happy november!
like most, i always look forward to a new month ahead. a fresh month feels like a blank slate allowing us to make better choices with our health, our finances & our time.
one practice that has helped us manage our time better & communicate more effectively is our family calendar meeting.
do you sit down as a family for a monthly calendar meeting?
i am a paper planner kind-of-person & it drives my hubby nuts because he’s a fan of the google calendar. this practice allows us to merge both of our preferences & our obligations/responsibilities for the month into one calendar that’s been discussed & shared.
it’s best to start this practice at the beginning of the month & have your meeting the first week of the month (we prefer the first sunday of the month).
we bring our daily calendars & write down important events such as birthdays, book clubs, & visitors in town. we also talk about potential holiday travel & taking time off of work.
our calendar isn’t really color-coordinated, but you could always designate a color to a specific person’s activities.
i keep the calendar in my office where we both see it regularly. if we need to add something to the calendar, we let the other person know.
our calendar is from hobby lobby. i like the simple white frame that can be hung on the wall or fridge with ease.
the most important piece of this practice is communication! this practice allows us to connect as a family & manage our time more effectively together.
do you have a monthly calendar meeting? how do you manage your time & communicate as a family?
love,
natalie
every year we anticipate the third weekend of october when we drop all responsibility & head to eureka springs for war eagle weekend!
we shop, we eat & drink, we laugh, we cry, we make memories & we have fun!
– the good: i scored some good junk, we ate bags of kettle corn, the weather was dreamy & we drank a glorious amount of margaritas.
– the bad: mom broke her knee cap two days before our trip & drove a scooter the entire weekend. jesus take the wheel, it was hilarious! #memories.
– the ugly: i was gluten-free (no craft fair corn dog for me. sad face.) & we didn’t spend all of our money. whaaaaat?!
do you have a girls’ weekend tradition? please share!
love,
natalie
p.s. happy halloween!
i’ve been a big fan of sweet sarah, the maker behind miss money bags, for years.
y’all, i’d carry a miss money bags wallet over any fancy pants designer wallet any day. i’ve been using her cash budget wallet for forever (this is the one i am carrying right now).
they’re sturdy, practical & freakin’ adorable.
so naturally, while stalking her personal facebook page (i’d like to believe we’re practically bffs so it isn’t really stalking, right?!) late one night, i came across her newest adventure-
“kith&kin is a family of makers. it’s been in our blood for generations. our grandparents made our toys and quilts, our moms made our pajamas, and we fell asleep in beds our dads made. when we met, we fell in love and felt at home… and kept making alive. we even made four kids! now we make everything together.”
sarah & her husband, peter, are collaborating together through kith&kin to create a wide variety of goods from handcrafted furniture to hand-sewn waxed canvas bags.
people, i instantly had a mini heart explosion over her new totes.
& then i immediately emailed her.
in the email, i think i referred to her bags as amazeballs (they are).
& asked if i could promote her magical new husband/wife brand (she agreed).
sarah also offered to give away a kith&kin tote to one lucky natalie creates blog winner!
friends, i carry my tote everywhere from the gym to the post office & grocery store. it’s perfect for hauling library books & packing a picnic. it’s the perfect companion to my everyday purse because it fits all of the things i need for a busy day.
did i mention these bags are waterproof? magic, i tell you. & the aztec patch makes me giddy.
here are the details on winning a waxed canvas tote:
1. visit miss money bag & kith&kin’s shops.
2. like @missmoneybags on instagram
3. comment below with your email address & how you would use this tote.
i will pick a random winner on friday, november 7th. happy winning!
sarah, thank you for this generous giveaway & for being such an amazing & inspirational maker.
love,
natalie
p.s. the holidays are just around the corner. sarah is offering 20% off both her wallets & bags in both of her shops (miss money bags & kith&kin) with the code “NATALIECREATES.” head on over & get to shoppin’!
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giveaway closed! congrats to desiree for winning!! you will receive an email shortly. xo.
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