Backwoods MamaJosée

40+ Nature-Inspired Spring Crafts for Kids

40+ Nature-Inspired Spring Crafts for Kids

Spring is flowers blooming, birds building nests, green grass growing and rainbows after rainstorms. This season offers a kaleidoscope of inspiration and new abundance for nature-inspired crafting. In our home, spring crafting is approached with the earth in mind. My...

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How to Go Bird Watching with Children

How to Go Bird Watching with Children

I am no birding expert, but I do love watching birds, especially with my children. Growing up I knew a handful of birds by name: robin, crow, raven, pigeon, seagull, eagle and hawk. It wasn't until I moved to a small town in the southern interior of British Columbia,...

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A Big List of Beautiful Bird Picture Books for Children

A Big List of Beautiful Bird Picture Books for Children

Birds, with their songs, flight and feather, fill children with awe. Perhaps it's a robin collecting worms from dewy grass or the woodpecker tuk-tuk-tuking a nearby tree that first catch a child's attention, but once caught a world of wonder is opened. Noticing birds...

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How to Dress a Baby for Cold Winter Weather

How to Dress a Baby for Cold Winter Weather

How should I dress my baby when it's cold outside? This is a question I get asked a lot. So often, in fact, that I figured the answer needed its very own post. I figure after raising five babies in the Great White North of Canada, I've learned a thing or two along the...

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Atlas Helium Trail Snowshoes Review

Atlas Helium Trail Snowshoes Review

The Atlas Helium Trail snowshoes are a great beginner snowshoe for teens and adults looking to explore snowy trails. My teen went through a massive growth spurt, quickly outgrowing his MSR Shift Youth snowshoes and propelling himself into the world of adult snowshoes....

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MSR Shift Youth Snowshoes Review

MSR Shift Youth Snowshoes Review

The MSR Shift Youth snowshoes are great for kids between the ages 5 to 12 that want to explore snowy trails. If I had to pick a winter activity that is unique, fun, and great for entire family, it would be snowshoeing. Snowshoeing has been underrated by families for a...

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My One Word for 2024 + How to Pick a Nudge Word

My One Word for 2024 + How to Pick a Nudge Word

I sit in a small alcove of my small log home, my back the dining table which is stretched to its maximum length. Around its scratched wooden surface friends and family have gathered to play games. Their feet tap to tunes and their voices rise above the din of laughter...

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Picture Books for the Winter Solstice

Picture Books for the Winter Solstice

The winter solstice marks the shortest day of the year and the official start of winter. In the Northern Hemisphere, the winter solstice typically occurs on or around December 21st. While there are many wonderful ways of celebrate the winter solstice with children,...

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Marvelous Mushroom Picture Books for Kids

Marvelous Mushroom Picture Books for Kids

Mushrooms are mysterious and marvelous. They aren't plants or animals, but belong to its own kingdom: fungi! There is so mush to learn about mushrooms and this list of mushrooms picture books is a great place to start. Not only are these books are all well written and...

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The Best List of Tree Picture Books for Children

The Best List of Tree Picture Books for Children

Trees are amazing plants. They convert carbon dioxide into oxygen, reduce airborne pollutants, bring water into soil, provide homes for wildlife, grow food, and prevent erosion. Trees make our planet, our cities and our families healthier and happier! This list of...

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30+ Inspirational Parenting Books for Raising Outdoor Kids

30+ Inspirational Parenting Books for Raising Outdoor Kids

Sometimes feeling motivated to get our kids outside can be a challenge. Maybe it's the weather, an illness, a new baby, our schedule, or our mood. During times like this, because it happens to even the outdoorsiest of parents, reach out for support and grab hold of a...

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How to Make Onion-Skin Dyed Nature Printed Easter Eggs

How to Make Onion-Skin Dyed Nature Printed Easter Eggs

Dyeing Easter eggs using naturally derived dyes is an age old tradition that has recently seen a recent resurgence. There's something satisfying about creating a coulourful cast of eggs from things such as onion skins, purple cabbage, beets, turmeric and tea. While...

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How to Make Egg-Shaped Beeswax Candles with Empty Eggshells

How to Make Egg-Shaped Beeswax Candles with Empty Eggshells

I love all things spring and Easter. The celebration of new life, the renewal of heart and home, and the gift of rebirth are invigorating after the long cold winter. As Easter approaches my children and I clean our home top-to-bottom, search for signs of spring...

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