Download the mp3 HERE.
Peek-a-Boo-B Raising Funds for World Breastfeeding Week
July 31, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Many of you may know that August 1-7 is World Breastfeeding Week.
Peek-a-Boo-B nursing covers is donating a portion of their proceeds to La Leche League USA. More info below.
Cayden Creations and Dana and I are ready to finally to step up and start fulfilling our corporate mission to support La Leche League-USA (LLL-USA) and other breastfeeding organizations. In support of the LLL-USA World Breastfeeding Week August 1-7, 2007 we are doing a fundraiser from the proceeds of our Peek-a-Boo B Nursing Cover sales during the entire month of August.
With all my heart, I thank you sincerely for spreading the word for us.
Warmest regards,
Darlene and Dana
And This Is Why….
July 31, 2007 | Leave a Comment
women are so completely awesome.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xath6kOf0NE
Wordless Wednesday: Berry Pickin’ Pics
July 28, 2007 | 1 Comment
Eating Organic: Tips to Help You Save Money
July 22, 2007 | 13 Comments
Recently my friend Tiffany (who is a bit like my cyber-doppelganger!) wrote an article on eating more organic. One of the commenters said that organic wasn’t attainable for the average family. I beg to differ on that. The other day I sat down to write an article with all the ways I’ve been able to eat more organic with my existing food budget.
Actually, I feed 4 kids on far less than most people feed 2 kids because of my frugal ways. It does take a bit more time and work, but our food determines our health, so it’s worth it to me! I thought I would share some of these with you. Please comment below and share your own tips. 
Eating More Organic Without Busting The Budget
So you’re convinced of the benefits of eating organic, but the price tag has got you down. The good news is that with a little creativity and perhaps a change in routine, it is possible to eat a mostly organic diet within the confines of your existing grocery budget. Try some of these ideas that have worked for my family.
Farmer’s Markets
Search your newspaper or online for farmer’s markets in your area. You can also search LocalHarvest.org and RealMilk.org (for organic milk of course!). Many times these small farmers utilize organic practices, but you can always ask if in doubt.
You can also find “you pick” farms locally if you search the newspaper, your county extension office or just by asking around. These often have great prices since you have to do the work! Going berry picking is fun as well as educational. Bring the kids and make a day of it.
Buy In Bulk
Larger health grocery stores often have a nice variety of bulk items. Some have bulk bins that allow you to bring your own containers for your grains, soap, maple syrup, and many other products. These can offer huge savings, especially on certain items like spices and herbs.
While it may seem odd to buy a 15 pound bag of organic brown rice, if you eat it frequently and have a little space in your freezer, bulk is a smart idea. Bring a calculator and see how much the cost is per serving. You might be pleasantly surprised. Large wholesale chains are also now offering some organic choices.
Skip Boxed and Prepared Foods
Grocery stores typically have a fairly large selection of boxed, convenience foods in the organic section. But you pay a premium for these products. The same goes for precut and washed veggies and fruit, which actually have fewer nutrients due to the fact that they’ve had more exposure to light and oxygen.
When I discovered how easy and quickly I can make things like mac and cheese (with whole grain noodles too) from scratch, I realized that even the organic versions of these kinds of products are expensive and create more waste.
Spend More Time in the Kitchen
A homemade stew made from organic ingredients will still cost less than non-organic frozen lasagne. It will also be much healthier, without preservatives and other additives. If you have a bread machine gathering dust somewhere, put it to use and make a couple of loaves a week with organic flour. You’ll likely still save money over premade bread from the store. This would be a great task to assign one of your kids.
Know What’s Important to Buy Organic
There are certain foods that are more likely to contain pesticide residues. For instance, fatty items like dairy products, butter, and meats. If you’re on a tight budget, it would be better to buy these items organic than organic produce. Why? Because hormones and pesticide residues will collect in the fatty tissues of animals. You can’t really wash a stick of butter!
Apples and strawberries should be purchased organic because they’re heavily sprayed. Corn and soy are usually genetically modified so buy those organic too. On the other hand, researchers have found that broccoli doesn’t have pesticide residues.
Focus on Veggies
If you eat more whole grains, vegetables and beans and use meat as a topping or seasoning agent, you’ll naturally spend much less. Many families find that they can afford to eat mostly organic when they eat less animal protein. Try making vegetarian, bean based dinners at least 3 nights a week.
CSAs and Co-Ops
Do a Google search to find a local community sustained agriculture (CSA) that allows you to trade a little work (or a little money) for fresh organic homegrown goods.
