I’ll admit it, my kids aren’t perfect!  It’s so easy to talk about their strengths and brag about their achievements because that’s what we do as parents.  But what about when your kids misbehave, lie, cheat, and steal?  Do we go around talking about that or do we just sweep it under the rug and hope that no one will find out?

I don’t want to go into all of the details because this blog is not my place to embarrass or humiliate my children (after all, one day hopefully they will read some of this) but I want to acknowledge that my children aren’t perfect.  This has been a challenging week as a parent.  My son got caught cheating.  He is a very competitive academic and puts a lot of pressure on himself to do good.  When things don’t go as he thinks they should he gets very angry and doesn’t know how to react properly.  He’s always been sensitive and tends to over-react when he gets angry, that’s nothing new.  I’ll take full blame on the sensitivity issues because I tend to over-react myself (although none of my friends ever see that side of me).  He ended up receiving a punishment that I think will discourage him from cheating again so hopefully the incident will have a positive influence on him.

Then tonight my 2 year old got her first lesson in lying.  She damaged something in my room tonight and instead of admitting that she did it she blamed her brother.  Two year old’s aren’t the best liars so I had a feeling she was lying to me but I couldn’t guarantee it.  She was upset when I punished her and gave me her dramatic tears.  I asked her one more time if she lied to me and finally before bedtime she admitted that she ‘did it.’

I think I was harder on my son at this age because I knew I was teaching him a lesson.  With her, she’s our baby and our little princess who can do no wrong.  With 6 years between them it’s amazing how different our parenting strategies are with them.

Why is it harder to talk about their weaknesses and failures than it is to talk about their achievements?  I feel like I could have written a post 10X longer and more well spoken than this if I was bragging about his mad math skills.  Instead I’m admitting that my children lie and cheat!  They aren’t perfect!

Are yours?

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Coupon code below!  GIVEAWAY ENDED!  Congratulations Gwen & Jennifer!

A few years ago I was introduced to attachment parenting.  I personally thought it seemed like an extreme idea but I think that was because of my limited knowledge on the actual ideas.  I originally thought that it was a theory that parents and their babies/children should not be separated from one another.  That by being held at all times and by co-sleeping that the child would somehow gain some sense of security.  Now with my second child I am starting to understand that it’s much deeper than that.  It’s not just about holding your child.  It’s more about living a more natural family lifestyle including such values as breastfeeding, natural health, co-sleeping, baby wearing and homeschooling.  Being an attachment parent doesn’t mean that you have to accept all of these values either. 

I didn’t realize that I was actually following most of the principles of attachment or natural parenting.  We cloth diaper, breastfeed, make homemade (and organic) baby food, co-sleep on occasion, and wear our baby.  I did most of these withmy first son over 6 years ago.  The two newest practices are the cloth diapers and the baby wearing.  Both of which are actually very ancient in origin.  Wearing your baby has been done for thousands of years by many cultures including the ancient Chinese and Egyptians.

I had a carrier similar to the Baby Bjorn with my son but it wasn’t easy to use.  It had clips and you couldn’t put it on without someone helping you.  I remember trying to carry my son through the airport as a child and struggling to get through security because I had to remove him from the carrier with very little help.  I was totally discouraged and we didn’t use it much after that.  So with my daughter I decided to give it another try.  This time I was going to try the Hotsling.  My husband actually thought I was crazy for spending that much money on a sling because he remembers the experience with our other carrier.  I now have 2 Hotslings and I’m hooked.  The funny thing is, so is my husband, my mom, and my sitter!  As a newborn it was great for breastfeeding in public because it gave the baby a private place to feed.  As she’s gotten older (now 6mo) we’ve worn it differently (there are many different ways to wear the pouch slings) and it’s great for hip holding.  The best thing about the slings is that it usually puts Lil’ B to sleep in a matter of minutes.  I can work, do dishes, vacuum, and more; all while keeping her close to me. 

