Cragmama "Not all who wander are lost…" JRR Tolkien

Just Like Daddy!

Sentimental Snapshots. Reflections.
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“Just like Daddy, Mommy,” says Cragbaby with a beaming smile, as he carefully pre-loads his plastic power drill with a toy screw and prepares to drill into the wall.  My heart melts, as I glance up from my gardening to see my two favorite boys hard at work on the side of the house, one the spitting image of the other.  With every passing day, it becomes more and more apparent that C watches our every move, absorbing each word, action, and deed like a sponge.  On the one hand, it’s charming and sweet.  On the other hand, there’s a lot of responsibility that goes along with raising someone that (for right now, anyway) thinks you hung the moon and wants to be just like you in EVERY way.  It’s definitely a cause for self-reflection to make sure I’m constantly living a life worth imitating.  Some days I do a halfway decent job, and other days, I fail miserably.  But the great thing about raising a child is that teaching love, forgiveness and grace is more important than memorizing a rote list of do’s and dont’s.  (Lucky for us!)  

If imitation really is the sincerest form of flattery, then my little boy’s Daddy is probably the most celebrated person on earth right now (until that little boy scrapes his knee, and then only Mommy’s kisses will do 🙂 ).  It makes me so very thankful that C has such a wonderful role model to look up to – he could do far worse than to follow in his Daddy’s footsteps!  

This picture reminds me of a country song that was popular a few years back, about another boy who wanted to be just like his Daddy.  In fact, I quoted the song in a Father’s Day post this past summer, but it seemed relevant to post again, so here goes…

“He said I’ve been watching you dad, ain’t that cool
I’m your buckaroo, I wanna be like you
And eat all my food and grow as tall as you are
We like fixing things and holding mama’s hand
Yeah we’re just alike, hey ain’t we dad
I wanna do everything you do
So I’ve been watching you”
– Rodney Atkins 

So for all you parents out there, you know who’s watching you, so enjoy life fully and teach your children to do the same.  And for those of you that aren’t parents (or are past the stage of toddler obsession!), you never know who might be taking notes on your life and trying to emulate you – so make it a life worth living without regrets!  

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5 Homemade Ornament Ideas for Outdoor Trees

Homeschooling.
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Ornament-making is serious business, you know!

What do you get when you combine a couple of nature lovers, a few basic ingredients, and some holiday cheer?  Christmas decor that’s good enough to eat (for the birds, that is!)  Since the bio-degradable bird feeder we made a while back was such a hit, I’d been on the lookout for similar nature projects to do with Cragbaby, especially for cold, rainy days.  Well our days of late haven’t been very rainy, and have been ANYTHING but cold, but our yard sure does look festive, thanks to all of these great ideas!  

CHEERY CHEERI-ORNAMENTS:  Simple enough for even the smallest kiddos to be able to enjoy, this bird feeder activity from Preschool Alphabet is a great way to involve the whole family!  (Not to mention it’s a GREAT fine-motor skill exercise for toddlers!)  Grab a box of Cheerios and some pipe cleaners, and get stringing!  Speaking of string, we actually took a cue from the Yarn Ball Ornaments (described below), and incorporated some nest-building materials into the bottom loop of our Cheeri-Ornaments.  

Birdie ornaments can get real messy, real fast…

 

BIRDIE COOKIES:  I’d always seen these in various places, but never knew how to make them until I stumbled upon this site.  These are the most work intensive of the crafts I’ve listed, but still something that you can tackle in under an hour. You’ll need an envelope of gelatin and 1/4 cup of water for every 3/4 cup of birdseed, as well as some twine for hanging your ornaments.  Simmer the gelatin until it is dissolved in the water, then stir in the birdseed (be ready, this can get real messy, real fast!)  Lay out some wax paper and fill up some cookie cutters with your mixture (don’t forget to add your twine in!), then let the dry overnight…Voila!  Spectacular decor that your feathered friends will be “tweeting” about all season!  Since we have holly growing in our front yard, we decided to incorporate some of the berries into our “cookies.”  It’s worth noting that if you go this route, you’ll need to be VERY careful pressing them into the cookie cutters, as they bruise VERY easily.  (The next morning our berries looked like they’d been in a bar fight.)  I’m sure the birds won’t mind a bit, but if you’re planning to use them as gifts, dried fruit might be a better bet.  

C proudly displaying all of our goodies!

