Embracing This Breath

The perfect beauty of this morning actually hurts me.  As I steal a quiet hour in my little garden with a cup of coffee, the world saturated in green, trees in bloom, birdsong, the first signs of new life coming up in my raised beds… My heart aches.  The unabashed brilliance of life.  It stings….

Hope and Miracles

What in the world is even happening?  I find myself sifting through the media, shaking my head in wonder at all the different perspectives that claim to be true.  I read statistics from experts in every field, see photographs that prove the arguments without a doubt, absorb the shocking headlines.  I hear yelling from every…

Poetry Delivery Project, Creative Family Idea Box Day #11

This short, sweet, simple poetry project will help those you love to know you are thinking of them from afar.  Choose a poem, read it aloud, and send it via text or email to a friend or family member.  Allow each child to choose his/her own poem to send.  (Even the youngest children can choose…

No-Stress Paint Party, Creative Family Idea Box Day #8

You know why I love watercolors so much?  Because it just doesn’t matter how big the mess is.  If there are any spills, it is just water!  There is no reason painting can’t be a regular part of a child’s life. Surprise your children with a paint party!  Set the table with brushes, watercolors (even…

Family Journal Time, Creative Family Idea Box Day #7

I love journaling.  It is truly the heartbeat of everything I do creatively and has been my whole life.  Nearly every good idea I’ve ever had my whole life is scribbled down in a notebook somewhere. Today I’d like to introduce you to the idea of Family Journaling.  Gather around the table with some paper…

Free Doodle and Activity Book, Creative Family Idea Box Day #6

I am so happy to share these fun doodle and coloring pages with you!  I had to hide these drawings, because my children kept asking me if they could have them.  I told them they would have to wait till morning, and I would print them all out their own books.  I have posted 5…

Dinnertime Storytelling Game, Creative Family Idea Box Day #5

You are five minutes away from a dinner full of family stories that you have likely never heard!  This is a super-simple Storytelling Game that you can play at your next meal.  Just click the Storytelling Game image, print it, cut out the words and put them in a bowl.   During your meal, take…

Milk Jug Paper Dolls, Creative Family Idea Box Day #4

I have had a lifelong love of paper dolls.  But they are so easy to tear!!!  Here is a fun idea for simple paper dolls made from an old milk jug.  Get creative!  Make people, animal, houses, cars, and whole villages out of these plentiful, sturdy jugs.  They are sturdier than cardboard (we’ve made paper…