parent tribe issue five | Spring/Summer 2014
New beginnings new projects new adventures
be creative be free be together
contents Page 8 Page 10 Page 12 Page 14 Page 18 Page 22 Page 24 Page 28 Page 30 Page 35
Intro from Hatti The Travelling Dennings The Daffodils Poem The Book Club Little Biscuit’s Alison Shares her Story Jumping Over The Cliff The Laughery Family share their story To my child Poem Dotty Dove’s New Beginnings The Parent Tribe Directory half price offer
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Our Contributors
Anna Dove Anna Dove, 34, lives happliy with her husband Richard, 41, and their two little monsters Willow, 3, and Honey, 2, in the sleepy and very beautiful Ennerdale valley in Cumbria. Anna is a stay-at-home mum but also runs her very creative business Dotty Dove’s Designs from her home ‘crafty workshop’. She currently tries to fit in creative thinking and making inbetween play groups, playing outside, making dens, playdoughing & boring household chores (which definitely come bottom of the pile!!) as been up to.
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Veronika Sophia Robinson Veronika was editor of The Mother magazine from February 2002-Jan 2014. She now works full-time as a romance novelist, non-fiction author and journalist. She has been a celebrant since 1995. Veronika also works as an astrologer. She lives in rural Cumbria with her husband and their two teenage daughters. Her passions include barefoot gardening, reading, botanical cooking, astrology and walking with friends around the Lake District.
Are you interested in contributing to parent tribe? We are looking for writers, poets, illustrators, photographers! Find out more here >>
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New Beginnings, new Journeys Well it has certainly been a new beginning for us in the Burt household with the birth of our 2nd precious baby boy Felix Leon Rydal Burt, born on 26th February 2014. I achieved my VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Caesarean), managed to hypnobirth in hospital, tackled obstetric cholestasis and lost a lot of blood, but I did it! And it was certainly a mind blowing experience! The weeks since have been a massive blur and I have been on the biggest ride of my life. This little man not only brought me a healing birth but a few healing lessons to learn too. Let’s just say our family plans have massively changed and I think myself, and my family are going to come out much stronger for it. I have decided after this edition of Parent
and healing journey on my blog once I’m less sleep deprived and can concentrate for more than 5 minutes at a time! If you’d like to be involved in a future edition please contact me here >> Big love to you all & your families
Hatti xx
Tribe I am going to take a well deserved maternity break to focus on our boys and also meditate to find the best direction to go with the magazine. I plan to be back later in the year. I will be writing about my birth story
Find out more about my story here >> 9
The Travelling Dennings Rachel Denning, 34, travels with her husband, Greg, 36 and their six children Kyah, 11, Parker, 9, Kimball, 8, Aaliyah, 7, Atlas, 3 and baby Saige (born Feb 2014). Rachel and her family travel often and have lived in lots of places, including the Dominican Republic, India, Georgia, Alaska, Guatemala and have currently settled in Costa Rica for the birth of Saige. Both Rachel and Greg run location independent businesses online to make a living so they can keep travelling.
combined with new and different experiences
Lifestyle & Philosophy
We believe in living a life that focuses on personal priorities… for us that includes family
and
children,
education
and
experience, adventure and fun and making a positive contribution to the world.
(trying new things that challenge you) and travel. We also utilize online resources like KhanAcademy.org and Education.com
Advice to other parents
When you are with your children, BE with your children. When they are talking to
Home Business
We work from ‘home’ or on-the-road. I do website design, travel blogging and sell essential oils. My husband does personal development/lifestyle design coaching.
you, look at them. When you are working, work… effectively and efficiently. You don’t have time to waste.
Favourite family activity
Working it around our kids
We love reading together, travelling, beach
;) We spend our days together. Mornings
Check out the Dennings website www.discovershareinspire.com/
It requires discipline, routine and flexibility are for studies and work, afternoons and evenings the kids play while we finish up work projects, then we’ll read together. We
time.
eat most meals together as a family.
