Playful Learning Giveaway

Yesterday I shared part 1 of the interview I had with Mariah Bruehl from Playful Learning. Today we finish the last couple of questions and share the details of  the Playful Learning giveaway.

4. What two tips would you give to parents and educators who want to start implementing more play-based learning experiences in their homes or classrooms?

First and foremost I would recommend slowing down and to just spend time listening to your child. Follow his lead and do whatever he wants you to do with him. It is during these times, when your child has you as a captive audience that you can learn a lot about his interests, questions and skills. When your child feels listened to and seen, they are far more receptive to your ideas and invitations.

After you have gleaned some information from your child about what her current interests are, it is helpful to do a bit of preparation. Take a trip to the library or do some research into activities that may extend or deepen that interest. I enjoy leaving little clues around the house like a book or a craft supply to catch the attention of my daughters.  Once they ask about them and find out that there may be more involved, they are eager to participate in the activity!

5. Tell me about the most memorable learning activity for your family that you included in your book?

That is a really hard question! Each activity in the book holds such fond memories for us. If I have to choose one experience that has had the most profound impact on us, it would be the lesson on Put-Ups and Put-Downs. I feel strongly that if every parent and child were introduced to this concept the world would be a better place! The idea is simple—put-ups are things that people can do or say that make you feel good and put-downs are things that people can do or say that make you feel bad. Yet, by identifying them and giving children simple vocabulary to use to talk about situations as they arise, they become very aware of their actions and the actions of others. Having an understanding of these simple terms has helped us to better communicate as a family and to discuss and work through a variety of social situations that have come up for our daughters over the years.

6. How has this approach to learning with your kids changed you?

My children have become my greatest teachers. I learn so much about how to best work with them when I take the time to pick up on their cues and follow their leads. Before I had children, I had strong views about the "right way" to teach children. After becoming a parent I realized that the best way to teach children is by seeing them for the individuals that they are. Now I realize that there is no "one size fits all" solution to education. We have to do what works best for each child and that may be different for different kinds of learners.

Guess what…

CLOSED You can win a copy of Mariah Bruehl's book, Playful Learning: Develop Your Child's Sense of Joy and Wonder as well as a space in her 6 week fall e-course Playful Learning Spaces

The Details:
Mandatory Entry: Leave a comment! (see that was easy :) )
Optional entry:
Share on Twitter or Google+

*Giveaway runs from Aug. 25th – August 28th. 
* U.S. residents only
*Winner will be drawn by random.org and will be emailed.
*Winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be drawn.
*Please leave your email address in a comment or visible on your profile.

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About Playful Learning

As I have been contemplating what our homeschool should look this year, I’ve been thinking about how to include more playful learning experiences and spaces in our day. The person who introduced me to this concept was Mariah Bruehl of Playful Learning. She recently  published Playful Learning: Developing Your Child’s Sense of Joy and Wonder and was kind enough to answer a couple of questions about Playful Learning. This is part 1 of 2 --- be sure to check back tomorrow for a giveaway tied in with Playful Learning. :)

1. What is Playful Learning?

Playful Learning is the magic that takes place when we meld a child's natural curiosity about the world with thoughtfully prepared environments and experiences. Through guided experiences that are introduced as children's interests arise, parents and teachers can help to nurture the natural sense of joy and wonder that comes from having good questions and learning how to effectively seek out and find the answers. When this takes place, we no longer need to delineate between work and play. To children the work feels like play and to parents and teachers they can witness firsthand that a child's play leads to valuable work and learning.

2. Describe "thoughtful spaces" for children to a parent or teacher who is interested in implementing them.

I think it is inspiring to look at the spaces we create for the children in our lives with a fresh perspective. When designing a space for children, it is helpful to think about the characteristics that you as an adult would like. Often grown-ups create spaces for children with pre-conceived ideas of what children like, rather than considering basic elements of a useful and practical space.

Here are some important things to keep in mind when designing spaces that inspire playful learning:

·     Can your child access the materials she needs independently? Are they organized in baskets/ bins that are clearly labeled so that your child knows how and where to put things away when she is finished?

·     Are the materials high quality and presented in an attractive manner that “invites” your child to use them?

·     Do the materials, toys, and games that you have out represent a balance between your child’s and your own preferences. Do they represent what you value and encourage your child to engage in activities that you feel good about?

·     What is your child currently interested in? If your child no longer uses his dinosaurs, but has been talking a lot about birds, make sure that his play space reflects his current passions. Rotating toys is a great way to keep your child interested in his play space activities and ultimately prolongs the life of his playthings. It never ceases to amaze me how excited the girls get about a toy that comes back into rotation. The nostalgia they feel towards a toy they have not seen in awhile is almost better than if it was a brand new toy.

