We continue to be delighted with the inspiration and wisdom our Carnival of Natural Parenting participants share, and we hope you'll join us for the next carnival in January 2014! (Check out December, November, October, September, August, July, June, May, April, March, January, and a summary of all our 2012 posts and 2011 posts if you missed any.)
Theme: The More Things Stay the Same: Life changes, it's true; but it often continues on a steady path. This month, write about continuity. What does it mean to you: stability? Monotony? Is it a broken resolution, or a conscious effort? Whether it is something in the past or a goal for 2014, share what "staying the same" means to you and your family.
Deadline: Tuesday, January 7. Fill out the webform (at the link or at the bottom) and email your submission to us by 11:59 p.m. Pacific time: CarNatPar {at} NaturalParentsNetwork.com
Carnival date:Tuesday, January 14. Before you post, we will send you an email with a little blurb in html to paste into your submission that will introduce the carnival. You will publish your post on January 14 and email us the link if you haven't done so already. Once everyone's posts are published by noon Eastern time, we will send out a finalized list of all the participants' links to generate lots of link love for your site! We'll include full instructions in the email we send before the posting date.
Are you the parent of a young baby? I hereby pass along to you my holiday gift: the permission and suggestion to slow down and take care of yourself, too.
I've been through four Christmases with a younger nursling. My kids are currently 6 and a half and 2 and a half years old, and I learned a thing or two from their Christmases at around six months and around 18 months on how to take the holidays easy.
Now, there's what worked for me, but then there are the choices you will make, and it's totally possible and probable that you will have a different set of criteria and priorities when it comes to holiday celebrations. So take my advice as just a series of gentle suggestions. Sometimes people need permission to let go of the pressures of the holidays and of visits to distant relatives, and if that's you, I want to grant it! It's your holiday celebration, too, so try to slow down and enjoy it.
Cut down on travel, or plan ahead
We traveled by plane with Mikko when he was four months old, and then again when he was seven months old. After those two experiences, we swore off plane trips for the next several years at least. We then, warily, tried a road trip when he was 20 months old...which made us rethink future road trips. We've now traveled twice with Alrik, once by car and once by plane, and while neither was awful, neither was a walk in the park.
Welcome to the Sunday Surf, a tour of the best blogposts I've read throughout the week.
Does anyone else feel like the Christmas season is racing by? Stop, stop, stop! I want some of that kid-perspective of Advent-lasts-foreeeever-and-when-is-it-going-to-be-Christmas-already, because I can't believe it's almost here and we've done about … oh … 5 things on our list of 100 possibilities. I'm trying to slow down a bit and just enjoy it, regardless. We have our tree and stockings up now, so that's nice!
I thought you'd want to enjoy this epic bedhead from Alrik's nap.
I also gave him a haircut that day. You'd think that was because of or after the bedhead, right? Nope, the haircut came first and apparently unleashed even more volume. But the back of his head's pretty much always like that. We got off easy with Mikko and his self-styling locks.
Of course, not that we do much at all to keep this kid looking this cute.
Having unrealistic expectations, for example expecting your toddler to sit quietly during dinner for an hour, sets parents up for frustration – thereby undermining gentle intentions. Imagining malicious intention can be even worse. Imagine your 11 month old throwing food off of their tray. If you imagine she is doing it intentionally to annoy you your reaction will be very different than if you imagine she is having a great time learning about her power over objects.
Thank you for making me feel bad challenging me to be less lazy, to pick a few things up and to try a new activity. To switch off the TV and hand over the glitter pots.
[…]
Thank you for helping me realise that you doing what you do to the very best of your abilities isn’t an indictment on me. It’s just you celebrating your strengths as I compare, identify and then celebrate mine! And also for showing me that you can’t make me feel anything, and I own my feelings and should take responsibility for them rather than blaming you for being great.
I want to think of arranging my house as if I live in a hotel. One of the best experiences in my life was living in England for a summer during college and having a whole bookshelf for about 10 books and a whole closet for half a dozen outfits — it felt decadent and right. And it was SO EASY to clean up!
But the best thing about the Firelight Lodge (or any hotel for that matter) is that we each checked in with only 1 suitcase each full of our favourite things.
And that has to be the single most compelling reason for getting rid of clutter that I can think of. Seriously, have you ever walked into a hotel room and thought:what this place is missing is a whole lot of my crap?
Sure, sometimes a comfortable bed or a sharp knife would be a pleasant addition, but do you miss your 46 tea towels or your laundry day underwear? Do you ever get a hankering to fix that broken flashlight you’ve been hanging onto?
We have never, ever, ever gotten a Santa picture this good,
with neither kid screaming or flailing away in terror.
