21 Day Mommy Blogger Challenge

Good afternoon everyone!! If you have been following me you know that I am going down the path of weight-loss. I have started the 21 day mommy blogger challenge with Dustin Maher. http://mommybloggerweightlosschallenge.com/ It is a great program. I am still in the starter stage of it, but I have high hopes for it. I have started reading his book “A Fit Moms For Life.” http://fitmomsforlife.com/ The challenge was suppose to start yesterday, but I didn’t jump on it like I should. Along with my weekly weigh in’s that I do on Wednesdays I will tell you how my week went with the challenge. Dustin Maher has a great site that would be good for anyone to check out. It’s http://dustinmaherfitness.com/. You do not have to be a mommy blogger to try his program. It’s great for anyone out there.  Here is my before picture …

At the end of the challenge I will post a picture of me. There are several other mommy bloggers that are doing this challenge and I wish all of them good luck!!

Sleep…What Sleep?

I have told my husband many times that my favorite time of the day is the time I get to just lay down in my bed. Sometimes on those run run busy days it seems like the only time that I get to breath.  It’s the only time that it’s just me and the bed…and my husband. My husband, oh how I love him so. Except for those many restless nights he has; thus making my night restless. He has a genetic back disorder and on top of that has played football from Junior High School clear to College. He suffered many back injuries. We have been to several doctors and many, I mean many Chiropractor visits. So put it simply he has horrible back problems. Six out of seven nights he ends up on the couch or in the recliner.  I don’t know how many days it seems like my body goes on auto pilot through the day because of my lack of sleep.

We desperately need a new bed and maybe even some good pillows. How about you? Do you think you could use a good bed or pillows? If so now would be the time to do it. Why you ask? Well Nature’s Sleep is offering a promo code that gives you 50% off of everything in their store. You heard me correctly, 50% off of EVERYTHING in their store.

Head over now to http://shop.naturessleep.com/

Here’s the code: BEARS50

Why you should invest your good hardworking money into Nature’s Sleep?Well it’s simple if you cherish your sleep then you should. Nature’s Sleep realizes how important a good night’s sleep is. Outside the fact that sleep promotes good health it also makes everyone in a happier mood. So it’s important for EVERYONE to get a good nights sleep. They know this, so they developed an entire line of products that will cradle your body from head to toe. Causing you to relax and enjoy dreamland! Their products are designed to be washable, anti-microbial, anti-dust mite, anti-bacterial and allergen resistant. How great is that!!

Here is what Nature’s Sleep has to say:

“Nature’s Sleep’s mission is to provide everybody the opportunity to enjoy a better night’s sleep at affordable prices, while maintaining a concern for our environment.”

“All of our products are designed with the highest concerns for health and hygiene and we are committed to providing comfort that is safe for you and safe for the environment.”

I am stay at home mom of three kids under the age of five. I have a husband who sleeps less the 5 hours a night causing me to sleep less than 5 hours a night. If you think I deserve the chance to review a Nature’s Sleep Mattress, then please head on over to Nature’s Sleep Facebook Page( https://www.facebook.com/NaturesSleep)and let them know so!!!

NOW….

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING ON…GO…GO GET YOU A NEW BED OR A NEW PILLOW FROM NATURE’S SLEEP RIGHT NOW!!

Want to learn more about Nature’s sleep? Here’s how….

Site: http://www.naturessleep.com/

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/Natures_Sleep

Google+ : https://plus.google.com/u/0/115211738495259563861

Linkedin : http://www.linkedin.com/company/nature’s-sleep-llc

Tommee Tippee Chewthers Giveaway & Review!

Drool everywhere, anything and everything goes into the mouth, and crying after crying…what does that sound like? Teething time: every parent has been there and dreads it for the next one.

I recently had a chance to review some Chewthers from Tommee Tippee. I love the idea and concepts behind Chewthers. I have to say these are very cute and stylish. Not only are they cute, but very useful as well! Chewther oral trainers are specially designed for self soothing, speech development, progressive feeding and tooth care. As children grow, in order to prepare for adult-like foods and learn to speak, they first explore texture to develop and train the muscles, movement and lip seal needed! They have four different stages: 1:3 months, 2: 4months, 3: 6 months, and 4:9months. All these skills are learned from just chewing on a toy. How cool is that!

I received two different kinds of chewthers. I got one for 4 and 6 months. My daughter loves both of them. The stage 2, dual ended chewther, works great because it is easy and small for her to hold on to. It is used for speech development, and helps with pureed foods. It will also help them develop a lip seal. The stage 3, chewther keys resemble a toy they can safely stick in their mouth. How great is that?! It is used for help with the progressive feeding and help with mushy foods. It encourages jaw and muscle coordination.

I love to scrapbook but just don’t really have the time and patience to do it. Tommee Tippee offers the new application that allows me to make a scrapbook with very little effort. It’s called “The Day Baby Was Born”. The application is free which makes it even better!! It allows you to capture memories of pregnancy and birth through the gathering of Facebook posts, a selection of birthday news and facts and the collection precious memories through a pregnancy journal!

