Got 15 minutes? Then you have enough time to make lip balm for yourself and 10 friends. It's super easy and makes a great little gift.

You will need:

1 tablespoon of coconut oil

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons of beeswax pastilles

10 drops sweet orange essential oil

5 drops lavender oil

Measure out your olive oil, coconut oil, and beeswax.

Place into a heatproof container (I like to use a Pyrex measuring cup), and place that container into a pot of water on the stovetop. (You've created a double boiler here! This is to keep your ingredients from scorching when exposed to the heat)

Turn the heat on and bring the water to a simmer. The wax and coconut oil will melt together into a lovely golden liquid.

Remove from heat and stir in the essential oils.

Pour into individual lip balm tubes.

Let cool and label.

Then you can keep them all for yourself or share with your friends.

Hey party people! I have been super busy behind the scenes working on my e portfolio, so the blog got put in the back seat. I have not forgotten you! I am working on a few fun tutorials, so look for those in the next few days. In the meantime, go to the library and get a few books to read. Here are 10 titles that should tide you over!

Mouse, Bird, Snake, Wolf by David Almond, illustrated by Dave McKean, Candlewick, 2014. UK.

This graphic novel takes us to a world, much like ours but for one difference—this world was left unfinished by gods who spend their time feasting and sleeping. In this unfinished world live three children Harry, Sue and Little Ben who one day decide to go wandering and come to rest beneath a tree. Ben declares he can sometimes see things in the empty spaces, and brings forth a mouse. Sue looks into the empty space and brings forth a bird. Harry conjures a snake. But then their imaginations get overly ambitious and they bring something new and dangerous into the world. It’s up to Ben to save Harry and Sue, as the gods are still napping. This tale takes familiar fairytale concepts and breathes a new fresh tale into existence. The illustrations are as twisty and ephemeral as the children’s thoughts. Dave McKean uses pen & ink, colored pencil and digital collage to draw us into this world and peer into the minds of the protagonists. 

Sita’s Ramayana by Samhita Arni, Groundwood Books, 2011. India.

This a graphic novel format retelling of the epic Ramayana from the point of view of Sita, Rama’s wife. The illustrations are done in the scroll painting style of Patua—with thick black outlines and vibrant colors, the illustrations are like murals and illuminated manuscripts from centuries past. Told from Sita’s perspective, the mighty battle in Lanka takes on a sorrowful tone as she empathizes with the women who have lost loved ones. The tale subtly highlights the fate of women in a male-driven world. At the back of the book is a section on how the book was created and a historical note about female retellings of the Ramayana.

Beyond the Surface by Nicolas Andre, Nobrow Press, 2014. Great Britain.

This concertina style book is wrapped in a four-panel fold out that, on the interior, has facts about the greatest heights and the deepest depths of the Earth and the intrepid explorers who have traveled there. The concertina itself is printed on both sides. One side takes you up above the surface of the Earth and shows a myriad of ways to explore and enjoy this planet. There are campers, downhill skiers, dragon-kite-flyers, planetary-spy-ers, and mountain climbers. On the flip side, the illustrations take you below the surface into underwater caverns, past dinosaur skeletons, gemstones, bats, cave dwellers, and abandoned mines. The vibrant palette is reminiscent of the 1960’s with lime greens, bright blues and reds jostling for attention. This wordless concertina provides hours of entertainment as you pour over the illustrations and make hypotheses about who the characters are and what they are doing. 

Time of Miracles by Anne-Laure Bondoux and Y. Maudet, Delacorte Press, 2010. France.

Told from the perspective of a young refugee, Blaise Fortune, we learn of how he was raised by a woman named Gloria after she rescued him from a burning train as an infant. After the collapse of the Soviet Union the pair travel from the Republic of Georgia across Europe, Gloria tells Blaise that his mother was French and that he is a French citizen. It is Gloria’s goal to get Blaise to France so that he can live a life of freedom. Five years are told in vignettes and as Blaise grows older, so too does Gloria. This novel is a tale of survival, love, and belonging. 

The Black Book of Colors by Menea Cottin, Groundwood Books, 2008. Spain.

This is a book about colors, and the way we describe them. The book itself is printed on black glossy paper, with text in white on the lower half of the left page. On the upper half of the left page, the text is repeated in braille. On the right page are embossed black-on-black illustrations. The book is beautiful both in design and feel.  What makes this book so great is that unlike most braille adaptations, this book is in picture book format which means that it is for all children not just blind children.

Wild Berries by Julie Flett, Simply Read Books, 2014. Canada.

This charming picture book follows Clarence and Grandma as they go into the woods to pick wild berries. Told in English with Cree words sprinkled throughout the text in red, this gentle tale is a celebration of time spent outdoors with those we love. Julie Flett has created a story that is at once familiar and brand-new. With illustrations on the right and text on the left, the book carefully balances text and images. The illustrations are watercolor and cut paper against a white background. The palette is deep and earthy, composed of green, grey, red and blue. At the back of the book is a pronunciation guide and a recipe for wild blueberry jam. 

