Natural Birth Stories by Shannon Brown - Book Review & Giveaway

nat·u·ral

based on the state of things in nature; constituted by nature
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When I first began reading Shannon Brown's book, Natural Birth Stories: The Real Mom's Guide to an Empowering Natural Birth, my first thoughts were, "Yes! Exactly!" and "I could have written this!" And I don't mean that last exclamation as in, "This is lame, I could have written this," I meant it as "This is exactly how I feel about birth!" This book shares 32 stories of natural birth varying from hospital, to home, to water births. It is FULL of factual information surrounding today's medical interventions and their typical over-use. Most importantly, and why I highly recommend it, is that it educates women about their options when it comes to child birth and empowers them to take control of their bodies and their babies.

My journey to a natural birth started out in a very similar way to Shannon's description in her book. I just called an OB/GYN because I thought that's what you did. I thought midwives only attended home births and I wasn't ready for that (though that's what I am hoping for when we have #2!). Then my husband and I watched The Business of Being Born and were enlightened. And as you can read here, we switched providers and got on the road to natural birth. I read several books, all great, about natural birth but I must say I could have saved some time and money because this book sums up everything I read across several books and puts it in a very easy-to-read format with so many empowering and beautiful birth stories along the way. I can't get enough of birth stories. Love them.

Click HERE to read more about Shannon & her book!

Whether you believe in creation or evolution, women's bodies are made to give birth. Yes, sometimes medical interventions are necessary and can save lives. If this is/was you, do not feel you are being attacked. As you can read in my own birth story, I ended up needing a bit of intervention myself. Perhaps you weren't happy with those interventions. Perhaps you are perfectly fine with them but want to explore other options for your next birth. Maybe you're a midwife or doula. Or maybe you just love reading about birth. Shannon describes this book's purpose perfectly:

"My dream is for women to know all their options before ever giving birth, so they don't have to struggle with the emotional and physical recovery of a negative experience." - Shannon Brown

Another great aspect of this book that I would have loved to have during my pregnancy is the comprehensive list of questions you may want to ask when you are interviewing care providers. She also covers the most popular birth classes and stresses the importance of a trusted birth team.

Upon reading this book, I was a few months post-partum and really not thinking about my next birth. I know it is a couple of years away (although things can't always be planned now can they?) and I am too obsessed with our little man to think about another baby. However, I do know that I would love a home birth next time around and this book has a lot to do with that. While it has plenty of natural hospital birth stories, and I did enjoy the help from our nurses, the home birth stories really spoke to me. Now it is your turn to get a copy and decide what speaks to you!

You can purchase a copy either in paperback or Kindle HERE 

*Use discount code DUDABIRTH for 20% off between now and 1/28/14!*

You can also try your hand at the giveaway below! 

(And then go back and purchase if you aren't our lucky winner of course)

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GIVEAWAY - Luci Lights - Rock On Solar Power!

This post received no compensation, all opinions are mine and mine alone.

This giveaway is sponsored by MPowered and Hosted by It's Peachy Keen.

 I don't typically promote other giveaways, but I couldn't pass up helping to get the word out about LUCI Lights once I read about them. I love the cause they support, and I can just imagine how beautiful they would look in our new garden and patio next summer, not to mention our camping trips. I'm a little more relaxed just thinking about it.

Enlightened Functionality

Unlike other solar lamps, Luci offers the benefits of a task light, flashlight and diffused lantern in one attractive design. Never reliant on the power grid, she shines brightest where light is inaccessible or not affordable. To light up life with clean energy, Luci is your girl.

Featherweight & Dependable

Luci weighs only 4 ounces and collapses to one inch thin. Add a solar charged lithium ion battery and an 80 lumen light to the mix and you’ve got one impressive lady. Whether it’s for travel, disaster relief or anything in between, Luci always shines bright.

CLICK HERE To buy one or check them out.

Luci Lights are amazing. You have the option to buy one for yourself or buy one to give to someone in need. Can you imagine going about your normal day after the sun goes down? You would be left in the dark literally. In other countries these little blow up lights are their light switches, their way to creating a better tomorrow for themselves. Help MPowered in lighting the way by buying one for you or to give or even both!

My children and I fell in love with Luci. I love them for the bright light it provides. I can easily turn off my house lights and have a whole entire room lite up with a Luci Light. I have one in my car as well just in case. They do have awesome settings built in on top of it just being solar powered and not needing anything but a little sun. They can be bright, brighter, and then they also blink. So this little light is perfect for disaster relief, survivor kits, camping, and more. You could even be gearing up for a zombie kit. Luci Lights are just great for everyday use or when you really need her to be there. Luci Lights are also water proof!! So cool right!

My daughters keep the lights in their tent and we have been using them to light the way on a night time walk. An awesome light in themselves just because of how simple they are and versatile they can be.