One lucky winner will have a chance to win a chewther! If you know of another mother who would love to have this for their child please feel free to share on facebook, twitter, or google+!

To enter click on this link : https://www.facebook.com/womanofmanyroles?sk=app_204684816209053

Learn More:http://www.tommeetippee.us/
Buy now: http://www.toysrus.com/family/index.jsp?categoryId=3945443
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TommeeTippeeNorthAmerica

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/TommeeTippee_NA

*Disclosure: I received the products mentioned above free for a review purposes. All opinions are my own

Weigh In Week 3

Today was a gloomy day for me.  I did my weekly weigh in and it wasn’t good at all. Not even close. I debated on not doing my weekly post but felt I needed to be honest.  Here is what my evil scale told me today:

Weight: 294 (gained 12pds)

Body Fat: 59.9 (up 11.8)

Hydration: 29.2 (up 3.1)

BMI: 50.1 (up 2)

Calorie Goal: 2576

Weeks to reach goal: 94

As you can see everything was up. I can’t believe I gained 12pounds in 1 week.  We did spend the weekend away, so we eat out a lot. But I honestly thought I was doing okay. Defiantly need to eat out less. This week will be better. I start the 21 day Mommy Blogger Weight loss challenge today.  Want to know more about it? Keep an eye out for future posts.

My goals for this week:

loose 5 pounds

exercise 4 days (3o mins long)

drink  6 glasses of water

What’s your goals for this week? How are you doing?

To Drink Water or To Not…Why We Should Drink Water

I am the first to say that I don’t like drinking water. I can’t stand it. In honestly though it is pretty important. Your body is 60-70% of water. Blood is mostly water, and your muscles, lungs, and brain all contain a lot of water. Proper water intake allows your body to function more easily in very important ways. Staying hydrated allows the body to get the nutrients from the food you eat through your system so you can use it for energy. Water also transport oxygen to your cells, removes waste, and protects joints and organs. Proper hydration helps the body to digest and metabolize food and nutrients. Some of the water you drink is transformed into sweat which allows the body to regulate its tempter. 

The fact is your body needs water. The amount of water you need can change every day, based on your physical activity, weather, current health condition. Experts believe you can estimate the amount of water you need by taking your weight in pounds and divide that in half. For example if you weigh 160 pounds you need to drink at least 80 ounces of water.  At least 20% of the water you need comes from foods you eat. The rest comes from the beverages you drink.  The best beverage to drink is water. Especially if you are trying to lose weight. It’s because there are zero calories PLUS it’s free. 

If you sweat a lot you need to drink more. With normal living drinking when your thirsty is okay, but if your athletes or workout excessively it’s important to drink before you are thirsty. 

You need to know your body. Pay attention to how much water you drink and how your body reacts to it. Then come up with your own drinking plan. 

Drinking too much water at once can be harmful. It’s rare but it does happen. So watch out for it. When drinking water it is more productive to drink a few gulps at a time instead of downing a whole water bottle every hour. Drinking a little water often is much more effective because your body is able to metabolize the fluids and use them more efficiently. 

Tips to Staying Hydrated: 

1. Drink 15-20 ounces, 2-3 hours before exercise 

2. Drink 8-10 ounces, 10-15 minutes before exercise

2. If you work out more than 90 minutes add a sports drink

5. Water and sports drink in 2 hours after work out to replace

Believe me I understand what you are thinking. Water is no fun to drink. It has zero taste. I hate drinking water just as much as the next person. But as I mention above it is clearly important and we should try. Drink a 20 ounce glass of water with each meal and before bed time. Then have your choice drink in between. That way you are getting at least 80 ounces.  That’s what I am going to do to try to incorporate more water in my day. What are you going to do to increase your water intake? Or do you drink plenty of water now?

Weigh In Week 2

That time of the week again. The dark dreary day I call Weigh In day. I feel a little bit better this week, since I did exercise twice this week. All though my exercise wasn’t as long as they should be.  I hate exercising.

Here is what the scale told me this week :

Weight- 282 (down 2.6pds)

BMI- 48.1 (down .5) (yeah!!)

Body Fat- 64.2 (up 2.7 -not sure why)

Hydration-26.1

Calorie Intake- 2508

Week- 82

Most things I was down in. So that’s great. Every pound counts! My goal for next week is still to exercise three times a day for twenty minutes. I want to lose 5 pounds.  I am also going to do some research about why my weight was down from last week but my body fat was up. Doesn’t make sense to me.

My question for you guys is what do you do to workout? How do you make it fun?

Thirty-One Thermal Tote Review/Giveaway

By now you guys know that my husband is a coach and we are always on the go. I usually bring my own drinks and snacks to the game. It’s a lot cheaper that way. There were always one problem. By the time it got towards the end of the game the drinks were getting hot and stuff were melting. I didn’t want to bring a bulky cooler to the games, so I just dealt with it. Finally I found something that works great for games and quick trips to town.(I live 30 miles away from a Wal-Mart)

What is it you ask? Thirty-One carries a thermal tote. It’s a small bag that has the lining you need to keep things cool. I love it. It works great. It’s small but convenient. I don’t have to worry about carrying around this big thing along with handling the kids and all their stuff. Plus, it keeps are drinks cool for the whole game or drive.

