30 Days of Truth: Day SEVEN - Someone who has made my life worth living.
Someone who has made my life worth living.....hmmmm, I have a feeling this could turn into a very predictable post. Or not, let's see how it goes...
I have three people who make my life worthy every day. My husband, my son and my daughter. And let me tell you, THIS life is never boring!! Well, OK, some days it is boring (laundry, laundry, what's for dinner, laundry, do a puzzle, watch a Disney movie, more laundry), but for the most part, all three of these fabulous creatures that ARE my life make me smile, laugh and sigh (big happy ones) at least once a day! They show me the simplest things are sometimes the most amazing ones and for all that they do for me and are to me, I am eternally grateful.
So many people come and go in our lives that it is often hard to pinpoint that ONE person that has made it all worthwhile. Or is it?
I have had a few conversations lately with people about fate, coincidences, and the so-called laws of attraction (I understand these, even though I have not read The Secret - please don't all gasp at once!). And I have come to a realization through all of these interactions, a constant, so to speak. No matter who comes and goes in our lives, the situations and challenges we are faced with each and every day, the joy and the sorrow, the people we meet, the days we love and those we hate...all of it, all of LIFE is a CHOICE. And the one person who is the constant, the one person who has the power in all of it, is YOU.
So, this may sound a bit funny, but I think that the ONE person who has made my life worth living is...
.....ME.
Does that sound selfish? Self-centered? I don't know, maybe?
In my life, I could have made a lot of different decisions. I could have chosen to do or not to do quite a few (sometimes questionable) things. I could have chosen an easier path, or a harder one. But all in all these were my choices and my life is what it is today because of those choices. If I had chosen differently, even though at the time of some of these events the outcome may not have been that great, would I have learned what I was meant to learn, would I be where I am today? (I keep thinking about Doc Brown telling a young Marty McFly about the consequences of messing with the Space-Time Continuum! Not worth it, IMO).
Did I and do I have incredible mentors, friends and people who have guided me on my path? Absolutely! And yet, again it was my choice to either seek out these people and/or accept their presence in my life.
When I was in university, and was having a rough go with life, I made myself a scrapbook. I would take magazines and cut out pictures of people, places, faces, words, clothes, cars, houses, and all the things I wanted in my life and I would paste them in my scrap book. I made a 'Vision Board' for my life, even before it was all trendy and cool to do so. I like to take that scrapbook out every now and then and see how much of my vision has been realized.
And you know what, a lot of it has been. It may not have happened in the order that I thought or the exact way I had pictured it, but it has and is happening every day. And my life is worth living not because of someone else's influence, my life is worth living because I am ME (the good, the bad, the lipstick and the crunchy!) and I am good with that.
This is likely my last post before Christmas, and so I want to wish you all a very Merry and Happy next few days and remind you to always remember your truthiness, breathe deeply and love yourself no matter what!
Natasha~
Winners of My Favourite Things Day 4 - Modern Mama
Hello everyone and I am so sorry for the delay. Yeesh!! Christmas is in three days! How did that sneak up on me so fast? I still have so much wrapping to do! And now, in the spirit of giving and thank you so much to Connie Peters from Modern Mama the lucky winners of the three Modern Mama Membership Perks Cards are:
Check your emails ladies,
Connie will be contacting you shortly to send you your cards and we will see you at the next fabulous Modern Mama event!

I think I may be up for the revolution!!
So, as some of you know, I am kind of contemplating the whole homeschooling angle with the kids. To be perfectly honest, the school system these days scares me. Most of my immediate family have been teachers and support staff within the school systems for more years than I can count and I have seen and heard a LOT over these years, some good, some bad, some downright frightening!
I also have a growing community of friends and colleagues that are homeschooling and I am starting to see that there are many, many benefits to this way of learning. Now, all you teachers out there, just hold on and keep reading (and watching). And please don't hit me with the whole socialization argument either, because there are plenty of ways to socialize your kids that have nothing to do with being crammed in a room with 30 other 6 year olds and one stressed out adult.
