Happy New Year Peeps!  Wow, has it ever been a whirl wind at our house.  I hope that you had a superb holiday season – ate too much but not super too much that you don’t still fit into your clothes J but enough so that you enjoyed a little bit of excess.  I hope you got to see family that you don’t see that often and had some quiet time with your tight group.  At my house we were quite blessed with the hubby having twelve days off in a row.  I still spent time at the store but seeing as it’s still in its infancy stage I really love being there every day.  We have a beautiful huge window at the front which almost makes me feel like I am sitting outside (almost!). 

It’s been a month full of decisions for me on how I see my life moving forward.  Some of them have been harder than others to accept and work through, but I truly believe that’s how we grow in life.  I’ve had to cancel some of my yoga commitments since now I have to think about the store and the salary that we are paying there for me to teach so it becomes a bit of a double whammy.  I’m sad on the one hand because I really do love teaching and watching those children as they learn new things and see the world through yogic eyes makes such a huge difference but realizing that I can’t do everything is also very important now before I reach a point of burnout.  I will continue on with my private classes and am excited to meet some new babies and lots of little ones who have grown so much since I last saw them. 

We’ve been doing a ton of renos at the store as well.  Our re-branding efforts have already started.  If you haven’t stopped by – head on over to ShopEco and share your thoughts on the site and the new logo. 

This blog probably won’t be getting much attention from me as I will be blogging about all things green over at our store blog - I’d love to hear from you there.  I will be back occasionally on a more personal note that I don’t think quite fits into the store front. 

Thank you so much for your continued support. 

Some of you may be familiar with the fact that I guest write a spot over at Health Green Moms. This post was written for that blog but since it is such a cool giveaway I thought I had to share it with my readers here as well.

So here it is:

I thought this week since we are careening towards the holidays at light speed I would offer a review on one of my favorite books along with a giveaway! The book is written by Rachel Vail and it’s called Sometimes I’m Bombaloo. It is one that I use often in my yoga class for the 2-5 age group. My daughter will be three next month and it is one of her favorites.

The story is about a girl named Katie Honors who is just your average ordinary happy little girl. There are lots of things she can do and as all toddlers and preschoolers love to share she goes through some of the wonderful things she has mastered all by herself. You can feel the pride in each statement and I know it makes my children think about all the great things they have learned to do. Being proud of one’s accomplishments is something everyone should learn from an early age. Katie also talks about manners. How she knows what is right and what is wrong . Treating people kindly, being thankful, and understanding that sometimes accidents happen are all part of who Katie is.

Then there are days when none of that comes into consideration. We’ve all had them – being a foul mood for no reason (or some reason that we just aren’t aware of). Not being able to communicate effectively, being stressed about something and having it ooze out of every fiber of our being. Katie calls that being Bombaloo. She grunts, she groans, she growls, she stamps her feet and throws her toys. Sometimes she even hits. This is what happens when one is Bombaloo and it can be really scary. Katie knows when this happens she has to take a bit of time out for self-reflection, to find out why she is a Bombaloo and how she is going to stop.

These are skills that we all need to learn in life. If you have ever had to do any self-reflection your self, trying to go back and figure out what your triggers are and why they are triggers can be really challenging. This book makes kids think about these things as ordinary life experiences. They learn to acknowledge the anger and frustration that we all sometimes experience instead of pretending it isn’t there.

During Katie’s Bombaloo experience she encounters something that makes her laugh and breaks the Bombaloo energy. At this point she is ready to be sorry and take the consequences of being Bombaloo. The beautiful part is that Katie’s mom knows that being Bomabloo is scary and she isn’t made to feel bad about it – it just is what it is. I also think this piece is so super important – there is plenty of guilt in this world and we shouldn’t be passing it on to our kids. I also know that if that’s a part of how we’ve been raised it’s darn hard not to use it yourself.

So overall I think Sometimes I’m Bombaloo is an awesome book. I would highly recommend getting a copy for yourself or to give as a gift. Being able to understand the intense emotions and have words to describe it makes the emotion a whole lot less scary for all those little people in your life.

