tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78593052398679279932024-03-18T12:13:03.175-05:00Fine and FairUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger419125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7859305239867927993.post-56641719228380494972016-01-25T21:51:00.000-06:002016-01-25T21:51:38.356-06:00He is ThreeDear Canon,<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQNgLSgfpdAKhsWZf4sASovEfP12mJncm6Rg0EYELvhN6xDkRLsAmH8G96e4ifAhDcJwrHpKDRomOxrBdwDD8-DK7GlVmheUeWZ8XN_wNNNaClWUIgEcP4hd-gxtYb2rEv3F6bvEqglag/s1600/Canon7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQNgLSgfpdAKhsWZf4sASovEfP12mJncm6Rg0EYELvhN6xDkRLsAmH8G96e4ifAhDcJwrHpKDRomOxrBdwDD8-DK7GlVmheUeWZ8XN_wNNNaClWUIgEcP4hd-gxtYb2rEv3F6bvEqglag/s200/Canon7.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSy5Yn1t9hMoug93BNce-PfGTipxfp58H5P0o0AVDzi68TN9Ta6D9LlGWbAxGQYkkLFMeTUFtPdP5MrM7ULB8eKMkLm1RD0T600GnsYBLfhxBr8VWvsQUvzlYMEc5ZQt86s7JukNGIah0/s1600/Canon3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSy5Yn1t9hMoug93BNce-PfGTipxfp58H5P0o0AVDzi68TN9Ta6D9LlGWbAxGQYkkLFMeTUFtPdP5MrM7ULB8eKMkLm1RD0T600GnsYBLfhxBr8VWvsQUvzlYMEc5ZQt86s7JukNGIah0/s200/Canon3.jpg" width="112" /></a>Despite your protestations to the contrary, you will always be my baby. Today, you turned three years old. You are sweet and silly and love to snuggle. You love making art and hanging out with your big sister. She considers you her best friend!</div>
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You are a daring child who loves to climb, run, and jump. You love superheroes and fight imaginary "bad guys" (sometimes we have to remind you that the cat is not a bad guy) with your own unique fighting style, which you have dubbed "Heeyah!"</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHvC8O13-3q_lIS17e_v84-toafoc1TEseivJc279H20aew-v9mFvpLY__abm16XaxS-2k-S3IEU_0BtY_18MRYcZDw-khoN9-0O1MUyUoWoWv-hrGUciHyEW7UNgc6DReVfUmmlx8cJA/s1600/Canon2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHvC8O13-3q_lIS17e_v84-toafoc1TEseivJc279H20aew-v9mFvpLY__abm16XaxS-2k-S3IEU_0BtY_18MRYcZDw-khoN9-0O1MUyUoWoWv-hrGUciHyEW7UNgc6DReVfUmmlx8cJA/s320/Canon2.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
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Your likes include Ninja Turtles, Power Rangers, My Little Ponies, having your finger and toenails painted sparkly blue, singing, dancing, eating raw veggies, and baking.<br /></div>
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Your dislikes include being woken up, cottage cheese, having your hair groomed, and wearing pants. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHl1DhWTV9VqeSFxU0IJGajNKtXyrFKv8ywhEHJkhdh_z_mu2zP7oxBsLtCAMRsyKQZ0bSLipRVE9gSXso7iV7KRnFGLSaFrCZNWMU6hmwhu1VUdH7Bfw8oBegpa_afSIL3V5a8JPgFDE/s1600/canon6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHl1DhWTV9VqeSFxU0IJGajNKtXyrFKv8ywhEHJkhdh_z_mu2zP7oxBsLtCAMRsyKQZ0bSLipRVE9gSXso7iV7KRnFGLSaFrCZNWMU6hmwhu1VUdH7Bfw8oBegpa_afSIL3V5a8JPgFDE/s320/canon6.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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You rarely go "uppies" anymore unless you're tired, and you only nurse for a few minutes, once or twice a week. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip3xCSSN-aiT8ngKeC_fPi9WJk1o7X-l8bRWVW-QjWC6-gIxrRGal_yHMVoVItsrTs6dMZ9OHT0kxaNDKa98ZA2fj2Uu1qd7pPNrBbnJeLMuxJ5K-TcX8lSww15vc5pe_UmdvC7j-8TS0/s1600/Canon4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip3xCSSN-aiT8ngKeC_fPi9WJk1o7X-l8bRWVW-QjWC6-gIxrRGal_yHMVoVItsrTs6dMZ9OHT0kxaNDKa98ZA2fj2Uu1qd7pPNrBbnJeLMuxJ5K-TcX8lSww15vc5pe_UmdvC7j-8TS0/s320/Canon4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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You're starting to take more of an interest in books, and are developing a deeper enjoyment for drawing and painting. You like building and "fixing" things. You are kind and friendly to everyone you meet and seem genuinely confused when a peer (or your sister) hurts you. You are nearly always smiling which makes your expressions of pain or sadness all the more heartbreaking. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-9Mu1SxerOm_WiGOpgRczGXktckktKyVz2yGK0zGDueJ3DqtbawZRmXUIgWUsVThSfmjou3jB24xHL27iCS6l_WwgbGweaAPdVJmuI4KDaI0xrW66zH0K7RNkOWEXCEh89N4OJPT7NA8/s1600/canon5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-9Mu1SxerOm_WiGOpgRczGXktckktKyVz2yGK0zGDueJ3DqtbawZRmXUIgWUsVThSfmjou3jB24xHL27iCS6l_WwgbGweaAPdVJmuI4KDaI0xrW66zH0K7RNkOWEXCEh89N4OJPT7NA8/s320/canon5.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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Raising a son is a challenge and a joy. I hope that you always keep your gentle strength, your carefree spirit, and your affectionate kindness. I hope that you'll always have love and respect for those who cross your path. I hope that you'll use the privileges afforded you in this life to lift up those who are marginalized or have less. I hope that I can teach you even half as much as you are sure to teach me. Keep smiling, my sweet son.<br /><br />Love,<br /></div>
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Mama</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com208tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7859305239867927993.post-38472166516135770612015-11-16T09:51:00.002-06:002015-11-16T10:08:43.392-06:00She is Six<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicLuhIysHlV2H3fsYYKDmDIIWJ9280hoQ8glEUMhI2Gwrhf4uOvXF6ScTYB88DOYyq8pgZSe9xgwtxVxNIdSs3KEURvHiCzj7TSSiX8BC8JGckmLIMCZErZQqJ8Egzg03aWF_da16mrFU/s1600/%2523DB%2523.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicLuhIysHlV2H3fsYYKDmDIIWJ9280hoQ8glEUMhI2Gwrhf4uOvXF6ScTYB88DOYyq8pgZSe9xgwtxVxNIdSs3KEURvHiCzj7TSSiX8BC8JGckmLIMCZErZQqJ8Egzg03aWF_da16mrFU/s200/%2523DB%2523.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Dear Delilah,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In the blink of an eye, you are six years old. You're considered a leader in your Kindergarten </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">classroom, so much so that you occasionally decline to participate in the teacher's activities when they don't mesh with your own desires. You've made great progress with this in the past few weeks, largely due to your deep empathy and your developing understanding that your behaviors impact the experiences of others around you.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp58OT65BKB_U-kKca9S0LT8ZMux4pXttjUZpk_xq3ubwQmjH2EMpSInqc6eSvuN9gBW2vLjwTcJY2xqRJ6eXprSgTxEfLFRRAz76oAPYUWbv2rzY7KLwMN4ykoue10lvfC6jm2060bBA/s1600/%2523DB1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp58OT65BKB_U-kKca9S0LT8ZMux4pXttjUZpk_xq3ubwQmjH2EMpSInqc6eSvuN9gBW2vLjwTcJY2xqRJ6eXprSgTxEfLFRRAz76oAPYUWbv2rzY7KLwMN4ykoue10lvfC6jm2060bBA/s320/%2523DB1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You love telling stories, through words, song, or dance. You make up to stories to go along with your books, often making up words or meanings to fit your plot. The other night, you grew frustrated as my laughter crescendoed with each conjugation of "defecate" in your story du jour, which you explained to mean "it's when you try your best!" Much to your dismay, my laughter did not subside when you went on to explain how the character wasn't defecating very well and needed to defecate harder.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You delight in teaching others, and your ability to command an audience's attention to learn your latest dance move or game is unrivaled.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhycZW-Q6_wtCP2okUj-IEtYHfvFF-cw3rSPYr5VISq4Qj2wdLLvRCo-z30fuo_FQrN0iGVJQXfxPsuoKVqbCpXRwYPgEDbxBPWRWD4EB5fLgYTq-d49LQRvPPUcPI4ksxLHbe3ZYZJsMc/s1600/%2523DB4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhycZW-Q6_wtCP2okUj-IEtYHfvFF-cw3rSPYr5VISq4Qj2wdLLvRCo-z30fuo_FQrN0iGVJQXfxPsuoKVqbCpXRwYPgEDbxBPWRWD4EB5fLgYTq-d49LQRvPPUcPI4ksxLHbe3ZYZJsMc/s200/%2523DB4.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You sing with abandon, loud and proud, often punctuated with exaggerated leaps, twirls, and jumps. You demanded to sing 'Happy Birthday' to yourself, by yourself when presented with your birthday cake.</span>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Your love for your brother knows no end. He is your best friend, and you, his. You greet and depart from him with hugs, kisses, and assurance that you'll see him soon. The other parents at school pick up "oooh" and "awwww" when you rush to embrace him after your day. The two of you make up silly games together, and he is a willing pupil for your many lessons and activities. He adores you and looks up to you, and it makes me swell with pride and gratitude for you both.</span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXJFYCJzDWJDXjaNntKqPMUMTchmdAYARVUjJS_VUBUjfppdtDsfLx4hYKhwKtYfVrLnefJ2okoxVKYiP97R4l0Cz_38K5wF2iiCP7-G6biCDoeND-3vT9nirVgApgxNbb-KnhS8w6aPk/s1600/%2523DB3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXJFYCJzDWJDXjaNntKqPMUMTchmdAYARVUjJS_VUBUjfppdtDsfLx4hYKhwKtYfVrLnefJ2okoxVKYiP97R4l0Cz_38K5wF2iiCP7-G6biCDoeND-3vT9nirVgApgxNbb-KnhS8w6aPk/s200/%2523DB3.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Your favorite food is pasta, and your favorite treat is ice cream. You love apples and carrots and preferred fried eggs to scrambled. You recently started eating chicken after more than 5 years as a vegetarian child. You've decided that chicken is okay with you, but are not comfortable eating fish, beef, or pork. You recently asked me where the chickens are at your school and were somewhat horrified to learn that the chicken served at school lunch is not raised right at school.<br /><br />It is such a joy to watch you grow and learn. You are sweet and sassy and always planning ahead. Your drawing is becoming more detailed, your rendition of written letters and numbers more legible. Your love for music and animals has continued to blossom. You are sensitive to the feelings of others and will stop in the midst in of your own tantrum to comfort someone else who needs it. (Usually me.)<br /><br />I love you, and am so grateful for the adventure that is being your mother.</span>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Love,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Mama</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com220tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7859305239867927993.post-22760475846599605592015-10-05T10:26:00.000-05:002015-10-05T10:29:37.425-05:00Giveaway: Petrol Hemp Indio Wrap Scrap Key Fobs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSVVOunoLHILa1AHRhTaN39MoNzrewydF5lr5FYCXWi3-vo8C0IxUiNIpvr8c6y7osquNVn0g5MhD371s9nxYIIUZMForzoC9PtkELtFpSW5PyGy5FMNY313Z8OFW34RTxFvIBwCUPu7Q/s1600/%2523%2523%2523.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSVVOunoLHILa1AHRhTaN39MoNzrewydF5lr5FYCXWi3-vo8C0IxUiNIpvr8c6y7osquNVn0g5MhD371s9nxYIIUZMForzoC9PtkELtFpSW5PyGy5FMNY313Z8OFW34RTxFvIBwCUPu7Q/s320/%2523%2523%2523.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This Giveaway is for a pair of Mystic Hemp Indio Wrap Scrap Key Fobs, for a pair of Babywearing friends! Please complete the Rafflecopter entry below! To enter, visit my <a href="https://www.facebook.com/fineandfair">Facebook Page</a> and tag a babywearing friend in this post! You may tag up to 5 friends, one comment per friend.<br />
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This Giveaway is open to residents of the United States only.<br />
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<a class="rcptr" data-raflid="0d8886541" data-template="" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/0d8886541/" id="rcwidget_qae9payt" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="//widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js"></script>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com165tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7859305239867927993.post-51714336598076843122015-10-05T10:17:00.000-05:002015-10-05T10:17:00.373-05:00International Babywearing Week 2015<div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px; margin-bottom: 6px;">
It's International Babywearing Week!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCOQAczY1NPztHfi3pIL3VNbn2ENnyyGRhlKsOzoHoNPKNHYhwCMtemKsWPBBsGT_SWX3tmRYBhfR1GtbegcGIxhO7pQBTxbeVo7LDJjQV-IKzkyY2CZTt3ZOywu74yBmRmSLLUMmiVwo/s1600/%2523%2523.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCOQAczY1NPztHfi3pIL3VNbn2ENnyyGRhlKsOzoHoNPKNHYhwCMtemKsWPBBsGT_SWX3tmRYBhfR1GtbegcGIxhO7pQBTxbeVo7LDJjQV-IKzkyY2CZTt3ZOywu74yBmRmSLLUMmiVwo/s320/%2523%2523.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Babywearing has been, and continues to be, an amazing parenting tool and fun hobby all wrapped up into one for me. WRAPPED UP! GET IT? *groan*</div>
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Babywearing has helped me stay connected with my children, especially after making the move to full time work. The snuggles and closeness are a wonderful way to reconnect after a long day or week at work, and babywearing allows me to cuddle my kiddos while catching up on housework. </div>
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Babywearing has helped me make wonderful friends. The parents I have met in various babywearing groups on facebook have become some of my most trusted and supportive friends. I have been honored to help spread the babywearing love locally by collaborating with friends to start a local babywearing group. </div>
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Babywearing has helped me appreciate the artistry and science of textiles. I have learned different wrapping qualities associated with different fibers, and could spend hours admiring complex weave structures.</div>