Recently, as some of you may know, I’ve become addicted to Twitter and the Monday night #clothdiaper chats.  During one of my first chats I heard everyone talking about baby wearing and I HAD to learn more.  Luckily for me there was a baby wearing chat a few days later and I learned SO much!  I didn’t realize how many different styles of carriers there were.  Mei Tai’s, pouch slings, ring slings, structured, unstructured, Moby’s, Ergo’s, etc.  Oh boy, am I in trouble!  I want to try them all! 

One of the companies I became familiar with was Dittany Baby.  This is an online retailer who specializes in pouch slings, Mei Tai’s, and Skidpants/Legwarmers.  (Oh yeah, another one of my addictions is baby leg warmers!  I love them!!!)  Here is an interview with the founder and owner of Dittany Baby that I conducted the other day.  Keep reading because they have offered 2 lucky readers a special giveaway and coupon code!

The Eco Chic:  Can you describe where the name Dittany Baby came from?

Dittany:  I had to come up with a name that meant something to me, I’m quirky like that!  I thought about different combinations of names pertaining to my family but nothing clicked with me.  There are so many GREAT names out there and I wanted to create a name that stood out and could really fit with whatever we threw at it weather it was baby products or branching out into other lines and products.   I pulled up a herb/flower list on Google and just started down the list and my eye caught Dittany of Crete.  I began to read the story of ancient shepherds living on the island of Crete finding two sets of sheep.  One set that had been wounded by a nearby battle, shot with arrows and dead and another set who had been found eating this purple flower and whose wounds were healing.  Dittany of Crete is even mentioned in Homer’s The Iliad.  As I read further I found out that through the centuries one of the main uses was to ease the birthing process and also externally as a salve on a wound.  At that time we had two products, the slings and skidpants.  To me the name fit so perfectly with what I was trying to accomplish.  I put the skidpants on my son’s legs as he learned to crawl to protect him from the blisters he was getting by dragging his legs and I had fallen in love with slings and all of the soothing benefits that baby wearing can provide.  I was sold!  That was the name!

The Eco Chic:  With all the baby products out there why do you focus on SkidPants/Legwarmers and baby carriers?

Dittany:  As a manufacturer I believe in making something GREAT!  A product and a company that is EVERYTHING that I would want it to be!  Until that is accomplished I wouldn’t allow us to move on to other things.  Last May we brought all of the skidpantproduction here to the US and that was a very important step for me.  We’ve spent the year getting everything else in place and creating a smooth flowing operation.  So now it’s time to watch out!  We have some really exciting things on the horizon with a release of a new product called “The Baby Lua” along with our goal to have our first brick and mortar store opened by Mothers day of 2010.

The Eco Chic:  What age babies/children can wear your SkidPants/Legwarmers?

Dittany:  My son wore them as early as 8 weeks but I had to do the 80′s tuck and roll like we did with jeans.  They are longer than others on the market being 15 inches in length and they are very stretchy so as to not cut into the thigh.  That being said we’ve had babies to adults wearing them.

The Eco Chic:  Why did you begin to ‘wear’ your child?  What are some of the benefits of baby wearing? 

Dittany:  I was a naive first time mom.  I’d never heard of baby wearing and I found it on the internet when I was trying to find another way to take my 8 month old to a historical market in DC without using a stroller.  From there I found www.thebabywearer.com which is an invaluable resource of information.  The next day after making my first sling I walked 15 blocks in DC with flip-flops on and carrying a BIG baby and I felt GREAT!  I was convinced and that was even before reading about all the other wonderful benefits like the bonding between wearer and baby, the health benefits for the baby’s spine, legs digestion and that’s not even talking about the wearers back!

The Eco Chic:  What is your favorite style of baby carrier, and why?

Dittany:  That’s a hard question and it really depends on the circumstances and their age.  Dittany Baby had a luxury Mei Tai that had spa minky fleece and that was my favorite when my second son was a newborn.  As they grow older from about 4 months on I am an avid pouch sling wearer…not sure why but that is just the way it worked for me.

The Eco Chic:  You offer a collegiate line of SkidPants.  Any plans on collegiate carriers or other collegiate items?

Dittany:    Yes, as a HUGE college football fan I was so excited to introduce our officially licensed collegiate warmers.  They have been a huge hit and there are some schools that as soon as we re-knit they are gone within a matter of days.  We are about to launch www.collegiatebaby.comthat will have our warmers and other coordinating items like beanies, onesies, etc.  As far as collegiate slings they are in the works.  It takes a lot to get things licensed and approved so we’re working on it.

