“Being born under the tropical sun, I learned a bit about healthy sun protection…..that can be chemical free!” says Connie Ozdil, local mom and owner of Ami Sol.  Ami Sol offers organic and natural protective sun wear for children.  Read on for helpful sun safety insights from this generous Sono-Ma sponsor:

Meet Mom-Preneur, Connie Ozdil

I grew up in sunny South America where my brothers and I spent every free minute outdoors, and I’m so grateful to my parents for being aware of the importance of sun protection. They made sure that we always wore a hat and a plain white t-shirt at the beach or in the pool to protect us from the harmful rays of the sun. This simple measure protected us effectively at that time. We were free to play outdoors to our heart’s content and embrace the sun without worries.

I founded Ami Sol to offer a second generation of children opportunities for safe summer play.   Our goal here at Ami Sol is to provide comfortable, stylish clothing that allows children to play in the sunshine, absorbing healthy vitamin D, without suffering the effects of harmful UV rays. Our clothing exceeds rigorous Australian and New Zealand standards 4399 of UVB and UVA protection. Our garments are completely free of chemical sun-protection treatments. Our sun protection comes from natural fibers only. And better yet, our cotton is organic!

The Importance of Vitamin D the “Sunshine Vitamin“

Vitamin D,  is most commonly obtained through sunlight (between 80% and 90%), according to the National Library of Medicine. The sun rays themselves don’t actually contain any vitamin D; instead, skin that is penetrated by specific ultraviolet rays works to synthesize this energy into vitamin D. A Harvard Health article states Vitamin D helps ensure that the body absorbs and retains calcium and phosphorus, both critical for building bone. Building bone is crucial for our growing children.

Other sources of Vitamin D include: Cod liver oil, Salmon, Mushrooms, Tuna, Vitamin D fortified milk, yogurt and orange juice among others.

(For more details about Vitamin D, please read Sono-Ma Contributor Dr. Sloan’s article here.)

Chemicals In Sunscreens

Most of us are familiar with the Environmental Working Group (EWG), which offers a wealth of up-to-date information about the most common chemicals in sunscreens. According to the EWG, these chemicals should be avoided: oxybenzone, octisalate, octinoxate, and avobenzone.  EWG states the most common, oxybenzone, can trigger allergic reactions, and is a potential hormone disruptor. Other chemical ingredients to avoid may include: Methylbenzylidene camphor (4-MBC), 3-Benzylidene camphor, Octyl methoxycinnamate (OMC), and Padimate O.  (Find details on EWG here.)

When you can, also ensure that common ingredients such as Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide are labeled as “NON-nano-particles.”  If not labeled, rub the sunscreen against your skin. It should appear as a white paste and it should not be absorbed by your skin.  Instead, this sunscreen will have more of a band-aid” effect by layering over the skin, but not absorbing.

(If you like “apps” check out the EWG’s sunscreen buyer app here.)

Homemade Remedies for Minor Sunburns

The best way to prevent sunburn is prevention! Wearing a sun hat, some UPF (Ultraviolet Protection Factor) clothing and staying indoors or in the shade during the hottest points of the day (between 11 am and 4pm.)

However, if you do end up with a sunburn, try one of these natural remedies:

1. Cut up some potatoes. Just get 2 potatoes, wash them, cut them into small cubes and blend them in the blender or food processor. Gently pat your child’s skin with the pureed potato. You can also place the pureed potato on a clean gauze and place on the burn.
2. Slice some cucumbers. Wash them well and cut them into small thin layers. Place the cool slices on the burn.
3. Take a soak in a cool oatmeal bath.
4. Cold milk, besides being a good source of vitamin D, can also relieve pain from sunburn.  Soak a soft facecloth in equal parts cold milk and cool water, wring it out, and gently press it on the minor burns.

Enjoy the outdoors and remember: everything with moderation.

Connie Ozdil, Owner
Ami Sol
www.ami-sol.com

(Connie thanks Click Oh! Photography http://www.facebook.com/clickohphotography for taking the gorgeous color photos in this article.)

Part 3: How and What to Plant

Once your garden beds are ready… in April (or earlier)… it’s time to plant them! Many wonderful crops love the cold nights of late winter and spring and will produce wonderfully at this time of year. In fact, just about anything can be transplanted at this point except tropicals like basil, peppers, tomatoes and eggplants which will need some protection against potential frost or heavy rains (basil is incredibly sensitive to going below 40 degrees or having wet leaves for prolonged periods). Crops that do great now are all the leafy greens, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, potatoes, peas, beets, carrots, many herbs, onions (they’ll be smaller than fall planted onions), and many more.

We highly recommend transplanting your vegetables into your garden. This allows you to baby them as seedlings on your window sill or in a hoop house or cold frame. But  mostly, your transplants will spend only half their life in your garden (compared with all of the life of direct seeded crops) and therefore will have less time that they are exposed to pests and diseases. Transplants give stronger growth with fewer problems, plus you can grow more sequential crops with transplants since each crop spends less time in the ground than something that is direct seeded. In our experience you can grow anything from transplants!

