A Treat for Mother's Day

Mother's Day is fast approaching. In years past I haven't given much thought in to how Mother's Day would go, but this year, as I'm surrounded by my ever expanding brood, I'm realizing that in celebrating this day given to being a Mother, it's important that I, too, experience the day as I wish.

This year, in honor of Motherhood, I will be doing a three part series on how to celebrate the Mothers in your life, including  yourself. Yes, I am suggesting you celebrate just being you, the radical, amazing, beautiful Mother that you are! This series will include many wonderful things including a mind blowing giveaway from an amazing artisan who creates absolutely breathtaking pieces of work! I can't wait for you to see it!

Today, I would like to direct your attention toward a lovely discovery called Treat, a part of the Shutterfly family! Here is their description from their website::

 

www.treat.com

"Welcome to Treat, your online home for making, sending and putting some real love and personality back into greeting cards. Treat is all about customizing, personalizing and making your cards one-of-a-kind creations that could only come from you. We're talking about adding your own words and pictures so your cards stand out from the crowd and the person who receives them will be totally psyched—blown away actually. These aren't your typical boring greeting cards from the drugstore—these ones actually have thought behind them.  Our reminder service will make sure you never miss a birthday, anniversary or important milestone. At a loss for exactly the right words? Our Message Library will help inspire you. Need a gift on the fly? We got you covered with integrated gift cards printed right inside the card you create. Treat is fun and easy to use, but more importantly, helps connect you and all the people in your life in a more personal and caring way."

I was immediately intrigued because I am a sucker for a unique card and because of that, we always make our own cards or seek out those ultra unique ones at our local specialty stores. Our children really enjoy the process of creating a card; thinking of just the right words, what pictures to draw, and so on. Using Treat, you create your own card with the help of various templates available to you that you can make your own by adding your own photos and creating your own personal message. Your littlest ones would need assistance with the process but it would be a cinch for the older ones. Our eldest daughter, who is 11, created one all on her own. She uploaded a photo to the card she liked the best and changed the words in the template to create her own unique message. I also joined in on the fun and created one for my own Mother. We received our cards in the mail just the other day and they are beautiful. The cards are a heavy card stock paper, the photos are matte, and the colors are vibrant. I was most impressed with the quality of the photos. They are clear, no pixels are visible, and the colors are just as I would have hoped them to be. This is quite an improvement as our printer tends to give us photos of an interesting color palette, not like I would have hoped most times. 

If you'd like to check out some of the other templates available at Treat specifically for Mother's Day, click the photo below!

These are our cards! Aren't they beautiful?!

More Mother's Day Cards
 

There is a card for every season at Treat; birthday cards, holiday cards, and your everyday greeting cards. I can't help but think of the next birthday around the corner with a family of our size! What I absolutely can get behind is the scheduler that is available for your cards. You can create and schedule delivery of your unique card up to a year in advance! For me, that is revolutionary because typically speaking, I'm the one that ends up calling a day to two after the birthday has passed. That's not the most fun place to be and I look forward to growing out of that particular experience :)

 

 

I hope you come back tomorrow to see how we've been inspired through our Pinterest board and for a lovely craft idea that we're making for the Mama's we know and love xo 

 

 

The Art of Spring Cleaning

Well! We certainly wasted no time upon reentry of our 10 day holiday to dive right in and create mayhem in our home. These past few days have been warm and quite Springlike so we threw open the windows and inch by inch tore up the stacks and stuffiness of the back of the house (which inevitably means the rest of the house, too).  It all started with these shelves.......