POM POM PINE CONES:  These are cute enough to put on your indoor tree, but hardy enough to go on an outdoor tree.  Better yet, make a few for each!  I got the idea here.  I was originally planning on helping C glue all our pom poms in place, but they seemed to stay in place quite nicely without it, so we opted to bypass the messy glue option.  C just stuffed the pom poms in wherever he could, hubby and I strung them up with fishing line, and behold, some colorful eye candy on the tree by our front door.  The birds understandably didn’t like this one as much…maybe if we added some dollops of peanut butter.  I’m wondering however, if we were to leave them up until spring time, if the birds would enjoy using the pom poms as a nesting material…

BIRDSEED WREATH:  We actually didn’t get a chance to try this idea yet (instructions here).  It seems easy enough, but there’s a warning about making sure to keep your wreath cold and out of the sun or else it will melt – and considering all the freakishly warm temperatures we’ve been having here of late in the Southeast, it seemed like this one might be a a better idea in January…

YARN BALL ORNAMENTS:  When I saw this idea posted here, the first thought that popped into my head was, “Great, now I can finally do something with the yarn leftover from my feeble attempts at crocheting in years past!”  This one is still on our to-do list as well, but it appears simple in concept and execution – just get a styrofoam ball (or any shape, for that matter), and get wrapping! 

We hung all of our homemade ornaments on a crepe myrtle tree just in front of our house, interspersing them amidst the store-bought snowflakes and balls we already had up.  And the results?  Stunning, and sure to bring a smile…so I’d say you can call our project a success!  C is so proud of his efforts, grinning from ear to ear every time he comes around the corner and catches a glimpse of his handiwork.  Anyone who stops by (friends, neighbors, etc) simply MUST see those decorations before going inside the house!  Does anyone else put decorations on OUTDOOR trees?  I’d love to hear some more ideas so we can add them to our queue for next year!

 

 

 

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Bearded Brothers Bars are Bangin’! (and GIVEAWAY!)

Gear Reviews.
23 Comments.

How’s that for alliteration?!?  And it’s the truth too!  Recently bearded brother Caleb offered to send me a few bars to try out for free in exchange for an honest review.  I (inaccurately) assumed they would be more or less like any other energy bar I’ve tried, but would come with a heftier price tag being that they are handmade and 100% organic.  (How’s that for honesty…)  But as you may have guessed from the title of this post, these bars are anything but ordinary!  

They’ve assured me that a beard is not a side effect of their products…:)

Here’s some background on the “Beardies”:
Bearded Brothers is an organic snack food company out of Texas, run by (bearded) brothers-in-law Caleb and Chris.  Caleb is a rock climber, cyclist, and runner and saw a need for tasty, healthy foods to fuel his adventures.  Chris is also an avid outdoorsman, and has a background in the health food/supplement industry with special attention given to andrographis.  Both will be expanding their families with bundles of joy in the coming months!  (Congrats, guys!)

Here’s the verdict from Cragmama:
 We received 4 distinctive flavors: Bodacious Blueberry Vanilla, Colossal Coconut Mango, Mighty Maca Chocolate, and Fabulous Ginger Peach.  The first thing I noticed was that the packaging was resealable – PERFECT for times when I just need a couple of quick bites before hiking into the crag, or when my toddler SAYS that he’s hungry, but puts it down after one bite…The bars aren’t big, but they are quite dense; pick one up and it’s not hard to see how almost 300 calories can squeeze into one little bar (but those calories are a much more efficient option than the 300 (+) calories in your fancy coffee from Starbuck’s this morning!)

Mmmmm, Coconut Mango!

The Coconut Mango bar walked away with all the votes for “best bar.”  The mango provided just the right amount of sweetness, and the coconut was fabulous for flavor as well as texture.  Take a bite, close your eyes, and it’s easy to imagine yourself in a chair on the sand with an umbrella drink in the other hand…open your eyes again and your back to reality, with a burst of energy for sending your latest climbing project.  Blueberry Vanilla was a close second, with a flavor combo that would be perfect for an on-the-go breakfast on the way out the door for your morning bike ride.  The Chocolate one was a pleasant surprise – none of that fake sweetness like a lot of other bars from competing companies that don’t want to add sugar but want their bars to taste like Snickers.  (If you want a Snickers bar, grab a Snickers!)  But if you want a cocoa-flavored bar with just a hint of sweet, grab the Mighty Maca.  

Last (but unfortunately least in my book) was the Ginger Peach one.  I really wanted to like this one, as the health benefits of ginger are widely documented.  However as soon as I took a bite out of it, I was overwhelmed with the same spicy-hot, tongue-burning sensation I get when I unknowingly pop a stick of “red” gum into my mouth.  It’s not the beardies, it’s me!  I just don’t like ginger (or too much cinnamon, cloves, etc.)  But if the idea of fresh pressed ginger, dried peaches, dates, and nuts works your taste buds into overdrive, I can guarantee you’ll find it fabulous!

These bars aren’t cheap, but they’re all made by hand, and are chock full of wholesome goodness – no processed “filler” ingredients here!  If you’re looking for a snack that’s tasty, good-for-you, and easy to throw in a pack, then Bearded Brothers bars are a fantastic option!

