It’s Yoga, Kids… yoga for all ages and families

November 1, 2009

By Amy Kux, Itsabelly San Francisco

Michelle Wing is the founder of an innovative yoga studio; It’s Yoga Kids. Her concept is to introduce a healthy lifestyle through yoga pre-birth all the way to adulthood. Her yoga classes are offered to families, prenatal and postnatal mothers and to children (baby all the way to teens).
I love this concept and recent reports have shown that healthy lifestyles have a huge impact on children. I have asked Michele some simple questions so we can learn more.
Blog Interview:
Who is she: Michelle Wing
Where did you find her: It’s Yoga, Kids
I started It’s Yoga, Kids because…I noticed how stressed out kids are today with loaded schedules, multiple caregivers, and both social and academic pressure from an early age. I wanted to provide kids of all ages and abilities with the healthy fun that yoga provides.
One thing I’m most passionate about with It’s Yoga, Kids is….that we provide the best possible experience for children and families with our commitment to the quality of our curriculum, our instructors, and our location.
What I say to people that are skeptical about yoga…try it, you may like it!
The best three yoga positions for a pregnant woman are…dependent on their own body. In general, sitting tall with a natural arch in the lower back, rocking on hands and knees, and lying down on the left side fully supported by pillows.

The best three things a parent can do to bond with a newborn are…skin to skin peaceful touch, eye contact and relaxed breathing.

The best three yoga positions for a parent to do with a baby are…cat/cow pose and downdog with the baby between your arms and rolling like a ball with the baby on your shins.

The best three yoga positions for a newborn’s development are…rolling side to side in chair pose (from a reclining position bringing knees to the chest), cobra pose (tummy time) and cross/crawl (crossing the mid-line work).

Announcing Our New Seal of Approval Launching at ABC Kids Expo! We're looking for the Best in Show.

September 5, 2009

Itsabelly's New Seal of Approval

Stay tuned for details on how your product can receive our seal...

Overwhelmed by which BPA-free Baby Bottle to Purchase? Thesoftlanding.com is Your Answer (the #1 safe baby feeding resource).

August 13, 2009

By Amy Kux, Itsabelly SF Baby Planner

As a first time mom, we rely on other’s opinions and experiences.  But what most mother’s forget to tell you is that not all products work for your baby.  Each baby is unique in their needs, wants and comfort level.  A great example of this is using the bottle.  I personally bought all glass bottles prior to the birth of my child.  Once we started to give her the bottle (2 months old), we found that she would not take them.  My instinct was to buy a bunch of other BPA free bottles.  I sat on the computer for hours in the middle of the night reading through review after review.  I was in need of a bottle for a breastfed baby that was not latching on correctly.  I was amazed with the mixed reviews of each bottle.  Some mothers loved the Adiri, which looks like a woman’s breast, others loved Dr. Browns, and some liked the Nuby and the list goes on.  It was very difficult for me to know which one would work for us.
In the end I bought about 6 different types of bottles, hoping one would work. I even bought two of the same type if I felt the reviews were very positive.
After trying most of them, our daughter decided that Born Free wide mouth bottles were for her.  Now, as much as I would like to say this was a great learning experience, I have to admit it was time consuming and very overwhelming.  First, it was hard to tell what was BPA free.  Some manufactures stressed it, while others would not have anything and then there were a few that you had to read through their comments just to find anything.  Second, parents’ reviews were so mixed, that it causes me to think that maybe we were doing something wrong (common first time parent fear).

Now there is a solution to this; The Soft Landing (www.softlanding.com).  They offer sampler kits for BPA free bottles.  This is an ingenious idea that allows parents to try different safe bottles, but also lets parents know that this is a common struggle. Itsabelly fully endorses Thesoftlanding.com which is truly the #1 baby safe feeding on-line resource backed up by thorough research from founder/CEO Alicia Voorhies (a mom & former RN). One important thing to note is that thesoftlanding.com not only carries BPA-free baby bottles but almost every type of feeding gear as well as teething toy that you can imagine!

Are You Capturing Those Ultimate Precious Moments?

May 3, 2009

By Amy Kux, Itsabelly San Francisco

The other day I started to review my photos of Maya ‘s first 11 months of life.  I found that a lot of them are just “alright.”  I also noticed that many are the same, but with little (and I mean little) changes; hand moved, head slightly tilted, tilted a little more, etc.  The other issue I found, it that I am the one behind the camera, leaving me with loads of Maya and papa pictures, but none with me (ok, I have about 10 and most are close ups of Maya with a little bit of my face or chest).   What I really wish I had, is a set of perfect pictures that can be passed down for generations to come.
Professional pictures may seem to be an added luxury, especially in this economy, but in meeting Jenny Lee, she brought up a point that I never really thought of; “capturing memories.” As we talked, I realized that I have loads of pictures of Maya in her first few months, but I never captured the essence of the moments.  I was so into the details, the newness of it all, that I may have overlooked the vital point of getting the feelings in print.
Jenny Lee is able to encapsulate the moments of pregnancy, newborns and beyond in such an unobtrusive way. Officially, she specializes in “Modern Lifestyle Photography” for Newborns, Babies and Maternity.  This style is well articulated since she comes to your home, in your natural environment, and catches the moment, the feelings, and the emotions.  Below are some of those moments that she has captured of her clients.  I am now hoping that I have done the same in at least a few of my million pictures.

Itsabelly Welcomes Our Atlanta Baby Planner!

May 2, 2009

By Nicole Mabry, Itsabelly Atlanta

Atlanta is home to the hospital that delivers the most babies in the United States each year. Now Atlanta is also a new home for Itsabelly Baby Planners!

When I first heard of baby planning – businesses that help expectant families with all the preparations that come along with a new arrival, my first thought was “Why isn’t anyone doing that?” My second thought was, “Why am I not doing that?” Thus, Itsabelly in Atlanta was born.

I’m Nicole Mabry, a new mom and baby planner serving the Atlanta area. When I was expecting my first child, I found myself wading through volumes and volumes of information to make the best selections of products and services for my son. I wanted to be sure I was making the safest, healthiest and most green choices for him. Sorting through that volume of information can be overwhelming for many families, but since research is my passion, I soaked it all up and soon was passing along my findings to other expectant families. Essentially, I was baby planning for friends and family, I just didn’t know it yet!

My educational and employment background is in communications and marketing, but my passion has always been planning, organizing and helping other people succeed. So far, my most important job title has been “Mommy.” I think of baby planning as being a professional “expectant mommy”. I take planning for every new arrival as much to heart as I took my own as all of our babies are precious. I truly love learning more each and every day about supporting new families in their pregnancies, with their new babies and beyond!

If you or a loved one in the Atlanta area are expecting a baby, give Itsabelly a call! We’d love to assist you with all of your baby planning needs and help you get ready for and go green with baby!

To inquire about Nicole’s services please email her at nicole@itsa-belly.com. You can also reach her by phone at 678-920-2337.