Inspiration
We wanted to be able to ‘live deliberately’ by spending more time as a couple and family, and travelling so that we could enjoy the experiences and personal growth that come from it. That naturally led to the need to be self-employed and to have a more location independent income.
Education options
We do what we call ‘world-schooling’, with a philosophy we call ‘Theodore Roosevelt Education’ -- it’s an approach that uses classics
(literature,
music
and
more)
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artwork by K. Grossman
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The Daffodils The daffodils Amongst the rills Of water make A scene to take A nature lover’s breath away. And though the day Will come when I With adult eye Will ponder, gaze Upon that haze Of yellow-green, I’m still not keen To shift my sights To the delights Of daffodils and springtime balm. My mother’s arm Is all I need; A milky feed, Her shining face. No other place Provides such bliss; She crowns me with a tender kiss. by Marija Smits marijasmits.wordpress.com
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The Book Club
Written by Caroline Moore
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I have a dream. A simple one really. I want Four
months
later
and
I’m
regularly
parents’ faces to light up when they see a disappointed by many parents turning their children’s book.
nose up at books for children which has
Last summer I was attending a table top made me more determined than ever to get market for children’s clothes and toys and
books into the hands of children. I’m going
I came across a stall selling brand new to move away from being a direct seller in books. They were colourful and beautiful
the old fashioned way and have set up a
so I grabbed a leaflet to peruse the books company, Imagination Adventures. I am on online back at home. It turns out it wasn’t a
the lookout for beautifully illustrated books
leaflet about the books, it was a leaflet about
that adults want to read too that entice the
the seller of the books. In the same way you
imagination of everyone. It’s the most fun
can sell knickers and kitchen equipment at
market research for me and my little boy
home parties you can sell children’s books
and I have got a lot of publishers on board
too. An impulse buy lead to my starter kit, who I’m looking forward to introducing to a huge box of bright and amazing books
my shop very soon.
aimed at ages 0 to 14 on my door step While I am disappointed with some reactions, worth much more than the money I paid. I
the positive reactions are amazing. You can
was in children’s literacy heaven!
see in the eyes of the parents that love the
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books that they love escaping to a simpler
made me question whether I would choose
place when they are reading with their
my old life. It was a perfect book to start the
children. In that moment they don’t have to
New Year and made me think of changes I
think about hanging out the washing or that
should make so that I make the most of the
deadline that is due soon, they can take
life I have. It’s quite a thought provoking book
themselves to a land of pirates, singing with
and the questions I ask in the discussion list
jungle animals and so much more.
that is sent with the book may be considered
For these people, I have set up a book
too philosophical by some but I think
club. Each month a unique book lands on
conversation from young children are the
their doorstep with a list of activities and
most imaginative you can get and certainly
discussion ideas to take the book further
entertaining. These fantastic conversations
than a story before bed. In January, I had
are the reason I have set up community
the pleasure of sending subscribers a copy
book clubs in my local area. Parents and
of The Mountains of Tibet.
children get together with their book of the
The story is about life after death and follows
month and chat about what was discussed.
a Tibetan woodcutter who dies and is asked
It’s a relaxed gathering where parents can
where he wants to live next. It turns out he
have a drink and a chat while children read
chooses the life that he has just lived which
a heap of books in my story box. It means
that children can access more than just their
In the meantime if this sounds like something
monthly book and there is also a library that
you would love to do please get in touch,
they can access as part of the subscription
my dream cannot be made a reality just by
fee. In addition the children have a chance
me.
to bring their loved books to the session to talk about and swap with other children’s books. The more reasons to get books read by more children the better! My next challenge is to get the books into the hands of the children whose parents aren’t passionate about reading. I don’t need to convince the children, I haven’t seen one sad face walk past my stalls when they are presented with bright books shouting at them to be read. I must therefore find ways to get into schools, I must climb a mountain. I hope I can feed back positively how that has gone soon.