I did not enjoy school. Well, that is not true. I loved it until Grade 3. And then we moved from our tiny town (and tiny schoolhouse) to the big city. AND my mom decided that I should be enrolled in a french immersion program, even though we had not spoken a word of french at home up until then.
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Grade 3. Me-fourth from the left. |
So picture me, a sensitive kid whose parents had just split up, entering Grade 3 half way through the year and not being able to speak the language that most subjects are being taught in. I cried almost every day and because of that and my newness and God knows what else, I was easy pickin' for the bullies, cool kids and in-crowd (and yes, these do exist, even in Grade 3). That kind of stigma unfortunately does not leave you and I never quite felt like I fit in in Elementary or Junior High. (And then there was that whole inappropriate touching and kissing incident with my Grade 6 teacher-who claims he was just consoling me after another boy punched me in the gut. BTW-no one knows about that!!)
Now before you think this is just another post about someones bullying experience, let me assure you it is not. I just wanted you to know that school was not fun for me. I did have two amazing teachers who inspired me throughout high school and perhaps it is because they saw my passion and potential (thank you Mrs. Lees and M. Lizaire), but otherwise, it was not really that great of an experience for me.
And so now I am in a position in the next year and half to make a decision for my child and his formal entry into the education system. But what kind of system am I sending him into? Did you know that the Edmonton school boards have two rules: NO fail (ever) and NO late (as long as you hand in your assignments by June you are good and don't worry, cause it's not like you can FAIL or anything!!). What kind of life skills (um, hello?? responsibility, personal accountability-just to name a few) are being taught to our kids people?? Really??
Today I stumbled upon two TED Talks by Sir Ken Robinson. PLEASE watch both of them (if you have not seen them already-they get posted and shared A LOT). Yes, it will be 40 minutes of your day, but trust me it will be worth it! They are amazingly compelling and full of insight that I lack the eloquence to communicate when people ask me why I hesitate about putting my kids into our current education system.
I would love to hear your thoughts on this and for those of you with kids in the school system already - is it what it should be? Or should we as parents be asking, lobbying, and/or creating something better for our kids!
Thank you for reading and watching. Natasha~
My Favourite Things: Day FIVE - Tweeling!!
"Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens..." ~Maria, The Sound of Music
I have said it before and I will repeat it again....I am not crafty. And thus, I love all of the amazing artisans and craftspeople that abound in Edmonton. Sally Abbott of Tweeling is one of these such artists. Her medium of choice....socks!!
Yes, you heard right, socks. And the amazing things this mama can make with a pair of socks is nothing short of genius! Her staple character is of course the Sock Monkey and these cuddly monkeys come in so many different colours, variations, and themes that are only limited by yours or your child's imagination.
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Connie the Garden Fairy Sock Monkey |
Here is what Sally has to say in her own words:
I'm a mum of boy/girl twins and they are pretty much the inspiration behind the things that I make. They are also the inspiration in the the naming of my shop, Tweeling means twin in dutch. They both help with the naming of new critters and product testing. Such as if you tie a monkey to your book shelf will his tail fall off or if you hold a bunny by his ear while jumping on the bed will he become a one eared bunny? The answer to both those questions are no, everything is double sewn. They also test for how cuddly a bunny is while watching a movie or reading a book or what kind of food monkeys like to eat at tea parties.
All my sock creations are one of a kind, and I couldn't duplicate them even if I tried. When I start with a pair of socks I don't usually know what I'm going to end up with. The more I sew the more their personality comes out.
I think that everyone is an individual and that children should be encouraged to be individuals. So if you have a one of a kind kid (or grownup for that matter) at home why not consider getting them a one of a kind gift.
Sally also does some amazing custom work and will try almost anything. I asked her a few months ago if she could make the Natural Urban Mamas Flower Babies for me and she agreed. They turned out even better than I imagined. These little baby faces come with me to all my trade shows and workshops and often just hang out with the kids at home!!
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Flower Babies! |
You can find all sorts of fun and exciting critters at Tweeling's online Etsy shop and here are a few of my faves that she has in stock right now. I am so loving the fuzzy little bears!
You can find Tweeling critters in her Esty shop HERE, or find her FaceBook page HERE.
