Massage Special: This Weekend Only!

This weekend only!
From 12:00am Friday, November 27th until 11:59pm Sunday, November 29th

massage gift certificates are $25 for 60 minutes.

For sale online only at www.portlandnaturalchildbirth.com.

Click on the "shop" tab. Buy as many as you like. Pass it on...
This year give the gift of health and relaxation for an amazing price!
(Price is not shown on the actual certificate, only the quantity of time).

Joey Torgrimson, Midwife, LMT
1614 NE Alberta Street, Portland, Oregon 97211
(503) 875-6267
midwife@portlandnaturalchildbirth.com

Reiki Class this Sunday, November 29th

Shamballa Reiki Class at Nurture

1614 NE Alberta St. Portland, Oregon

Next Class: November 29th, 2009 10am to 3pm

Create a Sacred Space. Each participant is invited to bring an item to add at the opening circle (to be returned to owner at the end of class). This could be anything- pictures, crystals, artwork, jewelry, something from nature, etc. This is done in combination with setting an intention for the class.

Guided Meditations. Group meditation opens each individual up to higher levels of consciousness and creates a synergistic atmosphere of learning.

Questions and Answers . Each participant will receive a copy of the Shamballa Reiki handbook prior to the attunements. This is an opportunity to engage in a dynamic conversation that covers some of the material in the handbook, as well as other questions, concerns, wonderments, insights, etc.

Attunement. The Reiki and Shamballa attunements will be given to each participant. The attunement opens energy channels, and places healing symbols in one's energy field. After receiving Shamballa Reiki attunements, each participant will have the capability to channel and transmit healing energy, through laying on of hands as well as long-distance healing.

Practice. Each person will get a chance to practice giving and receiving Shamballa Reiki.

Closing Circle. Each person can share his or her thoughts at this time.

Cost of class is $50, plus $10 for each handbook.

Members of PDXTimebank can pay partially with Timedollars.

Molly has been practicing Reiki since 2002 and received her Master/Teacher attunements in Shamballa and Reiki in 2004. She teaches classes, as well as offers individual treatments incorporating Shamballa Reiki with other holistic modalities for mind-body-spirit healing.

To Register For a Class:

Please contact Molly Fitzpatrick, L.Ac. at

molly@nurturepdx.com or 503-341-1372

Share your parenting resource wishlist with Joanne Edwards at Mothergarden Dec 7

generously sponsored by

Mothergarden, Nurture's growing free drop-in group for parents & children, is pleased to welcome Joanne Edwards on December 7 from 10:30-noon to share tea, cakes, and your wishlist for Portland parenting resources.

About Joanne:

"I have recently moved to Portland from New Zealand with my husband's work – we've been here four months and I'm looking to set up my company (http://www.smallbeginningsgroup.com/). My background is nursing and health visiting (UK based community nurses with extensive extra training who support families and communities), working with teenage parents and teaching infant massage. I have an extensive range of training, skills and ideas - this is where you come in…

"I would love to meet with lots of Portland mums and dads to hear stories about having babies and children in this city and country (it's all new to me and very different to what I'm used to). I would like to hear what's great about it, what's not so great and what services you would like to see added to make it better. I would also like to tell you a bit more about me and my ideas and experiences from other countries.

"Please join me at Mothergarden for cups of tea, cakes and chats (if you can't make it and still want to be involved please email me at Joanne@smallbeginningsgroup.com ). Thank you in advance for your time and sharing. I look forward to meeting you. ~Joanne."

Mothergarden is held every Monday from 10:30-noon at Nurture, 1614 NE Alberta St. Parents, partners, expecting parents, and anyone who is interested in creating a parenting community are all welcome. For more information: www.nurturepdx.com/mothergarden. Thanks also to our generous sponsor, Grasshopper.

