Autumn Stamping

Just as we can count on the leaves turning, the weather changing, and the harvest season, in my household we can always count on some apple stamping each Autumn. On a sunny early fall day, we like to find a large piece of cardboard, some fall color paint, and some apples to gather outside for some fun!

The kids pour the paint on a corner of the cardboard, mom cuts the apples lengthwise, and the kids go nuts stamping.

And it doesn't stop there...once they get into the groove of making some great little apple stamps, the creative juices start to flow. There are always some hand and foot prints, leaf prints, grass prints, and whatever they can find in the back yard prints!

This is a super easy and fun seasonal craft that has become a tradition in our household! Do you have any autumn traditions? I would love to hear about them!

Autumn Stamping

Have You Ever Heard an Elk Bugle

After being away for 7 years I moved back to Colorado in 1997 at the ripe age of 21. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and no where to live. I moved in with my sister and her family and tried to figure out what I wanted out of life. There is not a whole lot that sticks out in my mind during that period, but I do remember a trip up to Rocky Mountain National Park that I tagged along on with my sister's family that Autumn.

This trip up to RMNP was an eventful one as we went up during the Elk's mating season in which the males round up the females while bugling. Hearing the males bugle is something I will never forget and is something my family has gone to enjoy many years since. It really is a sacred and amazing event that I am honored to have witnessed several times.

Yesterday as the temperature climbed up to 87 degrees and possibly beyond, we decided to head to higher ground and go check out the elk. We brought a picnic dinner and set up right off the side of the road where our entertainment was a large male elk trying to scare off other male elks from his herd of females.

The kids were thrilled, to say the least, and Andy and I were awe struck by the power, beauty, and natural events that were going on around us as we munched on carrots and sipped apple juice.

This tradition is one we will carry on for years to come. If you ever get the chance to head up to RMNP at dusk in Autumn, these echoes of nature filling the autumn, night air will stay with you forever.

Have You Ever Heard an Elk Bugle

Nature and Science School

As many of you know, we made the decision this year to drive our daughter, Magnolia, all the way across town to attend a school with a Nature and Science focus. We had been up in the air about the best educational choice for our daughter but after learning about Big Thompson Elementary and its 4 acre outdoor classroom, worm composting bins, school garden, and beautiful natural setting, we knew this was the school for us.

This week I had my first chance to really check it out when the school asked for parent-helpers to help with a special outdoor education day. The teacher took attendance then sent the kids out to the Outdoor Education Center where the first graders enjoyed learning about insects by going on a real bug hunt.

We followed grasshoppers, ants, and beetles. We watched a huge spider who had caught a grasshopper in its web. We watched a black and blue wasp carry a dead spider into a safe grassy spot. We examined bees covered in pollen moving from flower to flower. We even talked about and built habitats for insect to live in using the natural materials all around us.

After lunch we studied seeds. We dissected lima beans to see what was in a seed then searched all over our Outdoor Classroom trying to figure out how plants distribute seeds. We saw seeds in the bear scat, saw seeds blowing in the wind, and picked sticky seeds off our clothing.

The kids and adults had a blast in this beautiful outdoor setting. We all learned a lot and became more connected with our local surroundings. The entire experience was so awesome. Thank you Big T. and Colorado State University Environmental Learning Center for providing these kids such a great educational experience.

~Andy

Nature and Science School

Customer Review: Eco Friendly Skirt

Hello lovelies! Along the lines of my recent Ethical Clothing Pledge, I am only acquiring things that are, well, ethical! I am barely purchasing at all, as that's the best way to save resources and money, but a girl's gotta have a few special things in the closet. In my efforts to Reduce Clutter, Create Space I have lightened my wardrobe load considerably. My goal is to have a manageable wardrobe that is pretty, well-made, and durable...ok and cute!!!

I've been reading the Hip Mountain Mama blog for a while and have learned that they operate their business in a sooperdedooper ethical manner. I also love the focus on gratitude, hand making things, the colorful-ness, and the fun!

