As you journey through life,
choose your destinations well,
but do not hurry there.
You will arrive soon enough.
Wander the backroads and forgotten paths,
keeping your destination in your heart
like the fixed point of a compass.
Seek out new voices, strange sights and ideas foreign to your own.
Such things are riches for the soul.
And if, upon arrival,
you find your destination
is not exactly as you dreamed,
do not be disappointed.
Think of all you would have missed
but for the journey there,
and know that the true worth of your travels
lies not in where you came to be at journey's end,
but in who you came to be
along the way.

"For my part, I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of stars makes me dream."
--Vincent Van Gogh

Recommended Reading

Reference Books

Smart Medicine For a Healthier Child
by Janet Zand,OMD, LAc, Rachel Walton, RN, and Bob Rountree, MD.
---Of all the books in this recommended list, this one has got to be on your shelf! It addresses all types of illnesses and methods on how to deal with them homeopathically, nutritionally, traditionally, and herbally, in addition to advice on prevention. Superior reading and knowledge!

Full Esteem Ahead
by Diane and Julia Loomans
---Great Book! Must Have! Incredibly Insightful! I am so glad my very good friend gave this to me when I had my first child. It gives ideas on how to raise a child you would love to know, or would have loved to have been. Thank you, Diane Loomans, for your patience and broad-mindedness and the tenacity to write this book.

Natural Health for Dogs and Cats by Dr. Pitcairn.
Yep, you guessed it, natural health for another segment of the family. Pitcairn shares natural methods for healing your pet and preventing illness. Very practical advice and remedies.

Also, if you are interested in natural pet health and diet, please visit Solid Gold Nutrition and Holistic Center 1-800-DOG-HUND,
or TimberWorlf Organics.Com--www.timberwolforganics.com.

Kids Library

A Kids' Guide to Building Forts by Tom Birdseye---Fun!
Gives parents wonderful ideas for adventure and inspires children over five.

Celebrations! Children Just Like Me. A lovely book on celebrations 'round the world, put together by Unicef. Inspires tolerance from knowledge. Aimed at children over four.

A Kid's Herb Book by Lesley Tierra. Wow. What a very cool book, for gardener's over eight years old. Herb stories, songs, pictures of herbs to color, recipes for root beer and ginger ale, lipbalms, toothpastes, cucumber and watercress sandwiches, sun teas, how-to's for herbal sachets, dream pillows, pressed flower bookmarks--it's all here, and parents can learn, too! Absolutely very, very fun.

Princess So-Wise by Kathleen Dorantes
This is an exceptional and sharp book about an intelligent princess. All our favorite characters from fairy tales come back to visit, with a delicious twist. Too fun!
For children over eight.

Sweet Books to Have

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein.
A lovely book about the relationship, through time, between a boy and his "mother" tree.
My boyfriend, who later became my husband, sold it when we became engaged. Notwithstanding, when I had my first son, I bought it again.

The Twelve Gifts of Birth by Charlene Costanzo. Beautiful pictures, lovely prose. This book makes me cry and inspires me, all at the same time. I guess this is more a book for mama.

Love You Forever by Robert Munsch.
Another tear-jerking book. This one about a mama who loves her little boy, even after he is grown and has a baby of his own. Oh, why do we mothers do this to ourselves?!

Tea with Victoria Rose by Susan Wheeler.
Ho! What a glorious book. If you like tea, or tea parties, or even the thought of sitting outside with a good friend underneath the shade of a wispy willow tree, you will love this book. A true inspiration filled with tea recipes, classical music recommendations, how to make tasty tea sandwiches or scones, and wonderful prose. Fun, fun, fun. For children and their mama's, over four.

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown.
A classic. Both my boys have read and re-read this book until the binding came apart, and then some. For children under four.

The Furry Bedtime Book by Margo Lundell.
This book has a thick, fuzzy tan cover, like the hair on a teddy bear. The story is, fittingly about, a little bear afraid of the night, the wind, and the scratching tree branches near his bedroom window, and the wonderful ways his mother calms him. A very consoling and brave little book. I love it. For children between two and six.

Books to Give at Showers

On the Day You Were Born by Debra Frasier.
Somehow this book captures all the grandeur of a new birth-- all the joy, all the anticipation, all the magnificence of a new baby. Hmm. Very special.

