Quote Of The Day

Parenthood: That state of being better chaperoned than you were before marriage.

~ Marcelene Cox

Quote Of The Day

Quote Of The Day

"Like a shadow that does not permit us to jump over it, but moves with us to maintain its proper distance, pollution is nature's answer to culture. When we have learned to recycle pollution into potent information, we will have passed over completely into the new cultural ecology."

— William Irwin Thompson

Quote Of The Day

Quote Of The Day

All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.

- Walt Disney

Quote Of The Day

My Daughter's Favorite Youtube Animation

We watch a lot of stuff on Youtube together, my daughter and I, so I thought I'd share her favorite short animation. She's crazy about everything scary, mummies, monsters, ghosts etc, so this is no exception. It's a parody on Indiana Jones, called Tadeo Jones. Enjoy!

My Daughter's Favorite Youtube Animation

Quote Of The Day

"Everyone knows that childhood is a developmental journey for children. Few realize that guiding, learning from and mentoring children is a developmental process for adults, a transformative practice every bit as demanding and powerful as found in any martial art, monastery, or athletic training camp."

 – Michael Mendizza

Quote Of The Day

The Big House, Big lawn, Big Loan Story

I was walking the dog in my in-laws suburban residential area when all of a sudden something became crystal clear to me, you know, when you've always known something, but all of a sudden it forms itself clearly in your head and all you can do is nod?
You have to know that Belgians like to live in really big houses, preferably with really big lawns. And they want these big houses as soon as possible. As soon as they land a fixed job... even before they have kids or get married. The big house is probably more desirable then a good marriage.

Image: Lisanne! 

So I am walking through this neighborhood looking at all the nice big houses, with big neatly kept yards and notice that the neighborhood is completely empty. Until about 5.30 PM the only living souls in this neighborhood are mine, my dog and my daughter. And we're only passing though.
From 7AM to almost 7PM these huge homes and huge gardens are empty, because the people who own the homes and gardens have to work all day to pay for the mortgage on the homes and gardens, and those mortgages are equally astronomic as the size of the homes and gardens, so they will probably be working at it for long years to come. The two of them, because with the mortgage, there's no room for any one staying at home, since it will eat the total of one person's salary.
So the kids have to be put in daycare at school, which will eat away at the second salary.

And in the weekend, they'll need to shop to fill those big homes, which again, eats away at the second salary.
And they'll have to tend to the huge garden and big living space, to keep it nice and clean and neatly kept, which will eat away at their time (or their money if they decide that the time is more important).

And when the holiday season comes, they'll all be so tired of the paying and the working and the keeping of the house and the garden that they have to pay for a holiday far far away, to get away from the big house and the big garden. Which leaves the big house and the big garden empty again (maybe even with someone who gets paid to mow the lawn or water the plants).

So why are these people putting in all these working hours for something they can't and probably don't even want to enjoy?
Why does nobody notice how enslaved they are making themselves to these big lawns and big living spaces?

The Big House, Big lawn, Big Loan Story

Sunday Surf

• 12 year olds getting a bikini wax seems a little over the top? What about 6 year olds? Great article about feminism and vaginal alteration on Alternet
• Taking a closer look at language in crime reporting when women are the victim, a very interesting read on The News With Boobs
• Birthing without fear seems a far off idea for you? MamaEve gives us a few pointers to get into powerful birthing Goddess mode
• Could changing the education funding strategies change the student's opportunities? Interesting insight by LIsa Nielsen on Huffington post
• How to integrate yoga as a daily ritual, a very inspiring post (and easy peasy) on Healthy Mama, Healthy Baby
• Greening up your laundry, and cutting costs while at it, Our Everyday Earth gives us a list of very cool tips

Audio

A very powerful poem about body image by Holly McNish on BBC

Visit the newest Sunday Surfers: Adventures of a Thrifty Mama, Touchstonez, The New Mommy Files. If you want to find out who else is surfing, go to the Sunday Surf page.

If you've joined the surfing fun over at your blog, leave a comment below, and I will add a link to it in the next edition of Sunday Surf. Feel free to add the Sunday Surf button to your blog, you can find it on the right side of this page or under the Sunday Surf tab. Newest Surfers will be added to the following Surf, older Surfers are listed on the Sunday Surf page. If you're Surfing and you have a button for me, email it to mamapoekie at yahoo dot com.

Sunday Surf

10 Tips To Save Even More Money Cloth Diapering

In this post, I would like to give you some tips on saving even more money cloth diapering.

It’s quite clear that using cloth saves you a great deal of money, compared to disposables. Your one-time cost when going cloth is about 600 euro. Taken on account that children take longer to potty train when they’re on disposables, you’re looking at 2,5 to three years of disposables which comes down to 1400 euro. Those 600 euro for the cloth diapers last until your child is fully potty trained and might even serve for a second or even a third child (hey, I even reused my old diapers from the eighties as burp cloths, talking about getting a lot of mileage out of them). Sure, they can wear, but they can often be repaired too.

TIP 1

When your velcro is worn out, simply take it off and replace it. You can even choose to replace velcro with snaps, and you don’t need to be a professional tailor to do so.

TIP 2

Cut up some cotton or sponge towel to use instead of baby whipes. I have a little plant spritzer with water I use to wet the squares and that’s all you need. If you have a tap near your changing space, you can opt for using a washcloth too.

TIP 3

Fabric liners are another easy thing to make. Cut them out of fleece, sponge towel or thick ribbed cotton jersey. Be creative, you can even reuse worn T-shirts if you layer them. You can either make square pads or more ergonomic ones. And again, for this job, you don’t need a lot of experience sewing.

TIP 4

Paper liners can be washed too. I always wash mine if she has only peed on them. They even was two or three times.

TIP 5

When you are making your initial buy, shop around. Google it, nose through webshops, ask your friends. You might find some sales, you might get some handy-downs. Sometimes small mommy-run businesses make good quality diapers for less than the bigger brands. Plus most of the time these are customizable, so all the more fun. Trial packs can also be a good idea. Often they are cheaper and it’s a great way to test out a few brand before sticking with one.

TIP 6

Don’t buy everything at once. If money is short, this is a good way to split the cost. Your child only needs size S the first 5 to 7 months, you can postpone buying size L until later. This will also give you the time to find out if you are happy with the brand you own.

TIP 7

AIO’s (all in one) are a great way to avoid having to result to disposables when you’re out and about and might save you some $$

TIP 8

Buy enough diapers. Now this might seem counterintuitive, but the bigger your stash the less frequently you have to wash, the less they will wear and the less work you have.

TIP 9

Let them run around bare bottom every once in a while. It’s not such a big deal to clean a pee or a poop off the ground (if your flours aren’t carpeted, of course). They also learn a little about themselves this way, and in the end, that’s some less diapers to wash and iron.

TIP 10

Use soap nuts or bio wash ball. I haven’t tried the bio wash ball myself, but I’ve heard some great things about them. I can however vouch for the wash nuts. We’ve been using them for over two years now and our clothes are still squeaky clean. It costs about 14 to 17 euro for one kilo and we only use two bags a year (and I assure you, tropical climate dirties up your laundry like nothing else, and add to that a hubby squeezing himself into narrow oily and dirty shafts half the time for a living and who spends the other half of his time climbing dirt piles...). It also spares you the fabric softener, we only use white vinegar and the odd drop of essential oil.

