SouleMama

Issue 26::HEAL

 

Taproot's Issue 26 :: HEAL is out and in the wild! This new bi-monthly schedule is fast and furious, and lots of fun too, as the work from issue to issue rolls right into one another, and we find a good rhythm. This issue has already earned a bit of a reputation for being a tear-jerker. But I promise there are good tears in here, as contributors explore the topic of healing in all the very many ways we can do so. The issue is now available for sale in our shop and market, and is headed out to subscribers as well. And in other exciting news, if you order it from our shop, it'll come right from our cozy space on Cove Street in Portland as we've moved our warehouse here! It's so nice to have it all in house and under one roof. Stop on by to see us, and grab your copy soon! 

Have a wonderful weekend, all. Spring is on her way! 

 

time flies

 

It happens so fast! And yet, it all feels right and normal and timely too, this college thing. We've done a few visits with Calvin and are enjoying watching him find his way on this path of his own choosing. I hear the senior year is one long goodbye, and I think we're all ready for that. He's ready. I can't wait to see what he does. But before all that, we do have a whole year to be together, and these trips have been such a great way to spend time alone, connecting as near-adults, and having long conversations in the car. And it's a major bonus that HE prefers driving, so I can keep knitting. I like that too, of course.

And just for good measure, to kick off what is sure to be a sentimental year for this Mama, I leave you with this....the first appearance of this fella on the blog, exactly thirteen years ago. Oh time....

 

Taste of Simple ~ No 'Poo 101 {a soulemama sponsor}

 

Greetings from No 'Poo 101!  

Hi, SouleMama sisters! I'm Missy: homeschool mama to four, passionate no ‘pooer, lover of simplifying things at tasteofsimple.com and in real life.

Ever wonder how to no ‘poo gracefully? So did I—for.ever. I'm sharing everything I've learned during my 4-year, shampoo-free journey in an online course and community experience: a fun, interactive, live training called No ‘Poo 101—starting in April.

No ‘pooing's fun, simple, and family-friendly! I’d love to see you there and help you go no 'poo successfully.

1 |  Join No ‘Poo Tribe {our Facebook group: of 3,000+ amazing members} and get to know fellow no ‘pooers everywhere—a great place to ask questions and figure this out—together.

2 |  A giveaway! I’m so glad Amanda welcomed me to share my no ‘poo experience with you. Today we’re giving away three seats in No ‘Poo 101 to three lovely SouleMama readers. Can't wait to get to know you in a few weeks.

3 | Get 25% off by hanging out with other cool no ‘pooers on the waitlist and becoming a founding triber. You’ll be notified when No ‘Poo 101 opens up early for tribers only.

♥︎♥︎Missy

This weekend, No 'Poo 101 is generously offering the following gift to THREE lucky SouleMama readers:

A spot in No ‘Poo 101

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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...

I’m intrigued by no ‘poo. I have curly hair and mostly I’ve seen people with straight hair raving about it. Thanks!
Posted by: Amy

I would love to learn more.
Posted by: Jaime

It would be an interesting experience!
Posted by: Dana TM

Bee's Wrap: Sustainable Food Storage {a soulemama sponsor}

Greetings from Bee's Wrap: Sustainable Food Storage!  

Bee’s Wrap is the natural alternative to plastic wrap for food storage 
— because good food deserves good care.

We set out to find a way to store food that is healthier for our homes and our planet. What we discovered is a lost tradition made new again. In our Vermont workshop, we infuse organic cotton with beeswax, organic jojoba oil, and tree resin. Durable, versatile, and reusable, the resulting food storage wraps celebrate sustainability and sustenance.

Cover a bowl. Wrap your cheese, fruit, vegetables, and bread. Pack a snack for your next adventure. Handmade and crafted with care, Bee’s Wrap is simple, beautiful, and practical — a joy to use and reuse.

Handmade in Vermont.

Bee's Wrap is on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

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

Sarah: Our hive has been a bustlin'! We recently launched our newest product in a brand new print, affectionately dubbed "the bees + bears." A reflection of the place we call home, the bees + bears print is a celebration of New England's bees and bears, buds and berries. Inspired by the great outdoors, these wraps remind us to take green choices with us through the day, whether our adventures take us to the north woods, the school cafeteria, or the 9-to-5 hustle. In recent weeks, after a few late-winter Nor'easters here in Vermont, we've been especially enjoying our wraps to bundle up snacks and sandwiches for sunny days on the slopes and long snow-shoe treks in the woods. We're also looking ahead to Earth Week and working hard to spread a message that is near and dear to our hearts: how we can ditch single-use disposable plastics and end plastic pollution together. Check out our blog in the coming weeks to learn more.

