Archive | Fairytales RSS feed for this section

The Wild Calms A Child.

4 Apr

8bb63df99990550659c93dd485c1311c

Our backyards are a natural source of wonder, with no electrical sockets in sight.

Gather up your child/children. Make sure to ask their imaginary friends to join you in the backyard, otherwise known as the wild, where you can

  • run faster
  • jump higher
  • squeal louder
  • lay out a blanket to read fairytales
  • paint rocks
  • search for frog princes
  • draw with chalk
  • make a walnut bed for Thumbelina
  • bug hunt
  • chase butterflies
  • make play dough food for a pretend picnic
  • find shapes in the clouds
  • plant a magic beanstalk
  • go on a scavenger hunt
  • create a sellotape nature bracelet

…and my favourite of all, make a magic petal potion where you gather, mash, mix, stir and sniff and turn into any creature you wish.

Let the wild rumpus begin!(Thanks to my beloved Wolfie for creating my day by day images.)

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Why Fairytales Are Good For Grown Ups.

7 Nov

“To be attracted to or repelled by a fairy tale indicates that the story contains something that resonates with an unconscious process in the reader or listener, for one cannot be attracted or repelled unless one recognizes something that is personally meaningful.” -Meredith B Mitchell.

Fairytales parallel common human conditions. They resonate deep within us in emotionally creative ways and invite us into illogical, impractical, unrealistic, wonderful and terrifying worlds where good opposes evil, magic exists, and animals transform into people.

Because a fairytale is a story with a simple plot, stereotypical characters, universal themes, with elements of ideas and imagery from a vast array of human experiences that we can identify with, they are a perfect and safe playground for us to explore our own thoughts, feelings and behaviours.

Fairytales tell us all about all kinds of relationships. Just look at Continue reading →

Tags: , , , , ,

Jack And The Beanstalk.

5 Sep

Jack and the Beanstalk

I adore finding “magic beans” in my garden. Every season a few magically evade picking and eating, so I save them to be displayed and squealed over and sometimes wonder what would happen if I went to a local Farmers Market and tried swapping them for a (pet) cow!

I have grown enough beautiful beanstalks to know that they require staking if they are to reach their full potential, just as I know that all relationships require support if they are expected to grow.

It’s not enough to just expect our union to blossom into something fruitful if we don’t take care of it. The giant who came a cropper in the tale of Jack and the Beanstalk really could have Continue reading →

Tags: , , , , , ,

My What Big Ears You Have…

26 Apr

“Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.”  Stephen R. Covey.

How to NOT listen:

  • zone out
  • ignore details
  • be impatient
  • control or compete
  • hear what you YOU expect to hear based on assumption, stereotype or prejudice

How to REALLY listen:

  • focus
  • pay attention and remove distractions
  • patiently appreciate their effort to communicate
  • listen with your ears, eyes and heart so as to grasp the basic message and the feeling and meaning behind it, along with the unsaid
  • if you aren’t sure of the deeper message, seek clarification by asking gentle questions like ” When you said…what did you actually mean?”
  • when do you understand, take the time to reflect back what you have heard so he or she can process and hear their own thoughts e.g “Sounds like you’re really hungry Mr Wolf.”

When we use our ears to listen with an intent to understand, we:

  • absorb the words and allow them to bounce around in us until they sink in enough to touch our feelings and create meaning
  • turn on compassion
  • open our hearts in the present moment
  • make the other person feel heard and validated
  • create an environment of emotional safety and,
  • hopefully avoid being gobbled up.

How are your listening skills?

 

Tags: , , , ,

Perfect Valentines Gift.

13 Feb
Copy and print

Copy and print and slip in a card. Or slip it under your beloved’s nose and ask for a copy

Fairytale Love is a playful yet powerful relationship self-help guide that optimistically unlocks eighty-eight love-enriching secrets of forever after, using inspirational solutions and accessible advice.

These are the four chapters:

Fairytale Love 01I have looked at the best way to buy the book, as a loving present for yourself, or as a present for your beloved. Just click on one of the buttons on the right depending on which part of the world you are in. Thank so much x

Tags: , , , ,

Platform Building.

3 Feb
IMG_1353

Getting things in order

Not only do authors get to research, gather information, stay inspired, write a book, rewrite a book, edit their book, line edit their book, oversee the design process and book marketing graphics, they also have to beaver away and build their platform so that they have enough wonderful people to buy their book and spread the word to others to buy the book.

Right now it feels easier to let exhaustion wash over me as I wait for the release of Fairytale Love, How to Love Happily Ever After. The temptation to take on Sleeping Beauty tendencies and Continue reading →

Tags: ,

Gruesome Twosome.

1 Nov
Zombie nephews. Photo by Hayley French at feijoadesigns.

Zombie nephews. Photo by Hayley French at feijoadesigns.

These two little treasures look iron depleted and could perhaps do with a good feed of spinach from our lush garden, but it’s Halloween and what they are really after is zombie brains and sweets galore.

Luckily their mother doesn’t belong to the fun police and nor is she a religious fanatic, both of which seem to push harder in the media every year to sanitize the darkness of Halloween. Why people continue to say it’s an Continue reading →

Tags: , , ,

Raising A Prince.

27 Jul
magical moments

magical moments

This week Prince George of Cambridge was born to proud parents William and Kate.  Whilst you and I may not have a child third in line to the throne of England, those of us raising our own prince or princesses know that they, like any lucky parent, are in for an exciting journey of bravery, truth and Continue reading →

Never Ever Dull My Sparkle.

16 Jun
Credit to artist Evan Heasman - Soju Shots. This is his princess.

Credit to artist Evan Heasman – Soju Shots. This is his princess.

In the middle of a cold wet winter day, hauling in our olive harvest, dressed in drenched rags, full of the flu, I heard myself asking the angels for a miracle, a way out of unfortunate circumstances, a way back to my sparkle.

I usually like to sit in the Cinderella story as either the fairy godmother who helps others see their brilliance and potential, or as the bejewelled sparkling girl at the ball, feeling proud of my own accomplishments. I am not at all comfortable being Continue reading →

Tags: , , , , ,

Finding Hidden Treasure.

17 May

temp trans1 029

One of the reasons why being in therapy uncovers truth and causes discomfort so readily for people, is because it takes place in unfamiliar surroundings, with an unfamiliar person.

The therapist’s care, compassion, and intense focus on you can actually make it easier to find hidden treasure. When they focus on you and you focus on yourself, it makes it more difficult to become distracted or sidetracked. In fairytales, it’s akin to finding yourself alone in a dark cave or deep woods. Without distraction it’s so much easier to see how you operate. It also enables exploration of outcomes and Continue reading →

Tags: , ,

← Older Entries