August 04, 2009

Life in motion

August 04, 2009/ molly balint

A few weeks ago, I was sent a FLIP Ultra HD to review. I have to admit, I've been a bit covetous of them for quite some time. The stick it in your pocket, your swim bag, take it anywhere, aspect is so appealing to me. And sometimes, it is nice to see little glimpses of life in video form. I know in a few months, a few years, my children and I are going to really enjoy looking back on these little bits of our daily lives.

I also discovered that not only is it ridiculously simple to transfer my videos from the FLIP to my computer, it is also ridiculously simple to add music to my movies--a great way to drown out the whining and bickering siblings, and the dog barking in the background. And anything, set to music, just seems so much more romantic, doesn't it? I mean, put Elizabeth to a soundtrack and I'm practically drawn to tears.

And for the record, the washable paints? Not so washable. Darn. I loved that dress.

Untitled from molly balint on Vimeo.

And of course, a little tribute to our Mallard ducklings. Who are really no longer ducklings, but more like teen-aged ducks. We finally moved them out of their pen and give them free reign around the yard each day.

I have to admit, when Dan brought the ducklings home several weeks ago, I was a bit miffed. Ruby had just gotten back from the ER and I was feeling like I had a full plate. But there is something about ducks that is just so much fun. I think the best part is that it is so easy to make them happy. Water? They just can't help themselves. They love it. And it is so easy to give it to them. We decided that it is time to invest in a kiddie pool. I think they've outgrown the storage tub, don't you? They've certainly outgrown coming into our upstairs bathroom. Soon, we might let them in on the little secret that there is a cool, flowing stream just a short walk away. But we have a feeling they might never return.

Untitled from molly balint on Vimeo.

more information on the FLIP Ultra HD can be found here.

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The winner from Katie's last post :

Lucky number 5, Susan is our winner! Please email me at Katie at DesignerDigitals dot com and I'll send you out the download links!

Thanks for all the wonderful comments this past week!

July 10, 2009

Show & Tell : Presto Bingo

July 10, 2009/ molly balint

I am so excited to share today's Show & Tell with you because it comes from a local artist/blogger/design studio. I originally met Joyce when I stumbled upon her wonderful blog, KidBaltimore, which highlights her trips and travels around Baltimore with her children. She gives great insights into all kinds of activities, museums, events and points of interest in our area, as well as other fun and helpful projects and ideas. Right now her husband Dave is working plans for a treehouse and Joyce shares a recipe for a natural weed killer. Her blog also happens to have what is probably my favorite blog banner of all the blogs I read. :)

Not only does Joyce write at KidBaltimore, she and her husband run the Baltimore design studio SpurDesign . AND, they have a wonderful line of modern art prints for children in their shop Presto Bingo.

I asked Joyce to share a bit about Presto Bingo :

My husband, Dave Plunkert, and I have co-owned Spur Design, a Baltimore based design studio, since 1995. We work in a renovated industrial building that gives us enough room for messy art projects. Our three kids (ages 10, 4 and 4) frequently accompany us to work, which can be a little challenging, but is always inspiring.

Dave and I have wanted to create more artwork for kids for a long time, and are currently pursuing some children's book ideas. PrestoBingo, our line of modern art prints, was inspired by our kids, and our love of modern design. We wanted to create a line of artwork that both kids and grownups could enjoy. Dave's robots grew out of his childhood fascination with Japanese toy robots, and is mixed with his appreciation for Futurism. His alien series is more loose and whimsical and was drawn with bleach and black ink on colored paper. My animal series was no doubt influenced by our move out to the country, but I have always loved spending time outside playing in the dirt. They are digital collages, with hand painted and drawn elements mixed in. I also use snippets from nature, like leaf or bark textures to give them a more tactile quality.

All of the illustrations are reproduced on 100% cotton paper and are limited editions.

Joyce would like to offer one mommycoddle reader a matted, limited edition print from their PrestoBingo shop! So take a few moments to head over to Presto Bingo and look around. Let us know what catches your eye. Leave a comment, and I'll announce the random winner on Monday.

Thank you Joyce and Dave!

Happy Weekend, friends.

July 03, 2009

Show & Tell : Good reads from Chronicle Books

July 03, 2009/ molly balint

I have three great new books to share with you this morning, from Chronicle Books.

Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Jen Corace have teamed up again to create another amazing tale called, Little Oink It is the story of a tidy little pig who loves to clean. But his parents remind him that as a pig, he must learn to make a proper mess.

Amy and Jen are also the creative talents behind Little Pea and Little Hoot, and Little Oink follows right in line with these best-loved books. My children request a reading from these stories so often that I have them committed to memory.

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When I was an elementary school teacher, I remember how helpful it was to find a series of books that my students latched on to. It was a sure-fire way to encourage a reluctant reader and it gave others something to look forward to. I have a feeling that this new series from Chronicle Books, Horse Crazy , by Alison Lester, will be such a series for many children. The books are about two best friends, Bonnie and Samantha who live in a small town in the Australian bush and are crazy about horses. The books are sweet and fun and Emma has then tucked away in a drawer beside her bed--waiting for the day she can dive into them with a little more ease.

