Imagine Childhood : Magic & Memories That Last a Lifetime

... product feature: new books!

 This is so exciting! We have so many new books in the store, we had just had to show them all off! Perfect for transitioning from spring on into the summer months, there is a something for every little reader.

 How Does My Garden Grow? For all those little ones who think that vegetables come from the grocery store, How Does My Garden Grow? is a wonderful and informative book to help guide the way. Sophie lives in the city, and her vegetables come from the supermarket. Then she goes to visit her grandparents in the countryside -- and soon discovers how much there is to learn about how things grow!

The Flower's Festival: One of our favorite works from Elsa Beskow, The Flower's Festival is a colorful and enchanting story every child will love. A lucky little girl is invited by the flower fairies to the Midsummer festival. The flowers and bumblebees and birds tell their wonderful stories, while Pea-blossom and the Dew-cups serve refreshments.

Cinderella: Fairy Godmothers, magic pumpkins, glass slippers, and dare we not forget Prince Charming... yep, Cinderella it is! Beloved for generations, this classic fairy tale from the Brother's Grimm will delight readers young and old with its wonderfully vivid characters, magic, and most of all, its sweetness. This beautifully imagined adaptation of Cinderella is brought to life with Ulrike Haseloff's soft, colorful illustrations. Best of all? Several pages have been finished with soft sparkles giving the book a magical feel.

Little Fairy's Meadow Party: You are invited to a fairy party! The newest in a long line of Daniela Drescher favorites, Little Fairy's Meadow Party is just as wonderful as the rest. A magical new story about Faith the little fairy. Can Faith's animal friends help her make a special dress for Queen Wren's party? Filled with soft and beautiful illustrations that will captivate young children from start to finish.

Findus, Food and Fun: Discover the seasons and a bevy of crafts and activities to go with them! Follow along with Findus, Pettson, and the Muckles, and discover things to do for every season. From pottering, collecting, fixing, crafting, building, exploring, and baking, this book is filled indoor and outdoor activities for hours of fun and learning. Findus, Food, and Fun offers a whole year’s worth of ideas!

The Princess and the Pea: If there was a pea under your mattress, would you be able to feel it? Put your princess skills to the test and travel along with this classic fairytale by Hans Christian Andersen. A young girl claiming to be a princess is put to the test: will she feel the pea underneath the pile of mattresses? Filled with lovely illustrations, this wonderful edition will not disappoint.

What's Hiding In There?: Another great book from one of our favorite authors and illustrators, Daniela Drescher filled with wonderful illustrations and surprises on every page. A lift-the-flap book which explores the world of fairies and elves, and asks, 'what's hiding in there?'. Ideal for preschool children and up.

A Year Around the Great Oak: Trees are a great indicator of the seasons, and what a lovely book to help us celebrate them! Filled with sweet, detailed illustrations that depict wildlife in the forest through the changing seasons. Children will love to spot the wildlife in the forest! Join the adventure as Anna and Benjamin discover the secrets of the forest and its animals, set around a 300-year-old oak tree. Simply a beautiful seasonal story.

 

We hope you will enjoy these new titles as much as we do!

 

Happy reading!

 

~ Jordan

 

*Last time in Product Features: Life-Like Plush Animals

. . . quick spring breakfast smoothie

After many chilly mornings and warm breakfasts. . .

. . . this simple. . .

. . . healthy. . .

. . . nutrition packed. . .

. . . spring smoothie is a welcome change. 

Quick Super Spring Smoothie

Makes 2 servings

ingredients:

• 1 cup baby kale or spring greens
• 1 cup chopped apple
• 1 cup strawberries
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds (or whole if your blender can handle it)
• 1 tablespoon flax seed
• 1 tablespoon hemp seed
• 1 teaspoon chia seed
• 1 cup filtered water

Blend all the ingredients together until smooth and enjoy a fresh start to your sunny spring morning.  May it be filled with a few adventures :)

~ Sarah

*Last time in recipes: 12 Recipes for Spring Picnics

. . . diy color theory may day cones

May day is full of colorful celebrations, so this year. . .

. . . we thought we'd incorporate. . .

. . . a little color theory. . .

. . . into our May Day cones. . .

. . . filled with all of the potential this season has to offer.

It's time for our annual May Day for Mother's Day cone! Great for sharing a little love with moms on their special day or to share with anyone on May Day.

