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I remember being four months pregnant with my first child and getting a subscription to a pregnancy magazine. I was very excited to learn about all of the new things and processes, occurring in my body and to try and understand this new thing, called “parenting.” When my first issue arrived, I was overwhelmed by all the things I, apparently, needed to buy for the new baby.
Intuitively, I knew it was all wrong. How did people have babies before the “soothing” swing, the “calming vibrations” chair, the fancy crib, the modern changing table and precisely 20 sheets and thirty blankets? Then, my son was born and I knew that I was right to make that assumption of needing less, not more. All he needed was my love, a rattle and something warm to be wrapped in. A towel would do.
Then, two years later I had my twins. Being more experienced, I didn’t buy into the whole “double of everything you don’t need anyway” promotion. Here’s what Babies R Us suggests you buy for a new baby. And this is my list:
Car seats:
You need an infant car seat with an adapter. If you have two cars, simply switch the adapter back and forth, or buckle the seat in without the adapter.
Shopping cart cover – this is funny. Bring a blanket to the store.
Car seat toys – Buy ten infant-friendly toys and rotate those between the car seat, the stroller and the baby gym.
Car mirror -buy, it’s helpful.
Strollers
I highly recommend KolCraft car seat carrier! It costs only about 50$ and is the only stroller you need the first six months or so, unless you have a budget for multiple strollers. When my babies used to fall asleep in the car, I simply transfered their car seats into KolCraft, without waking them and transferring them. KolCraft also has a lot of room for storage.
I also recommend these stroller hooks, regardless of the type of stroller you have. They will help you hang your shopping bags.
After the baby outgrows the infant car seat, I highly recommend a simple umbrella stroller, such as Mac Laren. I know at $250, it’s expensive, but it’s worth every penny. This stroller is lightweight, portable and beautiful. We took it everywhere for two years and it still looks like new, so we will keep using it with the twins!
If you like jogging and are prepared to spend some money, buy B.O.B. This stroller always gets rave reviews from those who own it.
Backpacks and carriers
In my opinion, you need just one : Ergo. Well, maybe a Moby Wrap. Don’t buy the Baby Bjorn: it hurts your shoulders and puts too much pressure on the baby’s sciatic nerve. We got a Baby Bjorn for our baby shower and I ended up giving this carrier away when I discovered the Ergo.
Play yards
Buy a playpen which converts into a crib. And don’t buy the actual crib, unless you have some extra space, extra money or just want something pretty. The play yard is portable and your baby can sleep in it for a good year and a half. The prices range widely, from $60 to $200, so choose wisely. Just buy a good mattress for it.
Crib
If you do decide to buy a crib, buy one simple set of bedding and three-four sheets and rotate them. There is no need to buy more.
If you do decide to buy a crib, get the one that converts to toddler bed. This way, you are saving money in the long run.
Bassinet
These are pretty and pretty useless. I repeat, buy a playpen which converts into a crib and keep it right next to your bed, like a co-sleeper.
Activity
Get a bouncing chair and a play gym. The swing in my opinion, is a waste of money, as it accomplishes exactly what the bouncing chair does. You can put your baby on the bouncer and give him/her a different toy to hold each time. The baby will be in heaven.
Feeding and nursing
I brestfeed, so bottles are not part of my expertise. For nursing, I recommend a good breastpump if you intend to leave the house and some bottles.
Indian prefold diapers- this is a must buy item! You can use them as diapers, as burp cloths, as blankets, as nursing covers, you name it. They are cheap and absorbent. Once you are done with the baby phase, you can use them for cleaning.
Bibs -buy a set of three small ones and a set of three plastic ones, BPA free. The plastic ones are good for when the baby is older and the food is all over the clothes.
Bottles, nipples, breast pump – you probably need those
Nursing cover- you don’t need it. Just use a blanket.
High chair- not worth the money and is hard to clean. Buy this booster instead: you can start using it as soon as the baby eats solids.
Splat mat- you can buy a plastic tablecloth at a dollar store instead
Spoons -it’s good to have one set, made of BPA-free plastic
Bath and Potty
Changing table – you may or may not need one. Yes, it’s a convenient thing to have, but changing a baby on the bed is pretty convenient, too. You can put your regular bath towel under the baby to make sure the bed stays clean.
