And the Earthlust Winner is...

7. Capital Mom said...
I subscribe
April 1, 2009 6:21 PM

CONGRATULATIONS Capital Mom! I will be emailing you shortly!

Spring Barbara Reid Inspired Clay Creations!

I know I posted a Mother's Day Craft idea, the canvas bags, earlier this month but here's another! Of course all these ideas can be applied to any occasion and are great for adults as well as children. If you have children or are an educator the name Barbara Reid surely is familiar. She is a children's book author and is known for her unique illustrations. Her books are illustrated with pictures of her plasticine/modelling clay art! Her art pops of the page and appears far more 3 dimensional and multi-layered than drawings or paintings.

Children can create their own colourful framed plasticine or modelling clay pictures for grandma or mom! It's so easy!

You Will Need:

~Various colours of plasticine or non-drying modelling clay

~ An empty plastic CD case {we have a lot of these since we store many of our computer game disks and music CDs in the zippered CD holders}

~Ribbon

Here's How!

1. Open the CD case and remove the inner plastic insert that holds the CD in place and any cover papers. With the CD case laying open choose one side to be your canvas!

2. Create a background of plasticine {for example if you were creating a spring garden scene you might want to start with a brown layer on the bottom portion of your "canvas" as soil, a green layer above as bushes or greenery, and blue for the sky}. Once you have a base or background then create your picture using clay!
3. Once your picture is complete you can cut a length of ribbon and thread one end down through one of the small slots in the top of the CD case and then back up through the other small slot. Tie the ends of the ribbon in a bow for hanging!

Abigail Road -- Review and Giveaway

The pillars of environmentalism are the three "R"s, Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle! While we often focus on reducing our waste and of course recycling what we can after use but reusing things is sometimes limited to the scope of our imaginations! Anna of
Abigail Road takes Reuse seriously! It's the foundation of her business and is a result of her expanded imagination and talent! Anna creates beautifully re-crafted clothing and accesories from rejected, used clothing and other fabric items! Abigail Road's three "R"s Rejected, Reused, Reworn. Anna's designs are inspiring and creative!

I was sent this great "Shabby-Chic" messenger bag made from fabrics which in their former lives served as curtains and a shirt! Anna uses only cleaned materials which are not dirty, damaged, nor too-worn. All her materials are smoke-free and pet-free! All her designs are one-of-a-Kind creations so you are assured a unique piece! My bag is fantastic! It is well sewn and the large wooden rings holding on the strap add a great retro feel! I really appreciate retro style but Anna's pieces could satisfy the personal style of so many!

Because Anna uses inexpensive materials she has fabulous prices! Delicate summer tops as the one shown here are only $8.00! You could purchase a whole ensemble including a top, skirt for just over $20 and add a bag or jewellery piece for another $10!

I believe Anna's business concept is a great step in the right direction and is truly ingenius! I love promoting local talent! Abigail Road is run out of Regina, Saskatchewan and is a real hidden gem that I hope will flourish!

Abigail Road is generously offering to give one lucky reader a beautiful Floral Scarf Handbag! The handbag has a black lining and a drawstring closure!

To Enter:
~ Visit Abigail Road and come back here to comment on your favourite item! {this is required}

Extra Entries:
~ Follow my blog {publicly}
~ Subscribe to my blog via email
~ Grab my Button
~ Blog about this giveaway on your site with a link to my blog {don't forget to leave me the link}
~Purchase an item at Abigail Road for 2 entries
This giveaway closes April 24th, 2009 10:00 pm CT. Open to US and Canadian residents. Please see the General Giveaway Rules for further details!

What a Week!

Between mad dashes to the dentist {my daughter needed her first fillings...hopefully the last!!}and photographs for the girls' dance {what a shmoze}, making "Kub Kars", and working on home improvements there has been little time for blogging! I will definitely make up for it today!

Winner of the Miss Gina Designs Giveaway!

Congratulations to my first winner Niki!! You have won the Miss Gina Designs wristlet clutch with your comment:

5. niki said...
I liked the custom car carry-all in blue colour with my initials on it.
April 1, 2009 9:52 PM

I will contact you by email!

Book Review -- Give Me My Father's Body: The Life of Minik, The New York Eskimo

Arctic history is fascinating! Arctic prehistory is an amazing tale of endurance and triumph of the Inuit and their ancestors against the elements of nature. Its history a tale of endurance and survival against the colonization, greed, and "science" of those foreign to its frozen ground. I remember listening to the oral histories of elders in the eastern and western Canadian arctic. Their legends full of the mystical characters that helped or hindered their daily survival, blunt stories of harsh living but none compare to the harsh realities the Inuit faced in the new world of "discovery". As an anthropology student I recalled being appalled by the government led "extermination" plans involving the sterilization of Inuit women, the relocation and displacement of whole communities, residential schools and the forced model of a sedentary rather than nomadic lifestyle. Yes, Canada has its own "Trail of Tears". These are human stories, stories of a people continuing to endure hard times.

