SouleMama

5.30.17

Ah, the blessed exhale that comes with finally spilling outside for the whole of our days after such a long winter. It's a beautiful thing to see the creaky, funky, squeaky notes of friction that this crew had going on amongst themselves mostly disappear with that never-fail hearty dose of sunshine, bare feet, and the ability to run to the far corners of this land, as far away from one another as possible. Only after that can they come back together, and find harmony together once again. It makes sense, really. A bit of breathing space makes all the difference, and fresh eyes upon one another makes for a whole lot of fun and new ideas, and reminders of just how much they actually like each other. And then off they go together, re-discovering all their favorites from 'before the snow' and making up new ones too (their excitement was boundless at a broken wheelbarrow, which could then be used for a million other purposes of their dreaming up).

Oh, sweet heavenly days, these early moments of summer! 

Nest European Toys + Home {a soulemama sponsor}

Greetings from Nest European Toys + Home! 

We are one of the largest online shops in North America offering 'Made in Europe (esp. Germany)' and North America natural toys and crafts, books, clothing for kids. Furniture and accessories for the home. Some of our suppliers include Ostheimer, Drewart, Grimms, Norbert Veneuer, Fagus, Ruskovilla and Disana clothing, Walter Kraul, and many, many other lesser known but wonderful brands. We have a growing and great selection of furniture and home accessories.  

We're doing a major warehouse overhaul, and clearing out overstock of products that haven't sold as well, whatever the reasons. There's lots of great items and great deals there currently (be sure to click through to next pages in the sale section), and lots more to come in the next weeks.

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? 

We've been following and feeling a part of the minimalism movement more active in our circles in the last years, along with a kind of maker mentality on a family/ household level. It feels like it springs from some key realities for some families, including our own:

• the creativity that young children and ourselves can explore, when not overwhelmed by too much 'stuff'. The sense of our own ability to create, to make something from nothing. To tinker, to enjoy the process, to feel the flush of pride and pleasure that goes with creating.
• the desire to focus on a few key activities in a day that are part of our family's values, and that we support with intention.
• the realities of parents and caregivers wanting to reduce time spent on cleaning and tidying, and to support their children's ability to take care of their things in a somewhat organized space.
• a household's financial budgets and fiscal prudence.
• the energy that goes into creating something should be justified by its value and longevity. Its overall environmental impact considered very carefully.
• and lastly, while it is indeed true that there is no limit to fantastic things to delight and make our lives more comfortable in this world, we naturally think of others in this world who have less and question what allocation of our resources we can give to the well being of other individuals and to support the communities that we live in and among, near and far.

Having kind of fallen into retail by accident  - literally actually, as it was repetitive strain from computer work that led to me leaving my engineering job - and having a background in renewable energy, I think I bring a different outlook to our business. Because my partner and I can continuously question and discuss our business decisions together, alongside and sometimes inextricably intertwined with discussions relating to our own family and household, means that we have this lens we look at it all through. We're keeping our focus on making sustainable and quality goods easily available, with great intention that keeps all these realities and our values in mind.  

On the one hand, what is of great value for one person is not the same as for another, and different children play differently... but also, there's just the question of how much is enough, and what to choose from the selection out there. I mean, we personally *like* and use our marble runs, and our board games that we play at home or that we have stashed in a bag ready-to-go during an odd restaurant visit; our kids happen to be super into wooden animals and figures now; puzzles and big dolls and wooden playfood are all really popular in our house... but we certainly don't have one of everything from our store for our own children, as they and we would be utterly overwhelmed. It's sometimes hard to predict what they're going to get the most play value from, but we try and make some helpful recommendations on our site.

I feel that as a retailer, besides keeping the commitment to our selection, we can do a service to parents and their families by having more photos and descriptions, more videos and reviews, on our website, to help make their buying decisions more thoughtful and measured. As it is now, I spend a huge portion of my working time talking with customers by email and on the phone and in person, which I like to do, and we are amazed at how much connection we get with people even though we are online now mainly, but I know that it helps immensely when people can access the kind of information they'd get from me in person on our site, with comparisons with other similar products, with ideas for pre-planning a wooden block collection, etc. We look forward to continuing to add to this kind of info. I know people get a lot from online discussions nowadays, but I feel like I have a unique perspective as a toy store owner who sees and experiences the different brands to provide more photos and videos and personal reviews, etc., so we're really experiencing our desire to find more time to build and share more quality information about products that we're selling, to help inform people's buying decisions, and see if they're the products that best meet their family's needs. I know that for myself, finances our not infinite; therefore, I'll still spend some money, but I want to know that it's going to be money well-spent. We plan our own personal purchases around all these considerations, and I want to share the information that's helped us to help other families too.

