The Black Sheep Boutique
Belleville K8P Belleville, ON, Canada

With the recent news, I have decided to limit the number of orders I will be taking. All orders will be shipped out, or picked up from my mailbox, but I will not be going into town to meet customers until further notice. *All breast milk jewelry is currently on hold until further notice* ... Stay safe friends! Alisha

COVID-19 was declared a pandemic by the WHO today and one of the people quarantined local to me at CFB Trenton has it. Many people can feel their chest tighten... and the panic start to set in just reading that sentence. Pause for a moment. BREATHE. Take another deep breath. One more. That's better :) Panic won't help you but being calm will. Some people are intentionally AVOIDING taking precautions because they perceive it as being neurotic or over-reacting. Some even say that by being diligent about staying healthy we're in fact manifesting illness into our lives (insert your fav eye roll emoji, meme, or GIF here because it's more complex than that). Yes mindset does matter. Yes our thoughts do help shape our reality. Yes fear, and excess stress are hard on our immune system. AND taking precautionary steps can be viewed through a positive responsive lens rather than a panicked reactive one. Instead of washing your hands while worrying you're gonna die ;) .. Create a simple mantra for yourself. I use something along the lines of "I am mindful of hygiene to keep myself, my loved ones, and my community well". So what do we DO in the face of a pandemic that is present in our community? All the "how to be safe" things that various experts have been saying for weeks still hold true. Yes the stats about contagiousness, community transmission, fatalities etc are frequently changing BUT they're not changing in a way that reduces how we should respond to keep ourselves well at this point. If the stats and the news stress you out, give yourself a social/media break and try not to get hung up on statistical details. Focus on wellness - Support your body with nourishing foods and fluids, nourishing movements and activities, and rest. Be kind to yourself and those around you. Choose LOVE. If prayer, meditation, visualization, crystals, energy healing etc are your thing then immerse yourself in them and use those tools which nourish your soul. If they're not your thing that's ok too. - Support your immune system additionally if desired with vitamin C, D, zinc, and herbs as is/are appropriate for your unique circumstances. - Avoid crowded germy places as much as you can manage. Aim for 3-6ft distance between yourself and others when possible. - Minimize your contact with public high touch surfaces (door handles, bathroom stall locks, handrails, elevator buttons, grocery carts etc). Use an elbow or your sleeve instead, wear gloves, or wash/sanitize your hands promptly. - Don't touch your face or genitals (they have mucous membrane too!) unless you've just cleaned your hands. Don't let anyone else touch your face or genitals with unclean hands either! That includes sexual partners and healthcare providers. It's ok to be bold and ask your sexual partner/nurse/dr/midwife to wash one more time before they're up in your business. Use a tissue for nose picking etc. - If you have cuts or scratches on your hands consider using liquid bandage on them so they aren't such an easy entry point for germs. - Wash your hands properly using the WHO or CDC method with warm soapy water OFTEN. (After being in public spaces/upon returning home; before eating; before and during food prep; before and after using the washroom, changing diapers, sex etc; after sneezing or coughing into a tissue; after handling pet waste...) - Use a 60+% alcohol hand sanitizer if you're not able to wash with soap and water. If its sold out near you, and you can follow a recipe, its easy to make with two or three simple ingredients at home as long as you're paying attention to your ratios. - Wipe down high touch surfaces in your home and vehicle with an appropriate disinfectant and make sure to understand and follow the directions for proper use. (Light switches, doorknobs, banisters, faucets, trash can lids, steering wheel, console buttons, cell phones/tablets.) - Change your hand towels daily and sooner if they're damp or soiled. - Let fresh air into your home. - Of course cough/ sneeze into a tissue and discard it promptly then wash/sanitize your hands. If you don't have a tissue, cough/sneeze into your elbow and be mindful that your sleeves are now "dirty". - Consider a nightly saline/xylitol nasal rinse upon returning home from being in public. - Talk to your employer about their sick day policy in light of COVID-19 and if at all possible stay home if you have any sign of illness. I do understand that this is financially impossible sometimes. - If at all possible, ensure you have prescriptions filled and a couple weeks worth of food and essential supplies at home in case you find yourself in a position of not being able/willing to leave home for a time. - Take little steps to make your home a place you wouldn't mind being in for an extended time. Whether that's books, games, treats, plants etc is entirely up to you :) - Be conscious of the possibility of schools closing temporarily after March Break so you're not caught unaware should this happen. While most kids are not at high risk, immune compromised and medically fragile people of all ages, the grandparents and older adults in their lives are at increased risk of being negatively impacted, and the virus may be transmissible from a/pre-symptomatic people as well as by those who have 'recovered'. Hopefully it won't come to school closures and community quarantines but it might as it helps #flattenthecurve and spread out the impact on our already stretched healthcare system. (Update March 12 - it has just been announced that Ontario schools will be closed for two weeks after March Break) If you have vulnerable people in your life, keep in touch with them (Phone/text/email) and see if there is anything you can do to help them be well. Maybe they need groceries or a prescription picked up for example or just to know you're thinking of them. Be calm. Be a good neighbour. Be the helper. Spread LOVE not COVID-19. ;) If you found this helpful please feel free to share it with others, and/or to send a $3 virtual 'ko-fi' my way. Your support enables me to keep writing. :) https://ko-fi.com/hedgecraftherbals_sarahstogryn Resources & Further Reading: -What a Pediatrician Wants You To Know- https://healthykidshappykids.com//02/27/coronavirus-covid/ -Aviva Romm, Yale MD, midwife, and herbalist on COVID-19- (sorry for the long link. You have to click it directly to get to the info or go through her IG account link. This page will be updated regularly) https://avivaromm.com/category/covid-19/ -Vitamin C- https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1264516247088229&id=121074941432371 -Vitamin D- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5541280/ https://www.sciencedaily.com/releas/2017//170216110002.htm -Why Preparedness Matters- https://blogs.scientificamerican.com//preparing-for-coron/ -Containing COVID-19- (If you can't get past the paywall, open in an incognito/private browser window) https://www.nytimes.com//a/china-coronavirus-contain.html -Why & How of Proper Handwashing- https://m.facebook.com/story.php -Making Hand Sanitizer- https://www.inverse.com//the-science-of-making-your-own-ha -What if you do have cold or flu symptoms?- https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=3151943528172846&id=100000716901132 -A good overall post- https://www.reddit.com//psa_a_note_of_caution_regarding_/

All set up! Hope to see you soon!

I hope to see everyone there! 9-2

Another Mom Event sneak peak? I think so!

New product and The Mom Event Sneak Peak!