Sage Femme Mama

Big Berkey water Filtration Giveaway at Keep of The Home

2011-02-18T18:28:00.000-08:00

Leave it to my favorite kindred spirit bloggers to have giveaways of things I really, really want! :) :) Stephanie at Keeper of the Home
Is offering a wonderful Berkey Water Filtration System. i have wanted one for soooo long! Go enter!

Moments...

2011-01-19T14:09:00.000-08:00

I can't wait to get a copy of this inspiring book! Check it out here: www.amazon.com/One-Thousand-Gifts-Fully-Right/dp/0310321913

Check out Kara - My Frugal Mama inspiration!

2010-11-05T09:53:00.000-07:00

Recently, my gal pal and fellow homemakin' sistah Kara and I gave a great lecture at MOPS on eating well on a budget. I gave pointers on eating organic and local foods and focused on nutrition while Kara really dove into her ideas on saving money, meal planning and cooking from scratch to stretch her family dollars. Our new friend Amy from Frugal Mama was there to take notes and she shared Kara's wisdom on her great blog. Check out both of their blogs!

Kara - www.bugro2.blogspot.com

Amy - www.frugal-mama.com

Can Mamas Do Big Things for God? OH YES!!!

2010-10-10T12:28:00.000-07:00

Here is a little video from a favorite blogger of mine, Sarah Mae from Like a Warm Cup of Coffee. I have really high expectations for myself in just about every area of life, and sometimes I let that get in my way of focusing on my most important calling: motherhood. I always feel like I could or should be doing more - more work, more, ministry, something more purposeful. But what could possibly be more purposeful than lovingly serving in ministry to our husbands and children right now? We are raising "eternal souls", mamas! Let's not lose heart. We ARE doing "big things" for God, starting right at home with our own sweet babies.

Dirty Hippie Kale Salad

2010-10-01T16:05:00.000-07:00

When a friend recently posted this video of kids eagerly chowing down on a raw kale salad, I was a skeptic. I LOVE sauteed kale with garlic and in soups and especially hidden in green smoothies, but a raw salad? I didn't think any dressing could fancy the frilly greens up enough to entice my kids. I was wrong!! They love it! Clay was literally screaming for more in between forkfuls! Hilarious! I loved it too. Made it with sesame seeds since I had them on hand, but hemp seeds are soooo yummy that I imagine it would make this even better. Give it a try - your kids might just shock you!

The Value and Purpose of Labor Suport

2010-09-22T13:28:00.000-07:00

Sarah Eiley Cowherd

The following was written several years ago when I was working towards my doula certification. It has now been nearly 2 years (gulp!) since I last attended a birth. I've been on an extended mama/maternity leave while I raise my young children and focus on my primary ministry of family life. I've been busy whiping noses and bottoms, nursing babies, meal planning, home-tending, playdate hosting and doing all of the important things mamas do. Of course, I still have years of that work still ahead of me, but I am also forunate enough to be returning to birth work now! I have been itchng to re-connect with "Sarah Eiley" - that doula-girl, hippie-chick, earthy-birthy mama that lives inside of me. I am now an active member of Doulas of Central New York, a wonderful agency serving families in my area. I have incredible teammates who support each other and work together. I am hoping to take on just one or two clients per month. I'm "booking" clients NOW for this fall and winter, so call me soon!! And in the meantime if you see me, don't forget about that part of my name that is so special to me - Eiley! :)

The Value and Purpose of Labor Support

When racked with labour pangs, and sore distressed

the sex invoke thee, as the soul’s sure rest;

for thou Eileithyia alone canst give relief to pain,

which art attempts to ease, but tries in vain.

Artemis Eileithyia, venerable power,

who bringest relief in labour’s dreadful hour.”

—Orphic Hymn 2, to Prothyraeia, as translated by Thomas Taylor, 1792.

In Greek mythology, female goddesses gave birth under the guidance of Eileithyia, the goddess of childbirth and light. In ancient cave drawings that remain today, Eileithyia is depicted serving women in labor, bearing a torch as she welcomes children out of the darkness and into the light. Early in college, and already on my journey to becoming a Doula, I was delighted to learn that I share a connection with this divine helper to women in labor through my middle name, Eiley.

The Greeks lend not only inspirational figures, but words important to those women who serve as doulas. The very word, Doula, comes from ancient Greek culture and literally means, “female servant.” The idea that women traditionally supported one another in their journeys toward motherhood appealed to me as I began to discover my own desire to encourage and care for women. I believe women lost something profound when birth was removed from the home, family, and feminine community and was reestablished in impersonal medical settings. Today’s modern Doula has the opportunity to become a bridge between a female-oriented birth support model and the modern medical model. Many pregnant women intuitively desire the comforting presence of another experienced woman at their birth, and the evolution of Doula care as a profession has worked to fill the gap in society where family and friends once stood.

A birth Doula is a woman with a sincere desire to support women throughout their pregnancy, labor and early postpartum experience. Doulas provide emotional, practical, and physical support throughout labor and birth. Doulas are trained to offer emotional support during pregnancy, and though they do not offer clinical services, they may have a wealth of knowledge and wisdom about topics such as getting prenatal care, nutrition, and preparing the body for birth. A Doula assists a woman during the actual event of labor and delivery with continuous support, advocacy in the hospital, objective information, hands-on comfort techniques and emotional encouragement. Though birth and postpartum Doulas have different roles, the presence of a birth Doula often aids the transition from hospital to home as a new family settles in, bonds with their baby and discovers parenting. Doulas inspire birthing women to trust in their own bodies, in their mothering-intuition and in the birth process as a whole.

There are considerable benefits of a return to a model in which women celebrate and support each other in the transition from maidens to mothers. Studies have shown that women who are supported through labor by a caring individual have better obstetrical outcomes, shorter labors and need less pain medication than women who labor on their own. Research studies on the effectiveness of Doula support suggest that when a woman’s emotional needs are addressed during her pregnancy and labor experience, her perspective of her birth experience is more positive and breastfeeding and early bonding are improved. Overall, a woman who is cared for and cheered through such a life-changing event will likely experience a greater sense of pride and accomplishment.

Birth is a tremendous rite of passage. It can be a wonderful life-changing event for both a woman and her partner. Birth can be magical and joyful. Birth can be about letting go of fears and taking one contraction at a time. The childbearing year is a time that calls for honesty, trust, patience, tenderness, and support. It is an intensely emotional experience. I believe having a Doula present at birth allows a woman the chance to connect with the courage and strength of all of the women who have gone before her in birthing and mothering. What an incredible blessing and honor it is for me to be working with women as they prepare for such an awe-inspiring event in their lives! It makes my heart sing.

A Natural Way to Induce Labor.... "Walk It Out"

2010-09-22T04:59:00.000-07:00

"Our midwife told us that if we wanted to induce labor, we should try to "walk out" the baby"....

I'm a Breastfeeding Celebrity!

2010-09-17T04:28:00.000-07:00

When Ruby was just 6 weeks old, we had an opportunity to participate in a photo shoot for WIC to promote breastfeeding, which had it's NY state offices near where we were living. Several of my nursing mama friends at the time also posed with their babies and children of varying ages and we all got to feel like super models for the day. The photographer ended up calling me back because Ruby was a marathon nurser and had no problem staying latched on for the entire hour and half that it took to get several good shots! And that's how we ended up with out pictures all across the state!! I had completely forgotten about the photos when out of nowhere, 3 YEARS LATER, we were driving down the street and I spotted two huge bus stop advertisements - with me and baby Ruby on them!! Our sweet nursing moments caught on camera are now being used for a state-wide breastfeeding awareness campaign, as well as in all of WIC's handouts for nursing moms.

Check us out:

Healthy Foods for Mom Brochure

Gift of Breastfeeding Poster

And, just to summarize why this is a big deal to me, here is a facebook post I wrote a few days ago when a friend suggested that someday Ruby might be embarassed by these pictures:

Ruby will not ever, ever be embarrassed of these pictures, not if I have anything to do with it. In fact, I am sure that she will look at these photos some day and think about how wonderful it was that I literally gave my blood, sweat and tears, my effort, devotion and time to nourish and nurture her in the way God designed me to; but also that I was passionate about creating a world where other mothers could do that for their babies as well, without fear of public embarrassment or shame. I faced seemingly insurmountable odds to breastfeed Ruby but because of my perseverance and the support of other mothers I nursed her for 26 precious months. And I am raising her to value and cherish the nursing bond that we share. She already shows me that she understands that when she "nurses" her baby dolls.

I am damn proud to be on those billboards. I know she will be, too.

Whip 'Em Out

2010-08-20T16:19:00.000-07:00

Scrumptious, Delicious and Nutritious Soaked Muffins

2010-08-17T15:13:00.000-07:00

I seriously can't get enough of these muffins!! This recipe (which is just a basic recipe that you adapt to your preferences) makes incredibly delicious and nutrient dense snack and breakfast muffins. The key is that you SOAK your grains (flour and oats) over night before baking day, which breaks down the phytic acid. Phytates are present in all grains that we eat. It binds with the minerals in the rest of our diet and drags it right out of our bodies - meaning we don't get the necessary nutrients we need! These muffins are also made with many nourishing ingredients - whole milk (preferably raw), pastured eggs, ground flax seed, natural sweeteners and whatever yummy stir-ins you might want to add (like antioxidant-rich berries or dark chocolate and cacao nibs, for example). I'm drooling already, are you??

