Children's Garden Schedule at the Franklin Farmer's Market

The ONLY place to get CoolPeopleCare mugs and CoolMomsCare shirts in person in the whole wide world!

The Franklin Farmer's Market is full of farmers and other vendors seeking to bring local goods to each of us. This season, CoolMomsCare is sponsoring and running the Children's Celebration Garden and children's area. Until the end of October, we will be there selling our one of a kind products and bringing enrichment and education to your children.

Schedule

9 AM-9:30 AM - A little reading; a little free-play
9:30 AM-10 AM - Activity
10 AM-10:30 AM - A little music; some more free-play
10:30 AM-11 AM - Meet the Farmers

Activity Time Weekly Schedule

August 23
Hat Making

August 30
Apprentice Me

September 6
Ceramics

September 13
Bees & Honey

September 20
Bean Snapping

September 27
Spin Art Frisbees

October 4
Permaculture for Kids

October 11
Tea Party

October 18
Scavenger Hunt

October 25
How You Can Take It With You

Rays Your Grade

Check out ways you can learn about sun safety!

Summer is the optimal time to discuss sun exposure. Sun exposure is rather frequent and it's really important that we remember to take care of our skin as well as the skin of our children.

I decided to take the “Rays Your Grade” survey by the American Academy of Dermatology (it took less than 5 minutes). I am more likely to put sunscreen on my little girl than I am myself. My grade of a B on this survey got me thinking. Here are the tips they offer in order to get an A (I have always been one for extra credit):

1. Generously apply sunscreen to all exposed skin using a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of at least 15 that provides broad-spectrum protection from both ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) rays. Re-apply every two hours, even on cloudy days, and after swimming or sweating. Look for the AAD Seal of Recognition TM on products that meet these criteria.
   

2. Wear protective clothing, such as a long-sleeved shirt, pants, a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses, where possible.

3. Seek shade when appropriate, remembering that the sun's rays are strongest between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
   

4. Use extra caution near water and sand as they reflect the damaging rays of the sun which can increase your chance of sunburn.
   

5. Protect children from sun exposure by applying sunscreen.
   

6. Get vitamin D safely through a healthy diet that includes vitamin supplements. Don’t seek the sun.
   

7. Avoid tanning beds. Ultraviolet light from the sun and tanning beds causes skin cancer and wrinkling. If you want to look like you’ve been in the sun, consider using a sunless self-tanning product, but continue to use sunscreen with it.
   

8. Check your birthday suit on your birthday. If you notice anything changing, growing, or bleeding on your skin, see a dermatologist. Skin cancer is very treatable when caught early.
   

What is your grade?

Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda: I Shoulda Christmas-ed In July

Many organizations reap the benefits of giving around Christmas time. Bring that giving spirit into the summer months, too, by Christmas-ing in July.

Christmas in July is actually celebrated in some parts of the world. Although it may be a marketing ploy for sluggish sales, such a holiday could have merit if used for good. I should have used this concept to spread Christmas cheer to others, cultivate the art of giving in my children, and provide a respite the middle of a long, hot summer.

I would have started by explaining to my children that we were going to have a special "Christmas in July" celebration. I would make clear that instead of receiving presents, we were going to be giving them. By putting children in the role of benefactors, their perspective changes from selfish to selfless.

We would start with a family planning party. We would read some of our favorite Christmas stories and eat some of our favorite Christmas desserts. We would look over old Christmas photos and remember fun holiday experiences. We would talk about the joy we feel at Christmas, and how we want to share that joy in the summer.

We would talk about gifting and choose a community resource as our recipient. We would choose one organization or several, depending on our interests. It could be a local family shelter or animal shelter. It could be a church's clothes closet or food pantry. By making the choice as a family, everyone has a vested interest in the project.

We would contact our chosen charity and take a family trip to visit the organization. We could personally observe the work they do and ask for their wish list. By recognizing the how the items on the list could be used, children can gain insight in the differences between wants and needs.

After finalizing the wish list, we would make a family shopping trip. Every member of the family would have an item to locate, choose a particular one, and put in the basket. Non-readers would have a picture list while older children would have a more detailed list. Being able to choose the specific baby blanket or dog collar encourages a child's discrimination and decision-making.

After all our purchases were made, we would find eco-friendly ways to wrap them. We could use trash bags that could be reused, or make our own cloth bags. For an animal shelter, we could use newspapers that could be used at the shelter. For a family shelter, we could wrap the gifts in towels or pillowcases. By finding innovative ways to wrap, we increase the value of our gift without waste to the receiving organization.

