Waldorf Homeschool U

Waldorf Homeschool U is here! Click the picture below to register. Every homeschooling family will want to be a part of this wonderful event.

Living the Waldorf Life

As a conscious parent your goals are to nourish your child as a whole individual, give them confidence to express themselves in their unique way, nurture creativity balance and independent thinking, allow them to focus on what interests them, cultivate a love for learning and more important- allow them enjoy being a child. “Living the Waldorf Life” by The Waldorf Connection, gives parents the opportunity to learn within a structured program that will guide but not overwhelm. It lays out the main elements to providing a simplistic, natural lifestyle for your family.

Complete with real life examples, tools, handouts and resources, this course 
will clear away the confusion and replace it with understanding. It will allow you 
to say, “Yes! I can do that.” It will show you how.

Wherever you may be on this path, “Living the Waldorf Life” will meet you there with practical nuts-n-bolts solutions, guidance and a chance to buddy-up with other parents just like you.
There is great cultural pressure to “hurry” our children into… everything. Academics, sports, classes, and basically a scheduled life.

This course is designed to provide you with tools to gain family & friends support as you take the path less traveled, so to speak. The course is simple to participate in, easy to implement, and affordable.


Check out all the details by clicking here!

Dye and Fiber Retreat

Samples of our work from 2012: woven baskets, handspun yarns, knitting, crocheting, glass pebble bowls, sprang, embroidery, space-dyed roving, tie-dyed clothing, plant-dyed ribbons and silks, copper-etching

This year's Dye and Fiber Retreat, hosted by Griffin Dyeworks will be on June 14-16 near Castaic, CA (just North of Los Angeles). Spend three blissful days camping, eating (there is a camp cook!), dyeing, knitting, spinning, weaving, and more. Classes and demos in a relaxed atmosphere. To register: www.griffindyeworks.com. Jennifer will be teaching the basics of freeform crochet and Tunisian crochet.

By the way...I used Grammarly to grammar check this post, because with a baby nursing in my lap, and children, cats and bunnies needing my attention (three litters born this month!), I have to type more quickly than ever!

Ricky learning how to make a drop spindle

Jennifer, Joey, and Linden selling supplies and teaching crochet

Our camping tent at the retreat.

Wilson learning how to space dye

Rick, Ricky and Joey weaving baskets

Global Waldorf Expo 2013!

Do you need guidance and support to help you in your homeschool planning, rhythm & parenting? Are you ready to receive practical ideas, guidance & inspiration for your homeschooling lessons and family rhythms?

If you said YES! I would like to invite you to the 4th Global Waldorf Expo, an amazing virtual conference so you can be on your way to increasing your level of knowledge with ease. By attending this event, YOU can take away nuggets of wisdom helping you make an even bigger difference in the lives of your children & family.

The 3rd Global Waldorf Expo will run May 17-19. Join 14 of the Top Teachers & Experts in Waldorf Education and Parenting for this No Cost Virtual Online Event. Creating Your Own Curriculum, Planning Your Block Rotations, Introduction to Waldorf, Storytelling, Music,

Building Character through Education and more.

Ready to reserve your seat? It’s Totally FREE. 

Here's the link:

http://thewaldorfconnection.com/dap/a/?a=8&p=www.globalwaldorfexpo.com/2013

Fixing up an old Waldorf Doll

Many of us think about either making or purchasing a Waldorf doll for our children. Another option to consider is accepting a hand-me-down doll and fixing her up!

Our niece Sydney had a much-loved Waldorf doll named Kiki for years. She had a beautiful wood wardrobe and a variety of clothes sewn and crocheted. Sydney is now 13, so the doll was passed down to her cousin, Linden.

The body was in great shape. There were dark spots on the face and hands that were cleaned by hand with soft soap and a wet wash-cloth. We let the doll dry and lighten up in the sun for a day.

The hair was ratted and removed easily. Instead of blonde, we made her brunette. The hair was first created by crocheting a wig cap, and then looping strands of wool, silk and mohair boucle along the edge.  The hair is long enough to put into a ponytail or two pigtails.

We then sewed new olive green eyes over the previous blue embroidery threads.  Thus, her new name, "Olive"! We also sewed some darker pink threads over the light pink mouth.

We are enjoying playing with Olive and crocheting her new shoes.  She is so loved!

