parent tribe issue four | Winter 2014
Bring in the new year in Peace! An audio interview with Genevieve Simperingham from The Peaceful Parent Institute in New Zealand
be creative be free be together
“History will judge us by the difference we make in the everyday lives of children.� - Nelson Mandela
contents Page 8 Page 10 Page 12 Page 14 Page 18 Page 22 Page 24 Page 28 Page 32 Page 34 Page 36 Page 39
Hello & Happy New Year from Hatti The Way of The peaceful Parent - Audio interview Diary of an Online Mumpreneur Tetachapo Crochet shares their story New Year, New kind of resolution Four am feed poem Love Parenting’s Sam shares her story Peace in Parenting through meditation Harriet & Garfield’s Feel good food A Piece of Peace - creativity in motherhood little ones enjoying nature gallery The Parent Tribe Directory half price offer
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Our Contributors Clare Cooper Clare, 33, lives with her partner Neil, 43, and their three children Surya, 5, Shanti, 3 and Sol, 7 months, on the edge of The English Lake District. Both Clare and Neil are Yoga teachers, so yogic ideas are important to them, as is being in nature, living simply, good food, being with their children and materialising their creative ideas. Clare is a home-schooling mother who is with her children full time and when family life allows, teaches a small pregnancy yoga class and writes on all aspects of yoga and natural parenting. She also likes to choose creative projects that her children can be involved in including a natural parent and child group she runs alongside Hatti Burt called Beautiful Beginnings. In this edition Clare talks about Peace in Parenting and how connecting with our own inner peace can greatly help us parent with love and patience, on page 28 >>
Jody Temple-White Jody, 43, is from Beaverton, Oregon, USA and lives with her husband John, 65, and children Riley, 16 and Allison, 11. Jody and her husband John both work from wherever they are located and spent the last year embarking on their dream of travelling the world together with their family. Jody runs an online consultancy and coaching business, and John works in the investment and insurance business. Jody also writes about their trip on her website The Courage Vibe, which is about the family’s courage as they learnt the difference between being travellers and tourists. Jody shares what she has learnt, by writing how we can show courage in our family lives on a daily basis. This month, on page 18, Jody shares her ideas of a new kind of New Year’s resolution and having the courage to become all you can be >>
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Anna Dove Anna Dove, 34, lives happliy with her husband Richard, 41, and their two little monsters Willow, 3, and Honey, 2, in the sleepy and very beautiful Ennerdale valley in Cumbria. Anna is a stay at home mum but also runs her very creative business Dotty Dove’s Designs from her home ‘crafty workshop’. She currently tries to fit in creative thinking and making inbetween play groups, playing outside, making dens, playdoughing & boring household chores (which definitely come bottom of the pile!!) Anna likes to share her creativity with others and was recently involved in The Clothes Show and is running her first local crafting workshop this year. We are so happy to have Anna involved in Parent Tribe sharing crafty tutorials and writing about what she has been up to. Check out page 34 where Anna tells us about her ‘Piece of Peace’ >>
EK Bradley Elizabeth Kelsey Bradley, lives with her husband Billy, and their daughter Kaya, in Phuket, Thailand. Elizabeth is a freelance writer and travel photojournalist, as well as Holistic Coach. Both Elizabeth and her husband make a living as online entrepreneurs around homeschooling their young daughter and are often found working late into the night whilst their daugher is sleeping. Elizabeth is passionate about helping more parents work from home and have passion driven businesses. It’s great to have her writing for Parent Tribe sharing her experiences through her column ‘Diary of an online mumpreneur’, on page 12 >>
Are you interested in contributing to parent tribe? We are looking for writers, poets, illustrators, photographers! Find out more here >>
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Happy New Year and welcome to our 4th edition I hope everyone enjoyed their family time over the festive period and took some well deserved time to relax and spend time with loved ones. With my broadband being down and also, more importantly, being almost 7 months pregnant this is exactly what I did. We, as a family, have had a couple of weeks of festive gatherings with various groups of family and friends as well as time just us 3 enjoying food, festive films, talking, playing, giving and receiving. It's been perfect, apart from the weather, which, has been unusually wet for Christmas time (although we are in the English Lake District which is very well known for being wet, wet, wet!). Although we have a lot of extended family and friends nearby it was important for me this year to spend some quality time as a family of 3 before the arrival of our second child due early March. I think we got the perfect balance of this and I now think we are all very ready to welcome this new person into our family very soon. So exciting! This year is going to be life-changing for our family with the new arrival and also some very exciting plans in the spring which I can’t reveal yet, but let’s just say myself and my hubby will be going for a very long-term dream of ours. Both these things are mega exciting but also massive things in our family
