A HUGE Thank you to the lovely ladies over atLunaPads for sponsoring this Give Away on Up, Down & Natural!! It's been such a pleasure working with them, and spreading the cloth love!! And a HUGE HUGE thank you to all the wonderful readers who entered this contest!! At 287 entries, this has been by far one of the most successful contests on this blog, and I could not be more proud of my readers!!! You ladies sure do love your cloth!!! Who wouldn't? It's fabulous! :)
So, without further ado,
THE WINNER IS....
Amanda Parent!!
Amanda, an email has been sent to you with instructions on how to claim your Gift Certificate. Please be sure to check your junk mail folders, and enjoy your cloth!! If you feel so inclined, stop back and comment with what you purchased and how you like it!?
In honor of April's National Poetry Month, Lauren Wayne of Hobo Mama is offering a giveaway of SEVEN copies of her poetry book, Poetry of a Hobo Mama: The First Three Years. Each copy retails for $11.99, so the combined value of this giveaway is $72! Poetry of a Hobo Mama is a collection of poems by Lauren Wayne, inspired by the initial three years of parenting her firstborn son, Mikko.
About the book
I sling my baby like a bindle on my back, tramping along the tracks countless feet have worn before.
Poetry of a Hobo Mama contains three years' worth of parenting poetry, written from the time Lauren and her husband, Sam, were preparing for Mikko, through watching him grow to three years old. She has included poems that speak of their natural parenting journey — breastfeeding, the family bed, elimination communication, and natural birth among them. The book is a combination of free verse and more traditional poetry forms, and the topics and tone run through all the variations the poet felt when writing them: the grief of miscarriage, the anticipation of trying to conceive, the upheaval of the newborn months, the joy of parenting, and the balance of motherhood with personal passion.
Until you move away Pillow hog and space eater, chubby legs kicking my thighs. Starfish hands pushing my chest and unh unh unh in the darkness until I roll over and let you feed. Dream interrupter, devourer of sleep, you take while I wait until you move away. Lap hog and attention seeker, sturdy body invading my space. Starfish hand pulling my chin to meet your gray-green eyes, your chatter about octopi. Poem interrupter, devourer of time, you talk while I wait until you move away. Imagining a night with full sleep, imagining a day with concentration, uninterrupted, unrelenting, unleavened. Dreading the day you move away.
My review
For me, the beauty of poetry is for an author to be able to take a basic human emotion that countless people before have felt, and give that emotion life. It is an interesting experience to be reading truly beautiful poetry and have it feel as if the author was with you during a specific moment in life, and writes for you, as if they have had a glimpse in to your heart, in to your soul, and in to the quiet feelings and thoughts that lurk only in your own heart and mind. To see your exact thoughts and feelings poured out on to a paper, and given new beauty, meaning and character is truly a beautiful gift. Lauren Of Hobo Mama has given me such a gift through her incredibly powerful, moving and poignant writing. As I read "End Of Bleeding", a poem on miscarriage, I truly felt as if Lauren had been there with me through the rawemotions that I felt, and had been the voice to release in to the world the thousands of feelings and emotions that coursed through my body during those times in my life.
How Lauren is able to purely encapsulate the emotions of the heart and give that softness and warmth of reassurance, I have no idea. I don't question it, as I am wrapped up in the comfort of her poetry and writing. I simply allow myself to be taken on the beautiful journey with her, and be taken in to her words as she somehow seems to know my own journey as well.
First Birth
You become a mother before you’re a mother,
straining and rooting, to mother earth,
to all mothers who have trod this ground before.
Standing in the shower, dripping rain,
walking the sand, squatting deep,
moaning the sounds that will turn to cries,
to coos, to murmured words in the darkness,
to blessings and imprecations on your
new child’s sweet downy head.
Holding the bar in the shower,
on the steps to the beach,
to the ocean, to the endless sand,
to the endless mothers who came before,
anonymous and unique as all the grains here.
April 2008
Lauren's writing is dynamic, and encapsulating of the human experience and specifically motherhood. Through her writing in this book, she gives voice and understanding to mothers around the globe, and truly empowers the mother experience as she lends new beauty and light to this role. I most certainly will be including this book in future Baby Shower gift baskets, and very much look forward to more writing by the wonderful, and always inspiring Lauren Wayne.
About the author
Lauren Wayne lives and writes in the Pacific Northwestern USA, with her husband, Sam, and their two sweet boys: four-year-old Mikko (almost five, he would tell you!) and ten-month-old baby Alrik (who persistently makes the concerned face you see in the picture at right). She has been writing and publishing poetry for twenty-five years, but parenting has added even more inspiration. Poetry allows her to be honest about her emotional journey and to show an image, pin down a feeling, in a way that other writing does not. Lauren blogs at Hobo Mama about natural and attachment parenting, and gives a behind-the-scenes look at writing at LaurenWayne.com. She co-hosts the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting and is a cofounder of Natural Parents Network, a site that brings together attachment parents interested in a natural lifestyle. Lauren and Mikko grace the book's cover — that's Lauren and Mikko breastfeeding in public on a Seattle beach when Mikko was just a few months old.
BUY IT!
