Space-Saving Helmet for Safer Cycling

Post Summary: A simple step towards saving our heads, saving some space, and saving the planet.  

More than 1/3 of all car trips in America are within 2 miles. If folks who are able to do so opt to walk, use public transportation, and/or bike instead, this 10% decrease in driving would prevent about 110 million metric tons of carbon dioxide from entering our atmosphere.  (Source: NY Times)

Since finding my confidence in my 30s (especially since becoming a parent), I’m happy to be that person who is always showing up (online and in person) wearing her bike helmet. So much so that I reached out to Closca to ask if they’d be interested in working with me to spread the word about  their space-saving + head-saving “foldable” helmet. 

In my book, Small Space Style, there’s an entire section about ways to conserve space when storing sporting equipment. Needless to say I wish I’d known about the Closca when writing it.

As someone who gets around almost exclusively by bike (and as someone who has been struck by cars while doing so), here’s why I like the Closca helmet and wanted to share it:  

• Its unique, collapsible design reduces its size by 55% in mere seconds, making it easy to tote AND easy to store in a small home or apartment. 

• It offers essential protection and won’t fold while being worn, and it complies with the strict safety standards in Europe, Asia, USA & Canada. 

• It’s designed to work with Interchangeable visors, so you can swap between a reflective band for increased visibility, or a knit visor in cold weather.  

• It has a subtle ventilation system, which I appreciate because biking with this messy mane of mine gets hot in the SoCal sun.

Here’s to taking smart, simple steps to save our heads, save some space, and save the planet.  

Note: This blog post was not sponsored, but the corresponding Instagram post was a paid partnership.

UPDATE: Repurposing & Recycling Leftover Paint

PSA Time: If you have leftover cans of paint sitting around after buying too much for a project (like we did after repainting our interior 2 years ago), you can take them to be safely and responsibly recycled for free.

Our house is almost 100 years old, so every now and then it needs a bit of a touch up. I try to use any leftover paint we have on-hand to brighten interior and exterior spots when needed. Since America Recycles Day is in mid-November,, it’s a good time to remind folks that leftover paint can be safely and responsibly recycled for free via the non-profit PaintCare.

In parts of the United States where the non profit PaintCare operates, households, businesses, and individuals can take their unwanted, leftover paint to a drop-off site. From there it is sorted and managed for reuse, recycling, energy recovery, or safe disposal. (There’s even information regarding their protocol for managing their services during the COVID-19 outbreak on their site.)

Visit PaintCare.org to learn how to:

• Estimate and buy the right amount of paint for future projects

• Store your paint wisely to extend its lifespan

• Discover fun projects for using up leftover paint

• Donate your paint to organizations that might need it

• Recycle your leftover paint

Note: This blog post was not sponsored, but the corresponding Instagram post was paid for by PaintCare.

A Socially Distanced Family Picnic on the Beach

While “Pandemic Fatigue” is clearly spreading through the country, I refuse to let it lure our family into relaxing the precautions we take to protect ourselves and our community from the spread of COVID-19.

We plan to stay home for the holidays. However, we set aside one evening in November to safely celebrate numerous special occasions with my closest friend and her four year old. Due to the pandemic, coupled with varying schedules and stringent safety protocols, our families hadn’t seen each other for nearly a year, despite the fact that we both live in LA. So we got COVID tests + results, and then meet up on the beach here in Venice/Santa Monica for a picnic— just the 5 of us. (We wore our masks except for when eating— click here to see my favorite masks and how I increase their longevity.)

The cozy, beautiful picnic setup— along with the delicious provisions included— were all supplied by Santa Monica Picnic Co. (Website / Instagram.)

Their service provided us with the table, rug and cushions, battery-operated lighting, a lovely tablescape, food and beverage, and even details like to-go boxes, a bluetooth speaker, a polaroid camera, incense, warm blankets, and an umbrella. (Textiles by Fragments Identity for Santa Monica Picnic Co.)

It was deeply therapeutic to reconnect in person with my best friend. And it was downright magical to do so as we watched our children play against the backdrop of crashing waves and the setting sun.

Thank you, Santa Monica Picnic Co. for the most memorable setting for our mini-gathering. I’ve lived by the beach here in West LA for 13 years, and this will forever be one of the happiest and brightest memories from my time living on the Pacific coast.

Learn about everything that’s included in the picnics here, as well as explore optional add-ons.

Note: This post was not sponsored, but the picnic was generously gifted by our new friends at Santa Monica Picnic Co, whose service we genuinely recommend.

A Traditional-Meets-Informal Holiday Table

As a way of showcasing some informal-meets-traditional tablescape ideas for this holiday season during which we’ll be sheltering-in-place, Food52 invited me to do LIVE broadcast in which I styled this lil’ vintage garden table at the cottage for their online community. Photos below:

(Click here to view the IGTV LIVE video via Food52.)

The Gift of Safe Shelter

This community continues to show up for The RightWay Foundation in meaningful ways— THANK YOU. As such, I’ll be providing updates regarding their 2020 holiday giving initiative throughout the season .

First, for readers who are newer here, RightWay has been working towards securing safe, dedicated apartments for unhoused transition-age foster Youth in LA, while also providing them with mental health care, job placement, a supportive community, and trauma-informed training for employers. 