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life and my focus for the new year is to stay
centred, calm and peaceful to be able to go forward and deal with all these changes in our life whilst enjoying every moment. This is why this edition of Parent Tribe is focused around bringing in the New Year in Peace. We have the wonderful and well-known Genevieve Simperingham from The Peaceful Parent Institute in New Zealand sharing her story on our first recorded interview, as well as another peaceful parenting guru Sam Vickery from Love Parenting sharing her story. We also have a fab article from Jody Temple White about being being all we can become this year rather than putting specific resolutions on ourselves and our families. Creative mama Anna from Dotty Dove’s Designs also shares with us how her creative outlet brings her peace within the hectic lifestyle of raising two young children, as well as other inspiring articles.
photography or poetry then please get in
I hope this edition eases you into the New touch soon. I also have plans in the year Year and helps you and your family to be sometime to put together a short online
all you can become, creatively, emotionally course to help creative mamas to set up and spiritually. their own online business so watch this The first half of the year especially will be quite quiet on the Parent Tribe scene as I will be taking some time to give a proper, no interruptions welcome to the lovely little soul coming into our family. I will be sending a small spring edition out but hope to put it together my mid Feb, so if any of you out there would like to share your inspiring family story, write for the magazine or have other creative things to share inlcuding art,
space! Busy, creative yet fun times ahead! Wishing you and all your families peace and love for 2014.
Hatti Burt
Find out more about my story here >> 9
Three words to describe how you feel about your lifestyle?
blessed. enriched. satisfying.
Part of genevieves interview to go here......
The way of the peaceful parent - and how she makes it work! Genevieve Simperingham lives with her husband Dan, son, 16 & daughter, 11, in Whangarei, New Zealand. Genevieve & Dan both run the Peaceful Parent Institute together, a heart based parenting centre, which aims to help parents keep fully connected with their children. They do this through coaching, holistic councelling, workshops, talks, many helpful articles on their website and also through their Facebook page.
off as once again I needed to keep earning,
On early childhood...
It’s always been really important to me that my children are only little for such a little amount of time... and I feel like I have been quite lucky to have that perpective from the beginning.
On working around family...
I remember running my first weekend residential workshop when my son was 6 months old, but he was there with us, and luckily people were just really lovely about it... Even though I do end up doing a lot of computer work when the kids are around, we have a family rule, wherby we never turn the computer on in the morning time until they go to school.
and wanted to go to play centre with my daughter and so to be able to achieve all of that I employed an au pair. A lovely lady came over from denmark and lived with us and I taught her all about peaceful parenting...
On following your passions...
If you have very strong passions there is a lot of value in being able to pursue that.... My children have always reflected to me that they are so proud of me for the work that I do. Yeh, they just spontaneously say “Mum you just make such a difference, your just teaching all these parents how to be kind to their children’... Do some soul searching to find the work that you can do that really feeds you. We give so
On Home education...
much energy to our children and the family,
I did two years homeschooling my son, which was a very, very rich journey for me as a parent to take that responsibility for my kids education and I think it really set us up as a family to view education in a much broader way... I didn’t know how to pull that
if we are working at the same time, and that work is going to be soul destroying then it will just be too hard...If it then enriches you, it will also enrich your family as a whole and comes back to modelling following your heart to your children.
