Yummy Crayons!

Gourmet Mom-on-the-Go has the cutest candy crayon snack recipe. It's supersimple, pretty much just using pretzel rods and chocolate candy melts. I saw this project several years back in a magazine, but this blogger has really clear directions, step-by-step photos, and (best of all!) she also shares her crayon label patterns (free for your downloadable pleasure!)

*Reminder for Pet Parents: Please remember that these (and most other) human foods are made for humans only, and should never be shared with our furry friends, most especially dogs.

Flower Fairies 101

Being a fairy has never been easier! Take a peek at these beautiful, fancy fairy costumes, all from Etsy shops. They range from pretty & simple (the lovely yellow set shown below is only $15 from TitanPearls), to elaborate-lush (the pink tutu is from HannahsTutus, $58, with accessories sold separately; and the gorgeously detailed violet-purple ensemble is from petiecat, $85... and worth every girly penny!)

Can't be a fairy without a wand, right? There are lots of ready-to-wave wands with sparkle, flowers, & feathers to choose from... and here's a delightfully understated, naturey willow one from wove (handmade, and only $3 each!)

Feeling creative? Instead of buying your preschooler a fairy costume, why not make one yourself? Musician/Renaissance woman Emilie Autumn has an excellent, step-by-step fairy wing tutorial on youtube.



Handmade costume items like these make fun, heartfelt, memory-making gifts, and anything nature-themed will likely get your little ones outside exploring with their eyes, ears, hands... and imaginations :)

Dear Little Deer

How tiny and cute! Adorable little Rupert was born via C-section in a Buckinghamshire Wildlife Hospital after his mother was hit by a car. Rupert was an amazingly teenytiny six inches tall, and weighed only one lb! Described as "feisty" and "pushy," staff was initially optimistic that Rupert would make a full recovery. Despite being surrounded by healthy, cozy thoughts, Rupert passed away :( Happily, Tiggywinkles Hospital (yep, it's really called that) continues to rescue animals with a great success rate, including Rooney (another deer who was recently released back into the wild.)

Pretty Preschooly Princess Prints

I recently discovered some colorful, whimsical, ultracute, unabashedly girly princess art (click on each print to see the details supersized.) Inspired by three favorite fairytale pretties (Rapunzel, Cinderella, and The Princess and the Pea), these lovely, high-quality prints are available from Pottery Barn Kids...and they're on sale right now for almost half off!

Pie, Candy, Sweetness

These are THREE THINGS I LOVE RIGHT NOW:
I'm going to try to make this a new, regular, weeklyish feature. The world needs to focus on happy things, don't you agree?...


1. PERSON: Jimmy Stewart. I recently saw the sweetest PBS television special about James Stewart. I've always loved his movies, and I was extrasuperpleased to discover what an animal lover he was. He and his horse, Pie, starred together in over 17 movies, and shared a strong, loving bond based on mutual respect. Mr. Stewart spoke to Pie openly on set. Jimmy would even sometimes prep Pie by giving him "stage directions," telling him verbally where he would need to hit his marks for various shots. In one famous western scene, Pie had to slowly walk down a long, dark street by himself, and stop at a specific spot, all without anyone riding him, or leading him along. The Assistant Director asked Jimmy if he could explain the scene to the horse. He did, and, to the surprise of everyone but Jimmy and Pie, the horse seemed to understand perfectly. As the cast and crew watched in amazement, Pie completed his scene in one shot.





Here's one of my favorite Jimmy Stewart quotes:
"Animals give me more pleasure through the viewfinder of a camera than they ever did in the crosshairs of a gunsight. And after I've finished 'shooting,' my unharmed victims are still around for others to enjoy. I have developed a deep respect for animals. I consider them fellow living creatures with certain rights that should not be violated any more than those of humans."

