Time to Breathe

I have had a few friends wanting to know our plans for the possible Georgia move so I thought an update was in order.....READ MORE.

Make a Fairy Doll

My mom made some cute and whimsical fairies for Fauna’s birthday. These fairies can be made with very little sewing skills.......READ MORE.

Magical Scavenger Hunt

We started off Fauna’s birthday today with a magical scavenger hunt (inspired by Magic Onions). Fauna found a note today that needed decoding by painting watercolors over magical clues. READ MORE

Will-O'-the-Wisp

Tomorrow is Fauna’s 8th birthday and what does she ask for? A Will-o’-the-Wisp. I had no idea what this creature was until she got out her Spiderwick book and shared it with me. Here is what Wikipedia has to say about a will-o’-the-wisp.....Read More.

It's a perfect day for the creek!

Things we don’t leave home without when going to the creek: water shoes.....READ MORE.......

Acorn Jewlery

One of the most beautiful finds in nature, to me, is the acorn. Acorns are so whimsical with those cute little caps and the crafting possibilities are endless with them! Don’t they make the most perfect little pocket to hold more of nature’s little treasures? READ MORE.........

Obsessive Furniture Mover

I am one of those people that is constantly moving my furniture around. I am very obsessive about this......READ MORE.

Free Downloads and Giveaway Winner

I added some free downloads at the new 5 Orange Potatoes. Click HERE to see the downloads and the winner of the book giveaway.

Sunflower Poems, Facts and Math

A H ! S U N – F L O W E R
Ah, Sun-flower, weary of time,
Who countest the steps of the Sun,
Seeking after that sweet golden clime
Where the traveller’s journey is done.
William Blake

For sunflower goodness visit the full post HERE at the new 5 Orange Potatoes.

Metamorphosis of an Eastern Black Swallowtail

Nature amazes me, no matter how many times I’ve seen this before, each witness feels as if it’s the first time!

To see the rest of this post click here for new 5 Orange Potatoes' site.

Feedburner subscribers I am working on transferring the new site to your email box. Thank you for your patience, I am waiting for Feedburner to respond to my request.

Sweet Anticipation

And a little teaser….what do you get with acorn caps and flowers? More sweet anticipation to share for another day. Have to wait for the glue to dry.

To view the rest of this post visit 5 Orange Potatoes here.

"toys to sew" book giveaway

Here’s another one of my favorite books to giveaway- toys to sew: dozens of patterns for dolls, animals, doll clothes and accessories by Claire Garland. This is one of my favorites because of the easy projects and a chapter dedicated to FELT critters!

To enter the giveaway you must leave a comment at the new 5 Orange Potatoes by clicking here. You can get an extra chance to win if you follow the new site. Comments left here will not be in the running. Hope to see you over there!

Blog Change Underway

The blog change is underway......deleting the side bar here at Blogger. If you want to see an organized 5 Orange Potatoes visit http://www.5orangepotatoes.com/blog/

I'm grouping all of the activities in categories so everything is literally at your fingertips. Don't follow this site anymore, follow at the new site.

Rite of Passage and New Website

Araina told me last week that she wanted to get her ears pierced. She did not have any second thoughts, not even when we told her that it would hurt a little bit. She picked little cubic zirconia stars, sat on the stool and stayed real still. She didn’t flinch or change her mind or even say a word. I admire her bravery and the fact that when this little gal makes up her mind she sticks to it!

