Nature Tonic it's a lovely illustrated book filled with a year's worth of prompts to get the reader to interact with nature. As part of my ongoing wellness journey, I'm very interested in the studies that correlate time spent in nature with lowered stress, improved mood and increased creativity.

The author encourages us to do something in nature daily. It can be as simple as watching birds in your yard or walking down a city sidewalk noticing a flower growing in an unexpected place. Some ideas include: listen to the chirp of cicadas, draw a wildflower, take a photo of the sunset, look up at the stars, take your kids on a color scavenger hunt or explore a park in a nearby town. If you can't go outside the author suggests nature recordings and documentaries. Take a few moments each day to "just breathe" in nature.

This book had many good ideas but above all I appreciated the reminder of how important nature is to our well-being. I'm planning to purchase a physical copy of this book for easier use. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ebook copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Fantastic book on slowing down and recognizing the beauty all around us. The perfect way to recharge and renew our thoughts and mind by staying connected to nature. I love this book and will refer to it often. I received this book from NetGalley for an honest review.

A book about reconnecting with nature, and yourself. A little bit of science, a little bit of meditation, a little bit of and art book and journal, this will be a nice addition to anyone looking for prompts and to get them out the door with specific activities and space to jot down thoughts. The illustrations reflect the soothing purpose of the book. Very nicely done!

We don't normally get these books in our library, as people feel the need to actually write in them. Not great for library books! But, this is a very cute book with some wonderful ideas on how to get back in rhythm with nature. I'll be recommending it to people, like family and friends.

Filled with 365 creative nature prompts, Nature Tonic encourages the reader to get outside and embrace the world around him. This whimsical nature workbook features ideas for thoughtful consideration, nature awareness, and re-centering in a technology driven world. Prompts and meditations provide for noticing the seasons and reconnecting with the natural world.

In a generation fighting nature deficiency, Nature Tonic reminds us to not neglect our need to slow down. Reconnecting with nature is vital in maintaining our physical and mental health. This delightful notebook provides a year full of ways to do just that. Jocelyn De Kwant's Nature Tonic would make a wonderful gift for any student or lover of beauty. Our family will be looking for ways to include it in our nature study this year as well as to remind us of the beauty and wonder around us. I have been thoroughly pleased with this book and can't wait to use it further.

*Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Nature Tonic got me! I received a digital advanced readers copy for an honest review but, this is one of the books that I want in hard copy. The whimsical illustrations are lovely, it is well written with many small facts about nature meanwhile inspiring the reader to really observe nature. A wonderful combination of mindfulness, creativity and the way it makes us look at nature as a child.

"The thing with humans is that we systematically underestimate how good nature makes us feel, while at the same time, we overestimate how good we feel when indoors. Scientists call these flaws in our predictions "forecasting errors." The problem is that we base our actions on these flawed forecasting skills. We choose comfort, only for it to make us feel bored in the end."

I picked this book because it has the three things I love: art, mindfulness and nature. One of my goals for 2020 is to be out in nature even more and I thought this book would be the perfect encouragement. I was not disappointed.

This book has 365 bits spread over 12 sections and each bit consists of a fact, an encouragement, an invitation to draw or reflect or go out into the world. The sections range from "in the forest" to "the life aquatic" and "traveling and tramping." It's all about being outdoors in nature in all the ways you can.

I really liked all the information and all the encouragement in this book. I plan to keep it close to remind myself why I am choosing to get off the couch and spend my time outdoors.

thank you to netgalley and Quarto Publishing Group for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Nature Tonic is just that!! A real tonic to the fast and furious lives that we all seem to lead these days. Its full of mindful nature tips to do each day.

The book is split into sections and works like a journal. I would advise to get a hard copy as I had the digital edition and couldn't note down my thoughts for each tip.

Worth buying to bring you back to nature.

Thanks to Netgalley and Leaping Hare Press for the Digital ARC Copy.