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Babywearing has evolved my ethics in determining which business I support with my voice and my dollars. It has broadened my social justice perspective. </div>
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Babywearing is what finally made economics click for me! I now understand supply and demand and market fluctuations better than ever before, thanks to my love of "churning" to try as many wraps and carriers as I can. </div>
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I <i class="_4-k1 img sp_6-ALyxN5kwE sx_a60904" style="background-image: url(https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/rsrc.php/v2/yQ/r/d5zD6zt_Twr.png); background-position: 0px -198px; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 18px 504px; display: inline-block; height: 16px; vertical-align: -3px; width: 16px;"><u style="left: -999999px; position: absolute;">heart emoticon</u></i> Babywearing, and I will wear my babies for as long as they will let me!<br /><br />Throughout the week, I will be posting Giveaways to celebrate! I'll link them all in this post as they go live. The first one is coming soon!<br /><br /><b>Tell me, what do you love most about Babywearing?</b></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com38tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7859305239867927993.post-39875164818450584032015-04-03T14:16:00.000-05:002015-04-03T14:22:46.755-05:00Here Comes Peter Cottontail <div style="color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, 'lucida grande', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px; margin-bottom: 6px;">
Like many children this time of year, Delilah has been looking forward to Easter with gusto. "Will you help me find all the eggs mama?" "I CAN'T WAIT FOR CANDY!" "Will there be an Easter day parade?"</div>
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The first order of business every morning lately has been checking the calendar to see if it is April 5th yet. She's excited to find hidden eggs, excited for a nice family meal, excited to spend a night at Grandma Bev's since she doesn't have school on Monday. </div>
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So she asked if she could stay up to see the Easter Bunny come tomorrow night. And she straight up lost it when I suggested that the bunny might not come if she was awake.</div>
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LOST. IT.</div>
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Clinging to me. Sobbing. Streams of tears.</div>
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I looked at my husband in desperation.</div>
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"I'm not sure what this right here has to do with the magic of imagination." </div>
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I've had a "just go with it" policy when it comes to imaginary figures like the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus. I've just let her come to her own conclusions based on what she hears about such characters, and have avoided confirming or denying their existence. I've always said that if my children believe, that's fine, but if they come right out and ask me if these characters are real, I will tell them the truth.</div>
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As it appeared, she believes. As it appeared, this belief was leading to more anxiety and upset than magic and fun. </div>
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So my husband and I sat her down together. We explained that what <b>we</b> celebrate at Easter is the fertility of the earth and the new life that Spring brings. We explained that the Easter bunny is a fun story and that lots of parents hide eggs or put things in baskets to make the story even more fun, and that it's up to her if she wants to believe the story or not. </div>
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I was pretty nervous about how this would go down. I wasn't sure we were doing the right thing. </div>
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The more we talked, the more we explained, the more calm she became. The truth was a lot easier for her to understand and handle than "the bunny won't come if you're awake." We assured her that there will be baskets and eggs. We showed her a picture of her father dressed up as the Easter bunny from way back when. She asked if she could watch a video about the Easter bunny, and she did so, happily. She's now looking dreamily out the window and singing a song she made up about the Easter bunny coming to town. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdm11btE83pp-Ttghsz7Eg8Glwo6QIhiwDiq2_Ek11kfMxmkHEJ-XL6FZ4iQOWMuRz8bA_uBn2HNqrSiH7upRQctUEEbdU-yHQ1FwqEJppnb3CsJcL_OuiZfHyq6hAabVPpGGsTg92AOc/s1600/%23bunny.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdm11btE83pp-Ttghsz7Eg8Glwo6QIhiwDiq2_Ek11kfMxmkHEJ-XL6FZ4iQOWMuRz8bA_uBn2HNqrSiH7upRQctUEEbdU-yHQ1FwqEJppnb3CsJcL_OuiZfHyq6hAabVPpGGsTg92AOc/s1600/%23bunny.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Delilah's Dad as the Easter Bunny in the late 90s</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Maybe we stole some of the magic and ruined some of the fun, but maintaining it did not seem worth her utter despair.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7859305239867927993.post-58871322872806360822015-02-19T12:47:00.000-06:002015-02-19T12:47:23.195-06:00Postpartum Body Love<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV9MTPqGpDEsAjgiMeeVxWOjTvkl9wGJZ_7IGgmBEf8gt5coXXa2D77xV6cMLwZhoeMOgYyBJS9YFvM0Sn9OM2BgSWTiaeCw9dknzXr1iORstCXT19hqXFZoAiQfbFTjb6SzcucrIpg0A/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV9MTPqGpDEsAjgiMeeVxWOjTvkl9wGJZ_7IGgmBEf8gt5coXXa2D77xV6cMLwZhoeMOgYyBJS9YFvM0Sn9OM2BgSWTiaeCw9dknzXr1iORstCXT19hqXFZoAiQfbFTjb6SzcucrIpg0A/s1600/photo.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
Recently, I participated in a "Tummy Tuesday" theme in a Facebook group focused on debunking diet myths and fostering love for the bodies we're in. I was hesitant to start snapping photos of my least-loved body part, but in the interest of practicing what I preach, I did it anyway.<br />
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I was sure that I was going to hate the results, but an amazing thing happened.<br />
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I saw the photo and thought...that's kind of a beautiful belly, actually.<br />
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And I fell in love with my belly, stretchmarks, saggy bits, muffin top, and all, for the first time in my life.<br />
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I felt comfortable and even enthusiastic sharing this photo in the privacy and safety of the group, where I knew it would be celebrated and well-received.<br />
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Still, I felt insecure to share it more publicly, because I know that largely, society tells me that I should not be proud of my belly. Society largely believes I should be ashamed of it. That I should keep it covered up. That "Ew, no one wants to see that."<br />
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I was afraid of being told that the photo was disgusting or a poor example of a healthy lifestyle or not acceptable to the male gaze or a whole host of other junk that I profess to spit in the face of.<br />
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Then, today, a friend said something that changed that.<br />
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The gorgeous Zee had the opportunity to participate in the <a href="http://4thtrimesterbodies.com/zee-martin-mendia/"><b>4th Trimester Bodies project</b></a>. (Take a second to go look at her photo. It's breathtaking. It might make your eyeballs sweaty.) In sharing her photo in the very group that I so reluctantly shared mine in not long ago, she said:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">It was a great feeling standing there with my children, showing them mama is proud of her body, a body they helped mold.-Zee Martin-Mendia </span></blockquote>
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And that's when it hit me:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqdgG7Fwi-n3GXLfbyM_U_BJn0U3pXSsOQm59NbKJefKsZHrXCTQbOnKunejuFNteX72AT0Nz6H0OEZxyhRof6y2lkYGympTGSvvQ0hWJW35in9tk-UYBHtAyYgUwALmusV7E6eTLcroM/s1600/photofy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqdgG7Fwi-n3GXLfbyM_U_BJn0U3pXSsOQm59NbKJefKsZHrXCTQbOnKunejuFNteX72AT0Nz6H0OEZxyhRof6y2lkYGympTGSvvQ0hWJW35in9tk-UYBHtAyYgUwALmusV7E6eTLcroM/s1600/photofy.png" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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And then I got brave. And here we are. </div>
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All bodies are good bodies. All bodies deserve to be fed a variety of nutritious foods. All bodies deserve to indulge in treats they enjoy. All bodies deserve to be moved in ways that feel good.<br />
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When I hated my body, I didn't take care of it. The more I learn to love it, the better care of it I take. It responds by getting stronger and more flexible. It responds by letting go of some of its fat and making me more mobile and allowing me to fit more comfortable not only in my clothes, but in my own skin.<br />
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Love your body. I promise it will love you back. </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com33tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7859305239867927993.post-34803996764013288272015-02-16T15:47:00.002-06:002015-02-16T15:47:45.797-06:00Mason Jar Salad with Dried Cranberry, Walnuts, and FetaWe all know I love <a href="http://www.fineandfairblog.com/2015/01/basic-jar-salad-with-balsamic.html"><b>salads in jars</b></a> for their ease and convenience. Here's another delicious combo I'm enjoying that is compatible with 21 Day Fix. If you're doing the fix, note that this salad contains 2 Blue Containers, so you can either leave out one of those ingredients or skip a blue container on another day. It all evens out, so eat up and enjoy!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBhntvMpLk3eJXbC5VC-6AJx6rFc5y8x5AjBfRsks_GepDPsVc2byt1km5pxdpHGCZk8RNt3EfNOaRnG-IySCUa9h4Yc6gSjO1l6NTzgqR475HbmYNUgs0q4zYJYlH08Mbz69_Jk6B8SQ/s1600/photo+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBhntvMpLk3eJXbC5VC-6AJx6rFc5y8x5AjBfRsks_GepDPsVc2byt1km5pxdpHGCZk8RNt3EfNOaRnG-IySCUa9h4Yc6gSjO1l6NTzgqR475HbmYNUgs0q4zYJYlH08Mbz69_Jk6B8SQ/s1600/photo+3.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Layer your salad from the bottom up:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgluOg0o7yQQ9tS1dXDRfR033OSIn4uRMphsQfnLPe_uX59fV1kv3KqkU0oWND0YsWax02W6C05jYLU_cHRt2vLplDBppFu5xTEjvMHDvJDhnqHgTndg1ZZNNlxM3xcPla3SOWVI_FavjM/s1600/photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgluOg0o7yQQ9tS1dXDRfR033OSIn4uRMphsQfnLPe_uX59fV1kv3KqkU0oWND0YsWax02W6C05jYLU_cHRt2vLplDBppFu5xTEjvMHDvJDhnqHgTndg1ZZNNlxM3xcPla3SOWVI_FavjM/s1600/photo+1.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
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<ul>
<li>1 Red Container (3/4 cup) cubed cooked Quorn cutlet, Tofu, or Chicken Breast</li>
<li>8 walnut halves, chopped (counts as a blue container)</li>
<li>2 Tablespoons dried cranberries (counts as a yellow container, measure with orange container)</li>
<li>1/2 Green container (about 2/3 cup) grape or cherry tomatoes</li>
<li>1 1/2 Green Containers (about 2 cups) mixed spring greens (or spinach, or kale, or whatever greens you like!)</li>
</ul>
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Keep separate from jar:</div>
<ul>
<li>1 Blue container (1/4 cup) Feta Cheese</li>
<li>1 Orange container (2 Tablespoons) <b><a href="http://www.fineandfairblog.com/2015/01/balsamic-vinaigrette-salad-dressing.html">Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing</a></b></li>
</ul>
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Store in the fridge until ready to eat, then dump the jar in a bowl, add your feta and dressing, and enjoy!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXnJojR7N_DFU50Igxuf8rZlSUSDGmhXJKmXpNbzGctGo_OHrOo3yNnDDa0F6rGgWFBW43UgHOpm4qB9FhnOlVmR37yfZ7DmhhERxs9i7IkT7COd3zHA47Kam2lZGsDnzk5mVS1IJd-1k/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXnJojR7N_DFU50Igxuf8rZlSUSDGmhXJKmXpNbzGctGo_OHrOo3yNnDDa0F6rGgWFBW43UgHOpm4qB9FhnOlVmR37yfZ7DmhhERxs9i7IkT7COd3zHA47Kam2lZGsDnzk5mVS1IJd-1k/s1600/photo+2.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7859305239867927993.post-59676287627612299652015-02-01T13:30:00.000-06:002015-02-01T13:30:33.581-06:00French Toast with Mixed Berries<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfaQJ8nBrNq6X5Lhe-1sCwIIC5z6PaOKnOw4Xv5VRi7XwwcmSxS_WfkK1ppnk7GaxWux9Oq-JQwymMrzFedIpv12XlQHf1OLuZSOaX6MuZJ74FtNyH_J0itE_tyD4GoLKPnfbgxMwYcQE/s1600/French+toast+w+text.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfaQJ8nBrNq6X5Lhe-1sCwIIC5z6PaOKnOw4Xv5VRi7XwwcmSxS_WfkK1ppnk7GaxWux9Oq-JQwymMrzFedIpv12XlQHf1OLuZSOaX6MuZJ74FtNyH_J0itE_tyD4GoLKPnfbgxMwYcQE/s1600/French+toast+w+text.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a>One of my favorite weekend breakfasts is one that's generally not thought of as terribly "healthy": French Toast. I don't believe in depriving myself of my favorite foods, and French Toast is surprisingly easy to make into a healthy meal! Of course, if you like your french toast dripping with butter, whipped cream, and loads of syrup, rock on and enjoy!<br />
