VENDOR FEATURE: Sara Sohn, Confident Pelvic Rehab

In today’s blog I’m featuring Dr. Sara Sohn, who in a nut shell, helps women stop peeing their pants (and other sexual issues!).

Moms, most of us have issues where we laugh or sneeze and it happens. It sucks, but it happens. Well Dr. Sara lives and works right here in Jacksonville and comes HIGHLY recommended, so go talk to her!

About her

Business Name: Confident Pelvic Rehab, opened May 2021

What do you specialize in: Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist, Sex Counselor and mentor to other health providers. 

I help people to stop peeing their pants and heal painful sex, so they can live and love – confidently.  I also offer a sex certification to health and wellness professionals interested in taboo topics. 

How did you get interested in this line of work? My mother is an OBGYN, I’ve always been interested in pelvic floor and sexual health. 

What is something about your business that sets you apart? All appointments are between 1-hr and 2-hr with in a comfortable environment. I am one of the only pelvic floor certified pelvic floor physical therapists and sex counselors in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. 

What is something about your business that most people might find interesting?I thought of the name Confident Pelvic Rehab, while on a long road trip by myself, and was really excited about the play on words “CPR for your privates.” 

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? Give value in the world. The more you give the more you receive. 

The fun stuff, tell me your favorites:

Burger: Kickbacks 

Pizza: Milanos

Chinese: Peony’s

Sushi: Sake House 

Mexican: Taco Lu 

A drink: The Voldstead 

Ice Cream/dessert:  Biscottis

Color: opal blue 

Drink: matcha tea 

Alcoholic beverage: Tequila, lime and club soda 

Meal: Falafel 

Dessert: Chocolate Ice cream

Movie treat: Icy with the stick 

Movie: Sharktale  

Song: No Day But Today 

Dream car: Jeep 

Theme park: Seaworld

Holiday: Passover 

Candy: Sour Patch Kids

Cake flavor: Pumpkin 

And what about your first:

Job: Camp Counselor 

Car: An old Convertible 

Where were you born? New York 

How did you end up in Jacksonville? I went to grad school at UNF

Where’s your favorite place to travel? Glaciers anywhere (Argentina, Antarctica and Canada) 

Where do you want to travel to next? Alaska or New Zealand 

What are your hobbies? I love to sing and swim in the ocean. 

Do you have any pets? I have a Bourder Collie named Minty 

Do you have any interesting talents? I can remember names fairly easily 

 When family is in town, where do you take them to entertain them?

Itchetucknee Springs, Flamingo Lake, River Walk

Where you can find Dr. Sara:

https://www.Confidentpelvicrehab.com

www.Facebook.com/groups/cprforyourprivates 

IG: Instagram.com/drsarasohn 

She’s also featured on our Resources page.

Professional headshots by Christy Whitehead Photography.

A little fun around town with Latch On Jacksonville –Christy Whitehead Photography

I recently featured Samantha Kastelz on my blog to talk about her business Latch On Jacksonville, where she helps parents with their car seats concerns. However, I wanted to follow that up with a fun blog post of some of her favorites, including this around town.

What’s the best place to get a…

Burger: I love M Shack and Burger Barn. I LOVE when I can add bacon and avocado to a burger

Pizza: I don’t eat pizza…I am gluten and dairy free, but my husband and kids love a good stuffed crust Pizza from Pizza Hut

Chinese: Green Tea…Yum. I love beef and broccoli and sweet & sour chicken

Sushi: not a sushi girl

Italian: I used to LOVE Italian but alas Gluten makes it difficult to find anywhere good. However when I did enjoy going out for Italian I liked Enza’s and Spinach Manicotti

Mexican: Mexican all day. Tacos are my favorite. Salsa’s, Chuy’s, La Nop…I can eat tacos anytime.

A drink: I’m a red wine kina girl. Fisher Unity, Faust, Stags’ Leap, are a few of my favorites

Ice Cream/dessert: anything with peanut butter

When family is in town, where do you take them to entertain them? All of my family lives here except my half-sister. I grew up in Middleburg so my parents still live there. We like going out to eat and we are members at Deerwood Country Club so we do a lot of family events there

Now tell me some fun stuff about yourself, what is your favorite:

Color: Pink

Drink: Celsius and Zip Fizz..energy anyone?

