40% Off Designer Maternity & Nursing Lingerie (AU)

Shop here

Hi There,
If you're a nursing or expecting mum in Australia, don't miss this incredible sale at Ma Mère. So many lovely things that may just have to get my people in QLD to do some ordering for me!! I love the Amoralia Nougatine Maternity Bra and matching knickers. 
...enjoy the weekend!

Stella McCartney Kids Spring/Summer 11

Thanks to some friends, family and co-workers we now have a dresser and closet full of baby hand-me-downs. From birth to age twelve months, our little bub is basically good to go with cloths. Nevertheless, it's too fun not to look at children's lines like Stella McCartney's new Spring/Summer line for babies and kids. 

With a love for texture, my favorite? The HETTIE: Babies organic cotton and cashmere trousers.
STELLA MCCARTNEY KIDS
NYT INTERVIEW WITH STELLA ON RUNNING A SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS

Pregtastic Online Radio

Listen Here

Lately, I've been taking a little break from the books and have been enjoying many of the pod casts over at PregTASTIC. Topics covered include prenatal concerns (health, fitness, etc), gear for baby, birthing options, breastfeeding and more. My favorite thus far has been Episode 136, an interview with midwife, Marla Hicks CNM, who speaks on the "home court advantage" and safety of home births.

Marla has a great website and of particular interest are her pages on:
QUESTIONS TO ASK A MIDWIFE
MARLA'S LINKS TO LOVE (Highly comprehensive with links on optimal Fetal Positioning, pain relief, waterbirths, VBACs, breastfeeding, Chinese Medicine, etc)

Morning Muffins

source

 

Lately I've been craving a lot of fresh veggie and fruit juice. Most of the time I compost the pulp and save a few scoops to mix in with the dog's food.  (Little Bear is especially mad for carrots & apples).

Today I juiced some pineapples, carrots, apples and ginger. Wanting to be a little more resourceful with the pulp I used most of today's yield in a variation of this easy & delicious muffin recipe.

I eliminated the vanilla and 1/2 cup of the sugar from the original recipe as the pineapple, ginger & coconut are sweet and flavorful enough.


Here's my version:

Ingredients
4 eggs
1 1/3 cups olive oil
3 cups flour
3/4 cups brown sugar
1tbls agave nectar

3 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp clove powder

3+ cups pulp of any fruit/veggie you desire (I used carrot, apple, pineapple, ginger)

3/4 cup shredded coconut

1/3 cup nuts (walnuts, almonds, etc)

1/2 cup raisins

 

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. 

In a mixing bowl beat eggs, sugar, agave, and oil. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cloves. Fold the combined dry ingredients into the egg and oil mixture until partially incorporated before adding the carrot, apple, raisins, coconut and nuts and folding until well combined. Be careful not to overmix the batter. Before baking you may also sprinkle on extra nuts and/or a dash of raw sugar. 

 

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

 Yeild: 18-24 muffins.

 

.:: I froze about half of the recipe for after the baby arrives as we don't have family near-by to help with the early days of cooking and cleaning).::.

Healing Minor Cuts

No sleep + brand new Japanese knives = Bloody Touble!!

I've been spending a lot of time in the kitchen lately, preparing lots of fresh juices and healthy meals to freeze for the first weeks after delivery. I usually try to be pretty slow and methodical with my knives, but I slipped up with a new one today. ):

It was a tiny, thin, precise cut, but a gusher! Here's what I did and how I reccomend stopping both the bleeding and pulsating pain of a minor cut:

1)- Wash cut with warm water and soap
2)- Wrap wound in gauze or paper towel
3)- Apply pressure & hold above heart
4)- After 3-5 minutes check to see if there is still bleeding
5)- If so, apply new gauze as well as a small cold pack wrapped around the outside gauze. Return to positioning above level of heart for an additional 3/5/10 minutes.
6)-After the wound has stopped bleeding, apply a moderate amount of healing salve, followed by a band-aid. Savoir Herbals is a small mama-owned organic company in mountains of North Carolina which makes a wonderful and affordable Organic Lavender Healing Salve. The blend includes: Organic Olive Oil, Organic Calendula Flowers, Organic Comfrey, Wildcrafted Plantain, Wildcrafted St. John's Wort, Organic White Willow Bark, All Natural Beeswax, Vitamin E, Organic Therapeutic Grade Bulgarian Lavender Essential Oil.

