So many people think that they lack the time, or energy, for exercise due to the stress and hectic nature of their average day. Either your children need your attention, or your work consumes every waking hour, or you have no energy left by the end of the day to think about mustering the necessary vigor to exercise. If that’s
the case, and yet you want to make exercise a priority, it’s time to look into making small changes throughout your day to add in exercise without blocking out a full 30, 60, or 90 minute training session.

Exercise has to be an enjoyable part of your everyday life, no matter how busy your schedule. If it is not enjoyable, or at least tolerable, you will not continue to pursue it in the long run. Choose activities that you enjoy, and that are readily accessible, rather than trying to plan an hour of time at the gym in your already hectic schedule.

Instead of going over the top, and making it a goal to exercise 90 minutes a day, 7 days per week, begin with a light increase of activity; over time you’ll notice how much easier it becomes to do even more.

A healthy, fit lifestyle can be achieved by simply adding a few minutes of incidental exercise to a busy schedule. Even the busiest schedules have time for fitness activities! There are a few simple things to remember when contemplating increasing your workouts during a hectic time.

Do a short, and focused, session of stretching every morning for a couple minutes when you wake. This will invigorate your muscles and help your joints, and it only takes 5-10 minutes. Think of it as a mini-yoga session before you begin your day, but without having to leave the house or give up an hour of your time!

Take the stairs whenever possible. If you live in a multi-story home, find excuses to take the stairs up and down a couple more times to do chores or errands than you normally would, otherwise. It’s building leg muscle, cushioning your joints, and getting you a bit of a workout

Take a 15 to 20 minute walk with a friend, co-worker, or spouse. At some point during the day, when your schedule clears just a bit, hit the road and take a walk with your children, family, or friends! Having a buddy will help motivate you daily. Eat a light lunch either immediately before, or immediately afterwards, to promote healthy weight loss and maintain your metabolism.

Chores are exercise – if you have to do them anyways, make them help you!

Do yard walk, rake the leaves, mop, dust, vacuum, walk the dog, etc. while enjoying the physical activity. Play some music if it helps brighten your mood to accompany these tasks, or if you have a competitive streak, time yourself – and try to beat that time every week by working a little bit more efficiently, and a little bit harder!

Take a stretch break in the afternoon to ward off fatigue and soreness from sitting too long. Practice deep, cleansing breathing exercises for about 5 minutes each afternoon, to preserve your sanity, your blood pressure, and your physiological health. Similar to your morning session, take a very focused 5 minutes on your body – and then get back to the needs of your family!

Add new, fun and different exercise activities to weekend family outings. Instead of sitting in front of the television together, get out there and play! Rotate the selection and planning of the activities between family members, but make sure it’s something where you are working together, and being active! One of the best parts of doing this is, if you’re just outdoors enjoying nature, it’s free and relaxing, too!

Snack properly. Even if you truly do not have time to exercise during the day, you still must eat. And when you eat, make it healthy – it’s the best thing you can do for yourself, your family, and your children. Don’t wait to eat until you are starving; forgetting to eat is not a legitimate excuse, either. If you don’t have time to sit down for a meal, keep consistently snacking on fruits, vegetables, nuts, and yogurt. Remember to consume plenty of water throughout the day, too!

Set an alarm and stick to the goal. Strength training is important for your muscles and bones. But instead of doing an hour of concentrated work, break it up throughout the day. Every 30 minutes, break to do 10 push-ups. It won’t take more than 15 or 20 seconds, and by the end of the day, imagine the total you will have
completed!

Rather than taking the closest space in the parking lot, park farther away from the destination and walk the extra distance. Now this assumes several things, of course – namely, make sure that you are in a safe and secure parking lot where you feel comfortable parking far away. And, this may not be the best idea with children in tow – but if it’s just you, or you’re with friends, take the extra several hundred yards as an opportunity to exercise!

About The Author: Bobby DeMuro is the Founder of FusionSouth, a personal training/sports conditioning firm in Charlotte, NC. He is also the Executive Director of NoFizz Charlotte, a non-profit dedicated to bringing awareness on the importance of proper hydration. He resides on Lake Norman with his 2-year old boxer, Dakota.

