A huge thank you to everyone who entered the competition. It was a really difficult choice for us. Everybody had a unique story to share and if we could have given that spot to everyone we would have. Hope you’ve all had a fantastic Mother’s Day!! The prize includes 2 nights share accommodation (2 women per room) at The Outlook May 25 to 27, a one hour massage, yoga, self-care sessions, a goodie bag, and all food for the weekend plus the support of four facilitators. Please click here for more info about the retreat! To enter, simply click here (takes you through to our Facebook App). Competition Rules: Disclaimer: This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook. You are providing your information to Mumatopia and not to Facebook. Privacy Policy: The information you provide will only be used for the purposes of the Mumatopia Mother’s Day Competition and Mums’ Retreat. You may elect to join the Mumatopia Mailing list. We never share your email with third parties. Please see our Privacy Policy for more information about how we use your information. Book now to secure your place at the May 2012, Mumatopia Mum's Retreat. Great news! The May Mumatopia Mum’s Retreat has been granted a one-off subsidy by the Queensland Department of Communities in recognition of Mumatopia’s important work with women in our community. As a result we have been able to reduce the earlybird price by almost $100! A massive thank you to Minister for Finance and The Arts, and Member for Ipswich Rachel Nolan for going in to bat on our behalf and to Minister for Communities Karen Struthers who granted our request! Most mums take family holidays but they don’t really get a break. This retreat is designed to give you the break you need, so you can recharge your batteries, and renew your spirit! Are you ready to commit to one weekend off, just for you? If you’re ready to join us for an unforgettable weekend of nurturing, pampering, massages, yoga and eating great food, register online for the May retreat today here: http://mumatopia.com/mums_retreat/mums-retreat-booking-form/. For more information about the retreat click here: http://mumatopia.com/mums_retreat/. Janette and I look forward to meeting you in May! A few months ago we ran a competition giving away a week of Mumatopia. The prize was worth approximately $700 and featured massage, aromatherapy, a week’s worth of chef-cooked meals and a cleaning fairy package. The entrants had to tell us why they wanted a week of Mumatopia and the stories were compelling. So many people dealing with some really hard stuff. I mean really hard. The surprising thing was that we only had 27 entries and I’ve been pondering why. The truth is, of the entries we did have, there were quite a few which said things along the lines of “I know I probably don’t deserve this as much as some other people.” But why? Why do women compare their needs to everyone elses and go, ‘well I’m just going to tough it out.’ Such stoicism isn’t going to help. Some of the women I’ve assisted in the past couple of years have almost been apologetic for calling me out to help them. And then, when I listen to some of the stuff they’re dealing with, I can see they needed a life line (not literally… but maybe in some cases). My message is this: Don’t wait until life implodes. If you are struggling now when things are relatively normal, what tank are you going to draw from when things get hard? Last summer, things got really hard for some of the women I know. One of those women came on our last Mum’s retreat. One of the things I’ve noticed is how the other women who went on that retreat have surrounded her with support and love ever since. A retreat may be just one weekend but it can be life-changing, especially if you’re feeling isolated or overwhelmed with daily life. Next year, we’ve moved our retreat to The Outlook in Boonah. It is a beautiful, purpose-built retreat venue in the heart of South East Queensland’s scenic rim, just one hour’s drive from Brisbane. I invite you to come along and fill up your emotional tank. You’ll be amazed at how much one weekend can transform your life, your friendships and your ability to cope when things get hard. Lately I’ve been reading the book Enchantment by Guy Kawasaki. Guy is a former Apple evangelist, an entrepreneur and social media wizz who primarily writes about engaging with people. The biggest take-away for me thus far is simply to follow your inspiration. If you do what inspires you, your passion will ignite a flame that cannot help but enchant people. Last night, at the first ever Business with Heart networking event, 24 business and community leaders started a movement. It was truly one of the most inspiring and uplifting events I’ve ever been to. Business with Heart is a concept to bring together businesses and community groups with a passion for growing sustainable, healthy, abundant and caring communities. Last night was an opportunity to discuss how we can support each other in achieving these aims. Key Take-aways: A massive thank you to Hon Rachel Nolan, Minister for Finance, Natural Resources and The Arts and Emma-Kate Rose, General Manager of Food Connect. Words cannot describe how enchanting you both were. Also a HUGE thank you to Amanda Robertson and her team at Fourthchild. Amanda designed a menu which fit right into the theme of the evening with organic ethically farmed chicken and locally grown fresh produce, plus a gluten and dairy free dessert to die for. Also, a big thank you for the event’s sponsors for the evening: Ipswich Women in Business and our event angels who sponsored individuals to attend: Philippa Scott from Neways in Townsville (a million miles away!!!) and Jenny McFarland from Yoga for 2, who couldn’t attend herself because she was teaching pregnancy yoga classes across the road. Lastly, a big thank you to all the businesses that felt inspired to attend last night. If you would like to host a Business with Heart event in your area, I encourage you to do so. This movement now has wings. Follow your inspiration and great things will happen for your business and your community. For more information, contact me at cas@mumatopia.com or join our Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/businesswthheart. This is not my usual kind of post. I have steered clear of birth politics over the past couple of years after being burned out by the endless and seemingly pointless game play, the long hours and the impact on my family. However, I cannot ignore what is going on at the moment in Australian birth politics. My sense of justice is too strong. So here is a letter I have sent to the Australian College of Midwives in relation to their new draft guidance for private practicing midwives. This is not just addressed to them though. I address this to everyone involved in the political push and shove that women are in the middle of (and still not being heard). So please indulge me as I get this off my chest. And if you feel like this resonates with you, please visit http://mumsmatter.good.do/mums-matter/ask-your-mp-to-prove-that-mums-matter/ and make your voice heard. My Letter I have just come home from an initial consult with a woman who wants a homebirth after a prior caesarean section. She said that she cannot find a midwife to support her and she doesn’t want to free-birth. That leaves her the choice of going to hospital to then face the barrage of doubters and doomsayers who will put pressure on her to adhere to their policies, many of which are not evidence-based, which are geared to subtly lead to her next caesarean section. In the nine years since I first became a consumer advocate, I have not felt more disgusted with our birthcare system than I do now. I am appalled that a woman cannot access proper and appropriate care in a country with first world healthcare facilities. Why is it women in Ubud, Bali get better birthcare than women in Sydney, Brisbane and Perth? Affluent Western women are enslaved in a system which takes away their freedoms, and subjects them to unnecessary interventions. We supposedly live in a free society but the very act of bringing a life into this world is subject to the whim of politicians and powerbrokers. It is shameful that educated and powerful women are treated like little children when it comes to giving birth. I recently attended a birth where the woman was patronized about her birth preferences: “just so long as you are sensible. At the end of the day we want a healthy baby…” (like that’s the last thing on her mind???) and held in an assessment room until she “complied” with having a vaginal examination (something she was incredibly reluctant to do because of a traumatic experience in a previous pregnancy). Women put themselves last in the birthroom. They can be made to feel like they are the poor cousins visiting the luxury mansion of distant relatives. The message is loud and clear: “This is our turf. Don’t even think about running a bath without our say so, but you are more than welcome to partake of our smorgasbord of interventions that may or may not be evidence-based.” Most midwives seem to spend the vast majority of their time doing paperwork and don’t even try to connect with the birthing woman. Some may think this sounds harsh but when you understand what makes it easy for a woman to birth, it seems like nothing short of abuse. In a first world country where women have equal rights, they must be entitled to bodily autonomy and they must have access to a trained and qualified healthcare provider of their choice regardless of where they choose to give birth. To take this choice away is taking away their freedom and is sending a message to all women that they are no more than chattel, no better than cattle. Is that the sort of world we want for our daughters, nieces and grand-daughters? Yours sincerely, Cas McCullough Director, Mumatopia Birth and Postnatal Doula Co-founder Caesarean Awareness Network Australia Past President of Maternity Coalition Past Editor Birth Matters Journal VBA2C mum of three One of the reasons I started Mumatopia as a social enterprise was because I can see the wisdom behind the saying “gentle birth heals mother earth” (coined by humanitarian and midwife Robin Lim from Gentle Birth Bali). My birth experiences and my experience of losing a much wanted baby and nearly losing my life in the process, have taught me how gentle beginnings can nurture a mother’s love for her baby, can create a sense of empathy and patience and a strong sense of empowerment. Reflecting on my own experiences of birth, I know that I bonded more easily with my lastborn child. The love I feel for all of my children is profound and I don’t love one any more than the other, but I do feel I developed an easier connection with my lastborn child after his birth. There was no hyper vigilance like I experienced with my first two babies (both born by caesarean). The experience of natural childbirth gave me a sense of my own strength and a passion for protecting and advocating for my children. It started the process of questioning everything that has led to dramatic philosophical and life changes. We have adopted a more sustainable lifestyle as a result. Supporting other women to have beautiful births has also confirmed for me how a gentle experience of childbirth and an undisturbed physiological third stage can ease a mother and her partner into love with their baby. If this process is disturbed it is certainly not impossible to replicate this but it just takes a bit more effort. I can’t explain it but having seen it, I can see what a gift it is to have an undisturbed birth and early bonding experience. To be able to facilitate that is one of the massive perks of my job. Everything I do under the banner of Mumatopia, whether it be supporting birthing women, running a retreat or making handmade products, is done with a view to promoting a more sustainable, healthier, more abundant and more caring community. I want to change the world. It’s not such a big thing to ask is it? My own childhood has taught me how cruel people can be. If supporting women to have empowered births leads towards a kinder, gentler earth than I feel I am meeting my goal. Ps: If you have a business or social venture and you’d like to connect and discuss how we can work together, you’re invited to come along to Business with Heart, a networking dinner featuring guest speakers Hon Rachel Nolan MP, Minister for Finance, Natural Resources and The Arts and Emma-Kate Rose, General Manager of Food Connect. Details: mumatopia.com/community/bwh. “Why do I want to win a week of mumatopia? You know I always thought I already lived in Mumatopia. My life co-exists around 6 little extraterrestrials, or E.T’s as I affectionately call them. My mumatopia (although not the dream version) is a world of bed-wetting, sibling rivalry, an army style procession for breakfasts and other meals, E.T like functions and antics, yes including the finger message, having no idea what the top 40 is (always thought it was how many green bottles are on the wall), bedtime battles and sleepless nights (although I’m beginning to wonder what a “night” actually is). For this I’m rewarded with cuddles and slobber kisses–love them, and gorgeous little collages of me with insanely long fingers. I always believed “Mumatopia” was the life us mothers had, how we devote our entire being, soul and life to those little E.T’s. It seems I’ve forgotten that Topia is an ideal dream place. A cleaning fairy?!! Gosh! I always thought that was me! Aromatherapy? Isn’t that the smell of baby wipes? I’m delusional I think. So why do I want to win? Well I guess I need to, so I can be reminded of the wonderful blissful things of an ideal MumaTopia.” Congratulations Rachel! You have won a week of Mumatopia. Each of us will be in touch with you soon to arrange your prizes. I’d like to thank Leith, Julie and