This post is sponsored by Munchkin. Ideas and musings all from me. Thanks for supporting our sponsors.

Send all your wishes for a new mom on this fun ribbon chandelier! Beautiful just about anywhere.

There's a new babe in town! My friend, Amy Christie, gave birth to her beautiful pipsqueak last week, and he is the cutest (go check him out).

Amy is now a momma of three, like moi, and although a baby shower is awesome to restock and to resupply the necessities, we wanted to celebrate her and all the little things that make becoming a momma again so special.

Join me and some amazing ladies with a week of celebrations and easy gifts you can give a new momma. We'll be posting on our blogs as well as taking over the Munchkin Instagram accounts. Come join in the fun!!

Jen is kicking off the party today with a Welcome Ribbon Chandelier. So bright and bold! If you're having a party, hang it over the gift table. It’s suuuuuper easy, and I think it's a fabulous idea for any kind of celebration. Each guest or visitor writes a sweet little note to the mama, papa and/or baby to pin to the ribbons that they can save for their scrapbook later.

Send all your wishes for a new mom on this fun ribbon chandelier! Beautiful just about anywhere.

Melissa of Lulu the Baker is bringing an amazing spread tomorrow! Can't wait to show you.

xoxo, MJ

Munchkin rids the world of the mundane by developing clever, innovative solutions that make family life safe, easier, and more fun. You can find their products at Munchkin.com, Target, Babies’R’Us, Walmart, and Amazon. It’s the little things!

It's the sixth day of Blogger Christmas, and my true love introduces you to Jen of Classic Play. I'm excited to have her back again in this annual tradition on Pars Caeli where we shout it out from the rooftops just how awesome twelve bloggers are. We'll be adding to the list all the way through Christmas!

So grab your tea and smile at your screen as you see just how relatable and lovely these creators are. Let's spread the love around in big heaps. As a new twist to the tradition, each blogger will be throwing out some love to one of their favorite makers/creators/writers!

Join me every day to see if (you or) your favorites are featured!

Jen and I have known each other for a few years as teacher/student, wise one/contributor, and peer collaborators. She is as cool as they come and as friendly and approachable as can be. That's a tough combo to pull off, and she's able to do it well because she's genuine and so so smart. Classic Play is one of my favorite spots on the web for kids, tweens, teens, moms, and human beings. Put it in your Feedly or Bloglovin roll for 2015.

Hands down, chopping down the tree. It’s a relatively new tradition, about 3 years at this point and I love it. We go to the same tree farm every year. We spend an hour walking around, eventually circling back to the first tree we found. Of course ;) My favorite thing is how the kids try to mark a spot in the stump in the ground so they can find it the following year.  It’s a silly little thing, but it makes me smile.

Such a great question! And one I’m going to skillfully evade because I like surprises.

Hmmm… I’d have to say painted wrapping paper. It was so easy and the kids and I had a blast. Sometimes, it really is the simple things.

I have a bunch of bloggers I’m super fans of… I love what Deborah of My Life at Playtime is doing. I love the parisian flair of Fleurishing, the glimpse of Italian life at Jillian of Italy. Sheri Silver is another favorite! As are Art Bar and Molly Moo. I love Petit a Petit & Family and The Sewing Rabbit even though I don’t sew—I just love those women and their moxie.

And then there are all the new bloggers I’ve met on Instagram. Seriously, so many people to send love to. I know I’m forgetting a bunch. Ahhh! This is stressing me out thinking about who I’m forgetting! I’ll probably wake up in the middle of the night now with a list. haha!

Look how good she is... so much love for so many! Merry Christmas, Jen, to you and the whole family. I'm excited to see those surprises you have up your sleeve for all of us.

xoxo, MJ

Celebrating fall for all the right reasons - the smells and the flavors, the sounds and the feel. I created this easy Leaf Hunt Wreath with my youngest last week, and I'm delighted to be over at Classic Play sharing a group of mini projects that ended in this.

