Arizona Trip with Grandma and Grandpa Faiola

We were so happy and excited to get a trip to Arizona with Grandma and Grandpa Faiola. How lucky are we that we got some Vitamin D in the form of natural sunlight during the cold and dreary months of a PNW winter. 

Grandma and Grandpa took the kiddos to Legoland and the acquarium for an afternoon of exploring. It was interesting to note that Jamisen remembered distinct details from his trip there last year. 

Family vacations and time together is always such a privledge but when you're self-employed, there's never really any time away so Chris and I took turns doing pool time while the other one worked. This year was less work than ever (for me) though. Last year, I was studying for an exam and writing a book and this year, I was promoting the book so there were several interviews to do from AZ but thanks to modern technology, they could happen anywhere. 

The kids slipped right into the routine of late nights and late mornings. They loved the relaxing days spent in the water, playing games and connecting. 

Grandpa introduced them to shuffleboard and Jamisen seemed to understand the game pretty well and executed some strategy that showcased his ability to think a couple steps ahead. 

Grandma joined in on the fun. The kids were so appreciative that Grandma thoughtfully bought them new pajamas to wear for the trip too. 

One night, we had dinner out in the courtyard. Grandma and Grandpa's dear friends joined them in Arizona and they graciously cooked a wonderful salmon dinner for us. It was so nice to eat outside, under the stars with balmy temperatures. That's something that only happens a couple months out of the year in Washington.

The kids very much improved their swimming ability while we were therre. By the end, Jamisen was comfortable in the water without a life jacket but always under the watchful eye os an adult.

I don't want to misrepresent who went in the water with the children by this photo because Chris spent 90% of his time in the water and I read 90% of the time. His skin is still pruned up! We had a wonderful time, ate too much food, and didn't work out enough ... which is probably exactly what we needed. Thanks for the fun family time, Grandma and Grandpa Faiola. 

Kangaroo Farm Fun

Less than an hour away from our home lies a meaningful and very outlandish memory making experience. 

A kangaroo farm; an actual kangaroo farm. 

They also have some tortoises. And other animals like llamas. 

You may recall that we visited the Kangaroo Farm with the family last fall. It was fun then and the kids loved it even more now that they're a little older. 

They both got much closer to the kangaroos and were positively enchanted by the sweet animals. 

The entry to the farm includes food to hand feed to the goats and kangaroos.

Our kiddos keep getting cuter, and sweeter and more kind each and every day. We are so lucky as a family to have each other and, a kangaroo farm right down the street. 

Bright Lights, Big City, Lovin' the Life

Obviously, I am very behind in our family blog. Expect a massive download of blog posts in the next 4 weeks because this blip in recording our family history simply cannot stand. Big thanks to Chris for being Dad-with-the-Mostest as I traveled an insane amount this last two months. 

In the last 8 weeks, I've been in NYC twice for press. The first trip was exceedingly successful. The biggest press was CBS NYC which has an insane reach (around 8 million people). I demonstrated nail polish and bath fizzies, live, for that segment. It was really fun and I really really liked the host (a working Mommy, just like me!).

Every time I'm in NYC, I sprint to Half Priced Tickets and get whatever show they have on sale. In this case, I got super lucky and got a middle seat in row 8 on the floor to Miss Saigon. It's the third time I've seen the show but the first time I've seen it on Broadway and whoah! It was so so so good. 

I also was interviewed for a radio show which shall not be named (photo above; hint hint) which was a real hoot because though the interview lasted for quite some time, by the time the actual interview was broken into what seems like seventy-ten (as Jamisen likes to say when he's talking about big numbers) little snippets of soundbites. It was weird because several of the snippets were used to imply or say things that I hadn't really said or meant. I've never had a 45 minute interview cut down to a sentence or two so it was an eye-opening experience. I'm not sure that I could or would do anything differently but it has me saying, 'Hmmmmm'.

The PR team I work with in NYC is amazing. They're all powerful women who are experienced in PR and they really love the brand story and we all click. It's wonderful to work with people that almost make you forget you're working. 

NYC is the place where all food on the street is basically delicious and also cheap. I bought a boiled egg + black coffee for $1.75. Just the black coffee alone at my hotel was $4.50 (!!!). I also bought sliced mangoes from a street vendor and then ate that delicious sweet fruit for dessert in my hotel room. It hit the spot.

Some other highlights of the trip included People magazine Facebook Live (bath fizzies live). It was really interesting to see how they broadcast live and what they use. Their reach is huge so I was surprised to see that they use iPhones for most of their live filming and work with a core small team. 

Another highlight was BuzzFeed. They're a huge media company that is very "new" media so their offices were giant, super cool (they had an entire wall of just balloons) and looked like they were basically designed for Instagram photos most everywhere you could dream of posing in front of. They took copious amounts of photos and video of a layered ombre soap and bath fizzy making and, nail polish. And then they sent all of the footage to their editors in other parts of the country / world to edit and upload to their Instagram story. Watching the process was inspiring. 

On the way out of People magazine, I met Dave Asprey - the Bulletproof Executive - and he was delightful in person. 

The People magazine offices are right beside this amazing harbor with beautiful views of the city.

To cap off an amazing trip, I met Anthony Boudain on the plane coming back to Seattle from NYC. He was kind and allowed me to take a selfie for which I was grateful. I'm such a fan of how he uses food to help explore other cultures and break down barriers. 

Jamisen + Lily = Entrepreneurial Spirit

Congratulations to Jamisen and Lily for their first national press - and an illustrious placement for their first press. Forbes Magazine did an article on their entrepreneurial journey (!). Here is a small excerpt from the article. 

