in my house, no cardboard box ever goes to waste. my younger sister, who’s an early childhood educator, is very good in coming up with artsy craftsy things enough to keep raven preoccupied while saving the environment at the same time.

raven LOVES it.

the carboard kitchen set is still there and she still plays with it. arranges her wood blocks on these plastic pathology trays i got from work and pretends they are cupcakes. she puts on socks on her hands for mittens because, of course, the oven can get a bit too hot. her bunny and other stuffed toys oftentimes find themselves chilling in her fridge.

her cardboard car just recently died. laid to rest in the recyclables bin. but she had a good run in that car. i broke my back pushing that bloody thing along but it’s all good. the sound of her laughter makes it all worth it. i need to find a chiropractor.

yesterday, her aunt made her a house. a step-up from the car she got the last time. needless to say, the stakes are getting higher and higher while i sit back and leave them both alone so they can leave me alone to watch you on netflix.

it’s inspiring how kids get amazed by even the smallest things. like, it doesn’t take a lot to wow raven. all you need is a good fictional tale her little toys can participate in and she’s hooked.

i’m trying to get into that mindset, as well. go back to basics. live a simple life. not that i’m glamming it up at the moment but, you know, less materialism. more on experiences that enrich my soul and make me see the beauty of the people and the world around me.

which means less social media and more reading and writing and actually living in the moment. something i feel i have been missing for quite some time now, lost in the mindless scrolling of everyone else’s posts even though i rarely post any myself.

stuff my new year’s resolutions is made of.

so help me, god.

*raven at 2 years old