"Instructions for living a life. Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it." |
Relaxing and quiet shows to watch with your childYou can take this idea of the “rainy day” literally or figuratively. I wanted to write just a quick post on some of the life saving screen time I’ve utilized over the year since we have been AT HOME. I so appreciate our pediatrician telling me she doesn’t even ask the “how much screen time” question anymore...she said we are all just doing our best right now and if that means our kids watch more TV these days then that is OK. Some days that is the only way things get done at our house. Some days it’s the calming presence that we all need. Somedays your creativity and energy is sapped and you are calling in for reinforcements! Maybe you're sick, or they are sick. Whatever the reason you need to put your kiddos in front of the screen today remember this: YOU ARE A GOOD PARENT AND YOU ARE DOING YOUR VERY BEST. PARENTING IN A PANDEMIC IS NOT EASY. I am going to do two sections….one for calming shows and movies that are soothing to our little ones and nurture their social emotional intelligence, and one for more active screen time- think music class, body movement etc. Below are recommendations for those days where you need a nice calm show or movie to put on. I for one CANNOT stand any of those noisy shows that have NO educational or social emotional value to them. If I am putting on the TV I want it to be something that is mindful in some way- does it spark curiosity? Support social emotional learning? Inform or inspire? These are some of our faves in no particular order. I liked the Common Sense Media Page to the shows and movies:
Free Online Classes-Kids Yoga, Ballet, Music and Storytimes.Here are the more “interactive” screen time options - with ANYTHING on Youtube I sit right next to Ruby and co-view with her. Youtube kind of freaks me out and I really hate autoplay and the commercials.
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Have you heard the quote “Every time you spend money, you're casting a vote for the kind of world you want.”? Well I fully believe in this philosophy and the world I want to live in is a world with places like Remedy and Ritual.
Remedy and Ritual is a female and family- owned small business in the East Bay Area. It is a beautiful small shop and after stopping in and chatting with the owner, I found that it embodies the resilient and nimble nature of small business in the era of the big C. Once a service based space where they did skin care treatments, Remedy and Ritual is now (for the time being) a thoughtfully curated retail spaced filled with skin care items as well as things to rejuvenate the mind, body and soul- think locally made candles, soaps, jewelry, sage, pottery made by local artists etc. With the indefinite shut down of personal care establishments, Remedy and Ritual had to pivot- and go from providing skin treatments to instead being a retail space. Stephanie and her daughter Sam clearly have an eye for merchandising and are incredibly mindful and intentional with what they bring in their shop and how they display it. Stephanie told me that they try to source their items from other female owned small businesses when they can as well. Stephanie was incredibly welcoming and warm. She helped me pick out a white jade gua sha tool and I snagged a small ceramic plate made by a local female artist. As soon as the restrictions lift I CANNOT wait to come and get a facial in this dreamy and restorative little shop. For the time being, I will be following their instagram and keeping an eye for what they bring in next! Local friends- I HIGHLY recommend checking this place out! In other news, have you ever tried gua sha? How did it go for you? Did you see differences? I am going to do a post in a few weeks with a before and after! A quick post about the clean and eco friendly swaps we’ve made in our house. Maybe my IGTV video led you here, so thanks for coming! DISCLAIMER: WE ARE NOT A ZERO WASTE HOUSE! We just try to reduce our waste and how much plastic we use in our home. The great thing is, you can find these at most places now- even Target and Walmart have some great eco-friendly and sustainable swaps! It can be helpful to have the mindset of either going by room or going by your most frequently used products. That is totally up to you! Zero waste doesn't need to be done perfectly! Eco-Friendly Kitchen SwapsKitchen Swaps:
Eco Friendly Bathroom SwapsSome of these are zero waste bathroom swaps and some reduce plastic and waste usage. Bathroom:
Eco Friendly Products for Cleaning Your HomeHouse Cleaning
I will continue to add to this list. I want to make sure that you know to celebrate your swaps! Don't get discouraged if one swap isn’t the right fit for you or your family- there are so many solutions that create less waste. I’ll leave some links below to guide you! 100 Tips for a zero waste home Why choose Silicone Eco Friendly Life Hacks 1/5/2021 1 Comment My Trip to the Refill StationI FINALLY went to Mighty Market in Martinez. I had heard about it from multiple friends saying "wow this seems like it would be right up your alley", yet with covid I really have not been "about town" much. I cannot express how much I LOVED this little shop, and will be making sure I frequent it (I signed up for their email list, and if you're local you should too!) Everything about this shop was mindful. From the minimalist but charming aesthetic to the covid compliance- their whole vibe was dialed. The first thing I saw upon entering the building was their doormat- it read HYGGE. If you are unfamiliar with this term it is defined as "the quality of coziness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being (regarded as a defining characteristic of Danish culture)." I (kinda) joke that hygge is basically one of the guiding pillars in my life. My girlfriend Alicia gave me the book The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living and I have never looked back. From that doormat on, I knew I was going to love this store.
