Easter baskets with gifts from the Easter Hare and a bush hunt for round treasures…
Happy sighs of ohh as crystals, golden suns, wooden eggs, fruit(apple plum passionfruit) sultanas and yes a few squares of G&B organic chocolate are revealed from their shiny silver paper!
Happy new Beginnings to you all
Xxx
Cedar and Lily where gifted this great set for christmas, they are just getting acquainted with the potential of it and we all think it’s fantastic!
Lily and Cedar on different levels are exploring balance, construction, inertia and transmission. All through play!
Thanks Grannynanny and Gramfer!
My dad also shared this type of play/experimenting/learning to my childhood which I am remembering now, thanks Dad.
You can learn more about
Haba Building Blocks Technics Here
yesterday i made an awful cake
trully dry, overcooked, flat, gritty, pasty disappointment {one reviewer commented it expanded in your mouth…}
the ingredients where amazing! it turned out atrociously and i felt some grievance as to the wastage of goodness
{and the ruination of my cake queen recipe}
today to make amends and lift my energy Lily and I created
Upside Down Autumn Peach-Preme {as in supreme}
The delicious simple spongy layer below caramelised peach heaven will make this a sure Autumn favorite when the late peaches are pink and sweet…
The cake layer is thin so you could easily double the mixture if you have a bigger family/guests
**~~~**
175g unsalted butter soft
1/4 c brown sugar
2 eggs
1c spelt flour
1tspn baking powder
up to 1/4 cup milk
2 large peaches thinly sliced {1cm at thickest end} or enough to cover your baking dish
butter to dab over them
{all measurements are approximations except the eggs!! use your inner cake intuition}
paper line a 20cm square baking dish or equivalent
preheat oven to 160’c
Sparkle stories are giving a FREE Easter story
the FREE STORY is “Elijah’s New Home”
We in Sparkle Land are deeply moved by the original Easter story, and wanted to find a way to share it without overwhelming children with intense imagery. And so last year we crafted this story.
It is called “Elija’s New Home”, and it comes out of our “by Thistle by Thimble” Series.
“Elija’s New Home” tells the story of Peter and his beloved dog, Elijah, and offers a way into the original Easter story by telling a tale of the love and loss (and enduring life) of one devoted dog.
It’s a touching and very inspiring tale — and perfect for this time of year, whether you want see the bible story with fresh eyes, or you’d love a reminder of the awesome processes of life, love and mother nature.
Important Note: It is a “secular” tale, and appropriate for all backgrounds and religious affiliations!
You’ll find it HERE!
Sparkle Stories are also offering a little discount on their inspirational ‘By thistle by thimble’ series!!
DISCOUNT: the NEW “by Thistle by Thimble” Sample Pack!
The “by Thistle by Thimble” Subscription Series is one of the least known of our Series, but it offers the richest content of all!
So we want to inspire you to try it!
This Series grew out of the many emails we received asking for ideas and support. Parents asked us about how to address loss, how to talk to their children about challenging times, how to inspire courage, or wonder, or confidence.
And so the “by Thistle by Thimble” Series was born! The stories in this Series are all “pedagogical” and “therapeutic” in their intention. But they are still “Sparkle Stories” so they are delightful, entertaining, thought-provoking and deeply calming!
We just created a “by Thistle by Thimble” Sample Pack, so it’s easier to give the Series a try! This Pack includes three of our favorite stories pulled from the Subscription Series (and for all you Thistle Thimble subscribers, you will soon find three new stories in your boxes!).
For this week, we’ve created a discount of 1/2 off the normal Sample Pack price of $6. It’s an hour of rich, thought-provoking stories. Click HERE to add the Sample Pack to your Shopping Bag for $3!
Click HERE to read more about the stories in this new Sample Pack!
I once wrote about how Lily gets to listen to the occasional Sparkle Story here…
Jesse has recently returned from the
New Zealand Earthship workshop with Mike Reynolds March 2013
a single U design, a common home is made with three U’s
~40 participants {i appreciate this aspect of people coming together with a common goal, to help each other and fantastic how much can be achieved!}
3 days to the above stage of completion!! a perfect studio or guesthouse or dwelling while you build bigger… this one will be a public demonstration model
~ 120 tyres {free}
~ 3000 cans {free}
~ 200 glass bottles {free}
cement/concrete {instead of mud render as needed a faster completion to accomadate the w/shop}
structural support materials
water tank
Maori welcome and Hangi as a completion celebration
once the Earthship is complete Jesse and Mike blessed the space with beautiful didges Jesse has made 
Inspiring hey? I am enjoying learning more about Earthships and how they are creating safe housing for many people around the world.
there is a build in QLD currently, the building has just withstood a cyclone! amazing! it has a hempcrete roof
for info on Earthships and workshops or builds in Australia contact Rachel Goldlust consultant for Earthship Biotecture in Australia
I have not yet found the details of the above photographs, so an anonymous thankyou for the images and if anyone has the names of the photographers please let me know!