* As a bonus, this salve may also be used for healing perineal tears and traumatized tissues, as well as sore, cracked nipples. I have a jar packed with our birth & baby supplies.

SAVOIR HERBALS WEBSITE

yogi pop

via storkbitesman

Super Slouchy Baby Boot Pattern

PDF downloadable available at Sweet Pea Patterns

As the soft undeveloped bones in baby's feet grow, ossify and fuse over the course of their first several years*, it is important to let our little ones spend the majority of their days shoe-free or in carefully designed shoes that respect this delicate period of growth. Shoes should be breathable, soft and flexible. There are plenty of appropriate brands on the market. Robeez are widely-available, pediatrician-endorsed and have a broad range of really cute designs. There are some sweet organic options over at Pristine Planet. And of course you can always make your own with patterns like the one above. 

ROBEEZ SHOES

PRISTINE PLANET

SWEET PEA PATTERNS

BABY FEET DEVELOPMENT & CHOOSING APPROPRIATE SHOES

the best kind of friends

Illustration by Sophie Parker

My friend Meredith is visiting this week from North Carolina, and it's been such a gift. She's one of those wonderfully laid-back-game-for-anything friends. For a little while I feel bad that I don't have the stamina to take her to all the places I love around the city, but she doesn't let me play that card for too long; She's perfectly understanding and happy to take it easy. We lay around the house, sip fresh ginger tea, knit, draw, watch old episodes of Arrested Development. 

With no pressure to entertain or impress, these are the best & only types of friends to surround yourself with during pregnancy!

Kid Moves™ @ Sprout in San Francisco

Sprout in San Francisco is generously offering up a few free baby and kiddo movement classes on the 25th of this month.
February 25, 2011

10:30pm-11:30pm

Baby (newborn to 18mo) at 11:00am

Toddlers (1 to 3 years) at 10:30am

Join them for Kid Moves™ to introduce movement to your child in a fun and interesting way. They will “read & do” some active moves for your growing baby and toddler. Easy and fun, the developmentally appropriate moves encourage activity, build strength, increase flexibility and promote relaxation.

***The class is expected to fill up, so call ahead to reserve a spot: 415-359-9205 

SPROUT SCHEDULE

KID MOVES WEBSITE

Love Ever After

source

Photographer Laura Fleishman's inspiring take couples married 50+ years: View the series here or here. 


And a lovely video c/o the Kind Life on the beautiful life-long bonds of farm animals:

Coupon Savings For Online Orders

Regarding baby items, there is very little that I have bought new. Most have been gifted, thrifted, or purchased off of Craigslist. I recommend starting your baby shopping as early as possible in your pregnancy that way you don't feel rushed to buy things last minute at full price and/or new. Since a lot of baby items are useful for only a year or two, or even sometimes just for a couple weeks I have a hard time validating buying off-the-rack. It's environmentally irresponsible and I'd much rather save that money for a meaningful family vacation (or two)! (:


However, when I do buy new I only buy items that are on-sale. I've been stalking Craigslist for an organic Baby K'tan, but have had no luck over the months. Getting down to the wire, this is one of those rare items that I validate buying new; if it's something that is rubbing against my baby's skin for hours a day, it needs to be as organic and benign as possible. 


The organic K'tan's are far out of my budget at $74 on their website. I was however able to find one via Due Maternity for $45. I searched RetailMeNot for any additional savings and was able to find a 10% off code. (Every little bit helps!)