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While I don't follow the 21 Day Fix nutrition plan to the letter, this is a Fix-Friendly meal. If you include 1.5 eggs on the side (hard boiled, scrambled, whatever tickles your fancy!) you'll end up with one red container, one yellow container, one purple container, and 2-3 of your "teaspoons". Without eggs on the side, you'll only have about 1/4 of a red container and a less filling meal, so eat up! You could substitute another protein like cottage cheese, vegetarian (or not) sausage, etc.<br />
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Here's what you'll need per serving:<br />
<br />
1 tsp coconut oil<br />
1 Slice of your choice of bread (this equals a yellow Fix container)<br />
1/2 egg<br />
1 Purple Container (If you don't know or care what the fix containers are, 1 1/4 cups) mixed fresh berries (rinsed). I used blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries.<br />
1-2 tsp 100% Maple Syrup<br />
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Here's what you'll do:<br />
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<br />
<ul>
<li>Heat the coconut oil in a pan over Medium Heat</li>
<li>Whisk the egg(s) (depending on how many servings you're making) in a container big enough to fit your bread.</li>
<li>When the pan is heated and coconut oil melted, coat each side of bread in egg and toss it in the pan</li>
<li>After 2-3 minutes, check to see if the bottom is golden brown. When it is, flip it and cook until the other side is golden brown.</li>
<li>Place french toast on plate, dump berry mountain on top, and drizzle with 1-2 tsp maple syrup</li>
<li>NOM NOM NOM</li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfaQJ8nBrNq6X5Lhe-1sCwIIC5z6PaOKnOw4Xv5VRi7XwwcmSxS_WfkK1ppnk7GaxWux9Oq-JQwymMrzFedIpv12XlQHf1OLuZSOaX6MuZJ74FtNyH_J0itE_tyD4GoLKPnfbgxMwYcQE/s1600/French+toast+w+text.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfaQJ8nBrNq6X5Lhe-1sCwIIC5z6PaOKnOw4Xv5VRi7XwwcmSxS_WfkK1ppnk7GaxWux9Oq-JQwymMrzFedIpv12XlQHf1OLuZSOaX6MuZJ74FtNyH_J0itE_tyD4GoLKPnfbgxMwYcQE/s1600/French+toast+w+text.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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What's your favorite way to make french toast?<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7859305239867927993.post-80462756962056632682015-01-28T21:45:00.000-06:002015-01-28T21:58:10.602-06:00He's TwoDear Canon,<br />
<br />
Your second birthday letter is three days late. I would apologize, but I felt like a three day grace period was acceptable given that's how long I was in labor with you! Your birthday party was a lovely time with grandparents, aunt, uncles, and cousin. You were mesmerized by your train cake and intent on deconstructing the engine!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMvD4OkVchVz4hx66fAS0GF-Z1FhfjUwgM3W5n7KrqvW0ftqOcNdN2CV505zvRW3_3oRfAgj16vw-fdju42owDzZmEu_zjAkzTo_ucndLpH59LiKIPZBDIcQzEsfgAfhH4A8CPV971Vs8/s1600/cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMvD4OkVchVz4hx66fAS0GF-Z1FhfjUwgM3W5n7KrqvW0ftqOcNdN2CV505zvRW3_3oRfAgj16vw-fdju42owDzZmEu_zjAkzTo_ucndLpH59LiKIPZBDIcQzEsfgAfhH4A8CPV971Vs8/s1600/cake.jpg" height="143" width="320" /></a></div>
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You are a happy, snuggly little dude with a sparkle and a hint of mischief in your eyes. You love to sword fight with your father, sing and dance (your rendition of Let it Go from Frozen is quite a thing to behold), and "help" wash dishes. You enjoy decorating yourself with sparkles on your nails and marker all over your legs.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOw_yCWP3cB0GnyEa5PQY7Y-pO6vnZgSF4xqm-6vw2HwJPysZSq0zx6BCbN3E-avPVzRp_Ww4gNFmm2sHhKUa-EXCgYRNwym7KUorBP7LdGJuz72cyGcsQbMYNoBUCfGJYoe7QwjM6NBo/s1600/big+sister+edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOw_yCWP3cB0GnyEa5PQY7Y-pO6vnZgSF4xqm-6vw2HwJPysZSq0zx6BCbN3E-avPVzRp_Ww4gNFmm2sHhKUa-EXCgYRNwym7KUorBP7LdGJuz72cyGcsQbMYNoBUCfGJYoe7QwjM6NBo/s1600/big+sister+edit.jpg" height="183" width="200" /></a></div>
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You chatter up a storm and are starting to put together phrases and even recognize some letters. There are books scattered on your bedroom floor and trucks and trains under your pillows and stuffed in the nooks and crannies of your bed. You look up to your sister and seem perfectly capable of keeping up with her!<br />
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You're too busy to be wrapped much anymore, but you still count on having "boobah milk" several times each day. You sleep well in your bed and love to snuggle down under the covers, but sometimes still come in by us for a cuddle.<br />
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Your golden hair is curly and wild and looks alternately like amazing perfect ringlets and a rat's abandoned nest. Your smile and laugh are contagious and light up a room. You use your strong little body to climb all over everything, to throw and kick balls, to swing bats or bat-like objects like vacuum cleaner attachments, spatulas, and brooms. Occasionally your willy-nilly swinging around sometimes connect with other people, and when it does, you're quick to say "sorry!" and give a hug.<br />
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You are sweet and loving nearly always, and when you're not, you're too adorable to get mad at.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ycJ0mMD4jF5OREodBo5v6l7odk-AXPw7ZZF-VXlLBXRaUHLyKid-ceYUnYrJe43YlORb6QhnU1CINNnueQMxln2G4qLVn1Kti60hoByPwMgmJNl4Kd9PvRr5s4GfvQYFYyujWDqdbSY/s1600/canon...jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ycJ0mMD4jF5OREodBo5v6l7odk-AXPw7ZZF-VXlLBXRaUHLyKid-ceYUnYrJe43YlORb6QhnU1CINNnueQMxln2G4qLVn1Kti60hoByPwMgmJNl4Kd9PvRr5s4GfvQYFYyujWDqdbSY/s1600/canon...jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
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Love,<br />
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Mama<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7859305239867927993.post-22063545933703769442015-01-19T13:07:00.000-06:002015-01-19T13:07:39.951-06:00Fellow White Allies, Keep on Keepin' OnAs someone who identifies as a white ally, I find myself with no shortage of opportunities to shut up, listen, and learn from people of color. It's also not uncommon that I find myself in frustrating situations in which my fellow white people say or do unintentionally racist or culturally appropriative things, get called out, and proceed to flip out in epic and embarrassing ways.<br />
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It can be tempting to disengage from these conversations, frustrated and fed up, feeling hopeless. It can be tempting to retreat to spaces where social justice is the norm, where privilege is checked, and where whiteness and the feelings of the privilege are de-centered.<br />
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Today, in honor of a pillar of civil rights activism, non-violence, and peace, I ask my fellow white allies not to go silent in the face of ignorance. I urge you to have the hard conversations. I urge you to maintain a calm and rational front as you lay out the evidence supporting the existence of white privilege, and the evidence that people of color still are and continue to be oppressed in a culture that values whiteness and all its trappings as "normal" and as the default experience.<br />
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It's going to be hard. You're going to want to scream and cry and call people names.<br />
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Keep on.<br />
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When our brothers and sisters of color have to step away, because the blatant racism and disregard for their lived experiences becomes too triggering, keep on. Remember that being able to "check out" on matters of race is an example of your privilege, and push through that discomfort.<br />
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Right or wrong (hint: it's wrong), white people remain overwhelmingly more likely to listen to other white people on matters of race.<br />
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Keep on.<br />
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When they accuse you of "reverse-racism" (not a thing!), keep on.<br />
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When they call you names, keep on.<br />
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When they tell you to worry about "more important" things, keep on.<br />
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Whey they insist that "making everything about race" is the problem, keep on.<br />
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Keep on, because behind that loud backlash of people who just don't get it, there are quiet people who are learning. They're too timid to speak up in support, because this is new to them and they are confident in their handle on it. But they are there, and they are learning and growing, and they are well on their way to being a conscious ally themselves.<br />
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I was given an important reminder of this last week, when a heated and very toxic discussion chock full of racism, cultural appropriation, and ignorance veered off the rails in a big way, leaving people of color who I respect feeling rightfully angry and hurt. I was angry and hurt too, but my anger and hurt were less personal, so I kept on. Then it happened. One by one, people began to contact me privately to thank me for the information I was sharing. They asked questions about it. They learned. They kept me going when I was about to give up and cry with my friends of my color.<br />
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We don't always get the benefit of those silent bystanders reaching out to let us know that they hear us. But hear us, they do.<br />
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Keep on. </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7859305239867927993.post-90796860294444258872015-01-18T21:44:00.000-06:002015-01-18T21:45:40.099-06:00Basic Jar Salad with Balsamic VinaigretteI love salads in jars. Love them. SO MUCH. I can spend about 20 minutes on a Sunday evening and have my lunch ready for 3-4 days at work! This is one of my basic salads that I prepare using the <a href="http://www.fineandfairblog.com/p/health-and-fitness.html">21 Day Fix</a> containers. If you're following the fix, each salad consists of 2 Green, 2 Red, and 1 Orange container, and you can add a yellow or a blue too, if you want! I like my salads BIG so that they keep me satisfied and away from the candy dish in my office.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMmLeOx_2t6iyeN5wwvGt2AkiXhWLwP4PrzzDJI1PvCMAhD_-hCeggU2COMrbf8m2xpUWI058SLfEnOT9fbR3aJ1I29zC2U_hY8x-H2xlQvo3QGBxs2_Hf7LKsj9oEvXBN-AV855UMAVs/s1600/Salad+prep+with+link.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMmLeOx_2t6iyeN5wwvGt2AkiXhWLwP4PrzzDJI1PvCMAhD_-hCeggU2COMrbf8m2xpUWI058SLfEnOT9fbR3aJ1I29zC2U_hY8x-H2xlQvo3QGBxs2_Hf7LKsj9oEvXBN-AV855UMAVs/s1600/Salad+prep+with+link.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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This salad consists of the following:</div>
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-1 Red Container (about 3/4 cup) Cooked and cubed Quorn cutlets. If you eat chicken, feel free to use chicken breast! Other vegetarian options include Tofu, Seitan, or even a veggie burger. </div>
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-1 Red Container chopped hard boiled eggs (2 eggs)</div>
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-1/2 Green Container (1/2 cup) grape tomatoes</div>
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-1 1/2 Green Container (2 cups) greens. I'm using spring mix here, I also like using spinach!</div>
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-1 Orange Container (2 Tbsp) <a href="http://www.fineandfairblog.com/2015/01/balsamic-vinaigrette-salad-dressing.html">Balsamic Vinaigrette Salad Dressing</a></div>
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I also sometimes add a yellow container (1/2 cup) of chickpeas or black beans, or a blue container (1/4 cup) of cheese or avocado. Sometimes I do a red container (3/4 cup) of cottage cheese instead of the eggs. It's easy to switch it up so it's not the exact same salad 4 days in a row.<br />
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<b>Assembling the Salad:</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv5mj5QZWHIh7n5c-kz6iUQZ06nx99tCWycAn-5cCPg0WBLy1gR3TqKEpYGQ6tRkol49Tkr4N6UXKTUoMcT9u2HWPWjtZlMPmuy0kW0tQaI2vML-j7JGm5tj-a6-8gUzK09KaPLrwHj3U/s1600/salad+with+link.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv5mj5QZWHIh7n5c-kz6iUQZ06nx99tCWycAn-5cCPg0WBLy1gR3TqKEpYGQ6tRkol49Tkr4N6UXKTUoMcT9u2HWPWjtZlMPmuy0kW0tQaI2vML-j7JGm5tj-a6-8gUzK09KaPLrwHj3U/s1600/salad+with+link.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a>Layer the ingredients in a clean Quart size jar with a lid. I prefer the wide mouth jars so I can get my hand in there and really pack the greens in. Any wet ingredients (dressing, cottage cheese, avocado) should go in the bottom of the jar, followed by the protein (red containers) and/or beans (yellow container), then tomatoes or other veggies, then greens on top. I prefer to keep my dressing in the little orange container and shove that in the top of the jar before I put the lid on. When I'm including eggs, I keep them in a separate container, because I predict that leaving chopped up eggs in jars with the rest of the salad for 3-4 days might get kinda stinky. When I'm at work and lunch time rolls around, I just dump it all in a big bowl and dig in! </div>
