Tag: parenting stories

  • The Art of Ordinary Living: Finding Creativity in Writing, Cooking, and Parenting

    The Art of Ordinary Living: Finding Creativity in Writing, Cooking, and Parenting

    How are you creative?

    Creativity doesn’t always look like a canvas, a stage, or a masterpiece. Sometimes, it looks like a skillet full of potatoes, a bedtime routine that finally works, or a few quiet minutes spent putting messy life into words. For me, creativity lives in the everyday—in the effort, the resourcefulness, and the love poured into small things.

    Writing Creativity
    I’m creative through writing. I may not write fiction, but I write with color and heart. My words capture the hum of morning chores, the smell of bread rising on the counter, and the soft sounds of my family winding down after a long day.

    Writing helps me slow down and hold onto fleeting moments before they slip away. My hope is that when someone reads what I write, they see their own life reflected back at them. I hope they begin to look for beauty in the ordinary. Writing, to me, is storykeeping more than storytelling—a way to honor the simple rhythm of living.

    Cooking Creativity
    That same creative spirit follows me into the kitchen. Few things bring more joy than opening the refrigerator with little motivation and turning almost nothing into something truly satisfying.

    My trusty skillet, a few potatoes, and some onions have saved more dinners than I can count. The sound of onions sizzling in butter and the smell that fills the house remind me that creativity often blooms from constraint. It’s about seeing what you have and imagining what it could become.

    Parenting Creativity
    I’m also creative in my parenting. I didn’t want to raise my children exactly as I was raised, so I’ve learned to improvise and adapt through plenty of trial and error.

    Take my two-year-old daughter and the great toothbrushing standoff. For months, we tried everything—games, choices, even silly songs—but it always ended the same: us brushing her teeth while she screamed in protest.

    About a month ago, we took a new approach. We simply told her this was part of bedtime—non-negotiable, like pajamas and stories. To my surprise, she accepted it. Now she even reaches for the toothbrush herself.

    My son wouldn’t have responded to that method at her age, but that’s the creative dance of parenting—learning each child’s rhythm, one routine at a time.

    Reflection
    Over time, I’ve realized that creativity isn’t limited to what we make—it’s how we live. It’s the spark that turns routine into ritual, leftovers into a warm meal, and frustration into understanding. It’s what keeps a home vibrant, a family connected, and a heart grateful. Every time I face life’s little challenges and find a gentler way through, I’m reminded of how much beauty lives in simply trying.

    We are all, in one way or another, artists of ordinary life—crafting something meaningful out of the materials we’ve been given.


    Now it’s your turn. How do you bring creativity into your everyday routines?

    If this reflection resonated with you, share it with someone who finds beauty in everyday moments too. 💛 

    Like this post. Leave a comment about how you express creativity in your day-to-day life. Subscribe for more stories on homesteading, family, and mindful living. Let’s keep celebrating the art of ordinary life—together.

    #homesteadinglife #everydaycreativity #familyblogger #simpleliving #parentingtruths #mindfulliving #gratitudeinmotion #creativeparenting #findingjoyeveryday

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  • Raising Curious Kids: Travel Dreams From the Backseat

    What cities do you want to visit?

    I never expected a six-year-old to remind me what travel is really about — but that’s exactly what happened on our drive to school this morning.

    I decided to ask today’s daily blog prompt to my son, thinking it might spark a fun pre-drop-off conversation. His answer caught me off guard in the best way. It was one of those simple parenting moments that shows just how quickly their little worlds are expanding.

    He didn’t even pause. “I want to see the Statue of Liberty and the Capitol building,” he said from the backseat. He swung his feet as sunlight spilled across the dashboard. Maybe he meant the Capitol in Madison, Wisconsin — he was spellbound by it when we visited — but I’d like to imagine he meant Washington, D.C., that grand center of United States history. Either way, his answer made my heart swell.

    We don’t travel far — not yet, anyway. Most of our adventures stay close to home. That’s what works for now with snacks, naps, and his two-year-old sister in tow. But this morning reminded me that curiosity doesn’t need a plane ticket. We journey daily through the library books scattered across our table, Nova episodes and Ken Burns documentaries that keep his questions coming. His curiosity is boundless. It’s such a joy to watch him connect the dots between what he reads, what he watches, and the world he dreams of exploring.

    Out here on our little homestead, we tend a lot of things — the soil, our routines, our growth as a family. But maybe the most important seed we’re planting is curiosity itself. That gentle, persistent pull toward learning, seeing, and understanding more.
    Someday, we’ll stand beneath that soaring Statue or climb the steps of the Capitol together. For now, I’m content to let the journeys begin from the backseat — one question at a time.


    If this story spoke to you, will you take a moment to support this little corner of the internet? You can like this post, share it with a friend who’s raising a curious kid, or subscribe so you don’t miss future reflections on homesteading, parenting, and growing a love of learning at home.

    And if you’d like to keep the conversation going, scroll down and tell me: what cities are your kids dreaming about?

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