Reviews

May

23

Kaliyoga France: Your Home Away From Home

I have recently returned from a 10 day whirlwind trip to France and 6 of those days were spent at a yoga retreat, Kaliyoga France.

KALIYOGA FRANCE

Oh where to begin? There are so many great things to say about this retreat: the romantic and historical hamlet that Kaliyoga France calls home, the food (oh my gosh the food, this topic gets its own section), the people, the atmosphere, the guided hill walks, the peace, the serenity…somebody stop me!

Kaliyoga is a life-affirming experience, not just a holiday. Combining the lifestyle benefits of yoga with delicious organic cuisine, holistic therapies, hill walking and inspirational workshops. Kaliyoga is for those who seek authenticity in life and it’s also a great place to meet new people, catch up with old friends and have a thorough break from stress.

Kaliyoga has two retreat locations owned by Jonathon and Rosie Miles; Kaliyoga Spain set in the Alpujarra mountain range and Kaliyoga France set in the lavender and thyme-scented hills of Provençe.

Jonathan and Rosie created Kaliyoga almost 10 years ago so that guests may have a place to practice yoga, enjoy good food and feel nurtured in good company. And I can attest firsthand that they have been successful in their quest.

THE HAMLET

Kaliyoga France is nestled in a historic hamlet in “Le Luberon” a mountainous collection of small villages in Provence, the south of France. They say a picture is worth a thousand words and while that may be true, there are no words to describe the breathtaking view when you first arrive at Kaliyoga France.

The only way I felt I could describe what I was seeing was to say that I felt like I was in a movie. I had to remind myself that what I was seeing was not being viewed through a TV screen but a real life wonder seen through my own eyes.

Upon arrival the senses of peace and tranquility immediately fill your mind. The fresh mountain air, gorgeous hillside views and calming sounds of nature help to create this notion.

The guest rooms range from large apartment style quarters to quaint one bedroom spaces. I called ‘Maison Rouge’ home for my six-day stay. With a comfy bed, warm down filled duvet and a small table for writing and meditation, I felt truly at home.

The art displayed throughout the hamlet is another aspect that can only truly be appreciated by seeing it yourself. Everywhere you turn there is an interesting and awe-inspiring piece of art that helps to add to the eclectic, romantic and exotic feel of Kaliyoga France.

THE STAFF

Using the term “staff” doesn’t seem to do these wonderful people justice and before too long they feel like family members more than anything else. Jackie “Jax” is the manager of Kaliyoga France but I like refer to her as the ‘house mom’. She has a loving nature and it quickly shows that she has her guest’s best interests at heart. She’s always available for accommodating your needs or just for a good, old chat.

The other members of Kaliyoga also have a huge impact on the family- feel that this retreat offers and their personal touches make you feel right at home.

THE FOOD

Never have I enjoyed food so much as I did at Kaliyoga France and I have Sophie and her husband Patrice to thank for that. Together these live-in house staff care for the grounds and provide their guests with amazing, healthy and organic meals. From Tarte aux Moutarde to Beetroot & Goat Cheese tart to hearty soups and luscious salads, the food could perhaps be the number one reason to attend Kaliyoga France.

Since returning home I have attempted to recreate a few of Sophie’s dishes; while I may have come close, nothing will ever quite compare! Each meal is made with tender loving care and my only regret is that my French is despicable and I was not able to communicate with Sophie well enough to let her know just how much love I interpreted through her creations.

Note that they are able to accommodate many dietary requirements and allergies.

THE YOGA

The yoga offered at this retreat is called ‘Dynamic Yoga’ lead by Tashi Dawa.

Tashi is a warm, loving individual who exudes passion for all things yoga, healthy living and meditation. She is extremely knowledgeable in her area of study and shares a wonderful energy with her students.

There seemed to be a certain amount of misinterpretation on the term “dynamic yoga” as some students (myself included) had expected the yoga to be more vigorous in nature and less restorative. While we did work through some traditional hatha poses, the yoga we worked on seemed a little more gentle than expected by some.

Tashi explains Dynamic Yoga like this:

We teach this method, coined in the mid 90′s as Dynamic yoga, as developed by Godfrey Devereux. We practice to fertilise both movement and stillness while integrating the dynamic of the bandhas (the integral structure of the hands, feet, pelvic floor, lower ribcage and throat) in the whole body. We use movement to enable a deep intimacy with breath, body, mind and consciousness.

