Connect the Dots Ginger | Becky Allen: Moms
Showing posts with label Moms. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Moms. Show all posts

Monday, May 9, 2016

No More Mom Guilt

MOM GUILT! How many of you have felt guilty for wanting to get your hair cut, spending some time away from the kids to regroup, for working out maybe when your kid is crying for a little bit, for spending money on you and not your kids, for just taking some time for you. STOP IT! DROP THE MOM GUILT! You are not supposed to be last. You know what happens when you take care of everyone before yourself? You will crack! You will not be happy. You will feel sad and even angry at times. YOU NEED YOUR TIME TO TAKE CARE OF YOU!

The number one thing that most women feel about taking care of themselves, especially moms, is GUILT! You are no being selfish finding time to workout. You are not being a bad mom for maybe letting your kid cry a little so you can knock out the last 30 seconds of a move before you can hit pause, take care of your kid and then hit play again to finish it up (and sometimes a 30 minute workout can take 45 minute when you have to do that, and IT IS OK!) You are not horrible for taking 30 minutes just after you get home from work, exhausted, to bust out your workout. YOU DESERVE to be HAPPY. You DESERVE to kick butt! And you are WORTH IT! NO MORE GUILT for doing what you need to do to take care of you!
I have been there. Mason's first year, I never, ever had time for myself. Matt was deployed and I thought I had to do it all myself. Thankfully Mason was often held at church for me because, maybe I looked like I needed a break, I don't know, but just a few months after Matt returned and I was still doing everything first over me. I cracked! My facade I put up just shattered. I finally told Matt how I was feeling, how I felt like I just "lost myself" I didn't know who I was. I was first just a wife. Then just a mom. Then I was a wife and a mom and was still doing EVERYTHING and never ever took a break for me. I thought I had to do it all to be happy, but the one thing I forgot was ME! And without taking care of me, it just didn't work.

Why am I sharing all this here...YOU ALL NEED TO HEAR IT! Stop the guilt. Self shaming. And do what you can. Put aside 30 minutes a day to take care of you. Taking a nap, alone time, EXERCISE. Whatever you can fit into your day. JUST DO SOMETHING FOR YOU! You are worth it and deserve to be as happy as possible! Your kids are great and deserve your love, but so do you! 

***Comment below with some experiences where you didn't allow yourself to take care of you and what you should have had to do in the past to overcome the Mom/Self guilt and shaming for taking care of you over other things. Learn from your past and do better!

Want more daily motivation and inspiration? Click here get free advice, support and encouragement + a free copy of my Clean Eating guide to help you get started on your health and fitness journey! 

Friday, February 5, 2016

Active Maternity on Beachbody On Demand


Last summer at Beachbody's annual conference, Summit, they announced that they were releasing a pregnancy workout. I was so excited. Hoping it would be similar to 21 Day fix, but it is just a little tease in a way. They released it on the online streaming through Beachbody, which is great, because I can just take my laptop and workout anywhere. And they gave us a workout for each of the different trimesters. YEA! how awesome! I am going to be trying it out this week. I am really excited to see what they have. And it is with my favorite, lover her and hate her trainer, Autumn Calabrese! Check out these little snippets of each workout! Oh and if you are interested in signing up to get Beachbody On Demand to get these workouts or TONS MORE! Click here or just send me an email and we can chat!

1st Trimester workout: Get Stable



Want more daily motivation and inspiration? Click here get free advice, support and encouragement + a free copy of my Clean Eating guide to help you get started on your health and fitness journey! 


Monday, February 1, 2016

Pregnancy After Miscarriage or Loss

So here I am, pregnant again. I wish I could be over joyed and happy about it. Honestly I wish I could. But sadly my feelings of this pregnancy have been, denial, fear, anger, frustration, sadness. I don't think I have really celebrated the fact that I am expecting yet. I mean, I can't even say "I'm pregnant," out loud. It's been, "another one is on the way." or, "we're expecting, again." but inside. yeah. I am scared. I am scared Sh**less! That's the truth. I am trying not to let my feelings run me. Or trying to let my fears overcome me. I have been reading a lot of positive books to help me just have faith, and hope, and confidence that this will work.

