1 Board Notes By Alysia Philips Our 7th Annual Mom to Mom Summit is this Saturday evening! This will be the first year I have ever been able to attend the Summit since I have been a member and I could not be more excited! If you have not RSVP'ed to this FREE Mom to Mom event already you should immediately click here and do so right away! Even bring a friend if you would like. Don't forget this is a Mom only event (babes in arms of course are always welcome) I know I for one adore my kids but am looking forward to an evening without having to breaking up the wrestle mania session that seems to happen in my living-room on a nightly basis. Our Mom to Mom board members and Summit committee have been working tirelessly over the past few months at putting together a fantastic evening that I am sure you will enjoy! Some of the evenings features include: A workshops in Guided Meditation with John Charlebois of Jade Integrated Health, or a Belly Dancing Class with Morgyn Danae of SHINE! Fitness & Massage, pampering stations such as hair and make-up application by Bei Capelli Salon, massage by Nancy Charlebois of Jade Integrated Health, Charlene Jenness of Hearts Mom to Mom of Maine is an organization of diverse mothers devoted to helping each other and the community by sharing support, knowledge, and activities. Issue 5, May 2013 MOTHERMATTERS TABLE OF CONTENTS Board Notes 1 Entrepreneur Profile 3 Gardening Column 6 RMH Meal 7 Activities & Events Calendar 10 Member Contacts 11
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BoardNotesBy Alysia Philips
Our 7th Annual Mom to Mom Summit is this Saturday evening! This will be the first year I have ever been able to attend the Summit since I have been a member and I could not be more excited! If you have not RSVP'ed to this FREE Mom to Mom event already you should immediately click here and do so right away! Even bring a friend if you would like. Don't forget this is a Mom only event (babes in arms of course are always welcome) I know I for one adore my kids but am looking forward to an evening without having to breaking up the wrestle mania session that seems to happen
in my living-room on a nightly basis.
Our Mom to Mom board members and Summit committee have been working tirelessly over the past few months at putting together a fantastic evening that I am sure you will enjoy! Some of the evenings features include: A workshops in Guided Meditation with John Charlebois of Jade Integrated Health, or a Belly Dancing Class with Morgyn Danae of SHINE! Fitness & Massage, pampering stations such as hair and make-up application by Bei Capelli Salon, massage by Nancy Charlebois of Jade Integrated Health, Charlene Jenness of Hearts
Mom to Mom of Maine is an organization of diverse mothers devoted to helping each other and the community by sharing support, knowledge, and activities.
3 & Hands Massage, and Sunshine Jelly of the Portland Regency Spa and facial treatments by Origins, just to name a few! There will also be a photo booth where you can have your picture taken by fellow M2M'er and photographer Natalie Haskell from 7 -8 pm, our fabulous silent action and raffle with items that have been donated by some fantastic local business as well as some from our own Mom to Mom members (be sure and remember your checkbooks!). Not to mention a potluck dinner (there is a spot to sign up to bring something when you RSVP), some fantastic company (YOU) and to top off our evening a performance by a mystifying illusionist/magician!
This is a can’t miss event! I hope to see you all there!
The Mom to MomEntrepreneur GroupPresentsLisa FlynnFounder and Director, ChildLight Yoga and Yoga 4 Classrooms; Author of Yoga for Children and The Yoga 4 Classrooms Card DeckWhen did you join Mom to Mom?April 2007 (when it started!)
What is your business? ChildLight Yoga and Yoga 4 Classrooms. We providing evidence-based yoga education to children in schools and communities, and to professionals whose work supports the well-being of children. It is our mission to teach strategies that help children and youth develop resilience, positive perceptions, good health habits and mindful awareness.
Where is your business located? Our home studio, boutique and offices are located in downtown Dover at 453 Central Ave. In addition to hosting programming at our studio, we also offer on-site yoga enrichment programming at many seacoast area preschools and schools. As well, our training programs are offered nationally as well as online.
Do you offer a discount to Mom to Mom members or other special services? YES! Members receive $5 off any class series, workshop, camp or birthday party. Just use coupon code SMA at checkout online.
