Letting It Be Unorganized {Sometimes}

I'm reading a book called For the Children's Sake that is challenging some of my overly-organized, hyper-scheduled, to-do-list-oriented ways. It's based on the educational philosophy of Charlotte Mason. While I'm not sure I subscribe to everything in the book, I am learning a lot and refining my own educational and parenting philosophies.

One point the author, Susan Macauley, makes is that children need plenty of unrushed, unorganized playtime to explore, create, move, and imagine. This is something I agree with wholeheartedly, but I still have to be deliberate to make sure it happens everyday.

Running, climbing, digging, singing, dancing, skating...moving without thinking about each step, without a plan. I believe this type of play is as vital to the growth of a child as learning to read.

Along The Road

We drove up the coast today, through heaps of rain and quick patches of sunshine, to visit my sister. The images outside the car window were so striking, I couldn't resist snapping a few pictures. Don't worry, I didn't look through the viewfinder. And I was really careful.

I always look for this particular angular tree along the 101 in Santa Barbara, and this narrow tunnel through rock about 30 miles north of Santa Barbara. I love this drive. Well, after we get through LA.

Mostly, I love that this highway leads to my sister's house.

Painting a Rooster Femur

We've been studying the skeletal system of the human body, so the girls were ecstatic when they discovered this bone in Grandma's and Grandpa's backyard.

Evidently a hawk had gotten hold of their rooster and left behind some debris. And the girls had discovered one of these little treasures.

They were insistent that we paint the bone. Not wanting to undermine their excitement or creativity, I agreed. And they chose the colors brown and yellow.

So there you have it. A painted rooster femur. I'm not sure what we do with it now. Hang it up in their room? Attach a magnet to the back and put it on the fridge? Make it into a necklace?

Blue Skies, Warm Breezes, Pink Blossoms

sent with love from my computer to yours...

Our Little Zoo

Before the rains hit, we were able visit the Santa Ana Zoo with some friends. We have an annual membership to this darling little zoo, and we go there every chance we get.

The girls have their routine for how they circle the zoo.
Here it is:

• play at the playground
• go through the human maze
• visit the bird-eating spider
• climb on the old jeep
• say "Hi" to the ibis birds in the rainforest
• check out the guanacos + emus + wallabies
• wave to the eagle + marvel at the eagle's nest
• watch the monkeys swing
• see if the porcupine is awake
  
• take a lap on Becky the Elephant's back (if it's Saturday)
• keep an eye out for wandering peacocks
  
• ride the carousel + the train

We love to bring a picnic lunch and eat under the shady trees. It's such a peaceful, fun, affordable place to visit.

Do you have a zoo near your house?

Sistine Chapel in the Sky

After I snapped this picture, I couldn't stop thinking of Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel.
What do you think?

Who could ask for more?

We had such a great time with my brother's family and my parents at Knott's over Christmas. It was the girls first time, and it did not disappoint.

It was a sweet time that will be long remembered!

Getting Outdoors

Even though we live in the city, we have a couple great places to explore nature near our home. Our neighborhood park, a botanical preserve, a wildlife sanctuary, and a tiny zoo full of monkeys are among some of our favorite place to get outside, get moving and get some fresh air.

Lately I've been drawn to all the different patterns and textures in plants and trees. I can't snap enough shots. It's all so breathtakingly perfect.

The botanical preserve puts the name of the tree or plant next to it, so the girls and I are even learning to identify them. I'm thinking about how we can put together a field guide using labeled photographs like the ones above.

How about your family? Where do you go to get outdoors?

Healthy Snacks at the Ready

Why eat only three times a day when you can spread it out?
Around here, we like our meals, but we love our snacks. And we have a whole bunch of healthy ones that we keep stocked on the counter, in the cupboard, and in the fridge.
Here are our favorites:

lots of fresh fruit
Lite Kettle Corn (Trader Joe's)
Fiber One Granola Bars
Fiberful Fruit Bars (Trader Joe's)
whole grain Goldfish crackers
applesauce-no sugar added
yogurt
cheese sticks

Here's to snacking! What are your favorite go-to snacks?

Celebrating the Everyday

There's never a shortage of reasons to have people gather - a new baby, a birthday, summer, Christmas, friends visiting, a wedding, a new season, or a graduation. Truly, each day holds a special reason to to play, have fun, and embrace life.

The most important part of celebrating is being together with friends and family. Here are three ideas I try to keep in mind when I'm hosting a party:

1. Keep it simple.
There are three steps to planning an event:

{a} pick the day, time & place
{b} send invitations
{c} provide food and activities

That's it. Not so hard, right? I can always do more, but more isn't always necessary.

2. Don't worry. It's easy to get caught up trying to outdo other celebrations I've attended. Instead I try to think of how I can show love for each one of my guests, especially the guest of honor. The goal is to make others feel warmly welcomed and celebrated. I spend time thinking and planning out the details rather than worrying about them. I put my heart into the planning.

3. Let it be. You can plan and plan and things might still go wrong. The birthday girl is screaming, the cupcakes burn, it rains, someone gets sick. So many things are beyond our control. Celebrate anyway. Take a picture of the screaming birthday girl, (she'll frame it one day) send someone to grocery store, move the party indoors and pass out blankets, enjoy being with the people you're with.

Being together and celebrating life are the reasons we've started our little business - Handmade Play. We're hoping it will inspire you to gather up your friends and family, enjoy each other, and play together. We want it to bless you and be a resource to help make sweet memories with those you love.

Right now Handmade Play is offering a "Store Opening" discount. Use the code "celebrate" to get 20% off your order. This code is valid until Saturday, January 16.

Drawing Different Emotions

Kids experience so many different emotions. My girls can go from crying to laughing in a split second. Yet they tend to draw every person with two dots for eyes and a smile or a sad face.

Tonight we experimented with sketching girls and boys who looked surprised, sleepy, embarrassed, nervous, scared, shy, etc. Armed with just a few basic shapes and lines, they were able to create a whole range of emotions in their characters.

And they were sooo into it! I'm hoping this activity will not only expand their creativity, but also help them identify and express their own emotions.

Feel free to download this sample page to help your kids draw simple illustrations for various emotions.
Flipflops and Applesauce Emotions

I Don't Care What They Say - Bingo is Cool

A couple years ago I asked for this Bingo Game Set for my birthday. People scoffed. But I understood. They just didn't realize that Bingo is the coolest. And, here's why:

* It's simple. Ages 2-103 can join in a game of Bingo. This year, the cage spinner was my two-year-old niece. The rules are simple. Listen for a number. Check if it's on your card. Try to get five in a row.

*It's educational. Perfect for my girls who are learning to identify numbers 1 to 100.

*Everyone plays. 32 people can play at the same time. That's about the size of most of our family gatherings.

*It involves chocolate. Winners were given a full-size candy bar. The five- and seven-year-olds insisted we keep playing until everyone won a candy bar.

*It's chill. People can still talk and laugh, and no one has to draw, act, sculpt, sing, hum, dance or spell backwards. (Although I love those types of games, too.)