Post-Matilda Post

Oh Sam I love the images you've pulled together. Did you know I was thinking about being a fox for Halloween? I have these grand notions of a papier-mache mask. If I get my act together... Do you have a good papier-mache receipe? I'll have to find one.

Yes, a fieldtrip to see Mr. Fox is an excellent idea.



And testament to just how in sync we are, we are reading Matilda! K has taken to counting the "naughty" words as we go along. Seven in last night's chapter. We watched the movie over the weekend.

Other books we are into right now:

Fanny & Annabelle by Holly Hobbie

As a child of the 70s, I have a soft-spot for anything Holly Hobbie. This is a hit with the 5 yr old, and is a follow-up to her beloved Fanny. (I think Fanny is the better of the two. Such a good book!) Oh, but this one made David cry!

George and Martha by James Marshall

Heavy rotation again with the 5 yr old. Good stuff.

Annie Finkle's Rules for Girls: Stage Fright

The 8 year old likes this series, and this one is the latest. She is going through a book every day and half now! I think I'll to put her onto Enid Blyton - I loved the Famous Five when I was 8.

Beyond the Bakesale: The Essential Guide to Family School Partnerships

Guess who is reading this one? Ha! I have to say, though it is written for Public School Administrators and Teachers, I am finding it very inspirational, and thought-provoking.

Lighting Their Fires by Rafe Esquith

And this too. He is my go-to when I am feeling discouraged about our Public School system. Is there a theme here?!

The Grand Central Baking Book

Counteracting my Beyond the Bakesale reading. I LOVE this book. Molasses cookies on the schedule today.

How To Be Free by Tom Hodgkinson

Ok, thought I should include what is on David's nightstand. I bought this for him, reading about it somewhere - can't remember now.

Listen up!

On a tip from Blair today, I picked up a ::free:: episode of Boomerang. Get it here. If you don't know Boomerang, their tagline is "it's like Public Radio for kids".

Check it out!

what's for lunch?

today:
nitrite-free oven-roasted turkey on whole grain bread with mayo and mustard
organic dill pickle
carrot sticks (chopped myself)
organic grapes and strawberries
organic whole grain pretzels
H2O

packed in:
lead and bpa free lunchbags from hanna anderson
bento boxes picked up at comic con by a friend
kids konserve stainless steel containers
klean kanteens

I find making lunches one of the biggest challenges of the school year. What are you packing?

On Our Bookshelf

Our copy of Blueberry Girl just arrived. I had seen it for the first time over the summer and fell in love. Written by Neil Gaiman for Tori Amos's daughter - his god-daughter - it is a wonderful read with a powerful message. (And was a wonderful gift for my blueberry girls as they started out on a new school year.)

What I Did On My Summer Vacation.

While we spent half the summer here in Los Angeles - doing those L.A. summer things (beach, camp, beach, swimming lessons, beach), we spent the other half at the cottage up in British Columbia.

Our favourite activity is always beachcombing - and the beaches of "our island" are ripe for this sort of thing. As we continued to collect rocks, driftwood and shells we pondered what we would do with it all. We started with jewellery. And windchimes. Then settled on mobiles.



The challenge of balance and movement added to the activity. And I am quite pleased with how they turned out.



The process wasn't complicated. We drilled holes in the wood, and shells at the positions we wanted things to hang. (The big kid loved this.) We then tied hemp twine onto the wood, hung the piece from a hook, and worked attaching shells to obtain the desired weight distribution for the mobile to work. We needed some extra weight on one side so added a rock, wrapping it in twine to attach. Balance and Motion. (Ahh! Science!)



We liked it so much, we made another to bring back to Cali - a reminder of wonderful summer days gone by, but not forgotten!

Garden Box

My eldest daughter and I recently took an organic gardening class together (at one of our fave local haunts, Green and Greener). The class was geared towards kids - with lots of talk of vermiculture and "oooohs" over the definition of "casings".

The best part for me was the box we got to bring home.



The instructor (John Lyons of The Woven Garden - who is a wonderful teacher)had the kids plant a variety of items - bulbs (shallots), seeds (cat grass), seedlings (pansies) and plants (strawberries) into a wooden wine crate he had procured from a neighborhood restaurant.

The little box has been receiving a lot of TLC and happily growing on our patio. Happy plants - and happy reuse!

Sweet Dreams

One of my favourite things to sew for the girls are PJs.

Will be adding this pattern from Oliver and S to my list.

found via inchmark journal

Rainy-Day Salt Dough

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup salt
about 1/3 cup water (to desired texture)
a tsp or so of vegetable oil

Mix

Play

(You may add food colouring if desired. Or we bake for 4 hours at 250F then paint. Unused dough may be stored in an airtight container / plastic bag for a couple of days.)

