Rock on Pink

I love PINK, I think her music is awesome and inspiring. Something about a lot of her music really resonates with me. Whether it is to rock or or get serious, I don't think I have come across a song of hers I haven't liked. I admit when a star I like names crosses headlines, I read it. Well this headline caught my attention on many levels Rocker Mom Pink almost starts fight over rude breastfeeding remark. Now that caught my attention. 1. Love Pink 2. Support Breastfeeding. I had to read it. Going through the article, I smiled. All I could think is "Rock on Pink".
What Pink was doing, is perfectly natural, and she was even using a cover according to the article. Now I usually don't encourage fighting with others, but people need to get rid of their idea that breastfeeding should stay behind closed doors. I had always wondered if Pink was a bit more of a breastfeeding advocate, and now I know. I think it is great the celebrities that are out and about breastfeeding it makes us "normal" people look less strange for doing it. Rock on Pink, rock on.

 There is a part in this video that I love where they are feeding a cow human milk.... makes about as much sense as feeding a human cow milk... just saying!

Sharing the milk ~~ My story

Have you heard the saying " Sharing is Caring"? Most of us learned this saying at a very young age, usually even before we start school. While this lovely mantra has been ingrained into our brains, many use it now with a mocking tone. This is unfortunate but sharing something with someone is a wonderful way to show how you care. There are many thing we can share in this world, but what would you say if I said you could share a gift of amazing nutrition with another? Most people would jump at the opportunity to share nutrition with someone, even more so for a baby.  Would you be shocked if I told you that people simply don't do it. They don't share with the babies, at least not many. They used to, but with the medical system we have been scared out of it. I'm talking about breast milk, it is a life supporting freely flowing source that comes out of almost every women, to one extent or another. Some women produce large amounts, some produce less. I was very fortunate to be a women who produced excessive milk. So much milk I needed to pump off for comfort reasons. with my first two I saved the milk. We used some of it eventually, but alot just got old an went into the garbage. This saddened me but I had no idea what to use it for. It was never enough for milk banks, and I felt fundamentally opposed to the sale of my breast milk when I gave it to them for free. About two years ago, I heard about a wonderful Idea I hadn't ever though of, giving the milk to a mom in need!  That way I could give what I had and she could use it, no matter how much or how little I had. This made my heart fill with so much happiness. I at the time didn't have any milk to donate, due to being pregnant, but I loved watching the milky love flow.

Lil Squish at 16 days

After I had lil  Squish once again I had a surplus of milk. So I did what I had been doing with the previous two, I pumped. I didn't pump all that often but I still had a pretty good storage in my freezer.  When Squish was 15 days old my friend had a baby, he ended up being a very big surprise. R was born with Downs Syndrome, He was a tiny little guy that had a whole world to conquer. We soon found out that he had a heart issue and feeding at the breast was exhausting for him, it took too much work and was strenuous. My friend then planned on pumping but between R and his older brother there just never seemed to be enough hours in a day. I spoke with her and asked what their plans were, she expressed frustration to me that she felt like she had no options. They couldn't afford the milk bank but she wan't able to pump. She knew with all his health issue being on breast milk was going to be what would be best but it just seemed like it wouldn't work. I took a deep breathe and offered she all I could. I told her I would give R my milk if she would have it. I really wasn't sure what the response was going to be, we hadn't ever talked about milk sharing before, in any real depth. What was just a few short seconds felt like forever. She said sure, she wanted to clear it with her hubby first but she would be more than happy to accept my gift.I breathed a sigh of relief, because what I was offering was something very unusual to many people After that I also sourced donors for her using the Human Milk 4 Human Babies Facebook groups. 

milky brothers Left is R. right is Squish

Having breast milk turned out to be the greatest gift for R. after surgeries he has recovered much better then he did when he was having formula. His mom said she really noticed a difference in him when he is on breast milk or formula. He would gain weight and maintain better when he was having breastmilk, R would thrive with his momma milk. Time has passed and he is now reaching 18 months and my heart still smile thinking how we were able to help just one little guy. I know that he is doing better due to the nutrition I and several other moms were able to give. Not to mention the money we helped them save :)

