Progressive Pioneer

Giveaway: Sunflower Radiant Love

I think you'll love this weekend's giveaway; a handmade, wooden mother and baby giraffe, made by a 14 year old boy!  Below you can learn a bit more about him.  I can't wait until my kids are old enough to do things like this; it's so cool! I hope you'll support this fledgling entrepreneur!  (Check out his facebook page; I think I saw something about 10% off... and you can get an extra entry for "liking" the page.) 

Draven is 14 years old and lives in Utah with his family of 9. He is the second oldest in a family with 7 children. He has been working with wood for about 9 years. He's always enjoyed being an artist. In the 5th grade he started homeschooling and his family discovered the joys of Waldorf Inspired toys. Draven used to make flower fairies and wooden gnomes decorated in wool felt and he enjoyed it so much we talked about starting an Etsy shop. It wasn't until many years later that his mom started selling Waldorf inspired dolls, opened an etsy shop, and in September of 2010, Draven joined her shop selling wooden toys. Together they share a facebook fan page where items made are displayed and sometimes bought before being put on etsy.
Draven has worked hard and has purchased all of his own tools. He took care of animals and people's yards this summer to buy his first tools, and now he uses the money he makes from his etsy sales. 

Draven has a room in the basement that he uses as his shop, though he's afraid he's running out of room for all his tools and the many tools he plans on buying. He feels he has found his calling in life and he wants to be a woodworker. He is addicted to watching woodworking shows on public television and the internet so he can learn new things, though his mom admits that sometimes she gets annoyed with hearing his tools going nonstop!
In addition to woodworking, Draven loves scouts and is going to be a staff member at High Uintah Scout camp this year. He has done the electrical work in our basement, as well as the framing and some drywall. He has helped build our deck, and helped with finishing the outside of our house. He enjoys gardening immensely as well as landscaping. He is an amazingly hard worker. He is also taking a lego robotics course and loves anything to do with engineering.

To be entered to win please leave a comment below. You can gain SEVEN 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, AND 7) "Like" Draven's page on facebook.

Congratulations to Faith, who said, "With 4 boys, I'm hoping that mine will put their energy to such productive use! Sweet giraffes, even sweeter mother-son relationship, I think."

The Friday Make and Do

Here's a great tutorial on how to turn an old adult sweater into a cute little person sweater.  This is my favorite kind of project.
And if you're a crocheter, I think you pretty much have to make this hat, no question about it.  (Another great find via Made.)
I know I recently posted a link to a puppet tutorial, but these are so great they just couldn't go unmentioned. 
Ever wanted to try curing your own olives?  Maybe you should...
This vegan cream of mushroom soup looks pretty tasty and I've had good luck with cashew-based creamy things in the past.  I think I might give it a try.
Hope your weekend is full of tasty eats, leisurely conversations and plenty of time with loved ones!

Book Review: Bring Me Some Apples and I'll Make You a Pie

Our library had a wonderful display of picture books for African American History Month, so we picked up a stack.  My favorite has been this book about Edna Lewis (Here's a wonderful, short video about her.  Don't you love this photo?  Gorgeous.)

The story is a celebration of seasons and good food.  There's something so calming about it, the rhythm, the predicability of one season following another.  It comforts me in the same way Ox-Cart Man does and I've found myself reading it over and over to Sam.

The watercolor illustrations are loose and relaxed in vibrant colors and are accompanied by words that read like a conversation.

The songs and rhymes that are scattered throughout the book summon up the joy and exhuberance of the harvest, and spinning that harvest into mouth-watering meals.  I think this is one we might have to add to our personal library.  I can see us reading it over and over throughout the year.

PS I just saw that if you're a mom you can get a year of Amazon Prime for FREE!  Yippee!!  That means free 2-day shipping on everything. (Thanks for the tip, Nicole!)

Late Night, Baby?

Good morning.  I'm just recovering from a wild night with Viv; she pretty much partied all night long and barely gave her poor dad and I a break.  Good thing she's so cute that we melt every time we look at her.  Otherwise she'd be in big trouble!