This week, I’m focusing on how contributions to RightWay can provide the holiday gift of safe, dedicated shelter in Los Angeles for their Youth:  

• To house 1 Youth per day costs $32

• Per week, it’s $224

• Per month, it’s $960

Further breakdowns can be explored via the graphic below:

For anyone wanting to make a contribution (of any amount), please click here to visit RightWay’s donation page.

Recent Features Roundup

SecondAct Podcast
Click here to listen via itunes
A conversation with actor Bonnie Somerville covering topics ranging from the evolution of my work, brand partnerships, exes, sustainability, imperfection + compromising, The RightWay Foundation, and the direction in which my business and family are likely headed in the near future. (Behind-the-scenes note: I recorded this interview on the same morning I discovered I was pregnant. I hadn’t slept a moment and was still in a bit of shock…)

Food52 + Home52
View the replay of the LIVE segment here.
A LIVE video in which Food52 asked me to merge traditional and casual dining styles for to create a fall-to-winter tablescape for special dining over the holidays during the pandemic.

OddbirdCo
An IG Stories feature/interview on sustainable small space living. 

MyBearaby 
Click here to view.
A brief video about styling a weighted blanket in three separate small spaces.

Pregnancy After Trying to Conceive for Nearly 2 Years

Content alert: This post contains frank and personal stories concerning the process of trying to conceive and stay pregnant. (Related post: My Fertility Journey)

When I was pregnant with West (who is now 4 years old), I couldn’t wait to share the news with our friends, family and online community. This time around has been quite different— just like the pregnancy itself.

I tried to conceive for nearly two years. I’m sure that there were a few months along the way during which Adam and I missed my ovulation window, but there were also months when we saw signs of early pregnancies that didn’t last. I had negative and positive pregnancy tests. I experienced a few instances of bleeding that nurses and I suspected were implantation bleeding (which I had with West). There were months with no periods, months with weeks-long bleeding, and the corresponding hormonal & physical fluctuations. 

I had normal FSH levels / test results for my age, and my incredible doctor informed me that there was no discernible reason that I couldn’t conceive. I had anxiety of course— who hasn’t this year? I was 38… then I turned 39… and the months kept rolling by.

During this time, many women kindly reached out to me with stories of what worked for them when they were trying to conceive. Some individuals encouraged me to change my diet (we’re vegetarians), others suggested particular vitamins, and some recommended hormone creams. I appreciated the intention and time behind each and every message. But I made the personal decision to simply listen to my body and let it guide the way. 

Eventually, I felt like perhaps I should interpret my body’s signals as a sign for me to fully accept second infertility. 

Above: Details from the Cottage nursery in 2016, photographed by Kat Borchart.

I stopped wearing my ovulation tracking bracelet. I enjoyed learning from the insights it provided, and am glad I used it as long as I did. But eventually the act of putting on / taking off the bracelet began to feel hopeless, so I thanked it for what it taught me— particularly about my sleep habits — and tucked the bracelet away in my dopp kit. 

In August, we decided to take a quiet, very COVID-cautious, week-long road trip to visit my sister’s family in Boise. We packed up our little old Honda Fit, buckled in West and the pups, and drove 800+ miles in the blazing sun in order to get out of our bubble for the first time since February. (I didn’t mention the trip on Instagram. I wanted it to be all about family— not work. And I didn’t want to contribute to normalizing travel during the pandemic.) 

We believe it was on this trip that I got pregnant with the new life that’s now inside of me. 

I hadn’t stopped eating a vegetarian diet, nor did I add any supplements to my routine (beyond continuing my prenatals). I didn’t take any hormones either. I experienced no implantation bleeding this time. Instead, my first signs were the common symptoms felt around week 6, such as fatigue, tenderness, nausea.  

Above: The Cottage closet nursery in 2016.

Weirdly enough, it was a random symptom — congestion — that nudged me out of bed at 1 o’clock at night while my family slept, and prompted me to go buy a pregnancy test at a 24-hour pharmacy. While I was at the store, I made an atypical purchase; a tiny toy construction set for West. I had a feeling that Adam and I would be distracted by the test results in the morning, and I didn’t want our then-3 year old, who’d fallen asleep between us in the “family bed” that night, feeling overlooked. 

The moment I returned home, I took the test. 

When the “YES +” appeared, I felt a wave of enormous joy. Then, moments later, I experienced a crash of fears. I decided to sit in those feelings by myself until Adam awoke 5 hours later.

When West began to stir, I decided to activate the camera on my phone and let it run, thinking it might be delightful to catch Adam’s reaction to the test. More than twenty minutes passed, and by then I forgot that the camera was running. When Adam opened his eyes, I handed the test to West and asked him if he wouldn’t mind passing it along to his father. When Adam realized what he was looking it, his eyes went wide and his mouth dropped open in disbelief. (It had been about a year since we’d last seen a positive test.) Despite the worry pressing in on me, I couldn’t help but laugh. And, since I’d forgotten about the camera, I promptly sat up right in front of it.  

Turns out that the miniature construction set was a good call. West was thrilled with that surprise, as Adam and I were thrilled with the other. 

I’m now well into my second trimester— a welcome relief after the first, which was unforgiving. Not only is my pregnancy labeled as a Geriatric (as it was with West), but it’s also now labeled as Elderly Multigravida. 

So far, all medical tests indicate that the baby is healthy and on track. But every time I feel round ligament pain, I desperately hope that’s all it is. Every time I use the restroom, I hold my breath and check for signs of disruption. Every time an unpleasant pregnancy symptom vanishes, relief is accompanied by a parallel panic. 

