Guest Post!
February 8th, 2010 | Author: Shannon
Head over to Loving Nature’s Garden to see what my adventurer has planned this weekend!
Thank you Alison for this great opportunity!
Love Letters
February 8th, 2010 | Author: Shannon
According to Hallmark 188 million valentines cards are given world wide; which means the cards are manufactured, shipped, distributed, purchased, sent or give. A whole lot of energy and fuel goes into this love holiday.
I challenge readers to hand make valentines cards, chocolates and buy real plants or seeds for their loved ones this year. Find lovely verses, like the age old favorite, “roses are red, violets are blue, sugar is sweet, and so are you.” Hand write your love.
I challenge readers even further to let your love shine throughout the year with love letters. Make simple hearts out of construction paper and send them to friends and family, teachers, bosses, ministers, priests, librarians, all the people who serve our lives. I am going to send a love letter to my husband once a week this year. Reminding him of all the reasons why I chose to spend my life with him.
Homemade is special
In third grade, I have my teacher a handmade Valentines Day card, I made if from purple construction paper and glued dried flowers on it. When I graduated from eight grade, he gave it back to me as a memento from elementary school. Handmade cards mean so much to the giver and receiver.
Three years ago, instead of giving everyone in my family chocolates, I made a meal and invited all to share it with me. I decorated the table with chocolates, a beautiful table cloth and our best china, we spent the evening together. I did purchase little cards for each person, but I had a newborn baby and only had time for either cooking.
Three ways spend that special night
1) Have a potluck. Instead of heading to the restaurant, invite friends over for a candle light dinner; plan for a house large enough to accommodate kids with a movie and special dinner while the parents (adults) have a special night of conversation and cocktails. The romance can happen at home!
2) Go for a walk. Watching the sunset, snuggled under a blanket at the beach or on a mountain top or in a field of long grass is more romantic then any restaurant. Bring a picnic basket of your favorite finger foods, leave discussion of bills, and school, kids, or cars problems at home, and spend the evening basking in the last rays of the sun and the warmth of your honey’s arms.
3) Partner Yoga Find a class or get a DVD and roll out the yoga mats in the living room (maybe by candle light). Learn a new way of relating to your loved one by moving together through yoga poses to strengthen muscles, increase flexibility and bring you closer. (Other stuff can come later- that’s out of my comfort zone folks- I am talking YOGA here.)
What other simple fun (inexpensive) ways do you share your LOVE on Valentines Day?
This post was originally a contribution to 5 minutes for Going Green. Check out what the great writers over there have to say!
What’s Happening Wednesday
February 4th, 2010 | Author: Shannon
Rhode Island
Local nature lover Jeanine has written a great post about wintertime play. To learn more about her read our great backyard chat or visit Rhode Island Families in Nature.
There’s still time to win this wonderful book Steady Days by mommy blogger, enter to win at this giveaway from Erin at exhale.return.to.center. while you’re at it, see what’s cooking this February!
Around the Internet
Plan ahead for Valentines Day, instead of Hallmark cards find unique ones like these from Maine based artists.
From National Wildlife, here are some great ways to spend your outside time with children. (BYM Note: The best is always to let the children lead and you follow!)
Everyone doesn’t get snow in the winter, so Adventuroo compiled this great list of lists from around the blogosphere in her effort to find something fun to do with her son when the snow came. How do you spend time in the snow?
For beginner gardeners, or folks like me who just might want some guidance, here is a great offer from Alison of Loving Natures Garden.
In case you are planning a special night in to celebrate February, or any other time of the year, consider greening your next dinner party.
Back Home In My Backyard
We have had a wonderful week of sunshine (and a dusting of snow). It has been delightful to play outside, and absorb some vitamin D.
I am “breaking” from spending tons of time on twitter, facebook and in the blogosphere. My family needs my attention. I need my attention.
My numbers on this blog are really not changing; I am re-evaluating whether or not to continue blogging as the summer comes and I want to spend more time “walking my talk” and get outside!
I will be present a workshop titled Nature Play: Learning through Wonder at the RI Early Childhood Conference in May! I am very excited about this!
