We’re pleased to announce the winner of our Pin to Inspire contest! It was really a lot of fun browsing through the inspiring Pinterest boards our community put together and picking just one winner was tough. So we’ve decided to announce our grand prize winner (the winner of a $100 Gift Certificate for bynature.ca) as well as 2 runner-ups. Our runner-ups will each receive a set of 2 Itzy Ritzy reusable snack bags for their contribution towards Inspiring Change.

Our winner of the $100 Gift Certificate to bynature.ca is Andrea Alderman. You can view her inspiring Pinterest board.

My philosophy towards eco living is that every individual can make a difference. Do as much as you comfortably can and never stress about the occasional lapse in “greeness”–like using a paper towel to soak up bacon grease (p.s. if anyone has a better way, I am dying to know). My family does what we can; like composting, cloth diapering, using cloth instead of paper and making our own natural household products. Hopefully this board will inspire you make a few changes in your life!

Our 2 runner-ups are:

• Lori Lewis
• Catherine Cua

All winners should expect to receive an email shortly. Thanks to all of our participants. Together we can make difference!

• 

Does the holiday season creep up on you, and before you know it, you’re completely overwhelmed? This year start planning early and have some FUN with other busy parents just like you.

Join parenting experts Tamara Champion, CEO of natural parenting store bynature.ca, and Annemarie Tempelman-Kluit AKA yoyomama and author of Healthy Mum, Happy Baby, as well as other parents getting prepared for the holiday season with a Virtual Holiday Potluck! Join us to kick off the holiday season, have fun, and, yes, enjoy shopping discounts and prizes throughout the evening!

When and Where?

Mark your calendar! The party date is Wednesday, November 10th and runs from 8:00 pm to 9:30 pm but you’ll want to register beforehand to take advantage of our special savings offer. The more RSVP’s the greater the savings!!

If you live on the East Coast, RSVP to the Parenting By Nature Facebook page BEFORE Wednesday, November 10, 8:00pm EST.

If you’re on the West Coast, RSVP to yoyomama’s Facebook page BEFORE Wednesday, November 10, 8:00pm PST.

What to Bring:

It’s a potluck! Everyone who shares has the chance to win prizes during the evening. We’ll be discussing:

• family traditions and the spirit of giving
• your favorite holiday music
• funny Christmas YouTube videos
• your tastiest holiday recipes (allergen-free, for bonus points!)
• green holiday tips
• links to online holiday planning resources or tools you may use
• anything else to help with holiday planning!

Why Pre-Register?

The more the merrier! Share our holiday event with friends as we’ll be offering a discount on anything at the bynature.ca Kids store based on how many RSVP/participants we have for each party (as of 8pm EST):

• Free Shipping over $49 for 200 RSVPs (Storewide! Canada only)
• 10% discount for 300 RSVPs
• 15% discount for 400 RSVPs
• 20% discount for 500 RSVPs

So tell your friends to RSVP! The more participants, the greater the discount! The discount code will be shared with participants during the potluck event and will be offered for a limited time (discounts apply to KIDS department only and may not be combined; see bynature.ca policies for full details when using discount codes).

We can’t wait to connect with our fantastic fans, supporters, and customers and meet new people. Most of all, we want to help you save time and money as you get ready for this special time of year with your family.

See you on November 10th!

• 

The winner of a $1000 gift certificate to spend at bynature.ca was Cloth Now put together by Charlene and her husband. You can view their video here.

As a side note, Charlene told us afterwards that she has 5 children, ages 12, 7, 5, 2 and 6 months. This prize will surely be put to good use! Congratulations Charlene and family.

• 

Wow! I’ve been watching Why Cloth Diapers video contest entries, and I love seeing all of these parents outline their reasons for using cloth diapers.

One in particular caught my eye. Amy made a video about hanging her cloth diapers to dry to save energy and to save wear on the diapers.

“I”m really happy to find that using [cloth diapers] has inspired me to make other positive changes.”

One of those changes is hanging the rest of their clothes to dry. She started with the diapers and continued with clothes. Now she is using the dryer less and saving energy.

• 

Blog to Inspire finalist Domestic Dork is Holly Noelle, a twenty-something SAHM and freelance graphic designer. She loves her family, art, reading, writing, herself, and hyperbole (but most especially hyperbole). She’s definitely not a domestic diva. Her dust bunnies are breeding and her cooking skills are nearly nonexistent. She’s doing the best she can while battling ADHD, “Mommy Brain,” and an aversion to housework. Holly is an ex-pat living the Canadian dream. She also wears a yeti hat.

