SouleMama

drip, drip, drop

The taps are in! Maple syrup season has begun. It's such an exciting time with all the hope that this activity brings. At the beginning there is snow on the ground, but after a few weeks of tapping and hauling sap, boiling it down and celebrating out of doors, and before we know it, spring is upon us. Though, if neighbor Bruce knows anything (and that he does), he's warning us all that "winter isn't done with us yet!". So we shall see, and be prepared for whatever March brings. Still, I do love the way tapping trees brings us out - at a time when usually the prime sledding/skiing season has passed, and things are starting to turn to mush and the beginnings of mud season (a real and true season of its own) are everywhere. It's too early for getting much work done out there, and a lot of the elements needed for winter play is moving on out. But tapping the trees, and all that goes with it, it draws us out many times a day. And I love it for that. (The syrup is a great reward too). 

This year, we are tapping considerably fewer trees than in the past. Certainly, we can use all the syrup we can gather, and it never stretches as far as we wish that it would. But this decision was one based on our days, and being mindful of how they flow (ha!). There were years in which we were fully able to dedicate the hours needed to as full of a syrup operation as we could have here....and this year just doesn't seem to be one of those. We have, we realized, entered a new season of our family life in this past year or so. One which finds our kids, especially the older three, doing exciting things out of the house. Every so often, I find myself longingly thinking about the years when we didn't have this kind of a schedule - when days upon days were spent at home, not paying attention to the clock or sometimes even the calendar. But I'm always snapped out of that nostalgia with the awesomeness of the present - the great opportunities they're offered, the amazing growth I see in them, the involved and engaged people they are becoming in their various communities. It's all wonderful, and I've even come to love the driving (truly). Ah, but it always means looking closely at our days, and asking once in while, is this (or the other thing)working for our family right now? and what does this (or that) do to our days?  The biggest challenge of all, of course, being that we still have some very littles, for whom I want to give the same experiences and childhood that their older siblings had. And those older siblings? They're not so old that the activity and tradition of our family rhythms don't matter. In fact, I think they matter just as much. And so, like other adjustments we make in our days together....we keep tapping trees, just maybe fewer. A little less time hauling buckets of sap from the woods, and a little more time for making the schedule of our day a bit less cramped and (over)full.

Tapping fewer trees, of course, is a relatively small and minor decision. We didn't exactly belabor over it, and I'm sure the kids don't even notice the difference between 50 taps or 15. But I've been thinking a lot about all those little decisions we make and how they add up to such importance as our family shifts and changes, stretches and grows. I thought about that a lot this weekend too, which was so incredible. Incredible in all the games of checkers, the late-night all-sibling hockey game by lantern on the pond, the side-by-side sibling math fun, the meals with no rushing, the amount of spinning I was able to do. All because we were all home, home, home for the entirety of it. Previously a common occurrence, and now quite rare, it feels like such a treasure when it does happen. I was reminded over and over again this weekend of how wonderful and important that time is though, and how necessary it is to work hard to make sure we keep that, when we can. Always examining our days, reconfiguring our plans. Letting go of this, and bringing on that. I think that balance-keeper is the role Steve and I play most often in this season of our family life. It isn't always an easy one, but oh, the rewards - for all - are so very sweet.

 

Bee's Wrap {a soulemama sponsor}

 

Greetings from Bee's Wrap! 

Bee's Wrap® is the sustainable, natural alternative to plastic wrap for food storage. Wrap cheese, vegetables, a sandwich, bread, and cover a bowl. Bee’s Wrap is made of GOTS certified organic cotton, beeswax, organic jojoba oil and tree resin. The muslin is coated with the beeswax mixture and dried in sheets. Bee’s Wrap keeps food fresh naturally by simply molding the wrap around the top of a bowl, wrapping cheese, bread, half of a lemon or cucumber and sandwiches. The antibacterial properties of beeswax and jojoba oil help keep food fresh. Use the warmth of your hands to soften the wrap, create a seal, when cool the wrap holds its shape. Bee's Wrap can be washed in cool water and then hung to dry. Bee's Wrap lasts for about one year with regular usage and is compostable and biodegradable. Made in Vermont.

 

Bee's Wrap is on Facebook, Twitter: @beeswrap and Instagram: beeswrap. We would love to see how you use Bee's Wrap #mybeeswrap.

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

Sarah: This time of year, when we are not distracted by holidays, the start of school or the outdoor activities of summer, it feels like a great time to renew an old commitment or start a new one. One commitment many of us are making is to live a more sustainable, earth friendly lifestyle. A component of making this change is throwing away less. Because of the disposable nature of plastic products, their extraordinarily long breakdown period, and their harmful health effects to both humans and animals, reducing plastic wrap seems like a natural first step.

