River Farm's Spring Garden Market. April 10-12, 2014.

River Farm is one of my favorite local spots. It is the headquarters for the American Horticultural Society and has the most inspirational Children's Garden I have ever seen.

This Thursday will be the start of their annual Spring Garden Market. Tons of plants, seeds, garden accessories, etc... will all be on sale.

Master Gardeners will also be available to answer any questions.

If you have been bitten by the Gardening Bug and live in the area, you definitely will want to check it out.

Cost to park is $5 for those non-AHS members.


Thurday. 3 pm- 7 pm AHS Members only.

Friday. 9 am- 6 pm. Open to the Public.

Saturday. 9 am- 4 pm.



You can find out more details right here.

I have written about River Farm before here, here and here.

Office Supplies. The Best Birthday Presents for Kids.

Okay. Maybe this might not be true for all kids. But, most of them LOVE post-its, right?

Pens, note-pads, return address labels, business cards. All cool stuff.

Recently, I created a Mail Center for my soon-to-be three year old. She's really been into envelopes and making cards. So I created a whole box just for her.

It has everything she would need to mail off a card. I had some return address labels made that she puts on EVERYTHING.

She spends probably two hours each day working on her cards. It's definitely worth the headache of organizing all the cards, stickers and pieces of paper strewn around the house every night.

Today, her business cards arrived.

Yes, I ordered business cards for a three year old.

She has spent hours playing with my Mother's business cards. So, I figured a card with her photo on it, would be tons of fun.

I was right.

She refused to let go of them today, when we went to the playground. She ran around, climbing things and sliding down the slides, all the while clutching a stack of business cards.

It's gratifying to see something that cost so little money (and took such little effort) could bring such Joy to my daughter.

There have definitely been several projects that took A LOT of effort and time on my part, which she played with it for a grand total of five minutes.

I am going to bed one Happy Mama.

I wonder how long it would take her to start handing out her cards.

Month of Love. Community Sponsored ART.

You've probably heard of Community Sponsored Agriculture. You may have already participated in one.

But, have you heard of Community Sponsored Art?

It's the same concept as Community Sponsored Agriculture. The shareholder puts up a certain amount of money in the beginning of the Season and at agreed upon intervals, receives a share. Of veggies or in this care...Art.

I am so excited to hear about Station North CSA. For $300, shareholders will receive 6 pieces of work from local Baltimore artists over a 5 month span.

"At each presentation even, 4 CSA artists will give short presentations on their work and shareholders will rank their preferred artists. Ranking is used to ensure that shareholders aren't getting a box of kale when they'd rather have beets. These events are also an opportunity to network, mingle, and meet CSA artists."

"Community Sponsored Art"....what a brilliant idea!

It's a win-win for everyone.

Sadly, all of the shares of this round are sold-out. But, be on the look-out for their next offering. Hopefully, this idea catches on elsewhere.



**** The photo is of a painting I collaborated with my daughter on last year.

How to Make Valentines with a 9-Month-Old and a 3-Year-Old

Bath tubs. I love 'em. 

Especially in the Winter, when you are can't take the Kiddos outside for hours at a time. They are particularly great for making and containing Creative Messes!!!

I wanted Anala Bears to be able to participate SOMEHOW in our Valentine Makin' Fun this year. But, I didn't want to deal with the crumbly finished product that Nye-Nye made when she was 11 months.

So, this is what I came up with and whoa....was it a hit with BOTH girls!

Materials Needed

• Hearts cut from good quality watercolor paper
• Large container 
• Yogurt cups
• Food Dye or some Color Bath Dropz (non-toxic)

Directions

1. Add water and Food Dye or Color Bath Dropz to the yogurt cups (add about an inch).
2. Cut Hearts to size (remember not to cut them too big, if you are planning on mailing them...I've made that mistakes SEVERAL times).
3. Put Kiddos in an empty tub.
4. Give them a container with a Heart (or two) and the Colored Ice Block (these are small enough for little hands to hold  BUT NOT TOO LARGE TO BE A CHOKING HAZARD LIKE ICE CUBES).
5. Keep taking out the finished Hearts and giving them new ones.
6. When finished put on the Shower and watch all the colors drain away.

This can take as little or as much time as you would like. You can have some pretty Valentines in about 5 minutes of the Kiddos working. This was one of the least stressful Art Projects I've done with Nye-Nye in awhile. The biggest stressor was worrying about the baby falling in the tub. But, clean-up was such a breeze.

