Resources for Your Adventures

Ordinary doesn’t always mean staying in or staying home. My ordinary may look different than yours. But here at Intentionally Ordinary, we believe nourishing a sense of adventure is an essential part of our beautifully ordinary life. It can be immensely fun and joy-filled; we can learn new things along the way and share our experiences with others. So whether you’re just checking out a new local restaurant, visiting a park you’ve never been to, or traveling across the world, adventure can be a source of fun and whimsy in your life.

Today, we’re chatting about some of our favorite resources for your adventures.

1. Gathre mats- these leather-like mats are perfect for taking along on any adventure! Various sizes, shapes, and designs are offered to fit your travel and exploration needs. We love our Micro & Micro+ to use as diaper changing pads or placemats and the Midi is perfect for picnics, beach hangs, and park play dates!

2. Lululemon belt bag- this has become one of my favorite accessories for travel recently! If I ever need to bring only a few things with me on my adventures, I reach for this belt bag. Its better than a fanny pack (the straps can extend to be used cross body), but also just a fanny pack and I love that about it.

3. 2L water bottle - this water bottle helps keep me on track for drinking eight cups of water a day. It’s lightweight, easy to take on the go or simply use around the house, and BPA free!

4. Kids sunglasses- I’m pretty obsessed with shape and colors of these adorable kids sunglasses. They’re made from recycled plastic and offer UV protection too! My kids feel fancy dressing up while out and about on our adventures. So cute!

5. Kids sun bonnets- we know kids need sun protection while outdoors, and I think these Briar Baby sunbonnets are just about the cutest way to accomplish that. These hats run big and size through age 4, making it the perfect accessory to throw in your bag in the summer months. We love all of the hats & bonnets Briar Baby makes so take a look around their site for more!

6. SPF 30 Mineral Sunscreen - this is by far one of the best smelling and least greasy mineral sunscreens we’ve tried! I love how it goes on smooth and last for hours to keep our skin safe. The ingredients are safe for kids, so we use it for the whole family! I always have one in my bag and this travel size I linked above is perfect to take with you wherever you go.

7. Yoto Player- We love taking our Yoto minis on the road with us! These portable audioplayers come with cards for different books, songs, and even podcasts for kids. Grab a set of headphones, and pick a card for hours of screen-free fun!

We believe adventure is a healthy part of an ordinary life and we hope this inspires you to get out there and experience something new. It doesn't have to cost a lot to make memories and be enjoyed.

Resources for Nourishing Your Family

We know as a new mom or a seasoned mom (or dad!), it’s so important to get reviews and resources from other parents about what you need for your child. I’ve gotten asked about best jammies, best straw cups, mattresses, carseats, strollers, and more!

So we’re here today to share with you some of our favorite resources for nourishing and caring for your family well, no matter the stage you’re in. We’ve used and loved these products for years, and we hope you and your family will enjoy them as much as we do!

1. Lovevery- we are OBSESSED with Lovevery. High quality. Beautiful colors. Mostly wood materials. Montessori-based. They currently offer subscription based play kits for ages birth - 4 years. We’ve been subscribing for almost that whole time for our oldest daughter and every shipment we’re blown away by the items included. Because the toys are high quality and developmentally appropriate, we’ve been able to pass them down to younger siblings. And I’m sure they’ll be passed on to friends when we’re all done. If you’re interested in exploring a play kit and bringing some Montessori activities home, click the link above!

2. Usborne Books- reading is a huge priority in our family (and there are so many studies to back up the positive effects of early literacy), and so we have our kids room packed with all sorts of visually interesting, engaging, interactive, and educational books. Our favorite place to turn is Usborne Books & More! I work as an independent consultant with them, so if you ever need help looking through their large catalog of books, let me know and I can make a list curated specifically to your child’s age and interests. Send me an email to request a wishlist or browse on your own with the link above!

3. Habits of the Household by Justin Whitmel Early - Justin, a dad of 4 writes, “we had such high hopes for having kids and now it seems more work than love, more exhaustion than fulfillment. At best we feel tired, at worst we feel trapped, in between we feel lonely, and more likely than not, we feel bad about our parenting.” If you can relate to those words, then you may benefit from reading this book.  It is practical, helpful, easy to read filled with wisdom and insight.  Here you can discover simple habits and easy to implement daily rhythms to bring more peace and purpose to your home.

