Finally! {Wordless Wednesday 5/25}

We FINALLY got some beautiful weather this weekend! And it ended with a storm that left us a great surprise!

Chalk Painting while I pulled weeds

Finally figured out how to swing by himself!

Had I not been busy taking pictures, I probably would have freaked out over the air Little Guy was getting!

DON'T LET GO, BRUBBER!!!

Throwing pine cones into the river

I finally gave up trying to get him to go up the slide the right way... Why do kids LOVE going up the slides like this???

We had a late afternoon storm that resulted in THIS! If you look closely, you can see a second rainbow on the right.

This was Little Guy's first rainbow where he actually knew what a rainbow was!

***Don't forget to enter my Etsy giveaways! They're ALL Low Entry and I could use some entry-love!!!

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Fun Outside! {Wordless Wednesday 4/27}

Howdy! I just want to remind you that my Freckles Crafts Giveaway is ending on Thursday. There are only 71 entries as I write this post, so head on over - you have a great chance!

Also, I have a new Green Parenting Giveaway Linky! It is an ongoing linky, so you only need to enter your giveaways once. Don't shy away because of the name - if your giveaway is related to parenting in any way or is eco-friendly in any way, please go link up. It can't hurt, right? And, if you're looking to win some cool stuff, go check it out and enter some giveaways. There are already quite a few really good ones listed.

And, finally, go check out the Natural Parenting Blog Party. There are a ton of really great blogs linked up. I've found more new blogs than I know what to do with. If you have a blog that fits into the "natural parenting" category, link yourself up! I've written a few posts specifically for this blog party. You can find the list of them HERE. The party is going on until April 30, so there is plenty of time!

Hmm.. I had a bunch of "Server Rejected" photos. They were just downloaded from my camera. Anyone know what's up with that?

Well, I guess I'll have to call this weeks' WW: "Little Guy Having Fun Outside"

LION TAMER!

Actually, our catnip just came up. Our little kitty found it!

Look what I found!!!

Well, I guess that's it until next week. Maybe I'll figure out how to fix these rejected pics by then.

Thanks for stopping by and please let me know you've done so. I will return the favor!

"Supermoon" {Wordless Wednesday 3/23}

Well, it wasn't as "super" as I thought, but still very bright and very beautiful. My photos kind of turned out OK. The first few were taken through my dirty kitchen window. The rest were outside. Though I love my cheap little digital point-and-shoot, it's frustrating when you're trying to do something creative! So, without further ado...

My Photos of the "Super" Moon

Moonrise - 8:20 pm  That's exactly how yellow it was! Amazing!

9:40 pm

About 9:00 pm

10:45 pm

My Favorite - 11:50 pm

It's the Journey, Not the Destination...

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Now that spring is beginning to make its entrance, we have been taking walks as often as possible. I can't believe how much Little Guy has matured over the winter! Last year, out main goal when taking walks was teaching him how to hold hands - a tough job with a little one who loves his freedom. Our "walks" consisted of me constantly chasing a toddler who thought it might be fun to dart into the street at any given moment.

It is all different this year. All that teaching him how to hold hands has paid off - I merely have to ask him to hold my hand and his little paw is up in the air waiting for me to grab hold. He is also listening a lot better. If I say "Stop," he actually stops! He is understanding me more, so I can give him explanations as to why he can't pick up shiny broken glass or go into the back yard with the barking dog. He will really listen to me and comply!

We always have to look at "the trucks in the fence."

"Nature will bear the closest inspection. 
She invites us to lay our eye level with her smallest leaf, 
and take an insect view of its plain."
~Henry David Thoreau

And (the best part) he's a little explorer! He loves touching, picking up, and looking at things. No more simply running around just because. He has a purpose now. He picks up sticks, leaves, rocks... anything that looks interesting. We always bring a bag with us to keep his "collections" in. He stops to look at the rocks embedded in the concrete sidewalks and pays special attention to the footprints left in wet cement by people, squirrels, dogs, and birds. We have to stop often so he can feel the bark of a tree trunk, the leaves of the emerging plants, and the needles on pine trees. He even stops to smell the pinecones he finds on the ground. We hear all kinds of sounds and imitate them - sirens from fire engines, dogs and squirrels barking, children playing, birds chirping... everything.