Here's your ingredient list:

1 and 1/2 cup of whole wheat Flour (I've tried also tried Spelt and buckwheat for lower Gluten content with good results)

1 Cup of Old Fashioned Oats
2 tablespoons of Apple Cider Vineager or Lemon Juice
1 Cup of Whole Milk
2 Eggs
3/4 cup of natural sweetener of choice - my favorite is Sucanat. Try Rapadura, Raw Cane Sugar, etc
2 tbs of ground flax seeds (optional)
1 tsp of vanilla
1/2 cup of Coconut Oil or Butter (bonus points if you use half and half of each -absolute baking genius!!)
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup to 1 cup of add-ins of your choice (see below)

The night before baking (or a minimum of 8 hours before), mix flour, oats, milk and acid of your choice- ACV or lemon juice. Yes, you can leave the milk out overnight when mixed with the acid. It won't kill you, I promise. Stir well until it forms a pasty goop texture, cover with a kitchen towel and set aside on counter or put in fridge.

The next morning, add remaining ingredients... The soaked grains will be very thick and pasty and will need lots of stirring to incorporate with other ingredients. Melt butter/coconut oil before adding. Grease baking tins. Sprinkle tops with chunky raw sugar before baking... yummy!!Bake at 375 for 22-24 minutes. They will not puff up a ton like regular muffins- they are more dense, dumpling-like goodness.

Possible add-ins:

Ginger, cinnamon, raisins
Dried coconut
Chopped apple, raisins
Blueberries
Any kind of berries mixed with chocolate powder
Cacao nibs and raspberries
Nuts, dried fruit, anything!!! Get creative!!! These are SOOOOO good!

Here is the recipe that inspired my own:
Basic Soaked Muffin Recipe with Video Tutorial from Gnowfglins

Free Download-able "Thank You" Cards for Nursing Mamas!

2010-08-17T13:58:00.000-07:00

In a day and age when nursing a baby in public can land you in the news, it is nice to see that there is a movement to make the most natural of acts more socially "acceptable". Visit the link below, and print up some of these beauties - little encouraging cards to give to a mama who isn't afraid to nurse her baby in public. Next time you see a lovely live action Madonna and Child, grab one of these cards and tell her that what she is doing is important! Now, that's sure to be a conversation starter!!!

http://kindovermatter.blogspot.com/2009/05/thank-you-for-nursing-in-public.html

Sending a Little Inspiration Your Way....

2010-08-06T17:33:00.000-07:00

Oh, Mothers of young children, I bow before you in reverence. Your work is most holy. You are fashioning the destinies of immortal souls. The powers folded up in the little ones that you hushed to sleep in your bosoms last night, are powers that shall exist forever. You are preparing them for their immortal destiny and influence. Be faithful. Take up your sacred burden reverently. Be sure that your life is sweet and clean.

-JR Miller

Homemade Yogurt

2010-04-07T17:37:00.000-07:00

I'm not going to reinvent the wheel here and post a tutorial on how to make your own homemade yogurt, when there are already some fabulous guides already available online. I would however love to encourage ya'll to give it a whirl and share my experience with some tips and tricks. There is nothing that you can pull off a grocery store shelf that compares to fresh, homemade yogurt. Nothing! Homemade yogurt is healthier, much less expensive and better tasting! Making your own yogurt gives you control of the quality of ingredients (your choice of milk and starter cultures) and additional toppings. There are many ways you can make yogurt, either with a machine or creating your own system for controlling the temperature.

Here are some of my tips and tricks:

*I've used several types of "starter" - the fresh and active cultures that turns milk into yogurt. There are powdered varieties, or you can use any commercial plain yogurt. You can even use 1/2 cup of yogurt from your last homemade batch, but I have always found that the yogurt that produces is runnier than I like because the cultures aren't fresh enough. By far, my favorite results come from using a full cup of fresh commercial greek style yogurt, like Oikos by Stoneyfield. Makes a delicious and thick, protein packed yogurt!

*I add 1/2 to 1 cup of powdered milk to my yogurt mix before I culture it. This adds protein and also helps thicken the end results. I like a thick and creamy texture rather than runny or drippy.

*After several attempts to make yogurt in old fashioned mason jars while maintaining the temp in my crockpot, I "splurged" on one of the most affordable yogurt machines on the market and I have been thrilled with the results! While it is nice to have small individual portions, I do miss having a full quart made all at once in one container. There are models of machines that make a quart sized container. My Yogurt Machine

*I am now enjoying the benefits and delights of Coconut Milk in my yogurt!! Coconut milk is full of healthy fats and Lauric Acid. Don't let anyone tell you that it's unhealthy or "fattening"! I substitute about two cups of the whole milk with a can of coconut milk, and follow the same process as regular yogurt.

*Most recipes will tell you to culture your yogurt for about 8 hours. However, according to food researcher Amanda Rose, if you stretch your culturing time to 16 hours, the amount of B-12 increases about four-fold and the folic acid content increases fourteen fold!! I have had a few batches taste a little too sour for my taste after that long, but I am very happy with about a 12-14 hour wait.

* To make a Greek style yogurt, simply strain your finished plain yogurt through cheesecloth or a coffee filter and set aside the liquid whey for other healthy recipes!

*Get creative with your toppings and flavors. I am just getting started with different flavors and add-ins. Some of my favorites are: raw honey, homemade granola, vanilla extract, almond extract, elderberry syrup, cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice, maple syrup, chopped nuts, dried fruit, fresh fruit, pureed fruits, frozen berries.... you name it!!

Check out these online tutorials and recipes:

www.makeyourownyogurt.com
Make Yogurt in Your Crockpot
Planet Green's Guide to Homemade Yogurt Youtube Video Tutorial

Eat up and enjoy!!

Teething Wisdom

2010-03-28T17:20:00.000-07:00

Would you believe this happy little guy of mine is teething? Just a week ago he was cringing in pain with swollen gums as his top two teeth made their debut. My poor baby!! Clay seemed to be exibiting those classic signs of teething at about 5 months old - the drooling, slobbering, knawing-on-nuckles, nursing non-stop and the "mama-hold-me-and-make-it-better" general misery. His first bottom teeth came through at about 6 1/2 months and now he's working on the top. For a week his gums we so swollen they looked bruised and blue. I can't imagine the pain! My first, Ruby, seemed to get her teeth without even noticing, so I was unprepared this time around. Of course I want to help my babies with as little medication as possible and I am open to trying anything that is safe and time-tested. Naturally, I turned to the wisdom of my fellow Sage Femme mamas - I polled my Facebook friends, fellow doulas and even mothers from the generations before us! Here are some suggestions I've gathered as well as some general guidelines on how to help your babe get through teething safely and naturally.

Some of you may remember my giveaway a few weeks ago with Inspired by Finn. They sell beautiful Baltic Amber jewelry and specialize in amber teething necklaces for babies and toddlers. The giveaway is now closed, but remember that all of my readers are eligible for a 20% discount when you enter the code "Blog68" at checkout. I just got Clay's necklace ("maple syrup" colored) and he has word it 24/7 since it arrived in the mail. I think it has helped tremendously! He is his usual cheerful self again after a nightmare week of teething. My hubby isn't a huge fan of his boy wearing a necklace but I think it's adorable and say, "oh get over it - whatever works, works!"

Mesh feeders have been a life-saver for many moms. This relatively new invention allows a baby to try new fruits or vegetables in their purest form without the risk of choking. Many moms recommended filling one with frozen fruit or vegetables (or how about frozen ice cubes of breastmilk?) for a teething baby to knaw on for comfort. This is a great idea and will keep an older baby content for quite awhile! However, if you have an early teether who can't sit up yet or doesn't have the eye-hand coordination to hold the feeder in their mouth, you may need to offer some more assistance.

When choosing a "teether" for your baby, be sure to choose from the many non-toxic options that are becoming available these days. Those old plastic key rings we all grew up on were loaded with dangerous chemicals and plastic stabilizers. Look for products that are free of BPA, PVC and Phalates.Here are two cute examples - Sohie the Giraffe, made by Vulli, is made of all safe rubber materials and is soft and liable and lots of fun for babies to chew on! These beautiful maple teething rings are smooth hardwood perfect for babies to cut teeth on, and free of any toxic varnish or paints. Safe Mama has an excellent list of teethers that are toxin-free on their website. Of course, a cold washcloth soaked in water or juice and frozen bagels are also popular choices, too!

I cannot personally vouch for Gum-omile yet because I haven't tried it. It is a natural, herb-based product used to rub on sore gums, like mainstream Orajel. The main ingredient is soothing chamomile. Some of my friends swear by it!!

For years I have used Bach's flower essences, mainly Rescue Remedy, for a host of different ailments and in stressful moments. As a doula, I use Rescue Remedy for laboring moms when pain or anxiety overtakes them. I've discovered that it works well for teething babies, too! Many friends suggested the old fashioned remedy of a drop of rum or brandy or even vanilla extract - alcohol - to rub on baby's sore gums. Rescue Remedy is a homeopathic mixture in an alcohol base and works very well rubbed on the gums, but has the additional benefits of calming homeopathic flower essences as well as the alcohol. Mamas can take some too, when baby has been up all night screaming! Good stuff!

One of my trusted remedies for teething pain is Hyland's Homeopathic Teething Tablets. It is especially helpful for those wakeful, restless and irritable moments in the middle of the night. The main ingredient is homeopathic chamomile.

********

I hope you've found some of these suggestions helpful! Do chime in in the comments section if you have any other tips and tricks! Now go enjoy those adorable, snaggle-toothed, slobbery sweethearts of yours!

Songs From My Heart...

2010-03-22T09:06:00.000-07:00

Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life. ~ Red Auerbach

I'm taking a little detour from my usual banter about birth, babies, and mothering to share some recordings I made with my husband this winter. It seems we've both rekindled our passion for making music together as a team, and it began when we started working on some recordings for a Christmas project. These recordings are super simple, recorded quietly in our basement family room while our daughter Ruby slept upstairs and while Clay, just a newborn, sat in my lap or nursed. (You can hear him making his musical contributions occasionally) Just wanted to share!

