A Declaration of Thanksgiving

Today we live in a world which can tempt us to despair, fear, or apathy. Our comparative wealth creates an environment rife with materialism, and our freedoms (long held and for which most of us did not personally have to fight) permit disinterestedness in all but our immediate surroundings. If we have been prone to looking down at our feet as we shuffle along through life, it may feel overwhelming to raise our eyes and start looking around. Perhaps we feel too grieved by the pain and suffering in the world. We fear for ungodly influences on our children. No future leader could possibly find a way to heal the rift in our nation between liberals and conservatives, so we all may feel anxiety over future changes.

As we try to stem the ugly feeling of uselessness which inevitably arises with these fears, the tempting solution is to simply look down again. Just keep our eyes on our feet and shuffle along. But isn't that just giving fear the power to control our lives by guiding our reactions? Why not, instead, lift up our eyes all the way to Jesus, the founder and protector of our faith? Will it really make a difference in how we feel? Could it actually change our response to everything? Listen to how it taught the author of Hebrews to think about life...

"Consider Him who endured from sinners such hostility against Himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted... It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled...".

I was challenged this week by a mentor to write a declaration of thanksgiving. This is how it came out! This Independence Day, I challenge each of us to take time to thank God for 3 things:

1.) What we see in our own immediate life, whether pain or pleasure, because it brings an opportunity for holiness
2.) What we see in the world around us, whether peaceful or painful, because God who is perfectly good is on His throne and can be trusted
3.) Who we see when we look up - because it reminds us that He is actually what we should see in us and surrounding us.

Today is a day to be thankful. Beyond any fear, any pain, any circumstance, we see Christ and so we are grateful. The fear, pain, and circumstances may not go away, at least not right away, but you will be looking at The Way.

As you celebrate this national holiday with your family, why not take a moment to give thanks for these 3 things together?

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Kale That My Toddler Eats

As I walked through my dining room and felt some of yesterday's dinner kale crunch under my toes,

it occurred to me to be grateful; it was there on the floor not because my toddler had thrown it, 

but because he likes it so much that he had been stuffing such large handfuls into his mouth that it spilled over onto the carpet.

Any vegetable that a toddler can enjoy that much is worth a blog post at least...

Ingredients

1- 16oz bag of fresh chopped kale

2-4 tbsp olive oil, depending on how careful you are about calories (I'm not terribly)

Your favorite seasoning, I use a Smokey South African blend, or nutritional yeast and salt

Prepare a large baking pan with a sheet of aluminum foil to save yourself some frustrating cleaning, later.

                            

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Spread the kale evenly over the pan, it will be very thick but will shrink down as it cooks. Toss with oil and seasonings to evenly coat all of the kale pieces.

                           

Place the pan on the middle rack in the oven. Set timer for 6 minutes. At that point, use a spatula to turn some of the pieces and redistribute the kale evenly over the pan.

                           

Check the kale after another 5 minutes. You are looking for most of the pieces to have browned edges. Some will be mostly brown and some mostly green still, the goal is for the bulk of the kale to be crispy.

I made only half a bag, so you can anticipate a full bowl for your efforts with the entirety.

Our family of 3 will go through an entire bag in one sitting. I warn you, it leaves little pieces in your teeth. And if you have a toddler whom you whisk to the bath after dinner because he is so messy, you may also find tiny pieces of veggie all over the tub.

And here's a photo of Little Man's dreamy gaze. Just because...

                             

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When You're A Mom...

Now granted, I'm relatively new to the mom game. But if two and a half years has taught me anything, it's that you never know what's going to happen in a day...

For example, this afternoon my son came to me with my lovely recently ironed white linen skirt draped over his head, announcing that he was the little mermaid... Little Man had just spent the afternoon with his favorite girl in the world (our 13 year old pastor's daughter and amazing babysitter), and part of those hours included a viewing of the aforementioned Disney classic. Remember the scene in the cartoon when Ariel arrives on the beach, ahem, less than clothed and needs an emergency wardrobe before she can find the prince? The seagull wraps her in an old sail that was conveniently at hand... Well, what else would a white linen skirt look like to a toddler? 

Last week I went to the wonderful Costco to print my photos. Turns out there are 973 pictures on my phone... Which might contribute to it's sluggishness (is that a word?). Anyway, going through my photos to whittle them down to a mere 298 for printing allowed me to discover some true gems. Who knew that my son had figured out how to get to my camera, turn it on selfie mode, and go crazy?!

