Welcome to A Little Garden Flower & Waldorf Essentials

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT! BE A BEACON!

“The self-education of adults is essential for the Waldorf approach to educating children, because Waldorf does not consist solely of methods, techniques, or structures, but rather the development of human capacities – those of the children but also, and more importantly, those of teachers and parents.”

~ Robert McDermott

Welcome to Be A Beacon! You are in for a treat - an inner work treat.  We have been talking about the importance of inner work for years and we are answering a call to address inner work for our very important demographic - MOMS!

There are so many paths to inner work - where do you start? We will explore many paths, many cultures and many teachers.  Among those teachers we will discuss the work of Rudolf Steiner, Dr. Wayne Dyer, Abraham, Deepak Chopra and many more. We will work with concepts from the Bible, Koran, Gita and many other holy books - there are many, many common threads. I will work to relate my own experiences as well to bring you a dynamic program that will have you on the road to really feeling like the BEACON you should be for your family.  This is a very exciting new service and I hope you will all take the journey with us!

"At every moment the listener may say to himself: that, of which they speak, I too can learn, if I develop within myself certain powers which today still slumber within me. There remains only one question — how to set to work to develop such faculties."
~Rudolf Steiner, Knowledge of the Higher Worlds

   Monthly Membership includes:

• Special access to newly recorded shows available only to those participating in the program.  These shows are meant to get you started on this journey and to get you thinking about what inner work means to you. These recordings include:
• Welcome to "Be a Beacon"
• Catalysts for Change
• Personal Gurus
• The Importance of Inner Work
• How to Meditate
• Bi weekly lessons and discussions delivered via private yahoo group
• 2 monthly private live radio shows/interactive chats
• Archives available for duration of membership
• Planning and goal setting tools geared directly to Waldorf homeschooling
• In depth inner work study covering many faith groups, including in depth Steiner and other modern inner work experts.

Some of the monthly themes include: getting started right, relationships, balancing, knowing when to cut back and how, Steiner's basic 6 in depth,  festivals and inner work meanings, exploring biography, mediation through Waldorf art and so much more.

When you join, you will also receive recommended reading and tools to get you started along with an invitation to join the private group.

Register through our store - we have monthly, quarterly and six month options.  Sign up soon!  The series starts on Thursday, November 12 at 9pm EST.

Before the Journey - On Your Journey!

So, I have this head injury.  I wish I could say I was in some exotic international incident, but really it was a nasty fall that resulted in an equally nasty concussion.  I feel a bit like I am thinking through Marshmallow Fluff!  During my down time, Ire-read some posts from our email list and put a few topics to meditation.  It seems that one common frustration or concern moms have (whether new or veteran Waldorfers) is religion.  Where does it belong in our lives?  How do we integrate it with Waldorf homeschooling?  The non-Christian moms often shy away from the festivals that seem overly Christian while the Christian moms seem to shy away from the ones that seem overly Pagan or other faith based.  This practice tends to create a lot of fear and misunderstanding among ourselves and often each other.  This is compounded by well-meaning clergy (on all sides) telling us to not learn about other faiths.  

One thing that I have learned on this path is to trust in myself and to always be connected to Spirit.  It is this trust that spoke to me when I sat down last year to write Before the Journey.  I see Waldorf as a means to bring people together and the first step is understanding one another.  While we initially wrote the book as a resource for moms with preschoolers that wanted activities to do with their young ones, it has much farther reaching meaning.  The book is filled with seasonal stories, patterns and recipes, as well as, perspectives from different religions on approaching the seasons, Waldorf, and the festivals.

About the book:

Journey through the seasons with four different Waldorf families in "Before the Journey".  In journal-like entries, each mother explores a season based on her family's spiritual, economic and parenting background.  Interspersed with the journals are recipes, stories, songs, verses, festival/seasonal background, handwork projects, practical activities, and resource recommendations.  Following that, is an in-depth explanation of rhythm and the festivals.  This book shows how those of different faiths can bring Waldorf ideals into their lives in a harmonious way and in a simple format.  

You will also learn how to create seasonal circles and celebrations quickly and easily with many ideas provided as a starting point.  This book can be used alone or in conjunction with other festival books.  The companion DVDs and CD contain tutorials on needlefelting, bookbinding, lantern-making, silk dyeing, cookie decorating, creating a nature table, and more.

The book is available in e-book and printed format.  Print copies are in-stock and ready to ship on Monday, October 19th.  

Before the Journey - Print Version:

Print copy USA $35.00 Print copy nonUSA $40.00

Before the Journey - E-Book Version:

If you have more shopping to do with us, the book is available in our store.

