Sara Pearce

With Mother’s Day right around the corner (May 11th!), there is no better time to start searching for the perfect gift to show your mom just how much you love and appreciate her! Gift-giving is my love language, and I love finding unique gifts that aren’t the same old things that you might find at Target, Walmart, or Amazon. Here is a curated list of some of the best gift ideas, ranging from super cheap and affordable items to gifts that are a bit on the pricier side, so no matter what, you’re sure to find something that fits your needs!

I spent way too much time online shopping for bathing suits during the most recent Virginia snowstorm, sooo… Here is a collection of my favorite Amazon finds!

With summer right around the corner, there is no better time to start planning fun activities for your kids while they’re out of school! As a year-round nanny (working for the same family for three years now!), I’m constantly coming up with exciting, unique, and creative activities for the kids I watch. Long summer days can be tough, but there are SO many ways to entertain your kids outdoors with toys and activities that can be used over and over again! Hopefully, you’ll find this list useful when planning for summer break :)

I have always been in love with fairy gardens! They are stunning, cozy, and mystical additions that will liven up any garden. If you’re interested in starting a fairy garden but don’t know where to start (or if you’re looking to add more to your existing garden), this list is for you! I’ve included the prettiest fairy houses, beautiful fairies and fairy friends, furniture, and essential supplies to help you get your garden started. If you end up creating one, please message me so I can see a picture of it because I LOVE seeing all of the creative and unique ways people piece their fairy gardens together!

If you're ever in Richmond, Virginia and need a fun and family-friendly outing, look no further! As a nanny of three young kids, I've gone on many fun excursions around the RVA area, and these are some of my favorites! Between indoor play spaces, outdoor play areas, amusement parks, water parks, and museums, you're sure to find something appealing on this list.

As a Flagler College Alumni, I've explored everything that St. Augustine has to offer, so I wanted to create a list of some of my favorite things to do while visiting the oldest city! Between museums, historical sites, fun activities, tours, and places to eat (and places for my fellow wine-lovers!), you're sure to find several options to add to your itinerary!

If you live in or are visiting Richmond, Virginia, and are searching for fun things to do with friends, family, dates, coworkers, or any other group of folks, look no further! I’ve recently been working my way through Richmond’s hidden gems, all geared toward adults, while going out with friends instead of hanging out at the same old restaurants and movie theaters. There are SO many incredible activities for adults in the greater Richmond area, and you’re sure to find something that interests you on this list, whether it’s a paint and sip, night at a brewery, bowling, golf, rockwall climbing, escape rooms, plant workshops, or any of the other recommendations I’ve added! Have fun and be safe! :)

Montessori is a child-centered approach to learning that emphasizes hands-on activities, free-play, and child-led fun. This method is proven to help foster creativity and imagination while encouraging fine motor skills, practical skills, coordination, problem-solving, and more!

A curated list of children’s books to teach children about empathy, with inclusive characters of various races, religions, families, abilities, and more! Perfect for at-home or classroom libraries!

I find puzzles to be SO calming and relaxing, and I love the challenge of larger/more complex puzzles. I'm constantly coming across a whole bunch of beautiful puzzles, so I wanted to create a list (that I can consistently add to)!

Sillybandz, squinkies, chia pets, groovy girls, baby alive, zoopals, gripz, and other nostalgic things for all of my late 90s/early 2000s babies!

For the last several years, I’ve been OBSESSED with Blue Q bags! They’re so cute and silly, and trust me when I say that they can endure a LOT of wear and tear. The main reason why I switched to pretty much solely buying from this company is that all of their bags are made up of 95% post-consumer recycled material, yet they’re super affordable (I’m talking under $20). Here are some of my favorite bags of theirs, but if you end up finding yourself drawn to this style of design, be sure to check out their website to see all of the other bags they offer!

I ALWAYS have my nails done, and since I'm the type of person who prefers to do them myself, I loveee Glamnetic nails. They are press-on nails that are ACTUALLY durable, yet they don't mess up your nails! I've also included my favorite (and affordable) cuticle remover, oil, and other nail-care essentials.

