A Guide to Wellness

One of the most important things you can possibly do is be healthy. Not only does being healthy improve your physical health, it also can improve your overall way of life. Being healthy has many benefits such as being able to walk upstairs without losing your breath, having more energy throughout the day, having less restless nights, and just feeling plain good.

Wellness Awareness

Over the past couple weeks, a few classmates and I got together to put together the video above. We wanted to focus on the wide spectrum of being healthy. Due to my personal experience, I specifically focused my part on pregnancy health.

"Prego" Life

If you didn't already know, it is very important for someone who becomes pregnant to really take care of their health. They are not only caring for themselves anymore. It's important to start drinking at least half a gallon of water a day, if not a whole gallon. The little guy or gal inside survives by breathing in amniotic fluid. This is in part produced by the water that is consumed by the mother, though not entirely. Also, try to cut out all sodas, coffee, and even teas. These can dehydrate you.

In the video, I make a point to focus on prenatal vitamins. These come in all shapes and sizes and can sometimes be very difficult to take. I know when I started my prenatal vitamins when I was pregnant, it was incredibly difficult to take the huge pills without gagging myself. Most prenatal vitamins can be found over the counter at any grocery store, but if these don't work for you talk to your physician about getting a sample and prescription. 

Be Well

If you watched the video above, I hope that it was informative. Our goal was is to spread health awareness and give tips and ideas on how to achieve this. To see some clips and photos from our video, be sure to check out my Twitter and use #bewell. 

Also, for some helpful tips and facts about being healthy, check out the links below.

Health

Be Fit

Questions?

Have any questions? Maybe some tips? Let me know!

Winter Trend: Mall Walking

Mall walking. Ever heard of it? Well, it may not be the most popular thing, but it is something that may interest you. If your a mom like myself who enjoys taking your baby on walks, what do you do when the winter weather hits? Mall walking is the answer.

Stay Warm People

Winter season brings icy roads and sidewalks, cold rain, bone-chilling winds, sleet and snow. This doesn't sound like something I'd enjoy very much, especially when taking my 7-month-old on our daily walks outside. One of the worst feelings for a parent is when their child is sick. You wish you could take their pain away.

 So, I decided that we will continue our daily walks, but on the really cold days in our future we will be visiting our local mall. 

I recently explored this idea of mine. This past week, my husband and I visited our local mall to see when it's the busiest and the slowest. We discovered that the morning is the best time to go by far. No crowds what so ever and had plenty of room to walk laps around the mall without having to swerve around fellow shoppers.

Photo by: Leesha Hickman

This photo to the left will be on a blooper reel. I'm pretty sure a baby shouldn't be sitting side-saddled on a carousel horse. Good job hubby. I'm very proud.

New Trend

Before looking into mall walking, I didn't know this was actually a "thing". The Parks Mall at Arlington even has a program for it that you can find by clicking here. The program allows people to meet up and walk in groups instead of alone. Interesting right?

You can even find mall walking tips online.

Questions?

Any questions? Have any interest in this? How about tips? Let me know!

Don't forget to check out my Twitter for more Super Mom Ideas.

The Ultimate Santa Experience: Family Photo

It's that time of year again. Christmas music playing in every store, smells of pumpkin spice and pine trees, and the colors red and green literally everywhere. It's the holidays! Now that Halloween has passed, it's time to start shopping for those Thanksgiving dinner items and ingredients. Don't forget, it's also time to start preparing for Christmas!

 Yes, I know, Thanksgiving is technically the next holiday coming up, but Christmas requires so much more preparations. In my case, it is my son's first Christmas so I may be a little biased. A child's first Christmas is always memorable and full of so much love and joy. You want to make the best of it so it remains one of the most cherished memories you have with your little one while they are still little.

First Christmas Card

Making a Christmas card is part of many family's traditions. Everyone gets dressed up in red, green and white and poses with one another for that perfect holiday photo. Many families take their own photos at home, smart and cheap. Others choose to go and get professional shots done. 

This year, for my son's first Christmas, I wanted to have a photo with the one and only Santa Claus.

Adventure With Santa

Earlier this afternoon, my family and I went to our local mall, The Parks Mall at Arlington. A few days prior, I had made a reservation online to lock us in for an appointment for Adventure With Santa: The Ultimate Santa Experience. Glad I did because it was rather busy for it being it's first day open. The staff was shocked as well.