Alcoholic beverage: Cabernet

Meal: I’m a foodie and can find something l like just about anywhere but any type of taco is generally a safe bet for me!

Dessert: I’m not a huge sweets person but love a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup

Movie treat: I’m not really a movie theatre person and I don’t do popcorn. I know, I know. Icee maybe.

Movie: Princess Diaries

Song: Anything by P!nk or Taylor Swift…I have their albums on a playlist on repeat generally

Dream car: Blacked out Range Rover

Theme park: Aquatica

Holiday: Valentine’s Day

Cake flavor: hmmm. I usually do Sweets By Holly PB Cupcake

And what about your first:

Job: A doctor’s office as a file clerk when I was 14

Car: 1995 Honda Civic manual coupe. I wanted to the funky door handles

Go find Samantha on the web here:

Your website: latchonjax.com

Facebook: LatchOnJax

IG: @LatchOnJax

She’s also featured on our Resources page.

Professional headshots by Christy Whitehead Photography.

Jacksonville Newborn Photography Studio

If you’re looking for a newborn photographer, this is just some of the newborns I’ve photographed this year in my North Florida based studio. I have Watch Me Grow packages that cover the full first year as well.

If you’re looking for more information about newborn sessions, you can take a look on our website here.

Book your own newborn session in our studio by contacting us at our website. All newborn photographs by Christy Whitehead Photography.

Headshot Photographer – Christy Whitehead Photography

I’ve been photographing a lot of headshots lately. Here’s a bunch of them in hopes of giving you inspiration for your own headshots. And if your company needs headshots, I can come to you and make the whole process as painless as possible.

If you’d like more information about headshots, check out our headshot page. If you are an individual needing headshots, you can book your session directly from that page.

Click on an image to see it larger and uncropped.

If you are looking for a head shot for yourself or your entire company, you can contact Christy at her website. All images taken by Christy Whitehead Photography.

In Studio Pregnancy Portraits – Jacksonville, Florida

Are you looking to have pregnancy photos taken in studio? These are a handful of the sessions I’ve done this year in our North Florida studio. I also carry a large assortment of body suits and dresses for your use during your session.

Check out more information about pregnancy sessions here.

If you’re looking for a pregnancy or newborn photographer, please check out Christy Whitehead Photography.

Pregnancy Sessions with Husbands & Children – Jacksonville, Florida Photography Studio

We’ve had tons of great belly sessions lately with our pregnant mommas taking pictures with their spouses and sometimes their children. This blog is going to feature some of those images in hopes of giving you ideas!

Check out our website page for more information about pregnancy portraits.

If you are looking for a pregnancy or newborn photographer in the North Florida area, contact Christy Whitehead Photography to set up your session.

Holiday Sessions – Jacksonville, Fl Christy Whitehead Photography

It’s that time of year, it’s starting to actually cool down a little and it’s time to get on the calendar for your annual portraits! Whether you just want to have some fun in your Halloween costume or you need photos for your Christmas cards, here are the current options available with us.

OCTOBER

Left is last year’s pumpkin set, this year will be slightly different and flowers can be added or subtracted.

You can do this as part of a normal session, for no extra cost OR do JUST the themed session under a limited edition pricing.

You can choose to do a white set, which is great for a character/Halloween costume, especially with adults OR we’ll have our pumpkins and hay out. Below images are SAMPLES from previous years.

To book a standard family portrait session where you get a standard/non holiday backdrop AND a Fall backdrop of your choice, along with family photos and individuals of children, etc. If you’ve never booked a standard session with me, please check out my FAQ. (Let me know in the notes what set you want!): Book full family session here.

MINI Up to 5 people, 3 digitals included (more available for purchase), ONE holiday backdrop/set of your choice. Session is aprx. 10-15 minutes and then we will immediately go through and narrow down and pick out your favorites before you leave! BOOK IT HERE.

NOVEMBER & DECEMBER

November and December are super busy with several limited edition photo sessions: Beach minis, Santa Sessions, and studio holiday portraits.

BEACH MINIS

Friday, Nov. 12th. These will be done in the Jacksonville Beach area. Choose a sunrise or sunset session time. Perfect time to get your family photos in for the year or to do holiday cards!

