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A Weekend Well Spent

8 February 2010, 5:28 am

Short of getting outside for a hike or sliding down a mountain, this weekend was one of the best spent in a long time. Saturday morning found me driving with a friend to a yoga studio that I had never been to before, to enjoy a kind of yoga I had never practiced before. One of our assignments for my Inside Out class last week was to do something new…to get out of my comfort zone and go for it. Trying Yin Yoga in a new space, was a bit out of my comfort zone and definitely a new experience….and one I absolutely needed, loved, and will do again! Beginning my weekend this way, was just perfect.

I ran into an old friend last week at the library and we got to talking about things going on in our lives. We decided to get together for dinner Saturday evening and it was a great way to end the day. It is amazing how you can not see someone for a few months and then get together and find out you are on a very similar path in life. They had some very exciting news to share, as they had just bought an old farm house with some acreage and are looking forward to setting up their own little homestead! This is something Andy and I have been talking a lot about these days…

Sunday morning had the kids barely able to control their excitement about going to a little party in the afternoon. I decided I needed to break out my list of activities that I have been writing as I read blogs and books to gather ideas.

We started out with an experiment. Funny, the kids had never heard the word experiment before and had no idea what it meant. I got this idea from Lisa over at her blog 5 Orange Potatoes and the kids really loved it.  I loved it because we didn’t need very many supplies and the kids could participate in the entire experiment!

We filled a bowl with ice, sprinkled it with salt, then added drops of food coloring.  The little experiment turned into a 30 minute discussion and ended up being the perfect teaching moment.

Then onto making valentines.  The kids had a blast cutting out little hearts and painting them for all their friends.  This is a great alternative to buying pre packaged valentines and a great way to get the kids into a very fun and easy project!

As the weekend was winding down we found ourselves at our friends house for a Superbowl party.  I, personally, don’t watch football and admittedly didn’t even know who was playing…but who can resist lots of yummy food and the company of good friends (and some very entertaining commercials).

So, that was my weekend well spent.  I hope you all enjoyed your weekend and have a wonderful week ahead!

Filed under Living.
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Feature Friday: Natural Life’s Skirt Aprons

5 February 2010, 5:30 am

I was first drawn to Natural Life’s products because of all the positive messages they display on their products.  “Live Simply”, “Let it Be”, “Imagine Peace” are just a few of the wonderful messages they spread to the world. 

Recently I was really drawn to their new Skirt Aprons.  I have never worn an apron…just always thought it was too old fashion.  Well, I am starting to realize that just about everything that is ”old fashion” is pretty awesome!  Why not put on a cute apron while baking or cooking?  It seems to make the whole process more fun, like you are getting dressed up to go out, only you are getting dressed up to play in the kitchen. 

Not only are these aprons extremely cute, but they serve a purpose!  I am always wiping my hands on towels or running them under the sink to get them cleaned off.  Well, why not just wipe them on your apron!  So simple, so easy, and oh so cute! 

For the next week we are offering all of our 4 skirt aprons on sale at 10% off.  Just plug in the coupon code “apron” at check out to receive your 10% off!

Now, go and bake something :)

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13 Comments

Go With It

4 February 2010, 5:22 am

Thank you for all the amazing comments and emails from yesterday’s post.  It is very centering to know that you can put something like this out there and so many others will relate.  Yay for keeping it real!!

Keeping with the idea in mind of getting more outside time, the family and I enjoyed a nice day trip up to the small mountain town of Estes Park this week.  We had plans to just go to a local park and have a picnic, but when we arrived at the park (which was just on the outskirts of town) we found it was closed for the winter.  So, we just kept driving…no plans, no thoughts, just kept driving through the beautiful canyon and on up to Estes Park. 

Once we were in town, we still didn’t know what we were going to do.  We stopped and ate our picnic lunch next to a lake and watched the geese swarm around us trying to catch our crumbs.  Then we stopped to watch a large herd of Elk relaxing and eating.  And after this, because this is what I love to do, we hopped on Main Street and walked around while popping into shops. 

The kids were in a great mood and had fun playing, don’t step on the crack on the sidewalk, and playing with their new magical jewels (I am a sucker for those bins of colorful rocks in all the tourist shops).  Feeling refreshed, we headed back to our town, enjoying the awesome scenery along the way.

