www.hightowerdigitalmedia.com hasn’t been completely derailed, and I’m pretty happy about that for the time being! In fact, the website and first blog went LIVE around FIVE (…P.M. P.S.T.)!
…so here we are, moving forward with our website despite the grim situation that many businesses are facing with having to physically close their doors to customers they depend on, or let go of valued employees due to financial restraints. They are in no position to be hiring social media managers, for the most part. But the need to reach and deliver to audiences remotely isreal.
That’s why we decided to offer a few of our local businesses our services, for free. Hopefully, they’ll like us and recommend our work and everyone will be happy once things get back to normal.
They will get back to normal again soon…right?
Well, probably not. But we can hope that we were able to be innovators and keep our customers happy and connected during these uncertain times ahead.
You can check out our first blog at our website – if you’d like more regular updates you can subscribe to the once-monthly blog while you’re over there.
Learn about the latest news from businesses and entrepreneurs of the Wenatchee area – and maybe even a little beyond!
My favorite hashtags for our area: #ditchthelunchbox #wegotthiswenatchee and #toosmalltofail (and by ‘favorite’ I mean they make me smile even though the situation is not humorous or light – I hope they make you smile, too)!
Either way, we’ll still be updating here and mayyyyybe bringing the family vlog back some day. But right now, we’d like to focus on our local community. Stay tuned to my Instagram and see my personal account get hacked next week by a few of my loves…It’s always fun to shake things up!
Winter snow has made way for Spring and we had just started our kids in twice a week school when bam! Schools around the globe are closing due to the COVID-19 virus epidemic and many of us are finding ourselves in new daily routines that often involve hands-on caring for our children while trying to maintain our usual money-making careers.
Even if you manage to come by the groceries and the energy and time, we often have no idea where to start, especially when it comes to feeding picky (ahem, particular) toddlers.
While many of us parents would be happy to take an opportunity to fast or diet, it’s important that young children continue to get the caloric needs that may have been provided by schools or daycares before all of these new arrangements.
In my household, we have a one and two year old who are very vocal about the things they don’t prefer to eat – a list that seems to be growing every day despite our best efforts!
Being creative with presentation, plating, variety, or mixing up the textures can make a big difference in “tricking” (convincing) a new food experience.
Trick 1: Same Foods, New Ways
This afternoon we sliced up hotdogs, speared a few noodles through the centers, and then cooked the whole lot in boiling water for about 11 minutes.
While we reserved a few and carefully diced them for the younger child to avoid choking, the older kid found it hilarious that his “big kid lunch” was so silly! I decided not to tell him it was the exact same package of dogs he refused to eat two days before, and spaghetti noodles he “didn’t like” last month – from the same box.
Trick 2: Templates or Placemats
I have already started curating Amazon gifts list for upcoming events with our kids. One thing we look forward to getting some day is educational or interactive placemats like these:
Until then, we’ve found a lot of success in creating fun templates based on popular kids snacks, and using them to teach all sorts of lessons during snack times, from counting to sorting to matching. These Teddy Graham ones were a hit, even though I didn’t realize that they have different arm positions (I just grabbed one and traced it onto my iPad Pro, so I made another sheet:
I’ve laminated a few of our favorite multi-purpose ones (such as the numbered circles) and enjoyed creating custom ones for “healthy” versions of snacks (like Annie’s Organic bunnies, etc.)
follow on Insta for more toddler food inspo
I’ll be sharing some of my snack and play ideas on Pinterest stories this week so make sure to follow! @brandi_n_hightower on Instagram @mommaamommab on Pinterest
The vlog is down, along with the economy and our morale 😅 Only kind of kidding!
We are taking this time to figure out as a family our main priorities in school/work/life arrangements and the YouTube family vlog is going to be set aside while we make the needed adjustments.
Sorry to leave that platform, but we’re still here for now! 🙂 COVID has everyone shook up and our main focus is getting these kids through the next weeks at home while schools are down.
If you need resources for your toddlers as we look forward to more days of school closures, please check out the TotSchool resources at TeachersPayTeachers.
Sorry we missed you on Friday, we had a very long weekend – if you’ve been up on the news or living in the world, you may be aware that the COVID-19 virus is making it’s rounds and people are starting to prepare to settle in for a bit.
I’ve been in a bit of a funk, so Amy took over with this week’s vlog. Please give her a thumbs up for keeping this thing going this week.
