Have you Heard of Sprig Toys? They're AWESOME & eco-friendly!!!

Ok, these are the coolest toys I've seen in a very long time! I ordered several of these for my son's upcoming b-day, and I'm so excited. They cam in the mail, and they are so CUTE! They're eco-friendly, made from sprigwood. 

Here's some info right from the site...

Sprig Toys, Inc., is an eco-friendly company dedicated to making the best toys
the right way.

Inspired by our collective desire to keep kids active and the planet healthy, Team Sprig is dedicated to infusing creativity, smart design, quality manufacturing, earth-friendly materials, product satisfaction and responsible business practices into a superior line of fun, kid-powered toys.
We help make the world a better place and we get kids off the couch. Pretty cool, huh?

My absolute favorite collection is the Adventure Series... I ordered my son the Adventure Rig, which has to be the coolest toy on the planet!

Here's the info...

Our Sprig Adventure Series is built around the Discover Rig – a sturdy, battery-free vehicle with a removable push bar.

World-famous Adventure Guide Cap Faraday has invited you to be the driver on his trek through the African Serengeti. Keep your ears open and your eyes on the road because on Secret Safari, there’s a silly animal around every bend, and you’re always in for a wild ride!
The Discover Rig comes with Adventure Guide Cap Faraday, and can seat up to three Adventure Guide characters at one time. When a child rolls the Discover Rig forward, it triggers the generator that fuels the lights and sounds.

All of the Adventure Guides can be used for different stories and lots of fun. I ordered all the extra guides, plus we also got the Baja Scout. It's so hard not to pull these out of the box now, but I'm waiting 'till the party.

Our Baja Scout is full of spunk, eager to take Miki Flinders and a second Adventure Guide cruising the dunes.

Welcome to Hawker, Australia – headquarters for world-famous Adventure Guide Miki Flinders. Take the wheel on his next Outback Journey, and help Miki keep an eye out for wombats and bandicoots! Miki’s crazy Australian sayings are sure to keep you in stitches.

Some of the other fun toys they have include the eco-trucks...

Sprig Eco-Trucks are loads of fun. Can you dig it?

Digging, loading and dumping. That’s a tried-and-true formula for dirt pile and sandbox fun that we simply won’t mess with. Sprig Eco-Trucks are fully equipped with flip-open cabs and easy-grab handles, making each freewheeling vehicle inviting and a cinch to maneuver.
The scooping action and rotating chassis of the Excavator turns serious digging into child’s play. The Loader does the trio’s heavy lifting, and the Dump Truck gets the job done with its tilting cab, locking bed and swing-out tailgate.
The playful, cartoon-like designs of our chunky vehicles make them irresistible to preschoolers, and parents love the eco-friendly, battery-free, kid-powered construction. Recommended for ages 3 and up.

Sprig Hollow...

Out in the backyard lives a magical world called Sprig Hollow.

Our friends Bee and Butterfly, the architects of Sprig Hollow, specifically designed all the farm vehicles for maximum utility in water, sand and garden environments. All of the vehicles at Sprig Hollow come equipped with detachable tools and water-resistant materials in order to sustain play and expand possibilities. The playful, cartoon-like designs of our chunky vehicles, characters and play sets make them irresistible to preschoolers, and parents love the eco-friendly, kid-powered construction. So jump into a place where imaginations blossom as preschoolers and their grown-ups play and learn in the fresh air! Recommended for ages 3 and up.

And Story Builders... 

Build your own adventure with our Story Building^TM playsets.

Simple to use, these block & panel building sets are great for preschool kids to build and use their imaginations. Join Princess Penny to build a storybook palace or spend a day working with Ol’ Mac on the farm. Our “On the Go” story-building books are an ideal way to introduce children to classic stories they can re-enact over and over. These eco-friendly toys also work great with your existing train, car, and figure sets too. Our Story blocks are made from Sprigwood^TM and the panels are printed on recycled paper using water based inks.

The other great thing about these toys? They're a great price too! So check them out, and get your kids into the eco-friendly toy world! :)

~Amanda

Halloween Covers, Pumpkins & such...

I just stocked a cute Halloween Ooga Booga diaper cover in my etsy store. Check it out here...
http://www.etsy.com/listing/59211375/halloween-ooga-booga-diaper-cover

I also stocked some super absorbent inserts. These are awesome b/c they fit into your pocket diaper, but are also great just under a re-usable cover! So cool, and diverse. ;)

And just for fun... here's the spider pumpkin I carved a couple nights ago...

And my son Sasha, rock'n his Jolly Roger babylegs... woo! :)

Hope all you mamas are enjoying this lovely fall weather! I know I sure am!!! :)
~Amanda

If you use sposie diapers...

...watch this video... this is what you're putting on your precious babies skin every day! YUCK!!! Use cloth, please!!!!!!!

http://kck.st/aHh49E

Mothering Magazine Twitter Party!!!

Be there or be square! This is an exciting opportunity to share in fun and educational babywearing discussion, and you could win great prizes!!! So exciting.

• The time is 7PM PST/10PM EST on Thurs Oct 14 2010 and the party will last for approximately one hour.
• The hashtag for the party is #MMag (see below for how a Twitter party works).
• No RSVP required.
• Make sure you are following us on Twitter @MotheringMag.

All the details are here...
http://mothering.com/all-things-mothering/inspiration/mothering-babywearing-twitter-party-oct-14th-at-7pm-pst-mmag
Hope to tweet with you there. ha ;)
~Amanda

International Baby Wearing Week Oct. 6-12!!!

Wear those babies, and show some pics!!!

Here's my hubbie wearing our baby boy at a labor day cookout...

And me about 8 months back at the birth of my nephew... :)

Share yours, and keep wearing!
~Amanda

My Homebirth Story with lots of pics!