Curly hair products that I either love and highly recommend or that are highly rated and that I want to try! Please let me know if you've tried any of these and what you thought about them, or let me know if you know of any additional products that I should add to this list!

I am someone who ALWAYS has earrings in. It feels like something is missing whenever I go out without wearing earrings! The vast majority of my jewelry comes from Francesca's, including almost all of my earrings. Francesca's offers a wide selection of beautiful earrings at a very affordable price. They also always have some sort of sale going on, which is an added plus!

If you live in the Richmond area, or if you're planning on visiting soon, make sure you check out some of these local independent bookstores! It’s so important that we support small businesses, and we are in luck because RVA has some of the cutest little bookshops! This list includes some of my favorite local bookstores (featuring a store with a cat employee, a store with a coffee bar, and a store with a selection of wine!). I highly recommend you visit some (or all!) of these locations :)

In the United States, we are seeing a heartbreakingly rapid increase of books being either banned or challenged in schools and libraries. I encourage you to read at least some of these books because if they’re banned, that only means they’re saying something important. Make no mistake: while we are given “reasons” as to why these books are being banned, the reality is that they are being banned because they introduce young people to diverse worldviews and themes of race, gender, sexual orientation, war, politics, freedom, oppression, and much more. Readers don’t remember the small, sexual passages in Slaughterhouse-Five, they remember the horrors of war, the brutality that young and innocent “babies” (as Vonnegut describes them) face while the very men who start wars wear suits and sit behind desks safely, the war crimes committed by American troops, etc.

Practical and aesthetically-pleasing home organization and storage!

The quote I live my life by is, “we're all just walking each other home.” I am a firm believer in the love and connection that exists between all humans. Despite being the richest country in the world, we have a heartbreakingly large amount of citizens who live on the streets. We don't know their stories, and it is not for us to judge. While we cannot save everyone, I think it's important to help when we can, who we can, and however we can. The items on this list are perfect for creating homeless care kits to pass out. You can go to homeless shelters, homeless encampments, or even just keep them in your car just in case. You definitely do not need to buy all of these items, but they serve as a few ideas to get you started!

One of my favorite things to do is write and send letters/cards to those who need a little extra love. I wanted to create this list to share some of my personal favorite organizations (all of which I have personally volunteered with). Volunteering is super easy and can be done at home (and many offer volunteer hours!). If you want to make a difference and spread love, I definitely recommend checking out these organizations!

My favorite quote, which I hold close to my heart, comes from Ram Dass: “We're all just walking each other home.” It’s a gentle reminder that love, support, kindness, peace, unity, and respect are what truly matter in our lives. We’re all navigating this journey together, and it’s so important to lift each other up, to spread goodness, and to be compassionate. One way I try to offer support and encourage kindness is through donating to charities that resonate with me. I've put together a list of several that are particularly meaningful to me, but I recognize that everyone has different passions and causes that speak to them. If you find a charity that touches your heart, I wholeheartedly encourage you to support it. Together, we can create a positive impact! <3

As a college student, I am constantly working on various assignments, and I often need a little bit of extra help with them. These apps and websites are some of my absolute favorites! I use Grammarly to help check my writing, ensuring my spelling is correct and my sentences flow together well. I use Quizlet to study for exams, and I use Google Scholar to find references for my papers. I cannot recommend all of these tools enough!

Have a long trip coming up? Planning to travel with friends or family? Need something to read every day while on the bus or subway? Look no further! Here are some of the best books to read while on public transportation! Strangers definitely will not look at you strangely and think you’re rather odd and off-putting, instead, they’ll feel inferior to your vast wisdom and exceptional academic intelligence. (All complete sarcasm)

I have been struggling with my mental health since I was 8 years old. I've received intensive outpatient and inpatient treatment, I take medication, and I meet with my therapist every week. When I'm at home, I have to monitor my mood and actively engage in healthy habits to help prevent relapses. This list includes the items that I find super helpful in my mental health recovery, and they're all things that I personally recommend!