Start a Love Tradition Today

My surfer hubby and I began a sweet love tradition a few years ago. When we are eating out and the food arrives, we hold each others hands and say a little blessing/prayer. While we are still holding hands, I give a sweet little kiss to his hand and he to mine.

We actually stole this tiny act of love from another couple when we saw them say grace over their food at a restaurant. It looked so endearing that we took it for our own.

Ok, the first time we tried it my husband knew it was coming (he is very perceptive.) When our food came I let out a little gasp of excitement, batted my eyes and extended my hand. He couldn’t leave me hanging so he grabbed my hand, and he said a little prayer. Then as he watched I tenderly and sweetly planted a kiss on . . . my OWN hand. Oops, sometimes it can get confusing.

 I am better at it now.

Remember loving traditions take effort and a little thought unless … they are passion triggered and those should not be considered traditional  

So think about bringing a little comfort and love to those you care about.

Be the one to give a loving touch and a kind word. Be the sunshine in someone’s life.

“The best portion of a good man’s life are his small, unremembered act of kindness and of love.”

What happened to the Happy New Year? Oh no, we just ended January and I realized I hadn’t really gotten started on most of my good ideas for 2012. Learning the end of world was coming in 2012 put a little damper in my need to rush, but then reeeeeaaaally what do the Mayans know?

So, I am ignoring the Mayan Calendar and pushing on. I think you should to.

Don’t get discouraged. You still have eleven months and more (unless the world ends) to fulfill your great ideas.

Take comfort in little achievements toward your goals. Don’t give up. Keep going. When you’re discouraged at your pace, stop, and remember what you’re working towards. Reenergize and comfort your mind, body, emotions and soul for the journey. Be good to yourself, but get going!

Remember … “If it’s difficult, it can be done. If it’s impossible it takes a little longer. Miracles by appointment only.” 

My friend, I am trusting in the One who created the world and have booked quite a few appointments for this year.

Another Thanksgiving … more family, more food, more celebration.
I said lets repost my past Thanksgiving post and Nicole said everyone had already read it.
I liked it.
I can’t say it better.
So here is the repost.
Who remembers something they read from last Thanksgiving anyhow? I find great comfort in the seasons and the sameness. I like Thanksgiving exactly like last year, over and over again. Don’t change a thing.

I love Thanksgiving!

Gathering my family and enjoying a beautiful meal together makes me crazy grateful. I usually can’t contain myself so I break into song. My kids start to groan but they know I won’t stop until they join in. As a mom, I try to instill in them thankful hearts. Gratefulness is learned, not just in response to receiving, but a celebration of life. It is easy to become burdened with the day to day and forget to savor, yes savor, life’s moments.  

 

Here are some of Troncone Thanksgiving traditions:

Five Kernels of Corn: When the table is set for the Thanksgiving meal every plate has 5 kernels of corn. They represent the Pilgrims struggle the year before the plenty and celebration of Thanksgiving. According to tradition, the Pilgrims suffered through a two year famine with a food ration of five kernels per day. When we compare the meal about to be served to the five kernels we can’t help but be thankful for our blessings.

 

 
Thankful Memories: Over the years I have had a Thanksgiving book that we pass and note our gratefulness. We pass the book, even writing for the small ones and letting them scribble their names. It is fun to look back and see, from old to young, the comments they made.

The Acorn Theory: An oak tree produces many acorns and those acorns produce more oak trees. At our family Thanksgiving it is tradition to pass the acorn and tell what each individual is thankful for. We also say one thing we are praying and hoping for this next year. Sharing each others joys and carrying each others burdens – it’s what makes families strong.

For Stuffing Lovers: Yes, that is me. You must try this. When preparing your stuffing for the turkey: add chopped walnuts, apple bits, and golden raisins to the bread crumb recipe. Oh, so good!

 

 
Pumpkins Bars: I always make this yummy dessert during Thanksgiving. Chopped walnuts are a nice topping to the cream cheese frosting. You can double this recipe or make multiple batches and do up plates to bring to neighbors and friends. See recipe below.

