A Walk in the Woods (Moms' 30-Minute Blog Challenge)

Photo by Desirea Rodgers

This post was originally published on February 18, 2009.

Two days ago we went for a spontaneous winter picnic. My plan was to drive to a beautiful spot and eat our lunch.

In the car.

But after we parked, the sun was shining and the woods were calling. So we decided to brave the cold and venture out.

A magical hour followed. I felt incredibly thankful and blessed that the outdoors could be our classroom for the day. Watching the children explore while taking in the chilly, fresh air really lifted my winter spirits.

The imaginative play I observed included making bats/balls from sticks/pinecones, chopping down "cherry trees" (wonder where that idea came from), and building a "cabin."

I couldn't bear the thought of leaving that beautiful scene, so we brought some home with us.

I've always loved the "idea" of a nature table. But I wasn't completely convinced that sticks and branches inside our house would work out.

I pictured three children throwing pinecones at each other across the living room.

And that could happen. But I figured it's worth a shot. As you can see, ours is simple and took less than five minutes to arrange.

When I look at it, I remember our walk in the woods. I breathe deeply and smile. I've found myself thinking today about what I can add in the spring.

There is something very peaceful about bringing the outdoors in.

And if you're like me, you'd like as much peace in your home as possible.

If you have a nature table, what do you include? If you've never had one, why not give it a try?

___________________________________________

Thanks for participating in the Moms' 30-Minute Blog Challenge, held here each Tuesday. Please join us! You can read more about it here.

In the spirit of the challenge, take a little time to visit the links of fellow bloggers - but not too much time! Say it with me - "Only 30 Minutes!"

Do you have a 30-minute post you'd like to share? Link up below! Make sure your post links back to this post on Steady Mom, and that your link on MckLinky goes directly to your 30-minute post - no general home pages, please!

Please note that the links will close at 11pm EST on Tuesday, in order to avoid any spammers.