Holistic Moms Network - Arlington/Alexandria, VA

Get organized!

2012-01-19T10:36:00.000-08:00

Looking for ideas to get better organized in your home, work or life?
Trying to do it in a green, natural way?
Tried to do it on your own but felt the task too overwhelming?

Our January meeting is going to help you start 2012 out right!

Please join us on Thursday, January 19 for our monthly meeting, where guest speaker Carly Poppalardo of Real Organized VA will offer her best solutions for better focus, less stress, and organization for the holistic family.

7-9 p.m. Children welcome, as always!

Holiday Social this week!

2011-12-14T13:00:00.000-08:00

Please join us Thursday, December 15 for our holiday social potluck. We're starting at 6:30 to accommodate little ones' bedtimes. Bring the whole family! Or come solo if that sounds more fun!

Bring whatever yummy treat you'd like, but please label with all ingredients for those with restrictions or sensitivities. And bringing your own dish & silverware will cut down on our waste.

New this year:
If you have a fun item that is not getting fully optimized use at your home, consider bringing it along for a white elephant gift exchange.

Food pantry and children's clothing (and diaper) donations for our host church are always welcome.

Learn about Integrative Family Medicine

2011-11-16T11:13:00.000-08:00

Curious about integrating holistic approaches to treating illnesses with that of mainstream providers?
Looking to add tools to your toolbox for treating common ailments?
Or just curious to learn more about more comprehensive approaches to medical treatment?

Please join us on Thursday, November 17 for our monthly meeting, where guest speaker Dr. Marie Steinmetz – founder of Steinmetz Medical Associates and long-time believer in looking at the whole picture when treating patients -- will discuss an integrative approach to family medicine and answer your questions.

Holistic Moms Network Arlington/Alexandria Chapter July Meeting
Date: Thursday, November 17, 2011
Time: 7-9 p.m.
Location: 716 S. Glebe Road, Arlington, VA, 22204 (in Arlington United Methodist Church)

Children are always welcome. HMN meetings are open to members and first-time visitors. Come see what we're about!
(RSVPs are helpful but not required. jessicahmnarlalex (at) gmail (dot) com )

Holistic Moms Network is not affiliated with any church. However, we do appreciate the generosity of AUMC in hosting our meetings and encourage members and visitors to bring donations of non-perishable food for the church's food pantry, which serves the homeless population in Arlington.

Directions: AUMC is on S. Glebe between S. 7th and S. 8th St., a few blocks north of Columbia Pike, on the west side of the street. Enter the church parking lot from S. Glebe or from S. 7th St. where there is a traffic light (on the north side of church).

October meeting to discuss parenting styles

2011-09-28T09:46:00.000-07:00

Join us on October 20 for a member-led discussion about parenting styles.

What does it mean to identify with certain styles of parenting?

Let's talk about various approaches, including, but not limited to:

attachment parenting
conscious parenting
playful parenting
positive parenting
simplicity parenting
mindful parenting
compassionate parenting

Please bring your favorite books & magazines or parenting accessories for a show and tell.

We can also incorporate ideas about schooling, feeding, toileting and whatever else comes up. Let's share our passions and learn from each other in a non-judgmental environment.

Special note to community members in the fields of parenting education and counseling:
You are welcome to join to contribute to the discussion. We'd love to hear from you. However, we are not seeking speakers for the evening, and solicitation is prohibited. We will have a place for displaying materials for people to peruse at their leisure, but please refrain from promoting any services during the meeting.

If you are a parenting expert, therapist or other related professional and you are interested in joining in the meeting or sending resources ahead, please contact Jessica at jessicahmnarlalex (at) gmail (dot) com.

As usual, the meeting is 7-9 p.m. at AUMC, 716 S. Glebe Rd., Arlington, VA 22204.

Traditional Diets in September

2011-09-26T09:23:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Real Food blogger and Weston A. Price Foundation publicist Kimberly Hartke for talking to our group at our September meeting on Traditional Diets. We learned a lot!

For any members who missed the presentation or who just want to discuss further, Jessica will be hosting a recap discussion at a playgroup on Friday, October 14, 9:30-11:30 a.m. Email jessicahmnarlalex (at) gmail (dot) com to RSVP and for the address.

Motherblessing!

2011-09-08T18:04:00.000-07:00

We had another wonderful motherblessing earlier this month honoring two mamas. One this past week had a "peaceful and joyous" homebirth and that the "support and warm thoughts" shared during the evening helped that happen. How great to hear!

No matter what the birth plan, we love to honor and pamper mothers as they near such big life transition.

A motherblessing is a special way to honor a woman on her journey to motherhood or to becoming a mom of two, or three, or whatever is next! When we pause to take stock of where we are and where we're headed, we can honor our role as mothers and all our other roles. Our chapter has held motherblessings in groups and for individuals. It's a great way to share our experience and help the mothers feel powerful and supported as they approach birth and their new mothering role. Plus, we eat! And we pamper the expectant with massage.

Thanks to Kristine for these great photos from our July motherblessing honoring three mamas. It was so nice to hear about their birth and postpartum plans, to share fears and joys, and to just celebrate the amazing work our bodies do to grow new little beings!

Congratulations to all three women on the birth of their baby boys!

And here are a few photos of our September motherblessing at which we had another three pregnant women in attendance, the next in line! If you are a member and are expecting, please make sure the leaders know so that we can plan to honor you!

Talking about Traditional Diets: September meeting

2011-09-06T18:37:00.000-07:00

How can the wisdom of traditional diets address modern-day health concerns?

What connections between health and nutrition did pioneering dentist Weston A. Price find when he traveled the world in the 1920s, and how can we benefit from what he learned?

What is so great about raw milk?

How come obesity rates started rising when low-fat diets came on the scene?

What are healthy fats and why do we (and our children, especially) need them in our diets?

These questions and more will be addressed by “Hartke Is Online!” Real Food blogger and Weston A. Price Foundation publicist Kimberly Hartke at our September 15 meeting. Hope to see you there!

Oh, the food! Amazing August potluck

2011-09-01T17:39:00.000-07:00

What an amazing array of delicious food we had at our August social potluck! It was wonderful to get a chance to chat over dinner and to see each other's kiddos in rare form. Counting kids, we had over 50 friends in attendance! Thanks to everyone who came out and who cooked. What an inspiring spread among such enjoyable company!

Our next social/potluck meeting will be December 15.

Thanks for these photos goes to Kristan and Arjuna, new chapter members who just moved from Florida, where they were already members of HMN. Welcome, and thank you!

August Moms Night Out - Chinese Brush painting

2011-08-15T18:32:00.000-07:00

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

2011-08-05T09:41:00.000-07:00

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!

2011-08-03T09:21:00.000-07:00

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.

July meeting: Vegetarian, Vegan and Macrobiotic Diets

2011-07-04T11:02:00.000-07:00

Have you considered going vegetarian or vegan?

Do you want to learn more about how to use diet to fight cancer?

Join us on July 21 when The Cancer Project senior nutritionist Jennifer K. Reilly, L.D., R.D. will present to our group.

As always, children are welcome to attend. See the sidebar at right for directions to AUMC. Meetings are always 7-9 p.m. unless otherwise noted.

Massage meeting in June

2011-07-01T10:52:00.000-07:00

Thank you to Brenda Teal of The Teal Center for Therapeutic Bodywork for a great meeting in June. Brenda brought a whole panel of folks to talk to us about a variety of hands-on healing modalities, including craniosacral therapy, lymphatic drainage, and acupuncture. She also described what different types of massages feel like and what they are good for.

One lucky member will be enjoying the door prize of a free massage soon. Thank you, Brenda and all the other practitioners who shared the evening with us!

June meeting: Massage for health!

2011-06-12T19:35:00.000-07:00

You know massage feels good, but how does it contribute to health and vitality?

Join us for a talk by Brenda Teal of The Teal Center for Therapeutic Bodywork (located in Ballston and at Virginia Hospital Center). Brenda will provide an overview of different types of massage, discuss what is effective for which kinds of issues, and explain how massage is part of a holistic approach to wellness.

Date: Thursday, June 16, 2011
Time: 7-9 p.m.
Location: 716 S. Glebe Road, Arlington, VA, 22204 (in Arlington United Methodist Church)

HMN meetings are open to members and first-time visitors. Children are always welcome. Come see what we're about!
(RSVPs are helpful but not required. holisticmomsarlalex (at) gmail (dot) com )

The Arlington/Alexandria chapter of the Holistic Moms Network is not affiliated with any church. However, we do appreciate the generosity of AUMC in hosting our meetings and encourage members and visitors to bring donations of non-perishable food for the church's food pantry, which serves the homeless population in Arlington.

Directions: AUMC is on S. Glebe between S. 7th and S. 8th St., a few blocks north of Columbia Pike, on the west side of the street. Enter the church parking lot from S. Glebe or from S. 7th St. where there is a traffic light (on the north side of church).

Homeopathy in May

2011-05-28T19:46:00.000-07:00

Thank you to Dr. Christopher Johnson of Thrive Naturopathic for presenting to our group in May. We learned so much about homeopathy and also about naturopathic medicine in general.

Thank you for teaching us and for providing such great handouts!

Getting clean from the inside: raw, seasonal and cleansing diets

2011-04-29T20:09:00.000-07:00

Thank you to Anita Capizzi and Michelle Pfennighaus for their wonderful presentation on raw, seasonal and cleansing diets. What a lot of great information and inspiration to give our livers a rest and to be good to our bodies this spring!

Thanks to Leigha for the guacamole and to Anita for the raw cookies and to Michelle for the door prize of a consultation/cleanse support.

Did we mention that Michelle brought her nine-week-old son? Congratulations to this new mama!

Raw Food, Seasonal Eating, and Cleansing Diets in April

2011-04-11T13:36:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered why people talk about going on a raw foods diet or doing a spring detox?

Come join us for part two in our 2011 food/diet series: "Raw, Seasonal and Cleansing Diets." Our April meeting will focus on how to give your body a boost with raw foods, a seasonal diet, and
cleanses.

Anita Capizzi, with the Raw Food Institute, will discuss the philosophy and
details behind a diet focused on raw food. http://therawfoodinstitute.com/

Michelle Pfennighaus, certified health coach, will discuss seasonal eating and
cover cleansing/detoxing options and diets based on whole, seasonal food as well
as overcoming diet/commitment obstacles. http://findyourbalancehealth.com/

7-9 pm on Thursday, April 21 at the Arlington
United Methodist Church - 716 S. Glebe Road, Arlington, VA, 22204*

Meetings are open to members and first-time visitors to our chapter. Children
are always welcome to attend.

*HMN is not affiliated with any church, but our chapter’s host church does accept donations of items for its food pantry.