Enjoy the journey!

Inner Work 103

On a radio show this fall, I spoke about gaining confidence and not letting people hand you their bag of poo.  Today I was grumpy - I couldn't sleep, allergies that never bother me were keeping me from rest, my head was pounding, and I was just plain crabby.  I knew I had better get some meditation in lest my family wake up to a very grumpy mama gnome.  I left the house at 5:30 a.m. to greet the morning and get my head in a good place.  I found myself resisting; I was mad and didn't want to go but I forced myself and during my quiet time a thought occured to me...what if the person trying to hand you the bag of poo is YOU?  That isn't what one wants to hear.  It is easy to blame our anger and frustration on a myriad of other things like bills, spouses, ex-spouses, kids, mothers, mother-in-laws.  You name it.  They make you mad and you are justified at being mad.  Right?  Well, yeah, but if you allow it to make you mad then it will control you.  Anger is the best tool of the darkness.

Today's exercise is one of the best for dealing with our own bag of poo.  Add it to the other two in your meditations this week.

Exercise Number Three:
Equanimity - holding back expression of emotions to help us find perspective. 

Think about your own bag of poo today.  Are you spreading it or can you walk forward and be drama (and poo) free?  Work on this exercise for a few days, add it to your others and don't forget to tell us how you are doing.

Blessings!

Inner Work 102

Hopefully you have done Exercise One.  How did it go?  Did you try it more than once?  Can you accomplish it with ease?  The next exercise sounds like a cake walk but it will work to develop that will of yours because your initial response is going to be that it is stupid and can't help you at all!  Remain open.

Exercise Two:
Initiative - pick one act each day, same time for two weeks.

Sounds easy, huh?  What will you pick?  It can be as simple as a twist of your wedding band, a potty break timed just right, or even a piece of chocolate.  Keep it simple so you will be more likely to stick with it. 

Couple this with Exercise One.  Remember to check back in to tell us how it is going!

Inner Work 101: Developing the Will

The last post  may have left you really wondering what you can do about your frustration over developing your own will.  There really is a lot - the biggest thing to understand is the ONLY thing that stands between you and inner peace is YOU.  That stings, I know, but once you learn that part then the rest of the journey isn't so daunting.  Knowing that you can change your attitude and give birth to your will, whether it be a rebirth or a first birth, is an empowering feeling. 

When we first started writing our 'A Journey Through Waldorf' curriculum series, we layered in information on inner work each year, but the grade one book probably has the best information on working from a beginner's perspective.  Steiner himself is a great place to start with inner work.  He had a wonderful set of exercises that can serve as a starting point or even a tune up for any inner work routine.  We will explore these through a series focusing on these exercises, and encourage you to take part and to share your experiences in the comments section of each post.

The first basic exercise:
Differentiate in meditation between the essentials and inessentials.

This sounds almost too basic to be useful, but it is the core of the Waldorf teacher or parent's development.  We are constantly assessing what our children need and in order to do that effectively we need to ask ourselves, "Is this essential?", with everything we do.  I would start with your day - meditate on what is on the agenda; it helps to have your schedule written down so if you haven't done so yet, I encourage you to do it now.  Lay out your week, not the way you want it to go, but the way it is in reality.  This is important so you can see your weak areas and where things break down for you.  Once you have it down on paper, take the time to meditate on it.  What's that?  You can't meditate?  Sure you can!  See our section below for a little help.

Now that you can see the reality of your life on paper, take it to meditation...is everything on there essential?  If not, what can go or be given a lower priority or even be delegated to someone else?  This is an example of doing the exercise with your schedule, it is a good place to start but it is not the only way you can put it to use.  One thing I find incredibly helpful is to do this exercise when I start feeling like I might go into panic mode - you know when you feel that pit in your gut and it begins to crawl up your throat until it has to escape in the form of you becoming She-Hulk before you can put it back?  Well, try to recognize the pit when it begins.  Excuse yourself from the situation.  I like going into the bathroom (my kids probably think I potty a lot!)  Once in there, I lock the door, close my eyes and say a silent prayer, "Please only show me what is essential right now."  I get my answer and then I go and do JUST THAT - nothing else!  Only the task I have been directed to do.  Then it is off the pile and I can move on with renewed strength and no pit in my belly.

Do this exercise daily until it becomes a habit, then it will be like an old friend.  That is how I find it these days - something comforting, I use it even when I am not in a panic spot to stay on top of it all.  I strongly believe that if we ask, it is given... that doesn't just mean money or power or material things, it begins and ends with spiritual gifts.  We need to work to develop them within our selves so that we can pass them on to our children.