On delivery day, we would again make our favorite Christmas dessert to take along with our gifts. We would dress in red and green and maybe a piece of tinsel. We would load up our car like Santa's sleigh, and sing carols on our trip. We would take pictures and write our thoughts about this day. After our delivery, we would have an ice cream party in place of making a snowman.

Christmas can be a hectic and stressful time, but putting a different emphasis on the holiday during a different season of the year can open children to a new viewpoint. They can be involved in the planning, purchasing, and delivering of gifts for someone else. By realizing the joy in giving, children can begin to understand their part in making their world a little better.

About the Author:

Luanne Davidson is the proud mother of three adult children and wonders what might have been if she had done a thing or two differently. She writes her "Coulda, Woudla, Shoulda" column each Thursday.

Do Something New

Dare to try something new that you have never tried before. You may be surprised at how much you get out of the experience.

Over the past few months a friend has said to me time and again, “Tamara, remember, you are cute, smart and you know what you’re talking about!” This simple declaration has transformed the way I see myself. I started refinishing the dresser in our bedroom this weekend... a project I never would have felt equal to a year ago. My husband encouraged me and asked if I felt proud of myself. I said “No,” but the more I thought about it the more I realized that I was proud of myself. Not for the sanding job but for what it represents. Doing this manual labor means that I'm open to trying something new AND I'm capable of doing it.

Quick Tip:
Pick a project that you want to do around the house. Research how to do it... and then do it!

Definition:
Purpose is determination; setting goals; finding a reason for being.

Read:
Ruby's Wish
by Shirin Yim Bridges

Talk:
1. What does Ruby want to do? Why does this seem impossible?
2. What happens on Ruby’s last New Year's Day?
3. Your Big World: Share your journal responses.

Act:
Learn more about calligraphy - Chinese or English. Try it!

About the Author:

Tamara Batarseh, Executive Director of Love In A Big World (LBW), is a singer/songwriter/performer with over fifteen years of performance experience. She is co-founder of LBW and has been the creator of the organization’s programs and materials. Batarseh has recorded two albums, written LBW’s character education curriculum, trained LBW’s performers, and performed live for thousands of kids.

Home Away From Home

Going on vacation can be a time to realize how much you really are doing to make a difference!

This past weekend, our family of three ventured off into the world of Dallas, Texas. Along the way we encountered airplanes, screaming kids, the need to run up and down the same hall fifteen times, delays, snacks, coffee, falling asleep in awkward places, hotels, strange beds and nighttime routines, family, conflict, trash, waste, and going out to eat for every meal. To say the least, it was a shock to our family.

Being thrown out of my comfort zone often puts we in a weird mood and often leaves me, well... shall I say, crabby. I am very much a home-body and would prefer to be home with my food, bed, routines, and space, but to see family is very important to me too. That being said, I am grateful for the trek down to the Big D (and I do mean Dallas), even though there were some things that were a bit out of sorts for us.

Our plane was delayed a bit so we ended up in our detestation city about an hour late (which isn't bad at all, I know). Our little one was asleep by the time we made it to baggage claim. There's something about a sleeping baby while waiting for luggage that makes everything seem much more positive. Try looking at a peaceful little one (especially your own) and being upset or frustrated about anything. I really can't do it. By the time we got from airport to car to hotel, it was fast approaching my bedtime. I made a cup of tea and settled in for the evening.

When we ventured downstairs the next morning to greet the cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, great-grandparents, and great-aunts and uncles, the real trip began. I had used the same cup for my tea just before we went downstairs and planned to finish it upon my return. After breakfast I ran back up to the room to find my cup gone. The towel I had used that morning was also gone. We have not been in hotels much lately so I forgot the diligence of housekeeping. I realized that it was going to be very hard to carry out my normal practices in this environment. There was nowhere to compost, recycle, or eat my local foods. I felt a little out of sorts.

I realized just how much we do in our house. To see how many people drank water bottle after water bottle by the pool and how much went into the trash cans I felt so grateful for the practices we are teaching our little girl. To have a first hand experience where I have the chance to see what I was like before really brought me perspective. Before I never would have even realized that someone took a paper cup I had been drinking out of; I would expected someone to bring me fresh towel after one use. I was a consumer in a consumer world and had no regard for the Earth and its parts I was USING.