·     Is it a calming environment that allows one to focus on the task at hand without distracting colors, decorations, or objects?

·     Are you seeing things from your child’s perspective? Literally put yourself in your child’s shoes to determine the right height for displaying and storing materials as well as hanging art.

·      Is this a space that makes you want to make art, explore science, write stories, and so on? If so, would you have everything you need to do what you want to do? What else could you add to enrich and deepen your experience?

3. Why do you believe it is important for parents to create these thoughtful spaces in their homes/classrooms? 

A well-prepared environment can result in many hours of self-guided, independent, creative, and productive time for your children. Although it takes some thought and preparation, the results can be life changing for both you and your child.

Stay Tuned for Part 2 and an awesome giveaway !

Chalk Talk with Daisy Head Creations

It has been awhile since I've done an interview, and I'm thrilled to be able to introduce you all to Connie, creator of DaisyHead Creations.

How long have you been knitting?
My yarn addiction began 34 years ago. That makes me sound really old, doesn't it?! I taught myself to crochet when I was 8 years old. I had no one to teach me to read patterns, so I just made them up myself. My great aunt taught me to knit a couple of years later, but I hated it. Hated it!  Then four years ago, when I was expecting baby number five and preparing to break out the cloth diapers again, I discovered these weird things called wool soakers. I tried a crocheted soaker after baby was born but didn't like it. I wanted more stretch in the soaker. So I decided to endure the pain of knitting. I loved the knitted soaker! So I started knitting all the time. Then I realized that I actually liked knitting! So I have been knitting all the time for the last three and a half years.

Any tips for newbie knitters?
My #1 tip is tools. In knitting, tools are really what make knitting more enjoyable. Row counters, stitch markers, and a ruler are indispensable! Use your tools and you won't kill your brain while trying to count every single stitch in your project. Don't be afraid. Try new things. Try your hand at a technique you have never tried before.  Make knittinghelp.com and Knit Picks tutorials your friends. They have great videos for just about every skill you may want to learn. I recently started a newsletter for knitters and crocheters called The Brave Creative. The welcome series of the newsletter includes my favorite knit and crochet tips. Many of the tips are great for beginners to the crafts. The newsletter also includes free patterns! I love free patterns!

What are wool soakers?
Wool soakers are diaper covers for cloth diapers. It seems bizarre that a cover for a diaper that is made from wool yarn would actually keep all the wetness on the inside with the diaper rather than leaking all over momma. But they really work! They are completely breathable, antibacterial, and self-cleaning. I only have to wash my soakers about once every 2 weeks!  My favorite type of wool soakers are called longies and shorties. These are just like they sound. They are pants or shorts that are made with 100% wool. They are a diaper cover, but they are also baby's clothes. Double duty! And they're adorable!

How do you care for them?
Caring for woolies sounds complicated but really is quite easy. When it's time to change baby's diaper, take off the soaker and lay it aside to dry out. The outside will be dry. It may feel humid, like you can tell that it's wet inside, but will be dry to the touch. The inside of the soaker will feel wet. If the woolie is only wet, let it dry and use it again later. When it's dry it will not smell like urine. If the woolie got some poo on it, you can spot wash it and let it dry. I like to have 4 to 6 woolies in rotation at one time. When the woolie gets very dirty or stops holding the wetness inside, it is time to wash it and re-lanolize. The secret to how wool soakers work is that you put lanolin (oil from the sheep) back into the wool (called lanolizing). You must wash and lanolize by hand. You cannot put them in the washing machine. If you do, you will have diapers for baby dolls. You can find step by step directions for the whole washing and lanolizing process on my knitting blog. 

When did you first decide to open an Etsy shop?
After I had been using soakers for a while, I decided that I wanted to try longies. At the time, patterns for longies and shorties were very expensive. I didn't want to spend that much for a pattern and not like them. I found a free pattern and figured out how to add the other features that I wanted. I loved them! I decided that I would like to start knitting and selling woolies. Not long after this, I started looking for a pattern for a pair of bloomers that were also wool soakers. I had little cotton bloomers with ruffles around the legs that I would always put under my little girls' dresses. I wanted a pair that would also be her diaper cover. I could not find a pattern anywhere!  I was still pretty new at knitting, but decided that I would write my own pattern. I experimented for several months before I got it right. When I was finished, I decided that it would not be much harder to write the pattern up in all the sizes (I would want them anyway) and share it with the world. I did the same thing with my pattern for longies and shorties. So I created my business, DaisyHead Creations, and opened my Etsy shop. When I opened my shop, I quickly decided that I would offer a cottage license for others who wanted to knit and sell soakers.  The funny thing is that I started all this pattern writing so that I could knit and sell woolies, but I have ended up selling more patterns than woolies! I discovered that I really love designing and sharing patterns, so my business kind of morphed into mostly a design business.

