Progressive Pioneer

Giveaway: No Plastic!

It's time for our monthly No Plastic giveaway!

Check out their website for all sorts of stainless steel goodness (including my favorite straws!) 

Just think, if you just bought one reusable glass or stainless steel container a week, by the end of the summer you could entirely get rid of that frustrating drawer of mismatched plastic containers and random lids!

   

The only trouble I've had with non-plastic containers in the past is leakiness.  However, lucky for you, No Plastic has completely air and water-tight containers!  Hooray, the best of both worlds!

To be entered to win an airtight, watertight, stainless steel food storage container, leave a comment.  You can gain SIX additional entries (there's a new one in there) in the following ways, but remember to leave an ADDITIONAL COMMENT FOR EACH ENTRY.  1) add PP to your blog roll (1st timers only) 2) become a fan on facebook (1st timers only) 3) become a friend (1st timers) 4) add a button (1st timers) 5) mention the giveaway on your blog, or 6) on facebook.  Good luck!

Giveaway: Hypnobabies Easy Pregnancy Set

Here's a wonderful giveaway for all you pregnant or soon-to-be-pregnant mommas.  Hypnobabies is giving away an Easy Pregnancy CD set.  It includes:

• 3 Hypnobabies Easy Pregnancy CDs Plus 1 Bonus Intro to Childbirth Hypnosis CD
• • Eliminate Nausa Now CD
  • Peaceful Sleep Now - our best selling CD
  • Joyful Pregnancy and Birthing Affirmations for a positive pregnancy and birth
  • Double-track BONUS CD - Intro to Hypnosis for Childbirth

I'm writing this before giving birth (this girl is taking her sweet time!), but I have high hopes for using the Hypnobabies program.  It's been really helpful all through my pregnancy.

You can enter to win by leaving a comment below!  You can gain SIX additional entries in the following ways, but remember to leave an ADDITIONAL COMMENT FOR EACH ENTRY.  1) add PP to your blog roll (1st timers only) 2) become a fan on facebook (1st timers only) 3) become a friend (1st timers) 4) add a button (1st timers) 5) mention the giveaway on your blog, or 6) on facebook.  Good luck!

41.5 and Counting

Good morning!  Sorry about the lack of a Make and Do post this morning.  I usually write them the night before, but last night I was blissed out at Rebecca's massage clinic and had tapioca for brains when I got home.  I just poured myself into some PJs and fell blissfully asleep; here's a visual below to give you an idea of just how relaxed I was:)  She totally worked me over with all her late pregnancy tricks; clary sage essential oil, various acupressure and reflexology points etc.  I'm amazed at how she can find the exact perfect spot, and also at how sore these random little spots can be.  I could tell when she'd found one for sure!  And she's so good about working on a spot until it's really done.  So often I'll get a massage and the person moves onto the next spot before they've really worked out the soreness in the first one; they just stick with their routine.  But Rebecca's really intuitive and her massages are amazing!

Tomorrow morning I'm heading in to our midwife's and we're going to try sweeping the membranes and taking some black and blue cohosh to get things started.  Monday will be 42 weeks and after that UT law says a licensed midwife can't attend you at home.  But, with Rebecca's fantastic massage and a bit of help from the cohosh, I think we'll be able to have a little birthday party this weekend.

I'll keep you posted!

Homemade Laundry Soap

Here's a wonderful tutorial for something I've been meaning to try myself, thanks Tiffany! She also mentioned an amazing stain remover in an email to me, so here is a link to the recipe for all of you too!

Also, Imene at A Journey to a Simple Happy Life is posting an interview with me sometime today if you want to hop over and take a peek.

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Homemade has become a passion of mine so I thought I would share my favorite recipe for laundry soap. It is amazing how much stuff we buy from stores that we can easily make at home. Like all purpose cleaner, window cleaner, dish soap, wood cleaner, etc. It is better for our families and the environment. Also it saves money! The laundry soap costs about 1 pretty penny per load!!

Ingredients

3t Naptha Soap Grated
4t Washing Soda
4t Borax
5 Cups Container cold water
3/4 cup hot water
Any essential oil you like for scent
Cook the hot water and grated naptha soap on low until it has dissolved. Add washing soda and borax. Stir until thicker. Pour into your container and then add cold water and essential oils. Shake, let sit overnight and then shake one last time.  I use old laundry soap containers. It keeps them out of landfills and also they work great!

All Done! I have learned many things are much easier than they seem!

DIY Cloth Wipes

I made a whole stack of cloth wipes when Sam was born, and we still find ourselves using them on a daily basis, even after his diapering days are through.  Face washing, as soft hankies, to toss in your purse; they're indispensible.  Sometimes we wet a few and put them in a baggie to take in the car for after-snack clean ups.  In this guest post Professor Kitty walks us through the simple step-by-step process of making your own cloth wipes.  Don't get too hung up on doing it "right," though; they're hard to mess up!  They're so easy and fun to make, it gets kind of addictive really.  

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I invented these for myself a couple years ago. They're indispensable for all kinds of child-related spills, messes, spit-ups, drools, runny noses, etc. I just made another batch for an expecting friend, and highly recommend them as a nice personalized baby gift! In our house we call them "wipies." They're basically small pieces of flannel that serve as baby hankies for any and all wiping needs. Turns out that babies can go through a LOT of hankies, so it's great (and green) to have something that's washable and reusable. Here's how to make wipies!

The secret is to buy "Fat Quarters." These are a specific cut of fabric from the end of a fabric roll. Quilters love them because they allow you to buy a small piece of fabric for some specific need. And the store wants to get rid of them, so they are not expensive. For this project, get 4 flannel fat quarters (get creative with colors & designs!). Flannel is preferable as it's both soft and fairly absorbent. From 4 fat quarters you'll get a set of 2 dozen wipies, like this:

Step 1: Cut each fat quarter into 6 pieces. If your fat quarter has a selvedge that looks different, cut it off. Here's a fat quarter spread out before cutting. It had a wide white selvedge that I removed.

To cut, first fold it in half the long way.

Then, slip your shears in the long fold you created and cut. If you unfolded it, it would look like this (but don't unfold it!).

Instead of unfolding, keep the two halves together and fold them again into thirds. Cut along the two new folds. You'll now have three pairs, like this.

