Whimsical Forest Adventures

09/03/2026

Our Holden's story & 5k fundraiser made the news! Its coming up at the end of the month and there is still time to sign up, or you can come and do the raffles that will be there. I know of a handful of the donations already and they are going to be GREAT. 💗

Another Kids in Capes MN 5K is coming up at the South Ridge School, and will support a Cloquet child with cancer.

08/30/2026

What goes on during a Whimsical Forest Staff Meeting you ask?

08/29/2026

This year I had a mullein plant pop up right next to our side deck, and I was SO excited when I spotted it! I knew right away I wanted to harvest the seeds so I could plant some in my front garden next year.

Last week, my kiddos broke the top off of it, so I’ve been patiently waiting and hoping I’d still be able to collect some seeds.

Tonight I finally got my little crop! It’s the little things that make me happy. 😂

Who else loves mullein?!

08/23/2026

We are a BIG board/card game family!

And honestly? I really didn't love playing games with the kids when they were little. 🙈 I like to PLAY. I like a game that moves at a steady pace—not slower than molasses in January because you're playing with a 3-year-old. 😂

HOWEVER... we played the games with them anyway. And now we are absolutely reaping the benefits!

Our kids LOVE playing games with us. They understand how to play so many different games, pick up new ones really quickly, and are actually fun little competitors now. Our 8 & 10 year olds LOVE chess, recently learned how to play cribbage, and can even beat their 38-year-old uncle. 😂

This slow Sunday morning, my oldest and I pulled out Sequence, and it got me thinking about just how many hours we've spent around the table playing games together over the years. 💗

What are your favorite family board or card games?! We're always looking for new ones to add to the rotation!

08/22/2026

Mabon isn't just "witchy fall." 🍂✨

Yes, there are apples, pumpkins, candles, cozy meals and all the beautiful fall things that I absolutely LOVE.

But Mabon is really about something deeper.

It falls around the Autumn Equinox, when day and night are nearly equal. From here, the days continue getting shorter as we move toward the darker half of the year.

It's a natural point in the Wheel of the Year to slow down and ask:

🍎 What have I harvested this year?

🌾 What am I grateful for?

🍂 What am I ready to let go of?

⚖️ Where do I need more balance?

Mabon reminds us that we don't have to constantly be growing.

Nature doesn't.

There is a season for planting.
A season for growing.
A season for harvesting.
And eventually, a season for resting.

I think sometimes we forget that we're allowed to have seasons, too.

Maybe that's why I've grown to love following the Wheel of the Year so much. It gives me little reminders throughout the year to stop, look at what's happening in nature, and check in with myself.

So yes... give me the apples, candles and all the witchy fall goodness.

But don't forget the magic underneath it all.

Slow down. Take inventory. Give thanks. Find your balance. And prepare to let go.

08/21/2026

Things I wish adults remembered about playing outside…

Kids don't need us to make nature entertaining for them.

They don't need a perfectly planned activity every time they step outside.

Sometimes they need to dig a giant hole for absolutely no reason.

Carry around a stick that is VERY IMPORTANT.

Make soup out of mud, leaves, rocks and approximately 47 dandelions.

Spend twenty minutes watching a bug.

Build something that immediately falls over.

Get dirty.

Be bored long enough to come up with something completely ridiculous.

And have an adult nearby who doesn't immediately say, "Don't touch that!"

There is so much learning happening in those moments.

Problem solving. Creativity. Risk assessment. Confidence. Curiosity. Cooperation. Imagination.

But more than anything…

They're building a relationship with the outdoors.

And that doesn't happen because we gave them the perfect nature activity.

Sometimes it happens because we gave them the time and space to just play.

08/21/2026

I'm still awkward in front of the camera, but we have a Winner Winner Chicken Dinner! 🥰 Thank you again for all the shares, comments, likes, promoting my nature based business. 💗

08/20/2026

🎉 GIVEAWAY DAY! 🎉

Today's the day! I'll be drawing the winner of the September Minnesota Nature Kit at 8pm! 💗

I have so much fun putting these monthly booklets together. Each one is created specifically around what is happening outside here in Minnesota during that month, because one of my favorite things to teach is simply how to notice what's happening around us.

The September kit includes my hand-bound, roughly 40-page Minnesota Nature Booklet with:

🍂 A daily nature activity calendar
🌿 Nature journal pages
🔎 Phenology observations
📚 A book of the month
🦌 A Minnesota animal of the month
🧪 A STEAM activity + materials
🎨 A nature craft + materials
🖍️ Coloring pages
✨ Plus a couple extra whimsical crafts!

I'll announce the giveaway winner later today! Go to the original post to get in on the drawing if you haven't!

And if you don't win but still want one, don't worry! September kits are available for preorder through August 29th for $35 each.

Thank you to everyone who entered, shared my post, and continues supporting Whimsical Forest Adventures. Every share, comment, order, and little bit of encouragement means more to this tiny business than you probably realize. 💗🌲

08/19/2026

’Tis the start of hot-drinks-in-the-morning season.

For those who don’t know, I am a CrAzY 35-year-old who doesn’t like coffee… or really anything that tastes remotely like coffee.

Give me hot chocolate. That’s my favorite, hands down.

However, I do enjoy a good chai tea, which is what I’m sipping on this morning. There’s just something about a warm, cozy drink when the mornings start getting cooler.

So tell me, what’s your go-to hot drink?

08/19/2026

Anyone else starting to feel it?
We're still very much in August, but Minnesota is already giving us those tiny little hints that fall is on its way.
The mornings feel a little different.
The sun is setting a little earlier.
Some leaves are starting to change.
The goldenrod is blooming.

This is one of my favorite parts about slowing down and actually paying attention to nature, you start noticing that the seasons don't just change overnight.

There are little signs everywhere.

Try this with your kiddos this week:
Head outside and see if you can find 3 signs that summer is beginning to shift toward fall.

You don't need a worksheet. You don't need supplies. You don't even need to know the names of everything you find.

Just notice.

That's really where nature connection begins. 💗

What signs of fall have you noticed already?