SouleMama

Bamboletta Dolls {a soulemama sponsor}

Greetings from Bamboletta Dolls!

We create gorgeous, all natural one of a kind dolls. We create companions for your children, a friend that hopefully be passed along to their child one day. Our dolls are lovingly made by stay at home moms - providing income to mamas so they can stay home with their little ones. We remember how important our dolls were to us and consider it a great honor to have this part in childhoods around the world. 

Follow Bamboletta Dolls on facebook, instagram and youtube.

SouleMama: Since the last time you were featured on SouleMama, in what ways has your business grown or changed?

Christina: We are super excited to be offering doll making kits now! It is such a pleasure to bring a doll to life for your child - that was the spark that created Bamboletta! We wanted to make this easy for people and did most of the extra hard 'bits' - so, the head is made and the body is sewn. You assemble the body, sew on the hair and put on the face! There is such a thrill in creating a doll, we wanted to put something together that would be accessible to the crafty but not Martha types of people. Basically, we made a kit that we knew our friends would enjoy.   

This weekend, Bamboletta Dolls is generously offering the following gift to TWO lucky SouleMama readers:

Doll kit of your choice! Whichever one you'd like :) 

In addition, Bamboletta Dolls is offering all SouleMama readers Free Shipping on our Kits! Enter code SOULEKITSHIP to redeem. Offer good until June 5th at Midnight PST.

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To enter today's giveaway, leave a comment below (one entry per person, please). Comments will close by 9am EST Monday. Winners will be chosen by Random Number Generator and announced in this post shortly after.  Comments closed. The winners are...

I had a handmade doll made by my mom's friend when I was growing up and it was so special. Would love to do the same for my kids.
Posted by: Morgan

oh goodness, i've been wanting to try a kit to make it extra personal but worry about my skills. . .this would be a perfect push to get me to just DO it. thanks for the generous offer!!
Posted by: Cheryl

Conscious Clothing {a soulemama sponsor}

Greetings from Conscious Clothing!

Conscious Clothing is a growing, home-based company located in Rockford, Michigan. We make organic clothing for women and children and specialize in sustainable fabrics, materials and processes.

Every piece of clothing is handmade from start to finish. A majority of our fabrics are hand dyed with low impact dyes and all of our images are printed by us using only water based inks.

Our sustainable business model consists of being conscious of our impact on the air, the water, the land and the community where we live and work.

Visit our Etsy shop. We are also on Instagram. 

SouleMama: Since the last time you were featured on SouleMama, in what ways has your business grown or changed?

Rose: Since last being featured, we’ve released our Spring/Summer 2015 collection of organic linen dresses, skirts, and rompers. We have some new apron designs coming soon for all of you hard working mamas!

We also broke ground on our new studio building project this month, and have been pouring over our ideas and plans for a Conscious Clothing showroom and work space!

We have a blog on the website which will continue to chronicle our studio dreams throughout the summer. 

This weekend, Conscious Clothing is generously offering the following gift to ONE lucky SouleMama reader:

Organic Linen Riva Snap Dress

This has been a best seller this Spring with pregnant and nursing mamas!

In addition, Conscious Clothing is offering all SouleMama readers 15% everything in the shop through June 5, 2015. Please use the code “SOULE15” at checkout. 

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To enter today's giveaway, leave a comment below (one entry per person, please). Comments will close by 9am EST Sunday. Winners will be chosen by Random Number Generator and announced in this post shortly after. Comments closed. The winner is...

This company is amazing!!
Posted by: Mindy

{this moment} - {this moment}

February 26, 2010

{this moment} - A new semi-regular Friday ritual I've been thinking about. 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. Happy Friday, friends!

*** *** ***

 

And that was that, the very beginning of the {this moment} project I started early in 2010, which makes it over five years old now. Just as I thought about starting it for a while before I did so, I've been thinking about ending it for a while before now. And this, right now, feels like the right time to finally do. It has been an absolute treat and pleasure to share a simple, quiet moment here with you each week, and even more of a pleasure has been visiting you in your spaces for that very same thing. I know connections have been made through the comments left here and conversations started, and I can't tell you how happy that makes me feel. I dearly hope this doesn't disappoint anyone. But for a while now I've been feeling like the very same thing that was happening, for me anyway, in sharing {this moment} postings, is now happening elsewhere. Mainly, I'm thinking of Instagram, where it's easy to share a simple thing like a special, ordinary moment's photo. Since that and the connection and conversation happens in that kind of space these days, I would love to have the space of five days in which to share more words and stories with you here on the blog. Let's call it the longer format shall we? Because, ahem, 400 words is a long format medium these days, yes? (Wink, wink. Says the lady who started a print magazine.) I hope you understand, and I hope you know how much these Friday connections have meant to me. Change is so good, and I'm excited about reclaiming Fridays and hope you will be too.

But first, a flash back to the very first {this moment} above. Oh, that photo brings back so much. There is my lovely Solstice Sofa that I adored then, and now lives in my library, still awaiting some repairs but perhaps now I am waiting for the kids to grow up and out just a little bit more before beginning such a task as that. I know that I was knitting my very Tea Leaves sweater in Madelinetosh. It ended up being far too big on me at the time, but thank goodness I held onto it, because there's a funny thing that happens to a Mama's body when she stops being pregnant and/or breastfeeding. Voila! The sweater now fits! Those baby toes. Oh, those baby toes! Or little lady toes, as the case may be. That's Adelaide - I would know those ankles of hers anywhere. I know that the sun streamed in the window of that old place right in that spot, and I can say with certainty that she's naked on that couch, lying in the sunspot on the velvet fabric of the couch, likely with Banjo the cat on her chest. Oh, we all miss that cat. Adelaide was four years old. And those floors - I loved the wide pine floors of that old house, and I walk through the rooms often in my mind - the place where three of my children were born, where they spent so much of their early years. But I also remember, looking at this photograph, that we were deep deep deep in the work of finding this place we are in now, this farm. And we had already had great disappointment in a few places that we were close to buying, but just didn't work out. How glad I am, in retrospect, that things worked out as they did. But I see in this picture, and in my face, a family that was happy and glad, but a house that was full and dreams that hadn't yet been realized. 

