Do you know about Austin Mini Maker Faire? It’s going to be an amazing event with everything from technology to craft. There will be music and robots and birdhouses and soap making and so many cool things that will inspire you and let you get your hands dirty!
May 12 10-6pm at Pine Street Station in downtown Austin.
Want to win 2 free adult tickets? Head on over to Future Craft Collective for a chance…
As free as the wind blows, as free as the grass grows, I want to be free! At least for a few days, wouldn’t it be fun to have your whole family be free from screens?
Do you know about the Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood? They do a lot of good work lobbying to get commercials and marketing and advertising out of children’s lives and out of public schools. They bring a lot to light for families and for organizations in regards to just how much advertising is thrust at our children, at our families, from birth on. Check out their website to see just how much good work they do.
This month they are also organizing the annual SCREEN FREE WEEK from April 30th-May 6th. It’s a great way for families and children to break away from the screens for a week and see just how big a part screens play in our lives. Everyone on their own screen - watching, texting, reading, exploring and zoning out on the screen be it phone, computer, tv, game station or other. It’s sort of relentless. It’s not that screen usage is bad, au contraire! But the numbers show that the average child spends 7.5 hours per day on a screen. That’s a lot of time staring at electronics. And a lot of time not engaging with the world and with each other.
In our house during school days we do a couple hours everyday screen free – from 5-7 there’s no surfing, texting, emailing, viewing. It’s not always easy. But it feels pretty good. And 2 hours feels totally doable.
Can you do it? Do you dare? Can your family be screen free? Can you turn it all off (excluding work of course which still must get done!) Can you spend that time doing something else? Here’s some ideas to get you going…
Take a week and slow it down. Connect with each other and with nature and with your imagination. See what you come up with. And if you’ve got some screen free ideas of your own, let me know.
The camp brochures are starting to hit the streets and Austin Waldorf School has just sent us a beautiful ad for their amazing list of summer camps. Starting with the wee ones AWS has a
whole list of lovely offerings. Including, my personal favorite, a camp called Endless Summer that sounds to me just like my memories of what summer can be. Check out their ad in the sidebar and go to their website to read more.
If you’re looking for something fun to do on the school holiday of February 20th, I, in my Future Craft Collective Hat will be offering a one-day camp at Austin Children’s Museum for kids ages 8-11. It’s called the Art of the Letter and we’ll be reading old letters, making tons of cards, folding up origami envelopes and reigniting the ancient Art of the Letter. 
Or if you’re looking for something fun for everyday, you can always check out the incredible happenings at Austin Tinkering School. Kami is definitely blowing some minds over there and at the same time, gearing up a whole generation to participate in Austin’s Mini Maker Faire.
I love this town!!!
I love Valentines Day. And I love making cards. I love sending letters. And I love a good girls’ night out! So what better way to celebrate all of these things than with a Valentines Girls’ Craft Night out!!! If you’re in Austin, come join me on Saturday February 4th from 4:30pm-9:30pm in South Austin at a beautiful place called the Writing Barn. We’ll craft and stitch and stamp and fold and collage. I’ll have writing prompts full of love and we’ll eat and drink whilst we craft and talk of love and many other splendored things.
Here’s the link for more info…
USA Today had a big story yesterday about slowing things down for your family. They touched on some of the points such as cutting out some of the excess activities and really putting the connection in place now so that you can have connection down the road.
Read it yourself and let me know what you think…‘Slow
family’ movement focuses on fewer outside activities – USATODAY.com
For those of you in Austin, have you ever been to West Cave Preserve? It’s not a hang out in the sense of Hamilton Pool or Blue Hole. It’s more of a sanctuary, a preserve which has been taken back from the depths of many years of abuse and litter and rough housing by our fellow humans.
If you have been there you know how valuable it is to preserve the beautiful grotto hung with ferns and dripping with cool, clear water around, in and under the rock cave. You know how amazing it is to see the plants coming back to life because of the tender care of the keepers of the preserve. And you know how unfathomable it is to think that not long ago it was strewn with litter, cans, bottles and other cast-off detritus.
