Day 341 - Sunday - December 7
Picked up these foam number tiles for free.
I plan to use them for flooring in the playhouse.
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
Mamatography 2014 - Week 50
In memory of Norman Bridwell, author who created Clifford the Big Red Dog, who passed away this morning at age 86. My kids have all loved Clifford.
Picked up these foam number tiles for free.
I plan to use them for flooring in the playhouse.
Picked up these foam number tiles for free.
I plan to use them for flooring in the playhouse.
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Mamatography 2014 - Week 49
Day 334 - Sunday - November 30
Headed out to see the chickens.
And they're gathering up to see him, hoping for treats!
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
Giftmas Ideas for Kids
Welcome to the December 2014 Carnival of Natural Parenting: Greatest Gifts
This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama. This month our participants have suggested go-to gifts and gifting experiences for the holiday season for all your loved ones.
While experiential gifts and memberships are the go-to gift suggestion for all people green, sometimes a grandparent (or friend, etc) wants to give a child an actual item that they can enjoy right that minute. I have some ideas for you... Music. Sounds simple, right? This past year, Spencer has become a huge fan of Patty Shukla. It started with searching for some of his favorite action songs (Itsy Bitsy Spider, anyone?). It has actually grown from there.
Patty teaches a Mommy & Me Music Class, so she has plenty of classic songs that include finger puppets or other actions. There are songs with which you grew up, too. You know the ones! She also has some original songs that get you (your whole family) moving!
Its impossible to narrow it down to a single favorite, but here is one of our top pics:
Spencer has the Wiggle It! DVD which also includes Choo Choo Train, She'll Be Coming Around the Mountain, 5 Little Penguins, Looby Loo, Row, Row, Row Your Boat, Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, Bingo, Shapes, ABC (Upper Case), Farmer in the Dell, Mary Had a Little Lamb, I Like Fruit, Textures, and ABC (Lower Case).
Here's another crazy-active favorite song around here:
We also have the Musical PE for You & ME! DVD (Volume 1). It includes videos for 13 of Patty's most popular songs from 2 CDs (Play with me, Sing Along! and Roar Like a Lion!) These songs get all of us moving, roaring and laughing together every time.
Patty Shukla has a lovely family (often featured in her videos) and offers videos that teach kids Left / Right as well as Sign Language. I think her CD and DVD prices are very reasonable, making them a great gift idea and/or stocking stuffer! She also has free apps, by the way! And now offers a workbook, too. If you just really need to put something on the screen for the kids so you can have some time to get something done - why not make it something that's going to keep them moving instead of melt them into the couch?
We love Patty and can (and do) listen to her songs over and over again!
Lest you think we're only about Patty, I'd also like to share another artist behind kids' music with you. This song is a favorite for singing along, but is a nice calming song and is even on my bedtime playlist for the kids:
Tom Knight has several CDs out, too. We're only familiar with this one song, but would love to hear more. I'm definitely going to research more songs from him to add to our playlists!
I've got one more I'd like to mention. We found Monty Harper at our own local city/county library Summer Reading Program about a decade ago! He writes Children's songs, but also teaches workshops for kids on how to write their own songs! His music matched the themes for the SRPs that were used at most libraries across the country each year for a while. We enjoyed his silly, fun songs so much I did some work with him, trying to get the word out to more libraries. Here is a silly song from Monty:
Monty is trying to raise funds to record a new science CD. He is selling signed CDs and Holiday / Birthday Gift Packs to help fund this project. I highly recommend The Great Green Squishy Mean Concert CD. I haven't even heard Songs From the Science Frontier, but apparently it has remained his best selling title by far since its release in 2010!
Long story short here, if you buy items from Monty, everyone wins! You can support future projects as well as enjoying some inspiring, educational music!
I generally love to support these kinds of artists. They have kids (at least I know Patty and Monty do) themselves and write fun music. Do you have any favorites like this in your household? I'd love to hear them so we can broaden our own play lists!
This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama. This month our participants have suggested go-to gifts and gifting experiences for the holiday season for all your loved ones.
While experiential gifts and memberships are the go-to gift suggestion for all people green, sometimes a grandparent (or friend, etc) wants to give a child an actual item that they can enjoy right that minute. I have some ideas for you... Music. Sounds simple, right? This past year, Spencer has become a huge fan of Patty Shukla. It started with searching for some of his favorite action songs (Itsy Bitsy Spider, anyone?). It has actually grown from there.
Patty teaches a Mommy & Me Music Class, so she has plenty of classic songs that include finger puppets or other actions. There are songs with which you grew up, too. You know the ones! She also has some original songs that get you (your whole family) moving!
