Less is More

Cross-posted at: http://cascadiabirth.com/2010/08/30/less-is-more/

This is a lesson I continue to learn, in various ways. Sometimes it might mean going through my closet or bookshelf and letting go of things I no longer use. Sometimes it means looking at my various commitments and deciding to cut back a bit, creating more time for myself and my family. I think it's a common goal for many, especially parents who are already overwhelmed with so many expectations.

Over the next few blog posts I'd like to explore this idea of less being more, and how it might help your family regain a little balance. My first offering is actually a blog post by a fellow Montessori teacher, Marcy Hogan, down in California, who wrote a wonderful post about cutting back on the number of toys she has available for her young son. Marcy writes:

I know I've noticed a difference in the quality of play in my toddler when I keep the number of available toys low versus the days when I try to buy myself "extra time" by bringing out more toys. If he only has a few toys out, he'll choose one or two and play with them for much longer periods of time. When I bring out a boxful of toys, he'll get excited about all those toys to play with… but then quickly tires of them and looks for something else to do.

photo by Marcy Hogan

I notice the same thing for myself. My husband sighs knowingly when I come home from the library with a stack of twenty books. Although I'm a voracious reader, it's inevitable that I will start reading three at a time…and maybe, if I'm lucky, finish one. Paring down on the options makes decision-making much easier, allowing for a deeper level of engagement. It's a process for sure (as anyone who comes over right now to see my night stand will tell you), but definitely something to work towards.

Check out Marcy's article, then come back and tell me what you think. Share your ideas for simple toys, or strategies for cutting back when the toy box starts overflowing. If you're in Portland, you might consider participating in this toy and clothing swap at the Green Sprouts Family Fest on September 26th.

Lena Wood, labor & postpartum doula

Cascadia Birth Services, LLC
lena@cascadiabirth.com

www.cascadiabirth.com

503.307.8614

International Plastic Quilt Project

Nurture is joining the challenge to avoid single use plastics for 1 week by participating in the International Plastic Quilt Project#E82010. Any plastic that makes it into our lives during that week we make into an art piece that will be added to the quilt and displayed during First Thursday in the Pearl District.

Who will join us?

Join by registering at the International Plastic Quilt Project page (by October 17th). Make sure you list Nurture for the group, and then send an e-mail to us info@nurturepdx.org to let us know that you will be participating. Bring your artwork to Nurture on October 23rd at 12:30pm (right before the Who Does She Think She Is? screening); we can get a group photo of all of our pieces, and then I will deliver them to Create Plenty by the due date (October 25th).

Nurture is a gathering of families, wellness professionals, and community members who are coming together to promote the wellness of growing families and community. We believe that families are healthier when they are informed, connected, and empowered. Healthy communities grow healthy families, and we are working together to enhance the existing resources in Portland, OR.

We are participating in this project because we are concerned about the amount of toxins that our children are exposed to through plastics and the impact that plastics have on our planet. By decreasing the amount of plastics we bring into our homes, we are decreasing the exposure to those toxins and working towards eliminating the "need" for plastics in this world. This project is a great first step!

The International Plastic Quilt Project opening in Portland will be on November 4th.

Save the Date: Trash to Treasure

Start your spring cleaning now! The 2nd annual Trash to Treasure is coming up soon...

Saturday, April 24th

from 10-3pm

We have already started a Trash to Treasure area in our basement and a list of things to go. I also have a little wish list of things that I hope to find when I am there, things I have been waiting to seek elsewhere because last year I found so many needed items. (A rug is at the top of my list, so if you have a rug that you don't need...bring it there! please)

What is Trash to Treasure? It is a reuse/recycle/swap event that is perfectly timed for a spring cleaning frenzy....

Saturday, April 24th. The event will be held at 7535 N Chicago Ave, at the corner of N Chicago Ave and N Leonard St just above our swapnplay space at Red Sea church.

We will begin collecting reusable items on Friday the night before the event from 4pm to 8pm. Swapping of reusable goods and recycling collection will be on Saturday from 10am to 3pm.

