Earth Mama Angel Baby Review

I was beyond thrilled to receive an invitation to review Earth Mama Angel Baby's Angel Shampoo & Body Wash along with Earth Mama Bottom Balm and New Mama Bottom Spray, late last year. I had been wanting to try the wash out for quite some time seeing as how Earth Mama Angel Baby is one of the VERY few body care companies that has proven a zero toxicity rating in their products. I'm always looking out for the least harmful, but still effective, body care products for my family so Angel Baby Wash sounded like a great possibility.

So, once I got the bottle of Angel Wash into my anxious little hands what did I think?  Well, my first thought was, "mmmmm- orange!" A generous amount of orange extract is used to give the wash a lovely fruity quality, which I instantly loved.  However, (and this may sound a little odd) I realized after using it on Lion Cub that the scent didn't mix well with his natural scents.  He tends to emit a very distinct scent, not bad, just distinct, and when mixed with the orange oils it got funky.  He just didn't smell sweet and like himself anymore.  But with that said, I DO love using the Angel Wash for myself and have had no complaints from the hubs.  So, I guess it's a bit of a love/ hate relationship in the scent department.

The other thing I can't help but point out is the foaming dispenser.  At first I thought I would love this feature, however I quickly felt jipped as my precious bottle of angel goodness began disappearing all too quickly.  To be honest, for the money, I think you should receive a full bottle of concentrate and then could possibly add a pump bottle for an additional buck fifty or something.  I would probably skip the pump all together though, as we use loofas in this house and it is difficult to get a good lather in a loofa with a foaming dispenser.  I should mention that you can just buy the wash in a larger, refill bottle, but it still is not concentrate.

As far as the wash itself went though, in its effectiveness and feel, I loved it.  It rinsed off cleanly and was the closest thing to luxurious that I have encountered in a zero-toxicity product.  There is definitely something to be said for that!

But let's move on, shall we?  I have nothing but good things to say about the Mama's bottom products they sent me- Earth Mama Bottom Balm and New Mama Bottom Spray!  Cause ladies, let's be real here- if you have taken any more than an hour to push a baby out of your bajango, let alone more than one, then you probably have issues "rear" up in this area from time to time.

I found their products to be soothing and downright lovely.  Plus, I would much rather have someone stumble across one of these nicely packaged products in my medicine drawer than a tube of preparation-H!  Ya' feelin' me?!

I can't thank Earth Mama Angel Baby enough for the opportunity to test out their lovely products!  I also want to mention that Earth Mama Angel Baby has a lot of great resources on their website, along with their products, for breastfeeding help (they even have a free "Herbs & Breastfeeding" ebook for download) and pregnancy and infant loss, among other things.  Even if you decide to not purchase anything from them, their website is a must-see/read!  Oh, and did I mention it is also beautiful?! Cause it is!

Thanks again Earth Mama Angel Baby!

I received products free of charge from Earth Mama Angel Baby for honest review.  All opinions are solely my own.

Be sure to visit my sponsor- Marmee's Bread Market- for recipes and everything else you need to easily make fresh baked goods for your family!

The Trials of Breastfeeding an 18 Month Old

Can I be honest?  This is not my favorite age to nurse.  In fact, I loathe it!  I know- that sounds horrible!  But he is just so handsy!  His little fingers are all over the place- in my mouth, up my nose, in my belly button, scratching me, picking at me, poking me.  He drives me crazy!

Squinty, silly face!

And he grazes!  A little here, a little there, ten minutes later a little bit more.  As I am nursing him right before bed I feel like I am being slowly tortured to death.

So, if it's that bad, why in the world do I keep doing it, right?!  Well, too many reasons to stop for, obviously.

-I know all the health reasons for a toddler to still be drinking breastmilk and I cannot deny them.

-I know that it should hopefully help ward off ear infections, which he is already prone to, so whatever I can do to help seems worth it.

-It is still such a useful tool!  It helps him (and therefore me) sleep at night and calm him if he is especially upset or crazy.