The other thing that's changed since our last post with SouleMama is what's ever-changing, and that is that our children are now 4 and 6 years old.

This weekend, Nest European Toys + Home is generously offering the following gift to THREE lucky SouleMama readers:

$100 gift certificate with Nest.ca

In addition, Nest European Toys + Home is offering all SouleMama readers an additional 10% off items listed in the sale category. Please be sure to click through to more pages in Sale section. Use Promo Code 10%offSale until June 15th. 

Don't miss out on 20% off all Fagus vehicles on their site, no code needed (Sale until overstock clears out) and 10% - 60% off all Grimm's on their site, no code needed (no end date).

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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...

Such love in every item!
Posted by: Victoria

Absolutely gorgeous shop!!! What a wonderful chance - fingers tightly crossed. I'd be happy to have any of their beautiful things in my home.
Posted by: Willow

Wow. Thanks for the chance!
Posted by: Pamela R

Oak Meadow {a soulemama sponsor}

Greetings from Oak Meadow! 

Oak Meadow’s flexible, progressive curriculum for kindergarten to grade 12 can be used independently or by enrolling in Oak Meadow’s accredited distance learning school. Our child-centered, nature-based approach allows families to set their own rhythm of learning and encourages creativity, critical thinking, and intellectual development through hands-on activities and interdisciplinary projects.

The high school program offers vigorous academic courses and provides students the freedom follow their interests, passions, and dreams. We offer a series of free college counseling webinars to help students plan their high school program.

Visit oakmeadow.com to learn more about our program, download a catalog, and view sample lessons. Send questions to [email protected], and one of our experienced and friendly educational counselors will be in touch.

Visit our online bookstore, blog and Facebook page.

 

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? 

New in 2017:

• Revised Math Curriculum, grades 5-8 
• Virtual Open Houses: Join us for a presentation and interactive Q&A session
• Free College Counseling Webinar Series: How to plan ahead

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

One full curriculum package, choice of grade preK-8

In addition, Oak Meadow is offering all SouleMama readers 20% off curriculum through Memorial Day, May 29.

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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...

Would love to try a year of Oak Meadow with my boys!!!
Posted by: Shona

5.25.17

It's happening! It's so very true, many hands - no matter their size - do make light work. I'm blown away at how much further ahead my garden is than it was just a few days ago. So many little hands and 5 gallon buckets full created layer upon layer of manure, leaves, compost and so on and so forth. By the end of the day, there was even a little bit of planting with some very dear little girls who were eager to do so, and told me stories all the while - about their own gardens, their school gardens or gardens they've visited. They practiced their newly learned cursive on my garden markers. Oh my heart. Full of gratitude. 

I'm asked so often about my favorite gardening books. I have a shelf in our library bursting with gardening books, but there are a few that I reach for over and over again. The Garden Primer by Barbara Damrosch continues to be my most well-loved and often-referenced encyclopedic source. I finally replaced my water and soil stained and duct taped together copy last year for a new one (soon to be water and soil stained and covered in duct tape in a year or two, I predict).  Another beautiful source is Gaia's Garden: A Guide to Home-scale Permaculture by Toby Hemenway which is a really great and accessible introduction to the idea of working with nature instead of trying to fight it in the garden. And covering the area of growing and using herbs, I love Rosemary Gladstar's Medicinal Herbs: A Beginner's Guide (as well as anything by Deb Soule, both such inspiring women!). And for the littles, one can't forget Roots, Shoots, Buckets, and Boots by Sharon Lovejoy (which has me considering another sunflower house this year!). There are so many more to mention, but those are a few of my favorites. And you? Do you have a favorite gardening book that you call upon often? 

Thanks to all of you who have reached out with interest in the garden series once again this summer - I'm so eager to get that started and will be in touch soon. And if you missed that first mention, do drop me a line if you are willing and interested in sharing your garden in this space with us this summer! 

Happy Gardening, Friends!

5.24.17

A few weeks ago when I was beginning to step into the garden and start planning (and planting! at least the peas got in before the cracked ribs happened!), Ani and I had a chat about her little Garden House. Adelaide had built it for her sister's 4th birthday, and that little pallet-built structure has surely seen some time pass! I wondered, with Ani being so much bigger and older, if she'd really still want to hang out so much in the garden with me as she has in the past. I wondered aloud if perhaps it was time to let the Garden House go the way it seemed to be going - that is, falling over and fading. The immediate outrage from her was a clear indication that I was very much wrong, and so I dropped that subject. Mentioning this later to her older sister she said, with a slight eye-roll that I've come to think of as understandable and almost charming from eleven and twelve year olds, "Mom, all it needs is a makeover." And so that was Adelaide's gift to Annabel - a fresh coat of paint on the garden house, a new rug inside, some curtains, flowers and a pinwheel. Tickled pink, they both are. And I as well, for it means I have her hanging out with me in the garden for yet another year. 