10 Tips To Save Even More Money Cloth Diapering

Quote Of The Day

As a teenager you are at the last stage in your life when you will be happy to hear that the phone is for you.  

~ Fran Lebowitz, Social Studies

Quote Of The Day

Quote Of The Day

The finest clothing made is a person's skin, but, of course, society demands something more than this.

~ Mark Twain

Quote Of The Day

Binary Underwear

This is a guest post I did for Arwyn at Raising My Boychick a while back. I thought I would share it here for those who haven't read it (and also because it enables me to slack al little).


I went shopping yesterday. That doesn’t happen too often. I live in Africa and shops aren’t actually at every street corner. Well, there aren’t too many streets either, so… But I am deviating.

Now we are in Belgium, we do get to shop. Generally that means we have this huge list to fulfill and we run around like hamsters in a maze. I actually set out to find winter pajamas (living close to the equator, I don’t need any over there), and underwear. I am a breastfeeding mother and my hips have gotten bigger with my daughter’s birth. I like being comfortable without looking too frumpy. So I guess I am quite demanding when it comes to shopping.

munsy08

So I went from shop to shop like Christmas Carolers go from door to door and with the trillionth shop I visited, I started noticing a pattern: in nightwear and underwear, women have only two choices. Either we’re reduced to mere objects of pleasure, there and ready whenever it would please our male counterpart, because indeed — and every woman’s magazine will agree on this — the key to feeling confident is wearing sexy lingerie. Because what could better boost a woman’s self esteem than her sexuality? Her openness toward sexual encounters? Her eagerness to be taken by any predatory man at large? The other option is to be completely infantilized, teddy bears on the breast and buttocks and all. There is nothing in between. Unless you go to a discount shop and buy white cotton grannywear (which I have nothing against if that’s what tickles your fancy, but it doesn’t apply to all the criteria I am looking for in my underwear).

Image: 3 Suisses

Now donʼt get me wrong, I donʼt mind women wearing sexy clothes or sexy lingerie; I’ve worn my share of both. And if you like wearing teddy bears, cartoon figures and the like, you are completely free to do so. However, I feel that we — women — should have a choice when it comes to our underwear and nightgowns, and that choice should not be limited to two options.

It is completely possible to design underwear and nightwear that is comfortable and looks good, and isn’t inspired by childhood themes. Just as it is possible to design underwear that isn’t good for the wardrobe of ‘Burlesque’. Seriously! I do not want to run around with Hello Kitty on my ass. And as much as I can appreciate silks and lace and ruffles and ribbons, they are hardly practical when you’re running after a two and a half year old.

So to underwear designers all over, if you read this:
1. women don’t only wear underwear to please the opposite sex.
2. sometimes burlesque doesn’t even light the spark with our significant other
3. women like options and two options isn’t much of a choice
4. underwear should first and foremost be comfortable
5. and seriously? What’s with the bears and pussycats and cartoon figures. We’re adult women for freezing snowflakes’ sake!

So – for the time being – no new underwear for me, and I guess Iʼll have to continue wearing my lounge pants and husbandʼs T-shirt to bed.

Binary Underwear

Quote Of The Day

Don't laugh at a youth for his affectations; he is only trying on one face after another to find a face of his own.

~ Logan Pearsall Smith, "Age and Death," Afterthoughts, 1931

Quote Of The Day

Kids Say the Darnedest Things

I went to get a pap smear and colposcopy last week. When we arrived at the hospital, my daughter was asleep in the car. We didn't have someone to watch her, so I decided to go in alone, and have my husband wait with her in the car. I figured the colposcopy wouldn't be right for her to be around.
When she got up, she asked my husband where I was. My husband told her that I was at the doctor's getting a  check up. B then they're were walking the halls of the hospital to wait for me.
Of course she had to know what kind of check-up I was getting, so my husband told her that the doctor was checking my vagina.

So as they were walking passed a crowded waiting room, my daughter said - in her loud toddler voice - that she wanted to go see the doctor to tell him that he had to be gentle inside mommy's vagina... Can you imagine my husband's embarrassment and the other patient's faces?

Kids Say the Darnedest Things

Quote Of The Day

Cleaning your house while your kids are still growing is like shoveling the walk before it stops snowing.

~ Phyllis Diller, Phyllis Diller's Housekeeping Hints, 1966

Quote Of The Day

Spring Clean: Air out Your Cyberspace

As the first rays of sunshine of the year peep through the window, I'm getting this uncontrollable urge to clean out stuff. As I am not in my own home and I can't be bothered to clean up someone else's mess, I thought I'd just go ahead and clean up my cyberspace, as that's where I spend most of my free time anyway. And why not write about it while I'm at it?
Cluttered cyberspace does the same thing to your mood clutter IRL does: it frustrates and tires you.

Image: Adam Selwood

Twitter
Go through your wall and figure out if there are any of the tweets you follow that bother you more than you enjoy it. Throw them out. Everything that makes your existance lighter is one point for the home team.

Facebook
Throw out all the contacts you added just because you were being nice, throw out those you have on there only to spy on. Throw out the ones you will never need or want to talk to. Your Facebook account is your space, you don't have to have people on there just to be nice or just because you went to school with them 15 years ago, or just because you met them at a drunken soirée one night. You control your friend's list. If you don't want someone on there, delete them. If there are people on there that inhibit you from saying what you'd like to be saying, get rid of them. It's not a popularity contest. And while you're at it, take a look at your security settings and make them so that you are comfortable with them.
Go through your pages and unlike all those that you're not getting anything useful off. If things are clogging up your feed, but you don't want to unlike, hide them.

Reader
Follow blogs just to be nice? Enough, unfollow. Don't feel bad about that. Just read what uplifts you, what brings you the info you need. Anything that's on there just to be scrolled through every time is clutter. If it's a good blog, they won't notice you are missing and your space will be filled fast enough, if it's not, then what are you doing there.

Mail
Go through your email and throw out everything that is outdated or useless. Do the same with your contact list.

PC or laptop
Clean up your desktop and only put the things you use every day on there. Documents go in folders and there is such a thing as subfolders. Make everything clean and organized so you don't loose time looking for things. Back up your pictures and your videos and everything else important (ebooks, music...)

You control your cyberspace. The reason you are on there is to gain information, not to loose time or get frustrated. Make your cyber life a place of love and light. If like me, you spend way too much time on there, it will be highly beneficial for your life in general.
Think of anything I've forgotten? Got the cybercleaning vibe yourself? Share your ideas in the comments below

Spring Clean: Air out Your Cyberspace

Quote Of The Day

Our house is clean enough to be healthy, and dirty enough to be happy.

~ Author Unknown

Quote Of The Day

Casting: Looking For Dedicated & Active Parents

Hi all,
this is a message I got in my inbox, so I thought I would post it if anyone was interested:

Brand new documentary series is currently looking for passionate and dedicated PTA, PTO & Parent Group Members.

    *   Do you believe that parent volunteers have the power to make a positive difference in the life of the children in your community?

