SouleMama

still summer

It's been a trying week around here. There's a lot going on here this summer - so much more juggling than ever before in our lives. I struggle sometimes in this space, especially as my loves get older, with what's appropriate to share here and what should be left unsaid. Wanting to write my way through things as I do, but wanting to honor the privacy of those around me. I don't mean to be vague or unclear - I'm sorry - there's no great mystery I'm holding back. Just a lot of life that I don't always know how, and if, to fit tidily into this space. Life, and sometimes death too. Last week, we said a very sad goodbye to Banjo, our kitty cat of almost eight years. The first cat we had - a giant love of a thing, and Adelaide's constant companion since the day he showed up at our door asking for a home, she a mere two months old. This week, we arrived home after a long day last week to find him in the road, killed (instantly) mid-hunt (he was after a snake). The heartbreak of that night - the tears from my babes - are something I'll never be able to forget. Nor, though, will I ever be able to forget the other parts of that night - the four oldest (not always inclined to be best of friends) snuggled up, loving on each other all night long. The midnight tea party we had in Banjo's honor - because nobody could sleep - with my grandmother's special tea cups and chamomile tea, tears, and laughter around the table. The day that followed, filled with extra gentleness for one another and art and flowers for Banjo. Nor will I forget the peace that Steve and I felt at the moment that we buried him in the dark of that night - the kids not wanting to see his body as it was. But there, in the dark, were owls hooting and crickets chirping and sleeping chickens and sheep and children - and everything felt okay, even in the sadness and grief for this little cat. Yes, a cat. But we were so glad to spend so many years with him. 

As I'm coming to appreciate from moments like this in life, there is great comfort in the small things. The way we gather together to love one another in our sadness - the very definition of family. Putting one foot in front of another in the rhythm of our days - the simple joys. And by these actions, we lead the way for our little ones to keep on keeping on. Moving forward, perhaps changed, perhaps stronger, perhaps with more love to give. 

As this summer season winds down, and as the fall schedule appears to be starting right around the corner, we find ourselves committed to fully soaking up all that is summer around these parts. We'll spend the next stretch of days doing all of our favorite summer things together - unplugging, and diving fully into the season. This blog space will be quiet for a few days, but I'll be back next week to continue our conversation. I do so love our ongoing conversation. 

Until then, I wish you and yours many beautiful late August days, full of beautiful small moments shared with those you love. 

SouleMama Sponsor ~ Lavender’s Blue Homeschool

Today, we bring you a giveaway from SouleMama Sponsor, Lavender's Blue Homeschool. In Kelly's words:

"Lavender’s Blue Homeschool is a resource for peaceful parenting and holistic homeschooling. I offer a kindergarten curriculum for parents who want to inspire their children’s learning through play, art, song, and story. 

I also write about peaceful family life, nurturing creativity, and Waldorf-inspired homeschooling on the Lavender’s Blue blog." 

SouleMama: What's the product or offering that you are most excited about in your shop/class right now? Tell us about it.

Kelly: This summer I released my first homeschooling curriculum! It’s a Waldorf-inspired kindergarten curriculum with all the circle times, stories, painting stories, crafts, and modeling parents need for kindergarten. My goal was to create a complete and beautifully integrated curriculum that helps parents feel confident, competent, and truly supported without having to pull everything together themselves. One of the things I’m most excited about is that all the songs and verses are recorded so there’s no need to worry about reading music!

SouleMama: What inspired you to start your business?

Kelly: For the most part, our modern culture isn’t supportive of a connected community and family life, and yet when it comes down to it, parenting really matters. Most of us have more opportunity to create peace in the world through our parenting than through any other means. I love supporting parents, and I also love homeschooling and writing our own curriculum - so that seemed like a perfect match. I’ve been amazed by how many of the things I love to do (like writing, singing, and crafting) have all come together in this one business that supports peaceful family life.

SouleMama: Is there a creative pursuit you haven't explored yet, but would like to?

Kelly: Oh my goodness, yes! I love to learn new things, and I feel like most of the pursuits in my life are creative in one way or another. But there’s much more to explore - top of the list right now is learning to sew my own clothes. I love sewing but I have yet to make a single thing for myself (and I’m intimidated by patterns). Since I hate clothes shopping and love fabric shopping - well, clearly this is the next step!    

For today's giveaway, Lavender's Blue Homeschool is generously offering the following gift to THREE winners:

~ The full-year Kindergarten Curriculum package, including all the circle times (with audio recordings), stories, painting, modeling, and crafts you need for a year of more of Waldorf-inspired kindergarten homeschooling!

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In addition, Lavender's Blue Homeschool would like to offer Soulemama readers 20% off any curriculum package through September 15th, enter code SOULEMAMA at checkout.

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To enter today's giveaway, please leave a comment (one entry per person, please) in today's post. I'll close comments by 8 am EST on Monday, and announce the winners, chosen via Random Number Generator, shortly after. Comments closed!  Winners to be announced on 9/1. The winners are...

Wow. just what I need for my daughter.
Posted by: Oriana Reed

How lovely! I need this so much! Thanks for the opportunity.
Posted by: mary

Winning this would mean SO MUCH!! You have no idea! Good luck in your business! Thanks for the chance!
Posted by: Heather

 Thank you,  Lavender's Blue Homeschool!

SouleMama Sponsor ~ Magpie Patterns

Today, we bring you a giveaway from SouleMama Sponsor, Magpie Patterns. In Amy's words:

"An online knitting, sewing, embroidery and crochet pattern boutique for discerning crafters.

Visit our page on pinterest." 

SouleMama: What word describes your business best?

Amy: Well, I don't know if it really describes what I do on a day-to-day basis, but the word I think of is "creative." I work with such creative designers, inspiring women who see beauty in everything. That talent of imagining something lovely and being able to write down the details of how to make it so that the rest of us can make the same thing (with our own twist, of course) is very inspiring to me.

SouleMama: What's the one thing you can't live without?

Amy: Oh that's easy: my family! My favorite thing to do is just about anything at all with my kids.

SouleMama: What does 'being creative' mean to you?

Amy: Creativity is about giving ourselves enough freedom to play with an idea. Leaving fear of failure behind, we combine what we know about a medium (paint, photography, yarn, fabric, words) with our imagination and play with the possibilities. It hardly matters if we absolutely love what we make—the process is what's important.

SouleMama: What's your favorite thing you've ever made?

