What is going on with October flying by so fast? There’s only a handful of days left in my favorite month of the year, and heading over to Shenandoah National Park for a family hike is a must-do while the trees are at their peak. Last year when my oldest daughter was in fourth grade, we signed up for Every Kid in a Park, a program sponsored by the National Park Service that allows fourth graders and their families free admission to any national park. We wore that program out by driving the beautiful Skyline Drive into Shenandoah whenever we had an open weekend. Thanks, Lorae, for spotlighting Every Kid in a Park this week! Happy hiking.
Do: Every Kid in a Park
The leaves are all turning and beginning to fall, and now is the perfect time to make that weekend hiking excursion. My friends know me—once winter and snow arrive, you will no longer see me out; this is when my true Californian comes out or stays in!!! We were so lucky that for 8 years we lived along the famous Skyline Drive in Virginia and were able to experience the seasons in color. This week I want to introduce you to Every Kid In A Park, a program that encourages all of us to get outdoors and explore. The Department of the Interior has invited every 4th grade student and their family to explore any national park that they wish at no charge. The website has amazing lesson guides for parents, teachers and 4th graders to dig into while exploring the park system. There are even tools to plan your trip allowing you to search by zipcode or state. Camping grounds and helpful packing lists are highlighted to ensure you are prepared! We may have to put some bigger parks on the summer travel list with our 4th grader this year. Happy Trails y’all.
Donate: Celebrate RVA
We have hit the grounding running this fall and sometimes I feel like our weekends are littered with soccer games and birthday parties. On several occasions, my oldest daughter has asked for party guests to bring canned goods in lieu of gifts at her own birthday party to donate to a food pantry. Empathy is her gift, you guys. It turns out that this same type of empathy was also the catalyst for Julia Warren from Richmond, VA to found Celebrate RVA whose mission is to spread love by providing memorable birthday celebrations for disadvantaged children in her hometown. Richmond families and organizations can volunteer, sponsor a birthday, or donate your birthday for the program. Celebrate RVA has thrown over 1600 parties all over town including in homeless shelters, Richmond City Jail, schools and area hospitals. What a lovely way to ring in a new birthday year for a child and give back!
Want: Bucket Bag
Reflect: Soult Journals
I don’t know what season of life I am in right now—it’s not just a mom journey, or a grief journey, or a friend journey, or an evolving partnership journey; it’s a melting pot really. I am not someone who has journaled daily though I know I should. I do have a desire to write more than just what’s in my calendar. I started reading about Soult Journals and loved the idea behind the company. The daily prompts are so insightful and really ask the writer to dig deep. These journals are meant to be keepsakes, documenting your story and your soul in any season of life. Soult makes sure to invest in beautiful details, but also keeps environmental responsibility a hallmark of the company. Each journal has 180 prompts to cover your story so the pressure to write daily is gone. Right now they have a Instagram giveaway for a made-to-order piece. All you have to do is tell them where you are from and why you journal. All entries must be written via Instagram by October 23rd at 11pm EST. Time to get that pen to paper!
Jam: Leon Bridges
This week, I FINALLY finished the 7-part HBO series Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty—so, so good! I loved the story from the moment I opened the book, but I always worry when books get adapted into film that they will not feel as special as they did before. I’m not going to critique the series, but there was one thing that stood out aside from the the acting and the cinematography: the music. It was ah-mazing. I loved one musician in particular, Leon Bridges. If you haven’t heard his music, you should, and if you know a fellow music lover, gift them his album ASAP. Leon Bridges sounds like an old era Sam Cooke and Otis Redding. River, Coming Home and Lisa Sawyer are my favorite tracks. I want to put on my sunglasses, jump in the car, and cruise down Skyline Drive with Leon in my speakers!
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