Tashi also lead us through some really fun and very interesting partner style yoga. This really opened my eyes to the abilities of the human body and the possibilities working with others in an otherwise individual practice can bring.

WHY YOU SHOULD GO

Whether you are a yoga enthusiast or not, you will benefit from the relaxation that a retreat at Kaliyoga offers; the yoga aspect offers a wonderful opportunity for those looking for a meditative, restorative experience while the environment offers a playground for rest and peace.

The guided hill walks (optional) allows for socialization, exercise and sight-seeing which adds to the overall experience.

The intimate family feel that both the staff and the other guests create ensures that you will feel right at home and at the very least, you will walk away with a sense of regeneration and life-affirmation.

CONNECT WITH KALIYOGA

Kaliyoga France runs retreats in May and June and spaces are almost full. Kaliyoga Spain runs from May to November.

Web: www.kaliyoga.com
Facebook: facebook.com/KaliyogaRetreats
Twitter: @KaliyogaRetreat

CONTACT ME

There are so many more things to say about Kaliyoga France but I only have so much space. If you are interested in booking with Kaliyoga France and have any more questions that I didn’t answer here, please don’t hesitate to contact me at kelly@citymom.ca. I will be more than happy to share more of my experience with you.

Thank you so much to everyone at Kaliyoga France (staff & guests) for making my first trip to France and my first yoga retreat an experience I will never forget!

Disclaimer: I was compensated for my review on Kaliyoga France, however my opinion on my experience is completely my own.

Namaste,

May

10

Not Your Average Photo Editing Software: Fotor.com

Blogging / Reviews Posted by Kelly Connor / 1 comments

By now, many of us are accustomed to photo editing software; these multimedia tools allow the average photographer to create above average photos with the use of easy editing tools. There are many choices available for us to choose from and sometimes that can be overwhelming.

Another issue seems to be that once you get the hang of one tool that started out free, they begin charging you and not everyone is willing to pay.

Well, there’s a new tool on the block and that is fotor.com.

ABOUT FOTOR

Fotor was launched in May, 2012 (happy birthday Fotor!) and has from the beginning brought powerful, easy to use photo editing tools into the hands of anyone and everyone with an internet connection.

Fotor uses cloud computing to provide a suite of image processing tools ranging from basic cropping to automatic photo enhancement to fun add-ons like frames and text. Fotor has made professional-level photo editing accessible to everyday users through an easy to use and understand interface.

FOTOR WALKTHRU

The best way to speak to fotor’s abilities is to walk you through a photo editing session.

Here’s a photo that could be really nice; a father and his daughter strolling in the woods on a beautiful, sunny day. Bad news is that the photographer (me) is just your average click-happy individual who visually can see a great shot, but can’t capture it with the lens.

After opening the photo, tools on the left show up with easy to understand icons that when hovered over, show what the icon is used for.

Basic Edits

From here you can do things such as 1-Tap Enhance which detects the correct settings for the photo and automatically enhances it. Alternatively, you can manually enhance the pictures with options like crop, curve, rotate, tone and colors. In basic mode you can also resize your image and straighten it if you’re like me and get the angle of slightly.

Effects

There are so many effects to choose from that I advise you to check them all out yourself. Some of my favourites for this photo are Mini-Oven, Sunlight Spots, Hot Fudge Sunday and Yellowish. Overall there are 57 effects to choose from, all free.

Frames

Adding frames to your photos can really make them stand out, especially for us bloggers. There are over 60 frames to choose from, as well as the ability to add your own border, shadow effect or gallery frame.

One item I miss here is the ability to use the eyedropper tool to select a custom colour from within your photo. This is a feature I use with other photo editing software that saves a ton of time on finding the perfect matching frame colour.

Clip Art

Now here is where it gets really fun! Adding clip art to your photos can be effective when using your photos to mark special occasions, as gift or as greeting cards. Clip Art in Fotor is really easy as you can search by ‘label’ for the prefect collection suited to your theme. You can choose from 50 different categories of clip art.

Text

A tool I use a lot for editing my photos for blogging is the text tool. I really like Fotor’s version of this feature. First you add your text into the text area and then you’re able to play around with it in terms of font style and colour. Again, I find I miss the eyedropper tool here to customize my colour choice. Hopefully this is something Fotor will carry out soon.

