SouleMama

SouleMama Sponsor ~ Imagine Childhood ~

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Today, I bring you a giveaway from SouleMama Sponsor, Imagine Childhood. In their words:

 ... a little nature... a little imagination... a lot of play. Toys, tools and activities for growing minds. Imagine Childhood is a family owned and operated company offering high quality environmentally conscious toys and activities that encourage exploration, creativity, and open-ended unstructured play.

Follow along with Imagine Childhood on their blog, and be sure to visit the new Summer Guide!

SouleMama: What is the product or offering that you're most excited about right now? Tell us about it.

Imagine Childhood: The project that we are so excited to share is our new book! 

IMAGINE CHILDHOOD: Exploring the World Through Nature, Imagination and Play - 25 Projects that spark curiosity and adventure
By Sarah Olmsted

After many months of writing, crafting, and revising, ink is now making its way onto paper, and we couldn't be more pleased with the result. Working with Roost Books on this project has been a true dream and we can't wait to share the finished book with you!

Although it won't be in book stores until October 16th you can sneak a peek at a few of the pages here.

Imagine Childhood is also currently available for pre-order from various book outlets as well as directly from Roost Books.

SouleMama: What's your greatest art/craft skill, and what's something you'd like to learn more about?

Imagine Childhood: I would say my greatest crafting skill is my willingness to be terrible at something. I've always been the type of person to jump feet first into a new project, most often with little to no experience in the area I am jumping into.  This process can lead to interesting moments, (where what I'm working on looks nothing like what it was supposed to... and I'm not quite sure if it ever will), but I have always found my way through in the end. Not to mention, the amazing teachers that mistakes can be.  When you have to take something apart 100 times before it goes together correctly, you really learn how it works.

As for something I'd like to learn more about, lately I've been looking into building musical instruments from scratch, perhaps starting with an acoustic guitar. Sound is such a mysterious and curious creature.  I would love to get to know her better by learning more about what makes her sing.

SouleMama: What advice do you have to a new artist/crafter/maker looking to make a business out of their passion?

Imagine Childhood:My advice to someone looking into turning their passion into a business is to build your business around a structure that allows you to stay passionate.  Everything, even our favorite things, can become tedious when they become "tasks" or if there is too much time pressure on production (believe me, I've been there). If you can find a rhythm that works well with your life, where you have the time to enjoy the craft of your process, you will always love what you do.

SouleMama: Do you have a favorite quote? 

Imagine Childhood: Today it's:  "And now that you don't have to be perfect, you can be good." ~ John Steinbeck

 

For today's giveaway, Imagine Childhood is generously offering the following to ONE winner:

~ a $100 gift certificate to Imagine Childhood!

In addition, Imagine Childhood is offering 10% of all orders placed between now and July 5th, as well as free shipping for all orders over $100. Use code "soulemama" at checkout.  Discount expires 7/5/12. 

  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

To enter today's giveaway, please leave a comment (one entry per person, please) in today's post. I'll close comments by 9am EST on Sunday, and announce the winner(s), chosen via Random Number Generator, shortly after. Comments closed! The winner is....

Lovely!
Posted by: Kelli

Thank you to Imagine Childhood!

{this moment}

. . . . . . . .

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

harvesting :: garlic scapes

The garlic is tucked away, outside of the main garden, in its own little spot this year. A spot I'm not often inclined to check up on, honestly. It wasn't until Adelaide and Harper came skipping into the house one day last week donning curly green bracelets and necklaces, that I knew it was time to prune the garlic. Planted in the fall, come this time of year, the green shoots known as the scapes grow, and begin to flower. Pruning them keeps all the plants energy going right back into the bulb which is just where I want it to be this time of year. Making big, strong, tasty garlic bulbs which are only a month or two away. Yum.

Oh, but the mighty garlic scape is ready now! Not just the highest accessory in farm fashion, and certainly not just a shoot to be cast aside, it's quite a tasty little treat. I add them to all sorts of meals, but our favorite way to eat them is to make a pesto out of them. There is likely a sea of recipes online for garlic scape pesto, so I won't unecessarily fill the sea with more. And truth be told, pesto making never is an exact science around here. I start with all the garlic scapes I want to use tossed into my food processor, and add toasted pine nuts, parmesan, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper until it tastes just right. Then it goes right on top of pasta, crackers, crispy carrots as a dip, and yes, even on top of fried eggs. 

Do you have a favorite way to eat garlic scapes? Do share!

hello, muddah*

(*Sorry, the song's been stuck in my head for weeks, I couldn't resist sharing that. Ahem.)

In just a matter of days, we will drop my baby boy off at sleepaway camp. Scratch that. My baby boy is really my eleven-year old, pre-teen, confident, adventurous, independent, and capable, but-will-always-be-my-baby...baby boy Calvin. He's beyond excited (mixed with a bit of nerves, says his Mama who knows him well), and we are all very excited for him (mixed with nostalgia from his parents and jealousy from his siblings). 

We've been busy preparing for his time away - labeling all of his clothes as requested by the camp (really?), airing out the sleeping bag, choosing just the right books to bring, and practicing with the disposable cameras they request (nothing digital allowed). Naturally, I had to find a way to get a little bit of sewing and Mama-made into his camp bags. The many weeks away - with no phone calls or Skyping or anything of the sort - will mean a bit of letter-recieving and writing. Something to hold all of that seemed like the perfect way to send him off with something a little handmade.

I already have two patterns of my very own that would work for such a thing. But the Gratitude Wrap felt too cumbersome and frilly with the ties for this modern, keep-it-simple guy of mine, and I knew the wide open singular pocket of the Letter Satchel in Handmade Home would annoy the tidy, organized part of him. So I put a little something else together. A simple wrap, in a sturdy vintage striped linen. I added a few pieces of stamped linen that we made together years ago now (that are featured in The Rhythm of Family). Inside are pockets for a journal and pen, address book, blank letters to write and a place for letters received. (And a family photo tucked ever so discreetly amidst it all.) It's all held together with a bit of elastic and a yummy wood button from Mystic Orb. 

