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

Look — he's already walking! To get cotton candy! Ok, neither of those is true. No babies were harmed in the making of this silly picture.

I know it's a truism that babies grow so fast, but they do, don't they? To go in four months from larval to batting at toys, struggling to sit upright (I call that move "baby crunches"), and smiling droolily at all and sundry is quite the developmental feat.

We're currently also raising caterpillars, and their metamorphosis is even faster — though much more disgusting. In a short week, they have gone from creepy caterpillars to creepier chrysalides.¹ But I'm thinking not even painted lady butterflies will be able to compete with baby cuteness…

I guess I'm a speciesist.

On another note, I'm on Pinterest now if you are, too. People keep saying it's addicting. I know now whereof they speak.

But, between caterpillar care and pinning (not butterflies! I'm not that mean!), I still had time to gather some links:

I’m not for it, I am it « Skipping School


The above link is a link treasure trove, so I'll point out just a few specifics in case you don't want to spend your whole day reading about the delightful horrifying foods and ambitious Stalinist chore schedules of the 1950s.

Manly Men, Girly Girls and Things in Between – Scroll down to the little image that says When It's Strictly Stag and witness the concoction wives should make for their husband and his buddies. It's worth clicking.

Taking Advice On Boys and Babes — And this blog wouldn't be what it is if I didn't offer you stellar parenting advice wherever I find it. The 1950s gave us a crib that can safely should never be used in a moving car! Plus, corn syrup is apparently the most nutritious horrifying stuff to wean your baby off onto. And if your whole family is constipated, just toss them some milk of magnesia — don't investigate the fact that you've been making even your meat-and-liver dishes into a gelatin {shudder}.

But here's what I most want to share with you, from A World of No:


If you're feeling pressured to disinfect everything in sight, just remember Lysol doesn't always have your best interests at heart {more dramatic shudder along with some whole-body cringing}.

Unschooling preschool

I have a guest post up at Natural Parents Network this week about … well, the title pretty much sums it up. Go chat with me in the comments over there, or check out the discussion happening hereabouts as well.

Help NPN with a Virtual Mother Blessing!

Remember to send in your emails of support and encouragement for Michelle of Woman Seeking Mother.

Natural parenting blog carnivals

I've updated the blog carnival linky. It's hard to find out details for some carnivals, so if anyone knows dates/themes for carnivals missing information, please do let me know.

Feel free to enter your own carnivals or find some to write for!

From Natural Parents Network, in a week on preschoolers (a favorite subject of mine!

• Wordless Wednesday: Preschoolers
• Parenting a Spirited Preschooler
• Breastfeeding My Preschooler
• Preschool Art: Imagination Rules
• Unschooling preschool

Natural parenting giveaways

I've updated the linky for natural parenting giveaways, too. Please feel free to add your own giveaways and check out some to win!

I've taken moderation off as an experiment, so you should see your submission right away. If you need anything changed, just let me know and I can edit it.

Current giveaways around here

2 Sets of Children's Homebirth Books $24 ARV {10.24; Worldwide} — NEW!

NPN: $20 Gift Certificate from KidsCuteture {10.17; US/Can}

NPN: Baby Unplugged Book Set, $24 ARV {10.10; US}

MotherMoonPads Cloth Menstrual Pads $27 ARV {9.28; Worldwide} — Ends THIS WEEK!

NPN: The Natural Newborn Bug Stopper and Body Butter $26 ARV {9.27; US}

Just to warn you going into this week, my computer is now the only working machine in our household. Sam's computer and our old backup computer both bit the dust in a two-day span. Since three of us (Mikko likes his DVDs) will be sharing one computer, we'll have to see how this works out! But, assuming I have opportunity to read online:

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

Check out Authentic Parenting, Baby Dust Diaries, Anktangle, Navelgazing, Momma Jorje, I Thought I Knew Mama, Enjoy Birth, A Domesticated Woman's Adventures (various), Fabulous Mama Chronicles, Kelly Hogaboom (Fridays), The Parent Vortex (weekends), Ichigo Means Strawberry, TouchstoneZ, Hippie Housewife (Saturdays), Multiple Musings, Motherhood Moments, Mama and Baby Love, 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 I really want to say "cocoons," but I'm told that's incorrect.^↩