We're still working out the kinks in the back-to-school schedule, trying to fit in all that we'd like to do without becoming totally exhausted. Sometimes a group of smaller projects works best for us... like this one. Over a series of days, we went on a hunt for fresh fallen leaves, we sorted and pressed them, we admired and painted them, and then we created the indoor fall wreath to show off all of our work and time together.

The final creation is a colorful addition to your home's fall decor, and your little ones can feel good about their time spent, over many days, hanging out with you!

Happy fall!

xoxo, MJ

If you're looking for more great ideas, check out this easy pumpkin decoration and follow our board for all your fall and Halloween brainstorms!

I'm sharing a quick craft you can make for and/or with your children today over on Classic Play. Puppet shows are always fun, no matter the season or occasion. We created our own mobile theater that fits in our doorframes by transforming a pillowcase into a stage curtain.

It's an easy project that will last you all summer long. We also made paper bag puppets (remember these?), and you better believe that sock puppets are on tap for another project this summer.

Click on over to Classic Play to see all of the details! See you back here tomorrow for one crazy good circus for Endless Summer Projects!

xoxo, MJ

If you're a blogger or a maker or a writer, you've likely considered the idea of contributing to another website or blog. There are lots of reasons you might throw your hat in the ring as a contributor: for greater exposure, for compensation, for a connection to creatives you admire. There are other reasons you might decide contributing is not for you: your content under someone else's brand, more work/more timelines, or an imperfect fit of your content with another blog's message.

Pars Caeli is in its second year and is growing steadily from a tiny blog to a flourishing blog. In year two, I've been focusing on two goals for this webhome: cover-expenses revenue and growth. With a DIY/project based blog, I have expenses on materials and hosting, and I need Pars Caeli to be moving me into the black instead of the red, and we're making positive growth in that direction. I also want to grow this year...Grow in a broad sense. Of course, I'd like to reach more readers and become a daily read for more people, but I also want to stretch into new territories and try out some new adventures as a part of this blogging journey.

I decided to follow my heart, as I almost always do, and make some inquiries at blogs that I love. With gazillions of fantastic blogs (and bloggers) out there, it was tough to narrow down. I considered whose content I continually found interesting and whose content resonated with my own. Many contributors go for freelancing in an arena outside of their blog content, and I decided I wanted an even deeper dive into kid projects, parenting, and DIY.

Earlier this year, I became a monthly contributor to Classic Play, an incredible creative site run by Jen Cooper. I've been following Jen for quite a while now (she taught me how to find my voice in an Alt Summit class long time ago), and I even have the pleasure of calling her a friend. Parenting is fun over at Classic Play, and loving your children and dedicating time to be with them is strongly encouraged - and I wanted to be a part of it! Contributing to Classic Play is about networking and reaching a new audience, but I'm there more because I'm really enthusiastic about the mission of positive parenting and creative households. I love seeing my work mingled with Jen's and the other amazing contributors.

I'm super excited to announce that I'm a brand new collaborator on another blog that I've admired, Modern Parents Messy Kids. Steph's motto over at Modern Parents Messy Kids is "mindful living, effortless style". Her energy and clear vision for a beautiful life are contagious, and as a fellow mom of three, she knows what it means to have a lot on your plate. Steph's letting me utilize some of my design muscles to create some fantastic printables for her readers. With more than 100K Pinterest followers, Steph's posts reach far into an audience I love - busy, awesome moms. As a contributor to MPMK, I also have the opportunity to pin my other projects here on Pars Caeli to the contributor's board, which is an amazing gift!

Contributing is not for everyone, and it may not always be for me. As I grow as a creator and writer, it feels like the right time. If you're looking to contribute as a large source of income or to gain significant followers, you might want to reconsider. Not all sites link back to yours (and if they do, readers are not very likely to follow the author link), and it is the engaging content that you create that brings in the views, not (typically) your authorship alone at the small-to-medium size blog.

