Snow is falling all around me!

So, last night I wrote about how beautiful it has been this fall, and this morning I woke up to a winter wonderland outside my door! Snow, snow, snow!!! Eli begged to put on his snowsuit the second he saw it, and despite it being quite cold, has been out in it for the last 2 hours.  He drops to the ground and rolls like it's the most wonderful thing in the world.  

Seriously, it makes me so happy! Last winter we were robbed of playing in the snow, because it honestly only snowed three times the whole time we were living in Spokane, and it usually melted by the end of the day.  I missed Michigan and I missed Calgary and I missed the snow. I'm so excited to play in it this winter!

It's about time for Christmas!

I don't want to complain, but it is a little hard to get into the Christmas Spirit with all the nice weather we are experiencing.  It has been such a nice fall in Calgary: unbelievably, really.  Eli spent an hour in the backyard today in just a t-shirt and jeans, in the middle of NOVEMBER! Crazy.

But, I'm not one to let a little sunshine get in my way, so let me spread a little Christmas your way by offering a Nativity set for this weeks giveaway. Here it is:

Now, don't be too impressed. I did not design or cut these pieces out.  But, I did paint and sand them! I have a set of my own and love it! 

Same rules apply as all the other giveaways.

Mandatory Entry:
1. Be a follower of my blog and comment on THIS post!

Extra Entries:
2. Comment on any other post this week.

I will draw, using Random.org, which I have finally figured out, next Sunday night, November 21, 2010. Hopefully lots of people from Calgary will enter this one, because this will cost an armload to mail. Oh what I go through for my faithful followers!

Comment away, my dear friends!  And, MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Becoming a Doula

Two months before Silas was born, belly swollen and anticipation peaking, my incredible friend Sierra and her darling husband asked me to be part of the birth of their first daughter, to take pictures while they were focusing on other things. It was quite honestly one of the most incredible experiences of my entire life!  While I had seen countless videos of birth, actually witnessing their little Evelyn be born into this world was deeply spiritual for me.

(I don't think I even took this picture, I think it was from Jonathan's phone!)

I went to the birth armed with the knowledge I had from preparing for two births, but little else.  I like to think I was more useful than just being a photographer, but I'm not so sure.  Regardless, the experience left me with a desire to do it again, better educated and equipped to help the birthing mother through labour,

This weekend I began that journey.  I spent an emotional, educational and exciting three days in a workshop to become a certified birth doula.  A doula is someone who accompanies a woman in labour, providing emotional and physical support and offering comfort measures. There are incredible studies showing that with continuous support through labour, women are less likely to 
- receive regional analgesia
- have any analgesia/anesthesia
- give birth with vacuum or forceps
- give birth by cesarean
- be dissatisfied with their birth experience

This weekend I learned the basics of how to provide that support.  Most of the books on the reading list I had already read, and many of the comfort measures they taught us I learned as I prepared for the births of my two sons. However, considering how those births went, having a doula by my side at my next birth will be absolutely imperative: somehow all that I knew went out the window when I was in labour! 

Although I didn't expect it to, the workshop also provided me with a chance to heal a little from the memories and emotions I have been harboring about Silas's birth. As we talked through what a doula could do in similar circumstances, as I shared parts of my story with the other 29 women there, I don't know if I gave myself permission to grieve, or excused myself from the guilt I had surrounding that birth, but I definitely walked away with less pain and regret. That alone was worth the weekend!

So, now that the workshop is complete, to become a certified doula I need to attend three births, do a bunch of paperwork and I will be on my way!  After four years of being completely consumed by birth, I am so excited to be taking this step.  While I have no intention of ever making a living out of this, hopefully I will be able to help some women as they become mothers!  I quite honestly can't think of anything I would rather do with this kind of knowledge. 



And, as it is the end of the week, I get to announce a winner for my felted wool ball giveaway.  I was super excited to see that the very person who inspired this weekend won the giveaway, Sierra Hocklander!  Yeah! Sierra, let me know if you want me to personalize the balls or not, and I will be sending a package your way in the next week. Congratulations!

Only two more giveaways left! Come back tomorrow to see what's in store for this week!

I'm the luckiest mother on earth

The conversation I had while Eli was watching Lady and the Tramp II, when the offspring of the original movie runs away and declares that he doesn't love his family and doesn't want to go back home:

Eli, bursting into tears: "I'm so sad right now, Mom!"

Me: "Oh dear, how come, Eli?"

Eli: "I don't know, I just am."

Me: "Is the movie making you sad."

Eli: "No, I'm just sad, and I want that boy to go back to his daddy."

Me:  "I'm pretty sure he will really soon.  Do you want to come cuddle with me and we can watch it together."

Eli: "Yes, because I'm really sad."

I'm so grateful for a sensitive boy. I wonder sometimes how I can teach him kindness and empathy, but then I see little glimpses of just how sweet and understanding he is.  I am thankful that he is well attached to me and understands that little boys should love their families and want to be with them.  I really am the luckiest mom in the whole world!

