Scandinavian Child’s lillebaby EveryWear Carrier

I love the lillebaby EveryWear carrier. I decided to try it out on my 14 hour trip from NYC to Hawaii yesterday. Not only did my back not hurt, but it’s versatility kept my daughter very comfortable. It’s lightweight and easy to fit into your large purse or diaper bag.

The líllébaby™ EveryWear™ is a versatile child carrier, featuring multiple sitting positions and all-in-one carrying (outward facing/inward facing, hip or back) from newborn to toddler. The contoured seat offers ergonomic sitting positions and promotes healthy spine development. The Gentle Motion Suspension System™ helps absorb weight and movement, making it comfortable for both parent and child.

Made from wind/water repellant microfiber, the EveryWear is lightweight and compact, easily fitting into a diaper bag. It also features pockets for keys, cell phone, and diapers for parents’ convenience.

The líllébaby EveryWear – the carrier you can wear every way, everywhere!

For more information visit www.lillebabyusa.com.

Happy Mother’s Day

Wishing every mom a warm, healthy, and happy day. Love, Mary.

NYC EarthFair 2009

Today I attended the 2009 Earth Day EarthFair held at Grand Central Terminal. I connected with Angelique Ledoux, founder of Jade’s Toy Box located at 19 Beach Street in Tribeca, www.jadestoybox.com. They specialize in eco-friendly, educational, theme-based toys & books, devoid of tv characters and electronics, but with particular attention to child safety, our environment and fun. I also discovered the Green Depot located at 222 Bowery , www.greendepot.com. Founded in November 2005, Green Depot is a leading supplier of environmentally friendly and sustainable building products, services and solutions. Its primary goal is to facilitate green living and building in communities so that it is accessible, affordable and gratifying.

Happy Earth Day with gratitude…

A thanks to all of you who are committed to your health, and the health of everyone around you, especially our mother earth A special thanks to all the green companies and organizations who are supporting families and families to be.

Home Births ‘as safe as hospital’

click or paste into your url…..

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7998417.stm

Choices in Childbirth

I had the pleasure of interviewing Elan V McAllister, president and co-founder of Choices in Childbirth, an organiztion based in NYC.

Their mission is to improve maternity care by providing the public, especially childbearing women and their families, with the information necessary to make fully informed decisions relating to how, where, and with whom they will give birth.

They offer guides to a healthy birth and have complimentary monthly gatherings covering a range of childbirth topics. You can also take The Birth Survey at www.thebirthsurvey.com, a new project whose vision is dedicated to improving maternity care for all women by creating a higher level of transparency in maternity care so that women will be better able to make informed decisions about where and with whom to birth and also by providing practitioners and hospitals with information that will aid in evaluating and improving quality of care.

To obtain your copy of a guide to a healthy birth, volunteer, donate, or attend a meeting, please visit www.choiceinchildbirth.org.

Greeno Bambino

Yesterday, I spoke with Tim Ettus, founder and father of Greeno Bambino. He is very passionate and committed to offering safe and non-toxic products for your children. It’s nice to see a dad involved in our industry!

Greeno Bambino is an online retail destination offering parents, parents-to-be, friends and family a highly edited selection of exclusively non-toxic products for kids – everything from bottles, pacifiers and lotions to gifts, toys, and accessories.  Each product they carry is carefully scrutinized to ensure that it delivers a superior combination of quality, safety and value.

Check out www.greenobambino.com for more information.

Interview Debra Flashenberg CD(DONA), LCCE – Prenatal Yoga Center NYC

How long have you been in business and how did you get started?

I began teaching prenatal yoga in January of 2002.  I started out as a Bikram yoga teacher in September 2000 and then continued my education and got certified in prenatal yoga with Colette Crawford in 2001.  At that point I began moving away from Bikram yoga and studied vinyasa yoga with Shiva Rea and Cyndi Lee and received certifications from both Shiva Rea and OM yoga in 2004. 

So my story into prenatal yoga is really quite coincidental.  I was hanging out with a few friends between yoga classes and one of the other teachers mentioned she was interested in prenatal yoga.  I thought it sounded interesting and did a little research about it. I had never even thought about it before my friend Dianna mentioned it.  At that time there were not a lot of prenatal yoga teacher trainings and the ones I did find were only a few days, 3 at most.  But then I found the Seattle Holistic Center.  They offered a 10 day, 60 hour intensive prenatal training. And I thought- that is the one for me! 

I first renting a small studio within the Bikram yoga studio I was teaching at.  I was offering 2 classes a week, and within a few months, I was up to 5 classes a week.  Things were going well until the owners of the Bikram studio told me they were restructuring there studio and decided to make my rented studio space into a dressing room.  I then found a few partners to help me open a bigger space.  So within a few months, the Prenatal Yoga Center was born. We opened our doors the weekend before Labor Day 2002.

 

What was your inspiration for creating a center for expecting and new moms?

My vision for the Prenatal Yoga Center was inspired by OM yoga and the Seattle Holistic Center.  I was certified through both these studios and highly respected their commitment to a well- rounded experience; I also appreciated that they offered workshops and classes that went beyond just asana.  Having taught at a yoga studio that only offered yoga classes, I knew I wanted the Prenatal Yoga Center to be more of a community-builder with classes that supported the new and expectant mom in more ways than just yoga.  New and expectant mothers are such a unique population to work with and their needs are very specific. 

