Welcome to the Sunday Surf! Here are some of the best links I've read this past week.

For those interested in the other end of my Wordless Wednesday picture from this past week:



Cheers to joyful dining with kids!¹

• "Surgeon General: Breastfeeding Should Be Less Hassle" from The Huffington Post: New call to action by the Surgeon General to support breastfeeding. The emphasis is on removing obstacles for women who wish to breastfeed, which I think is right on target. Other relevant links:
  • "Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding Fact Sheet" from SurgeonGeneral.gov
  • "Everyone Can Help Make Breastfeeding Easier, Surgeon General Says in 'Call to Action'" — press release from US Department of Health & Human Services

• "Want a Feminist Son? Tips From a Veteran" from Cynthia Samuels at BlogHer: I've been thinking about this myself, considering my son continually tells me he doesn't like girls right now. Once I said, "But I'm a girl." That left him speechless for awhile. Then, several minutes later, he said, "I like Lucy. Lucy a girl." (Lucy = made-up name for a girl from his preschool.) Like he was appeasing me. Normal developmental, gender-association phases aside, I hope Mikko sees the respect his father and I have for all genders and and takes that as his model, as I did from my parents, even though my mom disdains to call herself a feminist. I have also been thinking that we'll need to have targeted and regular discussions about gender, just as I'm finally starting to about race and sexuality and other categories that tend to push people apart if we don't bring them out into the open. I see that as part of my job as a parent — both to model it and to talk about it.

• "The Double Standard of Potty Privacy" from Code Name: Mama: Continuing the poo talk from Strocel.com's post the other week! On children's obsession with witnessing our potty-going. The quote is my reader contribution:
  

  "Mikko loves company while he’s pooping; it’s a huge ordeal for him every time, so he wants someone to hold his hand and read him stories. Maybe that’s why I can’t convince him I don’t want the same treatment? I’m pretty intentional now about closing the door when I’m pooping, but pees are still free-for-alls. I draw the line at having him sit on my lap while I go — he keeps asking!"

  He also loves asking to nurse when I'm on the pot. I guess because I can't get away?
  

• "50 Healthy Snack Ideas for Kids plus Fun Serving Suggestions" also from Code Name: Mama: As someone with a typically picky eater, I appreciate ideas for fun and nutritious snacks!

• "Closeted Extended Breastfeeding: Wonder Nanny and Sleepy Nurse" from Strocel.com: I'm glad I'm not the only one pondering this.
  

  "I don’t think that anyone has to always be the breastfeeding poster child, including me."

  See also: "Extended breastfeeding around extended family" and "Should a toddler breastfeed in public?" I find I nurse less and less in public now, and have avoided breastfeeding in front of certain people who I think might say something negative. Nursing an older toddler in public is one of those things where it's not something I'm against, heaven knows, but where I don't necessarily want to be the one on display.
  

• On the lighter side, we've been watching a lot of Berenstain Bears here, and I started wondering: Is it possible to live in a treehouse? Ah, yes, it is: "One-of-a-kind tree houses that really seem like home" from The Seattle Times. Now I have a new item on my bucket list….

• "Breast Is Best" from Ben comics, via Rina's comment on PhD in Parenting's "Picks for Best Breastfeeding Blogs and Posts." I agree with Rina on this one, so I'll let her talk:
  

  "It's a series of comics about a nursing mom who is kicked out of her shopping mall. These were made over 10 years ago and yet it is still happening all over the world. Sadly, plus ça change…"

• "Beautiful Breastfeeding & AP!" from Pickles & Paisleys: I, too, love this beautiful and serene picture of Miranda Kerr breastfeeding (side-lying!) after the birth of her son with Orlando Bloom:
  
  

• Life With Levi, Ashley D00dle, and ABCs and Garden Peas are hosting a series of Breastfeeding Blog Hops to help you connect with other breastfeeding-friendly bloggers. I figure I might as well hop as long as I'm posting about it!
  Here are the guidelines for this blog hop:
  
  1. Follow the 4 blog hosts for the week (spots #1-4). Spot #4 will always feature a blogger randomly selected from the previous week’s blog hop.
  2. Link up your breastfeeding-friendly blog so others can find it. If you have posted about breastfeeding (and/or pumping) in the past or plan to post about breastfeeding, that’s you!
  3. Check out some of the other blogs from the Linky. Be sure to leave a comment on each blog that you found them through the Breastfeeding Blog Hop so they can follow you back!
  4. Repost the linky (link for the code is in the lower right-hand corner of the linky below) on your blog to help promote the blog hop. Be sure to add some info about YOU so others have a place to say “Hi” & let you know they’re following.
  5. Grab the button below if you’d like and display it in your linky post or your sidebar.
     This blog hop will be active from Thursday, 01/20 – Sunday, 01/23.
  6. Be sure to include these guidelines when you add the Blog Hop Linky Code to your blog.
  
  
  I'm guessing there's a new one coming up Thursday!
  
  About me: I'm Lauren, currently breastfeeding three-year-old Mikko through pregnancy. I blog about natural parenting and occasional bits of hobo lore. I'm always open to following new blogs!
  