-There are those rare shining moments that he contently looks up at me, his eyes light up and he smiles (nipple still in mouth) and it is precious. (although he does usually follow such a look up with a slap to the face- kinda ruins it.  Oh, wait- these are supposed to be my reasons to continue... oops)

-I don't feel that he is old enough yet to understand why he would be cut off.  I weened Roman at 2 years old and he "got" it.  I don't think it would be fair to him to sever the supply just yet.

-There are health benefits to me too!  Any less risk I can have of getting breast or other female-related cancers is good by me!  Especially since I wasn't breastfed.

-I would get totally engorged if I quit right now!  I know that over the next 6 months he will slowly nurse less and less which will lead to less discomfort for both of us on quitting day.

First play in the snow!

I know this is all controversial.  Some people look at me in amazement (and as though I just grew a third eye in the middle of my forehead) when they find out I am still nursing him (keep in mind how big he is!).  Others try to force a smile and offer a simple "Hmmm," or "Oh" when they find out that I will not let him nurse until he is 4 (which he probably would if I let him) or whenever he decided to quit.  I find very few people who land in the middle with me, but that's ok.  Offending people has never been a factor in my deciding to breastfeed or not, it has always been about my babies, myself and my family and it always will be.

So for now- I will forge ahead for Lion Cub.  I will tolerate his antics (and possibly resort to putting him in a straight jacket) and deal with it.  I will even do my best to have a good attitude about the whole thing!  Although, deep down, I will probably be looking forward to the day that we are done.

Be sure to visit my sponsor- Marmee's Bread Market- for recipes and everything else you need to easily make fresh baked goods for your family!

Eco Store Review- No Nasty Chemicals!

You all know how hard it is to find quality body care products that aren't filled with toxic junk, don't you?  I have had the darndest time over the last 4 years since I ditched all my Bath and Body Works goodies in favor of things that didn't have the potential of giving me and my family cancer!  While I have found a few gems in the rough here and there, none have quite lived up to all my expectations- until I found Eco Store!

Can I get a Wuh-Wuh?!  They are AWESOME!!

I mean- seriously!  Want awesome scents?  They've got 'em!

Want lots of suds in your body wash?  They've got 'em!

Want your body wash to be smooth and wash off without residue?  Yes, Mam!

Want your lotion to be dreamily silky and moisturizing?  They wouldn't have it any other way!

Want toxic, artificial chemicals to slather all over your body?  Well. if you answered "yes" I have all sorts of other reasons to worry about you, but, to get to the point, you aren't going to find any of that stuff in any of Eco Store's plant-based goodness!

I was so thrilled to be sent both their Vanilla Coconut Body Wash 

and their Baby Moisturizer 

(which of course, I actually used on yours truly!  Oh, and sometimes on my boys too- when I can catch them!).  Both products were honestly the best I have found in organic body care.  As Eco Store puts is- No Nasty Chemicals!  I love that I can use them on not only myself but my kiddos too, and never have to worry about a thing!

Oh, and did I mention that they recently dropped almost all of their prices by 30%?!?!  HOLY COW!!  That is some serious savings people!  Now they are really affordable!  And if you order is over $25 you get free shipping!  You just can't go wrong here!  I mean, can you say "Christmas Gifts?!" (go ahead, say it- you know you want to!)

Alright- that's all.  Just thought you might want to know.

Eco Store provided me with their products for honest review in this post.  Thank you to Eco Store for their generosity and manufacturing of an excellent line of products!

Be sure to visit my sponsor- Marmee's Bread Market- for recipes and everything else you need to easily make fresh baked goods for your family!

Down on the Farm!

This past weekend we finally decided to visit a local farm (Spokane Family Farm) that produces the BEST milk you will ever taste!  Their emphasis on quality, sustainability and genuine care for their animals in unmatched!  This farm has been up and running for about a year and a half and this amazing couple does all the work (or very nearly!!) themselves!  The husband (Mike) milks their 30 cows (all of whom have actual names) twice a day, and bottles 500 gallons of milk every other day, while the wife (Trish) mucks pens, cares for the calves and all the other animals, AND takes care of the two little boys they still have at home (they have 7 kids in total).  Talk about AMAZING!  (I know I am using a lot of exclamation points here, but bear with me because each one of them is deserved!)

