Model Houses and Miniature Playscapes

I wanted to share some of the stuff we have crafted here out of mostly recycled stuff (would have been thrown away or put in recycled bins). Hopefully, it will inspire the creativity in you :)) I like to create spaces for open imagination to run free. I encourage the incorporation of any toys or bits of stuff that will fit. Most stuff moves so it is a constant new adventure.

The first is a farm I made out of the bottom of a box, some brown textured fabric, green paint, popcycle sticks, left-over fake moss, and lots of room for imagination :)

The Farm

Pigs love mud

Where cows and roosters cohabitate peacefully (lol)

Sheep family

Am I too excited about this farm I made? The horses said "Nay" :))

Noble (after seeing Surf's Up and then Happy Feet LOVED penguins, so I built him a small icy home for his little penguins out of a small box, some styrofoam, covered in packing paper, painted and sprinkled with white glitter. Upon further reflection, I would have glued the paper onto the styrofoam and painted the "snow-covered rocks" differently (especially since Najaia tore the paper off the styrofoam -- I get another shot at it!), but I really love how I made lots of little caves and nooks for penguins (and tigers, as the case may be - but don't worry, they, too, coexist peacefully).

For the water, I poured a couple blue colors of paint and some white and swirled them just enough to make it look like water -- and left a pool of it that took a couple days to completey dry, but I love it!

And Kass made Noble a street for his cars (that we have been meaning to add more cardoboard squares to, so he can place them in such ways like a train track - but we've heard no complaints about it as is :))

And this model house was a birthday gift for a friend. Kassidy made the orginal (not pictured here) that inspired me. Her's was full of tiny little detailed stuff that she so cleverly thought of and used recycled bits of stuff to create. This was one I made:

A bird's eye view - the couch was made from the bottom and one side of a mushroom container, covered in fabric! And do you see the detailed place settings at the dining room table (each piece made and then glued to a fabric piece/placemat)

The bedroom - there is a desk, 2 wall-mounted bookshelves, a bed (made from a pre-made sushi container), and a lamp

See the baby food container used as a toybox? And a piece of an egg carton for a fruit bowl. See the "family portraits" of birds (it was a stuffed animal bird who was going to live here)?

The books and game come off the bookshelves :))

Kass made the pan for the stove :) Wish I'd done something different with this poor blank wall! lol

A lop-sided curtain for the doorway into the bedroom lol

The front door

Side

Back

Other side - the trees and bushes were fun to paint :)

Another view of the bedroom - the lampshade was made from egg carton, and Kass made the diary :))

So, these are some of the first things I have put together, and they inspire me to be even more imaginative and creative for the future. I don't know if you know this about me, but I have a certificate in Early Childhood Education/Child Development and had planned to use my BA in psychology as a stepping stone to a masters program in Child Development, but chose instead to give my all to being a stay-at-home homeschooling mama. Blogs like this one I found a week or so ago inspire me in ways I can only begin to express. Here are some pics from their site that give me ideas of what I might want to do next with miniature playscapes :)

And just one more pic from their site (for this blog anyway -- I forsee LOTS more pics from their blog!). This is one spot in their play yard :)

Oh yes, they inspire me...

Bag Love!

I don't know if you know this about me, but I am a total bag whore -- thank goodness I use cloth at the grocery store! It totally justifies me making and buying every beautiful bag I want (and then I don't have to use those ugly ones grocery stores offer).

In addition to using them at the grocery store, I use them for every other thing in my life: to pack up for parkday or a trip somewhere, to clean out my van, to bring things from the house to the garage, to store stuff in my closets or craft corner, for a giftbag (if I can part with it), to seperate stuff I need to return or do. I think you get the idea :)

I also love craft-cycling (using recycled bits to craft). We make all kinds of stuff from recyled things (like model houses, miniature playscapes, fort supplies for forts made from old sheets, all kinds of papercrafting). Again, I think you get the idea :))

Well, I have a bunch of Kassidy's old t-shirts that I didn't have the heart to toss because they were so cute (but didn't seem like Najaia's style), and I needed some smaller and light-weight bags for life (like produce bags for the grocery store!), so this is what I did:

It was SUPER easy! I just cut the neckline and sleeves off (to make handles) and then sewed the bottom closed (I serged it, but any sewing machine would work - just beware of how heavy the bag might get when deciding how well to sew it closed). I'm SO excited about this idea, because I have a nice little stack of these kinds of shirts. Now, I just need to figure out what I need to do to use them for produce at the grocery store (like weigh them beforehand?). I'll post pics of more bags, when I have them done :))

Our System of Family Cloth

I posted some pics of our new family cloth (and why we use it) here a week or so ago -- here are a couple pics again (just because how often do I get a chance to show off their cuteness?

