Several months ago, I was approached to do a book review for a children’s book called What Does it Mean to be Global? by Rana DiOrio. As an activist for equality, I was thrilled to be part of this book and its special way of illustrating to our children that we are all equal, regardless of where we are from.

Ms. DiOrio has recently published another book for children titled, “What Does it Mean to be Present?” that shows children (and parents!) the difference in their lives when they are “in the moment” instead of mentally preparing for the next event, vegged out in front of a computer/TV/hand-held screen, or doing too many things at once. It teaches them to fully appreciate the world in which they live, and the beauty surrounding them.

As an Internet Mom (there are days when I am more proud of that title than others), I can certainly say that I am not always present. I am always thinking of different projects, housework, finances, scheduling, food and any number of different things that keep me from enjoying special moments with my children, and my time to myself. What Does it Mean to be Present reminds me that even when there are dozens or hundreds of plates spinning in the air, I have the ability to turn off my own brain and just enjoy the place I am in, in that moment. Its an important reminder for adults and its definitely something that children can and should be taught to do, as well. On the HippyMom Forum, we try to encourage all of our members to be more present in their lives, knowing especially how the Internet can affect the space-time continuum, leaving us with little knowledge of where our time went as we Google.

Rana DiOrio was born in Providence, RI and grew up in a colorful Italian-American family. Her curiosity about the world began in kindergarten, while studying Western access to China and, obviously, panda bears! She has written her way through life – as a student, a lawyer, an investment banker, a private equity investor – and now as an author of children’s picture books and owner of Little Pickle Press.

Rana’s inspiration for writing What Does It Mean To Be Present? was noticing that her young children were often focused on the future or the past and her desire to help them to understand the value of being present, which she is still learning herself.

Her interests include reading nonfiction, dreaming, effecting positive change, and, of course, practicing yoga. She lives in Belvedere, California with her husband and their three Little Pickles.

If the book isn’t amazing enough, there is also a Grand Prize Giveaway on the Book Blog Tour! Check it out!

Posted under Articles, review

Reflections on a Visit

Tonight my sister and brother in law came to visit us for a few hours, and although they only come to our area once a year or less the visits are always magic to me.  I am the youngest of seven children, so most of the older ones were grown and married by the time I came along.  I didn’t know my sister that well when I was little, and if you added up the number of hours we have been able to be together over the years the result would be merely a few hours in total.  So why are these visits so wonderful for me?

I was mulling this over after they left, and I came to the realization that it related to more than the old adage about quality time and seeing interesting people, although it is always quality time when they are here and they are both very interesting.  It goes back to the basics of human interactions and how we can see a person every week or even day and enjoy their company without feeling closeness or particularly strong affection even if the interaction is positive, but on the other hand see others with whom we feel close even if we have seen them only once.  All through my life I have felt this sister’s presence on some level even though I didn’t see her for many years, and when I met their son on their last visit I felt as if I had known him all my life and that we were resuming a chat from a few days ago.

What makes us click with some people in our lives regardless of the amount of time we have to bond, and why do some people we may only meet eyes with for a few seconds stay in our hearts while others who are perfectly pleasant come in and out without leaving such a deep imprint?  The theories range from both parties having the same vibrational frequency and thus connecting and bonding, to recognition from a past life, to some genetic similarity each might recognize subconsciously as familiar, to simple reasons such as coming together at a significant time when at least one needed the other, common interests, or even opposites having interest in someone very different from his or her usual contacts.  Whatever the reason, there is no denying that these bonds exist, can be powerful indeed and can even shape our lives.

The more I thought about it the more I also thought of the average person’s time online visiting communities, message boards, chatting, and other social networking contact opportunities.   Since print doesn’t translate facial expressions, tone of voice, or even assure you that the people you are interacting with are the gender they profess to be, it is more an act of faith than my visit with my family last evening.   Despite these challenges I have not only managed to “meet” some wonderful friends, but to marry an amazing husband whom I found online as well.    So perhaps the why of these connections isn’t as important as the fact that they exist and can be profound however long the contact is, and since I really enjoyed last evening with my sister immensely despite the short visit, I will make sure to enjoy each moment I do have with her.

