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emiewritesthings · 4 years

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a place of our own - jay halstead

jay halstead x fem!reader

summary: in which y/n and jay throw a small get together in celebration of buying their first house together

requested?: yesss by anonymous (can I request a Jay x reader where it took some time for the together but they've been now dating for 2 or 3 years and decided to move in together and they celebrate it throwing a party with close friends and jay surprises her proposing with a heartfelt speech? please and thank you 🥰 )

warnings: none

a/n: thank you for all your support over the past week :) it literally makes me so emotional to think people are liking what i write. any feedback is always welcomed, thank you for everything

- emie <3

masterlist

in all honesty, when jay had put the deposit down for the house, y/n didn’t know what he saw in it. it was their first time buying a house as a couple, both giving up their apartments that were on the opposite ends of the city to be reunited in a place of their own.

it was beaten up pretty badly; a few of the front windows were missing the glass, spray paint decorated a few of the bricks courtesy of some local kids. not to mention it was cold and damp, not giving off the warmest of welcomes. but jay was adamant that it was their house, their home.

it took its time, but months later y/n had to admit that the transformation the brick structure had undergone was remarkable.

everything y/n could want was handed to her on a silver platter. the once yellow tinted cream, mouldy walls had been covered by a fresh layer of grey paint. the broken floorboards replaced and covered by thick, soft carpets. y/n had nominated herself as chief decorator, since she had no desire to help jay deal with the technical stuff earlier on in the project. not that jay was complaining.

y/n could still remember the look of shock when she had returned from her ‘quick trip’ to ikea with a large amount of pillows and throws, stressing they were essential pieces of her aesthetic. but jay didn’t mind, he loved the thought of living a house that was covered in reminders of the woman he loved so dearly.

it was sometime in mid-july when y/n had declared she had officially finished the renovation of 1135 Butterfly Gardens. for a week or so, the pair allowed them to soak in their hard work, admiring how each room was a reminder that they were finally together.

to think that the two had been so hesitant to start dating in the beginning felt ridiculous. y/n cursed her past self for never daring to admit her feelings to jay earlier, but she was thankful for the last 3 years they had spent together.

side by side till the end of the line.

it had been one of those cliche quotes that jay had bought on a card for their first anniversary, but it had strangely stuck. y/n had assured that in their room hung a picture of the two with the words carefully printed beneath it.

of course, in traditional y/n style, she couldn’t wait to invite their friends over. it had been on their day off that they had invited the members of their chosen family over to the house. y/n had been rushing around cleaning every surface in sight, as if their friends would turn their noses up at the sight of a speck of dusk. but y/n couldn’t help it, cleaning was her coping mechanism. and she couldn’t deny the anxiety raketing through her veins.

unfortunately she had been so caught up in her own head, that she had failed to notice the strange behaviour she was receiving from her other half. jay had been acting rather distant in the days leading up to the party. he would go out for long ‘walks’, coming back and locking himself in what y/n called his ‘mancave’. he would take calls outside and when y/n asked him what was wrong he would brush it off and just kiss her lips in hope of distracting her. obviously it worked every time, who wouldn’t be with a man like jay halstead kissing them?

the ringing of the doorbell had caught y/n off guard. having spent the majority of her day in the kitchen cooking every recipe her grandmother had ever taught her, she abandoned the oven mitts and sprinted in the direction of the front door. thankfully, however, by the time she reached it, jay was already stood with kevin, adam, will and nat.

“there she is, the woman of the hour!” kevin cheered, being the first to embrace her tightly into his large, muscular arms. his lips pressing a sweet kiss onto her forehead in joy of seeing the woman.

kevin and y/n had gone to school together since elementry, in fact y/n had helped kevin for years raising his two siblings. he had been the one to introduce jay to y/n, when she showed up to the district, ready to spend her lunch break with her best friend.

let’s just say kevin had given her a slight nudge to reveal her true feelings to jay, telling her he had already brought a suit for their wedding. classic kevin, dramatic as always.

letting her go, y/n hugged the rest of the group. thanking them for their house warming gifts that they had given to jay. by the end of the hour their house was filled with close friends. y/n had been so busy catching up with those she hadn’t seen in weeks that she had hardly seen jay all day. the times she had seen him, he had made an excuse to leave and go find will, who now she thought about it had been smiling at her an awful lot.

walking into the backyard with kim and nat stuck to her side, she couldn’t help but feel her entire soul relax at the sight of her man sat in a garden chair, chuckling along with something that adam had said.

with a mission in her hands, she didn’t even glance at the spare garden chairs littered around the garden. instead, y/n walked up to jay and perched herself on his lap. a worrying thought passing her mind that she was too heavy, but before she could consider getting off, jay weaved his arms around her waist pulling her closer.

“hey, baby.” he greeted, pressing his lips against the skin her yellow sundress exposed on her shoulder. the feeling was addicting, but with company around, it was gone as quick as it arrived.

“am i losing my mind or have you been avoiding me?” blunt as always, y/n looked back at jay. her eyes studying how his adam’s apple bobbed as he gulped. y/n knew jay was a good liar, i mean part of his job was going undercover and keeping up a lie. meaning whatever he was hiding, whatever he wasn’t telling her had to be big.

“of course not, i’ve just been busy, you know?” y/n didn’t know, because he had been taking extra measures to spend time with anyone but him. she had seen him have a thirty minute conversation with mouch about his favourite type of chile. if that was what busy looked like, she might have muddled up her definitions up.

“okay then.” she stated blankly, standing up with such force that jay’s arms instantly fell off her body. jay watched with cautious eyes, half expecting y/n to dig deeper into whatever was going on, but instead she took a seat in between adam and kevin. her eyes didn’t glance over to him once, instead she began conversation with the two men with no intentions of inviting jay into their whispers.

jay frowned, knowing she was serving him a large dish of his own medicine. the feeling of someone patting him on the shoulder made him draw his eyes away from y/n and land of his brother, who was smirking like an idiot.

“she really has you wrapped around her finger, huh?” he teased, handing jay another beer that he had left for a few moments before y/n’s arrival. not bothering to give his brother the satisfaction of answering, he brought the bottle to his lips and took a large swig. feeling the taste ease his nerves before shoving it back in his brother’s hands.

“i’m gonna do it.” he confirmed, nodding his head more to motivate himself than will. the doctor patted his back lightly, urging him to go on. subtly jay tapped his jacket until he felt the cube-shaped object against his chest. briniging himself to his feet, he wandered away from the group and stood in the middle of the garden.

