Yummy (healthy) Treat

These cookies are so good! This is my go to treat when I get those awful sugar cravings that I HATE. They still have lots of calories, so don't be fooled, the good thing about them is that they have no artificial flavors or preservatives, no hydrogenated oils, and no high fructose corn syrup. So at least I can feel a little better about giving in to my cravings :) You can get them at most grocery stores, or you can even order them directly off the website. They have lots of other products too, like chocolate chip cookies, crackers, and macaroni and cheese (love to use this for my kids instead of the other brands).

Here are the Nutrition Facts for the cookies

Serving Size 26g

Servings per Container about 10

Amount Per Serving

Calories 130 Calories from Fat 45

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 5g 8 %

Saturated Fat 1g 5 %

Trans Fat 0g

Cholesterol 0mg 0 %

Sodium 95mg 4 %

Total Carbohydrate 17g 6 %

Dietary Fiber 1g 3 %

Sugars 8g

Protein 2g

Vitamin A 0 %

Calcium 0 %

Vitamin C 0 %

Iron 4 %

Ingredients: UNBLEACHED ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE [VITAMIN B1], RIBOFLAVIN [VITAMIN B2], FOLIC ACID), EVAPORATED CANE JUICE, PEANUT BUTTER (PEANUTS, SALT), ROLLED OATS, EXPELLER-PRESSED OLEIC SAFFLOWER OIL, PALM OIL, PARTIALLY DEFATTED PEANUT FLOUR, BROWN RICE SYRUP, SEA SALT, LEAVENING (BAKING SODA AND/OR CALCIUM PHOSPHATE), ORGANIC CORNSTARCH, SOY LECITHIN (EMULSIFIER), NATURAL FLAVOR. CONTAINS: WHEAT, PEANUT, SOY.

* 100% Whole Wheat Macaroni & White Cheddar

* Crazy Bugs Macaroni & Cheese

* Harvest Wheat Macaroni & Cheese

* Macaroni & Cheese

* Organic Macaroni & Cheese

* Organic Shells & Cheddar

* Organic Shells & White Cheddar

* Spirals & White Cheddar

Christmas

This Christmas was wonderful!!! I'm continually amazed with the joy children bring to life. It's easy to get caught up in the constant demands child rearing presents, and forget about the remarkable blessing they really are. Having children around the house invites such a special spirit of innosense and purity. My daughter is teaching me lessons daily, like when she reprimands me for being a teensy bit mean to her daddy :) or, like when I get so worked up about messes around the house, she say's, "Mom, don't worry about it so much" lol, definately one of my New Years Resolutions this year will be to, not sweat the small stuff. So, this year was extra special because it was Oliver's first Christmas, and because Lily is at such a fun age for Holidays. It brings back all the excitement from when I was a child. To see her face on Christmas morning was priceless, and I think the best part of the whole thing is the anticipation leading up to the day. All the talk about Santa, the elves, and the reindeer, just brought me back to my Santa believing years. I'll never forget the year when someone did the Sub for Santa, for us. We were pretty poor growing up, and never really had big Christmases. This particular year seemed to be the worst one ever. My parents and us 4 kids were living in a tiny 3 bedroom appartment, we didn't even have enough money for a Christmas tree. I remember coming home one day to a few bags full of gifts, a Christmas tree complete with ornaments and lights, and a little note saying, "From Santa's Helpers". Now when I look back at that, I think WOW! What amazing people there are out there in the world, to notice a family in need, and to be there to offer their time and money, in order to provide them the best Christmas ever! I will be eternally grateful for the anonymous givers.
Here are a few pictures of our special day.

Lily really wanted a REAL fish for Christmas. She was a really good girl this year, so Santa granted her wish :)

Every year gets harder and harder for me to find the perfect gift for Sean. He likes things, that I obviously have no interest in :) I only wish this was my idea to get him this Cougar Rug, because it would have been THE perfect gift. He's being nice and giving me the credit, and telling everyone that I got it for him for Christmas:) I did let him buy it, so that counts for something right?

Sean was actually really cute and creative this year for me, he earned some major points. He got me a Spa Day. The best part about it was the way he presented it to me. He quoted my blog on the part where I said, "a spa day, now wouldn't that be nice". So, not only did he get something that I REALLY wanted, but he also proved that he's paying attention :) I guess now that I know he's reading my blog, I better be careful about what I say, lol. I love you Sean!!! You're the best, and thank you for always being such an amazing husband.

