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Nurturing Creativity in Children

Posted on July 28th, 2010

Todays post is from my friend, Kara. I met Kara a few years ago in Prague and knew right away that we needed to be friends – She’s a photographer, a foodie who’s interested in health and nutrition, a world traveler, and she practices yoga. Kara has spent the last year living in the states and is currently working on moving back to Prague. I will be looking forward to seeing her there soon!

Happy child with painted hands

(Photo from Foundationphasewales.com)

“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.” ~ Pablo Picasso

Children have an endless supply of creative energy. I see it when my nieces originate their own songs and dance moves; when my friend’s son takes a stack of white paper and a pencil and writes his own adventure stories. Children can make something out of nothing. Because they don’t care what people think they can authentically explore their uniqueness. I wish I had the imagination I did when I was 5!

As we grow up it seems that in our (American) culture, imagination and creativity are seen as childish and therefore we need to “grow up” and “live in reality”. Personally, I am passionate about art and allowing imagination and creativity to grow and I have my own mother to thank for that.

I grew up with an incredibly artistic and talented mother. She was born and raised in New York City and spent much of her childhood attending ballets, Broadway, piano and guitar lessons and spent her evenings writing poetry. Naturally, from the time I was very young she instilled a deep desire to explore my creative side and not feel pressured to think only “inside the box”.

If you want to encourage your child’s creativity start here:

Remember that creativity is not just a project or after school distraction. Encourage your kids to see the value in art. Take them to a museum, a gallery, a cooking demonstration. Allow them to witness others living out their unique talents. Ask the right questions. Find what kind of art your children like and take the time to explore that with them.

As an artist, I can say that I need my space in order to create. As much as you want to encourage your child, don’t hover or feel the need to monitor at all times. Allow them a safe environment to explore. Honestly, they don’t need us to tell them how to draw, build or design something. If anything, we can learn so much more by watching them! Also, refrain from giving judgment or too much critique. Remember that art is as unique as people are, and despite how you may want to react, your child needs to feel that what they offer to the art world holds value. Love them for their willingness to try, not the end result.

Offer guidance in whatever ways you can. If you enjoy cooking, bring your child into the kitchen with you and offer them the opportunity to participate. If you play an instrument, share your love of music. Whatever it may be, don’t hold back. Art is meant to be shared.

Lastly, it’s important that originality is cultivated. The greatest innovators have always been those who thought differently from the rest. Just think how different our world would be if people like The Wright Brothers, Pablo Picasso or even J.K. Rowling were not encouraged to be themselves, original and full of imagination.

To see a few young artists’ creativity, check out the International Child Art Foundation’s gallery.

Here’s a fun family art project that everyone can participate in!

Using an old toy chest, a cardboard box, etc you and spend time with your family making a family keepsake box; something to hold your mementos for years to come. I love using recycled materials and craft supplies including glue, stencils, markers, paint, newspaper or used colored tissue paper and gift wrap.

Get creative and cut out a variety of shapes and use lots of color! Let each family member design and contribute something that expresses who they are. The best part is deciding what to include in the keepsake box. My family has placed old movie ticket stubs, vacation photos, souvenirs, foreign money, music CDs that we all like, anything that reminds of quality time together. Ours even has a jar of sand and a small sombrero from a trip to Mexico. Take pictures of your family during this project and use those as the first memento to go in the box!

(Photo from Foundationphasewales.com)

“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.” ~ Pablo Picasso

If you want to encourage your child’s creativity start here:

Remember that creativity is not just a project or after school distraction. Encourage your kids to see the value in art. Take them to a museum, a gallery, a cooking demonstration. Allow them to witness others living out their unique talents. Ask the right questions. Find what kind of art your children like and take the time to explore that with them.
As an artist, I can say that I need my space in order to create. As much as you want to encourage your child, don’t hover or feel the need to monitor at all times. Allow them a safe environment to explore. Honestly, they don’t need us to tell them how to draw, build or design something. If anything, we can learn so much more by watching them! Also, refrain from giving judgment or too much critique. Remember that art is as unique as people are, and despite how you may want to react, your child needs to feel that what they offer to the art world holds value. Love them for their willingness to try, not the end result.
Offer guidance in whatever ways you can. If you enjoy cooking, bring your child into the kitchen with you and offer them the opportunity to participate. If you play an instrument, share your love of music. Whatever it may be, don’t hold back. Art is meant to be shared.
Lastly, it’s important that originality is cultivated. The greatest innovators have always been those who thought differently from the rest. Just think how different our world would be if people like The Wright Brothers, Pablo Picasso or even J.K. Rowling were not encouraged to be themselves, original and full of imagination.

To see a few young artists’ creativity, check out the International Child Art Foundation’s gallery.

Here’s a fun family art project that everyone can participate in!