Beginner's Meditation:

Sit comfortably.  Find something to set your gaze upon (I like to look at something pleasant like a flower or the nature table).  Relax your mind and body, trying to think only of the object.  If your mind wonders then bring it back to the object.  See if you can do this for one minute, then stretch.  Guided meditation works also and there are many guided meditation CDs on the market; try your local library before buying one. 

Many blessings!

Melisa & Erik Nielsen
Owners, A Little Garden Flower
www.alittlegardenflower.com

Ebook Sampler

A note to our loyal friends and customers:

Our bestselling E-book Curriculum Sampler will be discontinued this Wednesday, and I want to take this opportunity to let you know.  If you have been thinking about purchasing multiple grades or using our curriculum throughout your homeschooling years, don't delay.  This is your last chance to grab this deal!

The e-book sampler and downloads shouldn't even be called a sampler.  It includes full versions of nearly all of our books to-date plus our homeschool planner and some of our audio downloads.  This is an excellent opportunity increase your knowledge of Waldorf while being prepared for future grades.  Each curriculum contains complete monthly and weekly lesson plans, as well as, supporting information, stories, background on Anthroposophy and festivals, and articles by homeschooling parents.  The day planner has weekly at-a-glance sections, festival and seasonal information, other items to deepen your journey.  Before the Journey and the kindergarten book are not a curriculum but an inspiration for living in a healthy rhythm with your growing preschool and kindergartner.  The audio series covers topics of interest for parents such as relationships, child development, parenting, and homeschooling.  The e-books are in pdf format, and the audio downloads are in mp3 format.

You'll get all of this with your E-Book Curriculum Sampler:
My Journey Day Planner
Before the Journey
A Journey... Kindergarten
A Journey... Grade 1
A Journey... Grade 2
A Journey... Grade 3
A Journey... Grade 4
A Journey... Grade 5 
A Journey... Grade 6
A Journey... Math for Grades 1 through 5
A Journey Audio Series

Don't miss out on this amazing chance to have a full Waldorf homeschool library through grade six for a fraction of the cost of buying the items separately!  Be sure to watch our store for the addition of new curriculum, school and art products in the coming months.  We have many exciting things in store for you!

Visit our store for more details.  The cost for the above is $175.

*This product will be available in our store through Wednesday, September 2, 2009 at 12:00 am MST.  Please save all files to your computer or a CD upon receipt as they will only be accessible for a short time.  E-books are not to be resold in any form and are only intended for use by the original purchaser.  Unless you are an overseas shopper, please do not print e-books in their entirety as they are meant to be an environmentally-friendly way to purchase and enjoy our products.  While we support the reselling and recycling of our printed products, reselling e-books violates our policies and copyrights.

Getting Started #1

This is the first in a series of blog posts about getting started - some moms come to Waldorf at the beginning when their little ones are not yet in first grade and others come along later, forever feeling like they are catching up.  I think it is important for moms at all stages to know that you will never know it all!  Just when you think you have read every lecture of Steiner's on education or know every resource... well, a new one comes to greet you and you might change how you are doing things!

This post will focus on the new mom that has young children - children younger than grade one.

When you have little ones and you come to Waldorf either through a friend, article, or even a mom-and-tot class in a Waldorf setting, what at first seems like this world of wonder, can quickly turn into a world of fear!  It is my hope that through this post we can dispel that a bit.  Yes, there is so much to learn... often, I refer people to the wonderful resource "You are Your Child's First Teacher" by Rahima Baldwin which is a great resource for those very early years or even before a new baby is born, and is my most oft-given shower gift!  Once moms read this wonderful work though they want to know where to go next.  The questions of "what" and "how" begin to emerge and sometimes panic sets in!  Panic isn't allowed!  Remember that this child/these children have a Divine purpose - they are here for OUR learning as much as we are here for THEIRS. Take your time, read, pray, meditate and reflect.  Ask questions.  Remember this time with them is golden and you will never get it back so enjoy every second that you can. 

So, what can you do?  Well many would have you believe that you need a curriculum for the early years, something to follow, something to teach you about rhythm.  You don't need anything - just love, lol... sing the song to yourself a bit... all you need is love... it comes down to just that - but not just love of your child, love of yourself.  Taking care of you in these early years through inner work will get you in the habit so that you can continue it through the years; continue to take moments alone each day, moments that are yours.  Make your needs known to your partner, friend, whoever you can and if you have no one then work to use nap times to your advanage.  You are the beacon and no one else can do what you do so you must take care of yourself.

