Potatoes Gone Bad? Make Potato Stamps! (A Really Really Simple Tutorial)

November 10, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Every couple of weeks, I buy a huge bag of organic potatoes to save money and I never seem to use it all up before it starts sprouting and going gnarly on me. And I have to admit that I’ve been throwing them readily in the garbage (shame shame! but not really) except lately, I’ve been really wanting to be more mindful of my waste in the kitchen. I hope to learn how to make my own compost bin but I’m not quite there yet so for the meantime, I’ve been just trying to think of creative ways to use up what I have and repurpose them for something else.

So what to do with those potatoes you can’t eat anymore? Make fun art of course!

It’s a bit laughable that I call this a tutorial because it really isn’t.  Of course if you are way way craftier than this, then you probably would have stopped reading this post and I’m assuming that all I have left reading this post are those for whom this is helpful.

Easy is compelling for me. So we make star shapes and flower shapes for this round. I don’t consider myself a crafty crafty mama and I thought it would do everyone a favor if I had humble ambitions in the craft/handmade department.

You Will Need:

  1. Old Potatoes
  2. Marker
  3. Knife
  4. Paint
  5. Brush
  6. Stock Paper

 Instructions for Dummies Crafty-Challenged Mamas Like Me:

  1. Cut your potatoes in half. Make sure they are so very dry.
  2. Draw an outline of the shape that will be easy to carve. Unless you are a master carver or ambitious to be one.
  3. Carve carefully with a knife. (If your child insists on doing it themselves, give them a butter knife and an extra pair of potatoes and let them have at it!)
  4. Brush the paint on the shape.
  5. Stamp away!

See how easy that was? You can also make simple cards if you’d like and use them for Invites for Thanksgiving or even thank you notes for Christmas! Art need not be elaborate. Simple is as simple does sometimes. And most of all, it’s the fun memories to be had!

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Remembering: Back To BabyWearing (And My Favorite Ring Sling)

November 8, 2011 By 2 Comments

Note: Kathleen’s posts on her Attachment Parenting series inspired me to revisit babywearing. I kinda want to revisit some other AP related stuff and how I see Attachment Parenting a little bit differently now three years later. But for today, allow me to gush about Babywearing. Really, I’m all love.

It’s been about two years now since I have last used my beloved ring sling. And getting it out of the storage and onto my body is bringing back so many fond memories of my first year as a mama.

(If you missed it, I started nannying a month or so ago as a way to earn extra income while still spending time with my daughter. It’s been quite the challenge transitioning all of a sudden to caring for two littles, but my daughter has wonderfully surprised me by being a very doting and loving older “sister” to this 5-month old boy who have joined the rhythm of our home.)

How I loved that ring sling! It really is hands down the best babywearing gear ever.

That first year is probably the most memorable year of my life. Becoming a mother, the most transformative. And is still transforming so many parts and pieces of me. Babywearing was such a fun aspect of that first year because it made it so much easier to go to places and do things with my baby. She gets to be close to mama and I to her. It really made my first year of motherhood lovelier.

The best part was probably how easy it was to nurse my little one anytime and anywhere. The ring sling makes it so so much easy to turn my baby’s position within seconds and to nurse her without having to cover up. The sling gives a bit of a privacy and I didn’t have to use a nursing cover ever, which I hated. Now that I’m caring for another baby and have to bottle feed him, I definitely can see the advantage of breastfeeding for demand nursing. For some, bottle feeding may be a better fit for their lifestyle but for me, babywearing and breastfeeding fit together beautifully.


The ring sling was also awesome to use for my husband. It’s a one size fits all and super easy to adjust for all body types. I love men who wear slings! Particularly this one!


When my daughter got heavier, the Ergo replaced my sling for longer babywearing and doing more active chores and the like. Like when I rearranged and moved furniture around the house, as I am known to do about once a month. Wearing her on my back also felt more freeing because sometimes, wearing a baby can feel like a bit of a restriction on your movement just like when I was pregnant. Wearing a baby on my back felt like I finally had the front of my body back!


But the Ergo was also good for when she was smaller. And that little hood to cover her up when she was napping? Brilliant!