I am all agog.
Thanks to Shannon for snapping it!
Welcome to the December 2013 Carnival of Natural Parenting: The More Things Change…
This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Code Name: Mama and Hobo Mama. This month our participants have shared stories and wisdom about life changes.
I've enjoyed learning more about the body's state of homeostasis: the tendency toward stability, as controlled through multiple and ongoing small changes.
For instance, our body's temperature might be an average of 98.6 degrees (or not) — but only because the body constantly reacts to make it so, sweating to cool us, shivering to warm us, and many smaller responses that we don't even consciously register.
In other words, we're always changing — and always staying the same.
I've got a super-fast project you can whip right up for a holiday gift! Your kiddo will love opening up and flying away in a handmade reversible superhero cape for Christmas, so grab some shiny fabric, and let's get sewing.
This is seriously SO EASY you're going to laugh at me for making a blog post about it. Stuff you could figure out on your own is my crafty specialty, yo.
Materials:
Superhero-worthy fabric: I followed Mikko's lead and headed straight to the gymnast/ice-skating costume section of Jo-Ann's, where we picked out (on sale, woo!) some sort of shimmery spandex stretch fabulousness. We made sure to get two contrasting colors for each cape so they can be reversible plus have an intriguing lining. Other fabrics that would work well would be satin, silk, or, for a floatier sort of fairy cape, perhaps something like organza. If you were going for something more Middle-Earthly, you could do a light wool, or an opaque costume fabric for a vampiric tot. Unless you're going for a floaty look, lean toward drapey fabrics.
Thread to match — any regular sort will do, and the color match doesn't have to be perfect, just subtle.
Some form of closure — I used and am quite happy with Velcro Soft & Flexible Sew-On Tape — it comes in white, black, and beige, so choose the one that coordinates best.
A Jo-Ann tip for you: They now have a free mobile app that will give you scannable coupons on your phone. Since I always forget to bring my mailed coupons, this has been a serious money-saver. If you don't want to wait for specialty fabrics to go on sale, there's almost always a coupon for 50% or at least 40% off one regular-price item, which includes one cut of fabric. No, Jo-Ann isn't paying me to say this — just some advice that's helped me out recently!
Instructions:
Measure out how much fabric you'll need in length by measuring from your child's neck to where you want the cape to fall. (I can hear you saying "Uh-duh.") I found the width of my fabric sufficient to wrap around my kids' little necks with room to spare. I erred on the long side with their capes, particularly for wee Alrik, since I figure they'll last longer that way.
Cut out both of your pieces of fabric to the same length (which might have been done for you at the store — I had to make two boys two capes each, so I did additional cutting at home) and match up the seams, shiny sides together so you're looking at the dull underside of both pieces. Pin around the edges. If your pieces are uneven, as mine were, start with one corner with both layers matched perfectly together and pin, then work from there, smoothing the fabric as you go so you keep the layers from puckering.
While you're pinning, your kids will be hard at work doing the same with the scraps (one can only assume).
This post is especially for Momma Jorje, because every year I post about our St. Nicholas Day celebrations after the fact, and every year she suggests it would be better if I reminded everyone beforehand so they could join in!
So: Let this be your reminder! Put your boots out tonight and Saint Nicholas might just stop by to tuck some shiny little goodies inside!
(Unless you've been naughty, of course. Then all bets are off.)
Since we speak some German at home, we like to learn about the culture as well. That's why we celebrate Nikolaustag, or St. Nicholas Day, each year.
Because the feast day of Saint Nicholas is December 6, empty boots (Nikolausstiefel) generally go outside the door the night of December 5, the eve of Nikolaustag (Nikolausabend).
Please head over to the Healthy Child Summit today to hear me talk about breastfeeding beyond infancy and tandem nursing!
The Healthy Child Summit is FREE and is in sneak-peek mode right now, and my interview was selected for inclusion in this preview. The full summit will be available in February, but for now you can hear me speak today only!
Since my giveaway for Appleseed Lane ends Friday,
I thought I'd share our fun with the
November box on crime scene science!
We bought a subscription to Appleseed Lane,
so we get a science-based box once a month
with fun activities, crafts, and a book to explain it all!
Mikko was eager to spread it all out.
As you can see, we had two of everything
with the sibling add-on (no fighting! woo!).
Mikko loves crime-solving games and shows
(this is actually true and, yes, I know he's 6),
so he was ready to get right to detecting.
We had to solve which nefarious caterpillar sibling got into the cookie jar.
One thing I love is Appleseed Lane supplies ALL the materials.
