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Simple as That

Making Everyday Beautiful

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  • We’re headed out on an adventure this weekend. Winter road trip here we come! ❄️⁣ ⁣ We’re going to log at least 16 hours in the car and I want to bring an audiobook (or two) along to listen to as a family. ⁣ ⁣ The trick is finding something that’ll keep everyone engaged from the youngest (age 9) all the way up to the teenagers. ⁣ ⁣ I’d love some recommendations! ⁣ ⁣ One book that’s on our list of possibilities is The War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley.⁣ ⁣ #familytravel #wintersdventures #goexplore #getoutside ⁣
  • I know that games are designed to keep kids online for far more hours than could ever be considered healthy. ⁣ ⁣ I know that if it’s up to them, many kids will gladly trade screen time for time spent with friends, family, and the great outdoors.⁣ ⁣ I know that even relatively innocuous pictures and videos my kids see online can cause them to draw unfavorable comparisons that eat away at their self-worth.⁣ ⁣ But I also see the GOOD that the internet brings into our family's life.⁣ ⁣ I love that because of the internet, when we come home from a family hike and are wondering about the rock formations we saw earlier in the day, within moments we can be learning about geology and history at once.⁣ ⁣ I love that when my children discover role models they can look up to, we can dive in deep and learn from these people’s experiences.⁣ ⁣ And I especially love that whenever we need a dose of spiritual inspiration, incredible resources are only a few clicks away.⁣ ⁣ It’s a balancing act—an important-but-difficult line to walk, as parents. Visit the link in my profile (or swipe up in stories) to read 5 things I'm doing to help keep my kids safe online. I hope it helps your family, too. #SaferInternetDay #BeInternetAwesome #Sponsored
  • Our kids don’t need to be entertained or enrolled in all the things to be happy. In fact, the real magic of childhood is what happens in between the events written on our calendars. ⁣ ⁣ I sometimes feel like the odd parent out in my conscious decision not to over-schedule my kids. Sure, some days I worry that they’re missing out. That I’m holding them back by not buying into the idea that they need to be in activity A, B and C in order to have a bright future.⁣ ⁣ It isn’t easy to silence the voices that make me think we should do more and chase more. In fact, most days it feels like a constant tug of war.⁣⁣ ⁣ But the moments when I trust my instincts, ignore what the world outside tells me I SHOULD be doing as a mother, and instead follow what I know is right for my family (even if it means going against the grain), these are the times when I’ve felt most at peace.⁣⁣ ⁣ Here’s to finding the courage to miss out and creating more space for the magic. ✨
  • When we really think about it, we all know that we'd rather connect with the people around us than the screen in our hand...but the pull is real.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ 10 things to do with 10 minutes—instead of checking your phone:⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ 1. Take a walk around your neighborhood.⁣ 👟 ⁣ 2. Read a book with your child.⁣ 📚 ⁣ 3. Light a candle and turn on some music. ⁣🎶⁣ 4. Make a healthy snack.⁣ 🥕 ⁣ 5. Gather supplies for a creative project – if you follow my stories you’ve seen some of the fun my girls and I are having in our art journals.⁣ 🎨 ⁣ 6. Go to sleep ten minutes earlier. You all know how I feel about sleep!⁣ 🛏 ⁣ 7. Get to know yourself better by taking a personality test.⁣ 📝 ⁣ 8. Do a random act of kindness.⁣ ❤️ ⁣ 9. Do some stretching.⁣ 🧘‍♀️⁣ 10. Write in your journal.⁣ ✏️ ⁣⁣ ⁣ If we could soak in any of those experiences in 10 distraction-free minutes, imagine what we could do with an hour? A day? A weekend?⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ I’m determined to unplug from my phone more often. I know WHY I want to. Coming to the HOW and the WHEN is a work in progress. ⁣⁣ ⁣ How have you set up boundaries with your own phone use? I’d love some advice. ⁣ #neverstopexploring #visitcalifornia #timetoconnect #meetthemoment #forgetyourphone #unplug #mindfulness
  • I’ve read article after article on the benefits of getting our kids outdoors.⁣ ⁣ Studies show that time spent in nature has the power to improve a child’s body image, lessen the symptoms of attention deficit disorder, and offer significant therapeutic value for troubled youth.⁣ ⁣ Outdoor experiences help children develop skills in problem solving, decision making, and critical thinking. ⁣ ⁣ The benefits are many, but for our family, the value of time spent in nature boils down to one simple concept:⁣ ⁣ Helping my children build a connection with the world around them has strengthened our connections with each other. ⁣ ⁣ We spent some time outside on MLK day sledding and exploring around a local park. Everything looked so different under a blanket of white – it was beautiful!⁣ ⁣ It may have been cold but the memories of us laughing together as we flew down the hill and crashed at the bottom will warm my heart for a long while. ⁣❤️
  • A mind that is occupied with its possessions has less room to notice and appreciate the nonmaterial joys of life.⁣ ⁣ Anyone else on the de-cluttering train right now? ⁣ ⁣ We move in just 5 short months and I’m taking the opportunity to pare down our possessions. I freaking LOVE it! Do you get as excited about getting rid of STUFF as I do? ⁣😀