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Let Mothering and Boba Pamper You This Mother's Day!

10K views 44 replies 34 participants last post by  cynthia mosher 
#1 ·
Is Mothering an important part of your life as a parent? Do you love the Mothering community friendship and support? We want to hear your story! Mothering and Boba have teamed up to offer an AMAZING prize package for one lucky mama to celebrate this Mother's Day in style!! You don't want to miss out on this one!



What You Can Win:

One winner will receive all of the following prizes:

  • A $300 value "Mama Pamper Package" including a dinner for two and a spa package at a local restaurant and spa in the area where the winner lives.
  • A $228 value package from Boba including 1 Boba Air, 1 Boba 3G and 1 Boba Wrap.

Yep, that's 5 items total with a total value of over $500!



How to Enter:

Post a reply in this thread on why you love being a Mothering community member. What does Mothering mean to you, what do you cherish the most about Mothering? Add a photo of your family with the word "Mothering" placed in the picture in some way. (e.g. It may be our printed logo, each member of your family holding letters, crafted out of something you have in your household, written in sand on a beach, or in chalk on a sidewalk, etc.) We want to see how creative you get!

Contest Guidelines: Open to all users who've been registered Mothering members for at least 2 weeks. Contest end date: May 10, 2013. Read the full Terms and Conditions of the contest.

A Message from Boba:

The Boba family of products is perfect for anyone who loves to babywear. Here are more details about the three products included in this Mother's Day prize pack:

  1. The Boba Air is simple to use, ultra lightweight and ergonomic! The perfect carrier for travelers or any parent on the go - when you're done, just fold, zip & stash.
  2. The Boba Carrier 3G includes more than a dozen features making this carrier truly one of a kind! Ideal for babies and toddlers alike, the Boba Carrier may be converted to a newborn carrier without an infant insert or any additional items and used well into toddlerhood. The ergonomic design, patent-pending foot straps, and multiple adjustments make this carrier the perfect fit for your entire family.
  3. The Boba Wrap is the ideal carrier for babies from birth until around 18 months, free of buckles, straps or snaps! Simply tie the material snug against your body and achieve a perfect fit every time - perfect for beginners and advance babywearers alike.
 
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#2 ·
I don't have the bandwidth time to do the photo part. But I could really use the pampering. My third child is 20 months old we've been on an elimination diet since he was three days old. We have a doctor's visit of some type nearly every week and our diet is so limited I'm now drinking Elemental Formula to keep myself healthy.
I like Mothering because Its the only place I know I can talk to other moms who've had to drink formula so they could keep breastfeeding. Oh and our Ergo is nine years old and on its fourth baby. We could totally use a new carrier!
 
#4 ·
Hope I'm doing this right!

I love being a Mothering member because it's a place for moms like me to get together and share their troubles and joys. I've used mothering as a resource through pregnancy and with my two children when I couldn't find help elsewhere. I've asked for advice for other moms and gained inspiration from articles and discussion boards. I love how supportive the Mothering community and how it constantly reminds me what's important in life and that I don't need to be perfect to be a good mom.

 
#5 ·
Step1:
I love mothering because it's somewhere to go to find other like minded people. I love to seek advice and wisdom from other moms who have the answer when I don't, and I like to share wisdom that I've gained over the past 10 years of my motherhood journey to help others who need it. I love sharing the trials and joys, tribulations and blessings that come with motherhood. I enjoy getting other peoples perspective, and opening my mind to think outside my own box. I love just being able to vent sometimes to people who truly understand because they've been there or are right there with ya. Mothering is my very favorite forum, and has been since I found it :-D

 
#6 ·
I've had great mothering experiences and this seems like an awesome contest for a mom-to-be, but we've set a goal not to post pics of our kids on the internet (and that starts with the u/s photos even!)
 
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#7 ·
I love being a Mothering community member because I can find like-minded parents with helpful answers and suggestions for everything from birth through childhood. I also love the sense of community I've found in some of the more specific forums. Mothering has provided a much needed support system for me and my family.



I'll take that dinner & massage now!
eat.gif
 
#8 ·


I love the mothering community because I can always connect with moms who believe in gentle parenting and treating our children and ourselves with kindness. The moms here are supportive of one another and when they disagree they do so in a constructive and respectful way. My wife and I are mothers together and our children come to us in different ways. We have loved and lost children meant for adoption and have gathered strength to keep loving and opening our hearts to the children who are meant to be ours. There are three kiddos in this picture, one loved and lost, one recently found, and one growing strong in my belly! And of course two mothers who love our babies and eachother with whole and open hearts!!
 
