4.16.2021

FRIDAY FAVORITES

Happy FriYAY! Who else has been counting down the minutes until the weekend? We are planning on...well, to be honest, we don't exactly know yet, we're just gonna play it by ear haha but I do know we'll have lots of family time and all the fun! What are your weekend plans? Don't forget to check out all of our favorites below... which ones are your favorites?

BABYLIT BOOKS
Babylit books has been one of our go-to places for children's books since... well, a long time haha. I purchased our first Babylit book (Pride and Prejudice) as one of Bella's first birthday gifts if that tells you anything about how long ago it's been (she's going to be 8 later this year!). Their board books are perfect for little hands and they hold up amazingly well to all of the craziness that toddlers put books through (if you're a parent you definitely know what I'm talking about lol). Bodhi loves pulling all of our Babylit collection out and sitting on the floor by the bookshelf, looking over all of the pages in the books. He loves pointing things out in the books and they also make a pretty fun toy when you stack them up and then knock them over (he thinks anyway haha). Some of our recent favorite titles are Little Naturalists Ansel Adams and His CameraLittle Naturalists Johnny Appleseed and Swan Lake. They also sell books for older kiddos too! Bella absolutely loves this The Llamacorn is Kind book and the illustrations are the sweetest. Check out all their books here!



LITTLE SYCAMORE JEWELRY
When I was younger I didn't wear or like much jewelry, but the older I get, the more I love jewelry. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm still very particular about the jewelry I wear, I prefer dainty and natural looking pieces, and I love that Little Sycamore checks all of those boxes (and more) for me! Their jewelry is made with raw crystals and stones, and made to wear on a daily basis, quality is very high up on my list of things I look for when buying jewelry, because I want it to last for years and years while still looking nice and Little Sycamore's pieces are some of the best I've come across. I am obsessed with their Elements Collection, and since I'm drawn to water, naturally the Water Element Ring was my first choice. I chose rose gold (it also comes in silver and gold) and are made with 4 rectangular crystals (blue and green variations of Tourmaline) lined up in a row. Each ring is completely unique and the crystals have subtle differences in height to represent the movement of water, with waves and ripples gliding across it. I absolutely love it. I'm already planning on wearing it for our next family beach photo session later this year. The next pieces I chose were the Wave Ring (are we sensing a theme of water loving here? haha) and the Smaller Pebble Ring, these are both so beautiful, can be worn separately but I love stacking them and I wear them constantly, like every single day kind of constantly! I also decided to branch out and try something new, because why not right? I've never had an anklet before but decided it was time to change that when I spied the Pebble Anklet (that I also chose in rose gold just like all of the rings). It's so beautiful and dainty, and adds such a fun little unexpected statement to any outfit! They also sell necklace extenders (for only $5!) and I'd been needing some so I grabbed a couple of those. I'm pretty sure I'll never not be in love and obsessed with all of Little Sycamore's designs, they're just so natural and it's like wearing a bit of nature since so many of their designs are hand crafted from the earth or nature inspired. Already have my eye on some more beautiful pieces from Little Sycamore because I truly LOVE their jewelry... like this Multi Rainbow Ring (from their new Rainbow Collection), this Peak Ring, this Air Element Ring, and of course this amazing New Beginnings Ring. All of the heart eyes. Head to Little Sycamore here and check out all of their lovely designs to add to your own jewelry collection!



BLABLA KIDS ARTISAN HAND KNIT PILLOWS AND DOLLS
Blabla Kids have been one of my go-to places for the past few years for the cutest throw pillows for Bella's bed, and also for the sweetest little knit dolls for both our kiddos (as well as for gifts). Their designs are so soft and so perfectly huggable, perfect for any kiddo. Each doll is made from hand picked cotton, and Peruvian artisans who are paid fair trade wages and benefits hand knit each and every stitch that goes into making your doll. Blabla Kids has actually been working with the same artisans for almost 20 years to sustainably create each doll they offer which I think is absolutely incredible in our fast paced world. Their sweet and simple designs are a child's dream, Bella absolutely adores her Pink Rainbow Pillow and her Butterfly Pillow, they sit on her bed after she makes it every day and are such a cute pop of color in her room. Bodhi loves this Jasper the Deer and he's had this TouTou the Dog since before he was even born! Currently I'm crushing on this Sunrise Pillow and this Yoyo The Monkey that I'm pretty sure Bella and Bodhi need! One more reason to add a Blabla Kids doll or pillow to your life? For every doll purchased, a tree is planted! Through their partnership with One Tree Planted, they are working to plant more trees and focusing on global reforestation to combat the effects of forest fires and climate issues! Find all their too cute for words designs here!