One last blog change- I have moved to my own domain that lets me do everything I ever wanted in a site. It is still under construction but this should be my final move. You will find it very organized and easy to navigate. I ended up going with Bluehost and using Wordpress.org blogging software. Thank you so much for putting up with all the indecisiveness.
Hope to see you there; my wonderful hubby was able to add the "Follow Me" box so you can get the updates on your dashboards too! Here is the NEW link http://www.5orangepotatoes.com/blog/

Elderberry Syrup for Immunity and Flu

The American Elder, or common elderberry, (Sambucus canadensis) is a shrub that grows up to 13 feet high. It is a member of the honeysuckle family and is found in moist places along riverbanks, roadsides, woods and thickets. We are lucky to have it growing in our brush pile among the blackberry brambles and young volunteer walnut trees in our backyard. It was a favorite herb of Hippocrates; love making medicinals that the great Hippocrates would make for his patients! The berries of the elder are very nutritious. They provide large amounts of potassium, beta carotene, calcium, phosphorus and vitamin C. It works amazingly well on colds, excessive mucus, sore throat and the dreaded flu.



Last year when Fauna came down with the flu she took a couple tablespoons the first day and it zapped the fever and all symptoms within 24 hours! Usually, when Fauna gets sick she is sick for 3-5 days. Really amazing stuff!




I use Rosemary Gladstar's recipe for elderberry syrup because it doesn't use white processed sugar or alcohol. And it is quite tasty!

What you need:
1 cup fresh or 1/2 cup dried elderberries
3 cups water
1 cup raw local honey

Glass jar with lid

Steps:
1. Heat the berries and water to a boil, then reduce to simmer for 30-45 minuets.
2. Mash the berries, strain, and add 1 cup of honey. I add a half cup of the purple liquid to a measuring cup, then pour in honey until the total volume is 1 1/2 cups. Then stir to mix well, and add to the rest of the reserved liquid.
3. Bottle and store. Keeps in the refrigerator for 2-3 months.
4. Enjoy a tablespoon daily to keep the immune system strong. If sick, take more often at first signs of the flu. If you drink peppermint tea along with it, you increase the fighting punch!

*Caution, I am not a doctor and don't pretend to be one. I am 100% sure of the identification of the plants I harvest and research like mad before posting a recipe. Some books say Elderberry leaves, seeds, bark, stems and root are toxic. Only the berries, which must be cooked first, and the blossoms are edible.Use your best judgement when using plants from the wild.

Fairy Furniture and A Giveaway Winner

Araina and Fauna were very busy in the field today making fairy homes. The field fairies always get a pinecone "fairy shelf" which holds their fairy food. I'm not sure why the tree fairies don't ever get a pinecone shelf, but they never do. Araina spends A LOT of time filling up the shelves with pokeweed and Russian olive berries. The pinecone shelves look quite pretty when she is all through!

Now the giveaway winner:

Wow! Between both blogs and emails, there were 108 people entered in this giveaway! I'm awful at giveaways because it's so hard for me to only list one winner! Sadly today that's the way it has to be because I only have one book to give. I couldn't even use the random generator because the maximum number is 100! However, having a computer geek for a husband he very quickly programmed his own random generator and the winner is #44 Voodoo Maggie.

Thank you everyone for leaving such enthusiastic comments; a lot of them made me laugh out loud! I have some more giveaways up my sleeve so keep checking back. I'm planning one for the blog move as well (that's still in the works, having some technical hubby difficulties ;). Have a GREAT weekend!

Growing Sweet Potatoes as a Houseplant

So you can't have a site with the name 5 Orange Potatoes and not post about an actual orange potato!

What you need: pre-sprouting sweet potato (some food stores treat the potatoes with heat so they won't sprout; to see if you have a sprouter enclose a sweet potato in a paper bag and sprouts should appear in a short amount of time), glass jar, water, knife, and toothpicks (optional)



There are 2 methods of growing the vine: Method #1- We cut the bottom 1/3 off the potato so it would fit snugly in a little mason jar. Only about a 1/2 inch of the potato flesh is submerged into the water; this is all it takes to grow a beautiful vine. Method #2- don't cut the potato; poke 4 toothpicks into the sides of the potato, about 2 or 3 inches from the bottom. A lot more of the potato will be submerged into the water this way. Then balance the potato on top of the jar (which can be quite a balancing act). Either method works fine.



See how only a little bit of our potato is actually under water, only about 1/2 inch.