Anna for contributing such wonderful prizes to this competition and for helping to choose a winner. To everyone who entered, thank you! As you all went to the effort, I am offering a $50 off voucher for any of my postnatal, birth or Mumma Nurture services to each entrant. Please contact me for details. Have a great weekend! … Cas. Leith is offering up a week’s worth of meals as part of our “Win a week of Mumatopia” competition which is on till August 31st. We’ve had quite a few entries and invite any mum to enter so you have the chance to win this fantastic prize. Here’s a bit of information about Leith: Tell us a bit about yourself? “I was born in Melbourne and worked as an apprentice chef for 4 years after graduating from the William Angliss Institute of Tafe. I decided to learn more about the culinary arts overseas where I worked as a chef de partie in a Michelin star restaurant in London. Seven years later after working from Holland to Scotland, I decided to returne to Brisbane where I started my own business called Hospitality1. Tell us a bit about your business? “A close friend asked me to help them in the kitchen for her husband and two children because they were tired of eating takeaway food and had limited energy to cook after working long hours. So I decided to prepare whole weeks worth of healthy meals that were convenient to heat up each night so they could relax. “I love to cook and are health conscience about the food I put into my body and generally worried about all the chemicals, additives, preservatives, flavours and colours in the food we eat too. So the driving force for me is to utilize as much healthy produce as possible using the freshest of ingredients.” What’s your best-selling product or service: “The organic home delivered service is the most popular.” If you’d like to book Leith’s services, click here for further information! To enter the competition click here! This "gift from the river" quilt is $550. Available at Cultiver, 226 Brisbane Street, Ipswich. About a week after the January flood I received a message from a friend, telling me about a flooded stash of upholstery fabric that was going to be thrown away, unless someone came and rescued it. I immediately called my friend Katie and together we set off to Russ McCarthy’s place in Ipswich to check out the fabric. It was soggy, smelly but mostly just water damaged. No mud from what we could see. So, we loaded the heavy rolls into my car (thank goodness I remembered to bring some tarp), and with windows rolled down, headed back to Katie’s to assess just how much washing we were in for. We put out a call on Facebook for washing fairies and we spent the week cycling the fabric through our own machines. Most of it came up really well. We sold quite a bit of it at a post-flood fundraising event in Ipswich but kept some for our own projects as well. One of the projects was this quilt, which I started making that week and have only just finished. I’ve never made a quilt before but I am really pleased with the results. A few of the pieces were from my stash of fabric but most of them were from that flooded shed. It was like the river was giving something beautiful back to us after causing such devastation. Making this quilt was not just a handy way to use my newly reclaimed fabric, it was an emotional journey for me. In someone, I guess it helped my process my thoughts and feelings about the flood and the impact that has had on our family, friends and community. This quilt now sits proudly in the window of Cultiver, waiting for someone to love it and take it home! All proceeds from the sale of the quilt will go to supporting flood victims in Ipswich via the Mayor’s flood relief fund. People are still in need, houses are still being fixed and in some cases, abandoned because insurance companies have failed to provide cover. If you want a piece of Queensland history, pay Cultiver a visit today and take home the “gift from the river” quilt. Just one of the new upcycled Mumatopia products available at Cultiver! July is finally here and I can’t believe it’s nearly been one year since Mumatopia launched into the world! Lots of people have been asking me if we plan to do another market this year but as I have a birth client due in August, I will be on call that month and unable to commit the time necessary to plan another market. I would like to do something to celebrate though, and will let you know what that is when details are finalised. In the meantime, there is a change to Mumatopia’s website that I’d like to update you on. I have made the difficult decision to close my online shop. There are few reasons for this, one being that I am really busy attending births (which is a great reason) but the main reason is that I have moved virtually all Mumatopia products to a new retail space in Ipswich called Culitiver: Indie Arts & Design in an effort to support the local community retailers who are passionate about promoting ethical, sustainable and original arts and crafts. If you haven’t visited Ipswich’s happenin’ Top of Town precinct yet, you’re in for a treat. The Top of Town is a haven for indie arts, vintage wares, unique giftwares and op shops. For sustainable craftisans like me, it’s a little piece of heaven! Oh, and I forgot to mention the amazing coffee and food available from Bon Laneway, Cactus Espresso Bar and the newly opened Fourthchild. I will still keep my Etsy shop open and will start updating the shop again soon and will also open a product gallery on this website so you can keep up-to-date on my creations and see what’s available. As always, my handmade products will be aimed to inspire gentle and sustainable living by using locally available materials, and materials sourced from op shops and friends. Next time you’re planning a day out, why not pay the Top of Town a visit. I know you’ll just love it, as I do. Sunday 29th May 2011 2.00pm – 2.30pm Robelle Domain Parklands (new park so may not be in your referdex) Springfield – located across from Orion Springfield Town Centre see www.ipswichfestival.com Whoa Tilly’s Tea Party is a colourful, contemporary vaudeville concert for all ages. Tilly, Barbara Fordham’s joyful creation, knows there’s nothing better than a piece of cake, a cup of tea and sharing music with her friends. With her catchy songs and her swinging band (quartet to septet) Tilly leads the audience in singing, (Whoa-oh-oh Cup of Tea!) dancing, (Sugar Da Bop!) and games that stimulate imagination, memory, participation and reflection. Whoa Tilly welcomes guest performers and community talent. Come along for some swinging musical tea party fun! Mumatopia is supporting the Artists’ Pop up shop in the Animated Spaces venue with some brand new creations. To check out what else is happening this week as part of the Ipswich Festival go to the festival website and download the program. Janette Adams taste-tests the Salmon with Proscuitto and Avocado Mash. Yum! Julie Williams (from Live Organic Health), Janette Adams (from Precious Packages) and I had the arduous task of having to taste-test some of the entries to our Mother’s Day Recipe Comp last night. We had about 11 entries to the competition, all with fabulous fresh ingredients. If you’d like to try out any of the recipes, just like the Mumatopia Facebook page and go to the discussion thread titled “recipes”. Okay, so let’s get to the winners. With a beautiful, melt-in-your mouth and easy to bake Raspberry Almond Cake, Alex Watkins has won the postnatal/mumma meal session valued at $190. In second place was Jessica Jackson with her rick and sumptuous Avocado Chocolate Mousse. Jessica has won an in-clinic massage with Julie at Live Organic Health in Kenmore. In third place is Sacha Brown with her Salmon and Proscuitto and Avocado Mash, which was yum! Sacha has won a personal training session with Chloe Street from Street Fit. Congratulations everyone! Please contact me at cas @ mumatopia.com for details on how to claim your prize. Below are the winning recipes (with some slight edits from me): 2 cups frozen raspberries Puree raspberries with juices in a bowl. Beat eggs and sugar till light n fluffy with electric mixer. Add puree and almond meal. Mix well, p0ur into greased pan and cook 60-70mins on 160 degrees Celcius. A drizzle of dark chocolate on it is great :) but a good icing for it is cream cheese icing. (Editor’s note: Or I would drizzle white chocolate on it, and substitute honey for the sugar. If you do use sugar, I recommend halving the amount in this recipe). Gluten Free and Dairy Free but high in salicylates (avocado, almonds). For a nut alternative you could use cashews which are not high in salicylates and amines and substitute pears for the raspberries. Really you could substitute just about any fruit in this recipe. Avocado Chocolate Mousse by Jessica Jackson 1 avocado Whiz in blender – that simple! Great with strawberries (and raspberries!). This recipe is gluten free, dairy free but high in salicylates (avocado). If you are sensitives to cacao or cocoa, simply substitute carob powder. Salmon, Prosciutto and Avocado Mash by Sacha Brown Serves 2 (simply add more salmon to increase servings. We found one fillet too much for one person) 2 pieces of Salmon skin off and de-boned Hollandaise (optional but we made it and it really finished the dish off beautifully) 1 egg yolks, Get a pan really hot (almost Smoking) with a splash of olive oil, rub a little sea salt on salmon skin and take pan off the heat and turn down the element to medium heat and return for 2-3 minutes and flip the salmon and seal on that side for a minute, place in oven at 180°C for 5-10 minutes depending how you like it. In the same frying pan, using the juices from the salmon, sweat diced onion and prosciutto in a frying pan. Add spinach/watercress to the pan, place on lid and sweat. Scoop out avocado flesh and place in the pan and mash with a fork (or prepare earlier and mash before putting in to save time) until all is combined, season to taste and add a squeeze of lime juice. Remove salmon and let it rest for 2 minutes and remove mash from heat and cover while you prepare the Hollandaise sauce. Hollandaise Melt butter in Thermomix, microwave or pot, until it is clarified. To assemble, place mash on plate with salmon on top with either lemon juice or hollandaise, enjoy!!!!! Add some steamed veges as a side dish. Gluten free and could be dairy free with substitute of olive oil for clarified butter in the Hollandaise sauce. High in Salicylates (avocado) but you could replace the avocado mash with potatoes. Mumatopia is excited to announce our Mother’s Day recipe competition. The challenge? Create a recipe new mums would love, with real ingredients (no commercially processed food). Simply “like” Mumatopia on Facebook and post your recipe in the “Recipes” discussion tab on the Mumatopia Facebook Page for your chance to win! 1st prize: A 3 hour Mumatopia Postnatal/Mumma Meals session valued at $190 (includes provision of organic/whole food ingredients, and at least 2 complete family meals prepared fresh in your kitchen!) 2nd prize: A massage by Live Organic Health’s Julie Williams in her Kenmore clinic valued at $80 3rd prize: A Personal Training Session with Street Fit valued at $40 Entries close on Mother’s Day, May 8th! Anyone can enter but, for obvious reasons, you may gift your prize to someone else if you don’t live in Brisbane or Ipswich. I’ve entered my recipe, what now? We’ll announce the winners in Mumatopia’s newsletter and on the Mumatopia website/blog after our taste-test. Subscribe to Mumatopia’s e-newsletter on the “Welcome to Mumatopia” page on Facebook or in the link in the inner right hand column on this website, so you don’t miss the announcement! We’ll choose our favourite recipes to sample. Then our panel of expert judges: Janette from Precious Packages, Chloe Street from Street Fit & Julie from Live Organic Health will help me taste-test to choose the winners! Good luck! In April only when you book a combined package with Mumatopia and Live Organic Health we are also offering the following bonus gifts. Mumatopia – Ipswich - $30 on line store Gift Voucher Live Organic Health – Brisbane - $30 Massage Gift Voucher and – Beautiful Baby Hush Organic Essential Oil Blend from The Perfect Potion. Yoga Baby – Toowong - 10% discount on 1 of the following options: 2. Mummy and Me Beginner Yoga Classes As usual, a basket of goodies just for mum is also provided from Cas at Mumatopia on her first visit. Natures Bounty Organic’s – Brisbane- Free freight with an organic box order over $35 Precious Packages Store – Ipswich Sue Herbert Physiotherapist – Pilates Classes – Upper Brookfield One term of pilates classes $100 (normally $140) Last night we drew the prize winners for the Precious Packages and Mumatopia Queensland Flood Relief Raffle. We’d like to thank everyone who bought tickets and donated prizes. The response was awesome, especially considering there have been so many fundraising events these past few weeks. Together we raised $1790 for the Premier’s Flood Relief Appeal. Major prizes were donated by Fuze Hair and Body, East Ipswich, Chasing Purple Dreams, Popeto Portraits, Birch Carroll & Coyle, Trevallan Lifestyle Centre, Precious Packages, Esteem Jewellery, The Wine Club, Mumatopia, Jam Pot Candles, Power Mums, Gemutlich, Boutique Tres Chic, Just Lush Make Up & Beauty, Master Therapies, Hillview Restaurant, Gawdy Green Copy & Print, Vintage by Lou Lou, Vanilla and Rose, Lavender Leadlights, Violet Spice, Deann’s Coffee House, Jodi Cleghorn, Jax Naps, Liz Kirkham, Terry Currie, Whole Woman Magazine, Birthing Journeys, Wirey Beads, Mixed Spice, Poetic Gifts, Under the Stairs, the Home Midwifery Association and Pineapple Productions. I hope that I haven’t overlooked anyone but if I have, please let me know. Okay, so now for the prize winners: Winners of the $150 prize