I own two strollers: an umbrella stroller that lies folded in the back of my station wagon “just in case” and a monstrosity that spends the vast majority of its time folded and stuffed into a closet as the Beco baby carrier that hangs above it is taken out and used again and again and again. Poor strollers. They must be lonely. Tough luck Mr. and Mrs. Stroller, but Ms. Beco is the one pulling her weight in this family instead of weighing us down.

We have been fans of babywearing since the first day we tried it. When my baby girl was smaller we’d tie her on in a stretchy wrap. The wrap was wonderful! Our daughter loved the perpetual hug that babywearing provides and we loved having our hands free to do dishes play video games. But before traveling several thousand miles to visit Grandma and Grandpa we invested in a Beco from Parenting By Nature. We felt that a carrier that could be easily gotten on and easily adjusted would be more convenient going through airport security and since our little girl was getting less and less little, it would be practical to have a structured carrier that would better support her weight.

‘Practical’ does not even begin to describe how we feel about babywearing with a structured carrier; ‘cozy,’ ‘easy,’ and ‘fun’ come to mind. When traveling? I’d go with ‘absolutely necessary’ and ‘miraculously helpful.’ There’s no plane-side checking of a baby carrier. You either continue wearing your babe on the plane, or you can roll up the carrier and stash it in your diaper bag. Wearing our baby during our flight helped keep her happy and secure versus cranky and wiggly (which kept us parents from being cranky too)! But the real benefit came when an unforeseen landing problem landed us in the emergency room.

Upon descent my body freaked out a bit. I had some blood pressure and hyperventilation issues that left me weak, sick, and fuzzy-brained (well, more fuzzy-brained than usual) and before you could say “please return your tray table to its upright position” the flight attendants had called for help. I found myself being wheeled through the Toronto airport on a stretcher so I could take my first (and hopefully last) ambulance ride to the emergency room while my worried husband raced behind carrying every. last. piece. of our carry-on luggage. The one thing he wasn’t struggling to hold onto? Our daughter.

We ended up spending hours at the hospital. We waited quite a while in the emergency room before being told I was fine and that it was nothing serious. Then we spent more time trying to figure out where we would stay for the night, how we would get there, when we could fly again, informing family members of what had happened. It was, to put it mildly, stressful. But the one thing we weren’t stressing about? Our daughter. The whole time she was happily worn by her daddy.

All three of us love babywearing. We use our Beco regularly, around the house when our daughter is fussy, at the grocery, at the park, at the mall, everywhere! But the convenience and emotional benefits of babywearing really shine when life gets complicated. Wearing your baby is like wearing a life jacket…a life jacket for your sanity. So our strollers stay folded and stashed away, rarely seeing light of day, not really earning their keep. Which leads me to ask…anybody want to buy a stroller? Barely used, great condition. Going cheap!

Read about the Blog to Inspire contest and read posts by the rest of the finalists.

• 

We are pleased to announce that Amy’s post received the greatest number of votes for The Most Inspiring Blogger. Amy is the winner of our grand prize (a $600 Visa Gift Card and a six-month paid blogging position). Watch for Amy’s contributions to our blog in the coming year. Congratulations Amy!

Please take a moment to read her winning entry below and to learn more about Emily – the inspiration behind Amy’s post.

Breastfeeding: The Memory of Emily by Raising Arrows

Blog to Inspire winner Raising Arrows is Amy, a thinker, a writer, and a homeschooler. On her blog she chronicles what life is like Raising Arrows.

Breastfeeding is part of my story. It is part of Emily’s story. From her birth to her death, I nursed her. The connection we shared for those 7 months and 6 days will forever be precious to me.

Emily and I shared a nursing relationship that was unique. I’ve nursed all my children, but by the time Emily, number 5, came along, I was a seasoned breastfeeding mama and we were good…real good. So good in fact, I managed to nurse her while climbing down into a dark, and rather treacherous, cave in South Dakota, adding to my extensive list of Places I’ve Breastfed.

When she became sick that night in December of 2007, I nursed her through the scary early morning hours in that lonely hospital room, waiting for a diagnosis…a diagnosis that would eventually bring a stall to our breastfeeding relationship for days on end as her tiny body healed from major surgery.

The day we were reunited, baby to breast, I cried. I held her close, tucking those stray wisps of fuzzy brown hair behind her ears and murmuring my affection in that secret language of mothers and babies everywhere. All the tubes and wires in the world could not keep me from her.

Life post-surgery was challenging and changed for us. Emily was fragile. She nursed every two hours around the clock. Yet, my patience held. I still look back at those weeks with fondness and an awe that I never once felt tied down or irritated by the nearly constant breastfeeding sessions. Did I know? Did I somehow sense those days were numbered and soon, much too soon, I would be left with only memories? Did I feel her tiny frame slipping from my fingers as I held her tightly and gave of myself in the only way I knew how?

