Merry Christmas!

 MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! 

Here’s to peace on earth,

losing a few pounds in January,

good friends, good health,

and the wonderful love of a baby

shown at Christmastime.

Thank you God for the gift of your son, Jesus!

Christmas Carols!

We had a great time at a Christmas celebration at church!  Our 4 year old sang in the kids choir (he’s standing second from the left).  They sang ”Come on ring those bells!”  Our children’s pastor actually asked our son to be Joseph (imagine the photo ops with that one!) but my son was very sure he did NOT want to do that!  He wanted to sing with the choir and he did not want to get dressed up as Joseph!  (If only Joseph was a racecar driver, we might have gotten somewhere).

I hope you’re enjoying this Christmas season with your family.  Attend a worship service.  Watch “It’s a Wonderful Life.”  Drink hot tea (a great alternative to cocoa if you’re trying to maintain/lose weight).  Run around with your kids.  Tis the season!

My son ringing his bells!  (he’s the one in the tie, my one opportunity to put him in that outfit!)

Rain or Shine!

Yesterday for Thanksgiving Day, we joined 6000+ others for Father Joe’s Turkey Trot in San Diego – a 5K walk/run to benefit the homeless.  We had a great time despite the rain!

Usually sunny San Diego was wet and cold as the rain sometimes sprinkled but mostly came steadily down, with an occasional pelting!  The kids were troopers and stayed mostly dry inside the stroller.  We didn’t make record time or anything – 45 minutes and that was even with cutting 2 corners.  (Yes I admit we didn’t complete the whole race because our kids we’re saying “We want out!”)  So we probably burned like half a bite of pumpkin pie – ha! 

My brother-in-law says there’s no such thing as bad weather.  Only bad attitudes and bad preparation.  So we put on raincoats and did the walk with smiles on our faces.  It was a great memory!

So get out there this weekend and do something active moms!  (in addition to standing in line at the mall!)

Camping, Here We Come!

I never grew up camping but my husband did.  So this weekend, we headed out for our first camping trip with our 22 month old and 4 year old.  I don’t mind being in the great outdoors…it’s just that I like to be close to a bathroom! 

Thankfully, my husband eased me into camping with this nice, clean log cabin.  There was electricity but no running water or mattresses.  We hiked a one-mile loop close to the cabin and enjoyed the nearby town.  None of us slept too well (there was a very LOUD cricket in our room) but I guess you don’t camp to sleep!

Camping is a great way to get outside to hike, and of course, burn calories in the process!  So if your husband ever asks you to go camping, just say yes.  Whether you’re a camper or not, you’ll love to hike in the scenic beauty of the outdoors.   

Dive In!

For my family, the 4th of July weekend means we will be going SWIMMING!  And swimming means what moms?  We will be putting on bathing suits!

Now this can be a traumatic time for any mother of a baby!  If you have some anxiety about putting on that bathing suit, here are a few thoughts to hopefully encourage you:

1. Choose a bathing suit that is most flattering to your figure. This may be your maternity swimsuit. Use a cover up when you’re not in the pool. A sarong wrap that ties around your waist and covers up that post-baby belly works great.

2. Don’t focus on the way your body looks. Focus on having fun with your friends and family! Remember that almost every woman in the pool or on the beach feels conscious about her body too!

3. Set a goal for yourself to get back into your pre-baby bathing suit. Why not use that pesky bathing suit as incentive? It may take several months, but make it your goal to put your old bathing suit on next season. Here’s a video tip I made about this and you can see me in my old bathing suit.

You can get in your old one too with some work and determination!  Dive in with both feet moms!

Today’s Action Step:  How many pounds do you have to lose to get into your old bathing suit?  Set a reasonable goal (maybe dropping 2 pounds a week) and set a goal date to get back in your swimsuit.  Even if it’s in the dead of winter, you will be proud of yourself when you can put it back on!