Pink Coyote

Springtime Goodness

There are still a few spots open in my Friday Muse as Mask class at Squam AND the Medicine Shawl class. Jump on board and return from the northeast forever inspired.

Loving this Cherry Blossom Essence offering from my friend MaryBeth and Three Sister's Alchemy. It's the perfect, Keep Me Present and Grateful in This Moment elixir. Thank you, Goddesses, for your magic and your positive energies.

Absolutely flipping over the relaxing power of chocolate. Yes, I did say relaxing. Lisa Reinhardt, of Wei of Chocolate, sent me a tube of passionflower and bird of paradise-infused organic RELAXED chocolate and the kids and I are HOOKED. I'm also over the moon about JOYFUL. Thank you, Lisa, for your generosity and for creating chocolate that heals, when I seriously thought chocolate couldn't get any better.

When women honor their ability to make magic, my heart soars. It seems Springtime is bursting open all around with mystical, intuitive healers popping up like fresh daisies.

 

Eleventh Hour Wishlist

It's here, and truly at the Eleventh Hour! As I've anticipated Christmas this year, I've felt increasingly less stuff-oriented. That being said, there are still some fun and beautiful things I want to share with you. Wishing you an enchanting, magical season of giving...

Coyote Solstice is a book we love as much this year as we did last. Coyote is tricked by a drifter of a girl who takes him to the mall. He goes crazy with shopping and returns to his senses at the checkout stand. It's a fun way to teach children about overconsumption. Coyote returns to his home in the woods for a cozy meal with his friends..and the tricky girl.

A Little Lark has been a great resource for gifts all year and I love giving them my business. I particularly love their letterpressed cards and journals. But I'm showing you the baby, because...well, he's so much cuter than cards.

Felted Wolf and Lamb Baby Slippers by Little Hill Woolworks. Are these the cutest things ever?

 

Picnic, which is wrapped under the tree for Miles, but wondering if I'll be more excited to play it!

 

Wooden Sword and Shield for knighting about and learning how to play fair and act a bit chivalrous-like.

 

This Baba Hut found it's way to my inbox this morning and I have to say that I think it is the COOLEST stuffed thing I've ever seen. Can someone really be this clever?

Mother Nature, by Terri Windling.

 

The amazing vibrational healing talismans of Lilla Jizo.

 

The Top Hat, seen in my banner, can be found at Gentleman's Emporium, home of all your steampunk needs.

My favorite goodie of ALL TIME, by Next Organics, combines organic fruit and high quality chocolate. I've only had the cherries and the coconut so far, and could eat an entire bag by myself if left to my late night devices. Their website sells by the case, but I found individual bags at our local Whole Foods-like health food store. Find them at Amazon, too. It's the sort of treat you might be tempted to hide from loved ones, but so good you can't help but share...a few. Consumable gifts are really my favorite to give.

Aroma Naturals have been my first pick in candles for a very long time. Their Soy Vegpure line is now my uber-fave. We gave Peppermint Vanilla to Mile's teacher, but it's also offered without the whimsical Snowman for year-round burn. So much better than those stinky, synthetic Yankees.

 

 

Deer Flask, by Shoot From the Hip is almost outlaw enough for me to carry. I love the stitching up the back of this beauty, which will hold your cheer safely through the chilly season.

I'm loving This Warm December, the holiday album from Brushfire records featuring one of my three favorite Jacks, and also sweet little Zee Avi, among others on the label. It gets a frequent spin this year, sandwiched lovingly between Ten from the Galley and Hotel Cafe's Winter Songs.

 

And last, but not least, for the wild love on your list...

 

Happy Holidays...

Awroooooo!

 

 

 

 

Just For Fun

 

We've been having lots of fun this week playing with a new toy, the classic favorite of Louis XV: the Ball n' Cup. Truth be told, we're having a little too much fun.  I thought it would be a great toy for Miles: made of wood, good for hand-eye coordination, hip multicultural origin, requires some dexterity, favored by kings, you know, proper Renaissance-style amusement.  We've all taken a few whacks, but no one has ended up in tears and we are each becoming edgily competitive about mastering our techniques.  Miles is mostly just swinging it around, then picking up the ball and plopping it in the cup-(makes a most pleasing sound!).  I'd say that 3 is not the age a child will enjoy this toy the most-though it's rated for 3+. I'd wager a guess that he'll love it when he's about 5. 

