Sharing a Little About Me

hello fabulous GoatNotes Readers! I am slowly pulling myself up out of the pile of work I have been buried under this last week. I'm still not done, but I can see the finish line.

While reading countless papers, I did make a little time to write a guest post for the Lazy Lollipop. I tried to share a bit about me, what I do, my hopes, my dreams and maybe just a little too much information about labels. You can find the whole article here.

Would love to hear your thoughts, and I know comments are always loved! Happy Tuesday friends.

Upcycled Bangle Tutorial

Hello Fabulous readers! So,  about a week and a half ago I guest posted over at the amazing Desirous of Everything blog. I did a nifty little up-cycled bangle tutorial, which you should absolutely check out when you have a chance! In the midst of the move my pre-scheduled post didn't post...my blogger was having MAJOR issues during that week. Anyhoo-zees, you can check it out here: Desirous of Everything

Guest Post:Beginners Guide to Kevin Henkes

I am so thrilled to share with you this thoughtful guest post from Sarah of Desirous of Everything. It's been so much fun to work with her and pick her librarian brain for good reads for the wee ones (she's a children's librarian who lives in NY!). She's a wealth of knowledge of good books, so read what she has to say here and check out her lovely blog for more! Thanks Sarah!

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Hi Goat Notes readers!  My name is Sarah and I blog over at Desirous of Everything.  I am a children's librarian  and am excited to share with you all books by one of my favorite children's book authors of all time.  Kevin Henkes!

Now maybe some of you hip Goat Notes reading mamas have already heard of Kevin Henkes, but I'm always surprised by the amount of people who haven't!  One of my favorite things about this author is his range.  His books range from very young picture books, to picture books for older children, to middle grade novels.  So you can continue to enjoy his books as your child grows, and if you're like me (I don't have kids but LOVE kid's books) then I'm absolutely positive that you will enjoy them too!

Here is an little starting guide for the Henkes beginner.  Look for him on the shelves the next time you make a trip to the library, I'm sure you'll be glad that you did!

A Beginners Guide to Kevin Henkes

Picture books Ages 2 and up:

Kitten's First Full Moon

From Amazon: "In this beautiful picture book, winner of the 2005 Caldecott Medal, Kevin Henkes, captures the sweet, sometimes slapstick struggle of Kitten, who sees her first full moon and thinks it's a bowl of milk in the sky."  How adorable is that story line? Not only is the story funny, but the black and white illustrations are striking.  Any toddler who has wanted something that's just out of there reach will relate to this story.  And don't worry, Kitten gets what she wants in the end.

A Good Day

Even three year olds can have a bad day sometimes, right?  This book tries to figure out what can turn a bad day into a good day, with colorful illustrations of adorable animals that give you the urge to hug something. Like maybe that three year old sitting in your lap and listening to this story.

Picture books ages 4 and up: "The Mouse Books"

Kevin Henkes has created a cast of adorable and memorable mouse characters that appear in his nine different "Mouse Books."  You'll want to read all of these and be picking your favorites right away.  I know Lilly is a really popular favorite, but I'm partial to Chrysanthemum and Chester and Wilson, myself.  It's hard to narrow down, but here are my top two:

Chester's Way

I will always love this book because I owned it as a child and grew up listening to my mother read it to me.  "Chester and Wilson, Wilson and Chester, that's the way it was.  Until Lilly moved into the neighborhood."  I leave it at that.  It is a very perfect friendship story.

Julius, the Baby of the World

Just the title of this book cracks me up.  You have to say it with emphasis, so you can really picture Lilly (the star of this book and the same Lilly from Chester's Way) rolling her eyes.  You see, Julius is Lilly's brand new baby brother, and her parents love him so very much.  Lilly, um, not so much.  She loved him before he was born in her mother's belly, but now that he's arrived, she asks her parents when he's leaving (hilarious) and whispers things into his crib while he's sleeping such as, "If you were a number you'd be zero."  A great read for older siblings when the new baby finally arrives.

Chapter book ages 10 and up

Olive's Ocean

What if a girl in your class died when you were twelve years old?  What if you barely knew that girl, but found out that she wrote in her journal how she thought you were "the nicest person in the whole class," and wanted to get to know you better?  That's what happens to Martha.  Olive Barstow was killed by a car a month earlier, and the book starts with Olive's mother telling Martha  that she thinks her daughter would have wanted Olive to have that journal entry.  Henkes manages to write a moving coming of age story about Martha, a girl examining her sense of self, relationship with her parents and friends and hopes for the future all with the startling and moving news about Olive in the background.  This is Olive's story as much as it is Marthas.  A beautiful novel that I highly recommend adults read too.


So those are my top five books for the Henkes beginner!  Thanks for reading and please stop by Desirous of Everything where I blog about books, writing my own stories and my own personal adventures too. I'd love to meet you!

Keepsake Home Decor- Guest Post With Paige of Final Clothes-Out

Today I am so happy to have Paige of Final Clothes-Out join us with an innovative home decor project. She always has tips for frugal and stylish living, so check out her blog and please give her some comment love!

Hello! I'm Paige from FinalClothes-Out, and a big thanks to Julia for inviting me to post here today. My blog is all about saving money when you shop--and a large part of that is knowing when to just make something yourself.  Today I have an easy, versatile art project I put together for less than $5.00.