Listen to the full interview with Genevieve plus her top tips on Peaceful Parenting here >>
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Diary of an online mumpreneur Simplify: Our Motto for 2014 Written by EK Bradley
I normally hate New Year’s resolutions. They
the shelves and had never been read, and
are typically things that are unattainable
toys were ignored in Kaya’s drawers. My
for me, such as losing weight ( what can
inbox was a disaster ( still is! ) and I still can’t
I say, I like pasta ) or waking up at 5AM. It
find any files I am looking for, even when I
never works and it usually makes me feel have pinned them to Pinterest in hopes of bad for the rest of the year as I had failed to retrieving them when they were needed. No appropriately meet my target goal.
idea where I pinned them....
2013 however was a great year for our
Our home contains many boxes of memories
family. Despite ups and downs and an
from when my Father was alive and from my
international move (then another), we made childhood, plus all the things our family has progress in every aspect of our lives. We acquired over the years. I am ashamed of became closer. Our business grew and
how much stuff we have and how untidy
more consulting opportunities arose. My
our house is. I don’t have any intention
once anxiety stricken self began to feel calm of becoming an extreme minimalist, but I and confident. I enrolled in courses I had
now realize the benefit of living with less.
been eyeing for some time and felt uplifted.
I am a collector at heart, as well as an absent minded professor when it comes to
When Christmas came and passed, my misplacing things and having books strewn 2014 goal organically came to mind: all over the place. There is no changing that! simplify. After reflecting on what I would
But I know for a fact we have many things
really like to change in our home and in my in our lives that are no longer needed and life and business, I realized that I didn’t need perhaps some could be of benefit to others. to add to anything. We didn’t need more homeschooling supplies, clothes, toys etc. Why is it so hard for some of us to simplify our
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We needed to fully appreciate what we
lives? Why have we accumulated so much
already had. Books were collecting dust on
stuff? It has a lot to do with our dependance
on consumption and our marketing heavy
and never uses it, and family Y rents it
world. I firmly believe however that this year
from them instead of buying there own.
specifically will mark a turning point in the
It’s a win win situation, and it is on the rise;
lives of many people. This will be a year of
from Air B and B to carpooling, people are
appreciation for the important moments
sharing more than ever. It saves money
and downsizing of that which has no more
and space! It empowers communities and
use. One can already see a huge increase in
builds connections.
interest in tiny homes and alternative, smaller than usual forms of housing. Paper items
We have already begun sorting through
are being eliminated as books are replaced
our clothes, books, CDs, and God know
with ebooks. Why buy a DVD when you can
how much other stuff for what we want
download it? Why buy a CD instead of an
to give away or toss. Several black bags
MP3?
are outside my door, waiting for us to take them somewhere to be donated. I feel
I also predict this year that there will be
great doing this! And so does my slightly
a growing interest in what some call
cleaner house.
collaborative consumption. An example would be a powerdrill. Family X owns one
www.ekbradley.net / The Bradleys blog
Our Story French Canadian Cathy Dutrieux, 30, her French husband Alexis, 32 and their 2 little ones, ClĂŠmentine, 3 and cheeky monkey Zachariah, 10 months, live in Greenock, Center Scotland. Cathy runs her crochet business, Tetachapo, from home around her family life.
Lifestyle and philosophy
making it work around family
We love spending time all 4 together, not
Zach is a very demanding little boy so most
going out much, just enjoying the time of the work is done during the evenings or we have. We have no or very little family
week-ends when daddy is there to look
in Scotland but the kids enjoy talking with after the kiddies. We are very lucky because grannies and grandpas on Skype, either in
Alexis is able to work 10 hours a day for 4
Canada or in France.
days since ClĂŠmentine was born, so we can
home business
enjoy 3 day week-ends.
