Five fun ways to Step Lightly but Live Fully on the Earth

Spend time with your little ones outdoors

While high-tech, high-touch is the twenty-first century way, consider spending at least one time out of the week interacting wuth your child through outdoor play. Go to a park, hang out at the beach, take a hike, or recreate at the zoo. Being around nature is not only healthy but an important way to nurture an appreciation for the environment. Spending time outdoors can help teach our little citizens about the natural world and inspire them to grow into greater stewards of the planet.

Enjoy handmade gifts

Next time you need a gift for someone, try making something! If you rather purchase a gift, consider buying an item that is handmade. Handmade things are unique, special, and usually created by local artisans; the money you spend will go further in stimulating your local economy as well as probably having a smaller carbon footprint.

Sharing with others

Since children often outgrow so many of their things from clothes to toys, consider swapping with friends and family. Make a party of it! Or from time to time, when appropriate, consider buying second-hand or consignment items over new. These are all the little ways that add up to reducing, reusing, and recycling things out of potential landfills.

BYOBC means "Bring your own beverage cup"

A personal canteen is the hottest new accessory next to belts, bangles, and reusable bags (see fun tip #5 below). These days, when you offer your own cup at your favorite cafe, most will reward you with a small discount. Studies and research are revealing more and more that reducing or eliminating the consumption of plastic containers is definitely a healthier, less wasteful, and even more economical way to go.

Use your own shopping bags

Whether for groceries or other kinds of shopping, the more you use your own bag the better. Like plastic bottles, plastic bags are one of the most notorious genre of trash. These days, reusable bags come in great colors and patterns that are light and easy to tote around. (LL)

February Classes

Vaccine Lecture
February 7, 5:30pm

Its that time again!! Come join us for an evening with Dr. Madeleine Portuondo, local naturopath and midwife,

who will be repeating the fabulous vaccine safety lecture for those of you who missed it the first couple of times. Dr. Portuondo is a wealth of knowledge and the 2 hour lecture covers everything from immunology basics to vaccine preservative components and more. It is truly a must-hear event for parents of young children. I was astonished at how little I knew on the topic.

Limited to 25 people so please RSVP to ashley@babyawearness.com if you would like to attend. Cost is $20 person/$35 couple and includes a very comprehensive packet of information.

As always, shopping after the event for attendees will include a 5% storewide discount! Sunday, February 7th. 5:30pm.

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Maximize Your Vitality
Macrobiotic Cooking Class with Lesley Ashburn
Sunday, February 7th 2pm



Feeling stressed, fatigued, and burned out? Are you ready to turbocharge your health? Learn how you can utilize the macrobiotic approach to gain more energy and a happier outlook. We'll even talk about how eating well relates to couples, since we're approaching Valentine's Day. Sign Up Here!

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Mom & Baby Yoga is Back!!
4 Week Series with Brynne Caleda
February 20th - March 13th @ 9am

To register visit Under the Yoga Tree

February Classes

Vaccine Lecture
February 7, 5:30pm

Its that time again!! Come join us for an evening with Dr. Madeleine Portuondo, local naturopath and midwife, who will be repeating the fabulous vaccine safety lecture for those of you who missed it the first couple of times. Dr. Portuondo is a wealth of knowledge and the 2 hour lecture covers everything from immunology basics to vaccine preservative components and more. It is truly a must-hear event for parents of young children. I was astonished at how little I knew on the topic.

Limited to 25 people so please RSVP to ashley@babyawearness.com if you would like to attend. Cost is $20 person/$35 couple and includes a very comprehensive packet of information.

As always, shopping after the event for attendees will include a 5% storewide discount! Sunday, February 7th. 5:30pm.

Maximize Your Vitality Macrobiotic Cooking Class with Lesley Ashburn Sunday, February 7th 2pm Feeling stressed, fatigued, and burned out? Are you ready to turbocharge your health? Learn how you can utilize the macrobiotic approach to gain more energy and a happier outlook. We'll even talk about how eating well relates to couples, since we're approaching Valentine's Day. Sign Up Here!