Getting fit! Moms Night Out

2011-03-21T13:23:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Megan Brown of Mind the Mat for teaching us how to get and stay fit before, during and after pregnancy at our great Moms Night Out. Thanks also to member Nina Elliot for hosting us at her Health and Wholeness studio!

Green Cleaning on St. Patrick's Day!

2011-03-16T08:18:00.000-07:00

Celebrate "green" with us on Thursday, March 17 as we welcome Pernilla Alex of Mrs. Lavender, Inc. to talk to us about non-toxic homes.

What does "Green Cleaning" mean?
What are the concerns about chemicals from cleaners and other harsh substances in our homes?
How can we reduce our exposure to toxins in the home?

This St. Patrick's day, get your Green on with Holistic Moms!

Learn about the big picture of what it means to have a clean, green, toxin-free home.
Pernilla will also discuss alternatives to commercial products and inspire us with the simplicity of homemade products, including a demo.

Learning about food sensitivities and allergies

2011-03-13T07:46:00.000-07:00

Thank you to Dr. Venus Seleme of Seleme Chiropractic Wellness Center for a wonderful presentation and demonstration of muscle testing for N.A.E.T. allergy elimination and a great discussion of food sensitivities. We all learned a lot at our February meeting!

February meeting to discuss "Allergy Elimination"

2011-02-09T10:43:00.000-08:00

Food, chemical and environmental allergies or sensitivities can have a variety of effects on the body -- physical, emotional, mental, behavioral.

Chronic conditions and disease can often be linked to a sensitivity that can be addressed without medication through "allergy elimination."

On February 17, Dr. Venus Seleme of Seleme Chiropractic Wellness Center will describe this healing modality.
Her talk will describe how to "deactivate" allergens and open up energy meridians to heal the body and mind.

For more information on allergy elimination, see
http://www.naet.com/
http://www.drellencutler.com/pages/thebiosetsystem/
and Dr. Seleme's site, http://www.drseleme.com/

If you or your children seem to have any sensitivities -- be it to certain foods, additives, fragrances, pollen -- or any other chronic conditions you can't seem to fix, consider coming to hear this talk. This modality stopped one chapter leader from turning beet red if she had even a sip of wine, and it rid her of seasonal (spring) allergies she'd treated with a variety of medications for years.

Dr. Seleme plans to focus on addressing the following with regard to food allergies:
Where do food allergies begin?
Genetics vs. Environments
Is something you are eating passing through your breastmilk?
Differences between true allergies and allergy sensitivities
Different test for allergies (RAST, IGG, Skin prick) vs. muscle testing. What do they tell us?
What is muscle testing?
How we use the concepts of Applied Kinesiology with allergy treatment
The most common allergens and all the components of these specific foods
Protein reaction symptom vs. sugar/preservative symptom
Cross reactivity within food groups, ie grasses and the wheat family
How NAET works with a demonstration.

Making our own beauty products: MNO

2011-01-26T08:19:00.000-08:00

What a fun Moms Night Out! Thanks to Natalie for organizing and to Amy Fromm of Interlaken Soak Company for teaching us about ingredi ents to watch out for in our beauty and cleansing products and about healthy alternatives. We had a lively, interactive discussion and went home with custom-made body oil and a cute sampler of Amy's "Muskoka Bliss" Soothing Balm.

Thanks to everyone for coming out and to St. Elmo's Coffee Pub for hosting!

Members: look forward to our MNO on Reiki on February 8 at Food Matters!

"Special Diets" talk sheds light on diets and community

2011-01-24T07:39:00.000-08:00

If anyone attending our January meeting had ever felt alone in his or her quest to eat well on a restricted diet, that isolation was put to rest last Thursday night. In a room packed full of folks working hard to figure out the healthiest diets for them and for their children, Cheryl Harris of Harris Whole Health described her own health journey and outlined several reasons to avoid certain foods.

Cheryl discussed about the Gut and Psychology Syndrome (GAPS) diet and the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) in addition to a more general talk about why people have problems with gluten, dairy and other foods and how to get tested. In this interactive talk, Cheryl combined research, personal experience and clinical wisdom.

Thank you to Cheryl for taking the time to share this information with us, for bringing so many wonderful books, and for donating a free gluten-free living class!

We also wish to thank the following businesses for their donations of door prizes:

Melissa Diane Smith, author of Going Against the Grain for a copy of her new book, Gluten Free Throughout the Year

Nancy Tringali Piho, author of My Two-Year-Old Eats Octopus, for a copy of her book

Mary Rand Hess, author of The Day I Met the Nuts for a copy of this children’s book (about discovering and living with food allergies)

Choices by Shawn restaurant for a $25 gift certificate (including many gluten-free choices)

Monica Corrado of Simply Being Well for a bean and grain chart and two essential oil misters.

Jessica Haney, founder and co-leader of the chapter, for a copy of Healthier Without Wheat by Dr. Stephen Wangen

And a special thanks also to all the people who brought yummy snacks to this meeting:
Marybeth, Sylvia (those delicious GF brownies!), Leigha, and Christy (homemade red sauerkraut!)

Arlington/Alexandria Chapter turns two!

2011-01-22T08:14:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to our chapter! We are two years old!

The Arlington/Alexandria Chapter of Holistic Moms Network was launched January 22, 2009. Thank you to all the attendees of our January 2011 meeting for commemorating this anniversary. Pictured here is founder and co-leader Jessica Haney holding her lovely gift of tulips with co-leader Leigha S.(holding the delicious gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, sugar-free cake she made!) and new co-leader (in process) Mary H.

Thank you all for your service, thanks to the many volunteers who have kept the chapter going, and thanks to Michelle D., who just completed her year as co-leader.

January meeting 1/20: Special Diets

2011-01-07T16:57:00.000-08:00

Why do people go gluten-free or dairy-free?
What is the latest research on food allergies and sensitivities?
How do you know you or your children might have food sensitivities?
What is celiac disease vs. gluten intolerance? Casein intolerance vs. lactose intolerance?
How can conditions like ADD/ADHD, autism spectrum disorders, and sensory processing disorders be influenced by the food we eat?

On January 20, Cheryl Harris of Harris Whole Health will address these questions and in an interactive talk. Come learn about the whys behind special diets of all kinds and some of the hows, including the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) and the Gut and Psychology Syndrome (GAPS) diet.

Holistic Moms Network Arlington/Alexandria Meeting

Special Diets: Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free and more

Thursday, January 20

7-9 p.m.

716 S. Glebe Rd., Arlington, VA 22204 in AUMC church*

Meetings are open to members and first-time visitors to our chapter. Children are always welcome to attend

*HMN is not affiliated with any church, but our host church does accept donations of items for its food pantry.

December 16 mtg CANCELED due to snow

2010-12-16T10:16:00.001-08:00

Tonight's meeting is canceled due to the weather. We will reschedule a homeopathy meeting for 2011. Stay warm and dry!

December meetings - daytime now at AUMC 12/9, evening on homeopathy 12/16

2010-12-02T06:49:00.000-08:00

We are doing one more trial daytime meeting on Thursday, December 9, 10 a.m. to noon. We'd hoped to meet at an Alexandria library, but there was a scheduling mix-up, so we'll be in Arlington at our regular evening location, AUMC, 716 S. Glebe Rd., Arlington, VA 22204.

We can discuss whatever is on people's minds. Some folks might want to revisit the November meeting's discussion of "holistic holidays" or talk about craft night and ways to include beauty in our evolving holiday rituals.

Daytime meetings will continue only with volunteer support/coordination. Let us know if you're interested!

The evening meeting this month is "Homeopathy 101" with Dr. Christopher Johnson of Thrive Naturopathic on December 16, 7-9 p.m. at our regular location of AUMC. Hope to see you there!

Addressing special diets and allergies in January and February

2010-12-01T08:09:00.000-08:00

If you have or suspect someone you love has food sensitivities, you won't want to miss our January and February meetings.

On January 20, 2011, Cheryl Harris of Harris Whole Health will be talking about "Special Diets" including gluten-free, dairy-free, the Gut and Psychology Syndrome (GAPS) diet, the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) and other special diets. She will focus on the whys of these diets -- how they work, what issues they address -- and will provide some suggestions for trying or sticking to these diets.

On February 17, 2011, Dr. Venus Seleme of Seleme Chiropractic Wellness Center will speak on the topic of "Allergy Elimination," an energetic way to clear or reduce the symptoms of food, chemical and environmental sensitivities without medication. She has a background in N.A.E.T. and Applied Kinesiology.

These presentations are sure to shed light on lots of health concerns and issues of other symptoms, like mood and behavioral disorders.

Preparing for Holistic Holidays

2010-11-26T08:02:00.000-08:00

Thank you to Inayet Sahin of Beyond Green Living for helping us think through our priorities for creating "holistic holidays." Inayet shared some wonderful ideas and anecdotes, and we all had the chance to discuss our concerns and hopes around issues of gifting, food, and other traditions.

Inayet's suggestions and some scenarios for consideration are in a handout for members on our Yahoo group.

November daytime mtg 11/9, evening mtg. 11/18

2010-10-26T16:52:00.000-07:00

Daytime Meeting November 9

We're trying out daytime meetings in November and December to see if we want to make it a regular thing! We'll be meeting on Tuesday November 9, 10 a.m. to noon, at Alexandria's Ellen C. Burke Branch Library at 4701 Seminary Rd. (east exit off 395, then left at the light at Library Lane and right into the parking lot. Library is upstairs).

We'll informally recap the October meeting (Living Holistically on a Budget), talk ahead about November's topic of creating meaningful and healthy "Holistic Holidays," or just get to know each other and discuss whatever comes up. Open to all.

We'll have some toys, but please bring a toy if you bring a toy-playing child!

Evening Meeting: November 18 -- Creating "Holistic Holidays"

When the holidays roll around, do you get stressed out thinking about the following:

How will I keep my family eating healthfully?
How can I approach gift-giving, celebrating, and decorating in ways that fit my values?
What are some ways to offer alternatives to family traditions or rituals that give me pause?

At the November 18 Holistic Moms Arlington/Alexandria meeting, we’ll discuss how to create “Holistic Holidays.” Open for discussion will be all aspects of the holidays – food, gifting, decorations, consumerism, traditions – anything that comes up as we approach winter holidays or in relation to birthdays and other celebrations.

Inayet Sahin, founder of Beyond Green Living, will give a presentation and then moderate our discussion and sharing.

Evening meetings are 7-9 p.m. at AUMC (see sidebar)

Thinking seriousy about holistic living and budgeting

2010-10-18T17:26:00.001-07:00

What a powerful meeting with had in October with Diane MacEachern of The Big Green Purse (the website, and the book). We talked a lot about our goals and values. What does it mean to us to "live holistically"? If we think about that -- and throw in some of the insights we gained from the December 2009 meeting on "Creating Balance in Family Life" -- we'll see that coming from a place of clarity about what we value can help us decide what choices to make in a lot of cases.