And now the last thing that I think I'll need to make for this summer adventure of his is perhaps a handkercheif that I'll use just the second I get back in the car after giving a cheery and excited goodbye to my baby boy.

Oh....but what adventure awaits him! These are exciting times...growing up and into the people they are.

garden evolution

June 2010

This space has changed so much since that June day two years ago when we first walked this property and thought maybe - just maybe - this place was The One. Here, in this particular spot, was an overgrown, many years neglected garden so thick we could barely walk through it, and an outbuilding that only the bravest amongst us traveled to in order to explore it.

September 2010

Before we even moved into the house, we moved some chickens in here. (What can I say? we were excited to get started!) Knowing that, ultimately, we'd want chickens to be on-the-go, rotating pastures...but for starts, this seemed like the best place. It was what we had ready. We "fixed up" that outbuilding to work for the laying birds, and watched as they transformed this space with their foraging and walking about - over the next year and a half - into something else altogether.

April 2012 (Aren't all chickens fed in vintage faux fur coats with a fairy on the hip and a half naked pink-booted wizard at the side? Hmn.)

Last years garden parcel (just outside of this fenced acre), now that it has been tilled (by the pigs) and is in a healthy state, will become an extention of the 'orchard' we are growing and cultivating. And I've moved my sights on a more permanent, fenced-in garden space here. With the chickens now moved out and on their way to pasture rotation, that garden transformation has begun. It's a full acre - the back half of which we'll separate for turkeys or other rotating-through-animals as needed, and the other half...for forever garden. Vegetables, herbs, some perrenials, a future greenhouse, and that outbuilding that we'll transform into the cutest little garden shed there ever was (trust me, it'll be cute, just give me a year). I'm excited. 

May 2012

Reading all of that through sounds complicated and tiresome. Oh, but it feels anything but, I have to say. It feels alive, and on track, and in motion. It feels so good. It feels good to be nurturing this land as it transforms, to be digging in the soil that our chickens have been on, our sheep, and other livestock years before that, to be making steps towards a vision of a dream one growing season at a time. 

June 2012

As our days get crunched far beyond our expectations and plans, sometimes things happen later or slower than intended. Such is the case with this years garden. We just last week moved those chickens out of here, and just last week, were able to fully claim the garden as my own (temporary fencing not-so-smoothly divided garden and chickens for a month or so of transition time). All of that means that I lost a few things along the way - the peas were almost all eaten by the chickens flying over the fence, the tomatoes were half drowned before we realized we had a drainage problem here, nearly everything got planted later than it did last year, and the kale mysteriously disappeared too (I blame just one chicken named Angry, who really isn't angry, just very smart). But that's okay. All in good time, all in good time, we remind ourselves.  All in good time will this garden feed our family. All in good time will there be a new roof on this 'garden shed' of mine. All in good time will there be permanent pathways and a little table under the roof of the garden shed at which I'll sit and drink tea (and spin? oh yes!). All in good time will vines cover the fences and gates and arches be built and on and on and on the garden dreaming goes.

this week

Because for now there are weeds to pull in between nearly every vegetable growing. For now there is more cardboard to lay down. For now there is much mulch to be found. For now there are big boys eager to help me hoe another row. For now there are little boys to share my garden tools with. For now there are little girls who would like some help wrapping twine for her pea trellis, and another trip to the nursery for her favorite snapdragons. For now there are babies on my back, singing and pulling my hair. For now, there is another day to be had. One row at a time.

I love this garden of mine.

:: right now ::

Right now, I am...

:: congratulating my players, coach Papa, and myself too, on a successful baseball season free from broken hearts or broken bones. (Phew!) 

:: feeling grateful to have our leisurely family dinners back without the rush of a game or practice to follow.

:: enjoying the season continuing in the backyard. (Baseball Season never really ends.)

:: loving all the activity the game cabinet is getting in this stretch of rainy afternoons we're having (Orchard, fittingly, seems to be the game of the season).  

:: remembering that there are leftovers from last night's strawberry rhubarb crisp.

:: thinking that might be breakfast. There's oatmeal in the crisp, right?

:: wondering if there's still time to pick more strawberries.

:: hoping the extra grounding rods we put in this weekend keep those piggies in place.

:: anticipating the arrival of Ann Shayne's (of Mason-Dixon Knitting) new novel, Bowling Alley, as the fun summer read I've been looking for. 

:: listening to the new Brandi Carlile album, Bear Creek, and really liking it a lot.

:: running out of fleece to spin!

:: casting on for Little Oak, from Coastal Knits. 

:: watching Ezra out my window practicing his latest breakdance moves, white gloves, fresh mohawk and all.

:: drying out tents and sleeping bags over every chair in my kitchen, in anticipation of a little family adventure this week.

:: packing bug nets, swimsuits, and rain gear for seven. Oh my.

:: saying a little prayer that the rain holds off, the bugs are mild, and that the baby likes sleeping on the ground. 

:: looking forward to being there...in all the silence, beauty, and connection to be found deep in the woods.

:: wishing you all a most lovely start to your week, whatever adventures it may hold for you!

SouleMama Sponsor ~ Sarah's Silks ~

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Today, I bring you a giveaway from SouleMama Sponsor, Sarah's Silks. In their words:

"Sarah's Silks is paysilks, dress-ups, simple toys to inspire imaginative play."

Follow along with Sarah's Silks on their blog!

SouleMama: What inspires you?

Sarah: Right now I am interested in how important play is for young children and their brain development. Here is an example from my readings: imagination is the activity of blending neutral patterns. Taking two or more things that don't exist together and blending them together in the mind. Then a third thing emerges that never existed at all. Children do it naturally and much better than we do. So we think it must be easy, but it is really hard work developing and growing the brain in this way. 3-4 year olds do it best! As they get a little older there is more storytelling involved. Watching children play, with a playsilk and a piece of wood I can understand what this means. One child says, "I'll be the mommy, I need a baby", so she puts the wood into the silk, wraps it up and cradles it in her arms. The other one, accepts that this is the baby, and goes on to say, "I will cook us some dinner". With more formed toys less imagination is needed. Possibly fewer pathways are formed? I wonder!