Step 2: Zig-zag stitch around the edges. This simply finishes the edge so it won't fray beyond a certain point. (A little bit of preliminary fraying is to be expected.) Set your machine to sew in zig-zags--on mine, this is the same as the regular stitch except the stitch width is adjusted so it's more than 0. This just means the needle moves back and forth now as well as forward. I suggest using some scraps to get your zig-zags the way you want before you start on the wipies. You're looking for about the same width as the stitch is long, like this (upper left):

I prefer making the corners as demonstrated above, stopping with the needle on the LEFT side of taking a stitch. Then, with the needle in the downward position, lift the foot and swivel the fabric. Drop the foot and start sewing again. Here's the needle on the left, before swiveling:

Then I lift the foot (keeping the needle down), swivel the fabric 90 degrees, and drop the foot again so it looks like this. I haven't moved the needle.

The reason I prefer to keep the needle on the left is because the resulting corner will look like this, with a nice star-shape:

You could leave the needle to the right if you want, and end up with a pointy-looking corner like this. Maybe you prefer it?

One fun thing about this project is that you can get creative with the thread colors. Try interesting contrasts. At the same time, this is the perfect way to use up bobbins and spools that don't have much thread left on them. Here's my work area, with folded finished wipies at the top, cut squares ready to sew laid out, and short bobbins and spools set out to consider.

Here's a single wipie finished all the way around. In case you were wondering, do treat selvedges just like any other side (unless you cut them off as described above).

I like to fold wipies into quarters. Then, you can stack them up and tie with a ribbon. Or look for a nice container to keep them in—see last photo below.

For nursing infants, wipies are great to just scatter around the house anywhere you're likely to sit down with the baby. Keep one stuffed in your pocket, one in the changing bag. A stack on the changing table. Throw used wipies in the wash, and you're ready to start again. (I suggest not pre-washing your gift, as some moms are particular about the kind of detergent they want near their baby.)

Here's a shot of my own set of wipies after 2 years of use and love—plus the plastic container I stash them in.

Thrift Store Treasure

Sometimes we get lucky as we peruse the aisles of the local thrift stores.  This vintage Mother Goose book was just one of those times.  I'm so in love with the illustrations.  And Sam, who has always had a thing for poetry and rhyming stories, will sit with rapt attention for almost half the book (it's a big, hardcover book with TONS of her poems).

The book is in perfect condition, so I wouldn't dream of cutting it up, but if I had happened to find an old ratty copy with missing pages, I think it would have made the perfect book to turn into wall art.  As it is, it holds a treasured spot on his book shelf with the other hardcover "pretty" books (as opposed to the board books and more loved books, which sit on the lower, easily accessible shelves).

I love this quote from the introduction, "From a literary standpoint, these verses... train the ear and stir the imagination...  We do not hesitate to place this venerable classic on the shelf beside our Shakespeare, and to send our children there for delight and inspiration."  It is certainly true that in all their simplicity, these childhood rhymes have the ring of great literature.  I love filling Sam's ears with rich, solid, beautiful text and images.

And what of Mother Goose?  The biography of the woman behind the verses is murky and mysterious, which I think only adds to their appeal, elevating them somehow.  Whoever she was, she certainly knew how to turn a pretty phrase, as Sam can eagerly attest.

DIY Picnic Placemats

Just what I need, another irresistible project to add to my growing list!  Sarah has created these charming place mats, perfect for picnics, and has written up a lovely tutorial.  She writes at Feeding the Soil and also has an online course called Purposeful Conception beginning August 1st.  I believe there's still time to register.

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I had so much fun making picnic placemats for my friend's birthday. I couldn't find a pattern in any of my sewing books, so I decided to wing it. The process was very simple (even though I was going to initially make eight of them and decided to make only two...).

First, I cut two pieces of fabric for each component:

• 2 pieces of 16" x 22" for for the placemats (canvas material from IKEA)
• 2 pieces of 6" x 6" for the napkin/knife pocket
• 2 pieces of 4.5" x 6" for the fork/spoon pocket
• 2 pieces for the napkin

I followed the same steps for sewing everything:

1. Put right-side of fabric to right-side and sew almost around the entire area.
2. Clip the corners in a diagonal to make the corners more crisp when you flip it.
3. Flip everything right-side out.
4. Iron.
5. Fold the remaining hole in place and iron.
6. Sew around the top of the fabric to close up the hole and produce a nice finish.

First I did the placemat pieces (and I put two pieces of ribbon inside the two pieces of fabric before I sewed it shut to create the ties).

Next I cut a piece of quilt batting to size and fit it inside each placemat.

I sewed everything shut.

Then I sewed on each of the pockets, which helped to quilt the fabric and batting into place. I sewed a line down the center of each pocket to make a divider for the cutlery and napkin.

Finally, I made the napkin following the same steps above.

The process was fairly painless. I do wish I would have picked a better ribbon. The little flowers on mine make it hard to tie it smoothly.

I've also seen something similar done with sushi mats, which is a cute option, too!

Giveaway: Lusa Organics

I'm excited for this weekend's fun, summery giveaway from LuSa Organics!  Here are a few words from owner, Rachel:

Hello! I am Rachel Wolf. With my partner and husband Pete I own LuSa Organics, a fresh line of organic body care for babies, children, pregnant women, and the rest of us. Our goal is to create the safest, most gentle and effective, luxurious products available. I'd say we're doing just that. Our business is growing faster than we imagined and its been quite a ride!

If I had to choose a single word to describe myself it would be passionate. I am passionately a mother, attachment parent, homeschooler, photographer, partner, writer, crafter, cook, gardener, nature-girl, and small business owner.

That's the short list.We founded LuSa Organics in 2007 after nearly a decade of body care production on a hobby-scale. LuSa Organics is named after our two children, Lupine and Sage. Our best-selling Baby Care Line even bears an illustration of Sage at age two. And since we homeschool and run a home-based business? All these aspects of my life are woven so closely together that I can hardly tell one part from the next. Indeed. This is a family business in every sense.

We handcraft organic body care using the finest ingredients and the best chi around. LuSa has been featured twice in Mothering Magazine for our Mama and Baby Care lines. Our natural lifestlye blog, Clean, been turning up on Whip Up, Crafty Crow, and Living Crafts Magazine.  This weekend you have the chance to win their Summer Collection: one Hey You. Shoo. bug spray, one Lemongrass Lotion Bar, one Garden Scrub soap, and one Healing Lip Balm!  

