BabyWearing

here is a contest going on to win one of my favorite baby carriers, a Boba Organic 2G Baby Carrier. (See Boba here: http://www.bobababycarrier.com/) And see contest here: http://raveandreview.com

Which reminded me that I wanted to blog about babywearing.

First, let me explain what babywearing ever is.

Babywearing is the act of using a carrier to keep your baby with you and close to you. It does not have to be all the time, 24 hours a day, (Yet some pretty much do) it can be as simple as using a carrier instead of a stroller when you go out. There are many many benefits to babywearing.

• Babies that are frequently worn in a carrier, cry less. You have to imagine, baby was inside your body for nine months. They fell asleep listening to your heartbeat and breathing. They were used to your body heat. Some people say even your smell. Obviously, being snug against your body is going to be very comforting.
• Its been shown that babies that have failure to thrive or premature babies benefit greatly from babywearing because being against your chest helps to teach them the body's proper rhythm.
• It is good for baby's mental development. Babies spend more time in a state called, "quiet alert' which is the perfect state for learning. The senses of the the baby are being stimulated while carried. The baby can see the world from your point of view as well as you! They see your face, see what you are interacting with, looking at etc.
• Baby's emotional development is better when they are carried as well. They develop a sense of security quickly when they are carried close.
• It creates a stronger bond and sense of attachment. Babies frequently carried develop a stronger bond and sense of attachment to their caregivers but it also helps Mom with things like PPD.
• Want to get something done but baby wants you near? Walla! Hands free while still keeping baby close and happy.
• Those clunky awkward steering strollers are not needed while babywearing. You are free to walk around a store without trying to steer the stroller and keep it from bumping into racks and displays.

There's many many more. But that should give you the overall. ;-)

So, why else do I not like strollers?
First the big issue I have is not with the stroller itself but it really starts with those baby 'carrier' carseats that attach to the strollers. They are bulky, impossible to comfortably "Carry" and they are unsafe. Furthermore, even seen a mom trying to lug that thing around and bump it into at least three different things before she even makes it to the store to sit it in the cart? ha, Yeah, I have.

Why car seat carriers are dangerous:

• Babies are not at the proper angle while the car seat is out of the base that is installed in the car putting them in a position that can cause positional asphyxiation. See this article: (http://tinyurl.com/2axml6v)
• Using the car seat carrier in a shopping cart is dangerous.
• Placing it in those baskets can result in it slipping off if not clicked on properly. (I've also seen people do it in shopping carts that obviously were not even meant for them at all. Even though I don't think any are really properly designed for it)
• Many babies have fallen out altogether because the caregiver unstraps them. (Which you just shouldn't do period)
• It can cause the cart to get top heavy and topple right over. I know this seems far fetched but I have seen this in person!
• The use of a carrier car seat for extended periods hinders infant mobility control.
• It also can cause 'flat spots' in the skull
• New studies are showing that the straps on infant seats actually keep the chest from fully expanding to the point that a deep breath can be taken.
• Any many more as noted in the other links in this post

Strollers are a side argument. I don't like the stroller because it is so impersonal. I don't want my baby strapped into a big bulky device where I can not even see her. I can not interact with her. She can not interact with me or see what is going on. (She sees knees and the bottom of displays, racks, whatever) The child can not learn about their world this way. Where are you when you would use a stroller? Out and about obviously and that is where your child has new things to look at and learn about! Why take that away from them? None the less, they are so bulky and such a pain!

Okay, so we've established we don't want to use the infant carrier to take baby to the grocery, right? So, then now what? The stroller? Okay, great, it's safe. Maybe pretty comfortable. But now what? Can you push the stroller and shopping cart? hmm, no. Maybe you could bring someone with you? Pack the groceries around the baby? haha

Perfect answer would be babywearing! (On a side bonus, if baby gets fussy while out shopping, you can nurse pretty discreetly in most carriers as well!)

So there's my arguments for babywearing.

Now, what options do you have to choose?