Battle of The Poopy Diapers

How is it possible that such a little person, can produce so much POOP? I'm changing at least 4 or 5 poopy diapers a day. My daughter was much different and so predictable, once, maybe twice a day is all, and usually in the mornings. Of course she had the occasional blow out, that always happened at the most inopportune times. Like the time I decided to take her to a movie when she was 18 months old, which was a very bad idea to begin with. The second we sat down, I noticed this horrid smell. Of course, she happened to be sitting on my lap, I lifted her up and saw that it was coming out from all ends and had already soiled her entire outfit plus left a nice smear on my pants. I rushed her into the bathroom, carefully tried to remove the onesie without leaving traces of poop in her hair, and of course had little success. I frantically reached into the diaper bag while trying to hold her still, and of all days, no wet wipes, and no extra clothes. And to make matters worse, no paper towels in the bathroom, just one of those air dryers, ugh, I hate those things (although, I am trying to be more "Green"). Luckily a lady walked in at that moment, and I asked her to PLEASE HELP!!! She kindly ran and found me some paper towels. So I wetted those down and began the clean up. Thirty minutes later, I had Lily in a fresh diaper (I did have one of those, thank goodness), and wrapped her in a blanket. Talk about a disaster.

What is it about changing a poopy diaper, that sparks this uncontrollable desire to be recognized for it. I find that my husband and I are always competing when it comes to who has changed "the poopiest diaper ever". For some reason we always explain to each other in great detail how bad it was... "the poop was every where, all the way up to his neck, I must have used at least a dozen wet wipes, oh man, that was seriously, the POOPIEST diaper ever". I mean, really, why is this so? Like this adds some kind of validation, that, yes, we ARE amazing!!!! Tada, look what I did. There must be some sort of award for this? It's like we can't just change a dirty diaper without telling each other about it, I've tried to suppress the urge before, but it just comes, and all I really want is for my husband to say, "oh honey, you won. For this I will change all the poopy diapers as long as we have unpotty trained kids". Oh yes, this is my goal.

Exercise Tip

Today was my day to try a new work out, so I thought I'd share a little tip I use. A few years ago I had a subscription to the Fitness Magazine. There are a lot of different work out routines in each magazine, but instead of holding onto all the magazines (not a fan of clutter, because more than half the magazines are advertisements anyway), I just ripped out the routines I liked and started collecting them in this binder. This way I have lots of different ones to choose from any time I'm getting sick of the same old thing.

Here's a great one, just click on it to enlarge.

3rd Week of December

Last night Lily had her Christmas dance performance. It was adorable!!! I just love seeing her dance, and am grateful that she can be in dance. I always wanted to take dance growing up, but we couldn't afford it. So I feel blessed to be able to give Lily these opportunities.

Dec. 15th

Today, I'm just going to continue working on my Christmas list, and hopefully can get most everything taken care of.

Dec. 16th

Try a new class at the gym, or check out a video at the library. One thing I've learned, is that it's important to mix up your exercise routine. You don't want to get stuck doing the same old thing. Not only does it prohibit you from seeing the kinds of results you'd like, but also begins to be drudgery. You want to spice it up, keep it exciting, kind of like marriage :)

Dec. 17th

Have a "Spa Day". Well, wouldn't that be nice to have an entire day of pampering and relaxation. Unfortunately that isn't really possible for most of us :) But we can just pretend lol. I'm going to get a babysitter, go get a facial, and run some errands. That's a Spa Day enough for me. A little quiet time to myself is all I need sometimes to get me through the day, or the week :) Here's a website my friend told me about that has some awesome jewelry for moms. Maybe I'll buy myself a little something too. www.smartmomjewelry.com

Teething Bling® was inspired by babies who like to tug on our jewelry. It is the original patent-pending teething jewelry.

Dec. 18th

Today I want to just focus on reading my parenting book throughout the day when possible.

Dec. 19th

Work on organizing and getting rid of toys, making room for the new. Hopefully I can get Lily to help me out with this, and to be excited about giving some of her toys away to kids that don't have much. I just love being organized, so doing this will help me to not feel so overwhelmed with toys after Christmas. Here is another website my friend told me about. They sell these mom day planners. They look awesome!!! I may have to get myself one of these for the New Year. www.trulymoms.com

Dec. 20th

Just have a relaxing day with the family. No schedules, no "to do" lists. Just enjoy the moments :)

Follow up for the week

This week seemed a little crazy, despite the fact that I said I was going to keep it simple. Monday we planned to go Ice Skating, but due to the FREEZING weather conditions, we had to skip that :( Which is a bummer, because I was really looking forward to it. Perhaps next year we'll get to experience that together as a family.

