Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Ideas for the winter holidays

If you didn't manage to work on our advent calendar, we've started a board on pinterest for Christmas and winter holiday ideas. (There are even a couple of nice very-very-last minute advent calendars on there.)

Monday, November 28, 2011

Our November giveaway winner


Thank-you to everyone who entered our November giveaway (and thank-you for your kind commments, too). We're delighted to announce that our last copy of Windy has been won by Royce. Congratulations, we will contact you to arrange shipping soon.

One of our entries was from a real life Windy. Windy, we will send you one of our Windy greeting cards. Thanks so much for entering our giveaway.

We have a giveaway coming up very soon (December 1st). See you soon.

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Match Box Advent Calendar


As there's less than a week before the start of Advent, we thought we'd quickly offer a classic project that your kids can enjoy all the way until Christmas.
Here are our directions for an advent calendar made of matchboxes.

Friday, November 25, 2011

November: Watch something fun

Well, finally, the end of our November week: a lazy post for a lazy activity. Sometimes it's time to curl up somewhere warm and watch something fun: Barbapapa.

Thursday, November 24, 2011

November: Winter birds (Birdseed part 2)


November is the time when birds' nests begin to show themselves, as the trees lose their leaves. You can read all about our homemade birdhouse and our birdseed here. We also bought a birdhouse that would attach to the outside of a window (as we don't have an easy way to attach a hanging birdhouse). It's become popular with many little birds in our neighbourhood and we have a steady stream of visitors outside our window.

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

November: Leaves




From Autumn Leaves by Ken Robbins. All the leaves are printed at life size in this great book we found at the library after trying to identify a leaf on our way home.

This doesn't deserve its own post, but we've had a lot of fun making chestnut hedgehogs this week, too.

Saturday, November 19, 2011

November: Butter in the Buttercups


Today, as part of our November week, a poem from from Butter in the Buttercups, 1980, by Stella Browning.

November

It's November. The days are shorter, the mornings are darker. Hallowe'en's over. Christmas isn't quite yet here (and we have an advent calendar craft coming up soon). But there is still fun to be had.


Instead of one Saturday post, let's do 7 short ones, one for each day this week to celebrate this most serious of months.

(Drawing by Tove Jansson).

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Our last copy of Windy

UPDATE: We've announced our winner, Royce. Thanks, everyone!


This month we will be giving away the last hardcover copy of Windy from the warehouse. Simply Read will be releasing softcover editions and an app in September 2012.

We do have a special fondness for our first book with its red cover and dustjacket that has instructions on how to make a kite.

To win a copy, please leave a comment below this post. Please be sure to leave an address so that we can contact you. Let us know in the commments below. Contest ends November 28. This is open to anyone worldwide and there is no fee to enter.


Sunday, November 6, 2011

Sewing for kids


This looks fun: hand sewing workshop for the 5 and ups at collage collage.
Six weeks of classes, beginning November 17. Find out more here. Photo from collage collage.

Saturday, November 5, 2011

Birdseed


A few weeks ago we discovered birdhouses in some of the large trees around our neighbourhood. As the leaves fall from the trees, they have begun to show themselves. This has really captured the imagination of one of our junior members, and birdhouses are now on the charts (just behind trucks, snow and slightly ahead of fish).



So this week, we visited our local Wildbirds Unlimited shop to find out more about feeding wild birds in our neighbourhood. We got an enormous tub of birdseed and a bird feeder (more on that another time). The tub was the smallest amount available, but at $5, it's been giving us a lot of entertainment. This week, we make a simple 5-minute birdfeeder and hang it on some trees).