Kara is a believer in living life creatively and holistically. Her passion for art has led her on many adventures through the years and she now enjoys sharing her creative gifts with aspiring young artists. Kara’s interest in a holistic lifestyle was fueled after years of being frustrated with traditional, Western medicine which caused her to step into the world ofalternative medicine. Shortly after making a few basic changes to her lifestyle, she saw results and now feels empowered to share with others the benefits of preventative, natural medicine. Her personal goal is to live as physically, emotionally and spiritually healthy and thriving as possible, 100% of the time and encourage others to do the same. You can follow her thoughts and travels at her blog: karabess.wordpress.com

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Salsa With a Side of Inspiration

Posted on July 27th, 2010

This is another guest post from my friend, Lindsey. I love the story about how this salsa was created and I can’t wait to make some myself!

A few weeks ago I was sitting in the front yard of a dear friend of mine, Becky, soaking up some sunshine and watching our children splash around on their slip and slide. Both of us mommas are pregnant so it didn’t take long before we needed a snack and some water. Out she comes with some fresh made Pico De Gallo Salsa and a side of corn chips. It was delicious, refreshing and enjoyed by all.
The fallowing day I invited another special friend to come over with her children to enjoy playing on our home made “water park”, a sprinkler set up under the trampoline. Super fun!

summer 2010 111

This friend, also pregnant, and I wanted something cool, sweet and tart, maybe with a little spice.
I had some Jalipanios left over from some homemade Jalipanio Poppers we made a few nights earlier, a late night craving that my wonderful husband helped satisfy with a quick run to the store. I knew we had a Mango in the fridge as well as onlion, tomato, bell pepers ect. I started cutting, and dicing the fruit and veggies with the thought of Becky’s Salsa from the day before vividly in mind.
Here is what I came up with:

Mango Salsa
1 whole diced mango
1/2 a large white onion diced
1 large tomato chopped
2 whole Jalapenos, seeded and finely diced
1 orange, red, or yellow bell pepper chopped
(you can also mix and match the Bell Peppers to make it more colorful)
1 small handful cilantro, torn
Juice from one small Lime
1 Tbl. Rice Vinegar
1 Pinch of Sea Salt

We ate the whole batch and I found out later that Marianne went home and made her own batch…
Since then I have made it for our family, as gifts dropped off at a friends who was having a rough day and a BBQ we went to over the weekend.
I have heard that almost everyone who has had it, goes to their kitchen and makes up their own batch. Some with the mango, but others have used Peach, or Pineapple.
I hope you are able to try this tasty salsa. Enjoy it with some chips, or over some grilled fish.
Let me know how you like it and what changes you make. I love to play around with recipes and get inspiration from others.

Special thanks to Becky for a fun day and the inspiration!

I’m contributing this post to Two for Tuesdays this week and also Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays. Check out the links for lots of other great posts.

I am the wife of a phenomenal husband and my dearest friend.
I am the mother of four beautiful children, one of which is to still in Utero.
I am pregnant and LOVE it!
I live in the beautiful state of Washington.
I am the supporter of many, but close friend to a few wonderful people.
I love to be outdoors, exploring the world and playing with my children.
I am an aspiring crafty person and trying my hand at sewing, knitting and art.
I love food, eating it, cooking it, cutting it and picking it.
I enjoy reading many books, and researching online as well as learning from my educated friends and mentors.
I have delivered all three of my children at home and planning to have this next baby in the same peaceful manner. fam

I am an advocate for breastfeeding and peaceful parenting.
I love families and enjoy supporting them during their journey.
I am blessed to have a relationship with the God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob.

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Two for Tuesdays Volume 7

Posted on July 27th, 2010

Another Tuesday is here and it’s time for Two for Tuesdays again! We have been having so many wonderful people participate in Two for Tuesdays and it’s growing faster than I had ever imagined. Thank you all for being a part of this fun carnival. I can’t wait to see what you bring to the table this week!

Here’s a little review of the “rules”:

Write a post having to do with real food.
In your post, add a link back to THIS PAGE (or any of my fellow blog hosts Two for Tuesday posts for this week) and add one of the badges below (if you want).

Add the URL for your POST (NOT your blog home page) to the list using the Linky bellow (or the Linky on Alex, Heather, or Michelle’s site).
Leave a comment too and let us know what you are contributing this week.
Hop around and enjoy all the great content gathered in one place!!

Alright, everyone Start Hopping!!

Rejoicing in the journey -
Bethany Stedman

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Admiration Monday: Bethany Stedman

Posted on July 26th, 2010

Haha. Yeah, you read that title right. Todays guest post is all about me. I asked my dear friend, Carrie, to write a guest blog for me and told her that she could write about anything that she wanted. Carrie is probably my closest friend right now and my husband and I basically share a flat with her and her husband (although we each have our own private living spaces). Anyway, Carrie chose to add to my Admiration Monday series by writing a post about me. Admiration Mondays is a series I’ve been doing for a while with the idea that we all need to hear words of encouragement and get a little public recognition every now and then. I can’t even begin to tell you how humbled and honored I was by this post. And honestly I feel a little hesitant to post something like this about myself on my own blog. But, she wrote it to be shared publicly and Admiration Mondays are meant to be public statements. So… here it is. Thank you, my beautiful friend, for writing such sweet words of encouragement for me.

