It's time to get ready for the garden season. Whether you plan to grow your own produce or take advantage of local farmers' markets, canning and preserving is a great way to extend the harvest and continue to eat local throughout the year.
Offered by Chicago's Jane Addams Hull-House Museum and available for download in your choice of colors, check out this handy-dandy canning guide perfect for beginners.
photo credit:Rachel Tayse, flickr
Two women from Mount Prospect have started a popular new way for parents to recycle gently used children's clothing and equipment and adult clothing and accessories, while helping families find items they need for free.
Swapadventure, now celebrating its 1st anniversary, is the creation of Angelika Babich and Maggie Pawelko. Each is a mom to three children under the age of 10. The pair organize free swapping events at Chicago area businesses twice a month. The only admission to each event is one shopping bag of items no longer needed to be added to the items for swapping. There is no swapping limit and attendess may take as much as they need.
Surplus swap items are donated to local organizations
Items left over at the events are donated directly to shelters and orphanages.
Swapadventure does not resell any of the items donated and ensures that the organizations receiving the remaining items do not resell them.
Babich and Pawelko say there is no membership fee to attend a Swapadventure event and never will be one. They created Swapadventure "simply to help others" and realized that many parents have items remaining in storage that could go to those in need.
In addition, they felt parents could benefit from swapping in a family friendly public place from trusted sources, rather than online through sources like Craigslist or Freecycle, while bringing their kids along.
Each event provides not only free items for kids and adults, but generally provides free admission for kids to the swap venue and recognition of local businesses in the community.
The only items not accepted are undergarments, clothing with stains or holes, and clothing with animal hair on it.
Attendance at each Swapadventure event ranges from 50 to 200.
How can local businesses help sponsor a Swapadventure event?
Businesses interested in sponsoring an event may contact Babich or Pawelka through the Swapadventure website.
The pair said they welcome products, giveaways, advertising with Swapadventure, and goodie bags for their attendees from local businesses.
Raffles are held and 2 costumed princesses appear at each event to meet and greet children and take photos with them.
Find out more information and register for the next Swapadventure event here:
https://www.swapadventure.com/upcoming-events.html
-Christine
A soft breeze graces against our skin, birds chirp happily in the tree tops and the sweet smell of a magnolia tree perfumes the air around us. Many of us recall distinctive sensory memories from our time outdoors and nature poses a feast for the senses. Visual stimuli abound: greenery of all shapes and sizes, leaves garnished with edges from smooth to jagged, and an array of characters from pale brown squirrels to vermillion insects. Nature invigorates and nurtures all of our senses: visual, auditory, tactile and olfactory.
Nature offers a lot more to us than just sensory memories, however. Children around us often serve as a reminder of how enticing nature can be. Many teachers and parents can speak to how many times “Can we go outside?” has punctuated a topic at hand.
This is for good reason: nature offers a learning environment that is engaging while remaining calming and restorative. Researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have conducted several studies that indicate time spent outdoors can have a positive effect on reducing the symptoms of ADHD in students ages 5 to 18 across gender and socioeconomic statuses. This evidence was also observed in both a nationwide study and a preliminary study whereby students were monitored for cognitive challenges before and after a walk.
It seems that nature offers something analogous to a holistic reset button, an effortless way to experience calm and effective attention restoration. These therapeutic effects within nature may even have beneficial effects yet to be explored, including components such as reduced levels of domestic violence within the home and positive uplift for cancer patients. Many would argue that these therapeutics effects are important to note in an increasingly stress-inducing, medicating world.
“Well, what about in winter?” The results are even more striking. The therapeutic effects of nature can be at work literally through a window view. Besides gardening, hiking, and walking outdoors, we can still receive nature’s perks by simply looking outside to a natural view. Many natural changes are impressive and breathtaking to witness, and as an added bonus, these benefits are cost-effective and increase support and appreciation for the environment.
How do we cultivate a system for beating the winter blues, homework blues, or “need a moment” blues? Pursuing a course of nature perks can be simple, elegant and personalized in a way meaningful to an adult, family or child. Here are some suggestions:
Begin a nature journal: Use it to press leaves or wildflowers, describe nature observations and practice nature poetry.
Dabble into the world of field guides: birds, trees, wildflowers, edible plants, medicinal plants… name it and there is a field guide that educates on the topic. These are simple, inexpensive and easily available online or in a local bookstore.
Go on a nature walk: Make family time in nature. Have kids collect artifacts from their walk (leaves, pinecones, flowers, etc.) and help them to identify what they found. For kinesthetic learners , have them act out a skit of their favorite nature walk moment.
Create a monthly nature goal: Consider a nature-inspired family trip, new walk route, nature photography collage or intention to make homework breaks “outdoor” breaks. This is a great way to capitalize on diverse family interests and talents.
Cultivating time to look, react to and document what is happening in the natural world is an important role to be reinforced. Without being aware of the subtle peace and beauty within our natural landscape, much understanding of where our food comes from or what is so precious about our natural landscape will be lost to generations raised indoors.
From solar panels to beautiful gardens and biodiesel, people need to pay attention to their natural surroundings in order to fully appreciate all the complexity our environmental world can and should offer. Look to the kids asking to go outside or romping in a nearby park and remember that nature is the best teacher.