Each session includes $200 towards your choice of digitals or prints. Book a Sunset Mini here.

SANTA

Sunday, Nov. 21st. We will be using the fireplace set. Our Santa is background checked and has a real beard. Session includes 5 digitals. Book Santa Sessions here.

HOLIDAY PORTRAITS

For November and most of December, there will be 3 options for holiday portraits. Please make sure to indicate which one you would like, when you book! Available Nov. 5th-Dec. 17th.

(SCROLL DOWN FOR LINKS TO BOOK!)

Fireplace set, Bed set or White Christmas Tree Farm set.

AVAILABLE NOV. 5th-DEC 17th ONLY

To book a standard family portrait session where you get a standard/non holiday backdrop AND a holiday backdrop of your choice, along with family photos and individuals of children, etc. If you’ve never booked a standard session with me, please check out my FAQ. (Let me know in the notes what set you want!): Book full family session here.

MINI Up to 5 people, 3 digitals included (more available for purchase), ONE holiday backdrop/set of your choice. Session is aprx. 10-15 minutes and then we will immediately go through and narrow down and pick out your favorites before you leave! BOOK IT HERE.

LOCAL BUSINESS: Latch On Jacksonville

Today we’re featuring car seat expert Samantha Kastelz and her business Latch On Jacksonville. If you are having a child or just want to make sure you’re car seat is installed safely, I HIGHLY recommend giving Samantha a call!

What do you specialize in: Child Passenger Safety, Car seat Safety, CPST

When did you open: During National Child Passenger Safety Week in September 2020

How did you get interested in this line of work? I became a CPST after having my son, though car seat safety was important to me before having my daughter. I was t-boned in a car accident in October 2013 and still suffer side effects today. When I was pregnant w­­ith my daughter I did a lot of research on car seats and attended the Safe Kids seat check with my mentors Danielle & Tina. I just couldn’t imagine a child with low bone ossification being in an accident and sustaining injuries the way I did…and my accident was considered minor.

What is something about your business that sets you apart? We only have a few other practicing CPST’s in Jacksonville and they work through The Players Center for Child Health/SafeKids. I offer concierge, in-home education on car seat safety. We go over your seats safety features, proper harnessing and vehicle installation.

What is something about your business that most people might find interesting? I am the only business of this kind in Jacksonville and one of only a few in the country. (Something unique, interesting, different, etc.)

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?  Don’t be afraid to say you don’t know and to ask questions. There are hundreds of different vehicle and car seat combinations and we can’t know everything! But we have access to a network of people and manufacturers and if we don’t know someone is bound to!

For a little fun….

Where were you born? Riverside Hospital in Jacksonville, it doesn’t exist anymore

How did you end up in Jacksonville? Born and raised! Although we did live in North Carolina for 5 years while my husband was in the military

Where’s your favorite place to travel? We love to travel! I loved our trip to Costa Rica and hope to go back one day soon!

Where do you want to travel to next? We almost always have a “next” planned. I think it will be Lake Oconee

What are your hobbies? I do Pilates 5-ish days a week and am making it a habit to walk on the beach for some peace and quiet at least once a week

Do you have any pets? 2 dogs: a 10-year-old lab, Molly, and 6 month old crazy double doodle named Pretzel.

Do you have any interesting talents? No really LOL

Where can people find you at?

Check her and other awesome local vendors out on our Resources page.

Your website: latchonjax.com

Facebook: LatchOnJax

IG: @LatchOnJax

Professional headshots for Samantha were done by Christy Whitehead Photography.

5 Common Baby Sleep Myths

5 Common Baby Sleep Myths

We asked a local sleep expert for some tips and info about getting babies to sleep at night!

Katie Kuncho owns Katie Ks Sleep Consulting, and lives here in Jacksonville with her husband Rodney and son, Owen.

I have experienced first hand how tricky sleep can be for a new baby.  While experiencing sleep troubles with my son, I went on a mission to find out how to help him. What I found is that there are ways to help your child learn independent sleep skills without feeling mom’s guilt.  Once I understood what was happening, I felt guilty for not helping him sooner!  Watching Owen’s transition and how it has changed our lives is what has led me on the journey of helping other families get the quality sleep that they deserve. I am passionate about helping families because I know how important sleep is to both baby and parent’s health.  It’s a necessity. Not a luxury. 