Pumpkin Bars Recipe: Oven 350
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
2 cups sugar
1 cup oil
4 eggs, beaten slightly
2 cups pumpkin

Combine in bowl in order given. Beat well. Spread on greased deep cookie sheet or 9×11 baking dish. Bake for 25 minutes. Cool. Frost with cream cheese frosting. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts.

Cream Cheese Frosting:
2 packages (3 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 Tbsp. butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
1 3/4 cups powered sugar, sifted 

Mix in bowl and beat with electric mixer. If necessary, add milk to make of spreading consistency. 

 

Happy Thanksgiving,

 

“The Mother of Comfort”
 

I am not a big celebrator of Halloween.  However, when I had the opportunity to walk the neighborhood with my darling granddaughter I couldn’t resist dressing up.

I have to tell you, I make a very good Fairy Godmother.  My FG costume was a beautiful full skirted prom skirt and a diamondy puffy sleeved top. I found gold glittery Christmas garlands at the store to wear in my hair and as bracelet and necklace.  I borrowed my granddaughter’s play wand and decorated it with gold ribbon streamers. The Fair Godmother outfit was so fun to wear that I was having a little trouble staying in reality. I really felt like a Fairy Godmother. I practiced waving my wand and saying in my best Disney voice, “And may all your dreams come true.” 

My 2-year old granddaughter was dressed up as Tweety Bird and looked darling. She carried a plastic pumpkin to collect her treats. Each house her daddy or mommy would walk her up to the  door, knock or ring and say loudly “Trick or Treat.” Everyone loved her because she is  little and so cute in her costume. After the choosing of candy and exchange of  sweet words they would look out to those of us in the entourage walking with her. As they looked out I would smile, wave my wand, and say in my Disney voice, “May all your dreams come true.”  It was the most amazing thing. Every person I said “May all your dreams come true”  to acted as if I had just given them a gift.

It was the most interesting experience. People  responded with ”Oh, thank you. I needed that,”  “Oh, that would be wonderful,” “Here, you get extra candy,”  ”You made my day,” “Thank you!” and one woman began to cry. After the first few houses when the people responded so genuine, I said to my daughter, “Oh dear,  I hate to tell them I really have no power.” She commented that she was sure they already knew that.

Wouldn’t we all like a magic wand and the power to make dreams come true? We may not be able to make all the dreams come true but we can be the miracle of encouragement and comfort. People are struggling, the economy stinks, and people’s dreams seem to be fading. I was reminded by the responses to my wish for them that there is power in a kind word. We all long to be encouraged and we all need  blessings spoken over our lives. 

Be kind with your words. Be generous with your blessings. The simplest comfort can change a heart.

www.docomfort.com

Don’t be afraid to scatter joy.

If you are feeling short on miracles just spend some time around birth and babies. We just need to open our eyes to the wonder of it all. I recently spoke at the first Western ICEA – International Childbirth Educators Conference in Burbank, California. My seminar was, “The Power and Psychology of Birth Comforts. How to Teach Them and Why They Work.”  We gathered to learn and “Bridge the Gap and Connect the Birth Community.”

We all know that epidurals are the choice of most birthing mothers today.  A pain free birth … sounds good to me. In fact, I recently saw a web video and a television segment on epidurals. The epidural sounded so good I wanted to request one and I wasn’t even having a baby! In fact, if you do a word match game and shout out “labor” the first word back is “epidural” or “pain.”

The birth of choice for over 65% of American women is – NUMB.

Yes, mom can be numb and pain free while her body carries on the miracle of birthing her baby. With an epidural, mom can watch TV, talk on her phone, have visitors, and do anything as long as it is in bed because she has no feeling in her lower extremities. No Worries, you just have to put up with a few tubings; a small medicine catheter in your spine, a blood pressure cup, IV fluid and medicine lines, a fetal heart monitor, and an urine catheter. And if they need any other equipment or attachments they will be quick to get it for you. No Worries, because the hospital staff is ready for any epidural complications or anything that might disrupt the calm.