 

For today's giveaway, Sarah's Silks is generously offering the following to TWO winners:

~ a $50 gift certificate to use at the Sarah's Silks website!

In addition, Sarah's Silks is offering SouleMama readers 10% off your order, with coupon code soulemama. Offer ends June 25th, 2012 at midnight.

  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 To enter today's giveaway, please leave a comment (one entry per person, please) in today's post. I'll close comments by 9am EST on Monday, and announce the winner(s), chosen via Random Number Generator, shortly after. Comments closed! The winners are...

LOVE her silks!!!
Posted by: Ida

Thanks for the giveaway. Love the thoughts on imagination!
Posted by: Katy

Thank you to Sarah's Silks!

 

SouleMama Sponsor ~ Ace & Jig

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Today, I bring you a giveaway from SouleMama Sponsor, Ace & Jig. In their words:

"A main drive behind ace&jig was focus and clarity. We wanted to create a seasonless women's collection loosely based on one fabrication. Not denim, tees or knitwear, we wanted to create our own yarn-dye woven fabric. A fabric that could lead many lives, and tell many stories. We wanted to create effortless clothes where the fabric could speak for itself. Our search led us to India where we found our ideal manufacturer. Textile specialists for over twenty five years, our partner has an ancient hand loom on site where we can work with the weavers one on one. Equally important, they share our same morals and values while practicing the holistic kaizen philosophy of continuing to improve. Not only do they provide free childcare, but they also use reclaimed water to grow organic produce for their employees. We wanted to manipulate this cloth into aesthetically beautiful yet functional items. Accessible clothes that are not overstyled, pieces that you keep forever and love. Our silhouettes hope to be quintessential pieces that live and travel with you.

Our website is a presentation of the Ace&Jig aesthetic for the general public. It showcases the clothing that is created to best represent the moral fiber of the brand and the press that have explored its elements."

SouleMama: Tell us about your background. What path led you to the work you do today?

Ace & Jig: Jenna hails from our Northern neighbor in Vancouver, Canada and Cary is from Virginia. Both of us have design degrees-Jenna’s being from FIT and Cary’s from Savannah College of Art & Design. So, we both share a sturdy grasp on our fashion roots. The spark that ignited the infectious fashion seed for us began in early girlhood when both of us took the hands on approach to style: Cary was happily immersed while sorting through her grandmother’s antique collection and Jenna meticulously knitted various clothes for her beloved cats. Neither of us has ever entertained doing anything other than what we are doing now- designing and creating effortless, unique and one-of-a-kind women’s wear. Previous to the birth of Ace & Jig in 2010, (quite literally birth- we both had children-Ace is the initials of Cary’s daughter Alice and Jig the initials of Jenna’s son James) we treaded in the fugacious fashion waters as the creative directors of the ultra trendy brand LaRok. The shift over to creating Ace & Jig was a natural step for us because we wanted to create pieces that were a portrayal of our creative thoughts for our friends, as well as ourselves! Ace & Jig’s aesthetic is a natural portrait of our shared sense of fashion and is our way of expressing the luminosity of timeless, comfortable and easily worn garments. 

SouleMama: What inspires you?

Ace & Jig: We are totally under the influence of textiles. Ace & Jig is a truly romantic story about textiles - one of the alluringly potency and warmth of a tangible and wearable art. European vintage burlap sacks that have sustained a time lost with grace and beauty or the vibrant hues incorporated into daily life in India, (where our manufacturer is) turning the mundane into something no less than a vision. We are known to shamelessly rummage through anonymous baskets at a flea market brimming over with a true smorgasbord of materials. This tangible experience propels us into a creative space because we are able to freely explore the many faces of textiles old and new. Inspirational material is so subjective! To the extent that our children’s creative endeavors (whether it be a finger painting or necklace) translate into creative thoughts. And of course, those halcyon moments that burst brilliantly through the constant movement of running a business make the inspiration all the more feasible. 

SouleMama: What's your favorite part of your job? The most challenging?

Ace & Jig: Something that we both cherish is that we are able to be our own bosses! This entails making our own schedules and having the luxury of our own space and time to design and develop. It certainly cultivates a less stressful working environment. Working beside your best friend isn’t too bad either! Another added positive is that we were able to create a business that is very personal and organic. We travel to India several times a year to participate in the creative process of choosing our dyes and experiencing the daily life (our kiddos savor the colorful goodies we schlep home with us and we savor the Indian cuisine!). These trips help us to remain in touch throughout the whole creative production of our one-of-a kind pieces. We work closely with a man who has been running the looms and space to develop textiles for over 25 years! He is truly a seasoned “textile guru”. There is childcare available for all of the workers, fresh fruits and vegetables grown on site, all clothes are hand dyed, and all materials that can be recycled- are. Our manufacturing facility attributes their success to following the Kaizen philosophy, which was originated in Japan and stresses the importance of improvement with every day. We have honestly lucked out with the discovery of our manufacturer. Happy workers translate into happy clothes! Now, we are not to go on without mentioning how challenging running a business can be- between the paperwork, accounting and overall management there are days when the creative juices are utterly stagnant and completely untapped. Alas, it is the gift of our trips to India that we truly cherish.

SouleMama: How does the balance of work and family play out for you?

Ace & Jig: Ace & Jig is a projection of our lifestyle; so we try to incorporate one with the other. We just gave a cool presentation to Alice and James’s classes at school about the process of weaving including dyeing of yarn and handlooms. Three/ four year olds produce can produce amazing fabric! If Alice and James are invigorated by an awesome experience with our clothes whether it is seeing how it is made or feeling the fabrics for themselves- we are doing something right. Times like these assure us that we manifest bouts of balance! We recognize that there is more opportunity for us to balance our lives as mothers through our capacity to “rule the roost” and be our own bosses. 

For today's giveaway, Ace & Jig is generously offering the following THREE separate giveaway gifts:

The Vermillion Weekend Dress

The Boro Pocket Skirt

The Provence Pullover

(All photographed above. Not all sizes are available for all pieces, but we'll work with you to find something just right. As we mentioned- all of our pieces are made with one-of-a-kind fabrics!)