You can enter to win by leaving a comment below!  You can gain SIX additional entries in the following ways, but remember to leave an ADDITIONAL COMMENT FOR EACH ENTRY.  1) add PP to your blog roll (1st timers only) 2) become a fan on facebook (1st timers only) 3) become a friend (1st timers) 4) add a button (1st timers) 5) mention the giveaway on your blog, or 6) on facebook.  Good luck!

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Congratulations to Melissa, who said, "I didn't realize they had bug spray! I've heard nothing but greatness about these products."

The Friday Make and Do

Get into yoga!  I love Yoga Today's classes that you can get online.  It's the next best thing to being in a class.  You can also check out their YouTube channel (you can try a free two week trial with the ID "progressivepioneer" too).

Print out one of the many reflexology charts available online and treat someone to a little massage (better yet, make it a swap!).  You may not be a professional, but guaranteed it'll still feel great!

Get the junk out!  Summer is a good time to declutter.  We eat light, fresh food, dress in light, airy clothes, and overall feel less attached to stuff, I think.  Take advantage of this time to go through those closets, storage bins and boxes and lighten the load.  I love a good decluttering session, so good for the soul!

Okay, well, I only came up with three ideas for the weekend before I ran out of steam.  And do these three ideas sound like they came from a lady four days past her due date or what?  Relaxation, pampering and nesting, hmm... 

I hope you have a wonderful weekend, and I hope I have a baby this weekend!!

Birth Stories: Katrina's Breech Delivery at Home

This is the last of the birth stories I'll be sharing in this series, except, of course, for little Vivian's story.  This story belongs to a friend of mine who was also in my Hypnobabies class.  Her little girl stayed stubbornly in breech position right up to and through delivery, and Katrina remained so calm and confident throughout the whole thing.  She continued with her plan of a natural water birth at home, only changing plans slightly to include another midwife who was an expert in breech deliveries.  Here is her inspiring story and beautiful photos.

Wednesday morning we had an appointment with Rebecca, our midwife, to strip my membranes and take cohosh in the hopes of getting labor started. With my low fluid levels and a breech baby we thought it was best to encourage things along. We did another non-stress test that morning too and Miriam was happy as always. When Rebecca stripped my membranes I was 4 cm dilated and 50% effaced with a bulging bag of waters quite low. Not a bad start.  We left Rebecca's office just before 10 and headed to Costco to get a few last minute things. I started having a few mild cramps. By the time we left Costco they had picked up a bit. We stopped at one more store to get diapers and pads and then headed home. It was just after 11 when we got home. I was having mild and crampy waves pretty close together but still didn't know if they would go anywhere. I had several things I wanted to get done around the house and thought I would have plenty of time. I got on the computer to do a quick post on my blog. By the time I was done with that I was having to really concentrate on the waves to relax. They were getting more intense and were VERY close together. Rebecca called around noon and said that was the cohosh at work. 

Rebecca got to our house about 1:45 and I got in the pool. I was so happy to be in the water. It really helped me relax more. The waves had spaced out a tiny bit so I was getting a bit more of a break between them, but they were also getting super intense. I knelt and leaned against the side of the pool and started vocalizing through them. About the time the second midwife arrived I started feeling pushy and felt a pop-- my water broke. This is also about the time my husband, Jared, left to take our son Asher around the corner to a friend's house. I started pushing involuntarily and pretty soon her bottom was out and then her legs. And Jared wasn't back yet!  Rebecca ran out the door to see if she could catch him but didn't see him. He got back when Miriam was half way out. Chris, the other midwife, told me to reach down and touch her so I was rubbing her back before her head was out. She got still for a moment while she got her arms out and then I pushed again and her head came right out super easy.  I just lifted her between my legs and turned around. No one else even touched her. I think the whole pushing phase was less than 5 minutes.

She was born at 2:41 pm. So I had roughly 3 to 3 1/2 hours of active labor. I think because of the cohosh and membrane stripping, everything was more intense. My waves were always super close together. It was definitely a fast ride. But I remained very calm and peaceful during the whole thing. Thank you, Hypnobabies!

When I lifted Miriam out of the water her eyes were wide open and she was quiet.  I rubbed her back and we put a towel on her and she started pinking up and making some noise. We hung out in the water until the cord stopped pulsing and then Rebecca clamped it and Jared cut it. Miriam eventually started nursing while Rebecca and Chris cleaned up and then checked me out. I didn't tear!  I'm not even sore. I only used one ice pack that day and have felt fine since.  Although labor was very fast and intense, I was always calm and never afraid. I always felt really peaceful about everything. Pushing was SO easy and painless and she came right out fast and perfectly.   I seriously felt SO good. I didn't feel like I had just had a baby. I put on some clothes and then we weighed and measured Miriam. 6 pounds 10 ounces, 19 1/2 inches long, 13 inch head. Absolutely perfect.

A Green Home Birth

I thought I'd condense these two birthing-related posts into one day, just in case any of you out there are feeling a bit of baby and pregnancy overdose:)  We're all baby all the time 'round these parts, but I promise plenty more non-baby-related posts quite soon!  In the meantime, here are some wonderful tips from Jeanine of Rosie Girl Dreams.

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A few weeks before my second child was born, I happily walked to my local drug store to buy a handful of supplies for our home birth.  You likely already have more than half of the supplies you will need in your own home.  Birthing at home is healthier for the environment (much less waste generated), inexpensive and very satisfying.  Here’s how to get started.

Consider the supplies below carefully with your own circumstances and needs in mind. And be sure to talk with your midwife about their needs as well.  No one wants to be frantically scrambling for last-minute items during labor or birth.

Supplies to Gather or Buy:
* HAMPER / LAUNDRY BASKET (1-2) for storing all your supplies in up until you begin labor, and then for tossing dirty items during and after labor.

* LIST OF PHONE NUMBERS, including emergency contact numbers, just in case.

* TOWELS (6-10) to use as wedges, braces, clean-up, cushioning, you name it.  (This would be the perfect item to pick up at the thrift store. Do use older towels since they are likely to be stained.)

* WASH CLOTHS (2-10) for various clean ups.

* WATER PROOF TABLE CLOTHS (1-2) as protective covering for your bed, floor, or wherever you move around during labor or after.

* SHEETS (2 sets) for your bed (you can layer your bed with your nice sheets, then a protective layer, then a top sheet for laboring… after birth you can pull off the top layers and your bed will be ready to climb in with baby in arms).

* MEDICAL SCISSORS (sterilized right before birth) for cutting the umbilical cord.