We also offer SMA and homeschooler groups with similar age children special rates for private classes or class series. It’s fun to come with a group of friends!
How did you get started in this business? As a yoga practitioner, I felt and saw the tremendous benefits for myself. Searching the area for classes for my then toddler –age children, I came up empty-handed. As a former marketing director and business manager, I decided to combine my passion for yoga and children with my business experience to create a service-based business that could make a real difference in the world.
What's your favorite product/service that you offer and why? Right now, it’s our Yoga 4 Classrooms affiliate that is really inspiring me. To watch the lightbulb go on for students and teachers realizing the importance and benefits of taking a deep breath on their ability to self-regulate and create a more compassionate, productive teaching and learning environment really fills me up. School counselors are grasping onto Yoga 4 Classrooms as being an essential tool for integration into schools for whole child health and wellness, stress reduction and resilience.
About MeI often get asked why it is I do what I do. What exactly brought me to this life's mission to see yoga integrated into every child’s experience? I could cite the growing body of supporting research, talk about my teaching experiences, give a speech on how important it is. Instead, I typically find myself telling a story. Since finding my way to yoga in the 90s, I can’t count the number of times I have wondered to myself “If I only had had these tools when I was a child, would adolescence, early adulthood, and beyond have been less painful?” To many who practice yoga, this is an all too familiar question; so many people are drawn to the practice as a way to soothe pain, anxiety, and many other common ailments of the modern life. For me, it was a bout of depression and a subsequent eating disorder during my college years, (from which (fortunately) I came out triumphantly on the other side) that first led me to yoga. Years later, as a newlywed working as a marketing director, I pondered how I might help others avoid, or at least healthfully
navigate through, the lingering effects of the types of suffering I had experienced in my early years. And then I thought—better still—how to help children navigate the everyday “traumas” of school, homework, broken friendships, life before they become permanent scars. But how?
From the time they were babies, my children would join my morning yoga practice. I quickly noticed that our moods improved and our connection and bond grew through our practice together. As they became toddlers and preschoolers, we began to develop a “language of wellness” in our home. We’d say things like: “When we start to become frustrated, what can we do? Well, we can practice Balloon Breath…” and so forth. I tried to look outside my home for local children or family yoga classes and came up empty-handed. Then the proverbial “light bulb” flashed in my head, and so began my personal journey with yoga for children. It soon became a full-time adventure.
My company, ChildLight Yoga has been providing yoga-based classes and programs to children and families in the New England area since 2005. The ChildLight Yoga Teacher Training program was designed to empower adults to bring the practice of yoga to the children in their own communities, now numbered at nearly 1,000 instructors worldwide. As a volunteer yoga teacher at my children’s elementary school in 2007, I realized yoga had a place in school as well. I saw firsthand the enormous impact even the most basic yoga tools can have on children’s learning
and the classroom culture as a whole. With that in mind, I expanded ChildLight Yoga to include the Yoga 4 Classrooms™ program, which has now empowered thousands of educators to integrate yoga and mindfulness into their classrooms. With the creation of my new book, Yoga for Children: 200+ Yoga Poses, Breathing Exercises and Mediations for Healthier, Happier, More Resilient Children, it’s my intention to inspire parents to bring yoga into the home! .
In his article “Healing Power of Yoga,” which appeared in a 2010 issue of Yoga Journal, Sat Bir Khalsa, PhD., Assistant Professor of Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and renowned yoga researcher, stated “I think of this [yoga] as hygiene. We have dental hygiene, which is a well-accepted part of American culture. Schools teach it, doctors recommend it, parents reinforce it. Imagine if people didn't routinely brush their teeth. That would be unheard of in this country! But what about mind-body hygiene? We have nothing for that.”
Khalsa believes if yoga was routinely taught at schools, practiced at home, and written on doctor’s prescription pads, we’d be raising a generation that is physically and emotionally healthier, equipped with self-awareness and tools for managing stress. I agree—as do many parents! Over the last few years, I have noticed more and more adult and kids’ yoga programs popping up at childcare centers, gyms, in classrooms and after school programs, in juvenile detention centers, half way houses, shelters, jails, health care settings and more. As a society, we are fast realizing yoga’s ability to positively transform lives. And researchers are setting out to support that realization with scientific evidence to drive that point home to policy makers as well. Just imagine a world where yoga and mindfulness is integrated into every classroom, into every home, and is subsidized by insurance companies. It’s coming.
