As a sleep consultant, I tell my clients that they should honor naps and do their best to allow their baby to sleep at home in the crib at all times. In theory, I stand by this suggestion. If you have been working hard to get your child sleeping through the night, poor naps during the day can derail your progress. Afterall, consistent naps in the crib are going to be the most restful option for your baby.

In contrast...as a mom, I need...

Running sounds awful, right? Why do people want to run when there are plenty of other means of transportation? These were my exact thoughts on the subject. But believe it or not, there are millions of people in the world who actually enjoy it. They even look forward to it! I doubted I could do such a thing myself, due to the fact that I’m an asthmatic. I was born with asthma and was always excused from any running in gym class while in...

Sometime after becoming a mom, you face the fact that, your life, body, and mind will never be the same! Yikes! That could be terrifying, depressing, exciting or relieving...the range of feelings about this stuff is vast. I know because I’ve been there myself (4 times!), and because, as a birthworker and parent coach, I see it every day. We love our children so much…BUT the changes to our bodies, lives and energy can be SO...

What would you do if a trusted physician told you there was no hope for your child? Would you accept his fate or would you insist on more? I have to admit, I’m not sure I would have the confidence in myself to challenge what the experts were telling me. Would you? One mom did have the confidence. Last March Amber Freed was told that one of her twins, her son Maxwell, had a rare genetic disorder that would deeply affect his development for the...

It’s been 6 long, exhausting weeks since baby was born. You’ve gone to your OBGYN and have been cleared to return to exercise. FINALLY! However, there is a lot more to it than just that!

There are many common postpartum issues you may still be experiencing, but you just haven’t talked about because you assume they are a normal after having a baby. Yet, what most women don’t know is although these issues are COMMON, they are NOT...

Everyone loves telling prospective parents what life will be like for them after the baby arrives. Friends, family, neighbors, the grocery store clerk...they all have advice for the parent-to-be!

“Get sleep now, because soon that’ll be over!”

“Say goodbye to your love life!”

“It’s the most wonderful thing that will ever happen to you!”

These messages might be...

4 cups Cheerios

6 cups corn Chex

3 cups wheat Chex

3 cups slim pretzel sticks (I prefer rice Chex instead of pretzel sticks)

1 lb mixed salted nuts (I usually add another 8oz of mixed nuts)

1/2 c butter

1/4 c bacon drippings (fat from cooked bacon)

1 Tblsp Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp Tabasco sauce

1 1/2 tsp seasoned salt

1 tsp celery salt

1 tsp savory (sometimes called summer...

Crazy 8s

8 Rounds of 8 Reps of the 8 exercises

Double Jack Burpees

Squat to Overhead Press

Seated Boat Bicycles

Side shuffle down the mat and 1 jumping jack

Deadlift to bicep curl

Plank knee to elbow (8 each side)

Speed Skaters (8 each side)

Reverse Lunge tricep kickbacks

Now my boys know: every year we make gingerbread cookies AND we send them out to family and friends. This accidental tradition has been such a long lasting and fun time for us. The dough is made and let to sit in the fridge for at least 24 hours sometimes 2 or 3 days. That lets the dough rest and really allows all the flavors to mix. It makes for an excellent cookie. If I make the dough without the boys, I will usually present them with...

We hang a spider ornament as the last ornament on our tree every year. It is an old German folk tale, and the last person to arrive to celebrate Christmas gets to read the folktale aloud and hangs the spider. When we started having kids, my dad handcrafted us our own spider ornament.

How Resale Shopping can Satisfy your Stroller Envy

Have you ever experienced stroller envy? Before I had kids, I never would have expected to be checking out other mom’s strollers, but I totally do. There are some insanely posh strollers out there these days. And as nice as they are, the price tags that come along with some of these strollers can be pretty hefty. Many of our must have baby items...

Leaving your baby in a gym child-watch area might be a little nerve-racking for some moms, especially if you’re a new mom. What if there was a way you could get a workout in while simultaneously bonding with your baby? Well, there is! Mother and child interaction makes FiIT4MOM’s Stroller Strides program a unique way to get a full body workout with your child in tow.

It only takes one class to understand what a...

As moms, we all know how vital even 5 minutes of “me time,” a day can be. And even though we know this, we don’t tend to make ourselves a priority. Why? Well, there are too many reasons and excuses to count. The main thing that most moms will say is that there is just not enough time in the day. While that may be true, we can’t go on like this. I need a break! We all need a break!

Here are 6 ways that moms can...

It’s amazing how the birth of a child will change your priorities. For 10 years I had been living in denial–refusing to embrace my diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Even though each and every day was filled with challenges and physical limitations, I hid from the truth, and in turn robbed myself from the opportunity of a “normal” life.

The day my son was born, something awoke inside of me. I found an inner strength–an instinctual...

We’ve all been given the choice between this deliciously, unhealthy food or that amazingly, unhealthy food. In these situations most of us will think, “Hey, if I’m going to eat crappy, I might as well go all out!” Well, you might want to sit down for this because I’m about to blow your mind! No matter what amazing pile of sugary deliciousness or greasy goodness you happen to be contemplating, one of them is a healthier choice than the...