• He was 3 days past his due date but came rushing out fast and furious one year ago today, which I think was a preview of how he would develop in the months that followed. Today, our baby and sweet second son, Micah Valor turns 1 (!!!) and if I thought the first year of Chase’s life went by too fast, this time around felt like Micah grew in warp speed. We celebrate our super speedy crawler, tentative walker, chatty chatty monkey, bottomless pit with a huge appetite, and his last 12 months as our BABY... knowing that even bigger changes lay ahead for him in the months to come. My prayer for you, my sweet son, is that you will come to know and love the Lord, that you will love and serve others, and that you will always remember how loved you are. Happy first birthday our sweet Micah Valor ❤️ #micahvalor #thesantolins
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    He was 3 days past his due date but came rushing out fast and furious one year ago today, which I think was a preview of how he would develop in the months that followed. Today, our baby and sweet second son, Micah Valor turns 1 (!!!) and if I thought the first year of Chase’s life went by too fast, this time around felt like Micah grew in warp speed. We celebrate our super speedy crawler, tentative walker, chatty chatty monkey, bottomless pit with a huge appetite, and his last 12 months as our BABY... knowing that even bigger changes lay ahead for him in the months to come. My prayer for you, my sweet son, is that you will come to know and love the Lord, that you will love and serve others, and that you will always remember how loved you are. Happy first birthday our sweet Micah Valor ❤️ #micahvalor #thesantolins
  • When you need to get one -just one!- good family photo for this year’s Christmas card, so you throw everyone under the tree in whatever they are wearing post-church/trampolining/diaper blowout, and your 3-year-old is more interested in your remote shutter app, and your 11-month-old is not having it. #instagramvsreality . . . . . #thesantolins #chasehonor #micahvalor #christmas2019 #honestmotherhood #motherhoodrising #motherhoodthroughinstagram #motherhoodunplugged #uniteinmotherhood #dailyparenting #letthembelittle #ohheymama #documentlife #childhoodunplugged #candidchildhood #momtogs #thepursuitofjoyproject #teammotherly #habitandhome #mytinymoments #momswithcameras #simplemoments #littleandbrave #humansofjoy #motherhood #simplychildren #kidsforreal
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    When you need to get one -just one!- good family photo for this year’s Christmas card, so you throw everyone under the tree in whatever they are wearing post-church/trampolining/diaper blowout, and your 3-year-old is more interested in your remote shutter app, and your 11-month-old is not having it. #instagramvsreality . . . . . #thesantolins #chasehonor #micahvalor #christmas2019 #honestmotherhood #motherhoodrising #motherhoodthroughinstagram #motherhoodunplugged #uniteinmotherhood #dailyparenting #letthembelittle #ohheymama #documentlife #childhoodunplugged #candidchildhood #momtogs #thepursuitofjoyproject #teammotherly #habitandhome #mytinymoments #momswithcameras #simplemoments #littleandbrave #humansofjoy #motherhood #simplychildren #kidsforreal
  • Our weekends are usually so jam packed that slowing it down today was such a welcome change. We slept in, made breakfast, and literally just hung out with each other before a nice long nap and Chase’s birthday party in the evening. Being present and there in the moment with the kids is different from schlepping them around with you as you jump from commitment to commitment on any given Saturday. I live for these moments. I love watching them love each other (and yes, sometimes fight too!) and I never want to take these kinds of moments for granted. My sweet mama’s boys! ❤️ #chasehonor #micahvalor #thesantolins
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    Our weekends are usually so jam packed that slowing it down today was such a welcome change. We slept in, made breakfast, and literally just hung out with each other before a nice long nap and Chase’s birthday party in the evening. Being present and there in the moment with the kids is different from schlepping them around with you as you jump from commitment to commitment on any given Saturday. I live for these moments. I love watching them love each other (and yes, sometimes fight too!) and I never want to take these kinds of moments for granted. My sweet mama’s boys! ❤️ #chasehonor #micahvalor #thesantolins
  • Breaking my posting hiatus to bring you glimpses of this sweet face. My second son at 7 months. Happy Monday! #MicahValor
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    Breaking my posting hiatus to bring you glimpses of this sweet face. My second son at 7 months. Happy Monday! #MicahValor
  • Giveaway closed. Thanks for participating!! . . . . . ✨GIVEAWAY✨ Today, I'm turning 32 and re-launching my long-overdue website. This lettering piece is an oldie but a goodie, and a reminder that although I (much like my website) am a constant work in progress, better things are always ahead. To celebrate, I'm giving away a $100 Amazon Gift Card! To enter, do any or all of the following (an entry for each): 1️⃣ Follow me (@jenellesantosdesign) 2️⃣ Like, comment, or share this photo 3️⃣ Tag a friend (separate tags = more entries) 4️⃣ Sign up for my mailing list (link in bio) This giveaway will be open until Thursday, April 11 at 11:59 EST and the winner will be randomly selected and announced on Friday morning. Open to Canadian and US citizens. This giveaway is not in any way affiliated with or endorsed by Instagram or Amazon.