Bee's Wrap makes this transition easier by providing a sustainable, reusable alternative to plastic wrap. My daughter has recently switched from loving school lunch to wanting to pack lunch. We have been loving the ease of Bee's Wrap for wrapping a few celery sticks, a sandwich, a little bundle of raisons and nuts, a cookie. 

Bee's Wrap is now making the sandwich wrap in the clover print. We just love this pretty color with the clover flowers and the wood bee button and twine to hold it all together.

This weekend, Bee's Wrap is generously offering the following gifts to ONE lucky SouleMama reader:

A set of 3 small wraps and a sandwich wrap in the clover print

In addition, Bee's Wrap would like to offer all SouleMama readers 10% off until March 4th. Enter code: soulemarch

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

Thanks for the chance to win!!
Posted by: Julie

 

gatherings...from the gathering

A side note first. Ezra and I were recently talking about an upcoming cast party he's attending, as I was sorting just precisely how to fit it into my taxi driving duties that night. "What time is your gathering on Friday?" I asked. To which he replied with the now-familiar laughter of a teenage boy at his Mom. "Mom, it's a PARTY, not a GATHERING. When you call it a gathering it sounds like a bunch of older ladies sitting around knitting or something like that." Ahem. I have no idea where he got that impression. But I would argue that a bunch of "older ladies" sitting around knitting IS indeed a party, and he has no idea what he's talking about. Semantics. 

A few weeks ago, at our gathering, as I told you we all made wonky log cabin squares. It was a blast, and I can't tell you the joy I found in seeing how different each and every square became, despite the fact that most of the fabric came from one single person (my stash was transported to the woods). As I anticipated, I did a lot of demonstrating of the sewing, but not actually a lot of sewing. I used one square of batting and three pieces that were sewn down and stitch ripped out about two dozen times. The moment that everyone was out the door, I began tidying up our sewing space (eager to get on with the clean up and home to my babies the next day). Though, I have to tell you that if you're looking for guests that clean up after themselves even while on vacation, I'd suggest a group of crafty Mamas (they wouldn't listen to me when I told them to stop!). It was not so much of a mess at all, but rather what remained were remnants of what had been, or what had been made. Feeling a bit emotional from the loveliness of the weekend, I started to pick up strips on the ground and scattered about that had been part of everyone's work. Most of it mine, but a few pieces that others had brought in as well. I gathered some that reminded me of the squares I had seen in progress that weekend, and of the women I had gotten to know. 

Later that night, after a great deal of cleaning, Sarah and I moved the sewing machines closer to the fireplace, opened a bottle of wine, and got sewing for the first time that weekend. And she, I am proud to say, completed what is her first piece of sewing - and such a pretty first piece it is (under her yummy smoothie above!). 

 

I arrived home from our gathering without a completed project, but with a little bundle and an intention to finish it. I had a chance to do just that a few days ago. A simple quilt as you go log cabin square that reminds me so much of our time in the woods. Gathered from the scraps I found left behind, it was a pleasure to think about those people and our time together as I made this pillow. Somehow, I think, all those varied and different pieces came together into one for this single little pillow, just as all those different and uniquely beautiful women did for a weekend in the woods this February. 

 

 

the things we say (that aren't forgotten)

Well, if that smiling face is any indication, it appears as though we've got another skier in the family! That makes for everyone now, excluding Mama (more on that later). As has become our family tradition, Annabel will join the crew on their regular trips to the mountain when she's five - next winter. But she gave it a go yesterday, just to see what she thought of it all. I wasn't certain how she'd do. She's certainly brave, but not a daredevil. But there, between her big sister's legs (bless her), she was comfortable, safe and enjoying herself immensely. "Again, again, again!" And she quickly went from the training hill to bunny run and asked for more. 

How did my baby grow so fast? I don't know. But I do know that once up on a time, very long ago, when all I had was babies, a much younger, much more foolish version of myself vowed that when the last of the little kids joined the big kids at the mountain, I would go too. I'm not certain what I was thinking - could it have been that I thought the baby years would never end and I'd never have to follow through on that? Or maybe I thought that everyone would forget? Well, she really is the last of the babes, and no one has forgotten my words. It isn't that I don't want to join them in outdoor fun, it's just that getting a ride to the top of a mountain and then throwing myself down it has never seemed like something all that enticing. Or even sane, really. I did give snowboarding a try many, many moons ago, and lasted for all of 45 minutes before declaring it 'most definitely not for me, but thanks!' and then happily spent the rest of the group's ski day sitting by the fire and swimming in the (indoor) pool. I do love cross-country skiing, so long as it's, well, flat. My backyard does just fine for that.