The Rabbit Problem by Emily Gravett, Simon & Schuster, 2010. Great Britain.

This book is not a book about math (even though it’s based off of Fibonacci’s famous equation). It is a book about rabbits. The text explores how many rabbits can a pair of rabbits create at the end of a month? How many rabbits will there be at the end of a year? And what happens when you have 53 pairs of rabbits in one field? The book is designed like a calendar (complete with a hole for hanging on the wall), and each page turn will bring you to a new month. Gravett’s mixed media illustrations are both humorous and inviting. A few pages have mini books that cover everything from knitting a rabbit sweater to the Carrot Cookbook. As the population increases, the hand-drawn rabbits spill over one another in order to fit on the page until finally they all burst forth in a pop-up at the end of the book. 

Before After by Anne-Margot Ramstein and Matthias Aregui, Candlewick, 2014. France.

This hefty wordless book is a visual demonstration of the passage of time. Each page contains a single full-page illustration that extends to the very edges of the page. Most of the stories are a two page set of before-after like the acorn and the oak, but a few are before-after-after like the oak tree through the seasons. The digitally rendered illustrations are vibrant, but appear flat—there is very little shading used to create the illusion of depth. To differentiate foreground from background all of the items on the page have thin outlines, but the outlines are not all black. The size (6”x9”) is ideal for a cozy exploration in a comfy chair.  

La Malinche: the Princess Who Helped Cortez Conquer the Aztec Empire by Francisco Serrano, illustrated by Pablo Serrano, Groundwood Books, 2011. Mexico.

 A tale of the conquest of Mexico by Cortez, utilizing both historical documents and first-person sources Serrano explains how Cortez, with the aid of La Malinche, was able to travel to the capital city of Tenochtitlan and overthrow Moctezuma. The book doesn’t shy away from the realities of conquest, but the focus is on La Malinche’s role as translator and the symbolic mother of all Mexicans. At the back of the book is a map that shows Cortez’ route, a glossary, a list of sources, and recommended further reading. The book is filled with illustrations reminiscent of early church murals combined with Aztec motifs in a warm, sun-baked palette. 

Lost and Found by Shaun Tan, Arthur A. Levine Books, 2011. Australia.

This collection of three shorter Shaun Tan works explores how people (or in one case, rabbits) move through the world. In The Red Tree a girl moves through a bad day, starting with a room full of fallen leaves to being overshadowed by a giant putrid fish to being stuck in a tiny boat surrounded by giant steamboats. But at the last minute hope is restored when she returns home to find something beautiful waiting for her. The illustrations here are in Shaun Tan’s unique style, combining organic with machine to create new and puzzling combinations. The palette is subdued but lush. In The Lost Thing the protagonist tells a tale of the time he was collecting bottle caps and spotted a lost thing on the beach. Again Shaun Tan creates a creature that is part organic and part machine (but full of personality). The protagonist is told by his parents that the lost thing needs to live somewhere else, and goes on a trek to find a place where the thing can fit it. This story is utterly charming, and the illustrations are full of gears and mechanisms to ogle and ponder. The last tale The Rabbits was written by John Marsden and illustrated by Shaun Tan. This story is an examination of imperialism and manifest destiny—if the conquerors had been rabbits instead of people. Gorgeous earthy colors and layers upon layers create the scenery into which the rabbits invade. As the tale moves forward, the illustrations get smaller in size and darker in color. It is a prime example of how text and illustration can work together to create a something greater than the sum of its parts.

This is a book for independent readers; from second grade through adults. There are so many facets of the text that can be used in classroom setting, such as the two-page spread on all of Marcel's animal friends or the one-page illustration on architecture. For readers who are not interested in fiction, this book does a lovely job of bringing non-fiction and fiction together. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes an interesting story, anyone who likes quick facts, and (of course) animal lovers. While it is true that I have a soft spot for elephants, I believe this book will charm you too. 

This book is a quick read that offers an opportunity to discuss the life and culture of an American teen. As a piece of historical fiction, the text offers glimpses into living in an urban war zone. In the classroom the text could be used as a springboard to discuss current political global affairs, or the global situation in the the mid 1980's, or as a writing exercise (what would Faten's life be like as a teen in Lebanon today?). It could also be useful to discuss the aspirations of the teen students and how they feel about Faten's choices. 

It's no secret that I love my lady friends. They cheer me up when I am down, they are always down for an adventure or an unscheduled drink, and they offer to assault people with porcupines when I'm having a rough day. If 14 year old me could see all the lady friends I have today, she would not believe it. I'm not a girly-girl, so it took a while to find the women who could love me even though I frequently wear the "wrong" shoes and often go places in paint-spattered pants. I might not read Vogue, but I can fix your dryer and bake you a flourless chocolate cake, so I've got that going for me.

Tomorrow is Galentine's Day--brought to us by Amy Poehler and the fabulous writers at Parks & Rec. It's a day to celebrate your awesome lady friends. And brunch. If you didn't get your lady friends anything, don't worry. You can download the images I made and use them to tell your friends how you feel. 

