Monday, March 31, 2014

Nourished Living Summit: Hear me speak on long-term breastfeeding!

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Nourished Living Summit: Hear me speak on long-term breastfeeding! == Hobo MamaWant to hear me speak about long-term breastfeeding along with 61 other presentations on natural family living from 68 other (amazing) speakers? And want to hear it all for free?

I'm a presenter and happy affiliate of the Nourished Living Summit, which brings together natural health, wellness, and parenting professionals who are dedicated to helping parents care for their family naturally. These experts know that this parenting gig is not easy and as such are equipping you with the information you need to either begin, continue, or expand your journey as a natural-minded parent.

The Nourished Living Summit is a FREE online event
that runs March 24 through April 29.

Thursday, March 27, 2014

Update: Health insurance & pregnancy for the self-employed

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Health Care Reform Update: Health insurance & pregnancy for the self-employed == Hobo Mama
Awhile back, I wrote a post bemoaning our limited choices for U.S. health insurance maternity coverage as a self-employed family.

Let the politicos argue about Obamacare — I'm just happy to report that Health Care Reform has solved those problems!

Back in 2010, here were our choices:
  1. Upgrade our health insurance before conception to a plan that includes maternity coverage, which ended up being one of the two most expensive plans offered by our insurer.
  2. Pay out of pocket for all our prenatal, birth, and postpartum expenses.

I thought this was all horrifically sexist for so few insurance plans to cover maternity — sure, not all of us get pregnant and have babies, but all of us have been babies. It wasn't just penalizing women of childbearing age — it was penalizing the most vulnerable members of our society, the soon-to-be and recently born. I'm so glad someone told the insurance companies they needed to stop being weasels.

With Alrik's pregnancy, we ended up going with upgrading just my insurance to the most expensive plan — so expensive, in fact, that I ended up paying more per month to insure just myself with maternity coverage than we paid to insure the other three family members (once Alrik was born) combined on a non-maternity plan.

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Wordless Wednesday: Marine biology

Hobo Mama wants you to know she's a professional blogger! Look at how professional she's being!

I thought I'd give some glimpses into our homeschooling / unschooling,
natural-learning process. Here's one of our educational visits to the aquarium.

Wordless Wednesday: Marine biology == Hobo Mama
Mikko talked with this tidepool helper for ages and asked him
every aquatic question he could think of. I love that homeschooling
doesn't mean we don't get to approach the experts for info!

Wordless Wednesday: Marine biology == Hobo Mama
Mikko really dug the sea cucumbers.
We were shocked to find out starfish eat sponges, though.
Patrick, noooooo!

Wordless Wednesday: Marine biology == Hobo Mama

Wordless Wednesday: Marine biology == Hobo Mama

Wordless Wednesday: Marine biology == Hobo Mama
We finally scored an activity backpack they have available during the off-season for homeschoolers and other nerds. It was fun!

Sunday, March 23, 2014

Calling for submissions for the April 2014 Carnival of Natural Parenting: Family Pastimes

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 April 2014!(Check out March, February, January 2014, December 2013, November, October, September, August, July, June, May, April, March, January, and summaries of all our 2012 posts and 2011 posts if you missed any.)

Your co-hosts are Dionna at Code Name: Mama and Lauren at Hobo Mama.

Family game night wins over communityHere are the submission details for April 2014:

Theme: Family Pastimes: We all have our free-time passions. Which ones do you share with your kids? How have you incorporated family life into your hobbies, or the other way around? Have you struggled to balance “me time” with parenting? Is there something you and your family would like to take up? Get on your hobbyhorse and tell us all about it!

Deadline: Tuesday, April 1. 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, April 8. 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 April 8 and email us the link if you haven't done so already. Once everyone's posts are published on April 8 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.

Please submit your details into our web form: This will help us as we compile the links list. Please enter your information on the form embedded at the end of this post, or click here to enter it on a separate page: April 2014 Carnival of Natural Parenting participant form

Thursday, March 20, 2014

Parenting hasn't stopped me from pursuing my passions {$100 gift card giveaway from Delivery Man}

Parenting hasn't stopped me from pursuing my passions == Hobo MamaIt's interesting to think about pre-parent me and who I was six and a half years ago compared with today. It's incredible the ways being a parent has changed me — not just in terms of stretch marks, a higher tolerance for being peed on, and the adopting of phrases my mom used to say that I swore I never would — but in ways that affect my deepest core and have brought me into my true self.