Check the shelves of your sports equipment store, and it seems there are more types of athletic shoes than sports for which to use them! Specialization does matter, though, because you want to wear the best shoe for your specific activity. What does that mean? It means considering foot size, shape, and idiosyncrasies about how you run, walk, jump, and land. No matter your need, there is a shoe there for you – and
it’s easy to find.

The first step (literally) is to ensure you embark upon your expedition with your feet prepared as though to do your sport. Try shoes late in the day; if you go in the morning, your foot will be smaller and tighter than it would after a day of walking; you don’t want to end up with a small shoe. Also, make sure you take
the socks you will wear when you exercise to the store. The right fit must take sock size into account.

It is helpful to know a few terms that are important no matter choice of exercise. Pronation describes movement of the ankle. A neutral foot-strike means the heel and ball land evenly, with no rotation of the ankle. Over-pronators, who have flat or fallen arches, tend to roll the ankle too far inward. Under-pronators, who often have high arches and stiff feet, don’t have enough flexion in their stride. Ankle and arch issues permeate all sports, so have an expert watch your walking and running stride, if possible.

If you have high arches, investigate cushioning shoes. These shoes are built on a curved last, with padding in the heel and/or under the ball of the foot, to encourage a rolling motion through the heel-strike to the ball push-off.

If you are a neutral strider, you can find excellent shoes offering a middle level of cushioning, motion control, and stability that will encourage an efficient running motion without providing too much extra support. Stability shoes are lighter than motion-control runners, but a little bit heavier than cushioning runners. The
average runner will often find stability shoes to be the most comfortable because they do not create a particular stride motion.

If you have reached an elite level of running, however, you will probably focus most on the weight of the shoe itself. Some of these incorporate motion-control or cushioning aspects, but mostly they tend to sacrifice therapeutic controls to become as light as possible in an effort to help long-distance elite level runners.

Severe over- or under-pronators should not look into lightweight shoes, but average striders will be quite comfortable in them, as they provide a medium level of support to the foot.

Cross-training shoes take an entirely different motion into consideration. You want a pair of cross-trainers if you make any lateral (sideways) motion in addition to impact, such as in a sport like kickboxing.

Running or walking shoes are built for the forward motion of running, and
do not provide any stability to the ankle for side-to-side motion; only cross-trainers are designed to prevent injury and support lateral moves. You should also wear cross-trainers when weightlifting, because these shoes will typically provide the most multi-directional support.

Have your foot measured professionally, and seek out a shoe built on a narrow or wide base if you have a foot that is not average width. Make sure that the shoe is comfortable and supportive in movement. Hopefully, these quick tips help you in your search – remember that not all exercise shoes are created equally!

About The Author: Bobby DeMuro is the Founder of FusionSouth, a personal training/sports conditioning firm in Charlotte, NC. He is also the Executive Director of NoFizz Charlotte, a non-profit dedicated to bringing awareness on the importance of proper hydration. He resides on Lake Norman with his 2-year old boxer, Dakota.

I do not belong to any fitness center – instead, I use at-home and outdoor training methods to get in shape, build muscle, and burn off excess fat stores. That being said, I (probably like you) have at one point or another exercised in a large fitness center.

The gym can be equal parts annoying, intimidating, overwhelming, and challenging to find motivation – and so many people do things the wrong way when they hit the gym, in the hopes of seeing results.

Below are a couple of brief mistakes that so many people make when exercising at a large fitness center. Read through them, and then ask yourself – how many of these mistakes are you guilty of committing? What about others that went unmentioned? Re-think your attitude, goals and programs at your local fitness center, and experience a more efficient workout!

Doing The Same Workout, Again… and Again… and Again…

This is a huge mistake for many people – they waste a great deal of time, effort and money by not utilizing all the equipment that is provided for them in a large fitness center. It has been my experience that the most popular routine for many people looks something like this:

• Run/walk 2-3 miles on the treadmill (often while reading a magazine)
• Brief Stretching/Abdominal Session
• Occasional light and short weight training session

For some people, that first point can be changed to multiple machines (elliptical, bike, treadmill, etc.) for 10-15 minutes each, until they are complete and finished, but the result is the same – stagnation! Mix up the routine if you want to see results. After all, remember the definition of insanity?