Its impossible to narrow it down to a single favorite, but here is one of our top pics:
Spencer has the Wiggle It! DVD which also includes Choo Choo Train, She'll Be Coming Around the Mountain, 5 Little Penguins, Looby Loo, Row, Row, Row Your Boat, Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, Bingo, Shapes, ABC (Upper Case), Farmer in the Dell, Mary Had a Little Lamb, I Like Fruit, Textures, and ABC (Lower Case).
Here's another crazy-active favorite song around here:
We also have the Musical PE for You & ME! DVD (Volume 1). It includes videos for 13 of Patty's most popular songs from 2 CDs (Play with me, Sing Along! and Roar Like a Lion!) These songs get all of us moving, roaring and laughing together every time.
Patty Shukla has a lovely family (often featured in her videos) and offers videos that teach kids Left / Right as well as Sign Language. I think her CD and DVD prices are very reasonable, making them a great gift idea and/or stocking stuffer! She also has free apps, by the way! And now offers a workbook, too. If you just really need to put something on the screen for the kids so you can have some time to get something done - why not make it something that's going to keep them moving instead of melt them into the couch?
We love Patty and can (and do) listen to her songs over and over again!
Lest you think we're only about Patty, I'd also like to share another artist behind kids' music with you. This song is a favorite for singing along, but is a nice calming song and is even on my bedtime playlist for the kids:
Tom Knight has several CDs out, too. We're only familiar with this one song, but would love to hear more. I'm definitely going to research more songs from him to add to our playlists!
I've got one more I'd like to mention. We found Monty Harper at our own local city/county library Summer Reading Program about a decade ago! He writes Children's songs, but also teaches workshops for kids on how to write their own songs! His music matched the themes for the SRPs that were used at most libraries across the country each year for a while. We enjoyed his silly, fun songs so much I did some work with him, trying to get the word out to more libraries. Here is a silly song from Monty:
Monty is trying to raise funds to record a new science CD. He is selling signed CDs and Holiday / Birthday Gift Packs to help fund this project. I highly recommend The Great Green Squishy Mean Concert CD. I haven't even heard Songs From the Science Frontier, but apparently it has remained his best selling title by far since its release in 2010!
Long story short here, if you buy items from Monty, everyone wins! You can support future projects as well as enjoying some inspiring, educational music!
I generally love to support these kinds of artists. They have kids (at least I know Patty and Monty do) themselves and write fun music. Do you have any favorites like this in your household? I'd love to hear them so we can broaden our own play lists!
Disclosure: I received free DVDs from Patty Shukla for review purposes.
None of these links are affiliate links. They only support the artists.
I try to seek out only products I think you would find relevant and useful.
If I don't like a product, I won't recommend it.
None of these links are affiliate links. They only support the artists.
I try to seek out only products I think you would find relevant and useful.
If I don't like a product, I won't recommend it.
Visit Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama to find out how you can participate in the next Carnival of Natural Parenting!
Please take time to read the submissions by the other carnival participants:
- I Want to Buy All of the Things — The Economama discusses whether there's a way to buy all of the baby stuff she desperately wants for her daughter without spoiling her.
- The "Collectors" and the "Concentrators": How Children React to Lots of Presents — Laurie Hollman, Ph.D., at Parental Intelligence discusses two types of children who receive gifts: the "Collectors" who rip open the wrappings on their their presents and love to count them and the "Concentrators" who spend endless time on each gift ignoring the array of presents around them.
- The Joy of Giving and Receiving — Ellen at Life With Lucien shares her three-year-old son's new favorite toy for imaginative play.
- Books: Best Present Ever! — Holly at Leaves of Lavender discusses some of the many reasons why books are the ideal gifts for little ones.
- 10 DIY Gifts You Still Have Time To Make — A roundup of 10 DIY gifts that don't take much time to make from Doña at Nurtured Mama.
- Pumpkin Gingerbread Loaves - A Delicious Holiday Gift — Jennifer at Hybrid Rasta Mama shares one of her favorite recipes to make and give during the holidays. This Pumpkin Gingerbread Loaf is much anticipated by her friends and loved ones. Learn how to create this delicious gift from the heart!
- Christmas gifts for dreamers — Tat at Mum in search shares her favourite books and resources that have helped her get inspired and move forward towards her dreams this year.
- Natural parent's baby shower registry — Since she had everything already for baby #3, Lauren at Hobo Mama is amusing herself by building a list of essentials and a few fun fripperies for a natural-parenting nursery.
- Gifts of love — Charlie at PeelingClementines recalls her favourite Christmas gift of all time and thinks about how to add this magic to her little one's first Christmas.