There’s no such thing as a casual mom. This gig is full-time, no matter if you’re a stay-at-home-mom, a working mom, or somewhere in between. Your kids are on your mind 24/7, no matter what else might be going on, so we tend to do a lot of research, and with access to unlimited data via the internet, Barnes & Noble, or your mother-in-law, (the latter having the most to say, by a mile) it’s inevitable that we get some conflicting information. Sometimes it’s even hard to sort out the opinions versus the facts. So today, I want to focus on my area of expertise, that being sleep, and try to dispel some of the more popular myths I’ve seen in parenting forums, heard from Mom groups I’ve talked with, or even heard from a well-intentioned family member or friend. 

jacksonville newborn photographer

1. Sleeping too much during the day will keep the baby up at night. 
 Not likely, except in extreme cases. Unless your little one is sleeping practically all day and up all night, you probably don’t need to concern yourself with the length of their naps. Newborns especially need a ton of sleep. In fact, up until about 6 months, I don’t recommend that your little one be awake for more than about 2 – 2 1/2 hours at a time. For newborns, that number is more like 45 minutes to an hour. 

What keeps babies awake at night, more than anything else, is overtiredness. You might think that an exhausted baby is more likely to sack out for a full night than one who slept all day, but it’s actually just the opposite. The reason we refer to it as being “overtired” is because baby has missed the “tired” phase and their bodies start to kick back into gear, which keeps them from falling and staying asleep. A baby who has gotten a decent amount of sleep during the day is far less likely to miss the sleep window.

There are substantial variations depending on baby’s age and the length of their naps, but up to that 6 month mark, it’s really not uncommon for baby to be sleeping around 5 hours a day outside of nighttime sleep, so if your little one is still within those guidelines, let them snooze.  Bottom line is sleep begets sleep, the better baby naps during the day, the better they will sleep at night.

jacksonville newborn photographer

2. Sleeping is a natural development and can’t be taught. Sleeping is natural, absolutely. Everybody wakes up and falls back to sleep multiple times a night, regardless of their age. So no, you can’t teach a child to be sleepy. What can be taught, however, is the ability to fall back to sleep independently.

The typical “bad sleeper” of a baby isn’t less in need of sleep, or more prone to waking up. They’ve just learned to depend on outside assistance to get back to sleep when they wake up. Once your little one has figured out how to get to sleep without assistance from outside sources, they start stringing those sleep cycles together absolutely effortlessly, and that’s the secret to “sleeping through the night” as most parents understand it.

jacksonville newborn photographer

3. Babies will naturally dictate their own sleep schedule. The idea that infant physiology is so flawlessly, naturally programmed to regulate a baby’s schedule is, to be blunt, laughable. Nothing against Mother Nature, but she doesn’t provide us with a ready-to-run baby. Our babies need extensive care and help in their development, and their sleep cycles are unbelievably erratic if left unregulated. If they miss their natural sleep cycle by as little as a half hour, their cortisol production can increase which causes a surge in energy, and things quickly spiral out of control.

So as much as I wish babies could just fall asleep when they’re tired, it simply doesn’t work that way. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t respond to their cues, but you shouldn’t rely exclusively on them either.

jacksonville newborn photographer

4. Sleep training is stressful for the baby and can affect the parent-child attachment. Nope. And this isn’t just me talking here. This is the American Academy of Pediatrics. If there’s a more reliable source of baby health information, they’re astoundingly bad at marketing themselves. And according to a 2016 study* conducted by eight of their top researchers, behavioral intervention, (A.K.A Sleep training) “provide(s) significant sleep benefits above control, yet convey(s) no adverse stress responses or long-term effects on parent-child attachment or child emotions and behavior.” Not a whole lot of gray area there.

jacksonville newborn photographer

5. Babies are not “designed” to sleep through the night. Trusting your child’s physiology to dictate their sleep schedule, their eating habits, their behavior, or just about any other aspect of their upbringing is a recipe for disaster.

Is your toddler designed to eat three pounds of gummi bears? Surely not. Will they if you don’t intervene? Without a doubt. Is your baby designed to avoid predators? If so, nobody told my little one, who would have happily hugged a hungry Siberian tiger if it approached him. (He might still, I don’t know. It’s never come up.) Our little ones need our expertise and authority to guide them through their early years, and probably will for decades after that. This is especially true when it comes to their sleep.