My very first system (about a year and a half ago) was "make little cloths and use them instead of toilet paper". To an extent, it worked. But there was plenty of room for improvement :)

My system, when I made these new cloths was "make them cute so we will want to use them, and make lots so there is always plenty and no reason to use paper". Well, last night I came up with an even better system! (btw, it builds upon the last system :)))

I made several of these little drawstring bags out of gauze:

Divide cloth evenly up into all but 1 bag (leave 1 empty).

Keep out 1 full and 1 empty bag, and put the rest away somewhere (say, under the sink).

Use the empty/"dirty" bag for used cloths.

When dirty bag is full, tie closed and toss into laundry.

Grab a full "clean bag" from under the sink (so, you now have 1 full and 1 empty again).

Repeat :)

In the meantime, wash full dirty bag, dry full now-clean bag, and place full fresh bag back under the sink.

[Whew! That was easier than the first 2 times I tried to explain it!!! Btw, pics didn't help make it simpler -- no, no, no *shaking head in utter overwhelm*]

So, the point of this system is "NO LITTLE CLOTHS ALL OVER THE LAUNDRY TO SORT AND STACK"!!!! Isn't that a great system?? :))))) I'm so proud :) It also helps with people who are squeemish about touching used cloths (*cough*cough*my oldest).

...In case a few things aren't obvious, they are worth reiterating. The bags are made out of a breathable fabric and not stuffed with too many cloths, so that they can all stay clean-able-y [how do you like that word?!]. Because the gauze is tight-knit, be sure the only (ahem) "particles" inside are the ones you want to stay inside (alright, TMI, rinse off cloth if used for poop or use a mesh bag - with holes).

There are lots of systems for using family cloth! Please share (or post a link) to your's or one(s) you have read about :))

Dear Facebook Friends and Family,

I joined Facebook to connect with you, my loved ones, not to create or partake in any kind of dissention with you. I want to feel closer to you and all of the people I like and love, not drive wedges made of "differences" (even though I prefer to see it as the diversity of similarities).

As any of you can attest to, Facebook is very easy to lose one's time in! I spend time all day posting statuses, pictures, and links to stuff I love, and checking all of your statuses, pictures, and interesting links out, too -- not to mention all the whole-hearted commenting!! And Facebook has actually only been 1 large part of this giant internet center of gravity I've created.

So, I have hit my "too much" mark (well, I ignored it for far too long, and so am backtracking greatly!), and I have deeply renovated my internet time over the last few days. I've deleted memberships to every site or group online that I was in (except for Facebook), and I've unsubscribed to about 98% of the rest of my time online -- it's just my blog, Facebook, a couple local homeschool groups, and a handful of friends'/beloved blogs. I want to live life from the inside out with my kids, and I want to be present with them. I'm sure you can understand and probably relate <3 (it's why I love you :))

So, I'm not going to be posting statuses and pictures to Facebook anymore, only SOME updates from my blog. Back to the connection, not dissent bit from the beginning:

I know my blog (and my interests) aren't for everyone - and they aren't meant to be. So, I am not going to continue sharing every post I make on my blog onto Facebook -- if you want to see the juicey stuff, please subscribe to my blog (if you can't figure out how to, contact me and I will help you :))).

Otherwise, I will only post to Facebook updates on my blog that are what I call "snapshots of our life" (basically the statuses and pics) :) I think some of you will want to know what we are up to (the way I will be stopping by Facebook at times to check in on you), so I will post that.

My goal is to make your journey into my internet expression of our life (my blog) more comfortable for you. I hope this works :)) I care very much about my connections with the loved ones in my life, and I want to post everything on here so people who aren't on Facebook can stay updated on us, too :) I just love having a "one-stop shop" for everything :)) So, I hope this helps us to stay connected. And please feel free to leave comments on my blog posts -- I will make it available for non-bloggers to be able to :)

Peace ♥ See you around ♥

How Much is Too Much

As I am purging my life (and specifically my internet life), I have been playing with a thought that basically comes down to this: how much is too much?