To the women out there who are trying to conceive and/or who have suffered loss - I am holding you with me tightly, every day. 

---

*A note on privilege: During my pregnancy and birth with West and now, I’ve have the privilege of safe and respectful maternity care. Access, along with the opportunity and space be heard in order to best achieve a healthy outcome for mother and child is by no means a given for every woman in America.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that “Black mothers in the U.S. die at three to four times the rate of white mothers, one of the widest of all racial disparities in women's health.” (NPR)

According to Every Mother Counts: “Chronic stress and systemic and interpersonal racism contribute to a higher risk of complications and death for women of color. The number of women who die giving birth in America each year has nearly doubled in the last two decades, and over half of all maternal deaths in the U.S. can be prevented.“

My journey will always include working towards dismantling the systemic racism that robs Black women and women of color from potentially having the same wonderful experience with their baby/babies as I had with West.

While We Wait

While we’ve been awaiting election results, America officially left the The Paris Climate Agreement. (Click here to read about 72 ways the current president has made America dirtier and the planet warmer.) Considering all that teeters on the brink— particularly for disenfranchised communities and the health of our one mighty, shared home— more than 72 million folks in the United States (my family included) are holding our breath for the election to be fairly and lawfully called for the candidate who has a viable plan for a clean energy revolution and environmental justice.* 

I’ve been actively fighting the urge to continually refresh the NPR app, and have instead kept my hands busy with work (a foggy version of it, at least). I’ve also thrown myself into chores and family activities that leave little to no opportunity to obsessively check my phone. I’ve found that having control over something— even something insignificant like setting up a different workspace every day— has temporarily kept me from focusing solely on that which is beyond my control.

I believe that this has helped me preserve some energy to check in with loved ones, collaborate further with The RightWay Foundation, entertain and educate our 4 year old (alongside Adam, who is our son’s primary caregiver during the day), keep our small business quietly humming, and hopefully nurture the little life growing inside me.

As we nervously putter through the days, particular articles and comments concerning the environment, social + environmental justice, and what’s at stake keep resurfacing in my mind. I’m sharing some of those words below.

“The climate crisis is a leadership crisis. For far too long, too many leaders have focused on profit, power, and prestige; and many of those committed to change have been ineffective. The climate crisis is the result of social, political, and economic systems that are wildly skewed to benefit those who already have so much. To transform society this decade— the clear task science has set before us— we need transformational leadership. We need feminine and feminist climate leadership, which is wide open to people of any gender. This is where possibility lives— possibility that we can turn away from the brink and move toward a life-giving future for all.” - All We Can Save, edited by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson & Katherine K. Wilkinson

“Environmental justice embraces the principle that all people and communities are entitled to equal protection of environmental, housing, economic, transportation, energy, and civil rights — including voting rights.”  - Robert Bullard to Rolling Stone (From the article “Another Reason We Can’t Breathe”)

“… administration after administration has failed to sufficiently act on or even acknowledge environmental racism, and the toll it’s taken has been undeniable. Meeting the challenges of this moment — with the intersection of so many crises coming to a boiling point —  will require thinking beyond the outdated notions of what qualifies as a climate policy.” - Jamil Smith

“To meet the challenges of the climate crisis and preserve all that we hold dear; to retain democracy, social justice, human rights, and other hard-won freedoms in the future, we must part ways with that which threatens to destroy them. Now is the time to make profound shifts in how we live, work, and relate to each other.” - The Future We Choose: Surviving the Climate Crisis

“So, to white people who care about maintaining a habitable planet, I need you to become actively anti-racist. I need you to understand that our racial inequality crisis is intertwined with our climate crisis. If we don’t work on both, we will succeed at neither.” - Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson

"A democracy cannot thrive where power remains unchecked and justice is reserved for a select few. Ignoring these cries and failing to respond to this movement is simply not an option — for peace cannot exist where justice is not served." - Rep. John Lewis

“Efforts to discourage and disenfranchise voters—in voter registration, ballot access, or counting of votes—have a catastrophic effect on our democracy and our communities.” - Fair Fight by Stacey Abrams

“Americans are deeply divided—and we’re deeply divided over why we’re deeply divided. To be antiracist is to recognize and challenge racism as the source of the racial divide. To be racist is to deny racism and frame those challenging racism as the source of the racial divide.” - Ibram X. Kendi

“Resist the urge to quit.” - Heather McGhee

“Release the need to hate, to harbor division, and the enticement of revenge. Release all bitterness. Hold only love, only peace in your heart, knowing that the battle of good to overcome evil is already won." - John Lewis

*”On the environment and climate change, [Joe] Biden wants to spend $2 trillion on an emissions-free power sector by 2035, build energy-efficient structures and vehicles, push solar and wind power, establish research agencies to develop safe nuclear power and carbon capture technologies, and more. The investment will produce two million jobs for U.S. workers, his campaign claims, and the climate plan will be partly paid by eliminating Trump's corporate tax cuts. Historically disadvantaged communities in the U.S. will receive 40 percent of these energy and infrastructure benefits.” - Scientific American

Growing Our Family

We’d begun to settle into the belief that it wouldn’t happen... and now here we are— guarded, bewildered, and steeped in gratitude.

Our four year old knows that sometime in spring he’ll become a big brother. To our relief and delight, he’s jubilant, though he has also confessed to being “a little nervous.” (So are we, sweet one. So are we.) 