I am a working at home mummy, I do custom crochet hats, mostly, I sometimes do bigger
Our inspiration I started crochet 4 years ago, a colleague
pieces when the times are quieter. I run the taught me the base between 2 calls in a call Facebook page Tetachapo (which in French
center! Then I looked into Youtube tutorials
would mean someone that wears hats and started making baby clothes when beautifully, that has a head for hats!).
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I learned we were having a baby ;) Then
family and friends started to comment on the
has improved so much we are very proud
pictures I posted on Facebook proposing parents. She even “reprimands” us when we I’d sell them, especially the hats. Tetachapo sing Hey diddle diddle and don’t pronounce was born. Started with only friends and moon and spoon with the Scottish accent. family as likers, but had a big demand from end of August this year. I did a big Giveway for the 500 likes not long ago. I was very
ADVICE TO OTHER PARENTS
proud to count so many people that like Believe in what you do and try to stay original. I’m only starting so I can’t give big what I do!
education options Clémentine started nursery in August. We are a French speaking family at home so I was a bit worried she would have difficulties to make friends and express herself but it all went very well. She made friends very quickly, enjoys the activities and her english
pieces of advice but keep track of “ins and outs” to be able to fill the self-employed tax report in April !!!
What is your favourite family acitvity? A simple walk on the beach or in the woods is what we love most. We love babywearing Zach
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so we can go wherever we like without having to worry if a buggy can go or not go there ! Zachariah hates car rides which is a shame as we loved going in the Highlands for long car rides, we’re patiently waiting for him to grow and hopefully enjoying it a bit more ;)
3 words to describe how you feel about your lifestyle?
Blessed Family Simple You can find out more about Cathy’s crochet business Tetchapo and view more of her fabulous creations on facebook >>
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New Year, New Kind of Resolution Wow, it’s 2014. Our new calendar hangs on decided to depart from the resolutions that the refrigerator, clean, unmarked, and ready to record the upcoming details of our lives.
don’t work and adopt one that will. Yes, I have chosen to bravely put those
Appointments, vacations, classes, games, old resolutions aside and go against the meetings, play dates, and who knows what
mainstream for a resolution that allows
else? I guess we’ll find out.
me, my family and those around me to
A new calendar tells me it’s time for new
feel successful, loved and invigorated
resolutions. For 30-plus years, I’ve made throughout the entire year. resolution after resolution. “This year I resolve to lose 10 pounds.” “This year I am starting my own business.” “This year I will put my pictures in a scrapbook for my kids.” “This year I will exercise more and eat less.” Each year, I begin invigorated, ready, actually believing in my coming success. Same with my husband and kids. By February or March, our calendar shows little or no sign that our resolutions are still alive. Then I go through feelings of failure, disappointment and discouragement. So I’m doing it differently this year. This year I’m making one resolution, a resolution of a different nature. This one resolution encompasses all the others. It allows for opportunities and limitless experiences. I’ve
My 2014 resolution is this:
“This year I resolve to leap wholeheartedly into all I may become and give room to those in my life to do the same; supporting myself and them in the perpetual pursuit of becoming.” Now this may not seem like a courageous resolution to you, but to me it is. The words “all I may become” leave so much room for exploration, experiences and considerations. It takes immense courage to invite Life to show me ”all I may become.” I am using my resolution as a filter for making choices in my life, for what goes
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onto my calendar, and how I fill my days. I
what they loved was easily overlooked.
am stretching my comfort zone by making There was so much going on, they couldn’t conscious choices and saying “YES” to focus on the thing they most loved. When opportunities. For example, if there’s a we pulled back and gave the kids time to choice to be made, like going to the gym or
consider what activities really invigorated
catching up on my favorite TV shows, my and excited them, they were able to identify resolution helps me sort. All I need to do how they wanted to spend their time. is ask myself this question, “Which activity It takes courage to be picky and choose will help me become all I am to become?”
things that allow the becoming to happen.
