f&f Family Journal

Concerning sleep I fall into the category of "do what fits your family rhythm". This far into motherhood I know what works for one family may not work for another and that's the beauty of it. When I was pregnant with my first child 12 years ago we set up the nursery, the crib, the bassinet. But once baby was in my arms so much of what I thought changed, it didn't feel right. My newborn was relentlessly unsettled and fussy and he just needed to be close to me. Co-sleeping just felt right, it worked, we all got sleep. We realized that we really enjoyed the closeness with our baby, it was comforting for us all.

So we ended up with the Family Bed, sharing sleep with all of our 4 children at various times over the years. Our two year old daughter is the only one that still sleeps with us -- I sense she still needs the closeness and well, living in a tiny house during this season of our life doesn't allow for separate sleeping quarters. We're all cozy and content.

A list of my favorite Family Bed sleep essentials:
Lambskin
Holy Lamb Wool Mattress Topper
Holy Lamb Wool Pillows
Snuggle Me Organic Co-Sleeping baby lounger 
Naturepedic Organic Mattress
Holy Lamb Family Bed Bumper

And those beautiful organic sheets?

My friend Lauren has a company called Blaynk that crafts bedsheets from cotton, wind & water -- AMAZING! Watch her truly inspirational video HERE & back her Kickstarter! Blaynk is off to an incredible start with nearly a 75% backing in the first day! 

Blaynk will be available in the shop soon, can't wait!! 

A couple years ago I started weeding through my children's clothes in order to simplify, streamline and bottomline, have less laundry to contend with. Here is a peek at my daughter's basic summer wardrobe, a capsule of simplicity. Add in a couple dresses & rompers and these handful of items are truly all that she has worn this summer. 

Intentionally purchasing fewer items has allowed me to be more thoughtful in my selection, focusing on quality of materials & versatility -- linen for children is so practical and lightweight merino wool is surprisingly cooling on hot days!  #fewerbetterthings

I'm still working out a blog post with details of my approach but until then, take a look at a few of my favorites this Summer ... goat-milk, Chasing Windmills, Billie Blooms, Briar Handmade and Tortoise & the Hare.

"All in all, it was a never to be forgotten summer —
one of those summers which come seldom into any life,
but leave a rich heritage of beautiful memories in their going — one of those summers which,
in a fortunate combination of delightful weather, delightful friends and delightful doing,
come as near to perfection as anything can come in this world."
—L.M. Montgomery, Anne's House of Dreams


If you've had your eye on something, be sure to shop our Summertime Sale...
Use code SUMMER for 10% off through Monday, July 31st. 

Please note that rewards discounts cannot be combined with a sale discount code. 

(*Excluded brands: Oeuf, Naturepedic, Monte, Stokke.)

This year fawn&forest is turning 10! To celebrate we're opening a brick & mortar shop in our little county town of Yamhill, located about an hour outside of Portland, Oregon.  We're in a unique area, Oregon's wine country and in one of Yamhill's original brick buildings from the 1800's. 

Yamhill was the little country town Beverly Cleary grew up in (her childhood house is just down the street from the shop!) and this area is rich in  so much amazing pioneer history. My desire for fawn&forest is to evoke that feeling of a mercantile from yesteryear that speaks more about quality & essentials of family life than flashy brand names —filled with curiosity and the simplicity of a thoughtful life. 

The storefront is currently but a small wonderful stack of essentials. There is so much to be done & purchased yet I am enjoying the process, slow and intentional #fawnandforest

I'll be posting our progress on instragram, so be sure to follow along — @fawnandforest

I have gathered a few new favorite swaddles that remind me of the slow days of Summertime.  Gentle prints and lightweight cotton, muslin swaddles are a summertime essential,even if baby has grown beyond those sweet swaddling days.  

This Summer we've been enjoying swaddles as a lightweight wrap after playing in the pool, draped over the stroller to block the setting sun and as soft layer to snuggle in on these breezy summer evenings...

Shop Swaddles.

"Our flag does not fly because the wind moves it.
It flies with the last breath of each soldier who died protecting it."

- Unknown

I've gotten back into the habit of making yogurt for the family. We end up eating a lot of it and instead of making 1 big batch (which doesn't go very far in a big family like ours) I started making 1 glass bottle for each of us at a time.