That is, when I get back out in the garden. It is taking everything in my willpower to not push past what my body can do right now and starting working the soil. It's so late in the season! But then again, it isn't too late. It just so happens that this week I've got a whole lot of extra hands on the farm, as a trip we agreed to host last fall is now upon us. A crew of Waldorf students is here for the week, for their third grade farm stay. Oh the energy! It's exciting. And a young friend of ours is here for her high school senior internship project. And it just might be that with all those extra hands, filling up one five gallon buck of compost or mulch at a time, we get this garden closer to ready.

Oh and, the porta potty? Our little septic system can't quite handle the number of people here at the moment, so it was in order. And as I said on Instagram, if you must have a porta potty in your backyard, it seems only necessary that you add some pom poms and fresh flowers, right? I may not be able to turn over soil as I'd like, but I can hang fresh lilacs upside down from a porta potty. Hooray for the little things! 

5.22.17

My baby girl turned six over the weekend. Six! The youngest of our crew is now officially a really big girl 9 (she says as much, so we know it's true). Sixth birthdays are so fun, I think. So fully aware she was of the big day that the counting down started months ago, the plotting and planning of who to invite and what they'd do. And the theme. Not that I'm big on birthday party themes, but she, along with her influencing sister, conspired to make this a "cat birthday." Which was sneaky, really, because the squeaky wheel gets the ....kitten? She's been reminding us for a very long time now that her big sister got a kitten for her FIFTH birthday (the injustice!), and also two ducks, and that her sixth birthday included two goats. Annabel did have a point there, and she is the fifth child, and as such knows very well that if she pesters long enough or asks just the right person (of all the many people in the house to ask), at just the right time....she'll likely get the answer she wants. (Oh that birth order thing! Both frustrating and fascinating it the truth of it all!)

So, meet Lily! A sweet pea of a little thing who is being well loved and cared for, I can assure you, by everyone. But especially by Annabel. This has given her not only whole new fodder for her non-stop storytelling ("Oh my gosh, Mom....you should see what Lily just did! It was SOOO CUUTE!") as well as someone else to tell her stories to (Lily apparently needs a bedtime story from Annabel for each and every little cat nap she takes). It's all very dear, and animated, and full of love...just like my girl. 

Christopherus Homeschool Resources {a soulemama sponsor}

Greetings from Christopherus Homeschool Resources! 

Since 2003 Christopherus Homeschool Resources has provided a range of resources for Waldorf-inspired homeschooling. We currently offer a kindergarten package, a robust, full curriculum for grades first through fifth, and an ever expanding array of resources for grades sixth through eighth. Unlike other many other homeschool curriculums on the market, our package components are also available for individual purchase for those taking the DIY approach to their homeschool year.

This year we have been very busy creating new publications and expanding and updating our current offerings.

Our Kindergarten and first through fifth grade curriculum packages now include:

• a grade specific audio download (not included with the Kindergarten package)
• a discount coupon to use towards our new line of art and school supplies  
• an 18-month subscription to our Christopherus discussion and support forum with Donna Simmons

The best news is that we have increased the value of the packages but we have not increased the price!

This month only we are adding to the value with 90 minutes of free consultation with Donna Simmons, the creator of the Christopherus curriculum. You can find out more about this very special offer by clicking here.

This weekend, Christopherus Homeschool Resources is generously offering the following gift to TWO lucky SouleMama readers:

A coupon for 50% off a curriculum package which will also include the 90 minutes of consultation with Donna Simmons 

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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 winners are...

Would LOVE this! Thanks for the opportunity! :)
Posted by: Julia Allen

I've been homeschooling for 5 years now. My background is early childhood Ed, and am beginning to lose my confidence as met eldest will be in 5th grade next year. This would be great to win. Thank you!
Posted by: Heather

5.19.17

Summer arrived here this week. With temperatures tipping over 90 degrees, our bodies are all in a bit of shock! Wasn't it just snowing? Actually, yes it was. I keep finding my children inside tucked into a project alone and when I ask what on earth they're doing inside, the answer is something like "it's just too hot too fast! It's weird!" Silly but true. We're adjusting. 