packs are: Huge congratulations to all of the winners. As soon as we’ve done a final count of the proceeds we’ll update this post with the details. Thanks so much, Cas and Janette Retreat Massage options: 1 hr massage (relaxation,remedial,deep tissue,pregnancy,reflexology) with aromatherapy essential oils $35 (normally $70); 1.5 hr massage (styles as above) $55 (normally $90). Our $275 earlybird rate is available until March 1st. Book today so you don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity to restore your mind, body and spirit. *the prize is for an in-clinic massage back in Brisbane, after the retreat. Bookings are starting to come in for the May Mums’ Retreat at Mount Barney Lodge, which Janette and I are sooo excited about, and to acknowledge the mammoth effort many women have put in to volunteer/get their homes back on track etc, we’ve decided to offer an earlybird special for the retreat. If you book before 1 March, 2011, you’ll pay the earlybird rate of $275 (a saving of $50). If you book before 1 April, the rate is $300 and after that the full rate of $325 applies. So, if you’ve been thinking about coming along on the retreat, book now so you don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity to restore the mind, body and spirit, to inspire the rest of your year! The Mount Crosby Weir after the flood. I hardly know where to begin. It feels like the past week has contained the events of a year. My son comes home from South Australia on Monday and I feel like it has been an eternity since he left. So much has happened and we are forever changed. Firstly, I just want to say, that despite our family’s proximity to the Brisbane River near Mount Crosby, we are safe and well and our property unharmed. We are blessed to live on a big hill overlooking the river. We usually can’t see it as there’s a hill in front blocking our view but we have had a great view the past week (which we didn’t fully appreciate given what that mean’t). Secondly, we have been saddened that good friends of ours have lost everything and are now in the process of cleaning up and rebuilding their lives. Thirdly, I am so wrapped with our community’s response to the floods. It is amazing to watch and to be a part of. We have spent the majority of our time helping people we know but I love to hear that people are reaching out and helping others who they don’t know. It’s the ultimate in paying it forward! Thank you to everyone who is out there volunteering and mucking in! You’re all awesome! Mumatopia is offering the following: I will offer my doula service free of charge for any pregnant woman in the Ipswich/Lockyer region, who is due between now and mid February. I can take on a maximum of two clients. Also, Mumatopia and Precious Packages are jointly coordinating a raffle to raise money for the Premier’s Flood Appeal. Please visit the Facebook event we have set up with further info on this: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=138398329553619. Prizes on offer thus far include an original painting by local artist Kylie Stevens, a family pack of Mumatopia sandwich wraps, an $100 gift pack from Precious Packages, a $50 gift voucher from Gemutlich Kitchenware, a $50 voucher from Boutique Tres Chic and more… We will be bundling up prizes into $150 gift packs unless they are worth much more. Tickets are $10 each and available from Gemutlich, Precious Packages, and Deann’s Coffee House. You can purchase over the phone by credit card too, by phoning Janette at Precious Packages on 3281 6020. Winners will be drawn on February 1st and posted here and on Facebook! Like many of you, I’ve been heartbroken upon seeing the images of the devastation caused by the Toowoomba inland Tsunami! And, at the same time, I’m buoyed by the heroism and compassion people have shown each other. Our neighbourhood managed to avoid being flooded, for the most part. It reached a neighbour’s yard and the outside of another neighbour’s fence but, other than that, our main problem was being isolated and without power for several days. Everyone helped each other though. Food was shared. Ice was shared. We sat around a bonfire at night much of the week and bonded. It took a natural disaster for our community to get to know each other. My heart goes out to everyone affected by the flooding. If there is anything Mumatopia can do to help, please let me know. Who are these for? How much is it? What kind of things will we talk about? Can I bring my baby/toddler? Can my partner come? Are other healthcare workers and birth workers welcome? Please phone Cas on 0438 898 706 or email cas@mumatopia.com for further info. A sneak peak of the new Mumatopia Online Store One of my goals with Mumatopia was to connect mums-to-be and mums to the wonderful local boutique businesses in our community that cater to their needs. I started the Mumatopia craft collective with this in mind and it has been great working with other local designers and retailers to get our stuff out there. Since doing a redesign of the Mumatopia website wasn’t enough, I’m pleased to announce that I’ll be launching a new, vastly improved online store in February. The new store will open up opportunities for MORE local artisans, local (mainly Ipswich, South West Brisbane and surrounds) boutique suppliers and retailers to showcase their work and not get lost in the crowd. Mumatopia’s shop will remain an online boutique. I am not planning on creating another Etsy or Madeit, but rather do the opposite: bring together the best, highly recommended designers and retailers that fit with the Mumatopia philosophy of “nurturing and essentials every mum deserves” so that when a customer browses through our shop, they know the products are the best quality, available locally (shipping options will include a pick up option for local buyers). Designers and retailers that join the Mumatopia family (and we’re small so I think that counts as a family) will be able to manage their own stock, do sales online, benefit from Mumatopia gift certificates, and participate in joint marketing and promotional opportunities through the Mumatopia social network. I am now taking expressions of interest from anyone interested in selling their wares through the new Mumatopia online store. Sales will incur a small commission but there are no listing or admin fees and you can list as many items as you want, run sales and add as many pictures as you want. The types of businesses I am looking to include must meet at least one of the criteria for selling on the Mumatopia website. Ie. they must be aimed at nurturing mums-to-be and mums, promote eco-friendly family living, connected parenting, empowered birth or holistic healthcare. They must be boutique (retailers with IRL shops are welcome to apply), independent (no large companies), and appeal to a wide range of consumers. Retailers and suppliers will be handpicked based on their ability to provide beautiful, high quality and practical products backed with excellent customer service and high ethical standards. If you feel that your business would fit well with the Mumatopia philsophy and niche market, please apply via email to cas@mumatopia.com. I look forward to opening my new online shop in a few weeks time! photos curtesy of Mount Barney Lodge. Registration is now open for Mumatopia’s Mums Retreat at Mount Barney Lodge. Visit mumatopia.com/mums_retreat/ for further information and to download the registration form. Book now as places limited! Giant Eco Christmas Star I spent all night last night updating the online store and I’m paying for it this morning… sore throat, heavy chesty cough coming on. Ugh! To say that I”m looking forward to a very boring Christmas is a massive understatement. Life has been way too busy of late and I’m feeling the need to have some quiet space. As mums, we often forget to look after ourselves and I’m no exception. I find my state of mind reflects in the kids’ behaviour. There’s been a lot of shouting in our house of late. It’s a vicious cycle– the kids yell at each other, I yell at them. Not my idea of a balanced family dynamic and certainly not where I want to be with my parenting. So, next year there are going to be some changes for Mumatopia. I’ll be doing only a couple of markets in 2011 and will be refocusing on getting back into doing more birthy/mummy stuff and writing great articles for the Mumatopia website. Once a month, Mumatopia will host a Pregnancy, Birth and Babies support group at the Ellenborough Room, at Precious Packages (17 Ellenborough Street, Ipswich) on a Thursday evening. This will be a facilitated discussion group for women to discuss any issues they may be facing in their pregnancy or as a mum. I am really looking forward to connecting with other mums through this group. Of course, Mumatopia and Mumatopia Collective products will be available year round through the Mumatopia Online Store and via Etsy, Madeit and retailers Handmade Heaven, Precious Packages and Spiral Garden. So grateful for the wonderful support my fledging business has had this year. I am really looking forward to 2011. Next on my agenda is the November Twilight Tastings event at Dancing Tiger Bellydance Studio, above Art Time, Brisbane Street, Ipswich. Idell has asked me to come along and speak about my journey towards gentle parenting, a topic near and dear to my heart. There’ll be other guest speakers on the night plus a lovely array of goodies available for sale including organic produce by Westfalen Community Gardens, homewares from Vintage by Lou Lou, Candles from Jam Pot and more. I’ll also have lots of goodies available from the Mumatopia Collective including sandwich wraps, eco gift tags, affirmation bracelets, soap nuts, upcycled baby and children’s clothes, soft toys, baby wraps, and more. I am also busy preparing stock for the opening of the new Precious Packages store in Ellenborough Street, Ipswich (next door to Bon Laneway and around the corner from Cactus Espresso Bar). I am so excited about Janette’s new shop. not only because she stocks Mumatopia goodies but because she is openning up a community space for arts, crafts and community workshops in a back room behind the shop. I will be booking the space once a month to run information sessions and workshops and have plans to include some fabulous guest speakers to talk about birth, parenting, nutrition and eco-friendly family living. Look out for a schedule of workshop topics in the New Year! The official opening of the new Precious Packages will be on November 16th at 6.30pm. Come along and check it out! On November 20th, the biggest Handmade Expo for the year will be on and Mumatopia will be there, all decked out with fabulous eco friendly homewares, baby and mums goodies and upcycled fashion. I am am thrilled that Soluman O’Gaia will be back with his original live Jazz & Blues music pumping out all day for the pleasure of the customers and stallholders alike. Soulman has performed with Xavier Rudd, John Butler, Paul Kelly, Archie Roach and Tex Perkins so come on down and grab yourself a Soul CD – you won’t be disappointed. There’ll also be firemen models from the Fireman calendar and the usual Swanbank Steamtrain rides. And all this just in November alone! Don’t forget that if you can’t make it to one of these fabulous events, you can always order direct from the Mumatopia Online Store and keep tabs on the world of Mumatopia on Facebook. Till next time…. Cas. ps: The Queensland Times published a great article about my douula service yesterday. Check it out at: http://www.qt.com.au/story/2010/11/02/cas-helps-mothers-to-labour-with-love/. We have a fabulous auction package on offer for tomorrow night’s Bling for Babies event (probably tonight by the time you read this). Included in our pack is: $500 voucher for child/family photography session from Popeto Portraits featuring approx. $500 worth of product from the Mumatopia Collective, including: We are so happy we could contribute such a fantastic auction package to this event. Mandy and I look forward to seeing you there! Yesterday I had the privilege of visiting the Ipswich Hospital Special Care Nursery (SCN) and I wanted to share the experience to highlight how our support for these vulnerable babies can make a HUGE difference. The SCN is located right next door to the birth suites. This means that those few babies who need urgent medical help right after birth and in the first crucial days of life, are seen to quickly and their mums aren’t far away. When I walked into the room, there were mums and dads cuddling their babies, mums breastfeeding tiny newborns and friendly, compassionate staff on hand to answer any questions. Staff actively encourage breastfeeding and expressing for sick newborns in the SCN and parents are encouraged to touch and talk to their babies, even if they are unable to hold them. Facilities in the SCN are fantastic, but keeping up with new technology is expensive. For instance, if a new piece of equipment is being used to treat certain conditions, usually the larger tertiary hospitals (Mater Mothers’ and Royal Women’s) can afford to get these first. If a baby’s treatment requires newer technology or more intensive care, they need to be transferred to the larger hospitals but in many cases, babies could stay at Ipswich if the equipment was available in Ipswich (ie. sometimes it’s not a matter of more intensive care but just having the right equipment). Being able to keep babies closer to home is important, especially when parents may live outside of Ipswich city. A drive to the Mater from some country areas involves a 4 hour round trip. This means extra costs for families whose babies may need more specialised care and equipment. Your support for Bling for Babies could help the Ipswich Hospital Foundation to fund new technology that can not only save babies’ lives but mean the difference between a