6/8/15

Neighborhood Collective Dinner:

Host:Richelle Cote
Location: Private backyard in San Diego, CA
3.28.15















































 “I think if I've learned anything about friendship, it's to hang in, stay connected, fight for them, and let them fight for you. Don't walk away, don't be distracted, don't be too busy or tired, don't take them for granted. Friends are part of the glue that holds life and faith together. Powerful stuff.” 

― Jon Katzj








 “Friendship is born at that moment when one man says to another: "What! You too? I thought that no one but myself . . ." 
-C.S. Lewis



Flowers: PickTulip
Rental (Rugs&Pillows) : Witty Rentals
Desserts:The Good Scone
Invitations: Honeyhue Paper Co.


6/5/15

Inspirational Neighbors: Tubby Todd



Tubby Todd Bath Co.
Meet the mama behind the brand- Andrea lives in San Diego with her husband Brian and their two little ones- Josie Jean and Walker Todd.


Why bath products?
 "We love bath time. We believe that bath time provides the best case scenario for parenting: good, clean, fun. It's intimate, secure and happy. Bath time is an iPad free zone where we can turn all of our attention to our little ones. If we capitalize on this special time, bath time can become a chance to love and educate, and at Tubby Todd Bath Co. we've created products to help you do just that.'
How are your products special?
The heavenly-smelling soaps are made with all natural materials; yet are able to clean up a messy situation. All of our products are animal cruelty free, made in the USA, and pediatrician tested. They have  partnered with forward thinking designers, illustrators and formulators to bring you equally natural, educational and adventurous products.Their products are not just items to fill your home with, but aimed to fill your kids minds with creativity. 
"Every product we create is something we've wanted to use with our own little ones. We hope your family feels the same joy from the products as we have."


What is your advice for someone wanted to start their own company? 

My advice is to work hard at whatever you are doing in your life and eventually a company will grow out of it. I have always worked in marketing and so when we started to work on a product my years of experience in marketing really started to help our business and it is what I have relied on to help us get going. If you are a mom who stays home with their kids, work hard to be the best mom you can be- from there you will start to see needs to products or business opportunities and with time something will come. If you do that throughout your life, you will always have that confidence that you can do whatever you put your mind to. 

Who inspires you? Why? 

Lately I am always thinking about either our company or our children. So I am inspired by the moms I meet at the park who are killer moms. You know the ones who are patient and fun and don't get too worked up about the wrong things? I love those moms. I watch them in awe and then go home and work hard to try and be like them.

I am fortunate to have a lot of strong men and women in my life who are also business owners. Most of my immediate family runs their own business and they give me endless inspiration to keep going on those hard days when things don't seem to be moving forward. My husband and I started this company together. His full time day job takes up all of his time right now and so he is mainly like my cheerleader at this point- he always has incredible advice and direction to share. Also, my sis @thealisonshow, is an incredible mentor and if she ever stops dancing she should be a business consultant because she always knows which direction to take in your personal life or in your business. 


Share three ladies on Instagram that you are inspired by and why? 

These three women happen to be some of my very best friends but also my greatest inspirations: 

#1 Lauren of @humblehilo- I have known Lauren for years and have watched her make dozens of trips to rural places to help indigenous communities. She started Humble Hilo to do good, and that has stayed true as their brand has grown. She is a true humanitarian and I am inspired by her commitment to giving to others. 

#2 Elle of @sollybaby- Elle is good at EVERYTHING. She can write, take increidble photos, has uneblievable taste, knows everything about parenting and is so commited to her family. I am inspired by her because she is so incredibly humble but 100% confident in her abilities to make it happen. And she does, every single time. 


#3 Melanie of @caravanshoppe and @melanieburk and @thesmallseed and @wovenpear. But really, she runs all of those accounts and an independent graphic design business, and has three daughters, and is the most genuine friend. I call Mel at10:30 at night when I have a question and she is ALWAYS awake and ALWAYS drops everything to chat. Her energy blows me away. 


What's a day in your life as a mother/business owner look like? 

Oh boy... Are you ready? Here we go...my kids or husband wake me up
 my husband plays with the kids while I wake up and return emails and post on IG
 my husband leaves and I play with my kids until when it is nap time. We go to the park, Disneyland (if I'm feeling ambitious), the beach, the gym, run errands, play games, see friends

NAP TIME BABY My 1.5 year old naps from 1-4. My 4 year old and I have some one on one time for an hour and then I let her rest and watch a show or have some quiet time. A lot of days (like today) I take a nap too! Because I deserve it don't I? You should take a nap too! I also always have a DC at this point and eat Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Covered Almonds. I no joke hide them in my cupboard and have them everyday.
4-7 chaos until bedtime. My husband isn't home from work until after 7 most days and so things start to get pretty dicey sometimes but we always make it through and there is usually a very tubby bath involved that helps everyone with their sanity. One day a week I have a sitter come help during this time because, I am only human. 

7-12 I work. Some nights I spend time with my hubs but most nights I put in a good 3-4 hours of planning, returning emails or packaging. He is usually working too so we watch shows or sit by each other because we are really romantic like that. 

"I should mention that every single day I take time to spiritually meditate. I also try to work out at least 3 times a week. Usually it is only for 30 minutes but these two things have helped me as a mom, and in my work. They ground me and give me time to recharge."

4/15/15

Inspirational Neighbors: The Good Scone





Tricia Fages, founder and CEO of The Good Scone, has spent several years in the wedding and events industry, owning a successful wedding cake and dessert company located in Southern California. As Tricia's company continued to grow, her passion for creating delicious pastries became greatly influenced by the needs of her clients. She came across a multitude of individuals with food allergies, such as to wheat, milk, eggs, and nuts.





“I would meet with clients time and time again who stated they, their husband, brother, mother, sister, or child had a food allergy, and they wanted a cake the whole family could enjoy. Overtime, I made it my personal mission to create a product that was completely allergy-friendly, yet tasted like the “real thing!” My standards regarding ingredient quality and superb taste was exceptionally high; there would be no compromise on flavor and wholesome ingredients was a must. My goal was very simple: I wanted couples, friends, and families to truly have their cake and eat it too. And this is where the Good Scone was born!"

               GS_CakeMixes.png

"After years of perfecting our recipes, and continuously surprising our clients with a product that tastes like the “real thing,” we decided to take the next step and share our recipes with everyone! Unlike many gluten free products, our mixes are free of EGG, SOY, NUTS, and DAIRY – eliminating the top food allergies that impact the lives of more than 15 million Americans. Fast-forward to today, and our mission continues! We want to inspire people of all ages to take the time create something homemade with a product they can trust. From our kitchen to yours, please enjoy and bake with a full heart!"
                                        -The Good Scone Team





and visit their website for amazing recipes!