  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 To enter today's giveaway, please leave a comment (one entry per person, please) in today's post. I'll close comments by 8am EST on Sunday, and announce the winner(s), chosen via Random Number Generator, shortly after. Comments closed! The winners are:

The Weekend Dress ~ 

Great designs, yet it is the story of the textiles and the weavers/makers in India that really intrigues me. A wonderful partnership to hear about, and to support. Thank you for the introduction!
Posted by: Andrea in VT

The Pocket Skirt ~ 

COVET! Oh yes, please. :)
Posted by: m

The Pullover ~ 

they are living the dream! Inspiring
Posted by: Marie

Thank you to Ace & Jig!

{this moment}

. . . . . . . .

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

this summertime morning

The early morning summertime light comes bursting into the windows and streaming across the hall. I peel myself out from underneath sticky baby legs and arms - wrapped and stuck together like a pretzel - just as quietly as I can, tiptoeing around the spots in the floorboards I know will otherwise creak to wake my baby, and alter my morning plan.

Looking across the hall as I slip downstairs, I smile at the empty beds, remembering their excitement in backyard tent sleeping last night with fireflies, flashlights, and baseball games buzzing well into the dark.

Before tea, before anyone else is woken by me and asking anything of me...I slip out the door. It's so early, and the sun is so bright, the air already thickening. It's going to be warm today.

But for now, it's light enough and cool enough to slowly and quietly work. Diapers go on the line. I let the squawking chickens out of their coop, saving the rest of the morning animal chores for later. I check on the garden, pulling some weeds around the beans. Slowly, quietly, and completely - without anyone to ask a question or bring my attention anywhere but here and now.

Maybe it's only twenty minutes, a half an hour at best. First, I hear the zipper on the tent opening and two groggy, but happy children pouring out. Then from inside I hear the beginnings of breakfast with a tea kettle and a squeaky baby. And headed towards me on a bicycle next comes my little guy with a proper "Mornin' Mama! Watch this!"

And the rest of the day begins.

Today will be warm. Too warm to do too much work, I think. But still, there will be (many) animals to feed and water and care for, and (many) children too. This afternoon, we host a gathering of family - a celebration we're all looking forward to - and there is much to do before everyone arrives. This will be a busy day, a full one.

These early summer morning moments feel a bit like a prayer that I want to carry with me through the rest of my day. A quiet, still and peaceful prayer for gentleness to follow all the day long.

fourteen hands

Oh, the help we have around here! It is funny and sweet, sometimes bossy and sassy, often distracting and surprising....but always helpful. In all the ways that seven sets of hands can be helpful, anyway.

The rhythm to building something around here is much like the rhythm to knitting a sweater around here. One row at a time, one piece at a time. A door between baseball games. A latch between diaper changes. And in moments of frustration at the pace, when one seemingly "little" project makes its way onto the top of our to-do list day after day and week after week without completion? That's precisely when we remind ourselves and each other of all these helping hands and the pace they set. The pace of life we love, the pace that means we're all attended to, and we're all in this together.

We (all fourteen hands) recently finished this portable chicken coop for our laying ladies. It, along with the ladies themselves, have now been moved from one (tired and in need of a break) pasture into this main pasture. Alongside the chickens and the pigs (who aren't really supposed to be in there, but that's another story for another day), they're settling in quite well to a new space and new surroundings. 

Can you hear those seven sighs of relief at a job all done? Ah.....

in wool!

Well, my goodness. All that handspinning really does make yarn! Bumpy, lumpy, funny little skeins of yarn, but yarn nonetheless. Yarn that can then be knit into things like a quick little hat. A hat that make little boys giggle on the eighty degree morning his Mama asks him to put it on. A hat that sends that Mama right back to the roving for more.

Oh, this is fun...

in gratitude

This morning, I find my thoughts wandering towards and my heart filling up with gratitude for sisters.

When we were four teenage girls together, fighting over bathrooms and and boyfriends and clothes, I remember imagining what it would be like when we were older, grown up, and parents ourselves. But I couldn't have imagined, of course, just how wonderful it would be to watch each of my little sisters slide on into the role of motherhood as they have each done with such grace. The baby wearing, breastfeeding, snuggling, attentive and loving Mamas that they all are makes me so proud of them in that perfectly annoying but very sincere way that older sisters can't help themselves from feeling. As different as we all are, and as varied as our paths may be, I feel blessed when we are together. They are such good Mamas, these sisters of mine.

This weekend we gathered to meet my latest niece, bringing the total cousin count there to twelve. Oh, all those baby toes and fingers, and cousin love that picks up right where you left off, and goes on and on through childhood. True goodness.

~ ~ ~ ~ 

Care to share a single gratitude that's most present in your heart this morning? If you feel inspired, join along in the comments here today....

SouleMama Sponsor ~ Christopherus Homeschool Resources ~

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Today, I bring you a giveaway from SouleMama Sponsor, Christopherus Homeschool Resources. In the words of the creator, Donna Simmons:

Christopherus Homeschool Resources provides books, curriculum and audio downloads for Waldorf homeschoolers, parents and teachers (early years through grade 8). Our materials are reliable, flexible, and empowering, based firmly in anthroposophy and the traditions of Waldorf education. Our website is a great place to learn about Waldorf education and homeschooling!

Follow along with Donna on The Homeschool Journey blog.

SouleMama: Tell us about your background. What path led you to the work you do today?

Donna: My beginnings in Waldorf education began when I was 4 and was sent to the Rudolf Steiner School in New York City. Fourteen years later I graduated and attended Sarah Lawrence College where I studied history, creative writing, political science and child psychology. I have maintained my connection to Waldorf education as an early childhood educator, grades teacher, high school teacher, parent educator and, crucially, as a homeschooling parent. Christopherus arose from a combination of seeing the need for clear and doable Waldorf curriculum for homeschoolers put together with the needs of my own homeschooling family.

SouleMama: Tell us about the beginnings of your business.

Donna: Back in 2003 I found myself very ill, lying on the couch, leafing through a conventional homeschool resource catalog in search of inspiration.  Appalled by the triviality and lack of creativity of many of the resources, I found myself thinking, “I can do better than this.” Sitting straight up, I declared out loud, “I CAN do better than this!” And with that, Christopherus was born!

