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The Unplugged Family Activity Book

Herbal Adventures

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Rachel Jepson Wolf
Back home, we’ve put our skis and snowshoes away Back home, we’ve put our skis and snowshoes away and pulled out the mud boots! Because spring is in the air and we returned just in time for our annual tradition of maple tapping. As the daytime temperatures rise, so does the sweet sap. We tap just four trees in our yard, but they provide generously, and most years it’s all we need for our sweetener of choice. We’ll cook most of our sap down into syrup, but every year we carbonate some in our fizzy water maker for our favorite springtime fizz. (I highly recommend you pick up a fizzy maker at the thrift store if you find one! They’re plentiful and this reason alone makes it worth having.) I’ve shared a detailed step-by-step on tapping your trees (maple, birch, walnut, or other species) both on my blog (link in my bio) and in @taprootmag HEARTH. And you can find instructions for making maple lollipops and maple snow in my newest book, The Unplugged Family Activity Book. Do you tap your trees? What other late winter/early spring traditions speak to your heart?
I used to think of these long, slow journeys away I used to think of these long, slow journeys away as something I gave to my kids. A week here; a month there—it’s been central to how they’ve lived and learned and grown. These trips have served as an integral part of their homeschooling and a little extra space in which to breathe; an opportunity to explore, to rest, to play. They’re something I give to them—parent to child. But recently, as they’ve moved steadily toward (and into) adulthood, my perspective has begun to pivot. And perhaps these travels are also a gift they give to me. An abundance of their time, normally spent on their own relationships and pursuits; a messy bundle of memories that I may tuck away safely for more quiet years to come. And as our annual Camp Hygge ski + snowshoe week winds to a close, I’m grateful to have shared it with them for one more year. Will there be another? Perhaps; perhaps not. Either answer suits me fine. Because life moves and children grow. We wouldn’t have it any other way. And—today at least—my heart is filled with memories to spare. What a gift these journeys have truly been. For them and for me.
Grateful for a little fresh snow, warm sun, and on Grateful for a little fresh snow, warm sun, and one more winter adventure with these two by my side. These days is fleeting, indeed, and we do our best to savor every drop.
Embarrassing, yes. But worth every humbling moment Embarrassing, yes. But worth every humbling moment: We were just out for an ordinary afternoon walk. But walking—as it so often does—devolved into joking, and joking devolved into chasing, and chasing devolved into general mischief-making, snow-throwing, and raucous laughter. At the far end of a deserted dead-end lane, she flopped down onto the snowy pavement in the middle of the road. “Pull me!” I obliged, then joked that someone might see us and wonder where I was dragging the body. More laughter and mischief, eventually ending with me dropping her feet, then jogging blindly backwards in exaggerated slow motion. With mock-fierceness she jumped up to chase me, and I turned on my heels, arms and legs pumping wildly in a Monty Python-worthy run, an exaggerated silent scream plastered upon my face. And as I looked up—mid scream/silly run/ridiculousness—it was not down the deserted country lane I expected, but straight into the eyes of a bemused driver in a car slowly rolling down the road toward us. My face broke into a messy mixture of seriousness, embarrassment, and hilarity, and we all—teen, parent, and passing stranger—erupted into a true, contagious, doubled-over sort of laughter. We quickly moved out of his way, and the driver flashed a thumbs up, still laughing and grinning broadly as he rolled on by. The second driver (yes, there were two cars to witness) was in a similar state, and waved, laughing, as they passed. It was easily the most embarrassing, wonderful, and delightful moment of my week. We were caught, but I wasn’t sorry. (Embarrassed? Yes. Sorry? No.) Because play is magic. And we all need to be it and see it—today more than ever. Play. Find your way there. Let it in. And be transformed.
