Child Led Play

So, I have recently read that child led play is becoming a thing of the past. This makes me sad. Kids are getting involved in more sports at earlier ages, replacing the much needed and beneficial child led play with adult led play which is much more about the rules and much less about the imagination and the ability to create and work together without adult rules. In my opinion, it is important to encourage child led play as much as possible in all ages, including the older ages, as high as 6th and 7th graders, not just in pre-schoolers and elementary ages.

I love the web site hearthsong.com. It has a lot of toys and activities that encourage creativity and imagination. One of my favorites are play silks. These can be bought on a toy web site or a web site that sells dyed silk scarves. These scarves open up so many opportunities for role playing and creative play.

Another fun addition to the toy closet are a good set of stilts, especially fun for the older kids. These help with developement of balance and motor skills. And they are great fun for kids when they have more than one set. They can have obstacle courses or races.

Stacking toys are also tons of fun. Another that my kids have is this Star Stack Ups set. They have had so much fun seeing how high they can stack them and then knocking them down with the ball included.

I LOVE Etsy!!

I made this treasury this morning. I want to show my support for etsy. I love the site and I love shopping on etsy!!!

Working on my Birthday Wishlist

So, I am really doing some heavy duty window shopping on Etsy. I have a birthday coming up in mid-October and I want to send everybody to my favorites for some birthday ideas. But, I almost feel overwhelmed trying to make decisions. I LOVE etsy!! The talent on there is amazing. And having it all so accessible, it really is a wonderful thing. Some of my favorite things come from etsy, and I am talking everyday type things. Some may think Etsy is only for high dollar specialty/boutique type items since it is all handmade, but oh contraire.
For example, the shirt I am wearing right now is one of my favorite shirts:

I got this shirt from maryink and I adore it!! Even cooler, I got another shirt free, she was having a sale, and that one is another extreme favorite. Make sure you check out the Saturday Night Specials on the Etsy forums to catch awesome deals like that.

And this butter dish is something we use everyday:


I got this from utilemud and it is so beautiful yet totally functional.

And this is my favorite washcloth:

I bought this from MFCrafts and have since gone back for more to give as gifts.

So, after seeing all these fabulous things I already own... and they are only a very teensy percentage... I bet you are dying to see this fabulous birthday wish list. Well, I will share as soon as I can narrow down some of my choices. I have such a hard time just picking one or two items from each store. I want it all... LOL!

Learning to Say No

I think this lesson can be applied to everybody's life. It was part of my Bible Study I taught this weekend, but I think one of the main concepts could be used by everybody and I think it makes decision making a little bit easier. First, know your priorities. And my sister made a good point that it is best to have three or four priorities. If you find you have like 20, then you need to work on narrowing that down first, before yoou even worry about this step. Then, base your decision on those priorities, if it is something that will bring you closer to fulfilling your priorities, then say "Yes" but if you find it goes against those priorities, then be strong and just say "No".

Today was my first day at work. It went well. I did not have much to do, because I not been trained on the main tasks, but I handled the phone and worked on my Happies. I got 50 nearly completed. WooHoo! Now, I need to figure out what to use to punch holes in the corners. They won't fit in a standard paper punch and I don't want to spend $15 on a jumbo paper punch at Wal Mart. Maybe my leather phunch will work... or maybe I need to pull out my drill... that could be a disaster in the making.

I am Proud of a Local Business

This morning I heard a truck backing up in the street outside my house. No big deal, but I peeked out to see if it was our gas guy and realized the neighbor was getting gas delivered. Then I noticed the truck and it made my heart swell. This is a local Virginia gas company. They could easily go about their business delivering gas and not worry about the world. With gas prices as high as they are, I am sure their budget is just as tight as everybody else's. But sitting outside my house was a shiny pink truck making a statement that could very well save a life. I am tickled pink that they have taken the cause of Breast Cancer Awareness this far. No little bumper sticker here... the whole truck was pink, even the underside. I called the office and she was delighted that I noticed the pink truck and said a second one was soon to hit the road. Yay for them!!!