Diane pointed out that approximately 30% of food that is purchased goes to waste, so when we talk about the high cost of quality food, we can start by re-thinking how we use it. And there are reasons why things cost so much -- no government subsidies for organic farmers, for example.

Throughout her talk, Diane talked about using the power of the purse to effect change. To use our spending power to make statements that show what we value and will eventually force the marketplace to deliver more products that align with our values. We can also demand more of those products by talking with store managers and letting them know this is what we want.

While Diane has plenty of wonderful tips on her website and in her book for how to stretch a dollar, she also wants us all to think about what we do with that dollar and what the impact is of our purchasing decisions.

Thank you for such a provocative talk, Diane! We hope to get more notes written up soon.

"Living Holistically on a Budget" Oct. 14 and "Fertility & Acupuncture" Oct. 18

2010-10-06T11:14:00.000-07:00

Our October meeting is Thursday, October 14 on the topic of "Living Holistically on a Budget"
Would you like to live more healthfully and eco-friendly but can't figure out how to fit "natural" choices into your budget?

Come to the October meeting of Holistic Moms Arlington/Alexandria chapter to learn how to stretch your dollar while protecting your body and the planet at the same time.

Our speaker is Diane MacEachern, author of Big Green Purse: Use Your Spending Power to Create a Cleaner, Greener World (and the voice behind The Big Green Purse online resource)
As usual, the meeting is 7-9 p.m. at 716 S. Glebe Road, Arlington, VA, 22204 (in Arlington United Methodist Church)

HMN meetings are open to members and first-time visitors. Children are always welcome. Come see what we're about!

*Please note that this meeting is on the second Thursday of the month instead of our usual third Thursday.
The Arlington/Alexandria chapter of the Holistic Moms Network is not affiliated with any church. However, we do appreciate the generosity of AUMC in hosting our meetings and encourage members and visitors to bring donations of non-perishable food for the church's food pantry, which serves the homeless population in Arlington.

Directions: AUMC is on S. Glebe between S. 7th and S. 8th St., a few blocks north of Columbia Pike, on the west side of the street. Enter the church parking lot from S. Glebe or from S. 7th St. where there is a traffic light (on the north side of church).

Can't make evening meetings? Contact us to inquire about our trial daytime meeting for late Oct./early Nov., date TBD.
Next evening meeting: November 19: "Holistic Holidays" with Inayet Sahin, founder of Beyond Green Living
Please direct any questions to Leigha Sochurek, Arlington/Alexandria Chapter Co-Leader holisticmomsarlalex (at) gmail (dot) com or 703-785-1099

Our October Moms Night Out is Monday, October 18 and is open to non-members this time because of the nature of the topic. Email holisticmomsarlalex (at) gmail (dot) com to find out if there is still room. Location is in north Del Ray (Alexandria), time is 7:00 p.m.

Ready to try again for another baby? Is it taking longer than expected?
Come learn how acupuncture works for fertility and get answers to your questions. Stephanie Simmons, M.Ac., has an acupuncture practice with a focus on fertility and pregnancy, working with women who are trying to get pregnant either naturally or with ART. She will discuss how Chinese medicine views the menstrual cycle, what to look for that could be the key to your getting pregnant, and give you some suggestions on supplements/herbs that could also help.

Bring your written list of questions with you. Stephanie recommends her clients read "The Infertility Cure" by Randine Lewis, which has a great quiz to see where your system is weak. For more info on Stephanie's practice, see http://www.acupunctureindelray.com/ or http://www.healingtr.com/simmons.html

Stephanie has invited her friend, Michelle Mitchell of Pure Prana to show us some yoga moves for fertility!

Angela Ferri of Body and Soul Healing Arts may also come to tell us about Maya abdominal therapy, a special type of massage, and show us some bellydancing moves that promote fertility.

Whether you are experiencing secondary infertility or just thinking about trying for a baby, this MNO may offer some rejuvenating and fun ideas!

Space is limited to less than a dozen people, so contact the chapter now!

Daytime meeting! October 1

2010-09-27T09:43:00.000-07:00

We are having a trial daytime meeting on Friday, October 1 at Alexandria's Ellen Coolidge Burke Branch Library, 4701 Seminary Road, Alexandria, VA. Library phone: 703-746-1704.

The time is 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

The purpose of this meeting is generally to gauge interest in daytime meetings and to connect. Visitors are welcome to attend.

This will be a casual meeting with the intent mostly to connect. Based on interest, we can review some of the highlights of our September meeting on natural birth options and our September Moms Night Out on Anti-Inflammatory diet.

Come find out what Holistic Moms is all about!

Directions: Take the Seminary Road EAST exit off 395 and then turn left on Library Lane at the first light and right into the parking lot.
(This is right by the INOVA professional office building with the Kenmore address).

Birth Options meeting a wonderful gathering

2010-09-21T10:55:00.000-07:00

Despite slow traffic on a rainy night, at least 65 people came out to our September 16 meeting on the topic of "Local Options for Natural Birth." Wonderful one-on-one discussions were had at the beginning and end of the meeting as participants talked to and networked with practitioners during open house/meet & greet sessions.

Thank you to Karen Klauss, CNM with Unity Health Care for providing our overview presentation and to the many practitioners who participated in our question and answer session.

Here are the many resources that were represented at our meeting or sent materials:

Birth by Design, LLC
Certified Professional Midwives Peggy Franklin & Kim Pekin
BirthCare and Women’s Health, Certified Nurse Midwives
Birthing Hands of DC, Claudia Booker
Kimberly M. Brooks, Ph.D.
Megan Brown, Mind the Mat Pilates and Yoga
Dr. Lola Capps, DC - Chrysalis Chiropractic
Sarah Pikett Carter, AAHCC
Julie Chris
Angela Ferri, MA, LMT, Body & Soul Healing Arts
Deena Hadar
ICAN of Northern Virginia, Jenn Whittaker
Lakshmi Landa
Manassas Midwifery and Women’s Health Center, Monica Byrne, CNM
Dr. Paula McKenzie, Alexandria WomenCare
Artis Mooney, The Boundless Art of Birthing
Aza Nedhari, Nu Wombyn Maternal Services
Northern Virginia Midwifery, PLLC , Tammi L. McKinley, CPM
Sacred Journey Midwifery, Joey Pascarella, CNM and Laura Simpson, RN NMT
Michele Peterson, Birth Day Your Way
Jeneen Piccuirro (aka Zayla)
Postpartum Support VA
Juli Robbins, CMT(NCBTMB), LMT, DONA, Journey of the Bump
Dr. Jason Rueggeberg, Virginia Family Chiropractic
Jess Sabo, AAHCC
TLCBirthMarilee Pinkleton, CPM
Ten Moons Midwifery Certified Professional Midwives Aimee Fairman & Desiree Cripps
Nikki Williams Bedhead Birth
Yoga, Birth and Beyond
Camilla Yrure, r e v e l birth

Local Options for Natural Birth meeting September 16

2010-08-21T12:05:00.000-07:00

Are you curious about the landscape of birth options in the greater DC area?

Where are the birth centers? What are local midwife options? How do OBs and hospitals support natural birth, VBAC, etc.?

Which childbirth classes are right for you?

Come to the Arlington/Alexandria chapter of Holistic Moms Network to learn about local birth options and to meet birth care providers including midwives, OBs, doulas, childbirth educators and other practitioners who support women in preparing to birth.

Date/Time: Thursday, September 16, 6:30-9:00 p.m

Location: George Mason Regional Library, 7001 Little River Turnpike, Annandale, Virginia

Note this is a different location than our usual chapter meetings

Children are welcome to attend, but the meeting might be crowded and busy, so plan accordingly.

HMN meetings are always open to members and first-time visitors. This meeting is open to anyone regardless of whether you've attended a meeting before or not. No RSVP required.

Format:

Introductory presentation on DC-area options and general considerations for natural birth by Karen Klauss, CNM, and former board member of Birth Options Alliance
Q&A with practitioners
Open house meet & greet with practitioners

If you are a birth-related practitioner who would like to attend and/or to send materials for the info table, please contact the chapter leaders at HolisticMomsArlAlex (at) gmail (dot) com by August 27 with the following information:

Name
Profession and Affiliation(s)
Services provided
Contact information

For more information about the Arlington/Alexandria chapter of Holistic Moms Network, please:
visit our blog at http://holisticmomsarlalex.blogspot.com/
email HolisticMomsArlAlex (at) gmail (dot) com
or call Leigha at 703-785-1099

For more information about Holistic Moms Network, a national non-profit organization with over 120 chapters aroundthe U.S. and in Canada, please visit www.holisticmoms.org

Yummy August meeting

2010-08-21T11:58:00.000-07:00

Lots of people -- and lots of pints! -- turned out for our first ice cream social. So many yummy options to try - ice cream made out of coconut milk, hemp milk, almond milk, soy milk, real cow's milk... It was a lovely evening on the AUMC patio! Thanks to everyone who came out, including so many dads and visitors!

Notes about upcoming meetings - August & September

2010-07-24T16:54:00.000-07:00

Fun and different meetings are planned for August and September!

August 19 is a social meeting all about pleasing our palates and strengthening our community. It's an Ice Cream Social! Please bring a pint of your fave flave (or just something you've been wanting to try out) and a scoop. By no means is this party limited to traditional moo-cow ice cream. There are tons of non-dairy options out there including coconut, almond, hemp, soy, rice, and cashew, not to mention sorbets! You might even find some goat's milk yogurt somewhere. Let's have a variety!

It would also be great if everyone could bring a bowl and a spoon so we can use a minimum of back-up disposable supplies. As always, feel free to bring the kiddos, or leave them home if you don't want them around so much sweet, even if it is agave or honey. Speaking of sweeteners, it would be great to have a discussion about types of sweeteners if anyone wants to bring opinions or info, and I'm sure we all could benefit from swapping stories about how we deal with "treats" with our children.

Weather permitting, this social meeting on August 19 will take place on the patio and front lawn of our regular location, the AUMC church at 716 S. Glebe in Arlington. If it's too hot or raining, we'll be inside.

For the September 16 meeting on local birth options, we will be inviting birth professionals -- midwives, OBs, doulas, childbirth educators, etc. -- to attend for something of an open house (after a short presentation and some group Q&A). We are still working out the details for this event, but because of the large crowd we anticipate, this meeting will be held at a different location: Mason Regional Library at 7001 Little River Turnpike, Annandale, VA 22003. We will probably open doors at 6:00 or 6:30 to have ample time. More details to come, but please note the location change and that we'll have an earlier start.

Hope to see you there!