When I'm filing away emails or bits of info for later, because I don't have time right now to process it, it feels like too much for me.

When it takes longer to update myself on my internet life than it does to nurse my babies in the morning, it is too much for me.

When I am losing out on sleep because I am up late reading on the internet (to keep up-to-date, not those awesome inspiration-driven rabbit holes we sometimes find ourselves in), it feels like too much for me.

When I am a part of groups or projects that I don't have time to grow (or the growing of them takes away from my basic prioreties), it feels like too much for me.


I posted something before called Space is Grace, and it has been surfacing for me recently. I want to have a nice open relationship with space. Feng shui is very important for me. And I am talking about space in the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual areas.

In my home, space looks like less furniture, less stuff, less things on walls.

Mentally, space looks like nothing to read or do while I am laying my babies down to nurse and help them sleep.

Emotionally, space means taking the time (having the time) to notice something inside is amiss and taking (having) the time to just sit with it, to feel, to explore.

Spiritual space, for me, means not having all the answers, and having plenty of room to dance to the music I am listening to at the moment.

Mmmmm, space. Delicious.

When Jai Turned One

So, Najaia turned 1 last Sunday. I feel like I cannot get enough of celebrating her first birthday. I want to keep celebrating and sharing and reminiscing about her birth a year ago. It was a huge deal for this family, for me. Bringing Jai into this family has created more love between me and my kids than I ever thought possible. Jai's birth brought so much love to me from Tribemamas -- I've never felt so loved and valued in my life <3 I LOVED being pregnant and giving birth and look forward to it again. My freebirth was one of the hugest things to happen in my life -- I cannot find the words to express the self trust I found during my unassisted pregnancy and birth. I wanna tell the story and retell the story to everyone who wants to hear. I feel strong, like an Amazon woman, and feminine, like a goddess. I feel wild and sacred and sturdy like an oak tree. I want to keep feeling that way, which is probably why I can't get my fill of thinking about her birth during this time. It was so beautiful and peaceful. I feel like I was a birthing goddess, even though at the time my perfectionist self only thought of how it could have been better. Now, all I can think about is the success and think of how it has paved the way for my future births. What an experience! When I get a chance, I will post her birth story in my journal. Until then, I just wanna crank up the music, paint beauty all over the place, and celebrate! (oh, and eat cake -- told you I can't stop celebrating!!)

A pic from her first birthday party :))

A Virtual Space

I am continuing to deconstruct my spaces all over the internet. So, I co-created a group on CafeMom called Earthy Tribal Mamas and wanted to share the speecifics with you, in my "building a Tribe" ideas.

This was the group description:

This is a consensually operated and co-created space of supportive and loving mamas, enjoying community, dialogue, joy, information, inspiration, and advice.
We strive to be accepting of all choices made from a loving context, but tend toward valuing things like using the nature model, being journey-oriented, homebirthing (unassisted birth), extended breastfeeding, tandem nursing, babywearing, family bedding, cloth diapering, elimination communication, consensual living, emotional responsiveness, connected families, unconditional family relationships, creative problem solving, whole person valuing, nonviolent communication, authentic self-directed learning and living, (radical) unschooling and homeschooling, communal living, sustainable and greener lifestyles, and so much more.
Most of us do not share all of these interests, and each of us are at our own place in this journey of living it and integrating these values more fully into our lives -- this group is about supporting each of us on our path in a sisterhood, a virtual family and haven that many of us may have difficulty finding in person.
This group is a virtual version of a tight-knit group of families who pull together to help each one be successful and sustainable, to heal old wounds and walk more powerfully and purposefully, a virtual "sit around the dining room table in your jammies talking late into the night, with families of kids buried under piles of blankets in the family room". If these appeal to you, this may be the place for you.
 