Sally is offering a 10% Discount to all of my readers and followers on her in-stock items at the Esty shop until the end of December. Just enter the discount code 'naturalurbanmama' at checkout. And for you local mamas, you can pick up your items from her and save on some shipping too.
Now go get one of these great one-of-a-kind gifts to put under the tree for a little someone special!
Happy (8 more days of) Shopping, Natasha~
P.S. These are the Sock Monkeys that my littles are getting. (Yes, they picked them out themselves and then I promptly took them away when they were not looking and have hidden them until Christmas morning!!)
30 Days of Truth - Day SIX: Something I hope I NEVER have to do.
Like almost everyone else in the world, at this time of year I think about my family. I get super nostalgic at Christmas and remember all of the little things that made my Christmases so special as a kid. Mom taking us to stroll down Candy Cane Lane, the Santa Claus parade (when it was still outside!) tobogganing and building snow forts with my siblings, all of us getting to stay up late to watch The Sound of Music on our ghetto TV channel (those of you who did not have cable as a kid know what I am talking about!). And now I get to start all kinds of new traditions with my kids. Ones I hope they will look back on one day with nostalgia as well.
But this post is supposed to be about something that I hope to NEVER have to do in my life. There is a lot in my life that I hope I never have to do, but I keep coming back to this one thing, and it is about my family and my siblings.
I grew up in a family of four kids, me (the oldest), Brother #1, Brother #2 and Baby Sister. We were your typical siblings, there were fights, teasing, bickering and also a lot of love and laughter. We grew up in a single parent home and didn't always have a lot of material things, but we always had each other and especially at Christmas that meant the most.
There was also this funny kind of grouping with us as well. Brother #1 and Baby Sister were the fair-haired children. They were the white blonde children with baby blue eyes that everyone oo'ed and ah'ed over. And then there was Brother #2 and myself. The dark ones. Dark hair, darker eyes and this made us the other pair, the ones who did not shine so bright (on the outside). Regardless of our looks we were a pretty close family, and even though we technically came from a 'broken home' we all turned out very well. Not a criminal record amongst us, no one got knocked up and we all graduated High School and then some. Well, almost all of us....
In the summer of 1993, just three days after his 17th birthday, Brother #2 was killed in a totally freak car accident. It was a beautiful sunny Saturday in August and he was on his way to see a friend in a local rodeo. At 10:30 AM that morning something happened, he lost control of his vehicle and crashed head-on with an oncoming pick-up truck. His vehicle burst into flames and we have been told that he died on impact (I guess this is some kind of solace).
At the time of the accident Brother #2 and Baby Sister were at a Christian summer camp in Northern Alberta. She was the first family member that the authorities were able to track down and so my Baby Sister, at the age of 15, was the first one to be notified of my brother's death. My mother and step-father and I were at a retirement party outside of Edmonton at the time and they were dropping me off at my apartment at around five PM. We were very surprised to see my Baby Sister emerge from a vehicle with two of the camp pastors when we got home. And then they told us what had happened....
...and THIS is what I hope and pray that I NEVER, EVER, EVER, EVER have to do in my life.
I NEVER want to have to hear the words that my child has died. I witnessed first hand my mother's heart breaking into a million tiny pieces at that moment and the primal sound that emanated from her body still haunts me to this day. My mother has a very strong faith and belief system and I know that it is the one thing that carried her through that day and all the days that followed. And I am pretty sure that if you asked her she would tell you that this is the one thing she never wanted to have to do in her life.
My family was forever changed that summer. I was now the lone dark one and I felt that. I missed him...I still miss him. Especially at this time of the year. I wonder what he would be like today. Who his wife would be, how much our kids would love each other. How good it would feel to have his huge arms wrapped around me for one more hug (he was 6' 2" and 240 lbs when he died)!
These things I can not have, no matter how hard I wish for them. So, I will take my kids to Candy Cane Lane, we will make the coolest snow fort on our block and we will stay up late and watch The Sound of Music all curled up together on the couch. And because he is Brother #2's namesake, I will hug my son just a little bit tighter too.
Natasha~
These are a few of my Favourite Things....Day FOUR: Modern Mama
"...Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes...."