Amy: I love the dress I made for my daughter's eighth birthday. I went out on a limb and tried a Japanese pattern (I don't read Japanese) and it turned out perfectly. For that birthday I also made a miniature version of the same dress for her doll. I think that was one of my favorite projects because I wasn't sure if it would work out and because I feel like that's such a special thing between mothers and children—to make their clothes, toys, blankets, really anything they cherish.

For today's giveaway, Magpie Patterns is generously offering the following gift to THREE winners:

~ A chance to start new projects with a $25 gift certificate for anything in the shop!

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In addition,  Magpie Patterns would like to offer Soulemama readers 25% off everything in the shop through September 31st, enter code soulemama25 at checkout. 

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To enter today's giveaway, please leave a comment (one entry per person, please) in today's post. I'll close comments by 8 am EST on Sunday, and announce the winners, chosen via Random Number Generator, shortly after. Comments closed!  Winners to be announced on 9/1.  The winners are...

ooooh I would love some inspiration for sewing as the weather gets cooler! more time inside crafting ahead!
Posted by: Gypsy Forest

Thanks for the chance!
Posted by: harleygirl

love these pattern books!
Posted by: Rosetta

 Thank you, Magpie Patterns!

{this moment}

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{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.

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this week in my garden :: August 22

Last week, in my garden. (August 15)

Last night, in the garden.

(If you're keeping garden notes and photographs and want to share it with the rest of us, do leave a comment with a link so that we may take a stroll through your garden too! It's a delight to see what and how things are growing all over, and to read the comments with such great gardening wisdom! Thank you all for continuing to share in this little project.)

Oh, August, slow down! I'm reminding myself often these days that there's still a long autumn in the garden ahead of me. But oh, these August days in the garden feel so fleeting. And there's so much going on out here. This week, we're harvesting lots and lots of tomatoes, a second crop of beans, bits of broccoli, carrots, herbs and all manner of greens, so many cucumbers, and the very first cabbage just about to go in the crock today for some kraut. 

The summer squash was a small harvest indeed at just one each - zuchinni and summer squash. I'm okay with that, so long as the energy goes right into, and the bugs away from the winter squash, which is what I really want (and planted so much of!). 

And little girls (and boys) are so glad for offerings of zinnias and tall sunflowers as we plot and plan next years garden with so many more cut flowers for certain.

This weekend, I hope to pull the onions and maybe some of the potatoes. I think it's time.

Meanwhile, as we put some beds to rest in the garden and clean things up a bit, the chickens and turkeys are being very well fed with what remains. Indeed, we're all being very well fed by the garden these days. Such abundance in the August garden!

two fabulous things

I have two simple, but very important, very fabulous things to share with you today...

1. You might just need Roscoe, the Rescue Dog in your life too. If so, today I bring you the recipe. I take my work of bringing a little of the garden into cocktail hour very seriously. This one is a bit of a twist on a classic Greyhound, and  as such, has been named appropriately by Steve (who takes his work of naming cocktails very seriously). You should know the backstory on Roscoe, though. Which is that I so wanted to name Harper, Roscoe, but it was absolutely forbidden by not only my husband but also every single friend over the age of forty, who apparently associated it with a silly TV show I'd never seen. But I still love the name. Roscoe. Anyway...Roscoe the cocktail, is a simple, light and refreshing summertime sip, we think. It's been our go-to for all of August.

Roscoe, the Rescue Dog

2 oz grapefruit juice
1 oz vodka (360 Vodka is quite nice)
3 basil leaves
club soda (I'm quite fond of the Q tonics/sodas)
ice  

Place the ice cubes and basil leaves in a tumbler. Measure and pour in the grapefruit juice and vodka. Fill remainder of glass with club soda. Enjoy.

2. WHY oh why have I not used my ice cream maker all summer long? Homemade ice cream! Ice cream on demand! Good golly. Consider this my public service announcement: If you've got one lingering on your shelf too, plug it in! (My ice cream maker is this one, and our recipes are most often from the manual for said maker, but sometimes from this book, The Perfect Scoop. Last night, I made a simple vanilla with peppermint and chocolate chips which I enjoyed while reading Mrs. Dalloway, and doing my best to save plenty for the children who I promised could have ice cream after lunch today.) 

. . . .

There. I feel better having shared those things - too important to keep to myself! - with you this morning. I have a long day ahead of me today, as I'll be lunching in Vermont for some Taproot work. But before I go, I might just have to stop by the freezer. It's so quiet in the house right now with everyone still asleep, and certainly ice cream counts as fuel for a long drive, yes? Good, then. Ice cream for breakfast. (But let's just keep that between you and I, shall we?)

Have a lovely Wednesday, friends!

 

in the summer kitchen

The kitchen is full these days. Full of baskets of food coming in from the garden. Full of ideas and inspiration from those very baskets.  Full of very hungry children! I'm holding onto the feeling of abundance that this time of year brings in this room. This week, I have been...

...feeling so grateful for the number of eggs coming into my kitchen right now! All of the ladies out in the pasture are laying at the moment, and it's been a good long while since we had so many actively laying. It's a feeling of abundance that I can't quite explain, but certainly appreciate. I'm able to not worry about putting sixteen eggs into a frittata and still having more for breakfast the next day. I tuck a dozen here and there into the fridge for later (I like to keep a rotation in there for hard boiled eggs, which are so much easier to peel if I let them hang out for a week before hard boiling!), and even have a surplus after that to send home visitors with some farm fresh eggs. Thank you, chickens!

...boiling a great deal of sweet fern, for the few of us who seem to have found our way into a patch of poison oak around here. But oh that sweet fern really helps.

....enjoying for a mid-morning snack right now, Harper's pound cake, with the last of the berries. We use this recipe, and added lemon zest and thyme. Cooking at his side is just too much fun, and a reminder of how much I do love this age of being capable and excited all at the same time. Nearly five, oh my, my Purple Working Man declared at bedtime last night that he's not just a Working Man and an Art Man but also a Chef Man. Well, yes, yes you are, love bug.

...serving my favorite Chick Pea Salad (with Parmesan and Parsley) at more than one lunchtime sit-down of late.

...fretting, a little bit, over the oven that suddenly stopped working, just as I was roasting two chickens on an already late-night dinner. I'm still uncertain if the entire thing will need to be replaced or not, and what I shall do if so. A mixed blessing, breaking appliances, yes?

...experimenting (on the stovetop! because that works!) with Martha's One Pan Pasta. I'll admit, I was a skeptic. Mushy pasta is very, very low down on the list of things I'd want to eat. But honest to goodness, it worked. It really did. Now, twelve ounces of pasta is a mere snack to my weight-lifting, busy, almost-teenage boy - let alone the rest of us - and so perhaps we'll just keep it at that (I really do think multiplying it much would be tricky given the pot it's cooked in). A snack. And perhaps I'll teach him how to make it himself. Yes, yes...that's what we'll do.