Check out Caroline’s Imagination Adventures Shop Here > or check out the website www.imaginationadventures.co.uk/ bookinformation/
Our Story Alison Norris, 32, lives with her husband, David, 32, their son Zachary 22 months & Peggy the Cat in Walthamstow, East London. Alison runs Little Biscuit from home where she makes upcycled baby clothes.
Lifestyle and philosophy Living in London we are surrounded by so many different types of people to be inspired by, that I feel I am still finding my way as to what our own lifestyle and philosophy is. Life is a constant work in progress. However, these are the things that I do know are important to us as we grow: -
Time as a family is the most important
thing to protect -
We always feel better when we have
spent time outdoors -
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Parenting is much harder and more
joyful than we could ever have possibly
imagined -
Most things can be bought second
hand -
(Except underwear)
-
There are PLENTY of things to do that
don’t involve a screen -
The only limit is your imagination
-
It’s good to make and eat food
together
home business I work from home two days a week (and some evenings and nap times!), and look after Zachary the rest of the week. I set up Little Biscuit at the end of 2013, designing and making upcycled baby clothes.
followed was then a blur of being told by
Inspiration
day when we could or couldn’t hold/feed/
My background is in graphic design and exhibition
project
management
within
museums and galleries. However, before becoming pregnant I went back to college to learn dressmaking, unaware of the route this would take me on. With five weeks to go until my due date, David went to Ukraine to watch England play in the UEFA European Championships. He arrived home at 2.30 a.m. on a Tuesday morning, at 2.35 a.m. my waters broke and I went in to labour. A few hours later our son came in to the world, and unfortunately had to be taken to intensive care. What
wash/change him, and leaving him in the hospital overnight to come home and then wake myself at regular intervals to express my milk. This bumpy start continued to get harder when Zach did come home. I struggled to bond with him, found it difficult to breastfeed, and felt like the worst mother that there had ever been. Not only had my body failed to keep him safe until he was developed enough to face the world, I now didn’t really want him to come near me as that would mean another dose of pain. All was not lost though! As well as the most caring and supportive husband who never gave up on me, there were two things that
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helped me through this difficult time. One
on his tummy. I could not however find any
was persevering with breastfeeding, and trousers that fit the bill locally. There were the constant belief that if I could hold on plenty of comfy trousers, but I’m just not in there one day it would be the thing that that into cute animals, and I’m especially brought Zach and I together again. About not into baby blue. I am however into charity 5 months in it did turn from a thing that
shop shopping. I love charity shops. I also
caused immense pain to immense joy. I’d
knew that I could actually do something
gone from not even really wanting my son,
that I was good at to help Zachary be more
to now working together as a great team.
comfortable. I soon found some unwanted mens t-shirts, made from great patterned
The second thing that helped me was
fabric that I could turn in to cool comfy
sewing. Zach suffered from reflux (when
trousers for him.
food and acid are brought back up from the stomach, because the muscular valve at the I’m sure you can guess the rest of the end of the food pipe has not fully developed),
story. Having a child is now the Best Thing
and one of the many (many many) pieces of
Ever. Not only do I love Zach more than I
advice we were given was to not put him in
know what to do with, and caring for him is
tight trousers that might cause discomfort
always my first priority, but the trousers also
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received lovely comments wherever we went. After umming and ahhhing for a good few months, I finally took the plunge and set up Little Biscuit. Using upcycled fabric fits in with my general approach to clothes, toys,
What is your favourite family acitvity? Going on an expedition to hunt for worms.
household items and pretty plates – there are already enough of them in the world, so why waste more of the world’s resources buying them new. I called my business Little Biscuit as a constant reminder of how far we have come - Zachary smelt like a little biscuit while he was in hospital.
