What do you do with all that beautiful child art? A minimalist approach.

Is your child a budding artist? Does he or she create more pieces than you can keep up with?

My son, who is now almost 6, is un petit artiste and makes A LOT of art! He has been creating art since he was under 2, and I am guilty of saving almost all of it. I did not realize how quickly it would all accumulate. And if you’re a mom, you’ll understand when I say I think that all my child’s art is beautiful!

Painting by my son at age 3. — Scan of a painting by my son at age two.

Do you have tons of art that you think is lovely and you can’t let go of? That’s perfectly normal, so don’t feel bad about it. But what do you do with all of that art – especially if you’re trying to reduce clutter or even striving for minimalism?

If you search Google or Pinterest you will find many really great ideas! I was inspired by other bloggers and people searching for a solution to the same problem. Marie Kondo would say I should keep only the pieces that spark joy. I was also inspired by The Minimalists, who recommend scanning your photos and documents and letting go of the hard copies – so why not child art as well? I opted to scan and photograph the majority of my son’s art and make a Shutterfly photo book – and it came out beautiful!

So how did I do it? I managed to do it while working full time, after bedtime. I’ll explain my process next.

Thanksgiving turkey sculpture made by my son at age 3. — Photo of a Thanksgiving turkey sculpture made by my son at age three.

Organizing

First I had to organize everything. The art pieces accumulated quickly over just a few years and I had stored it all in three bins. Over the years, I had managed to write information on the backs of most the art pieces, such as the date (or approximate date) and what my son said about the piece or titled it. I did this because when my son was just 2 or so, a colleague told me that she wrote on the backs of art pieces from her kids and how glad she did that now that she was a grandmother. That was great advice!

I stored my son’s art in bins for several years until I decided it was time to do something with them!

So for several nights this past March, I sorted the art by year. Next, I sorted the stacks into the months of each year, in order. As I sorted, I selected my very favorite pieces – the ones that spark joy! – and set those aside, as I plan to put those together in a scrapbook later this summer.

Digitizing

Once I had everything organized, I started photographing and scanning the art, working on just a month’s worth at a time. I have an Epson scanner and I scanned all of the art pieces I could. Some of the art was larger than the scanning bed, and other pieces were three-dimensional. For those, I set up a basic background using a folded black poster board on a table next to a lamp with two light sources. I simply set up each piece in the best light I could and photographed those pieces used my iPhone on the HDR setting.

"Foil fish" art piece that my son and I made together. — “Foil fish” that my son and I made together.

Making the Photo Book

I put the images into folders divided by year and as I went through each month, I uploaded them into Shutterfly and designed my photo book. You can use any online photo service, I just already had an account with Shutterfly. I do recommend a larger sized photo book. I chose 12 x 12 which is the same size as a standard scrapbook, and I’m super happy with it.

Cover of the photo book with rainbow heart background. — Cover of the photo book, featuring a photo of my son painting. I removed his name and pixelated his face for privacy. The backside is a similar background with additional photos of my son working on various art projects.

Interior page of the photo book. — Interior pages of the photo book.

Most online photo services offer a large variety of backgrounds, colorful embellishments, fonts, layouts, and many other design options included in the price. This book ended up being about 90 pages. I also opted for the hardcover version with the lay-flat option, both of which cost slightly more. After applying a few coupon codes at the end, this book still cost quite a bit, almost $75. Without the coupons, the retail price would have been $200.

However, it probably would have cost me almost as much to buy a scrapbook, scrapbook paper, stickers, and other embellishments to go along with it. And for me, it was just as fun as scrapbooking and completely worth the money. I will cherish this book forever.

What will I do with the art pieces now?

Since I’m going to let them go, I’m of course going to separate out all of the recyclables (mostly paper) and recycle it. Some of the non-recyclables (beads, buttons, pipe cleaners) can be put back into our art supplies. This feels wrong until I think about it. I’ve now made my son’s art organized and accessible. The art book is so easy to pull out and look through, whereas the art in storage bins was not.

Strict minimalism would probably suggest to just toss everything, keep the memory of the art, and save the money. But if you’re like me and feel that your child’s art is just too dear to part with, you might find this a good compromise.

I am currently working on a second book because this book only went up through 2017. I’m enjoying putting it together, even though it’s round 2!

I hope this post inspires you to do something fun and creative with your child’s art! Please subscribe and leave me a comment below about your project!