As a whole, our trip was great. We spent some great time with family, celebrated our Nation's and Grandpa's birthdays and had an overall good time together as a family. I definitely learned a thing or two about myself and traveling. This summer as you and your family take vacations, see what YOU can do to make your destination a home away from home. Be aware of something new you may not have thought of prior to realizing just how cool you really are! We would love to hear your stories.

Happy Travels!

Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda: I Shoulda Celebrated More Independence Days

Celebrate your child's growing independence as they move from childhood on up.

July 4th is a great day of national celebration. It can be a day full of family fun, neighborhood picnics, and community fireworks. July 4th is the perfect day for children to learn about our country's beginnings. But just as I celebrated our country's independence on July 4th, I should have recognized all those independence days my children accomplished and honored their newly acquired freedoms.

We could have started with "Bottles/Diapers/Pacifiers Independence Day." Each of these items has a very important role in a child's life. But none of my three children were still using them upon their high school graduation, so they declared their independence from them sometime. Relinquishing bottles, diapers, and pacifiers are some of the first independent steps a child takes, so why not commemorate these days? These events may pass by unnoticed until you realize that your child hasn't used a diaper in weeks, or the bottle hasn't made it out of the cabinet in days. Maybe your child has gone to sleep unaided for several nights and the pacifier now rests in the dog's bed.

Whenever you notice this independence, celebrate it! Talk to your child and praise him or her for this monumental step in life. Have a family party for the honoree. Take your child to the store to purchase that which he has recently given up, and together donate your purchase to a shelter that needs it. Buy new big boy or girl undies or a special mug to commemorate the occasion. Celebrate your child's independence in these early stages to support their efforts and give them confidence as they grow.

Celebrate "Tricycle/Training Wheels Independence Day." Riding a bicycle is a progressive undertaking. Each new bicycle requires new skills and continued practice for mastery. "Taking off the training wheels" is literally a metaphor for a child's life as he has to let go of known security to explore new adventures. Celebrate those days of physically moving to new challenges by taking pictures, phoning family and friends, and recording your child's feelings about this occasion.

Allow your child to pass along the old cycle to a younger child, and let him teach the new owner all about bicycle riding. By honoring each forward step, we support our children, increase their self-confidence, and encourage them to keep aspiring for new goals.

Celebrate "Babysitters Independence Day." One day it will happen - you will go out and leave your child alone for the first time. You've prepared them and you know you're both ready for this step. Celebrate this day by taking them out for a grown-up lunch. Foot the bill for a babysitting course. With the money you save on babysitters, offer to pay your child for tasks to be completed in your absence. While the first time alone may be a scary time for everyone, it's a significant step in independence. Honor this day as you did when your child took his first steps - by recognizing it as the day he or she takes those first steps toward adulthood.

We want our children to grow up, and then watch them grow up too quickly. By encouraging and honoring their independence, we give them the courage to keep going. By celebrating those days they gain that independence, we assure our children of our unending and unconditional love.

About the Author:

Luanne Davidson is the proud mother of three adult children and wonders what might have been if she had done a thing or two differently. She writes her "Coulda, Woudla, Shoulda" column each Thursday.

Do Something Silly

Help your kids find creative ways to spend their summer being silly.

Does the routine and responsibility of life ever get you down? Does the mundane tire you? Well, sometimes we need to liven things up a bit by doing something out of the ordinary... something downright silly. Turn up the volume for your favorite CD and dance on your bed. Have a shaving cream battle in your backyard. Wear your pajamas to the movie theater. Swing on the swings under the stars. The artist Julia Cameron says, "Enthusiasm is grounded in work, not play... At the heart of this play is the mystery of joy." Play renews your zeal for life. So, get your creative juices flowing and do something silly... just for fun!

Quick Tip:
Have a play date for yourself once a week. Paint, draw, write, knit, sing, sew. Be renewed by exercising your creativity.

Definition:
Creativity is thinking of new ideas; dreaming of what can be.

Read:
Oh, The Thinks You Can Think
by Dr. Seuss

Talk:
1. What is your favorite thing to think about in this story?
2. What is this story encouraging you to do?
3. Your Big World: Besides making up words and drawing pictures, what are some other ways you can use your imagination and creativity? How is imagination and creativity helpful to you and others?

Act:
Play dress up with your family and go out for ice cream in your fancy clothes.

About the Author:

Tamara Batarseh, Executive Director of Love In A Big World (LBW), is a singer/songwriter/performer with over fifteen years of performance experience. She is co-founder of LBW and has been the creator of the organization’s programs and materials. Batarseh has recorded two albums, written LBW’s character education curriculum, trained LBW’s performers, and performed live for thousands of kids.