GIVEAWAY TIME

It is open to US only. 18+ and winner will be chosen January 12 at Midnight EST. Winner will have 48 to respond when I send out the email. Winner will be chosen and posted on It's Peachy Keen. So be sure to check back.

This blog is not responsible for prize fulfilment or any shipping charges.

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Feed Your Crafty & Competative Side With Fat Quarter Challenge-GIVEAWAY!

I think we all have at least a tiny creative bone in our bodies. Personally, I can't go more than a day without doing something creative. And I don't just mean slapping some cool filters on an Instagram photo. I try to sketch, photograph (with my "real" camera), or if I can, paint, sew, bake, or build something each day. It's good for the soul and I highly recommend it. Since having our little guy and watching other little ones at our house during the day, I find myself putting creativity further and further down on my priority list. Have I mentioned I was an Art major in college? I need this stuff! What about you?

I know I'm not the only one who needs their "me" time, momma or not. And these days we all seem to be busier than we used to be. A friend of mine, Jesse, over at Wooden It Be Nice has an adorable little family and was feeling the need for some time to herself to get crafty. So she started what I think is a super fun endeavour, the Fat Quarter Challenge! It is an inexpensive way to force yourself to get creative each month. For $12, you get a "fat quarter" of fabric and three notions (ribbon, buttons, etc). This also includes shipping costs. Everyone participating that month receives the same materials and you can do anything your little heart desires, as long as you use all of the materials in one way or another. So not only does this get you crafting, it gets you in on some friendly competition as well! I'll get into more detail after a word from our sponsors of the Great Gifts Giveaway Hop!:

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What is a Giveaway Hop? It's a chance for you to check out a bunch of fun giveaways going on all at once! Be sure to check out our sponsors, Planet Weidknecht & LeahSay's Views, as well as the linky at the bottom of this post to find them all!


Disclaimer: Bloggers and Hosts are not responsible for sponsors who do not fulfil prizes.

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Click here to see the list of participating bloggers...

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Alright, so back to the Fat Quarter Challenge! Jesse sent me October's challenge materials. I scoured my brain for ideas for the challenge. My first thought was to make something for my baby man of course. But then I received the fabric and it was pink! Now Momma gets to make something for herself!

Image via FatQuarterChallenge.com

I have been saving up sewing ideas since my hubby got me a sewing machine last Christmas (see Jesse's board here). I kept coming back to the quilted wine tote that I found at Needle & Spatula. I hadn't quilted before, or sewn much more than your basic curtains or pillow, but I took it on anyway and added my own twist. I took some coordinating fabric that I'd picked up and fused two layers together (fusing made it thicker and less see-through, and also prevents fraying). I then traced a wine glass silhouette that I drew & cut out and used the sequins from the Challenge as my "wine." I then painted a "D" for Duda for a fun monogram.

Then, I cut out my fabric according to her directions, and quilted and sewed and put it all together! I have to say that I impressed myself and can't wait to show it off to my mom, who is quite the seamstress.

Here it is all put together!

 

I used the pink ribbon in the FQC package as my bias tape to finish of the top, the sequins as "wine," and the blue ribbon as a cute little finishing touch under the glass. And guess what? I WON! Folks voted on all of the submissions (see here) and I won. I was so humbled and excited. Last month's prize was a Diamond Candle and I got to choose the scent, Pumpkin Chai. Yummmy! And it comes with a ring inside that you get after it burns for a few hours (ok several...unless you're like me and dig it out with a spoon after a few...). Love it! And it is soy, which burns much cleaner than your traditional paraffin wax candle.

So do I recommend you participate in the challenge? Yes! I am participating again for November and can't wait to receive my materials and get crafting again (I did receive October's for free in exchange for this review, but I paid for November)! Here are some common excuses that you may be giving right now:

• I just don't have time for that.
• Well it's due on the 22nd, so you have 2+ weeks from when you receive your  materials. And how good will you feel after you actually DO it?! You need to get crafty, you know you do.
• It costs money and I'm on a budget.
• Be honest with yourself, when was the last time you left the craft store without spending at least $20? $12 is more than fair for fabric and notions, not to mention the fun competition and chance for a prize worth twice that amount!
• I'm just not very creative.
• Psh...get on Pinterest, find an idea you love and do it, girl! I believe in you, and it'll be a lot of fun!
• I can't sew.
• No sewing required! I chose to do a sewing project because that's how I wanted to challenge myself. You can easily create a winner with some glue or one of the many no-sew projects I see floating around on The Line (sorry, we just watched The Internship).

I'm so glad that I'm doing this for myself, and I think you will be, too. You can go to www.FatQuarterChallenge.com and sign up for just $12. If you have a local group, make it a party and hold your own local contest along with the online challenge! An excuse to craft and get together with the girls! Let me know if you do! I'd love to connect with you!

