Fitness Strategies For Busy Moms To Stay Healthy

May 2, 2023 By Anne

Moms who juggle work and home life can understand how difficult it is to maintain good health. There is little time for personal endeavors such as fitness and on the days you do get time, you are too tired for anything. A lot of time goes into planning, scheduling and juggling different priorities. And if you have kids, it might seem like you have no time for yourself. Exercising and eating right can take a back seat amidst dozens of responsibilities.

(Image source: https://pixabay.com/photos/business-women-woman-work-young-3685133/)

So, how can busy moms judge their health and other commitments? As a working mom, you need to take care of your health so you can look after the family. Nutritional and fitness requirements will depend on hormonal changes, childbearing capacities and responsibilities. Here are a few fitness strategies that can help busy moms stay healthy and on top of their game.

Draw boundaries between home and work

It is very easy to say “Do not bring work home”. However, many of us fail to abide by it. We find ourselves working on a hundred other things at work, such as scheduling playdates for the kids, checking on the babysitter, returning calls and planning parties and carpools. While these are certainly important for busy moms, this can compromise your performance at work, which can make you fall behind. As a result, you will have to bring work home.

Avoid working on other things when you are at work. Use your breaks to schedule these activities instead. This way, you will be able to finish your work and spend time with the kids when you get back home.

Design an ergonomic workstation

Many offices offer ergonomic workstations, which can help set your chair and computer at the height appropriate for you. This will reduce the incidence of neck strain, carpal tunnel, back pain and other work-related health problems.

It might be even better if you could sit on an exercise ball while working. This is a good idea for moms who work from home. An exercise ball helps you tone your core and prevent back problems. This way, you will not be sitting idle all day and get some exercise even with a very busy work schedule.

Remember to take breaks

Busy moms need to take a timeout now and then. If you have been working for an hour at a stretch, make sure you get up for a few minutes and stretch your limbs. Even if you have been looking after the kids for a while, try to take a small break when you have put them to sleep. This will momentarily give you a few minutes of rest and prevent you from becoming overwhelmed. It will also help you refocus on your work and make you more productive.

Make sure to exercise regularly

Busy moms barely get time to exercise and meet their fitness goals. Going for a workout at the gym can seem almost impossible to handle with work and kids, which is why investing in an at home gym can be a great idea. You can work out as per your schedule and integrate the kind of exercises you want to do. At the same time, you can be a source of inspiration for your family, who would also benefit from the types of equipment you have at home and work on their own fitness goals.

If exercising seems like a tedious task, simply make sure that you are moving around enough. A few extra minutes of brush walking every day can make a difference, and you will notice less back and neck pain and tightness when you are done.

Eat wholesome, healthy food

The best way to stay healthy is by watching what you eat. Eating habits can become irregular and unhealthy when you are juggling a lot of priorities together. A good way to save up on time and eat healthily is to make your meals at the start of every week, label them for different days and store them in the freezer.

As women grow older, they also need to take vitamin supplements to be in the best form. It is always advised to see a doctor before taking any supplements on your own. Calcium, for example, is very important to maintain good bone structure. If you prefer to not take supplements, you could always substitute more nutritionally dense foods into your diet.

Eating healthy will also set a good example for your kids, and by extension, your family.

Stay hydrated

Busy moms need to drink enough water throughout the day. Proper hydration will boost your mood and make you more productive. Avoid sodas and soft drinks, since these contain a lot of sugar and are likely to make you feel bloated or sleepy by the end of the day. You could add fruit infusers to water in case you want to make it more palatable or crave flavored drinks.

Teach your kids to clean up

Cleaning up after kids can be a massively tasking affair and after a long day of work it might just seem like the hardest thing to do. This is why it is important to teach your kids to clean up after themselves. In this way, they will learn good habits and you will have less work to do around the house. Even if you have a cleaning service, it does not hurt to teach your kids to clean up after themselves, since it teaches them to be more self-reliant.

Take out time for yourself

As a working mom, all your time and energy probably go into making sure that you complete all your responsibilities at work without compromising on the well-being of your family. Over time, it can lead to a serious case of burnout and can leave you feeling tired and drowsy all the time. Self-care is very important for busy moms, since it gives you a breather from all the tasks and duties you perform throughout the day, and lets you just be yourself for a while.

Self-care does not necessarily have to be grand. It can be something as simple as a warm shower, spending some time alone with your favorite book, or even listening to your playlist. Anything that keeps you fresh and rejuvenates you can be a form of self-care. This will not only prevent burnout, but it will also make you more productive and energetic.

Anne

I'm a mother of 2 who likes to get involved in too much! Besides writing here I started a non-profit, I'm on the PTO board, very active in my community and volunteer in the school. I enjoy music, reading, cooking, traveling and spending time with my family. We just adopted our 3rd cat and love them all!

