Mama Scout Interviews :: Awesomely Awake (+giveaway)

I am starting a new little project on Mama Scout. Every so often, I am going to interview someone from the world of awesome. 

This week, I interviewed Shawn from Awesomely Awake. Shawn is one of those amazing bloggers who is able to motivate her readers into action, helping them create the happy family life they want. Her blog is packed with bookmark worthy, informative and inspirational articles.  As soon as I met Shawn, we had an immediate connection and I knew I had found a soul mama! Enjoy!

1. Tell us a little bit about who you are and what you do.

I am the founder and author of Awesomely Awake, a blog dedicated to parenting from the heart. I'm a creative soul and a Mama to a set of sweet twin girls. I'm on a mission to create a world of happy parents, happy children and happy communities. I believe firmly that we must be the change we wish to see in the world -- and how many of us wish parents did a better job raising children?

2. How do you encourage creativity and open ended learning in your home and in your own work?

We recently had an interesting experience and a first of its kind. My daughters were painting with acrylics on canvas on the front porch. One messed up almost instantly. She cried and cried. It wasn't what she expected. We stuck with her and encouraged her to keep working at the painting until it becomes something she would be proud of. She cried about it all day, in fact, and never really came around to liking it. The next morning, though, she confessed: She liked it after all. It now hangs in her room with a second one that she likes even more. All this is to say that we have allowed for creative expression of all kinds in our house and we try very hard to turn our mistakes into works of art. The beauty is in the trying at our house.

3. What has been the biggest internal shift in you since you became a parent?

Focusing on what truly matters. I have, in the past, gotten worked up over things not only out of my control but things that had no direct influence on my family. Since becoming a mother, I have highly refined values and I stick to those. This helps me determine how to spend my time and energy.

4. Have you earned a Mama Merit Badge? Which one and for what antic?

Yes, for traveling with kids. (You can read her merit badge tale here.)

5. Turn us on to your current favorite book, film, music, performance artist, or idea.

I do not watch TV at all. However, my husband and I discovered a mutual love of the television show Parenthood and we've been watching it for couch date nights on Netflix. The show is emotionally moving, wise beyond its years and helps put our family life into perspective. We just finished Season 2 and I'm bugging to get Season 3, which is not on Netflix yet.

Shawn has offered us giveaway! Leave a comment about your favorite way to connect as a family and you will be entered to win a copy of The Playful Family: Simple and Fun Ways to Connect and Engage as a Family. I will pick a random winner next Friday!

++++++Winner is Peterson Party!++++++++

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Want to see more of Awesomely Awake's work?

Did you know Shawn wrote an e-book? 

Click on the picture to find out more!

You can sign up for her e-zine, Wake Up here.

And she is offering an e-course in October called Messy Family!