Archive for the Category » Products «

May
05

Excavating Etsy: Muladhara Pant from Grateful Threads

In my hunt for something a little more versatile in a yoga pant, my first stop was, of course, the wild, woolly and whimsical world of Etsy.

My only criteria as I began perusing the many beautiful options was that I did not- DID. NOT.- want the typical, black, tight-fitting, lycra tight sort that tends to prevail in the seemingly endless world of yoga drawers.

I am looking for something that I can yoga in.  I’m also looking for something to sleep lounge in. Run errands in. Maybe even dress up and go “out” in.

I found several options, that will inevitably find their way here in future posts, I’m sure.  But what struck my eye today, came from the lovely shop of Grateful Threads.

In case you’re wondering, Muladhara or root (foundation) chakra, and is located at the base of the spine, your tail bone and refers to instinct, security, survival and also to basic human potentiality.

These pants are beautiful.  I can see them as truly multi-purpose, satisfying my entire wish list, which probably, subconsciously, also included instinct, security, survival and potentiality!  I could see easily wearing these on my soccer mom circuit but also, with the right tank and in the right colour- I smell plum or eggplant!- out to the local hot-spot for dinner.  I can also see this on my next trip- perfect for hours on the plane and chowing at Chili’s Too hanging at airports!

The Muladhara Pant is made from a 100% organic cotton/hemp combo that will soften with each wash.  They are hand-dyed people, by the hands of Leanna, herself at Grateful Threads.  And in a multitude of gorgeous, saturated colours ranging from conservative black to colours like “brazil nut” to “oxblood red”.

I wubs that I found these pants… and just in time for Mother’s Day!

Thank you Grateful Threads!

Category: clothing, etsy, green, Products  2 Comments
Apr
19

Get Rid of the Smellies: Love My Mat!

I have two favourite yoga mats that I routinely use… interchangeably.

They each have things I love about them and depending on my mood, it’s one or the other I rely on to provide my early morning flop practice pad.  For hungover achey, sluggish mornings, one is soft and gishy, offering me some much needed sinkage, but requires a towel for grip (I have a dandy one I’ll be sure to post about in the coming days!;)) and the other, for more energetic mornings, is thinner, made out of recycled tires, I think, and grips like a sonofagun!  Oh… I forgot to add my favourite go-to mat for travel: my recently acquired YogaMatic- which I so very much LOVE!

As I like my yoga hot, things can get a little funky. And since I practice primarily in the privacy of my own hovel, I am not under any pressure to keep up any pretence of mat hygiene and the funkiness can tend to grow and grow until I can’t stand the smell of myself oozing out of the polluted pores of my mats.  Until… Love My Mat!

I know, there are all kinds of home-made solutions to take care of mat smelliness.  But, after the first cleanse to wash away the factory smell and enhance the grab of a new mat, I’ve just never been bothered- judge not, por favor!- and the mats get put away with a new layer of me to infuse their every fibre.  Actually, I have to come clean… I have tried to mix up my own solutions, but I’ve always had trouble finding the right combination of scents that don’t leave me nauseous.  At the very least I’m used to the smell of me.   Again, until… Love My Mat!

Love My Mat offers the perfect fusion of fresh scented essential oils that leave your mat smelling clean and effectively disinfected.  More importantly, it’s a scent that doesn’t offend with daily use, in fact laying face-down on any of my mats is that much more pleasant because of it!  Love My Mat is also completely organic and so very easy!  And for the me, the quick spritz, wipe and go is essential to maintaining a habit of (almost;)) daily mat hygiene.

Another treat… Love My Mat isn’t just for yoga mats, it’s also a wonderful linen and upholstery spray too.  If my office chair could speak, it would certainly thank me… or Love My Mat!

Category: Blog, green, health, Products  Leave a Comment
Feb
03

Jennifer Anniston, Oprah & You: Yogamatic Customized Yoga Mats!

A yoga mat is a very personal thing.  It’s covered in your sweat, your smell, your belly button lint and toe jam, your cleaner… it doesn’t get any more “yours”.  Tried explaining this to hubby to no avail… thinks we just have a collection of random, interchangeable yoga mats and just grabs ‘em willy nilly.  Argh!

I’ve since removed mine from the collection!

Also hiding from indiscriminate hubby is my Yogamatic Travel Mat/Yoga Towel, which I received a couple of months ago and fell in love with immediately.    It’s surprisingly light and thin, with a towel-ly soft top layer, complete with a design that I love, and a sticky rubber bottom that grips the floor.