#9 ·
What does Mothering mean to me?

I happened to stumble onto Mothering.com a few years ago as I was researching answers to some of my natural parenting questions. I spent time reading reviews on everything from baby carriers to birth pools. I read and cried over beautiful birth stories. I used Mothering as a guide to help pick out cloth diapers as a new mom. I asked questions about birth practices and found thoughtful and educated answers here.

I had always thought I was somewhat of an anomaly as a new mom here in my area. With my first baby, I didn't think it was possible to spoil a newborn, and I fell hard into attachment parenting. Babywearing, cloth diapering, co-sleeping, natural birth, and extended breastfeeding were not overtly common where I live. I was so pleasantly surprised to find like minded mamas here on MDC who were just as passionate about these things. I was also impressed with the correct spelling and grammar usage of the other members!
smile.gif


I've always been able to find support and give support here. From an unwanted induction-turned-cesarean, a natural hospital VBAC, two miscarriages, a life-threatening obstetric hemorrhage, and now a home water birth, I've experienced much on my mothering journey. There is always someone out there in this wonderful community that can understand what I'm going through and where I've been.

At the beginning of my most recent pregnancy last summer, I navigated my way through the site and bumped into the March 2013 due date club. Oh my goodness, what a treasure! How can I even begin to describe how incredibly amazing this group had been? It was such a vibrant community of intelligent, strong, and caring women. I found myself checking the forum multiple times a day, always excited to read the hilarious stories, be challenged by the questions asked, send out a little encouragement, and genuinely get to know these other moms. Even though we had never met face-to-face, we developed such deep bonds with each other. So much love and support was shared and true friendships were made. I honestly believe some of these friendships will be life-long!

Several months ago, our due date club participated in a birth bead swap. When I opened my package and saw the beads and read the handwritten notes, I just began sobbing at the incredible thoughtfulness of these women I have come to love. I wore my beautiful birth bead necklace throughout my entire labor (of my home water VBAC rainbow baby!) and was strengthened as I remembered my fellow moms. We were all in this journey together!

I am over the moon excited about meeting one due date club friend for a playdate tomorrow. She lives three hours away, and we planned to meet several months ago, but the early arrival of her baby changed our plans! I am eagerly anticipating officially meeting someone that I feel so close to already. Her children are the same ages as mine, and we have had similar challenges and triumphs on our mothering journeys. I am so blessed to consider her a friend.

Now, as we have all had our babies, our due date club members are continuing to encourage one another as we struggle with breastfeeding, sleep deprivation, and postpartum health. We share photos and stories of our beautiful babies, rejoicing with one another at the privilege it is to mother these little ones!

Thank you, Mothering, for introducing me to some of my best friends and helping me become a better mom.

 
#10 ·
I found Mothering when I was looking for answers to questions about things like sleep sharing and natural parenting - and there were answers in abundance! Every time I needed encouragement, Mothering was here. At all hours of the night, too. ;) As my little girl grew I sought encouragement in extended breastfeeding, help when people were suggesting solids and I didn't think it was time, and research on healthy homemade baby food options when it was time.

The healing from birth trauma forums helped me as I struggled with PTSD following my Hyperemesis Gravidarum, and with my vacuum-delivered baby and related birth trauma. As baby girl grew and was identified as a smart cookie, the Parenting Gifted Kids forum was a relief. Finding parents encountering the same wonders, similar challenges, and able to help us as we sought appropriate activities and play for her has been priceless.

As a resource, Mothering is incredible. Members and staff are considerate and thoughtful, the supply of threads from professionals in their fields incredible helpful, and discussion thought-provoking.

Above all, I value a forum where I can count on thoughtful responses.

So here we are, in all our glory! As avid ASL folks, we were going with the hands-on theme and signing "mother(ing)" but there were too many wiggles :D The Baby is signing "baby" hehe. The sign is on a recycled co-op bag, with baby and earth friendly paint, and we had a very fun (MESSY, YAY!!!) time making it.

 
#12 ·
Can anyone fill me in on how to post a pic in this thread from my phone? I tried clicking on the picture thingy in the reply box choosing upload from device and choosing the pic but it wouldn't go : (
 
#13 ·
I'm not sure what you are seeing in your view on your phone but I see a window that says "Reply" and then beneath that are three little icon buttons. One has a B in it, the second has a paperclip-like image, which is to add a link, and the third is an image button. Just click the image button and then either upload the image from your phone or place the URL of where it is located.

 
#14 ·
Being a member of a community like this makes me feel less alone. Whether it be mom's who co-sleep, attachment parents or just simply moms who have a question or two about what colour the poop should be, you never feel alone.

