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07/19
No, you didn’t read it wrong. I put "melancholic" and "holiday" in the same title. Let me tell you why: Here in our neck of the woods, beachgoers suffered a significant beach withdrawal, which seemed to have no end during the pandemic; and those who had always just taken it for granted started regretting not having taken advantage of ocean life more often. So when they magnanimously freed us, we and our pets flocked to the beaches, which smacked of a cautionary tale for a new variant... so as a mostly responsible, post-pandemic being, I decided to continue not to partake in the beach festivities—until one day we decided to take a day trip to a beach 2 hours away from home to satisfy our desire to splash about in the warm ocean water. It happened to be a very quiet, secluded beach... and as we reached our destination, we realized it had gone from a very sunny, blue-skied day to drab and overcast.
Long story short, it didn’t rain that day but it remained moody.
We took a stroll down the quietest stretch of beach I’ve been to in years; the air was chilly and it felt incredible. We ended up staying the night at a petit hotel owned by a French man who exalts privacy and peace to the point of not welcoming children... while admitting pets. That day is fixed in my mind as a beautiful memory of a short-lived, moody holiday.
© hover over images for credits -
07/15
In a week where it feels like the weather has risen to merciless degrees, I find myself drawn to the soothing and cooling darkness of these interiors; and as contradictory as this might sound, I happen to think natural light is everything – but at the same time I also prioritize dark and moody ambiences in my home, because at this point in time everything feels like a smack of sensory overload and my mind feels more at easy in the moodiness of a darker room. I do feel strongly about the images shared here... and perhaps you do too.
© hover over images for credits -
07/13
Despite the fact that we are more tech savvy than ever before, it seems like there may be a disconnect in our understanding that humans—especially little humans—have an innate need to learn at their own pace and in environments that allow for their uniqueness, natural abilities and creativity to surface.
“A man does not just happen; he does not just grow like a flower.”
Maria Montessori came to this understanding a very long time ago, and in the 1800’s she opened Casa Bambini; a school with the preposterous proposal of a child-focused method as opposed to a content-focused method – where they could cultivate their own interests... and doing so with the support of their teachers who served as guides rather than authorities.
To the initial shock of many who thought a child was to be handled and catered to, Maria’s "Montessori" method proved what we now know to be obvious:
Children are much less frustrated in the learning process when they have tools and furniture that are child-sized – scaled to their level. Children also respond very positively when their environment is calm and orderly... and have better confidence and self esteem when taught to do things for themselves.
In short, the Montessori method showed parents that early childhood education should not simply fill a child with facts, but rather actually stimulate their natural desire to learn. And so it spread to many schools and eventually reached peoples' households as well – having really caught on over the last 5 years as it began to be adopted by parents who live out mindfulness and minimalism values.
A Montessori environment at home creates a system of freedom and ease for all involved, allowing the parents to become encouraging guides instead of authoritarian figures – and children feel supported rather than managed, having the time and space to make discoveries, gain independence and participate in daily life activities as a whole.
Creating a Montessori system at home is easy, especially nowadays when we have companies like Woodjoy that are committed to helping parents apply its principles at home.
Woodjoy is a 5-star company based on Montessori principles, creating multifunctional furniture at child-level but that serve children and the whole family at the same time. That's what makes them stand out.
How to create a Montessori home?
A prepared environment: Observing your children at play is the best way to learn what they’re naturally interested in – which will tell you how to lay out their tools (and what tools to provide for them).
Have a place for everything and everything in its place: an organized play and learning environment allows children to be self-sufficient and focus on one activity at a time.
Always choose quality and purposeful toys: Montessori toys are often made of wood, they are long-lasting, functional, non-toxic and durable. Woodjoy offers a vast selection of multifunctional and harmonious toys at a fair price.
How do I transition to a Montessori method?
Child-level furniture:
Tables, chairs and furniture used in the child’s learning experience should, as Maria Montessori proved, be at child level. This Woodjoy clothing rack, for example, will give your child the right amount of independence and a huge sense of confidence by allowing them to pick an outfit from a small, season-appropriate selection of outfits.
Involve your children in active learning, not passive entertainment:
Stay away from modern toys that do everything for the child and instead pick furniture and items that allowed them to create their own entertainment and learn to become self sufficient like this pretend kitchen by Woodjoy, where they can create their own story line and unleash their imagination.
Create a system:
Having less toys and less activities at any given time allows children to build their concentration and develop mastery of any one particular skill at a time – so it’s a lot less overwhelming for the child. Instead of displaying baskets full of toys where little toy soldiers go to die, use a toy display system like this mini shelf where a small selection of toys are displayed and used... and then rotate the selection to bring in a new round of learning and entertainment.
Open-ended toys:
blocks, puzzles, animal figurines and books. Always pick toys like this wooden colored houses that allow your child to create a different story or a system that fits into the narrative they are creating.
The advantages of transforming your home to allow your children to have freedom and independence are many – and while some might think this is a little over the top, it actually creates a respectful environment in which children learn to establish limits for themselves and others; it fills them with a sense of freedom and independence, allows them to learn organically without impositions by a system that doesn’t encourage them to be themselves and in turn helps them to be happier and more secure children that grow up to be responsible for themselves and aware of others.
Woodjoy helps you create a nurturing environment with an atmosphere of learning, love, warmth and kindness at home, which is not only beneficial to the children but also to us parents.
They ship world wide and have stunning reviews and recognition for having created multifunctional children's furniture that serves a variety of purposes, are made only with the best quality materials and look beautiful in any home.
Here’s to Woodjoy and for allowing children to be creatively and uniquely themselves!
Editor’s picks:
Paid partnership © images by Jane Grewal and Woodjoy07/11
Keeping with the color theme of late … remember when I wrote about timeless-affable beige and explained how I love it paired with earthy colors and raw textures? Well, let me tell you that while I do love the combination—and I mostly think they go perfectly well together because I love nature and all it has to offer—beige with touches of black might just be my favorite combination for now (right this very second). I know I've already told you about how lovely beige is — but really, isn't it so elegant-yet-not-stuffy coupled with with a hint of black? I think so.
© hover over images for credits07/09
As a human being who's lived on this blue marble for over 35 years, I've long been obsessed with the color blue. You should see the number of skyline and seascape images stored on my camera roll. On second thought... maybe you shouldn't. But trust me, there are way too many. Yet, I happen to be very particular when it comes to man-made hues of blue – gravitating towards either soft muted blues or very rich cobalt blues, like the ones above.
© hover over images for credits07/07
A slightly random selection for you this week (although is anything ever really random?). I don't mean to get overly philosophical about the simple act of curating a couple of images... but don't you ever get so drawn into a photo that you think to yourself "Oh wow!"… well, that's how I often feel while scrolling through Pinterest. You work your thumb, looking at hundreds of images which are beautiful in their own right – but then suddenly you come across one, which for no apparent reason, arrests your attention like no other.
© hover over images for credits07/05
Beige has never been as popular as it is now. We used to think of it as bland, boring, old-fashioned, "blah" – and now we see it featuring in some of the top fashion and beauty brands as well as in some of the most stunning homes the world has ever seen. The thing about beige that we often missed is that it's affable... like a good friend who maintains timeless friendships with all kinds of folk. It doesn't need to go to any extremes and it effortlessly becomes a part of any space. My favorite combination of beige is when people pair it with raw materials and earthy colors – but being as amiable as beige is, there’s truly no way to put a foot wrong. So let it play our whichever way you like.
© hover over images for credits
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