For instance, one of the activities called for a pencil, and I was thinking:
Oh, no, I have to find a pencil? But it was included — but unsharpened.
So I was thinking, Oh, no, I have to find a pencil sharpener?
But the sharpener was INCLUDED! It's so easy.
This bag of flour was a great relief to me,
because we never have any now that we're grain-free!
That was another one where I read the directions first and had a mini-panic
before realizing: Nope, it's all included. Whew!
So, anyway: First up, handprint molds!
See that little packet of unsweetened Kool-Aid? Included!
No running to the store. Love it.
Welcome to the Sunday Surf, a tour of the best blogposts I've read throughout the week.
Here's hoping you all had a celebratory Thanksgiving weekend! We just stayed home and the boys puked. And I cleaned up puke. And they puked some more. It was … different.
But now it's time for the holiday season, and I am stoked! Christmas music, ahoy!
Once upon a time, I used a Sunday Surf to talk about manifesting a hedgehog. Since Mikko's now enthusiastically on board, we are one step closer. Don't you just adore his drawing of a hedgehog? Totally unprompted. We made a shopping list and went to the pet store to get some supplies.
Q4. What if something bad happens? I’ve heard about horrible things that can happen during a birth.A. We’d be really screwed. Once we get out into the woods by the fire and the drummers burning incense, we enter a force field and can’t leave it to go to a hospital. Ambulances can’t get in, either.
Q5. Is the midwife trained? A. If you’re lucky…but if not, usually one of the drummers (by the fire, in the woods) will drop his drum and put out his incense and come over to help in an emergency.
Jim Gaffigan: Mr. Universe - 4 KIDS (by jimgaffigan)
"Four kids. If you want to know what it’s like to have a fourth, just imagine you’re drowning … and then someone hands you a baby."
"We had all our babies at home … just to make you feel uncomfortable."
"People always assume there was some laziness involved. ‘You didn’t want to go to the hospital?’ ‘It was far. I didn’t feel like putting on pants.’"
"People are like, ‘You didn’t want to go to that germ-infested building where sick people congregate? … Didn’t your wife want to give birth in a gown someone died in yesterday?’"
"There was also a midwife there, because we believe in witchcraft."
I think it is important to appreciate what you have and not just on Thanksgiving. It's important to remember to be grateful when your life feels abundant, but perhaps even more-so when times are hard. That said, I have some tough things going on right now and am having a hard time over here so… I want to challenge myself to remember all the things in my life for which to be grateful. I enjoyed the challenge at Let's Take the Metro a couple of years ago, so I'm going to challenge you in a similar fashion. Are you ready?
You can still participate and link up below!
Even though our family is puke-tastically sick, we're having a nice quiet Thanksgiving at home.
We're semi-fasting for the above reason, but we have good food on hand to break our fast when we can!
Blackadder! Our choice of Thanksgiving Day sickbed amusement.
String cheese, or as Mikko calls it, octopus cheese. Because I tear the bottom apart for him like a squid-ly thing before handing it over.
It's time for my annual Sharing of the Coupons. I have several valued affiliate partners who give out amazing deals this time of year, and particularly this Cyber Weekend. Avoid the crowds and enjoy your holiday-shopping-from-home experience. I'm hosting a little round-up for you of the best ones!
For further details and notice of new sales, visit Hobo Mama Reviews.
Kissed by the Moon
Get 10% off cloth diapers all weekend at Kissed by the Moon plus goody bags — and special doorbuster savings TONIGHT and tomorrow morning only of up to 20% off!
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Plus: 10% off through the rest of the weekend and Cyber Monday! (selected brands)
Truth in the Tinsel: Advent activity ebook for families
If your family practices the Christian faith and is looking for a kid-friendly guided Advent resource, try out Truth in the Tinsel!
This is "an Advent experience for little hands," because it offers a faith-based activity and Bible reading each day to reinforce the reason for the season and lead children into a celebration of Christmas and Jesus' birth.
Truth in the Tinsel is only $7.99 as an ebook download — and my readers can get 20% off the book just for being awesome!
I'm Lauren Wayne, writer and natural parent. I embrace attached parenting with an emphasis toward green living.
Riding the rails with my husband, Crackerdog Sam, and our hobo kids, Mikko Lint Picker (born June 2007), Alrik Irontrousers (born May 2011), and Karsten (born October 2014). Trying every day to parent intentionally and with grace.
I've enjoyed learning more about the body's state of homeostasis: the tendency toward stability, as controlled through multiple and ongoing small changes.
— it comes in white, black, and beige, so choose the one that coordinates best.
I'm Lauren Wayne, writer and natural parent. I embrace attached parenting with an emphasis toward green living. 