Feeling the Need to Exercise 7 Days A Week

Lots of people use the gym as a negative motivator – that is, they force themselves to go to the gym each and every day, and when they fail to do so, guilt and depression set in from their perceived shortcomings. Don’t make yourself exercise at the gym 7 days per week – if you push yourself to go every day, often times you will not push yourself as hard as you should, and you won’t attempt new exercises. That, in turn, can pull you down into an exercise-related rut that becomes difficult to rise above.

Furthermore, if you use the gym as a negative motivator, and you fail to go, the tendency for many people is to fall further off the wagon – and they compound the inactivity with poor eating decisions, a lack of sleep, and more sedentary activities.

Find a positive motivator, instead of a negative one – a challenge that makes you want to be your best every day, and one that, although difficult, makes you excited and fulfilled as you attempt it!

Exercising With a Cold

Yes, this is a horrible idea – and deep down, we all know that. It is a common misconception that exercising with a cold will make it go away faster; in reality, you are making things worse by exercising at half-strength. Your immune system isn’t running at 100% when you exercise. Instead, it’s working to repair muscles. It is much better to rest and get over a cold before hitting the gym again – not to mention, it is desirable not to infect others with your sickness.

Exercising While Being Rushed

So many people rush to exercise either immediately before or after work. It is difficult to do this all the time or in all situations, but attempt to come to the gym in a more relaxed manner, where timing of the day is not as important as a factor.

By clearing your mind from outside distractions such as your to-do list for the day, you will be able to focus more fully on your regimen for the day, thereby allowing yourself a greater opportunity to see results. The next time you hit the gym, whatever your routine is, I challenge you: do everything differently. Every machine, every exercise, every set – change the pace, number, quickness, or rhythm. Do it for at least one workout, and see how you feel. You may be sore (you should be!), but you’re also avoiding the dreaded stagnation that has probably been building in over months or years!

About The Author: Bobby DeMuro is the Founder of FusionSouth, a personal training/sports conditioning firm in Charlotte, NC. He is also the Executive Director of NoFizz Charlotte, a non-profit dedicated to bringing awareness on the importance of proper hydration. He resides on Lake Norman with his 2-year old boxer, Dakota.

Chef, author, reality TV star, entrepreneur, mommy, and now workout buddy, Bethenny Frankel shows that no matter how busy you are you still have time to work out with her Body By Bethenny workout DVD.

Bethenny is joined by celebrity instructor Kristin McGee for this 40-minute yoga program. The purpose of the DVD is to stretch and strengthen your entire body following up with a 10-minute strength-training segment.

My thoughts on the introduction are that it is a sweet personal message from Bethenny; it’s a little scripted, but seems like her personality and own thoughts are behind it. She talks about how the workout is for everyone at every fitness stage, and that being a “Skinnygirl” isn’t about what size you are, it’s about feeling comfortable in your own skin.

Body By Bethenny is approximately 55 minutes, definitely not a quickie workout, but I like how you have choices in the “Workout Options” section of the DVD. You can skip to the five-minute Booty Bonus, or do just the 40 minutes of yoga. I’ve found as a mom even if you do 20 minutes in the morning and find time for the other 40 throughout the day it’s okay, you’re still getting in 60 minutes’ worth of working out. Just make sure you’re getting your heart rate up.

The DVD recommends light hand weights and a mat (in the DVD you use a yoga block as well). If you don’t want to purchase items you can use water bottles (filled with water — or better yet, sand) and a beach towel or blanket. I always encourage people to start their workouts with a low weight and work your way up if it’s easier; that’s much better than starting off with heavy weights and struggling, because you’re not getting as much out of a workout if you’re having to stop because it’s too hard.

Bethenny is her usual humorous self during the entire workout, which I find refreshing because she’s not trying to be someone she’s not and she’s not trying to be a personal trainer. Throughout the DVD Kristin and Bethenny utilize yoga terminology, but don’t fret, there is a great little pop-up on the screen to tell you what “downward dog” is, for example.

Unfortunately, there are no modified versions for some of the moves which would be my only critique. I’m sure you could work your way up, but if you have no exercise background it may be a little difficult to use Body By Bethenny as your first workout video.

