The crafty pursuits I have been known for in these parts have been put upon the bunting-laden back shelf for almost a year now since I have been pouring that type of energy toward establishing my coaching practice, launching my latest series of ecourses (last day to sign up for the membership passes, Sweetness!) and carving out a strong rhythm to support this latest wave of transition in our lives.

But I’m still crafty. Just in a different way right now.

Life is always about fine tuning, reassessing and re-balancing. Kind of like vrksasana in yoga; Tree Posture. It’s deceivingly strengthening. It takes the minutest of split second adjustments, intuition and finally trust that you will be provided with the necessary roots necessary to stabilize and thrive. With creativity flourishingly intact.

When I find myself sighing over the craftiness that hasn’t happened in a while this is what I try to remember:

1. The creative play is still there

It’s instead being poured into this intensely passionate pursuit of spreading the word of my ability to help mamas and families bring the bliss of simplicity and creative nourishment to their lives. And it’s just as  fun

2. Mommy’s crafting time need not be oodles

Just five or ten minutes are really all it takes to allow my crafting muscle memory to flex and be kissed. By me.

I had a lovely coaching call yesterday with a client launching a new online venture . Together we decided to simultaneously practice what what we call our “Mommy’s Craft Time”. For 15 minutes after lunch we will pursue our deep love of , what Tim Gunn might call it,  Happy Hands dabble.

3. Paying attention to my energy

I’m noticing my energetic ebb and flow throughout the day and work with it. After the kids are sweetly tucked into bed my brains slide on over from the book to the street side of smart. This is when I pick up the needles to work a few rows on a simple knit project before I curl up in bed with my sausage dog. Oh yeah, and Craig.

4. My slack off from crafting permission slip

I have consciously given myself permission to follow this calling despite what the voices that sometimes try to deplete my energy with their words, thoughts or images.

You should be knitting Christmas gifts by now.

You promised yourself you’d make a quilt before the end of the year.

What about passing along handmade traditions? What kind of consumerism gluttony are you modelling to your children?

What exactly are you going to show and tell at the Threads Guild Meeting next month? Hmmm?

I just tell them to shush, take a deep breath and then take the smallest of steps toward my brightest dream again.

5. Get my flattening ass outside

For my work now I’m either on the computer or on the phone. What I’ve been careful to do is to take breaks and get outside as much as I can. A ten minute walk in the woods behind our house, a jump in the river, weeding the garden, riding my cruiser, Little Prozac, to the grocery store all of these remind me of the abundance in the world and gets me grounded and inspired to share my love of simplicity.

6. Lean on the principles of simplicity

I’ve always said that my Simplicity Parenting workshops are so much more than a parenting class. My workshops always begin with meditating and playing deeply into exploring what are dreams and values to hold for our family are and by stripping away the excess that doesn’t align with those.

And from there we design the home environment, rhythms, scheduling and filtered world that will support whatever priorities and seasons of shifted focus that will always ebb and morph into our lies.

As a result, abundance and ease flows forth in our days like milk out of a ‘what took you so long to come out milk me this morning?’ milk bag.

But these changes will always be brought forth with a heavy dose of loving intentions and honoring one’s deep calling.

I wonder what the badge that will encompass all that look like?

PS Last day to sign up for the Simplicity Parenting Virtual Workshop Membership Pass! Join the tribe that will be exploring all four levels of simplification this year in the realm of environment, rhythm, scheduling and filtering. Would love to connect with you there and craft up a simplicity storm!