The Eco Chic:  From one college football fan to another, what is your favorite team?

Dittany:  If you ask me during the week I’d tell you all the ones we have in stock.  I love them all and love designing them especially our new argyles that are coming out this fall.  However, on a Saturday between September and January that’s a different story and for the love of my awesome customers and the fans of our bitter rivalry I’m going keep that a secret!

I wanted to thank Dittany Baby for allowing me to sample their Iris Reversible Pouch Sling and UGA (Go DAWGS!!) legwarmers.  Their products are very high quality and I’m sold!  A few great features about their pouch slings: light weight, reversible, and come with a great carrying pouch.  The legwarmers are very versatile.  They are longer in length than the Baby Legs I’ve purchased at Target which will allow Lil’ B to wear them even as a toddler and preschooler.  In addition, I’m going to get my own pair to wear as arm warmers!  Fall football games can be hot during the day and cool at night so these would come in very handy under my jersey.

Giveaway and Coupon Code! Congratulations Gwen & Jennifer!Dittany Baby is going to provide 2 lucky readers (US, Canada, or International) their very own pouch sling and legwarmer set.  Everyone can be a winner with a 20% off coupon on your next sling purchase from now until the end of July.  (Coupon Code:  ECBB2009)

To enter to win a pouch sling and legwarmer set from Dittany Baby you must complete #1 below.  In addition, you may earn extra entries by doing any of the additional items.  You must complete step #1 though. 

1.  Click HERE and complete the easy entry form.  All information is kept in a private database and will not appear on the blog or shared with any companies.  (Must complete to be eligible)
2.  Become a Fan of both Dittany Baby and The Eco Chic on Facebook.  Leave a comment below and let me know you are a Fan.  Good for one extra entry.
3.  Follow both @dittany and @theecochic on Twitter.    Leave a comment below and let me know your user name after you have followed us.  Good for one extra entry.
4.  Add my Eco-Summer Blog Party button or The Eco Chic button to your blog or website.  (Code is located on the upper right sidebar)  Please leave a comment with a link to your blog/site.  Good for one extra entry.
5.  Write a blog about the Eco-Summer Blog Party & Dittany Baby.  Please leave a link to your blog in the comment section.  Good for one extra entry. 
6.  Tweet the following message “Learn the benefits of baby wearing and Win a Pouch Sling and Legwarmer Set from @dittany and @theecochic www.theecochic.com #giveaway“  It is important to include all of that information so I can track the tweets!   Good for one extra entry per tweet; maximum of 2 tweets per day until the end of the contest. 
7. Subscribe to have The Eco Chic delivered to your email inbox using the Feedburner subscriber located at the top right.  Good for one extra entry upon confirmation of subscription.  Please verify your subscription.
8.  For those readers who are not active on Twitter; you may earn a total of 6 extra entries by emailing 6 of your friends and telling them about this contest.  This option is only for those readers who do not twitter.  Please copy me on your email to your friends (I promise I will not email them afterwards, this is only for verification purposes.  calley@theecochic.com)

You can earn a possibility of 12 entries if you follow all of the options!ENTER EXTRA COMMENTS HERE!
Contest ends Friday, July 10th at Midnight (EST)

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I wanted to wish all the mothers (and motherly type people) a very Happy Mother’s Day!  My day was spent away from the fancy restaurants and away from all the fancy gifts and store bought stuff.  My son is only 5 so I don’t think he really ‘appreciates’ what I do for him yet…but my hubby certainly does.  They let me stay in bed this morning while the two of them cooked me breakfast.  My present was a breakfast cooked by the best men in my life, a handmade card (complete with coupons), and a flower picked from the garden.  The coupons were for little things my son could do (or get some help doing) like 1) wash my car, 2) snuggle time, and 3) clean up his room himself.  I have to say my hubby was quite creative at the last minute!  The rest of the day was spent spending quality family time.  What else could the EcoChic (Eco-Freak to some! LOL!!) ask for?  Nothing!  Today was perfect.