Potty- you need a potty, but don’t buy it until you are ready to potty train.
Diapers – I like cloth. It saves money and the environment. Plus, they don’t leak as much as paper diapers do and the baby gets no rashes.At least, this has been my experience.
Wipes -I like cloth wipes: they are better on baby’s skin and save a TON of money on the long run. Just carry a bottle of water with your wipes or use a spray.
Spray (if using cloth wipes)- I like California Baby, but you can make your own, using water and a few drops of lavender and tea tree essential oils.
Wipe Warmer – Don’t ever buy it. What a joke.
Mobile – I believe you need one. Babies love them.
Toys- Buy a lot less than you think you need. People love giving toys as gifts.
Books- I am for buying as many books as possible.
Blankets – about four receiving blankets and a few more warm ones for when the baby gets bigger.
Towels- You don’t need special hooded towels. Use your regular bath towels.
Bath Toys -Buy a cheap set.
Bathtub -Infant bathtubs are useless: wash your baby in the sink for the same result. Buy an inflatable baby tub, so you can wash him/her in it both at home and while traveling. At about 6 months of age both baby and daddy can take a bath together in a big tub.
Diaper Bag- If you don’t have disposable income, don’t buy it. Buy this instead and carry it in your large purse with some extra diapers and extra clothes.
Clothes
I am obsessed with baby clothes, so I can’t give you any good money-saving advice here. Sorry. 🙂
Moms, how would you change this list? What were the baby items you couldn’t live without and what was useless?
image by dan
While living in NYC, I loved Angelica’s Kitchen restaurant. It’s a wonderful vegetarian eatery with fresh , mostly local food and a relaxed ambiance. They also had a cornbread to die for: it was the non-traditional kind; it tasted grainy and hearty. I actually purchased Angelica’s cookbook just for the recipe of this cornbread! I baked it many times and modified its original version. Enjoy it with a soup or a salad or even as a nutritious breakfast. Give it to your kid with tahini sauce as a spread and a source of calcium or with applesauce instead of a sugary dessert. The cornbread also refrigerates and freezes well.
Ingredients:
Rolled oats 1 cup
Cornmeal 1 cup
Brown rice, cooked according to the package instructions 3 cups
Apple juice 2 cups
Applesauce 1 cup
Salt 1/2 tsp
Olive or corn oil, unrefined 1/3 cup
Sesame seeds 1/4 cup
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix all of the dry ingredients, except for the sesame seeds. Mix in the juice and the applesauce and make sure the mixture is even. Add almost all of the oil. Grease the baking dish and sprinkle the sesame seeds on it. Pour the mixture into the baking dish and bake for about an hour, or until the wooden stick you put in it to test its readiness comes out dry. Let the bread cool off and cut into squares.
Image: hinnamsaisuy
I just finished reading this incredible book. Full of well-researched practical information and tips, the book explains what goes on in your kid’s brain. It talks about how children learn, how we can help them and which activities and circumstances can hinder their brain development. It explains how to maximize our children’s intellectual capacities, and help them reach their full potential. It also explains what not to do and where pushing the kid to succeed would be futile, because they may not be ready for the push at that particular stage of development.
I particularly enjoyed reading the confirmation of my parenting theory. I believe that teaching children comes down to simple things like talking and reading to them, playing outside and allowing them to freely explore their environment. Buying them piles of toys and putting them in front of a TV set doesn’t do much to your child’s brain development, which this book confirms with scientific research and practical observations. Read it to better understand how kids learn and to help them learn better.
Oups… I should have titled the post: “How to Diffuse Your Reaction To a Tantrum.” Whatever others do, even if they are your children, essentially has no meaning. What gives actions their meaning is your reaction to them. Our kids look to us for reactions in order to learn how to react themselves.
As Mr. Big Baby transitioned from the terrible twos into the terrible threes, I’ve been noticing getting angry at him more often. The screaming and the stomping of the feet gets really irritating when you are trying to breastfeed one baby and change the other one. I understand that most of the time, the toddler just wants your attention, affection and recognition, but the ways he/she chooses to accomplish that can be way too annoying to keep your cool.
So, I developed this reaction technique for whenever he goes nuts about wanting to wear a bib, or wanting to have his fire truck at the table, or not wanting to go to the park, or not wanting to take a nap in the afternoon. I noticed that my son reflects my emotions: whenever I approach his tantrums from the point of calmness, he calms down faster and whenever I surround him with extra love when I want to be angry at him, he relaxes and comes to me for a kiss.