Sometimes the best days are those that are not planned or when plans get changed on you by forces out of your control.  It is better to go with it, than fight it, and you will usually find the outcome to be fantastic!

Happy Thursday!

Filed under Living.
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My True Self

3 February 2010, 5:11 am

I have been really enjoying my Inside Out class and now that we are in our 3rd week I am starting to see some shifting going on.  The part that has me really excited is that it is teaching me to be my true self, and live my best life.  I have done a lot of soul searching and meditating and am coming to some clarity of what I want out of life.  I am learning what makes me happy, and what causes me stress…and once I know this I can embrace and bring more happiness into my life and leave the rest behind.  Foster relationships that make me feel good, and leave those that don’t.  It feels so liberating!

I have been a part of this blogging world for a while now, but just recently have I really been enjoying it.  I love everything about it…blogging, reading blogs, commenting on blogs, making friendships with other bloggers!  Then there are the days when I read blogs and I just come away feeling like I don’t have it all together.  I read about these amazing crafts, baked goods, deep thoughts, and most of the time I come away inspired….but, there are those days….the days when I feel like I was not a good Mom today because I worked all day or snapped at my daughter or I haven’t baked something for a month! 

Because of my new outlook I am starting to see things in a new light.  I am starting to create a new life for myself which includes less computer time and more reading or getting outside, less complaining about housework and more enjoying it while the kids help, less time feeling bad that I didn’t bake anything for a month and more time researching recipes and getting in the kitchen with my kids. 

My friend and I have had some conversations these past few days about taking our lives back.  We no longer want to be controlled by our work or housework or other duties or feel bad that we are not good moms and let our insecurities rule the day.  What we really want is to just live life and have fun.  I have mapped out what my values are and what makes me  happy and am going to start living life as my true self and really enjoying it!

I have a lot of exciting things in store for my future and I can’t wait to share with you all here.  In the mean time, I am grabbing every opportunity I can find to have fun, laugh, connect with my friends and family, while letting go of the rest that does not serve me in a positive way!

This past weekend we went to a local farm to visit some sheep and purchase some roving.  I am really passionate about supporting local businesses so when I started needle felting, I knew I wanted to buy my wool locally.  We headed out to the farm to watch them shear the sheep and enjoy the morning with several other families from our community!  A great way to have some fun, connect, and get outside (something that really makes me happy)!

**Shannon had such a positive response to her Winter Class, and a lot of requests  for future classes, so she is working on developing another amazing e course for Spring.  Registration for this starts this Thursday Feb. 4th and class starts April 5th.  I would highly recommend checking it out!  http://web.me.com/livefreely/freespiritknits/e-course.html

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Tree Huggin’ Tuesday: Greening Your Laundry

2 February 2010, 5:01 am
For today’s Tree Huggin’ Tuesday feature we will cover a topic we all know too well, laundry. Although it probably isn’t your favorite thing to think about, laundry does take a significant amount of energy and resources. I’m sure there are things we could all do to ’Green Up’ our laundry.
Today we are honored to have Emma as a guest writer on the topic of Greening Your Laundry. Emma is an ex-pat Mama of two boys living in Canada, but originally from the UK. After some world traveling she has settled in Canada where she indulges in baking, sewing, art, photography and reading lots and lots of books. You can get to know Emma more over at her blog.  

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Laundry is an inevitable part of life, especially with children, but how can we all be more earth friendly and still look after our families?  Here are some top tips on how to eco-up your wash-day.

 Equipment

  • If possible a high efficiency front-loading machine is best.
  • Use phosphate free, biodegradable cleaners. 
  • Maintain your machine – Put a cup of lemon juice into your dispenser and run the machine on a normal cycle.   Not only does this clean your machine but it also cuts down on lime scale giving your machine a longer lifespan. 