When put in that way the choice becomes Sometimes the choice made turns out to be pretty clear. Going to the gym becomes
a dud, yet that is still part of the becoming
easier because it will allows me to be in
process. The choice might not always be
better shape, to remain healthy so that I can the easy path or the most socially accepted. participate in activities of my choosing.
It takes immense courage to try new things,
In addition to becoming all I am to become,
to explore and to expand your comfort zone.
I want those around me to become all they
My 2014 New Year’s resolution is a win-win.
are to become. I want to do everything I can’t lose. It inspires and encourages me in my power to support and encourage that I am becoming all that I am meant to them to explore, expand and learn about
become, and every experience I have helps
themselves. I want to empower my children
me become that person.
to find their passion, but this can be tricky What you are today, and what your children because kids and families are notoriously
are today, is not what you will all be one
overscheduled, running from activity to
year, three years or five years from now. We
activity, all in the pursuit of finding that one are all in a state of becoming. “What I may thing that will make them happy.
become” indicates choice and mystery. I
Our family knows this trap. What we learned may become all kinds of things. Courage is that when our kids were overbooked,
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will lead me to them. Being courageous enough to make choices that will enable us to become all that we are meant to be takes a conscious effort. This year, I invite you to consider creating a new kind of resolution. Choose one that open doors and welcomes limitless opportunities and encounters. I invite you to join me in dropping the perceived failures we beat ourselves up with and pick up the courage to see ourselves as successful becomers. I invite you to explore the unexplored, stretch your comfort zones, and leap wholeheartedly into all you may become. Our calendars will reveal the results.
Written by Jody Temple-White Check out Jody’s blog TheCourageVibe.com or follow her on facebook & Twitter Illustration by Laura Bevan at lambandfox.com
Four a.m. feed Beyond the window Apple boughs sigh, frame a moon Circled in ice. Frost whitens a pond, but here all is warmth, a cocoon of peace. By Pauline Kirk First published in Musings on Mothering (Mother’s Milk Books, 2012)
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by Marija Smits marijasmits.wordpress.com
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Three words to describe how you feel about your lifestyle?
Love, Peace, Creativity.
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Our Story Sam Vickery, 28, Jed Vickery, 33 and Little Cat, 2, live in Hampshire, England. Sam childminds and is also an author and runs her website LoveParenting.org
pen and paper and can often be found
lifestyle and philosophy
sprawling on the bedroom floor scribbling
Our lifestyle is very nature based, we love to be outside walking, playing on the beach or off on an adventure somewhere. Before our son was born Jed and I spent 14 months backpacking around Asia, Oceania and Africa, and we still get itchy feet frequently. We will be heading off on our first long trip as a family of three in January, to backpack around Costa Rica.
down articles or a chapter of a book, or out in the garden on the decking, writing manically while my son waters the plants. I find that when I schedule time to write, all my creativity and ideas suddenly disappear, and much prefer to write spontaneously sometimes at three a.m. when inspiration strikes! I try to avoid the computer as much as possible while I’m with my son, so I type up and edit all my writing in the evening
home business
once my husband gets in from work. In the style of parenting that we do, I believe in role
I work from home whilst caring for my son modeling for my son the work we as adults full time. I childmind a few days per week do. He understands that I write and that my
which has enabled me to earn money in work is important, and I feel that he gets a a fulfilling job, whilst my son makes new lot out of observing me doing it. friends, and this works really well for both of us. I am also an author and run a website (www.loveparenting.org)
which
focuses
on Attachment and Continuum parenting. I prefer to write with a good old fashioned
Our inspiration
I always had an urge to write, but never knew what to write about. After my son was
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born I spent a year just relearning everything
will learn far more this way than inside the
I thought I knew about raising children. I read
walls of a classroom.
