small + friendly

Bare Roots

Looking to add to your garden on the cheap?  (If you live in the northern hemisphere)  Now is the perfect time to get bare root plants on sale.  And there is still plenty of time to plant these bare beauties.  I have a few fruit trees I planted bare root last year, but this year I went with smaller edibles: a blueberry, three raspberries, one rhubarb, and twelve strawberries (the whole lot cost less than $20).  

Can you say pie?  Yes, I have been staying up at night dreaming of a pie garden.  If I am ever lucky enough to have property, I will have a grand and abundant pie and preserves garden.  For now, this little planting is surely a step in the right direction.

I thought I'd share a few tips I've learned about planting bare root plants: 

• Set the roots in a bucket of clean water for a nice long soak (at least an hour) before planting.
• Don't drastically amend the soil, one of the benefits of bare roots is that they will adapt to native soils quite well.  
• That said, a little compost never hurt any plant.
• Don't plant them too deeply, leave the crowns exposed.
• Water, water, water to help them get established. 

Am I the only one who dreams of growing pie from scratch?  

Happy Planting.  

Calling All Chicken Keepers

Source: flickr.com via Carla, on Pinterest

 

Our city finally legalized hen keeping, and I am so very excited to join in on the fun.  I've checked out a stack of books and poured over coop designs on backyardchickens.com, but nothing can match the knowledge that comes with experience.  So I turn to you, dear readers.  I know many of you are homesteaders and keeping chickens is old hat.  I'd love to know your thoughts.  Do you have favorite breeds?  Is there a can't-live-without element of your coop?  Any advice for mixing chicks and a preschooler?  Can I really get my chicken to wear a knit hat?  

Any and all advice welcome.  Thanks in advance.  

Here's to happy homesteading!

DIY: Train Table

Jude has had a train set since before he was born.  During an IKEA shopping trip for "baby stuff", my dad and husband filled the cart with only the nursery essentials: all manner of wooden track pieces and accessories.  

For a long time, this epic collection of track and trains lived in a storage bin in the living room.  Every once in while, Jude would get it out and build a grand railroad that would promptly have to be cleaned up before someone broke an ankle. 

 It was fun, but a bit of a hassle for me, and honestly not Jude's favorite thing to play with.  Yet, every single time we visit the toy store, he spends the entire time at the train table.  

Our house, while friendly, is very small.  We don't have room for a traditional train table.  But we do have room for a rad DIY trundle train table!  

We started with an IKEA table top that was headed for the donation pile, but a piece of plywood would work as well.  Jason added four small locking wheels.  

I covered the top in green felt (spray adhesive worked great), and then got to work making a few moveable landscape features (simple shapes cut from more felt).  

The track doesn't slip around on the felt, so there is no need to nail down the pieces.  This way the whole scene can be changed at will, which I love, because for me building the scene is the funnest part!  I added little velcro dots to the signs to stop them from falling over, but everything else stays pretty well as is.   

The best part? The whole thing slides neatly under the bed.  We plan to add a few more felt features (I would really love to attempt something like this), but for now I'm just glad the trains are actually getting played with (and I don't have to keep cleaning them up). 

Here's to tidy trains!  

Learning to Let Go

Jude and I have fairly busy schedules.  Between work and preschool and his day with his grandma (while I work), Wednesday is our only day without strict plans.  It's a day I try to make fun whenever possible.  Like this morning, when I decided we should skip a big grocery shopping and make Valentines instead.  

Most of the art "projects" we do are totally free form.  I bust out the supplies and just let him have at it.  I'm not sure what got into me this time (a little too much pinterest perhaps), but I had a very specific craft in mind.  I made a few heart shaped stamps and wanted him to print them on red cardstock.  

I really had my heart set on it (sorry, couldn't resist the bad pun).  Jude, not so much.  He used the stamps for about 30 seconds and then wanted to move on to more of a smear paint wherever, abstract vibe.

I proceeded to tell him that wasn't what we were doing and pretty much lorded over his every move until another "proper" Valentine was completed.  It wasn't much fun for either of us.  Who wants a begrudgingly made Valentine?  I realized that if I wanted heart stamped Valentines so bad, I could make them myself.  

I turned to Jude and asked him if he'd like a few paint brushes, so he could make whatever kind of Valentine he wanted.  I bet you can guess his response.  I stamped one on my own, and realized it was kinda boring, while Jude proceeded to cover his whole card in white paint.  

I couldn't give it up, sometimes I'm a really slow learner, I asked him "Why are you just covering up the red, don't you want to make something?"  He replied "No, I want to do this."  I did my best to let it go.  

Just when I thought our little failed experiment was finished, I got schooled big time.  Jude declared he wanted his dad's Valentine to have a dinosaur, a stegosaurus to be precise, and he proceeded to paint this:

I'm pretty sure there won't be any more structured craft projects in our future.  I am so grateful Jude is stubborn enough to teach me how to let him follow his own path.  

The hardest part of loving is learning to let go.

Wishing everyone a lovely Valentine's Day. 

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a serious craving for heart shaped food ...