* SWADDLE / RECEIVING BLANKETS (3-6) as extra warmth for baby.  (Have plenty on hand as babies do tend to soil them frequently!)

* LARGE BOWL for the placenta to be put into and inspected.

* WORKING FLASHLIGHT / HEAD LAMP

* THERMOMETER FOR BABY

* CLOTHING FOR YOURSELF (optional… but you may want to select your favorite loose-fitting clothes so they’re handy).

* HEATING PAD/HOT WATER BOTTLE

* SANITARY NAPKINS / MENSTRUAL PADS as you’ll be bleeding very heavily for the first few days and then lighter for the next few weeks.

* BABY CLOTHES, NEWBORN HATS, DIAPERS, BLANKETS washed and ready to go.

* STERILE GAUZE PADS, 4″ x 4″ (1 dozen) for the midwife to use for various purposes.

* HYDROGEN PEROXIDE (1 bottle) for sterilizing.

* ALCOHOL (1 bottle) for umbilical cord care and for removing any blood stains.

* CHUX PADS (if you don’t have a large enough supply of towels and cloth/or would prefer to throw away a few items for sanity’s sake).

Body Care and Healing

* ARNICA MONTANA (200c) for swelling, bruising, aches and healing after birth.

* PERI RINSE BOTTLE for warm water washes after birth.

* HONEY for serving mother right after birth to regain strength. (Honey in warm water literally got me from a shaking state to stable in about 1 minute after this last birth.)

* Plenty of NUTRITIOUS FOODS for during and after labor.

* Plenty of TEAS AND JUICES for during and after labor.

* HERBAL BATH INGREDIENTS (1 oz. comfrey leaves, 1 oz. uva ursi, 1 oz. shepherd’s purse, 1 garlic bulb, 1/4 cup sea salt) or READY PREPARED SITZ BATH for warm sitz or full-body soaks after birth.

Just in Case
* NEOSPORIN, bacitracin, double or triple antibiotic (1 tube) for speedy healing.

* WITCH HAZEL (1 bottle) for hemorrhoids.

* CABBAGE (1 fresh head) frozen and ready for use for breast inflammation during that first week after birth.

* ARNICA MASSAGE OIL for back pain.

* AFTEREASE TINCTURE in case your afterbirth pains are painful.

* HERBAL LACTATION REMEDIES for increasing milk supply, breast infections, mastitis.

* BABY BLUES MOOD SUPPORT to assist you with those fluctuations in hormones that can cause all sorts of crazy ups and downs.

* You may also want to pack a little HOSPITAL BAG, just in case.  (Mine included 1 pair of pajamas, 1 pair of socks, 1 outfit for baby, 1 bottle of lavender essential oil and arnica. If you were to end up in the hospital, your underwear, sock slippers, baby diapers, clothes and blankets would all be provided.)

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A few things we have on hand that aren't on the list above are a camera and video camera (with batteries charged!), and a birthing pool that we rented from our midwife, along with a tarp to go under it and a new hose (so no bacteria from being used outside gets in the pool) to fill it with.  You also might want to run your list by your midwife to see what she'll be bringing so you aren't duplicating her efforts.

There's a wonderful thread on Mothering.com about birthing at home that I scoured for ideas and found very helpful.

Thanks so much, Jeanine, for such a thorough and useful post!

Tips for Enjoying Your Birth

Sheridan a Hypnobabies instructor, maintains the wonderful and inspiring Hypnobabies blog and has also put together an e-book for expectant moms.  Below she shares a little info about her book.

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Do You Suffer from Birth Information Overload?

Everyone seems to have an opinion on what the right thing to do.  There is also so much information out there.  Does it seem overwhelming to you?  I know for many moms it does.  Some immerse themselves in the information, some avoid it all together, most are probably somewhere in the middle.

I have been teaching Childbirth Classes for 4 years and decided to condense the information down into the Top Three Tips so that moms can learn the most important information they need to know. 

What are some things you will learn in my top three tips?

• Three powerful choices you can make to improve your birth.
• Discover what the strongest muscle in your body is and how can you harness its power to help you birth more easily!
• Learn the most amazing Mental Tool available to prepare for your birth.
• How can “professional love” help you during your birth?
• Learn the most powerful tool you have as a parent and how to start using it NOW!

My book is

• under 30 pages
• easy to read
• for everyone, whether you want an epidural, to go natural or even if you are planning a cesarean. 
• FREE! The best part is you can download it here for free. 

Easy Silkscreen Tutorial

This wonderful tutorial comes from Sarah at Sweet Things Design.  Her blog is full of fun projects and glimpses into her charmed island life.

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My son Lee and I have made lots of t-shirts together for his 5YO t-shirt company.  This is the latest design, aimed at members of our community.

It is a great way to put kids' artwork on shirts, for the child or for anyone!  Here are some other designs Lee has drawn that we've turned into shirts:

To make your own silkscreen you will need:

- an embroidery hoop

- curtain sheer fabric (synthetic, not stretchy, fine gauge, thin enough to see through easily)

- Mod Podge - non-water soluble craft glue

- paintbrush, pencil

- your desired image

To print on fabric you will need:

- fabric ink (I use Speedball Opaque Fabric Ink)

- a stiff paint brush

- a plastic putty knife or something similar to press down ink

- your desired t-shirt, canvas bag, fabric, etc

1. trace your image onto the curtain sheer in the embroidery hoop with a pencil.  this one is Lee's drawing of our Island ferry and the block letters ISLAND.

 

2.  using the Mod Podge, paint with glue over every space where you DON"T want the paint to go.  you are leaving UNCOVERED the places where you want the paint to go through the screen onto the fabric.  Let it dry overnight.  Hold the screen up to the light after it's dry, make sure you don't see any little pinholes or spots that you missed- if you do, touch up your screen.

 

3.  Put a book or a piece of cardboard inside your shirt to protect the back of the shirt.  Lay it out flat with your screen centered on top.  Dollop some ink on, and spread it out, pushing down through the screen with the brush.  Then use a putty knife to smooth the ink and push it through the screen- concentrating on down rather than side-to-side motion.

 

4.  Carefully lift the screen off of the fabric.  I find I can, with practice, do about 5 prints before I have to rinse the screen and start again if I am working quickly.  You definitely don't want the ink to dry on the screen or it will be ruined.  rinse the screen under cool running water with a small brush or plastic scrubbie and let it dry for another round!

5.  Let dry overnight, and heat set according to the directions on the ink.  I put my dry shirt into a hot dryer for one hour.

