This Autumns Fireplace

So anyone who knows me knows that every turn of the season I am filled with envy for all those with homes which have beautiful big porches and steps to decorate outside their home. We dont have a step and my front door isn’t the least bit desirable at the moment being old, PVC and not in great condition. So our fireplace which we had renovated last year has become my place to showcase the season. When we moved into our home in 2017 we removed the old fire surround to find the chimney breast seemingly falling in, it had to be investigated and fortunately it as not all falling in, it had been filled in (badly) with bricks to close it. We had the bricks removed, cleaned up as best we could the bricks inside the opening and a new surround put in. Because of the condition of the existing chimney we decided against a real log burner and instead installed this amazing electric one which uses steam with a light to make super realistic flames. The builder at the time thought it fireplace seemed ‘too grand’ for the room, but as it was finished close to Christmas he himself exclaimed it was a fire fit for St Nick and that he loved it, and we have ever since, it has provided such a focal point to the room.

The leaves I first dipped in beeswax after cleaning and patting them dry, this year I stitched together in bunches before tying them and gluing them to a stick hung from string which is looped around the fire surround. I love how they almost look they are still hanging from a tree.

Of course we cannot forget the pumpinks, a couple of pinecones and some spare leaves, I feel like a lovely glass of apple punch is in order this evening in front of the ’fire’

Do you like decorating your home? What season is for you?

Our Autumn Read-aloud and Flash Cards

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Fostering a love of books, of storytelling, of language and being read to in childhood is so important.

In Steiner Waldorf, early reading is not encouraged, but storytelling from the heart is the ideal. Being read to sits somewhere between the two. I understand and agree with Steiner’s Anthroposophical reasons for not reading until age 7 and indeed the very valid reasons for allowing children to come to reading of their own accord.

Reading falls separate to this - we are a home of books, and being read to is a very different journey and experience than that of being sat down and told to read when a child is not ready.

In Steiner Waldorf Early Childhood, storytelling from the heart from one person to another is the Holy Grail of communication - indeed as it has been the world over for thousands of years.

The next best ideal for me is sitting snuggly with a lovely book, reading to my child.

As I explore this month in my October pack, a Gateways 2011 article by Lauren Hickman entitled ‘Working with parents to reduce

children's media exposure’ refers to reading as a ‘childhood essential’ alongside loving relationships,

shared mealtimes, games, time in nature etc. Furthermore studies have shown that very young

children make links with language when they can see an image accompanying it, a picture or a

puppet - it helps them build vital connections in the brain and enriches their experiences.

So with that here are our Autumn read alouds, which alongside oral storytelling and the monthly poems and songs from my pack weave a rich tapestry of words and language into our days

I‘ve had lots of questions about my Art choices for this season, here they are...

Books we have are:

Pippa and Pelle and the Autumn Wind by Daniela Drescher

Autumn by Gerda Muller

Owl Babies by Martin Waddell and Patrick Benson

Through my window by Tony Bradman and Eileen Browne

We’re going on a bear hunt by Michael Rosen and and Helen Oxenbury

Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn by Kennard Pak

Out and About, a first book of poems by Shirley Hughes

Pumpkin Soup by Helen Cooper

Slow Down, by Rachel Williams

Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert

Hello Harvest Moon by Ralph Fletcher

Children of the Forest by Elsa Beskow

All Around Me, A first book of childhood by Shirley Hughes

Seasons come, seasons go, Tree by Britta Teckentrup

A Year Around the Great Oak by Gerda Muller

Mis Maples Seeds, by Eliza Wheeler.

The Very Helpful Hedgehog by Rosie Wellesley

Art Cards

HENRI ROUSSEAU, Eiffel Tower at Sunset, 1910, Private Collection

DAVID HOCKNEY, Woldgate Woods, 2008, Private Collection

CLAUDE MONET, Autumn on the Seine at Argenteuil, 1873, High Museum of Art

PIERRE BONNARD, Autumn View, 1912, Private Collection

EDWARD HOPPER, October on Cape Cod, 1946, Private Collection

VINCENT VAN GOGH, Landscape with Trees, 1881, Museum Boijmans Van Bennington, Netherlands

GUSTAV KLIMT, Birch Forest, 1902, Private Collection

VINCENT VAN GOGH, Landscape with four trees, 1885, Kroller-Muller Museum Otterlo.

GEORGIA O’KEEFE, Autumn Leaves, 1924, Private Collection

CHILDE HASSAM, Autumn Boulevard, Paris, Private Collection

WILLIAM H JOHNSON Lunchtime Rest, 1940-1941, Smithsonian American Art Museum

WILLIAM H JOHNSON, Windmill, 1930-35, Smithsonian American Art Museum

PAUL GAUGUIN, Landscape in Arles near the Alyscamps, 1888, Musee d’Orsay

EGON SCHIELE, Four Trees, 1917, Belvedere, Vienna

KATSUSHIKA HOKUSAI, Peasants in Autumn, Guimet Museum

WASSILY KANDINSKY, Autumn in Murnau, 1908, Private Collection

JEAN-FRANCOIS MILLET, Haystacks Autumn, 1873, Private Collection

Happy Autumn

Kelly x

A Naturally Clean Home.

So I have been on and off over the past two years been trying to start our journey into ridding toxins from our home. One thing and another has come up and after much reading, research and testing recipes I finally started the journey this past week.

Over the years as I have learnt about the Carcinogenic properties of chemicals lurking in products we use every day, which we put on our clothes, on our skin, in the air into our homes - I have known that we need to make a change, not only for our long term health but for the environment too. So over the next weeks and months as I ‘ditch and switch’ my store bought products I have some goals I would like to achieve;

1. Make my own natural cleaning and laundry products which are toxin free and kinder to the environment.

2. Replace my love of air fresheners with homemade solutions (I already make my own candles) Use essential oils as part of our daily rhythm to promote mindfulness, balance hormones and boost immunity when used regularly.

3. Make our own skincare and haircare products.

4. Reduce plastic waste in my home

Alongside this I am also introducing more superfoods into our diet, we eat mostly vegetarian food but do still eat meat from time to time. I cant honestly ever see us giving up meat, but i am certainly conscious that we buy it from a local butcher from locally farmed meat and only consume meat once or twice a week at most.

My first serious make for a less toxic home

So I have been using my new homemade laundry powder and fabric softener for over a week now, it works great, has worked on heavily soiled items from the little one (grass stains, pasta sauce stains etc) and has left clothes smelling naturally fresh and feeling clean. I am so happy with the results and at around 10 pence per wash its a winner. Here is how I made them.

Washing Powder (fills a 1.8l jar)

• 1kg Soda Crystals

• 2 Bars of Soap (I used a natural Castile Soap made with olive oil, you could use any other natural un-scented pure soap)

• 10 drops of lemon essential oil

Simply grate the soap, I used a food processor, add the soda crystals to the bowl of grated soap and oil and mix, store in a jar and add a heaped tablespoon to each wash - a little more if a large wash or heavily soiled if needed.

Fabric Softener (fills a 1.8l jar)

• 1.5litre of White Vinegar

• 20 drops of lemon essential oil or any other oil you wish.

Simply pour the vinegar in the jar, add the oil to the top, shake well before each use, I add a 1/4 cup of this to my washing machine drawer.

Clothers come out with a fresh scent (no vinegar smell!) I do like clothes to be a little scented so this weekend I will be making some wool dryer balls which will hold essential oils, great for their winter month using the dryer and they help speed up drying time so they save energy too. Ill post when done.

If you haven’t tried washing powder and softner have a go at this and make the switch, you won't regret it and it feels so good knowing you are helping the environment.