Bark Boats.

We made these sweet little Bark Boats at T's Waldorf inspired playgroup. He is very enamored with his boat, especially since he made it himself, and has played with it in the water tub many times. I love that it teaches him that all you need is to find a few natural things from what we have around us and you can make a toy more beautiful than any you can buy in the shops.

They are easy to make. Start off with a piece of bark that floats nicely. Drill a hole in the middle of it for the 'mast'. Find a straight stick to fit in the hole for the mast. Thread a big leaf through the mast for the sail. I have put a round bead on the showing end of the mast so that it is safer for little eyes. 

T's favourite thing to do with his Bark Boat at the moment is use his 'bamboo prodder' to poke the boat around the tub. He thinks he is very clever that he can control it from a distance. A Good Man has dubbed it his 'Remote Control'. 

And, as you can see in this next photo, he can even balance a car on his boat! Can you see how proud that makes him feel?

Blessings and magic.

And the winner is....

Wow, friends... There were 46 entries to the Fairy Godmother Giveaway!

We had fun choosing a winner or, as it turned out, TWO winners! 

You see, T and K couldn't decide (code for 'had a big fight over') who would draw the magic number and the only way to settle the matter, was to let them each draw a number! Lucky you guys... there are TWO WINNERS!

Here are the judges drawing the numbers from the jar...

K,

And T!

And the lucky names are...

Drum roll please...

K's winner is Golden Sun Family.

And T's winner is Cat from Darling Woods Studios.

We will hold your Fairy Godmothers up to the sun, give them a departing kiss and smile as we watch them flutter off on their way to bring their fairy love, peace and magic to you and your families. 

Blessings and magic.

Dancing Shadows.

I caught these shadows on my wall,

Fairies, stars and crystals all.

Dancing there without a care,

Perhaps they thought I was not there.

Just a little reminder that today is the last day to enter my blog giveaway. I will put all of your names into a jar and K can randomly pick a winner... 

I will announce the winner on Saturday. Good luck to one and all!

Blessings and Magic.

Artichoke.

Oh how I love an artichoke... it's the combination of their earthy flavor, the peeling of their green petals and the yummyness of the dipping sauce. I feel simple and sophisticated, all at once.

Lucky me... I had an artichoke for lunch today!

This is how I cook them...

I rinse them in water to wash them and get any little lingering bugs out of them.

Cut off the stalks with a knife.

The little spikes on the ends of the petals can be a nuisance. I cut them off before cooking by using a knife to cut off the tips of the petals.

And then I use scissors to trim the spikes off the remaining petals.
Place the trimmed artichokes in a steamer, stem up. 

Steam for about 30 minutes or until stalk bases are tender.
My favorite dipping sauce is balsamic vinaigrette. I mix equal parts balsamic vinegar with olive oil and a little salt to taste (yes, I love balsamic!) Whisk together until it emulsifies and... Voila!

Melted butter is another great artichoke sauce, as is lemon butter or mayonnaise.

Peel a petal, dip it into the sauce and eat the soft flesh at the base of the petal. It's delicious!!
When you come to the heart, use a spoon to gently scrape the hairs away, leaving the tender heart. What's left is pure delicacy.
I cooked 4 today. As no one else in my family eats artichokes, guess what I'm having for lunch tomorrow, the next day and the day after? Lucky me!

Blessings and Magic...

An Eye-Spy Jar.

Have you ever made an Eye-spy Jar? 

It's great fun and a fabulous thing for your little ones to take with them in the car. It'll keep them occupied for ages!

You need a glass or clear plastic jar, rice and various TINY treasures.

These are what we found at first... we have been adding to our Eye-spy Jar all day... the more little items you have, the merrier.
Put the rice and treasures in the jar, making sure to leave an inch or so of space between the top of the rice and the lid as you want the rice to be able to move freely inside the jar.
As your little one (to be honest, I hogged it for quite some time today too... it's rather addictive!) turns the jar, the rice falls over itself in the jar, revealing and then covering your treasures. 
I play Eye-spy Jar with K in the car. As I know what's inside the jar, I say... 'Find me an acorn hat.' She LOVES it!
The coins are the hardest to find, so be sure to add a couple. They hide out in the middle of the rice and it is a Great Achievement to spot one!

Blessings and Magic!

Lisa from 5 Orange Potatoes.

I can hardly believe that the first time I read a blog was only 6 months ago. Before then, I had been oblivious to this wondrous world. I can't imagine what I did without so many truly inspirational people in my life? So, to all of you who inspire, amuse and touch me daily, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. The gifts you, so freely, give are greatly appreciated.

Lisa from 5 Orange Potatoes is one such gift-giver. She inspires me daily and I delight in joining her and her 'two little ladies' as they explore, create and learn. I have been eager to learn more about her (and get some tips about how she keeps it all so magical) and was thrilled when she agreed to answer a few questions. As you will see, she is as charming as ever.

