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Camping, Parenting, Travel, Uncategorized

9 Insider Tips for Family Camping on the California Coast

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There’s a rare form of magic in the crisp air along the California Coast, which is why it’s best enjoyed outdoors. Camping along these beaches rich with ancient trees, active sea life and a bounty of activities (for all ages!) will support you in creating the ideal vacation for your entire family. To ensure it’s more fun than frustrating, follow these tips.

1. Find the Perfect Spot.

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It’s hard to go wrong when finding a site to camp along the West Coast, but depending on your family’s specific needs, some locations will suit your family better than others. Take your preferences for sites (e.g., not near cliffs, activities for young children and a beach with a mellow break) and find a few spots that meet your needs.

Read more on Discount My Flights

Camping, Reviews and Giveaways, Uncategorized

Review: GOgroove Mood Light/ Speaker- Camping Hack for Parents!

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k2-_cb170036-dafc-4915-beb9-e04d587bb751.v2Hey campers! (Wait- you hate camping? Maybe living room camping?)

My son is not into the whole dark aspect of camping. When the sun goes to sleep he loses his… He also relies on a nifty sound machine filled with faux raindrops and ocean waves to lull him to sleep. Camping with him is hard.

The GOgroove has granted me sweet slumber when I’m sleeping under flimsy fabric outside. It’s portable (a camping must- they have yet to install AC outlets in trees), gently changes colors and will play the “ocean waves” track on repeat I have on my phone (it’s a speaker!) A light-speaker, and a good camper.

If you’ve been trying to convince your kids to camp, bribe them with this.

Parenting, Uncategorized

6 Ways to Trick Your Kids Into Learning This Summer

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It’s almost summertime and the livin’ will be easy. Oh wait, you’re a parent. Never mind, the livin’ is about to get chaotic — but chaos can be fun, and educational.

While you’ve spent the past nine-ish months supporting the expansion of your child’s mental, physical, and social development, you haven’t been doing it alone (if they go to school). You’ve had assistance from teachers, coaches, and all the other people that help kids grow into bigger kids. But soon, the majority of this “fostering of development” will fall on your shoulders … and hands, and heart, and feet …oh heck, every last drop of you will be called upon this summer.

While camps and other such organized activities handled by other responsible adults (or teenagers) were sent down from the parenting heavens to sneak learning (and free time for you!) into your kid’s summer, you’ll likely be met with “ugh, mom” if you suggest activities that even have a whiff of education.

So, let’s hide the learning in fun activities. Here’s how …

Read more on Babble!

Childbirth, Mind-Body-Spirit, Pregnancy, Self Love, Uncategorized

Coming To Terms With the Negative Birth Experience You Weren’t Expecting

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As a doula, I recently attended a 30-hour birth that turned the mom’s birth preferences on their head (or maybe into the breech position). The mama was elated to end up with a healthy baby but is moving through deep regrets over certain aspects of her experience (about 90 percent of her preferences had to be scrapped for medical reasons.)

It can be really deflating when you put in months of preparation to have a particular type of birth, and then fall into having the opposite type of birth. It totally sucks. But “it’s not allowed to suck” — or so everyone says — if you and baby end up healthy.

“Well at least you have a healthy baby.”

Ugh.

Yes, you had your healthy baby, and obviously you’re thrilled with that ideal outcome, but what about all the yuck in between? The dashed expectations? The missed opportunities to move through certain experiences you had prepared for? The residual trauma of moving through experiences you hadn’t prepared for? 

Read more on Babble!

Mind-Body-Spirit, Parenting, Self Love, Uncategorized

9 Date Ideas That’ll Make You Forget You’re a Grown-Up

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I love me a good “dinner and a movie” date night, but they’re not unique or memorable. The nights I do remember are when we do something we both initially resist, or are scared to do (I’m looking at you ocean kayaking–at night.) I also remember the nights when everything goes completely sideways, but because we’re together, we have an unexpected blast. Here are some date night ideas that are sure to kindle (or rekindle) your sense of adventure, childlike wonder, and appreciation for that guy or gal in your life–no matter how adult you are.

1. Play Truth or Dare

Grab a bottle of wine and prepare to get honest. I would recommend saving yourself some hassle and maybe abstaining from “truths” about exes or the how your partner thinks your butt looks. But you do you!

Read more on Redbook!

Mind-Body-Spirit, Self Love, Uncategorized

Settling Into Your Favorite Spot in Nature: Relaxation Recording

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vNE8214NS9GOvXOy7DCu_DSC_0266Happy Holiday weekend y’all!

Because a few extra days off can easily slip into drowning yourself in making up laundry washing, email responding, baseboard washing (just me?) and many other uber fun activities, it may be a good idea to allow yourself to chill for a few moments. If you need some extra support, here is a recording to help you settle into your favorite spot in nature (even if you’re unable to physically go there.)

*Just type 0 into the price box to get it for free.

Sending you love!

xo

Bailey

 

Uncategorized

This Is What A Mom’s Voice Does to A Child’s Brain

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My son was born into a room of chaos. But the moment I spoke, my voice cut through the noise, flowed into his tiny ears, and he immediately turned his head toward mine. We locked eyes and an epic love affair was born. (He hasn’t been able to get me to shut up since.)

I thought my experience was just some mama-baby magic, but it’s actually based in science.