Have fun!

Saturday Sewing Blitz

Well, today is my "official" due date.  Did you know that a 40 week gestation isn't actually accurate?  First time babies average 41.5 weeks and subsequent babies need 40.5 weeks to get ready for life on earth.  So, no panicking that our little baby is still cooking in there.  I've been expecting her to arrive a bit later in the month anyway.

I've been taking advantage of these last few weeks of baby-less time and an extra helpful and sweet husband, to start crossing some projects off my list.  Saturday was a very successful day in the sewing department.  I finished the pointy hat and added some wide ribbon (modeled by Mr. Bear from our French friends), also added ribbon to a hat for a pregnant friend, bound a quilt, made a few swaddling blankets (I'm excited about these; they're a gauzy summer weight and I think I'm going to love using them!).  I made two little skirts out of the last of the vintage sheet edges and even added a ridiculous amount of girly lace to one of them.  I just got swept up in the girliness of it all:)

Giveaway: Mamma4Earth

Mamma4Earth is a shop full of lovingly hand knitted critters and creations; have a peek, you'll love it! This is an exciting giveaway; I always love it when there are lots of wonderful goodies to give away! 

Here's what Linda says about her shop:

I started my Mamma4earth Etsy shop two years ago and I have so enjoyed the journey. All the wonderful people I have met and connected with, all over the world, is amazing.  We started homeschooling our children a few years ago, in South Africa, and this is how our Mamma4earth business came into being. I wanted natural toys for my children and I could see the special bonds that were being formed between them and these knitted treasures. In our shop you will find the most delightful handknitted farm animals, gnomes and toys. I also handspin and hand dye yarn with natural dyes for Waldorf doll hair. All our shop items are environmentally friendly and will not fill up landfills one day:)

I love how all her animals have their own little personalities.  This weekend she'll be giving away a knitted saddleback pig, a bluebird of happiness, and maybe if you're really lucky, I think she might throw in some beautiful, hand-dyed roving!  The pig is merino, the bluebird is mohair and the handspun roving has been drum carded by Linda herself and has South African Merino, Angora fibre, Silk and sparkly fibre in it:)

I love this squirrel with his jaunty tail; he looks like he might be about to get into some mischief...  Sam and I were just reading the Tale of Squirrel Nutkin and that's what it makes me think of:)  She even makes a couple of her patterns available for sale if you wanted to try your hand at knitting up a few of her critters yourself.

 

And how fabulous is this aardvark?  I think if I had to pick one, this would be my very favorite.

You can enter to win by entering a comment below!  You can gain SIX additional entries in the following ways, but remember to leave an ADDITIONAL COMMENT FOR EACH ENTRY.  1) add PP to your blog roll (1st timers only) 2) become a fan on facebook (1st timers only) 3) become a friend (1st timers) 4) add a button (1st timers) 5) mention the giveaway on your blog, or 6) on facebook.  Good luck!

Congratulations to Moment to Moment, who said, "just became a friend for a second chance of winning"

The Friday Make and Do

Learn some of the summer constellations and spend an evening stargazing.

Go to the opera.  Does your local theater show the live Met performances?  I've really been wanting to go to one.

Try making something crazy fancy like Beet Root Ice Cream.

Tell ghost stories.  You might light a campfire in the backyard, or set up a tent made of pillows and sheets in the living room to snuggle in with a flashlight and some popcorn.

Whip up some delicious biscuits and top them with fresh fruit and whipped cream- yum!  This sounds sooo delicious right now.  I wouldn't be surprised to find these gracing our table this weekend...

Have a wonderful weekend!

Birth Stories: Chris' First Baby, Born at Home

Just a little reminder to stop by Rachel's blog for a chance to win her beautiful clothespin apron; today is the last day to enter!  And now, on with the baby story...

Almost exactly five years ago I gave birth to my youngest child.  My pregnancy had been a planned homebirth with a CPM  (Jill) attending and it had been pretty uneventful pregnancy, except that “Baby Sprout” had remained breech until about 35 weeks (but spontaneously turned before we resorted to any strategies to encourage turning).  We had opted to not have an ultrasound, but the general thought was that this baby was a girl.  This was in part because of the breech positioning.  I guess woman that were breech (I was) are more likely to give birth to breech babies if the baby is a girl.

Ten days before my EDD my husband Ed and I attended a Kentucky Derby Party hosted every year my one of my husband’s friends.  We hired a babysitter, which we almost never do;  I put on a dress and a silly hat, and enjoyed what I knew was going to be the last child free evening for a long time.  While I was at the party I lost part of my mucus plug.  With my previous birth I had lost the mucus plug over a week before I gave birth so I tried not to get too excited.

We went home early that evening and I went to bed around 10 p.m.  Ed came to bed at 11 p.m... I heard him brushing his teeth and rolled over to go back to sleep.  At that point my water broke all over our bed.  I called our midwife and let her know.  At that point I was not really having any noticeable contractions, but an hour and a half later they picked up.  I called Jill  and told her to come as soon as she was ready.  I continued to lie in my bed and rest in between the contractions.   At about 12:30 the midwife arrived and she got her supplies out and had some coffee downstairs with Ed.  I continued to labor alone in our bedroom for a while. 

Later I started wandering around the house more and had several pretty strong contractions while kneeling on the floor with my head and hands supported by the couch.  A little after 3:00 I started to feel the urge to push and asked Jill to check my dilation.  She said I was fully dilated.  I started pushing and ended up pushing for about 20 minutes (I would guess about eight pushs total).  For the last push Ed and both midwives were teasing me about how close I was (I guess the baby was nearly completely crowned with all but the very widest part of his skull out already).  I pushed one more time and at about 3:45 a.m. on a warm May morning I got my best Mother’s Day gift ever.  At 7 lbs, 9 oz, and 21 inches long out came Oliver (not a girl as every one sort of expected).  He was as quiet and placid and wide awake as can be.  He nursed as I lay on my side (which amazed me since it took my older son and me a couple months to figure that out) while Ed lay on the bed on Oliver’s other side.  To this day it remains a perfect moment that seems sort of frozen in time.  But time has not frozen, and Oliver is a healthy, active, soon-to-be Kindergartner who is still the apple of his Momma’s and Daddy’s eye.

