Real Life Solutions

A good friend of mine, Christina Lemmy,  over at www.multimediava.com just reminded me that I didn’t explain yesterdays Wordless Wednesday.   If you didn’t see it - be sure to take a peek before I explain. 

Well Tomorrow marks our 10th year Anniversary.  Lance and I have been married for 10 years (together for slightly over 13).  So just this past Tuesday, in walks Lance from work with a small blue bag and a guilty look on his face. He asks me to hold out my hands and close my eyes and when I do he places a box in my hands. I open it and viola there was my Wordless Wednesday!

I think I love it most because it was totally unexpected. I looked at him and just said “OMG its beautiful, Why”? He said Well when I asked you to marry me over 11years ago you were supporting me and the ring I gave to you was small (It really is but I don’t care anything about it - I just love the wedding set I have because it came from him). Then he said: “I vowed to myself then to get you something bigger as soon as I had the money. When I could really afford it, our marriage was rocky and I wanted to wait. Now that we’ve been together for 13yrs, Married for 10 and I know I don’t want to lose you, we have 1 child in College, one off to college in a year and a active 8yo boy - I want you to have something as special on your finger as you are to me in my heart”.

The ring has been sized and sits beautifully on my ring finger.  I can’t help but to smile when I look down at it.   

What Time Is a Good Bedtime?
Experts recommend that children between five and twelve need nearly eleven hours of sleep to be at their best.  Most children in that age group get nine hours or less.  Teens need at least nine hours of sleep each night.  What time is a good bedtime for your child? 

People of all ages sleep better if they have an established routine that they follow each night before going to sleep.  This is especially true of children.  However, when they’re heading back to school after being out for the summer, it may be hard to re-establish that routine.

What time is a good bedtime for your child?  Actually, your child’s doctor will be able to determine the best time for your child to go to sleep.  They will be able to tell you how much sleep would give them the most restorative benefits.

Based upon the doctor’s recommendations, determine the amount of sleep your child needs each day.  If they are very young, they may get some of their required sleep in at naptime.  If they have started first grade, they no longer get a naptime.  Do you know how to tell if they haven’t had enough sleep?  They fall asleep in the car, you have to wake them in the morning, they stay up late, they’re unusually cranky during the day, or they rub their eyes a lot.

Limit the amount of sugar and caffeine your child eats before bedtime.  Sugary drinks or snacks will cause the child not to sleep, rather than help them get to sleep.  Having sugary snacks close to sleeping also is not healthy as they won’t be able to adequately digest their food and allow the body to work they way it should during sleep.

Set a specific time in which your child should be in bed.  If they have to be up by 7:00 a.m. and they’re young, they’ll need to be in bed ready to sleep no later than 7:00 p.m.  If they’re older, they may be able to stay up a little past 8:00 p.m., but not much.

Establish a routine that will help your child unwind – bathing, brushing their teeth, reading a story, or doing another quiet activity should help relax your child and ease them into sleep.  If possible, follow your child’s cues.  Teach them to recognize those cues as well so they will be able to go to bed without having to be told.

How do you know what is a good bedtime for your child?  Try to encourage them to get at least ten hours of sleep a night.  They may not always make that amount, but they’ll feel better the closer to it they get.

Grab free and reliable naptime help here http://www.reallifesolutions.net/family/naptime.html 

Quick and Easy Home Organizing Ideas 

Keeping an organized home through the ups and downs of family life isn’t easy.  Here are a few quick and easy home organizing ideas to help get you started.

If you make the storage options decorative and fun, it’s doesn’t seem as much like work.  For example, if you want the kids to pick up their dirty laundry and put it in the hamper, put a basketball hoop over it.  See who can make the most baskets in the least amount of time.  That mound of socks and underwear will disappear in no time.

Under-the-bed storage boxes have been a staple of home organizing for years.  They have new ones that have hinges, wheels, and all kinds of improvements that make them easier to use.  They may seem expensive to buy enough for the whole family at once, but if you pick up one every couple weeks, or once a month, you’ll soon have all new storage for everyone. They are great for out of season clothes, toys or books.

Giving things away to charity not only helps someone else, but it helps you stay more organized by freeing up valuable space.

Even if your children don’t have to share a room, a bunk bed can be a great space saver.  The top bunk can not only be used as storage, but it can make a great homework area for an older sibling when there are toddlers around that won’t stay out of their things.  Use a thinner pad, instead of a mattress, some pillows, a lap desk, decent lighting, and you have a wonderful workspace.  It also keeps all the homework in one area, so it’s less likely to get lost or clutter up the dining room table.