I'm bringing myself back to a somewhat functioning state with a steaming mug of cocoa coconut herbal tea with coconut cream and honey.  It's really divine.  A wedge of crusty, savory-sweet bread accompanies my drink along with some fig sauce left over from Sunday night's dinner.  I swoon over this sauce; it's a Giada de Laurentiis recipe and every time I make it I'm so glad it makes extra because I just eat it with a spoon.  Red wine, cinnamon sticks, rosemary sprigs, honey and dried figs, all stewed and blended into a decadent sauce. 

The bread is our newest way of using that sourdough bucket bread that I've been finding all sorts of uses for.  Last night I laid down a circle of it and piled it high with raisins, goat cheese, cinnamon, slivered almonds and brown sugar, topped it with another disc of dough and popped it onto the waiting stone in the oven and let it go for half and hour or so.  It's a wonderful, chewy treat, savory and sweet at the same time.  And perfect with the fig sauce.  We also use the bucket bread for pizza dough, thin or thick crust and twisted bread sticks with cheese and herbs. 

Sit Awhile

Remember the sauna?  I know, it was started so long ago, we practically forgot about it ourselves.  Well, just me really, Clay hasn't stopped thinking about it, he just hasn't had a spare moment to work on it.  Until recently.  And now, with a finished sauna, and me no longer pregnant (apparently they're a no-no when you're preggie), we've been basking in the warm, woodsy heat of the sauna at least once a week.  It sure makes winter more bearable.

There's something sort of primal about the sauna; the dimly lit, cave-like interior; the elemental smell of the heat and the wood; the way you leave behind not only your clothes, but the worries and demands on your time that somehow seem so pressing only moments before you step inside.

It's a funny thing about the sauna, time doesn't seem to hold the same properties once inside.  On occasion I've only been in there a mere ten minutes, yet it seems as if time lengthens like melted honey.  Other times 30 or 40 minutes can easily drift quickly by. 

"When I sit in the sauna," Clay says, "I feel like a king."  It's true.  Life just doesn't get much better than the simple bodily pleasures: good food, soft beds, healthy bodies.  It's a richness that doesn't necessarily come from dollars and cents (this sauna, in fact, was pretty much free, made all from reclaimed materials and the wiring work was a trade).  I'm often reminded of the rustic tujs I bathed in while living in Guatemala.  Like a stone sauna, one would crouch in through the low door.  The same combination of hot rocks and water turned the somewhat ugly, cinder block structure into something of beauty.  No spa treatment I've experienced comes close to the relaxing, rejuvenating effect of a simple tuj (or sauna!).

The Friday Make and Do

Throw a party, just so you can make these party hats. 
Make some adorable sock puppets (via the Crafty Crow).
Make your own super-good-looking birthday candles (yet another reason to throw that party!) (via Babble)

Create something pretty for the walls. 
Try making your own pattern.  Then you can make a dozen pairs of pants exactly like that perfect pair your kiddo loves so much!

Make this and tell me how it is; I've been having dreams about it...
Have a wonderful weekend!

Becoming a Knitter

It's been interesting working on this Elizabeth Zimmerman pattern.  Being such a young knitter, so unsteady on my needles, I have liked a pattern to tell me exactly what to do, every row, each stitch.  I've relied more on the detailed instructions than on an understanding of the big picture.  So, for that reason, this EZ pattern initially threw me off a bit. 

She writes as though I know what I'm doing!  After fighting against her method, trying to count how may stitches each row would have and writing it all out, I got hopelessly tangled in a mess of numbers.  "Fine," I said, "We'll do it your way."  I relaxed.  I trusted her.  Mostly I trusted myself.  There's something about having someone trust in you (even a pattern maker you've never met) that somehow makes you more capable.  I found this project so much more enjoyable because I wasn't bogged down in the minutia.  And in the end, it changed the sort of knitter I am.  I started trusting myself more and being less afraid to experiment.  It seems to have opened up a whole new world of things I didn't know I could do!

