Raising Super Healthy Kids

Sometimes balancing being a mom, wife and entrepreneur can be challenging.  During super busy weeks, I'm often tempted to order out, eat out, or fix quick, not-so-nutritious meals.  But my commitment to raising a healthy family keeps me searching for quick, easy meals that are not only healthy, but don't require a lot of time to prepare. 

The best "tool" I've found to keep me motivated and focused is a weekly meal plan.  It takes me about 30 minutes to prepare at the beginning of the week, but it's so rewarding once completed.  I create a shopping list as I plan the meals for each day, so once done, I can take the list to the store and get all the items I need for the week.

Creating a meal planning template is easy to do.  You may be savvy on the computer and can create a spreadsheet or table, or you can download free meal planning templates online.  A great resource I personally use are the forms found on OrganizedHome.com.  This site not only offers free menu planning templates, but many other forms to help you better organize your home.

Now that you have your template, it's time to fill it in.  Planning what to feed your kids that's healthy may be challenging, but it is quite possible.  Kids, as well as adults, need the recommended servings of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and protein.  Keeping this in mind will help guide you in planning healthy meals.

If you need ideas of healthy meals for your kids, the Super Healthy Kids site is a great resource.  This blog is full of information on how to get your kids to eat healthy foods.  It also includes yummy and nutritious recipes as well as free weekly menus.  I use this site in planning my kids' meals and it has saved me a lot of time and headaches!   Teaching your children early how to eat healthy will help them begin to make good food choices that will carry them through their lives. 

So are you ready to make the commitment today to raise Super Healthy Kids (if you're not already)?  How did this blog post impact you?  I would love to hear from you!  Leave a comment below and don't forget to spread the love by sharing this post on Facebook and Twitter!  Thank you and I appreciate you!!! 

To your family's health,

Time Out for Moms

Many Mompreneurs are balancing being a mom, a wife, a friend, an employee (in some cases), and an entrepreneur.  With all of these demands on them, it’s no wonder that many mompreneurs devote very little, if any, time for themselves.

While you may be able to survive for some time fulfilling the needs of everyone else in your life, you won’t last long without taking time for yourself.  Our bodies need time to rejuvenate in order to give our best performance and to maintain health.  So, in honor of mompreneurs everywhere, here are my Top 5 Savvy rejuvenating activities for Moms:

5.  Day at the Gym.  Okay, so you may be thinking that exercising isn’t your first pick for relaxation.  But the endorphins released from at least 30 minutes of regular, aerobic exercise is sure to improve your mood, boost your energy level, and help you maintain your goal weight.  So if you want to feel better, have more energy, and maybe even prolong your life, then start exercising.  Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/exercise/HQ01676

4.  Thirty-one Purses.  Shopping can be great therapy.  For those of you who love a great purse or multi-functional bag, this brand of purses will overwhelm you with choices.  From signature purses to home accents, you are sure to find something to fit your taste and style.  Source: http://thirtyonegifts.com.

 

3.  Spa Day.  For me, there’s nothing better than a great manicure, pedicure, facial and a relaxing massage.  This quiet time can help you refocus while releasing tension and stress.  Spend the time with a friend or go solo.  Either way, you are sure to enjoy this treat.

2.  Great Skincare.  Putting your best face forward does not only mean having great makeup, but also ensuring you have luxury skin care products that change your skin from the inside, out.  Be sure to choose a product that’s designed to deliver the right medicines, in the right formulations, in the right order to transform your skin.  Source: http://roz.myrandf.com

1.  Mommy Day.  This can be a full day, half a day, or at least 2 – 3 hours of pure “me” time.  Ask the hubby, a relative or friend to watch the kids and spend the time doing only those things that rejuvenate and build you up.  It might be a trip to the mall, the spa, the library or your favorite park.  Whatever you choose!

Choose from this list or create your own ways to rejuvenate.  You’ll find that doing this on a regular basis will help you perform all of your many Savvy Mompreneur roles better.   

Raising Savvy Entrepreneurs

Being mompreneurs means balancing our time between motherhood and entrepreneurship, among other things. If we are entrepreneurs at home, then we are fortunate to be able teach our children how to be leaders and savvy business people by modeling.

Though modeling can be one of the best methods of teaching, children oftentimes learn lasting lessons through hands-on activities. Whether you are an entrepreneur at home or outside the home, you can use this hands-on activity.

A great lesson for children is the right use of money. At an early age, children can learn to solve not only imaginary money problems, but also how to keep an accurate account of their own income and expenditures. Children can better learn the right use of money by using it.

Whether you give them an allowance or they work for their earnings, let them learn to properly choose and purchase their own clothing, books, toys, and other necessities. If possible, open a joint checking account with them so they can also learn to track their spending and to accurately balance their account.

By keeping an account of their income and expenses, they will learn, better than they could learn in any other way, the value and the proper use of money. What better lesson could be taught in the school of savvy entrepreneurship!

The Good Side of Losing One Income

If you are a two-income household and are contemplating losing one income so that you can come home, you probably have heard or even thought of every reason why this will be a big challenge.  However, there are advantages to going from a two-income household to one.

In her book 1/2 Price Living, Ellie Kay outlines 10 advantages to living on one income:

1. Less stress.  You no longer have to struggle with balancing work commitments and the kids.
2. Greater sense of family and togetherness.  In many cases, you are able to eat at home more often than when you had an outside job.
3. No worries about sick children.  You no longer have to worry about who will take care of a sick child when you can't take more time off of work.
4. Being able to drive for field trips.  And spending time with you kid's friends.  You also have the freedom to go grocery shopping during the day, saving precious family time.
5. A stronger marriage.  Marriages can become stronger because you pull together more.
6. Greater creativity.  As you research new, different and fun ways to stretch one income, your creativity grows.
7. You don't miss out.  You get to see first-hand your baby's first step, first tooth, first words, and first, "I wuv you, Mama!"
8. More time at home.  You now have more time at home to develop other passions, such as being an entrepreneur, writing, or painting.
9. No regrets.  When your kids are grown, you'll have no regrets.
10. More options.  You have the option of being home to homeschool in you choose.

So when those negative, discouraging thoughts try to creep in about your desire to come home, remember these advantages, and add some of your own.  If your choice is to come home, whether to work from home or to be a stay at home mom, then be sure to check out our future posts on ways you can afford to be home.