This morning I was determined to exercise. For those prego mommies looking for a safe and effective workout, you MUST look up PregoFit. You can buy it in DVD or download it to your device. The trainer is pregnant as well, each month doing the appropriate routines to give you an energy boost and assist with toning. And when you are feeling just plain chubby, she looks a bit that way, too :-) So I put in my DVD and picked up super light dumbbells. Every move I made was either mimicked or prohibited by my special little man. I mean absolutely every move. When my friend called and I took a quick break to answer the phone, Little Man took the exercise ball and tried to go for a spin... Right into the corner of the coffee table! My sweet friend very understandingly tried to hear me over his screams, and then even more kindly said, "Well I'd better let you go, we will talk soon." At least I think she said that, because neither of us could really hear at that point. 

There's not often something profound that happens in my days as a mom. We live a simple life, we follow Christ, we do our best to each other and others, we suffer downs and enjoy ups, we laugh and cry, obey and disobey, celebrate and survive. And we chuckle. Alot. I hope this helps you do the same.

Join us.

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Ode to A Clean Garage

I downed a glass of Herbalife courage and cautiously opened the door. I promptly closed the door, went to the phone, and asked my mom to pray for me. Now, physically and spiritually prepared, I made my plan of attack. I wish I had a picture of how RIDICULOUS I appeared when next I opened that door. Long pants, long socks and tennies, tee shirt tucked into pants, light hoodie over the tee shirt, hair in a braid, baseball cap over the braid, and hood over the baseball cap. Enough, you think? No. I also had on rubber gloves to be certain I never had to touch one of the hundreds of spiders I knew to be lurking in that garage. After creating a walled in space right outside the garage where little man could safely play, I turned on Pandora and “got to it”. Oh my goodness, did that place get clean. Wow, it was exhilarating . Five hours later, after a lunch break in the middle, I emerged triumphant. The place had even been vacuumed. I entered my laundry room no longer afraid to return to my garage in socks. I will even walk by the garage door without cringing, now that I know the TARANTULA who formerly resided there has been killed and sucked into my vacuum.

As I sucked down web after web into the vacuum hose, I had to wonder how the spiders would feel when they came out of hiding to find their webs destroyed, the environment smelling of lavender dusting spray, and the dead flies they were feasting on, disappeared. Here is what I imagine they felt. And being theatrical by nature, I imagine them singing it…

Ode to A Clean Garage

From a spider...

Oh dusty room of bygone days,

Where once we lived in secret ways,

Now on a foreign space we gaze,

Vision dimmed by tearful haze,

With grief for you, our glasses raise.

Clean.

Where be the freshly dying flies?

How did we miss the vacuum’s cries

Of warning while its hose would rise,

Its mistress making webs her prize?

A prison born, a playroom dies.

Clean.

Now we must work, new webs to spin,

While she inspects with wicked grin,

As if she thinks that we won’t win,

That we can’t overtake again,

That she can rule our special pen!

Clean.

She may believe that she knows best,

But she’ll soon sit, and we’ll not rest-

We’ll scatter and each build a nest

And prove to her whom we detest

That she does not have us impressed.

Clean?

Yet it is now a week or more,

And with each opening of the door

Our hopes glow dim, her spirits soar,

Our losses grow and and leave us sore.

Scared. Attacked. Sanitized, and more.

Clean.

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True Confessions

Lest anyone think that because my screen name is "FitMama" and my IG is @happyfitnessmama, I must live an incredibly fit, "put together", always on top of it healthy life... I thought I might share some true confessions from my week.

True Confession #1- I am writing this blog from the bathroom where I sit on the floor patiently waiting for my Little Man to go potty. He's just barely 2, and has decided that he would like to try potty training. We bought him a "Thomas" toilet seat, which has become one of life's biggest thrills. He's had 2 dry diapers today, very exciting, yes, but it still takes him quite a while to connect the need to "go" with the necessary internal mechanics of making it happen. Plus, he knows that his reward for going potty on the toilet is getting to wear his Thomas pull-ups. Which means he will sit on the seat for 30 minutes if necessary to earn that pull-up...

True Confession #2- In related news, I made the newbie mom decision to take my son out in a pull-up today for errands before he had done his daily poo-poo... So when we were at my husband's church office making copies, I had the pleasure of pulling a poopie diaper down his legs while trying to maneuver it safely over his feet and into a plastic bag. His legs remained relatively clean. My finger, unfortunately, was not similarly spared.