Mike comes from three generations of dairy farmers and is so skilled and knowledgeable at what he does that he has actual taught the inspectors of their farm a few things along the way!  Mike is so knowledgeable, in fact, that he very consciously made the decision to not certify his farm as organic.  Being such a small farm, he understood that they simply would not be able to survive if they were forced to sit by and watch as sick cow die instead of treating her with antibiotics.  Instead, he is able to avoid many problems by quickly recognizing issues at their onset since he and his wife have such a close relationship with their cows, thus allowing them to make necessary changes and focus on prevention, then if need be, administer antibiotics.  Any cow treated with antibiotics is kept out of rotation until they are completely free of the drugs, but their life is graciously spared.  These cows are genuinely a part of the family!

In reality the product this farm is turning out is actually higher in quality and purity than organic milk anyway!  Right off the line the milk is immediately chilled to halt the growth of bacteria and then put through a pasturization process that only heats the milk 45 additional degrees above what it is when it is pumped from the cows- thus allowing the bad bacteria to be eliminated but the good bacteria and cultures to remain.

Mike and Trish also only sell their milk in its whole, non-homogenized form.  As Trish put it, milk only comes out of the cow in two forms- cream and skim, anything else is just computerized.  Mike and Trish suggest that if you would rather not drink the milk whole you can put it into a jar with a spigot (such as an iced-tea jar), which allows you to drink the skim milk and save the cream for making things like butter and ice-cream!  I typically drink it whole (since it's so darn delicious and I need the fat!) but would also love to start making things from the cream as they suggest!

Another cool thing is that the water they use to clean the holding tank is also the water they use to heat the pasturization machine (sorry- forgot the name!) and it is then passed into the barrel (I know there is a different and better word for it- forgive me!) that the cows drink from!  Talk about sustainable!  These people have thought of everything!

This family was truly inspirational to be around and talk to!  In fact, our family and the other family that we toured with actually ended up staying at the farm till 8:30pm (the tour was at 5:00pm) just talking, sharing and learning from the remarkable people!  Trish is passionate and full of knowledge herself on a whole plethora of topics.  I just want to apprentice under her to get a real crash course in good, old-fashioned homemaking!  She makes nearly everything from scratch (I am hoping to take a yogurt and cheese making class from her this summer!), homeschools her kids, seems to truly have her feet on the ground and her priorities in order, and so much more!

Being with this family on their precious little farm has only deepened my desire to move to the country- especially after seeing how much R-Man LOVED the experience!  The next day he kept asking if we were going back to the farm!  Which brings me to the really fun part- check out the rest of our pictures!

The "Wanna-be-Country" version of me, feeding a calf!  Woohoo!

Jer and Lion Cub

R-Man and his very good friend L- He thinks he is going to marry her someday... I'm okay with that! (Her mama is one of my best friends and my doula- so, I know she would have my grandbabies naturally!  Hehe!)

R-Man, L & N- checking out the cows- this one was only a week and a half old!!

R-Man trying to ride a donkey with the help of our friend Mr. C!

He was soon bucked off!

Cute donkeys just walk freely around the farm!

Tried to let Lion Cub take a ride too, but he freaked!

What R-Man really wanted to do was ride one of their horses!  Someday we'll have some buddy!

Collecting eggs from the hen house (I really want one of these!  Fresh eggs daily- sounds great!  Now I just have to convince the hubs!)!

Petting the bunny!

Hmmm... can you tell he's from the city?  L was actually the first one to do this and R-Man quickly followed suit!  So funny!