If you don’t grow your own vegetables from seed, there are some very specific recommendations for where to buy your nursery starts. Big Box stores buy their nursery starts mainly from giant nurseries outside the county. These big nurseries grow the basic varieties that usually are not well adapted to our Sonoma County climate, but their names are easily recognizable to us consumers. The prime example is the ubiquitous Black Beauty Eggplant found at most nurseries in this county. This eggplant variety needs more heat and day length than you can get in this county unless it’s a particularly hot summer and you live in the sweltering Cloverdale or Geyserville areas. This eggplant is best suited to the central valley and Imperial Valley deserts!

Likewise, heat loving brandywine tomatoes do great in hot summers in Santa Rosa or Windsor or Healdsburg, but a brandywine in Sebastopol or another cool climate is often a real challenge (like the past two colder-than-usual summers we’ve had). Also take note that some of the nursery plants sold at Farmers’ Markets are sold by local nurserymen, not farmers. While it’s great to support these local nurserymen, not all of them grow their own nursery starts to harvest and fruition and therefore they may not know the qualities and appropriateness of the variety to our Sonoma county climate and local micro climates. But a farmer selling his or her own nursery starts is selling varieties that have been proven to work in their farm’s climate and they can tell you a whole lot more about the variety’s peculiarities, needs and appropriateness!

In one bit of Tomato advice… if you’re looking for a super early, full size tomato, look for russian varieties with the mention of “early” or “cold tolerant” in their description – many of these have performed exceptionally well for us year after year allowing us to bring full sized, field grown, heirloom tomatoes to market 6 or 7 weeks prior to other farmers! Pair these early tomatoes with some standard mid/late season tomatoes and enjoy fresh tomatoes from your yard starting in early summer and lasting deep into autumn. We transplant our early Russian varieties into the fields in late March and our regular tomato varieties in late April and May.

It is important to approach your garden as a living, breathing continuum, where plants are continually being harvested and transplanted. Many gardeners only transplant once in the late spring and harvest those plants until they’re done. But if you start early in March (or never stop in the fall/winter) you can continually produce healthy food from your own garden. For instance, a new planting of 6 to 10 lettuce plants every 3 to 4 weeks can provide a few salads per week for a family all year long! Likewise, follow a crop of February sown peas that get harvested in June with a July planting of broccoli to harvest in September followed by beets transplanted in September for harvest in February, etc.

In addition to sequential planting, also try Companion Planting. Traditional companion planting is often based on chemical interactions between various plants, but there are other interactions to be aware of (and take advantage of) as well. For instance, we love to transplant lettuce plants in between our broccoli plants (transplant them all at the same time with the standard spacings, 16” to 20” for broccoli and 6” to 8” for lettuce plants). We get twice the crop from the same area; the broccoli protects the lettuces from hot sun and wind making it more tender and tasty; the salad helps keep the broccoli weed free and maintains soil moisture by shading the soil more than the broccoli; the lettuce will harvest first before the broccoli fills out and covers all the soil with its shade. What makes them great companions is that both their root zones and foliage zones occupy different spaces thereby making them great companions rather than competitors!

Lastly, rather than mentioning front yard gardens just in passing, I’m going to make a plug for them: Front yard gardens make a bold and beautiful statement about your values. Rather than lawns or xeriscaping, think about local  food production – right in your own front yard. Let your neighbors see what you’re doing. Share your techniques with them and learn from their experiences. Don’t hide your food in the backyard, show your children that you value the food you grow. Plant it in the front yard where you walk past or through it multiple times a day to and from school and every other time you step out your front door to go somewhere! Share in your bounty with your neighbors. Host weekend produce exchanges to share extra vegetables between all the gardeners in your neighborhood. Make your food production visible and celebrate it! And besides… it’s a lot easier to put delivered compost on your front yard garden beds than it is to wheelbarrow it all the way around to your backyard!

If you missed the other parts of  “Take it from the Farmer…. Growing Tips for a Beautiful Garden”:

Part I click here

Part II click here

(c) 2011 Paul Kaiser

Paul Kaiser is a leader in ecological agriculture who was recently recognized with an international award for his work in biodiversity and pollinator conservation on his farm, Singing Frogs Farm. Paul served in the Peace Corps in The Gambia, West Africa. He worked with several rural agrarian communities to develop sustainable land use management systems, turning degraded lands into economically viable and biologically diverse and resilient farmland. Since then Paul has received dual Masters Degrees in Natural Resources Management and Sustainable Development from the United Nations University for Peace in Costa Rica and the American University in Washington D.C. In the last five years, Paul and his wife Elizabeth, have married sustainable land management with local food production at their biodiverse and family friendly  Singing Frogs Farm in Sebastopol.

“Sonoma Ballet Conservatory has something for everyone!  From Adult Ballet to Dance with Me! (our Creative Movement class for young children and their special adult caregiver), Sonoma Ballet Conservatory is a wonderful place to call your dance home.  Since 1970, Sonoma Ballet Conservatory (SBC) has enjoyed teaching dance to the residents of the Sonoma Valley and beyond.

The ballet curriculum at Sonoma Ballet Conservatory is based on the Royal Academy of Dance syllabus.  In addition to excellent instruction in Ballet, SBC offers Master Classes in Jazz, Flamenco, Character, Modern, Drama, Feldenkrais, Gyrokenisis, Pilates, Conditioning, Stretching and/or Yoga–important components in a well-rounded dance education.  In Fall of 2012, SBC plans to add Jazz and Contemporary to its year-round offerings as well!

