Last year (2020) the boys got a sewing machine for Christmas. It may not be the typical gift for a 5 & 7 year old, but know how much they love tools and making things, this was the perfect addition to their arsenal. It goes well with a Viking helmet, don’t you think?
During their first year of having the machine, we did a few things.
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The inspiration for this gift idea developed a couple of weeks ago when I was scanning the library shelves and came across the book called The Bluest of Blues about Anna Atkins and her use of cyanotype photography. That is one of her images above.
If you’re still looking for a gift for a great kid in your life, we may have just the thing.
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Are your kids going to camp this summer? Mine are, and I think I’ve hit upon the perfect lunch box for our summer adventures. It’s one that will continue to serve us well this school year.
Continue readingThere’s no doubt about it, we are a biking family. Did you see our ride in Rocky Mountain National Park? That was 4 years ago, but guess what? We just went on that ride again this spring!
Calder’s the intense guy you’ve passed in your car; the one riding up the steepest of mountains and making it look like it’s no effort at all. In my heyday, I biked all of Philly & Boston and was so proud when my car would sit unused for a week at a time.Thanks to the generosity of my mom, we were early adopters of the TAGA. When we moved to Boulder, C added an extra basket so that I could do all of my grocery shopping and errands via the bike. I have such fond memories of getting to know our new city by riding the bike paths with Alex! I would still bike everywhere if I could, but kids and living on the mountain make it a challenge. Continue reading
April is National Poetry month. Admittedly, I don’t think of myself as needing a special month to wax poetic (wink wink) about the nature-inspired poetry books that we love. But apparently I AM the type of person that needs a national initiative because I hadn’t put together a post sharing this collection until now.
There’s a wide variety of subjects on our list of favorites. Insectlopedia that focus on insects to Old Elm Speaks that highlights trees. One of my absolute favorites is When Green Becomes Tomatoes. But I also get so excited when someone will read Joyful Noise with me. Every poem in that book is written for two readers making one poem. It’s just a pile of beautiful poetry.
It’s supposed to snow in Colorado this week, so let’s dream of summer.
With Easter just over a week away, we wanted to share a few unique outdoor gifts for kids. I think you’ll agree that these gifts focus on connecting kids of all ages to nature in one form or another. We have something for the artist, the bug-lover, the bird watcher, and the explorer.
Continue readingI’m so excited about this post! It may leave some of you squirming in your seats, but this sort of themed gift with unexpected items makes me so happy.
If you’ve been following us for a little while, you know that the boys in my house are really into bugs (and any animal, really). They like looking at them, holding them, talking, and reading about them. Our boys are 2 and 4, so I geared this basket theme for that age, but I do think this basket could easily be scaled up or down depending upon the books you choose.
Continue readingTrees! Right now trees are all the rage at our house. I just finished reading The Overstory (more on that soon), and it left me feeling all sorts of feelings about trees. At the same time, I found myself playing a tree-centered game with the boys, reading them a few great books about trees, and we’ve been doing all sorts of playing IN the trees. Read on to see our latest tree-related recommendations. Continue reading
Hey there! What’s new in your pandemic pandemonium world? Looking for more ways to entertain your kids outside?
Today we’re sharing a five minute project that’s relatively cheap, easy, and sure to be a hit all summer long. A water bucket! Continue reading
With so many families learning at home, I wanted to share one of our favorite spring-time science projects : raising beneficial insects and releasing them into the backyard! Continue reading