We love
There are so many things that enrich our lives and we wanted to share with you some of the books, products and businesses that have done so. We could probably do many pages of this (especially on books) but these are the ones that came to top of mind. We hope you love them too.
Please note that some of the links on this page are affiliate links meaning we get a commission (at no extra cost to you) should you choose to buy. Enjoy!
Books
I adore books! They’re one of those things that I am constantly either buying or adding to a to-read list. At time of writing, I’m reading three children’s books (one with each daughter individually, and one jointly), one beautiful novel, and four information books. Most of my reading time is spend with the children’s books, but what a joy they are. I get so excited finding new gorgeous children’s books, so I look forward to you finding some new treasures here.
These are such adorable books. Lovely nature-based stories and beautiful illustrations.
My sister bought this for my daughter, and it quickly became a favourite. It’s a charming story about an ‘aware hare’ who lives with her grandmother in a prettily painted caravan. The illustrations are gorgeous, and the story is very sweet.
We all love this book and have read in many times. It is set in an Amazonian village where a young boy is cured by the Shaman and is then eager to learn about the medicinal plants and traditional healing practises. The artwork is beautiful including realistic pictures of the plants and animals of the Amazon. The story carries a message about the importance of preserving indigenous wisdom, and it inspired in my children a curiosity into nature’s healing powers.
When I saw that the author of ‘Conversations With God’, Neale Donald Walsh, had written this children’s book I had to buy it and I am so glad I did. It’s a beautiful parable of forgiveness and love told in a way that captivates both children and adults. Through the Little Soul’s adventures, we can reflect on our own capacity for love and forgiveness, and get a deeper understanding of the interconnectedness of all beings, and the divinity within us all. My girls adore this book, and it made an indelible impression on my heart too.
I loved this book as a child and so was excited to share it with my children. They delve into it often, choosing which fairy they wish to be. They have also learned about plants from it. Whilst out on a walk my eldest was telling her friend the names of lots of different flowers and plants, some of which I knew we’d never discussed. I asked her how she knew them, and her reply was “From the Flower Fairy book”.
This was the first book I read with my daughter that I felt is just as good for adults as for children, we were captivated by it. We loved the wildness of it and the heart-wrenching, beautiful storyline which is infused with hope, nature, and the power of friendship. I enjoyed the writing style, and felt all the feelings!
We adore this book! I have recommended and gifted it so much. When my eldest daughter got to the age when we could share longer, more intricate, stories I saw this recommended, and we both were entranced by it. My daughter had become interested in herbs and natural healing so the having the protagonist follow this calling made it just our kind of story. It is the prequel to ‘Wise Child’, but we found this one first and later read Wise Child and Colman which we also love. There was one part of the story that I did that parental read ahead thing and skimmed over some of the gruesome bits so there are some parts that may not be great for sensitive children.
We adore this book! I have recommended and gifted it so much. When my eldest daughter got to the age when we could share longer, more intricate, stories I saw this recommended, and we both were entranced by it. My daughter had become interested in herbs and natural healing so the having the protagonist follow this calling made it just our kind of story. It is the prequel to ‘Wise Child’, but we found this one first and later read Wise Child and Colman which we also love. There was one part of the story that I did that parental read ahead thing and skimmed over some of the gruesome bits so there are some parts that may not be great for sensitive children.
There is also a sequel called The Wild Robot Escapes which we also loved, and I have seen that The Wild Robot Protects has come out so that is on my ‘to get’ list.
This is a truly beautiful book. April Wood is a lonely 11-year-old girl with an emotionally absent father, and a deep connection to nature. April befriends a polar bear, and their bond grows, and she is determined to save him. I cried so many times reading this but as well as being heartbreaking at times it is also beautiful and shares a poignant message about how each person can help to look after the earth and its inhabitants.
We were so excited to find that there was a sequel to The Last Bear and that we could join April and Bear again. This is another emotional adventure and so heartwarming, with beautiful illustrations. We read this when my daughter was 9.
Games
When it comes to board games we love Collaborative board games. Young children often get upset if they don’t win but with collaborative games everyone works together to achieve a common objective rather than competing against each other so you’re less likely to have tears. In addition, the games promote teamwork and co-operation which can create a lovely supportive and inclusive environment.
Here are a few of our favourites:
This is a really cute, colourful game that is easy to understand. It’s good for young children from around 3 years old and up to around age 8, and interesting enough for us parents to enjoy too. You can adjust the difficulty level as needed, and it’s fun to work out a strategy together.
This game was such a great find. It introduces children and adults to the wonderful world of medicinal and edible plants whilst on an adventure that requires teamwork. I think my youngest was 4 when we first played it and it is great for older children and adults too. It is made in the U.S. so the plants are native to America meaning there are a few that we don’t have near us but there are still a huge number that are plus it was interesting to learn about ones that we didn’t recognise.
We bought this game when my girls were getting very interested in spells and potions and this lovely collaborative game fitted in with the theme! My girls were 5 and 9 when we got it and once we had the first game together to understand it they had the hang of it and could play by themselves too.
Health & Wellbeing
Health and Wellbeing are very important to us, so we spend a lot of time researching it and putting the things we’ve found into practice. There are some businesses and products that have really helped us with our wellbeing and we wanted to share a few with you.
Walking barefoot has so many health benefits for all ages including improved posture & balance and strengthening of the foot muscles, and if you’re barefoot outside you also get the additional benefit of grounding. For children I believe it’s even more important because it allows for healthy foot development which can be hampered by restrictive shoes.
For those times when we don’t want to be completely barefoot, we choose barefoot shoes which allow that natural development and movement. Our favourite place to buy these is Happy Little Soles. They have a wide range of different brands and helpful filters and advice so you can find shoes that are great for each family member.
Happy Little Soles have given us some 10% off codes to share with you. If you would like a discount code please message us via the Contact Us page and we’ll send you your code.
Grounding / Earthing Products
The health benefits of grounding are huge. We love to go barefoot on the earth and, also want to have those benefits whilst sleeping and whilst working at our desks so investigated grounding products. There are two companies we use and recommend.
We got our most recent earthing sheet from Rowland Earthing. I loved that they had an organic fitted earthing sheet so thought I’d try it out and am really pleased with it.
Groundology have lots of great products including grounding sheets and grounding mats. I have a grounding mat under my desk, and I wear grounding socks whilst using it unless it’s warm enough to be barefoot. The mats can also be used under a keyboard and mouse where your hands rest.
Eco-Products
We do our best to use products and companies who are ethical and eco-friendly, and we tend to find their products are excellent quality and better for our health too.
These feel like they should be in both the Eco Products and Health category. It so often is that products that are better for the earth are also better for us.
Honour Your Flow produce menstrual pads from organic cotton velour fabric, and they contain no harsh chemicals so are very comfortable and gentle on the body. They have a range of different sizes so you can find those that suit you and your flow.
It is estimated that in her lifetime a woman using disposable pads will use about 10,000 pads. By using washables you stop thousands of pads going into landfill waste sites or getting into waterways.
We’ve been given a 10% discount for you. Use REDTENT at the checkout to get your 10% off.