Keep the water clean by changing the water daily or the potato can cause quite a stink, especially if a lot of the potato is submerged!



After a few days the roots will start forming; then many roots will form daily! After a month take the potato out of the water and plant it in potting soil. This makes a beautiful houseplant. Tie the vines to string and let it grow around a windowpane for a really pretty look. I also have a post on how to grow potatoes indoors. Have a look at Pink and Green Mama's method of growing the sweet potato.

Just a little note about what I'm up to right now, I am working on 2 posts involving those lawn plants some people refer to as weeds (clover and plantain). I have some easy medicine making to share with you. I am also working on a PTOE post on nitrogen. I should have these posted in the next week.

Enjoy!

Sock Doll Book Giveaway!

Not a felty giveaway this time but a charming book- Stray Sock Sewing- Making One of a Kind Creatures from Socks by Daniel. This is a great book for beginning sewers. Fauna and Araina LOVE the corky creatures in this book, all made from socks.

Part one of the book is "All About Sock Dolls"

This section of the book has examples of Daniel's many sock dolls; with fantastic and fun photos of the possibilities to sock making. The dolls are set up in the cutest scenarios with witty things to say!

Part 2 "The Basics of Making Sock Dolls"

This section includes materials, tools and great step by step instructions for basic stitches.

Part 3- "Projects Step by Step"
And he really means step by step photographed instructions! Fauna (almost 8yo) doesn't have any trouble with the instructions. He shows you step by step, including how to stuff the socks properly, for 8 different types of sock dolls- mini doll, cat, pig, rabbit, elephant, bear, zebra and hippo.

You only need to leave a comment to enter the giveaway. You have until Friday, August 14th to enter. I will announce the winner Friday afternoon.

Giveaway Closed

Stripe Scavenger Hunt!

The hunt for stripes!

Zebra Swallowtail (Eurytides marcellus)


Bumblebee (bombus genus)


Potter Wasp


Monarch caterpillar (Danaus plexippus)


Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucas)


Cicada (Tibicen linnei)- annual type


We couldn't identify this mushroom.


Eastern Black Swallowtail caterpillar (Papilio polyxenes)

Unique Planters

Did some much needed repotting and propagating today, the Little Ladies helped. They ran outside with their favorite "planters" ready to plant. These two lovely "planters" were quite the challenge of the day! Love the challenge of interesting planters!




Araina's pink bear- small hole on top, large hole on the bottom. I don't think this one was meant to be a planter, but we found a way!

Fauna's elephant planter- large hole on top, no drainage holes on the bottom. This one was meant to be a planter, Fauna will have to be sure not to water her succulents too much. She's up for the challenge! They look awfully cute!

Shakespeare's Fairies

I'm working on a Shakespeare unit for the Little Ladies. Of course, being fairy lovers, A Midsummer Night's Dream is the perfect place to start!

Over hill, over dale,

Thorough bush, thorough brier,
Over park, over pale,

Thorough flood, thorough fire!

I do wander everywhere,

Swifter than the moon's sphere;

And I serve the Fairy Queen,

To dew her orbs upon the green;

The cowslips tall her pensioners be;

In their gold coats spots you see;

Those be rubies, fairy favours;

In those freckles live their savours;

I must go seek some dewdrops here,

And hang a pearl in every cowslip's ear.

-William Shakespeare

I read a wonderful article about Shakespeare and the fairies, The Fairy Mythology of Shakespeare by Alfred Nutt. The article includes a list of characteristics of Shakespeare's fairies and elves, which Shakespeare considered one and the same. I found this list very entertaining and have a lot of the same views of the fairy folk. I find it so curious that a writer of the late 1500's still influences our view of fairies today.

a. They form a community under a king and queen.

b. They are exceedingly small.

c. They move with extreme swiftness.

d. They are elemental airy spirits; their brawls incense the wind and moon, and cause tempests; they take a share in the life of nature; live on fruit; deck the cowslips with dewdrops; war with noxious insects and reptiles; overcast the sky with fog.

e. They dance upon the green.

f. They sing hymns and carols to the moon.

g. They are invisible and apparently immortal.

h. They come forth mainly at night.

i. They fall in love with mortals.

j. They steal babies and leave changelings.

k. They come to bless the best bride-bed and make the increase therefore fortunate.