If you’re looking for a completely serious workout, this DVD is probably not for you. Bethenny adds her own wisecracks, comments, and “Bethennyisms” during the video, but if you’re looking for a Real Housewives of New York version of a workout that’s more what you’ll get from Body By Bethenny.

Body By Bethenny features a bonus cooking segment, recipe booklet from Bethenny’s Skinnygirl Dish, and bonus workouts — that’s a lot of bonuses!

Right now you can only purchase Body By Bethenny on Amazon.com until August 24, 2010 when it will be available in retail outlets.

What’s your favorite workout?
Read more: http://blogcritics.org/scitech/article/dvd-review-body-by-bethenny/page-2/#ixzz0wRvlMRS2

I heard about this great line of “super-fruit” juices that tout calorie-conscious, low sugars, and healthy ingredients in a unique beverage. Now that I’m leaning towards clean eating  Bossa Nova fruit drinks sound like they would be a great addition to my drink selection.

In fact, after receiving samples of several flavors, Daddy B, and Little Miss A and I found out that these drinks are appropriate and healthy for the entire family to enjoy.We were able to try out 6 of the 10 flavors including; Açaí the original, Açaí with blueberry, Goji Berry with tart cherry, Acerola with mango, Açaí with mango, and Mangosteen with passionfruit.

My absolute favorite was the Mangosteen Juice with passionfruit. I am a huge fan of peaches and mangosteen is said to have similar flavor notes to that of peaches. The juice, in my opinion, was very flavorful but not too strong and didn’t taste healthy or organic, (you know what I’m talking about.) The description on Bossa Nova’s website says that mangosteen is often described as the world’s best tasting fruit and even Miss A totally agrees!

Daddy B also liked the taste of Acerola with mango and he was excited about getting in 20 times the amount vitamin c than in oranges at the same time and although we really liked a couple of these there were two that were just okay on our flavor scales. Daddy B thought that the Açaíthe original tasted a lot like medicine, but this was his very first Açaí experience anyway, I’ve heard Açaí alone can be an acquired taste. Miss A thought the Goji Berry with tart cherry was a little too tart for her refined palate, ha ha and it got a C+ from me, compared to the others we got to taste.

Overall, I was really impressed with the taste of the Bossa Nova fruit juices, but I was also blown out of the water when I found out the varying drinks contain ingreditents to help maintain a healthy cardiovascular system, boost your immunity, have anti-aging and body balancing properties and so much more!

I give Bossa Nova two thumbs up for making a great product at a reasonable price compared to juices in it’s category. We are definitely adding these to our fridge for not only the sweltering summer, but for all-year-round. If you’re looking to purchase Bossa Nova drinks, find a store near you by going to their website http://www.bossausa.com/flash/ and checking out their “where to buy” tab, ps they sell the Açaí Original, Açaí Blueberry, and Acerola Mango in 32 ounce bottles as well as the standard 10 ounces.

You can also enter to win because Bossa Nova is giving one lucky MommyB Knows Best Reader a chance to win one of each flavor, that’s 10 different bottles of Bossa Nova drinks people!

Here’s how to win: Using the entry form directly below this post (NOT the comment form), submit your name, an email address that you check regularly, and the entry you are submitting. *Please note the Mandatory Entry MUST be completed before you can qualify for additional entries.

Giveaway ends August 25th @12:00 am. The winner will be chosen at random, verified, emailed, and announced in a Winner’s post. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the email from MommyB to claim the prize, if the prize is not claimed within 48 hours a new winner will be chosen at random. You must be a US resident and 18 years or older to enter.

Weight Loss while Breastfeeding

Immediately after giving birth, mothers usually want to know two things: (a) how to keep their baby healthy and thriving in this brand new environment, and (b) how to get back to their pre-pregnancy weight without negatively affecting the development of (a) in any way.

At Fusion South, we deal with several post-partum clients who are highly motivated to lose their baby weight, but are unsure of how to go about it – specifically in conjunction with nursing.

