We have a great GRAND PRIZEthat you should go enter.
Have fun entering this giveaway and make sure to check out all the others on the linky at the bottom of this post.
All are themed for making the Mama in your life feel special!
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I am a firm believer that mamas need to take care of themselves. This does not mean we ignore the needs of our families. We allow ourselves to continue nurturing others when we take some time to be healthy inside and out.
NeoCell beauty products help mamas care for themselves! I love the way their products make me feel as I take just a moment or two a day to make myself a healthier, happier person! My husband doesn't know it, bu the likes it that I feel healthier too - my hair looks nicer, my body feels better - I am better able to function because I'm caring for ME!
NeoCell has offered to give a prize package of Beauty Bursts and Hair Volumizer to one of my readers! To enter this giveaway, use the Rafflecopter form below. This hop will be open from midnight March 1 through midnight March 20 EST. The prize is available to residents of the US.
Truth: Creating Calm in my house means helping my children learn how to relax. Myth: Calm means there is no time for getting "wound up".
In order to best find times of relaxation, we have to help our children learn the appropriate times to be crazy, noisy, and off the walls. The trampoline has been in our home for a few weeks now and is a favorite way to work out excess energy. When the boys get impatient for meals, or need a break from routine, the trampoline is one of our first choices. It is so fun to watch them as they "trample" up and down. They really enjoy releasing pent up energy! They don't even know that they will be more able to relax later if they have used their muscles well.
Another friend of ours is the Vtech Giraffe Bike. Cassius especially enjoys "riding" it when I ride the stationary bike. He loves it that he can exercise with me. Bonus: it has educational games on it. He is learning to pedal a bike while he practices counting! When we all get moving early in the day, nap and bed time are much easier. Resting is more natural after we have really used our bodies!
How do you get your children moving early in the day to help them when it is time for necessary rest?
Creating Calm Linky
Link up below with your ideas about creating calm space in your life and family. Please add the linky code (found on the right column of the page) to your post or blog.
I shared last week that one of the struggles we have in our house full of little boys, is relaxation. As we have worked on tweaking our rest-time routines over the past several months, one thing has risen to the top of the boy's lists as a must-have in order to be ready for relaxing. That thing? Yoga. That's right. We do 1 song with yoga before nap and bed - right now it is the same song every time, because it is simple and slow. The boys like the "dance" moves and it makes their transition to the bed much simpler.
This is Manasseh during "Mama Nature" about a week ago. Although he does not look thrilled, both boys love the stretching routine as they slow their muscles down for a while.
Personal story: the very first time I tried this with the boys at nap time, Cassius climbed into his bed without any argument and was asleep within 10 minutes, he lay silent and still listening to the other songs on the CD as he drifted to sleep. Usually, Cassius tosses and turns, singing and playing for 1-2 HOURS before falling asleep. You had better believe that I took note of this!
"Lay down like a stick, straight and tall, put your hands to your sides and stretch out your legs long"... I try to convince them. Manasseh, however grows branches every time. Cassius is starting to get branches too.
They love that they can be creative with their bodies during these quiet, focused moments.
We fell in love with Kira Willey's music when Manasseh was an infant. The first time he heard a clip of the "Dance for the Sun" CD, he was crying (like a baby). Immediately he stopped crying and looked at the computer monitor. When it finished, he went back to crying. He did this multiple times. We decided that this must be his first favorite music - we bought the CD that day.
Now we listen to both "Dance for the Sun" and "Kings and Queens of the Forest". The boys love the variety of sounds in her music almost as much as they love dancing to it. They enjoy trying the many yoga moves that Kira has published in the booklet that comes with the CD. I enjoy watching them try new things. Randy and I frequently find ourselves singing the catchy tunes even when we are away from the music for a little while.
Have you heard of Fireflies Musical Yoga for Kids or Kira Willey? Make sure that you check them out. Consider these CDs, complete with instruction, as a way to help create calm in your home or preschool class. You can get one of each (that's 2 CDs) for just $22 right now on the website! Click HERE to listen to some samples of her songs and consider a purchase. It was worth it for us 4 years ago, and is worth it for us today!
***Disclosure: I have received a product or products in exchange for this review and giveaway. All opinions are my own.***
Creating Calm Linky
Link up below with your ideas about creating calm space in your life and family. Please add the linky code (found on the right column of the page) to your post or blog.