Here are my questions and Lisa's pearls of wisdom...

1. You seem to be creating a magical childhood for your children. What, in your opinion, is most important for a magical childhood. How are you creating this for your girls?

I love that you asked me this because the day I had Fauna I promised her that I would make each and every day magical for her.  Every time I was at the bookstore or library I would look at books hoping to find one that would tell me how to do this. Well I never found the book, so it was up to me.  Going outside as much as possible, bringing the outdoors in, playing with natural toys, reading lots of fairy tales, making wishes on flowers, just making their environment pretty and whimsical is basically how I do it right now.

The Wishing Tree.

2. How does the area in which you live contribute to your children's childhood and how you are as a mother?

We are so lucky to have 5 acres on a dead end road that backs up to farmland and a small woodland. We can let the yard go wild in some areas; 3 acres are not cut except for the paths that wind through. This wild also lets native plants and animals grow which we can study. We also have mature white pine trees that naturally make beautiful hideaways where we have put tree stumps for the girls to sit on and play on. We also have a large variety of mature deciduous trees which bring in all kinds of wildlife. We also have birdfeederseverywhere. We pick the plants in our gardens with the intentions of bringing in as much wildlife as possible. Last year we lured in over 25 wild black swallowtail caterpillars (not all at once), we were able to raise them and watch them make chrysalides and emerge as butterflies. It was so beautiful and magical.

5 Magical Acres.

3. What is your greatest triumph as a parent?

The creativity that I see in everything my girls do. Their creativity blows me away on a daily basis. I am also so proud of the fact that they know the names of so many plants and birds (Araina is really good at identifying bird songs as well). I love it when I see the girls sharing wild edibles with their friends and their friends getting so excited about it. Also, the fact my girls eat (and love) their vegetables!  (We are vegetarian, no meat of any kind, very little dairy however we are not quite vegan).

Lisa's Sugared Violets.

4. What has been your greatest struggle as a parent?

Working through frustrating math problems with Fauna. I am not the best math teacher; it’s never been my strength. Oh, the frustration involved with math is overwhelming sometimes. I would love suggestions with this one.

5. You clearly have a knack of making learning enjoyable and fun. Any tips for those of us who are striving to do the same?

We pretty much go with the flow of the day and what nature provides us each and every day. When I see a spark in the girls we go for it and learn all we can. It must always be hands on learning as well; we love active learning where we can use all of our senses.

Their love of Dandelions.

6. You are so creative and have encouraged, with success, your girls to be creative too. How does creativity affect your daily lives?

Creativity is just a way of life in my family. I never give them a model; I want them to guide themselves in everything they do.  I encourage them to follow their hearts and minds in everything they do.

7. You seem to be so disciplined about engaging your girls in fun, creative, learning activities, each and every day. How do you motivate yourself to keep steady on this course?

I am a natural born teacher. I have taught children for about 23 years now in schools and nature camps. It’s just in my nature. I also love trying and learning new things on a daily basis. Nature, the seasons and my girls are my motivation.

Tree Art.

8. Your girls have such beautiful names. How did you come to them. What do they mean to you?

Fauna is named after the Goddess of Nature andAraina, the Goddess of the Sun. As soon as I saw the name “Fauna” I knew it was meant to be hers. The day I told my mom the name we had picked out she saw a spotted fawn out her kitchen window. Araina was born the day after the summer solstice on a very warm and sunny afternoon. We called her Neive for the first 24 hours, but it didn’t suit her. I saw her warm and sunny personality shine through and knew Araina was the name for her. She also has a deep dimple that looks like a raindrop above her top lip; the doctors saw it on the ultrasound and feared she had a cleft lip. But nope, it was just a deep raindrop shaped dimple.

9. What is one of your most precious memories?

Walking through the woods with Fauna when she was just under 2 years old and a white-tailed deer was following us. I kept getting the sense that we were being watched but looked around and saw nothing. Finally I saw a flash of white fluttering through the trees; this was of course the white tail of the deer. After knowing we had spotted him, he continued to watch us until we left the woods. This all took place for about 20 minutes. I’ll never forget his curious face.

10. If you were a Flower Fairy, which one would you be and why?

I would be a Wood Nymph Butterfly fairy. These lovely butterflies live in the woods but always seem to find the sun’s rays in the darkest areas and they just flutter and flutter soaking up the sun. I also love that they are not flashy butterflies; they blend in with the trees and are quite shy. I have red hair, so I have always had trouble blending in, when really that’s all I want to do (I’m an introvert).

The Wood Nymph Butterfly Fairy.

Thank you, Lisa, for this glimpse into your precious soul. You are an inspiration to me and help me in my quest to reach my highest potential. Blessings and Magic to you, the Wood Nymph Butterfly Fairy!

First Blog Giveaway!

These little Fairy Godmothers and Godfathers flew into my life with the spring.