May 29, 2015.

And today's moment. Those same ankles that I know anywhere, on my girl Adelaide, approaching ten years old now. This was a stop on a little road trip we took this week, just she and I. 

So much a photograph tells us, yes? I enjoy so much sharing the combination of words and images here to tell our story. And I thank you for sharing yours!

a summer sweater, of sorts

Annabel got herself a new sweater the day after her birthday last week. I laid it out on the floor of her bedroom in the morning along with a skirt from her closet. And she, being the independent big four year old that she is, arrived at my bedside in the morning wearing it all. Backwards, maybe. But still. She was happy and proud and so glad to tell me how much she loved it. Ah! What could a knitting Mama want more than that? Nothing, I tell you, nothing.

Except, perhaps, for the recipient to then be outside while discovering that said sweater has pockets! Pockets! Pockets just right for holding teeny tiny flowers like lily of the valley or her favorites - forget me nots. Delight, indeed. 

The sweater pattern is Puddle Duck, and the yarn is a worsted weight from Kiwipop. The pattern was incredibly easy and smooth and just the brief interruption I needed from the fingering weight extra large shawl I've been mostly working on. The yarn, in the colorway of "Frozen Solid" has all of her favorite colors - pink, blue and purple. 

The sleeve length makes it just right for this time of year, I think. Though, this being for the girl who wears bathing suits in winter and wool hats in summer (oh to be four!), I really don't think it matters all that much. Sweaters can happen any time of year, and well, this knitting Mama certainly likes that idea. 

a quiet june

(That's two different boys up there, though I know it's becoming increasingly difficult to tell them apart!)

My baby boy, or rather my fourteen year old eldest son, the one who is just a hair shy of being taller than his Mama, is starting high school in the fall. High school away from home, high school on a formal schedule with an oh-so-early wake up time, and a most definitive first and last day of the school year. I'm sure I'll have a lot more to say about all of that in the months to come (it feels so big - it IS so big!), but right now, this time of this year, I am noticing the absence of that school schedule, for what appears to be the last spring of our parenting and homeschooling lives. Granted, the kids are involved in so many activities in the community that go year round, and even for those, there is a bit of a break that comes this time of year. Dance recitals are over (and there's a few weeks before summer ballet starts). Theater troupe is on hiatus. Fiddle recital is just around the corner. And for the first time since she was three, Adelaide will be taking the summer off from horseback riding so that she can join her big brothers at Quaker sleepaway camp (gah! how can my little girl be old enough for such a thing?). Still, knowing that next year as everyone gets older there will be even more to do, and especially with the start of a new school schedule to come, I'm feeling mindful that right now, this moment in time, is the end of an era, so to speak.

All that to say, at this moment things are s-l-o-w-i-n-g down and I am l-o-v-i-n-g it. Loving it. Of course I love driving them around (thanks to long car ride chats and audiobooks and podcasts), and I love supporting their passions year round, and I will love sending my son away to school where he is supported and encouraged and happy to be there. I really am. It's my greatest pleasure and honor as their Mama to see them becoming themselves, their passions encouraged, their dreams fulfilled. But oh, I love this month of June (not quite here yet, but yes, I am pushing it!), especially this year.  The one in which all of that is on a bit of a break. In which we are - for the most part, nothing but home, home, home. Home! And....together.

My favorite kinds of days are those in which, at the breakfast table, the question is posed "What are we doing today?" and the reply can be "Nothing!" which of course really means....everything and anything. There is gardening and farming to be done, skateboard ramps in and out of doors to be dropped into, another play to perform, a parade to be held, music to be made, art to be created, and definitely some fabulous costumes to wear. Those days - of nothing and everything all at once - are becoming more rare as the years go by in our world. But I am treasuring even more now, the days in which that happens, and treasuring this time of year when a whole string of them can be put together. Bliss. 

Memorial Day

Wishing you all a peaceful and blessed day!

Pipsticks {a soulemama sponsor}

Greetings from Pipsticks!

At Pipsticks, we eat, breathe and dream STICKERS. We’re a sticker subscription company that sends an awesome collection of curated stickers to our subscribers every month. We search high and low to find fun and original stickers to keep kids, crafters, and sticker lovers around the world inspired and happy. Our packs include a range of stickers, some like the ones many of us used to collect, trade, and obsess over as kids – sparkly ones, puffy ones, scratch n’ sniff ones – some that are new and totally original. Pipsticks sources stickers from manufacturers all over the world in order to give our Sticker Club members a gorgeously packaged, affordable, and awesome stash of stickers when they need them (because c’mon who doesn’t always need stickers?!).

As a mom of four kids, I am up to my elbows in paint, sparkles, and stickers most days. Pipsticks is one more way to encourage (non tech) creativity with my kids, and indulge my own stationery and sticker obsession at the same time. The Pipsticks Kids Club sticker packs arrive with loads of stickers as well as a paper and postcard so that kids can use the pack unassisted if necessary. The whole pack, from packaging to sticker selection, is designed to a fun and sophisticated standard, and totally child-friendly – which gives parents the chance to relax for a bit while their kids get giddy and absorbed in their Pipsticks. Pipsticks also has an Ideas blog which is the go-to spot for sticker craft tutorials and ideas.

Receiving snail mail and teaching the art of correspondence are two other things we’re wild over at Pipsticks. The magic of receiving mail combined with the happiness stickers can add to an envelope is what make Pipsticks tick. We are all about fun, friends and letting the little things in our life bring BIG smiles to each and every day.

Pipsticks can be found on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. 

SouleMama: Since the last time you were featured on SouleMama, in what ways has your business grown or changed?