These were the guidelines:
 
Please look around for a bit and get a feel for the place before posting. This will help you get a feel for the tone and to see if we are a good fit :) There are so many ways to do things, and since we can find *certain* ways almost anywhere, we really wanted to create a place with a specific feel and tone to it that heals and inspires and encourages and validates us. If it feels right, please feel free to dive in. If it isn't what you are looking for, no hard feelings, and we wish you the best in finding a space that better reflects you. Please see the "Our Mission Statement" and "Participation Tips" threads in the Welcome forum to get a better feel for "guideline" type stuff :)

This was the "Participation Tips" thread (I guess we never finished creating a Mission Statement)

In a democratically run group, every member has a say in what is important to them in terms of interaction guidelines. In a consensually operated group, we try to meet the needs of all the members, regardless of their length of stay. This thread will be a collaborated effort to provide ideas for how to meet the group's needs and our own while participating in the group. Everyone has an equal voice, and I hope that everyone will find it easy to enjoy each other in this space :)

...and then everyone was invited to share their perspectives. Here was mine:

My thoughts:
As far as participation: visit often, contribute lots of interesting and supportive stuff :))
In a group of relationship-oriented people, I am not very concerned about conflicts or even that we cannot navigate them out in the open when they happen. Having said that, these are my ideas :)
First of all, we can encounter "mainstream" perspectives by just walking out our front door--this place is meant to be something different. I think it's a given that we all know this, but worth mentioning still :)
Posters: Mostly, I think, be loving. Perhaps be aware of how what you are saying could be interpreted by people, especially ones with a differing opinion. And maybe be aware that you are presenting opinions based on your life experience. The feelings and needs lists [below] may help you to articulate yourself better, especially if you are responding to someone else.


Readers: Again, be loving. Assuming positive intent goes a long way. Maybe rewording something in a way that feels good to you. If something troubles you, what you are taking issue with "from someone else" may be a reflection of something inside you that you may want to explore (and the feelings and needs list, mentioned above, may help with that); if you are at peace with yourself, it is difficult to find conflict with others; and you are only responsible for yourself.
I think in order to be reflective of "real life" not a mediated version of it, debates and disagreements may happen, and I think a LOT of growth can come from that. I would love to join the strong and loving voices here to help create and keep this space safe, and I guess I am assuming that we won't be attracting or encouraging conflict-happy types. I trust we can navigate and negotiate conflicts as they may arise.
 
Feelings and Needs list (the format did not transfer well, so it will be very long, but worth sharing):
 
feelings inventory



The following are words we use when we want to express a combination of emotional states and physical sensations. This list is neither exhaustive nor definitive. It is meant as a starting place to support anyone who wishes to engage in a process of deepening self-discovery and to facilitate greater understanding and connection between people.



There are two parts to this list: feelings we may have when our needs are being met and feelings we may have when our needs are not being met.



We also have a list of needs.