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

NEW! LUNCH Pack + Clover Sandwich Wrap

Featuring one sandwich wrap and two versatile medium wraps in a brand new print, the lunch pack is your ideal kit for on-the-go eating! Bundle up your sandwich, snacks, and a cookie; then use one of your wraps as a place mat. When finished, conveniently fold your wraps and tuck away for later use. We're also including our popular clover sandwich wrap to celebrate the first few days of spring and add a welcome burst of color to your lunch box and refrigerator.

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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...

I’ve always wanted to try this, thank you!
Posted by: Anne

springtime eggs and planning ahead

We are so happy to be back in the land of egg abundance! Really, it's such a gift when the hens start laying so prolifically and frittata, quiche, custards, and all manner of other things. Deviled eggs too, of course! That's Harper's speciality at the moment, which everyone is excited about.

I did a crazy thing last Sunday, something I know so many other busy families do to make the week go smoothly, but I just had never tried before. Harper, Annabel and I spent most of that day in the kitchen cooking, and making all the evening meals ahead of time for the week. It has been such a relief and blessing each night to pop something into the oven that's all ready to go. It gets dinner on the table earlier (and therefore keeps bedtime reasonable), and gives us all more stress-free time together as a family in the evenings. I LOVE it. And I intend to try it again this weekend too. I'll keep you posted on how it goes and what we find for meals that work well in this way (this week it was lots of soups and casseroles).  Is this something you do in your home? 

 

weekend knits

This weekend had all the elements of a favorite weekend for me - antiquing with a friend, lots of cozy hearthside games and stories, all of mine - and some extras - at the dinner table each night, and knitting! I feel full up as I start this busy week from all of that real simple goodness. I finished my Beeswax Hat, since it appears as though winter is not done with us (NorEaster tomorrow? First day of spring? Why not!). I love, love, love this hat, though not until I went to look for the link to the pattern for you just now did I realize that my ribbing is totally off! I have no idea how I did that, but since it didn't bother me before, I'm going to stick with that and promptly forget about it. And I wouldn't mind making another, to get it just right. I think this is a hat that Steve would wear too, and he's due a hat from his wife soon. The yarn is from my trip to Brooklyn, from String Thing Studio, and is by Backyard Fiberworks - I loved knitting with this! 

Wishing everyone a wonderful start to your week! 

Nova Natural Toys & Crafts {a soulemama sponsor}

Greetings from Nova Natural!  

With snow on the ground and spring in our hearts, the staff at Nova Natural wants to support children and families with toys and crafts that warm the soul. Our hope is to inspire creativity and to give adults and children the opportunity to learn and grow together. We source playthings that foster open-ended play, as we believe children’s imaginations are key to a better future for humanity. We work with small businesses and artisans to maximize sustainable, heirloom quality toys made of natural fibers, like wool, wood and silk. Our core mission is to provide wholesome products that encourage every child’s individual and beautiful spirit to flourish.

This weekend, Nova Natural is generously offering the following gifts to ONE lucky SouleMama reader:

Easter box with cuddle bunny, egg dye, Pelle’s New Suit, Pastel Candle Kit + $50 GC. 

In addition, Nova Natural is offering all SouleMama readers, free shipping on orders over $75 through 3/25. Code SMEASTER18

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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..

Awesome giveaway. Nova natural is our favorite.
Posted by: Kristy

two feet before spring

Next week is the first day of spring, you say? Well that's hard to believe here in Maine! The snow is still falling, but I think our total for this one might be around twenty inches thus far. Oh my! There is some heavy shoveling ahead, followed by a nap and some knitting by the fire. I might order some seeds too, just to be reminded that we'll see the ground again someday soon! 

