Welcome to our blog. Here you can find the most recent meetings minutes, features of local businesses and programs, and various other topics. Feel free to browse, or use the categories listed to the right to find what you are looking for. If you would like to suggest a post topic, or write one yourself, send me an email at spokanemindfulmamas@gmail.com
Thanks!
Keep on Keeping on
Filed in Uncategorized, June 11, 2008, 11:11 am(Taken from some of my own writing)
Here at Mindful Mamas, we get together on Thursday mornings and just talk. We have a lactation consultant who fields breastfeeding questions, and we sometimes have specific speakers and topics (fertility, slings, cooking, crafts, etc) but really one of the goals of the group is just to provide community and support to what can sometimes feel like the loneliest job in the world.
Last week we met a new member who is struggling with what I think all of us have felt at some point - she doesn’t feel valued by her partner, she misses her old friends and lifestyle, she is second guessing her parenting abilities… so basically, she is a mom. The conversation evolved into what one member dubbed “The dark side of motherhood” - that sometimes we are angry at our children; that we are insecure and anxious; that we buy into the “Clorox mom” standard of motherhood; that we sometimes have to lower our standards to save our sanity. But mostly we just talked about what a shock it is to the system when you realize that you are not a perfect mom, and that you never will be. Some people find that out in the first week home with a newborn who won’t stop crying; some of us are not hit with that 2×4 until the kid is a toddler and is a poop Picasso. But is is humbling, and if you don’t know it is normal, it can be crippling.
Even when we don’t feel like our job is valued by others, we know it is probably the most important thing we will ever do to raise another human being to be self confident, humble, giving, funny, creative… and damn it, we want to get it right. So, we all fumble our way through the day, hoping we are at least not doing any harm. Or that we can make up for it tomorrow. And if we are lucky, we have a group of friends that we can turn to and admit that this? Is hard.
All of this is to say: You are doing a great job. And yes, I will need you to remind me of this next week.
-Ivory
New features in the works!
Filed in Uncategorized, May 28, 2008, 12:11 pmHi all! At a recent meeting, we discussed what we wanted to see on the website, and I got some great feedback. I am working on the following things, and hope to have them functioning in the next week or so:
- A forum, where we can ask questions, discuss local issues, and support each other.
- Mindful Mamas Marketplace: We are surrounded by so many talented mamas, and this will be a place to showcase their goods.
- The Swapshop: Do you have bags of newborn clothes in the closet, but really need a 2T swimsuit? Connect with other mamas who may have just what you are looking for.
- An updated calender, topic list, and signup form for upcoming topics.
- Recipes, local food resources, and general cooking page
Let’s hope the girls nap well this week so I can get these things done! Ha! If you have ideas, concerns, or are a wiz at HTML, drop me a line at spokanemindfulmams@gmail.com
-Ivory
Bisphenol A: in the news, and in our homes.
Filed in Uncategorized, April 19, 2008, 4:06 pmBPA has been in the news a lot lately, though for many people it is nothing new. There has been evidence for years that BPA is dangerous, but many of us are busy, and it was easy to overlook. It wasn’t on the news, the items were still being sold, we trust that there are safeguards to protect us and our children. Sadly, we were wrong, and while we can’t change the past, but we can make a difference in the future.
First, don’t panic. While many plastic containers in our homes do have BPA, many others do not. Here is a comprehensive list (which is being actively updated) of BPA-free baby and toddler products. Many of the Nuby, Gerber, First Years and similar products can be found in our local supermarkets. My two year old loves her Sigg bottle, which we bought at REI on Monroe (they also carry them at Mountain Gear on Division).
BPA is also in many canned goods - consider plating a summer garden, start ordering from Fresh Abundance, or commit to buying fresh and local produce at our Farmer’s Markets. If you use formula with your children, be sure to use the powdered mix, rather than the liquid.
And as that last link said, make some noise. Many other countries have recognized this risk years ago and banned BPA from children’s items. The state of California banned them last year, and Canada is in the midst of pulling all bottles that contain BPA from the shelves. Our children deserve the same safeguards.
Please read the following email I received today, and consider signing the petition that will be given to the CEO’s of the major American bottle manufacturers. Also, contact your elected officials, and let them know that parents have one voice on this.
Upcoming meeting
Filed in Announcments, meetings, April 14, 2008, 5:28 amOur next meeting will be on Thursday, May 1st, at 10:30 am. Please join us at City Yoga, at 505 E. 24th Ave.| Spokane, WA 99203. If you need driving directions, or bus schedule information, please see our “Contact us” page. See you there!
Welcome
Filed in Tests, April 11, 2008, 12:40 amWelcome to the Spokane Mindful Mamas blog! We hope to use this space to coordinate events, share resources, and support each other. As we grow, we will be adding new features, but for now, please take a look around and let us know how we can improve. Thanks!
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