Toxic Air in Your Home...Not Just Cleaning Supplies

Often, if someone references "toxic air," I immediately think of chemicals in products that we use, such as cleaning supplies, air fresheners, or plastic items. I hardly think of how attitudes can also produce toxic air.

This morning has produced some toxic air around here. A strict diet/fast which our bodies are still getting accustomed to and rainy and gray weather is not a good combination! With the little one down for a nap, another adult at home, snow in the forecast, and a library book due today, I decided to take some of my "Me" time to go to the library.

I pulled my hair into a ponytail before putting on my coat and pulling the hood over my head. As I walked from the door to my car, my hood wasn't sufficient in keeping the rain drops off my face. But it didn't annoy me as it some times would -- in fact, I found it so refreshing. The rain droplets and the fresh air was purification for my system.

Even if it is simply stepping outside for a few minutes, there is such a benefit to getting fresh air! I remember as my daughter was much younger, worrying about the weather being too cold to go out. But I realized if we bundled up and weren't out in the extreme cold, it would be a huge benefit for both of us...and it was, until she fell face first into the snow!

Have you taken a moment of refreshment for yourself?


Photo Credit: Image: vegadsl / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

How Are You Doing With New Year's Resolutions?

We're into the second week of the new year, and how are we doing with our goals and resolutions?!? Trop50 wants to encourage us not to lose heart in losing the weight. Trop50 True Resolutions wants to know your motivation behind losing weight! Share your secret motivation and you’ll earn a coupon for $1 off Trop50 for yourself and 50¢ off coupons for up to 50 of your friends. You can even submit incognito with a fierce disguise. Bonus: Whether you submit a resolution or not, you can also enter a sweepstakes for a chance to win a $1000 gift card. And don't forget about our $50 Spa Week Gift Card Giveaway!

Then sit back with a special recipe from Trop50!

LEMON BERRY MOJITO

1/2 cup Trop50 Lemonade (regular or raspberry)
1/4 cup fresh raspberries (or unsweetened frozen)
2 Tablespoons club soda
4 mint leaves
4 ice cubes

Put mint and ice into an 8-ounce glass. With a spoon, mash mint leaves and ice until mint is broken up into pieces. In blender puree lemonade with raspberries. Pour over mint/ice and top with club soda. Garnish with raspberries, lemons and/or mint leaves. Makes 3/4 cup (6 ounces). 1.5 ounces of rum optional

Nutrition Highlights: Each Trop50 mock-jito has 185 fewer calories and 75% less sugar than an original mojito. Our version also gives you 2 grams of fiber (thanks to fiber-rich raspberries) and 60% of your daily recommended vitamin C!

Nutrition Info (6-ounce lemon berry mojito): 40 calories, 0g fat, 0g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 0mg cholesterol, 10mg sodium, 10g carbohydrates, 2g fiber, 7g sugar, 0g protein, 0% vitamin A, 60% vitamin C, 2% calcium, 2% iron

Typical Mojito Mix (6-ounce): 225 calories, 0g fat, 0g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 0mg cholesterol, 10mg sodium, 27g carbohydrates, 0g fiber, 27g sugar, 0g protein, 0% vitamin A, 0% vitamin C, 0% calcium, 0% iron

****This is not a paid post. Thank you to Trop50 who supplied the product for the review! I received the product mentioned above free of charge for editorial consideration, and I’m also eligible for additional incentives. However, all opinions expressed are 100% my own.****

Rafflecopter Launch Party Giveaway: Win an iPad or Kindle Fire

For those who like giveaways, Rafflecopter has made the process much easier!To celebrate the new year, they're giving away a 16GB Apple iPad2 and several Kindle Fires. The giveaway starts Monday 1/9 at 12:01 a.m. and lasts for a month. To enter, simply tell us who referred you to this giveaway (that's me, Discovering the Me in Mommy)! You can receive additional entries by tweeting about this giveaway, following on twitter, and giving feedback. They're also looking for a mascot name for the "smiley-face dude!"  After the giveaway is over, the favorites will be brought to a vote on Facebook. If your name is chosen, you’ll win a Kindle Fire and be immortalized in Rafflecopter history :)

Enter now!

$50 Spa & Wellness Gift Card -- from Trop50

Is losing weight one of your new year's resolutions or goals? Tropicana wants to help manage weight goals by offering juices with 50% less sugar and calories than the full-bodied kinds. This also provides more options for diabetics, as mentioned in my previous review. Available in orange, apple, pomegranate blueberry, pineapple mango, lemonade, and raspberry lemonade, Trop50 is a good source of vitamins.

Trop50 True Resolutions wants to know your motivation behind losing weight! Share your secret motivation and you’ll earn a coupon for $1 off Trop50 for yourself and 50¢ off coupons for up to 50 of your friends. You can even submit incognito with a fierce disguise. Bonus: Whether you submit a resolution or not, you can also enter a sweepstakes for a chance to win a $1000 gift card.

