Be Wild Be Free

Happy November! 

Is anyone else in shock that it is November?! It's Thanksgiving this month. I can't believe it. 

Today's blog post topic is something I am very passionate about. It is all about letting your kids run wild and free in the outdoors. 

I grew up in a very small town. My neighbors growing up were mine and my sisters best friends. We would play and play. The entire town was our playground. We would make huts on our neighbors land and scooter down every hill. Getting us to go outside was no task. We wanted to be outside getting dirty, and using our imagination. The best part is, our parents allowed it. Yes, we would have to check in every hour but they allowed us to wonder and explore. Our imaginations ran wild, and so did we. 

I am now 24 years old and wow, times have changed. Kids aren't getting outside like they use to and I don't think it's the kids fault. I think it has a lot to do with the parents. I'm as guilty as the next mom, Ipads and TV's are so convenient. Quite frankly, I don't think they are bad. Ellie learns and interacts with her shows and a lot of them teach valuable life lessons. I don't think there is harm in watching a movie, however, there is harm in not breathing in fresh air.

 In a recent article from Besawyer Blog , it said that more and more kids are having issues with their vision. Many kids are becoming near sighted from lack of natural sunlight. Some are saying there is an epidemic happening in Taiwan for Nearsightedness. The article stated that every hour spent outside in natural light, decreases the odds for nearsightedness by two percent!

Not only does playing outside help eyesight, it also aids in coordination, self confidence, problem solving skills, increases imagination and more. There is no question that a little fresh air and exercise will relieve stress and anxiety, not only for kids, but parents as well. 

I am making a challenge to play outside with Ellie for at least one hour a day. No cell phone, no distractions. Just Ellie and I. Do you want to take the challenge too? Comment below with outdoor activities you like to do with your child in Fall and Winter. If we all work together we can achieve this goal, and see the positive impact that getting outside has on everyone!

I can't wait to hear how your challenge is going. I look forward to reading your ideas.

XoXo,

Briana Marie Smith 

Ellie's Bear Tee: BeSawyer

My little fishy

How is everyone? Are you all enjoying this wonderful time of year? I know I am.

Kody, Ellie and I  love to be outside and in the sun. Ellie is our little fishy. She would  stay in the pool all day everyday if  we would let her Kody and I wouldn’t have it any other way. We want her to grow up enjoying the outdoors.

With that being said, Ellie has recently found a new obsession, watching Frozen on the IPad. Kody and I never thought electronics would become a problem until this past week. All Ellie wanted to do was lay in the bed and watch Frozen. It was cute the first few days, then we realized it was starting to become habit.  Kody and I freaked a little haha don’t  judge, first time parents  remember;) So, we did a little Frozen detox lol. We all went to the store and bought  sidewalk chalk, a trike  and other items we could play with outside. We went two days with no movies or Ipads, then gradually brought Frozen back into her life. She now watches it in the morning when she wakes  up. I then try to have activities for her during the day to keep her busy. 

I know it’s silly but it really did catch Kody and I off guard. We didn’t realize how easy it was just to hand her the Ipad and have her watch Frozen for hours. Kody and I were able to get our work done and even keep the house clean, but we  both agreed that interacting with her is more important than anything. Kody and I also decided to set hours for us to use our electronics. We realized we were being poor examples by having our faces glued to our screens all day. Now we look at our phones while she is sleeping.

What activities do you like to do with your kids? Indoor and outdoor, I need suggestions! Comment below with your ideas!

I can't end this post with out talking about our swimsuits. My suit from @naniswimwear is a fave! It is perfect for everyday swimming. I am obsessed with the tops pattern and racerback. 

Direct links to our favorite swimming suits :)

Xoxo,

Briana  Marie Smith

White Mesh Racerback Top: Nani Swimwear (love, love, love this top!)

Black Tie Bottoms: Nani Swimwear (these bottoms have a tie on the back, obsessed!)

Follow them on Instagram for discounts style tips: @naniswimwear

Ellie’s Swimsuit: Janie and Jack

Life's too Short Not to Jump in.

Happy Spring Ya’ll!

There is nothing better than feeling the sun rays on your skin after a long winter. Ellie and I have been absorbing as much vitamin D as possible!

Swimsuit season is basically here for Ellie and I.  We have been playing in the pool and by the lake all month. Ellie is obsessed with the water. She’s a little fish who wants to swim all day everyday!

How cute is this swimsuit from Strange Bikinis? I am literally obsessed with the design, print and material of the suit. As soon as I tried it on, I knew I had to have it. I’ve never felt more confident in a swimsuit.

Strange Bikinis are all handmade using top of the line fabric. I first fell in love with Strange Bikinis custom designs, then fell in love Strange Bikinis message. Strange Bikinis started their company with the goal to empower women and create swimsuits for every body type to feel confident in.