SouleMama: How do you keep yourself motivated and avoid burnout?

Donna: I actually have the opposite problem. These past ten years have been a constant source of inspiration and joy from our customers and clients my motivation knows no bounds!

SouleMama: Tell us what you envision and dream for the future of your business.

Donna: In the short term, I am excited to be collaborating with other Waldorf teachers in order launch a full range of middle grades (6th, 7th and 8th) homeschool curriculum materials.

For today's giveaway, Christopherus Homeschool Resources is generously offering the following to ONE winner:

As our resources cover a broad age range, we would like to offer a choice to the winner of this giveaway:

#1 ~  Christopherus Early Years Package  

(Our early years books and audio downloads are invaluable aids in helping parents create the nurturing homelife that is so important for the peace and well being of their children and for themselves. Waldorf early years programs are based on the healthy home. We help you turn that back around and instead of creating a little Waldorf kindergarten at home, we help you take the important activities, knowledge and forms of the Waldorf kindergarten and transform them as appropriate for the home situation.)

#2 ~  The Waldorf Curriculum Overview for Homeschoolers and Nature Stories to Natural Science

(Our Waldorf Curriculum Overview for Homeschoolers gives a picture of the breadth and depth of the Waldorf curriculum and is designed to help parents have a real sense of the flow of Waldorf education from 1st through 8th grade. It is full of resources and ideas to help you work with Waldorf at home. Likewise, From Nature Stories to Natural Science also takes parents on a journey through the unfolding of science throughout the grades. It also contains lesson ideas, extensive reviews and resources and an explanation of why science is taught in the very special way it is in Waldorf schools.)

  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 To enter today's giveaway, please leave a comment (one entry per person, please) in today's post. I'll close comments by 8am EST on Monday, and announce the winner(s), chosen via Random Number Generator, shortly after. Comments closed! The winner is...

I have just decided to take my son....5 next week...out of public school. He had been diagnosed with Autism at 26 months and it has been non-stop. Recently he was given the green light to go to Kindergarten with no therapies and fully inclusive. This was my long awaited green light as well. I would feel incredibly blessed to learn more about this concept... especially as we begin this journey. Praise to all of you home/unschooled out there. You will raise the most well rounded, generous spirits of the coming generation. How refreshing to see concern about the heart and character of our children and not just performance and standardized testing results. Iknow that I see my son as so much more than standard. Blessings to all!
Posted by: Doreen Rex

Thank you to Christopherus Homeschool Resources!

 

SouleMama Sponsor ~ ALEWIVES ~

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Today, I bring you a giveaway from SouleMama Sponsor, Alewives Fabrics. In their words:

"Alewives Fabrics is located in beautiful Midcoast Maine and has been in business since 1978.  For the past 8 years the shop has been owned and operated by the mother/daughter team of Barbara Neeson and Rhea Butler.  We carry all kinds of tempting fabrics, including quilting weight cottons, double gauzes from Japan, vinyl laminated oilcloths, home decorator weight fabrics, cotton voile, wools, corduroys, rayons and much, much more!  For the past few years, we have been sending fabrics all over the world via our webstore.

 Rhea writes a blog for the shop, Alewives Girl, and she also tweets for the shop (@AlewivesGirl).  And of course, we have a facebook page, too!"

SouleMama: How does the balance of family and work play out for you?

Rhea: Everyone who works at Alewives is a parent, and we all have the privilege of rallying around one another as we go through the joyous times and the tough times of motherhood.  Some of us have babies that are grown, some of us have grandbabies, and some of us have little toddlers running around.  The newest addition to the Alewives Fabrics family will come in December when Rhea and her husband Oliver will welcome their first baby.  As first time parents, we feel blessed to be surrounded by a community who supports us and offers a lot of different experiences and perspectives on parenthood...  that community includes our neighbors, the ladies Rhea works with at the shop, and of course our wonderful customers.  What an amazing resource you all are!  

For today's giveaway, Alewives is generously offering the following to ONE winner:

1. a "Wildflower" Turning Twenty kit!

1. (The kit is made up of 20 different fat quarters, all 100% cotton in quilting weight, inspired by the summer wildflowers growing here on the coast of Maine.  Designers include Amy Butler, Heather Bailey, Liberty of London, Bari J., Brandon Mably and Phillip Jacobs.  The kit is a natural with the "Turning Twenty" pattern, but would be great in any of your patchwork projects!)

In addition, Alewives is offering SouleMama readers a 10% discount on their entire purchase through Sunday, June 24th. To receive the discount in person at the shop, just mention 'soulemama" at the register. To receive the discount online, enter the word "soulemama" into the promotional field at checkout. The discount won't be reflected in your total, but rest assured we are working hard on our end to adjust your order manually to reflect the discount. Discount does not apply to shipping costs or to previously discounted items.

  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 To enter today's giveaway, please leave a comment (one entry per person, please) in today's post. I'll close comments by 8am EST on Sunday, and announce the winner(s), chosen via Random Number Generator, shortly after. Comments closed! The winner is...

such beautiful fabric!
Posted by: Shannon Boyd

Thank you to Alewives Fabrics!

{this moment}

. . . . . . . .

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

starting at the beginning

{Photo by Stephanie.}

It's only natural that the first question I hear after mentioning to anyone that we have sheep is, "do you spin?" Of course, my answer is, "not yet". I've never spun - not on a wheel, not even on a drop spindle. I love handknits, I can knit, and I love sheep, and seem so far to be able to care for them. So I've got the 'ends' covered of this whole process, but there's a gap there in the middle. Making yarn. From shearing to carding and cleaning to spinning - it's all new to me. I guess you could say that everything thus far is operating on faith - that after all this work and effort and time and money and space for the sheep - I'm going to love spinning. It just seems like the kind of safe bet on myself that I'm willing to make.

I'm generally a read it in a book, try it alone in a quiet room kind of a learner. But I haven't wanted to do that with spinning. I want to learn it slowly, from the women who already love it. 

WIthin moments of saying hello to Denny at Squam, she declared, "We're going to get you SPINNING by the end of the week."