The only unfortunate thing is that my baby girl is growing so fast that her growing outpaced my sporadic knitting!  I picked up the sweater project and worked on it in little snatches of time here and there and before I knew it, she was much larger than the sweater!

Luckily, I have quite a few dear friends who are having babies soon, so this sweater shouldn't have any trouble finding a new home.  And it will give me the chance to make another one!  The funny thing about knitting is that I'm finding I like the process just as much as the end product.  So, I never particularly mind if I have to unravel and redo something or even start a project over entirely.  It just means more meditative time at the needles. 

Here's the sweater with the little fishy buttons I got to go with it.  Nice and gender neutral so it can go to a little boy or girl.  I thought, at first, that it would be hard to give away something I'd put so much time into, but there's something about knitting that makes the whole process, not just the benchmarks of completed projects, feel like a continual project in and of itself.  So, it's not so much letting go of an individual piece, but rather weaving a friend into your larger project.  And the more pieces you give away, the more people you connect to yourself, or weave into your personal "project."  So yes, this little sweater will find a good home.

15 New Plants to Try This Spring

I spend the winter months looking longingly at the vibrantly colorful, glossy pages of the seed catalogs.  But when I tally up all the dog-eared pages and highlighted plants that I want to try, it's often waaaay too much money to spend, especially on such a tiny garden.  It only recently dawned on me to team up with some other families and split the cost of the seeds (duh), since none of us have very large gardens and don't need a whole pack of seeds ourselves.  Each family picked plants that are strange, interesting, new and novel, knowing we could get "normal" seeds from our stash or the local nursery.  Here are the new plants that will be gracing corners of our garden come spring.

Golden Beets :This is my sister-in-law Vanessa's pick.  Clay says they're delicious, but hard to grow.  We'll give them some extra TLC. Charentais Melon: I've heard good things about this French melon, Vanessa and I both wanted to try it.

Clemson Spineless Okra: This one was my sister-in-law Carlie's pick.  I've never been a fan of okra, but that's probably just because I haven't had it done right.  I'm excited to experience the home grown version.  And I think the plants are pretty. Five Color Silverbeet Chard: This one is a treat to see growing among the leafy greens.  We grew some a couple years ago and the colors are so vibrant and lovely. Dragon Carrot: So far we've stuck with Scarlett Nantes.  These were Clay's brother Christophr's pick.  It will exciting to try something new! Poona Kheera Cucumber: These crazy, rust-skinned, Indian cucumbers can be eaten through all shades of maturity, green to dusty red. 

Chioggia Beets: These are a family favorite.  They're just so gorgeous in a salad, and really sweet and tasty. Joe's Long Pepper: Chris is apparently the most adventurous of the lot of us because he chose this long, spicy pepper.  I may not be brave enough to eat it, but I'll definitely enjoy the splash of red in the garden. Speckled Cranberry Bean: These beans, my pick, seem interesting not only for thir pretty color, but because you can eat the whole pod steamed, later as shelling beans and you can even leave them on the vine to dry and keep over the winter.  I've always wanted to try doing my own dried beans.  Obviously we'll only get enough for about one pot of soup from our tiny garden, but it will be a fun experiment.  Romanesco: I've wanted to try this one for awhile and finally have an excuse to do so.  The electric green whorls and tips look like modern art.
Mexican Sour Gherkin: They're tiny, they're cute, and they taste "already pickled," what's not to love?
Aunt Molly's Ground Cherry: I'm so excited for this one!  I've never even tasted a ground cherry before.  We've had great success with tomatillos (almost too much success; they reseed themselves with exhuberance!), so I'm optimistic that these will do well.
Strawberry Spinach: Okay, get ready for your mind to be blown; spinach with little mulberry-esque berries growing on the stems!!!  I know!!! Your mind is totally blown.  I think this is the plant I'm most excited about; I can't wait to try it.

