Mommy Motivator

I recently purchased a leap frog puzzle map for my children. I thought that it would be fun to teach my 3 year old where “G-Ma” and “G-Pa” live, Nana and Pops, etc. In the process of talking to him about these places, Colbin began asking questions about the other states. I have always been terrible at geography and figured I could teach myself while teaching him. Taking Colbins lead I decided we could travel (make believe style) through different states and discover new things. We were going on a Journey!

We started our journey Read the rest of this entry »

Just for reiteration, Mommy Must Do’s are reminders for the stuff that we know we are supposed to do, but often forget or don’t take the time to accomplish. When there are 5 million other things going on at one time, we often put our personal and family’s well-being on the back burner.

I went to see my Doctor this week in hopes of getting rid of a sinus infection. While she was examining me she told me that I was extremely dehydrated. She asked me how much water I drink a day. I said um….not enough. It was then that I came to the realization that I could not even remember the last time I drank a glass or bottle of water.

We all know the rule that we need to drink at least 8 cups of water everyday. But do we follow that rule on a daily basis? While I was pregnant with my boys I always made sure I drank my water and ate healthy. I knew it was important to do those things in order to have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby. Unfortunately, after we have our kids we often forget that we still need to be healthy to keep up with our kids and that our kids need to be healthy in order to grow and thrive. With this in mind, your mommy must do this week is to focus on getting at least 8 cups of water a day and to get your kids drinking water too! NO EXCUSES MOMMIES!

Drinking water will do the following things:
	Improve Your Energy
	Increase Your Mental and Physical Performance
	Remove Toxins & Waste Products from your body
	Keep Skin Healthy and Glowing
	Help You Lose Weight
	Reduce Headaches and Dizziness
	Allow for proper Digestion
	Help to keep you more Alkaline source: betterwayhealth.com

The doctor gave me a great tip and said to drink a big glass of water first thing in the morning. It is a wonderful way to get a head start on your 8 cups a day and to flush toxins out of your body. In researching on the computer I also read that drinking a cup of warm water with lemon every morning is beneficial to our digestive system and aids in weight loss. I will start drinking a glass every morning this week and will keep you updated.

Mommies, get your kids in the habit of drinking water now! Cut back on juice and give them water. Remember that sodas have no health benefits!

Now start today and drink to your health!!!!!!!!

Walking Lunges

Tone your butt and legs

This exercise works the Quadriceps, Hamstrings, and Buttocks. Although it may look silly, you can do this exercise anywhere!

1. Stand with your feet together and your back straight
2. Take a big step with your right foot, bending your knees so your right thigh is parallel to the floor and right knee is directly above your ankle(not your foot). Your left knee should almost touch the floor/ground.
3. Bring your left foot forward to meet your right, then take a giant step with your left foot.

I do walking lunges inside the house, outside, at the park, and at work. Once you feel comfortable with the motion, you can increase the intensity by adding a weight in each hand. If you do not have any weights you can use milk jugs filled with water. I like to do these walking lunges until I feel the burn. If you have never done a walking lunge before start with only a few reps or you may be too sore to walk tomorrow.

*If your knees are hurting while doing lunges make sure that your knee is not extended over your foot/toes. It should be aligned with your ankle like stated above. If your knees continue to hurt after you have checked your form then you should choose another exercise.

Work your tushies off mommy! Let me know your tips for staying in shape.

This week’s goal is to focus on taking care of our beautiful faces. Lets face it ladies, none of us want to look older than we are. So take charge of your skin now so you will not regret it later.

• Do not go to sleep with your make-up on. No Excuses! Wearing the same make-up on your face for 2 days in a row is not good for your skin. “Sleeping with cosmetics on can clog pores, cause zits and irritate the skin.” When makeup stays on too long, it also blocks “the natural exfoliative process of shedding skin,” which can leave your skin looking dull, says Dr. Robin Ashinoff, director of cosmetic dermatology at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey. Even if you do not wear make-up, (many mornings we are lucky to wash our hair, let alone wear make-up) it is still important to Read the rest of this entry »

Good Morning Mommies! It’s a new day. Wake up and feel good about yourself as a mom and woman! I want to challenge and motivate you each week with Mommy Must Do’s. Mommy Must Do’s are tasks/goals (to do list) that I will give to help you stay motivated and energized–”Taking life by the horns,” as they say.

