February · Softness · Identity · Rest

There was a time when creativity wasn’t optional in my life.

It was my major.
My discipline.
My language.

I studied Fine Arts in college, with minors in education and graphic design. Art wasn’t just something I enjoyed — it was how I understood the world. How I processed it. How I expressed who I was becoming.

Creation felt natural then. Required, even.

Somewhere along the way, that rhythm grew quieter.

When Creativity Became Quiet

After moving to Pittsburgh, life shifted in ways I didn’t fully anticipate.

Then motherhood reshaped everything again.

I closed my graphic design business. I stepped fully into being a stay-at-home mom. My days are centered around nurturing, tending, holding, teaching, cleaning, cooking, and remembering everyone else’s needs.

It is good.
It is meaningful.
It is holy work in its own quiet way.

It is also consuming.

Art didn’t disappear — it just grew quiet.

Not because I stopped loving it.
But because survival seasons don’t always leave room for softness.

Starting Again — Imperfectly

Last year, I began carving small pockets of time for myself.

Not hours.
Not elaborate projects.

Just small returns.

A sketch while dinner simmered.
An idea written down before bed.
Paper spread across the table during a quiet afternoon.

I don’t do it perfectly.
I don’t do it as often as I would like.

But something has blossomed in that space.

Not in productivity.
In presence.

Creativity has become less about output and more about grounding. Less about proving and more about remembering.

It steadies me.

It reconnects me to the part of myself that existed before roles and responsibilities multiplied.

Maybe you feel that too — that quiet distance from who you used to be. Not lost. Just layered beneath everything else.

Creativity as Care

A routine.
A reset day.
A perfectly protected block of time.

But creativity has shown me another way.

Care can be ten quiet minutes.
Care can be drawing without a plan.
Care can be allowing something to unfold slowly.

When I sit down to create, even briefly, I feel myself expand instead of contract.

It reminds me that I am not only a caregiver — I am also a creator.

That remembering is powerful.

Creativity as care is bigger than surface-level self-care.

It’s me trying to find myself back — piece by piece.

You don’t have to be an artist to return to yourself. Maybe for you it’s journaling. Baking slowly. Rearranging a shelf. Planting something small. The form doesn’t matter. The remembering does.

When Care Becomes Vision

What if the space that has helped me reconnect could exist on paper for other mothers, too?

Not something loud.
Not something trend-driven.

But slow, intentional coloring page sets — and later, coloring books.

Emotion-led.
Gentle.
Rooted in growth.

Florals emerging from stillness.
Soft figures at rest.
Moments where nothing is performative.

Each set is small. Unhurried. Four or five pages at a time. Something a mother could print, sit with, and return to.

Right now, it’s still early. I’ve drawn two pieces. That’s it.

And I’m letting that be enough.

Because this idea didn’t come from pressure. It came from care.

From understanding how easy it is to feel unseen in motherhood. How rare it can be to have five quiet minutes that belong only to you.

If creativity has given me back pieces of myself, even imperfectly, maybe these coloring page sets — and eventually, full coloring books — can offer that same gentle return to someone else.

Not as productivity.
Not as performance.

But as presence.

Coming Back Softly

This season doesn’t require spectacle.

It doesn’t require scale.

It only asks for gentleness.

So I’m protecting small creative pockets.
I’m honoring the ideas that surface slowly.
I’m allowing growth to happen quietly.

And maybe that’s what creativity as care really is.

Not building something impressive.

But coming back to yourself.

Softly. 🤍

A dress.

A plan.

Now, it looks different.

It looks like us.

This weekend wasn’t extravagant. It wasn’t perfectly curated or overly planned. It was slow in some moments and full in others — the kind of weekend that feels ordinary while you’re in it, but meaningful when you look back.

On Saturday, we were pleasantly surprised by the weather; the sun was shining, and it was a warm day, which encouraged us to leave the house. We spent part of the day at the space museum, exploring at a leisurely pace and learning about how Pittsburgh is evolving into an innovative city in the field of space exploration. We even created space patches for an imaginary mission while watching our little one absorb everything around them. There’s something truly special about seeing the world through your child's curiosity, which brings even the quietest exhibits to life.

Later, we walked through the mall just to prolong the day a little longer. There were no big purchases and no rush—just enjoying each other's company. 

That afternoon, we stopped at Target on our way home. There were no big plans—just one of those spontaneous "while we’re out" moments.

