We are Andy, Lori and Rowan, and this is our family business. And it truly is a family business. Lori does the dyeing, painting, promo and customer service work. Andy does the woodwork and the cooking (very important!) and provides lots of support. Together we share ideas, plans and encouragement. Rowan keeps us rooted and inspired ~ as she grows (currently age 28 months), so our ideas grow for clothing and natural toys to enrich her environment and bring her delight.We also work full time with very busy, community oriented careers while Rowan enjoys time at home (4 days a week) with a very sweet and grandmotherly caregiver. Rowan at home means that we pop in for a shared meal or a quick hug as often as we can!
BTRT also includes Briar, our goofy marshmallow of a Brittany (dog, age 9).
We live in a very small community in Northern Ontario. Long winters and warm summers by the lake under the rowan tree make this little place a real gem in a busy world. We chose to move here when Rowan was a newborn ~ pursuing a quieter, simpler lifestyle and a stronger community life. We wanted to be more rooted, in richer, more life-giving soil.
Our products are part of these same decisions: simpler life, more natural living. They also provide a creative outlet for us, and a shared venture to strengthen our bonds. And most of all, it is fun! We create what we enjoy and enjoy what we create.
BTRT in Action!Share your BTRT action shots with us for future newsletters and we'll send you a 10% off code for your next purchase. You can send us jpeg files at info@beneaththerowantree.com .
Here are a couple to get us started
and more can be found in our Gallery.
What to Do With a Playsilk?
Silkies are simple. In a world of bells and whistles and one-trick toys, they float on a whisper of possibility, inviting children to touch their softness and experiment with movement and colour, letting their minds and bodies take the lead (rather than the toy!). They are an open ended, child directed toy with enormous play value.
But what are they? Silk! People are often shocked to find that our daughter plays (daily!) with silk ~ and sits on it, throws it, pulls it, ties it and drags it on the ground. We tend to have an image of silk as both expensive and delicate, yet it is one of the strongest fibers and very affordable depending on production and processing. Add that it is a natural fiber with gorgeous body and hand (the feel of the fabric) that flows, shines and warms to the touch, and what's not to love?!
The use of silk for children's toys has a long history but the particular use as child directed plaything arises from the Waldorf school traditions. In this educational philosophy children
are surrounded with simple toys made of natural materials. This allows the child's imagination to determine the course of play, rather than the toy (think of a battery operated toy that does 'something' and thereby dictates how the child will play with it~ if it rings it must be a phone, if it cries it must be a baby). This encourages the child to live in the world of wonder, to move, and play as their spirits lead them. Playsilks are a staple in the type of play.
Playsilks come in many shapes and sizes ~ long and skinny, giant canopies, tiny hankies, and most commonly in squares of 21.5 x 21.5" or 35 x 35". They may be dyed in solid colours, rainbows, mandalas, tie dye or other variations. Some folks use acid dyes for silks, others use natural plant based dyes and still others use simple food grade dyes. Every maker aims to make a non-toxic product that is safe for children and colourfast, as well.
Playsilks appeal to children from infancy on up! Not sure what to do with a silkie?
Give one to a child, and let them will show you. One of our favourite moments is when we give a playsilk to a child who has never played with one before. Their eyes light up and the wheels start turning and within moments they are deep in play. Fabulous for play therapy and kids with disabilities, too.
At Beneath the Rowan Tree we have started a fun list of all the ways we have seen playsilks used and we'd like to hear from others and grow our list~ Not as a prescription for how to play, but so that we grown ups can marvel at the creativity of children at play and maybe catch a bit of the wonder as well!
- Fairy wings (tucked through the back of a shirt and out the sleeves)
- Dog leash
- Baby blanket (doll and child!)
- Dolly sling
- Baby Sling
- Peek-a-boo
- Hang in a window (slightly open) for a newborn to watch flutter
- hats, headresses and scarves
- skirts and bikini tops
- traces and reins for a horse (accompanied by singing 'Jingle Bells' and pulling a box full of dollies!)
- ghosts ~ you can see through a light coloured silk enough for the ghost to wander
- dancing! dancing! dancing! Pick up a silkie and twirl!
