Cloistered Away
is a lifestyle blog, focused on simple, purposeful family living, written by Bethany Douglass.
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sharing an unexpected gift
Although I love sharing and receiving gifts for special occasions, my favorite gifts are the ones shared for no reason at all. Don’t you love receiving random gifts from others? Maybe a stranger in line before
our homeschool in pictures + books | June, July, + August
There are a thousand thousand reasons to love this life, everyone one of them sufficient. ― Marilynne Robinson, Gilead drawing and listening to an old Sheryl Crow CD journaling chopping peaches for dinner learning to kayak daydreaming
CRAFTING YOUR OWN BEESWAX CANDLES
Rolling beeswax candles is perhaps one of my children’s favorite activities for the home, a task that needs tending more often in the autumn and winter seasons here. Most days, rolled candles array our mantle or tabletop,
Room to Grow | The Girls’ Room Tour
I love that my children share bedrooms, even when it causes friction about personal space and ownership. Which. It. Does. For instance, Blythe prefers neat and tidy spaces and values privacy. Olive on the other
an easy DIY vintage poster frame
Last weekend, Olive and I built a couple of small vintage-styled poster frames together for their room. We’ve had a few Cavallini posters around our home, tightly rolled up, waiting to be hung for a while, and
Real Talk Real Moms | On Comparison in Motherhood
I imagine much of the comparison that happens between mothers begins simply and honestly, a way to observe and emulate other women we admire for one reason or another. We actually need one another in
On Screentime + Managing the Internet at Home
The use of technology in childhood is one of the hottest topics for modern parents, and it seems where ever you land on the issue, it can be a potential point of shame and judgement,
MUSIC IN THE HOME | a playlist for Daily Rhythms
“Music is the art of thinking with sounds.” ― Jules Combarieu Books and music have always created a backdrop for our days at home together, even as the specific rhythms have varied through the years. During our
Durango, Colorado
Some people prefer large soirees with friends and food and gifts to celebrate monumental birthdays, and we have hosted a couple of those fun events over the years. Yet as Mark’s fortieth birthday loomed, I wanted something quieter and