After you get a handle on inner work (see our other posts about this topic if you need help) then begin to look at your skills.  Waldorf will be the most fun for you if you feel confident teaching your child and that starts with learning yourself.  Find someone to teach you to knit; if you don't think you have anyone, then think about a nursing home where there are many elderly women there that would love visitors and would be happy to teach you.  Not to mention, what an excellent fellow-shipping opportunity that is for you!  Start with great wool yarn and wooden needles. 

Other areas to begin working in are your drawing and painting skills.  Waldorf approaches these much differently than mainstream sources.  We offer a useful DVD-set that can help you understand the Waldorf way of drawing with young children - Coloring with Block Crayons, presented by Sigi - a wonderful Waldorf teacher. It is so much fun to watch your talents (that you may not have known existed!) come to life.  Watercolor painting is also a key component of teaching.  Learning this will be loads of fun and just think about how great you'll be by the time you have to teach it!  We have some fun tutorials on this and many other things on our video channel.

We also have a book that can help you begin to establish rhythms for your family in these early years.  "Before the Journey" is a great little guide to get you started.  It is not a curriculum for young children - they don't need one - moms on the other hand need something to sort of get them moving in the direction of learning and being comfortable with these concepts.  We also have a few great CD sets that may help you get your feet wet and understand how all the pieces of this Waldorf puzzle fit together. 

When your child gets to be kindergarten age, you may want to begin strengthening your rhythm even more - a curriculum isn't needed, but if you feel like it is something you want then don't go all out.  If you have explored the resources above then you will have much of what you need at your finger tips but, if you want more ideas on day-to-day with a 5-7 year-old, then I suggest our kindergarten curriculum.

Above all - ENJOY this time.  Learn about your child and yourself, and decide how you want to take this journey.  You are awesome!  Many blessings.

Our Ebook Sampler

Hi all!  I was trying to think of what to spotlight today in our market.  I have spent time meditating on the needs of our customers (both present and future) – one thing that keeps coming to mind is cost.  I get several emails a week from families we work with appreciating that we have a lower cost ebook option for our curriculum.  Many people don’t realize that our ebooks are just like our hard copy books only they are electronic so while saving on printing costs they are also very eco friendly.

 

The wheels of change are starting to move but I am still hearing tales of lay offs, foreclosures and hour reductions.  We want to make sure that you never have to make a choice between curriculum and eating!  And I also don’t ever want families to have to make choices between buying new supplies or not because they have to spend a lot on curriculum.  We aim to make our product very complete with day by day schedules through the grades and plenty of support for both the new Waldorf parent and the seasoned one as well.

 

We have some great options for families that are teaching several grades – our best option is our Ebook Sampler.  The Sampleris chock full of great tools for your journey including: ebook copies of all our books – “Before the Journey” through “A Journey… Grade 6,”  “A Journey through Waldorf Math,”  also a link to our day planner (great to get started on your planning!) – the bonus with the sampler is that you also get a link to our audio series, you can load them to your MP3 player or burn them to a disc, either way you can maximize your study time as a busy mom.  This sampler is well priced at $175 – now that is cheaper than many companies charge for just one year!  Remember you always have free access to support through our egroup, main lesson blog, our You Tube channel and our radio show as well.

Time vs. Technology

I often get asked why we aren't all over the web.  Emails begging us to be on Facebook or MySpace or Twitter - "it's good networking" some say, "it will build your business" others say, or my favorite is "well, XYZ company is there so I thought you should be too".  The pure and simple reason I am not in every place on the web is that I cherish time with my family and my business is a full-time venture as it is.  I read blogs from time to time, I post here and on our Yahoo group list, but my schedule is so busy that I would be compromising who I am and what I want to accomplish to be in all those other places. 

I know that many people use those sites they are a great way to keep in touch with family and friends (in real life and on line) however, they can also keep you from doing what you love.  This time of year many mamas take a vacation from the computer and to that I say "Hoorah"!  Take the time.  It will all still be here when you get back.  As wonderful as our modern technology is, we have to remember the reasons why in Waldorf we limit it for our children - Steiner wasn't just talking about the children, he was talking about the need for all of us to tame it.  Gadgets and being connected can be addicting.  That doesn't mean that my favorite gadget isn't my PDA Smart Phone that I can use anywhere to get to my email, but it does mean that I have to know when to turn it off.  With the Internet, we expect that everyone will be available all the time.  The Internet is the true "city that never sleeps"...it keeps us company on nights we can't sleep, it is our friend when we need that verse or chalk board drawing inspiration, it connects us to friends around the world that are going through what we are.  Sadly, it can also disconnect us from those we love most, those right in our homes, those we chose to be home with - but only if we let it. 

