Share What You Love

Did you know that I have been a Shaklee user for FOUR years now? Probably not! Because the whole first year I was still skeptical. I took some vitamins. I changed out some of my cleaners. But I hardly mentioned it to anyone! Then, my second year in Shaklee I had a newborn. So things were pretty crazy! But that is when I started to notice how much healthier I felt.

I used to have a sore throat all the time. Seriously - from the sniffles, it always progressed to an infection. I got strep throat almost every year! Since I started taking Shaklee nutrition, my health changed. It really did. I’m not going to say I NEVER get a sniffle. I do – but it is usually when I’ve been getting lax and forgetting to take my vitamins, And I can reverse it. It doesn’t drag on and on like it used to. Shaklee has made a real difference in my health. So NOW – I talk about it! I share Shaklee because I have seen the results for myself. And now I know WHY Shaklee is better than the things you can buy in drugstores or even specialized vitamin shops.

Shaklee’s commitment to quality is news-worthy. It’s amazing! They care MORE about your health than they do about making a profit. And that is rare. Of course they want to make a profit and stay afloat, but they have never sacrificed quality or purity for money. I TRUST Shaklee. I really do. And that is why I can share shamelessly. It’s like sharing my favorite band or raving about my favorite restaurant. I love to share Shaklee, because I’m pretty sure you will love it too!

http://completelife.myshaklee.com/us/en/
#myshakleeeffect
#theHealthyEffect

It's a Sleeping Miracle! Part III

Quite a time has lapsed since I last reported on the sleeping toddler situation! Just two or three days after I began giving Lucas the Cal-Mag at bedtime, we ended up staying out late at a good-bye party for his little friend Genesis. She is moving far, far away with her parents and we are so sad to see them go! Poor Lucas totally lost his best friend! Weeks later he still randomly babbles with her name. "Wada aqui Genesis bidu bidu truck." He has also identifed a house on our block (that is totally not her house nor ever was it) as hers. And I'd better let you see an adorable picture of them together so you can visualize :P

Aren't they adorable? We miss you Genesis!

Anyway, at their goodbye party, we stayed pretty late and Lucas fell asleep in his carseat immediately. He was so tired. But when we got home I was desperate to have him take the vitamin! I broke it in little pieces and put it inside his little lip. Nothing. Does that make me sound like a bad mom? I finally gave up and let him sleep.

But it didn't last for long!

He was up and down all night. Waking up to fuss, crawl on top of me, whine, nurse, nurse again. Aggghh.

It was a rough night. But it was good. Because it showed me that YES, the Cal-Mag really is making a difference! You can be sure that since then I've been pretty faithful about giving Lucas his Cal-Mag in the evening! Most days now he stays asleep while I get ready for work in the morning, instead of immediatly waking and crying until he pulls me back into bed. And co-sleeping is a lot more peaceful now. I love it! (And so does he!)

Since then, I rarely forget to give him the Calcium. In addition to helping relax muscles during the night (It may help you too! Especially if you get leg cramps.) it is also something Lucas's pediatrician suggested for calcium intake. What I like about this brand is that all Shaklee's nutritional supplements are food sourced, not made from chemicals in a lab, AND they go through rigorous testing for purity, potency and to make sure they contain EXACTLY what is on the label, nothing more, nothing less. It is also a pleasant natural flavor that Lucas looks forward to.

If you and your kids need a better night's sleep, I highly recommend this! One of my favorites for sure.
Click HERE for the link!

It's a Sleeping Miracle! Part II

So I hope you read about my plight with a toddler who still sleeps with me and wakes me up many times throughout the night. It’s exhausting! Anyway – I think I’ve found a solution!

I had read on a health sharing forum that I belong to, about giving kiddos a certain nutritional supplement to help them sleep better (and longer). I threw it into my big mental suitcase of suggestions. I already give Lucas this supplement sporadically. He LOVES chewable vitamins of all kinds. I have to be really careful where I keep my grownup vitamins or he is after those too. Lucas begs to eat his vitamins so I give him a children’s chewable multi, a chewable Cal-Mag tablet, and sometimes some minty alfalfa tablets to help with stuffy noses and other stuff (all from my favorite and ultra-reputable supplier, Shaklee.)

Since I already give him Cal-Mag when he asks for it, or whenever I remember, I didn’t pay much attention. But a couple of days ago, I decided to purposefully give him the Shaklee Cal-Mag chewable tablet right before we went to bed.

He slept through the night.

The whole night! No nursing. No crying. Nothing. AND when I got up in the morning to get ready for work. He stayed in bed, fast asleep. I finally went into the room and changed his diaper, put on his shorts and sandals while he was still sleeping. He didn’t wake up until I was carrying him to the car.

This seems like a miracle. I think I need at least one more night to test this theory though. Check back tomorrow!

