The Brick Magazine - April 2022 by The Brick Magazine Ann Arbor

THE

APRIL 2022

MAGAZINE

ANN ARBOR

A Fight for Women's Equality Dentistry Trends in 2022 Reviving the Community at A2DC

SUSTAINABLE WARDROBE SOLUTIONS WITH

Brittany Tobias

734.994.5111 LEWISJEWELERS.COM

THE

BRICK MAGAZINE

APRIL 2022

Publisher

•

Sarah Whitsett

Managing Editor

•

Marji Wisniewski

Art Director

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Jennifer Knutson

Copy Editor

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Angelina Bielby

Marketing Director

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Steve DeBruler

Cover Photographer

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Betsy's Photography

Photo by Kimmi Batchelor

Contributors >>

Dr. Sabiha Bunek

Michael Fox

Ami Walsh

Elaine Economou

Tanja Rohn

Marji Wisniewski

Mikki Sharp

The Brick Magazine, LLC 734.221.5767 Email: office@thebrickmagazine.com Visit us on the web at thebrickmagazine.com

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THE BRICK MAGAZINE makes every effort to provide accurate information in advertising, editorial content and placement; however, we cannot make any claims as to the accuracy of information provided by advertisers or editorial contributors and will accept no responsibility or liability for inaccurate information or placement. No content can be duplicated without the permission of The Brick Magazine, LLC

4 | The Brick Magazine

CONTENTS 6

Letter from the Editor

Asparagus Sweet Potato Curry

Bread and Roses Productions: A Fight for Women's Equality

Sustainable Wardrobe Solutions with Brittany Tobias

Reviving the Community at A2DC

Pilates Exercises to Strengthen Your Pelvic Floor Muscles

North Star Reach: Taking the Next Steps with Faith

Dentistry Trends in 2022

A Letter from the

EDITOR

NEXT STEPS

Photo by Crystal Partridge follow along on instagram: @thebrickmagazine

find us on Facebook: The Brick Magazine Ann Arbor

6 | The Brick Magazine

This year, I set an intention to put myself out there more in the community. I have been supporting a number of local clients through marketing freelancing, but I felt like I could do more, help more, and share more. Over the last two years, I’ve been fortunate to be the writer of the feature cover stories for The Brick Magazine. This has been a highlight for me both professionally and personally. I’ve had the opportunity to interview countless remarkable women who have chosen to share their stories with us — from public figures such as Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Justice Bridget McCormack to Laura Jackson (Ms. Wheelchair Michigan) and local treasures like the women at Lewis Jewelers. Recognizing that storytelling has become a passion of mine, I started looking for more writing jobs that would complement what I was already doing. There are hundreds of writing jobs open right now. But as I was dusting off my portfolio, I got an email from our Publisher at The Brick Magazine, Sarah Whitsett. The subject line simply said, “Opportunity.” What an amazing subject line. My wish for each of you is that at one point in your life, you too get an “Opportunity” email. The opportunity that Sarah offered was to become the magazine’s Managing Editor. Our previous Editor, Tanja Rohn, had decided it was time to move on and graciously handed the torch off to me. I hope to make her and all of you proud. So here I am, taking these next steps with you, the readers. I’m excited to keep the magazine moving forward and promise to continue providing content and copy that is fresh, inviting, and accessible. As you can see in our collection of stories for this month, there are many ways in our daily lives that we can take next steps. Our cover story (page 12) with Brittany is a perfect example of taking the next step in life. She knew the timing wasn’t perfect, but is it ever? Brittany went with what felt right for her; time has taught her that she only has this one crazy life, so why not do what you love? In Mary Ann’s story, as told by Ami (page 24), Mary Ann moves forward and steps into a new role sharing what she’s learned from being a mom to a sick child and helps other families move through their own experience. And as Tanja takes the next step in her career, check out the comforting and nourishing recipe she has chosen to share with us (page 7). If, like me, you have thought about pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and sharing your story, your passion, your experience, or expertise with our community – reach out to me. We all have a voice and helping women in our community find and share theirs is one of the reasons we feel passionate about what we do here.

Marji Wisniewski, Managing Editor

Asparagus Sweet Potato Curry

by Tanja Rohn

his gentle and nourishing dish was delivered to me by a friend when I was feeling down. It turns out this is sunshine in a bowl! It’s simple to make, and healthy to boot; I hope you choose to share it with your besties.

Ingredients (for 4-6 servings): •

3 tbsp coconut oil

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2 tsp mustard seeds

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1 medium onion, diced

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3 cloves garlic, minced

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1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced

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2 tbsp garam masala

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1 tbsp chili powder

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1 tbsp powdered turmeric

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2 bay leaves

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1 tbsp coarse sea salt

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1 x 14.5 oz can diced or crushed tomatoes

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1 x 14.5 oz can coconut milk

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1 large sweet potato, small diced

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2 bunches asparagus or green beans, cut diagonally into 1" pieces

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Water

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Salt and pepper to taste

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Cilantro to garnish

Directions: Warm coconut oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add mustard seeds and cook until seeds pop (2-3 min.). Add onion. Sauté for 5-7 minutes until soft and translucent. Add garlic, ginger, garam masala, chili powder, turmeric, bay leaves, and sea salt. Sauté for 2 minutes. Add canned tomatoes. Sauté for 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Add coconut milk plus one can of water. Mix well. Add sweet potato (and green beans, if using those). Return pan to low heat and simmer uncovered until vegetables are tender and sauce thickens — approx. 20 minutes. Add asparagus. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes until the asparagus is tender-crisp. Remove from heat, salt and pepper to taste; garnish with cilantro and serve with coconut rice. Optional additions: •

Top with toasted shredded coconut, cashews, or almonds.

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Serve with lime wedges on the side.

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Add diced tofu for a protein boost.

•

Add spicy peppers or cayenne.