I am thinking about preschools for my little adventurer, Waldorf? Montessori? Stay Home? Nature? These small choices are such a great responsibility.
That’s it folks. If you’re out there reading… have a great mid-week. Many blessings!
Share in a Spiritual Fasting
February 2nd, 2010 | Author: Shannon
Fasting means to “hold firm” or “have firm control of oneself”, it is associated with abstaining from food for religious observance or for medical reasons.
I woke up this morning thinking about fasting.
A few years ago, I did a weekly day long fast but with motherhood (and nursing) I abstained from fasting to keep my energy up. (Interesting that fasting- as in getting faster- is actually a way to slow down?)
But fasting is not just about limiting food; it can be about limiting some foods, or limiting “plugged in” time, or certain thoughts and words.
“Holding firm” or having “self-control” is what motherhood is all about. Motherhood (in some ways) is about fasting from self-centeredness and selfishness; it’s about making sure that our children learn self-control and discipline.
There are many ways to fast some are a physical fast (as in limiting food) some are more a mental fast (as in limiting thoughts or words).
Cleansing the body is partially about cleansing the mind- because it takes the ability to “hold firm” and be disciplined; and cleansing the mind is partially about cleansing the body.
I am interested in exploring the Master Cleanse for a physical fast and I am considering re-committing to a weekly day-long fast from food. This summer I would like to try a longer fast (10 days perhaps) when I have lots of fresh veggies in my garden and can prepare my body with abundant homegrown raw foods.
Ash Wednesday is next week and in some religious traditions lent (which starts on Ash Wednesday and ends at Easter) is a time of fasting. Some fast from sugar, or chocolate, but this lent I want to go deep within myself to fast from negative thinking, from being critical to myself, and from setting my expectations so high that they lead to disappointment.
Not as a Christian tradition, but as a human spiritual tradition, what might you cleanse from this lent? What can you let go of that’s keeping you from your highest purpose?
This is part of the Steady Mom 30 minute blog challenge. Thanks to Jaime for this great opportunity to link-up and share with other mama bloggers. Have a great day everyone and be gentle to yourself and eachother! Please read about and support Love 146.
Love is in the air
February 1st, 2010 | Author: Shannon
It’s February! One more month till planting begins! It’s also Black History Month, so many US Presidents were born this month that we honor them with Presidents Day… and of course it’s Valentines Day! There’s lots of love about February.
I am offering myself some self-love too by sharing with you the Best of Backyard Mama. In case you missed these posts or just found me and haven’t the time to dig through the archives. These are my picks so enjoy!
Best of Backyard Mama
Butterfly Paradise (and related posts)
How to Build a Simple Tipi Fort
Materials that Encourage Creativity and Outside Play
Ready Set Fall! 10 Ways to Enjoy the Season
What do you think? Show some love, what are your favorite posts?
Cardinal in the Climbing Tree
January 29th, 2010 | Author: Shannon
In the “blizzard of ‘09″ a few weeks ago… I looked out the front window to see this little cardinal playing in our climbing tree.
Only a few months ago, we spent many hours every day catching leaves as they fell from this lovely tree.
I love the contrast in these two pictures- the radiance of the red and green, the softness of the snow covered tree- with the bright red bird.
I am excited to see what Spring brings to the colors of our climbing tree!
Have a great weekend friends! Spend some time playing outside!
Is there a special place in your yard that you notice as it changes through the seasons?
Dreaming My Life
January 28th, 2010 | Author: Shannon
I want to write a book.
Be a children’s yoga teacher.
Teach children about nature.
Be an awesome gardener and grow most of my own food.
I want to be a great friend, the best mother, and the most nurturing wife.
I want it ALL. NOW.
The past fall Lisa Tener had a contest on her blog called It’s An Authors Dream Contest. This is what I wrote:
“The meat of my book is to share my excitement and love of nature and children with my readers. I want to inspire the least outdoorsy mama to take her little ones to the park and turn over rocks to look for bugs and the most A-type mama to take a break between power meetings to wade in a creek and look for minnows and empower a school teacher to plant a garden or lead a mini outdoor yoga class at the beginning of the school day- barefoot on the school lawn. I want to share games and songs and riddles to beaming children with ear to ear smiles as they catch butterflies or dance with the ocean surf.