My birthing pool... and my dreadies. ha.

 Early active labor... not too bad yet. Gonzo(my chihuahua) came in to check on mommy. My hubbie held him up to see what was going on. :)

I decided to have a home birth before I ever got pregnant. I knew it was something I wanted to do. I am not a fan of hospitals or doctors. My son Sasha Rayne was due October 26th 2009, however he decided to bake a little longer and came November 9th 2009, just 2 days after my husband and I's 1 year anniversary. Being 2 weeks late, I would have had to go to the hospital if I didn't have him that night, so I had to drink castor oil to make my labor progress. That was no fun, but it did get me the home birth I wanted. I labored pretty hard for about 3 hours, and then entered the pushing stage for about 45 minutes before my son finally entered the world. My 2 wonderful midwifes were present, as well as my loving husband and my mother. My husband Darrel was amazing, feeding me apple slices and granola bars to keep my energy up. My midwife Jessica always reminding me to keep hydrated, and telling me I was doing great. It was tough stuff, but I don't regret it. It was an amazing experience. I had a water birth, and used the La Bassine Birthing Pool, which was great! The water helped so much with the contractions, they still hurt a lot, but it was so much better than a dry contraction. I would never birth without water!

My hubbie feeding my apple slices during active labor... you can see my face is winced some here...

As I labored my husband actually had to leave the room a couple times because he was crying for me. It's hard for our husbands to see us hurting and not be able to help. He and my mother actually went into the bathroom and hugged each other and cried together. It was a sweet bonding moment for them. As Sasha was descending I was able to feel his head coming down. I could feel the hair, and it was so exciting! It made the last part of my pushing a little easier knowing he was so close. As he began to crown I felt the well known Ring of Fire, and held off my pushing a bit to allow some stretching to take place. Then with another push the head was out. Another and pop, I delivered my son myself, and he was on my chest, clean and perfect. Because he was late, he had no vernix left on his skin. It was the most amazing moment of my life. I was flooded with relief and pure joy. Sasha was a healthy 9lb 8oz baby,  21 3/4 in long. Not small, and I didn't tear at all! I finally appreciated these child-bearing hips I've had since puberty. ha. 

Seconds after Sasha was born!!! His 1st feeding still in the birth pool. (please ignore my terrible double chin)

My hubbie weighing Sasha... a whopping 9lbs 8oz!

I love his little toes curled up in this one...

As for life as a parent, my hubbie and I have never been happier! I've always wanted a child, so this is my dream come true. God certainly blessed me with a safe delivery and a beautiful angel to keep me company during my postpartum healing. My hubbie was able to stay home from work the 1st week of Sasha's life, so I got breakfast in bed every morning, which then spoiled me very bad when I had to get up and do it for myself! I would definitely recommend a home birth to anyone that's expecting. 

Now some from Sasha's 1st week of life... sleeping in the carseat.

The cute way newborns hold their fingers... all jumbled.

The classic wrinkled newborn forehead... I love it... I miss it.

Sleepyhead...

 Sasha's favorite time... Titty Time!!! haha In the tub.

And another... I love the way they just look at you. Melts my heart every time. Still!

All bundled up in his wrap... and look at that face!

How can I not include a yawn?...

Our new family...

 6 days old...

1 week... Sasha's 1st bath. The ONLY one he ever didn't like!

About a week and a half old...

And again, a week and a half, the 3 of us together...

Thanks for reading my story... and looking at the beginnings of my sons life. He will be 1 in a month, and I still can't believe it. Time really does fly, esp when you're having fun!

And here's a quick one from today.

Much love.

~Amanda

Holiday Ooga Diapers are coming today! Plus save on organic baby clothes...

Get 1/2 off Funkoos Organic Baby Apparel with the Eversave sale today! $16 for $32 worth of clothes. http://www.eversave.com/jacksonville
Also, I'm working on the Halloween and Christmas Ooga Booga diapers today!!! I LOVE this print!

I'll post pictures once I've got some done... ;)
Hope everyone is enjoying this BEAUTIFUL day out!!!
~Amanda

My 1st BOO! Giveaway!!!

So, I've been working with mama dickey for my review and giveaway, and I've fallen in love with several of her other giveaways. These onesies and shirts by SILLY THREADS are adorable, and high quality. These aren't iron on! They are embroidered. Sooo cute!
 Like this, which is my favorite one...

And this will be the one the winner gets...

 Visit the giveaway here...
http://babydickeysgiveaways.com/index.php/2010/10/fall-event-my-first-boo-giveaway/
And SILLY THREAD's shop here...
http://www.etsy.com/shop/SillyThreads
Enjoy mamas!
~Amanda

LADezigns giveaway!!!

Another great giveaway! This mama makes adorable crocheted beanies among other things... check out her store here...
http://www.etsy.com/shop/LADzigns
I love this one for Christmas...

And this is such a great photo prop for a NB!

She also makes these cool Scoodies... a scarf and a hoodie combined!

Enter to win here...
Mama Dickey is awesome, and leaves great reviews! You can follow her and keep up to date yourself. ;)


http://babydickeysgiveaways.com/index.php/2010/09/fall-event-l-a-dzigns-giveaway/comment-page-3/#comment-4175

Good luck!
~Amanda

Check it out... my diaper got reviewed! I'm participating in a review and giveaway, and I've had offers for more. It's fun, and I'll probably do it again. Enter for your chance to win one of my diapers!!! :)

 

This review is at Baby Dickey's Giveaways. This mama is super sweet, and hosts reviews and giveaways all the time. Enter to win on of my diapers, and lots of other great goodies!!! :)

~Amanda
http://babydickeysgiveaways.com/index.php/2010/10/peace-love-diapers-cloth-diaper-giveaway/