Though not quite by choice, I've been tucked inside as well this week, mostly in bed, feeling simultaneously sad (because I'm not out there) and grateful for the sunlight that is streaming in. I injured my ribs quite badly earlier in the week, and besides trips to the chiropractor, there hasn't been a lot of activity from me. I'm digging deep for the lessons in this one (there is always a lesson!), and for extra patience to sit still and let everything else go. It couldn't be a more challenging time of year for that though - there is so much I want to do out there right now! But gardening will not be happening this week, my body (and doctor) says, and probably not next week either. So I settle back down, relinquish those wishes, and try to listen. I'm in such good hands - both medically and at home. There are lots of helpers around here, and it seems this ship runs just fine without me, or at least well enough. Everyone is fed and entertained and getting where they need to be. And no one seems to mind the lack of vacuuming (I always knew I was the only one that cared about that one anyway).

So I'm catching up on reading. And knitting. It's a consolation prize, I suppose. For I never get any knitting time in during the months of May and June usually! I'm just finishing up an Adama cowl in some lovely madder dyed Fern Fiber yarn I brought home with me. I have some other fiber treats that I tucked in my suitcase in North Carolina. But if I'm not up and moving around and at least directing someone in my garden in the next few days, I am absolutely going to commit to a really indulgent and totally luxurious sweater for myself. Which one to choose? Well, it seems as though browsing Ravelry just might be my afternoon plan. 

Wishing you all a lovely weekend ahead! 

5.15.17

Somehow, that shortbread is the only thing I managed to photograph this weekend! It was a busy and full one, with quite a bit of work actually, and a whole lot of love and fun too. How strange to celebrate Mother's Day without talking to one of my babes! Though we did FaceTime with Calvin a day earlier and I got all caught up on his life in Europe. I had to smile yesterday on Mother's Day, missing him so, but happy too, as I knew he was on a train headed to Florence for a week of Art History. Art history in Italy! What adventure! What maturity and independence! This is what we raise them for all along, isn't it? More sweet than bitter, it is, really and truly. I thought a lot about that as I held my other four close as we celebrated a rainy quiet day together. A visit to the nursery, lunch out, and gluten free desserts so thoughtfully made by Adelaide.

The Taproot GROW Pop Up Shop launched this weekend! I had such fun putting this particular one together, and just as much fun photographing it all. At some point, I suppose it makes sense for that task to be handed off to someone else. Someone who doesn't have other magazine responsibilities to tend to, or someone with actual styling and photography skills! But for now, I still really love that part of putting a collection together, prettying it up, and sharing it. And like all the things I do, that always involves the help of friends and family. A "borrowed" barn and chicks (thank you, Broadturn!), and a few sets of helping hands in that of my girl and her bestie. Photo stylists in training, farmhands at present date.

What a joy it is to watch them all grow and blossom!

 

Tall Earth {a soulemama sponsor}

Greetings from Tall Earth! 

Tall Earth is a family-run company operating out of one of the most fertile regions of Canada. We manufacture non-toxic, VOC-free wood stains and preservatives that are easily applied and last the lifetime of your project. Our customers around the world have used Tall Earth products on their raised garden beds and planters, furniture, barns, log homes, siding, fences, chicken coops, decks, outdoor play structures, and more. Ethically produced with a small carbon footprint, Tall Earth offers fast and free shipping across North America.

We love to hear from our customers and see their Tall Earth projects. Connect with us, and use the hash tag #tallearthprojects

Visit us on  and Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

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? 

Catherine: Tall Earth continues to grow each year, and since our last feature here on SouleMama, we've enjoyed connecting with some of our customers and seeing the beautiful and innovative ways they are using our wood treatment products. We've seen barns, chicken coops, play structures, raised garden beds, and even original works of art! One of our return customers, a builder from Wyoming named Noah Hedges used our products on the beautiful tiny home in these photos (thanks Noah!). We're thrilled that Noah's house will be featured on a late-summer episode of "Building Off Grid - Wyoming" (HGTV/DIY Network).

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

The winner’s choice of one of the following Tall Earth products:

Tall Earth Eco-Safe Wood Treatment(1 Gallon) – a non-toxic, Zero-VOC wood stain and preservative.

or

Tall Earth Weathered Wood Finish– a unique artisan wood stain that provides a nearly instant silvery driftwood patina. Non-toxic, Zero-VOC.

In addition, Tall Earth is offering all SouleMama reader 10% off of any of our products from now until June 30th. Simply use the code SOULELOVE at check out, and don’t forget to send us pictures of your projects! Email them to [email protected] or post them on Instagram with the hashtag #tallearthprojects.

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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...

