The morning was chaos.

We all woke up a little grumpy and hungry. There was complaint after complaint and I couldn't seem to get a word in before someone else needed my help.

This wasn't how I pictured our Thanksgiving break starting out together. I started to feel like “the bad mom” that couldn't figure out how to get my kids to calm down and I found that as their emotions escalated, so did mine.  

I managed to feed all the bellies, including mine, and finished my coffee before I forgot about it sitting on the counter. 

The kids were still at each other and our little house started to get louder with each passing minute. We needed a change of pace, and fast!

I went into my studio and printed out the painting project I had created for The Creative Haven membership that month. 

In all honesty, I was reluctant that this would actually give any of us a moment of peace (the teenage hormones are creeping up faster than I'd like to admit! ha!). I hoped that I could get at least one, maaaaybe two of our kids to sit and color for a minute just to be able to give each other some space.

I covered the table with our drop cloth and started spreading out the supplies-- just the few pages I printed off, a couple spots of paint on a paper plate, and q-tips to use as their paint brush (that's a little hack for you, by the way-- painting with q-tips can go a long way!). 

Before I could finish putting paint on the plate I had not one, but all seven kids crowding the table (yes, including our one year old). 

“I want to do one, mama!"

“Can you print one for me too, mama?” 

Within minutes the table was full of little hands dabbing paint and making colorful dots all over their fall tree papers.

I expected another dose of whining or chaos to explode, but surprisingly it was the exact opposite. For the first time since we all woke I could actually hear myself think. With the simplicity of a printed page and a paint filled q-tip, peace and calm started to fill the room. Space was made for creativity and with it came more than a moment of silence…it was a moment for a memory to be made, creating together. 

That's the beauty creativity brings.

That's the beauty that sitting down to focus on creating with your own two hands can make for times when we need a little rest and ease. 

I believe wholeheartedly that anyone and any home can easily experience this too. And through it, you'll experience a gift that you'll cherish for a lifetime. A gift of meaningful moments, a gift of shared memories, a gift of creativity you didn't think was possible.

If you're ready to experience more moments like this within your own home and have a way to easily bring creativity into your life in nearly effortless ways, then you'll love what I have for you inside my library of FREE printable crafts and activities to print and do at home.

Click here to have the link sent to your inbox and start creating something beautiful together today! 

Enjoy friends!

xo, Coley

P.S. Here's a little photo for proof of our morning creating together.