You can also join a co-op to buy just about anything from boxed organic food, vitamins and personal care items. Or just get together with a friend to pool your resources and buy from companies that offer a wholesale program. Search online for co-ops for everything from organic skin care to vitamins to raw milk. Yahoo and Google email groups are a good place to look.
Grow Your Own
If growing your own garden seems overwhelming, just start with one tomato plant or a small windowbox herb garden. Enlist the help of your kids and make it into an educational experience. Or find a neighbor who you can start a small garden with and share the work.
Go Online for Organics
Believe it or not, you can save money by buying organic food online. Some retailers offer free shipping with a small minimum purchase, others offer great prices on bulk items. You can also find coupon codes for some of the retailers. The time and gas savings can also make it very worthwhile. In addition, Natural Grocers has a referral program so you can earn free groceries by recommending them to friends.
Natural Moms Podcast #56
July 17, 2007 | 2 Comments
This week my guest is Kathleen Kendall-Tackett, health psychologist and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. Kathleen is the author of many books
She joins us today to talk about how breastfeeding moms can overcome depression naturally.
A transcript of this show is available to subscribers. Be sure to sign up on the site.
Download the mp3 HERE.
People Either Fear Children, Or Love Them
July 14, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Or perhaps more specifically, people either love free children, or fear children’s freedom. Have you noticed this?
Have you ever walked into a business establishment and the proprietors looked at you like you and your little ones were the proverbial turd in the punch bowl?
I know it’s happened to me.
Have you ever been in a situation where your small child, while still under your watchful eye, roamed a few feet from you and people around you freaked out?
I’ve had people in restaurants freak because I let my toddler use a fork. Don’t you know they could put their eye out with that?! (I just want to say, “Oh, why would he want to do that? Do you want to put your eye out with a fork? Kids have just as much interest in self preservation as adults do, you know.”)
It seems that some people are just terrified at the idea of trusting children. If they’re not strapped in and tied down, the adults are as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs.
I’ll give you an example of people trusting and loving children.
Today I took an opportunity, since my oldest 3 were off with their grandfather, to get a haircut. I had 22 month old Sadie with me. Normally she sits in my lap and enjoys a rare lollipop or nurses underneath the cover up (built in at a hairdressers’, lol!), but today when I went to pull her on my lap, the hairdresser said:
“If she sits there she’ll get hair all over her! She can sit right here next to you and watch.”
Firstly, she was concerned about my daughter’s comfort (who would want to get hair all over them? not me) She proceeded to lift her up (another clue - people who are afraid of kids are typically scared to touch them) and place her in the spot next to me. She put her baby doll next to her and a magazine in her lap.
“There. You can watch Mommy. See?”
Now - I’ve walked into salons before that told me they don’t allow kids.
After a few minutes, in typical toddler fashion, Sadie decided that the novelty of this chair was wearing off, so she got down. I was concerned about how the ladies working in the salon would react, but didn’t say anything.
Sadie started toddling around the room. The hairdresser didn’t miss a beat.
“She’s alright. She’s not bothering anything.”
Sadie caught the attention of one of the patrons who had just had her hair washed.
“Let me see if I have something in my pocketbook for you…”
And she proceeded to get up, grab her purse and pull out a Rice Krispie treat. She asked if it was ok to give it to her, and I said yes. So she picked her up, sat her in a different chair, and opened the bar for her. Sadie was now the center of attention. People started asking me her name and how old she was.
Sadie threw down the wrapper on the ground (we’re still working on not littering). The customer again walked over, giggled a bit and said something about her own young son, and threw the wrapper in the trash. Also a clue - people who don’t love children overreact to stuff like this, and expect far too much from a very young child.
A few moments later, again Sadie got up out of her chair. She walked over to where I was getting my hair cut and watched for a minute. Again the hairdresser seemed not the least bit concerned.
Then Sadie walked over to the electrical outlet against the wall and started touching it. Now… most people have an irrational fear of kids and outlets. Despite the fact that a child would have to put a long metal object into BOTH holes at the same time in order to get a mild shock, they still act like a child is tottering on the edge of a cobra’s hole when they get near one. I was waiting for a reaction from the employees but again, there was none.
I asked Sadie to come here, and she promptly did.
As the stylist finished up my hair, Sadie toddled around saying Hi to the receptionist (whom she called Nia, who is her occasional babysitter) and generally charming everyone in sight.
She even walked over and turned off the small radio that was right at her eye level on a small table. But instead of freaking out, the owner just said, “It will turn on again in a second.”
