Rick & I love a good gadget. We are also very skeptical of hype so we are usually reluctant to buy a new one. Take the new eReaders that on on the market: such as the Nook from Barnes & Noble or the Kindle from Amazon. Are they really as good as they say, and why would I want to download books? I like the feel of a real book in my hands, the smell of the pages, the crisp feel of the paper as you turn the page…

The main inspiration for getting the Nook was due to the fact I hate reading pdfs on a computer. I have a laptop & I find the back lit screens very harsh. They even can lead to migraines. Also we were getting ready to depart for a trip across the border & I longed for something I could read the Earthschooling curriculum on that was portable. So I started looking at my options. Rick & I both agreed the Nook was affordable and sounded just up our alley. Using Android technology – just like the phones, the Nook is hackable. For us geeky types the opportunity to tweak & add apps was appealing. Also Barnes & Noble seems to be dedicated in updating & evolving their software.

So a trip into Barnes & Noble and we were sold right away. We chose the version with wi-fi for $149. They also have one for $199 which also includes 3G – but seeing that we are not from the US we decided to pass on that. I also purchased a cover for my Nook. Other than the fact that it protects it, it is nice to actually be able to hold it like a real book.



I love this gadget. It goes everywhere with me, & I sneak reading in where ever possible. Adding files is a breeze – it’s drag & drop similar to a flash drive. The screen is a matte black & white that mimics that of the pages in a printed book. It is not back lit – you have to use an external light source which I love – no migraines or eye strain. It makes reading my downloaded projects, curriculum & tutorials a breeze…since I can read on the go, I am being more efficient!

The screen itself is not touch screen but the strip at the bottom is. You can advance pages with the buttons to either side or flick the touch strip in the same manner you would to turn the page in a paper book. The response drags a bit, but nothing I can’t live with or really notice.



You can also customize the look of your Nook by using your own photos for wall paper & screensavers.





The only downfall, is that it does not display photos well with my pdfs. This is because the Nook resizes the document to fit its screen, so in order to be able to read the text, it omits the pictures. Hopefully this issue will be addressed in the future. But if not it still doesn’t sway me from using it.

What about downloading books? If you are outside the US and looking to buy the Nook to download books – forget it. You are not able to download outside the US. I tried it with my US address just to try, but it tracks your geographical location. Rick tells me there are ways around this, but for me, we go to the US enough that I can wait & download books while we are there. At the moment, I am completely content with using it to read my pdfs.

Read about my other latest purchase, a Canon EOS Rebel DSLR camera on my creativity blog. :)

Today was Father’s Day, so what better day to relax, splurge and throw a… hot dog on the barbeque. ;)

I found these during our last trip to the US – and guess what? They taste goooood!



It’s still junk food – but now every so often when I have the urge to have a hot dog with all the fixins, I now can have it with organic beef and even more importantly – no chemical nitrates!

I discovered Kate Quinn Organics when I was pregnant with Sophie, and soon after made my first order. The clothes for babies and children are not only stylish but built to last. And they have a soft comfort – who wouldn’t enjoy wearing that?

A few months ago I recently tried out her newest line for women – I bought a couple of shirts and I was hooked! Recently they had a $10 sale and I bought several tank tops and T-shirts. What I like about them, is that they are longer and have a cut to them so they don’t just hang straight down like you are wearing a potato sack. ;) Perfect for layering. Comfortable, well made & stylish – and wasn’t I delighted when I received an email the other day that they have just recently launched a Canadian online store!

Etsy is a great place to buy handmade items, it is also a great resource for supplies. I wanted some plain undyed wool to use in the core of projects (such as our felted rattle balls) so I looked to Etsy since I wanted to start with a small amount.

I found just what I wanted from Etsy Seller 8muddyfeet. Wonderfully soft, washed dorset ram wool that was shipped promptly. Just what I have come to expect from Etsy sellers. :)





This should carry us through for a few projects.