Rachel has also written a new book, Jibberwillies at Night, which I have not had the pleasure of reading yet but I am confident that it will be just as fabulous as Bombaloo. It is another story with Katie Honors and this one is about some of those fears that come out at night. If you know someone who has some fears about going to sleep in the dark – this book would be perfect.

Original Post for HealthyGreenMoms. So head on over there to enter the contest. I guarantee these books will be a hit at your house too.

All week I have been thinking about how I am ever going to keep up with my blog this month – and the reality is I just can’t. With the opening of the store and all the little details I am sapped. There is not an ounce of energy left to send this way at the end of the day. So unless I have something absolutely urgent to say I don’t think you will see me here during the month of December. My plan is to head back in January when I have a little bit more breathing room.

Thanks for your support and understanding. The website for the store launches tomorrow so stop by and share you thoughts with me.

Have a fabulous month folks.

See More Wordless Wednesday here

On Friday night I had the privilege of sitting down to a showing of The Business of Being Born by Ricki Lake. The viewing was at a new spot that some friends of mine have helped open – the Windsor Workers Action Centre.

If you have given birth or are planning on giving birth in North America this film is a must see. Having only one child myself I certainly am not a birth expert. I had my daughter in the hospital with a mid-wife by cesarean section. It took me almost a year and a half before I could talk about my birth experience without tearing up. Although I healed well and had a really easy c-section not having had the vaginal birthing experience left me feeling like I had failed somehow at the master test. Watching this film and hearing some of the stats around birth in the US in particular it was amazing to get a real understanding of the system of intervention we encounter here in North America. Listening to all the women speak afterwards about their birth experience made me realize that mine was not unique. Some of the women in the room had vaginal births at the hospital and talked about having episiotomies without really knowing why or against their will. Others spoke about being Doulas at hospital births and having to argue with Dr’s about the woman’s rights as she was going this amazing rite of passage. Some of the woman in the room had homebirths and a few even had unassisted home births. Can you imagine? I sure couldn’t have previously, but the more I read the more I learn the more convinced I am that modern medicine has not done a whole heck of a lot for women who are giving birth.

The film showed some photos of birth experiences from the time Dr’s began to be involved. They talked a bit about the “twilight sleep years” how removed women were from having babies. It talks about how most women today are terrified of giving birth because we have been conditioned that this is the scariest, most painful thing one will ever go through. In this film there are numerous examples of women giving birth without the screaming and the awe of the moment once they are holding their newborn in their arms is amazing. I felt it through the screen and it hit me on such an emotional level.

When I got pregnant I knew that I would only be having one child. It was something my partner and I agreed upon and it made that one time so very special to me. Looking back I wish I had done more research into my options and really been aware of how interventions lead to more interventions. I also wish I had gotten a Doula who could have explained things to me in a way that would have helped me decide my path. I loved my midwife and the care she gave me after my Zoe was born was indispensible, but I wish I had been able to have a birth experience that more resembled those in the film instead of serious abdominal surgery instead.

Have you seen the movie? Do you have thoughts about birth that you’d like to share? Fill in a comment form – no need to be shy.

Over the past week I have been back in school.  Bright and early Monday morning I packed up Zoe, brought her to daycare and headed off.  I can’t even begin to share with you the excitement that was coursing through my veins that first morning.  Having gone through the full week I am still just as excited but now of course some fatigue is starting to set in. 

The program that I am taking these classes through is called the self-employment assistance program  funded by the federal government.   It is not often that I have good things to say about the government but this program is phenomenal.  The idea is that the government helps and trains you to be a success with your own business.  They offer you tons of great insight into all the important factors of being in business for yourself.  It is a four week training that runs 9am-12pm each day.  They bring in a group of experts to help you understand and organize so that you don’t have to incur all the costs that can be associated with making mistake your first year in addition to ensuring that you are thinking about things that may not be on your radar.  This week I got to spend a few hours each with an accountant, a lawyer, a graphic designer, a business coach, and a marketing expert.  On top of all this amazing training I am also getting some government funding.  How sweet is that?  I have no idea how this program came into being but I must say it has to be the best thing I have ever seen. 