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    Giveaway closed. Thanks for participating!! . . . . . ✨GIVEAWAY✨ Today, I'm turning 32 and re-launching my long-overdue website. This lettering piece is an oldie but a goodie, and a reminder that although I (much like my website) am a constant work in progress, better things are always ahead. To celebrate, I'm giving away a $100 Amazon Gift Card! To enter, do any or all of the following (an entry for each): 1️⃣ Follow me (@jenellesantosdesign) 2️⃣ Like, comment, or share this photo 3️⃣ Tag a friend (separate tags = more entries) 4️⃣ Sign up for my mailing list (link in bio) This giveaway will be open until Thursday, April 11 at 11:59 EST and the winner will be randomly selected and announced on Friday morning. Open to Canadian and US citizens. This giveaway is not in any way affiliated with or endorsed by Instagram or Amazon.
  • Guys. 3 big things: 1️⃣ Today is my birthday. I was reminded recently not just of the brevity of life, but also of just how far I've come in this journey God has placed me on. Today, I am 32 and grateful. 🎂 2️⃣ Today, I'm launching my website. They say done is better than perfect, and my website is neither fully done nor perfect, but anything is better than nothing, and I'm slowly working towards completion. 3️⃣ Today, I'm hosting my first giveaway. In honour of my birthday, and my website launch. Details in the next post!
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    Guys. 3 big things: 1️⃣ Today is my birthday. I was reminded recently not just of the brevity of life, but also of just how far I've come in this journey God has placed me on. Today, I am 32 and grateful. 🎂 2️⃣ Today, I'm launching my website. They say done is better than perfect, and my website is neither fully done nor perfect, but anything is better than nothing, and I'm slowly working towards completion. 3️⃣ Today, I'm hosting my first giveaway. In honour of my birthday, and my website launch. Details in the next post!
  • So I get a lot of comments about how awesome it must be to work from home, with the freedom to do my own thing, plan my days my way, and just be able to do what I want to do. And don't get me wrong, this is the path I chose, and I love being able to do what I do. While entrepreneurship and running a business does give me that freedom I've been wanting in all aspects of my work and life, it's definitely not without its struggles as well.⁣⠀ ⁣⠀ I'd like to dialogue for a minute about some pain points and struggles we as entrepreneurs might be facing, because real talk, it's not always about finding awesome clients and doing awesome work, or fitting in mid-morning brunches and mid-afternoon naps, lol. Sometimes, we struggle with a lack of finances, resources or time. It could be a lack of business clarity that forces you to explore many directions, often resulting in dead ends. Maybe you're struggling with the art of the hustle and you're burnt out from doing all the things.⁣⠀ ⁣⠀ My biggest struggle right now is probably a lack of time. I've got a never-ending task list populated with client needs as well as my own business needs that need to get tackled. I'm juggling nursing and nap times with design work and project management. And I just never seem to have enough hours in the day to do everything I need to do! Add to that the fact that I am a textbook overthinker and perfectionist who just needs to have everything done a certain way, making it hard for me to delegate tasks to others. Prioritizing is also difficult, when everything is important, and everything needs to get done in order for my business to be run efficiently. The struggle is real, y'all!⁣⠀ ⁣⠀ Let's open up some dialogue about what some of your pain points and struggles are as an entrepreneur! ⬇️⬇️⬇️
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    So I get a lot of comments about how awesome it must be to work from home, with the freedom to do my own thing, plan my days my way, and just be able to do what I want to do. And don't get me wrong, this is the path I chose, and I love being able to do what I do. While entrepreneurship and running a business does give me that freedom I've been wanting in all aspects of my work and life, it's definitely not without its struggles as well.⁣⠀ ⁣⠀ I'd like to dialogue for a minute about some pain points and struggles we as entrepreneurs might be facing, because real talk, it's not always about finding awesome clients and doing awesome work, or fitting in mid-morning brunches and mid-afternoon naps, lol. Sometimes, we struggle with a lack of finances, resources or time. It could be a lack of business clarity that forces you to explore many directions, often resulting in dead ends. Maybe you're struggling with the art of the hustle and you're burnt out from doing all the things.⁣⠀ ⁣⠀ My biggest struggle right now is probably a lack of time. I've got a never-ending task list populated with client needs as well as my own business needs that need to get tackled. I'm juggling nursing and nap times with design work and project management. And I just never seem to have enough hours in the day to do everything I need to do! Add to that the fact that I am a textbook overthinker and perfectionist who just needs to have everything done a certain way, making it hard for me to delegate tasks to others. Prioritizing is also difficult, when everything is important, and everything needs to get done in order for my business to be run efficiently. The struggle is real, y'all!⁣⠀ ⁣⠀ Let's open up some dialogue about what some of your pain points and struggles are as an entrepreneur! ⬇️⬇️⬇️
  • Who else spent all of late Sunday evening getting all organized and ready to hit the ground running this Monday morning?? 🙋🏻‍♀️🙋🏻‍♀️🙋🏻‍♀️⠀ ⠀ Last week’s transition back to work was a bit of a rough one but things are semi back to normal so here’s hoping I find better footing this week. Rooting for all you working warriors! Get it! 👊🏻
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    Who else spent all of late Sunday evening getting all organized and ready to hit the ground running this Monday morning?? 🙋🏻‍♀️🙋🏻‍♀️🙋🏻‍♀️⠀ ⠀ Last week’s transition back to work was a bit of a rough one but things are semi back to normal so here’s hoping I find better footing this week. Rooting for all you working warriors! Get it! 👊🏻
  • I like to tell my clients that branding is an overall experience, and every single touchpoint that a customer interacts with contributes to how they experience your business. This obviously extends to far more than just a nice logo and beautiful website, but let's not kid ourselves into thinking that visuals don't often influence how we perceive value. Visual branding, in particular, can effectively be a promise to your customers about the things they can expect from your business. Often, the very first interactions they'll have with your business are entirely visual- and they can devise both first impressions and final conclusions about you based on the first 3 seconds they interact with a business card, a website, or a product package. What promise is your visual brand currently making to your customer?