Maureen: We’ve been busy. In addition to having my fourth baby in February, Pipsticks (my other baby!) has had amazing success since our launch nine months ago. We’re in 21 countries and have subscribers of every age. We’ve also launched a Printables section of the website which is updated with great sticker-worthy designs, as well as incentive charts that are pretty enough to hang on your fridge. These have been a huge hit.

We also just launched our Pro Club sticker pack which is for sticker loving adults. This has been so much fun to put together and includes stickers that are especially unique, one-of-a-kind and great for scrapbooking, snail mail, planner decorating, etc.

Now there is the perfect gift for the sticker lover in your life regardless of age!

This weekend, Pipsticks is generously offering the following gift to ONE lucky SouleMama reader:

A 3-month Gift Sticker subscription. One Pipsticks sticker pack will be delivered to the happy recipient every month for three consecutive months. The Kids or Pro pack includes loads of different stickers (of course!) each month plus some paper goodies that will keep the creativity flowing. 

In addition, Pipsticks is offering all SouleMama readers 20% off of any of our Club, Family or Pro subscriptions, or any Gift subscription. Please use the code “MAMA20” at check out. Offer ends June 15, 2015.

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To enter today's giveaway, leave a comment below (one entry per person, please). Comments will close by 10am EST Monday. Winners will be chosen by Random Number Generator and announced in this post shortly after. Comments closed. The winner is...

Well, this would be fun! My kids love receiving packages in the mail!
Posted by: Kari 

Craft South {a soulemama sponsor}

Greetings from Craft South!

Craft South is created by designer Anna Maria Horner who is an internationally recognized textile designer, author, instructor, wife and mother of seven. Her desire to culminate all of her resources & experiences as both a professional maker and a lover of all kinds of making now offers her hometown a community-oriented space for supply and inspiration all in one spot. Her expert eye will curate the best materials available for patchwork and sewing, embroidery, knitting, crochet, weaving and more. Craft South is also Nashville's first exclusive Janome Sewing Machine delaership which is supported by an open sewing & crafting studio with a full calender of creative workshops for all ages. This studio will also welcome teachers in the form of creative trailblazers like Amy Butler, Heather Ross, Liesl Gibson and local talent like Rebekka Seale, Allison Volek Shelton and of course Anna Maria herself! 

Craft South also features handCrafted South- a beautiful, inventive and southern-sourced selection of handmade fashion, accessories, art, home, baby and gift goods. This celebration inspires the makers that come into our shop for their supply and delights shoppers seeking one of a kind works while also supporting independent designers in their own backyard. 

Craft South is on Instagram and Facebook.   

 

SouleMama: Since the last time you were featured on SouleMama, in what ways has your business grown or changed? Is there anything new you'd like to tell us about?

Anna Maria: We are now only a few days away from opening our front doors, a moment we have been waiting for since last summer! All of our time has been devoted to designing, building and stocking 2300 sq.ft. of handmade happiness. It has been exhausting and exhilarating all at once, and we can't wait to share it with the world. The Grand Opening is Friday May 29th from 4-8pm, we hope some of your readers will join us! The first 50 people in line will get a wonderful gift from some of our generous suppliers.

Our events calendar has grown significantly to include new classes in knitting, sewing, kids camps, and weekend long getaway workshops. Craft South is nestled right in the middle of the best neighborhood in Nashville (12th Ave South) and is within walking distance to Sevier Park, coffee shops, restaurants, sweet shops, music shops, and beautiful boutiques. There is so much to explore right outside our door, so visiting from out of town automatically lands you in a friendly and fun place.

This weekend, Craft South is generously offering the following gift to ONE lucky SouleMama reader:

We've put together one limited edition Craft South tote bag designed by Juliana Horner, and filled with beautiful and useful craft supplies and tools for your next creative adventure. Fabrics, yarn, embroidery, patterns and some of our favorite tools!

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To enter today's giveaway, leave a comment below (one entry per person, please). Comments will close by 9am EST on Sunday. Winners will be chosen by Random Number Generator and announced in this post shortly after. Comments closed. The winner is...

WOW!! This looks great- thank you for the chance.
Posted by: sacha

{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.

. . . . . . . . . .  

necklace rainbow magic

That's what she'll tell you right now if you ask her name. Necklace Rainbow Magic. All one word. Her nickname, she says, is Jessie. And she's seven years old. And she ONLY wears "Lady Shoes" (also known as the high heels that have been long-abandoned to the back of Mama's closet).

Oh my baby girl. Annabel turned four yesterday. We've been having fun celebrating her this week - a small party with her bestest little friends here on the weekend, and an outing with the other four year old cousins yesterday (oh how lucky she is to have FOUR cousins her exact age!). It's been such a sweet week, so fitting for her, this growing, funny, smart, extroverted little babe. I will try to spare you the sentimental birthday feelings that I always have, but really, wasn't this just yesterday? I swear it was. But while I get a little teary-eyed thinking about that tiny baby that once was, it is such a pleasure to watch this girl who now is. Four is one of my absolute favorite ages - so curious, so creative, so capable. It's going to be a wonderful year.

For her birthday, Steve and I built Ani (or Necklace Rainbow Magic, rather) a little table for outside her Garden Cottage. It's the "Bigger Kids Picnic Table" by Ana White. It was a breeze to put together, even if it involved cutting angles on the chop saw (I'm a little bit afraid of messing those up). And then it was painted in the pinkest pink that Adelaide could pick out for her sister - pink begonia by Benjamin Moore. The birthday girl was thrilled with her new table and all of its pinkness. And then throw in her new hammock (the kid's rainbow hammock from Nova), and well....I don't think I'll ever get her out of this corner of the garden. I don't blame her a bit. 

they just don't make them like they used to

Yes, clothespins really were on my list! Because have you tried using the ones that are readily available at stores these days? Terrible! The springs are too small and they break too fast. I'm always hunting for the old peg style to add to the stash. And now that my new laundry line holds four loads of laundry (hooray!), I needed a few more. My wish was granted at Brimfield, for a mere couple of dollars. 