Performance is also an integral part to dance education, and SBC is proud to present two annual performances – The Snow Maiden and The Magic Toy Shop, both held at the Sebastiani Theatre in downtown Sonoma.  To learn more about our performance opportunities and class offerings check us out at: www.sonomaballet.com

SBC also offers a wonderful Summer Dance Workshop, to be held this year from July 2^nd – August 4^th.  Sonoma Ballet Conservatory is thrilled to again offer this unique opportunity for dancers of the Sonoma Valley and beyond!  Always a rich and diverse experience, our Summer Dance Workshop is modeled after the summer programs at professional ballet companies and provides dancers the freedom to explore dance movements and the music associated with the forms of Character, Jazz, Modern, and Flamenco, coupled with continuing studies in Classical Ballet.

However, our Summer Dance Workshop isn’t just for the serious dancer; it’s for anyone who loves to dance and desires to learn something new while having tons of fun!  The Summer Dance Workshop offers a variety of classes for boys and girls, ages 3 and up, so we’re sure all dancers will find something to suit.  And, after five weeks of immersion in the dance-forms of their choice, dancers will have the opportunity to showcase for family & friends the results of their workshop training during two performances scheduled for August 4, 2012, at the Sebastiani Theatre.

August will also launch our Angelina Ballerina Dance Academy summer camps, perfect for aspiring dancers to experience and experiment with the joy of dance through the loveable character, Angelina Ballerina.  This 5-day camp is designed to promote physical health, confidence, and creativity while teaching proper dance technique in Camp 1 for ages 3-4 ½ and Camp 2 for ages 4½-6.

We look forward to welcoming you to our dance family soon!”

Katrena Cohea, Instructor

Sonoma Ballet Conservatory
561 Broadway Suite B
Sonoma, CA 95476

(707) 938-1424
info@sonomaballet.com

Enter to Win Now!

Would you like to win one of two gift certificates for the Sonoma Ballet Conservatory?  Gift certificates may be used towards classes or for or for one adult and one child ticket to our performances. The winners can choose how they’d like to use the certificate.

Simply leave a comment now.  We’ll randomly select two winners on May 22, 2012.  Winners will receive gift certificates via mail or by arranging to pick them up at the Conservatory.

Good luck!

Everything starts as a Thought!

A dissertation, a dress, an airplane, this article, or a national holiday such as Thanksgiving…

The thoughts of Sarah Josepha Hale translated into action: she wrote letters to American politicians for 40 years(!) until Abraham Lincoln eventually proclaimed Thanksgiving a national holiday to be celebrated on the last Thursday of November in the U.S.A. What does this have to do with us? Everything!

It took one woman only 40 years to change the tide of a nation, to create a legacy that is now an established tradition. We can do the same with Menstrual Monday!

Menstrual Monday is the Monday BEFORE Mother’s Day, since menstruation comes BEFORE motherhood (and typically long after…)

Menstrual Monday was conceived and birthed by Geneva Catchman in the 1990′s. Since then, grass root celebrations sprang up spontaneously anywhere a woman heard of the idea and was inspired to action. As one of these women I have been celebrating Menstrual Monday privately and publicly ever since I first heard of it

Popular culture, in most places on Earth, goes beyond devaluing menstruation. It is considered a taboo and the attitudes about it are fraught with stereotypes, distortions, prejudice, and misinformation. This has been the case for a few generations, and the legacy of such distorted negativity has been passed on from mothers to daughters since the times of our Great-Grandmothers (if not earlier), as well as through literature, media, billboards and corporations trying to sell feminine hygiene products to women.

It’s time for us to reclaim Menstruation from the “medical condition” and cultural nuisance status in which it was fossilized, to the empowering, renewing, and intuitive condition it truly is. And what better way to do this than to celebrate it in an international holiday?!?

In 2008, in celebration of Menstrual Monday, I built a temporary Red Tent Downtown Sebastopol (the Northern California town where my family and I live) with the help of a handful of women. The response was surprise, curiosity and awe, as women stepped into the Red Tent to find out what it was all about. Not one negative comment was made! Drivers passing by the plaza playfully beeped in response to our sign that read: “Honk If You Are On Your Period!” More than anything, this was an opportunity to educate women, as well as a few brave men, about the power of Menstruation.

What is the power of Menstruation?

Menstruation is the process by which our body sheds the inner lining of our womb, a highly nutritious life-sustaining tissue, which grows monthly in anticipation for new life, and is shed monthly in the absence of pregnancy. This life-giving substance nourishes any and all life, and will give your garden, or house plants, a shot of life that no commercial fertilizer can ever provide.

Menstruation is also our body’s monthly call for rest, renewal, and regeneration.

Menstrual Monday is one way to acknowledge the power of menstruation, to honor and celebrate it, to remember our unique and magical ability to bring forth life, as well as our amazing creative forces that can be otherwise channeled. It is a reminder that our body speaks to us, monthly, and that we need to listen… Menstrual Monday is also a call for unification in celebrating womanhood around the world.

This is an invitation for you to do just this! In the privacy of your home, in an intimate circle of women, or in a joyous public gathering – celebrate!