Bellydancing Moms Night Out!

2010-07-21T07:37:00.000-07:00

What a lot of fun we had at Zalya's Studio in the Woods for our Bellydancing Moms Night Out! Even though last-minute missing babysitters meant we had a small group, it was great to learn to shimmy together! It was a fabulous workout and a blissful community event all in one, followed by fresh blackberries and apricots our instructor, Jeneen (aka Zalya), had just picked from the farm. We learned about -- and experienced! -- the many benefits of bellydancing and enjoyed playing dress-up with the fun scarves and skirts Jeneen made available to us.

Thanks to Jeneen for hosting us and to her assistants for inspiring us, and thanks to Natalie for organizing such a wonderful event. Even just being in the beautiful woodsy neighborhood felt like a retreat, and I think we'll all be checking out more of Zalya's yoga, bellydancing and art classes for ourselves and for our children!

July meeting: Intro to Acupuncture

2010-07-17T12:58:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Sarah Shupe, L.Ac. of Acupuncture Alexandria and Allison Kitchen, L.Ac., M.Ac., NCCAOM, of DC MindBody who shared with us the basics of acupuncture. Both practitioners work with a variety of conditions, including fertility and women's issues.

We discussed the differences in various acupuncture traditions, talked about what ailments and conditions acupuncture can treat, looked at diagrams and models of the body's energy meridians and answered a whole bunch of questions. We also had a demonstration as Sarah did a mini treatment on HMN co-leader Leigha

Community Service Options for Holistic Families -- June meeting

2010-06-27T07:17:00.000-07:00

Thank you to representatives from Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment (ACE), Volunteer Arlington, and Fairfax Family Services Department for providing us with a number of wonderful ways to get involved in our community! From volunteer opportunities we can do with families to information about ways to get involved with local environmental efforts, we all left with a wealth of information and a bunch of great ideas for giving back to our community. Thanks for an inspiring June meeting!

Inspiring Mother Blessing

2010-06-17T06:51:00.000-07:00

Thank you to the organizers of our group mother blessing! Three of our members who are due mid-July to early August were honored at a lovely ceremony hosted by Sharon Stevenson of Yoga, Birth and Beyond. The evening included a centering exercise by Jennifer Moore of Moore than Yoga and the blessing of beads for a birth bracelet. A traditional activity at birth blessing is to wind yarn around the wrists of each participant around a circle to symbolize community; participants wear the bracelets until the baby is born. With three babies coming, we decided three bracelets would be a little much (especially through summer months!), so we decorated mama dolls who are now wearing three different bracelets until we get the word that each baby has come, when that string will be cut. Until then, we can all look at our doll and remember our bond as mothers and our support of one another, especially of the three VBAC-hopeful mamas.

The evening concluded with pampering (massage and hair decoration) and feasting on berries and muffins.

All three mamas -- and, it seemed, the participants -- left feeling inspired and supported!

Finding our Center: Yoga Meeting in May

2010-05-26T16:56:00.000-07:00

Our May meeting was a wonderful night of discussion about finding our center in our yoga practices -- and in our parenting -- followed by practice in two separate demonstration sessions.

Autumn Wilson of Yoga Chai and Pleasance Lowengard Silicki of Lil Omm began the evening with an overview of different yoga styles and the many of the benefits of practicing yoga with a special emphasis on yoga's connection to parenting.

After the discussion, Autumn led a class for parents with babies and tots while Stair Calhoun of Little River Yoga led a group of moms in a lovely gentle practice.

Thanks to our speakers for their time (and donations of free classes and some great gear!) and thanks to everyone who came out to "turn inward."

Yoga Night in May

2010-05-11T07:58:00.001-07:00

Are you feeling stressed out? Need a way to unwind and clear your head?
Are you searching for a way to stay healthy and active that fits with your busy schedule as a mom?
Do you want to learn more about the different types of yoga and to figure out which one is best for you?

If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, then this meeting is for you! Come join us on Thursday, May 20, 7-9 p.m. at 716 S. Glebe Road, Arlington, VA 22204 (in AUMC church. Donations for the church's food pantry are always welcome at HMN meetings. HMN is not affiliated with any church and appreciates the use of AUMC's space).

Autumn Wilson of Yoga Chai and Pleasance Lowengard Silicki of Lil Omm will begin the evening with a presentation and discussion of different yoga styles, yoga's connection to parenting, and many of the benefits of practicing yoga.

After the discussion we will have two separate opportunities to practice yoga: A Moms/Dads & Tots Practice led by Autumn Wilson and a Gentle Adults-Only Practice lead by Stair Calhoun of Little River Yoga.

Bring a mat or towel to this meeting.

HMN meetings are open to members and first-time visitors. Children are always welcome. Come see what we're about!

Creating a Children's Garden - Moms Night Out

2010-04-22T07:04:00.001-07:00

We enjoyed a lovely evening at Nature by Design, a family-owned nursery in Alexandria, with a discussion led by Lisa Caprioglio of Aldertree Garden. A former Montessori teacher, Lisa gave us some wonderful ideas about how to create a magical space for our children. One idea was to create a circle of plants that will grow tall to create an enclosed space proportional to the child's size. We also discussed edibles and a number of other ideas for taking advantage of children's natural sense of wonder using native plants.

Thanks to Natalie for organizing, to Lisa for coming all the way from Takoma Park, and to Nature by Design for hosting us on a beautiful evening! We all walked away with lots of ideas, some of us with a few plants, and everyone having enjoyed the transition through twilight to darkness under a lovely crescent moon. How inspiring!

"Local Food" presentation inspires!

2010-04-18T03:06:00.000-07:00

We had an amazing turnout for our April meeting on "Local Food: Farms and Markets." Thank you to all of our speakers who traveled so far to be part of our meeting! Christy Przystawik and Chef Tom Przystawik, Food Matters Restaurant; Becky and Lawrence Latane, Blenheim Organic Farm/Gardens; Laurie Smith and Mark Reinhardt, Local Flavor Farm Buyer's Club; and Nancy Pritchard, Smith Meadows

Thank you also to all the businesses that sent materials for our information table, to AUMC for hosting us, as always (even though we spilled out of the meeting room with such a large crowd!), and to all of the wonderful businesses that donated refreshments and prizes for our event. The food was enjoyed by all, and at the end of the night, we gave away plants, restaurant gift certificates, and plenty of other goodies!

Notes will be available to members soon, and resources can be emailed upon request to holisticmomsarlalex (at) gmail (dot) com. We have links to local resources as well as a lists of farmers markets, CSA opportunities, and sources of pasture-raised meat/milk.

Thanks to the following businesses that donated to this event:
Blenheim Organic Gardens, Elevation Burger, Equinox, Food Matters, Grounded Coffee, MOMs Organic Market, Nood Food Café, Nourish Market (Kennedy’s Natural Foods), The Organic Butcher of McLean, Polyface Farms, Potomac Massage Training Institute, Pork Barrel BBQ, Restaurant Eve, Smith Meadows Farm, St. Elmo’s Coffee Pub

HMN at Joint American Homeopathic Conference

2010-04-13T02:52:00.000-07:00

Our chapter helped staff the HMN booth at the recent Joint American Homeopathic Conference, sponsored in part by one of the HMN's National sponsors, the National Center for Homeopathy. Two of our members got to attend part of the conference, and boy, was there a lot to learn! And so many wonderful people to meet! What a great event!

Exciting "Local Food" Meeting in April!

2010-03-27T07:40:00.000-07:00

Our April 15 meeting is not to be missed! With the topic of "Local Food: Farms & Markets," we will have a fabulous panel of farmers, restauranteurs and buying club representatives in addition to lots of info from other farms and HMN-created lists of farmers markets, Community Supported Agriculture shares, and local sources of natural, pasture-raised meat and milk.

Our speakers will also address issues of policy that affect local farmers and explain the costs, joys, and challenges of sustainable farming.

If you've been looking for ways to make your food dollars support local businesses, get this event on your calendar!

Doors open at 6:30, so come early to peruse the info and enjoy some refreshments. The presentation will start promptly at 7:00 and will feature representatives from

Blenheim Organic Farm
Food Matters Restaurant
The Local Flavor Farm Buyer's Club
Smith Meadows Farms

There will also be some great donations from local food-related businesses. If you want to donate refreshments or gift certificates for this event -- or if you'd like to send brochures/materials to go on our info table, please contact holisticmomsarlalex (at) gmail (dot) com.

The meeting will be held at our regular location, 716 S. Glebe Rd. Arlington, VA 22204. (Thank you to AUMC for donating space.) Children are welcome to attend

Organic Gardening meeting

2010-03-22T07:28:00.000-07:00

Mitch Baker, lead horticulturist at American Plant in Bethesda MD, talked with us on March 18, 2010 about topics surrounding organic gardening. Mitch emphasized the importance of using organic composts and fertilizers in order to "feed well what is feeding you." Mitch said that most people buy simply the most nationally advertised brands of synthetic fertilizers, not aware of the processing and waste effects on the environment, and how most of these products only hold half of the nutrients of their organic counterparts (which makes organic compost/fertilizers more cost effective in the long run). Mitch also spoke on the topics of soil analysis, mulching, natural insect deterrents, container gardening, and seed charts.

Thanks for the great information, Mitch!

Green Living Expo a great success!

2010-03-21T07:32:00.000-07:00

On March 20, our chapter and the Northern Virginia chapter worked in the Kids' Area of the Green Living Expo, sponsored by Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment. We helped children make collages, caterpillars and shakers using natural and recycled materials. Thanks to all the volunteers who came out to help!

At the end of the day, Autumn Wilson of YogaChai did a family yoga demonstration that was enjoyed by all. Autumn is a mom of three and will be one of the speakers at our May 20 Yoga Night meeting.

Join HMN at the ACE Green Living Expo

2010-03-17T11:05:00.001-07:00

Holistic Moms will be helping out with the Green Living Expo sponsored by Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment this Saturday, March 20. We will be doing crafts in the Kids' Area 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and then there will be a yoga demonstration at 3:15 p.m. The event ends at 4:00.

The Expo will feature vendors on the topics of Energy Conservation, eco-friendly commuting, healthy homes, and sustainable living.

Location: NRECA building, 4301 Wilson Blvd in Arlington (near Ballston Metro and on bus routes. The building’s garage (access on Taylor St.) be open only until 12 noon (exit anytime). If arriving after 12, Ballston Mall across the street is the best bet for parking.

In the Kids’ Area 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.:

-Native flower seed planting

-Natural and recycled crafts with Holistic Moms Network and Potomac Crescent Waldorf School

-Eco-themed games led by Arlington Regional Master Naturalists

-Long Branch Nature Center naturalist discussion/display on habitat and critters (10 a.m.-1 p.m. only)

3:15 in the Kids’ Area: Yoga Demonstration led by YogaChai of DC

Also of interest to kids: bike maintenance demos, tours of the “Little Green House” built by students at Arlington’s Career Center, and an “Energy Cycle” that measures human activity in relation to the power required for tools and machines.