    *  Is your PTA or parent group made up of colorful, opinionated characters that aren’t afraid to confront issues head on – even if it causes conflict within the group?

    *  Does it feel as though your organization is frequently struggling to find a middle ground on day-to-day issues, even though both sides feel they have the group’s best interests at heart?

    *  Would your group do whatever it takes to advocate for the well-being of your kids?

 If so, we want to hear from you!

We will be looking to document the relationship dynamics within a PTA, PTO or parent group – the ups and downs, the internal struggles and external conflicts, and everything in between!  We are looking for a lively group that is packed with big personalities and a lot of passion.

For more information and to speak with a Casting Producer, please email PARENTCASTING@GMAIL.COM with your name, location, a brief summary of your organization and contact information. We are looking in the entire Continental US, so please feel free to apply!  We look forward to hearing from you!

Casting: Looking For Dedicated & Active Parents

Quote Of The Day

Each child is an adventure into a better life - an opportunity to change the old pattern and make it new. 

- Hubert Humphrey

Quote Of The Day

Sunday Surf

• DeAnna Gives us some great ideas on preparing our daughter's Coming of Age
• Code Name: Mama gives us a very interesting list of gardening activities to enjoy with our youngsters and 50 more outdoors ideas on Go Explore Nature.
• A post that really resonated with me this week: 11 Signs Your Life Is Demanding Personal Growth at The Organic Sister
• Guggie writes up an anthropological tale of the ritual practice of amputation

Video

• This gorgeous video about divergent thinking got shared on Authentic Parenting's Facebook Page
  
• This video about education and consumption is spot on

Visit the newest Sunday Surfers: Fabulous Mama Chronicles, Blacktating, Adventures in Mommyhood, Greener Cleaning Mums. If you want to find out who else is surfing, go to the Sunday Surf page.

If you've joined the surfing fun over at your blog, leave a comment below, and I will add a link to it in the next edition of Sunday Surf. Feel free to add the Sunday Surf button to your blog, you can find it on the right side of this page or under the Sunday Surf tab. Newest Surfers will be added to the following Surf, older Surfers are listed on the Sunday Surf page. If you're Surfing and you have a button for me, email it to mamapoekie at yahoo dot com.

Sunday Surf

How to teach your children healthy eating habits in 10 simple steps (re-run)

A lot of people struggle with teaching their kids how to eat healthy and stay away from salty, fatty and sweet snacks. Teaching them a healthy eating pattern shouldn't be very difficult if you respect of the following set of simple rules:  


1. Children learn from what they see. 
If all they see around them is people eating potato chips, burgers, sweets, pies etc... how can they develop a taste for healthy food? Maybe it's time to change your eating behavior.  


2. They decide how much they eat, you decide what's put on the table (or in the cupboards)
Taking your child grocery shopping might be something to avoid if they have developed a taste for the sweet and the salty. Buy fresh produce, lean meats, fish...  


3. Variety, variety, variety!!! 
If you only ever bring the same five dishes to the table, they will get bored quickly. Try some exotic fruit, buy veggies you haven't tried before. If you don't know how to prepare them, google it, that's what the internet is for. They might even learn something from it!  


4. No forcing! 
If your child isn't hungry, don't make him eat. Finishing his plate is not necessary, trying a little bit is. Don't worry too much if they are 'getting enough', if they are otherwise healthy and happy, they probably are.  


5. Forget three meals a day
Let your child eat when he wants, he'll enjoy eating much more than when he is forced to eat at hours that don't suit his biological rhythm. 


6. Eating out is possible 
And even welcome, a change of foods might give him an appetite. But don't go straight for macDonalds or Burger King, if you give them the right example, children do just as well in a healthier alternative. Maybe you can use the situation to get to know a little more about another culture.  


7. Provide healthy snacks 
Snacking isn't a bad thing. Provided they don't overeat at lunch or dinner time. Just see that you have healthy snacks available at all time. Some juice (no sugar added), fruit, dried fruit, nuts, a small salad in between might just do the trick.


8. Trust your child 
Trust upon your child's ability to know when to eat and how much they should eat. This might take some learning on both sides if you have gotten very used to the three meals a day pattern. Mostly, children are very in touch with their body and can let you know what exactly they need, even from very young.  


9. Start early on 
Learning to eat a variety of healthy foods begins at birth, really, and even before that. If they see their parents enjoy a good meal, enjoy a variety of healthy and wholesome foods, they most likely will enjoy eating themselves. Remember that even in utero the fetus tastes what the mother eats, so it really begins there.  


10. Don't worry too much 
Your child can pick up on your anxiety and start fearing lunchtime. Eating should be something the whole family can enjoy.


This post is part of the 2010 API Principles of Parenting blog carnival, a series of monthly parenting blog carnivals, hosted by API Speaks. Learn more about attachment parenting by visiting the API website.

How to teach your children healthy eating habits in 10 simple steps (re-run)

Quote Of The Day

Culture is not your friend, it's an impediment to understanding what's going on. That's why the words cult and culture have a direct relationship to each other. Culture is an extremely repressive cult that leads to all kinds of humiliation and degradation, and automatic, unquestioned and unthinking behavior.

— Terence McKenna

Quote Of The Day

Choose Your Gods

To a newborn, it's mother is God. Literally, the creative being, the force of nature in its life. As they grow older, and their world gets bigger, depending on the type of God you impersonated, you will remain as such, or will be overthrown and replaced by other idols. In the latter option, your child may well become an atheist of human relations.
Are you a Greek God? Cruel but just? Are you a destructive God? Are you a kind God? A god of love and unconditionality? Are you a God of Awareness and Spiritual Awakening?

Kali, Piyal Kundu

The one who is cruel and torturous will be resisted, while the one who guides and loves will be loved in return. Unconditionally.

Think about this and the impact you are making next time your encounter a conflictual situation with your child. Your reaction will be the guide for all his future relationships.

Choose Your Gods

Quote Of The Day

Always and never are 2 words you should always remember never to use.

~ Wendell Johnson via I'm a Full-Time Mommy

Quote Of The Day

United Styles Reduction

United Styles

A couple days back I did a review of United Styles, an online shop where you can customize clothes for your precious girl. They let me know that for my readers they have a special reduction of 20% with free shipping. All you have to do is enter the promotional code USUKblog1, which is valid until April 30th 2011.
If you ordered an outfit, feel free to email me a pic or share it on my fanpage on Facebook.

United Styles Reduction

Just a Child

written by Meredith Barth

We were having a nice, relaxing morning at the library yesterday when I made the mistake of picking up a parenting mag and stumbled across this gem called “25 Manners Kids Should Know.”  I started scoffing out loud, visibly twitching, and I'm pretty sure I felt the beginnings of a rage-induced coronary coming on.

Some of the highlights:
"Do not interrupt grown-ups who are speaking with each other unless there is an emergency. They will notice you and respond when they are finished talking."
Translation: The things that matter to you are unimportant. Your needs are unimportant. Unless you are dying or in need of a ride to the hospital, you are utterly unimportant. After all, you're just a child.

"When you have any doubt about doing something, ask permission first. It can save you from many hours of grief later."
Translation: You are void of discernment, incapable of making safe, respectful choices. Acting on your own judgment will end in disaster. After all, you're just a child.