West Cave is, in a word, magical. And if you have a chance to join in one of their weekend tours, I highly recommend it. And if you are free on October 2nd and want to take a nice slow walk around Lady Bird Lake with hundreds of other proponents of all things wellness, read on…
Westcave Preserve is one of 15 partners chosen to participate in the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation’s inaugural Be Well Walk, which is scheduled for Sunday, October 2, 2011, at 4 p.m. at Longhorn Shores on Lady Bird Lake. Come walk with us and help support Westcave and a healthier Austin!! To register simply click here… It should be a super fun walk in the park!
A few months ago I started an after school group for girls ages 7-10. It’s been amazing. And enlightening. And fun. And creative. And just beyond my wildest dreams fantastic to watch it all unfold, to watch the girls grow and create, and to see the group form into a cohesive group. It’s like my own little scout troop – full of new skills, community service, meetings and crafts – but without the cookies sales and uniforms.
Next week we’ll be starting up our second session. I can’t wait to get going on some of the ideas that have been stirring – all inspired by my own projects and by my time with the girls.
From the weekly group came the one day camp. While I loved our 2 hour after school meetings, I longed for a more spacious day to really dive into a craft project and to talk and to just be and the 7.5 hour “camp” provided just that.
On Friday, April 22nd, we’ll be doing another full day! Basic details below and more info at the Future Craft Collective website…
Who: Girls ages 7-10
What: One-day craft workshop
Where: 411 W. Monroe Austin AMP (Austin Artists and Musicians Partnership)
When: Friday, April 22nd 9:00am – 4:30pm
Last week in Austin, TX we had approximately 200,000 extra folks visiting our fair city. Yes, those zeros are all in the right place. Between the film fest, interactive fest and music fest, Austin was running on some high energy for a couple weeks straight. It was exciting to say the least. And exhausting too! For all of us.
The school’s spring break coincides with all of this March madness and so makes for a perfect excuse for us as a family to wander the streets in search of good music, friends, and tons of fun. And that is not a figure of speech. With windows open to the spring winds, music was quite literally wafting in from every direction. Bands were set up in parking lots and backyards and alleyways and make shift stages and this whole town was rocking. The funny thing was, all week long, we barely left our little 10 block circle. No need to really because while I know there was stuff all over town, one didn’t have to wander far to get a taste of South by. And driving across town these two weeks took on a whole new meaning. So we biked, walked and hung out day after day in our own little n’hood.
Starting Wednesday we’d head out late afternoon in search of whatever band was playing. At some venues we knew the schedule ahead of time and actively sought out bands we liked. For others, we were just winging it, coming across whatever band was there. Other times we went where we knew we’d find friends, and then there were those chance meetings in the streets which would determine our next direction. The kids come and go with a little more freedom and the candy store down the street becomes a nearly daily occasion. A total free for all fun fest.
Friday my oldest had a craft market in the yard with a friend and together they made over a hundred dollars selling sewn wallets and jewelry and woven scarves. People were here from LA, Chicago, NYC, London and even one guy here from South Africa. Meanwhile her younger sister sold $50.00 worth of lemonade on the sidewalk talking with people from all walks of life and all points on the map.
By Sunday afternoon we were feeling a little crispy. We hung out in the yard all morning and afternoon and then, after careful deliberation, decided to take in just. one. more. show. Knowing it was close made the decision easier. Knowing we could retreat if need be made it seem like a chance worth taking. And so we headed out. Packed up some pesto pasta for dinner and biked down the street to see friends. Knowing Carrie would be there made it that much more inviting!
We ate. We danced. We played. We visited. And then. The fighting began. It was quite quickly evident we had reached our fill. And then some. Still brawling we headed out. Waving goodbye as we departed. By 6:30 we were back at home. In the bath and shower. Chilling in the yard. Big exhales. Getting ready for the week ahead.
The end of SXSW is always a little bittersweet. We’re ready to end the party. Ready to exit the mayhem. But always a little sad that the festive free-for-all fun is over. But always glad too that it’s time for a little familial slow down yet again.