You spotted snakes with double tongue,

Thorny hedgehogs, be not seen;

Newts and blind-worms, do no wrong,

Come not near our fairy queen.

-William Shakespeare

Calendula officinalis (Pot Marigold or Poet's Marigold)

If you don't have this wonderful herb growing in your garden, I highly advise you plant some seeds in your garden next year. It tolerates poor soil and will come back every year because it reseeds like crazy. The petals and stems are edible; they make a pretty garnish to a salad but taste a tad bitter. We grow calendula not because it's edible but because of its medicinal value. Herbalists use it for many ailments, too many to list here, but my favorite use of calendula is for the skin. You can use it as a local topical application to boost the healing rate and prevent infection on a wound or other skin conditions. Calendula is also fantastic for chapped and dry skin.

How to make a calendula infusion:

Fauna, my little apprentice, made this calendula infusion. She "popped the tops" from the calendula plants in the garden, put them in a glass jar, and poured grapeseed oil in the jar until all of the tops were submerged. Should you not have grapeseed oil on hand, almond, sesame and olive oil are all good carriers for infusions.

She locked up the lid and admired her calendula infusion. Now to let it steep for 1-2 weeks. Give it a shake periodically; when it starts getting really cloudy it is time to strain out the flowers.

After straining Fauna will have a wonderful healing oil ready to do its healing magic . She can mix the oil with lotion for dry skin or make an ointment or salve using beeswax.

From Shakespeare's Winter's Tale:
'The Marigold that goes to bed wi' th' sun,
And with him rises weeping.'

Pollination Song

How Do Plants Pollinate?

(To the tune of: "This Land Is Your Land")

What does a plant need

To make a new seed?

Three things give flowers reproductive powers—

The sticky pollen,

The slender stamen,

And pistils make the flower whole.

What gets the pollen going

To keep new plants growing?

Different kinds of birds do,

Or the wind that's blowing.

Butterflies and bees,

Carry pollen they need.

That's what makes pollination work.

If a flower's not scented,

Or brightly colored,

And the flowers are smaller,

In clusters tighter.

With stamens longer,

the signs are stronger,

This plant spreads pollen on the wind.

When bright colored flowers,

Have a sweet perfume,

And a sugary nectar,

Then chances are good,

That birds and insects active,
Find the plants attractive,

And they'll spread the pollen as they go.

To hear this song click on " Sing The Pollination Song" here. Visit Pollen Studies for more pollen learning!

Pollen Studies

One day, a little while back, my husband came in from cutting the grass COVERED in white pine pollen! What a great time to talk about and observe pollen. The first thing the Little Ladies and I did was run to the white pines and shake the pollen onto black paper. No luck, it needed something to stick to.



Fauna suggested double stick tape. It worked like a dream! We went around to the many different plants in our yard exploring their pollen. We discovered that some pollen let the wind carry it through the air and some pollen was very sticky and stuck to the flower. The wind pollen is from the plants which we have allergies to; the sticky pollen sticks to the flower unless a pollinator of the 6 or 2 legged variety comes along to help out. Here is how we recorded our observations:



Using double stick tape on black construction paper (so the pollen would really pop) we would either shake the pollen from the flower or rub the flower onto the tape; depending on how the flower released its pollen.



After recording and taking samples, we headed inside to have a closer look through a microscope. It was amazing to see the many different shapes pollen can be. We also got on the computer and visited The Biology of Plants, it has a great page on Pollination and an educational pollination song.

For directions on making the clipboard visit here.