August Moms Night Out - Chinese Brush painting

Thanks to Genevieve Lynn of Jade River Studio for leading us in a creative evening of Chinese brush painting for our August Moms Night Out.

How nice to create beauty together!

Summer and fall meetings announced

Have you wanted to come out to a meeting just to meet other HMN members rather than hear a presentation? Our August 18 meeting will be a social potluck starting at 6:30 and taking place (weather permitting) on the patio and lawn in from the AUMC, the church where our meetings are regularly held (at 716 S. Glebe in Arlington). Bring a healthy (or at least healthy-ish!) dish to share with listed ingredients. Or if you just bring what your family needs, that will work, too! After a string of great presentations, we look forward to having the chance to just catch up with old friends and get to know new ones! Come find out just who these holistic mamas are!

September's presentation is the final in our series of food-related presentations in 2010-11. On September 15, Kimberly Hartke, Real Food blogger and publicist for the Weston A. Price Foundation, will explain how traditional diets worked and what their benefits are. Weston A. Price was a dentist who traveled the world in the 1920s and found commonalities among groups of people who had good dental, mental and physical health -- and who eschewed processed foods. Learn what else he found and how to use this information to support your family's health at our September meeting.

In October, we're excited about a member-led discussion of parenting styles. Keeping in mind that no one size fits all, we could all stand to learn what works for other people. Some of us identify as "attachment" parents, others as "mindful" parents or "simplicity parents." Some follow books that espouse "positive discipline" or "unconditional parenting" while others utilize reward system and have more structured ideas about behavior expectations. Some of us are influenced by Waldorf or Montessori education traditions and value a certain kind of order in our home life while others are more free-wheeling. On October 20, let's bring some of our favorite books, our insights, and our questions for a lively conversation about what works or might work for our families.

On November 17, we will learn about Integrative Family Medicine from a representative from Steinmetz Medical Associates. What does it mean to have a holistic, integrative approach to healthcare for your family?

In December, we will enjoy another social evening. Details to come, but we're thinking we'll combine a low-key discussion of holistic holiday celebrations with some kind of white elephant exchange and a potluck on December 15.

Veggin' in July!

Thanks to Jennifer Reilly for talking to us about vegetarian and vegan diets at our July meeting. Jen, a dietician and mostly vegan mom of three, began her presentation by making us a yummy green smoothie with spinach, kale, coconut milk, and a bunch of fruits.

The diversity in the room was wide, from one omnivorous member who said she couldn't imagine a meal without meat to a vegetarian member who said she had a hard time conceiving of meat as a food. And plenty of visitors seeking a supportive community. We all enjoyed the presentation and learned from the discussion.