In order for the house to stay organized, the whole family has to be involved.  If you are starting a new routine, be sure to explain the new rules to everyone, practice it for a few days, reminding everyone what needs done.  If you stay consistent, it won’t be long before your whole home is in order.

Grab more home organizing tips here for free –> http://reallifesolutions.net/personal/getorganized.html

I woke up and declared that today was National Aurelia Day and I set out at 9:45 am to hit the streets solo.  Treated myself to a great breakfast and a Caramel Frappuccino (Yummyy why didn’t you ladies tell me these were so damn good).

After that I hit a few stores or 10 (lol) and caught some awesome sales.  Got some cute items from NY & Co., picked up all of Bubby’s Bday items (is birthday is on the 20th)  a new pair of shoes for Isreal and some Jeans and Uniform School Shorts for Isaac.

After all of that shopping, I seemed to have worked up an appetite so I treated myself to lunch then came home to drop off my goodies, hide the gifts and then headed back out to go get my eye examination.   I am 6months late in getting my eye exam and oddly enough, my script is the same as it was 1.5yrs ago but I swear my sight is worse.  (Perhaps its old age).  To celebrate my non-changing eyesight I splurged and ordered 6mo’s of contacts and purchased some New Frames that are really cute. 

As I was in the store, Isreal called me to ask me what was for dinner — I told her I wasn’t cooking a thing so whatever she and the family whipped up would have to do.  I’m home now and hear talks of us going out to eat (works for me).

I’m all logged onto my laptop and will do a bit of work as I let the Olympics watch me.

With the start of school getting closer, parents will be taking their children to purchase school clothes and supplies.  Many parents want shopping with kids to be made easier and less stressful.  The following tips may help accomplish this yearly task.  They can also be helpful when going shopping with your children at other times.

Start out by knowing which items need to be purchased.  Go through your children’s clothing and see if there are some items that can be used again this year.  Decide how many items you need and make a list of all items needed for each child in your family.  Determine to stick to your list while you’re in the store.

After you’ve made your list, check out sales papers for several stores.  If you can’t find a sales paper for a particular store you’d like to visit, check online to see if they have a website.  Decide which items you’d like to get from each store so you won’t be running all over and wasting fuel.

Feed the kids first.  Misbehavior, especially in younger children, could be due to being hungry.  Either wait until after you’ve eaten to leave for shopping, or take some snacks the children can eat during the time you’re out. 

Set forth rules.  Before you go to the stores, tell the children the rules they should obey while you’re there.  Children need to stay with you, there should be no horseplay or running, and let them know what their consequences will be if they disobey.  Have a plan in place in case you’re separated during the trip (to meet at the service desk, for example).  If they’re especially good in the store, you may want to reward that good behavior.

Let them help.  Give them a particular task while you’re shopping.  If you’re looking at blue jeans, have them search for their size or find a shirt in their favorite color.  By giving them something to do, they’ll be less likely to misbehave.

Allow them to decide.  Instead of making all of the decisions about their school clothes, let them choose some of the items.  Give them a choice as to styles, colors, or brands as long as their choices are within your budget.  By allowing them to choose their own clothing, they’ll be able to wear things their friends have and will feel less out of place.

Buy online.  If you can, purchase as many items online as possible.  You can have it delivered to your front door, you don’t have to fight to keep your children in line, and you may actually save money.  Look online to see if there are coupons or sales at your favorite stores.  Some stores offer free shipping, so look for that benefit.

Can shopping with kids be made easier?  Of course it can.  Go when the children are fed and rested, follow the suggestions above, and this may be the easiest year of shopping yet.  Maybe you won’t have to dread shopping with kids ever again.

I don’t have to tell you that today’s woman is BUSY. She has so many roles in life from career woman to mother to wife and more. And often times, as women, we end up working so hard caring for everyone else’s needs that we sometimes forget about our own.

If you need a little more balance in your life, time to care for yourself (without ANY guilt) and a little confidence boost, I recommend picking up the “Journey to Joy” toolkit by Aurelia Williams.

I am a Certified Life Coach and I put together some practical resources to help you find that joy in your life. There’s no need to spend your days pretending to smile on the outside and being a stressed out wreck on the inside. It is possible to have it all…on your own terms.

