Bliss Beyond Naptime

Easter Egg 2012

For the last four Easter Good Fridays we make our way over to our neighbours' Easter Egg decorating potluck making it feel to me these days like the true hallmark of spring officially in the air.

 Our neighbours are close enough we walk over safely and happily as a tribe but far enough that it still feels like a bit of a risky adventure. Especially when night begins to enclose in on us as we embark on our journey home after dinner.

Ukrainian Easter egg decorating happens at this get together and for the weeks leading up to Good Friday our whole family's got their egg-shaped thinking caps on commiserating what will adorn our eggs this year.

I felt compelled this year to commemorate the newest addition to our family, our mini dachsund puppy Angel, similarly to how Craig did a baby foot print on his egg the year Kale was born. The eggs are decorated with yolk intact and soon I'll be blowing them empty and hanging them on the Easter tree. Next year.

As a side note the Easter Tree did not happen yet as planed due to life excitement in so many other areas. Namely, the turbo torso number you see wrapping around my creation up there.

To make up for the lack of said tree I let the kids to go ahead and eat a whole, entire chocolate bunny to themselves for the first time in their lives for last night's dessert.

Mind you said bunnies were only about two inches tall. But still, Kale had yet to experience such a caffeine indulgence before (other than when in utero. And during his after latte nursings for his first three years) and was up singing Hot Cross Buns in bed until 3 in the morning.

And the point of the story my little egg is trying to tell. .. this here is the true source of all these magical Easter eggs delivered worldwide to children everywhere.

The muses made me do it.

I asked a fellow pot lucker if she thought that last touch was maybe a little too much. Perhaps even a little weird. She replied that it wasn't like me to be doing something weird.

I think I dected a tinch of Easter sarcasm in her voice.

Happy Easter!

love,

Kathy

 

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Mum's The Word (The Fun Word)

Craig has been away for work all week long and last night he arrived home, safe, sound and so deliriously tired he couldn't stop hugging me. Luckily he doesn't have to go away too often but when he has to I'm noticing this time alone on the farm with two kids seems like it takes less sweat. Mabye because the munchkins are getting a bit older? Or Mama's getting hardier (strong like ox style)?

Before Craig's coming home, I was determined to do something terribly not in my Mama nature. Something fun. Like Dada-style fun. Sure, I win the fun crown in events like puppet shows and family break dance circles but in terms of sporty flavoured pursuits he wins, hands down, each time. So I bit the bullet and told the kids "we're going skiing together" and after the immediate chorus of "yay's" I discovered another tool for any lazy mama emergencies - say it out loud then there's no going back.

Edie is a spectacular cross country skier these days. She not only keeps up but surpasses me. Sometimes so far I have to holler for her to wait up at times (mind you I had the impediment of Kale's sled strapped to my belly. With all them hand knit layers he's one heavy little lug). While skiing I was thinking about this pace we were taking; me slowed down by Kale's layers, stopping to take pictures, Kale hucking himself off the sled to point at rocks (look at that rock, with snow on it. No, that one!) and pondering how at this age this is the way to go. This is the cadence they need to wholly digest the world around them.

Right before this little adventure I finished wrapping up the preparation for my Saturday morning simplicity parenting session number six - Filtering Out. It was fresh in my brains the concept of how at this tender age to not only be mindful of the impression that media leaves but how easily all the stimuli around accumulates and how careful we need to be to ensure that our kids remain comfortable in their environment to really relax into their authentic, quirky selves.

One of the suggestions in this chapter that I was particularly taking into consideration on this outing was "the more you say, the less you are listening". I tried to not say too much and instead just kept it to what was "true, kind, necessary".

 

"Please don't fall into the river" was the phrase that seemed to be the only optly necessary a few times as snowball hucking became the fun time activity of choice. Other than that, noone said more than a few words this whole escapade. It was magic. Golden Moment even.

And, speaking of Fun Mum, here are the next two pit stops for the Bliss Filled Mama Blog tour you can visit and enter to win a copy  of my fresh off the paperless presses: Homespun Waldorf and Sistermama Gets Real . Thank you to Sarah for hosting both of these stops today. I am at a loss for words.

And that ends our official week of blog tour but there are still a few interested mamas that are excited to share the gospel of Mama bliss with their readers. I will be sharing these upcoming posts and any further giveaways in the weeks to come. Have a great, blissful weekend!

This Moment ~ Butt Massage

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. ~Amanda Soule

I'm going to have to interupt this usually "mum" moment to bring to you today's Bliss Filled Mama Blog Tour. Check out Melanie's Meli-Mello and Karen's Daily Dialect for more insight on keeping a mama's bliss filled to the brim and chances to win a copy of my musings. I'll be back tomorrow with more stops!