If it took Sarah Josepha Hale 40 years to change the tides in a non-electronic era, think what we can do in the age of internet and social media… We can change the world!

On May 7, in celebration of Menstrual Monday

DeAnna is inviting you to a Red Tent Activation - 

A Free online global event

Re-membering, Re-claiming, and Re-activating

our cellular memories of the RED TENT,

and birthing a new paradigm

for our current and future culture!

Women are birthing a new world -Join us for the quickening!

Click below to Freely sign up:

http://www.deannalam.com/red-tent-activation/

DeAnna L’am, (B.A.) speaker, coach, and trainer, is author of Becoming Peers – Mentoring Girls Into Womanhood and A Diva’s guide to Getting Your Period. She is founder of Red Moon School of Empowerment for Women & Girls™. Her pioneering work has been transforming women’s & girls’ lives around the world, for over 20 years.

DeAnna helps women & girls love themselves unconditionally! She specializes in helping women make peace with their cycle, instructs Moms in the art of welcoming girls to empowered womanhood, and trains women to hold RED TENTS in their communities. Visit her at: www.deannalam.com

We’ll all be singing:

“Here’s a branch of frosty May, a branch the fairies gave me!
Would you like to dance today with the branch the fairies gave me?
Dance away! Dance away! Holding high the branch of May!”

Here are a few pictures of the Waldorf Kindergarten classrooms at our school during the wee hours of the morning before the festivities begin:

Summerfield Waldorf School and Farm invites our you to join in the celebration today, Friday, May 4th, from 12:45-5:30pm, at 655 Willowside Road in Santa Rosa.

“Flowers will be springing up, and so will our feet! The May Faire is Summerfield’s special tribute to spring in all its glory. It’s a day when we gather to enjoy music, dance, good food, and the glory of just being together out-of-doors on our lovely campus.

Faire entry is free. Each child’s unlimited activities will cost $10, two siblings will cost $15, three siblings = $20. Food & drinks available for additional cost.” (via Summerfield’s website.)

Happy May Day!

And guess what?  Sonoma County has at least one fantastic resource for moms:  Ruthy’s Real Meals.  Ruthy’s weekly meal delivery grants families a stress-free way to enjoy delicious, organic, healthy meals when mom and dad can’t play chef.  They also make a terrific Mother’s Day gift for moms who might enjoy a relaxing respite from kitchen duties!  Read on for more about Ruthy’s.

When You Need It: Weekly Meal Delivery

Our family served up Ruthy’s Real Meals on many occasions.  (Read the full account here.)  What a treat (and a relief) to sit down to a family-friendly meal lovingly crafted by someone else!

Do you need support near meal time? Ruthy’s Real Meals offers weekly home delivered, meal packages including:

1. Meal planning with healthy, organic selections your family is sure to love
2. Grocery shopping for local and seasonal items
3. Food preparation by an expert chef, ready for you to heat and proudly serve in minutes
4. Satisfaction guarantee

Ruthy’s website makes it easy to pick and choose from Entrées (Both Omnivore and Vegetarian/ Vegan), Side Dishes, Soups, Salads, Rolls, and Desserts.  Order by Friday for a delivery next Tuesday!  (Delivery is free within central Sonoma County with a $75 minimum order).

Ruthy’s is now extending an incredible offer to Sono-Ma friends:  Order before Mother’s Day get 20% off your weekly meal pricing.

My mommy friends with newborns recommend Ruthy, too!  Two of my gal pals registered with Ruthy for their baby showers, and enjoyed fresh, prepared meals for weeks after baby arrived!

When You Want It:  Holiday Meal Offerings

Bake at home sticky buns are just one special item in the à la carte Mother’s Day brunch; avoid the crowds and enjoy a delicious, organic meal. Most items just heat and serve.

Order by Wednesday, May 9th for delivery on Saturday afternoon, May 12th.  $75 minimum order for delivery.

Entrees

Mushroom and Leek Quiche with Ham or Vegetarian $14 pp $24/two $45/four
(Organic eggs, farmers’ market leeks, Diestel ham, flaky pastry crust)

Egg and Green Chili Strata $12 pp $21/two $40/four
(Savory egg bake with layers of bread, chilies and cheese)

Cheese Blintzes with Sour Cream and Jam $12 pp $21/two $40/four
(Egg crepe filled with cottage cheese, cinnamon and raisins)

Tofu Scramble with Spring Onions and Mushrooms $13 pp $23/two $42/four
(Tofu and veggies with a Tamari miso dressing)

Sides

Yukon Gold Home Fries $8 pp $14/two $24/four
Roasted Asparagus $10 pp $17/two $32/four
Grilled Chicken Apple Sausage $8 pp $14/two $24/four
Wilted Kale or Green Salad $12 pp $20/two $40/four

Dessert

Bake at home Pecan Sticky Buns $15 (pan with four buns)
Chocolate Orange Pistachio Torte $8 pp $14/two $24/four

More on Ruthy’s Real Meals

Ruthy’s Real Meals, located in Rohnert Park, was launched in 2007. Owner and chef Ruth Lefkowitz has a degree in Horticulture, and an MA in Community Food Systems. She has been a pastry chef and catering manager as well as a health educator and community resource developer.

