I’ve always been a crafter. I come from a long line of crafters. When I was very little, my mom would have me clean the gallon milk jugs we collected for her mother, my grandma. Grandma would use the plastic handles to create kitchen dish washing scrubbies, which she sold in craft fairs all over western Michigan. My mom sewed. She sat me down at a sewing machine when I was eight to stitch my first skirt, and I’ve been crafting and sewing ever since.
Crafting is not only a way to express my creative side, but it is also my connection to others. The variety of people that I have met through craft shows and classes, walking through fabric aisles and in online communities, has enriched my life. Crafters see a world of possibility around every corner. We see opportunity in discarded glass containers and potential in torn clothing. We are never far from a needle and thread and always carry a notebook for when inspiration hits, which it does quite often. We are do-it-yourselfers that like to dabble and make mistakes, knowing that however a project turns out, we will learn from the process. We are a group that encourages one another, that shares what we have learned, and that look out for each other.
So when my boys were born, there were two things I knew for certain (everything else was up in the air). First, I knew that I wanted to do my part to protect the natural world so that when my boys had children of their own, the Earth would still be there for them. And second, I wanted to raise hands-on boys, boys that were excited to create, to craft, and to care. And from those two goals, my
eco-friendly baby business was born as well as this blog.
Over time this blog has evolved into a reflection on what it means to raise engaged and empathetic boys. And my hope is that through these reflections, we all grow - me, my boys, and this community of readers - and that we learn from one another, challenge one another, and cultivate kindness.
Check out my about.me profile!
I’ve always been a crafter. I come from a long line of crafters. When I was very little, my mom would have me clean the gallon milk jugs we collected for her mother, my grandma. Grandma would use the plastic handles to create kitchen dish washing scrubbies, which she sold in craft fairs all over western Michigan. My mom sewed. She sat me down at a sewing machine when I was eight to stitch my first skirt, and I’ve been crafting and sewing ever since.
So when my boys were born, there were two things I knew for certain (everything else was up in the air). First, I knew that I wanted to do my part to protect the natural world so that when my boys had children of their own, the Earth would still be there for them. And second, I wanted to raise hands-on boys, boys that were excited to create, to craft, and to care. And from those two goals, my eco-friendly baby business was born as well as this blog.
Over time this blog has evolved into a reflection on what it means to raise engaged and empathetic boys. And my hope is that through these reflections, we all grow - me, my boys, and this community of readers - and that we learn from one another, challenge one another, and cultivate kindness. 