I believe that is the secret to living well actually.  Instead of only considering long and familiar relationships as important or worth maintaining, perhaps we get more from life if we treasure every moment and every contact for whatever it adds to our lives in the moment.   That also means we are always adding to the lives of others as well, so each time we post or read in our online communities we could be sharing one of those life-changing moments with someone.  The eyes we meet in the grocery store may belong to someone who really needs our smile, and I hope my sister will look back throughout the year and smile when she thinks of the hugs we shared as I will.  Real life is any moment we happen to feel alive and connected whether it is online, driving past someone on the street, or in our living rooms.  It isn’t just the graduations and job promotions or the hard times, so connect with someone and make one of those moments you will both remember.  They are fleeting, but sometimes they fill our hearts forever.

MamaBirdie
HippyMom Staff

The Inside Life Meditations
Alabama Reiki

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Posted under Articles, Communities, HippyMom Weekly Bloggers

Summer is the time for baseball, swimming, and some of the best food of the whole year!  We have fresh produce available and family time to enjoy it together, and so off we go to cook up a summer storm, right?  Not so fast!  This summer is the hottest on record according to an article I read today, and although I realize many like to grill out just about any food they like to eat during the summer someone still has to prepare the food and provide refreshing treats and meals to those swimmers and little sluggers. Since I have been wracking my brain for weeks for ways to cool things down I decided to ask some really smart moms their favorite summer meals and treats.  I got some wonderful ideas to add to my own summer favorites, and I know you will enjoy these suggestions for your own family and summer parties.

When I was out in the heat mowing the yard today in 102 heat index and miserable humidity I kept myself going by promising myself one of my favorite cold treats, but I couldn’t decide between the Strawberry Mango Smoothie and a simpler but really refreshing drink, a Cherry Lemon Limeade.  I finally staggered in and made myself a light decaf version of my favorite drink of all, a Mocha Frappe.  I got wonderful ideas from my Hippymom friends as well, such as fruity teas made with berry teas and honey and even a for when the kids are in bed and the party is in full swing drink.

Alas, we all still have to eat when the heat is almost unbearable, and of course we could grill out as my hippy friends suggested.  They recommended grilled corn most often, but of course anything from burgers to veggies are delicious on the grill.  This will keep the kitchen cool and save you standing over a hot stove, especially if you can convince someone else to stand over the grill.  Since grilling out isn’t always an option a quick and easy way to eat and cool off at the same time is to eat a salad.  There are as many styles of salad as there are hungry people, but basically there are salads based on greens and other wonderful veggies from the garden tossed with some protein such as cheese, chicken, seeds, beans, or nuts, and salads with pasta, potatoes, sauces, and other assorted ingredients such as the Radish and Sesame Soy Noodle Salad and this Macaroni Salad, a lighter version of pasta salad.  Both types of salad are wonderful for hot days and can be tweaked for elegant events or made quickly from ingredients on hand.

If you find yourself actually needing a hot meal we have suggestions for some easy favorites such as simple patties on pitas, linguine that even the kids will love, or one of our favorites, an Easy Chili Noodle Dinner that my kids love to make.

Now that we have taken care of the drinks and meals we need some treats to finish with that will keep us cool as well.  Of course we could enjoy a dish of ice cream and our favorite sorbet made by one of our very own hippies  if we are lucky enough to live where it is available, or we could also enjoy refreshingly tart key lime, lemon ice box, or seasonal pies made with our own fruits.  One of our favorites on hot days is a fruit plate with seasonal berries and peaches, apples, grapes, bananas, or my favorite watermelon.  You can even let the kids arrange them or make funny pictures with the fruits to make it a fun summer activity if you can keep them from eating them before you’re finished. Fresh fruit is nutritious, delicious, and is a great way to get the fluids we all need to survive the scorching heat and oppressive humidity many of us are experiencing this summer.

So drink plenty of water and other delicious summer concoctions, watch out for sun overexposure, be creative so you don’t spend your summer over a hot stove, and most of all stay cool!

MamaBirdie
HippyMom Staff

The Inside Life Meditations
Alabama Reiki

Posted under Announcements

I love to meet other people. Mostly, because I love to pick their brains and observe them in their natural (or unnatural) environment as they try to navigate the murky waters of socializing. One of the things we do on HippyMom is encourage all of our members to get offline and meet and make real-life connections. Not that the online friendships are less important, but there’s nothing like being able to find a friend who will meet you for coffee, bring you a lice comb, or just be there when you need to talk (and not type).

Its hard for many moms to break out of their routine and take the time to meet others. I’ve heard (and been personally devastated by) horror stories about mom’s groups, play groups, and other venues where other women can be… well, less than “evolved.” That alone can keep a mom from trying to find local friends. Toss in scheduling conflicts, allergies, weather or any number of external factors, and women are forgetting they are women, they’re moms, stuck at home or work, with little to no interaction beyond those walls.