After the great closet cleanout/sale, the only wardrobe piece really missing was a good all-purpose, all-weather skirt in a neutral color. I went to the Hip Mountain Mama shop to purchase something that would go with all of my shirts, is good for all seasons, and will hold up well.

Here it is!!

It's got a great cargo pocket, which I love!I feel all kinds of girly in this skirt! It is so cute with a tank top, and I can't wait to bust out my mini-collection of thrifted thermals for fall and winter. It's amazing how many awesome thermal tops -a weakness of mine- you can find at garage sales and thrift stores. Mine all looked new when I got them and cost about $1.99 each. Yay! I hang them to dry to they last a long time.

Anyway...back to this awesome skirt! It is handmade from hemp and organic cotton, and has a great foldover waist. I even unrolled the waistband, pulled it up, and tried it out as a dress and it's really cute! I am in love with hemp skirts that look a little crisp and tailored, and this one is wonderful. Hip Mountain Mama has lots more really cute, unique, and ethical clothing, and the owner, Suzy, was really helpful! I don't even want to think about the damage I could do e-shopping this site...I love these, and this, and these- oh the cuteness!

My new duds!

Curled up with my husband (hand featured!) and the doggie- this skirt is very comfy!

Thank you Leslie for this wonderful review. Leslie blogs over at Pixiepine about vegan eats, books, green living, hula hooping, bicycle stuff, thrifting, and family adventures.

Customer Review: Eco Friendly Skirt

Feature Friday: Wood Stacker and Memory Game

Today we are featuring a really cool natural wood toy that we just love around here. Last weekend while vending at the Rocky Mountain Sustainable Living Fair we got one of our Wood Memory Stackers out and it was surprising how nobody could resist stacking the little guys in so many different ways.

This natural wood toy is so appealing because there are multiple ways to play with it. The pieces stack in so many different ways and shapes. The little guys also have numbers carved into them so you can use them to play the classic memory game. The pieces can also be lined up and knocked down like dominoes or laid out flat on the floor to create many awesome patterns. This versatile toy is sure to keep your child busy for hours and hours and for years to come. My 3 1/2 year old enjoys the toy just as much as our 8 year old neighbor. This is definitely a toy that will get a lot of use.

The memory stackers are made in Minnesota, USA by a family owned and operated company, The Original Tree Swing. The pieces are made from reclaimed wood and polished with hand rubbed mineral oil to bring out the natural beauty of the wood. This toys is safe, non-toxic, and sure to be a hit with your little ones.

The other thing we love about The Original Tree Swing company is that all of our shipments have been received in boxes that have been reused. They strive to reuse and recycle everything from the wood in their toys to the shipping supplies used. And you can bet that every piece of reused packing supplies we receive is reused again, keeping the cycle going.

Feature Friday: Wood Stacker and Memory Game

Happy Autumn

Today is a very special day around here. 9 years ago Andy and I decided to get married! Choosing the day to tie the knot was a no brainer for us as the Autumn Equinox just happened to fall on a Saturday that year. We have always been very passionate about nature and the cycle of the seasons, so we were so excited to be able to share our special day with the start of our favorite season.

We gathered all our friends and family to Lake Vallecito and walked down an isle made of rocks. As we stood in between 2 massive pine trees my dad made a speech, my friend read a poem, then Andy and I shared some special words. And that was it, we were married!

After the wedding we all met up at our favorite local tavern for fajitas and margaritas and had a fabulous celebration with our nearest and dearest. It was a perfect day and just our style...simple, relaxed, and fun!

As we celebrate this day that marks the beginning of pumpkin patches, beautiful scenery, and fleece coats, we are also celebrating a day of love.

Happy Autumn everyone...and Happy Anniversary to my love, Andy!

Happy Autumn

More Gratitude!