Babymooning

Here is a timely post from Meagan of EcoMILF.  I love the idea of a babymoon and wish we had more traditions in our culture like those she mentions.  I even checked the book Mothering the New Mother out of the library to help me not feel like a lazy bum taking some time to get back into the swing of things.  We're so all about getting right back to life as normal here in the states, even taking a sick day is seen as second best to taking some sudafed and muscling through the day.  I'm so glad Meagan shared these beautiful thoughts and words.

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The arrival of a new baby, whether it is your first or one of many, is a special and precious time for new parents, especially Mothers. Unfortunately in Western society today, there is often the lurking feeling that we should continue going at high speed when the new baby arrives- to get the shopping done, socialize and visit friends and extended family, do the housework or to go back to your job as soon as possible- a pressure which can contribute to exhaustion and even postpartum depression. 

Many ancient cultures observed forty days of sacred privacy and quiet for mother and baby. A ‘babymoon’ takes place the first 2 weeks after the baby is born, during which time Mothers (and Fathers) are encouraged to stay at home as much as possible, inviting very few visitors into their nest, in order to create and establish the sacred bond between themselves and their baby. Some Mothers assign someone they trust and love (like their own Mother or a good friend) to take care of their other children, cook meals  and clean, so that they are able to focus solely on their new baby those first couple weeks. 

I checked out of the hospital 8 hours after my son, North was born and headed home for some quiet time together. Everything felt like it was going in slow motion those first few magical days. The three of us were able to cozy up in our little unit, and to connect and get to know each other. With every cry or coo or hiccup I began to feel more confident in myself as Mother. With few people around and visiting, I was able to follow my instincts when it came to feeding, wrapping and comforting. Generally, my instinct was- breast out and at the ready every moment and because I was able to be uninhibited in my environment and to follow this urge, North was able to stimulate and establish a strong milk supply setting us up for a long and joyous breastfeeding relationship. My Mother flew from Canada to stay with us for 10 days when North was a few days old. She was the exact type of support a woman needs those first few days- she put loads of laundry in and hung them to dry, she cooked healthy lunches, baked muffins, prepared dinners and dusted, vacuumed and mopped when needed. She never asked what needed to be done, she knew and did it without question. Although I asked her questions from time to time about her experiences as a new Mama, she never told me how she thought something should be done. Instead, she allowed my husband and I to live and learn and to experience everything for ourselves. 

I am now 7 months into my second pregnancy with my due date rapidly approaching. As it should be, everything is different now that I am already a Mother. I am very aware that this time around I will feel even more pressure to get back into the swing of things quickly, as I have a toddler with scheduled activities to attend, and a hard-working husband to provide for. But I am trying to mentally prepare for letting go. I think it will be even more important this time to take a step back and retreat to the comforts of our home and to welcome our second child with the same sort of devotion and peace as we did our first. My Mother will come and stay with us for another 10 days shortly after the birth and I know that her presence will be of immense help and relief. As with the last time, we will try to keep visitors to a minimum and clear our timetables of any sort of commitments for the first two weeks. The focus and priority will be to cherish each moment with our newest little one, and to forge a bond between the four of us that will be everlasting. 

Some ideas to help you plan your babymoon-

• have meals made and frozen before your due date
• stock up on toilet paper, soap, laundry detergent and other things you think you may need those first few weeks
• organize help from those you trust and are most comfortable with. Don’t feel obligated to  entertain friends, family friends and relatives for the first couple weeks
• treat yourself to a new pair of pyjamas before the baby is born because you’ll want to wear them most of the day
• enjoy every precious moment because they will pass as quickly as they came

Omelets Anyone?

Okay, so you wouldn't actually want to make omelets out of these eggs, which is a shame... because there were THIRY SIX of them!  Our ridiculous chickens (mainly Rockefeller, who is the nuttier one) decided to lay their eggs behind a piece of fencing.  And I thought she was just an irregular layer.  Clay was organizing some lumber recently and made a lumber rack so now my back yard looks less like a lumber yard, or at least like a more organized one.  He got quite the surprise when he lifted this piece of fencing though!  We gathered up some spare egg cartons to pack them in, not wanting to set off a rotten egg bomb.  I tell you, chickens are crazy birds!

The problem is, then they sat in the garage for a week or so because we didn't want to put them in the garbage can and risk setting of a nuclear stench (they must've been really old!).  So then last Sunday we had the brilliant idea of driving out to the salt flats for a little hillbilly fun.  We invited Clay's brother and sister-in-law and headed out to the flats, carefully packed eggs in tow.

The funny thing is, the eggs didn't smell as bad as we had thought they would, but the salt flats were really stinky!  And the eggs were so old that they had changed texture and some of them were quite hard to break.  But we had a grand old time tossing them out into the wide open and just generally being silly and enjoying a little Sunday afternoon adventure.  Just one more perk of keeping chickens:)

On Point Clothespin Apron Tutorial

So, my due date is one week from today!  I decided to start the guest posts now, just to give myself a little time to relax and get ready.  Here's a beautiful tutorial from Rachel at Stitched in Color, owner of Euphoria Baby and Euphoria Maternity.  The trouble with all the wonderful guest posts I've got lined up is that my list of projects I want to try is just growing and growing!

Scroll down for info about a giveaway!

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Supplies

4 prints (from the inside of the apron front, prints A-B use small scraps, print C requires a fat quarter, print D requires a ½ yard)

15” square for lining

4 x 66” strip for waist tie

100% cotton thread

Prewash Fabrics

Begin by machine washing and machine drying your fabric in the same way you wish to care for the finished apron.

Cutting

We’ll begin by cutting the print for the small square at the center of the apron pocket and continue working outwards from the center.

Print A:  Cut one 5” square

Print B:  Cut two 4.25” squares.  Divide each square in half diagonally, creating two half square triangles from each square, for a total of 4 half square triangles.

Print C:  Cut two 6” squares.  Divide each square in half diagonally, creating two half square triangles from each square, for a total of 4 half square triangles.

Print D:  Cut one 8” square.  Cut in half diagonally, creating two half square triangles.  Cut one 16.25 x 14.25 rectangle – this is your apron backing.

Lining:  Cut one 15” square – this will line your pieced apron pocket.

Waist Tie:  Cut one strip 66” long and 4” wide.  If necessary, you can piece together multiple 4” strips to achieve a length of 66”.  Always sew with rights sides together so that any piecing seams will be hidden.

Piecing the Apron Pocket

Note:  use ¼” seams and press all seams open, unless otherwise indicated.