Good morning from Prague. I get to admire someone today that you also have “met”. Bethany Stedman. I am inspired by her and what she is exploring on this blog. Her passion for nutrition and creating good real food continues to fascinate me. I also really enjoy reading Bethany’s blog because I get to see a side of her that I usually don’t get to see. I usually see her early in the morning or late at night when I knock on her door to say hi. So I thought it would be good to introduce you to a side of Bethany that maybe you don’t know.

Just a bit of background….I met Bethany 3.5 years ago in Prague. And for Prague life that is a long time. The first time it hit me that we were going to be friends was maybe the 3^rd or 4^th time I saw her. It was at a friend’s baby shower. She arrived dressed like a pixie, with braided hair wrapped around her head and her camera. She hid behind her camera in those days, capturing the world around her to the delight of the rest of us. Since those times she has been a shoulder to cry on, a daily part of my life, and a real honest follower of God.

When someone meets Bethany they realize that they keep meeting her. Her treasures are deep and plentiful but not showy. I love this about Bethany. I love the way she offers herself to you simply and if you see it – you realize you are being handed gold. Her depth and ability unfold for you and await your discovery.

16647_165085583094_627823094_2753627_4663317_n I am learning so much from Bethany about loving husbands, entering motherhood, living purposefully, struggling with God. The quality of Bethany that perhaps stands out most to me is that when I am with her I sense I am in the presence of something real and tangible. It is a real moment. And I always feel seen and heard. It is hard to describe. There is something solid about Bethany. She doesn’t have an agenda for you and she doesn’t try and impress you. Bethany and her husband offer themselves to those they meet.

Bethany also is a woman of strength with a hidden ability to lead people into an encounter with God. When she is leading you in yoga there is a deep strength that you implicitly trust and want more of. Her beauty and depth brings favor to her husband, son, friends and community.

I admire her tremendous courage to engage head on, the ways she wants to raise her son even though some people might not understand. Even her decision to be in Prague at this point is made thoughtfully, weighing the costs.

I am also thankful for her acceptance of me in my most broken moments. Bethany is a strong broad tree that is only rising in glory and that will shade and nourish many people in the future.

The King’s favor rests on her.

Bethany is a rich gift to me and those she meets. I admire her so much.

A Prayer of Blessing for Bethany Stedman.

Circle Bethany, Jesus,
Keep peace within
and discouragement out.
Circle Bethany, Spirit,
May these days of travel be filled with rest and refreshment for her.
May all her days be filled with love and deep joy.
Circle Bethany, Father/Mother of us all,
Let her branches and root grow deep.

May her leaves and shade overflow into abundant fruit.
Circle Bethany, Jesus,
protect her deep heart,
guide her dreams,
quiet her insecurities.
Circle Bethany, Spirit,
Keep joy near,
and turmoil afar.
Circle Bethany, Father/Mother,
Nourish her being,
fill her heart and home with Life.
In the name of the eternal three in one,
Bless Bethany, that she might continue to bless others.
Amen.

Carrie Ruth Schwender is called right now to a hold a place for God. This place is a hostel in Prague. She knows that she has only a few rohliky (Czech hotdog buns) to offer and that the great baker will have to fill the quota for the rest of the big order. She aspiries to live loved. That’s enough.

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Scenes From My Life: Making Ice Cream

Posted on July 25th, 2010

I come from a long line of foodies. I was lucky enough to be raised around good food. My mom enjoys cooking and when it comes to good homecooked nourishing meals it’s hard to beat some of her classics, but my dad LOVES cooking. He doesn’t just cook, he perfects. He”ll pick a recipe and make it over and over, making little changes along the way until he goes it just right. He’ll learn about the chemistry behind what he’s making so that he can really understand why things combine the way they do and use that knowledge to make things taste better. I grew up with my dad reading cook books for fun and taking cooking classes in France for vacations and making friends with chefs at his favorite restaurants.

But, the family love for food goes even farther back than my dad. It extends to my grandparents and extended family as well. One of my favorite food memories from my childhood is making Creme de Menthe ice cream with my grandma. She was always very secretive about her ice cream recipe and it was always so special when she made it.

This weekend I was at my parents house with my cousin (who is more like a little sister to me) and my aunt and we decided my dad needed to give us a cooking lesson on ice cream. Of course, the only choice for what kind of ice cream to make was Creme de Menthe. So, we made three kinds of Creme de Menthe ice cream. We made my grandma’s recipe first of course. And then we decided to play. Grandma’s recipe isn’t a custard based recipe so we decided to adapt it into a custard based ice cream. Then my cousin and I said we wanted to know how to make it without an ice cream maker so my dad showed us how to make a Creme de Menthe gelato without an ice cream maker. THEN since we had egg whites left over from making the custard we decided to make a Chocolate Creme de Menthe mouse. Oh, yay! It was a VERY good day! Here are a few pictures from our cooking extravaganza.

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