“excuse me! excuse me!” the music that was lightly playing from the various speakers placed around silenced, thanks to the help of will. all eyes, including that of his beloved, moved to him. a slight chill running through him as his mind reminded him that he was doing this and he was doing this now. “i just wanted to say a big thank you to all of you for coming to celebrate with me and y/n. hell knows, we would most likely not even be together if it wasn’t for some of you guys, so it’s a pleasure to be sharing this step in our relationship with you guys.”

jay’s chest fell tight with anticipation. breath, come on halstead, he thought.

“sometimes i think about the first time i met y/n, i think about how much time we wasted trying to trick ourselves into believing we were ever ‘just friends’. quite frankly i think i fell in love with her the moment i met her. i had this beautiful, intelligent, unbelievably challenging woman in front of me and i nearly let her go.”

jay had to take a second to keep the tears in his eyes at bay, mustering up the courage to look at y/n, who had began to become emotional herself. with a simple outreached arm, y/n got the hint that he wanted her by his side, as she pushed herself away from the white plastic chair and joined him. hand in his, smiling up as he continued.

“i don’t want to imagine a life without you. without your awful singing, without your obsessive cleaning, without your strange taste in tv shows,” the crowd chuckled, but jay wasn’t even paying attention, caught up in the loving storm behind y/n’s eyes. “i’m done wasting my time because for once in my life i know what i want.”

not knowing what was about to happen, y/n’s face dropped as jay fell to one knee. his hands shaking as one of them searched into his jacket pocket before bringing out a scarlett velvet box. y/n had to swallow the sob of pure joy, when he pried it open revealing the significant jewel resting on the gold band.

“y/n y/l/n i love you,” his voice cracked, making the crowd hollar in excitement. the sound of people taking photos didn’t throw off jay’s roll though. “and it would make me the happiest person alive if you would do me the honour of being my wife.” jay’s words were deep from his heart, as both pairs of watery eyes held one another’s gaze comfortingly.

y/n had never imagined a life with anyone but jay. she couldn’t remember how many times they had stayed awake deep within the hours of the morning talking about their future together: getting married, having kids, getting a dog. but none of it felt quite as real as the moment she saw jay on his knee, with hope glazing all his features.

“yes.” she sang so softly that it could have easily been missed by anyone, but to jay it might as well have been yelled through a megaphone.

“she said yes!” kevin yells, erupting the audience of the intimate moment into an uproar. jay stood from his position on the ground, not giving it a minute before pushing his lips against her’s. the kiss was filled with every ounce of passion they had felt over the years they had known one another.

when y/n felt her chest squeeze against her lungs, she allowed herself to retract. keeping her forehead against his, she watched as he slid the ring out of the box and onto her finger. the midsummer sun catching the large diamond, making it light up like a disco ball.

“so this is why you have been ignoring me?” she snorted, feeling ridiculous for thinking that he had been hiding some bombshell of a secret. jay’s cheeks filled with heat, as he looked from her eyes to her lips, before returning them to the loveable pools of colour.

“side by side,” he began, looking at her expectantly.

“till the end of the line.”

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cosplayinamerica · 5 years

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I've always deeply loved Transformers, especially as a kid. Soundwave was always a personal favorite! My love for TF was reignited in full force in 2016, and in late 2017-early 2018, I decided that it was high time I consider tackling a TF-related cosplay, especially for DragonCon. I wanted to challenge myself! G1 Soundwave, a classic favorite, seemed like something that I might be able to pull off decently well given what I thought would be a "simpler" angular design with lots of simplistic boxy shapes and harder edges. In the end, after MUCH blood, sweat, tears, and burns, I succeeded and unleashed him at DragonCon 2018, bringing him back again to DragonCon 2019 with some much needed upgrades!

Deciding this year that I also wanted to do something else to tack on to the original build, I turned my nose up at the cannon in favor of one of his cassettes, which ended up being Laserbeak. Ravage, my actual favorite is already inside his chest, which does, in fact, open and can be swapped out! Laserbeak was intended to ride on my shoulder and forearm, but due to some last-minute constraints (and a slight mechanical failure), I wasn't actually able to make this happen. Instead, Laserbeak got plenty of solo spotlight time throughout the con, and while looking after the Cybertronic Spree merch table! He was very popular!

Soundwave and Laserbeak both are constructed primarily out of different thicknesses of EVA foam, along with some additional elements like various plastics and metals. Rare Earth magnets serve as the holding mechanisms that keep some things such as the door, the shoulder cannon, the eject button, and the mask in place. Laserbeak's construction is predominantly 1/4"inch EVA foam, and uses insulated copper wire and sculpting wire as the main means of articulation.

His neck, however, is formed from numerous ball-and-socket linkages that allow for some VERY stunning swan-like neck flexibility! An LED that lights his eyes are situated firmly in his head, but sports long lead wires through that flexible neck all the way down into the body cavity, where a 2AA battery pack is stored and connected by a removable tab. There was a switch at one point, but the solder broke last minute so I had to make due wiring it directly.

The same style of LED connected to a 2AA battery pack is also featured in Soundwave's right leg in the form of the red "REC/BATT" light! Soundwave also sports an incredible strong speaker in the back which I had playing music this year, as in 2018, the only complaint I (repeatedly) got was that I didn't play music!

One main issue I have encountered with Soundwave is the inability to move my arms particularly well. The range of motion was slightly increased when I hacked a little off the bottoms of the "bicep" segments this year, but I still have issues getting my arms in front of myself due to the big ol' boxy chest in the way!

This has led to some really amusing incidents (and photos!) of things like people holding drinks for me while I drink them, scratching my nose for me, or stuffing food into my mouth, and other such similar things. I've actually gotten quite good at opening and drinking from water bottles without using my hands!

The funniest incident, however, was when Soundwave was having his maiden voyage at DCon18, and I still hadn't worked out the kinks yet. Friday afternoon, I'd been in Soundwave for about three hours I think, when something gave way. I had originally made a sort of bar piece that went across the groin of the costume from front to back and was held in with velcro.

Well, I could feel that one of the velcro ends had given way and the bar was now dangling. Unable to correct this embarrassing problem myself, I solicited the help of an awesome stranger. Leaning over I asked him, "Can you do me a REALLY big favor? ... Can you grab my crotch and pull it off?" The piece was hanging down the back of my legs like a tail!!

Thankfully, this awesome guy obliged and tore my crotch bar off me (and shoved it into my forearm cavity for later recovery). After that, he looked after me, gave me water, and had some MARVELOUS photoshoots with me! We became quick friends and have been close in touch ever since! Cosplay has been a huge part of my life since I started in 2004 after meeting some of my amazing cousins at a funeral. Introduced to cosplay and conventions, I was hooked on life ever since!