This wasn't just sitting with Santa and taking a photo, this was so much more.

 How it starts, you line up with another family or two outside the entrance to the attraction. One of "Santa's helpers" leads the way as you go inside of the Christmas themed building. You go room to room watching interactive videos, even take a sleigh ride while watching a video in an omni-like theater with fans and misters (for the fake snow feel). It was incredible. Kids absolutely loved this.

Towards the end, families individually went in to finally meet Santa Claus. This is when we took our family photo.

We also had extra in the moment photos taken.

The Experience

This experience was unforgettable. To see videos from the experience, check out my Twitter or search #holidays2014. 

I know it's still early, but now my family has our first Christmas photo taken for our first Christmas card. If you plan on sending cards this year, be like me, do it early. Less stress for the busy mom.

Questions?

Have any questions? Comments? Maybe even another Christmas card idea? Let me know, I'd love to hear from you!

Also, don't forget to follow my Twitter where you'll be able to read all about my busy mom experiences and tips.

Trunk or Treat: A Safer Halloween Option

Halloween. Such a popular holiday for all ages. This specific holiday, as everyone knows, is celebrated by dressing up in costume and going door to door in hopes of receiving a wide variety of candies and chocolates. After knocking, the door opens and children shout "Trick or Treat!". The neighbor then smiles and places the ever so delicious goodies in the different colored pumpkin baskets or bags.

This is the traditional way to celebrate Halloween. However, nowadays, many choose different ways for their children to celebrate this holiday.

Trunk or Treat

"Trunk or Treat" is the new way for parents of young children to take their kids "trick or treating", minus going door to door. Like in the name, children will walk from car to car for treats in the trunks of the vehicles. These events are usually hosted in church parking lots. This is ideal for some parents with younger children because they know the people they are sending their children to and most are parents as well.

Earlier tonight, I attended a local church's meeting on their annual "trunk or treat" event. Exception of myself, everyone seemed to know one another and were very welcoming to my son and I. You can check out my experience from earlier on my Twitter or search #saferhalloween2014. The church I chose to check out today was Grace Community Church in Arlington, TX.

Is it safer?

Some people won't agree, but many choose to attend "trunk or treat" events because they feel it is much safer for their children. Most of the people I spoke with today decided that they would be attending the event like they do every year. Their children ranged from infants to 12-years-old. A few decided against it. I was able to interview one of those parents who decided not to attend and posted the interview to my Twitter. 

For the parents that said they felt safer taking their kids "trunk or treating", they explained to me how when doing it this way they can get to know, or already know, the people they are receiving candy from. They say it is less likely that someone tampered with the treats because they all know one another on a personal level.

One of the parents who decided against it, explained how no matter where their family celebrates the holiday, they will check all the candy before any can be consumed. They have a solid point. 

For some safety tips on this fun night, before venturing out, be sure to check out these following links:

Halloween Health and Safety Tips

and

Halloween Safety Guide

Questions?

Questions? Concerns? Have any tips of your own from a past experience? Let me know!

Don't forget to check out my Twitter!

Park Safety

In case you didn't know, children love getting out of the house. Why spend money taking your children out for only a little while when you can take them somewhere for free? Your local park is the answer.

Parks are a great way for children to play, use their extraordinary amounts of energy, and meet new friends. Best part is, parks are everywhere. They are for the most park always open to the public within reasonable times for you and your family.

Practice Park Safety

Children are prone to accidents. That is just one reason to make sure to practice park safety. In the audio story below, I interview one mom and one aunt/babysitter and their thoughts on park safety. The two ladies give very helpful tips.






Something interesting about these two ladies, is the fact they have different situations to deal with. The mother has two children, one less than a year old. The aunt/babysitter watches over a 6-month-old.

Some good points they brought up in the interview included: checking sandpits for glass and debris, have children wear their shoes (closed toed) at all times, not allowing children to play in or around park sitting water due to falling in or possible bug bites, calling or going to your local police department and ask about the crime rate in your area beat, and the obvious of staying in plain site and not running around in the woods.

Don't be Afraid of the Park

Photo by: Leesha Hickman

Now that you've probably listened to the story, don't fear taking your child to the park. Going to the park is helpful for children's development when it comes to their social interactions. It builds confidence among other social identities. 