You can find out more about Little Biscuit on facebook & Twitter and shop the collection on folksy >>
Jumping over the cliff! There have been many pearls of wisdom founded this niche publication twelve years my mother gifted me in my life, but probably
ago, and have worked from my home editing
the most important one was “Jump over the and publishing pretty well seven days a cliff, and the angels will catch you.”
week ever since. It has been my passion, my calling and my identity. To let go of all
This idea is encapsulated in the poem:
Come to the edge. We might fall. Come to the edge. It’s too high! Come to the edge! And they came and he pushed and they flew.
this has been the equivalent of a snake shedding its skin. Who am I now? There comes a time in life when we outgrow situations
(jobs,
relationships,
habits,
homes, etc.), and have to move on. It wasn’t that I was bored with the magazine, but that I had discovered another part of my creative self and needed more time to explore it. The magazine was a full-time job, and to do anything else meant burning the candle at both ends. This is something you can only do for so long, and having burnt my adrenals out a few years ago through personal stress, have no wish to endanger
What this means is that there have been my health again. times in my life where I’ve taken risks A few years back, I started writing a novel, that might have appeared crazy to others then about 7000 words into it I stopped. (perhaps even to myself), and that I’ve Life got in the way. And then, my 14 year followed my intuition and trusted everything old daughter wrote a novel. Jeez, I thought, would be okay. And so far, it has.
My latest cliff top adventure has been to
what’s my excuse? After writing nine non-fiction books, perhaps
sell my parenting magazine, The Mother. I writing a novel was too much of a stretch.
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My excuse was that I thought I didn’t have Starflower Press, and am now venturing a creative bone in my body! Nevertheless,
into specialising in illustrated children’s
I finished my novel Mosaic, and thoroughly
books. The joy which comes from bringing
enjoyed the process. I was pretty clear about art to words is something which truly makes one thing though: I only had one novel in
my heart sing. I am used to working hard,
me. I’d done my creative dash.
and to deadlines, and under pressure, so to
One afternoon I was in the kitchen making continue without the pressure of bi-monthly dinner when the word Bluey came on the deadlines could well feel like I’m on holiday radio. It reminded me of an old friend by that for a while. name, and within half an hour the storyline
This is indeed a time of letting go in my
for my second novel, Bluey’s Café, emerged, life. My formerly home-schooled daughters and the whole book was written in five days began school in September which has been (my typing fingers are like lightning). Since a huge shift in family life. The oldest one then, I’ve written four more novels, and have
leaves for university this year, and her sister
found something I love doing so much that is only two years from being an adult herself. my body beckons me out of bed at 4am to I look forward to all the changes ahead of write!
me, my children, my husband; and my arms
Of course, letting go of the income of my
are opened wide ready to receive all the
magazine is a huge risk. Jumping over the
good, love, health, wisdom, creativity and
cliff with the belief I can earn a living from abundance the universe has to offer me. novel writing would be considered crazy by many people, but other people’s opinions Come to the edge, you might just fly! on my career change don’t have the same value as my intuition, something which has become finely honed through eighteen years of natural, stay-at-home parenting.
Written by Veronika Robinson www.veronikarobinson.com
I also have my own publishing business,
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Three words to describe how you feel about your lifestyle?
Intentional, Blessed, Alive.
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Our Story Andrea Laughery, 29, Justin Laughery, 28 and their son Ben, 1, live in Washington State, US. They share their family story about enjoying parenting and the outdoors.
lifestyle and philosophy My husband and I are committed to making our marriage, and therefore our family, the focus and priority of our lifestyle. We love exploring and playing outside together. The time we spend together is intentional. We believe in simple, in honest, and in healthy. Being outside in nature and living in the great outdoors is one of our passions. I am a fifth grade teacher turned stay-athome mom. I worked hard for my Masters degree and some days I long for my days in the classroom, but I know an education is never wasted.
How we make it work The first year I was a SAHM my husband
engineer and while we ideally would love to have him home with us every day, we are currently thankful for his career and that he can provide for his family, even if we aren’t with him as much as we would like. Justin is so committed to being a present and loving husband and father, that all the time we do spend together is filled with adventures, hugs, and laughter. Long term, we have big dreams of traveling the world as a family and sailing around the San Juan islands, but we can’t yet make that a reality.
