LONG TIME NO BLOG // Update + discount code

Whoa. It almost feels unnatural to be back on here. Like forever has passed since I've paid any attention to this place I used to consider my safe haven. I feel the urge to apologize, as I know so many of you followed my blog regularly, but feel quite silly actually doing so. 

If you follow my personal Instagram account (@radandrebellious) then you're well aware of the fact that I finally took the leap and created an apparel line. What started as a silly dream I never thought stood a chance, has truly exceeded my expectations as well as many others. In a short two months I've gained a following of nearly 4,000 incredible supporters. 4,000 people from across the globe that are helping my dreams come true more and more with each passing day. 4,000 people that believe in me and all that I can accomplish. As I've thanked them all numerous times, I still feel as if I owe them SO much for helping Rad and Rebellious Apparel get to the place it's at today. 

I posted a photo earlier today of Jonah and myself, laying cuddled in our bed. I mentioned how those moments are so very rare these days, and that I hope one day he grows to know that everything I do is for him. For us. 

I jumped into this whole owning a business thing with no knowledge whatsoever of how tough it would be to keep it afloat. To do it ALL on my own. From emails, to designs, marketing, to listing the items, purchasing tags, packaging, labeling, shipping. ALL of it is being done with my two hands. I don't have a business degree or any experience in graphic design.. Heck, I don't even own a computer at the moment. I'm building an empire using only my tired frazzled mom brain & iPhone 5s. Most days my head feels as if it'll explode into a million pieces, and to be quite honest, I'm a little afraid that the chances of putting it back together will be unlikely if it does. Today I took a shower that lasted longer than 2 minutes and it almost felt like a luxury. I've completely forgotten what it feels like to get dolled up and feel pretty. With my mind racing a million miles a minute all day, everyday, it's hard to dedicate any time to myself and to Jonah. 

I see Rad and Rebellious succeeding and can't help but be overwhelmed with joy, but as I too, see my everyday life being compromised so drastically in the process I can't help but feel guilt. I'm at a point in my business where I can confidently say it's going places, meaning I can no longer put off learning how to juggle my time. 

With everything going on, can you see how blogging got put on the back burner? I contemplated doing it all, but quickly realized it would lead me to insanity if I did. My mind is tired. My body is tired. I'm just, tired. But even if given the chance to, I wouldn't change a thing. Feelint tired is natural, and I would much rather be dead tired from doing way TOO much than to be tired from doing nothing at all. 

At the end of the day I can say that despite the struggles I've faced and the ones I've yet to face, I do what I love and I love what I do. Below is only a small handful of reasons why. 

If you read through this extra lengthy ramble + update, thank you. You're all SO appreciated & trust me when I say, no kind comment, order, follow, repost or well wish goes unnoticed. xx

SHOP HERE: http://radandrebellious.bigcartel.com/

STAY UPDATED HERE: http://instagram.com/radandrebelliousapparel

If anything in the shop catches your eye, enjoy 10% off with code, "STAYRAD" at check-out. 

Babes in bow ties// a review on @DEARESTANDDASHING

Babes in bow ties... There's just something about it that drives me wild. An accessory that both boys AND girls can rock. 

Instagram has introduced me to a handful of incredible people, @DEARESTANDDASHING easily being one of them. A mother to one breathtakingly beautiful boy named Cash, and a "momtrepreneur" that creates some of the raddest bow ties I have ever seen. I'll be honest, bow ties were never a part of Jonah's wardrobe until I came across Dearest and Dashing. They always seemed so plain, and uncomfortable to put on my son. Something that never really caught my attention. That's where Dearest and Dashing bow ties differ from classic bow ties you might come across in stores. 

Comfortable, stylish, unique, affordable. 

Just a few words to describe D&D. I'm lucky, and so very grateful to have been sent 3 bow ties to test out on Jonah. Camo, metallic and distressed denim - just a few of my favorite things. With a clean, simple pinch clip glued to the back of each bow tie, you can clip it onto just about any button up or polo T-shirt & be out the door in 5 minutes. Seriously, it's that easy! Below are some photos I snapped of Jonah wearing his "distressed denim" bow tie. 

So, would I recommend purchasing from Dearest and Dashing? Yes, 100%. Great service, excellent quality and fast shipping. All in all, I have a new found love for bow ties & can assure you all, Dearest and Dashing is to thank. 

KEEP UP WITH DEARESTANDDASHING HERE: http://instagram.com/dearestanddashing

SHOP DEARESTANDDASHING BOW TIES HERE: https://www.etsy.com/shop/dearestanddashing

I hope you all enjoyed this quick review on one of my favorite Instagram shops. And as always, thank you for visiting the Rad and Rebellious// xx

Live life the real way

http://youtu.be/dtCMv6QK5lg

"Real men wear pink" // @HELLO_MESS #hellomoccs

Today Jonah received a beautiful package from our very favorite moccasin company - @HELLO_MESS. The owner of #hellomoccs has been a very good friend of mine for some time now. To keep it short and sweet, she is quite possibly the most genuine woman + mother I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. Thank you, Instagram. 

