One of my most prized possessions—for real—is from this little Etsy store. Do you remember this post? Fallon from Olive Handmade created this for us based on a picture of our home. And, it’s perfect down to the living room curtains.

Fallon taught herself to sew and just opened an Etsy store “for fun.” She soon realized that others loved her sewing as much as she did, and she’s working towards making this a full-time gig. What she has there is positively delicious and makes me want to set up more beds in my home simply for the pillows.

What makes her things even more beautiful to me is the generosity that comes with them. A portion of shop sales go to her local Rescue Mission which houses a few hundred homeless folks in Las Vegas and feeds many more than that daily. They care for their physical and spiritual needs there and help them get their lives on track again.

And, this month, Fallon is partnering with the other nest builders, donating 10% of all her May sales to The Sparrow Fund to support adoptive families. On top of that, she’s offering a little something here to get you addicted to her wares as I have—her Olive You pillow cover (worth $40). I’m already jealous of the winner.

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Spunk. This girl’s got it. Victoria of ZiLLA’S QuEeN is a counselor and create-tess who is always looking to be an agent of change whether that is in relationships or accessories. Her jewelry shouts change to me, and she somehow manages to take just a little something that has some interest and combines it with other items of interest to create an accessory masterpiece. Seriously. You gotta see these necklaces she masterfully creates.

With a steadfast belief that we can all be the difference that this world needs, she has been wholeheartedly excited about being a partner to Build the Nest this May for The Sparrow Fund, donating 10% of all her May sales to support adoptive families.

And, she also is pretty excited to introduce her to one of her sweet pieces (worth $28.50 when you include shipping)—so versatile as a necklace or wrap bracelet, it features a lovely vintage flower earring made into a pin sitting beautifully on a purple and yellow dyed silk. The pin is removable so you can take it off and wear on other things even. so pretty, very Anthro (where I’d buy everything if I were filthy rich). 

The winner won’t get it in time for Mother’s Day, but who cares. You can wear this and celebrate Mother’s Day everyday of the year. It’s that pretty. And, even if you don’t win, you can use the code “NESTING” to get 10% off your purchase AND have 10% donated to The Sparrow Fund. Nice.

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“A doll is an image of a human being and is therefore the toy most suited to develop and enliven the self-image in the growing child.” Freya Jaffka (in Toymaking with Children)

There’s something really special about basic toys like wooden dolls our kids can use to role play life. Because that’s the thing; they are no longer a toy but a tool for them to use to process their lives. As our kids try to bring the big world into some sort of manageable size, doll play serves both boys and girls well. Especially for kids who have come from hard places, the tool of doll play can be empowering for them as well as for us as parents as we try to walk through hard stuff with them.

Beccijo is a local artist and natural toy maker at The Enchanted Cupboard, an award-winning and nationally recognized Etsy store. She reached out to us originally with encouragement and appreciation for what we do to support families. And, you know what, I’m appreciative of what she is doing to support families because I really think her items such as her custom doll family could be SO helpful for families like ours whose children may look a little different. They’d also be great to help prepare children for medical procedures if she made a nurse and/or doctor doll for you (wouldn’t a custom one that looks like your child’s surgeon be awesome?). I just love these. Can you tell?

The Enchanted Cupboard is one of our partners to Build the Nest this May, giving 10% of all her sales to support the work of The Sparrow Fund. And, she’s also offered to giveaway my favorite item of hers here–the custom family doll set worth $58. Wow.

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Have you discovered Barefoot Books yet? We’re big fans. Barefoot Books is a multicultural publisher of childrens’ books, offering timeless stories from around the world with stunning illustrations for kids of all ages. Their books give children the opportunity to explore other cultures, our planet, and themselves. These particular titles are ones we like, given our heart for China—Lin Yi’s Lantern, We’re Riding on a Caravan, Stories From the Silk Road, and Little Leap Forward. Check them out. I’ve heard great things about The Barefoot Books World Atlas too that actually has an app that goes along with it. Hoping to get our hands on that one—we have and like all the others. It would be a good little gift to us while Daddy’s in China this month, don’t you think?

My friend, Nicole Renee, just opened up shop to be a reseller for Barefoot Books and is partnering with us this month to Build the Nest, donating 10% of her May sales to The Sparrow Fund. AND, she’s giving away a $25 gift certificate here on the blog so that you can start your own Barefoot Books collection.

Head on over to her website to check out all of the great books there. And, as an added bonus, use the special code TWENTY13 for a one-time 20% off discount.

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