On that note, let’s talk about you and your kids. As we all know, the most important job in this world is taking care of our kids. However, in order to accomplish this 100% we must take care of ourselves! If you want to raise confident & healthy kids, then you need to be a confident & healthy mom.

If you want your kids to be fit, then you need to also be fit. Listen, I’m not asking you to go out and (allegedly) run a marathon like supermom, Katie Holmes, but even a 20 minute walk everyday will help you get in shape. Being in shape coincides with a healthy diet. Don’t expect your kids to eat healthy foods if you are sitting on the couch with a bag of chips.

Being healthy includes creating healthy minds. If you want your kids to enjoy reading, read to them often (and to yourself too). Lead by example, ladies! Take steps to create learning environments. If you have read my previous posts, you will find that I try to use every situation as an opportunity to nurture and teach my children.

I know that being a woman, mom, wife, and businesswoman (choose your role) can be hard at times, but if you are going to do it, you might as well be good at it. Come on moms! Take charge of your role today and make no excuses!

Keep looking for your Mommy Must Do’s here.

Just wanted to update you all on a few features that I have added to MommyMotivator.com:

• Baby Names - Search for baby names by gender, nationality, alphabet, and so on.
• Kid & Baby Videos - Brighten your day by viewing some funny and adorable video clips of kids and babies.

You can find these items on the left menu bar or click the items above.  That’s all for now. Be on the lookout for a new post tomorrow!

The winter season puts a lot of us mommies in a position where it is difficult to find activities for our kids. We can only be stuck inside for so many hours before we begin to lose our minds. In order to keep our sanity and keep our children productive, we need to be creative. We need to demonstrate to our kids that boredom can be prevented by creativity!

Here is an activity that is great for snapping the cold weather blues. Plan an Read the rest of this entry »

Jump Rope Fitness Workout

Mommies, it is time to get the family jumping!

As moms, it can be a struggle to fit exercise into a busy schedule. Jumping rope is great for busy moms, because you do not need to jump rope long to burn calories. It is said that doing a jump rope fitness workout burns anywhere from 10-20 calories per minute, depending on the intensity in which you jump. “According to research, a 10-minute program of jumping rope can be as effective as Read the rest of this entry »

Have you taken your daily dose of laughter?

Yesterday, we took Colbin and Cason out to dinner for Colbin’s birthday. While we were at the table, a little girl sitting behind us caught Colbin and Cason’s attention. The three of them began exchanging funny faces and laughter almost immediately. Throughout the dinner, they continued to Read the rest of this entry »

Week of 1/6/08

Mommies,

Only 350 cleaning days until Christmas! So, the question is , “What do I do with all of this stuff?” Awhile back I got a great idea watching Martha Stewart. Here is what you need to get organized:

Ziploc Big Bags, Pant Hangers with clips, some Closet Hanging Space, and/or some Hooks  (Amazon carries these bags at a great price: Ziploc 4 Pack XL Heavy Duty Big Bag 65644)

The possibilities with this organizational tip are endless. Use the bags to organize your kids toys, sporting equipment, shoes, old school books, blankets, and clothing. For example: Take your kid’s toys and books and organize them all in Ziploc Big Bags and then hang them in a closet or on a hook in the garage. The great thing about these bags is that they are see through and can be hung in a closet which prevents you from searching through stacked boxes or toy chests. I have at least one in every closet and, believe me, they are wonderful! I have one in my coat closet that holds our winter hats, gloves, scarves, etc. My boys have a few in their closets that hold puzzles, balls, and other toys.

Let me know if this tip works for you!