...watching the windowsill line up with tomatoes coming in for the last of their ripening. Enjoying eating them all for now, and getting ready for all the preserving to come with the many (many!) tomatoes in the garden right behind them! Late August in the kitchen canning tomatoes? I look forward to this all winter long.

And you? What's happening in your summer kitchen these days? 

orienting home

I try, as Mama, to pay close attention to the delicate balance of home and outward energy that we require to keep our equilibrium both individually and as a family. We're all so different - the seven of us - with different needs and levels of interests and responsibilities in the world beyond our doorstep. Though I know that days upon days in a row of activities out and about will throw some of our balance off kilter, sometimes it just must be done. There are good and wonderful things that we are each a part of in the community, and sometimes, all those things collide into one big mass of busy days. We're coming off a stretch of weeks just like that - a midsummer flurry of fun (with a whole lot of stage time, just as my big boys like it). And with it, with our settling into home, come some transitional bumps and kinks in the flow. I anticipate these things now, a few years into this gig, and do my best to accomodate them. For me, that "I'm home now and don't know what to do with myself" feeling is best met with some time in the kitchen, my feet firmly planted on the floor there - walking familiar paths in the room, reaching in familiar places for the things I need, and making a meal for the ones I love. It's one big long exhale into home, at the end of which I am calmer, comfortable and more centered.

For the kids - for us as a family - it is, and always has been (even when we lived in town), a walk in the woods. We need not venture far. In fact, the destination here is more often than not the "fallen down tree," a mere one quarter of a mile back on our property. But oh, that one thousand feet or so are full. Full of familiar rocks to jump on; swampy places that are likely to produce frogs to catch; mysteries to solve (how did that egg get there?); holiday trees to scout; mossy forest floors to sink bare toes into; walking companion cats to spot; tracks to notice; birds to listen to; and so many diversions until we ultimately make our way to, yes, a fallen down tree in the middle of the trail. There, I sit and listen. They climb and talk. And climb some more. After a while, sometimes ten minutes, sometimes an hour, the energy has shifted. It's quieter, more focused. And slowly, sometimes even without words, we then orient ourselves home. 

SouleMama Sponsor ~ Nova Natural Toys & Crafts ~

Today, we bring you a giveaway from SouleMama Sponsor, Nova Natural Toys & Crafts. In Ted's words:

We sell toys and crafts that inspire and encourage children and families to learn, share and play together. Whether it's a classic like our rainbow blocks or a newfangled toy like a slackline, we're committed to being the source for products that engage a child's natural creativity and bountiful energy."

SouleMama: Tell us about the product you're most excited about right now. 

Ted: We'll be introducing a new Playstand in the coming months that was designed for us in Germany by the toy designer who created many of the Grimm's Spiel & Holz blocks (tunnel sets, rainbow blocks and more). It has an amazingly simple yet sturdy design and is being manufactured by Amish craftsmen out of Maple wood. It's a real beauty, so stay tuned to our website for more details as the holidays approach.

SouleMama: How are your children incorporated into your business?

Ted: We've recently moved our warehouse and offices closer to home and our boys (now 15 and 13) have been able to spend some time this summer helping out in the warehouse kitting up products and picking your orders. It's amazing seeing them be a part of the business since they were so little when we purchased it from the original owners in 2001!

SouleMama: Tell us about a craft or skill you'd like to learn.

Ted: We've been dabbling (not as a part of Nova, but personally) with bean-to-bar chocolate making. Our new warehouse has some temperature and humidity-controlled space set aside so we can expand on what we've learned so far and hopefully have our own artisanal fair trade chocolate bars to offer locally. There's more to life than toys!

For today's giveaway, Nova is generously offering the following gift to TWO winners:

Back to School Bundle - 

Start back to (home)school right with this bundle of quality art supplies. Includes a set of 16 Beeswax Stockmar Crayons, a Large Painting Board, Stockmar Watercolor Paints in three colors, a Watercolor Paint Jar Holder with 3 Jars, Hemp Watercolor Paper and a Paint Brush.

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

There is always something I would love from their catalog.
Posted by: Rosemarie

We love Nova! More art supplies are always welcome. Thank you for the giveaway!
Posted by: Quinn

Thank  you, Nova Natural Toys & Crafts!

SouleMama Sponsor ~ A Gathering of Stitches ~

Today, we bring you a giveaway from SouleMama Sponsor, A Gathering of Stitches. In Samantha's words:

"A Gathering of Stitches is a maker space for fiber and textile craftspeople. We offer studios, both short term and long term, to artists, businesspeople and craftspeople with access to a wide array of specialized tools. Instruction in sewing, knitting, quilting,  embroidery, crochet, quilting, dyeing and screen printing is available at all levels. Equipment such as sergers, knitting machines, sewing machines, and full dyeing and screen-printing facilities are available to rent by the hour.

Visit their blog ~ Stitches. 

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

Samantha: I have a truly diverse background having worked at various points in my life as a modern dancer, a baker, a photo editor, a photographer and a book seller. Through it all I have sewn and knit and those pursuits have always sustained me. I love to make my own clothes, make quilts and do anything that puts me in contact with fiber. After a lifetime of personal craft, last year I decided to take these avocations and do more with them. Following in the footsteps of the Textile Arts Center, Gather Here, The Workroom, The Makerie, Squam Art Workshops, Beehive Sewing and many others, I decided to create a maker space for fiber and textile artists in Portland, Maine. Somehow this path seems completely logical to me. I like to connect people and things, especially those who like to work with their hands.

SouleMama: Tell us about the beginnings of your business.

Samantha : A Gathering of Stitches opened on August 15 in the East Bayside area of Portland. It started as a kernel of an idea influenced by my first stay At Squam Art Workshops in June of 2012. I took that experience and mashed it up with all the fabric and yarn shops I have visited over the years and let my mind wander. Inspired by the textile mills in Biddeford, ME, I thought why can’t I create a space for others like me who are obsessed with textiles and fiber to work through their ideas? I chipped away at the idea until it took form in a 4400sf space in an industrial neighborhood in Portland.

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

Samantha: AGOS is my contribution to the world of fiber. If I do it right, it will be a haven, a lab, a gathering place filled with tools and resources and ideas and people all swirling around each other, sharing. I have grand visions, if I can accomplish a small measure of what’s in my head I will be very happy.