Tuesday and Wednesday I did my cleanse!!!! I was really excited about accomplishing that, because it takes some self control :) I posted a video link in my last post of my days on the cleanse.

Thursday I planned to get my Christmas Cards out, and the whole day I was scrambling around, feeling completely overwhelmed with the whole thing. So, I finally just had to throw in the towel, and decided to just skip it this year. I feel like such a scrooge, but I just don't want to make myself crazy by giving myself more than I can handle. I have to pick and choose where my time is best spent. I'm aloud to skip a year here and there, right? I do plan to send out a Christmas email with our recent family pictures. Hopefully that will be enough this year.

Friday, I wanted to have all my Christmas shopping done, lol, that didn't exactly happen either. I did get out and get a little shopping done though, and I put together a list of what I have left to do. So, hopefully I can have it all done within the next few days.

Saturday, was my day to plan out some healthy meals for this week. I've put a little something together. In my future posts I plan to show you a few tips and tricks I use to make eating healthy, easier, and tastier :) So, since we skipped ice skating, I decided to take Lily to see The Frog Princess to make up for it. It was our little mommy daughter date. It was so much fun to spend some special time with her. She ended up sleeping through half the movie, and is still trying to convince me that she didn't sleep, lol.

Sunday, we actually made it to almost all 3 hours of church. Olly gets really cranky without his morning nap, so Sean or I usually takes turns bringing him home for a nap. Later we went over to my sisters house to make Ginger Bread houses, and that was a lot of fun. This week I have been more conscious of trying to mention Jesus's birth, every time Lily brought up Christmas.

So, overall, I'm still proud of the way the week turned out. I'm working on my schedule for this week. I'll post it later tonight.

2nd Week of December

This week I'm keeping it simple.

Dec. 8th & 9th

This time I am really cleansing. I plan to video it all for you, and post it as soon as we've (my husband is going to cleanse with me) accomplished the full 2 days :)

Dec. 10th

Get my Christmas cards out.

Dec. 11th

I want to have all my Christmas shopping done, or at least have an idea of what I am getting for everyone and send out any shipments that need to be made.

Dec. 12th

Plan out healthy meals for the next week include lots of veggies.

Dec. 13th

Spend some time reading Christmas stories, watching Christmas movies, and focusing on the true meaning of Christmas. I want to be sure Lily knows more about Jesus than Santa lol.

Follow up for the week

I'm pretty proud of the way the week turned out. Monday night we went on the Polar Express.

Tuesday I was sick, not fun, but actually not too bad because it only lasted a day. Then Wednesday made a ginger bread house with Lily :) I love those kits you get from Costco, makes this activity more enjoyable (for me) because everything you need is there. Fun, and simple.

Sean got Lily her very own pink Christmas tree to decorate. She was really excited. I thought she would be thrilled with the idea of putting it in her bedroom, but nope. She wanted to place it right next to the "mama" tree.

And here we are in the process of making the cinnamon ornaments. This was fun, and also very simple. All we needed was apple sauce and cinnamon, cookie cutters, then bake for a couple hours, add ribbon, and you're done.

And I've had a chance to really dig into this book, and I'm lovin it. There's a lot of things I didn't know. I've been highlighting some stuff and plan to share what I'm getting out of it.

A more serious note

Okay, so just wanted to be clear, that you all know that I was exaggerating a bit in my last post. I'm really not that obsessed, lol. My main focus, is really about finding a balance. I know it is easy to get carried away with this kind of stuff, but I really just want to be a well rounded person. Beauty is not all I care about, I believe that moderation is the key. I know there is much more to life. We are all going to get old eventually, and there is nothing we can do to stop it. One of my favorite quotes from Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley is when he talks about his wife, in his book, Standing For Something.

"As I looked at her across the table one evening recently, I noted the wrinkles in her face and hands. But are they less beautiful? No; in fact, they are more so. Those wrinkles have a beauty of their own, and inherent in their presence is something that speaks reassuringly of strength and integrity, and a love that runs more deeply and quietly than ever before".