Tanja Rohn-MacKenzie is an urban farmer who grew dahlias instead of carrots this year. These, too, remained unpicked. In her role as managing editor of The Brick Magazine, she was continuously astounded by the talent, grace, and goodwill of the writer community. As she navigates the parenting of two teen girls with her partner, she operates under the mantra of “sweat your prayers” and cycles often. The two activities are often related. Her portrait photography work lives at tanjerinestudios.ca.

April 2022 | 7

Photo by Jack Stubbs

Bread and Roses Productions:

A Fight for Women's Equality by Mikki Sharp

“Real women dealing with real concerns in the real world.” — Jane Myers, The Ann Arbor News, 1979

n a time when men dominated the media landscape, a group of incredible female media specialists joined forces with the Ann Arbor Women’s Crisis Center to pave the way for all women. They were over two decades ahead of their time. The concept of women banding together professionally during a time of great inequality intrigued me, so I sought to

8 | The Brick Magazine

learn more about these groundbreaking women and their organization, Bread and Roses Productions. It all started with the tapes — nine cassettes and seven reels housed at the Special Collections Research Center on the sixth floor of the University of Michigan’s Hatcher Graduate Library. Contained within those tapes are stories that have played a part in influencing women’s voices not

only throughout Ann Arbor, but I’d like to think the rest of the United States as well. These ranged from interviews with Pat Reuss, former Legislative Director of WEAL (Women’s Equity Action League) — only one of two female lobbyists in the late 1970s — to panel discussions on how women were viewed in society at the time. These social leaders didn’t hold back on Ann Arbor’s community access television.

later, women on TV today are much more inspiring and admirable because of women like them.

I was able to speak with Marge Greene, one of Bread and Roses Productions’ original and primary members (as well as the member who donated the original Bread and Roses Productions tapes to the University of Michigan). It was an honor to discuss the project with the former reporter and current Ann Arbor psychotherapist. Marge has over 40 years of clinical social work experience, and at the time, she was the host of Ourselves, a weekly television program written and produced by Bread and Roses Productions.

She went on to describe how they combated TV’s portrayal of women at the time. “We mostly did interviews with revolutionary women such as Lorraine Beebe, the third woman in history to sit on the Michigan Senate; but we also covered events, like a presentation by Tom Hayden and Jane Fonda when they came to town, Holly Near on her Nuclear Free Future Tour, and Carol Ober, the only female oboist in the local symphony orchestra at that time.” She also added that May Sarton, a famous BelgianAmerican poet, novelist, memoirist, and feminist writer, gave Bread and Roses Productions an honorary mention while they were filming one of her talks at the University of Michigan. May Sarton announced to the audience that the Bread and Roses Productions team were a women-for-women crew covering the event that night. It was a very notable moment for the group.

“We grew up in the 1950s and ‘60s when males dominated television with strong patriarchal figures, such as those in Father Knows Best and Leave It to Beaver. We wanted to break those barriers and show that women can do much more than domestic work in the home, if they choose to do so,” she said when speaking about the message Bread and Roses Productions tried to convey. That was counter to the Madison Avenue approach of that era. Over four decades

Another significant event for the crew was when Tom Hayden’s family borrowed the Bread and Roses Productions tapes from the University of Michigan. Tom Hayden was an

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April 2022 | 9

The origin of the production team’s name came from the 1912 textile mill strike in Lawrence, MA, in which women were active participants. “‘Give us bread and give us roses,’” Marge Greene quoted. “‘Give us the staples but also the frill.’” American social and political activist, author, and politician. He was best known for his role as an anti-war, civil rights, and intellectual activist in the 1960s. He authored the Port Huron Statement and stood trial in the Chicago Seven case. Bread and Roses Productions focused primarily on women’s rights, but they represented civil rights in general for all those who were marginalized, including the Black and LGBTQ+ communities. Dee Axelrod, Pamela Waskul, Amy Coha, January Nordman, Shirleen Moore, and Marsha Katz were some of the other original pioneers who developed the concept and executed a series of polished projects. These women were their own educated directors, production specialists, camera crew, reporters, and writers. Though they demonstrated a plethora of talents in production media, they also represented a wide breadth of professions. Some of their primary professions included a truck driver, a nurse, a professor of music at Eastern Michigan University, communications students, a licensed social work therapist, and manager at Hudson’s. “It all started with Dee Axelrod and Pam Waskul working on a communications degree at Eastern Michigan University,” said Greene. “The initial idea was a special advertising project with the Ann Arbor Women’s Crisis Center for college credits, then it evolved into a weekly project.” Marge also spoke about how Dee Axelrod was the mother of a twoyear-old toddler around the time the project started, and would bring her child along with her while she worked. 10 | The Brick Magazine

It was an example of how motherhood didn’t hold back accomplishments and productivity. Marge Greene and Amy Coha still keep in touch, and reminisced about the production team between my discussions with Marge. “We expanded along the way, training new people in video production and media. It was a fabulous learning experience, and it was timed well with the beginning of the Ann Arbor community access television,” Greene explained. “It couldn’t have happened without them.” In Greene’s interview with former legislative director Pat Reuss in 1979, they discussed the ERA (Equal Rights Amendment). The Equal Rights Amendment is a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution designed to guarantee equal legal rights for all American citizens regardless of sex. Marge and Pat’s conversation covered the amendment’s potentially positive impact on equal

pay, and the end to legal distinctions between men and women in matters of divorce, property, employment, and other matters. The ERA was approved in 1972, and Virginia ratified the amendment in 2020, finally completing the quorum of 38 states. After two years the amendment should have been operative on January 27, 2022. However, due to technicalities, it’s still not; and there are twelve states that remain unratified. If one of those twelve states is ratified, the amendment may have a chance at officially being passed. Greene and I talked about whether or not women’s equality has improved since her interview with Pat Reuss. She said we’ve come a long way, but there is still so much to do. I asked her one final question. “If you could share one piece of advice with women today, what would it be?” As expected, she had words of encouragement. “Always believe in yourself and trust in yourself. You can do anything you set your mind to, and don’t let others discourage you from your dreams.” In speaking about her inspiration, Greene mentioned her mother. “My mother was a teacher, and she was one of the few women who worked outside the home while I was growing up.