This week is the 2nd Annual World MilkSharing Week. It is due to moms reaching out and helping on another that many many many babies have been able to have the nutrition they needed for their start in life. They were able to be fed from another mom when circumstances prevented their own mother from fully providing milk. With full disclosure and trust women are able to share this gift with others all around the world. I think this is truly amazing. There is a saying that it takes a village to raise a child, why not use the village to feed the child as well.

steak for babies?!?!

Just this week Health Canada released a new guideline for feeding babies. You can read the CBC report on it here. So now Health Canada is saying that babies can be served meat as a first food, as opposed to the iron fortified infant cereal. I really laughed when I saw this post. There were so many sides on this, everything from horror to people saying " wow Health Canada finally got on board with the rest of the world".

 No purees or mashed up stuff for this guy

This is not something new or amazing. Babies all around the world tend to be feed food, real food, as first foods. This is commonly referred to as Baby Led weaning.Where your child has no solid food till they are ready to eat real food, no purees no blending just real food from the plate just like what you and I eat.  Now for those first few months you are to be exclusivity breastfeeding your child with no need for other food. This is a very different concept to what has been suggested by health professional for many years. I even remember when Bug was little I was told that I could start him on rice cereal at 3 months. I trusted my elders and did it. He survived but I have no idea what damage was done to his intestinal track at that age. I find it amazing the things were are learning, about how our bodies work and process. The thing I find the funniest is most traditional cultures have used this method for hundreds of thousands of years. This is not a new concept!
I am very glad that Health Canada is getting on board, with what the body needs. Iron rich, real foods are so much better than anything that is fortified. Your body will better absorb it and use the nutrients for proper body functions.

So let them have steak! Or chicken, avocado, even liver, it's good for your baby. Do supervise you baby while they are eating and make sure that the meat is tender and cut up into appropriate sized pieces in order for  baby to chew. Teeth are not necessary to chew, just so you know. I personally wouldn't suggest begining solids till your baby is ready. they may be at 6 months it may take a few months more. follow your child they are really intelligent beings.

Some readiness signs are

• able to sit unassisted
• reaching for food
• no tongue thrust
• beginning chewing movements

All of this and more can be found in the Baby Led Weaning book

Wordless Wesnesday ~~~~~ Yellowstone

What's in Mama's Stash?

I love my fluffy stash. For those of you who have no idea what I am talking about, Cloth diapers. I love cloth diapers. I said when I started that I would not be one of those cloth diapering moms who has a billion diapers just because she can. Well it happened, I have so many diapers in so many different styles.  I don't really double up on colours from the same brand of diaper and I have about 30 pocket diaper. So that gives you an idea of the rage of diapers I have. That is only the tip of what is in Mama's stash. But it is by far the most fun part.

What do I love right now?

I am loving one sized pockets. They are customizeable to what we are needing, the clean up in the laundry super fast. When drying them on the line it takes no time at all. These are really my go to diaper right now. They are also great for travelling we took the on our Epic Extravaganza. The clean and dry really easy and really quickly.
 Right now I love the Alva diapers. They sell under a bunch of different names, but I usually get my diapers from TenderTushies Diapers. They have a few prints I have my eyes on right now. ;) Like this one, or this one and this one. Wonderful people to do business great prices and awesome service.

What about newborns?

My newborn go to is prefolds from Bummis. I love these and I use either a variety of covers or wool covers. I love how they have such a good fit for the individual baby. Both Bobo and Lil Squsih have been in Cloth since the day they were born. Now for covers I have tried a bunch and they all have their ups and downs. I'm looking for new options. I like ones that have a good fit and keep poop in. I don't yet have a LOVE cover. still on the hunt.

Would you like to see what I have? Watch the video.

