Congrats to…….

“I want this!”

Random.org chose comment #35 as the winner!

RANDOM.ORG – Zhu Zhu Winner!

We had 50 contest entries (and 5 trackbacks, 1 comment closed reminder which is why it says 56 comments).

Thanks everyone for playing! This sure was a fun giveaway. Stay tuned for another giveaway in December!

If you already entered, be sure and tell your friends and family to enter too! Did you Tweet about it?

Go to http://instinctparenting.wordpress.com/2009/10/02/zhu-zhu-pet-giveaway/

Good luck!

Frigidaire and Jennifer Garner are teaming up to urge Moms to use the time we get when we turn the clocks back on November 1st to make CHANGE for children.

Pledge your time today. Tell us how you’ll spend that extra hour with your child in the comments below for a chance to win some great prizes! Go to  http://make-time-for-change.com/ to get more details! Just a few days left!

The GRAND prize is a New Frigidaire!

The New Frigidaire is the first collection of appliances designed with time-saving features for busy Moms. Every day you pledge your time, you’ll be entered for a chance to win a new Frigidaire Professional double wall oven.

Be sure and visit http://make-time-for-change.com/

It’s fall, my favorite season of the year. Time to break out those sweaters, start making hot-chocolate and apple cider, and time to start dressing the little ones warmer.

Dilemma: How to I keep myself and my baby warm when I’m wearing him/her in our carrier?

Solution: Peekaru Original Babywearing Vest!

The Peekaru Original is a fleece vest that zips over a soft baby carrier to keep you and your child warm. It fits comfortably over all carriers, including Baby Bjorns, Hotslings, Ergos, Mei Tais, and Wraps.

Made from 85% recycled fleece, each Peekaru Original saves approximately 25 plastic bottles from reaching the landfill. Feel good knowing that while you are holding your baby close, you are also helping the environment.

With sizes and colors for both women and men, the Peekaru Original is a perfect accessory to your favorite baby carrier. You’ll love the style, and your baby will love the comfort.

Key Features
• Fits over any soft baby carrier to keep you and your baby warm.
• Soft stretchy material that fits over your baby from birth through toddlerhood.
• Made from 85% recycled material.
• Fall, Winter and Spring, the Peekaru works wonderfully under your winter coat in the snow.
• Nothing but soft fleece touching your baby.
• Side zipper for easy on and off without scratching your baby.

Size and Shape
The Peekaru Original is available in 5 sizes, S, M, L, XL, and 3XL. With 6 colors and 5 sizes, you are sure to find the perfect look and fit whether you are size 2 or size 24.

For a limited time, we’re offering FREE SHIPPING on all Peekaru orders! Please visit http://www.instinctparenting.com/freeshipping.html to take advantage of this special offer!

Zhu Zhu Pets are the next best thing (if not the best) to giving your child a cuddly hamster to love and play with. Just think…. All the fun, without the mess.

Zhu Zhu Pets Hamsters are interactive toy pets, each with their own set of over 40 sound effects, squeaks, chirps, etc.

We recently had the opportunity to play with these adorable little creatures. 10 kids between the ages of 2-6 enjoying the critters together. You might think of this as a chaotic recipe for tantrums, lack of sharing and all out problems – but it was the opposite! Each child had their own Zhu Zhu hamster to enjoy, and they all took turns playing with their new friend in the habitat. It got a little loud at times, but the sheer excitement of watching the pets scurry around, the sweet laughs and giggles, and the itty-bitty noises the hamsters make filled my living room, making the parents happy to see the wonder and joy in their kids eyes. I was impressed with these little creatures (the hamsters), they really are as fun and creative as you see in the commercials. I was surprised how little effort is needed to direct the toys, as the tracks on the habitat signaled the pets what to do and where to go. Rarely did one “get loose”, and even if it did, we didn’t have to worry about it burrowing into a wall or small space. Brilliant!

One thing I do suggest is getting rechargeable batteries for these little guys. With the inexpensive store brand batteries, they began to slow down and not run as efficiently after just a short while, but with freshly charged batteries the pets ran for hours!

WE ARE PLEASED TO OFFER ONE READER A CHANCE TO EXPERIENCE THE FUN FOR YOURSELF. WE HAVE ONE ZHU ZHU PET PLUS A HAMSTER WHEEL (sold out in most stores) TO GIVEAWAY. Simply leave a comment below for your chance to win. We will use Random.org to choose a winner on November 1st. Double your chances to win by posting on your blog, twitter, facebook or website about this fun lottery, and post the link below in comments for your SECOND entry!

You can find Zhu-Zhu pets at your local toy store, online at http://www.zhuzhupets.com or at fine retailers like Amazon, ToysRUs and WalMart or check back soon, as WE are hoping to start carrying these in our shop!