These feelings are real. They are true. And I can almost guarantee that any woman who has gone through a miscarriage (and knew about it) or a loss has felt these feelings one time or another when they found out they were expecting again. It is so hard to get excited for something that can easily just disappear. It is so hard to want to open yourself back up for the possibility to be broken hearted again. I literally had a cry fest and lost it when I was in my docs office. Because I told him I was so scared for the same thing to happen to me again. I didn't and don't want to go through that again, nor do I want to almost lose my life again.

If you have friends who have gone through a miscarriage or loss, they might not tell you until they are much further along about the fact that they are expecting. I only did, because of what I do. And honestly, I hate having to cover up how my workouts have been suffering  because I am exhausted, or I am so sick to my stomach. So for me it was only natural to let everyone know so early. Plus, we really feel it is important to honor every pregnancy no matter how long because it took us so long to get pregnant. It truly is a blessing that I can get pregnant naturally now.

If you have friends who are pregnant again, support them. Be excited for them. Because they are scared. They need someone strong for them, to believe that everything is going to be ok, even though they don't believe it themselves. Talk with them. Encourage them to get out, exercise, eat healthy. Not to stay in. Because that can cause them to reflect on their pregnancy and former loss. Oh and yes, encourage them to go on a walk with you, or ask about exercise. Because they are not going to want to for fear that they are going to cause another miscarriage. The best thing they can do for themselves and baby, is to be as healthy as possible. I honestly believe, since this is now my 6th pregnancy, that if it is meant to happen, it will happen. There is nothing that I can do to stop a miscarriage.

For me I am just trying to take each day as it goes. Praying that I make it one more day and that the little soul inside of me is developing perfectly. That all will go well, and that we will get to meet our new baby in about 8 months from now.

Want more daily motivation and inspiration? Click here get free advice, support and encouragement + a free copy of my Clean Eating guide to help you get started on your health and fitness journey! 

Saturday, January 23, 2016

Snow Day Activities For Young Kids


We are officially snowed in! YEP! Thanks a lot Jonas! But we are loving every minute of it. We are trying out some fun snowed in activities to keep the kids occupied and happy, without going over our allotted tablet/tv time. That means getting a little creative. So here are some fun activities we are trying out!

Schedule a Neighborhood Play Date
Go out when everyone is out. We had a fun time sledding in our neighbors yard yesterday with quite a few neighbors we haven't seen in awhile! Mason was quite upset when it was time to say good-bye. That just means he had so much fun! 


Whip up Snow Cones
After playing in the snow with the kids, gather up clean, freshly fallen snow and bring it inside. Divide it into cups and pour lemon juice and a little sugar or some fruit juice over each and you and the kids can enjoy some healthy homemade snow cones. For an even more fun recipe click here.


Build a Living Room Campsite
Kids love when their parents flip normal household routines upside down. Creating a campsite in the living room is the perfect way to take them by surprise! Turn out the lights, wear PJs, bust out the sleeping bags or fun blankets and sit around telling stories. If you don't have a tent, be creative and build a fort using blankets, couch cushions and pillows. Oh and stock up on some marshmallows, chocolate bars and graham crackers for snow day s'mores.


Craft an Indoor Snowman
You don't always have to freeze outside to build a snowman -- be creative and make one using marshmallows, or cotton balls. Outline a snowman on construction paper and trace glue around each circle. Place mini marshmallows or cotton balls onto the glue. Add details with other materials from around the house. Grab scraps of felt for his hat or yarn for his scarf and color in his face with markers or dried food products. When he's dry, the kids can name and hang him up in the house. 


Snow themed Coloring Books
Have a grandparent in another part of the country. Have the kids color snow-themed coloring pages and mail them to the grandparents to let them know that you were thinking of them on your snowy days! Google free printable coloring pages for TONS of options! 

Want more daily motivation and inspiration? Click here get free advice, support and encouragement + a free copy of my Clean Eating guide to help you get started on your health and fitness journey! 

Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Staying Healthy For Christmas with Shakeology

I am so loving this Christmas so far! I made it a goal to drink Shakeology every day this month. I have missed 2 days this month, but still, this is the first Christmas in YEARS that I am NOT sick with a cold or flu or just feeling run down or lack of energy. In fact no one in my family is sick! This is why I drink it everyday. To keep me healthy and happy AND it has totally done that for me! I have invested in my health and wellness and I have not looked back since the day I started enjoying my first shake! 

