10 Things Southern Women Do On Facebook

Inspired by the very funny Things White Girls Do On Facebook and Things Black Girls Do On Facebook let's examine 10 Things Southern Women Do On Facebook... And yes, I've done some of these things...

1) Share wedding pictures of themselves in cowboy boots.

2) Pimp their Mary Kay/Tastefully Simple/Thirty-One website.


3) Post pictures of their sweet, precious double-named baby daughter (Anna Grace/Mary Kate/Lilly Beth) in giant flower headbands.


4) Post pictures of Anna Grace/Mary Kate/Lilly Beth's double-named big brother (Jack David/James Henry/John Mark) in a monogrammed, smocked Jon-Jon


5) Tell their dead grandmas happy birthday ("We lost her in 2001. She would've been 98. RIP Nana Brown.")


6) Let the world know what they've got in their slow cooker. ("My house smells sooooo good! Barbecue chicken in the crock pot!")


7) Post pictures of their latest haul from Publix. ("Can you believe I got 18 cans of cream corn for $1? I love coupons!")


8) Link to pictures of bible verses they found on Pinterest.

9) Declare their love for formulaic romantic comedy. ("Have you seen All About Steve? Best movie ever!)


10) Become a football expert around Labor Day weekend. ("Special teams needs to get their heads in the game and our pass defense could use some work! RTR!")

Top Ten Mama Necessities Money Can't Buy

Welcome to the March Carnival of Natural Parenting: Natural Parenting Top 10 Lists

This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama. This month our participants have shared Top 10 lists on a wide variety of aspects of attachment parenting and natural living. Please read to the end to find a list of links to the other carnival participants.

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I've found myself writing a lot about baby "stuff" lately. And I know why -- baby "stuff" is fun. I'm a touch addicted to all the cute hippie baby accoutrement that comes with natural parenting. I love everything from baby legs to teething necklaces, from ring slings to nursing jewelry. But it's important for me to remember that the "stuff" is necessary. The most important mama must-have can't be bought in stores (or online).

Crunchy(ish) Mama's Top Ten Mama Necessities Money Can't Buy

1) Supportive Partner - I went the old-fashioned route when it came to forming a family, but whether you're raising your child with a spouse, best friend or same-sex partner their constant love and support is invaluable.

2) Your Mama Body - I have the same body issues as 99% of other women, but there's nothing like having a child to make you appreciate how perfectly designed your body is. Birth, breastfeeding, even carrying my son on my hip, have made me realize that all parts of my body are beautiful and have purpose.

3) Extended Family  - My parents, in-laws and sister live within an hour of me and it is awesome. I have no idea how people raise children without the help of their families.

4) Online Resources - The online expecting mothers forum I joined when I was 8 weeks pregnant has shaped the way I parent. The mothers on that forum introduced me to attachment parenting and truly changed my life. My two favorite online parenting resourses are Kelly Mom and Natural Parents Network.

5) Mama Friends - This may be bad, but I really don't like to go anywhere with kiddo and friends who don't have children. Only another mother understands that what should take 10 minutes may just take an hour because your toddler insists on doing it himself.

Five Easy Ways To Be Crunchier

I love baby steps. And of course, seeing as how I'm crunchy(ish) and not the crunchy(est) I also like easy. These simple suggestions are good for your health, your environment and your wallet.

1) Get a Reusable Water Bottle - Love this one. Bottled water is one of the greatest marketing schemes of all time. Bottled water is unnecessary and expensive. I love this Klean Kanteen stainless steel water bottle. I started carrying a reusable water bottle while pregnant to help me remember to drink enough fluids. Then it came in handy after the baby was born because it's tough to stay properly hydrated while nursing. And, duh, lots of water is good for weight loss!

2) Buy Local - Going to the farmer's market on Saturday mornings in the Spring and Summer is one of my favorite traditions. Buying local not only greatly reduces the carbon footprint of the items you buy, it also supports the local economy. Somethings at the farmer's market are a good deal -- some aren't -- but I find all the fresh produce, herbs, dairy, flowers and handmade items really inspire me and set the tone for a good weekend. There's something so special about being that connected to the people who grow your food.

3) Change Light Bulbs - This is one of the greatest money-savers of all the green tips. Though they may cost a bit more up front, compact florescent light bulbs quickly pay for themselves. Not only do CF bulbs last so much longer than traditional incandescent bulbs, they also use less electricity thus lowering your electric bill.  According to the Environmental Defense Fund, if every household replaced three 60-watt incandescent bulbs with energy efficient bulbs the pollution savings would be like taking 3.5 million cars off the road.

4) Use Reusable Shopping Bags - My favorite thing about reusable shopping bags is that some stores (including Target) give you a discount for using reusable bags. My favorite reusable tote (perfect for farmer's markets) are the graphic pattern reinforced bags from Simply Green Solutions. Having these also comes in handy for stores like Aldi where bags are not complementary. Plus it's nice to have a few insulated bags with you to help keep meat, dairy and frozen items cool if grocery shopping isn't your last errand of the day.

5) Limit the paper in your life -- There are so many ways to do this, but some suggestions include not getting a receipt at the bank or store unless you really need it, opting out of catalogs and pre-approved credit card applications and paying bills online. Some great resources for helping you reduce the paper waste in your life are Catalog Choice and Opt Out Pre Screen.

My 2010 Top 10

Top Ten Favorite Things of 2010

• Nursing Pads
• Moby Wrap
• Crockpot
• Target Nursing Tanks
• Redbox
• Fuzzibunz
• Farmer's Market
• Robeez
• Coupons
• Oatmeal

It's not exciting, but it's honest. Hope everyone has a fantastic 2011!