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The last book I want to share with you is called, Secrets of Simplicity : Learn to Live Better With Less, by Mary Carlomagno. The book is helpful resource that guides you through the journey of simplifying your life and bringing you to a healthier, more meaningful place. Secrets of Simplicity is a practical, interactive guide, but it also strives to get to the heart of the matter as to why our lives (and our closets) are overflowing with too many things. It is a book to move through slowly, taking in the ideas and wisdom that it offers.

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And thanks to Chronicle Books, I have one copy of each of these titles to share with you. Leave a comment and I'll pick three winners (one for each title) on Monday.

Happy Weekend, friends.

June 29, 2009

the ivy that is poison

June 29, 2009/ molly balint

I took one for the team last week. I attacked a fence row teeming with poison ivy.

My husband reacts violently to the littlest exposure, breaking out in red, oozing welts that usually land him in the walk-in clinic begging for a shot of steroids. So in one overly-productive day last week, I took on the project, saint that I am.

It is said that pride cometh before the fall, and I have to admit to being a teensy bit arrogant about my seeming immunity to poison ivy.

"I've touched it with my bare hands and never gotten a single bump."
"I just don't get poison ivy. Ever."
"I have no memories of ever having poison ivy anywhere."
"I don't need to wash up. I don't get poison ivy, remember??"

Hello, pride. Good to meet you.

I have poison ivy.

In odd places.

On the underside of my nose.
Around my waist. (I guess I was wearing my falling down jeans that day?)
On the front sides of my shoulders. (was I hiking up my short sleeves?)
In the middle of my shins. (hmmm. i was wearing long pants)
Along the side of my neck.

And then of course, the typical forearm--elbow to wrist-- outbreak as well.

Emma looked at me yesterday and said, "Mom. You know you should really do something about all that poison ivy before the wedding on Friday."

Yeah, great, Emma. Thanks.

So while I'm not covered in oozing welts, I'm left with a body pocked with small bumps and patches of raised, itchy red skin. It could be worse. I'm telling myself how fun it is to discover where the next patch will break out. And I'm seriously considering a wardrobe change for next weekend's big family wedding. Turtleneck and long pants, anyone?

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The winner of the Little Alouette Giveaway is:

Michelle who said:

I want to WIN! I live in Ohio as well.

Michelle: please send me an email (in the about molly page) with your shipping info, and I"ll pass it on to Amy!

June 26, 2009

Show & Tell : Little Alouette

June 26, 2009/ molly balint

Amy is one of those blogging friends who seems to have been part of my "neighborhood" for as long as I can remember. I couldn't put a finger on the point when she and I became blogging pals, but I'm so glad we have. Not only is she a complete sweetheart, she and her husband are the genius team behind one of my favorite shops, Little Alouette.

My children have the privilege of having a set of Little Alouette shakey blocks in our collection. They are one of those toys that are equally fun to play with and look at. There is something about the sweetness and beauty of wooden toys that can never be duplicated in the world of plastic. And LittleAlouette toys have a simplicity and style that I love. They are classics.

A few months ago, Little Alouette was one of etsy's featured sellers. As I was reading the article this morning to be sure I had all my facts straight about Amy :) , I had to share a few words from the write-up because it is a good story:

Over a decade ago a handsome British boy and an Ohio lass met and fell madly in love at first site in a sleepy university town. The boy was a classically trained master carpenter and the girl a writer with a bit of wanderlust. They worked together creatively through the years on many projects involving woodworking as they restored and remodeled homes together. The boy taught his love about trees on their land in the country and how to use power tools and the girl read poems to him while they worked. They started a journey of following their bliss and eventually brought two wee ones into the world and began creating wooden toys for them. They decided to share these wee wooden toys with the world and Little Alouette was born over hot steaming mugs of cocoa in the winter of 2007.

We are Joe and Amy Sharp of Worthington, Ohio.

And I love their words about their creative process:

Each product is made by hand and usually all the wood is surrounded by cups of tea, laughing children, and disco music so each product will come to you infused with love and bliss! We use locally sourced Ohio timber and only finish our products with certified organic flax seed oil.

Seriously. I've been telling my husband that if I can't have a bandsaw, then I'll just settle for a jigsaw. Reading about Joe and Amy's process makes me think I need to put it on my birthday list again this year.

If you haven't been introduced to LittleAlouette be sure to take a few moments to check out their shop. And after my Lotta Jansdotter giveaway last week, I know a lot of you are shopping for baby gifts--for yourself or for people you know. And if you are "people I know" and you're having a baby soon...don't look, unless you want to spoil the surprise.

And guess what? Amy has graciously offered to give one mommycoddle reader one of her Harper the Hippo teethers! yay. You know the drill, leave a comment to be entered in the giveaway. I'll announce the random winner on Sunday!

Happy Weekend, friends!