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Do you do salads in jars? What are some of your favorite combinations? </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7859305239867927993.post-1447598611931070972015-01-18T19:56:00.003-06:002015-01-18T21:03:40.454-06:00Balsamic Vinaigrette Salad Dressing RecipeI've held out for a long time on making my own salad dressings. It seemed way too tedious, time consuming, and expensive. I was flipping through the <a href="http://www.fineandfairblog.com/p/health-and-fitness.html">21 Day Fix</a> eating plan and found that I had nearly everything I needed to make my own Balsamic Vinaigrette; I just had to make one tiny substitution! It took less than 5 minutes, tastes great, and no salt, preservatives, or any of the other stuff that comes along with store-bought dressings.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnPfdCBrqZ6RN2-N7Hn40zfN1fq5zRls_f9kwvhdF2Un6XgT1N0DElIDu66UJZ0LZ4o6QuPIeRPWKld90tByy1UUu0k3DAGQZMTYeUtP8qRva1z2BxfMrVyP2_q25uIkU8iNp4Z7BSr5U/s1600/Balsamic+Dressing+with+Recipe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnPfdCBrqZ6RN2-N7Hn40zfN1fq5zRls_f9kwvhdF2Un6XgT1N0DElIDu66UJZ0LZ4o6QuPIeRPWKld90tByy1UUu0k3DAGQZMTYeUtP8qRva1z2BxfMrVyP2_q25uIkU8iNp4Z7BSr5U/s1600/Balsamic+Dressing+with+Recipe.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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I made and stored it in a small jar and am keeping it in the fridge! This can be used as a dressing, a marinade, or a dip.<br />
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Do you make your own salad dressings? Share your favorite recipe with me!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7859305239867927993.post-78791761616437438832015-01-12T17:00:00.000-06:002015-01-12T17:13:17.408-06:00Join me in a January Fitness Challenge Group!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7BqMKzgFwjsO5CzVdQPZVq0fpfAxC1VSXYkHuQ6TLE78te4-WLJW_5XbOPQYd_dCp8t7xCefdeU31ifaYorOSywW-GXFBRUG1Gf01AVOGTDphnfo4w0PmKt5JEMrreCFQOdKyXTz7Q5U/s1600/Sweaty+Selfie+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7BqMKzgFwjsO5CzVdQPZVq0fpfAxC1VSXYkHuQ6TLE78te4-WLJW_5XbOPQYd_dCp8t7xCefdeU31ifaYorOSywW-GXFBRUG1Gf01AVOGTDphnfo4w0PmKt5JEMrreCFQOdKyXTz7Q5U/s1600/Sweaty+Selfie+2.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A post-workout "Sweaty Selfie"</td></tr>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">This post contains affiliate links.</span></i><br />
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Back in November, I embarked on a bit of a fitness journey. After getting my latest bout of depression under control, I decided it was time for me to re-evaluate my priorities and work toward the more active lifestyle I used to enjoy. I got in touch with a friend of mine, who I knew to be a <a href="http://www.beachbodycoach.com/esuite/home/joellastriebel"><b>Beachbody Coach</b></a>, to ask about a workout program that I'd heard about. I was full of skepticism for the "eating plan" and even more for the "magic shake" I'd be required to drink in order to participate in the 30 Day Fitness Challenge Group she'd told me about.<br />
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Let me back up a minute, actually.<br />
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I don't do diets. I don't do restrictive eating plans. My eating plan goes like this:<br />
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Step 1. Decide you want to eat something.<br />
Step 2. Decide what you are going to eat.<br />
Step 3. Make/acquire decided upon food.<br />
Step 4. Eat the food.<br />
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I don't place value judgments on food or eating. I don't believe in "bad" foods or "good" foods. I believe that foods vary in their nutritional value, but I believe that there is nothing wrong with enjoying foods that are less nutritionally dense than, say, Kale. So my philosophy about food is that it is more than<i> just</i> fuel; that it should be enjoyed without guilt or shame.<br />
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I believe in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Health-At-Every-Size-Surprising-ebook/dp/B003UBAWZY/ref=as_sl_pc_ss_til?tag=finandfai-20&linkCode=w01&linkId=GLKM2Q57TWOCKTD2&creativeASIN=B003UBAWZY"><b>health at every size</b></a>. I don't believe that you have to lose weight in order to look or feel better about yourself. I believe that everyone deserves to enjoy movement and food in whatever body they are in. Every body is a good body, and every body deserves to be nurtured and cared for.<br />
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I wasn't so much doing that. I was lacking energy, I felt uncomfortable in my skin, and I wasn't moving my body enough. I wanted the support and accountability of the challenge group, so I went for it with the 21 Day Fix workout program, and yes, the <a href="http://www.shakeology.com/en_US/?sn=joellastriebel">Shakeology</a>.<br />
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I was so pleased with the first challenge group that I wanted to do another one, and decided on PiYo for the December group.<br />
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I plan to review both of these work out programs more thoroughly, but for now, I want to share my experience thus far with the challenge groups.<br />
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I won't be sharing any before or after photos in this post (though I've got no shame with the sweaty selfies!). For one thing, full body shots in my underwear being on the internet is not compatible with my line of my work. For another, the physical changes so far are subtle. After 60 days of working out consistently, I lost about 5 pounds and about 15 total inches from various locations. The numbers themselves might not seem too impressive, though maybe more so when you account for the fact that these 60 days included Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's celebrations.<br />
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The thing is though? It's about so much more than the numbers. I've had a number of "Non-Scale Victories" that mean much more to me, and have a greater impact on my quality of life, than the numbers that indicate my relationship to gravity or the measurement of the space my body occupies. Things like increased energy, better sleep, more quality interaction with my children (actually having the energy to race them around the couch 20 times! involving them in my work outs! having more focus to concentrate on the outlandish story or silly song!), greater strength and flexibility (my yoga practice has been coming along nicely!), and even deeper connection in my marriage (my husband did the first challenge right along with me!). I had someone at work tell me that they were inspired by my new commitment to fitness to start working out again themselves!<br />
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I was able to get the support and accountability I needed to help re-establish exercise as a habit. I got to enjoy cheering others on as they worked toward their own health and fitness goals. We shared recipes, motivation, and daily sweaty selfies.<br />
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And so, I continue on in the Challenge Groups, and I invite you to join me! My next challenge group will start on January 19th, and the deadline to sign up is this Wednesday, January 14. There are a variety of <b><a href="https://www.teambeachbody.com/checkout/-/bbcheckout/challengepack?referringRepId=535168">workout programs</a></b> available to meet the needs of everyone from beginner to athlete, and many workouts are 30 minutes per day or less!<br />
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If you think you might be interested, or want to learn more about challenge groups or otherwise meeting your health and fitness goals, please either <a href="https://www.facebook.com/fineandfair"><b>message me on facebook</b></a> or fill out the form below and I will contact you by e-mail!<br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="500" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1SkK7JL3EkKW3_7E7PDueJnj2HyG19g5XF7b-8yzyoag/viewform?embedded=true" width="760">Loading...</iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7859305239867927993.post-72263032108280619892015-01-04T19:45:00.002-06:002015-01-04T19:45:40.605-06:002014 #365feministselfie wrap upOkay, so there aren't 365 selfies here. There are 321. And a couple of them aren't even selfies.<br />
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My 2014</div>
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Participating in this project has been so, so much more than I ever anticipated. First of all, I (relatively) successfully completed it! I didn't have high hopes, after previous 365 projects I've started have typically petered out after a few weeks. But this? This was different. No specific theme, no subject assignments, just (near) daily photos of myself, taken by myself, in moments from mundane to magical.<br />
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2014 was quite a year. As I glance back over these selfies, I am reminded of many memories. So many of January's photos were "babywearing selfies" from a 30 day carry challenge I completed. There are photos with my children, outdoor adventures, family trips, babywearing meetups, and birthdays.The day I passed my licensing exam. My new tattoo. Delilah's first day of 4K. Our 5th wedding anniversary. A struggle with depression. The start of my fitness journey.<br /><br />Just as important as capturing all of these memories, all of these moods, and all of these moments, are the women I have come to know and love through this project. I feel like I've said some version of what I'm about to say several times before this year, but all of it bears repeating. My interactions with the women I've crossed paths with in this project have helped to shape my views of feminism. These women have had valuable and positive impact on my life. There are stay-at-home moms and career women. Those who are mothers, and those who are childless by choice. Some are married, some are otherwise partnered, some are single and loving it (and some hating it). Some are straight, some are gay, some are bi, some are trans. Some are perfectly coiffed nearly every day, some eschew make up and other "beauty" rituals altogether. Some are young, some are old. Many races are represented. We all come from different beginnings, and we are all on different paths, and yet, we are united.<br />
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Feminism is for every one of us. Feminism sees the worth in each woman. Feminism supports our right to make choices that work for us and our individual circumstances, values, and beliefs.<br />
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This project allowed me to get to know women as their true selves, day in and day out. We were kind to one another. We gave each other advice, when asked. We offered our support and our understanding. We shared in the excitement of pregnancy news, seeing some pregnancies to their ends and "meeting" new babies. We saw new love bloom for some, and painful endings for others. We mourned with each other through losses and commiserated through struggles. We celebrated special events and cheered on as goals were accomplished.<br />
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I'm not sure why I wrote that last paragraph in the past tense, as the project, and group of women, is still going strong, and I fully intend to go on with them; one feminist selfie at a time.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7859305239867927993.post-66563997871913896112015-01-03T13:47:00.004-06:002015-01-03T13:47:51.749-06:00#365feministselfie DecemberI'll save my sappy wrap-up for the epic collage of every #365feministselfie I took this year, but for now, I present December! It was hectic month with much travel for the holidays, a bunch of working out, lots of smiles and silliness, and apparently a lot of different stuff on my head.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7859305239867927993.post-54975056109532520042014-12-02T22:40:00.001-06:002014-12-02T22:40:24.751-06:00#365feministselfie NovemberNovember was quite a month! The season's first snow fell, and melted away. <b><a href="http://www.fineandfairblog.com/2014/11/five.html">Delilah turned 5</a>. </b>(There was bunny cake and Chuck E. Cheese involved.) My baby brother signed his Letter of Intent to play Division 1 College Baseball. My husband and I started a 30 day fitness challenge (today is day 16 of working out every. single. day.). We enjoyed a relaxing Thanksgiving. We procured and decorated our tree and I didn't even twitch when Ty put the lights on in a way I would not and Canon put every single musical instrument ornament on one branch. My husband found his class ring and slipped it on my finger and asked me to be his girl. I celebrated my love for scarves and deepened my love for having pretty nails. I snuggled my (not-so) babies and giggled with them. It was a good month, busy and full in the best ways. <div>
