If you follow the Land of Le Beef on Facebook or Instagram, then you are well aware of the annual Land of Le Beef Christmas Advent Calendar (you can check out previous years' calendars here and here). This year's theme was 'Things I Want for Christmas (but probably won't get)', and once again it was a nonstop thrill ride. I hope to see you all again next year.
Maddy's Favourite Toys
Every year I like to draw something special for my daughter's birthday (you might remember last year's illustration featuring Maddy soaring on the back of her Alphapup over a city of blocks). This year I thought it would be fun to create a yearbook page featuring her toys. Just like classmates, some of them will be forgotten immediately, while a select few may be a special part of her life for a long time. I created this print so that she could look back on her toys later on and say, 'I wonder whatever happened to that guy?'.
If your kid has any favourite toys, send me a photo at the Land of Le Beef Etsy shop, and your child can have their own illustrated version.
IB Learner Profile Posters
If you're an IB teacher, then these IB learner profile posters will be right up your alley. I made these for my wife's classroom because wanted a fun way to remind her students of these qualities, and because I like drawing animals.
Can I buy these in your Etsy Shop? Sure, if you want. They are available in two sizes as physical prints, or as digital downloads so that you can print them yourself.
Dear Diary...
Every once in awhile I like to share a little bit about myself, so here's a few things that have been happening in my life lately...
1. My New Scoby
I was recently inspired to start making my own kombucha. I don’t even know if I like kombucha or not, but the thought of making something weird at home is just too compelling to pass up. The first thing I needed was to get my hands on a scoby (a scoby is basically a blob of bacteria and yeast that aids in fermentation; yes, I know it sounds gross). Ideally I would have liked to have done a Mission Impossible style scoby heist, but instead I found a free scoby on Craigslist (yes, I know that sounds sketchy).
Serious question: would anyone be interested in a children’s book called Toby the Scoby? It’s about a scoby that gets sold on Craigslist, and then sits a jar of tea for two weeks as he slowly ferments and then gives birth to a twin brother, and then repeats the process over and over agin (that’s pretty much how kombucha is made).
2. Five Toed Shoes
I friend of mine recently gave me a pair of slightly used five toed running shoes. For those of you who don't remember, these were all the rage for about two weeks a few years ago. Yes, I know they look ridiculous, but I always wanted to try them, and I don’t really care how I look when I’m running anyway. I took them out for a trail run, and it's like they were made for me. I love being able to feel the shape of the ground beneath me when I run. If you ever see a guy running in the woods with five toed shoes, it's probably me; feel free to say hi.
3. My First Book
I just sent my very first book to a small stack of publishers, and I've already received my first two rejection letters. It's a pretty cool book, so I'm sure it's only a matter of time before it gets published. In the meantime I've already started on my second book.
4. Ireland
My wife and I recently spent a couple of weeks in Dublin without our daughter. The most common question I get is 'how was Ireland?'. The truth is I don't really know - we spent most of our time sitting in pubs drinking Guinness. It was pretty good.
5. Masha and the Bear
My daughter used to be obsessed with a tv show called Masha and the Bear - we've watched every episode together about three hundred times. I was excited to see that there is finally a new season of Masha and the Bear on Netflix. The problem is that I can't wait to see the new episodes, but Maddy doesn't seem to care about the show anymore. I don't really want to watch them on my own, so I might have to force her watch them with me.
Goldilocks & the Three Bears
If you're a regular reader of the Land of Le Beef Blog, you might start to see a lot more storybooks here. Here is my rendition of the classic tale of Goldilocks & the Three Bears. Get your kids, gather around, and have a read. No animals were harmed in the creation of this story.
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