“In five years, I will wake up to the chirping of the morning birds to meditate and practice yoga before anyone in the house has moved. I will eat fresh fruits granola and yogurt with my children as they ready themselves for school. We will ride our bikes to school. I will teach yoga in the afternoon and workshops on children and nature on the weekend. I will be the director of a nature based preschool or will serve on the board and volunteer in the classrooms. My youngest will attend the preschool and those days I will have some time for writing. I will be working on my second book about children and spirituality (or perhaps it will be published?) This would leave time for a third- a story about my ancestors. Oh this is fun!”
Well, I won the contest and I got to attend The Dream Party. And it really helped solidify for me what it is I really want. At this party I asked the Dream Team a question, “How do you balance between what is going on in your life and your dreams?”
Circumstances in my life have changed since September. I have a new little girl to care for, and many important things in my life that are happening right now. My actual writing of a book is on the back burner, but here I am blogging and I believe that these are the baby steps towards my dream.
What I Really Want:
I want the house to be cleaned everyday. I want clean dishes, floors, laundry, and children. I want my son to be kind, generous and confident. I want a happy relationship with my handsome husband; I want my husband to be totally content with his life and our life together. I want time to myself everyday. And I want my son to go to sleep at 7 pm every night by himself after eating a hearty, healthy meal. I want beautiful weather and lots of outside playtime. I want a spectacular garden and a heated greenhouse in which to grow winter vegetable. I want 12 hours of daylight year round and rain… but not too much and only at night. I want big juicy tomatoes, crisp lettuce and crunchy cucumbers. I want an endless supply of compost and straw. I want healthy chickens that lay big brown or blue eggs and docile goats with delicious milk. I want my son to never talk back to me and my husband to always agree with all my plans.
I want a lot… so I am working on myself and looking to accept and be grateful for what I have and set realistic goals.
I am taking a Children’s Yoga Teacher Training right now. I get one weekend a month to go to Boston, hang out, learn new stuff and enjoy myself. My family and friends take time to support me and take care of the kids, the house etc.
I am asking for one night out a week. And my husband reluctantly agrees. But come on can I blame him? He works outside in 20 degree weather and does his best to bring home the bacon. He wants nights off too! (And I do encourage him to take his time) but when I tell him that I am tired from being with the kids all day. He smirks. He’s REALLY tired.
My son is learning, testing boundaries, growing, changing, having growth spurts, and scary dreams. His life is fluctuating and changing with little input from him. We shuffle him around from here to there (not that much but sometimes) and gosh golly, he wants his mom to put him to bed at night. So I do.
This is my life. It’s the life I dreamed before I had this life. Now that I have this, I want MORE, MORE, MORE.
I am living my dream life. I have little children to love and cherish. I have a wonderful husband who is skilled and gentle. I have a cute home with a great yard. I have a wonderful blog and blogging community where I get a lot of my social needs met and I get to practice writing, so that someday I will write that book I am dreaming. I have a daycare in my home, thus the nature based preschool.
There are many people who have helped me get to where I am… and although most will probably never read this post, I want to take a minute of my time to just say THANK YOU…….. (with a long silent pause).
Just like a seed planted in the ground, my dreams are being watered by the love and care of those around me and me, with time, the dream seed with cast away its protective coat and the little seedling will emerge growing towards the light. The seedling will continue to grow, transforming in to a plant that looks nothing like the original seedling. That plant is the dream realized.
For now, I am adding fertilizer to the soil, watering, and waiting. Patience grasshopper. Patience.
This is part of the link up of Strocel.com. Amber is one of my favorite bloggers, she is full of inspiration, insight, humor, and wisdom. I am excited to participate in Crafting My Life.
What’s Happening Wednesday
January 27th, 2010 | Author: Shannon
Rhode Island
Once again, the Coastal Growers Market is this Saturday and all Saturdays till March 13th in North Kingstown. And although I can’t find it right now, I know that sometime in March there will be an end of the winter celebration.