What kind of things do you sell at your shop?
At my Etsy shop, you can find my patterns (soaker and non-soaker), cottage license (a $10 one-time fee that allows the purchaser to sell from any pattern that they buy from me), and knitted woolies. I actually sell mostly custom soakers, so you won't always see soakers listed. Most often people contact me with a specific item they would like knitted. Other items come and go from my shop. You may find hemp stitch markers, bags or back packs, facial scrubbies, and hats for the whole family. You can also buy my patterns at my knitting blog and on Ravelry.

I saw that you hand-dye your own yarn. Is there an easy way to do this? (I'm not a knitter, but we use lots of yarn for crafts).
 I love dyeing wool yarn! It is so fun! Wool is basically hair, which means that you can dye it with food coloring. The easiest way to do this is to:

1. Soak the yarn in hot tap water and a glug of vinegar. Don't slosh it around or you'll felt the wool. Then it will just be a lump of stuck together yarn. Let it soak for about half an hour, then put it in a crock pot.

2. Cover the yarn with hot tap water, then add the dye. To make the dye, you mix a small glug of vinegar with a packet of Kool-Aid, some Wilton's Icing Colors, or some plain food coloring. Add some hot tap water and stir until it's all dissolved. Pour the dye into the crockpot. You can use more than one color. Don't pour them all in the same place. Pick one spot to pour each color. Don't stir it! Just pour in the dye, put the lid on, and go away.

3. Put the crockpot on low and leave it for 6 or 7 hours. Don't lift the lid, if you can help it. But you do need to make sure that the wool doesn't boil. When it looks like there is no more dye (or almost none) in the water, turn the crockpot off and leave it for another 6 or 7 hours (or overnight).

4.  When it's completely cool, you can lift the yarn out and rinse it with lukewarm water. (Remember, no swishing or scrubbing.) Squeeze out all the water (no wringing) and hang it up to dry.

I know this sounds really cryptic. You can find better examples on my knitting blog under Yarn Dyeing. I love to post instructions for specific yarns that I have dyed. I hope to put up a more complete tutorial for different types of dyeing very soon.

My name is Connie Stults. I'm a wife and home educating momma. With 5 children ages 17 through 3 years old, I'm never bored! We have homeschooled from the beginning, so this is my 13th year. I blog about mothering, homeschooling, and living simply at the daisyhead. Two years ago I started my own business, DaisyHead Creations. I am a knitwear designer, and I also knit items to sell in my shop. In other words, people pay me to play with yarn. What could be better?!

Chak Talk with Granola Mom 4 God

Over the past year and a half, I have been working on instilling healthier eating habits with myself and my family. One mom who is ahead of me on this journey and shares so much information on her blog is Jodi at Granola Mom 4 God. The cool part about this interview is that I actually got to go meet Jodi in person! (You can see her pics. of the visit by visiting "She's Real!") She showed me several things I had questions about and we had a wonderful time talking and hanging out. Here are some of the things I asked her:

1.  Have you basically always been into healthy living/cooking or was it a gradual change? If the latter, what spurred this change on?  

In short, having children changed how we ate.  We used to be able to live off of $25 a week or less for groceries.  But I found out that I had health condition (PCOS) that was going to make having children difficult.  The answer looming ahead was going on medication . . . and I didn’t want to do that the rest of my life.  At that point, I pursued losing weight and exercising.  Well, we found out we were pregnant the day before we were going to turn adoption papers in!  However, after our first was born, through a series of events I found out my thyroid had gone caput . . . and that is when the real rabbit hole opened up . . . 

2.  What advice would you give to someone who is trying to make healthier choices for their family but is overwhelmed by all the choices, options and changes that need to be made?

Pray. Pursue reading a Sue Gregg cookbook, The Maker’s Diet by Jordan Rubin, or The Eat Clean Diet by Tosca Reno. But the biggest thing—is that it has to be a calling—and plan on taking things slowly STEP by STEP. Don’t do fast changes.

3.  If they could make one healthy family life-style change, what would you recommend?

Eliminate white flour and sugar.

4.  How do you schedule in all your canning, Kefir-making, from-scratch cooking in your week?

I set it out before I go to bed at night and my kids help out. It just becomes part of the music of our family life . . . you get in a rhythm. Once again . . . I took it step-by-step . . . none of this occurred in a day, or a week, or even a month. I am into our 6th year of growing in the lifestyle. My new ferment this year was learning how to make water kefir soda. There is no way I could have done that 2 years ago!