It was at Brimfield last year that I started noticing and falling in love with the hooked rugs, which then spawned my own interest in making hooked rugs. This year, understanding how they're made just a little bit more, I noticed each and every beautiful rug in my path. And came home with two little ones that I just adore. They're in my front hallway now, along with a simple plant stand that I picked up there as well. It feels so good to freshen up a space with little treasures like this.

I'm always on the hunt for furniture when out and about antiquing. Something that will fit in our house without requiring a total reupholstery job (I'm just not ready for that hobby yet). I was happy to find this cozy chair, sturdy and well made - able to withstand all the jumps and backflips my kids will dish out. And white, yes, white. Wish me well. 

When I found this little gem, I said to my friend "Oh, this would be perfect for storing onions and potatoes under my butcher block!" to which the booth owner replied, "that's because that's what it's for!" Ha! Well, there you go, and here it came home with me. I love that pop of green, and it's so handy to have those things right at my side, without going back and forth to the pantry on the other side of the kitchen. Little things that make kitchen time so much more pleasant and comfortable. Plus, that green!

I might have to declare this year at Brimfield, my year of enamelware. I came home with SO much - for the garden (where I use it decoratively as well as to contain things like mint from spreading all over), and for the house, and for the kids. Ani got herself a lovely little set of dishes, just right for her new outdoor kitchen.

I can never leave Brimfield without a vintage dress for one of my girls - I just love them so. And they love them too, for all the dress up and twirling fun they give. I found this sweet set of dresses, for twins, presumably. And while it is too small on one and too big on the other, my two make do for the pleasure of dressing up in 'old fashioned clothes' with their sister. 

I do love this Brimfield tradition, coming home with little bits and bobs that fit right into our live and my days. 

sequins, lollipops, and worrying less

I met an amazing man in Bali, a life counselor and spiritual healer. He said so many things to me that I think about every single day, but one message of his stood out loud and clear and I am so grateful for all the many times a day I hear his voice saying, "You don't need to worry so much about your children. Worry less." 

We worry. Oh, don't we Mamas worry! There's something to worry about at every single turn in parenting, I think, and then multiply it times five children and I could honestly worry about something all the live long day. When they're little, the worries are too many to count, and as trivial, but seemingly important, as can be. Cloth diapering, breastfeeding, and when should we start solids? What's in those vaccines? And what about school? And they grow, and it becomes about peer influence and should they have an iphone and what about video games? And on and on. And on.

But I've been noticing something as my eldest shifts well into his teen years, as he is out and in the world more and more all the time - beyond our doors, beyond our reach, beyond me whispering in his ear about manners and advice and all of that. He's in a place in his life where more and more, he is standing on his own, holding his ground. Doing the work that it takes to get where he wants to go, what he wants to do. And the thing is, of course there are bumps and struggles and always will be, but for the most part, I am feeling a deep and real exhale as I watch him, standing there on his own. He's going to be fine. Just fine. I could worry less. He shows me that. 

I suppose that is the burden and the gift of the oldest child, and one that his younger siblings will someday hopefully appreciate. Because as I exhale just a little bit - in relief and pride at watching him soar, I turn to the rest of them, worrying a little bit less, letting go a little bit more. And that, is the gift that the younger ones receive. A mom with a little bit of experience under her belt, so much more relaxed in my role with each passing year.

This weekend, after three dance recitals for her big brother, Ani had a small little birthday gathering with some of her friends (fittingly, as it was in between recitals - literally - that she was born four years ago this week). I didn't make any decorations or party favors - but Adelaide stepped in and took over on that front without me asking. There were no party games or craft projects, but every child played beautifully and peacefully together for the afternoon. And I didn't make the tofu cake with kudzu frosting that Calvin had for his early birthdays (though that was a tasty cake, no matter how much that boy will never stop teasing me about it). Instead, and because she is the fifth child, she got just what she asked for - a chocolate cake with cupcakes, raspberries and lollipops on top. 

 Worrying less feels so good.

 

Koviashuvik Local Living School {a soulemama sponsor}

Greetings from Koviashuvik Local Living School!

Family Sustainability Stay: An Educational Vacation

If you and your family have an interest in simplifying life, providing for some of your basic needs, or living more sustainably, this is a great place to start! For three days you will enter into a ready-made sustainable living system where we will work with you each day on skills of your choice. You may weave a basket, build a compost pile or make solar-dehydrated fruit leather. Your kids might make a bow and arrow, start a fire with friction, or twist some string from tree bark. Every Family Stay program includes: harvesting food from the garden, cooking on a rocket stove, carving spoons and eating with them, grinding acorns and baking bread, using a composting toilet and enjoying a solar shower. There will also be ample time to explore local hiking options, swimming holes, and to just “be” as a family.  

Accommodations include a spacious white canvas wall tent with wood floor and composting toilet.  

Check us out on Facebook, as well.

SouleMama: Welcome to sponsorship on SouleMama! Please tell us about the beginnings of your business, and how you've come to be where you are now?

Koviashuvik: Chris and Ashirah Knapp are educators and homesteaders. For the past 18 years they have been gardening, storing the harvest, making baskets, snowshoes and clothing, sharpening tools, splitting wood, gathering wild food, and building homes. When Ashirah and Chris were in their late teens they were graced by a chance encounter with Ray Reitze, a Maine guide who had spent his youth learning from a native elder. Ashirah and Chris spent roughly 6 years apprenticed to “Grandfather” Ray, who’s teachings in earth skills and life philosophy have guided the Knapps ever since. The Knapps taught and guided for Kroka Expeditions for 12 years. They love working with kids and adults of all ages and especially like the dynamic of sharing the life and skills of their family with other families. In 2008 the Knapps co-founded Koviashuvik Local Living School in Temple Maine, where they offer classes in folk arts, and modern-day sustainable living. Chris, Ashirah, and their two young children all live together in a tiny house built from the big woods, where they eat acorns, drink spring water, and sing songs at every meal (for real!) They hope to share the great joy and thankfulness they have found in pursuing a life made right from the earth.

