Sneak Peek at 2017!

We have so many amazing things in store for you all for 2017 and wanted to share just a few things that we have on the go with the team!

Lactation Counselor services will be launching, as will more online courses such as.....

Planning Your Postpartum
Self Care for New Moms
ABC's of Newborn Care

We will also be publishing another Mindful Motherhood digital collection of meditations, designed for the modern mama. These meditations will be all about empowerment, rest, self realization, acceptance and encouragement when you need it most!



You can also expect more Car Seat Clinics with Lisa, placenta encapsulation information from Janice and sleep advice from Kerri!

Our team is growing their expertise and we cannot wait for all of the abundance that 2017 will bring!

xoxo
Shannon

You Are Enough

Our last installment of Mindful Motherhood for 2016! What a journey it has been this year, and we are deeply grateful to each of you that continues to read, engage, and listen.

This month, we have a simple and pure message for all of you mamas out there.

You.
Are.
Enough.

You are enough for yourself
You are enough for your children
You are enough for the world around you

You
Are
Enough

And you have enough. And you do enough.

You are so perfectly made, just the way you are. Lower those expectations of perfection, and just be you.

If you need any other reminder of just how enough you are, listen here.

Listen over and over, until the words are etched on your heart and you breathe them in as if it is second nature. 

Wishing you all the very best, from the bottom of my heart.

xoxo
Shannon

Motherhood: Enjoy the Quiet Moments

I know, I know. The quiet moments for a mom are often ones that bring you to find markers on the walls, flour on the floor or a toddler stuck in a kitchen cupboard doing who knows what.

But!

The quiet moments...the ones where you are snuggled up or going for a walk hand in hand. Those are the ones that often bring the biggest lessons.

That lesson?

Slow down.
Be present.

Having a quiet moment with your child every day slows everything down. Nothing matters outside of what you are doing right then and there.

Listen to one anothers breath.
Make a mountain out of the couch cushions and tell stories under the blankets

Quiet
Peace
Calm

Find the lessons that you need in your child. It's funny; they often have a way of letting us know or teaching us when we are seeking answers. When we are doubting our path or our abilities as a parent.

They let us know
They provide an anchor to our soul

Slow down
Be present

xoxo
Shannon

Your Postpartum Body

We are so very hard on ourselves, especially shortly after having a baby. There is an intense amount of pressure in the media to strive for perfection....

a clean house
kids in designer clothing
well kept yards

and after having a baby, there is pressure to have an incredible body. We see it all the time. Post-baby bootcamp. Workouts and eating plans that place strict rules on what you can and cannot do...that don't necessary take into account (some of them do!) sleepless nights, hormonal changes, the demands of breastfeeding, your pre-baby body and lifestyle, your post-baby lifestyle (or lack thereof).

Be gentle
Be kind

It took 10 months for your body to change. On one hand, that's not a whole lot of time for your body to make all of these incredible changes. On the other hand, 10 months is a long time for things to shift and move and it's difficult to expect that within a few weeks of having your baby, your body will be back to its pre-pregnancy state.

Be gentle
Be kind

Your body doesn't undo all of that 10 months of change in a few weeks. It takes time, and while it can certainly be frustrating, we encourage you to love your new body and take it day by day. The scale does not define who you are.

xoxo
Shannon

Be Present For Your Children

A few weeks back during an online essential oils class I was attending, we were asked what three goals we had for ourselves when it came to our health and lifestyle.

I started thinking about the point of life I am in right now an recognized that there has been a massive shift in our lives lately. While we are absolutely active parents and embrace everything of who our kids are, we've both transitioned and have been taking on more professional responsibility within our respective businesses.

What it made me realize is that my top priority is shutting off and down, and being more present for my boys.

Laughing with them
Going on adventures in the woods
Reading to them
Getting outside and getting dirty
Building forts out of blankets
Having ice cream for breakfast

They are only little for so long, and that message struck really loudly when we were a few days before back to school. My oldest was starting Grade 1 and Mr. Graeme was about to start daycare. While I knew in my heart that it was the best decision for everyone involved, and that it would allow him to grow in ways that I could only dream of helping him with....I was struggling in my heart.

Owen was home with me until he was 4, at which point he started school. Graeme has had a part-time nanny since the Spring, but this daycare thing would be different. A huge piece of my heart...a piece that is represented in a dimply-red-curly-haired-giggly boy...would be away from me.

So in the time when we are together, in those precious moments where my heart is full and beaming...I vow to be present.