And so, with Annabel's happy ski face on my mind, I've got about eight months to sort out my strategy. Maybe there's a way to convince them they'd have more fun without me, and that really I should stay home all alone and knit by the fire all day. Or maybe I could tell them that I could happily keep their gear warm and their food prepped in the lodge - while knitting by the fire? Or, perhaps I could talk them into upgrading to a mountain that has cross country trails - for the Mama who likes flat skiing. Or. Maybe I'll decided that in my fortieth year, I might just as well get to the top of that mountain and ski on down. (And maybe we only get more foolish with age.)

 

knitting along

My handspun, hodge-podge of a sweater for Adelaide is coming along. In fact, it's taken priority over all of my other knitting projects at the moment. And maybe, just maybe, it's taken priority over other projects right now too. Like you know, laundry. Or making dinner. Today's schedule is full of a lot of driving, which is no good for my knitting time at all. Though, there are those stop lights....some of which surely I could squeeze a few stitches in, right? Hmn, it might be best to err on the side of safety. But I assure you I'll find a moment somewhere in which to keep on keeping on with this knitting.

Wishing you a lovely day - maybe with some knitting? 

 

melting into march

There's talk of spring around here, which disorients me each time I hear it. I'm still waiting for winter to start. It's been such a strange one this year - temperatures all over the gauge and of great extremes for the season, and with hardly any snow at all. The usual thick blanket of white that covers the left-behind mess of the inevitable incomplete autumn cleanup just has not arrived to do its beautiful blanketing (and covering up) thing it usually does. I think it might be a long mud season. Nobody's favorite. 

Regardless, I've been hearing Steve talk to the neighbors about tapping the trees. (As you might imagine, all that talk and speculation about tapping the trees is just as important and takes just as much time (quite usually, more time) as actually tapping those trees and making the syrup itself.) The temperatures look just right for sugaring in the forecast ahead - warm in the days, cool at night, so the sap can do its thing. Perhaps we'll get some taps out there today. And I'll look at the calendar and block off the Sundays ahead as we know now that they will be spent boiling, standing under the woodshed (someday we'll get fancy and make a sugar shack. Maybe.), boots thick with mud, steam coming off the evaporator and a healthy mix of warm sun and cool wind in the air. I do love long boiling days. It's nothing that requires a lot of work, not manual work anyway. But we are outside all day. It feels like an acclimation of sorts - a slow start to what is to come. Because soon enough, we hit the ground running. Sheep will need shearing, hoofs trimmed, bulbs planted, seeds started, garden readied, chicks ordered, baby goats (might) arrive, and on and on.  

But it isn't just the wacky weather that's leading me to believe spring really is around the corner. It's also the calendar and the slight shift I feel in our family days. Last week heralded the end of Calvin's first nordic ski season, with the crew bringing home the state championship title. (A slightly weak and shortened season though it was, for it turns out that snow is a pretty big part of that whole nordic skiing thing. Who knew?). Ezra just wrapped up a long and wonderful run as Linus in a production of the Charlie Brown Musical. And though there is always the hope for spring skiing, this week marks the end of our regular trip to the mountain (and the last Tuesday dress of the year as well!). 

And just this weekend, everyone decided on their summer camps and adventures - deposits mailed off and calendar filling up. As the talk of summer camps heated up and final decisions were made, this little one piped in with her request. Not one to allow for her own exclusion, and never one to be called or considered a "baby" (the horrors!), she was quite certain that a few weeks away at sleepaway camp would be just right for her this summer. And while we didn't indulge that request exactly, we did find a nice and just-right day camp for a week that she's beyond thrilled with. Never has a four year old of ours done such a thing or wanted such a thing. (I'm tickled to be surprised by them. Over and over again. And I wonder, how can five children from the same family be so completely different? But they are, and I love it so.)

Though this winter was an exceptional one, I do feel that they're all just going a bit faster than I remember them ever to have done before. The seasons are flying, and with them, the years. Cliche, and yet it's just oh so true. Spring comes faster each year, I'm sure of it. But each time, there is something new, something a little bit different than the one before, something that makes this season - quick though it may be flying by - all its own. And those little things, those tiny details, they make right now pretty fabulous, don't they? I think so. Whatever the season.
 