Would love to try this on our patio furniture. Thanks for the chance.
Posted by: Valerie W.

Around the World Stories {a soulemama sponsor}

 

Greetings from Around the World Stories!

We offer fun, original audio stories for kids ages 5-12 about other countries and cultures. Each 30-minute story focuses on the adventures of a child from another country. Children are introduced to how other children in the world live, play, learn, eat and celebrate - all from the perspective of a child. The stories can be downloaded or streamed, and each one comes with a parent guide full of discussion topics, background information, recipes and activity ideas to further enrich the experience. 

For the past 11 months our family has been traveling around Europe, having left our jobs and sold almost everything we owned. In each country we visit we search for stories, turning the people we meet into fun characters and the cities, towns, farms and castles the settings. Our goal is to capture the uniqueness and beauty of each culture, as seen through the eyes of a child.

Not everyone can and not everyone wants to travel abroad, but we feel that learning about other cultures is important as we all strive to raise compassionate, caring and tolerant children. We love sharing our stories with children around the world!

Follow Around the World Stories on Facebook, Instagram 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?

Tania: We’ve been working on expanding our parent guides that go along with our stories to include more discussion topics, more ideas and more activities for families wanting to learn about the world. Right now we’ve completed stories covering 13 countries. We offer them either as a weekly subscription where our listeners get one story each week or they can receive all 52 stories at once so they can listen at the speed and order they like. We’re also super excited about the new stories coming out this summer about artists around the world!

This weekend, Around the World Stories is generously offering the following gift to ONE lucky SouleMama reader:

An Around the World Stories Full Story Pack. The Full Story Pack has all of our stories about Europe (52 stories). Each story comes with a parent guide with discussion points, country information, recipes and activity ideas.

In addition, Around the World Stories is offering all SouleMama readers $20 off the Full Story Pack using the code SOULEMAMA20 or one-month of free stories with the Story-a-Week subscription using SOULEMAMASTORIES. Both coupons are valid until May 22, 2017.

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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 winner is...

What a lovely and generous giveaway! Thank you for the chance to win such a wonderful thing!
Posted by: Karen

5.11.17

Home feels so good! We had a great adventure, Harper and I, but there's no place like home. Especially this time of year, when everything is beginning. It's still quite gray and rainy here, but what a difference a week makes in May! Everything is much greener than when I left, and things are happening. Fruit trees are pruned, chickens are laying more eggs, and we're harvesting the very first of the season's offerings. It's comical how exciting that is really. Nettles! Chives! And (almost!) Asparagus! But I'll take it all, happily, as a sign of more to come. I'm bringing in daffodils too, I planted so many new bulbs last fall (and yet, I want to double it next year). The peach toned ones are my favorites, so gentle and with a little bit of a ruffled edge too. Ah, May! 

Postcards from the Blue Ridge Parkway

Oh what a day! Yesterday was such a delight. Two trips now to North Carolina and I hadn't yet visited the Blue Ridge Parkway until yesterday. I'm so glad we spent the day driving, hiking, and exploring in the capable and generous care of Glenn, Ashley and Huxley English. Glenn shared some of their favorite spots with us, crafted a beautiful picnic for us on the top of Black Balsam, and drove so that I could truly take it all in. What a special and beautiful part of the world this is - the view from every spot along the way so dramatic. 

As you might imagine, running free was exactly what Harper needed after a weekend fairly limited to a 30x40 tent space. It was apparently what I needed too. Thank you to our friends for making it happen! 

And now we make our way towards home. I'm ready for that too! 

Postcards from the Mother Earth News Fair

What a full weekend! The Mother Earth News Fair in Asheville was full of so many wonderful people and great offerings - we enjoyed everyone that stopped by to say hello, play with some indigo with us, make a seed bomb or two, chat homeschooling, make kraut, do some weaving on our loom, or sit and knit a spell in the Taproot tent! Phew! All of that in two days! 

The weather was a little on the rough side on Saturday - I do think I brought the cold, wet and windy weather with me from Maine. The day held some moments of worry (such as, is that lightning and might we need to all run from this tent?), and all kinds of moments of dampness, but as all of those minor trials tend to do - it brought out a lot of good humor and connection with those around us. Thank goodness for the the awesome help and companionship I had all weekend with Nikki, Amanda, Kirsten, and of course Harper. (And the English crew for giving Harper some good fun-filled breaks from Mama's work!)

Our Earth loom weaving came down late last night, and it's a beautiful thing. Woven together by so many people throughout the weekend, with such diversity in the style and color, it feels rather symbolic of weekends like this where so many different people come together for a shared experience in learning and connection. I'll be taking it home with me, and eagerly hanging it from the walls of our next tent - which happens to be another Mother Earth News Fair, this time closer to home! We'll be in Burlington for that June 10th and 11th.