When an epidural is given if a mother’s blood pressure drops - No Worries, your hospital staff will increase your hydration IV, give medications or oxygen

OR, if the labors slows – No Worries, they got it covered with a synthetic hormone in an IV and if that doesn’t work to keep things going. No Worries, they can still get the baby out with a C-section

OR, if baby’s heart beat seems to be a problem – too slow, too fast -  No Worries, they are monitoring in anticipation for this and will change your position, try other interventions and if they are still concerned they can quickly do a C-section.

OR, when your bladder is numb and  you don’t know when to pee - No Worries, that’s ok, because they will insert a special tube up into your bladder that empties your urine for you

OR, if you get very itchy from the medication in the epidural, don’t let that drive you crazy – No Worries, they will give you another medication that can help with that itchy sensation

OR, if  you get sh-sh-shivers because your body’s heat regulating system is confused -  No Worries, ask for a warm blanket

OR, if you (and your baby) get a fever – again No Worries, they know this happens and can treat it with ice chips and medications

OR, if you have difficulty pushing  your baby out because your pelvic muscles are numb - No Worries, the medical staff will prop your legs up and shout when the monitor says you should push

OR, when your body feels like your mouth does after the dentist and it is taking awhile to push baby out – No Worries, they know it will take extra time to push baby out with the epidural so they will keep helping you, as long as it takes

OR, if you just can’t feel enough to really push effectively and birth your baby - No Worries, your doctor has tools including a baby-getter-outer-vacuum that fits on baby’s head just for this problem and helps suck baby out

OR, if you need more room to get the baby’s head out – No Worries, your doctor can cut a little down there (it’s ok, your completely numb, you won’t feel a thing) and make the birth opening wider to get the baby’s head out. No Worries, after the baby is born your doctor will sew up the cut with stitches that dissolve later.

No Worries throughout pregnancy your body has know just what to do …  from two tiny cells to a little individual, the mother’s uterus muscle that grows an inch in thickness to prepare for the hardest work a muscle will do, amniotic fluid that cushions and surrounds the baby refreshes itself every two hours, on-and-on zillions of little miracles go … 

Until labor and birth begins …
Oh no, this must be a bad joke.
What? Mom’s body isn’t made to get her baby out!
No Worries, we’ll take over from here …
No Worries, we will numb you, it’s the best. After all, you should know, birthing a baby is way too hard for most women. 

Ok,  I am worried. Most women request an epidural early in their hospital stay.  Already they are scared, exhausted, uncomfortable, and in pain. Epidurals are offered and it sounds wonderful, just like their friends told them it would be. And it is good relief, because we have forgotten how to birth and have lost the pathway to the powerful comforts that are within.  Coaches and doulas guide us there, but  it takes work and conditioning to learn our own bodies and how we might cope with the intensity of birth. Birth is a marathon and a miracle. It can be the hardest work a woman’s body will do in one day. It takes training mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually to fully participate in this amazing event. 

I have had six babies. I wanted them. I waited for them. I labored hard for them. Even as a young twenty-year-old mom, I wasn’t afraid and wanted to own my birth experience. The harder my body worked the deeper I went.  Someone along the way told me my body was made for this and I trusted it. No Worries

Was it all easy? No.  But it was my journey, my step into motherhood with each of my children. I was blessed to have a great husband-coach and the knowledge and techniques of how to work with my birthing body. I know not everyone wants or can have, due to medical complications, the experiences I  have had. For me, it was magical, and it was empowering.

Shortly after my first baby was born, I trained to become a Childbirth Educator. For over two decades I have taught couples to embrace the miracle of birth.
No Worries, the magic goes on.

• 1 in 7 American women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime
• Women perceive breast cancer as their greatest health threat

Comfort therapy products, skills, and techniques are essential for wellbeing.

Comfort therapy products, skills, and techniques are essential for wellbeing

“You may not remember what someone said. You may not remember what they did, but you do remember how they made you feel.”

