Our Story
The idea for Rustic Mama Retreats was conceived from a fairly simple desire… The desire to getaway, to relax, to refresh and to reconnect with what’s important to you in this life. To remember what it was like to not have a care in the world. To be that kid with the sun in her face and the wind in her hair. To Laugh, Dance, Cry, Run, Jump, Craft.. whatever your heart and soul desires.
That idea grew to include opportunities — opportunities for adventure, excitement, passion, reflection, self-discovery, education and creativity; a chance to embrace life in all its wonderful facets, and do so in the company of other like-minded adventure seekers. If there is one thing we have learned, it’s that when women gather… something magical happens!
Team Members
Jennifer James Aide
Founder/Executive Director
As a busy mom to 5 kids, an entrepreneur and an outdoor adventurist, Jennifer is known for embracing the chaos and for running with a new idea. Although focusing specifically on Retreats is a fairly new venture, she has been involved in large number event planning for over 20 years.
Growing up in a small town, she spent her teenage years volunteering at summer camps, and then began running her own day-camp programs for youth in her late teens. Later, trained as a social worker, she spent many years facilitating events for special needs children and adults before launching her own small business that focused more on her creative side.
Jennifer also has a passion for volunteering and works with many organizations. As a leader in Girl Guides, the Chair of the local School Council and a very involved mother to her 5 children, she has planned many large events for over 200+ people including outings, camps, sleepovers, fundraisers, reunions and parties.
Find out more about how Jennifer created RMR here!
Jennifer Vanclief
Director of Operations
After 30 years working as a full-time Reserve Force Senior Office with the Canadian Cadet Program, Jennifer retired and was looking for an exciting new experience when she joined the Rustic Mama Retreats team in 2019.
Mother to 1, and Grandma to 2, Jennifer is passionate about fitness and the great outdoors. She is a certified Personal Training Specialist, Healthy Eating and Weight Loss Coach, Balance Habits Virtual Life Coach and has training in Active Aging, Think Yourself Confident, Strength Training for Weight Loss, Nordic Pole Walking and most recently became a certified Pound Fitness Pro Instructor. In her free time, she spends it hiking the various trails across Ontario.
Tiffany Klein
Guest Services
Tiffany joined our team in 2022 to teach our retreaters the life skills of homesteading. Forgotten skills that, in the world today are starting to be picked back up again. Tiffany is owner/operator of a small 1.5 acre homestead called Windy Hills Homestead practicing permaculture ways. Along side her husband and 2 young girls, they manage to raise 75% of their own food!
Teaching people how to learn these skills is a true passion of Tiffany’s, both through Rustic Mama retreat workshops and through a social media platform. Some of these workshops include Pasta making, canning, harvesting honey , garden planning and Intro to homesteading. When not at retreats, you’ll usually find her putting away in her garden while talking to her chickens and ducks.
Cheri Arnew
Team Lead & Event Supervisor
Cheri joined the RMR team in 2022 after first attending a Woman’s Retreat, and then returning with her 2 daughters for a Mom & Daughter Retreat and falling in love with RMR’s passion and purpose of empowering women and helping other women relax, refresh and reconnect.
Cheri’s 25+ year career at a South Western Ontario Credit Union (obviously she started VERY young) has afforded her many great learning and personal opportunities, the latest of which is working remotely – so she and her family jumped at the chance for change, and moved to Northern Ontario (Temagami).
A former Scouter, Cheri loves the outdoors, where she can often be found riding an ATV, or snowmobile, or out enjoying the lake on a kayak or Stand Up Paddleboard. Indoors you will often find her with a cup of tea in hand, working on her latest macrame creation.
Heather Aire-Gibbs
Program Facilitator & Master of Ceremonies
Heather first attended a women’s retreat back in 2018 and became a repeat retreater soon there after. Having attended 5 retreats of all varieties (women’s, mama and daughter, mama and son) over the course of 2 years, we got to know her quite well and knew that her dynamic personality, infectious laugh and outgoing nature would be such an asset to our team!
Heather is a mom to 3 kids, a very active Girl Guide leader and a hospital clerk by day, but at retreats she is the smiling face waiting to greet you upon arrival. She also runs a variety of crafting workshops and will be the one on the dance floor with you until the party ends!
Kim Hagle
Program Facilitator
Kim is Certified Personal Trainer, Registered Holistic Nutritionist, Body Image Coach and founder of Radiant Vitality Wellness. Kim hosts The Joyful Movement Show podcast, where she inspires women to disconnect movement from weight loss and re-engage with movement as a form of self care. Through her various movement and coaching programs, she helps women heal their relationship with food and exercise while disconnecting their worth from their weight, so they can feel great in AND about their body.
Kim joined the team in the Fall of 2022 and runs fitness workshops and body empowerment classes at each retreat. She lives in Goderich, ON with her husband and 4 children.
Becki Korhonen
Photographer/Videographer
Becki (with an i) joined the Rustic Mama Family in 2021 after moving from Medicine Hat Alberta where she worked as a television commercial producer for the local TV Station. She currently lives in London Ontario and works at Rogers Sports Media as a producer.