Hardy Kiwi: I've always wanted to try growing kiwis.  We're going to put some trellises along the south side of the house, so that's where these will live.  I know quite a few people who have successfully grown these in Maine, so I have high hopes for them here. 
Rich Sweetness Melon: Another climbing plant for the trellises.  These melons are tiny, so won't weigh a trellised plant down, and the melons are ridiculously sweet, so they say.

How about you?  Anything new and exciting going into the ground at your place this spring?

Happy Valentine's Day!

I'm so glad we did Valentine's cards this year.  It was way more low-stress than Christmas cards, there's so much else going on that time of year anyway.  It's nice to get festive and send a little love out to friends and family when the world (at least our corner of it) is still relatively dark and chilly.  

Here's how we made our cards.  I gathered up supplies (a large sheet from the second-hand store, some batting for the cloud I had on hand from another project, a pair of wings and little hearts from the party store, a stick from the backyard and some twine to make the bow and arrow, and Sam's cutest red clothes).  I took the kids' pictures in shifts; it was hard enough getting one of them to look the right way at the right time.  Getting both of them doing what they were supposed to do at the same time would've been far outside my skill range. 

The other crucial element in this undertaking is a photoshop savvy husband.  Clay was able to put Sam and Vivian's pictures together, add some good looking text and create this pretty, striped back for the card. 
Once we had the image the way we liked it we sent the file off to NextDayFlyers and they even came back a day earlier than expected!  I was able to get most off them addressed in one day, though I was still cutting it pretty close to getting them out on time, which meant I couldn't write as long of a note on each card.  In a perfect world, I would've had these printed and on my doorstep two weeks before Valentine's day, so I could have taken my time, writing a personal, thoughtful note on each one (there's always next year!).  We did include a link to the family letter though and I think I prefer that to printing out a bazillion copies. 
How about you?  Did you make any fun valentines this year?  I'm excited for the day Sam and Viv are old enough and interested in sending out cards of their own too:)

Giveaway: Brindille and Twig

Melissa Hendrickson owner of the shop Brindille and Twig, is giving away this rad boy's hooded sweatshirt!  It is wide striped, made of organic fabrics, size 2/3T and the colors are an olive green and brown with black cuffs and hood.  This is totally one of those times when I want to enter and rig my own giveaway!  How cute would Sam look in this?!  Best part is, it's hand-made and designed by Melissa.  Most of her items are made of organic material and designed with hard wearing kids in mind.  This sweatshirt is cover stitched for kid-proof durability.  She adds thoughtful, unique details like a raw seam along the stripes and the perfect shaped hood to fit just right around their head and face.  And it's made of organic cotton french terry and cotton thermal ribbing, just the perfect weight to carry your little guy through the tail end of winter and into the spring.
Here's what Melissa says about having her own shop: "My goal in making clothing is to have as much an organic, sustainable process as I can from start to finish. As well as offering creative clothing that children will love.  All the pieces I make have been inspired by a natural setting then shaped by my own ideas. Then of course, handmade by me from pattern to end product. Which means I place a lot of attention into every detail and piece to create a unique, quality item that ultimately stands out." 

To be entered to win please leave 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.

Congratulations to Jessica, who said, "my little guy would look so cute in this!"

The Friday Make and Do

Well, I got our valentines all addressed and stamped and out the door- phew!  I always forget what an undertaking large mailings like that are.  But, I'm glad we did it; I love sending cards.  And if you wanted me to send you one, but felt too shy or weird emailing, please don't!  NextDayFlyers printed them for free for us (thanks, guys!) and we have way more than we needed, so I'd much rather send one to you than to the recycling:)

This weekend I think we'll be trying these whole wheat chocolate sugar cookies.  We have some normal-sized heart cookie cutters, but then I got some little tiny ones that I can't wait to use too.

I have a thing for sewn paper and would totally make these (if I hadn't just had myself a card-addressing party...).  I'm also kind of grooving on these little heart pillows. 

Have you seen the Google Art Project?  Pretty amazing; take yourself on a little tour.
Hope your weekend is lovely!