(knitted hat and sweater by Mama Judes on Etsy)

Learning Anatomy Through Art

Learn the cross-hatching technique as you draw muscles and bones of the human body! Dr. Rick Tan shows you how in a video available in our Etsy shop and at the Bearth Institute.

Appropriate for grade 8 Waldorf on up, although artists, homeschoolers, and those interested in anatomy will enjoy it at a variety of ages. The picture featured here is from our 8th grade daughter, Joey.

Easter

This year, we will celebrate Easter with extended family for a yummy brunch and egg hunting.

To prepare, we dyed eggs with natural ingredients: onion skins, turmeric, beets, madder root, grass and spinach, tea, blueberries, red cabbage.

Wilson and Mommy felted an egg for each child's Easter basket. The felt is cut open, awaiting to be filled with candy!

Our Ukranian-dyed eggs are hanging from the Spring nature table tree.

Happy Easter!

Weddings at Syrendell

UC Berkeley Arboretum Redwood Grove - Sylvia Vizcaino Photography

Yes, we do weddings! We officiate, play music and host weddings. Being a part of such a joyous, amazing day is a pleasure for us. We want to share this special part of our life with some beautiful pictures on our blog.

Empire Mine State Park in Grass Valley

Both Jennifer and Rick are ordained ministers and musicians. Jennifer plays flute, and Rick plays harp or piano. We have been officiating weddings, vow renewals, memorials and other ceremonies for 10 years, and playing music in ceremonies for over 25 years. All types of ceremonies...all over Northern California and other destinations. Our business is called Reverend Tan.

England-Shaw Vineyard in Winters - I Love That Glove Photography

Vineyards, hotels, beaches, private homes, parks, resorts, golf clubs...and sometimes, our favorite weddings are the sweet elopements and small weddings in the greenbelt near our home! More pictures and some reviews and information on our blog and our Facebook page. 

Citizen Hotel in Sacramento - Kris Holland Photography

Courtyard D'Oro in Old Town Sacramento - Jessica Stout Photography

Pt. Reyes, overlooking the ocean -- just the couple, photographer, and Jennifer

Catta Verdera Golf Course in Lincoln

Dante Club in Sacramento - Kris & Dee Photography

Birthday and Advent Ring

Here is a true sign of having a little one around the home again...We wrote this blog post months ago and never published it!  Although it is well past Advent, the ring may be purchased at any time of the year and is beautiful for birthdays and more.

Instead of the traditional four tall candles around a circle, this year we purchased a beautiful, round, wood candle ring  for Advent.  Each Sunday, we light a candle and add a little something extra.  The candle in the middle was given to us by our midwife when Linden was born.  We lit it and sang happy birthday after her blissful home waterbirth.  We have been saving the candle for something special and decided to use it for the middle of the Advent ring. Crystals and stones from homeschooling projects.  Dried sage from our CSA box from the local organic farm.  Ricky made the yellow ceramic candle holder in the middle.

Advent ring by Joshua Rutherford of Honoring Fallen Trees (he does custom orders, too!). Organic candles by Oakmoss. Wood wolf by Halushka. All shops on Etsy. Third week...crystals, plants, beasts....

Dyeing with Plants

Plant-dyeing is easy and rewarding. It is a wonderful project for families, classes and groups of children and adults. We always say that plant dyeing is a bit of science and a bit of art -- and, always just a bit of a mystery! Part of the fun is seeing what kinds of colors will emerge each time.

Colors will vary, depending on the quality of the water, the freshness of the plants, the plant source, the weather, and more. Overdyeing is also rewarding -- dye with one color, then dip into another color to create a third color. Will yellow from onion skins and then a dip in the pink Brazilwood make orange? Hmmm....

Plant dyeing may be done indoors, but is usually easier to do in groups outside . Have space for a table with cook stoves and pots, a space for bins of water with mordant, a hose for rinsing, and a spot to hang dyeables safely for drying.

Jennifer recently had the pleasure of leading a workshop at the Alliance for Public Waldorf Education's annual conference at Steiner College in Fair Oaks, CA. We dyed yards of silk gauze with onion skins, Brazilwood, logwood, cochineal (which are bugs that live on plants!), and copper. Beautiful!

To learn more, we highly recommend Griffin Dyework's eBook on dyeing, available in our Etsy shop. If possible come to one of Griffin Dyework's Fiber Frolics or the annual Dye and Fiber Retreat in Southern California! This year, the retreat is June 14-17.