River by Joni Mitchell

Into the Mystic by Van Morrison

All My Tears by Emmylou Harris

Jesus Savior Pilot Me

Old Pictures by the Judds

Goodnight My Baby by the Kingston Trio (a childhood christmas favorite!)

Enjoy!

Nursing on the Job

2010-03-15T05:59:00.000-07:00

Roselle Park councilwoman nurses baby at meetings so other mothers can too

By Eliot Caroom/For the Star-Ledger

March 14, 2010, 6:12AM

Eliot Caroom/New Jersey Local News ServiceRoselle Park Councilwoman Larissa Chen-Hoerning, with her newborn son, Enzo, discusses an ordinance with Councilman Modesto Miranda at a council meeting earlier this month.
ROSELLE PARK -- The strongest public statement at this month’s Roselle Park council meeting was never entered into the minutes.
Near the end of the meeting, 3rd Ward Councilwoman Larissa Chen-Hoerning brought her 6-week-old son, Enzo, onto the dais with her and began to breastfeed him while the council debated an ordinance regulating overnight truck parking on borough streets.
Chen-Hoerning said that she doesn’t think the act of nursing her baby, discreetly shielded from view by the desk in front of her, should be stigmatized as dirty or shameful.
“I want to help women say ‘Someone else is out there breastfeeding, and maybe it’s OK to do,’” Chen-Hoerning said last week.
Mothers in the United States often face complaints when they nurse in public places like restaurants or stores, according to La Leche League International spokeswoman Loretta McCallister. Over the past few years, a woman was kicked off an airplane for breastfeeding her child, and after Facebook removed photos of a mother and her baby, a petition sprang up on the social network titled “Hey Facebook, breastfeeding is not obscene!”
But McCallister said despite all of the grassroots support, she has never heard of an elected official like Chen-Hoerning breastfeeding her baby while conducting official business at a public meeting.
The Roselle Park councilwoman is not new to advocating for nursing mothers.
Last summer, at the behest of a then-pregnant Chen-Hoerning, Mayor Joseph DeIorio proclaimed August “Breastfeeding Awareness Month” in the borough.
On several occasions since his birth in January, Enzo has dropped into Roselle Park council meetings for a snack. No one on either side of the dais has batted an eye.
“I was telling someone about it the other day, and they said, ‘Do you nurse on camera?’ and I was like, ‘Well, yeah,’” Chen-Hoerning said.
After the meeting, resident Eugene Meola said the baby was so quiet he hadn’t even noticed him during the meeting. Other residents, Chen-Hoerning said, have expressed their support for her. Former councilman Jacob Magiera, who attends many borough meetings, said last week the councilwoman is modest and perfectly within her rights.
“If other council members don’t object to it, she’s entitled to do what she wants to do,” said Magiera. “If that’s her forte, God bless her.”

Cloth Diapering 101... Part 1: Do Your Homework

2010-03-06T18:30:00.000-08:00

So, you think you wanna cloth diaper, eh? Let me guess, you caught wind of the trend of returning to reusable cloth diapers instead of disposables. You want to save money; you'd like to try "going green". So being curious and open-minded, you tried a Google search to learn more. And when you saw about 2 billion websites on the subject and the hundreds of options and styles that are available now, you ran away from your computer screaming, "But I thought they were just squares of cloth and plastic pants!!! There are too many choices!! Somebody help me!!!!!" OR perhaps you have looked into cloth diapering your baby a bit, but have met with only sharp criticism from well-meaning friends and family who say, "Why would you volunteer to do that? It's too much work!" or "My grandmother cloth diapered her kids and had to boil the diapers on the stove - Gross!" or "I bet you don't really save any money when you consider the electricity and water to wash them." ........
     What you need, my dear, is a friend. An experienced mama to come alongside you and show you the way. It's not that hard. Cloth Diapering is simple (once you choose your diapers and settle into a routine), frugal, definitely "green" and even FUN!
   In the coming days/weeks, I will be posting a series of guides to cloth diapering. I used cloth part-time with my first baby and now full time with my son and have helped countless doula clients and new mama friends navigate their way through Modern Cloth Diaper Territory. This Cloth Diapering 101 series will include:

Part 1 - Do Your Homework - a brief intro and some resources to get you started
Part 2 - Ten things to Know
Part 3 - Laundry Day! Everything you need to know about caring for and laundering diapers

DO YOUR HOMEWORK

Instead of reinventing the wheel and writing a complete list of the reasons why and how to choose cloth diapers, I just want to point you in the right direction. There are some fabulous resources out there, and that's where I recommend getting started.

1. Research the "Whys" and decide if the benefits of cloth diapering are enough to convince you that an extra one or two loads of laundry a week are worth it. Examine the cost savings, environmental impact and health benefits.

2. Research the "Hows" of cloth diapering by learning about your style choices - there are sooo many brands o choose from and many different features, but only really a handful or different styles. My friend Christine, a WAHM who runs Essential Saltes Baby diapers breaks it all down for you in the best graphic depiction of the choices available that I've seen. Check out her "How to Get Started" guide.

www.diaperpin.com is a great resource for articles on all topics pertaining to cloth diapering and thousands of product reviews by experienced mamas and papas.

www.diaperswappers.com is an online forum that invites users to chat about diapering and buy, sell and trade gently used diapers. An excellent way to learn more and make some frugal investments!

www.jilliansdrawers.com is an online boutique (as well as a brick and mortar shop that you can visit, if you are lucky enough to be near Ithaca, NY) that offers a fantastic cloth diapering TRIAL package. For very little financial investment, they will send you enough diapers in a variety of styles to try for one month. You can send back what you don't want and stick with the brands you like best. How cool is that??

Be sure to check back soon for the next installment of Cloth Diapering 101!!

Consignment Shopping - Frugal and Green!

2010-03-04T11:41:00.000-08:00

All the cool Mamas and Papas know that when it comes to being Frugal and Green, consignment shopping is where it's at. Why buy expensive, new clothing for your baby when he or she will only grow out of it before you even get the tags off? If you have a keen eye you can shop thriftily and still dress your baby in the best of the best. There's a popular trend these days in seasonal flea-market sized kid's consignment sales, where you can find nearly everything you will need for your little one's wardrobe and nursery gear. When you begin your spring cleaning and start weeding out Junior's closet, you may even find a few items that can be sold at a consignment sale to earn back a few precious pennies. (Of course, donating to charity or passing down hand-me-downs is also highly encouraged by Sage Femme Mama!)

I am thrilled to see that baby consignment sales have made their way to Central New York. I love the thrill of the hunt. I'm not a name-brand-name-dropper but I do just love when someone comments on my kiddo's cute Gymboree or Baby Gap outfit and I can proclaim, "I found that at a consignment sale for $2!!" And don't even get me started on garage sales (Mommy Crack!!)...

Sweet Little Repeats brings you a great way to Buy, Sell & Shop for New and Gently Used, high quality children’s clothes, toys and gear.
At Sweet Little Repeats, you will find items in “Like New” Condition!
This is also a great way to Recycle the Items your Children have outgrown and Earn Money for them!

Come shop and be sure to bring your friends for great deals!

Please go to www.sweetlittlerepeats.com to register to consign or volunteer!

Locations: East Area Family YMCA, Fayetteville, NY: sale dates: April 9th-11th
&
North Area Family YMCA, Liverpool, NY: sale dates April 30th-May 2nd

If you live in the Capital Region of New York State, you must check out the monstrous consignment sale called Pass it On. This baby and kids sale has grown so much in the past few years that the consignment items fill an entire indoor field house to bursting at the seams. Expect long lines, fussy toddlers but AMAZING deals.

Pass It On Children's Consignment Sale

New and Gently Worn Children's Items at Bargain Prices!

March 16-20 (Our 16th Sale!!!!)

Over 20,000 Sq. Ft. FILLED! 525 Consignors !

Be sure to keep an eye out for consignment sales that may be coming your way this spring... Happy Hunting!!

"Nipplephobia" and Nursing Covers - Part 2

2010-02-18T17:50:00.000-08:00

   Okay, okay.... so I just rambled on and on about how we nursing mamas need to stop using nursing covers in the company of other women and bravely bring breastfeeding back into the norm in this country (read it here). BUT... sewing your own nursing cover is such a simple, easy sewing project that I just can't stop myself from sharing the online tutorial with ya'll! Why spend nearly $40 when you can make one for well under $15 (depending on the cost of your fabric, it could cost as little as $4!) Now, the downside to these things is that eventually your sweet little nursling will become curious about the colorful toy you keep draping over his or her head, and he will start yanking it around and making being discreet more difficult.
    If you aren't motivated to sew OR you just want to try out a different design that is really fabulous, check out my friend Juliane's beautiful nursing ponchos on Etsy at Wind in the Trees.
     Here is a simple online tutorial for you to follow. So EASY! :)

"Nipplephobia" and Nursing Covers - Part 1

2010-02-18T17:33:00.000-08:00

So, I have found my self in quite a little dilemma lately. I have been sewing nursing covers (ala Hooter Hiders) for my baby shower gifts since my interest in sewing started about a year ago. It is such a simple and easy project that takes only about 15 minutes. It was one of the first projects I taught myself to make. The problem is..... I sort of wish we didn't need them!
Now, let me first say that I think these creations (basically an apron of fabric that drapes over mother and baby while nursing in lieu of a blanket that may slip off or be too heavy) are fabulously useful.... at the right place and at the right time. Many mothers are simply not comfortable nursing in public, or maybe choose to wear a nursing cover when male guests are around. Mine sure comes in handy when my father-in-law or husband's friends are visiting! I am a fan of anything the will encourage a mother to confidently nurse and care for her baby regardless of her whereabouts. When I see a mother sitting in public using her nursing cover, I am reminded that she is one less woman sitting in a dirty bathroom stall trying to feed her baby.