Inspiration I’m not sure there are adequate words to describe how important I feel it is for us to be with our children. The impact that parents have on their children’s lives are unsurmountable.
Justin was also finishing school, but we had planned ahead and saved for that year. He now works very close to home as an
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education options Since I am a public school teacher, I do believe and value the public education system. However, now that I am a parent, sending my son away for hours every day to be with someone else doesn’t seem as appealing as it once did. Homeschool could be a potential option for us as well.
Favourite family activity We have lush forests, wild coasts, snowcapped mountains, and turbulent rivers here in the Pacific North West. The Olympic National Forest is our backyard playground. We love putting our son in the hiking pack and going on day climbs, canoeing, beach combing, and exploring the great outdoors together. On a more routine day, we love to snuggle in bed and read books together.
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A natural, holistic mothering print magazine. Passionate articles, celebrating fertility awareness, conception, peaceful pregnancy, gentle childbirth, full term breastfeeding, co-sleeping, natural immunity, attachment parenting, education, parenting teenagers, gently wri en by experienced contributors. Beautiful articles that will inspire, encourage and challenge...
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To My Child May the sun shine upon you and make you feel whole. May the moonlight caress you and nurture your soul. May the soft summer rain wash your worries away. May the gentle winds blow inspiration your way. May you wake every day with a song in your heart. And a spring in your step on each journey you start. May you follow the rainbow through trouble and strife. May you know how I love you, each day of your life. by Wordybird
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Wordybird Sarah, her husband Pete and children Amber & Jake. Sarah writes poetry for special occasions, find out more here >>
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Dotty Dove’s New Beginnings
It’s sometimes scary to try new things; been otherwise destined for landfill. similarly it’s from these new experiences that we can sometimes learn the most. In We arrived bright and early and began December I was fortunate enough to be sorting through bags and bags of “unusable” invited to join the Pretty Nostalgic Magazine fabrics, clothing and habdashery items in (whose mission is to promote sustainable
order to come up with ways in which we
living) at the Clothes Show Live. So off I could make cash. Now this is no new thing went, a rare weekend without my little dots
for me, (as I often use old upcycled items
(when I say rare I mean first time EVER with in my business Dotty Dove’s Designs), but their dad all weekend, home alone), and what was new for me was the opportunity to took the train from Penrith to Birmingham
work with such a diverse bunch of people.
International, on my way to the NEC.
As a crafter that works from home, it’s usually just me working away on an evening
Don’t get me wrong - I LOVE being a full (ok, the hubby and the dog are there but I time mum - but the prospect of two whole
work alone!!).
days away from the littlies, where all I had to concentrate on was being creative, with So, it was a real treat to learn from and share like-minded (although completely unknown) ideas with other seriously talented people. I people whilst helping a well known good made my first ever piece of clothing from cause was very exciting and nerve-racking.
an amazing retro scarf, with the help of the
The aim of our stall at the Clothes Show was
talented Selinna from Alyssia Couture, and
to forge a team made up of an interesting ran workshops with Rae Stanny Smith from band of entrepreneurs, crafters, tailors, and
Stanny Smith Creations, the lovely Joelle and
just generally handy folk from all walks of others to make corsages and cuffs (another life to make as much money as possible for
first - even though I am a seasoned teacher
Cancer Research UK. We ran workshops - this was my first textile workshop “gig”)
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and upcycled materials that would have and have since gone on to develop some
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to develop some new ranges – like some kiddies’ clothing using upcycled and British designed fabrics – after all everyone has a “risk muscle”. You keep it in shape by trying new things. If you don’t, it atrophies. Make a point of using it at least once a day (Roger Von Oech). It was a real treat to share this weekend at such a great event, on such an interesting stall, working with such inspirational people - a whole range of new experiences from which I can draw from whilst developing and shaping Dotty Dove’s Designs whilst comfortably at home, looking after my little dots.
For a peek at my work pop over to facebook or dottydovesdesigns.com or drop me an email. if you have an enquiry contact me on dottydovesdesigns@gmail.com
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