the best quote from a cool chick!

We are constantly trying to instill good values into our tiny human. Be kind, choose wisely, be a friend to all, pick up after yourself... there are just too many to list! A personal favorite: "leave no trace" came in handy last week. Life lessons are everywhere and I wonder how many other people pick up on this stuff. I am huge fan of good quotes, life lessons, and mantras, so these concepts blend well into the life we have created for ourselves.

My favorite quote from Maya Angelou is a great example of a good life quote and a great way to teach a tiny human to have good values. Why be normal when you can be YOUnique, amazing, and a true individual??? What is normal anyways??? And who decided that was the end game? In this house we strive to be ourselves so we feel comfortable in our own skin, with who we are, what we wear, what we do...

We took a trip last week. No hotels, no Uber, no catered meals (all of those things are fantastic, but this wasn't THAT kind of trip!). We slept in, rode bikes through mud puddles, jumped off a cliff (yep, that happened!), wore swimsuits all day,  explored, created, lived. It was BY FAR one of the best family vacations, in my humble opinion, that we have ever taken. It was far from your normal because we spent 10 days in a camper... with a kid AND a dog... and it went great! 

This is our new normal and we love it. I am so excited to hop a plane and get on a cruise. I can't wait to hit up an all-inclusive resort again! I can't wait for life as we know it to resume it's original glory. Because we choose to redefine the word "normal" we are able to have amazing adventures, stay true to ourselves, and still learn life lessons along the way.

Be normal, or not. Be unique, or not. Just be amazing! Be yourself. And be your best self!

you're never too young to cook and bake!

I love to bake and my husband loves to cook. Between the two of us, we are setting a pretty good example in our house for independence, hobbies, good eating, creativity... The rules are simple

 You have to try a food before you say you don't like it. You have to clear your spot at the table. Sometimes you help with dinner. 

My daughter has started preparing little meals for us. Last Thursday we had homemade pizza with macaroni and cheese. Have you ever looked into homemade pizza crust? So simple- flour, yeast, oil, water, sugar. Cheap and easy. 

Last night we had macaroni and cheese with breakfast cookies for dessert. She has aprons, measuring equipment, kid cookbooks, and interest, so why not?! Breakfast cookies are high protein, egg-free cookies that are actually really good. We split up meal cooking so we aren't stuck with only Kraft based choices ;)

Giving her a little freedom and trust has gone a long way. She wants to help. She is learning fractions and math skills through measuring. She has to help clean up, so every which way I win! And she gets to try new things, so we all win. I truly hope the art of cooking and baking is always her passion! We have so much fun with it!

a little paint makes a big difference

We needed a change up. The dark blue room came with the house, so we got dark beige curtains to match. And now... it needs lightened and brightened. What a better way to get a clean slate and teach your kid a life skill? One can of paint and 2 paintbrushes. Two days, big messes, laughter, conversations. So worth it!

I painted the aqua and my little one helped paint all the trim white, the shelves and the closet. They're finally white again! It looks so fresh and clean in there. Now when she takes friends in there to play or has a sleepover or does a movie night, it will look nice and fresh. She can take ownership for the work she has done.

I got more work done with my buddy than I would have done alone. I got to show her some useful skills. She got to feel useful and grown because she got to help. Painting isn't my favorite thing, but the results make it so worth it! It was a fun little project that kept us busy and it doesn't take much money to get a clean, new look. 

We just love it. It's a bit bright and a bit girly, but oh well. The room looks bigger and cleaner. The little one feels good about herself because she got to help me. And now her beanie boos will have a clean, fun room to live in :)

it's butterfly time!

The butterflies are back in town! We headed over to Nicholas Conservatory to see the new butterflies exhibit. They had quite the set up. It was organized and easy to get in. I am shocked we haven't seen the display sooner. So fun!

They had a slideshow to start in one room and then you walked into another room to meet with another expert. He showed us cocoons and explained the whole process of caterpillar to butterfly. There were lots of questions for the kids. Lots of fun things to see. They had fish, cocoons, and pupae to observe in the second room.

Then you go into the arboretum to view the plants and butterflies. We enjoyed all the pretty flowers and displays. The koi were a big hit with the little ones. I love all the waterways that flow through the room. They had statues and benches hidden around the room to enjoy. 

In the butterfly room you get a sponge on a stick soaked in Gatorade. Apparently butterflies like Gatorade! It took a minute, but the butterflies eventually came over to us. Then they were everywhere! It was so fun to watch the joy in my kid's eyes. It was a nice relaxing hour where we got to slow down and enjoy nature and (literally) all the little things :)

the Easy Bake oven still exists!