Ruthy’s Real Meals home delivery provides high quality, organic, and hand prepared meal items to stock the fridge throughout the week. Whole grains and pastas, organic and local meats, high quality vegetarian proteins, and lots of fresh farmers’ market vegetables and herbs make up each delivery.  Check out Ruthy’s website for current menus at ruthysrealmeals.com.

Part II: Building Healthy Soil

When I was a child, my image of starting a new garden each spring included the back breaking work of turning over the soil with a shovel or garden fork to get rid of the weeds and loosen the soil. Of course, this job was usually hoisted on me by my parents since it IS back-breaking work! However, one of the easiest ways to start a garden or even revive a garden from a prior year is actually quite painless – sheet composting or sheet mulching (there IS a slight difference). You can ask just about any retail shop or grocer for their used, un-waxed cardboard boxes if you don’t have any at home. Rather than forking up your weeds and soil, just cover the weeds with a layer (or two) of cardboard and then cover the cardboard with fresh compost or mulch! (You can either remove the packing slips and tape from the cardboard before laying it out in your garden or you can remove them later in the summer when the cardboard has decomposed and the tape surfaces as you tend your garden).

The cheapest method is sheet mulching: lay out the cardboard and place some mulch (straw, wet leaves, grass clippings) on it to hold it down. Then, after 2 to 3 months of weed suppression and decomposition you can cut holes in the decomposed cardboard and plant your vegetables into your native soil. However, Sheet Mulching such as this is neither the easiest way nor the best way to start your garden.

We prefer Sheet Composting! Buy your compost by the yard, and cover your sheets of cardboard with 3 to 6 inches of compost instead of mulch! Then, after watering the compost (or letting the rain do that work for you) and waiting a few days to a week (or more if your compost is particularly “hot,” stinky and active) you can transplant your vegetable starts (or sow your seeds) directly into the compost without puncturing the layer(s) of cardboard! Over time (a few months) the cardboard will decompose and the plant roots will dig deep down into your native soil – as will the earthworms come up into the compost helping to mix your soil and compost together!Make sure you use a compost that is recommended for filling raised beds and not solely as a soil amendment (ie: a compost that can be planted directly into, such as Sonoma Compost’s “Mallard Plus”). Sheet Composting is not only easier work than Sheet Mulching, but can be done more quickly and immediately, and will result in much better weed suppression as well as much healthier vegetable plants and crops due to the abundant compost (though it does cost more money to purchase the compost)!

If you choose to use the Sheet Composting technique or have some raised beds to fill, buy your compost by the yard – or better yet, have it delivered! We’ve tried Grab ‘n Grow and Wheeler Zamaroni for buying compost by the yard and both of them failed us (and we’re not the only farmers who consistently report this). They were nutrient poor and $40 to $80 per yard. However, we swear by Sonoma Compost’s various compost blends made almost entirely from local, Sonoma County ingredients (at only $20 per yard), though you’ll have to live with the little bits of plastic garbage in the compost. Or, you can go the expensive route and buy bagged compost blends from a nursery that usually come from Mendocino or Humboldt and are typically very good but nutrient levels can vary greatly between brands and even within brands from bag to bag.

Whatever you choose, it should be very dark in color (almost black) and should have a very strong aroma of rich, fresh, compost. The lighter colored soil amendments typically use lava rock (from Lake County mines) or peat or sphagnum moss (very environmentally bad products to purchase) as cheap fillers which give good soil body but dilute the available nutrients. (Lava rock is a very, very long-term nutrient source of minor importance, but it is used too frequently.)

We also recommend the use of your chickens (or your neighbor’s chickens) to clear ground of all weeds and weed seeds for gardening space! But that’s a more involved process fraught with peril and fun! Fence them in where you wish your garden to be and they will clear it for you, of weeds, seeds and insects!

To be continued soon with:

Part 3….. How and What to Plant

If you missed “Take it from the Farmer…. Growing Tips for a Beautiful Garden, Part I” click here.

(c) 2011 Paul Kaiser

Paul Kaiser is a leader in ecological agriculture who was recently recognized with an international award for his work in biodiversity and pollinator conservation on his farm, Singing Frogs Farm. Paul served in the Peace Corps in The Gambia, West Africa. He worked with several rural agrarian communities to develop sustainable land use management systems, turning degraded lands into economically viable and biologically diverse and resilient farmland. Since then Paul has received dual Masters Degrees in Natural Resources Management and Sustainable Development from the United Nations University for Peace in Costa Rica and the American University in Washington D.C. In the last five years, Paul and his wife Elizabeth, have married sustainable land management with local food production at their biodiverse and family friendly  Singing Frogs Farm in Sebastopol.

Enters the Moon…
Waxing and waning, the moon’s absolute predictable rhythm is change: two weeks of waxing followed by two weeks of waning, and round again… the moon’s movement is constant. Imperceptible at times, the moon’s expansion or contraction takes place continually, moment to moment.

Like the oceans, we are susceptible to the ebbs and flows of the moon, being physically comprised of 75% water, and having a menstrual cycle identical in length to the moon’s cycle around the Earth (both average 29.5 days).

We can live our lives oblivious to the tag of the moon, or in harmony with it. Given the predominant collective feeling of lack of order in an unpredictable world, what would it mean to live in harmony with the moon?

Start by observing.