You'll still find me here, in my home, Pars Caeli, three days a week (as long as our internet connection stays consistent!). I have unique projects and ideas I want to share with you here. I hope you'll take some adventures with me to these other sights, too! Your readership means the world to me, and I love seeing how you bring some of these pieces of heaven into your life.

It's time for another fun project in collaboartion with our incredibly talented friends over at Classic Play. Today we're making paper daffodils with the kids for some pretty fantastical results.

This wreath is so simple to make from supplies you have around your house. Grab some paper (we used misprinted letterhead) in white and yellow, cotton swabs, food coloring, and some scissors. Bring your children into the process and let them feel the sense of accomplishment form their paper flowers.

We decided to dye our cotton swabs yellow using diluted yellow food coloring first. First, trim off one swabbed end, and dip and dunk them into the yellow dye. This step is not necessary (you can paint or color these with a permanent marker), but the process itslef added to the fun. My son, 4, became our specialist in creating the centers of the flowers.

We dunked ours a few rounds for fun. Take those out of the dye and place them to the side while you craft the petals. The process for creating these paper flowers is super similar to that of folding a paper snowflake. You want to create from a square piece of paper so fold over a right triangle and trim the excess to form.

You'll work from a square piece of paper (so from the first image, trim off the extra paper at the bottom.) Fold the large triangle in half. And then fold it in half again. Your triangle should look something like the one on the right below. Hold it with the end that is connected to the main fold.

Next cut out your petal shape, making sure to only cut along the two open sides. You'll cut a C curve along the top of the triangle. Creativity is encouraged here; some of our daffodils had pointed petals and some very round ones. Unfold your flower to discover!

Next up, create inner yellow circle. Shape it into a cone and secure with glue or tape.

Using a sharp pencil or the colored cotton swabs, poke a small hole in the center of your white flower. Push the cone tip through the hole in the white flower and insert the yellow swab into the center of the yellow cone. Secure all the flower parts together with invisible tape around the stick (and behind the petals) of the cotton swab.

We decided that with all these “fresh” flowers we needed to make something bigger. With the help of a simple styrofoam wreath, we pushed the blunt end of each swab into the circle form. With the handiwork of my children, we were able to fill about half of the wreath, and I wanted a really full final product so I kept on creating for an hour after they lost interest.

These everlasting flowers are charming on their own or strung as a banner. And this process was just as fun as the finished wreath. We're all very proud of our new door decoaration.

Happy crafting!

xoxo, MJ

How can you can tell which games you or your family love the most? As I discovered, they are the least photogenic. I adore board games; marathon monopoly weekends are a favorite part of my childhood memories. As a tween, my room was right next to the game closet (formerly known as the linen closet that was taken over by puzzles and family games). And Saturday evenings were meant for a tough match of Win, Lose, or Draw or a casual hand of pinochle with my parents.

Playing games as a family is not only fun and a sweet stress reliever, it allows families to get to know each other on new levels. Watching teamwork develop and competition rise and fall... even the teasing and antics all become a part of who we are as sisters, mothers, brothers.

I'm sharing our top board games for kids 10 & Under over on my Squeeze Time spot at Classic Play! Have I mentioned how much I love contributing to such a vibrant community? Thanks for having me back, Jen. Come check out our picks and argue with me over the quintessential board game...

Have a bright weekend, friends!

xoxo, MJ

Hello lovelies!

As you can see, this space around us is going through some construction (still in process - thanks for hanging with me) as I freshen some stylistic qualities on Pars Caeli, keep you up-to-date on the latest, and get ready for a whole lot of exciting for 2014. It's going to be the year to be bold. Pars Caeli's second birthday is coming up, and if I remember from the Hallmark list, the traditional second birthday gift for a blog is wings!!

So let's fly. Two very exciting developments to share with you today!

I'm a new contributor over on one of my fav-o-rite blogs - Classic Play. I have loved Jen's site for years, and my kids love the fun we can have together thanks to the creative ideas shared over on Classic Play!