And that she did. Clunky me, on a drop spindle, with the funnniest looking "yarn" I've ever seen....but oh, it's lovely (the process, not the result). Holding that fleece in my hand, I'm beginning to get the most basic understanding of how it happens and what it feels like. (Heaven.) 

After one last porch sit to be sure I got it, she sent me on my merry way back to Maine with spindles and fleece for my littles and I to play with. And with instruction to visit this little one, Maggie Smith, for inspiration. Love.

I feel giddy with the excitement of a new craft. You know that feeling? The basket of fleece calls out to me from each corner of the room where I last left, and when my hands are idle I just want desperately to touch it. The fiber is working its way into my dreams.

There's a drum carder on order, some calls into my local spinning group to say hello, and I'm thinking Cinnamon is ready for shearing.

I love a good beginning...

at squam

When you combine a beautiful lakeside New England place, inspiring teachers, ridiculous amounts of woolen goodness (oh, the knits!), several hundred creative women (with a few men!), and a few very special little babies....well, the result could be nothing short of spectacular. The result, of course, is Squam.

Our time there (Annabel joined me for most of it), was magical - full of the natural beauty of the woods and lake, lessons and surprises, and friends old and new. I am grateful especially for the sweet spirit of the creators who continue to include me, and the coven of kindred Canadians who so graciously welcomed me into their fold in a sweet little cabin tucked neatly in the edge of camp, in the woods where I feel most at home. My time with Stephanie, Jen and baby Marlowe, Natalie, Megan, and Denny was a retreat within the retreat. (Though they be scared of the ticks, those Toronto gals are NOT afraid of cold water. I'm grateful for the push to be in it just as much as we possibly could have. Oh, that felt so good.)

Having a babe at my side, a babe who as it turns out - is not such a fan of strangers making eye contact - made for a bit of juggling in my days there. But like all things that first seem a challenge, it turned out to be a blessing. For Miss Annabel and I gave ourselves what I've come to think of as the Squam Sampler. Her need to be on my back and walking, combined with my terrible sense of direction ('tis true), made for a whole lot of wandering (sometimes bushwacking, ahem) in the woods. This meant that I attended not just a few classes, but passed by the doors and hung around quietly in the back of many classes - by teachers Maya Donenfeld, Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, Pixie Campbell, Fiona Ellis, Helene Dujardin, Ann Wood - oh, I loved everything we saw.

Looking around at all the beautiful women taking part in classes all week, I often felt moved by the amount of effort that I imagined went into each and every one of us being there. Financially, logistically, geographically, spiritually, emotionally....so very many things that could be in the way, and yet here we were, by the hundreds. In my first days transitioning back to home, I find myself wondering what everyone is doing now. How those seeds that were planted at Squam are now manifesting in their hearts, homes, families and communities. I have no doubt that they are - that more creativity and connection is taking root in our lives. For I believe it to be true that when we step out of our comfort zones and our everyday to seek connection or a deepening of skill, when we invest in ourselves and our dreams, beautiful things will grow. 

Thank you, Squam!

home

I swear to you that each of my children grew three inches in the five days that I was away from (some of) them. The children that came running out to greet me when I pulled into the drive yesterday were bigger, wiser, and somehow more adorable than the ones I left last week. I'm not sure how that's possible, but it's true.

Also mysterious is how it's possible that I returned to a house with an empty sink, beds made, blog full, and children fed. I think he has superhero powers, that man of mine. (Though I am also quite certain that Adelaide was wearing the very same clothes I left her in five days ago. Thankfully, the sheep don't mind such things as this.)

After hearing all the stories of the week one by one (the pigs escaped, Papa made nachos, the chickens ate my basil, the baseball teams won...just everyday life without Mama), everyone scampered off one by one to their projects and places. I found myself pacing around my home, settling back in, in that funny transitional wandering kind of way. I finally landed in the kitchen with a baby at my feet (the spice cupboard is great entertainment), food to bake in my hands, and a deep exhale out of my lungs. Ah. Home.  

Words to come tomorrow about the wondrous place and people that is Squam. But today my feet are firmly planted here.

Quite timely and topically, I'm honored to come back and find our home on the pages of the Etsy blog! Check out the Get The Look Decor feature and interview over there. 

Have a beautiful day, friends.

squam art fair

Greetings from Squam Lake in New Hampshire! 

I'm popping in this morning with the sun shining, knitting in hand, baby on back, and spotty wifi to boot...to remind local folks about the Squam Art Fair happening tonight (Saturday, June 9th). From 7:30 to 10pm. Open and free admission to all, you can find directions and more details here. I hope to see some of you there! 

SoulePapa Blogs :: {this moment}

. . . . . . . .

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

PS - it has been a pleasure stepping in for Amanda for a couple of days.  thank you all for reading and offering your lovely words of support.  so appreciated.  much love -  Steve

SoulePapa Blogs :: New Growth

We were always given free range at my grandparents house.  From the depths of the tidy basement, where Gramp would tie flies and putter away on projects, to the walk up attic where Grammie would store old books and furniture and random bits of memorobilia too precious for her to toss.  This was most definitely the breading ground for my love of the past.  To explore my way through that house, which my great - great grandfather built, was an archaelogical dig of my very own ancestory.  Inevitably, I found myself sitting down at the kitchen table with a photo album plucked from one of the basement shelves.  I would marvel at pictures of my grandparents as children and young adults.  They were always surrounded by family and friends, many of which I had never met or even heard of before.  I remember wondering if their memories of these times were in color or black and white and sepia.  With very little coaxing I could get the stories to flow.  I would sit and listen attentively and hope with all of my heart that I would remember the words.  Now, I am here and they are gone.  These two magical people from my past are kept as securely as possible in the pages of my memories and the albums on the shelf.  My own children flip through the past with their unique sense of wonder, asking questions of us and their grandparents.  For them, I try and fill the places where pictures fail to reach and relay the feelings of a time gone by, although I am always reminded of the pieces of the story that fall to the side to float in the seas of the forgotten.

