Eco Child’s Play

Guilt. Augh, the guilt.

Many of us practice some form of natural parenting. Many of us choose breastmilk, cosleeping, babywearing, and whole foods for our babies and families.

But lately, I’ve noticed that something is lacking with a few vocal members of the attachment parenting community. Empathy. Yep, that’s putting yourself in another’s shoes.

You don’t have to agree. You don’t have to sanction. But it’d be nice if some APs would understand that it’s not as easy as popping a baby on a breast or in your bed. Life is not the same for everyone out there. Our experiences are different. Our reactions are different.

And until the Attachment Parenting community isolates the elitists, it will be hard to gain ground.

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I’ve long been a fan of Ideal Bite and was excited when they introduced Mama Bite!

From family road trips to eco-friendly sunscreen to DIY crafts, Mama Bite gives you bite-size ideas for living light green this summer. Fun, healthy, eco-friendly tips are served up in a daily email each weekday.

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I’m a hugger.  I hug my children; I hug my friends.  Some cultures greet people with kisses on the cheek; some with handshakes.

Teenage culture across America is embracing the hug!

Hugging is not just for romantic relationships.  According to the New York Times, teenagers have broken down hugs by type:

There is the basic friend hug, probably the most popular, and the bear hug, of course. But now there is also the bear claw, when a boy embraces a girl awkwardly with his elbows poking out.

There is the hug that starts with a high-five, then moves into a fist bump, followed by a slap on the back and an embrace.

There’s the shake and lean; the hug from behind; and, the newest addition, the triple — any combination of three girls and boys hugging at once.

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Every year the NWF (National Wildlife Federation) sponsors the Great American Backyard Campout, encouraging families to get out in nature…even if it is only in their backyards.

You don’t have to go to a campground to have a good time camping.

This year the official date for the backyard campout is June 27th. I’ve signed my family up and we’re going to have a camp fire and cook out and make s’mores and tell campfire stories. It’s a lot of fun and we try to do it every year. Read the rest of this entry »

Eco-Artware is full of fun and functionally “green” products. Most of their items are handcrafted from recycled materials but these handy little bamboo eating utensils are made from all new bamboo and perfect for parents or anyone that often eats on the go. Read the rest of this entry »

The NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) has created Green Paws, a green living initiative, to help people keep their pets and families safe from toxic flea and tick products.

The surprising thing is that it’s not just the regular chemical culprits that may be dangerous to the health of your pets but some of the “all natural” herbal treatments can be just as poisonous.

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The cases of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have risen dramatically over the past 30 years, so much so that there may be 50 percent more cases than previously suspected.

Up to 250,000 children have autism or a related condition on the autistic spectrum, but have not been diagnosed, researchers say. They are in addition to the 500,000 children who are known to be affected.

The study, conducted by Professor Simon Baron-Cohen and colleagues of the Autism Research Centre at Cambridge University, found that the increase was due to better detection and intervention.

This is disputed by a U.S. study at UC Davis, which said that California’s 7- to 8-fold increase was due only in small part by better detection, and stressed that environmental factors must be studied as a possible cause.

So now the opposite sides of the pond, and coasts for that matter, are in dispute.

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An otherwise healthy young woman entered a hospital to give birth. She contracted bacterial meningitis, was transferred to another hospital, and died.

While many people around the blogosphere has been pointing to the death of homebirth advocate Janet Frazer’s baby with a gigantic, “See?…See?!” (followed by a “Na-na-na-na-boo-bo!”), this, too can be an example of how even hospitals can–gasp!–royally screw things up.

Actually, 2 moms were infected in the maternity ward at Ohio’s Mary Rutan Hospital. Now, both the hospital and the CDC are baffled by the cases:

Babies were healthy, moms were healthy.

Well, the moms were healthy when they arrived. Not so much after giving birth.

I have a couple beautiful ZuluGrass necklace strands to give away. And yes these necklaces are really made from grass and glass beads on a stretchy elastic string. The necklaces can be worn as bracelets, anklets, belts, hair accessories and more.

To find out how to get a free ZuluGrass necklace keep reading. Read the rest of this entry »

I’ve used this Universal Breastfeeding Symbol before. But I didn’t even realize I was a “lactivist” until I started getting frustrated about the breastfeeding in public issue. Who knew that an infant eating the food that was made for it could be an issue?!

But I didn’t stop to think about how the symbol might be used in public. As in:

Hey you! With the breasts and starving child! You. Must. Go. Here.

That is, until a righteous blogger brought up a Mothering Magazine online photo spread of the use of the symbol.

Here’s the thing about breastfeeding in public. There is not a woman I know who does it to be an exhibitionist. Ever. At all. (Don’t argue with me here, folks.) We do it to…ummm…feed our children?
So the use of the symbol: What is the proper way to use this welcoming sign? Read the rest of this entry »