Swapping is done on the honor system, as long as you bring something to contribute you are welcome to swap for other items based on what you think the value of your contributions total.

Suggested items for swap include clean & working:

• Clothes (children-adult)
• Accessories
• Books
• Toys
• Play Equipment
• Household Items
• Sporting Goods
• Electronics
• Furniture
• Tools
• Craft Supplies
• Art Supplies
• Damaged Clothing/Linens
• Building Materials
• Plants/Seeds
• Gardening Supplies (non-hazardous)

Recyclable items that will be accepted are:

• Block Styrofoam
• Packing Peanuts
• Rigid Plastics (like toys)
• Rinsed out 1-7 food containers
• Wood Waste
• Metals
• Tires
• All Electronics excluding broken microwaves
• Athletic Shoes
• Batteries (household & rechargeable)

Mixed Waste will be accepted at this event!

What we can not take at the event is:

• Yard Debris
• Broken Microwaves
• Sod
• Concrete
• Dirt
• Hazardous Waste
• Gas Powered Machines
• Landscaping Material
• AC Units

Volunteers: Lots of volunteers are needed to make this a successful event and ensure our efforts can be duplicated annually. Event volunteers have the best access to Swap items. Volunteers are needed to direct traffic, greet vehicles, unload and sort recyclables and unload and sort reusables. Shifts are only 2 hours long starting at 8:30am on Saturday. Snacks and beverages provided throughout the day. Lunch served to noon time volunteers. To volunteer or for more info about the event call Andrea Davey at 503-544-3996 or email: andreadavey@comcast.net.

Suggested donation for recyclables: $3-5/vehicle. Funds will go toward event expenses and planning for Trash to Treasure 2010.

There is no cost to participate in the reuse portion of Trash to Treasure. Swapping is done on the honor system. It’s as simple as bring what you don’t need, take what you do.

This event is sponsored in partnerships with: St Johns Neighborhood Association, Friend of Cathedral Park Neighborhood Association, Metro and Portland Office of Planning and Sustainability, Swapnplay and Red Sea Church.

Earth Hour

Thank you to g-diapers for the reminder about Earth Hour!



This coming Saturday, at 8:30pm, turn out your lights for an hour and participate in this global event. Here is a bit about Earth Hour from the website:

On Earth Hour hundreds of millions of people around the world will come together to call for action on climate change by doing something quite simple—turning off their lights for one hour. The movement symbolizes that by working together, each of us can make a positive impact in this fight, protecting our future and that of future generations. Learn more about how Earth Hour began, what we’ve accomplished, and what is in store for 2010.

We have it marked on our calendar, and I am looking forward to an hour of candle lit relaxation. I will be turning off all things electric, including this computer, to do something good for the planet and my mind. Join us!

Children's Book: The Bog Baby

Wow, it has been a long time since I have shared a favorite children's book. With the arrival of spring, The Bog Baby has come in quite handy, so I will share my love for it today...

Have you read this book? The Bog Baby is written by creature-loving Jeanne Willis, and illustrated by adorable-creature-creator, Gwen Millward. It is a sweet tale about two children who discover an adorable creature, the Bog Baby, and take it home to make it their pet. But Bog Baby's were not meant to live outside of their natural habitat (bogs); so lessons of the heart and nature (and honesty) are learned.

This is the perfect springtime book, as my children are becoming enamored with worms, grubs, and slugs, and they beg to adopt each one that they discover in the backyard to keep as a pet. But worms, slugs, and grubs are not meant to live in houses, and in houses they do not fare well. The Bog Baby has been a fabulous way to explain to them why worms, slugs, and grubs are best left in the backyard where they will thrive (or become chicken food, but that is another book).

I have to admit, I adopted many a frog, salamander, and firefly when I was a child. I want my children to experience a love for all creatures big and small, and respect for the impact that they can have with their actions. Not that I expect them to get that at 4 and 2 years old, but it is a starting point. In the back of the book there is a place to write down information about your Bog Baby finding experience, which has prompted several drawings and lists of details over here.

