I pined for "the village".
The village is a magical place where you could live among others but still have your own place. In the village there is always another mom or two around to chat with while folding the laundry. There are elders - knowing souls who'd love your kids, make you tea and know just when to hold your hand or give you a kick in the ass. And there's always kids around for your kids to run of with.
Sigh. Wouldn't that be nice?! Because we were never meant to do this all on on our own.
But the reality is that the village isn't coming. The village isn't around the corner, somewhere we haven't looked because it really doesn't exist in our world today. And while that makes me sad in a nostaligic-for-something-I've-never-experienced kind of way, I do have hope because I found something else. Something that is real. Something that has helped me immeasurably.
In April, right when I was feeling like I was rolling into yet another bout of burn out, MotherCircle came across my radar. I couldn't exactly afford it (business was slowing, tax time was calling, all the things were getting more expensive, did I really need another "course" ?!) but I found I couldn't not afford it.
My intuition was right.Through those 8-weeks something happened for me that was more powerful than anything I'd experienced in all of my mothering years so far - I felt seen. I laughed and cried and had all kinds of "a-ha" moments.
Right from the get-go MotherCircle was unlike any parent-y thing I'd participated in. It was made clear that I wasn't going to be "taught" anything. That being in a circle is about respect and presence. It would be up to us to make this experience something special and something of value for ourselves and each other. We all mattered to the success of the circle.
We were to make agreements and one of the most surprising and significant to me was that there would be no advice-giving. We were asked to participate and listen, or bear witness, to the other participants with our full attention. And by so doing, together we could create a contantainer where we could feel safe to share, or not, and we could really explore what this whole motherhood journey has meant to us so far.
And so there we were, 350 of us from all over the world. There were pregnant and nursing mothers, mother bouncing fussy or napping babies, there were toddlers grabbing at screens. There were mothers with children and teenagers off in another rooms, like mine, or off at school. There were moms who'd lost babies during different stages of pregnancy. There were moms through adoption, grandmothers, women who specialized in caring for mothers and women who knew that one day they wanted to be moms but weren't just yet.
Maidens -mothers - virgins - crones. We were all there.
I learned so much all without a "teacher" or being taught. I learned, or have begun to learn, how to attend to myself first. I learned to really give my attention to the one speaking, and not be thinking about what I might say. My listening was a gift I could give someone that actually gave me so much, too. We were all learning how to listen, and I found that to be listened to with such presence was transformative. It changed me.
When MotherCircle was coming close to ending I decided to join the MotherCircle facilitator training. It wasn't a decision I jumped into, but the natural unfolding of the direction I wanted to, and needed to, go in.
Those 9 weeks of training, continued to tranform me, to unfurl me. Like MotherCircle, there were all kinds of tears and tough moments finally facing what I didn't want to and seeing what I didn't know was even there. There was also so much laughter. There was grief AND joy and the feeling of being held. I wasn't just learning how to be a facilitator I was learning about myself.
I know that to feel seen and heard can effect not only our immediate families but everyone around us. Together we can actually change mother culture.
This is a revolution, mama!
I've seen my parenting shift, I've seen the relationship with my husband shift and felt myself, as a woman, become a priority again. I know that I matter.
And so do you.
We can do it! Together.
If you know someone who might like MotherCircle please feel free to forward this to them. Thanks
If you want to know even more about MotherCircle and become a facilitator yourself please check out www.mothercircle.com to learn more
]]>Here at Maplerose HQ I make smoothies at least twice a week. Kids love them (most of the time) and I love that I know they’re getting a boost of all the good things in one cup. And smoothie leftovers are in the fridge for when I’m starving and need a boost!
Cooking together is something we’ve always done. I was a chef for years and love to cook and this is something of “mine” I want to share with my kids.
Involving the kids in the kitchen with me teaches them so much. And while the learning opportunities abound it’s also a chance for us to do something fun together. Connecting through cooking is so delicious
]]>Here at Maplerose HQ I make smoothies at least twice a week. Kids love them (most of the time) and I love that I know they’re getting a boost of all the good things in one cup. And smoothie leftovers are in the fridge for when I’m starving and need a boost!
Cooking together is something we’ve always done. I was a chef for years and love to cook and this is something of “mine” I want to share with my kids.
Involving the kids in the kitchen with me teaches them so much. And while the learning opportunities abound it’s also a chance for us to do something fun together. Connecting through cooking is so delicious.
SMOOTHIES FOR THE WIN
You can make smoothies for breakfast, lunch, snack time or even dinner. Why not?
We love local and organic ingredients and it’s even better when they come from our own garden.Frozen berries from our garden are not only delicious, they remind us on, chilly winter mornings, the fun we have growing things in the summer.
And if you’re homeschooling like us, smoothies make a great lesson!
If you’re making smoothies for children I encourage you to involve them, too. Or if you need a little time out, go make a smoothie for yourself and get lost in the noise that drowns out all the other noises in the house. Om!
INVITE THE CHILDREN INTO THE KITCHEN
You know your kids better than anyone so give them as much autonomy as you’re comfortable with. Consider their age, interest and skill set and set them up for success.
Know there will be a bit more of a mess, but know you’re also making memories + teaching valuable skills. Chances are they love to be with you no matter what they’re doing. Or they’re hungry. Either way it’s a win.
Let them choose their own ingredients and turn the blender on and off. Have a special cup for smoothies or purchase reusable straws. We love our stainless steel straws. And we haven’t lost any after 3 years. A miracle, I know! And well worth the investment.
Make a “group smoothie” where everyone chooses the ingredients together. Co-operation, team building, or perhaps a lot of squabbling.
Make it a game where you write the ingredients down and pull them out of a hat and THAT’s the smoothie you make. I don’t want that one.
Turn smoothie-making into a homeschooling lesson all about flavours (social studies) or states of matter (science), where ingredients come from (geography) or measuring (math) or creating recipes (career education). And if they wrote down the ingredients for the previous suggestion that’s writing + spelling!