Please don't judge me to harshly on my videoing skill I'm not a very good Vlogger and I don't know how to edit. 

What is in your Cloth Diaper stash?

Chocolate Caramel Crunchies

Chocolate Caramel Crunchies ( homemade Skor)

I love Skor bars. the caramel and chocolate.. so yummy. Here is a lovely homemade recipe that I love to make because it is so easy 

1 cup of real butter

1 cup of brown sugar

1 cup of chocolate chips

1 sleeve of saltines ( salted tops)

Pre heat over to 400 F. In a medium pot melt the butter, add the brown sugar to the melted butter. Bring to a low boil till it is thoroughly mixed. 

While the butter is melting lay out the saltines salted side up on a cookie sheet.

 Once the butter/ sugar mixture is well mixed and hot. pour it over the crackers. Be careful if you get it on you it hurts A LOT! Using a spatula spread it over the cracker so they are all covered. Place it in the oven for about 5-8 minutes. keep and eye on it, burnt caramel ruins it :( It will get all bubbly all over the pan and it need to bubble for about a minute or two depending on your oven. Then remove the tray from the oven and place the chocolate chips all over it evenly, you can always add more chocolate then 1 cup. then put it back in the oven after you have turned it off but it is still hot to melt the chips. once the chips are looking all melty remove the pan use a spatula to smooth the chocolate all around and then put it in a freezer for about 2 hours for it to cool and harden. then break it into pieces and enjoy!

Tales of a bad mom?

Ever had those moments where you feel like you are the most awful mom ever? When those eyes are looking at you and you know the judgement are flowing, or at least your pretty sure. There is nothing that you can do these days with out getting judged harshly by your peers. By peers I mean everyone around you young and old. A whole bunch of Judgey McJudgersons!

I know there are places where I fail as a mom. I'm not a perfect parents no one is, and if someone tells you different they are lying. There are places where I fail and there are places where some think I am over the top and crazy. I try my best and do what I feel is best for my children. I do what I can to keep them healthy safe, and happy. This is my job. Now I'm not always the most fun and exciting mom in the world. I'm not always patient and loving, I have my moments, don't we all?

Some people think I am a bad mom because I am a free range parent. I allow my children to explore their world most of the time and express their independence. I let my children do a lot of things for themselves. Somethings an onlooker could perceive this as me not paying attention to my children or not caring about them. This is completely untrue, but I have experienced it nonetheless. I'm not a bad mom for allowing my child to experience and explore their environment. I have three children I simply can not hover over them all every second. I have to trust my children, and know that they will follow the rules. Not surprising that in general they have been very good about their behavior when they know what is expected and trusted.

Now I have been given the bad mom look for many different things.
- homeschooling
- giving my children candy or treats
- not giving my children candy or treats
- allowing the baby to climb on park structures
- for confining the baby to the carrier
- allowing my children to be free in the park and out of arms reach, particularly the baby.
- having all my children in 5 pt carseats and the baby still rear facing
- for having switched Bug to forward facing at a year

If you can see my point it doesn't matter what I do someone is going to give me that look of disgust. I can't win, there is no point in trying to win.  The mommy wars are harsh,really harsh. Now there are some things that people do that I don't agree with. I have judged but I try not to be a jerk about it. I believe that many people make silly choices due to being uneducated, so sometimes I feel compelled to share some education with them if the still choose to make silly choices then it's their choice. But hey lets get a little more love going around and if some one does something you don't agree with then well move on. If it is a deal breaker for a friend ship then own your own issues, it's not their fault, it's yours. You are making the choice to hate someone for their choices. You don't have to agree with everyone but you don't have to be a jerk about it either.

Have you ever felt like you were a bad mom? How have you been judged? 

