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5 Secrets to a Gentle Spring Cleanse

April 29, 2011 By

vegetable

Spring has definitely sprung here on the east coast. The flowers are in bloom, the grass is green and everyone is ready to lighten up and cleanse by getting rid of the heaviness of winter. Spring is a time of hope and renewal and the perfect time to take on new projects, clean, refresh the diet and set new goals for your exercise routine. Spring certainly puts a bounce in my step but also makes me a little anxious…in a few months I’m wearing shorts, sundresses and bathing suits. It definitely stresses me out. But I’ve got a little secret, I eagerly take on all that Spring has to offer including cleaning up my diet.

Here’s what I do as my mini-cleanse:

1. Eat with the season. It’s the season on greens; asparagus, beans, lettuce, spinach, kale. It’s the perfect time to include more greens in your diet as they are naturally cleansing and high in chlorophyll which is helpful for refreshing your cells. Include greens at lunch and dinner. Place more emphasis on them (let them take up half of your plate).

2. Cut out heavy and fried foods. They may be okay in the winter time but in the Spring it’s time to start eating lighter. Heavy foods are perfect in the cold winter months but as Spring arrives you don’t need to eat food that is so rich. Bake, broil and start grilling.

3. Juice. Get out your juicer and carrots and juice away. Make up about 4-6 ounces of carrot juice and drink it in the morning. It’s a natural way to cleanse your liver and allows you to help it eliminate the excess heavy and sweet foods you’d been eating all winter.

4. Berries. This is the beginning of berry season and berries are deliciously sweet but not overly sweet. Include them in your smoothies, salads and have them for a dessert. Let these be your sweet treat and take a break (even if it’s temporary) for all unnatural sweets. I promise that after a few days you won’t miss the real sugary sweets.

5. Eat More Salad. I love salad especially this time of year and I encourage you to include more in your diet. A good rule of thumb is to eat a small salad before your meal (or make it part of your lunch).

Here are a few salad tips for you:

1. Stay Away from Iceberg..the greener the better as they have more nutrients and health benefits.
2. Add FAT..this can be done in a variety of ways such as nice oils, seeds, nuts, avocado or organic sheep, cow or goat cheese
3. Clean Well. Make sure you wash it well. Reduce the amount of pesticides you’re adding to your diet.
4. Stock ‘Em. Keep salad ingredients in the house. Buy them at the store or maybe start your own garden this summer.

Got a favorite salad recipe you love to eat? Please don’t keep it to yourself…share, share, share!

What do you do in the Spring to gently cleanse? How do you feel after you’ve cut out the heavy foods and start eating in the season?

Filed Under: Health & Wellness

Teaching Children How to Manage Stress

April 28, 2011 By

Stress Release Reminders

We sometimes forget how tough it is to be a kid. We look at our child’s life through our adult eyes. We tend to compare our adult difficulties to their more simpler yet still damaging stress.  Who is to say a women in the hospital fearing for her husband’s life is more stressful to her, then a child who is waiting in the class room to begin a grade passing test. We all experience stress, but learning at a young age, how to deal with it properly is one of the greatest gifts an adult can give to a child.

While developing my Stress Release Reminders technique, my daughter at the age of 6, asked me why I stuck  decals around the house & car. I told her they were reminders for mommy to relax, so that I would not yell so much.

This is how I explained the process:

  1. Take a deep breath – When we focus on a good deep breath. We are filling our minds with the proper oxygen we need to think more clearly, and it calms our nervous system.
  2. Relax and shake out muscle tension – Our bodies natural response to anxiety is tightening up our bodies. Clenching the jaw can lead to a headache. Tightening the shoulders can lead to neck & back pain. Clenching our fists or curling our toes can lead to pins & needle sensations or even bone disorders. Checking these areas & loosening them is crucial to our health.
  3. Center your thoughts to “What you want to accomplish most today” – Stressful situations will arise; this step will help you focus on the importance of the situation. If the thing causing stress does not get you closer to your goal, then let it go & move on.

Later the next week I noticed her looking at one of the decals and shaking out her hands. She told me she had a bad time on the bus and needed to calm herself down. She got it! She knew the importance of practicing the calming technique until it became an ingrained habit.

