Thankfulness

This Thanksgiving, I was given the very obvious reminder of all that I have to be thankful of - my family, my health, my husband, my daughter, my dogs, a healthy pregnancy. I am typing with my left index finger, as my right arm is resting in a sling due to a broken collarbone. The sharp pain puts you right in the moment and puts things right into perspective, kind of a blessing in disguise. 

Be thankful for all that you have.

Natural Kids & Toys - my little etsy shop

My pursuit to find natural, safe alternative toys, instead of the typical toy store toys, grew into a little etsy shop, Natural Kids & Toys. I love putting together fun, natural play sets and toys for kids to discover, explore, imagine, experience, and play with. I love seeing a child's imagination & creativity at work and seeing their sense of wonder & take flight.

Honey Bee play set.

Honey Bee with flower bowls, one of my little one's favorites.

Surprise pots with some wool friends - a little hedgie, owl, and penguin.

A little hen & nest set with some wooden eggs.

Doll place setting / tea party set. Wooden. Natural. Waldorf inspired.

Wooden Doll bake set. Natural. Waldorf inspired.

Wooden Dollhouse miniature play set. Natural. Waldorf inspired.

Add a Farm Fresh egg or two to compliment a natural play kitchen, store, or market.

Wooden acorns in a little bucket are sure to be a hit.

Pirate's Treasure play set. Let your little treasure hunter set out for the ultimate adventure.

Winter Wonderland play set is perfect for natural play or atop your nature table or seasonal table.

I really have enjoyed creating toys for my little one and I hope my natural toys and other fun stuff will be a well used addition to your little one's creative play. Come and check out my little etsy shop - Natural Kids & Toys.

Wonderful wool play food

Well, I have not attempted to knit yet and I wanted to replace my little one's painted wood play food with some wool ones. I needle felted some berries, an apple and orange, but found that I was drawn to the more detailed knit vegetables & fruit. I found some wonderful knit wool play food from some talented etsy crafters. 

Farmer's Market Fruits & Vegetables created by GreenMountain. I was so impressed with the wonderful colors and detail. 

I was delighted with the variety of fruits & vegetables in this set, created by FairTradeFamily.

These days my little one loves her salad, so I thought this would be a fun & colorful addition, created by WhimsyByJess. The cherry tomatoes and baby carrots are so cute. 

Lastly, I purchased a farmer's market/ messenger bag from EarthMamaHyde. My little one is going to love the rainbow of colors. The bag is the perfect size for her. I also picked by this cute, little hide and seek sweater bowl. I'll hang it on our Christmas tree with a little treasure inside for my little one to find on Christmas morning. She's going to have so much fun with this one, I can not wait.

Outside adventures

My little one had fun in the sprinkles, digging in the mud filled flower pots. Inside we warmed up with a nice bath.

Yesterday, Daddy and Ava raked up some leaves. They came across a goose in a nest and she was laying eggs.

Playstands made by Dad

Last Christmas, Dad built these wonderful set of playstands or as my little one says, "her workshop". This turned out to be an extensive project that was well worth it. Dad worked in 3 deep shelves, which is what our small space needed. 

The playstand's open shelves are wonderful for keeping everything organized and accessible. It seems we could never have enough baskets, pouches, and boxes for my little organizer. Our shelves are getting full and while we have an opportunity to rotate some seasonal toys, my little one likes access to all her toys. 

So these days, we really have to be selective in what we bring into the house, especially with a new baby coming. Trying to avoid small items and commercial plastic toys, while choosing natural, safer toys for our little one. 

I have a few thoughts for some wooden toys for this Christmas, (hint hint, Dad.) I have some wool goodies to felt and some orders have been placed for the holidays. I am also going to do a little thrift shopping. I love finding great deals on the most interesting of things. 

Artful Autumn Leaves

We went on a nice nature walk and picked up a bunch of leaves. Back at home, they kept us busy as we did some leaf rubbings, tracing, and decorating. 

Mr. Squirrel ran off with our pumpkin. He pushed it off the front porch and devoured all the pumpkin seeds within minutes. He definitely has done this before.

The joy of colors

A rainbow of colors seems to brighten any day. 

Natural play. Natural Toys

Safe play for your little one begins with safe toys, natural toys. With natural toys there is no need to worry about lead paint recalls from toys produced overseas in China. Increase your awareness about alternative toys, toys made with natural wood, wool, and organic fabric.

I found some amazing, natural toys on etsy.com. I have also been inspired to start making toys for my little one. Handcrafted gifts have a very special quality about them and they make wonderful gifts that are sure to be treasured.