For today's giveaway, A Gathering of Stitches is generously offering the following gift to ONE winner:

~ One spot in the quilting workshop, An Introduction to Modern Quilting, three sessions in October 6, 13 & 20!

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In addition, A Gathering of Stitches would like to offer Soulemama readers 15% off all workshop registration using the code soulemama813 at checkout through August 31st. 

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

What a fantastic offer. I would love to have the opportunity to attend this class. I can't wait to go and visit AGOS to see in person, everything that is on offer.
Posted by: Heather

Thank  you, A Gathering of Stitches!

{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 week in my garden :: August 15

Last week, in the garden. (August 8.)

Last night, in the garden.

 

(If you're keeping garden notes and photographs and want to share it with the rest of us, do leave a comment with a link so that we may take a stroll through your garden too! It's a delight to see what and how things are growing all over, and to read the comments with such great gardening wisdom! Thank you all for continuing to share in this little project.)

It really feels like August in the garden this week! Cool, comfortable, and a jungle of plants and weeds that indicate a growing season beginning to wind down. The way the sunflowers wave in the breeze right now is something so unique to this time of year - it's lovely to watch and listen to.

The most exciting harvest this week has been the second half of the garlic, which is now all curing in the garden shed. The softneck was all harvested a few weeks ago, but the hardneck ready just now. And once again, I find myself marveling and in love with that crop that slowly grows, touching all four seasons and almost making it to one year in the ground. Last year we grew enough garlic to make it all year long, which considering how much garlic we use, pleased me so much. It looks like this year is about the same amount. I'll buy our seed garlic at the Common Ground Country Fair next year, and maybe plan just a little bit more this time so that the following year, we can grow enough to eat and to plant both.

If you ask the kids, they will tell you that the cucumbers are the most exciting harvest this week. With a slow start, and fewer plants producing, it isn't a huge year for cucumbers for us. Pickles might even be out (because when it comes down to it, if I can only preserve one thing with cucumbers, it'll be cucumber relish). But we're not being shy about eating what comes out of the garden now. Sliced with some tomatoes and a little bit of vinegar and salt? Love. Though the kids prefer munching on them straight from the garden, whole. Love, love.

Our tomatoes are coming along nicely, I am happy to report. Some early blight happening all around, what with all that rain we had early in the season, but I think the plants will produce regardless. Heavy pruning this year (all suckers, and everything below the first flower) means that they're high and tall and not the jungle they can sometimes be, those tomato plants. And I might venture to say that the planting of tomato-basil-tomato-borage (and repeat) along the rows might just be helping repel the pests that usually bother the tomatoes. We've seen hardly more than a couple of hornworms, much to the disappointment of Adelaide who says her chickens are sad without them.

There are some new seedlings coming up for cooler weather crops we planted recently - more beets, a second round of brocolli, a bit more kale. But unless some cold frames or that greenhouse is built in a jiffy (you never know...), I think we're now done planting this season. Until, of course, it's time to plant that garlic. Round and round it goes...

 

 

tansy time

common tansy + anne's fleece

For now, the busyness of this season keeps my days full of other things. But one day not so very long from now, these two favorite things of mine shall meet. In a dye pot. On a lovely fall day that I am greatly looking forward to.

handmade

... a base-of-the-tree treehouse just for Annabel, so "she doesn't have to climb up to the big one". 

...a "skibike" in progress. (He's got some time before the snow flies to work out the kinks.)

...and of course, paint and pen on anything and everything. 

They're my very favorite kind of handmade, these things all over our house created by little hands and big imaginations.  With a lot of freedom and time, a little bit of guidance and help with tools when it's requested or needed, they dream and make and problem solve and start it all over again with each project. With no hard and fast rules about what can be used where, there's no saying that plaster repair washers can't be art or that string and duct tape can't hold a bike seat to a piece of wood. And if it doesn't? Well, they try something else.

They're the creations I trip on, and the inventions that inspire me. And just the very things I'm thinking about this Monday morning as I start my week. Anything is possible. (I just might need more string.)

SouleMama Sponsor ~ Crafting Connections ~

Today, we bring you a giveaway from SouleMama Sponsor, Crafting Connections. In Andrea & Danielle's words:

"Crafting Connections is a magazine and website dedicated to providing others with the tools and inspiration for raising creative children, while learning a bit about yourself as well, along the way. We publish a quarterly creative magazine for little ones and their grown-ups filled with projects, poetry, book recommendations, and beautiful photography to help make the dream of a creative life with littles into a reality.

 Our main blog is craftingconnections.net where we mirror our magazine with posts focused on a creative theme, on the season, on things that make us smile. Plus more doable, beautiful projects and prompts for creatively connecting with little ones and our exclusive mini-magazine that comes out each month - a smaller (and free) version of our full-sized magazines.

We also are developing an e-course to be released mid-September which will focus on how to make connecting with your little ones through craft an easy-but-intentional part of your daily life. We're so very excited about sharing all we've learned (and are learning) with others! We'll have more information about this online and in our newsletters throughout the coming weeks."

SouleMama: Tell us about the beginnings of your business.

Andrea & Danielle:  It all started as a simple email between friends in early 2012. Our own children were toddlers-to-young preschoolers at the time, and we noticed a real void when it came to finding simple, engaging child-led crafts and quality magazines for young children. We wanted more than what was being offered - beyond the traditional preschool crafts. We were looking for a way to dig deeper with our little ones and help support the natural creativity, curiosity, and imagination within them.

As creative women ourselves, we deeply believe in the power of making. By using our hands to create (and all that goes into creating - the brainstorming, editing, successes, and even failures) we forge a deeper connection and understanding with ourselves. We felt the same held true when applied to our little ones. Handicrafts can bridge so many parts of a child's life - everything from science and literature to family storytelling and legacy. Since we couldn't find this type of creating in our world - both physically and online - we decided to turn our vision into a reality. If we were looking for this, then we bet other young mothers were as well.

The other important piece we considered when starting Crafting Connections was that as parents ourselves, we knew first-hand of the overwhelming pressures of modern-day motherhood. In our increasingly technological world of Pinterest and social media, we have found that in many ways mothers are led to believe we are somehow failing (psst…we’re not!) We wanted to encourage, validate, and help set fellow mothers up to recognize their successes: in connecting with our children and in leading our own creative lives.

So with excitement (and a touch of trepidation – we are only human, you know!) we combined our creative forces and have been working towards filling these voids ever since.

SouleMama: What does 'being creative' mean to you and what advice do you have for people wanting to be more creative?