Up until recently, my skills were more or less limited entirely to the sewing side of things. After discovering worbla and realizing my strengths and weaknesses with it, I wanted to give the crisp look of EVA a try when I noticed its dramatic rise in popularity. Soundwave was my first ever EVA build, crunched out in a ridiculously short amount of time. Hearing the wonderful compliments and praises of it since his debut in 2018, I've been looking to up my game more and more and learning so many new things in such a short amount of time!

Cosplay has given me an incredible and healthy outlet for my creativity, and conventions give me moments to look forward to with great excitement that just keeps spurring me on! Through cosplay, I have made SO many incredible friends that I never would have made without it! It's opened doors for me, given me a sense of purpose, and most of all, helps me bring joy to others through their reactions to seeing my hard work (and me acting like a fool in it)!

---- https://www.instagram.com/decepticoncaliber/

Follow Cosplay in America on FB / IG / TW / TU / YT

#Transformers #soundwave #laserbeak #cosplay #dragoncon

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miracle-in-the-eye-of-the-storm · 5 years

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Sorry I’m not Perfect part III ― Plagg’s Farewell

a quick note; plagg is . . . a lot more serious in this than he’s usually portrayed. *shrug* honestly i was gonna go with “plagg gets fucking furious with adrien and tears him a new one” but . . . that route was not at all cooperating with me, so i went this way instead. i think adrien is a little ooc ― i’m not a very good judge, though, considering i’ve never really written for adrien before. anyway i hope you enjoy this chapter! wayzz is next, along with fu and nino!

“Pound it!” The kid holds his fist out to Ladybug, grinning, but falters when she doesn’t return the familiar gesture. “My Lady?” He asks uncertainly. “Is something wrong?” Plagg would say yes, something is indeed very wrong ― there’s been something wrong for a while now, but considering his kid won’t listen to him there isn’t much he can do about it aside from stew in disgruntled silence. Ladybug doesn’t say anything for a moment, just stares at Adrien’s hand and then his face. The kid tries for a smile, clearly feeling awkward; “Have you finally realized how my dashing good looks make your heart pound?” The kid purrs, letting his smile turn sly. Her face immediately closes off, and she turns away. “Two days left. Bye, Chat Noir.” She’s gone before Adrien can say anything. His fist is left hanging in the air by itself, pitiful. “I just don’t get it, Plagg!” Adrien groans later, when he’s gotten home and transformed back. “Two days left? Two days of what? Why wouldn’t she tell me anything? Why didn’t she do the fist-bump?” Plagg, sitting by the pantry and chewing through his stash of cheese, doesn’t answer him. He doesn’t have anything to say that’s been said before, and Adrien hadn’t listened then, either. He really doubts that the kid will start listening now ― and besides, if he tried to get the kid to listen to anything, they’d just end up in another argument, and he’s tired of those. Plagg sighs quietly as Adrien keeps muttering to himself, wondering when exactly Fu will show up. Plagg, for all his posturing, isn’t an idiot. He knows what it means when Tikki loses her cool enough to shift into Spirit form. The last time she did that was . . . he thinks it was when Joan of Arc was burned. They couldn’t interfere directly, but she still raged at the cruelty and unfairness from inside the Miracle Box. She really only takes her Spirit form when she feels like she needs to protect someone ― when they’ve tried protecting themselves and they can’t anymore. When she needs to be there for someone, and her little doll-like form isn’t enough. He knows that the maybe-former Guardian did something to piss Tikki off ― she hasn’t had the chance to tell him about all of it yet, but he’s gotten the general gist of it from what little she could tell him at school. He felt Trixx shift into its Spirit form last night, too. If Fu doesn’t pull his head out of his ass in the next three ― now two ― days and revoke Adrien’s status as Chat Noir, there’s going to be hell to pay. For his part, Plagg won’t be the one to yell at the kid ― for one, he always shuts down when he’s yelled at, and for two, Plagg . . . Plagg still loves him too much to be able to do that. For now, he’s just waiting until the inevitable. Which comes in the form of a knock on the door on Saturday, when Adrien’s supposed to be having Chinese lessons. Fu walks in, looking tired and old and frail, and Plagg is once again reminded how fragile humans are. Wayzz zips out of Fu’s pocket, nodding to the kid, and joins Plagg on a high shelf. “How’s he takin’ it?” Plagg says by way of greeting. There’s a little plate piled high with cheese and vegetable crackers for him and Wayzz to snack on while the kid and Fu talk. Wayzz sighs. “It . . . could be better. It could be worse, as well, I suppose, but―” He sighs again. “Where did we go wrong?” He asks eventually, staring down at where Fu is clearly struggling to bring up the important subject to Adrien. “Where did I go wrong, Plagg? I thought . . .” “You thought your kid knew better,” Plagg finishes. “Yeah, same.” He tosses a piece of cheese in the air and catches it in his mouth, swallowing it whole. Wayzz rolls his eyes heavenwards. “Right,” he says wryly. “Forgive me, I forgot how you feel the need to trivialize these things.” “Now you listen here young whippersnapper,” Plagg snaps mockingly, pointing a paw at Wayzz and glaring. “When you get to be as old as I am, there are only three things in life that bring you joy: good cheese and nihilistic humor.” He pauses to swallow another piece of cheese. “The third is being a little shit whenever the opportunity arises.” Wayzz huffs in exasperation, but smiles at Plagg all the same. “You’ll miss him, won’t you.” Plagg freezes for just a moment when the comment registers, then looks away with his ears pinned back. “When you have to leave him. When he has to say goodbye.” “He’s a good kid,” Plagg says quietly, looking over to where Fu and Adrien are talking. Adrien is explaining something animatedly, his arms waving about as he leans forward. Plagg can’t see the kid’s face from here, but from Fu’s bemused expression he’s probably talking about one of his anime shows. “I know he is. A big part of why we’re not a good fit anymore is because of his stupid old man, and everyone’s aversion to healthy relationships in this house. But . . . at some point, he’s gotta recognize it himself, y’know? There’s only so much you can do when he’s not willing to change, or even see that anything needs changing in the first place.” Wayzz nods, slowly chewing on an orange cracker. “There’s only so many options available when the only answer they’ll give is no.” They sit in silence for a while, just . . . waiting. Waiting for the ring to be slid off Adrien’s finger. Waiting for Adrien to be heartbroken. Waiting for the “Chinese lesson” to end so they can go home ― to the Miracle Box. “Wayzz!” Fu calls, and the Kwamis blink, looking down. Fu and Adrien have finished, apparently, but notably ― the ring is still on the kid’s finger, and Fu looks rather guilty. “It is time to go, my friend. Come along.” “Aren’t you forgetting something, Wang?” Wayzz says quietly, gently, and yet Fu still flinches and turns away. The kid blinks at the two of them, then turns to Fu with a little smile. “Forgetting something? Forgetting what?” Fu flinches again, harder, and seems to fold in on himself like he’s trying to hide away. Plagg doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t trust himself to not blow up if he opens his mouth. Wayzz, however, has no such scruples. “Wang,” he says again, soft. “You made a promise.” “Master Fu?” The kid asks, peering at Fu in concern. “Are you okay?” Fu sighs heavily. “I . . .” He shakes his head. “My dear boy, I am so sorry.” The kid blinks, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. He starts curling in on himself too when Fu reaches out with a faintly trembling hand. “Sorry? I don’t . . . . What are you sorry for?” “You must give up your Miraculous,” Wayzz says, his voice just as gentle with Adrien as it was with Fu. The kid stares at him, uncomprehending. “What? Why? Is something wrong?” Fu inhales shakily. “Yes,” he says, raspy and quiet. “I’m afraid there is. Adrien, you . . .” He trails off, looking down in shame. “Your conduct as Chat Noir is not acceptable,” Wayzz says smoothly, filling in for Fu. “We know you have done good, and we know you can do more good, but as of now your wrongs outweigh your rights. I’m sorry, Adrien, but you are no longer fit to be the Black Cat’s Chosen. You must relinquish the ring. I know this seems harsh, especially with no prior warning, but I must tell you that if you don’t let go willingly I will take your ring by force. Adrien stares, his eyes wide and hurt, his hand clutched protectively to his chest. “I―” He glances to Plagg. “Plagg?” Plagg shakes his head. “Don’t, kid. I love you. But you gotta let go of this, Adrien ― you gotta let go of me. This isn’t working anymore.” “But―” Adrien shakes his head, backing away. “You can’t take this away from me ― I haven’t done anything wrong!” “Adrien,” Fu tries. “No!” Adrien shouts, and Plagg cringes ― this is maybe the first time he’s been glad for the adults in this house not paying any attention to the kid. “I’m ― I’m not giving this up! You can’t make me, this is too important to me!” “Adrien,” Plagg says softly, floating over in front of him. “Listen, you have to―” “Stop it!” Adrien snaps, his eyes going red around the edges. “Plagg, you ― I ― I need you to stop!” Plagg freezes in the air like he’s made out of plastic. Wayzz gasps, and Fu closes his eyes. Plagg forgot what it was like to not breathe. Adrien wasn’t specific enough in his Order ― all he said was stop, so that stupid rule the magician put in interpreted it as stop everything. So Plagg has stopped everything he was doing; breathing, seeing, thinking, all of it. “Plagg?” Adrien whispers, peering at him with wide eyes. Plagg only barely registers it. “Plagg, what are you doing? Plagg!” “You Ordered him to stop,” Wayzz says behind Plagg, sounding deeply sad. “So he stopped.” “What?” “Adrien,” Fu rasps, and he sounds on the verge of tears. “You are no longer Plagg’s Chosen. You are his Master, now.” Adrien shakes his head, laughing a little. “No I’m not. What? No, no way. Plagg wouldn’t let anyone be his master, no matter how hard they tried. Plagg, come on, this isn’t funny!” “It doesn’t matter what Plagg would or would not allow,” Wayzz says solemnly. “What matters is that according to the rules set in by the magician who made our Miraculous, anyone who Orders their Kwami is the Master of that Kwami. That is why Nurru cannot simply leave Papillon ― he has Ordered Nurru to stay with him.” Adrien flinches. “Plagg,” he whispers, “you can ― you can move now.” Plagg unfreezes. He sighs. “Kid,” he says quietly. “Listen to me. Just because you won’t be Chat Noir anymore doesn’t mean that you can’t still be a hero ― that you can’t still have freedom. You just won’t have any magic to back you up.” Adrien doesn’t say anything. His arms are hanging limply by his sides. “Here, kid,” Plagg says, diving for the drawer Adrien put aside specifically for him. He comes back out with a ring, made of polished black stone. It isn’t nearly the same as the Black Cat ring, but it’s about the same size, and more importantly ― it’s a gift. Plagg hasn’t made a gift for anyone ― hasn’t had the chance to make a gift for anyone ― in years. Centuries. “Keep this,” Plagg says as he presses it into Adrien’s hand. “And remember that you’re just as much a hero in your own right. You won’t ― don’t ― always need me.” Adrien stares at it for a long moment. Then he slowly slides off the Black Cat ring and hands it to Plagg. “Thanks, Plagg,” he says, his voice barely above a whisper. “I―” He cuts himself off, eyes brimming with tears. “I know, kid,” Plagg says softly. For a long moment, he can only float there and watch Adrien put the ring on, wiping at his eyes. But eventually, the moment has to end. “Goodbye, kid.” Adrien blinks at him, tears hanging off his eyelashes. Plagg hugs his forehead, exhaling shakily. “Bye, Adrien.”

