cold and flu season: fight back!

If your neck of the woods is anything like ours, everyone is getting sick.  The boys and I are especially susceptible as we are at school all day, surrounded by trillions (gazillions?) of germs.  Little O has already had an ear infection this year, as in 2013.  I have come down with some sort of blessed sinus thing that threatens to last for weeks.  Is it Spring yet?? 

I thought it might be nice to share our family's list of go-to home remedies for coughs and sniffles.  So read up, stock up, and stay healthy!

Peppermint tea with lots of honey is my favorite way to soothe a scratchy throat before bedtime.  Even the kids have been known to enjoy a lukewarm cup of tea.  Our pediatrician told me that studies have shown that honey is just as effective as cough syrup.  Amazing, right?!

These have saved my voice many a school day.  They taste good and have echinacea, which helps lessen the blow of the common cold.

On Guard is a blend of essential oils that includes citrus, clove, and cinnamon.  It helps support the immune system and smells really good.  I rub two or three drops on the bottoms of my feet and the boys' feet every morning before school.  It kept us healthy through the beginning of the school year, although nothing seems to be working against the craziness that is blowing around this flu season.  Also, did I mention that it smells great?

Finally, our pediatrician pointed us in the direction of ZarBee's.  It is an all-natural, honey-based cough syrup.  It really has helped the boys on those restless, cough-filled nights. 

We wish you all health during this new year!

Independent Play: Quiet Boxes

Winter is here in full force, and it's brutal!  Temperatures have been below freezing for a solid couple of weeks now.  After two weeks in (comparatively) warm Texas, Utah feels like the arctic tundra.  The cold temperatures and nasty air quality mean that we have been spending a lot of time entertaining ourselves indoors. 

I ran out of ideas this week and decided to put together plastic tubs of activities that would encourage independent play.  Here are some items that would be great to keep your preschooler busy during these short (and looooong) winter days:

1. Match it Game

2. Lace and Trace Game

3. Woodland Connectagons

4. Mighty Mind

5. Big Book Of Big Machines

anders and oliver's room: part 1

photo by Carolee Beckham

 Our friend Meta shared the first installment of Oliver and Anders' room tour over at one more mushroom last week.  I went to Meta after moving into our new home earlier this year.  The boys' room was large, empty, and intimidating.  I needed a designer's help.  Meta was so great to work with!  She and I were on the same wavelength throughout the entire project, and she had so many great ideas and suggestions for the space. 

Hop on over to one more mushroom to be inspired by more beautiful photos of amazing children's spaces.

our busy life

Well, here we are right in the middle of the holidays.  The Pearsons have been busy the past few weeks.  First, I finished up a project with my friend Meta.  I'm so excited to share it - soon!  Afterwards we were hit with a bout of the stomach flu.  We weren't so excited about that.  Thankfully, we were able to recover in time to spend Thanksgiving celebrating the marriage of our two good friends.  I have to say, it was kind of nice not being in charge of Thanksgiving dinner this year.  Now we are spending our days decorating for and dreaming about the upcoming Christmas holiday. 

We have some gift guides in the works.  Here are some links to other great gift guides to tide you over:

Maja's holiday wish list
A holiday gift guide for baby M
Design Sponge Gift Guides: Ornaments + Trimming

Harmony Provo

When I first heard that a new yarn/fabric/gift shop was opening up in my neighborhood, I actually shrieked with joy.  Tim can attest to that fact.  Harmony was no disappointment!  I am so excited to have all those crafty supplies and beautiful gifts within walking distance.  And when I say walking distance, I mean really short walking distance.  Like, I've been almost once a week since they opened because it is such a short walk and I am so bad at controlling my impulses.  Had a rough day at school?  I think I need more chunky yarn.  Kids being crazy?  Let's go for a walk that happens to go right by Harmony.

So, yeah.  Harmony is chock full of an amazing variety of fabrics, gorgeous yarns, and cute trimmings and gifts from Darlybird.  The ladies at Harmony also offer a wide range of classes to get you started, from beginning knitting to cooking classes.  If you like the sound of any of those things and live around here, you should stop by.  You could even pick up some supplies for your own handmade holiday.  Knitters and crocheters (is that a word?) should come by this Thursday night at 7 pm for Harmony's bimonthly knit night. 

See you there!

Simple Almond Butter Recipe

If my boys had their way, we would eat peanut butter and jam sandwiches for every meal, every single day.  I went looking for alternatives to peanut butter simply for the sake of variety, and landed upon this amazingly simple, delicious almond butter.  It has two ingredients.  How easy is that!?

You will need:

 I can't tell you how long it lasts, because it gets gobbled up so quickly in  our house.  We love it on sandwiches with homemade raspberry jam or spread on apple slices for an afternoon snack.  Enjoy! Download the recipe card here to print.

Last Minute Halloween Crafts

Happy (almost) Halloween!  What are you all doing to celebrate?  We carved pumpkins and ate delicious donuts this weekend.  Please excuse little A's silly face.  He is telling me all about how gross his pumpkin "brains" are. 

Here are a few last minute craft ideas to get you in the Halloween mood:

I want to make one of these stuffed fabric pumpkins (tutorial by the amazing Alison).
This awesome spider cake would put any Halloween party over the top!
Meta has some adorable ideas for last minute costumes.
It would be so fun to write all over this chalkboard haunted house!