vicariously and realised that my passion was parenting. Not just parenting, but parenting as nature intended, with respect and acceptance for my sons needs. I started
ADVICE TO OTHER PARENTS The best piece of advice I have for other
trying to find groups or websites that shared parents working from home is to make a my own philosophies, and though I found
daily to do list along with a long term to do
some, none had exactly the same ideas
list. Having one or two things that I absolutely
as my own. I had so much I wanted to must get done each day, and making the list share, so I started Love Parenting. I found
achievable to complete in the time I have,
that once I put pen to paper, I just couldn’t
enables me to stay focused on the present
stop. The more I wrote, the more inspired and work more quickly. I find that when my I felt and it wasn’t long before I wrote my list is too long and I have no idea what to start first book, Trust Me, I’m A Toddler. I believe with, I waste time procrastinating and end that time is what so many people lack, and up doing very little. When I have a mini list, it was this unpressurised time, the gift of
it is far easier to get things crossed off and
maternity leave, that allowed me to explore
feel that I have accomplished something,
what I really enjoyed, to try things and make leaving me more time to spend with my mistakes, and to finally land on something I
family.
was truly passionate about.
Favourite family activity
education options
We love to get out in nature on a family
We believe in learning through real life hike. I feel my happiest in the woodlands, experiences, and we want our son to have with my husband by my side and our son
the same opportunities to find and follow running through golden leaves, but really his passions. We intend to continue as we anywhere away from the city, with fresh air are, in what we describe as Waldorf inspired
and birdsong is our family’s happy place!
unschooling. Nature, limited screen time, hands on learning, along with interesting and active role models are all an important part of our approach. We feel that the best place for him to be is with us, whether at home, or travelling the globe, and that he
Find out more about what Sam does at LoveParenting.org or find her on Facebook>>
THE MOTHER
For dads, too!
www.themothermagazine.co.uk
Jan/Feb 2014 Issue 62 ÂŁ4.50 UK
Ten ways to build your immune system
Sustainable Parenting Lunch-box Ideas Natural-birth Stories Toxic Childhood The Sacred Feminine Wholefoods on a Budget
Adoptive Breastfeeding www.themothermagazine.co.uk TM62 Jan/Feb 2014
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The Mother is an international natural parenting magazine Fertility awareness, conscious conception, peaceful pregnancy, sacred birth, full term breastfeeding, natural immunity and attachment parenting. Find out more at...
www.themothermagazine.co.uk
Peace in Parenting Peaceful Parenting is something many of us aspire to. There are many useful and insightful resources available helping us to relate more peacefully with our children, yet it is important to remember that peaceful parenting begins with peaceful parents. We cannot relate peacefully to our children if we ourselves are not in touch with our own state of inner peace.
Being ‘at peace’ means living in a way
which is real and authentic and true to
Clare is an inspirational yoga teacher specialising in pregnancy yoga where she encourages women to explore yoga to support themselves through pregnancy and in preparation for birth and motherhood. Clare is the mother of three homeschooled children and co-founder of Beautiful Beginnings Playgroup in Cumbria.
Read Clare’s Blog The Essence of Yoga >> 28
ourselves, then we are literally ‘at peace’ with ourselves. Peaceful parenting should not be about presenting an image of calm and peace whilst we shy away from our stormy feelings. Living and parenting peacefully means truly knowing ourselves and our children and relating in a way which means every person’s needs and feelings are recognised and validated. We are able to live and be peaceful when we are true to ourselves and our children, and are free from inner conflicts and suppressed emotion. Peace is a way of being, not something we do.
Getting to Know Our Peace Within Connecting with our Inner Peace We do not need to ‘create’ peace. Peace
Whilst a place of peace exists within all of us,
is a natural state which exists within all of
it can be hidden or clouded by our activities,
us, indeed it is the naturally intended state thoughts and feelings. By dedicating a little for a human being the majority of the time.
time each day to connect inwards, we can
However what we do need to create,
navigate through our mind and emotions to
especially in our busy lifestyles, are the
a place beyond where we can simply ‘be’.
conditions for us to be still and quiet enough Be with our inner peace. to actually connect with and experience this state of inner peace.