There are over 300 fonts to choose from for text editing. This is something that I have not seen in other photo editing software; almost every font imaginable. You can also scroll through the list with your text selected and watch it change as you scroll down. This is a big feature in my opinion as it save on a lot of trial and error time.

Brushes

There are three brush types to choose from; Color Splash, Mosaics and Big Aperture.

Color Splash

Allows you to bring focus to a particular part of the image by gray scaling everything except the area you select.

Mosaics

Turn selected parts of your photo into pixellated mosaics.

Big Aperture

Perhaps my favourite feature here, you can increase/decrease the aperture of the lens to change focus and sharpness.

Compare

The compare feature is definitely my favourite one. This is not something I have been able to find in other photo editing software and it is the key to good photo editing.

By selecting compare, you are able to see a side-by-side view of your original photo and the new state after you’ve applied edits. This way you are able to see if you’ve really improved your photo or not.

Save & Share

Now that you are finished creating a wonderful work of art you can save your photo in a few different ways. Save in .jpg or .png file format, or share directly to your favourite social networks.

PHOTO COLLAGE

Now here is perhaps where Fotor stands out the most; the ability to work with multiple photos. Check out all the different and fun ways to create photo collages.

Template

Photo Stitching

Montage

Shape Collage

PHOTO CARDS

Again, another priceless feature that you don’t find with other software out there; the ability to create custom-made greeting cards with your photos. And how timely for Mother’s Day.

HDR PHOTOGRAPHY

Fotor also offers HDR Photography, (High Dynamic Range) which takes three photos with different exposures and combines them into a single image to bring out the best light and tone in each part of the photo.

Fotor.com is the first photo editor offering HDR features online so you can capture highlights, shadows and striking details without the need to download software. This is not an area that I amvery skilled in working with so I encourage you to check it out yourself. It looks like it can do some amazing things!

OVERALL IMPRESSION

I love Fotor.com for editing my photos. There are so many extraordinary features that you can’t find anywhere else and because of this, it will likely be my one stop shop for my future image manipulation needs. There are a few items that I miss in fotor.com as mentioned above that I do hope to see implemented in future versions.

FOTOR APP

Fotor isn’t just for PC users, you can also download the fotor app from iTunes.

CONNECT WITH FOTOR

Get started today for free at fotor.com and follow along with the Fotor team on Facebook and Twitter.

I’d love to hear what you think of this tool as well! Happy editing!

Disclaimer: I was compensated for this post, however the opinions are 100% my own and are in no way influenced by fotor.com.

May

08

Cookies Without the Guilt: MiSURA Giveaway

Giveaways / Reviews Posted by Kelly Connor / 61 comments

You read that right; cookies without the guilt. I know it`s hard to believe right? But it is true.

It’s the Italian secret; enjoying the finer things in life without compromising on health or the waistline! MiSURA products are made with this ancient philosophy.

ABOUT MiSURA

MiSURA is an Italian based company that makes cookies, crackers, biscuits and pastas. But their products are not your usual grain-based food items.

MiSURA’s line of no-sugar-added, high fibre, high protein products make for a great snack and meal for your whole family. Finding snacks that are better for kids and still appeal to their specific tastes is often challenging. The cookie aisle in the grocery store is stacked with tons of options that may appeal to your children, but may not necessarily align with your prescribed diet for them. That is why I like MiSURA.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the MiSURA products:

No Sugar Added Biscuits

Low-fat, yoghurt shortbread cookies
85% less sugar that most popular cookie brands
1 g of fat per each cookie
0.1 g of sugar per cookie

Spaghetti

13 g of protein per serving
7 g of fibre
2.5 g of fat
3.5 g of sugar
Made with 99% Whole grain Durum semolina

Whole Wheat Toasts

Only 30 calories per slice
Only 5.3 grams of carbohydrates per slice
0.4 g of fat per slice
Low sodium
High fibre

OUR FAVOURITES

We received a number of the MiSURA cookies and biscuits. Among our favourites were the No Sugar Added Biscuits in both cocoa and regular flavours, the No Sugar Added Pomegranate biscuits and the 6 Cereals Biscuits. To be honest they didn’t last very long in our pantry.

All the biscuits are delish dipped in milk, but especially the cereal biscuits. Little S enjoyed eating the cookies as an after-school-snack, and I felt good about serving them. With no added sugar and the added fibre, I felt confident in sharing them with her.

