in which I post a rather long list

In case you're reading in a reader and missed the two new buttons on my blog, I've teamed up with the Natural Parents Network to help bring the Good News of Crunchy Love to people all over this fine planet.

Today, we're having a link-up, and all of the rest of the lovely parents have shared their favorite post with you.

• Joella at Fine and Fair discusses her unique perspective of a controversial toy in An Unusual Gripe with Bebe Gloton.
• Amy at Innate Wholeness offers simple tips to be present with family whether you're having fun and want to soak it up like a sponge or would rather run and hide in a cave.
• Charise at I Thought I Knew Mama shares sound bites from her miscarriage journey of forgiveness and gratitude.
• Shannon from Pineapples and Artichokes writes about how she is trying to raise her daughter to be accepting of everyone.
• Jennifer at Hybrid Rasta Mama discusses the overuse of the word "no" and offers some aid in finding creative ways to avoid "no."
• Melissa from The New Mommy Files: Memories, Milestones and Missteps makes a compelling case for instinctual mothering.
• Amanda at Let's Take the Metro shares a comprehensive list of all the food she keeps on hand.
• Suchada at Mama Eve writes a heartfelt letter chronicling her journey with a difficult transition in Sleep, Crying, and Balancing Closeness with Boundaries.
• Shannon of The ArtsyMama shares her top ten list of things she wishes she had known more about before the birth of her son, Little Man.
• Kristin at Intrepid Murmurings has some helpful insights, tips, and tricks to share for babywearing with twins.
• Julia at A Little Bit of All of It tells the story of how motherhood came to her and how a miscarriage shaped her feelings and perceptions surrounding the birth of her first daughter.
• Emily from Embrita Blogging shares a collection of photos depicting things that make her happy.
  
• Lauren at Hobo Mama openly discusses an often-sensitive topic: Postpartum sex vs. sex before kids.
• As part of an ongoing series about balance, Amy at Anktangle writes about a daily ritual she has adopted to help her maintain balance in her life.
• Cynthia at The Hippie Housewife is reminded that while the days may sometimes be long, the years are short, and after a rough day the best thing to do is give thanks for the best parts and try again tomorrow.
• Dionna at Code Name: Mama offers 7 Alternatives to Good Job: "Good job'ing" kids can be a mindless habit to fall into. Instead of using a generic "good job," try one of these ideas to really connect with and nurture your child.
• Darcel at The Mahogany Way has the ultimate boredom busting activity for children of all ages.
• Alicia at Lactation Narration discusses the long journey of child-led weaning, during which she thought several times that her child was weaned before she really was.
• Mandy at Living Peacefully With Children: Letting go of the illusion of control opens up a an entirely new world.
• Luschka at Diary of a First Child talks about the battle between breastfeeding and formula feeding mothers and the industry that stokes the flames of a war on mothers.
• Mary Michael at The Accidental Natural Mama recounts her journey to Mama-hood.
• Sheryl at Little Snowflakes talks about the benefits of nursing a child to sleep.
• Rachael at The Variegated Life meditates on the moment when she first saw herself fully embodying her life as a mother.
• Momma Jorje shares some good news and important information about Lindane and Lice.

Wordless Wednesday

I'm not ashamed.

5 ways to show respect for your child

I would have commented there, but the comments are closed so I'm linking here and saying what I would have said there...if that makes sense.

These feel like no-brainers...except they're also easy traps to fall into. There's a family with 3 girls whom I've babysat since they were infants (now they're teenagers!) and the times i've picked them up for school or stayed for several days, I've found myself barraging them with questions or answering for them - especially the youngest. This is definitely something I'll bookmark and come back to as Baz grows up.

Read the whole article at Positive Parenting Solutions.

Wordless Wednesday

Why yes, I did make these pants. And you can, too! Pattern here.

Happy Opening Day!

This is my grandfather and his best friend in 1938.

How nice life would be if we all took the time to go outside and have an impromptu game of....anything, really. You should do it. I dare you.

She Left Proof

So this morning, Ashley at Under The Sycamore, led me to a flickr group. I immediately joined. If you have children and a camera, you should join, too.

Here's the "mission statement"

"Many scrapbookers knew Aleida Franklin. She was a wonderful wife and mother and a brilliant artist. I didn't know Aleida personally, but she taught me something I will never forget.

She emailed me last year to tell me she loved my blog and to ask if I liked my short hair-cut. This lead to a series of emails which eventually led me to remark that I really loved how often she posted pictures of herself with her children on her blog. And she replied to me, "Have you ever seen a photograph of your own mother and thought to yourself how fat she looked? Or how she wasn't wearing make-up? Or wasn't dressed in a glamorous outfit?" Of course my answer was no.

She then responded with saying that she made it a goal to take a picture of herself with her children at least once every month. And that to use excuses about how we look, as women, is ridiculous, since our children will never care what we looked like, but only that we had physical evidence of the bond between mother and child.

Aleida tragically and unexpectedly passed away in an auto accident in September of 2008, leaving 2 small children and a grieving husband. After she passed I thought of how those children must feel to have those precious photographs. I have made it my personal goal to follow her wise suggestion and I try to take photos of myself with my children....double chins, make-up free, bed-head and all.

I invite Mothers everywhere to take Aleida's Challenge. To photograph yourself with your children each and every month. And to post them here so that we can see Aleida's legacy unfolding."


There's a little flashy in my sidebar right below the link to my flickr. If you click the flashie it will take you to Emilie, who created the group and the flashie. Get your own. Every time you see it blink, pull out your camera and get in the shot.

(4 Generations - my Grandmother, my sister, my mom, my great-grandmother, and me. circa 1982ish.)

Wordless Wednesday

again....I'm over here!