Giveaway : June Jars

 I am so very excited to present you with our very first giveaway!

It only makes sense that our inaugural giveaway is in partnership with June Jars, owned by our besties, Amelia & Andrew. They launched the June Jars shop this past year as a local alternative to what is found on seemingly affordable online shops that are suddenly unaffordable when you calculate shipping. Amelia found herself in this exact position earlier this spring, & decided to make one for herself, instead. As she carried it around town, she was constantly being asked if she took orders, because as it turned out - Richmond, VA loved June Jars. It actually loved them a lot, & soon June Jars were flying off the shelves of many local shops. It has been an absolute joy to watch this shop take off, even expanding into Hampton Roads & NOVA. 

To be honest, carrying my June Jar around is one of the ONLY ways that I stay hydrated throughout the day. I'm always pretty aware of staying hydrated, especially after working in the outdoor event industry for going on 5 years. But after reading THIS ARTICLE, I have been especially motivated to keep the water flowing. For whatever reason, I find that I absentmindedly drink nonstop if there's a straw in front of me. It's totally great! Each June Jar is 24 oz., which means I need to drink AT LEAST 4 jars a day, although I shoot for about 6. In summary, they're super affordable, from a local shop & are a major help in the hydration department. What is there not to love?

AND WE WANT TO SHARE THAT LOVE! One lucky reader will win a June Jar, plus 3 straws to commemorate Thanksgiving week around these parts. (Can you believe it's the end of November? Because I've pretty much been writing November 8th as the date for the past two weeks. However, I've also been adding 2014 as the year, sooo... I'm just a mess.) Entry details below!

TO BE ELIGIBLE: "Like" Sitting in Our Tree & June Jars on Facebook! (This is important, so we can contact you if you win!)

TO ENTER: Leave a comment on this entry by Saturday, November 30th (appropriately, Small Business Saturday!) telling us what you are thankful for this year. Winner will be selected at random from eligible entries!

WHAT YOU'RE WINNING: One 24 oz. June Jar + your choice of three (3) straw colors.

Winner will be announced at 9:00 p.m. EST, Sunday, December 1st, via the Sitting in Our Tree Facebook page.

Bonne chance, everyone!

thanksgiving & giving thanks

This past year, we've been especially thankful for:
A new job for him
A new home for us
Friends all around
A new record player
Our time together before puppies & babies (MOSTLY thankful for. Sometimes not ;))
Nieces & nephews
The shop on the corner, with local milk & plenty of chocolate
Big plans & bigger dreams for the next year
Laughing ourselves to sleep
The Dan in Real Life soundtrack
Hardwood floors
Cranberry pie & whipped cream

It seems so silly to try to make a brief, little list containing fraction of all we have to be thankful for. Really, every day that I wake up - Breathing & in love & saved by grace - there is nothing else but gratitude.


We hope you had a WONDERFUL thanksgiving, everyone.

on morning light

I'm not a morning person. there are three sisters, two parents, 4 college roommates, & a husband that will back me up on it. don't talk to me until my contacts are on my eyeballs & my teeth have been brushed, & please keep your comments short & pertinent until I've eaten something.

but man! do our new streams of morning light make it hard to be grumpy! every room has some corner being flooded with white morning rays of sun that feel like they should be accompanied by squirrels waving & birds winking at me from the window. & if there were squirrels & birds, I'd probably wave back without thinking twice. because there's just something a little spectacular about 6:45 a.m., if you can get past the nagging sensation that being in bed > being awake.

my childhood best friend's mom used to wake us up every sleepover morning (in which we'd been asleep for maybe three hours) with, "Good morning, glory, what's your story?" sometimes I still hear that in my head when I'm stumbling around the kitchen looking for a spoon. there usually is a story, whether it's about last night's event at work or yet another crazy dream. (I have lots.) I've pocketed that saying for when I'm waking my kids up. I just think it will be sweet to let them share their sleepy adventures before the adventure disappears from memory forever.