Andrea: Creativity is a new way of thinking about or doing something – anything, really. People think they need to be crafty or artistic to be creative – not true! I think many people sell themselves short, they are doing creative things or thinking creatively without recognizing it as such. As for advice, I'd suggest being gentle with yourself - try to just identify one creative thing each day - it could be what you made for a meal, any handicraft you're working on, or even a way you solved a challenge. Once you start identifying all the creative things you already do, you will be encouraged (and excited) to not only look for more creative successes, but to take on more creative projects as well.

Danielle: To me creativity is a way of using your hands to make something, anything. It can be cooking in the kitchen, stitching on the sofa. It can be following a pattern, or making it up yourself. Making stuff. That’s creativity to me. I think spending a little time, each day, doing something creative – making something – will help keep your creative juices flowing. The more you create, the more ideas you will have, then the more you create. You know?

SouleMama: How does the balance of family and work play out for you? How has motherhood affected the work you do?

Andrea & Danielle: As mothers and creative makers, our children are an integral part of our business, they inspired its beginnings and they are the reason we keep going. They test out the projects in the pages, they tell us which they love, and which they don't. They give us ideas and inspiration for the future. But it can be a challenge to balance out our roles as mother, artist, and business owner.

Danielle: I can’t say that I have really achieved balance, and to be quite frank, I don’t really strive for it anymore. Actually I find that having these different hats – artist, business owner, parent – allows me to flit between each as the moods (or inspiration) wax and wane. Sometimes I’ll go through a particularly large fit of inspiration – then you’ll find me donning my artist cap and sketching, carving, implementing, making. Sometimes I’ll be particularly inspired in the business-realm – then you’ll find me networking, seeking out advertising opportunities, connecting. I flit through each as the mood strikes. That’s the closest I come to balance.

Andrea: For me, often times these things go hand-in-hand. The artist in me is integral – I feel that I bring it into whatever I do – whether that is parenthood, relationships, work, and so on. The moments in my life when I wasn’t creatively connected have been sad times, so as I’ve had children I’ve remained very cognizant of that aspect of my personality and have always found ways to create in some way. As for being a business owner and parent (and wife and friend…), I feel very lucky, actually. I’ve been able to meet so many other creative & inspiring individuals, and form wonderful relationships and friendships, which go far beyond just networking. I am also grateful that the core of our business allows me to play and connect with my little ones. I try to keep the times when I am writing or doing layout to parts of the day when my kids are sleeping or having their quiet time. Because my husband's job is very intense, I am also very protective of our family time. For me, having these boundaries allow me to both be very focused and efficient when I am working, and when I’m not, it allows me to enjoy my family without much worry or stress. As for housework, well, there’s always tomorrow (ha ha!). 

SouleMama: Do you have a favorite inspirational quote?

Andrea & Danielle: We had to answer this question, since inspirational quotes are some of our very favorite things to share! We don't have just one, but here are a couple that have been inspiring us lately:

You may not be a Picasso or Mozart but you don’t have to be. Just create to create. Create to remind yourself you’re still alive. Make stuff to inspire others to make something too. Create to learn a bit more about yourself. - Frederick Terral

The one thing that you have that nobody else has is you. Your voice, your mind, your story, your vision. So write and draw and build and play and dance and live as only you can. - Neil Gaiman

Creativity is for us all. It's about you, me, and about everyday life. It is about the abundant originality we manifest, and our flexible improvisations, whether teaching a class, raising our kids, fixing the car, helping a client, landscaping the yard, planning a benefit, or trying to figure out why we're on this earth. -Ruth Richards, MD, PhD

For today's giveaway, Crafting Connections is generously offering the following gift to ONE winner:

~ A year-long subscription to our print magazine!

Each magazine has seven projects plus Explore More and Make Connections sections to build upon and expand each activity or craft, a curated book list, saturated picture pages with poetry and thought-provoking questions, plus a fun project just for the grownups (because we like making too!)

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 In addition,  Crafting Connections would like to offer Soulemama readers 20% off all our print and digital magazines & subscriptions using the code SOULEMAMA at checkout, ends August 31st, Midnight CST. You can visit our shop directly at shop.craftingconnections.net.

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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, chosen via Random Number Generator, shortly after. Comments closed! The winner is...

so neat! glad I know that this exists now! I've been thinking about the need for something just like it
Posted by: krystal

Thank  you, Crafting Connections!

SouleMama Sponsor ~ Silk Oak ~

Today, we bring you a giveaway from SouleMama Sponsor, Silk Oak. In Jan's words:  

"Silk Oak, Hand Silkscreened cotton clothing, made with Love in Ithaca since 1977!"

SouleMama: Tell us about your customers.

Jan: The thing I love most about Silk Oak is the connections that it forges between people all over the world. Our customers span all ages and, over the last 36 years, old and new customers have become friends. People tell me their stories, inviting me into their lives and proudly tell me where their purchases are heading off to. Last week, at my booth at the Ithaca Farmers' Market, Doha and Spain were the long distance winners! I feel privileged to be a part of family traditions and making people happy!

SouleMama: What's your favorite thing that you've made recently?

Jan: I found a pattern on Ravelry for a crochet Viking Helmet. I made the first one for my 1 year old Grandson. It was amazing! There's another one in the works for my almost 1 year old Granddaughter, since I think Viking Helmets are gender neutral! However, my 28 year old son thinks that he should be next in line for an adult size. Lucky for him, the pattern has adult instructions, too!

SouleMama: What role does handmade play in our society?

Jan: I've seen handmade ebb and flow in the last 40 years. In the 70's, at the height of the back to the land movement, we had a desire to learn how to do things that would increase our self sufficiency. I loved it! For a girl who had grown up in NYC, it was empowering to learn how to make bread, cheese and yogurt, as well as how to crochet, spin, weave, embroider... That was before the materialistic, craziness that ramped up in the mid 80's. I think handmade took a backseat for a while, as people became obsessed with brand consciousness.

More recently, I've been thrilled to see the rise of the DIY movement. We're reclaiming lost skills and putting high value on things that are made by hand. I think we need this more than ever! It gives us an opportunity to slow down and connect with others. I think it's a visible way of showing our loved ones that they are important to us. I always find myself thinking of how blessed I am to have someone in my life when I'm making something for them.

 

 

For today's giveaway, Silk Oak is generously offering the following gift to ONE winner:

~ $100 Gift Certificate to the Silk Oak shop! 