Also at the Expo: Exhibitors and vendors on a wide variety of green topics, seminars, snacks for sale from Whole Foods Market, raffle items.

Hope to see you there!

Organic Gardening in March

2010-03-15T17:30:00.001-07:00

Join us on Thursday, March 18 for a lively presentation and discussion on organic gardening with Mitch Baker of American Plant, a family-owned business committed to EarthWise gardening. The meeting will be 7-9 p.m. at 716 S. Glebe Road in Arlington United Methodist Church. The church parking lot is located on the north side of the building, accessible from both Glebe Rd. and S. 7th St. (the side street with the traffic light). Enter the left side of the portico and follow the signs. Children are always welcome at meetings.

March Moms Night Out - Learning about Polyface Farm

2010-03-10T17:20:00.000-08:00

A group of moms got together on March 8 to watch the Polyface Farm DVD and learn about the pioneering sustainable farming practices of Joel Salatin, who has been profiled in the Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan and in Fresh, the movie, among other numerous other places. Some of us have already purchased tickets to visit the farm this summer as part of the $10.50 "lunatic tours."

HMN supports Arlington Children and Nature Network

2010-02-28T17:13:00.000-08:00

Several HMN members came out to support the new Arlington Children and Nature Network (CANN), which launched on February 24 at an opening event at Campbell Elementary School. Holistic Moms Network Arlington/Alexandria chapter signed on as a supporter of this important initiative.

Fighting the Flu Naturally

2010-02-20T16:53:00.000-08:00

Our February meeting welcomed two great speakers, Dr. Hai Jin Kim, MD, of HealthBuilders (Annandale) and Dr. Julia Wray, DO, of Cornerstone Chiropractic (Alexandria). Dr. Kim began addressing the problem of living in a symptom-driven world where the immune system is not allowed to do its job. If the symptoms are suppressed, she explained, the immune system doesn't fulfill its potential.

Dr. Kim explained how vaccines work with the TH1 and TH2 components of the immune system, especially in babies, who are T2 dominant (and whose immune system does not mature until age 5 or 6). She also talked some about homeopathic remedies to be used during illness or for prophylaxis, noting that homeopathy looks at both emotional and physical characteristics of an illness.

Dr. Wray spoke in depth about the importance of vitamin D for general health and particular for respiratory infections. She also described some general theories of chiropractic and shared stories from her personal experience and from her practice, in which she uses Activator technology rather than manual adjustments. She also shared health-promoting habits, which include adequate sleep, positive attitude and the choice of activities that cultivate such an attitude, deep breathing, and proper posture, in addition to high-quality and adequate food (in a form close to how it's found in nature) and drink (pure, filtered water).

Thank you, Dr. Kim and Dr. Wray for sharing your insights with us along with some great giveaways!

February 18 Meeting: Fighting the Flu Naturally

2010-02-15T12:08:00.000-08:00

Hoping that we don't get any additional snow or face other weather delays, we are looking forward to this month's talk on "Fighting the Flu Naturally."

Dr. Hai Jin Kim of Health Builders in Annandale and Dr. Julia Wray of Cornerstone Chiropractic in Old Town Alexandria will discuss how to prevent and treat the flu through nutrition, nutritional supplements, chiropractic and other hands-one healing modalities, restful sleep and stress reduction, and homeopathy. The talk will also include a brief discussion of what flu vaccines do and don't do and how they interact with the immune system.

Please join us this Thursday, February 18, 7-9 p.m., 716 S. Glebe Rd. Arlington, VA 22204 in the Parlor of Arlington United Methodist Church. Enter the church parking lot (on the north side of the building) from S. Glebe or from S. 7th St. (at the light). Under the portico, enter the left side of the building and follow the signs. As always, children are welcome.

Fabulous Anniversary Party!

2010-01-25T11:05:00.000-08:00

What a wonderful celebration of our first year as a chapter we had! It was wonderful to see so many families connecting with other families and with practitioners and businesses. And what a treat to see the kids enjoying the music of Groovy Nate, who was kind enough to donate a set of original and traditional music for us.

Thank you Groovy Nate, our host site AUMC, and to all the donors who submitted terrific prizes, some of which were given away, others raffled off, and others "sold" on silent auction with proceeds benefiting our chapter.

We also greatly appreciate our members for their support and the many volunteers who worked day and night to pull off this amazing evening. It was truly a group effort! We had so many wonderful homemade foods to complement the food donations and also gave out a comprehensive list of CSA shares available now, put together by chapter members. That database will be up on the chapter Yahoo group site soon and will be available at our February 18 meeting as well (though some shares will fill before that).

Thank you again to everyone who attended, to our donors, and also to our sponsors for their support of us in our first year: BirthCare and Women's Health, The Chiropractic Associates, Fairlington Dental, and National Integrated Health Associa tes.

What a year it has been!

Storytime!

2010-01-20T23:47:00.000-08:00

On January 20, we had a fun storytime at Hooray For Books in Old Town Alexandria. We read a wonderful array of eco-themed books, including books about gardening, eating healthy food, and being kind to the earth. What a great afternoon!

Thanks to Hooray For Books for donating this storytime and to Laurie C. for setting up the event.

Upcoming Events with revised dates

2010-01-20T13:19:00.000-08:00

There are a couple of great events coming up in addition to our monthly meetings - dates revised to reflect snow challenges!

Hope to see you there!

Events Open to the Public

Thursday, January 28, 7:00-9:30 p.m.
Cooking class with Monica Corrado of Simply Being Well
"The Secrets to Making Nutrient-Dense Stock"
Location is Alexandria near Duke St. & Quaker Lane
Discount for HMN members. Go to Monica's site to register.

Monday, February 1, 7:30 p.m.
Film screening and discussion of Consuming Kids: The Commercialization of Childhood
Arlington Unitarian Universalist Church, 4444 Arlington Blvd., Arlington, VA 22204 (corner of George Mason Drive and Rt. 50/Arlington Blvd.) Co-sponsored by the Family and Home Network and Arlington Unitarian Cooperative Preschool
Go to http://consumingkids.bravenewtheaters.com/screening/show/13679-arlington to RSVP or or via email to: film (at) familyandhome (dot) org

Saturday, February 27, 9:30 a.m. - 12:00 noon
Cooking class with Monica Corrado of Simply Being Well
"Condiments + 2 - Ketchup, Mustard, Mayo, Pickles, & Salsa" (Eat your probiotics!)
Location is Alexandria - Del Ray near Russell & Braddock
HMN members get a discount. Go to Monica's site to register.

Saturday, March 6, 9:30 a.m. - 12:00 noon - RESCHEDULED from February 6 due to snow
Cooking class with Monica Corrado of Simply Being Well
"Soaking Beans and Grains for Optimum Digestion" (new techniques!)
Location is Alexandria - Del Ray near Russell & Braddock
HMN members get a discount. Go to Monica's site to register.

Events for HMN Arlington/Alexandria Chapter Members (see Evites for info)

Tuesday, February 9 - Postponed due to snow
Moms Night Out
Jewelry-making with Trish Thackston

Saturday, February 27 - (RESCHEDULED FROM FEB. 13 due to snow/lack of parking)
Eco Home Assessment Demonstration with Bobby Crogs

Anniversary Party Set for January 21!

2010-01-04T06:55:00.001-08:00

Holistic Moms Network Arlington/Alexandria is turning one year old!

Please join us for our First Anniversary Party on Thursday, January 21, 2010, 7:00-9:00 p.m.

We will be meeting in the 2nd floor Fellowship Hall of our regular location at 716 S. Glebe Road, Arlington, VA 22206. Thank you to AUMC for donating the use of their space to us.

The party will include refreshments, door prizes and a special musical performance by children's performer, Groovy Nate around 7:30 p.m. - suitable for all ages! Get the kids a good nap and bring the whole family along. The more the merrier!

We are accepting donations of food or drink as well as donations to be given away as door prizes or part of a small silent auction. Gift certificates, eco-friendly products, classes, consultations are all welcome as are on-site donations like neck and shoulder or hand massages or other demonstrations.

Businesses interested in making a donation to our anniversary party may email holisticmomsarlalex (at) gmail (dot) com. Non-perishable donations must be received by January 15. Arrangements can be made to pick up larger items and food donations.

Practitioners and green-minded business owners -- parents or not! -- are welcome to attend the party. We will have an information table for brochures, business cards, discount coupons, etc., but we ask that you please take extras with you when you leave since we don't have room to display information at every meeting.

HMN does have a strict non-solicitation policy, so no selling of goods or services is allowed. Businesses interested in sponsoring our chapter (includes being thanked at every meeting and your logo on our website and blog) may contact the national organization at info (at) holisticmoms (dot) org.

Hope to see you on January 21!

Clarifying our Values: Inspiring December Meeting

2010-01-04T06:40:00.000-08:00

Life coaches Carolyn Semedo and Suzanne Couming-Caldwell presented a wonderful meeting in December. The title was "Creating Balance in Family Life," but the focus of the interactive workshop was on helping us clarify our values. Once we can identify what is important to us, it becomes clearer to see how to eliminate areas of stress and to live in alignment with what we truly value.

The "Clarifying Values" worksheet and a list of resources (including books) from Carolyn and Suzanne are up on the chapter member Yahoo group under Files in the "Notes from Meetings" folder. Several attendees at the workshop noted that working through the values worksheet with their life partners would be beneficial for their relationship. Older children could also benefit from a discussion about the values held by the family -- and how those mesh with values of individual members of the family.

Thank you to our wonderful speakers and to all of the members and visitors who participated in this lively event!

Holiday discounts for members!

2009-12-19T09:49:00.000-08:00

Membership has its privileges! Holistic Moms members can enjoy a number of fabulous discounts this holiday season. Click here for an overview of some of these great deals. Members should have received specific details and codes in an email from the national organization.

Membership costs $45/year for an individual (or $60/year for a family membership) and is tax-deductible. Approximately half the fee goes to our local chapter to pay for snacks, mailings, supplies, copies, advertising and other administrative costs. The rest goes to support the work of the national organization.

The easiest way to join Holistic Moms is through this online membership form (and secure credit card payment). Membership fees paid by check and a paper form are also possible. There is also a Helping Moms in Need program to which moms who can't afford the fee may apply.

Membership is for one local chapter only. If you're close to more than one chapter and want to join two or three, there is an additional cost of $25/year per additional chapter. You can add an additional membership at the online membership form.

