What is a M.O.M. ?

Who knew that M.O.M. would end up being an acronym for a cause to which I could devote my dreams and energy, as well as being the word which easily summarizes what I feel to be one of my highest purposes for being alive?
Whew, that got a little wordy. I like to try to follow grammatical rules when I write, but when you are trying to never end a sentence with a preposition, well, it can start to sound too complicated.

More simply put, I know that God's purpose is for me to be a mom, and I also believe that the M.O.M. cause is one that God has called me to. (Preposition or not, that just sounds better!)
In case it isn't clear, M.O.M. is the Movement of Moms. And in case that isn't clear, allow me to reiterate what I'm hoping the Movement of Moms can come to mean to you. This is a work in progress, something that I've been thinking about since last July. My desire is that it is designed in such a way as to have room for everybody, with a framework that makes our cause obvious to anyone who's looking. Here's my best explanation so far:

The Movement of Moms is a community connected by support, nutrition, activity, and education. It can often be difficult for moms to have regular, meaningful interactions with other "grown-ups" because of the particular challenges associated with raising kiddos. Whether working or being at home full-time, moms are usually just too busy to create a support network that helps them take care of themselves while they are caring for everyone else. I'm right there with ya. That's why M.O.M is largely virtually based. The goal is to be able to take a few minutes online and be able to see from Instagram, Facebook, this blog, YouTube, and even Skype that there is a group of people who care about how you spent your day, and how they can help you make decisions that create positive changes for you and your family.

I didn't know exactly why I started blogging, except that I wanted to encourage other moms. Now I know that I want to genuinely share what being a M.O.M. means to my life each week. Often it means craziness with a toddler. Or some time and effort given to a new healthy recipe. Even what I'm learning about worshiping God in the midst of this chaos. Because I quite often have either a cup of Herbalife tea or a shake nearby, it makes sense that what I write always involves a hint of Herbalife. Honestly, that's what fuels the Movement of Moms. Without Herbalife, it's hard to imagine having the energy, sleep, or confidence it takes to create deliberate connections with "the outside world" instead of hunkering down and just trying to get through each day. That's why I love it, and that's why I offer it as a helpful solution.

Herbalife is why Yia is down 5 pounds and suddenly motivated to find friends that will want to go outside and play volleyball with her even if they look silly, just because they feel too good to not be active. It's why "A.R." has the energy to start exercising again and will feel super sassy on her anniversary. It's what helped Joan feel like she wasn't alone in the world and could start to take care of herself again after multiple challenging surgeries. It's what helped me believe I could still make a difference in people's lives even after an injury took away my nursing career. It's the vehicle that can drive M.O.M., because at it's core it is about making the world a better place for families like ours. With Herbalife, you can choose to tailor what you do to the things you care about. I care about seeing other moms feeling encouraged, so that's really all I want to use Herbalife to do. That's what the Movement of Moms is for.


Now, since you know that I'm just an ordinary mom with a crazy little toddler (who has on occasion been known to sneak off with my mascara...), you may well ask what I think is really possible from a "one woman movement" startup idea. I figure, what are some things that I really like, and can I offer them to a community in a virtual setting? Ideally, of course, it won't always remain just online. As moms make connections virtually, they will hopefully feel more confident about finding local moms to bring into the community as well. With both aspects in place, here are some of the things M.O.M. has to offer:
Energy - Perspective - Free Dinners (that you don't have to cook or clean!) - Feeling Good - Emotional Support - Dancing - "Lookin' Good" - Intellectual Growth - Inspiration - Sleeping "Good" - Girls' Weekends - Group Acitivities - Daily Motivation - Reasons to Dress-up (one of my personal faves) - Playdates - Accountability - Listening Ears - Fitness - Movie Nights - Extra Income if desired.

Does that sound good to anyone else? What would you ideally find in a community of moms - please share, I would love to make this about what moms really want, and make it accessible for everyone.

Join us.

Follow me on Instagram @happyfitnessmama,
 share photos of what makes you happiest about being a mom, and tag them #movementofmoms
 so that we can keep perspective with you!

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Disclaimer - Research shows that those people having a Formula 1 meal replacement shake twice daily as part of a healthy eating and exercise plan can reasonably expect to lose 1/2 to 1 lb a week. And the average annual compensation provided by Herbalife to its distributors at the Supervisor position with a downline is approximately $5,800. I have chosen to consistently follow my Herbalife nutrition plan and work hard at running my business, which is the reason for my personal results.