A good rule of thumb while nursing is to take in 200-500 calories in excess of what you needed to maintain your weight before you were pregnant. So, if you were consistently eating 1,500 calories per day before pregnancy (remember way back then?!), think about consuming 1,700-2,000 calories during the nursing period. Breastfeeding doesn’t make you gain weight – in fact, you’re burning calories when you nurse, and it helps you get rid of that extra weight more quickly.

If you are a vegetarian, you will not need to change your diet unless it doesn’t include any animal protein (vegan and macrobiotic diets). If you do not want to consume any animal products, consider taking a vitamin B12 supplement. If you don’t eat dairy products, make sure to get enough calcium. A good idea, for example, is a simple calcium supplement vitamin to support health without dairy.

The guide to how much fluid to drink while nursing is “drink to thirst”. There is no evidence to show that forcing fluids will increase your milk supply. Drinking too much water (over 12 glasses a day) can actually decrease and dilute your milk supply.

The real problem is that sometimes moms neglects themselves on occasion, often forgetting to promote their own health while they are so immersed in taking care of the baby. If you’re one of these moms, try drinking a glass of water or juice whenever you sit down to nurse your baby. Most mothers find they are thirstier when they are nursing and this is a great way to stay hydrated.

Just like “drinking to thirst”, you should also “eat to hunger” while nursing. Studies have shown that most nursing mothers tend to lose up to one and a half pounds a month for the first 4-6 months after giving birth, and lose weight at a slower rate beyond that time. They tend to lose more weight than formula feeding moms who take in fewer calories.

If you want to lose weight, plan to do so slowly. It’s best not to try to aggressively lose weight during the first couple of months after birth; during that time your body needs to recover from childbirth and establish a milk supply.

Losing weight too quickly, (more than one to one and one half pounds per week,) has been linked to the release of contaminants stored in body fat, into your milk. So, begin your weight loss program slowly when breastfeeding. Increase your activity level and eat less fat and refined sugar, and more fruits and vegetables. Try to take in at least 1,800 calories each day, and, in most cases, no less than 1,500 calories.

Even moderate dieting during lactation can help lose 4-5 pounds each month. Mothers who breastfeed frequently lose weight faster than mothers who nurse less often, and mothers who nurse for short periods of time tend to lose weight more slowly than mothers who nurse longer.

Plan to exercise after nursing so your breasts won’t be full and uncomfortable. Drink a glass of water before and immediately after exercising. If you regularly lift weights or do other exercises involving repetitive arm movement, start slowly. If you develop plugged ducts, cut back and start again more slowly.

Take walks with your baby. If you carry him in sling or baby carrier, his extra weight will burn even more calories! Weather permitting, go for lots of walks – this counts as exercise and gets you out of the house at the same time. If the weather keeps you inside, try carrying your little one while you do housework or try dancing with him. You may feel silly, but he’ll love it and so will you. Whatever you do try to make exercising fun so that you’ll stick with the program, life as a mom already has enough stresses.

In conclusion, eat a nutritious diet while you are nursing, for your sake and baby’s. Don’t worry if your diet isn’t perfect – your milk will still be fine. Although you may feel like you are “starving” when you are nursing try to eat in moderation: making sure you’re making your daily calories count.

If you’re nursing and want to lose the weight, don’t stress out. Remember that many mothers lose weight while lactating even without modifying their diet or exercise regimen. If you want to lose weight, you can lose it without radically altering diet while nursing. If you want to lose weight faster, start slowly, increase your activity level, and eat nutrient dense, healthy foods. You will typically keep three pounds of extra tissue in your breasts while nursing, so be sure factor that into weight loss goals and don’t be too hard on yourself, you’re taking care of yourself and another life.

Most of all enjoy nursing your baby, eat a healthy diet, and plan to lose weight slowly and consistently!

About The Author: Bobby DeMuro is the Founder of FusionSouth, a personal training/sports conditioning firm in Charlotte, NC. He is also the Executive Director of NoFizz Charlotte, a non-profit dedicated to bringing awareness on the importance of proper hydration. He resides on Lake Norman with his 2-year old boxer, Dakota.

I’m not going to make them walk around covered head to toe, but I also think I need to be an example to them setting standards for the way they dress. If toddlers and preschoolers are wearing clothing that is suggestive, then what will they wear when they become teens, young adults and adults?

