johncsnider

Did you see "My Green and Natural Pregnancy" listed on THE TOP 10 PREGNANCY BLOGS FOR EXPENCTANT MOMS by Pregnancy Magazine? "Researching all of the different things that can happen while you're waiting for the stork to arrive with your little bundle of joy will make you all the more prepared to handle any challenges that emerge along the way. My Green and Natural Pregnancy For some moms, steering clear of chemicals and other pollutants is not just important – it can have a transformative effect on the way a woman handles each trimester! For tips on green living, visit My Green and Natural Pregnancy." Check it out at: http://www.pregnancymagazine.com/pregnancy-news/pregnancy-lifestyle/the-top-10-pregnancy-blogs-for-expectant-moms/

This is the real world, not Hollywood, but here goes my first video!  Here I am demonstrating how to cloth diaper using prefolds.  This is my very easy way of diapering where I only do one load of laundry per week!  Enjoy and don't forget to check out why I cloth diapered baby #3 and the details of cloth diapering the easy way with prefolds . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Uk975ujPXQ&feature=player_embedded

Baby #3 was born while I still had 3 kids aged 4 and under at home. I had to shave down daily tasks to a "survival" level yet I continued to cloth diaper my baby because I had discovered a great system . It is so easy that I had to share it with you. Here's a video of the diapers in action. Disposable Diapers Do you ever think about disposable diapers? They are made in a factory with a ton of chemicals and plastics then transported to your local store. What a carbon footprint! Oh wait, after they are used, they sit in a landfill for 450 years according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency . Yeah, yeah disposable diapers are not going to cause the human race to cease but it hardly feels like it helps our environment. I have heard arguments that cloth diapering is worse than disposable diapers because water is used to wash them.  Maybe if you wash daily but I wash weekly and there is no way that one load of wash comes anywhere near the environmental impact of makin...

So Healthline put this blog on their 2013 Best Pregnancy Blogs list.  It makes me so happy to hear that women are really taking to empowering themselves about their choices wether it be with their caregiver, self-care, breastfeeding, birthing method, or soon to be parenting method. You have all inspired me to keep writing and I promise a new post within two weeks.  This three young kids thing is no easy task (especially if they are as spirited as mine)! Hugs to everyone.

Babble has again put me on their Top 25 Pregnancy Blog list of 2013 ! I am super excited and thankful for all of you. It is so inspiring to see such smart moms and dads researching and learning in order to make the best decision for your families. Here's what they have to say: I included My Green and Natural Pregnancy   on last year's list, and I couldn't imagine a "best of" list without it! The blog's author, Elizabeth, started it when she was pregnant with her third baby to offer others tips on how to go green during their pregnancies and reduce their exposure to chemicals and toxins. Her blog is wonderfully informative, and even though she only posts once a month these days (hello, Busy Mom!), her posts are just great.

Have you felt that afternoon or mid-morning lack of energy? Do you reach for something sweet or caffeinated to give you a jolt? That's right, we all know it. As good as they taste, those sweets and caffeinated foods/beverages give you a cheap thrill of energy then they drain you the rest of the day. Here are 10 ways to increase you energy without sugar or caffeine from my days at Integrative Nutrition (amended for you moms): 1) Reduce or eliminate caffeine:  The ups and downs of caffeine include dehydration and blood sugar ups and downs, making mood swings more frequent. If you need something to get you going in the morning try some hot lemon water, a decaf or herbal tea or a weak coffee/tea until you adjust. 2) Drink water: Most Americans are chronically dehydrated. Pregnancy and breastfeeding requires you to consume even more water. Before you go to sugar or caffeine, have a glass of water and wait a few minutes to see what happens. Caution: Soft drinks are now Am...

You cannot hear it enough: EVERY BABY IS DIFFERENT. You "should" not compare your baby to those of your friends or other children, but it is really really hard not to. Enough said, let me compare my kids: all three were different sleepers and this third one is the worst! Baby #3 is asleep at Oma's house. Are you familiar with co-sleeping (bed-sharing or room-sharing)? For those of you who set up a cute nursery and never even knew the benefits of being in the same room as your baby, read this article by James McKenna Ph.D., Cosleeping and Biological Imperatives: Why Human Babies Do Not and Should Not Sleep Alone . Did you read that sleep book that I recommended in Parenting School 101 ?  The Sleep Lady's Good Night, Sleep Tight: Gentle Proven Solutions to Help Your Child Sleep Well and Wake Up Happy . You had better because you will need it now and for the next years! It is best to start the techniques while your baby is only a couple of weeks old so your baby gets use...