"The world is not interested in what you dislike. Keep negative opinions to yourself, or between you and your friends, and out of earshot of adults."
Translation: No one cares what you care about; the things that matter to you are trivial. Your opinions are unimportant. Negative feelings and opinions, warranted or not, are unacceptable. Bottle them up and don't bother anyone with them, especially not a superior adult. No one cares about your real feelings, only how you make them feel. After all, you're just a child.

"Even if a play or an assembly is boring, sit through it quietly and pretend that you are interested. The performers and presenters are doing their best."
Translation: Don't be authentic. There's no kind way to genuinely express yourself; it’s better to be fake and “nice.” What you think and feel is only okay if it's in line with what everyone around you says is okay. After all, you're just a child.

"If you come across a parent, a teacher, or a neighbor working on something, ask if you can help. If they say "yes," do so -- you may learn something new."
Translation: No matter what you're doing, it's unimportant compared to what an adult is doing. Any and all adults' priorities overrule your priorities at all times. You have nothing to offer, only something to learn. After all, you're just a child.

"When an adult asks you for a favor, do it without grumbling and with a smile."
Translation: No one cares about what you want or how you feel. You are not capable or worthy of choosing what you do with your time or how you respond to a request. If you are anything other than blindly obedient, you are an inconvenience. After all, you're just a child.

"When someone helps you, say "thank you." That person will likely want to help you again. This is especially true with teachers!"
Translation: Manners are a tool for manipulation. Don't express genuine feelings, express expected feelings, and only for the purpose of getting a desired result. Hey, at least this one isn't exclusive to children.

The fact that this list of “manners” was written by a Ph.D. (in clinical psychology no less) shouldn’t surprise me, I suppose. It seems our most educated on all things children are often our most clueless. But that the editors of Parents magazine published this is quite disturbing. These magazines aren’t in the business of advising people or challenging them to improve as parents. They are strictly out to publish pieces that will resonate with their readership and the parenting population at large in order to sell more magazines. And this is what resonates with parents today.

Our culture’s utter lack of respect for children is astonishing, and so widespread that Parents magazine felt no need to sugarcoat it. We treat them as property, talk down to them, and teach them they’re not worthy of simple human dignity, then expect them to magically transform into respectful and dignified adults. How can they offer the world something they’ve never experienced? How can they give respect to others when we’ve deprived them of the ability to respect themselves?

We’ve got it all wrong. Our children don’t owe us; we owe them. It isn’t their responsibility to show us respect; it’s our responsibility to teach them respect. And the only way to teach them is to show them.
A respected child is a respectful child, and a respectful child becomes a respectful adult. If we want to change the world, we’ve got to start by changing the way our world sees children.

About the author

Meredith Barth is a work at home mom to two boys under 3, who is openly and authentically blogging her way through her parenting journey at The Positive Parenting Challenge.. A writer, web editor, leader of her local Holistic Moms Network chapter, and active member of La Leche League, she’s passionate about holistic living, community building, and all things birth, breastfeeding and baby.

Just a Child

Product Review: United Styles

A little while back, I got contacted by United Styles, a brand that does custom made clothes for girls, to test-drive their website and product.
The concept is this: you go to their site and choose from the different garments they offer (dress, jacket, hoodie, top). Then you get to personalize the design, choosing the different fabrics, adding your child's name and if you would like to, a badge.
When I used the site, it was still completely under construction, and the small errors that were on there are now fixed, the brand also has a bigger offer now.

I chose a dress for my daughter (well she did) and then designed it. I was supposed to do it with her, but that was a little difficult. I chose the 4-5y size (my daughter is almost three) and it fits perfectly, so the sizing is on the small side. It has her name on it and a kitty shaped badge. I completely love how it turned out though! See for yourself.
A great way to get unique clothes for unique people... and not that expensive for something custom made.

If you and your girl are feeling creative, United Styles offers a 20% reduction and free shipping to my readers. All you have to do is enter the promotional code USUKblog1 in the payment information. The code is valid until April 30th of 2011.

Product Review: United Styles

Quote Of The Day

Growing up, I didn't have a lot of toys, and personal entertainment depended on individual ingenuity and imagination - think up a story and go live it for an afternoon.

Terry Brooks

Quote Of The Day

Toys, Play and a Harmonious Home, Part 3 - Clean Up Time

written by Jennifer at Hybrid Rasta Mama


This post is the last part of a three peace series about creating a harmonious home through the use of toys. Read about picking toys and creating play spaces around your home in the previous posts.

Children hate having their play interrupted and who can blame them? No matter how young a child is, if he or she is contentedly playing with a beloved toy, the idea of parting with it to do something mom or dad has in mind is not going to go over well. Tears, protests, and tantrums are a likely outcome. Clean up time will also elicit a similar response. So how can one peacefully parent in this situation?

I do not think that there is a catch-all method to move your child out of their realm of play but I have incorporated a few methods that seem to help ease the pain of the transition to a new activity (i.e. meal time, bath time, errand running time, etc…). First, I have made up several little jingles that I sing predicating the next activity. They are silly little songs that signal a transition. For example, when I have to disrupt my toddler’s play so that I can take her to get the mail, I sing “mail man, mail man, delivering mail like nobody else can! I wonder what, he brought today, let’s go outside and see hooray!” Totally lame rhyme right? Not to my daughter! For her, it is a consistent signal that we are going to go check the mail and after repeatedly using this method my daughter now jumps right up, grabs the mailbox key, and stands at the door. This has also worked with other rhymes for other activities I need to transition her to. Keep in mind that it took a couple of weeks before she made the connection between the rhyme and what we were about to do.

Clean up

A second technique that I have used seems ridiculous in a sense. When I need to disengage my daughter from her play quickly and do not have a transition song, I use “WE and US” instead of “YOU and I/ME”. I also use colorful, descriptive language about what I need my daughter to do instead of giving her a direct order or telling her what we are doing. This word swap has helped ease the pain of ending play immensely. For example, I won’t tell my daughter that I need to go do something and that she needs to come with me now. Instead, I tell her that “WE have to scurry like mice down the hall and out the back door to stop the neighbor’s dog from digging up our garden.” My daughter loves the idea of being a little mouse and she responds much better to the “we” versus “you need to come with me.” The same concept works if I need to quickly assist my elderly neighbor. I tell my daughter that “we need to be bunnies and hop as fast as we can next door to help the friendly grandma rabbit.” Seriously mamas – this word play works! I very rarely get met with resistance.

Clean-up Time

Clean up time can be a battle of the wills. Mama is trying to put the toys away and child is pitching a fit and/or taking toys right back out again. I make clean up time a game and something that WE both can do. However, I do not force my toddler to “help” me clean up. Instead I model how I would like her to clean up and if she joins in great. If not, fine too. First, I sing a little clean up song. (Sick of my songs yet?) My favorite is “Here come the cleaning gnomes, cleaning up their messy home. Putting all their toys away, so they can play another day.” I also have a large laundry basket that I use twice a day to collect all of the rogue toys. There is something about this large basket that my daughter very much likes. When she hears the song and sees the basket, my daughter is typically willing to help me collect everything. We then take the big basket and start putting everything away in its place. I do this before nap and before bedtime so it is a consistent routine. Although I am a total type-A neat freak, I will literally sit on my hands when I feel the need to pick up toys before the designated time. I need my daughter to feel confident in her freedom to do her job as a child which is to play and move toys about! She does not need me to scurry around behind her and continually pick everything up which in effect will disrupt her play. Since I also limit the number of toys available for her to play with, there isn’t an overwhelming mess to be dealt with. This helps me avoid feeling anxious over some massive mess left at the day’s end. I can literally have every single toy put away in 5 minutes. This is also manageable for my daughter to help with. Too many toys and other things to put away will be overwhelming for a young child and will it difficult for them engage themselves in the clean up process.

