Autumn Newsletter
Hello amazing Mothers & Mothers-to-be!
Firstly to say a huge THANK YOU to all of you. For showing up to classes, courses and workshops, for your feedback, for your kind reviews and most importantly, for being open-hearted and part of the amazing For Modern Mothers community.
For Modern Mothers is all about support, connection and real-life motherhood. And doing it together. Sharing the realities and the ups and downs of pregnancy, birth & motherhood. Equipping you with tools and techniques to help get you through the challenging times and feel better in body and mind. As well as lovely people to support you too.
It’s 1st November and today is known as Samhain in the Celtic Wheel Of The Year. The end of summer and the beginning of the darker months of winter ahead. It really feels like that with the clocks going back, the chill in the air and leaves dropping earthward as we move into the cosy season of candles, bonfires, big jumpers, bobble hats and hot chocolate - of and did you say Mulled Wine??
Autumn is the perfect time to shift away from the external world to the internal, and to align with nature and adopt a slower pace to your daily routine. I’ve some simple ideas that might help you in this newsletter. Rituals can guide you back to your mind, body, soul, and heart.
I hope as always that this newsletter will provide you with some things to help you take a little pocket of time for yourself - to be inspired, to bring some joy and to help you support yourself with simple self-care. Something all mothers need more of!
Scroll down for a simple autumn recipe, 2 minute self-care practice, a Metta guided meditation, a Halloween playlist (because I’m still in Halloween mode!) and some inspirational things to do and place to go.
There’s also some events to come along too. Including super exciting BRAND NEW Christmas Creative Workshops series and some new Slow Sunday Mini Retreat dates for 2024! Scroll down for all of this
Enjoy snuggling by a fire, have a wonderful Autumn and hope to see you soon (don’t forget no classes in half term - but lots of things to book for November & December).
Looking forward to seeing you soon
Susan x
PS Don’t forget you can also join me on my Instagram and Facebook pages too:
A simple monthly recipe
There’s still a few late blackberries that I’ve spotted in my garden - get looking and foraging the hedgerows! If not you can always buy them in the supermarket :) Or substitute with blueberries if you prefer
VANILLA AND BLACKBERRY autumn DROP SCONES
MAKES ABOUT 10
175g plain flour (white or spelt if you have it)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon golden caster sugar
a pinch of salt
1 medium egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste
150ml milk of choice (cows, almond or oat etc)
150g ripe blackberries
a knob of unsalted butter
TO SERVE
100g plain yoghurt / greek yoghurt / coconut yoghurt OR some vanilla icecream for added decadance!
2 tablespoons runny honey or agave syrup
more blackberries to tumble on top
TO MAKE
Put the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt into a large mixing bowl.
Use a balloon whisk to stir the dry ingredients and get rid of any lumps of baking powder.
Crack in the egg, then add the vanilla and the milk and use the whisk to stir everything into a thick batter.
Crush the blackberries slightly, then ripple these through the mixture with a wooden spoon, so you get lovely stains of deep purple as they cook.
Heat the butter in a non-stick frying pan on a medium heat and allow it to melt and froth. Use a small ladle or large spoon to scoop 4 small rounds of batter into the pan – you want each one to be about 5cm wide.
Cook for a couple of minutes, until bubbles rise to the top and the bottom looks set and golden. Then flip the pancakes over and cook for another minute or so until golden and cooked through
Dish out to hungry kids as you go, or keep these warm on a plate in the oven while you cook the rest (adding more butter to the pan as you go if you need to).
Serve the drop scones with your choice or yoghurt (or ice cream!), some more blackberries if you like, and a little more honey or agave syrup for drizzling over.
Recipe adapted from The Modern Cook’s Year by Anna Jones
Some things I’m loving right now & you might like too…
This months inspiration to click on, I hope you enjoy them too.
an award-winning podcast about the menstrual cycle, that is so enlightening!
I am obsessed with the sea. This book the power of seaweed looks fascinating.
Love the look of these unique baby events at the always brilliant YSP - Sculpture Baby: light organ Suitable for babies up to 13 months
This interactive art installation looks great for adults and children alike
Love the moon? Me too! I can’t wait for this Museum of The Moon tour
The great climate bake-off - amazing baking inspiration with a motherhood and mother earth slant
Do we make the same mistakes as our parents? An interesting read.
create yourself a simple self-care box
A meditation
A METTA or ‘loving kindness’ prActice
You may notice that this is the same practice as my Summer Newsletter. This is not a mistake! I just feel that with all that’s going on in the world right now a Metta practice something that can be so very supportive. The words are so poignant to me right now.
Simply repeat these words to yourself.
“May I be healthy, may I be happy, may I live with ease and in peace” (repeat 3 times)
Then bring to mind someone close to you, a family member or friend and repeat:
“May you be healthy, may you be happy, may you live with ease and in peace.” (repeat 3 times)
Finally imagine the loving-kindness spreading out from you and your close family member / friend and out throughout your neighborhood, country and across the world to all living beings. Repeat the following phrase three times:
“May we all be healthy, may we all be happy, may we all live with ease and in peace.” (repeat 3 times)
You can also listen to a recording of it here:
A poem
Words can be powerful and inspiring, and help you feel less alone. This is the beautiful poem I shared at the end of a recent Slow Sunday Mini Retreat. This time of year can seem like a perfect time to year to be clearing things away, and also creating a clearing for yourself:
Clearing by Martha Postlewaite
Do not try to save the whole world
or do anything grandiose.