Cutting out the Hearts takes the most time, but well worth it my opinion. 

I love how pretty Anala Bear's First Valentines turned out! This was her first Art Project, so I am very excited.

Hope this inspires you!

Calendar Project. 2013 Photos in Review.

Not sure if this is a Tradition I can sustain, but I am hoping! For the second year in a row, I made Calendars of photos of the previous year. We gifted them to Grand-parents and ourselves. 

I've been pretty happy with the quality of Shutterfly's Calendars (although, because I also use it as my Planner and was in CONSTANT use, the photos became a little scratched).

The first year I made them, I consistently uploaded and added the photos every Month. It made it crazy easy in December to place my order. 

Last year, January through March got uploaded and arranged. And, then you know...My heavily pregnant Self got too busy with the Sassy Toddler. So, the Calendar Project got shelved.

December rolled around. I was determined to finish the Calendar. I stuck the Eldest in front of the T.V. and put the Baby to bed early and then I stayed up very, very late to finish the Project. I think it took about 5 hours. 

The hardest part was narrowing it down to my favorite 5-6 photos from each Month. It was a challenge to make sure both Kiddos got equal-ish face-time. I also have a tendency to take mostly vertical photos. Not a big deal until you have a horizontal slot to fill.

Anyway, I HIGHLY recommend a Calendar Project (even if you don't have Kiddos). So many of us take tons of photos and never print them. This is a way of having some of your photos printed and displayed. It makes a sweet Gift that's both practical and frugal. The best kind, right?

Farewell 2013. You were very good to our Family. Thank-you.

***A big Thanks to my friend Erin for taking the gorgeous, amazing Birth Photos that I will treasure until my last Breath.  She had never been present at a Birth before and was totally game on a days notice to come shoot an "Un-medicated Birth Center Birth."

And, also a big Shout-out to another extremely talented friend, Hilary Flynn, who shot the Baby's lovely Newborn Photos and some excellent photos of my Big Girl.

How lucky am I to have such talented friends? Very lucky.

The Most Popular Christmas Book at Our House

Cats and Christmas? Add an interactive Pop-Up Book and you have an unbeatable combination. At least, in the eyes of my 2 1/2 year old. 

Nye-Nye got this book as a Gift from her Auntie Julie and Cousin Nia last Christmas. She was too young to gently pull all the tabs last year. 

Now it's PERFECT.

It's getting LOTS of Love every single day. She's only torn one small section and that was easily repaired with some glue.

Neither of us have gotten tired at finding all the different ways this group of cats get into mischief. Knocking over stuff, hiding in boxes, pulling off ornaments...they remind me of my 7 month old.

The design is terrific, the illustrations charming. As someone who has hand-made several books, I am impressed with the quality of this book.

My favorite page is when the exterior of an entire house that Pops up...complete with a Santa diving into the chimney. Very cute.

There is only a sentence per 2 pages, so it doesn't take long to "read" the book, even when you spend a minute or two playing with the various tabs. (A must on some nights when Mommy and Daddy are tired and we don't want to spend 15 minutes reading ONE BOOK).

This book has now officially become part of our Family Christmas Tradition.

Thanks Julie and Nia!

Here is my Affiliate Link to The Curious Cats' Christmas A Pop-up Adventure!  

5 Gifts for Migraine Sufferers.

I got my first Migraine 10 years ago. During these past 10 years, I have sought relief through many, many different ways. I seriously need to write a post about EVERYTHING I have tried. 

Sleep, Prescription Meds, Muscle Relaxers, Feverfew, Tons of Water, Massage, Light Exercise (when I feel one coming on), Essential Oils, Ice Foot Baths, Trigger-Point Therapy, Steam, Heating Packs, Alternating Heat and Cold, TENS, Caffeine, Ice Packs, Acupuncture, etc...

Through a lot of trial and error, I have figured out what works for me. The amount of Migraines I get and their severity have really lessened. As soon as I feel a twinge in the back of my neck, I have to TAKE ACTION. 

Obviously, the best solution is to PREVENT a Migraine from happening. My triggers are Hormones, Lack of Sleep and Stress. Unfortunately, there is not much I can do about Lack of Sleep at this stage in my life.

Here are a few PREVENTIONS that have helped me. And some ideas for Gifts that may help the person in your life who suffers from Migraines.

