Pamper it up everyday with this 15 minute stress buster!

It came to my mind today as I was walking vigorously to my morning destination here in New York that indeed I was getting some exercise in but when I stopped myself for a moment I realized that I wasn’t walking consciously, meaning I wasn’t relaxed as I walked and therefore wasn’t enjoying it! As I switched my step to a more conscious place of just allowing it to be a lovely morning walk instead of the mad run to work, I then started to feel happier and less stressed. It’s true that just going for a 15 minute walk everyday no matter where you live can help reduce stress and actually will increase your life span. So go ahead get moving and remember to tell yourself that today I am walking my way to a happier life!

Balance yourself from the inside out! Here’s how!

If your life is unbalanced on the outside it is because you are unbalanced on the inside! Whether it is a hot bath, a manicure or a quick workout for example, when you make taking time to care for yourself a PRIORITY you will begin to see things in your life fall into place more smoothly.

Painting by Stephania Parent oil pastel on paper mounted canvas 5×7

Give yourself a much needed boost of energy everyday in just a few minutes! Here’s how!

Its been a long hot summer and if your anything like me you may have fallen out of  a few of your daily beauty,health,and fitness routines. With the kids out of school , schedules and routines are not as easy to stick to and you may find yourself feeling a bit lethargic and unfocused. Get back to the basics to help kickstart your energy levels by doing just 10 minutes of jumping jacks everyday. Jumping jacks provide a full body workout by quickly elevating your heart rate and helps with muscle strengthening. Invite the kids to do them with you! and have a few giggles while your at it!

Leave your mommy brain behind with this 2 minute memory booster trick!

We have all complained that our memories are not the same after we have kids and it has been scientifically proven that indeed women do lose brain cells during pregnancy and it sure isn’t easy rebuilding them once you have become a mother and you are sleep deprived.  Actress and author Marilu Henner has a  new book called Total Memory Makeover and in it I learned a valuable trick that I believe will help moms everywhere re-train their mommy brains to resharpen their memories. Every night while you are brushing your teeth just simply start consciously remembering everything you did from the moment you wake up to the moment you are brushing your teeth before bed. This simple trick will help set up a sort of tracking system in your brain and help improve your overall memory.

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This 20 minute workout is a routine every Morningmom should try!

This workout is one of my all time favorite workouts and it is the one that I always go back to! The Windsor Pilates 20 Minute Workout! This workout is easy to do and is actually quite relaxing once you are familiar with the routine. It tones and strengthens your muscles and will give you better posture leaving you with a confident stride in your step! 

5 essential winter beauty tips you won’t want to miss!

1. Protect your skin from the harsh winter weather elements by using a protective skin serum, products like Elizabeth grant day/night rejuvenating skin serums, or Roc multi correxion skin serum.

2. Believe it or not I use the same serum for my face on the ends of my hair in the winter to protect against excessive dryness. Do the same and save money without having to buy a separate hair product.

3. The cold winter season has been shown to increase depression, so to fight the blues try a daily dose of  fish oil! I take a teaspoon everyday and find it helps tremendously with my mood.

4. We are stuck inside alot in winter! so include into your daily routine at least 20 minutes of exercise. I switch it up by doing 20 minutes of either pilates or yoga everyday! The deep breathing gets the oxygen pumping through your muscles increasing your energy and it will increase your pheromones again helping to keep up your spirits.

5. We all know its almost impossible to stick to a diet in the winter! So let the word MODERATION become your best friend! I stick top this motto.. I eat like a queen in the morning, like a princess in the afternoon and like a pauper in the evening.

Inner beauty is just as important as outer beauty is and when you feel good on the inside it will compel you to want to look good as well!

Have a blast with this stay at home workout for you and the kids!

Finding the time to get to the gym is tough! With work, kids, cleaning, cooking and on and on it just doesn’t seem to fit into my life very well! I do exercise but find the at home routines to be a better fit for me. Try this one with your kids, my daughter and I laugh the whole way through it!

Jumping Jacks 3 sets of 25.. kids and jumping jacks are hysterical!

Wall push ups  3 sets 25.. Stand side by side legs and arms shoulder width apart and move back and forth! again more giggles!

get the yoga mat out and sit legs apart facing eachother, hold hands and slowly move back and forth kind of like a teeter totter! Keep your abs pulled in and do as many reps as you can to build more strength.

Your kids will ask if they can do this every Saturday morning!

Have Fun!

Fizzle that frazzled feeling with this 5 minute stress buster!

As you know that as a  mom finding the time to exercise regularly isn’t always easy, that is why just doing a little bit everyday is better than only exercising  once every couple of months. Today I was feeling particularly frazzled after a long and busy week so I took 5 minutes for Yoga! I would never claim to be a yoga expert! but I have been practicing for several years. Try this grounding and relaxing stretch to align yourself to get ready for your day.

Tree Pose

Standing feet together hands at your chest for Namaste

Breathe! Inhale hands go straight up

pull the right foot all the way up the inner thigh and place the foot inside the inner thigh and hold it there

Pull the same knee all the way back as far as it can go

the key is to focus your eyes on something and hold your gaze

Breathe

repeat left side

Don’t worry if you begin to sway! TREES SWAY!

Get grounded with tree pose.

A morningmom diet tip for burning off those holiday pounds!

I never worry about eating to much on holidays because the day after I do a full 24 hrs of nothing but a high protein/no fat diet. My food diary looks like this on a protein day.

Breakfast : Two boiled eggs, coffee sweetened with splenda or stevia and non fat half/half cream.

Lunch : left over turkey topped with non feta cheese

Afternoon treat is a non-fat latte

Dinner : grilled fillet of salmon (seasoned with salt,pepper, paprika,oregano and lemon juice with plain non fat greek yogurt on the side.

The 24hrs of protein will melt away the extra pounds put on from to many holiday treats.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The number one beauty secret that every mom should know and it doesn’t require any makeup!

You guessed it your beauty sleep is the most important thing you can do for yourself and your family. Your body heals inflammation while you sleep that occurs during the day and can help reduce wrinkles,dryness, etc. Anti stress hormones are at their peak when we sleep which is why sleep is so powerful for healing. If you are having trouble sleeping start an exercise program during the day and drink some chamomile or lavender tea before bedtime.