Half Truth

This is really a half truth.  We actually do have a deadline for the Rainbow Loom Project.  Your creations need to arrive to my PO Box by March 15th, 2014.  Since the AHOPE volunteers are heading to Ethiopia in early April, I need to get all the loomed creations to them in time to be packed up, plus hand over your checks to be deposited.

Somewhat unrelated, I used my new Studio app (for manipulating photos and adding cool graphics like the triangle and saying above); That saying was the only one that somewhat fit the occasion.

If you haven't shared the Rainbow Loom Project with others, right click the image below, save, and share away!

Enjoy our weekend!

Yay!

Jen

Doodling Brave

You know....just doodling my word, Brave, wrapping a present, and admiring our dining room table - a wedding present from my mom that Mr. UpCyclist and I helped design. Evidently, I don't have a zillion others things to do.

Alas, I do.  But, sometimes you have to be Brave enough to put those zillion things off to the side and do what's calling your soul.  

Happy Weekend, fabulous blog reader.  Can't wait to see your Rainbow Loomed creations by March 15th, yes?  

xoxo,

Jen

Montessori, Winter, & Knitting

I must be slacking off and lovingly consumed with the Rainbow Loom Project.  I haven't mentioned my admiration for Montessori education done well in months.  Do you like how I add "done well" after the Montessori education part?  Not all Montessori schools do Montessori education well.  The same could be said for home schoolers, public schoolers and independent schoolers, too.  I like my education - any education -  done well.  I bet you agree.

Now, I know many people across the country are complaining about winter and all the snow & cold. You know I am a snow & winter lover as evidenced by me calling Colorado the Mother Land in this post.  Plus, you know my entire family loves to ski and frolic in the snow (see post here).  Jedi actually prays for snow.

There is another reason I love the cold weather.

Lil O and all her fellow Montessorians are taught to knit and crochet when the weather is cold.  All. of. them.  Girls, boys, all ages.  They all knit, crochet, listen to others reading books, chat while knitting, knit at home, knit with fingers, knit with looms, knit with needles.  Knit and crochet galore.  Sure, they do botany, mathematics, the grammar box and all the other Montessori work for their age group, but they also get to enjoy the arts, keep busy hands, and appreciate handmade work.

Yet, another reason I can't get enough of Lil O's Montessori school and lovely Montessori education done well.

Ahhhh,

Jen

PS - If you are confused about what Montessori education done well looks like, read here for more information:

What is Montessori - Part I and Part II

Montessori Mafia (I love this title!)

Montessori - the animated version - for you cartoon lovers out there

And of course, join the Rainbow Loom Project!  You have until March 15th, ok?

So Grateful

I feel like abundance has found me.  I am sooooo grateful for....

• The outpouring of support for the Rainbow Loom Project.  The comments, emails, texts, and energy is incredible.  When the world can be so tricky at times, projects like these show how life should be - connected and lovely.
• Surpassing my coffee date goal.  Thanks, Carey (coffee), Courtney (coffee), Shannon (dinner) and Erin (hiking)!  You four are good for my soul.
• Small, quiet projects at home and work.  I told my friend, Laura, I am putting my energy in a "low wake" zone right now.  Have you ever been to a low wake zone on a boat?  That's me.  I need a bit of low energy to balance all the high energy of the past few days & weeks.
• My parenting class is slated to run tonight.  I'm looking forward to meeting all the open-minded parents who signed up to take the class.
• Mr. UpCyclist and Lil O are cracking me up with their game play of Star Wars on the Wii.  They make a great daddy-daughter Jedi team.

Speaking of Jedi, he keeps asking for more snow :)

Grateful,

Jen

Rainbow Loom Project

Like most kids in the US right now, Lil O is a Rainbow Loom lover.  We have soooo many bracelets and other random Rainbow Loom objects floating around our house.  In efforts to give this hobby an outlet and to help others, Lil O and I thought, why not Rainbow Loom for a cause?

Thus, I contact my coaching friend, Julie, who is executive director of AHOPE - an organization that provides free assistance, housing, clothing, schooling, medical care, etc. to HIV+ orphans in Ethiopia. I asked her if the orphans had seen Rainbow Looms before.  She said probably no one in Africa has.

AHOPE serves 213 orphans - kids and teens.  Many of them have lost their parents to AIDS.  All of the kids/teens were born HIV+.  At first, AHOPE was a hospice to provide a nurturing, comfortable setting for the orphans to transition with dignity.  Now, with all the medical advances, the orphans are living and thriving and becoming young adults!  AHOPE basically raises them at their nurturing AHOPE facilities - all expenses are paid from donations mostly from the US.

Today, Susan from Crafterhours, Ashley Ann from Under the Sycamore, Jenny from The Southern Institute, and Stacy from Kids Stuff World are joining me to launch the Rainbow Loom Project to collect bracelets for all the kids and teens at AHOPE - it's time to spread the Rainbow Loom Love. Any extras could be shared in their Ethiopian community.  

Along with donating Rainbow Loom creations, families, please send in a monetary donation to AHOPE.  Julie said every single dollar counts, so any donation  $5, $10, $50, etc. will do.  

Ready to join us?  All the bracelets, creations, and checks (made out to AHOPE) should be sent directly to me, Jen Lara at Upcycled Education, PO Box 950, Savage, Maryland 20763 by March 15th. If you prefer to make a donation using your credit card, you can do so directly on AHOPE’s website. The graphic below is completely sharable.  Please right click, save it and post it to your Facebook feed, Instagram account or blog.  The more who join us, the merrier.  Also, tag your photos with #ahope, so we can keep spreading the Rainbow Loom + AHOPE love.

Join us in the three-fold service project:  1) Give our US kids a place to direct their creative energies and be charitable.  2) Provide orphans at AHOPE a lovely, colorful connection to other kids/teens from the US.  3) Raise money for a cause that I know, trust, and provides much needed love/support/attention to kids in need.  And an added bonus, Julie and some AHOPE volunteers will be going to AHOPE in Ethiopia in April.  They bracelets will be hand delivered.

Yay for Rainbow Loom Love and AHOPE!

Jen