The Reinvention of Made in America

I stopped by News-3 This Morning recently to talk about products "Made in America." I've been noticing that the internet is once again acting as the great equalizer when it comes to American-made products. Instead of factories churning out mass-produced products stateside, American companies are creating well-made, high-quality products that thanks to the internet are available to a worldwide audience.

American Giant Hoodie

I'm just going to be honest. When my husband told me he wanted a $89.00 hoodie, I laughed at him. He had read a Slate article declaring This is the Greatest Hoodie Ever Made and decided he needed one. I was semi-convinced reading all the praise but it wasn't until I held an actual American Giant hoodie in my hands (and had one on my body) that I really got it. Y'all, this hoodie is SO. NICE. So nice my husband and I are constantly debating whether an event is American Giant worthy. Will there be fire? No go, don't want our amazing hoodie smelling like smoke. Will it be warm and require us to remove our hoodie? Nope, our hoodie might get stolen. 

Have you ever picked up a vintage piece of clothing and thought, "Why don't they make clothes like this anymore?" Turns out, they do. American Giant does and they do that by spending less on distribution, retail real estate, and marketing, and by spending more on quality materials and American manufacturing.

Critical Cycles

Critical Cycles is another company cutting out the middle man and using the internet to offer a superior product - made in America - to a wide audience. I first learned about the company from a friend, who is also a dedicated cyclist. I had told her I was looking for a bike and she quickly recommended Critical.

Critical designs, manufactures, and sell top-notch bicycles at an affordable price. They do all the research and development in-house and handpick all the components themselves. They sell a finished hand-built product shipped directly to you - no middleman so better products!

Critical Cycles is offering my readers 10% off orders over $100 with the coupon code BluegrassRedheadsSaveGreen!

Founded in 2013, FOUNT began with the creative husband and wife team of Phillip and Jackie Wachter pursuing their passion for leather bags and accessories. Based out of Cleveland, Ohio, FOUNT is using the highest quality leather and materials that are not only special because they are handcrafted in America but because they are destined to become heirlooms.

These bags not only look beautiful but smell and feel amazing. Holding a FOUNT bag is similar to holding an American Giant sweatshirt. You feel what you feel when you encounter an amazingly vintage product that has the heft of something well-made. 

Sonnet James

I've already written about all the reasons I love my Sonnet James play dress, but I wore the dress during the segment because it another company reinventing the Made In America label! 

All Sonnet James dresses are made here in San Francisco, CA, with fabric made in New York. Again, by thinking beyond the traditional manufacturing model, Sonnet James is offering a superior American-made product!

Comic Book Birthday Party

Happy Comic Book Day! I thought I would share Griffin's four -year-old birthday party when Super Griffin banished the Party Pooper forever!

The invitation was my absolute FAVORITE part!

My 5 Favorite Podcasts

Are you on the podcast bandwagon yet? If not, get on board! 

Don't listen to the radio you can't control or music you don't enjoy! Listen to some of the smartest, funniest, most insightful people out there sharing content that makes your life BETTER!

I listen to podcasts while I walk in the morning, in my van, even while I knit at night. In fact, I have a weekly podcast schedule. (I know! I'm a dork!) I listen to work-themed podcasts on Mondays, creative podcasts on Tuesdays, fun podcasts on Wednesday, and parenting podcasts on Thursdays. I am constantly amazed by all the great tips and stories and advice I get from these programs. 

Here are my favorites.

I'm a BIG Gretchen Rubin fan so it's no surprise I love her podcast, which she cohosts with her sister Elizabeth Craft. They talk "about how to build happier habits into everyday life, as we draw from cutting-edge science, ancient wisdom, lessons from pop culture—and our own experiences (and mistakes)"

Just discovered The Lively Show and I absolutely love it. From Jess herself, "Each Tuesday on my podcast, The Lively Show, I share ways we can apply this Values-based approach to our possessions, personal habits, relationships, and career. And Thursday episodes feature a guest interview designed to uplift, inspire, or help you add a little extra intention to your everyday."

Conversations revolving around creativity with Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love and my personal hero. What more do you need to know?!?

In full disclosure, Sarah and Meagan are my good friends, but I'd swear I'd listen even if they weren't. I mean they have EIGHT kids between them. Trust me. They're experts.

I first heard of Rob Bell through Oprah.... which really is enough. Then, I sort of rediscovered him through his podcast, which I find so inspiring and insightful. 

What are your favorite podcasts?