I'll be over there every month talking about high quality, little time, fun activities you can do with your children. We're calling it Squeeze Time right now, and it'll be a bright spot with handy ideas to make the most of the hour or less we have on those crazy days of parenting and life!

Join me over there at the end of January for my first appearance. :)

And...drumroll, please. Many of you have been asking...

Pars Caeli has made the leap to Facebook! I know, I know, many people are running from Facebook these days. But, if you're over there and want a fresh break from the typical newsfeed, add Pars Caeli to your feed, pretty please? I'll be sharing information over there...and a few unique posts only for my FB friends. I started the page a little less than a week ago, and I already love the simple interactions I can have with readers. So let's have some conversations and keep in touch that way, too!

Thank you, thank you to all of you awesome people who have allowed this space to grow!

xoxo,

MJ

Sing it with me now:

On the first day of Christmas, Pars Caeli gave to me Lulu the Baker.

On the second day of Christmas, Pars Caeli gave to me Trouvé Magazine.

On the third day of Christmas, Pars Caeli gave to me Design Stitch Go.

On the fourth day of Christmas, Pars Caeli gave to me Design + Life + Kids.

On the fifth day of Christmas, Pars Caeli gave to me Donuts, Dresses, and Dirt.

On the sixth day of Christmas, Pars Caeli gave to me Minnow + Co.

On the seventh day of Christmas, Pars Caeli gave to me Bring Joy.

On the eighth day of Christmas, Pars Caeli gave to me Design Improvised.

On the ninth day of Christmas, Pars Caeli gave to me Frock Files.

On the tenth day of Christmas, Pars Caeli gave to me Raincoast Creative Salon.

On the eleventh day of Christmas, Pars Caeli gave to me Alexandra Hedin.

And, can I get a drumroll, pleeeeassse....

On the twelfth day of Christmas, Pars Caeli gave to me Classic Play!

First off, I can't believe that this series has come to an end, but nevertheless I am so excited to have Jen here to talk about her fabulous blog (so so much good stuff over their parents) and (hello...) new PBS series, Adventures in Learning.

Classic Play is the place where "having kids is cool" and in order for all that to happen you have to have one amazing mastermind behind it all. Jen has the wit and sincerity we parents need when transitioning children to the next stage of learning or getting into a project with your family. Cooking, playtime, crafts, reading - it's all infused with fun, and Jen's spirited illustrations are the cherry on top!

I guess it started when I had a toy/children's dress up line years ago and thought a blog would be a good promotional tool for it. Along the way, I fell in love with blogging—the conversations, the different skills it required, the friends I made. Eventually, we closed up our shop and I went all in for online publishing. 

What keeps me blogging?

The creative outlet, the opportunities that have arisen from the blog (even if the blog doesn't bring in revenue), the amazing contributors I work with, the pride I feel when I scroll through my site. I know it probably sounds vain, but it just makes me happy to look at and read it. 

Classic Play is a family lifestyle blog for creative types of parents or those who are looking for some creative ideas. I like to say it's always stylish, never fussy. As far as other places to find me? I host a pretty kickin' online series for PBS Parents called Adventures in Learning. It's one of the best parenting shows around. And I'm tooootally not biased at all ;) 

Hmm… this is a tough one!

I think this one, even though it's not a shiny happy piece, because it was the first time I ever tackled criticism. I wanted to ignore it, but I decided to be brave and tackle it head on. I've never done that before.

CORRECTIONS + CRITICISMS

This one was just plain ol' fun and helped me realize what type of parent I wanted to be—the kind who was cool with her kids being themselves

A CLONE TROOPER GOES GROCERY SHOPPING

And this one because I think it was the first time I felt brave enough to share my illustrations with people:

FALL LEAVES PRINTABLE

I'm going to be honest, I get nervous when I make big wishes; my family is wildly superstitious. But, I'm going to put on my big girl pants and make a wish. *deep breath* I would love to redesign the site to make it more functional. There is SO much fantastic content on there that gets lost in the shuffle. Other than that? I think I'll be happy with continuing to loosen up and experiment more. Blogging has allowed me to grow in so many ways. Hopefully 2014 will bring more of that growth even if it's uncomfortable (eek! I should probably be more careful what I wish for, yeah?)