Mothering to me means teaching our boys to grow up and be great men, to be leaders and respect women.... it means loving our sons unconditionally and taking care of our unborn baby as best as we can until we get to meet them. It's about laughing together :)

It is quite hard to pick just one thing that I cherish most about mothering but I must admit when my son gets up in the morning and first sees me waiting there for him... the look on his face, the hug I get, that alone is something I will always cherish.... hopefully during those teenage years when he is pulling away and making himself a mark on this world I will look back and remember that moment in time.

 
#15 ·
Mothering is one of the first places I go when I need answers to my parenting questions that my friends or family can't answer. Or when I need camaraderie regarding things like co sleeping, homeschooling, delayed vaccinations, what happens when you take too much Vitamin E during pregnancy, all KINDS OF STUFF! I love having a place to go where mamas understand!
 
#16 ·
it help me get thru some of the hardes points in my life and i love how the ladies help each other thru everything with warm and kind words mothering is a great place to get help when no one else is there or wants to listen to you and i hope i have mothering .com in my life for years to come cause i love the susport i get from here even when the times are not the best and when the times are great and plus i love being a mother to my kids they teach me things and i teach them things is what i love the most it is the whole thing about learning how every thing in life is for everyone
 
#17 ·
OMG, if not for this community I would've had nowhere to turn when I had questions about how to change my and my children's lives!!! Even when this group didn't have THEE answer, they knew how to help me get to the answers! Or at minimum, they totally understood the things that bothered me, but not the people around me--and having that feeling of being "heard" and understood was so empowering. It's the first place I turn when I have an "outside of the mainstream" need--be it answers or support!!!

 
#18 ·
I've been a member of Mothering since long before I became a mother. For years this community has been a place of support and knowledge for me. As a nanny I learned gentle techniques for teaching and discipline. As a doula I had a chance to network and learn tips. I found a tribe of 'mothers' who were not yet mothers, that helped me through the rough times before my husband and I were able to start our own family. And then eventually I found two wonderful groups of ladies who supported me on my journey to get pregnant and through the pregnancy, birth, and craziness of entering motherhood for the first time.

I owe most of what I know about natural birth, breastfeeding and intuitive parenting to the mother community. Time and time again, when I have a question, or need reassurance, it is always MDC or my "mdc mamas" who I turn to for that love, support and knowledge that I need. My "family" picture isn't typical, especially as my daughter is now almost 18 months old, you'd think we'd have a new family photo, but to me, it sums up most what I love about this community-- the collective knowledge held by the parents in these forums is unbelievable. And more than that, they offer it in a way that showers you with love, not judgement, and helps you feel confident to make your own choices.

To me, this photo represents so much- my husband being on board with our natural birth, because of information I was able to share with him that I learned on mothering. It makes me think of all the labor tips I learned as a doula and as a pregnant woman, that proved to be crucial to my success at having a natural birth. It shows the power of having strong women behind me that believed in me, that helped me to draft a birth plan and stand up to hospital staff to get the things I wanted-- movement, only intermittent monitoring, a mostly uninterrupted birth. I owe my labor to the mamas who took the time to respond to questions and thoughts of a stranger online. Those who care enough to know it made a difference. These things made the difference throughout my labor and birth, through the early days of struggling with breastfeeding and exhaustion. Mothering was the place I knew I could turn for advice when I just needed someone to remind me that things would be ok, that I was strong, and that I was doing the right thing.

A quick google search can provide you with most information you need, but nothing can replace the sense of love and support that I've gotten from the MDC friends over the years. And that it priceless.

 
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#19 ·
My Reflections on Motherhood



"The most important thing she'd learned over the years was that there was no way to be a perfect mother and a million ways to be a good one." Jill Churchill, O Magazine, May 2003

family in the woods copy

The most important part of who I am today is who I am as a mother and a wife. So far, my most fulfilling and challenging job in my life has been raising our three boys. I have been doing this for seven and a half years. There have been many days I wished there was a workplace for me to go to and many more days that I am thankful for the wonderful husband I have who brings home the bacon so I can stay home full-time with our children!

One of my main goals is to help our boys to grow up to be loving, kind, gentle, considerate, compassionate, respectful, Christian, healthy, hardworking, confident and intelligent men. Just like their Papa and their uncles!

My many ongoing tasks that take a lot of my energy: we cook, eat, play, read, and work around the house/garden/farm. I try to keep them safe and happy; while teaching them to be responsible, to make good choices, and to think before they speak and/or act. Oh yes, how could I forget I do teach them manners! If you have been around us you may not believe this. Why do manners seem difficult for boys to learn? Some days the constant talk of poop, toots, and burps make me want to pull out my hair.

