Milagros

If you are a regular reader of this blog - actually, are there people who read this on a regular basis?…I really do hope so…

Anyhoo, we have a tendency to find a new place we like and go there again and again and again…consider Yachats…

What is our latest family outing obsession? Champoeg State Park! Why? Because it is lovely and only 45 minutes from home - minimal car time to an awesome place always rules!

We spent Saturday at Champoeg and enjoyed their Apple Festival. It was a fun event. There were folks dressed in period garb making apple pie and apple crisp over an open fire in a dutch oven - delish! Live old-timey music filled the barn where kids and adults took turns making cider making using traditional person-powered apple presses. Fresh apple butter was being made an sample by the gallon and there was a great selection of fresh heirloom vegetables from the 19th century “kitchen garden” they maintain at the park.  Actually, fresh vegetables from the garden often available in the visitor center, just take what you want and leave a donation.

Another plus, the bike paths in the park have just been repaved. So riding is wonderfully smooth. They are still plenty of blackberries to be enjoyed through-out the park as well.

Still on the to do list for Champoeg is to kayak in the Willamette from the park, see the inside of the Mother’s Cabin, and play a round of frisbee golf.  So this is more than a crush. We will be back!

In addition to a wide selection of new cloth diaper covers and wraps, we strive to keep a good selection of gently used covers and diapers in stock.  The size of our used inventory waxes and wanes but RIGHT NOW, we have  great selection of covers in preemie, newborn, and small sizes.

So if you your someone you know is expecting or has a newborn, come in to Milagros and get some great diaper wraps and great prices!

Local massage therapist Gretchen Hogue returns to Milagros to teach a new infant massage series.

This affordable, hands-on class teaches a gentle, loving way to connect with your baby while helping smooth their transition into the world beyond the womb.  The benefits of incorporating massage into your baby’s regular routine are immense – ranging from improved digestion to deeper sleep, relieved stress to increased awareness and physical development.  Further, infant massage helps parents better understand their child’s non-verbal communication which helps build mutual trust and deeper understanding, fostering an even stronger, more intimate bond between you both.

The next four-week workshop series for newborn to pre-crawling infants and their parents begins on October 18th! Here are the details:

Saturdays October 18th – November 8th, 3PM –  4PM
Location: Milagros Boutique, 5429 NE 30th Ave, Portland
Cost: $70 (Sliding Scale available to those who need it)
class size is limited so pre-registration is preferred

If you would like to register for this series or have any questions whatsoever, please contact Gretchen at 971-230-8475 or gehogue@gmail.com

Summer has been dragging out - WOO HOO! So we did a papa-daughter camping trip this past weekend. Our destintation? Champoeg State Park!

We went the easy route and rented a cabin. The weather was perfect and the park had a lot to offer but the real draw is the family-friendly bike riding in the park and surrounding area.  We biked for miles, took a dip in the Willamette (you wouldn’t recognize it down there!), picked blackberries, did all our cooking over a fire pit, and just had a very relaxing time.

The park is only 45 minutes from Portland but a world away, camping is available there year-round…so we hope to hit again sooner than later.  Here are some pics courtesy of Jon Maus. Click on them for a larger view 

Here is something elso to add to the long list of great ideas coming from local Mamas…Three local Portland Moms - Amy Paterson, Melissa Moore & Stephanie Smith- are championing a very simple but powerful idea: low-cost, on-site, clean and safe child care for kids at hospitals.

You can find drop-in child at Ikea, your local Fred Meyer, 24-Hour Fitness, and at Multnomah County Court, among other places, but not at any local hospital or medical facility. As you can imagine, this type of offering would be heaven-sent support for many families, it would allow them to focus on their medical care and health and not endure the added stress of juggling child care during a significant ailment.

To help bring on-site child care at hospitals and other medical facilities, Amy, Melissa, and Stephanie founded “My Little Waiting Room” as a non-profit in December.  They have received a grant from Avon to help get their effort off the ground but they currently have a opportunity to receive significant funding if it is selected as one of the top five Members Project by American Express Cardholders.

