Alison says, “When I look back, I can actually see my happiness and comfort as a new mother increase the less measuring and counting I did.”  I’ll add that my relationships with my children and other mommy-friends are more comfortable as well.  Check out Nummies for a great read.

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This chic dress just arrived from one of our favorite maternity designers.  With a flattering black empire waist and lightweight silky skirt, this one will keep you cool all summer long.

Order now to receive the Royal Bubbles Dress in time for your big day!  Or browse our extensive collection of stylish maternity dresses for all occassions.  Happy Mother’s Day, mamas!

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Studies are showing that average woman exposed to more pesticides through diet and lifestyle  have babies with lower birthweights and preterm deliveres, as opposed to those with reduced pesticide exposure.  And we’re not talking about women that work in the fields, mind you, just your average American woman from all walks of life.

From an article published in the Huffington Post:

Many scientists are now recognizing the dangers posed by pesticides in the way that some of their colleagues realized risks during the decades before warning labels for pregnant women were placed on cigarette packaging.

There’s nothing complicated about this.  If you have the means to buy that weekly coffee, you have the means to opt for organic produce.  Obviously the health of your lawn is not more important to you than the health of your child.  Let’s make the right choice for our bodies, our babies, and for the many others that are effected by our choice to promote the intentional poisoning of our world.

For more details on the study and why you should be concerned, see the article at the Huffington Post.

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This feminine yet modern floral pajama set is an absolute favorite at Euphoria Maternity.  We’re so glad to have the complete 5-piece set back in stock for spring in all sizes, small through extra-large.  Made by Olian for maternity and breastfeeding, favored by mothers for hospital visits and newborn pictures!

Get yours for Mother’s Day!

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I believe that children at this age should be exposed to very little formal academics.  To me, kindergarten is a time to let them dip there toes into what school feels like – a little structure, a little more expected, a gentle transition into the real work of first grade.  Whereas before Liam has only been asked to participate in our morning devotions, then he will be officially a part of our school time.  Of course,  he’s excited! That’s a given for most kindergarteners.  The trick is to keep him excited and eager to do school all year long, laying a foundation of “I like school” and preserving his natural love for learning.

Stories

First on the agenda is choosing stories that will enrich his imagination and spark his inner development.  I will be using some kindergarten-appropriate fairy tales from the Enki K program.  These fairytales are gentle, with the hero or heroine returning to a happy home at the story’s end.  I’ll also expose him to natural science through the charming works of Clara Dillingham Pierson, starting with Among the Forest People.  We read Among the Pond People in Aria’s K year, which delighted them both.  None of these resources have pictures.  Of course, we do have many picture books and will by no means be putting them away, but it’s a great idea in kindergarten to make sure your child is able to listen to long stories without pictures.  This leaves room for them to create their own mental pictures and strengthens their attention span.

Handwriting

With my first child I didn’t pursue handwriting in kindergarten.   She already knew all of her letters by sight, their sounds and was writing legibly on her own often.   I waited until first grade to teach Aria the correct way to form letters – from the top down.  It has remained quite difficult for her to change wrong habits built up over years of writing on her own.   Liam is also into writing these days.  His writing is even more neat than Aria’s was, but he also forms many letters incorrectly.  For example, he writes many letters from the bottom up and he writes the lowercase “a” like it is typed.  We’re going to hopefully nip these habits in the bud by using the Getty-Dubay Italic Handwriting Series Book A.  Meanwhile, Aria and I will also be using the Getty-Dubay program to work on our handwriting.

Language Arts

Since I believe that it is better for the child’s whole development to wait until first grade for formal reading instruction, we won’t be pushing language arts in kindergarten.  My goal is that by the end of the year he recognizes and can write all of his upper case letters, recognize his lowercase letters and knows many letter sounds.  He will be exposed to more than these goals (for example, he will be taught all consonant sounds and all lowercase letters), but I will not be concerned if he does not pick them all up in kindergarten.  Liam will work through the Explode the Code books designed for kindergarten, which are Get Ready for the Code – Book A, Get Set for the Code – Book B and Go for The Code – Book C.  Aria is working on Explode the Code’s upper level phonics books, so this choice for Liam is in part to help him feel included.

Bible

Faith is a central value in our family.  Lately, I’ve also put a lot of thought into how to cater our morning devotions to Liam in the new year.  He’s at such a different place than Aria.  Recently I bought a copy of Get Wisdom!, which seems perfect for grades K-2.  Get Wisdom presents desirable behaviors like patience, loyalty, honesty, courage, etc. from a Biblical perspective, with relevant discussion questions and fun little activities that I can see us actually enjoying.  I plan to also tell my own stories to the children about a fictional family who works through these same behaviors.  When I did this for Aria in kindergarten, these “Elsa and Peter” stories were her very favorite part of school.