This message rang loud to me last week. Ellie and I were swimming at the local pool when a cute, young family walked in. My heart broke as I overheard the conversation between the mother and preteen daughter.

The daughter was so excited to jump in the pool. She immediately jumped in and splashed around.  She asked her mom to get in the pool and swim with her. The mom said no multiple times. The daughter was determined to swim with her mom. After much nagging, the mom finally gave in and started to dip her fully dressed body in the pool. The daughter was so confused when her mom didn’t take her t-shirt or shorts off to swim. The daughter said, “Mom that’s not a swimsuit, you have to wear a suit to get in the pool.” The mom replied, “Honey, I’m to fat to wear a swimsuit.” I could tell the daughter was taken back with her mother's response.  I was devastated as I watched the confused young daughter look down at her own body.

I know the Mom didn’t mean any harm with her statement, however, what message did she send to her daughter?  That you have to be skinny to wear a swimsuit?

I know we as mothers want our daughters to grow up feeling empowered and confident, but how can they when their mothers aren’t? Don’t get me wrong, I have insecurities about my body, however, I want Ellie to have a positive body image. I believe it all starts with being an example. I never want her to look in the mirror and think she can’t swim because she isn’t “skinny.”

I’m not saying we all have to wear bikinis, however, as a society we need to be less judgemental of ourselves and others. Everyone deserves to wear a swimsuit and play in the pool with their kids, regardless of their body type.

Life is too short not to jump in!

Xoxo,

Briana Marie Smith

Direct Links Below:

Follow @strangebikinis on Instagram for deals and more!

Swim Top: Tango Wrap Top

Swim Bottom: Hannah Bottom (Since all swimsuits are custom made, you can request bottom to be less cheeky (more coverage)

Ellie’s Swimsuit: Old Navy

The Season for Stocking "Stuffers"!

Happy December!

Hope you are all enjoying this amazing time of year.

If you are like me, stocking stuffers are some of the hardest gifts for to buy. I dislike spending money on toys that will be thrown away the next day.

This year, I tried to think outside the box and get items that Ellie would enjoy and use.

Ellie is teething, and chews on anything and everything. I found these adorable handmade organic teething toys at Benjamins Buttons and Beads Etsy Shop. Ellie's pink and grey elephant clip is adorable! The quality of the teething toy is amazing. 

Ellie also loves to read. She will sit and look at books for hours (The only time she holds still..) Papery Pier specializes in flash cards that make learning easy and fun. I ordered Ellie the counting flash cards.

Little Dribble Co. is my current favorite clothing shop for Ellie. Little Dribble Co. specializes in handmade, custom clothing for baby girls and boys. Their clothing and accessories are unique and as cute as can be! I’m ordering Ellie an adorable Infinity Scarf to stuff in her stocking.

(All items are $15 and under!)

Elephant Teething Clip: Benjamins Buttons and Beads

Flash Cards: Papery Pier

Infinity Scarf: Little Dribble Co.

Ellie Claire. The Power of a Name

Happy Holidays!

I hope you all had an amazing Thanksgiving!

Today’s post is very special to me and my family. It is about the power of a name.

Kody and I put a lot of thought into Ellie’s name. We wanted her name to reflect how special she is.

Many people do not know this, but Kody has an older sister. Her name was Shannel. Shannel was the oldest sibling. She was born 33 years ago today. Shannel was a huge blessing in the Smith’s family. Shannel was the happiest little girl. She was known all over town for her big brown eyes, and outgoing personality. She had to be the the center of attention and brought a smile to everyone’s face.

Shannel was in a tragic accident and passed away when she was six years old. Even though she is not here in person, her sweet spirit still feels the Smith family home.

My Grandma Brotherson passed in an awful car accident years before I was born. She was 52 years young. My mother was six months pregnant with her first born (my brother Kalan). Even though I never knew my Grandma Clarasee in person, I feel like I know her by the stories that my mom, aunt, and uncle share. Clarasee was the life of the party. She had an outgoing personality that everyone loved. From her outrageous hairstyles to her amazing softball skills, Clarasee was a standout. Everyone adored her and her positive outlook on life.

Even though Kody and I never knew these two, we admire their legacy. They impacted many lives. We knew we had to name our daughter after these two extraordinary humans.

The name Ellie comes from her aunt Shannel. Shannel’s nick name was Nelly, so we decided to name her Ellie. Claire comes from her great grandma Clarasee.

I’ve never felt closer to these two spirits, as I did when I was pregnant with Ellie. I knew they were watching over and preparing her to enter this world.  Ellie has two guardian angels watching over her.

Both our families can already see pieces of Shannel and Grandma Clarasee in our sweet Ellie. Ellie is outgoing, fun, and has such a positive attitude. I’m so grateful for these two influential spirits, and the impact they have on our life.

(Ellie’s OshKosh overalls are her aunt Shannel’s. They are 32 years old and still cute as ever!)