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This is usually the spot where I mention what this photo project, and the community that has grown from it, has meant to me. I can hardly believe we are already nearing the end of this year of selfies, this year of friendship and sisterhood, sharing laughter and tears, celebrating births and mourning deaths, lifting each other up, working through conflicts, and growing as women. As feminists.<br /><br />All of this has taken place over the internet, and we are looking forward to taking our online relationships to a deeper level by meeting in person for two conferences in 2015. Our group is diverse in every possible way, and in order to ensure that those of us with less means have the opportunity to attend, we are raising funds via an online auction. I donated an item made with my own two hands, as did many of the other women in the group. Check it out and do some holiday shopping while supporting a good cause!<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.32auctions.com/365feminists">#365FeministSelfie 2015 Conference Auction</a></b></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7859305239867927993.post-32139120490345079602014-11-11T21:13:00.001-06:002014-11-11T21:14:49.548-06:00FiveDear Delilah,<br />
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I can barely bring myself to type the words.<br />
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<b>You are five. </b><br />
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The tiny six pound baby I met five years ago has become a sassy, sensitive, curious, energetic, smart, silly five year old. You are thriving in your Montessori Pre-Kindergarten program; you've learned to write your own name, are working on upper and lower case letters, and are determined to reach your goal of counting to 100. Your teacher tells us that your are polite and respectful in the classroom. You enjoy playing "school" and teaching your father and I songs and dances or "reading" to us for "group time."<br />
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Your love for your family is evident. You enjoy introducing us all to everyone we meet, including servers at restaurants and random strangers on the street. You believe that your daddy can fix anything and that your mama is beautiful. We love weekend mornings when you come and snuggle with us and tell us about your dreams. <br />
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You are a loving and playful big sister, and your patience with your little brother is unmatched. That is, with him, you actually have some! You love to teach him, and are quick to jump his defense and remind us that he is a baby and he is still learning.<br />
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Your favorite foods are pasta, cereal, green peppers, apples, and ice cream. You love to check the mail and help around the kitchen. You thrive on routine and have an urgent need to prepare for what lies ahead, always asking what we'll be doing tomorrow and double and triple and quadruple checking our plans.<br />
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You're a bold and bright child; you can take command of a room instantly, and it's not unusual for people to find themselves unwittingly following your every direction without realizing it. Some may you call you bossy; I prefer to describe you as having excellent leadership skills and an assertive personality.<br />
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This morning, we woke up to the first snowfall of the season, and you insisted on going out to play in it immediately, at 6:30 am. You had no interest in the balloons and streamers your father hung with care; no interest in the brightly adorned packages that awaited you. You were interested only in snow pants, boots, and dancing in the snow. I hope you never lose that determination, and that your zest for the here and now stays with you always. <br />
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You take after many strong females before you. In your life, there will be people who shush you. People who criticize you for being too intimidating. People who tell you that ladies don't act like that. People who fear the power you emit. Do not bow to those people. Show those people that you are proud of who you are and what you do. Be gracious and kind, but firm in your convictions.<br />
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I look forward to the great things you will do in this life. I hope that you will always be as unabashedly YOU as you are now. I hope that your fiery spirit and gentle compassion will grow stronger as the years go by. I hope that your heart will continue to be filled with wacky songs, and your feet with herky jerky dance moves, and that you will OWN it like you do right now. And I hope that the next five years don't fly by quite as quickly as these last five have.<br />
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Happy 5th birthday, my baby girl.<br />
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Love,<br />
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MamaUnknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7859305239867927993.post-80154808833192419782014-11-09T20:30:00.000-06:002014-11-09T20:35:20.445-06:00Halloween 2014Dear Delilah and Canon,<br />
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This is a bit late, and these photos have been shared when it was more timely, but for posterity, and in my desire to get back to the roots of this blog (to serve as a bit of something for you to look back at your childhood with), I'll share them here again. </div>
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I clearly have not lost my penchant for run-on sentences. Ahem.</div>
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As has become tradition, we kicked it all off with the downtown Trick-or-Treating event the weekend before. Your cousin Harper joined and the three of you did a great job saying "Trick-or-Treat" and "Thank You!" The three of you did a not-so-great job of standing still and facing the camera for a group photo, HA!</div>
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Narrowing down costumes this year was a bit comedic. Delilah-you picked out a construction worker costume, and Canon, we figured you'd fit nicely into one of your sister's ensembles from years past. When we pulled the costumes out from storage, Delilah was taken with her "Foofa" costume from two years ago, and everything else was far too small to fit Canon, so he ended up getting to wear the construction worker get up he was so smitten with. </div>
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Halloween fell on a Friday this year, and a Friday off from school, at that! As Halloween in Wisconsin goes, it was a beautiful one. You never really know until the day arrives if you're going to be sweating in the heat or trudging through an early snow. This year, it was sunny and clear, but with a crisp chill in the air, a promise that Winter is on its way. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiknhU6rBzzBSKnAS2jvsfywUB9HzgMF01V64YCypIcOMn9spOZ1hShLpb2OxbyWo6zf1qcG6GhGq3ZNP1mT7G37vwDXdAgAvm_sef912Y1Qn-wjsZ6_EL7MUtiFamdFWXXbebZZKbjlOU/s1600/03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiknhU6rBzzBSKnAS2jvsfywUB9HzgMF01V64YCypIcOMn9spOZ1hShLpb2OxbyWo6zf1qcG6GhGq3ZNP1mT7G37vwDXdAgAvm_sef912Y1Qn-wjsZ6_EL7MUtiFamdFWXXbebZZKbjlOU/s1600/03.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></div>
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As we made our way around our neighborhood, we laughed and talked together, seeking out the houses with lights on and avoiding the ones with especially ominous looking decor. You were both brave and caught up in the excitement of it all. Delilah you'd stop every so often, saying you were out of energy and needed "gas," meaning a piece of candy to give you a boost! I would occasionally remind you to say thank you, and you would remind me "I'm still learning!"<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir6PFKz2nWXpQWnTMgRSod633BMfR-tOfiphxOPp6IscSUG8ZCYrGEl5h3iGhN7grSJvzhRUodmx5tDOFyvCpfPfC58SM24pHedEhVcTrhfPia1k1ugpV-0xE46SHcBjM2hRst3iUQ_zI/s1600/11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir6PFKz2nWXpQWnTMgRSod633BMfR-tOfiphxOPp6IscSUG8ZCYrGEl5h3iGhN7grSJvzhRUodmx5tDOFyvCpfPfC58SM24pHedEhVcTrhfPia1k1ugpV-0xE46SHcBjM2hRst3iUQ_zI/s1600/11.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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We enjoyed the costumes of those we passed by, but perhaps the most impressive was the horse-drawn carriage with Cinderella that went right past our house!</div>
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Speaking of Home, Delilah couldn't wait to get back to Trick-or-Treat at our own house, hustling us inside the house so she could ring the door bell and pick her treat from our own candy bowl. Both of you had a blast passing out candy to the Trick-or-Treaters who came to our door, and many of them were just as tickled to get it from you! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1fQiYqH9O5rnPDlzChHg9Nm_Dn6JW2NPYIwUSSXqmktUr9sL_GgO6SCaxRujE9li8msYU-COszANRCFrmUcVDwV9RcOZXXc7XJdvHdic2cz-7Xkyl3WqYMBm-s1JfszOJj84EQi_I2Og/s1600/10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1fQiYqH9O5rnPDlzChHg9Nm_Dn6JW2NPYIwUSSXqmktUr9sL_GgO6SCaxRujE9li8msYU-COszANRCFrmUcVDwV9RcOZXXc7XJdvHdic2cz-7Xkyl3WqYMBm-s1JfszOJj84EQi_I2Og/s1600/10.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a><br />
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Your father and I enjoy Halloween in our own right, and I got motivated at the last minute to put a witch costume together.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDIrwenrBPiKnFNM2IFa5ze19_lNBS2fC3KTggEV1UwSQI52oYxgUw5rMbZClbhPgk5Bz1jIT57eMRd6TdxyzaDkTbrIVGJAAuwea-n-UgqSX4rY2ri2P_G78e8Z2iENLmh5iqa_sRJ3U/s1600/14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo3gszVr7ocrdCfDPrhfEVw1vBl5qEktLuKWxYJXKhY2Pf7ovbY0wAB8yUHGDiLBVYtvxbpJxc8LFvgYPflp4s8ozygPUR4Cc-_hWWuUjGVTIiSnKkGSjoZncnrpAG1QqyCAgY9MIDexs/s1600/15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo3gszVr7ocrdCfDPrhfEVw1vBl5qEktLuKWxYJXKhY2Pf7ovbY0wAB8yUHGDiLBVYtvxbpJxc8LFvgYPflp4s8ozygPUR4Cc-_hWWuUjGVTIiSnKkGSjoZncnrpAG1QqyCAgY9MIDexs/s1600/15.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
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Your father went a bit more obscure, dressing up at work as a colleague of his who enjoys bird-watching.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDIrwenrBPiKnFNM2IFa5ze19_lNBS2fC3KTggEV1UwSQI52oYxgUw5rMbZClbhPgk5Bz1jIT57eMRd6TdxyzaDkTbrIVGJAAuwea-n-UgqSX4rY2ri2P_G78e8Z2iENLmh5iqa_sRJ3U/s1600/14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDIrwenrBPiKnFNM2IFa5ze19_lNBS2fC3KTggEV1UwSQI52oYxgUw5rMbZClbhPgk5Bz1jIT57eMRd6TdxyzaDkTbrIVGJAAuwea-n-UgqSX4rY2ri2P_G78e8Z2iENLmh5iqa_sRJ3U/s1600/14.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></div>
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I'll sign off with some throwbacks to Halloween before the two of you were in the picture. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbmv2K0h4e8QY-ucvXb66tg_cALBXunj0WWgSzrPLibPprMlD6gvJSkntUDFPIBtX8fh-z7XEt6Rutwx8cQR4cWRsE2r8-hF5m0whBnaDkt2WaEozMKSTqAAraF30Zy9aDZecMIcHYuU0/s1600/00a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbmv2K0h4e8QY-ucvXb66tg_cALBXunj0WWgSzrPLibPprMlD6gvJSkntUDFPIBtX8fh-z7XEt6Rutwx8cQR4cWRsE2r8-hF5m0whBnaDkt2WaEozMKSTqAAraF30Zy9aDZecMIcHYuU0/s1600/00a.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2007</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji-8pXD2Va2Fh7EsxeAZNgJkpDOsTE-H7nsulJlnABzcQL4IOKJOzCa-hKZ4wxMQM878jDsyKs2_kIPC7HzHnRkTebL2Ub3QKBfOlv0Ft1aKsyeg-mEU3dczllJlMmHZClfVDg_LjtUe4/s1600/00b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji-8pXD2Va2Fh7EsxeAZNgJkpDOsTE-H7nsulJlnABzcQL4IOKJOzCa-hKZ4wxMQM878jDsyKs2_kIPC7HzHnRkTebL2Ub3QKBfOlv0Ft1aKsyeg-mEU3dczllJlMmHZClfVDg_LjtUe4/s1600/00b.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2010</td></tr>
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Love,<br />
