She Calls Him Daddy
August 29, 2009 | 3 Comments
I’ve never seen her glow like this. And I have to compete with my daughters for room in his lap.
Wordless Wednesday: Bliss
August 26, 2009 | 4 Comments
Natural Moms Podcast #127
August 26, 2009 | 3 Comments
My guest this week is professional dancer and fitness instructor Jennifer Jimenez of Prenatal Dance Fitness.
After a difficult and protracted labor with her first child, Jennifer was left feeling disappointed and depressed.
And she wanted answers. Her search led to the creation of her Prenatal Dance Fitness program.
Jennifer’s DVD helps women connect with their bodies, relax and be more comfortable during pregnancy, stay in shape and prepare for an easier (and shorter!) delivery.
“Women have danced to prepare for labor and celebrate birth for centuries,” says Jennifer.
What’s more, many women naturally dance during labor to ease their pain and help bring baby into the world.
Jennifer is giving away a DVD to one NMTR listener!
I would like to limit this giveaway to just the pregnant ladies.
If you’re expecting a baby and would like to win the DVD, leave a comment below (with a valid email address so I can contact you if you win), and your due date.
The winner will randomly be chosen on September 2 at NOON Eastern time.
Leave your comment before then!
Follow Jennifer on Twitter
WW: Comfy Bean Bag Chair
August 26, 2009 | 1 Comment
Natural Moms Podcast #126
August 20, 2009 | Leave a Comment
My guest this week is Shoshana Bennett PhD, author of the newly released Pregnant on Prozac: The Essential Guide to Making the Best Decision for You and Your Baby
Clinical depression affects 15-20% of pregnant women, sometimes becoming so severe that the moms-to-be attempt suicide.
Mothers of multiples are at even higher risk with more than 25% suffering during pregnancy and postpartum.
Many moms want to avoid taking prescription medication to manage their depression during pregnancy and nursing, so are there viable alternatives?
“Dr. Shosh” discusses some of the various natural treatment options available for pregnant women today.
Recyling and Pest Control
August 20, 2009 | 3 Comments
Ugh.
The all natural creepy crawly critters are loving my efforts to have a more eco-friendly home.
The cans, bottles (even when well rinsed), cardboard boxes and plastic containers provide everything they need: tiny bits of food provide endless nourishment (especially for roaches who only have to eat once every few weeks!), moisture for their hydration, and dark nooks and crannies are perfect hiding places.
When my kitchen started being taken over by bugs again, I had to throw out all the recycling… with the trash.
Overnight the bug population dwindled.
Major eco-guilt. 
How do you keep your recycling area from being the ideal home for unwanted guests?
Do share.
Tell Me Thursday: After
August 19, 2009 | 5 Comments
The “Before” picture is here.
This is what happens when you fall off the monkey bars at the playground and land on your arm.
You just might pop a radial bone in your arm out of place.
Then you have to go under anesthetic so the Doctor can put it right and cast your arm.
But, at least it’s your favorite color. 
No More Monkeyin’ Around
August 18, 2009 | 1 Comment
Relax About Reading
August 14, 2009 | 1 Comment
Today I shared with a friend over lunch that Julien, my 8 year old son, is reading beautifully.
But it wasn’t always this way.
In fact just two months ago he labored to read at all.
Reading one page of an “easy” kids book was overwhelming to him.
It exhausted him in fact.
I was scared that he might not learn to read well.
I worried that he would always struggle with reading.
I worried that he was a “shut down learner“.
I worried that he wouldn’t grow up to be a bookworm (... like me).
Then one day this summer, I decided to just stop.
I stopped worrying.
I stopped making him read to me.
I stopped reading to him.
(Gasp!)
I just decided to trust.
And so we had fun.
We went to the pool.
We played outside.
And eventually all of a sudden, he learned how to read.
Now, school has started.
And he complains about how slowly the other kids in his class read.
Reading is about deciphering code.
