Posts Tagged ‘good books’

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“Patchwork Style” in my home

Tuesday, November 17th, 2009

This summer I learned to sew!  I indulged my new passion with Amanda Soule’s “Handmade Home” (see my review).  Because I so enjoyed Amanda’s book, I was intrigued by a new series of crafting books released this year by her publisher.  The series, called Make Good: Crafts + Life, produces charming Japanese craft books in English for the first time.  I fell in love with ALL of the titles… but first on my list to own was Patchwork Style:  35 Simple Projects for a Cozy & Colorful Life.

First on my list was new kitchen rugs…

Post moved to Stitched in Color – my personal sewing blog.  Please come for a visit!

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Posted in Fashion & Fun | 6 Comments »

Meet the REAL Winnie the Pooh

Thursday, November 12th, 2009

Winnie the PoohDo you know the REAL Winnie the Pooh?  I didn’t meet him until a friend recommended I check out the original stories by A. A. Milne.  I am so glad I did!  Unlike the mass-marketed Disney character, the original Winnie the Pooh is a rich piece of adventure, character development and silliness.  Yes, silliness!  The original stories are soooo funny.  And, I mean funny for the adult too (or moreso, perhaps?). 

Winnie the Pooh is a 160 page book divided into 10 chapters.  Each chapter makes for a long bedtime story, or sometimes we read half and finish the tale later.  Disney’s stories are just pieces of each chapter – they’ve cut out part of the storyline and majorly simplifed what’s left.  Now, it’s true, that when we switched to the original Winnie the Pooh last year my daughter (then just turned four) was not an immediate fan.  She was disappointed by the sporadic pictures and seemed to have trouble following the delightful, back-and-forth conversations of the characters.  So, was the original work to “old” for her?  I’ll say not.  My son, who’s only 2 1/2, absolutely loves our Winnie the Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner.  The original A. A. Milne version of Pooh is all he’s ever had.  And, now, Winnie the Pooh is my daughter’s favorite bedtime pick. 

winnie insideAs a parent, it’s nice to find a book that I can enjoy reading over and over and over.  If you’re a parent, you know how that goes.  But, even better, it’s exciting to be sharing with them a good story that challenges them to create mental pictures and playfully develops their ability to appreciate a longer tale.  Our volume combines the original Winnie the Pooh with The House at Pooh Corner, a collection of stories also written by A. A. Milne that continues the adventures of Pooh and his friends.  This Christmas, we hope to add Milne’s poetry anthologies “When We Were Very Young” and “Now We Are Six” to our home library.  What, you haven’t tried children’s poetry?  They’ll love it!  The Complete Tales and Poems of Winnie the Pooh combines all four volumes, and would be a wonderful Christmas present for any 2-6 year old!

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Enter to Win “The Creative Family” by Amanda Soule!

Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009

creative familyFinally, a book giveaway!  Amanda Soule’s “The Creative Family: How to Encourage Imagination and Nurture Family Connections” has met with heartfelt praise since it was published last year. It’s designed to help families embrace new ways to relax, play, and grow together by doing simple things like enjoying nature, using imagination and playing with basic art supplies and household objects.

A friend recommended this book last year.  I wrote, “I’m so excited to read this book because, to be honest, creativity is not my forte. As an aspiring home-schooler (in the unschooling manner) and a part-time stay-at-home mom, I would love to create a home-culture like the one Amanda describes.” 

It’s hard to explain how much has changed in the year and a half since I read “The Creative Family.”  Amanda introduced me to a family culture which led to our “discovery” of Waldorf.  Now we are Waldorf-inspired homeschoolers and our entire family atmosphere has changed.  It all began with a toy revolution.  What a fantastic and joyful change!  Then I began to integrate seasonal songs, poems, books and fingerplays into my days with the children.  Soon we were playing outside more.  Next our interest in art exploded and I worked to create an art studio at home for their free exploration.  And, last of all, I broke out of my “I’m not creative” box and felt empowered to sew, sew, sew – just in time for Handmade Home, Amanda’s latest book!