HMN Members are able to participate in all of our meetings and other events, including Moms Nights Out, playdates and outings. Once you join HMN, you'll be added to our local chapter email loop where you can share information and post questions to other chapter members and weigh in on chapter event planning.

You'll also be invited to join the very active national HMN email loop, a fabulous source of information (and anecdotes) on every holistic topic imaginable, with searchable archives. This list is approaching 2000 members (from around the U.S. and Canada). Digests and web only options are available!

If you're interested in membership for the Arlington/Alexandria chapter and have additional questions, please email

Mindful Eating MNO

2009-12-15T11:53:00.000-08:00

In early December, we had a wonderful Moms Night Out on the topic of Mindful Eating, or The Slow-Down Diet.

Holistic health counselor Cameron Rupprecht of Vitality in the City talked to us about how to eat for health, no matter what it is we are eating (which, she has found, often needs to be different diets for different people).

One of the key points was to chew your food! When we fail to adequately chew our food, our brain does not get the signal that we have eaten; we might get hungry again a lot sooner. Additionally, proper digestion starts in the mouth with digestive enzymes breaking down our food. If the work isn't done there, the stomach can't make up all the slack, and some of our food will go through our bodies undigested instead of nourishing us. Be sure to chew each bite at least 20 times (some sources say 40!) before swallowing. It helps to put down your fork in between bites!

Another helpful point among many in Cameron's great presentation is that nighttime is when our bodies detoxify, an important process that cannot occur (or at least not very efficiently) if our body is engaged in active work to digest and process food. Therefore, it's wise not to eat at least three or four hours before you go to bed. If you have to eat after dinner, keep snacks light to something that can be digested easily and quickly (usually more toward the carbohydrate end than the protein end).

There were lots of other great tips shared, and it was educational and enjoyable to learn from each other, too, including sharing how we deal with mealtimes with our kids, manage our own eating needs while nursing, and other challenges unique to moms.

Thanks to Cameron for giving such a great talk and to Natalie for setting up this Moms Night Out!

See an article about sleep by Cameron in our January chapter newsletter, edited by Natalie and available at our monthly meetings and on the chapter member Yahoo group.

Creating Balance in Family Life -- this week!

2009-12-13T12:40:00.000-08:00

Our December meeting on the topic of "Balance in Family Life" will feature Life Coaches Carolyn Semedo and Suzanne Couming Caldwell. These self-employed moms will lead us in interactive exercises that will help us identify our values and use these values for planning and decision-making. Learn how to shame the “shoulds” and to get in touch with what you really want!

Goodbye, “overwhelmed” and “conflicted!” Hello, “empowered” and “integrated!”

Join us on Thursday, December 17 for a powerful session of identifying our values and priorities and setting goals in alignment with them. Slough off that nagging disappointment and frustration to embrace fulfillment in the New Year.

For more information the December meeting speakers, please visit their websites:

Suzanne: http://www.vitalcoachingandconsulting.com/

Carolyn: http://applywithin.com/

Coming Soon: One-Year Anniversary Party, January 21, 2010

2009-11-28T12:05:00.000-08:00

Plans are under way for our one-year anniversary party to be held on Thursday, January 21, 2010, 7-9 p.m. in the upstairs Fellowship Hall at AUMC, 716 S. Glebe Rd., Arlington, VA 22204.

Join us for a night of celebrating our holistic community!

A few of our chapter volunteers will be preparing a database of Community Supported Agriculture opportunities so people can sign up for shares before the subscriptions are sold out (usually mid-February to mid-March). This information will be available at the party.

We'll also have some refreshments (contact Mary or Jessica if you want to volunteer to bake or to help get donations).

Local businesses and holistic practitioners are invited to contribute donations of refreshments for our party as well as goods and services that we can give away as door/raffle prizes. Email holisticmomsarlalex (at) gmail (dot) com or call Jessica at 703-824-6167 for more information.

Lots of things to be thankful for!

2009-11-22T20:41:00.000-08:00

What an amazing group of women we are! Our speakers shared inspirational stories of education and healing. Katherine, Nina and Josie have made their holistic passions their careers, and we all came away with such a motivated sense of commitment. It was great to just sit and talk and share ... and give away generous prizes! And we collected donations for our host church's food pantry. What an amazing community this is!

Thanks to all the speakers for their time and donations, to Vicky for an additional donation/door prize, to new member Marybeth for sharing, and to everyone who came to the meeting. Thanks to Mary for working on a list of favorite websites of our members (she went through old emails to start a list! Send her others if you have them.)

We also talked about plans for the January 21 anniversary party. There is lots of room to help out for our celebration. Also, here are some photos of a great business meeting we had on Sunday morning before the Thursday meeting. The next business meeting will be December 5 at 3:00 p.m., location TBA.

Check out the flyers on our Yahoo member group site or the schedule to the right on this blog to see the great schedule of meetings we came up with for the first half of 2010. Thanks to all who attended the business meeting and helped flesh out this great program. Anyone with any expertise or interest in any of the topics, let us know and we'll see if there's any way you can help us prep for the meeting.

Little River Yoga is hosting us for a yoga/massage/relaxation Moms Night Out on Monday, December 14. The required minimum number of participants is 8 people. The time is 7-9 p.m., and the cost is $35. Let Jessica know if you plan to attend; RSVP by this Wednesday, December 2.

November 19 Meeting - Sharing our Holistic Journeys!

2009-11-11T11:09:00.000-08:00

Click here to see photos from this meeting and read more about the event.

Join us on Thursday, November 19 (7-9 p.m.) for a wonderful meeting of learning, sharing, and building community. Two chapter members will talk to us about their personal journeys toward holistic health and how they brought the personal into the professional.

Katherine Sumner, AADP, is a Board Certified Health Counselor who trained at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York City. Nina Elliot is a Certified Personal Trainer who, with her husband, owns Health and Wholeness, a wellness studio focused on improving diet, exercise, and lifestyle choices. The company's tagline is "Health by Choice, Not by Chance."

We'll hear the inspirational stories of both members and have a chance to ask questions and share with one another about our own journeys.

Members have been asked to share their personal favorite webstites for holistic health (which we'll put into a handout). Below are some questions to think about prior to our discussion.

Please join us and find out just how many varieties there are of "holistic moms!"

Thought questions:
What got you started down a holistic path?
What was your a-ha moment?
Were there any times you had second thoughts?
What brought you back?
What haven't you addressed yet but want to?
What is next for you?

Pumpkin Patch!

2009-11-10T07:17:00.001-08:00

Our group had a second pumpkin patch outing, this time at Ticonderoga farms, a great, low-key place that doesn't spray its pumpkins (or tomatoes or peppers, which are also available U-pick in the summer). We had a great time with the animals, on a hayride, on slides and on the playground.

Learning about Consumerism

2009-11-09T17:12:00.000-08:00

We had a great turnout for the screening of Consuming Kids: The Commercialization of Childhood. Cathy Myers of the Family and Home Network and our own Michelle R. did a great job moderating the post-film discussion. We might try for an evening screening in the new year. Thanks to the Family and Home Network for organizing the screening along with Arlington Unitarian Cooperative Preschool and Michelle R.

For more on the film, see the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood.

Thanking our hosts!

2009-10-24T18:42:00.000-07:00

Since June, our chapter has been meeting at Arlington United Methodist Church. The church is able to offset the cost for housing us in large part by its Pumpkin Patch fundraiser. The pumpkins are purchased from an Indian Reservation that harvests them sustainably. The Patch is open until October 31, after which time pumpkins are free to farmers or anyone else who wants them.

We appreciate the generosity of AUMC. HMN members contribute to the church's food pantry, which serves the homeless population of Arlington. We donated items to the bake sale for the church's Fall Festival, where we had the chance to share information with the community. Thanks to all the members who contributed delicious, healthy treats and to HMN member Michelle D. for organizing the bake sale donation. And thanks to AUMC for this wonderful opportunity!

Holistic Halloween?

2009-10-23T10:40:00.000-07:00

We had a great evening discussion on how to have a more holistic Halloween. Thanks to member Michelle R. for going through all the emails on the national HMN listserv and putting together this great, succinct list of ideas. And thanks to everyone who came out and shared your thoughts, concerns, and ideas!

Be sure to check out GreenHalloween.org.

Here's Michelle's wonderful list!

10 TIPS FOR A HOLISTIC HALLOWEEN

1. CREATE YOUR OWN COSTUME

Search the internet for ideas ● Shop at thrift stores for supplies ● Rent instead of buying ● Swap with friends ● Freecycle ● Donate old costumes

2. CHOOSE GREEN ACCESSORIES

Chose latex masks over vinyl (unless your child has a latex allergy) ● Vinyl contains PVC and phthalates ● Latex smells like a balloon and vinyl like a shower curtain ● Create your own makeup using recipes found on the internet ● Use non-toxic makeup (Aveda, Real Purity, Logona, Lyra, Sante Kosmetics) ● Collect candy in reusable bags rather than plastic ● Decorate your own organic cotton tote ● Avoid glowsticks that cannot be recycled ● Use rechargeable flashlights ● Try beeswax candles instead of petroleum-based

3. HAND OUT HEALTHY TREATS

Purchase organic/fair trade sweets ● Alternatives to candy include popcorn bags, snack bars, fruit leather, beverage boxes, raisins, honey sticks ● You can make your own treats, wrap creatively and include your address label to ensure safety

4. HAND OUT NON-EDIBLE TREATS

Distribute non-edible items like bubbles, playdoh, stickers, spider rings ● Shop at stores that promote fair trade practices ● Or save trinkets collected throughout the year, such as from party goody bags, and give those away ● Non-perishables can be saved for next year

5. DON’T EAT ALL THAT CANDY!

Good old-fashioned rationing ● “You can have as many pieces as you are old” ● Donate the candy to troops overseas, nursing homes, etc. ● Invite the Switch Witch or Sugar Sprite to your house who exchanges gifts for candy while children are sleeping ● Glue the candy to cardboard and make a “gingerbread” house for Christmas ● Children can set up a candy store and use money earned from selling treats to buy other items on their wish lists

6. HAVE A PARTY INSTEAD

Have a harvest party instead of trick-or-treating ● Kids can trick-or-treat to each family for non-sugary treats ● Serve pumpkin pancakes or muffins, popcorn, veggie trays arranged like skeletons, hot apple cider in a crock pot ● Use Halloween cookie cutters on pita bread and bake in the oven to make little chips, or use cutters for cheese to place on whole grain crackers ● Organize fun games so parties are not just about food ● Make skeletons using Q-tips, pin the nose on the pumpkin/witch, “touch boxes” where children feel and guess what’s inside, painted pumpkins, pumpkin carving contests, bob for apples ● Organize a magical Halloween walk through the woods where children meet different characters in the forest

7. INCORPORATE SERVICE INTO THE HOLIDAY

Trick-or-treat for UNICEF and raise money for children around the world ● Participate in Reverse Trick-or-Treating and distribute out fair trade chocolate with a handout on child slavery in the cocoa industry

8. HALLOWEEN AS A “TEACHABLE MOMENT”

Talk with your children about your family’s choices and empower them to make good decisions ● “We just don’t do that in our family” ● Tells kids that every mommy and daddy can decide for their own kids what to do

9. CELEBRATE THE SEASON

Participate in Fall activities prior to Halloween, such as visiting a pumpkin patch, going on hay rides, taking a hike and observing seasonal changes ● Make Halloween just a small part of the season and not the main point

10. SPREAD THE WORD

Talk to friends and neighbors about your plans for a holistic Halloween ● Organize holistic trick-or-treating routes with other like-minded neighbors ● Learn more and join the Green Halloween movement at www.greenhalloween.org ● Put a “Green Halloween” logo on your door for visitors to see

Sensational Skin Care Meeting

2009-10-22T18:17:00.000-07:00

What a lot of information our October speakers shared on holistic approaches to skin care! It was clear to everyone who attended that skin is not just a surface issue!

