The Joy Jar

Living a slow lifestyle with two toddlers means that we stick pretty close to home most days. Our days sort of revolve around the happenings of the household, and the girls are part of it- helping with some chores, making our meals together, raking the leaves. They come in and out of these activities, as they come in and out of play.

Keeping things simple like this also means that we have plenty of downtime (a real luxury nowadays). I feel grateful for this time with the girls-- because these are the special moments of their childhood! And I want their memories of this time to be filled with JOY.

So, with that in mind, I decided to jot down all of our favorite (easy) things to do on little slips of paper.

• Have a tea party

• Build a fort

• Set sail on a pirate ship

• Pop some popcorn

Then, we folded them up, tucked them into a jar, added some glitter- and now we've got a Joy Jar!   We can pull from the jar whenever we need a fresh idea.  If we need a little inspiration on a rainy afternoon, or if I need a really quick way to divert a toddler showdown, the Joy Jar is waiting for us, bursting with ideas we all love.

I added a few ideas to bring more compassion and kindness into the fun of our days.

• Bake muffins for a neighbor

• Draw a picture for someone far away

• List all the things you love about _______ (pick a family member)

What would you put in your Joy Jar?

For more inspiration, check out the sweet ideas over at A Magical Childhood or Play Create Explore . There's so much fun happening out there!