Smart Medicine for A Healthier Child by Janet Zand,OMD, LAc, Rachel Walton, RN, and Bob Rountree, MD. Major must-have for reasons mentioned under "Reference Books". Excellent shower gift, no matter how many babies the mother has had.

Homeopathic Medicines for Pregnancy and Childbirth by Richard Moskowitz.
I wish I would have had this book when I was pregnant and down with a cold or flu. Gentle and effective, homeopathics do not conflict with any other medications you may be taking and won't hurt you or the baby. Worth having.

What to expect when you're expecting by Arlene Eisenberg, Heidi E. Murkoff, and Sandee E. Hathaway.
This is a must-have book for any mother-to-be. Serves to alleviate anxieties about childbirth and pregnancy, whether it is for the first child, or sixth. Available in English and Spanish.

Pregnancy Calendar
This is a great calendar to have. Not just a calendar. From conception to birth, this helps guide you to knowing what stage your baby is in--remember when he/she is in brain growth, eat lots of wheatgerm and foods that stimulate brain growth! Super gift.

Lovely Listening


Return to House on Pooh Corner by Kenny Loggins to his son.
Sweet and melodic. All our favorite songs--Pooh Corner, All the Little Ponies, Rainbow Connection, hmmm. A keeper for you and a great gift for new parents.


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Rock-A-Bye
A collection of lullabies that bring a tear to your heart. And the babies remember the songs long after they have gone to school. This musical recording is a blessing, to remind us of how special motherhood is, how absolutely miraculous our babies are and how darn lucky we are to be here, right now. :)


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Great Mental Stimulation for Babies--Video's



Baby Einstein, Baby Bach, and Baby Mozart all created by Julie Aigner-Clark.
Super videos for babies. Our 5 and 6 year old's still love them! There are vibrant images of toys and child's play, combined with exciting music from musical masters. The Baby Einstein video introduces words from at least five different languages. There is also a Baby Newton, a Baby Shakespeare, and a Baby Van Gogh, none of which we have seen. However, any of these videos would be a great gift to a new mom or for your own collection. Highly recommended!


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Other lovely ways to stimulate baby's brain--take baby to the ocean or a babbling brook; sit at a playground and listen to the laughter of the children, sing softly, tickle feet, play classical music, watch the leaves of a tree flutter together, listen to lullabies in different languages on CD, or play that fun Peace Planet Aquarium nightlight in the dark.

Catalogs and Magazines

Seeds of Change--Wonderful pictures, organic and heirloom seeds and other products, and information on growing your own organic garden. Super pictorals!
Bountiful Gardens--Not as pretty as Seeds of Change catalog, and the seeds are not always organic, but the people in charge are delightful to speak with and very knowledgeable. Ask about proven methods to rid your favorite areas of gophers. Catalog well worth having. They can be emailed at:bountiful@sonic.net
ORGANIC STYLE magazine and Natural Home Magazine. These magazines are a must for people who have gone green and want to get greener. Super pictures, well-researched articles. We simply can't wait for the next issues!
ORGANIC GARDENING magazine .
This is a thin, little magazine packed with solid, proven information on how to grow and maintain a garden or landscape, the natural way, without harmful and toxic pesticides and chemicals. The color saturation and photography has recently been upgraded, and the magazine's beauty and content is bound to stun you on the spot. Been around for 60 years. Look forward to 60 more.
Under the Chinaberry Tree. Chinaberry,. This is a sweet, charmingly-illustrated little catalog that has an extensive array of children's books. Don't know what to buy your precocious child? Chinaberry will give you some inspiring and magical options. You can also find tittilating science and craft kits, as well as decadent Ahlaska organic cocoa or cookie paint box kits. Fun!
ODE Magazine
ODE is a Netherlands magazine reaching out to the world with ideas and stories to improve who we are and where we are. A real treat to read. :)
www.odemagazine.com.




All books and music recommended by KidsOrganics.Com, may be purchased through Abe Books , BestBookBuys.com, FetchBook or Amazon.Com-- incredible sites delivering your favorite books at unbelievable prices!

"Imagination is more important than knowledge"
--by Albert Einstein