I was lucky, I had a good role model in that way,” she said. Bread and Roses Productions ended its run around 1983. The messages and legacies of these trailblazing pioneers will live on forever. I’d like to say a special thank-you to Marge Green for interviewing with me and sharing the Ann Arbor News article from 1979; to Amy Coha for her insight as well; and to Gideon Goodrich and Julie Herrada of the Special Collections at the University of Michigan Hatcher Graduate Library for finding the equipment and organizing the Bread and Roses Productions tapes. Mikki Sharp is a writer and advertising specialist with a degree in journalism from EMU. She has been a contributing writer and editor for Eastern Echo, Gothic Beauty Magazine, and Monroe News. She is currently a Sr. Trader at DP+. She lives with her family in the King neighborhood of Ann Arbor. In addition to being involved in local women’s initiatives, Mikki and her family also frequently attend Ann Arbor charitable events. Instagram: @mikkimariesharp Twitter: @mikkimariesharp

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Photo by Betsy's Photography 12 | The Brick Magazine

Sustainable Wardrobe Solutions with Brittany Tobias by Marji Wisniewski

n a recent half-day off from school, my 13-year-old daughter and I spent the afternoon “thrifting.” We are fortunate to live in the Ann Arbor area, where there are great options for thrifting and consignment. Our second stop on our route was Top Drawer, now owned by Brittany Tobias. The store was well-organized and set up more like a boutique than a thrift store. Items were beautifully displayed, and the large front windows let in bright, natural light. I felt gravitated toward all the unique coats and jackets while my daughter checked out the athleisure wear. Top Drawer proved to be a treasure to the community, and to our closets!

CONSIGNING WOMAN

SHARING MY PASSION FOR CONSIGNING

I remember that shirt so well. So many of my friends had it: a basic T-shirt with the words “Abercrombie” scrawled across the front. I really wanted that shirt. But my family wasn’t big on luxury name-brand shopping. My mother was a teacher and my father was an engineer, and they literally saved every penny that they made. First they put themselves through college, and then they saved for my future college path.

A few years after moving to Ann Arbor, I found Top Drawer. I loved visiting the shop, but it became even more fun once I introduced my coworker, Alicia, to my love of consignment shopping. We used to block out time on our work calendars to sneak out to Top Drawer’s end-of-season sale together. It became this wonderful passion we shared. Once she understood how fun and rewarding consignment shopping could be, she fell in love with it just as I had.

One day, I joined my mom on her trip to the grocery store and popped into the consignment shop next door called Seasons. And there it was on the rack, waiting for me — the “Abercrombie” T-shirt for a fraction of the cost at the Abercrombie store. It was then that I learned that I could have nice things and save money; it didn’t have to be an either/or situation. From that day on, my love for consignment shopping only grew. Even when I was on vacation, I always found my way into a consignment store. I just love browsing and seeing what local women are wearing. There’s no better way to experience the style of an area than to see the clothes women have actually worn and then consigned.

I vividly remember her coming into the office one morning, so excited to show me this green coat she had bought on consignment. I looked up the retail value of the coat and she was overjoyed when she realized just how much money she saved. She got this incredible deal, and that made the coat even more of a treasure!

TURNING A PASSION INTO A LIFE On one of my many trips to Top Drawer, I decided to approach the owners about their desire to sell. I knew they had run the store for over 25 years; something inside me that day pushed me to ask them if they were interested in

April 2022 | 13

It’s so exciting when someone drops off a bag of clothes and there’s a new Hermès scarf with tags. That’s what keeps us going, the thrill of what’s in that bag.

selling. To my delight they asked me right back, “Do YOU want to buy it?” At the time, I was the Director of Communications at St. Mary Student Parish in downtown Ann Arbor. I loved being downtown and working with the students in a community-facing job. This was the first position I got when my husband and I moved to Ann Arbor seven years ago, and I actually thought I might do the job forever. But if time has taught me anything, it’s that we only get this one wild and crazy life. Dreaming of owning Top Drawer felt like a strong pulling force, letting me know that there was more out there for me.

Photo by Betsy's Photography

14 | The Brick Magazine

Soon after the initial discussions to buy the store, the world locked down due to COVID-19. During the pandemic, I struggled to juggle everything without day-care for my two young children, working from home, and managing the nuances of the unknown. I felt really burned out. I decided to set my mind on focusing on the future of Top Drawer. Even though we

Photo by Betsy's Photography

were in the middle of so much uncertainty, it still felt like the right time to move forward with the transition of ownership. I reached out to Alicia, and she asked me what she could do to help. She offered to support in any way needed, but it was becoming very apparent that I actually needed a partner. We had worked so well together at our previous job, and honestly I missed her every day after she left the Parish. She is a kind, smart, wonderful, and supportive friend. Alicia is someone I realized I needed to get through the week as a friend and as someone who is great at her job. Eventually she said yes to being my partner and we hit the ground running. With her accounting and bookkeeping background, she focuses on the “back of the house” with payroll, rent, taxes, paperwork, etc. She really knows what it takes to keep an organization running. With Alicia supporting our back-end needs, I’m able to focus my time and energy on the “front half of the house,” working on the showroom, marketing, and sales. We’re both enjoying the journey together. We have a deep appreciation for each other and where we are in our lives. Alicia is a little further ahead in her life’s journey as her three children are grown and she is a grandmother. With her two chapters ahead of me, we compliment each other very well.