"Give Me My Father's Body: The Life of Minik, The New York Eskimo" is just such a story. The true story of a "Polar Eskimo" Minik, who was one of six Inuit individuals brought from Greenland to New York city in 1897 by Robert Peary, the famous arctic explorer. Peary presented these individuals as "specimens" for the American Museum of Natural History. Four of the Inuit "specimens" as they were called, died soon after arriving in New York, Minik's father among them. They died of exposure to influenza and inhumane treatment. Minik, a young boy of six or seven finds himself alone amid strangers The child is made a spectacle; an amusement to the public, an oddity, and a science experiment to doctors and scientists alike. Minik soon forgets the language and skills of his arctic homeland and is swallowed up by the callus, fickle society of the south. Twelve years he spends wandering through life as a stranger in a very strange land as a ward of science. His life is shaken and truly altered by the fateful discovery that his father's skeleton has been placed on display at the American Museum of Natural History! Imagine the horror! Minik desperately attempts to repatriate his father's body and to return home to the arctic. He discovers however that nowhere is home to an Inuit man who spent so many years in New York!

Author, Kenn Harper, a long time resident of the arctic, has lived in the Canadian Baffin region and Greenland. He speaks Inuktitut, the language spoken by the Inuit of the eastern Canadian arctic and has written widely about Inuit and arctic history. This book was originally published by Harper himself in 1986 but was rediscovered by actor Kevin Spacey, who incidentally wrote the forward to the republication in 2000. I am thankful that Spacey found the story compelling enough to prompt its republication for a wider audience. This story of "man's inhumanity to man", as Farley Mowat puts it, is a compelling read and one I will never forget!

Dapple Review and Giveaway

I am astounded! I am often skeptical about the claims of various cleaning products but Dapple certainly met the challenge of my high expectations. Dapple was founding by two moms looking for a "baby-friendly way to clean the items that find their way into a baby's mouth. They wanted to protect their children and the environment by creating dish and toy cleansers without harmful chemicals. What they created, with the help of chemists and pediatricians, was a product line of products which are both baby-safe and baby-specific. According to the company information the ingredients in Dapple are those found in nature which "have been proven to zero in on the unique residues that babies leave behind". Now, I am by no means a chemist and my children are not babies but I do know that Dapple works!

The first Dapple product I tried was the Dish Washing Liquid. The natural, light scent I found very appealing and it produced an abundance of bubbles unlike some products. Despite the light scent and the colourlessness it was extremely powerful! It lasted through a large load of dishes and cleaned them far better than my supermarket brand dish liquid. The best part? I knew I was not washing my dishes in harmful chemicals. Dapple products contain no synthetic dyes or fragrances, no harmful SLES, parabens, or phthalates!

My favourite Dapple product was the Dishwasher Detergent. I must admit our dishwasher often causes us grief. I've tried so many different detergents and most often found the results truly disappointing. I expected the same in this case and pondered what I would tell the company if I could not give their product a positive review. I did not have to worry. The Dapple Dishwasher Detergent is honestly the best I have yet tried! I am actually planning to switch to this product for everyday use! Dapple solved the problems of heavy residue and unwashed dishes I was previously experiencing. I no longer experience frustration every time I open the dishwasher door! This product is 100% phosphate, chlorine, and fragrance-free and is vegetable based. It contains natural water softeners and protects pots and pans. This product gives me peace of mind.

The final product I tested with my family was a package of Dapple Toy Wipes. Now, as I said my children are no longer babies but their toys still attract unwanted germs and grime and I can not say for certain that my 4 year old doesn't still try sipping out of her toy cups and doesn't still transfer goodness knows from her nose to her toys! Oooow, the thoughts! I have used the wipes on toys and found they clean off surface dirt superbly and the scent is strong that of a light antiseptic so it certainly makes it easy to believe the germ killing properties. The ingredients are all naturally derived with less than 2% alcohol. I have also used mine on eating surfaces and because they are in a travel pack they are easy to transport in a diaper bag, glove compartment, or purse! From toys to high chairs or anything your baby touches Dapple Toy Wipes can be used on most surfaces!

Overall I was most impressed with all the Dapple products my family tested and now one lucky Northern Mama reader will have the opportunity to try all three of these fabulous products too! The winner will receive the Dapple Travel-sized Dish Liquid and Dapple Travel-sized Toy Wipes and a box of Dapple Dishwasher Detergent!

To Enter:

~Visit the Dapple website and tell me something you learned about Dapple products or the company! Find something I have not already mentioned.

{This is required}

Extra Entries:

~Visit Dapple and tell me the Dapple retailer nearest you!

~Grab my button!

~Follow my blog {publicly}

~Subscribe to my blog via email

~Blog about this giveaway with a link back here. Be sure to leave me the link to your post! {2 extra for blogging}

{Be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry!}

This giveaway closes April 19th, 2009 10:00 pm CT. Open to US and Canadian residents. Please see the General Giveaway Rules for further details!