There's a lot of different kinds of proper, safe baby carriers. We have several. Don't mind the pictures but I'll tell you about what we have. (So far, haha)

This is our Moby wrap. (www.mobywrap.com)

We were even nursing in that picture. This falls into a "Stretchy Wrap" category. These types of carriers are great for the newborn stage. After about 15-20 pounds the material can sag and start to give a little too much which can cause the baby to slip out. So no using past a few months. (Moby advertises up to 30-40 pounds I think... but it is unsafe, don't do it!)

Here we are using our Woven Wrap:

This is a Storchenwiege in Anna.

A woven wrap is made of a very sturdy woven material and can be used, well, pretty much forever. I've seen people carrying around 5-6 year olds in a woven. They can be used for front carries like I am doing in the picture, or hip carries, and even back carries. (Which I am just not brave enough for yet, I want her where I can see her still!)

Even my older daughter loves the woven:

And they are so comfy. It distributes the weight evenly so your back or shoulders do not get sore. By far my favorite type of carrier.

We have two structured carriers:
A Beco:

Which I love Love Love!

And an Ellaroo Mei Hip: (Well actually I just sold this one)

*This is a BAD babywearing picture though. Hip carrying should not be done until baby has better head control. I was using it for the picture.

I adore structured carriers for just a quick "pop in". However, there are many many bad structured carriers out there. The Bjorn is the most widely seen and bought but it is bad bad bad! A good carrier is going to scoop baby's bottom and have a very wide base so the baby is 'seated' versus 'dangling' by the crotch. My normal rule is that if it advertises a front forward facing carry (Where baby is faced out toward the world) it is probably a bad carrier. That position is terrible for baby's spine and hips.

We also have a few ring slings which I have been sewing myself. (After lots of research on how to do it properly)

These are the best for just keeping in your car for when you have to just 'run in' somewhere real quick. They are great for those quick trips. Though they can be used for longer periods if made and worn correctly they should be very comfortable. I just prefer my woven wraps for longer trips. On a plus, they are the easiest to nurse in.

Well, more to come on this later. But here are some other wonderful resources on Babywearing:

Structured Carriers I Like:
Boba www.bobababycarrier.com
Beco www.becobabycarrier.com
Ergo www.ergobabycarrier.com

Stretchy Wraps:
Moby www.mobywap.com
SleepyWrap www.sleepywrap.com

Woven Wraps:
Storchenwiege www.storchenwiege.com/

Didymos http://www.didymos.com/

Here is a great link: http://www.granolababies.com/woven-wraps/cat_11.html

Ring Slings
Sleeping Baby Productions www.sleepingbaby.net
Sweet Pea www.sweetpearingslings.com
Sakura Bloom http://www.sakurabloom.com/

This article is so amazing at explaining why certain types of carriers are better than others and why wearing baby in an upright position is so important, amongst other things.
http://www.sleepywrap.com/index.php?page=stroller-baby-carrier

Second is who I would refer to as the Goddess of Babywearing: http://betterbabywearing.blogspot.com/2010/03/babyweaing-overload.html there's nothing I could say that isn't already covered in those two places

Reduce, REUSE, Recycle

Okay, back to my three part blog.
Reuse is really the easiest of the three in my opinion. There are so very many ways to reuse! I hadn't put much thought into some of it until recently. Part of it came from trying to be a little bit more thrifty and stay at home mom budget friendly. Haha

Mainly, I noticed everything I was either throwing away or throwing into the recycling. Yeah, throwing it in the recycling was great. But reusing it then recycling is good too!

It brought me back to a woman I worked with a long time ago. I used to think she was kind of weird, haha. I would see her in the lunchroom with all these random little containers. Old jars of baby food would become a perfect travel container for cottage cheese. Old tubs of butter would become the perfect home for a sandwhich and some veggies for lunch.

I thought, "why doesn't she just buy some baggies or something?"