This weekend, Koviashuvik Local Living School is generously offering the following gift to ONE lucky SouleMama reader:

Winner's choice of $100 off the cost of a Family Sustainability Stay or free admission for one to any of the 2015 one-day classes.

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To enter today's giveaway, leave a comment below (one entry per person, please). Comments will close by 9am EST on Monday. Winners will be chosen by Random Number Generator and announced in this post shortly after. Comments closed. The winner is...

Normally I could not enter due to location, but we are moving to the area for an academic year. I would love this opportunity for my family!
Posted by: Charlotte

The Kiwipop Studio {a soulemama sponsor}

Greetings from The Kiwipop Studio!

When I was a little girl I used to sit at the local fairs and watch the lovely ladies spin yarn on their spinning wheels. As an adult, I was still fascinated by someones ability to take a pile of wool and create yarn, and then a sweater or scarf or hat … So, I bought a spinning wheel and learned how to spin yarn. There’s something about watching the fibers twist out of your hand and get pulled onto a bobbin, how the colors mix, and how it all knits up. This wonderful world of spinning led me to dyeing yarn and roving and I fell in love all over again. 

I treat each skein as a piece of art. I hand paint each skein one at a time. And although I follow recipes that I have developed, each one is just slightly different. Maybe that section of burgundy is half an inch longer. Each colorway name has a story behind it and I want people to know those stories. Hand painting yarn is my art that I create and then I get to see my art turned into something else that is magnificent and from the heart. Maybe a hat for a granddaughter, maybe socks for a husband, possibly a baby blanket for someone’s first born. These are items that are going to be cherished and loved for generations, and I got to create the first part of it. I hold that fact very close to my heart as I paint each skein of yarn. 

The colors that I put together aren’t always a typical combination - and that’s the fun of it! Maybe I see a sweater and shirt that someone is wearing against the backdrop of a bright blue sky - BAM! - I run home and put the colors together to create a new piece of art. My inspiration comes from nature, the life around me, my friends and my family. My studio is located in our home, so I can be home with my kiddos. My daughter is just about to finish 8th grade and my son, who just turned two, keeps us all on our toes. It’s a true blessing to work from home and watch these children grow everyday. 

The Kiwipop Studio is on Facebook and Instagram.

SouleMama: Welcome to sponsorship on SouleMama! Please tell us about the beginnings of your business, and how you've come to be where you are now?

Judy: The Kiwipop Studio developed sort of by accident and then a TON of hard work. When I started to spin yarn I had people asking to buy my yarn. I was working a day job and so spinning was a hobby for me. After a little bit of time, it turned into a business. It was a VERY small side business, but one that I really enjoyed. When we bought our home and a few short months later discovered that we would be adding a new little one to the family, the wheels started turning and I made the leap of faith to create a full time business. A lot of hard work, trials and errors and a couple of years later, and here I am. Working numerous hours a week and loving every second of it. 

 This weekend, The Kiwipop Studio is generously offering the following gift to ONE lucky SouleMama reader:

Three skeins of hand painted yarn! Winner’s choice of color(s) and weight(s) from my website. They can all match or they can all be different. Your choice! 

In addition, The Kiwipop Studio is offering all SouleMama readers 10% off any order. Please use the code “SOULEMAMA” at check out. 

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To enter today's giveaway, leave a comment below (one entry per person, please). Comments will close by 9am EST on Sunday. Winners will be chosen by Random Number Generator and announced in this post shortly after. Comments closed. The winner is...

oh, oh, oh!! count me in! these yarns are scrumptious!
Posted by: Janet

{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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In the Garden, May 14

This has been another delightfully busy week in the garden, getting so many more beds ready and so much into the ground. We just passed our average last frost date here in our neck of the woods and the forecast looks safe for almost everything, so into the ground it all goes just as fast as we can do it. 

Much to our excitement, three years after planting it, we harvested and ate our first meal of asparagus for dinner last night! A few pieces for all, but the tastiest asparagus we've ever had, made especially more so I think by the wait.  

The girls have been busy making 'garden offerings' on a stump by the garden gate each day, gathering bits of acorns and flowers and whatever else they can find. Very mandala-like, it's been so sweet to see them wipe it clean and start over each day, and it's a pleasure to stop what I'm doing every once in a while to join them. 

And today, with a new pile of enamelware (from Brimfield) to play with in my perennial beds, and the sun shining, I'm ever so eager to get back out there and get my hands in the soil for just as long as I can! Ah...such a full and busy time of year it is in the garden!

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During the growing season, I share a garden update once a week. If you are doing the same (on any day of the week) in your own online space, please leave a link in the comments section below so that we can take a stroll through your garden! Or simply, in your words, share what you've been up to in your own garden. Be sure not to miss the comments of these posts, as the garden wisdom shared by all of you is such a beautiful thing to see - I learn so much every week! Thank you, friends. And blessings on another year in the garden!

from Brimfield

(I hope you'll forgive me for not lugging along my big camera this year. I was worried about the rain, and well, maybe a small part of me was eager to fill that extra backpack space with something else. Hmn...)

I'm making my way home now from the annual tradition of a trip to the Brimfield Antique Show with a friend. Ah! What an adventure it always is, this journey. This year was no exception - full of all the usual wonder, delight, treasures, strangeness and visual stimulation I've come to expect from this fair. And of course, some Brimfield popcorn for the ride to and fro! I think this is my fourth year down there for the May show, and it never ceases to bring me such joy to wander through all of those old things and wonder about the life they lead before landing in the piles, as they are there. Of course, I am bringing just a few treasures home with me - as usual, heavy on the 'useful' and utilitarian, with a bit of textile love to boot. I can't wait to get home and unpack all the little bits coming into the house with me. But before I do that.... I got a text from my husband - happily covering me at home with all the kiddos for two nights while I'm off adventuring - asking if I wouldn't mind just stopping by and picking up those two new piglets. It is, after all, on my way. 