Why is it helping me feel so great? There are 70 superfoods packed in just 1 scoop. All those superfoods contain the vitamins and minerals that my body needs to stay healthy. Check out this list! 

  • Adaptogen Supernutrients that may support strong immune function, help the body cope with environmental stress, and naturally help increase energy
  • Antioxidant Supernutrients that protect the body from free radicals and prevent cellular damage
  • Vitamin and Mineral Supernutrients that help your cells make energy, build and repair muscles,  and support energy production
  • Protein and Amino Acid Supernutrients that build muscle, reduce hunger and food cravings, help keep blood sugar steady
  • Phytonutrient Supernutrients that support healthy aging and vitality
  • Probiotics Supernutrients that promote healthy digestion and healthy colon function
  • Prebiotics Supernutrients that help probiotics grow and thrive, and strengthen the system
  • Digestive enzyme Supernutrients that help your body break down food to assimilate nutrients better
Check out this AWESOME festive recipe

Want more info? CLICK HERE to read more about it and order if you are ready to give your body the best for 2016! Next health and fitness support group begins Jan 4! Let's kick off 2016 with a BANG! 

Want more info?  And did you know that you can get 25% off all future Shakeology orders? Comment below, or email me! Excited to hear from you! 

Be sure to follow me over at FACEBOOK and PINTEREST for more inspiration and motivation.

Thursday, December 3, 2015

Chocolate Dipped Pear Bites - EASY Holiday Tasty Treats

Who says you can't enjoy the holidays just a little. I know I didn't! I would be a hypocrite if I said that. 80/20 peeps! live your life in 80/20. 80% of the time I am eating clean. 20% of the time I allow myself to indulge just a little. You know what that does, it keeps me from binge eating like I used to do during a diet. I would say, "no, No, NO!" too long to myself on a treat or sweet and then one day I would just SNAP and I would binge eat. I would feel terrible and put myself down. I felt like a failure. (Can you relate?)

Now I don't feel like that at all. I am still losing weight even though I am eating a sweet treat during the week. Not everyday but in moderation! So for today's I found this killer dessert over at The Gracious Pantry! Make sure you check out their site for even more clean eating recipes! Check it out! Oh and this would be a fun and healthy option to your next Cookie Exchange!

Chocolate Dipped Pear Bites

Ingredients: 

Water 
2 tsp. lemon juice 
3/4 cup chocolate chips
3 pears 
1/2 cup walnuts, ground into crumbs 

candy canes or sprinkles would be great too (optional)
1 box toothpicks


Directions: 

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and have your toothpicks handy. 

Set out a small to medium bowl of water with the lemon juice in it. 

Melt the chocolate chips in a small slow cooker or microwave them, 1 minute at a time, stirring between each minute until fully melted.


Using a melon baller, scoop the balls out of your ripe pairs. Put the balls in the lemon water temporarily to keep them from browning. 

When you are ready to dip them in chocolate, place them on a paper towel to remove most of the water first.  


Using a toothpick, pick up one ball, roll in the chocolate and then sprinkle some crushed walnuts over the chocolate while it's still warm. 

Set the ball on a parchment lined cookie sheet, leaving the toothpick in the ball. 
After dipping all of the pear balls, place the entire cookie sheet in the fridge until the chocolate is hard and you are ready to serve them (at least an hour). 

Thursday, November 19, 2015

Keeping The Holidays Healthy


Here they are! The Holidays are HERE!

Every December I have been resigned with the fact that I was just going to enjoy my holiday and deal with the aftermath in January. But this year is going to be so different. This is the first year that I am going into the holidays losing weight and actually knowing what I should and shouldn't eat. And trying to follow that. I am taking the time for me, my health and my body! No more just allowing the holidays to run my life for me.

Why wait for New Years to make the changes your body is wanting?


For December I am running a group to help keep your holidays healthy. A holiday survival group just for women who are ready to make themselves a priority this year.
My 30 day exclusive private group will include:

-A fitness program that fits your lifestyle and needs
-30 day supply of dense nutrition
-Meal plans, recipes and grocery lists
-Meal planning help and support
-Accountability and one on one coaching
-Daily motivation to help you stick with your goals
-Clean eating and holiday survival guide ebooks
-A group of supportive women who can relate to YOU

I am ready to make this December the most healthy and best one I have ever had with ME as a priority. Are you ready?
Want more daily motivation and inspiration? Click here get free advice, support and encouragement + a free copy of my Clean Eating guide to help you get started on your health and fitness journey! Don't forget to follow me on INSTAGRAM and FACEBOOK!

