Mommy Motivator

Mommies get ready to start your clothes baskets! Mommies if you have an open room or semi-large space this is a fun activity for your kids and a great work-out for you. Empty one of your clothes baskets ( a plastic one that is low to the ground is needed) and tell your child or children to climb in and hold on. Then push them/race them throughout the house. My kids love this activity and it is a great butt, leg and cardio work-out as well.

Great activity to entertain your kids while burning extra calories and toning your body!

If you have the space there is no excuse that you can’t find the time to exercise and play with the kids. Have fun and get pushing!

Dancing with Louis Van Amstel

Moms, first of all, I just want to let you know that I’m not going to try to use my blog to promote products all over the place. However, we (my husband & I) have a friend who is involved with a series of videos featuring Louis Van Amstel from Dancing with the Stars. I’m sure that there are a lot of you that follow the show so I thought some of you might want to learn about dancing with Louis!

By the way…Louis will be back next season on Dancing with the Stars!!! For those of you who follow the show, you know how well these people dance. You also know that these dancers are great teachers. Some of these celebrities have come a long way to get where they are today. The videos, entitled Let’s Dance Louis, help you learn how to dance with Louis. Dancing with Louis will help you learn the Salsa, Jive, Samba, Waltz, ChaCha, Tango, and more. Dance like a celebrity; Dance like a PRO!

Ok ladies, there are a few things to look at here:

• These videos give you new activities to do with your husband or significant other…add a little more romance to the mix.
• Can we say…weight loss! (You know I’m a stickler for dancing as a form of exercise)
• Dancing Events - It would definitely be nice to know what you are doing in a wedding, party, etc. Stand out, make yourself known!
• What’s nice about the Dancing with Louis Van Amstel videos is that they are digital, meaning that you download and watch. So, the mobility of these videos is perfect for those who may want to learn to dance in private and impress those around you when you are finished. You can always put them on disk.`
• Finally…come on…the guy looks good!

Anyways, I appreciate you all letting me speak about the dancing with Louis videos. There are different packages you can buy (with a money back guarantee), so check them out! Click here for more information ===> Dancing with Louis

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.

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.

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 »

Week of 1/6/08

You may have read my previous post where I posted a dancing video for motivation. Well, guess what!? You can use dance as a form of exercise too! Hellooo Captain Obvious - Of course you knew that!

Trying to complete a 30 minute exercise session can be difficult for busy moms, so try dancing for 10 minute sessions 3 times a day. Dancing will give you an instant mood boost and burn calories. It is also a safe, fun and easy way to exercise with your kids of all ages. One of my favorite memories growing up was dancing with my mom around the house.

I read a blurb in Good Housekeeping today that said “Getting your child to exercise for just 15 minutes a day at a pace that leaves her a bit out of breath may cut her chances of becoming obese almost in half…” (Monica Monzingo, January 2008) So turn on some upbeat music and get the family moving!

Week of 12/29/07

‘Milk’ Your Free Time

Hey Mommies, set a positive example for your kids by working out and teaching them the importance of taking care of their bodies.

If you do not have weights at home and/or don’t go to a gym, here is an excellent and inexpensive way to tone your body:

Materials Needed: (2) gallon or 1/2 gallon milk jugs; water

Fill the jugs with water to your desired weight. (Note: Be sure to start with a weight that feels comfortable to you). The Women’s Heart Foundation provides a great dumbbell workout that you can use as a guide. I personally use this workout. The routine is perfect to use while catching up on your soap operas or working in the office. Great energy boost too! Mommies don’t forget to include your kids! Give them empty jugs so they can join you in your quest for a healthier life. My 3 year old loves to exercise with me and is learning the importance of being fit. Exercising with my son also gives me the opportunity to teach him about his body and to work on his counting skills. We count reps together! When my son is lifting his empty jugs he will say ” Mommy, my heart and muscles are getting stronger”.

Bonus Creative Tip: Let your kids decorate their jugs. Example: Spend some time looking through some magazines with your kids and let them find fitness related pictures - balls, people exercising, running shoes, etc. Then cut the pictures out and glue or tape them to their jugs.

Dance like no one is watching

Ladies, whenever you need an energy boost play some upbeat music and get your groove on. My kids love to dance around the house with me and are sad when dance time is over. Music is very motivational and is great mood lifter. Have fun and dance, dance, dance!

The Mommy Motivator (MM) is here to motivate YOU!

As mommies, we all have challenges that we must overcome in order to keep our sanity. Don’t you agree? We take on so many roles in our day to day life that it can be overwhelming and stressful. Do you ever wake up some mornings feeling defeated before your day ever begins? Do you find yourself wondering how you can be a great homemaker, career woman, and mommy, and at the same time take care of yourself.

The MM will motivate you to wake up every morning and take on your role as a woman and mother with stride and gusto. The Mommy Motivator will provide you with tips to engage with your kids emotionally, creatively and intellectually on a daily basis. The mommy motivator will help you organize your life one step at a time and improve your self-image. The MM will give you creative play tips, recipes, projects, and self-improvement guides that will excite and motivate! The Mommy Motivator wants you to feel good about yourself as a woman, a mother, a wife, and help you go to sleep at night knowing that you are an accomplished mother. You are a success!

Come on Mommies…Get motivated, be happy, and create a happy and healthy home!