Right now they are doing a special promotion called “Thirty-One Gives”. It’s about empowering women, strengthening families, and changing lives. Here is what they say: “we believe in her-women and girls. We embrace her inner beauty and celebrate her natural gifts. It is our mission to celebrate and empower her, helping to strengthen her belief in herself, strengthen her family and lead a purposeful, thriving life.”  In other words encouraging you to be you!!

In honor of this promotion my sponsor, Kim Rumback,  is giving away a URU Thermal Tote. It isn’t the same color as the one in the picture, but it’s the same size. The URU Thermal Tote is mainly pink with a white floral pattern.

TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY PLEASE GO TO MY FACEBOOK PAGE:

https://www.facebook.com/womanofmanyroles?sk=app_204684816209053

Thirty-One offers several things outside the thermal tote: cosmetic bags, thermal picnic bags, wallets, and a verity of tote bags.  They even offer monogramming. Want more information? You can check out our sponsor site at : http://www.mythirtyone.com/rumback/

Disclosure Policy: https://womanofmanyrole.wordpress.com/disclosure-policy/

Winning Is Not Everything

I remembered in middle school I loved playing Volleyball. Did I play on a team? No.    “You loved playing it, so why didn’t you go out for the team?” you asked. The answer is simple sportsmanship. My school was full of kids that ruined playing sports for me. They were all about wining so much that it made it no fun for me. I didn’t even want to try. I hated it. I had lost all interest in sports.  I married a guy who is all about sports. Sports is his passion, he is a coach! Go figured! 🙂

Keeping that in mind leads me to what I think is important to teach our children, and that’s sportsmanship. First thing we need to teach our children is how to be a team player.

A Team Player:

• is nice and  respectful to his/her teammates
• shares the ball
• says positive things( I think this is very important, you need to encourage each other to get better instead of putting them down)
• forgives mistakes (mistakes are their so we can learn from them)
• doesn’t cheat

Sportsmanship is:

• be fair and follow the rules
• respect all players: your teammates and the other team players, the referee, coaches! Everyone. (I think it’s important to remind the kids that it’s just a game. Have fun!!) (To put it simple, remember the golden rule)
• Be a good winner, be humble, and tell the losing team good job!

Most important thing we got to remember as parents is that we got to lead by example.  Time and time again I see parents get upset and yell at their children when they make mistakes. It’s important to remember that all though your children are older there are little eyes watching you at games. Instead of yelling at them, encourage them to do better next time. Teach them to learn from their mistakes.  Just encourage them to have fun and enjoy playing sports and being active. The more they are having fun, the more they will want to do it and improve!



Knot Genie Review

Set still. Stop wiggling. It hurt’s. No mom. These are all words we say or hear when dealing with our kids hair. You know the fight I am talking about. How they scream and cry because they don’t want you to fix their hair. You are getting upset because a process that should take a minute is taking forever. I discovered the best solution for that problem! Knot Genie. What’s Knot Genie you ask?

It’s exactly what it says. It’s something that works magic on those knots. The Knot Genie works great because of the different lengths of the teeth on the brush. When you are brushing,  the teeth bend just right to untangle the hair and get those nasty knots out.

My hair is long, thick, and curly. I hate brushing my hair after showers. It’s the worst mess every. I was very impressed with how quick and easy it was to brush my hair with the Knot Genie. It went through my hair like nothing. I had my doubts when I opened the box, because it looked nothing like the typical brush. But trust me it works great! I would suggest any mom that has had this battle with their kid or themselves to get one.

You can buy one for yourself or find more information about the Knot Genie at:http://www.knotgenie.com/ourbrush-how.php.

Weight Loss Sites

CDC- http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/ (free)

Spark People:http://www.sparkpeople.com/(free)

Fit Day- http://www.fitday.com/ (free)

Ediets- http://www.ediets.com/ ($40/month or $140/yr)

Diet Watch- http://www.dietwatch.com/dietwatch/enrollment/index.asp?

Weight watchers- http://www.weightwatchers.com/index.aspx ($47.90 1st month, 17.95 after, and 23.95 start up fee)

Nutrition- http://www.nutrition.gov/nal_display/index.php?info_center=11&tax_level=1 (free)

My Fitness Pal- http://www.myfitnesspal.com/ (free)

3 Fat Chicks- http://www.3fatchicks.com/ (free)

Zone Diet- http://www.zonediet.com/ (179/ 2 wks for program)

Active Log- http://www.activelog.com/ (free)

Calorie Count- http://caloriecount.about.com/ (free)

LiveStrong- http://www.livestrong.com/ (free)

Daily Plate- http://www.livestrong.com/thedailyplate/ (free)