I think as an adult we believe that stress does not affect us, or we are simply too busy to take time out of our schedules.  We build a wall and believe we are untouchable. This is why stress is called the silent killer, because we become so accustomed to living in this state that it becomes our norm.

Teaching our children how to mange stress gives them confidence. Stress Release Reminders technique is an amazing way to help build healthy habits. I also designed a journal technique like no other. It is designed for people who wish to journal, but struggle to find the time to do it. The journal is perfect for children, because it is a fill in the blank technique. Children strive on repetition. They insert their daily goal, daily affirmation, & list just a few highlights from the day.

  • Goals, today’s children need goals & accomplishments to work for in order to stay focused to the positive.
  • Affirmations are crucial for children especially with bullying as predominant as it is. They must have the confidence in themselves to deal with today’s issues.
  • Lastly, how awesome for them to go back & see their accomplishments. This journal technique is meant to be a positive tool in achieving a healthier, happier life.

For less than the cost of a fillet at the Outback Steakhouse, you can empower your child NOW! - click here

Take advantage of free shipping when you purchase 3 or more Stress Management kits. Great for all the children in your life!

Stress Release Reminders

Filed Under: Mom-Empowerment Tagged With: , , ,

Don’t Question It

April 27, 2011 By

girl-with-questions

The questions my children ask me are humorous, unnerving, mind-bending and annoying. Depending
on my mood, I can field a limited number of questions in rapid-fire succession and then I need a break.
Sometimes I try to give thoughtful answers. Other times I tell them to go “look it up!” At times the
question is based in such a deep level of fantasy, I’m not sure where to begin to unravel it, never mind
answer it.

There are the easy ones:

Q: “Mom, why does the dog still scratch even though we gave him flea medicine, combed out all the
fleas AND gave him a flea bath?”

A: “To make me crazy”

Q: “Could I take the fire starter outside and just use it to burn the extra wax off this candle holder?”

A: “Um, no.”

There are the surprising ones:

Q: “How come Mr. Green only has one eyebrow?”

A: “Good question, no idea. Never noticed that myself. It’s best not to ask.”

There are the ones that can be diverted:

Q: “Why is the ocean blue on some days and green on other days?”

A: “Great question for the science teacher!”

And the fantasy questions:

Q: “What if all the people went away and it was just our family left?”

A: “We’d still have fun!”

Q: “Can cats get mad?”

A: “You bet, and they don’t just get mad, they get even.”

And then, there are the questions that are unanswerable, but must be discussed:

Q: “What if I never fall in love?”

Q: “Why does Aunt Betty say mean things about Uncle Steve?”

Q: “How come Riley isn’t friends with me anymore?”

Q: “Why did Sarah’s daddy have to die?”

When all three of my children are with me and they are firing their questions, I feel like Venus Williams on the tennis courts; darting to one side to smash that answer back and then diving for the next question without losing my footing.

I can get through about 7 easily answered questions and one unanswerable question before I need a break.

It’s exhausting and invigorating. After all, how many of my answers can I share with them before they start getting most of their answers elsewhere? This is my moment to make a contribution and perhaps to soothe some anxiety along the way.

It’s their serve.

Filed Under: Mom-Empowerment Tagged With: , , , ,

Sir Paul McCartney and My Son!

April 27, 2011 By

paul mcartney

Seventeen years ago, I had the pleasure of seeing and hearing Paul McCartney and Wings in concert. The head to toe goose bumps I felt while hearing my favorite Beatle made me feel like my life was, well… “complete”.  I could surely die a happy woman!  The concert was by far, the best one I had ever, ever been to.  The best, that is, until last night.  Last night, I saw Sir Paul perform live again, but this time, my husband and my son were with me.  I got “completed” even better than the first time.

It’s really pretty simple.  My (nearly) 14 year old son chose, without reservation, to let his parents be a part of his very first concert experience.  Sure, it helped that he liked the music we played at home and the fact that we splurged on his expensive ticket, but he could have simply turned us down in favor of a first concert experience with his cohorts… the way most teenagers do it today!  He chose us and we were touched that we could share this “milestone” with him.

So I’d like to ask, “What milestones would you like to share with your children”? “What can you begin to do today to actually pursue this goal?” And while I’m asking questions….