I have much more to write about this experience thus far, along with our plans and my thoughts on fear, loss and privilege... but I’ll save all that for after the election. Our vote is our voice— let’s be heard, loud and clear.

Related posts:
My Fertility Journey
My Voting Plan

Dreamy, Uniquely Designed Homes I’m Hoping to Visit

Note: This post was created in collaboration with Airbnb.

I’m hugely grateful to be here in our little home + garden during this bizarre time of social distancing. Still — like most folks, I’m guessing — I increasingly find myself thinking back on past vacations, and envisioning various future getaways to uniquely designed homes nestled within entirely different environments.

Above: A roadside photo I captured on our most recent visit to the Aveyron region of France.

I’ve discovered that a bright side of staying in place during the present is that it has allowed me a bit more time to plan for the future.

Above: From a sunset walk through Peyrusse-le-Roc in 2017.

I began gathering a dream list of small, delightfully unusual Airbnbs that I’m eager to visit on our next visit to our home away from home: rural France. 

Above: Photograph taken during a stroll on our most recent visit to the Aveyron region of France.

Each home offers something out-of-the-ordinary. One property is nestled at the foot of a medieval castle, one is a treehouse, another is a dome, there’s a cottage that pretty much looks like it’s straight out of the Shire, and obviously a few homes have pools… because a girl can dream within her dreams, right?

Stone Apartment with Pool - This property looks like a practical and interesting blend of styles— new but traditionally-inspired, streamlined but rustic, simple but luxurious. A studio for resting and working, and a pool and outdoor zones for relaxing and revitalizing make it seem like a smart live/work retreat.

Windowed Dome - I’ve never stayed in a dome before! I like that this one is both beautiful wilderness retreat for adults and a suitable set-up for kids.

Medieval Home at the Foot of a Chateau - This small, rustic, eco-friendly home is situated a the foot of a 14th century castle, tucked within an old village surrounded by rolling hills and gorges. Between the views, the features and the unique design, it’s a place I could envision staying for a longer stretch of time for work or play.

Treehouse in Nature, but Close to a City - Nestled in old growth trees but near to the town of Millau, this small treehouse has extraordinary arching windows and cleverly designed interior features.  

Vine-Covered Home and Garden with Pool Access - This 18th century converted barn in the Lot Valley with a vine and flower covered terrace and private garden offers easy access to hiking, canoeing, and the extraordinary village of Conques.

Hobbit Home - This is a modest, happy looking home with a round front door out of a fairy tale, rustic wooden interior features, and windows framed with brick overlooking a wild garden and sprawling valley. 

Outdoor Oasis with Pool and Views - Adam and I never had a honeymoon. If we could do it over, I’d certainly want to make a multi-night stop here— an isolated, refined stone home with epic views, sunbaked terraces, and a modern but beautifully integrated pool.

10 Year Anniversary

10 years ago today, this little family of mine began to take shape.

I biked to a beachside restaurant with my friend and told her about someone named Adam with whom I’d been chatting online. While at the restaurant, I received a text from Adam saying he was thinking about me, as he was randomly on the Westside for brunch. (He lived in Silverlake at the time, and I lived on the beach here in Venice. We’d not yet met in person.) We soon realized that we were sitting in the same restaurant.

I will never, ever forget seeing Adam for the first time as he approached our table. I can still remember the way he made me feel. I’m no romantic, but I knew immediately that he was it for me. (On our next encounter, StanLee met Adam and agreed, which made everything official.)

A decade later, we have more grays, are softer around the edges, and take a bit longer to wake up in the morning, but still experience all of those extraordinary feelings and more.

Adam: Sleepy cheers to our 10th anniversary, my love.

Photo no.1 by Lucia Doynel, photo no.2 by Hilton Carter for his beautiful book, Wild Interiors.

Planning Careful Escapes from the City

Note: This post was created in collaboration with Airbnb.

I’m feeling the need to step out of the city more and more these days. Our mini trip to an Airbnb in Joshua Tree last week turned out to be a gulp of fresh air that we hadn’t realized we could all really use.

Above: Our most recent visit to Joshua Tree. Airbnb property details here.

We planned and packed for pandemic-era car travel. For the car ride itself, we stuffed a cooler full of beverages and snacks, we toted a travel potty along for our little one, and we kept bottles hand sanitizer at-the-ready. For the stay, we packed enough washable face masks for one per person per day (along with an empty dirty laundry bag), as well as helpful little items like reusable drinkware and utensils to help us avoid single-use goods when out, and to minimize potential exposure. 

Above: Packing for a road trip to Joshua Tree

The property was pristine, and we found it notably easier to practice social distancing while in the rural environment than it is daily at our home in the city. In short, we felt safe and relaxed, and the experience inspired me to investigate more spots for (safe, careful), relatively nearby getaways.

Here’s the list of properties that I’m compiling for such escapes. (Spoiler alert: My favorite one has an outdoor shower, of course… you know I can’t resist.) 

Lakeside A-Frame - I love a good A-Frame, and this window-filled cabin escape is nestled beautifully between National Parks, and perched on four wooded acres overlooking a lake with staggering views of mountain peaks. 

Malibu Airstream Eco-Retreat with Outdoor Shower and Lounges - This property is both extravagant and eco-minded at the same time. With abundant outdoor lounges (and even an open-air screening zone), a swing and piano overlooking the mountains and ocean, and — my favorite — an entirely outdoor bathroom, including a compost toilet, this Airstream is an actual SoCal dream of mine.