Have you read any of the many books that Jeanne Willis has written? She has written many, and I have loved all of the ones I have read. All of my Jeanne Willis favorites have lovely life lessons told in kind and gentle ways, just like in The Bog Baby. Draft Bat is another important life lesson in a sweet story book example.

I am also in love with Gwen Millward's illustrations; she brings sweetness and magic (two things I am very attracted to in books, obviously) to life. She also illustrated Guess What I Found in Dragonwood, by Timothy Knapman--and er illustrations make me want to live in Dragonwood. The Jeanne Willis and Gwen Millward team have a new love-all-creepy-crawlies book, The King of Tiny Things, which I hope to get my hands on soon...

THREE WAYS MAKE A STATEMENT ABOUT SINGLE USE PLASTIC

Hey Nurture Community, let's come up with a cool group project to participate in this exhibit. We could do something specific to family-life...

Connect with others around the globe and participate in the International Plastic Quilt Project (IPQP) as a 1-Squaremaker, 2-Challenge-Taker or 3-Change Creator!

You may participate in one of three different levels ranging from creating and submitting a square to the nearest IPQP exhibit, making a square while taking a plastic-free challenge, and/or organizing a local group. Groups are forming in Portland and Lincoln City, Oregon, the San Francisco Bay Area, Mexico and Kenya. Details, including entry forms and work from previous exhibits, are online at www.LNPB.org. Entry forms and small support fee due March 15, 2010. Email cheryl@createplenty.org if you have questions. Families wanted!

LNPB is a campaign of the non-profit organization Create Plenty (www.createplenty.org), an organization dedicated to increasing the production and consumption of more local products, reducing waste and creating plenty! "Think Ahead, Leave No Plastic Behind."

Do-It-Yourself (but with others) - body care workshops!

Create Plenty has body care product workshops for the next two weeks on Sat, Sun & Mon: Spots still available, but sign up soon for best results! Limit 8 people/session. Bring small to medium-sized containers that will fit 1-2 cups of your products! This is a fun activity for parents with children who like to cook! Aside from beeswax for a few products, these workshops are vegan! These can make nice gift sets!

Location: 1912 NE Killingsworth St, Portland, OR 97211

RSVP: dii@createplenty.org • Website: www.createplenty.org/kitchen.html • Cost: Unless otherwise listed is $10 for materials + 5-10 sliding scale donation.

Sat, Dec 5 - 11-1 p.m. BATH & LOTIONS Make lotions and bath products to suite any mood.

Come learn how for holiday gifting and as a treat for you! Cost $15 for materials + sliding scale donation

Sat, Dec 6 - 3-5 p.m. & Mon, Dec 7 - 6-8 p.m. MAKE YOUR OWN 'POO Shampoo that is. You'll be surprised how much you like these simple hair care recipes! Go home with what you've made, including two kinds of shampoos and conditioners.

Sat, Dec 12 - 11-1 p.m. OPEN PRODUCTION DAY We'll be cooking up a little bit of everything from previous classes including shampoos and conditioners, face care products and luxury bath items. Drop in and see what we're making and put together a lovely gift set for someone lucky. $3 per item, $2 if you help to make it!

Sun, Dec 13 - 3-5 p.m. & Mon, Dec 14 6-8 p.m. FACE CARE Mix and apply, this workshop is a facial and a workshop put together. Walk away with tips and several different products to use or gift! 12/13 (Sun) 3 p.m. - 5 p.m. 12/14 (Mon) 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Thur, Dec 17 - 6-7:30 p.m. LIP BALM Joy Leising from 100th Monkey Studios will help you make the best lip salve you've ever had. Another thoughtful gift idea for friends and family!

*Create Plenty is a nonprofit organization working to demonstrate replicable ways that incorporate more local people in the production and consumption of more local goods.