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Mama<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com44tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7859305239867927993.post-36895330581575198772014-11-05T20:48:00.000-06:002014-11-05T20:48:27.495-06:00#365feministselfie OctoberYou know it's been a busy month when you go to upload your monthly collage and realize your last blog post was the previous month's selfie collage. I've got two windows open with partial posts started, but the month has been all hustle-bustle! There has been lots of work. Work-work, yard-work, restructuring-our-schedules work, house work, personal work. There have been walks to the park, hikes through the marsh, and leisurely strolls around the neighborhood to take in the beauty of the changing leaves. There have been pretty scarves and pretty nails, hallmarks of fall in my world. The whole family got in on the Halloween fun, and we have enjoyed the lovely fall weather, drinking in every last drop of warm sunshine that we can before the air takes on the biting and familiar chill of Wisconsin winters.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3rMr4E21j52cZVPgIK1tgGfJRb1sc-RIF1RXnsWUq9ytVhUtHkbCSxMBpNexf3Og2b4VD8s6i65rJ8TPXmDpF0XjBuFpZFD8ax9___AUbGxZI-gI8XniFwkXxuImx-IrKwJiYuG08Rpk/s1600/Oct+2014+Selfies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3rMr4E21j52cZVPgIK1tgGfJRb1sc-RIF1RXnsWUq9ytVhUtHkbCSxMBpNexf3Og2b4VD8s6i65rJ8TPXmDpF0XjBuFpZFD8ax9___AUbGxZI-gI8XniFwkXxuImx-IrKwJiYuG08Rpk/s1600/Oct+2014+Selfies.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7859305239867927993.post-40280885358221633592014-10-06T23:14:00.003-05:002014-10-06T23:14:46.258-05:00#365feministselfie SeptemberBetter late than never, my collage of #365feministselfie photos from September! The season has started to turn, bringing with it walks to school, hikes, cuddles, scarves, tea, and our family's first respiratory infection of the season! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSIvRiX-ci5zm9c72HoTazDQBBJP4os3gP1RlBvHLjTqAWqmGLkLxiEMRGG4q69Ex9F2jKigYcsnGmdfM6sInKojgE74lnzhPsCPZtuMwDGQTWF3CLtOKJKBYWpMLQV0xtquHkjFIYkNo/s1600/collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSIvRiX-ci5zm9c72HoTazDQBBJP4os3gP1RlBvHLjTqAWqmGLkLxiEMRGG4q69Ex9F2jKigYcsnGmdfM6sInKojgE74lnzhPsCPZtuMwDGQTWF3CLtOKJKBYWpMLQV0xtquHkjFIYkNo/s1600/collage.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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Happy Fall! :)</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7859305239867927993.post-83786185902741892392014-10-02T23:27:00.000-05:002014-10-03T14:18:09.723-05:00The Hope Academy Lending Library<span style="font-family: lato, sans-serif; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; line-height: 25px;"><a href="http://www.babywearinginternational.org/events/international-babywearing-week/">International Babywearing Week</a> is just a few short days away, but I'm kicking off the festivities a little early because I am just so excited about this project.</span><span style="font-family: lato, sans-serif; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; line-height: 25px;"> </span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2vKcr8T6QKjum3lwRTuIAfWdQ9MJgXXuere70XqXPsvhfCtnWkwrIHBUf7XpNklkQEwkZoJkIudKUZ9u-HulUdUUYUF0apr5WXqNOKlp-z-Y3kMUvjrCsyQ0xt-GBNKI-B8xPIovCYsM/s1600/Halee+Cisneros.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2vKcr8T6QKjum3lwRTuIAfWdQ9MJgXXuere70XqXPsvhfCtnWkwrIHBUf7XpNklkQEwkZoJkIudKUZ9u-HulUdUUYUF0apr5WXqNOKlp-z-Y3kMUvjrCsyQ0xt-GBNKI-B8xPIovCYsM/s1600/Halee+Cisneros.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Courtesy of Halee Cesneros</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW6hej15jCpldFJDvR6Kh6H5WPrXEY39Gi6xd9e3FPQgZHWjWqtZuwR1sVLL2tHiRFGrNmsfiZghhWiiHWi9DCNQwITWChtQadceuYaEhGluix_-TmW-pUHGR5UJuTttAmvDZvChCk-E4/s1600/Brittanie+Super.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW6hej15jCpldFJDvR6Kh6H5WPrXEY39Gi6xd9e3FPQgZHWjWqtZuwR1sVLL2tHiRFGrNmsfiZghhWiiHWi9DCNQwITWChtQadceuYaEhGluix_-TmW-pUHGR5UJuTttAmvDZvChCk-E4/s1600/Brittanie+Super.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Courtesy of Brittanie Super</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: lato, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 25px;">As one of the founders of a </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/laxwibabywearers/" style="font-family: lato, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 25px;">local babywearing group</a><span style="font-family: lato, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 25px;">, I occasionally get asked to do baby wearing demonstrations for various local groups. When I was invited to present a babywearing demo at Hope Academy, I wanted to do more than just demonstrate. I wanted to provide them not just with the education and skills required for safe babywearing, but with the materials needed to do it; a lending library of variety of baby carriers.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: lato, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 25px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: lato, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 25px;">The Hope Academy is a local alternative school for teen mothers. At Hope Academy, pregnant and parenting teens bring their babies to school, providing them with the opportunity to complete their high school degrees while bonding with and nurturing their children. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWIKB04ulCIpgxoh_sgU3FJDuEKwb3clRxUgTVzsXs_sjwDym30A8SqDo1piS1rrgFdtXyEYH-1PBcgG07wu_FzkSiZToWlJ7dSfsPRAKZ1_bKPI_j4S3b-KDX1gJWzKKmMUWUW3AZnHs/s1600/Sabrina+Lynn+Hall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWIKB04ulCIpgxoh_sgU3FJDuEKwb3clRxUgTVzsXs_sjwDym30A8SqDo1piS1rrgFdtXyEYH-1PBcgG07wu_FzkSiZToWlJ7dSfsPRAKZ1_bKPI_j4S3b-KDX1gJWzKKmMUWUW3AZnHs/s1600/Sabrina+Lynn+Hall.jpg" height="320" width="255" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Courtesy of Sabrina Lynn Hall</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: lato, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 25px;">The goals of Hope Academy include a high school diploma or GED, education and information about parenting, child development, and healthy living, and developmentally appropriate language and pre-literacy activities for the chidren. Services are free and offered to pregnant or parenting mothers ages 14-21. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: lato, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 25px;">Babywearing has many benefits. It aids in early bonding, helps to facilitate breastfeeding, and provides opportunity for skin-to-skin contact. It helps new parents learn their babies cues by keeping them close. It helps to meet infants' need for physical closeness to their caregivers. It's also practical; babywearing allows parents to multi-task, keeping their babies safe and comfortable while they take care of responsibilites, like, in the case of teen mothers; attending school and studying. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9rSAlpzX_2pXIuW10ZPYHvL4U2eusB5YkUbwMT1dZlG2iEW3Qkaihm26MJLRtveXj7X1J5iCPmtozX7khxSTj9XahAAAcZAnbqmFR5GVSFDTjc81jMSrS0f2lb85xsSG2UfPOQVss8iw/s1600/Cheyenne+Dye.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9rSAlpzX_2pXIuW10ZPYHvL4U2eusB5YkUbwMT1dZlG2iEW3Qkaihm26MJLRtveXj7X1J5iCPmtozX7khxSTj9XahAAAcZAnbqmFR5GVSFDTjc81jMSrS0f2lb85xsSG2UfPOQVss8iw/s1600/Cheyenne+Dye.jpg" height="320" width="234" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Courtesy of Cheyenne Dye</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: lato, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 25px;">My vision is the school's own Carrier Lending Library, complete with a variety of carriers to suit the students' needs. Carrier types will include soft structured carriers, ring slings, wraps, and mei tais. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: lato, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 25px;">For more information on Hope Academy, </span><a href="http://www.fcconline.org/seeking-help/for-children/hope-academy/" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: rgb(94, 127, 8) !important; font-family: lato, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 25px; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><b>CLICK HERE</b></a><span style="font-family: lato, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 25px;"> . </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: lato, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 25px;">I am using a <a href="http://www.gofundme.com/hopeacademyll">GoFundMe crowdfunding campaign</a> to reach my goal of raising $1000 to purchase carriers for Hope Academy. Any funds raised above and beyond the goal of $1000 will be donated directly to the school.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: lato, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 25px;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: lato, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 17.7777786254883px; line-height: 25px;">Do you have a new or gently used carrier to donate? <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/fineandfair">Contact me on Facebook</a>!</b> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: lato, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 25px;">To contribute (please note that GoFundMe does not use paypal, have a credit or debit card ready!) : </span>
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<span style="font-family: lato, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 25px;">Can't donate? You can still help by sharing this post or the campaign! </span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7859305239867927993.post-22677183178246821632014-10-01T22:28:00.000-05:002014-10-01T22:28:56.823-05:0025 Babywearing Costume Ideas (That won't make you look like a Racist Asshole)It's that time of year again, when babywearers everywhere take to google and pinterest and innocently type "babywearing halloween costume" into all-knowing boxes, in hopes of incorporating their baby and their baby carrier into an adorable and/or hilarious halloween costume.<br />
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Many of them, likely unknowingly, will settle on seemingly easy or authentic ideas that appropriate other races or cultures. (Don't know what cultural appropriation is? <a href="http://everydayfeminism.com/2013/09/cultural-exchange-and-cultural-appropriation/"><b>Start Here</b></a>.) Ideas like "Indian and Papoose" (see also "Sacajawea" or "Pocahontas"), "Traditional African", "Eskimos", "Geisha and Dragon", or "Babushka Dolls" (alright, that one might be a stretch) will catch the eye of well-meaning white mothers all across America. (Not sure if your costume idea is racist? <a href="http://everydayfeminism.com/2013/10/is-your-halloween-costume-racist/"><b>Start Here</b></a>.)<br />
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So, without further ado, here are <b>25 Babywearing Costume</b> ideas that <i>WON'T</i> make you look like a <b>racist asshole</b> this Halloween.<br />
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<b>1. Aviators</b></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIZi8GKY2L5qonvR9vZnGgsnWexXlsS4vkAut62SCHI0JKlL3qKxe37epvw0BjW3CnnzLLk8XAypY_dFUZVEw01eijriqxSg7hTwn_7_Bc_pcOnfBlTRhj7Zod-tqYWJLEVcEzbjqmYhM/s1600/Aviators.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIZi8GKY2L5qonvR9vZnGgsnWexXlsS4vkAut62SCHI0JKlL3qKxe37epvw0BjW3CnnzLLk8XAypY_dFUZVEw01eijriqxSg7hTwn_7_Bc_pcOnfBlTRhj7Zod-tqYWJLEVcEzbjqmYhM/s1600/Aviators.jpg" height="320" width="205" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">via <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/60587557460497414/">Pinterest</a></td></tr>
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<b>2. Bee & Beekeeper</b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZHNEdlgApcQ1uUhhpIlVHaaHa_Am7QP9PbOcgHI-qsROdt229rx_pqebsi2O9fJQUaCEv2G5giYrRXRzrz86GxhusBMBaJe0txO9AVvkSypwPom3cJatLmw7UEDHSl4g6hIfl6LTynpY/s1600/Bee+and+Keeper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZHNEdlgApcQ1uUhhpIlVHaaHa_Am7QP9PbOcgHI-qsROdt229rx_pqebsi2O9fJQUaCEv2G5giYrRXRzrz86GxhusBMBaJe0txO9AVvkSypwPom3cJatLmw7UEDHSl4g6hIfl6LTynpY/s1600/Bee+and+Keeper.jpg" height="320" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">via <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/60587557458332332/">Pinterest</a></td></tr>
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<b>3. Flower and Gardener</b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOHYkvuiWIyuDG_js639ILn6zVcXqOIaUBwV1VGWnAALz8yLpNrJ6lohEbPvKdNIRr7poxMkR92I0uYw66BlqKZdX-rb0HE4QjmImOqYK-P0PRL5eHblZNaluonSGeSS5apv-mWnQ4DEs/s1600/Flower+and+Gardener.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOHYkvuiWIyuDG_js639ILn6zVcXqOIaUBwV1VGWnAALz8yLpNrJ6lohEbPvKdNIRr7poxMkR92I0uYw66BlqKZdX-rb0HE4QjmImOqYK-P0PRL5eHblZNaluonSGeSS5apv-mWnQ4DEs/s1600/Flower+and+Gardener.jpg" height="320" width="260" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">via <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/60587557458183823/">Pinterest</a></td></tr>
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<b>4. Garbage Collector & Trash Can</b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLFeVwmNJOZxZ9H7UinqhEs1vzqV5Kb7PQ9jqnLT3VjtxSuvbF1QsSvblu-Zj1TRMZi19dMY0D8EGghO34Yh9QKN1rUzTwsprzGijU7JJ0mk1rn8sAJi-tzLV3dpII8yXE-pSBmONGgHc/s1600/Garbage+Man+and+Oscar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLFeVwmNJOZxZ9H7UinqhEs1vzqV5Kb7PQ9jqnLT3VjtxSuvbF1QsSvblu-Zj1TRMZi19dMY0D8EGghO34Yh9QKN1rUzTwsprzGijU7JJ0mk1rn8sAJi-tzLV3dpII8yXE-pSBmONGgHc/s1600/Garbage+Man+and+Oscar.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">via <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/60587557460668152/">Pinterest</a></td></tr>
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<b>5. Kangaroos</b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglJfl4Y2i5iA-kSbCGbp_-aqg7z5jWWz4vJbcIU8D5W71Ez-cBj5CQGxa5P8dwzvNU-dKXtYMuoRgjssdp7Wd3Of1IMZrG5BacRfthdRfNSjiALF3i8CG51incVZUfG3uoCzmVfAT4d3Y/s1600/Kangaroos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglJfl4Y2i5iA-kSbCGbp_-aqg7z5jWWz4vJbcIU8D5W71Ez-cBj5CQGxa5P8dwzvNU-dKXtYMuoRgjssdp7Wd3Of1IMZrG5BacRfthdRfNSjiALF3i8CG51incVZUfG3uoCzmVfAT4d3Y/s1600/Kangaroos.jpg" height="320" width="220" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">via <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/60587557458183790/">Pinterest</a></td></tr>
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<b>6. Max and his Boat</b></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhruSvGGEMKTw_AyBur9rK8fBuk_uE0SJgwouv0tzX4u17xMuYv7SNJoQMKZmg5C9BmX5vQuky5FN7gYx095d4uE8vAfb67DKh1ZHje6bebwrLFENA1OXJiCKJ8UJB1kAtTZ_abxVzDMMU/s1600/Max+and+Boat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhruSvGGEMKTw_AyBur9rK8fBuk_uE0SJgwouv0tzX4u17xMuYv7SNJoQMKZmg5C9BmX5vQuky5FN7gYx095d4uE8vAfb67DKh1ZHje6bebwrLFENA1OXJiCKJ8UJB1kAtTZ_abxVzDMMU/s1600/Max+and+Boat.jpg" height="320" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">via <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/60587557462907790/">Pinterest</a></td></tr>
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<b>7. Monkey in a Tree</b></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyrVwyG8mIePAOpvzxRm0mhg1oBuSOaCiz3L9f038jMP7S8WyOYHkOYtELE-_ChxuXiz039LhMKWzpJD8Y97fd-Uj2UYvU52BnxCj4zoL0U8E-DHFx3Z99hvThEUQvPhpX2mOpUyqiiu4/s1600/Monkey+in+Tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyrVwyG8mIePAOpvzxRm0mhg1oBuSOaCiz3L9f038jMP7S8WyOYHkOYtELE-_ChxuXiz039LhMKWzpJD8Y97fd-Uj2UYvU52BnxCj4zoL0U8E-DHFx3Z99hvThEUQvPhpX2mOpUyqiiu4/s1600/Monkey+in+Tree.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">via <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/60587557458354928/">Pinterest</a></td></tr>