Topanga Getaway with Outdoor Tubs - Topanga’s quiet hills and old growth trees have always held a special place in my heart, and this 

Wine Country Cabin - This renovated yet rustic cabin was once a military bunker that was relocated to the rolling hills of Paso Robles wine country and transformed into a cozy home. With views of wineries and rolling hay fields, it looks like a sweet escape from the city.

Refined Cottage Under Old Growth Tree Canopy - A bright, SoCal cottage on the Central Coast that’s close to town yet removed enough to enjoy wooded views and a quiet sundeck.

Topanga Tiny Home - An earthy, mountain getaway in Topanga canyon with designs that are as simple as they are stunning.

Bright, Minimal Wine Country Tiny Home & Garden - A sweet and simple tiny home for a quiet work/live retreat.

Minimalist Modern Cabin with Walls of Windows - A truly indoor/outdoor home in the high desert within the hills of yucca valley. With visually striking, clear walls, a sun deck and propane fire pit, this compact, uncluttered, off-grid home generates its own power from the sun. 

Storing + Washing + Wearing Masks

Post Summary: Drying and storing masks in a small space, and a multi-tasking accessory to remind you to bring and wear one.

At the start of the pandemic, my husband used to always have to remind me to grab my mask on the way out the door. Now, seven months in and counting, we’ve found a routine that seamlessly integrates these necessities into our small home and lives. By now, this is a well covered topic in general, but I still receive inquiries about our mask collection and storage, so here are the details. (Remember, masks aren’t just about keeping ourselves safer— they’re about keeping others safer. It’s our responsibility to look out for our communities and our neighbors, particularly those who are most at risk.)

MASK SOURCES
We’ve found our collection of face coverings via various small retailers and shops. The majority of our adult + child masks are from The Odells, and a handful (that can accommodate filters) are from Suay Sew Shop. Each mask that The Odells sells creates 10 meals for hungry children and adults, and a percentage of all Suay’s masks sales go to feeding LA garment workers affected by COVID-19. Suay uses deadstock, vintage and remnant linens to create adjustable masks with a filter pocket and reshapable nosepiece. 

MASK STORAGE
We store our clean masks in a small woven basket that’s affixed directly to the inside of our front door via a simple metal hook. (The basket is several years old from Connected Goods. Other versions that would be good for serving the same purpose can be found here. Handmade or vintage onion baskets are often well-suited options, too.)

MASK WASHING
After wearing our masks, we toss them in a metal bucket that’s suspended from our shower curtain rod, where they wait to until their next trip to the washing machine.

MASK DRYING
To prolong the life and structure of our masks, we dry them on our makeshift clothesline, our bedroom curtain rod, or from a space-saving, 3-tiered herb hanger I found at a small boutique in Santa Fe last year.

MASK WEARING
As for remembering to wear my mask, my handmade, 3-in-1 holder (which can be converted into a long necklace or a wrapped bracelet) by Maddalena Bearzi is a practical piece of wearable art. It reminds me to always have my mask at-the-ready— especially when biking, walking the pups, or running after the little one as he practices riding his bike. (Plus it’s perfect for wearing to a secure ballot drop box or to the polls — just saying.)

Home Learning - Tracing Tools for Children

Now that our little one is home almost non-stop for the seventh month in a row, we’ve started setting up morning mini lessons designed for his current interests and skills. At 4 years old, he’s ready for some semblance of schooling. But due to the ever-rising cost of pre-school in Los Angeles coupled with the COVID-19 rates throughout the city, my husband and I made the tough decision to not send our child to classes for the foreseeable future.

West has been spelling out short words and expressing a more in-depth understanding of numbers (particularly since counting down to his birthday), so we introduced some tracing tools to his daily mix of learning materials.

Our friends at Timberchild (who, years ago, crafted the wooden plates that our kiddo still uses daily), sent him this beautifully made, double-sided tracing board for his recent birthday.

These number boards are made from one solid, smoothly sanded piece of wood. With one side, children can start to recognize and learn numbers 1 through 10, and then progress to 11 through 20 on the flip side. The numbers can be traced with a finger, or by using the wooden stylus provided. Our son likes to invent various ways to count out the numbers, scrounging up crafting supplies, rocks, marbles, and even the annoying ficus seeds from the garden to fit into the numerous, divots — perfectly sized for tiny fingertips — on the board.

I appreciate the minimal design, which allows us to keep the board out without contributing to a feeling of clutter or overcrowding. This is always a consideration for us given the small size of our home, and the lack of a dedicated play space / bedroom for our youngest family member. 

For those looking for a beautiful, useful toy + tool for the holidays for a child who is learning from home, this delightful, family-owned and operated small business sells their number boards here and their letter boards here.

Tiny Living in 2020 - An Interview with Jewel Pearson of Ms. Bohemian Soul

Jewel Pearson is a Tiny House owner, consultant and advocate who has been an active and outspoken leader on creative, accessible small space living since 2006. Drawn to her vibrant style, her deeper dissection of the world of tiny living, and her sheer love of sunshine, I finally connected with Jewel over Instagram after long admiring her from afar. 

Jewel believes that "you don’t have to give up luxury to go tiny,” just as I believe that “you don’t need to live large to live beautifully.” She shares her knowledge and extensive work in tiny house designing, building and living in order to help others explore this distinctive and delightful pathway to home ownership. 

