Share Your Holiday Traditions - A Giveaway!

This past Sunday was the first day of Advent and whether or not Advent fits within your family customs, the time leading up to the Winter Solstice and Christmas is a good time for contemplation, going within and working through unresolved issues in your heart.

In the Waldorf tradition, the weeks leading up to Advent are celebrated by creating reverence for each of the four different kingdoms: stones (earth), plants, animals and mankind.  There is something about this holistic look at this time of year that speaks to me so deeply and I do my best to use this time to dig deeper spiritually.

There are many traditions and customs during this season that families, schools and churches recognize.  Advent wreaths are often used with candles that are lit each Sunday leading up to Christmas time.  Baking cookies, lighting a menorah or adding an ornament to a Jesse Tree each day are other traditions that come to mind.

My family has begun our own unique traditions that I've shared in the Advent and St. Nicholas Festival E-Book such as our Advent Kindness Clock which includes a little act of kindness that can be done each day leading up to Christmas.

We also created a beautiful Advent Wall Spiral where my daughters place a special star each day of Advent time.

I would love to hear about the traditions and customs in your family this time of year.

In the comments section below, share with us your family traditions leading up to the Winter Solstice and Christmas.  On the second Sunday of Advent (Sunday, December 9th), in the evening, we will randomly choose three winners to receive a FREE copy of our Advent and St. Nicholas Day Festival Book or another of your choice!  Be sure to check back here to see if you won.

Good luck!
xoox

A Visit from The Candy Fairy

When my children were little they were often more excited about the Candy Fairy then they were about trick or treating on Halloween night. Every Halloween night each girl left out a big bowl of candy for The Candy Fairy. Amazingly, she just so happened to always fly down our road after they went to bed... and, in appreciation she left some treasures in return.
The girls were always convinced that the more candy they left the better the surprise would be in the morning. Sometimes it was a fairy type of treasure like you see in these pictures and as they got a bit older it would often be a special toy, doll, art supplies or Lego set.

And, don't worry ... I wasn't a mean mom... each girl kept enough candy to enjoy a piece or two when they wanted a treat that week - just not a pillowcase full.

By the way, I heard the fairy visits houses any time after Halloween so you may want to see if she's heading to your neighborhood soon.

xoxo
eileen

Day One of Clean Eating...and a Spring Sale!

Ok here's the thing, no matter how hard I try - how many ways I make them - where they come from - or what they are combined with.... I HATE EGGS!

Isn't it strange? Everybody seems to love them. But, ever since I was a little girl, I just cannot stand the taste of them.  It makes me cringe. Yuck.  Bleck.

More specifically it's the white of the egg. I like the yolk, especially dipped with rye toast. But the white is just gross.

SO.  Even though I am committed to two weeks of trying to eat clean (starting today). I am also committed to not ruining delicious meals with eggs. Ever. Again.Yuck.

Luckily, I saved some of this asparagus salad without the egg so I was still able to eat lunch. I've also been forcing myself to drink water (another thing I'm not crazy about but I'll take it any day over eggs). AND, I tried to rejoin my gym but the woman at the desk told me if I waited until later this month when they hold open house the registration fee would be waived. So, I'll wait. I should walk each day... but that takes even more motivation.  ;)

In other news, Spring starts on Friday. Can you believe this? We still have a LOT of snow on the ground and it even snowed here some last night. My neighbor asked me if I've started planning out my garden and started my indoor seeds. I paused and had to remember what month we were in. I haven't. I will try to work on it this week. That seems a little overwhelming to me right now but it needs to get done.

Oh, and there is a Sweet Spring Sale over on my website. Grab 25% off four amazing spring e-books to get you in the mood. 

Happy Spring!

xoxo

Happy St. Nicholas Eve!

Tonight St. Nicholas comes to many households and leaves small tokens and goodies in children's shoes that are left out.  Sometimes he leaves candies that look like gold coins, gum or apples and fruit.  Simple little things.  Nothing that requires much planning.

Will your children be leaving their shoes out for St. Nicholas tonight?  Is he the same man as Santa Claus in your home?

In addition to our Advent and St. Nicholas Festival E-Book, The Saint Nicholas Center is a beautiful website FILLED with ideas, stories, games and history on St. Nicholas to help you bring this beautiful tradition into your home and fill it with the true meaning of Christmas this holiday season.

And, as a special treat to you for today only:

Happy St. Nicholas Eve! 

What will St. Nicholas leave in your shoe?
Here's a little gift from Little Acorn Learning to YOU!

ONE DAY SALE - 50% OFF our Advent and St. Nicholas Festival E-Book

Get this amazing e-book for only $9.99 to help you celebrate this special evening and 
Advent all month and for years to come!