Carded

Lots of other great handmade Valentine's appearing...

Love these by over at all buttoned up with the pretty fabric hearts.



And a riff on the same at uniform studio - this time using paper hearts.




more inspiration to be found
purlbee
angry chicken

happy heart day

We are falling for the old stand-by again this year.



Crayon hearts. Wrapped up in brown-wax paper bags with doily closures a la little birds

Crayons based on the instructions over at MSL

Green Giving :: For the Kids

Looking to reduce the impact of the holidays on our wallets - and on our planet - we are making a concerted effort this year to rethink our gift giving strategy. With the kids, we have not completely outlawed the idea of buying something off their wish lists, but are also looking at alternatives. Handmade, secondhand, local and experiential gifts will all be found under the tree (and in the stockings) this year.

My eldest daughter is a passionate writer - documenting our every move in her self-defined "Realistic Fiction" style. ("I know it didn't happen that way Mom, but it could have!") For her, I found a manual typewriter on ebay - under $30 with shipping! Not too shabby. And cute to boot. (It even types in - gasp! - cursive!)



I have included a new ribbon, and a stack of blank 100% recycled paper. As her story sharing has spread to numerous letters to her Grammee and her friend on the other side of the city, I also plan to include some unbleached recycled envelopes and a packet of (much coveted) stamps.

Green Giving :: For the Kids

cross-posted at sewgreen

December has arrived, and Advent has begun in our house. The countdown to Christmas is a tradition brought from my own childhood where we would be rewarded daily with a new picture to discover behind the flap of a paper Advent calendar. In an effort to minimize "stuff" - and inspired by Stephanie - we made a move to a homemade "experiential" calendar a couple of years back, where every night would bring us a new activity. Build a Fort. Take a Walk to look at the neighborhood lights. Have breakfast for dinner. Write letters to Santa. Lie in the backyard and look at the stars. We tucked these ideas, written down on paper, into numbered miniature stockings I made out of felt and hung by the chimney with care.

There are many great ideas for handmade advent calendars to be found. A few from flickr:

1. first, 2. advent calendar, 3. Baby sock advent calendar..., 4. Advent garland, 5. Advent calendar for the boy, 6. advento, 7. advento, 8. stockings 1234, 9. Advent calendar, 10. advent calendar, 11. stockings_1234, 12. advent calendar


and more at the Creative Advent Calendars group.


And this great pattern over at the Purl Bee.





Another source of holiday inspiration, the New American Dream website is chalk-full of ideas. I find myself rereading many of the articles this time of year. A good start here.

Stubby Pencil Studio

I discovered Stubby Pencil Studio through Soule Mama and Angry Chicken. At last, a eco art supplies resource! I ordered a bunch of stuff for holiday presents and I couldn't be happier.

The Ecologic Colored Pencils in the wooden box are really beautiful, and the
Clipper Junior Tri Pencils just look fantastic.

All the Way to the Ocean

find it here

If you are in Los Angeles, Joel Harper will be reading his book on Saturday, October 11 at Green and Greener in Valley Village. Details here.

Heath(en)

I love Heath ceramics. Am absolutely smitten with their new kids line.


$135 at the Heath website

And oh so happy that they are opening up a shop in L.A. (Alongside another of my favourite potters, Adam Silverman.) Swoon!

Moop Kids!

I love my Moop Market Bag - so was obviously excited when they introduced their kids! line.


organic cotton bookbag $86 at moopshop.com

If you like, they will even personalize it with your child's name!

Baby Bean Vintage Daywear

I stumbled upon Baby Bean Vintage Daywear at a neighborhood childrens store a few weeks ago and I have to tell you I'm completely smitten. Started by Christine Visneau in 2004, each collection is "crafted from and inspired by" vintage fabrics and handmade by Christine and a few stay at home moms in Dallas, Texas.



Most of all I love the simpleness of the silhouettes combined with the fun of the vintage fabrics.

Shut Up and Drive

Finally, some organic bedding and clothes for kids with a little bit of attitude. Pixel Organics has a line of "supercharged" organic cotton sheets even my five-year-old would be impressed with.















I'm also loving the Scary Fish receiving blanket, beanie, and pants.
















Via ecofabulous.

Fig Organics

Remember the cat dress?

In keeping with my children's recent obsession with undershirts...

More goodness from Fig Organics


$28 at Black Wagon

(And they have one of the most fun websites i know)

Recycled Paper Tube Ornaments

My mom (a kinder and first grade teacher for many many years) put me onto this one.

Slice up a paper towel or similar paper roll into rings about 2 inches wide.

Let the kids decorate! We painted the tubes, brought out the glitter glue and dipped into our stash of pompoms, sequins and googly eyes.



Voila.



Ready for the tree - and easy for little fingers to hang themselves. Simply place ring over the end of a branch.