baby being cared for closer to home or far away. Mumatopia and Popeto Portraits are proud to get behind this fantastic event. We are donating a major prize worth approx. $1000 to be auctioned off on the night. Our prize includes a child/baby photoshoot by Popeto Portraits (including prints), featuring products by Mumatopia Collective members Mumatopia, Precious Packages, Little Brown Dog, Bubbayaya, Fordicia, Bubba Chenille, Sunshine Tots, Violet Spice, and Vintage by Lou Lou. And you get to keep all the products used in the photoshoot! For your chance to bid on this fantastic prize, all you need to do is attend the Bling for Babies fundraising event will be held at UQ Ipswich Campus Library, next Wednesday night, 13th October at 6pm. Tickets are just $10 each for this cocktail event. Get some girlfriends together, treat yourself and your partner to a fun evening out and get your tickets online via the www.blingforbabies.com.au website today or pay on the night! We look forward to seeing you there! ps: It’s not too late to donate your odd bits of unused jewellery. Anything, even single earings and broken necklaces, will be of value. Lots of people make jewellery these days and your odd earing may be upcycled into something else. To donate, simply drop off at a participating Heritage Building Society branch at Riverlink, Booval Fair, Karalee or Springfield. You can also drop off jewellery to the Ipswich Hospital Foundation, Ipswich Health Plaza, Lower Ground Level, 21 Bell Street Ipswich. pps: And don’t forget that if you purchase a pod from Brad Kearton’s Jewellery prior to the event, you could be in the running to win a diamond worth approx $2000. Have some old jewellery that hasn’t seen the light of day for awhile? Then how about donating it to help raise money for the Ipswich Hospital Special Care Nursery through the Bling for Babies fundraising evening. Mumatopia and Popeto Portraits are joining forces to support this unique event which will be held on 13th October 2010 from 6pm at UQ Ipswich Campus Library! We’ll let you know how a bit later in the week! To donate, simply drop your unwanted jewellery in participating Hertiage Building Society Branches or the Ipswich Hospital Foundation at the Ipswich Health Plaza on Bell Street. To attend the fundraising evening purchase tickets online for just $10.00. The evening will feature auctions, grab bags, and your chance to win a diamond donated by Brad Keaton Jewellers. The evening will include a glass of champagne on arrival, finger foods throughout the event and an opportunity to place bids on auction items and fill a grab bag for $10. All money raised goes towards the Special Care Nursery – Ipswich Hospital I am thrilled to announce the birth of The Mumatopia Collective. We are a group of local artisans, designers and crafty women who are committed to making and selling high quality products that promote one or more of the following: Over the past year I have had the privilage to get to know each of these wonderful artists and as mums need more than just sandwich wraps and affirmation bracelets, I decided to open up the Mumatopia Online Store and market stalls (where possible) to this select group of designers and businesses so that mums far and wide could access the fabulous array of sustainable style and mum/baby/family friendly products available right here in Ipswich, Queensland, Australia. That’s right folks, Ipswich has a thriving community of people who are passionate about sustainable living and style! Most of the products in store are handmade, upcycled from repurposed materials or use organic materials. Some items coming soon will be provided by interior designers Vintage by Lou Lou and Janette Adams from Precious Packages. So, here’s who’s on board thus far:
Lime pants by Bubbachenille $25 in store now! Miriam Bain from Bubbachenille makes funky kids clothes and accessories from preloved chenille and is also a third of the Handmade Expo team, and a member of Bristyle, an industrious group of ETSY sellers in the greater Brisbane area. Violet Spice Singlet & Skirt set $36 including postage. Rachel Ballard from Violet Spice makes beautiful baby & toddler clothing, made from both upcycled & new materials. Most items are one of a kind and all are handmade. Upcycled t-shirt ($32) and linen skirt ($38) hand screen printed and made by Little Brown Dog Rebecca Lewis from Little Brown Dog is a compulsive op-shopper and maker of new things from old treasures, donated stashes and rescued landfill. Bec has taken the Ethical Clothing Pledge and is an organiser of The Little Market at Avid, in Brisbane’s West End. Her blog is a delightful inspirational space. This beautiful linen Frog soft toy by Bubbayaya Toys ($40). Kirsten Salisbury from Bubbayaya Toys makes gorgeous soft toys from quality cotton, linen and felt. Each critter is perfectly stitched and boutique quality. Organic hemp and cotton Eco-baby wrap by Fordicia ($65) Jannie Bech Sperling from Fordicia makes sustainable products for mums and babies. A biologist and environmentalist, mother, doula and breastfeeding counsellor, Jannie is a woman of many talents and is passionately committed to living a sustainable lifestyle and promoting conscious parenting. Organic and luxury soap featured at Vintage By Lou Lou. Product range coming soon to Mumatopia. Louisa Janke from Vintage by Lou Lou (coming soon) is an interior designer, decorator, maker of beautiful handmade things and avid photographer. Louisa is also half of the team that started local support group Ipswich Women in Business. Products that nurture mums and babies with style coming soon to Mumatopia Janette Adams from Precious Packages and Busy Being is a multi-talented interior designer, owner of Precious Packages, maker of quality baby and homewares and organiser of fabulous baby showers at her shop in Sadlier’s Crossing. Janette is the other half of the team that started local support group Ipswich Women in Business. Janette and I will also be joining forces next year to run pregnancy and mum retreats at a beautiful location in Queensland’s scenic rim. Sign up to the newsletter (see box in right hand column) for more information. There will be two more members (other than myself) of the Mumatopia Collective. I am so looking forward to working with these amazing and talented women to bring quality products to mums and babies both in Ipswich and around the world! Postscript: A HUGE Thanks to friends Mandy Young and Kati Krebs who took the lion’s share of photos at our recent product photoshoot. It was a massive effort on their part and the photos are brilliant! Visit Mumatopia, Fordicia and Precious Packages at the Ipswich Baby, Toddler and Child Expo, Sat 25 Sept. Next Saturday, Mumatopia is joining forces with Fordicia and Precious Packages at the Ipswich Baby, Toddler and Child Expo. Baby expos are a terrific way to gather information on products and services available to families in the local community. Stop by and say gidday, enter our free raffle, and learn all about the benefits of having a doula at your birth, hypnobirthing, and Precious Packages wonderful new baby showers. I will have a sign up sheet for information about pregnancy and new mum retreats next year too! We look forward to seeing you there. Please note: Mumatopia does not necessarily endorse all of the products and services exhibited at the Expo. Mumatopia is compliant with the WHO Code of the marketing of breastmilk substitutes and only promotes products and services that promote sustainable family living, empowered birth, connected parenting and hollistic healthcare. Today, Mumatopia joined forces with Bubbachenille, Bubbayaya, Violet Spice, and Little Brown Dog to photograph the clothes that are soon to feature in the Mumatopia Online Store. We decided to follow the laws of chaos theory with this shoot and took lots of unposed shots with little ones playing and interacting with each other and our eight chickens. It was lots of fun. Here is a sneak peak at some of the action! Big thanks to Anna, Kendra, Rowan, Lily, Jackson, Joshua, Eva, Isabella and Samuel and their mummies! September 18, 2010 For those who have been missing Mumatopia in their visits to The Handmade Expo, I’ll be back this month with heaps of new stock. The Handmade Expo is on once a month at the Ipswich Turf Club, Brisbane Road, Bundamba. This month’s Expo features performer Soulman O’Gaia. Soul has featured with John Butler, Paul Kelly, Xavier Rudd, Archie Roach and Tex Perkins. There are also the Swanbank Steamtrain rides going every half hour or so and some of the most amazing handmade talent in the region. If you love to buy local, handmade things for Christmas, birthdays, anything, then come along to The Handmade Expo on September 18th and say gidday! I’ve also heard from Mrs fourthchild that she’ll be giving this market a go this month. If you haven’t experienced cakelove from fourthchild, you must, must, you simply must! Manda is fast becoming a celebrity chef in Ipswich. All I can say is, get in early. Her tasty treats disappear almost as soon as they appear in her display cabinet. On another note, Mrs Precious from Precious Packages and I are going to be at the Ipswich Baby, Toddler and Child Expo on Saturday September 25th and we’ll also be sharing a stall at the next Mount Crosby Country Market on October 3rd. Here’s a write up of the event in Rave Magazine. The event starts at 10am and goes till 5pm and features great jazz, folk and blues music as well as organic food including the to-die-for treats from local pastry genius fourthchild, and sustainable craft. We have quite a thriving underground community of alternative-types here in Ipswich and it is great that we can come out and shine on such a beautiful day. Hope to see y ou there! Venue: Warrego Wines Cnr Warrego Hwy & Seminary Rd Marburg 4306 Have sat down today and added a few extra goodies to the Mumatopia online store. Here’s a peek at what’s in store… Father’s Day is also soon to be upon us. These sandwich wraps might come in handy for the man who has everything. And, there are matching snack wraps for the dad who likes his lunch to be coordinated. I love playing with words. Here are a few creations of mine that are designed to warm the heart and make a statement. 200 guests turned out to celebrate the launch of Mumatopia, Saturday 14 August Oh what a night indeed! More than 200 guests ventured into our little market on Saturday evening to celebrate the launch of Mumatopia. If you ever thought Ipswich women weren’t interested in sustainable style, think again. The goodie bags were a huge hit and were snapped up within 1.5 hours, the pizza guy sold out of pizzas, the stalls had the most beautiful gifts for mums, dads and babies and the entertainment had the littlies absolutely entranced. Who the heck needs a TV character when you have Nadia Sunde and Tim Jackman. Janette’s garden looked spectacular with the fairy lights twinkling away. We managed to raise around $300 for the Ipswich Hospital Foundation, which is awesome and lots of guests walked away with lucky door prizes (we had a lot!). I will post pics in a gallery in the next few days but just wanted to express my gratitude to everyone who made this event such a huge success! If I have accidentally left anyone off, please remind me so I can add you to the list. I did two radio interviews this morning. One on 95five Family FM and one for River 94.9 FM. I tend to waffle, so hopefully they were able to edit it down a bit but glad to know the word is getting out there. Janette and I are stoked at the response to our event and look forward to seeing you all tomorrow. Be sure to dress warmly tomorrow night as those cold August winds might be a blowin’. We’ll do our best to warm you up though. A woodfire pizza and some bellydancing is sure to help! So, if you are one of the lucky 50 people to nab one of these bags at the Mumatopia launch on Saturday afternoon, I’d love to know what you think of your new bag and how you will use it in future. Looking forward to fun (non-windy) Saturday afternoon! Mumatopia is pleased to announce our new business referral network. By joining our referral network your business will benefit through: To find out more, contact Cas at cas@mumatopia.com or 0438 898 706 today! upcycled bibs! Aren't they cute? What a busy week it has been. My living room has threads and fabric everywhere and there are sandwich wraps in odd corners of the house. The cat is wondering why I’m particularly cranky about her presence anywhere near my sewing machine and the kids are counting sleeps till they get their mother back in both body and spirit. I guess I have been a tad pre-occupied. It’s a good thing I don’t run events for a living. Anyway, we’ve added a few extra stall holders to add a bit more variety to the market next Saturday night. In keeping with the theme of nurturing mothers and babies we’ve extended invitations to Chrissy Foreman C, Dash Robin and Baby Beehinds modern cloth nappies. We also have Mary Janke coming along with her essential oils to do hand massages and Janette from Precious Packages has organised a face painter. Bec Lewis from Little Brown Dog has been busy sewing and screen printing the goodie bags. The bibs in the picture are going in the goodie bags along with magazines from Barefoot, vouchers, lots of info from local businesses and some crafty bits and pieces from a couple of our artisan stallholders. We are really proud to be supporting the Ipswich Hospital Foundation Sunshine Circle at this event and will be raffling off a night for two at the Metro International hotel plus two fantastic gift hampers from Precious Packages and Three Little Indians. We are also giving away heaps of door prizes. We have gifts from yours truly, Babymummas, A Little Original, Little Brown Dog, Handmade Heaven, Gemutlich Kitchenware, Veitablu, Pineapple Productions