This year has been absolutely incredible.
I’d imagine many first time parents share this sentiment. Everything your child does is exciting, and being able to witness the wonder of everyday events through their eyes is amazing. I often say that I can’t even remember what life was like before William – and I am perfectly OK with that. Whether it’s his fascination with leaves, the face he makes when he tries a new food, or the hysterical giggle he lets out when sees Henry (our Golden Retriever )… he is constantly opening my eyes to the beauty of the world in ways I never could have imagined.
As you well know, I love talking about William and my adventures in motherhood. So when Pottery Barn Kids approached me to do a holiday post, I immediately said “yes.” As with all of our sponsored posts, we make it a point to only partner with companies that feel truly authentic to who we are… and what could be more authentic than a “Baby’s First Christmas” post with Pottery Barn Kids?
But I also wanted it to be different. I didn’t just want to tell you about how incredible PBK’s blankets are… or how their rockers really “make” a nursery. I didn’t just want to tell you how perfect their monogrammed ornaments look on our tree… or how amazing this personalized Christmas Bear book is. All those things are undeniably true, but I wanted to talk about something bigger. I wanted to talk about how Pottery Barn Kids is making a difference in the lives of many, and more importantly, how you can help.
During this holiday season, Pottery Barn Kids has partnered with the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and they will be donating 50% of the purchase price of select items (like this owl blanket and rattle set that William is obsessed with) directly to the charity. For those of you who are unfamiliar, St. Jude is a pediatric treatment and research facility that focuses on catastrophic childhood illnesses – like cancer.
As many of you know, a couple of weeks ago, William took a spill and broke his leg. It was one of the most difficult things in the world… to watch him be in pain and to know that there was nothing we could do. Children are so innocent and so inherently good, to see anything bad happen to them is incredibly unfair. Thankfully, we got wonderful news at the Doctor’s office that day.William’s leg would heal quickly, and he’d be “back to normal in no time.” We felt so lucky, and we were so relieved.
But unfortunately, for some families – “back to normal in no time” will never be the case. I can’t even begin to imagine what that would feel like. I can’t imagine what it would be like to have a child that is sick with cancer. I can’t imagine trying to explain to my tiny, little human… “Why?”. It is something I wish no person would ever have to endure, but that is just not reality. Reality… is that it takes 2 million dollars a day to run the St. Jude facility – and 75% of that funding that comes from people just like you.
I know that during the holidays there are many organizations looking for your help and donations. If you’re anything like me, you want to help them all. My husband often shakes his head and has to reel me back in. “Em, you donated ten meals the last time we checked out at Raleys… Em, we didn’t see you at all last weekend because you were volunteering. Em, you know you can’t help everyone… right?” And while I know that he’s right, I’ll never stop trying.
Like I said before, and as you can see in the photos – we are some of the lucky ones. I have never been more aware of that. William is happy, healthy, and thriving… but for parents and children who aren’t so lucky, The St. Jude facility is there to offer care and support. So this holiday season, if it suits you – join Pottery Barn Kids and I, in supporting St. Jude, and choose a gift that gives life.
Shop PBK & St Jude Gifts
*A huge thank you to Pottery Barn Kids for sponsoring this post.
Other Great PBK Gifts:
