How To Get A Baby On A Schedule

I will be the first to admit that I AM NOT A PERFECT MOM! I have ginger snaps quite often, thanks to my red headed short fuse. But I will say, that my kids are on a schedule. #2 and #3 seemed to fall into their brother's schedule. They love their schedules. They BEG to go to mommy quiet time every day and we know the signs when they are ready/beyond ready for bed. That is why, my kids are on a schedule! #1 when he was a baby, did not have a schedule until he was about 9 months old, when I realized that I needed some quiet time. Before that we were just flying by the seat of our pants trying to make everything work but once I got him on a regular schedule and routine our lives got much more calm and less crazy!

A typical school day in our house now looks like this:
Everyone up around 6:30am.
Breakfast by 6:40am
Get #1 ready for school at 7:00am
Bus by 7:15am
Back to the house for my breakfast and morning activities
Mommy quiet time by 11:30am
Get #1 from bus stop and wake baby from mommy quiet time 2:45pm
7pm reading time
7:30 get ready for bed
 all kids go to bed by 8pm

Even on the weekends #1 follows the same schedule. If you ever ask me to do play dates, they will always happen in the mornings. I desperately try not to schedule anything during the hours of 11am-3pm. If my kids don't have their naps/time away from me/me away from them. We ALL will but heads!

So how did I get even my newborn on this schedule? 

Consistency! Consistency is the Key to setting a schedule. In the beginning even when others were taking care of the boys I still tried to keep her on the same schedule. Making sure we were trying to sleep by 11am for the afternoon nap. She would always have a nap before then, but I made sure she was awake then back to sleep by 11am. Then making sure she was up by 3pm everyday. I have to have her on a schedule since I teach private music lessons out of my home 3 days a week. And she needs to be up and fed and happy for when I pass her off to my hubs while I teach.

Tips To Set A Baby's Schedule: 

• Make sure you are consistent everyday with your schedule. They will pick up on it. Make it a priority in your household and for everyone to be on the same page

• Know it takes a few weeks for the baby to pick up on the regular routine. It does not happen overnight

• Be forgiving. Sometimes during growth spurts or other times, the schedule just won't happen. Or you have an appointment during the "no appointment time". Be flexible and forgiving.

• Pick 2 times in the day that you HAVE to be consistent with. Mommy quiet time and bed time are our, must have, every day. The other times in the day are more flexible. But I have to have my mommy quiet time to get my workout in, lunch and work done. And night time. Well, if we don't get the kids in bed by 8pm it is bewitching hour and man, my kids can get pretty crazy!

• Talk to your baby and explain what you are trying to accomplish. Yes they are just a baby but telling them and trying to help them understand gets you used to explaining the rules to your kids. Even as they get older, you are going to have to explain it for the 1,000th time. 

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Healthy Lunch in 10 Minutes or Less

Did you run out of time to precook your chicken or rice before the start of the week? Check out my easy go to items that help me stay on top of my nutrition even when I do prepare ahead of time.

Oh and are you following me on Youtube? I have been adding in more videos every week! Go Subscribe!

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!

Clean Eating TIPS For Beginners

You have heard me talk about it so many times. I eat clean healthy balanced meals. But what does it really mean?

What Is Clean Eating?

1. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, both raw and cooked.
2. Eat unprocessed lean meats that have not had anything added. This includes fresh chicken and fish and even lean, humanely raised beef and game.
3. Enjoying whole grains instead of the processed or refined.
4. Eating smaller, more frequent meals about every 2 1/2 – 3 hours.

Some people even take it to another level of eating clean like: avoiding flour, sugar, dairy or other food groups. Anyone can start to eat clean by just focusing on the basic guidelines listed above. There is no right or wrong way to eat clean—just the right way for you to feel good and get your desired results.

How to Start Eating Clean
Not everyone can afford to dump the majority of food in their kitchen and start from scratch. DON'T! Start your clean-eating adventure the easy way!

When you make your shopping list each week, select one or two items to switch with clean items. For example, if you need bread this week, make it a point to find “clean” bread (100% whole grain, no added sugar and identifiable ingredients such as whole wheat flour, salt and yeast). If you ran out of white rice, pick up a package of brown rice this week. It doesn’t have to be difficult to make the transition to clean foods—it does not happen overnight!  With this slow and steady approach, you don’t have to spend hours at the store reading labels either. Start small: You are also more likely to stick with it if you don’t shock yourself with a sudden change. This is not a quick fix this is for a lifestyle change. A NEW way of eating. And it can take some time to learn the ins and outs! 

Clean Eating for Beginners

• Start slow and within your budget. Don’t worry about drastic changes you don't have to eat “perfect.”
• You don't have to eat only organic food. Live within your budget and decide which foods you want to eat organic and stick with it. For me, I choose to eat organic meats when I can. And mostly organic fruit.  
• Teach yourself to properly read labels. Focus on the ingredient list not necessarily on the nutrition list. Select foods with fewer ingredients—and ingredients that you recognize as real food.
• Understand that you will make mistakes. The important thing is not giving up. 
• Don’t stress over minor things. Keep the bigger concepts in mind and always work to improve. It’s about choosing the healthiest choice—not depriving yourself.
• If you do have something that doesn’t mean your definition of “clean,” don’t throw in the towel. Make your next meal clean. That’s the difference between a diet and a lifestyle change. 
• Live the rule of 80/20. It's ok to have some indulgences every now and then. 20% of the time is a good rule of thumb. This lifestyle change isn't sustainable if you don't allow yourself to have some chocolate, or a candy bar every now and again. But the key is in moderation. only 20% of the time. 

