I was texting with my friend Ruth* the other night...she lovingly reminded me that instead of just trying to survive the year ahead, I should seek to thrive! 

My family life is going to go through a big change this year. In the coming months, it will be time to uproot our life in New Mexico and move (my husband is in the military). Even though we are used to this kind of lifestyle, there's never an easy way out of saying goodbye to the familiar and plunking the five of us down in a new place! My instinct is to just brace through it...but I'm really going to try my hardest and follow Ruth's advice to thrive through it.

Many of Brimful's customers are new mothers or mothers-to-be. Raising little ones can feel a bit like a game of survival as well, can't it?

In this new year, I encourage you to find one moment each day to thrive with your baby. Take 5 minutes to read a book, play peek-a-boo, or stack blocks. That one-on-one attention will remind baby that you're not too busy for him/her...and I'm pretty sure it will work as a momentary elixir when teething, fever, tantrums, and nap-striking is getting the best of you. 

xoxo,

Annie

*Ruth has created a beautiful print, exclusive to Brimful, that will be added to the shop later this month. We are so grateful for the chance to collaborate with her!

 

Many mornings, after dropping my older two off at school, I sip my second cup of coffee and get to work on answering emails and reading various online articles. More often than not, as I type away on my laptop, my 22-month old is trying to crawl over it. Mid-email to a vendor in Poland, I may have to take a break and play with some block. Or while trying to edit a photo for Instagram, I'm also changing a diaper. 

This crazy thing called "owning your own small business"...it's not glamorous, but it IS fun. Kari and I often discuss how even though we juggle motherhood while running Brimful, the experience has (thus far) been very affirming. Creating a business/brand from nothing and watching it grow - there are actually many parallels with motherhood! We have exciting days where really cool things happen...then days when sales are slow or vendors can't come through in the way we hoped. 

But it's all good. The learning experience and the challenges we've faced and overcome have taught us the power of teamwork, the power of trusting our gut, and the power of delegation! 

For fun, I created the graphic above to show you'll the half of Brimful that are my responsibilities. This is what I spend my days doing...while also folding underwear, overseeing homework, and figuring out what's for dinner. Kari will do her own responsibility graphic sometime...I think her half is even crazier than mine!

During this season of gifting and shopping and being thankful, I just want to express my gratitude for your support of our small business. Each purchase is an affirmation of a dream come true.

I hope your little ones love the gifts you've chosen for them from Brimful. We'd love to see and feature photos of them with their new toys! 

Annie

What's sweeter than spending time thinking over a toy, then watching your child enjoy it just the way you hoped he/she would?

As I prepared this little gift list for the 12-24 month crowd I felt giddy! I love the toddler stage. As the world unfolds around them, each day holds new discoveries and experiences . And they have sooo much energy and curiosity!

Toddlers treat every day like a fresh new adventure and they want to enjoy every hour (except nap time, of course). This list is filled with gift items for fun play while encouraging thinking, motor skills, and exploration.

Best of all, your little one will go back to these toys over and over again. (My 7 year old still races around on our indoor trike, see #8)

xoxo, Kari

 

2. Bedtime for Tad - a wonderful story about a little rabbit who wonders what he will do when he falls asleep.
3. Wooden Maracas - introduce rhythm and music with these percussion pieces. 
4. Felt Campfire Play Set* - Annie's children have spent hours play camping with this set! 
5. Simeon Bear - he's part teddy bear, part pillow and oh-so-soft to cuddle at bedtime. 
6. Dust Pan and Brush - nurture a love to be tidy with this child-sized dust pan set.
7. Push Lawnmower - a beautiful pretend toy for littles ones who like to "mow" or "vacuum". 
8. Wooden Blue Trike - Use indoors to keep active toddlers from getting bored...and it's easy on the eyes too. 
9. Stacking Cubes Blocks - 27 colorful square blocks to build, pretend and imagine with. 
10. Tractor Trailer Set - finally a tractor that can be left out in the sandbox without worry (plastic = no rust). 

 

*A lesser quality campfire set was recently released by a well-known chain toy store. It's an unfortunate copy and sad that the artist didn't get credit for her original work.