Birthday Party Time

EcoBooty is having a birthday party. They are going to have an amazing Facebook party this Friday. Why is this amazing, because if you haven't been to a Facebook party you have been missing the fun. Instead of you giving gifts they give them away to amazing fans. This is pretty awesome, who doesn't like presents??? Seriously though I though this was amazing when I heard about it, so I headed on over to their webpage  and looked at all the wonderful things they offer. Then I looked at their tabs and I was awestruck, they offer a diaper rewards program!!!!!! This is the most amazing thing ever. i get rewards for spending money and get diapers for free?? How can this get more awesome! Right BIRTHDAY PARTY!!!!!!!

So GO NOW check out their website get excited and the head to their Facebook page remember to register for the party and there you go. Hope in on the fun it will be amazing!


Psst  There are diapers there that Mama hasn't even tried yet. Hope to get some new diapers...
What would you like to win? Leave a comment below

Wordless wednesday ~~~~~ recent crazy

Mama's tips for travelling sucess

We just completed what I refer to as the EPIC EXTRAVAGANZA. What else could you call a road trip where you drive 4 province and 13 sates in just 17 days? I call it epic especially when you do it with three young children. It is amazing how many people look at me like I am or at was completely nuts. I may possibly be but that is another topic completely. You know what we survived and with our family intact. There are no hurt feeling and no damaging arguments. It was a really good time. So after people hear about this usually they want to know my secret. How much did you drug them? Nope. Did they watch movies and play video games the whole way? They had one maybe two movies a day and 20 minutes each on the leapster. Next the baffled look came.Always with the baffled look. So here is Mama's tips for travelling success

Frequent quick stops. Do they need to pee? Find a rest stop or at least a good pull out and everyone get out. Run play tag, get the blood flowing do a few jumping jacks have a race. Exercise increases endorphins.  Endorphin help make you happy. Fresh air can do wonders as well.

Something new. We got the kids new colouring books a lapboard and new markers. We went for the Colour Wonder stuff from Crayola. This was amazing It kept the boys busy. I never buy this for them regularly, they are fine using regular felts at home. But I had no desire to have a colouring war in the van.

Keep it fun. If it isn't interesting kids are going to get bored and make things a bit more unenjoyable. The mood tend to set the attitude. So if the mood goes down try and increase it, put on some good music sing be silly. It is really okay to be silly as an adult, we don't do it enough.

Pack good snacks. Sure treats are great to get them to shhh! for a bit but then they want more and the sugary treats aren't good for you or your children. Pack stuff that keep hunger at bay, and is easy to eat. Fruit cups aren't really a good idea but dehydrated fruit is excellent. Now I know regular diet goes out the window but there are good quick options.

Talk it up. The kids knew that we were going on this road trip. They were told it was going to take long drives, but they also knew about the fun things we were going to do. Every stop had something interesting for the children, even if it was just a campground with a pool and a playground. They knew there was something exciting at the end of the road.

Their opinion counts. Ask your kids if they are enjoying the trip. If they aren't ask them why not? Ask them if there is something that can be done to help them enjoy the trip more? Now you don't have to change your entire trip around your children but they need to know that you care about their opinion. Understand why they aren't having fun. On the same token if they are having fun engage them in conversation about what they like. That way if things turn and they said they didn't enjoy anything you have a conversation to go back to.


So there it is pretty simple.If all else fails the DVD player is still there but I think everyone enjoys the trip more if you engage with one another.

I remember 9-11

Really most people know about 9-11. I'm going to tell you about that day in my life.


I was just a day shy of 17. I woke up around 7am to get ready for school. It was my last day of being 16, I was looking forward to another day of seeing my friends. I got showered, dressed and ready. I'm my house we didn't have any news or radios on in the morning. There was likely cartoons on for the younger kids but we were oblivious to what was going on in the world. I had some breakfast and then headed off to school. I remember the walk to school being unusually quiet. There really didn't seem to be anyone around, I didn't think much of it as I walked. Life is pretty good when you are a teenager a day before their birthday. I walked skipped and hummed along my merry way.