We had such a wonderful time at the Rocky Mountain Sustainable Living Fair this weekend. Attending the fair is something we always enjoy and this year had a whole new experience as vendors. It was hard work (not to mention rainy and cold one day, then 95 degrees the next), but it was also a lot of fun and these are two things that go well together for us.

We really realized these past few weekends how fortunate we are to work for ourselves! We are filled with gratitude that we are "living the dream".

I have to say that the best part of working at these festivals is the amazing people we have met. Working from home really prevents us from that extra socialization that we crave....so getting out and meeting folks, like you, was just what we needed. The festival goers, workers, and other vendors are all such fun and kind people.

Thanks again to all of our supporters and friends! We feel so blessed to be living the life we live and we give thanks each and every day!

More Gratitude!

Feature Friday: Handmade Coozies

We are so excited to be featuring these brand new beer coozies made by the amazing Julie of The Peaceful Peacock. Julie is an earth friendly fiber artist living in beautiful Montana. Inspired by elements of nature, Julie designs and creates one-of-a-kind items and we are so thrilled that she has made some for our shop! (You can find The Peaceful Peacock on Facebook here)

Julie makes her coozies out of re purposed wool sweaters that were destined for the land fill. She adds a little flair with a peace sign, mushroom, her signature peacock, and many other beautiful designs. The wool is a perfect choice for a coozie because it absorbs up to 30% of its weight in water without feeling wet, and its insulating properties keep your beverage icy cold for a long time.

Handmade, eco friendly, made by a Mama in the USA, unique, and really awesome...all things we love to carry in our shop. These would make a great gift this holiday season or a nice treat for yourself. Dress up that bottle or can with a hip coozie and feel the comfort of the wool in your hands....you'll be so glad you did.

Feature Friday: Handmade Coozies

Rocky Mountain Sustainable Living Fair

We are looking forward to this weekend's Rocky Mountain Sustainable Living Fair taking place in Fort Collins, CO. This fair is a favorite of our family's for many reasons. We have attended the last 3 years as a family to have fun, meet like-minded people, and gain information on living a more sustainable lifestyle.

This year the Rocky Mountain Sustainable Living Association is putting on their 11th Sustainable Living Fair. The 2009 fair featured 250 exhibitors, over 12,000 attendees, 87 workshops, 141.5 hours of education, but only 360 pounds of trash.

This is an awesome chance to learn about adding solar power to your home, how to build sustainably, electric vehicles, bike commuting, energy efficiency, community supported agriculture, preserving open space, home brewing, cheese making, composting, gardening, yoga, natural health, and so much more. So many possibilities in just one short weekend.

The best part is that it isn't all just education and workshops. Our family always has a blast in The Family Planet section were the local Waldorf School offers craft and educational opportunities to children, Mom's Breastaurant is open for a safe breastfeeding zone, and this year Hip Mountain Mama will be showing off all of our sustainable and natural items.

We are excited to be a part of this amazing fair and hope to see you there.

Rocky Mountain Sustainable Living Fair

There's A Birthday To Celebrate

Today we are celebrating Hip Mountain Mama's Co Owner, Andy's Birthday! It's a beautiful day here for a celebration and we plan to live it up! Happy 34 to my husband, business partner, and best friend!!

There's A Birthday To Celebrate

Harvestival

Andy and I had a great time vending at our local farm's Harvest Festival (appropriately named Harvestival) this weekend. The farm that put on the festival is very special to us because it is where we have been getting a lot of our produce these past few bountiful months. We joined Grant Farm's CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) this year as a way to receive tons of local produce goodness as well as to be a part of their fun community and good vibes.

Vending at Harvestival was so much fun for us. It was great to get to meet some of our customers and supporters that we have known just via the internet in person! It was also great to meet so many new people from all over Colorado and Wyoming. There was a lot of fun to be had...great music, inspiring speakers, and an all around fun atmosphere.