Do you remember your first concert?  Would you have shared the experience with your parents?  Would you like to share this type of experience with your kids?  Why, or why not?

Our experience included being shoulder to shoulder with forty thousand people and getting completely soaked after a heavy 10 minute downpour.  We rocked as a family to “Let it Be”, and sang and screamed for two and a half hours until we lost our voices.  There was even time for a little “parenting” when we had to explain to our son that the “funny smell” he had never smelled before was pot!  Yes, we had a quick discussion on why it is best to “Just Say No” to drugs!  Overall the crowd was tame, but we got to point out how silly drunks looked when they couldn’t walk straight, or just fell down.  Our son probably could have made all these assessments on his own, but we were glad to have been there as guides.  We were also glad we asked him about going to the concert in the first place.  If we hadn’t taken this step and “tried”, we would have never experienced this particular bond in the way that we did.

Of course, we are always parents first and I’m not suggesting we seek back to back opportunities to be our kid’s best friend but I encourage all parents to try to open windows of opportunity to experience friendship with their kids. Even if you think they’ll turn you down, what’s the harm in trying?  If it works, they might just think you’re “cool” and even find you “approachable” to solicit your “parental wisdom”.

In the end, we were just so grateful to have shared a wonderful evening with our young teenager who is rapidly showing us what a great young man he is turning in to and how he values his parents despite our being “parents”.  We had a great friendship between us last night.  Laughter, love, learning, cuddling to stay warm and dry from the rain, and great music made us a very happy family enjoying a very magical night.

Of course tomorrow is another day.  There will likely be scolding about an unmade bed and piles of clothes on the floor.  There might be greater issues that define our roles as defiant teenager and “mean” parent, but for now I must simply just say “thanks” not just to Sir Paul, but to my son, who made the night rock in more ways than one!

Thanks son.

Filed Under: Home & Family Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Do Only Divas Delegate?

April 26, 2011 By

Clear, tangible targets will yield clearer results!

Growing, learning and improving are details that come fairly natural for most business owners, however, there comes a time when we become so engrossed in our day-to-day operations that we become blind to certain areas.

If you have been blessed with an uber fast growing business (like I was with my baby stores), you can easily become either superb at delegating daily tasks and activities or sadly drowning in the details.

Delegation:
The wikipedia definition of delegating is “the handing of a task from a superior to a subordinate, however the person who delegated the work remains accountable for the outcome of the delegated work.”

One point that is often forgotten in the bustle of business; that the delegation is not only about handing off jobs and managing your own time effectively; it is also about empowering the “delegee”; the staff you have entrusted this task to. It gives them on opportunity to grow and learn as well.

As a giver of delegated tasks you must ensure the delegated project task happens correctly. Just as significantly, as the recipient of the delegation, they have the opportunity to ‘move upwards’. It is their opportunity to shine and offer suggestions to the project at hand. Especially if they know their boss or manager is overburdened and really needs the insight and assistance.

Delegation isn’t just a matter of passing off the unpleasant tasks or dictating to someone else. There is a vast distance in the levels of freedom that you can offer to the employee. The more reliable and competent the other person is; the more freedom you can offer. The more sensitive or serious the task; the more cautious you need to be about delegation freedom, especially if your project or reputation demands a good result. Each situation will demand varying levels of delegation freedom. There is a big difference between the delegation statements, “Do this exactly as I say” and the partnered approach of “Look into this, bring me the details and we’ll decide together” and the final, full freedom of “Look into this, formulate your plan and take action on my behalf”.

It’s always important to ask the employee what they feel comfortable being given the task. Some people are confident; others, perhaps not. It’s your responsibility to determine what the terms of the delegation are; in order to ensure a job is done effectively and with minimal supervision from you. By Involving the employee in the agreement process, the level of delegated freedom can be clarified on both sides, goals can be set; and their is no room for ambiguity or miscommunication.

I created my own version of an acronym for delegation projects. TREAD OFF or as my assistant pointed, it could be FORT DEAF (lol).   We have had a few serious chuckles over other acronyms we came up with but we will stop here in support of G-rated text.  But send me your other word scrambles for it as we have played with it long enough!

