Waskesiu 2018: At the Beach

September 23, 2018

Being at the beach (any beach) is really a dream vacation for me. I could sit there all day listening to the water, paddle boarding, looking for little fish to put in my son's bucket, dipping my toes in the water to cool off. There really is nothing that I love more than water and other natural elements working together to make something so peaceful and inviting.

This was the year that my son peace-d out and decided he wanted to make friends with other children at the lake. It was a bit hard for me as I wasn't prepared for it, but I did enjoy my time to myself out on the water on the paddle board that I rented (I took my son out for the first little trip across the swimming area). I liked sitting on the board and dragging my feet beside it to keep me cool. It was a time for reflection, and the feeling of the board floating on the water reminded me a lot of when I tried surfing.

Even though there were moments of independence this summer, I know that my son enjoys his time at the lake (as do I) and I can't wait for more adventures next summer!



0

Behind the Art: Stud Muffin

September 17, 2018


I created this delightful little card after being inspired by a t-shirt that I saw at Sask Expo in 2016 (that was a really good year for the expo). A lot of my inspiration for cards and artwork comes from t-shirts that I see, especially the ones I see on the children at work. They have such amazing puns.

This is one of my favourite cards to have at a market to be able to watch the different reactions of the people that see it. Sometimes people don't notice the little muffin at the end (or realise that's what it is) and just stop at the word "STUD", which works too!



0

DIY: Responsibility Chart

September 10, 2018

Our son is entering the age where it's time to step-up the responsibilities. To help him to remember what he needs to do, I decided to make a Responsibility Chart to give him (and us) a visual of what needs to be done, and what tasks have already been completed. It also helps that we have it hanging in our kitchen area so that we can see how his progress is going.

It seems to be the best approach for his personality (he's going to be a list maker), and has really helped us out so that we don't have to remember everything that we have asked him to do, and then struggle to get him to finish it all.

Instead he gets a little hit of dopamine as he moves a magnet over to the "DONE" side of the magnet board (kind of like when you finally get to cross off one of those things on your to-do list), and gets incentive to complete the rest of the tasks for that day. 

Not all of them need to be done in a single day (and we'll add more as we think of them, or he gets older and takes on more responsibilities), but when almost all of them are on the "TO DO" side, he will do everything in his power to add on the ones that don't even need to be done.

What you will need:
Black Fine-Tip Sharpie
White Paint Pen (or white acrylic paint and thin paint brush)
A Ruler
Small Round Magnets
1" Round Wooden Disks
Hot Glue Gun
Glue Sticks
Metal Sign

Measure the middle of your sign and draw a line down the middle of the sign with your paint pen, using a ruler to keep it straight. On one side of the line, paint the words "TO DO" and on the other side, paint the word "DONE". Your sign is done!

To create the tasks and expectations, write on the wooden disks with a black fine-tip sharpie. If you mess up on one side, flip it over to the other side and try again. Use hot glue from a glue gun to attach the magnets to the wooden disks and...voila! You've got yourself a responsibility chart!




0

World Alzheimer's Month 2018

September 01, 2018


It is September 1st, and that marks the beginning of World Alzheimer's Month, and the fifth time that you will be supporting the Alzheimer's Society of Canada when you make a purchase in the shop. It is unbelievable that it has been that long since we started donating to the Alzheimer's Society of Canada, and, to date, you have helped to raise over $120.

The Forget-Me-Not flower (which I have drawn this year) is a powerful symbol for people with Alzheimer's and their families. It is often used to symbolise the loss of memory, but is also a reminder to remember the people that we have lost to Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia. 

As you may know, the disease has touched my family as my Grandma was diagnosed with Alzheimer's when I was a teenager, and, over the years I have shared pieces of our story with you. It means so much to me that you continue to help support the cause and give a voice to those affected by Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia. 


0
Powered by Blogger.