Personally, as a 39 year old small business owner who has never owned her own home, and who is raising a family that cherishes experiences over belongings, I am both professionally and personally interested in Jewel’s work. As such, I was overjoyed when she generously agreed to do a Q&A for this blog. 

I haven’t introduced many outside stories to this site over the years because there are countless other home decor and lifestyle sites that curate and publish interviews and home tours full-time. What I believe sets The Tiny Canal Cottage apart is that it’s a real-life, decade-long experiment in small space living as an evolving, growing home and company. But Jewel and I share enough overlap that I know her story will resonate well with this blog’s readership, while her expertise, history and viewpoints offer vital insights that I cannot.

When devising the questions for this interview, Jewel and I wanted to avoid the typical inquiries that she and I both receive routinely from other media outlets. We aimed to redirect the light away from the extensively-covered topics such as storage and decor, and focus instead on the more meaningful issues behind small space living, such the role it can play in this era climate crisis, and its importance in an increasingly polarized economy and society that’s rife with social and racial injustices. 

Want to know more about Jewel’s business? Visit her website and Instagram, and explore her professional services, such as her tiny house plans (available for purchase), tours, consultations, workshops, and public / virtual speaking options. 

Photo courtesy of Jewel Pearson © Ms. Bohemian Soul.

Question: What draws you to tiny living, Jewel?

Jewel’s Reply: My initial draw to tiny living was having imagined it being my retirement plan, once my daughter was successfully headed off into her own. I had dreamed about it as living in a RV and traveling nomadically throughout the country, but as I got closer to the time and was looking at RVs I realized the ones from my dream weren’t in my budget, if I wanted to “retire”.  I later stumbled on a story about a now friend, who’d built a tiny house around 2013 that resonated with me and then decided that’s what I was going to do. 

For me tiny living represented freedom and “lightness”, freedom from having had to be so responsible as I did raising my daughter as a single mom and having to make decisions focused more so on needs and requirements. The RV life, as I had imagined it, meant opportunities for “irresponsibility” and the ability to make decisions based on wants and desires. I saw it as an opportunity to not have roots and attachments, but exist kind of nomadically – which, while I don’t actually travel with my house, I am still able to feel that personally as I am able to travel more (pre-Covid) because with tiny living my responsibilities and expenses have been reduced and that is the dream.

Photo courtesy of Jewel Pearson © Ms. Bohemian Soul

Question: Do you find your passion for tiny living growing, receding, or generally evolving over time? 

Jewel’s Reply: I find my passion for tiny living growing and evolving. After 5 years I still love my house and love living in it. I love that I can quickly change my décor and make it feel refreshed and I have added and enlarged my outdoor spaces to make everything even more enjoyable. My passion has grown and evolved in what I feel is my community involvement and “responsibility” to represent people who look like me and weren’t being seen in this movement so they and their voices are included. My involvement has also evolved into conversations with government officials around legalizing tiny homes. It is also my desire and almost bucket list item to build a tiny house community.

Photo courtesy of Jewel Pearson © Ms. Bohemian Soul

Question: What you believe tiny living has to offer in an era of climate crisis? 

Jewel’s Reply: Tiny living helps you to think more about your footprint and impact on the world. Living smaller offers a lighter footprint; you are consuming and wasting less almost automatically. Many tiny houses are designed to be more energy efficient, as they’re solar powered, have compost toilets, rain catchment systems, etc. The owners are or become more focused on the earth, with gardening and farming and become more focused on the food that they eat and the food’s source. It’s almost as a natural progression that you want to become a better steward of the earth through tiny living, even if that wasn’t your original focus and intent, and there is a lot of value in that in light of our climate crisis and certainly more value in it if more people took that path. Tiny houses on wheels, which offer mobility options should be and are a valuable consideration for the areas often impacted by fires, they present options for safety and less loss of property.

Photo courtesy of Jewel Pearson © Ms. Bohemian Soul

Question: What you believe tiny living has to offer in our increasingly polarized economy?

Jewel’s Reply: Each major city is currently experiencing an affordable housing crisis and issues with homelessness and the crises are increasing with no real end in sight. Tiny living offers viable solutions for both, if cities would just consider them. The west coast is doing a good job in doing so with the legalization of tiny houses on wheels as ADUs in many cities, which just makes sense as that option eliminates the major financial expense associated with building an ADU on foundation, it provides housing for the tiny house owner and it provides financial support for the conventional homeowner. If you consider how many backyards are available that aren’t being used for anything that would support the concept, it’s a win and no brainer. For the majority of my tiny house living I have been located in that same scenario, though not with official approval as it is currently not technically legal to do so here in Charlotte and in 2019 the city officials required me to move my home. However, I continue to try to have the conversations here with city officials and I continue to share the examples of what is being done in other progressive areas, as considering tiny houses on wheels offers an immediate solution for housing and it offers financial support for conventional homeowners and people are struggling and need solutions. It not the end all solution by any means nor is it something everyone is interested in, but it offers a very viable solution that should be considered.

This has also been a big consideration of mine as I’ve focused on the Black and brown communities missing from the larger tiny house conversations and movement. Much of the reasoning of why people get involved with tiny living is for the opportunities it presents for less debt/debt free living and the ability to own your home quicker, without the standard constrictions of mortgage loans. That is something that is sorely needed in those communities as the communities continue to show up last, year after year, in the rates for homeownership and in light of what should be major concerns with the existing wealth gap in this country and it’s continual increase without remediation. There are numerous historical and systemic issues that have led to and continue to contribute to both of those problems, but tiny living offers a viable solution for getting to homeownership quicker, for less debt/debt free living and opportunities for wealth building. The opportunities are something definitely worth consideration as so many people continue to pursue the very elusive “American Dream.”