At this time I did not have many purchase needs, as we have slowly swapped out many of our household and personal care items for zero waste or low waste options over the past few years-but I very much wanted to buy ALLLL of the things at this store. We are FAR from a zero waste household and really have many places that we could do more (or less I should say), but we have actively tried to reduce our plastic usage in our home for waste reasons in addition to the scary health effects of leaching plastic. It takes time, money and effort to make these swaps, and I know it can all feel a bit overwhelming. I think it is important to have a growth mindset when adopting more sustainable practices- you are NOT striving for perfection, but instead trying to make small but sustainable changes to your lifestyle. "We do not need a few people doing zero waste perfectly, we need everyone doing zero waste imperfectly." As with any time you try a new product, it can take a few tries to get a product/item that works for you, and we have done some trial and error with different sustainable options for our household. There are many options out there and I urge you to not give up after not having a low waste or zero waste option work out. Celebrate the wins and start with one swap at a time. Collectively, small actions can add up to big changes. Certainly personal choices and individual responsibility are important aspects in the fight against climate change, but I actually think that the onus primarily lies with the large corporations and industries that have been creating an astonishing amount of pollution for decades. In order to effect real change, there needs to be more regulations and policies to restrict these industries as well as incentives for them to adopt "greener" practices. It is not right to put the burden of climate change on consumers "A recent report found that just 100 companies are responsible for 71% of global emissions since 1988. Incredibly, a mere 25 corporations and state-owned entities were responsible for more than half of global industrial emissions in that same period." All of that being said, we still have the power to make more conscious decisions about how we create waste and where we spend our money. Our trip to Mighty Market served as a much needed mommy and daughter trip for Ruby and I. With Covid surging, we have been sheltered in place and not taking unnecessary trips to stores, and we RARELY take the girls with us when we do need to go out for errands. Ruby keeps asking when we can go back to "the market" and I tell her what I will tell you now- I cannot WAIT to go back to Mighty Market, and very much look forward to giving them my business for years to come! Where are you in your journey to a more sustainable and environmentally friendly life? I'd love to hear your successes and challenges! Below are some helpful links: Zero Waste Nerd Columbia University's 35 ways to reduce your carbon footprint State by state zero waste grocery guide Harvard Health Article- Is plastic a threat to your health? XO Allie
Reading has always been central in my life- as a teacher, as a mom and as a social activity (book club). I truly believe in the magic of books. Books can be restorative to the soul (thank you Cleo Wade- Heart Talk). They can take us on epic adventures, teach us about different cultures, people and time periods. They teach us empathy- how to walk in another’s shoes. For children, they also develop language, critical thinking skills, a love of learning and act as fodder for imagination. I know the connection that books can bring-my book club is going on 7 years strong and the fabric of our relationships is strengthened though the shared experiences of reading the same book. Enter my idea to put up a little library. I felt that the little library could bridge the gap between my feeling of loss for our sense of community and also my understanding of the power of reading. I reached out to my dad about my idea. My dad is the ultimate can-do guy. He loves a good project and is a jack of all trades. Naturally he was in. We worked together to craft the little library (more on this in a later post). I reached out to a local artist to paint some quotes I picked out. Now we have an adorable little library that sits in our front yard. I carefully curate the books in the library, trying to provide a range of genres and topics. It brings me such joy to see neighbors coming to take out or put in books. I peek out my front window to watch people peruse the books- I know, it is a bit voyeuristic but I love to see their excitement when they find that just right book. Neighbors will pass by and comment (from a distance) on how much they love the library. I feel that the little library not only promotes community involvement, but it helps combat the feelings of isolation due to Covid. It makes me reflect on that magic that only happens in the sharing of stories. Covid has caused Little Libraries to crop up all over in towns across America. Every time I see one, I feel that spark of joy and connection. So, next time you see a little library- stop and check it out, and if you don't have one near you...don’t be afraid to make your own! More on little libraries here and some plans to make your own here. You can even purchase one made on etsy here x0 allie |
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