The revelation I had when I saw the jar that contained spaghetti sauce at one point and thought "Hey I could wash this and put the leftover spaghetti back in it!" brought me back to her.

Since then I've started my own odd little collection of this and that to be reused.

Reusing also contains one of my new favorite things ever: Thrift Store Shopping! Oh how nice is it to find a baby outfit for $2.00 that would cost you $20.00 at Babies R Us?! Love it.
Buying big items here also not only helps save you some money but keeps those items out of the landfills. How many times do you see bed frames, bookshelves or computer desks sitting by the end of the driveway to be hauled away? I bet someone wants them!

Which brings me to my next new love: FreeCycle!
For anyone that doesn't know what freecycle is, it is an online group specific to your town or area that people 'share' their unwanted items. People find things that they have replaced, no longer have a need for, or whatever else and offer it for someone else who might need and want it.

It's a wonderful program if you have a great group of people around.

Some of it is so fun sometimes. I love seeing what people find to share. I also love when I find something I can use and wait to see if I get "picked" as the person to come get it. It's like a game, haha

I've posted up a few things to give away myself. When I'm at a place that I have time to start cleaning up and cleaning out this house a bit, I'll have more.

Reusing is about finding random things to make crafts out of too! There is so much you can use to make into fun things. Go ahead and Google search "trash to crafts" I guarantee you will come back with more inspiration that you thought possible!

It is also about products that can be reused versus just thrown away. Paper napkins and towels can be replaced with cloth napkins and hand towels.
Cloth diapers can replace disposables. (And a good one is one size and will last from pretty much birth to potty training)
I've mentioned the feminine cups and products instead of pads and tampons.
Paper plates and plastic cups can be replaced by glass dishes. An extra load of dishes doesn't hurt too much. ;-)

A lot of tips went along with my Reduce blog. It's a lot of one and the same.

What neat ideas can you come up with to help with Reusing?

I Love You More Today Than Yesterday

Do you ever feel that way? Sometimes I think that song is silly, other times I think about it and it seems so very true.

I can look at my tiny little person rolling around on a blankie on the floor and my heart can just swell you know?

Or peek in on my soon to be teenage daughter in her room sprawled out on her bed, with headphones in on her laptop and think, "Gosh, how did that happen?" and my heart will just swell with love and pride. And sorrow even. Sorrow that the days past are the days past. Proud that they are growing and happy for the time we've already had, but sad because we won't have them again.

She'll never be two again. She'll never want me to help her learn to ride a bike again. She'll never need me to pick her up and kiss her booboo's when she falls.

The little one is not going to to look at me with admiration while she nurses for much longer. She's only going to need me to help her learn to walk once. She's not going to sit and snuggle on the couch with me forever.

It hurts my heart.

I look at them and see the things to come. The lovely times we still have to spend together. Picking out prom dresses, picking out wedding dresses. I am grateful. Right now I am the mother. One day I will be the Mother in Law. The Grandmother.

They transition from infant to toddler to child, to teen, to adult. I transition too.

I'm thankful for these steps and these stages. I'm excited about things to come. I'm heartbroken at the same time though.

I do love them more today than yesterday. But not as much as tomorrow.

Woo

Sorry I've been a little absent for a few days. Life, yanno? ;-)

I'll get back to the RRR's soon. It's a matter of having the time to put the thought into it. This is random blogging.

Well the little one had her 4 month check up. Which was almost a five month checkup because the appointment fell rather late. She was born at 6pounds 8ounces and now weighs 15pounds 1ounce. All Mommy's Milk so I am very happy and proud!

Thankfully, breastfeeding has been easy. I can't complain too much. We've had our problems here and there but I've not had any need or reason to want to supplement. Formula has always creeped me out a little bit. I don't know why. But I am flexible and if it was needed, I would do what it takes. BUT being able to feed my babies that natural, intended way has been a blessing!