--
Think ahead, leave no plastic behind! http://www.lnpb.org/

Help launch Create Plenty, "a real food store/restaurant that will redefine convenience"...
http://www.createplenty.org/, http://www.thechangexchange.org/

Nurturing the Earth: May/June

On Earth Day this year, I made a pledge for my family to make changes towards more earth-friendly living. I pledged to use the computer three hours or less per day, have at least one car-free day per week, plant native plants on our parking strip, and find one new green change that we can make in our family, each month. How has it been going? The computer commitment has been difficult, but I have been close. I have been reading a lot more, which I am enjoying immensely! Having one car-free day each week was too easy, since we already do that; I may have to increase that to two days per week. The native plants are on hold, but I am going to replace that promise with another until I can look into a mini-grant through Portland Bureau of Environmental Services for our street.

As for the promise to find one new change each month: In May, I remembered that I had been given It's Easy Being Green: A Handbook for Earth-Friendly Living, and I pulled it out for help in finding ideas. This book is a terrific resource for examining areas in your day-to-day habits and finding areas that can be changed or improved. The book has a ton of resources, tips, and a whole section of ideas for improvements with boxes to check off as "want to target", "currently working on", and rate your success. The ideas, or "tips", are broken down into categories such as work, bathroom, kitchen, energy, etc. The great part about reading this book, for me, was seeing how much my family is already doing, as well as finding concrete ideas for doing more. Having the ideas broken down, as they are in the book, helps me find one specific change that we can implement each month. I chose to create a box in our house to store batteries that need to be recycled. That way, when an opportunity for recycling batteries comes up, such as Swap-n-Play's Trash to Treasure, I will have them ready to go.

I couldn't pass up posting this video clip, which I found when searching for a link to It's Easy Being Green-the same title as this clip...


Courtney Jarecki and her partner have started a Facebook pledge to get rid of one thing in their house each day for 50 days. For my June commitment, I have joined that and have been doing a modified version by getting rid of seven things each week and making sure that I bring those items to a place where they can be repurposed or reused. I am also implementing a "buy nothing" days during which I will not buy anything for 3 day blocks. I plan to do this each month, if not more often. Courtney shared this video to inspire downsizing, and I would like to share it with you.

crafty/creative family: make garden markers

As spring begins (happy spring to all), we have been finding ourselves drawn to the garden more and more despite the crazy Portland spring weather. Every bit of shining without clouds and every cloudy-yet-dryish chance we get we grab our seeds, boots, and shovels and get out. Playing in the dirt feels so good. I have saved seeds from years past to give my son something to plant when we have run out of seeds that are ready to be planted. He has gardens all over our yard and who knows, maybe we will have an extra bounty this year.

But Portland is Portland, the weather is fickle, and some days we just don't want to tough it out through a hail storm. While we are indoors, art projects are the next best thing to freely being messy in the dirt. Making garden markers is an activity that ties together two of our favorite activities!

What you will need:

• tongue depressors or Popsicle sticks or something similar (the wider the better)
• medium sized smooth rocks also make cool markers
• paint/water proof markers
• sealant that can withstand the elements

optional:

• ribbon, yarn, etc.
• beads
• glue that can withstand the elements
• pictures from magazines, etc.
• bendable wire
• bits, scraps, toys, etc.

Decorate the garden markers anyway that you would like. Write the name of the plant, paint a picture of the plant, decoupage a picture of the plant, create symbols of the plant, write a poem, blessing, quote, or thought about the plant...the possibilities are endless.

If you do not have sealant on-hand, you can create plant markers for the indoor starts or houseplants. Other favorite garden markers are random toys/parts of toys and plastic animal figurines to "keep watch" over the plants.

(pictures coming soon!)

crafty/creative family: make a terrarium

Terrariums are fun to create, educational, easy, and children love them.