All photos in this post were taken by me. This post contains no affiliate links, nor was I paid to review Shutterfly.

May 8, 2019August 1, 2019

Book review: “100 Heartbeats: The Race to Save Earth’s Most Endangered Species” by Jeff Corwin

“Every year, more than 20,000 species tragically disappear from our planet.”

If you’ve never heard of Jeff Corwin, I want to introduce you to him. For many years I thought he was just another popular tv show host but it turns out that he’s much more. He’s a biologist, wildlife conservationist, educator, advocate, and voice for endangered species across the planet.

This book caught my eye at the local used bookstore and I had to buy it. This is a very intelligible book for anyone and is meant for all audiences. It’s not written academically but it cites an immense amount of research and scientific studies. I honestly had a hard time putting it down even though it deals with subject matter that is depressing. But Corwin countered much of the sorrowful information with stories of progressive movements and hope. And all of it is so important for us to know.

The Title

The title comes from the most critically endangered species we are about to lose which have fewer than 100 individual living members left. All are direct consequences of the actions and behaviors of humans. Here, Jeff Corwin talks about the film and book:

I have not been able to find the companion documentary they referred to yet, but if I do I will update this post.

The Contents

Corwin explained the story of each species delicately yet methodically. I did read one review where Corwin was criticized for jumping around from one species to the next in different regions of the world. But one glance at the table of contents reveals that he was clearly dividing his book into thematic sections about the major human causes of endangered species. The sections were:

Global warming and habitat loss;
The introduction of non-native species, pollution, and disease;
The exploitation of animals for products and economy.

I will say that that same review applauded Corwin for his genuineness and for highlighting how we can motivate people around the world to change.

“If you’ve ever doubted that a small group of people can make a big difference in the face of a tide that seems inexorable, organizations like the WWF and the IRF are proof that such a change is possible.”

The Endangered Species list is vast

At the time this book was written, there were 16,928 endangered species in the world. I was hoping that that number had decreased since 2009, but I figured it probably increased at least slightly.

But I was devastated to discover that there are now 27,000 endangered species according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). They are generally accepted as the global authority on endangered species. Corwin cited the IUCN heavily in this book. If you’re not familiar with the IUCN, please check out this 3-minute video that will help you learn about them:

Corwin explained that there were 3,246 critically endangered species (the highest risk category for endangerment of extinction by the IUCN) in 2009. He wrote: “Whether we realize it or not, we need them…We’re inextricably bound with nature. When we put the survival of the natural world in jeopardy, we simultaneously put our survival in jeopardy.” We’ve harmed landscapes and habitats and entire ecosystems, and it’s going to hurt every species, ourselves included.

“We can’t fall back on letting nature take its course when we’ve changed the land and its inhabitants in ways that nature never intended.”

Habitat Destruction

I was surprised to learn that habitat destruction is the number one cause of species extinction worldwide. It makes sense – as the human population increases, human activities spread and drive the land to a state in which the land can no longer support the indigenous species. Urban sprawl, logging, mining, commercial fishing, homesteading are all culprits, but agriculture is the main source of habitat destruction.

Oil & Drilling

We all know oil spills are bad. When animals try to lick off oil from their fur or feathers, “the effect is toxic and can induce kidney failure.” They also rely on their fur or feathers for warmth, but when they’re coated in oil, the animal can freeze to death. “Unless they’re rescued – a monumental feat in remote regions – animals affected by oil spills typically die of hypothermia.” This makes me want to stop driving immediately. How do I stop supporting this global greed for oil? That’s a discussion for a future series of blog posts.

Gas pumps. Image by David ROUMANET from Pixabay. — Image by David ROUMANET from Pixabay.

Poaching, Slaughter & the Exotic Pet trade

Poaching is another major cause of species endangerment and extinction, although it is not always defined as just the slaughter of wild animals. It often includes animals captured for the exotic pets trade, for which there is a huge demand on the black market. Those animals are removed from their habitats, affecting the ecosystem. This reduces the populations in more ways than one – since they do not reproduce in that ecosystem, their numbers obviously decline further.

Slaughter for commercial profit is most visible from the slaughter of elephants and rhinoceroses. These large animals are killed for only one body part, the tusks or the horns. The rest of the animal is left to rot. National Geographic recently featured an informative article on poaching. My family and I recently visited the Nashville Zoo and I was impressed with their exhibits about critically endangered species. I took a photo of one about the rhinos because the image so shocked me that it moved me to tears:

Exhibit of a slaughtered rhino from the Nashville Zoo. Photo by me. — Exhibit from the Nashville Zoo. Photo by me.

