Sarah Kraft's Blogs

Add the Mindful Mama Widget to your Blog!

Sarah Kraft — Sat, 09 May 2009 06:26:34 GMT

Copy and past this Java Script to add the Mindful Mama widget to your blog! If you don't have the ability to embed Java Script, let me know and I can send you the JPG and link.

The Great Hunt for Greener Baby Products

Sarah Kraft — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 12:01:10 GMT

These are exciting times. Everyone is going green-from design and manufacturing to corporate practice to marketing and communications-people want to make a positive impact on the planet. It's not perfect, but what is? We have met face-to-face with the decision makers of many large companies, from Fisher Price to Schwinn to Britax, and the future is looking bright. Companies are walking the talk much more often than they are green washing.

Behind every company, there are real people, with authentic intentions to DO BETTER. Designers are putting pen to paper and creating new lines-highchairs from bamboo and mattresses from soybean-based foams. Companies are improving manufacturing conditions-acting as global citizens by refusing to work with US facilities that employ illegal workers at low wages and seeking out facilities abroad where best practices and material sourcing can be verified. At the corporate headquarters of these companies, you will find better recycling programs, carpooling boards, water-saving toilets and renewable energy.

On labels and in advertising, you will hear about these efforts, and I hope that you will take them seriously and encourage companies to DO MORE OF THE SAME.

Change does not happen over night... but it IS happening. At Mindful Mama, we make it our business to analyze all aspects of a business: design, materials, manufacturing, distribution, corporate facilities, business practices and - the part you often see and remember-marketing and communications. We highlight companies that are raising the bar and dig deep into the social and environmental implications of modern trends in sustainability.

For regularly updated product reviews and articles related to baby gear, check out the "adorn" tab (linked). You can also find lots of great information on our trend spotter blogs and baby gear discussions (link to community pages). We look forward to hearing your feedback and engaging in the discussion together!

Stay tuned for a contest whereby you'll be invited to become one of our product review mamas (lots of free stuff in exchange for your opinion)!

Youtube

Sarah Kraft — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 22:19:55 GMT

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Fairy Magic

Sarah Kraft — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 08:52:16 GMT

I'm not big on Santa, but I'm big on magic- especially magic that doesn't expire on December 26th. Emma goes to a Waldorf school, where everyone believes in fairies, angels and elves. Here are some cool ideas for incorporating magic into your preschooler's life.

Toothless Fairy- ditch the Halloween candy without a fight. The toothless fairy will trade DOLLARS for candy that is left out the night after Halloween. My little earner was eager to give up the sweets in exchange for the green stuff.

Dream Fairy- I thought I might be sleeping with Emma until she was 21, until this little golden nugget of an idea struck me- and now we’re all sleeping soundly. We say a little prayer to the dream fairy and she leaves a fairy dollar under Emma's pillow every time she sleeps through the night in her own bed. When Emma earns 10 fairy dollars, she gets to trade them in for a magical gift. She's earned angel wings, a fairy wand and a baby doll to keep her company at night.

Birthday Fairy- We didn’t want to give Emma traditional birthday gifts- she’s got plenty of toys already. So, instead of surprising her with boxes of goodies, we designed a great treasure hunt… leading us to a wooden box of fairy treasure, buried alongside our favorite hiking trail.

I'd love to hear your "fair tales"...

Gluten Free Cooking Tips

Sarah Kraft — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 08:43:56 GMT

Gluten Free Cooking Tips:

Leave grains on the stove overnight (covered) rather than putting them in the fridge.

Instead of buying the packaged flour mixes, substitute ½ oat and ½ brown rice flower in any recipe. Don’t have gluten free oats? Use Almond meal instead.

Use a rice cooker and steam veggies on top of the rice (in a basket) to reduce dishes and mess (this also cooks the vitamins that steam off of your veggies right into the rice). Our favorites: beets, carrots, broccoli, sweet potatos and spinach. This works really well if you have a toddler and a baby in the house- veggies and grains can become finger foods or puree for baby food.

Reflection: Rites of Passage

Sarah Kraft — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 08:41:56 GMT

Birth is a rite of passage- transforming women into mothers and men into fathers. Our experiences during this transformation lay the foundation for a life-long relationship with our children, and ourselves.

In search of the best possible birth options for families in America, I have spent the past two moths interviewing over 20 leading doctors, midwives, activists, and scholars across the country and has compiled these interviews into a series of short video clips- called Rite of Passage.

Each voice in the Rite of Passage video series offers unique perspective, with a unified message: There is great power in birthing and in parenting - it is the power of love- and it is ours to claim. As parents, we have the right and the responsibility to be informed, to be supported, to be nurtured and to be trusted in the process of bringing our children into the world.

By trusting our experience, having the courage to ask the right questions and demanding the best care for ourselves and our children, we are ushering in a new era of birth and parenting- where transparency and trust guide our passage, rather than fear. This is not another homebirth vs. hospital birth debate. Wherever a mother gives birth, we support her choice. The experts in this series work in a variety of settings, proving that WHERE we give birth is less relevant than who is surrounding us and supporting us during our transformation.

This mother’s day, I invite mothers and fathers everywhere to watch these videos and share their own personal wisdom and stories- how has becoming a parent transformed you? Between May 10th and August 10th, log on to www.mindful-mama.com, watch the Rites of Passage videos, see what other parents are saying and join the conversation.

Through art, photos, or essays, answer this question: How did the act of becoming a parent, either through birth or adoption, transform you? Claim your experience. Share the struggles and successes of your personal journey and join in the dialogue.