I’m sure there are tons of new and improved kind of babywearing stuff but the ring sling and the Ergo totally met our needs. I tried them all (mei tai, wrap, pouch sling included) and the ring sling and the ergo were my top favorites. Should we get pregnant again, I probably will rely on these two. I’m actually ready to let go of my stash so hmmm….a giveaway in the future maybe? Any interests?


Oh yes, my favorite sling? Sakura Bloom. Made of Belgian linen, amazing solid colors and just plain durable. Pure Love for these slings from me! Curious? Click the image above. And yes, it’s an affiliate link by the way!

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Why We Love Scarves + Fabrics of Sorts (A Frugal Idea For Play)

November 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment

In a world full of electronic and digital things, sometimes the most elementary stuff is just the best. Especially when it comes to play.

Not only are simple play things, well, simple but they are also so good for your budget! And best of all, they cultivate open-ended creative play that many children nowadays don’t do enough of. With school work, T.V. and structured/educational activities all day long, our children’s creative capacities are threatened without the simple stuff that time, space and ordinary objects are made of.

We have some toys in our house but most of the things my little kid plays with are stuff we already have. And one of our most favorite things to use are fabrics and scarves of sort (except we bought the silk scarves from Dharma Trading Company and dyed them ourselves, which was for another fun activity!) The possibilities truly feel endless when it comes to open-ended playthings such as scarves and fabrics so we have a big stash of them around here.

Here are the ways we love them:

They make for cozy playhouses or forts (no sewing required!)

They make awesome dress up clothes: robes, skirts, dresses!

They make for a great quick mystery box!

They help tie balloon wings on a jiffy.

And finally, they help keep your wooden  floors from getting scratched!

So if you haven’t yet discovered the wonder of fabrics and scarves, scrounge around your house for them or find them at your local thrift store and clean them well. And then let your children have it at them!

Thoughts? Ideas? Comment away!

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Rambling: This is How We Play

October 20, 2011 By 4 Comments

Curiosity. Delight. Pleasure. Nature.

These we take seriously around our house. Or at least we’re beginning to! And thanks to this little person in our lives, everyday becomes an opportunity to Grow in these things, Play a whole lot more and be a bit closer to the Child we once were.

I’m growing more and more passionate about Waldorf Education the more I learn about it (and the more I let go of my Perfectionist Way of pursuing it.) It was the ideas from Rudolf Steiner about child development that solidified my decision to have less toys in the house, choose beautiful simple open-ended play things, opt out of TV and commercialized childhood as much as I can, really slow down and find our inner rhythms for our days, embrace the natural cycles of the earth and celebrate the seasons. I’ve really come a long way considering where I started: clueless and unaware like you wouldn’t believe.

I know I’m happiest with my little girl when we are out and about in the “woods” (not really the woods but pretty close) or the beach,  when we make something creatively together and when we connect over stories, music and food. I have to remember how happy this all makes me feel so I can work towards making this happen more often. Not just once in a blue moon random day. In fact, I’d like this to be our Everyday Reality, please.

Because I really get sucked so quickly into the chores and the ever so adult stuff that demands my time. I’m a real neat-organized freak (not so much a clean freak though) and I get close to panic attacks when the house is in certain amount of disorder.

The Waldorf Philosophy draws me out of my OCD adult tendencies  into the more magical and whimsical world of children.

 

There’s so much to learn and apply and incorporate into our lives, but I’m finding that when I remember to take it one easy and gracious step at a time, things fall into place like one piece of a puzzle finding its way into its rightful spot. The whole picture is not quite clear yet, but as long as I can visualize it in my mind and heart, I can keep adding the pieces each day and plug away faithfully until the work is done.

It’s really about intention. And I think for the longest time, I wasn’t clear on my intention that this is what I wanted. The Perfectionist Part of me (a.k.a. The Resistance) wanted an either/or approach. It wanted me to be all Waldorf now or bust. But oh how I learn!

Oh dear Resistance, you do have a lot to teach and I’m learning how to outsmart you! Yet ever so Slowly.  And Graciously.

So I let go and let my daughter be. I try not to teach so much because there’s already so much Presence in Life that one learns from.

Or at least I try to teach by Being.

Which means I have to learn to Be.

And it comes full circle because Being is what I’m learning most from my little one.