and Nadia Sunde, Fordicia, Bubbayaya, Chrissy Foreman C, Linda’s Lingerie, Spiral Garden, Vintage by Lou Lou, Urban Day Spa, Fiddlewood House, Boutique Tres Chic, L’abundance, Dancing Tiger Bellydance Studio, and Go Fair! We also have some tasty treats from Janette and I, Fourthchild, Veitablu and there will be Woodfire Pizzas for sale. I’m really looking forward to a great party next Saturday afternoon and evening and look forward to seeing you there! Be sure to spread the word! Janette and her partner Daniel have been busy working on their garden to make room for the seven canopies we’ll be putting up to house our fantastic artisans, displays and performers. We have a lovely mix of gifts on offer from some brilliant local artisans who make lovely stuff for mums and babies including Fordicia, A Little Original, Little Brown Dog, Babymummas, Mumatopia, Jet Beads and Craft, Chrissy Foreman Cranitch, plus the sustainable couture collection from Boutique Tres Chic. We have also added newbie soft toy desiger Babbayaya to the mix and I’m hoping to get a maker of modern cloth nappies along as well. So, gifts for mums and gifts for babes and children. Door Prizes: Just by walking through the gate on the night you could win a fabulous door prize. Thus far prizes include a gift hamper from Mumatopia, voucher from Urban Day Spa, Jewellery from Fiddlewood House, eco-jewellery from Chrissy Foreman C, A teething doll from Spiral Garden, a $100 voucher from Linda’s Lingerie, CDs from Go Fair, A baby wrap from Babymummas, 5 class voucher from Dancing Tiger Bellydance, CD from Nadia Sunde and Pineapple Productions, An upcycled carry bag from Little Brown Dog, a bird cushion from A Little Original, items from Boutique Tres Chic, Fordicia, and the Ipswich Hospital Foundation, a cook book from Gemultch kitchenware and more…. Raffle to support Sunshine Circle at the Ipswich Hospital Foundation: You could win a night for two at the Metro Ipswich International Hotel by entering our raffle in support of the Ipswich Hospital Foundation. Second and third prizes are gift hampers from Precious Packages and Three Little Indians. Tickets just $2 each or 3 for $5. My parents recently stayed at the Metro and had a lovely experience. They said they’d recommend it to anyone needing accommodation in Ipswich. Plus it is central to some of the new cafes popping up in town such as Busy Beat and Deann’s Coffee House, the Ipswich Central Markets and the lovely boutiques along Brisbane Street. Goodie Bags: Reusuable upcycled goodie bags will be up for grabs for the first 50 guests through the gate. These are packed with LOTs of goodies including vouchers, Barefoot magazines, baby bibs, handmade bookmarks, and useful info (no rubbish allowed). Live music: We are honoured to have kindie Indie performer and ABC Presenter Nadia Sunde performing at 4.30pm and signing CD’s afterwards as well as King of Kids, Tim Jackman singing some singable songs. Both are top class performers and they are entertaining us curteosy of Pineapple Productions. Later on Idelly Wadley, semi-finalist in Australia’s Got Talent, will wow us with her bellydancing. Did you know bellydancing is a great exercise for pregnancy as it works the pelvic floor muscles gently. Bellydance was first invented to show women how to prepare for and move in childbirth. Guest Speakers: We are excited to have two fantastic guest speakers, Debby Gould from Birthtalk and Dr Sarah Buckley, author of Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering. These two wonderful women will be speaking at 6.30pm to help me launch Mumatopia into the world. Food: Gourmet woodfire pizzas on sale on the night thanks to the Woodfire Pizza guy who’s been frequenting Ipswich markets of late, plus we’ll have additional goodies by Fourth Child, Mumatopia, Precious Packages, and Veitablu to snack on during the evening. So there you have it! It’s going to be fabulous. Look foreward to seeing you there! ps: there will be baby change facilities and some seating for breastfeeding and tired parents. Feel free to bring your own chairs too if you want to hang around and enjoy the entertainment. pps: There was an article in the Queensland Times today. Here’s the link: http://www.qt.com.au/story/2010/08/04/Mum-sets-up-firm-Mumatopia-women-with-pregnancy/. Please note that as a doula I support any woman, regardless of how she births or whether or not she wants a completely natural birth. Your birth, your way! I was at the Mount Crosby Country Market, minding my own business, when a familiar face entered my canopy. It was none other than Kerryanne Farrer, a brilliant arts producer who I happened to work with at The Woodford Folk Festival many moons ago. I love it when you can take off where you left off. We hadn’t seen Kerryanne for 10 years. In the meantime we had spawned three children and created a life out in this lovely semi-rural area near Mount Crosby. Kerryanne, it turned out lived around the corner. Well, what a delightful surprise. So, we’ve wasted no time getting re-acquainted and when the Queen Bee her self said “hey, how would you like some entertainment for your launch event?” I of course jumped at the opportunity. So, performing at the launch will be the soulful Nadia Sunde and King of the Kids, Tim Jackman. Both sing and play music that appeals to all ages and I’m really, really excited that they were keen to play at my little gig (which has now turned into a big gig). So, thanks KA and Pineapple Productions. You’re awesome. And I should also mention the wonderful Idell Wadley who is going to mesmerise us with her bellydancing! The generosity of these quality performers has warmed my heart. Onto other news, I just spoke to the Ipswich Hospital Foundation today about having a raffle at the launch to raise some much needed cash for the Sunshine Circle, the Ipswich Hospital Foundation’s children’s hospital charity arm. I thought, what better way to give back to the community. So, we’re going to raffle off a beautiful prize hamper on the night of the launch. We have a rheeem of door prizes too. Linda’s Lingerie have offered us a $100 voucher, Dancing Tiger Bellydance Studio have offered us 5 weeks of a Zumba or Bellydance class (I did the Zumba class tonight and it is not only a great workout but loads of fun, especially when you screw up the samba steps), There are prizes from all of our stallholders as well as a few local and synergistic businesses and we’ve been busy gathering goodies from a lot of local and synergistic businesses for our handmade, and reusable goodie bags. Today I also had an email from Barefoot Magazine who have offered us 50 back issues of their fabulous magazine. I am one happy Muma! Thanks to everyone for their amazing support. I feel love and honoured. More updates coming in the next few weeks. I love Reverse Garbage. Love it! Love it! Love it! Did I say I love it? The other day the peeps and I went for our semi-regular trip into the West End to throw ourselves into the goodies and trinkets galore that abound in Reverse Garbage. We came home with an airconditioning duct which has provided endless inspiration and entertainment and has included science experiments (will the chickens walk through the duct or just try to eat it? Can we use the duct as a garbage shoot into the bin below the deck? How long does it take for us to climb through the duct and who is the fastest?), obstacle courses, competitions and all round fun and games. Master 10 came home with two huge electrical reels and proceeded to try and ride them like a wheelchair, uphill no less. Master 5 and I scored some laminate samples which he is going to use to (apparently) make a door and I am going to use to make some pretty, inspirational wall hangings. Here’s what I started with: And here’s what I ended up creating: The theme for the evening will be “nurturing mums & babies” and we’ve invited some very special, very skilled local artisans to display their products for sale on the night. Janette and I are also working hard on procuring prizes for a massive prize pack giveaway on the night. We already have some fabulous gift hampers up for grabs from Precious Packages, Three Little Indians and Mumatopia as well as items from Go Fair, Spiral Garden, A Little Original and Little Brown Dog. By the end of next week there’ll be even more! At any point in the evening you could win a fabulous prize, just by walking through the door. There’ll goodie bags for guests and a couple of guest speakers too, not to mention yummy food. More details will be forthcoming in the next few weeks but I wanted to give my loyal fans the heads up first so that you can mark the date in your diary. Our boutique market will run from 4pm to 8.30pm, on August 14th. I look forward to seeing you there! Bec's fabulous upcycled, preloved tee with a vintage photographic screen printed image on repurposed linen. Bec and I had a wonderful time at the Mount Crosby Country Market today. It was great to see so many familiar faces and we really enjoyed the festive, family atmosphere. Congratulations to Ruth O’Dowd from Go Fair who did a supurb job organising the markets and getting the event off the ground. Bec and I plan to be there next month, so be sure to stop by and visit our stall. I’m ecstatic that there is a great family market 2 minutes from my home. Even the kids had a great time when they came by for a visit later in the morning! Master 5 proudly announced that he was licked by a goat in the animal nursery and Master 10 showed me footage on Wayne’s iphone of him holding a duck. Master 10 is a champion chicken catcher so he was proud as punch to have managed to tuck a duck under his wing (pardon the pun). Bec showed off her new range of screen printed tees. I am so impressed with these. Bec uses a screen printing technique called photographic screen printing. I can’t wait for her to show me how it’s done. And these vintage prints are just awesome! Where does she find this stuff? I guess that’s the beauty of upcycling. You never know what treasures you might find hiding in a corner op shop. I love op shopping! It is such a high to find great fabric that needs new life breathed into it. We aren’t being cheap. We are looking for unique and individual pieces that will become one of a kind craft items or clothes. We are reducing our carbon footprint by reusing materials, reducing waste in landfill, buying these items locally and reducing our reliance on imported products that are not produced in a fairtrade environment. For more about upcycling, go and check out Bec’s lovely blog: Little Brown Dog. May you be as inspired as I have been. Until next time…. Muma Cas. Mount Crosby Country Market will be held monthly on the first Sunday of the month. It features multicultural, handmade and eco-friendly products and activities, fresh food, rides and more! You can use your gift certificate for any item in the Mumatopia online store or at any retailer that stocks Mumatopia products (ie. Precious Packages and Handmade Heaven). I will also be announcing special points promotions through the Mumatopia newsletter and via my FACEBOOK page so if you haven’t signed up for either of these, get onto it! Newsletters will likely go out monthly.When you login, you’ll be able to track your points in the sidebar. You can also donate points to another subscriber if you are feeling generous. This might be a great way to buy a friend a gift! There are a few rules to keep things fair and manageable: 1. Only qualifying Mumatopia products, participating artisan products and retailer products can be purchased using the gift certificate. Qualifying items will be marked as “Mumapoints Item” on the Mumatopia online store and at participating retailers. 2. The onus is on the subscriber to notify Mumatopia that you have enough points to redeem a gift certificate. Subscribers must email us at cas@mumatopia.com so that we can verify your points total and send you your gift certificate. 3. Repeated posts, spam posts, pingbacks and trackbacks do not count towards points and will be deleted. In other words, a comment must be genuine to qualify for points. Any items marked as spam will be deleted and the points will be lost. This is so we can ensure only genuinely registered users will be able to redeem points. 4. Your $20 gift certificate does not include postage. So, if you require your items to be posted and redeem points, you’ll still have to pay postage, even if your points tally is less than $20. 5. Your gift certificate will contain a unique code and will only be redeemable once and in a single purchase. 6. Only subscribers who provide their real first name and last name will qualify to redeem points. This is so we know you are a genuine subscriber and so that we know what name to put on the Gift Certificate. Please note: Your privacy is important to us. Therefore, Mumatopia will not distribute any of your personal information to any other individual, organisation or business. We don’t believe that is ethical or good practice. 