And so, off I go to the pig farm to squeeze two Tamworth piglets in between the vintage treasures loaded into my van. Including, ahem, the new white wingback chair I bought. Oh thank heavens for tarps! And adventures! 

 

Mama's Day

Ah, it can be a complicated holiday, this one, can't it? Full of expectation and the sometimes resulting disappointment. A reminder of heartbreak and loss. Adoption, miscarriage, infertility, painful mother-daughter relationships. Oh, I see all of that in my family and friends. And in the simplest of ways, I feel it in the self-imposed guilt, pressure and expectation in my role as Mama. We are so very hard on ourselves, every single Mama I know. Trying to do the best we can by our children, by our spouses, honoring ourselves and our sisters, blood and otherwise. It's a hard role to live up to. And full of messy imperfection, always. In the midst of so much beauty and love. And growth. Always, growth.

Over the years, my feelings about this 'holiday' have evolved greatly. This year, I asked for an hour of peace with everyone in the garden, working together. I didn't actually get that, but that's okay too. I did get a lot of time in the garden, I did get time with everyone. I did get ice cream, and a whiskey sour, and breakfast in bed (black tea and toast with jam, please!). I did get handmade cards from a few, hugs from all, and a whole lot of gentleness from the man I married. 

And in many ways, it was just like every other day in family life. Full of squabbling and a few too many battles. There may have been a homemade 'sword' revoked and iPhone restrictions handed out too. Surely someone cried (likely two or more), and surely someone yelled (likely that number totaled seven). There were also apologies made, gifts given, and many moments of joy. While working in the garden, I saw three kids ride by on a single bicycle - no helmets, no shoes (breaking all the rules), but definitely sibling love and laughter. I heard what can only be described as true harmony coming from the front porch while dinner was being made. And well, all the messy, hard, beautiful and good stuff that makes up family is what the day was full of. At the end of it all, both exhausted and satisfied, disappointed and overjoyed, I felt as though I do on most days. Overwhelmed by the job of mothering these five people, and simultaneously overjoyed at the very same.

Oh, it isn't easy, this job. But I'm so very grateful that I get to wake up this morning - and again tomorrow - and try my best to do right by them. It's my greatest blessing...and honor.

Happy Mother's Day

Wishing you and yours a beautiful day! 

Oak Meadow {a soulemama sponsor}

Greetings from Oak Meadow!

Oak Meadow was founded in 1975 by a group of parents seeking to reignite their children's spark for learning. Believing that children are sensitive and intelligent and that learning can be joyfully integrated into life, they developed flexible, nature-based, child-centered curriculum that they could teach to their children themselves. As it turned out, they became pioneers of the modern homeschooling movement.

 

Today, our progressive, experiential homeschooling curriculum for kindergarten to grade 12 provides students with the educational freedom and flexibility to explore their interests, talents, and passions. Our approach allows families to set their own natural rhythm of learning and encourages creativity, critical thinking, and intellectual development through hands-on activities and interdisciplinary projects. 

Families can use the curriculum independently or by enrolling in our fully accredited distance learning school.

Visit our website for more information or call our office to speak with one of our ​friendly educational counselors to learn more. ​ We are also on Facebook and Pinterest.

SouleMama: Since the last time you were featured on SouleMama, in what ways has your business grown or changed? Is there anything new you'd like to tell us about?

Oak Meadow​'s educators​ continuously revise and develop new curriculum for our families, and we're excited to offer courses that can be used independently of ​our ​grade curriculum​ packages. For example, Healthy Living from the Start is a comprehensive health curriculum that provides the framework for teaching children about health and well-being (​designed for kindergarten to third graders​);​ and ​our ​​brand new ​Media Literacy, a course that teaches how to critically engage and make sense of the media all around us​, designed​ for high school students.  

This weekend, Oak Meadow is generously offering the following gift to ONE lucky SouleMama reader:

​$150 gift coupon to use in the Oak Meadow Bookstore

In addition, Oak Meadow is offering all SouleMama readers 10% off enrollment and 15% off materials during our Mother's Day to Memorial Day discount period! The offer is good May 10-25, and it's a great time to try something new or to save on items you're already planning to purchase.

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To enter today's giveaway, leave a comment below (one entry per person, please). Comments will close by 9am EST on Sunday. Winners will be chosen by Random Number Generator and announced in this post shortly after. Comments closed. The winner is...

Ooooo! Us please! We just started homeschooling our little 4 year old girlie this year and we LOVE it!
Posted by: Jill K

{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.

. . . . . . . . . .  

In the Garden, May 7

It's Go Time in the garden this week! A big load of compost was delivered early in the week (or "magical fabulous pixie dust" as Annabel calls it, rightfully so). We aren't able to produce all of the compost we need yet, though I'm hopeful that we're getting closer to that. Maybe next year or the year after. Regardless, I was getting a bit impatient waiting for that load of compost to be delivered, and for the ground to warm up just a bit more. But it's happened this week - all of that. Beautifully warm sunny summer like days, and now this magical dust to sprinkle into the garden beds. Go Time! 

So far, onion seedlings are in (I'm trying seedlings this year instead of the sets I usually do, but that never get as big as I wish they would), some greens, peas, beets, and a few other things. A lot more to come in the next two days. I'm keeping a calendar out in the garden shed this year to write down planting dates. 

Of course the 'harvest' at this point is slim to none! The perennial herbs are bouncing back from the winter and finding their way into the kitchen. Chive biscuits and gravy for dinner again, kids? Sure! And the asparagus - it's so close and I'm excited that this, our third year with it, we might be able to enjoy a few meals of it. 