I sometimes use it on top of my usual yoga mat for a little extra padding and absorption, but what I really love is how convenient and perfect it is for travel.  It folds up light and compact in a convenient little envelope, easily sliding into a carry-on.  No more packing around bulky yoga mats for me!  It could even fit in my purse, for Christmas sake!

As wonderful as the versatile Yoga Towel is, what makes Yogamatic truly unique is that they are all about making your yoga mat all that much more yours.

Whether you choose from their huge selection of wonderful designs or upload your own image or graphic, it’s all about suiting your practice, your personality and your passion for yoga and beyond.

Perhaps you’ve already heard about Jennifer Anniston recently gifting Oprah a puppified Yogamatic of her own!

Whether your after a handy-dandy Towel or customizing a for real, thick and cushion-y mat, Yogamatic is doing it best!

Category: health, people, Practice, Products, yoga  One Comment
Sep
04

Me Likey… Ultima Replenisher: A Sports Drink With A Difference

… the biggest being, NO sugar!

My biggest victory as a parent so far (and as the second-guessing, guilt-ridden parent that I am, that’s sayin’ somethin’) is from the moment they started drinking from a sippy cup, they drank water.  No juice, NEVER soda and no sports drinks.  In fact, while when my two younger kids get the chance to swig orange pop they are like little junkies selling their precious Pollys and XBox games for a hit, my eldest rejects everything that isn’t water.

So, the interesting thing when I introduced Ultima Replenisher to the family was getting eldest to open his mind to the possibilities of flavour and getting my younger to open the mind that a “treat” drink doesn’t have to tickle your nose!

While I’ve been tempted to offer sports drinks to my kids during sickness and now with all of them so active in sports, but the amount of sugar was just not worth the compromise to get them anything other than simply hydrated.

Ultima offers a NATURALLY sweet alternative to everything else out there, so you and your child can get valuable electrolytes without also getting jacked up on endless tablespoons of sugar found in other brands.  It’s vegan friendly and gluten free with NO artificial ingredients.  It’s great for everyone, from athletes to pregnant moms and is even recommended by the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute for keeping cancer patients more effectively hydrated.

Ultima “contains a full complement of electrolytes, not just a ton of sodium. Ultima also contains complex carbs for energy, water-soluble vitamins and vitamin enhancers for day-to-day health maintenance, and antioxidants to protect body systems from free radicals (toxins).”

The flavours are wonderful.  Subtley sweet and just so… so drinkable. Try the assortment pack and get all of them: Kiwi-Strawberry (my fave!), Wild Raspberry, Grape and Lemonade (recommend adding a squirt of lemon juice to amp up the lemon) and then commit to a favourite and go for the 30 or 90 serving cannisters.

I love Ultima packed in my fanny to keep me fresh during long runs and have it closeby for my flow practices.  The younger kids, of course, love it and I feel good allowing a sweet drink occasionally, knowing they’re not over-doing the sugar.  And while eldest still chooses water as his first choice, he surprised me by requesting the Wild Raspberry for swim practice!

Category: Eating, health, Kids, Products, running, Tri training, weight loss, yoga  Leave a Comment
Jun
04

Excavating Etsy: Ms. Yoga from The Willies

Whew… I’m back!  You know life can just take you in all kinds of directions and sometimes… sometimes the things you enjoy end up stuck on the backburner.

But, dear readers, it’s springtime… fresh, bright and inspiring… breathing new life into my yoga practice and into this here ol’ blog, MommyOm.

And so, in the spirit of fresh and new… have you considered your yoga space?  Perhaps it needs a little pick-me-up and, through the wonders of Etsy, I have a unique idea to spruce up your walls with a little yoga folk art.

The Willies offer the cutest, most folksie and interesting yoga themed prints to dress up your walls and offer a little hand-made inspiration.  Aptly named Ms. Yoga, these prints “are the whimsical, handmade creation of Sam Willoughby. Each Willie has its own character and no two are the same.”

“The Willies like being around nature therefore, many accompanying objects of art have been created: flowers, trees, birds, rabbits and such. Many of the smaller pieces could sit on a table top and perhaps brighten up a small space in your home or office.”

Ms. Yoga would love to be a part of your inspirational space just as I am happy to be back as part of your yoga surfing!

Category: etsy, green, Products, Spirit, yoga  Leave a Comment
Dec
18

Yoga Jeans… Orgasm in Denim!