In essence this is what yoga is all about; stilling the mind and body, drawing our awareness
It is by connecting with our inner state of
inwards,
then
through
concentration
peace that we can then bring such peace
followed by meditation we connect with our
and calm out into our relationships, parenting true essence, which is, of course, a blissful and daily activities. By beginning our day experience of peace and oneness with all connecting to our inner reservoir of peace that is. No small order then, yet step by step and calm, we start the day on a good note. this experience is accessible to each and It is then much easier to reconnect with our every one of us, and as always, our breath inner peace throughout the day simply by
is our guide.
remembering to do so, and bringing this energy into all of our interactions.
One. Dedicate a time each day for
connecting with your inner peace, I find
early in the morning before any children are awake works best for me. You don’t even need to sit up or get out of bed if this will
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awaken milky co-sleepers!
some long breaths and follow the flow of the
Two. Begin with your body, observe how breath. your physical body feels from head to toe.
Three. Next look at your mind. Observe It does work well to do this practice in the
your thoughts, worries and plans. Try not to get involved with thinking about things, just
morning, as generally the mind, body and emotions are a little more still and a little less
see what is going on there. Observe.
cluttered than later in the day. It is easier to
emotions by observing your heart. What are
involved in the thoughts and tasks of the
Four. Take your attention on to your find your peace before you get busy and you feeling? Simply observe, try not to start analysing!
Five. Now simply move your attention on
to your breathing. Feel the cool air flow into your nostrils and feel your body expanding. Lying with your hands on your belly helps this. Simply watch the flow of your breath, follow the breath in and the breath out.
day.
Take Your Peace With You Peace doesn’t have to just mean stillness, silence and meditation. Once you have connected with yourself in this simple way, you are able to let your inner experience of
Six. If you like you can quietly think the peace flow into all of your activities. When work PEACE with each breath. The practice
we learn to tame our chattering mind and
is about experiencing an inner quietness turbulent emotions, we can be focused and though, so no need for a strong mental fully present in everything we do. It is this focus. Let go and simply BE.
awareness, being in the present moment,
Seven. Stay with your inner experience as fully here, fully now, that we are at our long as you are able. Then consciously take this energy of connection and well-being with you into your day. Re-connect within as and when you remember. Simply take
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strongest and our most peaceful.
If you are not sure what this state looks like, Remember, peaceful parenting begins with imagine the feeling when you are totally
peaceful parents. Rekindle your connection
immersed in something you love; anything with your inner reserves of peace and love, creative, walking in nature, dancing, floating
and nourish them often. They won’t let you
in the ocean. The essence is the totality of down. your absorption. Peace begins within. Within us all. Cultivate You may be in the most beautiful quiet place
your own inner experience of peace on a
on earth, but if your mind is worrying and regular basis, then let these waves of peace your emotions are raging you are far from
and power flow out into your life, your
peaceful. Children are also great examples
relationships and your parenting. This gentle
of peace in action. Watch them as they parents, is how you are changing the world, play, run, explore, dance, collect pebbles one peaceful breath at a time. and pinecones. They are totally enthralled in what they are doing, mind, body and heart dancing as one, peace in action, loving what they do (It happens sometimes doesn’t it!).
PEACE TO ALL, LIGHT TO ALL, LOVE TO ALL
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H a rr i et & Garfie ld’ s Mixed Bean & Quinoa Chilli 2 tsp cooking oil 1 onion, finely chopped 1 red or green pepper, chopped 1 courgette, chopped 1 tin chopped tomatoes 1 tin mixed beans, rinsed 1 tbsp tomato puree 2 tsp cumin 1/2 tsp all spice pinch cayenne pepper 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1 large cup quinoa, rinsed 100ml veg stock Optional a handful chopped sundried tomatoes In our house I like to make nutritious and mainly vegan meals although, as time is limited with managing a home business around being with my son full time, I love one pot, ‘chuck it all in’ sort of meals. This chilli is one of my favourites as it just takes a few staple vegetables and tinned foods with a twist of quinoa to add the perfect protein kick too.
