Spring Vibes

It’s almost here! And there aren’t a whole lot of people who could be more excited than this guy, our sweet (and wild) Alexander! Alex is four years old and admittedly is a bit of a tornado. We love him so darn much, but he knows he is cute and he is strong-willed.

Don’t believe that a face like that could be rascally?

Exhibit 1: Quickly scribbles with a marker on his coloring page, doesn’t bother to put the lid on, throws the marker over his shoulder, marker hits his brother and when confronted denies ever even coloring in the first place. hmm.

Exhibit 2: Puts stickers on the wall, coffee table, trash can and then adamantly vows that this was not him.

Exhibit 3: Gets off the couch during family movie night to point his butt in the family’s direction and proceed to fart and then laugh maniacally.

Exhibit 4: Asks to tell jokes in the car, after hearing one of mommy’s puns, says, “Mommy, I think we could both use some quiet time now. You talk a little too much and hurt my head.”

Exhibit 5: Complains about cleaning up his many toys longer than it actually takes to pick up said toys. Most times there are tears and thrashing his body around on the floor.

When he can romp, stomp, shout, aggressively ride his big-wheel through the neighborhood, and chase birds while screaming at them, he is at his best. The winter is always hard on my little dude. With the weather getting nicer, we have already been to a few parks and got to splash in a few mud puddles. This momma is really looking forward to backyard play, bike rides, and soaking up the sunshine and you can count on my little Alex to have that giant smile plastered on his face for the next couple of months!

The warmer weather and springtime vibes could be celebration enough, especially for those of us in the midwest, but let’s sweeten it up with 20% off sitewide for the next two weeks! Use code: springvibes to get your discount, and as always, free shipping over $20!

Stay Spunky! Krysta

3,388 Days…

….Sober. I’ve got over 9 years sober now. It’s been so long that sometimes I have to stop to think and calculate in my head. It both feels like forever and like just yesterday somehow at the same time.

I used to rip it up. I would close down the bar any chance I could. I would make all kinds of new friends, some for the better, most for the worst. Some nights were a blast-dancing and singing. Other nights weren’t so much. All nights included blackout moments that I never fully regained. Eventually that life wasn’t so fun anymore, it was expensive, humiliating, and honestly dangerous.

One would have thought that my DUI at 18 would have been the wake-up call I needed. Or the underage citation that landed me a weekend in jail would have done the trick, it didn’t. There wasn’t a rock-bottom moment or stint in a treatment facility in my sobriety story. One day I was just tired of how I had been living. I drank my last drink on 10/16/15, I thought. I made it until Christmas and really made up for lost time. 12/26/15 was the last day I wasn’t sober.

This started out as a temporary break to get it together for awhile before I could drink responsibly, but the truth is, I am not a responsible drinker and never have been. The longer I abstained, the better I felt, and the more I understood that I am not like other people when it comes to booze. I can’t just stop when I should. For that reason, I have made being sober a priority in my life.

In high school, drinking helped me come out of my shell and become the life of the party when everyone thought I was just the shy, bookish girl. I loved being able to become someone with confidence. In my mid-20’s as a newly sober person, I didn’t have any clue how to muster up that courage. I stayed away from any event without alcohol and stopped talking to any of my old drinking buddies. Eventually forced to really spend some time with myself, I realized that I always have been both of those people, and both versions of me are pretty rad (if I do say so myself). I found a way to be myself out loud without needing a bottle in my hand, and that is some real power.

I used to really dread declining a drink at events because for some reason, everyone has to look at you like you are a lunatic when you decline a free beer. Then I feel obligated to tell them I am sober, then they look at me with pity and then there would be an awkward moment. Now, I am really open about being sober and it doesn’t bother me to talk about it with pride.

The sobriety products are special to me (and my sober hubby, Todd) because of how personally being sober has positively impacted our lives. We are so thankful to be able to provide a product that signifies growth in a person’s journey and are honored to be part of your path.

Keep it Spunky, Krysta

What Are You Thinking!?

Ah yes, the most common question everyone is mostly thinking to themselves when they hear about our new business venture. I can think of LOTS of reasons why putting most of our eggs in the Spunky Fluff basket could be a bad idea.

What, with a full-time job myself, now irregular income for Todd, one kiddo in daycare still and one in kindergarten, supply chain instability, skyrocketing inflation, retail in a downward trend……..*inhales sharply while contemplating my life*

…Deep breath. There are lots of reasons to not take a chance, to not do the thing, to not go for it. But, dang I can think of lots of reasons to do it anyway:
Flexibility for my husband to care for our family/be there for our son after school everyday, the opportunity to build something together, the ability to create every day, the joy of seeing someone’s vision come to life and know we made that happen, being able to spread some positivity in a world that so badly needs it, learning new skills: photography, accounting, design work, building a website, customer service, new equipment! Leading our kids to work hard and do what they love and truly being that example. Oh, and a homecooked meal made by my dear husband every night ain’t too shabby either.

If I said I wasn’t stressed out, I would be lying. But seeing my husband in his element making art out of wood is a real solid reason to do it anyway. There is never going to be a good time to take a big risk, we are here to say: DO IT ANYWAY!

Keep it Spunky, friends—Krysta