Before you begin 

  • Sort – Sort laundry by colour but also weight.  Mixing together items of varying weights can unbalance the drum of your machine shortening its life.  Keep like weights, such as towels, together. 
  • Check – Do your clothes really need to be washed or could they benefit from a good brush or spot clean?  Over washing breaks down fibers in clothes leading to wear.  Some clothing, such as jeans, only need to be washed every couple of weeks and should not be tumble dried if possible.  
  • Avoid dry cleaning- Dry cleaning saturates clothing in toxic chemicals and is often unnecessary.  If a label says Dry Clean it is simply a suggestion, the item will probably be fine if treated with care.  If it says Dry Clean Only then there is no alternative.   It is always worth checking labels prior to purchasing to avoid expensive care later. 
  • Pre-Treat – simply soaking heavily soiled kitchen linens such as table cloths and tea towels in water can loosen food and stains avoiding the need for repeat cycles or additional rinses. 
  • Use cheap household products as alternatives to harsh chemical cleaners,  a cup of white vinegar makes a wonderful (and odour free) softener and lavender bags are a much gentler alternative to scented dryer sheets. 

Once you’ve washed your clothes here are a few tips for using less electricity when getting them dry,

  • Air Dry – Get your clothes out on a line or rotary dryer in warmer months or on an airier inside during cold months.  Your dryer can account for up to 10% of your annual electricity bill!  (Greeniacs.com 2010)
  • Allowing clothes to dry inside the house in winter helps to raise humidity increasing the feeling of warmth in the home (and helping you to turn the thermostat down comfortably) and supports your respiratory system helping to avoid coughs and headaches. 
  • Drying clothes outside helps to clean them too!  The sun naturally bleaches whites reducing the need for bleaches or other cleaners. 
  • You can even use the line in the freezing winter!  Freezing cottons such as diapers or sheets helps return them to their original softness by fluffing up the fibers.  Freeze on the line then put in the dryer as usual and enjoy the smell of fresh clean air on your soft sheets. 

We can make the choice every day to take care of our Earth, hopefully she will be providing for our little ones for a long time to come.

**Thanks Emma for this excellent post!  I learned some great new tips and am excited to learn more about greening my laundry!   If you wish to guest write for this feature, please email your idea to andy@hipmountainmama.com

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One Small Change: Water Conservation

31 January 2010, 3:17 pm

**If you have a February Change Blog post and want others to see it, please post it in our forum section here.

My family had a great first month with our One Small Change!  The kids and I are happily using our family cloths and enjoying how soft they are.  The only problem is we are running out too fast and need to add to our collection at some point.  Even though we are running out and we are not using them at every potty break, we are still happy with the reduction of tp that we have used this past month.  We will carry on with the family cloth and have made it a habit that will stay with us for a very long time!

Now, on to February!  Ever since we lived in a house with a cistern in 2000/2001 we have been conscious of our water use.  Because of the rural area we lived in and the amount of snow we received in the winter months, the water truck was not able to deliver water from December to March.  If we wanted showers and to flush our toilets, we really needed to conserve.  The dogs would drink melted snow, we would save water after boiling pasta, flush minimally, and shower just a few times a week.  Due to this experience, water conservation has been very important to us.

Even though we are good about conserving water, we are not as good as when we lived in our house with the cistern.  It is easy to forget how precious our water really is and just let the facet run.  So, for this month, our goal is to conserve water!  We plan to do the following:

  1.  Take shorter showers
  2. Take less showers/baths
  3.  Try to lessen our laundry loads
  4. Evaluate our dish washing habits and make changes
  5. Change the shower heads to low flow shower heads
  6. Continue with our “if it’s yellow, let it mellow” flushing method

This will be a great challenge for my family and I am excited to teach my kids about water conservation as we go!   I look forward to reading about all of your changes!

Before I go, I would love to hear your thoughts on the best way to do dishes.  Currently I put most things in the dishwasher and run it when it is full.  I hand wash plastic items and larger items, like bowls, pots and pans.  When I hand wash, I tend to let the water run while I wash with a sponge and rinse.  So, in your experience, what is the best way to wash dishes while using the least amount of water??

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Winner and Reminder

30 January 2010, 5:03 am

I am so excited to announce our winners for the Waldorf Connection Giveaway.  And the winners are….

Rachel

“This sounds great! I am almost finished reading “You Are Your Child’s First Teacher” and would love more information on how to incorporate the Waldorf philosophy into our daily life with a toddler. Thanks for the chance to win.”

and

Jenna

“Oh my, I’ve been following Donna’s website for some time now…I am very influenced by the Waldorf ideas and my parenting has changed dramatically over the last two years. My kids are still in public school and though I’m not sure if I’ll pull them out I want to protect them from all the busyiness and meaningless pressure that has become so much of our childrens’ lives. Reading Steiner has really helped me pull back and simplify our lives so we can focus on what’s important…us!
Thanks for such a wonderful giveaway!!!”