We can do better, I know we can!

“While the dinosaurs disappeared as the result of a natural but catastrophic event, the current causes of extinction are largely the result of human behavior.”

African elephant. Image by Christine Sponchia from Pixabay.

Inspiration

Even though the book made me quite depressed about the state of species across the Earth, the book was very inspiring. It inspired me to feature this review of the book, to read more on the topics, and to write future posts on the subject. Corwin offered hope at every turn in the book and that is why I loved the book.

“We’re not powerless, though. As demonstrated by the success story of the American bald eagle, great strides can be made through compassion and dedication.”

Image by skeeze from Pixabay.

I found the dedication Corwin wrote to his daughters particularly inspiring. Here’s part of it:

“To my daughters…you are both so very precious to your mother and me; your optimism and trust, reflected through a lovely lens of innocence, inspires us…While at present the creatures who share Earth with us are in jeopardy, I have faith that my generation will make things right so you and your children will have the opportunity to thrive upon a rich, healthy, and diverse planet. We will not fail you.“

That’s beautiful, and it’s exactly how I feel about my own child. My son is precious to me and I do not want to leave a devastated planet behind for him to deal with. I want to be part of the change!

I will not fail him.

This post does not contain any affiliate links.

April 22, 2019May 7, 2020

Happy Earth Day! But every day should be Earth Day…

Illustration of the Earth — Photo by Pixabay from Pexels.

Happy Earth Day!

Established in 1970, Earth Day celebrates 49 years this year. Next year will be a huge anniversary! The first Earth Day “led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts.” You can read the full history of Earth Day at earthday.org.

April 22 marks Earth Day every year. It’s an important day to recognize our beautiful planet, but many of us believe Earth Day should be Every Day. We can make a difference every day. We can be the change. We can participate in daily practices that are small but add up when many of us do them! Follow my blog to learn about changes you can make. Additionally, Earthday.org provided this list of actions, and the good news is a great many of them are small and simple but have a big impact.

How do you celebrate Earth Day?

Earth Day is a day of education and support for protecting the environment, preventing pollution, preserving and protecting all species, curbing climate change. The first thing you can do is commit to change. Pick one change and start there. Refuse plastic, start composting, drive less. There are hundreds of things you can do! Here are ways you can change your habits around food and here are 100 steps to a Plastic-Free life. I’ve also got a recommended list of books.

The next thing you can do is educate yourself, and then others! Many people have no idea about plastic pollution in our oceans. I doubt everyone knows how many species are now classified as endangered. Many believe recycling is enough but it isn’t. Some still believe global warming is a farce.

Once you’re aware of what’s going on, there’s no turning back. Your conscience will help guide you. Your knowledge will help you guide others.

Homeschool Lesson for Earth Day

There are so many ideas on the internet and on Pinterest especially for homeschool lessons on Earth Day, the environment and pollution, and endangered species. I wrote about a lesson on pollution and the environment that I did with my son a while back, but I also did special lessons about Earth Day when he was preschool age. Children will understand why we want to protect our world by learning simple things that explain what the Earth is, what the Earth looks like, and about all the animals, birds, ocean creatures, and humans that inhabit this great planet.

We did an easy puzzle of the Earth, coloring sheets of the planet, tracing activities, and counting games using the Earth as a theme. I found all of them as free printables on the internet from sources like teacherspayteachers.com and blogs like this that I found through Pinterest.

We made a paper mache globe based on a blog post from Housing a Forest. Here’s what ours looked like (my son was only 3 at the time):

My son painting our paper mache Earth. Photo by me.

The "completed" version of our paper mache Earth. — The “completed” version of our paper mache Earth. Photo by me.

We also read books about the environment and protecting our world, like the one below, which teaches that we need to take care of our Earth every day. You can find many other recommended books on my Children’s Book page.

But even if you don’t have children, you can still help people understand when the topics come up in conversation. And those conversations will come up. Won’t you be excited to share your knowledge?

What else can you do?

So. Many. Things.