However, do make sure you know where your taking your children.

For tips and more information, check out these sites:


Safety Tips

Safety While in the Park

Questions?

Have any questions for me? Tips or anything you'd like to add to this? Let me know! I'd love to hear from you, as always.

Don't forget to follow me on Twitter.

Fun Exercises With a Baby

Being a busy mom, or a new mom, it's near impossible to get free time to go to the gym. Why let that stop you? Why go to the gym when you have a perfectly good baby at home? The video above hopefully motivated you to workout with your little one. Not only will you be getting your burn on, but you get to spend that quality time with your baby. Their little laughs and smiles will keep you going.

About the Video

In the video above, I feature my son Daxton with his aunt Samantha who is also my sister. I would have used myself as the example, but I don't think taking "selfies" of my son and I would have been as efficient.

The video includes a few stretching and exercising ideas that you can do with your baby if unable to go to the gym or just want to get fit while playing with your little one.

For some more information on these workouts check out parenting.com and fitpregnancy.com

Baby Workout

Like any workout, you should always start by stretching. Focus on your back, legs, and arms. I start the video by having Samantha show us how to stretch her back in the "cat" position while having Daxton lay on his back looking up to her. This way they can communicate as well as make funny faces for those adorable baby giggles. She follows this stretch with sitting in the "pike" position while holding the baby in her lap, resting his head in her hands. The baby feet in face is a plus. The last stretch I feature, Sam stretches her legs once more while tickling the baby,

Following the stretches, are a few exercise options that will strengthen the core, legs, arms, and abs. They are in no particular order. Featured are wall sits, squats, baby presses, sit ups/crunches, planks, and push ups. All of these exercises give you the ability to talk to your baby while doing them.

Questions?

Did this motivate you? Have some more baby workout ideas you'd like to share? Let me know! I'd love to hear your input!

Also, don't forget to check out my twitter for more updates.

Creative Monthly Baby Photos

Photo by: Leesha Seibold

One of the many fun things all parents get to enjoy while their little ones grow up, is documenting it. After only a few weeks of life, most babies already have hundreds of photos taken of them thanks to the easy access of cameras on smart phones. 

To cherish your baby memories in an interesting and unique way, create a month-to-month collage for your young one. Because the first month after having your baby can be difficult adjusting to your new lifestyle, I suggest start your personalized monthly photos at month one. The hospital where my son was born had their own staff team of photographers who came in to take his "newborn" photos. That made one less thing for me to stress about getting done.

Where do I start? 

Do you have a boy or a girl? What are your color choices for their nursery? Do you already have a specific theme for their room?

I have a boy. The theme that my husband and I agreed on for his nursery is "Superheroes". Not only does he have outfits to go with this theme, but his room looks like a comic book threw up in it. With this being said, it was fairly easy for us to decide on a theme for his monthly photos, "Superheroes".

Got my theme, now what?

Photo by: Leesha Seibold

Once you've set on a theme, it is time to collect a couple props for your babies photo shoot. I liked using a little black chalk board and writing his age on it. You can also buy stickers that say "1 month" and so on, and put those on your little one's outfit.

Another creative and cheap touch, I used a cut out of his first letter of his name. "D" for Daxton. Cheap and simple.

Last, to include your theme, get one yard of fabric with the color or theme you have decided on. If you have girl, chose the Disney Princesses theme, then buy fabric with one princess on it or a collage of them. Here you can see that I used my superhero theme and bought a collage superhero fabric for him to lay on.

Be creative!

Photo by: Leesha Seibold

Now that you've got your props, lay that little cutie in a simple pose with his props.

The photo on the right in particular, does not use the "D" and does use the chalk board. Anything with the age is necessary so that when someone looks through the photos they will easily be able to see how old they are and compare.

Photo by: Leesha Seibold

Here's another example in the photo on the left. No letter, but includes the age.

Questions?

Did this help you? Inspire you to do your own creative month-to-month photos of your baby? Have any creative ideas on your own you'd like to share with me? I'd love to hear from you!

Also, don't forget to follow my twitter for more Super Mom Ideas.

Not-So-Extreme Couponing

Photo by: Leesha Seibold

Some people don't care for it, but I love collecting and using coupons. In the long run, "couponing" will save me hundreds of dollars. It's simple enough that anyone can do it.