Have a great Galentine's Day, everybody!
I also turned them into PDFs if you prefer them that way. 

I have been working on a few projects in the studio and I thought I would share. Over the winter break I learned a new bookbinding technique and I have been making books for a variety of uses. (Mostly I have been making books to make books)  Up next I will be making small books (4"x 4") and then I'm going to try my hand at triangle books. TRIANGULAR BOOKS, people! I'm pretty jazzed about the whole thing.

And I have been working on lettering and flourishes in watercolor. 
In anticipation of Galentine's Day, I am making a few cards. 
You can check in later to see what I mean...(hint hint)
I'm not saying I'm the best friend, but I'm pretty good at being a good friend.

1. Focus on the similarities of the cultures before you look at what's different. Do the kids go to school? What holidays do they celebrate? (Just about every culture celebrates the New Year, even if it doesn't fall on December 31!) 

2. Take a look at the food! Food is always a nice way to introduce kids to a new place. And please don't start with the weird stuff--how would you feel if someone started their exploration of America by passing out Rocky Mountain oysters?

3. Find a real-life person who has either lived in that country or is from that country. You can look into contacting embassies, multicultural student groups at universities, or the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGS) Facebook page. 

4. Get books from the library that are written for your Scouts' grade level. Books written for elementary aged kids usually have great pictures.

5. Look at the art that comes from the country. Talk about how it was made and see if you can recreate it. 

And above all, encourage the girls to talk about what they like (rather than focus on what they dislike). The purpose here is to introduce them to the world beyond in a way that encourages curiosity and promotes exploration. 

There is more information on World Thinking Day on the Girl Scouts webpage.

The list of resources is by no means complete! I have chosen six websites that have clear instructions, a variety of projects for a variety of ages and one YouTube channel that explores why things happen. 
Up first we have PBS LearningMedia!
 This is a storehouse of video clips owned or licensed by PBS. It covers science, social studies, math, and English language arts. There is a drop-down menu at the top that allows you to sort by grade range and subject. This would be an excellent place to learn scientific concepts and spark ideas for projects.
Next is TinkerLab!
This site is for making stuff--all kinds of stuff. Science Experiments are all to be found in the drop down menu on the front page. They range from simple (rock candy experiment) to complex (Makey Makey kits), but they are all feasible and sure to spark a kid's imagination.
Museum of Science & Industry, anyone?
If you live anywhere near Chicago, you should be familiar with the Museum of Science and Industry. But did you know that the website has activities and how-tos? You can learn how to build an electric motor! 
Everybody likes a buddy, and this time of year we need a Science Buddy!
You can use the selection wizard tool to help you narrow down your options or pick a project with a kit. The projects are broken down by subject area: physical science, life science, engineering, behavioral and social science, earth and environmental science, math and computer science, and special collections. Additionally there is a section on "science careers" which lists different careers in the aforementioned fields and  gives a synopsis of the career, what education is required, and science projects related to that career. Warning: this website has the potential to suck you in for hours!
Let's not forget Education.com! 
Education.com covers a wide variety of subjects for kids grades K-12. The Science Fair section can be broken down by field of study or by grade range. You have the option to become a member (not necessary unless you are REALLY into worksheets) but the science fair section is accessible to non-members. The projects are interesting and varied--there is something there for everyone. My complaint is that there are a million ads on the site, which occasionally slow down the load time of the page.
You've heard of Make Magazine, right?
Make Magazine has brought us Maker Faires and celebrates the people who MAKE things. There are a variety of projects on the website, some are elementary-age appropriate and some are high-school level (after experience with hand tools and/or electricity).  I like Make because it showcases human ingenuity and people who want to share their ideas and discoveries with you. 
Lastly, there is Veritasium, a YouTube channel that explores the world around us through the lens of science.
Don't discount YouTube as a learning tool! There are a lot of really smart people demonstrating how amazing the world we live in can be. I may have to do a whole post on YouTube for learning--because there is some seriously amazing stuff happening over there.

Do you have a favorite online science resource? What did I forget? What should I know about? Fill me in, people!

The cast of animals should be mostly familiar to young readers: jackal, crane, fish, turtle, squirrel, cat, peacock, elephant, and a tailor bird. The text inside the story provides excellent vocabulary-enriching opportunities. 
The illustrations are large enough to make this book work for storytime. It is flexible enough to work for a variety of themes: eating, books with singing, new twists on old tales, and stories from India to name a few. With this book you could also incorporate making predictions, clapping to the song, waving scarves to the song, and readers could read the sound effects which are in white text. Extension activities can be art-based (you knew I was going to go there, right?) For older children, you can show them how the illustrations were made and then provide them black paper and white paint to create their own animals. For younger children, you could show them how the artist uses patterns to decorate the animals and have them draw and decorate animals. Both of these activities will allow them to use their pencil-holding muscles and encourage them to make text-to-self connections.