To laugh
To explore
To hold him close

He will only be (sorta...he's 34lbs!) little for so long!

xoxo
Shannon

There is Always Time for Stories and Snuggles

In our fast paced world, it's so easy to get wrapped up in the hustle and bustle of to-do lists, errands that need to be run and feeling exhausted at the end of the day.

Slow down, mama!

There is always time for an extra story (especially with the older kids!), and to-do lists should always be plentiful in snuggles!

Take time this month to think about what is really important. The bills will always get paid, the car will always get to the dealership for service, the groceries will always get done and the pantry will be restocked.

But those snuggles? Those stories?

Those moments with your kiddos?

Make time. The other things, the errands and whatnot...they can wait.

Spend time with those that matter most, and I promise you, you won't regret it!

xoxo
Shannon

Take Pause and Reflect on Motherhood

No matter where you are in your journey, whether you are just starting to plan for conception or you are adding to an already large family, or are in the stages of welcoming grandchildren; take time this month to pause and reflect.

You've come a long way, and should be proud of the mother that you are.

Take pause
Reflect

Those moments where you were tearing your hair out trying to get them to eat their vegetables, or to not wake the baby during naptime....

You made it. You survived.

This journey is yours, no matter what path you are on. It is beautiful and amazing. It is difficult and tests your limits like nothing else.

It is yours.

Take pause
Reflect

You are an incredible human being, and your children are lucky to have you. Be proud of where you are in your journey of motherhood, for we are certainly proud of you.

xoxo
Shannon

Invite Joy and Silliness into Your Home

Happy June!!!

June is absolutely one of my favorite months....perfect for getting outside, log rolling down hills, playing with water balloons and just being plain silly with the kids.

As adults we have a load on our plate, and sometimes that adulting in hard.

There are bills to pay, mouths to feed
Decisions to make
Places to go and people to see

But life doesn't always have to be so serious. There are sweet moments spent making forts and shadow puppets with flashlights. There are times when washing the car in the driveway turns into a soapy water fight.

Those are the moments to relish, and this summer I encourage you to be silly and have fun with your kids. They grow up all too fast and one day will be adults, making those same hard adulting decisions that you are faced with right now.

Slow down.
Live
Laugh

Be silly

xoxo
Shannon

Love Created Love

This month in Mindful Motherhood we take a moment of pause to open our hearts and remember what started our journey in motherhood.

Love.

Two people, hearts entwined, so completely in love with one another that they wanted to use that love to create even more love.

How incredible of a thought is that?

As parents, we often get caught up in the hustle and bustle of parenting that we forget what took place for us to become parents. I'm not talking about the actual deed (dirty birds!) but the emotions behind it.

The ooey gooey, googley-eyed love.
The butterflies.
The dates.
The stolen kisses.

Love created love, and truly, love is all. At the very end of the day, after you lay those weary heads to bed and give them one extra last snuggle, what is left is an intense amount of love.

Love for your babies, love for your partner and love for yourself.

This month when you are faced with rushing around as a mom, times of stress and moments of impatience, take pause and remember what started your journey.

Love.

I have a funny feeling that even the most difficult of situations this month will be a little bit more bearable and a smile will cross your lips at the simple thought of love.

xoxo
Shannon

To Your Baby, You Are The World

There are so many times throughout motherhood where we feel like we are failing.

Are we giving enough to our children?
Did we snap at them too quickly when they gave us some attitude?
Are we setting good examples?
Are we setting too high of standards?

Are we good enough?

And then comes the flood of I can't possibly do all of this!

Mom
Wife or spouse
Friend
Person

Along with all of the other jobs. We feel stretched thin and just when we think we have a great routine going, someone gets sick or is teething, gets in trouble at school or is struggling with emotional issues...

We feel like just one person. Just one person in this gigantic universe, and we feel like we don't matter.

The sleepless nights don't matter
The mounds of laundry that get washed, dried and put away are always done without an ounce of thanks
The legos are picked up from the floor so others won't step on them
The late nights
The early mornings

We feel like just one person, but have you ever stopped to consider that to your baby, to your children...you are the entire world?

You are there at a moments notice when they aren't feeling well
You comfort and soothe
You provide boundaries and love
You motivate and encourage

You are their world.

Exhausting, absolutely.

But in the moments when they are still, and they look up with at you with those dreamy eyes and plant a big kiss on your cheek. Those are the moments when that big gigantic universe doesn't matter and you feel like their world.

xoxo
Shannon

Mindful Motherhood, Stress Relief and more!