Book Review: Unconditional Parenting

Parenting is kind of hard, you know?  And that poor first kid, the one that gets half a dozen parenting philosophies tried out on them, that doesn't get to eat sugary cereal or stay out past curfew.  Poor Sam.  He's that first kid (as opposed to those that follow; tell the truth you older siblings, didn't your younger siblings get the sugary cereal that you were never allowed to have?).  I just don't quite know how to do this parenting thing.  I mean, I'm not too worried that we'll mess him up; we love him and he loves us.  But, it's in the details that things get tricky. 

For awhile we had this system of simple consequences and a few simple rules.  He knew that breaking a rule would get him a consequence and we were able to calmly tell him so when the occasion arose.  For awhile it worked great; he seemed to really enjoy the sense of autonomy it gave him, and that he was doing something rather than having something done to him (the precursor to the consequence system was a time-out system, which no one really liked).  But, eventually this waned and the consequences became nearly as unpleasant as their forerunner, the timeout.  So, lately we've just been kind of limping along, trying to figure out the best way to maintain some sense of order and peace in our home, show respect for him and teach him to do the same for us, and to teach him how to be a compassionate and decent human being along the way.  I wish I had some great parenting tips for you, but I don't.  Sam is a really good kid, and we really can't complain.  But there's whining, and occasional meltdowns when he doesn't get what he wants, and he can be slow to listen, you know how it goes.  But, overall, a great kid.

So, I read with interest the book Unconditional Parenting.  It doesn't offer any sort of simple steps to perfect parenthood or anything, but rather pokes holes in popular "discipline techniques" (rewards, time-outs, any sort of punishment really) and then offers a guiding philosophy.  With the material fresh in my mind, I reacted a bit differently in a recent altercation with Sam.  I can't remember what he was angling for, but he was bombarding me with some sort of demand, over and over, in a whiney, pre-meltdown voice.  In a very calm, but not particularly loving voice, I told him I was not going to respond to him if he was talking like that.  Kohn, the author, identifies this particular behavior (mine) as "love withdrawl" (kind of ugly sounding, isn't it?).  When I realized that's what I was doing (trying to control his behavior by withholding love), I tried a different tactic.  I knelt down on the floor and asked him very sincerely, kindly, and respectfully (sort of how you might address a very upset adult you were concerned for) what I could do for him.  And you know, he calmed right down and explained very reasonably what it was that he wanted, a request I had no problem honoring. That simple paradigm shift on my part changed the whole mood of our interaction.

I still don't know what I'm doing, but I appreciate the place the author is coming from and the reminder it was for me to respect my children more, to try to see things from their perspective, and to not let short-term goals (eat your peas!) get in the way of long-term goals (be kind to others).  It was a very thoughtful and well-researched book and I would definitely recommend it.  It's given me some new ideas to think about and has me reconsidering some of the ways we interact with our kiddos.  And if anyone has any parenting gems they care to share, I'm all ears!

Paper Mache

I love paper mache!  I think it's partly because my mom loved it.  Certain things I find myself loving and I can't remember if it's because I really do or because I love my mom (like elm trees)... either way is okay with me though.  Anyway, Sam and I made paper mache and had a great time.  It's one of those things that doesn't really require that much effort, but for some reason is just hard to get the momentum to do (kind of like going to the gym).  I'd been meaning to do this with him for awhile; it's the perfect indoor, winter activity.  

Playing with the goopey paste (we just mixed flour and water until it was like runny paste) was, of course, a major highlight.  Though I think he enjoyed painting it even more.  Now all he can talk about is turning it into a pinata because I happened to mention that this is how you make a one.  But, why not?  Why not turn it into a pinata, throw on a blindfold and have a mini-fiesta?!  Maybe that's what we'll do for our next family night.  Now I just have to figure out what to stuff it with.  Is it awful to admit that I would actually consider stuffing it with toys he already has?  I mean, it would be decidedly un-festive for me to have tons of candy on the loose (not to mention the aftermath of a major sugar ingestion) and he already has plenty of toys.  The fun is really in whacking the thing, right?  Not in the cheap toys?  Alright, maybe just one new thing, but the rest are coming straight out of the toy box!

