Year In Review – Hottest Family Food Fun of 2009

It has been an excellent year for eating (especially eating local) here at Our Big Earth. We’ve loved learning lots of new and delicious recipes that are perfect for that family meal and really enjoyed learning how to create new and different dishes from a multitude of yummy ingredients.
Our recipe book is getting better and [...]

Warmth & Joy from Our Home to Yours

May your Christmas be merry and bright.
Wishing you all the Happiest of Holidays,

Robin, Ken and the Our Big Earth crew

Fun Last-Minute Gift Ideas for the Time Challenged

Oh my. Dec. 22. Where has the time gone? Many of us have the best of intentions to get everything done well in advance of the big day. But, there always seems to be that one special person or those last little bits that, well, sneak up on us and we realize we haven’t finished [...]

Book Review – Favorite Stories to Celebrate the Solistice

Editor’s Note: Good afternoon. If you missed out on the morning post, you can check out Rebecca’s post on Waldorf Kindergarten classrooms HERE. Now, we’ve got four of my favorite books to celebrate the solstice with your kids through stories.
Although we are just short of a week away from celebrating Christmas, one of my [...]

Holiday Traditions – A Community Reading of Dickens A Christmas Carol

Editor’s Note: If you missed Marcie Dumais’ column on turning old traditions into something all your own, check it out HERE. Now, it’s time to tell you a bit about Our Big Earth’s last community event for 2009. We hope you’ll join us for a wonderful evening of fun for a great cause.
Our Big [...]

Holiday Traditions – Our Favorite Spot to Cut Down the Tree

Editor’s Note: If you missed this morning’s post, we got green and shopped local with recommendations for some of the hottest natural stocking stuffers for this year. Check it out HERE. Now, it’s time to get into the holiday spirit with the fun family tradition of cutting down the Christmas tree. We have a favorite [...]

Monday Morning Moms – Green Stocking Stuffers

Usually, right around Dec. 15 every year, I realize that Christmas is in 10 days and I have nothing for anyone. I vowed that would not be the case this season and actually got the bulk of the Santa Clausing wrapped up this weekend.
The big stuff is, for me, the easiest to knock off the [...]

Holiday Crafts – Easy Kids Cards

One thing I promise myself that we will do every year is send out homemade cards. When Ken and I were DINKS (Dual Income No Kids) we made the craziest Christmas cards ever like us hanging lights off of the Golden Gate Bridge, us as Star Wars characters, the list goes on.
But, that would mean [...]

Holiday Traditions Around the World & Global Giving

Editor’s Note: This morning Gayle Bates of the Comox Valley Regional District’s 5Rs fame talks a bit about looking at caring for the planet by getting to know the Winter traditions of people from different cultures all across the globe. Then, you can check out a few great spots to give gifts of planetary stewardship [...]

Santa’s Workshop Needs Your Help

Editor’s Note: It is getting all holiday-ish around here the last couple of days. If you missed this morning’s craft post, check out the vintage ornaments Robin made from recycled lids and bottle caps HERE. This afternoon, it’s all about hope, community and the warmth of coming together for a fantastic cause.
The news that the [...]

Homemade Holidays – Easy Recycled Ornaments

As the holidays begin to descend upon us, the tiny person and I are very seriously focused on learning about traditions, honoring our own and creating some new ones this year.
We’re also working hard at keeping with the whole idea of creating more and consuming less. And that has lead to great projects in the last [...]

Mommy Talk – Cure Post-Holiday Blues

It hit me about 9 a.m. yesterday morning – Christmas is over. All the wind up, the preparation, the crazies (which I could have totally lived without) and sugar rushes are now just a memory and, whew – I feel a little low.
While we kept it all pretty darn modest this year – no big [...]

Be Merry!

Love and peace to all of you this holiday season and in 2009.
May your lives be full of the beautiful, the creative, the warmth and the community that makes each day sweet.
Happy Holidays,
Robin, Ken and the crew here at Our Big Earth

Holiday Craft Tutorial – Homemade Wrapping Paper

It wasn’t an uncommon site – back in the day – for the moms in our lives to lock themselves in a back bedroom one December afternoon. I thought it was some sort of magic, how they went in and came out a few hours later rather refreshed (6 hours of peace and quiet will [...]