(Jodi let me sample her kefir soda---I was surprised I actually thought it was good! :) Maybe in the near future I'll add that to things I can make from scratch)

5.  What items are must-have in your pantry and why?

I try to purchase things in bulk (because it is cheaper) and as close to how God made it as possible. But musts? Winter wheat berries, brown rice, candied ginger (for my water kefir soda), coconut oil!!!!!!

6.  Do you do any bulk cooking?

No . . . I freeze lots of fruit ahead of time for smoothies . . . and will do a few jars of chicken stock, but that is about as bulk as it gets for me.  I am not that organized . . . though I always thought it would be nice to have meals ahead, lots of canning accomplished, etc.  Of course, it doesn’t help that we just moved and I had to leave my garden behind this summer!   

7.  We know that any day you are expecting your newest little blessing. Do you have any tips for a new mom to prepare for the little one's birth?

Become educated. Don’t just rely on your doctor’s to tell you what to do. You have choices. God entrusted YOU to be your child’s mom. Read all that you can, not forgetting to touch on the natural birth books. And purchase a baby sling or a Moby Wrap!!

8.  What would be some of your must-have items for a new baby?

A baby sling

9.  What is your favorite family recipe?

That makes me laugh . . . a family favorite is natural peanut butter mixed with cocoa and raw honey—it has a fudge-like consistency, and Sue Gregg’s English Muffins, and chocolate peanut butter smoothies (catch the theme?)

I am living life under the conviction of bringing my family closer to God by returning to traditional ways of eating, mothering, homeschooling, cloth diapering, gardening, and sewing. You can find me at Granola Mom 4 God, my Etsy shop The Cocoon Wrap Mama, and at Totally Tots as a guest writer.

Chalk Talk with Pam Back from Kazakhstan

I'm excited to introduce you to my IRL(in real life) friend, Pam! Pam recently visited Kazakhstan this summer with an organization called Interlink Resources. This is an organization near and dear to my heart as well as Pam's, so I asked her to tell us more about her trip. (Have no idea where Kazakhstan is? At the end of the post is a free printable mini-book about Kazakhstan. Use it in lapbooks, notebooking or as a reminder to think about this country).

1.  What exactly is Interlink?
Interlink is a non-profit humanitarian aid company working in Kazakhstan.

2.   Why did you decide to go to Kazakhstan?  How many years have you gone now?

I decided to go to Kazakhstan because I love children and have a lot of compassion specifically for orphans, so I felt very drawn to Savva.  I have been to Savva three times. (Savva boarding school is home for approximately 180 children situated in a small village near the Tien Shan Mountains)

3.   What do you do while at the orphanage?
Our primary purpose at the orphanage is to teach English skills through 90 minute daily classes and lots of free time interaction (the ability to speak English gives the children more opportunity for getting a  decent job when they are older).  However, I think everyone on our team would agree that our greater purpose is spending time building appropriate, nurturing relationships with the children.  We spend a lot of time hugging them, holding them, and playing games with them.

4.   What do you see as one of the biggest needs at the orphanage?

I believe the biggest need at Savva is personal connection.  The kids have been separated from their families for various reasons or abandoned, and there is naturally a sense of having been forgotten and/or rejected.  This year I realized that the adult staff who work at Savva seem to need those personal connections as badly as the children do.  I am not sure of all the reasons for that, but seemed pretty apparent to me.

5.   How have these experiences changed you?
I think I have changed in a variety of ways.  For one, the rest of the world is a whole lot more real to me.  I care more about people and what they are going through in other places.  More so, I realize my life can (and will be from now on) more than just the typical busy American soccer mom.  I love being a mom, but there is more to life than revolving around a busy family schedule.  My family is stronger because of making the necessary sacrifices for me to go and do something for people on the other side of the world.  We are less self-centered I think.  My daughters (ages 12 and 9) care more about others and are dreaming about how they can help.  I asked my kids how they think I have changed since going to Savva.  They said I am happier, not that I was unhappy before going.  They are right;  there is just a lot of joy in giving.

6.   What are some ways to get involved with Interlink?

A great way to get involved with Interlink is to sponsor a child at Savva through the Kids Connection program.  The money you send benefits all of the children at Savva, but the letters you write can actually change the course of a child's life.  The kids seem to live for letters from their sponsors;  it's that whole thing of needing to be remembered and connected to someone.

