Are You FIERCE in Red Deer?

  When: Wednesday, June 6, 7-9 p.m.

Where: Holiday Inn on 67th

We're heading to Red Deer to tell you what FIERCE is all about! Meet some of our FIERCE Experts including lil' ol' me!

Enjoy some delectable appetizers, a cocktail AND be one of the first women EVER to see our FIERCE Affirmations book! Find out if YOU are FIERCE!

Tickets are on sale now. Click here for tickets.

Early Bird tickets are $25 and are available until May 25. After that, tickets are $30. They will be available at the door for $35.

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And the winners are...

Over the last 12 days, I've been posting content for our "Celebrate the FIERCE Mom in Your Life" contest and guide filled with ways to treat yourself or your mom to a kick ass Mother's Day!

We have had three lucky winners win the baskets filled with gifts from Famoso Pizza, Lash Affair, Therapeutic Body Concepts, Vogue Organics, Heritage Valley Physio Therapy, LUX Beauty Boutique, and ACME Meat Market. Congratulations to Jill Scheyk, Jessica Cromwell and Jody Spencer on winning our gift baskets!

The grand prize is an Empower Me Spa Package from NVEInstitute valued at $300! And the winner, as with the others was chosen randomly by Punchtab.com, is ....

Congratulations Karissa!!

Thanks to everyone who entered and I hope you all enjoyed the 12 Days of FIERCE Moms!!

10 Women I Would Have LOVED to Have as a Mom

Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't change my who my mom is because despite all the bullshit growing up her choices put me on the path I needed to be on to become who I am today.

However.

There were times when I was growing up that I wished I had a different mom, any other mom, and although I don't wish that now, I do think these women are amazing role models and probably (would be) pretty fuckin' awesome Moms!

1. Oprah!

Hellz YAH I'd love to call Oprah "Mom!" Think of all the valuable life lessons she could pass on to you - and ONLY you - plus imagine the gifts at Christmas! Aside from the financial *woot woot* gain of being Oprah's kid, I would love to bask in all of her awesomeness, soak up her wisdom, and elevate my spirit by being around her. She strikes me as very maternal. Maybe that's just me?


2. Princess Diana

I'm not gonna lie, when I was 6 years old I really, REALLY wanted her to be my mom. Her aura was so soft, so gentle, and like millions of other people, I was drawn to her warm, generous nature. Seeing how she treated people and how people responded to her was fascinating to me because in a lot of ways she reminded me of my grandmother except my grandma wasn't a princess. But the idea of having a princess for a mom wasn't so awful, either.




3. Madonna

Uhm. Duh! Who wouldn't want to be be her royal Madgesty's kid? I think she's pretty strict, though, I've seen some interviews about her parenting style and we'd probably clash heads BUT can you imagine growing up with Madonna as your mom? I wonder what kind of sex talk she gave Lourdes? One thing I do know is she is one of the FIERCEST celebrities in Hollywood who never backs down and has always paved her own path in life. From Madonna, I think I would learn a lot of ways to be powerful, healthy (have you SEEN her body!? She's got a better bod than most 20 year olds!), and determined. Personally, I think she'd make a great mom!

4. Rosa Parks

I can't imagine facing the kind of discrimination that Rosa Parks did or handling it the way she did but holy hot damn, I would have LOVED to have her as a mom because of the lessons she taught the world. Rosa, for those of you in the "don't know" was an African American civil rights activist whom the U.S. Congress later called “Mother of the Modern-Day Civil Rights Movement.” On December 1, 1955, Parks became famous for refusing to obey bus driver James Blake’s order that she give up her seat to make room for a white passenger. Imagine the stories at the dinner table that night and being so proud to have a mom who made a difference. From Rosa, I think I would have learned respect, compassion, pride and to stand up for what you believe in.

5. Jann Arden

I love how Jann LOVES her parents. I think that in itself would make her a great mom to have because she knows the value of family. Can you imagine being the 16-year-old coming home from a break up with your boyfriend and having Jann be the one to comfort you? I bet she would have the best advice, sing you a song then make you laugh. LOVE her!!




6. Cher

Cher is that mom who would understand you no matter what and accept you for who you are know matter WHO you were. She's strong, independent, and does her own thing no matter what anyone else thinks. Having Cher as a mom would force you to be open-minded, to see people for who they are not what they look like, and show you that it's OK to not follow the crowd.