My hope is that this copy of “The Creative Family” will usher your family down a similar, yet unique path of joyful family becoming.

Enter to Win.   We’re giving away one copy of Amanda Soule’s “The Creative Family.”  Enter now through November 30th (11:59 EST) by adding your comment to this blog post. We’ll choose one random winner!  Shipping included. Winner will be notified by email. Open to U.S. residents only.

For ONE extra entry, subscribe to this blog.  You can subscribe via email in the lefthand column.  Leave a separate comment for your “subscriber” extra entry.  Subscribers qualify for one extra entry on each giveaway!

For TWO extra entries, blog about this giveaway and link it back to this blog. Make sure to leave a separate comment on this blog post for each of your two extra entries.

Contest Closed!  Congratulations, Rebecca, our winner.

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Must-Reads for Preparing for Baby

Thursday, October 8th, 2009

You want the best for your baby – of course!  During pregnancy don’t just read about childbirth and breastfeeding… read about how best to care and prepare for baby.  It’s never too early or too late to nurture your family.  Here’s a book list to get you started:

Health & Nutrition

Healthy Child Healthy World: Creating a Cleaner, Greener, Safer Homeby Christopher Gavigan.  If you desire to create a safe, non-toxic home for your child, this is THE most comprehensive book available.  You’ll refer back to it again and again.  This book makes you aware of all the issues so that you can create a healthy nursery the first time around.

Raising Baby Green: The Earth-Friendly Guide to Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Baby Care by Alan Green.  This book covers the same topics as Healthy Child, Healthy World, but in a more concise manner appropriate for those new to green, natural living.  In addition to discussing safe, earth-friendly choices for the nursery and home, Dr. Green addresses pregnancy and childbirth.

The Vaccine Book: Making the Right Decision for Your Child by Robert Sears.  As unbiased and fair a book on this important subject as can be found.  Comprehensive, accessible information and support for the choice to vaccinate fully, selectively or not at all.  Any of the above is not without real risk.  You owe it to your child to become informed.

Feeding Baby Green: The Earth Friendly Program for Healthy, Safe Nutrition During Pregnancy, Childhood, and Beyond by Alan Greene.  Dr. Green brings the most current research to bear on the subject of what to eat during pregnancy and what to serve to baby.  Aiming to foster “nutritional intelligence”  that will positively impact baby’s health and development for the rest of his or her lives.   Much more than a cookbook!

Parenting

The No-Cry Sleep Solution: Gentle Ways to Help Your Baby Sleep Through the Nightby Elizabeth Pantley.  If you place a high value on getting a full night’s sleep, but aren’t willing to let your baby “cry it out”, this is an excellent resource.  Elizabeth shares a wealth of ideas to encourage sleep and take small, measurable steps in the right direction.  Very easy to apply!  It shaped our family’s sleep.

The Happiest Baby on the Block – The New Way to Calm Crying and Help Your Baby Sleep Longer (DVD)  by Harvey Karp.  This DVD is so, so worth your time.  It is available as a book, but the DVD is so much more helpful (and faster).  Watch it with your partner to learn how to calm any fussy baby.  We watched this while I was in labor and it was incredibly helpful.

The Baby Book: Everything You Need to Know About Your Baby from Birth to Age Two by William Sears.  This book is a classic.  Whatever your take on “attachment parenting” reading this book will help you form a picture of the parenting style that’s right for you.  Dr. Sears encourages parents to follow their instincts, parenting from the heart.

Sweet Anticipation

The Baby Name Wizard: A Magical Method for Finding the Perfect Name for Your Baby by Laura Wattenberg.  Not your typical dictionary of baby names, meanings and ancestry.  This unique book organizes names by groups like “Antique Charm”,  “Brisk & Breezy” and “Guys & Dolls.”  It shares info on the popularity of the name over the years, common associations and recommended names for siblings (which is a great way to find a similar name if your partner hates your choice).  Very fun!