But for now, Harper and I have some adventuring to do in North Carolina - I hear there are some pretty mountains somewhere around here? It's time to find them! 

 

Camp Stomping Ground {a soulemama sponsor}

Greetings from Camp Stomping Ground!

Stomping Ground is a resident camp in central New York, 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 us on FaceBook and Instagram. For more information, watch the following video on who we are.

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

James: Since last year, Camp Stomping Ground has added a 4th week of summer camp, and is on pace to increase its camper totals by nearly 600% over our first summer! Families have flown in from all over the continent to give their kids the chance to be a part of our community, and we're beyond humbled. It's amazing to see what can happen when kids come together to practice radical empathy and community, and we hope more SouleMama families will join us in 2017! 

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 starts at $499 (though we allow families to pay different amounts based on what they can afford), and we offer 4 one week sessions starting July 9th and ending August 4th. All travel to camp must be paid for by the winner. 

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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...

This camp sounds wonderful and what a gift it'd be to send my children. Fingers crossed...
Posted by: Rachel

Sitka Arts & Science Festival {a soulemama sponsor}

Greetings from Sitka Arts & Science Festival!

Sitka Arts & Science Festival
July 22-August 4, 2017

As busy adults, we often fail to make time for reflection, to think and feel deeply, and to challenge ourselves to see the world in new and beautiful ways. Perched at the edge of a wilderness and nestled in one of the most vibrant island communities, the Sitka Arts & Science Festival explores what it means to be human against the immensity of the forest, ocean and mountains of Sitka, AK. Through the complementary lenses of art and science, and guided by an extraordinary group of artists and scientists, participants will embark on a journey of learning and discovery. Reclaim your capacity for imagination and wonder.

Festival participants build their experience by selecting a week-long workshop:

• Sewing with Fish Skin: revive an ancient practice to create beautiful baskets
• Collage: combine word, color, texture, and ephemera to comment on the world around you
• Elements of photography: improve your ability to see and record the landscape
• Exploring Botanical Diversity of Southeast Alaska: hike through the forest and alpine while learning to identify plants
• Exploring the World by Listening to Nature, People & Place: consider the sounds of water, the subtlety of deer, the voices of birds, and the marvel of language as you explore the world with your ears
• Harbor Seals & Their Neighbors: build a harbor seal skeleton into a life size model as you learn how mammals survive in the marine environment
• Northwest Coast Carving: create a northwest coast design and bring it to life as you carve it into wood
• Diving Through the Page: cultivate the clarity of your writing voice through guided exercises and readings

Add on an excursion package to explore the ocean of Sitka Sound, hike through the temperate rainforest, and explore hundreds of years of indigenous culture at the Sheldon Jackson Museum.

Attend a lecture or performance by faculty and artists in residence each evening. Lodging and meals are available on site. Sponsored by Sitka Fine Arts Camp and the Sitka Sound Science Center, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.

Visit our Festival Facebook page.

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?

We started the festival in 2016 as a way to bring two disciplines together that flourish in our island home of Sitka, Alaska. Artists flock to Sitka to teach at our nationally recognized Sitka Fine Arts Camp and scientists flock to Sitka to study and share their knowledge of both marine and terrestrial ecosystems. After many years of offering kids programming, we've answered the call from eager adults to have their own summer experience. We believe the arts and sciences are a lens to share the best our small town has to offer from sea otters and whales to spawning salmon to listening to medieval vocal music to trying your hand at sewing with fish skin, an ancient Alaska Native practice that was nearly lost. The festival provides authentic and intimate access to our community and artistic and scientific way of life, inviting participants to come as if visiting friends rather than traveling as tourists. As the festival turns 2, faculty members and resident artists are excited to share their work with a new group of curious minds and creative hands. 

This weekend, Sitka Arts & Science Festival is generously offering the following gift to ONE lucky SouleMama reader:

A copy of Sitka: A Home in the Wild, a collection of photographs and prose by local photographer Dan Evans and local writer Carolyn Servid along with a milk chocolate "Inspiration bar." Enjoy a tasty snack as you take an armchair trip to Sitka, Alaska.

In addition, Sitka Arts & Science Festival is offering a 20% discount for festival registration through June 1st. Use discount code: SITKASOULE.

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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 winner is...