Art

Art is the last aspect of kindergarten on my radar.  I believe that creativity is one of the most valuable human skills.  Giving my kids frequent opportunity to create is one key way to nurture their creative juices.  I plan to set up an art project once per week for both children, but with a preference for things that interest Liam.  Liam is more in tune with art than Aria, and being second-born often receives the short end of the stick when it comes to my attentions.  If you have more than one child, I’m sure you know what I mean!  This is a great way for me to give him love and prioritize his “school.”  I’m inspired by so many art resources on the internet, but I’ll also be drawing ideas from Mary Ann Kohl’s book Scribble Art.

So, did you notice that there’s no math on that list?  Yes, we address math before first grade just in natural life settings like cooking (fractions), dividing snacks and discussing so many random facts fascinating to them.  This approach has worked wonderfully for Aria who is thriving in formal math this year.  Liam is also exposed to all of the math that Aria has learned in first grade and has picked up so much already, so he has an unintentional head start.

I’m excited to usher Liam into this next level of learning next fall.  My hope is that he emerges with some new skills, but more importantly with a growing love for learning and with eagerness for the MORE that will follow in first grade!

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Great news: Nontoxic baby care products don’t have to be expensive! Organic, nontoxic, or even fragrance free items for our little ones can veer towards the pricey side. Luckily, there are easy, affordable DIY solutions for many commonly used baby care products.

Here are our top 5 DIY nontoxic baby care products (Not up for a DIY project? We have bonus tips at the end on how to buy the best nontoxic baby care products):

Baby powder: Avoid potentially toxic talc by skipping commercial baby powders and making your own. This recipe from the Smart Mama is super easy and only uses two ingredients. If you buy baby powder, make sure it’s:

• Fragrance Free
• Talc-Free

Diaper rash cream: Replace standard diaper rash cream with coconut oil. Coconut oil is a great moisturizer, it smells amazing, and it has anti-fungal and anti-microbial properties. If you don’t have coconut oil, Simple Organic recommends using a 1:1 ratio of water and apple cider vinegar, which you wipe on the affected area and allow to air dry.

Hair care: Delicate baby hair requires special care; luckily, it doesn’t require special expensive products. These recipes are affordable and use basic ingredients that you may already have in your home.

• Cradle cap: Simple Organic recommends rubbing a small amount of coconut oil, olive oil, or sesame oil on the effected area for a few hours, then shampoo with diluted castille soap or nontoxic baby shampoo.
• Moisturizer: Organic Beauty Vixen suggests moisturizing your baby’s scalp with olive, coconut, or jojoba oil.
• Shampoo: Try this recipe from eHow, which combines castile soap and distilled water (you can skip the recommended lavender oil). Check the label when you’re buying liquid castile soap; Women’s Voices for the Earth recommends avoiding sodium lauryl (laureth) sulfate (SLS) and Diethanolamine (DEA).

Baby oil: Most commercial baby oils contain mineral oil, which can be irritating to delicate skin. For a greener alternative, use natural one ingredient swaps to moisturize your baby’s skin. Organic coconut oil and organic cold pressed olive oil are two great baby oil alternatives. If you’re feeling crafty, you can try one of these baby oil recipes from Organic Authority.

Baby Wipes: Organic and unscented wipes can be quite pricey, especially for an item that you have to replace so frequently. Try an inexpensive DIY version instead. This recipe from Baby Center uses paper towels, castille soap, distilled water, and aloe vera juice. For a slightly simpler take on homemade baby wipes, you can try this version from Babies 411 that uses castille soap, olive oil and water. For a crafty and more sustainable version, try this tutorial on DIY cloth baby wipes from Simple Organic.

Can’t DIY? Don’t worry! Though a lot of these recipes are one or two ingredient swaps, we can all get crunched for time, or just not be in the mood to DIY, and require some help from ready made products. Here are a few tips on how to buy the safest, least toxic baby care items.

As you select baby care items, use this list from the Environmental Working Group of the top chemicals to always avoid in kids’ cosmetics:

• 2-Bromo-2-Nitropropane-1,3-DIOL (or Bronopol)
• BHA
• DMDM Hydantoin
• Oxybenzone
• Triclosan
• Boric Acid and Sodium Borate
• Dibutyl Pthalate
• Toleune

The Environmental Working Group has a handy tip sheet that shows you which chemicals to look out for, and recommends products that are nontoxic or less toxic than their conventional counterparts. You can also look baby care items up on the Good Guide and EWG’s Skin Deep Database.

Courtesy of Healthy Child Healthy World: a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit inspiring parents to protect young children from harmful chemicals.