ON MY OWN TIME Along with the support from my business partner Alicia, I have a forever partner and cheerleader in my husband, Ryan. He’s been so supportive over these last crazy few years, navigating a pandemic with two small children and buying a business. I think a lot about how my life could’ve been easier if I had just stayed at my job with the Parish, but doing things the easy way is not what I want my life to be about. When Ryan and I met, I was coming off of a challenging year. At 25, I had it in my head that I needed to have my life completely together. I needed to be thriving in a satisfying career and have a husband or significant other. But in actuality, I found myself recently laid off, broken up with after a two-and-a-half-year relationship, and alone in my Chicago studio apartment. I felt like I had really missed the mark on my life’s goals. I had all these boxes that I felt I had to check by 25, and unwriting these expectations from my mind was really tough. I wish I’d known at that young age that I didn’t need to have everything figured out. I’d go back and tell my younger self that life happens on different timelines for everyone. I’d tell her that now, at 37, I am proud of the woman I’ve become and the life I’ve made on my own time.

April 2022 | 15

HOW TO CONSIGN AT TOP DRAWER: Interested in consigning your items with Top Drawer? Here’s how: We accept women’s apparel and accessories in like-new and gently-used condition, including clothing sizes XXS-3XL and shoes, jewelry, handbags, and accessories. There are two consignment seasons each year: Spring/ Summer and Fall/Winter. Consignors must buy a membership each season: •

•

“Drop & Go” Membership: $10/ season: Items will be displayed for 60 days. After 30 days, unsold items will be reduced by 25%. After 60 days, items will be removed from the floor and saved for our end-ofseason sale. Unsold items will be donated to local charities. “Pick Up” Membership: $20/ season: Items will be displayed for 60 days. After 30 days, unsold items will be reduced by 25%. After 60 days, items will be removed from the floor and will be picked up by consignor.

All clothing, handbags, shoes, and accessories are for sale on consignment, meaning that we offer a 60/40 split, with 40% returning to the consignor. For example, if you consign a dress that sells for $100, you will receive a check for $40.

16 | The Brick Magazine

Photo by Betsy's Photography

I do believe that had it not been for that difficult year, I wouldn’t have been able to appreciate Ryan when I met him or the other opportunities that have come along since. Sometimes being at your lowest is when you’re finally ready to take advantage of the opportunities around you, because you’re more aware that something needs to change.

occasionally vintage. What you find at the shop will be anything but basic, and every item is one-of-a-kind. You might be disappointed if a shirt doesn’t fit you and we don’t carry it in every size. But if it actually fits you, it’s yours! And your friends will ask you where you got it from because it’s like nothing they’ve seen before.

April 2022 will be my one-year anniversary at Top Drawer. I’m not even a year into this new career and I have already learned so much. At the end of the day, I believe we as women are happiest when we are part of the life around us. Finding our passions and turning that into a job, into a life even, can be a challenge and may not happen on the timeline you plan, but when you succeed, it’s so rewarding.

We receive beautiful items that still have the tags on them all the time, or even gently-worn items with so much life left. Women that consign with us have spent the last two years shopping online more than ever before. When those items don’t work out and they don’t want the hassle of returning them, they consign them with us. It’s a win-win for everyone. Influencers like Marie Kondo have also shown us that we don’t need to hold onto things that no longer bring us joy. We are the place to bring those items to so that the joy can be passed on to someone else. That’s the art of sustainable fashion — you pass it on and it becomes someone else’s treasure.

SHOPPING SUSTAINABLY Top Drawer is not about spending four hours shopping and hunting for something worthwhile to buy. Unlike a Salvation Army deep-dive, items are displayed in a boutique fashion. We offer a curated, not cluttered, selection of women’s clothing that leans towards timeless, classic, modern, and

Sustainable fashion and sustainable shopping are becoming more and more and valued in our community and around the globe. Top Drawer is an outlet for sustainable stewardship for whatever is in

WHAT IS SUSTAINABLE FASHION?

Sustainable fashion is a movement that calls for changes to fashion products and the fashion industry to encourage greater ecological integrity and social justice. Sustainable fashion not only addresses textiles and products, but also the entire manner in which clothing is produced, who produces it, and how long a product is usable before going into a landfill. This sustainable movement combats the fashion industry’s large carbon footprint and the greenhouse gas emissions created by fast fashion. Reducing the environmental impact of fashion can combat air pollution, water pollution, and overall climate change. Did you know? There are over 14.3 million Instagram posts with the hashtag #sustainablefashion today!

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your closet that you aren’t wearing anymore. But also helps fill the void of finding something fabulous, but still local. With so many other stores closing at the mall or in town, we are here to fill that need. Beautiful things come in every day. We add inventory to the shop floor every day of the week. We have every size curated from XXS-3XL. We work hard to change the stigma around consignment. It’s not just a pair of pants that someone else rejected; it’s a fabulous pair of California-based brand designer denim that you put on and exclaim, “This is how jeans are supposed to fit!”

THRILL OF THE HUNT Our loyal customers have known the secret about consignment shopping for decades. It’s so special when I hear stories from our shoppers about how they met their best friend at the store 20 years ago. This happens again and again because women who shop there seem to be likeminded individuals who value sustainability in fashion. My focus for the next year is to share this well-kept local secret and let more of the community know who we are. The previous owners ran their business successfully for over 25 years, but mostly through word-of-mouth. I hope to expand our reach using my marketing and communications background to let more women in the area know about the magic of consigning. It’s so exciting when someone drops off a bag of clothes and there’s a new Hermès scarf with tags. That’s what keeps us going, the thrill of what’s in that bag. What beautiful things can we bring out of our consigners’ closets and into the community? It brings me so much joy to research those

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clothes when they come into the store to determine their original value and then price them fairly for the consumer and consigner. That elation I feel is still the same as when Alicia and I celebrated her favorite green jacket all those years ago. When you can find that one piece you’ve been looking for or didn’t even know you needed, and at an incredible value, that’s the magic of consignment shopping. We want to be everyone’s favorite place to pop into when they have 20 minutes to spare (or time blocked off in their workday calendar) to come in and see what’s new, because there’s always something new to be found at Top Drawer. With a passion for marketing that started as a young girl, Marji Wisniewski created her own marketing and communications organization in 2017. As owner of Blue Zebra Marketing Solutions, she helps local and regional businesses and nonprofits tell their story through branding, graphic design, content creation, and PR. She focuses on customized solutions for each client that are more unique than a zebra’s stripes. Marji is looking forward to her new role as Managing Editor of The Brick Magazine. Marji has a love for gardening, all things Lake Michigan, Pilates, her family, and dogs. April 2022 | 17

Reviving the Community at A2DC by Michael Fox A2DC Bees Knees • 2oz ARBOR Spring Gin • 1oz lemon juice • 0.75oz honey syrup* Combine all three ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake then strain into a coupe or martini glass. *Make honey syrup by combining equal parts honey and water in a saucepan and heat over medium until the honey is dissolved. Let it cool. Extra can be refrigerated up to a month.