 

These are my craft supply shelves. Over the past few months I haven't been the best at keeping things organized and when I am afforded the time to create I usually just leave everything laid out on our dining room table. Of course, we have to eat so everything gets quickly shoved into where ever it might fit. Ironically, these shelves still haven't been straightened! LOL

 

This is where we chose to begin. The closet. This 8'x10' room was a closet for 5 people! Me, Lee, Charlotte, Kiki and Seraphina. Utilizing dressers, shelves, and a homemade armoire we somehow (kinda) made it work. There is no door to this room so we  hung a curtain in the doorway to keep visitors eyes from drifting too deeply inside. We very rarely could keep it neat; clothes would easily pile up after being laundered, baskets captured most of the dirty clothes, and a myriad of other non-clothes items would find their way into this space simply because we lack the storage and space in this 1000 sq. ft., one floor, home.  Needless to say, I'm glad we made my craft shelves wait.

 

This was an in between shot. Partially finished but with plenty more yet to do.

 

This is what happened to the bathroom.....yes, that's a ton of stuff just piled into the bathtub!

 

This is Bella's room. The poor Dear had just cleaned her room and we took full advantage of the space while she was at her riding lesson. She just about cried when she saw this picture. I assured her it would be back in order before she went to bed, at it was......more or less!!!

 

This is the laundry space. Just stacks and stacks and stacks. Oy! I dreaded getting in here because a.) I couldn't just close a door and hide it, this space is right in our hallway. There was no way to avoid it and b.) all of the storage that exists was currently being used for other stuff. Where and how the heck was I going to somehow make room!!!

 

 

In the end, it was all well worth the suffering.

 

This is our finished bedroom. Just to give you an idea of why this is a monumental moment, my husband and I had shared a room with the 3 littles. A 10'x10' room that held a queen size bed, bunk beds, a dresser, a shelving unit, a co sleeper, a micro book shelf, and the cozy corner. Cozy in every sense of the word. For the first time in 7 years, Lee and I have our own room, we do share it still with Seraphina but we still feel like grown ups! Big people! It's just so nice.

 

 

This is my side of the room. Heaven!

 

 

This is now the "somewhat organized, at least manageable, I can reach what I need" laundry space. That huge black case to the left is my massage table. I'm finding that even though I'm not in school anymore (you can read more about that here) I'm still finding use for it, however obtrusive, it'll have to stay there for now.

 

 

The bathroom is back in order except for some shelves that need some minor organizing. For now, it's manageable. In case you were wondering, NO, there is nothing hiding behind the shower curtain!!!

 

 

 

This is Charlotte and Kiki's room. Where the long dresser on the right sits is where our bed used to be. Their room is largely acceptable. We still have clothes piles to contend with but they can be assimilated slowly and at a more leisurely pace.

 

 

This is a view to their bunks. Just out of bed but so much more room to jump into from bed. They have a huge bit of space to play in now, thank goodness. Next in here will be a new floor and some minor details like silk curtains and taking those stickers of the bed!! Those stickers used to go on our car window (we were those people!!!) I'll have to figure out another way for them to keep their prized "visit to the bank" stickers.

 

 

Now, I just have to clean off the dining room table and.......

 

 

.....reinvent this corner. This used to be Rosco's window. His bed was right under the window and gave him the perfect spot to watch us from his resting spot. The window will get spruced up, the radio in the corner will be moved, along with the stash of boxes from various trips to the basement that never got returned. My hope is that my craft shelves can fit here, those drawers can stay and be used for homeschool supplies and the like and a few really beautiful plants can sit atop the dresser  and soak up the sunshine from the south. For me, it feels really important to make that space a beautiful one to look at. I miss my boy everyday and to leave his spot empty just reminds us that his little body is gone. Gotta bring some life back into his space, make it a shared space.

 

 

This mess is our home.....and even though it feels so good when it's not quite as messy, it's doesn't feel any less like home even when it's the messiest.

 

Are you spring cleaning? How's it going for you?

 

Meet Flora and Blossom

 

Good Monday, friends! I'd like to take a moment and introduce you to my darlings, Flora and Blossom. These ladies will be sent away to my buddies in a peg doll swap that I'm participating in started by Margaret over at We Bloom Here. This is my first swap and I'm so excited!!