As I began to open our package, I was completely unsure of the color/style moccasins I would find inside. 

Once open, I was pleasantly surprised to see this beautiful pink pair stacked neatly in front of me. 

I've never been one to keep my son away from "girly things". I feel as children grow & learn, parents should allow them to discover everything this world has to offer. To me, pink is just as much a boy color as it is a girl color. I will proudly put these on my son and take every dirty look I get in public, with a smile on my face. 

Aside from the beautiful color (baby doll), the quality is exceptional, as always. If you're a mocc-a-holic mama like I am, I recommend giving @hello_mess #hellomoccs a try. 

Stay updated with @HELLO_MESS HERE: http://instagram.com/hello_mess

Shop #hellomoccs HERE: http://hellomoccs.bigcartel.com/

Meet Krista + Blake// The faces behind @ELECTRICCOLLECTIVE

We all do it, have done it, or plan on doing it. 

Purchasing clothing from handmade shops on Instagram has quickly become the norm this year. As the interest in baby & toddler fashion continues to grow, us mothers, fathers, friends + family continue to buy. We get to experience beautifully hand-made, well thought out clothing pieces & keep our kiddos dressed from head-to-toe in the hippest, coolest clothes on the market. All wonderful, this I know, but I thought it would be equally as great to get to know the faces BEHIND the Companies that have grown and accomplished so much. With that being said, I'd like to introduce to you all, my newest blog series titled "Masterminds behind the lines" 

+ This blog series will consist of a collection of Q&A's answered by the owner(s) themselves. This month, Rad and Rebellious had the pleasure of interviewing the incredible faces behind @ELECTRICCOLLECTIVE // below are their answers - Enjoy! 

Krista (left), Rowan (middle), Blake (right)

"I'm Krista, half of Electric Collective. My little family includes Blake and our son, Rowan, who will be 1 in August. We live in the suburbs right outside of Nashville, TN where we love to go thrifting, drink coffee, and go to Target a lot.

Q: What urged you to start a business? 

A: There were a lot of reasons, really. To start, I am staying home with Rowan right now so I really wanted to feel like I was contributing financially without sacrificing my time with him. Plus Blake and I have always wanted to open our own business that would allow us to have a creative profession. The concept of Electric Collective has really evolved with our lives, that's what's so great about it to me. 

Q: Where does the name "Electric Collective" stem from?

A: Well, Blake and I work together on all of the designs. It usually starts with me saying, "You know what would be a cool shirt?" And then he magically creates an image. Just kidding, he works really hard on the designs, but it seems like magic to me because I can't draw as effortlessly as he can. 

Q: What keeps you motivated? 

A: Rowan. I want to be an example to him that he can make a career out of something that he loves. I never want him to feel pressured to live a life that doesn't satisfy him. 

Q: Which female leader(s) do you admire most, and why? 

A: I think about Susan Petersen a lot when making business decisions. She's pretty much the perfect example of "making it" with a small, handmade business. 

Q: How has mentorship made a difference in your professional and personal life? 

A: My mom owned her own business for the majority of my life. The concept of a female boss was never anything but normal to me because of that. It also made me more confident in my ability to start this business. Plus, growing up she always encouraged me to have little businesses selling handmade jewlery and things like that. I'm lucky to have such a strong female role model in my life. 

Q: What advice can you offer those seeking to establish their own business? 

A: It's not for everyone. It's really tough and if you aren't in it 110% you will constantly be finding reasons to give it up. I think people really need to know that it's what they want. 

Q: What have the highlights and challenges been during the tenure as a new business owner? 

A: One highlight is definitely seeing customer photos. For us, our product is personal. It's our art. So to see it in other states, other countries, even, it's pretty rewarding. The biggest challenge is managing time, for sure. 

Q: How do you maintain a work/life balance? 

A: Balancing things is sort of a joke. When you're the owner of a small company, you're also the human resources, graphic designer, office cleaning lady, printer repair man, coffee making intern, and you do anything else that happens to need to be done that day. Plus, I'm a stay at home mom. So I make a lot of lists, I drink a lot of decaf coffee, and I just do the best I can. Prioritizing is key. You have to be able to admit that some days you aren't going to be able to do it all and part of being a food business owner is deciding which things can wait until tomorrow. 

Q: How have your previous employment experiences aided your position as the owner of Electric Collective? 

A: In college I worked as an assistant for my art professor. It was my favorite job. I loved doing all of the organizing and office work, but I loved even more working on art projects. I don't know that the experience made me better at what I'm doing now, but it definitely made me want a creative career that much more. 

Q: What are three things you turn to, to help you unwind after a busy day? 

A: Blake, coffee, Portlandia. 

Q: How many cups of coffee do you consume to get through a work day? 

A: Ha, I have been trying to only drink one cup a day because I'm still breastfeeding, but I just got the new Dunkin' Donuts creamer and having it in iced coffee is my new favorite thing. So good. 