You can even freeze your leftovers and have more smoothies (more science!)for when you don’t want to mess up the blender or you’re in a hurry and heading out the door and OOPS forgot to eat.
Eating is important.
THE PERFECT SMOOTHIE EQUATION
You can follow this simple equation to create a power-packed smoothie for just about anyone.
The flavour is completely customizable to what you like and what you have. Before long you’ll have a go-to favourite recipe of your own to create whether you’re heading out the door or sitting down to read.
You always have time for something nourishing + delicious.
Choose:
A NOTE ON BLENDERS: We are lucky enough to have a Vitamix. We’ve had it for 15 years and it’s one of my essential kitchen appliances. I’ve fixed it twice and replaced some parts and it continues. It’s a high powered blender that can even create nut butter, and it’s how I make my smoothies. Nothing is left to the power of this blender and all is liquified which makes adding dates, ground flax seeds, leftover oatmeal, greens, no problem. The smoothie is SMOOTH. A high-powered blender, like Vitamix, may be essential when creating a smoothie for those with a more sensitive and discerning palate (children!) or anyone who doesn’t like to drink chunky things.
If you don’t have one of these blenders, yummy smoothies are still possible. Just be more careful when choosing ingredients. Stick to those you know will pulverize under the pressure or your own blender
STEP 1 FRUITS + VEGGIES
The more colours the more variety of vitamins and nutrients which is a good thing to consider but really this is where I love to choose the flavour profile.
Do I want something classic (chocolate + banana), simple (strawberry), green (spinach kale cucumber), zingy (ginger peach spinach), creamy (banana honey cinnamon) or cozy (roasted pumpkin, cinnamon, maple)
This is also when you open the fridge and check out the fruit bowl to see what needs to be used up and what is in great abundance this season.
You can also sneak some veggies into the smoothie for that extra boost that won’t effect the flavour too much but the nutrient profile will go off the charts. Hello, spinach and roasted pumpkin!
CHOOSE 2-3 fruits + veggies total. I find more than that creates a muddled flavour and too many things on the counter. Keep it simple. 1 cup of berries or chunks of fruit (peaches, pears, pineapple) or 1 banana or 1 big handful of spinach are the approximate measures to use for these ingredients.
Fats are for energy and healthy cell formation. They keep you warm in the winter and make sure some nutrients are absorbed and important hormones are produced.
2 Tbsp nut butter, ½ cup coconut milk, 2 TBsp flax seeds
Protein helps to build muscle, bone, hair, skin and keep it healthy and vibrant. Protein helps cells repair, oxygenate the blood and gives us energy. Bring on the protein!
Nuts and seeds are my favs. I love that I can forage walnuts and hazelnuts in our neighbourhood and that hemp seeds and sunflower seed are grown right here in Canada. Yogurt can be made at home or sourced from organic and local farms close by to almost everyone.
2-3 Tbsp nut butter, ½ cup soft tofu, ½ - 1 cup plain or flavoured yogurt
To begin with, I pour enough liquid to cover the solids and give an initial blend. Then I taste and decide what and how much more liquid to add.
Water and oat milk are the liquids I use most often. If I’m already using lots of creamy fruits (like banana and avocado) or have yogurt in there I use water, but most often it’s oat milk or a combo of oat milk and water.
Juice adds a lot of sugar to your smoothie but also a lot of flavour. (OJ, banana, strawberry - YES! Or how about apple juice, spinach, cucumber, romaine, blueberry) Just use it in moderation or to pull out a very extra special smoothie every so often.
After you’ve zinged up the initial mix you may need something sweet or something a little special. I’m talking about maple syrup, vanilla, ginger, mushroom powders or cacao, to name a few..
I often add a little something sweet to our smoothies in the form of maple syrup. Just 1-2 Tbsp but you could also add another banana, 1-2 soft dates (if your blender can handle it), or that sweetened yogurt may do the trick.
I add 1-2 Tbsp of maple syrup and 2 Tbsp of cacao to make a smoothie chocolate-y. Peanut butter, banana, avocado, cacao maple syrup = dessert-like decadence
I peel and roughly cut up a 1-inch (or more) piece of ginger for warming spiciness. Perfect with peaches and mangoes.
Vanilla is such a lovely flavour. It really elevates a strawberry-banana smoothie.
I encourage you to write down your favourite smoothie recipes. Sometimes we forget even the most brilliant things we come up with and I guarantee you’re gonna find the smoothie recipe of your dreams.
Let me know if you have any questions or suggestions at jenn@lovemaplerose.com
Bon appetit!
Elderberry syrup is easy to make. If you don't have a tree take a look around where you live and you may be surprised to find some in your neighbourhood just drooping with berries.
]]>Some days the hooligans love to come out and pick the berries. We usually have a good chat about harvesting plant medicine and foraging from nature if that's what we're doing. We often get into the importance of keeping our bodies healthy and strong through the foods we eat, especially if they're foods that grew right here beside us in our yard.
And sometimes they leave me to it on my own or end up squabbling over the scissors or whine endlessly on how booooo-ring this is or end up throwing sticks at each other (yikes). I just try to keep to my thing and hope that this is all sinking in somehow or other and that they'll have fond memories, and all their eyeballs, one days when looking back at this.
It's funny how elderberry syrup has become a sweet treat to the kids. I love them to love the food I make cause it's yummy AND good for them. It is such a valuable immune boosting medicine. Have your tried it?
Elderberry syrup is easy to make. If you don't have a tree take a look around where you live and you may be surprised to find some in your neighbourhood just drooping with berries.
I love ginger and it's warming effects on the body. It's the best when it's chilly out so I load up my elderberry syrup with LOTS of ginger. Slicing it nice and thin makes sure all the spicy goodness gets out of there.