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I caught the last thirty minutes of Oprah today.  The topic was consuming less.  It got me thinking about the things I’ve changed in my life lately.  We’ve stuck to our list at the grocery store lately and tried not to buy things we know we don’t need.  I got tired of throwing out food when it went bad so I try not to buy too much.  Our weekly trips to our favorite discount store has ended with less in the cart lately.  Last week we went there and hardly bought anything at all.  If we didn’t need it; we didn’t buy it. 

So what’s the difference between want and need?  I know in the U.S. our needs and wants are easily confused.  I’m really trying to ask myself this question before I buy something.  My son thinks he needs more Lego’s.  When in all actuallity he doen’t need anything but maybe some more clothes that actually fit (he’s 5 and keeps getting taller).  To people in other countries their needs are food and shelter; clean water and medicine.  Growing up I wasn’t raised getting everything that I wanted; my parents struggled just like most middle class America; some years were better than others.  As I got older I really appreciated the things I had.  I’m not sure when the change was made but at some point in my early adult years (20-something) I changed.  I was making money; I was working in retail; and I thought I needed everything.  Once I got married the trend continued; I needed a new house, a new car, new furniture, yadda, yadda, yadda.  It got worse when I had my son; I feel like if I can provide for him that I should give him everything that he wants (within reason).  Like I said, he’s now 5 and needs nothing.  He’s not totally spoiled but he is very fortunate and has lots of stuff.  More than any child needs.  The funny thing is that if you asked him all he really wants is for us to spend time with him; playing with him.  It doesn’t matter what we are doing or what we are playing with he just wants our time. 

That brings me back to the title of this post; IS LESS REALLY MORE?  If we buy less will we have more happiness?  Will we be a closer family?  And can this change benefit the environment?  If we consume less we will have less waste.  Less waste equals less of an impact on the environment. 

This is a great concept but will we really be able to change our patterns?  Will we actually buy less stuff?  Can we really do more and buy less?  It’s not something that will change overnight and we will never be perfect.  But I hope that we can at least make an effort.  I’ll keep you posted on our progress but I’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic.  Can you be happy with less?  What are some of your wants and needs?  Leave me a comment; I’d love to hear from you.           

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Earth Day is one week from today; what are you going to be doing to help celebrate?  Is your city planning any special events?  How do you find out?  The first place to look is Earth Day Network; where you can search by your zip code for events in your area.  You can always search your local newspapers for happenings in your area too.  Did you know that most cities are celebrating this weekend?  Our local beach and State Park is holding an Earth Day festival over the weekend.  Wal-Mart is celebrating on Saturday with 1 million free reusable shopping bags to give away.  Publix is celebrating by focusing on their GreenWise Organic line. 

 So what is the Eco Chic doing for Earth Day?  Actually quite alot.  I have to travel for work again so that’s on negative impact I will be making while trying to eductate others; but it is absolutely necessary for me to be there.  We’re having a big outdoor Earth Day festival for our employees at the headquarters.  As part of our environmental program we are promoting ways employees can become better environmental stewards both at home and work.  We are really trying to show how the little changes they can make (turning of their computer monitors when they walk away) really do make a difference.  Not only to the environment but also to the overall operational costs of the organization.  I will be spending three days celebrating Earth Day for work; one setting up and two days for the actual events at two locations. 

When I get home I’m going to finish celebrating with my sons school.  Thursday I arranged for someone from our local Keep America Beautiful office to come in and talk with the pre-K classes.  Friday I am going to go and talk to the kids about energy.  I have no idea what I’m going to talk about yet; I guess I’ll figure out a short lesson for them over the weekend.  I do have one good book (see yesterday’s book review) that I can read them but I want to come up with a great project I can do with the kids to really get them thinking about energy. 

I would LOVE to hear how you will be celebrating Earth Day this year.  Leave me a comment.  Whatever you do try to make a pledge to yourself to change one thing in your life.  I’ll let you know next week what my pledge is. 

P.S.  Since I’m on travel next week I’m not sure if I’ll get to actually wish you all a Happy Earth Day!  So I hope you all have a great day! 

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