I’ve always been wary of bringing nature home. I feel so conflicted with wanting a piece of the nature to remind me of the beauty and serenity but also wanting to respectfully leave it where it belongs. As a child, I remember bringing home those special rocks I found and displaying them along a banister right by our front door. It was always a bit magical seeing all of those rocks and shells and feathers and twigs, displayed just so. As an adult, after reading about the fine art of wabi sabi and the happiness common natural items in the home, can bring to ones soul, I decided to start bringing little bits of nature back home with me from walks. And sure enough, seeing a smooth rock or some beach glass or a fallen branch inside the home makes me smile every time I see it.

When Ellie and I visit the beach, we usually pick things up, check them out and leave them in the sand. But every now and then we’ll head to the beach and I let Ellie take a few things with her when we go. For some reason, she was very interested in finding rocks and shells in the sand yesterday. She had her nature bag with her and we left with a hearty helping of beach rocks and driftwood. I’m sure some of this driftwood will end up back on the beach (we’re only a few minutes away to bring it back ), but for now, it’s a whole table of treasures for a little girl and her Mama to explore and enjoy.