Mumtopia

Mumatopia are one of our new suppliers. We currently stock Cas' sandwich wraps:

Sandwich Wraps $15.00

Mumatopia, with the amazing assistance of Precious Packages, is celebrating their official launch with a boutique market with the theme: “nurturing mums & babies.”

They've invited some very special, very skilled local artisans to display their products for sale on the night. They are also going to have some fantastic prizes up for grabs! Thus far the prize packs include: Gift hampers from Handmade Heaven, Spiral Garden, Precious Packages, Three Little Indians, and Mumatopia plus prizes from A Little Original, Little Brown Dog, Go Fair, Dancing Tiger Bellydance Studio, Boutique Tres Chic, Babymummas, Fordicia and more...

At any point in the evening you could win a fabulous prize, just by walking through the door. There’ll be goodie bags for the first 50 guests. Guest speakers: the fabulous Debby Gould from Birthtalk, and Dr Sarah Buckley, author of Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering, live entertainment with Bellydancing by Australia's Got Talent Semi-finalist Idell Wadley and fabulous original music by Nadia Sunde, not to mention yummy food.

Spiral Garden is proud to sponsor this event...

August 14 · 4:00pm - 8:30pm

Precious Packages

9 Harlin Road, Sadliers Crossing

Ipswich, Australia

Contact Cas for more details.

Stocktake Sale!

Here in Australia it's Winter, and it's also tax time. That means Sale time! A lot of products at Spiral Garden are running low in stock, many unable to be replaced by the artists who create them. To make way for New Products next financial year, we've taken 15% off all items in our store, which includes the already reduced items on our Specials page.

This sale begins NOW and ends on June 30. Strictly while stocks last, so hurry!

For every $100 spent during this sale (after discount, not including shipping), you will also receive a free gift!

Don't forget to keep an eye on our News blog, and follow us on Facebook and Twitter! New products, sale items, craft and activity ideas and more are shared through these networks.

Keep in touch, we rely on your feedback to help us grow our Garden to suit your needs. Any comments on service, products, suggestions, etc are most welcome via Email to Bel.

Take care and stay warm!

Barefoot Magazine Winter Issue

Issue 6 of Barefoot Magazine has arrived!

Inside there are articles on Community, Boys and wild play, Our girls our bodies ourselves, Seasonal Soul Food, Ethics, Teenagers, Meningoccal, craft, garlic and all of our favourite regular columns! 42 pages of relevant and well-presented information for only $7.95.

Barefoot Magazine is produced by Budding Iris Publications. It seeks to inform, challenge, support, respect and inspire mothers, fathers, grandparents, carers and communities to live more consciously and value the importance of children and family life.

Barefoot Magazines is designed and produced in Australia.

Barefoot is printed using the most environmentally responsible printing methods available. The paper is made from 100% pre-used waste paper and is not chlorine bleached. Vegetable inks and benign press chemicals are used - preserving forests and water.

"This magazine just feels right - the paper, the photography and illustrations, the content - it's like coming home." Lyn, Qld.

Almost Winter in the Garden

We've stocked up on Winter delights:

Silver Story of a Silver Stork
Winter Playcloths (for nature tables, story telling, puppetry and more)
Winter Gnomes
Winter Dolls
Winter Craft Packs
Winter Cards
Winter Yarn
and all of our other knitting and crochet products...

Check out the gorgeous new home page design by Melissa Baker. She changes our image and verse with every season, a reminder of the wonder of Earth's cycles.

For more inspiration for the changing seasons, Winter craft and activity ideas can be found in this article. Stay warm!

Birthday Time

It's birthday time at our place!

We have some birthday traditions such as the birthday child choosing their own cake, and the evening meal for their birthday. On the morning of their birthday we gather around the dining table or on Mum & Dad's bed whilst they unwrap their gifts and open the cards which have come in the mail. There are often a number of little handmade, wrapped gifts from siblings which are given with pride and accepted with grace. Brithday cards are secretly handmade by a sibling, and given with the gifts from the whole family.

During the day we will often have friends over for morning or afternoon tea under the trees in our garden (weather permitting) with a cake and some yummy fruit and other foods to share. The table is often decorated with a colourful cloth and fresh flowers collected by the other children.