7. Gift certificates are not transferable but subscribers can donate points to another subscriber if they wish. 8. Mumatopia reserves the right to alter any of the conditions of this promotion at any time and also reserves the right to cancel the promotion at any time, without notice. Join the Mumatopia fan page and win an upcycled sandwich wrap! My whole family has come down with a cold this week, so we’ve spent much of the week in front of the TV, watching kids movies. As such, I haven’t managed to do much else this week. That’s life though and I think it is important to listen to our bodies when they tell us we need rest. I’m not so good at practicing what I preach though, as you can probably tell. And that’s okay! I am no expert and am certainly not perfect. I am fortunate to be surrounded by a wonderful community of women who are experts in one area or another and in the coming months I will be bringing some of this expertise to the Mumatopia website. My vision is for Mumatopia to be the place Ipswich and West Brisso women go to for info on pregnancy, birth, parenting, local resources and sustainable family living. We’re not there yet, but I have no doubt we’ll get there. I also want everyone to know what a rich and diverse community we have here in the Ipswich region. I am continually surprised and enthralled by what I find here. I really love where I live! To help spread the word about Mumatopia, I am offering another giveaway for my Facebook Fans. Please share my page with your friends. When I get to 200 fans I will give away a large, upcycled sandwich wrap valued at $18 recommended retail price. The winner will be announced on this blog and via the new Mumatopia newsletter. So, if you sign up to the fan page, take a moment to also sign up to my newsletter on the “Newsletter” tab (or on the right hand sidebar here) so that you’ll get the news about prizes, comps, giveaways, new articles, markets and promotions before anyone else. As an added incentive to Mumatopia fans, I am giving my FB Fans 20% off of Mumatopia products at Handmade Heaven. If you want to take advantage of this offer you just need to give your FB name to Liesa at the store and she’ll check you’re a fan so she can give you a discount. I will also be offering “market rates” for my products at markets I attend so make sure you sign up for the newsletter if you want more info. Back to bed now! Must get off the puter, must get off the puter…. To pick the winner of the giveaway, each fan was allocated a number between 1 and 104 and with the help of hubby Wayne a winner was randomly picked using a twenty cent coin and a process of elimination. The most unusual way I’ve ever seen anyone pick a winner but there you go. Nyree, if you could please email me at cas@mumatopia.com, I will arrange to make and send your bracelet to you. The next giveaway will be a large sandwich wrap valued at $18 recommended retail price. When I get to 200 fans, I’ll do another giveaway. Thanks so much for your support and for spreading the word about Mumatopia. Yesterday, I had a go at creating my own boxes for my fabric bracelets. I had been wanting to repackage my bracelets for ages but couldn’t find the right box. I went online to look for box patterns and tried the origami boxes first. Turns out I’m not so good at origami! After several attempts, I decided to do a simpler cut out and glue together version. I guess I need more practice at origami. Anyway, here’s the result: The Mumatopia website is a work in progress and I am constantly making small changes and improvements to make it as user-friendly as possible. As part of that, I’ve decided to start a separate blog just for news about the website, to announce new articles available on the website, giveaways and promotions etc. I hope this will make it easier for people to find what they are looking for. The website for the new blog is: www.mumatopia.com/mumatopia-blog. If you want to follow my blog, just register as a user on the Mumatopia website to make comments. Soon I’ll be revisiting my online store as well. Given that I have an Etsy and Madeit store I am going to simplify my online store and make it available direclty on the Mumatopia website. The new online store will only feature items that I cannot sell on Etsy and Madeit. I welcome any feedback that you might have; so feel free to drop me a line or post a note on my new Facebook business page. cheers, Cas I recently bought this gift hamper for a friend. Just beautiful! On Friday morning I visited the lovely Jeanette at Precious Packages and handed over some of my handmade goodies to be added to the wonderful array of gifts available in her store. Jeanette offers a personalised gift service, gift registry for any occasion and specialises in creating gift hampers that are creative, unique and lovely. Her selection of gifts includes home wares, books, decorative items, homemade specialities and treats for you and now it also includes Mumatopia’s It’s a Wrap sandwich and snack wraps, Mumatopia doorknob hangers and Mumatopia affirmation bracelets. Every gift hamper or basket is personally prepared with love and attention. I don’t think I’ll ever buy anyone flowers again! Mumatopia and Precious Packages will be teaming up in the next few months to offer followers of Mumatopia fantastic promotions, so stay tuned to this website and my Facebook page for more info. Contact: Precious Packages is located at 9 Harlin Road Sadliers Crossing QLD 4305. Phone 07 3389 6988. Gift shop opening hours are: Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 9am – 4pm, Saturday 9am – 12noon. By appointment all other times. Handmade Heaven is located in The Old Flour MIll, Brisbane St, Ipswich Yesterday I visited the lovely Liesa at Handmade Heaven and gave her lots of goodies to sell. Liesa is an amazing mum who owns and operates Handmade Heaven in the Old Flour Mill, in Ipswich and she also co-runs The Handmade Expo which is on once a month at the Ipswich Turf Club in Bundamba. I just love Liesa’s store. As soon as you walk in, you are surrounded by handmade treasures, all made with skill and love. Ipswich has some fantastic artisans and that’s one of the reasons Mumatopia features locals who make wonderful things. One of my goals is to encourage mums to source gifts and objects of desire at independent retailers who house handmade, and eco-friendly products. Everytime someone buys something locally made, they not only support local small businesses but also help fight climate change, especially if those items are made from recycled materials. Handmade Heaven will have a stall at The Handmade Expo this weekend. So if you are looking for Mumatopia products such as It’s a Wrap sandwich & snack wraps, Lego sack/mats, affirmation bracelets and door knob hangers, visit Liesa and she’ll be delighted to help you find what you’re looking for. Massage styles include: Contact Ray on 0413 304 972 to make a booking and be sure to mention that you were referred by Mumatopia. You can also purchase a Massage Gift Certificate at our online store to treat someone you love. Mumatopia wil expand our massage team to include other therapists in the coming year. If you are a therapist and would be interested in working with Mumatopia, please contact Cas on 0438 898 706 or cas@mumatopia.com. If I could wind back the clock and transfer the 10 years of accumulated knowledge and experience I’ve gained since becoming a mother, I would! How wonderful it would have been to be able to have the best local resources, products and services at my finger tips when I was struggling with a new baby. Mumatopia is designed to be a mum’s utopia, just as the name suggests… so come and relax here for a while. The main purpose of Mumatopia is to provide a resource for my birth doula clients and women in the Ipswich and South West Brisbane region. The Mumatopia philosophy is “nurturing & essentials every mum deserves”. As such, I partner with a select group of local businesses to meet your needs, when getting out and about can be difficult. Aside from my birth doula service, direct services currently include: mumatopia.comAnnouncing the Mother's Day Competition Winner
admin : May 13, 2012 6:15 pm : Competitions, Events, Mumatopia News, Women
Congratulations to pregnant Brisbane mum of two Heidi Casey who is the winner of the Mumatopia Mother’s Day Competition. Heidi will be joining nine other mums on the Mumatopia and Precious Packages Mums’ Retreat on May 25th for a weekend of pampering, reflection and rejuvenation.Mother's Day competition
admin : May 1, 2012 11:41 am : Competitions, Mumatopia News, Wellbeing, Women
Thanks to a generous donation by an Ipswich Business person, Russ McCarthy of the RusBus, we are able to offer a free place for a mum in need to attend our May 25 to 27 Mums’ Retreat. So, what better way to pay it forward than to hold a competition. Nominate a mum who needs a break or nominate yourself (if you desperately need a break)! Tell us in 100 words or less why they/you need a weekend away, just for you.
Why mums need a break and not just a holiday
admin : March 1, 2012 7:57 pm : Activities, Events, Massage, Mumatopia News, Mumatopia Services, Nutrition, Postnatal support, Practitioners, Pregnancy, Pregnancy & Childbirth, Support groups, Wellbeing, Women, Women's health services
Our new earlybird rate is now just
$399 $300 and includes accommodation, food, craft activities, selfcare workshop, women’s circles, goodie bags, a movie night, yoga, a one hour massage and the support of 4 caring facilitators!Why do women compare their needs to everyone elses
admin : December 13, 2011 7:23 am : Mumatopia News, Mumatopia Services, Support groups, Wellbeing, WomenOn following your inspiration
admin : October 20, 2011 9:44 am : Activities, Events, Mumatopia News, Support groups, Wellbeing
An open letter to the Australian College of Midwives & the Obstetric Lobby
admin : September 22, 2011 10:06 pm : Articles, Mumatopia News, Pregnancy & Childbirth, VBAC, WomenWhy a gentle birth leads to a healthier, kinder and more sustainable earth
admin : September 16, 2011 2:31 pm : Articles, Events, Mumatopia News, Nutrition, Parenting, Pregnancy & Childbirth, pregnancy loss, Wellbeing, Women
Today I celebrate the life I never got to know. It was 3 years ago today that I lost my wee babe in an ectopic pregnancy. He or she would have been about two-years-old by now. I can’t help but wonder how different our family would be had things been different. Despite the grief of losing a baby (losing a baby at any stage of pregnancy is hard), I am feeling gratitude for all the gifts that experience gave me. For one thing, Mumatopia would likely not exist.Winner of the "Win a Week of Mumatopia" Competition
admin : September 3, 2011 8:56 am : Cleaners, Domestic Services, Massage, Mumatopia News, Mumatopia Services, Wellbeing, Women
Well, it has been a tough week of deliberating but we have finally chosen a winner! I have to say this has been one of the toughest competitions I have run. How do you choose who is more deserving of a week of nurturing? The truth is, we all deserve it! So, in the end we chose based on the best written entry, which in our opinion was this one by mum of six, Rachel Dioth:A Personal chef? Now that's Mumatopia!
admin : August 20, 2011 11:20 am : Cleaners, Domestic Services, Mumatopia News, Mumatopia Services, Nutrition, Postnatal support, Pregnancy & Childbirth, Wellbeing, Women
We are delighted to be partnering with Chef Leith James from Hospitality1 to offer mums home-delivered, nutritious family meals. I am still cooking for clients as part of postnatal and mumma nurture packages. However, an increasing number of clients have been asking for food to be prepared and delivered rather than prepared on-site. While I pride myself on the quality of the meals I make, Leith is a fully licensed chef, has access to a commercial kitchen and is able to deliver food to your door. I am only legally able to provide meals on-site as part of a care arrangement (ie. postnatal care) according to Queensland legislation. So, this option is great for those clients who just want the meals and nothing else. You can still arrange for meal delivery if you want to use your postnatal or mumma nurture packages for other tasks (such as cleaning, ironing and breastfeeding support). Just call me for a quote on 0438 898 706.A gift from the river
admin : July 11, 2011 10:05 am : Eco-friendly, Handmade, Ipswich Women in Business, Mumatopia News, Products
Mumatopia moves to Cultiver: Indie Arts & Design
admin : July 7, 2011 10:42 am : Eco-friendly, Etsy, Fair Trade, Handmade, Ipswich Women in Business, Mumatopia News, Products
Mumatopia has reached the 700 followers milestone on Facebook and I’d like to celebrate by giving away one of my beautiful lavender hearts! If you’d like to win, just make sure you’re a “liker” of my page on Facebook and post a comment here telling me what colour heart you’d like! Also, don’t forget that Popeto Portraits is having a heart comp of a different kind at the moment. Vist Mandy’s blog to read all about it!Ipswich Festival is here again!
admin : May 26, 2011 10:42 pm : Activities, Baby-friendly activities, Child-friendly activities, Children, Mumatopia News, Music, Parenting
For those of you not going on the Mums’s Retreat next weekend, there is a fantastic activity planned for Sunday as part of the Ipswich Festival. The Kids Kingdom will be alive with wonder and excitement and Scooby Doo according the brochure. And I just found out a good friend of mine, Barbara Fordham aka Whoa Tilly! Will be performing that afternoon. Here’s a run down of her show!And the winner is...
admin : May 10, 2011 8:02 am : Massage, Mumatopia News, Mumatopia Services, Nutrition, Organic gardening, Postnatal support, Practitioners, Pregnancy, Wellbeing
Raspberry and Almond Cake by Alex Watkins
6 eggs
1 cup sugar
255gm almond meal
1/4 cup honey
2 Tblsp coconut butter/0il (available at Wray Organics)
1/2 cup cacao powder (or cocoa if you don’t have cacao powder)
1 tsp rosewater or vanilla essence,
1/4 tsp salt,
1 tsp macca powder (I didn’t have this so just left it out, not essential to the recipe but adds nutrients)
1/2 onion
2 Avocados
large bunch Watercress or spinach (I left this out because my spinach had accidentally frozen in the fridge)
100-150g prosciutto or bacon! (you could leave this out if you are sensitive or don’t like processed pig meat but you’ll need to add a bit of tamari sauce for flavour).
salt
Pepper
Lime Juice
1 whole egg
2-3 tbs fresh lemon (or lime) juice
pinch of sugar
180g unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, room temp
Salt to taste
grind of peper
Using a blender or stick blender (or hand whisk, which is what I did) whiz egg, juice, and sugar.