  
  
  

• From Natural Parents Network, in a delightful week on Cosleeping and the Family Bed:
  
  • "Five Benefits to Cosleeping Past Infancy": Hugely well-received article by Dionna of Code Name: Mama that garnered us a flurry of supportive comments as well as our fair share of trolls. Ah, popularity!
  • "Bed Sharing with Two (or More) Children," by Acacia of Be Present Mama: On how to arrange the bed & bedtimes for multiple kids in a family bed. Very timely for our family! Mikko tends to sleep sideways, so we've been brainstorming about possible ways to fit all four of us in a bed when the new baby comes, or potentially to transition him (and Sam, too) into a separate bed or onto a separate mattress. I like how this article gives a positive spin to continuing the family bed.
  • Super-snuggly Wordless Wednesday: I can't resist sharing our readers' pictures, like the one below from Melissa at Simple Whimsy. They're all so sweet!
    
    
  • "Please Help a Fellow NP Mama!": Dionna is trying to gather words of encouragement and electronic gifts to cheer up a mama who needs our support.
    

    "Jen was still breastfeeding her youngest, Nicholas, until this past October when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Like many nursing mothers, Jen was devastated to hear that not only would she be forced to wean Nicholas before they were ready, but she would have to undergo a mastectomy.
    …
    I would love to see the natural parenting community come together this week to support one of our own. Please help me."

    Flood Dionna's inbox with e-cards, notes, photos, gift certificates, and more for Jen!
    

• And this is on my site but related to NPN: "Writers & volunteers wanted for Natural Parents Network!": Click on over to see the upcoming topics we'd love your newly written articles for, and the open volunteer opportunities. There's still plenty of help needed, and we welcome your fresh content. We look forward to getting you plugged in, and thank you in advance for helping our community! NPN has been growing and thriving, and we're so excited to highlight your writing, answer your questions, bring you relevant product reviews and fun giveaways, and interact with you on Facebook and in the forums. Yea for natural parents coming together! (Read the post to find out what we're looking for at the moment and how to contact us.)

• "Midnight Maniac Meatless Mondays {Sweet 16}" from Midnight Maniac: Hey, look! My stuffed mushrooms are featured! Yippee!
            And Anktangle figured out a gluten-free variation with spinach that looks scrumptious! (Picture to the left is hers.)
            I should really put up more recipes. I keep taking pictures but not posting them… Do you like recipes?

• Check it out! I have my very own, very new newsletter sign-up.
            What will the newsletter be about? I'm thinking it will mostly highlight the best of what's on my sites (Hobo Mama, Hobo Mama Reviews, LaurenWayne.com, Natural Parents Network), as well as fun things I've read recently and interesting conversations on Twitter and Facebook. Does that sound exactly like Sunday Surf? Well, yes, except — delivered to your mailbox! And I imagine it will be more targeted and less lengthy. If I can manage it! I'm sure I'll also include what I hope are entertaining tidbits from my life, and funny pictures, so that's worth it, right? There might be other special things going on, which you won't know till you sign up.
            How often will it come out? Oh, not often. I don't know really, but there's no way in unholy heck I'm going to be loading your inbox every day, or week, or maybe even month. I'm just too lazy to be a spammer.
            To subscribe, just sign up with the link or in the sidebar, and you can easily unsubscribe from a link in any newsletter, at any time. I'm not even having unsubscribe alerts sent to me, so I won't know… Hope you'll join me!
            Thank you to erosissa for sending me the link that made the decision for me.

• Giveaways! Oh, the fun you could win!
  
  
  • This one ends in TWO DAYS! Enter to win an 11x14 Premium Photo Calendar from Picaboo $29.99 {1.25; International} at Hobo Mama Reviews: One lucky winner will receive a coupon for a 12-page, glossy, 11x14-inch premium photo calendar from Picaboo. Highlight last year's family photos throughout 2011! You'll be able to order it in time for a Valentine's gift for a loved one — or keep it to brighten up your wall!
  • Playful Parenting (Paperback or CD) $19 {1.29; US/Can} at Natural Parents Network: Win the paperback or CD of Dr. Larry Cohen's #1 parenting book. This is a phenomenal book to get you down on the floor, communicating with your children in their most natural way — play! Playfully parenting can help ease discipline issues, smooth sibling rivalry, and foster trusting connections between parents and children. The book gives you specific ideas to put play to work for you and your kids.
  • Smart Mom Teething Bling from Posh Baby Boutique $19.99 {2.3, US/Can} at Natural Parents Network: Functional and stylish pendant necklace perfect for teething babies to gnaw on or to help nursing babies focus their wandering hands and attention spans. Sponsored by the lovely Posh Baby Boutique.
  • "Squishy Tushy gift certificate {2/18 US}" from TheArtsyMama Low entries, so you have a fabulous chance to win $10 off your next cloth diaper or related purchase from Squishy Tushy! (Boy, I love cloth diaper seller names.)

You can find more shared items during the week at my public Google Reader recommendations feed.

Check out Authentic Parenting, Baby Dust Diaries (on hiatus), Maman A Droit, Navelgazing, Momma Jorje, pocket.buddha, Breastfeeding Moms Unite!, Enjoy Birth, A Domesticated Woman's Adventures, This Adventure Life, The Parent Vortex, and A Little Bit of All of It for more Sunday Surfing! (If you also participate in a regular link list, whether on Sunday or not, let me know and I'll add your link.)

Feel free to add your recommendations in the comments. Happy reading!

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1 We dropped Mikko off, against his will again but then he had lots of fun, with his aunt, and Sam and I went out for a dinner…alone! Fancy. I mean, not the restaurant — it was a phở place. But having a whole conversation! This family came in partway through with a perhaps four-year-old daughter (active and adorable) and sat one table away from us. I found it hilarious to mouth to Sam, "The nerve of people bringing a child into a restaurant!" I made sure they didn't see me, though, don't worry. I was just cracking myself up.^↩