1. Buckwheat Pillow

I bought this 10 months ago and I LOVE IT. Definitely worth the 35 bucks I paid for it. Great for headaches caused by neck pain. It's cooling and is like a Memory Foam Pillow, without all the questionable chemicals. It's a little crunchy. It can take a few days to get accustomed to the sensation of the pillow shifting around so much. But, neck pain is no longer a Migraine trigger for me, thanks to this pillow.

One of these days I want to buy a whole Buckwheat Mattress. You can buy a kit from Open Your Eyes Bedding.

2. A Gift Card to a POCA Acupuncture Clinic

Acupuncture treatments have helped shorten the length of my Migraines, lessen their severity, and helped prevent me from getting to the vomiting stage many, many times. Regular treatments are essential for me to get my Migraines under control.

How is that affordable?  Two words.

Community Acupuncture.

At $15-25 a pop for a treatment in a group setting, I can't recommend this enough. For those folks living in MD/NOVA/DC, we are lucky..there are several options. I've been to the...

The Turning Point (Frederick)

City Acupuncture Circle (D.C), 

Mend (Baltimore),

Our Space (Silver Spring) 

and Sufi Acupuncture (Hagerstown).

Black Sheep Community Acupuncture Clinic (Baltimore) is only 5 minutes from my Sister's house. I definitely want to get a treatment there soon.

Check out POCA to see if there is a Community Acupuncture Clinic near you. I'm sure the Clinic closest to you (or the Gift recipient) would be happy to provide you with an Acupuncture Treatment Gift Card.

3. Epsom Salt

There appears to be a link between Magnesium deficiency and Migraines. One way I've been trying to get more Magnesium is to regularly take baths with Epsom Salts. It's an easy (and relaxing) way to up your Magnesium intake. You can soak your feet in an Epsom Salt Foot Bath for 20 minutes, if you are more of a Shower person. Nice Stocking Stuffer.

4. Raw Almonds

A tasty way to get more Magnesium is through eating Nuts and Seeds. Pumpkins (and other Squash) Seeds provide the most Magnesium of any Nut or Seed.. Another thoughtful Stocking Stuffer.

5. Peppermint Essential Oil

When I feel a Migraine coming on, I try and find ways to cool down the base of my skull. Ice Packs work well and so does Peppermint Essential Oil. It's very cooling and feels so good on whatever part of my head is the throbbing. I know a lot of people use Lavender Essential Oil as well. I love the smell of Lavender, but prefer the cold sensation of Peppermint more.

That wraps it up. As common as Migraines are, I'm sure there is someone on your Christmas List who might benefit from some of these Gifts. Hope this helps!


***Full Disclosure: There are a few Affiliate Links on this page. Thanks a bunch.

Gifts to Make. Infused Vodka.

What's a terrific adult present for that person who has EVERYTHING? A beautiful bottle of Infused Vodka.

(Thanks Elyse for the inspiration)!

Papa Bear and I experimented making several flavors this Summer. We both really like the taste of the "Lemon Verbena and Cinnamon Infused Vodka." With our first batch, we kept the Cinnamon Sticks in for 3 days (3 sticks in a large Ball Jar) and I think that was a little bit too long. I think two days is perfect.

We also have also made some Lemon Balm and Black Tea Infused Vodka. I love Black Tea, so this one was my favorite.

I'm thinking of making a "Cranberry and Lime Infused Rum" and maybe adding a little Black Tea. For Thanksgiving, my Mama always makes a Cranberry Punch with some Black Tea. A little Rum to it always takes it up a notch. 

Cranberries, Lime, Black Tea and Rum...sounds like a perfect combination to me. I've read that when infusing with Cranberries, the longer they sit the sweeter the drink. At least a week, maybe two. I better get cracking!!!

Gifts To Make. Play Silks. Ages 2-7.

If there is a Kiddo on your Christmas List who is really into Imaginary Play this be right up their alley.

It's one of the coolest Craft Ideas I've seen in awhile. Cheap, easy and encourages Open Ended Play. It's so worth making yourself and NOT buying.

Kool-Aid, White Vinegar and boiling water...how hard is that? The hardest thing for me was tracking down some Kool-Aid.

I bought several plain white silk scarves from Dharma Trading Company. The cheapest was about $2 and the largest one was $8. I don't even want to think about how much the large one would have cost, if I bought it from a Waldorf site.