Mothergarden welcomes Erin Bevan to speak about Single Choice Motherhood, Monday November 23

Sponsored by:

Mothergarden welcomes Erin Bevan to speak about Single Choice Motherhood, Monday November 23

Mothergarden, Nurture's growing free drop-in group for parents & children, is pleased to welcome Erin Bevan on Monday, November 23rd at 11:30am, to speak about her experience as a single choice mom. Please join us as Erin discusses making the decision to have a baby without a partner, choosing a donor, talking about it with your child, and other aspects of single choice parenting. We invite you to join this free discussion if you, too, have chosen single parenthood, or if you are considering it.

Mothergarden is held every Monday from 10:30-noon at Nurture, 1614 NE Alberta St. Parents, partners, expecting parents, and anyone who is interested in creating a parenting community are all welcome. For more information: www.nurturepdx.com/mothergarden.

Are you searching for a doula?

Join us for a late afternoon mixer and meet several pregnancy, birth, and postpartum doulas all in one place.

We will have a screening of The Birth of Sabine,

a henna artist to adorn bellies or hands,

and delicious refreshments.

December 5, 2009
4:00-6:00pm
1614 NE Alberta St.
in the large red house
Hosted by Nurture: Center for Growing Families

Are you considering hiring a doula?

Are you overwhelmed by the number of doula options in Portland?

Would you like an opportunity to meet several doulas, face-to-face, to get a sense of compatibility, but don’t have the time to attend several meet and greet appointments?

Highlights:
Meet local pregnancy, birth, and postpartum doulas

Film screening: The Birth of Sabine

Henna adornment
Connect with other expecting parents
Learn more about our services
Enjoy light refreshments

(Plus, doulas are just some of the nicest people to be around!)

Film Screening hosted by: Jennifer Murdock

Doulas attending the event:

Baby My Sweet Baby http://www.babymysweetbaby.com/
Sacred Arrivals: http://www.sacredarrivals.com/
Sacred Pathways Doula Services: http://www.sacredpathwaysdoula.com/
MotherTree: http://www.mothertreebirth.com/
Renaissance Childbirth and Postpartum Professionals: http://www.renchildbirth.com/
Birth Journeys Doula Collective http://www.birthjourneys.com/
Nurture: http://www.nurturepdx.com/
Mama Bear Healing Care

Mama Mantras

It has been awhile since I have posted a Mama Mantra, but I was reminded of them while reading Peggy O'Mara's editorial A Quiet Place, titled: Killer Fear in the Nov-Dec 09 issue of Mothering Magazine.

Peggy discussed the negative impacts that fear, stress, and worry can have on our bodies and minds. She goes in to great physiological detail about hormonal and structural changes that occur when we are repeatedly exposed to fear and lists several ways to decrease our fear reactions. I would like to list them here because, from a counselor's perspective, I think they are quite helpful, but please go to the essay and read Peggy's descriptions of each suggestion.

• Name the emotion
• Change your thinking
• Focus outside yourself
• Practice positive thinking
• Stand by yourself (based on her example of what this entails this is my personal favorite from this list)
• Use a mantra (yay, mantras!)
• Keep your sense of humor (so very important!)

She offers a few of her own personal favorite mantras, one of which is from Thich Nhat Hanh, a Buddhist monk, "Breathing in I calm myself. Breathing out I smile." How truly lovely, and so we have a new Mama Mantra today... Thank you Thich Nhat Hanh, and thank you Peggy O'Mara for sharing it!

Breathing in I calm myself. Breathing out I smile.

Kid's Clothing & Toy Swap

KID'S & MATERNITY CLOTHING plus TOY SWAP

Portland Central Library Children's Library Story Theater

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 14^th, 2009

Gather up unwanted, outgrown, clean clothing, accessories, and toys in good repair and bring them to the swap!

WHAT: This free clothing and toy swap will be held at the Portland Central Library's Keep Portland Weird event - for more details visit the library website:

http://www.multcolib.org/events/kpw.html

This will be a drop-in swap, no need to RSVP just join in by bringing toys and clothing for the category and sizes that interest you **be sure to note the specific time slots for each swap below.** After you swap, stop by some of the other family-fun events that Keep Portland Weird.