Jen's energy for life and for motherhood is such an inspiration to me! She embraces everyday learning with ease, and injects a little something extra into every post. Whether you're a parent or not, you'll find inspiration on the overflow over at Classic Play.

Thanks all you beautiful bloggers for letting me feature your writing, your photography, your illustrations, your collages, and your hours and hours of sweat and tears. Blogging is an entire creative process, and I learn so much from ladies like these...

So here's to a wonderful 2014! My bloggy resolution for this year is to read more blogs. And comment more. Blog commenting has become akin to handwriting a personal letter. So I'm bringing it back with a gusto for 2014.

Watch out.

xoxo, MJ

P.S. You just have to come back tomorrow because I have a beautiful story to share with you and one biggo announcement.

P.P.S. #30sketch Day 5, for my middle school self

Hello lovelies!

Shouting out to you from the road today. I'm on a crack-of-dawn flight out of Chicago this morning, and I'm on my way to meet some great friends and enjoy a delicious dinner in New York City.

I'm not leaving you lonely though!! I have a fabulous project to share from the incredible Jen of Classic Play. I have had a handful of mommas ask me how we're filling our days this summer. Well, guess what? We are making bug houses! That's a great response, right?

We're growing caterpillars/butterflies right now, and my children have been mesmerized by the growth cycle. I can get all three of them calm and excited (interesting combo) just by sitting down next to the butterfly netting to observe for 3 minutes. It's a great transition method. My son calls these four creatures our new pets. And what would a new pet want more than.... a beautiful house.

So head on over to Jen's blog and check out all the details. We'll be back next Wednesday with another fun project from Melissa over at Lulu the Baker. Stay tuned.

And speaking of Lulu, I'm in her kitchen today! Well, you know, on her feature In My Kitchen - though I would love to head over to Melissa's home because I know I'd grab a handful of these, and she'd support me all the way. Can you guess how I answered this question... In my kitchen, I cook up...

Hint: it's not edible.

Don't forget to follow the madness that is my first trip to NYC and AltNYC on Instagram and Twitter at #ParsCaeliatAltNYC

xoxo, MJ

Welcome to it, my friends!! A new series launching today and coming to you every Wednesday this summer. I've teamed up with some of my favorite mommas in the blogosphere to bring you fun and to keep your kiddos engaged in fabulous projects.

Let me introduce you to the gorgeous gals collaborating with me on Endless Summer:

This is going to be an amazing summer thanks to these ladies. We are showing you parties and recipes, backyard fun and art projects, and a few charmed surprises that will make you wish on an evening star for a few more days of childhood. So tell your friends and pull on some play clothes!

Melissa is starting us off with a great mosaic project. My kids are going to love this one!! How about yours?

xoxo, MJ

PS. Come on back tomorrow for a thoughtful way to capture this year's school memories for your children. I promise, it's a really good one.

Hello to you, lovelies. It was a great four-day break for me with some adventures in Chicago and playtime all around. I feel refreshed and grateful for all that has been. My laptop sat lonely for four whole days (almost a personal record), and I received an encouraging message from my boss on my smartphone, instructing me to stop checking messages. So, so... just what I needed.

Time away has prompted me to want to share some words of wisdom I've found floating around in recent days. I've gathered a little something for the bloggers, for the parents, and for the human beings. Tee hee.

1. Practical ways to juggle job and blogging

Many of my favorite blogs are authored and designed by talented folks who blog full-time. Many others are hosted by folks like myself trying to squeeze in and maximally organize life so that there is time for blogging and commenting thoughtfully. Sometimes it just seems like too much.