Laser Addict

Can I just tell you..... I LOVE laser. I get laser on my face, laser on my chest, laser hair removal on my legs, and someday will be brave enough to get the laser eye surgery. I can't believe I'm revealing my secret! This aint natural beauty you're lookin at, lol. It's all thanks to the wonderful invention of, "THE LASERS". No, actually, to be honest, I haven't seen the kinds of results I was hoping for. But then again, I thought after one treatment on my face, I would look like the airbrushed models you see in magazines. So, I guess my expectations may have been a little high. Like I said before, I'm a sucker. I'm openly admitting that I will believe anything. Oh how the sales people love me. If any of you need information on these kinds of procedures, I'm you're gal. I've been suckered into every possible treatment you could imagine. The reason why I'm writing about this, is because I actually had a treatment done today. I was tempted to post a picture of what my face looks like right now, but then decided I'm not ready to expose myself so openly....yet. Be sure to follow my future posts, you may be surprised. So anyway, I was getting this treatment today, and as I was laying there in agonizing pain, letting the laser have it's way with me. I thought to myself, is this really worth it? How vain am I? That I'm willing to put myself through this kind of pain, all in the name of beauty. But then later today, I'm holding my son in one arm as he's smearing a mixture of spaghetti sauce and snott into the shoulder of my shirt. With my other arm, trying to clean up dinner and do the dishes. In the mean time my daughter's off covering herself with stamps, and scattering the coloring books and markers all over the kitchen floor. By the time I was able to get everything cleaned up, the kids bathed and into bed. I was anxious to settle into bed with my laptop and begin writing my thoughts. And I came to the conclusion that, YES, it is worth it. It may be a little painful, okay, ALOT painful, but it makes me feel good, and I deserve a little painful pampering, right? And this is my sad attempt to justify it all, and prove that I'm not that vain, lol. But hey, the first step to overcoming an addiction, is to recognize that you have one. And that is exactly what I'm doing. I plan to quit, I really do. Just as soon as I get my tummy tuck, face lift, and butt lift.

A MORE SERIOUS NOTE

Okay, so just wanted to be clear, that you all know that I was exaggerating a bit in this post. I'm really not that obsessed, lol. My main focus, is really about finding a balance. I know it is easy to get carried away with this kind of stuff, but I really just want to be a well rounded person. Beauty is not all I care about, I believe that moderation is the key. I know there is much more to life. We are all going to get old eventually, and there is nothing we can do to stop it. One of my favorite quotes from Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley is when he talks about his wife, in his book, Standing For Something.

"As I looked at her across the table one evening recently, I noted the wrinkles in her face and hands. But are they less beautiful? No; in fact, they are more so. Those wrinkles have a beauty of their own, and inherent in their presence is something that speaks reassuringly of strength and integrity, and a love that runs more deeply and quietly than ever before".

Follow up for today

Well, I planned to cleanse today and tomorrow, but noticed yesterday I was at the beginning stages of a cold. Sure enough, woke up this morning not feeling so hot. So, I decided to hold off on the cleansing until next week. I'm really anxious to cleanse too because I've been eating so much junk. I can literally see the fat forming around my mid section :) I plan to do a video of my days on the cleanse, that way you can see what I do for the 2 days.

So, since I have this cold, I decided to just start fresh with my schedule on Thursday. I'm sure I'll be feeling better by then. I did actually start my parenting book today, and thought I would share a few things that stood out to me.

• "The challenge of parenting is to love our kids enough to allow them to fail. To stand back, however painful it may be, and let significant learning opportunities build our children."
• "It's a fact: Responsibility cannot be taught; it must be caught."
• "Although it's hard to figure out at times, the hardest things in the world to learn are the things we are told we must do. To help a child gain responsibility we must offer that child opportunities to be responsible."

Gearing up for the New Year

Only 25 days until Christmas. Can you believe it? This year, I wanted to start early on my resolutions. I don't want to completely let everything go, like I usually do during the holidays. So that's why I've put together this schedule to follow until Christmas. Like I said before in my last post, I want to equally incorporate mind, body, soul, and family over the next 25 days. So hear is what I came up with.

Dec. 1st and 2nd

First of all, I wanted to start out the month with a couple of cleanse days. I'm very passionate about cleansing, because what it has done for me. It's the perfect way to start anything I believe. You get your mind on track, increase you're energy, get your weight in check, and just feel amazing. I know there are a lot of different cleanses out there, so do the one you like most. I've tried a few and have found one that works the best for me. Click HERE for more information.

