 Rooted, Issue 3 (March 2008)
March brings warmer sunshine and melting snow in our northern clime. We aren't likely to see too many other signs of spring this month, but with the solstice and the celebration of Easter, we are assured that new life will come!
Welcome to our third issue of ROOTED.
If you are new, welcome! If you have hung in there, thank you! This month we have another business feature, an article from a guest columnist, some sneak peeks and a special offer on silk!
We also welcome feedback, comments and suggestions about our little publication.
Imagine.
 John Lennon said it. We all do it. But nobody does it as well as our children. Rowan has a BIG imagination. So much so that sometimes I wish I could be in her head for a minute to see how she sees things~ if the four zebras living on the cottage porch next door, behind the fence are really 'there' for her. Or the mouse she has been carrying in her 'backpack' all day! ~ the backpack I forgot all about but she remembered to remove as she climbed into her chair at supper so as not to squish her mouse. Or the bluebird currently living in her pocket, in an egg, that she pulls out and I swear she *sees* it on her hand~ yellow 'hair', blue feet and all.
She has many elaborate stories that live and grow with each new experience. The moon that likes to have a dance party, barefoot, with the stars when he manages to get out of bed on time. When he sleeps in, we need to climb a tall tree and poke him and say 'wake up crazy old moon!'. And in the morning, when he lingers over his breakfast of pancakes and toast, he needs to be encouraged to go back to bed.
I don't remember what that was like, to slip without disruption between the real and the imaginary, for the imaginary to be as real, even more so , than the 'real'. But I know our house is peopled (animaled?) with creatures, large and small (giant mice, tiny rhinos) that delight my daughter and join in her play, more readily, I am sure, than the grown ups sometimes. That watch over her as surely as the 'crazy old moon'.
I am just grateful that she is generous enough to bring me in and show me around. And as long as I am careful not to lie on the lions and not to touch her precious martian space jewels, she will feed me her gummy bears in milk from an invisible saucer while we giggle at the antics of the rhino peeking out from behind the tree in our yard.
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The Nature Table
Cara Faus, 2008
Is everyone excited for spring? We sure are, regardless of the snow lingering in the shade around our home. We're ready to plant a garden, run around outside, and see the sunshine. With the anticipation of  spring, this is the perfect time to start a nature table.
What is a nature table? It's an idea that I got from a Waldorf preschool that I worked at, but isn't only unique to Waldorf schools, it is a wonderful contribution to any home.
It is an area where things are brought in from outside to reflect the changes of the seasons. Things on the nature table are meant to be gently played with and inspected by the children of the house and let them explore the wonders of creation as it changes throughout the year. I keep my nature table low enough so that 2-3 year olds can reach it, but not so low that crawlers can, as many items can pose a choking hazard for the little ones.
What would be on a nature table for springtime?
 In the spring as we get more rain, we might fill a sea shell with water for a 'puddle', and bring in a few fresh blades of green grass and put them in a vase. Green wool can become 'moss' or grass, and a light green playsilk can be a pretty backdrop, reflecting the hills turning green with the new grass. Little stuffed lambs and chicks are in our scene, just as we see lambs in the field on our way to town. The chickens would have started laying eggs again, and we might make a nest out of sticks and branches and put some blown-out chicken eggs in there.
As flowers start to bloom, we could draw pictures of crayons of them, make them out of felt, or paint them onto paper and put those up on our nature table. For Passover we might reenact the Last Supper with models, nothing fancy, even just those Little Tykes little people would work. We could put a piece of our unleavened bread here, remembering the Exodus of the Children of Israel, or even play out the whole scene.
Do you plant a garden in the spring? Bring in a little cup of dirt and 'prepare' it for seeds, maybe even plant a  couple wheat seeds and watch your wheatgrass come up for springtime. Are toadstools coming up in the forest? Put some felted ones tucked along your path. You want your children to see the changes as they happen in your life around where you live, so add to your nature table as this happens.
Don't worry about it being perfect, or having the most expensive natural toys. Make do with what you have, your children will love it. Cara
Thanks to Cara for contributing to our newsletter. her blog is always interesting and informative and she makes wonderful dollies, mama cloth and natural toys!
Life is Sweet at JuJuBean Boutique!
I'd like to introduce you to Stephanie, the work at home mom behind the lovely creations at JujuBean Boutique.
 BTRT: Tell us a little about yourself...
JJBB: I'm not sure how much you mean by a little so: I'm a 26 year old mother to three, wife and
partner to one. I'm a proud workforce failure and college dropout. Without those 'achievements' I'd never be the work-at-home-mom I am today: cooking, cleaning, and sewing.
BTRT: What about your business, can you tell us about it?