2. PLACE: Powell's Sweet Shoppe. No, not Sweat Shop... we're talking sweets! Yumyumyum. Remember the little candy store Charlie went to before his life-changing visit with Mr. Wonka? This is that store's doppelganger. It's bright, cheerful, and, most importantly... FULL OF CANDY! Kids love this place, but, honestly I think that grownups probably love it even more. Powell's carries all the nostalgic yummies from olden times, hard-to-find weirdo tasties, and the latest "kid cool" candies, too. On the website, grownups can print out these awesome, free candy reward certificates for kids. DID YOU HEAR THAT, TEACHERS? There is a little fine print, but it's reasonable, simple, happy fine print (don't worry, the candy's really free, and your child won't turn into a huge blueberry!) Powell's also throws birthday parties and has really excellent fundraising programs for schools & things. Unlike Starbucks & stuff, there aren't a whole lot of Powell's, so when you find one, it's an especially treatsy treat :)

3. THING: The Bonnie Hunt Show. This is a delightful program! Now, how often do you hear people say the words "this is a delightful program"...? TV seems to have a lot of depressing, angry, creepy stuff on it these days...lots of explosions, yelling, and mean spirited wisecracking. The Bonnie Hunt Show is a refreshingly Creepish Free Zone. Bonnie Hunt herself is a warm, silly-smart, funny girl, and she has the cutest dog ever (named Charlie, who makes regular guest appearances.) Her topics are fun, friendly, & positive (and, in being so, IMPORTANT!) If you like dogs and cute stuff, you'll likely like this show,too :)

So, those are three things I love right now. If you have a blog, maybe you'll want to try sharing three weekly things, too... then there'll be six happy things, then nine, then... maybe one week...2,400!

Fancy Fun Fairy Homes

I've been researching fairies & gnomes & things in hopes of integrating a little whimsical woodland forklore into my upcoming nature curriculum (don't you wish part of your job was researching fairies & gnomes & things?...) I'm thinking get-girly-hands-dirty activities, like fairy house building, with found leaves, flowers, seeds, shells, twigs, etc. There's a great website with all sorts of helpful, inspirational ideas, books, and photos (like the lovely ones shown here.) Besides connecting with nature, loose parts projects like these are great for building imagination, creativity, and motor skills, and seem to be enjoyed by ittybittys and older kids, too. Admit it... don't you want to make one of your own?

Pet Photo Contest

To help celebrate Spay Day 2009, the HSUS is having an online fundraising drive and photo contest. If you've got an extra-adorable cutiepie puppy or cutiecake kitten at home, now's your chance to share his or her beauteous mug with the world (and possibly win some fabulous prizes, like last year's happy winner, Molson, shown above.)

Annual Family Pet Expo

Woohoo! The America's Family Pet Expo will be back once again in Orange County April 17-19 (mark your calendars, now!) People in the industry fly in from all across the country for this annual Southern California event. There are all kinds of seminars, workshops, demos, animal shows, rescue groups, lots of vendors with pet stuff to buy, and even pony rides and a petting zoo. Tickets are waysupercheap ($12 for grownups, $6 for 60+ seniors and kids 6-12, and freeeeeeeee for kids under 6!) This huge-giant event is a popular draw for animal careery people, and just as much fun for nonanimalcareery pet-lovers, too!

Puppy Bowl 2009

Football Shmootball. What's more fun to watch: grown men running around and tackling each other like freaks... or little puppies running around and tackling each other like freaks? Animal Planet is airing this year's Puppy Bowl V Sunday, February 1, from 3-5 PM (ET/PT.) Special silly bonus: this year, Pepper the parrot will open the game by singing the National Anthem :)

Secretary of Peace, Anyone?

Top ten lists are all over the blogs right about now, seeing as the new year has just begun. Don't miss your chance to create your own superimportant top ten list, and let your voice be heard by our next President in the process. Right now, at Change.org, you can vote for ten of your favorite, citizen-submitted, government improvement ideas. The top ten suggestions will be presented to President-elect Obama on January 16. I found the ideas incredibly imaginative and well thought-out (even those ideas I didn't agree with.) Suggestions include new puppy mill laws, offering vegan school lunch options to kids, universal health care, women's rights proposals, appointing a Secretary of Peace, and on and on and on. Don't miss your chance to cast your votes (voting ends this Thursday, January 15, 2009 at 2pm PST.)

Love is in the Air

Valentine's Day is just around the corner, and I keep stumbling across the cutest celebratory bird-themed whatnots. Take a peek at some of my favorite finds including The World's Cutest Cake Topper Ever, shown above, by the brilliant Emilie Friday, (while you're at her etsy shop, check out her adorable, custom felted doggies, too!) Shown below: a sweet, cuddlesome Owl Chairbacker (for holding cards & treats), from Pottery Barn Kids, Target's happy Lovebird Plates, and this vibrant, cheery Lulu Love Baby Bag, by Isabella Fiore.

Is it greedy to want them all?