Some of the wool used in our recent projects comes from a great little shop in Montpelier, Vermont called The Knitting Studio. We stopped in on our way to New Hampshire last week. Their motto is “Vermont’s Friendliest Knitting Shop” & I would have to agree! I can’t wait to stop in again the next time we are in the area.



Beautiful local Alpaca wool…this is the type of thing I am always in search of. A well known art & craft chain sells wool for felting from Nepal – at very steep prices. Why when there is such wonderful local product to be collected? This gets me excited to attend my first ever Fiber Festival! I hope to make the one in Vermont in October.

Today was Rick’s birthday, and it was an utterly quiet, relaxing day at home. It was cute to see Sophie drag the bag of birthday goodies out this year – it was so much easier to get her to do it this year than last year. :)

Here are a few items he received.



Organic cotton shirts, Made in Canada from Green is Black



Organic hemp socks, Made in Canada from Rawganique



Compost thermometer, from Lee Valley




Organic fertilizer, also from Lee Valley



Tonight’s dinner. Fresh sea scallops from the local poisonnerie, and this wonderful naturally cured bacon, also local.

So Rick got this from me today: I had purchased it as part of his birthday present which is still two weeks away, but after coming in from the garden to inform me he had a chat with our resident woodchuck, I decided he had to have it a bit early.

We’ve had a woodchuck family living under our cabana (shed) for as long as we’ve lived here. And for the most part we like them. However, last year Rick put in some SFG (square foot gardens) and that is where the woodchuck all-you-can-eat buffet began. Needless to say the woodchucks enjoyed our vegetables more than we did last year! So when Rick was outside getting the garage tidied for this weekend’s garage sale, he comes face to face with a woodchuck – and all our lettuce plants eaten down to stubs. He said they stood and stared for a moment at each other & came to an understanding, however just in case the conversation was lost in woodchuck translation, we will put the netting up. ;)



These are available from Lee Valley for a limited time. They are only 3×3 so it will only cover 9 squares but it is still better than nothing.



They fold neatly for storage. For those of you who have ever used a pop up light box to photograph with, it is the same concept. So GUESS who will be folding these??? ;)



Above photo shot last summer.

That’s me…in all my sweaty, no makeup, hair not done – just out of the sun/garden glory…and about as good of a self-taken picture I can get without the tripod! I was trying to show off the shirt.

Here’s what it looks like, per the website photo:



About 3 years ago, I started slowly replacing my clothes with organic cotton & hemp as things wore out. I was skeptical at first if the price was really worth it – other than the ethical factor that I know where they were made & under what conditions (BTW, not all organic clothing is created equal. I try my best to look for companies that will disclose the company background/philosophy & are Made in the USA or Canadian companies – the smaller, the better!).



I can tell you, hands down, the organic cotton or hemp IS worth it. It is the most comfortable fabric I have ever worn. I feel like my skin can breathe!!

It doesn’t have to be expensive! Many online retailers have sales just like mainstream clothing. This particular shirt, called “ballon” is made by a Québec Comapny, and I bought it on sale at Green is Black.

The bra underneath is organic hemp, bought & made by Rawganique. (Another side note: I am a BRA BURNER. When I was pregnant with Sophie, I gave up conventional bras. These bras are more suitably called “yoga tops”. They do not constrict therefore do not restrict blood flow or the lyph nodes. There is no unhealthy metal underwire in these. If you are concerned about the health risks of conventional bras, I encourage you to do research on the subject).

I got these as a stocking stuffer last Christmas, and they have come in really handy marking the spot in my reference books. I have been reading (actually re-reading) “You Are Your Child’s First Teacher” and “Beyond the Rainbow Bridge“ in my spare time…and these are great for marking projects, activities or info that I want to reference back to.


Unlike the standard Post-It Flags, these slip nicely onto the page and don’t stick out in a chaotic colorful mess! I also like that you can reuse it them…over & over…