Honi Borden of Holeco ® Wellness Medi Spa encouraged us to see out "toxic-free" skin care products and not assume that an "organic" label means a product is free of toxins and chemicals that should not go into our bodies. She provided a wonderful handout and encouraged us to look at the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep database at http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/and to read Stacy Malkan's book, Not Just a Pretty Face.

Dr. Marie Rodriguez, ND, explained that skin conditions are manifestations of internal issues. If the body is not able to excrete toxins effectively through more typical elimination routes, it has to use the skin. She provided great handouts on some typical conditions and what kinds of nutritional deficiencies or other issues they often point to. She also addressed body pH and discussed how acid/alkaline imbalance or an overgrowth of yeast can cause skin symptoms. The emphasis was on the fact that skin issues are symptoms that can give us clues about what is going on in our bodies. Skin problems are not issues we treat by themselves, lest we pump more toxins into our bodies.

Both speakers were kind enough to address in detail the questions members had submitted prior to the meeting. They also stayed long after the meeting to talk with attendees. Thanks to Honi and Dr. Marie for the wonderful presentations and for the great giveaways!

Handouts are available to members on our chapter email group.

October Meeting: Holistic Skin Care -- Nourishing Your Body's Largest Organ

2009-10-09T18:24:00.000-07:00

Join us on October 15 for a presentation on how toxins and chemicals in our skin care products affect our bodies. We'll also address how overall health and wellness on the inside translate into skin health on the outside.

Speakers:
Honi Borden is the founder of Holeco® Wellness Medi Spa, the 1st Holistic/Non-Toxic Medi Spa in the US that has gotten the recognition of being a socially responsible green company by Green America. Honi has also developed holeco® life, a line of eco-conscious personal care, mineral cosmetics and super foods mindfully chosen to honor one's health, respect the environment and help families in developing countries of Uganda, Tanzania, Sudan & Kenya via its donation to International Lifeline Fund's project of "clean water" and "fuel efficient stoves". Holeco® Wellness Medi Spa has just relocated to share space with one of our sponsors (and the home of the new DC chapter of Holistic Moms), National Integrated Health Associates. Learn more at Holeco ®'s grand re-opening on October 20.

As a naturopathic physician, Dr. Marie Rodriguez uses medicines and therapies that treat the whole person. She incorporates a variety of treatment modalities in her practice: nutrition and detoxification, botanical medicine, homeopathy, biotherapeutic drainage, and lifestyle counseling. Dr. Rodriguez creates personalized care plans to address her patient’s immediate health goals with a focus on disease prevention. Through education, she encourages her patients to be active in their own healing process. In her practice, Dr. Rodriguez also uses craniosacral therapy (the topic of our September meeting). Dr. Rodriguez recognizes that healing occurs at physical, emotional, and spiritual levels, and strives to meet each of her patients at their stage of healing.

Consuming Kids: The Commercialization of Childhood

2009-10-08T17:27:00.000-07:00

Come see this film and join in a discussion. This screening is free and open to the public and is sponsored by the Arlington/Alexandria chapter of Holistic Moms Network, the Family and Home Network and Arlington Unitarian Cooperative Preschool.
Date: Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Time: 10:00 a.m.
Location: Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington, 4444 Arlington Blvd. (Rt. 50 at George Mason Drive), Arlington, VA 22204
RSVP to film (at) familyandhome (dot) org
For more information on the film, see http://www.commercialfreechildhood.org/

Holistic Halloween Discussion Night!

2009-10-03T17:22:00.000-07:00

Our first non-meeting member evening! This discussion evening will be on October 22 in Alexandria (near Fairlington) and is open to HMN members (any chapter). If you haven't yet joined but plan to and want to attend, please email holisticmomsarlalex (at) gmail (dot) com.

Here's more info:
Are you a mom feeling haunted by Halloween? Interested in finding ways to make Halloween a little more holistic? Then join the Arlington/Alexandria chapter of HMN for a special discussion night devoted to Halloween. We'll talk about various ideas suggested on the national listserve, and you're also invited to share any of your own.

September Meeting: Craniosacral Therapy

2009-10-01T20:18:00.000-07:00

On September 17, we welcomed Nishanka Lahr (NCTMB, LMT), who spoke on the topic of "Craniosacral Therapy: An Alternative Health Care Option for Your Infant or Toddler." Craniosacral Therapy (CST) is a gentle hands-on technique that can address most any emotional or physical condition by supporting the central nervous system.

Nishanka spoke to the concerns of the attendees and even worked on a member and a member's son so we could all see what CST looked like! It was a hands-on and highly personalized meeting! Nishanka explained how she approaches her work with children and how it can benefit them -- and adults! -- in various ways: physically, developmentally, emotionally.

Nishanka's practice is family-focused. She works closely with mothers, infants, and todlers and has been practicing for over 21 years. Her work strives to support each client's innate wisdom. She is certified in CST, Myfascial Release, Somato-Emotional Release and Bio-Energetics. She is trained to work with issues of pediatric sensory integration and has experience with a wide array of conditions, from acute and trauma-related to chronic and complex.

For more information on Craniosacral Therapy, visit The Upledger Institute at http://upledger.com/.

Playgroup at the Park! (and farmer's market)

2009-09-25T17:17:00.000-07:00

A few of us met up at the Mason District Park one recent Thursday. We enjoyed shopping at the farmer's market, and our kids enjoyed playing on the playground and hiking in the woods. It was a lovely day to chat and connect!

Fabulous Schooling Options Panel!

2009-08-27T04:54:00.000-07:00

Thank you to all the wonderful speakers who came out to share their experiences with different schooling traditions and philosophies at our August meeting, "Schooling Options for the Holistic Family." We had reps from Waldorf, Reggio Emilia, Montessori, and Friends, a homeschooler, a yoga in schools instructor and two parents from Arlington. Thanks to Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment for some great info.

We had a great turnout, lots of helpful info and interesting Q&A.

Thanks to all the speakers and the members who helped out. And to AUMC for hosting!

August Panel on Schooling Options

2009-08-13T08:12:00.000-07:00

Join us for a informative evening on Thursday, August 20 for a panel on "Schooling Options for the Holistic Family." We'll have representatives from many traditions, including Waldorf, Montessori, Reggio Emilia, Friends and homeschooling and a public school parent or two.

Welcome and intros start at 6:30 p.m., a half-hour earlier than usual. We will get started with the presentations right at 7:00. Space is limited, so arrive early to get a seat! Children are always welcome at meetings, but with so many speakers in such little time, we request that parents be prepared to take a break with vocalizing babes or active toddlers. We were considering offering childcare but have not had enough interest.

Location is the Sunshine Room at the back of the sanctuary at Arlington United Methodist Church, 716 S. Glebe Rd., Arlington, VA 22204.

July Family Potluck

2009-07-21T07:33:00.000-07:00

We had a fun first potluck/social meeting in July. Our chapter really knows how to cook! Quinoa salad, roasted red peppers and eggplant, fresh pesto with veggies, rice and beans, banana coconut muffins and more ... everyone ate well! The next potluck will likely be for our December 17 meeting (but stay tuned to the site for updates).

June Meeting: Positive Discipline

2009-06-21T16:55:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Dr. Rene Hackney of Parenting Playgroups for her wonderful presentation on Positive Discipline at our June meeting! This was our first meeting at our new location, and we thank Arlington United Methodist Church for hosting us!

From Rene's talk, we all learned a lot about empathy, positive intent and much, much more! Rene gave a great presentation and provided lots of thoughtful responses to our many questions.

Among the books Rene recommended were Becky Bailey's Easy to Love, Difficult to Discipline and Alfie Kohn's Unconditional Parenting. Rene also has a Positive Discipline workbook for sale that can be used with or without her Positive Discipline classes, which she teaches around the area and at Parenting Playgroups in Alexandria (and soon to come to Falls Church).

May Meeting: Nourishing Healthy Kids

2009-05-30T11:46:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Monica Corrado of Simply Being Well and Cooking for Well-Being for speaking at our May meeting and rocking our worlds! A more detailed update and photos will come, and notes will be posted on the member group list, but here are the books Monica recommended:

Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon

and

Real Food for Mother and Baby: The Fertility Diet, Eating for Two and Baby's First Foods by Nina Planck

Learing about Internal Balance and Detox

2009-04-30T09:25:00.000-07:00

April's meeting offered a great exchange of information on holistic health in general and on detox in particular. Thanks to Dr. Tracy Freeman and Debbie McCabe, Reg. Naturopath, both of National Integrated Health Associates, for sharing such a wealth of knowledge! Detailed notes will go out to members soon, but one thing members and visitors surely came away with was the importance of maintaining the integrity of the gut for any and all health concerns. This includes assuring proper intestinal flora, ensuring acti ve production and efficacy of digestive enzymes and checking for signs of malabsorption of food, food senstivity and yeast (Candida). The doctors maintained that most external issues -- including eczema and allergies -- often stem from a problem in the gut, where more than 80% of the immune system really lives.

Spring cleaning for our bodies!

2009-04-15T08:17:00.000-07:00

Spring is a natural time to clean out the clutter -- in our homes and in our bodies, too! Just what do our bodies do with all the chemicals they encounter in our environment? Come to our April meeting and find out!

Our April 23 meeting will feature an MD and a Registered Naturopath who will talk to us about some basics of holistic health with a focus on toxicity. Dr. Tracy Freeman, MD, and Debbie McCabe, Reg. Naturopath, practice at National Integrated Health Associates in NW DC and have special interests in autism, ADHD, allergies, children's health and women's health. The title of their talk is "Holistic Health from the Inside Out: Spring Cleaning for Every Body."