4. Hunt, Gather, Parent by Michaeleen Doucleff - I read this book last year and immediately loved every page. Michaeleen investigates the habits and rhythms of three ancient cultures in how they raise children. These cultures have a history of raising, kind, happy, and well-adjusted kids and Michaeleen is able to translate a few key principles of parenting into our modern Western culture. I was able to try out a few of these principles with my own family with great results! I still implement some of these today, and would love to go back and read this book over and over again.

5. The Dearest Grey - we love this small shop for all things baby/toddler feeding! The bento boxes are our favorite - we pack the girls’ lunches in them every school day. They also offer the cutest silicone suction cups, utensils, bibs, and pacifiers on their website. Check them out if you need baby & toddler feeding essentials!

6. Family Plan Calendar - this calendar is ESSENTIAL to the function of our home. With everyone’s work schedules, coordinating school drop off and pick up, and all of our community events, we are busy! And the Family Plan Calendar makes managing all of it so much easier. Some weeks we just fill out each day’s events, and other days we utilize the whole calendar and add in our meal plan, grocery list, house to-do list, and more. We love ours and have been using it for over a year now!

7. Other Goose - one of our favorite authors started a homeschooling curriculum for ages 3-7. Each week you’ll get a few activity ideas to complete with your child. Once completed you can take notes and rate how much your child enjoyed that activity. It costs $12.99/month and is worth every cent. It’s given us endless ideas of ways to integrate learning into every day home life. Whether you want to homeschool your kids or are just looking for some fun ideas to keep them busy, check this amazing resource out!

We hope you find these recommendations helpful for your family! Sowing into those closest to you is such a joy. It’s so rewarding to see them learn and grow and flourish. We hope your family finds rest and security and love in the home that you choose to intentionally make beautiful.

Resources for Nourishing Your Home

We believe our homes should be a haven where we feel safe and where our families feel cared for and loved. Being intentional with our design, bringing in pieces that provide comfort, utilizing tools that promote productivity and work to achieve our goals, are all part of curating an intentional home

Here are some of our favorite resources to nourish our home.

1. Cultivate What Matters - in a world filled with distractions it can be easy to watch days, weeks, months and even years slip by without feeling like you are accomplishing the things that are important in your life. These wonderful women have created beautiful materials and resources to help you focus on what matters.  They have everything from journals, notepads, planners and even stickers to help this process be fun and joy filled too!

2. Tuft & Needle Mattress - this has been our favorite mattress to sleep on by far. We upgraded a few years ago and now we recommend it to friends and also bought it for our oldest daughter when she transitioned to a big girl bed! So comfy and soft and truly helps us sleep soundly at night.

3. Vitamix- the girls and I love smoothies and I love how easy it is to blend up our favorite breakfast! We’ve made pancakes, blended soups, made homemade nut milk and more with our Vitamix. Click the link above to shop new or click here to buy refurbished models.

4. Dyson vacuum- handheld cordless vacuums have been saving our lives these last few years! We’ll never go back & we’re telling all our friends about how amazing it is to just pick up the vacuum and go with no fuss.

5. Minimalista by Shira Gill - I’ve been loving browsing through this resource to intentionally minimize the things in my home. Shira talks a lot about keeping things cozy and functional too, so I don’t feel like I’m sacrificing too much while also downsizing & organizing.

6. Thrive Market membership - we’ve been loving and using Thrive Market for over 6 years now. We love the discounted prices, fast shipping, and variety of brands and products offered. We consistently order our favorite pantry staples from Thrive like bulk spices, cooking oils, flour, canned goods, and lunch box snacks. We come back month after month to restock on all of our favorites! Click the link above for 40% your first order 👏🏻

We hope this little list helps you bring items into your home intentionally so that it feels like a safe and comfy space for your and your family!

Resources for Nourishing Your Body

We believe our bodies are instruments for creating good and beautiful things in this world. If we’re not taking care of our bodies, how can we care for others and effect change in this world?

