As a child there always seemed to be something magical about sleeping outside. There are different sounds. The light is different. There are different smells. The air feels different. When we’re outside, particularly during the night, our sense attune to all of these things that are mitigated or filtered out entirely by sleeping inside a building.
You can, of course, get this feeling by heading out on a camping trip. … Continue reading
As we prepared to leave for my grandma’s house (see HERE), we got our first significant snow fall of the season. Some years we celebrate our first substantial snow by making Snow Ice Cream (recipe HERE) or make Maple Candy (recipe HERE). This year we celebrated by reading our favorite snow books.
I told my boys to pick out their favorite snow books, and they each came back with a huge stack. … Continue reading
This past week we had a lot of snow. In fact, there was so much snow that we got snowed in. My Sweetie graciously takes care of the snow blowing when he’s in town, but he was on the road during this storm.
While the boys and I were a bit disappointed to cancel a brunch-date with a dear friend, it felt nice for the weather to declare a day of rest on our behalf.… Continue reading
Springtime in Colorado comes with a wide variety of weather. Earlier this week, we were enjoying the sunshine and my boys were outside playing with water balloons.
Today we woke up to snow that sat higher than my little guy’s waist. We’ve had well over 2 feet fall at our house. This next week, forecasters are calling for temperatures in the 50s, 60s, and 70s. … Continue reading
Yesterday my boys decorated two dozen Spring Eggs so they would be ready for today’s scavenger hunt. (We use THIS simple recipe for Homemade Egg Dye).
Today I’ll hide the eggs, and the boys will follow their set of clues until they have found them all. We find this is a great way to keep things fun while also making it so the older one doesn’t wind up with most of the eggs.… Continue reading
This may not be our first snowfall of the season (our first snow was only a dusting; see HERE), but today we woke up to our first snowfall with more than a symbolic significance.
This morning when we looked out the windows, we saw several inches of snow. It blanketed the trees, covered the deck, and was plenty to spend multiple sessions playing in throughout the day.… Continue reading
We’ve known that the first snowfall of the season could hit at any time for a while now. We’ve had it snow as early as September here at our Rocky Mountain home, so making it until early November without snow actually feels a bit luxurious.
Last month my 6-year-old excitedly asked if we could celebrate the first snowfall with sledding and making maple candy (recipe HERE).… Continue reading
The morns are meeker than they were,
The nuts are getting brown;
The berry’s cheek is plumper,
The rose is out of town.
The maple wears a gayer scarf,
The field a scarlet gown.
Lest I should be old-fashioned,
I’ll put a trinket on.
–Emily Dickinson, Autumn
Autumn is here. Beautiful, crisp, a final celebration before our little part of the world fades into the renewing slumber of winter.… Continue reading
Fall is here, winter is approaching, and already I’m hearing lots of people sniffling and coughing. We’re all spending more time indoors, and heaters are coming on more frequently. The season of colds and flu seems to be settling in.
While I firmly believe that a healthy diet and plenty of sleep are the best ways to keep our bodies healthy, I also keep some other natural immune system supports and remedies around our house in order to help our bodies if we’re exposed to a virus or if we feel ourselves coming down with something.… Continue reading
Fall, leaves, fall
By Emily Brontë
Fall, leaves, fall; die, flowers, away;
Lengthen night and shorten day;
Every leaf speaks bliss to me
Fluttering from the autumn tree.
I shall smile when wreaths of snow
Blossom where the rose should grow;
I shall sing when night’s decay
Ushers in a drearier day.
As Bronte poignantly expresses above, there is beauty to be found even as the northern hemisphere prepares for its winter rest. … Continue reading