Be Healthy: A Challenge for Women

There are many great days ahead that celebrate women and moms around the world. One of these special days is Mother's day. This mother's day will kick off the National Women's Health Week (NWHW). National Women's Health Week will run from May 8-14. During NWHW, women are encouraged to focus on themselves and their overall health. So many times as women, wives, and moms, we put everyone elses needs before our own needs. Remember, if we aren't healthy, we put others at risk of not being healthy. The theme this year for NWHW is "it's your time." Take this for what it's worth, the I would that this means it's our time to make ourselves a priority. Take time for yourself. Pamper yourself. Don't forget that a big part of NWHW is to be healthy which means eating right and getting enough physical activity into our daily lives.

Let us first consider exercise. It is suggested that we set a goal for ourselves to get in a certain amount of exercise each week at different levels of intensity. The recommendation I found said that women should get at least two hours and thirty minutes of moderate physical activity and one hour and fifteen minutes of vigorous physical activity in a given week. I am a person that uses the excuse, "I don't have a gym membership, so I can't go to the gym and work out." I tell myself this all the time. The truth is there is plenty of ways to exercise at home. Did you know that cleaning your house can be a form of exercise. It may not be a fast pace workout, but you will definitely sweat when putting in some elbow grease while scrubbing those floors. There are also all sorts of game consoles such as the Wii and Xbox. The Nintendo Wii has a great tool for exercise, the Wii Fit. The Wii fit is a board that picks up your motions and allows you to do a variety of different exercises. There is also more than one game that is compatible with the Wii fit board. Some great workout games that don't require the Wii fit board are Zumba for Wii, Just Dance, and Just Dance 2. Gold's Gym also has a couple of different games available for the Wii that look exciting. Another game console, Xbox has a new addition, Xbox Kinect. Xbox Kinect also has some exciting games available to get you and your family moving. While these games may run you between $25-$50 or so, think about how much your are saving. You would probably pay on average about $30 a month for a gym membership. Of course there are other forms of exercising that don't cost much. Try jump roping, bicycling, or running through your neighborhood. Your kids will also that you're outside with them. Also try boxing, or other high energy moves. Check out magazines and articles online for great suggestions on workouts at home.

Next on the list of things to do during health week is to take the challenge for women to go to the doctor and get a full physical including any screening that you may due to get. May 9 during National Women's Health Week has been deemed National Women's Check Up Day. Don't forget to schedule an appointment now for May 9 or anytime near that date if you are due for a physical or if you just haven't one in a while (as in over a year).

Another great thing that National Women's Health Week focuses on is that women and moms avoid risky behaviors. These behaviors include things such as not smoking or drinking especially during pregnancy. Other things to avoid might be getting too much sun. Make wise choices and consider those that your choices may affect other than yourself.

Lastly, it is recommended that during health week, pay attention to mental health. Things such as having a high stress level or not getting enough sleep may be the reason your aren't feeling like "supermom" every day of the week.

Join the 2011 Woman Challenge. The Woman Challenge is in connection with Presidential Active Lifestyle Award (PALA). Do you remember running a mile in an allotted amount of time during P.E. in highschool, then getting a certificate if you completed certain physical tasks at a certain level. Well guess what, it's for adults too.

Don't forget to check out www.womenshealth.gov to get all the latest news on National Women's Health Week. Healthy living is a big part of being a healthy woman. Take this challenge for women and run with it. This website will also has a list of events for women in several different states. Check out this list and attend an event near you.

It's Been a While

It's been a week now since the last post. Has anyone been trying to work on their diet given the tips from last week. I have to say the closer it gets to Easter, the harder it is to stay away from all of those tasty treats. The tip for this week is to remember that everything is okay in moderation. Also, don't forget to exercise. We need exercise just as much as our kids do. They love being active, and I know we all wish that we had half the energy they have. But did you know that if you exercise, it will boost your energy levels? Try it out. It really does help you feel better. I always feel more energized after a good workout. One key to remember is that exercising right before bed might not be the best thing to do if you tend to get really energized from exercising. Try getting that workout into your morning routine and let it jump start your day. Don't forget to heat a good healthy breakfast like oatmeal or something full of fiber. Like they say, breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so be sure to make it count.

Out of curiosity, did anyone catch the biggest loser last night? I saw a clip on Yahoo, and it seems like things are getting a little intense between some players and their trainers. If you watched the episode, let us know what you think about the episode. Please be tactful in your comments.


If you're gearing up for an early weekend, let us know what plans you have for the weekend or the rest of the week. Personally I'll be taking a break this weekend. Last weekend, my husband and I attended the Masters. I have to say that although I do not find anything interesting about golf, but the Augusta National is beautiful. Have a great hump day! 