True Confession #3 - Before writing this blog, I devoured 2 bags of my son's cookies. They're the organic, whole grain version of a Teddy Graham. They have amaranth in them. I'm not exactly sure what that is, but it makes me feel like they're not so bad for Little Man. Or me. I ate the chocolate kind. Yup, 2 bags. And now I really want some Fig Newtons.

True Confession #4- I have a terrible weakness for Trader Joe's red licorice, the thick chunky kind that tastes like artificial strawberries and gets stuck in my teeth.

True Confession #5- I forgot that my son was turning 2 until the day before his birthday. Trying to plan a birthday party was, needless to say, quite delayed. So he's had 2 parties with different family members, and one set of grandparents still wasn't able to make it. Mommy fail. One day I will be that mom that makes plans months in advance and actually does the things she's written down in her planner.

True Confession #6 - I occasionally take parenting advice from Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood.

True Confession #7- I haven't done a real workout in... Well, that's all you need to know. I walk, I play, but that "kick butt, I did a workout and now I'm sweating" feeling... It's been too long. Tomorrow morning. Gotta happen.

True Confession #8 - We have tacos EVERY Monday. We have had tacos EVERY MONDAY since we got married 5 1/2 years ago. My husband is a man of routine. I'm so sick of tacos.

True Confession #9- I forgot to clip Little Man's toenails until they were literally curling over the top of his toe when he was about 18 months. I just didn't notice until they were unnatural and creepy...

True Confession #10 - Every week I plan to blog 3 times, workout every morning, have my shake and tea every day, and journal. The only part I manage is the shake and tea. Herbalife saves me from getting fat from lack of workouts, too many children's cookies and red licorice...

Well, that's enough for now. And Little Man is still on the toilet, waiting for that magical tinkle which earns him a Thomas pull-up. I'm going to have to intervene. It's time to make tacos...

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"Chutes and Ladders"... A New Perspective

On the box, it says "3+", so I already knew that attempting to play "Chutes and Ladders" with my just barely 2 year old would be...creative. The game was a special birthday present and Little Man has been loving it, and it's a different game each time. Today, while rejoicing for the rain that is so needed during our West Coast drought, I was preparing myself for the entire day without outdoor playtime. I was geared up with my Herbalife Tea (it's like having a personal assistant for my brain) and making plans.

Books and games were definitely on the agenda, although Little Man was nonplussed when I said that the rain meant we couldn't go "ah-side". He simply said, "HAT", and ran to his bedroom. He had been wearing only jammie pants, but when he returned he was half way into his jacket. After I helped him get the rest on, he pulled the hood up (with one ear covered and the other comically sticking out) and ran to the door. "Mommy. Dacket on. Hat on. AH-SIDE." And we hadn't even eaten breakfast yet.

Anyway, we spent the better part of the morning on chores and reading his favorite books. To keep us occupied after naptime, I turned to the exciting board game which has heretofore offered about 3 minutes of distraction before he's off to something else. Today I was hoping we could extend it a bit, so I tried to draw his attention to the board and not just the exciting spinny thingy.

 "Look, buddy, the kids can go down the slides!" Big mistake. He spent the next two minutes begging me for slides, and I had to once again explain that we couldn't go outside, and yes, the park is outside... When we were able to move on, he was able to enjoy sliding the game piece children down the slides all over the board. Well, then I suggested that some of the kids could go up the ladder.
ABSOLUTELY NOT. Out of nowhere, he yells, "NOOOOOOO", and grabs the game piece and throws him off the board. Why, you ask? I have no idea. There is no profit in trying to make sense of why the ladders were so offensive. But apparently that completely violated the rules of the game we were playing. Still, we don't allow yelling the toddler "n" word like that, so he got the stern look from Mommy with the warning,
 "Little Man, you may not yell no at Mommy. If you throw the pieces or yell at Mommy again, you will go in timeout."
"I sowwy Mommy. No saint-yoo foh timeout." (Sound it out, it's toddler speak...) That little warning went a long way, even enough for me to ask,
"What do you think the kids do on the ladders?" Then we spent a couple of minutes with me racing game pieces up all of the ladders while LM tried to pounce on them. Who knew that Chutes and Ladders was really a maze with the goal being to evade capture by the little human towering above? When all of the kids had escaped from the top of the final ladder, they got a short reprieve on the carpet before LM grabbed them all.
 "Mommy, hoosa bobda lodi humna soo?" (Really, no kidding, that's what it sounds like!)
"Hmmm, I don't know, buddy..."
"Ochay, Mommy. Humda swanda lo. Dis. Mommy, whaszat?!!!" (Pointing to the little girl game piece)
"That's a little girl."
"Mommy, whaszat?!!!!" (Pointing to another little girl game piece)
"That's another little girl."
"Ochay Mommy. Uh, oh. Wheh ah yoo tids?!" (Putting all of the game pieces under the hutch in the living room)
"Oh, no, are they lost, buddy? Where did all of the kids go?"
"Ah so dis dere. Zatch's house."
"Oh, the kids all went to Zac's house?"
"Yeah!"
And that was that. Game over, the kids all went to Zac's house. LM then moved on to telling me all about Zac's family (they are real, not people he made up, just fyi).