You can purchase your own copy of Poetry of a Hobo Mama at Amazon and CreateSpace. It's available internationally and on Kindle through Amazon. The list price is $11.99 for the paperback and $9.99 for the ebook. Just for our readers, Lauren is offering a 20% discount on all book orders through CreateSpace only. (Amazon unfortunately won't allow coupon codes.) Enter code SAP84AYJ during the ordering process.
WIN IT!
For your own chance to win one of seven copies of Poetry of a Hobo Mama, enter by leaving a comment and using the Rafflecopter system below.Contest is open WORLDWIDE.
MANDATORY ENTRY:Share one of your favorite parenting moments.
We will draw one winner for each blog, so we'll also ask which blog you're entering from. Leave a valid email address so we can contact you if you win. Email addresses in Rafflecopter are not made publicly visible. Please leave the same valid email address in your mandatory comment so we can verify entries. Since this is a joint giveaway, the Rafflecopter form is the same across each site. You may enter at one site only, but please do visit and enjoy all the sites! BONUS ENTRIES: See the Rafflecopter entry system for bonus entries to increase your chance of winning after completing the mandatory entry. All bonus entries are entered into Rafflecopter. Give it a try, and email or leave a comment if you have any questions!
This is a joint giveaway with Up, Down And Natural and Natural Parents Network. You may enter at one site only. Please find the section marked "Win it!" for the mandatory entry and optional bonus entries.
The authors of The Other Baby Book are offering our readers a giveaway copy, a value of $12.99. This is a QUICK giveaway, so enter today! This book is a wonderfully written parenting book with no-nonsense advice from two natural parenting mamas who have been there and done that. They tell it like it is, without judgment and with loving, sound, and gentle advice.
I don't like parenting books. There, I said it. My reason for not liking them is I don't like being preached to about what I "need" to raise a baby. I also don't enjoy the underlying tone of "How do you not know this already?" in most parenting books. Luckily for moms everywhere, The Other Baby Book isn't a parenting book. It's just a comfortable dialogue from two moms, Megan Massaro and Miriam Katz, who parent with their heart, and empower parents everywhere to do the same, while offering practical tips of how they overcame some of the hurdles. Truth be told, they had me sold right in the intro with this:
"The goal of our book is not to have you adopt and master everything. If something doesn't resonate with you, no matter how many studies back it up, follow Emerson's lead: "Trust thyself - every heart vibrates to that iron string."
One of my favourite features of this book was the "Overheard" snippets, where Megan and Miriam include sound waves from moms who have "been there, done that," and tell it like it is. I like that the book, while natural minded, does remain open to other paths as well — especially when necessary. Personally, I am very sensitive about the fact that I will most likely need a c-section, and do very often wonder, "Well, what if I could birth at home or in a birthing center…?" When I reached the "Hospital Birth" heading, I braced myself for c-section stats and the normal "How could you ever!!" While there were stats, it was comforting to read of helpful ways to keep your birth as natural as is right for you, while still allowing for the fact that medical technologies are now there for when necessary. Throughout this book I was reassured by things that I desperately want, but keep thinking is not the norm, such as having a doula attend in the hospital:
"While doulas can support moms in any birthing environment, they’re especially helpful at hospital births when moms want to avoid unnecessary procedures. They’ll interpret medical jargon into easy-to-understand bites, and guide you through the pros and cons of every stage."
Organization is the spice of life. At least, it is for Type A personalities like myself. I love how well organized this book is, not only from chapter to chapter, but also within chapters via subheadings. I am certain through pregnancy and the first year, I'll be referencing this book for tips and tricks, and reassurance that "this is normal." The easy to find information, and easy to understand language, contribute to feeling like this is simply advice that your best girlfriends wrote down for you. The one "con" I found in this book was really a con mixed with appreciation. It took me a lot longer to read this book than normal…and not because I'm a slow reader. These ladies lay it all out, and talk honestly. A few times during the book, I had to put it down and let myself recover. A key one was this gem when discussing sex after birth:
"Birthing a baby is almost like having a small bomb explode in your vagina (or abdomen, if you had a C-section)."
Not going to lie, it took me a little while to shake that one off. While it's great, invaluable information that no one else tells you, there are definitely a few chapters I would not want to read while pregnant and hormonal. I'm very thankful to have this read under my belt pre-pregnancy! Verdict: Would I buy this? Absolutely!! Would I recommend it to friends? Definitely!! The Other Baby Book will for sure be in my go-to baby shower gift basket.
BUY IT!
You can purchase your own copy of The Other Baby Book in either a Kindle Edition ($5.99), or Paperback ($12.99) here on Amazon!
WIN IT!
For your own chance to win your very own copy of The Other Baby Book, enter in the comments below.Contest is open worldwide!
MANDATORY ENTRY:Visit The Other Baby Book website and tell us one thing that interests you about the book or the authors!
Leave a valid email address in your comments (the line where it says "email address") so we can contact you if you win. Email addresses are not made publicly visible. This is a joint giveaway with Up, Down & Natural and Natural Parents Network. You may enter at one site only, and we'll be recording IP addresses to ensure that there are no duplicate entries. That said, please do visit and enjoy both sites! BONUS ENTRIES: See the Rafflecopter entry system for bonus entries to increase your chance of winning after completing the mandatory entry. Bonus entries are entered directly into Rafflecopter. Give it a try, and email or leave a comment if you have any questions!