I love sharing resources for natural toy companies that offer interesting alternatives to all of the plastic, lead coated, noisy, no-brainer toys that are available at toy stores and megastores-most of which end up broken and in a landfill before the year is up.  Down To Earth's selection of Natural Toys offers tons of affordable, well-made options that pose no chemical harm to our babes and they're the kind of toys you'll want to pass along to other kids later on. 

The other thing is that playing with this toy makes you look dangerously cool.

  

Skittling Across the Floor

 

Since all but swearing off plastics in M's toybox, we've been casually on the prowl for fun toys for him to play with that are made by artisans and craftspeople who are taking care of the planet while honoring their art.

We were thrilled to find Camden Rose, who have a beautiful story behind their imaginative children's company.  (I'm crazy to try their Demeter-certified baby woolens just to support those passionate people practicing agriculture properly!)

We ordered the above pictured birch skittles set for Miles from Palumba, who have a gorgeous catalog full of yummy natural toy offerings.

There are lots of games that can be taught to a three-something, but we have been having the most fun just setting up the pins and knocking 'em down American ten-pin style.  The set came with two balls and ten pins inside a little cloth bag, sweet!  We've taken them inside and out, on the grass, the sidewalk, tabletops, anywhere the pins will stand.  The pins are only 5" tall-but we found they were just the right height after using them for a bit.  They come unfinished, but you can shine them up with a bit of beeswax.  We opted not to, considering you-know-who-on-the-way  is going to have her baby lips wrapped around everything she can find by next winter.  That makes these sorts of toys even more fun.

We give this wooden skittles set points for encouraging counting, imagination, balance study, and accuracy.

Now, if only I could get all of the plastic out of my grocery cart!

Some Kind of Balance

 

all the leaves areALL THE LEAVES ARE BROWN! andthesky is greyAND THE SKY IS GREY...

Have I ever shared here that it was our good friend Joe who made the infamous ham sandwich for Mama Cass? He was singing backup on her comeback tour and was staying in her flat (because in Joe style, he thought they were playing the Hollywood Palladium instead of the London Palladium and needed last minute accomodations...oops).  Did I also mention that he cooks often for us? 

I'm headed out to the market for cucumbers, steel cut oats and celery for a juicy clean out.  I think I ate too much sugar this weekend or something, my insides just don't feel right at all.  It was probably the dark chocolate covered toffee rolled in pistachios that did me in, oh, and the coconut chocolate chip cookies.  It was kiwi, fresh squeezed apple juice and dry toast for breakfast today and I'll do some more juicing and soup this afternoon to keep it clean.  Baby girl needs something heavier, though, so I may do a bottle of plain kefir before I leave.

I wanted to give a plug to another amazing women-owned and operated company, Holy Lamb Organics in Olympia, WA.  They made a custom-fitted wool and organic cotton pad to fit our baby cradle and they did a mindblowing job.  The pad sent with the Cariboo cradle gifted us (THANK YOU!) was a horrible thin latex pad, fire retardant (meaning: soaked in chemicals) and the search for something totally non-chemical was quite a task. Our wool pad is gorgeous!  I am really paranoid about chemicals around the babes and because we live in the most air-polluted region in the country, it gives me some sort of comfort to know that when she's not sleeping in bed with us, she'll won't be inhaling invisible fumes into her tiny lungs (infant asthma is very common here). 

 

I was one step away from buying materials and making my own, but when I found HLO, I was glad to not have to add one more lofty ambition to my list of To Dos.  If you go there to replace your chemical pillow with a pure wool one, tell them I sent you :).  Oh, and no sheep are killed to make their wool products, they strictly shear. Plus they're a zero-waste company and that makes me so giddy.

The To Dos are piling up, so I made a list on the opposite page of To Bes, just to make sure I am creating equal room for things less do-ey and aligned with pure joy.  Otherwise I've been trying to stuff every moment with "important" tasks.  I have to remind myself that stringing beads with no purpose, reading for fun, choosing great music, and taking naps are balancing to me and deserve to be given more time.  If only I could remember this when I'm not pregnant!! Seriously, every book I own is a how-to!  I need help.

Off we go on a beeauu-full (M speak) sunny CA day, to market, to market, jiggety jig.