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 ...