Task Definition

Resources Required – to complete the task

Expectations For results – from all involved

Appoint the designated individual

Deadlines clarified -by all parties

Offer guidleines, resources, assistance

Follow progress (utlimately YOU are responsible)

Feedback on Results

Be creative in choosing levels of delegated responsibility, and always check with the other person.  Ensure that that they are comfortable with your designated level of trust and project scope.

Remember, your staff are generally MORE capable than you may think and are extremely eager to show you!

Filed Under: Mom Entrepreneur Tagged With: , , , ,

How to Choose the Right Summer Camp for Your Kids

April 26, 2011 By

This article written by guest writer, Robyn Hochglaube – a professional camp director having operated both Adventure Teen Travel Camps and Traditional Summer Day Camps in Canada. Robyn is a mother to three very different children all of whom LOVE camp.

—–

summer camp

With summer around the corner all our minds are turning to summer holiday planning and choosing the right summer camp for our child. If you haven’t started your search….don’t wait any longer!

Although it is easy to choose the camp that your child’s best friend will be attending, I encourage you to make your own inquiries to ensure your child has the best experience possible.

Here are some important points to consider when choosing a summer camp for your child(ren):

  • Your Child – Is your child an extrovert making friends easily and can fit in at a larger size camp, or are they a shy person who will fare better at the smaller camp where they won’t get lost in the shuffle? Does this camp offer enough of the activities that your child will enjoy and be excited about? How many other kids in your child’s gender and age group attend the camp? If your child has allergies, special needs or certain fears, can they accommodate you?
  • Your Expectations – Think about what you want out of your child’s camp experience and talk to the camp to ensure your needs will be met.  Don’t hold back, ask as many questions as you can think of!
  • Camp Policies – Talk with the directors about what forms of communication they use, who do you have access to if you have a concern? How do they handle behavior issues or complaints? What is their refund policy if your child is unhappy (a great camp will refund you in full less the actual days your child attended camp, because they care more about the child then their bottom line).
  • Facility –Is it well cared for and safe? Some camps operate in public parks – what are their security measures? Other camps are on private sites – are their buildings in good shape, do their playgrounds get inspected?  You want to know that the camp you are choosing is a safe place for your child, this will give you peace of mind on a daily basis.
  • If possible, visit the camp site and speak with the directors in person. Leadership comes from the top. You want to know the style and character of the Camp Director.

There exists a camp for every type of child and parents should take the time to do their research.

Camp is not a one size fits all service.

——–

About the Author:

Robyn Hochglaube is a professional camp director having operated both Adventure Teen Travel Camps and Traditional Summer Day Camps in Canada. Robyn is a mother to three very different children all of whom LOVE camp.

Filed Under: Home & Family Tagged With: , , , ,

Maturing Into a Man or Woman

April 26, 2011 By

growing up

How long does puberty in a boy last? A friend of mine who shall remain anonymous, but I’ll refer to as Max, was talking with me about the question of when we “grow up.” He related his own story which I’ll paraphrase, in which he talked about the moment when he “became a man” to quote him. It was…in his thirties!

The story Max told was that prior to this incident, which he defined as his turning point towards manhood, he had always struggled with standing up for himself. Why he felt this was the essential ingredient in defining himself as a man is his personal decision, but it’s interesting nonetheless.

In our discussion on this subject, we reflected that many cultures, religions, and ethnic groups have historically had rituals that marked a boy becoming a man.  Not many such passages or rituals were available for the girls, though I will assert that in contemporary Western Society there are certainly some parallels.

Older indigenous cultures, such as many American Indian tribes, had manhood rituals that involved survival “outside,” alone, for some period of time.  Judaism has for centuries had the Bar Mitzvah as its boy-to-man ritual and added the Bat Mitzvah for girls in the last century.  Secular America sometimes defines adulthood, for both sexes, as either becoming 18 years of age or more often, becoming 21 years old, which is the legal drinking age.

I’m not sure that 21 and drinking should define anything resembling adulthood, when 18 is the age a boy or girl can enlist in the military. I personally think that joining and surviving military training qualifies as much more of an “adult passage” than binge drinking does in college.

My friend’s self-proclaimed rite-of-passage occurred on a camping trip with a few other male friends. At one point, one of these friends demanded some action of him that he felt was an inappropriate request.  Max left the area to think about it. Returning a short while later, he said he told this “friend” that he was out-of-line and refused to do whatever it was that was asked of him (note: it related to preparing the campsite or some other relatively innocuous activity). For Max, then in his early 30’s, it became his defining moment.