Oh ya, a giveaway...

 You thought I forgot, didn't you?  Well, I didn't!

This is week five in my Thanksgiving to Thanksgiving Giveaway, and this week I am giving away a set of three wool balls. I don't have a picture, because I haven't made them yet, for I will personalize them for you if you want!  That's right, you will never have to worry about your balls being stolen, because I will felt your name (or your child's name, if you so wish) right on them.  Or I can just make some beautiful generic ones, if you want.  Pretty much, your wish is my command!

So, who will it be this week???

Here's the rules:

Madatory entry:

1. Be a follower and comment on this post.

Extra entries:
2. You will get one extra entry for every post you comment on this week (including the tutorial post).

This giveaway will be open until Sunday November 14th, at whatever time I choose to make the draw - probably in the evening sometime.  Anyone can enter, no matter where on this fine planet you live.

Wool Balls - a Tutorial!

Little known fact about ME: I know sheep.  That's right, I know enough about sheep to know how to feed them, shear them, even castrate them.  I've worked on two different farms where sheep were one of my responsibilities.  I don't just know sheep, I like sheep. One day I dream of having a little lamb of my own that I will treat nice, and hopefully she will grow beautiful fluffy wool for me to make beautiful things out of.  We will be a good team. 

Until then I have to trust other people to take good care of their sheep so that I can enjoy the fruits of their labours, because I love wool as much as I love sheep. One good thing to do with wool, even if you are not a knitter or a crocheter, is to felt.  Felting is easy, fast, and the products are oh so beautiful.

This week we made wool balls out of wool yarn and roving (carded raw wool, not spun yet.)  We made them to be functional, but they are so gorgeous and fun that they have become toys rather than the drier balls they were intended to be.

Here's how:

Material

-wool scraps (optional, if you happen to have old wool sweaters or anything, this is a good way to repurpose them)

- 100% wool yarn - make sure it is NOT machine washable, as it will not felt

- felting needles (optional for decorations)

- wool roving

- an old nylon

- a washing machine and a load of dirty clothes!

One way to make them cheap and easy is to make the core (or the entire ball) out of yarn, as roving can be hard to come by and tends to be on the pricey side.  Start by wrapping the yarn, very tightly, around two fingers.

Remove your fingers from the yarn and continue wrapping, keeping it quite tight, creating a ball. 

I used this brown yarn as the core, and then switched to brighter colours, so I didn't use as much of the colours I liked.  I covered the core colour completely on some balls, and left some showing on others. Don't be afraid to be creative!

 Once you have a ball of a generous size (it will shrink to 1/2-2/3 it's unfelted size) you can decorate! I used felting needles to secure yarn in different designs directly to my balls. I just laid a contrasting yarn on the ball and poked it with the needle until it was secure.  Once the felting process is done, it will not come off.

Alternatively, you can make the center of your ball out of old wool sweater scraps, or completely out of roving.  This is one that I made from roving, wrapping small strips tightly around themselves. 

With the roving, I used the felting needles again just to make sure it was secure before I felted it. You don't need to do this, as long as you wrap it very tight.

See how the needle has started felting the roving to itself. This ball isn't unraveling anytime soon!

Once you have made as many balls as you want, pull out your old nylon and start stuffing!

Tie a knot, or tie off with a piece of yarn, between each ball. 

Take your yarn sausage to your washing machine and throw it it.  Felting occurs when the fibers are shocked (hot to cold and cold to hot) so wash as hot as you can, with a cold rinse. 

I only washed mine on one hot wash with towels, then dried it with the same load.  You may want to throw yours in a few cycles, just to be sure they felt completely. Once you are done, pull them out, cut them out of the nylon (they may slightly felt to the nylon, so be prepared to spend a few minutes pulling them free) and enjoy!

Doilies, and a WINNER!

There is so much I love about the Christmas season, I don't even know where to begin.  This weekend I have learned to love Christmas Craft Fairs, where you can find everything from national brand name scrapbooking supplies to Grandma-made Barbie clothes.  It's probably a good thing I have NO money, because there was a lot of tempting goodness out there, but I resisted quite admirably.  I did, however, find a booth covered in these wonderful Grandma-made (that's right, I coined a new term - better than handmade, because it's made by a grandma) doilies.  She was selling them for a buck a piece.  I couldn't resist!

What will I do with these darling little gems?  I envision an afghan or a quilt appliqued with doilies, or a bouquet of lavender wrapped in one.  I don't know just yet, but now that they have a good home I'm sure they will blossom into something wonderful!



And now what you've all been waiting for, the winner of the Down To Earth Toys giveaway...

Picked by random.org, the winner is...

akathemom

Congratulations Alice, you WON!

For all that entered, please remember this holiday season to keep our generous sponsor, Down To Earth Toys, in mind as you strive to buy responsibly!