- blanket for an infant to lie on for tummy time
- strung together and hung for an infant mobile
- wound through the branches of a tree or hung down for a canopy over a picnic
- hobo's sack for carrying treasures
- rivers, fields, infernos and the sun
- gift wrapping
- rope, tied together to rescue a dolly from the sea
- scarves for mama
- balls (tied around each other to any size)
- comets ~ a ball tied in a silkie with a long tail and tossed
- curtains on a fort
- send us yours....!
Send your ideas along (here) and we will enter your name in a draw for a free playsilk (your choice of colour, 35 x 35, offer ends February 28th, 2008).
Question: What snack do horses like to eat
that is long and orange and crunchy?
Rowan's Answer: Fingers!
We live in Northern Ontario and it snows, a lot! And it generally lasts until April and a surprise snow on Mother's Day is not really a surprise. But this year it started early and has piled up high. Cabin fever can set in quickly. Here are ten fun (and free!) ideas for your next snow (or rainy!) day...
1) Play outside! Bundle up, and fill a spray bottle with water and a bit of food colouring and have fun
spraying artwork onto the snow! make snow angels, snowballs, snow forts, have a snow picnic and then come in for hot chocolate (hot tea with honey at our house for us dairy allergic types).
2) Water World! Clear an open area of floor, throw down an old blanket and haul out all the pots and pans, turkey basters and ladles and fill the pots with water. Kids from 9 months to school age love water play.
3) Make indoor snow people. Go out and gather up enough snowballs for each child to make a two or three tier snowman. Stack the snowball in a bowl, give them faces with raisins or carrots (or Mr. Potato Head parts) and pop them in the freezer to solidify~ ice sculptures!
4) Make a fort, of course.
5) We Deliver! Bake cookies to take to an elderly neighbour and then hop on your toboggan (sled for all you Yankees!) and put on your toque (hat!) and deliver them. You can even take your own hot chocolate in a thermos to share. Doing something for someone else is more motivating for getting out of the house!
6) Hibernate! When the snow is blowing and the wind is howling ~ pile up all the pillows in the house, blankets and kids and climb in with a stack of story books and hibernate. Talk about where animals go and how they survive the winter.
7) Have a bed day. Seriously. Stay in your jammies and do as many things as you can in your bed ~ fold laundry, read a book, move the tv in for a movie, put on an old sheet for picnic. It can be your island or space station!
8) Do a BIG craft ~ not a little, 5 minute one, but an event of a craft! Put your toddler in the bathtub with finger paints and let them go crazy! Then just hose everything (everyone!) down.
9) Shovel snow. great exercise, kids can help, and shovel rides are a blast!
10) Make a paper doll world~ just grab old magazines and start cutting. We love the Sears Wish Book best, but any mags will do ~ cut out people and furniture. Make slits at the top of the beds to slide the people in and do them same with clothes, high chairs and more. Let your child do the choosing and ask them lots of questions ~ you'll learn a lot!
ŠLori Campbell, 2007.
Attention WAHMs ~ Ad Swap and Feature Business
If you are interested in running a banner ad in an upcoming newsletter, in exchange for running our banner in your newsletter, please contact us. We have limited space for 3 per issue.
We are also seeking a WAHM business to profile in our next newsletter (and the ones after). If you are interested, drop us a line and a short note about yourself and your business.
January Sneak Peeks:
Wow! January arrived too quickly! I don't have any pictures.. yet, but I can tell you about some of our upcoming stockings and plans.
In Their Hands (HC Congo) stocks January 1st, 15th and 29th, featuring a cool pirate collab on the 29th!
Also in the works:
So, you can see what I am doing this month!
Please browse around our brand new home on the web!
Congratulations to 'coffeegirljones' the winner of our 50% off code.
Her name was drawn from all of the names of those who subscribed for this first issue!
Congratulations also, to 'fairyandgnome' for choosing the winning name for our new gnome.
Details about our gnome can be found here.
His name? Nipsy. Nipsy the Gnome!
Share this newsletter with a friend.
If they make a purchase from BTRT and mention your name,
we'll send another 10% code your way!
As always, your information is private and will not be shared.
Next issue: February 1st
(God willing and the creek don't rise, as they say!)
Rooted, Issue 1 (January 2008)