If you're interested in participating in this round of the Little People Swap, send them an email today to sign up. It's megandmag at gmail dot com -- and by signing up, you're committing to making and/or buying a stuffed animal or doll, then taking pictures of it on all of your summer adventures. You'll need to send postcards from the road and then wrap it all up by making a scrapbook of the whole business for your swap partner family. They get to keep the travelling buddy, btw, so if your kids are possessive you may want to make more than one Special Travelling Friend. I'm just saying. Anyways, don't take it from me, head over to the Little People Swap and check it out! Today's the last day to sign up so act now!
*I figure noting here that the closest thing to a stuffed animal sewed by MamaBird's hands is a beanbag (see above pic) might inspire you to think you can do this too! Thanks so much again to our swap partner from last round, Michelle at Mommies Think Too.
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Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Little People on the Road Swap
Thursday, May 29, 2008
The Great Sunflower Project
I know lots of you have already planted sunflowers for your gardens - why not take a bit of time to track the bees visiting your flowers? I can think of worse ways to spend some lazy summer time....
The Great Sunflower Project (thanks, Culinate, for the tip!) aims to track bees in order to help preserve them, first by capturing bee behavior and then by quantifying its economic benefit (their tagline is "Bees: Responsible for Every Third Bite of Food"):By finding a way to track and value the goods and services provided by natural ecosystems, we will find a future in which conservation is mainstream, economically attractive and commonplace throughout the world. The data you collect from your sunflower will be a start. It will provide an insight into how our green spaces in the urban, suburban and rural landscapes are connected as well as shedding light on how to help pollinators. What we need are innovative strategies to maximize the benefits of our wild and semi-wild habitat remnants. The Great Sunflower Project is the first step.
With honeybee colonies collapsing and bumblebee populations declining, it might behoove us all to pay attention to their wild cousins to figure out what's happening to our winged pollinator friends. I just signed up and hope you will too!
*Photo courtesy of Ginny Stibolt at the Great Sunflower Project.
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Friday, March 21, 2008
Eco Easter Excitement
Hey, peeps! Are you bristling with excitement about Sunday's highly-anticipated diorama unveilings? Did you make the mistake of eating some of your supplies? Need to recover from the dye-and-preservative overload?! Check out the following ideas for natural Easter egg dyes and decorations:
I so totally want to do this next year (note to self -- must start at least one week ahead of time if not two): wheatgrass for the Easter basket. (via Ecobites)
To eat: hard-boiled "ruby eggs" -- they're dyed with beet juice and look lovely. You need to let them soak overnight and you only need the juice, so I'm thinking I will make beets tomorrow with extra water and then have simple beet salad around (olive oil, sea salt, and lemon) with the purply eggs. Mmmmm. (ruby eggs via A Veggie Venture)
To go in the basket: fresh spring vegetables. Gotta hit the Saturday farmer's market 'cause the big bunny comes early on Sunday. We've done this from the get-go, so my daughter associates Easter with both chocolate (from her grandparents) and fresh spring nibblings. Such a time of renewal, with fertility eggs and tender shoots.
And, I have to say I haven't tried the natural food dye ideas out yet but found a great post just this morning warning me that beet juice (my old standby!) doesn't dye the egg shells. Whoa, nelly, serendipitous timing! (via Slow Life France)
Here are other links I have collected on enviro Easter -- hope they help you play around with nontoxic color and green rabbiting this weekend:
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Wrap it Up: Art at Kid Level
I'm in love with cheap and easy. Generally more enviro (using what you have, buying less), low maintenance, what's not to like?
Thought I would share our morning adventures on the living room coffee table since for some reason I would never have thought to do this myself, simple as it is.
Our friend Metadog used to do this daily with her toddler. Just cover any low table with paper (we used rolls cause we have lots stashed away but brown bags would be great too if you've got 'em) and let the kids go crazy!
Today we used crayons and paint dotters and rollers. Both kids got in on the action. This was really our baby's first extended experience with messing around with colors. He's still pretty mouthy so we had to keep an eye out for him shoving art supplies in his mouth.
It's the road to freedom.
We're going to save the finished pieces to use as wrapping paper.
What are your cheap, easy (and green) play options for kids?