 

My inspiration and vision definitely grew as I grew as a teacher and childbirth advocate.  I was invited to a hospital to witness births, having never seen one at that time.  I was horrified how mechanical a very natural event became. That experience truly changed the way I taught and the mission of the studio.  I became a certified labor support doula and a certified Lamaze childbirth educator.  My intention definitely shifted beyond teaching yoga poses appropriate for pregnant moms, to creating a yoga class that interweaved asana, childbirth education, sense of community and confidence.  I am not attached to how these women give birth, but I am attached to the idea that they choose how to birth from a sense of confidence and empowerment.

 So I guess you can really say my students inspired me to create a center just for new and expectant moms.  It is about serving them, not me.

What were you doing prior to running the Prenatal Yoga Center?

I was a musical theater performer. I started when I was 8 years old and officially left the business when I was 28 to open the Prenatal Yoga Center.  I have a degree from the Boston Conservatory with a major in musical theater.  I have absolutely no background in business!  But after 7 years of running the studio, I think maybe that earns me an honorary MBA!

What do you enjoy most about running the Prenatal Yoga Center?

I LOVE teaching and working with the students!  I am filled with such pride and excitement when I hear back from the students after they give birth that the yoga classes helped them in their labor and delivery.  Or if one of the blog articles I wrote made them stop and think about how they want to give birth and what is right for them and their family.  Making a difference in someone’s life is beyond description.

What are your locations?

Our main studio in on the UWS (251 W 72^nd st 2f).  However, we have three satellite studios where Prenatal Yoga Center classes are offered.  Flatiron at Appleseeds, SoHo at Rosie Pope Maternity and Brooklyn at Easeful Body.

Are you planning on expanding beyond NYC?

Not at this time.  But we are offering teacher training courses.  So maybe I will either collaborate with one of our graduates and open a center outside of NYC or one the graduates will open her own space.

 

for more information please visit: www.prenatalyogacenter.com.

Interview with Julie Elkshen CityMommy

How were you introduced to CityMommy?

I had a very good friend that was on the initial LA site.  She called me one day and was raving about how much she loved the site and how helpful it had been.  She mentioned that she thought that Dayna was looking for someone to expand to San Francisco.  I had just moved back to the city (my native city) after four years living in other places and was feeling the city needed a site like CityMommy so the timing was perfect!  Dayna and I talked and the rest is history, 25 cities later!

2. What were you doing prior to CityMommy?

Well, we move a lot because of my husband’s job, so after my first child…I became a stay at home mom. Prior to that I was a Director of Training and Development with a big hotel company.  I always had the passion to do something from home, to keep me sharp and to round out being a SAHM.  It was difficult to find “legitimate” jobs that I could do from home and that would be flexible enough to remain committed to raising my children, which was my first priority.  CityMommy turned out to be perfect!

3. What do you enjoy most about CityMommy?

There was nothing like CityMommy when I had my first child eight years ago.  I was living in a new city, my friends were all still single…I really had no where to ask questions, bounce off ideas and search for advice.   The whole social networking thing has just really exploded in the past five years or so.  The internet has changed my world as a mother and CityMommy is a social networking site designed especially for moms.  I am addicted to the site, but what is great…its my job!  My desk is in my kitchen so I work around everything, the kid’s school schedule, dinner making or whatever my day throws at me.  Most of what I do is through email, most other WAH moms understand that, I rarely use the phone to conduct business.  I have advertisers and community members that I have been working with for over two years, that I have never met face to face, but feel like they are dear friends.  I have found business moms to be really supportive and kind.

I would say the thing I love the most about CityMommy is feeling connected to the community, other moms and most of all being able to provide a wonderful resource to local moms.  I believe that the transition to being a SAHM or WAHM mom is a challenging one for most moms….having a community to rely on, ask questions of and feel a part of can make all the difference in the world!  CityMommy has been the second best job in the world….second of course to being a mom!

 
–
Julie Elkeshen
Director of Operations, CityMommy SF
(415)310-5522

http://sf.citymommy.com
invite code: libramedia

Interview with Dayna Landry founder of CityMommy

What was your inspiration for CityMommy?

I started CityMommy when I was pregnant with my now 2 ½ year old daughter Sophie.

I found as I was looking for information online, that there wasn’t a great local resource where I could ask specific questions like, “What do you think of this Dr?”. “What do you think of this school?” So I decided to start CityMommy in Los Angeles where I live and we’ve been fortunate to see it grow from there!!

How long have you been in business and how did you get started?

CityMommy has been in business for about 2 ½ years. We got started in Los Angeles and are currently in 25 cities and expanding!

 

What were you doing prior to CityMommy?

Prior to CityMommy, I ran an internet advertising agency called Sugar Media Group.

 

What do you enjoy most about running CityMommy?

I love meeting new people both in my own city and other cities across the country. It’s also very rewarding to be part of something that is helpful and enjoyable for Moms.  There are always interesting posts to read and funny stories being shared.

 

Is there anything that you would like to share or add?

 

CityMommy is always looking to expand to other cities. If you or anyone you know is interested in starting a CityMommy, please contact me for more information. Info@citymommy.com.

You can check our our current list of cities on our blog at www.citymommy.com