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In addition, Silk Oak would like to offer Soulemama readers 15% off through August 31st. To receive this special discount, please enter "SOULEMAMA" at checkout.
                                              . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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, chosen via Random Number Generator, shortly after.  Comments closed! The winner is...

Oh this would be super duper awesome! My kids love these designs!
Posted by: Tanja

Thank you, Silk Oak!

{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 week in my garden :: August 8

Last week, in my garden. (August 1)

This morning, in my garden.

(If you're keeping garden notes and photographs and want to share it with the rest of us, do leave a comment with a link so that we may take a stroll through your garden too!)

This week in the garden, I am feeling the air shift into August mode, not very far from September at all. Just at or over the peak of the season, my mind is wandering to not only what comes next year (and what we'll do differently), but what we'll be doing with all this food - particularly the root veggies and storage crops - as the season's end nears. The season that seemed so long in the beginning (so much time to build out our root cellar!), and now is feeling all too short (do we still have time to do what we wanted to do? And what's plan B,C, or D?). More root cellar plans and thoughts to come here in this space soon. For now, it is frequently on our minds and in our conversations.

And frequently on the table this week are beets and carrots, chard and kale, more broccoli and green beans, and the first of what appears to be many tomatoes to come (hooray!). It has been - dare I say - a very mild pest week, and do you see that zucchini up there? All hope is not lost, and we just may in fact have a few to eat this year, and cucumbers too. Later and fewer than usual, but that's okay. (I am still hopeful about the pumpkin and winter squash patches, surrounded by nasturtium as they are.)

Inside the garden shed, half of the garlic is hanging to cure, while I wait for a dry day to pull the rest of the garlic, with the onions not far behind. After that, those beds, and a few more, will be ready to put to rest for the season. I'm watching all that beautiful cabbage so carefully, trying to determine just the right exact moment at which it's ''ready' and eagerly anticipating some kraut in my kitchen soon. And parsnips! Have I told you how excited I am about all the parsnips? Still a long ways off from eating, of course, it's the first time I've grown them and I'm watching them with a lot of excitement. 

As the air shifts a bit, and as we start to think about our fall schedule kicking into gear, I'm mindful of trying to savor these summer days in the garden. It seems that so often my days are bookended by it. Early in the morning of late, I've been heading out there, still in pajamas, getting this or that for the boys ballet camp lunches. It's before Steve or Adelaide have done morning chores, and all around me the farm is waking up - it's a busy kind of quiet that I love. The chickens and turkeys cluck and crow, the pigs start running about thinking I'm bringing them their slop, and in the distance I can hear the sheep - or rather mouthy Emily - giving her morning call too. Banjo or Piper walk out of the woods or the barn where they've adventured all night, and join me in the garden and soon, a child appears too. Usually Harper as he and Steve begin their own morning chore routine. And later in the day, after dinner usually, I sneak out once again. The heat of the day has passed, and all the commitments and activity of the day too. With children fed and lending a hand or riding bicycles, it's a lovely time to work out there until the bugs or the setting sun or a sleepy little one brings us all in for the night. 

I'm doing my best to savor, enjoy and be present in these moments as they happen in the garden these days. And to hold onto them in my mind and heart for the the very different season that is to come. 

in the summer kitchen

With the shift in weather that seems to come around here on August first (really, it does), the kitchen is a comfortable and pleasant place to be these days. Which is very good thing indeed, because it's exactly where I need to be in order to preserve all the food coming out of the garden right now. This week, I have been ...

...freezing raspberries by the quart and crossing my fingers that I'll have enough to make a batch or two of jam. It's not appearing likely though, with the way these little ones of mine go out picking with empty buckets and come back inside with....empty buckets (and full bellies). But, that is as it should be. They're meant to be eaten. And summertime eating right off the bush? There's not much tastier. 

...feeling so glad about all the beets we grew this year, as they're everybody's favorite. We are eating them so much (roasted, simply, as in the Art of Simple Foods is how we do it most of the time), but also pickling some. This weekend, I made Camille's Pickled Beets with Honey (they're so good!), and later in the season, we'll store as much as we can for wintertime eating. (Just as soon as that root cellar gets finished up, that is. Minor details.)

...eating, freezing, pickling and fermenting green beans by what feels like the bucketful, oh my! Serving this way a lot, fermenting that way too. 

...making pesto (again, The Art of Simple Foods is my go to) to eat, but mostly to freeze in pint jars (I add the cheese at thawing time) to enjoy all winter long. 

...loving the brownie-top decor that my little babes came up with to celebrate Papa's birthday this week. Confectioners sugar, borage flowers, raspberries, and a little bit of wood sorrel. I do so love their inventions. Especially the tasty ones. 

And you? What's happening in your summer kitchen these days?

in the raspberry patch

Sisters picking raspberries before bed. Tap shoes not required.

SouleMama Sponsor ~ urban baby bonnets ~

Today, we bring you a giveaway from SouleMama Sponsor, urban baby bonnets . In Colette's words:

"featuring fresh, contemporary fabrics & a totally innovative design, UB2 sun hats are perfect for the modern baby. Their big brim & unique reversible design is ideal for use with all kinds of baby carriers, allows discrete breastfeeding, & the adjustable snap closure means they’ll stay on! hip, matching accessories complete the look. designed & handmade in the USA.

visit our new blog called baby + bonnet.  we're always looking for etsy mamas, UB2bies, and guest bloggers."

 SouleMama: How are your children incorporated into your business?

Colette: my daughter is a huge part of my business. she was my first model, and she's still the best model I have, although at 6 years old, she's limited in what she can model. I've started shooting her in the sisCaps (modCaps without straps for older kids). She loves to "help the family" and really does a great job with knowing what kinds of faces to make and taking direction about movements. Sometimes I wonder, though, what she's going to think about all of these ultra-public shots of her as a baby and young girl. I sort of expect it to backfire on me when she's a teen...I never make her do anything she doesn't want to do...but sometimes I do need to make promises about m&ms or ice cream! she's also started wanting to get involved with other parts of the business. she likes to help. last week, when i got my delivery of hats for the week, she sat down and sorted them all by size and piled them neatly so I could check them in and add them to inventory. She worked for about an hour-- and had a great time the whole time. Every day since then she's been asking me if she can come into my studio and count more hats. She also likes to stick the stickers on the little mylar packages before I put them in shipping envelopes. so...if you get a bonnet with some stickers on the plastic packaging that are a little crooked, you know she was helping. If she catches me putting the stickers on myself she'll actually get upset! She also loves matching fabrics. So, sometimes we set out all of the swatches and work together deciding which fabrics go with which other ones. She has a great eye and really LOVES the creative work. She likes to offer advice when I have a business problem. She listens carefully and tries really hard to make suggestions that will be helpful. Sometimes she is really insightful. And, to top it all off, she told me that she wants to work with me when she grows up. That melts my heart completely! So, I try to get her involved with as much of it as I can. 