Nature Tonic, A Year in My Mindful Life, Jocelyn de Kwant

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: Crafts & Hobbies , Outdoors & Nature

I've always loved Nature, loved to be outside, enjoying plants, trees and wildlife.
I was interested to read this book, as I think many of us have forgotten just how restorative nature can be. We live in a rushed world, dominated by clocks, timetables, schedules and maybe taking a step back and appreciating what Nature does for us, ruled by her own timetables of night and day, seasons, where each day is a fresh new start can really help us.
Studies have shown how depression is helped by natural light, and I think this book goes that step further, in encouraging us to look around, see whats surrounds us, how it works, how seasons change, even times of day bring variations in nature. Some plants open at night, others during day, and others only in full sun.

There are daily tips, suggestions on what to do each day to encourage the reader to focus on their surroundings. I think that's great, sometimes we're overloaded with advice, see the challenge of adding something new into life as just too much, haven't the time, don't know where to start. All those excuses, where in this little book all we need to do is just take one step, do one thing a day. There's no pressure, its nothing more than simply looking, smelling, thinking.
For example there's a section on trees, suggesting studying different leaves, pick one and identify it, look for baby trees around a mature one, look at bark patterns of different trees and perhaps draw some. Nothing that can't be done in just five minutes if wished, but which can be expanded to take however much time we want to spend on the task.
I think for all of us this book is great at reminding us how nature goes on, year after year, without interference. It reminds us of our roots, our food, whats really important in life. (Tip: Its not just 9am at the office) work will be done and gone, what seems all important now and is causing so much grief and pressure will pass, but Nature is always there. Finding our place, fitting in to the world around us, feeling part of it is humbling but also uplifting, and its that uplift of spirits that so many of us need.

Take a few minutes out of your day to look around at nature for a week, see how much better you feel at the end of it. Then buy this book, and follow the suggestions, it's really worth it, especially if you are depressed and maybe need that little help of the daily tips to get started. In keeping with the simplicity of the text there are numerous simple illustrations that fit perfectly.

Stars: Five, a really helpful book, whether you're a nature lover or just looking for a way to get through the daily grind, and lighten your thoughts and stress.
Arc via Netgalley

This was brilliant! I loved trying out the activities to get back to nature and enjoy some relaxing time. Nature should be more important to us in our society and it's sad it's not. I want to continue doing these things every chance I get. Being a stay at home mom with a newborn, I tend to end up inside a lot, so getting to do some of these or making myself do some of these will get me out of the house some more.
#Naturetonic #Netgalley

I really enjoyed reading Nature Tonic. I think it would make a great journal to read a little bit each day and reflect on how to apply the tip in your life. The photographs are fun and whimsical and the ideas in the book help bring you into the present moment to enjoy the beautiful nature around us.

Nature tonic is a journal style book with new and fun ways to get in touch with nature as well as yourself. Make that connection between yourself and. Store and become more relaxed and calm.

This book was really interesting the way it was designed and the images were beautiful. I felt it was a mix between science book, self help book and journal.

Nature Tonic is a delightful book with activities to truly enjoy the outdoors and have a little bit more enjoyment in your life. The book is charmingly illustrated by still focuses on getting you outside. There activities and lessons that will delight newbies and those who have already been entranced by nature. each project is creative, mindful and educational as well as fun.
I would absolutely give Nature Tonic as a gift to anyone who is interested in getting outside.

A year's worth of prompts for a nature moment every day. Prompts divided into different sections. Many prompts have bolded text, asking you to draw, write, glue on paper, or whatever on that page. If not wanting to that I think you can do these prompts in a different notebook as a companion. Some visuals to show examples of what the authour mentions. Really good things and prompts to view nature and get back into it.

This is really a lovely mindful workbook. 🌼 Obviously, because I was given an eBook copy to review, I couldn't use it to its' fullest extent. 🎨 However, I still found this book to be full of interesting factoids and charming illustrations. 🎑 The workbook is divided into the following chapters...

A NATURAL RHYTHM 🌅
NOCTURNAL NATURE 🌛
URBAN NATURE 🌉
IN THE FOREST 🍁
EARTH’S COLORS 🎨
GROWING 🌱
THE LIFE AQUATIC 🐠
LOOK UP TO THE SKY 🌔
DOWN TO EARTH 🍄
INTO THE FIELDS 🌾
TRAVELING AND TRAMPING ✈
JUST BREATHE 😃

There are 365 different prompts for you to explore. 📝 From color hunts to going for a hike. 🏃 Hug a tree or create an art project. 🎨 Every day there is something different to do that will connect you to Nature. 🍃 Help your creativity. 📷 Keep you mindful and in tune with the planet. 💕

Being in nature is healing. Studies show that just having a green plant inside can boost mood, productivity and concentration, and reduce stress levels. Yet, at least in the United States, as a nation, we spend more time inside, becoming alienated from nature. Richard Louv, founder of the Children & Nature Network, introduced the concept “nature-deficit disorder” in 2005 to describe this phenomenon.