Our new classes are starting this weekend at North Yoga & Wellness, and we have very limited space in each class!!

Gather.
Reflect.
Grow.

No matter where you are in your motherhood journey, this 4 week session will have you reflecting on your path and honouring where you are as a woman, mother and individual.

birthPrep is our 4 week doula led childbirth education class. We have designed a 45 page PDF manual for our parents to review, discuss and gain insight on as they navigate the final stages of their pregnancy and prepare for birth!

Sink into a mat. Cozy up in a warm blanket. Drift away and less the stress melt into the floor. Our guided meditation classes are done by candlelight, in a safe and warm environment that is inviting to newbies and more experienced practitioners alike!

To register for any of our programs, email info@sweetstellas.com or call 519-719-3578

To the Mother of babies who couldn't stay...

This month in Mindful Motherhood...it may get a little emotional.

You see, not all of the babies that we long for, care for, grow in our heart and womb...not all of them are able to stay here with us.

Pregnancy and Infant Loss is a very real thing, and unfortunately is something that we don't really talk about as much as we should. We suffer and grieve in silence, we take on all of this burden and harbour these feelings of guilt alone.

But you don't have to.

Whether you reach out to a doula, a friend, your mom or aunt. A co-worker, a therapist, the barrista making your coffee.

Just. Reach. Out.

Time will heal, but you will never forget. And it is absolutely ok to talk about your baby, to consider them a part of your family. I often refer to myself as the mom of 3, even though only my two (crazy) boys are the only ones tagging along. When people ask, I say that Arrow, our daughter, just couldn't stay.

She just...couldn't...stay.

And there's nothing that I did wrong, and certainly, there is nothing that you did wrong. You loved, and continue to love, that baby who couldn't stay. 

Just because we are unable to hold them in our arms, doesn't mean we can't hold them in our hearts.

Be gentle and kind with yourself this month, and always. The pain will dull. Things will change and shift. But you will never forget.

xoxo
Shannon

Let Go of the Mom Guilt

Are you holding onto some Mom Guilt right now?

It's funny; when I was growing up, I was often told by my Dad to take care of number 1 and I never really fully understood what that meant until I became a mom. I always thought that it meant sticking up for yourself, defining your own path, and to a degree not caring if what is best for you hurts other people.

Now that I'm a mom, I understand it in a totally different way.

One thing that we tell our postpartum clients is that it is important to take care of themselves. Whether that means a 15 minute break in the evening to run out for a coffee (drive-thru's were made for parents, I'm convinced!) without children in the back seat, or a hot shower at the end of a long day. Whatever it means for you, take care of yourself.

You cannot pour water into a cup from an empty pitcher, after all.

The same goes for taking care of your family. There will be sleepless nights, there will be diapers to change, there will be mouths to feed and emotions to soothe.

And if you are run ragged and are stressed and feel like you don't know who you are anymore, how can you do any of those things? How can you be expected to do any of those things?

I find that often when I fail to take care of myself it's because of mom guilt. I feel like I shouldn't be taking that time to decompress. And then, a few days later, I feel like a monster, all wrapped up in my own head because I didn't take that time. It's a rather vicious circle, really.

Take that time. You matter, and the better you are to yourself, the more you are showing those around you that you are worthy, you are valuable and that they too should be taking care of themselves in little ways.

Let the self love flow!!

xoxo
Shannon

You are Exactly the Mother Your Children Need

Happy 2016! We are absolutely thrilled that you're here and can't wait to engage with you all through the course of this year.

We have a few new things happening, starting with the first post every month, which we are calling Mindful Motherhood.

What is Mindful Motherhood? It's a monthly dose of self care, inspiration, motivation and kindness delivered to you right here on the blog, and in our newsletters. (you can sign up to receive them up there at the top!)

Each month, there will be a new message of ways you can be kind to yourself, moments to reflect on, and ways to be proud of how far you've come as a mother.

Whenever you are feeling an ounce of doubt, remember that you are exactly the mother that your children need.

You are strong
You are loving
You are incredible and no mother is perfect.

Being a mom is difficult, and comes with many challenges. It also comes with incredibly rewarding moments where you are proud of the little beings you're raising into amazing people. Be proud of that!

You are exactly the mother that your children need.

Hold onto that this month, and in any moment that follows where you doubt if you are doing a good job.

We assure you, you are.

xoxo
Shannon