More than all of that, though, she's part of the reason why I do this work. I could have chosen to go back to an outside the home job after she was born. But, that wasn't what I wanted. I really wanted to be present with her as she grew and changed...and so I threw everything I had into UB2, hoping that it would be successful. Luckily, it has been! And, hopefully, she really will want to work with me at least a little bit as she grows up. I love the idea of the legacy of a family business. It would be so cool to see her carry that on. Of course, I'd never make her do it. I believe she needs to come to and choose her own path based on her personal drives and passions, whether those are what I wish they'd be or not. I'll always support her no matter what career she chooses for herself. 

SouleMama: As a child, what did you wish to become when you grew up?

Colette  : as a kid, i was an artist and a scientist and a writer. i was always writing stories and poems, painting, drawing, and reading nature books. well, reading ALL books. I read so much as a kid that I once got sent to the principal's office for "telling lies" about the number of books i read over the summer. I received a sheepish apology after they called my mom and she verified my list. but, as far as actual careers, well, I wanted to be a marine biologist. we spent summers at the beach and i was entranced by the wildness of the ocean and the coast. as i got older, i lost that interest, mainly because (and this is shameful to admit) i realized that marine bilogists had to take all KINDS of math. I hated math. I hated the structure and precision of it. I've always been a color-outside-the-lines kind of person and math gave me no room for that. by the time i entered college, i wanted to be an artist. and I started off as an art major. but i also got really in to environmental issues and then wanted to be a park ranger. i remember working in a local nature preserve after my freshman year and hearing that the full-time rangers made $17,000 a year. I couldn't believe my ears! that was SO much money! I remember thinking that I could be totally self supporting on that kind of salary. it's funny to me now, now that I know how much $17,000 isn't. anyway, i let go of that in my sophomore year when i decided that making a living as an artist wasn't too practical and that being a park ranger often meant acting like a police officer... so I decided to be a philosopher! LOL!  I'm not sure exactly how that passed the "practical career" test...I think I figured I'd be a professor. and that's what i dedicated the rest of my collegiate study towards. it wasn't until grad school that I reaized that more than anything, i really DID want to be an artist. I almost dropped out of the PhD program...but I finally got everyone to agree that I could earn my MFA at the same time as my PHD...and I did! After graduating, I taught environmental studies (including philosophy, history, literature and art) at Antioch College until the College closed. it's funny to me, looking back at my childhood passions and seeing how many of them are still part of who I am. And as I watch my daughter fall in love with the same things (she wants to be a scientist and an artist and a teacher!) I realize how much of what we love as kids really does come back through into what we are as adults. i can remember the nature books I read, and I remember being enthralled with design, cutting out pictures I loved and pasting them into a photo album. and although I always loved making things as a kid, I never thought I could be an artist because my mom always told me that artists "draw things that look like things." and since i neither liked that kind of drawing nor was very good at it, i figured art was out of my reach. it wasn't until later in life that i realized being an artist is much more than just copying nature with a pencil. it is a way of being, seeing, living. it's something that's IN you, not something that happens solely because of what you produce.

SouleMama: What's your favorite thing you've ever made?

Colette   : this is such a hard question to answer! i've been an artist for years, and have gone through so many different media. I've been a painter, a metal artist, a ceramicist, an installation artist and now a fashion designer and textile artist. You can see some of my past artwork here. I have a few favorites from each phase of my life, some of which I still have and others are gone. A lot of my profs in college would keep their favorite pieces of my work. They said it was to "grade" them...but then they'd never bring them back to class and the term would end and I'd drive off with my parents...never to see those pieces again. BOO! My favorite painting is the first one I ever made, called "dwellings." It's actually hanging in my living room. I have a lot of my art around the house... and sometimes I worry that that's a kind of no-no... but I really love some of the things I've made and looking at them makes me happy! My favorite metal piece is one where I made little cups out of copper and filled them with seeds I'd collected from native prairies near my house. That piece was called "tallgrass" and it's one of the things I lost to a prof who wanted to "grade" it. My favorite installation piece is called Kingdom Argilla. For this, I created a whole Kingdom of organisms made of porcelain, and fired to look like calciferous bone, or coral. Then I made a mythology to explain them. They all had scientific names. I made a dichotomous key and a complete field guide with maps, descriptions, photographs...it was SO much fun...and I still really love all of the little pieces of it. and as far as bonnets...my favorite one is probably that first-ever bonnet...the vines & goldenrod. it's the one that's pictured on my gal on all of the hangtags on our products. there's just something about that one that i still never get tired of seeing. it's hard to judge your own work, though. and I kind of run through favorites...they tend to change over time, and sometimes I find layers of meaning in something I made that I didn't realize were there at first. generally, i find that I like to look at my work. i hang it up and stare at it. i have a whole clothesline of new bonnet designs in my studio. and if I don't get sick of something after seeing it every day...then I know it's a fave!

 
 

For today's giveaway, urban baby bonnets is generously offering the following gift to ONE winner:

~  $36 gift certificate that can be redeemed for any item in our shop!

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In addition, Urban Baby Bonnets is offering a discount to all SouleMama readers.  Just use 'soulelove' at checkout and your order will ship free! (for US customers only; international customers will receive a $5 credit towards shipping but they'll need to contact me via email to receive the credit.)  Offer is valid through 8/31/13.

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

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, chosen via Random Number Generator, shortly after. Comments closed! The winner is...

I love hearing about the details of a company and the creative process. These are adorable and there's nothing better than made in the USA!
Posted by: Barbara19

Thank you, urban baby bonnets!

SouleMama Sponsor ~ The Nourished Home ~

Today, we bring you a giveaway from SouleMama Sponsor, The Nourished Home. In Laura's words:

"I created the From Hectic to Harmonious 28-Day Home Study E-Course to help you clear the clutter in home and life so you can let go of stress and experience more joy, ease, and connection with your family. This e-course is designed to help you create space, time, and renewed energy to connect to your core values, parent with confidence, and create a home where your whole family thrives.

Now is the perfect time to simplify and make easy, doable changes in your home life that will profoundly connect you to who you really are as a Woman and Mother so you can have a relaxed, joyful approach to parenting and your kids feel free to grow into their true and best selves.