 So what is this giveaway I metioned? The winner will receive a TWO month subscription to the Fat Quarter Challenge, and I'm throwing in a little sewing kit to help you out ($31 total value)! Good luck! And, don't forget about all of the other great giveaways going on in the hop!

**Note: Please only enter if you can/will participate in the challenge with the materials sent to you. You get to keep your creation, you just submit a photo!**

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Woolzies Dryer Balls - Review & Giveaway - Sweet Summer Giveaway Hop!

Welcome to the

Sweet Summer Giveaway Hop

hosted by

Planet Weidknecht

and

Passport to Frugal

From August 17-31, you can visit all the participating blogs listed below and enter to win their wonderful prizes to top off your summer in a sweet way. Each blog is offering a giveaway prize of at least $25.00 and you might be lucky enough to win them all!

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"This set of six handmade pure wool dryer balls are special in several ways. They deliver the same benefits for laundry as conventional fabric softeners WITHOUT all the nasty chemicals. They save everyone a lot of money by eliminating the need to continuously spend on fabric softener liquid and sheets. They cut down on the time it takes to dry a typical load by at least 25% thereby saving everyone even more money and cutting down on fossil fuel usage. Finally, being as that they are handmade in the democratic republic of Nepal, they provide a steady source of income to the desperately needy women of that developing nation."

After learning what dryer sheets actually contain (All D's & F's according to the EWG) and what they do to your clothing (animal fat anyone?), I stopped using them and looked to alternatives. I also stopped using fabric softener and replaced it with distilled white vinegar. Our clothes and towels were still soft and felt even cleaner! Perhaps it was in my head, but I loved knowing they weren't coated with toxins and gunk. I was noticing some static cling issues and would occasionally throw in a dryer sheet with the towels...while making an "eww" face. 

First, I read that you can roll up a ball of tin foil and throw it in the dryer as a replacement for dryer sheets. And although the Woolzies product insert actually recommends doing that along with their dryer balls, I feel I need to do a bit more research first to see if anything comes off on the clothes at high heat. I'm sure it doesn't, but since the ball does wear down over time, I'm just not sold on it. In my mind Aluminum=bad (I'm a new mom researching vaccines...and deoderant). Then I started seeing ads for wool dryer balls.

My first thought? "Psh...I could make those and save a ton of money! I'm a super-wife!" But then I saw that a skein of pure wool yarn costs about $8, and you'd probably use almost a full skein per ball. Even if you only needed 4 skeins, that's still $32ish. Then you have to roll them and felt them which required a few runs in the washer and dryer. Woolzies will only cost you $35 and they're already made for you. Yay! So this is a case where I'd prefer to purchase over DIY (which is rare for me!). Since I'm newly a work-at-home momma, I'm also always looking for ways to save while reducing toxins and waste. These were a fantastic solution for us!

Woolzies sent me a box of their dryer balls (6) to try out and review (they were also awesome enough to sponsor this giveaway!). I started using them right away and took some notes on drying time since they claim to reduce it by at least 25%. I didn't do the math, but it did significantly reduce the drying time, even for towels. I was able to use the "less dry" setting on every load of laundry from clothing to towels to our comforter, and they came out dry, soft, and fluffy. I use low heat on clothing (which is better for them, too!) and they still come out dry on the "less dry" time setting. I'd occasionally find a thick collar or wasteband still damp, but would rather let those air dry than wear out the rest of our clothes.  

Now let's think about this...if you have 6 balls rolling around in your dryer, they are going to break up the load. This allows more air to flow between your laundry. Hence the recommendation to throw in a few tennis balls with a large comforter. Guess what? Tennis balls stink. Bad. (Are they loud? Our laundry room is in the basement and our living room is right above it. We can watch TV without hearing them. When the house is quiet, yet we do hear them. But unless you sleep next to your laundry room, I wouldn't worry about the noise. It also depends on how large of a load is in the dryer). Woolzies dryer balls work very well for large bath towels, are awesome at breaking up large loads of little baby clothes, and are a HUGE help when I can't hang dry my cloth diapers and need dry inserts and flats STAT.

A couple of examples to give you an idea of the size. The hubby pointed out that not everyone would know what an Oball is. Though if you have a baby, you should. We love this thing.

So do I recommend Woolzies dryer balls? Hellz yeah I do. 

• Reduced drying time?  Yes
• Left clothes/towels all snuggly soft?  Yes
• Reduced static? Yes
• Save $$$? Yes (A box of 160 sheets will cost you around $11 for 240. Dryer balls last at least 1000 loads. So dryer sheets = $.05/load. Dryer balls = $.03/load. Woolzies Dryer Balls will save you $15 over those 1k loads. That adds up!
• Left animal fat and, let's just say crap, all over my laundry?  No, no they did not. (If you do want a scent to your laundry, you can use some pure essential oil to put a drop on a ball or two). 