So if you are a Amex Cardholder, you can help My Little Waiting room through the power of a mouseclick! Log-on and cast your vote for “My Little Waiting Room” NOW! Voting ends at Midnight on Monday, 9/29! So don’t delay!

From the instructor:

Attention children aged 3 to 5 years old! Here is your chance to learn French basic with a favorite adult. In this class children will:
- develop awareness of French sounds through rhymes, story time and songs
- practice memorization skills with games, rhymes and songs
- enhance imagination skills through puppet play and make-believe activities
- have fun!

Where: Milagros Boutique, 5429 NE 30th Avenue, Portland, OR 97211
When: Mondays, 10/13 - 11/17, 11am - 11:40am

Cost: $8/class $45 for all six classes
Registration: 503-708-6629 or fabulations@gmail.com

About the instructors: Jane Fabulet-Roberts and Carine Zimber met at the Portland French School where they both taught pre-K through 5th grade. Together they founded Fabulations, a French Language theater company with the mission of promoting the French language through theater shows, workshops and classes.

We have been fans of the Stokke Tripp Trapp chair for ages and we are proud to offer it at Milagros. 

The Tripp Trapp is a chair that grows with your child. It allows your wee one to always be sitting at the same height as adults at a table and it always provides the correct support for the child’s posture.  We purchase one for Mila when we realized that we had no chairs in the house that allowed her to get truly comfortable in. 

We have a Tripp Trapp on display at Milagros.  Take a look and ask about what colors we have in stock.

I am not sure what is a bigger pain that using a squeeze bulb to try and remove mucus from a wee one’s nose.  Like it or not we are rolling in to cold and flu season so such issues are on my mind. Luckily, we have discovered an alternative to the classic squeeze bulb: the Nosefrida.

The Nosefrida is more than just a cool name. Nosefrida is a nasal aspirator that removes mucus from your child’s nose but unlike a bulb it doesn’t require you placing anything IN your child’s nose. And unlike a bulb, you have full control over the amount of suction applied.  The result is more effective mucus removal and more tolerable experience for your baby or toddler.

Although the Nosefrida is new to the USA - Milagros was the first retailer in Portland - it has been used in Sweden for years. It has been clinically tested and is manufactured in Sweden in accordance with the European Union environmental regulations; it is also registered
with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The Nosefrida comes with a filter but additional filters may be purchased in packs of 20 at Milagros.  And like everything you will find at Milagros, the Nosefrida is BPA & Phthalate Free.

As a member of the Concordia Neighborhood Association, I am helping organize a candidate debate on 10/7 at 7 pm between Portland City Commissioner candidates Charles Lewis and Amanda Fritz in the Gym at the Kennedy School (NE 33rd & Jarrett).

We are hoping for a great turnout and will be providing free childcare from 6:30pm – 8:30pm in the Community Room at Kennedy School.  There are only so many slots, so if you know in advance you will need child care please send an email to Anne Rothert at arothert@gmail.com

AND if you live in Concordia Neighborhood, please consider serving on the board! Our neighborhood elections are 11/4.

There are many things to be thankful for in Portland, one of the many is the presence of Baby Blues Connection.

Baby Blues Connection is a non-profit that provides much needed support to mums enduring Antepartum and/or Postpartum Depression.  They provide peer support via a free 24 - hour message line and regular support group meetings in the area.  And they offer referral assistance to ensure that mamas enduring depression related to pregnancy  and/or childbirth connect with appropriate and effectiveprofessional treatment services.

To support the work of Baby Blues Connection, you are invited to attend a Community Appreciate Party & Silent Auction on Thursday, September 25th, from 6 pm - 9 pm at Portland Wine Storage, 306 SE Ash Street, Portland, OR 97214.

There will be complimentary wine and tapas and a lot of great items to bid on.  Remember, all proceeds support the important work of Baby Blues Connection so come out, enjoy a party, and make some bids for a great cause!