February
Parents, you are extraordinary, don't doubt that for one minute!
This month's newsletter is focused on Love and Self-Care.
In this Newsletter you will find:
- Fun games, crafts and activities to share with your child
- A poem and thoughts on love and self-care
- A free printable collection of meal time blessings
- Nourishing Recipes
- Good News and a free printable monthly to do calendar.
For the month of February, we have some sweet games to share with your sweethearts, and some simple crafts to celebrate Valentines Day. Please share your own special games and crafts in the comments.
GAMES AND ACTIVITIES
Sweet little Bay
The Wind (author unknown)
Shhh say the tall trees blowing in the wind. (Baby is on lap facing parent, gently caress from top of head down to feet with both hands)
Pitter patter pitter patter, rain is falling down. (Your fingers make rain drops on baby’s head and shoulders)
Shhh say the tall trees blowing in the wind. (Baby is on lap facing parent, gently caress from top of head down to feet with both hands)
Flutter flutter, leaves fall on the ground. (hands gesture leaves falling from above onto lap)
If you can find three willing participants, this poem is a favorite to wrap everyone up as cozy as can be. When I had a a home playgarden, two children would hold a white silk above the 3 birdies and gently float it up and down for the snow.
Upon a hazel branch by Christian Morgenstern
Upon a hazel branch I spied,
Three little birdies, side by side. At left is Felix, at right is Franz but smack in the middle is smarty Hans. Their little eyes they tightly close and over their heads it snows and snows.
They huddle together tightly, all three but none is cozier, none cozier then he.
photo by Jeneanne Ericson
Valentines Day is coming and I've always been attracted to the idea of a gratitude jar. This one can be filled with love notes from the whole family to take out anytime. It's a doubly wonderful gift to create it and for the receiver to enjoy it. Tis a gift to simply be acknowledged.
Make a jar of love notes and gratitude for your beloveds. Grab a jar and some pretty paper. You can transpose thoughts from your child by asking a few questions like, "tell me about mama" or "something that I love about daddy is..." Fill the jar and print out one of these lovely labels from World Label.
For those who love a needle and thread, Paper & Stitch has a tutorial on how to make this sweet Valentine envelope. We tried this pattern with water colored paper that my son painted pink, and it turned out great.
I am a seeker of beauty. My eyes and heart drawn to a blossom in it's fullest expression or a snail slowly emerging from it's shell. These precious moments are around me all the time, I just need to polish the lens of my heart to see and feel them.
My d
ear friend Jessica has a true gift for not only seeing these beautiful moments strung together that make our lives, but capturing them in the most extraordinary way. She has agreed to share her words with us each month in our Muse-Letter and I know that you will enjoy them as much as i do. This month's poem speaks volumes to me about finding our own voice as mothers and trusting our wisdom and inner light to guide the way. You can find her work here.
Into Darkness
This poem was originally published on mothersalwayswrite.com
Just seconds old, a baby noses his way to his mother's breast
the same way a butterfly knows how to unearth a blossom.
A toddler only learns to walk by feeling the many ways of falling.
The heart only knows wholeness after heartbreak shatters one into tiny pieces.
There are millions of paths toward living and loving
but we need not anyone's compass other than our own.
Look what happens when an acorn digs its way
into the earth and dives deep into darkness
despite what the starling claims to know.
http://www.sarapressportraits.com/
Self-Care and Love Parents are lovingly in service to our children. We offer love as we kiss dimpled hands and cheeks, and as we wipe spit up from our favorite shirt. Still, we give love. When babies turn into toddler, the love streams as we patiently sit feeding spoonful after spoonful of nourishing foods, gently wiping the corner of your wee one's mouth. Now in the coldest months, we bundle up our children with woolly and silk layers to warm them as they scamper off to playgardens or playgrounds...still an act of devotion and love. While giving over our whole hearts, sometimes we forget to give ourselves a little love and nurturing. Some call it self-care, some call it self-love...and what ever you call it...just call it in. The love and care that you give to your beloved is a bottomless cup of goodness. I promise that you will never run out of love and care, it exists beyond us and beyond our family. You could simply call it Love.
As parents, we are wired to create space for love. Self-care is one practice for connecting to that divine and endless love.
Self-care is vital and necessary for our well-being and the nurturing of our family. I’ve learned over the years that investing time in myself is an act of self-love. There is nothing wrong with self-love, it's incredibly valuable to model caring for yourself for your child. If you are used to putting other people's needs above your own, it may be time to devote some love to yourself. How can we care for others if we ourselves are not experiencing care? Our children learn the importance of self-care by living with us, watching us and witnessing our fullness or our exhaustion. Building a practice a self-care, even 10 minutes a day can shift your energy, and return you to center. Imagine when you are completely lost and you turn on your navigation and see that pin drop indicating, "you are here". Self-care is your pin dropping, it's your navigation system. It will look different with each person and their respective needs, we all know the things that bring us back to center...the tricky part is simply making time to in your day.
Embrace self-care as a devotion to you and your family, rather than a task or job. Use the lens of love and warmth to invite the intention to care for yourself each day. Mothers need to be mothered too! One easy thing you can do to practice self-care and self-love is to create some affirmations. This one pictured below is from the Bless You Mom self-care cards found on Harmony Rose Wellness. Start your practice with whatever you can, one baby step at a time. I have some suggestions below.
