to pass the time that evening, and I convinced my mom and sisters to accompany me. We went out to dinner and then paid a visit to the North Logan Pumpkin Walk. The Pumpkin Walk is amazing for kids and adults alike. It's a free event the week before Halloween where people set up intricate displays using pumpkins, squash and other things. Many of the scenes are from movies, television shows or books. My favorite this year was probably a display of "Despicable Me 2". Pumpkins make the cutest minions, for real. This year, there were 50 different displays. The weather was even pretty mild for late October in Utah so it was nice to walk around outside. When I went two years ago, I'm pretty sure it was snowing and I walked through as quickly as humanly possible before my ears froze off.

I love that I live in a place that still has that American small-town feel. The Pumpkin Walk is just one of the many reminders of that. Guess what they do with the hundreds of pumpkins after the event is over? Well, they have the Pumpkin Toss. Teams build their own catapults to throw the pumpkins. I went to cover that event for work on Saturday and it was a blast (no pun intended).

Anyway, I didn't go camera crazy at the Pumpkin Walk and get a photo of every display, but we did take plenty of pictures using the face hole setups at the front of the park. Keep scrolling for further enjoyment . . .

    

and my personal favorite . . .

Girl time with my mom and sisters is the best. 

Sunday Best: Warrior

dress: Head Over Heels, vest: JC Penney, necklaces: Smith's & Forever 21  

Since it's still Sunday for a bit longer, I thought I would post some pictures of an outfit I wore earlier this week. I scored this vest recently for $10. The night after I bought it, I was on the phone with my mom and told her I went shopping. She asked what I bought and when my answer was, "a camouflage vest with jewels on it", I was a little concerned for my well-being. Sure, it sounds ridiculous but it feels awesome.

I honestly put it on and feel like I need to be in a dramatic 80s music video of "Love is a Battlefield". I put it on and think, "I am a warrior. I will own this day."

Also, I wasn't kidding about living in an 80s music video. My hair lately . . .
 

Truth Tuesday

• Not to rub it into anyone's face . . . but I'm really excited to not be going back to school. I thought I would grow depressed about it but I guess I thought wrong. I served my time. Now I'm ready to have the time to focus on other things. Things I actually want to do. No more time-consuming projects and homework assignments. I will miss the learning process of it, but I don't think I'll ever stop learning. As is life. 

• I neglect this blog because I'm addicted to work. It's a nice feeling to love your job. Tomorrow I'm meeting with some ladies in roller derby league to write a story on them and I'm so pumped.

• Talking on the phone gives me anxiety. Even when it's with people I really like a lot. 

• I'm addicted to Cold Case. We started season one recently. In the words of Miley Cyrus, "We can't stop. We won't stop." 

• Actually, I get addicted to most crime shows. Sometimes I wonder if I have issues because I've never obsessed over television shows that most of the female population get into. I'm all about my Cold Case, Law & Order and 48 Hours Mystery. I do love What Not to Wear. I'll openly and proudly admit to that.  

• If I hated my family, I would move to a dangerous city and be an undercover cop.

• August is a wonderful month because wild sunflowers infest the land and it's a beautiful thing. Also, it's full of birthdays belonging to family members. My mom's birthday was last week. I made her a cake out of Fatboys and I felt quite accomplished. 

• My mom is one of the most incredible people I know. That's a straight-up truth.

• I want to cover the walls of my future home with old beautiful pictures. Like the one below of my grandma with my mom.  

Truth Tuesday

• One of my favorite sounds in the whole wide world is frogs singing at night. I guess they're more croaking than singing, but whatever, I'm trying to make this sound whimsical. 

• The only time I sincerely enjoy grocery shopping is on scorching hot summer days. The grocery store is always nice and cool. Especially the soda and beer aisle. I always make sure I take a leisurely stroll down the beer aisle when it's piping hot outside. 

• My old email address is crazy8fatbutt@aol.com. To make a long story short, my mom made it for me when I was fourteen or so and she thought she was super hilarious. It's one of the more embarrassing things in my life when people find out about this old address. And now I am confessing it to the world. There, maybe it will no longer embarrass me.

• My brother, the missionary, (who leaves tomorrow) would like a million fake "Dear Johns" from girls. If you are not a creepy missionary stalker and would like to send him one, lemme know. 

• I had Oreos and milk for breakfast and I've felt awful about it all day. No more treats and lots more veggies for me for the remainder of the week. 

• I promise sometimes I'm actually healthy. 

• I've been on a scary movie kick. I need more good suggestions of things to watch (please no gore just for the sake of gore and please no cheesy endings that ruin the entire movie). 

Welp, have a good Tuesday/practically Wednesday

This random photo is me at Bear Lake this past weekend. There will be a post in the near future about that excitement so watch yo back. 

Brave Girls Club

Over the course of the last few months, my mom has been taking online art classes. The classes are about much more than just making art though, it's also about finding the everyday beauty in your own life and in yourself. My mom has been making friends all over the country, sending and receiving art in the mail, and she even started her own Etsy shop.

The organization that puts on the art classes is called Brave Girls Club. They also put on art retreats for women. My mom just so happened to win a personal art retreat in an auction, so she invited me and my aunt to join her for a weekend with the Brave Girls.

It was such an enjoyable weekend to get away and go to Boise, spend time with lovely women, eat good food, and make art. Walking into the adorable turquoise "Art Barn" was a dream. The inside was decked out with art. The walls were plastered with colorful and uplifting paintings. When I walked in, I felt like my troubles were swallowed up by the colorful patterns on the walls, ceilings, and floors and in return, I was bombarded by happiness. I felt like Katie from the cartoon of Horton Hears a Who . . . "In my world everyone is a pony, and they all eat rainbows and poop butterflies." If you've never seen Horton Hears a Who, you have no idea what I am talking about. Also, you are missing out.   

I came home feeling inspired, radiant, and uplifted. I highly suggest you get familiar with the ladies at Brave Girls Club. They are doing wonderful work. Their organization is about creating and putting beauty out into the world, and in the process, helping you find your own inner beauty. What could be better than that?

Thanks, Brave Girls! We hope to pay another visit to the Art Barn in the future.