motherhood // water your garden

i came across a quote a few days ago that was simple and true.

"remember that children, marriages, and flower gardens reflect the kind of care that they get." h. jackson brown jr.

just like flower gardens and gardens of all kinds, the most important relationships in our lives, our marriages and those with our children, reflect the care that is put in.  just as if you over water your seeds, what results is muddiness and sad smothering, your flowers unable to stand tall.  if you neglect your dear plants, they shrivel up and become hardened like stones, impenetrable and prickly.  it takes a delicate balance and patience and trial and error to see how much care is needed.  one does not simple just know.  these things require work.  they require balance.   they require love that whispers, "i will always be here for you, no matter what."

as a mother and wife i know what it means to have to work everyday to keep my garden flourishing.  there are days that i prune too harshly, leaving me feeling guilty and broken.  whereas there are other days that i seem to get the recipe just right.  those days end in laughs before bedtime and popsicles on the porch.  they reaffirm my ability to mother well and to be a good wife.  they are not everyday moments, but when they do indeed happen they scoot me into the light and remind me of how blessed i am.

all in all, what i most take away from this quote is that nurturing is the most important.  that tending, though not easy nor without its frustrations and woes, is the constant that we need present with our babies and our partners.  some food for thought.  

motherhood // our first garden

off we went to our favorite local nursery to pick out goodies for our very first family garden.  the kiddos and i picked out three different tomato plants, three different pepper plants, nine different herbs and some marigolds and zinnias to boot.  i was told they keep the bees and butterflies happy.  it was a balmy afternoon as theodore bobbed along on my chest in his carrier, wide eyed and curious, and stella on top of our plant cart.  she rode along holding onto the edges commenting on everything as we passed.  dat's a good one mom, she'd say in the most helpful tone.  after selecting the prettiest of the plants we dropped them off at our new house on the way home only to return the following day to plant our garden.  (the current owners are being ever so kind to let us plant early.)

once ready to start our garden, i gave stella one of my tools to play in the dirt as i spread the first layer of new soil about our raised bed.  she chose the mini shovel and started making little holes in the loose dirt.  i could tell she felt important.  as i arranged the herbs in a pretty fashion on the left side of the bed, she watched rather inquisitively.  she wanted to know what that was.  could we eat it?  would it grow?  could she touch it?  next, came the beet and carrot seeds.  we talked about what color they would be as i thumbed them deep into the soil.  she would run around the yard, our new yard, only to come back to help every now and then.

after a few good hours our first garden was planted.  i felt such peace sitting there, both of my hands covered in dirt in the backyard of our new home.  at one point i took off my pretty floral gloves to feel the dirt.  to get my hands on what would be food for our family in a few months.  sometimes it is important to connect to nature like that.  i sat there feeling so happy to be able to give my babies a big patch of grass to call their own.  theodore, a big shady spot to roll and roll.  stella, a place to explore.  an actual yard where they could roam and make messes and go barefoot.  i felt that despite all the worry and stress that comes along with selling a home, this makes up for it.  in just one short month we will be able to use this space everyday.  we will get to watch our garden grow together.  we will be able to learn about healthy eating and while nurturing our plants in a new, intimate way.  i love this current little nest of ours and all it has given us, but this new chapter of motherhood and life in general, well it is exactly what we need.

handmade // cedar and cinder porch garden shelves

i have been longing to start up our porch garden ever since my last bout of canning back in autumn.  oh, how i miss tending to our little potted plants.  it gives me so much peace to water them, coffee in hand, as the morning light gradually fades into early afternoon sunshine.  i miss tiptoeing out onto the cold tiles as evening draws near  to snip some herbs here and there for a salad or to brighten up a pasta dish.  gardening is good for my soul.  it's in my midwestern blood and runs wildly through my veins.

i really love tending to my garden, albeit a rather small one planted above ground residing humbly on our porch.  this year we maximized our outdoor porch space by building some sturdy shelves able to withstand the blustery winds that tend to blow about our third floor dwelling.  we came up with the cinder block and cedar combination ala pinterest and are ever so happy with how it turned out.  and under a total of thirteen dollars i'd say it's a real winner.  but next time cinder blocks are involved, i shall wait patiently for my strong, uncomplaining husband to get home so he may kindly lug them up three flights.  whew, that was a doozy.

to make, purchase basic 4 cinder blocks & 1 treated cedar plank (8 inches by 8 feet) cut in half at your local home depot.  the rest is, well, pretty simple.  fill it with botanical whimsy and old coffee cans!

motherhood // solitude during nap time

i've been doing my best to get our little ones on a napping schedule as of late.  we usually all have lunch together around noon before cozying up to get lost in our favorite reads before i lay them down to sleep.  on the rare occasion that they do fall asleep at the same time, i make myself my afternoon coffee and tend to my books.

i picked up this gem at the library a couple weeks ago and have been using my quiet time to doodle all things botanical here and there on scraps of stella's craft paper.  it has been a relaxing way to reflect while learning about the natural world.  did you know there are plants named monkey flower and sneezeweed and white beard's tongue out there?  nor did i until a few days ago.  i also found a gorgeous drawing of a flower called king theodore and got the impulsive tattoo itch.  sorry, mom.

to mothers and fathers everywhere that tend to tiny babies and busy toddlers all day long, it's good to slow down every now and then to really give yourself some quality alone time *if it presents itself*.  put your phone away tucked in a corner.  and try your best not to pinterest.  take the all important time to catch up with yourself.  time to take deep, intentional breaths and to mindfully do something for yourself.  to knit a few rows.  to bake a dozen cookies.  to do something as simple as drawing a flower.  to hear yourself think thoughts unrelated to changing diapers or picking up toys.  time to soak in fleeting seconds of solitude before the beautiful sounds of home start to fill up your humble nest.  i sure love abc humming, baby cooing, and the relentless creaking of our old hardwood floors, but detaching from noise and business is good, too.

even if it is just for five minutes, those pockets of time spent listening to your needs as a caregiver can make all the difference.  it is surprising how invigorating it can be to spend a few minutes immersed in something creative without any distraction.  more so than taking a nap myself, sometimes.  it can give me the spark to be a better version of myself.  a better mother and better wife. if it were spring, i'd accompany my botanical scribbles with our windows cracked open and some sweet tea.  until then, warm coffee and wool socks will do just fine.

feeling better and wild flowers

i am a flower girl.  i always have been and rightfully presume always will be.  having been awfully sick with mastitis for this whole past week i decided it was time i buy myself some wild buds once able to make it to the market.  this variety reminded me of spring and sunshine and walks in the park, so i promptly placed them in my basket and made them the focal point of our hearth in the dining/living area of our home.  i can always count on a simple bouquet to cheer me up instantly and help my mind drift to things of a more joyful tone.

this week i shall focus on healing, using these flowers as my muse as i continue to inch towards wellness and wholeness.  no better guide than mother nature.

abode // botanical indoors

i've been so inspired by all of the greenery floating around on pinterest lately.  every time i see a home spilling over with bounty of fresh flora, i push pin it.  i can't help myself.  with efforts to bring some of that inspiration into our little tree house in the midst of this barren winter season, the kids and i went on a brief field trip to home depot the other day.  we roamed the plant aisles and ended up with some real beauties.  andrew walked in the front door that evening and said, "it looks like spring in here!"  a job well done i'd say and a hearty pat on my back.  spring indoors?  yes.  it feels as good as it sounds.