So, let’s keep brushing our teeth…and bring yoga home to our families! As you breathe, move, connect and play together, know that you are helping your child practice “mind-body hygiene,” supporting a lifetime of health and wellness for the mind, body and spirit.
Edited excerpt from Yoga for Children: 200+ Yoga Poses, Breathing Exercises and Mediations for Healthier, Happier, More Resilient Children
Work/Family Balance:I have found if you are passionate about what you are doing, it is not ‘work.’ The downside of that is that it’s very easy to get “in the zone” of doing what you love– sometimes to the detriment and neglect of the rest of our lives, our other life’s mission as mom, wife, friend. Honestly, this has been my struggle! I’m sure other entrepreneurs can relate.
Last fall, as I wrote Yoga for Children, juggled two businesses, two active kids, a busy household and our new family member, our enormous boxer/hound puppy, Stella; I knew that clearly I had taken on too much. I found myself saying, “just one more week” or “by Christmas all will be in better balance”. But you know what? Though the puppy is now house-trained and my book is done, I never did arrive as the quintessential “destination” of balance and having it all figured out. Balance is where you find it.
I’ve come to realize that being in the moment as much as possible is crucial not only to my sanity but to the health of my family and relationships. That means taking time for my own yoga practice, walks and snuggles with my kids, tea with friends. It means putting the computer away during dinner (at the very least) and having faith that things will get done at some point and that the world will not end if it does not.
Admittedly, I don’t have the work/family balance figured out. At the same time, I know that my children and husband are proud of the work I do and they might even argue that I’m a decent Mom, a real Mom who is learning and growing every day, just like them.
Business Contact Information:
Lisa Flynn, E-RYT, RCYT
Founder of ChildLight Yoga, on FB, Twitter, and Blog
Founder of Yoga 4 Classrooms, on FB, Twitter, Blog
Author of the Yoga 4 Classrooms Card Deck; and Yoga for Children (Adams Media, an F+W Media company,
Gardening has always been an expensive hobby for me. This year I have decided to make my gardening hobby what it really should be, a way to provide my family with economical, healthy food by being more resourceful.
I have always composted but we do not produce enough compost ourselves to amend the soil in all of my garden beds. Rather than purchasing additional soil amendment, I decided to find some kind of soil amendment for free.
There are quite a few resources for free stuff out there, Craigslist, Freecycle, Uncle Henry’s. On Freecycle, I found my free composted manure on a small farm in Windham. This is Maine after all, there are farms everywhere. I found free seaweed through the Portland Maine Permiculture group, a huge pile of it for the taking at Winslow Park. It helps to have a truck and a husband willing to haul free manure and seaweed.
So that takes care of soil amendment for this season but really I should have my own source. That is where our new family members come in. We have adopted an adorable bunny, Penny. The kids love her, she is easy to take care of and she is an excellent source of manure. The second soil amendment source and the more exciting for me is vermiculture. That’s right, worms!
Vermiculture or vermicomposting is using a particular kind of worm to breakdown your food scrapes, really anything you would ordinarily compost, into nutrient rich castings or worm manure. The worms are really easy to care for. You can build your own worm composting bin but…this is a big but…the bin needs to stay in a location with regulated temperature. They will die at temperatures too high or too low. In my case that location is our basement. I have provided a worm composting bin design. You can get worms for composting locally through http://www.wormmainea.com.
I would also like to try seed saving this year with some of the vegetables I grow and maybe some of our CSA vegetables. Some of the easiest seeds to harvest and save are beans, peas, peppers and tomatoes. Seed saving purists work diligently to reduce cross pollination in their crops but this is just and experiment for me.
So far I am happy with the changes we have made and look forward to finding new ways of being resourceful in my gardening. I would love to hear any ideas and cost saving tips you have for gardening. You can email me at [email protected].
Please join me for an Introduction to Gardening in Maine on May 22nd and for the Plant and Seedling Swap on June 2nd. You can RSVP to both of the events through the Bigtent Calendar.