    What BOTHERS me is when I see women wearing a nursing cover in the sole company of other women. I have witnessed moms donning their nursing covers at playgroups, baby showers and even in the private nursing room at my church. Has nursing really become that taboo? Are we so unaccustomed to the sight of a child at her mother's breast that even in circles of women, mothers feel a need to cover up? I understand and respect modesty, but I think this takes it too far. if we are going to see breastfeeding become the norm and standard for how we care for our children, breastfeeding needs to be SEEN. We see more breast exposure in a Victoria Secret advertisement than we ever do from a nursing mother. Breasts have been so sexualized that we've forgotten the precious purpose God created them for.
    Famed Midwife Ina May Gaskin recently published THE BEST book on breastfeeding I have read (and I've read them all), Ina May's Guide to Breastfeeding. Not only is it a great resource for new moms learning the art of nursing, it also includes an entire chapter on "Nipplephobia" - her term for our culture's distaste for public nursing - and her thoughts on how we can turn the tide. She believes that bring breastfeeding back into the norm starts with women seeing other women nursing!
     I feel fortunate to have been the oldest child in my family and to have witnessed my own mother's nurturing way or nursing my younger siblings. All of the women in my extended family breastfed their children. My mother's friends nursed their babies on playdates at my house. I nursed my baby dolls. Breastfeeding was the norm. Perhaps that's part of the reason why I have nursed my children with such confidence and conviction (in spite of a lot of difficult roadblocks which I will be sure to share with you some day). When Ruby was a baby, we even participated in a "Nurse-in" to demonstrate a woman's right to nurse her baby anytime, anywhere. Now Ruby nurses her baby dolls while she watches me nurse her brother. She is growing up with breastfeeding being the norm. And even though I am making nursing covers for my friends and even though I may occasionally find a situation that requires me to use my own, I will continue to nurse uncovered (still discreetly) when I am amongst women. Who knows? - I may be the first exposure a young woman may have to nursing, and maybe one day, when she is ready to have her own babies... she'll remember. :)

Apparently, this kind of exposure is "OK"... but a nursing breast isn't?

A Beautiful mama and baby pair... nursing naturally and discreetly without a cover.

Not much to see here - except for a sweet gaze shared between mama and baby!

An intimate moment.

Nursing on the go! Anytime, Anywhere.

In good company.

Maria Lactans - JESUS WAS BREASTFED. And I don't think Mary wore a Hooter Hider.

A Wake Up Story

2010-02-18T12:23:00.001-08:00

Baltic Amber Teething Necklace GIVEAWAY

2010-02-17T11:53:00.000-08:00

There's nothing quite like holding your baby through the first rough night of teething! Though you'll hear a lot of unsolicited advice on ways to tame the teething tears, there's not a whole lot that you can do - or so I thought. I'm not the type of mom to whip out the infant tylenol or orajel at the first whimper- I prefer safe and natural and less invasive home remedies. The more I hear about Amber Teething Necklaces, the more I am convinced that they are a worthwhile investment for your little ones! I know so many parents who swear by these necklaces for soothing the aches and pains of teething. And the parents who are unsure of the benefits are at least thrilled with how cute their little ones look wearing one! Inspired by Finn is a company that makes these sweet necklaces by hand. Each stone is knotted onto a silk thread to prevent choking hazards. And let me be clear - these necklaces aren't for baby to actually teeth or chew on - it is a special property in the amber that when worn against the skin, helps soothe and comfort during teething. Inspired by Finn explains the benefits of Baltic Amber here:

Among other things, amber is a natural analgesic (pain reliever) and anti-inflammatory. When amber is worn on the skin, the warmth of the skin releases trace amounts of healing oils on the skin. Commonly known as "teething jewelry," baltic amber has been a natural and traditional European remedy for teething discomfort for hundreds of years. To read more about the many benefits of baltic amber, click here http://hyenacart.com/inspiredbyfinn/index.php?c=64&p=14913

I am thrilled that my friends from Inspired by Finn have an incredible offer for my readers!! One lucky reader will win a free teething necklace under 16 inches of their choice and ALL of my readers are eligible for a 20% discount when you enter the code "Blog68" at checkout.

There are several ways to enter this giveaway. First, go to Inspired By Finn and look around. Come back here and simply leave a comment here and tell me who the wee one is that you'd like to win this for, and what color you'd choose. That is your first and mandatory entry. Be sure to leave me your email address!

For additional entries, leave me a comment here for any of these actions:

1.Follow/subscribe to my blog via Google
2. Follow me on Twitter here
3. Tweet this giveaway and leave me the url in a comment. (2 entry points!!)
4. Leave me a comment telling me what other kinds of giveaways you'd like to see here.

I will read all comments, promise!! The giveaway will close by Wednesday, February 24th and a winner will be announced the following day. Hooray for my very first giveaway at Sage Femme Mama!

There's Still Snowy Weather Ahead... Make a Babywearing Coat!!

2010-02-17T06:24:00.000-08:00

This post may be unforgiveably late in the winter season, but since I live in the northeast where there is still plenty of cold weather left (ughhh!!!) I thought it would still be worth posting! I made this very simple, very useful coat last winter and used it for Ruby for all of our neighborhood walks outdoors. Once my babies get over 6 months I find it much easier to wear them on my back because the weight is so much easier to bear. As an avid babywearer, I'm not about to let cold weather stop me! Putting Clay on my back inside this cozy coat is so much better, warmer, easier, etc. than dragging the stroller around in snow!
I am a beginning seamstress without a lot of sewing chops, and I can guarantee that ANYBODY could do this simple project. I was nervous about hacking up a good winter coat so i found this one (ugly as it is) for only $4 at Salvation Army. I used scraps of fleece from an old blanket instead of buying new fabric, amking the cost of this babywearing coat about $5!! (You can find them in specialty online stores retailing for $50 or more!) Frugal and useful!! :) I followed this tutorial and made it up as I went along when necessary. SO EASY!!

Feeding Picky Toddlers - Great Advice from Dr. Sears

2010-02-16T14:18:00.000-08:00

Alright, so this post is not much more than copy and paste, but I love this advice so much I thought it was worth passing on! To those of you who might not be as familiar with Dr. Sears, he is the head of the Attatchment Parenting movement. He is a pediatrician and his wife is a La Leche League Leader and nurse and their two grown sons are pediatricians with celeb-status. Regardless of where you stand on their attatchment parenting style, this advice is excellent for feeding a picky toddler! I just re-read it and was re-inspired to make sure Ruby is eating well always!! Enjoy!

FEEDING TODDLERS: 17 TIPS FOR PLEASING THE PICKY EATER

When our first few children were toddlers, we dreaded dinnertime. We would prepare all kinds of sensible meals composed of what we thought were healthy, appealing foods. Most of these offerings would end up splattering the high-chair tray and carpeting the floor. To make matters worse, we took our kids' rejection of our cuisine personally, sure that this was a sign of parental lapse on our part. What was wrong? Why were these kids such picky eaters?
Why toddlers are picky. Being a picky eater is part of what it means to be a toddler. We have since learned that there are developmental reasons why kids between one and three years of age peck and poke at their food. After a year of rapid growth (the average one-year-old has tripled her birth weight), toddlers gain weight more slowly. So, of course, they need less food. The fact that these little ones are always on the go also affects their eating patterns. They don't sit still for anything, even food. Snacking their way through the day is more compatible with these busy explorers' lifestyle than sitting down to a full-fledged feast.
Learning this helped us relax. We now realize that our job is simply to buy the right food, prepare it nutritiously (steamed rather than boiled, baked rather than fried), and serve it creatively. We leave the rest up to the kids. How much they eat, when they eat, and if they eat is mostly their responsibility; we've learned to take neither the credit nor the blame.
Toddlers like to binge on one food at a time. They may eat only fruits one day, and vegetables the next. Since erratic eating habits are as normal as toddler mood swings, expect your child to eat well one day and eat practically nothing the next. Toddlers from one to three years need between 1,000 and 1,300 calories a day, yet they may not eat this amount every day. Aim for a nutritionally-balanced week, not a balanced day.
All this is not to say that parents shouldn't encourage their toddlers to eat well and develop healthy food habits. Based on our hands-on experience with eight children, we've developed 17 tactics to tempt little taste buds and minimize mealtime hassles.
1. Offer a nibble tray. Toddlers like to graze their way through a variety of foods, so why not offer them a customized smorgasbord? The first tip from the Sears' kitchen is to offer toddlers a nibble tray. Use an ice-cube tray, a muffin tin, or a compartmentalized dish, and put bite-size portions of colorful and nutritious foods in each section. Call these finger foods playful names that a two-year-old can appreciate, such as:

apple moons (thinly sliced)
avocado boats (a quarter of an avocado)
banana wheels
broccoli trees (steamed broccoli florets)
carrot swords (cooked and thinly sliced)
cheese building blocks
egg canoes (hard- boiled egg wedges)
little O's (o-shaped cereal)

Place the food on an easy-to-reach table. As your toddler makes his rounds through the house, he can stop, sit down, nibble a bit, and, when he's done, continue on his way. These foods have a table-life of an hour or two.

NUTRITIP: Good Grazing – Good Behavior
A child's demeanor often parallels her eating patterns. Parents often notice that a toddler's behavior deteriorates toward the end of the morning or mid-afternoon. Notice the connection? Behavior is at its worst the longer they go without food. Grazing minimizes blood-sugar swings and lessens the resulting undesirable behavior.

