The Blog

Griffin's Superhero Birthday Party

2013-05-22T12:00:15Z

After a Saturday filled with superheros, I can confidently say the Party Pooper is banished forever. My superhero-obsessed son loved every second of our comic book celebration on Saturday from the kryptonite jello to a rousing round of "Pin the Mask on the Superhero."

It's hard to say which was a bigger hit the party or the presents but I think he formed some happy birthday memories. I decided at the last minute to make Super Griffin the star of the show even if he wanted to wear a Green Lantern costume and I think he enjoyed all the big G's everywhere.

My favorite part of the party were the favors. I painted fill-in-the-blank tshirts (my new obsession) with "My Superhero Power is ________" and let the kids fill them out. My favorite? My Superhero Power is shopping and My Superher Power is punching.

Awwww...kids.

Now, on to the Amos county fair!

The Everyday: Let's Get Lost Edition

2013-05-18T22:05:52Z

I often have a big case of wanderlust, as well as want to show my son the world (I dream of packing up, taking a year sabbatical from, well, everything, and living abroad with him). But that reality isn't possible...yet. So, instead, I look to get lost in my very own city. Kind of like a staycation but shorter, I try to take advantage of the cultural and educational activities in Los Angeles as a way to transport us away from the grind...even if it's just for a few hours.

One way to do this, is the element of surprise. Which is exactly how UGG Australia whisked my family away for a fun Saturday afternoon. As a mom, I like to relax and escape with a little pampering. So, it was incredibly exciting for my family to shop for our favorite pair of UGG shoes to carry us on our LA Zoo adventure. I often think of UGG boots, but the fashionable spring and summer options at the store were plentiful. It was hard to make up my mind between a gladiator sandal, a snake-skin print sandal, and wedges. Normally, I would wear flats to the zoo but I selected the wedges because they were SO comfortable. I'm always in the market for a heel that doesn't hurt and can support me as I keep pace with a toddler — and these fashionably did the job.

Our exotic (and hot!) afternoon at the zoo was just the weekend break we needed. It's such a pleasure to see my son explore the zoo campus and get excited about his favorite animals. He gets lost in the moment, asks tons of questions, and has the opportunity to see something other than the urban jungle. For him, watching a mom and pop giraffe care for their baby, hearing a peacock squawk, and seeing a snake dance was quite magical. What more can a mom ask for?

This post is sponsored by UGG Australia so my family of three could get lost in the adventure, fun, and fashion that the UGG Family Day at the Zoo had to offer. All opionions are 100% my own. To learn more about UGG Australia, visit it on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. Share your favorite #LetsGetLost story or dream with them.

Sarah's Favorite Things

2013-05-15T11:50:44Z

I'm still the same little girl who read every female biography in my elementary school. This speaks to me.

Listening to this nonstop.

Such a cute idea.

Good. Inexpensive. Fast. Pick two.

~ Sarah Stewart Holland

Taco Time (A Little Obsession)

2013-05-14T07:16:34Z

Toddler obsessions, while annoying at times, are quite funny. I’m always impressed by their one-track mind, determined focus, and impressive command of a subject matter (my son can name all 1,225 construction trucks that exist or explain the mechanical differences in trains—and I can’t). And because it’s just a short-term phase in the grand scheme of their lives, I can’t help but encourage their love of that one thing. Why not jump on the bandwagon?

As a result of sharing my toddler’s enthusiasm for his various obsessions, I’ve helped him build a depot of trucks, a fleet of trains, a sanitation department (yes, he has that many garbage trucks), and a litter of puppies. But my favorite obsession? Tacos.

Image and design by Apericots.

Odd for a toddler, but perfectly suited for a foodie mom from SoCal. It first started with this cheeky shirt from Apericots. Because of my love of tacos, I had to get it for him. It turned out to be one of his favorite pieces of clothing, as he had to wear it every other day. But I was thrilled that it was a great conversation starter with parents that appreciate our family’s love of the food and sense of humor. (Full Disclosure: I am well aware that this might be an example of me projecting my obsessions on my toddler before it became his own).

No surprise, I had to get him this book too. Dragons Love Tacos is a silly tale of a boy who turns dragons into fire breathing creatures by giving them spicy salsa. It’s an instant classic that will quickly find a way into the weekly book rotation. Plus, what’s not love about a story that makes a little one laugh endlessly.

And, if you’re still hungry for more, Melissa and Doug’s felt taco and burrito set is the perfect and final addition to this taco trio. I enjoy themed birthday presents and love to give all three taco-related goodies as a set.

Now you know how his obsessions are born and nurtured. What are your toddler's favorite interests (or yours)?

~ The Other Sarah

Connect with Creativity

2013-05-13T12:30:10Z

When I say "creativity," I don't mean the act of scrapbooking, or painting, or sewing a dress from scratch (unless, of course, that's the perfect outlet for you). I'm talking about that free space where our minds can roam without stress and are primed to discover new things.

As parents, especially moms, I think our brains are overloaded with to-do lists, household responsibilities, pick-up schedules, and work demands. This is not a great cocktail for connecting with yourself, the people around you, or even the environment. It also makes it hard to tap into your own creative channels. This is why I think it's important to carve out “me” time (translation: make it part of your daily routine)—creativity takes time and practice to nurture, too.