Spring Pony • 1.5oz ARBOR Spring Gin • 0.5oz Water Hill Raspberry Liqueur • 0.25oz lime juice • Ginger beer Combine gin, liqueur, and lime in a Collins glass filled with ice. Top with ginger beer and garnish with a lime wheel.

18 | The Brick Magazine

inter is turning to spring and thoughts of summer begin to creep into our minds. The Ann Arbor Distilling Company is shifting its focus to the beautiful months ahead, but also taking time to reflect on new beginnings, growth, and the revival of our community coming out of the fog of a pandemic.

Two years ago, our entire world turned upside-down. Our production team quickly transitioned from producing world-class spirits to producing hand sanitizer. While we dearly missed seeing our customers’ happy faces in our tasting room, we took comfort in knowing that we were able to provide a much-needed resource to everyone in our community, free of charge. Previously we had long lines of people waiting to order cocktails, but now those long lines were cars in the parking lot lined up to pick up their free hand sanitizer. Thankfully, many of those customers also ordered bottles of our spirits to go as well. Though we missed the personal interactions, it was still nice to see friendly faces behind the glass of a windshield as we offered touchless curbside service.

Some good inevitably comes from struggle. One of the things that the pandemic allowed us to fine-tune and improve upon is our community engagement and our dedication to helping our community prosper. After a much-needed legislative change, distilleries were permitted to sell cocktails to go. A2DC took that opportunity as a way to give back to the community that has supported us so faithfully since our inception in 2015. Two very successful fundraising efforts were launched during the pandemic and will continue to thrive and support our community for years to come. The first was an initiative to partner with local nonprofits to create canned cocktails. Each organization that we partner with comes up with artwork and a name for their can. From there, we collaboratively create a cocktail and offer it for sale in our tasting room. 100% of the cost of production is shouldered by A2DC, then profits from these canned cocktail sales go directly to the partner organization. To date, we have been able to give well over $20,000 to community partners such as the Humane Society of Huron Valley, Ele’s Place of Ann Arbor, Mott Hospital’s Save a Heart Foundation, the Ann Arbor Art Center, the Ann Arbor Film Festival, and many more. We are excited to continue this initiative and to continue supporting these amazing local resources. In addition to the canned cocktails, we created the Ann Arbor Distilling Company Revival Fund. We created our Hawthorne Revival Gin with the intention of raising funds to help revive our community during and coming out of this pandemic. $3 from the sale of every bottle of Revival Gin and $2 from the sale of every Revival Cocktail on our menu goes directly to an organization in need. This program has allowed us to raise thousands of dollars for organizations such as 826 Michigan, The Ozone House, A2Zero, The Guild of Artists and Artisans, and numerous others.

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www.shellspeaks.com • 734.845.2469 sphelps@shellspeaks.com Ultimately, we want to thank our wonderful community. Without that support, we would not have made it through the past two years, and certainly would not have been able to make such a significant contribution to our community. Thank you to everyone who has been a part of these programs, and we look forward to continuing to serve you and our community in the months and years to come. So, now that the fog is lifting, let’s all share a toast to celebrate the revival of our community and the next steps. We will be toasting with a couple of favorites from the tasting room menu that are easy to make at home. All of the spirits needed can be purchased at our tasting room or in many retailers around Michigan. Thank you to this amazing community for so thoughtfully supporting all of the things that make Ann Arbor world-class — cheers! Michael has over 25 years of experience in the alcoholic beverage industry in roles covering every aspect of the business and including fine wine, craft spirits, and craft beer. He currently directs sales and distribution at Ann Arbor Distilling Company, where his love for the industry shines through.

April 2022 | 19

Pilates Exercises to Strengthen Your Pelvic Floor Muscles by Elaine Economou Originally published on MOVEwellness.com (February 2022)

Pilates for pelvic floor health One of the most important things to understand about pelvic health is that your pelvis is part of a larger integrated system. Each of us has a unique physical structure. And once we take the time to understand the structure of our bodies and how individual parts work together, developing our overall health and well-being becomes considerably easier.

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Equally important is the simple fact that anyone can improve their pelvic floor health through smart, effective movement and exercise. Simple Pilates exercises can help strengthen your pelvic floor and bring more awareness to your body.

What is the pelvic floor?

It’s not just about Kegel exercises When it comes to your pelvic health, “slow and steady” truly does win the race. Unfortunately, so many of us are taught to approach exercise fast and furiously. So, if you’re one of those people who always assumed that any good exercise requires squeezing the bejesus out of whatever muscle you’re trying to work, congratulations, you don’t have to do that anymore. True pelvic health means moving beyond the notion of simply doing targeted exercises like Kegels and muscling through things, and instead working more organically, starting with our basic alignment and breath.

Your pelvic floor is a network of muscles that spread across the bottom of your pelvic cavity like a hammock. They have many functions including supporting the pelvic organs such as the uterus, bladder, and rectum. They also help to withstand increases in pressure that occur in the abdomen with activities such as coughing and sneezing, and they help to enhance the sexual response. These are the muscles you are targeting when doing Kegels. Many women have probably heard of Kegels, but did you know that studies have shown that most women are unable to perform a proper Kegel contraction without some education? It takes diligence, awareness, and practice to perform an effective pelvic floor contraction or a Kegel. This is where body awareness and Pilates can be helpful.