So gorgeous!
Posted by: Word Lily

Postcards from Asheville

We're in Asheville! Where everything is green, blooming and beautiful! (And yeah, it's raining too.) It is Harper's turn for a solo trip with Mama, and we're having such a good time together! Solo trips, I know I've said many times over, are really so magical and fun - especially in a large and busy family. I'ts been fascinating to me to see the same place through a different set of eyes. Adelaide and I were here last year at just about the same time of year, and her passions and interests found us in very different places than the ones that Harper and I have explored already. He's interested in the architecture, so we've spent a lot of time walking around and looking at all that wonderful variety here. We also checked out the soft opening of the sweet little start of the Asheville Museum of Science. Much like his sister though, he's also quite a fan of eating in a whole array of places, so we've done lots of that too!

And of course, much of our time has been spent on quite practical (and sometimes boring) errands, because we are here, after all, for working at the Mother Earth News Fair with Taproot, and there's a whole lot of preparation that goes into filling a 30x40 foot tent (especially when Mom didn't get the tape measure out, and realize just how big that space is, until a week before the trip!). So there has been plenty of time waiting in the print shop line at Staples (we'll be back again today!) or walking around IKEA while Mama goes back for something else she forgot. Though the 'fun' places we visit are certainly a lot of fun, interestingly enough, I sometimes find the most connection in the harder to connect moments - like waiting in those lines and finding ourselves in lots of one-on-one conversation. Or the beauty of the ongoing conversation that we can have on a trip like this, leaving off and picking up as we feel inspired. I do love that! I think he does too (and also hotel pools, there's always the wonder of that).

If you're local, do stop by to say hello this weekend! We've got a whole lot of goodness going on under that big tent of ours, with some great friends stopping by to help us out - indigo dyeing, kraut making, homeschooling talks, weaving, seed bomb making, and most importantly - a cozy little corner in which I strongly encourage knitting. We're in booth 4219, and we hope to see you there! (More details on the fair can be found here.)

 

Springtime Goodness from SouleMama Sponsors

Since I began the Sponsorship program on the blog all those years ago, I have been continually amazed and constantly inspired by the folks that join us here. Creative business people, mindful family householders, engaged community members and thoughtfully and sustainably created goodness. Because I always enjoy hopping around their offerings when I have shopping to do, I thought it would be fun to highlight something from each of them to share with you in this springtime season. I enjoyed browsing their selections to pick some of my favorites below! I hope you enjoy it too, and maybe find a gift you've been looking for ... or simply enjoy the inspiration from these wonderful makers!

1. Floret Aubade Foggy Dew organic fabric from Alewives Fabrics 

2. Fluttering Friends Scoopneck in Pleasing Periwinkle from Blue Platypus

3. Hippe Chick Hemp Soap from Cobble Hill Farm Apothecary 

4. New Mexican Sandals from Aurora Shoe Company

5. Mama Balms Collection from LuSa Organics

6. Berry Bowl from Jane & William HOME

7. Clover Print 3-Pack from Bee's Wrap

8. Pink Fat Quarter Bundle from Monaluna

9. Eco-Safe Wood Treatment from Tall Earth

10. Playsilks from Sarah's Silks

11. ecoBonnet in Organic Wildwood from Urban Baby Bonnets

12. Lilac Dewdrop lamp from Nest European Toys + Home

13. Through the Seasons Card Set from Christopherus Homeschool Resources

14. Whole Family Herbs from Whole Family Rhythms

15. Sow & Grow from Nova Natural Toys + Crafts

16. Wood Puzzle + Play - Deluxe Bird Jumble from Grasshopper

17. Flower Press from Imagine Childhood

18. Issue 5 of Root & Star

19. Math Gnomes from Oak Meadow

20. You Are My Sunshine sign from Barn Owl Primitives

21. The Pixie Book Box from Potion Kits

22. The Tulip Thief audio story from Around the World Stories 

Bonus: Looking for an adventure for you or your little ones this summer? We have exciting giveaways this weekend from Camp Stomping Ground and Sitka Arts and Science Festival

5.3.17

What a gift last evening was! A teeny tiny pause in the rain, so perfectly timed right before I leave early this morning for a trip. It was just the window of sunshine, promise and hope that I needed and most especially, the perfect moment in which I could get the peas all planted. The nanking cherry trees (shrubs?) are off the hook right now, so cheerful and such a welcome greeting every time I walk into the garden. I'm glad I planted them there. And I'm glad I got to enjoy them last night because I'm guessing when I come back next week, the blossoms will have all fallen to the ground. BUT! I know that a full week this time of year makes such a difference in the garden and out of doors, and I'm already eager to come back and dive fully into the work of it all. I'll be ready, and hopefully so will the garden.