#miraculous ladybug #sorry i'm not perfect au #sinp au #hoo this was a ride #i . . . am increasingly unhappy with my depictions of these characters #but oh well #i'll get better with practice #also i'm still working on that circus au don't worry!#it's just . . . . not cooperating #i might have to rewrite a bit of it #anyway there is a happy ending to this!#i promise!#it'll just uh. take a bit to get there #but this is essentially the kick in the butt that adrien needs to be better #also i plan to at some point write a thing about the magician i mentioned in this one #i'm not sure if it will go on here or the archive first though

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wallythayer · 6 years

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Mindful Money

It’s easy to go on autopilot when it comes to managing money. You might toss bills into a drawer, shop mindlessly online, or pay for dinner with a credit card when your bank balance is too low. Maybe you leave the finances to your partner, then feel clueless about how much money you really have. Or perhaps you have a good income but refuse to buy a decent winter coat or donate to a single charity because you fear going broke.

These behaviors are clearly self-defeating, yet there are legitimate reasons we act this way.

One is confusion. “It’s impossible to understand something that we never talk about,” says financial educator Kate Northrup, author of Money: A Love Story. “There’s so much secrecy about money from the very beginning of our lives. Most children have no idea how much money their parents make. We’re kept in the dark and not taught how to handle our finances.”

Financial illiteracy isn’t the only reason we behave unconsciously. Our consumer culture is characterized by scarcity mentality, which is so frightening it can shut down rational thought. This view holds that there’s not enough for everyone, and more is always better. It encourages us to compete rather than cooperate with others. And when we’re motivated by scarcity, and its attendant emotions of fear and shame, we can quickly develop habits of avoidance.

Yet it is possible to move from a scarcity mindset to a more conscious, calm, and generous one. The key to this shift involves moving from a mindset of “you or me” to one of “you and me,” explains Lynne Twist, founder of the Soul of Money Institute. When we expand our thinking to include the common good as well as our own well-being, we experience the true meaning of prosperity: the feeling that we finally have enough.