JJBB: I'm the mom behind Juju Bean Boutique. We began as Sew Nappy Diapers in February ‘06 selling pocket diapers and covers on an order-only basis. When things got too demanding we 
considered changing over to an 'in stock' store and Hyena Cart seemed a natural fit. Because I planned on selling children's clothing as well as diapers, a new business name seemed appropriate. Our baby girl, Julia, was 4 months old at the time and our store (JujuBean Boutique) was named for her.
Shortly after establishing our HC storefront I founded Orchid Place, a congo featuring great
wahm's who hadn't yet made a name for themselves.
 Meanwhile I had been dabbling in HC Design and setup my own shop to offer affordable web
design to other work at home parents. On A Whim has been around nearly a year now and I still
love every minute of it. It gives me an opportunity to work with other mom's on a different level.
A little more personal.
(BTRT adds, don’t forget In Their Hands ~ a seasonal hand made toy congo)
BTRT: How did you get started?
JJBB: My husband sews. Mostly motorcycle seats and seat covers but he also sewed our first
cloth diapers. I had sewn a little with my grandmother, off and on, as a child/teen but never
really had an interest. When I saw the cute (hideously pitiful) diaper Patrick had sewn for Jacob,
I just knew I wanted to try my hand (read: could do better). After that, I was a diaper making
machine!
BTRT: What is your favourite thing to make?
JJBB: I really love creating. Anything new and fun, really. I could sew all day, every day. Right
now I'm loving Japanese pattern books. And wool applique.
BTRT: Are there any new skills you are working on or want to learn?
JJBB: Screenprinting. I think it would be a great craft to learn. It seems more appropriate as the
kids grow up. Right now I embroider but it seems so limited. Like it's for really young kids or
really old ladies. So screen printing would fill that void from 7-70 for us.
BTRT: What inspires your work?
JJBB: My kids, of course. And nature. I love to bring the two together.
BTRT: Are there any other WAHNs you particularly admire?
JJBB: Wow, that's really hard. I seriously love Eva, the mama behind Boutique Linnea/Linnea
Design. She has such a tasteful sense of style and seems fearless in the world of fashion. I also
love Alfabette Zoope. I always find Lori’s work to be amazing. Beautiful batiks paired with
stunning yarn. Does it get any better?
BTRT: What is the strangest job you have ever had?
JJBB: I worked at a pet store once while attending Indiana Wesleyan University. For two days. Short story. I was syringe-feeding this adorable baby bird and it regurgitated on me. Ewwww. I
quit.
Please be sure to browse through Stephanie's diverse work in wool interlock, clothing, toys,
graphic design and more!
You can start with her home page and make your way from there.
She also has a gallery (which she calls 'less than complete') HERE.
Thanks Steph!
Our own Rowan in a beautiful tunic dress from JJBB ------>
Cool Collabs & Sneak Peeks!
Where will you find us this month?
 The theme is 'Once Upon a Happily' and will feature items inspired by story books and nursery rhymes.Here are a couple sneak peeks of my offerings~ my White Rabbit dress which I think is my best work to date, and these little finger puppets of recycled wool that will be part of a Teeny Treasures Tiny Hands collaboration (silk, pouch, bath crayons, scribbler, crayons and more...!) on the theme of Mary Had a Little Lamb.
~We have contributed silkies to two 100% Hyena Easter Baskets at Quiet Time Toys
being featured at The Cloth Canoe
Please browse around our brand new home on the web!
And follow BTRT all month long at our blog!
We'd love to do a blog link exchange with you, just contact us!
Colouring Your World
 We are the parents of a two year old. She loves to colour but quickly breaks traditional skinny crayons. The time will come for them, but for now we need something more suited for toddler hands.
So we have developed a fun line of chunky crayons for all those first scribbles!
Made with high quality, smooth materials, that lay down consistent and bright colors ~ nothing is worse than a crayon that won't crayon... er, write! Big, and sturdy enough to withstand toddler handling, dropping, throwing and miles of colouring. These crayons are also tough enough to tote in a purse or bag without breaking. And the added bonus is that one crayon is often enough, because each crayon is made with a variety of colours ~ no more toting half a box of crayons to make colouring fun and it is tough to lose a turtle or owl in your purse!
Our crayons come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes (currently about 30 shapes in stock). Even the smallest ones are equal to about 3 traditional wax crayons, with the big guys being equivalent to as many as 10 crayons in one!
 We recently launched our Art Pops! Crayons on a stick (why not? everything is better on a stick!) ~ perfect treats for those times when you don’t want to add more sugar, or, as in our case, for the kids with food allergies who always seem to miss out on the goodies.
We can also make custom shapes for special orders (ie birthday party favors) to match a theme or color scheme. And our crayons make great samples for WAHMs who like to add a little something to their packages. For favours and samples, we individually package each crayon and add a label customized to your specifications.
Non-toxic. Materials made in the USA.
Contact us to discuss your special order or to inquire about in stock and custom crayons.
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Next issue: April 1st
(God willing and the creek don't rise, as they say!)
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