- The Gift of Letting Go — Dionna at Code Name: Mama has discovered that when you're a perfectionist, sometimes the best gift is simply releasing yourself from self-imposed expectations.
- Montessori Inspired Gifts for Babies and Toddlers — Rachel at Bread and Roses shares gift ideas that were a hit with her son last year and what's on her wishlist for this year.
- Giftmas Ideas for Kids — Momma Jorje offers an original gift idea that hasn't been overdone and is good for the kids!
- Favorite CDs for Babies and Toddlers {Gift Guide} — Deb Chitwood at Living Montessori Now shares her family's favorite CDs for babies and toddlers, some of which were favorites of her children and are now favorites of her granddaughter.
- The Birthday Turned Christmas Wish List — That Mama Gretchen forgot to share her birthday wish list this fall, but she's still wishin' and hopin' a present or two will arrive for Christmas!
- 8 Thoughtful Non-Toy Gifts for Baby — Is your family asking for hints for presents to give baby? Moorea, guest posting at Natural Parents Network, offers this list of ideas that won't overwhelm your little one with toys.
Thursday, December 4, 2014
Monday, December 1, 2014
Put your boots out: It's Nikolaustag!
Every year, Hobo Mama posts about her family's St Nicholas Day celebations after the fact. I kept suggesting it would be better if she could remind us all beforehand so we could join in! Last year she did it, just for me!! We didn't get much notice, but we got a little. This year, I'm republishing her post (with permission) as a guest post and with more notice!
So: Let this be your reminder! Put your boots out December 5th and Saint Nicholas might just stop by to tuck some shiny little goodies inside!
(Unless you've been naughty, of course. Then all bets are off.)
Since we speak some German at home, we like to learn about the culture as well. That's why we celebrate Nikolaustag, or St. Nicholas Day, each year.
Because the feast day of Saint Nicholas is December 6, empty boots (Nikolausstiefel) generally go outside the door the night of December 5, the eve of Nikolaustag (Nikolausabend).
Nikolaus is sometimes accompanied by a servant named Knecht Ruprecht, who hauls the bag and does some of the work of sussing out whether children deserve gifts or chastising. In some regions, children are literally quizzed or asked to perform some religious feat. Since we skip the whole naughty-or-nice bit with Santa, too, we just assume boots are going to be filled.
And they always are!
When I lived in Berlin in junior high, I always spent the night before Nikolaustag with a German friend and her family. Her mom did Nikolaustag up right! Just as we do here, they lived in a unit in a larger building so our boots (or shoes) just went in the hallway instead of outside — but Nikolaus always found us, anyway.
Usual gifts are fruit, cookies, nuts, candies, and little trinkets — much like a stocking. Kids are theoretically supposed to shine their boots first, but fire boots don't shine very well. You can also leave a carrot for Nikolaus' horse, but how would a horse get up our stairs?
When we can't locate boots, we go with shoes. Nikolaus is cool with that.
I love looking back at Alrik's baldie-mullet phase. I bet even at 2 years old, he will be thrilled to receive toothbrushes, an orange, and string cheese. Easy-peasy.
Photo by Richard Huber
Here's what a traditional Nikolaus looks like — a bishop, you see, same as the original Nikolaos. He's tall and thin with a white beard. This fourth-century Greek saint is the basis for various St. Nicholas celebrations around the world as well as the branching out into Good Ol' St. Nick:
I think St. Nicholas Day is a nice time to remind kids to be secret Santas themselves — looking for little ways they can give at this season and the rest of the year, too. Maybe they could leave a little gift for a sibling or do someone else's chore without being asked. You could choose a giving tree or other charity in your town to brighten up someone's Christmas. You could prettily bag some clementines for friends to leave at their door, ring the bell, and run. You could choose a far-off loved one to receive a surprise care package. I was thinking a nice Nikolaus twist for us would be to make and leave goodies and an explanatory note at our neighbors' doors — even if they forgot to put their boots out!
For some extra fun, you could incorporate some other activities into your celebration:
Nikolaustag is fun and cultural. Give it a try with your kids this year!
Lauren blogs at Hobo Mama about natural
and attachment parenting and is the co-founder of Natural Parents Network. She lives and writes near the beach with her husband, Sam, and their sons: seven-year-old Mikko, three-year-old Alrik, and newborn Karsten. Lauren happily shares her knowledge of German customs and language with all three.
This post originally appeared on Hobo Mama.
So: Let this be your reminder! Put your boots out December 5th and Saint Nicholas might just stop by to tuck some shiny little goodies inside!
(Unless you've been naughty, of course. Then all bets are off.)
Since we speak some German at home, we like to learn about the culture as well. That's why we celebrate Nikolaustag, or St. Nicholas Day, each year.