Now if you are like us and run a web-reliant business from home then you have even more reasons to monitor your use.  It is easy to say you are just checking in on business and end up in fifteen places that have nothing to do with your business! 

So what do I suggest?  What works for me is to map out the time that I know I need to be on line and then stick to it.  I have two days a week that I am very limited on answering business email - my family knows what days they are and they hold me to it.  This is also where getting up before your children is a huge help.  When I get up in the morning, I check on the day's lessons and do any prep work related to those, get in a bit of prayer time for me, and then I plow through my email and business-related tasks.  When the kids come up at 8am to start our day, I walk away - not for the day but at least for the morning.  I know I can't be a good role model for my family or other parents if my fanny is glued to this chair answering email all day or working on business or looking at blogs.  Also, if the computer is a problem for you (you know who you are, lol) then don't go cold turkey if that stresses you out but begin to map out your time.  Be fair to your family and make the computer time be time that is YOUR time...make the priority to get up before them and don't stay up after them!  Staying up after them isn't fair because the next morning you are tired and cranky and they need you!  So go to bed on time then get up and use your time to be on line.  Set reasonable limits for yourself.  Perhaps you can get up early, prep your lessons and play on the computer, then get your family up, eat and start your day.  Later while they are eating lunch, you can check in if you need to, then back to your afternoon activities, then start your dinner and check in for a moment.  After dinner be with your family, then go to bed!  Start it all over again the next morning.

Bottom line mamas is go out and have fun with your family.  The computer will always be here but they won't! 

Many blessings.

Schooling through the summer?

If you are like many homeschooling moms, you are looking at what you haven't finished yet for the year and starting to feel a bit frustrated... frustrated at yourself maybe for not staying disciplined enough or frustrated at the events that came up that took you off course or even just frustrated that you want to be done and don't feel like you can be... but that sun calls you to be outside... parks seem to be begging to your children... and popsicles sound much more fun than poetry!  I totally understand!  Sometimes life gets in the way...one thing I have realized is that even when I plan (and you all know how much I preach about planning!) it can be hard to take all scenarios into consideration!  We had a couple of those this year and so it has me standing at what is the end of the year for many of my homeschooling friends and pouting! lol.  After I decided pouting wouldn't get me very far, I decided to make a plan - something I am good at - a plan that would work for all of us and not having us feel like we were doing school the entire summer.  I thought about what we have left to finish - in our case, mostly math and also geology for my 6th grader and then math for the other two (2nd & 4th grades.)  I started to look at really what needed to be done and how we could fit in the pool, lake and movies around it!  Rather than our regular 4-5 day work week, I settled on 3 days - 3 mornings really... 3 mornings of getting up and hitting our lessons and then enjoying our day. 

So what can you do?  Really look at what things you can combine - if you missed a history block or portion of a block... is there a novel that your child can read and then discuss with you? Can you take your lessons with you to the park?  We do this often, I will pack us breakfast and lunch, get them up early, take some reading of my own and head to the park.  We are often there for hours and hours just having fun - oh and doing lessons too!  We will often have a relay with each of them getting more one on one time with me because their siblings are off playing.  This easily becomes wonderful bonding time - they will forget they are at the park and really start just enjoying the lesson time.  Again pack plenty of food, pick a park with a potty, take a blanket or table cloth and have fun!  While they are all playing together you can take mom time to read.

Another way I work in lessons or extra reading is in the car - of course you have to be able to read in the car without getting sick!  My in laws live 30 minutes away and the children each take their reading books with them in the car - with our library's summer reading program, they are eager to see who can read the most pages! This is a great way to get lesson work in.

Working on times tables?  Use hopscotch!  We are going to film this shortly so you can see just how fun it is.  If you missed measuring out the ark in the winter months then measure it out now - take the time to throw in fun with measurement through summer baking (or no-baking!)  Make sure you take full weeks off in between to rest too... be kind to yourself and let them run and play too.

My own summer work usually revolves around my relationship with practical arts that I may want to strengthen - like taking my knitting to the next step or making something new with felt that I can take to the children this next year.  Take the time to enjoy these tasks and have fun.  Also take the time to really meditate on who you are, how much fun you had this year, counting all your blessings.  Nothing makes a pity party go away quicker than an accounting of blessings.

Have fun Mamas!!  Enjoy this season.