 

Bread feeds the body, indeed, but flowers feed also the soul. ~ The Koran



Hi! I'm Blossom :)

Hi! I'm Flora :)

 

For Little Hands :: Encouraging Spring

I'm trying to figure out how to work For Little Hands back into my weekly posts, I know consistancy is key and I'm not sure quite yet what the rhythm will look like. My thought this time around is to have it on Fridays as a way to kick of the weekend. I'll add more to it as the idea comes to fruition.

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We love the birds that come and visit our bird feeders; their sweet songs and round little bellies. It's a real joy to sit back and watch them and even when we don't, we know they're there and that brings a smile to our faces.

Here is an older post for you to enjoy(with wee hands in mind) about a simple way to interact with your neighborhood birds while  providing much needed nourishment.....at least where it's really wintry this time of year!

Look at my little Charlotte! She sure has grown! Oh my xoxo

Apple Blossom

Blossom of the apple trees!
Mossy trunks all gnarled and hoary,
Grey boughs tipped with rose-veined glory,
Clustered petals soft as fleece
Garlanding old apple trees!

How you gleam at break of day!
When the coy sun, glancing rarely,
Pouts and sparkles in the pearly
Pendulous dewdrops, twinkling gay
On each dancing leaf and spray.

Through your latticed boughs on high,
Framed in rosy wreaths, one catches
Brief kaleidoscopic snatches
Of deep lapis-lazuli
In the April-coloured sky.

When the sundown's dying brand
Leaves your beauty to the tender
Magic spells of moonlight splendour,
Glimmering clouds of bloom you stand,
Turning earth to fairyland.

Cease, wild winds, O, cease to blow!
Apple-blossom, fluttering, flying,
Palely on the green turf lying,
Vanishing like winter snow;
Swift as joy to come and go.

~ Mathilde Blind

Felted Wands

I've been dreaming of making these wands for my littles for a while now. I've envisioned the style, the materials, and how they would play together with them. The beautiful weather we've been having has been a major source of inspiration in deciding what crafts we do with and for the children. Seeing as we've been spending so much time our of doors, these ribbon dressed wands seemed so perfect.......the way the ribbons floated in the wind when they little ran with them, the colors of the felt gleaming in the sunshine. We've been dreaming up and making plans for our summer yard play scape and these wands felt like the perfect accompaniment to what we plan to create!

To make a Felted Wand you will need::

felt in various colors and shapes

embroidery floss in different colors

a tapestry needle (or whatever you prefer to work with)

wool batting

ribbon in different shades and cut lengths

glue gun

a stick

First, cut our your front and back piece in which ever shape suits you.

I decided on 3 different shapes for our wands, in various color felts.

Then attach your pieces together with whatever embroidery technique you like. 

Once you've layered and sewed your little pieces on to the front piece, attach the back
piece to the front, making sure to leave an opening wide enough at the bottom to gently stuff with your wool batting
and then to fit the stick in. The stick will have a knot at the top from the ribbon,
so make sure to account for that, too! Don't fill too full with the wool,
just enough to give it a little form and softness!

Next, gather your ribbon and cut pieces at various lengths. Tie the ribbon together
at the top of one end of your stick. We used a  stick from outside, the littles went on a
stick hunt to find just the right one for their wand. Push the ribbon knot end of your stick into
the opening of your felt piece, finish sewing as needed then secure with your hot glue gun.

The best part about finishing these was putting them in the hands of the littles and watching them run off and admire the ribbons flowing next to them. I'm excited to see how they use these in their imaginary play! It was also sweet to watch them place them on our Seasonal Table to snuggle in with the various decorations we have out to honor the Springtime.

In designing your wands, remember that you can create them to fit the needs and likes of either a boy or a girl! They invoke a feeling of magic and a sense of mirth in any child, it's beautiful to watch a child smile and giggle as they look at  a new toy that has been made just for them!