Balancing this sense of history was a pragmatic, depression era strength and determination to embrace change.  From my grandparents I learned that, unlike those old albums, life itself was not black and white.  We could choose the best of the old ways in combination with the wonders of modern advancement and thought.  Since moving to our homestead on this old farm I have come to understand this balance to a greater degree.

It is by the unyielding force of nature that things continue to grow.  Farming the land can seem an almost unnatural act as we attempt to shape our surroundings into a more efficient system of sustenance.  As a farmer and, particularly as a father of young children, I often feel this growth is so rampant and out of my control that it is impossible to properly care for.  I need for it to stop for a moment, frozen like a picture from an album, so I may trim it neatly to my liking before letting it grow into my desired form...my desired form.  I am always learning of new ways to let go.

To recall the ancestors as flesh and blood in the midst of their own growth.

To let things shape themselves.  

SoulePapa Blogs :: Only Rain

                        You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows

                                                                ~ Robert Zimmerman 

So the clouds gathered and conspired to block out the Sun.  That was awhile back of course and anyway the Sun came out again just last night if you happened to be looking.  It was around 6 in the evening, eastern standard time, and a crowd had accumulated along the lines of the local baseball diamond. Armed with enough rain gear and umbrellas to tent the entire field, we were determined, as a community, to get this game played.  It was just after warm-ups when it happened, a split in the heavy grey quilting appeared above and those golden rays stunned the crowd as if they were lasers from an alien ship.  As we stood in a rapt attention, palms rotated out, I half expected to be lifted into the air and right on out through that hole in the sky...felt like it anyhow.  But, it was gone just as quick as it came and we all shook our heads and looked around in a dazed kind of way and realized it was the bottom of the fourth.  We were up by one, 4-3, over the town from across the bridge and, oh yeah, it was raining.  No one was surprised, of course, and the umpires let us get good and soaked for a few minutes (we were still too mesmerized by the laser beams to open any umbrellas) before they called for a rain delay with no small amount of disgust with the Gods above.

So, as a community, we waddled and quacked to our respective shelters;  dugouts, vehicles, the equipment room, inside the snack shack.  Well, Harper climbed onto my lap and I taught him how to use the windshield wipers and we sat, in a soggy sort of way, and watched as the rains thickened onto the glass and blurred the world outside.  He giggled and kicked the wipers into high speed for a bit as we watched through the pane as if engrossed in an award winning dark comedy.  Surely they'll call the game my wife and I concluded as the onslaught grew heavier and the older children relented and took shelter with us in the steamy van, their clothes wringing wet.  It was perhaps the cruelest of punishments, after these many long days of darkness, to be entombed inside a mini van, wrapped in wet fabric and draped with a handful of restless, tired children.  With muddy boots.

Time wore on in a melancholic fashion and we became less surprised with the whole ordeal.  Eventually, spirits were lifted when someone, from behind an especially fine brand of windshield wiper, noticed that the clouds seemed somewhat lighter off on the horizon.  Ya know, not quite as deep a grey.  This information was shuttled to the umpires, huddled deep inside the equipment room.  They emerged like that famous groundhog except carrying wide rakes.  Summoning each coach from their respective dugout they met at the pitchers mound, as the rains began to lessen.  They scratched at the dirt a bit with the wide rakes and gathered close to examine their findings.  The meeting adjourned and they split slowly off into different directions with no real hint as to their decision.  Soon we saw old #9 (the eldest of the Soule children) pop his smiling head from inside his concrete bunker.  He was waving us back to the field in a delight only an eleven year old would understand.  Game back on.  Did I mention we were determined, as a community, to get this game in?  

Top of the fifth inning and our ace closer takes the mound to shut this one down before darkness settles in.  He must have been set off the mark by excessive sunflower seeds and chewing gum because the strike zone was elusive.  5-4 in favor of the team from across the bridge, bottom of the fifth.  Well, the home team gets a run back amidst a spattering of cheers from the faithful and we're tied up going into the 6th and final frame.  What's this?  Another meeting of the minds, only this time they swarm at home plate.  The rule book clearly states that no inning shall be started after 8pm.  It is now 8:05.  So the teams line up and shake each others hands in their ritual display of sportsmanship, albeit tonight, with no decision of a victor.  Saddled with an outcome grey enough to match the day, we shuffle to our respective cars and load the wee passengers aboard.  Calvin informs us that the last inning has to be played on another day.  Maybe Sunday afternoon, if the weather is better.  It starts to sprinkle down rain as we pull out of the gravel lot and onto the road.

"Turn the wipers on, Papa!" yells Harper from his seat in the way back.

"Thanks bud." I say with a sigh. 

So you wait for the storm to break.  And don't let the storm break you.

 

 

heading out

 

It would be quite silly of me to give you a thoughtfully written out blog post today about anything. For my head is spinning in a million different directions with my heart and feet trying desperately to keep up. Tomorrow morning, Annabel and I set sail for Squam - a mere couple of hours away from home, but a million miles away from 'home,' if that makes any sense at all. And so my days - my moments and hours - are right now full of the tiny little details the preceed any such leaving. Washing woolen layers (because it's going to be a cold one). Packing bags. Putting finishing touches on booth goodies. Making one last round of Bug Stay Away (recipe in The Rhythm of Family). Washing diapers. Visiting the grocery store for snack essentials (do you see what I see on the rack at Whole Foods? Taproot! Woot!).

All that's left is to decide exactly what I'm going to bring for yarn, have one more sleep, and get out of dodge. Ah...soon enough the little miss and I will be surrendering to the woods of New Hampshire. 

Should any of you be somewhat local - it would be a treat to see you Saturday night at the fair! Open to all, details are on the Squam site. We will have a Taproot booth there (and I just packed a suitcase full of my books as well). Come and say hello! 

And stay tuned here, for not only have I left my sweet man with the chores of more animals than I can count at this point, a garden that is quite literally swimming in water, baseball teams to coach, and four children to feed, cloth and 'educate'.....but also this here blog, to boot. I asked, hesitantly, and he said, "Sure! Why not?!". So there you have it. He's a good one, that fella of mine.