ELDERBERRY SYRUP
I use this syrup as a tea by adding hot water to it or as a fun drink by adding it to bubbly water. You could take it just by spoonful, too. Or perhaps stirred into a cocktail or some kombucha.
1 cup fresh or frozen elderberries ( or 3/4 cup of dried)
2 cinnamon sticks
1-2 inches of fresh ginger, sliced up thin
1 Tbsp whole cloves
3 1/2 cups water
1 cup local honey
1) Place everying but honey in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 45 minutes. Liquid should reduce by about half.
2) Remove from heat. Pour through a fine mesh sieve and drain out the bits. I sometimes give them a little rinse and squeeze into the pot to make sure I got all the goodenss.
3) Add honey (I have used maple syrup, too, but like the honey and all it's properties better) to the liquid and stir well.
4) Pour into a jar or bottle and store in the fridge.
]]>
Lately though, he's been into foraging first thing and the sound of the cookie jar lid at 6:45am often wakes me up.
My way to combat this behaviour, rather than get myself out of bed, is to just make cookies and muffins so chock full of goodness they pass for "pre-breakfast" and this mom can sleep on.
]]>I can get a little out of hand when it comes to baking and have a mountain of baked goods threatening to take over the kitchen. A girl can only eat so much, but not to worry. she will try! And her two small hooligans have no limit to what they can consume.
Since getting back on my feet and my new found love of spare time I only bake once a week now. Muffins and cookies are done on Monday. And if they're all eaten up before another Monday comes along then so be it. We go without. Shocking, I know.
My oldest has always been keen to get up first thing in the morning and do his own thing for a while. Since he could toddle his way out of the bed he spends early mornings reading and playing. Often the sound of LEGO block searching gets me up.
Lately though, he's been into foraging first thing and the sound of the cookie jar lid at 6:45am often wakes me up.
My way to combat this behaviour, rather than get myself out of bed, is to just make cookies and muffins so chock full of goodness they pass for "pre-breakfast" and this mom can sleep on.
This recipe is based on one I found in an issue of Cook's Illustrated magazine (one of my all time favourite cooking magazines). The hooligans love to make them and each takes over either the dry or the wet section of the recipe and I help them both. Messy, delicious chaos.
This is a very reliable recipe and I have made some near-fatal mistakes. It's nice to know that there's a lot of leeway for me to mess things up.
The muffins turned out great when I left out the sugar. They turned out great when I left them on the counter for 20 minutes before the oven was ready (NOTE: Muffins actually like a rest before going into the oven. Try it sometime). They turned out great with the addition of all kinds of additions or just straight up bananas. They did not turn out great whenIi forgot the flour. I shouldn't have been in the kitchen that day.
And we use silicone muffin cups. If you love baking and muffins I highly recomment getting a set of cups. You can use them over and over and over again!
As we are all so comfortable with this recipe now, it's also afforded us the opportunity to be able to count our muffin making as a homeschooling lesson. Even if you're not homeschooling, baking with your kids is full of connecting and learning time.
Opportunities for learning are everywhere and I find the more we do the same old things the more the kids actually get out of it themselves.
Lessons From Muffins include all kinds of chit chats about:
I hope these muffins work all kinds of magic for you, too. Let me know if you have any questions.
MY FAVOURITE MAGIC BANANA MUFFINS
Set oven to 425C and line 18-24 muffin cups.
1. Mix the DRY ingredients together in a bowl:
2. Mix the WET ingredients in another bowl
3. ADD WET TO DRY and add any special additions. I usually add one nut/seed butter and one extra, but the recipe has worked with peanut butter, chocolate chips and coconut, for example.
1/3 cup peanut butter, almond butter or tahini
1/3 cup shredded coconut, hemp seeds, chopped walnuts
1/3 cup chocolate chips (I love to chop up one of our favourite organic, fair trade chocolate bars into rough chunks), dried cranberries, goji berries
4. Fill muffin cups 2/3's full and OPTIONAL let them sit on counter for 15-20 mins.
5. Bake muffins for 14-18 mins. Remove from muffin pan and let cool before eating or throwing in the freezer.
Bon Apetit!
]]>It was very important for me to write Pysanky this year for so many reasons but mostly because I am free and safe and I can. Creating can be very healing, calming and it's usually pretty fun. I've found it's one of the best things I can do for myself.
And while the days leading up to it were so full, Easter unfolded with such ease this year that allowed for all kinds of creativity.
Last year I planned a scavenger hunt that just about did me in. I just couldn't figure out the logistics of how to plan it and write the clues. And then I decided to make wet felted Surprise Eggs to hide all of the treats in. Oh boy!
It was a great success but it had me feeling stressed. Which actually makes it not a "great success" to me - it was really fun and magical for the children, but mom just about lost her marbles. There's gotta be a better way.
In a concerted effort to keep track of what marbles I have left, this year was different. Maybe it's all the therapy, but it was truly a success as I had fun, too.
This year our scanvenger hunt through the neighbourhood ended up in our favourite woods with just a few simple cliues to get us there. Fueled by jelly beans and chocolate bunnies (thanks VIVA Cacao!), we just kept on scampering around the forest. The snow was all gone and the streams were flowing and the birds and squirrels sung us a chorus of welcoming.
Once home again, I had a few ideas of what else I wanted to get done during the day but refused to put any pressure on me (or anyone else) to make that happen.
"Let the day unfold with ease and grace" is an affirmation that has been with me for years. It's like kryptonite for getting overwhelmed.
After rolling up plant pots made of newspaper, filling them with soil and seeds it seemed that I had officially become one of those people who starts seeds for their garden. I couldn't be prouder. If every one of those seeds sprouts. Hurrah! If everyone of those seeds grows us some food, I don't know where we'll put it all.
A good hit of abundance brings me such joy!
Dinner was a couple of hours away and I couldn't believe it. This year, it looked like we/I would actually get to write Pysanky!