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One. Heat oil in a pan over a medium heat and add onions until lightly browned. Two. Add pepper, courgette, garlic, cumin, all spice and cayenne pepper and cook for a further 2-3 mins. Three. Add the mixed beans, chopped tomatoes, tomato puree and if using sundried tomatoes and cook over medium heat for about 10 mins. Four. Add your cup of quinoa and stock and cook for about 15 mins or until the quinoa starts to separate. Add more stock if neccesary. Five. Serve with your choice of pitta bread, oilves, cheese, salad and other dips. Enjoy! (We had the The Food Doctor multiseed and cereal pittas and Bute Island Strong Cheddar style vegan cheese).
Feel Good Food
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A Piece of Peace Written by Anna Dove
Many people ask me, almost daily, how
painting with the girls, I had not had the chance to use the creative part of my brain for, what felt like, ages. So as I toddled on with my day – doing what I do – looking after my littlies, I happened to glance at the back of the bedroom door of the nursery
did you get the idea for running your own and the gorgeous stripey hand made, felted business, and how do you find the time? heart that my lovely friend made for us one So, here is my little story. I started crafting
because one day I just stopped in my
year (that has been happily hanging there since we moved in), caught my eye. And
tracks, put down the washing basket, left I thought “I am going to make something the washing-up half done, sat the littlies out of felt”. So, the following week when I down to have a story, and thought – “I am was in town, I popped into Oxfam and the exhausted”. And I was physically, but
it other charity shops and I bought a couple of was at that moment that I realised that I bright coloured jumpers, in 100% wool...and
was not necessarily mentally, and creatively rushed them home to shove in the washing exhausted. machine to felt and dry them, ready to chop up and try to make into something vaguely
I am a mum of two young lovely, energetic nice. girls – and suddenly realised that for 3 years or so I had not actually done anything for just “little ‘ole me” and although I had made
So, I started small. First, I made a phone cover, then made a couple of cushions and
many a playdough snowman or handprinted thought that I would chop up an old tweed
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jacket that I had hanging up and not worn new creations it simply adds an extra layer for eons, and make a little corsage to pop to my life. I got that little bit of me back again, on to my new makes to spruce them up
and whilst the littlies are napping or flat out
a bit - and so it began. I loved it. I really
at the end of yet another fun filled day, I get
enjoyed making things out of nothing, and
a chance to develop that creative part of my
with very little money, and very limited time
brain, and although I still have a lot to learn
and I knew that if I wanted to carry on
about business and crafting, I feel at peace
making things then it had to be very, very
and excited all at the same time - that piece
cheap. I had been given a decopatch kit for of peace that I have at the end of the day Christmas the year before by my brother,
ensures I go to bed at peace, feeling happily
and had an old string of beads hanging on content and exhausted. my bedside table. So, I gave them a whirl, decopatched them up and they turned out rather well. I loved the way I had had to think about sourcing raw materials cheaply and sustainably. So, I wore the beads out and about, got lots of compliments and friends started to ask me to make things for them. And, so it began - Dotty Dove’s Designs. A peaceful, fun, play on my name (Anna Dove)
For a peek at my work pop over to facebookor dottydovesdesigns.com ordropmeanemail. if you have an enquiry or a commission you would like me to undertake contact me on dottydovesdesigns@gmail.com
with a creative slant. My very own, piece of peace. When crafting, making, thinking, planning, problem solving, and selling my
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Get outdoors in winter Photographs!
Our little people enjoying the fresh air this autumn/ winter : ) ;
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