Now, I saw the video first.  And after carefully considering, “Jeans? Husband? Jeans? Husband?”  -husband did come out the winner… but only because he’s making me pancakes… and by a mere hair (I loves me pancakes!)- I came to the breathless conclusion,

Holy Moly!  I must get me a pair of these freakin’ jeans!

Because, by golly, if the short promo is any indication of what I can expect from my pair of Yoga Jeans, from Second Denim Co., husbands everywhere need to be put on notice.

The claim, other than one fitting can induce spotaneous orgasm- imagine wearing them every day?!- is that they fit like a second skin.  And, despite the size nothing body modeling all the styles, they also claim to appeal to women of all shapes, sizes, and ages from 16 to 75 who want to be comfortable but feel sexy, too.

In reference to his plus-size line of skinny Yoga Jeans, owner and designer of Second Denim Co., Eric Wazana states,

Women are sick of feeling like they have to be perfect to be beautiful…  I’ve always thought the plus market has been overlooked by many designers.

Good news for the Montreal-based Second Denim Co. is that they are making their way steadily into retailers across Canada, but the better news is that they are also available online. The styles range from low slung to hi-rise and straight-leg to boot-cut with various washes and colours.  The only thing… it appears the plus-size isn’t yet available to online shoppers at the Second… but you can visit Addition Elle and search ‘skinny jeans’ to find a selection of Second’s plus-size Yoga Jeans.

For those of you surfing rather than working… you might want to take down the volume before viewing…

Category: clothing, Products, Trends, yoga  One Comment
Dec
15

Lululemon… A Little Tongue-in-Cheekiness!

I guess when you feel you’ve beat the odds, shown the world and pretty much flipped the bird at all of our big retailers-flaunting increased sales and resisting the urge to jump on the markdown wagon- you can have a little fun… after all, it is the homeland- home city, in fact- hosting the 2010 Winter Games.

Lululemon Athletica employee Laurel Richardson models a hockey helmet toque that comes complete with a marker to black out front teeth, and a Canada hoodie complete with a gold-coloured zipper from the company's new product line in Vancouver, B.C., on Monday December 14, 2009. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Lululemon Athletica employee Laurel Richardson models a hockey helmet toque that comes complete with a marker to black out front teeth, and a Canada hoodie complete with a gold-coloured zipper from the company's new product line in Vancouver, B.C., on Monday December 14, 2009. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Not to be outdone by the official Canadian fashion supplier of these Olympic Games, the historic, and all but irrelevant, Hudson Bay Company, yoga fashion juggernaut Lululemon is offering up it’s own tongue-in-cheek version… but not really… and not officially, of course…  of Vancouver 2010 Olympic wear.

Despite possible opposition from the powers that be, and the fact that they launched the line-hooded sweatshirts, toques and tees- only a mere two months before the games, Lululemon

insists this clothing line is about patriotism, not ambush marketing ahead of the Olympics.

But the Lulus are no dummies.  With more than a few crazy marketing stunts under it’s belt the Vancouver-based company comes well versed in the rules and regulations pertaining to Olympic marketing.  They have dotted their i’s and crossed their t’s ensuring only a whiff of Olympic Games, rather than outright Games stench, with  their “Cool Sporting Event” tagline.

Olympic fashion is huge during the Games, with Roots scoring bigtime in Games past… remember the tams- erk!  Everyone will have something to contribute to the lucrative Olympics marketplace but will make every effort not to step on the official toes, including Roots itself.  With a new line of outerwear launched this fall, coined the Canada Collection, it is geared to capitalize on the country not the games.

Of course.

So, here’s to Olympic Games fashion fever.  As the yoga lemming I am, always on the lookout for the next yogic trend… and given these Games are but a relative stones throw… chances are pretty good I’ll opt for cache over history… sorry HBC.  While Hudson’s Bay blankets- and could there be anything more Canadian than an elk head sweater ?!-have there place, there’s really nothing like a set of blacked out teeth to get asses in stores.  Maybe next time, ye olde Hudson’s Bay.

Category: clothing, Just Crazy... In A Good Way, news, Products, Trends  Leave a Comment
Dec
12

Merry Christmas to Me!! Come to Mommy, Mandy!

It’s out and hopefully landing in a dvd player near me… hear that hubby- I mean, Santy Clause!?!

Category: news, people, Products, Trends, weight loss, yoga  Leave a Comment
Dec
12

Fertility God? Heck No… Fertility Ball, If You Please!

fertilityI guess yoga isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when it comes to makin’ babies… and surely, I don’t think I ever thought of massaging my innards with a ball when it came to the months we spent trying to conceive the energetic little pip that is my second son.