Dec. 3rd

Start a new educational book. The one I plan to read is called, Parenting With Love and Logic, by Foster Cline, M.D. & Jim Fay. I hope to develop some parenting skills, lol. Sometimes I feel like I have no idea what I'm doing, and pray to God that my kids will turn out okay.

Dec. 4th

Do a fun Christmas craft with the kids. This one looked fun. I love the smell of Cinnamon around Christmas, and it looks simple enough for me:) We'll see if I can pull it off.

Dec. 5th

Start taking a class on something of interest. I'm thinking something that only requires an hour or two a week. I don't want to take too much time away from my family, but I thought it would be fun, and a nice break. I recently found out about a place just down the street from me called Picture Line. It's a photography shop that sells all kinds of fun stuff, they also offer free classes with tips on how to use your camera's. So, I plan to try a few of those classes.

Dec. 6th

Find a service project to do with the kids. I thought that this could tie into December 4th's task. If the craft turns out okay, you can give them away to friends or neighbors. I plan to make a special trip to my Grandpa's house. I know he loves visitors, so I thought I could go spend some time with him, bring him some dinner or lunch, and just enjoy the time with him. I'm also in the process of making a video of his life. I recently did an interview with him on video, I want to put it all together, with some of his childhood pictures, and some music. So, I want to begin this project as soon as possible. I'm hoping to have it finished before Christmas, and give the DVD's to family members as a gift. I'll post the video as soon as I'm done with it.

Dec. 7th

Do a fun activity with the whole family. I plan to take the whole family Ice Skating down town. We've never done this before, so I'm excited to try it out. We might have to leave Oliver with a babysitter though, it may be too cold to take him out.

Well, that covers the first week. I will continue the rest of this Schedule next Monday, but will still be writing each day, on how I'm doing :)

A BOMB WENT OFF

Now, this is just ONE day of not cleaning. I thought I would share this with you, because isn't this the truth. Hopefully our husbands appreciate us for all we do each day.

Thanksgiving was great, but now I feel, in Lily's terms, "yuck"! I'm in the process of putting together, a schedule for the month of December. Starting December 1st, and going until Christmas, I want to try to balance everything, between, mind, body, soul, and most importantly, spending quality time with my little family. Who's with me!!! I thought it would be fun to have something new to focus on each day. I'll make a schedule to follow, then I plan to write about each day in more detail as well as a follow up on how the day went. I just want to be able to enjoy the Christmas season a little more this year, and not get so overwhelmed with all that needs to be done. I thought if I set aside a day for each thing, then I can feel confident that it will all get done, as long as I stick to the schedule.

Professional List Maker

I do consider myself a Professional, when it comes to making lists :) Well, given all my experience, and background in the field, pretty much qualifies me. So, therefore, I would like to teach you my "skills".
First of all, here is a list of all the items you will need.

• Small note pad, preferably with a plastic cover (keeps it protected, when carrying it around in your purse)

• Fine Point Sharpies (okay, this isn't a must have, but it's an "I" must have. I love these things, and it's nice to have all the different colors, if you like color coding)

• Little sticky Post-it tabs (these are nice to have, in order to label, and organize all your lists)

Like I said, I'm very "passionate" when it comes to lists lol. Some call it OCD, but no, not me. Lists are a very important part of my day. When I don't have a list of what I need to do, I feel paralyzed. I look around, and see dishes, laundry, kids that need to be fed, and dressed. A fridge that needs to be restocked, dinners that need to be planned. And a million more things. Really, the list never ends. It's easy to feel scatter brained when you have so much to do. A lot of times, we feel overwhelmed, and don't know where to start. So, the best thing to do, is grab a notepad and pen, and start making a list. Just take it one thing at a time and begin checking them off. I find great satisfaction in checking off my lists :)
Like I mentioned before, I've realized that not everything can get done in one day. That's why I put together this ongoing list. It's one that consists of, organizing a room or drawer, updating my family blog, ironing clothes, cleaning out my purse, restocking the diaper bag, cleaning out my car, ect. These things usually can wait until I find the time to do them. Some days I get only one thing on that list accomplished, and other days I can check off 3 or 4.
So, if you're anything like me, you have not one, but in fact, have several lists you're working with. So, I've found a great way to consolidate them all with this handy dandy notebook (I've been watching way too much Blue's Clue's) You can label the tabs however you like. Some may include, Daily list, ongoing list, grocery list, wish list (I've listed the things I want, and am saving for). I've even set apart sections, for Ideas, Meal Plans, Activities (I've listed indoor, and outdoor activities to do with the kids) and Goals.
So, there you go. Please feel free to add any additional advice.