I'm off to Asheville, North Carolina for the Mother Earth News Fair with Taproot once again! I'll pop in to tell you more about that soon, but DO stop by if you're in the neighborhood! We'll have a large outdoor tent with events all weekend long, most especially a cozy spot for knitting and sitting a spell. Which reminds me that the very last thing I need to pack is the most important of all....a knitting project. I best get to it! 

 

5.2.17

We're settled in for another chilly, rainy day. Though not before we brought a bit more Spring inside. If it's not pleasant enough for eating breakfast out there, we'll just have to bring the blossoms inside, right?

I've been making a whole lot of what will ultimately be pillow covers. Using Lucy's simple granny stripe pattern, and the many skeins of yarn I have dyed with indigo over the past few years. A little bit of gray too, but mostly various shades of indigo. With a whole new set of indigo cloth napkins in the kitchen, and now a growing pile of indigo dyed yarn pillow covers, it might just all be a bit too much blue in my house. But that worry doesn't seem to be stopping me from making another one each day. Believe it or not, I might run out of yarn though - crochet certainly does eat it up. And that all means I just need to get the giant pile of fleeces I have ready for the mill so I can have another giant pile of yarn in a few months. Though I'm sure he wouldn't be very excited about it, I've turned Calvin's room into a fleece sorting station. The room is full. And each time I glance in there, I have a sort of frightening, sort of exciting vision of my someday "empty nest" being entirely filled with fiber. Hmn. 

Greta the Great is enjoying this weather we're having, loving all the water to muck around in, and finding plenty of treasures in the woods to bring back with her. She also brings that unmistakeable scent of wet dog with her inside each morning. It's a good thing we love her so. Maybe we just need a few more blossoms inside to balance that out....I think the apple tree is just about to bloom. 

Welcome, May!

Hello May!

I'm so pleased to welcome back the following May Sponsors!

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Blue Platypus

unique, indie clothes, made with love in USA

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Barn Owl Primitives

Home of Typography Word Art ~ Barn Owl Primitives artfully designs and hand paints meaningful and inspiring word art signs.  Each piece is distressed and antiqued, giving each sign an aged, vintage look and feel.  Because words matter, we take great pride and care to insure that our signs speak the truth.  

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Cobble Hill Farm Apothecary

Cobble Hill Farm Apothecary is a farm-fresh soap & skincare company based out of Upstate New York.  From our farm kitchen at the foothills of the Adirondacks, we create our products in small batches to ensure quality.  Our ingredients include fresh herbs and botanicals grown right here on the farm as well as local raw goat milk, honey, beeswax, natural clays, and butters and oils that are nourishing for your skin. 

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Monaluna

Monaluna is an independent organic fabric company, specializing in stylish, modern prints on premium, 100% organic cotton fabric. In addition to our fabrics, our shop is stocked with unique and eco-friendly crafting supplies, gifts, jewelry, housewares, and much more. Green goods for your green life!

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Sarah's Silks

At Sarah’s Silks we believe in the power of imaginative play! We make simple, beautiful toys to inspire children to pretend as the true ‘work” of childhood is to play! Our playsilks and dressups are well loved by families all over the world. Over the past 23 years we have been amazed at the creativity of children who use our toys to dressup, build forts, make puppet shows, be super heroes, dance, play peek-a-boo and much more! We hope you will find joy and magic in our silks as well.

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Lusa Organics

LuSa Organics is a premier manufacturer of handmade body care products for adults, babies, and children. Our ingredients are naturally sourced and primarily organic. We scent exclusively with essential oils and color only with natural pigments, herbs, and clays.

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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 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! We currently have openings in some categories. 

5.1.17

This such a favorite sight of mine - messy couch and all (there's a child under all those blankets)! Ezra is a master storyteller, whether with a guitar in hand or a book or nothing at all. I assure you there are plenty of sibling squabbles around here each and every day....but there's also some pretty great sibling magic that happens too. And often these days, Ezra is leading the way on making that happen. Somehow noticing when everyone is starting to fray and head towards chaos and angst, I'll watch him rally everyone with that guitar or a book. And when he starts, everyone follows, for his stories are not something you want to miss. What a delight to see that skill emerge and grow within him - the ability to silence and then entertain a room full of people! Not in a demanding or showy way, but with grace and cleverness.

I'm thinking about that this morning, as I watched it happen yet again after breakfast. We have a rainy day here today, a chilly one. A favorite class was cancelled already for later today, and I think everyone is wishing we were outside in the sunshine, so close and enticing all that springtime energy is! But...stories and song it shall be. And for those things, I am so grateful today! 

Wishing you a lovely start to your week, friends!