kiddie pen pal club!

So here's my idea. 

 I remember as a child there were all sorts of pen pal clubs to join, and I loved to write letters, so I joined them all!  I had pen pals from all over the world, and it was a great way to learn about different parts of the world, and I mean, nothing comes close to the thrill of getting a letter in the mail when you're a child.

So...I'd like to start a Twig and Toadstool kiddie pen pal club. 

This will be a one time sign up...so I'm going to give folks a week to sign up if you're interested.

Let me know your children's ages, and where in the world you are...and leave me an e-mail address, leave it in our comment section under this post.

If you'd like more than one pen pal, please mention that as well.

*Sign ups will be closed on Friday February 25th.

I'm going to play pen pal matchmaker for the kiddies and then let the letter writing fun begin!

I'll send everyone an e-mail in a few weeks with your pen pal match...and then it will be your job to contact that person for a physical address. 

My reason for doing this...for one I've been inspired by our friend Julie over at The Letter Writing Revolution, she helped me remember the JOY of letter writing.

I also just imagine the look on our children's faces as they receive mail from a new friend from somewhere in this great big world of ours...simply magic!

Here's to the start of something wonderful!

xo maureen

SIGN UPS ARE NOW CLOSED!!! 

I've "just" been able to match up all the kids.

Thanks to all who signed up.

Snowy Play & Snow Catchers!

With our outside world covered in a blanket of white, I find there are days I feel lost as to how to keep my girls occupied or to coax them outside.

On this day ~ it was snowing those big beautiful flakes and I wanted to get us out the door into the awaiting winter wonderland.

So I made some "snow catchers"~ a great way for them to get a close up look at the uniqueness and beauty of each snowflake (and get them outside ;)!

To create I cut out squares of cardboard and glued on some black felt. I then glued (with a glue gun) on a  large popsicle stick for a handle...

The girls admired

and ran around trying to "catch" as many as they could!

It lasted awhile but then they moved onto more snow fun...

Eating it

sliding through it

tumbling and rolling in it

creating snow angels with it

and playing blizzard (our version of a snowball fight when the snow isn't packing snow) in it ~

a favorite way to get out the cabin fever crazies!

Looking forward to the spring ~ but for the time being I am searching out the joys in winter ...

continually discovering the magic it holds.

Any fun winter activity ideas you could pass my way?

Here's to staying warm, endless cups of tea, snuggling by the fire and frolicking in fresh snowfalls.

With warmth

~ Shanti ~

Walnut Hearts

Wanted to share the treasures that appeared when slicing open the walnuts for our acorn valentines we were creating!

Thought they needed a home where we could enjoy their sweetness...

so, we glued on magnets and voila ~

 lovely fridge magnets to hold up the art that continually passes through our home.

Love how nature is a continual inspiration.

~ Happy Valentines Day ~

Here's to sharing the love, soaking up the love and celebrating love!

With love

~ Shanti ~

Lady Love (& Babe!)

In honor of Valentines and sweet love I was inspired to create

~ Queen Love ~
She lovely and sturdy for little hands, ready to spread her lovin' magic.
If the inspiration hits, here's how it goes...

(As a prelude to this tutorial I must apologize for the quality of the "how to" photos ~ They were taken  while my husband and I were on the road during a crazy blizzard! Creating this doll was the one thing that kept me from freaking out during the white out/slippery conditions. My husband managed to keep us safe, while I kept telling myself just look down and sew...

Needless to say the photos were taken in a moving car, on my lap. 

 Crafting... once again helps keep me sane!)

To create these you will need

a wooden doll pin

red pipe cleaner

red & pink felt ~ 

 roving

 acorn tops

a doll pin stand
a small wooden bead
embroidery floss

a glue gun

To begin wrap your pipe cleaner around the body (twisting it once in the back to hold better) and trim your arms to the length you desire.

Cut out a rectangle (double the length of the body) out of your felt and fold in half.

Draw what ever shape you would like for your dress and cut out. Remember to leave the top folded and mostly uncut. 

Cut a small hole for the head.

(this is a photo of it cut and unfolded)

You can then stitch a small heart onto the front of her dress if you choose.

Next slide on the dress and with your glue gun ~ glue down the sides and the sleeve bottoms.

For your skirt sew (blanket stitch) hearts onto a piece of felt. Next cut around the outside of your hearts and cut a small hole in the center to slide the body into.

 Glue on some roving for her hair and an acorn cap to top her off.

There she is!

Queen love had so much love I decided she need a wee one to pour all that love into!

To create the babe

Take a small piece of pipe cleaner and attach to a wooden bead. Sew two felt hearts together (you can also blanket stitch on a smaller heart onto the front) ~ leaving a space open at the top. Stuff with roving and then slide your pipe cleaner/head through the top. Sew up the opening around the head. Glue on an acorn cap. 