Watch the sky tonight and see where the moon is. If you can cup it with your right hand it is waxing. With your left – waning. Start observing your mood today; Your ability to sleep; Your level of energy; Your needs; The phase of your menstrual cycle (premenstrual, menstruation, post menstruation, ovulation). You may want to keep a journal in which you track your observations over a few full moon-cycles. Pay attention and journal about the varying impressions, dreams, tempers, and frames of mind, as you and the moon cycle around. Don’t try to interpret anything yet. Rather, observe the phases of your inner landscape, those of the moon, and the correlation between them.

You are ready to play detective when you have observed yourself for a few cycles! Read your notes and start putting your inner jigsaw puzzle together: Do you see a pattern emerging? What were your moods, dreams, and needs during the expansion of the moon? Around the full moon? Through the waning phase? During the dark of the moon? What menstrual phase corresponded to each? I generally find that I am much more inclined to hibernate during the waning phase (typically before and during my menstrual flow) and feel expansive and social during the waxing one (typically post menstrual and ovulation phases).

Having mapped out the terrain – you can start dancing with it! Take into account the phases of the moon, and of your menstrual cycle, when you plan your activities. Where would you put your stuff meetings? Your vacation? A party? A meeting with your boss? An intimate conversation with your mate about where your relationship is heading? A retreat? Creative time? There are endless possibilities of weaving your activities to match your moods and needs during different phases of your cycle. You can take this a step further and match the color and feel of clothing or jewelery with your moods and needs in each of your cyclical phases.

Plan as you may, the unpredictability of life tend to pop up, regardless… There is no need to panic. If life throws you a curve ball, start by breathing, grounding, and asking yourself which phase are you and the moon going through right now? I find that an unpleasant surprise throws me into a downward spiral if I am in an inward phase (waning moon or menstruation) whereas I can easily take the same incident with a sense of humor and poise if I’m in an expanding time of my cycle.

Though life’s curved balls are unpredictable, it helps to know why we are reacting the way we do. We can give ourselves some slack, and be more compassionate with ourselves and others, when we have a deeper understanding of our inner workings as cyclical beings.

When you know yourself deeply, and honor your undulating monthly needs, you start dancing your own rhythms to your own drum!

DeAnna L’am, (B.A.) speaker, coach, and trainer, is author of Becoming Peers – Mentoring Girls Into Womanhood and A Diva’s guide to Getting Your Period. She is founder of Red Moon School of Empowerment for Women & Girls™. Her pioneering work has been transforming women’s & girls’ lives around the world, for over 20 years.

DeAnna helps women & girls love themselves unconditionally! She specializes in helping women make peace with their cycle, instructs Moms in the art of welcoming girls to empowered womanhood, and trains women to hold RED TENTS in their communities. Visit her at: www.deannalam.com

Put down the laundry basket and send the kids outside for a moment.  Mariah Smith Photography is going to take you on a photo journey that just may entice you to carve out even more time for yourself!  Follow along as Mariah reveals the local blissful retreat experience offered by Leslie Gude’s Bellies N Bloom (and Beyond!) Boutique Studio.

Let’s start with this picture of  our mommy friend, Marina,  finding her center on massage table.  If you’ve ever had a massage you can conjure up exactly how it feels to be tucked between those cool brown sheets.  Your thoughts slow, and your shoulders relax as strong, yet gentle hands tease out those knots in your shoulders.

But there is more to your Bellies N Bloom experience.  Much more.  And every added detail is intentionally chosen to help nurture and pamper the women who give the most – moms!  I booked my first  Bellies N Bloom massage two years ago (read about the details here), and have since returned many times to my new found peaceful haven.  Or should I say heaven?

In the Studio

What can you expect during your personal session with Bellies N Bloom?  All treatments begin with a relaxing, fragrant foot bath followed by a luxurious, moisturizing treatment.  While you calm your thoughts, Leslie serves you herbal tea and some small delicious treats (e.g. almonds or chocolate.)  Leslie wants you rested and nourished so you can truly lose yourself in your body treatment.

As you soak your toes, notice the softly flickering candles and the rose petals trailing along the surfaces.  Yes, Leslie is that committed to making sure you feel pampered and surrounded by beauty!

Bellies N Bloom offers a menu of nurturing services as well as a full product line of amazing creams, lotions, and other fun potions custom created to meet a mother’s unique needs.  Allow me to suggest a few of my special favorite services:

Treat yourself with a relaxing massage.  Leslie’s custom made table has a tummy cut-out so even mommy’s with a bump in the front can get a back massage – truly a necessity with the baby’s growing weight tugging on a mommy-to-be’s back.

“At Bellies N Bloom we pride ourselves in using the finest quality products and pure essential oils.”   Leslie can give you a tummy toning treatment and even a chest lifting serum during your massage – be sure to ask for one of these wonderful add-ons.

Celebrate your baby belly and preserve this miraculous and beautiful time in your life with a Belly Cast.

Don’t want to break away from your new baby?  Don’t count yourself out of a terrific nurturing session!  “We are a baby friendly studio equipped with a Nature’s Sway Hammock swing for a baby,” offers Leslie thoughtfully.

Baby Shower

“Pregnancy is a magical journey that I believe should be celebrated, enjoyed and cherished. At Bellies N Bloom it is our goal to do just this.” says passionate Leslie who is mother of four of her own beautiful children.