This technique came from my knowledge of yoga and reiki. Let me know if it works for you. And, please, let me know what else works! 🙂
Whenever your child starts a tantrum (screaming, throwing, crying, falling down, hitting,) visualize a bright light in the center of your chest. The light has to be warm and glowing. It can be any color you choose. I like pink or green (the colors of the heart chakra.) Now, visualize the same light in the center of your child’s chest. Imagine a beam of warm light, going form your heart center to his or hers. Keep visualizing the beam of love until you feel calm enough to speak to your child and address the issue.
As adults, we tend to think in linear ways: if we are doing a particular arts and crafts activity with our kids, it’s difficult to visualize how it can also be a game with toys in it. Or, how to take it one step further and make a library with books out of it. Playing, creating, imagining and visualizing is wonderful for growing brains. My kids taught me how to expand my mind, so I came up with these fun ideas for small art projects:
Combine your drawing lesson with your playtime:
-Draw a garage or a road for the toy cars to park in or to ride on.
-Draw a field for the rubber ball.
-Draw a doll house for your favorite doll and then add dimension by putting play dough furniture in it.
-Draw some people and “feed” them real berries and other healthy foods.
– Make a “library” out of stacked books, put a doll in it and read to it together.
– Use watercolors to paint the sky and let your toy helicopter fly.
– Paint a sea for your toy fish or for your little ship.
The possibilities are endless, as long as you realize your limitless creativity. Enjoy!
Both of my pregnancies were easy. I never felt too big to tie my shoes or to go for a walk. My butt never grew: I was all belly both times. I also had very little aches and pains that most of my girlfriends complain about. I am not telling this story to brag : perhaps, it’s luck, or good genes. Or, perhaps it is something I did.
I believe that to enjoy a healthy pregnancy a woman needs to make her health a priority and adhere to the following seven rules, after consulting with her doctor or a midwife, of course. I put the list of these rules together, because they helped me tremendously and I hope that they can help you.
1. Remove all potential chemicals from the house. The regular detergents and the chlorine bleach, coupled with the liquid you use to scrub the shower create a cocktail of chemicals that have been connected to various ailments, cancers, autoimmune disorders and even birth defects. Invest in all natural, organic cleaning solutions. Or, make your own, using baking soda and vinegar.
2. Go for at least a 45 minute walk each day. And don’t say that you don’t have time: log off your favorite website and go. It’s good for you and good for your baby.
3. Eat right. Many people mean different things when they say that. I believe that the optimal pregnancy nutrition includes zero processed foods, zero junk foods, zero artificial sugar and zero trans fats. If it sounds like an unattainable ideal, try to get as close as possible to this standard. It does include ample quantities of fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, organic eggs and if you choose, organically raised meats and wild-caught fish. Cheese is heavy, mucus-producing product, which is devoid of healthy fats. Instead try unrefined oils, avocado, cold-pressed nut butters. Make sure you eat both green and red vegetables every single day. Drink green juice, if you can tolerate it. Snack on dried fruit. Bake these cookies, when you want sweets. If your diet is full of color, flavor and natural foods, there will be no time or place for the junk we like to put in our bodies. If you simply remove something, you feel lack. If you add something else (healthy foods) prior to removing the “unhealthy” ones, there will simply be no room for junk. Before moving the empty-calorie foods out, move the healthy foods in.
If you are so used to eating pastries, pasta, cheese, sugary snacks and other sources of empty calories that a diet based on pure foods sounds like torture to you, I understand. I’ve been there, too. The good news is, taste buds are ridiculously trainable and adaptable : they like what you usually feed them . If you eat French toast for breakfast every day, your are used to a very intense sweet flavor. Trying to replace it with a bowl of oatmeal and a smoothie made of fresh fruits may feel like replacing the French toast with hay. As you keep eating the oatmeal and the smoothie instead of the French toast and keep it up for about a week, your taste buds adjust to newer, subtler flavors. Now, if you try the French toast, it will taste like a sugar attack: way too sweet. Pregnancy is a wonderful time to retrain your taste buds and to step away from the refined foods. Now you are responsible for the health and the future eating habits of your child! And as a side benefit, you are a lot less likely to gain too much weight by eating only natural, unprocessed and unrefined foods.
