Flight of the Butterflies

Freida is immensely enjoying her butterflies. She wakes up in the morning and I hear a little voice coming from her bedroom: "fies, fies". I picked up these whimsical butterflies in an artisan shop in my neighborhood. I was just browsing the streets while taking 4 month old Freida for a outdoor cruise, when I happened upon a strand of beautiful butterflies in the display window. They were a bit tangled, and the owner told me they've been there forever - he gave me 3 strands of 8 for $9 each (these are made of hand-painted bird feathers)! You never know where you'll find the good stuff....

I knew I wanted to make a mobile, but I put them up on her wall in the meantime. They were very pretty, but really not my style. I wanted something more modern, more clean.

I was pokin' around at Urban a few weeks ago and saw this hanging picture holder from Kikkerland for $12. Took it home, and got mobile-making...

I ♥ glue guns! This was seriously simple. I swear.

Here's a little glimpse of the finished product...

Plant a Little Seed

Wouldn't it be great to get an early foot in the door with your kids new teacher? Sure we'd all like to get to know them, appreciate all their hard work etc., but what we'd really appreciate is if they show our kids a little extra love (don't worry, I was a teacher for 4 years - this is not meant to be derogatory; just (humorously) honest). Plant a little seed of favoritism by starting the year off by gracing them with a fantastic gift for the New Year. This year, Rosh Hashanah happens to fall out within the first week/s of school - make it an early "teachers-appreciation-week" with this (holiday themed) charming wooden apple 'trinkets' box. Let your child's creativity reign through their own paint and design, to be proudly displayed on their beloved teachers desk; a constant reminder of personal encouragement and student-teacher connection. And besides, which teacher wouldn't appreciate a modern take on the "desk apple", and a great place to stash paperclips/loose change/chalk etc.

Wooden Apple Tricket Box, from $7

On a serious note, show those teachers some real appreciation! The begining of a school year can be as hard on the teachers as it is on the students... and good education is of real worth.

"I touch the future. I teach." - Christa McAuliffe

(P.S. These would make great end-of-year gifts or shalach manos for a teacher as well.)

Glueing Green

Just in time for back-to-school the longtime staple gluestick of Italian classrooms is now available in the greener USA. Coccoina glue is non-toxic, non-solvent, and acid free. So nix the additives - this glue is made with ingredients we've all got in our kitchen pantry at the moment! Extracted from almond oil, this sticky stuff smells and tastes of marzipan - just in case you got yourself a preschool paste-eaters. : )

Coccoina Glue Stick $4.50

A Skokie Summer Shoot

I've been blessed with having some wonderfully talented photographers in my family. To me, photographs capture a moment/time/place even more than words can ever tell. I grew up with my father, always with a camera, shooting even the smallest special moments with the kids. He diligently kept albums for each of us; photographs narating out little worlds, which have now become a treasury of life - a tale of childhood, youth, growth, and family. Photographs are worth all the time in the world, all the lugging around a camera, all the stopping mid-action to capture a smile, a laugh, a tear. These pictures become keepsakes for families and children to enjoy and pass on for years to come...

The most fabulous pictures come about through watching a child in action. Skip the posing, skip the props, skip the backdrops (inevitably skipping out the stress, time, and drama of family photos in studios). Photography is most captivating when it's honest. Take your kids to the park and let them play. A good photographer (or your own camera!) should be able to join you and capture their playful moments of happiness.

These photos were taken by my incredibly artistic brother, Yossi Belkin.

And Freida's wardrobe is by Peek...Aren't You Curious.

Linens & Lunch

Aren't these lunch bags just charming? Linen is just so naturally fresh and clean, and these minimalist lunch bags feature a coated linen exterior, i.e. wipedown, ladies! Who ever thought we'd get the breeziness of the fabric with the easiness of the plastic! The designs are so hotly retro, and while there's no guarantee your kid won't feign for some gnarly middle school trend when he's older - you can at least expose the children to some simple design goodness while they're young and impressionable! : )

Linen Lunch Boxes, from So Young Mother $25.00