Enter the giveaway below for your chance to win a set of 6 dryer balls from Woolzies! Giveaway runs through the 31st!
(Woolzies sent me this product for free in exchange for my honest opinion and review. A positive review was not required.)

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Summer Baby Loving Blog Hop Giveaway!

Welcome to my first giveaway post! I'm pretty excited...and even more excited that I have the opportunity to participate in this Blog Hop to celebrate summer! This giveaway is for a set of four stainless steel drinking straws to help you reduce plastic waste and enjoy those refreshing cold summer drinks even more :) 

After reading and entering my giveaway, make sure you check out our hosts: Cloth Diapering Again, The Inquisitive Mom, and Our Piece of Earth and the grand prize giveaway! Not to mention all of the other bloggers who are participating (linky at the bottom of this post). Good luck!

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 Stainless Steel Drinking Straws

(Image from Amazon.com - This photog's camera is getting some TLC)

When I found out I was pregnant, I kicked my coffee habit (only a mug or two a day) right away. Even though I read that 200mg of caffeine a day was perfectly safe, I also read a comment that said "better a headache than heartache" and it really stuck with me. I would have a sip now and then, or a tiny bit in my almond or soy milk just to get that coffee taste when I was missing it. 

Then, after our little E arrived and I recovered from the birth (about 2 or 3 weeks), I really started wanting my coffee back but wasn't sure about drinking it while breastfeeding. I was still being very cautious, but the hot weather was making me miss my iced coffee. So I started making coffee cubes (I used silicone trays I found at Target so I could pour the coffee in hot). The cubes are each around an ounce. I didn't feel too worried about slowly drinking 2oz of coffee as it melted in almond milk (with a little bit of organic sugar). What I did start to feel guilty about was using a plastic, disposable straw everyday. So then I began looking into alternatives. 

The options I found were hard plastic, glass, paper, and stainless steel. The paper straws are adorable and would be super fun for a party but do get soggy if they sit in the drink for a little while. Ew. I'm just not a big fan of plastic and try to avoid it. Now, I love glass, but they were a bit more expensive and even though some say they are unbreakable, I just wasn't sure. What I do like about these is that they are clear so you can truly see if they are clean, but that isn't something I have worried about with the stainless steel straws. In the end, I decided to go with stainless steel based on their price, shape, and material.

What I love about these straws:

• Eco-Friendly!
• No BPA (which is in your basic plastic straw from what I understand)
• They're fun & make me feel nostalgic 
• They get cold with your drink which is awesome on those really hot days
• You can use them to sip hot drinks, which you should not do with plastic (I have used the SS ones once for hot tea and the straw got warm but not burning hot - Although I can not be held responsible if you burn yourself, your drink my be hotter than mine and I wouldn't recommend giving it to a child until you know the drink is cool enough).
• I find them very easy to clean with the included pipe cleaner

Cons (Honestly, I couldn't find any. These are what I have read in other reviews):

•  You have to clean them (well, duh. But it is easy with a pipe or brush cleaner and hot soapy water. Try to rinse after use or soak in hot soapy water)
• You can't bite them...duh again. I was a straw biter, too. But that really is a bad habit and these can help you kick it!
• They don't bend. No, they don't bend more than they already are. I've never found this to be a problem and think they are bent at just the right angle. 
• They're expensive! Sure, they are more than a pack of plastic straws. But they will pay for themselves, prevent you from sipping BPA, and help the environment. They are less than glass straws and I think very reasonable.  

 Where can I get a set? (This is a self sponsored post so I may recommend a few different vendors)

• Here is a set of 10 for $18 on Amazon with free shipping if you have Prime
• Here is a set of 4 for $9, also free shipping with Prime
• If you don't want a bend and prefer a straight straw (good for those reusable to-go cups!) you can find those here.
• Enter the giveaway below to win a set of four! (Open us US only)
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Welcome to the Summer Baby Loving Blog Hop Giveaway, hosted by Cloth Diapering Again, The Inquisitive Mom, and Our Piece of Earth, in celebration of babies and mamas! There are two grand prizes up for grabs, one open to US and Canada, and one open just to the US.

Don't forget to enter the grand prizes!

 

Go here to enter to win a grand prize!

Each blogger has a prize worth at least $25 on their blog, so hop around on the linky and enter to win some summer baby loving.

Cloth Diapering Again, The Inquisitive Mom, Our Piece of Earth, and Summer Baby Loving Blog Hop Giveaway participating bloggers are not responsible for prize fulfilment.
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