I'm Still Here!

I've been itching to blog and write, but the takeyourbabytowork theme was losing its appeal as we no longer have a baby, and she mainly goes to preschool and only sometimes comes to work.

So come and visit me here:

http://insidethepolishedapple.blogspot.ca

Our polished apple-Our ideals of health, wellness, parenting, transformative lifestyle, education, what we want our life and work to be about.  Food, community, you get the idea.  

But inside?  Are we accomplishing it or how are we getting to that place?  This is our journey part and we'll be celebrating along the way!

Overall, we're now navigating bringing our family and office to a new level of transformational change.  Our family is needing to be healthier to reflect our goals and vision.  Our office has a new energy.  And through this all, we're seeing how to bring our new school (Waldorf) into both of those.  Join us!

Maker Faire and East Village

Today was inspired by our friend Kathleen. She was part of the Maker Faire held in Calgary's East Village, so we thought we'd check it out.
Robots, wool spinning, a neon-lit labyrinth, pop tab bracelets, 3-D printers, crazy costumes, Lego, a motorized chair, and more.

The food trucks were also there, but the village ice cream bike left too early, so we went for a drive to find the shop. With the thickest, yummiest ice cream!

Kombucha

I split my kombucha mother and daughter apart for the first time today. They've been growing together for about 6 weeks now. My heart is still beating a little bit too fast. I'm not sure if that's because they are so obviously ALIVE, or because it's a bit gross.

Here they are. I'm holding the mother scoby and the daughter is still in the brew.

Moms Need Chiropractic Care!

I'm pretty excited to be a guest blogger at Encourage, Empower, Educate, a blog by local Calgary doula Twila Collyer.  My blog post is Moms Need Chiropractic Care!  because don't I say that ten times a day. 

And please visit her site, but here is a copy as well:

Moms Need Chiropractic Care!



I consider it both an honor and a blessing that I have been able to share chiropractic care with pregnant moms and their new babies over my past 12 years in practice! Here are just two cases of how chiropractic care has positively impacted pregnancy.



One mom-to-be was under care with me prior to becoming pregnant, so it was a natural progression to continue care during her pregnancy. With her pregnancy, we saw increased physical symptoms as her baby weight increased, with low back and buttock pain being the most frequent. We were also able to help her with foot concerns, upper back and neck pain. These symptoms are common, as weight changes will put more strain on the spine and joints. Hormonal changes, including the effects of relaxin, will make ligaments more lax, which increases these symptoms. To increase her comfort, we adapted her adjustments by using a belly pillow so she could still like face down with no pressure on her belly or baby. I also checked her with Webster technique-to help address her pelvic balance and the soft tissues in the lower abdomen/ uterus. Moms who are concerned about the position of their baby frequently request this technique, and research has seen an 82% success rate of babies turning from breech to vertex when this technique is used. Prenatal adjustments help not only the physical position of the body and spine, but also help to balance the nervous system function to both mom and baby.



This mom had a successful home and water birth with midwives present. I have seen this mom for post-partum care, and have seen her baby from when she was a few weeks old for Pediatric Adjustments. Adjustments for the baby help to check for signs of birth trauma and help to ensure alignment and movement of the spine and optimal nervous system development.



Another mom that I have worked with started care late in her second pregnancy (about 35 weeks) as she was having intense low back/ sacroiliac pain. Adjustments helped to relieve the pain, helped her to keep up with her busy toddler, and prepared her body for the birthing process! Moms who are under care find that their labor/ birth times are shorter and are less likely to require drugs for pain relief. In her situation, receiving care was also a small piece of self-care that she was able to give herself during this busy time. Our adjustments in the office use Network Spinal Analysis, and this is an excellent tool for our practice members to learn how to release tension in their body using strategies that we develop during care. Another benefit is better response to stress and using breath to release tension in the body.



We find chiropractic care to be a safe and effective treatment for both mom and baby. Pregnancy is one of the most important times to be receiving care due to all of the changes happening in the pregnant body, and the enormous benefit it can have for baby.



For more information, please ask us about our health talks or come to one of our monthly Prenatal or Family Wellness events. More information is available at www.elanfamilywellness.com or 403 217 5577 or like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ElanFamilyWellness. For information referred to in this article or to find a Prenatal/ Pediatric Chiropractor near you, visit www.icpa4kids.org.