~Maria, The Sound of Music
Oh Sweet Mommy time, those sacred moments when we get to rejuvenate, reboot and re-organize our brains. For a lot of us, getting some precious ME-time can be very difficult. We either don't have a lot of support or childcare readily available or it is just impossible to leave a small, nursing baby with anyone!
Enter Modern Mama. The brain-child of Connie Peters, this company is all about getting moms out of the house and doing things that WE like to do, either with or without baby in tow. I know what you are saying...."Yeah, right Natasha, and just how do you do that??"
Modern Mama events are all about getting us mamas out and about and enjoying ourselves. And having had two winter babies, trust me, I know how hard it is. Just the thought of going out with a small baby in our kind of Northern Alberta weather can be daunting!! But I also know how important it is and SO worth it for your own sanity and sense of self and, you know what, it is good for babies to experience the world beyond their four walls too!
Here is what the Modern Mamas have to say in their own words.
We are moms. Modern Mama is moms who have found each other through a common philosophy – “getting moms out of the house”. Being a mom on maternity leave, a stay-at-home-mom, a working mom, a single mom; whether you have one child or five, the common thread is that it’s difficult to find time for yourself, and motherhood can feel isolating and overwhelming at times.
We believe that although motherhood adds a new dimension to who you are and it changes many aspects of our daily lives, it can’t replace our old selves – meaning we still need fun, friendship and some ‘me-time’ in our lives. Modern Mama aims to help you get out and get that support, connecting you with other moms who might share the same interests, and at the same time, provide that much-needed ‘me-time’!
Modern Mama loves and supports new moms. We do this by offering nannies at our events, allowing new mothers to stay attached to their infant, having them nearby to nurse or cuddle as much as needed. Through our services for expecting and new moms, we are a resource for moms in Edmonton and Calgary through the first years of motherhood.
The nannies are the kicker here folks!! Modern Mama provides nanny services at almost all of their events. So while you are getting a whole new make-over at Sephora, a personal shopping experience at Anthropologie, or some cooking tips from a personal chef, your littles will be entertained and cared for by qualified and caring nannies! Heck, Modern Mama even has a specific event called the Babysitter Mixer that can hook you up with some of these incredible nannies and babysitters!
And to top it all off, Modern Mama offers a membership program as well and trust me, membership does have it's privileges. The Modern Mama Perks Card not only gives you discounts to Modern Mama events, but has a HUGE list of perks members and businesses that offer you discounts as well (of course Natural Urban Mamas is one of them!). Please visit the site here to find all the advantages this membership offers you!
Modern Mama has offered up three of these fabulous Membership Perks Cards for my readers/followers. To enter the giveaway for these, please visit the Modern Mama site and let me know which event you would most like to attend and leave a comment with your name and email address. I will draw for the winners on December 20th at 9:00 PM MST.
Here's to sipping a latte and feeling good about ourselves!
Cheers Mamas,
These are a few of my favourite things... Day THREE: Serben Free Range
"Cream colored ponies and crisp apple streudels...
Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles"
~ Maria, The Sound of Music
Food, food, food!! 'Tis the season people! Christmas parties, Christmas dinners, baking, cooking, roasting, basting.....and on and on it goes. But do you ever stop to think about where exactly all that food you are consuming is coming from? Where does Mrs. Butterball get all those turkeys that are pre-buttered, pre-stuffed and dare I say it pre-packaged? How many Christmas hams are going in the oven this year and do you know how those hams came to be or where they are from? I think about these things a lot....
About a year ago I met a lovely man named Jered Serben. He is a fourth generation farmer. He raises pigs, chickens, turkeys and lamb. I told him how I could not handle the smell of pork anymore and was wondering why. And then he told me about how most pork is farmed and brought to the shelves at your local supermarket. It is really not a pretty picture (these places are called piggeries, think factory for pigs!) and it explains a lot.
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NOT a Free-Range farm! |
He challenged me to try his pork and taste (smell?) the difference. I did and I am SO glad! Because I really do like pork and bacon and ham and bacon and sausages and bacon. (Wait, did I say that already?) Needless to say, one tenderloin later, I was a complete convert and I no longer buy pork products from the grocery store.