I would love to jump right in to this post, but I will first preface it with this disclaimer. This post is not at all for the faint of heart and squeamish. From this point on I will talk freely about lady parts (last time this post I call it that, seriously) periods, and flow. If any of this bothers you, I gently and kindly encourage you to get over yourself. But if that's not possible, consider yourself warned.
For a long time now, I have loved the company Lunapads, although, I am only recently a customer! When I first read this soundbite on their website, my heart was so warmed and I could tell I stumbled upon a company that has its values in the right place, "Our Pads4Girls program seeks to address an often-overlooked problem that hundreds of millions of girls and women in developing nations face: missing school or work for several days every month because they lack adequate means to manage their periods. Providing girls with sustainable menstrual supplies is a simple yet highly effective way to give them a chance for a better future." I further researched the company and the ladies behind it and I just kept falling more and more in love with what I was finding out. So, why did it take me so long to become a customer? I don't like pads. I never have. I thought I never would. When I first got my period I was using pads but never liked the bulky ones, and then when the "ultra thin chemical cocktail pads" came out I tried them. They were... better, but I still hated how wet I felt all day. I switched to tampons. It's been years since I've used them, but things like this still horrify me and make me wonder why I ever did that to my body!!
As much as I hate to admit it now, because I know better, I liked tampons. They were comfortable, and kept me dry. About a year into trying to conceive my naturopath encouraged me to consider switching to natural products since disposable menstrual products are so chemical laden. I looked into cloth pads, and this was when I had discovered Lunapads, but I just wasn't ready to make the leap yet. I stumbled upon the Diva Cup. I thought for sure, this is the answer! I bought it thinking "Hey, I'll try it." The first month on the Diva Cup was... interesting. Long story short, it leaked a tiny bit for my oh.so.heavy periods, and even more troubling still... it got stuck. I was in the bathroom for 20 minutes trying to get it out, cursing the fact that of course it isn't leaking now, and where the hell is the cord I'm supposed to pull this thing out with?!! Luckily, I will promise those who are considering tuning out right about now, it was the only time it happened, and since then the Diva Cup has replaced my love of tampons by far. The Diva Cup works on suction to stay in palce, and actually sits much lower in the vagina than tampons (also something good to know when trying to conceive). Since that one little bump, I've learned that to take it out you simply have to break the suction seal it will come out no problem. There is also a neat feature on the side of the Diva Cup where there are small measurement markers which, if you've been trying to conceive for any length of time, this is very handy to know. Countless times I've been asked how much I bleed by doctors and I always looked at them like they had two heads. Now, on the Diva Cup, I can answer that question.
Prior to starting our IVF Cycle my Reproductive Endocrinologist (RE) asked me how I felt about switching to pads, and for a brief second I was considering switching doctors. I just though, there's no way. I can't do it. I knew there was no way I was going to go back to disposables. I've long since wanted to cloth diaper, and if I'm going to put soft comfy fabric on my baby's bum there's no reason I have to suffer through sticky wet plastic stuck to my nether regions. Not to mention the aforementioned chemical cocktail. So, I reached out to the lovely ladies of Lunapads. When I received my Lunapads Sampler Pack in the mail I was thinking "I freakin' better get pregnant from this IVF because I am not using cloth pads for more than one period!" Little did I know a love affair was blossoming. Right away I was floored at how gorgeous the prints were!! I thought they looked great, but as I ran the soft fleece through my fingers I thought there is no way these pads are going to hold up to my ubber heavy period. By "ubber heavy" I mean, when I was using tampons I was soaking through 1 super plus tampon in less than an hour. A symptom of my endometriosis, I know now. But they are h.e.a.v.y! The day my flow started, I put the pad on and went about my business. About two hours later I went to the bathroom and was thinking my period hadn't yet started. Much to my dismay, not only had it started, I needed to change the fleece liner! I was shocked at not only how absorbent the pad was, but at how dry I felt!!
I instantly was giddy. I can honestly say, my last period, I actually enjoyed because every time I went to the washroom I was in shock at the fact that I still didn't feel wet and the fleece was holding up to the flow!! The first and heaviest day of my period, I did have the pad, the winged liner and the regular liner all on together, and was just in love with how dry I felt. I definitely have a new respect for fleece!! In the sampler pack, I also received a cloth panty liner. Now, especially going through IVF I am very thankful for this panty liner!! I haven't used my Diva Cup since my RE asked me to switch to pads, however I would love to use the panty liner as a back up for the few times my Diva Cup did leak.
The one thing that had always concerned me about reusable menstrual products is what the heck do you do when you're out and about in public? What I really love about the pads the best is that because they have snaps on the wings, they also fold up really discreetly. Not to mention, they are really nice and compact and fit great in my purse. This still didn't answer my problem of what am I going to do when I have to change the pad in public?
For the longest time every time I thought about changing cloth pads in public, I kept thinking "Why does no one make a small wet bag? And wouldn't it be great if I could get one with two compartments for clean and dirty pads!" Little did I know, someone does make such a bag. Don't get me wrong, I love my cloth Lunapads and cannot wait to use them again post partum but I'm a little bit infatuated with my Moon Pad Bag in Dandy Damask. It's so flippin' pretty no one would ever guess its contents!! Just recently I received lovely complements on how pretty my "hand bag" was when coming out of a washroom at a coffee shop.
