The Best Pregnant Lady Treat... Ever!

Ok, so truthfully, I am not even pregnant right now. But that didn't stop the giddy feelings of excitement when THIS BOX showed up on my doorstep:



Although I adore Anna, co-creator of the Mama Lana Box, I promised her and myself I would be 100% brutally honest about my impression of the boxes. Well, I am happy to say that she and her sister-in-law have easily surpassed my hopes and expectations. I won't ruin the whole surprise, but I will let you take a little peek at a few of the treats that were inside this box:



Mother of two little ones, and avid parenting enthusiast, I thought I knew all of the cool mama-to-be gifts and luxuries, but it turns out there are still some amazing surprises out there. Among them, one of my favorite items from the box, is this book, which is described as "[a] global treasury of age-old wisdom for pregnancy, birth, and childcare brimming with inspiring suggestions for the modern mother - from ways to choose your child's name to planting a birth tree and using Feng Shui to plan your baby's sleeping place":



Although I have to say, my favorite part is these cards. On one side is a beautiful, inspiring image by one of four gifted artists, and on the other side, an empowering affirmation and meditation. I have never seen anything like this, and I wish I would have had these for the labors of my first two pregnancies. (Every box has a few cards, so at the end of your pregnancy you have a complete set.):



Soulful, sweet, and so fun, the Mama Lana Box is the perfect way to honor pregnancy, the beautiful goddess mama-to-be, and the growing baby. I can't wait to buy them for my lovely pregnant friends (you know who you are;)) and maaaaaybe, one day, myself!

And just in case you're in the market, use this code to get $10 off each box purchased anytime before August 10th: SaveShareClub1305-WRA6VJIRRY7V

MamaLana Bliss Boxes!

My dear, dear mama friend Anna, together with her sister-in-law Lauren, has created an amazing company: a first-ever subscription box service for mamas to be! I am not surprised; she is incredible. I am, however, feeling the need to get pregnant again so I can subscribe to the mail-order bliss boxes for each month of pregnancy.

About the boxes, they say, "We want to help make pregnancy inspirational, transformational and beautiful. The Mama Lana box is the ideal pregnancy purchase, either as a gift to self or to an expecting loved one. Each Mama Lana box includes essentials from six categories: mind, body, soul, belly, baby, and bliss. At Mama Lana, we work hard to make sure you get exceptional value on excellent products. The total retail value of a Mama Lana box ranges from at least $65 to $100+. We are a luxury subscription box service – ours is not a paid advertising box or one filled with teensy samples. Our team of experts ensure we're choosing the best products for each month of pregnancy. In addition to the savings you get through our lower prices, you also save time and worry. All the overwhelming sifting of pregnancy products has been done for you with our boxes.

We deeply believe in women's wisdom. We seek to empower mamas, and help them embrace the beautiful transformation of motherhood. We don't push any particular philosophy when it comes to pregnancy, birth or parenting. We are here to celebrate the mama: her intuition, her choices, her journey. We believe in each and every product we put in our Mama Lana boxes. The companies we choose as our partners all make the world a better place. As a whole, they are fair trade, organic, green, and socially conscious. We donate a percentage of every box purchased to Madre - www.madre.org - a nonprofit that advances women's human rights internationally. When you help mothers, you help the world."

Wow, right?!

Also, I am honored to have some of my jewelry included in the mama boxes!

I will be writing up another post reviewing the boxes, once I see one, but knowing Anna, I'm have no doubt they're as inspired as they sound.

The Pregnant Lady's Cheat Sheet

A list of everything I would have loved to have when I first found out I was pregnant:

1. What do I do first?

-Contact Anna, Alice, And Laurel (Santa Barbara Midwifery), even if you are not planning on a home birth. They are a great place to start and have volumes of information and resources, and books to lend, and your initial meeting is free. You can find more information on their website at www.santabarbaramidwifery.com or give them a call at: 805.563.0348 . **Please see my earlier post about my home birth experience.

-Subscribe to Mothering Magazine immediately.

-Find a pre-natal workout class for fun and some exercise. You'll end up meeting the ladies you'll be spending all of your time with for the next couple of years here. I like Tracy Schmidt's class at the SBYMCA. It's kind of jazzercize-y and it takes away morning sickness. Also, Fredda Spirka teaches a great free pre- and postnatal yoga class through adult ed. This may be your most valuable resource. You will learn so much about doctors, midwives, pediatricians, birth, etc. from the women in these classes.

-Make sure you are taking a good pre-natal vitamin

-Grab a book on each of these: pregnancy, baby's first year, breast feeding. The Traveling Pants in Carpinteria usually has used books which are really inexpensive. The thrift store at St. Joseph's is also a great resource, but you have to dig and they are only open Wednesdays and Saturdays until 2 pm.

-Get insurance if you don't already have it. AIM is great for those who qualify. It's worth taking a look: www.aim.ca.gov/

2. Where do I register?

***I have an older post that is a sample registry that might be helpful, and you can find it by scrolling down.

-Find a site like myRegistry.com where you can register at any online store, and have just one list for everything. Some great online stores include palumba.com, novanatural.com, albeebaby.com, and babiesRus.com.

-It is so important to register at a physical location. Summer for Kids in Montecito has some excellent natural choices and Chicken Little in Santa Barbara has a huge selection as well.

3. Is home birth for me?

-Please look into this, even if you don't think it's for you. We are so lucky in Santa Barbara to have such great choices, and since this is one of the biggest decisions you'll be making in your life, it probably deserves a little research. I was terrified of home birth before I had real information. I watched movies and talked to midwives and women who had given birth at home and decided undoubtedly that it was the safest and best decision for me and my baby.

-Watch some movies! So important. The Baby International Film Festival has some great ones. I recommend The Business of Being Born, with Ricki Lake if you only plan on seeing one, or as a starting point.