Today, I'm happy to welcome Shawn Fink, author of the Playful Family eBook and the inspiring blog, Awesomely Awake. Shawn writes regularly about creating a playful family life, and teaches others to do so as well through her creative eCourses.A two-season participant of A Sense of Place, and a contributor to the At-Home Summer Nature Camp eCurriculum,Shawn joins us with ther heartfelt thoughts on the gift of exploring and sharing nature with her two young girls.
"Is it up in that
tree?" she said, standing close to the trunk, pointing up. Her head was
tilted straight back. I tilted my head back,
too. "I don't know. I don't see anything."
We were searching the
lush green branches of the tree when my other daughter darted off to the next
pine tree. We were trying to find a family of owls we heard are living in a
local, urban park near our house...
*****
When I heard about Liz's
first winter nature journaling class it was roughly 15 degrees outside at our
house. For some people in the world, that would be nothing. For us, it was
definitely life altering. We're that family outside in the middle of winter,
usually. But not this past winter. And yet being in nature
is how we recharge and connect.
So, for months, we sat
staring out our kitchen window finding solace in our dead forsythia bush and
talking about what it must be like to be a bird sitting on a branch, waiting.
But, that's motherhood,
isn't it? Waiting. Waiting for the kids to get ready. Waiting for the next
thing on our to-do list to get done. Waiting for the next season to begin.
Waiting for a birthday or a holiday or a special celebration.
Spring sprung,
eventually, and we felt our internal transformation happen. Waiting was no
longer about rushing to the next thing but about relishing, appreciating and
noticing. The sun is out. It's warm. We're out and on our way.
This is how we slow
down. Pause. And connect to each other, again.
*****
On this particular day, we'd
set out on a trail with our journals and pencils and tried to find the owls.
We searched nearly every tree. But they were too smart for us. In fact, we
didn't even write much down or take any photos.
But, what we did find
was the immense beauty that grows up from the ground and relies on sun and
water to survive – just like us. Later, we ended up at the
playground, where my girls rushed off to run and play. I took my place on a
vacant bench, tilted my head back, and stared at the sky. And everything – EVERYTHING
– was so clear.
Join Shawn on The Playful Family Adventure this summer a 4-week eCourse designed to be the spark you need to be playful, present, and peaceful.Read all about it and sign up here!
It was a very full weekend. A sleepover. Two birthday parties. Mother's Day. Deadlines. Messes. Meltdowns (including my own). And yet, amidst all the chaos and craziness, so many blessings to count; so much abundance to appreciate; so much beauty to soak in, including...
Over the kids' spring break, we visited a sustainable demonstration farm. I was completely enthralled with the way they used materials from the natural environment for structures and elements in their gardens. Bed borders were made from stacked, fallen banana leaves and bamboo; pinecones served as mulch; and bamboo poles were tied together to create vegetable cages and trellises.
Examples of using sustainable materials at ECHO Global Farm.
I'm not sure why it all hit me as it did, but my world opened up. After years of garden inspiration from magazine pages and Pinterest posts, this simple, natural approach was a breath of fresh air. I loved the idea of creating in my garden with readily available materials (instead of purchased or manufactured materials). So I've started to adapt a few of the techniques I learned about at the farm...
Working together, my husband and I cut several sticks of bamboo from a patch in my backyard. We stripped off all the leaves and growth, and cut them to equal lengths. Then, using garden twine to bind the poles together, we created structures to serve as support for tomatoes and vining plants in both the front and back yard gardens. In some spaces, we set up a seires of tripods, connected at the top with another bamboo pole. In other places, we constructed single tepees of varying heights.
Bamboo structures in my backyard garden :: a tomato cage from 5 connected tripods, and a 6-ft bean tepee.
Growing food in my front yard is a new experiment this season - so I've had to create new garden beds. For borders, I'm trying the stacked banana leaf-bamboo method, using old banana leaves from my own trees. This is a work in progress and I'm only one layer deep so far. I don't have any of the big, thick bamboo, so I'm constantly on the lookout for some trimmed pieces... taking my "curb shopping" tendencies to a whole new level as I now ogle yard waste too!
Bamboo in the front yard veggie patch :: tepee tomato cages; and the beginnings of a bamboo-banana leaf bed border.
The next sustainable growing practice on my list to explore - DIY drip irrigation systems. I'll keep you posted!