OTTOBRE design {a soulemama sponsor}

  

Greetings from OTTOBRE design! 

OTTOBRE design® is a fabulous, inspiring, sewing and pattern magazine for creative people!

 

The company behind OTTOBRE design® is Studio Tuumat Oy – a bright and energetic design company from Finnish Lapland. We are located in Rovaniemi, a small town on the Arctic Circle. Lapland provides an inspiring and peaceful environment close to nature, which is ideal for creating fresh Scandinavian designs. In addition to the OTTOBRE design® kids and OTTOBRE design® woman magazines, we produce single patterns, small DIY kits and e-patterns and we have a lovely fabric and sewing supply shop on Etsy.

 

Our latest magazine is OTTOBRE design 2/2016, our spring/summer issue for women. We provide patterns for ladies in US sizes 6 - 24 (UK sizes 8 - 26 and EU sizes 34-52). Be inspired and create your favorite summer wardrobe !

 

 

A good garment is like a dear childhood friend: It’s comfortable, familiar, forgiving and dependable. So how does one come across a garment that becomes your bosom friend? Imagine the feeling of delight when you try an item on in the fitting room of a clothing store, zip it up and realize “this is it”! A perfect piece of clothing that fits like a glove without any alteration and makes you feel gorgeous! You can consider yourself lucky if you can find such items off the rail. I myself can’t, either I find something wrong with the garment – or, more often, with my body. But I’m happy to say that I’ve come very close to the perfect garment with some of my best tried-and-tested sewing patterns. ”. 

Sewing your own clothes is the best way to ensure they fit your body and not some standardized, version of what a woman’s body “should” be. You can also sew exactly what you want to wear and are not limited by what the fashion industry thinks you should be wearing this season, or in these days of fast fashion, this week! 

 

In our latest issue, the spring/summer woman magazine 2/2016, you’ll find plenty of great patterns just waiting to become your new best friends: Tops, skirts, pants and a great selection of dresses. Whether you are an experienced seamstress or just starting out there is a pattern for you.  So take some time out and sew something for yourself!

 

Happy sewing!

 

 

This weekend, OTTOBRE design is generously offering the following gift to THREE lucky SouleMama readers:

 

Annual subscription to OTTOBRE woman magazines (issues 2/2016 and 5/2016) 

 

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

Everytime you offer an Ottobre giveaway, I hold my breath a few seconds while typing this comment in hopes that this time, THIS time, might be my lucky day. I actually taught myself to sew with my mom's old kid's Ottobres and would love some new issues.
Posted by: Sacha

I've been wanting to try ottobre designs!
Posted by: Shannon

Their patterns are so lovely
Posted by: Joy

Conscious Clothing {a soulemama sponsor}

 

Greetings from Conscious Clothing! 

Conscious Clothing is a company dedicated to sustainable, comfortable, and high quality clothing handmade in the USA! We specialize in organic cotton, organic linen, hemp, and bamboo fabrics, natural and low impact dyeing techniques, and non toxic, water based inks.

 

All of our clothing is handmade in our Michigan studio by a small group of local men and women committed to environmentally friendly processes and production. Each and every piece of clothing is a unique work of art with its own story woven into the fabric.

With timeless design and comfort at the top of our list, your Conscious Clothing will last far longer than the fast fashion of today.

Follow us on Instagram @consciousclothing for shop updates, studio happenings, show schedules, and behind the scenes photo shoots.

Also, be sure to check out our latest kid's stuff on Etsy.

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

Rose: Since our last feature on Soulemama, we have finished our studio construction and moved into our new space! It is a beautiful production facility designed to house our sewing, dyeing, printing, and retail needs. We are so pleased to have a new home for Conscious Clothing to expand in way we never dreamed possible before! You can expect some new printed designs coming through this summer and into the following seasons ahead!

Also, our family is looking forward to welcoming a new baby this April. We are all so excited as we anticipate the arrival of the littlest family member!

 

This weekend, Conscious Clothing is generously offering the following gifts to TWO lucky SouleMama readers:

Winner #1: Organic Linen Backyard Tunic in the size and color of your choice

Winner #2: Organic Cotton Boyshorts in the size and color of your choice

In addition, Conscious Clothing would like to offer all SouleMama readers 20% off your order with code SOULE16 through February 27th.