7.  What has been your favorite memory of your trips?
I have many, many precious memories of Savva!  One of the more poignant would be the first year I was there and the big tub containing letters from sponsors was brought out.  Less than half of the children are sponsored, but ALL of the kids were present nonetheless, and they pressed in with the most intense looks on their faces hoping to have a letter from someone.  When a child's name was called (because s/he got a letter), there was an immediate almost giddy response and a huge smile-it was amazing and precious!  Conversely, the many whose names were not called wore an expression of sadness and longing.  It was joyful and heartbreaking all at once.  Letters from sponsors mean more to these kids than Chrismas presents do to American children.

8.  What was your favorite Kazakh meal?

All of the Kazakh food I have had has been delicious, except the soup that had dill pickles floating in it.  I think my favorite is probably plov (rice with meat and vegetables) with a side of this salad made of shredded cabbage, carrots, and crunchy fried potatoes.  So good;  wish I had some right now!

Thank you Pam for sharing about your trip to Kazakhstan. While Pam was there, she was able to hand-deliver a gift to the child we sponsor. She told me that he never took off the gift we gave him. It meant that much! There are still children who would love to hear from a sponsor. If you feel a nudge, please check out the Interlink site and see how you can help. I have personally known many of the wonderful people working with this organization and they are making a huge difference in the lives of children and teens in Kazakhstan.

Here's a mini-book about Kazakhstan. I added a few blank pages for kids to add additional facts. My kids glued our sponsored child's picture and wrote about him on those lined pages. Feel free to share but please direct people to this post not the direct download file. See my printables terms of use.

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Chalktalk with JDaniel4's Mom

One of the biggest struggles I have during the summer is coming up with lunches and snacks. My kids are constantly hungry! I'm always on the look-out for healthy snacks that are budget friendly. I've seen a lot of posts regarding Muffin Tin Monday and noticed that my friend JDaniel4's Mom participates in this regularly. I decided to talk to her to find out what it was all about and to see how she handleslunches with her crew.

1.What is Muffin Tin Monday? 

Muffin Tin Monday is a weekly blog carnival hosted by Muffin Tin Mom. Moms from  around the world gather to post pictures on lunches they have created for their children in muffin tins. Some weeks there is a theme posted that most of the moms follow and other week’s moms are asked to come up with their own themes. There is a list of theme or no theme weeks listed on her site. It is so helpful if you like to plan your muffin tin in advance.

2. Do you only do this special meal on Mondays as a treat?

 We do a special themed lunch once a week. I do meals in muffin tins a lot. At lunch time and sometimes dinner time I ask my son if he wants to eat on a plate or a tin. I have five or six tins in a cabinet that is at his level. He is able to reach in and select his choice of tin.

3. How do you plan what will go in your Muffin Tin meals?

If there is a theme I go by the theme the Muffin Tin Mom has listed. If there isn’t a theme, I create a tin based on my blog theme of the week. Monday through Friday all my blog posts revolve around a weekly theme.

I try to use foods we already have at home in my tins although I have been known to use Muffin Tin Monday as an opportunity to try new foods out on my son.

Some tins are planned during the week and others come together as stand in front of my refrigerator and see what we have.

It is so helpful to look at what other Muffin Tin Moms have done and try to replicate them with my own twist. Muffin Tin Mom has a gallery set up on Flickr.

4.  What types of snack foods do you usually serve in the summer?

We are trying to eat a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables this summer. My son loves fruit chews. I am hoping to wean off them to real fruit.

5.  Do you have a set snack-time?

JDaniel gets a snack after naptime in the afternoon. We don’t have a set snack time in the morning. If we are going to eat lunch early, he doesn’t usually need a morning snack.

6. Where do you find your cute shaped muffin tins? 

I have found them all over. Target has had some their dollar section. I have purchased some from A.C. Moore and Michael’s with 40% off coupons. I have a bunny egg plate that I found on clearance at a grocery store for 75 cents. Some Muffin Tin Mom’s have talked about great tins they found at Goodwill. Holiday related tins seem to go on sale right before the holiday. Hobby Lobby has great cupcake liners that you can pick up very cheaply there.

7.  What is your favorite Muffin Tin meal so far? 

I loved creating the tins during the color series. It was fun to come up with all red, purple, blue, green, and orange foods. 

JDaniel loves the tins that I have used cookie cutters to make letters or shapes with. He loved his Dad lunch.

8. Do you have any tips for preparing and/or cutting down the cost of snacks and lunches?

We coupons and stock pile based on store specials at my house. I use Southern Savers and other deal sites to plan my shopping.

9.  What is your favorite recipe?

I made a quinoa salad recently that my family really enjoyed.

Quinoa Salad

Ingredients:

1 cup rinsed quinoa

2 cups of water

2 tablespoons of honey (My friend Kathleen says honey is supposed to help with JDaniel's allergies.)