 

a date in the city

Ezra and I had a whirlwind trip to the big city last week, and we had such a good time, packing our days full of adventure and fun! I do love taking these kids of mine on trips like this, and it's always a treat to see especially how Ezra just loves cities and feels so comfortable there. He still thinks LA is where he wants to live someday, but he certainly loves NYC too and I'm glad for that because of course it's so much closer! It was a healthy balance, I think, of what I wanted and what he wanted from a little getaway. A yarn store (String Thing Studio - so fun!) for a sneaker store (do you know how many Vans stores there are in New York City? A lot). A pizza place (Fornino) for an eatery of my choosing (Marlow & Sons). We both loved Cafe Mogador so much that we went twice. There were two visits to a record shop (Rough Trade) and of course we had to do some guitar browsing too (Main Drag Music). And in trade for those, I got a lingering visit to a vintage clothing shop I fell in love with (Malin Landaeus). And we were both so thrilled to catch the David Bowie Is exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum (so so good!), though I had a bit of heartbreak upon discovering that Judy Chicago's The Dinner Party was closed that day. I've wanted to see that for twenty years! I suppose another trip will have to be in order....

We were there to visit with our friend Carrie Anne, and to celebrate the premiere of the second season of her show, Jessica Jones, on Netflix. (And did you know that Krysten Ritter, who plays Jessica Jones, is an avid knitter along with a really dear woman? It's true. Knitting superheroes are my favorite kind of superheroes.) A serious date night, I tell you! Complete with all kinds of fanciness we aren't used to, and capping the night off at a swanky after-party in a cocktail lounge with views of the city as the snow fell outside. There, I felt a bit like a fish out of water, while Ezra couldn't have looked more the part - or felt more at home. It was a blast really, for both of us, and a night to remember.

Twenty four hours after someone was holding an umbrella for us so that the snow wouldn't fall on our hair, and we were being driven around and spoiled....we arrived at the Portland airport after a delayed flight, finding us home at 2am. And because the garage was full when we arrived earlier in the week, we trudged to get our car in the outside lot - the far outside lot, and were reminded that Portland had an 18 inch snowfall the day before. Ezra and I laughed, thankfully, as we first tried to FIND our car under all of that, and then proceeded to shovel it out (with just a snow brush in the car) in order to get home and crawl into bed at long last. A funny, and perfect ending really, to such a memorable trip. 

And now there's more snow coming! And with memories of the big city, I'm happy to be tucking into home and hearth for this next storm, knitting in hand. 

Root & Star {a soulemama sponsor}

Greetings from Root & Star!

Root & Star is a beautiful magazine for children. We bridge the gap between quality children’s books and the ephemeral magazine form, showcasing contemporary artists, fresh poems, funny comics, and nature-based wonderings. We hope that when you reach the end of the magazine, you feel more peace, joy, and a connection to your ROOTS and to your STARS.

We believe we can raise children who are authentic, creative, and emotionally aware, and the magazine can help us do so. We are lucky that we get to make something we believe in, and that we get to collaborate with great minds and hearts all over the world. We are lucky that each day we can push for beauty and experimentation, and that we can challenge ourselves to approach each page as a work of art.

We also believe that small businesses embody the necessary scale and autonomy that accommodates humanity. As an ad-free magazine, we are completely reliant upon our readers in order to make what we make. That deep connection between our small business and our readers is more and more apparent! Thank you, readers! 

Follow us 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?

Courtney: The idea for Root & Star magazine started three years ago, when my young daughter raced into my studio with mail she was delighted to see had her name on it. I realized that I knew enough artists and creative people that I could curate a thoughtful, intentionally made magazine to inspire children and their caregivers. We strive to make a magazine that celebrates and cultivates emotional intelligence, and that preserves the sacred space of childhood. We love when we hear from our readers that they and their children open the envelope so eagerly when a new issue arrives in the mail.

In our third year, now, the magazine surprises us by attracting artists from all over the world. When we began, we had no idea we’d be able to feature artists like the amazing Chris Roberts-Antieau, Amy Friend, or Sarah McRae Morton. What a gift! We’ve been so lucky to connect with these creative people on this small planet of ours.


This weekend, Root & Star is generously offering the following gift to ONE lucky SouleMama reader: 

ONE free subscription to a lucky family! 

In addition, Root & Star is offering a special discount for all SouleMama readers this week, get 10% off with the discount code SOULEMAMAROCKS (because she does!). (Code expires 4/30). Come see our cool new shop!

 

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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...

Sounds like a beautiful magazine. Taproot is the only magazine I subscribe to and now Root and Star (and Bravery) are in my wishlist for my children.
Posted by: Paula

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 a wide selection of quality handmade natural toys and crafts, books, clothing for kids. 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 individual crafters and small companies with great ecological and social ethos. We have a growing and great selection of furniture and home accessories. Our focus is on sustainability and materials that biodegrade and that are sustainable in more than one sense.