Congrats Rachel and Jenna!  Someone will be contacting you very soon!

Now for the reminder!  For all you One Small Change folks out there, this is for you!  Monday is February 1st and we are looking forward to reading about how all of your January changes went and what you plan to do for February. 

If you want other’s to read your February 1st post, you will need to add the link yourself to our forum page here.  Although having the community page is great and easy, it just proved to be too time consuming and a bit confusing for me to get everyone’s post on there.  This way, it is in your hands to get your post out there.  Please just post your link in the forum…if you have something to say, please stop by one of the other topics or start your own.  I want this to be a place where people can easily go through and click on links to read blogs….so just links, that is it.  And please leave comments on blog posts that you read so people know you stopped by.  Commenting is really a great way to keep the community going and get to know people.  If you comment on someone’s post, they will most likely travel over to your blog and, who knows, you might find you have a lot in common with this person and form a nice friendship. 

Until Monday…..

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Feature Friday: To-Go Ware

29 January 2010, 5:01 am

For today’s Feature Friday we would like to introduce you to a company that we just recently discovered. To-go Ware is a wonderful company who has a strong commitment to the environment, human rights, sustainable economies, and developing quality products. When we first learned about To-go Ware and it’s reusable, recycled, and sustainable products we knew this was something we wanted to bring into our shop.

In their words, “To-Go Ware brings common sense to the convenience of our ‘to-go’ culture. By providing people with sustainable solutions and healthful alternatives to single-use plastic utensils, we hope to make the ‘throw-away’ mentality a thing of the past. ”

Most people have their reusable travel mugs and shopping bags, so adding a set of bamboo travel utensils is the next step in your toolkit for life on the go. These are awesome for eating out, picnics, camping, or any other time you are eating away from home.

Hip Mountain Mama now carries the RePEaT Utensil set which includes a fork, spoon, knife, and chopsticks all made from bamboo. Bamboo is beautiful, durable, renewable, and lightweight. The utensils are packed into a cute and fun carrying case. The case is made out of recycled plastic bottles which keeps bottles out of the landfills and gives a new life to the discarded plastic. The carrying case snaps closed and has a small caribeaner for easy travel.

We also have the To-Go-Ware CONSERVE Utensil sets.  The CONSERVE Utensil set also includes a fork, spoon, knife, and chopsticks but it comes in a unique holder produced by CONSERVE, an NGO project in Delhi. It is made entirely of recycled plastic! CONSERVE employs rag pickers to collect discarded plastic bags and repurposes them into incredible designs and products. The sale of these utensils help to employ an incredible group of individuals and makes a positive impact on our global community. 

For great information on how these cases are made in India I urge you to watch this video conserve-video.htm

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Learning Together

28 January 2010, 5:09 am

You know, I have been needle felting a lot lately!  The kids have been watching me enviously wondering when they will get a chance to needle felt.  I tell them, because of the sharpness of the needles, they will need to wait until they are a bit older.  With this in mind, I have been trying to be respectful and only needle felt after they have gone to bed.

 

Earlier this week I started thinking of other ways my kids and I could enjoy this gorgeous wool together.  Magnolia and I took a little art class a few years ago where we wet felted balls and I thought this might be the perfect activity for us to do together.  I looked up basic instructions and we got started.

After a few minutes I noticed Magnolia getting frustrated.  I tried to help her and guide her through the process and then some words came out of my mouth that really resonated with her.  I explained that I was new to wet felting as well and that we were learning together.  I told her to try new things, new techniques and just go with what works. 

With this in mind, she perked up, and started letting the creative energy just flow.  Before I knew it, she was making felt ball, after felt ball, and even came up with the idea of making a multi colored ball.  Sienna and I were done and cleaning up, but Magnolia sat for another 30 minutes adding more and more colors to her ball, just having a blast!

