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HIGH FIVE // Kelly Stone

Hello!!! We're back with a High Five for your Friday and today we're hearing from a city-living mom of 2 darling girls, nurse, and part time bow maker- Kelly Stone. I've long admired Kelly and her beautiful feed and I'm so excited she's here today! Take it away, Kelly...

1. Hi Kelly! Tell us a little about yourself...

Hi 👋 I'm Kelly. I have two girls, Penny is 4 1/2 and Ruby is 21 months and we live in San Francisco. My husband and I are both critical care nurses, we actually met at work (no Grey's Anatomy-style scandal, sorry to disappoint 😂). I also have an Etsy shop selling bows, mostly hand tied velvet, called pennies&rubies. I once considered myself a marathon runner, but Ruby doesn't like long stroller rides so now I'm more of a jog-until-baby-cries runner. 

2. How do you balance work and motherhood? What is your best advice for finding that balance?

Nurses work 12 hour shifts where we are, which typically means the kids are asleep when I leave and asleep when I get home. When we had Ruby, I really felt the pull to stay home with the girls and have more time together as a family, so we decided I would cut back on my hours to part time. On my work days, my husband is home with them and vice versa. This way a parent is always present, but we still get a couple days a week as a family. It's a good balance for me, personally, because I get to spend the majority of my days with our girls, but I also get to go do a job that I love and feel passionate about. 

It's definitely not easy when you're always caring for someone else, be it your kids or your patients. My best advice is to remember yourself and your partner and strive to make time for both you and your relationship.

3. What are you favorite things about city living with kids? What is the most challenging? 

I grew up in a small town, so it's sometimes hard for me to wrap my head around my kids growing up in a city. But I love that they are constantly exposed to diverse cultures and experiencing new things. There is always something to do and places to explore. When we need to escape the city, the bay area has so much to offer, we can drive down the coast or up to the redwoods, all in a day. 

One of the challenges of raising a family here is we don't have our "village" close by. Our families are mainly in Michigan and Germany, so there is no Grandma to call up when we want to go see a movie or have a date night. But we travel a lot to visit everyone and FaceTime with the cousins frequently. 

 

4. What are your favorite things to do in your city with kids?

This city has so much to offer families, here are a few things we've found that work for us: 

Playgrounds!! They're free entertainment and it's a great place to meet other families. 

Eat. Ruby is at a challenging age for restaurants right now (sitting still is not her thing), and we may have to go for dinner at 5pm, but it gets us out of the house and gets them trying new things. Penny's current favorite is sushi. 

Golden Gate Park. From the windmills and lakes to the bison, the park has so much to offer.

The Botanical Gardens-inside Golden Gate Park. It's free for SF residents and they are so well done. Lots of room for the kids to run around and a peaceful retreat within the city.  

The Beach! We don't have many hot days, but the kids don't care if they have to be bundled up, as long as they get to fill their drawers with sand. 

 5. What products or shops are you loving right now? 

Having two girls can be dangerous, there is so much cute stuff out there! Obviously we love our Alice & Ames dresses. Penny is grabbing anything she can twirl in so they're always a go to 🤗 . I'm trying to make a real effort to shop small or second hand, and I love that so many brands have b/s/t groups on Facebook now (that's how I got the girls' matching skirted leos). Some other small brands we love: Foothill Fawn (clothing and bonnets), Starryknight Design (shoes), Stella&Wilbur (bonnets), Littlelightfeet (socks and tights), Wildbird (ringsling). We walk or take public transport most days, so I still wear Ruby quite frequently. I always have a Wildbird in my bag. That girl is a runner and I need to keep her contained.😂

I'm currently working on my own capsule wardrobe, and trying to keep it to ethical brands and small shops where possible. Some of the brands I'm shopping are: Amae Co, Not Perfect Linen (Etsy), Pine&Smyth Clothiers, and Everlane. 

Thanks for taking the time to read a little about me. I'd love to hear about you!! Find me on Instagram, @kellystone, and let's be friends 💛

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