Co – Sleeping: Yes We Do It.

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There so much hoopla about why you should not co sleep and how it can be harmful to the baby, and cause your kids to not want to sleep on their own beds when they get older.

Hey, I'm a co sleeper and love it! I grew up co sleeping with my own mom and grandma so  it only seems natural to pass it on to my kids.  Co sleeping draws families together and creates that closeness that bonds each family individual.

Co sleeping for some families is where they have one bed in which they all sleep in it. However, each of my children has their own room, or they share one. For all of their own things.  However, if the kiddies don't feel like sleeping in their own room one night, I don't force them not to, I can lay with them in their own bed, or a lot the times the little ones sleep with us, even the dog…..

co sleeping

 

It is a controversial topic that is gaining more and more support. I chose to co-sleep because it something that I grew up doing. Than when I had my own children , it was easier to breastfeed the babies and get some rest all at the same time.

There are many arguments against co-sleeping, however one could easily find fault with these arguments.  Many of the arguments address potential problems, such as not sleeping with your child if you have been under the influence of drugs or alcohol, not allowing a toddler to sleep next to an infant, and not sleeping with your child if you suffer from sleeping disorders.  These obstacles are rare or can be overcome with a little creativity or planning.

Most parents who do choose to co-sleep are very responsible adults who choose to sleep with their children to reap the many positive benefits, such as the bond it creates between a parent and a child, the positive sleep pattern it allows into their lives, the ease of breastfeeding a child in the middle of the night.  All of these things paint a wonderful picture of a positive parenting relationship between parent and child.

Co-sleeping is a natural way of taking care of our children that our ancestors did for many years.  The mothers of children for many years even carried their children around with them throughout the day, never allowing their infant to even leave the comfort and closeness of their bodies during the daytime, much less during the night.  This begs the question, “If it’s not broke, why fix it?”  If this process worked for so many years before us, then why do we question it so quickly today?

Co-sleeping might not work for everyone, but it is definitely something that should be considered as a positive parenting technique and as an opportunity for a restful nights sleep to be had by all.  If you do decide to co-sleep especially with an infant, there are some precautions to consider.  Do not use heavy bedding, as the infant can suffocate.  Do not allow the infant to sleep on the outer edge where falls can occur.  Investing in bed rails might be a good idea.  Make sure your mattress is on the firm side so that the surface your baby sleeps on is as level as possible. This will help everyone get a restful sleep if they are not tossed when the person next to them turns.

I co sleep and luv it, I think the dog does too!

 

 

Posh Online Magazine ~ For the Naturalistas

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I recently came across this site called the natural haven, which is a blog that discusses all things on fashion and beauty for the natural community. The natural haven magazine seems pretty new but not lacking in anything when it comes to posh-ness, style and sensibility.  W hen I first read through the online natural magazine mainly catered the African American community I was greatly impressed. They cover a broad range of topics from hair, eating and lifestyle which is right up my alley.

That is why I am posting here, because I feel that you would enjoy the online natural living magazine just as much as I have:)

Would love to know what you think about it!

Raw Milk Raid in California – Huh?

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Early this August the raw-some food health food store a homegrown a local natural living co-op, which produces organic pesticide free real food. Was raided and in a mob style fashion by policeman coming in as if someone had been held hostage. They poured out all of the milk and destroyed the cheese completely.

This is so crazy to me, because the owner was arrested, not read his rights then taken to jail on a 135,000 bond. Not able to get out unless he has the full amount.

When does selling selling your own food become a crime? When does living in America a place of free enterprise become a crime? When does choosing to eat the sort of food you choose to eat become not a god given human right?

I ask these things because that is what is now happening in America. Big government and lobbyist for the FDA are on the hunt to put a stop to these local homegrown real food stores.

Charging that no food should be sold unless regulated by them, and that we should be forced to eat only fake, gmo laden processed food. This is truly a crime only about money and the shift of the country demanding more real food and not fake food that could potentially in the long run kill us.

Real Food is on the rise and here to stay, in fact I have a post about real food here if you want to learn more about it.

 

Is this crazy or what!

Sometimes You Just Gotta Disconnect.

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You ever just have those days when you're just feeling like really blah and not really wanting to do anything at all. Or that whole week when you are just floating around but not really there at all?

Well that is how I have been for the past week and not really knowing why, until I had to sit back and take a breather. Our washer went out earlier in the week and boy let me tell you, that is not a good thing when you have 4 small kids and 2 adults living at home with you. I have been running around like a mad woman making sure everything's complete around the home. However, at the same time I have forgotten to take some time out for myself.