Gramma’s Birthday Weekend | March 2020
Sometimes in a relationship, when one person is down the other person has to step it up a notch. And sometimes, it takes a lot of frustration and even a little fighting to be able to break through to the other side. WOW it’s getting deep around here!
I think the weather being wonky and the national health crisis is really getting to me, along with big life changes and other things we haven’t even talked about (yet). ***HOW ARE YOU ALL COPING WITH THE CORONA VIRUS SCARE?***
In our own hometown, toilet paper and other supplies have been increasingly hard to come by, and we have been realizing that many parents with small children are unsure how to pass the time – which meals and activities to cook and how to keep the peace inside your home during a lockdown.
Though we’ve all been told not to panic, we are definitely seeing people purchasing more than three times what they’d typically buy – Amy saw a lady scoop the last seven bricks of butter into her shopping cart, just because that’s all that was left.
After we both have been to many stores multiple times, there is no toilet paper to speak of. The thing breaking my heart is the baby wipes. We will be okay, as we cloth diaper and make our own wipe juice and disposable wipes – for us, the scary thing is that witch hazel and even wipe juice cubes are out of stock on Amazon and in our local stores, which is what we use in our wipe solution.
We were hoping to share some tips on how to make your own household cleaners and other solutions like this in a future video, and we plan on having a few tips and tricks for staying busy and sane on the blog at some point this week. At this point, begging ya’ll adults to stop buying baby wipes for your own bum is a moot point.
How are you all passing the time?
Where is your head at, and how are you staying calm?
Please share your helpful tips – or the crazy things you’ve seen this week!
In this vlog we hang out with Gramma for her birthday – Canyon had an absolute blast spending the night with his favorite people and enjoying ice cream and bubble baths. Brandi reads Pete The Cat to the kids, one of the books that has a felt activity to go along with it.
Have you tried interactive stories?
If your child has a hard time focusing during story time, try giving them a prop (even a stuffed animal that matches the theme) to keep their hands occupied so their minds can focus – before long they may be telling YOU how the story goes, as they recall it using their prop. Please give this video a thumbs up and subscribe if you’re still reading this. We appreciate you! If this scare is causing a rift in your family, we understand. There is a national upheaval and people are scared.
We hope you can be kind to those acting a little out of sorts these days, and forgive those around you for lashing out – people are coping in a lot of different ways.
It has been a minute! Today finds me feeling like it’s Monday, despite being nearly Wednesday at this point. How about you? Have you taken a moment to check in with yourself and recognize all of your accomplishments, instead of your shortcomings and un-finished (or un-started) tasks?
I hope you’ll join me in forgiving myself for not posting until now.
It’s easy for me, someone who loves a good commitment while struggling with the follow through, to get overwhelmed sometimes. For the most part I seem to see my projects and task to fruition; through much trial and error, honing an ability to set realistic but lofty goals has become my life’s work.
Nobody wants to settle for mediocre, but am I as fabulous as I think I am?
The short answer: YES! And so are YOU!
While it would be borderline reckless to suggest that simply dreaming up an idea and diving in headlong is all it takes to be successful, somehow it still parallels truth to some degree.
Without a dream to get you started, what do you have?
This week has found me busier than ever. I’ve taken on a few roles within a non-profit in my area, as well as some additional projects of personal interest. While it remains to be seen how ‘successful’ our new venture is, we hope to have an official website and menu up for Hightower Digital Media within the next couple of weeks.
Yep. We’re going for it! Ripping off the band-aid and getting squared up with all the right people to help us make it happen.
I believe strongly in the power of manifesting your desires. I’m not sure how it happened, but the last few months has been one of the most intuitive times of my life; by saying out loud the things that I want to bring into my life and eliminate all together, it seems that life is finding a way to make things happen.
Our Insta page launched a few short hours ago, so if you can read this, check out @hightowerdigitalmedia and be our friend in that space. We’d love to connect with you over there as we square up our logo design and begin building our digital empire. Be the first to see it all unfold!
Canyon has been officially enrolled in a new Montessori preschool and will be twice a week, starting tomorrow. Dakota will be flying solo without the comfort of having her big brother there. The teachers say that she’s more than ready, and they look forward to seeing her continue to grow and embrace her own schooling experience while bro spreads his wings and experience a more routine educational experience alongside a new set of peers.
Exciting things happening for everyone in the family this week!
Thanks for stopping by and we’ll catch up again soon!