WHEN: Saturday November 14^th, 2009

1:00pm – 1:45pm Maternity and children's clothing (Maternity, Baby 0-24mo, Toddler 2-4 yrs, baby and toddler accessories, including car seats, strollers and highchairs)

2:00pm – 2:45pm Kid's clothing (Early Years 5-7yrs, Pre-Teen 8-12, and Teen 13-16+, accessories)

3:00pm – 3:45pm Small and medium sized toys swap

WHERE: Central Library, Children's Library Story Theater, 801 SW 10^th (@ SW Yamhill.) You can take the Max to the Library/SW 9^th Street or Galleria SW 10^th Street stop. Enter through the front/main entrance and make a right towards the back into the Children's Library and the story theater is to the right of the Children's Library entrance. NOTE: This swap location is child proofed but space will be very limited. Please leave strollers at home, carry babies in a sling, and bring someone to supervise little ones in the Children's Library while you swap.

HOW THIS SWAP WILL WORK: Clothes will be separated into general size groups and marked with signs. Before you arrive, separate clothing you will bring by size to maximize your swap time. Plan to arrive about 10 minutes before your swap and hang on to your clothes and toys until its time to swap. When the swap is about to start add your items to matching size piles (toys will be placed in general categories.) When the swap host starts the swap look to find the items in the sizes and styles you need and put them in your bag.

WHAT TO BRING: Clean clothes and toys in good repair and usable condition. There are no minimum requirements for how many items you have to bring or how many you can take but please be courteous and generous. In addition to clothing and toys you can also bring lightly used accessories like shoes, boots, hats, scarves, or sunglasses. Items that do not get swapped will be donated to low income and high needs families in our community.

In addition to clothing and toys you can also bring lightly used and clean accessories:

• lightly used, clean socks, shoes, boots
• hats, scarves, mittens
• sunglasses
• books, tapes, CD's, videos, DVDs

CONTACT: pdxkidswap@gmail.com
If you have any questions about the swap or are not on our email list and would like to receive email notification of future clothing swaps send us an email with the size and gender of clothing you will bring and the size and gender of clothing you need (we will not spam or sell your name to anyone.) The only "membership" rule is that you be respectful and have fun! Please bring only things listed on what to bring list.

NEXT SWAP: Our next swap will not be until late winter/early spring. If you are planning a kid clothing or toy swap or if you know of one let us know and we'll pass it on to the e-list.

MORE SWAPS: Love to swap? There are other swaps near you. Go to pdxswap.com to find out more about monthly clothing swaps and stuff swaps – all free. If you are interested in having your own clothing swap through PDXswap and would like to know how, please speak to the swap host for more information.

PASS IT ON: If you know someone who would be interested in attending a clothing swap please feel free to pass this email along.

DONATE: If you would like to donate children's clothing to the swap send an email to pdxkidswap@gmail.com and we'll arrange for a pick-up.
Please feel free to pass this information along to anyone who would like to donate children's clothing.

Walkabouts: A Family-Friendly Walk/Hike Group

The rain has arrived, and that seems like a great reason to get a group together to get out there and hike or walk (or, in reality with children, meander about stopping frequently to spot slugs, mushrooms, gnomes, fairies, and hobbit traces) on a regular basis. I know I need the motivation more now. So, grab the Wellies or Boggs, slickers, Ergos, and snacks and let's meet up for a kid-friendly hike on our beautiful city trails and walkways. Let's head out for as long or as short as the children or our energy will allow. We can pick new places to meet each time until we have covered the city, then we can repeat our favorites!


Join the Walkabouts Group forum and from there we can decide where to meet next and how often to meet-up...weekly, bi-weekly, monthly?

First Walkabout

Monday, November 16th 11am

Meet at the Forest Park Leif Erickson Dr. trail head parking lot

about 1.3 miles up Germantown Rd. on the left (coming from the Portland side of Germantown)

Meet a Doula: Nurture hosts a community Doula Meet and Greet in December

Are you considering hiring a doula?

Are you overwhelmed by the number of doula options in Portland?

Would you like an opportunity to meet several doulas, face-to-face, to get a sense of compatibility, but don’t have the time to attend several meet and greet appointments?