If you don't get regular emails or sales announcements from an online vendor, RetailMeNot is a great place to check for coupon codes. You can often save an additional 5-15% on most online-ordering if you're willing to poke around a little.


RETAILMENOT'S WEBSITE

marcel the shell

still couch-bound

still in pain
still in gratitude 

passing a few moments with silly videos
that make me smile

ouch!

source

ouch! i really hate to complain, because i think pregnancy is such a beautiful gift; BUT...my upper right back is killing me! Raw, throbbing, immobilizing. all i can do for relief is lay on my left side with hot water bottle*, trust my Ob's words that this is all very normal, and await the hour that i head to the chiropractor's office for some respite.


*i've been using the water, after it cools in the bottle, for my thirsty plants 

wee textile

There is a relatively new blog that I absolutely adore for it's beautiful imagery and information on natural fibers and textiles for little ones. It's called wee textile and is run by the talented Len Corwin, author of the Printing by Hand. I don't have her book yet, but it is yet another on my long list. If you live in the New York/Brooklyn area, I would highly recommend one of her workshops.


I love that most of the items this new mama features have been found at thrift/consignment stores or have been made by hand. Also very cool to see that she is using organic prefolds from Green Mountain Diapers--a fantastic little company I will talk about soon.  

all images c/o wee textile

Calendula Oil Recipe

One of my favorite lines of baby products comes from Weleda. The vital base of most of their products is biodynamic and organic calendula flower extract.

source

Calendula (Calendula officinalis) is also know as marigold and pot marigold. The bright Mediterranean flower is versatile and potent in its' medicinal qualities. With strong antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, it is used to soothe and calm sore, cracked skin, cuts, bites, sunburns and generally sensitive skin. 

Here is an easy recipe for Calendula oil from my friend Francine. She uses this oil on her face, for baby massages and for her homemade baby wipes solution, which I will share later as well. Her husband also uses it for an after-shave. 

Calendula Oil Recipe

You Will Need: 2 medium-size glass jars with lids (A pasta sauce jar is a good size).~free
Organic dried Calendula flowers (about 1-3 oz)~$2.00
Organic Sunflower Oil ~$7
1-Thoroughly clean the jar and sterilize by immersing it in boiling water
2-Fill the jar loosely with the dried flowers. 
3-Cover with the sunflower oil. Secure the lid.
4-Let sit for 3 weeks/1 month in a dark closet.
5-Strain and transfer to second sterilized jar.

* You should now have about 15/16 oz of the oil, which may be kept for 6 months in a dry, shady and average temperature spot; Again a closet is usually idea. 

*For dried organic Calendula flowers in the Bay Area: 

Rainbow Grocery

and

The Scarlet Sage Herb Co.

*The flowers may also be purchased online from one of my very favorite companies:

 Mountain Rose Herbs.

*And of course if you are pressed for time and money is not an issue, Weleda's line is also fantastic:

gorgeous

illustration by Samantha Hahn

Beet Cake Dinner

source

This recipe comes c/o the talented Louisa Shafia of Lucid Food. I haven't read her book yet, but it on my list and comes with great reviews. I made these burgers two nights ago for dinner and my husband and I were both really happy with them--hearty, savory, filling.  After a night in the fridge, they made an equally tasty and easily reheatable lunch. 

Louisa's Simple, Smokey Beet Cakes

Makes 6 cakes

2 cups grated beets (approximately 1 large beet)

1 ½ cups cooked brown rice

3 tablespoons cooking oil, plus extra

1 yellow onion, diced

1 cup walnuts

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

¼ teaspoon cayenne

Salt

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

After grating the beets, place them in a colander or strainer and squeeze out the excess water. Discard the liquid and set the beets aside.

Heat a saute pan over high heat and add 3 tablespoons of oil, followed by the onions. After the first minute, reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking until the onions are caramelized, stirring often, 5-7 minutes. Stir in the walnuts, paprika, cayenne, and 1 teaspoon salt, and cook for 1 more minute. Cool to room temperature and set aside.