Bring Leslie out for a baby shower and you can give your celebrated mommy-to-be an experience she’ll truly enjoy.  Sono-Ma friend Annalyce LaSource recently hired Bellies N Bloom to join in a lovely shower in honor of her best friend.   Leslie arrived with her copper bowl, scrubs, lotions and other products to sample, and quickly became the center of our party.  Our guest of honor indulged in a foot bath and leg massage.  Grandma-to-be also received a neck massage.  The guests all sampled the yummy smelling coconut lotions and other fun potions.

After a wonderful, relaxing afternoon, our mommy-to-be also took home a gift from us ladies – another private session with Bellies N Bloom.  Our gal pal was thrilled, and we felt great knowing we’d treated her to a truly special experience that could give back some of the soul nourishing she’ll soon be pouring into her new baby.

Sono-Ma Scoop:  Check Out the Bellies N Bloom Mother’s Day Special

Head on over to the Bellies N Bloom website and click on their specials tab today.  You’ll find out you can book yourself a well deserved indulgent experience for just $95!  (Regular price is $145) Or better yet, print out the specials page and leave it in an obvious place for as a big hint for dad and the kids…

Mother’s Day Offering:

Your treatment will begin with a rose petal foot bath, followed by lower leg exfoliation and mask.

A 50 minute custom aromatherapy massage that’s promised to leave you blissed out and in a state of total relaxation…

Oh and not to forget a special take home gift for her special day…

Let me know how you feel after your first session!  And don’t forget to sign up for the Blissful email list to be sure you hear about Bellies N Bloom specials!

More About Bellies N Bloom

Bellies N Bloom was born in 2006 in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand where Leslie and her family lived for 3 amazing years.

Leslie is a Registered Nurse with work experience in a variety of settings including Labor and Delivery, Mother Baby, and Pediatrics.  She also served as a midwife assistant and lactation consultant. She is a certified prenatal massage therapist, and has been practicing prenatal massage for the last 13 years. She is the proud mother of four who have been the inspiration behind Bellies N Bloom.

“Working with pregnant moms and their babies is my true passion: there is nothing more beautiful than helping to bridge the bond between the two.”

Sono-Ma Soiree:  Delight Night

Attendees of the upcoming Sono-Ma Soiree “Delight Night” on April 26, 2012 get a chance to meet Leslie and receive a mini-treatment.  Guests will additionally find her lotion and potion samples in their take home gift bags.

Mariah Smith Photography will also be on site offering pregnancy studio portraits to guests boasting a belly bump.  All attending moms will receive a a certificate for a free Brag Book when they book a portrait session.  Moms can also sign up for Mariah’s Mother’s Day Sepcial – Family Portrait and Keepsake Album for $550 (regularly $625).

See you there!

Earth Day reminds us to consider our relationship with our changing planet.   Of course, this is something we need to think about on a daily basis – something we should embrace as part of our everyday living.  How can we tread lightly?  How can we enjoy and preserve the earth’s natural beauty and resources?  Most importantly, how can this be so deeply held in our family practices that our children continue these traditions throughout their own lifetimes on this earth?

Sono-Ma offers ten tips for making every day Earth Day.

1. Leave the Plastic at the Store

A few years ago, my friend Karla connected me to a blog called “Fake Plastic Fish.”  The author, a determined mother, took a look at the plastic filling her waste bins and decided she didn’t want to continue living such a disposable life.  In 2007, she took a pledge to live as plastic-free as she could manage.  Five years later, she’s continued to track every piece of plastic she couldn’t do without. She boasts she’s kept her plastic consumption to under 40 pounds and 2300 items.  Read those numbers again.  Can you imagine how much plastic the rest of us toss?

This mama inspired me to be more mindful of the plastic I bring home from the store.  Do I really need so much packaged stuff?  No.  We recommitted to purchasing less processed foods, and to start shopping in bulk.  I gathered up my canning jars and canisters, and popped them in my cloth grocery sack.  It took a few months to build the habit, but now we never embark on a grocery trip without first gathering jars.  The reduction in waste is considerable.

2. Not Just GROCERY Shopping Bag

Thank goodness for stores like Whole Foods who put little signs inside the shopping carts that say “Did you remember your bags?”  I think it is finally part of our weekly grocery shopping routine to remember to put the bags in the car AND actually remember to bring them in the store.  How about you?

However, there must be one big whole in my brain as it never seems to occur to me to bring these same cloth bags along for other shopping needs.  My commitment for 2012 is to tote a cloth bag to thrift stores, Ace Hardware, and Target.

3. Gather Around the Table & Eat In

All this focus on reducing plastic awakened my senses to disposable packaging everywhere.  Suddenly, a take-out chimi changa makes my stomach turn – and it’s all that to-go (in the trash) ware that gets me.  One fried burrito for me and a plastic fork, paper napkin, and Styrofoam tray for the landfill.

So, I try to place an order sans the “to-go” paraphernalia.  You should see me try and order a coffee or a smoothie when we road trip.  It is nearly impossible to decline the straw, lid, stir stick, and cup insulator before the fast food worker hands me my order.  I speed talk at them, while they look at me dumfounded with a straw hanging limply in hand.  “You want just a cup?”  How did we end up in this place?