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<b>8. Owl in a Tree</b></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzbD0D2IYM5DHxDELvYX0xsY-_OCwL3rhJ5_mg6niGtEz8sVM3L1_95hukVALYpcDwfuhh-GgzLWJcJRexFhHLJ-NqiM4K6qosVLaYgm-zeAzaaPBbCYhbDZVCCm3URIlAfF7L6Rsd80I/s1600/owl+and+tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzbD0D2IYM5DHxDELvYX0xsY-_OCwL3rhJ5_mg6niGtEz8sVM3L1_95hukVALYpcDwfuhh-GgzLWJcJRexFhHLJ-NqiM4K6qosVLaYgm-zeAzaaPBbCYhbDZVCCm3URIlAfF7L6Rsd80I/s1600/owl+and+tree.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">via <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/60587557460668156/">Pinterest</a></td></tr>
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<b>9. Movie Popcorn & Concession Worker</b></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg47w3x3cOoA8c58FhTX0wqCI_A_iToP2rCqYEgWGe_DFUk-WIbj7RQiDU3vZYcw0DmuE0lFVoJqm6lHp8k9ZsARnlTiHiPwvISK6f9vTl36-w0ef-o5iYJHD4bICur_GRpzQyLzmJuBLg/s1600/Popcorn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg47w3x3cOoA8c58FhTX0wqCI_A_iToP2rCqYEgWGe_DFUk-WIbj7RQiDU3vZYcw0DmuE0lFVoJqm6lHp8k9ZsARnlTiHiPwvISK6f9vTl36-w0ef-o5iYJHD4bICur_GRpzQyLzmJuBLg/s1600/Popcorn.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">via <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/60587557458183845/">Pinterest</a></td></tr>
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<b>10. The Itsy Bitsy Spider Crawling Up the Water Spout</b></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Iav5q6kNofwdXpDabQr_vW2FkhyphenhyphenJbBnLd5XpThHS_eITazVYe9b5JlO7yb-71X1UysidU_DmA14J6gBpeX8zXUigrZdWSS7gi_jXK7sVx9rcO58Qg5NldX_RoaqmlHOLbvPMmcmpRVw/s1600/Spider+and+Spout.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Iav5q6kNofwdXpDabQr_vW2FkhyphenhyphenJbBnLd5XpThHS_eITazVYe9b5JlO7yb-71X1UysidU_DmA14J6gBpeX8zXUigrZdWSS7gi_jXK7sVx9rcO58Qg5NldX_RoaqmlHOLbvPMmcmpRVw/s1600/Spider+and+Spout.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">via <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/60587557460462315/">Pinterest</a></td></tr>
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<b>11. Spider and Web</b></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZSOOLtj8hGbrHPLK_oP49a5BnoNeMJ8V-Wwuvg48j4qWZCvQhsApzspDqBF_oyRU0fyZpH3VUEMN42P34UwwaQBtAJD5FNXvQtZyiBu47S-M_jkRv6FQzHcxqtr6QWAByZdbZh5JR_SY/s1600/Spider+and+Web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZSOOLtj8hGbrHPLK_oP49a5BnoNeMJ8V-Wwuvg48j4qWZCvQhsApzspDqBF_oyRU0fyZpH3VUEMN42P34UwwaQBtAJD5FNXvQtZyiBu47S-M_jkRv6FQzHcxqtr6QWAByZdbZh5JR_SY/s1600/Spider+and+Web.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">via <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/60587557460462272/">Pinterest</a></td></tr>
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<b>12. Two-Headed Monster</b></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzhQvGVqifquLblMKFcYY5lnnDEtoQ_3VJDqkA7TojS5BfFibjFrxCxu6V1XH7bC3OtrAUCY-Vn1ZRAJplxgBh3rdCGaMwpcMxSEDuXFLhbUIs9RP9KSjNG5fcquIsKib8KwQ0evYm9Pw/s1600/Two-Headed+Monster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzhQvGVqifquLblMKFcYY5lnnDEtoQ_3VJDqkA7TojS5BfFibjFrxCxu6V1XH7bC3OtrAUCY-Vn1ZRAJplxgBh3rdCGaMwpcMxSEDuXFLhbUIs9RP9KSjNG5fcquIsKib8KwQ0evYm9Pw/s1600/Two-Headed+Monster.jpg" height="320" width="236" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">via <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/60587557458354923/">Pinterest</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b>13. Zombies</b></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_5yxySQZwF6iR2sFq3vwTw9CBbrqoDDuKgyvRlA78jkJlMeAFV7r9GjOKXYG58y95xXUgryGVfyzJUlYgttq553vRnxIPTgS6rUJMWh8IL5ZbN7Da2fBYyVx5qcKr8tSNp2PHVuImh5U/s1600/Zombies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_5yxySQZwF6iR2sFq3vwTw9CBbrqoDDuKgyvRlA78jkJlMeAFV7r9GjOKXYG58y95xXUgryGVfyzJUlYgttq553vRnxIPTgS6rUJMWh8IL5ZbN7Da2fBYyVx5qcKr8tSNp2PHVuImh5U/s1600/Zombies.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">via <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/60587557457484668/">Pinterest</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>14. Bee and Flower</b></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCvwZiG0jmXNX5UEhwsqC9_W3h-skCQT_JuOhyfI_TYfchYdlMdoMk-GJ90YWJk9dATmMoc0-_jFdAzt-cC5XHvNdl2gIeRtQCwuy-6ObRJ68JdwdxG7_DfZf1bKqrAUrYCXWuw3C-KUI/s1600/Bee+and+Flower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCvwZiG0jmXNX5UEhwsqC9_W3h-skCQT_JuOhyfI_TYfchYdlMdoMk-GJ90YWJk9dATmMoc0-_jFdAzt-cC5XHvNdl2gIeRtQCwuy-6ObRJ68JdwdxG7_DfZf1bKqrAUrYCXWuw3C-KUI/s1600/Bee+and+Flower.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">via <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/537758011729886209/">Pinterest</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>15. Chick in Eggshell</b></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqpbS31wohKhGKI_XSuVmh8ZpEC2s1L1DOkXU6EdOA1DitiIrPN_ZEFn3FRbPAr_SSg9LUIXZqh7q6VB0TW4VfvyWPZ2N5bkChcsBUPMO5cl0zjhXlxFXam9P0Z0YRaB9Pd5psJl0Lhiw/s1600/Chick+in+Egg+Shell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqpbS31wohKhGKI_XSuVmh8ZpEC2s1L1DOkXU6EdOA1DitiIrPN_ZEFn3FRbPAr_SSg9LUIXZqh7q6VB0TW4VfvyWPZ2N5bkChcsBUPMO5cl0zjhXlxFXam9P0Z0YRaB9Pd5psJl0Lhiw/s1600/Chick+in+Egg+Shell.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">via <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/125326802099941720/">Pinterest</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">16. Cookie Monster with Cookies and Milk</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdil3EKH3YD3Ygiuox799zbz2OIjPuNCRFv_wpUYpJF6oFSi46SnPhdvRujRbvCfNhF-RhxhGv_GWGaJE1XUBLjFthVxwMMLgxyvnjxqWn_2m07IWC_zmuI_M-Mrzslt8nehGBwFLJhD0/s1600/Cookie+Monster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdil3EKH3YD3Ygiuox799zbz2OIjPuNCRFv_wpUYpJF6oFSi46SnPhdvRujRbvCfNhF-RhxhGv_GWGaJE1XUBLjFthVxwMMLgxyvnjxqWn_2m07IWC_zmuI_M-Mrzslt8nehGBwFLJhD0/s1600/Cookie+Monster.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">via <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/211950726186569579/">Pinterest</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>17. Curious George and The Man with the Yellow Hat</b></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN4hTL9argzy54qY2xjerApxM4gPfo_z46wy-T5HpaZ3WfufYw3DWrWTl7rIOdFgx7sFZo4hIr7IyRvu175LqcZlL6ub_iq2xlxZyUWnfhk5qKqvMFke5kSg0xC3iTDQz8huKO_nEftf8/s1600/Curious+George.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN4hTL9argzy54qY2xjerApxM4gPfo_z46wy-T5HpaZ3WfufYw3DWrWTl7rIOdFgx7sFZo4hIr7IyRvu175LqcZlL6ub_iq2xlxZyUWnfhk5qKqvMFke5kSg0xC3iTDQz8huKO_nEftf8/s1600/Curious+George.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">via <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/541487555171424121/">Pinterest</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>18. E.T. and Elliot</b></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDgUarm7uZMezD2rocKPhfXR4zs66fIgp4Cc6bcwFkP8q3bxpZ29-rzYiAvTdc6lFDYvuzQHclIcN0nSpqegI3rA0i1tedfJBceKI3FtlLsVGUkrUUfvc6Ht2hPz_eqK1mYKaBGCVEWz0/s1600/Elliot+and+ET.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDgUarm7uZMezD2rocKPhfXR4zs66fIgp4Cc6bcwFkP8q3bxpZ29-rzYiAvTdc6lFDYvuzQHclIcN0nSpqegI3rA0i1tedfJBceKI3FtlLsVGUkrUUfvc6Ht2hPz_eqK1mYKaBGCVEWz0/s1600/Elliot+and+ET.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">via <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/537758011729889930/">Pinterest</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>19. Princess Leia with Ewok</b></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjF7KfB3qcSkr2_SOlbntTT8G1fjJ5h1VtTXuagcsxgfLpOd7FpvrypdSZ7sUZOJwkHyHks_mmYk9uD_n1uPXmXsCuDjglcaCo8nSlworjReAdFnUeaZj1ybiHeMMK2s0jlH_SN_P8K_E/s1600/Leia+and+Ewok.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjF7KfB3qcSkr2_SOlbntTT8G1fjJ5h1VtTXuagcsxgfLpOd7FpvrypdSZ7sUZOJwkHyHks_mmYk9uD_n1uPXmXsCuDjglcaCo8nSlworjReAdFnUeaZj1ybiHeMMK2s0jlH_SN_P8K_E/s1600/Leia+and+Ewok.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">via <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/226587424975704460/">Pinterest</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>20. Luke Skywalker with Yoda</b></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV7zgQC1kBWZEY8_9cpj_IfsLTgnNp825c3rB5nO75jtOq0OVngK-iWfnTL8h09GJ32dp6ZlEMrCWOP-81bZmCYVNbCVz5CT1jW_wDLZ9tS95TGmOvWINlpQYNPTX4zegv6wk03-IPzPQ/s1600/Luke+and+Yoda.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV7zgQC1kBWZEY8_9cpj_IfsLTgnNp825c3rB5nO75jtOq0OVngK-iWfnTL8h09GJ32dp6ZlEMrCWOP-81bZmCYVNbCVz5CT1jW_wDLZ9tS95TGmOvWINlpQYNPTX4zegv6wk03-IPzPQ/s1600/Luke+and+Yoda.jpg" height="320" width="263" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">via <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/266627240414533551/">Pinterest</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>21. Octopus</b></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxxNPF7FtkukAnPm4LkDeBgH8pui-y74pzOGqMiEFQ3obJWfKpyijRZEz94HmAKNgeQ0k15BFSA7XM8b-wPRoT_rdeR5M2maBECbUgRisoA7Bl95Wgbfs-hci7ZQVs3hzDSRSc1V94NuI/s1600/Octopus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxxNPF7FtkukAnPm4LkDeBgH8pui-y74pzOGqMiEFQ3obJWfKpyijRZEz94HmAKNgeQ0k15BFSA7XM8b-wPRoT_rdeR5M2maBECbUgRisoA7Bl95Wgbfs-hci7ZQVs3hzDSRSc1V94NuI/s1600/Octopus.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">via <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/537758011729888145/">Pinterest</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>22. Oscar the Grouch in Garbage Can</b></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj-AW69AYleXyhUaUOeVY-dEQP33DNgV-gQsgO8aXwbxcPolBtKdEAqn4oZi4xm6LWIOMgKzEYiCvqBXPBYqIQFyv_LBdQcgCnitZbqH30rv5C3ZsLmDikH6HaxZ0S6HDt6iMyaXL_aO8/s1600/Oscar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj-AW69AYleXyhUaUOeVY-dEQP33DNgV-gQsgO8aXwbxcPolBtKdEAqn4oZi4xm6LWIOMgKzEYiCvqBXPBYqIQFyv_LBdQcgCnitZbqH30rv5C3ZsLmDikH6HaxZ0S6HDt6iMyaXL_aO8/s1600/Oscar.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">via <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/541487555171424149/">Pinterest</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>23. Pirate & Parrot</b></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkGc1e6lCJ2ICcT_nbkECybQdVhIFvXvH9R2YTFkuD1npX_5IqDOpl7o9JBNBTh2hVIHAGaCSv_UzA8l41tFoGS9PYADThf2sOJ2zNnyEXmG1p10TCyj-jbowePIm0YjcO-RRFRddIx0A/s1600/Pirate+and+Parrot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkGc1e6lCJ2ICcT_nbkECybQdVhIFvXvH9R2YTFkuD1npX_5IqDOpl7o9JBNBTh2hVIHAGaCSv_UzA8l41tFoGS9PYADThf2sOJ2zNnyEXmG1p10TCyj-jbowePIm0YjcO-RRFRddIx0A/s1600/Pirate+and+Parrot.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">via <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/105201341269062353/">Pinterest</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>24. Luigi (pretend he has bibs and green hat, m'kay?) and 1-up Mushroom</b></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimngIzcl2UBI6h1PIWG4Ud_KGYcZ-eK6MsTC9_USFHIiLnrCmo2zOWC3RqKOU4KXkvW_XygSiygkCnaorohJVqvuqFCQ7PK2-yDKtpWdILLcWhY8L2p4egiiB9cnQ2VU5kDKPGLVRxOOE/s1600/Luigi+and+mushroom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimngIzcl2UBI6h1PIWG4Ud_KGYcZ-eK6MsTC9_USFHIiLnrCmo2zOWC3RqKOU4KXkvW_XygSiygkCnaorohJVqvuqFCQ7PK2-yDKtpWdILLcWhY8L2p4egiiB9cnQ2VU5kDKPGLVRxOOE/s1600/Luigi+and+mushroom.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">via <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/30891947415810722/">Pinterest</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b>25. Whatever this Amazingness is called</b></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj69Yv5tDzKyAsGe02Za-6KTpYhnfmClzXsyri-JFVKeDKAYzh5Ta2LVPq9icDODUD8LQzlGytiUv2dLVhuBzyAFUs-dtOYfhF4wteRkASfGytVMqa-poY9sbp2NRyQwAVm4U8dZwo1gf4/s1600/Amazingness.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj69Yv5tDzKyAsGe02Za-6KTpYhnfmClzXsyri-JFVKeDKAYzh5Ta2LVPq9icDODUD8LQzlGytiUv2dLVhuBzyAFUs-dtOYfhF4wteRkASfGytVMqa-poY9sbp2NRyQwAVm4U8dZwo1gf4/s1600/Amazingness.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">via <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/35254809554421209/">Pinterest</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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A few additional ideas that I couldn't readily find photos for include:<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Dorothy & Toto</li>
<li>Mummies</li>
<li>Skeleton</li>
<li>Mermaid and Fish</li>
<li>Horse and Jockey</li>
<li>Dora and Boots</li>
<li>Frog and Fly</li>
<li>Alice and the Cheshire Cat</li>
<li>Skeletons</li>
<li>Boat and Barnacle</li>
</ul>
<div>
And there you have at it. At least 35 baby wearing costumes that won't appropriate or disrespect another race or culture. The unoffensive, non-problematic possibilities are virtually endless!</div>
<div>
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<div>
Have an idea that's not on my list? Let's hear it! Have a photo of your own creative babywearing costume? Share it!</div>
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Remember friends, this Halloween: have fun, be safe, and don't be a dick. </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7859305239867927993.post-83139018177797226672014-09-24T22:08:00.000-05:002014-09-25T13:02:39.964-05:00On Breastfeeding and Feminism<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH8f62Jv-UoJ5p2biaHxI7X-SzifzmIJkcyjKWHBmaqdQG7CscxGFrkR0U_EfHhJzxciIcY4dlBiXUtbTfLi-FC5nXMXwmB_2d7UybegnhIlF4AKhZPnIO5Pc6GdGjUzpnaZ7WLOkeo0g/s1600/ab1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH8f62Jv-UoJ5p2biaHxI7X-SzifzmIJkcyjKWHBmaqdQG7CscxGFrkR0U_EfHhJzxciIcY4dlBiXUtbTfLi-FC5nXMXwmB_2d7UybegnhIlF4AKhZPnIO5Pc6GdGjUzpnaZ7WLOkeo0g/s1600/ab1.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a>I kind of can't believe that I haven't already written about this, but alas, when <a href="http://theboobgeek.com/"><b>The Boob Geek</b></a> (who you should definitely <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/theboobgeek">like on facebook</a></b> if you're at all into breastfeeding and/or science) asked me if I'd written anything on Breast feeding as a Feminist issue, I realized that I had not. She went on to pay me the highest compliment a feminist can receive, which is to be called a "real feminist," so here we are.<br />