2. Dip it. Young children think that immersing foods in a tasty dip is pure fun (and delightfully messy). Some possibilities to dip into:

cottage cheese or tofu dip
cream cheese
fruit juice-sweetened preserves
guacamole
peanut butter, thinly spread
pureed fruits or vegetables
yogurt, plain or sweetened with juice concentrate

Those dips serve equally well as spreads on apple or pear slices, bell-pepper strips, rice cakes, bagels, toast, or other nutritious platforms.
3. Spread it. Toddlers like spreading, or more accurately, smearing. Show them how to use a table knife to spread cheese, peanut butter, and fruit concentrate onto crackers, toast, or rice cakes.
4. Top it. Toddlers are into toppings. Putting nutritious, familiar favorites on top of new and less-desirable foods is a way to broaden the finicky toddler's menu. Favorite toppings are yogurt, cream cheese, melted cheese, guacamole, tomato sauce, applesauce, and peanut butter.
5. Drink it. If your youngster would rather drink than eat, don't despair. Make a smoothie – together. Milk and fruit – along with supplements such as juice, egg powder, wheat germ, yogurt, honey, and peanut butter – can be the basis of very healthy meals. So what if they are consumed through a straw? One note of caution: Avoid any drinks with raw eggs or you'll risk salmonella poisoning.
6. Cut it up. How much a child will eat often depends on how you cut it. Cut sandwiches, pancakes, waffles, and pizza into various shapes using cookie cutters.
7. Package it. Appearance is important. For something new and different, why not use your child's own toy plates for dishing out a snack? Our kids enjoy the unexpected and fanciful when it comes to serving dishes – anything from plastic measuring cups to ice-cream cones.
You can also try the scaled-down approach. Either serve pint-size portions or, when they're available, buy munchkin-size foodstuffs, such as mini bagels, mini quiches, chicken drummettes (the meat part of the wing), and tiny muffins.
8. Become a veggie vendor. I must have heard, "Doctor, he won't eat his vegetables" a thousand times. Yet, the child keeps right on growing. Vegetables require some creative marketing, as they seem to be the most contested food in households with young children. How much vegetables do toddlers need? Although kids should be offered three to five servings of veggies a day, for children under five, each serving need be only a tablespoon for each year of age. In other words, a two- year-old should ideally consume two tablespoons of vegetables three to five times a day. So if you aren't the proud parent of a veggie lover, try the following tricks:

Plant a garden with your child. Let her help care for the plants, harvest the ripe vegetables, and wash and prepare them. She will probably be much more interested in eating what she has helped to grow.
Slip grated or diced vegetables into favorite foods. Try adding them to rice, cottage cheese, cream cheese, guacamole, or even macaroni and cheese. Zucchini pancakes are a big hit at our house, as are carrot muffins.
Camouflage vegetables with a favorite sauce.
Use vegetables as finger foods and dip them in a favorite sauce or dip.
Using a small cookie cutter, cut the vegetables into interesting shapes.
Steam your greens. They are much more flavorful and usually sweeter than when raw.
Make veggie art . Create colorful faces with olive- slice eyes, tomato ears, mushroom noses, bell-pepper mustaches, and any other playful features you can think of. Our eighth child, Lauren, loved to put olives on the tip of each finger. "Olive fingers" would then nibble this nutritious and nutrient-dense food off her fingertips. Zucchini pancakes make a terrific face to which you can add pea eyes, a carrot nose, and cheese hair.
Concoct creative camouflages. There are all kinds of possible variations on the old standby "cheese in the trees" (cheese melted on steamed broccoli florets). Or, you can all enjoy the pleasure of veggies topped with peanut- butter sauce, a specialty of Asian cuisines.

9. Share it. If your child is going through a picky-eater stage, invite over a friend who is the same age or slightly older whom you know "likes to eat." Your child will catch on. Group feeding lets the other kids set the example.
10. Respect tiny tummies. Keep food servings small. Wondering how much to offer? Here's a rule of thumb – or, rather, of hand. A young child's stomach is approximately the size of his fist. So dole out small portions at first and refill the plate when your child asks for more. This less-is-more meal plan is not only more successful with picky eaters, it also has the added benefit of stabilizing blood-sugar levels, which in turn minimizes mood swings. As most parents know, a hungry kid is generally not a happy kid.
Use what we call "the bite rule" to encourage the reluctant eater: "Take one bite, two bites…" (how ever far you think you can push it without force-feeding). The bite rule at least gets your child to taste a new food, while giving her some control over the feeding. As much as you possibly can, let your child – and his appetite – set the pace for meals. But if you want your child to eat dinner at the same time you do, try to time his snack-meals so that they are at least two hours before dinner.
11. Make it accessible. Give your toddler shelf space. Reserve a low shelf in the refrigerator for a variety of your toddler's favorite (nutritious) foods and drinks. Whenever she wants a snack, open the door for her and let her choose one. This tactic also enables children to eat when they are hungry, an important step in acquiring a healthy attitude about food.
12. Use sit-still strategies. One reason why toddlers don't like to sit still at the family table is that their feet dangle. Try sitting on a stool while eating. You naturally begin to squirm and want to get up and move around. Children are likely to sit and eat longer at a child-size table and chair where their feet touch the ground.
13. Turn meals upside down. The distinctions between breakfast, lunch, and dinner have little meaning to a child. If your youngster insists on eating pizza in the morning or fruit and cereal in the evening, go with it – better than her not eating at all. This is not to say that you should become a short-order cook, filling lots of special requests, but why not let your toddler set the menu sometimes? Other family members will probably enjoy the novelty of waffles and hash browns for dinner.
14. Let them cook. Children are more likely to eat their own creations, so, when appropriate, let your child help prepare the food. Use cookie cutters to create edible designs out of foods like cheese, bread, thin meat slices, or cooked lasagna noodles. Give your assistant such jobs as tearing and washing lettuce, scrubbing potatoes, or stirring batter. Put pancake batter in a squeeze bottle and let your child supervise as you squeeze the batter onto the hot griddle in fun shapes, such as hearts, numbers, letters, or even spell the child's name.
15. Make every calorie count. Offer your child foods that pack lots of nutrition into small doses. This is particularly important for toddlers who are often as active as rabbits, but who seem to eat like mice.
Nutrient-dense foods that most children are willing to eat include:

Avocados
Pasta
Broccoli
Peanut butter
Brown rice and other grains
Potatoes
Cheese
Poultry
Eggs
Squash
Fish
Sweet potatoes
Kidney beans
Tofu
Yogurt

16. Count on inconsistency. For young children, what and how much they are willing to eat may vary daily. This capriciousness is due in large part to their ambivalence about independence, and eating is an area where they can act out this confusion. So don't be surprised if your child eats a heaping plateful of food one day and practically nothing the next, adores broccoli on Tuesday and refuses it on Thursday, wants to feed herself at one meal and be totally catered to at another. As a parent in our practice said, "The only thing consistent about toddler feeding is inconsistency." Try to simply roll with these mood swings, and don't take them personally.
17. Relax. Sometime between her second and third birthday, you can expect your child to become set in her ideas on just about everything – including the way food is prepared. Expect food fixations . If the peanut butter must be on top of the jelly and you put the jelly on top of the peanut butter, be prepared for a protest. It's not easy to reason with an opinionated two-year-old. Better to learn to make the sandwich the child's way. Don't interpret this as being stubborn. Toddlers have a mindset about the order of things in their world. Any alternative is unacceptable. This is a passing stage.
(For more information see: ABC's of Teaching Nutrition to Kids)

FREE Subscription for parents to Education Revolution Magazine

2010-02-16T04:05:00.000-08:00

When I was pregnant with Ruby, my husband and I began having long discussions about the life we wanted to provide her with and the education we would seek out for her in her early years. Would she go to public school (as we did)? Private school? An alternative school.... or maybe even homeschool? if we homeschooled, would we follow a traditional method or would we be radical unschoolers? There is a lot to think about! Our doula's husband, Chris Mercogliano, is a mover and shaker in the alternative education movement, and we were inspired by his books as well as a conference we attended that featured author John Taylor Gatto. We still have a few years left to decide the course of our children's education (or rather, let them lead the way...) but we are leaning towards homeschooling at least for a few years. Whatever your decision, you will find Education Revolution to be an eye opening resource! Right now, parents are eligible for a free subscription and membership. Check it out!

Go to Education Revolution for your FREE Subscription!!!

Nursing Our Future

2010-02-13T05:51:00.000-08:00

"Nursing our Future" from the Holistic Moms Network

Inspired by a recent article in the Herald Sun (Australia) reporting that young women are reluctant to breastfeed their babies due to fear of public embarrassment, the Holistic Moms Network has launched a new project to highlight the beauty and confidence of breastfeeding women. HMN members from across North America submitted photos of themselves proudly breastfeeding their children – everywhere from the Eiffel Tower to the Brooklyn Bridge – for the Nursing Our Future video featured on the organization’s website.

“Breastfeeding is one of the greatest gifts a mother can give to her child,” says Executive Director Nancy Massotto, Ph.D. “Nursing offers babies enormous health benefits – physically, psychologically, emotionally, and sustainably for the planet. We want young women to embrace a culture of breastfeeding and to become informed about the benefits for moms, for children, and for the planet.”
The Herald Sun report indicated that more than half of the Generation-Y men and women polled did not want their children breastfed in public for fear of embarrassment. Despite the World Health Organization’s recommendation to breastfeed until at least six months of age, 75 percent of the study’s young women stated they were unlikely to do so.
“It’s such a shame!” says Dr. Linda Folden Palmer, author of The Baby Bond and new Holistic Moms Network Advisory Board Member. “I actually never saw a baby breastfeed in my 37 years before I nursed my own. I suppose my Chiropractic training helped me to feel comfortable displaying myself breastfeeding, though I almost never saw another nursing mother. One day a nervous mom sat beside me and my 10 month old nursling and started breastfeeding her own child. After several minutes, she turned to me and said she was so excited, she felt so free, that she had never done this before and I gave her the courage to breastfeed publicly! From that point on, I was on a mission to let others see and learn about nursing, everywhere I went. HMN’s new effort is aligned with that passion.”
Empowering mothers is a cornerstone of the Holistic Moms Network’s mission and through the non-profit organization’s Chapters, parents gather to offer one another support and advice while also learning about holistic living options from local practitioners and guest speakers. “Being involved in this organization has made me feel accepted in so many ways, and has helped me grow as a person and a parent,” says Laurie Cunningham, a member and Co-Leader of the Northern Virginia Chapter.
Breastfeeding is one of the many interests shared by the organization’s members, although not all members nurse their babies. “We are a very diverse population and we each make a variety of health and parenting choices,” states Dr. Massotto. “We encourage holistic and natural choices, such as breastfeeding, but understand that not all options are available to all parents.” The health benefits of breastfeeding are clear and widely supported in the scientific literature. Organizations, health care professionals, and government agencies, such as the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), are “committed to increasing breastfeeding rates across the United States.”
“One of the barriers for many young mothers is a lack of awareness about breastfeeding as well as a culture that is not particularly breastfeeding friendly,” argues Dr. Massotto. The Holistic Moms Network hopes to raise awareness by showing young women images of breastfeeding and to help them find the support and encouragement they need to continue.