Trying to be super woman and all that excellent stuff, I ended up stressing myself out with out even knowing what I was doing. It finally hit me hard when I was at the laundry building close to my home. And I started reading a page out of natural living magazine about mediation. On how taking the time to practice it on a regular basis can have great benefits on your health.

Boy oh boy did I feel like someone just dropped kicked me forcing me to listen.

I'm not someone who does not mediate in fact I have been doing it my whole life and realized that as a little girl. That I could zone out and be in complete total awareness of my bodily actions. By taking a lot of deep breaths and really just letting my brain and body come into to harmony with each other. I have been able to and still been able to reduce stress and have a calm demeanor.

However, with all the running around and getting things ready for our trip to hawks Kay resort this week. I sort of lost sight of my own methods of remaining calm and just going with the flow.

Tonight was my breaking point; I realized that I cant go too long without some time out for myself. I had to break myself down and found myself about to cry for no apparent reason, but then again that could just be hormones. So when my husband got home I ran to the shower, washed my hair and took a long hot shower while playing one of favorite Chrissette Michelle's CDs in the background!

I HEART HER MUSIC 🙂

It was just what I needed a little me time you know, some down time where I could just disconnect for a minute and focus on my thoughts and be one with myself.

That shower was just what the doctor ordered, a one and half shower at that.

Even though the kids were trying to come in, they were ok with their father. I needed that alone time, just some time to really relax and get back to me.

After it was all done, I felt re-energized and ready for the next day!

The importance of Downtime Post has really come in handy for me today and is a superior read if you are looking for some helpful tips on how to have your own downtime.

So what about you, what do you do when you have those days or weeks where you feel like you just have to totally disconnect and get back to you?

Create Your Own Natural First Aid Kit

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Have you ever wanted to make your own natural first aid kit, or just get started in finding more natural alternatives to take of yourself.

With the rise of the natural health industry there are a ton of studies proving and showing that choosing natural health options can be better for your health. I for one know and do not want to put anything in my body that will cause a ton of other symptoms like headaches, nausea, stomach cramps and all that ooky stuff, unless I totally have too.

Who wants all that right.

Let's start by talking about what homeopathy is and how it can help you to heal yourself naturally, then later on show you some simple products that you can use for your family.

Homeopathy is an alternative form of medicine that has been around for years to treat just about anything you can think of. While in modern times the use of natural first aid kits, and homeopathy may seem suspicious, in earlier times it was the main way of doing of things. While the western world is finally catching on to the world of natural healing, it has been used worldwide for years.

Homeopathic medicine is based on three basic principles. The biggest principle of homeopathy is that it treats the main issue at hand on each problem. Instead of treating based on the disease doctors” think” you have, treatment is done based on the symptoms you know you have. The second principle is that there is only one treatment, not two or even ten like a traditional doctor might give you. The third principle is that everything is given in extremely small doses.

To treat yourself homeopathicly, you must figure out all the symptoms. Once you know your symptoms, you find a substance that causes the exact same set of symptoms and take a small amount of it. Because you are only taking a very small amount, the substance not only doesn’t harm you, it’s said to cure you, generally long term or even permanently.

When most people hear about homeopathy, their initial reaction is “no way!” Treating symptoms with something that causes your symptoms seems totally counter intuitive, but it’s a concept that’s used in modern medicine as well as more ancient cures. Shots commonly used to treat allergies contain a small amount of whatever you’re allergic to. Many vaccines contain a small amount of the disease they’re designed to protect against.

While homeopathic medicine is not only considered effective, it has many benefits over modern medicine. Like many other natural medical treatments, most homeopathic remedies are totally natural. While this doesn’t necessarily make them safe, these remedies tend to cause fewer side effects, have little drug interactions, and are generally better for your overall health.

Homeopathic medications are also considered better for your body because they work with it. Many modern medicines work to suppress symptoms like fever or coughing. These symptoms are the body’s natural ways to get rid of disease. Instead of suppressing symptoms, homeopathic medicine works to cure the problem itself while addressing the specific symptoms.

When the right treatment is found, homeopathy is considered very effective. The big problem is that just like there are thousands of prescriptions and over the counter drugs, there are also thousands of homeopathic remedies as well. And if you don’t pick exactly the right one, it won’t work.

While you can buy homeopathic remedies over the counter, just like herbal and other alternative medicines, that doesn’t mean it’s 100% safe to treat yourself. If you’re serious about this treatment you should speak to a doctor who has experience in alternative medicine.

However in the meantime if you want to get started learning about natural healing and natural first kits I suggest you read. The Complete Homeopathy Handbook: Safe and Effective Ways to Treat Fevers, Coughs, Colds and Sore Throats, Childhood Ailments, Food Poisoning, Flu, and a Wide Range of Everyday ComplaintsHealth Mind & Body Books)