Clean.

Setting up the playroom.

: : The View from Here part 1 ~ a look around our home : :

Our home is becoming more organized and beautiful every week. We are slowly working our way through the To Do list, and starting to feel comfortably at home here. 

This post is a peek into our playroom. It is the first in a sporadic series I plan to write on where we live our busy lives. (Let me know what you think and if you'd like the more stops in the tour! Soap studio? Live food-zone? Homeschool chest? Family bedroom? Craft space?)

Between our living room and our dining area we have a pass-through room - a glorified hallway really - that is our playroom. It had been a narrow office, but now is where our playthings dwell. Toys in the children's bedrooms are kept to a minimum, so this tiny space contains most of what occupies their playtime.

Recently I reevaluated the play room and the sheer volume of stuff crammed within. (Where did all of these toys come from?) Books, games, toys, silks... so much to play with if you can focus on one thing long enough (but how can you focus in such a space?). Not so long ago we had a one-in-one-out toy rule but it was discarded somewhere along the way, and our playroom has been swelling ever since. 

Late last night Pete and I dug into the play room and narrowed it down to six open-ended play areas. The remaining toys are stored in a former linen closet to be rotated in and out of play as we wish. 

The space that previously contained dozens of toys now consists of the following stations:

1. The play table (which was always there, but is now clear of clutter and the shelf above is open, awaiting daily toy rotation);

 

2. A rainbow of playsilks;

 

3. Another (wild) rainbow of costumes;

 

4. A doll corner with our pram, cradle, two dolls, and clothes;

 

5. The farm (animals, people, and fences are stored in the nightstand that had belonged to my great grandma and the playmat is rolled in the hay loft); and 6. Our home-made playstands/play kitchen (top). 

Somehow removing the tall shelves and replacing them with just a few select things made our whole house feel bigger and more peaceful. The shelves were repurposed in our family room, stocked with games, books, and projects for long winter evenings by the fire. 

The simplicity of the set up has created a calm, creative energy in our house today. I'm off to see what our costumed knight and panda bear are up to!

Thankful.

Sending blessing to you for a day of connection, love, and belonging. I am grateful for so much.

Gratitude and thanks for...

this moment

beauty

home

local food

family

friends

community

growth

magic

freedom

true love

transformation

what comes next.

Raw cranberry relish recipe.

This recipe comes from my mom's mom's repertoire. I was going to ask my sister to send me a scanned picture of Grandma Lee for today's post, but she's on vacation. Use your imagination and visualize a tall yet round grandmotherly woman with perfect silvery-gray hair - all but the two dark streaks rising up in the front above each eyebrow ("They're my horns," she would say with a mischievous smile).

The perfect balance of sweet with just enough sour and bitter - and a whole lot of zesty. Grandma? Or the recipe below? I'll leave the to you to decide.

Regardless, its perfect for Thanksgiving and if it weren't there it would be missed.

 

Edited: Needless to say, cranberry relish is not the most photogenic of foods. But you get the idea.

Grandma Lee's Cranberry Relish

1 Lb cranberries (frozen are okay - actually a bit more cooperative than fresh)

4 organic oranges (don't peel, just wash)

1/2 C agave nectar (or, as Grandma says use 3/4 C sugar. You choose. But don't add both.)

1/2 C pecans, chopped

Using a very clean meat grinder or a food processor, grind cranberries until pieces are roughly 1/4 the size of a raisin. If using a meat grinder (our preference) just put on the coarser plate and go with it. It'll be perfect.

Cut orange into chunks and process as cranberries.

Stir in agave or sugar and let sit for several minutes. Taste, adjust sweetness, and allow to sit again before adjusting further. It changes. Magical, mysterious stuff. Just like Grandma.

Stir in pecan bits and enjoy! (Nope. You don't cook it.)

Children learn what they live.

It has been our goal to live our lives and parent our children from a place of gentle love and kindness. I think we're doing pretty well as we enter into our seventh year of parenting. The learning curve has been steep, but we're sticking with it and getting better all the time.