Act FAST - Sale is for today, December 5th ONLY! 

Wishing you a BEAUTIFUL ST. Nicholas Weekend filled with family, love and peace.  We would love to hear about how you celebrate this beautiful ancient festival day.

xoxo

An Outdoor Thanksgiving

This event is put on by friends (family, really) of ours each year.  It is such a cool way to celebrate Thanksgiving in the true sense of the way it was celebrated between the Pilgrims and the Native American Indians.  We feel so lucky to be included in this amazing tradition.  

The event is held potluck style and turkey and all the fixings are served.  It's usually very cold outside and this year was no exception.  I have to admit that even though I consider myself an outdoors person, I was silently dreading the bitter cold we may face.  I'm glad I didn't let that concern take over enough for us to cancel our participation.  As long as you dress the right way, have warmth by the fire and (for adults) something to drink to keep you toasty - it's really such a fun fun day.

I was thinking that it is something that individual families could even do in their own backyards.  Maybe not the actual day of Thanksgiving but close to... invite a few friends and family over and start a huge fire outside.  Have everyone bring something special and enjoy an Outdoor Thanksgiving yourself just like the First Thanksgiving.  Just a thought.  If you do it - please share it with us.  We'd love to see photos!  xoxo

The Real Christopher Columbus

My 5th grader wrote this essay for school last week.  The idea that they all have a day off of school today to celebrate him is baffling.

In the textbooks they say Christopher Columbus was a good man who tried to make the natives his friends, but really he just wanted them as slaves for money.

In addition, he disobeyed the Queen and brought 1,600 natives with him as slaves even against her orders.

When Columbus returned from his voyage he lied and said that he, instead of one of his crew members, found the island first.  He got the money instead of the person who was truly responsible for discovering America.

Columbus also forced natives above the age of 14 to find and deliver gold every three months. If they found gold they got a copper badge. Any native found without a badge got their hands cut off.

When Columbus returned from his voyage, he received all sorts of rewards that he did not deserve and he was called a hero for finding land that he did not find alone.

Columbus did many horrible things and these are just a few.

Mother's Day Weekend

My Mother's Day weekend was wonderful.  On Friday night, we took the girls out for Japanese food.  It was so nice to relax together after a long week and enjoy a fun dinner out.

On Saturday, I spent the entire day away with friends scrapbooking.  Little Brianna's album needed a lot of work so I was happy to be able to sit uninterrupted and get some of that done.  It was nice to be with other women and connect.  I think it is so important for us to carve out time for friends and ourselves even when we feel the most busy.  Toward the end of the day my throat was really bothering me and I wasn't feeling myself.

This morning I woke up feeling horrible so spent a lot of time in bed trying to get better.  My sweet girls brought me breakfast in bed like they do every Mother's Day.  The girls get so excited about special days like this and its so sweet.  They made me a happy face pancake.  Unfortunately, I wasn't able to swallow much but I was happy to have a warm cup of coffee and juice.

I got such wonderful gifts.  There is a shop in my town that I love so much called Mother Earth.  There are all sorts of gems and earthy items and a few weeks ago I spotted these beautiful aspen handmade jewelry boxes.  I was so surprised to see that was my gift this morning!  Isn't it beautiful?

Then my daughter in college sent home this beautiful necklace from Chinatown with her boyfriend today.  I missed not being able to spend the day with her but it was so sweet of her to find a way to reach me.  Next weekend she comes home and it will be nice to have all of our girls here again together.

I hope you were able to spend time today with people you love.  

xoxo

Fleeting Moments

Oh these moments, they are so fleeting - aren't they?  I haven't been in this space for a long time and find it harder and harder to keep up with my blog.  Yet, I have a deep desire to once again keep this place active and updated and I hope to find a way to achieve that soon.  As I type this I am actually sitting in the airport waiting for a flight with my girls as we embark upon a fun family vacation together.  It will be their first time on a plane and they are both excited and nervous.  

As the days have passed by since I've been here last, I have been quite busy.  The most important event that occurred was that my sweet Keira turned 12 years old.  The years, just like the moments, seem to fly past me at times and I find myself blinking my eyes a few extra times to see if it is true that my girls are growing so fast or if it is just my mind playing tricks on me. 

We celebrated Keira's birthday in conjunction with Easter this year.  Family and friends filled our home with love and laughter and she enjoyed her special family celebration.  

She also had a party with some of her closest friends.  She had a glow-in-the-dark mini golf party which was a ton of fun.  The girls all were glowing in the dark and we found out quickly that 12 year olds giggle a real lot. 

