Urban Horticulture in The QC.

Give a Man a Fish, and You Feed Him for a Day. Teach a Man To Fish, and You Feed Him for a Lifetime

– author unknown

It’s been a minute huh? Ok, here’s a very fast  update. I’m on the Bulb’s advisory board! (Yaaaay Me!) And I’m also now a certified in CPR for youth and adults.

For the last 6 weeks, home-schooled students across Charlotte from 3 years old to 16 have been learning how to grow food in small spaces. These kids were from very diverse walks of life.  I taught Urban Horticulture and the focus of the class was self sufficiency.

Each class was taught in a age appropriate group using engaging strategies to encourage creativity and exploration.  The students face literally lit up with our weekly gardening adventures.

So far we have successfully learned how to make:

• Seed Bombs
• Hydroponic Plants
• Mini Greenhouse
• Raised Bed Gardening

The biggest take home for these students were

 

For me, it was verification that parenting greatly reflects a garden.

We all begin as seeds. The better you tend to it the seeds, the better it grows, and the more fruitful it will be. To do the opposite is perilous. Too many weeds and wild animals will destroy it.

Disclosure—> I am not a master gardener or carry any degree in the science of horticulture. I am just a mom that believes in self sufficiency and have learned so much from local master gardeners and lots of trial and error with my little guys in tow.

 

Sweet Minions: A Magical Moment in February

The room was filled with blue and yellow. These”Sweet Minions” didn’t have a clue of the night of treats they were in for. It was the 3rd annual Family Valentine’s Day Party in the QC! There was a live DJ, a vegan dessert bar, vendors selling goods for no more then $5 an items and a real magician!

Last Saturday was cold but a few of the families from Queen City Stay At Home Moms ventured out to celebrated the sweetest week end with their tin-inset heart.

Houdini must have performed 6 or more magic tricks. All Of Them Were Amazing! I shared one here,but you can swing over to my YouTube channel to see more.

 

To see more from the celebration, click here.

Queen City Stay At Home Moms is the leading mom group in Charlotte. They attract a certain type of mom. Those that want to be celebrated ans not degraded for choosing to put their family first. They host weekly gatherings that meets a few goals.

Moms can make mom friends like them that understand the challenges that come with being a mom, wife, work from home mom, new mom, older mom, homeschooling mom and everything in between. Because moms come from all types of background, they are encouraged to bring their skills to a group that will help her prepare for when* she returns to the corporate world, should she choose too.

The group provides resources for moms to grow from where they are by offering product review opportunities,  group discounts, women only workshops, job placement, member only discounts on perks like doula, wedding officiants, child care, lactation support and priority opportunities to vend at the yearly Total children’s Wellness Fair. (You can join here)

 

QueenCity Stay At Home Moms

Charlotte, NC
19 Super Moms

Meet nearby Queen City Stay at Home Moms! Come to a local Stay at Home Moms Meetup for friendship, reassurance, and parenting advice, excerising with baby and lots of great in…

Next Meetup

Discovery Place Kids

Wednesday, Feb 17, 2016, 12:00 PM
2 Attending

Check out this Meetup Group →

 

One last gift from that night! If you have a vegan high school senior looking for college money, you may want to check this one out.

Vegetarian Resource Group Scholarship
Sponsor: Vegetarian Resource Group
Amount: Up to $10,000
Deadline: Feb. 20, 2016
Description: Applicant must be a U.S. high school senior graduating in the spring of 2016. Applicant must be a vegetarian and have promoted vegetarianism in their school and/or community.

 

See you next time!

Jabela

Wednesday Wow: Family Valentine’s Day Party GiveAway

Want to win tickets to the 3rd annual Family Valentines Day Party this Saturday in the QC? I hope so because this contest is too easy!  The perks of being a small time blogger is paying off for you.

We are having a “Sweet Minion” Family Valentine’s Day Party! As a mom, finding affordable opportunities for my family to enjoy together is a priority. It’s rare that we go out ALL together, but when we do, it has to make sense, and it has to be safe!  This is it! We’re having:

• A live DJ (Julie Brim)
• A Real Magician (Houdini’s World)
• A Vegan based Dessert bar (Cassie’s Sweetz)
• A $5.Gift Shop  (various vendors selling brand new items for $5. or less!)
•  Fun  games, photo opportunities 
• A SAFE family event with Free parking! 