There are certainly days where my clean up time approach is not working. So guess what – I stop, grab my daughter in a bear hug, give her a little snuggle or tickle to lighten the mood, then physically move her off to bathtime, bedtime, or whatever comes after clean up time. I leave the mess for after she goes to bed. In my opinion, there is no reason to A) force a child to help clean up; B) clean up in front of a child who is having a nervous breakdown over it; C) discipline a child for not helping clean up; D) making a battle over something that eventually the child will earn to do by watching and imitating your methods. Consistent clean up times, consistent clean up routines and methods, and a calm, peaceful approach to any meltdowns will establish a good rhythm around clean up time that your child will embrace more often than not. It takes time and patience but it has worked for my daughter and I.

Remember mamas – you set the tone in your household. Center yourself, do not assume everything will be a battle, and model the behavior you want your child to learn. Eventually, you will find yourself working side by side with your child during clean up time! And you will both be smiling and enjoying the process!

Yours in Peace, Love, and Mothering,

Jennifer

About Hybrid Rasta Mama
Jennifer is a former government recruiter turned stay-at-home mama to a precious daughter brought earthside in early 2009. She believes in the importance of having a strong network of support. She's been active both in my local La Leche League and Attachment Parenting chapters. She's a mentor and contributing blogger with the Natural Parents Network and a contributor on Job Description: Mommy.
Why Hybrid Rasta Mama?  I take a little of this and a little of that and blend it all together into something that works for me, my daughter, and my husband. I am a voracious reader and researcher and have read an extensive amount of literature about parenting. I consider myself very well informed about the pros and cons of all the different philosophies and approaches out there. Read more on my blog Hybrid Rasta Mama. You can also find me on Facebook. .

Toys, Play and a Harmonious Home, Part 3 - Clean Up Time

Quote Of The Day

"People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."

- Maya Angelou

Quote Of The Day

Peeling Away the Labels

I'm currently reading Shefali Tsabary's book The Conscious Parent (I will do a review when I have reached the end). In the book, Shefali encourages us to accept our children by defining the individual traits we are struggling with. It would look something like: I accept that my daughter has a strong will, I accept that my son is active...
Whereas I'm not arguing that this is a good tool for people who are just easing into conscious or peaceful parenting, as it makes them define what it is exactly that is causing them trouble, I do have some considerations on this tactic and am unsure if it completely harmless.
I fear that the exercise further accentuates the paralysis of labeling children.

I have always refrained from labeling my child as much as possible, so when people ask me "how" she is, or what she is like, I struggle to find an answer.

My daughter is so many things - and their opposite, and she has yet to become so many other. None of her character traits define her.
So far the only definition of my daughter, the only 'label' I use, is her Africanness, because that seems to cause so much trouble and confusion when we are in Europe.

Maybe this lack of definition is because I don't feel like I struggle with her. We do have moments of conflict, but I see that as my struggle with myself, instead of being caused by her.
This is indeed something that Shefali discusses at length in her book, yet if we have to reach acceptance of our children by labeling what we struggle with, aren't we doing them an ill favor? Labeling is so intrinsically connected with judgement that I struggle to see how it can lead to acceptance.
We label what we don't understand or resist, and we label what we admire. Everything else falls beyond our line of sight.

Maybe a better way to reach acceptance would be to recognize the labels we apply to our children and to erase them from our language. To evaluate how we speak those labels and which ones we see as positive and which ones we see as negatives. And to ask ourselves why. Is it because of hopes and aspirations? Fears? Unaccomplished dreams?

Peeling Away the Labels

Sunday Surf

• Your One-kid Demolition Derby explains destructive behavior in toddlers and offers some responses.
• Natural News writes about the hidden tyranny of drugging children and paints a pretty dim picture of society
• 10 Reasons we unschool, by Jazzy Mamma, really nice window into unschooling
• Another article I got from the Carnival of Natural Parenting gives us 10 Montessori principles. I like to read about different educational approaches, even though we're unschooling. I'm pretty ew to some of these ideas and find them very refreshing (and am pleased to say that many of these things, we already did, intuitively).
• Wondering why on earth one would nurse a toddler? Momopoly gives you not one, but ten reasons that all made my heart melt, because they are so true.
• Joni Rae tells us how completely boring we natural parents are... and she is right!
• How to say thank you

Visit the newest Sunday Surfers: Fabulous Mama Chronicles, Blacktating, Adventures in Mommyhood, Greener Cleaning Mums. If you want to find out who else is surfing, go to the Sunday Surf page.

If you've joined the surfing fun over at your blog, leave a comment below, and I will add a link to it in the next edition of Sunday Surf. Feel free to add the Sunday Surf button to your blog, you can find it on the right side of this page or under the Sunday Surf tab. Newest Surfers will be added to the following Surf, older Surfers are listed on the Sunday Surf page. If you're Surfing and you have a button for me, email it to mamapoekie at yahoo dot com.

Sunday Surf

Getting Back the Pre-pregnancy Body (re-run)

If you are looking for quick tips to get back in shape after having a child, this will not be the place. Now I don't meen that I think it's idiocy to try and get back in shape after pregnancy. I do my share of walking, swimming and Zumba... when I feel like it. But I have not 'gotten back' the body I had before I got pregnant.
I think it's much more important to be healthy and fit than to look like a supermodel. (Which in any case would never be a possibility)
I don't even see something wrong with looking the part - as a mom. I don't think my body will ever be the same, and I wouldn't want it too.
I got back to my pre-pregnancy weight (it took me 20 months though), but I am far from being the same. I have a couple of stretch marks, my hips got larger and I have bigger boobs (but I'm not happy about the latter - you get used to living with tiny breasts and then all of a sudden you have to wear a bra ALL THE TIME, WTF), but I feel I am more of a woman now. A big plus from having been pregnant is that my nails and hair are healthier. My hair seems fuller and it's gotten ver very long.
I'm not saying I don't sometimes wish I was skinnier or taller or ... but on most days, I love this body. It has been home to my daughter for nine months and it has provided food for her tummy. It will hopefully house many more children later on. I love this body for it, even if it's not what society prescribes. I am happy, I am healthy. So why would I fret.

What about you? Did it take long to get back to your pre-pregnancy weight? Are you unhappy of how you look after becoming a mommy? Has your body changed much? Your comments are very welcome.

Getting Back the Pre-pregnancy Body (re-run)

Quote Of The Day

You must love yourself before you love another. By accepting yourself and fully being what you are, your simple presence can make others happy.