Upon using and falling in love with my Sampler Pack, I also received the Heavy Flow Starter Kit which offers more pads and pad inserts than the Sampler Pack. While I haven't yet gotten to use this pack, I'm sure it'll be a blessing in those post partum days since it does include two super long maxi pads, as well as two regular maxi pads one with wings and one without. I really love that with the insert feature on this pad you can simply change the absorbent liner without needing to change the pad base.
OR Better Yet, Win It! Your chance of a $50 LunaPads Gift Certificate!!
Contest Opens April 9th at 9:00 am Pacific Standard Time (Seattle) and Closes April 30th at 6pm.
You will receive an entry for each of the following you complete, however the first is the only mandatory entry.
"Like" Up Down & Natural on facebook -Leave a comment on this post saying "I like Up, Down & Natural on Facebook." with your name as it appears on Facebook. (First name and last initial is fine if you wish for privacy reasons.)
Visit the Lunapads Website - Come back here and and comment with what product you'll spend your $50 Gift Certificate on.
Follow Up Down & Natural - Follow my blog via email. (Enter your email on the top right side of this page just above the Search bar.) Be sure to verify your subscription in the email you receive after signing up, or your subscription will not begin. Leave a comment on this post saying "I Follow Up, Down & Natural blog" with the email that you follow with.
Share the link - Post the link for This Giveaway on Facebook, being sure to tag @Up Down And Natural. Please leave a comment saying "I shared this contest on Facebook." with your name as it appears on Facebook.
Invite Friends - Suggest Up, Down & Natural's facebook page to friends, clicking the invite friends button or by sending them a message, or writing on their wall. Leave a comment on this post saying "I suggested Up, Down & Natural to friends on Facebook." with your name as it appears on Facebook.
Follow LunaPads on Facebook - Leave a comment on this post saying "I like Lunapads on Facebook." with your name as it appears on Facebook. (First name and last initial is fine if you wish for privacy reasons.)
Follow Up, Down & Natural on Twitter- Follow @UpDownNatural and leave a comment on this post saying "I follow @UpDownNatural on twitter" with your Twitter Username.
Follow LunaPads on Twitter - Follow @LunaPads and leave a comment on this post saying "I follow @UpDownNatural on twitter" with your Twitter Username.
Tweet It Out - Tweet this contest. You can use this tweet. Check out this #ClothPad #GiveAway from @UpDownNatural and @LunaPads for a $50 GC!! Comment on this post saying "I Tweeted this contest." with your Twitter Username.
If you've hung around this blog for any length of time, you'll know that I love me some baby wearing. I could go on and on about the amazing benefits that baby wearing has for baby and mom, but I'll be totally honest here. I love baby wearing because when something is that cute, and you've waited this long for it, you want it in your face all the time... Not to mention that baby carriers are my favorite accessory. They're just so pretty!!
I have spent so so much time researching carriers and wearing babies in the past that I was certain I knew my favorite type of carrier was a ring sling style. I had tried others, and saw the pro's and con's, but I just thought the structured carriers were too stiff and bulky... and really I felt like "Sure, they're great for Dad to carry baby... but that's not what I'll want most of the time." Classic example of not knowing until you know!! I have never fell in love with a carrier as quickly as I fell in love with the Boba Carrier! After spending a few weeks home with my family soaking up time with my 16 month old nephew and 4 year old niece I very quickly realized that not only do I love this carrier - my nephew did too! It very quickly became the way I put him down for his naps... and honestly, I may be biased - but I'm pretty sure we both enjoyed it just as much as the other.
I think the thing that sold me the most on this carrier is how flippin' easy it is to get him into. Even in the middle of a full on - scream crying, body flailing - I.will.NOT.nap.tantrum, I was able to snap him in to this carrier safely and comfortably and literally every time he was passed out within 5 minutes. I don't want to over sell it here... but literally, it was like magic!! I just flat out love this carrier!! I also really love the detachable hood (Although, I don't know why anyone would detach it since it rolls up so nicely and stays tucked away!) It was great for helping little munchkin tune everything else out to nap - and I'm sure I'll be using the hood tons for a little bit of modesty when breastfeeding in the carrier. The nice long torso of the Boba is great for being able to move it up and down as needed - something definitely lacking in other similar carriers that I've tried.
My only two "complaints" about this carrier is first, the weight requirement is for 15lbs - 45lbs, so newborns cannot be safely worn in it. (Drats! Now I have to pick out a gorgeous new born carrier from Boba!! How will I ever manage!) And the second is that I don't really see the point of the detachable foot rests. Even with my tall 4 year old niece in the carrier, she was super comfy and loved being carried with no need for foot rests - although this may depend on each child's preference.