Happy Gardening!
And So It GrowsMy Misadventures in GardeningBy Prudence Jones
We are always looking for editorial contributions for the Mother Matters newsletter. Our members are what make this organization so wonderful, and we want to hear your stories!
We are also seeking feature articles on general topics. You don’t have to commit to writing a monthly column; you could do one-off short story (fiction or nonfiction), a quarterly book/movie/concert review, a travel piece inspired by your last vacation... whatever you’re interested in, please share it!
The deadline for newsletter submissions is the 21st of the month. Please contact the Newsletter Editor [[email protected]] for more information or to volunteer.
Ronald McDonald HouseMealBy Elise Richer
One of Mom to Mom’s ongoing community outreach projects is to provide dinner for the families staying at the Ronald McDonald House on the third Wednesday of every month. Thank you so much to all of the members who donate their time and cooking talents for this great cause. The theme for April’s meal was Spring! and the meal was generously provided by Susan Austin, Theresa Bartick, Karli Efron, and Alexandra Higgins.
If you would like to volunteer to help provide a mealplease contact Elise Richer at [email protected].
To assist the Ronald McDonald House in other ways or formore information, please visit their website.
If you don’t have time to cook for the RMH, please consider donating something from their wish list. Currently the top critical items are:
• Aluminum Foil• Laundry Detergent• Liquid Hand Soap• Paper Towels• 12 cup Coffee Filters (large capacity)• 13 Gallon Trash Bags
Please click here for a complete list of items needed. Thank you so much for your support!
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ADVERTISING
Advertising is available in this newsletter with rates starting at $25 for members and non-profits, $35 for non-members. Quarter-page, half-page and full-page ad space is available.
Please contact the Newsletter Editor [[email protected]] with advertising requests, or for more information.
Fun Things to Do With KidsMackworth IslandBy Laura Rancourt
One of my favorite local places to go with my kids is Mackworth Island in Falmouth. Our family has been there in every season, including MUD season!
We love to walk along the mostly flat trail that circles the island, 1.4 miles all the way around. Along the trail, there are several beaches, swings and benches, a pet cemetery, a stone pier, and an awesome fairy house village. Leashed pets
are welcome on Mackworth as well. The views from the island are amazing and the wildlife and foliage on the island are too!
The island is connected to mainland via causeway on Andrews Avenue from US Rt 1. It is free visit the island, but there are only 20 parking spaces available on the island for visitors. On a nice day, these fill up quickly!!
MACKWORTH SPRING BRINGER
Spring Bringer,
For the air we breathe here
For the trees that breathe with us and give us beauty the pine and the birch and the oak
For the waters that we see the river, the bay, and the fantastic ocean
For the animals here: the eiders and the geese, the turkey and the fox, the gulls and the squirrels and the chipmunks
Happy Healthy Family Series: Intro to Vegetable Gardening in Maine7:30-9:30pm
26 27 28 29 30 31
New Member Orientation6:30-8:30pm
Mom to Mom Activities and Events Calendar
Now it’s even easier to RSVP to Mom to Mom events! Just click on the event you want to attend in the calendar below, and you will be taken directly to the BigTent page for that event. Remember to RSVP to each event you plan to attend in order to get updates of possible event changes. Also, don’t forget to consult the Going On Around Town (“GOAT”) group calendar on BigTent for events happening all over Maine. If you know of any family-friendly events, please feel free to add them to the GOAT calendar.
Newsletter Submissions: Mom to Mom encourages members to submit stories, personal experiences, and photos of M2M events. Submissions are subject to editorial approval and space limitations. Contact the Newsletter Editor, [email protected] for more info.Member Coffee: The perfect opportunity for kids to play while moms socialize with other moms. Contact Melanie Bond at [email protected] to volunteer as a host.Ronald McDonald House Meals: Share your cooking talents and spread good cheer with a meal for the guests at the Ronald McDonald House near Maine Medical Center in Portland. To volunteer, contact Community Outreach Coordinator Elise Richer at [email protected].
The views represented in the newsletter are not necessarily the views of Mom to Mom of Maine.