Pre-kids Sam and me could do pretty much anything, and so we did. We didn't have much money, but we still traveled a lot, went to plays and concerts and museums, started businesses, moved across the country just because, watched multi-day marathons of TV shows on DVD, practiced music and wrote songs, volunteered long hours, took continual adult-education classes, and enjoyed it all.

I don't regret who I was then, and I don't regret that my life has changed. I imagine some of it would have changed with age and circumstances in any case, but I can definitely see how before becoming a parent, I had pretty much my own inclinations to consult for what I wanted to do on any given day and in my broader life planning. I wasn't selfish or thoughtless — that's just how my life was.

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Wordless Wednesday: Art appreciation

Hobo Mama wants you to know she's a professional blogger! Look at how professional she's being!

I thought I'd give some glimpses into our homeschooling / unschooling,
natural-learning process. Here are just a few of our fun artistic explorations.

When I decided on the theme for this post, I thought I wouldn't have much to fill it, because my boys are in the minimalist category when it comes to drawing and crafts. But it turns out we've had plenty of opportunities, and they dove into quite a few!

Wordless Wednesday: Art appreciation == Hobo Mama
Trying out tempera paints in our new spill-proof cups.

Wordless Wednesday: Art appreciation == Hobo Mama
Color explosion

Wordless Wednesday: Art appreciation == Hobo Mama
Twist-tie king at a children's museum!

Wordless Wednesday: Art appreciation == Hobo Mama
Making music at another

Wordless Wednesday: Art appreciation == Hobo Mama
They put on their own performance there, too.

Friday, March 14, 2014

How to make your own musical instruments

Hobo Mama wants you to know she's a professional blogger! Look at how professional she's being!

We made some music with our latest science & art box from affiliate Appleseed Lane! Here are some ideas of how you could do similar projects at home.

How to make your own musical instruments == Hobo Mama

By the way, it's Pi Day (3.14), so Appleseed Lane is offering all you science fans 30% off your first box with the code PIDAY — enjoy through March 16! These experiment & craft projects are perfect for natural learning at home.

How to make your own musical instruments == Hobo Mama
The projects awaiting us!

How to make your own musical instruments == Hobo Mama
Checking out the supplies. We got the optional sibling add-on with our subscription so both kids can (peaceably) share, but Alrik was taking his nap, so we'll do his later.

How to make your own musical instruments == Hobo Mama
Straw kazoo — a little tricky to learn, but intriguing, and a possibility for passing the time at a restaurant if you have little scissors around (like on a keychain!). Take a drinking straw and flatten the first inch, then cut into a V. Blow through the top until it vibrates. You can cut off portions of the length to alter the sound.

How to make your own musical instruments == Hobo Mama
Sam and I were impressed with this craft stick kazoo. I know there are a lot of kazoo variations out there, but this one was really fun, with varying sounds. You need two craft sticks — wrap a thick rubber band around one, and slide a one-inch straw piece underneath one end.

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Wordless Wednesday: Social studies

Hobo Mama wants you to know she's a professional blogger! Look at how professional she's being!

I thought I'd give some glimpses into our homeschooling / unschooling,
natural-learning process. Here are just a few of our fun cultural explorations with friends.

Shannon at Pineapples & Artichokes organizes and hosts these
fantastic monthly celebrations focusing on different cultures.
I cohosted the last one for a German Fasching party.

Wordless Wednesday: Social studies == Hobo Mama
Alrik wore my brother's old Lederhosen,
bought when we lived in Berlin when I was a kid.
So süß!
We had a parade complete with bubbles, masks, and costumes.

Wordless Wednesday: Social studies == Hobo Mama
Sam helped with the potluck by making us some Currywurst
and his famous soft pretzels (a huge hit!).
Potato-y yumminess and a nonalcoholic Glühwein completed the spread.

Wordless Wednesday: Social studies == Hobo Mama
I read the German version of
We're Going on a Bear Hunt
so we could do all the fun German sounds.
(Photo by Shannon)

Wordless Wednesday: Social studies == Hobo Mama
Masks & art

Another month was Hawaii.

Wordless Wednesday: Social studies == Hobo Mama
The potluck included pineapple skewers and coconut,
but Mikko homed in on the Pirate's Booty.

