by Nikki Sowder | Nov 18, 2019
Parenting With Nature As we head into the end of the year, it can be difficult to manage the whirlwind of the holiday season. I invite you to download the Outdoor Advent Calendar and take a few moments each day to connect with your family and the outdoors. The Advent...
by Nikki Sowder | Oct 17, 2019
As I look around the farm, the signs of fall are all-encompassing. The leaves turning and letting go, milkweed pods releasing their seeds – when we take note, these small happenings serve as reminders to slow down and simplify. Paradoxically so many of us tend to...
by Nikki Sowder | Dec 4, 2015
As difficult as it is for me to admit it, I have not always had the best relationship with winter. For most of my adult life, I’ve lived in the Midwest half heartedly participating in the season. It’s sad when I think about those times now...
by Nikki Sowder | Apr 17, 2015
Confession, I am really into birthdays. For me it’s a month-long event that kicks off with me saying to myself in the mirror, “Treat yourself!” That being said, birthdays don’t need to be elaborate or over the top (my...
by Nikki Sowder | Jan 26, 2015
Yesterday I asked my daughter if she wanted to go outside and paint snow butterflies. She looked up from her Play-Doh induced trance and politely said, “No thank you.” Sigh. OK, yes I am working on raising a self-inspired child who loves the feel of...
by Nikki Sowder | Sep 24, 2014
Ahhh Mother Nature. She brings out the best and sometimes the paranoia in us. It’s those unconscious fears and thoughts that have a real potential to shape my daughter’s perception about the wild outdoors (no pressure). So for her sake and mine, I’m...