Performing isometric exercises like Kegels without a basic understanding of your own structure and the shape and needs of your pelvic floor can actually have a negative impact — which is why working through pelvic pain or discomfort is never a good idea. The goal is always to reconnect your body’s natural movement system to restore healthy patterns.

Gentle Pilates, GYROTONIC® exercise and pelvic floor awareness Engaging in specific simple exercises on a daily basis will have the greatest impact on your body, which is why working with someone who has professional expertise can be essential for starting things off right. Movement professionals such as pelvic health physical therapists, Pilates instructors, and GYROTONIC® method

Benefits of Pilates for the pelvic floor •

Releases stress

•

Relieves low back pain

•

Builds core strength

•

Helps improve pelvic floor disorders, including urinary incontinence

“How can I tighten my pelvic floor muscles fast?” April 2022 | 21

trainers can see things in your body and the way you move that you simply can’t or are not yet aware of. Having eyes on your body in that way can help you more quickly unravel any postural issues or imbalances you might have and help you find proper alignment to help you work effectively on your own. Just becoming aware of your pelvic floor — what it is and how it feels — is a helpful first step for most of us. Although we think we understand it in theory, many of us very rarely take the time to stop and get a true sense of how it feels. You can help build awareness of the pelvic floor with these four easy steps:

The muscles and tissue here work differently; it’s not like flexing a bicep or squeezing a glute muscle. Performing gentle Kegels should feel like a lifting and narrowing of the pelvic floor tissue rather than a squeeze.

Step 3: Learning to breathe optimally

Step 1: Try this exercise for pelvic floor awareness Breathing. Meditation. Mindfulness. We talk and hear about these concepts a lot, and know they’re important. But it can be hard to really understand why and then put them into practice in ways we find useful. Breath work is what I like to think of as a “clean slate” exercise. We have little to no sense of how we actually feel or what’s going on with our bodies if we don’t take a moment to breath first. For most of us, we often skip this step simply because we feel like we don’t have the time for it. But beginning with the breath gives us a starting point; a place where we can become aware of what’s happening with our body and can gauge any changes as we progress through movement. Sit upright on a chair with a lengthened spine. Take a few deep breaths, letting your ribs expand on the inhale and contract on the exhale. Take notice of the bony parts on either side of your pelvis, which are commonly referred to as your “sits bones.” While continuing to sit upright, just gently rock from side to side, from one sits bone to the other. As you do this, try to imagine your tailbone in the back and your pubis symphisis in the front, which is the joint between your two pubic bones. You won’t really be able to feel the tailbone or pubis symphisis, but imagining them centrally situated in relation to your sits bones can give you an overall sense of your pelvic floor.

Step 2: Gentle engagement of the pelvic floor Now with all those four points in mind, settle into the middle of your chair again and think about the tissue contained within those four points. That’s what you want to think about when we talk about engaging the pelvic floor. But that engagement should be a subtle sensation, not an intense squeeze.

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You can work on breathing while sitting upright or lying down. Start by simply letting your body relax and taking a few easy breaths. As you breathe, notice where you feel the breath expanding in your body. Chest? Ribs? Belly? From there, picture your full ribcage. Think about sending the breath into the back and sides of the ribcage.

Then imagine your body as a balloon. On the inhale, fill the balloon with air, and then picture the tissue and muscles of your pelvic floor gently lifting with the balloon on the exhale, all while keeping the rest of your body fairly still. Your abdominals might contract slightly, but otherwise you should try not to move your pelvis, glutes or hip flexors. Keep your bones and bigger muscles still.

Step 4: Gentle breathing and lifting the pelvic floor It will take some time and practice to do this without automatically trying to force or overwork your muscles. That’s why starting small with that simple pelvic awareness is important. It helps you build the organic contractions and stimulation you’re aiming for and avoid any bearing down or pushing out. Ultimately, it should feel as though there’s a little sling or hammock lifting everything up and releasing down.

Safe, effective pelvic floor exercises There are several simple everyday Pilates exercises focusing on the spine, hips, abdominals, and legs that are perfect for building and maintaining pelvic health. You’ve most likely heard about or tried at least a few of them. These include stretches for the back and spine such as cat stretch, hip rolls, hip release, and spinal rotation, and simple abdominal exercises like leg slides, single leg lifts, and the side leg series. All of these stretches and exercises can be learned quickly and easily performed at home on a daily basis.

makes customized instruction essential. Having expert eyes properly assess your body’s movement patterns and then having a one-on-one conversation with someone about your individual lifestyle and health goals is something we all need and deserve.

Learn pelvic health exercises with gentle Pilates training

Private Pilates training vs. small group classes

The primary reason we encourage newcomers at MOVE to sign up for an introductory package is because it’s handsdown the best way for us to assess your individual needs and help you develop a safe, effective routine going forward.

For some people, starting with private training to get that extra individual support works best. And for others, signing up for gentle and beginner-level Pilates classes and Gyrokinesis classes after an initial assessment is the perfect way to get hands-on training in a small, supportive group environment.

One size does not fit all when it comes to our bodies and our pelvic health (or anything else for that matter), which

Ready to find that pelvic lift? Call our studio at 734-224-2560 or email us at office@movewellness.com to sign up for an introductory session today.

There will be no pelvic floor left behind! As co-founder of MOVE Wellness®, Elaine Economou helps people move with ease, strength, and joy. Her passion is empowering people to understand their unique bodies and build strength to support moving well through their unique life. Elaine has created Movement Essentials: Getting Started with Pilates to help people move well and live a life they love—wherever and whenever. www.movewellness.com April 2022 | 23

North Star Reach: Taking the Next Steps with Faith by Ami Walsh

Leisa Thompson Photography

s a young mom, Mary Ann Fithian discovered the power of words to help her survive the overwhelming experience of caring for a child with a rare disease that cannot be cured. Writing eases her isolation and sense of helplessness. The latter, she says, is what hurts her the most. Words, like oxygen, help her to breathe.