It's a Sleeping Miracle! Part I

My son is nearly 2 ½ years old and he still sleeps with me. I was one of those moms who said, I will never let my baby get started sleeping with me! But those long nights of nursing and rocking and crying … it is so hard. I fell asleep more nights than I want to remember in my big recliner chair. As comfy as it is for sitting in, I always woke up with a start, and a big crook in my neck. Ouch. And after my 2 hour catnap the baby was ready to nurse again, so the cycle continued.

Every once in awhile I began nursing baby L in bed, sometimes moving him carefully into his makeshift bassinet or battery operated glider afterward. But more often than not, we both fell asleep in bed. As time went on, I came to realize, believe, know that he was supposed to be close close close to me. He was a brand new human, who just days/weeks ago was living inside my body. Of course he wanted and needed to be close to my body all the time! I am home to him.

Now of course, he is a lot more grown up. But honestly I don’t mind sleeping with him. He is the cutest guy in the world! There are a few things I would love to change about the arrangement though.

Problem #1: He still wakes up and “bothers” me several times throughout the night. For those of you who have had babies, you know that sleep during pregnancy is hard, and sleep after that baby is born can be much more scarce. I feel like I’ve been running on little/interrupted sleep now for three years. I’m tired.

Problem #2: When I wake up and get out of bed, he usually notices that I am gone within 1-15 minutes and comes out crying to find me and bring me back to bed. This applies to nighttime, if I try to get up and do laundry or watch a movie or something, and also to mornings when I need to get ready for work. He notices that I am gone almost instantly. It makes it very hard to get anything done.

The really, really, really exciting thing is … I think I found a solution!!!! Check back tomorrow to confirm!

MY FITNESS JOURNEY

My attitude toward health and fitness has evolved a lot the last few years. I was not very conscious of health when I was younger. I still consider myself pretty moderate health-wise. Growing up I was always sick with something. I had strep throat at least once a year, and it seems like I had a sore throat all fall, winter and spring. This lasted though high school, college, and into my 30’s. The year before my son was born I started learning lots more about health. I wasn’t planning to get pregnant (I’m not married) so I think it was a God-thing, preparing my life, body and home for a little one before I even had any idea he was coming.

I revolutionized my diet, started by “cleansing” once a month for awhile, then began an easy (important!) weight management program that focused on keeping muscle and shedding fat. I also started really paying attention to nutrition and found supplements that could help round out my body, and give it what it so obviously needed! Since that time, my body is SO much better equipped to handle life. I rarely get sick, and if I do happen to catch the sniffles from daycare that my son brings home, I can kick it quick. It’s such a contrast to my body before. I’m so thankful for the change!

Watching my own health change, I got excited about what I’d found, and the impact it could have on my family, friends, and so many people who just need to be healthy and live their lives! I began sharing healthy possibilities with people, and today it’s my side business, my favorite hobby, and my dream for the future! I’m “in progress” and learning more every day.

How has your fitness journey changed through the years?

Dad and I - Blessed

It's official, running a race you trained for is much better than doing it unprepared! I did run (and sometimes walk) the 5K and my High School reunion last month, and it was no problem! My dad actually decided to run with me and that was a neat experience. We live a long way from each other, and don't get many opportunities to do things together. I would have never guessed this would be the thing that would bring us together.

Historically, I have avoided running like the plague. And my father has had a lot of serious health issues. He was diagnosed with Leukemia six years ago, and it almost killed him. He lost about a hundred pounds, first from the illness, and then from the chemotherapy. The recovery is wonderful news, but it has been slow. I was surprised to learn recently that dad has been playing basketball again, something he hadn't done for years even before his illness. So he felt ready to do this 5K with me.

We finished the race, on a beautiful Sunday. We didn't care about winning. But I think we felt blessed to be ABLE to run, and to walk, and to live, together. 

Couch to 5K!

When I "ran" my first 5K (yes, I used quotation marks for a reason,) I didn't train at all before the race. At all! Well, I did run on a treadmill one time the week before the race. I really was not prepared. This summer I signed up to run the Mustangs in Motion 5K at my High School Alumni Reunion. The October 13th date is zooming up on me, so I decided I had better train a little bit so that things go better than last time!

The first day I ran a total of two minutes on the treadmill. I felt pretty good. The next day I ran four minutes. Thankfully someone suggested to me the Couch 2 5K program - a free app you can download onto your phone. It has made a huge difference!

I opened up the phone app on day one of my training and the app instructed me to walk briskly for five minutes, then run for 60 seconds, then walk for 90 seconds, and on and on. I walked/jogged as instructed, and watched the seconds tick down. It let me know what to do, and without killing me, pushed me a LOT harder than I had been pushing myself. At the end of the first session I was soaked in sweat and trembly. Yes, trembly. Now for all you runners out there I am sure it would be nothing. But I have done my best not to run at all for a really long time.

I was dreading day two. REally dreading it. But guess what. It was not nearly as bad! Even t hough I did the exact same training as the first session, I had already progressed! I was so excited! Today will be day four of the training, and I know it jumps up a level today. So we'll see how things go. While I still don't look forward to running, I am encouraged and know this is an accomplishment worth working for.

How do you feel about running?