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Josie

@onwillowsbend

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Inspiration, support and advice for home educators and parents. Waldorf inspired home life, rhythms and rituals, festivals and handwork.

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Hello friends... it's been a while! After stepping away from this space and taking a much needed break in November of 2023 there have been some big transitions, huge life changes and moments of sorrow, joy, connection, heartbreak and everything in between. Our days and weeks look fairly different now- shaped by shared care, school, training, coaching and the launch of my new business @groundwork_functionalfitness However, so many of the rhythms and rituals that shaped our homeschool days still exist and have allowed us to grow and thrive in this new and different phase of life. I came back to this space because I miss it- the connections I made here, the encouragement I received and the sharing of ideas, insights and inspiration. I also have finally been able to acknowledge the huge amount of work I put in to creating and sharing the ebooks and resources I made- and I want to be able to offer those again in a more simple and sustainable way. If you follow the link in my bio it will lead you to my new Ko-Fi page. There you'll find bundles of resources, some Easter freebies and a blog post sharing some of what the past 18 months has looked like for our family. This page and Ko-Fi will now serve as a growing archive of ideas, collaborative work, home education and parenting resources, encouragement and thoughts on life after home ed and so much more. I'm hoping that many of you will be open to collaborating with me to create this space- no matter your following or approach if you have something valuable to share I'd love to hear from you. I'll share more details on this soon, but if you'd like to get in touch you can send me an email- onwillowsbend@proton.me To those of you who reached out, checked in, thought of me or have just stuck around this long- I am so so grateful. Here's to another new phase and all the good stuff that I know will come with it. Josie ♥️ by @onwillowsbend

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a year ago

Invitations to create and learn. No pressure, no expectations. All of our beautiful painting materials from @mercuriusaustralia 💖 by @onwillowsbend

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a year ago

#fromthearchives "Tipperty toes the smallest elf,Sat on a mushroom by himself, Playing a little tinkling tuneUnder the big round harvest moon..."Autumn has well and truly arrived here in Tasmania. The girls and I are heading out into the mountains for a quick overnight adventure today- its the best time of years to be outdoors. I'm feeling inspired to make them a magical Autumnal pie once we get home. This pie, inspired by one of our Autumn circle verses is probably my all time favourite of all the pies I've made. Give me your ideas! What story, verse or scene should inpire my next Autumnal pie? by @onwillowsbend

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a year ago

A little bit of Easter magic made simply made with a jar, tissue paper and glue. One of my all time favourite crafts. Want to make your own? I just added a free tutorial to Ko-Fi for you. Link in bio! by @onwillowsbend

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a year ago

So of course in my scattered state these days I totally forgot to pop in here and remind everyone that my online store was closing at the end of October. The good news is I also forgot to actually close my store 😅 So I thought I'd throw a last chance sale out there for anyone else who is forgetful and last minute like me. 30% off your entire order using the code FINAL30 for the next 24 hours and after that I really will shut up shop. For those who have asked about a bundle price for all of the ebooks- there is not a bundle but by using this code at checkout you will make a huge saving. 📸 Is of one of the handmade Advent calendars from my Four Lights of Advent ebook. Now is the perfect time to grab this one along with Celebrating Lucia Day and Celebrating Three King's Day so you can begin your preparations in good time. by @onwillowsbend

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3 years ago

The magic of wet on wet painting. A flurry of activity as we set up and find our space, a candle and verse to ground us and then peace as everyone gets lost in creativity and colour. A weekly ritual that has served us well for many years. Popping in today to remind you all that my shop is open until the end of October and then it will be closed for good. If there is an ebook you've been meaning to purchase then now is the time. If you're interested in learning more about wet on wet painting my ebook A Week in Our Waldorf Home talks you through the entire process. If you need materials you will find it all @mercuriusaustralia by @onwillowsbend

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3 years ago

Popping in to remind you all that today is the last day of the 30% off closing sale in my online store. It was supposed to finish in a few hours, but I've extended it for 24 hours because I forgot to remind everyone yesterday! 😅 The store will stay open until the end of the month, but this is your opportunity to receive a significant discount on your purchase. Thank you so so much to everyone who has bought ebooks over the last week (and over the years) and for all of the incredibly kind comments on my last post. I appreciate you! If you'd like to buy any of my ebooks follow the link in my bio to visit my store and use the code CLOSING30 at checkout. 📸 Reversible storytelling apron and standing story dolls from Weaving Wonder. by @onwillowsbend

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Popping in to share some happy/sad news- it is time for me to close my online store. It’s been so hard to make this decision as I truly do love making and sharing ebooks with you all, but my time is being split in too many different directions these days and I’m not able to give it the attention it deserves. If there is an Ebook you’ve been hoping for now is the time to get it. For the next week you can get 30% off your entire order using the code CLOSING30 and after that my store will stay open until the end of October before closing for good. Patreon subscribers check for an update and If you’ve been waiting on an email from me check your inbox! Thank you so much for all of your support, enthusiasm and encouragement over the years, it is so appreciated! by @onwillowsbend

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3 years ago

Dragon bread dragon eggs. ✨✨✨A fun way to celebrate Michaelmas with your children is to make a loaf of dragon bread. You can make one large loaf as a family or each create a smaller one. It’s a favourite yearly tradition in our home. There is often a lot of pressure to impart the meaning of each Waldorf festival and celebration to our children. However, this isn’t something you will achieve instantly. Creating reverence and building on family traditions year in year out will allow your child’s sense of understanding to grow as they do. Start small, choose one or two things you’d like to do to celebrate. Carefully choose a meaningful story and learn an age appropriate verse together. This is enough.Joining in (very late!) with #wednesdaywaldorfwisdom @vanessasholisticliving@jleejarrin@peacewithnaturehandwork @waldorfhomeschoolinspiration@my_seasonal_treasury@mamou_po_waldorfsku@seasonsofseven_virtual_school@stephaniegreen_waldorffamily@natural_earth_mama@onwillowsbend by @onwillowsbend

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3 years ago

Creating a beautiful teatime for my girls is one of my favourite ways to welcome a new season or celebrate a festival. This week I’m planning to welcome spring with a magical teatime. It has been a while since I went all out with special treats and decorations and I know they’ll be thrilled. We’ll drink tea, eat cake, read Springtime stories and poems together and learn a new circle song. Now I just have to decide… pie or cake? Or maybe we’ll just have both!All photos from my Magical Teatime Ebook ✨✨✨ by @onwillowsbend

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3 years ago

A Michaelmas candle ready for our celebrations at the end of this month ✨️✨️✨️Michaelmas is a favourite festival in our home- a time to look ahead, set intentions and find the courage to move forward with purpose. What's not to love! This candle was made using a beautiful Dipam beeswax pillar candle and Stockmar modelling wax and wax decorating plates- all from @mercuriusaustraliaI'm currently working on a Celebrating Michaelmas mini-guide (similar to my Celebrating Lucia Day and Epiphany guides) that will hopefully be available on Patreon and in my store sometime next week. I'm excited to share some of our favourite traditions- crafts, recipes, stories, verses and more- with all of you. by @onwillowsbend

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3 years ago

I forgot to remind everyone that the 50% sale in my store was ending and a few people missed out with the time difference thinking they still had another day... so I've extended it. Sale continues for another 24 hours using the same code AUGUST50 so if there is anything you want grab it now! Link is in my bio ✨️✨️📷 Stars, Moon and Sun story lantern and Story Stone Pouches from my storytelling ebook Weaving Wonder. by @onwillowsbend

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