Her 20-year career as a videographer and photographer has taken her across the country and the world, but she has never loved a job as much as working for Rustic Mama Retreats. Her love of gadgets, photography, and crazy fun people is the perfect combination to creating special memories of your time with us.
She also really loves “Cheese” so when you see her, give her your best smile and say it proudly…CHEESE!
Leona Campbell
Photographer
Leona also enjoys travelling, crafting, playing ultimate frisbee and doing outdoor activities including camping, paddling and hiking…always with camera in hand. She was once told it was surprising that she did not have a tan line around her face from the camera. Working with RMR combines all her interests and she wishes that it was her full-time job. Her favourite saying is “Smile, you never know when someone is taking your picture!”…it is usually her doing it.
Ingrid Smith
Program Facilitator
Ingrid is a retired primary school teacher, a self-help junkie, and a divorced and remarried mother of two. She attended a Rustic Mama Retreats weekend with her longtime BFF in 2021 and fell in love with the concept of women investing time in themselves. When a job as a RMR team member came up two days after she retired, she knew her future involvement was meant to be!
Ingrid loves being outside, cross country skiing or hiking with her husband. She’s an avid cook, sings in a choir and is usually the first one on the dance floor when the music starts. During Retreats you will find her running crafting workshops as well as a variety of educational classes.
Lisa Millar
Program Facilitator
Lisa joined the Rustic Mama Retreats team in the Spring of 2022 and came onboard to share her incredible background and passion for art with guests as she loves being able to help others find their creativity! Lisa majored in Fine Arts, with a minor in dramatic arts while attending The Ontario College of Art, followed by a sharp left turn, attending Georgian College, where she graduated with a diploma in Law & Security Administration.
She spent her teenage years as a member of the Royal Canadian Air Cadets. Lisa then enrolled as a Reservist in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) in June of 1990 where she worked in the Air Cadet program at various units, holding a number of leadership positions until recently ending her career as the Commanding Officer of 2818 RC(Army)CC, in Belleville Ontario.
Lisa now lives in Eastern Ontario with her husband Ross, where they also run a First Aid Training, and Wilderness Survival business. She is a self proclaimed work-a-holic and proud mum of four F’ids (Furry Kids) Chloe, Jack, Argus and Paxil.
Marcelo Menegazzo
Program Facilitator & Muscle Man
Marcelo joined the Rustic Mama Team in the spring of 2022 volunteering as the behind the scenes muscle at Retreats, often spending hours pre-cutting wood for workshops, lugging boxes of wine or helping keep events running smoothly. You will never see him sitting still, as he likes to keep busy. He is known on the team as Rooster 
Marcelo moved to Canada from Argentina in 1980 and Spanish is his first language. He is a Reserve member of the Canadian Armed Forces working in support of the Air Cadet program. In his free time, he enjoys tending to his yard, helping friends with their home projects or cutting wood for Retreat workshops.
Marcelo also runs the very popular wood working workshops at retreats and Intro to Spanish for those looking to learn a new language!
Kirstie Smallman
Program Facilitator
Kirstie joined the RMR crew in 2018. You’ll find her at most RMR weekends, all lit up and animated (and probably dancing) in any of the activities. Coming from a teaching career, live theatre and dance education, her main passion is with her somatic movement and coaching practice which focuses on how to tap into vitality right now, so you can unravel restrictive belief patterns that are keeping you stuck!
Kirstie dances and swims along the shores of Lake Huron, and loves to curl up with her cats, her Malbec and a book about something deep and meaningful… that’s when she isn’t learning new ways to use her Instapot for healthy elixirs, researching how to live the #vanlife, experimenting with how to leverage the Internet for business ideas, and making time to connect with her family and Soul Sisters!
Sara Parkhill
Program Facilitator & Registered Massage Therapist
Danielle Bragg
Program Facilitator
Danielle is a ball of energy, enthusiasm and smiles! She attended 5 retreats and knew she wanted to be a part of staff when the opportunity came up in 2022. Danielle spends her weekdays running a home daycare and enjoying adventures with her husband of 17 years and her three kiddos.
With a background as a paramedic, a vet tech and daycare operator, she is always up for a new challenge and learning new skills! You will find her busting a move all night on the dance floor, teaching crafty sessions and getting involved in all the games and activites! She is always there to lend a helping hand and most importantly help you have FUN!!
Marlo Lott
Program Facilitator
Marlo is a mother of 3 wonderful grown children that bring her joy every day, but as proud as she is, it was time for her to find her joy! That is what lead her to joining the Rustic Mama Retreats team in 2022. Since joining, she has really enjoyed being a part of a diverse team that brings women together to relax, refresh and reconnect with themselves!
Marlo has been in the service industry all her life as a restaurant/bar manager and loves working with people, spending most of her time chatting and laughing with customers. She is currently taking yoga training with meditation and look forward to being an certified instructor in the near future. In her spare time, Marlo also loves walking outdoors, reading and learning new things!
Penelope Provost
Program Facilitator
Penelope (Penny) was born and raised on a farm in southwestern Ontario, which she still farms today. She has been happily married for over 16 years and is mother to 4 incredible children. Her original career path led her to becoming a licensed paramedic, but after becoming a mother she transitioned into a management position at a hip and fun restaurant.