I first went to Core Elements for my then 4 week old daughter. She needed an adjustment after birth, and we were having trouble with breastfeeding. My lactation consultant suggested we get Craniosacral Therapy. While at the Green Sprouts Festival, I got some information at the Core Elements Chiropractic booth, and learned what exactly what Craniosacral Therapy was.  We met with We met with Dr. Arah McLaughlin, D.C.,, who by the way is the sweetest, most gentle and loving chiropractor I have ever met, and after one adjustment and Cranio session, my little one had amazing improvement. She must have really enjoyed her treatment too, as she fell asleep while being worked on!  We did at one more treatment, and it was like night and day! Her digestive problems were no longer, she was actually nursing longer, stronger and it was not painful for me anymore, and she was not as fussy as she had been. Amazing. On my next visit to my lactation consultant, she too saw all the improvement, and said my little one was now nursing as she should be, and I could resume nursing as normal, no longer needing a shield or any other devices to help.

I too became a patient seeing chiropractors Arah McLaughlin, DC and Shane McLaughlin DC. both for my TMJ & Back pain and then later for an old sports injury on my ankle. I always received the best, most up-to-date treatment, and feel SO good, both physically and mentally when I leave. The team at Core Elements is top notch, and I now send all my friend, family and clients that way… and they are always thankful. This should be the first and only call or search you make for a chiropractor. PLUS, their office offers massage, acupuncture and lots of other wellness practices, so look no further. THE BEST!

If you would like to visit Core Elements, please visit their site at http://www.cechiro.com/ and look for an introductory coupon in the 2009 Birth Bucks Book

Leave a comment below for your chance to win one of these products for yourself. Watch the entire video for all the details.

Most people know that carseats expire after as early as 5 years, but did you know there are safer, and more eco-friendly ways to dispose of those seats??? Legacy Health offers FREE carseat recycling.

What’s new is that they now ask families to strip from the car seats all fabric, webbing and soft foam (these parts are not recyclable) prior to bringing in the car seats for recycling.

Legacy Health is offering two events in the near future for car seat and bike helmet recycling:

• Saturday, September 19, 2009: 10am to 2pm as part of the Healthy Kids Fair at Legacy Mount Hood. The car seat recycling will be across the street from the main fair at Saturn East (3265 SW Sundial Ave., Troutdale 97060).
• Saturday, October 3, 2009: Car seat safety checks and recycling from 10am to 2pm at Legacy Meridian Park.

Zhu Zhu Pets are the next best thing (if not the best) to giving your child a cuddly hamster to love and play with. Just think…. All the fun, without the mess. 

Zhu Zhu Pets Hamsters are interactive toy pets, each with their own set of over 40 sound effects, squeaks, chirps, etc.

Are you in the Portland Oregon Metro? Would you like a chance to play with these cute little creatures (children ages 3-6 with parental supervision)? We’re having a Zhu Zhu Pets PARTY! Come play with us. Each family gets to take home a Zhu Zhu Pets hamster of their own.

*UPDATE* All Zhu-Zhu party spots have been claimed, however, your chances of having a Zhu-Zhu of your own is not gone…

We’re going to have a GIVEAWAY! Look for it after our party in September or early October.

Here we are… almost one month after that day. 

Mama is still sad, but G is a happy and healthy girl. 

Weaning was much easier for her than I anticipated.  Since she was already using a cup, she’s been drinking more rice milk, and mama has adjusted her foods, vitamins and supplements a bit to make up for not getting the sweet mama-milk. She started sleeping in longer stretches and has actually slept through the night a few times. WHOA! 

She only got upset once when I said no more nursies, and it was only for a short minute. A few days later, out of curiosity, I offered her nursing, and she was excited, and began to move as if she was going to, but stopped short and didn’t latch on. It was as if she didn’t remember what to do!

This is been kind of hard on me. The emotional part of it has been sad. I felt like this was OUR THING and it was what bonded us most. I miss it. The quiet time just her nuzzling in to nurse. I feel guilt for not going to the full 2 year mark too.

I actually had a pretty steep hormone drop after the weaning. I got what was identical to Post-Partum Depression symptoms, and after a week has passed and things were not getting better, only worse, a very good (and my lifesaver) friend made a call to get me in to see and OB right away. Long story short a number of issues caused my hormone and serotonin levels to get all out of whack, so I’m on the road to recovery with many different methods and uses now.

As I approach this one-month milestone, I am happy and sad. Happy I finally caught a window of opp with this one… I missed every other one that we have ever had for anything with G. I’m sad that I may not ever breast feed or nurse a baby ever again, but I’ll grieve and eventually move on.