Locate two Print B triangles and pin them on opposite sides of your Print A square with right sides together.  You will notice that your triangle is a bit larger than the side of your square.  This is important!  Center the triangle on the side of your square. 

Stitch and press open.  When piecing, you do not need to backstitch at the beginning and end of each seam.

Sew remaining Print B triangles on the other 2 edges, finishing the square.  Be sure to stitch from the beginning to the end of each edge, even on the overlapped triangles.  When finished, you should have Print B crossover at each corner of your square.

Locate two Print C triangles and sew them on opposite sides of your block.  Sew with right sides together and press.

 

Again, sew remaining Print C triangles on the other 2 edges, finishing the square.

Before proceeding to the next step, use a rotary cutter, ruler and mat to square up your block.  Don’t cut off too much!  You must retain a ¼” seam margin from the point of each corner to the edge, so that the square’s tips will not be covered when piecing the next step. You should be trimming just a bit from each side, as needed to square the block with 1/4” margins. 

Locate one Print D triangle and sew on the bottom edge of your block.  Press.

Sew remaining Print D triangle along the other bottom edge.  Press.  Your bottom edge should now measure 15”. 

Trim hang-over triangle ears from your apron pocket, so that all edges are straight. 

Assembling the Apron Front

Lay the pocket over your lining fabric.  Trace and cut lining in the same shape as the pocket.

With wrong sides together, stitch your lining onto your pocket with a 1/8” edge stitch.  Though not strictly necessary, this lining gives your apron pocket extra strength for those wooden clothespins.

To finish the triangle-shaped top edge of your pocket, fold each edge over just ¼”.  Press to set the seam, then stitch with a 1/8” top stitch. 

Locate the large Print D rectangle that forms the backing of your apron.  Locate the shorter sides of that rectangle, which measure 14.25”.  Fold and press each side ¼” and then ¼” again, creating a finished edge.  Top stitch at 1/8”. 

Lay out the Print D rectangle with printed side down.  Lay your apron pocket on top with the pieced side down, so that your lining faces up.  Pin along the pocket sides and bottom and at the pocket point at the very top.  Stitch with a ¼” seam.

Trim your corners and turn the apron right side out.  Press the pocket flat.  Press the top edges that extend beyond the pocket flat, so that they do not turn in. 

Now, here’s a little cheat.  Most aprons use binding to finish all edges.  I dislike working with binding, so we’ve finished the exposed edge with top stitching.  To prevent the exposed edges from flipping in, press the edges out and then top stitch at the joint of the apron pocket and the exposed edge.  Top stitch just a ¼” or so inwards and upwards along the pocket opening.  In this way, you’ve slightly closed the pocket and stabilized the edge.  When you attach the waist tie up top, the sides will be forced to remain open as well.

Attaching the Ties

Locate your 66 x 4” strip of fabric for the apron waist ties.  Place the right side down on your ironing board and fold  the sides in so that they meet exactly in the center.  Press the entire strip this way.  

At each end of the 66” long tie, fold and press the edge in ¼”.

Now press the entire strip in half longways, so that the raw edges are hidden in the center of the strip.  The width of your strip should now be approximately 1”. 

At each far end of your 66” strip, stitch the ends closed with a 1/8” top stitch. 

Now pin the center of your strip over the top of the apron, enclosing the upper edge of your apron in the fold of the waist tie.

Starting at one far end of the long strip, stitch the strip closed a 1/4” from the edge.  Continue stitching as you pass over the apron, effectively attaching the waist tie to your apron.  

Voila, you're done!

Rachel, thanks so much for this beautiful tutorial!  And for anyone who'd like to try their hand at winning the gorgeous apron shown in the pictures above, hop on over to Rachel's blog today through Thursday!

Giveaway: Inspired by Julia

Nursing Covers Inspired by Julia are sewn in Chesterfield, VA by a stay-at-home mom of three. They have a 15" strip of corset boning stitched into the top to allow for moms to view baby (and vice versa) while nursing. They have a standard-size, two and a half inch thick neck strap with a finished cover size of about 26" x 36", providing for adequate nursing privacy (especially for squirmy 8 month olds)! This weekend one winner will get their choice of a nursing cover up in any pattern of their choice!  Know any pregnant or nursing moms?  Of course you do!  These make the perfect gift, and you can always use an extra for while the other's in the wash. You can enter to win by entering a comment below!  You can gain SIX additional entries in the following ways, but remember to leave an ADDITIONAL COMMENT FOR EACH ENTRY.  1) add PP to your blog roll (1st timers only) 2) become a fan on facebook (1st timers only) 3) become a friend (1st timers) 4) add a button (1st timers) 5) mention the giveaway on your blog, or 6) on facebook.  Good luck!

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Congratulations to Janette, who said, "I am due in a week and would love to use one of these with my new baby!"

July Sponsor Love

Here are this month's lovely sponsors, along with something I particularly love from each of them.  You can click on the image to see more about it.

Hypnobabies: I have really enjoyed this whole program and would really recommend taking the class from one of their instructors if you have one close by.  You get a whole bunch of CDs to listen to and my favorite have been the daily affirmations and the Visualizing Your Birth CDs.  Both are so powerful and I think, have gone a long way in creating a really positive outlook for me. Hazelnut Kids: Delicious, high quality and safe art supplies!

Bird and Little Bird: I really want to make one of these patterns when life slows down a bit.  I think I like this kit with the reds and oranges the best.  What do you think?

Lusa Organics: Though it's so hard to pick, I think their Tofani soap is my favorite.  It has a little patchouli in it, but doesn't give you that "Woah, a hippie just walked into the room!" smell.  It's really subtle and earthy, and smells good on guys and gals.

Aurora Shoe Co: I have and love their New Chinese style shoes, but I'm also loving this West Indian style. The Blue Egg: This little gypsy witch is so sweet, I also love the Winter Girl and her Squirrel print.

Seed Pod: Jessica back from her vacation, so you can order a pattern that will be emailed over in a jiffy.  And check out the Sweetpod Flickr group to see some of the amazing carriers people are creating.  And maybe get inspired to make your own!  I've got my pattern and materials and am just waiting for a rainy day to get started!

Eco Lunch Gear: I'm really digging these sandwich wraps because they open up to be completely flat.  You could use them as a little place mat and you can adjust it to fit whatever size sandwich you have- clever!

No Plastic!: If I could, I would get the whole set of these fantastic air and water-tight stainless steel containers, one in every size!