7. Amelia Earhart

She was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic. Booyah! What kid wouldn't want to have a mom who blazed such a trail for women? Forget the fact that she disappeared over the Pacific Ocean, Amelia would have been someone who would have told the most amazing bedtime stories!

8. Arlene Dickinson

Before I met Arlene last week at the AWE Conference and asked her to sign my book, I asked her in front of 250 people if she ever felt like the token female on the Dragon's Den. I swear to WINE I heard crickets before she gave a very clear, "No." When I had the chance to explain that I didn't mean for the question to come out that way, she was very gracious and laughed it off before signing my book:

Arlene is funny, down to earth, self-made, and a great example of a mom who would do anything for her kids. She is candid about her life as a single mom, and she doesn't pretend to be perfect. She strikes me as a mama bear and I can't say I would want to piss her off if I were her kid. Just sayin'.






9. Danielle LaPorte

Yeh yeh, we're practically the same age but this is all for fun so just go with it. Danielle is badass spirituality with no pretense of yogi blah blah "If you're not within you're without" crap. Yes, I said crap because as much as I like to live in my little Zen bubble, the authentic core of who I am is still pretty edgy WHICH is why I would have loved to have Danielle as a mom. Or a sister. Best friend? Whatevs, this is my blog and I will have her in my Top 10 if I want to :D

There is such a peaceful aura around Danielle but there is a realism about her that is so down to earth and HONEST about her that you can't help but adore her. Besides being brilliant, cool and inspirational, Danielle still drops the F-bomb and has a bit of an inappropriate side to her. I can only imagine the deep conversations to be had with her about life, spirituality (she had a private meeting with the Dalai Lama), and self-respect.

10. Kris Jenner

Who WOULDN'T want to be part of the Kardashian empire?

I am SO freakin kidding. No way in hell, I wouldn't even have traded my own mom for Kris Jenner. Bet the look on your face was similar to this:

Thoughts? Am I missing anyone?

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12 Days of FIERCE Moms #9: Give the Gift of SANITY!

Not everyone can schedule or commit to a Yoga class but you should still try to make some time to take care of YOU. Danielle Mika Nagel is the studio director for the world’s first Chopra Yoga Center in Vancouver, BC. and she offered up FIVE Yoga Poses for busy moms.

FIERCE Gift Idea: Take these tips and include them in a Mother's Day card along with a gift certificate from Keylime Athletic Wear in Sherwood Park and now in City Centre Mall, too! Give the Gift of SANITY!

By Danielle Mika Nagel

picture via Exercise.com

1. Easy Seated Pose with “Success Breath”
Multitasking can easily become overwhelming. Try this simple posture for a few minutes to ground your thoughts and slow your heart rate down.
• Sit in a comfortable position, either on the floor or a chair.
• Rest your palms on your thighs or place your dominant hand on top of your non-dominant hand.
• Close your eyes.
• Take a couple of minutes to let go of what has happened prior to this moment and what is going to happen after this moment.
• Relax your entire body, including your jaw, neck and shoulders.
• Start to take a deeper inhalation through your nostrils as you constrict the throat muscles slightly. This will be an audible breath.
• Exhale completely through your nostrils as you constrict your throat muscles again.
• Keep your awareness at your breath as you continue to take these long, slow deep breaths through your nostrils.
• Keep it gentle, relaxed and maintain the intention of letting go, each time you exhale.

illustration via Abs Exercise Advice

2. Cobra Pose
Carrying your children, groceries, laptop, diaper bag, yoga bag, etc. can start to wear you down. Take a few of these gentle backbends to counteract the heavy lifting and back rounding we do each day.
• Start lying down on your belly with your legs extended back, tops of the feet on the mat.
• Root through the tops of the feet and legs and spider your fingertips off the mat onto the floor.
• Lengthen your tailbone down towards the earth, inhale and slowly start to peel your chest off the floor.
• Unclench your buttocks and your teeth and lift your heart.
• Roll the shoulders back and down, keeping the shoulder blades hugging in towards one another.
• Keep the back of your neck and forehead relaxed.
• Exhale and slowly lower back down towards the earth.
• Repeat 5 times.