Join us at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 23 at Alexandria's Burke Branch Library, 4701 Seminary Road. Directions at right. Children are always welcome to attend!

Taking a Pause: Mindful Parenting talk

2009-04-04T19:18:00.000-07:00

Our March meeting was a wonderful presentation on "Mindful Parenting" by child/family therapist and parenting coach Francine Ronis. Francine began with a description of an upsetting scenario. She had us notice our reactions to her description and then led us through a visualization exercise, after which it was much easier to imagine clear-headed responses. Focusing on the now -- as opposed to an imagined future or to what a situation says about our own pasts -- can really help us to address issues as they are coming up for our kids, without all that baggage and instead just with what we see in front of us.

One strategy that can make a big shift in our relationships with our children (and with anyone else!) is to show empathy by mirroring back to a person what you heard him or her say. It doesn't help to tell someone not to worry, or that they're going to be fine. That just makes a person feel like you weren't listening or don't value his/her experience. Instead, offer just a restatment of whatever the person said, such as "You don't want to (do X)" or give a child the "feelings" language that labels what they are expressing: "It sounds like you are ... " (sad, mad, happy or scared, or some variation of the big four).

There were lots of great tips through Francine's talk and from questions and answers.

For more on mindful parenting, Francine referenced the following books:

Everyday Blessings: The Inner Work of Mindful Parenting by Myla Kabat-Zinn and Jon Kabat-Zinn
Parenting From the Inside Out by Daniel J. Siegel and Mary Hartzell
How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish

Francine teaches "How to Talk" classes and leads Mindful Parenting workshops. Thank you, Francine, for your time!

March 26 Meeting: Mindful Parenting

2009-03-21T07:59:00.000-07:00

Our March 26 meeting will feature child/family therapist and parenting coach Francine Ronis speaking on the topic of "Mindful Parenting." Please join us at 7:00 p.m. (note the new start time so that folks can get settled and we can begin the meeting right at 7:15). This meeting and our April 23 meeting will both be at the Burke Branch library location at 4701 Seminary Road in Alexandria. (scroll down for directions on sidebar)

For anyone interested in reading on the topic, Francine recommends the following two books:

Everyday Blessings: The Inner Work of Mindful Parenting by Myla Kabat-Zinn and Jon Kabat-Zinn

Parenting From the Inside Out by Daniel J. Siegel and Mary Hartzell

Clicking on the book jackets or links will take you to the books' pages at Amazon.com.

As always, meetings are free and open to the public, and children are welcome to attend.

Chapter needs new meeting space!

2009-03-21T07:52:00.000-07:00

Our chapter is looking for a permanent home for our meetings. The ideal location would:
-be free of charge or have a nominal fee (we are a non-profit!)
-have room for 50+ adults and some children in a private space (with at least a door separating our meeting from another public space)
-have ample parking and easy entry to the building
-allow us to have snacks
-be child-friendly/baby-proofed
-have easily-accessible restrooms
-have a sink in the room (not a must, but a definite perk!)
-allow us to reserve a regular meeting day and stick to it (such as the fourth Thursday of the month, or we could pick another day, but it would need to be every ___th ____day). We'd prefer not have a location that might need to bump us for their own needs, and we'd prefer not to have to request the place every single time we need it.

If you know of a location central to Arlington and Alexandria that can accommodate our needs, please contact Vicky at vicky68 (at) comcast (dot) net and Jessica at holisticmomsarlalex@gmail.com or call 703-824-6167.

Fighting Fevers and the Flu in February

2009-02-26T19:58:00.001-08:00

Our first monthly meeting was a lively discussion of influences on the immune system and strategies to deal with illnesses when they do come up. Chiropractor Cindy Durakis addressed nutrition and the role of stress in addition to discussing how structural alignment affects ear issues in particular. Dr. Chris Johnson gave a naturopath's perspective on health, including an overview of homeopathy. Both provided some great resources for folks to take home. We also shared an in-house list of a few favorite remedies and healthful strategies from some members. This and more detailed notes from the meeting will be available to members on our chapter email loop.

One thing we didn't have enough of tonight was time! When we look for a new location for meetings after April, we will for sure try to get a bigger room and make sure to book a full two hours. We could have kept talking well after the library closed, and some folks chatted in the parking lot for over an hour. What a great community! Please join us March 26 for a conversation with Francine Ronis on Mindful Parenting.

Upcoming meeting topics and speakers - February, March & April 2009

2009-02-18T07:44:00.000-08:00

Our first three monthly meetings will be in the meeting room of Burke Branch Library in Alexandria (4701 Seminary Road) on the fourth Thursday of the month, 7:15-8:45 p.m.

Topics and speakers are:
February 26, 2009:
“Building Strong Immunity in Cold and Flu Season: Natural Remedies and Prevention Strategies”
Dr. Cindy Durakis, DC, The Chiropractic Associates
Dr. Christopher Johnson, ND, Thrive Naturopathic

March 26:
“Mindful Parenting”
Francine Ronis, LPC, LLC

April 23:
“Holistic Health from the Inside Out: Spring Cleaning for Every Body”
Dr. Tracy Freeman, MD and Deborah McCabe, National Integrated Health Associates

Children are always welcome to attend. There will be light snacks available, and you are free to bring food for you and your children. Most meetings will have some kind of a door prize available to members. Membership forms will be available at all meetings, or you can join online at http://membership.holisticmoms.org/.

We encourage you to check out a meeting before you join to see if this is a community you want to join. If you decide we are a good fit for you, we ask that you then become a member so that you can take advantage of all the benefits of membership.

Chapter Launch Success!

2009-01-23T11:33:00.001-08:00

We had a great group of folks turn out at our Chapter Launch and Open House -- around 70 of them! People said the gathering was energizing. Everyone enjoyed snacks, a information table and some great door prizes, and they left with goodie bags of even more information from local holistic and mom/baby/family-centered businesses.

We want to extend a big thanks to all the businesses, practitioners and individuals who donated their products, services, time, energy and support to our chapter launch party. And thank you to the Alexandria Library System's Burke Branch for hosting our group!

We were so full we had to move from a circle to rows, and the library parking lot was at capacity! The next three meetings will be 2/26, 3/26 and 4/23. We'll keep the Burke Branch Library (in Alexandria) location (and the 7:15 time) for our fourth-Thursday-of-the-month meetings as scheduled through April and will consider other locations/times/days depending on the needs of our members.

Don't forget that the $5 off HMN membership promotion lasts just until the end of January. Join online at http://membership.holisticmoms.org and use the coupon code NEWYEAR. Once you join, you'll get onto our local chapter email loop where we will talk about meeting topics, dates, times and locations as well as other chapter activities. The local loop is also a great place to ask for advice and share tips on holistic living. Hope to see you there soon!

Open House is here!

2009-01-21T22:21:00.000-08:00

Our chapter is launching! At 7:15 p.m. January 22, we'll start forming our new community! Please join us for snacks, door prizes from local vendors, goodie bags with great info and deals (see our volunteers hard at work preparing to stuff those bags!) and the chance to make some great connections!

Chapter Launch Party is coming soon! January 22!

2009-01-06T09:05:00.000-08:00

We've gotten a great response to our chapter launch party from holistic-minded businesses and will have some really fun door prizes to offer including gift certificates for massage and yoga classes, organic soaps and lotions and a pedometer. There will also be an opportunity for on-site yoga consultations, pause for breath and relaxation with guidance from Stair of Little River Yoga.

Anyone is welcome to attend the Chapter Launch Party and Open House -- that includes moms, dads, partners, grandparents, care providers and anyone interested in learning more about natural family living. Children are always welcome at HMN meetings. At most meetings, children will be able to play in the center of the circle or outside the circle. At the Open House, which we expect to be busy, we'll create a play corner with toys provided (and folks are welcome to bring their own, too). However, fair warning that this open house event is likely to be crowded and abuzz with activity!

Anyone wishing to help with set-up for the Open House is welcome to come at 7:00 or earlier -- just email Jessica at holisticmomsarlalex@gmail.com to let me know what you're up for. If you're not in volunteer mode, plan to arrive right at 7:15 to sign in, meet other like-minded mamas and friends, get a snack, peruse the door prize offerings, and, if you wish, strike a pose on a yoga mat or take a pause on a meditation cushion. We'll hope to settle by 7:30 or so into a seated circle. I'll welcome the group, share a bit about the history and vision of Holistic Moms Network and then begin a round of short introductions, which will always begin our meetings. There should be a little more time for snacks and milling after we close the intros with door prize giveaways!

A few giveaways will be held for future meetings for members only. Join now in the month of January and save $5! See the post below for more details or go directly to the national website: http://membership.holisticmoms.org/ and type in NEWYEAR for the coupon code.

Hope to see you on January 22!

Join in January and save $5!

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Take advantage of the January national membership drive to join Holistic Moms Network!

Members can save $5 off our membership fee starting January 1, 2009
by using Coupon Code NEWYEAR on our online membership form at
http://membership.holisticmoms.org. Renewing members can also save by renewing early during the month of January (memberships will extend for 1 year past their original expiration date). Mailed
checks and money orders postmarked during the month of January for $5 off either individual or family memberships will also be honored.

Membership in HMN gives you access to all chapter events, the national membership email loop (in addition to the local chapter email loop), discounts from national sponsors and cooperating businesses, a quarterly Wise Mom newsletter and a discount to the national conference. Non-members are welcome to check out a meeting before joining (not including the Open House), but if you already know you want to support the group, join now and save!

February Meeting (2/26) to discuss immune system boosters

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Thanks to the feedback we received from our Survey Monkey survey, we've decided to make February's meeting about natural ways to boost immunity in cold and flu season. We'll be posting more info later inviting folks to submit their favorite natural remedies ahead of time so we can make a collective "recipe" book for alternative approaches to immune system health. We'll also have a few health care folks to give short panel presentations, including one on chiropractic and nutrition. Recommendations for speakers to address herbalism, ayurveda and homeopathy can be sent to holisticmomsarlalex@gmail.com. Please put "February meeting" in the subject heading.

Welcome!

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The Arlington/Alexandria Chapter of Holistic Moms Network will be launching on January 22, 2009 at Ellen Coolidge Burke Branch Library, 4701 Seminary Road, Alexandria, VA 22304.

The open house will take place 7:15-8:45 p.m. Monthly meetings will take place on the fourth Thursdays of the month.

Contact holisticmomsarlalex@gmail.com for more information or to get involved. There is lots of room for volunteer help!

This blog will post basic information. Also see our chapter website at http://arlalexva.holisticmoms.org/ and look for Holistic Moms Network - Arlington/Alexandria, Virginia on Facebook Groups for more updates and networking.

See the national organization's web site at http://www.holisticmoms.org/ for information on the national group.

Welcome to our community!