Helping Hands: Drawn Together



In the past W&tS has offered wares as an incentive to support different needs: Owego, breast cancer research and support groups, aid to personal friends...Many things speak to us, and it's difficult to reach out and help all of them, but the recent school shooting in Sandy Hook cannot be overlooked.



While brainstorming ways to aid in the healing process. I kept going back to art therapy. I know my pregnant-mama limits, and I know Charlie has an ever-growing list of things (I'd like for him) to do around the house. We just have too much going on to spearhead something, so I put a little hook in the twitter waters and heard about Drawn Together.  Amber, the brains behind Damask Love and Drawn Together, is a pediatric psychologist, so she knows the ins and outs of the hapless victims of last week's violence. She has the knowledge, she has the plan, she needs the "stuff."

If you have some money to spare, might I suggest you donate some to help cover the increasing shipping costs for this project? Drawn Together has already collected enough supplies for about 200 creative kits for the kids to use as part of their healing through art therapy.

As an incentive: If you donate $20 or more, and send confirmation to nobiting at gmail dot com, I will send you an 8 1/2 x 11" print from the shop! If you have a print preference, please let me know and I'll try to get that one to you.

I don't have any experience in art therapy on a professional level (obviously) but I know how clarifying making art can be when you have time to put pen (or paint, pencil, etc.) to paper and let everything out. I can plainly see the joy on our little one's face when she gets to do the same. Providing such an outlet  during a difficult time seems like it would provide unlimited benefits for their future.


“One important aspect of art therapy is the creation of a safe space where traumatic feelings can be processed. Sometimes the verbal skill is lacking to describe traumatic experiences and by creating art, the person can feel more confident.”
— Breat, E.A., & Ostroff, R.
American Journal of Psychiatry 142: 417-424 (1985)


Since we learned the gender of baby #2, I've been a little nervous--well, a lot nervous. The anxiety is fading and turning into excitement, but I thought sharing my feelings would help me speed up the process, the transition of mindset.

When Bunny and Dolly asked me to write a guest post about pregnancy, I thought about a billion different ideas, but settled on the one that was most personal during this time around. Take a look and see what you think: Coming to terms with raising a boy.


How do you indulge?



I was chatting the other day on twitter about the Neiman Marcus/Target partnership, and why they decided to partner up. I don't really see the benefit, but someone suggested perhaps it was a way for Target shoppers to splurge or indulge without feeling the wallet-pain of indulging at an actual Neiman Marcus store.


Tis the season to indulge, right? Cookies to the left, cocktails to the right (sparkling water for me)...chocolate chocolate chocolate. Other indulgences slip into our subconsciousness, whispering, urging us to buy every fancy thing in sight.

When I indulge myself in a little something fancy it usually ends up being skin care. I don't really know why, but I suspect it's because I put everything else before the priority to take care of myself (acceptance is the first step).  It doesn't hurt that winter weather dries my skin out and makes me feel especially blah, or that this year my hormonal, bloated, pregnant-self can't get enough sleep, and my entire epidermis should be called epidullmis.

I used to use Benefit make up while actively ignoring their ingredients. These days I'm on the search for  brands that contains fewer preservatives. If I love something, I go back to it again and again, so there are a few mainstays in my not-quite-routine:  Collective Wellbeing Hot Pore scrub, Kiehl's Superbly Restorative Argan Lotion and their Musk Eau de Toilette.


Those mainstays were recently supplemented them with this year's indulgence: Acure toner, night cream, and facial mask. To round off my order, I added Isa's Restoratives Lilac Rouge to replace the Benefit Benetint I've been so fond of (bye bye parabens). My Cisthene total was less than the cost of a new outfit, and 10 minutes with my skin every evening and we at peace again.

Of course, finding make-up might be a little trickier. Anyone have a favorite brand? I've been eying Tarte... Do you indulge? What's your favorite personal treat?


Reused Plastic Makes for a Pretty Pinwheel




With all of the exhaustion that comes with pregnancy, I've been letting M go on TV benders. With those benders comes a lot of guilt about being a negligent mama, so I'm trying to come up with more constructive ways to spend our time. One of those ways has been crafty time with "Mama's markers".  Those special markers are my permanent Sharpies, because who in their right mind would let a toddler play with permanent markers? This crazy lady, that's who!


After explaining to M the markers should only be used for special projects, firmly letting her know that she may only open 1 marker at a time, and that the markers are not to leave her drawing table, she got the gist and the coloring frenzy began.

This particular project involved me obsessively cutting the clear plastic lids from holiday card boxes down into squares that were about 6 inches each side. M was allowed to color as she wished, mostly in broad patches of colors. Because I knew the more color on the surface, the better they would show up on the tree, I pitched in by adding a few patterns. Those patterns seemed to encourage her to color all over the page rather than in on spot. 


Once dry, I took over with the sharp instruments that M is definitely not allowed to use (scissors, needle and thread) and formed the pinwheel, using a button in the front to hold it all together.  As we finish them, M gets to pick a spot on the tree to hang them.

We must have about 12 so far (we send out a lot of cards at work) and will keep up the fun so long as M stays engaged!

Do you have any fun holiday crafts you're doing with your little one? Share your ideas, I'm sure I'll need new ones soon!