I found this post by Jessica from MomCreative really helpful for moms and non-moms who are trying to balance all the other areas in addition to blogging. Check out her ideas for the "fringe hours."

2. The freedom to just be

You all know that Jennifer of Classic Play is a rockstar, right? Well, if you need more proof, check out this ode to parents she posted last week. Let me lead you on with a yummy morsel:

“Parents, just do your thing and be happy. You don’t have to rationalize why you do or don’t: craft, have your kids play sports, design your kids’ room, feed your kids whatever, do after school activities, etc. Life’s too short. Some people like to do those sorts of things, some don’t. It’s okay. We shouldn’t all be doing the same thing anyway. Diversity is good.”

And a sigh of relief passed over. Be sure to check out the great comments she had to her post, too.

3. Rest is called for.

Anne of Anne the Adventurer has been writing all sorts of posts that I've loved. This is one that she crafted on rest, and it is for all of us to heed. She also designed up one of my favorite scripture passages. Go check it out and promise that you'll listen to what you need.

My little lovely for you:

Learn from great nail stylists, and offer hand massages. My kiddos have been suffering from too much hand sanitizer and very dry hands so I massaged some great smelling, mandarin orange scented lotion into their hands and forearms for about five minutes each. This small (but relatively long for a 5-year old) act was met with tender appreciation and gave to me a chance to sit and chat with the people I love best.

Wishing you loads of joy this week and heaps of cleansing rest.

xoxo, MJ

How is it Friday already? We are painting, painting, painting in our house with all three children's bedrooms getting fresh coats. The nursery will now transform into the "nook" where all three kiddos can go to read and draw and just hang. The wall murals that I painted when I was pregnant with my oldest daughter are now covered over with a fresh coat of Palladian Blue. No lying, I was more than a bit melancholy about the transition.

But good things await so let's get on with the living!

Spend some time today crafting and consider yourself particularly talented. It's not too late to craft something awesome for our DIY date. Remember what this month's project is? For you extra special, busy people, I'm extending the deadline to Saturday. Just send over a photo and explanation of your work to my email (parscaeli@gmail.com). If you're a blogger, all posts should go live on Monday am, and I'll link right to them!

While you're creating, grab yourself a handful of Hershey's kisses and Hershey's chocolate bars and offer a big shout out to Milton Hershey who died on October 13, 1945. But keep some extra chocolate on hand for Sunday because the world is celebrating National Dessert Day, and you do not want to be caught without the best course of every meal.

Here's a Tri- for you to Try this weekend, friends:

                             

1. STRIKE A POSE, MUMMY

Mini mummies? Oh, yes. Click over and see what Jen has set up with these posable creatures. So cute and so fun. Jen always has the best ideas. Check out some other mini Halloween decorations that will make you wish you had eaten Alice's candy and fallen down the rabbit hole to this tiny goodness. And while you're over at Classic Play, please take a gander at Caroline's adorable Halloween Straw Toppers.

2. BE THE COOL MOM

Mariah from Playful Learning has three great tips for how to host a great playdate. I loved her practical, generous, and child-centered approach to a day of fun with friends. Click over to read and see her great set up, her menu for fun and healthy, and a little something extra she keeps in her back pocket.

3. CATCH ON TO THE PUMPKIN TREND

Not only are pumpkins all over the patches these days, but every food blogger and crafting Pinterest lover has been sharing amazing ideas with pumpkins. I'm getting in on the action on Monday with a something special I have planned with Miss Gina, and I hope you'll tune in.

In the meantime, we have to make this delectable and savory Pumpkin Fettucine. Camille (via contributor Jess Simpson) brings another great dish straight to our kitchens with this combination of pumpkin puree and sage. Best part: very few ingredients and super simple instructions (and did you see that intro photo? yummmm).

