The Little Things in Life

Welcome to the January Carnival of Natural Parenting: Learning from children This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama. This month our participants have shared the many lessons their children have taught them. Please read to the end to find a list... Continue Reading →

Honoring Belief and Authenticity during the Holidays

Before my husband and I had children, we discussed how we planned to handle various aspects of holidays. We aren't Christian and don't celebrate Christmas, so it only seemed natural to me that we wouldn't bring the commercial aspect of Santa Claus into our home for the Solstice. It wasn't something I would miss. Not only... Continue Reading →

framed wall art…

When my daughter was two years old, she drew on the wall with a pencil. It was actually a pretty cool drawing. We took a picture of it before she helped me wash the wall off. There is something appealing about drawing on the wall, though. It's a different experience drawing on a vertical surface... Continue Reading →

celebrating Halloween with less consumerism…

As with many other holidays, companies have managed to turn Halloween into a consumerist Photo by Yaxzone product. Emphasis is placed on the purchase and distribution of mass amounts of candy, over-priced cheaply made costumes, and non-environmentally friendly packaging.   When we celebrate Halloween by taking our children trick-or-treating, it's easy to fall into this mindset.... Continue Reading →

trick or treat…

Halloween is almost here, and the hot discussion among parents is how to deal with the anticipated candy from Halloween night. Is it better to let their kids pick out a few pieces and make the rest magically disappear, either by buying it from them or having a mythical Halloween goblin? Would it be better... Continue Reading →

be the parent you want to be…

I often come across the question from others about what to do when you haven't parented according to your ideals. When posted on a parenting forum, there seems to be an overwhelming urge for others to tell the original poster that, "It's okay." They regal everyone with posts about their less than stellar moments and... Continue Reading →

a computer for the kids…

Technology has changed a lot since I was a kid. My computer use prior to college mainly consisted of typing reports, writing stories, and excel sheets. I didn't have an e-mail account until undergrad, when the internet still seemed rather new (at least to me). It definitey wasn't like it is now. Computers are a part of... Continue Reading →

life learning…

Welcome to the September Carnival of Natural Parenting: We're all home schoolers This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama. This month our participants have shared how their children learn at home as a natural part of their day. Please read to... Continue Reading →

monster bed…

 When asked one time about sleeping arrangements with subsequent children, I shared with a group about our sleeping arrangements. We have a family bed, which at this time, includes two adults and four children. A young mother exclaimed how she would never have that many children in her bed. That is her perogative. It works... Continue Reading →

homemade play dough…

My children enjoy playing with Play-Doh. My three year old especially likes it. For the past year, he played with Play-Doh while his older brother and sister were in gymnastics class. It has a tendency to dry out, though, depsite carefully putting it away. I had been purchasing Play-Doh on sale. Then I decided to try... Continue Reading →

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