When it comes to restructuring one’s diet, there is no single approach that fits everyone. Some of us would benefit from a complete overnight change and dramatic burning of the chocolate stash, while others would be better off implementing slow changes. Whichever road you choose, the goal should be the same: less artificial, processed, fatty junk food, meats and dairy products and more fruits, vegetables and natural unrefined foods.
I am not advocating for a complete vegetarianism, although I eat practically all vegan food. If you want to continue eating meat, it is your choice. I do not think that meat is necessary more than three times a week in anyone’s diet. The portion of meat should be your palm-size, not your face’s size. I ate the same vegetarian (practically vegan) diet during both of my pregnancies and my babies were big and healthy both times. I believe that with the right supplementation and the right knowledge, a vegetarian or even a vegan pregnancy can be very healthy.
4. Do some yoga moves. If you have a steady yoga practice, learn what’s safe and what’s not for an expectant mother. If you have no idea what yoga is, try a prenatal yoga class: it’s a great place to meet other expectant moms and to exercise safely. If you are not into yoga, simply learn a couple of easy breathing exercises and a special pregnancy Sun Salutation. Practicing these moves will do wonders to your muscles, your joints and your mental state. I love this DVD I made because it’s honest. The program on it is pretty much exactly what I did at home while pregnant with my oldest son. This program gave me strength, flexibility, energy and more during my pregnancy. Sharing this program with other pregnant Moms is a lot more than selling my product: it’s sharing my vision and helping others: a lot like this blog, as a matter of fact. Whichever yoga moves you do, make sure to do them every single day. “I am pregnant, tired, heavy and lazy” is not an excuse. Get off the couch and do at least a pose or two: it will change your day.
5. Do something spiritual every day. Pray, laugh, meditate, connect: do something that unites you with the Higher Source. Pregnancy is a very special time when the woman’s energy is wide open to receive and to grow. Use this time well. Any special spiritual traditions, started now are likely to continue and grow with your children.
6. Make something for your unborn child. I knitted blankets for all three of my kids. You can knit, sew, draw, paint, write : anything that would make the child feel special and wanted later and anything that would make you dream and exclusively focus on that unborn child is wonderful. Some mothers are told to talk to their unborn baby and it leaves them clueless, because of “how can I talk to my belly?” factor. Doing a project for your unborn child solves these gaps in communication. As I was knitting those blankets, I was visualizing my children and connecting to them. I was actually sad, when the blankets were done. 🙂
7. Do something special with your man. It will be a lot harder to accomplish once the baby is here. Maybe, you can go for a walk together every night? Or do the yoga together? Or even start a healthy diet…
Let me know your thoughts on healthy pregnancy: what worked for you and what didn’t.
Prior to spending my days worrying if my breast milk tasted ok or pondering the best way to discipline a whining toddler, I was a nutrition consultant in Manhattan. I also made yoga DVDs, shot infomercials and modeled for magazines.
And then came the babies.
My plan was to go right back to consulting and shooting new DVDs as soon as I get back in shape after giving birth. Well, thanks to all the yoga, I got back in shape faster than Heidi Klum. My head, however, was in an absolutely different place: nothing was more important than the little plump human being, constantly attached to my breast. Nothing. Not even my seemingly huge prior ambitions. I wanted to spend my days pureeing baby foods and teaching my kid ABC’s. I wanted to make sure I never miss the first crawl, the first words, the first steps. I wanted to make sure I’d be there.
I made a decision to stay home. I also conveniently got pregnant again; with twins (talk about being grounded!) The thing that worried me the most about staying home was the same thing that every ambitious working woman worries about: would I go crazy wiping butts and noses? I came up with this action plan of how to keep your sanity while staying home or working from home.
Maybe, it will help you. Feel free to comment with any suggestions that helped you maintain your sanity while staying home with kids.
1. Join a mommy group
I like meetup.com for local mommy playgroups: just type in your zip code and your interests. More often than not, you’ll have to visit a few groups, until you find the ones that fit you and your kids. You can always create your own group, too.