See the video here.

Spread the Love Benefit Raffle Tickets

2010-02-10T10:26:00.000-08:00

There's a little bit of a gambler in all of us, isn't there? I do love a good raffle! Check out the amazing vendors (over 30 of them!) offering $100 gift certificates through Sakura Bloom Slings's Spread The Love Benefit. Tickets are only $10! Babywearing groups around the country are competing to see which group will have the most tickets bought in their name - the winner will receive an entire line of Sakura Bloom slings for their lending libraries. If you choose to buy a ticket and could be so kind, simply write "Saratoga Sling Babies" in the comment section, to give my girls back in the Capital Region a boost!

Check it out here - Sakura Bloom Slings

Mama's Lattes!

2010-02-10T05:18:00.000-08:00

On a bleak winter day, there's nothing quite like a wrapping your hands around your favorite mug filled with a delicious hot drink. I am partial to herbal teas when I am home, but I also have developed quite a coffee addiction now that baby #2 is here (and no, not anywhere near sleeping through the night yet at 6 months). Even though I occasionally (ahem, every chance I get) indulge in a Starbucks latte, I also like trying to create my own at home. I especially like trying to come up with homemade recipes that use "real food" ingredients that are nourishing and have added benefits. I try to use unrefined sweeteners like maple syrup, raw honey, agave or rapadura. I've also experimented with herbal/natural coffee replacements not only because they are caffeine free, but also because they have milk-production boosting ingredients like barley and chicory (good for nursing mamas)! Here are some of this winter's winning "experiments"...

*For each recipe, you can use your choice of home brewed espresso, fresh french-pressed coffee, strong brewed Teechino coffee replacement or another coffee alternative like Caffix or Dandy Blend.

Gingerbread "Latte"

1 cup of whole milk, heated on stovetop
1 tbs. of Blackstrap Molasses (this is a nutritional goldmine! 20% of your daily calcium, iron, magnesium and vitamin A!)
Dash of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice... your choice!
tsp of real vanilla extract

1 heaping teaspoon of Caffix herbal coffee substitute

Pumpkin Pie Latte

1 cup of whole milk, heated on stovetop
1-2 tablspoons of pumpkin puree
dash of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
Either a shot of espresso or 1 tsp of Caffix
Agave nectar or maple syrup to sweeten, to taste

Mocha

1 cup of strongly brewed coffee, Caffix or Teechino
Cream, to taste
Make a simple "chocolate syrup" by mixing agave nectar with cocoa powder, add to taste

*Cut down the amount of sugar and processed ingredients in your daily coffee by skipping the flavored "creamers" - instead make your own delicious blends with no sugar added - add a splash of almond extract, Vanilla, cinnamon powder or other spices to your half and half or cream... a little bit of flavor goes a long way!

Enjoy!

Laboring Under an Illusion

2010-02-02T18:23:00.000-08:00

Somebody stole my idea! I used to bring play birth scene clips from hollywood movies paired up with footage of actual women laboring in my childbirth classes for teen moms. So many of my young moms-to-be in the classes had no idea what a real birth might be like, beyond what they had seen in comedic portrayals or "reality" medical dramas. I always thought this idea would make a great documentary. So glad that someone who has the talent has produced such a stunning film! I already put my order in with a friend, expect a review soon!

Lazy Days Skirts - Easiest Pattern!!!

2010-02-01T12:23:00.000-08:00

Crafty Mamas, If you have a little girl, you simply have to download this super simple skirt pattern from Oliver + S - The Lazy Days Skirt Pattern. It is so, so easy! I am a beginning sewer and I barely know how to follow directions on a pattern, but now that I've figured this out, I've been sewing up a storm! Ruby actually brought me this fabric the other day and said "I want a skirt of this, mama!" So we sewed it together with her sitting on my lap! 10 minutes, tops! You could get very creative with fabric combos, fancy trim or ribbon or keep it simple. I love it! Sorry that our pictures aren't stellar - she was a little distracted by her new toy harmonica, but too cute to resist snapping a few photos...

How to Make Your Own Ring Sling

2010-02-01T11:41:00.000-08:00

I've been asked several times lately for a pattern for sewing a simple ring sling. Though the are very popular for being versatile and adjustable, I have to admit I never even owned or used a ring sling when Ruby was a baby! A friend gave me a set of rings so that I could try sewing my own sling and since I had some fabulous fabric on hand, I made one recently that I have been using with Clay. I have now "upcycled" an old college tapestry (the gauzy hippir style you see hanging on walls) twice for babywearing purposes and I am so thrilled with both outcomes! You can see me wearing Ruby as a baby in a front carry woven wrap that I made by simply cutting the tapestry down the middle and sewing the ends together to make the required 6 yards of fabric. Underneath that, you can see it transformed into a ring sling!! It is such an easy project, even for a beginning sewer. You can use a variety of fabrics in different styles and prints - you can even try recycling a pretty bed sheet!

To make your own simple ring sling, you will need a set of aluminum rings, sold at www.slingrings.com. Please don't use plastic rings or something you rig up from items around your house - these rings hold your precious babe's weight and need to be strong! You will need between 2 - 2.5 yards of sturdy fabric (not quilting cotton or other thin material). There are several simple patterns available online. I followed Maya Wrap's Pattern.

Check these sites for more info on fabric selection and patterns!

Sling Ring's Pattern Round-up

Jan Andrea Sews

Great Deal on Pouch Sling by HugaMonkey

2010-01-31T09:57:00.000-08:00

Just have to pass on this great deal I spotted through www.ecobabybuys.com (a great website with deal alerts, by the way!) HugaMonkey Pouch Slings are currently on sale for just $17.99 with Free Shipping when you use the promo code MONKEYFREESHIP. These are simple pouch slings in a lightweight organic cotton. The colors are all neutral... a great for a mom and dad who like to trade off babywearing duties! I am a big fan of pouch slings for the newborn days as well as hip carrying toddler. However, I do have to note that the HugaMonkey website shows pictures of mamas carrying babies on their backs with their sling and I DO NOT recommend pouch slings for back carries - use a soft structured carrier or a mei tai for better safety. Pouch slings are a great addition to your babywearing stash! Get one while this deal lasts!

Kissaluvs Cloth Diaper Giveaway at Thanks Mama

2010-01-30T10:33:00.000-08:00

Check out this fabulous giveaway at Thanks Mama - a fabulous online baby boutique! The are giving away nearly $40 of Kissaluvs cloth diapering products, including a contour fitted, a one-size fitted and specialty diaper lotion spray. This is a great giveaway! Thanks Mama also carries just about everything a cloth diapering family needs, and has free shipping on orders over $60!

Good luck!!!

Discount Stores are an Excellent Resource for Children's Books!

2010-01-27T18:28:00.000-08:00

Look at these adorable books! Would you believe that these treasures, from small board books to beautifully illustrated stories, were all found at discount stores, and all bought for under $3 each? UNDER THREE DOLLARS! My quest began after Thanksgiving, when I began looking around for good children's books that told the story of the 1st Christmas for Ruby. It was a challenge to find anything decent under $10, and even Christian bookstores had a limited range and exorbitant prices. Now, I'm usually one to try to support local bookstores, and I'm also willing to shell out the cash for meaningful books. But I'm also a deal hunter, and boy am I excited to have stumbled upon some really great resources for Christian children's books for Ruby. One of my favorite things to look for at garage sales is quality children's books. We try to keep our toy collection simple, but we will always have room for more books! Reading Bible stories, simple prayers and stories of God's love and promises has become an important part of how we are trying to shape Ruby's heart as she grows. It's amazing what she is able to take away from the messages in books. Most of these books retail for 3-5 times the prices they were sold at. I'm not a big fan of cheap, "made in china" looking books with generic illustrations - amongst these are some really beautiful, quality pieces of art! I don't know how discount stores do it! For my readers in the Central New York (Syracuse, more specifically) area, the above books were all found at Ollie's on Erie Blvd in Dewitt and The Christmas Tree Shop in North Syracuse. Though I hate to shop there, Walmart sometimes has a decent selection. Other places to try are Big Lots, Dollar Tree and other dollar stores and any other liquidator or buy-out discount store where books are sold. Happy Hunting!!!

"Steady Days" Giveaway at Keeper of the Home

2010-01-26T15:51:00.000-08:00

Posting about another great giveaway on another fabulous blog that's on the top of my list! Stephanie at Keeper of the Home is offering a copy of a book she gave rave reviews - Steady Days: A Journey Toward Intentional, Professional Motherhood, by Jamie C. Martin. It looks like an inspiring read and definitely worth your time to enter! I highly recommend Stephanie's blog for daily inspiration, too!!

