September 2010 meeting: Composting 101

September 13, 2010
We learned the ins and outs of composting from Master Gardener, Carol Erb. She brought hands-on examples and answered our many questions about this environmentally friendly way of giving our gardens a boost.

August 2010 Meeting: Recipe Swap

August 9, 2010
We talked about ways to make life easier and still feed our families healthy food. We shared recipes that have gotten us through busy times, are always a hit with the kids, that we've used when we have to make a meal with only the food you have on hand, etc. We also shared ideas for easy, healthy snacks. Lots of great sharing among mamas!

July 2010 potluck!

July 23, 2010
Water balloons, face painting, games, food, and community! We had great fun on a lovely evening at Brighton Town Park.

Welcome New HMN Co-Leaders, Melanie and Jean!

HMN Rochester is so excited to have long-time members Melanie Ryan and Jean Lockwood taking over the chapter as Co-Leaders.

They're very excited about their new roles and about continuing to bring educational, fun, holistic meeting topics to the members.

Jean is a mom of three and Melanie is a mom of one.

In the photo from left to right are our new Co-leaders Melanie Ryan, Jean Lockwood, and HMN Member Yvonne.

Thank you Gabrielle for your 1.5 years as a HMN Leader!

Thank you Gabrielle Javier-Cerulli for your 1.5 years as the leader of HMN Rochester chapter!

Your commitment and dedication to the chapter allowed it to continue serving many families and helping them make more informed decisions.

Good luck with your new venture as the Founder and CEO of the Global Network of Expressive Arts Facilitators

February 2010 meeting

February 8, 2010: Maya Abdominal Massage
Erin McCollough, LMT, RYT of CNY Healing Arts Wellness Center and Spa explained how this unique massage technique is an external, non-invasive manipulation using massage to reposition reproductive organs and improve blood flow to digestive organs. It has been documented to improve issues around fertility, endometriosis, menses, ovarian cysts, and much more!

She brought in a short, but wonderful video giving the history of this massage from Belize.

---Congrats to HMN Sasha for winning the $25 Lori's gift card! ----

January 2010 Meeting

January 11, 2010: Non-Violent Communication and Discipline: Parenting through Conflict, Lightening the Load

left, speaker Karen Moses and right, member Mary

Moms and dads attended this meeting with Karen Moses, Early Childhood Educator of Best Beginnings who has over 15 years experience. Karen explained what Non-Violent Communication was and how to use it when conflict arrives. Everyone learned something new at this interactive meeting!

Congrats to member Cindi for winning the $25 Lori's Natural Foods gift card!

Here are a few books Karen suggested to learn more:

Raising Children Compassionately: Parenting the Non-Violent Communication Way by Marshall Rosenberg

Easy to Love, Difficult to Discipline by Becky Bailey

Don't Get So Upset! Helping Children Manage Their Feelings By Understanding Your Own by Tamar Jacobson

November 2009 Meeting

Getting Organized and Staying Organized with the help of a Professional Organizer
Speaker Joani Hardy with new HMN Co-Leader Dr. Paula Derleth

We had a wonderful, insightful meeting with Joani Hardy, Professional Organizer and Clutter Coach. There were a lot of laughs as we shared some of our own organization challenges. Joani explained the steps of organizing principles and procedures and addressed all the various questions from the attendees.

She shared many ideas and tips. One of her tips for families was for the parents to lead by example. If a child sees you throwing stuff in a junk drawer, chances are they will mimic that behavior with their toys and clothes.

Joani can be reached at 585-750-2418 and at joani@joanihardy.com