Boba was kind enough to also send me a Boba Wrap to try out and I have to admit, I was SO wishing that I had an infant around I could try this out on!! When I took it out of the package I was definitely overwhelmed. My first thought was there is no way I'm going to learn how to wrap this. Then I opened the instruction booklet, and began wrapping and in less than two minutes I had the wrap tied around me. I was certain I had done it wrong. There was no way this was going to be that easy. Just for kicks, I thought... let me try this out with someone a little more sturdy - so I grabbed my 4 year old niece (who incidentally thought this whole experiment was a RIOT! She could not stop laughing the whole time!) I got her in it within another 2 minutes and we were both super comfy!! I loved how I could feel the wide straps of the fabric across my back giving me support! Another plus side of trying it with a 4 year old - I asked her over and over if she was sure she was comfy, and nothing was pinching her legs etc. and she was just having a ball!! I was shocked that it worked so well with a 4 year old... although, for any length of time with her in the carrier I'd definitely prefer the Boba Carrier instead of Wrap.
I used to think I wanted a whole array of carriers for different needs. Let me rephrase that. I do want a whole array of carriers (who am I kidding, my shoe obsession is just now replaced with carriers!) - although, between these two carriers - you really do have 100% of your bases covered. Not to mention that both of these carriers are very affordable and are definitely of really great quality and would get lots of use from child to child.
Verdict: LOVE! Hands down my favorite structured carrier. And a great wrap!
Enter for your chance to win a Boba Baby Carrier, a Boba Baby Wrap or a Boba Travel Pack! All products can be seen at www.bobafamily.com. With Boba products it is easier than ever to enjoy Freedom Together as a family and Boba wants YOU to get a chance to use their products. To enter to win, “Like” them on Facebook, and for an additional two entries, Follow them on Twitter.
A huge Thank You to Anja Kock of Gardening With Little Miss Green Fingers for coming together with Up, Down & Natural to offer this wonderful Gardening How-To Book!! You can read my Review and Purchase your own copy here! Spoiler Alert: I LOVE it... and am already putting some of the GREAT tips to use!! My tomato plants have never looked so fabulous!! I can't wait to see the veggies come in!
Now... with out further ado... The TEN Lucky Winners Are!!!
I like up and down natural on facebook. Holly Davis
Posted by: Holly
i like udn!
Posted by: erin thompson
As always, I picked these winner at Random using Random.Org. However, it seemed like WAY too much work to save the image, and upload every randomized response and then fiddle with picture layouts to make sure it all looked pretty - so let's just take this one at face value and believe me when I say I picked the winners on the up and up! :)
PS - HUGE Apologies in the delay in announcing winners!! You'll understand when you see that I've been busy doing this.
Living in the North West with its gloriously temperate climate really lends itself well to gardens of all types - and for the cooking enthusiast like myself - especially culinary gardens! I was thrilled last year when I was planting our first herb garden full of oregano, rosemary, thyme, and many more delicious herbs that I couldn't wait to start cooking with! Much to my dismay however, I made several rookie mistakes, and ended up with my Rosemary taking over completely but having no idea how to dry them, and everything else being either withered or fried by too much sun. Let's not even talk about my tomatoes which didn't ripen until October!!
Thankfully this year will be much different now that I am well armed with Anja Koch's e-book Gardening With Little Miss Green Fingers! Honestly, anyone who is planning on having herbs at all this year needs to have this book on hand as a resource! Anja focuses on "container gardening" which works great for small spaces, as well as anyone who wants a "window sill" garden so you can just grab herbs planted in your kitchen while you're cooking! What I appreciated most about Anja's book is that it's every day language, and every day gardening. This book isn't necessarily for the person who wants to win the town contest on best tomatoes. But, perfect for the everday person who just wants their tomatoes to be as delicious as possible without a degree in farming!
With this e-book Anja breaks down the 17 most popular culinary herbs and how to grow them, when to water and which can be planted together. I know from my own garden last year one of the things I was regretting a little bit is that it's all so green! Which is nice, but some splash of color is always welcome too! Anja breaks down a few easy and edible flowers that can be grow along side herbs to not only make your garden a bit more aesthetically pleasing but also can be the perfect addition to a cake or dessert to take to a get together.
Watering has always been a mystery to me! However, with Anja's ebook you are able to take the guess work out of it. Also, somewhere I had gone wrong in the past was placing very "thirsty" herbs in along with "dry" plants. Since you'll never water well enough to make both groups happy at one time, who whole pot goes down the pot! I really enjoyed this ebook and am so happy to share it with my readers! It's the perfect book for anyone who is either brand new to culinary gardening or wants to take their garden to the next level. What I've come to learn is that you don't need to know everything about every herb you want to grow - you just have to have a great resource on hand when you're planting it! It's always so gratifying to get your hands in the soil and feel like you're creating something!
Contest Opens February 20th at 7:00 pm Pacific Standard Time (Seattle) and Closes March 5th at 7:00 pm Pacific Standard Time.
This is seriously the EASIEST contest I have hosted YET! You will receive an entry for each of the following you complete! The first entry is mandatory! All others are optional additional entries. Winner/s will be chosen at random using Random.Org.
"Like" Up Down And Natural on facebook - If You DO NOT ALREADY LIKE then Like, and Leave a comment on this post saying "I like Up, Down & Natural on Facebook." with your name as it appears on Facebook. (First name and last initial is fine if you wish for privacy reasons.) Or, if you DO ALREADY LIKE then please Share, and Tag Up, Down And Natural on your own page, or suggest to friends and comment here that you have!