Handmade Home: Simple Ways to Repurpose Old Materials into New Family Treasures by Amanda Blake Soule.  Beautiful, eco-friendly and well-written – this is the perfect book to indulge your nesting instinct.  Includes projects for sewing and other crafts as well.  I’m loving it.

Amy Butler’s Little Stitches by Amy Butler.  A very popular, well-done handbook for sewing for baby.  Can’t find the right bedding for your crib – make your own.  Appropriate for beginners and intermediates.  Of course, you can also find books for knitting and crocheting for baby.  There are sooo many choices…  Best to choose these at the book store!

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Posted in Baby & Toddler | 2 Comments »

Children’s Books for Fall

Saturday, September 26th, 2009

Aria & I have been declaring “It’s Fall” since the beginning of September.  While the weather hasn’t always agreed, the apples are ripe and the first leaves are turning.  We’ve sent out invitations for our Harvest Halloween Party (in the style of Remaking Halloween)… and I’ve started brainstorming homemade Christmas gifts.  It must be fall. 

Here are some books to enjoy with your children this fall.  Click through on any of the images to read a description of the book!

Woody, Hazle and Little Pip by Elsa Beskow (my favorite)

Pumpkin, Pumpkin by Jeanne Titherington

Harvest by Kris Waldherr

Frederick by Leo Lionni

Possum’s Harvest Moon by Anne Hunter

Too Many Pumpkins by Linda White (a funny tale)

The Story of the Wind Children by Sibylle Von Olfers

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Must-Reads for Pregnancy & Birth

Thursday, August 27th, 2009

As soon as you began thinking about getting pregnant (or realized you already were!) your mind was filled with a million questions.  There’s a lot to learn about pregnancy and birth.  Here’s a book list to get you started:

Healthy Pregnancy

  • The Mother of all Pregnancy Books: The Ultimate Guide to Conception, Birth & Everything In Between by Ann Douglas.  A great introduction and resource for first pregnancies.  Lots of information on common problems of pregnancy.
  • Mothering Magazine’s Having a Baby, Naturally by Peggy O’Mara.  “We’ll inform, you choose”  Having a Baby, Naturally reflects this spirit with straightforward, uncensored information about pregnancy and childbirth, addressing common concerns and questions in a compassionate, nonjudgmental style.
  • Eating for Pregnancy: The Essential Nutrition Guide and Cookbook by Catherine Jones and Rose Ann Hudson.  A practical book from a perinatal nutritionist on proper eating and weight gain goals, with a large collection of recipes.  It’s a cookbook in its own right.  Also addressing the requirements of diabetic, vegetarian and vegan diets during pregnancy.

Safe Childbirth

  • Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin.  A classic, full of positive birth stories to prepare you mentally and physically for natural childbirth.
  • The Doula Guide to Birth: Secrets Every Pregnant Woman Should Know by Ananda Lowe & Rachel Zimmerman.  Insights from experienced doulas and real moms for birth and the welcoming a newborn.
  • The Thinking Woman’s Guide to a Better Birth by Henci Goer.  A truly empowering resource covering the many procedures and tests available during pregnancy and birth.  Offering data and advice so you can make informed decisions regarding your care. 
  • The Doula Advantage by Rachel Gurevich.  Why and how to hire a doula, with interviews from more than 235 women and birth professionals.  So much good information, and real life tools to help women choose the best doula for their birth.
  • Pushed:  The Painful Truth about Childbirth and Modern Maternity Care by Jennifer Block.  “The United States has the most intense and widespread medical management of birth” in the world, and yet “ranks near the bottom among industrialized countries in maternal and infant mortality.”  This provocative, highly readable expose raises questions of great consequence for anyone planning to have a baby in U.S.

