A staple in many homes during the winter months, mistletoe for centuries has been considered a beautiful plant with mystical powers capable of absorbing bad spirits in its surroundings and transforming them into joy and luck. As you plan for the arrival of your new baby or settle into life as a new parent, let me tell you this – the power of the mistletoe is in your hands. Just like the mistletoe does at this time of year, you can also sense what is not serving you and transform that into good energy for you, your family, and the world your children will grow up in.

So what is it that is coming to you this holiday season? What energy are you absorbing and sending out, what are you noticing around you, and how would you like to transform that? Be honest with yourself. The magic of the mistletoe lies in its power to transform the bad into good, but for us to do that, we must first open our hearts up to how we are truly feeling, even if it’s painful. After all, nothing can be transformed if we don’t know where we are starting from. If that means that you suddenly break down crying at 1pm in a shawarma restaurant, so be it (although as I write this I realize that this may be more common than not for our pregnant readers!)! Your heart and your soul will thank you for that release.

Slowly you will be able to find the sweet spot between pain and hope and the tipping point between hopelessness and power, fear and love, suffering and peace, depression and meaning. That is where your true power lies, the power of the mistletoe. In here, in that pain, lies your ability to transform. Not only that, but your power to truly live with purpose and to be a source of light, of inspiration and of joy to your family and your community is found there. It is within the pain that you can find the love that is so desperately needed.

From there, I challenge you to take a leap. Small or big, it doesn’t matter. Just do something that is line with your heart, with the love you want to spread and the world you want to create for your kids. Take them on an adventure, volunteer with them, start a group or a movement, take up a hobby, be honest about feelings you’ve been withholding from others, or just anything that makes you come alive. In this holiday season, I will be taking this leap myself. I invite you to join me in this journey, and to give yourself and your family the gift of YOU. Oh, and of course, remember to hang up that mistletoe!

Warmest wishes this holiday season,
Emma

The post A Dash of Mistletoe Can Make the Holiday Season Brighter For the Whole Family! appeared first on Nutmeg Consulting.

1. Tie a string, ribbon or fishing line to the trunk of your tree. About one third from the top, and then tie it to a screw or nail attached to a door frame, window frame or plate rail. This will keep baby from pulling the tree over, or at least give you a chance to stop them before they pull it down! We have a plate rail in the corner where our tree usually sits, so we keep the screw in and its unnoticeable! One year, I even used the white string that was tied around the tree when we bought it! Recycling and laziness at it’s finest… (Look really closely in this pic and you can see the wire!)

2. Decorate the lower half of the tree with unbreakable, or soft decorations. Depending on the age of your baby. Avoid decorations with small bells, or googly eyes or small beads that can pose a choking hazard if pulled off. We have a bunch of different felt decorations from over the years (from Ikea!) that are cute for babies to look at but don’t pose a threat to them or risk being broken if dropped!

3. Cover electrical cords with duct tape or electrical tape. To keep little fingers safe. Taping together any junctions (where one cord plugs into another) can prevent little ones from pulling plug or wires out of extension cords. Also, tape loose wires along the baseboard to limit the chance that they will be pulled on or played with. We use white duct tape to match our baseboards (do it slowly and smoothly) so it is barely noticeable! Make sure any extension cords or wires are not worn or damaged.

4. Make sure any lights you have on the tree don’t heat up! Some older strings of holiday lights may heat up and can burn little hands, so make sure your lights are cool to the touch even when they are on for a while!

5. Help your curious baby or toddler to explore and look at the tree. Staying within arms reach as they look at the tree during the first few days may be necessary. Asking older kids to help decorate with non-breakable decorations, and teaching them to gently touch with ‘just touch with one finger’ will let them satisfy their curiousity without smashing things! Babies will often crawl up and try to grab at branches, so barriers of heavy boxes (wrapped to look like presents) can be a great idea if they just won’t stay away. If your baby doesn’t lose interest after a few days and just won’t keep away from pulling on the tree, then a baby gate system might be helpful too.

Try to remember the excitement and wonder your little ones must be feeling when they see such new and beautiful things in their home. They are curious and want to explore. Making things safe as possible will prevent accidents, and keep the holidays fun and enjoyable for everyone!

The post Top 5 Tips to Keep Your Baby (And Tree) Safe This Holiday Season! appeared first on Nutmeg Consulting.