Charcuterie Board Kits: A Fun and Easy Way to Entertain

April 24, 2023 By Anne

I was recently asked to check out Platterful’s all in one box charcuterie kits. I decided to include this in my rock painting party. I decided to paint rocks instead of eggs this year!

To start the party off we opened up our kit. Detailed instructions were included to make this fun and easy.

A charcuterie board is a beautiful and delicious way to entertain guests. These boards are typically filled with cured meats, cheeses, and other accompaniments. Everything was included. Small cups for raisins and spoons for the jams and honey.

Here are some tips for creating a charcuterie board if you don’t get a kit: (though I highly recommend a kit from Platterful! So easy.)

1. Choose a variety of meats and cheeses. Charcuterie boards are typically filled with a variety of meats and cheeses, so it’s important to choose a variety that will appeal to your guests. Some popular options include prosciutto, salami, pepperoni, cheddar, mozzarella, and goat cheese.

2. Add some crackers and fruits. Crackers and fruits are a great way to add some variety to your charcuterie board. Some popular options include wheat crackers, celery sticks, grapes, and apples.

3. Don’t forget the condiments! Condiments like mustard, honey, and jam can add a touch of sweetness and spice to your charcuterie board.

4. Arrange the meats and cheeses in a visually appealing way. The way you arrange the meats and cheeses on your charcuterie board will make a big difference in its overall look. Try to create a variety of textures and colors, and make sure to leave some empty space on the board so that your guests can easily reach the food.

At Platterful we deliver curated charcuterie boards right to our customer’s doorsteps via our first of its kind all-in-one kit, complete with instructional and educational content, which is what really sets us apart. We offer a subscription so that every month customers get all new meats, cheeses and accompaniments complete with new educational material on how to assemble the perfect board every time.

Here are some pics of our rocks.

Anne

Encourage Yourself And Your Family To Try New Meals With These Three Tips

April 12, 2023 By Anne

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What we eat matters so much in this life. It’s not just a case of giving ourselves energy with the right meals, it’s also a case of keeping our mental health in the right place, too. In an ideal world, we will have foods that taste amazing while giving us everything we need in order to be healthy. For some, this world exists and it happens every single day. For the majority of people, however, it can be quite a tedious and annoying thing to work out.

If you have a family to look after, it can be doubly frustrating as you have kids to feed. If they are fussy eaters or simply do not like what you are presenting them, things can get even more frustrating. Life is already hard enough as it is, so the idea of introducing new foods into your life might seem a bit pointless. The good thing is that there are plenty of things we can do in order to encourage ourselves to try new foods. Even the fastest of eaters can find something they love if they put their mind to it. Here are just a few ideas of what can be done to achieve this:

Look For New, Amazing Recipes All The Time

One of the best things about cooking and creating meals is that there is a seemingly endless number of options. The more you look for options, the more you will find. You might think that there will be nothing out there that you will like or that your family will like, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. It’s just a case of putting in the time and effort and browsing all of the potentials out there. You may stumble upon something like an oven baked ribs recipe that sounds absolutely gorgeous to everyone. This could then lead to something else that the entire family would enjoy. Don’t just stop there, make sure you continue looking for new and amazing recipes. There are literally tens of thousands of different meals out there, so the chances are that you will never get bored in your pursuit.

Think About The Long Term Effects Of Your Diets

If your current diet needs a little work, perhaps think about how things will look in a few years’ time. It’s very easy to think about the next few weeks or what will happen in the next month, but we never really think about five years’ time, for instance. If you really want to motivate yourself and your family regarding your nutrition, perhaps you should think about the long-term aspects and effects that a bad diet can have.

Travel Around The World Little More And Discover New Cultures

If you have the funds and the time to do something like this, then it’s completely worth it. The more you see of the world, the more cultures you discover. Within these cultures, you’ll see all kinds of different foods and meal types. They’ll introduce you to amazing dishes and you might fall in love with all kinds of different styles.

Anne

How To Always Remember A Late Loved One In A Positive Way

March 30, 2023 By Anne

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Death is an extremely normal and significant part of life. It can be very sad as we end up missing somebody a lot and grief can be quite difficult to overcome. One of the best ways to overcome the loss of a loved one is to look back at them in a positive light. Think about the amazing times as opposed to the fact that they are no longer here. This is something that might take a while, but it’s a very good way of thinking about things.