X-treme Sewing

It was four o'clock on a Tuesday afternoon. If you've read The Bliss Filled Mama you know that's typically the time I get my supper making on. While I was chopping away I started daydreaming about my blog and what I should post for SS Wednesday due the next day.

A little background to my state of mind at the moment: I have been alone on the farm all week with two small children, a slowly diminishing chicken population (had to chase a coyote off one of them last week - I'll share that full story for a vlog episode to gift you  the full on experience complete with the audio of my mama bear yodelling), cows and (ahem) my moon (there's a rich story on that one too. Sorry to any men in the audience).

And then a thought hit my iron depleted brain at 4:15 exactly. I wondered if I could whip up quickly one of those bat wing tops (Burda 7866) while spaghetti sauce simmers. Please note that we eat promptly at 5:00. Especially when Craig's out of town because if we don't stay on schedule our whole strawbale house of cards may collapse. But man I guess I must love a challenge!

I ran upstairs and then couldn't decided to make a blue one or a yellow one so I decided to really give myself some extra heart palpitations for good measure and piled the two fabrics one top of the other, placed the two pattern pieces on top (that's all) and went for it with Mama's special scissors and her super speedy serger.

I'm happy to report these two got done by 5:15. This of course caused a domino effect of the collapse of our previously laid out schedule (I allowed the kids to sleep in an extra 15 minutes in the morning to get over the trauma) but it was so worth it!

I admit I haven't finished the sleeve or bottom hems yet but those can wait a few days with these non-fraying knits I used. While I was making these I was just on the cusp on doing something kind of wild and crazy but Edie stopped me right in the nick of time. I was considering switching up the two hip yokes so I can have license to call this post "Colour Block Party" but Edie yelled at the top of her little lungs "Don't do it!". So X-treme Sewing it is instead.

The kids were having lunch as I was playing with the self timer of the camera to get living proof of the speedy crafty Mommy feat I just pulled off. Mama was hamming it up some, still riding that high from whipping up two tops in just under and hour while Edie was expressing a sweetly concerned empathetic embarassment for me by gently saying "don't do that" over and over again. Little love.

And what you see in that last photo is my sharing what's lurking behind the curtain. I shared the nightmare of the front entrance closest in this video house tour  last year. Just wanted to let you know I decided to not embrace the sty of an eye sore but instead, I admitted to myself, I have something to hide, it's called a mess, and utilized this magical tool instead called a curtain.

And speaking of the opposite of eye sore - the next two stops of the blog tour are exactly not that (how's that for a segue?) Please visit the mind blowingly beautiful bloggy digs of Maya at Maya Made and the too funny for words Dana of Zonapelucida for more inspiring bliss bits and a chance to win one a copy of The Bliss Filled Mama ebook. Thank you so much for hosting today Maya and Dana!

Insta Poet. And You Know It.

I used to worry I was controlling
I used to believe life was busy

I used to wish I was kinder
patient
focused.

Then one day
I looked out my window
and saw a tree

a frozen
perfect
perfect tree.

I nearly choked
on the epiphany

we arrive inside
an envelope
of bones

there is nothing to be done
about this

so fill it with strength
let it brim
with courage.

Not bad, hey? You too can be a poet laureate. I found this instapoem generator through a Danielle Laporte email this morning. Great way to start the day in a DIY kind of way. See? I can't stop! PS that tree is our old man. He resides in the cedar forest above our house. Quietly keeping watch.

Welcome to day three of our magical blog tour toot tooting the bliss horn of my new ebook, The Bliss Filled Mama. Head on over to today's stops, Joy of Mommying and Studio Mothers, and leave them a comment to enter the realm of possibility of winning a copy of the ebook and its accompanying audio recording. Thank you so much Ruth and Miranda for hosting today!

 

Valentime

A lovely crafting frenzy happened here at the kitchen table this weekend in preparation for Valentine's Day.  Due to this being Edie's first time in a school flavoured environment she was particularly excited about making all seven of her classmates a special card from scratch, with unique drawings in each, and put it on their desks before they arrive. The cuteness is too much at times I tell you (as was the pressure to get there before anyone else!).

I couldn't restrain from keeping away from the crafting energy pulling me away from my dinner making duties. I decided to get to work on a project tutored by a tutorial posted by the ever inspirational Dottie Angel. In her own words, this project is "easy peasy" and "a jolly thing to do". Ack! Love her peachiness.

What fun, it involves ripping out pages from a book! I always secretly wanted to do that. Sorry Lenny but I had to dive into your juicy pages for this romantic project. Second half of the fun was getting to sew all round the pages. Have you ever tried sewing through paper on a  sewing machine before? Looks so pretty so quickly and something about the sound of the needle crunching through - you should try it sometime.