CAMELBAK KIDS INSULATED REUSABLE WATER BOTTLES
We're all about reusable and earth friendly products, and we always opt for reusable water bottles and try to bring them everywhere with us so we never have to purchase or use single use water bottles, I'm also all about minimal design and a sleek simple look, so when I found these kids water bottles from Camelbak, they definitely caught my eye! They're made from stainless steel, vacuum insulated so your kiddos water can stay cold for hours on end, BPA/BPS/BPF free, super easy for small hands to open and close, and they are spill proof when open and leak proof when closed! The 12 ounce size is great for kids of all ages, ours are 7 and 2 and these work great for both of them! We chose the bare steel option, but if minimal isn't your jam, they come in a bunch of other cute options with colorful prints that your child will love! They're also dishwasher safe which all of us busy moms love, they are sweatproof and stay dry on the outside, and we love the handy carry handle! Check them out here!



SEAESTA SURF SWIMWEAR
Okay but do you ever find a brand that just exceeds all your expectations and goes above and beyond? We found that recently with Seaesta Surf. We are huge fans of their swim apparel and after waiting forever for their Triple Scoop Pistachio Board Shorts to restock, I was finally able to snag them for Bodhi for this year. They arrived and were so cute, but had a few damaged spots, Seaesta Surf was the greatest after I asked them about it and sent a replacement pair that same day! Color me impressed because they are the greatest, not only are their pieces super high quality, but the customer service is a reason to love them all in itself, oh, I mean it doesn't hurt that EVEYRTHING they make is so stinking cute too! Bodhi is gonna look awesome this summer with his triple scoop boardshorts and Charcoal Rash Guard, I also picked up one of their surfy birdy collab swimsuits for Bella recently and she loves it, they have matching Surfy Birdy Boardshorts here and I literally could die from the cuteness... adding these to my wish list for Bodhi asap, because it's a need. Make sure to grab the cutest oversized beach towel ever for all your summer adventures while you're at it!



PURA VIDA BRACELETS
Bella loves jewelry more and more the older she gets, and her favorite jewelry shop of all time is Pura Vida! Their designs are just so fun and super casual and cute, perfect for dressing up or down, wearing to church or wearing to the beach. They're wax coated so they are 100% waterproof and they last forever! I love that their sizing is so inclusive, from adults all the way down to small kids, their sizing is amazing and fits so many of all shapes and sizes. Bella's favorite bracelets are the Mermaid Fin Charm Bracelet, the Sand Dollar Charm Bracelet and this Shaka Bracelet, she wears them constantly and rarely takes them off I recently grabbed this Rose Gold Wave Ring for myself during their spring break sale and I am loooooving it, it's so dainty and cute. I also have this Malibu bracelet and love it. Use APRILBONDI20 to get 20% off your first Pura Vida order!



FIN FIRST CLOTHING
One of our all time favorites, Fin First is pretty much the coolest brand ever. They're actually based in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and we cannot wait to hang out with them when we move down there, I actually met Allison (one of the owners) a couple years ago when we were on vacation in Myrtle and it was so cool to finally meet in person and put a face to the name! We have several of their pieces but this "Long Live Long Haired Boys" raglan tee is probably one of my most favorite, I mean, since we have a long haired boy, how could I not love this one? We may even have a sticker with the same design on his reusable water bottle and also on his skateboard helmet too haha (along with this "Here Comes The Sun" Sticker too on his helmet too). My husband has this "Fin First Logo" raglan and it's been one of my favorites on him for years. Currently crushing on this "Sol" (Monochrome) Slouchy Tee for myself and this "Save Our Oceans" tee for Bella and adding them to our wish list. Shop all of their fresh duds and rad designs here!