Mike and Trish have recently signed with a distributor which is taking their milk farther than they were able to themselves.  So, if you live in Washington, Idaho or Montana (maybe Oregon too- I can't remember!) you should seriously be on the look-out for it on your grocery store shelves!  It is the one with the black top and is typically found in the natural foods section.  It costs $4.99 a gallon (which is actually cheaper than organic even though its better!), or $3.50 (or 3 for $10) if you live locally and are able to pick it up from the farm.  (Speaking of which, I am working on putting together a small co-op of families to purchase the milk directly from the farm with. So, if you are local, shoot me an e-mail and I can give you more specifics!)

You can find this amazing farm online here and also on Facebook.  I truly believe that you can't find better milk, probably in this whole country (and I'm not exaggerating!), so if you come across it, be sure to pick up a gallon to not only support this amazing family but to also nourish your family the best way possible!

Commission! Thank you!

I just want to send out a HUGE thank you to whoever used my Kelly's Closet link (right sidebar) to place a $215 order!  I was able to earn a $10 commission- my first EVER!  Woohoo!  And I really need it right now (Lion Cub is growing so quickly- he will need new diapers again very soon and my husband still isn't really working!)!

At a time like this, heading into the holidays and being so financially strapped, little blessings like this just mean so much! So, thank you, thank you, thank you to whoever you are!

If anyone else out there needs to purchase any dipes it would be so totally and completely AWESOME if you did so through my link!  All you have to do is click on the Kelly's Closet link in my right sidebar (or the one in this post for your convenience!) and place your order as usual!  You get points in your customer account (to earn valuable gift certificates!) and I get the commission!  It's a win-win!

Thanks again for your support!

How not to get sick!

There is so much controversy brewing over the Swine Flu vaccine that I just couldn't resist putting up the link to a very compelling and informative video on Dr. Mercola's website.  Make sure you are getting the full story on all vaccines that you inject into yourself or your child's body before you do.  From there it is your decision, I just want to encourage you all to be informed consumers.

In addition I thought I would post an article that I recently received in my in-box that I think has a lot of valuable tips for how to avoid getting sick during these winter months (wish I would have found it sooner since I am now battling a raging cold!).  Enjoy and I hope it helps:

Dr. Vinay Goyal is an MMBS,DRM,DNB (intensivist and thyroid specialist) having clinical experience of over 20 years. He has worked in institutions like Hinduja Hospital, Bombay Hospital, Saifee Hospital, Tata Memorial, etc. Presently, he is heading our Nuclear Medicine Department and Thyroid clinic at Riddhivinayak Cardiac and
Critical Centre, Malad (W).

The only portals of entry are the nostrils and mouth/throat. In a global epidemic of this nature, it’s almost impossible to avoid coming into contact with H1N1 in spite of all precautions Contact with H1N1 is not so much of a problem as proliferation is.
While you are still healthy and now showing any symptoms of H1N1 infection, in order to prevent proliferation, aggravation of symptoms and development of secondary infections, some very simple steps not fully highlighted in  most official communications, can be practiced (instead of focusing on how to stock N95 or Tamiflu):

1. Frequent hand-washing (well highlighted in all official communications).

2. “Hands-off-the-face” approach. Resist all temptations to touch any part of face (unless you want to eat, bathe or slap).

3. *Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine if you don’t trust salt). *H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. Simple gargling prevents proliferation. In a way, gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected one. Don’t underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventative method.

4. Similar to 3 above, * clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water. * Blowing the nose hard once a day and swabbing both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water is very effective in bringing down viral population.

5. *Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C (Amla and other citrus fruits). * If you have to supplement with Vitamin C tablets, make sure that it also has Zinc to boost absorption.

*Drink as much warm liquids (tea, coffee, etc.) as you can. *Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction. They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm.

And last of all, I just want to throw this little link out there with lots of ideas on how to combat and avoid the flu naturally.  Get your Vitamin D and Elderberry ladies- they could save you this season!

Summer has officially left!

The leaves are beginning to turn and summer has officially departed, and with it my ability to throw my hair into a wet ponytail!  How under-appreciated my wet ponytails have been!  I hadn't realized how beneficial having a spring/summer baby was for this very reason- when I could manage to get a shower but not dry my hair because of my fussy little man, it didn't matter!  I could throw my hair up and I was set!  Well, those days are now gone and my blow dryer is back in business... now I just have to figure out how to make Lion Cub understand mama's need to get ready in the morning!