Buyer Show and Tell in Virtual Labs

I attended a virtual lab yesterday that was a Buyer Show and Tell. It was great fun to talk about wonderful finds I have found on etsy but I was upset more people did not show up. We created the above treasury by showing off favorites... which I love to do. I am finding it difficult to find a place to talk shopping on etsy. Things get buried immediately in the promotions forum. I can post finds here but I like to "talk" about things. I find that it is fun to make treasuries to show off my finds, but these days, with well over 1000 treasuries out there, it is difficult to even wade through that area of etsy.
I am definitely more of a buyer than a seller, but the etsy community seems to be mostly for the sellers.
So, if you like to talk shopping on etsy, and you have found a fun place to do it, let me know. Also, if you are a buyer, please check the virtual lab schedule and check out the next buyer show and tell. It is tons of fun to make a treasury and show off the really unique things you have found while shopping.

One Hundred and Fifty Happies

That is what I am working on right now.

So, I am thinking you are wondering what the heck a happy is... cause I didn't know myself until recently. A happy is a little gift you get in your program package at a women's seminar my church is hosting on the 20th and 21st of this month. Every year, this group of ladies puts together a seminar hosted at a local church. This year, the seminar is at our church and we are pitching in. Usually the happy is donated, this year, no happies. I could not sit idly by and let that travesty occur, so up went the hand and in the second, I became commited to making 150 happies to give out at the seminar. So, I am making little scripture books. I designed the above cover in photoshop. Inside the mini book are scriptures associated with a time of need, for example: When you need courage for a task.... Joshua 1.

So, now these need to be printed out on card stock and stapled/tied into little books. I think they will turn out cute.

That Crazy Lady with the Camera

I am pretty sure my neighbors think I am some crazy woman. I think they probably can figure out I am taking pictures of the flowers when I am outside with my camera but I think they probably start to question my sanity when I am laying on the ground under a bush or hiding in the azaleas. Then they see me in my compost pile taking pictures of the rotten pumpkin. And then, to top it off, I am in the front yard taking pictures of some weird thing propped on an old wooden ladder... LOL! I am sure I am a sight! None of them have ever asked me what I was doing. And when we talk they never bring it up... that makes me pretty sure they think it is something unspeakable. So funny!!

Above are some recent butterfly shots I have taken in my yard. Check out my flicr site for more photos:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/backwoodsophisticate/

Looks Like I am Going Back to Work

At least part time. I talked to my pastor on the phone tonight and he offered me the church secretary job I applied for. Kaileigh will spend the mornings, Monday through Thursday, with a very nice lady who I have known for a long time and babysat my niece. I am really just going with the flow on this and seeing where it all leads me. I am hoping to use my gifts to serve God the best I can and I think this position will give me that opportunity. I am also still planning on working with the youth, especially on Wednesday evenings.

Still waiting and S-P-U-D

Well, I still have not heard about the job at the church. I am really feeling that I would be fine either way, whether I got it or not.

The two oldest have started school this week. Ryan is struggling with the exhausting schedule. He is so cranky by the afternoon, I can really tell it is tiring him out. I am sure that will improve with time but I do see now that pre-school could have helped with that adjustment.

Megan is loving middle school. I am so happy with her teachers and the fact that the school has been newly renovated. I really believe this is going to be a great year for her.

Kaileigh is enjoying being home alone but I am finding that she has a tendency to want to watch movies all day. It is hard not having Ryan here to play with her. He always was so good at convincing her to go play outside.

Tonight was the start of our Wednesday dinners at church. We take a break during the summer. I went ahead and took care of the kids during the bible study. We made cards for some of our church members who were recently in an accident. Then we went outside and played a ball game called S-P-U-D. It was fun but boy am I tired and sore now, LOL. I am no spring chicken.

This is adorable

This little puppy by Jtnee is beyond adorable. Jtnee has been in my favorites a long time and I love checking this clay artist's shop from time to time to see what fabulous new creations have been added there. Another favorite of mine in this shop is the skeleton figures. They crack me up. Please check this shop and you will see what I mean.