It was a little gold pin with a tiny yellow flower. The word “Jeanelle”  was delicately engraved on it. My girlfriends gave it to me as a going away gift. My family was moving from a small farm community in Illinois to California.

I was thirteen and it was sort of a  strange gift for a young girl. After all, when do you wear a pin with your name on it?  But to me it was a treasured possession.

 I remember the day they gave it to me. I had survived a lot with these girls. I had gone through the junior high years of being awkward and excluded. Now a freshman, I had done my time and grown into coolness. I had finally tasted the intoxicating elixir of their acceptance . . . and now I was moving. In my hands lay their gift, a tiny pin that had my name on it. It was custom made and I knew it had cost them. Even though the letters spelled my name, what it really said was they had thought of me. This was tangible and real. It showed me they had cared.

 The move was traumatic for me. I was a rather unsophisticated country girl moving to hip, surfer California. I quickly returned to the category of uncool. I held on to the little pin. It was a symbol to me that I had once before survived being on the outside and that in time I would again feel accepted and included. It was a rocky road. Eventually, I did assimulate and became the quintessential California beach girl, crocheted bikini and all.  

I am not sure I ever wore the treasured pin, anywhere.  But every time I opened my jewelry drawer it reminded me that when I had needed it, someone showed me they cared.

I still have it. Over forty years later it still makes me feel that way.

That is why every time I see an custom embroidery item here at Comfort Silkie it warms my heart. I know someone has taken the time and effort to order an item that will make someone feel special.

Email us at info@comfortsilkie.com and request a current discount code.
Order a custom embroidery item today and make someone feel special.  www.comfortsilkie.com

Oh my, I ‘d love to treat all of you to a day like I just had. As you know, I teach about the power of comfort and how to take time to renew and energize. However, I sometimes forget how wonderful it feels to have a comfort moment or better yet a comfort day.

My brother Peter (check out his family company) ttp://www.hamboards.com

gave me the treat of an overnight at the Hyatt in Huntington Beach for my birthday.  Normally, I would have gone with my surfer hubby, but this time was different. I really needed and rrrreeeally wanted a time away with my youngest daughter. So this became our girls’ adventure. It truly was a delight to spend the time with her and experience a blessed comfort day together. 

Comfort, sweet comfort, … sparkling blue pools, luxuriously hot jacuzzies, warm summer sunshine and cool ocean breezes, leisurely shopping, soft comfy beds (I took my Comfort Silkie Throw and Pillow Cover along, of course!), yummy food, … I could get soooo used to this. I embraced each moment and let it fill me with re-energizing comfort.

And … then the spa … We didn’t scedule any special treatments but the spa is available for guests to enjoy. Enjoy we did! Steam room, salt water jacuzzi, sauna, relaxation room with waterfall, magazines, snacks, … we spent 4 hours in the spa just relaxing. It was wonderful to slow down, not rush, and pamper ourselves.

Women are always reading articles about taking time for themselves. The reality is that it is often difficult to find the time or finances to treat ourselves. This day reminded me that simple moments, that embrace our senses and re-energize us, help keep us emotionally, mentally, and physically strong.

So, grab a moment, seize a day, squeeze in a hour, and pamper yourself. Don’t rush through it. Let your senses absorb the comfort moment, breath it in, be thankful, soothe yourself, and partake of the sweet moments of life that keeps us going.

Thank you, to my brother Peter, for a moment in time for my daughter and I.  The comfort will stay with me and I will return to the memory of it to refresh my soul.

“Babies … what a nice way to start people.”

Can women enjoy the experience of birthing their baby?  Can a man really help a woman in labor?  Can birth be drug free?

As a Childbirth Educator, Doula and Comfort Therapist, I have had the privilege of being at over 200 births. I started to teach couples the power of birthing comfort techniques over 30 years ago. I was a young mommy myself and my own experience had taught me the miraculous power of my own body.