"I think, at a child's birth, 
if a mother could ask a fairy godmother 
to endow it with the most useful gift, 
that gift should be curiosity."
~Eleanor Roosevelt

My husband took a walk with us yesterday and he kind of got on our nerves. He kept asking me where we were going. Um... we don't go anywhere in particular for our walks. When we get to a corner, I ask Little Guy which way he wants to go. Unless we need to go somewhere, it really doesn't matter which way we go. Every time we stopped to check out some new and amazing discovery, my hubby was antsy to get moving. "Come on, let's keep going," was his mantra - for an hour and a half. Ugh! It took me quite a while to convince him that we didn't need to go, go, go. The point of taking this walk was to enjoy the weather and watch Little Guy and Big Brother explore and have fun. I kept reminding him that we had all the time in the world and we didn't have to be anywhere at any particular time.

Making big noises jumping on the metal plate in the sidewalk.

It took me a long time to learn this when my oldest was little. I used to rush him here and there. One day, he asked me why we had to hurry up. I had no answer. I had to remember why we were going for our walks in the first place, and them keep reminding myself every time I had the urge to hurry things along. How does that saying go? It's the journey that's most important, not the destination!

Making a mustache from the seed pod of a "Bean Tree."

"Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment."
~Buddha

First Day of Spring: Plan Your Garden!

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If you remember, Little Guy and I went and dug around in the dirt last week, preparing for this year's garden. Now, I'm in no way a green thumb. I love growing things and reaping the rewards of my labor, but my experience is nil. Last year, I had a real garden for the first time in my life. Until then, I had always grown one or two tomato plants in pots on the patio. I live in an apartment, so having a place to garden really wasn't an option. That is, until my sweet husband talked the landlord into letting us till up a section of his yard last year!

I was so excited that I bought a bunch of seeds and just started planting them like crazy. A month later, I learned the value of actually planning a garden. I had Sunflowers blocking sun and rain from tomatoes, Morning Glories had climbed my bean poles and choked the poor little bean plants out. I threw herbs here and there, not even considering how much light they needed, how tall or wide they were going to grow, or whether they would make good companion plants for the vegetables I had sown right next to them. My marigolds choked out my marjoram, basil, and oregano... It was a mess! I think I ended up with a few tomatoes, radishes, and a million sunflower seeds for all of my work!

This was just the very corner of my garden. It was pretty to look at, but ineffective for growing food!

 This year, it's going to be different. First of all, I will be gardening with my little guy. I want to grow things that will be easy so he can see things grow. I want to plant things that he likes to eat and that he can pick right off of the plant and munch on whenever we go out to pull weeds and water. I need a plan!

I am so happy that groOrganic offered to let me try out their Garden Planner! It's this great online program that allows you to drag and drop a ton of different vegetables, fruits, flowers, and herbs into your garden before you even break ground. I love how you just click on the name of a plant and you get all the details you could ever need - where to plant, how much sun, how big they get, if they need a lot of water... The planner also is set to limit the number of plants you drop into your garden based on how much room they need, so no more overcrowding for me!

 The very first thing they do when you sign up is figure out where you live. You put in your address and they pin-point you on a map to figure out your exact climate. This is really important for me. I live very near Lake Erie and my weather is always different from areas just five miles away. After setting your dates for planting (they tell you when to start seeds indoors and when it's safe to start them outside), the site will email you with reminders of when to plant and what to plant. Thank goodness! I was so screwed up last year that I has stuff struggling to grow. I put my cucumbers in in June - NOT something you're supposed to do! Ever hear the saying, "Cool as a cucumber?" It's not because you keep them in the fridge, it's because they HATE hot weather! (And mine hated me, too!)

groOrganic really wants to help you succeed - they have video tutorials that describe how to use the garden planner, help you plan next year's garden so you can rotate your crops, and help you with succession planting. You can even print out your plans, notes, etc. so you don't have to work from memory. And if you get mud smeared on your plan, just throw it into the compost bin and print out another!