Conscious Kids: I love the idea of a deck of 52 cards, with an activity for each week to help your family grow and learn together.  

Thanks so much to our wonderful sponsors, and thanks to you all for choosing to support ethical, creative, family-run businesses!

The Friday Make and Do

Sew something simple.  There's nothing like an halfway-finished, elaborate project to make me leave my poor sewing machine to languish, especially during these summer days that beckon me out of doors all day long.  But I've been working on these receiving blankets each evening and it's been so satisfying to actually produce something at the end of each day, no matter that they're the simplest thing in the world to make. Celebrate the flavors of the season. Throw a last minute party (this is so easy in the summer; chips and salsa, a few sparklers left over from last weekend, some music on the stereo, maybe a fire for roasting something...) and keep your kids busy making some of these party favors.  Any of these are enough to inspire some sort of celebration!

Sleep under the stars!  Sometimes when Sam has trouble falling asleep, Clay will pull the sleeping bags out and they'll head out to the backyard.  There is just something magical about being out in the elements and under the big, wide sky.
Try this recipe; it's one of our favorites.  Chop up some salmon and toss it with taco seasoning.  Fry it up lightly (don't overcook it!) and set it aside.  Mix some mayo, sour cream, cilantro and a good amount of that same taco seasoning.  Mix up some chopped, tropical fruit (pineapple, mango, kiwi, we like blueberries too.  Jicama would be an interesting addition, maybe some avocado, really whatever you have on hand; frozen fruit works well too.) with fresh cilantro.  Then heat up some taco shells and layer it all in!  It's a wonderful, tasty summer dish and perfect for serving when you have friends over.

Have a tasty, summery weekend!

Birth Story: Jeanine's Ecstatic, Triumphant Birthing

Glenn was born early one snowy morning at our home in the mountains. I’d pondered my approach to labor for months. This was my third (and likely last) labor to personally experience, which made it that much more exhilarating. Since the beginning, I’d mentally prepared for this birth as if it were a marathon. I was eager and anxious to try out a new birthing method to see how the experience could be altered. So this time I did meditation and visualization, perhaps twice a month. I wanted to be present and in control, as much as possible. And I knew already that despite the descriptions of birth I’d been raised with, birth is empowering.

This time I was aiming for ecstatic.

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On the morning before Glenn’s birth, I stayed in bed as my girls played next to me. Finally, my oldest pulled open the curtains and announced, "Mama, morning time!" and they hopped into bed. We lay together, gazing out the window. It was a wet day, another winter storm expected to arrive. We told stories, watching the trees sway, the mist sweeping through the yard. And one tree in particular caught my eye. It was the tallest--a strong, unmovable tree with dark bark--an incense cedar. It occurred to me that this tree could be my visual for labor. Up until this point, I'd had some difficulty figuring out precisely how I was going to use visualization and meditation.

Later that night, I settled into the bath before bed and found myself floored. I stood to step out of the bath and found myself caught in another. I headed downstairs and my husband called the midwife. She asked me to wait an hour to confirm that things were picking up. This question of waiting put me in quite a quandary. The last birth had moved fast once I got in the zone, and this time it was night, a fresh layer of snow on the ground, and my midwife was a good hour away.

I stopped my labor, frightened of tearing as I had with both previous births. I hung onto the idea that I needed my midwife there to help me work through that final stage. An hour passed and I felt frustrated and disappointed. I wanted to call and say, “Come. Now. I want to have this baby.” And yet, labor had stalled out with my preoccupation. At midnight, I headed into our dark bedroom to sit. I needed to accept that this birth might be on our own. Another contraction came rolling in like a huge ocean wave. I stood tall. The pain washed right over me. And suddenly labor started up again, contractions suddenly coming on fast and strong.

My husband called the midwife and she headed out. At this point, I’d successfully let go of my expectations. Things pushed forward in a state of peace and continued intensity. As the contractions arrived, I found myself resting in my husband’s arms at times. And with each one, if I stood up straight and tall like the trees that surround our home, repeating, “I am a tree. I am strong,” the pain instantly diminished. When I began to get tired, the pain would seep in, causing aches in my body that I hadn’t felt since the last birth. I asked my husband to remind me of my tree with each contraction. I soared above it all.

Finally, I sat on the birth ball. Time swept, contractions passed, and the midwives arrived. I began feeling urges to push and knew my body was ready. But my water held tight. We woke our girls and they patiently sat watching. I finally moved onto the floor, leaning on a stool. Although I felt strong urges to push, I feared tearing and wanted to avoid active pushing as much as possible.

With each contraction and some light pushes, I bent and rolled my hips, waiting and wondering, “This could be my last contraction ever.” The thought alone made me savor it all.

And then suddenly, another contraction. My water broke, splashing at my feet. Baby’s head was crowning. “Blow out your push,” my midwife reminded me. Stretch. Open as wide as possible, I repeated. The contraction passed and I waited. With the next contraction baby’s head was out. “Blow it out,” they reminded me again. I held tight. And then on the third contraction I had no choice. I pushed, and my baby boy slipped out.

I can happily say that unlike my previous birth tears (which were sore for weeks afterward), I had no stitches and after three days in bed, I was up and functioning again. This birth was my most intimate and calm birth. And, I can attest to having an ecstatic birth. I’m happy to have shown my daughters what birth can be like, while imprinting upon my son, a peaceful entry into this world.

A Quilt for Vivi, Kind of...

Well, thank goodness Abbey sent me that beautiful baby quilt because as happy as I am with this one, it certainly wouldn't pass for a baby quilt!  I was feeling bad that I hadn't made Vivi her own quilt so I said to myself, "Well, this quilt will be in honor of Vivian and I'll make it extra girly."  But, in the end, it was still a big grownup quilt with pretty flowers on it.  And that's okay too.  I'm sure she'll enjoy plenty of afternoons in the sun and picnics and tea parties on it some day.

 

I wanted something light colored and lightweight for summer, but still rugged enough to haul up the canyon for picnics.  The solutions was large patches (+12" square) of pretty vintage sheets, tied onto an old cotton blanket with no batting.  It's just the right thickness and I don't have to worry about the pretty fabric on top getting yucky because the back is a heavy woven, tan material, perfect for putting down on dew damp grass, sandy beaches or the backyard.

We took it out for a test drive for Clay's Father's Day picnic and mini-hike and it made the whole affair seem much more festive to be eating on such a pretty "table."  I'm envisioning plenty more backyard picnics.