Follow me on Twitter- Follow @UpDownNatural and leave a comment on this post saying "I follow @UpDownNatural on twitter" with your Twitter Username.
Tweet It Out - Tweet this contest and tag @UpDownNatural in your tweet. Comment on this post saying "I Tweeted this contest." with your Twitter Username and URL of your Tweet.
I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.
A huge Thank You to Sue Dumais of Family Passage for coming together with Up, Down & Natural to offer this wonderful Fertility Yoga and Meditation Kit!! You can read my Review and Purchase your own kit here! Spoiler Alert: We LOVE it!!
AND THE WINNER IS...
Lani Michelle!
Congrats to Lani and tonnes of Baby Dust to all of the lovely Mamas who entered!
Early on last summer I had the absolute pleasure of taking a Yoga For Fertility class with the wonderful Megan Tomlinson. The class was incredibly inspiring and a major tool in helping me let go of the things I could not control in our fertility journey. A much greater gift that yoga for fertility has given me is allowing me a way to create space in my heart to embrace and enjoy the things that I could - such as connecting to the spirit of our baby. During Megan's class I picked up a copy of the book Yoga For Fertility, by Sue Dumais at Family Passages. As it turns out Sue was Megan's teacher when Megan was training as an instructor for Fertility Yoga! It's been so incredible to make the connections with these two incredibly inspiring women who have played such an integral part in allowing me to come to peace in mine and my husband's journey through infertility.
At different points in our journey I have felt the need to come back to myself, and reconnect both with my own spirit and the spirit of our child. Starting our IVF journey has in many ways, felt like we are starting all over again. The many emotions that come with this part of the process has at times been difficult to process. As I began to feel like I was spinning in the emotions and constant over thinking that comes with preparing for an IVF cycle I knew I had to get back to myself and get back to the peace I felt in Yoga For Fertility. I was over the moon to discover that Sue Dumais has audio Yoga For Fertility Classes! I purchased the Fertility Yoga and Meditation Kit as I was in serious need to center myself and my heart. This kit comes with Sue Dumais' book Yoga For Fertility with large pictures of poses, suggestions, and Fertility Affirmations. The kit also includes 3 1 hour audio yoga classes, and 2 yoga meditations which are about 15 minutes each - all of which can be downloaded and imported in to your Mp3 player or played on your computer.
I have been especially enjoying the 15 minute meditations. What I love about the meditations is that no matter how busy we are, my husband and I can both do these together and take the time to not only reconnect with our child, but also reconnect with eachother. We have developed the ritual of practicing these meditations together every night and words cannot do justice to the peace is has given both of us. Doing these guided meditations each evening allows us so much peace, as well as a calm and open space to check in with ourselves and eachother on the emotions that are constantly changing through this journey.
Because of the incredible joy that Yoga for Fertility has offered me and my husband on our path I ofcourse want to share it with as many people as possible!! As I now I have 2 copies of the book I am giving one of my copies away - and Sue is coming together with Up, Down & Natural to offer her 3 Audio Classes and 2 audio Meditations to complete the Fertility Yoga & Meditation Kit!
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Sue Dumais has created this beautiful Fertility Yoga & Meditation Kit to help you to create your own yoga practice in the comfort of your home.
Your Kit Includes:
~ Sue Dumais’ Yoga for Fertility Handbook filled with inspiring messages, colorful photographs and simple instructions to guide you through each posture (value $18.95)
~ 3 Fertility Yoga downloadable audio classes* that guide you through a full 1 hour yoga class as you discover new ways to become fertile and powerful in all areas of your life (Value $29.85)
~ 2 soothing Fertility Meditations* to help you unleash your full fertile potential ($19.90)
~ Free article download: Fertility Yoga as a Life Practice: Bring it Off the Mat and Into Your Life
* download to your computer, iPod or mp3 player and bring your yoga practice anywhere
Total Value: $ 68.70
Valentine's SALE - $19.95 (until Feb 15th)
Ofcourse timing is everything when you are trying to conceive! Can't wait for this Give Away to end?
BUY IT HERE!!PS - This kit is currently $19.95!! A HUGE savings from the regular price of $68.70!!
OR WIN IT!!
Contest Opens February 4th at 5:00 pm Pacific Standard Time (Seattle) and Closes February 18th at 5:00 pm Pacific Standard Time.
You will receive an entry for each of the following you complete! The first entry is mandatory! All others are optional additional entries.
Share the Love - Suggest Up, Down & Natural's facebook page to friends. You can do that by sharing this Give Away on Facebook, sending friends a message, or writing on their wall! Leave a comment on this post saying "I suggested Up, Down & Natural to friends on Facebook." with your name as it appears on Facebook.
Follow My Blog - Follow my blog in a way you do not already. Google Friend Connect, Email, SSR Feed. Leave a comment on this post saying "I Follow Up, Down & Natural blog" with the new meathod that you follow with.
"Like" My page on facebook - Leave a comment on this post saying "I like Up, Down & Natural on Facebook." with your name as it appears on Facebook. (First name and last initial is fine if you wish for privacy reasons.)
Share the link - Post the link for this give away on Facebook, (please Tag Up, Down & Natural if you can) and leave a comment saying "I shared this contest on Facebook." with your name as it appears on Facebook.
