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If you’re an Indiana resident, you’re in luck! Right now you can get a FREE Vera Bradley Zip ID Case when you sign up for the St. Vincent’s Women’s Services newsletter. You can choose from topics like Weight Loss, Stress Management, Breast Health, Joint Pain and more.
Thanks IN Good Cents!
For the past 8 months, my life has felt out of control. I’ve struggled to balance the demands of work, church, blogging, working out, time in the Word, housework, friends, and of course, my family. Unfortunately, I’ve failed miserably.
My health has suffered, my marriage has suffered, my house has suffered…and I’ve been a basket case. Every night, after a long day of work, followed by soccer games, dinner, homework and praying with the kids, I’d head to the computer to “catch up” on blog stuff. My husband would implore me to come to bed while I would plead with him for “one more minute”. One minute became ten, ten minutes became an hour, and more often than not, by the time I made it to bed, it was well past midnight and my husband was sound asleep.
I burned the midnight oil only to find that I was less productive during the day. Sometimes I’d wake up in the morning to find that I’d posted a deal I had no recollection of posting. Sometimes I’d check my blog only to find that the things I’d posted in the wee hours of the morning made absolutely no sense.
I struggled to find balance…yet it continued to allude me. Time management has never been my strong suit and to make matters worse, I’m easily distracted. A quick trip to the office to “check my email” could easily turn into an hour chatting on Twitter, reading other blogs, and posting or snagging a great deal.
I knew something need to change, but I wasn’t sure what. My schedule was packed during the week and it seemed like every weekend we had a trip planned or something major going on at home.
By the second week of October, I was at the end of my rope…yet I managed my “everything is under control and going well” facade. I had traveled to Knoxville at the end of September, headed to New Hampshire in the beginning of October, and came home to about a month’s worth of laundry and housework. I knew that things weren’t going to slow down. To add to my misery, my sweet friend Cici passed away. I was faced with how fleeting life was and I knew I wasn’t living mine to the fullest. In the midst of this craziness, I was supposed to be getting ready to head to a blogging conference. I honestly considered staying home. Fortunately, I had a sponsor to represent. I was excited to share my love of Terralina with the blogging community and staying home meant that I wouldn’t be fulfilling my commitment. Little did I know that Relevant would be more than an answer to my prayers.
Stay tuned for The Struggle For Balance: Part 2.
Thank you Terralina for being such an amazing sponsor! My trip to the Relevant Conference truly was life changing.
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I used to be a great mom…that was until I had kids! All those things I thought my kids wouldn’t do…well….they do it! Sometimes my daughters watch Disney Channel for hours at a time, sometimes we run through the drive through on the way home from games because I didn’t meal plan that week, and sometimes my kids eat Fruit Loops for breakfast. Some of you are shocked that my kids don’t get home cooked meals every night and others of you are probably relieved to know you’re not the only one who still lets your kids eat food with high fructose corn syrup in it. If you’re in the first category, feel free to whip up a double portion of dinner some night and drop it by my house…my family and I would love you forever. If you’re in the second category, you’re not alone. I think all moms occasionally suffer from mom guilt. I’m no exception. The biggest area of mom guilt for me is what I feed my kids. I’m constantly bombarded with messages telling me that my kids should be eating non-processed organic foods and that at all costs I should avoid giving them HFCS (high fructose corn syrup). For those of you who only feed your family organic, non-processed food, I commend you, but for me…it’s just not realistic.
I had the opportunity to participate in a live webinar with multiple doctors, nutritionists, and registered dietitians as well as other bloggers who wanted the scoop on HFCS. They shared lots of great info with us and even fielded our questions. Here are a few of the things I learned, some were surprising…some were expected.
Last week, I read an article entitled “6 Biggest Lies About Food Busted”. This article also came to the conclusion that HFCS and table sugar are nearly identical in their makeup and that HFCS is getting a bum rap.
After having a chance to sift through all this info, I’ve come to this conclusion. Yes, I will still allow HFCS (or maybe I should start calling it corn sugar) to remain a part of my household, but the corn sugar (along with any other sweeteners and sugars in our house) will be used in moderation. I need to focus on making healthy lifestyle choices for our whole family. We need to continue to exercise regularly and eat balanced diets that include plenty of fruits and veggies. Lastly, I need to ditch the mommy guilt!