Hip Mountain Mama has been around for just over 2 years and we have always been strictly on line. Although I enjoy the on line aspect of everything, displaying our store for a weekend in real life was such a trip and something we thoroughly enjoyed.


Our hope is to not only spread our message to support hand made, small businesses, and the use of natural materials and sustainable products via the internet, but to actually get out there and start talking to folks in person.

Last weekend really was a blast and we are excited to announce that we will be vending again this upcoming weekend! So, if you get a chance come out and see us at the Rocky Mountain Sustainable Living Fair in Fort Collins, CO. We will be there all weekend and we hope to get a chance to meet you in person!

Harvestival

Feature Friday: Veggie Patch Tote

Today's feature is a brand new bag we added to the shop this week. The Veggie Patch Tote is a beautiful and totally practical bag. These bags are handmade with material that has been naturally dyed using pigments derived from fruits and vegetables making this a true eco-friendly tote.

Oh the possibilities! The size of this bag (14.5"x17") will make this your perfect diaper bag, knitting/crafting bag, travel bag, beach bag, market bag, work bag, or can even be used as an every day bag for the person who likes the extra room.

With the vibrant colors and soft material you will want to use this bag everywhere you go! Each tote is handmade with love in India where fair trade practices are always used. You can assure that purchasing this tote will help to support many small ethically moral businesses.

Be sure to check out some of our other new totes and bags in our New Arrivals section. And if you want to see some of this stuff in person, come on out to Grant Family Farm in Wellington, CO for their Harvestival. We will have a booth and would love to see you!

Feature Friday: Veggie Patch Tote

Sponsor Giveaway: Ebelegy Organic Hemp Lotion

I am so excited to introduce you to our newest sponsor Lynne of the Family of Movers. Lynne and her family (husband and 3 daughters) are on a journey towards living a simpler life while moving around the country. "We are converting a school bus into our home so we can teach our children what it means to live simple, without stuff and off the grid in some instances by utilizing solar energy panels." Lynne says.
Lynne is also passionate about natural and organic products....so passionate that she makes her own skin care and sells it on Etsy. One of her daughters suffered from eczema, which is what inspired her to create her Bromley Organic Hemp Lotion. "Your eczema, psoriasis or dry skin will be soothed the moment you try this lotion. This is an organic all natural hemp lotion made with organic hemp and coconut oils."
Today Lynne is offering 1 lucky winner a free 4 0z container of her Bromely Organic Hemp Lotion!

How to enter:

Leave a comment here
"Like" Ebelegy on Facebook
Follow @familyofmovers on Twitter
Retweet this giveaway
Blog about this giveaway or share it on your facebook page

Then simply come back here and leave us a comment letting us know what you did. You may leave separate comments for each (you will be entered as many times based on how many comments you leave).

Congratulations Nina for winning...you will be contacted soon! Thanks to everyone for your support!!

Sponsor Giveaway: Ebelegy Organic Hemp Lotion

Toilet Paper Roll Shaker

It seems like every year festivals get more and more family friendly. By this I mean, there are more things for the kids to do. Last weekend while attending Ned Fest, we were thrilled to discover they had a kid's craft tent (something new this year). One of the crafts that the kids and I enjoyed was making shakers out of toilet paper rolls. This was an easy, fun craft, and totally music festival appropriate. After making them the kids made music with their shakers while dancing to the music.

What you will need:

toilet paper or paper towel roll
beans and/or seeds
stapler
tape
stickers, glitter glue, ribbon...anything to use to decorate your shaker

How to make it:

1. Staple one side of the toilet paper roll shut and, if you wish, put some tape over the end to ensure no beans escape
2. Fill your shaker about half way with beans or seeds or anything that will make a fun noise when shaken
3. Staple the other end and apply tape if you wish
4. Decorate! We poked a hole in the corner and put some streamers in, painted with glitter glue, and put stickers on in. Get creative with this part!

Enjoy!

