Chelsea Day

Blending Minimalism with a Busy Life

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I’ve heard people say, “Before I had kids, I was the BEST parent on the planet.” It’s funny how that works, isn’t it? We all have the greatest intentions, and then life gets in the way. When I was pregnant with my first, I bought small-batch homemade lotion from a local boutique and stocked up on cloth diapers. Then kids came along, and we basically just tried to survive. Things got…cluttered. And confusing. I felt like I was drowning under the weight of it all and I just wanted to go back to a life that was simple.

The Happy Home Stockpile

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I know what you’re thinking right now. “Woah, Chelsea, that is like a metric ton of toilet paper.” Indeed. People often ask how we juggle travel and home life with a big family. We’ve shared a ton of tips and tricks, but this is BY FAR the most important. The home stockpile.

Thank your Mom Tribe with Chocolate and Jokes

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I was the first of my friends to have kids. I’ve been blessed to develop an incredibly large and supportive group of fellow moms since then, but I’ll never forget those isolating initial weeks. It was me, a baby, and absolutely NO CLUE what I was doing. I ended up leaning on two women in particular during those early days of motherhood when I needed a gut check, a hand, or just an ear to listen when the little guy refused to sleep at 3am. Nate’s mom and grandma (Oma and Nana) were the original members of my mom tribe, and I try to find ways to thank them every year around Mother’s Day.

Family Pajamas are the Adorable Gift that Keeps on Giving

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When I was a kid, my grandma would give the whole family a new set of matching pajamas every holiday. We’d all get decked out in our footies or silk top-and-bottoms (it changed every year depending on her mood) and take the obligatory photo. I LOVED THIS TRADITION. I loved it so much, in fact, that I’ve continued it with my own family, getting new matching pajamas every single season and insisting that we all wear them on vacation.

The Car Seat that Lives in Dad’s Truck

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We’ve gotten a lot of questions about our truck and child safety. Friends have questioned if it’s even possible to fit six people in a crew cab without putting someone at risk. It seems to be a long-standing belief that trucks aren’t family cars and therefore can’t properly handle car seats. I’m proud to say that our truck gets the highest crash test ratings in its class, but I’ll admit it’s not without its issues. As a one-ton vehicle created more for hauling gear than for hauling people, there are certain comfort and ease-of-use features that are missing. That said, it IS possible to safely and securely install a car seat in a truck.

These Perfect Summer Shoes Do it All

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I feel like the picture at the top of this post pretty much sums up summer for me. I haven’t had a pedicure in at least two months. The sun is absurdly bright and everything’s a bit over-exposed. There are rogue blades of dry grass popping up out of the cracks in the cement around my swimming pool. But I have my summer shoes and I’m ready to take on the world!

How to Teach Kids the Value of Money

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The boys have hit that point in school where they start learning about money. Instead of adding ones and tens, they’ve started calculating pennies and dimes. Naturally, this prompted ALL sorts of questions. The day our 1st grader asked if he could purchase a house with a handful of change, Nate and I realized it was time to show them that coins are more than just numbers and placeholders. How to teach kids the value of money? For us, a piggy bank was the obvious first step!

2 Weeks to More Mindful Habits

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We’ve still been traveling and working a ton. As awesome as it is to have a steady stream of projects that we enjoy, it’s easy to get overcommitted and exhausted. I’m sure everyone does it: we get caught up in the MORE MORE MORE mentality and catch ourselves striving. For some reason we’re compelled to prove that we’re capable, good, efficient, successful, worthy. As creative people in a competitive industry, Nate and I need to constantly check in on our mindset and energy level. We’ve learned to give ourselves the flexibility to hit the reset button and weave more mindful habits into our lives.

Restaurant Celebrations with a Totally Picky, Super-Active Family

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We’ve talked about a few different kids party ideas, and received an email or two from readers wanting to know how we plan parties when so much of our time is spent traveling. Our festivities are quick and nimble. We try our best to grab a few decorations and on-the-go activities even if we’re headed to a hotel. That being said, there are times when we have something to celebrate and ZERO time beyond a quick sit-down meal. Oh yes, people, restaurant celebrations are a serious party tactic around here!

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