Whimsy Bay

We went tide-pooling recently and O found a little jellyfish, which she is clearly so proud of. This is a time of transitions. Summer turning to autumn. O going from toddler to little girl. Moving back east after a long stint in Alaska. And all that takes a lot of mental space to deal with and get through. Bigger feelings, and bigger suitcases make this time in our lives and the year one that needs a little extra attention. Whether that is downsizing, quality time, or just extra cuddles during the day, it's a season that we will get through. Together. Just as we have always done. It is also a time where I am less attached to any one place than I ever have been, and that is definitely a vulnerable feeling. It's like I'm a bit of kelp that has come loose from its rock and is now floating freely around the vast ocean. I really need to take this time to reflect on where I am and where I would like to go. Now is the time to manifest my dreams into a reality, while I'

Fairytales are wonderful classics that are always being rewritten, and sometimes for the better. This particular rewrite is extraordinary. It has different species and races, a prince in distress instead of a damsel, thoughtful ideas about marriage, and a happy ending that isn't what you'd expect! Interstellar Cinderella by Deborah Underwood Do yourselves, and your children, a favor and check this book out at your local library. Are there any rewritten classics that you have enjoyed lately? Do tell! May you always have enough light to read by, Naomi

This place is beautiful. Watching the transition of spring to summer has been such a wonderful experience, you can see the green moving up the mountains as the snow on top slowly reseeds. When the sun is out, which isn't as often as I'm used to being from the east coast, we try to spend as much time as we can outside. Be it just playing in the backyard, snacking on the porch, scouring the beaches for sea glass, or hiking to new areas, we squeeze as much as we can into each day. Lucky for us the days here are so so long, with the sun rising around four in the morning and setting close to midnight. I'm still not used to the evenings being so bright. The other day little O was looking at the ceiling of my brother's house where we are staying as asked what those things were. They are lights, though she has never seen them used, which is just astounding! Kodiak has some amazing places to explore, and so many that I haven't had a chance to get to yet. Luckily we stil

Well we made it. With the whole move, then settling in, then everything changing as school let out and summer began, it's been hard to make time to come here and share. However I have been working very hard to manifest my dreams and hopes for my life and future, and one of the things I want to do is create more time to create. So here I am. Creating. On the beautiful island of Kodiak. I will make the time to share more in the traveling part of our journey, since it did take over a day and we packed a lot into that experience. But this move has been so wonderful. And hard. And fun. And every emotion and feeling in between. It's great for O to have her cousins to play with and learn from, but it's also hard since they are raised and parented differently than how I do. I can definitely see her picking up some bad habits, but also some good ones. And I too have picked up different habits, whether good or bad depends on your perspective, that mainly pertain to parenting. In

O will never have a first day of school, and I think that is just amazing. Don't think of it as she is missing out on something, because school is not something to look forward to or strive for.  She won't be forced to sit still for hours at a time, memorize and "learn" what other people tell her too, and be penalized for doing things her own way. Instead she will have the freedom to completely emerse herself in whatever it is that interests her in that particular hour, day, or week. We won't only be able to travel during busy school vacations, but instead throughout the year, at the drop of a hat. We won't get in trouble with anyone if we spend days couped up in the house working on something, or run off for a camping getaway.  By allowing little O to follow her passions and interests, it allows for me to do the same as well. I feel like people sometimes think that if they are miserable at their job then it's okay if their children are misera

As someone who strives to be minimal and produce as little waste as I can, these are a few of my essentials for myself as well as O when it comes to snacking away from home. Whether that's doing a grocery run, spending too much at Target, or having a beach picnic, these few things are usually in my bag at all times. Jars: for bulk snacks and leftovers Napkin: for messy faces and hands Reusable snack bags: for more bulk snacks or a small toy or game Beeswrap: mostly for cheese Mason jar cup: for smoothies, water, or even a hot cocoa treat Most of these cost me little to no money. We always have jars in the cupboard, I made the beeswrap out of some old fabric I had (with bees no less!) and beeswax, the silicone jar sleeve and straw cover were recent purchases for our cross country trip, the straw I picked up at our local swap shop for free since none of my other reusable straws were short enough, and the napkin and snack bag came as part of my Mighty Fix subscription.

