Daisies, Gardening Thoughts, and a Lily Jade Giveaway

Mamas, if a Lily Jade has been on your wish list, today is your day! I’m spilling all the details about my favorite bag AND I’ve teamed up with Lily Jade for an amazing giveaway!

A couple things about Lily Jade’s Shaylee bag …

I’ve been blessed to see, touch, and use quite a few of the Lily Jade styles over the years and drum roll please … the black Shaylee with jade and gold is my top pick! Here’s why:

• I LOVE the two outside pockets on the front. In one I keep my phone, the other, my keys. They never get lost in the abyss. Yay! Dominic can easily find them when he needs them, and, the pockets zip shut for safe keeping. 
• The jade interior and jade packing cases are gorgeous and efficient. Over the years I’ve learned that the baby bag is ideal for tiny babies but by 6 months or so I transition to a packing case storage organization system – a snack bag, a diaper change bag, and a mama essentials bag full of chapstick, hair ties, lotion, etc.
• It backpacks! This is how I carry my Shaylee 90% of the time. A backpack option gives me both hands free. One to balance Eli, the other to hold Reid’s hand. Watch this video to learn how to secure your Lily Jade backpack strap in less than a minute. No shifting and super comfy!
• Shaylee’s size is the perfect in between. As a mom of four, I kind of need a lot of stuff when we leave home. For awhile I carried the Meggan (the canvas version is one of the super sale bags!), but for me, it was just too big. The Shaylee is tall enough to hold my planner and laptop when I need it as a mom tote while still being wide enough for my collection of kid gear when I need diapers, changes of clothes, and a carrier. It fits me/us well.

You’re probably curious about why I’m in love with a black diaper back for the summer season. Well, I’ve determined that I’m just a black accessory kind of gal. For a daily, basic carry, I’m drawn to the chic neutral of black. It’s my year round color and I’m ok with that. Especially because the cheery pop of jade brightens things up a bit.

Speaking of! Isn’t this daisy grove perfection?

I love their wildness and simplicity. They naturally pop up in this area and I’m so happy they do. Which, brings me to a few summer thoughts …

We built raised garden beds this weekend!

I know, I know, we’re SO late to the gardening game. But Dominic got excited about planting  a few things so we’re hoping to capitalize on a late crop. Keep your fingers crossed for us! The beds are beautiful, I’ll share them soon. I didn’t do much building, but I did shovel a fair amount of dirt as a contribution:) The kids had a blast being helpers throughout the whole process and who knows, maybe the involvement will encourage Max to stop wincing at every bite of veggie …

On a gardening, but not really gardening note. This podcast is about essential for mamas as a beautiful and functional diaper bag. It’s called Kinder-Gardening and it explores the idea of parenting from a carpenter vs. a gardener mindset. Basically, am I trying to whittle my child into who I think they should become or am I attempting to nourish them to become a better version of who they already are? The 30 minute podcast with psychologist Alison Gopnik is chalk full of case studies and so many aha! moments. Give it a listen!

Of course, I want to think that I’m a gardening mama with my children. But truly, my tendency is to make them do what I think is best. It’s a rut I’m in. And to get out of it, I’m reading, learning, and listening about this gardening mentality as often as I can. I want to be better at discovering their strengths and providing them with fuel to grow. 

These little people of mine are not going to grow up to be just like me. Or their dad. And although we have quite a bit in common, they are uniquely their own and I want cultivate that. Real life gardening is a beautiful example of what I’m aiming to do in our family’s hearts and minds. I’m excited to see what it teaches us and in this 1 of 18 summers with my daughter and sons I’m looking forward to working together, growing in our strengths, and on occasion, stopping to pick the daisies. 

Lily Jade has graciously offered to sponsor a giveaway — a $375 credit for you to choose any bag you’d like! Enter here:

That Mama Gretchen + Lily Jade Giveaway 2018!

This post was written in collaboration with Lily Jade. I received a Shaylee bag and packing cases for review. No other compensation was received.