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Little People Swap
Anyone else hankering to break up the winter doldrums for their little 'uns? Want your kid to get a care package from some *other kids*? Check out this great pen-pal-type idea at Little People Swap, set up by a couple of friends and mommy bloggers (see full instructions at The Mama Chronicles but I've put the essentials below).
"You do not have to pick out a theme but that would probably be helpful as you pick items to send. It would be best to stay away from commercialized themes like Elmo, Barbie, and such. Instead a good theme might be make believe, mail, library, art, etc. You can make, buy, or send gently used items. If you choose to spend money then the upper end should be about 10 dollars plus shipping (this does not include the value you have of anything you choose to send from your home or your the value of your time.) The swaps will be organized by family groups. So you may have 2 children and swap with a family that has 1 or more children.
Things that should definitely be included in your package:
A picture of your family or at least the kids
A postcard or map of where you are from or photograph of your city/ house
A note, either written or dictated and transcribed by an adult
The commitment for this swap is :
1) email your partner introducing your family and answering a few provided questions
2) one package shipped by April 1
3) either an email thank you or send a thank you card
in response.
If you choose to do any more that is up to you. But this is the minimum.
To join in send an email to megandmag(at)gmail(dot)com In your email include your name, the names of your children, their ages and genders, your location, and how you heard about the swap. The deadline to sign up is March 10 or when we reach 50 number of participants, which ever comes first. My co-conspirator and I will try to match up similar age families, but can not make any promises."
Check out her site if you're going to participate; she has some great ideas.
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Friday, February 22, 2008
Button Fleurs
Button flowers are a great way to reuse random buttons, beads, and art supplies. All you need is some green florist wire (make sure it's thin enough -- bring a button with you to test). Then thread your buttons (I like putting beads at the very top and also mixing them into the stems) and twist, twist, twist. Sparkly pipe cleaners to tie your bunch together are a bonus.
I originally found (and bought) button flowers on Princess Lasertron's etsy shop, but I think she's in Amsterdam, so instead of keeping her custom order queue lined up into the summer, I decided to teach myself how to make them on my own! I made three bunches of these a couple weeks ago for my Handmade Giveaway. Very satisfying.
Button flowers, IMHO, are the perfect multi-purpose gift. Housewarming? Check. Hostess gift? Check. Kid's birthday party offering? Check. Bouquet for tiny dancer's first ballet recital? Check. Token of love for a 96 year old woman who doesn't need anything but deserves to be showered with attention? Check.
P.S. Altho I wouldn't let them get gnawed on, these flowers are resilient in the hands of tiny monsters. Love 'em!
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Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Make Your Own Fingerpaints (Wholesome Handprint Goodness)
Make your own nontoxic finger paints with this recipe from planet green. I adapted the recipe to use natural dyes but you could use food coloring. We've only made pink (smirk) with beet juice* 'cause we are waiting for the opportune carrot and blueberry moments to make orange and blue. No matter; rose rocked!
One cool thing about this recipe is that you can make it without flour, so kids who have gluten sensitivity can still play.
DIY Fingerpaint
2 tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
2 cups water including beet, carrot, or blueberry juice as dye
1/4 cup liquid dishwashing soap (add after cooking!!)
1. Mix the sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan and slowly stir in the water.
2. Cook over low heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly until the mixture is a clear, smooth gel. Stir in the soap and remove from the heat. When cool enough to handle, scoop it into storage containers.
*In case you're curious about the origin of our beet juice, the way I cook beets is to put about a half inch or an inch of water in the bottom of a slow cooker or a stockpot and slowly steam/parboil the beets until soft. When you take your beets out to devour with olive oil, sea salt and lemon, you have plenty of dye left over for art projects. Throw it in the fridge until you want to use it. I like the beet juice because it's a cooking byproduct and therefore not wasteful. If anyone has any other ideas for easy, natural dyes, I'm all ears.
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Tuesday, December 11, 2007
How To Fold Towel Elephants
Maybe I should turn this into a series? Cheap ways to thrill your kids? Check out this link for super cute origami towel animals. And yes, I am filing this away in the so-cute-but-no-chance-in-h$%&-it-will-ever-happen category too. As you can see, though, I am keeping my inner Martha alive and hopeful. Read more!