A big exhale. A recap of the week. And voila, family life is ours again.
According to the seasonal calendar we’ve still got over a month left of summer. According to the school calendar though, we’ve got just 6 days left here in Austin, TX. Oh my oh my time does fly too fast sometimes. In some ways our family is ready for the return. In other ways though we are hesitant to leave the late night swims and sometimes lazy days. Even on work days the schedule somehow felt less rushed, less urgent and less wrought with the endless to-dos that feel a part of school.
Time for us to regroup as a family. Time to set some intentions for the upcoming school year. Time to figure out just how we want this school year to look and feel. We’ve got this Sunday slated as a family day – a day for figuring out just how to make this very big transition. How do you do it in your house? If you’ve got a special ritual for heading back to school we’d love to know!
And it’s time too for our 3rd annual back to school clothes swap. Come join us. Bring what you can. Take what you need. We’ll have sewers, silk screeners and sorters too making nice mountains of all kinds of clothes for infants to adults. You can get the details here…
Monica Cravotta, co-owner of recording studio, Hideout Studios with husband Mark and indie singer-songwriter, Ben Kweller came up with the idea to record an album of children’s music with friends while pregnant with her first baby in 2006. She had bonded with Libby Kirkpatrick and Sarah Sharp when they were all eight months pregnant and singing together at a Strings Attached concert. At the same time, Monica’s friend Mary Londos was exploring the idea of recording her own album of lullabies. Monica suggested that everyone come together at The Hideout and contribute a song or two to make an album for the new babies and as a benefit for Mama’s Milk Bank of Austin.
Between 2007 and 2009, the project went through some stops and starts (and a little Slow Family Living) but Sweet Songs continued to grow and blossom in its own all-in-good-time organic way. During this time, Monica invited more friends to contribute songs including Noëlle Hampton, Gretchen Janzow, Elizabeth Suggs and Elizabeth McQueen. She also invited André Moran to engineer and Sara Hickman to produce. Sweet Songs really came to life in 2009 with Sara’s production leadership and Monica’s fundraising efforts to cover the album’s production, manufacturing and marketing costs.
The artists are thrilled to be contributing to the children’s music genre while advocating for the health benefits of breastfeeding for both mothers and infants and raising awareness and money for Austin’s milk bank. 100% of the profits from Sweet Songs CD sales will go to the Mothers’ Milk Bank at Austin.
This album has been a long time in the making and has been the direct recipient of a lot of tender loving care. If you would like to share in the big debut, and get your own Sweet Songs to take home, join the creators at this very family friendly, mama-inspired Mother’s Day event…
Purchase tickets in advance by clicking the Sweet Songs logo in our sidebar. Ticket price includes buffet brunch sponsored by Whole Foods and Bona Dea Bread and a lovely Mother’s Day outdoor concert – bring your picnic blanket for ground seating.
About the Mothers’ Milk Bank at Austin
The Mothers’ Milk Bank at Austin is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to accept, pasteurize and dispense donor human milk by physician prescription, primarily to premature and ill infants. The Mothers’ Milk Bank at Austin collects, processes, and dispenses the donor milk that helps these medically fragile babies survive and thrive.
Milk bank donors are healthy, conscientious women who care about the health of babies. They are most often nursing their own infants, have an abundant milk supply, and donate their extra milk to the Milk Bank. For this generous act they receive no payment or compensation, except the satisfaction that comes from knowing they have helped improve the health of a fragile baby.
Executive Sponsors of the Sweet Songs album include: SetonBabyTalk.com, Weathershenker Photography, The Board Members of Anthropos Arts, Whole Foods, Wildflower Organics, Special Addition, Medela, Barton Creek Pediatrics, Slow Family Living, GB Khalsa/midwife, Jen Hellow Photography, JH Jackson Photography, Event Envy and Bona Dea Bread.
The Sweet Songs project has benefited also from many personal donations. Interested sponsors or donors may contact Monica Cravotta