They also sell organic gardening, landscaping, beekeeping, and poultry-raising products!

The company offers two levels of membership which offer unlimited access to the Garden Planner for a year:

(From the groOrganic Site)

The Premium Harvest Membership ($99/yr.) includes:
1. Access to our groOrganic Garden Planner while an Association Member. This online Garden Planner helps you grow fruit and vegetables to the best of their ability, whatever the size or shape of your garden or plot. With the groOrganic Garden Planner it is easy to draw out your garden plan and decide how best to plant it. The groOrganic Garden Planner software shows how much space plants require and how to group them for maximum success, removing the need to look up planting distances and crop families. Growing advice is just one click away as you select the plants that you wish to include, enabling you to solve problems and maximize your harvest from the space you have.
2. New and renewing Members receive 12 packets of groOrganic's Non-GMO Seeds with their annual membership card.
3. A groOrganic Gardening Instruction Manual full of useful information about growing your garden will be mailed to you as well!
4. You will receive Members Only online discounts and gifts.

5. AND you will benefit from Online Consulting and FREE online review of your Garden Plan by a Certified groOrganic Gardener!

GREAT FOR SCHOOLS DEDICATED TO THE ONGOING EDUCATION OF THEIR STUDENTS BY WAY OF A groORGANIC GARDEN.

The Seedling Membership ($39/yr.) includes :

groOrganic Garden Planner

You will receive access to our  groOrganic Garden Planner while a Seedling Association Member. This online Garden Planner helps you grow fruit and vegetables to the best of their ability, whatever the size or shape of your garden or plot. With the groOrganic Garden Planner it is easy to draw out your garden plan and decide how best to plant it. The groOrganic Garden Planner software shows how much space plants require and how to group them for maximum success, removing the need to look up planting distances and crop families. Growing advice is just one click away as you select the plants that you wish to include, enabling you to solve problems and maximize your harvest from the space you have.

If you're planning a garden this year, I strongly urge you to go check out groOrganic's Garden Planner. Whether you're an old hand at gardening or a newbie, this planner will simplify your life. No more drawing out plans, trying to figure out when to plant each thing, how much sun it all needs, and whether you can harvest ans plant something new before autumn. 

For more information email info@groOrganic.com or call 888-9-groOrganic (888-947-6674) or visit their site at groOrganic.com

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Tomoson Product review & giveaway Disclosure.

Don't Miss the Moon on the Eve of the Vernal Equinox!

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Photo by Austin Coppick

Have you heard about the "Supermoon" yet? If not, here's the scoop. Tonight, the full moon will be the closest to Earth it has been since December 12, 2008 - and it won't be this close again until November 14, 2016. According to NASA, the moon will be 14% larger and 30% brighter than "regular" full moons.

The best time to see the moon at its largest will be on the horizon, when it rises. You can find out when the moon will rise in your area by going to 40-Below.com and, if you're in the US, just click on where you live on the map. If you're not in the US, you can still find out, but you'll have to find out your latitude and longitude first by going HERE. Just click on your country, put the name of your city/town, then choose from the list.

Saturn will also be highly visible, too. And, if you've got a small telescope, you'll be able to see the rings, too!!! Just make sure you wait until mid-evening before trying because Saturn will have moved far enough away from the moon so as not to out-shine those rings.

And, finally, don''t go freaking out if you hear that the moon's being so close is going to mess with the tides so much that there will be all kids of weird natural disasters occurring!Yes, the Spring Tides along the ocean shores will be higher than they are normally, they're not going to go nuts.

And don't forget to take pictures! If you do and you post them on your site, please leave a link in a comment. I love moon pictures and I'll try to write up a post with everyone's links in it!