I have two children.  The last one born almost a year ago now.  I’ve definitely had my share of the ups and downs in the weight-loss and health related departments.  I have been reading a bit on the net since my doctor hasn’t been of any help other than to say “exercise”.  With a leg/foot injury that is kind of hard to do and he had no suggestions as to what type of exercises I should try.

I am following a few people on twitter now that are fitness guru’s or weight-loss professionals.  A lot of the tips are great but they all scream “buy my product!”.  I’m wanting to improve my overall health, not just my weight so I’ve been looking to follow a few twitter-ers or blogs that are into the natural health community.  I found one healthy fellow that I will be following (subscribing to the RSS feed of his website).  The site looks rather interesting and is not in your face about buying a product.  It includes a few topics of interest to me: depression, allergies and healthy recipes.

Do you have any suggestions/links to websites related to health & fitness?  Have you started a weight-loss program or routine this year?  If so, feel free to leave a comment to share your story.  Or if you have suggestions of exercises for someone with leg/foot injury, please leave those as well.

If you’re a parent, I’m sure you have heard of Jo the Super Nanny. From the start of her tv series on ABC, she has taught the parents to be consistent with a time out spot.

For busy moms on the run, this can be tough to do at times. Where do you put them in time out when you’re shopping? At the Grandparents? The park? Let me introduce you to the Take Out, Time Out Mat.

It is a 20 inch circular rubber mat with a fabric top that is bright in color – almost resembling a target. The Take Out, Time Out Mat is great for use in the house as well as on the go. Being consistent now doesn’t mean you have to place your child in the same one spot in your house, but you can place them on the same mat wherever you may be. It is able to be folded up and placed in a purse, backpack or diaper bag. While you’re in the house, place the mat where the child will still be within your sight. Cooking, place them on the mat in the kitchen or dining area where you can keep an eye on them. In the living room? Again, place them in view on the same mat. Going to the park or Grandparents? Pack the mat up with you. When needed, pull it out and place the child on the mat. Same rules apply no matter where you go; keep the same mat and the same time limits as you would at home.

Even Kelly Ripa uses the Take Out, Time Out Mat. She says “Take Out Time Out is my new traveling naughty mat. It works, I swear! And my children do not know that they can get out of it.”

I received this mat about a week ago and have began using it with my son. I don’t leave the mat sitting out all day. When my son acts up, I tell him that I will bring out the mat as a warning. So far his response has been well. He knows that if he continues doing something “naughty” that the mat will be brought out for a time out.

If you are an on the go parent, or just looking for a specific time out routine, I do highly recommend you visiting My Precious Kid to grab yourself a Take Out, Time Out Mat.

Last but not least, check back soon for a contest sponsored by MyPreciousKid!

I came across this really cute website called Little Nummies recently.  Having one picky eater on my hands, I understand how the creator of the site got started.  They recently had an Animal Special that I thought would be great to share with others.

This Alphabet Animal Special can be used in many ways:

1. Reference of ideas for daily lunches or snacks to change things up or get your toddler interested in trying to new foods (or just to get them to eat period!)

2. If you are homeschooling and your child is learning the alphabet, you could do the alphabet in order one day at a time.  Have lunch, go over the letter of the day and learn about that particular animal of the day as well.  Lunch, Alphabet and Animal Science – three courses in one!  Couldn’t get much better than that.

You can visit Little Nummies for this Animal special by visiting http://littlenummies.net/?cat=469 or to get other great food ideas visit the homepage at http://littlenummies.net.  For quick reference for myself and to share with others, I have put together a list of the Animals a-z, here.

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