In general, I think children, mainly little girls, are dressing proactively even from toddlerhood (I can’t believe I just included toddlers, but that’s the reason I feel led to write this post), and at that age it’s gotta be a question of the parent’s judgement.

You may wonder why I’m even talking about this, but last night I went to another mom blogger’s site to enter a giveaway for a girl’s swimsuit line, Lil’ Bettie Beachwear. I have to tell you I was a little shocked at some of the scantilly clad suits I saw and the poses that some of the girls were modeling (Daddy B agrees with me). Some of you may thinkI’m crazy, and you’re entitled to your opinion, but I could never see my girls in some of the suits pictured.

Personally, I prefer full coverage suits above all else but, Little Miss A received a couple of two-piece tankinis from her Nana. I let her wear them even though her little belly pokes out a little, but the bottoms are full coverage. So, I’m not saying parents have to keep their children covered at all times, I just hope that as parents we will consider where we draw the line in regards to modesty when we’re picking out our children’s clothing. In general, I like little girls who are more covered up than this beautiful Lil’ Betties Model:

Some of you may not see a problem with the swim wear, and my issue isn’t just with this suit specifically, I’d just rather not have to worry about my girls body parts poking out of their swimsuits on the public beaches. Of course I know there are nude beaches for all ages and that the human body is beautiful, because God made us, but there’s also the modesty issue and I’m an advocate.

Where do you stand on the modesty issue?

There are any number of things that can put a damper on your vacation: lost luggage, high-priced restaurants, overcrowding at attractions and bad weather are some common culprits. But illness is probably the worst; getting sick during a fun time can be a serious roadblock for all your plans, and dishearten the most optimistic of tourists.

If you get sick, all the time, money, and preparation you put into your trip may have been for nothing, and there will be nothing to do but hole yourself up in a hotel room and try to get better before the flight home.

But it doesn’t have to be like that! There are a few quick, simple things you can do to stay away from sickness during your vacation.

Most Common Sources of Viruses on Vacation

Unsurprisingly, the two biggest sources of vacation virus are airplanes and hotel rooms, so it’s important to take extra precautions when flying and when settling into your room.

In a plane, all of the air in the cabin is continuously re-circulated. This means that any germs that other passengers may have brought on board stick around, and gradually spread through the cabin as the flight progresses.

As you can probably guess, longer flights present the greatest risk of germ exposure; the longer flight gives germs more time to spread, permeating all the corners of the cabin, and to infect passengers.

When flying, remember to wash your hands frequently, and try as best as you can to keep them away from your eyes, nose, and mouth. Frequent hand-washing is hard on airplanes, so bring some alcohol-based hand sanitizer in your carry-on, and use it every hour.

Stay hydrated during travel, which means drinking plenty of water and avoiding caffeine and alcohol. These substances contribute to dehydration, which is bad for your immune system.

On a normal day, at home, you should be aiming for drinking 60% of your body weight in ounces of water – in other words, if you weigh 100 pounds, drink about 60 ounces of water every single day. But, while traveling, your body tends to get dehydrated much quicker due to stress and activity – aim for drinking 70% of your body weight in ounces of water during trips!

Viruses can linger for up to 18 hours, which means that if a sick person has recently stayed in your hotel room, there may still be virus in the room when you check in, particularly on faucet handles, remote controls, light switches, telephones, and doorknobs. If the hotel staff doesn’t do a good enough job of cleaning up your room, there’s not much you can do.

What you can do is wash your hands frequently. Also, it’s a good idea to leave your room for a few hours immediately after checking in. Leave a window open. Hopefully, by the time you return, the room will be virus free.

Avoiding Other Illnesses

Motion sickness is a problem for many first-time cruise passengers. For some, it lasts only a couple of hours, while for others it doesn’t go away until they get back on solid ground. Most cruise ships have doctors who can give you motion sickness medication, and you can also use anti-histamines or motion sickness disks. Also, some sufferers of motion sickness say that green tea and ginger can be helpful.

E. coli, or traveler’s diarrhea is no fun, but fortunately it usually passes within a day or two. If you want to avoid it, only eat food that is thoroughly cooked, drink bottled water, and – stay away from ice cubes.