Who knew that the SECRET real goal of Chutes and Ladders was only to pretend to escape the toddler via ladders, but in the end to be captured so that you could take a special trip to Zac's house?!

Well, now you know.

What's the best way your child has created a special new way to play?

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How Winnie the Pooh Saved Meal Prep...

I have a toddler, so sometimes I act like an airhead. That's life.

As part of my plan to overcome that, I decided to have meals prepared for a week of healthy lunches. Healthy food in the fridge would hopefully help me stop forgetting to eat vegetables. I bought all of the veggies, cooked the quinoa and lentils, and figured I would prep all of those veggies in a food processor for a simple "mix and eat" meal.

Sounds simple. And it was. Until I lost a piece of the food processor. I had finished the carrots, so the processor bowl was nearly full. There was just enough room for some sugar snap peas to be added. I figured I could fill the "chute" with a few peas and be done in seconds. Then the phone rang. 

I need to make a note to quit answering the phone while doing... anything. It always throws me off.

Off the phone, I turned to the food processor.

But where was the plunger thing? As you can see from where my hand is pointing, the snap peas were in place. And there should be a little plunger thing that pushes the peas down to get grated. I had it when I grated the carrots 2 minutes before. I needed it to finish the last part of my meal prep. One final step. 

But no. I absolutely could not find it, anywhere. 

Enter my husband. I called him at work for moral support. It sounded something like,

"Babe, I've done it again. I've lost something that I JUST had. I'm going crazy.

 I'm just so tired of being this spacey!"

As I explained, he patiently listened and assured me that 

he doesn't think I'm actually crazy. 

Then genius struck. Hours of watching Winnie the Pooh with our kiddo

 gave my husband an idea.

"Remember when Pooh and the others get lost, and Pooh tries to think backward? 

Try NOT looking for the plunger thing.

 Look for something else and maybe it will lead you there!"

You see, Rabbit had led Pooh and Piglet in a circle while trying to find home. They repeatedly ended up back at the same hole. Pooh's suggestion? Look for the hole and maybe they would arrive at home!

Well, at that point, even Winnie the Pooh seemed smarter than me. So I decided I would look for the carrots instead of the plunger. I knew exactly where the carrots were, so I removed the lid to the food processor and stared at them for a moment, feeling like this was really a new low... Taking tips from Winnie the Pooh, for pete's sake...

And then suddenly, there it was. I saw it! The plunger had been in it's place the whole time! I thought I had been putting the peas down the chute, but I was really filling up the hollow plunger. Problem solved, thank you Winnie the Pooh.

Except that now I feel like more of an airhead than ever...

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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.

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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.

Lovin' Cranberry Citrus Snack Muffins (Gluten Free)

It's Valentine's Day, a day typically noted for corny romance, extra flowers, and yummy food. I for one am happy with all of it. Why not take a day and celebrate the special relationships that God has given you? When I was single in college, I would wear a pink shirt with a red scarf and go out for ice cream with a friend. Now, seven years later with a husband and toddler, I have to deliberately stop and consider in my busy days how incredibly blessed I am to love and be loved. Valentine's Day makes me do that. So think of this day what you will, and even if you don't agree with me, maybe these yummy muffins will still bless your tummy!
When I started baking this experiment, I hadn't considered blogging the recipe until I began to realize how yummy everything could possibly taste. This has been modified from multiple other recipes, for which I am grateful as a framework, and I think you will be pleased. Not crumbly, as many GF products tend to be, and also no cane/beet sugar or eggs.
First, we must begin with a gluten free flour blend. The extra can be saved for another day.