Simple ideas for self-care:
- Herbal foot bath
- Salt scrub for your whole body (or just hands and feet)
- Star gazing
- Kitchen dance party
- Journal writing (set a timer for 15 minutes)
- A DIY
facial (cleanse, exfoliate, steam, moisturize) - Stand-up comedy (in person or stream online)
- Ask someone to give you a massage
- Make (or buy) something decadent, and eat it outside
- Sleep outdoors
- Sit beneath a tree
- Make a cup of your favorite tea and drink it in silence
- Light a candle and relax in the dark
- Write yourself a love note
- Create a gratitude journal
- Take a nap
- Go for a moonlight hike
- Get together with some friends that you love
- Have a meal delivered, my favorite all organic and nourishing service is Sakara, and they are kind enough to offer mothering artists 15% off with code REF_MOTHERINGARTSLOVE15
- Hire a house cleaner
- Unplug at 7pm every night or even just one night
- Acknowledge yourself every day
- Turn Off any sounds (alerts) on your phone
- Turn on your email vacation responder for a weekend
Infuse your nourishment with love and thanks by offering gratitude before your dinner.
You can download and print this 3 page watercolored collection of meal blessings here, Enjoy!
Recipes
My good friend Nora shared this recipe with me when my son was first born. It was so satisfying and delicious…bonus… it’s packed with nutrition as well. This is a simple recipe to make and keep on hand in the refrigerator. A yummy, nourishing vegan treat for your sweethearts.
I've been a bit crazy about medicinal and culinary mushrooms this winter and have been incorporating them into our daily meals. I was so excited to come across Myco Mama Medicinals and her delicious mushroom tea blends. My personal favorite is the Bone builder blend. She offers this warming soup recipe that is easy and yummy.
It's happening!!! Our group leader training is offered only a few times each year and we still have a few spaces for you to join February 18th.
The Mothering Arts Group Leader Online Training is weaving connections for mothers, babies and communities that creates a ripple of change.
Sign Up for our one week online group leader training February 18 2017. Space is limited and we expect to fill up quickly for our winter course, join today and reserve your spot.
The Mothering Arts model feels like a much needed balm for a culture that places undue value on individualism and consumerism that can leave new mothers feeling isolated and overwhelmed. Drawing on the wisdom of other women in the community and creating a inter-generational circle for women and children to gather, share, and create feels essential in creating true community. I have so appreciated this training and it’s offerings. I am completely inspired to bring what I have learned here into my own community and now I feel confident that I have the tools to do so successfully! ~ Sonja Barclay, Portland, OR
Payment plan now available.
Every mother is an artist, and life itself is her canvas. Our newest online course, The Heart of the Home, supports mothers to embody her unique art of mothering. Connecting with the rhythm of the seasons, creating monthly intentions and receiving support through the year we can find magic in everyday life. A warm and welcoming community of over 70 mothers just like you are supportive, engaged, sharing questions, ideas, victories and challenges in our forum.
A collective of wise woman contributors offer practical knowledge from herbs for wellness, healthy eating, self-care at home and even a home clearing Konmari consultant. Ursa Wild Design has created a lovely perpetual calendar wheel for the year, bedecked in gorgeous images from nature to accompany your family's special days. It's a place to transcribe birthdays, holidays, festivals as well as planting, harvesting and meaningful traditions. Monthly worksheets and videos will guide you to get clear on HOW you want to feel and WHAT are the things that cultivate that feeling.
We now offer $20 monthly payments as well as a money saving single investment for this year long course. Join anytime and pace yourself within each month.
Join The Heart of the Home today.
New classes are popping up all over the country for mothers and babies to build community and receive nurturing in the postpartum year. All of these heart-felt offerings are lead by women who have completed the Mothering Arts group leader training, and are now devoted to uplifting mothers in their own community.
If you are near Essex Junction, Vermont tell your friends about the Mater Luna Circle. Lead by Lillith, mother of five with deep knowledge in natural medicine, she will focus on one of the most sacred things in all the world: Motherhood. We take a nurturing, loving and mindful approach to this celebration.
For mamas in Oakland, California the Mom-Me circle is lead by two amazing women, Belle and Amy Jo who both have unique strengths and gifts, and are woven together through the ideals of LifeWays. Postpartum is a sacred and delicate time that should be honored and protected. Join the Mom-Me circle for a Waldorf inspired Mother’s circle where mothers, babies, and wise women come together with the intention to embrace a gentle postpartum time.
Parents near Port Hadlock, Washington Molly at the Sunfield Waldorf School is offering a lovely weekly class for you and your wee one. Seedlings Parent-Infant Circle is for mothers to be and parents and their babies ages birth to 1 year postpartum. We gather each week to share wisdom, challenges, joys and casual conversation.
Long Lake, Minnesota has a beautiful offering, New Mama, for mothers and babies lovingly held by Dorothy at My Healthy Beginnings. Together we will create a community of support and collective wisdom while learning nourishing ways of connecting to your family and your center – all while snuggling our babes. Come as you are!
Your freebie is here!!!
Thanks for making it all the way to the end of our newsletter. As a gift of gratitude, we have a sweet printable calendar for this month that you can download. It has a space for special dates, meal planning, and self-care.
Click here to download and print
copyright Phoebe Wahl 2017
with heart, Kerry
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