whole parenting goods
a few new things up in the shop this week. My mind has been so preoccupied with the suffering of my dear friends Laura and Franco and the loss of their twin baby girls. Please keep this beautiful family in your thoughts and prayers as they navigate this breathtaking landscape of love and loss. So the whole week has been a bit of a wandering. SuperBoy also has had a persistent cough/phlegm attack so he hasn’t been to his three times a week afternoon nature school. BabyLoves was up a few nights coughing (is there anything more sad than a toddler’s coughing?) so everything felt sideways. 1) Day in the Life linkup at Simple Homeschool. Link here. I LOVE reading how other at home homeschooling mamas’ days go. I’m kinda a faker as he’ll go to Catholic school next year, but I’m still in the category technically! One of the big perks of blogger life is that your days are exposed in an intimate way (can be intimidating) that connects your hearts with other moms sharing those burdens and joys. 2) Inheritance. I’ve NEVER ever ever listened to Christian music. Sorry, bad Catholic here. Just not my thing. Ever. But this album by Audrey Assad, whom I’m privileged to work with at Blessed is She (Catholic women’s daily devotional ministry): wow. It’s called Inheritance and it’s on repeat. The kids love it and my heart throbs along with How can I keep from singing? especially. Buy // download // support a mama…
Read MorePeople ask me about how I make time for sewing when my life sounds like a zombie zookeeper’s. Okay, so I made that description up. But I do get asked it a lot. I make baby & tot leggings, bibs, burp cloths, skirts, blankets, and banners at Whole Parenting Goods. First, I wrote this about starting an etsy shop. Then I wrote this about what I’ve learned about being a “maker.” But today I’m musing about the actual logistics of how I make the time in my life with no time to sew. 1) all work and no (sewing creative play) means I’m a dull girl. Because I’m driven to make by my desire to continue to feed that creative part of me, I find the time no matter what. It’s not every day, but I’m always scheming something new, plotting something fun, or daydreaming about how I’m going to finish that seam, someday. I know I need a break when I’m not interested in getting to my machine. Sometimes that means I need to take my precious few minutes of creative time and handle some fabric instead, look at my grandmother’s box of old patterns, or scroll pinterest. Changing it up can freshen me so that when I go back to churning through orders, I don’t get bleh-ey. Something many mama artisans don’t talk about is that it can be a drag at times to finish the orders. Start them? Exciting. Finish the finishing touches? Tough. Especially if you are…
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The struggle of the young mom who is alone on her parenting journey is near and dear to my heart. I’ve partnered for a good cause with Heather from Mama Knows Honey Child and the artisan whimsical children’s products shop on testy called Honey Child Forest or on instragram, too, Honey Child Forest. She felts, makes amazing banners, hand lettered art, and so much more (including custom family portraits!). We met at the Edel conference in 2014 and I thought, this is my kind of girlfriend! Lately we’ve been working together over at the instagram popup weekly shop of many mama artisans called Zelie & Co. For the shop’s weekly sale tomorrow, we’re changing things up and doing an auction-style sale with ALL the proceeds going to charity! {My girlfriend Jenny is telling you about my gift set offering–leggings, bib, burp cloth, plush blanket–all organic!} My charity of choice is the Philomela House here in Saint Paul. They provide housing for homeless expecting mothers and the support they need along their journey. A friend’s mother (since deceased) founded it and we pray for those mamas every night! Heather’s offering a super sweet bunch of goods valued over $100!! Needlefelted heart garland – 3 feet long Needlefelted/embroidered wool felt fawn crown Totus Tuus felt flower and wood sign A rustic “Give Me Jesus” banner And two Fox and Gnome beeswax candles GET OVER THERE tomorrow and BID, friends!
Read MoreFirst, clean your house. Like really, go through all your cupboards that have decades-old spilled spices. Rip all your clothing out of your closet, determined to go all Jaanese on it. Then spray a homemade cleaner all over your tub, only to find it does nothing to the scum build up. Then start sorting your child’s hoarded bag collections of ripped up tissue, pearler beads, buttons, coins, and hair binders. Realize you need a photo taken for your write-up in your Waiting in the Word newsletter. Ask your husband to take a “casually happy” shot of you because you washed your hair today. Realize you look like you have a kink in your neck and your head is weighted down by your heavy hair (factually accurate). Meanwhile your feral children have taken to jousting with cardboard tubes and knocked each other down and bonked each other’s heads and OH MY GOSH we have to get a Christmas tree and decorate the front of the house and make something for dinner. While you’re texting your sister about what her kids need while in town for their visit (and talking on speaker to your other sister about what her meal plan ideas are), remember that you didn’t take the potatoes off the stove top yet and they’re probably boiled over. Step over the contents of your closet strewn on your floor. Step on top of the piles of children’s toys you’ve carefully sorta-sorted. Hold your nose as you pass the bathroom your two…
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I loved this year and my sewing. It was such a joy to add a few new product lines! To scale back in some ways, but build in others. To figure out my pattern, my rhythm, my actual need and time for sewing. Homeschooling kinda kicked any spare seconds I had to the late nights, but if anything, it also showed me I’m crabbier and less patient without creative time. My last of my holiday items are all up! The shop has about fifty (5-0) things for you and your beloveds until next Wednesday and then I’m putting the shop on vacation til after the holidays. I’ve never done that, but it means I will make sure everything ships to you before the holidays! Lots of caps. Those double sided organic wash mitts. A handful of pennants are left. Only 5 of my triple layered soft organic blankets. A few sizes in the leggings. B U T in plenty are bandit bibs & contour cloths in gift sets (discounted & free shipping)! I just slipped these in–quick quick quick. These blankets have been so special for me. Last year I still used a poly minky but now I use a heavy cotton flannel (organic!) that feels more authentic and is incredibly soft yet durable. I have hung on to some of these fabrics for the right project, and others I snapped right up when I saw them this winter. Each blanket is filled with organic cotton batting and secured throughout…
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