The doctor said that she was more than ready to start solids. She wants her eating fairly regular meals by her next check up. I'm slightly conflicted. While I'm excited to start this new milestone, I was really looking towards baby led weaning. (http://babyledweaning.blogware.com/) I had no plans of starting her on solids until at least six months, if not longer.

She is showing all the signs of readiness. She can sit upright with very little assistance. She reaches and grabs for food and forks. She even mimics "chewing" while she watches us eat, Super cute! So I suppose I should suck it up and follow my babies lead rather than a piece of paper, book or website.

Studies have shown delaying solids is best for baby for many different reasons. It gives their body time to be able to process foods, reduces allergies, early solid introduction is linked with obesity later in life, etc etc. An infant's digestive system does not begin to mature until 4-6 months.

I am putting it off for a few more weeks. I have the 'excuse' of having to get things ready. We don't have a highchair yet, nor utensils and bowls and all of that type of stuff. I want to make a lot of our own baby food so I need the preparation supplies and utensils for that as well.

I am going to start with avocado. Or maybe sweet potato. I am going to make up some soft apples for her to munch on too. Maybe next weekend we'll give it a go for the first time.

Unfortunately starting solids changes my diaper washing routine as well. Not looking forward to that part, haha. The great thing about cloth diapering a breastfed baby is you don't have to do anything to the dirty diapers. Breastfed baby poo is water soluble so you throw it right into the wash! Awesome! However, once you introduce formula, juice, solids, whatever you have to rinse the diapers and get off all the poo in the toilet first. So I had to go get a diaper sprayer and other prep items.

We are also going to introduce the sippy cup at meal times. With a little bit of water to help prevent constipation from the foods, or with Breastmilk.

Big things going on!

She also got her shots. :-( I hate shots. I hate that I'm so conflicted on what to do about them. It's one of those things I wasn't able to decide fully on. I couldn't decide if I liked the risks associated with vaccinations more or less than the risks associated with not vaccinating. So, in that, I choose to go with the norm and let science and the world's medical knowledge make the choice for me. I know I can get 'bashed' for that, but there it is. She did well though. She fussed and looked at me like I had broken her little heart for about two minutes then I scooped her up and nursed her and she was all better. She had a few fussy moments the rest of the day and night, but no fevers, no crying spells or being inconsolable or anything. Whew.

In other news, I went back for the stroller..... I figured that on those all day trips, I'm going to need it. I've used the one we have twice. Both on all day trips and mainly because I couldn't figure out where to put all the 'stuff'. haha. Cloth diapers are awesome but a day trip with them requires baggage. I have a diaper bag just for diapers, then the regular diaper bag, then a big wet bag to store wet/dirty diapers and I just can't figure out how to carry it all and the baby. So a stroller it is!

I spent the day Tuesday with a friend. She helped me figure out what was going on with my sewing machine, so hopefully I can get it up and working all on my own next time. We were able to get it going. It seemed like I had really just had little things here and there wrong. Bobbin wrong, threaded wrong, settings wrong etc. I love those old dinosaur style machines but they take a little tweaking. haha

We made a ring sling. I am quite proud to say I think it turned out very well. PJ seems to really like it. When I hip carry she can reach out and things and see things. Very fun for her at this age. But she still has the option of facing me and turning away from stimulation too. It is very pretty. I did a lot of research on what types of materials to use. What fabrics, what rings, what threads... how to stitch etc. . I wore her around all day yesterday and I think it will work out very well.

So special thanks and love to Cootiebug for helping us out!

I've already got plans on how to do the next one. ;-) Good thing is I already have material to make three more, haha

I guess there's all the big going's on of the last few days. Today we are going to chill at home. If we go anywhere it will be to the grocery for avocados and something for dinner.

It's about noon pump time (trying to pump once a day for breastmilk donation) so must run before baby gets fussy and I run out of time.

REDUCE, Reuse, Recycle

This will be a three part blog as I have time to finish the other two. Right now we are working on a bit of 'sleep training' in teaching Rebel (Pet name for the 4th month old) that it's okay to sleep somewhere not on top of Mommy. haha So she is sleeping on a blanket in the floor at my feet. Doing well so far.