picture via Skinny Secret

3. Standing Forward Bend
Let gravity support you as you lengthen out the backside of your body. Enjoy the benefits of an inversion with increased circulation and oxygen to the brain.
• Stand with your feet about hip-bone distance and somewhat parallel apart.
• Lift all your toes and fan them out.
• Release your toes back down to the earth with space in between each toe. (make a mental note to yourself to make time to take care of your feet)
• Root through all four corners of your feet.
• Inhale and reach your arms overhead.
• Exhale to forward fold, hinging at your hip crease, keeping the abdominals drawn in and your knees bent.
• Bring your fingertips down to the earth. (bent knees are fine and good for supporting your lower back)
• Let go of your head, neck and shoulders and keep your jaw relaxed.
• Hold here for a few deep breaths, keeping the abdominals engaged to support the low back.
• Put a slight bend in your knees, if you haven’t done so already, and slowly roll yourself up to standing, one vertebra at a time.
• Engage your core center to lift you all the way back up.
• Take a couple breaths in a standing position before moving back into activity.

picture via Ace Fitness

4. Supine Spinal Twist
Spinal twists promote flexibility in the spine while improving digestion. As mothers, we are always concerned about feeding our kids healthy snacks but we often forget about feeding ourselves!
• Start laying down on the floor with your legs extended.
• Take a moment to just relax and do nothing.
• Hug your right knee in towards your chest and take your leg towards the left.
• Keep your shoulder blades on the floor and extend your arms out into a “t” shape, palms up.
• Gaze towards the right hand and close your eyes.
• Take a few breaths here to lengthen out the right side of your waist and nourish the ascending colon.
• Inhale to come back to center, using your abdominals and release the right leg down.
• Take a moment to notice the difference between the right and left sides of your body.
• Repeat on the other side.

picture via Epic Self

5. Legs Up the Wall (with or without the wall)
Try this restorative posture, especially if you have been on your feet all day. Use a block, bolster or pillow for support. This pose is a passive variation of Shoulderstand. (avoid during menstruation)
• Start by laying down on the floor with your legs bent, feet on the floor.
• Take your prop and place it underneath your sacrum. (make sure that it is comfortable there. If not, remove the prop and continue without it)
• Hug one knee in towards your chest and then the other.
• Extend your legs up towards the sky without engaging your abdominals, legs or toes.
• Keep the back of your neck relaxed and avoid turning your neck.
• Keep the gaze towards your toes and breath.
• Stay for about 5 minutes.
• Come out slowly by bending one leg, then the other and placing the feet back down to the earth.
• Lift your hips and remove the prop.
For all these postures, make sure that they are comfortable and relaxing. They are here to support your busy life as a mommy!


About: Danielle Mika Nagel, is the studio director for the world’s first Chopra Yoga Center in Vancouver, BC. She is a certified yoga teacher with more than a decade of teaching experience and a proud mom of two. For more information join the conversation on twitter.com/choprayoga or facebook/choprayogacenter.

 

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12 Days of FIERCE Moms #8: Give the gift of practical couture

When I was young and "supercool"  I used to think Yoga was for crunchy granola types who couldn't play a real sport.

Yes. I admit it. I was arrogant (surprise, right?!) and uninformed when it came to Yoga but I have since come to realize the skill and athletic ability it takes to practice all of those funky poses not to mention the breathing and the mind shift it gives you.

Sign up for a Yoga class and head to Keylime Athletic Wear and pick up these five must-have pieces to kick your Yoga into practical couture!

Xenos Tank Top

I love the cowl neck on this tank, giving it a look you can wear after the gym if you don't have time to change. It's a much looser piece than typical Yoga wear which is nice because your rolly bits aren't so accentuated! There is a hi-visibility stripe down the back which makes it a great running tank, too. $52

Bamboo Hoodie
This Bamboo Long-sleeved Hoodie is ideal for the days when you just want to get your Yoga on without any fuss. Bamboo is a fantastic fabric that breathes so beautifully and keeps you cool event when you're sweating. It's lightweight and the detail of the stitching in the front gives you an elongated look. $78

Titanium Jacket
Every athlete (beginner or extreme) needs a good quality jacket for training outdoors or just wearing to and from the gym. What I love about this jacket is that it is sexy! The jersey sleeves peek out of the cuffs for a flirty, playful look and the mesh inside gives is a breathable, practical quality, not to mention the reflective striping along the zipper. $110

 Bamboo Pocket Pants

This is one of Keylime's best sellers and it's easy to see why. They flatter every shape, feel luxurious because they're made of bamboo material, and have a drawstring waistband. Workout in them or just go for coffee with your friends. Casual sexy! $118

