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!

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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!

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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.

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Blog to Inspire finalist Stuland is Stu, Stuart Chase, who is tall and funny looking and has not much else to say but that — except for everything he blogs.

All of you who’ve been in this situation before with your child’s cloth diapers, please raise your hands: you’re enjoying some quality time with your wee one, sitting on the couch with your tot on your lap.

And then it happens.

Maybe the acidic smell reaches your nose first. Or perhaps the wetness seeping through on to your legs is your first indication. Any way you slice it, you know it’s happened. Your wee one has done… precisely that. Through their diaper, through their own clothes, and on to you.

Oh, the glamours of parenthood.

My wife and I are staunch defenders of the cloth / natural diaper use, but it took us a while to hit on a product that worked well for us. And the language can be a little intimidating at first. Diaper covers? Wha? Pre-folds? Hey, sounds easy! FuzziBuns? Hey, sounds cute! BumGenius? Hey, these will make my kid smarter! Hemp diapers? Hey, sounds groovy man!Monkey doodlz? Hilarious! Seventh generation disposables? Diaper inserts? Aaaand I could go on…

My wife and I were actually planning to use disposable diapers for a few weeks when our son was a newborn, but he showed up three weeks before his scheduled arrival time and at that point, we had only purchased the cloth diapers that we ultimately planned to use. And so it was from the start: our little man’s bottom was swaddled in natural fibres, and we never looked back.

Parents climbing into the green diapering arena ought to do their research, as—noted above—there’s plenty to choose from. The point of most all of them are the same: sustainability. In a population increasingly concerned with its environment, it makes sense to go green. And let’s not kid ourselves: all those cloth diapers add a little extra to baby’s profile, and it makes their little bums just that much cuter as they crawl and waddle around the house.

You just can’t find that in the slim fit of a planet-poisoning disposable!

In searching for the right fit of diaper, we definitely got peed on more than once. Into every life, a little rain must fall. Let this puddle on the floor (or on your leg) not weaken your resolve! Long story short for us has been to realize there is no magic bullet when it comes to buffering baby’s bottom. And the older our little guy gets, the bigger his bladder gets and… well, you get the point. We now live with a combination of different types of cloth diapers that we’re pretty happy with, but yes, shopping around was required. But it’s all been worth it, and it will continue to be so, even if we have to get into another search.

Why?

Well, could we have said ‘nuts to this’ and run for the ‘Pampers’ ultra-dry jumbo pack? Yes, of course. But ultimately, we have to look beyond ourselves and consider the future of our little guy—and any siblings that may follow him—and realize that we can’t bankrupt the future health of his planet for our convenience in the present. Cloth diapers are better for your wee one—chemical free and soft on baby’s skin being but two obvious reasons—and if treated right, they’ll last long enough for use with any other kids that might come along. Buying up a stock of cloth diapers may seem like an investment at first, but once you’ve got ‘em, you’ve got ‘em. Once they’re done with, cut ‘em up and use them as rags! And, if you do have more than one tot, the fact that your kids could share diapers is an added cost-saving benefit. The ‘shared diaper’ point could also prove handy when they’re older, fighting about something and you need to prove to them just how similar they actually are… but I digress…

So take heart if you’re early on in the game and still trying to find the right fit with your cloth diapers. It WILL happen! Just look at that pee stain on your leg, and see it as a badge of honour. You are a crusader on a search for a greener world, after all. Get up, change your pants (and your baby’s) and get back to it. You can do this!

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

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Blog to Inspire finalist The Accidental Pharmacist is Kelly Grindrod, a pharmacist. Accidentally. I never made a conscious career decision to push pills for a living. Now, she studies the enigma that is the pharmacist and struggle to be self-directed. She is also a new mommy. Enter the blog – an excuse to procrastinate. Fascinating? No. Endearing? Perhaps.

When I saw Parenting By Nature’s ‘Blog to Inspire’ contest I thought it was cool. The husband and I want to be cloth diapering, breastfeeding, babywearing, natural play parents and I can’t wait to read the stories of practical parenting.

I could write about all four items in my verbose and opinionated fashion but, right now, I want to talk about breastfeeding because almost everyone I talked to before delivery said it was one of the hardest parts of parenthood.

For most of our third trimester our “Princess Pea” had her head stuck firmly under my lower right rib, and on our 35th week we went for an ultrasound to check her position. While waiting for the results, we were pulled aside by the radiologist and told to go straight to Maternity.

As it turned out, I was in labour and The Pea wasn’t doing so hot. Right after they hooked me up to the fetal heart monitor her heart rate dropped and the room filled with nurses and doctors who stripped off my clothes, put needles in my arm and started saying ‘cesarean’. This happened two more times and before I knew it they had flipped me over with my ass in the air and rushed us to an OR.

Unfortunately, when The Pea was pulled out her Apgar score was 2 (very low) and after resuscitation she was taken to the NICU. I, on the other hand, was stitched up and sent to the recovery room to wait for 2 hours. Afterward, I was taken directly to my room.

Alone.

The midwife tried, The Husband tried, and I tried, but it took another 6 hours for me to see our baby.