1/4 cup of lemon juice

1/2 teaspoons of coarse salt

3 tablespoons of olive oil

1 cup of cut up pieces of apple (It calls for Granny Smith and we had Gala.)

1 cup of finely cut celery

1/3 cup of raisins (It called for golden raisins and we had regular brown ones.)

1/3 cup of finely chopped parsley (We didn't have parsley.)

1/2 cup of chopped almonds, toasted ( I took a handful of almonds from a can of mixed nuts.)

Directions:

Bring the quinoa and water to a boil.

Reduce heat and let simmer for 15 minutes. The quinoa will be tender and the water absorbed.

Let it cool.

Mix the honey, lemon juice, and salt. Slowly add oil until blended.

Add remaining ingredients to the quinoa and toss well.

Add the dressing and toss.

Season with salt and pepper.

Serve cool.

This recipe will feed 6 to 8 people. Both JDaniel3 and JDaniel4 has seconds of this

JDaniel4's Mom is a former teacher and educational technology trainer who now blogs at JDaniel4'smom You can find reflections, reviews, resources for moms, giveaways and more on her blog.

Chalk Talk with Paula Gilarde

Today I'm chatting with Paula Gilarde! Paula is well-known for her awesome scrapbooking pages. Paula creates paper, digital, and hybrid (paper plus digital) layouts. I thought she would be the perfect person to ask how to incorporate the crafts our children create and other memorabilia on scrapbooking pages.

1. What are some ways to showcase memorabilia such as pamphlets or crafts in our scrapbooks?

I often scan or photograph bulky items in my scrapbooks. I do this for digital or traditional scrapbook pages. I have occasionally included the piece of artwork but generally my kids like to keep it for themselves so I duplicate.

2. Do you have any examples?

He hearts art - I scanned my son's drawing and printed it onto cardstock

She makes art - I used my daughter's drawing and cut it up. That didn't go over too well with my daughter when she saw it so I generally scan now!

When Pigs Fly - I scanned the cartoon that my daughter drew and used it in my digital layout

Write - I took photos of the multi-page story my daughter wrote when she was in kindergarten.

3. If you take photos of crafts, what do you do with the originals?

If I don't want to keep the originals I let the kids have them = they hang them in their rooms or use them when they are playing school.

4. Do you have any hints for scrapbooking summer events and vacations?

I find digital scrapbook templates are the easiest way of incorporating a lot of photos on a page -- generally for events and vacations I have lots of photos. I'm a fan of Lynn Grieveson's two page templates - often the templates can be used individually or together as a two-pager layouts.

5. How do you get started on a page? Do you have a plan before or does the page just evolve?

I don't always have a plan. I'm usually much faster when I do have a plan though! Using ads for inspiration (photo placement especially) is one of my favorite jumping off points. I'm also a  big fan of using digital scrapbooking templates.

6. Since you do both digital and paper scrapbooking, how do you create your finished albums? Do you combine the two into one album? Create theme scrapbooks?

I paper scrap, digi scrap and I also do hybrid scrapbooking which combines the two. My paper and hybrid pages are all in the same albums -- I use the American Crafts D-ring albums because it's so much easier to move pages around. This is important to me since I don't scrapbook chronologically. I usually print my digital layouts in Shutterfly 8x8 albums.

7. What is your favorite recipe?

My favorite recipe: Layered Bean Dip from Cooking Light. This is so easy to make and so yummy!

Ingredients

• 1  (16-ounce) can fat-free refried beans
• 1  (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2  cup  reduced-fat sour cream
• 1  cup  bottled salsa
• 1  cup  (4 ounces) preshredded reduced-fat Mexican blend or cheddar cheese
• Chopped cilantro (optional)

Preparation Preheat oven to 375°. Combine beans; spread in an 8-inch square baking dish. Spread sour cream over beans; top with salsa and cheese. Cover; bake at 375° for 20 minutes. Uncover; bake 10 minutes or until bubbly.

My name is Paula Gilarde and I live outside of Boston, Masschusetts with my husband Matt and my two children Molly and Tommy (7 and almost 6). I am an equal opportunities scrapbooker, spending most of my free time making paper, digital, or hybrid scrapbook layouts. I blog at Live.Scrap.Repeat. My work has been published in Simple Scrapbooks, Scrapbooks Etc., Creaking Keepsakes, and other idea books and magazines. I was named a member of the Creating Keepsakes Hall of Fame in 2007. I also teach a self-paced class called "How to Use Photoshop (Elements and CS) for Digital Scrapbooking."

Chalk Talk with Mama Jenn!

