{a book about me} mama e-lab

For several months now, I have been feeling overwhelmed, slightly lost.  As a Mama totally absorbed and immersed by mama-ness, nursing, schooling, babes, home, very little I feel is left for me to be introspective.  Nurturing my soul and mind has gone to the back burner.  And for a woman who prides herself on self-discovery and lifelong learning and connectedness, it sucks!

Hence, MAMA SCOUT!!  I discovered this amazingness of Mamaness through my Apothecary Circle (what can I say, great mamas think alike!).  She introduced me to her blog and I am amazed.  Her ideals and living seem to be inline with mine:  raising her 3 babes through open-ended, passionate play guided by her love and presence.  I should also mention that she has designed a line of Mama Scout badges to honour that which the Mama more often than not is never acknowledged for:  pregnancy, breastfeeding, surviving a tantrum, grocery trips with kids, sleeping, reading, diapering.

Starting April 1st, she will be starting a 30 day {a book about me} mama e-lab with daily e-mails, journal prompts, creative projects and unbridled support to help you tell your story.  I suggest it for any mama, searching for that which has been lost, guided by a mama who strongly supports the Mamaness of us all.

Go here to register your seat in the e-lab today!

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{a book about me} mama e-lab

Through list making, memory mining, visual map making and attentive looking, we will clear the path back to who we are, noticing how we have changed and plotting who we want to be. 

Who is this is for?

This lab is primarily for mamas who have given so much to their children and families that they have lost a bit of themselves along the way. A virtual room of your own, but in the form of a self-ethnographic book/journal.

I was inspired to do this project when I did something similar with my children this fall. Over the weeks that I helped them compile books all about themselves (with lists of favorites, recording of life stories, timelines, maps and charts and more), I kept thinking of how the format could be an amazing space for self growth and exploration for women. So, I took notes, adapted and added adult themes to the project and this lab was born.

By recording the details of our lives, both big and small, through word and image, we recover our lost selves and reconstruct stronger versions of the women we want to be. 

You might be looking for the forgotten you, the submerged self, a younger or different you than who you confront in the mirror each morning. This course is to help you uncover her, find her and also redefine her. Because chances are, she has been deep in the muck so long, she might have evolved into something a little different. 

How does this work? 

Each day, for 30 days you will receive an email lab from me. Each lab contains a short essay, a meaty journal prompt, a creative invitation and additional resources to 
help you on your journey.

I will not lie, it is a lot. So much, that you would be hard pressed to complete every aspect of the lab each day. You should be able to read the lab, do the writing and plan a day (soon) when you can do the creative project (they are not terribly difficult or time consuming, but can become absorbing). We will also have a secret Facebook group where I will be at daily and you are invited to participate in. The creative projects are for the most part simple and inexpensive, yet novel and meant to disrupt your (and my) default thinking. I hope they will inspire you to look deeper, think weirder, and explore your life in a creative way. If you took the family e-lab, the format is similar but the topics and projects are completely new and geared towards you. Of course, I am sure they will have a positive impact on your family but they are meant solely for you.As a full time, homeschooling mom, I have found online courses to be of great benefit to me. As a lifelong student, I am personally enriched and a much better parent when I am engaging my mind and creative spirit. My e-labs are the type of courses I had been searching for and could not find. So, I created them and learn next to the participants in each lab.

What supplies might I need? 

When the course is closer, you will recieve a welcome letter and a more detailed list of supply ideas. Basically, you will need a journal or notebook with paper, pencil or pen, camera and printing capabilities, an internet connection and generic art supplies. You should not really need to buy anything specific for this course.


AND at the end of the course - you will receive in the mail a merit badge! The merit badge is designed just for this course (it is different than the merit badge that the Family Lab participants receive) and is exactly like a scout merit badge but much cooler because it was made for YOU!