andi lately
august 2021, v6
Hi! Thanks for being here! This monthly-ish newsletter is where I share a round-up of life lately - what I'm enjoying, reading, learning, buying, doing, thinking about, and more. It’ll be a mix of motherhood reflections, personal stories and photos, mental/emotional health updates, plant and home decor tips, blog posts round-ups, travel ideas, products I recommend, brand marketing tips and tricks, articles I enjoyed, quotes that resonated, and really anything else that comes to mind.
I recently shared this on Instagram, but it’s been something that’s really been on my mind lately, so I’m going to share again here….
The news feels scary and sad and the weight of the world is heavy — wars and natural disasters and tragedy and sickness and loss and so much bad news. Everyone seems to be arguing and debating and taking sides and it sort of feels like walking on eggshells because you’ll make someone upset by what you do or say but also by what you *don’t* do or say. When I feel overwhelmed by it all and that my anxiety might crush me, I try to take a step back and look around.
I look around at my daughters — dancing and blowing bubbles and giggling and reading books together — and I am reminded of innocence, joy, hope.
I look around at my house — dishes stacked in the sink and art supplies scattered on the table and fingerprints on the mirror and laundry to put away — and I am reminded of stability, safety, home.
I look around at the people in my life — my husband, sisters, parents, friends, neighbors, babysitters, our mailman, the girls’ teachers, etc — and I am reminded of community, love, connection.
I look around outside — the sun is shining and flowers are growing and birds are singing — and I am reminded of beauty, renewal, peace.
This doesn’t mean I pretend that devastation and pain and trauma don’t exist. It doesn’t mean I ignore what’s going on outside of my home and *only* focus on what directly affects myself and my family. It doesn’t mean I won’t donate or share resources or have tough conversations. Not at all. But rather than let all of the bad news and scary headlines and hurt and sadness consume me, I choose to take a deep breath and look around in those moments first. ✨
Taking inventory of what’s in front of me — so much good — grounds me and shifts my perspective and recharges me. Life, right in front of me, is such a magnificent gift.
LIFE UPDATES
I participated in my first-ever in-person market for my textile shop! Shop Lucky Collective was a vendor at Porter Flea here in Nashville and I was a little nervous because I’ve never done something like this ever before! I went in with low expectations and tried to view it as a learning experience. It ended up being SO fun and really successful for my business! I met so many new people and fellow small biz owners, ran out of business cards, sold a ton of pillows and poufs and really just put myself out there - which I’m so proud of. 💛
Earlier this month, we traveled to California for a kid-free vacation and to celebrate my best friend Aimee’s wedding. We got to visit all of our old stomping grounds — Carmel Valley, Santa Cruz, Big Sur, San Francisco, and a few other towns along the way. It was SUCH a special time that really filled my cup up. Here’s a bunch of photos from our trip!
The girls started school a few weeks ago! Lucy is in the Pre-K class 4x/week (so big! 😭) and Winnie is in the youngest class 2x/week. Lucy has been LOVING it and Winnie is still adjusting — this is a big change from her 18 months of life mostly spent at home with her immediate family! We’re so grateful for a school and teachers that are so loving and wonderful with our kids and doing everything they can to make it a safe, “normal” school year.
Next week we are going on a weeklong trip to the Northeast US. I’ve never been! We are staying in Portsmouth, New Hampshire; Portland, Maine; and ending our trip in Boston. We haven’t planned/booked anything outside of our flights, rental car, and Airbnbs, but I’m super excited to visit!
WAYS TO HELP OTHERS
I was sharing a few ways to help people asking for money on my IG and got a few more awesome ideas! We go to the ATM every so often and withdrawal a bunch of $5 bills. I keep them in the car so that whenever I see someone who is asking for / needs money, I can quickly and easily give them $5, rather than dig through my wallet to see if I have cash or awkwardly say sorry, no. Below are a few other great ideas of things to keep in your car to give out. Hope this gives you some good, easy ways to help those who are in need when you’re out and about. 💛
socks and hand warmer (during cold season)
bottled water (kept in a small cooler, especially in hot climates/summer)
granola bars and other easy packaged snacks
Subway/McDonalds gift cards (can be used for food and also a place to use bathroom, get on wifi, etc.)
small bag of dog treats/food for those with pups
Community Resource Center is a local org that is helping those affected by the severe flooding in Waverly, TN. Their Instagram @crcnashville shares the most up-to-date urgent needs in the community; here’s their Amazon wishlist and you can donate here or via Venmo @crcnashville.
Here’s a link to the verified GoFundMe pages to support the families of the 13 US service members killed in the Kabul Airport attack
There are many ways to help those impacted by Hurricane Ida, and humans aren’t the only ones affected by natural disasters. You can donate to the Louisiana SPCA ($30 feeds 10 animals a day!) to help animals in need during hurricane season.
RANDOM BLOG POSTS
THINGS I RECENTLY PURCHASED
We recently ordered a lightweight travel double stroller and I’m SO glad we did. I’ve heard good things about the Zoe Twin+ double stroller before and it blew me away. We used it for our California trip (so helpful in airport) and now keep it in our car for on-the-go adventures. It’s lightweight, super easy and quick to fold, and very comfortable for both girls to lounge/ride.
We swapped Lucy’s lunchbox for this one and it’s AWESOME! Winnie has been using Lucy’s old one, but I’m going to just bite the bullet and get her one from this same brand.
Realizing I didn’t buy all that much this month (which is probably a good thing!) but in case you’re in the mood to shop…here’s a few of my Amazon shopping roundups!
RECENTLY READ
Unorthodox by Deborah Feldman - this was a fascinating book about one woman’s journey and personal experience growing up in the Hasidic Jewish community.
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb - loved loved loved this one! It’s a self-help / personal narration of one therapist’s journey learning from and alongside her own therapist. So many insightful nuggets of wisdom in here.
The Book of Two Ways by Jodi Picoult - while I love non-fiction and books about real-world things, sometimes it’s nice to just get lost in a fictitious story. I’ve read a lot of books by Jodi and this one kept me on my toes!
FROM MY CAMERA ROLL
CODES & DISCOUNTS
LUCKYANDI for 10% off everything in my Moroccan textile shop!
ANDI25 - Get 25% off Eizzy Baby - we love their collapsible silicone snack cups
LUCKYANDI- Get 10% Chelsea & West Pop-Up Play Tents
Get 20% off everything from Kitsch at this link; they sell my favorite (cute, comfy, affordable) face masks and also great hair accessories
LUCKY10 for 10% off Little Colorado - we own the kids picnic table!
LUCKY5OFF for $5 off your first Vellabox candle subscription order
PAST NEWSLETTERS
Thanks for reading! I love hearing from you so always feel free to shoot me a note!
So true, was just going through similar thinking tonight. So important to stay focused on what we want not on what we don’t want at the personal as well as macro/global level. Reach for the good thoughts and what is real and possible even if it has not yet manifested.