<br />
I mean, to me, this is a no brainer. Breastfeeding is a thing that women's bodies do (no, not all women's bodies, and yes, some men's bodies). OF COURSE it is a feminist issue. The fact that women's bodies, especially the fun parts like the boobs, are so thoroughly legislated and debated over is...kind of one of the biggies in Feminism. One of the very foundations of feminism is women having agency over their own body, their own person. One of the very foundations is women having the right to make informed decisions about their own bodies; their own lives.<br />
<br />
And that's sort of the crux of it, in some ways.<br />
<br />
Breast feeding is a thing that happens by way of women's bodies; it is a choice in women's lives. It is, by its very nature, a feminist issue.<br />
<br />
Of course, it's a bit more complex than that, or a super smart lady like The Boob Geek wouldn't be requesting my two cents on it, now would she?<br />
<br />
Let us explore some of the more common arguments.<br />
<br />
<b>Breast feeding makes it difficult for women to work, and feminists work, duh. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Well first of all, some of the strongest feminists I know are stay at home moms, so the assumption that anyone who embraces the ideals of feminism also works outside of the home is wrong, right off the bat.<br />
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A lot of us DO work, however, and it is a legitimate point that balancing a breastfeeding relationship with a career can be challenging even under the best of circumstances. Some work environments are not supportive of pumping. They lack the appropriate spaces (private, with a lock, not a bathroom or a break room or a coat room or a conference room-all places I've pumped). They lack adequate break time. They lack places to store pumped milk.<br />
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After working (and pumping all day) mothers don't have much time to nurse their babies, because they have houses to clean and dinners to cook and older kids to help with homework and husbands whose feet need rubbing.<br />
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So, like, none of that means that breastfeeding and feminism are not compatible. What it means is that feminism isn't done yet. See, one of the things about feminism? Is that it doesn't mean that we just allow women to perform traditionally male roles and allow them into traditionally male spaces and call it good. It means that we don't expect women to have careers and earn money AND do all of the cooking, cleaning, and child-rearing. It means a paradigm shift to a society that values and prioritizes traditionally female roles and responsibilities equally. That entails things like longer (and, *gasp* PAID!) maternity leaves, de-stigmatizing pumping and making accommodations like adequate time and space for pumping, flexible scheduling to allow for the additional break time, allowing working part time from home, and providing on-site child-care. It ALSO means more accommodations for fathers to take a more active role in parenting, such as flexible scheduling, working part time from home, and paternity leave. It means acknowledging and accepting that no, women cannot do it ALL which is okay, because SPOILER ALERT, neither can men. It means a paradigm shift to a society that distributes the work load more evenly between partners, so that when both partners are working, both partners are also sharing the responsibilities of keeping a house and raising children.<br />
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Now, this doesn't address the additional challenges of single motherhood, but I doubt anyone is prepared for me to suggest that single mothers be provided a nanny, house cleaning service, and personal chef for the first two years of each child's life, so y'all, help out the single moms in your lives, they work harder than the rest of us put together.<br />
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<b>Breastfeeding is NOT free, it's expensive and just another way to market unnecessary items to women. </b><br />
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First off, if you think the marketing of breast feeding related products is predatory and problematic, let me introduce you to a thing called formula marketing, because, holy crap. It is true that marketing is used to convince women that we are insufficient and broken and flawed and need SO MANY PRODUCTS to make up for our many failures. This is true across the board, not just with breast feeding products. We don't need nursing covers. (If we want to cover, a light blanket or shawl works just fine!) We don't need strips to test our milk for alcohol (if we're drunk enough that nursing our babies is a problem, we're too drunk to work those strips, I promise). We (at least, the vast majority of us) don't need special tea or supplements to make more milk. We don't need our nursing bras to be sexy (but if we WANT them to be sexy, that's okay, too).<br />
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Of course, the fact that we don't need those particular things doesn't mean breast feeding, especially for working mothers, is free. Working mothers need a high quality breast pump. We need bags or bottles to store our pumped milk in. Breast feeding is definitely easier and more comfortable with supportive nursing bras or tanks. Those who deal with things like chafed nipples might want soothing balms or lanolin, and those early days of engorgement can be made much more bearable with those gel thingies you can throw in the freezer. <br />
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So obviously, breast feeding is not feminist, because Marxist Feminist Dialectic, right? Well no. Again, this calls for a shift. It calls for insurance companies to cover breast pumps and for programs like WIC to provide them (they do!). It calls for breast feeding advocates to be mindful of matters of privilege and class as they relate to breast feeding, and to advocate appropriately. It calls for feminists to be just as vocally critical of unnecessary products and predatory marketing in the breast feeding industry as we are of them in the formula industry, in the cosmetics industry, in the fashion industry, and in basically every industry that markets to women.<br />
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<b>Breastfeeding activists are dictating what women must do with their own bodies and shaming them into compliance. This is anti-feminist.</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyW2wFtPRmgNnheINOeNG80KsN8V-KyiGpUjgOb51gpbQp_R4snHP_KalF5C-Gmu50f2kZE3w4vyDXqChhpjM0SCn3La8Tn7F5fO2OhtzYThnXiMftVBaVo87NnH6nPutFibQS2Xs00eQ/s1600/ab2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyW2wFtPRmgNnheINOeNG80KsN8V-KyiGpUjgOb51gpbQp_R4snHP_KalF5C-Gmu50f2kZE3w4vyDXqChhpjM0SCn3La8Tn7F5fO2OhtzYThnXiMftVBaVo87NnH6nPutFibQS2Xs00eQ/s1600/ab2.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a>It's no surprise that every cause has its extremists, and that there are, indeed, breast feeding activists who proclaim that not breast feeding for any reason is selfish and that formula is poison. These are the exception, not the rule.<br />
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In my experience in 5 years as breast feeding advocate, the vast majority of us are focused on supporting women who DO wish to breast feed in accomplishing their goals by normalizing breast feeding, by disseminating accurate and current information, and by working to increase access to resources that protect the breast feeding relationship. We work to de-sexualize the female breasts and to embrace them for their primary role in infant feeding as well as for their secondary sexual functions.<br />
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We strive to empower women to make informed decisions for their own bodies, for their own lives, in ways that meet their own personal needs and goals. It doesn't get much more feminist than that.<br />
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<!-- END BHBadge -->Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7859305239867927993.post-46015032156844757542014-09-15T18:35:00.002-05:002014-09-15T18:35:35.850-05:00Granola Strolla Kickstarter<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 16.0pt;">The
30 Day Granola Strolla Kickstarter campaign is live!<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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I'm happy to share this fundraising campaign for an exciting new product! Please read below to learn more about Granola Strolla, then contribute to their campaign and earn some sweet perks (the Swag Bag at the $25 level is awesome!) or share it with your friends! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbta0rxpbggf4TG40-Vqfct4JTZsTDA7btPkzlsejsnFEb_cD05pTLjE54TdIwB1XUBaeCaRIVPox1Jof_K4bSamt1CEfYxSEs_KhL-vJsj0D4j61GLKe_WIlInKhu2SxfoRLTF-94f6A/s1600/granola+strolla.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbta0rxpbggf4TG40-Vqfct4JTZsTDA7btPkzlsejsnFEb_cD05pTLjE54TdIwB1XUBaeCaRIVPox1Jof_K4bSamt1CEfYxSEs_KhL-vJsj0D4j61GLKe_WIlInKhu2SxfoRLTF-94f6A/s1600/granola+strolla.png" height="105" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 16.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/granolastrolla/granola-strolla-portable-solar-usb-charger">https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/granolastrolla/granola-strolla-portable-solar-usb-charger</a></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">GranolaStrolla
is a portable, affordable and easy to use solar charged batterypack able to
charge USB devices as fast as a wall charger. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The Granola
Strolla works by absorbing power from sunlight, and storing the energy in its
environmentally friendly Lithium Iron Phosphate battery. It charges up when
you’re out and about so it will still have power when it is dark. Our
multi-directional design allows our product to always be charging without
requiring any special deployment. It’s light weight, water resistant and less
expensive than other brands on the market.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Because The
Granola Strolla is Battery Charge Specification 1.2 compliant it charges just
as fast as a dedicated wall charger. It also means that it is compatible
with most</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">popular brands and
types of mobile devices.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB">Granola Strolla
isn't just an ecotech company. We're an eco-aware family. We want to create
products that use renewable energy and resources to help preserve our planet
for future generations.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Our charger uses
a Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePo4) rather than the standard Lithium Cobalt
Oxide. Not only is Iron Phosphate non-toxic, it is approved for use in organic
gardening as a way to control snails. LiFePo4 batteries also have double the
amount of charge/discharge cycles of most LiCoO2 batteries. That means longer
life AND fewer batteries have to be built.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">For plastics </span><span lang="EN-GB">we
decided to go with High Density Polyethylene (HPDE). It has the material strength
needed for a sturdy product and it is easily recyclable. We also intend
to have the Granola Strolla made of recycled HPDE as soon as possible.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Join us in
helping to make our Kickstarter a success.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Our Kickstarter
campaign will run from Friday September 12th to October</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">You can find us on the web at
www.granolastrolla.com </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">On Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/granolastrolla</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Or Tweet @granolastrolla</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7859305239867927993.post-31517040316012010972014-09-09T22:03:00.002-05:002014-09-09T22:03:39.842-05:00#365feministselfie AugustThe month of August was a crazy one for me. Work was crazy, home was crazy, life was crazy. I was crazy. There were walks in the rain and merry-go-round rides. There were babywearing meetups and a rare date night. There was lots of silliness and lots of snuggles. We celebrated my birthday and the completion of the elementary school Delilah and Canon will attend. We went to Delilah's 4K Orientation at said school. We found out we were losing our childcare provider and had to scramble to find a solution. We moved the kids each into their very own new bedrooms. We all got more sleep! We survived. Maybe even thrived. But man, I hope September is quiet with an easy transition into autumn. I'll keep the snuggles and the silly, but the crazy can take a hike! Ooooh, a hike sounds good. September #365feministselfie goal: HIKING SELFIES! :)<br />
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I love this project. <3 p=""></3>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2