BUY MiSURA PRODUCTS

MiSURA products are available in major grocery retailers and independent stores. Look for the MiSURA logo to know you’re buying healthy and tasty snacks for your family.

CONNECT WITH MiSURA

Visit MiSURA at misura.com and Like them on Facebook (Note, your like is worth 3 entries in the giveaway!)

WIN IT

One City Mom reader will win an awesome MiSURA basket brimming with Misura’s most popular products including:

1 Misura apron
1 package of Misura No Sugar Added Oat biscuits
1 package of Misura No Sugar Added Cocoa biscuits
1 package of Misura No Sugar Added Petit biscuits
1 package of Misura Whole Wheat Toast
1 package of Misura 6 Cereal biscuits
1 package of Misura No Sugar Added Pomegranate biscuits
1 package of Misura Whole Wheat pasta – penne rigate
1 package of Misura Whole Wheat pasta – fusilli
1 package of Misura Whole Wheat pasta – spaghettini
1 package of Misura Gluten Free pasta – spaghetti

Please use the Rafflecopter form below for contest entry and rules.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!

Apr

24

LittleEcoFootprint: Look Inside the April Delivery

Environment / Reviews Posted by Village Mom / 10 comments

LittleEcoFootprint’s April delivery of eco-friendly, non-toxic mama and baby items continued to exceed my expectations. Again, this month’s box is filled with practical and useful items that are safe and healthy for both me and my baby.

A CLOSER LOOK

Earth’s Berries Soap Nuts “Mother Nature’s Detergent”: Not only are these natural detergent and softener “nuts” environmentally friendly, they make doing laundry economical too! You can reuse the nuts for multiple loads of laundry! Then you can add them to your compost since they are biodegradable. They are gentle enough to us on my baby’s clothing. Retail: $5 + a 10% discount code for www.earthsberries.com/

Maple Hill Dryer Balls coupon for $7 off: Now that you’ve done your environmentally friendly wash, you will want to follow that up with an environmentally dry! Maple Hill Dryer Balls cut down drying time and are good for hundreds of loads. Retail: $10 www.maplehilldryerballs.com

Prana Machu Pichu Nuts & Fruit Mix: This deliciously organic “trail mix” is not your typical one. It is made up of exotic dried fruits and nuts from around the globe that contain many vitamins that are sure to be healthy for a breast-feeding mama like me. Retail: $5 (per trail mix package)+ $10 discount code for www.boutiqueprana.com

Smith Farms Red Berry Lip Tint: Smith Farms is a line of all natural skin care products and this lip balm feels great on my lips and is natural enough to kiss my baby with as well! Retail: $6 + 20% discount code for www.smithfarmsproducts.com

Re-wood Toys Boomerang Teether: This conscious creation for babies is all natural and non-toxic. They make rattles, blocks stacking toys as well. Retail: $11 + 20% discount code for www.re-woodtoys.ca

Wee Woolies Merino Beanie: Using pure merino wool from New Zealand, although designed and made in Canada, this little beanie hat is soft against my baby’s skin, and 100% natural. Retail: $16 + 20% discount code for www.weewoolies.com

Again I feel fortunate to be a member of LittleEcoFootprint and receive all of these great products that I might not have known about otherwise. Being a new mom, I don’t have a lot of extra time to research products myself so having these delivered to me monthly has been fabulous and I recommend signing up to any new mom as well! Can’t wait for May’s box!

May’s shipment will be sent early so that it will arrive in time for Mother’s Day. Sign up today for that perfect gift to show the mama in your life you care!

Stay tuned…

Apr

05

LittleEcoFootprint March Delivery

Family Health / Reviews Posted by Village Mom / 0 comments

They say good things come in small packages, and while LittleEcoFootprint’s March delivery wasn’t exactly small, it was definitely a good thing.

The second ever delivery of eco-friendly, nontoxic mama and baby items was even better than the first in my opinion. This month’s box is filled with many useful items that are both practical and safe for me and my baby.