Homemade yogurt is incredibly nourishing and I am loving the heirloom variety starter that I use which doesn't require heat for it to do its thing — I simply add a bit of yogurt starter to the milk (I use non-homogenized whole milk from a local dairy) and shake, then leave the yogurt to culture on the counter for up to 24 hours, refrigerate & then sweeten with raw honey. It ends up a bit thinner like kefir and is drinkable which we all love.

It's as simple as that!

You can make yogurt in any glass jar, but we love these glass milk bottles (available in the shop soooon!) and this yogurt starter by Cultures For Health.

Cultures for Health is an amazing resource for homemade yogurt making and sell fantastic yogurt starters as well. 

Flowers are popping up everywhere in the field at the top of our hill — wild irises and bluebells and lilacs bushes that seem to have been there forever. All the weed-y wildflowers that only children seem to notice.. wild sweet peas, buttercups and the start of the Queen Anne's lace.  

We've been putting our f&f exclusive Nature Collection Tray to fine use this month, gathering and collecting as we go.  It's so interesting how a field of flowers can come together into a lovely collection for drawing, imagining, smelling & feeling that may otherwise go unnoticed. Our next project is to take the dried lilac blossoms & soak them in oil to create a lovely scented homemade perfume to remind us of the beautiful spring we've had.

You can find our Nature Collection Trays here.

I purchased this doll cradle several years ago at a thrift shop in hopes of giving it to my some-day daughter. My prayers were answered and in anticipation of my daughter's 2nd birthday recently I pulled the cradle out of storage. It needed some work — a new bottom and of course a handmade tufted mat made of ticking. A pillow and a blanket and some handmade doll clothes as well. My hands have been busy sewing!

I enjoy simple projects like this that take more time than money, that carry a certain sentiment that will last throughout the years with all of my daughter's laughter, smiles and gentle care of her little baby dears.  

I connected with Robin some time ago on Instagram, our daughters are but a few months apart and it's a simple joy to connect with another like-minded mama. I have since treasured Robin's sentiments on slow living and her honest notes on motherhood.

Robin's background in early education weaves a lovely story in her daughter Ramona's room .. uncluttered & thoughtful, inviting and cozy and perfectly tender-hearted like her mother's love.  

Thank you Robin!
- Summer

The room I chose to share is Ramona's nursery. This is my favourite space in our home, because we've put the most intention, thought and care into creating a place to meet our daughter's needs. We've also taken great care in keeping it simple and uncluttered, while also being a cozy and fun place that she enjoys spending time in. It's a constant work in progress as she changes and grows (and as I slowly, slowly make decisions - I'm notoriously indecisive). 

The central point of the nursery tends to be Ramona's shelves. We rotate its contents often, trying to offer a variety of experiences - sensory materials, puzzles, objects from nature, literature, music, and fine motor activities - but without having too much out all at once, so she can focus on what's available and play more purposefully. We want Ramona to learn responsibility over her belongings, so by having a specific place (basket, box, tray) for each item, it's easy for her to put everything back in its rightful place independently. 

​We chose a tall shelf for the nursery because it can "grow" along with Ramona. For now we use the upper shelves for decoration, mostly featuring sentimental items, such as her five-day-old foot print, her six month profile, her first piggy bank, and a small antique clock from my grandmere which has its hands standing still at the time Ramona born. As she gets older the contents of the upper shelves will reflect more of her growing interests - perhaps art, or natural items she's collected, or a few favoured toys.

I draw a lot of inspiration in our home from Waldorf and Montessori education. The two philosophies have many differences, but both put a strong emphasis on surrounding a child in a natural environment - keeping in touch with nature and using natural materials. Her toys are mainly made of wood, wool or bamboo (we do have a few plastic toys too!), storage baskets made from grass or sticks, and the room is scattered with various treasures we've found on walks (pebbles, flowers, acorns, pine cones). Next I'd like to add some living plants that she can help care for.

​The most recent, and possibly my favourite, addition to the nursery is this wall-to-wall book ledge. We try to combine visual appeal and practicality as much as often, and this was a beautiful way to store books and encourage early literacy. We placed it at her height so she can help herself throughout the day. I love the little surprises she leaves on the shelves sometimes - a stray toy or block carefully placed between books.

A few things to note...
The Silhouette is by A Family Print Shop.
Martriarch Handmade made the "Courage Dear Heart" and Mini Swiss Cross Banner.
Baskets .. Larger ones & the Mini.

You can follow Robin on Instagram @twentyventi & her blog.