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from left:  Grace Top, Color Block Dress, Hazel Dress

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For one, you have to realize that women feel contractions differently.  Some experience contractions as extremely painful, but others just feel tightness or almost nothing at all.  My friend Chihiro said she couldn’t even tell when she was contracting with her first baby, but with the second she experienced intense pain.  Prepare yourself by keeping an open mind to how easy or difficult the actual experience may be for you.  It’s completely unpredictable.

That said, countless women who experience intense pain during labor do manage to forgo medicating.  Now, I realize that a non-medicated birth isn’t for everyone, but if this is one of your goals here are some tips:

1. Limit your exposure to medication opportunities.  Really.  If you don’t want to take drugs, try to avoid having them offered to you.  When you enter the labor room, personally tell the nurse that you prefer she NOT offer you medication.  Ask your birth partner to keep new nurses updated.  I heard of one woman who hung a “Don’t Offer Me Medication” sign on her labor room door.  Hey, it’s easier if you don’t have to say “no”.  If you really, consciously change your mind, I bet you’ll find the words to ask for that medication!
2. Train your mind to think of birth positively.  Birth is an opportunity to bond with your mate, work hard for something worthwhile, experience the thrilling joy of success hard-won, and embrace that new baby for the first time.  Read LOTS of natural birth stories!  This is the most enjoyable and probably the most effective way to prepare for a natural, non-medicated birth.  Each time you expose yourself to stories of women who experienced birth like you desire, you set yourself up to approach birth with a positive, confident attitude.
3. Prepare to be flexible.   Your birth will probably NOT go exactly as planned.  Maybe your contractions will stop temporarily. Maybe your doula will not make it.  Maybe your labor will drag on for over 24 hours.  Maybe you’ll go from 2 to 10 centimeters in an hour – who knows!!!  It’s great to have a plan, but be prepared to throw it out the window.  Spend some time imagining very different possibilities and how you would like to react.  No matter what happens, you can have a fulfilling birth experience if you keep your perspective positive and take control of your choices.  In birth you are not the victim or the patient, you are the mom.
4. Gain access to alternative pain management options.  If you’re saying “no” to drugs, say “yes” to something else! Read, talk to other moms about what worked for them, and arrange for the services of a midwife or doula.  There is a rich culture of birthing aids from warm water to massage to visualizations that can make a huge difference in your perception of pain during labor.  Your labor nurse is very unlikely to be of help in this area.  You’ve got to proactively plan ahead to arm yourself with safe, effective labor tools.  Again, reading positive natural birth stories is an excellent way to fill your mind with pain management ideas.

Bottom line: managing pain is 90% mental. The difference between achieving your goal to birth without drugs and making a decision to medicate that you may regret is usually how prepared you are mentally.  Know that you can do this.  Focus on the positives and let every contraction bring you closer to holding that baby in your arms.

One great classic full of positive birth stories is Ina May Gaskin’s “Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth”.  You can also find a rich resource of birth stories at Mothering.com.

Many blessings!

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I just came across a great post “Child Labor” at Progressive Pioneer.   It touches on the need teach our little ones that they can and do contribute to the family by helping out around the house.  I so agree!  In fact, I’ve been thinking lately about the division of chores in my household and the upcoming reality of allowance.  We don’t do allowance yet, but in time we will.  For now I’m glad they’ve learned to help without expecting compensation.  The author and many commenters share what chores their littles do around the house.  And since it’s so helpful to hear from others, I thought I’d list our current chores too:

Aria (7 years old)

• Tidies her room every morning
• Changes the cat sand twice a week
• Vacuums her room weekly
• Cleans the bathroom sink and cabinet weekly
• Takes out the compost
• Takes out the trash weekly
• Unload the dishwasher
• Sort, fold, put away laundry

Liam (5 years old)

• Tidies his room a few times a week
• Feeds the ducks daily and gathers eggs
• Feeds the cat daily
• Vacuums his room weekly
• Cleans the bathroom mirror weekly
• Takes out the trash weekly
• Unload the dishwasher
• Sort, fold, put away laundry

At this point, both of them are mainly contributing to the upkeep of their spaces (their room, their shared bathroom, their laundry) and to their pets.  I’d like to integrate them more into the care of common spaces, because it’s important that they be willing to serve others.   After reading the comments at Progressive Pioneer I think that it’s time I let Aria take over loading the dishwasher.  Then maybe Liam can have sole charge of unloading the dishwasher and that would be balanced.  Other ideas for chores that parents listed include:   dusting. wiping down cabinets, sweeping, setting/clearing the table and helping with dinner.

Do your little ones have chores too?

*Photo from For Small Hands – a source for child-sized tools of all kinds!

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