Gluten Free Flour
3 cups brown rice flour
1 cup potato starch
1/2 cup spelt flour
1/2 cup millet flour
2 tsp xanthan gum

Cranberry Citrus Snack Muffins
Yield: 36 mini muffins
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 20 min

Ingredients-

• 2 cups gluten free flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup full fat yogurt
• 2/3 cup honey
• 3/4 cup safflower oil or melted butter
• 1 tbsp orange zest
• 1 1/4 tsp lemon extract
• 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup buttermilk (okay to mix 1/2 cup milk and 2 tsp vinegar, let sit, and use instead)
•  1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries, processed in food processor until finely chopped

Directions-

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Pour a little bit of oil onto a paper towel and apply it to the inside of your muffin cups (most pans have only 24 cups, you may want to use a second pan, a large muffin pan, or even a small loaf pan for the remainder. I used a small loaf pan.)
2. In a medium bowl, mix together all of the dry ingredients. Set aside. 
3. Let your toddler/child help stir if one is there and curious!
4. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the yogurt, honey, oil, orange zest, lemon and vanilla extracts, and buttermilk until it is well blended. It will look like an emulsion, very creamy and the oil will separate only slightly.
5. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and stir until just combined. Overstirring will make them tough. 
6. Fold in the chopped cranberries just until evenly distributed. Batter will be very light.
   
7. Divide the batter among the muffin cups (and additional pan), filling almost to the top.
8. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean.
9. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, which will be difficult, because they smell amazing!
10. Feed them to your family as a healthy snack, and don't feel guilty for indulging, yourself. Enjoy!

Here's a parting wave of enthusiasm from my Little Valentine!

Join the movement of moms.

Follow me on Instagram @happyfitnessmama, share photos of your family's favorite snacks or Valentine's moments, and tag them #movementofmoms so that we can love along with you!

Oh - and if you like this post, then go ahead and click on of the icons below to share it!

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.

Not a Pinterest Life, part 2

When we left off earlier this week, you had been made privy to some of Little Man's and my misadventures in housekeeping and exercise. We had fumbled our way through the morning, determined to stay "amused", when LM pooped during the last few minutes of my workout. I would change it as soon as I finished stretching, right? But then the phone rang. Now, let's continue:

It’s an Herbalife client, and her cellphone isn’t getting great reception, but I’m certain I hear her say that her assistant, Dave*, wants a nutrition program as well. I proceed to ask if I can talk with Dave. She tells me that he’s eating lunch but she has all the info. As we go through the questions, I’m thinking, “This guy is awfully bold getting his boss to order his nutrition program. And she sure seems to be close to him, knowing his weight and everything…” We finally get to the end, after establishing that I am shipping his products to her house, and I check his last name. It’s her last name. He’s her HUSBAND, not her assistant! And I get the idiot mom/health coach of the day award. But hey, I made a neat connection in the end on that embarrassing phone call, so being an Herbalife coach offers the consolation that at least I got to talk to another grown up and help somebody other than a two year old.

Whew, off the phone and done with the workout.  What now? Oh yes, diaper change. Well, it’s a loaded one. And as I reach for a wipe, Little Man decides to reach down and explore. Before my mom reflexes can catch up, his hand is in the poop.

“Buddy, wait!” Nope, I am too late. His hand has smeared his leg. One moment’s delay, and now that finger is in his mouth. Oh dear. I’m just hoping that most of the poop got on his leg and didn’t make it to his mouth. I finish the diaper and leg cleaning, and now run to the bathroom myself. You mothers know that of course LM came with me. This time, though, he wanted to really know what was going on…

Things you never imagine yourself saying out loud. “No, kiddo, you can’t pull at my legs to watch me go poo-poos.”

Okay, lunchtime! In the highchair, WAIT! I haven’t washed his poopy hand!!! Run to the sink. It's still full of last night’s dirty dishes, and pots from making lentils with quinoa for my week’s lunches. (It tastes better than it sounds, especially with some feta.) Anyway, I reach for the Wet Ones and solve his yucky hand problem. I chug my recovery drink (yes, it’s also Herbalife), while absent-mindedly overheating his Mac’n’Cheese, which he therefore refuses. While easing his hunger with some fruit, he maneuvers himself so that his buns are still in the seat but his legs are up on his highchair’s tray.

“There,” he sighs, as if he’s finally found his groove. And now that naptime is only minutes away, maybe I have, too. Until he wakes up…

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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.