4.12.2021

MONDAY MUST HAVES

Happy Monday friends! Life is busier than ever and I don't find time to show up here as often as I'd like (working on that), buuuuut I wanted to pop on and share some recent favorites! But first, what we've been up to recently! We are one day closer to our move (not sure when it is yet but sometime in the next 6 months) to South Carolina and we are counting down the days with crazy excitement, I joined Beachbody and it has changed my life! I'm not saying that lightly, I'll probably share a full post on that soon, but just gonna say, if you're tired of feeling tired all the time and are ready for a change, Beachbody might be for you too! If you need an in or want more info, I got you girl! (Just send me an email or message me on Instagram and I'd love to share more). We've been staying outside as much as we can now that the weather has gotten warmer (today is rainy and cold but it's been so nice lately), skateboarding a tonnnn (finally nailed that rail grab after almost a year of skating and it was the best feeling! We've taken lots of trips to local parks which the kids love (the giant sandbox at one of the nearby parks is Bodhi's favorite), Bella has been drawing lots of awesome pictures (she drew the raddest photo of me on a skateboard on a half pipe for my birthday gift). Oh yeah, I turned 27 last week, still not sure if I feel older or the same, but I'm grateful for another rotation around the sun with the people I love. Easter was fun, I shared the kiddos Easter baskets in my Instagram stories and if you didn't catch it, I decided to go with an ocean theme and I am still so happy with how they turned out. Anyways, enough of that, who's ready for some favorites?!


Okay, so I'm literally so stoked about this brand, Carly Jean Los Angeles has been one of my favorite clothing boutiques for ages, so I may or may not have fan-girled out a little bit when they agreed to send a few pieces my way to add to my closet and to share about with you guys! I've been wearing the pieces for a couple months now and I can say that without a doubt that the quality is amazing and the pieces are also comfortable and so effortless to style. The Logan skinny jeans they sent are favorite my go-to piece, I actually love wearing jeans and I wear them almost daily, these fit perfectly, run true to size and are so stylish. I usually throw them on with a solid colored tee, my checkered vans and a necklace. On chilly days I love pairing them with this stinking adorable "California Dreaming" pullover (also can be found here in grey) that I am absolutely obsessed with. I love that the sleeves aren't your average sweatshirt sleeves and these are fun and feminine, the neutral color is kinda right up my alley, plus it give me that California surf vibe and you know I'm here for it. Lastly they send this Ellie Floral Tiered Midi Dress that I LOVE (found here in mustard and here in taupe)! It's a completely different style than I've normally ever worn but hen I saw it on their website I fell in love. I wore this dress recently on a date day when my husband and I went to Phipps Conservatory and since I knew we were going to be doing a lot of walking I wore some white sneakers with it and they complemented each other so well. I plan on adding a few more CJLA pieces to my wardrobe this year since I'd like to  create more of a capsule wardrobe and their pieces are such staples.



Sometimes late night etsy browsing leads to finding the coolest things, that was what happened not too long ago. I probably was typing in shaka art or surf décor or something along those lines and the absolute raddest piece of art ever popped up! This little Shaka hand sculpture from Mark Koenig Sculpture, he's a California based artist who obviously makes some pretty cool stuff. I mean, if you're going to live the stoked life, why not let your home reflect that and be stoked too! I seriously cannot wait to decorate our new home when we move later this year (we have no idea yet when, but when we do, things will probably move pretty quickly) when we move to South Carolina. I plan to keep a beachy bungalow, modern surf shack vibe throughout our new home and this is gonna be the raddest addition to a bookshelf or my nightstand! Grab your own shaka right here!



Bella and Bodhi like most kids absolutely LOVE play dough, but I'm not a fan of some play dough brands because, I mean, what is even in that stuff anyway? I mean, while they do play wit traditional play dough sometimes, I much prefer other brands who actually tell you more about themselves. I've had my eye on the coolest playdough ever from The Land of Dough for awhile and I was able to include some in their Easter baskets this year.  Their dough cups are really unique and completely safe for kiddos, not to mention they are eco friendly! The combination of all that really brought it all home for me. They're crafted from all natural ingredients, the colors are plant based (say whaaaaa!), all of the glitter is COMPOSTABLE (yasssss), they are scented with essential oils (and not artificial fragrance made up of a million toxic ingredients), they come in eco friendly packaging, come in the most fun designs AND they are hand crafted right here in the USA! If that all didn't get your attention (or maybe it did) you can read a little more about them here). This mermaid lagoon and sand and sails play dough are perfectly adorable and I love this rad over the rainbow dough cup! I can't wait to use this learning numbers kit to work with Bodhi for number learning (he knows some numbers and can count some but more learning can't hurt haha). They also come with the cutest little wooden scoops and I fully plan on swiping one for our laundry detergent when the kids aren't looking hahaha.