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    I like to tell my clients that branding is an overall experience, and every single touchpoint that a customer interacts with contributes to how they experience your business. This obviously extends to far more than just a nice logo and beautiful website, but let's not kid ourselves into thinking that visuals don't often influence how we perceive value. Visual branding, in particular, can effectively be a promise to your customers about the things they can expect from your business. Often, the very first interactions they'll have with your business are entirely visual- and they can devise both first impressions and final conclusions about you based on the first 3 seconds they interact with a business card, a website, or a product package. What promise is your visual brand currently making to your customer?
  • Happy Monday! I'm easing my way back into the studio this week after 9 weeks of uninterrupted newborn snuggles and sweet skin-to-skin sessions, and I'm excited but nervous to be working again! The beauty of entrepreneurship means I have the freedom to focus on my babies while running my business, but there's always that creeping sense of self-doubt that I'll be able to balance my mom and boss titles effectively, especially now that I've got two littles in tow.⁣⠀ ⁣⠀ But this past week, I juggled nursing, naptimes, and diaper changes with on-boarding new clients, creating proposals, writing blog posts, and working on my website. It isn't easy, and it's a far cry from the fast-paced productivity that comes from firing on all cylinders. But the beauty of being my own boss means I can nurture my babies and my biz at a pace that works for everyone, and it's this kind of freedom that reminds me of why I do what I do.⁣⠀ ⁣⠀ That said, it feels great to be (slowly!) getting back into the swing of things, work-wise. I've been putting the finishing touches on my still-yet-to-be-launched website, but I'm realizing more and more, that, where some things are concerned, done is better than perfect. SO instead of a massive launch, I'll be rolling out parts of my website in stages, starting with my first blog post that will drop next Monday. Stay tuned!⁣⠀ ⁣⠀ My blog will cover all things branding and I'll be sharing some great insight on design, strategy and business-related topics. I'd love to know what other topics you'd be interested in reading, as entrepreneurs looking to elevate your businesses through strategic branding and design. I'm working on quality content created specifically for you guys, so leave me a comment below with what you'd like to learn more of!
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    Happy Monday! I'm easing my way back into the studio this week after 9 weeks of uninterrupted newborn snuggles and sweet skin-to-skin sessions, and I'm excited but nervous to be working again! The beauty of entrepreneurship means I have the freedom to focus on my babies while running my business, but there's always that creeping sense of self-doubt that I'll be able to balance my mom and boss titles effectively, especially now that I've got two littles in tow.⁣⠀ ⁣⠀ But this past week, I juggled nursing, naptimes, and diaper changes with on-boarding new clients, creating proposals, writing blog posts, and working on my website. It isn't easy, and it's a far cry from the fast-paced productivity that comes from firing on all cylinders. But the beauty of being my own boss means I can nurture my babies and my biz at a pace that works for everyone, and it's this kind of freedom that reminds me of why I do what I do.⁣⠀ ⁣⠀ That said, it feels great to be (slowly!) getting back into the swing of things, work-wise. I've been putting the finishing touches on my still-yet-to-be-launched website, but I'm realizing more and more, that, where some things are concerned, done is better than perfect. SO instead of a massive launch, I'll be rolling out parts of my website in stages, starting with my first blog post that will drop next Monday. Stay tuned!⁣⠀ ⁣⠀ My blog will cover all things branding and I'll be sharing some great insight on design, strategy and business-related topics. I'd love to know what other topics you'd be interested in reading, as entrepreneurs looking to elevate your businesses through strategic branding and design. I'm working on quality content created specifically for you guys, so leave me a comment below with what you'd like to learn more of!