Now all of this of course does not come for free.   In order to get into this program you need to be eligible.  I’m not certain of all the rules and regulations but I know I was eligible because I was off on maternity leave.  During my maternity leave we relocated to another city so I didn’t have a job to go back too.  Once you are certain that you are eligible you need to go to an information session which tells you all about the program.  After that there are three days of training that everyone out there can get regardless of whether or not you are accepted into the program.  One of these days is with a lawyer so that you can figure out which option is right for your business – sole proprietor, corporation, partnership, or a limited company. 

Once you have gone through that initial step they send you off for a few days to get a business plan together.  A serious business plan;   which includes research on your market, your financials, your idea, and all the nitty gritty details on how you plan on making your idea a success.  In terms of financials you need two years of numbers.  All of this is really hard to do but does get your started on the right path for your business. 

So if you have a business idea in your head and think that it really might work, and have been wondering how to get going on it I would recommend checking out this option.  The SEA Program.   This program really is one of the most amazing things that have ever come out of Canadian government.  If you have your own experiences or thoughts – please share them.  I’d love to hear from you. 

See more Wordless Wednesday here

I personally don’t watch a lot of TV with commercials – we download and now when some strange phenomena occurs and I end up watching TV with commercials it does make me cringe. So I didn’t actually see this commercial on TV – but here it is in all its glory for you to see. I can’t even begin to tell you how much this short ad offends me. I didn’t actually have baby wearing support when I had my Zoe – we had a Bjorn which I loved but now that I am more familiar with all the different types of carriers out there slings, and wraps, I really wish I had been aware of these options. I loved carrying my girl in her Bjorn. I would have loved to carry her in a sling as well or a wrap. Having her sleep on me – close to me, being that connected to her especially those first few months would have been wonderful. I am thrilled that so many women do this.

Take a look here to see one woman’s response to this ridiculous ad. Skimbacolifestyle The ad that says I need to wear my baby to feel like an “official mom”. That wearing my baby makes me cry. Motrin makes me ill. We use mostly homeopathics here anyways but I will not ever again be purchasing Motrin products. What do you think? Does the ad offend you? Will you be using your dollars to send a message?

For the green gift giver and the green connoisseur. What a perfect way to ensure that your loved one is getting something healthy for both them and the planet and yet they get to personally pick it out. ONE Group has officially launched gift certificates. You can purchase them online just as you would product. Whatever your budget is there are now gift certificates to accommodate them all! From $25 right up to $150 for the deluxe pamper package. How cool is that?

Another new item this month is that finally there is a new method of delivery for all European orders. No more separate duty and taxes. Now all of that is automated and can be paid right when you place your order. This change has also been implemented in Canada over the course of the past year and it has made a huge difference in my business. What a pain in the butt it used to be to organize delivery – now things are smooth and I can place my order and then just wait for product to arrive. Love it.

There are also some details about the Berry Radical Product and Kosher certification for our Fast Tract product.

Lastly of course this newsletter contains the holiday cut-off dates. December 15th is the last day to place your ONE Group order to ensure the gift gets there in time for the holidays. So don’t delay – head on over to the site and get started on that list of yours.

For the full newsletter click here.

I’d love to hear what your favorite product is or what changes you’ve seen since you started using MiEssence.

Today has been one of those never ending what to do with my toddler and how do I get myself out of this funk kinda day. After realizing yesterday that my dream is going to quickly become a reality I of course spent most of my day wondering why the heck I was so BOMBALOO. (This is my new FAVORITE Book for yoga class and for Zoe) I love the way it explains emotions like anger and frustration.

Sometimes I’m Bombaloo (bkshelf) (Scholastic Bookshelf)

Perhaps it has something to do with the grey, dismal weather outside or the fact that Zoe wanted to listen to the same CD 100 times today. Who knows! So I’m trying to shake off that BOMBALOO by sharing the 12 days of Christmas Giveaways that you can find over at Thoughts from the Mrs. Who couldn’t use some awesome giveways right about now? Certainly would help bring me right up to speed for the holidays. So for those of you who love a freebie head on over there and get in on the action. Contest starts tomorrow and runs for twelve days! Don’t miss out. If you win something be sure and come back here to tell me all about it - alright?