Holiday Craft Tutorial – Cookie Cutter Gift Tags

The last couple of years, as I spend more time with folks like the David Suzuki Foundation and learn from folks like the Comox Valley Regional District, I find myself a wee bit overwhelmed at the things that AREN’T recyclable during the holidays.
One thing that I never even thought about was gift tags. In fact, [...]

Holiday Tutorial – Card Making with Kids

There once was a little girl who so wanted to make her own holiday cards. Her mom, relatively junior in the crafty universe, yet fussy nonetheless, had personal issues about it all.
Preschool cards are messy and generally not so pretty in a traditional, big person sort of designer style way. They require a fair bit [...]

Hidden Secrets at Finlay Creek Farm

Editor’s Note: Today our intrepid local food writer Robyn Butler is revealing a true diamond in the rough when it comes to local charm and absolutely amazing products.
I had the chance to meet the women who run Finlay Creek Farm on Halloween and, I have to tell you, they are two of the most charming [...]

Thank You!

Good Morning! On this rainy Thanksgiving Day I have to gush. Prepare yourselves. I am out-of-sight emotional these days.
When we first moved to Vancouver Island, I felt so very alone. I’d left a family of friends who held us up and guided us through the transition to parenthood.
I’d left a town with which I had [...]

Thanksgiving Family Walks in the Comox Valley

We realized yesterday, at the point when we were still debating what will be on the table at Thanksgiving dinner – including a yet-to-be-purchased(oops) main dish – that we are a bit overworked right now.
We’ve debated the merits of breaking for a few minutes to go remember what the beach looks like or stretch our [...]

Family Traditions – The Gratitude Alphabet

I’m always looking for new ways to celebrate old traditions around our house.
One of those oldies but goodies I remember fondly from childhood is sitting around the Thanksgiving table – staring down my brother for the rights to be the first one to dig into the fresh perogis – taking turns telling everyone what we [...]

New Year’s Eve Crowns

New Year’s Eve is one tricky holiday to get the family involved with.
Most of the long-standing traditions of the event portion of it revolve around activities not meant for kiddos, and generally the big project for this day is finding a baby sitter that doesn’t mind an extra late night.
But, around our house, the festivities [...]

Holiday Fun – Winter Solstice & Family Weekends

As I stood at the kitchen window looking out at complete darkness about 7:15 this morning, I realized that today and its legendary darkness marks the beginning of Winter around these parts.
What the Friday before Christmas also means is that the Valley is JAMMED with families in town for the holidays – as was evident [...]

Last-Minute Holiday Treats

I have this rule about always trying to post photos with food recipes.
If you can’t see it, why eat it?:) Unfortunately, the camera and the kitchen have yet to connect this week.
But, with a couple of fun holiday parties on the schedule this weekend and all of the baking I did in the last two [...]

Holidays Around the World – Kwanzaa

While relatively new on the holiday schedule, the North American celebration of Kwanzaa is rooted in the strong cultural heritage of people of African descent and their annual celebrations.
Kicking off on December 26, 2007 the seven-day festival of “first fruits” (Kwanzaa’s definition in Swahili) honours seven principles or Kawaida:

* Umoja (Unity) To strive for and [...]

Holidays Around the World – Winter Solstice

A Winter chill is in the air. The days are short. Vacation planning to warm February destinations is at its peak.
And, by the end of next week, much of the world will be in the midst of mid-Winter celebrations that range from the simple placement of special gifts of food on Winter dinner tables to [...]

Holidays Around the World – Hanukkah

For the next few days we’re going to spend some time checking out other holidays celebrated by children around the world this year. When I was a kiddo, some of the most memorable experiences I ever had included experiencing the different holiday celebrations of friends of all faiths and ethnic backgrounds.
Giving your kiddos the opportunity [...]

Calling All Santa Fans!

BIG NEWS for all fans of the Claus.
Kris Kringle’s caravan will be headed through town to set up shop over at the Driftwood Mall tomorrow…
…and the big guy in red is looking to have as many kids as possible join him for the journey!!!
“NO WAY!” our daughter said this morning when I told her about [...]