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

Beautiful clothing!
Posted by: Alicia

I love the simplicity and richness of these clothes!
Posted by: Linda

in this room

Ah, that's much better. I spent a little time unpacking and settling back into my studio space this week, and finishing the rearranging I had started weeks ago. This little room of mine serves so many purposes and holds so many things for all that making (because without a doubt, making things requires the 'stuff' needed to do the making)! It can easily feel cluttered and not functioning if I don't pay attention in here. It feels back to normal now - everything in its proper place and things rearranged for the best use of them. And now that it's all tidy, my favorite thing to do of course is dive right on into a project. I think I'll go from table to table - first up, with getting the next issue of Taproot out the door, followed by a quilt that is front and center on the cutting table, ready to be pinned and quilted. And then onto the sewing. Oh, I'm so grateful for this room - and all the things that happen inside of it! 

look the other way

Sigh. This is the current state of my studio. That's what the contents of one crafty winter gathering in New Hampshire, and one conference in Vermont look like upon returning home and depositing it all. I've been home just two full days this month, which was only enough time to pack for a second trip, not deal with unpacking the first. Oh, and right before all of this? I had the crazy idea to rearrange my studio, which, well, only sort of was finished (not at all). A disaster, I tell you! That's what I have on my hands in here. Crafty bits and papery bits and gear and fabric and oh so much. Not to mention six extra sewing machines that need returning (huge thanks to Uncle Ron at Cote Brothers for the loan of those! I fell so in love with one - the quilting machine - that I think it just might have to come live with me. As soon as I clear a space for it.)  

But thank goodness for the ability to look the other way! Because that's precisely what I plan on doing, at least for today. Closing the door on that studio and its mess, and looking right here in front of me instead. Obviously at those cuties who I'm eager to spend a whole lot of snuggle time with. But also at this knitting. I've been hauling this rather large project bag with me since the first of February - from room to room at our gathering, from state to state, from hotel to conference center! There were a lot of stops and starts, more than a few distractions, and it's been ripped out more times than I care to think about. But! Finally, I think I've got a groove going and I know just where I'm going with it all. I gathered all of the random little bits of my first handspun yarn - from different sheep and from various dye sessions - and am joining them all together into a hodge-podge wooly cardigan, raglan top down (with great pattern help from Elizabeth Zimmerman). Being that gauge is an elusive thing with this first handspun of mine, I'm not entirely sure what size it will end up being, but my hope is that it might be somewhere in the range of a certain ten year old, either now or soon to fit. The only who loves those sheep ever-so-much, and hasn't been deterred in her love or care no matter the weather or the temperature. Surely she could use a burly, stripey, warm and wooly sweater made from the very girls she loves. And I'm excited to make it for her. (Especially if that means I can put off cleaning that room for another day!)

 

Brrrrrrlington

In all fairness to Vermont, I'm told that Maine is just as cold right now. Steve's at home dealing with frozen pipes the likes of which we haven't dealt with since our very first (very cold) winter in our house. I hear by text and phone calls home that the house is chilly. Very chilly. I'm hearing all of this from a hotel room in which I can set the temperature to precisely the number I want and it responds by making the room that temperature. How wild is that? I didn't share that with anyone at home. But oh my gosh, it's been a cold weekend to visit this lovely city! It's been quite a while - longer than I care to admit (okay, does it give my old age away too much to tell you that the last time I spent this many days in Burlington, it included a visit to Nectar's to see Phish? Or was it Flynn's to see Ani Difranco? A long time ago, let's just say that). 

It's been a lovely stretch of days, here for a bit of work in the Taproot office and also some time at NOFA-VT on the UVM campus. It is always lovely to connect and visit amongst the farmer and gardener crowd. Lovely and hopeful. My time was mostly spent at the booth, but when I wandered, the talks I attended varied the spectrum from pest management on the homestead to queer farmers to school gardens. Such thoughtful and enriching discussion all along the way, and so much fodder for future Taproot issues to be sure! 

And in the in-between moments, I've been able to spend a little bit of time in the goodness of Burlington. I think I've hit the trifecta - local coop (Onion City, for the win!), local bookstore (Phoenix, you're something special!), and local yarn store (Nido, dreamy you are!). I realize now that that's my formula for visiting a new town - local library, food coop, and yarn/fabric store. Yes.

I have just a little more time here in Vermont. And then I head east towards home. I'm happy to be here, and simultaneously so very anxious to get home, home home. I hear there is snow coming. Quickly to be followed by some very cold temperatures. Well, then. I suppose that's how this winter will go!

 

Mama Bliss Coaching School {a soulemama sponsor}

 
 
Greetings from Mama Bliss Coaching School! 

Mama Bliss Coaching School is a 12 week coaching training program for moms who are ready to explore the skills and tools needed to start coaching other moms toward deeper self-care, creativity and simplicity.

