Guest Post: September to Remember

Check out my guest post today over at Little Hearts (Gentle Parenting Resources) for her trip down memory lane in her September to Remember Series. Enjoy!

NNM Update

Given the recent break, I wanted to remind you of a couple features of our blog here at NNM;

-Be sure to check out the NurtureMe Store, which features products mentioned here on the blog.

-Check out some of our new 'buttons' down the sides of the blog- I only place ones I feel very strongly about and encourage you to check them out. Be sure to tell them NNM sent ya!

-If you haven't already, check out my latest guest post over at Spiritual Momma.


and, of course, find NNM on Twitter and Facebook

:)

Happy Summer!

RealMama Week: Mothering Me

 RealMama Week, Day 3

Enjoy this beautiful post by Leslie Potter from Purejoy Parenting

Leslie Potter is the founder of Pure Joy Parenting, a joy based parenting model which supports parents in moving from a traditional fear-based model to a joy-based one, focusing on relationship and healthy attachment. She is a co-author of Chaos to Connection: 9 Heart Centered Essentials for Parenting your Teen. Leslie is a Parent Coach with a background as a body centered therapist. She created the Parent Coach model at Vive a national company working with at risk teens and their parents. In 2008, she founded Purejoy Parenting to educate and support new parents in understanding the importance of their attachment stories and how they affect their relationships with their children.

Mothering Me

Motherhood has stretched me beyond words.  How could I have known that one little soul could awaken such light, as well as illuminate such darkness.  When waiting for my daughter,  I imagined all the good aspects of being a mother.  I felt I was ready to surrender fully to the amazing opportunity I was being given.  Finally, after 44 years of waiting and preparing, I was going to be a mother.  It had taken me that long to embrace my childhood and feel I had done enough work that I wouldn't damage my child.

photo courtesy of Leslie Potter on Facebook

I was beyond excited for the opportunity to be the Mom I knew I had inside.  What I hadn't planned for was the depth of pain that would arise when I fell short.  Talk about humility!  This has been my path, and daily I bow down to my daughter for showing me the true path to loving myself.  When I am able to open to the depth of beauty and grace she provides, instead of needing her to behave the way I want her to so I look like a good mom, I can see clearly.

 I don't need her to validate me and have found I can relax and open to being a safe emotional container for her to learn and grow.  When I'm able to take full responsibility for my feelings and my stories, I am able to let her off the hook to be the beautiful light she embodies.

Learning to love myself starts with me and it is the greatest gift I offer my sweet girl.

Even though my love for her showed me the way, I learned that loving myself was up to me.  When I needed her to convince me that I was lovable, I felt the pain.  When I was finally able to step into the shoes of that amazing Mom I had inside...I began to mother ME as well as my daughter. 

How do you feel about the mom you ARE, versus the mom you thought you'd be?



* Find and 'like' Purejoy Parenting on Facebook 
* Check out her website & blog  for Leslie's Parenting Pearls and contact info 
* and be sure to follow her on Twitter 

Let her know NurturingtheNaturalMama sent you! <3

You can also check out Leslie's latest contribution to PBS here.

RealMama Week starts Monday June 6th

Guest posts welcome for THIS week! I want to feature RealMamas and issues that affect real mamas!

No blogging experience necessary! So far, you can expect some incredible guest posts by : 

Leslie Potter from Purejoy Parenting

LR Knost of Little Hearts Books (Gentle Parenting Resources) 

Michelle Collins from The Economical Eater

Sarah from  Spiritual Momma 

Feel free to send me your RealMama post via email at mymackey@gmail.com

Rules/Guidelines: 

None. I want authentic pieces from mamas about motherhood, day to day life, the good and the bad, and/or from those who have information or stories that could benefit mamas.

and have FUN! because that's the point of all of this after all :) 

THANK YOU!

