Clean.

City field trip.

Nine days in the city. Nine full, busy, wonderful days.

We went back to Milwaukee last week to visit my family and help my mom with cooking, cleaning, and laundry while she recuperated from knee surgery. To break up the time (and keep from driving my mom crazy with too much togetherness) we planned one special adventure each day.

A festival with my sister. A day in downtown Milwaukee. The library. The museum. Swimming. Dinner with dear friends.

And filling the week with lots of free time and one activity each day was a just-right balance. No overstim, no cabin fever. Perfection.

Our non-outing time was spent in the suburbs enjoying my parents quiet yard and quiet house. (Well, quiet until we arrived anyway.)

Last night there was a message from my mom on our answering machine. "My house is too quiet and too tidy. And I'm lonely." I guess the week was good for her too.

And as always, coming home the very best part of going away. We returned with our pockets full of pebbles, our car trunk full of treasures and our hearts full of stories. And we were met at the door with Papa hugs, puppy kisses, and fresh chicken eggs. What could be better than that?

Oh my. It's so good to be home.

Love,
Rachel

P.S. The burgundy shoes I'm wearing in the three photos above are my lovely Aurora shoes. Handmade in the US and amazingly comfortable. Sustainable, family-owned, foot-healthy, re-soleable, and sweat-shop free. What's not to love?

Free (or almost free) summer fun.

Want free fun this summer?

Below are some of our favorite free - or nearly free - summer crafts. I've included some sewing patterns, upcycling ideas, and affordable alternatives to store bought basics like ice cream and sunscreen.

What's not to love?

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Free: Make a summer bucket list. We do this for most seasons and love it!

Free: Recycle a soda bottle into a free backyard sprinkler.

Free: Whip up some cute garden markers with twigs and letter stamps.

Free: Create a terrarium from a mason jar.

Free: Make headbands out of scraps from your stash.

Free or Cheap: Homemade bubble wands and bubble juice anyone?

Free or Cheap: Sew a sunhat or a bonnet for your little one. Use upcycled linens or clothes to make these for nothing.

Cheap: Homemade sunscreen. Absolutely.

Cheap: Make sorbet without an ice cream maker or turn your homemade yogurt into frozen yogurt dots.

Cheap: Homemade natural finger paints are messy fun and so is using flowers and leaves as your paint brush.

Do you have a favorite free or cheap craft? Add it to the comments!

 

Love,
Rachel

 

Sewing shorts.

I have this strange/terrible/wonderful habit of taking on new sewing projects when I should be packing for a trip.

As in during that crazy night-before-leaving phase when your undivided attention is needed to pack the bathroom bag and inventorying the food and prepare the car snacks.

I'm not sure when it started (and it might just be a highly productive stalling technique) but it's almost guaranteed that if we're about to leave I've abandoned my chores and have slipped into the basement for some sewing.

The latest stitching began as the kids and I packed for a week away. We're leaving tomorrow, but Lupine discovered that she's lacking shorts.

She was all skirts and dresses last summer so I wasn't concerned by her having only one pair of shorts, but she's a little less fru-fru these days and a bit more rough-and-tumble.

That girl needed shorts.

So while their auntie took them to the library for books for the drive I dashed downstairs and threw these together with fabric from my stash and a pattern I drew up for Sage a few years back.

So easy, and so adorable. The pleated snail and mushroom pockets push them over the edge. Oh, I'm loving this little-less-girlie stage. I can use snail fabric!

She loves them, I love them, and now I need to pack.

Have a great few days, sweet friends. Stay cool out there.

Love,

Rachel

Already.

Remember how happy I was this morning?

Um, yeah. Double it.

Have a magical weekend sweet people.

Love,
Rachel

Chickens!

It's hard for me to explain how happy this makes me.

We have chickens again!

As some of you know, we've been living in town for the past six years after living in the country since 1995. We are country people, temporially living in town.

And in the country we always had chickens.

Today a friend is moving away and needed a new home for her girls. So early this morning Lupine and I set out to pick up the four we were adopting.

And after an eventful and perilous chase of the Americana up and down our quiet street this morning (a chase that ended with me taking a slapstick flying leap into the neighbors bushes to finally catch her) the four ladies are tucked contentedly into our borrowed coop.

I am so happy.

(Squeal!)

Now all we need is the farm! Universe, I'm ready. Bring on the farm!

Love,
Rachel

Welcome July Sponsors

A cool and breezy welcome to our July sponsors. There is some wonderful stuff here. Take a peek at their shops if you haven't done so already!

LuSa Organics - my own organic body care line

Life Without Plastic - glass and stainless products for your home

Simple Loving Family - Natural, homemade, eco-friendly gifts

WaldorfMama - knitting and Waldorf inspiration from a mama of my own heart

Sparkle Stories - Audio stories for children and families

Sassy Knitwear - handmade eco-conscious clothing from Minneapolis

Dental Essentials - supplements for a cavity free childhood

Sarah's Silks - silk for imaginative play

Sundara Yarn -exquisite hand-dyed yarns

Mariposa Forest - a world of imagination, delivered to your mailbox

McSmoogly Photography - newborn photography for Wisconsin families

I am currently open to new sponsors (and I occasionally entertain a barter or two). Email me for details if you are interested in joining the party!