At the Craft Table with Rae Grant: Forever Blowing Bubbles

by on August 10, 2011
in crafts · 11 Comments

The following is a post written by author and Crafts Contributor Rae Grant of My Little Hen.  This post originally appeared June 2010.

Some people say that kids will only be inventive if they are allowed to experience boredom. Although it was soap maker Andrew Pears who popularized bubble blowing in the late 1800’s, I have no doubt that it was probably a child who came up with the idea of making homemade bubbles one hot summer day in July.

Perfect Boredom Buster

With summer coming as fast as it can, so is the need to have a few activities for your kids to do when they have some down time. Making bubbles is one of the more simple and fanciful ways to spend a warm sunny afternoon. They work well on a grassy lawn, outside on the steps, under the  shade of a tree, and even in the kitchen.

When it comes to kids, bubbles have everything going for them; they fascinate, they float, have rainbow colors, and require some skill to blow a good bubble. They can be treated as a scientific experiment or as a past time. Best of all, they are inexpensive to make.

Bubbles are, indeed, the perfect boredom buster for a summer day.

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Ages and Stages: the First Year

by on August 8, 2011
in parenting · 12 Comments

I’m taking a few weeks off from blogging while my family settles in with our new baby.  Before I “unplugged” from the computer, I worked on this series about Ages and Stages.  Today is the second installment, on the first year.  I hope you enjoy it!  Best Wishes – Kara

The first year of a baby’s life is a time of amazing changes and growth.  It has always seemed to me that my babies change overnight. Every day they learn something new, grow more confident in their surroundings, and master new ways to communicate and express themselves.

It doesn’t seem take long for the tiny, quiet curled up newborn to become a happy, bouncy, giggling, cooing one year old eager to get into everything and be on the move!  The days of the first year go by in the blink of an eye.

I find that parents go through some big changes during the first year, too. That first birthday?  It is not just a celebration of the first year of life for a baby, but it a celebration of the first year of life as a parent.

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Introducing …

by on August 7, 2011
in showcase · 20 Comments

It is with great joy that I introduce you to …

Amelia Jean

“Mia”

Born August 1, 2011

20 inches long

8lbs. 7 oz

Beautiful!

Thank you all for your prayers, good vibes, and sweet thoughts.  We have felt them all and appreciate your kindness.  As I told the other Simple Living Media editors earlier this week, delirious is my favorite kind of happy and we are certainly deliriously happy to have Mia here!

And, now, back to that blogging break …

“I actually remember feeling delight, at two o’clock in the morning, when the baby woke for his feed, because I so longed to have another look at him.” – Margaret Drabble

Nature in Art: Nature Study and Georgia O’Keefe

by on August 5, 2011
in play learn explore · 12 Comments

I’m enjoying a break as my family welcomes our new baby. I’ve got some wonderful guest posts lined up to share with you.  Today, I am pleased to welcome my friend Sally Faulkner of With Eager Hands.  – Kara

Summer is a time of expansion, of that long-anticipated out-breath of life, don’t you think? The days are long and free, each sunrise bringing its promise of something fresh and new.  For many, gardening and food preservation are the hallmarks of summer. For others, it is travel and vacations with family and friends. Still others eagerly welcome and embrace the days of poolside respite and relaxation.

We are fairly big homebodies here, so taking a break from our lessons and appointments is what summer is all about.  While as homeschoolers we choose to stop the majority of formal studies, we like to keep the children engaged and learning.

Summer here lends itself to two wonderful learning opportunities: Nature Study and Artist Study. Both activities are kid-magnets, are easy to orchestrate, and best of all — summer months provide us all with a plethora of subjects to study!

The fact that Mom also loves these two studies and desires to make them a larger part of the family’s homeschool experience makes these activities winners all around.

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Putumayo’s Animal Crackers: A Great Snack for your Ears!

by on August 3, 2011
in books and music · 11 Comments

The following review is by contributor Jennifer Brown.

In many places we’re hitting what they call the dog days of summer.  It’s hot and the fresh summer air may be starting to feel a little stale.  Summer days still stretch ahead of us, and if your family is like ours you may be in need of a little pick me up.

The other day I was searching for just that to boost our spirits, and I was reminded of how important it is to make music a part of our day.  I had gotten out of the habit of making music a part of our daily ritual since we moved way back in December.  A new set up in a new home somehow changed our family rhythm, and we needed to get that back!

Animal Playground

We jumped into it (literally) with a new favorite song “No More Monkeys” which can be found on Putumayo’s Animal Playground collection. If you’re looking to escape those dog days of summer, this collection of animal inspired tunes is a terrific way for the whole family to laugh, sing and dance their hearts out.

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