Disclosure: The information shared was provided by the Corn Refiners Association. I have been compensated for writing this blog post. All opinions are my own.
One of the best ways to save money on dental bills is preventative maintenance like regular brushing and flossing. This is easier said than done when it comes to our kids! Here are some helpful tips to keep your kids smiles healthy and bright!
Disclosure: I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Trident blogging program, making me eligible to get a $25 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.
EcoMom is offering new customers 20% off their first purchase when they use code NC20. EcoMom is committed to making eco-conscious living easy, affordable, and rewarding. From organic baby food to eco-friendly diapers to healthy toys to non-toxic cleaners and everything in between. They also have an EcoMom Daily Deal which provides one deal per day at an incredible price. These deals are posted Monday through Friday at 10:30 Pacific Time. If you want “be green” and spend a little less green while doing it, EcoMom is the site for you!
Today’s Fort Wayne Groupon deal is at Vital Living which is my favorite place to go for a massage!
Don’t worry if you don’t live in Fort Wayne! You can find Groupon deals all over the country!
Not familiar with Groupon? Here’s the 411…straight from the horse’s mouth!
Each day, Groupon features an unbeatable deal on the best stuff to do, see, eat, and buy in your city. By promising businesses a minimum number of customers, we get discounts you won’t find anywhere else. We call it “collective buying power!”
Just click “BUY” before the offer ends at midnight. If the minimum number of people sign up, we’ll charge your card and send you a link to print your Groupon. If not enough people join, no one gets it (and you won’t be charged), so invite your friends to make sure you get the deal!
If not enough people sign up, then the deal is canceled, and you won’t be charged. Better luck next time! So if you really want the Groupon, be sure to either beg or threaten your friends .
No. Many Groupons have an expiration date, but you never have to use them on the date of purchase.
Once you’re charged, you’ll receive an email with a link to sign in and print your Groupon. The Groupon has redemption instructions and a map right on it!
Yes. We communicate with all the businesses that we work with that Groupons can be gifted, and unless the Fine Print specifically states otherwise, gift away! To have us send them the gift, select the gift option at checkout.
Get your free eCookbook: The Ultimate List of Healthy Snacks. This ebook includes 40 Healthy Snack Recipes and features 48 pages of recipes! I’m always looking for healthy snacks, so this is a great find!
I shared a few weeks ago about my weight loss journey, but didn’t check in and update you last week. Part of the problem was that I was in Phoenix and had absolutely no idea how much I’d gained or lost. I was pretty sure I gained (and I did), but since I didn’t take my little weight watchers book with me, the number on the scale at the meeting in Phoenix didn’t mean a whole lot. When I got home and found my little book, I realized that I had gained 2.2 pounds.
The good news is that when I weighed in at Weight Watchers yesterday, I weighed the same thing I weighed 2 weeks ago, which means I lost 2.2 pounds this week. I know…that’s not really impressive, but I’m not gaining weight each week. Oh yeah…and tomorrow will make 3 weeks that I’ve been soda free!
I have some really good news about future weight loss that I will share with you in a post very soon, but I’m waiting til I have a few more details.
Here are my goals for this week:
1. Drink at least 10 cups of water every day!
2. Get at least 3.5 hours of exercise in.
3. Not buy any Chocolate Fudge Pop Tarts (I think I might be addicted to them…and I’m pretty sure I could lose a lot more weight if I ate a lot less Pop Tarts.)
To see who else is Losing It, head on over to Giving Up On Perfect!
Losing weight and exercising regularly (or 10,950 minutes) both made it on my list of New Year’s Resolutions for 2010. If either of these made your list, you may want to check out this deal from Curves. You can go here to request a free fitness plan. They are also offering 30 days free when you join (this is for new members only and there is some fine print at the bottom that you may want to read).
Losing weight and exercising regularly (or 10,950 minutes) both made it on my list of New Year’s Resolutions for 2010. If either of these made your list, you may want to check out this deal from Curves. You can go here to request a free fitness plan. They are also offering 30 days free when you join (this is for new members only and there is some fine print at the bottom that you may want to read).