Jamisen made his first video appearance with her at the age of three, crafting his own bath fizzies. Today, aged six, he spends his Saturday mornings selling them at a local farmers’ market.

“The farmer’s market stand was never anything we pushed on Jamisen,” says Faiola. “It wasn’t our idea. He asked us to do it. We all go down together and spend the Saturday morning there.”

The experience has delivered some valuable lessons; learning to plan ahead and ensure there is enough product to sell, to budget his time, and the art of delegation; Jamisen pays his younger sister $1 to watch his booth when he needs to take a break. Importantly, he has learned the value of money and how to manage it.

“Jamisen has to pay for all of his materials so after the market is over, he pays for his booth fee and deducts his cost of goods sold out of his earnings,” says Faiola. “One thing that he initially found difficult was the concept that he needed to stay until he was sold out of product. Getting a six-year-old to sit behind a stand and sell products for four hours requires motivation on their part. If they’re not motivated, there’s no way you can cajole them to do the work so it really needs to be their idea.”

I finally went to Banff

When I was 16, my folks went to Banff Canada. I stayed home because I had a job and couldn't get the time off. When my folks got back, they waxed rhapsodic about the views and were so excited that I was disappointed I missed it. Well, 24 years later, I made up for it. I'm in this amazing group called the Women President's Organization. They exist to put women together that run businesses over $1Million in revenue. One of their groups is for women who run businesses that are larger in size. I'm in this breakout group of 14 women with businesses ranging from liquor to large-scale software installations to contractors specializing in disaster recovery. 

It is inspiring to be around women who do amazing things both for their communities and also balance families and vibrant lives. Pictured above with me are Paloma (talent management) and Sue (wealth management). The group is all women who founded businesses themselves and, one of the requirements is that you cannot be fired. So, you control your destiny, you call the shots and all the pressure for the success of the business ultimately rests with you. 

While business is rewarding and can be, at times, exhilarating, being in business can be confusing, scary and lonely at times. This group meets 3X a year for 3 days to talk about the issues surrounding business and do education. Members come from all over the world and so our meetings take place everywhere. This latest trip was in a Banff, British Columbia. It was a gorgeous place though - to me - looked a lot like Lake Samish. 

See - like Lake Samish =) The kids stay busy while I'm gone - Chris had them out at the lake the entire time I was gone to Banff, even spending the night on the dock.  

Because of the way flights worked, we had an extra half day in Banff so we decided to explore. 

We hiked to this amazing lake - Lake Louise - and went all the way to the top where there was (improbably) this tea hut. They boil water from the stream (for real!) to make the tea and the workers sleep at the top of the mountain in 1 week shifts. We had SO much fun hiking, laughing and talking business.

The actual education portion of the weekend was all about setting up sales teams, and properly compensating and incentivizing. Since Bramble Berry doesn't have formal sales teams, it was an interesting exercise to listen to and think about how we could implement something that worked for our customers and the type of business we have. 

The gal on the left? That's Jackie and she runs an amazing clothing design company (you've worn her clothes; you just don't know it). She flies in from the East Coast to all the meetings. 

Just like raising a family, it takes a village to have a successful business and I am so thankful for this group - and for an amazingly committed home support team (Hi Chris!) that keeps it all going while I'm away. 

Cecile's Epic Garden Party

We so love the neighborhood we live in. It's walkable. It's safe. And the neighbors are great! We have multiple playmates in the neighborhood now. Our next door neighbor (literally, next door ... we the fence tree line with her) is extremely kind and social.

Every year, she hosts an epic blow out party. Every other year, it's a themed party. Last year, the theme was 'Mad Hatter' so everyone came with insanely creative hats. This year, it was an off year so no theme - just cute clothes. The kiddos look forward to her party every year because, in addition to amazing catering complete with waiters, she always puts out a dance floor with a DJ so the kids can dance the night away. 

For Chris and I, we love the opportunity to have a fancy semi-date night while the kids run around with the other neighborhood kids, staying safe and within eyesight, while we have conversations that last longer than two sentences. It's a win-win and we're so thankful that Cecile does this party every year to encourage community and conversation. 

Fishing for Bass on Lake Samish

It's summer which means all of our free time is spent on Lake Samish. And our dock is a mecca for fish. So, what's a family to do?! We learn to fish! 

Yay! Jamisen caught his first fish of the season, all thanks to a very pro bass fisherman. One of our dear friends and Erik's friend, Tag, also gifted the children with their own fishing poles. It was QUITE a reel-in experience and the kids loved learning to fish. Lily was right in there, getting her own fish and gamely trying to reel it in before requesting help.

Lily is *so* funny. She is my late night gal - she stays up late and sleeps in. This is a problem during the school year but not during the summer. I've taken to mostly just corralling her in her room and calling it good, figuring that she'll scramble into bed when she gets tired. She talks to herself, sings to herself and 'reads' to herself, telling herself fantastical stories, better than anything in her books. This usually works and I find her, conked out, with a variety of toys, books, stuffed animals and random household things strewn about her bed. I take them all out, cover her up, turn off her light and partially shut the door. Tonight, I tried to short cut the process and load her into bed with a variety of everything she might need to keep herself occupied, including four books. As I left the room, she dropped the books neatly beside her bed stating, "Mommy! You know I can't read!"

Last night, Chris was gone so Lily conned herself into sleeping in my big bed in the master bedroom. Um ... I pity the partner she eventually ends up with because she talks in her sleep, she sings in her sleep, she moves around (a lot!) and, when I told her Dad all of this this morning, he added in that Lily also grinds her teeth. Winner winner chicken dinner for that girl (yikes! let's hope she grows out of these sleeping habits).