Follow me on Twitter- Follow @UpDownNatural and leave a comment on this post saying "I follow @UpDownNatural on twitter" with your Twitter Username.
Tweet It Out - Tweet this contest and tag @UpDownNatural in your tweet. Comment on this post saying "I Tweeted this contest." with your Twitter Username and URL of your Tweet.
"Like" Fertility Yoga On Facebook - Leave a comment on this post saying "I like Fertility Yoga on Facebook." with your name as it appears on Facebook. (First name and last initial is fine if you wish for privacy reasons.)
Follow Fertility Yoga on Twitter - Follow @FertilityYoga and leave a comment on this post saying "I follow @FertilityYoga on twitter" with your Twitter Username.
This is a joint giveaway with Up, Down & Natural and Natural Parents Network. You may enter at one site only. Please find the section marked "nWin it!" for the mandatory main entry and optional bonus entries.
Baby Bond is offering our readers a giveaway of a Baby Bond Nursing Cover in the winner's choice of style and color, a value of $35. The Baby Bond cover makes it easy and comfortable to nurse in public in almost any top. From our reviewer, Arpita at Up, Down & Natural:
One of the many things I'm looking forward to once our little bambino comes along is breastfeeding. The main reason of course is because of the incredible health benefits both to mom and baby. However, I have to admit that a large part of my desire to breastfeed is because coming up on 3 years of trying to conceive, I'm going to want to soak up all the bonding time that I can possibly get with our baby! When I think about our plans for breastfeeding I always wondered how I would balance the fact that I think breastfeeding is the most natural thing on the planet, and the fact that, at least at first, when in public I know I'll want to cover up.
Enter, Baby Bond! I was really impressed with this nursing cover when I first saw it. I love that someone finally addressed the fact that it is absolutely ridiculous to throw a tent over your baby's head while feeding him or her! Of course, I couldn't fully review this cover since I'm not nursing yet, but I did recruit the help of my sister who nursed my beautiful niece and nephew.
My Thoughts: The fabric is SO deliciously soft!! As soon as I took it out of the box, I touched it to my face! I was pretty amazed at how easy it was to figure out how to put it on. I also like that on the label there is a how-to. It's nice to always have that handy. I also really like that it rolls up and has little flaps to keep it tucked in to itself so that it'll travel really nicely (a la pic #1) I love the deep chocolate brown color! It's beautiful, and can be worn with anything! I love how stylish it looks while wearing it! No one would have any clue at all you were wearing a nursing cover.
I have the Baby Bond Couture, which I chose because you can nurse either from the top or bottom of your shirt - which is a nice feature. However, when I tied this the way you would to nurse from the bottom of your shirt, I thought it felt a bit cumbersome and I'd much rather just wear a nursing tank under my shirt if I was wearing a top that I didn't have access to the breast from the top of the shirt.
I do really love this nursing cover and it will definitely get a lot of use! I will also likely buy one more once I am finally pregnant. It's not as "universal" as it seems to be, though, so I will be buying other nursing wear as well.
My Sister's Thoughts: It's nice that you can wear normal clothes and just wear the Baby Bond Couture on top of anything you already have. The Baby Bond nursing cover is especially good if you have a nice dress that you can still access your breast from the top, and then you can just fit this cover over top your outfit when you want to feed. The burp cloth and being machine washable are good features as that is definitely necessary, although the BB Couture is the only style that does not have the built in burp cloth. Being made of cotton, it is very breathable and good for winter or summer.
However, this is an additional item that you now have to carry with you along with everything else you need for baby. There are also only certain types of tops that you can wear and still have access to your breast so you would be limited in terms of tops you can wear.
All in all, I like this cover. It's stylish, and good for dressy occasions. But, I wouldn't rush out and buy it if I was starting to nurse again.
Watch It! The Baby Bond Couture!
I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com created by WebBizIdeas.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Tomoson Product review & giveaway Disclosure.
BUY IT!
You can purchase your own Nursing Cover from Baby Bond. Choose from three styles of nursing covers all for $35 each, and enjoy international shipping! Prices and timelines for shipping vary.
And just for Natural Parents Network and Up, Down & Natural readers, Baby Bond is giving a 20% discount on all orders with no expiration date! Enter code UDN during the ordering process.
WIN IT!
For your own chance to win a nursing cover of your choice from Baby Bond, enter in the comments below. The winner will receive the preferred choice of style and size of Baby Bond Nursing Cover. Contest is open worldwide!
MANDATORY ENTRY:Visit BABY BOND and tell us one thing you learned about the company.
Leave a valid email address in your comments (the line where it says "email address") so we can contact you if you win. Email addresses are not made publicly visible.
This is a joint giveaway with Up, Down & Natural and Natural Parents Network. You may enter at one site only, and we'll be recording IP addresses to ensure that there are no duplicate entries. That said, please do visit and enjoy both sites! BONUS ENTRIES: Complete one or more of the following to increase your chance of winning after completing the mandatory entry above (leave a separate comment for each so we can count them all):
Tell us why you want to try a Baby Bond nursing cover.
Tell us the first place you would use your Baby Bond nursing cover.