In that time The Pea was bottlefed 3 times. Thankfully, the midwife managed to get some donor milk from the BC Women’s Milk Bank and The Husband did all the feedings.

Far from how I imagined it, the first time I was handed The Pea I was also handed a bottle.

Apparently, the doctors’ orders were to bottlefeed every 3 hours because The Pea was premature, had low blood sugar, and needed more than colostrum. Instead of a bottle, we asked for a lactation aid to supplement while breastfeeding but was told it wasn’t a good idea. We tried anyway and it didn’t really work but we’d made our point. The next day a nasogastric tube was inserted for that very purpose.

Here’s the thing – I didn’t feel labour and did nothing more than lay on my back while a team of nurses and doctors did the work. Once the baby was out, more doctors and nurses took her and kept on doing the work. I kinda felt optional.

This was wrong.

And the only way I could prove it was

to get up

every 3 hours

and walk through the maternity ward,

past all the labouring women,

past all the new moms and babies,

past my nurse who told me more than once to go back to bed to rest,

and feed our baby.

So, with the support of the midwife, The Husband, and the NICU nurses, that’s what I did. Even after I was discharged, The Husband and I stayed. Living out of various hospital lounges, we fed our baby every 3 hours and soon the tube was out. We kept on for 7 days and were exhausted, but on that 7th day we took home an entirely breastfed baby.

And she thrived.

Now, I’m a health professional and this experience made little sense to me. I know the “breast is best”, especially for premature babies, and that those same babies have a lower breastfeeding rate.

In my years as a community pharmacist I’ve talked to countless breastfeeding moms. I’ve attended Le Leche League meetings. I’ve read books like Dr. Jack Newman’s Guide to Breastfeeding. I know the importance of feeding shortly after delivery and not separating mom and baby.

I had a supportive husband and a mom who breastfed all her babies, including twins.

I mean, come on, I even had a midwife.

And we still had a hard time breastfeeding. Through this we learned that not everyone is on board with the boob. However, when the time came we knew what we needed to do and we did it. And would do it again and again because, you know what? The boob rocks and The Pea has some chubby cheeks to prove it.

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

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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.

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Blog to Inspire finalist Strocel is Amber, an all around crunchy granola mom to 4-year-old Hannah and 1-year-old Jacob. She is an engineer-turned-at home mom and an aspiring freelance writer.

The holiday season is approaching fast. Much faster than I like or would care to admit, frankly. You would think that one of these years I would be prepared for it, since it’s not exactly unpredictable. Christmas comes at the same time every year, with its glitter and glamour and toy catalogues in the mail.

My 4-year-old, Hannah, loves the toy catalogues. Sometimes I try to recycle them before she can see them, but she has this sixth sense that foils my efforts every time. If a major toy company or toy store has distributed promotional materials to our area, she can sniff them out. And as soon as she does, the asking starts. “Mama! Mama! Mama! I want this one, and this one! And, of course, this one! Mama! Did you hear me? I have to tell you something! I want this one!”

I am not a fan of the toy catalogues, not one bit. And why not?

• The toys are almost all plastic, and I am trying to reduce our consumption of plastic. Plastics persist in our environment and contain potentially harmful chemicals. I want to avoid bringing that into my home.
• Most of the toys come packed in huge boxes with hundreds of twist ties. And it all just ends up in the garbage or recycling bin. It’s pretty wasteful when a doll comes with twice its weight and 10 times its volume in packaging.
• Many of the toys are noisy. I’m sure that the noise isn’t harmful, but it is definitely annoying for me.
• The catalogues are teaching my child to be a consumer, a lesson I don’t think she needs to learn at 4 years old. They are trying to sell things to my kid, who will then whine to me, making me buy more. This sort of consumerism isn’t good for us or the planet.
• Most mass-produced toys are not built to last. They are inexpensive, to be sure, but the inexpensiveness comes with its own price. They’re often broken or worn out before the Christmas tree even comes down.

I’m sure I sound like a total grinch. But I’m really not. I enjoy finding toys for my kids to play with, and I buy a lot of them. I just prefer to stick to more basic toys made with natural materials as much as I can. I choose handmade items, created with love and attention by committed craftspeople. Toys that can be used in many ways, by many age groups, and that stand the test of time. When I buy toys like that, I know where they’ve come from and what they contain. I know what it is that my kids are putting in their mouths and cuddling up to at night.

I’m sure that sometimes I come across as the mean mom, or the overboard control freak. My kid wants a special doll, so why not let her have a special doll? How bad is one doll?

When the doll arrives in my home, I don’t throw it out. But I also have the choice to not be the one who buys the doll in the first place, and I exercise that option. I believe that in doing so, I am making a difference. I am supporting an ethic that I care about, I am working to protect the planet, and I am communicating a message to my children about consumerism. Because one doll might not be all that bad, but millions of dolls purchased by millions of people because ‘just one can’t hurt’ add up really fast.

Cheap plastic toys are easy to find, and they are marketed aggressively to both us and our children. But we don’t have to buy into that message. And we aren’t ruining our children if we don’t. We are protecting their childhoods, and teaching them what really matters.

What about you? Is there a toy that your kid is in love with that drives you up the wall? Please share!

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

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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.

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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

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