Who needs a good pair of shoes? I mean, besides me, like literally everyone haha. Merrell is a brand we really love and they recently sent us some goodies to add to our shoe collection (not that I really have that much of a collection, I own like maybe 9 pairs of shoes lol). Their brand is outdoorsy and they carry a lot of sustainable, eco friendly styles so they fit right in with our lifestyle since we like to stay active. We love hiking on the weekends, I workout at home every day plus I love skateboarding in my free time, my husband has to walk a lot at work during the work week, so it's important we both have good shoes in our life. My current favorite pair of shoes are these MTL Skyfire Undyed Shoes, they are literally are a cloud like hug for your feet. I wear them every single day when I exercise and I love how supportive they are throughout my entire routine whether I'm doing cardio, Pilates, running, leg day... I haven't found any reason to dislike them, only more and more reasons to love them! They can even be dressed up to go with a pretty dress like I wore recently! These barefoot shoes (women's vapor glove) are another favorite of mine, I actually also have them in aqua and have worn them hiking all over and I love how i can feel the earth better with the thinner soles so I can keep better footing while climbing on steeper areas. I love this grey color and I discovered they're also pretty nice for skateboarding in addition to hiking, walking, running and everyday errands. My husband got this pair of Men's Trail Glove Leather shoes and he loves them, they're also the barefoot style and he said he couldn't get over how comfortable they are!



I've shared about Yogasleep before, but I can't help but share about them again because they truly are not only a favorite item in our home (and have been for YEARS) but we also pretty much cannot function without them haha. No seriously, we use them every single night. Every evening, when I flip the little switch on our dohm natural sound machines and the soothing sound starts, it signals the beginning of our bedtime routine and sleep coming soon. It's the perfect way to gently ease our kiddos (and ourselves) into sleep mode, and the way it covers up noise from outside our home is amazing. Very rarely can we hear things like cars and neighbors and all the noises that can come from outdoors when we turn these on. Having that constant and calming sound helps us sleep so much better. It's still so funny to me how that my husband had one of these sound machines when we first got married and at first I was like "oh my goodness I hate this so much, do we have to sleep with this noise on?", which then quickly changed to "oh my goodness I can't sleep without this and where has this been my whole life" haha. It honestly is a game changer for good sleep. Grab yours here!



I shared about these necklaces from Bela Co. Jewelry recently on my Instagram, not only are these necklaces absolutely stunning, but they're so special as well, since one is mine and the other is Bella's. I love that I can match with my girl, we are both sun seekers and love being outdoors as much as we can, soaking all of the healing rays of sunshine into our skin. We live for sunny days and skateboarding in the sun and beach days in the sun. Sun Sister, Sol Sister. These necklaces when joined together complete the circle of the sun, they are the perfect pair of necklaces for you whoever fills your life with light! Maybe it's your best friend, maybe your sister or your mom, maybe your daughter! We absolutely love that they are made in small batches with the highest quality metals here in the USA (in Tennessee). They are life approved, which basically means you can put them on and forget about them. They are made to be worn, so no worries about them getting damaged by elements or wearing them constantly. They are even water safe which we love, love, love! Grab your set here for you and your sol sister! Use JOYFULTRIBE at checkout for 15% off from now until Sunday!



