We are having a quiet week here. Otis is feeling unwell and I need to catch up on some sleep. If you are interested in reading a little more about us click over to Montessori En Ce Nid where I answer some of Suzanne's questions. I hope I represented my family well. Sometimes it's difficult to accurately express ourselves. I hope you like the article. Can you see the pillow behind Otis in the above photograph. I made the pillowcase from my growing collection of Cloud 9 fabric. I had previously discussed quilting. My sewing confidants advised me against it,... Read more →

It's hard to sweep when you have a baby determined to stop you. Yes Otis is eating the crumbs as Caspar is trying to sweep them up. Sorry for the photo quality, taken on the go with iPhone. Read more →

Thank you to everyone who entered the Montessori Shop Giveaway. Vicki would like to offer everyone who entered the giveaway a 15% discount off purchases made from the Montessori Shop before the end of June 2012. All you need to do is email Vicki at [email protected] to obtain the discount code. Happy shopping and thanks again Vicki! Read more →

Yes it's true. Otis and I often get bored while Caspar is at school. We run out of things to do and I look for activities using materials we already have at home. I thought why not try playdough. For a sensory experience and to use some of those little hand muscles. I looked for the most simple recipe and found this one everywhere. It makes the perfect sized ball just for the two of us. As it was Otis's first time with playdough it was a completely new experience. I wanted him to feel it. There was no need... Read more →

I'm thinking of writing some 'keeping it real' posts. It's easy to think that everything in this Montessori home runs beautifully and is perfectly clean. That isn't the case. So here is my first 'keeping it real' post. This is Caspar making breakfast. I think he really likes making this much mess. You should see the floor. He doesn't make his own breakfast everyday but when he does it usually looks like this. It may not be pretty (or inspiring!) but it's real. Read more →

These are my top three Montessori books for parents who want to raise their children the Montessori way. Which book I would recommend to you really depends on the age of your child/ren and your existing Montessori knowledge. There are also a ton of other great books that I would recommend depending on your personal circumstance (or that of your child). By no means have I read all Montessori related books but if you would like a personal book recommendation feel free to ask in the comments. Overall these three books are standouts, absolute gems, life changing. 1. Understanding the... Read more →

You guessed it. He's crawling. He's also climbing. We don't have stairs and this single step proved to be no problem. How about a fun obstacle course? A tunnel, pillows and cushions with a toy at the end. I haven't observed a child before with such a need to move. It's not about crawling but the need to be upright. Crawling is just a way to get somewhere to pull himself up. He spends half the day standing. Wherever. Whoever. Our house was already (mostly!) child proof. Caspar has had to move some toys. I'm trying to break the habit... Read more →

I would love to travel. Visit Montessori homes all over the world. I would take photographs and compile them into one beautiful book. Now I'm dreaming! I feel that this site is truly international. Comments, feedback, emails come frequently from around the world. I love that. What I have found is that no matter our country we speak the same language. It's called Montessori. Caspar has been exercising his pencil control with sheets from here. It doesn't matter that they are not in English. I apologise for not noting the French site where I originally found them. I like to... Read more →

I have mentioned the Montessori Shop here before. Vicki based in New Zealand spreads her Montessori goodness around the world. I have mentioned her lovely range of sandpaper letters and other language materials. Of course I am naturally drawn towards the infant/toddler materials. Vicki is offering a wonderful giveaway but first she tells us a little about herself, her family and her Montessori Shop. My name is Vicki Rowe and I am the owner of the Montessori Shop. My husband, Braden and I have 3 beautiful and awesome Montessori children, Julia (11), Jack (10) and Logan (9). We found Montessori... Read more →

I purchased my first Puka Puka Design mobile over a year ago. It now appears above my workspace. I am drawn to mobiles and couldn't resist this new one for Otis's room. The Bird Mobile. All of the Puka mobiles have this air of sophistication that I love. The Montessori theory is that mobiles like these should represent reality. Animals that swim or fly are popular such as the Whale or Butterfly mobiles from Michael Olaf. Michael Olaf state that mobiles should have no more than 5 objects and they should be real, such as butterflies, birds, or fish—things that... Read more →

. The decision to offer the child space for movement has important implications for both parents and child becuase it implies the decision to have a family life oriented increasingly toward the collaboration of people living together. There is really no need to buy objects but only a need to understand the value of free movement and how important it is for children always to feel their bodies free to move and work in a space. - Understanding the Human Being by Silvana Quattrocchi Montanaro . In the last few days Otis has been pulling to standing. I moved our... Read more →

A short post to share some sites I have enjoyed recently. Sara from Feeding the Soil recently shared her Montessori Home Living Room which is so lovely and perfect for Henry who is almost one. If you have older children you will love Neptune's L'atelier at Montessori ici. I wish Neptune could come over and help me with our supplies! For those outside Canada you may be excited to hear that Beginning Montessori has a new look site that makes international postage a cinch. If you are in Australia and looking for low shelving Montessori Child have now listed their... Read more →

How could I forget the instruments. These are taken directly from Caspar's musical instrument basket. Egg shakers, maraca, claves and tone block are all suitable for Otis. Today I decided to try the standard, all-in-one discovery basket. Sometimes called a treasure basket. I used How to Raise an Amazing Child by Tim Seldin for inspiration. Tim suggests items made of metal, wood, glass, fabric, leather and items found in nature. He suggests between 50 and 100 items. I estimate I had around twenty items and I found the reason I suspect so many parents like this kind of basket. It... Read more →

I frequently get low on discovery basket ideas for Otis. I don't want to purchase any new items so typically I am looking around the house for something interesting. While sometimes I put together a basket of random items I usually like to keep items to a specific category or theme. Here are a few baskets that Otis has been enjoying recently. 1. A ball basket. He has the puzzle ball, a leather juggling ball, a couple of knitted balls and a plastic bouncy ball. These are a lot of fun because once out of the basket they can be... Read more →

You cannot tell by the picture above but the sky has been dark and overcast. We've had a bit of rain too. Just enough for Caspar to try out his new rain coat. Dark skies and school holidays = lots of indoor activities. Have you ever visited Mini Piccolini? Mina is a stylish mom from Sweden. You know I love to write a guest post so when Mina asked I jumped at the chance. So over at Mini Piccolini today you will find Kylie and Caspar's Favourite Things. I've limited it to five, I really could list many more. As... Read more →