Friday, March 20, 2009

Sometimes I just do nothing...

This week, Don hurt his back. And after last week being so crazy full and fun, and then this week starting out with sore shoulders for me and a pinched nerve for the dh, we have been taking it easy. A little too easy. I have been doing lots of reading. Currently I am in the middle of a couple of books and then glancing and getting ideas from others, but there are two I feel compelled to mention.

Creative Play for Your Toddler

This book is packed full of amazing ideas for playing with toddlers. I seriously was looking through it saying "Wow, I have to make this for Logan!" "Oh, I have to make THIS for Logan." "Oh wow. I think Logan needs one of these too." lol! There are tons of crafts that are pretty easy and then there are some knitting ones for those of you with nimble fingers like Katie. ;) But all seem like fun, and all are natural materials. Some are so cool that Cyan (who was sitting next to me) asked for them for her birthday. The stick doll house was particularly cool!

Fresh from the Garden Cookbook

This is a book my best friend and I have been looking for for quite a while. We both absolutely LOVED Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbra Kingsolver, but we also were frustrated that although all of her ideas were great, most were for the area she was in... which is far from here. Makes perfect sense as she was writing about local living. lol... But makes it difficult to implement for the beautiful Pacific NW. Well, this author, Ann Lovejoy, writes just for the Pacific NW... in fact, she lives up on an island about an hour from here and the area is her muse. Recipes, stories, different little tips on how to grow year round... and all for right here in my area. This is a book I will have to own.

I keep wanting to know if she is related to Sharon Lovejoy, my favorite children's garden author.
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6 comments

Sarah said...

Do you have an amazing library or do you buy all these books? Our library has a sorry collection of anything education or health related....and definitely not anything remotely new. They HAVE nothing on Waldorf and only very few on Montessori- though Paul is just re-enrolled in school so the university's library has a better selection

Val in the Rose Garden said...

Oh, I don't often buy books at all actually. I get all these from the library. And I request the ones that I can't find there that I want to read for them to order. They are pretty good about that. My last library was better (more books on healthy living, and no fees... great system!) but this one seems to be alright. I have about 40 books checked out at one time... 10 for each me and the kids. School books are another thing that they have... like "What Your Second Grader Should Know" and other books like that to keep me knowing where the kids 'should' be. I love libraries!

Val

Sharon Lovejoy said...

Dear Val, I am so glad that you like my children's gardening books. I am just finishing a huge new book for grandparents to connect them and their grandchildren to traditions, cooking, the earth, animals, art, etc. We keep working with titles, but haven't hit one we love yet. It took 43 tries before I settled on Roots Shoots Buckets & Boots.

Ann and I aren't related except maybe philosophically. I was born Sharon Lovejoy, and Ann married a Lovejoy. Small world. Fond regards, www.sharonlovejoy.com

Katie said...

Val! I am adding the toddler book to my library list....it looks so cool :)also loving all your food posts....and the pics of the kids are darling as always....have a good Monday!

Val in the Rose Garden said...

Hi Katie! The toddler book is one I will actually buy in the next few weeks. I have the plan of doing all of the projects in it... one by one with him. It is a great book and has some good Waldorf philosophy as well.

Love Val

Val in the Rose Garden said...

Sharon,

I am honored that you took the time to comment. That was very sweet. I really am a huge fan. I think your books capture very well how I feel about gardening and what it brings to kids lives. This year I will be stunted with my garden... but we are buying soon, and that means that next year I will be able to do whatever I want... trust me... some sunflower houses, bean teepees, and snacking and sipping gardens are in our future. :) For now we are sticking to buckets and boots. ;)

Val

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