The Milky Fern

It's been a busy few days processing milk over here and finishing off some rings - I promise I havent disappeared Between jewelry orders, trying to complete kitchen renos in order to regain some kind of order in my house and 2 stir crazy kids I feel like I've lost track of time these last few days. I was positive yesterday was Saturday I can't wait to share what I've been working on with y'all. There will be some beautiful gold and rose gold pieces coming up here!! PLUS I have a surprise coming in the next few weeks that I'm dying to share with y'all. But you'll just have to wait and see

One of the most common questions I get asked is "will my piece of jewelry look the same as the website photo?" and "will my jewelry change color?" I have worked very hard on my formula (over 2 years of trial and error in fact!) to ensure that your breast milk stone will not spoil and change colour as time goes on. That being said it is very important to read the care instructions for your jewelry as there are certain environmental factors (such as high heat exposure) that ...can damage your stone and alter its colour. I have worked very hard to create a stone that is as durable as possible, but at the end of the day it is a delicate stone and requires some special care. As for what your stone will look like - everyone's milk is a slightly different colour and this may be reflected in the final piece. I have seen many different colours of milk including yellow, white, clear, cream, champagne, tan, or blue-tinged. I have even seen pink-ish! That's the miracle of breast milk, and it adds to the uniqueness of your special piece Check the FAQ link for answers to all your common questions ---> themilkyfern.ca/faq

Before becoming a mother myself I never understood (or to be frank even seen the point of) the importance of online support groups for some people. I will be the first to tell you I am a fiercely independent person - my husband can also vouch for this as it drives him up the damn wall some days. Okay most days if I'm really being honest here And while this may sound like a great trait to have (and don't get me wrong sometimes it is) I'm slowly learning and accepting I n...eed to adjust my thinking and allow others in. I have to remind myself often thats its okay to lean on others for support. For those of you that know me personally my family's dynamics are interesting to say the least, and for many reasons I've kept my circle small. But as I grow along with my children I understand the importance of having a support network more and more - motherhood isn't something anyone should have to do alone. I truly believe it takes a village to raise a child. I also believe it also takes a village to raise a mother! After The Milky Fern was born I wanted to created a safe space for moms and moms-to-be to come and discuss all things motherhood, babies, and breastfeeding and just about everything else! Got something you want to chat about that's not baby related? Let's hear it! Having a hard week and you just need to vent and to not feel judged by your normal circle (this is a thing for some yes- and I see you mama ) Lets hear it!! Some of my favorite people I've gotten to know and later became good friends with I first met in a mommy group. And as if making new connections wasn't hard enough before the pandemic started, with all the new restrictions in place it has become more difficult than ever to meet new people and find your circle. Lord knows motherhood is tough some days. But I've found that surrounding myself with a great community of women who can be empathetic and relate to you can make all the difference. Come and join our safe space and tribe of amazing women. You never know who you may click with https://www.facebook.com/groups/4301441269927544/?ref=share

Happy Mail Day!! I'm so excited that this little parcel (there is a second still on the way) has finally arrived!! With the mail system being so crazy over the holidays its definitely taking longer than normal for my settings to arrive. I know this is something that is out of all our control but I still hate having to message my customers and tell them their order is going to be delayed Everyone has been MORE than understanding though and I truly appreciate it!! ... I'm hoping now that we are through the holiday season that we will begin to see some form normalcy again as the influx of holiday parcels are worked through. I'll be working through the dozen settings in this box over the next week and a half and contacting people as I complete your pieces. Thankfully I have all your stones ready already so I just need to glue, set, burnish and do a final polish before packaging There is another box on its way (it should be cleared by customs any day now and then it doesn't take long to get to me) with the remainder of November's and part of December's orders. I also have those stones ready too so it won't take very long to piece everything together. Once again thank you for your continued support and understanding with delays. I'm not a person to make a promise and then break it, so having to extend timelines after promising another really gets my anxiety up. I know its not something thats within my control and your understanding really helps ease that stress and anxiety I truly have the best clients a gal could ask for and I'm beyond thankful for each and every one of you

While I've been practicing my craft for several years now, this journey really only began in September. And let me tell you I was absolutely not expecting the kind of support you have all shown! Seriously I cannot thank you all enough for believing in me and supporting my small business! From the absolute bottom of my heart - THANK YOU all! What a f**king whirlwind of a year 2020 has been and I am more than happy to watch it go! This year has come with so many uncertai...nties and unknowns, but amidst all of that I feel in a way it has brought many of us closer together despite being told we need to infact do the exact opposite. Never will we take the company of friends and family for granted. If this year has taught me anything it's just how important those connections truly are. While I know many of us cannot be with our loved ones for Christmas for many reasons, I hope you can find some laughter, peace and joy in the holidays So from my family to yours, we wish you a very Merry Christmas!

Can't love this enough!

The big day is just about here! Need a last minute gift idea? Don't worry I got you! Electronic gift certificates will continue to be on sale until Christmas Eve night. No discount code needed, it will be automatically applied at checkout! You don't even have to leave the comfort of your couch and you'll be supporting a local small business at the same time Shortly after your order is placed you will be emailed a unique gift card code which you can either print off... or forward to the person you're gifting it to. #happyholidays and thank you to everyone who's chosen to support local this holiday season. It's truly been a crazy year and never in a million years did I think that when I was ready to launch this business finally it would be in the middle of a freaking pandemic! But your support has been completely overwhelming and once again from the bottom of my heart, I say a huge thank you to each and every one of you! I hope you all have a safe and happy holidays www.themilkyfern.ca/giftcards

There are many things in life I have taken for granted, but the opportunity and ability to be a mama will never be one of them

Read your baby, not books Okay now I'm not saying educating yourself is not important, because it 100% is (and as a bookworm myself I will always encourage others to read!) But its important to not get consumed by the overwhelming amount of information out there these days (I seriously have a love hate relationship with technology and this is a contributing factor) dictating to mothers how they should and should not be raising and caring for their babies. ... Mama. You know your baby best! Not some random blogger half way around the world telling you that you have to do XYZ by the time your baby is X age or some random article on Google saying if your baby hasn't reached certain milestones by X age that there is something seriously wrong. I will never discourage a mama from trying to educate herself, but don't ever forget to trust your mama gut. It is a powerful instinct and one that should not be ignored Both of my kids have progressed at wildly different rates. My daughter was my chunky baby. She was 98th percentile for everything and walked the day she turned 10 months old. My son on the other hand is my "mini man" we call him. Hes the size my daughter was at 6 months old, he will be turning 1 in just under a month and has ZERO interest in walking. When I plunk my sons weight and height information into a growth calculator on Google, know what it tells me? That he's considered a failure to thrive. Am I worried? No! He's following his own growth curve and our doctor is happy with his progression. Was I worried at one point? Yes!! I let the vast amount of (scary) information on the internet overwhelm me and I forgot to trust my mama gut! Did I truly believe my son was anything other than a healthy, happy baby? No! Did my son look malnourished? No! Was he acting oddly or were there signs that may have led me to believe that something was wrong? No! I simply forgot to trust my mama gut and it sent me into full panic mode because the internet told me my baby was too small and therefore there has to be something wrong. Wrong. Trust your mama gut - it is a very powerful and intuitive instinct

Where are you at with your Christmas shopping? Are you usually done early or finishing last minute like me? I only have 1 or two little things left I wanted to get but I'm stressssssed people Last year I was completely done mid November so still having things to check off on my list days before Christmas is driving me bonkers! I'm going to stick with the excuse that the city and stores are just too peopley this time of year