I Am a Productive Human Being; I've Got Mittens to Show for It

Some days I feel as if I can't get out of my own way.  At the end of the day I can't think of a single thing I've started and actually finished...  Nothing to show for my incredibly long, exhausting day!  Such is the life of a mom.  The "product" we produce is a lack of chaos, nothing you can hold up proudly and say, "Look what I did!" but rather, a lack of dirty dishes in the sink, a lack of hungry tummies, a lack of piles of dirty laundry.  If we do our jobs well enough, it's hardly noticeable, just a clean, well-run home to show for it.  It looks so easy from the outside!  I think this is why things like sewing and knitting, and creating things are so appealing to me.  There's actually a concrete object to show for my work, something I can hold in my hands (aside from sweet, happy babies, of course; they're plenty holdable, huggable and clear evidence of a labor of love). So, after a day of feeling as if I've accomplished nothing, it feels good to sit down to a quick and satisfying project.  The mittens I made Sam last year got a hole in the thumb.  I fixed it, but it made the thumb considerably shorter and they were getting a bit small anyway.  So, I dug into the basket of felted wool sweaters and whipped up a few more pairs for Sam.  The first time I traced his hand to make a pattern.  This time I just traced the already made mitten, adding a bit more for a seam allowance to to make them slightly larger, since he's a year older.  These are the absolute easiest project in the world, and it feels so satisfying to see a stack of something, anything, actually finished.  It helps when Sam dances around with glee when I make him things too:)  I also whipped up a few pairs of leg warmers from some worn out socks for Vivian.  Got to keep those babies warm!

Giveaway: Playful Learning

Lately I've been really interested in children's environments and how they impact learning, mood, creativity etc., especially since reading that Montessori book.  I'm really looking forward to taking Mariah's Playful Learning Spaces course.  And she's offered a spot for one of you as well!

Here's what Mariah says about the course:

Playful Learning Spaces is a six week online course that is designed to guide parents and teachers through the process of designing thoughtful spaces for children. Throughout our time together we will explore and share ideas for creating areas that invite children to engage in reading, writing, science, art and so on. We will also discuss organization, storage, and selecting materials for different ages and stages of child development.

Each week participants will receive a video that contains basic educational principles, simple guidelines and helpful photos. You will also receive weekly assignments and links to relevant research, products and inspiration. As a community we will have the opportunity to look at the spaces we create for our children, tackle overdue projects, post before and after photos, and receive practical feedback and support.

I love learning from people that have done all the research for me already.  Mariah is a genius at what she does and it will be such a treat to learn from her.  I feel like this will give me some really great ideas and a good foundation for home schooling Sam and Vivi.  Plus, I'm just kind of an organization-geek; I get so excited about it!  Creativity + organization?  I'm in heaven:)

PS She's got a book coming out too.  I can't wait!

To be entered to win please leave 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.

Congratulations to the Sleepytime Gal, who said, "i just added her book to my amazon wish list tonight-- how ironic!"

The Friday Make and Do

I'm kind of a smoothie gal; when I'm really in a good groove we have them every day.  This kind of makes me want to try a new combination every day for the next month!

Know any babies or mamas-to-be?  This little guy would make the sweetest gift.
The Minimalist put out a list of his very favorite recipes, which means I'll be quite busy in the kitchen this next little while...

I love Bias tape, but when you buy it in those packages it can add up.  So, I got one of those little bias tape makers, but haven't yet used it.  Now I have no excuse because Dana has created this lovely and very thorough tutorial. 
If it's still bone-chillingly cold in your neck of the woods (we tried to go for a walk today and got all of two blocks from home) maybe this weekend is the perfect time to get into a new show.  We just watched all four episodes of the BBC miniseries Wives and Daughters and loved it!  I just want to be that main character; she is so perfectly sweet and lovely....
And maybe a warm mug of this delicious looking middle eastern drink while you watch your show, yum!
Hope your weekend's cozy and lovely!

