Posted on Thursday, March 31, 2016

Staying Active When It’s Cold Outside.

We completed another successful webinar yesterday on helpful healthcare tips for busy moms. This was our fifth webinar and I have been enjoying this experience in sharing my healthcare tips with you. I hope you continue to tune in!

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to answer one of the live questions we received during the webinar. I thank you all for submitting such wonderful questions.

One of the questions I received was, “How do you find the motivation to workout when it’s cold and rainy outside?”

As a working mother raising two young girls, finding the time and energy to stay active was always a challenge. It is especially difficult during the colder, rainier months of the year.

Getting outside and spending time in nature is said to energize you and combat depression, even if it is just a 10-minute walk. For me, what made working out easier during these months was to find fun and creative ways to get me and my family out the door.

For me and my girls, taking a walk outside was something we looked forward to and a time where we could catch up with each other. If you have a pet, take your family outside for a walk with your pet. If it’s cold outside, invest in a few workout pieces that can keep you both comfortable and warm.

Trying fun activities such as sledding, building a snowman, making snow angels, skiing, are all great ways to continue activity when it’s cold. Don’t forget to get creative with your indoor activities as well and try indoor playgrounds, swimming, rock climbing, bowling or touring a local museum.

The greatest thing I learned through the process of finding motivation was to continue the habit of being active. The more I continued to exercise even when the weather wasn’t optimal or I didn’t have the most energy, the easier it became to maintain an active lifestyle. Research also suggests that it takes 21 days to make or break a habit, so the longer you can continue your healthy routine, the easier it will be to maintain.

If you missed out on my live webinar yesterday on Helpful Healthcare Tips for Busy Moms, you still have time to register HERE for additional webinar times this weekend!

Posted on Monday, March 28, 2016

Helpful Healthcare Tips for Busy Moms

Are you a mom on the go looking for some simple and easy ways to stay healthy and care for your family without feeling burnt out?

As the summertime nears and the flu season is upon us, this is a great time to make sure your kids are staying active but also remaining healthy. Keeping your family’s health records up-to-date, knowing your family health history, and taking some time out of your day to relax can sometimes make all the difference when you’re faced with those unexpected childcare situations.

How do you go about making sure your kids’ health records are updated? How do you gather your family’s health history? What do you do when faced with unexpected childcare?

Your questions are important. That’s why I have scheduled a FREE live webinar on Wednesday, March 30, 2016 at 2 p.m. EST to cover tips and tools for Busy Moms just like you!

Ready to get ahead of all your families healthcare needs? Tune into the webinar to learn:

How to make sure your children’s health records are up-to-date.
Keeping track of your family’s health history.
Tips to taking care of yourself with a hectic schedule.
What to do when faced with unexpected childcare.
What health benefits are included in your healthcare plan.

You can bring your questions to the webinar or submit them in advance by email or on Facebook or Twitter.

Posted on Monday, March 21, 2016

Tips For Moms: Breastfeeding in the Workplace

Expressing breast milk while at work, can be a challenge.

As a single mother, raising two girls, I had to learn how to juggle both caring for my kids and work. Luckily, there are more people today understanding of breastfeeding in the work place, as it is much more common than twenty years ago.

Regardless, it’s still difficult to manage which is why I would like to share a few helpful tips from my own experience to hopefully make the process less stressful and more comfortable for you.

First, have a talk with your human resources department. Be open about your experience. I find that the more you can have an open discussion the more your employer will be receptive to your needs. Make an arrangement with your employer on how, where and when you can express your breast milk and try and be flexible.

Under the ACA, the federal law requires employers to give break time and a place for most hourly wage employees and salaried employees to express breast milk at work. The federal law however, does not require these breaks to be paid so make sure you ask your employer (also, check with your state law, they may provide more protection and coverage for breastfeeding than federal law).

Also, I found that having the right breast pump can make all the difference. Health insurance plans must provide breast feeding equipment and counseling (potentially at no cost). Talk to your doctor to find out which breast feeding pump is best for you (manual, electric, or rental).

Put together a mini pump bag filled with the following essentials, this will make it easier for you during the work week:

Clean bottles.
Breast pump.
Power supply (for electric breast pumps).
Paper towels.
Extra clothing for you (just incase).
Breast pads.
Healthy snacks.

Finally, make sure you are comfortable with the overall process and remember, it is a normal and natural part of the child bearing process.

Looking for more healthcare tips? Tune in to our FREE live webinar on Wednesday, March 30 at 2 p.m. EST where I will discuss Helpful Healthcare Tips for Busy Moms. Register HERE today.

Check out my Periscope video HERE on breastfeeding in the workplace.