This certification process prepares students to launch an online coaching practice by also offering a whole module on marketing, exposure on our Mama Bliss Coach directory and optional podcast interview, and an outline to lead live workshops in your local or online community.

Visit Mama Bliss Coaching School to learn more and begin your coaching journey today!

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

Kathy: In its third year, the Mama Bliss Coaching School curriculum is available as a self-guided program until May 30th, 2016 with an adjusted tuition to reflect this more independent study version ($997 with payment plans available).

DIY students will still enjoy audio and printable weekly lessons delivered to their inbox, participation in our private Facebook group, an assigned accountability partner/practice buddy, listing on our Mama Bliss Coach directory upon graduation and access to me throughout the week for open office hours to connect one on one.

This weekend, Mama Bliss Coaching School is generously offering the following gift to ONE lucky SouleMama reader: 

An all expense paid scholarship to Mama Bliss Coaching School for one lucky Soulemama reader who feels called to connect with her community of mamas in a heart-centered, bliss supporting way (while also earning a sweet income from home)!

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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 winner is...

sounds lovely!!!
Posted by: rachel

Aurora Shoe Company {a soulemama sponsor}

 Greetings from Aurora Shoe Company! 

The Aurora Shoe Company was founded on the idea that a good pair of shoes should be made well and fit comfortably. We use American made materials and create all of our shoes in house and by hand. Assembled organically, using simple cuts of leather and minimal stitching, our shoes mold to their owners’ feet the way that only natural materials and careful design can.

We enjoy using our blog to feature the travels and adventures our shoes have been on. Close to home, or around the world, we love them all. We invite you to share a photo on our Instagram feed. You can still find us on Facebook, though we bristle at spending money on ad campaigns, so most of what we post isn't seen.  

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

We've had tremendous growth over the past couple of years and have loved watching our shoes spread around the globe. Our Instagram hashtag #aurorashoes has taken on a life of its own, with new photos popping up all the time. Just tonight I discovered a woman who makes miniature versions of our shoes, for what I'm assuming might be dolls, and she shares them with our hashtag along with captions that I can't read because I don't know the language. It's been fun to build our brand, and now it's fun to watch it blossom in new directions with an energy that we couldn't have predicted. 

It's also been fun to continue to connect with other makers. After years of emailing and a couple of chance meetings, we were finally able to meet up with local author, blogger, teacher, and maker, Maya Pagan Donenfeld at the end of January. We gave her a shop tour and talked about everything from process and incorporating technology to balancing life with creative pursuits. Much like Amanda, Maya gave us a platform when we were new to the internet and it's nice to be able to return the favor now that we have an audience of our own. 

We feel very lucky to be surrounded, both in person, and online, by a supportive community of people who understand what we do and why we do it. If you've read this far, you're most certainly a part of that community, so thank you!

This weekend, Aurora Shoe Company is generously offering the following gift to ONE lucky SouleMama reader: 

One pair of shoes, any style, any color.

In addition, Aurora Shoe Company would like to offer SouleMama readers free shipping on all domestic orders received through 3/1/16. To receive the offer, please enter "Soule Mama" 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 on Monday. Winners will be chosen by Random Number Generator and announced in this post shortly after. Comments closed. The winner is...

A shoe company Iike this is just what I have been looking for!
Posted by: Maegan

home, for a minute

 Just barely in, and now I'm headed back out. Eek! With Taproot, I'll be at the Winter Conference for NOFA (Northeast Organic Farming Association) in Burlington, Vermont for a stretch of days. No, that isn't exactly what an introvert home-loving Mama is naturally inclined to do. But sometimes, the schedule just falls this way and soon enough - I tell myself - I'll have long stretches of February days at home where surely I'll be longing for something to do. Ah. Soon enough.

On this brief touchdown into home, I've tried my best to not worry about unpacking (or packing!), work of any kind, or diving into anything more than play. I think I've done a successful job of it - following my children around begging them to play with me. Let's read a book! Let's build a huge tower with some magnatiles! Can I come do your chores with you? Name your favorite pizza topping and I'll make it! I think, quite honestly, they're all thinking I'm ridiculous and will be just as happy when I get out the door again, so they can get back to their play and work without Mama hovering in a strange way. But I have a few moments before I have to really get out the door and I'm sure I can squeeze in one more round of checkers. And I might have time to make some rice pudding. Surely they can't refuse that love! 

(Are you attending NOFA-VT this weekend? Come say hi! I'll be at the Taproot booth in the Exhibitor's Hall.)