Place the rice in the bowl of a food processor. Process until the mixture forms a thick puree, about a minute. This will be the “glue” that holds the cakes together. Add the onions and 1 cup of the beets, and pulse just until the vegetables are broken down into small chunks, so the mixture has texture.

Add the rice puree to the remaining beets and mix thoroughly with lightly oiled hands. The mixture should be thick and easy to form into shapes. Salt to taste. Use a lightly oiled 1/2-cup measure to divide the dough into 6 balls, and then shape the balls into patties.

To make burgers, place the cakes on a greased baking sheet, brush the tops with oil, and then bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes. 

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add a little oil and cook the cakes for 4-5 minutes on each side, until they form a light crust. (I didn't do this with all the cakes, as I planned to reheat several for lunch the next day on the skillet). Season each side with a little salt as they cook. 

Serve hot with your favorite condiments. 

LUCID FOOD WEBSITE

LUCID FOOD THE BOOK

Ina May's Guide to Childbirth: Part 1

Available on Amazon

Each night I've been reading a birth story or two from Part I of Ina May's Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin MA, CPM. Ina May is the founder and director of the Farm Midwifery Center outside of Summertown, TN. The center has managed over 2,600 births since its founding in 1971 and has documented far fewer labor complications, interventions, and perinatal deaths as compared to hospital births. *
With articulate wisdom, each birth in Gaskin's popular second book, whether easy or complicated, reiterates the reasons for which more and more women are choosing the midwifery model of care:


--Childbirth is a natural process. Not an illness, not an infliction. 
--Your thoughts and perceptions and cultural programming (the stories you hear on TV, from friends, family, your own mother) will all inform how you approach the birth of your own child. It's amazing to note the tangibility of this in the women living on the Farm. They have been exposed primarily to safe, calm and yes even "delightful" home births, and in the end approach their own births confidently and with great adaptability.
--There is pain (burring your hand on the stove, breaking an arm) and there are the cyclical intensely powerful "sensations" of birth. Your attitude, where you choose to birth, and who you choose to have in the room with you are in your hands and can have perhaps the greatest effect on your mindset and bodily reactions. 


       Heidi Rinehart, MD (Obstetrics and Gynecology) and her husband, Rudy, also an MD, decided to birth their first child at 'the Farm' in 1993. On Heidi's thoughts about the traditional hospital culture: "Medicine is a culture all its own; it has its own standards of acceptable behavior and mores. [...] It is unbelievable to me how much beliefs and values of the medical culture influence the "scientific" search for knowledge and impact on its conclusions. Every scientific endeavor is influenced by the beliefs of those who do the work, but this is neither acknowledged nor challenged in medicine. When the prevailing belief is that childbearing is fraught with danger, how could I retain my belief in the normalcy of pregnancy and birth?"

And upon visiting with Ina May and witnessing the midwifery model of care:

"The experience profoundly changed my perspective. In the hospital, I hadn't perceived the anxiety and foreboding that permeated birth until I experienced the impact of its absence among the midwives. The peace, the wonder, and intimacy were infinitely greater. What a compelling difference!" (113)

--Through reading books like this and taking childbirth classes, you can empower yourself to understand the often very predicable sensations of birth
--There are textbook complications that can happen in birth, many of which may easily be handled by an experienced home midwife without the physically and/or emotionally damaging techniques (forceps, vacuum-extraction, Cesarean, etc) that more apt to be used in hospital model of care.*
--The experienced midwife,will always use her knowledge and education to responsibly and promptly decide when the addition of hospital care may be necessary. And sometimes it is.
--A supportive partner (whether friend, family, doula, midwife) who knows when to be tender, available, involved and when to step back can also work wonders in helping to ease the birth process.
--No birth is exactly the same, so there is no need to compare or strive for the perfect pregnancy or birth experience.


*One such example is in the case of Shoulder Dystocia which I will talk about in a later post