This experience really got me thinking about how important it is to let our kids take charge when it comes to their creativity.  Giving them the tools and a little guidance is all they need and they will naturally take it from there.  My oldest daughter tends to look to me for everything…she will often ask, “Mom what would you do if you were me.”  I appreciate that she values my opinion, but at the same time I know that she needs to build up her confidence to make her own choices.  Through this experience I have realized that a great way to help her build this confidence will be learning things together and even allowing her to teach me things.  It’s funny how these little life lessons sneak up on you!

How to Make a Felted Ball Garland and/or Necklace

What you will need:  Wool Roving of vairous colors, Bowl, Towels, Hot Water, Dish Soap, Needle, Yarn

Fill your bowls with hot water and add a splash of dish soap.  Place the bowls on a table or ground outside and put a towel underneath to catch spills.  Grab a small amount of wool and form it into a tight ball.  Dip it into the soapy water and roll it in your hands until it forms into a ball (we were very relaxed with this and the kids ended up making some pancakes and snakes as well).

Once you have the desired amount of balls, lay them on a plate for a day or 2 to dry. 

Once the ball are dry you are ready to string them.  Use a tapestry needle and thread your yarn onto the needle.  Poke the needle through the center of each ball and string them onto the yarn.  Once you are done, you can hang it up as decoration or wear it as a necklace. 

Enjoy!

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The Waldorf Connection: Giveaway!

27 January 2010, 5:39 am

The Waldorf philosophy has always intrigued me and is something we incorporate into our daily life.  When I first heard about Waldorf Education I decided to do some research to learn more.  I read books, read information on line, and asked friends about it.  It was a bit overwhelming at first, but over time we have learned a lot about it and find it to be a very natural way of life for us. 

Donna, from the Waldorf Connection, had a similar situation and decided to make the process of learning much easier for other parents.  She has created FREE Tele Seminar Workshops where anyone can learn and ask questions about Waldorf Education.

In Donna’s Words:

I am the creator of The Waldorf Connection website & Tele-seminar workshops. But, I am also a homeschooling mom of twin girls. Here is my story and how this all got started.

 As my girls neared 3, I talked to my husband  about homeschooling and we decided to give it a try. I searched many curriculum, but didn’t find what fit my family lifestyle.  I heard mention of Waldorf Education, researched the method, and   I was hooked! This was over 3 years ago and there was not much to choose from in Waldorf home school curriculum or information! I downloaded a few things and bought “You are your child’s first teacher” – I was on my way. I struggled to understand what “circle time” was. Forget the “wet-on-wet” painting and beeswax! I bought a few colored silks and we danced around and sang a few songs.

As time went by, more resources became available. I found some online yahoo groups for support and put together an eclectic Waldorf plan that fit my lifestyle. But, each “rung” up the Waldorf learning curve seemed steeper. Now, we started First Grade- the real stuff! If only there would be a way to have some training and Q & A on some of these things I can’t wrap my mind around! Most Waldorf conferences are held across the country, so are not feasible. What if we could do this over the Internet and bring the information to a lot of people at once?!  Well… we are.. The Waldorf Connection was created!

 Starting Thursday, January 28, I am hosting (8) 60 minute workshops to help inspire you! They are *free* and here is what you can receive!

*Valuable tips, techniques, and shortcuts
*Less frustration trying to figure things out
*Clarity on specific Waldorf topics
*Pieces of the puzzle, to make it all “come together”
*Inspiration to create smooth lesson blocks
*Shed light on mysterious Waldorf subjects (temperaments? storytelling? handwork?) 

 Many of us wish we could attend conferences & events, but find they are not within our budgets, or take too much time away from family. So knowing how the universe works, I wanted to “give back” and provide this Teleseminar series to you FREE. Come and learn with us! These Eight 60-MINUTE TELESEMINARS are FREE to participate in. *All calls are presented live, and the speakers will take questions! There is also a 48-hr FREE replay, in case you can’t make the live class.

Donna is offering  the entire 2nd series of The Waldorf Connection’s Tele-seminar workshops to 2 lucky winners (a $39.00 value). This will be in MP3 format and will include the following workshops:  Storytelling-Healing stories for children, Waldorf Science, Foreign Language, Handwork, Seasonal Celebrations, Young Waldorf Days, and a 2-night Temperament Intensive. (more info on the classes and speakers on the website).  To enter to win please leave a comment to this blog post.  We will announce the winners this Saturday. 

For details, schedule, and registration information please visit http://thewaldorfconnection.com

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