I have high hopes for becoming a morning person someday. whenever someone mentions their morning quiet time with scripture, tea & the sunrise, I get misty-eyed because that sounds oh-so-pleasant & I WANT THAT!!! then I wonder for a brief second if that person is a robot or maybe they're just lying... then I go back to believing them & dreaming of early Somedays spent alone with just me (& maybe a baby) & the quiet morning. 

for now, I'll just take the morning light.

a friday evening

it's been a big week in the bethune home. in the midst of finishing his two weeks at his coffee shop job, jared dove in head first to helping open a brand spankin' new juice bar down at the beach. in the midst of working long hours at BOTH jobs, he managed to find the perfect car for us at the perfect price while I ran around at six events last weekend. he is a good man. he's a great man. & I'm totally missing him.

busy, crazy, see-you-next-week-maybe?-love-you! season has definitely started. but I'm desperately trying to embrace this season of life & know that every moment of it leads to our Something Greater. 

in the mean time, I have four days off from work that started at 5 p.m. today, & I've so far spent my friday evening cleaning & anticipating the "I'm on my way home!" phone call. I hereby declare this weekend STAYCATION 2012. 

sunshine on a cloudy day

there was a crazy, thunderous downpour this evening.

which is fitting, really.

it's been one of those weeks where even though there's been actual sunshine & flowers all over the place,

it hasn't really been all sunshine & flowers.

nothing huge.

nothing ghastly.

not even anything to vent about.

okay, except that the stupid bullfrogs that live in the pond outside our bedroom window have begun mating-call-season again.

seriously, this is the symphony outside our window every. single. night.

flirty spring weather with the windows flung open all day & night has abruptly ended as of march 19th.

try to tell me not to wake up in a bad mood. no really, try. 

the truth is, that it's kinda weird having a rough week when one of my "hobbies" is...

well, writing about my week.

it's life.

there are things.

happy things, sad things, annoying things. 

my things.

& these things filter into different categories in blogging.

item: things to photograph

item: things to discuss 

item: things to hint at 

item: things to announce 

item: things to write about, but not right now

item: things to never mention

item: things that weigh heavily on your heart, & sneak out even in the chirpiest of posts

item: things to revel in

item: things to boast about

item: things to reflect on

& while there is a definite level of conscious picking & choosing,

I'm here to say that even though the happy posts & photos are easiest to share...

things aren’t always chirpy. 

things aren’t always bright. 

but that’s refreshing & a little fantastic. 

because otherwise, I may always be hoarse & sunburnt.

it's march 21st, 2012.

& I, kelsey bethune, am having a little bit of a rough week.

& here ends the complaining, from this moment forth,

because my man came home with flowers & a knowing smile,

which I consider to be sunshine on a cloudy day.

lauren mccain

our second thanksgivin'

i'm a little amazed that it's 15 minutes into december as i type.

i'm not sure where november went, but it certainly didn't lend itself to internet activity.

but let's pretend that it's still november so that it makes sense for me to share thanksgiving photos.

baby sisters spent the night at our place on thanksgiving eve, & it may very well be the best new tradition yet.

chinese food, pie baking & star wars - can't really beat that ;)

by the time we got to my parents the next morning,
(after the mr. made breakfast with mimosas for the big kids. winnnnn)
most of the food was already up & going, so i set to decorating.

momma's backyard lends itself nicely to table decor, so i didn't spend a dime...

well, except on a gold paint pen & paper for the place cards.

it was such a joyful dinner, spent with friends from church... followed by watching Elf to ring in the Christmas season, of course.

there's so much to be grateful for.

life has slowed down enough to process all the wonders that have been sent our way this year.

the growth, the lessons, the strengthening, the hard times.

second married thanksgiving was just as great as first married thanksgiving,

with a billion trillion bagillion wonderful moments in between.

i spent my evening decorating our apartment with christmas here & there...

& it's somehow midnight thirty.

oh, christmas. you fiend. 

just kidding. i'm not even mad.

xo, kelsey