2. Have time for yourself each day
This one is absolutely crucial. When everyone is taking a nap, don’t rush to fold laundry; check out facebook instead. Or paint your nails. Or hire a sitter and go to lunch with your girlfriend. Talk on the phone. Do anything that makes you feel alive and happy for at least thirty minutes a day. Don’t feel guilty about taking short breaks to “tune out” during the day: it doesn’t make you a bad parent. Mommy being unavailable for fifteen minutes a couple of times a day teaches the kids to be independent. They are not likely to burn the house down. Unless you have three-four boys, of course. 🙂
3. Exercise and eat right
A lot of friends wonder where do I get all of this energy to breastfeed two babies, run after an active toddler, have little help around the house and still write this blog. My answer is yoga and great nutrition: salads, supplements, juices, grains and very little processed foods. I have a daily yoga practice. Sometimes, it means fifteen minutes a day, but every single day. Sometimes, it takes me two hours and seven interruptions, but I always find time to exercise with three under three running around. It means “so do you.”
4. Devote special time to grown up conversation
Perhaps, diapers and kids are not the only things you and your husband can talk about at dinner? Or maybe you and your single girlfriend have more in common than you think?
5. Leave the house to do something fun with the kids at least twice a week
Visit the zoo, or a friend’s house, a museum, or go to the park you haven’t been to before. Maybe, drive to a nearby town and have smoothies, but make sure you have fun times together. Doing this two-three times a week renew your energy. And again, if I can find time to do with baby twins and a toddler, so can you. All it comes down to is careful planning and organizing. And picking all the clothes and packing a bag witha ll the snacks and wipes the night before.
First of all, to help with future reading, it’s a lot easier to learn letters as phonetic sounds, as opposed to as letter names. Secondly, you need to figure out if your child learns better by hearing, by making things or while moving. Or maybe he or she learns in another special way? Once you know your child’s learning preferences, you’d be able to better teach them. My son loves to be in motion. He also learns through feeling: he likes to literally touch what he is learning. This means that we learn on the go and we learn while building things that we can touch. We walk and sing a “letter song, while we are walking. We build garages for his toy cars in shape of a letter “G” for “garage.” Sometimes it’s letter “B” -“big garage.”
Here are some of my suggestions. Feel free to comment with yours:
1. Write letters on index cards and hide those all over the house. When your child finds a card, ask: “What letter is this?” and, “Which word starts with this letter?”
2. Make letters out of play dough together. Make letters out of paper. Make letter out of bread. Cut letters out of vegetables. Making letters is better for kiniesthetic children, that learn better by doing. I have one of these, so we make a lot of letters!
3. Create a special song for each letter and sing it throughout the day. Like: “A is an Apple, B is a Boy.” You can group two-three letters into each song. Melody is wonderful for getting things into the brain. I credit my knowledge of English to American songs: they really helped me learn the language (I also speak Russian, Hebrew and French.)
4. Create something that helps your child to associate a particular letter with the particular object. Take “W,” for example. Yesterday we made a pretty W by cutting it out of green and red papers, sticking those on top of each other and saying that “W is a watermelon.”
You can take a cucumber and cut a nice “C” on it’s skin with a knife.
5. Make sure you learn letters every day at a set time. If you make the process fun, your child will eagerly anticipate both the ritual and the lesson.
My oldest was fully potty trained by 17 months. Here’s a little article I wrote, while working on training him:
“What?”- all of my Euro friends say, “Your nine month-old is still in diapers???” Well, no. He is 14 months old and naked. And peeing all over the house.
Oups, I didn’t really say that. In America, potty training is supposed to be this big, possibly traumatic event, taking place sometime after the child’s second birthday. Oftentimes, even after the child’s third one. Quite possibly, because the diaper companies sponsored all of this research that claims early potty training to be traumatic for the child. In Europe, where disposables are less readily available and more expensive, children are potty trained around one. To see a two year-old in diapers is more freaky than normal, so early potty training is considered to be routine. In America, it’s considered to be crunchy, like carrying your baby in a sling, breastfeeding for two years and making your own baby puree.
The select few granola mommies, however, are practicing early potty training. Their system is called EC, short for “elimination communication.”
I heard about it from my friend Noel, whose baby girl was completely out of diapers by six months old. That really got me going. The same exact day that Noel told me about her daughter’s potty success, Mr. Baby has permanently lost his pants, while at home. See, the first step to EC is to figure out your baby’s elimination patterns, so that you know when to potty him or her. After a week of diaperless living and free peeing and pooping on the floor, I knew one thing: he pees and poops all the time. It didn’t really help. I bought a wonderful book, Diaper Free Baby and read it cover to cover. The floors still needed to be washed eight times a day.