 In between all of the celebrations and regular daily life, I've been enjoying my sweet daycare babies as always...

Oh and Sara Wilson and I have just completed another e-book celebrating the Late Spring Festivals.  It sure isn't easy finding time to write with such a busy life but I truly love the work that I do and I'm so grateful to be working with Sara on this festival series as we really support one another well and her work is phenomenal.  

This e-book came out so nice and is 130+ pages full with Waldorf crafts, stories, recipes, songs, circles and so much more - just in time for Earth Day, Mother's Day and May Day.  

We hope you enjoy it!  

Happy Easter!

We had such a wonderful Easter Sunday filled with love, family and good food.  I have been truly cherishing each and every moment I have with loved ones lately.  Ever since Sandy Hook happened, I have not let one moment slip by without gratitude.  I am so very lucky and have such a beautiful life.  I am so grateful.

The girls woke us up at 6 a.m. to see what the Easter Bunny left behind.  Just like each year before, he left a trail of eggs with clues in it all the way to their baskets.  The girls were taken up, down, outside and back before the last egg led them to their baskets in a cabinet in the garage.  I love watching their happiness and excitement.  It fills my heart.

We had a full house today and a fun Easter egg hunt outside for the girls before dinner.  I'm tired, full and thankful after tucking my girls into bed for the night.

I hope you all were able to spend time with those you love and cherish this special festival with your family.  

"Life is available only in the present moment.  If you abandon the present moment you cannot live the moments of your daily life deeply."  ~Thich Nhat Hanh

Candlemas Bright

"This ancient festival marks the midpoint of winter, halfway between the shortest day and the spring equinox. Candlemas is a traditional Christian festival that commemorates the ritual purification of Mary forty days after the birth of her son Jesus.  On this day, Christians remember the presentation of Jesus Christ in the Temple.... In pre-Christian times, this day was known as the 'Feast of Lights' and celebrated the increased strength of the life giving sun as winter gave way to spring."  ~ From All Year Round 

 Oh, Candlemas... this beautiful festival I knew nothing about before coming to Waldorf Education.  Most of us in the United States grew up celebrating Groundhog's Day on February 2nd.  Some of us may know a bit about St. Brigid's Day or Imbolc (especially if you were raised Irish Catholic like me) which falls on February 1st.  St. Brigid was one of Ireland's patron saints.  Imbolc is said to have been an ancient pagan festival marking the beginning of spring in honor of the Goddess Brighid.  Are you seeing any similarities here? 

Regardless of your religious background, this sacred time of year can bring us all together as one in hope and anticipation of the light of spring and new beginnings that are around the corner.  It is a beautiful thing to celebrate this time with the children in your care.  It creates a feeling of reverence, certainty, love, hope, and confidence in your environment.  Something humans need more of for sure, especially now.  

Steadfast I stand in the world

With certainty I tread the path of life

Love I cherish in the core of my being

Hope I carry into every deed

Confidence I imprint upon my thinking.

These five lead me to my goal

These five give me my existence.

~Rudolf Steiner

 If I am very honest, my week has not been filled with as much light as I am telling you to ignite in your own home or school.  This week has been harder than most.  With the normal stresses of life and some new endeavors that are taking their toll on me being the main caregiver and working mom.

In addition, one of my daughters has been to the ER, to the doctor and back to get bloodwork all within two days because of an allergic reaction or autoimmune issue she has been having.  We are going to the allergist early next week but we are tired, worried and the laundry, house and work are piling up knee deep.  I have been eating bad and not exercising as much as I should.  As a result, I'm feeling pretty yuck.

I tell you this truthfully so you will know that in blogland things may look pretty and simple, but real life is not.  I hope to inspire you to celebrate life and the beautiful seasons with your children so my photos may look clean and pretty but life... well, it's messy, glorious and painful.  We ride the ups and the downs and we sometimes sink a bit.  But what is beautiful and true is that we keep striving.  We look ahead to the light within our grasp and remind ourselves, with confidence, that if nothing else - things always change.

And sometimes that's a really good thing to know.

A friend brought me dinner this evening when she came to pick up her daughter from daycare.  That simple act took my breath away.  To be honest, it is not often that I am taken care of... and sometimes I really need it.  For her to know that means so much to me.  These people are the gifts in our lives.  

The photos from our February Photo Contest have also kept a bright light shining in my life this week when things were harder than usual.  The theme was Flames and Shadows and the winners were chosen this evening.  To see the beautiful souls that fill our Facebook Community is so heartwarming.  Just take a peek for yourself.

The world is filled with goodness.

Do you celebrate one of these festivals?  Let us know how.