I'll catch you all on the flip side early next week. Until then, happy days to you!

out to pasture

A bit of metal and some wood - perhaps not the most beautiful or glamorous of things I've brought to the table to share with you here, but I assure you it is truly one of the most exciting sights to us, without a doubt.

Since the day we first walked this parcel of land, we've had our eye and mind on the work of restoring the pastures. Obviously farmed at one time, it has been years and years since livestock lived here. This particular bit, a roughly three-acre patch, surrounded by rock wall and mostly clear has been a great focus of our time these past (almost two!) years. Countless hours have been logged removing old barbed wire, fallen down outbuildings, moving rocks, clearing trees and fenceline, running pigs through to turn roots over, burning brush, moving the meat birds through for fertilizer, seeding, digging fence post holes one by one, and eventually - just this month - putting up the two thousand feet of fencing that we saved for. 

Little by little, step by step, post by post and day after day. With a whole lot of work by Steve, some of the rest of us as helpers here and there (Harper most of all), and most definitely with the hands of our community - a nearby dairy farm where we got the cedar posts, parents who cleared trees and burned brush alongside us, a friend who was getting out of the 'sheep business' and had fencing to spare, our neighbor with a comealong and tractor stronger than the arms we were using to pull the fencing with before. And on and on. We never could have done this alone, and I do so love that about it. It seems just the way a pasture should be cleared, a fence raised, and a homestead brought back to life.

We've got a bit more work to do in the pasture - extending the fencing a bit, clearing more trees when the pigs are done with their work, adding temporary fencing between it all so we can properly rotate, and of course, there will always be work now on maintaining it. But, there was a big sigh of relief and satisfaction around here on the day last week when we moved the sheep from the not-ideal smaller and sparse yard they were in (and that we had always considered temporary) into the lush pasture they now graze in.

They were pleased, this flock of four lovely ladies, when we moved them to their new digs. Adelaide thought they were smiling, and I quite agree. I felt the same way at the sight of all that fresh grass and beautiful fencing, though for different reasons. My mind wandered from wondering about the people and animals who once lived and worked here too, to all the people and animals that have made this all come together for us in the past two years, and what might come in the years to come. So much life and living in a piece of land. It feels truly alive now, in all the ways we dreamed about in the beginning.

SouleMama Sponsor ~ Elves & Angels

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Today, I bring you a giveaway from SouleMama Sponsor, Elves & Angels. In their words:

"Elves and Angels sells the finest quality wooden play kitchens, dollhouses, doll furniture and more, all produced in Maine. For over 24 years, we have worked together in a true family business to craft toys that are handed down from one generation to the next. We invite you to visit our new website where you can see all of our toys as well as dolls and accessories to outfit them."

 

Check out David's Corner where owner/father David Smalley shares funny assembly videos, thoughts on children's play and the environmental impact of our toy choices.

SouleMama: How long have you been in business?

David: Elves and Angels had its humble beginnings in a tiny workshop in Scarborough Maine.  It was out of necessity that I began making the first kitchens, cribs and highchairs over 24 years ago.  My remodeling business was at a standstill, and I had eight children to feed.

SouleMama: What inspired you to start your business?

David: Back in the eighties, when Elves and Angels was born, I had become disillusioned and fed up with the “disposable society”, that had been built up all around us.  The mentality had been sold to all of us; “buy it today and throw it away tomorrow.”  I decided right then and there, that this would not be the case with Elves and Angels.   My decision holds true today, as it did 24 years ago.  I was then, and am today, determined to create the very highest quality wooden toys available anywhere.

SouleMama: What inspires you?

David: We have always tried our best to create aesthetically pleasing products that will inspire in children a love of beauty.  We are committed to making a durable, quality product that reflects a love of a job well done, which is so important for a child to perceive.  If we want our children to care, then it’s our responsibility to show them first of all, that we take care in all that we do in life.

SouleMama: How are your children incorporated into your business?

David: I have many memories of our family working together, and sharing their gifts with our customers.  Many of our children now have children of their own.  This afternoon I had two young grandchildren here in the shop with me.  They went from place to place, picking up shapes of wood, always asking, “What is this Grampie?”, already formulating in their young minds, what they could make from thier piece of wood.

 

 

For today's giveaway, Elves & Angels is generously offering the following to two (separate) winners:

Sturdy Stilts
(Climb on, find your balance and prepare to run away with the circus with our new Sturdy Stilts. Gain skill and raise the foot rests higher and higher and soon you will feel as tall as the trees! Fully adjustable to four different heights (8", 10.5", 12", and 14") to accomodate multiple skill levels. Secure rubber tips on the bottom help you feel stable wherever your journey takes you. Ages 6 years and older.)

and

Christina's Kitchen

(Christina's Kitchen has a stainless sink for washing dishes, plenty of space for cutting wooden veggies and a four-burner cook top. Open the cabinet or oven door to find a divided cupboard with one shelf for baking in the oven or storing pots and pans. Northern white pine with a linseed oil finish and formaldehyde-free birch plywood back.)

  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 To enter today's giveaway, please leave a comment (one entry per person, please) in today's post. I'll close comments by 8am EST on Sunday, and announce the winner(s), chosen via Random Number Generator, shortly after.  Comments closed! The winners are....

The Stilts:

My daughter would LOVE to try out those stilts!
Posted by: icicle

The Kitchen: 

*amazing* thank you
Posted by: nicole

Thank you to Elves & Angels!

 

{this moment}

. . . . . . . .

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

. . . . . . . . .

Welcome, June

. . . . . . . . . . . .

Welcome, June! And Welcome (and Welcome Back!) to the newest Sponsors here at SouleMama!

Playful Learning Spaces eCourse ~ self-paced online course for parents and teachers

Mosey Handmade ~ a selection of waldorf birthday crowns and toys

Doy Bags ~ recycled, fair trade bags made by a woman's cooperative in the Phillipines

Tea and Ink Studio ~ original woodblock prints 

NaturoKits ~ naturopathic care packages

Rhythm of the Home ~ summer edition launching today

I thank them for joining us here, and encourage you to check out their offerings in the days and weeks to come. 

If you'd like more information about Sponsorship, please email me.

Happy June Days to you!

. . . . . . . . . . . .