I have to admit before I start this three part blog on RRR that I am not an expert. As a matter of fact, I'm quite the newbie. I won't be a hypocrite enough to pretend like I've been doing this forever and telling you just how awesome that I am. It's not like that. I'm rather new to this aspect. It is one of those changes that I have wanted to make in my life but just 'didn't get around to'. That's embarrassing. But I know it's common. So maybe this will help out to motivate some others on making those changes as well.

So, we all know what those magical 3R's are. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. The plan for a better tomorrow. But what is each step? And how do you do it? That's what we'll talk about today.

For me Reduce is the hardest. It really is. It is the one little part that I struggle with the most. What does Reduce entail?

Reduce means to lessen down the amount of waste that you have overall. Recycling is great but not having much to recycle to begin with is what reduce is all about. Many packages now days that you buy in stores are not recyclable anyway. Kind of sad, but there it is. So Reducing the amount of waste that you make it very important.

Why is this so hard for me? Well, to be honest I'd gotten rather used to all those handy dandy single serving everythings. It is so much easier to just 'grab and go' with all those nifty little products. Is it easier to grab a bottle of soda or can of soda instead of pouring a cup out of a two liter? Yeah... that much easier, no, not really, but still those little steps that seem to make your life a little bit easier add up. It's an easy path to fall down.

Lunch time can easily consist of a juice box or can of soda, single serving apple sauce or pudding cup, easy mac bowl, Lunchable, etc etc. (lets talk about the preservatives and other nastiness in THOSE things later, shall we? *wink*)

So that's one way we go down hill. Another is what I like to call "Disposable America". We are so prone to throwing everything away! I didn't really pay much attention. I didn't really put much thought into it. As a matter of fact I was one of those people that when a new 'convenient' product was put in front of my eyes I would light up and say "Ooooohhhhh!"

You know the ones. The paper towels, the paper Hand Towels they are marketing for home use now, the paper plates, plastic cups, (dinner is sooo much easier when you don't have dishes to do eh?), the little mops with disposable pads, the toilet brush wands with the little flushable tops, diapers (mmhmm I went there) Menstrual Pads, (I went THERE too!) it all adds up to such much trash in our landfills. It's not necessary. Is it easier? Well, yes. But we don't NEED these things.

Another area that falls into Reduce is product selection when you are out shopping. This one can be a little trickier because sometimes we don't have much of a choice. Anyone that has had to deal with kids toys after a birthday party or holiday will know what I mean on this one.... Ever spent what seems like hours cutting open, tearing, unboxing, untwisting ties, and otherwise figuring out the puzzle that it is to get a darn toy out to give to a kid? Why do we need that much packaging? Anti theft preparation is going crazy. Some things are simple, buy that bag of cereal instead of the bag that is then put into the box, you know, little things like that when you can.

The good news on that one is, the more "green" or more 'natural' or 'healthier' products typically have less packaging already. It gets easier as you start paying attention and that is one of those 'give aways' on rather a product really is 'green' or 'natural'. ;-)

Here are some of the tips I have for Reducing your waste:

- Don't get disposable plates, cups and silverware. Most are not recyclable, and that really turned me off to find out. Doing that extra load of dishes isn't that big of a deal really.

- Bring your reusable shopping bags. Keep some in your car. I drop some off in my trunk and try to keep a rotating supply. When I carry in groceries, I bring some back out to the car and throw them back in the trunk and then grab another load to carry in. Easy enough.

- Buy a good metal water bottle or two. It will help you to drink the water you need but not use plastic bottles.

- Buy in bulk as much as possible. (Money saving tip as well!) Buying in bulk makes less trash and allows you to portion control better. It also saves money.

- Washable towels, napkins, hankies even go a long way! (this is one I'm still working on)

- Try to avoid single serving products.