The following three steps can help us move away from a scarcity mentality and cultivate more satisfying financial lives.

1. Learn What “Enough” Feels Like

“Some of us have a scarcity mentality because we experienced scarcity,” says Brent Kessel, author of It’s Not About the Money and CEO of Abacus Wealth Partners. “We saw our parents having scarcity, or we ourselves went through it. It’s a terrifying feeling to not have enough money and be worried: Will I be able to eat? Will I be kicked out of my apartment?”

But, he notes, there’s a difference between genuine scarcity and the scarcity mentality that fuels consumer culture. Scarcity mentality is a zero-sum game. It presumes there are only so many slices of pie to go around, and argues that we should grab as many pieces as possible. If that means someone else gets no pie, then so be it.

This mode of thinking can affect virtually all aspects of our lives, and it has almost nothing to do with how much money we have. People with modest means can feel perfectly satisfied, while those with abundant wealth might behave as if they were living paycheck to paycheck.

In her book The Soul of Money: Transforming Your Relationship With Money and Life, Twist describes scarcity mentality as a “chronic sense of inadequacy” that shapes our sense of self. Scarcity “becomes the lens through which we experience life,” she writes, and it can lead to a “self-fulfilling prophecy of inadequacy, lack, and dissatisfaction.”

“A lot of people think the opposite of scarcity is abundance. But the opposite of scarcity is sufficiency, which is just enough.”

This mindset, says Northrup, is also at the heart of jealousy — and not simply of material things. Say your friend lands a great job, and instead of feeling happy for her, you feel terrible. It’s almost as if something has been taken from you. But Northrup believes jealousy can be a key to insight if we don’t get caught up in the illusion of being deprived.

“Comparison is normal,” she explains, “but when you start thinking that if somebody else has something, then you can’t have it, it’s time to examine those feelings.”

If you pull back the curtain of jealousy in this instance, you might discover that you’d like to switch jobs yourself. Instead of believing your friend got the last decent job, you might choose to see her success as proof that other cool opportunities are out there — that there’s enough to go around.

“A lot of people think the opposite of scarcity is abundance, like living the ‘lifestyle of the rich and famous,’” Kessel explains. “But the opposite of scarcity is sufficiency, which is just enough.”

The perspective of lack is deep and cultural, so shifting it usually requires concrete, physical steps. Kessel offers these exercises:

• Imagine your preferred financial future and journal about it. Maybe you want to be free of worrying about money. Or you’d like to be able to afford dinner out a few times a month. Perhaps you’d prefer to work only a certain number of hours per week and have time to visit museums. Define how you want to feel about your financial life and write it down.

• Look for examples of sufficiency. Our brains seek to confirm our beliefs; it’s called confirmation bias. And when we’re caught in a scarcity mindset, Kessel says, we tend to look for proof. We might think, Look, there’s another person who’s struggling. See, there isn’t enough money to go around!

Try seeking examples of sufficiency instead. Think about that friend who lives comfortably on a smaller paycheck than yours and enjoys more free time. Clean out your closet so you’re left only with clothes you love, and donate the rest. Buy a friend coffee instead of paying separately. These small gestures can help reorient you to sufficiency instead of scarcity — and create the potential for greater generosity.

• Do something in the next 24 hours to cultivate the feeling of sufficiency and move you toward the future you want. Each person’s needs will be different, but whatever you choose to do, make it concrete. You might start by giving something away. Kessel stresses the importance of practicing generosity to combat scarcity thinking.

“I’m a big believer in generosity as a subliminal message to ourselves that there is enough. Give to the level that makes the pleasure-seeking part of you — and even the security-seeking part of you — a little bit quaky,” he says.

“If you make $300,000 a year and you’re giving away $2,000 a year, that’s kind of just a rounding error — you don’t really notice it. That’s not going to change your mindset.”

To experience sufficiency in a deeper way, he suggests giving an amount that would force you to say, “That’s a little bit hard to write that size check, but I do want to do it, and I believe in the cause, and I’m fired up about the impact that my gift is going to have.”

Being generous can make us feel rich, like we have enough to spare — which is the ultimate antidote to the scarcity mindset.

2. Don’t Believe the Consumer Hype

Every day we’re pressured from all directions to buy and consume more than we need. But we don’t have to give in — especially when we stay conscious of the messages we’re getting.

“Part of being human is having times when you feel kind of hollow inside, kind of empty, and that’s natural,” Kessel says. “But what our money culture has trained us to believe is that if you’re feeling kind of empty, something’s wrong, and something’s wrong with you, and there’s a product or a service out there to take that feeling away.”

That belief system is driven by brain chemistry and ingrained by marketing. We get a rush when we buy something we want; it activates the brain’s reward center and triggers a rush of feel-good dopamine. But as the rush recedes, regret and remorse often roll in, which lead us to make another purchase to avoid discomfort. Experts call this the “hedonic treadmill.”

Using credit cards instead of cash also triggers unconscious money behaviors, explains financial educator Ruth Hayden, author of Your Money Life. As we become an ever-more cashless society, we grow less aware of our spending habits and their consequences.

“People spend more when they’re using something that’s not cash,” she says. “When they’re using a debit card or credit card, they spend somewhere between 30 and 35 percent more, and it can go as high as 42 percent if there’s a reward involved, like miles or cash back or a discount at the store.”

Hayden thinks we need to change the way we interact with money itself, and she recommends these tactics:

• Start saving for retirement now. If you work for a company that matches a certain level of savings, put away at least that much. Acknowledge that this allows you to take control of your money.

• Tuck away a set amount from each paycheck. Even $20 is enough, says Hayden. Keep this money available so you are consciously choosing not to spend it. This allows you to experience the satisfaction of saving.

• Stick to cash instead of plastic whenever possible. “Working with cash on a daily basis keeps people very conscious about money,” Hayden says. “It is the height of mindfulness and money.”

If you’re really dying to buy something, Kessel suggests writing down what you think it will do for you. For example: If I go away this weekend and stay in that great hotel on the beach, I’ll feel super-relaxed with the sun on my skin and I’ll come back rejuvenated and ready to have a productive month.

Then, if you make the purchase, check in on the reality afterward. How did it compare with your inner advertising campaign? This is a deeper way of tracking your spending: It’s qualitative, not just quantitative.

“Then you can start to learn from these spending audits and make some better choices,” Kessel says. “What most of our clients realize is that experiences are much more important than material possessions.”

Purchases that involve other people also tend to offer more lasting satisfaction, so long as they’re not meant to impress or gain approval. Spending motivated by a desire to give joy (like a surprise gift you know a friend wants but won’t buy for herself) or offer relief (a bag of groceries for a neighbor who’s strapped) is going to bring more fulfillment.