NNM NEWS: Upcoming GIVEAWAY & Contest

* Watch tomorrow for the Blissful Booty Cloth Diaper review & GIVEAWAY * 

photo from BBCD website

* DADS ROCK Father's Day Giveaway * 

DEADLINE FOR DONATIONS is Friday June 3rd, 2011

Contest will benefit One Simple Wish and drawing will be on Father's Day Sunday June 19th at 5pm EST

Please contact me via email at mymackey@gmail.com if you have an item or service you would like to donate. 

* A HUGE Thank you to those who have sponsored gifts already *

Purejoy Parenting

The Dark Orchid
Educated Mama Decals

Rock a Bye Booty

Mixbook

Last NEWS item: I'm also compiling some guest posts for an upcoming RealMamas Segment, and would love to hear from YOU. An existing blog is totally ok, but not necessary. If interested, please email me and feel free to write anything about how YOU feel about motherhood. Thanks in advance for your contributions!

Instinctual Mamas Post: The Joy of Making Your Own Baby Food

Check out my latest guest post over at Instinctual Mamas entitled You Want Me to Eat What?! The Joy (yes, the joy) of Making Your Own Baby Food. Enjoy! 

Be sure also to follow Instinctual Mama's via GFC, and find them and 'like' them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter- and let them know NNM sent you! <3 

NNM NEWS: Guest Post & Reader comments

NurturingtheNaturalMama had our first official guest post, published May 12, 2011, compliments of Mama Eve: Your Natural Parenting Resource

So, if you haven't already, go check out my Top 10 Baby Registry Must Haves. Let me know what your top 10 would be! 

And, of course, visit Mama Eve on Facebook and Twitter and let her know NurturingtheNaturalMama sent you! 

And in response to my recent post on my unfortunate miscarriage, Too Beautiful for Earth: Heaven's Newest Angel Baby, a reader sent me the poem below. I had seen this poem before, but it was just so beautiful that someone would send this to me in a private email. I wanted to share this poem with everyone, even though the reader wanted to remain anonymous (but thank you so much :) ) 

Lullabies
Daddy please don`t look so sad,
Mommy please don`t cry.
I am in the arms of Jesus
and He sings me lullabies.
Please do not try to question God,
don`t think He is unkind.
Don`t think He sent me to you and that
He changed His mind.
You see, I am special
and I`m needed up above.
I`m the special child you gave Him,
the product of your love.
I`ll always be there with you.
So watch the sky at night.
Find the brightest star that`s gleaming.
That`s my halo`s brilliant light.
So Daddy please don`t look so sad.
Mommy please don`t cry.
I am in the arms of Jesus.
And He sings me lullabies.
~Author Unknown

* This post was featured in a Tweet today from NursingBling and her #Newborn Daily: http://paper.li/tag/newborn

NNM NEWS: GIVEAWAY & upcoming guest post

* GIVEAWAY *  


CLOSED 4/28/11 7pm EST WINNER is al_arely! Congratulations!

ONE more day left to enter The Clean Bedroom Giveaway for a $25.00 Gift Card and copy of the Green Babies, Sage Moms book, which includes an introduction by my FAVE Harvey Karp! 

* GUEST POST * 

And, keep an eye out May 12th for my guest post about Newborn Parenting on Mama Eve- Your Natural Parenting Resource!

Find her on Facebook and Twitter 

and let her know NNM sent ya! <3

NNM NEWS: Guest Posts and Giveaways!

Check out the latest info from NurturingtheNaturalMama:

Upcoming Guest Posts:

* May 12, 2011: Newborn Parenting via Mama Eve: Your Natural Parenting Resource

* TBD: MYO Babyfood via Instinctual Mamas

Product Reviews and GIVEAWAY:

NEXT WEEK Review of the organic millet hull pillow from The Clean Bedroom

followed by a *GIVEAWAY* also sponsored by The Clean Bedroom

so stay tuned :)

Twitter Update:

NNM is now one of your official tweeters for Natural Parents Network 

so come FOLLOW US on Twitter!

(be sure to already be following NNM, of course)   :)

Where would YOU like to see NNM next?