A couple weekends ago, I was fortunate to attend the Mom 2.0 Summit and had the pleasure of attending a talk by Tracey Clark and Lindsey Garrett. Their talk was really more of a workshop that served as a great reminder of how to make/practice/enjoy downtime for self-exploration and creative thinking. I seem to need these reminders — a lot.

In case you find yourself in the same rut or want to expand your art, I thought I would share their recipe for building a creative life.

1. Create a daily routine to set your mind up for flow.

2. Start your day by setting an intention. It can be as simple as selecting a coffee mug that reflects your day’s state of mind or goals, or you can meditate.

3. Clear your space of physical, mental, and emotional clutter.

4. Start each day with a clean page/screen/canvas.

5. When you hit a roadblock (i.e., writer’s block), try sorting…even laundry. The activity of sorting for at least five minutes has been shown to revive you and overcome your creative rut.

6. Explore. Give yourself a “dream day” for a new experience. Try learning new skills, no matter how busy. Even try new routes on the drive home.

7. See things through fresh eyes. Try picking up your camera. Get down on your kids’ level. Sleep!

8. Stop entertaining creativity killers—fear, comparison, and distractions.

9. Read Simple Abundance and/or The War of Art.

10. Assemble a creativity toolbox that keeps you ticking and focused on your work. For some, it includes candles. For others, it’s a journal. Or maybe even a good luck statuette. Think of including books, movies, music, and art that inspire creativity.

What would you add to the list?

~ The Other Sarah

The Everyday

2013-05-10T19:00:00Z

Sarah's Favorite Things

2013-05-10T12:00:51Z

A beautiful mess indeed.

I've got plans for this project, people. PLANS.

You know we love BabbaCo and founder Jessica Kim but this new subscription priicng is GENIUS!

How Kentucky helps me be the best mother I can be.

Seriously good advice.

“To attain knowledge, add things every day. To attain wisdom, subtract things every day.”

~ Sarah Stewart Holland

Grandmother Power

2013-05-09T14:44:48Z

Tara Mohr recently invited her readers to join a blogging campaign on Grandmother Power. Focusing on the power of elderly women in their communities, she shared this story:

You and I don’t think about it much, but light means everything to a community. Midwives can deliver babies at night. People can charge cell phones and preserve food in refrigerators. Children can do their homework without getting black lung disease from kerosene lamps.

But of course, many live without all of this.

Leaders at a college in India had an idea for a solution: they would teach young men to be solar engineers, hoping they would bring light to their rural villages.

The plan didn’t work: after they got their training, the men went straight to the city to find jobs, not back to the villages that so desperately needed their expertise.

The training program made a course correction: they invited village grandmothers to learn how to bring light to their communities.

The grandmothers were illiterate and existed on less than fifty cents a day but they were mature and gutsy, and wouldn’t dream of moving away from their grandchildren. After six months, the student grandmothers could build, install, repair and maintain solar lighting systems. They could assemble solar lanterns, solar water heaters and parabolic solar cookers.

The Indian grandmothers brought light to a whopping 9,833 households in 16 Indian states. Some stayed and became teachers for the grandmothers who took the training next.

The UN began sending grandmothers from other developing countries to learn from the Indian grandmothers. Together, grandmother solar engineers have brought solar electricity to 45,000 households in 64 countries in the Middle East, Africa, South America and Asia.

Grandmother solar engineers are VIPs in their communities. Bunker Roy, head of the Barefoot College where the training happens, said, “I meet them as grandmothers. But they return to their villages as tigers.”

I love this. However, I have to say I wasn't suprised by it. You see I already have a serious source of grandmother power in my own life.

My grandmothers are rock stars. The perfect complimentary pair - I could not possibly have asked for two better role models.

Nanny was happily married for decades. Mema has been single for as long as I can remember. Nanny is an expert seamstress and makes a mean caramal pie. Mema took me to fancy tea parties and out for ice cream on a regular occassion. Nanny lives "in the country" and showed me the beauty and value of land as far as the eye can see. Mema took me to Europe. Nanny is a devout Christian. Mema a devout feminist.

That is not to say Mema doesn't make the best cinnamon rolls on the planet or regularly attend church. She does. It's also not to say Nanny doesn't love to travel (she took me on my first plane ride) or value her independence. She does.

However, they are different people who have always shown an enormous amount of respect and acceptance of each other, which I assume was difficult in the midst of my parents' divorce. In them and through them, I have learned to value the different aspects of my own personality. It is why I am as comfortable hosting a party as I am discussing the administration's policy towards Syria.

My grandmothers' power and I would arge ALL grandmothers' power comes from the confidence only experience and age can bring. The confidence to understand your own strengths AND limitations. The confidence to try something new so it can bring value to the things that never change.

Truly and uniquely, grandmother power.

~ Sarah Stewart Holland

Amos County Fair Invite

2013-05-07T12:00:49Z

I chose to have my babies close together, which means I need to finish Amos's invitation before Griffin's party has even happened. It's cool. Stress is energizing!

So, after enlisting my party planning committee (I love you Kim and Elizabeth!) to help with comic book banners and popcorn cones, I sat down and designed this invitation. I wanted the look of a vintage state fair poster with some classic symbols of the county fair. I also wanted to include a picture of Amos somehow but couldn't make it work.

I'm still very, very happy with the results. Sure, it's not a complete comic book but Amazing Amos made it an appearance in that as well... so he technically got two invitations!

~ Sarah Stewart Holland

The Everyday

2013-05-03T20:55:39Z