Does anyone remember having an Easy Bake oven this adorable? Nope. Didn't think so. Mine was brown and yellow. I am only mildly jealous that kid's toys are cuter these days. I never had glitter on my stuff- definitely born in the wrong era :)

Someone I know saved and bought this over summer break. Every time we think of it, we buy a bake kit and she makes tiny little snacks. Geez, they went up in price! She is so happy when she can cook and bake safely and without assistance, though. Who doesn't want to spend all that time making tiny little cookies? 

I am glad that our toys have come full circle. A lot of things she plays with now are ones that we all used as kids. We got THREE whole toys for Christmas this year. Only 3. How amazing is that? All the gifts were centered on drawing, crafting, baking, or activities. 

This kid won't get bored until summer break, for sure. She will refine her culinary skills and it will be like a mini iron chef. Maybe she will learn to bake full meals and desserts and I won't have to do that ever again! Well, not really. But in the meantime it is fun to watch her mix and create. She doesn't even realize it, but she's still learning math, fractions and strengthening her reading skills. Bwahaha. I win. Mini cookies AND learning. A great combo!

rad American women

Our girl scout troop is looking at strong female leaders right now. I borrowed this book from a friend to share with them. It was awesome to see all their little eyes light up as we read about athletes, politicians, authors, and so on. My little one loved this book so much that she asked to read it INSTEAD OF WATCHING TV! She kept asking me who some of these great women are and was shocked that I hadn't heard of all of them.

When we promote great women, hopefully we are helping create great women. This book sparked so many conversations and opened so many curiosities. We now have it on our Christmas wishlist! It is an alphabetical list of women to know from all possible fields and walks of life. A short, easy read with bright colors and pictures.

I am trying to raise a rad American woman. I want her to see no limits and want to explore all her potential, just like the ladies in this book. I want her to question things and find her own solutions. I want her to be a leader, a friend, and kind. I want her to make a difference. I want her to be polite, but not get walked on. I want her to be unique and dress as crazy as she wants knowing other women will lift her up if anyone tries to scuff up her crown. 

This post is for all the rad lady hustlers making their way through and for all the mini hustlers who are kicking butt at remote learning, smiling through constant changes, and learning new ways to be awesome. 

it's time to get ignorant

Let me start by saying that Becoming Minimalist is one of the best sites I follow. It's most definitely not about getting rid of all your things and living some indie existence. It is about getting rid of mental clutter and stress as well. As we approach the holiday seasons in the year of the Covid, and it also happens be a voting year, I am constantly trying to avoid news, conversations, or situations that are stress inducing. Some days this is easier than others. At home I have the ability to turn off the news or turn down the radio. It's not like that everywhere else.

I have confirmed plans for the holidays that are reasonable and safe with only family, yet lots of fun and love. You do you, but I will be home with a small group of close family. I am okay with that. My child is okay with that. We want to stay safe and celebrate. That is manageable. It will definitely look different: no parade, no hot chocolate walk, no packing the house full of extended family. That is okay, though. For this year, it will have to be.

I do not plan to keep up with it all. I just can't. Even in an normal year, there are things we avoid and places we don't go. Why trudge through the mall when it's always packed and stressful when there's breakfast with Santa and Santa at the Christmas party? Even as I think about this, there will be a drive through breakfast with Santa and most definitely no Christmas party. We will make that work. It will be okay.

The focus this year is on love and togetherness. We choose safety and reason. I have to focus on myself, my family, and our needs. I don't need the biggest, fastest, bestest whatever is happening or whatever item is the hottest. I just want to sip hot chocolate in front of my fireplace and binge Netflix, play games, have a laugh, and avoid stress by realizing I don't need to be a part of it.

Fingers crossed! Let's all get ignorant ;)

we love science

We are science people. We just love science experiments, shows, museums, anything we can get our hands on. We even hosted an 8th birthday party with a science theme for this cute little diva. STEM camp is a summer must, even though camp was canceled this summer for obvious reasons.

We had the chance to go to Tommy Bartlett's Exploratory in the Dells. Yes, we wore masks. Yes, we social distanced. Yes, we used hand sanitizer at every spot. And, yes, we had a safe and fun time. The tickets were "free" and expire this winter, so now was as good a time as any!

The displays are similar to that of the Discovery Center in Rockford, just smaller. There are tons of interactive displays and hands-on learning displays. I firmly believe that children should be exposed to learning through fun whenever possible, especially girls with the sciences. Running after this one to the tune of, "Look at this! What's that? Oooh, I want to try!" was worth the effort of the masks, getting prepared for the day, and excessive amounts of hand sanitizer.

Anyone looking for science fun should check out any STEM camps, girl scout camps, Rockford's Discovery Center, Rockford's Burpee Museum, Tommy Bartlett's Exploratory, or the thousands of other midwestern offerings for science fun with the kids. Science kits and experiments helped get us through the quarantine. Never would I have expected to watch webinars and spend the days creating marshmallow launchers, tents, robots, games, and other fun creations. Most options are free online. Check YouTube or google STEM. You will thank me!