I believed, grabbed on to, and leaned into the truth that this is my body, my baby, my birth – six times. To my advantage I had an awesome coach/hubby that took his training and position of comforter very serious. He even ended up delivering our second baby all by himself (Ok, I was there too and helped some) because our son came early and in 11.5 minutes!  Yes, 11.5 minutes, with a previous labor of 33 hours, and a third birth that was 12 hours, oh wow, barn burner labor. The wonder of it all! Every baby has their own miracle birth story.

It is magical to watch a couple work together in labor. Most people never get to see this or experience it because the majority of couples have no idea how to work together during birth. Even if they attend birth preparation classes most couples do not learn techniques that empower them to efficiently work through the  birth process. Yet, these moments, working together towards the birth of their baby, can be the most rewarding, memorable, and create deep ties of love.

I tell couples that out of their intimacy and love this baby was created and out of their intimacy and love they can birth their baby. I share with them empowering comfort techniques: deep comfort relaxation, comfort breathing, comfort imagery, comfort words, comfort touch, and the comfort of understanding the birth process.

I teach Moms how to trust their bodies. I teach Dads information and techniques that the male brain can use.  Once men have the “tools” they need to be compassionate and comforting, they do an amazing job. It is so rewarding to watch the Dads transform from uncertain, underpowered, and unknowing to equipped, powerful, loving, comforting partners.  His love and compassion has been clinically proven to be as powerful as a narotic for pain relief.

When you teach a couple how to really work together during one of the most demanding physical and emotional times in their life they learn skills they will use forever. Birth is about having a baby, but much more is going on. This is a time when couples can be taught the dance of love, support and comfort. This is the birth of a family.

It is a gift and a treasure to empower and educate couples at this truly precious time in their life. For more information about doula services and classes please email info@jeanelletroncone.com or visit www.birthandbabycomforts.com

I love being a mom. Having six children, I always get asked if I wanted a big family. I find that question interesting. Like I just woke up one day with a bunch of kids and said, “How in the heck did they get here?! And why are calling me mom!” So no, I can’t think of one of them I didn’t want. In fact, it is my greatest joy to be their mother. They are my treasure. It has been my privilege to teach them and raise them to be the wonderful people they have become.

That doesn’t mean that mothering is always easy.
It is serious work and you deserve to be celebrated.
So download these Mother Day Ideas and enjoy!

Helpful Tips for Distracted Dads and Clueless Kids

You deserve to be appreciated!
Put the Oooh … Aahh into your Mother’s Day. Here are some tools to help dads and kids put together a wonderful day just for you. Print out and post these Mother’s Day Tip Sheets
and expect the best Mother’s Day ever.

1. Mother’s Favorites:
Help them choose something special just for you. Fill out a list of your favorite things. Sharing your favorite flowers, colors, books, etc, teaches children of all ages that mother is a unique individual with special tastes. It helps them learn that gifts should be chosen with the recipient in mind.
Click here for Mom’s Favorite List

2. Queen for a Day Wish List:

3. Give Mom a Day Off:
Sometimes the best gift is a little rest. Print out Mom’s Day Off and make a list of the tasks you usually do. Have everyone sign up to help with a job. They will appreciate it more the next time they see you doing it. The job will probably not be done the way you would do it, but smile and say, “marvelous!” You may want to use this list once a month to teach a task or use it on a catch-up-day.
Click here for Mom’s Day Off List

4. Keep the Magic in Mother’s Day:
Mother’s Day is the busiest day of the year for restaurants. It can take the magic out of Mother’s Day waiting with hungry, fussy children. If you would like to celebrate at a favorite restaurant mention it in time for reservations. Other ideas; a picnic lunch with sandwiches ordered to-go or a special dessert place.

5. Put the Oooh … Aahh in Mother’s Day – Everyday:
In the busy life of a mom it is difficult to find time to connect the mind, body, and soul. Go to http://www.comfortsilkie.com/ and see gift ideas that bring luxurious comfort to everyday. Special 20% off discount through May. Use discount code: mom.
Celebrate yourself and enjoy!