-Julie Ann Howlett is an Illinois-based educator and nature enthusiast offering educational services that promote environmental respect, holistic understandings, and compassion for your educational journey. Sign up for her e-newsletter with JAHLearning@gmail.com or visit JulieAnnHowlettConsulting.com.
This article appears in the August 2014 issue of Natural Awakenings Chicago
There have been a number of excellent parenting books written and published over the past 13 years since I first became a mom. There's no doubt many future classics are being written and published today.
But this is my personal list of top ten favorite mindful parenting books. What makes these classics to me? Despite having been originally published some 10, 20 or even 30+ years ago, they are still widely read by new generations of moms and dads and their no-nonsense, logical wisdom and focus on instinctive parenting makes them timeless.
1. The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding
3. Ina May's Guide to Childbirth
5. Becoming the Parent You Want to Be
9. Mothering Your Nursing Toddler
I'd love to hear from you? What would be on your top ten list? Are there books that you've recommended to friends or family that you couldn't live without as a new parent? Tell us in the comments below:
-Christine
-photo credit:DioBurto, flickr
Learnapalooza 2013, an all-day free skillsharing event, will kick off for the year Saturday June 15 in Wicker Park. The event, which consists of free classes for adults, teens, and families, will take place this summer across three Chicago neighborhoods: Wicker Park on June 15, Lakeview on July 20 and Logan Square on September 22.
The mission of the event, organizers say, is to foster "free, creative exploration by providing Chicago neighbors the opportunity to exchange skills."
Classes are lead by volunteers and hosted by local businesses. Previous Learnapalooza offerings have included: bee-keeping, dancing, culinary arts, jewelry-making, Hebrew, backgammon, web design, yoga, wine-making, and guitar.
While classes are geared toward adults, many families do attend with their children. Classes with age restrictions or those geared specifically toward children are noted in the event schedule.
Learnapalooza began in 2009, when co-founders Maggie Schutz and Sarah Press discovered similar projects in other cities and decided to bring the same type of event to Chicago.
Planning commitee member Katie Leiblein says some of the most popular offerings at Learnapalooza have been dance and movement classes.
"Every year we have different classes, so we see different (and sometimes surprising) favorites," Leiblein explains. "Our most suprising sell-out class was Excel Basics... Everyone loves to try their hand at a new dance or yoga class! My personal favorites (and often well attended), have been bee keeping, worm composting and urban chicken keeping."
If you've used cloth diapers for your baby, you probably know that cool, naturally absorbent cotton is perfect next to sensitive skin and it breathes! We used cloth diapers with our two babes and no disposables could compare to the healthy look of my babies' skin when using cloth. If cloth is good enough for your baby? Then why not you?
I've used cloth pads in the past and hope to make them an everyday part of my monthly routine once again. They are truly easy to use and always make me feel like I have one less thing to worry about as a busy mom.
Cloth menstrual pads are comfortable, breathable, reusable and better for our environment because there's nothing to throw away. They can be safely washed and reused hundreds of times and last for years. The unhealthy environment that plastic-backed pads create does nothing to help you feel fresh. Not to mention many disposable pads are manufactured with added fragrance, chemical absorbents, and adhesives.
I'm so excited to introduce you to Lunapads cloth pads. Lunapads is a women-owned ethical company with a social mission to support women and girls (and all genders and all bodies). Their products come in fun colors and an assortment of sizes depending on your flow needs.
Want to try Lunapads before you buy? Lunapads offers first time customers 1 Lunapads Pantyliner sample for just $5 shipping & handling -- plus, you’ll receive a coupon for $5 off your next order.*
(*Some conditions apply) Get your free sample here:
Parents of infants have an excellent opportunity to introduce healthy eating habits at an early age. By making your own baby food, instead of relying on jarred or boxed varieties, you don't have to doubt that what goes into your baby's tiny tummy is good, wholesome nutrition.
"Real Smart Baby Food" (ReadFood Doctor Press 2013) is a new book by Lisa Barrangou Ph.D that features a simple method for making homemade baby food using a 3-step process.
Barrangou, a personal chef, has an extensive background in food science and nutrition. Her detailed writing style conveys this experience well. With brilliant full color high definition photographs and over 70 recipes for unique flavor combinations, the book's logical layout makes it an easy read.
The book is divided into 3 sections:
Section 1 provides recommended guidelines for when to begin feeding baby solid food and special consideration of safe food preparation for infants.
Section 2 introduces the "The Real Smart Strategy", which is the core method of making 3 months of homemade baby food in 3 one-hour blocks of time. This section also contains a handy "Flavor Compatibility Chart" with ideas for which fruits and vegetables compliment one another best.
Section 3 lists recipes and ideas for combining puree recipes, as well as advice on shopping for and storing whole foods.
Bonus chapters include detailed information on nutrients and a handy conversion chart.
"Real Smart Baby Food" is a parent-friendly guide to making a 3 month supply of fresh, homemade baby food in 3 one-hour blocks of time.Available in print and Kindle edition: http://realsmartbabyfood.com/
-Christine
-photo credit: Lisa Barrangou