Little O loves books. It doesn't matter what they are about, if they are appropriate for children, or if it's in another language. She will ask you to read it, or more often then not just read it herself. Granted she cannot read yet, but she will still try! As you can guess, library days are some of our favorites. We try to go once a week, though lately I've been checking out so many books for her we don't have to go as often. I thought I would share some that we've gotten lately that we enjoy. One of our favorites, definitely going to have to add it to our personal collection. This whole series is wonderful. Always love reading about animals. Reading about different cultures, traditions, and holidays is one of my favorite things to do. Quite a bit beyond O's understanding, but this book introduces math in a very interesting way, as well as being stewards of the earth. Cousteau is O's grandfather's idol, so of course we had to

This winter has been the coldest one I can remember lately. Below freezing temperatures, plus brutally cold wind chills, for days on end. A warm day here and there, the quick little January thaw, but for the most part very cold. And while I would love nothing more than to just curl up on the couch with a blanket, warm mug of tea, and a giant book (any Outlander fans??), and wait out the cold, little O needs outside time. She is like me and would be content staying in and watching the snow fall and waiting until the day all of the ice has melted, but those ten plus days we had of -20 showed me how much she really needs to get out and breathe the fresh air and exercise those little legs. O starts showing some resistance in going for walks or sledding after long stretches indoors, and so it can take a bit of persuasion to get her ready to go, but even if it's just to walk to the car to come grocery shopping, I want her out every day. She needs it, and so do I because when it's c

Little O is one of the biggest book worms I know, besides myself. She can just sit on the couch or on her bed or in her little nook and read anything she can get her hands on for hours and hours. Library day might as well be a weekly holiday it's so well loved. That being said, I don't think all children's books are created equal. There are the sweet and lovely, and the ones that drive you crazy to read over and over. I thought it would be nice to start a little series where I highlight books we enjoy, since book recommendation posts are some of my personal favorite to read. The first book I'll share is called Sleep Tight Farm by Eugenie Doyle. It is such a sweet story about a family of farmers putting their farm to bed for the winter. The illustrations by Becca Stadtlander are gorgeous and realistic. I love that it teaches about how farmers take care of the land, animals, and equipment they have while not being dry and too factual. Here is a sneak peek inside.

This is a sort of new idea for me, though definitely one that is very appealing to me, especially in this season of my life. Imagine, spending zero dollars on stuff. On junk. On useless items. I'm partly inspired by Meredith, of  Meredithtested , but I have heard of this concept before. We're also planning a temporary cross country move for the summer, and I think saving as much as I can for that time is the best thing for us right now. Enter the no buy year.  Secondhand items I just had  to have. The shoes were the best and worn by O for months, though the gorgeous overalls never even fit. Now it's one thing to say you're not going to spend money, but it's another thing to actually do it. I've never been a big shopper, but I do LOVE to scan the thrift shop and try to find the best deals. But I don't need anything. So why look? There is my wishlist of things that would be nice to have, like wool leggings, brown booties, handmade pottery. But non

It is now 2018, oh my! The holiday whirlwind has come and gone, and though I was fully prepared and not stressed, it does take a lot out of you! Add in a two-and-a-half year old and that's just a recipe for some nerves fraying. But it's once a year, and it does bring the whole family together so I wouldn't have it any other way. As in traditional new year ways, I've decided that this will be the year that I fully commit to keeping this blog alive, and post once a week minimum. Now that it's out in the universe, hopefully that will help it manifest, though I definitely need to do my part! For my first post of the year I thought it would be nice if I shared a few photos of what little O received for Christmas. Stocking stuffers: wikkistix (leftover from her birthday), bamboo to-go utensils, colored pencils, seeds, temporary tattoos, essential oil roller, thrifted dreidel, candle she made (everyone got one in their stocking), chocolate coins, lollipop, and a