You will need:

• a jar (glass or plastic) with a tight-fitting lid
• gravel
• charcoal (must be activated charcoal--can be found at most nurseries)
• sand
• moss or peat
• loose dirt/potting soil
• small hardy plants (water-loving)
• small objects for decoration

Start by cleaning the jar thoroughly. Add the gravel about 1/4 inch to cover the bottom. Add about the same amount of charcoal as you did the gravel. Combine the sand, moss/peat, and dirt and put the mixture on top of the charcoal. Add plants and decoration. We added moss on top of the dirt between the plants. Water the plants. Put the lid on...and that is it! You do not have to water it or do any other maintenance except an occasional pruning.

Succulent and/or cactus terrariums can be made with more sand in the soil-mix and no lid. This type of terrarium will need to be watered but not very often.

Kid’s and Maternity Clothes Swap

If you missed Nurture's last Naked Baby Party (don't worry, there will be more) you can always check out the kid's and maternity clothing swap hosted by PDXSwap on Sunday, March 8 at St. John's Library from 1:00 - 3:00.

PDXSwap has become a cornerstone in the Portland area for women and families who are looking to swap their wares. Space is limited to 22 folks, so be sure to RSVP by Saturday, February 28th by sending them an email (pdxkidswap@gmail.com) with the sizes you will be participating in and the number of guests you are bringing.

How
Gather up unwanted, outgrown and clean maternity and children's clothes and accessories and bring them to the swap. Your clothes should be in good condition with no rips, tears or stains. Your accessories should be in working order and clean.

There are no minimum requirements for how many items you have to bring or how many you can take, but PDXSwap does ask that you are courteous and generous.

It's okay to bring in different sizes than you want to leave with. And of course, don't forget to bring a bag to carry your treasures home.

When
Sunday, March 8th
1:00pm to 3:00pm
Note: This is the Sunday of the Spring time change, don't forget to set your clocks ahead.

1:00 - 1:30 - Size 7 to 14+ (Kid Sizes)
1:30 - 2:00 - Size 2T to 6x (Child Sizes)
2:00 - 2:30 - Preemie to 24 months and maternity clothing (Baby and Mommy-to-be sizes)

Be sure to arrive a little early before your swap.

Where
St. John's Library in the meeting room (to the left toward the back of the library)
7510 N Charleston Avenue (at Lombard)
Portland, Or 97203
503.988.5397

More Details
Space is limited to 22 people and PDXSwap asks that you leave children at home if possible or try to bring someone to read with them in the library while swapping.

Clothes will be separated into size groups and marked with signs. The swap will begin as soon as everyone has finished placing their clothes in the appropriate size piles.

Items that do not get swapped will be donated to low income and high needs families in the Portland community (YES!)
If you have any questions about the swap or want to get on their email list, contact pdxkidswap@gmail.com

Friday Professional Features: Rebecca Andersson

To celebrate the fabulous family-friendly community we enjoy here in Portland, we will be featuring local mamas and professionals interview-style or, when we are feeling wild, some other format. Featured Mama on Monday and Friday Professional Features.

Rebecca Andersson

I am a mama to Zoe (11 yo) and Esmee (almost 3 yo), is a cultural anthropologist by training who now spends her days learning how to nourish her family, build community and tread lighter on our planet by "refunctioning" the tasks of domesticity, child rearing and home making.

Business Name:

Portland Green Parenting

Tell us a bit about the wonderful work you do:

Portland Green Parenting is a local, welcoming parenting community with a focus on being "green" and how to live sustainably while raising our children. PGP connects and supports families through an active and resourceful online forum as well as through lots of fun family friendly events, workshops, potlucks, food buying groups and more. We can help make it easier to shop locally and in season for organic produce and natural foods-- all while on a budget! We also offer Earth and family friendly products through our small web shop.

How did you discover this path?:

PGP came about after our family relocated to Portland from CA in 2007. It was a way of addressing my need for connection, community, friendship and learning in our brand new location where we knew next to no one. I feel blessed that PGP spoke to lots of other families and rapidly grew into the wonderful community it is today.

What do you cherish most about your work?

