Be Inspired to Inspire

I was reading a few different blogs that I follow this evening and it tickles me to see into other woman's lives.  These very successful women and their drive to be who they want to.  A stay at home mother with her law degree who gets to enjoy the company of her son and she runs a very successful blog.  She's been published in other venues and is a supportive parent and resource in her circles.  An inspiration to so many.  (Code Name: Mama)

Another mother who's creative side inspires her children's creativity as well as her readers.  Sharing her crafts, cooking, and pleasant enjoyment of life.  Her humor and light hearted tone make the mind cheerful and you find yourself smiling.  Accented with gorgeous photography and her blog is truly a beautiful piece of art. (Naptime Musings)

On a different tone there is the blog of a hard working farming mama.  Life full of inspiration that she shares with her readers.  Information to enlighten them to reality and tips on how she overcomes obstacles.  There is a brilliance to her writings as she combines humor with the hard truths of life. (Naturally Local)

Then there is me.  How would I characterize myself?  As a women who has been inspired by these woman.  I hope to share parts of me and my life that may be inspirational, bring a smile, or enlighten someone else.  There are many ways to touch people in a lifetime.  Many antidotes that can inspire others in life and online.  Living life only to inspire oneself is unfulfilling and pointless.  We don't exist for our own enjoyment.  We are here to love.

To love other human beings.  To love our creator.  The greatest challenge in life is to lay down our selfish instincts and sacrifice our desires to help others.  To give everything we are to others in the hopes of returned love but with no expectations.  To love them regardless of the outcome.  It's so easy to get caught up in oneself, or own family that we forget the rest of the neighborhood, the community, the city, the state, the country, the world.

It takes one person to cause a reaction.  Maybe one person working very hard and consistently but still one person can cause a reaction that changes the world in a small but noticeable way.  Wouldn't that be great to have Michael read from the book.  Deeds in life: inspired millions by.......  saved millions by........ raised children who went on to...... fed the hungry...... clothed the naked....... healed the sick...... sheltered the homeless........ prevented hate and war.......

The possibilities of what we can do with our lives are endless.  The power is ours.  Better yet the CHOICE is ours.  Sadly many people don't choose to sacrifice their desires to love others.  Thankfully there are women in life that choose to love others and share inspiration.  Hopefully I can take that seed that inspired me, made me smile, and enlightened me to share with just one other person.  To start a reaction that may change the world for the good.  Thank you to the woman that share their inspirations, talents, lessons, and lives.

Is Organic Really Organic?

Certified organic doesn't necessarily mean that it's grown organically.  Horizon milk for example takes sick cows from feedlot farms(literally), trucks them to a certified organic farm, milks them there, then returns them to the original uncertified farm.  They sell the milk as organic.  I don't understand why they just can't make the effort to raise them in a healthy way but they will take the effort to transport them.  It's really sad.

Whole Foods standards are no longer what they were since their merge.  They use to have high standards.  They now sell meat from less than reputable sources(as far as the natural consumer is concerned).

I wish that Wholefoods was really focused on truly organic, natural, wholefoods.  But if you read labels there are still many items that I don't qualify as wholefoods.  The first time I went in there I assumed everything was good for me.  But that is what society tends to do with everything.  My doctor knows best, my teacher knows all, my banker knows the right investments, my natural grocery store sells only pure foods.  But that's not true.  We ARE responsible for all our decisions and should make educated ones.  But often we go along with a 'professionals' opinion.

Attachment parents, especially, know that doctors are not always right.  There are second opinions and tons of research to look to.  These professionals are just people, that were taught by other people.  Granted they do have a lot of knowledge in their fields and are probably worth talking to.  But they are limited to who taught them, and what interested their own research.

I babywear, as well as sell slings.  Which means that I'm a professional babywearer in a way.  Does that mean that I'm an expert.  NO!  But I can tell you that there are a lot of people that may consider me to be.  I often tell them to attend Kara's babywearing classes because she's the pro.  My point is that- yes I babywear, yes I've researched slings and carriers, yes I know a lot about my products, but even with this knowledge I am still limited to my own experiences and subjective research that I've done.  I hope that my customers will hear what I teach them, but I hope they will attend Kara's class, research on their own, try different carriers and carries, and learn for themselves.