Swine Flu

I recently came across this picture on Facebook, and had to post it. I thought it was halarious!!!
I wanted to quickly share with you what kinds of precautions we have been taking since this whole Swine Flu scare. My husband Sean, has actually been the one that has taken the time to look into it for us. I'm going to have him share with you what we've learned. My Father in Law, Tony Escobar, is a Biosynthesis, and a product formulator himself, so my husband grew up learning all about vitamins, and supplements, which ones are good, and which ones are a waste of money. So, I'm pretty confident in my husbands choices when it comes to this kind of stuff.

From Sean:

Hey everyone, just wanted to share this information with you. Whether or not you feel that the Swine Flu is a serious threat is irrelevant. What is critical, is that we realize that it is essential to strengthen our immune systems, to overcome what may come in the future be it swine flu or whatever.

You can see all of the research at www.mercola.com (you should join this newsletter). This guy Dr. Mercola can be a bit over the top at times, however you can’t beat the research and info.

Canada just released a study that they did on 11 million people, where they found that people who had received the regular flu vaccine are 2 times more likely to contract the swine flu. Canada is holding off on such vaccines. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/11/10/Canadian-Provinces-Suspend-Seasonal-Flu-Shots-and-Recommend-Vitamin-D.aspx
I’m not trying to make you feel bad if you got the flu shot, I’m pointing out that the medical field is not going to rescue us so to speak. We can’t just have blind faith in them. We have to do our own homework and look for alternative methods of prevention.

Everyone knows the power Vitamin C. Vitamin D3 is the most powerful nutritive for avoiding the flu or cold in the winter months. See it’s no coincidence that when people stop receiving daily sunlight (winter months), they start getting sick, or what we call “flu season.” Vitamin D3 is the nutrient that comes from the Sun. This is why it is referred to as the Sunshine Vitamin. When people supplement with D3 during “Flu Season,” they are much much much less likely to contract the flu. It is proven in many studies.
Article on D3 for the Flu: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/10/21/avoid-flu-shots-vitamin-d-is-a-better-way.aspx

Last year I supplemented with D3 and didn’t get the flu. The year before, well that was a different matter all together, I got so sick that I went in to the doctor because I thought I was dying. The doc couldn’t do anything for me, he basically said, “some good that flu shot did ya.” One of my family members told me he gets the flu shot every year and still gets the flu, this is sooooo true. People don’t even realize what is in those shots. Mercury which will never leave the body, formaldehyde and antifreeze. Watch this video:
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/11/10/Hilarious-Swine-Flu-Video.aspx

So the moral of this story, get on C and D3 and your kids too.
I’ve been feeding my kids liquid form as it is much more assimilated in the body. I just suck it up in one of those syringes that the Doctors use (less the needle) and then I just squirt it in their mouth. I like this brand because it tastes kind of sour and zingy and the kids like it and it is affordable online. You pay more than double at health food stores, I don’t shop at health food stores, buy everything online. Vitacost is the bomb and ship super fast. (Don’t buy First Defense for kids, that one does taste atrocious, I can’t even stomach it, but the Multiple Vitamin is very good.)

Also important to know that Sugar Suppresses the Immune system, making kids vulnerable so we should all cut back.

http://www.vitacost.com/productResults.aspx?ss=1&Ntk=products&x=0&y=0&Ntt=childlife

Love ya!
Sean

Sleep....PLEASE!!!!

Sleep??? Foreign to moms, right? I can't even remember the last time I've slept through the night (until recently). Lack of sleep, of course leads to lack of energy, something we all desperately need. I would like to share with you what has helped me get more sleep and increase my energy levels. I would also love to hear what has worked for you. How do you find the energy to deal with the daily demands of motherhood?

Well, first of all, you gotta get the baby's sleeping through the night. Something I wasn't familiar with until, oh, about a week ago. I finally gave into the Ferber's method, better known as "crying it out", something I feared for along time, and never even tried with my first. I now have my 8 month old baby, sleeping through the night. That's what I call "heaven on earth". I never knew it could be this nice. If you have all your kids sleeping through the night, and you simply have a hard time falling asleep, I would highly recommendYou can get it right here on www.vitacost.com for around $5
I absolutely love this stuff!!! It's not a drug, it's a vitamin, and it TOTALLY works!!! I take it about 30 minutes before I want to go to sleep, and I am out like a light.

