Trailmix And Textbooks

06/24/2026

Did you know the “bells” at Bok Tower Gardens aren’t ordinary church bells? 🔔🌿

The iconic Singing Tower at Bok Tower Gardens, built in 1929, is home to a 60-bell carillon—one of the finest in North America. A carillon is a real musical instrument made of massive bronze bells, with the largest weighing nearly 12 tons.

Unlike traditional bells that swing, these bells stay fixed in place while a musician called a carillonneur plays them using a special keyboard with both hands and feet, controlling the clappers inside each bell.

There are only about 185 carillons in all of North America, making Bok Tower especially rare.

Standing in the gardens and hearing the music drift through the trees made it easy to understand founder Edward Bok’s vision of creating a sanctuary for beauty, peace, and inspiration. ✨

06/14/2026

05/27/2026

05/10/2026

Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there. ❤️

To the mothers who give every piece of themselves to their children — the ones who love fiercely, protect endlessly, and carry more than anyone realizes. The moms who stay up late worrying, wake up early trying again, and somehow keep going even when they’re exhausted.

To the moms who constantly wonder if they’re doing enough, even while pouring everything they have into the people they love most. The ones who put everyone else first, sacrifice without hesitation, and still somehow feel like they fall short.

You are enough. More than enough.

Your love is in the little things, the unseen things, the everyday moments your children will carry with them forever. Even on the hard days. Even on the days you doubt yourself.

The fact that you worry about being a good mom already says so much about the kind of mother you are.

Today is for all of you. The strong moms, the tired moms, the overwhelmed moms, the healing moms, the doing-their-best moms.

You are deeply loved, deeply appreciated, and you matter more than you know. ❤️

04/27/2026

One of our favorite learning moments from the Flower & Garden Festival 🌸🐾
We spent time exploring a garden display featuring Pluto and his dog house, designed entirely with pet-safe plants. It turned into such a great homeschool lesson—learning that many common plants can actually be harmful to pets, and that with a little research, you can create a beautiful space that’s safe for every member of the family (furry ones included!).
The girls loved spotting the different plants while we talked about which are safe vs. toxic, and why it matters. Real-life learning like this always sticks so much better than a worksheet 🌿✨

04/18/2026

I don’t think you really know me. Not all the way. And that’s okay—I’ve gotten good at only showing parts.
The truth is, I’ve carried more than I’ve ever said out loud. Pain I never fully processed. Fear I learned to function through. Exhaustion from always being the one who keeps everything together.
From the outside, I look like I’ve got it handled.
Inside, it’s a lot louder.
Overthinking. Feeling deeply and then pushing it down. Wanting connection but being scared of what it costs to be fully seen.
But I still love hard. I still care deeply. I still notice everything—the quiet moments, the shifts, the beauty people miss when they’re rushing.
And I’m not just what hurt me.
I’m also the person who keeps going anyway. Who builds a life for my kids full of curiosity and experience. Who finds joy in the little things. Who tries—even when it’s hard.
And lately… something in me is changing.
I’m done shrinking myself to make everything easier for everyone else.
So if you really want to know me—this is me.
Not finished. Not perfect. Just real.
And for the first time in a long time…
I’m choosing me.

04/15/2026

When you expect the accurate video game player next to you to beat you while he tells you which targets you should be hitting, and you end up best in the vehicle.

03/29/2026

Who knew a soda run could turn into a homeschool moment? 🥤✨

Today we turned our trip to Swig into a mini learning adventure and the kids didn’t even realize it 😂

We covered:
🧪 Science – predicting flavors & talking about carbonation
💰 Math – budgeting their drinks and counting totals
📝 Reading – decoding the menu and guessing ingredients
🎨 Creativity – designing their own “signature drinks”

Real life learning > worksheets all day 🙌

Honestly, this is your reminder that education doesn’t have to look traditional. It can happen anywhere… even in a soda shop.

Saving this as one of our favorite “fun school” days 💛