Good Finds

On this fabulous Winter Solstice, I'm thinking about good finds.  Actually I've been thinking about our good finds for a while but haven't been able to post.  So, our good finds that I have been wanting to share...

1.  Free bales of straw at the local yard waste recycling spot.  Now are chickies are warm!

2.  The "Bumpy Hat" crochet pattern!  See debscrafts55.blogspot.com  I finally have figured out how to crochet with a pattern! 

3.  Embroidery Floss!  We have been doing a lot of sewing, but without embroidery floss for some reason.  This Christmas ornament project with out friends got us started with embroidery floss, and now we are embroidering like crazy.  Lots of things that I can't discuss because they are Christmas presents for folks who might be reading this.  I'll have to talk about it later.  But it has been so fun!  My most fabulous moment last week was when Clara. Ruthie, and I were all embroidering while Simon played with his cars around us.  He had actually been helping me with a project earlier. 

4.  Wooden beads, felt scraps, and leftover cardboard make for a rustic manger scene.  Clara's gymnastics teachers always receive a fabulous gift.  Clara has told me that she will make one for me too.

5.  Amanda Blake Soule's "Handmade Home" book (her 2nd book--the 1st is on my shelf and has been well-used).  I'm finally reading it.  I can't believe I've been missing out on it for this long!  We've been deep in her sewing and papier mache projects that all of my kids (and me) can do and enjoy!

6.  Simplicity Parenting --a wonderful book by Kim John Payne.  This was recommended to me by my naturopath.  His tips are most fabulous and right up my alley.  This really is a well-rounded guide for simplifying your life for families and children (tips for simplifying toys, books, adult talk, and bringing rituals into your life that make sense and reduce "clutter" in many ways).  We've already made a "book library" upstairs, keeping only a handful of books on our bookshelf at all times.  So, we're reading the same books over and over, really digging in deep (which the kids love, and I'll admit I do too because the books we choose are GOOD books).  I'm amazed at the questions and thoughts that still are brought up even after reading a book a dozen times.  The kids are really learning new words, and words from other languages, but also (and most importantly) really going deep with the characters and the story.  Next on my bookshelf is Byron Katie.

7.  YouTube haircuts!  I wish I had a picture of this...But, we've been cutting our own hair.  I should say that Todd has been cutting his own hair for a while, but I was too nervous until Ruthie cut a chunk out of her hair one day.  I decided that I might as well take the opportunity to see if I could cut "girl hair."  So I gave her a stacked bob cut that was pretty easy and so cute!  It was so fun that I decided to cut my own!  It's not bad, but most of all, it was fun and we saved probably $70 with Clara's bangs being trimmed as well.  Anything can be found on YouTube!

Those are most of our "good finds" for now.  May they be useful to all of you as well.  Happy Solstice and Merry Christmas!