Let’s take a closer look…

face washers 100% cotton face cloths from Mum2Mum: These little cloths are so soft and I have 100% confidence in using them on my newborn’s delicate skin. Retail: $4.99

Carré jaune: body wash and cream samples for baby + 15% discount code. These products contain:
- NO Phtalates
- NO Petrochemichals
- NO Parabens
- NO Synthetic or chemical ingredients
- NO EDTA
- NO Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
- NO BPA
Retail $5.00 for sample sizes

John Masters Organics body wash: The Blood Orange & vanilla scent is almost edible. It’s invigorating and soothing at the same time. The products are made without sulfates.. Retail: $3.00 (for sample size)
Buncha Farmers Stain Remover: This all natural 100% biodegradable stain remover is amazing! I love using this product on my cloth diapers. It’s so effective and my diapers that are seven weeks old still look brand new. This is a product that I’m already a huge fan of so finding it in my delivery was perfect! Retail: $4.42

Coupon for $10 off from boskekids.com: This company features natural, vintage inspired clothing for children aged newborn to six years old. Retail $10.00
Crayon Rocks: these cool crayons are developed by Barbara Lee, a teacher of special needs children. These crayons are not only eco-friendly but they are perfect for children with grip strength problems and/or disorders effecting fine motor control.Crayon Rocks are made with Kosher soy wax and several other organic waxes such as carnauba; the colorants are derived from minerals and the fillers, which gives the crayon its body, is made of natural ground up rock. Retail: $1.75

Giraffe growth chart by ecojot + a 10% discount code: A really cute unisex-style growth chart to measure all the growth milestones. Ecojot creates journals, sketchbooks, cards, gift wrap and more and of course all products are made with 100% post consumer recycled waste.

After receiving the March shipment from LittleEcoFootprint, I am more excited than ever to be a member of this awesome company! I’m learning about some fantastic companies and products that are healthy and safe for my whole family. This information is priceless!

April shipments will be going out on the 15^th so you still have to time to sign up!

Mar

02

LittleEcoFootprint: February Box

Family Health / Reviews Posted by Village Mom / 0 comments

Hi City Mom readers. I am so happy to author my first post on citymom.ca. I have been a long time fan and so I’m excited to join you as City Mom’s Baby Correspondent.

Don’t be mistaken, I am by no means a baby expert; my daughter is just two weeks old so I have a lot to learn. What I do hope is to bring you the best infant products and services in London and in the baby market today. I will share my honest opinions and my most favourite deals.

LITTLEECOFOOTPRINT FEBRUARY BOX

Today I am happy to share with you my review on LittleEcoFootprint’s first ever home delivery box of eco-friendly mom and baby items. I received my treat in the mail in mid-February and what perfect timing for our new arrival.

It was really exciting to receive a “surprise” package in the mail. Everyone loves learning that they received a delivery after all, and not knowing what exactly was in it was all the more fun. The nicely wrapped box arrived and I dug right in. Here’s what I found:

1. $5 gift certificate to Baby Organic Joy: this store is based in Toronto and sells organic baby products. The gift card is a good way to get to know this company. Retail: $5.00

2. Wooden Car from Bannor Toys: Each toy made at Bannor toys is handmade and not massed produced. When my daughter gets older and gains some dexterity, I think she’s going to love playing with this. I have peace-of-mind knowing it’s not painted with chemicals. Retail: $7.50

3. Caspar Babypants CD: Acoustic children’s music for kids 0 – 6. This is going to come in handy on road trips! Retail: $12.00

4. Eco Parent Magazine: A quarterly magazine to help families in making healthier choices. I can`t wait to read this from front to back. I’ll take any information I can get in this area. I also received a 20% discount code towards a subscription. Retail: $25.00/yr

5. GAIA Natural Skincare: I received a number of samples of the Baby Moisturizer and the Skin Soothing Lotion and a great BOGO discount code.

6. Mercury Chocolates: Made with world-class pure cocoa. Delicious!

7. Teething Bling by Smart Mom Jewelry : I can already tell that my little one is into jewelry; aren’t most girls? This is a necklace I can wear to add some colour to my outfit but I don’t have to worry about my baby putting it in her mouth. It’s designed for that! And another 20% discount code! Retail: $19.00

8. Mama Cream from The Pumpkin Seed: 100% natural skin care. No chemicals whatsoever.

AND THERE’S MORE

The list above is just the products I received. Along with all the discount codes, I also received a brochure explaining each item and the company it comes from. It also had great tips from the LittleEcoFootprint experts. I’m sure every mom will find this helpful but as a brand new mom, it’s invaluable.

GET YOUR MEMBERSHIP

To get your own monthly subscription and delivery of healthy products for your family visit: littleecofootprint.com

See you next month!