I am often asked what inspired me to start The Opinionated Parent (mostly by people who don’t know what a blog is) and here’s the answer:

I am opinionated. Very, very opinionated. I always have been. When my firstborn arrived, I realized that I also had strong opinions about all of the “stuff” that comes along with parenthood. When I received the nursing pillow to end all nursing pillows (after having tried every one that’s available in local stores, so I do know what I’m talking about) I told everyone who would listen about how great it was. When I couldn’t find anyone else to listen, I started a blog.

And there you have it.

If you won’t listen, somebody else will. I will be heard.

(And I’m always right. Just ask my husband.)

My first ever post at the site now known as The Opinionated Parent was about The Baby Buddy Nursing Pillow. I encourage you to go back and read this post about just how fantastic it is and all of the reasons why I love it. Whether you’re breastfeeding, bottle feeding, holding a baby, are pregnant (in my second pregnancy my Baby Buddy was a lifesaver and the only reason I was comfortable enough to sleep many nights!) or are simply cuddled up with a good book, I have no doubt that you will love The Baby Buddy too.

TOP readers always save 10% on their orders from TheBabyBuddy.ca with the code top10.

Win it! As the newest addition to our premium sponsors in the right sidebar and an exclusive “TOP Pick” of The Opinionated Parent, The Baby Buddy Nursing Pillow is giving away one of these great pillows with the flannel or cotton pillowcase of the winner’s choice! To enter, visit TheBabyBuddy.ca to choose your favourite pillowcase fabric. Then come back and leave a comment on this post letting us know which one you’d choose if you’re the lucky winner. Contest closes at noon MST on June 26/08.

Additional entries available - up to four per person. See contest entry information and rules.

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED

I’ve got to be honest here - I had never heard of Locallectual until they bought one of T.O.P’s premier ad spaces over there. See it? The nice big highrise ad on the right? Yeah, that’s it. You’re going to want to click that.

How did I not know about this site? It’s such a fantastic idea!

A little bit about Locallectual from their site:

Are you a smart consumer? Think before you answer… the definition is changing! It used to be about buying the highest quality products at the lowest price, and many have mastered this skill. However, many savvy consumers now think about the social and ecological impact of their purchases; the cost of manufacturing on the environment as well as the social effects on the workers and community who produce consumer goods. These are all factors that many responsible consumers consider while making a purchase. Whether a person is buying fruit, a t-shirt, or a toy… how it was made and how it made its way to you are some things to consider. Sounds like a lot to think about, right? It is, but to make it all easier, now there is Locallectual.

The idea behind Locallectual is to offer a personalized shopping experience based on your preferences. Shop for what you want, made where you want. You can shop by category, country of origin, state of origin, or search for goods made within a designated mile radius of your zip code! This saves you, as a consumer, precious time while leaving you with the peace of mind of knowing exactly where your purchase was produced. This site also gives you information about the manner in which various products are made and by whom. Locallectual doesn’t stop there; other features allow you to:

* Contribute! Locallectual is a wiki-type site, so if you know of a producer in your area that is not listed, click on “Add Entry ” to add them to the database!

* Create a user profile allowing you to specify your purchase preferences - choose your geographic regions of interest, what items you are interested in, and receive recommendations based on what you choose.

* Network with other Locallectuals in your area or in an area you intend to visit, or network with those with similar interests and hobbies.

* Learn more about manufacturing practices as well as why its important to support your local producers.

* Learn where to buy and eat local no matter where you are with our soon-to-be-live “Local Lowdown” city pages.

* Be Green! Locate eco-friendly companies by searching within our “environmentally friendly” category.

* Benefit from the knowledge and experiences of other consumers through the ratings and reviews feature. And of course, share your knowledge and experiences in the same way.

Doesn’t that sound fabulous? The only problem I can find with Locallectual is that it doesn’t include Canada…yet. Let’s get on that!

Edited to add: Apparently I didn’t dig deeply enough. Here’s the link to search by country! (Thanks Karen!)