Because the feast day of Saint Nicholas is December 6, empty boots (Nikolausstiefel) generally go outside the door the night of December 5, the eve of Nikolaustag (Nikolausabend).
Nikolaus is sometimes accompanied by a servant named Knecht Ruprecht, who hauls the bag and does some of the work of sussing out whether children deserve gifts or chastising. In some regions, children are literally quizzed or asked to perform some religious feat. Since we skip the whole naughty-or-nice bit with Santa, too, we just assume boots are going to be filled.
And they always are!
When I lived in Berlin in junior high, I always spent the night before Nikolaustag with a German friend and her family. Her mom did Nikolaustag up right! Just as we do here, they lived in a unit in a larger building so our boots (or shoes) just went in the hallway instead of outside — but Nikolaus always found us, anyway.
Usual gifts are fruit, cookies, nuts, candies, and little trinkets — much like a stocking. Kids are theoretically supposed to shine their boots first, but fire boots don't shine very well. You can also leave a carrot for Nikolaus' horse, but how would a horse get up our stairs?
When we can't locate boots, we go with shoes. Nikolaus is cool with that.
I love looking back at Alrik's baldie-mullet phase. I bet even at 2 years old, he will be thrilled to receive toothbrushes, an orange, and string cheese. Easy-peasy.
Photo by Richard Huber
Here's what a traditional Nikolaus looks like — a bishop, you see, same as the original Nikolaos. He's tall and thin with a white beard. This fourth-century Greek saint is the basis for various St. Nicholas celebrations around the world as well as the branching out into Good Ol' St. Nick:
He had a reputation for secret gift-giving, such as putting coins in the shoes of those who left them out for him, and thus became the model for Santa Claus, whose modern name comes from the Dutch Sinterklaas, itself from a series of elisions and corruptions of the transliteration of "Saint Nikolaos." {Wikipedia}
I think St. Nicholas Day is a nice time to remind kids to be secret Santas themselves — looking for little ways they can give at this season and the rest of the year, too. Maybe they could leave a little gift for a sibling or do someone else's chore without being asked. You could choose a giving tree or other charity in your town to brighten up someone's Christmas. You could prettily bag some clementines for friends to leave at their door, ring the bell, and run. You could choose a far-off loved one to receive a surprise care package. I was thinking a nice Nikolaus twist for us would be to make and leave goodies and an explanatory note at our neighbors' doors — even if they forgot to put their boots out!
For some extra fun, you could incorporate some other activities into your celebration:
- Polish or give a good scrub to the boots or shoes you're going to put out!
- Make your own boot craft — sew together two pieces of fabric or felt in a boot shape, or cut out a boot shape from construction paper and decorate.
- Bake cookies in the shapes of boots and mitres (bishop's hat).
- Draw Nikolaus in his red robes with his tall hat, long beard, and staff.
- Head to the St. Nicholas Center's kids page for printable crafts, story videos, and online games.
- Sing traditional Nikolaustag songs, such as "Lasst uns froh und munter sein" — both the German lyrics and an English translation are available here, along with recorded versions you can listen to and use to sing along. Here's sheet music of the melody if you or your children want to pick it out on an instrument. "Kind Old Man St. Nicholas" is an English version of a traditional German song. Here's the German and English and audio file for "Kling, Glöckchen" ("Ring, Little Bell"), a traditional song that's pretty fun to sing. Here's a more recent Nikolaus-Lied in German.
- Listen to German natives sing songs of the season, such as this Nikolaus-themed mp3 album, Kling Glöckchen Kling
that features the song "Nikolaustag."
- Read a St. Nicholas story, such as The Fiercest Little Animal In The Forest
or The Gift from Saint Nicholas.
- Bake something Germanic and yummy — maybe these Nutella & cinnamon cookies, hazelnut macaroons, traditional Pfeffernüsse (pepper nuts), Nikolausschnitten (fruit dainties), Schokoladekugeln (chocolate balls), marzipan carrots and potatoes (for the horse — but really for you), or bread baked in a boot shape and decorated with sweets. For breakfast or a less sugar-heavy delectation, slice and alternate bananas and strawberries in the shape of a staff or fry up some egg-based Pfannkuchen (pancakes).
Nikolaustag is fun and cultural. Give it a try with your kids this year!
Lauren blogs at Hobo Mama about natural
and attachment parenting and is the co-founder of Natural Parents Network. She lives and writes near the beach with her husband, Sam, and their sons: seven-year-old Mikko, three-year-old Alrik, and newborn Karsten. Lauren happily shares her knowledge of German customs and language with all three.This post originally appeared on Hobo Mama.
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