Today I'm talking with Mama Jenn! I've always admired Mama Jenn's site--especially all the craft ideas she does with her children. Since we're just starting our Big Summer Fun, I thought she would be the perfect person to ask about craft ideas and tips. Thank you Mama Jenn for chatting with me!  :)

1. Why should we do crafts with kids?
I believe that doing crafts is a fun way for children {and adults} to express a more creative side. Plus, you can often incorporate crafts in a way that helps supplement and encourage learning. I often try to tie our crafts in with whatever subject matter or topic we are learning. Many of our crafts stem from books that we have read.


2. How do you get ideas for the crafts you do with your kids?
Well, the secret is out. It is not that I am super creative, I am just good at duplicating ideas. I do come up with some craft ideas on my own, but the majority of the crafts are things that I have seen elsewhere. Many ideas stem from online searches and craft books.

3. Any tips for planning crafts/doing crafts?

Don't stifle your child's creativity. I have to constantly remind myself of this. I often have a "vision" of what the finished product should look like and when my kids have something else in mind, I have to remind myself to let them use their own creative juices! It is okay if their snowman looks more like penguin. ;-)


4. What must-have craft supplies do you think should be in the craft stash?
Hmmm, great question. We always keep paper, glue, crayons, paint, and markers on hand. However, you can actually use lots of everyday items for crafts. Such items that we save/collect or keep on hand for crafts include plastic bottle tops, paper plates, cotton balls, q-tips, rocks, sticks, leaves, bubble wrap, toilet paper rolls, popcicle sticks, baby food jars, coffee filters, and so much more. Honestly, if I see how something can remotely be used for a craft project, I hold on to it!

5. What is your favorite craft that you have done?

 
Can I choose two...or three? :-) I really love how my daughter's homemade Easter hat turned out. She made it from a paper plate and paper bowl!

We really enjoyed making our bottle top bugs. The kids had tons of fun playing with these. I still find the little ladybugs, bees, and spiders roaming around our house!

Lastly, the kids and I loved our rollin' race cars. We made these using toilet paper rolls and the best part is that they really do roll!


6. How do you organize your craft supplies?
If I lived in a perfect world, I would have my very own craft room. But, in the meantime, I store our supplies in bins. For small craft items, I love our little ziplock bag storage system. Since I tend to save all kinds of "things" to use for crafts, I also keep a basket as a catch-all for the little miscellaneous items that could possibly be used for a craft.


7. What do you do with the craft projects once they are done?
Most of our crafts that have survived are displayed around our house. Often times my kiddos want to play with their crafts which usually implies a short self-life, but the crafts that I manage to save are displayed. Once I need more space to display newer crafts, the older crafts are stored away in a file cabinet. I have a file for each child that is divided by year. A great suggestion was to take a picture of the child holding their craft. That way you don't necessarily have the pressure to save everything because you have a photo. Plus, having the child hold the craft makes for great memories when looking back at the photos.


8. What's your favorite recipe?
Super sticky cinnamon buns. I know they are not so good FOR me, but they are oh so good TO me!!! Yummy!!!! :-)

I am a Christian wife and homeschooling mama of five little ones; one girl and four boys. Our sole princess is 6 years old. All of our boys came in sets of two! My oldest set of twins just turned 5 years old and the youngest set will soon be 3 years old. I love spending time together as a family. The kiddos always keep us laughing! Prior to having children I was a high school math teacher. I have my BA in Math and a Masters degree in Education. In my "spare" time I enjoy scrap-booking, though blogging seems to be taking its place. I currently have four blogs. "Brown Like Me" is a book review blog featuring books with "brown" characters. The Homeschool Resource List is a collection of all the free online resources that I have found for homeschoolers. The Living Math Booklist is a collection of books divided by subject matter that incorporate mathematical concepts. Finally, Mama Jenn is my family/homeschool/craft/everything blog, which features a weekly blog carnival called Kiddos Create where bloggers can link up and share crafts that have been made by, for, or with their kiddo(s) using everyday items. In addition to my own blogs, I am a contributing writer on Totally Tots for the Simply Made and Once Upon a Book features.

Chalk Talk with Katrina Kennedy & Giveaway

Goodness, two days in a row I get to announce new things! First was the Big Summer Fun announcement, and now I get to introduce a new feature called "Chalk Talk" where I interview various bloggers. (Drumroll.....) And my first interviewee is.....

Katrina Kennedy!

Katrina is a wonderful photographer, and since I hope to take lots of pictures of our Big Summer Fun, I thought Katrina would be the perfect person to ask for some summer photo tips. Katrina has also offered one blog reader a free pass to her newest online photo class! So don't miss the details at the end of this post. :)

1. Do I need a fancy camera in order to get good pictures?
Knowing how to use the camera you have and how to see great light are more important than a fancy camera! Being there, in the moment, connecting with your subject and capturing the memory is what matter most for me.