I have a lot of crafting and tailgating ahead of me for the weekend, friends! I must be off. See you here on Monday to show off some great DIY projects, many of which involve amazing free prints for you!!

XOXO, MJ

Hello, friends! We're talking happiness today in our Thursday bookclub read of the Happiness Project. Gretchen Rubin is taking us through her year-long process of finding happiness in all areas of life. This week my blogger pal, Denise, talked about friendship...go check out her thoughts as a lady on the move.

Gretchen's resolutions for this chapter:

• Remember birthdays.
• Be generous.
• Show up.
• Don't gossip.
• Make three new friends.

Here are some keeper thoughts from the read:

1. All the data proves: we need long-term relationships, involving people with whom we confide, and we need to feel like we belong.

2. No matter what they're doing, people tend to feel happier when they're with other people. The only noted exception to this rule...prayer. And, well, you're not really alone it that either, are you?

3. Be generous. I loved this. A great reminder in our get-it-done systems. Not that we need scientific proof of this, but studies show that your happiness is often boosted more by providing support to other people than from receiving the support yourself. Striving to be happy (through authentic means) isn't a selfish act.

4. Cut people slack. I can do this. Do you find yourself dishing out judgement during your times of stress? Guilty here. And I can see how the simple act of letting it go (or not even bringing it to judgment) would bring happiness all around.

5. Show up. From Woody Allen, "80% of success is showing up." "Familiarity breeds affections," says Gretchen.

6. How do you make new friends? Suggestions from our read:

• Smile more frequently.
• Actively invite others to join a conversation.
• Create a positive mood.
• Open a conversation.
• Try (oh, dear) to look accessible and warm.
• Show a vulnerable side and laugh at yourself.
• Show a readiness to be pleased. (eek)
• Follow others' conversational leads.
• Ask questions.

Okay, friends, here's what I'm taking on this week. See that giant circle up above. I'm focusing on DOING good for others, and I know that is going to lead to feeling good. I recall a time in life, before marriage, and work commitments, and kiddos, that I spent a majority of my leisure time making/buying/sending gifts and cards to friends and family. It brought me such joy...and I'm going to find some ways to do good this week.

How about you? Where will you find the happiness in your friendships?

And just a personal note, here. I received a number of lovely comments and emails yesterday from the Creativity post that I did for Jen Cooper over at Classic Play. To old (you know how you are) and new friends, my cup runneth over. Thank you.

XOXO, MJ

Hello, friends! Happy Wednesday to you. It's a beautiful day here in Pars Caeli. We're talking about creativity for Mommy and Daddy School, and I'm sharing more about me and my family over at the loveliness of Classic Play. Have you visited before? Please, go take a gander.

I had the pleasure of learning from Jen Cooper during her Alt Summit class (that girls knows her stuff on great writing), and, when she asked me to come on over to be a part of her Creative Family Series, I (jumped out of my skin) and said yes, yes, yes!!

As a parent, I look for ways to cultivate creativity in my children. More accurately, however, I don't need to find ways to inspire them (they are bubbling over with ideas and energy), but I do foster avenues for channeling creativity and a solid foundation from whence they can feel confident to explore their God-given talents.

How do you nurture your creativity? Were you raised in a creative home? What do you do when you feel lacking in inspiration? These and more great questions were a part of my interview with Jen. Here's a teaser to get it started. I'd LOVE to hear your thoughts!! And, thank you, thank you, to Jen for offering me the opportunity to write about a subject I so adore. Such an honor.

Now walk on over... XOXO, MJ

Creativity? How would you define it?

For me, creativity is the making of the new–anything from a re-creation to an inventive solution to a masterpiece. I have yet to meet a person that I wouldn’t consider creative. Creativity isn’t special pixie dust reserved for the brilliant artists of the world. We’re all born with it, and some of us cultivate it in broader ways than others.

Have you always considered yourself creative?

I snicker at this, but, yes, I think I have. In times of challenge, I’ve always hung my hat on my creativity. I’m the youngest of three...