After the last video, I really took some time to reflect on not only where my YouTube channel is going, but to also take stock of the undone tasks that have been cluttering my mind; those “to-do’s” and “wish-I-could-do’s” that have been stagnant in the far recesses of my life, gathering dust and waiting for a moment of weakness. In that moment, some random appliance will spring out with a “Surprise, lady! Just when you thought you were in the clear, I’m going to break because you didn’t properly clean or maintain me as clearly indicated on the warranty card you threw out last week – ha!“.
I mean, the fact that my appliances scream at me in the first place is completely unreasonable. Maybe next time it will be a body part. The knee, instead (“shoulda stretched more, like I tried to tell you eighty thousand eleven times” my lateral collateral would scoff at me, as I wince and hobble around).
Don’t wait until a friend blows out a joint (in the painful way, not the medicinal way), before you get your own health under control.
Health also means MENTAL health. Your sanity. The thing that keeps you from going off the deep end.
Because, just when we think we aren’t doing enough and deserve a break – not a chance. There’s stuff to PREPARE for! To PREVENT! (So go clean those washing machine seals, and your toilet siphons – if you don’t know what that means, neither did I until I started watching ridiculous mommy cleaning channels like @bitsofbri (Brianna K on YouTube).
Bri also has awesome hack like toilet paper stamping – good for those who might have to display their inventory as part of their home decor due to space constraints. So basically go watch her channel, not mine!
It works! Instagram @brandi_n_hightower
So, how do we stay sane and try to manage it all?
Well, maybe we can’t. Maybe we embrace insanity!
Because when you’re hurting, the first thing you want to hear is SUCK IT UP.
Really, though. Maybe there’s a way to get more hours in the day without getting up earlier or staying up later. Because without sleep and water, you’re as good as worthless, IMHO.
PRODUCTIVITY. Aha! That’s where it’s at, for me. That or exercise.
For you, it might mean a day at the spa. Do you, and do it with conviction.
This week I’m rolling up my sleeves and digging into everything “icky”. The clutter. The negativity. All the things that don’t feel good.
Emotions. Yard-sale leftovers. The list goes on.
So bear with me as this channel takes yet another twist and turn. I think the resounding theme has continued to be:
Hang on for the ride, you never know what’s about to happen but at least we can be prepared. In theory.
MommaAMommaB
If you’ve been following our YouTube channel, maybe you’ve seen some of our product unboxing and tutorials. While these have been so fun to make, and we’ve actually come across some amazing items we use all the time (like the cheapie handheld vacuum below, not sponsored), we also come across items that are interesting or useful – for someone else.
An unexpected “WIN” – One of our favorite review items
Most things we have managed to give to friends and family, with great pleasure. And some items have been resold or donated. Nothing has been trashed…
…except the alarming quantity of packaging that Amazon provides. Much of it non-recyclable or from overseas, which when compounded by millions of shoppers each year, takes a huge toll on our environment.
As items began to stack up, I am constantly forced to deal with it in some way: sort it, find a home for it, donate it. Which feels lovely when you get a smile and thank-you from the recipient, but not so lovely knowing the ecological impact as I wait for another package to arrive – most likely containing something neat, no doubt. But not necessary.
I have decided from this point, the only collabs we will be doing is with companies we truly value – regardless of how cool or trendy the item might be. I simply can’t handle the amount of waste, and I want to be a more responsible steward of this planet. Yes, this might mean we have to save up for more thoughtful purchases and it might mean I have to severely cut back my Target Dollar Spot purchases.
Wait. Now THAT’S crazy.
Still, I am trying to focus on the following before buying:
How will our lives benefit (or not) from this purchase?
Is there a more satisfying alternative?
Do we need it?
What sort of cleanses and purges are you up to this month? This week? Today?
The day started off pretty promising: after regrettably having to skip yesterday’s workout I was a little nervous I was going to feel some backslide in progress (and scared my workout was going to hurt) but it wasn’t the case.
I have been trying to network a little bit more here in the valley and decided to head to Pybus marketplace to share some treats with The Littles.
That is: the one and two year olds.
After somewhat coaxing them to eat last nights dinner of a recent “hit” (a side of fresh blackberries plus tortillas with mozzarella, pepperoni and…ketchup), they’d both woken up starving like they’d not eaten in 46 days.
just why
If you see next weeks Vlog you’ll know that I’m not starving them; we have plenty of marinara sauce, yet they for some reason both think that it’s poison. So…ketchup.