- Anonymous 

Quote Of The Day

Love Yourself

When you aspire to be an authentic parent, the most important thing is not the great tactics you use to live in harmony with your child, it's not the displays of affection nor is it about how many books or articles you read. In fact, the biggest thing you can do for your child, is to love yourself.
To accept yourself flaws and all. To be connected to your past, but not be determined by it.
To value and respect yourself, your strength and your weaknesses. Physical and mental. To come to terms with the errors in your past and not be withheld by them.
To know that you are worthy, and powerful and unique. That you have the power to change and to transform, but that you also have the right to be who your are.

Image: Rick

This may actually prove to be the hardest thing you will ever do.

Many of us grow up learning that we are worthless, powerless, ugly, stupid, voiceless... There may be a lot to overcome, a lot of tiny voices to silence.

Loving yourself doesn't mean you're smug or full of yourself. It doesn't mean you're egocentric. It just means that you come as you are, and that is an enormous force to bring to your child.
If you are truly in touch with who you are, what you represent, and how you were raised - with your true self, not just the mirage you are trying to keep up - parenting obstacles will become obsolete. You will strive to find that same acceptance for your child, and in turn, your child will be attracted to being his true self.
Most parenting problems are not a struggle of the parent with the child, but a struggle of the parent with himself, his need to control and his lack of resources to be connected.

Set some time aside today to find strategies for loving yourself. If you would like, you can share them in the comments below. I'll try to find the time to write some ideas down later on.

Love Yourself

Quote Of The Day

“The power and intensity of your contractions cannot be stronger than you, because it is you.” 

~Unknown

Quote Of The Day

Book Review: Resurrecting Anthony

It wasn't until I read the last chapter of Resurrecting Anthony that I was sure about doing this review. I only do reviews when they are in tune with my philosophy of life and parenting. I tend to decline books that do not bring anything constructive to this site, but sometimes you just don't know. It has happened that I read a book that was offered to me for reviewing purposes and found it wrong for this blog. I prefer not to do a review than to trash a book because it does not align with my views.

Resurrecting Anthony is the account of a family who lives through the unimaginable: their 12 year old son Anthony collapses on the playground one day - out of the blue - and ends up in a coma that will change the life of the family forever.
The account is written by Tony Cole, the father and the book  ends with giving tips on how to live through tragedy such as happened to them (these tips are written by the mother, Linda).

The Coles aren't natural birthers or peaceful parents and they sure aren't unschoolers. In fact, one of the first thing the father says when he visits his comatose child in the hospital is that they should make sure that they keep up with his school assignments.
The Coles are an all-American family, in a stereotypical, almost cartoonish way. They are the poster family of mainstream. They have two children, live in a comfortable home, run the family business of sales coaching... it could pretty much be something out of a television show. They are highly invested in the athletic career of their child and every twist of fate is a sports metaphor waiting to happen.

The tag line of the book is "A True Story Of Courage and Destination". Throughout my lecture I kept wondering why on earth they chose this tag line and what could this book bring to you, my audience. This is the account of a father who is not gentle or authentic, who yells and screams at his handicapped son because he isn't 'performing'! But then I reached the last chapter and it dawned on me. This book is so powerful because they are mainstream, because the father is not gentle. In the end it takes tragedy to bring him to the realization that he needs to accept his son as he is. And that is a truly inspirational message. And it must have taken oodles of courage to write such a raw and true account of the flawed nature of mankind. And to write it as well and fluent as Tony Cole did.

I hope that many do read this book and not wait until tragedy overcomes their families to accept each other. I hope this book is an inspiration for families all over to treasure life.

Book Review: Resurrecting Anthony

Quote Of The Day

Life isn't about finding yourself, it's about creating yourself. 

-Unknown

Quote Of The Day

What's Too Young To Get Married?

When I got married, I was a month shy of 23. It didn't come as a surprise to my environment, we had been together for three years and were a very solid couple, and quite to my surprise, we didn't get any negative comments.
We had wanted to get married the next year, as I was still studying back then, but since my husband landed the job abroad and marriage would make the paperwork a lot easier, we decided to go ahead with it anyway, since we'd planned on marrying anyway.

Image: Tammra McCauley

Marriage at 22 is pretty rare in Belgium, specifically among the higher educated. As of yet, I only have one other friend who got married from back at university, and she's 7 years older than me. The general trend is to get married around 30 and to have kids immediately. To have two and have them close together (but that might be a topic for another post). If you get married at all.

With our way of life, and because I also actively seek them out, I've been meeting a lot of new people... And lately, I do get some funny faces when I say at what age I got married. I get some "that's pretty young"-remarks.

Now I forgive those people, because they don't know me and they sure didn't know me back then. I don't know them either, but probably at 22 they themselves weren't very mature. That happens. For some people maturity takes a while longer then for others.

At 22 I had had my fun, I had been president of a student's union (probably comparable to a sorority, not quite sure, but it's mixed sexes and mostly oriented towards drinking). I had had my share of boyfriends. And I had known for a while that I wanted a big family.
My husband was the one. And even if he wasn't, he was the one back then.

Where do we get the idea that we should only get married at around 30, when your fertility is well beyond its peak. When your physical maturity has been reached for over a decade. When you've been an active citizen for years?

Is it really all about schooling keeping us small and childlike?
Have we all come to believe in the myth that life ends when you get married? That you become obsolete when you have kids?

When I ask those people why 22 would be young to get married, why 25 would be young to have kids, they tend to answer that you can't do stuff?
What stuff I ask?

I do plenty more stuff then most single people I know, with a husband and a kid.
I have lived in three (soon four) different countries since I've been married. I have visited several others. I do pretty much everything my heart desires.
So what exactly is it I am missing out on?
Drinking? I've done more then my share of that at university and think I can go a lifetime simply to detox.
Fucking around? Would that really be it? I don't really see how I am missing out here. And if I were, there are ways to come to an arrangement within a marriage that makes it possible to explore new territories.
General outing? Yes, there are only few of them, I think since my daughter was born we can count our outings on our two hands... but I don't feel like I'm missing out.

So here we are again. It is all about choice. These are my choices... Simply because they don't relate to yours doesn't make them weird or crazy. Before you judge someone about the choices they made, put yourself in their shoes. Live their life, feel their feelings... Maybe in the end, you are the strange one.

What's Too Young To Get Married?

Quote Of The Day

Don't take your toys inside just because it's raining.

Cher

Quote Of The Day

Top 10 Tips on Authentic Grandparenting

Welcome to the March Carnival of Natural Parenting: Natural Parenting Top 10 Lists
This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Code Name: Mama and Hobo Mama. This month our participants have shared Top 10 lists on a wide variety of aspects of attachment parenting and natural living. Please read to the end to find a list of links to the other carnival participants.
***

Where parenting isn't easy, in these days of information overload, grandparenting isn't either. Your children seem to do things so very differently from what you did when you were a parent and you don't know where you stand. You're probably just trying to be helpful, but it seems as if your child isn't happy with the advice you are giving. Here is a list of tips on how to be an Authentic Grandparent and how to keep the family relationships healthy and harmonious now that a new generation has been added to the genealogical tree.