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

It's not heroic when you're living it


Welcome to the March 2014 Carnival of Natural Parenting: Everyday Superheroes

This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama. This month our participants have talked about the remarkable people and characteristics that have touched their lives. Please read to the end to find a list of links to the other carnival participants.




It's not heroic when you're living it == Hobo MamaWhen I meet non-homeschooling people who find out we are, I get a lot of the same messages:

Wow, I couldn't do that! You must be really organized.

I get the same reactions when I tell people we work from home:

You must have so much self-discipline!

Well … I dunno. I think it's due to people's lack of imagination for what it might actually be like to live some of these choices. I'm not some amazing superheroic mother or entrepreneur. I just … prefer doing things this way.

Same with home birthing and breastfeeding and babywearing — I'm not a crunchy green superwoman. To be totally honest here, I chose those things because (a) I don't like leaving home and being around strangers, (b) it seemed a lot easier to use a body part attached to me than get out of bed to wash bottles and pump parts, and (c) my arms get tired if I have to carry my baby around all day (and I do).

So … yeah. Taken all together, I'd say I made a lot of my "heroic" choices because — wait for it — I'm lazy. Because they were convenient and made sense to me and were expedient.

Monday, March 10, 2014

10% off mindful parenting ebooks: Today only!

Hobo Mama wants you to know she's a professional blogger! Look at how professional she's being!

Essential Parenting Collection from Mindful Nurturing
We've got a FLASH SALEtoday only! — of 10% off Mindful Nurturing's Essential Parenting Collection or any of the topical bundles on Pregnancy and Birth, Parenting the Early Years, Child Development, Mindful Guidance, and Resources for Parents.

Use code MONDAY10 for
10% off your purchase
March 10 only!

The full collection is $44.97 today only, and each mini-bundle is $17.97, only through midnight, so hurry!

For a full overview of ALL the 35 e-resources, read my introductory post.

Right now, I'm going to do a mini-review of several resources that have meant something to me. Keep in mind that this full collection is worth $750, which means each resource has an average value of $21. You don't have to crave many of the books to make the whole bundle or one of the topical bundles well worth your purchase!

Sunday, March 9, 2014

Sunday Surf: Rain or shine

Hobo Mama wants you to know she's a professional blogger! Look at how professional she's being!

Welcome to the Sunday Surf, a tour of the best blogposts I've read throughout the week.

Sunday Surf: Rain or shine == Hobo Mama
We're not letting the wintry rain get us down.
The family headed downtown to the museums and monorail.
Thanks to Google+ for this automagicked motion! (Connect with me if you're on G+!)

Sunday Surf: Rain or shine == Hobo Mama
We stopped in a Japanese novelty store, where most everything's $1.50,
and the boys got these tubes. Why? Why, indeed. They love them.

Sunday Surf: Rain or shine == Hobo Mama
Mikko keeps using his for rainwater experiments.

Sunday Surf: Rain or shine == Hobo Mama
Fortunately, we've had plenty of rain to enjoy!

Linkety-links!

Friday, March 7, 2014

On breastfeeding twin newborns vs. twin toddlers

This is one in a series of guest posts by other bloggers. Read to the end for a longer biographical note on today's guest blogger, Mercedes from Project Procrastinot. I am in awe of parents of twins — and particularly those who manage to breastfeed two hungry babies through toddlerhood. Mercedes gives us her tips and comparisons for breastfeeding twin newborns vs. twin toddlers, so if you're in the same boat, take heart: It gets easier. Or, at least: different.

Hobo Mama wants you to know she's a professional blogger! Look at how professional she's being!

Guest post by Mercedes of Project Procrastinot


When my twins were born, I couldn't know for certain if I would reach my goal of breastfeeding them for one year. Now that they are sixteen months, the idea of weaning them seems very strange. It just doesn't feel like our time is up, although nursing toddlers has its own challenges.

Here are the main differences between nursing twin newborns and nursing older twins, in my experience.

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Wordless Wednesday: Out at the lake

It was time for a mini-adventure the boys and I like to take: down to Lake Washington for lunch and a ramble and making like ducks.

Wordless Wednesday:  Out at the lake == Hobo Mama

Wordless Wednesday:  Out at the lake == Hobo Mama

Wordless Wednesday:  Out at the lake == Hobo Mama

Wordless Wednesday:  Out at the lake == Hobo Mama

Wordless Wednesday:  Out at the lake == Hobo Mama