Friday, August 29, 2008
Play Silks
The kids and I had a lovely day today. It was grey and showery outside, so I pulled out my little secret weapon - playsilks. Hand dyed 36" x 36" squares of soft silk, these simple, open-ended playthings keep the kids entertained for at least 45 minutes at a time (that's a REALLY long time in my house!) We string them up on our Yesteryear Clothespin Set and not only do Spunky and BananaMuffin enjoy running and crawling through the "curtain", feeling the soft silk on their faces, but we pile blankets and pillows behind our little barrier and make a fort where we sat and read stories. Even when Spunky was learning to crawl, he would weave in and out, in and out, enjoying the little breezes created by the silks. These silks are one of the best investments I ever made!
 We've been searching high and low for a Canadian supplier of playsilks so that we can offer our favourite playthings to you, and we finally did it - our sets of playsilks are set to arrive any day now! Pair them up with your own Yesteryear Clothesline and watch their imaginations go to work! They'll be available in two colourways: elemental (blue, green, red) and dream (yellow, sage, baby blue)...we can't wait!Labels: Playtime
A Day At the Beach
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Pye's Head Family Reunion
It's been nearly a month...and I'm behind on blogging, but there are some great photos (mostly courtesy of Scotian) from our Natal Day Weekend family reunion in Guysborough County that I wanted to share.
We had a weekend of rain, rain, rain, and I was so thankful for my little Le Chameau rubber boots - they kept me dry - the best $35 I ever spent on a whim in my life! But, despite the rain, there was lots of family, friends, festivities and food!
Scotian's maternal family settled in Pye's Head back in the 1700s as part of the Yorkshire Settlement. The land was granted to the Pye family and still remains in the hands of their decendants today. The first time I visited Pye's Head, there stood a white clapboard farmhouse, on the verge of collapse - a symbol of the family gathering place. It's gone now, having been demolished for safety reasons, but it made me sad the day I heard it was gone, old farmhouses are so full of hard work and elbow grease, I love to wander through them and imagine what life was like even 50 or 60 years ago in a place as isolated as this.
This is the old farmhouse as it looked in the 1960s - I took this photo of a photo. This is the home where my mother-in-law spent all of her summers growing up, swimming in the chilly waters, playing with her cousins, and generally running free. It feels a bit nostalgic just to look at this photo. Two years ago, my mother-in-law started hooking a rug of this same scene to help remember both the fondness of her childhood summers and the necessity that were wool rugs as she remembered them in this old farm house. She intended to have it finished for the reunion, but it is still a work in progress. She has hand dyed a small amount of the wool to use in the grass areas, but she tries very hard to find "rummage" wool at thrift stores - she has amazing thrift shopping skills, I have to say!
I'm very impressed with her skill in bringing this rug together - it is no easy feat, and she has only been rug hooking a few years, it's an impressive endeavour!
Pye's Head is located on a peninsula, and there are three beaches - front beach, back beach and field beach. I find it hard to keep track, but they all have their own features - front beach is calm and rocky, back beach is wild and rough, and the field beach is, as its name suggests, at the bottom of the field where it is sheltered and the generally preferred swimming spot, if you can brave the cold water!
One of Scotian's cousins, in a move that I am quite proud of, purchased the Liscomb one-room school house a few summers ago, and had it moved to "The Head" to be re-purposed (as all of the design mags are calling it now) into a summer cottage - complete with blackboards, tin ceiling, original wood floors and reclaimed woodwork salvaged from the farmhouse before it was demolished - the big, bright windows, the high ceilings, the rugged beauty - even Spunky found it somehow comforting, we couldn't pull him away from the school house!
Despite the rain, we had a lovely time, and the last day the sun did come out and the fog burned off long enough for Spunky to have an al fresco nap under the trees while the many, many little ones in the family took a dip at the field beach. Although the water was warmer than usual thanks to the rain runoff, it was still chillier than I would have liked - so I put on a wet suit and flippers and had a great time in the deep salty water! We're hoping to do it all again next year - and I'm hoping that it isn't me that brings the rain, as everytime I've been to "The Head", it's been rainy, foggy and cold. But, a little reunion, a little BBQ, mussels in the boat house, swimming at the field beach, you really can't go wrong!Labels: family
Birth Options
Robyn Berman, a Halifax Doula, forwarded this information to us today. Having had two children, both by Casearean Section (my second being a "failed" VBAC) - I would NEVER, EVER do it again without a doula by my side! The support they provide is so critical - I'm sure I could have had a successful VBAC with Spunky had I had a doula with me - to talk me through the labour and remind me that an epidural would only slow progress! If I can offer all moms-to-be unsolicited advice, is to interview a doula and find one that matches with you and your partner's personalities - you won't regret it. I've only heard GREAT outcome stories from families who used doula services!
"Engaging the services of doulas and midwives can provide many benefits in a birth experience including potentially shortening your labour, requiring fewer medical interventions, less pain medication, involving you and your partner as active participants in your birth process by helping you birth with confidence and increasing your potential of breastfeeding success and lowering the risk of postpartum depression. Representatives from the Nova Scotia Doula Association and the Midwifery Coalition of Nova Scotia explain the roles of doulas and midwives in the birth experience and outline available services in Nova Scotia today.
