What We Have to Give to Our Children (and keep for ourselves)

This morning while E was in summer camp, they offered a seminar for the parents.  Yes I got to go to class!  (A special thank you to Helen and Dianne for making that happen!).  Joan Franklin Smutny was so amazing to listen to, and many of her words resonated with me.  For I always believe that while we are here to discipline, guide, and protect our children; more importantly, we need to let them know we will stand up for them, be their biggest fan, and we will love them for who they are no matter what. If a child feels loved and secure than you can build the rest upon that foundation.  Here are some things she shared that I found so special.


by Pablo Casals
Each second we live is a new and unique
moment of the universe,
a moment that never was before
and never will be again.

And what do we teach our children in school?

We teach them that two and two make four
and that Paris is the capital of France.

When will we teach them what they are?

We should say to each of them:
Do you know what you are?

You are a marvel. You are unique.
In ALL OF THE WORLD there is no other child exactly like you.


And look at your body - what a wonder it is!

Your legs, your arms, your cunning fingers,
the way you move!

You may become a Shakespeare,
a Michaelangelo, a Beethoven.

You have the capacity for anything.

Yes, you are a marvel.

And when you grow up, can you then harm
another who is, like you, a marvel?

You must cherish one another.

We must all work -
to make this world worthy of its children.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Manifesto for children by Paul Torrance


1. Don't be afraid to fall in love with something and pursue it with intensity.
2.Know. Understand. Take pride in. Practice. Develop. Explore your greatest strengths.
3. Learn to FREE yourself from the expectations of others and to walk away from the games that they impose on you.  Free yourself to play your own game.
4. Find a great teacher or mentor who will help you.
5. Don't waste energy being well-rounded.
6. Do what you love and can do well.
7. Learn the skills of interdependence.

surely these aren't just for children! ;) 


*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Excerpts from Rachel Carson's, The Sense of Wonder


If I had influence with the good fairy who is supposed to preside over the christening of all children, I should ask that her gift to each child in the world be a sense of wonder so indestructible that it would last throughout life, as an unfailing antidote against the boredom and disenchantments of later years, the preoccupation with things that are artificial, the alienation from the sources of our strength.

If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder without any such gift from the fairies, he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscover within the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in.

I sincerely believe that, for the child and for the parent seeking to guide him, it is not half so important to know as to feel....The years of early childhood are the time to prepare the soil....It is more important to pave the way for the child to want to know than to put him on a diet of facts he is not ready to assimilate.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

All such  beautiful words my heart believes in and needed to hear today, the reaffirmation of how I feel about raising my children.  Knowing this is how God feels about us and how he wants us to feel about those he has gifted to us.  I struggle with taking care of all I need to in all of my roles and the facets of my life, yet I cannot lose sight of what is the heart of it all.  As the famous song goes...I hope you never lose your sense of wonder...


Thank you so much for letting me share.  :)

Our Plea to Be HGTV'd!!!!

We have made an entry to be HGTV'd, please click here to give us 5 stars and help make this happen for our family.  Thank you so much!!!

We Have A Winner!!!

We are back from our little getaway to Michigan and I am happy to announce the winner of my very first giveaway!  The 11th comment was from NICOLE!!!  Congratulations!!! Thank you for all of your support Nicole!!!  So excited for you to win the FIVE fabulous designs from Print Your Own Tee and all the awesome gear from Kids Blanks!!  

Nicole said...

I liked the t-shirt company on FB today - and now I know where you buy your blank tees... :-) Can't wait to check them out! I've been ordering from hanes.com - but will try them next time. Thanks!



The legal details ;)  Note I actually entered max of 12, but copy/paste changed it to 100. Thank you!


True Random Number GeneratorMin: Max: Result:11

Stay tuned for more giveaways, ideas are always in the works here!  Thank you to everyone for participating, I appreciate all of your support, truly!!

He didn't get the memo.

I am not sure why he didn't get the memo, the one that stated he was not allowed to move on to First Grade.  Maybe I wasn't clear enough. Maybe he can't read...ok he has been reading for a few years now. ;)

I sit here, still in disbelief that my sweet little {first born} boy will be turning six in exactly twelve days, as I was reminded {again} today.

So as you say bye, bye Kindergarten, Hello First Grade, I say I am so thankful I have a whole summer left to enjoy you and the special memories that await.

I could not complete this post without mentioning the awesome coloring of 4 little guys who made E's sign extra special!

At the End of the Day...

When I get caught up in LIFE, I have to slow down and remember...


All that really matters is that your children know you love them how they are, for who they are, right at this very moment.  That in and of itself will give them everything they need.


Loved. Adored. Always. Created by Him. Perfectly.