He chose a little spaceship rocket toy for Liam for Valentine’s Day, while I added a queen sheet set to my cart—the one that had been sitting on my wishlist for weeks.

These weren’t extravagant gifts or dramatic surprises, just small tokens that conveyed, "I see you."

The next morning, the bed felt new with the fresh sheets, and Liam played with his rocket on the floor. Somehow, it all felt like its own kind of celebration.

Sunday was a slower day.

We organized my husband’s closet — using matching hangers, creating folding stacks, and making space. It wasn’t glamorous, but it felt like a partnership. Love sometimes looks like clearing shelves side by side. It looks like choosing to build a life that functions well for both of you.

Just us.

Valentine’s Day doesn’t look like grand gestures in this season. It looks like shared errands. Closet organizing. Target runs for more hangers. It looks like deciding to make dinner feel special even if you’re still in pajamas.

It looks like heart balloons on the floor.

A card tucked on the table.

Soft light filling the living room

It looks like love lived in.

And maybe that’s what I’ve come to appreciate most — not productivity, not performance, not perfection — but presence.

Choosing to stay at the table a little longer.

Choosing to light the candles anyway.

Choosing each other in the middle of the everyday.

This weekend was simple.

And it was ours.

When choosing Valentine’s gifts for boys, it often helps to shift the focus away from the holiday itself and toward what your child genuinely loves. Dinosaurs, trucks, building, animals, and hands-on play all offer easy ways to make Valentine’s Day feel special without limiting the gift to one time of year.

One simple approach is choosing an interest-based gift and pairing it with a playful Valentine's message. This keeps the holiday meaningful while still being practical.

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How to Think About Valentine’s Gifts for Boys

Instead of choosing something that only works for Valentine’s Day, consider gifts that:

• Reflect your child’s current interests

• Encourage open-ended or imaginative play

• Can be used throughout the year

• Feel intentional rather than overly seasonal

With this mindset, Valentine’s Day becomes less about the theme and more about connection.

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Valentine’s Gift Ideas for Boys (With Matching Message Ideas)

Below are gift ideas organized by interest, along with Valentine messages you can write on a card or tag. This makes it easy to personalize any gift — even if it’s something your child would already love receiving.

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For Dinosaur Lovers 🦖

Gift ideas:

• Dinosaur excavation kits inspo here

• Dinosaur stem toys inspo here

• Dinosaur books or puzzles inspo here

       • Dinosaur sensory bin inspo here

Valentine message ideas:

• “You’re ROARSOME”

• “Valentine, you’re dino-mite”

• “I love you dino-much”

• “My favorite little dino forever”

For Truck & Construction Fans 🚜

Gift ideas:

• Construction vehicles inspo here

• Toy tool kits inspo here

• Building or construction play sets inspo here

       • Building sensory kit inspo here

       • Construction vehicles magnetic puzzle inspo here

Valentine message ideas:

• “I love you truckloads”

• “Built with love”

• “You’re wheel-y awesome”

• “You make my heart go vroom”

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For Cars & Transportation Lovers 🚗

Gift ideas:

• Car sets or ramps inspo here & inspo here

• Train sets inspo here

• Transportation puzzles or books inspo here

Valentine message ideas:

• “You drive my heart”

• “I love you miles and miles”

• “Racing into Valentine’s Day with you”

📸 Photo placement idea:

Optional — this section works well with text only if you prefer fewer images.

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For Creative & Building Kids 🧩

Gift ideas:

• Magnetic tiles inspo here

• Art kits or craft supplies inspo here

• STEM or building toys inspo here

       • No mess painting inspo here

Valentine message ideas:

• “Built with love”

• “We fit together perfectly”

• “I love watching you grow”

📸 Photo placement idea:

One overhead or flat-lay image showing pieces arranged neatly.

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For Animal & Nature Lovers 🐻

Gift ideas:

• Animal figurines inspo here

• Nature exploration kits inspo here

• Nature activity book inspo here

Valentine message ideas:

• “I’m wild about you”

• “You’re beary special”

• “Love you fur-ever”

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A More Intentional Way to Celebrate Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to look the same for every family. Choosing a gift that aligns with your child’s interests — and pairing it with a simple, meaningful message — can make the holiday feel special without adding excess or pressure.

Sometimes, the most thoughtful Valentine’s gifts are the ones that continue to be loved long after the day has passed.

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