I am excited to be making a difference in the lives of new parents! I really enjoy getting feedback about how PGP can help new mamas, who sometimes might be feeling lonely or isolated, meet new friends and make real connections with each other. I also really appreciate knowing that PGP helps families eat organic, local food at affordable prices. Being part of a community and seeing these real connections and friendships happen is very exciting and empowering. It feels like, together, we really can make a difference!

Share a family-friendly tip:

Join a co-op! It's a great way to pool your resources with friends and neighbors to save time, money, and energy and get tasks accomplished while having fun and building real relationships with others.

Contact info., hours, etc.:

Portland Green Parenting website
rebecca@portlandgreenparenting.com

St. John's Swap -n- Play

Have you ever had an experience when you wish for something and then, a few days later, there it is? I had one recently...

A few months ago I heard about the Sunnyside Swap Shop and wished out loud that we had one in our area. About a month or so later, I was walking by a shop near my house and in the window there was a sign announcing the opening of Swap-n-Play in St. John's! The open house was scheduled for January 10th! This was most exciting news to me...news that I had meant to post on this blog, but life is so full and busy, it just escaped me.

I almost missed the open house, but I thankfully ran into a friend who reminded me just in time and I made it before it was over.

Not only was I impressed with the program's structure, but I also met several parents with whom I am looking forward to spending more time there.

A naked baby (family) party, an indoor park, a household tool library, and a community center all in one...just what I need to get through the rest of the winter...just when I needed it, as the longing for spring seems to be here a month early this year.

Check out the Swap -n- Play. If you are interested in swapping toys and clothes, but just can't commit to a program right now, join us on January 18th for Nurture's Naked Baby Party. Of course, you can always do both!

Naked Baby Party

Naked Baby Party

at Nurture

When: Sunday, January 18, 2009
Time: 1:00pm-3:00pm
Where: Nurture ~ 1614 N.E. Alberta St.

What to Bring: Please bring your gently used children’s clothing, toys, and books. Please make sure they do not have stains, rips or tears, broken zippers, or missing buttons. We are looking for clothing from Newborn to 5T.

Items include any and all clothing, socks and tights, shoes, coats and hats. Please bring a bag to carry home all of your new items!

Any leftover items will be donated.

We look forward to seeing all of you there!

Friday Professional Features: Chris Musser

To celebrate the fabulous family-friendly community we enjoy here in Portland, we will be featuring local mamas and professionals interview-style or, when we are feeling wild, some other format. Featured Mama on Monday and Friday Professional Features.

Here is our first Friday Professional Feature!

Chris Musser

I am a homeschooling homemaking momma to two littles, ages 5-1/2 and almost 3. I've lived in Portland for over 12 years now and love this wonderful green spot on our planet. I have always loved to cook and been fascinated with how our ancestors prepared food without all the conveniences most Americans have today. Growing up, I helped my family raise vegetables in our kitchen garden, butcher hogs on my uncle's farm, and can endless jars of food for what I jokingly referred to then as our "Armageddon Pantry." In my 20s, I taught myself to cook classic French cuisine and treated my friends to lavish multi-course dinner parties. In my 30s, I learned to make sushi and curries and began exploring my Pennsylvania Dutch and Italian food roots. In my 40s, bread baking, cheese making, lacto-fermentation, canning, and other lost arts entered my culinary repertoire. Throughout, I have sought whole organic food, out of concern for the health of farmers, the Earth, and my family.

Business name/service:

Lost Arts Kitchen

Tell us a bit about the wonderful work you do:

I teach small, hands-on cooking classes for people who want to cook wholesome, delicious meals at home, using predominantly local, organic ingredients. In my classes, I share how to save money and time finding, storing, and preparing real food. I like to say that my classes are for Real People who want Real Food on a Real Budget. My classes are suited to novice cooks wanting hands-on experience to familiarize themselves with the tastes, aromas, textures, and appearance of real food and experienced cooks wanting to expand their culinary repertoire or learn how to find and store local, organic food on a budget. I teach a variety of classes: bread baking, cheese making, lacto-fermentation, eating local and with the seasons, stocking and using a pantry, cooking for the freezer, canning, and making sushi, pizza, pasta, pie crusts, and stock. My husband may teach home smoking--he makes the most
fantastic smoked salmon!

