embracing the abundance of nature found in our gardens and gardens of friends…
borage water for simple syrup // wood sorrel water for simple syrup // green bean harvest & french cutting beans // dehydrating garden herbs // crushing borage leaves // sage, thyme & hyssop infused honey // garden plum fruit leather
This post was originally called Lately in July… well, it’s now time for a Lately in August! Such is life.
Garden love (apples, hollyhocks, beans, borage, romance cherries) – family reunions with vinarterta and crokinole – fire station days… plus markets, a bee workshop, beach days, time with friends, and more. July was good to us.
On July 21st, 25 little bee ambassadors gathered together to learn about honeybees from local beekeepers Chris & Lindsay Kirouac of Beeproject Apiaries. They participated in a honey extraction, suited up in beekeeping gear, checked out a demonstration hive, and made some bee friendly crafts with Tiny Peasant.
These kids were amazing! They came curious and ready to learn and have fun. It was really a blast to host them for the morning and we’re looking forward to the next workshop!
If you missed the workshop or are just interested in bees, you can get the bee house tutorial that I wrote over at EcoParent Magazine online.
As sunny days grow in number, so do our kids’ appetites for sweet, cool treats… skip the costly packaged treats altogether in favour of getting your kids in action in the kitchen to make their very own sundae station. You’ll know it’s a healthy option, but I promise they won’t be rolling their eyes when they dig into these refreshingly delicious homemade sundaes.
Read the full article over at EcoParent Magazine!
Feel free to share your favourite sundae toppings in the comments below : )
It can be intimidating to think of incorporating nature walks into our daily and weekly rhythms. The thought of packing up supplies, finding an inspiring natural space to walk, and keeping kids engaged on that walk can be overwhelming.
Read on to see just how simple and fun a short neighborhood nature walk can be!
Read the full article at EcoParent Magazine now.
As a family of life-learners, we have shied away from traditional curriculum in favour of following our passions. Sometimes that means following the kids’ interests, and sometimes it means following ours, the parents. One of my passions has always been gardening and food – growing things, enjoying them, learning about them. So when I found Herb Fairies, I knew this would be one program we’d incorporate into our learning on a regular basis. It has opened up a whole world of herbal learning for the kids and I, to the point that they run outside to grab chickweed when someone gets a scratch, and request certain teas when they aren’t feeling well. They set up elaborate apothecaries in the mud kitchen and collect herbs on nature walks.
In the video below, you’ll hear from the kids of the Herb Fairies founders on how herbs are important to them. You’ll hear how being a part of the process of creating remedies and growing up in a home where herbs are part of daily life has impacted them to be excited and empowered to heal themselves.
Maybe you’ve felt overwhelmed or confused by the insane amount of conflicting natural health information out there. Knowing what to do for your family and making your own remedies can seem overwhelming.
The folks at LearningHerbs are experts at cutting through the information overload and making herbs SIMPLE.
When you sign up for the free video you also get their kids herbal cookbook with crazy good recipes like chickweed grilled cheese sandwiches and real marshmallows.
Please note that we have chosen to be Herb Fairies affiliates as we LOVE this program so dearly. We have recommended the program to at least a half dozen families who are now happy to be members – long before the affiliate program began. If you have any questions about our experience, please feel welcome to get in touch anytime!
Mud. A magical…err, messy part of childhood. Kids have a way of finding it, squishing it, smearing it, tracking it. And if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em, right? I love the feeling of cool mud underfoot in the heat of summer and the look of joy on our children’s faces when they are free to dig in and explore! One way we’ve worked with, rather than against, a child’s love for mud is to create a mud kitchen in our backyard.
Get the full mud kitchen article and tutorial over at EcoParent Magazine online.
There’s been a lot of talk around here lately about shelters – earthships, tipis, adobe, tiny homes and even beaver dams. We’ve offered to support each of the kids through the building of their very own tiny home, as a learning project and so that they will start off their adult life with a place to call their own. The eldest, who turns 16 in a couple of weeks, is passing on this opportunity for now, so the first kid to direct their own build will be the 12 year old chica. As a warm-up while we research more about trailers and find a place to build, we are working on a DIY playhouse. The kids will use found materials as much as possible and we are hoping to incorporate some natural building techniques where possible – gravity fed water, for example.
Some things they have accomplished so far:
// picked up some free pallet frame things that provided a framework for the shelter
// found and cleared a spot in the yard to pt the playhouse
// looked up pics of tiny homes and DIY playhouses for ideas
// drew some sketches of what they thought the playhouse should be like
// pulled out nails from the pallet frames
// carried in some wood we picked up for free
// visited a neighbour who had some pallets in their backlane, to see if they were available – turns out they weren’t the right size.
// we check kijiji regularly for free building supplies
This project has potential to be really empowering. If we, the adults, can step back. We will certainly be providing guidance in terms of the integrity of the structure, but are trying to allow the kids to figure out how it’ll all work as independently as possible. Milo’s drawing below has two beds in a loft. He’ll come to learn soon enough that this space isn’t quite large enough for that, and they’ll have to brainstorm an alternative to get a similar outcome in a different way, on a smaller scale. Each child will want to be involved in different ways. Some want to design and plan, some want to hammer and saw. Some will be more interested in interior decorating, or hacking cool additions – there’s talk of incorporating some simple machines like pulleys, and a gravity fed water system. I’m looking forward to walking alongside them through this process and I hope I can squeeze in there when it’s all done!
Please feel free to follow along on this tiny building adventure. We’d love to hear about your own experiences – from playhouses to tiny houses. If you have materials you want to donate, or if you want to come lend a hand, get in touch!
*note: We usually have everyone involved wear safety goggles – not sure what happened on this particular day!
Work break to check the mail – such a beautiful day!
Is it obvious I’m not in the mood for writing great titles today?
A quick photo post…
// healing tea for nausea – lavender, elderflower, passionflower blend
// sparkle stories inspired apple turnovers, pie, and an attempt at a rustic sort of pie with the leftover dough
// a little guy with two missing font teeth – the first to arrive and the first to go (bite photv from about 5 years ago!)
// big bro solitaire lesson
// hooray for spring – loads of time in our backyard nature school – and muddy fingernails all around!
Lately we’ve been keeping busy with learning adventures and life in general – and generally the two are one and the same…
A trip to the museum focused on their love for animals and interest in shelters. We did a little animal scavenger hunt through the museum and were able to find examples of a log cabin, tipi, mud house, and wood framed house on our journey.
A little cafeteria action from our little one who brought out snacks and drinks and served them to hungry customers.
Homemade pineapple gelatin gummies didn’t last long. These were the best consistency we’ve made so far. The reason? Your guess is as good as mine… I have a bit of a problem with making recipe notes and very rarely follow a recipe exactly! Anyone else roll like that?
The kids made some apple pie filling and dough with some pals from homeschool co-op. It was to serve at the puppet show they wrote, designed costumes and sets for and acted out for friends and family.
Fun with a special homeschool co-op visitor. Since our kitty died last summer, we haven’t had a pet. We’re pretty happy to visit with the various pets of friends including puppies, bunnies and cats – and the various horses we meet while homestead hunting (horse close-up photo by Cohen)!
On the home-front the kids have been busy playing math games, knitting, crafting, reading, building, playing. We’ve been listening to a lot of audio stories lately – Magic Treehouse, Sparkle Stories, and with the coming of spring, we’ve jumped back into Herb Faries to learn about healing herbs in a magical and inviting way.