More Of A Good Thing

Each week we are at the Franklin Farmer's Market learning and growing together. Local foods and activities for the children continue to build this community oriented market.

This past weekend, we were at the Children's Garden at The Franklin Farmer's Market (as we are each Saturday through the end of October). We are here each week to offer activities for children and teach them about sustainability and local living.

Even the gorwn-ups got involved to help with the fun and learning.

My rant for the day: I see how much it means to these kids to be here each week. To see their faces when they see our tent set up and toys for THEM, I can see how special they feel. We hope that by being here we will continue to encourage kids and parents to learn about local farming, buy local foods, and support their community. This community really means to much to me. When my little girl met "our farmers" a few weeks ago, she really made a connection. If you have yet to see our CSA piece, please read it!

Rain Or Shine!

Rain or shine we are conserving water and working to keep our local water just a little cleaner.

This past week, we had one of our many Rain Barrel Workshops with the Cumberland River Compact. We sent about twenty people home with at least one rain barrel to catch their rain water. Our goal in continuing to have these workshops to continue to remind people how easy it is to make a difference. The more people who have rain barrels, the better. I have two set up side-by-side in my back yard (right beside my compost bin, so that one overflows into the other when full.

I continue to bring in my little girl to this because we want everyone to know that kids are just as capable as we are to learn about water conservation, preservation, and enhancement.

The Cumberland River Compact

The Cumberland River Compact's goal is to "enhance the water quality" of the Cumberland River. One of the major issues that cause pollution in the Cumberland River is runoff water. This is water that is filled with dirt, debris, and other "stuff" that comes of our houses, roads and yards each time it rains. The idea behind these rain barrels is control. If we capture as much water as possible, we can use it at our disposal, and keep it from running off into our lakes, rivers, and streams.

Other Benefits

Another one of the great benefits (sort of an unexpected side-effect that's also a benefit), is a lower water bill! In the summer months when we have less rain, a rain barrel helps to have water readily available to water plants, food, and lawns. If you have not had a chance to get to one of our Rain Barrel Workshops, please try to make it out. If you live outside the area, contact your local watershed and see if they offer ways to help conserve rain water.

The Way Our Workshop Worked

Twenty people signed up for our workshop prior to the day of the workshop.

We met at Warner Park Nature Center on Highway 100 here in Nashville. Our attendees got a brief welcome from one of the Naturalists at the park.

When she was finished with her information, we headed outside for the hands-on portion of the workshop where our attendees assembled their barrels. My little one walked around and gave encouragement to people as they assembled, then loaded their barrels. The entire workshop runs about an hour.

If you've been to one of our Rain Barrel Workshops, please let us know what you thought! If not, please let us know how we could make it easier for more people to attend.

Shine Some Light

Shine the light of hope on the world around you by changing your perspective.

What is your light?

I was looking through my emails, and through a chain of links ended up on a website called BringLight.com. It got me thinking yet again about the power of positive thinking. It seems the past two weeks I've been inundated with emails from poor souls who don't have any passion in their lives, or don't know how to dream. How did we all become stuck in a world with no hope?

Do we really have no hope, or is the problem in our own perspective? Life balance is teetering on a tightrope of work, work, and more work in our society. We get caught up in doing all the time and sooner or later, the day has flown by and it's merely been a day of survival. Community gets thrown by the wayside as we hurry to get our errands run, our chores done, and the bills paid. When we get together with friends, our talks quickly go to the long list of "to-dos" and becomes a competition on who has put more hours in at work, or has the wildest child, or anything else that puts us in the martyr role.

Our tunnel of work becomes so long that all we see are the dark items on each side - we lose sight of how we can "bring light" to the end—the reasons we do what we do.

What is the goal of making money? What is the goal of buying groceries? Working? Carting kids to events? Lugging the whole family to church? Isn't it all to achieve a better, more fulfilling life? Isn't it all to embrace the "light" in all of our lives? Our children, our spouses, our friends, our parents... the music we love, the nature we relish, the time spent learning about new places, people and causes. Don't we all have something to be thankful for?

When you look outside your window this summer, and see the green leaves and the buds blooming, how can you say there is no hope? Even the plants are excited about this new day. When you are surrounded by negativity, your tunnel gets longer and longer as your bright light of hope gets muddied in the mess. But remember, no matter where you are, there are rays of sunshine peeking through, both figuratively and literally.

Take the time to notice them. Embrace each light in your life, no matter how small. You'll find the more you notice them, the brighter those lights become.