The easiest option is just to gather around our own table at home.   It’s also a nice treat to go out to a restaurant and sit down to eat.  Even Starbucks will give you a big, cozy white mug if you can linger a bit.  I am happy to slow down and shrink that waste footprint a bit.

4. Keep Veggies Local and Seasonal

Groceries continue on as one area our family keeps earth-centered.   These goods comprise almost a third of our monthly bills, so this is a impactful place to practice being conscientious.    It’s also a sneaky excuse to ensure we can put yummy foods in our shopping cart.   Who feels guilty about nabbing those first of the season, organic strawberries if they are harvested right of the farm in Sebastopol?  Never mind they might cost $7 for two baskets.  We are forgoing those mangoes from Mexico, and we want fruit!

Our family purchased a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) membership with Singing Frogs Farm a few years back.  At around $25 per weekly basket, it hardly feels expensive.   (Although we do move that bill up a bit by adding in Extra Virgin Olive Oil, fresh eggs, and locally sourced brown rice!)

Our CSA brings us much closer to our food.  Our weekly newsletter from Farmer Paul who shares the trials, tribulations, and joys of producing our food with earth-friendly farming practices. (We also look forward to the newsletter’s recipes and ideas for tasty, family-tested recipes!)  Seasonal celebrations on the farm – apple pressing or pumpkin carving – truly connect us to our farm and farmer.

Best of all, I know all this delicious, nutritious food only travels 20 miles from Paul’s farm to my door!

5. Meat, Eggs and Milk Sourced Locally

In our amazing agricultural county, there is no need to stop with produce when we are thinking of sourcing locally.  Our family buys eggs from local farmers, regularly invests in a side of beef (or a pig), and we even get our milk in mason jars.

Local farmer’s markets are just opening for the season.  Take a visit down to your local market and see what you can cross of your shopping list.  The carbon reduction from cutting out shipping and distributing is one benefit for our earth.  However, your support of small farms can have even further environmental impacts.  Ask about your farmer’s animal husbandry, and you are also likely to find that the entire paradigm of raising animals on a small scale is vastly superior to mass produced meat or milk. Small farms don’t rely as heavily on antibiotics, grain feed, and other large-scale farming practices that can have detrimental affects on the animal and our planet – let alone our own health!

6. Walk Rather Than Drive Anywhere Within a 3-mile Radius

I recently heard about a local group of people starting a movement encouraging people to walk or bike whenever a destination is under 3 miles.  What a concept! My family walks to the post office, library, farmer’s market, flea market, parks, and more.  However, I confess I often jump in the car to zoom over to a doctor’s appointment that is well under 2 miles from my home.

I’d like to commit – especially in these coming months of good weather – to make space and time in my life for making better transport choices.  Yes, I’ll have to leave a half hour before an appointment to ensure I can walk there on time, but it makes a lot more sense than firing up the car and burning fossil fuels to go a short distance.  It also saves money and helps me get in those 180 minutes of needed weekly exercise.

Ready to commit to more walking yourself?  Check out Sonoma County’s resource iwalk now.

7. Recycled Clothing & Toys

Clothing is another big budget line item that can use some “green” attention.  We took the Ethical Clothing Pledge and now source our clothing from thrift stores and second hand sales.  With groups like Just Between Friends, we even source our toys, bikes, and games second hand.  Again, we save money, keep things out the landfill, and bring things home with less packaging. It’s a win all the way around.

8. Vinegar and Baking Soda Clean our House

“I couldn’t believe how harmful my cleaning chemicals were for my baby!” shares a young mom with me while we chatted at the 2011 Day on the Green festival hosted by Montgomery Village.  “You’d never believe this, but all we need is vinegar and stuff like baking soda to clean up most things…” I smiled as she went on passionately about her new found wisdom.  I couldn’t help but think of all the lifestyle changes she would likely come to make as her new baby grew up.  Our family, too, had made such discoveries.  When you start questioning ingredients, sources, manufacturing policies, distribution practices, and the like, suddenly all of the products we consume and purchase come into question.

Then, we get back to the basics and rediscover recipes for home cleaning solutions like mixing water, vinegar, and tea tree oil.  We think, “Why did we ever buy that other stuff before?  This is cheap, easy, and much lighter on the environment!”  Check out Better Basics for the Home for loads of other ideas for simplifying and greening your home.

9. The Tiny Garbage Can Challenge

Want another money saving idea?  Ask yourself “how low can I go” with weekly trash?  We reduced our waste bin down to the smallest size (per Santa Rosa Recycling) and now pay around $10 a month for a waste disposal fees.

Our company now accepts both yard waste and vegetative food scraps (kitchen compost) in the green waste bins.   The list of items they accept for recycling is also quite extensive.  Combine all of this with our commitment to bring less plastic home, and it turns out there is almost nothing in our trash can each week.

10. Park Pass & Connection

Finally, and most importantly, I think nurturing our connection to the earth is key to helping us sustain better lifestyle choices.   Our family buys a Sonoma County Regional Park Pass each year, and we hit the trails whenever we can.  Walking under the ancient oaks, splashing in the cold water creeks, and building sand castles on our pristine beaches, we become deeply in awe of nature.  How could we ever let this slip away?

Join us today and everyday in celebrating our great earth!