Being a full-time student and mother to a 5-month-old, it's important to recognize when able to save money. Collecting coupons from random ads in the mailbox and printing off coupons from online sources has saved me a ton of money, and every penny counts.

Today, I spent a small amount of time at home on the computer searching for coupons that would be honored at the local Walmart. I also tweeted about my experience using the hashtag #iliketocoupon. My favorite website for coupons is coupons.com.

How do I save even more money?

To save even more when shopping, along with using coupons, I choose to shop at a local grocery store that price matches.

What is price matching? Price matching is when you go to check-out at the store, then you pull out an ad from another local store. If you see that the ad has something marked cheaper than the current store you are shopping at, they will match it and lower their price for that advertised item. 

To do this you must bring in the paper ad, whether you print it from the internet or pick it up yourself, and present it to the cashier. If it is on your smart phone, they do not have to honor it. Also, be sure to pay attention to the ad dates. Some are only advertised for a limited time, whereas others are advertising their everyday deals.

How about money saving apps?

Photo by: Leesha Seibold

Having a smart phone is just about the norm now. With that being said, having money saving apps is a must. 

I originally put the coupons.com app on my phone, but found it near useless considering you must print the coupons in order to use them. I now like to use the retailmenot app. It's not exactly the same as a coupon, but has many benefits. Most of the time it can be combined with other offers as well.

How does it work? After presenting coupons, where applicable, pull up the app and open to the store you are currently at. You usually will have many options on discounts, such as half-off or $10 off. Not all stores participate on the app, but I have found most of the places I shop have at least something.

Photo by: Leesha Seibold

This only applies to Walmart shoppers, but after you finish checking-out, be sure to scan your receipt with their Savings Catcher app. Usually doesn't give you too much back, if any at all, but the few cents and dollars add up after a few shopping trips.

Success!

I count today as a success. Filled my home with groceries and saved a total of $23.

Did this help you? Inspire you to become coupon savvy? I'd like to know!

Freezer Crock Pot Meals On The Fly

The Crock Pot

photo by: Leesha Seibold

Being a VERY busy mom to an infant, I also attend school and work. Some days it takes all of me to not go to the nearest fast food restaurant on my drives home. While pregnant, I received a bright red crock pot. Not thinking I would EVER use it, I proved myself wrong once my son came into this world in April of 2014. Husband worked overtime. Chores stacked up. And our fridge was pitiful. A change HAD to be made. I broke out the red crock pot and my obsession with using it began.

Imagine this... you have a big pot, you throw a whole bunch of ingredients in it, turn it on, and forget about it for 8 hours. Poof! Dinner is served.

What You Will Need

Freezing crock pot meals is simple. You throw together ALL the ingredients you would need for that meal in a bag, label it, and put it in the freezer. You will have to put a couple hours aside one day if you want to do this in bulk. Here is a list of a few things to buy from the grocery store next time that come in handy to have for preparing these freezer meals-to-crock pot:

• Gallon sized freezer bags that zip close
• Sticky notes
• Sharpie

You will need your everyday groceries along with these helpful items. I like to check out these sites for ideas on meals:

Spark Recipes for the Crock Pot

&

Crock Pot Ladies

How To Store Meals in Freezer

After grocery shopping, I like to place all the items needed for the crock pot meals on my kitchen table.

Next, I whip out my sticky notes and write down what ingredients go into each bag. Once completed, I usually make 7 at a time for each day of the week, I stick each note onto a freezer bag and fill the bags with the ingredients called for. Example: 4 frozen chicken breasts, can of cream of chicken soup, 2 cups of salsa, and a pack of taco seasoning.

Finally, I use my sharpie and mark each bag with the day of the week I plan to use it by as well as include any extra information like cooking times. Example: 4 hours on high OR 8 hours on low.

Good Luck!

I hope that this was helpful! It has saved me SO much time and I have to say I rather enjoy not having to clean all the pots and pans every night after cooking a meal. If you're one busy momma like myself, I'm sure you will enjoy your new found love for your crock pot.

Questions?

If you have any questions on "how to" when it comes to your crock pot, email me!

Did this post help you? Maybe even inspire you to use your crock pot? I would LOVE to know! Also, if you have any tips you'd like to share or add let me know! 

Thank you!