Today we welcome Rhythm of the Home sponsor Mariposa Forest to the blog! Read on to find out more about this unique mama-run business and to enter a very special giveaway.
Tell us a bit about your business.
Mariposa Forest is a subscription based service in which, twice a month your child receives stories from our world, Mariposa Forest. The stories are written by the inhabitants of the forest, some furry, some feathered, some magical. Along with the stories are beautiful photographs just to give a glimpse of the world in which the stories take place. The stories follow the seasons and help the child connect with nature and the world around them. On the back of the cards are”Reflections”, observations and questions to help enhance the story as well as help the child to stop and look around them and see what is going on where they live. Our goal is create an imaginary experience for the child, in which something special arrives just for them, a story that allows them to help create and grow the world in their own minds.
Tell us a bit about yourselves.
The short version, we send stories by old fashioned snail mail to children. Annie is a photographer and I am a writer. We both have young children and know how much they love to get mail. We spent a while just throwing ideas of possible combinations of all of these things together and then one day, it hit us. What if we sent stories from the inhabitants of “Mariposa Forest” to children through the mail? We would include photographs, glimpses, into the forest and create a world in which imagination would flourish. We could create a whole experience of receiving something special, just for them, in the mail. Something tangible, that they could reread and look at whenever they wanted to. There are no advertisements, nothing media related, and nothing that requires batteries, just stories that come twice a month in the mail for the child.
What inspired you to begin your work, and what keeps you motivated today?
Our biggest motivation was to find an outlet for both of our creative energies. We are both artists and Mothers to young children. We tend to put their needs first, which is how it should be, but we must also nurture and grow within ourselves so we have something to give to our family. It is rewarding to be able to create something that we know is helping to spark and develop the imagination of so many children. Our motivation continues to grow as the world and stories become richer and come more and more to life for us. It is exciting to be apart of something that allows you to really give your heart and soul to something you believe so strongly in.
What is one of your biggest challenges in your everyday life and how are you coping?
I think the biggest challenge for us, as it is with most Mothers, is finding the balance of being completely present with your family and giving them all the love and attention it takes to raise a strong, healthy family, as well as create a business that also requires love, patience and attention. It is a difficult balancing act and we are working through it. We have wonderful support from our families as well as from each other. The main thing is to keep looking forward and seeing the bigger picture. Right now we can work, stay at home with our children, and do something that we love and believe in. It doesn’t get much better than that!
Thank you to all who entered! We have chosen a winner for the giveaway and will be in touch via email.
Thank you to Mariposa Forest for sharing with us today! Mariposa Forest is also offering a free one-year subscription to their wonderful service for one lucky member of the ROTH community. To enter to win, leave a comment on this post and we will choose a winner via random number next Friday, August 10th, 2012.
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Rhythm of the Home is an online magazine for families that focuses on creating with children, nature explorations, seasonal celebrations, conscious parenting, and mindfulness in all that we do. To learn more about us, please visit us on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter.
We welcome new submissions for our upcoming seasons. To learn more about submitting, please visit our magazine.
{ 25 comments }
Oh thank you for the chance! I’d love to win this for my children
My kids would really love this! I can’t wait to find out more!
We would love to win this. What a beautiful concept.
What a charming idea – I love this! My son has recently started reading on his own, and would be thrilled by such stories arriving in the mail. Thank you!
what a sweet giveaway!
My kids would find this absolutely magical!
What a sweet idea. My little ones would love this.
Love this, thanks for the chance to win!
Thank you!
i’d love the chance to become a part of the mariposa enchantment. thanks.
How neat!
It’s a very nice project!
This looks wonderful! I am so excited to have heard about Mariposa Forest!
Would love to win this! My boys would really enjoy this!
This is really sweet!
We loooooove mail!
Oh I have a 4 1/2 year old that would be over the moon with a surprise like this. She finds treasures all around that she is sure the fairies must be leaving for her so this would be perfect.
This is a unique idea! Thanks for the chance!
We love Mariposa’s magic at our home!
Oh my goodness would my newly 8 yr old LOVE this! What an amazing idea!
Adorable concept, amazing pictures…what child would not want to receive this and read all about these adventures.
Nice giveaway!
Oh my gosh!!!! We would love to win this!!!! What a great idea!!!
Thank you.
What a wonderful idea. My kids do love to send and receive mail. This would be so much fun for them. Thanks!
The fairies are often leaving my daughter notes in the yard and she as well back to them. This would be a lovely addition to her backyard friends! Thank you for giving us a chance!
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