http://www.cnvc.org/Training/feelings-inventory



Feelings when your needs are satisfied

AFFECTIONATE

compassionate

friendly

loving

open hearted

sympathetic

tender

warm



ENGAGED

absorbed

alert

curious

engrossed

enchanted

entranced

fascinated

interested

intrigued

involved

spellbound

stimulated



HOPEFUL

expectant

encouraged

optimistic

CONFIDENT

empowered

open

proud

safe

secure



EXCITED

amazed

animated

ardent

aroused

astonished

dazzled

eager

energetic

enthusiastic

giddy

invigorated

lively

passionate

surprised

vibrant

GRATEFUL

appreciative

moved

thankful

touched



INSPIRED

amazed

awed

wonder



JOYFUL

amused

delighted

glad

happy

jubilant

pleased

tickled



EXHILARATED

blissful

ecstatic

elated

enthralled

exuberant

radiant

rapturous

thrilled

PEACEFUL

calm

clear headed

comfortable

centered

content

equanimous

fulfilled

mellow

quiet

relaxed

relieved

satisfied

serene

still

tranquil

trusting



REFRESHED

enlivened

rejuvenated

renewed

rested

restored

revived





Feelings when your needs are not satisfied

AFRAID

apprehensive

dread

foreboding

frightened

mistrustful

panicked

petrified

scared

suspicious

terrified

wary

worried



ANNOYED

aggravated

dismayed

disgruntled

displeased

exasperated

frustrated

impatient

irritated

irked



ANGRY

enraged

furious

incensed

indignant

irate

livid

outraged

resentful



AVERSION

animosity

appalled

contempt

disgusted

dislike

hate

horrified

hostile

repulsed



CONFUSED

ambivalent

baffled

bewildered

dazed

hesitant

lost

mystified

perplexed

puzzled

torn



DISCONNECTED

alienated

aloof

apathetic

bored

cold

detached

distant

distracted

indifferent

numb

removed

uninterested

withdrawn



DISQUIET

agitated

alarmed

discombobulated

disconcerted

disturbed

perturbed

rattled

restless

shocked

startled

surprised

troubled

turbulent

turmoil

uncomfortable

uneasy

unnerved

unsettled

upset



EMBARRASSED

ashamed

chagrined

flustered

guilty

mortified

self-conscious



FATIGUE

beat

burnt out

depleted

exhausted

lethargic

listless

sleepy

tired

weary

worn out



PAIN

agony

anguished

bereaved

devastated

grief

heartbroken

hurt

lonely

miserable

regretful

remorseful



SAD

depressed

dejected

despair

despondent

disappointed

discouraged

disheartened

forlorn

gloomy

heavy hearted

hopeless

melancholy

unhappy

wretched

TENSE

anxious

cranky

distressed

distraught

edgy

fidgety

frazzled

irritable

jittery

nervous

overwhelmed

restless

stressed out



VULNERABLE

fragile

guarded

helpless

insecure

leery

reserved

sensitive

shaky



YEARNING

envious

jealous

longing

nostalgic

pining

wistful







The contents of this page can be downloaded and copied by anyone so long as they credit CNVC as follows:



(c) 2005 by Center for Nonviolent Communication

Website: www.cnvc.org Email: cnvc@cnvc.org

Phone: +1.505.244.4041



NVC Model
NVC concepts
Feelings List
Needs List
NVC Chapter One





needs inventory


The following list of needs is neither exhaustive nor definitive. It is meant as a starting place to support anyone who wishes to engage in a process of deepening self-discovery and to facilitate greater understanding and connection between people.



We have another list that might also be of interest to you: a list of feelings.



CONNECTION

acceptance

affection

appreciation

belonging

cooperation

communication

closeness

community

companionship

compassion

consideration

consistency

empathy

inclusion

intimacy

love

mutuality

nurturing

respect/self-respect



CONNECTION continued

safety

security

stability

support

to know and be known

to see and be seen

to understand and

be understood

trust

warmth



PHYSICAL WELL-BEING

air

food

movement/exercise

rest/sleep

sexual expression

safety

shelter

touch

water



HONESTY

authenticity

integrity

presence



PLAY

joy

humor



PEACE

beauty

communion

ease

equality

harmony

inspiration

order



AUTONOMY

choice

freedom

independence

space

spontaneity

MEANING

awareness

celebration of life

challenge

clarity

competence

consciousness

contribution

creativity

discovery

efficacy

effectiveness

growth

hope

learning

mourning

participation

purpose

self-expression

stimulation

to matter

understanding

Birth Goddess

Read this poem on Ricki Lake's ning site, called My Best Birth. It is by a woman named Cindy Collins:

BIRTH GODDESS

I am a birth goddess.

My body, the holder of life; cradled and caressed in my womb.

I am a birth goddess.

My skin radiates and glows,

my breasts full of milk so magical that man nor nature can duplicate.

I am a birth goddess.

My belly grows beyond boundaries seemingly impossible,

to accommodate this little stranger growing within.

I am a birth goddess.

Just as I know how to breathe, I know how to give birth.

I need not of your modern medicine or techniques,

they only interfere with the wisdom of my body.

I am a birth goddess.

My body and baby are perfectly in tune,

only they know the moment when birth will begin.

Not a minute too soon, not a minute too late.

I am a birth goddess.

My wonderful womb will bring down my baby,

on it's own time; it does not adhere to clocks.

I am a birth goddess.

My body knows when and how to push,

even if I have never given birth before.

My intuitive birthing ability has been passed to me

through thousands of years and billions of women;

they are my sisters in birth.

I need no aide of your devices.

I am a birth goddess.

Bright lights only blind the very sensitive eyes of my baby,

loud noises scare him.

Have reverence for new life and a new mother.

I am a birth goddess.

My chest as warm as the sun,

waiting and ready for my baby.

My body alone can warm my baby to the perfect temperature.

I am a birth goddess.

My baby is ready to suckle,

I offer my breast.

My body possesses all the nourishment my baby will need.

I am a birth goddess.