In the early morning hours of February 10, 2008, I nursed my little Emily for the very last time…just 3 short hours before her death. It was just her and I in a darkened room…connecting. For weeks on end following her death, I could feel her next to me suckling as my mind climbed out of the depth of dreams and into the world of awareness. Not only did my heart ache for Emily, my body ached for her as well. In excruciating, primal pain, my body mourned her absence. Slowly, unwelcome emptiness set in and I was left with memories…beautiful memories.

Breastfeeding is not just something you do. It is something you feel. It is a connection, a bond, that spans time…eternity, if you will. It is not just a mother feeding a baby. It is a mother and a child intertwined in a dance with steps only they know, with emotions only they share. What I wouldn’t do to dance with her again.

Instead, I dance with another. A new little nursling with beauty and grace all his own. He does not replace the sister he never knew, but his presence soothes her absence. As the two of us share silent, solitary moments in the middle of the night, I am reminded of her and blessed by him.

Read about the Blog to Inspire contest and read posts by the rest of the finalists.

• 

In our Cloth Diapers category (15 entires) …

Stuland
He’s a Boob Man
Nicole Bergman
The Feminist Breeder
The Eco Chic
A Natural Mama
Dirty Diaper Laundry
Ejlee
One Income Dollar
Muskoka Bear Bums
Melissa’s Happenings
MamaBee
Frugally Yours
The Cloth Diaper Report
Organic Parenthood

In our Babywearing category (8 entries) …

Domestic Dork
Hobo Mama
A Life Less Loaded
Education Uncensored
From My Life
Arts N Lit
My Bloggy Life
Modern Alternative Mama

In our Breastfeeding category (15 entries) …

Accidental Pharmacist
Raising Arrows
Baby Fingers
Pistachio Love
Code Name Mama
Dagmar Bleasdale
Ramblings by Nicole Renee
Red Canuck
Happy Green Babies
The Feminist Breeder
Dumaresq Kiddo
Tim and Amy Raymond
Simply Living on a Budget
Natural and Single Mom
Breastfeeding Moms Unite

In our Natural Play category (6 entires) …

Strocel
Tout-est-des-Rose
Left Coast Mama
Miss P Baby Em
Parenting by Nature
Urban Mommies

• 

Thank you to all of our participants. This contest has really inspired ME. We hope to keep in touch with many of the wonderful bloggers we’ve met this past month and we plan to come up with some new and exciting ways to work with you in the coming year.

I’d also like to take a moment to share part of a touching email we received from one of our participants. This is why we do what we do.

We sent a thank you email to our participants shortly after we announced the finalists. This email was sent to us from Bronwyn at He’s a Boob Man.

No, Thank you!

In entering your contest and reading the other entries that you posted it reminded me of something that I’d forgotten: the power of words.

Sometimes as bloggers I think we forget what the impact of our words can do. Instead, we speak to hear our own voice instead of speaking with a purpose. Words can evoke so much emotion in us. They can make us smile and laugh, or cry tears of joy or tears of sadness. They can make us think and evaluate what we are doing and where we want to go. When uttered from an angry, hateful place, words can hurt, cutting across our hearts and changing our moods in an instant causing us to also speak from that angry place. But above all of that, words can inspire. They can uplift us and bring happy tears to our eyes and make our hearts swell.

I have been reminded of how much the power of words can shape my son. And I want him to grow up knowing that he is loved and supported. I want him to feel inspired by what he reads, what he sees and what he hears.

So, maybe I didn’t win the cash prize, but I gained a lot of knowledge. Knowledge is power and I wouldn’t trade that in for anything.

With warm regards,
Bronwyn and the sprout

• 

So without further ado, our selected finalists are (in no particular order) …

In our Babywearing Category (1 finalist):

Holly’s post at the Domestic Dork was entertaining and we couldn’t help but smile when we read about Mr. and Mrs. Stroller collecting dust in her closet.

In our Breastfeeding Category (2 finalists):

If you didn’t read Amy’s post about memories of breastfeeding her baby Emily, you really must. Her story brought tears to our eyes and secured her a spot among our top finalists.

Kelly was one of the first contestants to enter our contest. Her well-cited and informative post also included her touching personal experience with establishing breastfeeding with her new baby. I think many mother’s can relate to her struggle.

In our Cloth Diapering Category (1 finalist):

We were pleased to have one dad that participated in our contest (what did you expect from a company that caters to moms and moms-to-be?!?). Stu’s enthusiastic and humorous post is one we’re glad to include in our list of finalists. It’s always fun to read a dad’s perspective on cloth diapering.