Take Your Baby to The Tradeshow

Our Saturday afternoon at the Calgary Wellness Festival. Do I worry that one day my daughter will feel deprived spending her weekend at a Tradeshow?

One with sticker treasure hunts, puppy dogs for adoption, food trucks, coloring pages and a huge playground?

So I can find this again...
[Via: 30 Dr. Seuss Quotes to Live By] - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Dr Suess Quotes

Simple Living

I kept running into this theme, so I thought I'd make a commitment somewhere out there to simplify things...

Over at the blog http://blog.kanelstrand.com/, they are starting a Simple Living Pledge on Feb 1st. I signed up.

My laptop sits on a desk that is covered in at least 20 post-its, beside me is a pile of papers that needs to be filed, photos and my office lease..., my bulletin board has things pre-2007, pretty Christmas cards and a CARS toy. And that's just the surface of what I can see. Do you think I need to simplify? It would help my peace of mind for sure!

Straight from her site: What is Simple Living?

• Identifying what is most important for you and eliminating everything else.


• Freeing up time for doing what inspires you and being with the people you love.


• De cluttering your mind, your everyday life and your virtual life.


• Single-tasking and learning to diminish stress.


• Striving to live frugally by wanting less and buying only what is necessary.


• Slowing down and being actively present in the moment.


• Living a healthy life, including cleaning your home and your body, eating, exercising and thinking.


• Striving to be green and sustainable as much as your surroundings allow.


• Enjoying the simple pleasures of life.


• Simplifying your goals, tasks and expectations.
  

Wish me luck! I'm not counting this as a New Years Resolution by the way.

Sautéed Squash and Feta Cheese

I was feeling domestic this afternoon. We finally chopped up our back-up Halloween pumpkin and found ourselves with about 12 cups of pumpkin pieces. We tried out a new recipe from the current Pathways to Family Wellness magazine and it was yummy!

To make this meal or side dish, here's the ingredients:

1 pumpkin or butternut squash (or amount you think you want to prepare)

1 head of garlic, peeled and squashed

Onion (or 8-10 shallots)

2-3 bay leaves2 chilis (we skipped this)

12 oz feta cheese

1/2 cups nuts/seeds, toasted

Olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 355 degrees F

2. Sautée 1tbs olive oil with squash-brown but don't worry about cooking it fully

3. Add garlic, onions, oil, salt and pepper & mix

4. Bake with bay leaves for 30-40 minutes.

5. Soak chili peppers (de-seeded and diced) with oil

6. Add feta, nuts or seeds, chili oil over squash. (add when cooled if serving as a salad)

Serve either warm or cool. Enjoy!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

What I've Learned So Far

About taking your baby/ little girl/ princess to work, that is...

• A three-year-old in the office will make it feel like a tornado has hit.


• You will feel 10x more exhausted than any other regular work day.


• There's a lot of cleaning involved.


• The best laid plans of day home/babysitter/etc. may end up meaning nothing if someone wants to "fight you" and fling herself into snow banks and run away instead of leaving you.


• Best to be flexible.


• Ponies and dolls and lots of snacks are necessary.


• iPad backup is still a must for that last crucial 1/2 hour.


• Or, with no toys, she will be more creative.





• People will LOVE your child at the office, "I just love it when she's here!"


• Or think you're really odd that your child is at the office, especially if they are new to the office.


• You will cringe when she attaches to your leg when you are 15 minutes late, or asks to go potty in a room full of waiting practice members.


• She will make everyone happier, sillier, and more full of smiles than you have ever seen.


• A big kids play area or rest area and full time babysitter/Nanny would be lovely, but not happening at the moment.

And I think some days, they just need to be with us, still!

Of course, we have made alternate plans by this stage of the game. Scarlett goes to a day home 2 afternoons a week, and other wise, she is still with one of us. Thanks to some creative scheduling on our parts. But the best laid plans still fall through and over December and the holidays she was at Elan more than expected. Considering that our office is up there with "playground" "park" or "bookstore" for places she likes to spend time, I think we're doing just fine.