Some babies are naturally gifted sleepers, for sure, but don’t rely on the advice of those who tell you that babies should dictate their schedules. You’re in charge because you know best, even if it may not feel like it sometimes.

jacksonville newborn photographer

There are obviously plenty more myths and misconceptions surrounding babies and their sleep habits, but these are some of the most important to get the facts on. Remember, there are endless posts on social media and websites that portray themselves as factual, but there’s nothing stopping them from making that claim, regardless of their accuracy or basis in actual scientific evidence.

Google scholar is a great place to find peer-reviewed scientific study on all things baby-related, and trusted sources like the American Academy of Pediatrics, the National Institutes of Health, Britain’s National Health Service, Canada’s Hospital for Sick Children, the World Health Organization, and other national children’s health organizations are excellent sources of information you can feel confident about using to answer questions about your baby’s health.

And if you want more information about the benefits of sleep, I’m willing to chat!

Contact Katie:

info@katieksleepconsulting.com

904-595-7333

https://www.katieksleepconsulting.com

*https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2016/05/21/peds.2015-1486

Photographs by Christy Whitehead Photography, newborn photography studio in Jacksonville, Florida.

Tag! Featured: Random Fandom Gifts

In an effort to feature local businesses during Covid, we are playing “tag”. We are asking local companies info about their favorite places. And then we ask some of the companies they tag about their favorites!

Random Fandom Gifts was recently tagged as a favorite by another local company so here they are:

Your name: Alexis Kaisharis and Rich Oliver

Where are you located: You can usually find us at Riverside Arts Market, but you can always find us on our website www.randomfandomgifts.com

Tell me about your business.

We hand make pixelated artwork, home decor, and accessories representing all kinds of pop culture across all medias. Our pieces can range from 100 beads to 10,000 beads; our biggest piece ever was actually 30,000 beads. Everything we make we do it with pure geeky love. We’re bringing geeky goodness to everyone, and our goal is to make everyone’s pixelated dreams come true!

Now that you’ve been tagged, tell me your favorites!

FOOD

What is your favorite local restaurant for date night? Orsay

What is your favorite food place to go with family? Leaderboard Arcade

Who has the best sandwiches? Eddis & Sons

Best pizza? Pie 95 Pizza 

What toppings MUST go on a pizza? Cheese, Pepperoni, and Canadian Bacon

What should NEVER go on a pizza? Pineapple or any fruit, except tomatoes. 

Best Mexican? El Jefe

Best Chinese? Tim Wah Dim Sum

Best burger? JoyShtick

Best fries? JoyShtick

Best bar? Rec Room 

Best BBQ? Twisted Okie

Favorite food truck? Pie 95 Pizza and Fusion Food Truck

Favorite place to get dessert? 1748 Bakehouse

ACTIVITIES

Favorite activity around town that’s free? Riverside Arts Market

Favorite activity/place to go, that costs money around town? The Cummer Museum 

Best local band or musician? The Fire Water Tent Revival

SERVICES

Best place to get a hair cut? Red Hot Looks

Best realtor? Lou Morales Realty, David Morales

Do you have any tattoos? Who would you recommend? Melaniinks at Dark Matter 

AROUND TOWN

Favorite mom & pop shop? Darby’s Dungeon, Bellalina Bath and BelloBoopie 

Favorite side of town? Riverside

Favorite local event? Riverside Arts Market and the GAAM Show. 

What local charities do you like to support? First Coast No More Homeless Pets and JASMYN.  

What is the most underrated shop or company in North Florida that everyone should know about? Bijubee Jewelry, plus maybe also us lol

Best place to get married or have a big party? Congaree and Penn

Best place to get fresh veggies and fruit? Riverside Arts Market

Anyone we missed? All of the amazing artists in Jacksonville! Elena Ohlander, Chappy Lips by Leslie Valerio, Hypnoticat, Olivia Gonzalez (Garage Roses), and R.L. Pyro Art are some of our favorites

Where can people find you:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/randomfandomgifts

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/randomfandomgifts

Website: www.randomfandomgifts.com

Email: randomfandomgifts@gmail.com