• Wooden Story Natural Blocks - our kids have had these for close to two years now and out of everything in their room it's the one thing they still play with almost daily. I'll be honest with you, when I heard people talking about their kids happily playing with wooden blocks I was pretty skeptical. But once we started limiting screen time and being very selective of what they do watch they creativity really blossomed. Simply put - playtime is no longer a chore. 
• Ikea toy cars - Teddy is a boy through and through. I can't begin to tell you how many cars, trucks and airplanes we have bought for him over the years. But these simple, well-made and trusty cars have remained a favorite to this day. And let's face it - you cannot beat that price point. 
• Sarah's Silks Play Silks - this is a fairly new addition but one that was an instant hit! I'm learning more and more that it is more often the simplest toys that elicit the most joy and boundless creativity. They have built forts, made capes and dresses, used them to represent the ocean or sky and dozens of other uses. I can't recommend these enough! 
• Stuffed animals - now let me explain. The only stuffed toys they still play with are ones that pass the "real test," meaning they have to look as close to the real thing. Often these are more expensive but they are good to have around as they come in handy for a lengthy pretend play session. 
• Balance board - Birdie first tried this at our friends house and instantly fell in love with it. Every time we would come over she would beg to play with it. Because it's an investment piece I waited for months to see if the interest would fade but almost six months later it was still her favorite toy at her friend's house. I finally got one this spring and can't say enough good things. Once again, so simple, but the uses are endless. I also love that it's a toy that helps them move their body. 
• Legos - this is another toy where I first saw an interest when they got to use it at a friend's house. I finally caved and got them their first real box of them months ago and let me tell you - the day we brought it home my two kids were silent for TWO FULL hours!! Like not one sound. It was glorious. Since then it has remained a daily favorite and a great way to channel their energy into a quiet activity. 
• Ikea paper holder - this is probably what gets the most use around here daily. We have a big jar of crayons and colored pencils and at least once a day the kids will head to their "drawing table" and color yards of paper. I keep several rolls on hand at all times for when they run out and that way I don't have to dread a monthly Ikea trip. It's cheap, it's wonderful and it's something they really love. 
• Bucket of dinosaurs - my parents gave this to Teddy for his third birthday and it was an instant favorite. I keep them in an open basket in their room and they love to create stories and scenarios with them. Lately they create these "lands" using the silks and it is pretty cool to watch. 

So there you have it! Our tried and true and very favorite toys! Let me know if this post was helpful and if you have any questions send them my way!

When you come of age during the "golden era of social media" separating fact from fiction and reality vs. perceived reality can become a complicated task. It's the old adage of "if you didn't post it did it happen?" As we all know, it did happen, so much in fact happens outside of these apps or sites. I have found myself stuck in this tension for the last decade - feeling that the best things in life are invisible and yet comparing my invisible to the polished, visible, squares of others. So much of what transpires in our lives is un-writeable, un-consumable and often un-glamorous. But truly does that make it any less worthwhile? We know what the knee-jerk answer is but do we live like we believe it?
I'll speak for myself and say that I have been stumbling through this for the last few years and not always gracefully. But recently I've become aware of the way in which this mindset can directly affect creativity. I can see now how for the last decade I was struggling with how to fit my creative pursuits inside the framework of social media. I felt, misguidedly, that without outside validation my work would be somehow less worthy. I racked my brain for ideas and kept coming up to a brick wall. After all not all of us share a talent for selling oils, hair shampoo and/or vacations to exotic locals. But when we really start to look at things rationally we can see that this "score keeping" system is deeply flawed. It is not tilted towards those of us who consider ourselves introverts, the quiet ones. Our talents are not so easily marketed, not so easily visible in this fast-paced consumerist society.
Yet inside all of us is a completely unique, incredible and powerful creative energy. Tapping into it is not easy, in fact it will probably be the biggest hurdle we face as adult women. From hormones running amok, to chemical imbalances to the massive undertaking that is motherhood our minds are oversaturated and overburdened. Our souls get tucked far, far away from reach and those cries for creative energy to be released feel more and more faint over time. I've found that over the years every time an idea begins to sprout I weed it out telling myself that "it's not ready, it's not good enough, it's not smart enough, etc..." I keep waiting for the "perfect" idea - the one that appears already fully formed, consummate and tied with a bow. But alas years have gone by and I'm still waiting. How often do we tell ourselves it's not worth our time, it's not convenient, it's not "cool" and we fear that it won't get the validation we so desperately crave.
But that's the thing about tapping into your truth - you won't need validation. The release of your work or your art will be the validation itself. Whether that creativity lies in finally donning scrubs and healing animals or humans. Whether it lies in baking those croissants that only your hands can create. Whether it lies in being part of team working towards something exciting and new. Or whether it lies in teaching little or big ones. When you find it, when you tap into it and when you are able to eventually "birth" it your creative energy will propel you forward in a pure and thrilling way.
I think we've grown so accustomed to seeing people receive validation for creative energy that when expressed fits neatly into the milieu of social media and perceived as successful that we've forgotten that success doesn't need to be measured by follower counts, clicks or dollars. Success can mean changing a life, saving a life or enriching a life. No numbers. No stats. Just real, human connection (or animal in some cases :)).
So if you're feeling that nudge of creativity and you feel lost as to how to tap into or where to channel it I really recommend you find the a professional who can guide you toward uncovering the layers of fears, excuses and rationalizations that often surround our creative energy. Find what it is inside of you that needs to be released and know that no matter what it looks like - it matters. You matter. Get out there and paint the world with only the brushes that you posses!!