A special service I offer is shopping for and helping to prepare meals for the freezer--what I call "Homemade in Hibernation." This is especially geared for families expecting a new baby. The family and I figure out three or four meals to prepare in advance and decide on a budget for whatever is needed. I shop, bring my own recipes and equipment if necessary, then help prepare the food while sharing my tips for adjusting recipes when cooking for the freezer, making quick accompaniments, and incorporating big batch cooking into everyday meal prep.

How did you discover this path?:

Over the years, I have found myself inviting friends over for cooking and food preservation lessons, blogging about my kitchen exploits, sharing my techniques and recipes with who ever would listen. As a busy mom raising two young children on a single income, I've had to develop many time- and money-saving techniques that allow me to feed my family good food without spending hours in the kitchen everyday or breaking our budget every month. With the specters of economic recession, climate change, and peak oil looming, I felt called to help people learn to save money by preparing food at home, support our local food system, and live lightly on the Earth. Food is so primal--most of us get to make choices about what to eat three or more times a day--and those choices have a tremendous impact on our personal health, the health of the people who grow our food, and the health of our planet. I also know, though, that making the transition from the Standard American Diet to one that's more sustainable isn't simple. Many of us don't know how to cook or find the ingredients used in whole foods cooking mysterious. I want to smooth the path for people, introducing them to ingredients, strategies, and techniques for make preparing good food without adding more stress and work to their lives.

What do you cherish most about your work?

I have had a lot of J-O-B jobs in my life--just doing what I had to do to pay my way in the world. I have had jobs that I liked well enough, but felt I still wasn't really doing something of real lasting value. Now, I am doing something I feel is really important, really valuable, and what I love is hearing from people who "get it," who appreciate what my classes offer and why now more than ever, we all need to learn to cook real food.

Share a story about helping someone:

I have a good friend who until recently, didn't cook. Her husband cooked or they got take out. She took my baking basics class in the fall and has turned into a cooking whirlwind! I can't take credit for her turn around, but I think that by opening the door to my kitchen, showing her how to do one thing well, she gained some confidence and now she's off! Everytime I read about her latest kitchen exploits on her blog, I feel really proud of her and honored that I was able to be a bit of inspiration.

Share a family-friendly tip:

Don't be afraid to let your young children help! I know I was worried about potential burns and cuts with my first. I finally relaxed a bit and figured out ways to bring her into the kitchen safely. We talk about hot stuff and sharp stuff. She has issues with attention and impulse control--just like a lot of kids. When she's in the kitchen with me, instead of worrying about getting dinner done "on time," I focus on her and talk with her about what she's doing, what's happening to the food she's preparing. My little one, he's almost always by my side in the kitchen, asking about ingredients, tasting, helping me scoop and pour. Whenever I bake bread, I make extra dough for the two of them to make their own creations--this is the original play dough! The kitchen is a fantastic place to learn about chemistry, history, farming, math and to create wonderful memories.

Contact info., hours, etc.:

Lost Arts Kitchen is on the web at LostArtsKitchen.com, naturally! Classes are typically held at my home in outer NE Portland on Friday evenings or Saturday mornings. I am also available for private lessons and have been asked to teach at some other venues in town--more information about that as we firm up schedules and so on. Sign up for my newsletter for updates! I send out cooking tips, seasonal recipes, sustainable food news and class updates once a month.

Mothers Milk Bank

A group of volunteers have started to create a non-profit milk bank called, Northwest Mothers Milk Bank, based here in Portland. Northwest Mothers Milk Bank is applying for membership with the Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA) and will join eleven other HMBANA member milk banks in north America (milk bank location map). Currently the closest milk bank to Portland is in San Jose, CA.

On their website, the Northwest Mothers Milk Bank describes what a milk bank does:

A milk bank screens, collects, processes and dispenses donated human milk as a community service, providing human milk to babies whose own mothers cannot supply the milk to meet their baby’s needs.