During their final years, you may have been a wonderful caregiver. This kind of thought may put you in a sad state of mind as you might only think about negative connotations. The absolute best way of dealing with this is to only think about their optimistic and positive side. If you can manage to always look back at somebody with this kind of outlook, everybody will be in a much better place. There are lots of ways we can look back and remember a late loved one in a positive way – here are a few ideas:

Give Them A Wonderful And Cheerful Send-Off

In the immediate aftermath of losing somebody, it’s understandable that you’ll likely be all over the place in terms of your emotions. You have just lost them and you have to figure out how to go on with them not around anymore. The funeral will be soon and it’s a case of also making sure that you give them a good send-off. If you really want everybody to be in a positive mood and to feel less miserable about everything, perhaps putting a positive spin on the funeral could help things. This isn’t everyone’s cup of tea as they may not be in the mood, but it’s a good suggestion. It is likely what your loved one will have wanted in the first place. Investing time and effort into the funeral and providing a wonderful service with Funeral Flags and wonderful decorations could really help out the mood. While there may be a lot of tears, do your best to try and provoke plenty of laughter, too. A positive and optimistic time at a funeral could just be yet another way of remembering somebody positively.

Always Think About The Amazing Things They Did For Others And For Themselves

This is a pretty obvious point to make, but do whatever you can to see the good in what they did. Everybody makes mistakes and everybody has negative times, but it’s time to put those on the back burner. Always consider what made them wonderful and what made you happy. You will always be able to see the good in them if you try, so make sure everyone sees it.

Patch Up Any Issues Or Problems Before They Depart

Of people in this world who do not get to say goodbye to somebody on good terms. If there are a few issues you might have with this person, it’s best to bite the bullet and bury the hatchet. If you can patch up problems before you lose somebody, you will never have to live with regret.

Anne

How to Get Into the Habit of Cooking for Your Family

March 26, 2023 By Anne

Image Credit.

Home cooking is one of those things that most people want to get into, but struggle to make the leap. Cooking is a valuable skill that can save you money and help you to eat more healthily if you’re able to put in the effort. True, it’s always tempting to order takeout or kick up a ready meal and call it a day, but this can be a bad habit to get into if you do it every night.

Unfortunately, cooking is easier said than done. Parents are busier than ever, which is why we fall back on bad habits. However, once you start to develop your skills and fall into a routine, it does get easier and you will see the benefits.

Why It Matters

One of the things that hold people back from achieving their goals is a lack of motivation. If you don’t see the point of doing something, then you’re far less likely to make the effort needed to reach your goals. This principle is true when it comes to education, fitness, work, and learning any skill, including cooking.

You might argue that cooking for yourself is pointless because the restaurant and takeout food is convenient and tasty. Ready meals are another option, as you can have a meal in minutes. At the end of a busy day, these options are very tempting.

However, takeout and restaurant meals are so tasty because the people who cook them aren’t considering your long-term health. They taste good because they are loaded with fat, salt, and sugar. This means that they’re a great treat on occasion, but not a good idea to eat for every meal, especially if you’re trying to be healthy. Ready meals aren’t much better, as they are similarly full of fat, salt, and sugar to make them palatable.

Health considerations aside, these meals all cost a lot more money than it would take to make the same meal at home. In some cases, you don’t even save that much time. In the time that you wait for a takeout to arrive, you might have been able to put together a cheap, healthy meal that is perfectly tasty. The trick is knowing how.

Find Recipes That Work

One of the easiest mistakes to fall into when it comes to home cooking is choosing recipes that are too complicated or take too long to cook. When you’re just getting started with any skill, you want to start simple. The same applies to cooking, choose recipes that are quick and easy, so that you can get it on the table and ready to eat.

You should also cook things that you and your family actually want to eat. This sounds obvious, but you can be so focused on choosing something that is as healthy as possible that you end up cooking bland or boring food.

Healthy doesn’t mean bland. Use spices and fresh ingredients to make healthy food delicious again. An air fryer is a great tool for any busy family, as you can quickly cook tasty meals without too much fat.

You can even use your air fryer to cook treats. For example, this easy air fryer chocolate chip cookies recipe is ideal for beginners and children to tackle. Even better, you have some amazing fresh cookies to enjoy.

Get Your Kids Involved

One way to kill two birds with one stone is to get your children involved in cooking. This way, you get some home-cooked meals and you can spend more quality time with your children. It’s important for parents to bond with their kids and teaching valuable life skills is a great way to do it.

Teaching your children how to cook is important because it helps them to grow up to become responsible, independent adults. As well as teaching them the skill of cooking, you can integrate other skills and teach them how to apply what they learn in school in their lives.

If your children need to measure ingredients, then they need to know how to add and subtract, as well as convert different measurements. They might need to multiply or divide to scale a recipe up. They need to know how to read and follow directions. Once they’re old enough to handle a knife, they learn fine motor skills. They can flex their creative muscles in the kitchen.

Finally, your children can learn the responsibility of planning and cooking a meal. Even better, once they can handle the cooking once a week or so, that’s one less chore for mom and dad.