 You know what I hate about Yoga? Worrying whether or not I'm gonna tumble while doing the Downward dog (wow, that sounds so much worse when I say it :D). Anyhoo, Keylime has a Zero Slip Yoga Towel to solve THAT little problem. The Zeroslip yoga towel eliminates slipping so you can focus on your practice instead of worrying about sliding around on your yoga mat. Its backing consists of a fine layer of eco-friendly resin designed to keep the towel firmly in place. $50

 
 
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12 Days of FIERCE Moms #7: Four Things EVERY Mom could use

by Maisie Knowles, co-founder of FreeShipping.org

1. A Day Off

If you're single, married with no kids, or a full-time working husband, you may be blissfully unaware that being a mom is a 24/7 job. There are no such things as sick days and, even in the middle of the night, a mom is "on-call." We're summoned by our children regardless of time of day, or whether we're trying to use the toilet in peace. A 24-hour period where we're allowed to sleep in, recharge our batteries, and generally not have to be a mom would be absolute heaven!

2. Pampering

There's nothing better than going for an extended massage or pedicure after a long day of being with the kids. We mostly enjoy the peace and quiet, but it's really nice to have someone else take care of us for just an hour or two. **FIERCE Tip: NVEInstitue in Edmonton has a wonderful array of services to choose from including a Digital Detox, Festival of Joy or even the Euro Cocooning. Of course, you could always enter to win the Empower Me Package!

3. A Shopping Spree for Me

We don't want the company of our loving husbands or adorable children for our shopping spree. Just give us some gift cards to our favorite stores and send us out the door. And we don't want to shop for our kids, we want to shop for OURSELVES, since our bodies completely changed after having those cute little kids and nothing really fits quite right anymore. *FIERCE Tip: Get her a gift card from Keylime Athletic Wear in Sherwood Park! Getting in shape can be fashionable too! PLUS Keylime has a new location opening in City Centre Mall!

4. A Clean Car

Yes, we know this is a strange request, but the minivan is a mess. There are Cheerios and Goldfish crackers that have been stuck in unreachable places for years. We just want to "de-kidify" our cars for a little bit. Better yet, remember that shopping spree? How about a fun, clean rental car for us to drive around while we're shopping! *FIERCE Tip: Tamara has tested a few of the Ford vehicles and is a real fan of the 2012 Ford Explorer in all it's luxurious glory! But if you want something zippier try renting the 2012 Ford Focus.

If this seems a little much, we'd be happy to switch lives with you for one day; But only one day because even though being a mom is the one of the hardest jobs in the world, we do love every sticky, smiley, cranky, stinky inch of our children and can't bear being away from them for too long!

Maisie Knowles is a working mother of two with three-year's experience writing on parenting and partner issues. She received a B.A. in Communications from the University of Colorado and co-founded FreeShipping.org with her husband. Maisie currently spends most of her time at home with her two young girls.

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Are You FIERCE in Calgary?

POSTPONED 
until further notice
Sorry Calgary, we won't be coming this week but we will plan another date! 

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12 Days of FIERCE Moms #6: Take Care of the Girls

by Sheena Johnson, owner of The Bra Lounge

This month as we celebrate the women in our lives for their undying support, encouragement and devoted love, we should take a moment to reflect on one simple fact that we become more and more aware of every day. Women are FIERCE.

“Who Run The World?!” after all?

Let’s be honest ladies, we kick serious ass. We take on a countless number of tasks and responsibilities to keep the people around us safe, healthy, and happy. Often our attempts go unseen, unappreciated, and un-thanked. Yes we bitch, but with the help of a bottle or two of wine and long winded conversations with best friends we get up and do it all over again. We make the world a better place, and for that, The Bra Lounge reminds you to indulge in luxury for yourself every now and again!

Luxury means different things to different people, but at The Bra Lounge it means perfect fitting, flattering, and gorgeous lingerie and undergarments.

Luxury means feeling like a million bucks, even when we don’t have and may never see a million bucks. It means rocking cute outfits with the perfect-fitting matching bra and panty set, or giving a sexy show for your man in lingerie that makes you feel incredible!

Celebrate Mom, and yourself, with The Ultimate Bra Shopping Experience this year. Luxurious, world class quality nightwear, lounge wear, shape wear and fine lingerie can change a woman’s perception of the world and herself. Flowers can’t possibly say they do the same.