Join us for a late afternoon mixer and meet several pregnancy, birth, and postpartum doulas all in one place.

December 5, 2009
4:00-6:00pm
1614 NE Alberta St.
in the large red house
Hosted by Nurture: Center for Growing Families

Highlights:
Meet local pregnancy, birth, and postpartum doulas
Connect with other expecting parents
Learn more about our services
Enjoy light refreshments

Doulas attending the event:

Baby My Sweet Baby http://www.babymysweetbaby.com/
Welcome With Love Family Care: http://www.welcomewithlovefamilycare.com/
Sacred Arrivals: http://www.sacredarrivals.com/
Sacred Pathways Doula Services: http://www.sacredpathwaysdoula.com/
MotherTree: http://www.mothertreebirth.com/
Renaissance Childbirth and Postpartum Professionals: http://www.renchildbirth.com/
Birth Journeys Doula Collective http://www.birthjourneys.com/
Nurture: http://www.nurturepdx.com/
Mama Bear Healing Care

House Plant Exchange Party

Fall always makes me crave more green inside my house. Turning on the heat makes my house feel dusty and stuffy; plants breathe clean air, so I get an urge to do some indoor gardening. It is costly to buy several new plants, but plants are easy to share, so let's share.

Let's celebrate autumn and share our plant families. Bring a few healthy houseplant clippings started in small pots and bring home some new wee plants.

Sunday, November 15, 2009

12pm-1:30pm

Everyone is welcome!

Northwest Mothers Milk Bank Survey

The NW Mothers Milk Bank is conducting a survey of moms and pregnant women their preferences for the use of banked donor human milk in hospitals.

Please take a moment to take the survey yourself (it's really short) and pass it along. They are gathering some feedback about how important it is to moms that hospitals offer donor milk. Thank you!

NW Mothers Milk Bank Survey Link

Learn more about the milk bank: Northwest Mothers Milk Bank, 3439 NE Sandy Blvd. #130, Portland, Oregon 97232.

Children's Book: The House in the Night

"Here is the key to the house..." that will take you on a cumulative, soaring journey to sweet slumberland. The House in the Night, by Susan Marie Swanson and illustrated by Beth Krommes, was structurally inspired by the traditional poem, "This is the key to the kingdom". Simple and quiet, the words whisper and allow the illustrations to tell the story. Intricately detailed and darkly glowing, the pictures show a story of a child's bedtime routine of coming home, reading a bedtime book which takes her, riding on a bird's back, on dreamy tour of the night scape and ultimately to sleep. The illustrations are done on scratchboard with golden watercolor accents and have the far-away simplicity yet up-close intricacy magic to them. I should also mention that it won the 2009 Caldecott Medal.

It is another book that has made it home from the library several times and will, therefore, become a member of our personal stacks someday soon. It is also a book that both my children and I enjoy equally, even if our fondness for the book originates from different sources.

Tiny Talkers Parent Workshop Nov. 11th

101 PARENT WORKSHOP
Imagine knowing what your baby wants before they can talk! Babies can talk with their hands before they can speak! Learning how to communicate with baby, reducing tears & tantrums is easy when you teach them sign language which also increases their IQ, boosts bonding & actually helps them speak earlier than non-signers. At the workshop, you'll learn invaluable tips & techniques based on how baby?s brain works, over 75 common signs, activities & games to promote verbal language & get a baby signing dictionary & journal!

The workshop is 1.75 hours long and is for adults, but non-mobile babies are welcome if you feel you can care for them while concentrating on the information being presented.

When: Wednesday NOVEMBER 11th from 9:15-11 a.m. at Nurture

Please check http://www.tinytalkersportland.com/ for more program information and frequently asked questions.

SPACE IS LIMITED AT NURTURE: PLEASE PRE-REGISTER AT THE ABOVE WEBSITE!

Attention Parents of Deb's Respectful Parenting Support Group...

ATTENTION Parents:
Respectful Parenting Support Group has been cancelled! Deb's daughter is sick. The group meets next week at Nurture. Thank you!