Betsy and Sarah are having a contest for the local Sweet Cakes Bakery. I will be so sad to see them go. This is a delightful place to have tasty treats with big or little friends. They will be missed, but who knows who will win the contest!
I am really excited to try these delicious cookies from Hannah’s Harvest yum chocolate chips! (BTW they are really healthy!)
Around the Web
Before you go to Lands End or LL Bean for your spring duds, try a thrift store. Here are some tips from Robin at a little greener everyday.
Many of these thrift stores are locally owned and “putting our money where our mouth is” is probably the best way to save the world one day at a time. Alison has inspired me once again to take a closer look at my own habits; learn more about the 3/50 project.
Anyone interested in learning more about the benefits of nature for children, I encourage you to investigate these resources. I am especially interested in the Magical Child by Pearce.
The January Thaw will end soon, looks like temps in the 20’s and snow is on the way this weekend. I am excited to try family snowshoeing in our backyard!
Wanting to “cut back” this New Year? Think about altering some habits and becoming more eco-conscious. Even making a point to do a couple of these suggestions this year will make a huge impact on the planet!
In my pre-motherhood graduate school years in New Mexico, I spent a lot of time alone in the mountains being cautious ’cause I didn’t have a cell phone or a pal with me. So, when I came across this post from Natural Papa (of New Mexico) I had a little chuckle, some nostalgia and a great reminder of why I tend to be a lot more cautious as a mother.
I am looking forward to reading about asking for what you want and going for it at this link up over on strocel.com.
Back Home in My Backyard
We had a great day of PLAY today. Loaded up the kids in the wagon and headed to the waterfall. We got a little muddy, and really tired.
I am planning an extension on our garden. Why? My son is eating like a horse. Today he ate PB&J, a grilled cheese sandwich, a bunch of hummus with crackers, a banana, a couple bowls of cereal… still complained of being hungry. He’s 3 how long does this last?
I am busy creating workshops about children and nature to share in upcoming spring conferences here in Rhode Island. But I am really a geologist, so busting into the education community is nerve racking.
My backyard looks like a tornado hit it. Toys and buckets, gloves, cars, blocks are everywhere. I wish the snow would come and hid the chaos. I just don’t want to spend the little sunny time I get cleaning up outside.
I’d rather be outside playing!
And that’s a wrap. I am always excited for links and fun articles to post here on Wednesday! Until next week…
An Honest Scrap Award Goes To…
January 26th, 2010 | Author: Shannon
I was tickled to death today when I found in the archives of Twitter a message that I had been tagged for an Honest Scrap Award by @AlisonKerr of Loving Nature’s Garden.
To accept this award (which I do!) I must reveal 10 honest things about myself that you wouldn’t know by reading this site… hum… And then I must tag 7 blogger buddies.
To those I tag, I apologize in advance if this kind of thing is terribly inconvenient. I have enjoyed reading the lists of others and am excited to share about myself.
1) I spend most of my time with children; I am very uncomfortable in a room full of adults. I do love to socialize, but do so carefully.
2) Half a margarita and I am wasted.
3) I have lived in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Illinois, Michigan, New York, New Mexico, Arkansas, Texas, Guatemala and Australia.
4) I am a Grey’s Anatomy addict. I record every show and watch them endlessly.
5) I support local businesses and think large chains are damaging to a healthy society… that said, I LOVE Starbucks coffee.
6) I am ignorant to pop culture; I grew up without TV and often feel like a total social outcast cause of this. Thus #4 is particularly interesting to me.
7) I have a problem with books… I buy too many, own too many, and need to build an addition onto my house to accommodate them.
I don’t know how to turn off smiley faces in word press, so since this is #8, it has a smiley face. (If you had paid attention to my other lists to might know this, but I find it amusing). Can anyone help me?
9) I am in love with Matt Damon and have watched Dogma too many times.
10) I have a weakness for chocolate (I like if it’s organic, milk, dark or white … if it’s chocolate I’ll eat it) and Ben & Jerry’s Mint Chocolate Oreo.
Drum role….
Tag… you’re it!