It's great for kids (or people like me who prefer to craft while they catch up on episodes of Project Runway, and therefore can't use their entire brain), and it only takes about 15 minutes.

You will need:
a piece of wood (canvas or foam board will also work)
letters or numbers
paint
paintbrush
glue (optional)

I used leftover wood from a bookshelf I refinished last month, and I already had the paint and paintbrushes. The stickers were 40% off at JoAnn the day I went, so they only set me back $2.99. (And I still have a ton of them left for other projects.) If you don't have any wood, canvas or even foam board would be a good alternative.

First, I decided what I wanted my artwork to say. I was considering "total awesome sauce" but I decided to stick with my wedding anniversary instead.

Since my numbers were acutally scrapbooking stickers, I just put them on the wood and pressed firmly for a few seconds. If you're using anything non-sticky, this is the time to glue it down.

After your letters/numbers are in place, it's time to paint. I used grey craft paint mixed with Dutch Boy no VOC flat wall paint. This helped me get better coverage on the wood (since it just sucks the paint right in). If you don't have any wall paint handy, three coats of the craft variety will get you the same results.

Finally, I let it dry and that was it! Easy, right?

This project is extremely versatile, too: I could add a hook and turn it into wall art, put magnets on the back and stick it on the fridge, prop it up next to my favorite books on a shelf, or leave it as-is and send it to work with Hubsey for his bare cubicle (which is probably what will happen).

Not too bad for only $2.99!

Thank you Paige! I think I will be making one of these with my son's birth date and maybe for his new room. Please check out Paige's fabulous blog Final Clothes-Out when you get a chance. She always has the best advice, coolest cheap finds and just a savy know-how.

{Grow Your Own Potatoes} With Laura Watts of Cubit's Organics

Meet Laura Watts, The Face Behind Cubit's 

Hello New and Returning Readers! I am thrilled to share with you today a guest post from fellow blogger Laura Watts.  Laura is the face behind Cubit's, an etsy shop that sells rare, heirloom and organic seeds while blogging about gardening, local food and natural parenting over at www.CubitsOrganics.com Here's a great video featuring Laura and her helper Rebecca as they demonstrate their commitment to growing their own and eating local:  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vw1Nz0mYSs

Today Laura is going to share with you her creative methods of growing a garden in just about anything! 

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Potatoes are absolutely one of the easiest things to grow and you can plant them in just about anything.




For years we grew them in a series of old garbage cans that we had drilled holes in and even in a big flower pot in our old kitchen.

Then we moved on to growing a clawfoot bathtub full of potatoes which I somehow don't have a photo of.  This year its full of beans and greens.

This year I’m reusing some grow bags that were given to us and I have them growing in a completely neglected space.  It’s the retaining wall of our front yard and neighbours parking space.  There are some hanging and some just tucked behind my bicycle.

 So to plant potatoes first you’ll need some seed potatoes.  You can either buy these specially or use ones from the grocery store that have grown eyes.  Its best to go organic as some grocery store potatoes have been treated so they wont grow eyes, but really most will work especially if you gently wash them. Be careful not to scrub off those eyes, that’s where the shoots are going to grow.




This year we're planting a combination of organic heirloom seed potatoes including Russian Blues and Purples as well as Rose Finn Apple fingerlings and a bag of organic red potatoes that sprouted on us by accident.

 You can either plant the whole potato or cut them up.  It’s a matter of personal preference.  I cut mine in half, making sure there is at least one eye per piece and then leave them in a dark spot for the cut to heal over night.

 Potatoes need about 6 hours of sun a day. I have normally tucked them away somewhere sort of cool and find they fill a less than perfect corner of the garden. These ones are in a planter in front of the composter.

As they grow, you will add more soil, maybe every two weeks I add a shovel full or so.




After anywhere from 2-4 months the leaves will turn brown and die.  That’s how you know its time to harvest! Use your hands if possible as a trowel can really wreck the tender new potatoes. I have just dumped the entire pot over on the patio in the past.  Quick and dirty.




Planting, growing and harvesting potatoes are all excellent activities for kids.  You really can’t mess it up and digging for them at the end of the season is like a little treasury hunt. Also I haven't met a kid that wont eat a potato so its an excellent activity to show where our food comes from.

GIVEAWAY!!!

 Now a little give away.  Use the comments to tell us your favourite food to grow in a container for a chance to win a copy of Lara Lucretia’s An Illustrated Guide to Growing Food on your Balcony along with three packs of carrot, dill and leek seeds from Cubit's. This combo perfectly demonstrates companion planting with potatoes in that if they taste good together, they probably grow well together (ie potato leek pizza).

step by step recap
Find a large container with good drainage.
Prepare your seed potatoes.
Plant your potatoes in well draining soil.
Ongoing water and basic care.
Add more soil.
Harvest!
Eat!

So, what’s your favourite food to grow in a container? make sure to leave your email or twitter handle so we can contact you.

Giveaway is Closed

Winner will be chosen by random on June 30th, 2011 and will have 48 hours to respond with mailing address.


The Winner is Jessica of http://thegoodlittlelife.blogspot.com/! Congratulations!

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