This getting ready time is especially important now that we are heading into a busier month!  We are going from virtually no activities in September to something nearly every day in October!  I think it will be good though- I tend to be more organized and motivated when I have more to do, and there certainly is a lot!  On top of keeping up on home-preschool and co-op I am also going to start attending a women's study again and a breastfeeding group to go towards my Certified Lactation Educator training (which I am beginning to pour time into again). 

Oh, and I'm working on a curriculum for a Chic & Savvy Mama's- Preparing for Birth and Baby class I would like to start offering this winter.  I am really excited about my ideas and think that it will shape up to be a very informative and fun class.  It is going to be a hybrid of preparing couples for birth while also teaching them about postpartum health, breastfeeding, attachment parenting and natural baby care!  I plan to offer a "tester" course to a few couples for free this winter and then start offering the class "for real!" 

Offering classes feels like the perfect fit for this point in my life.  I have poured so much time into my birth and postpartum doula training but with two small kiddos it is difficult to actually be able to put it into practice.  Teaching classes will give me the ability to work when my husband is home and can watch the boys and also bring in a little extra income which we could really use!  Plus, teaching is such a passion of mine!  I have been so positively influenced by the wonderful doulas, lactation consultants and midwives that I have learned from on my parenting journey that I just want to be able to pass that knowledge on to other families who will appreciate it and benefit from it!

I also want to say a HUGE thank you to all my bloggy friends who have been so supportive recently!  You have no idea what your kind words of encouragement and empathy have meant to me!  It is so nice to know that you are all out there when I am feeling quite alone and frustrated!  So THANK YOU!!

Chic Cheeks- Slacker!

Alright, honestly, sometimes I slack off on certain things about my CDing life. I always use cloth but I don't always execute the full cloth practice as I should. Such as lately I haven't been spraying my dirty dipes off, which I know you don't have to do but it seems to cut down on smell when I do. So, (at the prompting of my husband) I should probably start doing that again.

I also haven't been using my wipes solution, instead I have just been wetting the wipes down with warm water. I think that the water works fine, but the solution seems to help the wipe slide across his skin easier. SO, I should probably start making that again too.

Now, if only these children would stop screaming so I could do some of these things! Here's to hoping!

Can you relate? Share about it! Just include the Chic Cheeks button then come back here and linkup! Come on, let me know I am not the only one!

Where I Babywear- Cleaning the House

Lion Cub is getting so big that I don't wear him as much when we are at home, unless he is having a particularly fussy day. Well the last few days have been just that- particularly fussy- so yesterday I gave in, strapped him on my back and got down to getting some much needed cleaning done! Here are the pictures that my professional little three-year-old photographer snapped:

Here I am vacuuming

Washing Diapers

Putting fresh sheets on the bed! Thank goodness for my Mei Tai!

Link up your babywearing pics from this week (and include the Where I Babywear button)- we would all love to see!!

Chic Cheeks- Gro Baby!

I won! I won! I won!!!!!! I still can't believe it! I feel like I have entered so many contests and never see any results! I have especially been entering contests for Gro Baby diapers (since the day they came out) because I have wanted to try one so badly but just couldn't bring myself to pay $24 for one! Well, Barefoot Mommies recently held yet another Gro Baby contest and my number was finally drawn!!


So, what's the verdict? I LOVE this diaper! I really didn't expect to like it as much do, but I do! The first time Lion Cub wore it he made quite a mess in it, but much to my surprise, it all stayed within the liner and didn't leak out onto the shell at all! Woohoo! The snaps hold very snugly which I appreciate since sometimes when I am pulling up other one-size diapers (such as BGs) in front, the snaps come undone and I have to start all over again. I don't have that problem at all with the Gro Baby!