It took less than an hour to "dye the Playsilks" and was very straight-forward. (The biggest issue was a whiny Toddler who wanted to stir the boiling water).

I would think this would work as a present for both Girls and Boys up to the age of 7 or so. Especially if you dyed a really large scarf or two. A cool tent, or curtains for a theater...the possibilities are unless!

This could also work as a gift for that person in your life who ADORES scarves as a fashion accessory. It would be a fun activity to do with an older child.

Nice tutorial here.

Wonderful photos with another tutorial here.

Our Homemade Christmas Calendar

 

December, already?

How did that happen?

This year I figured the Kiddo was old enough to understand an Advent Calendar. Of course, I remember that I wanted to do one the last night of November. Three or so hours later, this is what I had...

Not sure if it's going to survive all that daily handling required. But, it didn't cost any money, so I am pleased. Plus, I really like it's Handmade quality.

I was inspired by the blog Morning Creativity. Happy December! Can't wait to share my ideas for this Month's Theme.

Rainbow Rice. The Gratitude Month.

It's the Simple Things.

Seriously, how have I not made "Rainbow Rice" for my Kiddo, before? It cheap, it's easy to make and occupies my Rugrat FOR HOURS.

I packaged it up for Nye-Nye to take to her Dadi's this Week, while Papa Bear and I are away. It's a perfect thing for her to do at her Grandmother's house.

It cost around $8 for a 10 lb bag of rice and I already had some food coloring and a big, plastic storage bin. If she eats some, it's no big deal. I'm sure you seen it on Pinterest and a million Blogs, so I won't bore you with directions.

What am I Grateful for Today?

Rainbow Rice...Fun, Open-Ended Play for my 2 1/2 year old (perfect for long, Winter Days)

KIVA Revisited.

Every once in awhile, when I think about it, I go back to "KIVA" and check on my loans and make another micro-loan.

KIVA is one of my absolutely favorite organizations (besides Heifer International).

KIVA is a non-profit committed to fighting poverty through empowering people to start and improve their own businesses through micro-loans.

Each borrower shares a brief bio and photo; there are thousands of stories of courageous people trying to better their lives and the lives of their children. Many of them of are women.

To find a borrower, you can look at specific countries or particular sectors like: Agriculture, Education, Food, etc.... You can even use a filter to search for an attribute like: Fair Trade, Green practices, Underfunded areas or Conflict Zones.

Since it's founding in 2005, KIVA has distributed $480 million throughout 72 countries - many of these loans were lent in just $25 increments. They have a 99.03% repayment rate. Pretty amazing stats, right?

You pay through Paypal. It's super easy process. I've been a lender for several years now and highly recommend it to everyone.

It feels good to know that by taking the $25, I might have spent on a toy for my children or eating out, instead I am making a concrete difference in someone's life. That's something I can truly get behind.

Dye Your Own Playsilks

This may be one of the coolest Craft Ideas I've seen for children. It's cheap, it's easy and it encourages Open Ended Play. Kool-Aid, White Vinegar and boiling water...how hard is that?

Although, it does make me glad I never drank much Kool-Aid when I was a kid. Seriously, this is the best dye EVER.

I bought several plain white silk scarves from Dharma Trading Company. The cheapest was about $2 and the largest one was $8. I don't even want to think about how much the large one would have cost, if I bought it from a Waldorf site.

It took less than an hour to "dye the Playsilks" and was very easy. (The biggest issue was a whiny Toddler who wanted to stir the boiling water).

I am definitely looking forward to doing this again (especially for some Christmas Presents). I can't wait to experiment with more colors.

Nice tutorial here.

Wonderful photos with another tutorial here.

Hair Conditioner + Cornstarch = Heavenly Smelling Play-Dough

 

 

 

 

My 28-month old's current favorite Play-dough is so simple to make. And it SMELLS lovely.

All it consists of is some squirts of Hair Conditioner, a little Cornstarch and a bit of Food Coloring. It takes about 15 minutes of mushing and kneading and adding more Cornstarch to get it the perfect consistency.

I store it in some small Mason Jars.

Nye-Nye has been adding tooth-picks to her play and she will happily be engaged in this activity for at least 20 minutes. I've been bringing it out after Dinner and before Bed-time, when she needs something calming to do.

If you make some of this Play-dough, make sure your child isn't still putting things in their mouth. I am so glad she is FINALLY out of that stage.

Enjoy!