Fun, Encouraging Reads

  • Baby Catcher: Chronicles of a Modern Midwife by Peggy Vincent.  This fun, lighthearted book is chock-full with Peggy’s experiences delivering babies in Berkeley, California, including 40 birth stores from a wide-range of diverse, interesting women.  It’s the perfect prelude to your own labor, sure to leave you with realistic expectations for your own birth and some inspiration too.
  • The Girlfriend’s Guide to Prengnacy by Vicki Iovine.  Although I don’t share the perspective of the author, this book is so hilarious that I had to include it here.  The author’s sassy writing style will have you laughing at your pregnancy woes. 
  • Pregnancy Stories: Real Women Share the Joys, Fears, Thrills, and Anxieties of Pregnancy from Conception to Birth by Cecilia Cancellaro.  A collection of honest short-stories written by real mothers about the ups and downs of pregnancy and birth.  Support for the journey.
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Posted in Pregnancy | 2 Comments »

SouleMama's "Handmade Home"

Monday, August 17th, 2009

On Saturday I found a very special package awaiting me at the mailbox – my pre-ordered copy of Amanda Blake Soule’s “Handmade Home:  Simple Ways to Repurpose Old Materials into New Family Treasures” plus “Bend-the-Rules Sewing” by Amy Karol.  Both are gorgeous, inspiring books written by popular bloggers.  I’ve just began to sew, having only accomplished: 1 flat valence curtain, 1 crayon roll, and 1 blanket repair….

Post moved to Stitched in Color – my personal sewing blog.  Please come for a visit!

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Posted in Eco-Friendly Living, Family Culture | 2 Comments »

Nature Play & Nature Study with Young Children

Saturday, August 8th, 2009

naturesplaygroundSince I posted Getting Outside in Hot Weather, I’ve been enjoying this focus on outdoor play and casual nature study with my little ones.  We LOVED “Nature’s Playground: Activities, Crafts, and Games to Encourage Children to Get Outdoors”, which I found at our library!  The book has so many gorgeous and inspiring pictures of children having fun outside:  climbing tress, hiking, playing in the mud, catching bugs, building natural forts, lying in tall grass.  The pictures alone launched my 4 1/2-year-old on a verbal monologue about the grand hiking trip she will do someday.  Since then, she and daddy have visited a local forest for her first hike. 

Besides pictures, the book has a ton of ideas for neat ways to play outside with nature.  We took a jaunt down to our almost-dry pond bed to wade through the mud (I really just watched that part).  We’ve caught more bugs, frogs, and spiders than ever before.  Most of the activity ideas are really ideal for the 6+ crowd.  I plan on holding off on purchasing the book for a few years, for that reason. 

Besides enjoying “Nature’s Playground”, I’ve found a few more ways to enjoy the outdoors with my kids.  I purchased a spiral bound, blank notebook for our “nature journal.”  Last week we visited the botanical gardens armed with a few ink pads and our journal.  Aria and Liam both enjoyed stamping various leafs and blossoms to our pages.  I wrote the common species name under each print.  Now that’s one way I can actually learnmushrooms plants – just 6 or so at a time.  We left with inky hands, as I’m sure you guessed.  I plan to add pressed flowers to our book soon, and to let it continue to evolve, adding whatever nature-oriented observations or mediums seem right.

Since my children are young, the idea is not to cram their heads full of information, but to nurture a sense of wonder and curiosity about nature.  To that effect, we aren’t running around reading lots of children’s non-fiction for our homeschooling “science”.  Instead, we have a Waldorf-inspired nature story as my daughter’s focus story every few weeks, we play creatively outside and – hopefully – I share my genuine interest and knowledge about nature in ways that are spontaneous and real. 