I wasn't going to stress out about it but I thought that because we hadn't gotten to it yet that it would have to wait til next year and I was a little disapointed. My back-up plan was to just be a rebel and do it in the summer.
I got out our supplies from last year and some fun new dye colours I wanted to try (Kokanee Salmon!) and with Charlotte's help picked out 3 other shades of pink and 1 blue. The only 2 colours matter to her these days, as an almost 6-year old, are pink and non-pink. I had to fight for the blue.
This is a messy craft/art form. There's no way around it. Last year I resisted and tried to keep it tidy. This year I was ready. I bought paper towels!
I'm determined to get good at this. I'm so not good at it and I won't let that hurt my feelings. I kind of like the hooligans see me not be good at something. And hopefully, they'll see me get better at it. How cool would that be?
Walt didn't even want to join, but Charlotte was so keen. She wasn't impressed with her inability to be a master at it immediately either but we did our best. I'd load the kitska with black beeswax, hand it to her, I'd hold the egg and she'd try to write.
You don't "draw" Ukrainian Easter eggs, you write them because you're telling a story through your drawings. I just love that.
The smell of the beeswax was so lovely and the colours so vibrant. And with my small one sitting beside me...oh wait, she took off.
So there I was. Both hooligans off and busy with their own thing, and me sitting at the dining room table quietly creating. That's pretty special, too.
I haven't had many opportunities through these first years of momming to create on my own, just for me. Well, to do anything all by myself actually. It's been a conscious choice that I'm grateful to make, and to be able to make. As time and space starts to open up with the small ones becoming more independant it's so very exciting.
Our eggs are still covered in wax and need to be warmed and wiped clean. We'll get to that part eventually. It was never about making the perfect Ukrainian Easter egg though.
I haven't put anything away yet actually. I want to be ready when another window of time opens up that I can sit down and play again. And I figure if I practice more than once a year I might actually get the hang of it - making eggs and making time for myself.
That sounds like success to me and that's all that really matters.
]]>There is no such thing. Unschooling is just living our lives together, so really, this is just a really good day. And we have a lot of those. They need to be celebrated and enjoyed and remembered - especially when we're going through a challenging time.
I strongly believe that when you're doing what you love the interest and engagement happens easily. Even after we get home, the "lessons" keep coming up when the hoioligans make further connections, ask questions, and tell of the days adventures to Mr. Maplerose at dinner time. That's what I'm striving for.
So here we are! Look forward to more posts about Our Best Unschooling Days.
Have you ever thought about your values?
One of my biggest take-aways from the Homeschooling With Purpose Masterclass with Robyn at Honey I'm Homeschooling The Kids was determining our values as a family. By understanding our values it becomes so much easier to determine our homeschooling strategy.
And while I was healing the ankle, Brene Brown did a great podcast on values that I loved. Determining your values is so empowering.
I value community, nature, curiousity and creativity. And I want community involvement to be more of a part of our homeschooling journey. And if we can get outside doing that, even better.
We love Kootenay Lake and Kokanee Creek Provincial Park. We are members of the stewardship organization, Friends Of Kootenay Lake, and signed up for their beach clean up on Friday. We'd be getting outside, meeting new people and helping out our favourite lake. Momma's gotta make things happen!
The shores of Kootenay Lake are littered with styrofoarm. Little teeny itty bitty bits of styrofoam (and some much bigger too) that have worn it's way off of old dock floats mostly. These syrofoam bits are toxic and have been found to be carcinogenic. Yuck!
Here's what the Friends Of Kootenay Lake website says:
"Polystyrene contains the toxic chemical styrene, which is reasonably anticipated to be carcinogenic (cancer causing) in humans according to the National Toxicology Program. Wildlife around the lake including fish and waterfowl frequently consume small bits of polystyrene foam, mistaking them for insects or other food materials as they float along the water surface. Styrene is known to partition into the fat of animals that consume it, which means that there is a risk of humans ingesting styrene by consuming fish or other wildlife within the lake. It is unknown how long it takes polystyrene plastics and foams to decompose in the environment, but some experts estimate decomposition time to be over 500 years."
And just like I hoped, it was a great afternoon.
The hooligans love the beach - once we actually get our shoes on and get out of the house. I usually make "car lunch" to eat on the way but this time, they made their own lunches (!). We pulled up to the beach and before I'm out of the car they were running full speed towards the water screaming "I love it here!" Me, too.
We got there a little late but were greeted by other volunteers, great, big, beautiful skies and fresh, cool air filling our lungs. We gathered buckets, gloves and stickers (as a thanks to us volunteers for coming) and headed out there.
It took seconds before we began to fill our buckets with the tiny styrofoam bits. They really are everywhere once you start looking for them. And it took just a few more seconds before both hooligans were knee deep in wet sand and stuck and giggling and then unstuck.
My ankle feels really good walking on the sand as it provides some resistance but not too much. I can really feel what's going on in my feet too. I didn't want to over do it but figured if I got tired out ouchy we'd just go home. It was actually the rain clouds that chased us home.
As we drove home and the sheets of rain hit our car, we felt so good for helping out. We love the lake and we contributed just a little bit to make it cleaner for us, the animals and the entire ecosystem it's a part of.
What could be a better way to learn and feel a part of things?
One of the concerns of homeschooling/unschooling parents is often how to achieve all the lessons in all the subjects (especially if you're responsible for documenting all the "learning" that's going on at home). I often find by just getting outside and doing what we love so many of the boxes get checked off and it happens in such a gentle and organic way.
Today we had:
English - Reading signs, stickers, information about the clean-up, listening to story podcasts on the way to the beach.
Science - Discussion about eco-systems, pollution, native species that happened before, during and after the clean-up instigated by the hooligans questions.
Social studies - community involvement, social responsibiltiy, witnessing the effects of humans (postiviely and negatively) on our environment and how we can help.