Q: Most importantly, what are your hopes for the future of Electric Collective? 

A: My goal is for us to grow to the point where we can no longer operate from our home. I would love to have a brick and mortar store and a studio. I think a short term goal is for us to move from "made to order" to "ready to ship". "

I thoroughly enjoyed interviewing Krista & Blake from Electric Collective and hope this post has shed some light on the masterminds behind this line. 

+ Stay updated with Electric Collective here: http://instagram.com/electriccollective

+ Shop Electric Collective here & enter code: "JONAH" for 10% OFF your entire purchase: http://electriccollective.bigcartel.com/

And as always// thank you for visiting the Rad and Rebellious xx

In the eyes of a "mocca-holic"// a review on @LITTLELOOKERSHOP

As many of you know, I'm a mocca-holic in every sense of the word. I have ordered from/and or done reviews on most (if not all) moccasin companies on the market. I pay attention to detail and consider myself to be quite picky when it comes to putting anything on my son, moccasins especially. 

One of the concerns most mothers seem to have about moccasins, is whether or not they're "safe enough" to put on their children. Something I find to be completely understandable. Moccasins are made 100% with leather & leather alone, meaning they don't have a rubber sole as most traditional children shoes do. This in itself can be a tad bit alarming for the mamas with walkers on their hands. But, I will say without a doubt, I have never once had an issue with this concern, since my son's mocc days began over 1 year ago. He walks, he runs, he skips, he jumps & never have I heard him complain. 

I'm so lucky and grateful to have been given the opportunity to review a pair of moccasins from the amazing @LITTLELOOKERSHOP - without hesitance or much thought, I quickly selected her classic moccasins in "seafoam". I cannot stress enough how beautiful the color is ALONE, not to mention the incredible quality of the moccasin itself. Durable, comfortable + well crafted from heel to toe. 

The second I walked through the door, package in hand, Jonah rushed me with excitement. (he's no stranger when it comes to receiving goodies in the mail). He never knows what it is, but he always knows it's for him. I usually cut open the package & leave the rest to him. 

If only you could've seen the excitement on his face when he reached in + pulled out his brand new seafoam moccasins. 

So excited I couldn't get him to stand still long enough to dress him. Undie photoshoot it was! (No complaints here) gotta love baby tushes! 

It goes without saying, that Jonah and I are completely in love with @littlelookershop - if you think these are cute, you might just lose your mind when you see all the other crazy cool goods she has in her shop! 

Priced at $35 each// you just can't beat a mocc deal like this one! 

Shop now: http://littlelookershop.com/classic-moccasins/seafoam-leather

Stay updated here: http://instagram.com/littlelookershop

I hope you guys enjoyed this review & give @LITTLELOOKERSHOP moccasins a try! And as always, thank you for visiting the Rad And Rebellious- xx

Down in the dumps

I feel lately as if I'm stuck in a "blah" mood. Not myself.. 

Down in the dumps.  

If able, I would stay in bed all day and all night without it being a bother to me whatsoever. I'm tired. really, really tired. Easily ticked off + lacking in the motherly department because when I'm sad all I want to do is be A L O N E, which (excuse my language) isn't fucking okay. I'm tired of feeling this way. Do you ever feel upset for what seems like no reason at all? Makes no sense. 

If you've been following my blog, you know firsthand that I'm anything but fake. I don't sugar coat anything & I tell it like it is. The good, the bad + the ugly. Everything I feel is poured out right here, into each post I share. 

This is all a learning experience, really. Here I am mothering and teaching a beautiful two year old the "ways of life" when I, myself still don't know all the ins + outs. Us mothers are all so incredibly lucky to have unconditional support from our babies, our toddlers, our tweens + teens. It seems as if no matter how ugly a day has been, how bad of a mother we felt we were, how snappy & irritated we portrayed to be, our children love us just the same. They easily forgive our dingbat actions & adore us through + through. For that alone, I owe my son the absolute world. I owe him endless trips to the park & cookies for breakfast (maybe), I owe him a handful of new race cars + The Lorax on replay. 

I owe him ME. All of me. Every day, every hour, every minute, every second. He deserves an amazing mama because he is nothing less than amazing, himself. 

For that reason alone, I will fight through the ugly "down in the dumps" days & irritable mood swings. I will fight through it all.. 

For him. 

Tonight before bed, I turned to Jonah and apologized to him for not playing with him as much as I should have. I hugged him and kissed him until he finally said "stop it mama, you're funny." I promised him that tomorrow I would be better & we would do anything he wanted to do. His response, "I want to go to a new park and slide and go fasher (faster) mama." I said yes baby, anything you want! Kissed him goodnight more times than I could count & within minutes he was OUT. Just like that, I was forgiven & all was good again. 

// My alarm is set for 8am. Tomorrow will be better. Tomorrow is a new day. Tomorrow is THE day, to be the mama my sweet boy deserves & nothing less. 

xx