Slowly add clarified butter and season to taste.Win a 3 hour postnatal or mumma meals session with Mumatopia worth $190!
admin : April 29, 2011 7:06 pm : Massage, Mumatopia News, Mumatopia Services, Nutrition, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Postnatal Depression, Postnatal support, Pregnancy, Pregnancy & Childbirth, Wellbeing, Women
April Special of the Month
admin : April 21, 2011 8:41 am : Doulas, Massage, Mumatopia News, Mumatopia Services, Nutrition, Postnatal support, Practitioners, Pregnancy & Childbirth, Wellbeing, WomenApril Special of the Month – Bonus Gifts for every combined Mumatopia & Live Organic Health Postnatal Package – Booked in April only!
Use this lovely blend of roman chamomile, lavender, mandarin, sweet orange and sandalwood essential oils to add to a base oil for many hours of fun massage time with your new baby.
1. Active Birth Workshop – 17th April!
This workshop is designed for you and your partner to gain valuable skills and knowledge in massage, breathing, relaxation, vocalization,and birthing positions to help prepare you for an active birth.
(May only)
A great post- birth yoga class to create a balance between your physical needs and emotional states, strengthen pelvic floor, belly and back, learn a unique baby sequence and connect with your baby and other new mums.
Fresh fruit and veg, grocery, dairy, bread, dried fruit and nuts, eggs and toiletries delivered to a variety of pick up points in your local area.
A surprise specially wrapped gift!
While Sue’s classes are not just aimed at new mums for recovery after birth her guidance is extremely valuable for any woman at any time of her life to gain awareness and strength for their body. Best to be used from 6 weeks postpartum.
Register for the May 27 to 29 Mums Retreat and win a massage!
admin : February 17, 2011 7:43 am : Events, Massage, Mumatopia News, Mumatopia Services, Practitioners, Wellbeing, Women
If you book into the May 27 to 29 Mums Retreat, you’ll go in the draw to win a 1 hour therapeutic massage after the retreat* with experienced massage therapist Julie Williams from Mumatopia’s partner business Live Organic Health. At the May 27 to 29 Mums’ Retreat, massage therapy is being offered at greatly reduced rates. Please note that health fund rebates are available (usually around $25 back to you).Mums' Retreat: Earlybird special till 1 March, 2011
admin : February 6, 2011 8:29 am : Events, Mumatopia News, Pregnancy & Childbirth, Wellbeing, Women
New Pregnancy, Birth & Baby Support Group Starts Feb 10, 2011
admin : January 10, 2011 7:55 am : Activities, Antenatal courses, Baby-friendly activities, Doulas, Events, Mumatopia News, Parenting, Postnatal support, Pregnancy, Pregnancy & Childbirth, Support groups, VBAC, Wellbeing, Women, Women's health services
Mumatopia is hosting support groups for mums-to-be and new mums at The Ellenborough Room, Precious Packages, 17 Ellenborough Street, Ipswich, starting in February 2010 and operating monthly from February to October 2011. The group meeting will start at 6.30pm.
Women trying to conceive, pregnant women, and mums with babies and toddlers.
The groups will run on a gold coin donation basis.
Participants will set the agenda for the group discussion. The discussion will be facilitated to ensure a respectful space for all. We may discuss issues related to comfort therapeutic options in pregnancy and birth, birth options and preferences, infant feeding, baby wearing, breastfeeding issues, postnatal depression and other postnatal disorders and issues, feelings about parenting, feelings about birth, relationships after birth and much more.
Yes you can, and we expect women to bring their breastfeeding babies, but if you can leave your older children at home for a couple of hours, you will get more out of the discussion.
Yes, absolutely. This support group is for all parents.
Yes, if you work with women before, during or after birth, we invite you to come and support this group.New online shop launching February 2011!
admin : January 8, 2011 10:16 am : Eco-friendly, Fair Trade, Handmade, Ipswich Women in Business, Mumatopia News, Mumatopia Services, Products, Wellbeing
Mumatopia Mums Retreat Feb 18 to 20, 2011: Registration Open Now!
admin : December 3, 2010 2:02 pm : Events, Mumatopia News, Mumatopia Services, Postnatal support, Pregnancy, Pregnancy & Childbirth, Wellbeing, Women
Giveaway: Most unusual use of your reusable lunch or snack wrap.
admin : November 28, 2010 8:57 am : Eco-friendly, Handmade, Mumatopia News, Products
Yesterday I used one of my snack wraps to wrap an ice gel pack for a crying boy who had hurt his toes. What’s the most unusual thing you’ve used your wraps for? Comment on my blog or the Mumatopia Facebook page and tell us your most unusual use for your wrap to win a free snack wrap for Christmas! Competition closes Monday November 29 at 9am!The great balancing act
admin : November 25, 2010 8:23 am : Antenatal courses, Eco-friendly, Etsy, Handmade, Madeit, Mumatopia News, Postnatal support, Pregnancy, Pregnancy & Childbirth, Products, Support groups, Wellbeing, Women
Beautiful things come in Precious Packages
admin : November 22, 2010 7:25 pm : Activities, Baby-friendly activities, Eco-friendly, Events, Handmade, Ipswich Women in Business, Mumatopia News, Products
I used to love going to Janette’s shop on a Friday night when it was at her Harlin Road house. You’d walk in and be greeted by a big smile, and lots of lovely, relaxed people enjoying some craft, a glass of wine and a good ole gas bag. And the monthly Twilight Trading event is set to be just as delicious at the new Precious Packages, now snuggled in next to Bon Laneway on Ellenborough Street. The first Twilight Trading event at the new venue is this Friday night, 25 November and I am delighted to be invited to have my work featured on the night. This Friday it’s a Christmas theme. There’ll be a Christmas card making workshop and lots of great food and conversation. The event starts at 6pm and goes till 9pm, so if you can sneak out after dinner, it’s a fantastic way to spend a Friday evening. I will be bringing stock from Mumatopia, Little Brown Dog, Bubba Chenille, Violet Spice, and Fordicia and maybe Bubbayaya if she has any spare toys (she’s been very popular and has a market this weekend). My selection will include upcycled and eco-friendly baby and children’s clothes, upcycled toys, eco friendly, upcycled Christmas decorations, gift tags, eco-baby wraps, eco baby wipes, eco breast pads, fabric affirmation bracelets, and of course, my current selection of reusable lunch wraps. I look forward to seeing you there!Christmas is on it's way, the madness begins
admin : November 3, 2010 7:01 am : Activities, Baby-friendly activities, Eco-friendly, Events, Handmade, Mumatopia News, Parenting, Products
Okay so you haven’t heard from me for a couple of weeks. The truth is, I’ve been head down, bum up, sewing like a crazed woman because there are all sorts of things happening in November and December, starting this Friday with Handmade Heaven at the Gatton Christmas in the Country Arts and Crafts Show. I’ve been using up every scrap of material to make eco fabric gift tags this year. These are made from recycled vinyl from Reverse Garbage, and a combination of new fabric, seconds fabric, scraps from my fabric stash and thrift shop upcycled fabric. I handwrite the notes onto calico with a waterproof textile pen so these tags can be handwashed and reused. They also make lovely Christmas tree ornaments and embellishments for scrapbooking. I am making up some custom orders for these this year so if you want some in time for Christmas, I’ll need your order by November 20th!October Handmade Expo this Saturday
admin : October 14, 2010 4:13 pm : Activities, Baby-friendly activities, Child-friendly activities, Events, Handmade, Mumatopia News, Parenting, Products
The October Handmade Expo is on this Saturday, from 8am to 2pm. Mumatopia will be there with Sandwich wraps, affirmation bracelets, soap nuts, organic reusable breastpads and baby wipes, Bubbayaya Toys, fabric gift tags, clothes from Little Brown Dog, and baby wraps. Come and say gidday! I’ll be there rain, hail or shine…. hopefully shine. After this weekend the boys and I (sans hubby) are heading south for a week’s camping… no puters, no Facebook and no rain hopefully! If you need something urgently, please phone me or text me.Mumatopia & Popeto Portraits $1000 Bling for Babies Auction Package up for grabs
admin : October 12, 2010 10:59 pm : Community Health Services, Eco-friendly, Events, Handmade, Ipswich Women in Business, Mumatopia News, Products
Birth Film Night: Birth! How it can and should be
admin : October 11, 2010 7:24 am : Antenatal courses, Events, Mumatopia News, Pregnancy, Pregnancy & Childbirth, VBAC, Women
Help babies get the special care they need by supporting Bling for Babies
admin : October 8, 2010 7:59 am : Community Health Services, Events, Mumatopia News
How to win a diamond!
For your chance to win a diamond simply pre-purchase a pod for $20 from Brad Kearton Jewellers (Ipswich Mall) and bring it with
you on the night! Pods also available for purchase on the night for $20.Announcing the new Mumatopia Collective
admin : September 24, 2010 8:09 am : Eco-friendly, Fair Trade, Handmade, Ipswich Women in Business, Mumatopia News, Products, Women
Ipswich Baby, Toddler & Child Expo Sat 25 September
admin : September 19, 2010 9:51 am : Activities, Baby-friendly activities, Child health services, Child-friendly activities, Children, Doulas, Events, Mumatopia News, Parenting, Women
Nine littlies, seven mummies, eight chooks and five cameras = crazy photoshoot
admin : September 15, 2010 2:18 pm : Eco-friendly, Handmade, Mumatopia News, Products
Mumatopia is nearing 300 fans on Facebook, so to celebrate, when my page reaches 300 fans, I’ll giveaway an upcycled fabric gift/luggage tag with the saying of your choice. Sayings must be 10 words or less. What can you come up with? Get your creative juices flowing and message me on Facebook to enter the competition. Only Mumatopia fans are eligible to enter so make sure you “like” my page for your chance to win.Mumatopia back at The Handmade Expo
admin : September 12, 2010 4:59 pm : Activities, Baby-friendly activities, Child-friendly activities, Events, Handmade, Mumatopia News, Music, ProductsAll set for Soulful Spring Sounds Festival
admin : September 11, 2010 7:27 am : Activities, Baby-friendly activities, Child-friendly activities, Eco-friendly, Events, Handmade, Mumatopia News, Music, Products
I know this is really short notice but I wanted to let you all know about a new annual festival launching today out at Warrego Wines near Marburg. It’s FREE ENTRY and is going to be lots of fun. Mumatopia and Little Brown Dog will be there with our peeps and our sustainable craft and upcycled fashion. So make sure you come and say hello.New additions to the Mumatopia Online Store
admin : August 19, 2010 5:47 pm : Eco-friendly, Fair Trade, Handmade, Mumatopia News, Products
Oh what a night! 200+ come to celebrate the launch of Mumatopia
admin : August 15, 2010 5:47 pm : Activities, Baby-friendly activities, Children, Eco-friendly, Events, Fair Trade, Handmade, Ipswich Women in Business, Mumatopia News, Music, Products, Women
Big Thank yous to the following:
Just one sleep to go till the Mumatopia launch & boutique market
admin : August 13, 2010 1:17 pm : Activities, Baby-friendly activities, Child-friendly activities, Eco-friendly, Events, Fair Trade, Handmade, Mumatopia News, Music, Parenting, Products
We are putting the finishing touches on preparations for tomorrow’s Mumatopia launch and boutique market. I am madly baking away. Nicole just came over and turned my mop into a work of art (my hair that is) and the kids are sneaking treats from the fridge. Hopefully they won’t sneak too many as we’ll need them to feed guests tomorrow night.2 sleeps to go till the Mumatopia Launch & Boutique Market
admin : August 12, 2010 8:59 pm : Activities, Baby-friendly activities, Child-friendly activities, Eco-friendly, Events, Mumatopia News, Music, Parenting, Products
When it comes to nurturing mums, I don’t like to do things by halves and I’m so pleased that friends I have made over the past few months, from likeminded Ipswich businesses, feel the same way. We thought about giving away the usual paper bag full of business cards but decided that we wanted to step it up a notch and provide something really unique…. thus the fabric, upcycled goodie bag was born. My friend Bec, from Little Brown Dog, designed, sewed and screen printed these bags herself. The best thing is that they can be reused in so many ways and are too good to throw away! And I haven’t even gotten to what’s inside. Yes there are a few business cards but we only included businesses that we felt were useful to mums and that promoted wellness, family connection and sustainable living. There’s also Barefoot magazines, an upcycled baby bib, samples from Miessence organic skincare range, handmade bookmarks, gift vouchers, and lots of useful resources and information. Can you tell I’m really proud of our efforts?