Voila ~ Baby Love!

~ Sweet sweet love ~

May love inspire and transpire in your world

~ Shanti ~

Taking Care of Mama Monday! Please join in...

Do you feel guilty as a mama when you leave your kids behind to do something fun for YOU?

This is something I struggle with constantly.  When an opportuntiy comes along when I could spend an afternoon or even a day without them, on comes the guilt.  I feel guilty for wanting time away, and I feel guilty for leaving dear ol dad, (who works full time), with the kids for that time.  Here's the deal though...during the week I'm an at home mama.  I do the bulk of the homeschooling, playdate arranging, cooking, shopping and cleaning.  On weekends I work.  And so sometimes I just need a break...I have come to realize that I deserve a day off with no children tugging at my arms, demanding my attention.  Yesterday was such a day.  After a night shift at work, and the morning with the family, I left...I left with my knitting basket, an assortment of yarn and some snacks to enjoy an afternoon without the kids!!

Our good friend Stephanie was brave enough to teach myself and another novice knitter how to get started on a scrap cardigan...she assured us that "anyone" can do it!

(This was the friend who sat me down and taught me how to knit about a year ago...after I announced that I am NOT a knitter and never will be...now with her guidance I'm tackling my first cardigan!) 

 It was a wonderful afternoon...and I came back to my family feeling refreshed and renewed.  Truly...on Sundays, after I'm exhausted from working all weekend long, I do my family a service by leaving and doing something fun, or just having a nap, (depending on how bad my night shift was).  I need this time alone, or in the company of friends to recharge my batteries.  Since I've started this journey of self care, the thing that amazes me the most is that when I take care of my own needs the end result is that my family is happier and our home is full of JOY!  I'm also learning an important lesson in releasing the "guilt" that we as mothers so often carry around!  Perhaps when my girls are grown up they'll know that they can take care of their own needs too, and perhaps guilt will never enter into the equation.

Please share with us your own journey of self care...it doesn't have to be done on Mondays...it can happen anytime, anywhere...you can share your links below.

Here's to some serious self lovin'!

xo maureen

Potato Print Valentines

I have been pondering an easy, fun way to create our love letter valentines to pass out...

Heart potato prints occurred to me ~ so we thought we would give it a go!

Here's how it goes

To begin

Slice your potato in half.
Press a strong cookie cutter in the potato and using a knife, cut in from the side up to the cookie cutter that is still in the potato ~ until the excess potato falls away and you are left with your shape.  (Thanks helpful reader for this tip!)

You can then carve out a handle on the backside of your potato or push a craft stick into the back ~ a better grip for easier stamping.

Paint your stamp (painting seems to work much better than dipping)...

Now for the fun part ~ time to get stamp happy!

We enjoyed using metallic paints

As well we painted our stamps with glue, stamped them onto our cards and shook on glitter. 

***

We spent our afternoon in a world of glitter and paint ~ a warm way to share in a winters day, while a blizzard swirled around the home.

The girls shared the task of filling in our love letters.

Teamwork all the way! (including the messy clean up ; )

Then of course we had to join that wonderful white world and taste the blizzard first hand!

Heres to glitter and rosy cheeks!

~ Shanti ~

Love Inspired Suncatchers

 Love is in the air ~ so is the Canadian deep freeze!

 We decided to combine the two and create some *love*ly ice sun catchers to adorn our trees.

To create these you can draw from the natural beauty around the home ~ 

We used poinsettia leaves for our hearts and letters, cranberries, orange and grapefruit slices...

Oh and some glitter to bring out the sunlight's sparkle!

Creating these seems to work well in a pie pan ~ just bring all your pieces for arranging together and let your imagination do the rest!

After you create your design I suggest you carry it outside and set it down in a still place before adding the water. I tried it the other way and had to basically re-create it after I put it down to rest. Pretty numb fingers after that...

Also don't forget to add your string for hanging ~ a must have for these sun catchers!

Leave overnight and let mother nature work her magic!

After they are frozen you can bring them in and pour hot water over the backs of your pans until they come loose.

Thinking these should last through most of the winter (especially with the temperatures we have been having lately!)

***

Creating with love on my mind, I remembered these words of wisdom...

 (I am sure you are probably familiar with these words, but for me, reading them once again has been a gentle reminder of the truth that is held by love).

Love is patient, Love is kind,
It does not envy, it does not boast,
It is not proud, It is not rude,
It is not self-seeking,
It is not easily angered,
It keeps no record of wrongs.

Love does not delight in evil,
but rejoices with the truth.

Love always protects, always trusts,
always hopes, always perseveres.

Love bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never ends.

Here's to the ever changing

ever challenging

rich giving

journey of love.

~ Shanti ~