Note from KB's Mommy and Daddy…

Note from Mom and Dad…
That time is approaching once again! - KB's birthday!!

We appreciate your time & thoughtfulness of choosing a gift... however, your friendship & love is present enough - so please don't feel obligated to give anything but a smile... and maybe a hug or two. :)

Nevertheless... if you do wish to give a little something...  we just ask that you help us to balance the wants with the needs and present them with what will help her to grow in the way we want her to go. Let's bring in toys that are responsible – even in this small way our monies will shape their future, both in where the money goes and what it brings home to them.

Old-Fashioned play

(courtesy of)

Especially in light of KB's birthday coming up... and the eyebrows being raised, as to the simple items we requested... I wanted to share this excellent article on npr about all the benefits of "Old-Fashioned play'. Before all the commercialism, the focus of play was on an activity rather than an object... and used imagination & make-believe - which in turn developed critical cognitive skills & emotional development, among other things.

Chudacoff's recently published history of child's play argues that for most of human history what children did when they played was roam in packs large or small, more or less unsupervised, and engage in freewheeling imaginative play. They were pirates and princesses, aristocrats and action heroes. Basically, says Chudacoff, they spent most of their time doing what looked like nothing much at all.

"They improvised play, whether it was in the outdoors… or whether it was on a street corner or somebody's back yard," Chudacoff says. "They improvised their own play; they regulated their play; they made up their own rules."

Even I remember - though I am not that old - being sent out into the backyard for hours. to play. - Just us six or seven kids, a tire swing, a simple swing set (consisting of one swing & a slide), various discarded household items (several pots & pans, an old cinnamon broom, some wood, etc), a few balls & Frisbee's, good ol' Mother nature.... and our [extremely] creative imaginations. And while it may not seem like much, now... we honestly thought we had the world. We ended up having so many awesome adventures out in that seemingly giant back yard! It became a home to be kept.... a jungle to be explored... a castle to storm.... mystery to be solved... or one of many other exciting places to be discovered. A stick became a sword, bow & arrow or some other prop... wood became floors, planks, and who knows what else... berries & other foliage became food , medicine, decorations, clues, etc... vines got twisted as jewelry & crowns... and in and among the trees were our forts, castles, "clubhouses"... :-) But most importantly, as our minds grew... so did our sibling relationships. ~ We grew together as friends... a unit... a team! Sure there were instance where we didn't get along... or that we pined to get inside out of Florida heat! But as any person wanting to keep their sanity whilst residing in a tiny 600sq feet and managing 7 little ones (age 10 to baby) running around.... there were many times the moms laid down the law... and for the most part, we didn't seem mind at all. ~ I still think fondly of this one tree that I would climb - nestling myself comfortably in the branches, just to get away for a few minutes & think. Yes indeed, those were the simpler times....

Note from KB's Mommy and Daddy…

Note from Mom and Dad…
We appreciate your time & thoughtfulness of choosing a gift. Our desire for observing this day, is to celebrate KB's life and all the love & joy she has brought to our family, as well as all those who have met her.

Therefore, please help us to balance the wants with the needs and present them with what will help her to grow in the way we want her to go. Let's bring in toys that are responsible – even in this small way our monies will shape their future, both in where the money goes and what it brings home to them.

When it comes to gifts, please keep in mind "less is more". A few quality items that will last are a much nicer way to go. Also, the more simple the toy, the more the imagination is used – and the more use the toy will get! Here are some ideas:

Activities/items she enjoys:

• Bubbles
• Balls
• Ballons
• Water
• Being outside
  
• Animals (esp kitties - no real ones, please... mommy's allergic!!)
• Coloring/drawing
  
• Building/stacking/Nesting
• Helping mommy in the kitchen
• Playing mommy to her baby dolls
  

Things we love:

• Things made of natural materials (wood, cotton, silk, wool)
  
• Toys that use the imagination rather than toys that use batteries.
• Waldorf or Montessori style toys – toys that are real things (musical instruments, gardening tools, art supplies) or that encourage creative play (household related items, wooden play food/dishes, cloth baby doll, wooden blocks and cars), etc.
  
• Books!! (or bookstore gift certificates!)
  
• Magazines like “Ladybug”, “Wild Animal Baby” or “Little Kids National Geographic”
• Things we can do as a family like: Annual passes to State Parks, Jungle Gardens, the Children's Garden, Selby Gardens, Mote Marine, etc
• Hand-made things (if you aren't crafty, www.Etsy.com is a wonderful place to purchase everything for adults and kids.
• Clothing, sizes 2T & up (please note, we only wear dresses & skirts - so no shorts or pant sets please!)
  

Things we'd love to avoid, as much as possible:

• Toys made of synthetic materials such as plastic - and *especially* battery-operated ones!
• Items depicting cartoons/companies (ie - toys/clothes/books with cartoon/TV characters such as... Sesame Street, Dora, the Wiggles, Backyardigans, Carebears, Barbie, Bratz, etc.)
• Any edible items which contain dairy, sugar or wheat!