Thursday, November 5, 2015

Sneak Peek Into My Challenge Group


Hey guys! You see me post all the time about challenge groups, or health and support fitness groups, or my clean eating groups. You ever wonder what they are? A challenge group/health and support fitness group, is a small micro-community of people that are all going through a journey of health and fitness. I have various types of groups held during the month. A Month long group for those that are doing a specific workout program or regime and need that daily motivation, and more constant interaction to help them stay on track. I also hold a 5 day clean eating challenge which is actually an introduction to clean eating. You get to try out clean eating for 5 days, learning how to adapt that kind of lifestyle into your daily life. And also a 5 day sneak peek into what I do as a health and fitness motivator.

In each of the challenge groups, I post multiple times during the day to engage with the challengers, ask questions, help to motivate them and also post motivational videos in there so that they get to know me as a person and know that I am really there for them and care about them. Yes I am a Beachbody coach and I love the products, but what I love more than that is actually working one on one with each of my challengers. Getting to know them. Educating them. Inspiring them. Being there for them. Motivating them. That is my favorite part and I think I have that part down pretty well.

We just wrapped up our 5 day clean eating challenge- Halloween Edition and it was AMZING! Everyday I posted a new recipe for them to add to their list to try, we had a competition going on for the highest point earners with a grand prize of a Hydra Trak water bottle to help them get the water they need during the day and have a fun way to track it. There was so much interaction.
Anyways. I wanted to share with you one of my videos that I made for the group. Since it was Halloween week, I wore a different wig everyday for the 5 videos I made. It was tons of fun. Check out the video and let me know what you think,

Have any other questions or are interested in joining any of my challenge groups? Let me know. Send me an email! I would love to have you join us!

Monday, November 2, 2015

30 Days Of Thanks-November Support Group


I am so excited! I am setting up my next challenge group that begins THIS WEEK! 30 Days Of Thanks! Why not have a whole month to be thankful for our friends, family, health, strong bodies, and clean healthy foods!

I still have available spots to help more people stay on track, avoid the holiday bulge and food comas and feel their best EVER this holiday season!

Now that Halloween is behind us, more and more sweets and treats are going to be around and tempt us. Let this be the first year that you say "NO" to excess sweets this season. We will work together to find a workout program that fits your life. So you can Connect The Dots with your Fitness, Health and Life!

Are you ready?

By joining our group you receive:
~a workout program that works for YOU
~a months supply of superfoods nutrition
~meal plans/ prepping and planning help
~support/accountability and a community that helps motivate you daily and allows you to DREAM BIG!

You are worth it! Why not start today?

Fill out this application to let me know YOU WANT TO JOIN! 

Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Eating 5 Meals A Day

In the past I have been saying eat 5-6 times a day and this month I got to thinking, "What if they aren't even getting in their 3 meals a day?" It happens to me sometimes still. Some days before I know it, it is 3pm and I haven't had my lunch yet. That is actually a snack time for me. The number one goal is to make sure that yo are in fact eating 3 meals a day! It doesn't happen to just moms either! Have you been so busy at work that lunch didn't happen? Or you forgot your lunch and don't have the funds to buy one? 

It happens to everyone! I want everyone in here to make sure they are getting in their 3 meals a day. Start there! Then your next goal is to be adding in snacks at key points during the day so you don't feel hungry, or to help keep your 3 main meals a day smaller so that you are not over eating! Eating every 2.5 hours or so whatever works for you! But the final goal is to be eating 5 - 6 meals a day!


Benefits of eating 5-6 meals a day: 
Keeps blood sugar stable
Keeps your metabolism up
Keeps you sustained meaning less junk foods
More energy
Happier, no midday cranky pants!
Keeps you regular

So you guys. I want you to write down what time you eat your meals for the next week. Sound easy enough? See how many meals you are actually getting! Also you are going to see patterns that if you were running late, you might skip a snack? Or you might start packing a snack with you because you are becoming more aware of what you are doing! And please don't be concerned if you only got in 2 meals or 6. This is to help keep you aware of what you are doing and tracking your progress and then go from there! Comment below with how many meals you are getting on average in a day over a week! 