Here’s how to get some of these 32 tickets. If you belong to any of the following categories- read up!

Note: These offers excludes goodie bags and reserved tables. We want to make sure we are serving the ones that need this the most. And because our entertainment is so amazing, we want to have a good crowd for them to absorb the loving energy!

So be sure to tag your favorite business, organization, club, and group. This is gonna be huge!

If you have a non profit, like our page and we will give you a family four pack.

If you own a daycare, like our page and we will give you a family four pack.

If you own a support group for families, like our page and we will give you a family four pack.

If you are a organizer for a mom group, like our page and we will give you a family four pack.

Give the passes to whomever you choose! This offer is for the 1st 4 industries to enter. That’s 16 people. Now for the public sector. We need more traffic. We’re new’ish.

 Don’t expect to be offered a chair when you are visiting a place where the chief sits on the floor. (Ghana)

So I have 4 family packs to give you!  And yes, for up to $80 per family in value, there’s a few things I’ll need from you. (trust me, it’s easier than you think)

1. Like and follow–> my blog, FB, Twitter, Instagram and then comment on this post BELOW or here on the event page. The more you like, the better your chances! Fair right?
2. That’s IT. Winners will be announced on Facebook,called & or emailed! Hurry the party is THIS SATURDAY!

See you Saturday at the hottest mom powered family event of the year!

Halloween Candy Hangover

The fun of dressing up is over. Now parents across the country are wondering how they’re going to get rid of all that candy their kids brought home over the weekend…. You Are NOT Alone. My guy tribe enjoyed 8 days of Halloween festivities.Although most of them were non candy focused, (like the Home Depot Party by Queen City Stay At Home Moms) some how we left with at least 5 lbs of candy in-tow! 

We could open up a Sweet Shop’ if we wanted too.

There are a number of creative ways to get rid of Halloween candy, like using it for crafts or science experiments, saving it until Easter and throwing it in the basket. (Hey, it’s only six months away—how stale can that candy get?) But perhaps the best thing to do with Halloween candy is keep some, donate to others and trash the rest.

Today we made ART! Using just candy and toothpicks, our family has an annual competition to make the best statue. See the video.. 

Operation Gratitude and Halloween Candy Buy Back
Operation Gratitude sends more than 100,000 care packages annually to U.S. troops stationed in overseas and to their children left behind, as well as veterans. The organization’s mission is simple: to put a smile on soldiers’ faces. Operation Gratitude accepts donations of unopened candy, and asks that you separate and mark “chocolate” versus “non-chocolate” packages. The website contains other important shipping info, and kids are encouraged to include letters and pictures, too. Worried you won’t get it together to send the candy by the mid-November deadline? Then consider the Halloween Candy Buy Back program, which benefits Operation Gratitude. Go to the website to search for a participating dentist near you who will accept candy in exchange for toothbrushes, coupons and sometimes cash.

The closest one to me is-

Charlotte Pediatric Dentistry
130 Harbour Place Drive Suite 180
Davidson, NC, 28036
Phone: 704-377-3687
Email: mstamey@cltpediatricdentistry.com
www.cltpediatricdentistry.com

Important note: It’s imperative that you call ahead. Many dentists set certain buy back rules, like a maximum amount of candy or specific drop-off hours. Get the details before you go!

Listen in to Kids Health  on the topic of moderation and Halloween Candy<Click here!>

Operation Stars and Stripes
Founded in 2001 in memory of a Vietnam War hero, this all-volunteer nonprofit supports service members at home and abroad with care packages and letters. Packages of unopened candy can be sent to the organization’s Georgia headquarters. Specific shipping info can be found on the website.

Operation Shoebox and Any Soldier
These are two more organizations that collect and send care packages to troops overseas. Operation Shoebox accepts individually wrapped candies all year long. Meanwhile, Any Soldier allows you to decide which branch of the armed forces you’d like to support: Army, Navy, Air Force or Marines.     

Finally, don’t forget about your local soup kitchen, homeless shelter, food pantry, or retirement or nursing home. Many take donations of unopened candy for residents and guests. It’s worth calling to find out if they accept treats, otherwise….. just trash them! Everyone knows sugar is NOT The healthiest thing to eat!