NPN Favorites

As you may know, I volunteer for Natural Parents Network. NPN is a supportive community geared toward natural-minded parents and parents-to-be which aims to inform, empower, and inspire.

I am a part of a wonderful team of volunteers made up of many, many incredibly talented and inspirational writers who keep the many facets of NPN running smoothly. Today, the members of the NPN team are sharing their favorite posts (or just any 'ole one they felt like sharing) from their personal blogs.

I chose to share Tea Time, a post from my series on balance about a ritual I practice to help balance the busyness of mothering with a little "me time." I'd love it if you'd consider submitting a guest post for my series on balance about how you search for/find/maintain balance in any aspect of your life. I'll be happy to host your article, poem, photo series, tutorial, or whatever you feel inspired to share!

Without further ado, here are the other NPN volunteers' favorite posts—please go show them some love!

• Joella at Fine and Fair discusses her unique perspective of a controversial toy in An Unusual Gripe with Bebe Gloton.
• Amy at Innate Wholeness offers simple tips to be present with family whether you're having fun and want to soak it up like a sponge or would rather run and hide in a cave.
• Charise at I Thought I Knew Mama shares sound bites from her miscarriage journey of forgiveness and gratitude.
• Shannon from Pineapples and Artichokes writes about how she is trying to raise her daughter to be accepting of everyone.
• Jennifer at Hybrid Rasta Mama discusses the overuse of the word "no" and offers some aid in finding creative ways to avoid "no."
• Melissa from The New Mommy Files: Memories, Milestones and Missteps makes a compelling case for instinctual mothering.
• Amanda at Let's Take the Metro shares a comprehensive list of all the food she keeps on hand.
• Suchada at Mama Eve writes a heartfelt letter chronicling her journey with a difficult transition in Sleep, Crying, and Balancing Closeness with Boundaries.
• Shannon of The ArtsyMama shares her top ten list of things she wishes she had known more about before the birth of her son, Little Man.
• Kristin at Intrepid Murmurings has some helpful insights, tips, and tricks to share for babywearing with twins.
• Julia at A Little Bit of All of It tells the story of how motherhood came to her and how a miscarriage shaped her feelings and perceptions surrounding the birth of her first daughter.
• Emily from Embrita Blogging shares a collection of photos depicting things that make her happy.
  
• Lauren at Hobo Mama openly discusses an often-sensitive topic: Postpartum sex vs. sex before kids.
• Cynthia at The Hippie Housewife is reminded that while the days may sometimes be long, the years are short, and after a rough day the best thing to do is give thanks for the best parts and try again tomorrow.
• Dionna at Code Name: Mama offers 7 Alternatives to Good Job: "Good job'ing" kids can be a mindless habit to fall into. Instead of using a generic "good job," try one of these ideas to really connect with and nurture your child.
• Darcel at The Mahogany Way has the ultimate boredom busting activity for children of all ages.
• Alicia at Lactation Narration discusses the long journey of child-led weaning, during which she thought several times that her child was weaned before she really was.
• Mandy at Living Peacefully With Children: Letting go of the illusion of control opens up a an entirely new world.
• Luschka at Diary of a First Child talks about the battle between breastfeeding and formula feeding mothers and the industry that stokes the flames of a war on mothers.
• Mary Michael at The Accidental Natural Mama recounts her journey to Mama-hood.
• Sheryl at Little Snowflakes talks about the benefits of nursing a child to sleep.
• Rachael at The Variegated Life meditates on the moment when she first saw herself fully embodying her life as a mother.
• Momma Jorje shares some good news and important information about Lindane and Lice.