Mom & Baby Yoga is Back!!
4 Week Series with Brynne Caleda
February 20th - March 13th @ 9am

To register visit Under the Yoga Tree

Lets Talk Toys with Julliet Lowe

Just how important is play in early childhood?
Joseph Pearce, "Child Play" 1993 has said, "All children want to do is learn which they try to do through their greatest learning tool, play."
Today, our keiki have so many toys to play with but they can do less and less with these toys. Also, too many toys can overwhelming and you might find that your little one may play with none of them. So how do we find a balance?
I'm a parent, who like you, wishes to provide our children with beautiful, natural, high quality toys. You know, The kind that still has magic in them. The kind where children need to work hard to find that magic and bring it out during play time. A good example would be a play silk: It might act as an ocean one day and turn into a cape fit for a king the next.

Baby aWEARness recognizes this need and believes that even though hand crafted toys cost alittle more, your child will benefit, blissfully unaware of its educational and growth development value. We would like to feature our Evi dolls made in Brazil this week.
Evi dolls, a simple doll, soft, warm, and made from natural fibers, provide an image of a human being for your child.
I've watched my own children adopt their dolls into their lives, giving them names and providing unconditional love towards them. I've observed the way they play act their own experiences with their dolls and was glad to see this healthy exchange.
Stay tuned for our next Let's talk Toys! blog. I would love to hear about your experiences as well.
warmest Blessings to you and yours,
julliet

H1N1 and Breastfeeding

The H1N1 flu virus and vaccine are hot topics recently. Every parent wants to protect their babies from this flu. Babies cannot be vaccinated until at least six months of age. So what else should parents to ?

The following things can be done to prevent babies from the flu:

1. Careful HAND WASHING practices of all those coming in contact with your babies.
2. Control coughs.
3. BREASTFEED YOUR BABIES!!

The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ) states that formula feeding increases the odds of getting the flu and breastfeeding PROTECTS the baby from getting the flu. Therefore, it is NOT a matter of, “Oh, formula feed babies will be fine”
Let’s take these recommendations and use them to their full advantage and have even more mothers and babies breastfed.


-Naoko "Nicky" Lawnsby

Hot Mama - Nihon

Ａｌｏｈａ！　皆さん。

今回、Hot Mama MaternityとのBaby aWEARnessの新しいパートナーシップを祝して、「ハワイのＮｅｘｔ　Ｈｏｔ　ママ！」(ハワイ在住のママさんたちに自分らしく輝いていただく機会を提供するコンテスト)を開催しています。 見事、勝者となったママさんは2010年、このHot Mama MaternityとのBaby aWEARnessの新しいパートナーシップの象徴となってくれるでしょう。

みなさん、是非、ふるってご応募ください。
こちらを読んでいただいているママさんはもちろん、お友達のママさんにも、ぜひぜひお伝えくださいね！Hot Mama MaternityとのBaby aWEARness共々、
かっこよくて素敵な、Ｈｏｔなママさんに出逢えるのを楽しみにしています。

ご応募の詳細ついては以下、引き続きお読み下さい。
応募は簡単♪エントリーシートに必要事項をご記入ください！（英語になります。）

Are YOU Hawaii's Next Hot Mama?
あなたはハワイのＮｅｘｔ　Ｈｏｔ　ママをご存知ですか?　
本コンテストはハワイ在住のママさんたちに、女性らしく自分らしく輝いていただくための機会です。 コンテストの期間は、2009年の2010年1月1日から2月11日です。 あなたの知り合いや友人、家族のＨｏｔ　ママさんたち、今すぐご応募ください！
　　ところで、どうしたらＮｅｘｔ　Ｈｏｔ　ママになれるのでしょう？　Hot ママはスーパーモデルである、などと言う事ではありません。 Ｎｅｘｔ　Ｈｏｔ　ママとは、活動的で、クリエイティブな輝いているお母さんであるということ。 それは一人の女性として、そしてまた一人の母親として、さらに一個人としての役割に誇りを持っているということ。