We've joined Donni today over at The Magic Onions for her Friday Nature Table. Why not pop on over and check out all the other amazing activities and projects for some inspiration and eye candy! Thank you, Donni, for offering up your space to us every Friday! It's such a joy to be a part of such a creative community xoxo

We've added a new photo album to our Facebook page for those who feel inspired to share their work. Hop on over, like our page, and add your photo to our timeline with a link to your blog or website or whatever is your source of inspiration. I will then add your photo to our album for anyone to peek through a find inspiration for activities or crafts to make for and/or with their children!

Other sites offering tutorials on wand making ::

Little Birdie Secrets

Natural Kids:: This one is just about identical to ours however is not the source of inspiration for our particular wands! I wanted to include this link in particular to show how easy it is to have an idea come to you and then in searching discover others who have had similar if not the same ideas. I feel it's important to give credit to any posts or links I come across as an homage to the inspiration we can all bring to each other in our creative endeavors!

Ribbon Wands

The Train to Crazy






The Spirit of Love :: Welcome Spring

"And Spring arose on the garden fair,
Like the Spirit of Love felt everywhere;
And each flower and herb on Earth's dark breast
rose from the dreams of its wintry rest."
~Percy Bysshe Shelley, "The Sensitive Plant"

It's Spring! It's Spring! The birds are celebrating! The flowers are bursting from their Winter beds! Father Sun is showering us with his warm embrace and Mother Earth is nourishing us with her abundant glory! Ahhhhh, to feel alive in the Springtime is Divine!

Our Springtime Seasonal Table

The littles upon waking and eager to see what the Springtime fairies have left them!

Joyous smiles and satisfaction in introducing Daffodil and Crocus to Mama and Papa Gnome!
We've joined Nicole at Frontier Dreams for her Keep Calm, Craft On series this week!
Thank you, Nicole, for offering your space to us!

We've been preparing for this day.......it's been easy as the days have been getting longer and the weather is just unbelievable! We've been planting seeds, prepping our vegetable gardens, cleaning out and making new flower beds, bestowing our Seasonal Table with new and wonderful gifts from the Earth. The littles have been outside almost all the daylight hours and the rhythm of life is as sweet as warm strawberries.

Speaking of rhythm (and changing topics for a moment), Rebecca at Bending Birches has recently reminded me of something I have been overlooking within her latest blog post and in an older article for Rhythm of the Home here. I find it profound and timely with the Spring Equinox upon us that I be called to reevaluate our home spaces. I find it a subtle message from the Universe that at this moment, at the beginning of a new season where balance is at the heartbeat of our next 24 hours, that I should seize this opportunity (with the bit of Spring fever) to accomplish a deeply meaningful goal......this is where it lead me::

I tend to cull out the children's toys frequently but never have I thought to keep them seasonal. So last evening as the family had wandered out to catch the last little bit of warmth and sunlight I began yet another digging in and purging of toys and books! I was amazed at how many books we had out and more than half of them were not ideal for this time of year. I left what I knew were favorites and took away what I knew hadn't been played with or looked at for quite some time! It feels so wonderful! You forget these little pieces when you try so hard to balance all the other areas in your life........how nice it feels to know that the children have toys that are appropriate on so many different levels; they're simple, quiet, they naturally stimulate their imagination, and even their books reflect the season (how silly would it be to read 'Twas the Night Before Christmas' on the first day of Spring?)! My goal is continue through the Springtime and go through, again, our personal spaces and gathering spaces and take out that which is not beautiful or needed any longer. My hope is to continue to create spaces that are inviting and relaxing, spaces that allow the Spirit to refresh itself in peace and harmony among the serenity of a humble room. We are minimalists to begin with (our home is only 1000 sq. ft.) so we truly can't have too much to begin with, however, there is always the need to let things go OR just revisit the notion to only invite those items which marry the mind, body, and soul.

