the Mindful Montessorian

Mindful + Montessori living

[mindfulmontessorian]

A few fireworks with a dash of blind patriotism. I’m not really feeling like waving the flag today, but I’m equally concerned about stories of people burning it. The country I call home has a troubling history of replacing one set of “grand” ideas with another that all end in smoke and ash, a fizzle always following the flash. The metronome swings wildly without ever reaching a sustainable rhythm, its desired resting place. For these handful of hours, I’m not going to worry about what the symphony will do. I’m just going to beat my own drum a little louder, a little longer, and see where it resonates.

#letfreedomring https://www.instagram.com/p/CCO5KwhpgH5bHkye2NOuYDofORCifqU6wQjDz80/?igshid=16jefk5z417mi

[mindfulmontessorian]

Happy solstice, friends. #lettherebelight https://www.instagram.com/p/B6W7uGTBLdrqQ0Ym2-LkJjr8lvVwVox0eNLXpY0/?igshid=dbjtdbd4rnvc

[mindfulmontessorian]

Our Christmas cactus is blooming for the first time since we bought it two years ago.

In the right light, everything grows.

#lettherebelight #christmascactus #grinchbegone

https://www.instagram.com/p/B6BVT8nBjEf7QYLy41m_7hjy85aXz4ApR-cjlw0/?igshid=y0fgrgvpo515

[mindfulmontessorian]

I'm pretty sure that when you go to social media school, they tell you to share all the things and post lots of selfies to create more followers. That's not my jam. It's taken me some years to understand it and embrace it, but my work to build real and lasting community and empower others to help lead it is what I always return to. I'm looking forward to more of this work in the New Year! Are you on @linkedin? If so, connect with me there via the link in my bio. #connection #community #leadership #entrepreneurlife #bethechange https://www.instagram.com/p/B5gHMl6hSWHl3ZsdN1B8jSlUjEbhCYDh7eBI5E0/?igshid=e9b66rhiigi0

[mindfulmontessorian]

The only thing I'm responsible for today—except the kids, of course. Happy Thanksgiving, friends! #youhavetoletitlinger https://www.instagram.com/p/B5a7-Ibhj-jJSlwn-GH1IgEtUbhlqHTHuS3Iug0/?igshid=1x4txidsmi3rh

[mindfulmontessorian]

I was thinking about writing a blog post about how I'm attempting an Amazon-free holiday this year, but then I realized someone else had already written it (see link in bio)! This Amazon-free challenge is indeed a challenge for me because part of living more mindfully means I don't typically do holiday shopping until well after the frenzy of Black Friday, and that pesky Prime always delivers in a pinch. The year my December baby was born, I started shopping earlier and realized it could actually be more enjoyable to extend the season of giving. Now that we do more experience gifts over product purchases, the holidays are certainly less stressful, but this year I'm also being intentional in scheduling time to look at catalogs and browse shops rather than immediately search in Amazon. It's amazing what I've discovered, including items that ARE NOT SOLD on Amazon! If you haven't already, I highly recommend taking an Amazon break this holiday season. #amazonbreak #slowdown #mindfulliving #holidayshopping #tistheseason https://www.instagram.com/p/B4snwglBa1S_DoNPA-060vExz97ZQk7kVsQ2DQ0/?igshid=63l2c8cdrgeh

[mindfulmontessorian]

It's Halloween Eve, Mercury is almost retrograde and my intuitive INFJ powers are in full effect, friends! ✨ I'm not necessarily psychic, but I've had a surprising number of positive experiences with them. Fun fact: three out of three "psychics" in my 20s told me I would have a boy and a girl in my 30s. One was a voodoo priestess in New Orleans. More Halloween facts: Ouija boards are a no-go in my house, but crystal balls and tarot cards are a-okay! Despite my solid forward-thinking skills, I'm not going as a fortune teller this Halloween. Instead, I'm sticking with the super-basic advocating, counseling, teaching, observing, creating idealist the universe clearly intended me to be. 🔮 #halloween #mercuryinretrograde #infjsuperpowers https://www.instagram.com/p/B4QO9ich9krfeJHLUSNyvUnc1SWNc2OglxRDoc0/?igshid=1vbyeox6y3fh7

[mindfulmontessorian]