Planning to Eat

Have I ever mentioned that I occasionally contribute to the Plan to Eat blog?  I love using their site to organize all the recipes I find online (and I just inputed my own recipes I use regularly so they're all in one place) instead of having them tagged or bookmarked or saved in emails or whatnot.  Don't you hate trying to find a recipe that "you know you saw somewhere....?"  Anyway, I've been meaning to share these posts, so here you go!

This Mexican pizza (pictured above) is our newest favorite meal and it's the perfect thing to serve for big, casual gatherings.

Here's an unusual and slightly adventurous popcorn topping.

And here I share a bit about how I adapt recipes to have more (or all!) whole wheat flour.

Makes Baby Food AND Entertains Your Toddler

I've been wanting to learn more about baby-led weaning, but so far what we've done is just moosh up some regular food for our babes when they seem interested.  As far as I understand, with baby-led weaning you let the baby pick up actual pieces of food to chew on, instead of grinding it up (I know some of you readers are doing this and must know all about it- care to shed some light?).  Vivian is definitely really excited about food, I think mainly as a new experience more than really being hungry for it.  I don't worry about feeding her to fill her up or to replace breastmilk; she still nurses just as much as ever.  But it's been really fun for her to try new flavors and textures.  And I've gotten a kick out of how excited Sam is about it.  He LOVES to grind up food for her, and to feed it to her as well.  I left some mooshed up avocado on the table and when I walked back in the room it was gone.  What did I find when I rounded the corner, but two avocado-covered kids!  Sam was very diligently trying to feed Vivian and had gotten green goo all over both of them.  I do love this little grinder though; it's super easy to use (as evidenced by Sam's skill with it) and to clean.  And it's so convenient to just pop something from my plate in and moosh it up for Viv.  I can imagine it would be convenient to take to a restaurant with your baby (if you were ever so crazy as to take a baby to a restaurant in the first place).  And it gives us a few more minutes of peace at the table to let Sam be in charge of mixing up her food.
Here's a book I've heard good things about on baby-led weaning, but I haven't read it myself yet, and one mom's experience can be read about here. 

Valentine Cards

Since we didn't get around to sending out Christmas cards (seriously, you are my hero if you managed to do that!) we decided to send out Valentine cards.  After all the excitement of Christmas, winter just seems to drag on, so it was fun for us to have a little project to get excited about while it's still cold and dreary out.  Plus, after all the holiday hoopla I have all this creative energy to burn, since I'm not up to my ears in half a dozen projects with a deadline.  I won't unveil the card today, but I will tell you a little about it...

We decided to take a picture of the kids, but not just any old picture mind you, one that involves cupid wings, raining hearts and flying babies...  Clay doctored it up in photoshop and we're having a whole bunch printed on postcards (this place is great for procrastinators like myself because they print it in one day).  

I know there are strong feelings about the holiday letter- some people love 'em, some hate 'em.  I happen to love receiving them, but have never written one myself.  I thought maybe I would include one with our Valentine cards.  But, since we're sending postcards, I figured we wouldn't have room to write a whole yearly update.  So, I'm thinking of just writing it online and including a link in the note on the postcard.  What do you think?  Would that be weird?  I just figure that way they get a cute, updated picture of the kids, a personal note, and if they want, they have the option of reading a more detailed version of our escapades in 2010.

What are you doing for Valentine's day?  Do you send Valentines far and wide or just to a select few?  I think we'll hand deliver some of the cards to the neighbors along with some cookies.

PS See that herbal recipe over there on the sidebar?  I'm going to try putting up a new one each week, just for fun.  I'll do my best to link to sources and be good about updating it...  Let me know if you try one!

PPS I think we might have extra cards, we're ordering a lot; I'll totally send you one if you send me your address!  Just email it (don't leave it in the comments) with the words VALENTINE CARD in the title and I'll be more than happy to send out any extras we have!