After refusing the eggs I cooked and turning their nose up at the peanut butter toast, I gave in to cereal.
I’m not advocating for being a pushover parent but two days without my wife will do that to me. (I am so much looking forward to her return from overnight work travels this evening!)
Amos if you can read this: I love you!
But I digress as per usual.
For some reason I left the stroller at home thinking they were both old enough to walk 25 feet through the front doors and another 25 feet or so to the front counter and wait in line for about three minutes or so.
It was about as good idea as putting two unleashed rabbits on the floor.
Wild animals, I tell ya! This was before the chaos. More at MommaAMommaB on YouTube
Loud rabbits. Rabbits that wanted to touch the display case even though we talked about looking with our eyes at this EXACT CASE on the car ride and on the walk over to said display case.
As I try to corral them in the same general area, and yell loudly enough for the barista to get my order, also yelling BITE ME because my kid couldn’t make up his mind and that’s the first one I saw.
His increasingly-heavy-in-my-arms sibling was starting to arch her back and do tornado moves and scream. Boy, did she scream, demanding in her 17 month old way to also touch and possibly lick the cookie case.
Bite Me! Cookie
It was the first one that stood out to me, and I’ll admit it felt good to yell it. Only because I did it with a half smile on my face, and the barista smiled back. I think it made her day.
Instagram @cafecolumbiapybus
Or maybe I looked scary (I noticed smeared mascara when we fiiiiinally got back to the van – has it been there??!) and maybe she didn’t smile but grimace.
No, it was a smile. She was friendly. But gosh, I could hardly see anything through my embarrassment – parenting in public is definitely not for the faint of heart.
Menu @ #cafecolumbiapybus
Regardless, instead of me just sitting there like usual being too shy to reach out to people I actually had people offer to help – and struck up quite a few conversations with interesting folks which was the exact reason I went there: I had been hoping to bring my work from home mentality to the public realm, thinking just maybe my kids would sit and be distracted with beautiful cookies while I chatted and it would be chalked up as a business expense.
But, kids are unpredictable- especially young kids! Or maybe I am. I mean, they’re just doing what they do best. I was the foolish one thinking that pre-feeding, pre-watering, pre-entertaining, pre-napping them and bribing them majorly would buy me TEN MINUTES.
Nope!
But you know what? I embrace it. I didn’t have a choice in the moment.
Thank you from the bottom of my soul to whomever made these cookies
I marched those sugar-laden children to the minivan and ate my cold tuna melt in the park. Well, near the park. With the window rolled down. While the kids slept.
My lunch from the park as experienced from inside the mom van
Oh, how I wish to have sat on a sunny bench – but there was no way I was waking up one sleeping soul. And what would I do with them once they were awake? No sunbathing was happening today. Or was it?
Since unattended children in running vehicles is frowned upon, I engaged the parking brake and kept the seatbelt on, then craned my neck until I needed two Tylenol, aiming my gaze out my van window and into the sunshine – and enjoyed the moment. Really. Someday they will be grown and I will look back at this and miss it immensely. Of course I will probably glorify it. And oh the advice I’ll have!
we arrived home and it’s been a nightmare ever since…
…but now my Mom#2 is finally back (!!!) and I can post this and give you all a look at my day as a stay at home mama trying to network and meet new professionals in the valley. Tough and very rewarding!
Thankful for my coworking days at Wenatchee WorkSpace – a time I get to truly maximize my productivity so I can be both “on” as a parent and “on” as a community member. When you start using a coworking space like mine, and begin growing your business…well, it’s hard to go back to the home office! Hats off to those who can pull it off. Mamas everywhere being SuperHuman!
Rainbows at yesterday’s lunch meeting @ #wenatcheeworkspace
Wenatchee WorkSpace is also located half a block from the Apple Capitol Loop Trail – Perfect for days when you need to blow off some steam or get creative energy flowing.
It’s all about work life balance.
Until next time!
Mama B
You may have noticed a lot of my recent posts and YouTube videos have focused on mental health. Even my most positive and chipper friends have thrown an occasional “…gee, February sure is a long month!” For those of us who got through a tough December, February is dragging on and on.
Can it be spring yet?
Or are there changes we can make now to improve productivity?
I’m talking, clear the clutter or rearrange your if need be. Shake things up! Try something new! Modify your routine if it isn’t working for you.