Down with OPB?

Other People's Blogs rock! I recently stumbled upon WhiMSy love. I'd visit this blog just for the aesthetic deliciousness alone! The pixish, punchy, color palette is yummy, and (as if that's not enough) it's filled with all sorts of fantastic crafty tutorials. For the shopping-inclined, her etsy link leads to adorable, imaginative (and ecofriendly!) wares like these tiny vintage spoon easels, recycled button rings, and the most delightful, huggable, owl plush buddies.

Speaking of OPB, My best friend recently posted about two especially lovely preschooly finds: Kira Willey's song, Colors (ultracatchy, and wonderful as a tie-in for color units and nature themes.) My teacher's aide freaked out when I added the song to our classroom playlist ("Ohmygosh I LOVE this song... it's from that commerical!") Some of the youtube music video versions of the song are, strangely, noncreative, and really laaaaaaaame... but I found one version to share that's pretty (all the way down to the girlycute lyric lettering.)

The other superfind is the be-prepared-to-get-teary-eyed poem which follows...

Lovely, Lovely, Lovely

i am keeping my daughter home from school today
by jenny schmitt



I am keeping my daughter home
from school today.
She has fallen behind in some subjects
and they need special attention,
like birdwatching
and blowing on the dust bunnies
'til they scamper across the floor
and deciding once and for all whether
the crack on the ceiling is a sleeping dragon
or a boat to sail away in.
Later on
with furrowed brows
we will conference over cups of hot chocolate
our fingers curled
around the smooth ceramic surface,
both seeking and protecting its warmth.
Earnestly we will say to each other
that it is all very well
to excel in math and spelling,
but if you cannot tell the difference
between a sparrow and a chickadee
then you're headed for some trouble in life.
Tomorrow
I think she can go back
when she is caught up,
when I am sure that she knows
how to catch the icy points
of the year's first snowflake
on her tongue.

Yucky-Cool Nature Books for Kidlets

In Kid World, gross = cool. These are two of my most-used, superfavorite, yucky-cool nature books:



Yuck! by Brita Granstrom, is a fun picture book highlighting the fun yucky stuff that some baby animals eat (delicious delicacies like worms, rats, etc.) This is a great one to read with a felt story. I think it took me maybe 15-20 minutes to whip up all the felt pieces from scratch (sticky felt is my friend!)

I usually use this book as an introduction for food themes: "What are your favorite foods?"/ "What sorts of foods can we find while we take a walk?" (berries for birds, flowers for butterflies, etc.), but I've also used the book for lesson plans focusing on baby animals, and the Web of Life ("Why are yucky animals important?")




What Do You Do With A Tail Like This, by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page, is all about the odd and amazing ways different animals use the same body part. There are lots of great, squeal-inducing tidbits, like the lizard who squirts blood out of his eyes ("AHHH!!!") This book captivates little ones, and bigger-little ones, too (it's a breezy starting off point for 3rd graders studying animal adaptations.) For younger ones, it's great for reinforcing comparisons, and the concepts of same and different ("What do you use your eyes for?"/ "How many eyes do you have?")

The Bird and The Bee and the...

I've always held a soft spot in my heart for quirky odd stuff in general, but most especially when it comes to music (long live Bjork and Cibo Matto!) The Bird and the Bee has the most odd, silly-catchy song ever, called Love Letter to Japan. Another song I've been playing on repeat is The Way I Am, by Ingrid Michealson. I was going to wait to post these catchy-as-a-cold songs during Valentinesy times, but since I can't get them out of my head... I figured I'd infect everyone else with them, too. Sharing is caring.

Amphibian Wisdom

"Now the sun is setting,

Getting ready for tomorrow.

Soon the moon'll be glowing,

Showing off the moonlight.

Take a look above you,

Discover the view.

If you haven't noticed,

Please do. Please do.

Please do."

-Kermit, It's Not Easy Being Green And Other Things To Consider.

Crafty S.O.S.

Congress recently passed the well-meaning-but-poorly-created Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act, a law which goes into effect February 10, 2009. The law will adversely effect many of this site's very favorite Etsy artisans. Lots of these crafters are students or stay-at-home moms (who help support their families by making delightfully original keepsakes like hand carved wooden toys, eco-friendly dolls, and cozy, made-with-love blankies.)

For more information on the amendment movement, click on the soon-to-be-extinct handmade bear above.