• Seventh Generation dishwasher pods and dish soap and this brush
• For tough stains I use the Bon Ami powder and a good strong brush
• For gentler scrubbing I use an ACV and baking powder solution
• For general cleaning I used the Mrs Meyer's all purpose cleaning concentrate that I mix with water and put in a glass bottle sprayer
• I also buy stacks of Ikea dish towels that I have all over the house and wash and re-use constantly as a way to save on paper towels

It feels fitting that the moon is a waxing crescent on the eve of my birthday. Had you told me ten years ago that I would write a sentence like that I would have rolled my eyes so hard they would probably still be in the back of my head. But times change and we change and it seems that I'm getting weirder with age (I've also acquired a bevy of gray hairs this year so that's where we're at). But back to the moon. According to several sources the waxing crescent moon is believed to be a time of great creativity, growth, intention and goal setting and a time for meditation and focusing energy towards goals or passions. And I am here for this. For the first time in a long time I feel ready, I feel inspired, open and so ready for wherever this new year of my life may take me.
I'll be honest, this past year has been without a doubt my toughest yet. To say it was challenging wouldn't do it justice because it downright broke me. But as it turns out sometimes you need to be broken in order to rebuild. I can only hope and believe that the rebuilding will result in myself becoming stronger, perhaps a bit wiser but also softer. The process has required challenging a lot of beliefs about myself that I was hanging onto for security that not only were wrong but were also destructive. It's meant taking everything apart, sifting through it piece by piece and keeping what is true and good and useful and discarding of what was negative and harmful. Often it's been some of my most cherished beliefs that have turned out to some of the most damning and deterrents to growth. It's been gritty work but it's felt good as well. Incredibly rewarding and centering, it has felt like a coming-home of sorts.
A lot of it has involved forgiveness as well. I am without a doubt my own harshest critic. I've operated the majority of my adult life under the premise of "it's never enough." I am forever behind, forever less talented, motivated, creative and just about anything you can attach a "less-than" tag to. But of course it was actually my security blanket and what allowed me to stay in this space instead of venturing out, taking a risk that I may be disappointed, hurt, let-down or worse. So I am working on learning to forgive myself for the past but not dwell in shame and instead use the forgiveness as a way to close the door on that particular chapter and move on. Because shame is what keeps us stuck but true forgiveness is what propels us forward.
And forward I go, into uncharted waters, eyes open and heart soft. I want to believe in my own goodness and that it will guide me to a place where I can truly flourish. I want to believe in the goodness of others and that kind people abound ready to support and walk with us and those that can't just need more grace or time (just not from or with us). I want to believe in the goodness of the universe and that it does truly have my back. I've been too quick to believe that the universe is a cruel mistress only handing out pain and suffering (and she does, often) but she's also capable of beauty and magic and I need to always hold onto that. I want to learn to have room for pain and love and wonder and good and to accept it all with open arms.

Here's a passage from a book that is currently changing my life: