The ULTIMATE Mother's Day Gift..

Becoming a mother has been the best gift in the world. Teaching me so much about myself and even more about the world around me. Nothing can compare to the love a mother has for her child, so when approached with questions about what I'd like to do to celebrate this holiday, naturally I'd like to spend it with my family. Moms come in all different shapes, sizes and colors. Families all have different dynamics that work for them. There are plenty of ways to celebrate the different personalities of that special mom in your life. In my opinion, here are a few that top my list:

"Belly Love, Take Me Away..."

As a mom of two boys, I find myself devoting every ounce of sanity to the daily needs of my children. Sometimes, leaving my tank on empty. Part of being a mom is learning when to recharge your batteries. Taking some personal time to love on yourself will help you and fill up your tank. This allows you to return renewed and better than ever, ready to take on anything that may come your way. Belly Love Spa has created a special Mother's Day Spa selection that's perfect to accommodate all of the mama's in your life. 

I recently enjoyed one of the best Pumpkin Facials on the planet! Although Belly Love Spa is the leader in Prenatal Spa Treatments and Ultrasound Technology, they cater to ALL women. There are spa packages and (newly added) acupuncture treatments available for the New Moms, Veteran Moms or Moms-to-be in your life. Gift Certificates are available, as well as their new membership program! You can learn more or schedule an appointment by visiting Belly Love Spa online. If you hurry you can still snag one of the Mother's Day weekend appointments, there is still some availability!

"A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words.."

Life with littles' can get pretty busy, sometimes we get so wrapped up in carpool and soccer practice. Before you know it the years just whizz on by. I'm a self-professed "Mamarazzi" and like a lot of moms, I don't want to miss a moment. Ironically, that's just what happens when your so obsessed with capturing the moment on camera that you don't really enjoy it.  Half of the reason I'm always snapping away is because I know no one else will. We have a million artsy / funky/ sweet and tender pictures of my husband with our boys. I, may have one, two if I'm lucky, and the second was a selfie that cuts off the better half of my face (I've been cursed with the arms of a T-Rex people). This holiday give the "TMZ Mommy" in your life a break and let the professionals handle business. Courtney Studios is an expert in capturing those unique moments with your children and the personality of every individual in your family. I simply cannot wait for my "Mommy Shoot" with my boys! This is a gift that will be treasured forever! You can schedule an appointment for your one-of-a-kind shoot by calling Courtney Studios at (954) 367-682, or visiting them online.

Fur-babies count too!

"Take A Hike!"

I have to say this may be one of my favorite gift ideas of all. For nothing more than it's simplistic and delightful nature. In a time when it feels as though everything is moving at the speed of light, where "social media" has created a nation of anti-social individuals, and talking has turned into texting. Taking a simple walk with the ones you love can be the best gift of all. Susan Caruso, founder of Sunflower Creative Arts, once told me she likes to take a long walk with both of her boys every Mother's Day. This is especially perfect for moms of older kids, life can get busy and taking the time to show up and get connected is a gift in itself. 

The Three Musketeers

“Time is your most precious gift because you only have a set amount of it. You can make more money, but you can't make more time. When you give someone your time, you are giving them a portion of your life that you'll never get back. Your time is your life. That is why the greatest gift you can give someone is your time.
It is not enough to just say relationships are important; we must prove it by investing time in them. Words alone are worthless. "My children, our love should not be just words and talk; it must be true love, which shows itself in action." Relationships take time and effort, and the best way to spell love is "T-I-M-E.”

― Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here for?

A few of the places perfect for taking long walks with some of your favorite people are The Green Cay Nature Preserve, Gumbo Limbo Nature Center or The Morikami Museum & Japanese Gardens.

Whichever way you decide to go while shopping for the perfect gift for Mother's Day, just know that your presence is gift enough..

-- Said pretty much every Mom Ever!

Essentially Yours,

Erika

The "No-Toy" Gift Guide

It's that time of year again, a time when everyone is shopping, buying and giving. Door buster sales, extended mall hours and gift sets galore. In the blogging world, this means gift guides, lots of em'! Gift guides are very helpful if that's what you're in the market for. But what about families like mine who prefer presence over presents? So I decided to create my own guide, for parents like me who work hard all year long fighting off childhood consumerism or exposing our children to the pigeon holes of mainstream media. The "Non-Gift Guide" if you will.

If you've read about out our Totschool / Playroom and taken the tour, or seen the feature on Modern Boca Mom, then you know that electronic or plastic battery operated devices are not on our must-have list any time soon.

Fact: The average child gets about seven hours of screen time a day and an average of only one hour outside.

If you follow me on Instagram, then you know we fully support "Being vs. Buying". Holidays are different for many families and this is how we choose to celebrate. This year we've decided to plan a fun family Christmas trip in lieu of shopping for a ton of toys. We will still have a few open ended toys for the boys to open Christmas morning, but the focus is on spending connected time with each other.

Growing up, Christmas in my home was an extravaganza. Although it was enjoyable and filled with magic and wonder, it was the time spent with family that keeps me laughing still. The memories we created surpass any toy I ever received, and I don't remember specific gifts, but I remember special years spent with those I love. My family respects our decisions. However, they don't always know how to handle these gift giving situations during birthdays or holidays. If you know a family like ours, then this is the guide for you! So here you have it, the first "Non-Gift" Gift Guide of the holiday. A way to acknowledge the holiday without contributing to profit driven toy company madness, or sabotaging the hard work of many conscious parents.

Donations: Donating to a favorite charity for the activist in your life e.g., "Save the Bees" or "Mercy for Animals",  either in their name or in memory of someone they love dearly, is a win on all  levels. It shows you care about what they are passionate about and it helps to make a difference. Planting / Dedication of a tree on behalf of someone else is also a touching gift, and it's for a wonderful cause. 

Supplies: We do a lot of crafting! Limiting screen time in our home, means more time for getting creative. We are always in need of more supplies. Items like paint, chalk, paper, glitter and glue are always appreciated and put to good use.

Tuition / Classes/ Memberships: Our boys are Seedlings at Sunflower Creative Arts, their classes support hands-on experiences in Play, Nature and the Arts that are absolutely essential for healthy human development. A gift toward tuition or donation towards any of their classes or operating costs ensures our kids can keep enjoying all they have to offer.

Michaels craft store has crafting classes for older children, a paid registration for any of their classes is a thoughtful gift for the budding artist or future crafter. Musikgarten, a music class for babies and toddlers is generally offered at the Boca Raton Childrens Museum and is a great gift for babies and moms alike.

Memberships: We frequent our local museum's all year long, especially in the hot summer months. The Boynton Schoolhouse Museum and the Boca Art Museum offer wonderful family memberships at affordable prices. Yearly memberships are a great gift for everyone and ensures a year of fun for the whole family. A gift that keeps on giving!

Gift Cards: Ahhh yes, the stepchild of gifts. The almighty gift card, it has a bad reputation. The gift that says, "I don't really know you" or "I don't really care enough to stroll the aisles searching for just the right gift". Bahum-bug! A gift card can be an incredibly thoughtful gift! What could be more personal than providing a family the opportunity to dine together at their favorite restaurant? Perhaps a restaurant that they wouldn't otherwise spring for? I hear The Farmers Table has incredible cuisine that takes "fresh" to the next level. I can't wait to try it!

Tickets / Events: Last but not least, why not give the gift of  entertainment? You can search all the local events coming to your city this year and buy tickets in advance as gifts to concerts and shows, providing a family with a fun night out. The Mizner Park Amphitheatre has an awesome list of performances lined up for after the New Year!

Tickets to local Food and Art Festivals are another great gift, and an awesome way of giving a family a guaranteed day of fun and food! What could be better than that? In these demanding times family fun days can be hard to come by due to busy schedules or lack of funds. You may be able to provide a family with a well deserved break or a reason to make the time and get connected.

As you can see there seems to be a recurring theme to this gift guide. It's all about reconnecting and continuing to build on what really matters, this and all times of the year, family. Spending time creating memories with those you love, and perhaps getting to know those you don't know. Giving the most precious gift of all, your time.

Happy Holidays!

Essentially Yours,

Erika

Forego Black Friday, Cancel Cyber Monday, Go with Giving Tuesday!

Mappy Thanksmaskuh!

It's November, possibly one of my favorite months out of the calendar year. The weather is cooler in most parts of the country (annoyingly the same in Florida), but not quite freezing. Halloween is over, the candy has all been eaten or "donated" in our case, and there's a stillness in the air. That calm before the storm so to speak, a quiet month of reflection on gratitude and all that truly matters. The sense of impending fulfillment that can only come from watching your crazy relatives do what they do best, drive each other crazy! Thanksgiving has long been my favorite holiday, because it was the simplest of all the holidays. No muss no fuss, just food, family and lots of love.

(*Best Holiday movie EVER!)

Well, NOT ANYMORE!

Have you strolled the aisles of any of your local chain stores lately? They barely cleared away the halloween costumes before bringing out the cheesy tchatchke's or tacky blow up Santa's you find on every lawn around the holidays. To be clear: I AM a lover of Christmas and decorating, although I've learned to streamline it over the years. Quality decorations over quantity. More hand made with love, less cluttered crap. I don't enjoy my home looking as though I cleared the X-mas clearance aisle at Walmart. I use this opportunity like any other to decorate our home with crafted items we've made while creating lasting memories, or anything passed down throughout the years that bring fond memories of holidays past.

I'm fully aware of the morbidity of what actually took place on the first Thanksgiving, and am trying to figure out ways to convey a positive message from this celebration to our boys over the years, but how when the holiday is being phased out completely?

Over the years I found it strange that some people would actually put up their Christmas tree on Turkey Day. Call me crazy but growing up in New York we would buy our X-mas tree the first days of December, you know the actual month of the very holiday we were celebrating. Nowadays I even see in some homes the tree is already up and decorated tinsel and all, in family Thanksgiving Day pictures. 

It's bad enough consumers can't wait a whole evening for the infamous "Black Friday" sale that they had to move it up to midnight the night of Thanksgiving! I find this appalling on a lot of levels.. Not only do these companies plaster their shelves with merchandise in the month of October, but they require their workers report for duty at midnight on the day of a National Holiday! How far have we come from the family unit in this country that we feel the need to rush through turkey carving, so we can hurry up and get to the matter at hand... Consumerism! How much value do we put on "family" if were constantly sending the message to our children that the "almighty sale" is more important than spending time with your loved ones. I see more  Black Friday waiting line selfies on social media than I do family portraits.

Is it ever really that serious? Do we really HAVE to have that electronic device or toy so badly that we are now willing to sacrifice the peace from one holiday in order to rush into one that comes with presents? A little respect for the bird people! A little more presence perhaps and less presents. This poor turkey gets no love! He lost his life so that you can stand in line at Target with hundreds of other people waiting for a toaster oven? Shouldn't we at least pay homage to this foul by way of a tryptophan induced semi-coma?

To make matters worse, they've added Cyber Monday! In case you didn't get enough on Friday and still have something left in your 401k, there's still time! Except it's even better, you don't have to leave home at all, you can spend your retirement right here online! Thanksgiving is now the "Cinderella" of holidays. I truly feel as though this holiday is getting the raw end of the deal, being phased out completely for its lack of oh I don't know, REVENUE??? Can't we just enjoy this holiday and all that it brings? There will be plenty of time for more holiday festivities in December, it lasts all month long! Societies are built around MORE. More of EVERYTHING. More money, more cars, homes, devices, toys, vacations, clothes and jewelry, etc... More of everything, except time. All of these easily become distractions from more important matters. Time cannot be bought, sold or replaced.

I'm relieved by a  growing trend to help offset all of this holiday madness and get back to what really matters, giving back! Giving Tuesday is the day after Cyber Monday, it is set for December 2, 2014 this year and if you haven't participated before, now is the time! Giving Tuesday is a global day dedicated to giving back to all sorts of causes that have partnered up with this movement.

You can find hundreds of your favorite organizations partnered up with Giving Tuesday and donate to the charity of your choice. Sunflower Creative Arts is one of the many on the partner list and a wonderful way to give back to a local center contributing to the future of our community, our kids!  You can find out more about #GivingTuesday here. Join today and post an #UNselfie this holiday season! Sunflower is dedicated to protecting the freedom of childhood. I invite you to give the gifts of Play + Nature + Art  on #GivingTuesday bymaking a donation to Sunflower's Operating Fund.

There are many ways you can give back. Giving of your time is one of the most rewarding of all on both ends. If you can't afford to just donate freely to all the charities that call to you, then you can make it your business to give something much more personal, your time. Sometimes the call to service is there, but we don't always know how to answer it. That's what sites like Volunteer Match are for! They partner good people with good causes. I found them while trying to volunteer at local soup kitchens with the boys last year, which was more difficult than I anticipated because most of them were fully staffed. If you are sure you would like to volunteer on some level and give some of your time, all you have to do is visit their website, they will provide a list of organizations in your area that need volunteers and even provide you with their contact information and specifications on what that particular organization is in need of. 

Whatever your traditions or holiday celebrations consist of, I hope you'll consider giving back this season in whatever way you can. Take time and enjoy company instead of credit cards, people instead of presents, and giving instead of getting. 

Happy Holidays!

Essentially Yours,

Erika