1) Erin of exhale. return.to.center is a neighbor and wonderful blogger. She is full of helpful tips, thoughtful reflections and exciting adventures shared with her family on their small homestead on the rural edge of suburbia.
2) Debi of Go Explore Nature is a woman after my own heart. She writes of her nature adventures with her boys in southern California. She is full of energy, great ideas, is a prolific blogger and I bet if we lived closer we’d likely go on a few adventures together.
3) Amber of strocel.com I am in awe of her. I seem to “run into” posts of hers all over the Internet. I can’t believe it. Plus, she comments everywhere. I know from reading her blog that she occasionally forgets things, and has two small children, but I am amazed at her writing, her insight, her vast energy and am intrigued to find out more!
4) MJ of TurnItUpMom I love the byline of her blog. “May you be happy, May you be free…” The next part’s my favorite, but you’ll have to stop by and check her out to see what it is! We are kindred spirits of sorts as we love to dance with our children.
5) Suz of Slow Family Online, her pictures are amazingly beautiful and her blog is full of inspiration and surprises; with a wealth of experience raising children in a slow family kind of way.
6) Jaime of Steady Mom is a recently publish author, with three kids and such grace in parenting that I often wish I could be a fly on the wall in her house to observe with out intruding… and see how she does it all so beautifully. I can’t wait to read her book or find out some “other” things about her.
7) Suna of Lobster Monkey is an “old” friend from college. I was ecstatic to find her blog and be able to follow her through her days… but the reality is I barely know her despite this connection, she has become this inspiring, crafty, mindful, dedicated mother and I’d love to know a more about her.
That’s a wrap. I realize that I have only tagged mothers, women like me working to get through the day with children, be true to ourselves and our families. So please take it as a compliment that I am so interested in finding out more about you… and sharing a little bit about myself too!
Backyard Projects for 2010
January 26th, 2010 | Author: Shannon
The sun is shining , the air is warm and I can feel a hint of spring. I let the chickens out early today and they are wandering the yard looking for tasty morsels.
Dare I say, “Spring is in the air?”
It is, yet this is the JANUARY thaw, nothing more. I know it, it happens every year and I get so excited I head out the back door to work in the garden, I want to put seedlings in the ground TODAY, and plan for baby chicks.
I am like a little girl in a candy store about the January thaw. But this year I am taming this excitement (a little) and have made a list of backyard projects and I want your input!
Project #1- Build a chicken house. I love my chicken tractor, but it’s hard for one person to move and it only accommodates 5 chickens. I want more. Here’s our chicken tractor under the snow of the blizzard of ‘09.
Project #2- Expand my garden. It’s probably a little hard to see under the snow; but out there, is our garden. There are 4- 30 foot rows. It’s a nice size, but we need to expand for a good corn and potato crop and I’d like to plant some asparagus.
Project #3- Build a nature path. The pine trees in these two pictures mark the edge of our property line (although we have such great neighbors that it’s no problem to go a little outside the “boundary”). This is a project I have been dreaming for 3 years and now my son is old enough to help.
Project #4- Plant a milkweed garden. (An extension of #3) The last part of the nature path will go through our small back field. I want to plant lots of milkweed and butterfly bush* weed in hopes that our backyard will become a safe spot for migrating monarchs.
There are so many more projects that I have cooking up. These are the ones that are at the top of my to do list. This week we’ll be ordering seeds in my attempt to realize #2. I’d like to head out today with some strips of material to mark our nature path. And we’ve saved lots of butterfly bush and milkweed seeds.
Bring it on 2010. I can’t wait to get my hands dirty, brow sweaty and see what magic nature will bring.
I am excited to open my backyard project list up to my readers too. Those with tips and tricks to help me, please send links and I will post ‘em here!
Have a great day and enjoy the sunshine!
This is part of the Steady Mom 30 minute blog challenge. I must confess, my writing was interupted multiple times, it took under to write with these “breaks”. Next week I’ll write at night rather then first thing in the morning. I thought I’d get away with it today.
*Many thanks to Alison of Loving Natures Garden for correcting me… on butterfly weed vs. butterfly bush. Read her comment below for why.