Browsing Category

How to bring Waldorf into your home

Waldorf birthday presents for a five year old

Ruby's fifth birthday

Ruby is five!

And such a delight. She truly is. Fairies follow her, while flowers call her name.

Ruby immerses herself in her play so fully, creating whole new worlds {often rearranging the furniture and all manner of nick-nacks in the making!}

So for her fifth birthday ~ in keeping with our gift giving philosophy ~ we gifted her…

Ruby's gift

Something she wants

We wanted to encourage Ruby’s imaginative play, so thought this sweet little letterbox would be just the thing!

She has delighted in it since. Little letters have been sent back and forth {I am not entirely sure where they are going, but she is happy!}

We’ve popped it on her bedroom wall, just near the doorway. And it is such a sweet little sight.

Ruby opening her gifts

Something she needs

Ruby has been working on her skipping at her Waldorf kindergarten, so we thought she might like to continue at home. So we picked up this cute little skipping rope with bear handles.

It is a little long yet, so we might need to shorten it somehow, but a good length if her dad and I swing it for her to jump.

birthday morning gift opening

Something to wear

We went a bit boring this time on the ‘something to wear’ but she was in need of new socks and knickers! And so that is what she got *smile*

Something to read

I was lucky to purchase a secondhand copy of The Story of the Butterfly Children from the Australian Waldorf Steiner Buy Sell Swap Group {such a great group for finding well priced secondhand Waldorf bits and bobs!}

I knew Ruby would love this sweet and magical tale. And it is so nice to look forward to Spring when in the midst of Winter.

Ruby had such a lovely birthday, and we enjoyed celebrating her

For more inspiration, you can see Teddy’s 2nd birthday gifts here, as well as Max’ 6th birthday party here.

???  And you can see more snippets of our days on Facebook and Instagram ???

Blessings, Kelly

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Waldorf books for inner work

Waldorf books for inner work

This post contains affiliate links

I always tend to have a handful of books on the go, at least one novel and a few non-fiction books.

And this year I’ve added some books for inner work, that I pick up and read once a week or once a month. And I thought I would share a little about them *smile*

In the Light of a Child

Each Sunday, I have been reading a verse from In the Light of a Child.

A verse is provided for each week of the year {I understand this is similar to Steiner’s Soul Calendar which was drawn on for inspiration for this book}

The verses are written for children or our ‘inner child’. And they resonate with the season {helpfully verses are provided for both the Southern and Northern Hemisphere}.

Here is the verse for the Southern Hemisphere in the fourth week of June…

A ROSE of pure white blooms in midnight’s dark hour. The spell of the darkness is broken and torn. In my heart there’s a bursting of magical power. For the heavenly Child on earth has been born!

He is pure as the snow. With my heart’s love aglow. I shall nourish this Child, and he surely shall grow!

So this week I will ponder this verse. Thinking about what I have read. Exploring what it means for me and my children… a kind of meditative practice.

Words for Parents in Small Doses

The second book that I read each Sunday is Words for Parents in Small Doses by Judith Frizlen. Again this book is organised seasonally, although for the Northern Hemisphere, so I do need to work out which week I need to read from (which is quite easy really).

In Words for Parents each week’s reading is a page which again speaks to the mood of the season. For this week the reading was about wonder, celebration and love…

At this time of year in the natural world, the light begins its return… It’s a time to pause and remember. We were all once infants, and by virtue of our humanity, we have the power to experience awe, to be tender with ourselves and others and to begin again.

When I read Words for Parents I feel uplifted. And I think reading the two books together has brought more to them both.

The simple home

The third book that I am reading is not a Waldorf or anthroposophical book, but a book that encourages me to be a ‘spiritual homemaker’. To find joy in creating, nurturing and nourishing my home. The simple home, by Rhonda Hetzel is a ‘month-by month guide’ that complements the seasons to bring about contentment in the home.

I started reading in May, and laughed to discover the month was about devoting attention to my laundry space, since this is a task in homemaking a do not relish! And even more amusing, at the same time I had started to read a book by Torin M. Finser {see I told you I read too many books at once!}

A Second Classroom ~ Parent-Teacher Relationships in a Waldorf School

In A Second Classroom, Torin M. Finser writes

What we do not accept as a task today may simply come back at us again and again until we engage

I’m not always good at taking advice, but for once I did and actually did get my laundry under control for the month of May. And I might just admit that it did feel nice. However it is now June *chuckle*

And I might just finish up with another nice quote from Torin M. Finser, he wrote ‘Parents have angels too’, and went on to say

…all of us are striving human beings with a spiritual life, whether we take it up consciously or not.

What are you reading or doing as part of your inner work?

For more inspiration, you can see my Waldorf book list here and some of my favourite Waldorf craft books here.

???  And I share snippets of our days on Facebook and Instagram if you’d like to follow along ???

Blessings, Kelly

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save