Healthy Moms = Healthy Kids

We all know that eating healthy is important. The hard part is putting it into practice. I'll be the first to admit that I have a major sweet tooth, especially for chocolate. The thing to remember is that everything is good in small portions. An article on webmd.com gives readers three things to remember- "aim for balance, look for variety, and practice moderation." Remember the food pyramid with all of its different food groups? Well balanced diet goes back to getting the recommended portions back into our daily routine. Of course don't forget to look for variety. Maybe you need more fiber in your diet. Try granola bars or cereals high in fiber. Some English muffins and bagels are also high in fiber. Lastly, don't forget that the key to it all is moderation. Some say chocolate is good for the heart, but if you eat too much of it, it defeats the purpose of being healthy. I like to trick myself by putting the sweets in the cabinet instead of a candy dish on the counter. If it's out of sight, I don't remember that it's there. Then I don't eat as much. I eat a little when I think about it which means that I would have to remember I bought it and where I put it. So what about the kids? They need to be healthy too. Do you remember the little saying "like father, like son" (and vice versa)? If you eat healthy, then you are showing your kids how to eat healthy as well. Don't forget that you have to hide the sweets from your kids too. Don't put the treats on a low shelf that everyone in the family can reach. I still remember the days when my brother and I would sneak into the pantry when my parents weren't looking, and we got all the Oreos we wanted. Maybe that's why I have the sweet tooth that I have now. Anyway, just remember that you are the role model for your kids. Think about the choices you would want them to make, and model those choices for them. Sure this may be easier said than done, but it's so rewarding once you put these things into practice. Start trying to implement the three steps I mentioned throughout the rest of this week and let me know how it makes you feel. I'm hoping it will make you feel healthier and more energized because you're getting the right amount of nutrients that come with eating a balanced diet. I will post the link to the webmd article at the end of this post so you can read the rest of the article. Have a fabulous Wednesday! Don't forget to email me any great ideas you have on this topic or any other topic you would like to discuss.
   < http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/tc/healthy-eating-overview>.

It's Monday...

It's Monday, and I'm sure all moms out there are back to their weekly routines. Of course the weekend was full of things to do. There was probably a soccer game to attend or a church picnic. Maybe your family just spent a nice quiet weekend at home. Whatever you did with your family over the weekend, I'm sure it was the best spring weekend yet. If your a golfing mom then stay tuned to the Master's this week. This is my first time experiencing this event they call the Masters. So I'll admit that I don't like golf. I think it's completely boring, but I moved to the golf capital of the South- Augusta, Georgia. Not only do I not care for golf, but I am also attending the biggest event of the year in Augusta this coming Saturday. Who knew that would be on my bucket list? I hear it's very well landscaped, so my plan is to go and admire all the beautiful grounds. For those of you who might live in the Augusta area, what are your spring break plans? Do you plan on staying in town for the mayhem that is the Masters, or are you planning a relaxing trip to some unknown destination? Tell us your favorite things to do on spring break so we can plan our own spring break trip next year.

Moving on to the next great thing that's happening in the life of an everyday mom this week. I will eventually start posting blogs that will carry a theme. Tuesdays theme might be all about keeping your family healthy by choosing healthy food options or being active as a family. I want to know what your favorite activities your family enjoys doing together. Send me an email about what your family likes to do, and maybe your favorite family activity will be the topic of the day.

I realize that today's blog is a little random with a lot of ideas floating in it, but just to go with that theme, I thought I would tell you a little bit about myself. I am someone who loves kids and love being around kids. I have a background working with children in a preschool and also in an after school care setting. Each age of children that I have worked with has been a great experience. I know that kids aren't perfect, and they make messes, but they are the best gift that has been given to us. Remember that we adults aren't perfect either, and just like children, we make mistakes as well. It's our human nature. My favorite thing about working with kids is listening to them explain something or tell a story. They are so creative. While I don't have kids of my own just yet, I love being around kids and doing kid things like reading children's books. Yes, I admit that I have my own little collection of children's books that I read. Right now I'm reading Harry Potter, but I also have the entire collection of The Chronicles of Narnia. I think it would be so cool to have my own personal library some day. Now that you know a little more about the person writing this blog, I hope you know that everything that is written is of some kind of personal interest to me. I hope that these things will interest you, and as always I encourage you to leave feedback. I look forward to hearing from my readers and getting new ideas. Have a fabulous day!
 
   http://www.amazon.com/Select-Size-Little-Birthday-Months/dp/B004QKLO5U/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qlEnable=1&qid=1301930423&sr=1-3-spell&searchContext=B004UGQMNE,B004LSLBAU,B004QKLO5U.

Welcome

First, I would like to welcome everyone to read this blog. A Day in the Life of an Everyday Mom is a blog sponsored by Cutie Pie Clothes. Cutie Pie is an upcoming website that will be selling children's clothing lines such as Mud Pie and Mud Pie Baby. We are so excited about the new website, and we can't wait to get it up and running. We are currently selling kids clothes and other items on our website, tomobuys.com.  Tomobuys is also selling children's clothes and other items for moms and mommies-to-be online at amazon and ebay. The intent of this blog is to connect with moms all around the world and talk about things that moms encounter everyday. Being a mom is very rewarding, but we all know there are days when we want to pamper ourselves or simply enjoy a conversation with other moms or better yet other adults. This blog is welcome to anyone who wants advice from breastfeeding to what to do with your kids during summer vacation. I welcome anyone to suggest topics of interest, and perhaps your topic can be a topic of the day. You can also find all kinds things on our facebook page and twitter updates. We will begin to post questions to those pages for our readers and fans to answer, offer feedback, and give advice. By now, I think you're getting the idea that we want to hear from you and connect with you. We want to be helpful in any way possible by sharing helpful information. Stay tuned for all the new things to come in A Day in the Life of an Everyday Mom and Cutie Pie Clothes. Have a great weekend with your friends and families.