The Shattuck Family, Aaron Draper Shattuck

1. Respect your child's parenting decisions. Your child may not have chosen the same path you did for parenting your grandchild. this may be difficult, maybe even hurtful. It might make you doubt about their feelings of how they were parented. However, it is important to respect their parenting choices. Times have changed, opportunities are different now. If you ignore their choices or keep going against them, you might be creating a breach that isn't going to fix itself. A result may be that you get to see your grandchild less frequently. You are not the parent of your grandchild.
2. Trust your child. Your child is now an adult and a parent, treat him or her as such. Even if you don't agree with the choices they have made, trust in them. They are acting in the interest of your grandchild and are doing the best they can. They have learned from the way you parented them and are now making their choices based on that experience. Give them the freedom to do so.
3. Support. Even if you don't understand or agree with the way your child parents your grandchild, your support is needed and valuable. Chances are you are the closest and most trusted individual to your daughter or son. Their parenting can be stressful and insecure, there is more information out there then there ever was. Many things are very contradictory, so choices are ever so hard. Be there for them and follow their lead.
4. Read. Take the time to find some information about parenting or grandparenting (such as this article). If you don't know where to look, ask your child to point you in the right direction. Many things have changed since you were a parent, a lot of the directions that were given in your day are now found to be obsolete and have been replaced with other directives. Inform yourself about these topics instead of readily rehashing what you have been told when you were a parent. 
5. Show you're interested.  Don't let your fascination with the little creature overrate your interest in your child. Show an interest in the way your son or daughter parents, ask them about it without judging. Be interactive and present.
6. Ask before you buy. The first thing you want to do when your child is expecting is run out and buy something, and when the kid is there, you probably want to get some presents and spoil the kid a little. Before you do, ask the parents if they have any specific wishes. If there is anything they really want, respect these wishes. There is nothing more embarrassing then to get stuck with gifts nobody wants, that wind up in a dark closet never to be used. 
7. Only give advice when asked. Even if you are dying to share all the little things you think you know better, don't! You will only get your child worked up and this might put a strain on your relationship. If your child comes to you for advice, good, now's your chance. But only give advice respectfully and without judgement. Give advice that is founded. Don't pretend that you're the oracle of parenting.
8. Respect the child's natural rhythm. You don't get to see your grandchild all the time and you may be really excited when you do. However, take the time to listen to your grandchild. Follow their lead. Don't engage them in the activities YOU want to do.
9. Help out where needed. Your primary interest probably goes out to your grandchild, but make sure that you aren't losing sight of your child. Maybe you can be more helpful doing other things than holding the baby. Cleaning up a little or having a good conversation with your child may be much more needed and valuable. Make sure your child knows you are there for him/her.
10. Be open to dialogue. Don't think you know everything about parenting because you have raised a child. Be open to talk about parenting. Offer an ear when needed and never judge. 

***

Visit Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama to find out how you can participate in the next Carnival of Natural Parenting!


Please take time to read the submissions by the other carnival participants:

• Attachment Parenting in the NICU — Erica at ChildOrganics shares some strategies to help you parent naturally in some unnatural circumstances.
• 10 Reasons to Choose Baby Led Weaning — Luschka from Diary of a First Child shares ten reasons to choose Baby Led Weaning when it comes to solids.
• Choosing to Breastfeed — From selfishness to self-giving, CatholicMommy at Working to be Worthy lists reasons why breast is best for her and her family.
• Ten Things I Wish I Knew About Before Little Man — In this reflective post, The ArstyMama discusses ten things she wishes she knew more about before the birth of her son, Little Man.
• 10 Things That Helped Me Become a Natural Mama — The Accidental Natural Mama counts down ten things that helped her find her moderately crunchy inner mama self.
• Top 10 Reasons to Breastfeed Your Toddler — Extended breast-feeder Kate Wicker of Momopoly makes her own top 10 list for why she loves nursing her 2-year-old.
• Top 10 Tips on Authentic Grandparenting — Mamapoekie of Authentic Parenting offers a list of tips to make the grandparent-parent-child relationship flow smoothly.
• Top Ten "Dad" Things — Liam at In The Now talks about his favourite ways to spend time with his children.
• Top 10 Natural Strategies for Conception (aka How to Get Pregnant!) — Despite facing plenty of health issues, Jessica Claire at Crunchy-Chewy Mama found her way to two first-try pregnancies thanks to these natural strategies.
• Top Ten Reasons Why Home Birth Rocks — Lucy at Dreaming Aloud shares her passion for birthing at home - the natural place for natural birth.
• Top 10 reasons why cloth nappies are fun — Tat at Cloth Nappies Are Fun shows how using cloth nappies can brighten up your day.
• Top Ten Ways to Be Present With Family — Amy at Innate Wholeness shares how to make the most of parenting and family life through being present.
• Top 10 Things In My Arsenal of Kitchen Witchy Mama Tricks. — Joni Rae at Tales of A Kitchen Witch shares with us the simple things she would never want to be missing from her cupboards.
• Top 10 ways I'm not very good at natural parenting (and why I keep trying anyway) — Jenny at Babyfingers shares the ways she is imperfect as a natural parent, and why she embraces natural parenting anyway.
• Top 10 Ways to Know You Are a Natural Parent — So what makes us "natural parents," anyway? A lighthearted look at the Top 10 Ways to Know You Are a Natural Parent by the editors and readers of Natural Parents Network.
• The Top 10 Things Every Natural Household (with children) Should Have — Amanda at Let's Take the Metro shares a list of the most common natural products and remedies she uses for health and cleaning.
• Top 10 books for raising loving, spiritual children — In her 'food for the soul' post, Mrs Green from Little Green Blog shares her favourite spiritual books. No matter what religion you practise, there's something for everyone!
• Top 10 Things No One Told Me About Natural Parenting — Adrienne at Mommying My Way explains that the best things about natural parenting are things she never expected.
• Top 10 Flower Essences for Families — Kim of Nature Baby Bloggings lists her pick of the top ten flower essence which can help ease families through the ups and downs of life.
• My Top Ten Parenting Tools — Amyables at Toddler In Tow names the top ten tools that have been helpful to her while learning to parent respectfully and successfully.
• Ten Ways Families Can Enjoy Nature (for free!) — Spring is nearly in the air, and Jenn at Monkey Butt Junction is dreaming of the fun and frugal ways that her family is going to get out and enjoy nature this summer.
• 10 Reasons We Unschool — Patti at Jazzy Mama explains why unschooling is the right choice for her family.
• Must Read: Natural Parenting Top Ten — Amy at Anktangle wants you to do a little reading! She shares her top ten favorite books to help parents prepare for pregnancy, birth, and parenting.
• Top 10 Breastfeeding Misconceptions — Sheila at A Gift Universe examines ten reasons women give for why they didn't breastfeed as long as they wanted, and shows how these obstacles can be overcome.
• Ten Reasons to Plan a Home Birth — Since a home birth can be an incredibly empowering experience, Leslie at Lights and Letters outlines ten reasons why you should plan to have your baby at home.
• Top Ten Books for Birth, Breastfeeding and Parenting — Megan at Just Me(gan) writes about the ten books that have helped her the most in her natural parenting journey.
• A Top Ten Letter To Me... — Kat at Loving {Almost} Every Moment writes herself a letter of reflections and bits of wisdom she would have liked to know as a new mama.
• Top Ten Mama Necessities Money Can't Buy — Buying baby gear is fun, but Emily at Crunchy(ish) Mama knows real parenting must-haves can't be bought in stores (or even on Amazon).
• Top 10 Books for a Natural Mum — Isil at Smiling like Sunshine talks about her Top 10 Books for a Natural Mum.
• Ten Great Spring Activities To Do With Preschoolers — Kellie at Our Mindful Life and her family have come up with a great list of activities to do together this spring.
• 10 Ways to Reuse Yogurt Containers — Acacia at Fingerpaint & Superheroes keeps the stacks of yogurt containers out of her recycling bin by reusing them in both practical and creative ways.
• Top Ten Ways To Have a Harmonious Home — Jennifer at Hybrid Rasta Mama shares her natural parenting-inspired methods for maintaining a harmonious daily life with her toddler.
• 10 Natural Baby Items I Love — Charise at I Thought I Knew Mama shares product ideas to support your natural parenting.
• The Pandas' Top Five Crunch-osophies — Top five crunchy philosophies, as employed at the Panda Residence by Ana at Pandamoly.
• Top 10 Reasons to Leave Your Son Intact — Mandy at Living Peacefully with Children has shared 10 reasons why you should leave your newborn son intact.
• Ten things everyone should know about unassisted homebirth — Olivia at Write About Birth shares practical tips for women considering an unassisted homebirth and debunks some common myths
• 10 Most Popular Ways To Treat Cloth Diaper Stains — Chante at My Natural Motherhood Journey gives ten easy tips to make your diapers like new.
• 10 Lessons in 1 Year — Abbie at Farmer's Daughter shares 10 parenting lessons that she has learned throughout her first year of motherhood.
• Top 10 Ways to Get Breastfeeding Off To a Good Start — Sheryl at Little Snowflakes shares 10 effective ways to ensure breastfeeding gets off to a good start.
• Top 10 Ways to Avoid a Time-Out — If you are uncomfortable using time-outs in an attempt to control your child's behavior, try one of these gentler alternatives. Dionna at Code Name: Mama shares her Top 10 Ways to Avoid a Time-Out.
• My Top 10 Parenting Scriptures — Dulce de leche is learning to integrate faith and parenting. Whether it is breastfeeding, babywearing, comforting her children, or gentle discipline, she finds that the Bible has beautiful passages to encourage her on her journey.
• Natural Cleaning Ideas - Top 10 — Laura at Laura's Blog lists the ways she keeps her house clean and clear of chemicals.
• My Top Ten (plus two) Life Altering and Growth Inspiring Books — A top ten list of books from MJ at Wander Wonder Discover that changed her life as an individual, a parent, and an earth dweller.
• Top 10 Ways to Use Natural Parenting for Children with Special Needs — Danielle at Mommy Makes Cents feeds the needs of her family and special needs child through the use of Natural Parenting.
• Ten Fundamentals — Seonaid at The Practical Dilettante gets philosophical with a list of the fundamentals that drive her natural parenting.
• 10 reasons why I chose breast over bottles — Becky at Old New Legacy writes a quick list of why she chose breast over bottles.
• Top Ten Natural Tools for the Work of Play — Lori at Beneath the Rowan Tree offers insight into 10 natural toys that will span the early years (and save you money).
• 10 differences between pregnancy and parenting in Japan and the US — Megan at Ichigo Means Strawberry gives her impressions about differences in pregnancy and parenting in Japan and the US.
• Natural Parenting Benny & Bex Style — Pecky at Benny and Bex explains why Natural Parenting principles work best for her boys.
• Top 10 Reasons to Co-Sleep — 10 practical, emotional, and completely selfish reasons to co-sleep and share a family bed from Lily, aka Witch Mom.
• My Top Ten New Mommy Moments — Melissa at The New Mommy Files recounts the ten most memorable moments of her daughter's first year.
• Top Ten Things Every Breastfeeding Mother Needs to Know — Kristen at Adventures in Mommyhood believes knowledge is power and wants all moms to be well informed.
• Top 10 Nursing Positions / Situations — Momma Jorje uses her 5½ years of nursing experience to share her Top 10 Nursing Positions/Situations. She includes some adorable photos of her youngest daughter at the breast.
• Ten Top Ways to Connect Kids with Nature — Terri from Child at the Nature Isle offers 10 ways to immerse ourselves in the natural world and develop a love affair with the Earth.
• Top 10 Slacker Ways to Natural Parent — Guavalicious is happy to show you how to parent naturally the slacker way.
• Simply what it looks like — Andrea!!! from Ella-Bean & Co. offers a glimpse into natural parenting through the eyes of mama and babe.
• Top Ten Reasons Why Natural Parenting Dads Are So Attractive — Nada at miniMOMist sure digs her husband, but it's not just his good looks -- it's his parenting!
• 10 Family Systems and Routines That Work for Us — See what routines, organizational systems, and parenting approaches work for Kristin at Intrepid Murmurings to help avoid conflict and maintain sanity in a family with three young children.
• Top 10 reasons to choose midwifery care — Lauren at Hobo Mama lists the features that drew her to midwives' care for pregnancy and birth.
• 10 Ways to Cloth Diaper on a Budget — Michelle at The Parent Vortex shares her best thrifty cloth diapering tips.
• Ten Reasons it Felt Sew Good To Make My Own Play Food — Brittany at Mama's Felt Cafe lists her 10 (OK, 11) favorite reasons to grab a needle and start sewing your own felt play toys.
• Top10 Ways to Spark Interest, Learn, and Have Fun With Everyday Tasks! — Bethy at Bounce Me to the Moon gives you her top 10 ways of incorporating fun and lessons into everyday tasks and chores.
• Postpartum Gift Ideas — Alicia at I Found My Feet suggests a top 10 list of gifts for mother's after giving birth.
• My Top Ten Shows Worthy Of Screen Time — Tree at Mom Grooves shares her top ten list of shows that she believes are positive, educational, kind, joyful, and a nice way to share some downtime with your children.
• The Top 10 Ways to Succeed as an Working Attachment Parent — That Mama Gretchen shares tried and true ways to succeed with attachment parenting even when working away from home during the day.
• Top Ten Books for Natural Parenting — Pregnancy, herbs, cooking, and healthcare the ten books Asha at Meta Mom the most.
• Preparing for a Hospital VBAC: My Top 10 — Thomasin at Propson Palingenesis shares 10 ways she's preparing for her upcoming hospital VBAC.
• Top Ten New Mom Survival Tools — Wolfmother shares her most beloved motherhood survival tools at Fabulous Mama Chronicles.
• Top 10 Montessori Principles for Natural Learning — Deb Chitwood at Living Montessori Now gives her top 10 list of Montessori principles parents can use to encourage their children s natural learning.
• Going Granola — Tashmica from The Mother Flippin' Blog describes the 10 ways that natural parenting sneaked up on her. She never expected to go all granola on the world.
• Step Away From the Amazon List — Stefanie at Very, Very Fine wishes she hadn't bought so much useless stuff.

Top 10 Tips on Authentic Grandparenting