Welcome to the Owning Pink Roundtable, where we pose the same question to several of our bloggers and let 'em have at it. This week, following the festivities of Halloween, we went to the OP staff to find out how they connect with their inner child. Whoopie cushions, anyone? Enjoy!

Halloween celebrations (and the consequent sugar overload) are enough to make anyone dress up, get silly, and have a little fun. But how do you get in touch with your inner child on a daily basis? Do you make time for playtime?

Orange Soda & Cartwheels

I’ve never had a hard time embracing my inner child. Having no children I realized years ago that if I still want to enjoy the fruits of childhood I’d have to harvest them myself. During Halloween I carve pumpkins, roast the seeds for munchin', and watch The Exorcist by the dim light of my jack-o-lantern. The beauty is in the unadulterated joy I feel, but also in the fact that no one is around to tell me I’ve had enough candy and I’m going to have nightmares. Aside from Halloween, when I want to play video games, I grab a handful of Nerd Ropes, a six-pack of Orange soda, and sit as close to the TV as I want and play 'til the sun rises. Hmmm… come to think of it maybe I do need parental supervision for my inner child. -- Melanie Bates, OP Blogger & Tour Manager Extraordinaire

I have a four year-old, so I don’t have to try very hard to get in touch with my inner child! While I have a tendency to get very literal and serious, Siena reminds me that fairies arrive while you sleep to plant ideas in your imagination, and wood nymphs hide in redwood trees. Seeing the world through her wondrous eyes awakens the magic that lives in the present moment. That and cartwheels. I still do cartwheels, even if my panties are going to show. Beaches, grassy fields, and wide open living rooms beckon so deliciously that I just can’t resist. My inner child giggles every time I do it.  -- Lissa Rankin, OP Founder & Vajesus

Adult Integration

I act like a kid every day – but not in a way that connotes eternal youthfulness. There are some definite aspects of adulthood (stability, accountability, and commitment, to name a few) that I have not yet fully embraced. There are many ways this holds me back. My childhood wasn’t particularly traumatic or laden with responsibilities; however, there was always a part of me elsewhere – nervous or worried about something, distracted from the present moment. I really can’t say why it was, but I was never one of those “carefree” little beings. I wonder if some of my immature tendencies are a tacit reclaiming of a childhood I felt I couldn’t live with abandon. Maybe it’s my true inner child wanting to play.  -- Joy Mazzola, OP Blogger & Pink Life Coach 

In the effort to integrate myself, I’m not sure I have an Inner Child anymore. What I do have are childlike qualities that I treasure for their ability to give me a sense of wonder about the world. My favorites are Nature – delight in the dangling of a leaf in the wind or the perfect poise of a flower blossom; Happiness – that light and bouncy feeling that accompanies everything from a friend’s smile to a luscious smell; and Peace – the sense of everything-is-as-it-should-be like a child waking up in her bed with the sun streaming in the window on a Saturday with nothing to do... which is the same feeling I seek in morning meditation and work to maintain throughout each day. -- Dana Theus, OP Business Manager & Owning Success Maestro

Glue Sticks and Belly Laughs!

It seems that everyday I have a craving for color, texture or glue sticks, so it's not difficult for me to tap into my inner child. The difficulty comes in making time to EXPRESS my inner child's desires. Since evolving the success of my personal blog is important to me right now, I justify making play essential by creating something I can use as a giveaway on my blog or artwork to share with my readers. Not only does it give me a chance to get down and dirty with pastels and acrylics, but it generally fires up the fuel of my readers to go out an play as well. -- Megan Monique, OP Community Manager & Craft Queen

You know those deep belly laughs? The kind that leave you gasping for air and crying and tend to show up in the least convenient places (church, classroom, serious talking-tos)? Yeah, those. I try to catch a good spell of the belly laughs as frequently as possible. Add to those a daily dance break (I recommend "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic", singing the woah-ohs at top volume, of course) and sparkle headbands (known in my household as "thinking caps") and my inner child ain't so inner. In fact, judging by the pile of laundry and dishes, I probably need to get in touch with my inner adult. Woah-oh, woah-oh, woah-oh... -- Lauren Nagel, OP Editor-in-Pink & Musical Mistress

What about you, Pinkies? What does the term "inner child" mean to you? Do you feel connected to your inner child, or do you want to work more regularly on that integration? How do you get your giggle on?