*Name changed for privacy

Not a Pinterest Life, Part 1

It was a typical day in the life of a toddler, with his mother barely keeping up behind him. By the time they’d been awake for not even an hour, a choice had to be made; be amused, or give up! I was that mother, my Little Man was that toddler, and this is how we kept each other amused that day…

Naturally, I have no time for a shower. As soon as he wakes up, Little Man is eager for action. Since a long road trip last month when he was allowed to watch “Winnie the Pooh” and “Thomas & Friends” to his heart’s content, the carseat has held an oddly powerful sway over LM’s imagination. Before I can even get him dressed, “Dah-sea” is the ceaseless cry.

“No, buddy, not yet. It’s too early to go play in your carseat,” while I try to find a clean pair of socks. Victorious, I turn to find him peeling nasty dead skin in huge sheets from his toes. Having recently recovered from Hand Foot and Mouth disease, we were unpleasantly surprised to find out about this nasty final symptom… You basically exfoliate entire fingers and toes at a time. “Lllllucky” is LM’s reaction to his bright red toe underneath. We are still working on “y”, not “l” sounds.

Determined to accomplish one task in my house this day, I grab the broom and go to work on the kitchen floor. Just as I have nearly finished, with 3 piles to show for my effort, my husband calls. First mistake – I set down the broom. Second mistake- I turn my back. The inevitable result of my carelessness? As I chat with the hubby I turn to find my very helpful toddler “sweeping” through my piles and redistributing them throughout my kitchen. Ah, well. One must learn very quickly to not be too fussy about appearances and spotlessness. Or not learn, and go crazy. Next we tackle the bathrooms. If you want some excitement, try using a toilet bowl brush in front of your toddler, combined with minty-fresh scented cleaner, and then keep him from using that same brush to “clean” the floors when you’re not looking.

Okay, house is tidy, sorta, and it’s time to attempt a workout.

I take my Herbalife24 Prepare 

to help myself believe that I am 

100% committed to completing this workout. 

 As I put in the dvd and grab my mat, I am at least reassured that he’s seen this routine often enough to recognize it, and yell out “Ah-cize!!!!” Great, small victory, my son believes exercise is fun and exciting. In fact, while I start with jumping jacks, he attempts his own comically flailing version as well.
 Here’s when it gets exciting. After getting through the warmup, I grab some weights and start with squats. In this exact moment, Little Man decides that he MUST take his pants off, or disintegrate. Well, I don’t want to lose all of my momentum, so I decide to just talk him through the process.

“Buddy, your pants are stuck because you have your slippers on. Take your slippers off.”

“PANTS OFF!!!!!!!” Hmmm, I’m not getting through.

“Kiddo, I understand. Start with your slippers, then your pants.”

“PANTS PANTS OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF!!!!”

“Yes, I understand. But mommy is busy. You may not yell at me. Timeout, please.”

Miraculously, he actually goes to timeout. After a minute, I call out to let him come back. By this time, I am doing mat work and can grab the slippers, then the pants, between crunches. Now that his pants are off, he feels free to have a sit on my tummy/abs (it depends on the day!), and attempts to hug me…  

Next he moves into his Tonka Truck and tries to run over my head with it, yelling, “Vroom, Vroooooooooom!”

“Buddy, enough with the truck please. Be gentle with mommy.” Gentle, hmmm…. 

Next thing I know there’s a hairbrush being dragged through my ponytail. I disentangle my brush and move on to bicycle crunches, the worst most awful exercise ever. And much harder when you are laughing because your toddler now has his head between your legs saying, “Hi Mommy!” 

As if the comedy isn’t enough already, he brings me his treasured bubble wands and puts one up to my mouth to “bo bubboos” every time my head rises. No matter what I try, he finds a way to be involved. And since this is reality with a toddler and home workout combo, I try to just keep laughing and redirecting, as patiently as possible. How does he thank me?   He backs right up to my face as he stares in fascination at the screen, and then… Yep, he poops. The odor is overwhelming, and he’s grinning. I make a quick decision that since I’m already 15 minutes into a 20 minute routine, I’m just gonna push through and change it as soon as I’m done stretching. 

Of course, no sooner do I start to stretch than the phone rings.

Check back in two days for the sequel, we're only half way through the morning!

                                               Join the movement of moms.

Follow me on Instagram @happyfitnessmama, share photos of your "non-pinterest" days, and tag them #movementofmoms so that we can remind you that you're not alone!

Oh - and if you like this post, then go ahead and click on of the icons below to share it!

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.