Mother's Day Rise + Shine Style

Photography by Michael J. Lee

Happy Mother’s Day

The rollercoaster is real these days. One day I’m on top of the world and crushing dinner, homeschooling AND laundry and the next I’m forgetting what day it is and when the last time I bathed my children was. It seems like the waves are real and I’m not the only one feeling them (which somehow continues to give me comfort).

The past few days I feel like another shift may have occurred. It seems like my friend crew went from completely broken and worn down to picking each other up by our bootstraps and deciding we have to make a plan to get through this experience ONE DAY AT A TIME! There has been more talk of daily workouts, new recipes and embracing essential oils than I’ve ever heard before. The message rings true, you have to find something that works for you and we cannot let this break us.

That’s the amazing thing about all of us. We can find the silver lining (no matter how buried it may be) and charge forward to a brighter future. I cannot do that alone, especially not now, so I NEED my crew reminding me daily just how strong we all are.

I personally am SO excited that Mother’s Day is just around the corner. What better time to celebrate all of the hats we are wearing right now. I am a mother, a wife, a teacher, a boss, a daughter, a sister and a friend. I adore all of these rolls but balancing them right now is the challenge of my life. Each day brings the confusing moments of what the heck to do with my time. What is “my most important role” at this very moment? What is the best way to spend my time? No matter what my responsibilities are the answer to this question is unquestionably to be the best MOTHER I possibly can for my children. Keeping them safe, feeding them and doing everything in my power to be patient is my main focus.

As a working parent, I’ve really struggled with balancing these rolls. I like to think I typically balance work and home fairly well but this is a whole new ballgame. These past few weeks have seen their challenges when it comes to motivation to digging into projects 100%. This typically comes so easy for me but lately I can’t seem to get out of my own way.

This Rise + Shine gift bag project was the first thing I could easily get excited about and I really wanted to make it happen. Supporting so many other local businesses with this effort has been a breeze. I’m so proud of Sarah and I that this was our first instinct and we’re thrilled to be partnering with businesses that truly appreciate the business we’ve been able to bring them.

So we hope you enjoy this bag as much as we’ve enjoyed putting it together. You are supporting EIGHT local businesses with one single purchase AND you’re celebrating the very thing we are all so lucky to experience…MOTHERHOOD. (You know I’m right even if you want to throw your kids off a cliff right now. These little buggers are everything we asked the universe for. Just saying.)

Here is a little overview of what we’re offering. We have 20 bags and each will be gathered and delivered safely and responsibly by Sarah & I personally. So only one question remains, want one?!!

{Each bag is $100 delivered to your doorstep on Saturday May 9th. Email me to coordinate your purchase at kate@katemaloneyid.com}

Watching Mary navigate this uncertain time warms my heart. She was one of the first vendors we contacted when thinking about this Mother’s Day bag idea. I was THRILLED to hear that she had been inundated with orders from the start. My friend Megan was one of them who was trying to send candles to her sister and the rest of the nursing staff at Boston Medical Center {I literally have the best friends in the world.} What is it about scent? Why do certain smells help us breath a little easier? It seems only fitting to start this list with a woman who is pioneering the small business movement by continuing to crank out her product no matter what the landscape. Thank you Mary!

Melissa and Shauna are also working their butts off to maintain their business by fulfilling orders for sweet tooth lovers and first responders alike. Not to mention their current Teacher Appreciation Week offer. It takes effort. It takes grit. It takes passion to keep these small businesses alive right now. You ladies are rocking it and it fills us up to have a chance to support you right now! …plus, hello, salted caramel!

I had the pleasure of working with Annie as part of our Rise + Shine event in February. I like to think that something brought us together because she may have became an instant friend. She and Justine Sterling (another instant friend) partnered on an amazing pillow collaboration for that show and Annie was kind enough to also offer a raffle of these beautiful tea towels. The colors and patterns bring an uplifting smile to my face so I knew I wanted to include her in this collection meant to bring joy on Mother’s Day!

I have been a fan of Liz’s from the minute I met her. She was so kind and sweet to my girls when we met her at The Sugar House in Cambridge one sleepy Sunday in January. I’ve been using her soap every day ever since and I’m not sure I will ever use another soap in the shower! The triangle might throw you but I have a trick and to how to easily lather in your hands without dropping it (hint: point the triangle down instead of up. Trust me.). I’m warning you…you’re going to LOVE this soap. Yup. I just said that!

I was introduced to Scout and Cellar at a house party at my friend Natalie’s earlier this year. Their platform is to supply clean, responsibly prepared wines to the masses. Their criteria to support a vineyard is extensive and I was shocked to hear how light the regulations are on the typical wine we all drink on the regular.

My friend Ellen decided to join the business that day and has enjoyed every minute of being a part of this company. We liked the idea of including a bottle of wine in the bag (because let’s face it we can all use a glass) so a partnership with Scout + Cellar seemed like the perfect fit. We opted to choose a Rose in celebration of warmer weather on the way and Ellen suggested this wine from Dog Hunt Wine. You can read more about the vineyard HERE but I promise you will breath a nice deep breath when you take your first sip of this icy cold deliciousness!

Katie of Sweet Annie Floral is one half of Salt + Grove. This company is one of the many in New England who are celebrating craft and artists locally. She and her partner Sarah of Sarah Jayne Photography run their shop out of Newburyport and are also on the forefront of spreading joy through this unprecedented time. Fresh flowers bring a beautiful sense of spring and freshness that we knew we wanted to incorporate. We’re thrilled to be partnering with Sweet Annie Floral on this and we know the tulip bundle will be the icing on the cake in this collection.

Erin is another new friend who was introduced to me by my friend Megan. How much are you loving all of these connections?! Erin was a vendor at our Rise + Shine Marketplace event earlier this year and her work was met with rave reviews. We thought it might be fun to have her create a custom notecard collection just for this bundle. When she sent us the options we loved them all so we asked if she would do a mixed assortment of Rise + Shine artwork and she said, “YES!” We’re thrilled to be introducing our first Rise + Shine artistic collaboration with Afternoon Nap Art.

I met Jenine through my friend (and the best barre instructor around) Beth! Fit Life embodies everything you want from a supportive, empowering, motivating and STRONG group of women. I love their studio, their instructors are among my favorite and they will jump to be in your corner at the drop of a hat. I’ve been enjoying their new virtual options so I thought it might be fun to offer this resource to other Moms who are looking for a physical outlet and need to sweat! My best days are the days that start with 30-45 minutes focused solely on MYSELF #sorrynotsorry. Keeping our heads clear is everything right now and the Fit Life instructors have that message locked up. So excited to share this resource!

This bag was put together by two Moms who are working our tails off to find balance and purpose and peace in this wild time. This is our best effort to focus our attention on something that we hope will bring you JOY while supporting other Moms who are also working their butts off. I absolutely love everything about this initiative. Happy Mother’s Day to all you rockstars!