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Has anyone else followed this hashtag? #momsinthepicture is all about, well, you guessed it - MOMS in the picture! Because I don't know about you, but my husband doesn't enjoy taking photos like I do. I could take photos all day, every day, and gush over them for years. They are literally my most prized possession, and the few times in my life I've lost some digital or physical photos I'm absolutely devastated. The reason I bring up this hashtag on Valentines day is because as I was searching my overflowing phone for cute pictures of me and my kiddos to post, because you know, its love-day. It was then that I realized I HAVE NONE! Beautiful shots of my son. Beautiful shots of my daughter. Beautiful combinations of shots of my husband and son and/or daughter. But none of me with them. Me. The woman who birthed them. So I've made it my goal to get in the damn picture. Even when my hair is greasy. Even when I'm makeup-less. Even when I'm having a crappy day in the middle of the mom-grind. I'm getting in that picture so that when I'm old and grey and missing those baby/toddler days (because I won't remember how hard they are) I'll want to see that tired face of mine and reflect on how hard and how amazing it was all at once. So moms, if you love your kids, and you love your partner, show yourself some love too and get in the picture. I promise you won't regret it 10, 20 or 50 years from now.
 I'm writing to shamelessly promote the Rebel Tribe Mama class offered by The Poppy Clinic. I had the pleasure of being part of the first Rebel Tribe Mama in November and I cannot rave about it enough.
Let’s face it, being a mom is hard (to say the least) and in today’s world we live in our secluded subdivisions and spend hours alone with our children far away from anything resembling a tribe. This can leave us feeling exhausted and drained. This class was created for moms to find their tribe. Come as you are, with you baby, knowing nobody, and leave feeling supported, heard and cared for by moms in the same boat as you. Creator and facilitator Dr. Michelle Peris and Reneé Tanaka were outstanding at creating a safe environment and providing endless love each week. This class even conflicts with ours, so you KNOW how much I love it if I would willingly send away business! I registered for this class because frankly, I was feeling lonely and scared and overwhelmed. I was going through a particularly dark few months with the birth of my second child, and trying to navigate how to be a mom to two, while maintaining a small business and balance other freelance work from home. It was such a breath of fresh air to hear other's struggles and joys and support one another in an honest and safe space. Being free to talk openly about my challenges with other women and moms was so therapeutic and inspiring. I needed everything this class offered me, and it is my hope that other moms find the same relief as I did from it. Do it. I promise you won’t regret it. You’ll love the sisterhood you’ll meet, the tribe you’ll build, and the community you’ll be a part of. Check out The Poppy Clinic for more info.  Today I had the honour of teaching a pop-up class at Goldfish Swim in Oakville! Kathryn Smith, Mom of 2 and owner of Mama Fitness invited me last month and she made all the arrangements with the moms, as well as other vendors such as local restaurants (like OKO Bagels and Lettuce Love - one of my favourite places!) and a photographer (Peony Photography) who ran mini valentines photo sessions. It was a seriously impressive event and I was super flattered to be asked to lead the music. And as lovely as it is to be part of events like this that help build awareness of my business, doing it with two kiddos in tow is a friggen' hustle to say the least! I woke at 6:30 this morning to one impressively grumpy toddler, and a baby who didn't want to be put down. Trying to run around the house getting them ready to go was the least of my problems, let alone the fact that I had to gather and organize all the instruments for my class, and make sure I didn't look like garbage! My amazing mother-in-law was running late to watch my toddler Brady, so we opted to meet at Goldfish so that I wouldn't be late. Good plan, but crazy plan. After throwing some makeup on and dry shampoo in my hair, preparing Brady's backpack to go out with his Grandma, dressing and changing baby Adelaide, and loading the car with all my music crap in NEGATIVE 20 DEGREE WEATHER I was ready to call in sick. Except I knew that 20 other moms had paid for this class and were already on their own frustrating journey of getting their kids photo ready and buckled into their carseat, also in negative 20 degree weather, so calling it quits was no option for me. I arrived 20 minutes before class with a screaming baby in the backseat. I unloaded in the freezing cold as fast as humanly possible and grabbed my furious baby, while kissing my toddler and mother-in-law goodbye! 'Wish me luck', I thought, as I walked in the door feeling like a hot mess. I managed to settle Adelaide but she still only wanted to be held. So into the carrier she went as we began class. All went well, but it's always hard to jump in and teach when you have no existing relationship with the moms or kids. I'm there singing like a moron asking them to join me and the vibe is a little bit "Beuler?". But I can't blame them. Who wants to sing with some crazy lady they don't know? Thankfully class was half the length of what I normally teach, which was a blessing since I had Adelaide attached to me and some very hyper toddlers running around with balloons. It ended quickly, and overall the response was very positive. Kat was so kind and didn't care that I had my baby with me, because she was in the same boat with her fitness class. She taught and wore her babies at 4 weeks old! In the end, the day felt like the usual shit storm as a working-from-home-freelancer-small-business-owner Mom with two kids and no daycare (one of which is 3-months old). That being said, I'm grateful for the exposure, and glad to be a part of what Kat is building for Halton Moms. I'll be there again next week if anyone wants to join the fun! And hopefully I'll have a little bit more peaceful start to my Morning. :) Check Out Today's Sponsors: Follow Kat on Instagram Lettuce Love OKO Bagels Goldfish Swim Peony Photography
So we've successfully held 3 weeks of classes in our new, amazing location, Baby Float Spa! Everything about it is fabulous. The design of the space is absolutely gorgeous. As a mom of little ones, it's so refreshing to walk into a clean, crisp space that is beautiful and calm all at once. I love the natural light, the floor pads, the high ceilings, and the enormous open room to see babies and toddlers crawl around freely. What a gift! And everybody at Baby Float Spa is so easy to work with, including their outstanding owner, Alexandra Fell. I am forever grateful to her for reaching out to me last year because we could never have found a more perfect space to make music!
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