Kane is a Blue Whale, a mammal belonging to the baleen whale family.  He comes from a very long line of mighty Blue Whales.   Weighing in at 190 tons, Kane is use to others fearing him.  But Kane is nothing to fear, for he has a loving and giving heart.  He can sense when there are troubles in the sea and is always looking to help.  He provides rides to those smaller than him, a wonderful hiding place to anyone scared, and uses his strength to move, lift, and help any animal in need. One day, the seas turned rough.  The waters became darker and sands began to churn.  The animals of the ocean knew to stay home, for a great storm was on the surface.  But Kane could not sleep.  Even through all of the underwater storm sounds, he heard something: something new.  He knew he was being called to help. Kane set out against the waves and rough seas, following the sound that was calling to him.  He followed it to the surface, where he saw a sailboat struggling in the storm.  The night sky was painted dark blue, with clouds covering the moon.  The nearest land could not be seen.  This boat was in trouble.  Kane heard the sound grow louder as he swam closer to the small boat.  He had never ventured this close to humans before, but the sound called to him.  Suddenly, he could see aboard the boat: Humans, two of them.  The sound grew louder, the sound of a heart beating, but it was not from the man or the woman.  The noise that had beckoned Kane was a baby’s heartbeat. These humans were growing a baby! And this tiny, unborn creature was in danger tonight.  There was a family aboard this vessel and they needed Kane’s help to find their home.

When my first baby was born, I laughed at the idea of ingesting my placenta.  Heck, I didn’t even want to look at the organ after it was delivered!  I had this amazing unmedicated birth center birth, and I didn’t even look at my placenta. What was I thinking? Over the next year, we started falling further down the rabbit hole of all things natural.  Our lifestyle began to change as well as our views and practices.  By the time I was pregnant with baby #2, we were ready for a homebirth, I was teaching childbirth education classes, and I fully understood the power of the placenta.  Not only was I excited to see it, but I wanted it encapsulated. I took my placenta pills for a few weeks and then decided to stash them in the freezer.  I was making plenty of milk, had no signs of depression or baby blues, and was feeling great.  My husband asked me a few months later if I truly wanted to keep those suckers in the freezer long term. I simply laughed at him and swallowed two pills the morning after St. Patrick’s Day (in Savannah, mind you.) and went on my merry way while he suffered an awful hangover. Placenta Pills for the WIN!   He has never questioned  the frozen pills since.

'Tis the season for making goals that are never kept.   Let’s change that this year.  You may not keep every resolution, but there are a few ways to break down and prioritize the list of things you’d like to add into your life (or delete from it!).

Small Business Saturday: Beginning in 2010, Small Business Saturday encouraged shoppers across the country to shop local and support small businesses. By 2014, it is estimated that people are catching on.  They are voting with their dollars.  $14.3 billion was spent last year on this wonderful day – at small, independently owned businesses!