She is teaching me that just because there’s a playground and a slide doesn’t mean it’s what you have to play with if you are really interested in something else (like making a wee little home for our imaginary friends). You follow your Heart and the arrows pointing to Pleasure and Play that is Life.

It’s the most magical thing ever, really. If we only have eyes to see.

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How To Turn Your To Do List Into A Ta-Da! List (Or How To Make Boring Chores Fun)

October 5, 2011 By 2 Comments

Sometime last year, I wrote about how I wanted to learn this practice of exulting in monotony and as a new mama and a homemaker, the mundane tasks I faced day in and out were still somewhat novel back then.

Fast forward to my 3rd year of a life so domestic and I have to say that I still have my moments of feeling terribly bored with yet another round of stinky laundry and a pile of greasy dishes to clean.

Except these days, I’m taking my Pursuit of Pleasure rather seriously and let’s just say that the fun in the Barham Household has been amped considerably.

Starting with laundry.

It was actually my daughter’s idea. We were innocently folding our kitchen towels and napkins on our dining table when all of a sudden she blurted out, i want to buy a napkin! And then proceeded to pretend that she wanted to buy this napkin and that napkin. And how much is this again mama, she asks? Before we knew it, a napkin store was born.

Of course, this meant that our chore didn’t get done sooner but what the hey? It made for a more juicy morning, a good time for playful connection with my daughter, and a creative outlet for both of us. And heeey – we had freshly laundered + nicely folded kitchen linens and napkins ready for use at the end!

So the moral of the story is this:  It’s not always about speed. Or efficiency. Or even productivity. If you have to do something, might as well do it in a way that brings you Pleasure. Because when you do, chances are you end up being truly productive anyway.

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Explore Pleasure With Me?

October 3, 2011 By 6 Comments

So it seems like the theme this week (or perhaps the entire month?) is all about….Pleasure! Whee! I’m one season behind, it seems like (summer = pleasure, right?) but no matter. I’m following the Pleasure Trail and today, I’m defining what Pleasure is, and what it’s not.

Ready?

Let’s start by looking at our children. Oh how we have so much to learn (or unlearn) from them!

It’s so fascinating to me that one of the newborn’s first instinct right after birth is to suck their mama’s breast. Sure, of course, the baby needs to eat. She’s just gone through a very long journey and needs a lot of nourishment after all. But she is also seeking comfort  in the most unashamed way.

Comfort. Ease. Nourishment. Pleasure.

We were all born wired for Pleasure, but sadly, tragically, many of us have dulled our appetites and receptivity for the real thing.

What we nowadays think of as Pleasure is not really Pleasure but Distractions of Sort. Food that puts us in a coma or a funk. “Entertainment” that drains our energy to do our art. Hobbies that keep us preoccupied but not filled. And so on.

True Pleasure is Life-Giving.  True Pleasure turns us on to live our lives fully, wholly, truthfully.

When I look at my daughter and the children around me so full of life, so full of passion for Pleasure and Play, I wonder at what point does it all change.

When do we start thinking that we need to direct our attention now to something else?  That Pleasure and Play becomes a secondary pursuit to something greater?

I know for me as a mother, as soon as my daughter started talking and showing abilities that were more “useful” (like being able to help in the kitchen), I would direct her activities to something more productive. Meaning I would judge her play sometimes as a waste of time.

In my mind sometimes, Work can’t be Play. Responsibility can’t be Pleasure.

Aaaah. The dualistic adult mind at work.  Thanks to many years of unconscious parenting, uninspired schooling, cultural conditioning, dogma and just plain un-evolved humanity.

But What if True Work is really Play? And that Response-ability is Really Pleasure? 

What if Work Truly worth doing is Work that makes our heart merry, involves our whole self and fills us up with life-giving Force? What if Response-ability is really about the ability to tune in to what Lights us up and what Energizes us ?

Can you imagine all the things you will start saying yes and no to? Can you imagine how you might go about your Work differently? Can you imagine what kind of world we could potentially have if we all started to think this way?

Ooooh. So much more of this stuff to dig and dive into but it’s past my bedtime and I really want to get this post out so let’s keep the conversation rolling shall we? Agree? Disagree? Comment away!

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