2. What types of photos should I think of taking to document our summer fun?
Grab the little moments, the everyday moments, the tiny bits and details. I love bare summer time toes, the colors of beach towels, and dripping popsicles. Events may be what we think of first, but all of the little things make up summer for me. Ask your kids what their favorite things about summer are and make sure you get those shots. Think of including yourself in photos too, so that your family remembers what you look like! I think it is important to put the camera down as well. Get into the fun of the summer with your kids!

3. Many activities seem to take place during the "full sun" hours. What can I do to make sure I get good pictures?
Avoid over exposure of your photos and your body, by finding shade!

Full sun can seem like a great idea for photos, but can cast big ugly dark shadows over eyes or leave people squinting. Look for the open shade of trees, awnings and play structures to grab your photos. Open shade near pools work really well. Have your subject near the edge of the open area with the light reflecting evenly back on their faces.

During the summer, you can also use your body as a bit of a sun shade! Cast your shadow over your subject and shoot. It is the one time having a wider shadow can be a welcome thing!

4. Do you have any tips for organizing all these summer photos that I'm taking?
Organizing...ahhh. My best advice is to upload your photos to your computer on a regular basis, don't keep them on your card. Whatever system you are using, delete as you import and flag those you love, those you want to scrap, and those you want to have printed. I use Lightroom so that I can give them keywords, star ratings, and flag for printing. Be diligent about it, summer activities mean more photos and potentially more headache if you don't keep up!

Consider too, slowing down your photography some. Be more deliberate in when you choose to click.

5. What is your favorite camera equipment?
This is like asking someone which child is their favorite! I love everything I use for a specific reason.

I shoot with a Canon 30D, which is my favorite of course.

In the summer I love my wide angle lens (17-40mm). I want the big picture more than other times during the year, my wide angle lens lets me grab that.

6. What is your favorite photo that you took, why and what settings?
Two photos come to mind instantly.

The first photo is of my son, playing at the river last summer. We were there right before sunset, he was in absolute heaven. I saw the photo before I took it, which always delights me. I exposed for the sky next to him to create the silhouetted look. I shot this at 20mm, ISO 100, f/ 5.0, and a shutter speed of 1/500. I keep my shutter speed fast when photographing moving kids!

My second photo, is of a bike rider you may recognize. The Tour of California came through my town last year. In a time trial, each rider made a 3 mile loop around downtown.  I had one opportunity to capture him as he passed. The crowd grew as his turn neared.  A cloud came over us and then you could hear the cheers. Everyone knew Lance was on his way. I put the camera to my eye. Held my breath and fired off multiple shots as I moved the camera with his movement for a panning shot. I was beyond pleased with the results. Lance was photographed at 40mm, ISO 200, f/5.0, shutter speed of 1/100.

It was merely a coincidence that both photos were taken with the same aperture.

7. What's your favorite recipe?
I'm vegan and live in a vegetarian house, so our recipes are simple and veggie based. We grow much of what we eat in our backyard garden, so recipes change as the season changes. My current favorite is to slice mushrooms, toss them in the wok to sweat out some of their moisture. Toss in some garlic. Stir for a bit. Add in asparagus. Stir for a bit more. Grill or lightly pan fry tofu at the same time. Mix it all together and dinner is served! I sometimes dress it up with a little rice or noodles. For recipe inspiration I spend a lot of time at fatfreevegan.com and vegandad.blogspot.com
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*CLOSED*
As I mentioned above, Katrina has graciously offered one free pass to her new class Your Life: Captured Through the Lens. It starts May 26 and runs through June 30. The class includes weekly written lessons and videos, live chat/office hours, and access to a private forum and gallery where you can ask for help and share your progress.

Giveaway Rules: Starts 5/17 - Ends 5/21. The winner will be announced on Sat. 5/22

1. Leave a comment about your favorite summer-time memory as a kid.

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My name is  Katrina Kennedy and I take my camera everywhere. Literally. I cannot imagine a day when I don't capture the colors, the textures, and the details that make up my life. For the past fifteen years I've been an employee development trainer. Combining my training experience with my passion for photography, opened an exciting world of life documentation. When my son was born five years ago, I searched for someone to help me take my photography to the next level. It was such a difficult search that once I improved my skills, I vowed to help other people improve their skills. Through teaching photography classes, both in person and online, writing tutorials, and my ebook Get Me Off of Auto, I've helped hundreds of people document their most important events and their everyday moments.