Let’s chat about some resources to help nourish the body, so that it can in turn sow seeds of goodness into this world.

1. Meal plans- I thrive on planning food each week. I’m a shop once a week kind of gal and I hate to have to run into the store multiple times per week. I could be doing other nourishing things during that time, right?! To prevent multiple store trips (and saving gas and paper bags), I set aside time to plan the next week’s meals every Sunday night. I love finding pre-made meal plans from my favorite food bloggers (Fed + Fit & Half Baked Harvest email one in their newsletter every week!) and the one linked above is from the Real Food Dietitians. I like to piece together my own meal plans most weeks, but it’s always nice to have someone else do it for you from time to time (especially when shopping lists are included!)

2. Rachael’s Good Eats - Rachael is a registered dietician with a blog & social media following (find her on Instagram @rachaelsgoodeats!). We love trying all of her recipes and recently, her Good Sweat workout guide! She makes healthy eating & working out approachable and fun!

3. Nourish Move Love - another workout program I love to follow is from Nourish Move Love! All of the workouts are free on their blog and on Youtube. Subscribe to their monthly newsletter to receive weekly workout plans in your inbox every Sunday!

4. Beauty Counter Makeup - I recently switched all of my skincare over to Beauty Counter and I have been loving it! I’m trying out their Vitamin C Serum, and Overnight Peel, plus I’m obsessed with their liquid foundation, concealer, and mascara! I opt for a pretty basic makeup routine and Beauty Counter supports that with clean & safe ingredients.

5. Essential oils - I highly recommend trying out essential oils to support a variety of emotional and physical conditions like sleep support, soothing aching muscles, and promoting tranquility. My favorites right now are OnGuard, Serenity, Adaptiv, Lavender, Peppermint, and InTune from DoTERRA.

6. Vitamins - I’ve loved using Athletic Greens vitamins to supplement my healthy eating habits. I personally love the refreshing taste and ease of use. If you have an active lifestyle and are on the hunt for new, easy, and delicious vitamins, check out Athletic Greens!

Being intentional in treating our bodies well not only helps us feel good, but it allows us to pour out into others and into the world. I hope these resources encourage you to take time to nourish your body, to live well, and to live whole.

Resources for Nourishing Your Creativity

For holistic care, each one of us needs a passion, a creative outlet, to live into our full selves. This can be manifested in so many different ways from cooking to sewing to music to art and so much more.

Today we’re sharing some resources for some of our favorite creative outlets. Hopefully one of these sparks joy for you and helps you feel full and complete.

1. Calligraphy - I loved picking up this practice in the early pandemic days when I was off of work and staying inside during the lockdown. I had a ton of fun practicing on the iPad with ChalkfullofLove’s ipad lettering guide (find it on their website here). They also have it available in paper form with the Hand Lettering 101 book that I linked above.

2. Homestead & Chill blog- nourish your creativity by spending some time perusing this blog where you can gather “information and inspiration on all things plant-centric, nourishing, sustainable, and feel-good!”. We love getting inspiration for sourdough, gardening, and baking here.

3. Half Baked Harvest Everyday - this cookbook is filled with beautiful pictures and approachable, delicious recipes. Start here to inspire and cultivate a love for creativity through cooking. And check out the other Half Baked Harvest cookbooks as well! All of them (and the blog) and an amazing resource to inspire new recipes, but we love this cookbook linked above the best.

4. New World Sourdough - this is my absolute favorite resource for sourdough baking. I’ve been slowly working my way through each recipe in the book. So far my favorites are the rustic sourdough (the inspiration for my own recipe!), the pizza dough, the challah, and the pita bread.

5. Crochet hooks- I’ve loved playing around with fiber arts over the last few years. I’ve tried weaving, crocheting, and macrame. It’s a fun way to keep my hands and mind busy, plus I can give away my creations as gifts! Crochet has been my favorite method to work with, so I’ve linked a set of hooks above. Check out your local craft store for more creative inspiration!

6. Watercolor Supplies - my best friend is a wonderful watercolor artist, and she shared some of her favorite painting resources with me. Check out what she recommends below and find her on instagram @oakandevergreen!

