Giveaway: Slow Family Living & things that really matter
When my friend Bernadette told me about her latest book project I jumped at the opportunity to host a giveaway; I loved her last book, Make Stuff Together. I even made Bernadette sign it!
While I don’t yet have children to practice all this slowness and appreciation-building activity, I do have a partner and the world-at-large to work on for the time being. Appreciating slowness is a part of modern life I’m hoping to bring back, like snail mail, using our brains when purchasing stuff, and just being generally thoughtful of the world and things around us. That in mind, I’ve really enjoyed popping through Slow Family Living at random moments. (Books I can just open in the middle, read a few sections and return to in the midst of general unfocused life pursuits are a treasure, the books that ultimately get read and absorbed because they’re on my schedule and not their own.)
(From the publisher) In SLOW FAMILY LIVING, readers will learn:
- How to break up the week and find excitement and joy at home on a standard school night.
- Ways to bond and grow with one child at a time – without making the others feel left out.
- Fun ways to foster a loving environment at home with your kids and partner.
- Ideas for how to get exercise, be social and learn something new as a family without creating an impossible schedule to follow.
One of the instances of spontaneous flip-open reading occurred during breakfast yesterday, when I stumbled upon “The Love Pop In” an idea to surprise your kids (or other forms of family) with a brief, unexpected pop-in. Notably, in times when you might be rushing to accomplish other things. Bernadette’s story of popping in on her kids (discreetly, so no one was embarrassed) when dropping something by the school reminded me of my mother, how fiercely she loves us and the things she would do to remind us of this on small and non-occasions.
In this and many of the other ideas for ways to ‘slow down, connect, and create more joy’ it’s not the expectation of doing these kinds of things all the time, but rotating amongst them when the time is right. Like when she talks about making out with your partner on an unexpected, not-particularly-momentous parting, “Not all the time, mind you. That might get annoying. But every now and again?”
I absolutely adore (and do on a regular basis with my dog and not-as-enthusiastic wife), “How Low Can Your Pantry Go?” It’s one of my favorite empowerment tactics,
Anyone can run off to the store, but it takes a family working together to come up with something good and creative and innovative. And rather than wasting time at the store, you’re home all working together. No doubt laughing at some of the outcomes, too.
The other part of this giveaway includes a set of cards from my wife, Jo Ann Santangelo. She took this photograph on a day she was running much later than she’d hoped to be and ended up trekking a longer, out-of-the way distance to capture a Car-2-Go. Though her stress level was high (about being late) she encountered the ‘nothing really mattress’ and shoved aside rationality saying she didn’t have time to even photograph it. I’m glad her better judgement prevailed, this image, shot with 35mm black and white film is one of the images in the revisited portrait project she did called Austin Seen. She’s tossing in a set of four ‘nothing really mattress’, East-ATX-printed cards and envelopes for you to remember to slow down! look around! and enjoy what’s before you.
;)
For shipping reasons, we’re asking for entrants from the US & Canada only. Sorry international loves.
Please enter by Friday, April 12, 2013 at midnight CST by leaving a comment below telling me about the kinds of things that really ‘mattress’ to you and/or things you want to focus on in the coming months, either with family or life in general. Good luck! (p.s. if you don’t leave your email address in the little box where the comment form asks for it, you won’t win because I can’t track you down otherwise)
p.p.s. Don’t miss this giveaway, which closes tonight!
Kate
Congrats to Tracy, lucky #33!
Thanks everyone for such great and inspiring comments!
Creative Gifts, Family, Giveaways, Inspiration, Kids, Reading, Snail Mail
Reader Comments (34)
This sounds like a fantastic book. I'm always trying to find new ways to slow down and savor the little moments, but it's not a simple task.
Over the last couple of years my husband and I have had 2 amazing children and started a business, all while moving around the country chasing our dreams. Now that we are back in our hometown we are focusing more than ever on getting settled so that our family can become even stronger. We learned that what truly matters is that we are together, and that we help support each other in accomplishing goals and learning new things. Starting a new business, moving into a new home, going to school, and enjoying our children are all things that matter to us now, and it will only get better over the years. Over the next few months we want to focus on getting really organized and settled so that we can begin even more new things soon!
I want to do more crafty/art projects with my daughter. We did so many last year, but the last few months have been so busy we haven't had time to do much of anything. I want to turn the tv off more and create more with her.
My 14 year old asked me what my passion is. And she didn't want my answer to be "well, you kids, of course". But the truth is...that IS my only answer right now. I want my kids to know they matter to me. So, this book would be perfect. It's what I've been looking for. My kids are 14, 7, and 3 mos. Plus my husband helped me make them so he' s important, too. How does a mother make these people feel special individually and have date night? So, even if I don't win the book, it's going on my wishlist because it looks awesome. And thanks for your blog. I really enjoy it. :)
What mattresses to me the most right now is finding more ways to shed my 40 year old mindset and be 7 again so I can try to really "get" what it's like to be in my kid's right now.