Photo courtesy of Jewel Pearson © Ms. Bohemian Soul

Question: What sorts of microagressions do you experience as a Black woman in both the tiny home and design spaces? 

Jewel’s Reply: One of the things that I’ve learned recently is to call “microagressions” what they really are, which is trauma. As a Black woman in this movement I’ve experienced trauma in the racism I’ve had to deal with in attending events in rural areas, in Facebook groups where participants used ethnic slurs and it is permitted and I’d receive racist comments on social media posts. I’ve received an anonymous threatening email message from someone clearly associated with the movement, as I’ve been very vocal about the lack of representation and inclusivity within the movement and people felt “attacked” because I was calling it out. As a Black woman living in my tiny house, I’ve twice had to relocate my home due to personal safety concerns due to experienced racism, once when my house was located in a RV Park and then most recently where it was located on a farm in a rural area right outside Charlotte. 

Interestingly, in the design space I had a situation occur with a woman who bought my plans and built her tiny home from them. I ended up spending a lot of free consulting time with her during her build, as she was experiencing a lot of issues with her builder and I coached her through her build, as I could relate and felt compassion for her situation. Her house turned out fabulously, with obviously my plans as the foundation. Fast forward to last year, she shared she was going to be filming with “Living Big in a Tiny House” so I reminded her of the plans purchase agreement which requires properly crediting the design owner. After the filming had been completed and shared on social media, people who recognized her home’s design started tagging me in the posts as they were inquiring about her design and the correlation to my home. I then look at the interview and see that when asked about the design of her home there is this weird awkwardness and explanation of the design idea/inspiration being a result of her research and her design style, blah, blah, blah. She never credits me as the owner of the plans or the design. So I reach out again to remind her of the contractual agreement, she then shifts the responsibility to the host saying he agreed he’d include the info and loops him in and instead of either or both of them doing the right thing, his response to me is that he felt like what I was trying to do was ride his popularity to gain personal exposure. I had absolutely zero interest in his “following” as they aren’t actually my audience, nor do I need his “exposure” and I’d actually declined a prior opportunity with him to film my home. What I was requiring was that proper credit be given, as per contractual agreement. Never mind the fact that it was absolutely the right thing to do. His recourse was to add a note to his notes in YouTube, which had I not been dealing with a number of other priorities at the time would not have flown and I would’ve involved my attorney. What I know to be true is that disrespect would not have happened to a white designer, man or woman and it was uncalled for and came from a place of privilege.

Photo courtesy of Jewel Pearson © Ms. Bohemian Soul

Question: Has the pandemic shifted your views on where you want to be or how you want to live once travel becomes safer and more accessible on the other side of Covid?

Jewel’s Reply: There are actually a couple of pandemics currently occurring, one being Covid and the other being racism, both of which are very negatively impacting the Black community. With that in mind, once travel becomes safer and more accessible I know that I want to live somewhere I feel welcome and safe. Since early March I have been living in an apartment in the city here and have not been living in my tiny house since due to the incidences of racism I experienced, and because I’d experienced some challenges with the farm director and his management and direction of the property. I’d been on this 11-acre farm alone for 7 months and I didn’t feel safe, but didn’t have anywhere to relocate my house at that time. I was able to relocate my house in August and am planning to move back into it once the site’s infrastructure work is completed at the new location and I’m looking forward to that. 

Longer term, I am considering places outside of the country for at least part time residence. Cartagena and Medellin, Colombia are areas of interest as is Mexico. I work remotely, but am required to be in a located in a place where my company has offices so that’s a big factor and also a limitation. My plan would be to still maintain my tiny house in the US, but I want to have options outside the US.

Longer-Lasting, No-Carve Pumpkin Decorating for a Small Stoop

On his birthday last month, our little one desperately wanted to create a jack-o-lantern. Knowing full well that a hallowed-out pumpkin wouldn’t survive long under the fluctuating marine layer and beaming sun in our coastal town, we caved in and carved one.

The results were endearing, but — as expected — only lasted until October 1. 

After collecting and devouring a dozen Halloween books in recent days, our 4 year old was adamant about replacing the pumpkin. So we took a Tiny Adventure to a local farm / pumpkin patch, and selected a handful of funny little beauties to introduce to our small stoop. The agreement upon securing the batch was that they would be no-carve pumpkins, with the goal of them lasting longer.

We used the metal pumpkin glasses I found on Etsy years ago, along with a few other decorative facial features (made into stakes) that we found on-site at the farm.  

(Click here for the pup version, click here for various other characters.)

The results continue to make us giggle whenever we walk into our home. 

We’re not quite done yet. We intend to make a VOTE pumpkin, of course. See you at the polls, or at the ballot drop box, folks. Let’s vote in epic numbers — for the planet and for racial justice — so our voices cannot be ignored.

Tiny Adventures: Searching SoCal for Fall During the Pandemic

In need of some fresh air and a change of scenery, we took a tiny adventure to Underwood Family Farms in Moorpark (just outside of LA) this week.

We figured it would be a good way for our little one to stretch his legs while we sourced locally grown pumpkins and produce. 

We wore our masks, of course— not just to keep ourselves safer, but to help protect others.