Do you know Jump Into A Book? If not, it's time you did! As one of the camp counselors for the At-Home Summer Nature Camp eCurriculum, Jump Into a Book host and award-winning author Valarie Budayr is providing book and media recommendations for each of the eight weekly themes of the nature camp. So when you embark upon "Sun Fun" week, or "Ponds & Frogs" week, all you have to do is take her handy list with you to your local library and gather up some fantastic books to support your week's learning and play. So easy... but it gets even better!
Valarie has selected one - and in some cases two - of her suggested books from each week to highlight on her fun and informative blog. With her guidance, you can "jump into" the pages of these books and incorporate them into your days through play, crafting, cooking, movies, games, and more! These special eight "book jumps" will go hand-in-hand with the At-Home Summer Nature Camp eCurriculum themes, making it an even more valuable resource!
The first book jump in Valarie's At-Home Summer Nature Camp Series is available now, so head on over and jump into The Bee Tree, plus get a game, a craft, recipes, and more - all about bees. Then, bookmark the post to enjoy this summer along with Wildflowers & Bees week of the nature camp.
******* A "Nature Camp Book Bundle" Giveaway! *******
I'm so excited about the partnership between Jump Into a Book and A Natural Nester, that I've decided to run a BIG giveaway to celebrate! One lucky family participating in the At-Home Summer Nature Camp eCurriculum has the chance to win eight of the books that Valarie has selected to jump into this summer!
The bundle will include one book for each weekly theme of the nature camp... a $70 value!
All pre-orders placed through midnight of May 19th will be entered to win (even if you already ordered prior to this blog post!). A winner will be chosen at random, and announced by May 22nd.
It's May!! Here, we have less than 30 days until school is out and we start Summer vacation... how about you? What are your plans? If you need a little guidance or inspiration this summer, consider joining in one - or better yet, both - of my summer nature ePrograms!
Read more about these unique ways to spend your summer here (nature camp) and here (nature journaling). Want to do both? Get them as a "Summer Nature Fun Bundle" here at 10% off!
And if you haven't already, be sure to sign up for my Mailing List to get the latest "news from my nest," including special promos! Just click here to sign up - it takes less than 30 seconds!
OK, enough self-promotion. But I do hope you'll join in some of the summer fun I'm cooking up! And I'll be back in this space next week.
It's National Arbor Day, a special day set aside for tree planting! Today's a great day to recognize and discuss the important role trees play in our natural world. Here are 10 ways you can honor this 135-year-old observance as a family, or an individual. (It's OK to spread these activities out over several days or weeks, using today as your starting point.)
1. The most obvious Arbor Day act is to plant a tree (or make a plan to plant one sometime soon). Be sure to choose the right tree for the right spot, and learn how to properly plant and care for it!
2. Go on a neighborhood tree walk. Stroll around your neighborhood, or a nearby park, and observe all the different types of trees. Bring along a field guide to identify what you see, or alternatively, take photos and use the Internet to identify your neighborhood trees when you get home (visit www.arborday.org/trees/treeid.html).
3.Stop by the library and pickup a few books about trees. Consider picture books for little ones, such as The Giving Tree or A Tree is Nice. Older children will appreciated non-fiction/resource books to learn more about trees; local tree identification guides; and even the classic coming-of-age story A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Adults, check out The Tree, a nonfiction look at how the natural world affects human lives.
4. Make bark rubbings using paper and crayons or colored pencils. Lay your paper over the bark of different trees and rub it with a crayon... watch the patterns and texture of the bark magically appear!
5. Make a list of all the different foods that come from trees (think beyond just apples and oranges to other edible tree products such as cinnamon [tree bark] and syrup [tree sap]). Pick a favorite from the list and make a tree-grown snack to enjoy and share in gratitude.
6.Find a spot torelaxunder a shady tree. Lie down and look up through the branches and leaves. Lean against the trunk and read a book. Pack a picnic to eat in the shade...
7.Writea poem about a treein honor of Arbor Day and National Poetry Month. Pick a tree in your yard to write about... or conjure up an image of the most beautiful - or unusual- tree you can imagine. Be creative! Read some of these famous poems for inspiration.
8. Observe what animals, insects, and birds live in and around the trees in your area. Think about what role the trees play for the wildlife (shelter, food, rest). Consider starting a nature journal in which to record your observations.
9.Volunteer time or donate money to a local tree-planting organization and help grow trees and community! Visit www.arbordaynow.org to find out where and how you can make a difference in your area.
10. If nothing else, go outside and hug a tree today. It's a sweet and simple way to express your gratitude for all the benefits trees offer to you and your planet. Plus, it feels great!
