Brazen Breastfeeding – Celebrating International...

“That baby is sucking your tete!” This was the astute and loudly proclaimed observation of a 4 year old watching me breastfeed my baby boy. For anyone not familiar with Dominican patois, ‘tete’ is the locally used term for ‘breast’. Some people may have been embarrassed by such public attention drawn to this intimate moment…but not me. I’ve joined the ranks of Brazen Breastfeeders...

More Locally Made Crafts...

As well as the beautifully made toy oven, our lucky two-year old, received a few other handmade gifts for her birthday. We enjoy supporting our local craftspeople as much as possible and we hope you will be inspired to do the same. Handmade doll in traditional dress - a perfect alternative to plastic, mis-proportioned, mass-manufactured dolls! Available from The Batik Shop, Old Street, Roseau Keeyah with her own Mei...

Locally Made Wooden Toys...

In the search for natural toys for toddlers, I found an adorable looking wooden play oven. Since most young children love to mimic their parents (and I spend a lot of time in the kitchen) I felt this would be the ideal gift for my soon-to-be two year old. My only problem was that I saw it online and it would have cost me a small fortune to ship it to Dominica. After a few enquiries amongst friends I was gratefully directed...

My Waterbirth, Homebirth & Hypnobirth...

My second birthing experience was beautiful, peaceful, gentle, ecstatic and enjoyable. But it wasn’t exactly as I had planned… The plan was to have a waterbirth at home, in our peaceful mountain village. I had ordered and shipped in an Aquaborn birth pool from the UK. I would be using Hypnobirthing techniques for a calm and gentle birth as I did previously. I had discussed all my requirements with my amazingly...

Wordless Wednesday: Frog goes on Safari...

A frog, seen outside my back door yesterday, enjoying a ride on our unused stroller! Frog on Safari The Frog & Giraffe Sweet little frog - come back soon!

Dominica’s 2nd Annual Health & Wellness...

The Discover Dominica Authority (DDA) in collaboration with ‘Astaphans – Right Place, Right Price’ is set to host Domnica’s 2nd Annual Health and Wellness Expo on Saturday May 22nd from 10am-6pm. This showcase of Dominica’s Health and Wellness industry will take place in tented arenas on the grounds of University of West Indies open campus. The event will feature a grand exhibition of locally...

Make a Difference in 5 Seconds!...

Determined to reduce the ecological impact of having 2 small children we have almost always used reusable cloth diapers. Living in Dominica, it’s been a costly endeavour to order them in US currency, pay shipping and then customs duty but to me it’s totally worth it. On the occasions where we do use a disposable, it doesn’t feel so good to know that the diaper will end up in our landfill and may not...

Wordless Wednesday: Life in the Rainforest...

Give Kids a Dance ~ New Classes for Children in Do...

There’s a new dance in town – or rather a new dance teacher. Yes, Dominica now has a wonderful new dance class specifically aimed at young children over 5 years old. Most parents will testify that kids just love to dance and naturally move their bodies to music. As well as it being fun for them (and fun for us to watch), it’s also a very vital part of their health and wellbeing and it is important to encourage...

Dasheen Puffs: A Vegan Recipe...

Dasheen Puffs are a bit of a delicacy in Dominica. Presenting an alternative to the plain boiled dasheen, which many people find can be a bit heavy and boring; puffs are light and super tasty. Most dasheen puff recipes advise using various amounts of milk, eggs, and butter which, as a vegan, put them off of my menu. So a few weeks ago in kitchen creativity I came up with my own vegan version which I share here with you. Be...