We also adhered to social distancing protocols, and visited right when the farm opened to the public at 9am in order to avoid crowds and the heat. 

In order to both reduce waste and possible increased exposure to COVID, we toted our own snacks and beverages as usual.

We brought home a handful of funny lil’ pumpkins.

We’ll be decorating them in a no-carve way in order to extend their lifespan. (More on this in the following blog post.) 

When we arrived home, we were thrilled to discover our mail-in ballots in our post box. We’ll spend the week educating ourselves on the issues and candidates with which we’re unfamiliar. And in the days to come, we’ll also send out our Vote Forward letters to residents in swing states. After all, October is the new November. 

Weekend Activity: Getting Out the Vote as a Family

Above: “VOTE!” posters & postcards available for download here.

“To meet the challenges of the climate crisis and preserve all that we hold dear; to retain democracy, social justice, human rights, and other hard-won freedoms in the future, we must part ways with that which threatens to destroy them. Now is the time to make profound shifts in how we live, work, and relate to each other.”
- The Future We Choose: Surviving the Climate Crisis

Writing letters to voters is one of the most effective ways to help increase election turnout. So this weekend, our family will be writing letters to registered voters in Georgia to encourage them to cast their ballots in the upcoming election.

The template, instructions, names/addresses, and safe return address were provided to us via a coordinated process orchestrated by Vote Forward. This non-profit has increased their letter-writing goal from 10 million to 15 million, so there’s still an opportunity (and plenty of time) to get involved for those who are interested in helping get out the vote in swing states.

We’re always happy to support the USPS by purchasing stamps… and our little one is always more than happy to adhere the stamps to envelopes.

In the words of John Lewis:

“Your vote matters. If it didn't, why would some people keep trying to take it away?”

A Living, Over-the-Table Display of Fall Foliage for a Festive Occasion

Post Summary: How we created a space-saving, over-the-table canopy of real branches and flowers in celebration of the little one’s 4th birthday.

Time continues to boggle my mind— our little one turned 4 this week. 

I believe this was the first year that he really understood the concept of his birthday. But, of course, it’s also the first year in which a proper party was out of the question due to the pandemic. 

We pieced together a simple but festive celebration, replacing hugs with FaceTime calls (sigh), balloons with branches, wrapping paper with household linens (view more photos of this in last year’s birthday post), and a traditional cake with what I imagine must have been the world’s actual biggest donut.

Above: A child’s blanket designed by our friends, New Darlings, doubles as wrapping paper.

The birthday kid helped me create an arrangement of living fall foliage and sunflowers, which we picked up during a swift, masked visit to the flower market.

We used this adjustable, over-the-table system to frame the space-saving display.

What I appreciate about this design is that it consumes no tabletop inches, but instantly creates usable vertical space for a dynamic visual when paired with greenery, hanging lights, and/or decorative accents. 

I use zip ties sparingly, as they’re single-use plastic, but I admit to using a handful for this display.

We’d run out of floral wire, as Adam uses it to train the cherry tomatoes on the grow porch, and twine couldn’t support the larger branches.

So the zip ties came to the rescue, making the process faster and much more secure— helpful, given that a (4 year old!) child was actively participating in the creation process. 

An hour later, we had a cheerful little spot to quietly sing West a birthday song and attempt to make a dent in that enormous donut. 

It was the activity more than the finished product that my son clearly relished the most. Brushing each other’s hands as we reached for the same magnolia branch, our sincere deliberations about where to place the prized sunflowers, and our cartoon-like exclamations when parts of the arrangement tumbled off the rods and crashed to the floor before being properly secured. 

When the display dries out later this week, we’ll disassemble it together and tote the greenery to the compost and green bin via our fold-up wheelbarrow, which he loves to hitch a ride in once it’s empty. I vow to indulge him on every wobbly ride he requests— even when my back is sore and I’m behind on work. Time is boldly reminding me that my little one is swiftly becoming not-so-little, and that he won’t fit or delight in our sweet wheelbarrow rides forever.

Safe Housing For Transition Age Foster Youth (September Update)

I figured we could use a dose of good news after this deeply upsetting and unsettling week, so I wanted to share a happy update regarding The RightWay Foundation’s housing initiative, Operation Housing First.

For readers who are newer here, RightWay is an LA-based non-profit that has been working towards securing safe, dedicated housing for unhoused transition-age foster youth in LA. This community showed up repeatedly in meaningful ways, calling loudly for brands to donate goods and funds that would better enable RightWay to obtain and outfit the apartments, while still providing their youth with mental health care, rent assistance and job placement, as well as trauma-informed training for employers.

Over the past weekend, one of the pregnant youth that RightWay placed in safe housing gave birth to a heathy baby.

“From the bottom of our hearts, I want to say thank you, because now we have a beautiful baby boy that wasn’t born into homelessness, and that really warms my heart— you just can’t imagine.” - Franco Vega, Director, The RightWay Foundation

Additionally, the new mother’s roommate (who was also provided housing by RightWay) took time off of her job to support her friend in her new role as a mother.

“… a lot of our foster youth come from a broken system that never supported them. But now that they’re emancipated and they’re adults, they know how important it is to help each other out. Even though the county and the system didn’t help them out, they know deep down in their hearts that they need to help each other out.” - Franco Vega, Director, The RightWay Foundation

For any individual or brand who wants to get involved, please contact me, or visit RightWay’s website to connect directly with the Foundation.

As always, thank you.