HERE is a link to lots of beautiful Earthship photographs
What do you think?
Would you live in one?
Would you help us build one? {dreaming…}
in the background I can hear Lily begging Jesse to build an Earthship so she can live in a fantasy house/castle
Here is a link to more photographs by the original photographer. I still cant identify who it is sorry.
Waking up to
The ocean does something really wonderful to me! Particularly in the glow and cool of early morn as I stretch open my body and mind.
Then reading this post which inspired me and articulated gently a common thread in parenting.
Blessings on your day
Can you give yourself a simple intention for this day?
R
Thank you J for the photos
This moment
A sweet special weekly ritual
A simple glimpse of an everyday moment
Wishing you a beautiful weekend
Xx
Our travelling first aid kit
I have had multiple requests lately to share details of what I stock in our family health care/first aid kit
so below you will find a comprehensive list of many natural products we reach for first
it is often changing as I discover new {or sometimes very old} approaches to health care
Homeopathic kit
Ainsworths 42 essential remedies (mini kit in a hard case with a comprehensive book)
Essential oils
Preferred organic and Australian where possible, The Oil Garden and Warbotanicals are favorites
{i travel with over 30 essential oils, below are the most oft used, i must get them a lovely case to store them in one day.}
I frequently refer to The Fragrant Pharmacy for guidance on essential oil usage
Lavender
Eaucalyptus
Tea tree
Chamomile
Arnica
Calendula
Peppermint
geranium
Therapeutic quality oils so some can be ingested, follow instructions only
On guard {immune boost, preventative}
Breathe {clears congestion, soothes chest complaints, clears the head}
Past tense {de stress, clear the mind, perspective}
Thanks Jane
Small first aid kit from pharmacy
Updated with fabric bandaids
Good tweezers
nail scissors
Non adhesive pads (good for covering wounds, cuts, scrapes, this helps keep them clean when we are outdoors a lot)
Paper tape to seal the pads on
Herb teas
{i currently have a supply from Highland Herbs in Tasmania}
Cold and flu blend {peppermint, yarrow, elderflower, thyme, hyssop. Echinacea, fennel, ginger}
Calm kids blend {nettle, lemon balm , spearmint, alfalfa, chamomile, calendula}
Licorice (coughs)
Herb tincture
Coughs and colds blend
olive leaf extract
echinachea tincture
Balms and ointments
Pawpaw ointment
Calendula ointment
Arnica ointment
Insect repellant (my own)
Burns cream Martin & Pleasance (homeopathic)
Cold sore cream (from Alchemy Bellingen {Hypericum &calendula tinctures, bergamot tea tree and
hypericum ess oils in vitamin e cream})
we also use
vitamin c powder with Hesperidin
apple cider vinegar
raw honey
organic garlic
Flower essences
Physical, mental and emotional well being
{I have my stock from Living Flower Essences in Western Australia}
Rescue remedy
Accident relief cream (bumps, bruises, aches, sore throat, sore belly) Living Essences 1ltr
Body bliss cream (relaxant, kids massage, anxiety, asthma) Living Essences 1ltr
Serenity for Women spray
Contentment for Men spray
Sneeze Ease spray
Travel ease spray
Harmony and Relaxation spray
WA living flower essences practitioner kit to create our own personalized remedies of these beautiful subtle helpers
I often refer to The Guide to Child’s Health if I am presented with a circumstance which is unfamiliar.
wishing you all happiness and good health
always get help on how to use health products from a qualified practitioner you trust
xx
what do you reach for to promote good health?
what would you add to this list?
what magic remedy have you discovered to share with us all?
if I remember anything else I will update this list…
A Friday ritual a special moment from my week to share with you joining many others around the globe
Wind up the thread now
Wind up the wool
Twist it turn it
Til it’s full
‘lily’s composition this morning’
New skeins of yarn from The Woolly Jumper in Tasmania
Hand spun and dyed alpaca. Lovely.
I put the skein over my feet and keep it tangle free as it goes over to Cedar or Lily who spin my new Royal wool winder and sing.
And very soon we have lovely centre pull balls of yarn ready for a project…
I am very pleased with my op shop find for $10 and now will look out for an umbrella swift to make the job a single handed option.
I first used a wool winder last year while I visited my family in WA. and am again delighted at how easy this tool makes wool winding! Hooray!!
unfortunately now I will need lots and lots of skeins of wool to make good use of it…
Xx
What tool have you which makes your work easier, speedier or more fun?
RosaLindenTree 