Serben Free Range is a family-owned, fourth generation farm, near Smoky Lake, Alberta (about an hour northeast of Edmonton). They supply free-range meat to Edmonton and surrounding areas. In their own words:
We produce free-range pork, lamb, turkey and chicken. We also supply pastured, grass-fed beef. No hormones, antibiotics or additives are used, and animals are free to roam. We raise our poultry only through the summer, as we like them to be out in the grass and sunshine, not inside a barn.
If you live in Edmonton or surrounding areas, and are looking for local, farm-fresh, free-range meat from humanely-raised animals, you can purchase online, or contact us for delivery options. We can deliver your product to your home (Mondays 5-8 p.m), or you can pick it up at some of the various city and surrounding area Farmer's Market's (see website for updates).
I received another delivery a few weeks ago from Serben Free Range and have since had another fabulous pork tenderloin, some very delicious pork chops that I simply pan-fried with Greek spices and we had the bacon this weekend (you SERIOUSLY have to try the bacon!!). I also have a huge free-range chicken just waiting for the right night to be cooked and some of these amazing sausages that I think I might break out this weekend.
Actual sausages from Serben Free Range. Mmmm....Good!
Jered and his girlfriend Julia are forging ahead with Serben Free Range and are looking at getting some if not all of their products Certified Organic as well. I am also looking forward to tasting some of their garden produce next year! In the mean time, I believe that buying from our local farmers is very important and I like knowing exactly where my food is coming from. And I also appreciate the farmers, like Jered and Julia, that strive to use natural, sustainable farming practices.
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Serben Free Range farm in the winter |
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Pigs.... well, being pigs!! |
They have a very user-friendly online ordering system on the Serben Free Range website and you simply have to click on your favourite products and pay via Paypal (credit card) or cash/cheque and choose either to have your items delivered right to your door, or you can pick them up at the local farmers markets on Saturdays (St. Albert and City Centre Markets until December 18, 2010).
Please mention Natural Urban Mamas in the Additional Comments section of the online check-out system at www.serbenfreerange.com.
Now go get yourself some bacon and a Christmas ham too!
Cheers,
These are a few of my favourite things.... Day TWO: lil' Brockli Boutique
"Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes......" ~ Maria, The Sound of Music
I am NOT crafty and I definitely can not sew!. Oh, sure, every now and then I can pull off some miracle of craftiness, but for the most part I did not inherit that gene from anyone, nor have I taken the time to really learn how to DO anything crafty. But what I lack in craftiness, I make up for in appreciation and respect for those who are and do and in the end create amazing works.
That being said, next up on my list of favourites to shop with this season is lil' Brockli Boutique. Lil' Brockli is owned by Allison Brock, a fabulous woman and a mom of three girls and although you would never guess it she actually failed Home Ec!!
Allison creates incredible, one of a kind boutique clothing for little girls (and soon little boys too!) that are impeccably made. She is a stickler for things like serged seams and topstiching and a whole slew of seamstress talk that just goes way over my head!
What I do know is that she makes incredible pieces of clothing. Ones that are cherished by both the people who buy them and the kids who wear them. I mean really, just look at my DD in her lil' brockli original made especially for her birthday this year!
Allison also brings in some of the best made Pettiskirts I have ever seen. They are made in the US and are the fluffiest and highest quality that I have found. And the best part is that you can customize these and get whatever combination of colours you want in them.
And last but not least are the shoes!! OK, I fully admit it, both my kids now have what I deem a healthy appreciation for shoes (others might call it an obsession. Eh-potAtoes, potAHtoes!). Allison carries the lovely Livie and Luca brand of shoes in her boutique and we love, love, LOVE these shoes. And I did not know this before, but every pair of shoes from Livie and Luca is handmade from leather remnants that otherwise would have ended up in a landfill somewhere! Now I love them even more.
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Allison has been so kind as to offer all of you a 10% discount on all in-stock items in her boutique. So head on over to her website or go over and 'like' her page on Facebook and get some one-of-a-kind quality goodness for your little princess this year!!
"...these are a few of my favourite things...."
Natasha~