~ Thank you, Rebecca for your continued inspiration!

Here is Miles resting with our basket of shells

It will be a lovely, warm Spring evening where we are. We'll dine alfresco with candles and flowers. We'll share our deepest thanks for all the blessings on the day and for being together.........it is in the Spirit of Love that I wish for you a warm, abundant, fulfilling, renewing, and blossoming Springtime!

"Spring has returned. The Earth is like a child that knows poems. "~Rainer Maria Rilke

It's beginning to look alot like Springtime

What gorgeous days we've been blessed with as of late.......70 degrees or warmer, sunshine, the return of our friendly songbirds and peepers, our grass is greening, and best of all......all our windows are OPEN!!!!

Sunday was an amazing day. A few days prior we had a cruise missle come through our home and leave 5 out of 6 of us with yet another stomach bug. We've been prone to these this winter for some reason and ironically I had just mentioned days before how I'd hoped we'd reached that time in the season where those types of illnesses are behind us! Nonetheless, Sunday was our big day out. Mostly everyone had energy but all were happy to be outside. We went on a excursion to pick up some organic seeds and a local potting soil mix that we enjoy using along with some winter hardy bulbs that I'll plant within the next few weeks once we've designed our newest flower bed. We were mindful to notice on our outing all the little bits and blossoms that have peeked their heads these past few day like coltsfoot, forsythia, daffodils, tree buds near bursting, crocus, and snowdrops. My husband joyfully aireated our vegetable beds while all the children began putting seeds into the soil in their own piece of the garden. The littles helped me start some seedlings that are now warming up in a corner of our neighbors hoop house. It was an oh so productive, Spring feverish kinda day!

Our Seasonal Table got a makeover as well. We added a fresh bunch of cuttings from our lilac bushes that are begin to leaf out and some branches of pussy-willow (their branches will soon hold a lovely ensemble of flower fairies, birds, and springtime flowers), our bowl of earth is awaiting seeds (which should be going in anyday so they sprout in time for Easter), our lone candle sits unlit in honor of the queit and solitude of the Lenten season, and 4 miniture empty terra cotta pots have arrived with the hope of being blessed to hold and nurture a seed or two. This time of year is so exciting and even though the warmth and newness of fresh blossoms and buds have arrived early we're diving in head first, understanding that March and April could still produce a frost or two or even a snowfall. But for now, our homes are warm and full of sunshine, our windows are open, and we are out of doors basking in the glory of this most amazing gift of Spring.

Since 'green' is still a newish word around here we decided to bring a little more of the outside inside by creating a terrarium. It's so much fun for the kids to watch as the little ecosystem inside the jar creates moisture and mist. I've hidden a few small bulbs inside (along with some succulent jade) in hopes that they will begin to sprout within the weeks ahead, maybe in time for Easter.

To Make a Terrarium

you will need::

A good sized jar (a lid isn't necessary)

rocks

activated charcoal

moss

soil

plants and/or seeds that will live in your terrarium

decorations like pretty stones, dragon tears, shells etc.

Wash and dry your containor

Fill the bottom with a good layer of stones

Add a layer of activated charcoal (this helps purify the water and keeps it from getting all slimy!)

Next, place your piece of moss over the charcoal and stones

Place your soil on top of the moss. Add a good amount so your plants have something to hold on to.

Add your plants and decorations as they fit and give your terrarium and nice healthy spray of water.

And there you have it! A mini ecosystem that can live on your table or in a window for all to watch blossom and grow!

March

from Around the Year by Elsa Beskow

March is an old man,

old and cold,

grey beard and weary.

He sits there

 melting the snow,

tempting the catkins,

the pussy-willow twigs,

watched by the coltsfoot,

the first signs of Spring.

Soon he'll be going,

the grass will turn green.

Soon warm sun

will melt him,

and he will be gone.

If it's beginning to look like Springtime where you are, how are you welcoming

the beauty of it all into your home?

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