And then we come to Ani's corner of the garden, which she shares - for the most part - quite well with her siblings. This little corner warrants its own updates, for all the energy and excitement and activity that happens there week to week. This week, she got herself a curtain for her Pink House, a new clothesline, an outdoor kitchen, and just yesterday morning woke up to find that Adelaide and Harper had built her a sandbox after she'd gone to bed the night before! So much to do and play with in this little neck of the garden, which is essential really. Since the kids were babes, keeping the littlest one happy and satisfied in the garden has been the way we get as much gardening done as we can. At first, of course, it's on Papa's back or Mama's hip. Then we moved to a 'tent' in the garden for a little one to crawl and play in. And of course buckets of soil and shovels and all of that, keeping everyone interested and helping along the way. But this little garden house has been dreamy for all of us - we're able to talk (or rather listen, which is really the only role of someone having a conversation with this chatterbox of a child) while I garden, and periodically throughout the gardening day, I sit down for a cup of tea in her kitchen. Or go foraging for pine cones (corn on the cob), pine needles (salad), and acorns (beets) and big rocks (eggs) and little rocks (candy) for us to eat in her kitchen. It's such a sweet way to spend our time together. 

Ah, another beautifully sunny day here today, and after a bit more work in my studio, I am so eager to get out there and play in the garden. Planting a few more things, and likely stopping for some rock candy and tea with whoever will join me. 

. . . . . .

If you're new here, we have a lovely little tradition that's evolved over the past few years, where during the season, I share a garden update once a week. If you are doing the same (on any day of the week) in your own online space, please leave a link in the comments section below so that we can take a stroll through your garden! Or simply, in your words, share what you've been up to in your own garden. Be sure not to miss the comments of these posts, as the garden wisdom shared by all of you is such a beautiful thing to see - I learn so much every week! Thank you, friends. And blessings on another year in the garden!

for gathering....everything

I had such fun making this new skirt for Adelaide. When I saw the pattern, the Gathered Skirt for All Ages, appear on Purl Bee last week, I knew I'd be making one and likely more. And well, one is made and surely there are more to come. It was a fun pattern, easy to follow, and the way the pockets come together is super clever. And that's the best thing of all - those deep, big pockets! My girls love collecting all manner of things and while often a basket is in hand, not always is there something handy for storing their goods on a collecting journey. This skirt is perfect for that and I have no doubt that every time it comes through the laundry pile, I'll be pulling out pinecones, rocks, cat treats and who knows what else. (The fabric is Midnight Flora by Cloud 9.)

Adelaide was thrilled to wake up to the surprise of a new skirt (it's one of my very favorite Mama things to do - that morning surprise of something I made in the night). She insisted we cut a bit of matching fabric for her hair to put in her recent favorite milk maid braids. Then we went on a little rock hunt (she's got a thing for rocks these days), a stop to notice the daffodils, and then for a snuggle with her lamb, Thalia. After that, she was called away by Papa for morning chores, and as she skipped off merrily, she stopped quickly to turn over her shoulder and say, "thanks for the skirt Mom!". 

Ah, so much love. Love for my girl, growing into a beautiful young lady with such a big heart and open eyes. And love for the act of making things for my nearest and dearest, one of the ways I show them just how much I love them.

to the lake

"Can we go swimming today?" I heard approximately a thousand times on Sunday. The temperature was in the low sixties, farenheit. It really was as lovely, sunny, and warm as it's been all year - a delightful day. We all spent it out of doors - the kids doing everything from biking, shooting bows and arrows to building forts and working on improving Ani's garden cottage, setting up the hammocks and on and on. Steve and I spent the day blissfully prepping our garden beds, pruning the fruit trees, mulching the berries. All that good stuff. But still...all day long, "can we go to the lake PLEASE?????"

"Isn't there still ICE on the lake?" I asked, stopping just short of "No way, we can't go swimming, are you INSANE?" I was planning to just put them off for the day....or a few weeks, or for heaven's sake a decent month! 

Mid-afternoon, because I always forget how to do it, I asked Steve to set me up to prune the raspberries (lo and behold, the only pruners we can find in the barn this spring just so happen to be left handed pruners, which leaves me to the job. Hmn....I spy a perfect Father's Day gift coming right up). I spent a few minutes battling with the canes, happy to be getting the job done. Then I heard the shout of "Are you coming with us?" and looked up to see the kids all in bathing suits, with towels slung over their shoulders.....and behind them? Papa, with the stroller (Ani never makes it all there way there and back without requesting a ride). "You've got to be kidding me." I replied. "Nope!" Steve replied from over his shoulder. I barely had time to register, as they all headed into the woods and onto the trail that leads to the lake. 

I spent a few more minutes pruning the raspberry bushes, thinking about how crazy they all really are, cutting my arms all up to bits as always is the case (because I never remember to wear long sleeves for the job), and thinking that I just couldn't join them. There were only a couple of more hours in the weekend daytime before I needed to start dinner. And tomorrow - full of work and classes and errands. I needed to make the most of the time I had left in the garden.

That musing and cursing of the canes lasted for about five minutes. At which point I ran inside, grabbed my camera and shoes, a sun hat, and turned off the oven, preheating for dinner and started the walk to the lake. When I arrived at the shore I found a combination of children underwater, children shivering, but mostly a whole lot of laughing. They really did swim. I took a few steps in, and there's no other way to describe the temperature except 'shocking'. Just wading in, though - I felt alive. My breathing slowed (like I said, cold water), and I found myself returning to center. On the way back home, judging from the exuberance and joy and pleasuring emanating from all of them, I'm certain they all felt it too. Yes. This was absolutely the right thing to do.

And so, a hip-hip-hooray! to the start of swimming season here and Maine, and most especially a nod to the lessons we learn from our children. Over and over again. 

Camp Stomping Ground {a soulemama sponsor}

Greetings from Camp Stomping Ground!

WHAT IS THE STOMPING GROUND?