So how does that get back on topic?  I can appreciate the thought of Wholefoods, and I can take classes to learn about organic food.  I can do some research.  Read labels, look up farms.  Maybe call some of them.  Take the initiative to fight for my family.  Food is one of the greatest impacts of diseases today. The crap that most people eat on a daily basis is greatly impacting their quality of life and they don't have a clue that it's the food.  They blame sugar, fat, carbs.  But the chemicals, the gmos, the hormones, even pasteurization- which are all suppose to make things better, are killing us.

People don't eat real butter because it's 'fattening' when in fact raw butter actually helps you loose weight because it has high amounts of lipase which is an enzyme that breaks down fat.  So people are blinded by following professionals that they trust like the FDA when in fact the FDA has influences such as money and power in mind when they publish information, studies, etc.  There is no large company that can be blindly trusted.  We have to take responsibility and action ourselves.  So grow your own food.  Do your research.  Call your farmers.  Get to know your food providers.  It will make a world of difference once you know.

I use to be unknowing when it came to food.  And honestly I still have a LOT to learn.  But I'm getting there.  Transitioning our lives.  We went to a restaurant recently and I couldn't eat the beef.  I could taste the difference from our free range at home.  I honestly couldn't in the chicken but don't have access to a lot of free range chicken so it makes sense.  I also couldn't eat my brothers conventional birthday cake the other day because of all the sugar that was in it.

Researching GMOs really took me for a whirl but I won't get into that now.  HFCS and soy are things that I try to avoid.  We have access to certified organic produce and natural meat now which is nice.  Although I can't wait for local produce to be back in season.  And I'm learning about the healing properties of wholefoods from friends who have cured their cancers.  It's amazing how good food heals.

So my point has been to educate yourself, rely on yourself, and make your own decisions, and to take action in your life.  It will make a difference in your life and the life of your family.