URGENT CALL FOR HUMAN MILK DONATIONS FOR HAITI INFANTS

2010-01-26T05:09:00.001-08:00

URGENT CALL FOR HUMAN MILK DONATIONS FOR HAITI INFANTS

The Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA), United States
Breastfeeding Committee (USBC), International Lactation Consultant
Association/United States Lactation Consultant Association (ILCA/USLCA), and
La Leche League International (LLLI) are jointly issuing an urgent call for
human milk donations for premature infants in Haiti, as well as sick and
premature infants in the United States.

This week the first shipment of human milk from mothers in the United States
will be shipped to the U.S. Navy Ship "Comfort" stationed outside Haiti.
"Comfort" is currently set up with a neonatal intensive care unit and
medical personnel to provide urgent care to victims of the earthquake. An
International Board Certified Lactation Consultant stationed at the U.S.
Navy base in Bethesda, MD is assisting with providing breast pump equipment
and supplies to the "Comfort." Dr. Erika Beard-Irvine, pediatric
neonatologist, is on board the "Comfort" to coordinate distribution of the
milk to infants in need. HMBANA, USBC, ILCA/USLCA, and LLL are responding to
requests to provide milk for both premature infants and at-risk mothers who
have recently delivered babies on board the U.S.N.S. Comfort, but an urgent
need exists for additional donations.

At the current time, the infrastructure to deliver human milk on land to
Haiti infants has not yet been established. As soon as that infrastructure
is in place, additional donations will be provided to older infants.

Mothers who are willing to donate human milk should contact their regional
Mothers' Milk Bank of HMBANA. A list of regional milk banks is available at
the HMBANA website at www.hmbana.org.

Currently milk banks are already low on donor milk. New milk donations will
be used for both Haiti victims as well as to replenish donor supplies to
continue to serve sick and premature infants in the U.S. Donor milk provides
unique protection for fragile preterm infants. Financial donations are also
strongly encouraged to allow HMBANA, a nonprofit organization, to continue
serving infants in need.

UNICEF, the World Health Organization, the Emergency Nutrition Network, and
medical professionals all recommend that breastfeeding and human milk be
used for infants in disasters or emergencies. Human milk is life-saving due
to its disease prevention properties. It is safe, clean, and does not depend
on water which is often unavailable or contaminated in an emergency. Relief
workers, health care providers, and other volunteers are urged to provide
support for breastfeeding mothers to enable them to continue breastfeeding,
and to assist pregnant and postpartum women in initiating and sustaining
breastfeeding.

For more information, contact HMBANA at 408-998-4550 408-998-4550 or www.hmbana.org
Additional information can be provided from the United States Breastfeeding
Committee at 202-367-1132 202-367-1132 (www.usbreastfeeding
<http://www.usbreastfeeding.org> .org)
ILCA/USLCA at 1-800-452-2478 1-800-452-2478
(www.ilca.org or www.uslca.org ),
or La Leche League at 847-519-7730 847-519-7730
(www.llli.org) .

Sincerely,

Angela Smith, President
ILCA Board of Directors

Flirty Apron Giveaway @ Like A Warm Cup of Coffee

2010-01-25T06:51:00.000-08:00

If you haven't already visited the blogs from my blogroll, now is the time! Sarah Mae, who writes on Like a Warm Cup of Coffee about faith and motherhood is running an adorable giveaway on a Flirty Apron. She is so cute and peppy in her video! :) And the aprons are cute and retro looking. Worth a few minutes to enter! And Sarah's blog is a blessing to read! Check it out!

Like a Warm Cup of Coffee

MEI HIP BABY CARRIER Giveaway from Drool Baby Boutique

2010-01-23T14:46:00.000-08:00

I'll always be sure to let ya'll know when I find great mama/baby giveaways on the web! This one is particularly easy, as it just requires you to send a quick email! Go to the link and follow instructions for your chance to win this awesome Ellaroo carrier!

Drool Baby Boutique's Mei Hip Baby Carrier Giveaway

My Adventures in Homemade Laundry Detergent

2010-01-21T13:41:00.000-08:00

After many attempts to make my own homemade laundry detergent, I have finally met with success! There are many different recipes and ideas on the internet for making homemade detergent. I tend to be a dabbler and experimenter. I almost never follow a recipes exactly and prefer to take my chances... sometimes the outcome is great and sometimes not so great! I have wanted to settle on one recipe to use consistently for my homemade detergent. I do a LOT of laundry, considering our family is just 4 people (2 big and 2 small!). I also wanted something that would work for everything I launder - from towels to clothes to cloth diapers!
Homemade laundry detergent making is VERY Frugal (pennies per load), and depending on your recipe, sometimes much more eco-friendly than what you'll find in the grocery aisle (unless you can always afford Seventh Generation, Rockin' Green, BioKleen and others, which I can't unless I find them on sale) Before you simply copy my recipe, I recommend doing some hunting and experimenting of your own. You have to take your own preferences into consideration. How natural/green does your detergent have to be? How much money do you want to spend per load? How much preparation are you willing to do for your detergent? Also the type of washer you use and settings you chose will make a difference in how effective each recipe is.

Tipnut.com has a collection of different recipes to get your started.

Check out my friend Kara's recipe - my inspiration!

Another Recipe that inspired my own, from Lindsey at Passionate Homemaking

And finally, my recipe for Cheater's Homemade Detergent - the most SIMPLE recipe you'll find! Instead of making one typical homemade detergent, which usually forms a messy gel (the borax causes this texture), I decided to break it into two simple steps, so I have a liquid detergent and a dry mix that I add a scoop of. Much less preparation, and more customizable for different loads (ex. I use more of the dry mix for cloth diapers).

Step 1 - Liquid Detergent:

Fels Naptha Bar Soap is the main ingredient in my liquid detergent. All you do is grate the entire bar of soap into a large pan of about 6 cups of hot water, and cook on medium until it melts. Be careful not to let it bubble over! Allow this mixture to cool and then add one cup of Dr. Bronner's Liquid Castile Soap. You then dilute this mixture with 4 gallons of water. I always save the empty containers of commercial detergent, so I have a convenient place to store all of this liquid! This will be much thinner than regular detergent.

Step 2 - Dry Detergent:

Instead of mixing Borax and Baking Soda into my detergent, I opt to keep the dried powders separate in a 15 quart rubbermaid bin with a snapping lid. I am also a huge fan of Oxiclean, especially for my cloth diapers. I saved myself a few steps and combined all of these powders together in the bin. I mixed 12 lbs each of Oxiclean and Arm & Hammer Baking Soda (these sizes are found at discount stores like Sam's Club and BJ's) with 4lbs of Borax. I'm happy with this ratio using less Borax. It works incredibly well as a laundry booster, but some people do disagree on how environmentally friendly and safe it is. I do what I have to do to get clean clothes and stink-free diapers!

For each normal load, I use 3/4 cup of the liquid detergent and 1/2 cup dry detergent. I should also add that I always use white vinegar as a fabric softener and for it's disinfecting properties. Just add 1/2 cup to the rinse cycle or in a downy ball. A few steps, yes, but so simple, mess free, smells fresh and works GREAT!! Have fun experimenting, you Frugalistas!!!!!!!!

Donate Breastmilk to Babies in Haiti!!

2010-01-21T05:22:00.003-08:00

Breastfeeding Mamas, If you haven't already considered donating your pumped breast milk, there is no better time than now. The Human Milk Banking Association of America is gearing up to send processed donor milk to infants in need in Haiti. (Right now their website doesn't indicate that milk is already being sent, but that is probably because the hospitals and clinics are still in chaos.) Donor breast milk is typically used for premature infants and babies whose mothers can't produce enough milk. I personally haven't been able to donate my milk because I have an extremely low supply, but my babies have been the blessed recipients of donor milk. What a precious and life-saving gift!!

Click here for information from the Human Milk Banking Association of America

New Documentary about Formula vs. Breastfeeding - a MUST SEE!

2010-01-21T05:16:00.000-08:00

Bottles for Breastfed Babies

2010-01-18T04:47:00.001-08:00

One of the most frequent questions I get asked by breastfeeding mothers is about bottles that will be used for baby when mama is away or when supplementation is needed. We've all heard about "nipple confusion" and though lactation consultants tend to disagree about this issue, it has been my experience both as a doula and a breastfeeding mom that babies can have difficulty going from breast to bottle (and pacifiers, too!) That is why I highly recommend to all of my new mamas to wait until breastfeeding is well established (good, strong latch, no more nipple soreness, content baby, etc.) before introducing a bottle or pacifier.
There is also concern about BPA, a chemical found in several types of plastics that are used to make baby bottles. Safe Mama is a great organization that takes all of the guess work out of shopping for BPA-free shopping for us. Check out their "cheat sheets" on a variety of topics, including bottles and sippy cups!

http://safemama.com/2007/11/22/bpa-free-bottle-and-sippy-cup-cheat-sheet/

I've been through a number of different bottle types for Ruby and Clay. Because of my low milk supply (more on that later) I avoided bottles in the first few months and used a Supplemental Nursing System that allowed additional breast milk or formula to flow into baby's mouth via a tiny spaghetti-like tube. I promise to share more info on low supply soon!

Below are the bottles that we had success with, after many trials. My criteria for bottles were that they had to a) be BPA free, b) have a breast-feeding friendly, wide-mouthed nipple and c) be economical (over $10 per bottle is ridiculous!) and d) come with slow-flow nipples. I only use slow flowing nipples and occasionally medium flow, because a faster flowing stream of milk will cause baby to slow down the sucking action that is so important in nursing.