The toolkit includes:

- Journey to Joy guide that will help you
 - Get rid of negative thoughts and “Mommy Guilt”
 - Breaking bad habits and choose healthier ones for a happier and healthier you
 - Easy-to-use to tips to boost your self-confidence
 - Techniques to reduce your stress levels
 - Finding more positive time for yourself

 Plus you can download extra audio recordings, guides and worksheets to help you with everything from balancing your life, reducing stress and taking action on what you’ve learned in the Journey to Joy guide.

Get all the details and grab yours at: http://www.reallifeguidance.com/journey-to-joy.html

You would think moms exercise more than anyone else; between taking care of their children, cleaning the house, and running errands.  The truth of the matter is, as a mom, you need specific exercises to remain healthy and fit. Here are four exercises which will not only give you the energy you need, but allow you to face daily challenges head on.

Lunges: To perform the lunge just stands with their feet apart, and step forward, landing with the heel first. The motion is continued until the back knee is nearly touching the ground. Return to the starting position by pushing forward with the front leg, and repeat the exercise by stepping forward with their other leg. This exercise strengthens your leg muscles and hamstrings. You can even perform this work out by dusting your living room coffee table, or cleaning the bottom of your kitchen cabinets.  Make it a fun thing to do!

Lateral Shoulder Raise: Work your shoulders and upper arms by sitting straight in a chair, holding a dumbbell in each hand. Beginning with your hands at your side, raise them both up and out at the same time. Slowly bring your arms down; repeating this move at least ten times.  Now, if you do not have any dumbbells, use a gallon container of laundry detergent.  You may not reach ten, but you are certainly on your way to it. Don’t put the laundry detergent away; you’re not finished with it yet!

Back Exercise:  Again, using the containers of laundry detergent, hold one in each hand… Stand with your legs apart. Bend your knees slightly and bend your body forward at the waist. Let your arms hang down in front of you, but don’t lock your elbows. Keeping your back straight, abdominal muscles in, and knees bent, pull the containers upward towards your chest. Then, slowly lower the weights back to starting position. Now you can put the detergent back in the closet!

Stomach Exercise:  Lay on the floor with your right foot resting on your left knee.  Lift your shoulders and neck as if you are doing a regular crunch. Reach your left hand above and over your right foot. Lower your head to just above the ground. After ten repetitions, repeat the exercise with your left foot and right knee.

All of these exercises are quick and are proven to show results.  So, get started Mom!  Be sure to email me and let me know what exercises you are going to start with.

Take a look at “Get Fit While You Sit” and get 36 Exercises you can do almost anywhere, anytime!

you need some Busy Mom Survival Skills!

If You’ve Ever Wanted To Learn How To:

    * Get dinner on the table ? without the chaos!
    * Master Your Time So You Can Enjoy A More Calm, Less Hectic Existence!
    * Eliminate Clutter, Reduce Stress, And Get Organized For Good!
    * Cut Your Expenses And Save Money, Without Feeling Any Sacrifices!
    * Start Feeling More Alive AND Increase Your Energy Levels!!
    * And Other Important Mom-Survival Skills.

Then you need the NEW “Busy Mom Survival Kit”

This is an excellent collection of solutions and resources for busy moms like you. It even includes exclusive audio versions that you can can listen to when you’re making dinner, cleaning the house, driving in your car — It’s a multi-tasking mom’s dream!

And of course — it’s available at a huge discount — ONLY through this special FIRESALE

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This special fundraising-firesale ends on Friday, August 8 at 12pm EST –

So if you’re ready to upgrade all of your vital Mom-Survival-Skills — go check this out RIGHT NOW at:

http://www.solutionsforbusymoms.com/busymomfiresale

Don’t wait — Back-To-School Time is around this corner. This could be just what you need, to get your home running smoothly this school year.

Well - I’ve been working really hard on my Real Life Guidance Site and finally got someone to really work wonders with the site, sales pages and the layout of things and I am beyond happy with how it is coming together.

I’ve been working very hard lately to inspire my affiliates and I’ve also been working on adding new graphics, articles and tools to use in order to make their promotion easier. I am tooting myself because I am in the process of having ALL of the sales pages Re-done, tweaked, and optimized for better conversion!! YAY This makes me so happy because while the reports were selling well, now I believe they will sell even better and that means more commission for my affiliates as well as myself!

You can check out the recently revised Getting Out Of The Super Mom Trap page.