Second of all, you have to get your health back. It's easy to fall into bad eating habits with little or no exercise. We're busy all day long, the last thing we want to do, is spend time making fresh salads, and cutting out what we crave most, SUGAR. I truly believe that the way to get a jump start on your health, is by CLEANSING the body. The second I'm done nursing, I'm on a cleanse. That's how much I believe in it. I feel so good, my energy increases dramatically, I lose weight like crazy, and I just FEEL healthier.

So, about caffeine. I have to admit, I do enjoy a diet coke once and a while. I don't make it a habit though. Never have it in the house, I like to drink it as a special treat when we go to lunch or something. I wouldn't suggest drinking any caffeine after 4:00, I know, common sense right. Anyway, if you must have caffeine, I have found a healthier source, and believe me, it works :)
It's called Organic Yerba Mate. I like the chai flavor. I usually mix it with organic rice milk.


Another suggestion is the Verilux Happy Light. Sean and I just barely purchased of couple of these from Costco for $50 each. The suggested use is 3 hours a day. I don't get a chance to use it that often, but I do believe that it works. Here is the description I got off the site.

The HappyLight® 6000 emulates natural sunshine to deliver up to 6,000 LUX of healthy light for improving overall mood, energy and concentration. The 6000's Natural Spectrum® light activates the body's natural mood enhancers, Circadian Rhythms, without exposing you to harmful UV rays. Use the HappyLight 6000 while you're on the computer or reading the newspaper to experience improved well-being and better overall health. Experience improved energy and mood naturally without the use of drugs or artificial stimulants

I hope this information helps, and would love to get your input on it.

LIFE List

"List", my favorite word. I don't know what it is, but I just love lists. Daily lists, longterm lists, grocery lists, lists when I workout, and the list goes on, lol. Hah, I crack myself up. Okay, so anyway, a long time ago I made this "LIFE LIST". I was inspired to do so, by a very dear friend of mine. One day she showed me this list she made of all the things she wanted to accomplish in her lifetime. I was so excited about the idea, and right away began making one of my own. A few things I have on that list, have yet to be accomplished, but they are still in the back of my mind. I know that it will all come in time. It is easy to get lazy about life too, not taking action, and expecting that accomplishing your goals will happen eventually, pretty much means they will never happen. Sometimes I get to this point where I think to myself...what am I really accomplishing? Am I serving my purpose here, or am I just letting each day pass me by. As a mom, I know there is little time to do anything more than caring for the children and keeping house. Like developing talents, and achieving personal goals. I'm constantly trying to figure out how I can balance it all. Is there an answer? Is there that perfect schedule that allows you to fit everything into one day without being completely exhausted? I think not. Among, all the diaper changing, the feeding, the never ending laundry and dishes. Let's not forget, finding time to exercise, making healthy meals for the family, keeping the house clean and organized. Teaching our children good behavior, and spending quality time with them. And then of course, having enough energy at the end of the day to spend some time with the hubby. Like I said, balance is the key. I've learned that I CAN'T fit everything into one day, but perhaps, can fit it into one week, or one month. I've come to accept that, which has been hard, but have found that there's no hurry. I'm not in a race, there are no deadlines or time limits. I'm trying to slow down a bit, and not forget to cherish the little things, and the precious moments I have with my husband and children.
Some of things I have on my life list, include;

    * Find the man of my dreams ( I can go ahead and check that one off my list, found him, and he's even better than in my dreams. I'm so lucky to have him.)

    * Have children

    * Have a body of steel (well, it's not steel, but I'm pretty happy with it, I plan to go into more detail on what I did to lose 25 lbs, and go from a size 10 to a 5, and what I continue to do in order to maintain it)

   

• 

    * Learn to play the violin, piano and guitar ( I know it seems unrealistic, but that's why it's a "Life List", we have a lifetime to accomplish them)
    * Learn 3 languages, German, Spanish, and French ( one down, two to go. Thanks to my mission, I can now speak fluent German)
    * Own my own horse ( I love horses, and could possibly own one right now, but decided that, a horse may not be in the cards at the moment. I don't need anymore feeding, grooming, and cleaning up after, in my life lol. Maybe sometime down the road)

    * Travel the world (there are so many places I want to see, and cultures I want to learn. )
    * I've recently become very fond of photography, and videography. So, I plan to learn more about both.

