Pine Needles & Pizza

While things have been busy, there has been an underlying calm that has felt reassuring. The last of Christmas was packed safely away, and with it our front room has been left feeling empty. Far too many white walls for my liking, so the Chinese New Year box has made an early appearance!

We read an article in the last Pooka Pages, about using the pine needles from the Christmas tree to make a decoction which can be used to wash the floor (we have carpet so used it to clean the windows) to clear the air of squabbles and bickering. What better way to get the fake snow off the windows and say goodbye to the last of any negativity from last year.

Gabe does a lot of his numeracy and literacy work using games on the ipad which he loves and I'm learning to be okay with (for now). I remembered just how many crafts and activities I did with Orion and Thea when they were Gabey's age, and although he gets to do so much, it's usually for much older children. I thought it'd be nice to do more preschool level things just for him and so for the boy who loves his kitchen, we made pizzas.

The Perfect Friday

Day two of Tom's trips is always the hardest, and I am so grateful for the wonderful friends I have and their children. Destination decided, we headed out after our morning workbooks, to forage, picnic and play. Surrounded by an abundance of berries, the children munched while the adults swapped recipes for all that we were collecting. There is something so satisfying about watching children play in natural environments, using their imaginations to create worlds, and involving everyone regardless of age. 

Once home we took stock of our harvest of hawthorn berries, rosehips, pinecones (for crafts rather than hedgerow medicine) and a large amount of blackberries.

Experiment one is going to be a simple hawthorn and rosehip winter syrup, packed full of Vit C and heart strengthening goodness, we'll see how it turns out.

What a start to the week!

A full day and a great day. The older two have been asking to redo the Roman dates we had on one of the trips for ages, we finally got round to that today. Dates, cream cheese, honey and poppy seeds, they love them but I'm not so keen myself.

Then Gabe and I headed out to the garden to harvest some of the self-heal. I don't trust the stampeding herd of my children not to destroy them by accident so yesterday's harvest was to dry for tea and we've left half to use in my first flower essence.

Then the afternoon was spent in the forest with friends, deer and our last Crest science activity of creating journey sticks.

Tired happy children came home with just enough energy for a game with Dad before bed.

Weekending

This weekend while Tom headed for Glastonbury followed by Bristol we headed outside to greet the sunshine. I love new year's and I make sure that throughout the year I have several. There's new year's eve, my birthday, the start of the school year in september, but there is also a new year for spring. That sense of the wheel turning which starts at the first hints of the reawakening of the Earth and the energy that tingles your senses by mid march. I've always felt it but only now do I understand that I share those celebrations with others, and they call the start the festival of Imbolc and which leads into the Spring Equinox.

This weekend while I began to gather our things for our trip, I took the time to thrust my hands into the soil and get planting. While I got on with the first wave of herbs and vegetables, little Miss Biz got started with her flower garden.

They each cleaned off some of the paving slabs and tires, until Gabe found a more messy and fun use for the water.

In an attempt to avoid water the next day I got out the chalk and they decorated the 'table' and hop-scotch area.

Sometimes royal thrones, others a stage, who knew tires could be so much fun!

Joining in with Amanda for weekending, I hope you enjoyed yours. 

Our Austria

Tom was in Austria this weekend for a show. Instead of wishing I were there, I decided the grass is plenty green right where I stand.

Thea and I planted more seeds, repotted those that needed it and begun harvesting the herbs.

Breakfast and snack times moved to the tent.

Thea called a fabric craft time and made these beautiful flags for our new conservatory bunting.

I tried my hand at a little embroidery and may just have found another craft I love and wish I had more time for. I have urges to cover everything I see from t shirts to cushions with little designs... perhaps it's a good thing I don't have the time.

We finally got round to painting our air drying clay projects.

And we gave the playhouse a makeover. It now has a drawing station, and a cozy upstairs. I've heard many whisperings (some not so quiet) about plans to sleep here overnight very soon.

Things That Make Me Happy

After many frustrated sighs, this week I finally took the time to sort out my cupboard, and this is the result... My Kitchen Apothecary.

I started learning Herbalism back when Orion was little and I was pregnant with Thea. Since then my love for herbs has grown and I feel ever more familiar and comfortable with preventive care. 

My stash now contains dried herbs and tinctures, homeopathy and flower essences, and throughout my day I am drawn to this cupboard as it makes me smile. Someday, soon hopefully, my apothecary will be stocked by my own garden and foraging. It will have tinctures that I have made myself and Orion and Thea will become more and more familiar with the dried forms - there names and uses. 

We have missed our kitchen sundays this past few weeks of illness so I had a mama sunday this week and cooked up a little something different. 

Thea's eczema has been bad lately due to an absent minded change in laundry detergents (cue slap on wrist) so some new cream is needed. I had just bought some bees wax for an autumn craft idea when I realised that purchase meant I had everything I needed to make my own healing and natural balm.

I put a couple of handfuls of calendula and lavender in my now designated 'bees wax pan', covered them with oil (I used grapeseed this time but I'd like to experiment with sweet almond or maybe apricot kernel) and then heated until hot but not boiling.

Leave this for between 30 - 45 minutes or until the oil is cool enough to touch and then strain the flowers through a muslin.

Put the oil back into the pan and add some bees wax and heat slowly until all the wax has melted. I didn't measure the wax, I started with around a handful and then added a little until the consistency was right. To check this, drip a little onto cold metal. If it sets very hard and white add oil, if it doesn't set at enough add more wax.

Pour into containers and leave to set. This can take overnight depending on the wax used, ours took under half an hour. 

We've all been using loads, Thea loves it and I have to say I who suffer from very dry skin love it too. It is so easy and so reassuringly natural and healthy for our skin, I have no idea why I haven't done it before. 

You might be wondering what everyone else was up to while I was playing in the kitchen... Orion and Thea still sick were watching a movie and Gabe... well Gabe loves washing up!