   1. Watercolor Paint Palette - From Rachael - ”This travel sized paint set has all of the colors you’ll need to mix really any color you want while also being compact enough to stick in your bag and paint on the go! Even though the quality is student grade rather than professional they are a great brand and will be much higher quality than cheap paint sets. This is such a great place to start!”

   2. Paint Brushes - “These brushes have lasted me years! While they aren’t as rigid as a Princeton round brush which I also love, this is such a versatile set and they feel great in your hand.”

   3. Watercolor Paper - “This cold press paper is great for the price, it has some great texture and holds a good amount of water without buckling and warping.“

   4. Watercolor Paint Tubes - “If you’re looking for a really special set of watercolors I absolutely love the depth and vibrancy of these Daniel Smith paints to add to my palette!”

   5. Higher Quality Paper - “If you want to splurge on some paper that is top of the line quality this arches paper is the best you can get and will hold up to a lot of water. Use this paper for special occasions!”

What sparks your creativity and brings you joy? We hope these resources inspire you to try something new or pick up something creative that you haven’t attempted in awhile. Happy creating!

Resources for Nourishing Your Soul

Alright, you’re on the journey with us to care more intentionally for your soul. Where do you start? What does soul care even mean?

When we care for our souls, we are caring for the deepest, truest part of our being. We are caring for the part that effects all the other parts which in turn impacts the world around us.

Today we’re sharing resources to help get you started on your journey to slowing down and intentionally nourishing your soul.

1. Lectio 365 app - this app is based on the ancient practice of Lectio Divinia. It’s a method of Bible study where one intentionally slows down to listen to the text and listen to what God might be saying through it. Lectio 365 makes this practice easy for the modern age by recording multiple scripture and prayer prompts in both morning and evening segments. Listen to the audio, read through the prompts, or both. Listen to it in the car after school drop off or before the kids wake up, when you go to bed or after dinner. I love this app as a way to spend more intentional time in Scripture without the effort of figuring out what I should read. I can just let it wash over me and nourish my soul with ease.

2. Soul Shepherding - this ministry is founded by a married couple who each have a doctorate in psychology. They have an abundance of resources and training to help your soul to thrive. Check them out on instagram @soulshepherding or at www.soulshepherding.org

3. Practicing the Way - this website is one of our absolute favorite resources for getting started with and establishing spiritual practices. It’s practical and helpful and a wealth of information. It includes a helpful Rule of Life builder where you can put together some simple principles you’d like to live by to grow into the person you want to be.

4. Our Favorite Books for Soul Nourishment:

   1. Live No Lies and The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer - In Live No Lies, John Mark tackles the heavy but important topic of spiritual warfare and offers practical advice for how to use scripture to support mental health. And in The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, he discusses hurry sickness and offers a solution to slow down in our busy world.

   2. The Next Right Thing and The Next Right Thing Guided Journal by Emily P. Freeman - this book is primarily designed to unburden the decision making process, but Emily has so much amazing advice packed into it that can apply to any season of life. The accompanying guided journal is a place to thoughtfully think through the seasons you’re in and approach what’s upcoming with intention.

   3. Chasing Slow by Erin Loechner - in this memoir we see how Erin moved from a frenzied life to the life of her dreams. One filled with simplicity and intention. Although not specifically on soul care, this book encouraged me to take a look inward for outward results.

   4. Rhythms of Renewal by Rebekah Lyons - learn how to intentionally create, connect, rest, and restore in this easy read. Each chapter ends with helpful suggestions on how to grow in each area.

      
      *all of these books link to amazon, but we highly recommend shopping secondhand via Thrift Books or PangoBooks, or by visiting your local bookstore!

5. We’ve created a few guides to help you along your spiritual formation and soul care journey! Check out our Retreat Guide if you’d like to set aside intentional time with God or our Habit Formation Guide if you want to start developing regular rhythms of connecting with God in your everyday life.

We hope these resources act as a springboard for your growth and journey into soul nourishment. Inspiration and information are so important, but taking the next step is essential in formation. Reach out to us and let us know the next step you’ll be taking and how we can support you along the way!