Toilet Paper Roll Shaker

Happy Days

As we celebrate this holiday weekend, that most declare as the end of summer, we are reflecting back on yet another fun and fulfilling summer. Yes, it's not officially Autumn, but there is a chill in the air and we are moving past our summer activities and putting on our fleece jackets!

We spent most of the weekend sitting on the porch, barbecuing with friends, playing in the river, and just spending as much time outdoors as possible. We let the kids stay up late each night and watched them as they ran outside first thing each morning. We sat on a friends deck until probably too late soaking in the last little bit of warm evening weather to be had here in Colorado. And most of all, we spent a lot of time just being grateful for our family and how much fun we have together.

I hope you enjoyed your Holiday weekend and are looking forward to the upcoming changing of the season!

Happy Days

Feature Friday: New Hand Made Clothing

I am so excited about these new items we just received this week! Our Organic Applique Bird Skirt, Chocolate Sun Skirt, and Organic Lotus Gauchos are our new favorites! These items are handmade with love using organic cotton in the Bird Skirt and Gauchos and 100% cotton in the Chocolate Sun Skirt. These items really will become a staple in your wardrobe.

The skirt that first caught my eye was the Organic Bird Skirt. I love that it is so simple, elegant and fun. I imagine wearing this skirt with tights and boots this fall and flip flops come next summer. It is a great skirt to wear to work, on a date, a night on the town, to a special event, or just a day you feel like wearing a cute skirt (which is just about every day for me). The organic cotton gives it a super soft feel and it is so comfortable you won't want to take it off. The elastic waistbands adds to it's comfort and makes it a perfect fit for many different sizes. We currently have this in stock in sizes S,M,L,XL These are junior sizes so the S will best fit a size 0-2 and XL a size 12. I promise you won't be disappointed with this skirt!!

The Chocolate Sun Skirt also caught my eye with it's bright sun and gorgeous chocolate color. I am a huge fan of brown clothing and sunshines so a brown skirt with a sun on it is the perfect addition to my skirt collection! This skirt is also very soft and comfortable with it's elastic waistband and super soft cotton. This skirt will look great with flip flops, tights, boots, or even over a pair of jeans this fall. Great to wear to work, concerts, festivals, or a night on the town...you really can't go wrong with this adorable skirt! We currently have this in stock in M and L which will typically fit size 4-6 or 8-10.

Just like the skirts, these Organic Cotton Lotus Gauchos are so comfy and cute! The lotus applique adds a fun yet elegant flair that makes these perfect for the changing of the season. They come in a beautiful earthy slate blue tone with sage and brown lotus flowers. You will want to wear these to yoga, on a walk, lounging, to a festival or even a night out. These run in sizes S,M,L which will typically fit sizes 0-2, 4-6, and 8-10.

We will be getting in more of these adorable hand made applique skirts and a few shirts at the end of the month. For now, please enjoy these adorable items that will surely become your favorites as well! And keep an eye on our New Arrivals Section as we will be adding a lot of new items over the next few months!

Feature Friday: New Hand Made Clothing

Working Conditions

The question I get asked the most is how I balance work and family life. The truth is, it is not always that easy. We do manage though and everyone is completely happy with our current situation of working from home.

And I have to say...it is kind of nice answering your emails with my 3 year old snuggled up to me or tying my hair in knots!

Working Conditions

Gratitude

When Mary of The Yellow Door Paperie approached me about doing an interview about gratitude, I jumped on board. Mary started a series for her blog called Tell Me a Story, stories about gratitude. She wants to examine with other women how they stay positive, keep balance and above all have daily gratitude.

In doing this interview it really made me stop and think about what I am truly grateful for. It is in these moments that I feel happy, refreshed, and at one with the universe. I wanted to take a moment to thank Mary for giving me one of these moments and to say how grateful I am to be a part of this series!

To read the interview please stop by The Yellow Door Paperie and stay tuned for more stories on gratitude.

"When you are grateful, fear disappears and abundance appears." Anthony Robbins

Gratitude