Well, you get the point right? I have many more things on my life list, but thought it would be fun to share a few and hopefully inspire you to make one, if you haven't already.

Introduction

My name is Crystal Escobar. I'm a wife of 12 years, mother of 4, Lily (10),  Oliver (7), Brooklyn (4), and Owen (2).

I come from a large family having 8 siblings. Growing up I moved ALOT, in fact I lost count after the 25th time. I lived in 5 different states and one other country, but Utah would be the place I call home. 

After graduating from high school, I moved to Arizona for a year and attended Scottsdale Community College.  Soon after, decided I wanted to serve an LDS mission. Before I left, I trained and ran a marathon – I’m, pretty proud of that! It was the first and definitely the last!

I served my mission for 18 months in Germany and I absolutely loved it. I saw some incredible things, met some amazing people and learned a few life altering lessons.

Five months after I got home, I met my husband Sean. We dated for 2 weeks and were engaged for 3 months before we tied the knot. Best decision I ever made!

My husband and I are successful network marketers, in fact we made our first million at age 27.  We love to offer training and support to help others achieve the same success we have. To learn more about our success story check out www.seanescobar.com 

I started this blog in November 09 to log my personal progression in finding balance and purpose as a mom. 

I'm really just a Wannabe... a Wanna Be Balanced Mom.
I'm very passionate about having BALANCE -- the unattainable goal.   

 I like to cover a wide range of topics: health, weight loss, spiritual and personal development, making healthy meals, life as a momprenuer, and of course how I TRY to balance it all. 

Here is a post I did when I found myself completely OFF balance.
 
CAUGHT OFF BALANCE.




Come find me on Instagram @CrystalEscobar2 
& Periscope @CrystalEscobar 

Topics I write about include:

-Goals, and "TO DO" lists-- developing talents, finding your passions, and creativity.

-Finding a balance -- making time for the things you want to do, as well as what's most important.

-Staying organized -- the importance of having order in the home, tips on how to organize.

-Beauty Tips --even though we're moms, we can make time to be beautiful.

-Meals -- making healthy meals, on limited time and energy.

-Marriage --making it #1 priority.

-Weight loss --losing the baby weight, and keeping it off.

-Business Women --success IS possible.

-Money --budgeting and saving tips.

-Trials --overcoming them.

-Service -- ways to serve, forgetting yourself, and finding fulfillment.

-Fashion --I like to post pictures of the new clothes I get and where.

Thank you all for reading.

What people are saying about Wanna Be Balanced Mom

 "She is a fun, friendly blogger and has a great site. She is all about keeping balance in her life, and helping others do the same. Anytime I’m feeling a little stressed or flustered, all I have to do is poke around Crystal’s page, and I come away with something new to inspire me. Go get inspired!"

- Typing One Handed

"Crystal is a sweetie pie and one hot momma to boot! (She has some resemblance to Elisabeth Shue...only Crystal is even prettier). Go read her blog; she's totally relatable...and don't hate her because she's beautiful!"
- Postcards From Parenthood

"I was introduced to Crystal Escobar, the author of Wanna Be Balanced Mom through a mutual friend. I was instantly attracted to her sincere and inspirational style of writing.
She writes from the heart and shares very touching, moments, like her American Idol Moment when she put it all out there inspired by her love for her husband, and in the process, teaches us a very valuable life lesson.
She put together a Life List which is definitely a must read."
-The Busy Mom Blueprint


"I started reading her blog exactly two months ago and I instantly became hooked. Who doesn't want to learn how to balance life by combining family and healthy living?"
-Ms Baby Plan


"I met Crystal through blogging awhile back and have been hooked on her blog.  She posts about pretty much anything that might be important to us moms in the quest to find balance...from beauty, fashion, health, homemaking, motherhood, spirituality and much more...hence the name of her blog Wanna be Balanced Mom.  Crystal comes across as a sweet, thoughtful person who seems to be succeeding at her goal to balance it all!  From her cute blog design to her pictures, videos and fun personal stories, you are sure to be hooked too!  And don't forget to check out her inspiring weight loss before and after pics!  I so want to try her program when I'm done nursing.  This is a blog worth following!"
-Candace Creations


Read an Interview with Crystal HERE at 6 Feet Over, and HERE at The 5th Girl

Contact me by email: crystal@escoweb.net or find me on Facebook