Some great places to shop:

• KB's Amazon Wishlist
  
  
• Natural toy sites, such as :
  www. rosiehippo.com, www.oompa.com, www.threesisterstoys.com,
  www.novanatural.com, www.willowtreetoys.com, http://www.moolka.com/
  
  
• Local Stores such as:
  Toy Lab, Funtoysia, [Baby & Kids at] Bennetts, and Learning Express all carry these types of toys.
  
  
• "Melissa & Doug" is a good toy brand that I've also seen locally - at bookstores and even Home Goods
• "Plan Toys" "Selecta" & "Haba" are also both excellent brands, and can be found in many online stores [atleast].
  
  
• Don't forget, buying USED saves money & prevents waste! www.Ebay.com, www.Craigslist.com, www.Amazon.com, & 2nd hand stores hold many treasures (locally, Pitter Patter & Snappy Turtle Consignment stores are awesome!) ...

We thank you for your understanding!
~KB's mommy & daddy <3

Denim Blues...

Wordless Wednesday

Aprons

I have come to realize how much I LOVE aprons! They are not only pretty & feminine (you can't help but feel beautiful wearing one!)... but are also SO practical! You can stick just about anything in pockets - therefore leaving your arms/hands free for more important things - like hugging your children! - while the apron itself keeps your clothes clean & stain free (this is big for messy me! lol). They also seem to have a wonderful sense of domesticity about them! As if they are the costume of a true mother/keeper of the home! Have you ever noticed the sense of warmth & motivation you seem to get, after you've taken that apron down from it's nail, and slipped/ fastened it in place? It's powerful!

On a similar note... Another interest of mine, since I was a small girl - was learning about the daily lives, lessons, foods & clothing of historical time eras. I didn't necessarily love reading about them... but more the hands on living & learning. - esp that of the lives of women & children. (Don't worry, these two topics DO have a connection... I promise!) You could say this was somewhat ingrained into me... as much of our vacationing whilst growing up, were what you would call "educational" vacations - often being historically founded, in the form of reenactments, historical homes & villages, parks, and farms. Some of the eras I have become especially fond of are: Colonial America & the Revolutionary Period... the Pioneer times (mid to late 1800's)... and - the epoch I am probably most captivated by - the Victorian & Edwardian eras (early 1900's)! Admittedly, I love watching series like: Little House, & Road to Avonela... as well as movies like: Little Women, Anne of Green Gables, & Sarah Plain & Tall, for those very reasons!

Anyway... back to aprons. As I was watching Road to Avonlea the other day (one of my favorite period shows), and was admiring their beautiful styled clothing.... I couldn't help but notice their aprons! They not only covered their torsos well... but the bottom part was almost like a second skirt, the way the completely wrapped around. Very nice! As I was later talking to my mom... she mentioned that if I could find/ buy the apron pattern I like... she'd make us aprons to wear! (as sadly, I don't have a sewing machine.) Surprisingly, there are many different styles of aprons - even from the Turn of Century era.... but after looking around a bit. I found *the* one. It's called, simply, the "Edwardian Apron". Several sites have the pattern for this particular style apron... but the place I found offered the best price was Sense & Sensibility Patterns (awesome name, no?) - which is an awesome site offering authentic historic patterns from various eras! (They also have a ePatterns section for instant downloads at a discounted price!) So now, all I have to do is order the pattern... and then I will be well on my way to having one of my very own, beautiful apron!! :-)

Side note: I am also seriously drooling over the 1910's Tea Gown! ~ *so* pretty!

Project: ragdoll

So I don't know exactly what put the bee in my bonnet to inspire me to start such a project... (maybe all the crafty mommies on my conscious parenting group?? IDK)... but I have decided to sew KB a rag doll. I found this adorable, simple pattern..





I am using an old shirt for the fabric ("dolly" is going to be blue and white striped... but oh well! :-P)... some left over stuffing I found in our spare closet [my mom left it]... and will probably even embroider her some eyes. (I considered button eyes, but am afraid KB will try to pull them off. lol). I am also thinking of making dolly a little skirt and bonnet out of the same material... (and maybe embroider a heart on the chest?)... but haven't decided yet. Overall, I plan on keeping it pretty simple... as I am doing all the sewing by hand... but there is definitely lots of possibility with the pattern, if I ever do get a machine!

At this point I have gotten two arms & part of a leg finished... so I am averaging about one piece per day. - slow but steady progress. I can't wait to finish, and see how KB likes her! Dolly is going to be simple, yet adorably lovable!

Inspiration: take time to perceive...

"What we forget is that God's love and beauty are all around us, every day, if only we would take the time to look up and see them."

-Matthias

My new clothes line!

I have been wanting a clothesline for sometime now.... (I have been hanging KB's diapers on the kitchen chairs or DH's 6-foot ladder to dry)... and this weekend, B bought me the stuff and put one up! Yay!! Due to the rain, today was the first day I could use it.... and I *love* it!!