Secret Message Valentine (Mini Edition)

Last year, I made Secret Message Valentines that where quite fun, but also a bit large and slightly awkward to gift.  This year I refined my idea.  These petite versions boast a free printable and the special addition of a "built in" brush.  (I must credit Creative with Kids for the brilliant watercolor idea.)  

Secret Message Valentine (Mini Edition)

You'll need:

• White cardstock
• White crayon or birthday candle
• Liquid watercolor paint (I used crimson)
• Small paint brushes (these would work well)
• Download Valentine by small + friendly
• Craft knife

Directions:

1. Print out valentines on cardstock, making sure that there is no scaling.  
2. Cut sheet in half horizontally (at 5 1/2") and half vertically (at 4 1/4").
3. Use the white crayon/candle to write your secret message. (Suggested phrases: You are my fav, Let's stay together, I think you're cute, etc.)
4. Fill heart with a layer of watercolor paint (you might need to use a brush) and let dry.
5. Use a craft knife to cut slits for the brush to slide through.  You can place vertical slits on either side of the heart (the brush will slide in horizontally) or horizontal slits on the right or left edge (the brush will slide in vertically).  I like the look of the first option but the latter is best if you plan on mailing your valentine.  
6. Give with love!

Happy Heart Day! 

Five Ways To Survive a Winter Day with your Toddler

In the hopes that all of our East Coast friends have braved the storm, I thought it would be an excellent time to bring this post hope.  This was a guest post on the fabulous imagine gnats from last year.  I hope it brings a bit of California sunshine to everyone. 

We all know those winter days, the ones when the weather outside is frightful, and you have tons to get done. Bad enough on your own, but add a pent-up toddler and frightful isn't the half of it. I have assembled a few tips designed to help you deal, or at the very least make you laugh.

Okay here goes: 

1. Never disturb a toddler engaged in solo play.

Stumbling upon a little one engrossed in play, without any adult attention, is like discovering an endangered species. The last thing you want to do is scare it off. Don't make any sudden movements or loud noises, you just might get enough alone time to check a few emails or apply a little makeup. A load of laundry perhaps?

2. Laundry basket workout.

Want to entertain your toddler and tone your body? I've got your ultimate multitasking workout. Stick you little one in a laundry basket and push them around the house as if they are in a race car. When they beg for more it's like having your own personal Jillian Michaels. Happy kid, sculpted mommy.

3. Bake something.

You already worked out. Bake something sweet with your toddler, anything, though preferably with chocolate. Okay, this doesn't help you get anything done, but it's super fun. I highly recommend leaving any dishes for Daddy.

4. Read. But don't repeat. 

Every parent knows how a toddler can listen to the same story on repeat for hours. I had to "lose" Brown Bear, Brown Bear so that I didn't lose my mind. Then I discovered a solution. Read a beloved story once (or twice) and then it's your kid's turn. One of two things will happen. They will lose interest and you can both move on...or, they will read it to you, and it will be so cute and funny, you will totally forget about your to-do list. I guess with a toddler there's always option number three: a tantrum. Which is a perfect excuse to ignore them while tackling another thing on that list of to-dos. 

5. Bath time.

When it all gets to be a bit too much, stick them in the bath ... water optional. 

If your little one loves water, go ahead and add an extra bath to the day (I'm pretty sure it never killed anyone). If water equals tears, think of the bath as a mess containing playpen. Get them some paints and yourself a magazine, the day will be over before you know it.

I hope these tips provide a little sunshine to your otherwise gloomy day.

Here's to the adventure that is parenthood: rain or shine, sleet or snow!

To all my Homies

Dear Readers,

Cool DIY's, simple recipes, realistic parenting tips, plus two rad parents and one very cute kid: small + friendly might just be the best kept secret on the internet.  No one likes a braggart, but I work my booty off on this here blog and I think it might be time to take it worldwide.  Want to help me spread the word?  I've been nominated for The Homies Best Family & Kids Blog on apartment therapy and I would LOVE if you'd vote for me (just click the link and scroll down until you see small + friendly).

Thanks so very much,

Carla  

DIY: Nautical Lighting

These lamps almost never saw the light.  It's a fairly pinteresting story ... Way back when Pinterest was brand new, and I actually attempted the things I pinned, I set out to make a pair of hanging lights for our living room.  I am forever struggling to get the lighting right in that space, and I thought a pair of pendants would be the ticket.  I followed this tutorial, with one major exception: I used (cheaper & hairier) sisal twine instead of the hemp string.  I ended up with two balls of rope that looked like they belonged in a cheesy seafood restaurant.  I trimmed some of the really bad fuzzy bits and spray painted them white in the hopes that they could still work.  They didn't.  That is, until I realized that there was another room in the house that could use extra lighting.

Which room? Why, a certain someone's conveniently nautical nursery, of course.  They put off the perfect bedtime story reading light.  

The moral of this story?  There are no mistakes, only happy accidents.  (And it's worth actually trying the ideas you pin!)

Now if only I could find a lamp for the living room ...

P.S. - Do you follow AT's Homie Awards?  I'd love your vote for Best Family & Kids Blog