I trust my body, I trust birth.

I believe birth is safe.

I am a birth goddess.

Fabric Crafting

Fabric can often be used for things that call for paper :)

I use fabric on my hula hoops.

Fabric can be used to cover wood furniture, especially collage style covered in mod lodge :))

There are sooooo many ideas of things to do with fabric -- hopefully, just saying this and sharing a couple things has your mind going :)) Please share your ideas!!!

T-shirt projects :))) Coooooooooool!!!

Kid's fort from old sheets: It's just a sheet over the dining room table, with this guys' stuff under it. It got me thinking about how cool it would be to bring it to the park (or the 4th sheet) to make forts (maybe over a tree branch or over a place on the play structure or a picnic table? I was thinking about letting him paint his, too :). It actually makes a beautiful tablecloth -- albeit, a bit too long :). I was also thinking it could be a great stage curtain (which could also be great painted :)

Paper Crafting Ideas

Just wanted to share some fun ideas I posted in my old blog, of things I thought sounded really fun to do with paper :))))) As with all things crafty, these are just jumping off points -- we take the ideas and make them our own :)

Kid's Book: the instructions say to use a copy shop, but of course you can homemake that part, too :))

Pounded Flower Prints: I can use this for sooooooo many things!!! How fun :))

Papier-Mâché: This article is for fruit, but you could do all KINDS of things!!!

Paper Mobiles: I am excited about the possibilities with this project!! ). I am going to make some. The materials and instructions are in the link, but gonna share here, so I can add my personalized touches to them. I am thinking about making mosaic-style designs on the paper before or after attaching tithe twine. I am also imagining the beautiful beads one can use, and fun ends it can have, how big or small it can be, the amazing colors that can be used. You can use alternatives to paper, too!

One of my own ideas:
I made some homemade books the other day from the front and back of cereal boxes. I folded them almost in half with a spine and covered the outer part (with the cereal label) with brown packing paper. Then I folded several pieces of paper in half and cut them to fit. Then I ran a strip of tacky glue along the inside of the spine and stuck the folded edges of the papers in and left them to dry overnight. I used different kinds of paper and I was thinking of different ideas for covering or decorating the books: pressed flowers, pictures, doodles, words from a magazine, pictures from a magazine, calendar pictures, basically any kind of scrapbooking thing. They can also have different purposes: journal, photobook, picture book, story book, nature journal, lapbook, scrapbook, etc. Note: for types of books that will include adding things to it, like a photo album, you will want to use less pages so it closes at the right width. These could make pre-decorated photo books, and then you could send empty ones to family members on Christmas with the intention of sending  pictures and letters/cards are given every month the following year, to be inserted into predecorated slots (letter or card or handprint or whatever on top and pic on bottom -- kind of like an I-owe-you and memory of a year. Very excited about that idea :)

Love Letters

A journey I took with some friends back in November that started out as love letters:

I've been reading my old journals for the past couple days (2002-2003), and I have read some pretty interesting stuff!! Lol Right now, I am reading a love letter to an old boyfriend (a conversation I wanted to have, so I wrote it all out to process it), and I was thinking I want to write myself a love letter! So I wanted to post one and see how beautiful it would be to read all of your love letters to yourselves, too :))))))) Unfortunately, my time limit today will not allow me to do this right now, but mine would start something like, "Dear Me, You have brought so many wonderful things into my life, and I am grateful for every moment. I have learned so much about myself. You have raised my standards from the chumps I had wasted my time with and re-established my hope that there are truly good people in the world, and that what I have been looking for my whole life is possible, that it is within me." That was actually the beginning of the love letter to a guy, edited where applicable :)) How fun to read what I wrote to someone else, knowing it was really a reflection of me, and flipping it in such a way :)) Then I started thunking about other things I have told men in the past... All a reflection of me :) Oh, this is going to be some fun exercises :))
 
 
An excerpt of a reply from my friend, Amy:
 
So with your comments about the love letters, ("knowing it was really a reflection of me" and "things I have told men in the past....all a reflection of me"), I am wondering if you are thinking along the lines of love, especially "being in love" and "falling in love," not being about loving/knowing/seeing the other person for who he or she is? But responding to the projection (onto another person) of things desired that are present but not yet developed or actualized in our own personalities? Unmanifest (undeveloped and maybe ready to unfold) qualities or aspects we desire to make a part of ourselves, and see in the beloved (and, when "falling in love" is mutual, it's happening for them with us.) Just wondering if this is what you're actually assuming, the whole projection thing of Eros, or if your talk of reflection is something else.