Math - counting bits, counting steps, counting the days til summer.
I hope you're able to find some fun doing what you love today.
Onward!
]]>When it all came to a halt, I found myself disoriented. And then I was sad.
I quickly realized it had been a very, very long time since it was just me doing things for just me. And what had that done to my sense of self? Is my only value based on what I can get done in a day? Or what I do for my children?
What was it liked to do?!
]]>It was a spectacular sunny spring day that seemed to perfectly accompany the good news that YES! I could begin to ween myself off of my crutches and begin to walk around with just my air cast.
After being at home, healing my broken fibula for the past 6 weeks I was finally able to go outside and have some fun with everyone. Hurrah!
After my appointement we went for a walk at one of our favourite riverside parks in Castlegar. A place where we've been coming to since before Charlotte was born. The skies are big and the trails are flat - something that is hard to come by in Nelson.
It felt very weird to walk again. I was much slower and there were all kinds of crazy sensations in the bottom of my foot, my ankle, my leg, my hip. Everything was a little bit different. Everything was a whole lot different.
I was back on my feet but things were still precarious. I needed to be gentle and mindful of every step.
Before January 20th, I was a busy unschooling momma, going on adventures, doing the laundry, cooking the food, baking the bread-cookies-muffins, filling the orders, writing the newsletters, cross country skiing. I would collapse at the end of the day, more often than not, falling asleep shortly after 8pm with the hooligans.
It was something special if I spent more than 10 minutes sitting down, doing something "just for Jenn", in a day.
When it all came to a halt, I found myself disoriented. And then I was sad.
I quickly realized it had been a very, very long time since it was just me doing things for just me. And what had that done to my sense of self? Is my only value based on what I can get done in a day? Or what I do for my children?
All of a sudden I was spending a combined 10 minutes up and about (usually on my way to the bathroom and then back again a few times a day) and the rest of the day was me in bed. Just me.
What was it that I liked to do?!
Shucks.
Luckily, I had time to figure this out. I couldn't escape the thoughts. I couldn't just busy myself with a task. I couldn't go for a walk to take my mind off of things.
But I could focus on what I do have, rather than what I don't have.
I have a business selling arts and crafts supplies!
I love the "idea" behind so much for the Waldorf-y art supplies I sell. I love that they are ethically and sustainably made with a child's development always in mind. And I went to art school. I have loved to draw and make my whole life.
A perfect place to start.
I grabbed our Lyra Colour Giant pencil crayons and a project book and I drew just for me. I drew my foot in its cast. I drew hearts. I drew swirly whirly designs.
I coloured the colouring sheets we'd printed off. Cute little mousies and birds with patchwork coats having tea parties in the snow.
I picked up a very hard nugget of modelling wax, that had been long ignored in the art cart. I warmed it in my hand as I read and then I made a long snake that I formed into a bracelet. The next time Charlotte came to visit I put it on her wrist.
So often the hooligans saw what I was up to and joined in.
We read books and we played quite a few board games. We coloured and sewed. We made a dauschund from wool felt and a unicorn horn from roving.
I knew I had to make those moments count when they visited because they would soon be gone again so soon. And they are growing up so fast. How did their feet get so big?
My presence with them is so important.
I got so many hugs and kisses and they are so generous with their love. They love me so much. Just as I am. Whether I'm scrubbing the toilet or laying in bed they still love me, but who do I want to be for them.
I began to read for me - novels AND non-fiction. I made an incredible dent in the pile of mending that had been threatening to entirely take over the sewing room because I love handwork and mending makes me so happy.
Slowly but surely I began to remember what it is I like to do.
But here I am mobile again. My 10 minutes of being up and about was growing quickly. I was making breakfast and cleaning the kitchen again. The pile of library books wasn't getting the attention and the bulldog we wanted to sew was forgotten about.
I still need to take such care with every step I take. How I spend my time is important because there's still much healing to do.
The ankle has been full of much wisdom and we've all gained so much in the last couple of months. It's easy to let all that unravel because the world has 'opened up" to me again but I have choices to make.
The choice to choose "me" isn't a selfish one. It's one I make for my family and for my community so that they (and You) can know me better and so that I share my gifts.
Every step I take, when mindfully done, allows me the opportunity to be truly present and create balance in my life. Thank you, Ankle, for all the gifts you've given me.
]]>I crave more joy in my life.
And then there's the laundry, sweeping, and snack making that seem to work together to fill every other spare moment there is. Oh yeah, and I'm unschooling the hooligans.
Unschooling requires energy and attention and the willingess to go with the flow. And there's a whole lot of mental energy required to deschool myself.
]]>I joined a book club.Finally. Late bloomer, as usual, but I'm glad I waited.
Tami Lynn Kent, one of my favourite authors, was having a book club on Zoom for her book Wild Creative. There would be one class on the first Saturday of each month, for the next four months.
I could do that. Couldn't I?
I realize it's become increasingly hard to give myself time. I run this business from our home. I love cooking and baking for our family but it's a part time job. Homemade marshmallows and soup and bagels are sooo good. And I get so much joy from doing it.
I crave more joy in my life.
And then there's the laundry, sweeping, and snack making that seem to work together to fill every other spare moment there is. Oh yeah, and I'm unschooling the hooligans.
Unschooling requires energy and attention and the willingess to go with the flow. And there's a whole lot of mental energy required to deschool myself.
Have you heard of deschooling?
To quote Robyn Robertson of Honey, I'm Homeschooling The Kids:
"Deschooling is a process of letting go of the singular beliefs we have attached with learning and kids. Beliefs that learning has to be done in a certain way, within certain times, within a certain kind of environment. Deschooling means possibilities. It’s a time to deconstruct the expectations, concerns, worries, beliefs around school, learning, and education."
We can do anything the way that we want to do. I took a Homeschooling Masterclass with Robyn and it was so great. I learned so much but one of the things that really stuck with me besides the deschooling bit was the importance of looking after myself.