- Look into cloth diapers (Which we'll cover in another blog)

- Look into Mama Pads and Menstrual Cups (which I'll talk about later)

- Reuse containers when possible. Like the jars from spaghetti sauces, baby food jars, etc

- Try to buy fresh fruits and veggies instead of canned and frozen

- Try to find uses for things before you toss it. Sometimes things can have another purpose. Coke bottles make great craft supplies for example!

- When choosing products try to buy the ones that generate less waste and packaging

- Buy a bunch of squirt bottles, spray bottles, jars, etc etc and make your own products and keep re-using the same products. Or buy in bulk and refill the same reusable products. (this goes in both reduce and reuse)

(I'm losing my train of thought between the baby being awake and the hubby home and talking to me now, sorry)

- A lot of things offer online copies, magazines, newspapers etc. Sometimes I like the hard copy to save when I really like it. But otherwise I try to do a lot of online periodicals.

- Again with magazines and things, find other uses. I really like using my to cut up for craft projects. Scrapbooking, kids pictures. Santa Claus lists, etc.

- You can also take reusable coffee cups to coffee shops instead of getting a disposable cup every time.

- When shopping for products try to find things that the packaging is recyclable instead of things that have to be thrown in the regular trash bin.

If anyone has any other tips, feel free to leave them in the comments!

Free Fun and a Babywearing Struggle

Today was fun. (And FREE)

We (And we means, my 11 year old, my 12 year old niece that is visiting from out of state, and the little one) went to a Kids Fair at a local super market. Silly but fun. They had face painting. Temporary tattoos. Water Balloons. Balloon animals. Prize packs. Goodie bags. Etc. All for free so who can complain?

Then we went to the Beardsley Family Farm Festival. Great local event that helps raise money and awareness of a local co-op community farm. People with no ground of their own can come here and raise crops for their family. Great little place.

They had more crafts for the kids to do. Seed art was a hit. A wonderful local band playing. A kind of hip hop reggae jive band, I loved them! Bar B Que catering. It was wonderful.

Was the only babywearing mama I saw and did get some comments on our Woven Wrap. People that have not been exposed to babywearing around here all comment on how "clever" it is. haha cute.

I did have one woman notice our diaper and ask if it was a new "print' or something like those new 'jean' diapers. I said, "no, it's cloth" and she just said "ohh" and walked away like I was crazy. Sigh. Oh well.

I did have a struggle of my will today. I have been searching around for just the right high chair as my little one is approaching that 5 month mark soon. I thought it'd be nice to let her start sitting at the table with us for meals. Being part of my "Reuse" (RRR) we try to thrift store shop or Freecycle as much as possible. So here I am at a new shop I've discovered and run across my dream stroller. The one I drooled over and eyeballed online while pregnant just wanting.

A Peg Perego Pram Convertible stroller. Normally retails for $400 and up. It was sitting in this tiny, crowded, dust filled consignment shop for $90. I wanted it. I wanted it so bad. I wanted to do anything I could to justify spending that $90 on it. I kept reminding myself I am a babywearer. I've only drug out the stroller that was handed down to me a total of twice now, and only because they were all day trips and I thought it might be nice mostly for hauling around 'stuff' moreso than the baby. I don't need this $400 dream stroller.... I just don't.

But my heart ached for it. Why? I can't say. I don't know what draws me to this piece of material and metal quite so much. I wanted it because of it's cute old fashioned pram look yet new modern feel when I was pregnant. I dreamed of this type of stroller when I was pregnant with my first fully knowing I'd never be able to find and afford one. I love the options the stroller gives, the versatility and the storage. That it can be a pram, a toddler seat and up. That it can be forward facing or backward facing. I want it.

They offered to get it down for me. To let me "try it out" and let me play with it. I declined. I knew if I did it was coming home with me.

It was a struggle to walk away. But I did. I am still fighting with the idea of going back. (haha) My mantra tells me not to. I don't need it. It's wasteful to spend the money on it. I just want it because of what it stands for I suppose. I have a stroller I don't use already. AND not to mention that I'm not the biggest stroller fan anyway.