But then again, I’m an old fashioned gal, who until now, believed it was just a matter of charting cycles, analyzing cervical mucous and otherwise good timing in creating energetic little pips.

That said, I pride myself in having an open mind and when I came across the growing trend of yoga geared to enhancing efforts in conception, well, I decided to have a look-see.  After all one never knows….

I don’t know if you remember the girlfriends of Seinfeld, but one in particular has been making a name for herself beyond the mega-successful TV show.  Brenda Strong, formerly best known as Sue Ellen Mischke the “bra-less wonder”… oh, and the dead lady neighbour narrator on Desperate Housewives – hel-llooo!- is a yoga teacher and expert, specializing in helping women get pregnant through the ancient practice of yoga… and a few new-fangled props, such as her trademarked Strong Fertility Ball.

fertilityball According to her website, Yoga4Fertility, The Strong Fertility Ball Method, created by fertility yoga expert Brenda Strong, is a way for women to empower themselves to:

- Stimulate Circulation/Blood Flow

- Massage Internal Organs

-Use Acupressure Points for Fertility

-Help to Regulate Gynecological Function

-Detoxify and Cleanse

-Decrease Stress

-Open Connective Tissue/Fascia.

The ball acts as a tool for acupressure, and when combined with yoga…

…you get the benefit of two ancient healing systems working together to help your body release tension and balance it’s natural ability to function.
Use of mind/body practices help support your doctor’s protocol by lowering stress and help you feel more in charge of your chances to conceive.

The beauty of this program, or any other yogic practice in trying to conceive or during pregnancy, is that if nothing else, it offers a means to maintaining flexibility and a certain level of fitness while, most importantly providing a valuable tool in stress management essential for effective coping during what can often be a time of stress and fatigue.

Category: fertility, health, news, people, Products, Trends, yoga  One Comment
Nov
11

gaiaconceptions at Etsy: Skorts & Much More! Oooooohhhh! Not Want… NEED!!

If I had this… this handy, mcdandy Skort from gaiaconceptions over at Etsy, well, I too would prance around in my Wellingtons.

Gaiaconceptions offers a whole line of remarkably cute and functional items, all utilizing organic fabrics such as hemp and cotton.

As I peruse her shop, I’m really left conflicted as to which of her lovely items I plan to put on the old Christmas list!

But more likely, with the soft fabric and comfy, snug fitting boy short beneath, I’ll enjoy it for my summer practice out on my NEW DECK!

In this skort I will be sporty, in its function… stylish, in its short, skort-y sexiness and the colours, hand-dyed, a wonderful selection of  bold and bright..  and comfortable, in it’s fabric, soft organic cotton and hemp.

Just all ’round cute and functional- from yoga practice to a bike ride to lunch out with the gals.

I will so be sending the link to this, the Pokara Shirt of organic hemp and cotton, to hubby… I can see this for beginning practice, skating at the lake… or just sitting with a big bowl of popcorn with a movie in front of the fireplace.

I love, love, love the versatility of the cowl neck, especially living here in the frozen North as we do.  It’s lined with FLEECE, people!

I’m also a total sucker for extra-long sleeves with thumb holes!!

The hand-dyed fabrics, as with the skort above, come in a beautiful selection of bold and vibrant colours, making this a fall-winter must have for just about anyone!  A fantastic gift for that lover of the comfy-cozy… ahem.

Before I end this post… keeping myself from posting gaiaconceptions entire line… I had to include this unique and lovely skirt. I love this:

The Ruffle Butt Long Skirt. In a blend of organic cotton and hemp, it’s perfect for casual wear or to dress up for a night out.  The wonderful hand-dyed fabric colours are available as with the other items from gaiaconceptions.

The unique ruffle in the back is a wonderful “nod to the bustle Gaia Conceptions style“.  With a stretchy waist band it looks to be a comfortable and flattering choice for any woman’s body.

I’ll keep this in mind for next spring, as its “a fun skirt for all seasons.”

The Ruffle Butt Long Skirt is paired with the Drawstring Tank.

I will no doubt be featuring more of  gaiaconceptions amazing clothing here at MommyOm.

Peruse her shop and without a doubt you’ll be sure to find something…  it’s all just so beautiful!

Category: beauty, clothing, etsy, Products  Leave a Comment
« Previous Entries