5 sleeps to go till the Mumatopia Launch & Boutique Market
admin : August 9, 2010 9:36 pm : Activities, Baby-friendly activities, Child-friendly activities, Events, Mumatopia News, Music, Parenting
Only 10 days to go till the Mumatopia launch & boutique market
admin : August 4, 2010 10:13 am : Activities, Baby-friendly activities, Child-friendly activities, Events, Mumatopia News, Music, Parenting
With only 10 days to go till the Mumatopia launch, I thought I’d give you an update on what we have on offer on the night.And the winner is...
admin : August 1, 2010 4:14 pm : Eco-friendly, Handmade, Mumatopia News, Products
Congratulations to Janice Smith Gisler who has won a large, upcycled, reuseable sandwich wrap valued at $18 in my 200 Facebook Fan giveaway. My range of upcycled wraps makes the best use of available resources by reusing quality preloved material from local op shops, friends’ stashes and remnant bins. It’s amazing what you find at Lifeline! Using upcycled material means that each of these wraps gets a second life. Large reusuable sandwich wraps fit up to three sandwiches or larger rolls, blocks of cheese and more. They are handy for day trips and eskies! After use, the wraps can simply go in the washing machine with everything else and be line dried for reuse. No more nasty cling wrap! The next giveaway is, you guessed it, when I hit 300 fans. So, be sure to tell all your friends about Mumatopia!August Mount Crosby Country Market
admin : July 26, 2010 7:28 pm : Activities, Baby-friendly activities, Eco-friendly, Events, Fair Trade, Handmade, Mumatopia News, Music, Products
Bec (from Little Brown Dog) and I are going to have a stall at the Mount Crosby Country Market again, this Sunday August 1st. I’ll have more reusable It’s a Wrap sandwich and snack wraps with some new and not so new (ie. upcycled) fabrics. I ran out of boy designs last time so have focused on making more this past week plus some new large wraps in time for Father’s Day. Will also have more fabric affirmation bracelets and brooches and hopefully some new inspirational door and wall hangings. I’m also hoping to have some new fully washable, fully weather proof luggage tags. Bec’s got some fabulous upcycled designer clothes, toys and cushions, eco jewellery and lovely screen printed tees with vintage artwork. If you want direct info about the Mount Crosby Country Market, their website is listed in my links column under Ipswich Activities (yes, I know. Technically not Ipswich but close enough). I won’t be there in September as I’ll be at the Gold Coast and Bec’s going away to the UK in October so this is your last chance to snag some eco friendly and upcycled goodies from us at this particular market for awhile! The Mount Crosby Country Market is on from 8am to 2pm, Sunday, August 1st at the Mount Crosby State School Oval. See you there!Mumatopia launch a feast of family entertainment
admin : July 22, 2010 9:41 pm : Activities, Baby-friendly activities, Child-friendly activities, Children, Events, Mumatopia News, Music, Parenting, Pregnancy & ChildbirthNew love for old garbage
admin : July 21, 2010 3:50 pm : Activities, Baby-friendly activities, Child-friendly activities, Children, Eco-friendly, Handmade, Mumatopia News, Products
The birth of Mumatopia: August 14, 2010
admin : July 13, 2010 12:51 am : Activities, Baby-friendly activities, Events, Mumatopia News, Music, Pregnancy & Childbirth, Women
Mumatopia launch & boutique twilight market
admin : July 7, 2010 10:02 pm : Activities, Baby-friendly activities, Mumatopia News, Products, Women
It has taken months for me to feel like I have things on track for Mumatopia. My vision was to combine my passion for birth and gentle parenting with my passion for writing and to give the women who live in this beautiful region lots of fantastic information on quality, local resources to assist them on their pregnancy and parenting journeys. I finally feel like everything is coming together as it should and so, on August 14th, I am celebrating with an intimate boutique market at Precious Packages, 9 Harlin Road, Ipswich. Janette from Precious Packages is one of two retail partners for Mumatopia and because Janette’s shop is just beautiful and in a great location, we both agreed that it was the perfect place to launch Mumatopia. I am so grateful to Janette for her generosity.Family fun at the Mount Crosby Country Market
admin : July 4, 2010 7:36 pm : Activities, Baby-friendly activities, Events, Mumatopia News
New multicultural family market opens at Mount Crosby
admin : July 1, 2010 10:58 am : Activities, Baby-friendly activities, Events, Mumatopia News, Products
I love Mount Crosby and it saddens me no end that our current Queensland Government seems to want to turn this beautiful, historical village and its surrounding suburbs on the curve of the upper Brisbane river, into a quarry, a housing development and a humungus power station. Residents are fighting back though and a renewed community spirit has taken over. In a bid to introduce the beauty and talent that exists in the hills around Mount Crosby, local business owner Ruth O’Dowd is launching The Mount Crosby Country Markets this weekend. Mumatopia will be there with Little Brown Doggie! Look out for us and come and say hello and maybe buy some of our handmade, upcycled goodies!
I am really excited to introduce Mumapoints! A fantastic way to contribute to the Mumatopia community & earn points to redeem gift certificates for Mumatopia products and services. So, here’s the deal. If you subscribe to Mumatopia by clicking on the “Register” link or the Mumapoints Ad you will earn 100 points to get your started! Everytime you login and post a comment you earn 5 points and when you get to 300 points you’ll be able to redeem your points for a Mumatopia gift certificate worth $10. If you save up 500 points you will be able to redeem your points for a Mumatopia Gift Certificate worth $20. So, you only need to post 40 genuine comments to win a gift certificate!Sandwich wrap give away
admin : June 9, 2010 1:04 pm : Eco-friendly, Handmade, Mumatopia News, Products
Congratulations to Nyree Yali who is the lucky winner of my Facebook Fan Page giveaway! Nyree has won a custom made affirmation bracelet with the message of her choosing. My affirmation bracelets are made from reclaimed fabrics and a careful process of iron-on transfer and applique. They are weather proof, water proof and hand washable to ensure years of enjoyment. Each message declares a choice to embrace a different virtue such as kindness, strength, hope etc. My bracelet says “I choose trust” and a friend recently commented that she had been feeling frustrated one day, when she saw my bracelet and it reminded her to release and just “trust” that things would work out for her. I was chuffed to have that feedback.101 uses for a Mumatopia snack wrap
admin : May 26, 2010 9:47 pm : Eco-friendly, Handmade, Mumatopia News, Products
A lot of people ask me what the little snack wraps are for. They do look tiny compared to my other wraps but they fit lots of things in them. For me they are great for putting in my handbag. I hate reaching into my bag only to pull out a hand coated with the crumbs from a biscuit I put in there months ago. Every had that problem? I also hate not being able to find something. The little snack wraps keep messes contained and make it easier to find small things. Anyway, this is my list of possible “uses” for a snack wrap: medium-sized muffins, cupcakes, almonds, carrot sticks, celery sticks, cashews, milk arrowroot biscuits, boiled lollies, butter menthols, chocolate chip cookies, rice crackers, BBQ shapes, homemade cheese biscuits, one sandwich square, jewellery, lipstick, lip balm, coins, notes, cotton balls, tissues, receipts, stamps, credit cards, rice cakes cut into quarters, grapes, homemade muesli bar, … not 101 yet but you get the picture. Snack wraps retail for $8 AUD.
Mumatopia is having a stall at The Little Market at Avid Reader Bookstore, West End on Friday night (28 May). The Little Market is a small gathering of artisans that meet once a month to showcase their wares and I’m really excited to be a part of this event this month. So, why not spoil yourself with a night out this Friday night and come check out some fantastic craft. The Little Market runs from 5.30pm to 8pm at Avid Reader Bookstore, 193 Boundary Street, West End. I’ll have a new selection of upcycled sandwich wraps, upcycled fabric bracelets and if I have time some felt sandwiches and fabric brooches.
To celebrate my new Facebook Business Page for Mumatopia, I am giving away a custom made affirmation bracelet when I reach the first 100 “likes”. If you’d like to keep up to date with Mumatopia products and business news, I’ll be posting all my business-related news on the Mumatopia Business Page rather than on my FB identity Mumatopia Cas, from now on. The winner will be announced on my blog and drawn at random. I will post a message on my business page to let you know when the giveaway winner has been drawn.Mumatopia products now in Precious Packages
admin : May 16, 2010 11:05 am : Handmade, Ipswich Women in Business, Mumatopia News, Products
Mumatopia products restocked in Handmade Heaven
admin : May 14, 2010 4:07 pm : Eco-friendly, Handmade, Ipswich Women in Business, Mumatopia News, Products
Get mumalicious with a new do
admin : April 8, 2010 9:02 pm : Mumatopia News, Mumatopia Services, Women
At Mumatopia we aim to provide just that little bit extra for mums and one of the fantastic services we offer is a mobile hairdressing service. We know how hard it can be for mums to get out of the house on their own for two to three hours and how expensive it can be (sometimes in excess of $400!) to go to a salon, not to mention how hard it is to breastfeed a baby in a salon. So we wanted to offer mums in the Ipswich and West Brisbane areas salon style without the salon price in the comfort of their own homes. To book an appointment with Nicole, simply phone 0404 530 955. Prices start from $25 for a trim. Phone Nicole today for more information and don’t forget to say you were referred by Mumatopia.Mumatopia handmade
admin : February 22, 2010 2:17 pm : Eco-friendly, Etsy, Fair Trade, Handmade, Madeit, Mumatopia News, Products
Mumatopia’s Cas McCullough creates unique, handmade items with a focus on environmentally sustainable living and nurturing mums and mums-to-be. Cas lists her handmade products at www.mumatopia.etsy.com and madeit.com.au/mumatopia. Her items are also sold in Handmade Heaven, located in The Old Flour Mill, Brisbane Road, Ipswich and she regularly attends local markets including The Handmade Expo (3rd Saturday of the month). To contact Cas about custom orders email cas@mumatopia.com. You can also purchase Cas’s featured products direct from the Mumatopia online store.
Mobile massage: we come to you!
admin : February 19, 2010 10:04 am : Massage, Mumatopia News, Mumatopia Services, Postnatal support, Practitioners, Pregnancy, Wellbeing, Women
Pregnancy, and the early postnatal period are important times for women and their partners to nurture themselves. As Mumatopia’s philosophy is to nurture mums, Cas has developed relationships with experienced massage therapists to offer mums in-home therapeutic services, when getting out and about can be difficult. Mumatopia currently works with Ray’s Mobile Massage, a local qualified and experienced massage therapist in the Ipswich/Karalee/Karana Downs area. Ray will travel anywhere in the Brisbane and Ipswich suburbs so long as parking is accessible (He has a heavy table to carry). Health fund rebates apply. In clinic rates are $60 for a one hour treatment and $70 for a mobile massage. Costs may vary depending on distance travelled for mobile massage therapy.
Uses oil to both sooth and relax muscles, can vary in depth and intensity
Can be a mixture of specific muscle massage, trigger point massage and stretches
Aids in release of toxins
A dry massage (no oil), slow and specific to a muscle group
Massage on the shoulders, head and face
Muscle-specific, to aid in release of both muscle and the surrounding tissue
Moderate pressure is applied to specific points to aid the body in rectifying a problem from within (Suction Cups could be utilised within this treatment plan)
A combination of hand-rolling and pushing moves, mostly performed through the clothing
On our website, as an extra service to you, we provide information on fantastic local resources, health care practitioners, organisations and activities. Bookmark this site as we will be adding more resources in the months to come.
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