The From Hectic to Harmonious FREE 3-Part Video Training Series is a wonderful opportunity to get to know my approach, make some changes in your family life immediately, and feel clear about whether or not the 28-Day Home Study E-Course is a good fit for you."

 SouleMama: What does a typical day at work look like for you?

Laura: I typically wake up with my husband, Damian, Laila, my six year old, and Flannery, my three-year old in our big old family bed. We get in some morning cuddles before we start our day. If both of the girls haven't found their way to what they call our "big bed" at some point in the night, we wake them from their beds and head downstairs for breakfast together. We get ready to enjoy the adventure of the day... Right now, my girls are spending a lot of time at a local lakeside camp with my parents while I head back home to work.

I start my work day with a brief yoga and meditation practice so I feel grounded, clear, IN my body and ready to work. I coach my private Nourished Mama clients over the phone, work on creating new programs and offerings for my tribe, and I'm currently completing my PhD in Human Development & Family Studies. To tell you the truth, I'm working this month more than I ever have before because I'm in the final push of writing my dissertation. I've waited for over six years to complete this project (since the birth of my first daughter to be exact ;). I'm incredibly grateful to my family and support network for giving me the space, support, and time I need to see this project through at this point in our family's journey. I look forward to the exhilaration, freedom, and gratitude I'll feel once I've completed this big goal of mine. I've joked that I feel like I'm in the final stages of a long labor with this dissertation and it will be a joy to finally birth it into the world!

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

Laura : I want to let you know that even if you are a devoted Mama who desires a nourishing, balanced home life with your beautiful family, you also DESERVE to birth your business, your creativity, those things you feel CALLED TO DO into this world. In fact, it's your responsibility to your children and the greater community at large to be the best version of yourself. If you're called to be a Mama AND a creative entrepreneur, my first bit of advice is to give yourself PERMISSION to embrace both of these fundamental parts of who you are. The world will thank you for it.

My second bit of advice is that although starting a business involves some elbow grease, it only makes sense to go for it if it's your SOUL'S work. When you feel deeply called to share your creative work with the world, the journey can be one that is intense, joyful, rich, deeply rewarding, and gracefully integrated into your family life. I see Amanda Soule as an exemplar of this.

Your success is also dependent on your mindset, on thinking outside of the box, and getting real with asking for and receiving the SUPPORT you need to grow your business and consciously care for your family (e.g., my husband, parents, and friends have stepped up big time for me to complete my PhD in a way that feels right for my girls, too). I believe that women of our generation are paving the way for a new approach to business and family life. You can say YES to both in a way that is deeply nourishing where you get to model what a fully expressed, passionate, and purposeful woman looks like to your kids so that they have permission to become who they're meant to be, too.

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

Laura: My passion is to help women experience motherhood and family life as the joyful, soul-stirring adventures they are so that our whole families can thrive. I also believe that in order to be the Mamas we want to be for our children, we need to be fully alive, connected to our core values, and missions in this world.

I want those of us who are called to start our creative businesses to feel totally liberated to do so. I envision myself deeply supporting Mamas who feel called to birth their businesses into the world with a fresh paradigm that truly acknowledges the needs of women and families. I've done this for myself and I'm passionate about helping other women think outside of the box so they can do what they're meant to in this life without sacrificing their families. I dream of holding the space for a global community of like-minded Mamas who can support and uplift each other in business, family, mind, and spirit... This is my big picture dream. And it feels good to share it!

 

For today's giveaway, The Nourished Home is generously offering the following gift to TWO winners:

~  Lifetime Access to the From Hectic to Harmonious 28-Day Home Study E-Course!

When you register for this E-Course, you'll receive 4 weeks of transformative audio teachings, gorgeous action sheets, a copy of Kim John Payne's book, Simplicity Parenting, mailed to your front door, and inspirational, actionable Nourished Mama coaching e-mails from Laura in your inbox over the 28-day journey.

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In addition, The Nourished Home would like to offer Soulemama readers $50 OFF the From Hectic to Harmonious 28-Day Home Study E-Course if you register between now and next Saturday, August 10th at MIDNIGHT EST. To receive this special discount, please enter "SOULE50" at checkout.

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

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 winners, chosen via Random Number Generator, shortly after. Comments closed! The winners are...

I've been struggling with balancing my new sewing business and my adorable toddler. This sounds so awesome!
Posted by: megan wood

I read simplicity parenting and it really resonated with me but I struggled to action what was in the book - I think the course might be the solution (sounds fantastic).
Posted by: Lizzy

Thank  you, The Nourished Home!

{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 week in my garden :: August 1

Last week, in my garden. (July 25th)

Last night, in my garden.

(If you're keeping garden notes and photographs and want to share it with the rest of us, do leave a comment with a link so that we may take a stroll through your garden too!)

This week a great many things are growing in my garden, and just as much coming out of it. I'm putting up green beans and basil by the jar full. The humidity here has shifted, making for lovely preserving in the kitchen without all that heat. Yes. 

This week, in my garden, I am...

...spending a lot of time pulling, looking at, filling buckets of and thinking about weeds. And realizing that a big pile of them is pretty even in a five gallon plastic bucket when you put it in the sunlight. 

...being helped by all the little hands nearby - those pushing wagons and sniffing cabbage (these things I cannot explain), and those who take a break from digging in the dirt to bring his Mama some raspberries.

...trying not to think too much about all the squash bugs and the damage they've done. (Not a single zucchini yet...but winter squash to come? Oh, I hope.)

...watching cucumbers slowly but surely make their way.

...seeing so very many tomatoes and getting excited about all the many things I want to do with them. 

...loving the smell of those first thinned batch of carrots right when they're pulled from the ground.

...planning on talking my guest today into an editorial meeting in the garden area, just because, as we turn the calendar page and as we watch one more crop pass, I'm not wanting to miss any time out here at all. I hope she'll agree.

 

August 1

Hello, August! 

Welcome (and Welcome back!), to the newest Sponsors here at SouleMama. I'm so pleased to introduce them to you this morning...

 

Re-wood Toys

natural and organic wooden toys for babies & children

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flora & fauna

100% natural eco skincare

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Bamboletta Dolls

natural companions for your little ones

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Whole Food Kitchen

online workshop featuring recipes, practical kitchen wisdom and resources

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Woolen Moss

custom made organic and natural clothing

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Check out all of their handmade, natural, and creative offerings - and those of our other Sponsors - in the days and weeks to come. I thank them and you both for your presence and support here. And if Sponsorship is something you're interested in for your own business, do be in touch.