I felt like I was three or five years old myself, sitting among the cutting and gluing energy of my excited little crafters.  Much Valentine happiness going around and excitement around giving (though I did take pauses once in a while to read some of Leonard's excitement around getting if you catch my steamy drift). Playing with paper and glue for me was a nice change in crafty pace; rejuvenating even.

Busy happy bees were we. And speaking of buzz; here are the next two stops to the Bliss Filled Mama Ebook Book Tour! Amylynn from Farm Girl Studio and Teena from Little Bird by Funky Mommy - my ladies :) Be sure to check out their bliss oozing posts where you can perhaps even get a chance to enter to win a copy of my fresh out of the oven ebook. Good luck and Happy Valentine's sweet friends!

Bored to Bliss

 

This vlog entry has been brought to you by the letters "I'm Bored". What's your snappy comeback to that?

But let's not dwell in the land of boredom but instead take a look to her annoyingly prettier and popular older sister - good times! As in I'm so excited to announce the first day of my ebook blog tour. Twelve blogs are on the queue to graciously open their online homes to the topic of bliss and mama love. Join in on their juicy conversations to be entered to win a copy of The Bliss Filled Mama!

The first hostesses with the mostestses are Catherine of Catherine et les fees and Elizabeth from Just Add Fiber. I'll be back everyday until Saturday sharing the rest of the bliss filled itinerary. Until then, tell them only boring people get bored and sister good times sent ya!

Let's Have Launch!

 

So happy to announce my new ebook and audio  The Bliss Filled Mama: Self-Care for Soulful Mothering is alive and kicking! A happy, healthy baby ebook I gave birth to just last week. Wheeee!!! I'm exhausted but glowing from happiness as heck from riding that wild donkey (inside Goddess circle joke).

I also want to share that I'm going to take the book out on a virtual book tour next week. There are a few spots left so if you think you would like to participate, send me an email and I'll be happy to put your blog on the itnerary and offer one of your readers a copy of my musings as a giveaway.

Thanks again so much you guys ~ much bliss to you all!

This Moment ~ Candle Mess

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. ~Amanda Soule

SS Wednesday ~ Happy New Pants!

Look up my nose. You know you love it. And you also may know, perhaps love too, that I’ve challenged myself way back in '06 when I started this blog to make everything I adorn or at least buy it buy second hand or have gifted to me. Unfortunately, making myself a decent fitting pair of jeans has been tricky and despite some heavy hinting to the Universe that I needed me some fancy pants I finally scored a pair from my friend Gemma Luna who handmade these. You know when you try something on and you hear angels? Well, I tried them on and then Gemma said something and she happens to sound like an angel because she's a songstress as well as a seamstress. And then she's angel like because when I told her about my jean making grief she floated up to my Loft Nest, looked over my slacks patterns and gave some pointers on how to whip up a pair that stay up without aid of staying up devices (ooooo... but I never thought of rainbow suspenders until now! That could be interesting.).

And the funnel necked top is the one Craig's been teasing me about and is another one I made from the Manhatten pattern again from Wenlan Chia’s Twinkle Sews. I’m making one for a friend as part of a trade and I wanted to take another practice run to be sure I got the assembly down pat. Plus you can't have too many of these awesome tunic tops!

And I wanted to share my magical night last night. I told Craig  to go ahead and watch that political thriller without me because the genre doesn't particularly politically thrill me much, and instead I ran a hot bath, threw in a couple of drops of this fancy essential oil blend I splurged in and hopped into a freshly sheeted bed and whipped out my Big Idea Book outlined with the prompts from the 2012 Goddess Workbook I gushed about last post. Some of the epiphanies from the scribbles from last night:

• 2011 proud highlights include the successful launches of both Backwoods Mama Sew Camps
• Teaching Edie to write and read has been pretty tender and magical
• I pulled through the scary bits of 2011 stronger, more courageous and full of deeper gratitude for the blessings in my life
• The yoga retreat I went on by myself was a dream come true
• So was Edie and I knitting side by side
• I turned forty and it didn’t smart as much as I thought it would
• I’m going to implement Early Bath and Bed Tuesdays and Stay Unplugged Sundays this year
• I’m excited about my financial goals (Craig's going to be so pleased)
• More massages will happen this year as will water consumption
• A couple of ebooks are coming down my creativity birthing canal along with a fabulous ecourse this spring. Stay tuned!

Phew! And this is only being only halfway through the workbook. Can you imagine the fabulousness of 2012 once I'm done? Hang on to your happy pants!