私たちBaby aWEARnessとHot Mamaの新たなパートナーシップの象徴として、このハワイにいらっしゃるすべての母親である人と、その家族のためにＮｅｘｔ　Ｈｏｔ　ママの役割が評価され、はじめてＮｅｘｔ　Ｈｏｔ　ママが誕生することになります。

What Makes A Mom a Hot Mama?
さて、ハワイのNext Hotママは、どんな方でしょう?　妊娠中のママさん、真新しくママになったばかりの方、または、すでにたくさんのお子さんがいらっしゃるママさんであるかもしれません!　専業主婦をされているママさん、ビジネスばりばりのキャリアママさん、ミリタリーのママさんであるかもしれません。どんなママさんも大歓迎！！ ご自身はもちろん、この方こそハワイのNext Hot　ママだという方をご存知の場合でも、どしどしご応募ください。



申し込み方法：
こちらのサイト（http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/WRBG7N9）（英語）からオンラインにて、必要事項を書き込み、ご応募ください。また、マノア・マーケットプレイス内（２階）のBaby aWEARnessとHot Mama店頭にても直接お申し込みいただけます。（2752Woodlawn　Drive、スイート5-209、Honolulu、HI 96822）

The Prize:
めでたくハワイのNext Hot Mamaとなった方には、数々の特典をご用意しております。Hot Mamaのウェブサイト、ポスター、ニュースレター、そして店内での宣伝広告に、イメージキャラクターとして登場していただき、そのためのプロによる写真撮影が提供されます。また、見事Next Hot ママに輝いたママさんには、Baby aWEARnessとHot Mamaより、素敵なスパパッケージと1,000ドル相当のギフト券がプレゼントされます。


コンテストのルール:
１．コンテスト・お申し込み期間：2010年1月1日～2月１１日
２．すべての申し込みはわたしたち審査官によって公平に吟味されます。
３．見事Next Hot ママになられたご本人には2月15日の週中に通知致します。

注意事項:
申込者は21歳以上であること。 審査の過程にて、さらなる情報収集のため、ご連絡する場合もございます。ハワイのNext Hot ママとしての特権は2010年12月31日まで有効となります。 当選者の方には、宣伝プロモーションのたまに、補償なしで、名前と写真を使用することへの同意が必要となります。 Baby aWEARness/Hot　Mamaを代表して、最低でも1度のライブ出演に同意していただくことになります。Baby aWEARness/Hot Mamaは、いかなる理由においても、必要な場合はその特権を取り消す権利を有します。

ご意見、ご質問等はFacebook（英語）またはTwitter（英語）で、さらに店頭にてご確認ください。みなさまのたくさんのご応募、お待ちしております！

The Benefits of Babywearing

As many of you know, we are lucky to have the wonderful Kristin Speltz, RN, and leader of E Ho'ohapai na Kamalei, O'ahu's babywearing group, lead a babywearing workshop at our store on the second Saturday of every month.

Why wear your baby? Consider the following benefits of babywearing:

• Babies cry less when carried.
• Baby gets to see the world from an adult's eye level.
• Babies feel more secure, enhancing the bond and trust with their caregiver.
• Parents are more in tune with their baby’s rhythms and cues.
• Carriers allow mom to hold baby and be “hands free” to attend to chores or other children.
• Helps protect baby from strangers who can’t resist touching a new baby.
• Easy to nurse discreetly or on-the-go.

Parents have more options than ever these days when selecting a baby carrier. Baby aWEARness has a wide selection of different types including wraps, ring slings, mei teis and soft structured carriers. Many carriers can accommodate newborns through toddlers and carry up to 45 lbs! Stop by the store to try a few on and find out which are the best fit for you and your baby.