Secrets from an ANTHROpologist, I

Before having children, I left Corporate America to pursue a passion, a more creative venture.  I had fallen in love with our local Anthropologie and became their Home Department manager. {I left my position when I was put on bedrest with my first child.}  While some of the romance is taken away by working there, I did take a lot of insider tips and tricks with me.  After all the blood, sweat, and tears I put into my job there, it just became part of me without me fully realizing it.  


Anthropologie inspires many, and I can understand why as the "Anthro-style" is incredibly appealing.  It is a bit like Disneyworld.  While it is sweetly magical to walk in and smell Capri Blue Volcano candles burning, managing a department there is not for the faint of heart.  So much work goes into every square inch of the store, that once you see the behind the scenes it definitely shifts things a bit.  The experience takes so much to create.  As a manager, you literally run your own business and are responsible for all aspects of it in both visual and daily operations.  There are no planograms, and fixtures for merchandising are created from furniture that is for sale and found objects.  The visual team are artists {really}.  It is a way of life and you have to understand it in order to be successful there.  During my time at Anthropologie, I became the Home Department Point Person for our district, communicating with buyers on quality, client feedback, merchandising, and more.  A lot goes into what they chose to put in the store, every piece has a history and a story, it has to be Anthropologie.


A few of my faves, old and new, images from source.

       

While I do love Anthro, my budget sans the discount, does not really allow for many purchases.  I also tend to add a little more modern into my own decor, as Anthropologie tends to be more on the feminine side {not completely doable with 6 guys in my home}.  I infuse the Anthro-style in this way...

* Use a mix of old and new, worn/weathered and polished.


* Tell a story, this can be a little harder to do in your daily life because it can be taken too literal.  I tend to  think of it as being more organic.  I love purpose and function as much as the next person, but let it come naturally.  


* Use objects differently than their obvious intent.  


* Spend a little more on something special that makes you feel good - it invokes and sense or memory every time you use it.  Anthropologie definitely hit this concept head on with their tea towels.  They are gorgeous and who isn't reminded of recipes passed down from generations and moments in the kitchen with these? 


* Avoid matchy-matchy and instead go for the collected look {it all came together from different places over a period of time rather than purchased all at once}.


* Often times you can buy items that Anthropologie sells at other places {bookstores, specialty shops} but you choose to buy it at Anthro because of how it is all effortlessly {or so it seems} put together. Search for these items and create your own special space.


* Mix textures you wouldn't typically have interact in a space in a fresh new way.  One of my favorite tables I put together right around Christmastime mixed a gorgeous wooden framed mirror {found object}.  I used it as a tray for some beautiful glassware and created a little cocktail party statement and the textures were unexpected and beautiful together {wish I had a picture!}.  


* Group colors together to make more of an impact or use different shades of the same color.  

* Translate a theme with all senses and keep it loose.  Meaning, if you want a space that reminds you of Paris, it's not about going out and buying everything with an Eiffel tower on it, but creating the sense of Paris in your space.  Anthropologie has different vignettes and concepts that evoke the feel of a particular time or place but the translation is loose enough for it to remain special and not overwhelm.


I hope you enjoyed these tips and tricks from "the inside."  I plan to make Secrets from an ANTHROpologist into a little series and would love for you to tell me what you would like to find in this pretty little series!   

Sweetening the Deal!!

I am excited to up the ante and offer more loot for you with my very first giveaway!  Kids Blanks is offering my followers the chance to win 2 lap tees (your choice of colors below), 2 infant black dresses, and 2 toddler black dresses! Please visit the Kids Blanks website to check out all of their fantastic items!  

Just because I think KidsBlanks is so great, you have another chance to win by by "Liking" KidsBlanks on FB and tell them I sent you!  {Once you do make sure to enter another comment on the Giveaway Post for a 5th entry!}. Last September I was in a rough spot for the boys' birthday applique t-shirts and KidsBlanks saved the day!  I needed one more lap tee in a specific color, they rushed the tee to me in time to personalize for the party.  I was thrilled with the quality of the t-shirt more than the others I had purchased elsewhere, the material was softer, held up its shape better, and I couldn't beat the price! Without having to worry about a pocket, these tees are perfect for personalizing with any of the designs in April's fabulous shop, Print Your Own Tee.  {The giveaway includes 5 exclusive PYOT designs and the tutorial with all the details you will need}.


Please visit the giveaway post here to enter!!  Remember you have to become a follower of Our Wonderfilled Life {go on click the little button} to win. As I promised before, we'll keep you entertained! 


{Note, I have closed the comments on this post, so you only can comment on the giveaway post, thank you.}


Here's to your winning some fantastic items for your little ones and starting off the summer with style!