Also, in case you haven't heard, Gro Baby is coming out with a bio-liner at the end of this month that sticks to the shell and can be flushed or thrown away (similar to gdiapers). This could be a nice option for travel. I have also considered using the bio-liners for R-Man at night since we are using gdiapers for him right now (although I am not sure if it will be more economical once I figure in shipping). The only downfall I can see with this dipe is that it runs pretty small. Lion Cub is only 10 weeks old and already on the largest setting, so it probably won't last much longer- bummer!

Have you tried a Gro-Baby yet? If so, I would love to hear what you think of it! If you haven't, then you are welcome to link up any other post about CDing you make on your blog this week- just make sure to include the Chic Cheeks button in your post and leave the direct link to your post!

Two Memes in One!

Alright everybody, I got a little behind this week- it was a looooong week! So, please forgive me for the absence of two of my normal memes! To make up for it I am doing a two for one deal- you can link up any post your have that is Breastfeeding or Babywearing related, right here, right now!

Just make sure to place the appropriate button on your blog and then come back and leave the direct link to your post! Can't wait to see what you contribute!

Thirsties Review and Giveaway by Earth Angels Diaper Co.

Over the past couple of years I have become friends with the wonderful mama behind Earth Angels Diaper Co, and so, when putting together my Summer of Baby Love Blog Party I could think of few companies that I would want to support and promote more than hers!

If you haven't ever heard of Earth Angels Diaper Co then you seriously need to check them out! They offer nothing but the best lines of cloth diapers and accessories, not to mention fantastic deals and incomparable customer service! Free shipping on any order over $50 and tons of great cloth diapering articles round out the Earth Angels Diaper Co site to be more than just a store, but an all-around source for your cloth diapering needs, both physical and informational. You really can't go wrong when you purchase from Earth Angels Diaper Co.


For my Summer of Baby Love Blog Party, Earth Angels Diaper Co generously sent me a Thirsties Fab Fitted and Diaper Cover to review. I can honestly say that this is one of my all-time favorite diaper combinations and the first fitted a grab for during a diaper change! They are so trim and contain everything so well! Plus, the ease of use they offer with their aplix closure allows even my husband to be able to change a diaper now and again! The V2 diaper cover also fits wonderful over all our other fitteds and prefolds, and the leg gussets do a fantastic job of containing messes! I have never had a leak when using this Thirsties cover!

So, would you like to win a Thirsties Fab Fitted with a V2 Cover to try out for yourself? Just hop on over to the Earth Angels Diaper Co site and sign-up for their newsletter! It's that easy!

Additional entries will be granted for all of the following (leave a separate comment for each)- these entries only count AFTER you complete the above challenge:

• Become a fan of Earth Angels Diaper Co on Facebook (3 extra entires!!!)
• Following Earth Angels Diaper Co on Twitter
  
• Being a follower of my blog (right sidebar)
• Being a subscriber of my blog via e-mail (left sidebar)
• Having the Summer of Baby Love or Mama Kenz Studio button on your blog (also in left sidebar)
• Blogging about the giveaway (leave the link to your direct post)
• Following on Twitter and tweeting about the giveaway (leave your screen name and the time you tweeted)
• 2 extra entries for participating in any meme during this giveaway (leave the direct link to your meme post)

The giveaway will end Friday, August 21, 2009 @ 9:00 PST. Winner will be posted and notified that weekend. For full details and rules about the Sumer of Baby Love Blog Party, please visit this post.

Chic Cheeks- The Newborn Stash

I thought it would be a good idea to post pics of our newborn stash while it is all clean at once- which I am sure will not be the case soon! So here it is!

So, how does it break down?

• 14 Nanipoos Newborn Fitteds (2 aren't pictured because they are sealed up for the birth!)
• 1 Sirius Fluff Fattycakes Fitted
• 12 Newborn Indian Prefolds
• 12 Kissaluvs Size 0
• 1 Monkey Doodlez Micro
• 2 Thirsties AI2s- X-Small
• 6 Thirsties Fab Fitteds- X-Small
• 4 Thirsties Covers- X-Small
• I also have a pair of boy longies and girl longies, but those are sealed up for the birth as well! You can see them here though!