Glimpses of the second plane child. My daughter has always been helpful, but never particularly interested in keeping a space tidy. That never stopped me from continuing to prepare her environment, making sure there was always a place for everything, and because she's a collector, "everything" has often been a lot more than I'm necessarily comfortable with. We, as a family (Grandma included!), have worked hard to create regular times for cleaning and donation, but they've generally been adult-led. I'm sharing this because I think social media has promoted a false ideal, especially surrounding the "Montessori child," that even I have struggled to reconcile. Not every Montessori child is innately tidy. This doesn't make the philosophy any less meaningful or that child any less worthy of our respect and admiration. So, this is a photo of my daughter's accessory area, which she recently seemingly randomly cleaned along with the rest of her room during rest time. Since then, she's been making her bed and tidying up her room on a daily basis without any adult guidance. It may not last, or maybe it will, but it makes me happy knowing that it brings her a sense of pride, of feeling capable. #montessoriathome #secondplane #followthechild #kindergartenlife #sixyearchange https://www.instagram.com/p/B4H16L5h3CQ3IJSyv3iMQKL-uOPEAaaRQkh-Ds0/?igshid=18tm5381gcf8v

[mindfulmontessorian]

I've been reading a lot about well-known people in transportation over the last couple of months, thanks in large part to my vehicle-loving toddler. This is my 14th "official" year in the field of Montessori, and it's often easy to get lost in the forward thinking without taking time to reflect on where I've been. I had the opportunity for such reflection while doing a webinar for @trilliummontessori this past summer. In the process of moving and all that entailed, I forgot to share it here. I've included a link in my profile, and I hope you'll check it out to learn a bit more about some of the earlier years of my Montessori journey. #quotestoliveby #forwardthinking #tenacity https://www.instagram.com/p/B310_gRhizIO02xOInFvJ9VfM5Hoh1clLs1NiM0/?igshid=xmpmmv9wyv1z

[mindfulmontessorian]

You never know who you'll meet on the trails. #optoutside #cincyparks #scarecrowrow https://www.instagram.com/p/B3xFrMPBNI_HyZju0EwUF2xBfWZ6v2ftAcmFBI0/?igshid=4f371a7niczf

[mindfulmontessorian]

Learning the art of Japanese flower arranging. #ikebana #continuingeducation #montessoriteacherlife (at Krohn Conservatory) https://www.instagram.com/p/B3arz8bhELzckGbJ9Kt0oQG2WDUo7uHHBvKSZ00/?igshid=k71jha3cqgko

[mindfulmontessorian]

I'm calling this shelf "fall in transition" because it's still 85 degrees outside, and I'm not quite feeling the pumpkins yet, friends. I also hope it encourages those who may have plastic toys to go ahead and include them in your Montessori home environment! My son loves the Pop Blocs farm animals from @melissaanddougtoys, especially the hen (which he calls a rooster!), so we rotate those between the top shelf and the basket below. #shelfie #firstdayoffall #fallintransition #Montessoriathome #minimalistMontessori #waldorfhome #toddlerlife https://www.instagram.com/p/B2w_esdBU-n-tPjWD1bpmP64ML-0lzGTNQ9ed80/?igshid=178qu6j1tkj1r

[mindfulmontessorian]

Darn it. #quotestagram #confusion #clarity https://www.instagram.com/p/B2fLjNFh99fY0MOv0lvB4mQjjxcfmD_9C7yP8o0/?igshid=1eftzs0onw7pu

[mindfulmontessorian]

I've returned to my cutter. It seemed fitting for Friday the 13th. 🔪 #fridaythe13th #laminatecutrepeat #teacherlife https://www.instagram.com/p/B2XteE0h-lXMsInx7BInbs3dBz3B_xp7stImFs0/?igshid=u3bzq64b9fzq

[mindfulmontessorian]

Prepping for another year at @meridianmontessori --- It's hard to believe my first students are in junior high, and my own baby will graduate pre-primary this year. In many ways, it feels like yesterday when my husband and I prepared the cottage often called "the little schoolhouse" in Indy. In other ways, it feels like retirement is getting closer! I've been blessed by all the families who have shared their children with me, the children for sharing their light, and the professional educators who share my mission to leave the world better than we found it. Here's to 2019-2020! #preparedenvironment #walktheline #circletime #meditation #grounding (at Meridian Montessori) https://www.instagram.com/p/B1uyxoKhGU6a-6mVO4NfAHfzb9Y2UOeuXo3Ieo0/?igshid=1pojki960c1ru

[mindfulmontessorian]

#mondaymotivation #sidewalkart #kidschangetheworld https://www.instagram.com/p/B0zSJO8hxWQj9198sctw19116nTzahq_NO3yJo0/?igshid=wpvyljimqgry

[mindfulmontessorian]

Garden fresh. #growyourownfood #veggies #foodstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/B0Y1qQ1B0LbBZDlwqMWgc9TncueqBykJ-zMgI40/?igshid=fgbo3qst1avp