Sometimes I see our children's play as holding up a mirror to our lives to show us how we're doing. When its right on it feels so good. (This is not to say that their isn't play here that is all about death, fighting, domination, and poop. But sometimes you see just what you're looking for.)

Below is a peek into Lupine's world of play...

 

A tired Beanie and Lupine snuggle in the rocking chair.

 

Then a little nursing before Beanie falls asleep.

 

And the babies, mama, and papa snuggle up in "the big bed" because the doll cradle is too small to fit them all.

Here is wishing you a day where the mirror held up to your life makes you smile.

Homemade Play Dough Recipe.

Please note: I've rewritten this post, whith pictures of the process! For the new version, go here.

I have been solo with my children for the past four days. (Ah, deer season.) Overall it has been magical, fun, and smooth as can be. We hit our rhythm right off the bat and kept our stride until yesterday morning. We've been thrifting, hanging with some of our favorite friends, dipping candles, making caramel corn, and playing so many games. But somehow "Papa-is-coming-home-today" Day is always the sticky one. We all fall apart.

With Lupine not napping much these days and me falling asleep with the kids at 8:30 the night before (oops), I was wanting just a moment to myself.

Enter Play Dough. My sanity.

I don't know the origin of this recipe except that my mom gave it to me when Sage was two and I have shared it with countless families, much to everyone's delight. It makes great DIY holiday gifts too, with just the dry ingredients in a mason jar along with the recipe. A fabulous, earth-friendly, homemade kid-to-kid gift.

Homemade Play Dough

1 C white flour (I have used whole grain with good results as well)

1/4 C salt

2 T cream of tartar

1 C water

2 tsp food coloring (optional)

1 Tb oil

A few drops of essential oils of your choice. Lavender is a favorite around here, but this batch was Cranky Pants EO Blend. (Ahem. That was my choice. We needed all the help we could get.)

Combine dry ingredients in a medium cooking pot. Add wet ingredients (except essential oils) and stir.

Cook over medium heat stirring constantly. It will soon turn into a gloppy, lumpy, ugly mess and you will be certain that it isn't working... but it is.

When the dough forms a ball in the center of the pot turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead (let it cool a bit if your kids can wait). Make a thumbprint in the center and add a couple of drops of essential oils and knead in thoroughly.

Store in the fridge. Discard when it becomes sticky (usually two months or so around here).

A note on food coloring: 

We have successfully colored these with spices (tumeric, paprica), synthetic dyes, juiced beets, and purchased natural food coloring. It's also superbly fun plain. This batch is colored with India Tree natural food coloring. (Blue, if you believe it. You learn to love the unpredictability of natural dyes.)

We sometimes like to do several colors at once. To do this, leave the batch uncolored and tint when completed. To do so, make a thumbprint in each finished dough ball and add a drop of coloring. Ever so carefully knead it in with the dough in your hands (not on the counter as your drop of color may attempt to escape).

Non-Violent Communication.

We have been blessed to have stumbled into the magical realm of Non-Violent Communication recently. (Thank you, friend Emma!) I've mentioned it before in this post and although we're just beginning to learn the first steps to communication from a place of understanding needs and seeking connection, we have seen its power in our home and our relationships.

Several months ago we began receiving an NVC parenting newsletter, free of charge via email. It has been inspiring and motivating. Here is a sample from today's in-box:

Compassionate Parenting Tip - Week 34

Ninety-five percent of what we learn is through modeling, only five percent through instruction.

Your children learn most of all by what you are living. Make a list of three values you hold dear. For each value, write down one action you can take today to express that value. Make a request of yourself to do those three things today.

I wanted to share the link so that you can enjoy the newsletters as well. They have been truly transformational for our family. Follow these links to sign up for the Compassionate Parenting Tip series or the Living Compassion Weekly tip. Amazing stuff.

* Peace *