Stomping Ground is a resident camp in Warren County, New Jersey, that values autonomy, self-concept, and community. We say yes to kids where no one else would, and we engage with campers at an unprecedented level to keep them safe, both physically and emotionally. By employing cutting edge child development theory and a (literally) world class staff, we offer an intentionally designed summer camp experience that will not only quiet the voices telling your children that they need to be someone other than who they are – it will make him explode with creativity, kindness, and the knowledge that anything is possible.

OUR PHILOSOPHY

We start from the idea that kids aren’t so different from grown ups. That in a safe loving community, kids know best how to spend their time. We believe that every member of our community has a right to feel safe, physically and emotionally. And that people are happiest living in a free and trusting community. We believe that kids learn best through making decisions not by following directions. Every decision we make at camp stems from these ideas.

WE ARE PREPARING KIDS FOR

The first day that they wake up and there's no one around to tell them what to do. By helping campers learn to develop and trust their own inner voice, we have seen that they can learn to understand that their power comes from within. When kids understand that they are to be trusted, that they are capable, and that they can be loved for exactly who they are, they can approach the world in a totally different way than if they've had their entire lives pre-planned for them.

Visit our About Page and our rates & dates & registration page for more information. The Stomping Ground is also on Facebook. 

 

SouleMama: Welcome to sponsorship on SouleMama! Please tell us about the beginnings of your business, and how you've come to be where you are now?

James: Our summer camp is a long time in the making. We actually first learned the term "unschooling" from this very site many years ago, and have since unschooled our own children, and started this camp to make that experience available for others. We ran a different camp in this fashion for four years before finally launching the Stomping Ground this summer. We realized that there was no sleep-away camp for kids who weren't used to being told what to do all the time, and we felt like there ought to be. So here we are.

This weekend, Camp Stomping Ground is generously offering the following gift to ONE lucky SouleMama reader:

A week of camp!

The normal cost of camp is ~$500 (though we allow families to pay different amounts based on what they can afford), and our dates are June 21-27. All travel to camp must be paid for by the winner.

In addition, Camp Stomping Ground is offering all SouleMama readers a 10% discount off camp registration. Enter Coupon Code soulemama at checkout. This deal ends on May 7th!

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To enter today's giveaway, leave a comment below (one entry per person, please). Comments will close by 9am EST on Monday. Winners will be chosen by Random Number Generator and announced in this post shortly after. Comments closed. The winner is...

Oh, how my daughter would benefit from this! Thank you for the chance!
Posted by: Donna Turner

Monaluna {a soulemama sponsor}

Greetings from Monaluna!

Monaluna is a family-run organic fabric company dedicated to creating beautiful, modern designs produced in an environmentally-friendly and socially responsible manner. We started our company 5 years ago out of a desire to bring more eco-friendly options to the fabric marketplace, and have been growing steadily ever since, adding 4-6 new collections a year. We now offer organic cotton knits, canvas, cotton lawn and sewing patterns in addition to organic poplin fabric. All of our fabrics are GOTS-certified. We find a lot of joy and humor in creating our fabrics, and we hope they inspire creativity in others. 

Follow Monaluna on facebook, pinterest and instagram.

SouleMama: Since the last time you were featured on SouleMama, in what ways has your business grown or changed? Is there anything new you'd like to tell us about?

Jennifer: This spring we've been in the process of renovating and moving into our new studio and shop, and it's been a really exciting, busy time. I was originally planning to move to a studio space outside of my home, where I could have room for more helpers and gain a little separation between my home and work spaces. When I found the perfect spot, though, it just happened to be zoned for retail, and I decided to take the plunge and open a shop. That decision has presented so many possibilities that I've had to reexamine our business and consider which paths I most want to pursue. I remain committed to offering products that are eco-friendly, handmade where possible and that I think will bring joy and spark the desire to create. 

The core of our business is still organic fabric, though, and we have just come out with our new Haiku and Haiku Lawn collections. The prints were a little bit of a departure for us, as they're softer, more painterly and less graphic than usual, and I have been loving the whole group! The lawn is gorgeous for garments and lightweight summer quilts, and many of the prints have accents of gold metallic for a little bit of shimmer.

This weekend, Monaluna is generously offering the following gift to ONE lucky SouleMama reader:

A 1/2 yard bundle of the Haiku poplin (6 prints) and Haiku Lawn (4 prints). 

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To enter today's giveaway, leave a comment below (one entry per person, please). Comments will close by 8am EST on Sunday. Winners will be chosen by Random Number Generator and announced in this post shortly after. Comments closed. The winner is...

ooh! so pretty! thanks for the chance to win!
Posted by: regina

{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.

. . . . . . . . . .  

May 1

 Hello May!

And welcome (and welcome back) to the newest Sponsors here at SouleMama...

 

Woolen Moss ~ Custom Organic Clothing

 

Woolen Moss is a small custom organic clothing shop in upstate New York. We believe in comfort, beauty, and freedom of movement, and we think you’ll get that from from any garment you find here. You’ll find a variety of organically grown cotton and bamboo garments in addition to our specialty, our favorite, organic merino wool. This wonderful organic wool is raised in the mountains of Patagonia and milled and low impact dyed right here in New York Sate. New colors coming this fall, we hope you’ll enjoy!

 

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The Waldorf Homeschool Connection 

The Waldorf Connection is an online resource that provides training, classes, and retreats for homeschooling families getting started with Waldorf Homeschooling. They are committed to delivering how-to support to moms seeking to educate their children in a waldorf-inspired mindful way.

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Ace&Jig

ace&jig is a textile love story. We work one on one with weavers to create craft custom created yarn-dyed woven fabrics. A singular thread ties our collections together: the stripe.

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Story Chest Crafts

Story Chest Crafts is a family-owned company that brings imagination and wholesome fun to everyone who visits. Every one of our kits, patterns, and stories sparks creativity and adventure. What’s more, families are welcomed to showcase their own art, stories, & patterns for sale!

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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, please be in touch!