DIY Color Theory May Day Cones

Materials:

• Tissue paper in red, yellow and blue
• White glue
• Water
• Tin foil
• Paintbrush or foam brush
• String
• Scissors

This year we mixed in a little color theory lesson with our crafting, and we're smitten with the results: a foil backed papier mache cone that can hold flowers and plants with ease, and maintain its shape using only a bit of string to tack it in place.

Instructions:

Cut the tissue paper into rectangles that are 12" x 9". Make sure there are 2 pieces of each color.

Once you have your paper cut, cut it again into 3/4" x 12" strips until all the paper is cut.  The strips need not be perfectly straight or exactly 3/4" wide.

Lay out a sheet of tinfoil that is about 14" long. Mix the white glue with water until it is the consistency of 2% milk.

Place a strip of red tissue paper on the tinfoil and wet it with glue. Then place a blue piece slightly offset on top of it and brush it down with glue. Where the two colors overlap you will see purple (see image above). Repeat this process until you have a sheet that is 12" x 9". 

Do the same thing with red and yellow strips (to make orange) and blue and yellow strips (to make green).

Allow the sheets to dry completely.  When dry trim the excess tinfoil off the edges so that it is the same shape as the paper. Fold over each edge 1/2" and roll in the long direction so that you have a cone like the ones pictured above.

Using the point of scissors or an exacto knife (adults need to help with this part) gently poke two holes about 3/4" apart in the overlapping flap as well as the sheet behind it. Use these holes to tie the cone closed (see image above).

To make the handles I braided the thinner string, but you could also just use a small rope or ribbon. To attach it, simply poke holes in the sides and tie knots in the handle ends to secure.

If any of the holes begin to rip or tear, just use a bit of scotch tape on the inside to reinforce the opening.

Fill with your favorite spring gifts (we shared some of our seed tape flowers, tulips, and succulent cuttings) and share with someone you love. 

If you'd like more May Day fun, check out our past May Day cones and activities:

• Fabric Flowers May Day Cone
• May Day Wand
• Woven May Day Cone
• Hearts and Roses Cone
• Lettuce Seed Tape Cone
• Original May Day Cone

Happy crafting!

~ Sarah

*Last time in Crafts and activities: DIY Seed Tape Flowers

 

... weekend links

Here are a few things that kept us curious this week.

- Spring is in full swing, here are some great activities to get the kiddos outside and exploring their local park!

- Can you say 'volcano-fuled lightning storm'? Chile's Calbuco volcano erupts for the first time since 1972.

- 35 homemade art materials that the kids can make!

- After 25 years the Hubble Telescope is still bringing us some serious "wow..." moments.

- The weather is so lovely out, why not go have a picnic?

- A whale of a tale and some beautiful music.

- May the force be with you... Star Wars embroidery patterns. Yep.

 

Happy Weekend!

 

xox

~ i.c.

. . . earth day giveaway!

Oh how we love this beautiful planet we are lucky enough to call home, and we're celebrating! In honor of Earth Day today we're giving away an adventure pack filled with goods to make your little explorer's treks in the great outdoors complete (and their school lunches a whole lot greener!).  Because if you learn to love nature as a child, you'll take care of her as you grow.

Happy Earth Day!!

Giveaway includes:

• Eco-Lunchbox
• Eco-Snack Pack
• Klean Kanteen
• Binoculars
• Adventure Cards
• Natural Cotton Backpack

 

For a chance to win this wonderful adventure pack, simply leave a comment on this post. 

More ways to enter the giveaway: Want to improve your chances?  You can leave a second comment by sharing the Fall in Love with the World badges that are on our Facebook page  (simply leave a comment letting us know you "liked" us on Facebook and shared the badge(s) from the album) and a third comment by sharing this giveaway on twitter or your blog  (leave a comment with a link to your tweet or post)!   The giveaway will close next Monday April 27th at 3pm MST and the winner (picked by a random number generator) will be announced later that day!

Good luck and happy Earth Day!!

**Comments Closed **

And the winner is Anu who said:

"My daughter's klean kanteen went missing from school last week. I gave her mine to use (we'll wait a week to see if it will turn up) and it feels like someone chopped off an appendage! I am so used to having my water bottle with me and somehow my hand won't raise to buy a plastic bottle in the grocery store."

Thanks for participating everyone!

xox

~ i.c.