When there are three boys in one house with different interests and attention spans it is difficult to keep up with all the activities, so things get a little trashed around here at times. And it feels as though I am not getting anything accomplished. My escape is to take them outside to ski or go to the beach or work in the garden.

Although mothering is an incredible job that I take seriously and in order for me to be the best mother I also have to remember who I am as a person, click here to see my post titled "I am…"

I have an ongoing conversation with one of my dear friends about how to be the best mom that we can be. We have come to the conclusion that we are who we are because: our own mother, our role models, experiences as a child, the books we have read, our friends who are also mothers and last but not least the lessons we have learned from our own mothering.

We have to accept that we are doing our best. We have to trust that our children will take what we have taught them and make the right choices. They may not always make the right choices and that is okay, too, because they will learn from their mistakes. Part of being a good mom is allowing our children to make mistakes and not expect them to be perfect! In return I hope that our children will grow up to be the best adults and parents they can be.

When I was in college my Dad told me once that one of my purposes in life was to do a better job in this world than my parents. I have taken this very seriously in all areas of my life. I also had very big shoes to fill.

I have an amazing mother who raised six children who are loving, kind, gentle, considerate, compassionate, respectful, hardworking, intelligent, and successful in all areas of their life

I have the best step-mother in the world. She loves my Dad and has always shown love, support, kindness and understanding to the three of us kids, even when we didn't return that love.

I have an incredible mother-in-law besides the fact that she is the reason my husband is on this earth, she raised him to be a wonderful man and a great father to our boys. She has helped me understand many things about marriage, communication, forgiveness, patience and peaceful parenting.

Mothering is a difficult job, whether you are a stay-at-home mom or a mom who works outside of your home part-time or full-time. We do the best we can with the resources we have. I believe it is important to have a circle of moms who love, support and respect us for the mothering we do!

Thank you to all the moms in my life!

I hope you have a wonderful Mother's Day!

Added on October 25, 2012 when I found this quote:

"God intended motherhood to be a relay race. Each generation would pass the baton on to the next." ~Mary Pride
 
#21 ·


My La Leche League support group introduced me to Mothering when I was pregnant with my first child. Finding out about attachment parenting and gaining instant access to a huge network of like-minded mothers has made all the difference in my life and my family.

To me, mothering means opening your heart to souls as old as the universe, guiding them in their path, and allowing them to guide you in yours. It means learning to hold, learning to let go, and taking each day as a beautiful gift. When I think of the work of mothering (and it is work!) I am reminded of these lines by Kahlil Gibran:

And what is it to work with love?
It is to weave the cloth with threads drawn from your heart, even as if your beloved were to wear that cloth.
It is to build a house with affection, even as if your beloved were to dwell in that house.
It is to sow seeds with tenderness and reap the harvest with joy, even as if your beloved were to eat the fruit.
It is to charge all things you fashion with a breath of your own spirit,
And to know that all the blessed dead are standing about you and watching.
 
#22 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cynthia Mosher View Post

I'm not sure what you are seeing in your view on your phone but I see a window that says "Reply" and then beneath that are three little icon buttons. One has a B in it, the second has a paperclip-like image, which is to add a link, and the third is an image button. Just click the image button and then either upload the image from your phone or place the URL of where it is located.


 
#23 ·
Whoa! Sorry, I meant to just say thankyou

Well I keep trying to do upload it from my phone unsuccessfully, I kinda want to blame my phone, it's done this before. I guess I'm gonna have to drag all the kids out and use my MIL's computer. I really hope this contest is still open for today!
 
#24 ·
I have been a member of this community for quite some time even though I am not very good at posting, I do a lot of research on here. The site is a wealth of valuable information and all the wonderful posts are appreciated! Mothering is to me a community of women who help each other get through the good times, and the tough times. I love the fact that there are women out there who are willing to share their experiences in order to help other women. Thank you for being there for moms like me when we need you!

 
#25 ·
As a first-time mum I could never fully express the value of the mothering website/community. In a sense, my husband and I are trailblazers in our family in changing the way we parent our daughter, so the articles and forums have been so helpful as I (we) navigate the very murky waters of parenthood. I feel so blessed to be a part of such a loving and wise group of mothers. I value the opinions expressed here and I take comfort that there is a wealth of good information on the mothering website. My daughter just turned one two weeks ago and I can honestly look back over this past year and feel at peace with the decisions that I made which in part were based on the wise advice and information acquired through the articles and forums. I cherish the mothering community and website for the wisdom that is present throughout!

 
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