What was yours? Did you have such a moment or participate in such a ritual? Do you think the age at which boys and girls mature to men and women is the same as it’s historically been? Or do you think they’re maturing sooner…or later?  For that matter, do you believe each sex matures at different ages or after certain experiences?

There’s no doubt that kids are exposed to much more in the form of media, information, movies, and such than in previous generations, but that doesn’t seem to be affecting their maturity–just their innocence.  In other, maybe more important ways, it’s my belief that many kids today are sheltered from exactly those experiences that hasten their journey towards adulthood.

The generation of my parents most definitely struggled more than I did while my boys are most definitely struggling much less than I did.  “Struggle” may be the wrong choice of words.  Entitlement, spoiled, pampered, protected, coddled, are just a few of the better choices for what I believe the current generation of young boys and girls are getting from many parents.

The sixties generation of parents has certainly raised children in a different fashion than previous generations. There’s no doubt the world these children are growing up in is much more complicated and, at present, more difficult in the areas we of the sixties generation didn’t face nearly as much.

For instance, my sons would not be able to attend the colleges I attended with the grades and test scores I had.  My grades and scores, in fact, wouldn’t get me into even substantially less-rated colleges or universities.  Further, the ease with which I was able to find part-time jobs as a young teenager was much easier than it is today when even the standard paper-route is no longer available to a boy and his bicycle.

Given all these changes, why then is this generation of young men and women seemingly maturing later? They face harsh competition for college admissions and even more competition for all jobs.  Shouldn’t that make them tougher and maybe even more persistent and determined?  Evidently not, given the large number of young adult men and women who are returning to the safety of home after graduating college and either not finding a job or not making enough money to afford a lifestyle equivalent to what we were able to do at their age.

I suppose I’ve answered my original question by these reflections, since my generation was able to get much needed life experience from the many jobs more easily available to us in our teens.  Most of us were able to make a good enough living to not have to return home at all, except to visit, after high school or college graduation.

I guess I’d have to say the “life” was the manhood lesson for me.  And, while society and various cultures may have or have not rituals to mark the passage to adulthood, it really is only “life” that will take you there.

Filed Under: A Dad's Point of View Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Exercise for Free – The Two Best Body Weight Exercises

April 26, 2011 By

A friend of mine asked me “if you did not ave any access to weights and only got to choose two exercises what would they be?” As a weight-training fanatic, my first thought was anxiety, but as I ran through the options, there were two clear-cut winners.

1. SQUATS – I have a love hate relationship with squats. I love them because they are so effective.  I hate them because if you do them correctly with a lot of intensity, they can make your legs feel like they are on fire. I think that is called a ‘good burn’.

You don’t need a barbell, stacked with weights, bending across your back to benefit from this great lower-body exercise. The squat works your hamstrings, your glutes, and your quadriceps.
 
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and with your hands either on your hips or stretched out directly in front of you. Lower yourself slowly until your thighs are parallel to the floor, like you are sitting in a chair, hold in that position for a second, and then rise quickly back to the starting position. To get the correct form, put a chair behind you and lower into the sitting position just barely touching the chair, then raise back up.

 2. PUSH-UPS –  Push-ups are one of the best upper-body exercises you can do, even if an entire gym full of weights were available. Push-ups work your entire upper body muscles.

Use proper form and technique, which includes keeping you hands just slightly farther than shoulder-width apart. If standard push-ups are too difficult for you at this point, try modified push-ups (knees on the ground).

If you are looking to start a resistance-training program but aren’t quite ready to join a gym? No problem because your own body weight is free. And, doing these two body weight exercises will certainly get your muscles moving.

These are exercises you can do during commercials, first thing in the morning, even in your office during a break. Challenge yourself to up your count each time; by trying to do one more than you did the last time. There are also so many variations to make the squat and push-up more challenging.  Are you ready? Email me for ideas on adding intensity to both. Musclemommy@fitchicktricks.com

Filed Under: Health & Wellness Tagged With: , , , , ,

The Great Carbohydrate Debate!