 My Goddaughter turned one at the end of March and I wanted to create something new, just for her. She loves looking at things that dangle in the air, so I made her a mobile of Fairy Godmothers to fly above her crib and watch over her while she sleeps. 

They looked so sweet that I had to make myself a few to hang from my chandelier. 

And then, others wanted some too. 

I made a few to sell in the store at the Orange County May Faire and then some to sell in our store at our very own May Faire.

And finally, I made some to put in my Etsy shop.

They have been lovingly needle felted in many different colors and their seed pod wings are ready to take them fluttering from flower to blossoming flower. In their hands they hold their magic fairy wands to bestow blessings and magic where ever they go.So, my first Giveaway will be a Fairy Godmother or Godfather. To enter, please leave a comment below with a contact email and which color and gender Fairy you'd like (visit my Fairyfolk Etsy store to see the available colors, they are called 'Spring Flower Fairies' in my store) and I will draw the lucky winner on Friday, 29th of May. 

Blessings and Magic!

Playdough Blog.

We made playdough today. Yellow, blue, pink and purple. K wanted each color to smell differently so we added Ylang Ylang oil to the yellow, Tea Tree oil to the blue, Jasmine oil to the pink and Lavender to the purple. It was a treat for the senses!
We decided that it would be my Birthday. K and T became little chefs and cooked me a deliciously colorful birthday dinner.
The first course was donuts with sprinkles and ice-cream sundays. Very yummy!

Second course was roast chicken... 

Mr T was the chicken carver.

After the meal, I was so full, I had to rest on the couch with a book while K and T made my birthday present. Isn't it sweet... a worm family going to a wedding adorned with flowers! Just wish I could keep it forever. Suppose keeping this photo forever will have to do!

Here is a link to our never-fail playdough recipe. 

Both my kids have so much fun with playdough... it's age appropriate for both and they can play happily together for ages. It's a calming activity for us. When we are having a difficult or fractious time, playdough never fails to get us working well together again. As we work with it in our hands, it settles our sprits and lets creativity heal our distress. It gets us smiling again, chatting again... it's a tool to get us back on track. Thank goodness for playdough!

Wild Strawberries.

Strawberries that in gardens grow 
   Are plump and juicy fine, 
But sweeter far as wise men know 
   Spring from the woodland vine. 

No need for bowl or silver spoon, 
   Sugar or spice or cream, 
Has the wild berry plucked in June 
   Beside the trickling stream.

Robert Graves

We have 9 strawberry plants planted around the garden. They all came from the plant my mom planted when she stayed with us for three months when I was on bed rest when pregnant with T. That original plant is two years old and is such a wonderful gift... it gives us at least 5 berries a week in season. I divided it when it outgrew it's pot and now our garden is a strawberry patch!
Alas, some of the strawberries you see in these photos have been 'hidden' there by... me!
Mr T has decided that he will not eat strawberries if he can't pick them himself! He even eats unripe strawberries and those half eaten by slugs and rolly-pollys if off the vine they come. Our poor bushes can't keep up with him, not even 9 of them! So, yes, I prepare our strawberry bushes ahead of time. I 'hide' strawberries amongst the green leaves and he delights in 'picking' and eating. K plays along too and we all pretend that we are eating wild strawberries! If only they knew what magic us mommies make!

Oh, Ruby Red Radish.

When my dad visited us at Easter time, he was in charge of planting my veggie garden. He did a wonderful job and we have been enjoying our salad greens for quite some time now. Thanks Dad!

But, most enjoyable for the kids has been watching the radish garden grow. Grampa started with seeds and the bed looked rather 'empty' to K.

With the warmth of the spring sun, the seeds awoke from their soil beds. They yawned and stretched and poked their little heads out of the ground to better enjoy the warmth from their father, the Sun. 

He was such a good father, blessing them often with his loving attention that they grew strong and healthy. And, not to forget the encouragement and nurturing nutrients they received from their mother the Earth. Nor the help they enjoyed from us, their friends who talked to them as we watered them. 

Now, one by one, they are becoming ready for their life's purpose... to become one with us! Each day, they plump themselves out, hold themselves tall, hoping that they will be the lucky radish picked at inspection. 

As we choose the biggest and best, and take him gently from his mothers grasp, we assure her that he will be happy with us and help us do great things.

We tell those left behind that their time will come. 

We admire him. Gasp at his red plumpness, his gorgeous green hair. We touch his lovely root, inspect his hairy smaller roots. We marvel that he grew from just a tiny seed.

Then we bath him.

We prepare him for his journey into our bodies. We anoint him with Ranch and enthuse over his crisp juiciness and wonderful flavor.

And he becomes one with us, a part of us, perhaps the part that helps us run and jump extra high today, perhaps the part that helps us put the puzzle piece in just the right place. We are grateful to him. Without him we couldn't be exactly the person we are, because... we are what we eat!