Spring Garden Road Memorial Public Library
Tuesday, September 16/7 p.m."
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Saving For the Future With Cloth Diapers
This Summer, I have been fortunate to be part of a CBC Radio Business Makeover Series. I was paired up with a group of university business students from St. F.X. University in Antigonish to go over a pressing business question I had: whether or not to open a retail location. Rosie from SIFE (Students in Free Enterprise) and I met, chatted, and she and her colleagues worked out a budget and a few scenarios as to what could happen if Nurtured were to have a greater presence in the community. The interview can be heard here: nurtured.ram.
Following the interview, I received a number of interesting emails, including this one from a listener in Ontario:
"Dear April,
I just heard your interview on CBC; I admire your resolve regarding your enterprise. Let me contribute some good news.
My sons were born 1989 and 1990, at a time when I was commuting 70 minutes each way through Toronto traffic to my job as a programmer-analyst. So I was busy all around. Nevertheless, I decided to use cloth diapers for my children, even though I had two in diapers simultaneously.
According to some statistics at the time (please verify for yourself), one can save $1000 per year per child when going this route, compared to using disposables. Based on this I decided to put the $1000 once a year into our mortgage, which at the time - hear this - resulted in one year less in mortgage payments at the end. So in other words, every year of washing diapers took one year off our mortgage! *) This was a beautiful incentive, and perhaps you can work out the latest figures and present this to your customers.
*) It depends on what "stage" the mortgage is at. Ours, being in its early years, was still very interest-heavy, so the $1000 directly against the principal made a big difference.
Besides, as mentioned I was really busy with a high-responsibility job, two babies and the commute. I didn't however find it a particular hardship to wash diapers when I came home. (It's not as if we had to scrub them on rocks beside the creek.) In the summer I hung them on the line, and in the winter I strung them up in the laundry room. I secured a babysitter who was cooperative ("... and by the way, I use cloth diapers. I would bring you an odour-free pail to collect them. Would you mind...?" After everything was discussed, of course Maggie wouldn't.) Once the washing became routine, it was a win-win situation all around.
Let me congratulate you on your enthusiasm, April and your benevolent motives. Have I mentioned I'm not a programmer any more? I have been an entrepreneur for the last 14 years. Together with my husband, I am now an Environmental Consultant.
Best of luck and much success!"
Anyone who has attended our workshops knows that using cloth diapers saves up to $2,000 per child. Imagine if we did actually apply this savings to our mortgages, or create an RESP for our children, this is a very exciting proposition!Labels: cloth diapers
The Wool Fairy, A Nurtured Exclusive
Nurtured is excited at the arrival of The Wool Fairy Play Food. Made in Nova Scotia of 100% wool (some of which is hand dyed, in small batches, by The Wool Fairy herself). It is simply stunning. Scotian, who just left my office, was stopped in his tracks when he saw it. He was amazed at how nice it was and was making eyes at the lettuce! In fact, everyone who has seen The Wool Fairy items has made mention of how beautiful they are. I can tell you from experience that kids LOVE to play with these pieces - we've had some of these items in our play room for months, and not only do our own children love to play with the food, but many of the families who visit the Nurtured in-home shop also have toddlers, and inevitably they present a "home cooked" meal to their moms.
We love that the play food is made completely of wool - even the stuffing is soft, clean wool. No polyester! They adhere to Waldorf principles and help teach your child the values of healthy eating. We invite you to see for yourself why these sets are so beautiful!Labels: Playtime, wool
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Safe Sippy Have FINALLY Arrived!
After a lengthy wait, we are happy to say that we have finally received our shipment of Safe Sippy Stainless Steel Sippy Cups. With a new and improved spout and valve, along with it's continued commitment to your child's health by reducing the amount of plastic, and being BPA and pthalate-free, the Safe Sippy is also great for new sippy cup users with it's narrow design and easy-to-grasp handles. These will NOT last long, get yours today!
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
A Little Thank You Goes A Long Way!
I received this touching thank you letter from Isa Mundo:
"Dear April,
We received your very generous contribution of diaper pins to include in the
packages we make up for needy newborns at Guadalajara's public hospital.
These moms are some of the inner city's poorest women and need all the help
they can get. The hospital also serves women from the surrounding country
pueblos and in many cases the girls have had no pre-natal care during their
pregnancy.
The packets that we distribute to these babies include cloth diapers and the
pins needed. However, they are so hard to find in Mexico, the US, and in
Canada. You can't imagine what a boon it is for us to have so many of them.
Other items in the package are are a blanket, sleeper, booties, and cap for
the baby. Mom receives panties and socks because when she's admitted she
has to give all her clothing to the family member that came with her.
Consequently, they walk around in nothing more than a hospital gown. Can
you imagine walking on tile floors while carrying your baby to the water
fountain in the corridor? This is no-frills hospitalization.
The attached photos will show you the delight in the moms' faces when they
receive the new articles for their little ones. How I wish you could come
with us when we visit the hospital...you'd see how important your donation
is to so many.
On behalf of the Junior Service League of Guadalajara and the city's
grateful mothers we extend you a great big hug of thanks...or as we say
here in Mexico.......
Gracias April,
Elena Cooper"Labels: diapers, family
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