Kessel also notes that new habits are more likely to stick if they’re accompanied by a positive feeling. So, when you donate $200 to the victims of a recent hurricane (or to a food pantry or homeless shelter) instead of buying new boots, connect with that warm feeling of generosity. Bask in it.

“That,” he says, “is what’s going to generate your desire to do it the next time. It’s the same as when you buy a great new pair of shoes and get a dopamine rush. That warm feeling from being generous is going to make you want to do it again and again.”

3. Let Your Values Be Your Guide

When we stop buying things to keep up with the Joneses, or to keep up with the reward-seeking part of our brains, we can make more-conscious choices about our spending. This allows us to start using our money in ways that align with our values, which is where we really hit pay dirt.

This isn’t as abstract as it sounds. Animal lovers might gladly spend a little more on eggs from chickens raised in sunny yards instead of cramped, dark pens. Someone who cares deeply about kids may seek out clothing made by well-paid adults instead of exploited children. A small-business owner could commit to supporting other small businesses instead of big-box stores.

Begin this process by defining your values. Northrup recommends the following approach:

• Make a list of what matters most to you. It might include child welfare, fair wages, environmental stewardship, or animal rights. Then do some research on your favorite companies. You may discover they share your core values, which will reinforce your choice to support them. But if some are conducting their business in ways you don’t respect, you can choose to redirect your money to something better. And if you let a company know why it lost your business, you’re giving it the best possible motive to change its ways.

• Review recent credit-card and bank statements to determine which purchases aligned with your values. “Then you can measure it,” Northrup says. “Were 50 percent of your purchases in alignment? That’s good, but next time you’ll be more conscious of the decisions you’re making, and that number will go even higher.”

Making conscious, values-based decisions about who we support with our money can stabilize our own financial situations, Northrup says. “When you stop spending money on things you don’t value, you stop having buyer’s remorse.”

And when we begin to break down spending purchase by purchase, company by company, we discover our true spending power, Northrup says.

“I really do believe that our spending can become a kind of prayer for what we want in the world,” she says. “If we put our dollars toward things — and I’m not just talking about donations, but about supporting companies that support our values — that’s how we’ll change the world. What makes companies change is dollars.”

Get the full story at https://experiencelife.com/article/mindful-money/

#brain

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adrenalineguide · 7 years

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Going Topless: Volkswagen Beetle, Mustang GT and Fiat 124 Spider

Text and Photos by Michael Hozjan

With summer having finally arrived a few months late, almost coinciding with leaf peeping season, I got lucky and was treated to three of the coolest convertibles on the market. If you’re looking to get out of the minivan or suv and put fun back into driving, you needn’t look much further, one of these is sure to please your soul.

Volkswagen Beetle

Several decades ago I was the proud owner of what at the time might have been the oldest convertible Beetle in Quebec, a 1961. The car was a blast to drive and even without any decent heat, I’d often drop the top in the middle of winter and cruise down St. Catherine St. in Montreal.

Those days convertibles reigned supreme, with nearly every model line, from Acadians to Zephyrs, having a convertible version. But ridiculous legislation from the U.S. nearly sent the convertible the way of the dodo. The choice of convertibles has grown in recent years but it’s still relatively slim. The choice of affordable German convertibles is even slimmer. Thank God for the folks at Volkswagen for keeping the drop tops alive throughout the years and model changes from Beetle to Rabbit to Golf and again back to the Beetle. In a sea of jellybean look alike sedans, the Beetle stands supreme in being distinguishable and recognizable.

Yes you’ll find quicker convertibles such as the Mustang and Fiat, but you’ll be hard pressed to find the Teutonic engineering and ride quality that the Beetle offers elsewhere without emptying your bank account. It’s not just that they’re solid, Volkswagens are well thought out, and one of the best examples is the back up camera mounted underneath the big VW crest. While others, like Mazda and Mercedes, to name a few, have Flavor Flave belt buckle sized crests mounted fore and aft and then expose their cameras to the elements, VW’s is protected from mud, dirt and slush so every time you back up, the camera is clean.

The VW’s rear view camera is always clean (above)compared to other manufacturers’ cameras (below)

The Beetle continues with the same charm that it had in the height of its popularity in the sixties. The cutesy we tried too hard “new” Beetle is gone and replaced by dare I say a more masculine rendition? This one works and everyone agrees it looks great, whether they’re talking about the sedan or the convertible.

Except for minor changes to the bumpers, the 2017 Beetle is unchanged from last year’s model. Like throughout the fifties, sixties and seventies, Volkswagen still believes that if it’s not broken why change it. They do however seem to be adding to the trim lines to satisfy every budget, from the base Trendline ($25,390) up the five trim levels topping off with the Dune edition at $32,890. Canada does not get the high horsepower, sporty Beetle R. Bummer!

Therefore, no matter which model you choose, the engine driving the front wheels is the same, a 1.8L turbocharged unit that doles out 170 hp and 184 lb.ft. of torque. Sadly VW has discontinued their manual tranny and opted to go only with the 6-speed automatic. A smooth shifting and capable tranny but there’s nothing sweeter than going through the gears yourself on a hot summer night on a curvy road.

My driver for the week was the Classic, pegged one level up from the base model and wearing vintage hub caps on steel wheels with chrome rings in lieu of mag wheels. It just adds more charm to the car. For the additional two grand over the base model, the Classic owner gets smartphone integration, 6.3 inch touchscreen, and 8 Fender speakers for the CD player and sat radio in addition to the Trendline’s base equipment such as heated front seats and washer nozzle and electronic stability control.

My silk blue metallic cabriolet came with a brown top and Sioux brown two-tone cloth and leatherette interior.

Getting away from all the techno and mechanical jargon, if you’ve never driven a Beetle you’re in for a treat. The Beetle is solid, tight and comfortable. The seats are firm yet great for long drives. Controls are easy to reach and manipulate. There’s an air of quality that becomes immediately apparent as soon as you get behind the wheel that few cars in its price range can match. The ride is supple enough to weed out the roughest potholes but firm enough, with undue body roll, to take on spirited driving on the way to the chalet or to your favorite apple picking spot. Drop the power top and your blood pressure will drop automatically as the Beetle feel good appeal takes charge.

While there are detractors that say the Beetle is on the noisy side I say bull. I found the Beetle quieter with the top down than some sedans are with the windows open. You can easily carry a conversation at highway speeds. The wind deflector mounted behind the front seats reduces wind buffeting and puts the kibosh on any back seat passengers.

Oh and don’t think that convertibles are only for summer and are too cold to drive in the winter. Just like my ’61, this Beetle has a thick insulated top the keeps you as cozy in winter as any sedan. It may be the second most recognized car in the world after the Jeep, but it sure doesn’t have the single layer of vinyl roof of the Jeep.