Find us 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? 

JP: Our store sales have grown, as wooden toys seem to be gaining fair popularity, but it's still mainly the two of us, Lisa and I, each day, with extra hands at Christmas. Our kids are turning 5 and 7 this year. We're tired a lot of the time, but grateful. 

Lisa: It feels like stronger affirmation of where I was at a few months ago. Can I re-share it? 

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.

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

$50 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. We have some pretty great finds in our sale section right now. Please be sure to click through to more pages in Sale section. Use Promo Code SaveOnSale until Tues Apr 3rd.

We are super stocked in some very lovely woollies for babies, children, and adults. Organic merino wool, silkwool blend, pure silk knit, and organic cotton for babies, children, and adults. Use Promo Code: WOOLYNEST for 15% off our already normally low prices for Disana and Ruskovilla. From now until end of Easter weekend, Tues Apr 3rd (end of day Tues).

 

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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...

Nest is our favourite all time toy store:) Lisa and JP are amazing!!!
Posted by: stephanie

love those woodland critters!
Posted by: caitlin

Beautiful toys! Thanks for the chance to win.
Posted by: Allison

in progress

HEAL! Oh goodness, bimonthly is fast and furious! Or rather not too fast and furious, just a bit faster of a pace than I'm used to after our years being a quarterly. But it's so exciting to be in the midst of all the great content and putting the finishing touches on Issue 26::HEAL of Taproot. It flies to the printer soon, and then back to us to hold in our hands before we know it. (This cover I'm sneak peaking here? Oh just you wait!)

With Annabel's sweater off my needles, I needed to pick up another on the go light knitting project. And then I remembered my very own work in progress basket and found this treasure! I remember abandoning it only because I had forgotten to bring another skein of yarn with me on the trip I started it on (running out of yarn - such a rookie mistake!). But I'm glad I found it and am resuming the Featherweight Cardi for Adelaide!

And lastly, I'm working on packing myself up! Ezra and I are off to NYC to support and celebrate with a friend. In the middle of a snowstorm, oh my! But we're both looking forward to the adventure. 

And you? What are you working on these days? 

 

Texture Clothing {a soulemama sponsor}

Greetings from Texture Clothing!    

We make clothing for women with curves.

We believe in celebrating our bodies by treating them with respect. Are any of us perfect at this? No. Do we all have bad days along with the good? Of course. Let’s keep moving forward with loving our bodies anyways! We have so many customers who enter our space and talk about the attributes they don’t like about their bodies. We had no idea that there were women who don’t like their knees, or their shoulders! It’s really made us pay attention to how we talk about our own bodies. After hearing so many gorgeous women put down their bodies, we have different feelings about the parts of our bodies that we used to fixate on. But we are all uniquely imperfect, so let’s come together in support to celebrate that fact!

You can find us on Instagram, Facebook and our blog.

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? 

Teresa: Since the last time we were featured on SouleMama, we have decided to make small batch collections. We are excited to hand dye and screen print garments, always working ‘towards zero waste’. These little capsule collections will feature some of our best selling designs and incorporate new ones as well.

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

The Comfy Skirt is a perfect transition skirt, watch it conquer the bike ride home and move straight to commandeering the dance floor. Ditch the purse and stow your credit card and ID in the hidden pocket at the center front. That pocket is part of what makes the Comfy Skirt the perfect travel skirt! The hidden pocket fits a passport and its 4-way stretch allows for cozy comfortable plane and train travel.  

The winner may choose any style of Comfy Skirt that we have in stock.

In addition, Texture Clothing would like to offer SouleMama readers the coupon code: BEAUTIFUL for 20% off your entire purchase. Expires: Sunday March 11, 2018. 

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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.

Imagine Childhood {a soulemama sponsor}

Greetings from Imagine Childhood! 

Imagine Childhood is a family owned and operated company specializing in earth-friendly goods, craft and activity tutorials and educational supplies that support and nurture the magic of childhood. Our carefully curated collection focuses on products that inspire children to create, imagine, and explore. With an emphasis on quality materials, our toys and tools are made for real kids and real adventures.  

Browse our 2017-2018 Lookbook for 200 pages of inspiring and thoughtful gifts, or take a peek at our new Spring Guide filled with free crafts, activities and seasonal goods! We’ve spent the last eight years combing the globe for unique heirloom quality toys, tools, games, and craft projects. We hope you enjoy these as much as we do!

