Now that the weather is warmer, I'm finding it hard to strike a balance between work and play, especially since my daughter can actually walk this summer and would rather be outside than anywhere else.  As a matter of fact, I haven't actually been doing a whole lot of work at all in the past week or so, and I've decided to just accept it rather than letting it stress me out.  When I'm not outside exploring robin's nests and "houses" amidst the caragana bushes with my two-year old, I've been frantically trying to complete things on my bucket list before my life of leisure (if that's what you call being a stay-at-home mom with her own small business...) ends.  Yes folks, I've accepted a short-term full-time job as a replacement teacher for the rest of the school year.  It's only a three week gig, but giving up my freedom to do what I want when I want, even for that long, is a bit scary!  Not to mention that I will miss my being the one to put my daughter down for naps and getting those skinny-armed hugs... 
While I am busy keeping the kids learned and entertained for the last weeks of school, the other half of New Leaf, Cecelia, is going to be MIA from the business scene as well -her baby is due on June 15th, just over a week away!  So making things and blogging won't really be on the top of her list for a little while.  
Despite being busy with our various happy ventures, Cecelia and I will keep the Etsy shops in action and you can still order the items listed (though we probably won't be listing too many new things for a little bit) and I will package them up and send them out with as little wait as humanly possible.  And don't forget, New Leaf has items in three local shops now!  In Regina, Val Marie, and Eastend.  You can see the shops on our Shop Locally page for details.  
Thanks for your  understanding and patience while the New Leaf Handmaidens attend to jobs and babes, and try to get the most out of the summer weather at the same time.  Hope all is well with you and yours!
-Maria

I got a note from a fellow maker the other day, sharing about a project he  and his wife are working on and the whole idea really struck me as interesting and innovative, and thought I'd share!
Harlan and his wife originally created their weebee blocks for their own son; after seeing how much he liked them and how they were awesome for his learning, they made them for other kids, who also loved them.  
I love the simple and attractive designs on these blocks -I know my own daughter would love them and would easily recognize the common pictures.  
What I love most about this project is that they are being funded by Kickstarter.  According to their website, Kickstarter is " the largest funding platform for creative projects in the world."  Regular people like you and me, who have a love of the handmade and want to support the creative process, can pledge money to all sorts of projects: music, film, art, technology, design, food, publishing and more.  I love how the project creators keep total control over their work, but also how they can only go ahead if they reach their funding goals.  It seems like an awesome way for  people without a lot of cash but with great ideas to have a chance to share their creations with the world.  
Have a look at Harlan's project, and if you like what you see, you can pledge some money towards the project and helping him and his wife start this exciting new project.  
Take a look at the project here.