So when I found the book club I figure this would be great opportunity to take some time for myself. The timing was undeniable
After doing the first meeting, there were so many things that really landed for me but the biggest was when someone asked Tami Lynn something she learned from her parenting journey and her reply was that she always chose creativity over cleaning.
This was revolutionary to me. Especially since doing Robyn's masterclass and determining that one of our homeschooling values was creativity.
Shucks! This goes against everything about my upbrining where cleaning was not negotiable. What would people think if there were smudges on the windows or dust bunnies in the corner?!
Later that same day, as all these new ideas where swirling around, we went for a family walk to the woods.
The hooligans were resisting and the smaller of the two resisted the experience with every bone in her body - dragging her feet, whining, wanting to go home, asking when we were going home, did I say whining?
It was a really challenging walk. We were supposed to be having fun, dammit. But we persisted and promised them that we just need to get to The Fishing Hole, a circle of rocks just past the entrance to the forest where we often stop for a snack.
When we got there they laid down in the snow and refused to move. I guess we wouldn't be going any further into the trees.
So I joined them. If you can't beat 'em...
Laying in the snow on the forest floor was magical. The snow was being blown off the branches by the most gentle of breezes and as the icy snowflakes danced there way down through the trees they tickled.
A crow called to another from across the forest. A squirrel chattered.
I breathed in deep wanting to grab the moment and squeeze it forever. Yup, this was so good for me, too. Thank you, sweet hooligans, for taking the reigns.
But my bum was getting cold and I knew if we stayed there much longer I might get a chill. No good. So up we got and away we went.
The walk home was much better than the walk there. It flew by, not only because it's downhill but we were finally going home!
Once home, as I undid my boots, my mind automatically began to make the list of all the things I could get doing. But it really didn't excite me.
What if I just sat down? Charlotte was already snuggled on the couch reading. I thought I'd take her lead again.
I sat down beside her and began to reach for my sewing basket to get to some mending but then remembered something else from the book club - what I would do if I wasn't trying to get something done? What would I choose to do if I wasn't so task oriented?
The table in front of me was a mess of pencil crayons, block crayons, stick crayons, a project book I'd meant to start journalling in months ago, my matcha, a unicorn...
If this wasn't an opportunity to create then I don't know what was.
I shimmied the project book in front of me, picked up a crayon and started. I envisioned a scene that I went to during a meditation in the book club. It was a sun dappled forest, all golden and sparkly. I could start there.
It was so fun to be free to just play with the colours and textures. I didn't really care if it turned out like I wanted it to. Maybe it would be a mess.
Before I knew it, the hooligans were beside me asking for paper of their own. They grabbed a painting board to act as their table and snuggled next to me, grabbing crayons, drawing, admiring each other's drawings and asking questions about mine.
I shared with them that I was trying to draw a scene of a forest and while it didn't look exactly like what I pictured in my head I still iked it. It was a bit of mess but it was more about playing with the colours for me.
They thought that was pretty cool.
It's moments like these that I feel like everything in my life has led to this perfect moment - a moment of calm, love, creativity and joy.
It's all I could ever hope for in my life.
Sweeping the floor has never given me this. I'll choose creativity over cleaning and love my mess. It's so worth it.
]]>Yes, I fell down the internet rabbit hole that happens when you google "pumpkin spice latte". There are about 6 million variations on the drink but here are my criteria:
]]>Can you guess what it is?
You got it - a pumpkin spice latte. And I made it myself.
This was an act of self care. We all need a little bit of sweet and cozy nourishment from time to time.
Yes, I fell down the internet rabbit hole that happens when you google "pumpkin spice latte". There are about 6 million variations on the drink but here are my criteria:
And that narrowed it down to about 4 million search results. But does anyone ever venture onto page 2 of a google search anyway?
I checked out a couple recipes and got the gist of things, looked at my supplies and here's what I came up with.
But first, the pumpkin puree, I made mine from scratch by roasting a sugar pie pumpkin (400F until the pumpkin is soft, mine took about 30 mins).Not a jack-o-lantern type pumpkin. This is a smaller variety with a more concentrated flavour perfect for making pies - the name really does say it all.
Charlotte and I scraped out the seeds first, though, washed and dried them, tossed them in olive oil and salt and roasted them off, too. Pumpkins are so great aren't they?
After the pumpkin was cool enough to handle, I scraped out all the fruit onto a cookie sheet and put it back in the oven for about 20 minutes to dry it out and concentrate the flavour. Then I pureed it until super duper smooth. I then made a pumpkin chiffon pie and had enough leftover for about a dozen lattes.
Alas, canned will work, too.
Pumpkin Spice Lattes For Two
I didn't actually measure anything for the recipe. You can totally customize it to your liking for spicy-ness or pumpkin-ness. Maybe you need a dash of ginger in there. Go for it!
2 cups milk of your choice
2 Tbsp pumpkin puree
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Dash vanilla (Optional, but oh so good. It's expensive these days.
Whisk it all together in a small saucepan. Heat to steaming. Stir occassionaly. Do not boil.
It's ok, if you want to drink it all yourself. Go for it!
I've also added a big spoonful of Bambu, a herbal coffee substitute and that is super nice to give it a bitter edge that balances with smooth and the creamy. Just what our old friend coffee would've done if given the chance.
And if you and coffee and good friends, then by all means throw that in there, too!
Stay warm and cozy.
]]>It's a quick craft, takes very little prep and smells delightful. And with enough newspapers spread out, it's any easy clean-up, too.
Are you ready to try dipping leaves in beeswax? Oh yes, you are!
]]>One of my favourite activites as a child was to collect colourful leaves and press them in a great big book between two pieces of wax paper. It was always a little precarious gettin the flower or leaf place just right. But the real trick was to remember what book I used and where I put it.
