oh google searches

Yesterday before sending out my post about raising ethical children I googled the title...ya know just in case. I don't know, in case it pulled up some crazy ass website or something that I didn't want to be connected to.
Instead I found this awesome list, that now lives on my fridge as a daily reminder.

1. Every person is important and unique
2. Every person deserves to be treated fairly and kindly
3. I can learn from everyone
4. I am part of this earth; I cherish it and the life upon it
5. I learn from the world around me by using my senses, mind and feelings
6. I am a member of the world community, which depends on the cooperation of all people for peace and justice
7. I can learn from the past to build for the future
8. I am free to question
9. I am free to choose what I believe
10. I accept responsibility for my choices and actions
11. I strive to live my values

Raising Ethical Children

What I want my children to turn into has been on my mind a lot lately. I have no desires for a doctor or a lawyer and of course every parent wants their child to be happy and do what they love. But what I want...between you and I...I want to raise the type of boys who become something greater than themselves. I want to raise children who start a movement, big or small. I want to raise ethical children.

When I hear stories of individuals who give of themselves and yet honor their own needs I think to myself, "how did you become that? what did your parents do right?"
Today sitting in my inbox was an email from Derek Sivers. The email was simple enough, reminding me that I bought a CD from his website, CD Baby, back in 2005. The logistics of the email really aren't what is important. What caught my eye was the last line:
P.S. Why I sold CD Baby and where the money went: http://sivers.org/trust

I became intrigued and I clicked the link. Derek did it right, he sold his company to a trust he created, that trust pays him out money to cover his living expenses for the rest of his life. So he's no Mother Theresa, giving selflessly, he made sure to take care of himself financially. Which I think is brilliant! He lives modestly with not many possessions. And when he dies all of that money is going to music education.

And that type of living is what I can get behind. That is the type of man I want to raise.

simple

simple pleasures.
hearing the hum of a tractor as it makes it's way through the field.
i'm a city girl and yet that hum lulls my spirit to a calmness.
the thick, creased skin on the back of the farmer's neck.
a road map to the hours spent in the sun.
feeding their soul.
filling my belly.

MCP - Photoshop Actions

I'm not one to look for shortcuts. I like to learn, I enjoy the process.
But when I recently saw MCP Photoshop Actions featured as a giveaway on Ali Edwards' blog, I had to have it. It's a shortcut, yes. I have been struggling with this desire to buy Photoshop actions for over a year and I kept telling myself...you can do it yourself. And I can actually. I'm really good at editing pictures in Photoshop. But in all honesty I just don't have the time to edit the 100's of pictures I take on a weekly basis. It's so much easier to hit one button and then go back and slightly tweak. I am so happy that I finally made the decision to buy these awesome actions. They offer interactive online training, workshops, and free Photoshop video tutorials on their website.

Living Green: Gift Wrap

What to do with those helium balloons that are slinking across the floor leftover from the birthday bash, no longer can they be used for indoor volleyball & the dog has lost interest in trying to snatch it from the sky. The trashcan fate awaits...but wait! I cut along the bottom of the balloon and slipped in a birthday gift that I have been meaning to wrap. Sealed with tape and wha-la that helium balloon gets another life as gift wrap!

Doorway Puppet Theatre

Zane is a performer, when he wants to be. He won't do the "single ladies dance" on demand but will break out in the middle of an Ikea aisle in front of the information table packed with onlookers when the song comes on over the speaker system. And then will bow when he's done as if the whole thing was planned. To say it's in his blood, is quite true. He gets his "dramatic" side quite honestly, a double dose in fact. We are celebrating Zane's 5th Birthday this weekend and I couldn't think of a better gift to make him than his very own puppet theatre. It's quite a simple design, I knew I wanted to make something that wasn't permanent and ideally can be washed. (kids even at 5 can still be quite sticky!)
I used a curtain tension rod at the top to secure the puppet theatre within a doorway. I also added dowel rods above the stage and below it to frame the area. I picked up 2 of the cutest puppets from Melissa and Doug, these hand puppets are great quality!
Come on over, grab a seat and let the show begin!

discovery

I got paid to do this...

The non-profit I work for is having a conference next month and I was asked to make a display board for the events I coordinate. Yes I got paid to put my scrapbook skills to work, today may have been my favorite day.

End of the year Teacher Gifts

It's that time of year, school is out!
I wanted to recognize and thank the wonderful team of women who surround my son with patience and every day wake up and arrive at school to teach and help him grow. I know that teaching a child on the spectrum can be difficult and yet can be the most rewarding year of teaching. I didn't have time to hand make gifts this year, I did however whip up some really cute cards and included a Starbucks gift card.
TEACHERS ROCK!!!

Craft at Work

Recently I received a coupon for free photo prints, whenever these cross my inbox I print out a bunch that I can use to make birthday cards. I brought a stack of pictures into work and during a lunch break I went through my paper recycling pile to see what I could reuse and turn into a card. My office building does not recycle so I have my own personal stack of paper recycling that I then take to a fundraising paper dumpster near my house. Everything I used was recycled except the staples...a file folder cut down, post it flags normally used on documents for signatures, and the word bubble is cut from a flyer. Happy Birthday!