According to a study in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a child’s brain has stronger responses when exposed to their mother’s voice versus the voice of a stranger — even if the mother is speaking nonsensical words for even a fraction of a second! Magic. Science magic.

Your child’s anatomy isn’t the only element affected by your voice — their emotions are also soothed, like when you’re explaining why Diego left Dora for his own show or why marshmallows and peanut butter are not suitable breakfast foods.

Read more on Babble!

Pregnancy, Self Love, Uncategorized, Video

Talk to Me: How Talking to Our Grandparents Can Make Us Better People

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G-Betty lookin’ fierce on her 86th birthday.

My relationship with my Grandmother Betty (Grambetty) has always been a selfish one. I share endlessly about my worries, accomplishments and major missteps, siphon rich streams of advice from her, send her photos of my little family but rarely ask for images from her life and generally fill her with my own “stuff”, scarcely asking about her experiences.

 

She recently visited my home, and arrived on the same day I heard about the Huff Post Talk to Me project- total “Ah-ha! I’m a jerk” moment.

 

“Why haven’t I done this with my Grandmother before?”

Read (and watch!) more on Huff Post

Mind-Body-Spirit, Parenting, Self Love, Uncategorized

Volunteering For New Moms Saved My Life

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IMG_2078I had very negative (sometimes cruel) things to say to myself before I started “selfishly” giving to others.

The giving began shortly after I had my first panic attack. My son was 4 months old and I thought very little of my skills as a caregiver, had a sudden loss of love for myself, and a sense of unworthiness for all the beautiful drops of fortune in my life. The strength of the panic grew so intense I was put on medication.

The medication would help for a few hours, then I felt shame and guilt for having to take medication. I needed a pill that offered a paradigm shift.

My mom offered something better. She recommended I volunteer for a local organization that pairs trained volunteers with new mothers who have very little support and low income. It seemed crazy, seeing as how I was a new mother with little support and low income, but I was compelled to volunteer. I had to organize childcare for my baby during the training and volunteer sessions, but I knew I had to do this to become the mother my child deserved.

Read more on Babble!

Childbirth, Mind-Body-Spirit, Pregnancy, Uncategorized

I’m a Doula and Let Me Tell You: Orgasms During Childbirth Are a Real Thing

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IMG_7891The terms “orgasm” and “childbirth” sound like antonyms to most people. But, women have an orgasm when they conceive a baby (hopefully!), so maybe it’s not outside the realm of reason that they could have an orgasm while birthing the baby.

According to The Independent, a survey by the Positive Birth Movement and Channel Mum has reported that 6 percent of women say they have had an orgasm during childbirth. My initial reaction when I first heard about women who reported orgasms during birth was that they were lying braggarts — mainly because I was jealous I had never experienced this phenomenon.

But since I’ve become a birth doula, my “lying braggart” theory has been crushed; I’ve witnessed many women experience multiple orgasms during birth. I’ve heard them describe these births as “ecstatic overflows,” “spiritual awakenings,” “waves of bliss,” and “the longest, strongest, orgasm ever!” 

I wonder if these will be the ladies that end up having six children?

Read more on Babble!

Guilt & Forgiveness, Mom Humor, Parenting, Uncategorized

7 Things You Can’t Help but Think on Your First Mother’s Day

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*Raw insight into my first Mother’s Day!

IMG_2919When I woke up on my first Mother’s Day, I forgot I was one of the women being celebrated. I prepared breakfast for my own mom and mother-in-law, and I made them both a “We love you!” video, all while spending an hour trying to convince my baby to leave on the clip-on tie we’d bought for the occasion. And then my partner asked me if I wanted to take a break. “Isn’t this supposed to be a day to celebrate you too?”

When I took my break before the “real” mothers arrived for brunch, I sat on a swing chair on our porch and cried. It was the first time I’d had a quiet moment since giving birth 11 months prior, a moment to think about how I felt about being a mother, to consider what “being a mother” even meant. Here are seven thoughts that went through my head.

Read more on Cosmopolitan! 

Childbirth, Mind-Body-Spirit, Mom Humor, Parenting, Pregnancy, Uncategorized

Playing Music For My Son In the Womb Made Us Closer

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IMG_2634Music allowed me to hear the voice of my unborn baby.

During my pregnancy, I set the intention that my baby would offer me insights and answers via movement when we listened to music. I believed it was his opportunity to show me a glimpse into his soul.

Music also supported me in understanding and expressing (via my own movement) all the emotions I couldn’t actually verbalize to my baby (or to myself, sometimes). Each note sparked a new idea, question, or simple moment of appreciation for the being developing in my womb.

I would play reggae music as he moved back and forth across my mid-section. Some days I would try out 90’s hip-hop (I swear he would tap his foot to the rhythm). Classical music (the ultimate baby music cliché) just put him to sleep, no complaints.

His favorite music ended up being anything that made me dance. If I was shaking my bloated pregnancy booty it was (and still is) a good day for him; he’s down to shake along with me.

Oh, and we also listened to audio books. I had to drive a painful amount of time for work (four hours, three times a week). He slept through those audio books: Miranda’s dilemma about whether her Latin lover was actually murdering middle-aged art dealers in downtown Los Angeles really didn’t interest him.

Read more on Redbook!