Today her voice is helping shape life-giving spaces for other caregivers. In her new role as Director of Community Engagement of North Star Reach — a medical specialty camp providing free overnight camps to chronically ill children and support programs for their families — she has organized a growing number of care conferences, speaker series, and parent support groups. Our conversation explores how she navigates the losses that make up her everyday life as a “medical mom” while also cultivating deep connections with hundreds of other parents, many of whom are just at the beginning of their child’s medical journey. Her answer, in one word? Faith.

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Ami: When did you start writing about your experiences as a caregiver, and did you always share with others? Mary Ann: Fairly early in Faith’s illness, I realized that I wasn’t able to communicate verbally with people about how she was doing or how bad things were. Whenever anybody reached out to me, I would send the calls to voicemail. The only way I could express myself was through writing. I’m not a crier, and I never wanted to cry. I really needed to think about what I was saying so I was sure I was conveying the right message, especially because I thought the older she got, the more chance there would be that she would read

the messages I was putting out there. She liked when I read my writing to her. She would ask to “hear her story” when she was little. Though it seems very vulnerable, the least vulnerable way for me to share was through writing because it was too hard for me to verbalize it to anyone. A: Your writing is incredibly honest and moving. Your blog (mylittlefaith.org) attracts a big following, as do your Facebook posts. Can you talk about how your personal writing informed the community-building work you’re doing now? MA: I realized somewhere along the way that there were so many more Faiths out there, and so many more Mary Anns.

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Mary Ann Fithian, Facebook post (February 16, 2022) Post included photo of Faith at Joffrey Ballet and the first photo of Faith at camp, both links included below. Faith, 15, at the Joffrey Academy of Dance in Chicago. If you have known us for long, and watched the kids grow up, you know for certain Faith has dealt with a life-threatening illness her entire life. When she was little, one of her nurses said, ‘Just don't let her be known as the sick kid.’ IT ANNOYED me. She was the sick kid, and we had done everything we could to make her better. Her life was limited by her illness and her treatment. It had to come first, always. She was a sick kid. Then she went to camp at North Star Reach. She came home completely transformed. She was no longer a sick kid. She was a camper. From seeing herself as camper, she decided she wanted to be a ballet dancer. As close as I work with this team now, I still can't quite explain how they make it happen, but they do. Now Faith is a ballerina. She's a student, she a theology researcher, an advocate for kids like her. She's a Bible-loving, youth group-leading kid who happens to have an illness — "a disability,” is the term she uses. And she's proud to be what she is.

People need to feel that they are not alone. I had parents contacting me whose children had a very different diagnosis from Faith’s — nothing to do with gut issues — and they would say, “Your blog was so helpful. It gave me so much support.” I remember thinking, How can a one-way blog be supportive? They’re just reading my thoughts. I realized that we’re all sitting in the same place. We’re terrified all the time about our sick kids. We have this connection that is the community of children with chronic illnesses. We’re such a unique group and we speak an entirely different language from other parents. When they read my blog and connect with me that’s what they realize too. We’re all speaking the same language. A: Can you trace when you began to realize it was important to share your story with a larger community? MA: We’re very connected with the Woodson Clinical Research Fund. I remember asking why he does this work. Why does he try to help all these kids? He said something along the lines of he knows that he can do more by using his influence and work within the community rather than working alone. When he said that to me, I thought, “Oh my gosh, that’s what I can do. I can use my influence to help parents like me make it through.” I remember thinking that once I’m strong enough, that is what I would do. And it really wasn’t me being strong enough, it was Faith getting to a point where she was old enough to do more care on her own. That’s when I realized it was my turn to try to start helping families like ours to get the support they need to be able to breathe. That’s what it feels like — you almost feel like you can’t exhale when you’re in the thick of it. Everything lined up and I knew it was my time to start our next steps. A: And this change for you came at the start of the pandemic?

Faith, age 12, in 2018 at North Star Reach’s summer camp for children with sickle cell disease, blood disorder, and chronic pain.

There are so many kids out there like Faith. Her transformation has allowed me to become more than a caregiver. I am now an advocate and educator for other parents like me, because it was not so long ago that I was so consumed with her illness that I had to put a sticky note with my friends’ names on it to remind me who I could call when I needed to talk. These people who sat through hours of surgery with me, I could not remember their names. There are so many moms just like me. Thank you for always loving her and supporting this journey!

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Photo by c.f.w. photography

Photo by Leisa Thompson Photography

Faith receiving a daily treatment in her cabin during summer camp with Alyssa Hardy, RN.

MA: Yes, right before COVID-19 hit, Faith got to a point where she could do more of her own care. I decided I could go back to work. Rather than return to human resources, which is what I did earlier in my career, I knew I needed to do something to impact the lives of families with sick kids because they need more resources. Eventually, I ended up at North Star Reach. A month and a half later the pandemic hit. Ironically, these families would end up needing the support of these programs more in the pandemic than they ever have. It’s this kind of stuff, when everything lines up in a specific way, that makes you feel like the purpose is greater. A: Can you talk a little more about your influence? What it is and how you’d like to use it? MA: Faith is going to be sixteen this month. I’m part of a group of medical moms at Mott who have been around a long time. Our kids have been sick their whole lives. We’ve learned how to cope and we’re very quick to support other parents and moms; we call them our sisters. I remember being so lost in the beginning years. I would go somewhere just to get away from the hospital for an hour. I would walk into the mall or Target. I remember one time standing in the middle of Von Maur by the piano. I had been standing there for a half hour and someone walked up to me and asked if I was okay. I hadn’t even realized I was standing there. I didn’t even know where I was. You’re so lost in the beginning of the diagnosis. I had to write the names of my friends down on a sticky note and put it on my phone because I couldn’t remember my very closest friends' names. You’re so consumed by the new diagnosis and dealing with all the medical stuff that you don’t even know how to take care of your basic needs, because you’re so focused on your child’s needs. I made it through that. And now I want to coach other families on where to find support and resources when you feel like you don’t know where you are. I also want