In addition to our shop we also share free crafts, activities and recipes on our blog here and our recent book, IMAGINE CHILDHOOD: Exploring the World Through Nature, Imagination, and Play- 25 Projects that spark curiosity and adventure, can be found here.

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?

Sarah: We’ve been busy little bees over at Imagine Childhood working on lots of fun new crafts and activities to share with all of you! We're building out our line of crafting kits (like these sweet baby booties, fairy kits, and flower crowns) and we can't wait to show you the fruits of our labor. Keep an eye out this summer for tons of nature based crafts and adventures!


This weekend, Imagine Childhood is generously offering the following gifts to ONE lucky SouleMama reader:

Today one lucky winner will receive a $100 gift certificate to the Imagine Childhood shop!

In addition, Imagine Childhood is offering 10% off all orders placed between now and March 9th, as well as free shipping for orders over $100. Use code "soulemama" at checkout. Discount expires 3/9/18.

 

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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...

We love Imagine Childhood! It's such a magical company!
Posted by: Rachel

a little cricket

I finished a sweater for Ani this week. It's Cricket, a super sweet pattern that I had a lot of fun making for her. I knit it with Jaggar Yarn, and I'm so glad for the color I chose - it feels very much her! 

Ani wanders into our bed early in the morning and spends a few hours sleeping there, so I wake up with her beside me almost always. As part of our morning routine, and - let's face it - my indulgence in her because she's the baby, she asks me every morning to go pick something out and bring her clothes to her get dressed for the day IN the bed. If for some reason I have to get up and out of the bed before her, I've taken to leaving an outfit on my pillow, which is what happened this morning. I was making breakfast and packing us all up for the day downstairs in the kitchen when I heard a squeal of delight coming from my bedroom. Ani found her sweater and was thrilled. Hooray! She loves it! Almost as much as she loves those chocolate cookies Lauren always has by the door when we walk into the Swallowtail Farm Cafe and Taproot Market. Sweetness.

Happy weekend, all! It's a rainy and blustery, messy one here in Maine....just right for some knitting.

 

 

Welcome, March!

Hello March!

I'm so pleased to welcome back the following Sponsor!

 

Woolen Moss

Woolen Moss is a women's clothing line designed and produced in Upstate New York. We specialize in organic merino wool clothing (check out this fall’s new colors and weights!) as well as our regular line of organic cotton/bamboo clothing. Soft, clean, warm, all you need to feel good. Enjoy!

. . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . .  

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. 

ten things

Ten things I'm loving this Thursday morning....

1.
Sewing with my girl. She's on a roll of altering her own clothes and making some new ones. I love, love, love this time together and watching her creativity.

2.
Two new family games added to the mix in recent weeks that are keeping everyone entertained in the evenings - Otrio and Oh Snap! 

3.
The new Brandi Carlile album By The Way, I Forgive You is on repeat here, it's just so good.

4.
Mud Season! Well, my kitchen floor isn't happy, and certainly each time I nearly lose a boot in a pile of it in the dooryard, I'm not very thrilled....but! It means that the snow is melting, and spring can't be far behind! March! 

5. 
My husband, who just surprised me with tickets to hear The Secret Sisters later this spring. I missed them when they came this way last year, so I'm so very excited to see them this time! Do you know their music? So good. 

6. 
Crowd-Pleasing Tex Mex Casserole from the Oh She Glows cookbook has been a weekly meal for us now, so easy to put together and loved by all. The table has been so full these days - all of us, plus girlfriends or friends, and Bruce. Thank goodness for my giant kitchen table, and crowd-pleasing easy meals!

7. 
Speaking of Bruce, he is still with us yes, and right now I'm especially grateful that he loves sharpening knives. Oh gosh, there's nothing better than sharp kitchen knives when you spend so much time in the kitchen (I've never been very good at sharpening them myself).

8.
Little Fires Everywhere is my audiobook of the moment, and I'm really enjoying the story of these two families. I'm kind of excited for all the fiddle lessons today so I can finish it! 

9.
Adventures. I'm plotting a little last minute adventure to New York City with Ezra next week to visit a friend. Sometimes, last minute really is the best minute. 

10.
Knitting! I'm incredibly grateful to be feeling strong enough in my wrist to be knitting as much as I'm able to right now. It's bringing such a calm sense of rhythm to my days right now, and I'm so glad for it. 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

And you? What are you loving today?