Sad, right?

There is hope, though. Beyond HippyMom (which, I must say, is a fabulous way to “meet” people before you actually meet people… click here to see who is in your area!) there are many ways to use your online time to meet others offline. The benefit to the online meeting sites is that you get to eliminate the “what if we have nothing in common” fears and begin to filter people before you even meet them. If you’re looking for a friend in your area who shares your love for kite building, hiking, organic foods or freebies, then you can tailor your “group” search to those terms. Get on Craigslist (the “strictly platonic” area, unless you want some “benefits,” too) for individual calls for friends, or post your own. The Internet is a tool for connecting, and instead of spending your time farming on Facebook, send someone a message and see if they want to grab lunch. Put yourself out there, find your own tribe of people (or just that one soul mate) and see what happens next.

Other sites for friendship harvesting:

Meetup.com
MomsLikeMe.com
Tribe.net
RaisingThem.com

Posted under Announcements

Image courtesy of Winand Staring

Spring is now a memory of cool evenings, warmer days, and the misery of allergies for many of us as a new season of growth burst into life around us.  Now that summer is here we shift to a period of abundance and fertility, and since our gardens and grocery stores are full of a variety of delicious and colorful fruits and vegetables it is easy to slip into longer days, summer sunshine, and the frenzy of organizing ball games and family cookouts.  Since many of us still have to work during these hot and often muggy days we can end up running from one event and responsibility to another without stopping for a moment to enjoy the abundance around us.  This leaves us once again with little time to breathe, collect our thoughts, and take some time to appreciate the changing season, but summer is the perfect time to stop and literally smell the flowers whenever we can.  One way to do this is to take a few minutes to meditate just as you might have in the springtime, and there are many wonderful ways to connect to the world around you now that everything is growing and blooming around you.

If you are lucky enough to have a garden or be near a park you can simply take a few moments to state your intention to connect with nature, center yourself, and open all your senses to the world around you before you begin to walk slowly through the park or wander through your garden.  Another variation on this type of meditation is to focus on one sense for the whole meditation one time and another sense during another walk.  For instance, as you walk through your garden you would hear birds singing, bees buzzing, children playing, and meditate on how all these creatures join together to fulfill their own function and place in nature.  You could then add yourself to the equation if you like and see where you feel you fit into that community, exploring any changes you might want to make to fit into the space you would like to occupy.  Do you feel connected to the creatures you hear or is something in your life blocking you from centering yourself between the earth beneath you and sky above you?

You could repeat this meditation sniffing the fragrances or admiring the bright colors, and another exercise that can become a type of meditation is simply picking produce from the garden.  I hold and notice the marks on a tomato as I collect it or feel the warmth in a blueberry just before I pop it in my mouth and taste the sunshine, and I think about how we depend on the cycle rain, earth, and sunshine to create this miraculous berry or squash we can enjoy.  If you are in your garden take a moment to look around and notice how the plants grow without your intervention while you sleep and according to a plan laid down within them long ago, and this is a wondrous concept to contemplate whatever your belief system holds to be the reason for that cycle.  Even as you prepare what you gather or cook what you buy you can consider these things, and as you taste the flavors of summer you can close your eyes and taste the sunshine and warmth that nurtured your food.

If you happen to live in an area where you may not have access to a garden or park you can still celebrate the summer by making a few adjustments to the above suggestions.  You can find a small inexpensive plant and sit in the sunshine with it and enjoy its presence, or you can simply close your eyes on your back step and visualize whatever you wish as you feel the heat on your face.   You can imagine the plant growing to meet your hand and helping you connect to earth and warmth, and even if you have five minutes and are in your car in traffic you can visualize the coolness of the ocean or standing in a field of your favorite summer vegetable.  I personally can easily visualize standing in an endless field of ripe, juicy watermelons and feel more refreshed just thinking about enjoying them, but with some practice you can find whatever works for you.

Whether you walk through the park, work in your garden, notice your favorite flowers on your way to work, or sit on your step, don’t forget to thank the earth for the gifts she gives us and find some time to appreciate the abundance that will only be present for another few weeks.  Float in a pool and daydream, work up a sweat pulling weeds while consider how deeply rooted they are and how persistent they can be, or watch your children play ball, but whatever you do this summer don’t forget to take time for yourself, appreciate the sunshine and warmth, and indulge in your own version of summer meditation.

~MamaBirdie of The Inside Life

Posted under Announcements