A Winter Gathering

 

Phew! Narrowing down the hundreds of photos that I took, even FINDING my camera amidst all the piles of bags I brought home, well that was a feat. But here I am. And struggling with what to write after such a week as I've had. I know that it feels strange, and maybe not always wonderful, to read about an intimate gathering at which you were not in attendance, and it can feel just as disruptive to that intimacy to write about it, I think. Plus there's that whole "what happens in the woods, stays in the woods" ethos that I'm certainly a fan of. But despite all of that, what I need to tell you is that each one of those women who walked into the woods last Thursday was creative, inspiring, and amazing in their very own ways, and I am so grateful to now know each of them. We crafted up a storm. We got a winter storm that blanketed everything in just the right amount of white to make for pretty photo walks and snowshoe treks, but not so as to interfere with anyone's travel. There were tears and laughter. A perfect balance of green smoothies and red wine were enjoyed. Delicious food consumed. Beautiful yoga attended. And in addition to making a few more knitters for the world, I'm fairly certain we made some beautiful friendships too. It was absolutely gorgeous, all around. 

I think for me, some of the greatest moments came in watching each project be completed. Much of the fabric came from my own stash, and I had been worried beforehand that it would be too limiting - that each piece would end up looking the same. But despite working with the same materials, each time a new quilt square was finished, I could help but say or think, "Oh my gosh, that's SO YOU!" because it really was. And then I'd look closer and see parts and pieces I remembered from my own making - a skirt for this child, a quilt for that one, a dress for me - and rejoiced in the pleasure of seeing that past effort joined up with someone's fresh creativity. And quickly, it felt symbolic of the larger moment that was happening for us all during our gathering as we came together - strangers from all corners of the country - joined in creativity and adventure for a few days, and returned home taking just a little bit of each other back with us. Parenting wisdom shared, business advice offered, healthy life paths encouraged, and creativity sparked. Hearts full, I do hope (and believe).

I'm coming home now, ready for a nap most definitely, eager to snuggle with my babes, for sure. But also inspired by the goal of bringing women together in whatever form that continues to take in the future. We need each other. Whether by connection online in a daily space such as this, or in our everyday communities, or in temporary gatherings like the one we had this weekend. We are such caretakers, and so desperately need to be taken care of sometimes too. Plus, the feeling of a room full of people breaking out into a chorus of "awe!" and "yay!" and "it's beautiful!" each time we finishing something and share it? Well my goodness, we all need that kind of encouragement in our lives. And what a blessing it is to witness!

I can't thank those women enough - for so bravely and boldly walking into the woods as they did, with a group of strangers. 

out of the woods

Well, I'm not quite fully out of the woods, but certainly we are making our way back to home and family. I can't wait to share with you some words and photographs from what was a truly magical weekend.....full of the wonder of winter, the beauty of the woods, the joy of crafting and the deep connection that happens when women gather together. I feel restored and exhausted all at the same time! 

But first, home. And my babies. I can't wait to hold them in my arms. 

Lavender’s Blue Homeschool {a soulemama sponsor}

 
Greetings from Lavender’s Blue Homeschool! 

At Lavender’s Blue Homeschool I work with families who are looking for a holistic homeschooling method - one that nurtures their child’s creativity, spirit, and intelligence. I offer Waldorf-inspired curriculum as well as tons of free resources on the blog including circle times, stories, and guidance on rhythm, early years, and homeschooling. I specialize in user-friendly resources and guilt-free support!

The Lavender’s Blue Kindergarten curriculum is for parents who want to inspire their child’s learning through play, nature, art, song, and story. It includes all the circle times, stories, watercolor painting, beeswax modeling, and crafts you need for a joyful year of kindergarten - without having to plan it all out yourself.

Lavender’s Blue First Grade curriculum is designed to help you thrive in your first year of Waldorf-inspired homeschooling. There are detailed lesson plans in form drawing, language arts, math, painting, and modeling, full-color pictures, a complete first-grade circle time, and all the information you need to feel confident and prepared.

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

Kelly: Two of the biggest challenges my readers face are understanding what to do in the early/preschool years at home and how to plan for homeschooling once they get to that stage. Two different parenting phases, and they feel overwhelming in different ways! I created an Early Years Guide and a Planning Guide for my readers to help simplify both. You can get them both for free by signing up for my newsletter here. This year I’m also working on the upcoming 2nd and 3rd grade curriculums!

This weekend, Lavender’s Blue Homeschool is generously offering the following gift to THREE lucky SouleMama readers: 

A complete homeschooling curriculum - your choice of Kindergarten or First Grade (in digital format).