If you’ve ever had a severe sunburn on vacation, you already know how crippling it can be. The key is prevention: Any time you’re going to be out in the sun, slather on as much sunblock (SPF 30 at least) as you possibly can. Repeat application regularly throughout the day, and if you do get burned, drink plenty of water and use aloe lotion until the pain passes.

About The Author: Bobby DeMuro is the Founder of FusionSouth, a personal training/sports conditioning firm in Charlotte, NC. He is also the Executive Director of NoFizz Charlotte, a non-profit dedicated to bringing awareness on the importance of proper hydration. He resides on Lake Norman with his 2-year old boxer, Dakota.

Now in a perfect world I’d get up at 10:30 and the whole family would be ready to head out the door by 11:00 right? Not with us, not only did I need to get myself around, I needed to feed Baby C, get her dressed, dress Little Miss A, and then, dum…dum…dum…Mis A’s hair….this is an entity in itself. Often times I find myself wondering why I prayed for daughters with curly hair, and I love the look when it’s all pretty and done up, but it sure does take some energy, time, and product! After all of us getting ready plus 30 minutes for two puffy piggies, we were finally out the door…at lunchtime?!?!

What were we, as parents thinking…we ended up giving Miss A a snack to tide her over. Once we got to the Farmer’s Market we were excited to check out all of the goodies we were going to score. There were a few different areas to shop around, we saw trees and plants, crafts and wood carvings, a fruits and veggies (with preserves,) and a flower area. If I could give anyone advice, when going to your first farmers market you may want to choose something a little to start off with. I for one was a little overwhelmed with all of the sellers choices, so many people had the same items and we had to stroll up and down the aisles looking for the freshest, best priced items.

Overall though we had a really great time, I learned a few things about produce, we got a chance to discuss healthy options with Little Miss A, and got some exercise, although it was pretty warm. Luckily, I have a little hand-held fan that Miss A used to keep the sweat from dripping down her face. We spent about $30 but got a great amount of food, and here it is, our bountiful harvest, $30 later, we filled our fridge with God’s Goodness!

There were some ideas of tips that came to my head while we were shopping.  Now that I’m well seasoned after just one farmer’s market *insert eye roll here.* I would go back and tell myself, being a first-timer.

1. Get there early, but not too early, you’ll miss the crowds but not the late arriving sellers.

2. Bring your own reusable bags, to save from using plastic AND it’s easier to carry than flimsy plastic handles.

3. If you have children strollers are a MUST, there are a lot of adults and many opportunities for your little one to wander off, it’s a great place for your child to rest from all of the walking, plus it gives you a good place to store your finds. – Just make sure your goodies don’t outweigh your child…or everything will be on the ground (no this did not happen to us,but that would have been funny, er horrifying  )

4. Haggle, haggle, haggle. Daddy B begs to differ with me, but I told him most things in the world you can bargain down, plus it can’t hurt to ask right???

5. In the Summer be sure to bring drinks and hats to keep cool.

6. See what is in season, and remember supply and demand when it comes to prices. Check this list to see what’s in season in NC: http://www.ncagr.gov/markets/chart.htm, if you’re not in NC check out google for the fresh finds near you.

7. Bring snacks for you and the kiddos, the fruit and veggies have not been washed, if you’re like me I’m not a believer in the “a little dirt never hurt,” saying, that’s the overprotective mommy-type A in me.

Here are a couple of pictures of the rows of preserves we had to choose from, Daddy B got us Strawberry Rhubarb, because apparently they don’t sell just Strawberry preserves…is that weird or just me?

And some yummy berries, we ended up getting 2 pints of the organic, homegrown, insecticide-free blue berries and they are tasty. That’ll be another post

So back to how we ended up at McDonalds…well we were all starving, and in a hurry, Miss A was upon rest time, with the heat we weren’t sure leaving our new goodies in the 100 plus degree car would be a good idea, Baby C needed to nurse and we were hot and tired. So, we opted to go to McDonald’s which for some reason keeps drawing us back. At least next time we’ll be a little more prepared. Lesson learned.

Until next time, happy and healthy eating!!