Throughout the ‘70s the Beetle was an anti-establishment icon. These days it’s as much a fashion statement with just enough retro cues to have baby boomers and millennials appreciate the car.

Price as tested: $27,930

Ford Mustang GT Premium

It happened again. It happens every time I get behind the wheel of a Mustang. I turn into a giddy teenager that just wants to drive and drive and drive and yes smoke the rubber and throw the tail out on occasion.

The siren that beckoned me to the open road this year was the 5.0L iteration of America’s favorite pony car, the Mustang GT. The last time I was behind the Mustang’s reins, it was powered by a 2.3L EcoBoost four cylinder (the convertible starts at $33,888). Ya there’s a difference, 435 horses and 400 lb.ft. worth of torque. And there’s a difference in the sonorous tone of the V-8 as you pull out into traffic, you can’t help but grin. It’s a melody that transforms you into Frank Bullitt even though the look out the windshield is more reminiscent of a 1971 Mustang than Bullitt’s ’68.

Like the Beetle, the Mustang has the retro flare going on and if memory serves me right is the longest running American built convertible. Which translates to what I said about the Beetle, refinement through the ages.

Those refinements include cowl shake, the Achilles heel of convertibles. Having driven nearly every generation of Mustang throughout the years, this latest edition is easily the stiffest structured Mustang as clearly evidenced with the lack of cowl shake.

Maybe someone at Ford listened to my constant harping about their pain in the butt infotainement system because this time around everything was childishly simple to use. Or maybe it was just in keeping with the retro motif. In either case, thank you Ford. Matter of fact the whole interior works just fine. Leg, head and shoulder room are plentiful…as long as you’re in the front buckets. Egress and ingress is also excellent, again as long as you’re getting in the front. Despite their initial appearance, the back seats work. This past summer we took my buddy’s girlfriend’s Mustang to the Syracuse Nationals and I’m glad to report the three of us were comfortable throughout the six-hour round trip. So yes it will hold four adults.

The top has also received more insulation making it quieter, but there’s still ample road noise coming into the cabin. I had to check more than once, when the top was up, if the back windows were down.

My tester came with the 6-speed automatic with steering wheel mounted paddle shifters and a console-mounted switch for normal, sport, track and snow shift point settings. Thankfully the 6-speed manual remains available. The 5.0L will get you to the century mark on the speedometer in a hair over 5 seconds, yet the stallion can be calmed to be as smooth as a minivan easing you through bumper to bumper traffic. City driving takes a toll on the ‘Stang’s gas mileage - entering suv territory. Even with a soft throttle foot city driving can bring you in the 14L/100kms area. But cruising down the pike will net a miserly 9L/100kms. My average for the week, despite a healthy dose of spirited throttle action cost me 10.8L/100kms. One sore point that I wish Ford would address is the small gas tank, it roughly holds a paltry 60 litres.

Just how old are Ford’s designers?

The Mustang is obviously the largest convertible tested here (the pony has grown to a full sized horse, but don’t call it a Clydesdale, it’s nimble and carving out the twisties is a greater joy than ever thanks to the independent rear suspension that replaced the solid rear axle two years ago. The electric steering is precise and the standard 18-inch tires perform admirably. As a matter of fact I hit a piece of rebar poking out of an expansion joint just as I moved into the left lane to pass a crawling ten-wheeler on the 13. I was sure it spelled the end of the wheel and tire, yet to my amazement both held up remarkably well.

The Premium GT in base form will set you back $49, 948 with another $1500 for the automatic. My tester had the upgrade radio package, adaptive speed control, back up camera, plastic end caps for the roof cavity when open (a $600 option), nav system and a few other treats. Add the dealer prep and transportation charges and the final tab came in at just under sixty grand, not exactly cheap but there’s a lot of fun factor.

Price as tested: $59, 198

Fiat 124 Spider Abarth

I often get asked what’s the best car on the market, and which would I recommend. My response is always the same, Miata. Which is usually followed by, “ No, seriously, what’s the best car” Again my response is. “Miata.”

“But it’s rear wheel drive and so low to the ground, you can’t drive it in winter.”

Sadly I get this mostly from Baby Boomers, which should know better and so I counter with, “Did you forget that before the front wheel drive we both grew up with rear wheel drive cars … and survived. Listen the Miata is a blast to drive, fits like a glove and the engine is bulletproof.”

Needless to say when Fiat Chrysler Automobiles finally confirmed they were reintroducing the 124 Spider to these shores I was eager to get my hands on it. My buddy, Dino, had one in the seventies and there were many late summer nights spent in it with the top down cruising downtown Montreal or carving up some country road. Often another friend would fit himself sideways into the rear bench seat.

Unlike the other two convertibles here, the 124 bares no retro cues and the only thing it shares with the old Pinifarina designed car is the twin raised hood panels and six-sided grille. In the original you sat mid-ship with the trunk and hood sharing almost equal space. Not so in the new car, and there’s reason for it, it’s based on Mazda’s MX-5 Miata. Yes, the two are built side by side in Japan.

If you thought the Toyota/Subaru partnership with the 86 and BRZ was weird, than this one tops the cake. But you know something, IT WORKS!

Think about it, you take a world-class chassis structure, like the Miata, mix in Italian suspension, throw in Fiat’s MultiAir 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder (remember - Fiat owns Ferrari and the original 124s had twincam engines penned by legendary Ferrari racing engine designer Aurelio Lampredi) and marry it to the Miata’s wonderful, quick throw, 6-speed manual and send the ponies to the rear wheels through a limited slip differential from Fiat’s performance arm, Abarth, well it’s a recipe for success.

The Abarth version gets 164 horsepower, four more than the standard 124 (thanks to a sport-tuned exhaust), and an impressive 184 lb.ft. of torque with torque peaking at 3,200 rpm. Making it a fun car for the street and good enough to get you to 100 kph in about 6.5 seconds. But the 124 isn’t about 0 to 100 times or quarter mile times, it’s about handling, and that is where the Fiat shines. While I couldn’t get my hands on the latest Miata to do a back-to-back comparison, I’d hazard to say that the Fiat outshines the MX-5.

Power delivery is smooth with just a hint of turbo lag. Brakes are excellent and there’s just enough “give” in the traction control to kick the rear out before it takes over. There’s also sport mode for the suspension. If the Miata is a fun vehicle to drive the 124 takes it up a notch without sacrificing the ride.

The Miata fits me like a glove, and the Fiat fits like a great pair of Italian loafers. Ingress and egress is easier and there’s just enough added room to keep your from feeling claustrophobic. Except for a few questionable shortfalls the Fiat’s interior is as comfortable as it is attractive.