Play-Doh Factory Party

For Griffin's third birthday, he chose a Play-Doh theme.  Considering today is Play-Doh day I thought I would share one of my favorite parties I've ever thrown. PLUS, I want to reminisce about when my baby was three instead of SIX GOING ON 20!

Inspired by the us in russ, I decided to go with a Play-doh Factory theme. The invitees received tubs of Play-Doh informing them the Factory was hiring. (Cutest RSVP response goes to Abigail's mom who sent me an email informing me of Abigail's Play-Doh qualifications!) 

On the day of the party, we welcomed the new recruits who received aprons and busboy hats. Each guest then had to stamp their "time card" and take a photo for their employee ID card. (I added their names in Photoshop and intend to send the pics with our thank you notes.)

Then, our new factory employees made their way to the "Production Line" where they made their own magic Play-Doh with Kool-Aid. They each got to pick what color they wanted by choosing a Kool-Aid flavor. We premeasured out the dry ingredients and then had water and oil available for (parent-led) mixing. 

Next up, everyone made their way to "Research and Development." Some very generous friends had loaned me a wide assortment of Play-Doh toys. I spread them out along two long tables and let them go at it. Griffin literally sat at the R&D table for an hour straight. He didn't even get up to greet his buddies when they arrived.

I turned my dessert table into the Factory itself. I decided to try cake push pops for the first time since I thought they were reminiscent of Play-Doh tubs. I had fallen in love with rainbow mini-cakes a while back and decided to make rainbow push pops instead. My stepdad made a long holder for the pops that I put in the middle of the table to look like a conveyer belt coming out of a cardboard box I covered with gears. I was SO happy with the result. 

The push pops were a huge success, as was the party itself I have to say. As everyone left, they came to "Product Packaging" and I gave them their time card, some animal-shaped cutters, little mini rolling pins, and the Play-Doh recipe. 

My girls

 My time off is being extended as I fly to be with one of these women during a difficult time. I thought this was a good time to repost this ode to girlfriends I wrote on Salt + Nectar a few years. 

I used to bristle when people would deride women for being overly emotional. "Girls are so much drama!" they would say. I have friends both men and women who claim to avoid female friendship because the relationships inevitably lead to conflict.

I always thought these ideas reeked of gender stereotypes and sexist assumptions. After all, I think we've all met a moody male or two and Lord knows men have conflicts all their own. If they are more likely to end in a fist fight than tears, well who's to say one is better than the other. (See two can play at this gender stereotype game!)

Well, I'm sad to say I think these people might have been right. Girls are drama.

Recently, I engaged in a little girlfriend drama of my own. One girlfriend simply decided she didn't want to be friends anymore. Another was angry at me for some hurtful things I'd said to her and carried the anger around for months. One friendship was salvageable. One was not. Both situations left me hurt, a little angry, and more than a little gun shy when it comes to my current relationships.

After all, is it worth it? I had spent a lot of time with both these woman. I had shared stories and stresses. I had made them a part of my life and I had made myself vulnerable. In return, I felt like all I got was criticism and rejection.

And if these were my only experiences with female friendship I would say no. Thankfully, they are not. To say I have great girlfriends is sort of like saying I like Oprah - doesn't quite do it justice.  Annie, Elizabeth, Laura, Erin, Shannon... These women are my sisters. On the most basic level, I am not me without them. They make me laugh. They make me think. They make me feel better when all I want to feel is sad. My daily prayer is that I give back even half of what they give me.

Have I had drama with these women? Hells yeah. Elizabeth, Erin, and I lived together...in college. Need I say more? We've had our conflicts but the drama didn't consume us. If anything, it made our friendships stronger. And I am so, so happy that I never let a few negative experiences prevent me from opening myself up again.

We all know deep down that all relationships contain drama because they contain people. And people (not just women) are drama. There are so many relationships in our lives that are mandatory - relationships with our spouses, our children, even our coworkers. We HAVE to work through that drama. We don't have a choice. So, maybe it's tempting to cut out relationships that seem optional.

However, I'm here to say. For me, friendship - specifically friendship with other women - is not optional. The phonecalls and gchats and coffee dates with my girlfriends get me through and make me better. I simply could not live without them.

So, bring on the drama. I can handle it - as long as I've got my girls by my side.

Happy Labor Day Weekend

I'm taking today and Monday off from posting. We're headed to Kentucky Lake to spend time with family and soak up the last bit of summer. 

I hope you have a fantastic weekend!