Instead, create a clearing in the dense forest of your life
and wait there patiently,
until the song that is your life
falls into your own cupped hands
and you recognize and greet it.
Only then will you know
how to give yourself to this world
so worth of rescue.
Journaling Prompt
Here’s a simple journaling prompt that I love (we talked about ‘future joy’ in classes a few weeks ago).
~ What can you book into your life and schedule, that your future self will thank you for?
Spend a little time journaling on this, maybe make a list. Know that doesn't need to be something that costs money. Is there a small habit you can commit to doing today, that builds value, health and well-being into your life?
2 minute self-care.
“Sky before screen”
As you may know I LOVE neuroscience research. On everything from hypnobirthing to wellbeing there’s so much we are learning about our minds and wellbeing. This is a great one. Research shows that outside and exposing yourself to natural sunlight shortly after waking up is one of the best things you can do to improve your sleep quality and overall well-being. It works by trigger your body's natural response to sunlight, causing it to release cortisol (the "wake up" hormone) into your system and signaling the start of a new day. It also starts your body's timer for the onset of melatonin (the "go to sleep" hormone) later that night. This helps you start the day off on the right foot - before exposing yourself your phone screen, allowing your body to release the proper hormones it needs to help you focus and be happier throughout the day.
So if you can get outside and get a few minutes great direct light then brilliant. But even if you can’t physically get outside straight away (feeding baby, making packed lunches, dressing small kids etc etc ), could you at least open the curtains and take a good look at the sky, take a few breaths, before reaching for your phone. A simple mantra but an effective feel-good one - ‘sky before screen’
Books to read…
Lots of people ask me for book recommendations, and over the summer holidays can be a great time to read more. So I’ve curated a selection of books over on Bookshop.org. Books that I think you’ll find supportive, interesting and a good read. From pregnancy, to Matrescence, to perimenopause, to nature, creativity, art and poetry - all things I am passionate about!
By buying books from Bookshop.org you are supporting local bookshops to stay in business (rather than giving your money to multinational organisations like Amazon).
Lets Come Together…
Lots of things coming up - I hope you can join me.
Creative Events!
I am so excited to be bringing you some workshops where you can come and create and make. They will be joyful, fun and festive!
Here’s the first one, a Tin Christmas Decorations Workshop at Bluebird Bakery in Acomb - so lots of yummy treats available!! You can find out more and book here.
There will be a couple more coming up too before Christmas, just finalising them now. Check out this page on my website to be the first to know or email me to get on the waiting list
Come and find some time and space for yourself. Slowing down, taking some real me-time is so very important for your health and wellbeing.
My Slow Sunday Mini Retreats are time and space for you to press the pause button on the stress and busyness of modern life and modern motherhood.
They are simple yet deeply effective way of calming your nervous system, helping your body release deeply held tension, and giving your mind a break from that frazzled feeling that’s so common in us mothers (and all humans in general!)
Come and join me on these dates: 26th November, 21st January, 18th February 2024. For a gorgeous afternoon of rest, relaxation and self-care.
More info on my Slow Sundays here.
More creative stuff
This is my absolute FAVOURITE class of the week! For ALL mothers with any age of child, and for pregnant folk too. My Creative Space For Mothers is a relaxed, fun, creative escape each Tuesday afternoon. We chat, drink tea, eat chocolate and do some simple and fun doodling, collaging, drawing or colouring in. Everything is provided for you and I set an inspiring activity each week - all you need to do it show up. It’s super supportive and open to everyone (you don’t have to be ‘good at art’ or think of yourself as ‘creative’ to really love this class)
More about these classes here Come and join us.
Here’s my November & December full schedule of classes & events too:
My online programs & courses
Did you know I have a whole range of online courses and programs you can access from the comfort of you own home, or anywhere in the world! I have all of this I have created for you …
~ The Online Pregnancy Yoga Program™
~ The Truth About Early Motherhood
~ Calm & Empowered Motherhood. A complete Mothers self-care toolkit to help you find calmness and strength, as you traverse the ups and downs of motherhood. Yoga, meditation, guided relaxations and more
~ What Nobody Tells You About Your Pelvic Floor
~ Meditation for Modern Life
~ ‘Blank Page’ - Journalling For Wellbeing Course. 12 different types of journalling to explore.
Have a lovely cosy Autumn time, and hope to see you soon
Susan x
PS Do drop me an email with any feedback on this new Newsletter, or any suggestions. It’s always lovely to hear from you.
Other things you might find supportive…
For Modern Mothers Podcast
You can also now listen to my podcast. This is a podcast to help mothers and mothers-to-be you thrive physically, mentally and emotionally in the modern world.
You’ll find no BS talks about all aspects of modern motherhood & wellbeing - physical, mental and emotional health, self-care, mindset, pregnancy, work, relationships, birth, cyclical living. This is a podcast to support, inform and empower you to find your own unique way through motherhood. Episodes include:
~ The Truth About Baby Sleep
~ Postnatal Bodies
~ Breastfeeding Myths
~ Self-Care For Mothers
~ Reconnecting with your Menstrual Cycle
Plus there are some guided meditations on there too. Use the link below or simply search for 'for modern mothers' on your preferred podcast platform (Apple Podcasts, iTunes, Google, Spotify, Stitcher etc). ttps://www.formodernmothers.com/podcast
For Modern Mothers blog
Over 70 no-BS, evidence based articles on pregnancy, birth, babies and motherhood. You can read the articles I’ve written here on my website
Join me on instagram…