Have you tried Public Goods yet? I first was drawn to their minimal and aesthetic branding hen I saw it several years ago on Instagram, I loved their simple look but especially loved their minimal and natural ingredients in all of their products. I'm going on almost 2 years now of using their shampoo and conditioner and still absolutely loving it and the way it makes my hair feel. Not to mention, their products are seriously affordable! I'm always looking for good deals since we are a single income family and I have been blown away at not only the quality of their items but the prices. Want to know how much a bottle of their shampoo (which lasts forever btw) is? $4.50! That's all! I love that they keep future generations in mind as well since a lot of their packaging is environmentally friendly! I love buying this $11 shampoo bag to refill my shampoo bottle, and their refillable real silk dental floss is unmatched, nothing else works as good on my teeth! Their bamboo toothbrushes are priced great ($4 for a set of 2) and brush awesomely. I also picked up this crystal deodorant spray to give a try, loving it so far! If you haven't tried any Public Goods products yet, check them out here and use my code JOYFULTRIBEPGA to get 15% off your first purchase!


4.02.2021

DATE DAY AT PHIPPS CONSERVATORY

I received complimentary admission to Phipps Conservatory in exchange for this post. We are huge fans of Phipps and as always only partner with brands we truly love.

There's almost nothing I love more than a visit to botanical gardens, except maybe a beach day or a date night with my husband... so when I got to combine two of those recently it was a pretty good day and I was pretty excited about it.

Last month Frank and I scheduled a babysitter, got a late lunch/early dinner at one of  our favorite restaurants (Burgatory, they have the best burgers and milkshakes around), drove to Pittsburgh and spent the day together at Phipps Conservatory!


Phipps Conservatory is one of our most favorite places in the whole state of Pennsylvania, the beautiful greenhouses filled with exotic and tropical flowers, trees and greenery, everything smells so amazing and it's the most perfect way to take your mind off of the cold winter days and get a little green in your life to prepare for spring and summer, not to mention the perfect place to go on a date! We've always taken the kids with us when we went before but we decided to go solo this time because for one we don't get to spend enough time together just us two (and it's so important to keep dating your spouse no matter how long you've been together or married), and two, we just wanted to be able to take our time and enjoy every detail of every plant, instead of chasing a toddler through the entire place haha.

It's a little different at Phipps right now than it normally always has been but it's still the most beautiful place ever to visit. Tickets must be purchased in advance (there are timed slots but once you come in you can spend as long as you'd like in the Conservatory). There is one pathway through instead of being able to go whichever way you want, and masks are required, but the all of the greenery was so worth it.


Everything was so fragrant and beautiful, colorful and lush, you feel like you're in a jungle in parts of Phipps Conservatory. Of all of the rooms, two rooms are tied for my top favorite, no matter how much I try to decide, the decision is impossible to pick one favorite between the two. Which rooms are those you're probably wondering? (or you possibly could care less hahaha). It's a solid toss up between the desert room with alllllllll of the most beautiful cactus and succulents and agave you can lay your eyes on, it's truly a wondrous room and filled with so much (a bit prickly) beauty.


My second favorite room is the fruit and spice tree room, I mean, wow, if you have never been in this room, you are seriously missing out. It smells what I imagine heaven might smell like, all of the citrus blooms fill the air with the most daintily sweet and amazing smell. Not to mention some super rad banana and mango trees among the many trees. I always am a sucker for all of the citrus of all kinds because my husband and I sort of met because of oranges (yes, the fruit haha, it's a long story, maybe I'll share here someday, who knows).

My husband's favorite room is the serpentine room, all of the beautiful flower beds with every flower in it's proper place and sitting just so, it's such a beautiful room.

The Cuba room is always so fun, I love the waterfalls, the giant palm trees, the cute huts and of course learning about Cuba. The train room is great too, it's always been a favorite of the kid's so I made sure to take some videos and photos of that room for them to see when we got home. Really, you can't go wrong with any room at Phipps, every single one is amazing, they even have outdoor spaces during the summer!


Before we left, we made sure to stop in at the gift shop because they always have the cutest things in there and I love how many eco friendly products they have in there that you can buy to switch out items in your home to make your home more sustainable! If you are hungry, make sure to grab a quick bite to eat at their café, not only is it cute, their food is also amazing (we've eaten there a couple times before)  and there are so many healthy options! Lots of vegan, vegetarian, gluten and dairy free options if you are on a plant based or limited diet, truly something for everyone!

We already can't wait to go back again! Their Spring Flower Show is in full bloom right now and there's no better time than now to plan a visit! Have you ever been to Phipps Conservatory?