Halloween Skull Garland and Skeleton Costume

I made this crocheted skull garland to decorate for the skeleton-themed birthday party we had at our house last week.  Lucky for us, it also does triple duty as a Day of the Dead and Halloween garland.  Isn't it fun?  It wasn't too difficult, and only took a few evenings to complete - you still have some time to finish yours before Halloween!!  I found the pattern here and attached them together using these basic guidelines.

Here's a quick peek at one of the freezer paper skeleton costumes I made for the boys.  They wore them for their birthday party last week and loved being spooky.  Only A felt like getting his picture taken, but I promise there's another skeleton lurking just outside the frame.  


p.s.  Our fall challenge went oooookaaaaay.  Was that convincing?  It turns out that TV watching is a hard habit to break.  We did decrease our viewing time, but couldn't quite quit.  We're human.  Did anyone else try?  Tell us all about it!

Roundup

Montessori Birthday Celebration and Fall Challenge

O and A celebrated their third birthdays this week.  In their Montessori classroom they celebrated by holding an earth marble and walking around a candle representing the sun.  The parent or teacher talks about the first year of life, and then the child walks around the sun.  This is repeated for each year that the child has lived.  It is a cosmic and magical representation of the time that the child has spent on the earth.  As they walk, the class sings this song:

The earth goes around the sun, the sun
The earth goes around the sun
It takes 12 months, 52 weeks, 365 days

As a teacher, I have led many of these walks around the sun, but none was as emotional for me as O's and A's.  I am so lucky to have two happy, healthy, handsome boys!


p.s.  I am going to take part in Joanna's Fall Challenge this week:  To not watch TV for a week, or at least, cut way back.  Wish us luck, and feel free to join in!

Roundup

Montessori Reading List

My love for the Montessori method began before I could even read.  Some of my earliest memories are of a large classroom with all of my favorite works (activities).  As I grew older and more aware, I remember the satisfying sound of the rice as I would pour it from one glass pitcher into another.  The painted cubes of the pink tower felt substantial and important as I placed them one on top of another as carefully as my 4 year old hands could manage.  Perhaps the most important memory I have from my six years as a Montessori student was the respect and love which I was given by my teachers.  As a result of these heart-achingly beautiful memories and foundations of self-worth, I was drawn back to the Montessori method as an adult.  

I now strive to create these same sort of memories for my own children, both in my home and in the classroom.  Some days are easier than others, and I am pretty sure I will never live up to the idealized memories of my childhood.  I have to try though.

The following is a list of a few books that have been great resources as a Montessori parent:

Montessori From the Start: The Child at Home, From Birth to Age Three by Paula Polk Lillard

How to Raise an Amazing Child the Montessori Way by Tim Seldin

Unconditional Parenting: Moving From Rewards and Punishments to Love and Reason by Alfie Kohn

Dr. Montessori's Own Handbook by Maria Montessori

Happy reading, and Namaste!

Roundup

Fall Mix

Fall in Utah is beautiful.  I didn't "get" fall until I moved to a place that actually had seasons.  I can see the mountains from the window in front of my kitchen sink, and I am continually surprised at how much more color I see every day. 

Tim has put together an amazing fall mix to get you in the mood for drives up the canyon, sweaters, hot drinks, and cold, dark mornings.

Now if only fall would last a little longer . . .

Roundup

Spaghetti Carbonara Recipe

 

Now that I am working full time again, I find myself looking through my recipes for quick, delicious dinners.  Spaghetti Carbonara is one of my family’s favorite weeknight dishes.   It is so easy!  It reminds me of my childhood.  This is one of those recipes that was in heavy rotation at my house, the kind of thing that we requested for birthday dinners.  Enjoy!

download printable recipe here.

Roundup

A Welcome Post

       The original concept behind, wandering little braves, was to share the adventures of two eclectic, busy, start-up families. The entire family would participate and take part in recording our findings and sharing them with you (whomever you might be) . . . however, life has kicked in, and months have gone by since the concept was agreed to by skeptical husbands, and somewhat overwhelmed housewives. I have no idea what we will become but for now this is us;

THE HUISHS

       The Huishs are an adventure-seeking family of artists, who live at the bottom of a huge mountain. Where there is time to spare, they will either spend it at home creating, or out in the mountains exploring. Momma went to school studying photography and since then has not done much with her photo’s except to take photos of H. Momma spends her time sewing, bookmaking, knitting, jewelry-making, painting, and reading children’s fantasy books. Little H would like to spend all her time in the outdoors, or in a library. Papa is a wandering soul, he is still looking for the perfect solution to both his wanderlust, as well as a desire to help the misfortunate. Papa is a mixed-media artist, he loves painting and printmaking the most. Papa spends most of his time teaching eighth graders and bikes anywhere he goes. You will never find him without a book (or two) in his hands. He paints, crochets, reads, bikes, hikes, and climbs.

THE PEARSONS

    The Pearsons love spending time together on bike rides and walks around their city, eating yummy food raised in their garden, and watching more tv than is probably healthy.  We all are working on something right?  Momma is an aspiring Montessorian who has recently gone back to work full time, bringing little O and A along for a Montessori preschool experience.  She also dabbles in sewing, knitting, spinning, and many other artistic endeavors.  Papa is an engineer who loves modern design, music, vintage guitars, and MTG.  He also spends time daydreaming about building a family home a la Dwell. 

Welcome to our blog, Wandering Little Braves!