We are off to the unschooling conference this weekend in London. Really looking forward to all the talks, workshops and activities on offer. As well as the chance to meet other home educators and get inspired. It takes place on Saturday 25th July at The Music Room, just off Oxford Street.
There’ll be lectures from Dayna Martin, radical unschooler, author of Radical Unschooling: A Revolution has Begun, la leche league leader, natural birth educator … (I can’t wait to meet this incredible woman!), Matthew Speno, educational consultant and unschooling dad, Wendy Lewis, home educated illustrator of the brilliant practical guides to HE – Unqualified Education and One to One and many other speakers.
The crystal reiki workshop for adults and children will really appeal to my eldest daughter, whilst yoga for families is where my youngest will make a beeline for. All of us are looking forward to creating art with Emma Neuberg. If you would like to attend, I believe that there are still tickets available. Visit The London Unschooling Conference for more information.
The latest edition of The Green Parent magazine is available in health food stores, newsagents and supermarkets now. It’s packed with ideas for reclaiming the power and doing it yourself from natural beauty recipes to going off grid. There’s also a whole section dedicated to organic living with lots of juicy competitions. And we have a wonderful selection of offers for Green Parent readers:
REAL NAPPIES
Free cloth nappy from Little Lamb – code: using the form inside this issue.
5% off simple soft reusable nappies from Close Parent – code: GPP04
5% off comfy cloth nappies at Babykind – code green2
BABY SKINCARE
20% off natural and organic skincare for children from Pitta Patta – code: green0609
Organic foaming baby cleanser from Green People for just £5 (saving 40%) – code: Z248
5% off all products at Just Baby Skincare – code: GP02
BEAUTY BASICS
Free Spiezia rose and vanilla facial oil with all subscription orders this month
£15 off all orders over £35 at Amarya – code: GP6A15
10% off all orders or free soap from Celtic Herbal – code: GPJ08
5% off eco friendly menstrual and maternity products at Pink Robin – code: Green
Free natural wipes from Lucy Rose when you spend £20 or more – code: GP1
Free sample from Green Mum Organics for the first 25 callers to 07939 718566.
NATURAL TOYS
15% off wooden toys, world books, CDs and more at the Old Treehouse – code: GREENPARENT09
10% off fabulous fairtrade toys at let’s Play Fair – code: Greenparent
10% off your first order at Laughing Bear Toys – code: GP10
5% discount on wonderful wooden playthings at Treeblocks – code: GP01
BABYWEARING
Get 5% off beautiful baby carriers at Close Parent – code: GPC04
VEGGIE MEMBERSHIP
Join The Vegetarian Society’s children’s club and save 25% – code: GP09
ETHICAL CLOTHES
20% off beautiful children’s clothes from the Himalayas at Eternal Creation – code GP20
10% off nature-inspired organic t-shirts at Animal Tails – code: GP09
10% off organic cotton t-shirts from Little Bird – code: greenparent
5% off your first order of organic clothing, toys and gifts at Organikids Direct – code: greenparent
NATURAL PAINT
10% eco friendly paints and finishes at the Natural Alternative Decorating Centre in Brighton – code: take this issue into the shop
ECO GOODIES
10% off eco products and gadgets at Eco Hamster – code: GREENPARENT
I am re-reading Gill Edwards magical book on relationships; Wild Love. It is such a profound and eye opening book and merits re-reading every year or so to refresh all the exciting lessons contained within. As I read I notice a corresponding deepening of communication within my close relationships.
Unconditional or wild love sets us free and allows us to be who we truly are. It liberates you from the prisons of the ego and of judgement, shame and guilt and encourages freedom, passion and creativity to flourish. It is about changing from within, understanding that we are responsible for our own destiny and that no one else can make us feel anything. We choose our reactions to events and other people. Therefore we have the power to change our lives, our experiences, our environment and our relationships. Gill explains that the most powerful message of this book is the importance of Self-love. If we can truly love ourselves, wildly and unconditionally, our energy will be free to flow and we will attract unconditional love into our relationships.
“What does it really mean to love ourselves, others and the world?” asks Gill. “How does ‘love’ so often get blocked, twisted and distorted – and leave us feeling trapped, limited or diminished? What does our energy system reveal about the true nature of Love? And why are our emotions so crucial to making our lives and relationships work? Wild Love suggests that – paradoxically – we can only truly love when we give up trying to be ‘good’, conforming or pleasing others, but instead choose to be happy and follow our bliss. Then we move beyond the conditional ‘tame love’, which our culture promotes – which leads to controlling (taming) others, or sacrificing ourselves and our dreams (being tamed). Instead we discover the wild love which can awaken and inspire us, set us free and release our hidden potential. Then we become apprentice gods and goddesses – and our lives are transformed.”
I am off to discover some more of her writings. Am hoping that she might write a book on parenting at some point. It would be a magical book!
We just got the latest edition off to the printers and have been camping in the woods for a couple of days so I’m feeling really refreshing and relaxed right now. It’s amazing how much more restful sleeping on the earth actually is. I guess because your body and mind can completely relax away from the electromagnetic stressors of the home environment. It is said that our ancestors used to sleep from sundown until dawn, with periods of being restful yet awake during the night and this seems to be the pattern that we all slip into after camping out for a few nights. I can’t help getting up in the rain in the night and just marvelling at the wetness of it all after such intense heat and dry weather. It almost feels as though Mother Earth is sucking the liquid from the sky and I’m in between, witnessing.
It’s my eldest daughter’s birthday tomorrow and we are all gearing up to a high level of excitement – already wafts of sweet baking fill the air and whispered plans and secrets fill the corners of the house. It will be a birthday under canvas and aside from a party at the weekend she wants to celebrate by cycling to the pick-your-own farm and loading up on fruit to make into ice cream and sorbets. She will also star in a drama production in the evening and the whole family and some friends are coming to watch her and her sister perform so that will be full of laughter. Ten years of motherhood feels really quite special and I’m going to sneak off myself at some point to reflect on the journey so far.
I had better get back to the preparations. Watch out for the next edition of The Green Parent available from next week – it’s all about making your own products at home from toothpaste to shampoo. Oh and there’s off-grid living, home education, blessingway ceremonies and heaps more inside too.
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