You can plant trees (maybe even hug them!), clean up litter (join the Litterati!), join an environmentally conscience community organization, refuse disposable products, grow a garden at home or in your community, take the bus or ride a bicycle to work, eat healthier foods that aren’t processed or sold in wasteful packaging, strive for zero waste, donate to back an educational project or school program, go minimalist, donate to help protect a species, etc. Just pick something that speaks to you and do it.

Love the Earth. Then help spread that love.

You can also subscribe to my blog to learn more with me as I continue my journey!

March 27, 2019December 19, 2020

Product Review: ECOlunchbox products

Apple on top of books. Photo from Pixabay. — Photo from Pixabay.

Last year, my son began school and I was confronted with the choice of sending his lunch with him or letting him eat school-provided lunches. It was not a difficult decision because, in our county, nutrition is somewhat of a joke. Pop-Tarts are considered a healthy breakfast choice in the schools, and items such as Chicken Fried Steak and Cheese Pizza are often served for lunch. Hopefully, many parents know that those types of foods should be served as an occasional treat and not a frequent meal option.

But today I’m not here to debate school menu options and argue about nutrition. For me, it was an easy decision to send his lunch every day. So my next decision was on the type of lunch box and containers to purchase.

Plastic-free options

Obviously, I didn’t want to buy plastic, nor did I want him to eat out of plastic containers because of the potentially toxic ingredients in them. Further, I did not want to regularly use single-use disposable items like plastic utensils, zipper bags, or individually wrapped foods like applesauce packets and prepackaged fruit. I also can’t send glass containers to school, which is what we use at home.

So I searched Google for all types of eco-friendly lunch boxes and such, and was delighted to find lots of options! I read up on different companies, read reviews, and looked at my options several times before settling on the ECOLunchbox. They assert that they offer “100% plastic-free, ocean-friendly, non-toxic food containers.” I read their story and read reviews of their products on their site as well as Amazon’s. Here’s a video from the founder, explaining why she founded this company:

“When I launched in 2008, my business plan was to take the tried-and-true tradition of metal lunch boxes and make it new again for modern consumers.” -Sandra Ann Harris, founder of ECOlunchbox and author of Say Goodbye To Plastic: A Survival Guide For Plastic-Free Living

Review of the products I ordered

I ordered the Blue Water Bento Splash Box and Pods Set, which consists of three stainless steel containers with leak-proof silicone lids. They are dishwasher safe (obviously not microwave safe but we try to avoid the microwave anyway). They have been used and transported and washed 5 days per week for 8 months now and show little signs of wear! I’m really glad I chose these.

The containers are very easy to clean, are very durable, and eco-friendly. I like the sizes as well because they can accommodate a sandwich or salad in the large one, and crackers and fruit in the smaller containers.

These containers are light to carry and easy to use. The company indicated that the “non-slip tabs on the lid are embossed for kid-friendly easy opening,” and I have found that to be true! My son does just fine with them on his own. They are indeed leak-proof, as long as he puts the lids on tight (which he doesn’t every time, but it’s minimal leakage). He really likes his containers.

ECOlunchbox Splash Box and Pods Set, the exact set I’m reviewing.

We also ordered the Blue Water Bento lunch bag. Made of organic cotton, the bag is machine washable which is practically a must with young children! It also features cute designs of ocean animals. My son chose the Dolphin print. I really like the Sea Turtle print too:

The bag is made to hold the Splash Box and Pods. I can also fit a small Kleen Kanteen water bottle inside. The top closes with Velcro and it has a handle to carry it. My son and I both like the bag, however, the velcro wore out within just a few months, albeit from the daily use (abuse?) of a 5-year-old:

ECOlunchbox Blue Water Bento lunch bag. Photo by me.

The Velcro wore out within a few months., — The Velcro wore out within a few months. Photos by me.

Solution

It’s always better to repair something than to replace it, if and when possible. I decided that I’d just replace the Velcro. I bought white sewable Velcro strips at the craft store (unfortunately those come in plastic packaging). Then, I simply removed the old Velcro and sewed on the new strips. It took me about 10 minutes to fix and it was very easy.

Problem solved! The new Velcro works great.

Overall, I like the bag and would buy it again. Young children can be really tough on their things, so I don’t know if it was faulty Velcro or just excessive wear and tear. And now I know I can just replace the Velcro easily. I could even try sew-on snap buttons!

I hope this post was helpful, and thanks for reading! Let me know about your eco-friendly and plastic-free lunch solutions in the comments below!

Category: Raising Children