I had no clue where to sit so I grabbed a seat next to three great women, Kathy from Kath Eats Real Food, Emily from The Front Burner, and Caitlin from Healthy Tipping Point, right away I noticed these ladies were total foodies, I felt a little weird sitting there, being a stay-at-home-mom who usually eats standing and often with my fingers, but again I don’t think anyone really noticed. From what I gathered I think I may have been the only mom blogger there, which was pretty cool. The girls and I talked a little about Virginia and DC as two of them are moving away very soon.

I got to meet Chef Keith Snow from PBS’ Harvest Eating who was really down to Earth and seemed very nice. Once the presentation began the yummy food from Charlotte’s Mimosa Grill arrived on the table. Everything I tasted was very delicious, of course I had my favorites of a goat cheese stuffed chicken breast and tomato and mozzarella tower, and you can’t forget dessert, I was offered two, but the Carolina Mountain Cherry Cheesecake was my favorite by far, so rich and creamy…..yum…oops back to what you all came for, Ball Canning…

I learned so much I hadn’t already known about Ball as a company and their products. I don’t want to overwhelm you with all of my newly acquired knowledge but I will say that I did not realize that Ball is made in the US and was started over 125 years ago, that means my grandma’s grandmother could have used Ball canning goods. CRAZY! Chef Keith Snow’s grandmother used Ball so not only does he love using Ball for his own canning needs, but it carries a personal attachment to his family as well.

Although I don’t recollect details, I do remember people in my family canning, but from what I remember I remember a long, tedious, process with lots of steam, and tongs which at the time was sort of scary for me being so little. Definitely not something I would think I would be considering when I grew up, but here I am, mother of two beautiful little girls, trying to make healthy decisions for my family and not wanting to spend hours in the kitchen because trading off time spent with my girls is just not an option for me.

It seems like a lot of people are in my position, and if not, I know there are a bunch of you who are trying more local foods or better yet growing your own gardens, (go you!!), and canning is a great option for you. For those of us who are afraid of canning I learned at this luncheon how easy canning really can be (no pun intended, unless you want it to be,) an easy process.

Chef Snow showed the luncheon attendees, bloggers, retailers, consumers, how simple it is to make a Zesty Salsa from scratch, using just a few ingredients he cooked up a fresh, vibrant salsa that was ready to be canned. After cooking up the salsa and heating his Ball glass canning jars he poured the mixture in, put the lid on top and screwed on the band and set the jars in the water to heat up and cool. Voila you have a great dish, or even a fun gift and the nice thing is you can make batches to save for future use. There are some items need to be pressure cooked, but water boiling is a great option for canning simpler items.

Ball introduces it’s newest Canning Discovery Kit. This kit is amazing for anyone who wants to learn how to can on a budget. At $10 to $12 you really can’t go wrong, and you get 3 pint-sized Ball Home Canning Jars, with lids and bands, plastic canning rack with lifter, and a step-by-step beginner’s guide to canning and recipe booklet. As long as you have pots, pans, water, and ingredients you’re all set. Not too shabby!

The recipe book that comes with the Ball Home Canning Discovery Kit gives mouth-watering recipes for Dill Pickles, Corn Relish, and more. I’m most excited about trying to make some Blueberry Syrup, but that’s if I ever get enough time to do so.

Check out the Ball Website for more great items here: http://www.freshpreservingstore.com/ and get your Home Canning Discovery Kit at Ball, at Lowe’s, or Walmart. I have yet to see the products on the Lowe’s or Walmart online and noticed it’s back ordered with Ball but you can be emailed through the Ball website.

Have you ever tried canning? What are your memories or experiences with canning?

Ball Home Canning is giving away a Discovery Kit to one lucky MommyB reader.

Here’s how to win: Using the entry form directly below this paragraph (NOT the comment form), submit your name, an email address that you check regularly, and the entryentries you are submitting. *Please note the Mandatory Entry MUST be completed before you can qualify for additional entries.

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Giveaway ends July 27th @12:00 am. The winner will be chosen at random, verified, emailed, and announced in a Winner’s post. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the email from MommyB to claim the prize, if the prize is not claimed within 48 hours a new winner will be chosen at random. You must be a US resident and 18 years or older to enter.