Now, don’t get me wrong. Sadie was not running around, screaming, putting herself and others in danger or being a nuisance.
Funny how children behave well when the adults around them don’t have irrational fears and unresolved childhood angst.
Do you think they made a local customer today? Oh, yeah.
Natural Moms Podcast #55
July 9, 2007 | Leave a Comment
This week Karen Hossink, author of Confessions of an Irritable Mother joins us.
Babies Lie - 2 Schools of Thought
July 5, 2007 | 3 Comments
Have you heard about this recent study that proves that babies as young as 6 months can “lie”? I’ll let you read about it more here if you haven’t heard it yet. Then I’ll tell you what I think about this.
Are you back? Ok.
Firstly, one camp is going to say that this proves that babies are trying to manipulate parents and that is why we should ignore their cries. See - they are as evil as we told you they were. Didn’t Grandma tell you not to pick that baby up every time s/he cries? All you parents who respond to your child’s “lies” are just spineless wimps. So there!
A couple of questions: Why do babies who are held cry an average of 40% less than babies who aren’t held? Do they not need to lie as much since their needs are being met? Perhaps the “deception” taking place is self protective? And what exactly IS manipulation?
If a friend who is upset calls me and I answer the phone, she will likely tell me what’s on her mind. But what if she gets my machine? Will she pour out her heart and cry into the voicemail? Likely not. That means she’s “lying” if she cries on my shoulder in person, right?
To be fair, likely anyone who has had a toddler has witnessed the child fall down, then immediately look around to see if they need to cry. But that doesn’t mean that the fall didn’t hurt. It means that the child will seek comfort if there is someone around to give it. What’s wrong with getting a few extra hugs and kisses? Don’t we all need that?
If you have a bad day and come home to a spouse, do you talk to them about it? My guess is, if you don’t have a spouse, you don’t have that same conversation with yourself (otherwise your neighbors might have you committed!). Does that mean you’re manipulating your spouse if you have one?
And this bit about pretend laughing. In my opinion, that just that means babies are really, really smart. They’ve already figured out, just a few months on this planet, that laughing and smiling, even if you’re putting on, make other people laugh and smile. What’s so wrong with faking happiness? Haven’t studies shown that just the act of smiling causes chemical changes in the brain that make you feel good?
I wish more adults knew that! Don’t you?
I’ll end with a lovely cartoon that illustrates how I feel about this stuff. I didn’t draw it though, Hathor did. Enjoy!
http://www.thecowgoddess.com/?p=662
Midwives, Blood, and Natural Cleaners for the Home
July 4, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Before my 2nd child was born, my midwife instructed me to buy two large bottles of hydrogen peroxide. I thought they were to disinfect something (maybe to apply to the umbilical stump? Ooh! Cooooollllld).
But, shortly after my son was born, she asked for the bottles. I watched eagerly as she grabbed the peroxide, knelt down on the floor … and began removing blood stains out of the carpet. Amazing! I had to laugh at my ignorance. She poured it liberally on the stains, blotted with a clean towel, and I watched the blood literally disappear.
Of course, that wasn’t my first experience with using natural cleaners for the home. Just the most interesting!
I LOVE baking soda. In fact I’m hard put to find a household chore that couldn’t benefit from a little sprinkle of the magic white stuff. I am going to start a thread here on this blog dedicated to none other than the multiple uses of baking soda. Will you join me?
Uses For Baking Soda
July 4, 2007 | 1 Comment
My goal is simple: To create the largest list of the possible uses for baking soda on the Internet! Will you help me? Leave a comment below (don’t forget the link to your website if you have one).
- Burned pot saver - If you have some burned gunk on the bottom of a pan (who, me?!) wet it just enough to keep damp and sprinkle baking soda liberally. (This is my favorite part.) Leave overnight. In the morning, the gunk will magically lift off.
- “Soft Scrub” - Use a drop of your favorite soap, like Dr. Bronners, and then sprinkled on some baking soda. Voila - a soft scrubbing agent. You can mix these two in a bowl together if you are in to that kind of thing.
- Stinky diaper rescue - Fuzzi Bunz or other cloth diapers or covers still stinky even after washing? Soak them overnight in the washer with hot water and an entire small box of baking soda. Drain the water, then wash with your regular detergent, more baking soda and hot water. Then dry outside. They should be all sweet smelling now.
- Facial exfoliant - If my skin is looking less than dewy, I put a bit of baking soda in my palms and use it to scrub my face. It’s super gentle but removes dead skin cells.