I agreed whole-heartedly :)


And then a quote...
 
A belief that the behavior of others must be controlled—so that your observation of that good behavior will make you feel good—leaves you feeling vulnerable to their behavior.


We would like to help you to understand that neither the good feeling you find when you observe wanted behavior, nor the bad feeling you find when you observe unwanted behavior, is actually the reason that you feel good or bad. The way you feel is only ever about your alignment, or misalignment, with the Source within you. It is only your relationship with the Source within you (with your own Inner Being) that is the reason for the emotions that you feel.


While it is nice to find things in your physical environment that enhance your good-feeling alignment with your Inner Being, your understanding of why you feel good will make it possible for you to feel good regardless of the behavior of others.


Understanding that the way you feel is really about your Vibrational relationship with your Inner Being—with the Source within you, with the expanded version of you who resides inside your Vortex—gives you complete empowerment and absolute freedom.


--- Abraham

Board Games

I posted this at the old community blog and wanted to share here :))

This can be adjusted sooooooo much, and I would LOVE to hear everyone's different variations of it. After I share the simple gist, I will brainstorm topics/themes.

Get a board game (just the board, maybe the dice and/or player pieces -- but those can be improvised on) and cover each square with your own things, like things to do or say or whatever. You can get ideas from almost any game in the world.

You could have each one alternate, like "share a memory", "do an impersonation of someone you love", "hum your favorite song", "act out your favorite movie", "tell your 3 favorite ...", "ask the person sitting to your left something funny", etc. Oh, the list could go on and on.

Another version could be getting a board game piece that spins, like on Life or Twister, and having a different category for each section and then doing something like Truth or Dare, or Pictionary, or charades (sp??), or something like that.

We have this game, "Apples to Apples (kids version)", and we use the cards to play charades. It is pretty funny seeing someone trying to act out the adjectives lololol

the best part about making your own games is that they can be tailored to be all-ages. I am imagining my son loving this, because he is so young that most of our games are beyond him, and he WANTS to play so badly <3

**Oh, and I wanted to share how this can be used in other contexts, too. Someone recommended making one for a friend who was moving away as a goodbye present (well, making 2 -- 1 for each family) full of ideas to keep memories alive. The original poster shared that she and her kids had made one in memory of her sister who had passed on to keep her memories alive. I was just thinking of making one to help a family come up with creative solutions or ideas for something -- have to think more on that before I can give more detailed examples of how :))

**Oooh!! And I just thought of something else! You can totally personalize it! Maybe everyone can make their own piece that they play with? Maybe get Candyland gingerbread men and glue a picture of your face onto it? Or paint clay pieces? Or make shapes out of cardboard? Or whatever. And then for the actual board, you can also personalize -- use pictures of people and their names (helps little ones especially), cover with really pretty cardstock and pressed flowers...

You could even revamp old boards from thrift stores and sell them at craft fairs or give them as gifts. You could use boards from other games to create your very own made up games. The possibilities are endless :))))

I am going to make them for birthday gifts for the future. And I was thinking we could totally make one for different "conscious listening skills" type practices!!! Wouldn't that be the funnest way to practice any kind of these skills with kids and a family -- there has to be a way to make it into some kind of board game!

p.s. - was thinking of you, Starcat, when I posted this :)))))

Let It Snow

Monday, we drove a couple hours up into the mountains to the snow. The kids had so much fun :)) We brought a friend of Kass' along, and the girls took off to sled while I wrestled with the puppies (who LOVED the snow) and the baby (who did NOT). Noble didn't remember being in the snow before, and he wanted to do everythig he has seen on movies. It was adorable seeing him do things all on his own, like laying in the snow and making snow angels :)) Here are some pics :)


Excited to FINALLY go up to the snow :)

She would have enjoyed it better if I could have slowly introduced her to snow, instead of trying to not get dragged away by excited puppies :))

Trying to get them to pull her... Didn't work out as expected :)))

The snowman Noble wanted to make before we left :)

He has a mohawk :))

He was so proud!

Glee