I introduced the potty. Mr. Baby grabbed it and crawled away, thankful for the new toy. I wasn’t sure where he took it to. Over the next few months he played with the potty, he put it on his head, he moved it to different locations, he put all of his toys in it, one by one, but he never actually did what he was supposed to do on it.
At nine months of age, he started peeing in the toilet every morning on cue, while I held him between my legs. Sometimes, he pooped in the toilet, if I managed to catch him beforehand. But the potty was not his friend. He simply could not sit still on it. I was about to put the diapers back on, discouraged. But the book on EC said to not get upset and to just wait. I waited and waited, while the floors in the house were being peed on. Mr. Baby started to be very aware of his elimination, though, and every time he went on the floor, he’d come to me, enthusiastically screaming: “Mama, poop!”, pointing at what he’d made.
At thirteen months-old, he started bringing me the potty after making a mess on the floor, understanding that I connected the potty to elimination, but not being exactly sure how. He also started going on the potty once in a while, usually about three times a day. But overall, I felt like a failure, because my mother told me I was out of diapers at one. That, and I couldn’t make Mr. Baby do what I wanted him to do.
So, when a meetup.com group I was a member of invited us to the EC party, I was very excited. Perhaps, I could learn something new, to make this baby go on the potty all the time? When we walked in, we saw about 8 babies, from six to 18 monhs old, surrounded by about ten colorful potties. All babies were bare-bottomed and they all were peeing on the floor! Occasionally, one of the babies would go on the potty, but it certainly wasn’t the rule. When Mr. Baby made a huge puddle on the floor, I felt like part of the group. Why was I so afraid to see a meetup of perfectly behaved little babies, always going on their little potties? The ec’ing moms were sitting on the couch and saying that potty training is a process, not a goal. I happily agreed. It was easier than admitting your total failure.
Visiting the “potty party” was empowering. I saw that there were other “potty failures,” besides me, in the world. And we continued to pee on the floor, with an occasional potty break for yet another month. Then, the potty breaks multiplied and Mr. Baby started to alert me about his pees ahead of time, so that I have time to put him on the potty. I finally saw some progress. And then, like magic, in one more month he was fully trained.
EC is, indeed, a process….
Read this post for more information.
If you don’t use seaweed in your cooking, start with kombu: it’s what I did a few years ago. Kombu is one of the most versatile seaweeds : it can be baked, fried, roasted or sauteed. It can be added to virtually any dish to add flavor, so you don’t have to learn how to cook new dishes in order to add nutrition to your family’s table. Kombu can be added while cooking grains for nutrients and slightly salty flavor. High in iron, magnesium, iodine , folate, calcium and antioxidants kombu is definitely a wonderful and a low-calorie addition to your family’s meal.
Types of kombu:
Natto Kombu: Kombu that’s been sliced into very fine strands, natto kombu is used in soups and vegetable dishes.
Ne kombu: The kombu holdfast (or root) is a strengthening food particularly beneficial in treating cancer and dysfunction of the intestines, kidneys, and reproductive organs. Ne Kombu is recommended for breaking down fatty acids in the body and reducing cholesterol and high blood pressure it requires long soaking and cooking.
Sweet Kombu: A premier kombu, harvested only from the Pacific during a one-week period, sweet kombu has sporadic availability. It has a deliciously sweet mineral taste.
Tororo Kombu: Fine, almost powdery kombu filaments seasoned with rice vinegar, tororo kombu may be used as a condiment or added to soups just before serving. It is tasty and mucilaginous.
Kombu Recipe:
Kombu Broth
This basic broth can be used as a base for any soup, It can also be drunk as a nutrient-rich tea or used instead of a stock in any recipe that asks for one. The broth can be frozen and later reheated.
Ingredients:
- 6 cups of water
- 1 strip Kombu
Gently wipe both sides of the kombu with a clean, damp towel. Combine water and Kombu, and let soak for twenty minutes. Bring to just below a boil and let sit for 5-10 minutes. Take the kombu out and throw it away.
Healthy Mama Blog 