I would have liked to have had a few more covers, but we will just have to make 4, plus a couple pairs of longies work! I am thrilled with the number of dipes though!

The dipes I am most excited to use are our Nanipoos! They were a custom order (for the most part) and I just think they are the cutest things on the planet! They are really well made and were an AMAZING price! I will report soon on their performance, but if it is anything like what these dipes look like, it will be wonderful!


So, what do your newborn stashes look like? Are there things you are still wanting to get? Which diapers are you most excited to use? I can't wait to see!

Vote for Sleepy Wrap & get extra entries this summer!!

As you may remember, Sleepy Wrap is one of the wonderful companies that will be featured in the Summer of Baby Love Blog Party starting next month at Mama Kenz Studio. These awesome wrap baby carriers are taking the babywearing world by storm with their ingenious stretch design and thoughtful research! Sleepy Wrap also just found out that they have been nominated for Pregnancy & Newborn Magazine's Readers' Choice Awards, running through the end of May! This award would not only help promote their company but spread the benefits of "real" babywearing (as I like to call it) to moms all over the country who may have never even heard of the concept, or of a wrap-style carrier! Voting for Sleepy Wrap is a great way to not only show your support but be an activist for babywearing as well! Oh, and did I mention that voting in the Readers' Choice Awards automatically enters you to win an awesome prize package from Pregnancy and Newborn Magazine that will include one of each of the winning products from the Awards!? How awesome is that?!


Sleepy Wrap is so thankful for all of your votes that they are offering a generous 15% off of any of their new Organic Sleepy Wraps! Just use the code "ivoted" (no spaces) anytime between now and May 31st when the Pregnancy & Newborn RCA poll CLOSES!

Want another perk for voting for Sleepy Wrap? If you visit Pregnancy & Newborn Magazine's Readers' Choice Awards and vote for Sleepy Wrap as your favorite baby carrier, you will receive 3 extra entries during the week of the Sleepy Wrap giveaway in the Summer of Baby Love Blog Party! Just take a few minutes to pop over there and vote, then come back here and leave a comment that you did (please be honest!)! Make sure you get your vote in before May 31!!

Show your support and gain extra entries for a Sleepy Wrap of your very own- what have you got to loose?!

Introducing A Babywearing Meme!

There are few things I love more in life than babywearing! It sounds crazy, and of course there are those times when a mama just needs her space, but I can think of only a handful of things that are as precious as having my little one nestled closely to me in a carrier! Along with the shear fact of the experience, I also thoroughly enjoy trying a variety of carriers! So, the meme I will introduce to day is, of course, all about babywearing!

Much like I Was Here... Breastfeeding, Where I Babywear will be all about the places and ways we wear our babies! Along with my posts I will include a Mr. Linky for all of you to share in the fun, and inspire us with the creative and adventurous ways you wear your babe (or toddler!). Just link to your direct meme post and show us your daily triumphs and trials with a little one attached! Oh, and make sure that you post the Where I Babywear button (code in left sidebar) on your blog post if you would like to be included!

Mama Time- A Meme for Postpartum Mamas

Let's face it, in our culture babies are the people focused on after birth, not mamas. Rightfully, babies should be doted on, but mamas need special care and attention too! Our bodies are going through incredible changes (as are our brains- can you say hormonal changes!?), and we can't forget that fact in the days, weeks and months after birth as we try to recuperate- even if most other people seem to.

With this in mind, I have decided to introduce (yup you guessed it!) another Meme: Mama Time!

This Meme will be devoted to all things postpartum! With each entry I will be talking not only about my own recovery but about tips and ideas I have learned as a postpartum doula to help all of us through this joyous yet difficult time! My hope is that all of you will share your experiences and tricks for survival as well, and link to your direct posts in the Mr. Linky I will include at the end of each Mama Time Meme. I think we can all learn from and support each other so greatly and I can't wait to hear all of your input and experiences during these postpartum times!

Oh, and make sure that you post the Mama Time button (code in left sidebar) on your blog post if you would like to be included!