My "splurge" bottle of choice is the soft and lightweight Nuby which is BPA free, and has a great wide base on the nipple that helps baby open wide and latch on. This makes it a good choice for a first bottle. We do use glass bottles, but they are very heavy, and this bottle is super lightweight. Other bottles with similar wide bases are:

MAM Sassy
Born Free
Breastflow Bottles

Our economical bottles of choice, and the ones we use most often these days, are a throwback to the good ol' days. The Evenflo Classic Nurser is a glass bottle with a classic tapered nipple. Because the nipple is thin with a narrow base, I DO NOT recommend this as a starter bottle. Something with a wider base will help to avoid nipple confusion. However, now that Clay is 5 months and is a nursing champ with a good latch, these suit us just fine. They are the least expensive glass bottles and are available in stores everywhere. Target has their own line of similar bottles in the same price range. I should note that I only use the 4oz glass bottles, because the 8oz glass bottles are so darn heavy! Evenflo also makes a BPA-free plastic version and I keep these on hand to throw in the diaper bag and for travel.

"Womanly Dominion" Giveaway at passionatehomemaking.com!

2010-01-16T17:45:00.000-08:00

Dear Ones,
Be sure to check out one of my favorite blogs, www.passionatehomemaking.com for info on a new giveaway for the book Womanly Dominion: More Than a Gentle and Quiet Spirit. I haven't yet read the book, so I can't say whether or not that I would highly recommend it yet, but it's been on my list of "must-reads" since I read blogger Lindsey's review. I am always inspired Lindsey's blog about homemaking, mothering, natural living and Biblical womanhood, so I fully trust her book recommendations. We have a lot of common interests and passions, don't we? She has 7 copies of these books to give away, and it's so easy to enter! Take a good look around while you're on her blog... I hope it will bless you as it has me!

Disaster Relief for Mothers and Babies in Haiti

2010-01-15T17:00:00.000-08:00

I'm sure like me, many of you have been thinking about the pregnant women and mothers and babies in Haiti whose lives have been devastated this week. My mind is filled with images of women thrown in to preterm labor by the stress of the earthquake, children separated from their mothers and parents wondering how they will feed and shelter their children. Thank God for babywearing, which will keep babies close and safe next to mamas and breastfeeding, which protects infants from quickly spreading disease and contaminated water! I am amazed by the way technology and the internet have pulled people together to quickly raise funds for much needed supplies. I hope to keep a growing list here of fundraising incentives that are related to mothers and babies. If you are going to spend any money now, do it wisely and thoughtfully- shop with companies that are giving some or all of their proceeds to the relief effort! Check back here often as I update and be sure to include any ideas in the comment section!

Text HAITI to 90999 to send a $10 donation to the Red Cross.
Text HAITI to 864833 to send a $5 donation to the United Way.

Quirky Baby $100 Raffle

50% of online retail sales go to Haiti when you shop at Hotslings.com - Monday 18th only!

Zerberts baby slings is donating 10% of all sale proceeds to disaster relief

Fluffy Fundraiser - Cloth Diaper Raffle for Haiti at Kelly's Closet

Baby Sling Raffle at Piece of Cloth

Sling Exchange Raffle - beautiful tie-dyed Neobulle Lin wrap

Sleeping Baby Raffle

softbums.com the will match your purchase price and donate the same amount of diapers to Haiti

Happy Heineys is accepting Cloth Diaper donations for haitian orphanages

Doulas in Action

2010-01-13T08:03:00.001-08:00

Download FREE Music for Kids!!

2010-01-10T07:47:00.001-08:00

I am so excited to share a fabulous link with ya'll! I was surfing the web looking for some new tunes for Ruby when I stumbled upon an online database of free downloadable mp3s! I discovered fun bands like The Sippy Cups, The Boogers, Chuckleberries, Einstein's Monkey, etc. (Bands for kids get to have really fun names, no?) Have fun listening!!

www.freekidsmusic.com

Testing, Testing... 1, 2, 3!

2010-01-08T12:42:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Sage Femme Mama!

Well, here we go... I'm diving into the blogosphere! Those of you who know me know that I always need a project to keep me busy. Now that I am a stay-at-home mom 100% of the time I need something that keeps me connected to my previous work as a doula, childbirth educator and friend/advocate/guide to new mamas everywhere. My two little ones keep me busy (crazy) at home, and I am excited to embrace this new chapter of my life. I am passionate about my calling as a wife and mother - something that may seem antiquated to many in this busy world. My experiences as a doula and as a new mom have led me on quite a journey of discovery and I have many thoughts to share on pregnancy/birth/breastfeeding, mothering, "going green", homemaking and the domestic arts, and living frugally and healthfully. This blog will be a place where I can collect and organize my thoughts on a variety of topics related to motherhood as I go on this journey with you. I hope it will be a resource and a blessing to many!
I sure would appreciate your help and feedback as I figure my way around blog-land! Be sure to follow me on Twitter or Facebook for blog updates. Spread the word to friends who might be interested in reading and/or contributing. Check out my sponsors' websites and also be sure to take a look around my Amazon store at the very bottom of the page - full of all of my highest recommened books! And please, please join in on discussions with each blog post by leaving a comment!

Looking forward to this!

Woman Sings Worship While in Labor

2010-01-08T05:52:00.000-08:00

This beautiful video never fails to give me goosebumps. I wish every pregnant woman could know that labor can be this peaceful and relaxed. What a testimony to the power of music! As a Music Therapy student, I loved studying the impact music could have during labor. Singing and dancing along to my playlist was incredibly uplifting and encouraging to me during my long labor with Clay. Go to www.templetunes.com for more info on this awesome musician couple and a link to download the recording of this gorgeous song!

Dude-la!

2010-01-08T05:44:00.000-08:00

Continuing with the theme of sharing some of my favorite youtube videos as test posts, here is one of my favorite funny doula videos. I guess whether you choose a doula of a "dude-la", everyone needs an advocate in the labor room, right? Hilarious! :)

Blog Post Brainstorm

2010-01-07T14:58:00.000-08:00

My Dear Friends,

Please do me and my cluttered mind a favor and help me brainstorm topics for posts in this little blog of mine. I want to make sure I cover all of the Frequently Asked Questions I get (ie. "What on earth is a DOULA?" "Where did you get that baby sling?" "Do people seriously still cloth diaper these days?") So here is a beginning list of my ideas. Please contribute! :)

*Reviews of books, baby and toddler products, etc.
*All of my favorite secret recipes
*Babywearing Info - carrier reviews, deal alerts and how-to guides
*Thoughts on Nutrition, particularly in the childbearing years and for young children
*Links to and discussions of recent studies/articles of interest
*Natural Home Remedies
*Tips on "going green" and Organics 101
*Midwifery Model of Care info
*Activity ideas for toddlers/preschoolers
*Guest posts from friends and family
*Frugal Living ideas
*Hopefully relevant GIVEAWAYS and contests as my readership grows!

Jesus Wants Me For a Sunbeam...

2010-01-07T08:07:00.000-08:00

Our 2 year old, Ruby, just adores her recordings and videos of children singing songs about Jesus. Many of them are songs I grew up on. In fact, when I picked up a copy of Wee Sing Bible Songs at Barnes and Noble and popped it into the CD player for her, I couldn't believe it as the words o every song came flooding out of my mouth as I sang along. I looked at the fine print and realized I had chosen a reissue of the very same recording my grandmother played for me in 1986! My grandmother, Rita, had a huge influence on my faith and the formation of who I am. She believed that young children could learn biblical truths and scripture memory from music just as easily as we learn our ABC's and the Itsy Bitsy Spider. She was right! The words to those songs were ingrained in my memory, and now I get to enjoy them with my children! Come back soon to see a more in-depth review of some of my favorite (and not-so-favorite) recordings of Bible songs for kids!
I have been amazed at what great teaching tools these simple songs are. For weeks, Ruby has bounded about the house joyfully chanting and singing the words of Proverb 17:22:

"A cheerful heart is good medicine,
but a crushed spirit dries up the bones."

When she is getting fussy or complaining, I remind her of this song and we sing it together or talk about what it means to have a cheerful heart. It's a simple message that even a 2 year old can grasp, but as I find myself humming the repetitive and catchy melody throughout the day, I know it is also a scripture God is laying in my own heart. It is so easy to be overwhelmed by life with 2 little ones, or to get caught up in everything that isn't going my way in life. I have no secrets about the fact that I have wrestled with depression throughout my life. However, I do think God has blessed me with an optimistic spirit. I've been called a Pollyanna, a dreamer, an idealist, and optimist.... it is ironic to me that for someone who tries to look at life through rose-colored glasses, such darkness can sometimes overtake my existence. Which is why I love another song from my childhood that has resurfaced in Ruby's music... "Jesus Wants Me For a Sunbeam". It's a sweet little tune that reminds me that I am called to be Christ's light in this world, "to shine for Him each day..."

For All Ya'll Babywearin' Mamas

2010-01-06T18:12:00.001-08:00

What is a Doula?

2008-01-25T13:29:00.000-08:00

What is a doula?

Giving birth to a baby is so much more than a physical phenomenon; it engages parents-to-be in a transformational experience, a key life event full of emotion and meaning. A doula who accompanies a woman in labor mothers the mother, taking care of her emotional needs throughout childbirth. A doula also provides support and suggestions for partners that can enhance their experiences of birth. A postpartum doula continues that valuable emotional support and guidance, helping a family make a smooth transition into new family dynamics.

Doulas are educated and knowledgeable about childbirth and the postpartum experience. They are advocates and a listening ear for birthing mothers, as well as facilitators to her partner. When a family goes home with a new baby, a postpartum doula supports every member and the family unit as a whole.

A Doula....

Recognizes birth as a key life experience that the mother will remember all her life...

Understands the physiology of birth and the emotional needs of a woman in labor...

Assists the woman and her partner in preparing for and carrying out their plans for the birth...

Stays by the side of the laboring woman throughout the entire labor...

Provides emotional support, physical comfort measures, an objective viewpoint and assistance to the woman in getting the information she needs to make good decisions...

Facilitates communication between the laboring woman, her partner and clinical careproviders...

Perceives her role as one who nutures and protects the woman's memory of her birth experience.