Issue #6: mother.LOVE
Head into the weekend with your FULL self!
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To all of you in all of the ways you love and nurture the people in your lives, we are grateful to have you in the Interwovxn space. Mother’s Day carries different meanings and emotions for each of us. It can be complicated, sorrowful, breezed through, joyful, (or insert your experience here). Women provide incredible gifts of comfort, support, and affection to their communities. We celebrate each one of you this Mother’s Day and invite you to create space to ask for what nurtures you.
This week’s Five Senses Friday is from Cream City Dreams podcast creator and founder, Meagan! If you are looking for inspiring stories of Milwaukee women creating their dreams, give it a listen! This week’s episode featured Sarah Ornst Bloomquist, Executive Director and Co-Founder of Mom’s Mental Health Initiative.
TASTE: Wisconsin Field to Fork Cookbook. “I’ve been intermittent fasting for the last 3 years, so since I generally give myself an 8 hour window to eat each day, I want everything inside those hours to be delicious. I was inspired by a beet recipe from Lori Fredrich’s new cookbook ‘Wisconsin Field to Fork’ and now I’ll roast and slice a big batch of beets every Sunday. My kid’s cooking class at school with FoodRight turned me on to growing my own microgreens, so I’ll mix a handful of greens with the beets, add some crumbled goats cheese and a vinaigrette and *chef’s kiss* … my day is made.”
SEE: Moonflower Oracle Deck. “Sign me up for anything Andrea Scher puts into this world. So it’s no surprise that I LOVE her Moonflower Oracle deck. I draw a card when I need a touch of creativity, when I’m about to embark on a new project, or when I just need a little pep talk to start my day. I am a self-reflection-junkie and these cards keep me moving in the right direction.”
SMELL: Venice’s Virus Rub. “I don’t know what the magic is inside of Venice’s Virus Rub, but it’s kept our family healthy since we started using it. It’s become a nightly ritual as we wind down to rub the essential oil infused olive oil & beeswax on the bottoms of our feet and behind our ears. My kids love the smell, and I love that we’ve steered (mostly) clear of cold and flu this winter. Venice Williams is a treasure for the minds, souls, and bodies of Milwaukee and I’m grateful for her work at Alice’s Garden where she cultivates community in and around the fertile soil.”
HEAR: Kelly Corrigan Wonders Podcast. “Well, I might be biased on this one, but Cream City Dreams is a podcast full of stories of incredible Milwaukee women who are showing us how it’s done. And by ‘it,’ I mean - living life to the fullest, with purpose and commitment to themselves and their community. But if I’m not allowed to count my own podcast, I have to give props to Kelly Corrigan and the team behind Kelly Corrigan Wonders. On a weekly basis, her podcast gives me practical ideas for how to shake up the status quo, engage in difficult conversations and challenge the narrative that says one person can’t make a difference.”
TOUCH: Body Groove by Misty Tripoli. “ I don’t often succumb to sponsored posts on social media, but Misty Tripoli’s Body Groove came across my feed two years ago and on a whim, I bought a month’s subscription to her dance program. And now I’m a lifetime member. I love the way it gets me moving every day, gets my heart rate up and is a fun way to get my steps in. But more than moving, the program is about loving our body as it is and keeping it strong and healthy. The older I get, the more I appreciate this perspective. I don’t need the body I had in my 20s, I need the body that will carry me into - as Jane Fonda calls it - my third act!”
We are grateful to share support this season with
The team at North Shore Wellness Collective believes when we take care of women, the world is a better place. And that by taking care of moms, our entire community heals. With more than 30 providers, the Collective is dedicated to supporting fertility, pregnancy, postpartum, and pediatrics. This diverse group offers a wide range of services, including postpartum group fitness classes and pilates, adult and pediatric physical therapy, doula and newborn care, child psychology, holistic nutrition, massage and medical care. www.northshorewellnesscollective.com
Season 6 of the INTERWOVXN podcast arrives next week! Listen to a preview of Episode 1!
Our first episode of the season features us as we chat about our reasoning for selecting the theme of intimacy and sexual health, why we think it is important, and how we are exploring intimacy in our own lives and relationships. Join us next Wednesday, May 15th for the launch of Season 6!
my (theresa) CHALLENGE: ALONE TIME
When I was a teenager I developed a ritual for myself that continued up until about 30 years old, which coincided with living with my now husband. When I felt myself hit a tipping point of overwhelm I would pull back and have a night by myself. It involved popcorn, fruit, cheese, chocolate, tea, and a movie - most often one that would make me cry. I designed emotional release into my ritual that felt like an internal clearing.
The end of my ritual was not completely separate from my cohabitation with my husband. My space changed, physically and energetically. Then our daughter came along. Along with work, my day (and some nights) start to finish became taking care of others. I didn’t know how to make the time or space for myself. I moved past the point of creeping overwhelm. I didn’t have time, or desire, to sit in the emotions. I stuffed it all down and into every little crack and pushed forward, hoping my broken sleep would help dissolve at least a little bit of it. I lost track of how to provide healing time for myself.
I recently attended a womb grief circle with women in various relationships with their womb experiences including generational grief and healing, loss, complex relationships with their ideas of motherhood, and navigating through societal expectations of womanhood. We were a matrix of nurturing women working through grief attached to our wombs. The vulnerability we allowed for each other, and as a result ourselves, reconnected me to my awareness of creating healing space. It has expanded from my popcorn nights. I know the comfort of other women in safe spaces is now as necessary to me as my solitary time. Both help me rediscover my internal voice, self-love, and knowledge that I am connected to a network of beautiful beings. This Mother's Day I am holding gratitude for the women who surround me and who enrich the community in which I am fortunate to live.
nurturing BALANCE
We had a wonderful time this past week gathering with a group of women at Women’s Entrepreneurship Week to explore the concept of the invisible load, strengthen compassion for the unique challenges we face in navigating the complexities of motherhood and our careers, and to learn techniques to alleviate anxiety and stress.
We wanted to share some tools + strategies to consider if you were not able to attend.
DO LESS, SAY NO
Name, sit with and breathe into the feelings.
Tolerate/Validate the negative feelings, allow them to be, don’t avoid
Be mindful, increase your awareness of what makes stress build
Rest/Sleep-prioritize rest, taking time to do nothing, sit, allow and be. Prioritize sleep, put screens down, shut off calendars and reminders.
Nutrition-guided by you, body positivity, intuitive eating, listening to your body, being connected to what you need, what makes you feel good.
Movement - again, guided by you. What do you enjoy with movement? Start there. Connect to how your body feels when you move what you like to do and notice how it feels.
Be In Nature. Get outside. Be present. Notice the colors, the scent, the feeling on your body of the sun, wind etc. Engage your 5 senses. It connects you to something greater.
Learn about your body/advocate. We are our best advocates. Ex: Get blood work to know levels. Find out if you are low in iron or vitamin d, check your thyroids. Figure out what questions you want answers to.
Connection with Self = Compassion and self acceptance.
Know what you need and when to ask for support without judging yourself. Getting the support you need is strength based.
Want to learn more or have questions for Theresa or Caitlin?
And we leave you with
Looking for a lovely way to spend the weekend or need to grab a last-minute Mother’s Day gift? Pop in this Pop-Up hosted by @chelseamatsonphoto and @hellobushyl featuring some amazing MKE makers!
And we are super excited to support @milwaukeeperiodparties and their 3rd Annual Period Party the following weekend to raise awareness about period poverty and benefit @milwaukeediapermission’s Period Program. We hope to see you there!
Have a great weekend!