April 23, 2011 By

carbohydrates

To eat carbs or not to eat carbs?  Many Americans still seem confused about whether they should eat carbohydrates or not.  Years ago, some popular diet plans suggested that carbohydrates make us fat.  The reality is our bodies need carbohydrates for energy.

So why all the controversy over carbohydrates?  It may stem from the type of carbohydrates that most Americans choose.  When you think of the typical American diet (and the foods your kids beg for) which comes to mind?

Frosted flakes for steel cut oats?

Apple juice or a fresh apple?

White rice or brown rice?

A candy bar or some trail mix with dried fruit?

The American diet is filled with refined sugars and simple carbohydrates that absorb into the bloodstream quickly, resulting in sugar “highs” and “lows” throughout the day.  These types of foods are typically high in calories and low in nutrition and are associated with unhealthy weight.

Complex carbohydrates, on the other hand, are associated with a great number of health benefits.  They are high in fiber which helps with digestion and slowing absorption into the bloodstream.  Fiber also helps us to feel fuller faster, and stay satisfied longer, which can help maintain a healthy weight.

In other words, you no longer need to fear carbohydrates, but you do need to choose the right ones. Avoid baked goods made with white flour, processed cereals, fruit juices, table sugar, soft drinks, and candy.  Instead choose from a variety of healthier carbs including whole grains, whole grain breads and cereals, fresh fruits and vegetables, legumes, and low fat Greek yogurt.

Enjoy!!

Filed Under: Fashion & Beauty Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

3 Ways a Mom Can Live Easier

April 22, 2011 By

grand-central-station

There’s no question that in my house I’m Grand Central Mom, everything runs through me. It’s okay, I like it this way. I want to know everything that’s going on because I don’t want to miss anything. My kids are teens and they are very busy. They have full schedules at school, play sports and have social lives. When they were young I remember planning everything for them including their play dates, activities, after school programs…everything. Not only was I managing their schedules but I was certainly in charge of my own which included my work, exercise and social life.

There was a time I had it all committed to memory but then one day I realized that I had a lot to manage and I couldn’t remember all the details. I tried everything, memos, calendars, planners, leaving voicemail messages for myself and yet I always felt like I was forgetting something. So we called a “Family Meeting” and discussed how we could better manage our lives so that we could enjoy it more.

We decided to do three things:  schedule less things, involve the kids, research really good organizational systems.

This is how it went down:

  1. Schedule Less. In order to schedule less we took on less. As a family we began to choose what our priorities were and how we wanted to spend our time together. We looked at what each of us wanted to do in a day and what we had to do during it (school, work, home chores).  We realized that all we wanted to do couldn’t happen unless we figured out how to make the time for it. It came down to choices. By freeing up wasted time in our days we soon learned how to make the most of the time we had together and then I found more time to do the things I needed and wanted to do to take care of myself.
  2. Involve the Kids. Because I worked I felt that I should “pamper” my kids. I wasn’t around all day so I wanted to treat them wonderfully when I was with them. What I didn’t realize was that my enabling really wasn’t a very wise choice. I soon learned that they couldn’t do chores or simple tasks because  they hadn’t been taught how, we or I had just done things for them. Some of it I rationalized was because it was faster to just do things myself than have to explain it. My husband and I made a conscious decision to start teaching the kids how to do the basics: fold and wash their clothes, wash the dishes, clean, vacuum, sort through the mail and take out the trash. All things they’d need to learn to do when they were on their own anyway. As they began to do more I had to do less and I felt so much better..no more arguing, no more resentment and more time for me to go for a walk or practice yoga.
  3. Choose great organizational systems. This took me a while to figure out because I had so much to organize. The kid’s paperwork, our home, my work, emails, multiple voicemail boxes. It’s gotten much harder as we have more to manage. I resisted technology for a long time but when I finally caved it made all the difference. I’m not a purist, I do carry a paper organizer as well but now I’ve learned a way to keep up better. One thing I do is follow Digitwirl, Carley Knobloch searches out the latest tech gadgets that can help make tech work for you. She puts out a weekly 3 minute video to show simple ways to organize life digitally.

Life has gotten far easier since I’ve started simplifying and managing it better.

What do you do to make life easier for you?

Filed Under: Health & Wellness Tagged With: , , , ,
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