Please let us know if you would like Kindergarten or First Grade in the comments below - and also why you would like to homeschool with Lavender’s Blue!

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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 winners are...

I have a 5 year old and would love to learn more about your curriculum !
Posted by: Beth

My daughter just started homeschooling her oldest (7) of four children this would be a fabulous gift.
Posted by: May

Wow! We would love your first grade curriculum! How amazing. Thank you for the opportunity!
Posted by: Lynn W 

February, in New Hampshire

We are here! Sarah and I are tucked into the cottage, anxiously awaiting the arrival of our guests tomorrow for our Into the Woods Gathering. It's been a busy and full stretch of days since our own arrival. Full of all the preparation required of such a gathering - from pom pom making (but of course!) to trail marking to ice safety checks on the lake. We are doing all those things while also soaking up the beauty of this little corner of the world we both happily call home. And all that making and baking, and cooking and cleaning has been held together by the thread of our friendship. And I find myself - before we've even begun our gathering - full of gratitude for the blessing of working with friends. When we can share our passions, our energy, and our time together. And then in turn, share that energy with others. Oh such good things happen when women gather together in creativity, yes?

Tonight there is an arugula lasagna to make, a few cloth napkins to finish sewing, and just one more bed to make. Then, Sarah and I have promised ourselves one glass of wine in front of the fire. With nervous butterflies and positive intention we will surely greet tomorrow and the friends we have yet to meet who will arrive. 

My time in this space might continue to be sparse while I fully dive into the days ahead. But I'll be sure to share more with you just as soon as I can. And in the meantime, I wish you peaceful happy days with those you love! 

priorities (spoiler alert: knitting)

 

These neat and tidy photographs, and the skeins of newly spun or dyed wool are not exactly representative of what is going on in the bigger picture at the moment. The chaos is a little tricky to photograph - nor do I really want to look at it. I'd rather look at a pile of pretty yarn. And I suppose that's precisely what I've been doing, in many ways! I leave today for our Into the Woods Gathering that starts this week, which means that the previous few weeks have been full of lists. Lists of what I need to remember to pack, and lists of things to do before I leave, and lists for what I'm leaving behind. My studio has been turned inside out and packed up in boxes and baskets by the door, ready to be loaded into the car. I'm fairly certain I've packed 75% of this little room of mine! I'm excited to unpack it at the cottage, and get ourselves set up for the sewing fun that is to come later this week.

But in the chaos of getting out the door (oh, and getting the next issue of Taproot to the printer! And all the other things that fill our days), my hands have been full of that yarn. And I am reminded that in the busiest of days, and the most full of moments, I depend upon that simple task of knitting more than any other time. While I could technically walk and knit (and have done that, of course), the best way to knit really is to SIT DOWN. And while I could read a book or listen to one while knitting, even better is to just knit, while listening to the kids. And so I find myself pausing for a little while from the running in circles I've been doing, and notice that my breathing slows and my mind quiets, while my hands get to work. Ah, just two sticks and some string. It's really quite a gift, isn't it? I'm so very grateful for it. 

Welcome, February!

 

Hello February!

I'm so pleased to welcome the following Sponsors for February!

Chestnut School of Medicine

The Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine is located in the botanically rich Appalachian Mountains, just outside of Asheville, NC. They offer in-person workshops on growing herbs and several online opportunities to learn, including the Herbal Medicine Making Course and the Herbal Immersion Program. See details at www.chestnutherbs.com and be sure to follow them on Facebook and Instagram for herbal wisdom and stunning photos.

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Little Truths Studio

Lori at LITTLE TRUTHS STUDIO makes watercolor art prints and greeting cards in Portland, Oregon. Her work explores everyday miracles worthy of celebration, mindfulness and our profound connection to the natural world, to the universe, and to each other. 

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root&star magazine

root&star magazine inspires young children with art, stories, poems, and activities that nourish the WHOLE child — the wise, the wild, the strange, and the sweet. (We are new! Come see what we are about!) 

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I'm so pleased to have them joining us this month as a Sponsor, along with our ongoing Sponsors in the sidebar. The support of these fellow small businesses helps me to carve out the time I love to dedicate to this space, and I'm honored they choose to spend their resources here. All of the sponsors I feature are carefully-selected and businesses that I am proud to support, and in most cases, am a customer of myself! I encourage you to check out their offerings in the coming weeks and months, visit their websites to learn about the inspirational businesses they all are. And if you think Sponsorship is something you might be interested in for your own ventures, please be in touch!