Except for the ugly infotainment system screen sticking up like a sore thumb (what ever happened to Italian design?), there’s more of a finished look to the Fiat that the MX-5 misses out on. Heated leather buckets coddle you and offer a generous amount support.

Ok I’m not nit picking but placing the cup holders behind my elbow doesn’t work in a sports car when I’m shifting. Yes there’s an alternate slot for a cup holder next to the passenger’s knee just waiting for hot coffee to spill. At first glance the Fiat’s trunk is huge compared to the Mazda’s, but upon closer examination you realize that there’s no spare. I’m sorry folks I HATE run flats and any other form of marketing hype including air compressors and canned air, that the automakers are trying to sell us just to avoid throwing in a spare. If you’ve ever had a flat and NOT a slow leak, you’ll know that a compressor will not work, or for that matter if you’ve ever wrecked your rim and blown the air out on our wonderful roads. We need spares not air. The auto club isn’t always there when you need it.

Oh and lastly the Abarth also gets a red faced tachometer. What’s wrong with this picture? Think about it…obviously the guys at Fiat didn’t.

The base 124 will set you back a paltry $32, 890 and the base Abarth starts at $37,995. There are two option packages, the Safety and Comfort Package at $1,300 and the Luxury Collection Package at $5500 that came with my tester. The Luxury Collection includes 9 Bose speakers and subwoofer, GPS, LED lights and upgraded leather seats, sat radio. The hand painted matt black on the hood and trunk lid added another $2,995 to the tag! At over 48 grand, for my money I’ll take the base car thank you and if I want black panels I’ll go with a wrap at a fraction of the price.

Ok the Fiat has a few minor gripes, but all in all it’s a wonderful ride, one that I’d love to have in my driveway. Will it replace the Miata as my most recommended car? While it’s great to see another fantastic sports car on the market and the two cars despite their similarities are just different enough to matter. The Miata has withstood the test of time, it will be very interesting how the Fiat holds up in reliability.

Price as tested: $48,385

#vw beetle #vw #convertible #mustang #5.0l #mazda miata #fiat #fiat124spider

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foamingkitty · 7 years

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5 Questions with Allie from Rose & Rex

Rose & Rex is full to the brim with the type of toys we love! Beautiful items that bring out the creativity in our children – toys that can be played with in different ways every day, by all ages, for years on end. Almost as much fun as the toys she sells, is founder Allie, whom we were lucky enough to meet last year. We wanted to get to know Allie, and understand her philosophy, that much better — so we asked her 5 questions and she kindly answered.

1. Please tell us a little bit about yourself.

I’m Allie Klein, the founder of Rose & Rex. I’m a life-long New Yorker who loves the energy of city life, but I also crave the ocean and listening to the waves. I currently live on the Upper East Side of Manhattan with my husband Jason and our puppy Leo! When I’m not working on Rose & Rex, you can usually find me playing dress-up with my niece and nephew, drinking matcha in Central Park, or exploring new restaurants. Before starting Rose & Rex I earned my master’s degree in Early Childhood and Childhood Education and was a pre-school teacher and play-based tutor. I deeply believe in the power of play-based learning and how essential it is to all children’s development. Since I’m still a big kid at heart, this is the perfect job for me!

2. Tell us a little bit about your shop and how you came to create it. It’s a special place!

Thank you so much! Rose and Rex was dreamed up during my years as a teacher. I fell in love with the imagination and creativity my students brought into the classroom when play was connected to learning. After observing how play could organically support children’s social, cognitive, emotional and physical development — and that playtime was rapidly getting cut from school curriculums —, I was eager to build a brand that would start a larger conversation about our culture’s approach to learning. I recognized that not everyone saw the value of play the same way I did. People tend to see play and learning as opposites rather than deeply connected complements. With this in mind, I created Rose and Rex to be a refreshing, imaginative toy boutique and play resource. Our toy collection is entirely open-ended and curated by teachers to ensure well-rounded skill building, plus it’s design-focused and eco-conscious. We want to offer special, thoughtful pieces that grow with your children, and even get passed down to their children for generations of play. Core to our brand’s DNA is our social mission, so for every purchase we give back to a likeminded organization.

3. Your shop exclusively offers toys that encourage creative play. How do you go about selecting your products?

I work with a group of teachers and child development experts to select our toys. As you said, we only sell open-ended toys that encourage imaginative and creative play and facilitate learning. Open-ended toys means that they offer more than one possible use and come to life with a child’s imagination. They engage rather than entertain—no battery-operated or directive toys here! We’re all about valuing the creative process over producing a “result.” Next, we look for toys of heirloom quality made from eco-friendly, kid-safe materials, like plant-based rubbers and responsibly sourced woods. We never sell toys that contain plastic. We also support local designers, small-batch artists and small businesses whenever possible. Our last standard is that each toy is design-focused, attractive, and fun. We want parents to be thrilled to have our toys scattered across the living room floor!

4. What one piece of advice would you give to a parent looking to buy an ideal toy for their child?

I may sound like a broken record, but the number one piece of advice I give is to choose open-ended toys because they facilitate the most robust skill building and also mature with the child. We’ve all experienced the frustration of watching a child lose interest in a new toy after a week. Open-ended toys, like a beautifully constructed block set, transform to meet the developmental needs of a child as he or she grows.

5. What do you love most about your job?

This is a tough one because I love so many things about running Rose and Rex. I’d start with having the opportunity to meet and form friendships with so many wonderful people, from local friends to folks across the world. We’re in our first year, and the support and love that we have received from our new community fills me with gratitude. I also love working on our social mission #PlayItForward, where we partner with and support charitable organizations, such as Second Chance Toys, that share our belief in a children’s right to play and play on a healthy planet. All start-ups have learning curves but overall it’s a joy, whether I’m testing out a toy, meeting an artist, preparing 1,000 confetti balloons, or having a conversation with a parent about why play matters. I love every minute!

Rose & Rex are one of the wonderful boutiques joining us at the LA ShopUp on April 23 & 24! Come and meet Allie and shop her fabulous range of inspiring toys!

from kid games toys http://ift.tt/2nh1EAE via kid games toys

#kid games toys

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misterjudemartin · 7 years

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5 Questions with Allie from Rose & Rex

1. Please tell us a little bit about yourself.

2. Tell us a little bit about your shop and how you came to create it. It’s a special place!

3. Your shop exclusively offers toys that encourage creative play. How do you go about selecting your products?

4. What one piece of advice would you give to a parent looking to buy an ideal toy for their child?

5. What do you love most about your job?

Rose & Rex are one of the wonderful boutiques joining us at the LA ShopUp on April 23 & 24! Come and meet Allie and shop her fabulous range of inspiring toys!

from children toys http://ift.tt/2nh1EAE via children toys

#children toys

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