WANT TO GET EVEN MORE TIPS ON CLEAN EATING? CLICK HERE TO GET MY FREE CLEAN EATING GUIDE! 

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!

Beachbody On Demand All Access Annual Pass

Last week, our CEO announced that Beachbody is launching the MOST amazing challenge for its customers and coaches!   This is seriously unreal and I HAD to share it with you because I know that this is going to be a major game changer for everyone!  Introducing….

The All-Access Beachbody on Demand Challenge Pack

I am SO excited for this! The past year I have been actually using Beachbody on Demand more than I did my actual DVD's of my workouts. WHY? Because it was so easy to do my workouts anywhere in my house. Mainly locked in my room so that I had privacy and no interruption from my kids when I really needed that quiet time and didn't want to clean up a huge disaster of toys just to get my workout in. Now I moved my workouts to my foyer area, again to avoid the toys in the basement and for the stability of the solid hard wood floors. And for us, we have pretty much gone to streaming EVERYTHING. It is just easier! I really do feel that this ability with an all access pass to EVERY WORKOUT is a huge game changer for me. I can literally do any workout I want, including all the deluxe workouts! 

What is Beachbody on Demand? 

Beachbody on Demand is a streaming app that you can access from your phone, computer, tablet, Firestick TV, Apple TV, Roku, etc!  There are thousands of dollars’ worth of programs on there, from yoga to strength training and HIIT workouts to country line dancing, literally there is an option for everyone!  Basically it is like Netflix, but for your health and fitness.  With a subscription to this app, you receive access to most of these workouts PLUS the meal plans and calendars that go along with it.  There are also “premium workouts” that you can upgrade and get access to as well.  But with the new All Access Pass, there are no upgrade fees!  CLICK HERE TO WATCH OUR SIZZLE REEL! Plus More details about that below!

What makes this so different from the other challenge packs?

With Challenge packs  you receive ONE fitness program, 30 day supply of nutrient dense super foods daily smoothies, 30 day access to Beachbody on Demand, and access to my monthly challenge…With the ALL ACCESS PASS you will receive ALL of the fitness programs, 365 day access to Beachbody on Demand, 30 day supply of nutrient dense super foods daily smoothie, color coded container system and access to EVERY challenge I host for the year!  Let me list it all out for you!

• 1 Year All Access Pass to Beachbody on Demand – You will receive FULL access to every single program that Beachbody has ever come out with including ALL premium programs for no additional charge, PLUS all of the 2017 new releases!  ($6000 worth of fitness programs and eating guides)
• 30 Day Supply of Shakeology – These smoothies will be the PERFECT on the go meal that will keep you feeling energized, curb cravings, and fill you up with 70 superfoods that you normally wouldn’t even get in a week! ($130 value). Curious about what ingredients are in Shakeology and the Nutritional Info? CLICK HERE to view the ingredients for EVERY SHAKEOLOGY FLAVOR! 

• Portion Fix Container System – Color coded, portion control containers plus an eating guide and shaker cup.  These have been life changing for me!  You can follow this system at home, at restaurants, really from anywhere!  It is so easy to follow!   ($40 value)

• 1 Year All Access Pass to my Monthly Challenges – You will be a part of ALL of my monthly challenges so that you can stay plugged in and supported throughout the entire year. Get access to my tools and tips to help you stay accountable, motivated and supported by other challengers so that you truly reach your goals! 

• Lifetime Access to ME – I will be here for you every step of the way to support you and hold you accountable to your goals! 

What I love about this whole thing is that you are not just committing to a quick fix, you are committing to a healthier year and a healthier life for yourself!  And you can jump from workout to workout at your leisure. You don't have to spend any more money to get a new workout program. Because it is included in your annual pass. THIS IS AMAZING! 

So what's it gonna cost me? 

• This Year Long, All-Access Challenge Pack is only a one-time payment of $199  PRICE HAS BEEN REDUCED FOR A 20% Discount for a limited time only! (I KNOW!) 
• If you already have Beachbody on Demand, you can cancel your membership and repurchase this challenge pack if you chose to do so or you can upgrade to the year long, all access pass for $99.
• If you purchased a challenge pack between 12/1 and 12/26, you can upgrade to this challenge pack offer for $69 on December 27th!
• If you choose to enroll as a coach, your business starter fee is waived when you order this challenge pack as well!

This challenge pack option is available starting TODAY! December 27th!  If you are interested in getting started you can CLICK HERE!  If you need to upgrade your current subscription or have questions EMAIL me, or send me a message over at FACEBOOK! 

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.

Merry Christmas

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays this season! Thank you all so much for your support and following along with my journey! I hope to be able to inspire you more over the next year!