Jocelyn de Kwant’s Nature Tonic: A Year in My Mindful Life is an antidote to this malady. In sections such as “Nocturnal Nature,” “The Life Aquatic,” and “Just Breathe,” Nature Tonic pairs adorable illustrations with prompts that readers can use to reconnect with the natural world. Some of them are simple and require nothing but walking outside; others need more resources, be they time or supplies. De Kwant’s suggestions pair an attention to nature with an attitude of mindfulness.

The book is geared to an adult audience, but some of the prompts are more child-like, though I thought in a delightful way, a way that brings adults into an awareness of body and surroundings. One of the prompts I liked was a color hunt which called upon the reader to find items in nature matching certain colors. This could of course be done with children, too. Other prompts were more childish and didn’t seem to be useful to adults, such as making a picture with sand and glue. It didn’t seem practical, either, as it would probably not hold up on the book’s page, where the reader is instructed to work, though using a separate sheet of paper is an easy solution. In other cases, de Kwant gives particular attention to children’s activities in the case of outdoor camping and keeping kids entertained.

In addition to specific activities, the prompts included interesting facts clearly illustrated about the phases of the moon, types of flowers, varieties of mushrooms, and cloud classifications, as well as yoga and meditation. The electronic copy I read had some garbled text, so I wasn’t clearly able to read or assess all the writing, though, something I’m sure will be corrected in the final version.

I enjoyed the majority of prompts and thought they delivered in terms of promoting mindfulness and awareness of the natural world, and I was delighted with the simple but charming botanical and animal illustrations.

The author of this book discovered that time in nature truly helped her to feel less stressed and more centered. She subsequently wrote this beautifully illustrated book that lists 365 ways to connect with nature that will help readers to feel calmer and more mindful. The book is divided into sections including Nocturnal Nature, In the Forest, The Life Aquatic, etc.

An example of a daily suggestion:

Suggestion 342

The philosopher Henry David Thoreau believed that,

An early morning walk is a blessing for the whole day.

Go out in the early morning for a run or a brisk walk to see the sunrise...Come home refreshed and ready for the rest of the day.

I have found that I do feel better when I spend time outside, whether at my local park or botanical garden. This book will encourage me to keep those connections going and may do the same for you.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book in exchange for an honest review.

Full disclosure, I got this as a Netgalley ARC and once I downloaded it and saw it was a workbook of sorts, I scrolled through all of the pages, but I did not read each of the daily activities. Because yes, this is 365 activities to help you focus on and connect with yourself and nature. Each of the pages are really cute with illustrations and fun activities.

This book publishes September 10 and my birthday is the 9th....Guess what I'll be getting myself? One of my goals this year is to be more mindful and I want to be more in touch with nature, so I think this will be a fun 2019-2020 project.

This book full of nice pictures, mostly of trees and flowers, could be intended as a sort of "Mindfulness in nature" sort of diary. There are a lot of suggestion to "re-calibrate" our mind and body to the natural flow of days and seasons. It may be easier to do if you do not live in a city, but any big Park goes. Interesting and full of tips.

Questo libro pieno di disegni molto carini di alberi e fiori soprattutto, potrebbe essere inteso come una specie di diario dove la Mindfulness incontra la natura. Ci sono una serie di suggerimenti per ricalibrare la nostra mente ed il nostro corpo e tornare a seguire il ritmo circadiano e delle stagioni. Chiaramente é più facile farlo se uno non abita in città, ma a mali estremi va bene anche un parco. Interessante.

THANKS NETGALLEY FOR THE PREVIEW!

Such a charming book! I do not think it is a logical library purchase because it is a book that should be owned and drawn, painted, glued and written in - but I enjoyed looking through it. A nice reminder to put down your phone step away from the TV. When did we stop noticing the Earth, and even our own senses? Feels like a middle grade or young adult guide.