In A Nutshell: New Year, New Flow

Happy New Year!

This foggy, drizzly “warm up” is teasing me into thinking spring is coming, but I know we are still definitely in the winter season. The increasing daylight has been a welcome return, though!

In case you missed it, I wrote this poem reflecting on motherhood. It’s hard to believe my kiddo is already 4 and I’m registering Z for preschool and potentially summer camp activities. Time flies!

I also just updated our family activity guides and events for adults to include some creative, fun, and nature-based events for January-March 2026. Here’s just a glimpse!

A few other neat opportunities that my friends are organizing for families include:

• The Balanced Activity Club monthly printed/mailed subscription with engaging lessons in music, yoga, math, literacy, phonics, art and more for caregivers of young children, created by Kirsten of Lagom: Music and Yoga Education.
• Kindermusik with Grandfriends at Stoughton and Middleton senior living centers on Friday mornings, organized by Angie of The Wonder Studio. (Contact thewonderstudio.kindermusik@gmail.com to learn more and sign up.)
• Imbolc Sacred Circle and Potluck at 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 1st, organized by Flicker Wild Church and held at Winterfell Acres in Brooklyn.

Intentions

Z and I both participated in a winter solstice intention activity (loosely based on this idea — but, instead of burning each randomly selected piece of paper, we moved them to another compartment of Z’s Paw Patrol stacking snack container…iykyk).

On New Year’s Day, the piece of paper that remained for me was “I am present.” Z opened the one she wanted me to write for her: “I am happy, smart, kind, grateful.” It was a sweet moment of connection when we each brainstormed our possible intentions and opened them up a few days later (Elsa from Frozen as our witness).

Z is all around an amazing kid, so I know it’ll be a breeze for her to embrace the words she came up with. As for me, being “present” is something I’ve always struggled with (ADHD results pending…). I fidget. I need to move. I feel like I should always be “doing” something productive and I often fall into the trap of multitasking, which makes me less productive. I really struggle with truly resting…even just “being.” A dear friend gently reminded me last year that we are human beings, not human doings. Oof. That hit hard.

I wrote being “present” as one of my intentions for the year because it’s something I really want to lean into. Time is finite, and I don’t want to always feel like I’ve got my head in two places at once. I want to be more present with Z in the moments we are together. More present with my family. My friends. My creative work. Myself.

See the unintentional order there? I put myself last. Like I always seem to do. And it’s been burning me out. Can you relate?

When Z and I were home sick for a week before the holidays, I had to lean into rest. My body demanded it. I scaled back on work and scrolled less on social media. We said no to plans. We took naps. We didn’t feel guilty turning on the TV. We had quiet reading and coloring time. And eventually we felt well enough to venture outside. To start seeing friends and family again. But in a gentle way. Not forced.

So when my chiropractor appointment and work meeting both got canceled yesterday, instead of cramming it with other to-dos, I decided to bring my book along and treat myself to a solo pedicure and haircut — my first “real” salon experience since I was pregnant with Z. It. Felt. So. Good.

This is a reminder to myself and to you that it’s okay to slow down and pause. Even if you’re not battling an illness. The world is absolutely bananas right now and we need to take care of ourselves to take care of others.

In the spirit of being more present to my family and creative writing endeavors, I’m scaling back on my picture book readings and Playful Acorns offerings for 2026. I hope to see you at one or both of these events!

• Waverly Braves the Breeze storytime with nature-themed activities and signed picture books and memory games for sale at Rosemary Garfoot Public Library in Cross Plains at 1 p.m. Monday, Feb. 16. (Free to attend, no registration necessary, cash or Venmo for optional book/memory game purchase).
• Lil’ Explorer Pop-Up Play Cafe from 9-11 a.m. Wednesday, March 18 with and at the Lussier Family Heritage Center in Madison. We’ll be indoors and outdoors for these fun events geared toward caregivers and kids ages 0-5. ($10/child age 1+, register).

Check out the other updates and guides below!

• Looking for more events ? Try these resources:

  • Macaroni Kid calendar of events

  • Nature Net calendar of events

  • Your local library!

I am grateful for all of you. And I hope some of these resources and upcoming gatherings can introduce you to or further connect you with the Madison area community. You are not alone.

Here’s the origin story of this monthly In A Nutshell e-leaflet, which highlights local events for families with young kids in the Madison, WI area, plus other community resources and my own musings as a toddler mom. Recently, I’ve added a second newsletter a month called On The Bookshelf, which is all about my children’s picture book journey and recommendations. Soon, I’ll be adding a third newsletter Through the Viewfinder (though probably not monthly) that will feature my digital nature photos, some of which will be turned into greeting cards available for purchase with a portion of proceeds donated to local environmental nonprofits. So, if you support nature, books, kids, and community, this Under the Drumlin Sun publication is probably the place for you! Thanks for stopping by!

As always, thank you for being part of a community who shares this common thread:

At Playful Acorns, we value the following be(leafs):

• Nature benefits from diversity, and so does humanity.
• Children learn best through play.
• Everyone deserves to have fun and be respected.
• Life is a journey, and we are always growing.
• The world is a better place with you in it.

In gratitude,

- Sam

Are you new to Playful Acorns? Welcome! You can read our story here and most recent posts here.