Here’s how you can get your own Bearded Brothers Bars:  
You can purchase  Bearded Brothers bars at any of these locations, or you can order directly from their website.  OR…you can tell me what your favorite “adventure fueling snack” is in the comment field below, and you’ll automatically be entered in a giveaway sponsored by the Bearded Brothers themselves!  A winner will randomly be chosen on Thursday, December 13 to receive a 4 pack of bars (and also a sticker and a button!)  Best of luck and happy adventuring! (and fueling, since we all tend to do a little more of that than we should this time of year…)

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FINISH STRONG! (aka #FinishStrong2012 )

Reflections.
3 Comments.

p>While the holidays can be an exciting time, it can also wreak havoc on our everyday schedules, priorities, and goals.  Constant holiday hubbub can make it darn near impossible to find some down time for yourself.  Chaos ensues as we desperately try to balance our budgets with our Christmas spending.  We put exercising on the backburner as we hastily get ready for the holidays.  Gingerbread men, snowflake cookies, and eggnog are routine appearances at work and social gatherings, making it very difficult to make healthy food choices.   And let’s be honest, it’s easy to let things slide here at the end of the year, especially when we have NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS to look forward to in just a few weeks, right?  

Well the folks at Athleta have decided not to wait for the New Year to make resolutions.  They just rolled out a unique giving campaign that not only will raise thousands of dollars for Girls on the Run, but also motivate participants to FINISH STRONG in the last few weeks of 2012.  Girls on the Run is a non-profit organization that uses running to inspire and motivate girls, encourage lifelong health and fitness, and build confidence through accomplishment.  Athleta is the exclusive athletic apparel sponsor of the program, so not only do these girls feel good, but they look good too!  

So how does this campaign work?  Very simple.  There are two ways to participate in FINISH STRONG:

1.  Go to the Athleta facebook app and make a pledge, like a pledge, and/or share a pledge.  For each action you take, Athleta will donate $1 on your behalf up to $10,000 to Girls on the Run!  There’s even a donation meter on the left-hand side of the page adding the dollars up in real time!

2.  For Twitter users, tweet a goal with the hash tag #FinishStrong2012, and encourage your followers to retweet.  Each instance of that hash tag will add another $1 to the donation meter.  

The end of one year marks the beginning of a new one! Finish strong!

Got a goal you’ve been holding out on for New Year’s Day – why not get a head start on it?  There’s no time like the present!  So set a goal, pledge to meet it by 2013, and encourage your friends to do the same!  My pledge?  I actually made two…  

“I will find one quiet moment every day to reflect on the Reason for the Season.”

“I will attempt to cross off the final goal on my Rock Climbing Hit List for 2012.”  

I know that the holiday craziness will pull me in a million directions to try and thwart me from achieving my first goal.  I know that  endurance lost from a self-imposed climbing hiatus will make the logistics of the second goal difficult.  But I’m sure as heck gonna try.  Who’s with me?  I’d love to hear more pledges in the comments section, so if you choose to participate, please come back and share!

 

 

 

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Through a Toddler’s Eyes

Sentimental Snapshots. Reflections.
4 Comments.

Before I became a mom, I remember hearing people say that one of the best things about parenting is the joy of discovering the world again through the eyes of a child.  In the past 2 and a half (almost 3, where does the time go!) years that C has been around, I’ve certainly found that to be true.  For instance, I never really gave bulldozers a second thought.  But C is crazy about them (as well as excavators, steam rollers, and the like, whenever the chance arises, he will visit the skid steer rental in Vancouver ).  And much to his delight a whole brigade of heavy machinery has moved in on our street just a quarter mile from our house.  For the past couple of weeks, we’ve taken a wagon ride almost every morning to see the what the excavator is doing at the end of our road.  We’ll sit together for almost an hour at a time, watching in awe as this giant metal dinosaur “eats trees” (as Cragbaby so eloquently likes to phrase it).  But Cragbaby is not the only one fascinated by the excavator – I’ve discovered that I too find excavator-gazing rather exciting.  And although a large part of why I enjoy it so much is because I’m sharing the experience with C, it’s an activity I never would have considered until he came around.  He taught me to see a bulldozer through his eyes.  

I think this picture captures another perfect example of that “through a toddler’s eyes” concept.  I’ve always been a nature lover – unlike with the excavator, I probably would have stopped to observe a bumblebee resting on a delicate yellow flower.  But I certainly wouldn’t have lingered as long, and I never would have noticed all the intricacies.  I wouldn’t have touched and counted each petal, nor would I have stared unblinkingly at the bumblebee for 5 minutes straight.  

Just the other day C and I were putting the last few bulbs into our garden, when an epic gust of wind came out of nowhere and rained down a flurry of leaves from the trees above us.  C looked up and said, smiling, “That was AMAZING, Mommy!”  Indeed it was – but had I not been looking through his eyes, the moment would have gone by unnoticed by me.  And more recently, we went to a live Nativity at a local church – “Angels, Mommy, just like in my book!”, he said excitedly, with pure joy.  Oh, that we could all experience the joy of Christmas so freely!

Who else has had the joy of seeing the world through the eyes of an awe-filled little person?  What special moments have you “re-experienced” with your child?  

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“Not all who wander are lost.” —JRR TOLKIEN