Years later as a "grown up", my mom had had enough of dealing with my boxes and stuff after years of me living away so she sent them all to me to a tiny little apartment I rented in Calgary. All of them. All at once.
The semi-trailer arrived (did I really have that much stuff?) and the driver began to unload box and after box after box. It was like Christmas opening them up. So many things I wanted and needed. So many memories.
Where was I going to put it all?
Flipping through my favourite books, what was most exciting was the treasures that would flutter out from between the pages.
My leaves! My flowers! Picked by a little me a long time ago!
This was definitely something I was going to do when I had kids of my own.
And I did.
When Walt was big enough to toddle along we picked many leaves and I tucked them away in books between parchment paper with the promise of a magical discovery of seasons past to come.
I still haven't found those leaves in those books. One day.
Last year we started doing a new Autumn craft that preserves leaves perfectly and they're a lot easier to keep track of.
It's a quick craft, takes very little prep and smells delightful. And with enough newspapers spread out, it's any easy clean-up, too.
Are you ready to try dipping leaves in beeswax? Oh yes, you are!
1) Go leaf picking. Make sure your leaves are dry and in good shape. All sizes and colours. Ensure the leaves have long enough stems to hold onto firmly when dipping into the wax.
2) Spread out a whole bunch of newspapers on a table or outside or where ever you'll be dipping.
3) Gently heat the beeswax. A 200g chunk of beeswax should do the trick. Heat it up in a double boiler or in a wide can in a pot of water or, if you're lucky like us, put it into your dedicated mini chocolate fondue cooker that is now just for melting beeswax.
4) When the wax is melted, take it to your newspaper covered area and get to it. Dip a leaf in the wax until it's coated completely, let it drip off, then place it on the newspaper to dry. You may have to flip it over in a minute or two to ensure it doesn't stick to the paper.
5) You did it! You dipped leaves and wax and they will last indefinitely. We made a garland for the front door by tieing the leaves to a length of string and hanging it from the door knocker. We also made a long garland to hang above the dinner table. No wait. That was last year :)
See, that's where the leaves are! They were so pretty we left them up from last year. We've heard they make excellent fire starters. Maybe we'll try that next year.
]]>
Not all playdough recipes are created equally but I do believe I found the best one ever. Once sealed in a mason jar this stuff lasts for months or until it is forgotten outside or in the couch or crumbled around the house. You know how it goes :)
]]>What is sensory play?
Sensory play includes any activity that stimulates a young child's senses of touch, smell, taste, sight and hearing, as well as anything which engages movement and balance. And it's so very, very good for brain development.
You can buy some beautiful sets and kits (these are my favs from one of the mommas who shops at Maplerose, My My and Me) to encourage this type of play but you can also encourage sensory play with all kinds of things around your house.
Curious kids come to sensory play quite naturally. As a child, I remember loving the feeling of putting my hand in a bag of dried beans or rice. I loved the smell of fresh raspberries as I picked them in the warm sun. I love balancing and hopping over cracks in the sidewalk and I loved homemade playdough.
Not all playdough recipes are created equally but I do believe I found the best one ever. Once sealed in a mason jar this stuff lasts for months or until it is forgotten outside or in the couch or crumbled around the house. You know how it goes :)
I got this recipe from a good friend of mine, Kirsten, who is a teacher. Another momma who shops at Maplerose with two hooligans of her own she has all kinds of tricks up her sleeves.
And with the writing of this post I will now officially know where the recipe is and won't have to text her everytime I want to make it. I've also written it in my recipe book but forget about that often.
THE BEST PLAYDOUGH RECIPE IN THE WORLD
1) In a bowl combine:
2) In a big measuring cup combine:
3) Make a well in the flour mix and add the liquid. Mix well and then let sit for a few minutes to cool.
4) Once cool enough to handle, sprinkle a little flour on the counter and knead the playdough till smooth. Add a few drops of your favourite essential oil. We love peppermint (uplifting) and lavendar (calming).
5) Gather tools and trinkets for decorating and play.
Our favourite play dough accessories are the Rolling Pin Set and any of the peg dolls. They really love play dough, too.
Let me know how it turns out! Have fun!
]]>
Even if you're not really into them, it's probably because you've only ever had bad-to-mediocre cinnamon buns, in my opinion. There's a lot of those out there.
No one can deny that cinnamon buns smell so good while they're baking. If the word "cozy" had a smell, this would be it. As the dough transforms in the oven and the cinnamon unfurls its heady aroma through your entire house it's downright intoxicating.
Gah! I love it.
The other day things were feeling kind of dull around here at Maplerose HQ. Nothing was really going on, which is an incredibly foreign feeling when you are unschooling your small children and running a home-based business.
I was caught up on orders, laundry, dishes and I was actually content with the state of our bathrooms. The weather wasn't enticingly spectacular. There wasn't even a squabble to intervene or ignore.
Seasons are changing and things are slowing down. Shucks!
"How about we make some cinnamon buns!" I suggested as we found ourselves standing in the kitchen together.
I've made them cinnamon buns a couple times before from different recipes but I still hadn't found THE recipe. It was something that I aspired to find though.
A few months back, King Arthur Baking, my fav baking site, announced their recipe of the year for 2021. It had the potential to be a real treat. Maybe even something I could love.
You see, every week I bake muffins and or cookies for our "treats". But really, they don't feel so treat-y to me cause I'm a mother now and I have responsibilites and lives to sustain. I must nourish the children but I'm also a child of the 70's. And not one of those health-food-loving-hippie kind of 70's families. We were a little more Archie Bunker.
My kiddos don't know about all the cookies I grew up with - ready made in those bags in the grocery store with names like Puffs, Dads, Fudgee-oh and Oreo. That is for our much loved next door neighbours to introduce to them it seems.
They never bring me home any samples when they are given the fancy cookies next door, just stories of "A maple syrup cookie, Momma! And it was shaped like a leaf!"