Right now, everyday life isn’t exactly what we i Right now, everyday life isn’t exactly what we imagined it would be. This is especially true for those of us who are parents. If you’re a parent, you’ve probably experienced some uncertainty and challenges with parenting and schooling this year. Many kids are struggling right now, with mood swings, anxiety, disconnection, and more through the impact of 2020. Screen-time has expanded, all while kids navigate the psychological impact of social distancing. These new times call for a new paradigm of parenting and education. I’d like to introduce you to a dear friend of mine Ina Lukas. Ina was one of my very first mama friends, and in the early days of my parenting, she had a huge impact on how I navigated life, joy, and motherhood. Ina helped me to bring more harmony, ease, and fun into our lives. Hands down, Ina impacted my parenting more than any other person during those early years, and for that I'm so grateful. And now I get to share her with you! Ina is hosting a FREE online retreat starting Feb 22nd called: The Conscious Parenting Online Retreat: How to Raise and Educate Future World Changing Children During the Pandemic.🌱 In this 4 day event she will be sharing leading-edge information and strategies to greatly support parents and their children to create harmony at home through these distance learning times. She will also be diving into new paradigm energetic tools based on ancient practices, rhythms, and rituals that will restore balance in your family! Here’s a sneak peak of the outline: ✨ DAY 1: PARENTING RX: How to mitigate the trauma of distance learning and feel immediate tension relief for your family ✨ DAY 2: ENERGETIC EMPOWERMENT: Go from chaos to calm in the home by using powerful energy tools ✨ DAY 3: CHILD SOUL MAPPING: See your child's Soul map and how to best support them now on their journey in a transformational channeled experience ✨ DAY 4: CONSCIOUS HOME LEARNING: Spark your child's innate passions and desires while doing online learning to support their well-being Want to join Ina on this journey? There’s a link to her event in my bio. Wishing you more ease in your parenting path in the coming days!
It’s been-20° F. How could we resist? I litera It’s been-20° F. How could we resist? I literally squealed and laughed and jumped up and down while we did this, giggling like a toddler and inexplicably clapping my hands. Despite how many times we’ve done it, I still turn into a big-eyed, wonder-awed child every. Single. Time. Y’all, we can’t change the weather, but we can change our perspectives. Take that metaphor with you this week, dear one, and see what beauty unfolds. Magic is everywhere. ❄️
At the end of January, I shared the first tender t At the end of January, I shared the first tender threads of a dream with you that I'd begun to explore. A dream of returning to Ireland with a small, intimate, group of kindred spirits on a once-in-a-lifetime herbal retreat. A journey into pre-history, into sisterhood, into ancient remedies, and even older stories. Dozens of you signed up to learn more, and nearly 20 of you were serious enough to reply to my initial message with your own reflections on your level of interest, budget, timing, or activities you'd love to experience. This afternoon I finally uploaded those replies into a spreadsheet, and dang, ya'll. This is starting to feel r e a l. Of the 20 or so who replied seriousness ranged from "I'm just here for the dream" to "I'm literally packing already–when can I buy my ticket?". You shared your reflections on ancients sites you'd love to visit, Celtic holidays you long to celebrate, dreams of wandering ancient forests, and the heart-hunger to learn the old ways of herbs and remedies. And my heart is full to bursting reading through your dreams. If anyone else is interested in learning more and joining me in this dreaming, drop a note below and I'll be delighted to share the details with you. Because right now there is nothing I would love more than to breathe this gorgeous dream into life. With you. Photo 1. Foraging Usnea in south-western Ireland. Photo 2. Carrowkeel Passage Tombs–a hard to find but worth the search, undeveloped, frequently deserted series of ancient passage tombs on a secluded hillside in NW Ireland. Photo 3. I don't think I've shared this before. It's a photo of me at a place known as "Hag's Head" (taken by my daughter Lupine). This far-flung end of the Cliffs of Mohr is missed by most visitors, but certainly worthy of the wind-swept cliff-side walk it takes to get there. The "hag" of Hag's Head, is the sacred crone Cailleach, goddess of wind and winter, and the wind-whipped passageway named for her is a portal to another time and place. What are you dreaming of this wintery day?
Yesterday these teens set to work carving out thei Yesterday these teens set to work carving out their snow fort in the barnyard. The quinzhee (traditional Native Canadian snow shelter) is one of our favorite winter activities (and has been since they were small), and I share a safe + simple how-to in the Winter chapter of The Unplugged Family Activity Book. I field a lot of questions regarding what ages I wrote my newest book for. And honestly, this is an all-ages jam. Really and truly. The activities in the book are ones my children grew up with, but at 14 and 18, they’re still drawn to them. Perhaps a better question than “what ages are these activities for” might be: when do we get too old to play? My answer: NEVER. Never stop playing! Our toes and fingers may get cold, but our hearts will be light for the joy of it all. (Pop over to my reels for a full-frame video!) #unpluggedfamilyactivitybook #childhoodunplugged
Grounding myself in this place, this moment, this Grounding myself in this place, this moment, this chapter, this season. What’s anchoring your spirit today?
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