With personalized fitting consultations by experienced professionals, and award winning customer service, we are proud to Empower Women with the Ultimate Bra Shopping Experience and the World’s Best in Fine Lingerie. 

Tips to finding perfect fitting undergarments

The band of a bra holds up to 90% of the support of the bra. When fitting properly, it should be snug. This will help to distribute the weight of your breasts, whether they are large of small, across the strongest part of your back. Using a cloth tape measure, determine your proper size by wrapping it around your ribcage just below your bust. You will fall somewhere in between 28 and 50 inches. Do not round up or down, fit the band for comfort from your exact size.

Most women wear too large a band size and too small a cup size. Do not pay attention to the A,B,C,D size range, there are many more letters to the bra fitting alphabet. If you are now looking for a smaller band size, expect to jump a letter or two in cup size. This doesn’t go for every woman, but it is very typical. Sizes carried at The Bra Lounge are AA-M.

• Comparison: if you typically shop in department stores for a 36B, but are now measuring yourself at a 32 or 34 band, look for a C or D cup instead. If you typically shop for a 38DD but are now measuring at a 32 or 34, expect to jump up to a F, G or H cup size.

Back fat? GET. OVER. IT. Women of every size are frustrated with skin spilling over the side of the band. To get away from that you will have to go into a bigger band size, however you will compromise the fit of the bra altogether. After a few washes and wears the band will start to stretch and become softer, making it less noticeable. You can have a smooth back, but you will not have the shape and lift up front. If support matters more to you, suck it up honey! After all, which way are you facing the world, forward or backwards?

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12 Days of FIERCE Moms #5: Get her a signature cocktail

OK this... this has GOT to be one of my most favourite gift ideas for the woman who has EVERYTHING! You know... the hard-to-shop-for friend in your life who is just too damn difficult to please EVEN though you took her to a screening of a stupid Robert Pattinson movie despite your personal disgust with the Twilight movies?

Ahem.

That girl.

Mother's Day gifts are freakin tough to find, especially something with MEANING that is creative, unique and TOTALLY all about her.

So let me share this tidbit of awesomeness! For Big Daddy's birthday last week, I commissioned THE Cocktail Deeva (if you don't know her, you SHOULD!) to design a drink for my main squeeze.

Big Daddy

She asked what he liked to drink (beer, of course), asked what cocktails he enjoyed and came up with the Beer Daddy Collins

Light Beer (I used Sol)

Lime Vodka

Squeeze of lemon juice

Splash of Grenadine

Voi-freakin-LA!

I served this drink to my handsome hubby and felt preeeeeeeetty damn clever about coming up with such a cool gift idea.

So my fellow FIERCE women, send the Cocktail Deeva a tweet, email or Facebook message, commission her to design a cocktail for the FIERCE Mom in YOUR life, her fee is between $50-75 (she's totally worth it!!), serve the signature drink with the recipe in a card with "Designed by the Cocktail Deeva especially for YOU!" and look like a freakin' HERO!

OK. Maybe not quite THAT dramatic. But you get what I mean. Oh. and while you're at it, support Dee in her mission to raise money to save the boobies!

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12 Days of FIERCE Moms #4: Don't Sweat the Small Stuff for Moms!

When I published MOM Magazine, our tagline was "Life as a MOM doesn't mean life as a WOMAN has to end!" There are some days I miss the Mom industry (not many) because I knew MOM made a difference but I know that there are other moms out there fighting the good fight and one of those moms is none other than Kristine Carlson.

Kristine Carlson

I met Kristine on Twitter and quickly figured out who she was. She co-wrote the "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff" book series with her late husband Richard Carlson. This book has been in my life for the past 12 years so imagine my JOY when I found Kristine in real life (kind of). To connect and engage with someone who has truly made a difference in the lives of others is so beyond words of gratitude I can't even begin to gush enough about how much I adore her.

THEN! To find out she had just finalized her "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff for Moms" book... well! Colour me Merlot!

This book is the guide we've all been waiting for. I couldn't BE more in love with this book had I written it myself (of course mine would have been far more raunchy and inappropriate but had similar messages). Anyway the point is that Kristine has given you a GIFT. Buy this book for yourself, for your friends, for any woman in your life at any stage of motherhood.

And because I'm feeling generous (maybe it's the wine talking here) I think I'll give a copy of the book away to one lucky winner in our "Celebrate Your FIERCE Mom" Contest. Simply enter below. It's a lone prize and not connected with our prize baskets but this is where you enter.

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