I am loving all the pictures I'm seeing of families celebrating the summer together. It's inspiring to see how families create joy together. And you know what? I've decided that I'm giving up holding on to frustration with the lack of childcare during the summer months (work at home parents, I know you totally get what I'm saying) and lamenting how lonely it is for an only child with no neighborhood children to play with. Instead, I'm going to change my attitude and really be in the moment as much as I can this summer. I'm giving up worshiping at the idol of productivity. It's the last summer before my baby goes off to school full-time. I'm going to blink, and we'll be packing up her belongings for college. 

Those of you who know Baby Owl personally certainly know how she always has to be DOING THINGS and TALKING TO PEOPLE (yes, it requires capital letters for her intensity), so we made this list of (117!) ways to enjoy the summer together. It's a bucket list of sorts. We're not going to mad-dash through it just to check things off, but look at it as a reminder of all the cool opportunities we have to be together and enjoy the moments we have. I need those reminders to parent as whole-heartedly as I work, because really... my most important work is that of Mom. Mothering isn't an interruption in my life. It is a beautiful piece of it. This list is my intention to enjoy that slice of my life with this amazing little human.

I'm going to be documenting moments of this project with pictures to make into a scrapbook at the end of the summer, but I'm going to be really careful not to live life through my phone screen. It's so hard to not make everything into a showpiece for others to see.

Anyway, I would love to share this list with you. I have it set as an email download you can get for free here: 117 Ways to Enjoy Summer

Full disclosure: It’s a freebie for signing up for the Mama Peacock Baby Owl email list. Feel free to sign up for the Summer Bucket List and unsubscribe at any time afterward. It won’t hurt my feelings. If it brings you a smile or helps you enjoy this fleeting time with your kids a little bit more, that’s exactly what I want. Happy summer, friends!

Hey there! It’s Friday, so I’m going to take the opportunity to say hello and introduce myself. I’m Beth, the Mama Peacock - creator of costumes, lover of rainbow-colored anything, mom to Baby Owl.

I started my business as a hobby when Baby Owl was under a year old, because I wasn’t handling the transition from uber-passionate teacher to SAHM very well. I love learning, so I tossed myself headlong into the world of small handmade business. Wooooo, is it a learning curve!

​I love the challenge of it all, still, four years later. Photography, design, making something with my hands, giving families something to smile about... it’s what lights me up. (Writing privacy policies? Not so much. Are you as sick of those emails as I am?) I feel so grateful that I get to do it with Baby Owl as my sidekick. It’s like working with Shirley Temple but with a lot more sass. And dirt.

School's out, time moves slower, and one of the wildest and most magical times of childhood is upon us!  Baby Owl and I are so excited to enjoy all the fun that the freedom of the season offers, so I created this free printable called "117 Ways to Enjoy Summer" to keep track of all the activities we love about summertime. It's your free gift when you sign up for our Mama Peacock Baby Owl email list here: 117 Ways to Enjoy Summer. 

We'd love for you to join us! Tag your adventures on Instagram or Facebook with #MPBOsummerfun and you could win a summer fun pack. We'll be picking winners each month in June, July, and August. Follow along to see new twists on old favorites we're enjoying, so you can get summer inspiration all season long.

Let imagination run wild this summer!

Sincerely,
The Mama Peacock

Anyone else a last minute mama this time of year? Honestly, I’m usually on top of things. I’m usually the mom whose got it together for school and activities. But not during the month of May! I am a hot mess. I am scrounging in the refrigerator to try and put a sad lunch together for my kid. I have no idea where all the Very Important Papers have gone. And that homemade gift for the teacher I’ve been planning to make for weeks? Still sitting on my work table. In pieces.

​If you are more of an Amazon prime kind of mom rather than a Pinterest Mom, and this is your normal, I feel you. And if you’re trying to throw together a party for your sweet girl, I’ve got your back. I’ve added these simple unicorn horn headbands to the shop and they are ready to ship in 1 to 3 days. And I’ve even added priority shipping if you’ve got a party coming up, and you completely forgot to take care of the favors. It’s okay. It happens. No mom can think of everything all the time. Look, I’ve even got them gift wrapped for you. No one will know you didn’t have this carefully planned out ahead of time. You’ll just have the happiest bunch of little unicorns you’ve ever seen!

Update: Due to popular demand on Instagram, we're adding this to the shop! Click the shop tab above to get yours.