Rainbows + Positivity for the win

I think that we can all agree, there is a great deal of fear in the world right now. It’s on us as parents, friends and relatives to keep our chins up and stay as positive as possible because someday, somehow, this will all come to an end and it’s so important to support each other (especially our kids) through this challenging time so we don’t let each other fall.

While I say it’s important to be positive, it’s not as easy said as it is done. Sometimes we crack, we’re only human after all.

Whenever I feel a little down (which is so new for me because I’ve always been a happy, upbeat person until this pandemic) I think about two things:
1. I work really hard at being there for my family the best that I can. Adam and I work our buns off so even when I feel like a horrible parent who is always yelling at my children I think, it’s ok. You’re doing an inhumane amount of work right now and they see that. The best thing they will learn from Adam and I is our deep love + respect for each other, work ethic, dedication, loyalty and empathy towards others.

2. Empathy: I feel so deeply for the essential workers right now. Every single one who is putting themselves and their families at risk; thought the ones who I truly feel most connected to are those delivering packages. We are doing our part and staying safe by following all the rules. Part of what makes this possible is all of the deliveries that we arrange for food, clothing, office supplies and how about our Party Boxes?! I visit the post office every day to drop off the orders that come through. I thank the USPS postal workers every day that I’m there. I see how stressed they are and it pains me. I so appreciate all the work everyone who can, is doing right now. It’s so incredibly meaningful.

When homeschooling first started, I chatted with my friend Gina about how we can find the benefits in it. It was hard to get past my tears but there really are so many ways to learn beyond the standard curriculum. We often play Monopoly and Racko for math, Scrabble for spelling and I love doing art projects with the boys, especially when I can relate these projects back to parties…..

So, we decided to make a rainbow balloon arch as symbol of hope and a thank you to all essential workers, especially those stopping by the Kertzner household. Gavin was so excited to get through it so he could snap a photo and share with his art teacher. Both boys have watched me create beautiful balloon installations for Little Miss Party events over the years, so I was so excited to teach both them how to build and install this beautiful piece of art. It gave us a chance to talk about science, art, color, and even the environment (more on that below). This project allowed us to strike up some pretty amazing conversation about how grateful we are for all the people working so hard to help keep things moving while we are at home.

Another conversation I had with the kids was about balloons and the environment. I sometimes wonder if balloons have a damaging effect on the earth so we looked it up and researched together. We found this incredibly helpful website called Hello Party and learned this about balloons + the environment:

It is a common misconception that latex balloons are made from plastic. Latex balloons are in fact made from 100% Natural Rubber Latex (NRL), which is collected from the Hevea Brasiliensis Pará rubber trees that are from sustainable Rainforest Plantations.

Latex balloons are also 100% biodegradable. They decompose at about the same rate as an oak leaf and recent biodegradability tests have confirmed that natural rubber balloons biodegrade to approximately 90% within 2 years, under test conditions.

Very interesting and another example of finding unique and teachable moments for kids in unexpected places!!

When it came time to hang the balloon arch on the outside of our house, I pulled out the gorgeous stool that Crafty Maggie painted last summer. I affixed 3M hooks directly onto my house, above our door just below the roof and then attached pieces of string to the balloon arch that I then was able to connect onto the hooks and secure in various parts of the arch.

Now this was no easy feat and I certainly realized just how much I missed Maggie + Natalie who are normally in charge of our balloon installations for Little Miss Party events, but…VOILA! Welcome FedEx! Welcome UPS! And Thank you USPS! We love you and appreciate you so much!

Want to learn how to make a balloon garland? Check out the DIY Tutorial that Maggie + Natalie made here.