That's another blog entry in itself though. ;-)

As I sit here nursing...

I spend quite a bit of time with a baby in my lap. Sometimes sleeping, sometimes nursing. Sometimes its hard for me to not feel guilty about just 'sitting around on the couch' while there is so much that needs to be done.

I am a person that struggles with housework anyway. There's more fun stuff to do than dishes after all. I'm also a 'dreamer' as I've always been called in school. It seems I lack the dedication to follow through on things but often it's just that something else came into my mind, distracted me or seemed more important at the time than the current task.

My husband says watching me clean is like watching a 'reverse tornado'. I'll scatter from one area to the next, one room to the next and never really finish one room or one area in one setting. I pick something up off the kitchen table that needs to be in the bathroom. Get to the bathroom and realize the sink is dirty, so I start cleaning it. Put the cleaner away only to find that cabinet is a mess and start to organize it, only to remember I was trying to get the kitchen table cleaned off. That's me.

I type like that too, oftentimes. I talk like that. I THINK like that. I'm always going going going. I seem calm and collected but I'm always going.

This is why as I sit here nursing, calmly sitting on the couch with my little one, I'm planning, plotting and thinking.

It's almost noon and I have to decide on what project I am going to undertake for the day today. I think today I am going to head out to Bed, Bath and Beyond, or Hobby Lobby or something. I need a clothes line. I need a vacuum sealer to get started on some food storage projects. I need some cloth to play with as I am trying to learn to sew. I want to buy more hand towels to keep us from using some much paper towels. I need vegetable plant food for my seedlings. I think my project of the day is going to be to get things to start other projects.

I am also trying ever so hard to stay away from the local cloth diaper store (www.cutietooties.com) which is having an amazing sale, but I am sure I will end up there. I can justify needing the things I will get there. This whole trying to budget thing seems hard sometimes. Sometimes it seems like you have to spend money to save money.

Right now I am in the process of saving money (And staying green and natural) by starting the following projects:
- Setting up a pantry area to allow food storage and buying in bulk
- Better freezer containment and storage to prevent waste and freezing for later

- Gardening our own veggies

- Making many of my own baby products

- Learning to sew

- Line drying to save on energy bills and products for dryer

- Creating 'natural' cleansing products to both save money and keep chemicals out of the home

And of course the 'norms', breastfeeding so no formula costs, no bottles. Cloth diapering is a given on a budget.

More to come on how these projects go!

Hello and Welcome

I am starting a blog to help me connect with other crunchy mamas, give tips, advice, recipes etc to mama's that want them and to help me keep track of what my new little monster is doing day to day. (haha)

My 'normal' friends on my other blogs and sites are probably getting annoyed by my constant 'mommy posts' or 'natural posts' as a lot of them don't have babies anymore. So that brings me here.

A little background on me:

I have an eleven year old daughter. Whew! Crazyness all on it's own!
I also have a 4 month old daughter.
I practice attachment parenting
I practice babywearing
I exclusively breastfeed, no bottles, no formula (My first never took a single bottle, this one we've tried once or twice, more so for fun than anything and she didn't want it, lol)
I extend breastfeeding and practice self weening. My first self weened a little after 2 years.
We exclusively cloth diaper
I practice as much holistic medicine as possible. Only when it doesn't work do I move to something else.

I DO vaccinate, this is my one big non crunchy item.
We try to buy local, natural and organic. I slack on this sometimes as I'll discuss in other blogs.
We try to reduce waste and recycle.
Eliminate chemicals in the home as much as possible. (We're on this one as well)

There's a lot I am working on improving. There's a lot I still don't know and things that just didn't occur to me to look into. I'll share those as I find them. But as for now, that's the summary of my upcoming blog in a nutshell.

We're cooky and wacky and all in all a strange, fun family, so I'm sure there will be stories on our mishaps to come as well!

Thanks for reading! I think this could get fun!