This month, Cookie magazine’s final issue (final because of its untimely fate amidst the floundering publishing industry), peeks in on the “suburban” lifestyle of actress Rachel Griffiths, her artist husband and their three beautiful kids.

Griffiths, an Australian living and working in Los Angeles (you know her from pivotal roles on "Six Feet Under" and, currently, "Brothers and Sisters") recently gave birth to her third child, and shares with Cookie her approach to home-centered parenting.

Her view on being a mum, and how that is expressed in her physical surroundings, is nothing short of inspiring. Inspiring, especially perhaps, to the overworked and overscheduled among us who long to simplify and focus and be fully present when we are at home.

Griffiths’ parenting motto is “Try to do less.” Which, in the oasis of space and creativity she’s created for her kids, seems utterly exciting.

“I’ve tried to create a sense of danger and exploration in a safe area,” she says of her property. “My yard’s boundaries are secure… the kids know if they go down the slope at the end of the backyard there’s a beehive there – they might get stung, but hey, if you want to go, go for it. They climb trees. They swing and hang. They sort of go into an imaginary world.”

The article goes on to reveal that “in addition to the multiple rope swings and a surfboard-like plan on springs, the yard features an outdoor playroom replete with table, chairs and cubbies for art supplies.”

Our takeaway? It’s possible for us all to create spaces of exploration for our families, whether we have several acres in Santa Monica, or small apartments in Chicago. And leaving the weekends un-scheduled, spontaneous, a free to mill about in those creative spaces we build may just be the full day of doing less that allows us to connect, really connect with the ones we love.