Trouble is, I’m not all that knowledgeable about nature.  In fact, I’m probably more interested in nature study now than I have ever been before. To equip myself, I’ve purchased a series of pocket field guides for familiar trees, wildflowers, insects, butterflies, etc.  I discovered a great series published by Audubon that’s geared towards children.  frogsThat’s just what I need!  (I checked out many complete field guides from the library on wildflowers and felt like I was reading a foreign language).  On Amazon, many of these guides are available used for pennies, plus shipping.  Here’s the National Audubon Society Pocket Guide to Familiar Reptiles and Amphibians, as an example.  Every spread has a full, page-sized picture and a simple description with all the key details that you’d actually want to know.  My whole family (even dad) has enjoyed paging through these!  Just this weekend, we discovered a Red Velvet Ant, Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly, Northern Tooth Musrhoom and Wolf Spider.  Good times!

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Children's Books for Summer

Monday, July 27th, 2009

I know that summer is halfway over, but it’s taken me this long to gather together a decent collection of children’s books!  I’ve brought home many a dud from the library lately.  I guess I’ve had bad luck.  Now you don’t have to!

Peter in Blueberry Land by Elsa Beskow (a definite favorite!)

A House for Hermit Crab by Eric Carle

Swimmy by Leo Lionni

When the Sun Rose by Barbara Berger

Roxaboxen by Alice McLerran (more for children 4+)

My Life with the Wave by Catherine Cowan

Little Blue and Little Yellow by Leo Lionni (really any time of year)

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Local vs. Organic Produce – What to Buy?

Thursday, July 16th, 2009

When it comes to food, buying organic is buying the best for our families and our world.  Pesticides are clearly a problem, and poison-free fruits and vegetables are definitely the way to go when you’re feeding young children.  But what do you do when the summer’s bounty offers you the choice of buying organic or picking your own at a local blueberry farm?  After all, buying local reduces so much waste in the form of dollars and fossil fuels.  It also supports farmers near you, possibly reducing pollution, crime and destruction of natural habitats.  To top it off, the food will certainly be fresh – which means more nutrients in every bite.  If the idea of eating locally interests you, be sure to read Animal Vegetable Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver.  It’s a gem of a book!

I was talking with my girlfriends about this quandary: local or organic?  Of course, we all wish we could have our cake and eat it too.  And, sometimes you can.  With CSA’s (Community Supported Agriculture) becoming more and more popular, it’s not too hard to get local, organic vegetables on a regular bases.  I think it’s the fruit that presents a real problem.  Have you ever gone to the store, hoping to indulge in some organic berries or peaches only to discover that the extremely limited organic options are quite uninviting?  Moldy berries or rock-hard peaches won’t win my money, organic or not.  That’s when I may head over to the conventional fruit stands, and none too pleased. 

But, with a little planning, you can buy local fruit with ease during the summer.  Search for local farms that offer pick-your-0wn.  Harvesting is a fun, education outing for young children!  It makes kids appreciate good fruit and it’s value so much more!  Plus, you’ll save a few dollars by picking.  PickYourOwn.org seems to be the largest database of farms that offer this service.  It’s organized by state, but doesn’t have a very nice layout.  Often there are better farm databases on a state-by-state basis, so do some searching online.

If you don’t have time to pick your own, buy locally at roadside stands in the country or farmer’s markets in the city.  Again, you can scout out farmer’s markets online at Local Harvest.  When you buy, don’t assume it’s local.  Go ahead and ask where things you are interested in were grown.  It’s not unusual to find food imported from across the country at a roadside stand.  And, just by asking, you can share your preference to buy local.  That’s how business is changed – one voice at a time. 

However you eat locally, you interact closely with people that grow your food.  This presents a unique opportunity to influence their growing methods.  Maybe they don’t garden organically, but maybe they would… if they knew that was so important to you.  Maybe they do garden organically, but they aren’t certified.  Encourage them to keep it up the good work!  And that’s why it’s a toss up when you consider eating organically or eating locally.  Both options are exponentially easier on the earth than eating conventional produce from the grocery store.  Both choices, eating local and eating organic, are a vote for a safer, healthier tomorrow.  When you can’t find organic in the store – go out and find a farm near you!

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