Subscribe to Up, Down & Natural in a reader or by email (1 entry for each).
Leave a relevant comment on a non-giveaway article at Natural Parents Network and tell us which post (comment on separate posts for up to 3 entries total).
Leave a relevant comment on a non-giveaway article from Up, Down & Natural and tell us which post (comment on separate posts for up to 3 entries total).
Leave a relevant response to a thread on the NPN forums and let us know which thread (respond to separate threads for up to 3 entries total).
Post this giveaway on your Facebook page or wall and leave the link (1 entry). You can use this status update: Enter to win a @BabyBond Nursing Cover! Covers Mom, Not Baby! from @Up, Down & Natural and @Natural Parents Network. Contest ends Sept. 3 and is open Worldwide. Be sure to attach the contest URL to your update! (This is not part of the status text!) http://naturalparentsnetwork.com/giveaway-baby-bond-nursing-cover/
Follow @UpDownNatural on Twitter and leave your Twitter name in the comment.
Follow @BabyBond on Twitter and leave your Twitter name in the comment.
Tweet about this giveaway (up to 5 times total, at least 24 hours apart). You can tweet this text: #Win a @BabyBond Nursing Cover in an @UpDownNatural & @NatParNet #breastfeeding #giveaway! http://bit.ly/rdMxMy {9.3; Worldwide}
Enter another of the giveaways on Natural Parents Network (1 extra entry per giveaway — check back for more).
Put the Natural Parents Network badge on your website or add http://NaturalParentsNetwork.com to your text blogroll for 2 extra entries each. The HTML code for the badge is on the right sidebar. Leave your site URL in the comment.
Put the Up, Down & Natural badge on your website or add http://www.updownandnatural.com to your text blogroll for 2 extra entries each. The HTML code is on the right sidebar of the page. Leave your site URL in the comment.
RULES
Contest open worldwide.
Contestants may enter at either Up, Down & Natural or Natural Parents Network but not both. Entries will be combined for the drawing of a single winner.
Leave each entry as a separate comment so we can count them all.
For actions like following and subscribing, if you already follow or subscribe, just let us know in your comment.
For tasks that garner you multiple entries, you can copy and paste the comment with a #1, #2, etc.
You don't have to do any of the bonus entries, but you do have to complete the first mandatory one.
We will pick the winner through Random.org after the contest closes and send an email notification. Leave a valid email address as you comment so we can contact you if you win. If we can't reach a winner or don't hear back within a couple days, we'll draw a new name. Entries will be added together from both sites. If there are 50 entries from the non-NPN site and 65 entries from NPN, we will count the non-NPN entries as numbers 1-50 and the NPN entries as numbers 51-115.
After giveaway closes, a representative from NPN will contact the winner. The winner will have 48 hours to respond by email; otherwise, NPN will select another winner.
Any questions, let our giveaway editors know: ShannonR {at} NaturalParentsNetwork {dot} com and Amanda {at} NaturalParentsNetwork {dot} com
Contest closes September 3, 2011, at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time.
Disclosure: Our reviewer received a sample product for review purposes. We try to seek out only products we think you would find relevant and useful to your life as a natural parent. If we don't like a product, we won't be recommending it to you. See our full disclosure policy here.
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Information About Our Reviewer:As Arpita and her husband enter their fourth year of trying to conceive their first child, she is trying to embrace the lessons the universe still has to teach her. Arpita wears her heart on her sleeve on her blog, about trying to conceive both naturally and with medical help, the infertility experience, natural parenting and everything and anything in mommy-world including easy recipes and loads of giveaways. She blogs at Up, Down & Natural. You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter.
You can, too — link up your breastfeeding posts from August 1-7 in the linky below, and enjoy reading, commenting on, and sharing the posts collected in the linky and on Natural Parents Network this week.
(Visit this intro post for more information and for the code to place on your blog.)
Lauren Wayne lives and writes in the Pacific Northwestern USA, with her husband, Sam, and their two sweet boys: four-year-old Mikko (almost five, he would tell you!) and ten-month-old baby Alrik (who persistently makes the concerned face you see in the picture at right). She has been writing and publishing poetry for twenty-five years, but parenting has added even more inspiration. Poetry allows her to be honest about her emotional journey and to show an image, pin down a feeling, in a way that other writing does not. Lauren blogs at 
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Of course I already LIKE your FB page! So, I shared it too. 
I already like you. :D Tagged you on my FB - Kelly Marie Seow
What a cool ebook! I'd love to have it as a resource for my kitchen garden. :) I LIKE your FB page- Carrie M.
I liked up, down and natural!
I like Up Down and Natural on FB Jamie G
I am a fan of Up, Down and Natural under my own fan page (The Crunchy Convert). And I'm sharing the contest with my 1500+ fans.
i like udn!
A huge Thank You to Anja Kock of Gardening With Little Miss Green Fingers for coming together with Up, Down & Natural to offer this wonderful Gardening How-To Book!! You can read my Review and Purchase your own copy here! Spoiler Alert: I LOVE it... and am already putting some of the GREAT tips to use!! My tomato plants have never looked so fabulous!! I can't wait to see the veggies come in!
Now... with out further ado... The TEN Lucky Winners Are!!!
Posted by: Amanda