Yes, I love the Maple Creme Sandwich Cookies, too, my children. I know them well.
I don't buy them though, I prefer to bake for us.
I love baking. It make me feel good. Funny how here I am, just like the health-food-loving kind of 70's hippies, where the muffins-pancakes-waffles-cookies that I make are stuffed full of whole grain everything and seeds and nuts and natural sweetners.
There is a glaring lack of icing upon my baking that while my "outer mother" feels proud, my inner child is pouting. This is not how I was raised (insert foot stomp here).
Thank goodness. It's better for me this way. But sometimes a good ole treat is all you need to shake things up.
Cinnamon buns are something special. Bake them for yourself and you feel like you're truly getting such a wonderful, decadent treat. This isn't a muffin.
If cake and bread had a baby it would be a cinnamon bun. Nourishing on the the deepest level.
If you care to share a fresh cinnamon bun with another, they will know how much you love them. And love you back.
Or at least drop by with fresh, hot coffee for two on a Saturday morning around 10am to see if, per chance, there is a familar smell wafting down your driveway.
The hooligans and I had such fun baking these. We actually do most of our "official" home learning while in the kitchen.
They loved making the Tanzhong in the first step and it opened up all kinds of conversations about baking, Asia, language, chemisty, stories from when I was a pastry chef.
And we smelled the cinnamon and meausred and mixed and rolled the dough. And while it rested to let the yeast do it's magic, we rested too. We talked a little bit about yeast and sourdough, discussed whether cream cheese or vanilla icing would be made (cream cheese! unanimously) and then looked for the dental floss.
Once rolled up, the dough is best cut with dental floss. Walt and Charlotte both watched this happen as if it was magic then took over. As the buns went in the oven we went out to the garden to pick mint, lavender and chamomile for out tea. Our second place for "lessons" is the garden.
It really is that simple sometimes to engage with the kids and have fun and learn together. And sometimes, hopefully often, it's delicious.
Perfectly Pillowy Cinnamon Rolls
This recipe comes from one of my very favourite baking websites - King Arthur Baking.
During the pandemic, this flour mill that produces some really great flour became an incredible resource for The Great Sourdough Renaissance of 2020 and for home baking in general.
And while I was going to include the recipe for you right here, I changed my mind.
This recipe is next level, with vidoes embedded, beautiful clear photos and so just CLICK HERE to head over to King Arthur Baking. One of my many happy places.
Bon apetit! And please let me know how they turn out! And let me know where you live so I can bring the hot beverages.
]]>I didn't learn much about boundaries as a kid - this is as valuable for them to learn about as it is for me. If my cup isn't full how can I help them? If my cup isn't full, how can I help me?
I'm the leader of our little band and I need to be on top of it. If they sense that their leader is not up to it, they will usually test me with some baking soda experiments in the bathroom or walk around the house eating handfuls of granola just to get me back on the job.
Being present and being aware of what I need and what I'm capable of has been my super power lately.
With the heat, sometimes I can't handle much. So instead we sit and read. I make an icy drink or scoop some ice cream.
I realized the other morning how much I love to bake. While I often give away much of what I make (which is so fun, too) there's so many things I love about it. This was a bit of an epiphany for me because I'd been wondering what I really liked to do anymore amongst the full days of motherhood.
I want to share the experience but I also just want to do it for me. It brings me joy. And when the hooligans feel me doing something I love and that brings me joy they want to be there, too.
The only thing I love more than baking is baking with my hooligans.
OUR FAVOURITE BANANA MUFFIN RECIPE
Based on a recipe from Cooks Illustrated magazine May/June 2021
12+ muffins
1 2/3 Cups (9.5oz) all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4-5 large very ripe bananas, peeled and mashed (2 cups)
3/4 cup (5.5 oz) sugar (we use coconut or cane sugar)
2 large eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil (or olive oil or melted coconut oil)
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/3 cup peanut butter or any nut/seed butter (optional)
1. Adjust oven rack to the middle position and set oven to 425F. Line 12-18 muffin cups with silicone or paper muffin cups. This recipe always makes more than 12.
2. The dry: Whisk flour, baking poweder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl.
3. The wet: Whisk bananas, sugar, eggs, oil and vanilla in a large bowl until fully combined. Add flour mixture and stir until fully combined.
4. Scoop batter into cups. Try to make them all even - approximately 1/2 cup batter per cup.
5. Bake until tops are golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 14 to 18 minutes. Let muffins cooli in muffin tin on wire rack for 10 mintures. Remove muffins from muffin tin and let cool for at least 5 mintues.
Enjoy!
If you have any questions please let me know :)
]]>I love to write and this gives me the perfect opportunity to be doing something I love on a regular basis. It's good for the soul and models some behavior for the hooligans that I think is really valuable.
And if you're new to Maplerose and haven't yet begun to receive my newsletter here's another spot for you to read about life here in Nelson, BC with my husband, Mr. Maplerose and our two hooligans, Walt, 7 and Charlotte, 4 3/4.
Besides running Maplerose on my own, we are unschooling the kiddos. We take a lot of inspiration from Steiner and the Waldorf education world but also are just really excited about watching things unfold for our two. They are voracious readers, love to bake and cook, like creating, and gardening and swinging and spinning and are often found fighting over the hammock.
Life is full. We love the pace of life here in the Kootenays and there's no where else where we would like to raise our children but this beautiful, remote, mountain city. So many beaches, forests, mountains, lakes and rivers to explore. We try to get out for an adventure every day but also value "jammie days" at home. Don't you?
Anyhoo, I've abandoned my social media outlets for the meantime and plan to pour my desire to create and connect into this new-old media. Please connect if you feel inspired. It's all so much easier when you know someone is by your side.
Blogs. So old school, but I do believe they're going to be making a comeback.
I'll see you here more often as I figure this into our unschooling, camping, gardening, Maplerose-ing lifestyle.
]]>