to change the fact that there’s not a ton of resources for families like ours. I want to make sure that in the future, there’s government support for people who can’t work and don’t have insurance because they’re taking care of their kid. There are so many things that need to be taken care of! I want to make changes for all the families like ours that might need help. A: Can you talk about how you decided to name your daughter Faith? MA: I was in the sixth grade when I decided I was going to have a daughter and name her Faith. Isn’t that crazy? I was at a youth rally, some conference for teen leaders, and I met this girl. I asked her “What’s your name?” and she said “Faith.” I loved that name. When I had her and named her Faith, we didn’t know she was going to be sick. We had no idea. It’s crazy now because her name fits everything about her. She gives people faith. She was the one that made me realize I could do all this. When I saw her first attend North Star Reach, I realized how brave she had become. After camp, with her newly-gained confidence and independence, she decided she was going to be a ballerina. She stopped letting her illness dictate everything about her. That’s when I realized I needed to do the same thing. I couldn’t let her illness dictate everything about me. I had to start making something more positive out of the situation. It was Faith. She lives up to her name. Ami Walsh is honored to be a colleague of Mary Ann Fithian at North Star Reach, where she leads the digital strategy for virtual programs and manages communications. Among her many duties, Ami also directs an audio storytelling program for campers. www.northstarreach.org www.facebook.com/northstarreach www.instagram.com/northstarreach

April 2022 | 27

Dentistry Trends in 2022 by Sabiha Bunek, DDS Owner of Bunek Dental Studio

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ne thing I would not have predicted since COVID-19 became an integral part of our lives is the increased demand for cosmetic dental procedures. During the three-month shutdown of our practice in early 2020, we were focused on tackling new guidance and personal protective equipment (PPE) requirements and studying new ways to operate as safely as possible. When we reopened, I was surprised to see so many patients requesting procedures like teeth whitening, clear aligner treatment, and cosmetic veneers. Some have claimed this is the result of people spending more time on video conferencing calls, a.k.a. “the Zoom Effect.” Prior to Zoom, most people never talked to themselves in a mirror, so they had no idea what their teeth looked like. Now, with more video chatting, people are much more conscious about their smile, teeth, and overall appearance. As an added bonus to the new workfrom-home culture, some people also have more flexibility

in their schedules and can commit the time it takes to undergo treatment. As dentists, it is our responsibility to be sure our patients remain smiling, even in difficult times. Having open conversations with your dentist about what makes you selfconscious about your smile or learning about the benefits of doing conservative cosmetic treatments are all a great next step towards a happy, healthy smile. As we enter the next phase of the pandemic where the CDC has updated and lifted many, if not most, of the masking requirements in the US, more and more people will be out and about sharing their smiles with the world. In turn, I anticipate a second round of increased demand for our popular cosmetic procedures. Here are a few ways people are adding more sparkle to your smile this year:

What’s Trending in Cosmetic Dentistry?

Whitening

32%

Anterior Composites In-Office Whitening Clear Aligners (ie. Invisalign)

Anterior Composites

50%

Veneers or Crowns

Veneer or Crown

7% 4% Clear Aligners (ie. Invisalign)

What’s Trending in Orthodontics? Adults are using clear aligners such as Invisalign to correct crowding, improve their bite alignment, and enhance their smiles. The average aligner treatment time for an adult is four to six months. In the time during and after treatment, patients may notice a change in the alignment and distribution of their bite. Clear aligners work to put the patient’s bite in the right place instead of the guessing game our teeth play when they are out of alignment. The final benefits result in reducing jaw pain, tooth damage, and crowding. This image is a simulation of a patient’s bite alignment. The green markings are where the patient currently bites, versus the goal of where they should be biting after treatment. As you can see, the bite is much more aligned, and the teeth will feel more at home and comfortable when they meet together. This patient is currently suffering from chipped teeth from grinding and clenching. With a better aligned bite, this should eliminate those concerns. April 2022 | 29

This is what Mary S. had to say after she received her final restorations in her journey to a brighter smile: “My smile was never quite expressive. It was very refrained. I didn’t ever want to show my mouth. I never realized how impactful this transformation would be for me, but it was really the best thing I’ve ever done for myself. I recommend cosmetic dentistry to anyone who wants to improve the way they look and feel. I have come alive! It’s given me so much confidence and I feel wonderful inside.” Mary’s treatment plan included crowns and veneers on her upper teeth as well as whitening on her lower teeth. As you can see in the after photos, it looks as though Mary’s heart is speaking through her smile. Her new and improved teeth changed her completely and I don’t think she is ever going to refrain from smiling again. BEFORE

AFTER

What’s Trending in Whitening? In-office whitening contains a higher concentration of whitening agent, thereby giving a patient quicker results. However, another popular option is at-home whitening. At-home whitening includes take-home custom trays with professionally dispensed whitener gel. The trays are a one-time investment and then you can get the bleach gel at your six-month cleaning appointment. It is recommended that a patient whitens their teeth after their teeth cleaning for optimal whitening results. If you are ready to find your best smile, talk to your trusted dentist. Seeing our patients come alive with the newly gained confidence their smile gives them is the best perk of the job. Sharing a smile is contagious. Pass it on. Types of

whitening patients are doing now

In-office whitening Take-home, professionally dispensed Take-home OTC dispensed

Dr. Sabiha Bunek has lived in Ann Arbor her entire life and is proud to be practicing dentistry in her hometown since 2006. She is known by her patients, colleagues, and friends for her energetic and compassionate personality, her calming bedside manner, her artistic eye and talent for cosmetic dentistry, and her gentle yet perfectionist touch. Outside of Ann Arbor, Dr. Bunek is a world-recognized advocate for patient dental care. She is a highly sought-after national/international speaker and CEO of Dental Advisor, a Consumer Reports publication for the dental profession. Dr. Bunek and her family can be frequently seen at Michigan sporting events, local parks, or strolling the streets downtown Ann Arbor. www. bunekdentalstudio.com

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