In our Natural Play Category (2 finalists):

Amber’s post on Battling the Toy Catalogue’s leaves us with much to think about this year as we quickly approach the holiday gift-giving season. Her post sparked quite the conversation with other parents!

Our last finalist is Sara, who wrote about De-commercializing the Child. Sara’s passion for natural parenting was very evident in her post and her poetic way of writing left me wanting to read more. Since I couldn’t stop reading her blog after receiving her entry, she is the perfect choice for our last finalist.

So there you have them! Our six finalists have been selected and now we turn the voting process over to you. I’m SO relieved because it was difficult enough narrowing our finalists down to 6, there is no way we could make this choice alone.

The polls open tomorrow morning at 11am EST and close in one week (Friday December 11th at 12pm EST). Please take a moment to cast your vote for the blogger you would like to see win our Blog to Inspire contest and become the Eco Babysteps blogging ambassador for 2010. We’d be thrilled to call any of these fabulous writers the Most Inspiring Blogger!

The winner will be announced right here on Monday December 14th so be sure to check back.

• 

I loved reading all of the posts and personal stories sent to us for consideration. We wanted to share a few of our favourites while you’re all waiting on pins and needles for us to announce the winning finalists (tomorrow, my pretties!).

The dedication and determination that mother’s share when it comes to breastfeeding their little ones (and older ones!) is absolutely incredible. We learned of Lacey’s struggle to overcome the often unspoken about ‘pain’ that can accompany breastfeeding in her post Mother’s Milk and we loved reading the stories that prove you can persevere against many odds such as the ones shared by young mother Valerie at Truth Be Told and full-time working mother and student Gina of The Feminist Breeder.

Gina’s words encourage other mothers in her post,

Let no one determine what you are capable of except you, and trust me, you are probably more capable than you may think.

Oh the places you’ll go when babywearing! We read about how many parents enjoy bonding through babywearing, even with an older child, but surprisingly what stood out most was where parents were going!

I think Deanna said it best in her post at Of Gypsies and Cowboys,

Through forests and across lakes, on horseback and at the kitchen sink, while nursing, cleaning, and conversing, in the company of mop, dog, or guest, my baby boy has been tucked in closely with those who love him.

Deanna’s beautiful words made me miss my snuggling newborns I’ve worn close to my heart.

We’ve said it many times before, but we’ll say it again – there are many reasons to choose cloth diapers.

Whether you’re considering cloth diapers because of the money you’ll save, or because of your hope to improve our earth, our contestants prove that cloth diapering can be easy and fun. If you haven’t considered cloth diapers yet please take a browse through a few of the entries from busy, modern parents using cloth diapers. I think you’ll find they are definitely worth trying.

With holiday celebrations right around the corner, we were excited to read some of the natural play posts submitted to us. Amber wrote about Battling the Toy Catalogues, Kealy offered suggestions for Keeping Christmas Simple, and with a little girl almost the same age, I loved reading about Paige and her creative idea for her 5th birthday party. Her mother Julia offers many suggestions for alternative gifts in her contest entry.

Gwen’s post Old Toy Trains, Little Toy Tracks struck a cord with me. The image of her little boy playing with his train set is a similar one in my home. With two girls under five and a bucket full of wooden train parts our living room floor is very often transformed into a blanket of tracks with farms, cities and parks spaced out along the way.

With each entry that came in to us, we often found ourselves reading the blogs of our contestants to learn more about the authors.

I enjoyed reading Lacey’s post about becoming a new mommy and Dagmar, a devoted breastfeeding advocate that we have admired, has a wonderful blog that touches on many natural parenting subjects.

Calley writes about her journey in reducing her family’s footprint on the earth at The Eco Chic and Kim writes an informative blog that centres around using cloth diapers at Dirty Diaper Laundry. There is much to learn from reading the blogs of these two ladies!

Another blog we loved was Urban Mommies, a hip Canadian online resource for new and expecting parents. Mom’s in Canada – be sure to bookmark this site!

And finally, if you’re a sucker for a birth story, you really must read about the ‘unplanned’ home birth of Sacha James Chase and how he made his quick entrance into the world. His story had me sobbing tears of joys. Go ahead … call me a sucker.

With more than 40 entries to our contest, narrowing down our favourites has been difficult. We’ll post a list of all the entries we received shortly so you can read them at your leisure. We’ll also be featuring many of the posts on our blog over the coming weeks.

So don’t forget to subscribe to our blog or add our feed to your favourite reader so you don’t miss reading any of the entries that were sent to us. Our hope is that they will help inspire other parents to embrace natural parenting in ways they might not have done so before.

And of course, check back tomorrow when we announce our six chosen finalists!

•