Limit one (1) $1 coupon per person/email address/Facebook account. Coupons available while supplies last.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Ends 1/31/2012. See Official Rules for details.

I'm all about carving out time and space for oneself! And Trop50 is offering a chance to spoil yourself! (Click "Read More" to enter using the Rafflecopter form)

My Special Place

I believe that everyone needs some time to themselves, especially mommies! This might be a bit selfish (some have told me that it's healthy though), but I've always made some time for just me. If I've always tending to people or things around me, at some point, I'll crash, and it's just better for everyone when I prevent that by taking time out to tend to Me!

My "special" place (for quiet/alone or regrouping time) is actually at the gym! I can't seem to get alone time in my house! This gives me an extra motivation to exercise, to get my body and my mind in better shape! I can have at least 20 minutes on a machine to get my legs going but to refocus my mind -- often I pray, and some times I just try to sort through all the different ideas in my head.

Photo Credit: Image: Boaz Yiftach / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Complementing Children

How often do you complement children . . . other people's children?!?  Some times I'll complement other people's children for pure encouragement -- other times, I do it as purely encouragement for my child to be more obedient, like, "Look how well they're walking next to their Mommy!" Either way, it brings smiles to both the children and their parents to hear praise, not flattery.

Today I was the recipient of that encouragement! My child spent some time with a childcare provider, and she praised my daughter for being personable and mature . . . for a toddler! They were looking all over the room for a particular toy, and when they couldn't find it, my daughter just non-nonchalantly said, "That's ok," and she went to play with something else!

This mommy's all smiles! When was the last time you complemented some one else's child?!?

Photo Credit: Image: Arvind Balaraman / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Tropicana Trop50 Review

I'm not a big juice drinker because I don't need all the extra sugar and calories! I had the opportunity to try Tropicana's Trop50 line, with 50% less sugar and calories and no artificial sweeteners. The raspberry lemonade was refreshing and still sweet enough! Trop50 is a great way to enjoy juices without the full-bodied calories. It's also a great alternative for diabetics. Previously I had gestational diabetes, and juices were pretty much cut out of my diet -- the one time I had a small glass, my glucose level shot up, and I had to cut out more carbs out of that morning!




If you'd like to give Trop50 a try,visit Trop50 on Facebook to get a $1 off coupon! Share your motivation in their True Resolutions event -- whether you submit a resolution or not, you can also enter a sweepstakes to win a $1000 gift card!

****This is not a paid post.  Thank you to Trop50 who supplied the product for the review! I received the product mentioned above free of charge for editorial consideration, and I’m also eligible for additional incentives. However, all opinions expressed are 100% my own.**** 

Wordless Wednesday - True Love

A Look Back at 2011

I really enjoy writing with some of the Blog Dare's prompts, and today, we're looking back! A few of my favorite posts from 2011!

January

A little late to the game of cloth diapering, but I blogged about getting into it. And I absolutely LOVE cloth now! It isn't as complicated or disgusting as most people make it to be, and it's friendly on the environment and can be to wallets too!
Wish I'd Known...Cloth Diapers!




February

 

Discovering the Me in Mommy's first blog event! I was absolutely thrilled to host my first blog event. I even created my own button, and with the generous help of sponsors, we had a fun cloth-related event with giveaways to share!





March

New to a more natural lifestyle, thinking about the possibilities of artificial dyes and its dangers made me more aware of what I put in my mouth and into the mouths of my family.
Beware of Food Dyes

April

With my daughter verbally communicating more with me, I was overjoyed by a sweet Mommy Moment! It was the start to the now continuing call of, "Mommy!" An encouraging look back when harried days come.



May
Another post about remembering the increasing growth and development of our children. Though the frustrations of the toddler years, I remembered the positive traits my daughter was developing, and my pride as a mother shone.

June

This was a fun adventure! My husband did almost all of the work, but we grew plants which were heirloom, not genetically-modified. And the richness of taste (as well as nutrition) is well worth all the investments!
Our non-GMO garden!






July
Independence Day Thoughts -- July 4th of every year, I am once again reminded of  the privilege it is to be an American citizen, especially since I had the opportunity to decide whether I wanted to be a citizen or not!

August
I like to reflect, and thinking back 10 years ago makes me eager to see what the next 10 years will hold!

September
I need to be deliberate about my role as parent and teacher. Life reminded me about those teachable moments!

October
My attempt to find a better plan of action for my daily routine --Squeezing more out of 24 hours?!?

November
I love it when couponing meets gifting! With the season of giving around Thanksgiving and Christmas, I was able to coupon to purchase even more for charities!


December
I like looking back to see what's happened but also like thinking about what could possibly be for the future!