It was when I got to school that I noticed something was very different about today. There weren't many people outside. Very unusual. I entered the front doors and there was everyone. it seemed like one of those strange drone scenes in a movie it seemed like everyone was fixated on the TV's. We had TV's through out our school to post the different announcements and time. We had them in most classrooms as well. It seemed that at each and every TV there were 30-50 students huddled and staring. in larger locations more. There were some people sobbing and some in complete shock just staring. I remember walking in and having now idea what was going on. The first time I looked at one of the TV's it all happened in slow motion. Every TV was turned to CNN. At first I didn't understand what was going on. Even when I try to remember it is just clouds of dust and debris and information, but unable to process the information that was coming through. Then I remember seeing the clip of the plane going into the tower. I join my fellow students staring in disbelief. I remember that feeling of utter sadness and astonishment. How could this be happening?

Through the day information come through. I really honestly don't know if anything was actually achieved for school work that day. There were some teachers that turned off the TV's so students would just keep staring. Watching the terror happen over and over again with more and more news reports of people dying.

I remember, I probably always will. This event shook the world in a way that not many other events have. This reshaped history.

Today I will reflect and remember all those who were lost. I will pray for their families that they find comfort and solace. This is a day of remembrance. Remember where we were where we have come and where we will go.

Two lights soar high in the sky as a tribute to the 9/11 disaster in NYC

Shame on you

Lately I have been seeing a lot of posts about parents publicly shaming their children, on Facebook nonetheless. I personally don't understand why many parents think this is going to teach a child anything. Has your child really learned from the experience? Or have they just learned how to not get caught next time?

I would bet dollars to doughnuts that your child will just be more careful to not get caught. Shame doesn't teach a lesson it makes you feel like crap for what you did, it makes you resentful of the person who has made you look bad. Don't believe me? Think back to the last time the someone made you look dumb infornt of all your friends. Did you feel all warm and fuzzy towards them? Probably not. I know I hate to have my dirty laundry aired. I imagine today's children don't feel any different.

Now I can see a parents thinking with doing the shame thing on Facebook. I really can see the thought process. It doesn't mean I condone it at all. You child has done something and you are mad. You want them to pretty much feel like shit for what they did and so that the point get driven home you want to do something drastic so they realize the magnitude of your anger. You want their friends to realize that it is not okay to do this, maybe the other kids parents too! Your child will never ever do this again, they will be so embarrassed they will smarten up and behave themselves.  Sure it sounds like a great plan, but have you dealt with the issue at hand? Or have you just shown your power and ability to control your child?

Getting into a power struggle with a child, teen or really anyone isn't going to end well. When you get into power struggles someone always loses. Unless your goal as a parent is to be the winner and defeat your child this is not going to be a long term parenting system. Children who are under a heavy handed control system while they are children are likely going to look for this relationship their adult life. This may be in many form, could be continuing to need parental approval, a controlling spouse or work situation. Or they could swing the other way where once out from under the controlling roof they decide that they will be the one in control. They will typically look to be on the power side of the relationship and controlling those weaker or less then they are. Yes these are both extremes, though this is a reality of this kind of parenting. Intentionally shaming children into submission is abuse, and it can have major side effects.

Now many parents will say that they have tried it all and nothing is working, this is the only things that works. I ask you though how many times have you tried the other methods? Once, twice? Are you consistent in looking for respectful ways to speak and discipline your children? Now I mean appropriate discipline, where it is reasonable, simple, valuable,  and   practical?  The consequence should fit the offense. I know the desire to yell and threaten and remove any sort of fun is very tempting. Though is it going to teach the child anything? Consequences that are reasonable, simple, valuable and practical , that are done with the child and their growth as a person in mind go a lot further.

So stop the shame and thinks about the future. Would you want your children telling your friends about the things you do wrong? Would you want the fact that you need to be in diapers or forgot your tetth at home on the evening news? Just remember while you are the adult now and the one making the rules, one day the tables can flip and you will depend on your children. Where do you want your relationship to be?

Wordless Wednesday ~~~~ Mama on Vacation