Those little symbols on the page? They mean something. They have a sound.
All of a sudden, they just get it.
It just makes sense.
Kids learn how to read when they’re ready.
Just as they are birthed when they’re ready.
And they crawl when they are ready.
And walk when they’re ready.
And sleep through the night when they’re ready.
Kids teach themselves to read.
We just get the heck out of the way.
Helping Kids Learn to Tidy Up
August 11, 2009 | Leave a Comment
The following is a guest article from Danielle at TidyKidz, a site with resources to help parents teach kids to clean up without nagging! The tools are also helpful in establishing good routines for kids and personal hygiene. (I don’t know about you, but my 11 year old son is stinky and somewhat resistant to the idea that daily bathing is important at his age!)
I’ve been digging around the site for a few days and have printed out some of the helpful charts and intend on showing the videos to my kids.
Now that the school year has begun, it’s even more important to establish quick, easy and fun routines for everyone in the household so that things can be organized and the day flow more smoothly. This article encourages us as parents to set the example (a familiar refrain!) by keeping OUR rooms clean. Enjoy the article and be sure to check out TidyKidz if you need some help!
Tidy Me, Tidy You, Tidy See, Tidy Do
OK, let’s get down to brass tacks here everyone. Some things just never change and this particular issue is no different. You CANNOT expect your little people to keep there rooms picked up if your room looks like a set for the show Clean House (prior to the clean part). You may get lucky a time or two but ultimately our kids do what we do, not what we say. Go ahead, argue with yourself… we’ll wait :-O :-# :-! ;-] :-{)
Great! So glad you are back and hopefully you have reached your senses and understand that “monkey see, monkey do” is more than just a quaint phrase. We have all watched our kids emulate grown-up behavior and it’s no accident that children of all ages, socio-economic backgrounds, ethnicities, religions and on – all do it! It’s UNIVERSAL!
They will emulate the good AND the bad no matter how much we try to tell them what to do and how to do it – they are WATCHING! 
photo credit: a4gpa
Let’s have a little therapy session, shall we? (Purple is a nice soothing color, right?)
So ask yourself this question, “Am I doing the things I am asking of my kids?”
I know, that was not nice was it?!
Depending on your answer, you are feeling somewhere between the June Cleaver type and the Tazmanian Devil. If you are June Cleaver you may be thinking all is well with the world.
I’m not really concerned about offending any Junes out there because Junes are doing all the work themselves and probably aren’t reading this blog anyway. As for the Taz’s, you know who you are (admit it) and chances are you already feel bad enough about the state of your stuff, so let me approach this from somewhere around the “Malcolm in the Middle” area.
You GOTTA do it! Here are a few tips to get you started.
* Start with making your bed, it’s big and just that alone makes a noticeable difference.
* Then pick up everything off of the floor and pile it on your bed. Set your timer for 7 minutes and don’t stop moving until it’s all put away, PROPERLY! Yes you do only have 7 minutes so MOVE IT. Don’t turn of the timer until you’re done.
* Next comes the dresser – what in the world is all that stuff doing up there? Get a trash bag – half of it can be thrown away anyway. If you are a pocket paper collector, get a colorful jar and use it to store your 80 million tiny pieces of paper that pile up on the dresser once you’ve purged your pockets – go through it once a month and purge old receipts, notes to self, etc.
* One way to keep the bedroom from going bonkers is to Not Not Not bring anything in that is not bedroomy. There is no reason for your gardening shoes to be in your closet or for the weeks mail to be on top of the 80 million little pieces of paper on your dresser. If it doesn’t come in… it won’t have to be taken out. Make it a rule, then follow it!
Make a chart, or get in touch with your inner child and use one of ours (major points with the kids). Use it to make sure you pay at least 5 minutes of attention to your room everyday. I can say from experience, 5 minutes a day is all you really need to keep your room from becoming the very thing your sweet little person uses against you when you ask them to clean theirs!