There are several ways you can help Northwest Mothers Milk Bank fulfill their goals:

• Make a financial contribution
• Volunteer as a Board Member or a Medical Advisory Board Member
• Volunteer as a medical advisory board member
• Join a committee: Education/Outreach, Fundraising, or Program Committees
• Share your expertese and volunteer to help with graphic design, fundraising, or grant writing
• Help Northwest Mothers Milk Bank find a home (office space)
• Donate milk- even though Northwest Mothers Milk Bank is not quite ready to start accepting milk donations, you can donate milk to Mothers' Milk Bank of California or Mothers' Milk Bank of Denver
• Use the GoodSearch search engine and select NWMMB

For more information, visit Northwest Mothers Milk Bank's website. They have a link to their first newsletter which includes information about why a local milk bank is important. You can sign-up to receive the newsletter by submitting your e-mail address at the bottom of the website home page. The website also has a donation link.

Green Cleaners Workshop

Nurture will be hosting Portland Green Parenting's
Green Cleaners Workshop

This hands-on workshop will teach you how to make several natural, safe household cleaners, including kitchen cleansers, diaper pail deodorizer, tub and tile cleaner, floor mop, all-purpose household cleaner, antiseptic soap spray, and air deodorizer. Feel good about not using any harsh chemicals that can be absorbed through the skin or having dangerous fumes inhaled by your family, and enjoy how your home sparkles and smells! The class includes everything you will need to get started: several containers and bottles, most of the ingredients (see note about equipment below), and written recipes for you to keep. I will share with you where to buy the ingredients in bulk/at wholesale prices to save money. You will save hundreds of dollars over time compared to store bought cleaners. And you will spare landfills so much packaging, too, since the bottles are reusable over and over.

NOTE: Since essential oils can be pricey and we all prefer different scents, please bring a few of your own. Recommended scents include lemon, peppermint, and lavender. Essential oils are not absolutely necessary, but they do add yummy scents and make the cleaning experience aromatherapeutic and so much more pleasant! Also, bring your own 1-2 oz bottle of tea tree oil. We will only use a few dropper fulls of the oils at the workshop, so they will last you a long time. You will also need funnels (wide mouth and regular), measuring cups and spoons, a large mixing bowl, fork and a spatula (Pyrex and metal utensils are preferred since essential oils can melt plastic). Bring your own labels or a sharpie to label your containers too, and a bag to carry it all home!

$20 + $25 materials

June 22, 2008 3pm-5pm

At Nurture: 1614 NE Alberta
Register Here

Sustainable Living on a Budget Workshop

Nurture will be hosting Monique Dupree's
Sustainable Living on a Budget Workshop:
**NOTE: This workshop will be held at a different location.**
Introductory Sustainable Living on a Budget Workshop
This workshop teaches you how to live sustainably on a budget. You’ll learn how to save money while buying local and organic groceries. Eliminate the need to go to the grocery store so often, simplify your cupboards, and purify your home by eliminating plastics and chemical based products and oh SO much more. We will “walk” through a typical home and discuss what is found in them that is not “green” and how to replace these items. You will be surprised how many items are petroleum based or sprayed with chemicals. You will leave with a wealth of practical information, a notebook full of resources and the knowledge to implement it in your life, and– you will see a difference in your grocery bill right away! Other topics discussed in the Intro. workshop include:

• Save money on groceries and all household items, big and small


• Eliminate trips to the grocery store


• Shop and cook in season


• What you can make from scratch that will save you $$


• Elimate processed foods


• Eliminating plastics (how to replace them with other materials) and purifying your home


• Shop with alternatives in mind


• The importance of daily and weekly rhythms


• Conscious consuming


• Small changes that have a big impact on the earth


• The value of supporting our local economy


• Involve your children of any age in these daily tasks and much more..

$35.00/person
June 18, 2008 7pm-9pm at Cube Space, 622 SE Grand Ave. Portland, 97214

(adults only event)
Register Here