We enjoy the traditional candles and "Happy Birthday" song as well as clapping for their age and three cheers. We always have a cake at night, even if we've had one in the daytime, just so we can turn down the lights and enjoy the magic of a cake lit by candlelight.

Sometimes we use different crockery or glasses for the birthday meal, and there is always a beautiful tablecloth and centre candle, and quite often more flowers.

Birthday cards are displayed on a magnetic framed board which hangs above the season table. Photos of the birthday child are also displayed their during the weeks preceding and following their special day. Often some baby photos and recent photos will be side by side. A photograph is taken of the birthday child with their cake each year, marking milestones in their childhood photo albums. Sometimes the birthday child will wear a special item of clothing, or a cape and crown from our dress-up basket.

We don't always have parties. We have had a fairy party, a musical party, a teddy bear's picnic, trip to special places followed by cake in the park... But even when there is no big event we always have a special time with family, and perhaps some nearby friends, to share cake and other food, sing and celebrate the birthday child's life.

On their birthday, our children don't have to do their chores if they don't wish to, and they can have the choice of a story read or movie watched, as well as what food we eat. It is a day of lavishing extra love and attention on the birthday child.

We all know this song...
Happy birthday to you Happy birthday to you Happy birthday, dear Lily Happy birthday to you!

Well, here's an alternative, or second verse (same melody)...
May the angels bless you, In all that you do, May the stars up in heaven Shine down upon you!

There are a lot of birthday verses and stories online which we have often told our younger children, especially. I find that they also like to hear about the day they were born, and the wonderful, cute and funny things about them as a baby.

This one is our version of a favourite...

As I yawn and go to bed,
Laying down my sleepy head,
Mama switches off the light,
I'll still be seven years old tonight.

But, from the very break of day,
Before the children rise and play,
Before the greenness turns to gold,
Tomorrow, I'll be eight years old!

Eight kisses when I wake.
Eight candles on my cake!

During the day, grandparents phone from far away and ask the birthday child about their day, their gifts, and how big they've grown. Receiving their very own phone calls and mail is a special part of having a birthday at our place.

I wonder, in what ways do you celebrate birthdays in your home?

Birthday gift ideas include:

Bamboo Knitting Needles (or crochet hooks, or knitting helper) with a selection of either pastel or bright wool and instructions on how to create either a beanie or a scarf. These products start at $4.50.

Gorgeous Wool Felt Pencil Cases (or a pencil box) filled with any of our art products such as Lyra Pencils, eraser and sharpener, Stockmar Crayons, or Honey Sticks for little ones.

Cute enamel tea cup and saucer sets on their own or matched with pure wool felt tea party sets create a gift sure to engage their imagination.

Other great gifts: include calico bags with fabric pens, musical instruments, aprons with wooden spoons and rolling pins (add your favourite recipes), books, a seasonal silk or doll representing the season of the child's birth, main lesson books with art supplies, felt purses or paper jewelery boxes with jewelery, bags for gifts and books and toys and more, a cute wooden vehicle or felt toy... Spiral Garden is all about gifts. Ethical gifts that will last for many years. We offer thoughtful and affordable alternatives to the plethora of plastic, licensed, sub-standard items readily available in department and toy stores. Come in and take a look around...

Mother's Day

Beguile Soap - Honey, Goat's Milk or Shampoo Bar
Special Price = $6.30

For those who love a sale (and a bargain!) ...

All items in the "Give" Category at Spiral Garden (top menu) and the "Parent" category also (side menu) are 10% off from now until the day after Mother's Day. I will gift wrap all Mother's Day items for free if you ask me to do so in the Comments section when ordering. I can send them directly to you, or to your Mum (or another special Mum who deserves spoiling).

Don't forget we still have several items on Sale for up to 45% off - some of the marked down items are a further 10% off with the Mother's Day special!

Mother's Day is Sunday 9th May. Gift ideas include...

Glass Bead Spiral Bracelets
Special Price = $6.75

Wood Bracelets

Special Price = $4.50

Angels Card
Special Price = $4.05

Teaching Handwork

"Handwork is a form of birth, you conceive the idea, you nurture it, you wait and dream of the what it will look like when it is all made, then the final push and you are done... a master piece!"

The creator of Teaching Handwork is the mother of 2 beautiful girls who also teaches Handwork in a local waldorf school to over 200 children every week. She invites you to come share your thoughts and new craft ideas for the children. What a wealth of inspiration!