And, of course, be sure to like our 
FACEBOOK page and follow us on PINTEREST for motivation, clean eating tips, and healthy lifestyle resources.

Tuesday, October 13, 2015

October is Infertility Awareness Month


I was reminded that October is Infertility Awareness Month. I have been through my own battle of infertility, which you can read about here, and it seriously saddens me how many of my friends are having infertility problems too. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy!

It is so hard to want and wish for something that is so profoundly right and good, to want to have children and not be able to have them. Often times I found myself comparing my situation to others or question what is going on. "Why can she get pregnant and I can't?" "She is only 16. Why is she able to have a baby?" "What did I do wrong?" I know and believe that it is truly God's timing in all things. And that if it is right it will happen.
I know it is so hard to sit and wait to be blessed with children. I did it for 8 years, trying, praying and hoping. Honestly, the best thing we can do as women with infertility is to work on us and be as healthy as possible so when it is our time to have a family (however that happens either through natural pregnancy, fertility treatments, surrogacy, or adoption) you are ready and prepared and HEALTHY. And someday, our families will grown and the sound of little feet will pitter and patter in our own homes. Stay strong! Don't lose the faith and believe!
Want to take that first step to getting healthy but don't know where to start? Follow me on FACEBOOK for daily motivation and tips. Send me an email or comment below and we can talk about how you can start. It is never too late to work on you. Use it as your outlet to help yourself feel better. But do it for your body so that it is working the best that it can. I blamed myself for my past miscarriage, saying that I wasn't as healthy as I should have been. And it was hard on me mentally. So put your body first. Babies will come. But you need to work on you first! 


And, of course, be sure to like our 
FACEBOOK page and follow us on PINTEREST for motivation, clean eating tips, and healthy lifestyle resources.

Monday, October 12, 2015

10 Perfectly Spooktacular No Carve Pumpkins

Time to start decorating the house with autumnal inspired foliage and gourds! I hate carving pumpkins because it is slimy, messy and the smell! Can't stand the smell! So I thought I might try something different this year and still decorate the pumpkins but without carving. Here are some great ideas I found!

Corn Husk Covered Pumpkins - By Midwest Living

Glitter Pumpkin Topiary - By A Diamond In The Stuff


The Tangled Web Pumpkin - By Buzzfeed

The Glitter Pumpkin- By the SITS Girls

The Lacey Pumpkin- By Better homes and Garden

The Painted Pumpkin - By Lil' Luna

The Plaid Pumpkin: By Real Simple

The Mumkin - By Circa Dee

The Patterned Pumpkin - By Country Living

The Pumpkin Family - By blue i style


And, of course, be sure to like our 
FACEBOOK page and follow us on PINTEREST for motivation, clean eating tips, and healthy lifestyle resources.

Friday, October 2, 2015

It's OCTOBER!


I love October so much! Growing up it was the month that we could start wearing sweatshirts in the mornings because it was actually a little chilly. In high school it was also the month where in marching band we actually opted to keep our band jackets on because it was a little cold at the football games.

It is all about warm cozy fires, apple picking, corn maze fun having, pumpkin everything (though I am not a pumpkin fan, the hubs sure is!), changing leaves, foggy mornings, hot apple cider, tricks and treats and of course my favorite thing of all, HALLOWEEN! It's my second favorite holiday next to Christmas. It is the day that I can be anyone I want to be! A princess, a pirate, a maiden. Anyone! You all probably know by now that I love to dress up every year, and finally we are doing family themed costumes! (Thanks to Mason joining the family!)

2 years ago we announced our pregnancy with this...

Last year we were a family of pirates! Isn't that parrot cute?!?

And this year...we are already in charge of a small herd of dinosaurs might as well make the kids dress the part! I am so excited and Mason CAN NOT WAIT for his costume to get here. Every day he asks, "is my costume here yet???" Collin's arrived last week so Mason is super jealous!

What fun halloween things do you do as a family?

Also if you are ready to get fit before the holidays even start and want to join me for the October health and fitness support group, fill out this form HERE! I am going to have fall specific clean eating recipes, fun Halloween activities to help you stay healthy before the hoards of ghouls and goblins knock on your door this year! Let's slim down before the holidays together!


And, of course, be sure to like our 
FACEBOOK page and follow us on PINTEREST for motivation, clean eating tips, and healthy lifestyle resources.
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