Baby Sling & Carrier Manufacturers Speak Out On Baby Slings Safety Warning

March 11, 2010
With the publication of an Associated Press article regarding the CPSC government warning on baby slings and the Consumers Union's concerns about "bag-style" slings, the companies co-sponsoring this release are taking a stand to help educate the public on the differences between safe vs. unsafe baby slings and carriers as detailed below.
The ancient practice of babywearing made its way into western culture in the 1960s and its popularity with American consumers has grown because of its vast benefits. Unfortunately, this has led to the creation of some potentially unsafe baby slings and carriers. Slings and carriers of concern are popularly categorized under the token term "bag-style" slings. In "bag-style" slings, the deep pouch where baby sits puts the baby in a potentially suffocating curved or "C" like position. Also, excessive fabric with an elasticized edge may cover baby's face, inhibiting breathing. Furthermore, the design may cause the baby's face to turn in toward a caregiver's body, potentially smothering the baby.
In contrast, shallow pouch-style slings, ring slings, mei tais and wraps hold baby in proper alignment and they fit snugly by design and instruction. They have been engineered, developed and tested by parents, often the manufacturers themselves with their own children. These carriers are often simple and without gimmicks. Dedicated and concerned manufacturers of these types of safe slings and carriers have sponsored this release.
Because of the popularity and gaining market share of small baby carrier companies, a few years ago the Juvenile Products Manufactures Association (JPMA) was approached by a handful of these companies asking for a standard to be created. These companies were initially alarmed by the creation of some carriers, mostly by home crafters, fashioned from materials unsuitable for baby products. Soon after, M'liss Stelzer, a pediatric nurse, did an oxygenation study discovering a potential link between infant deaths and "bag-style" style slings, therefore creating even more need for the standard as well as further study.
Upon this need the ASTM, an internationally recognized creator of standards for consumer products and test procedures, created a subcommittee for Sling Carrier Standards. The ASTM Subcommittee is made up of manufacturers, consumer advocates and government officials from the US and Canada including members of the CPSC. The subcommittee started writing the standard two years ago. In this time more deaths have occurred, all linked to the "bag-style" sling being reported by Jennifer Kerr, a writer for the Associated Press in the article referenced in the first line of this release. This has alerted the CPSC to take necessary action and issue this warning.
In well-designed products, babywearing is not only safe, but is actually very beneficial when done properly. Studies have shown that quality baby slings and carriers have been shown to save lives, improve health, decrease crying, increase IQ, and facilitate breastfeeding and bonding. For examples of these cases and further reading see "Increased Carrying Reduces Infant Crying: A Randomized Controlled Tria,l" an article written by Urs A. Hunziker MD and Ronald G. Barr MDCM, FRCP(C), "Saving My Baby," a blog post written on Fierce Mama's Blog by Sarah Kaganovsky, and Dr. Maria Blois's book Babywearing.
Studies have also shown that worn babies are happier and spend more time in the quiet alert phase. In this phase they benefit more than their non-worn peers in language development and knowledge acquisition. Babywearing also helps babies sleep better, and physical needs, including breastfeeding, are met more quickly by a close, responsive parent. Millions of babies over time have been worn to their benefit, making baby slings and carriers more of a necessity than the often-publicized fashion accessory. (Source La Leche League International)
The vast benefits of babywearing should not be disregarded with the report of incidents from "bag-style" slings. The sponsors of this release make safer baby slings and carriers and have been active in the standard writing process and are dedicated to safety through engineering. "We see this as an opportunity to reach out and educate American consumers. We hope to provide valuable information allowing parents and caregivers to not only make informed buying decisions, but also to increase the awareness of how to properly wear children, especially babies, in baby slings and carriers," says Kristen DeRocha, ASTM Subcommittee Chair. The Associated Press article regarding the CPSC warning gives proof to the growing popularity of baby slings and carriers and validates the need for education.
Several trusted websites exist to aide in the education of babywearing for caregivers and new parents. To name a few: TheBabywearer.com, the Facebook fan page for Babywearing Safety, Mothering.com and LaLecheLeague.org.
This press release was sponsored by:
Hotslings, Maya Wrap, Moby Wrap, Wrapsody, Gypsymama, Together Be, Kangaroo Korner, Taylormade Slings, Scootababy, Bellala Baby, Catbird Baby, SlingEZee, ZoloWear, HAVA, SlingRings and Sakura Bloom.



http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/03/prweb3718984.htm
image from http://www.itsyouandmebaby.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/baby-wearing.jpg

The Traditional Farmer

I spoke with Lee Quaintance this morning from Acme Grain. It was refreshing to hear his enthusiasm of informing people about pure food. He shared with me a few of his observations on the conventional farmer and large companies taking advantage of these farmers.

The conventional farmer is greatly influenced by the large coop companies and their advice on issues they face. When a farmer's field sprouts up with weeds they ask the professionals what to do. Sadly these professionals make $$ by telling farmers to use the newest biohazard weed killer on the market. The chemical works for all intensive purposes but the after shock to our bodies has caused diseases of epidemic proportions.

The natural farmer, on the other hand, looks at the weeds in a field and gains a better understanding of the land. Dandelions show a calcium deficiency, while cockaburs show an zinc deficiency. The weeds help the farmer know what the land needs to be healthy. A natural farmer knows that you don't need chemicals to grow a strong crop. You need to listen and be aware of what the land is telling you.

It makes sense logically and scientifically. Our planet has been able to produce food for millions of years without today's chemicals. The organic farmers are growing successfully with truly traditional methods. The conventional farmer is being dumbed down from these traditional practices by coops and chemical companies who are only concerned with the mighty dollar.

As a consumer we can help control these chemical and coop companies. Our money is what they are after ultimately. When we purchase organic food we increase the demand from farmers to produce organically. With a larger organic market farmers have the incentive to grow real food. Use your food dollars to cast your organic vote and transform the conventional farmer to a traditional farmer.

meeting image originally published on http://www.life.com/image/51148400
farmer image originally published on http://www.farmplusfinancial.com/blog/ 
corn money image originally published on http://deckfamilyfarm.blogspot.com/