One thing that really matter (mattress :)) to my husband and I is to choose work that we both deeply love and to model that to our daughter. My husband is a professional musician, and it has not always been a clear or easy path. I am a nonprofit executive and travel a lot for my work-which I deeply love. In the mix of our incredible love for our work, is our even more burning love for our daughter and to be together. I am always looking for ways to make our time together as passionate, creative, and yes, simple, as can be.
I am really excited about this book! Slowing down is so hard for me and I really want to find ways to connect even during those busy times. I would also like to share this with my friends. Those cards are wonderful too! That's what my husband is always telling me. Plus that photo will be a reminder of our beloved Austin that we moved from almost 2 years ago.
I love making something from nothing, the way a single seed makes a bunch of purple mustard somehow, magically. In June, I'm going to start doing a work-share at a CSA west of Madison, WI. I can't wait to help the farm and learn how those seemingly 'magic' foods make to my table.
I'm a single gal, so that weekly share is going to be more than I can eat, I bet. And not letting anything go to waste matters. So I'm going to follow Ms. Kate's wisdom and do a little preserving - capture some summertime magic for those wintertime blah days.
I have my boots and gloves and jars ready - bring on Spring!
I have two soon-to-be step children who are both electronic addicts. I want to break that dependency by working on crafts, science projects and fun outdoors things with them. The challenge has been getting them to embrace a type of life they have never experienced.
more canning & more dehydrating .... in a non-Prepper'y kind of way ;)
We're going to focus on simplifying. Decluttering the house, putting in a few raised garden beds, making more things from scratch...things like that.
We have an active 12 year old who enjoys scouts and computer time but we make time once a week to make homemade pizza from scratch. After dinner we all play some kind of card game or board game or take a long walk and enjoy some fresh air. It's is hard with all these electronic distractions but we are trying to find a balance and teach our child the value of comunication through our voice instead of a hand held device.
Sitting down together for meals is very important to us. Even with two small children we sit down at the table as a family for breakfast and dinner almost every day.
Our focus for our lives is really trying to stick to what's important. It's hard with 4 kids going different directions. I'm trying to soak in all I can to do this one job right!
I love this.. I'm the working mom this year in our house with a kick-butt stay-at-home dad and I'm committed to trying to enjoy my time at home and with family as much as possible instead of only seeing the epic to-do list that comes with being away. We are a family farm so there are always fun cooking projects and adventures with kiddos but it's so easy to get worked up about them instead of enjoying them. These are the nothing and everything that "matresses" in our life.
This book sounds amazing. With summer coming up, I am really challenging myself to find activities/moments for my kids and I. Things that keep us together, keep life simple, and keep me falling into the rut of just telling them to go play in the play room. ;)
I am a new reader -- much thanks to coming across your book in my library. There are so many things you made me think about that I'll be focusing on. Actually, I've already outlined them in a rather lengthy blog post. I guess I'm a bit of a keener.
Mostly, I really appreciate all the home remedies and cost-cutting solutions. I'm so grateful for your wisdom and insight. Thanks so much!!
What " mattress" most to me is passing on to my 1 year old daughter the best of what my childhood in a small, northern town with parents who were into slow, family, preserving, DIY, and homemade long before it was cool. Singing in the car instead of radio, CDs or in car DVDs; canning tomatoes (and cherries and pears and jam) all to be eaten in the cold winter months; homemade bread and cookies; being outdoors with the trees and the mud and the critters...all while living in a big city.
This book sounds like the perfect resource and inspiration!
I want to get back to the nice balance I had found in my life a few months back. This semester I have over-committed myself, a return to silly old habits. I miss the breathing space and reflective moments...
I want to slow down and watch the garden grow! I am often so busy planning, planting and harvesting that I forget to relish the beauty of a single seed becoming food to nourish my family, physically and emotionally!
I have a 13 month old daughter and she is SO into everything right now, especially if we are too. I want to be the best role model for her, especially when it comes to food. My husband and I are working on trying to eat better and cook more so she knows that restaurant foods aren't the norm and eating nutritious, home-cooked food will always be the best!
Cool. A book by Bernadette to inspire craftiness and help build connections with the ones I love and some awesome photos! What else matters?
In the coming months, me and my family are excited to be settling into our first house. We will be focused on making this house a home, and enjoying it. We are elated that there are raised beds where we will be able to grow fresh produce, and I would also love to try my hand at canning and dehydrating so that we can enjoy the "fruits" ;) of our labor year 'round. We are in temporary housing right now, so I have been saving all kinds of recipes up so that we can have a healthy, balanced diet.
I am focusing on enjoying the things my body can do and appreciating that!
I want to work on figuring out a schedule with my partner, so we still have lots of family time but also get a little alone time to work on our own projects (art for me, and music for him). And to get out of the house and into nature as a family when we are in a bit of a funk.