Mom Files: Fitness

Smooth Fitness Update: Get your kids into fitness early #SmoothBlogger #spon

I am participating in a campaign as a Smooth Fitness Ambassador and will be reviewing a treadmill from Smooth Fitness in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts/opinions expressed are always my own.

I enjoy getting my walk/jog/run on in the morning during the week. When you have a 5 year old around, it can be a challenge to get your workout complete, without interruption. My son has been so curious about our Smooth Fitness 5.65 treadmill. He often stands by and watches the belt move and you can tell he wants to try it out for himself. Of course a treadmill is not made for small children, so I occasionally let him walk on it with the power turned off.

He has become very creative and gets on the mini trampoline that we have set up not far from the treadmill and makes up his version of exercising. He walks and jogs in place and tells me that he has his very own treadmill. He enjoys when I have my music hooked up to the adapter so he can have a fun workout as well. It's amazing how much his coordination is improving with his pretend treadmill workouts. We both get our exercise in without any interruption and he is being conditioned to having fitness become important at an early age.

If you are thinking about purchasing a high-quality treadmill for your home, I greatly recommend Smooth Fitness. We researched treadmills for 6 weeks prior to receiving ours and nothing can compare. It is truly gym quality and Smooth Fitness has different models to choose from as well as financing and payment options. For what you will pay in a year for a gym membership, you could have paid for a treadmill in full and have your own private at-home gym. Here are a few features of the Smooth Fitness 5.65 treadmill:

SmoothDrop™ Folding Frame: Soft Drop, Easy to Fold Design

Industry Leading Warranty: Lifetime on frame & motor, 5 years all parts & electronics and 2 year in home labor.

SmoothDrive™ 2.75HP Motor: Powerful, Quiet, Durable Operation

Im-pression™ Shock Absorption: Helps Reduce Impact on Joints

Be sure to check out Smooth Fitness on the web, Facebook and Twitter to learn more about their line of treadmills and elliptical machines.

#SmoothBlogger updates, Big Daddy style

I am participating in a campaign as a Smooth Fitness Ambassador and will be reviewing a treadmill from Smooth Fitness in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts/opinions expressed are always my own.
I wanted to update you all on my hubby's progress ever since he started his "Smooth Fitness" way of life. He has worked so hard to make sure he fits in some time in his crazy, busy schedule to get a jog or run in on the treadmill, even if it means getting up at 5:00 AM! So far he lost 6 pounds in the first 6 weeks but gained back 3 pounds. I think it was a combination of holiday festivities and stress eating that did it. He knew that it was time to get serious again.

He had to regroup and go back to eating leaner and cleaner. Thankfully, he was able to lose the 3 pounds he gained and even lost 2 more. I have to say that Dwayne really surprises me with his food choices. He is not one to eat anything he knows nothing about or sounds too trendy. One of his latest favorites (mine as well) is fat-free Greek yogurt with organic granola.

He even requests vegetarian meals and NO rice. Now that one is shocking! He can tell if he has gone a couple days without exercising on the treadmill because it shows clearly through his mood and sleep habits. Dwayne has a goal of being under 200 pounds so there is a lot of work to be done. He has 30 pounds to go right now and the whole family is cheering him on. We will celebrate his 40th birthday at the end of June on the beach so he has his work cut out for him! I will let you all know how far he gets in the next few weeks.

Be sure to check out Smooth Fitness on the web, Facebook and Twitter to learn more about their line of treadmills and elliptical machines.

Hi everyone! I am thrilled to announce that I am an official Smooth Fitness Ambassador. I will be receiving a new treadmill very soon to keep and review. Me and my husband have been talking about getting one for months now so this is perfect timing for us! I am not a big fan of working out in front of other people so the gym membership we had was wasted. This treadmill will be a great asset to our family.

I will be posting about my family's experiences using our new treadmill over the course of the next four months. Each of us have our own fitness goals. My daughters want to keep their bodies conditioned for the sports season, my husband needs to lose some weight and I need to build up my strength. I turn 40 this year and really need to step my fitness game up. Here is what our folding treadmill will look like...

I can't wait to share the details of this gorgeous machine and look forward to answering your questions as well. Connect with Smooth fitness on the web, Facebook and Twitter.

As a Purex Insider, I recently received a Jockey sports bra and a bottle of Purex Crystals in Tropical Splash to try out. I have tested the Purex Crystals in the past and was very pleased with the results. You can't beat a fabric softener that you add at the beginning of your wash cycle and not have to wait to put it in the rinse cycle. It is easy to use and the fragrance is long-lasting. I washed my bed sheets on Monday and I can still smell the Tropical Blast freshness!

So what does this have to do with a sports bra? Well Purex Crystals are 92% natural crystals that infuse long-lasting freshness into the fabric fibers of clothing – without harming garments (like liquid softener products that use oils to soften).This is especially important for activewear like Jockey®’s sports bras, as liquid softeners can harm active wear’s moisture wicking ability. Additionally, Purex Crystals work to create a continuous long-lasting freshness, eliminating that all-too-common odor that gets embedded in workout clothing.

I really liked the fit of the Tech Terry performance sports bra. I received a size medium in black and it was just right. I suspect these bras are cut a wee bit small so more than likely you would need to next size up. This worked out for me since I would normally wear a size small. These comfy bras come in sizes XS-XL. It is funny that I was just making excuses about working out because I did not have the appropriate attire. Looks like I am officially fresh out of excuses now! I love the fact that it has a nifty key holder in the front so you can have a comfortable walk or workout and not be worried about where your key is. I have washed the bra twice already and it has not changed shape or fit and the Purex Crystals make it smell so fresh, even under clothing! You can sign up for a 20% off Jockey coupon code here.

How would like to win one these Jockey sports bras and a full-size bottle of Purex Crystals to keep it fresh smelling? Once lucky Momfiles reader will win this great prize. Enter below!

HERSHEY®’S Track & Field Games | Giveaway

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Winner is #17 John S.

Now that winter is slowly winding down and the weather is warming up this is the perfect time for families to get up and get moving! It's important to encourage your children to be active so you can help them gain an appreciation for a healthy lifestyle at a young age.

Since 1978, The HERSHEY®’S Track & Field Games has helped more than 10 million children get active and learn valuable lessons such as sportsmanship and hard work. Now in its 34th year, HERSHEY’S Track & Field Games hosts thousands of boys and girls, ages 9 to 14, in nearly 4,000 North American communities. They will compete this spring and summer in track and field events ranging from the standing long jump and softball throw to a variety of running and relay races – and all at no cost of entry. All you need is a pair of shoes!

To program culminates each year with the HERSHEY’S Track & Field Games North American Final Meet in Hershey, Pa. Held each year in August, the North American Final Meet hosts 450 outstanding young participants in a fun and exciting, all-expenses paid weekend trip to Hershey. During the weekend, participants tour the world’s largest chocolate factory and visit Hersheypark amusement park, among other exciting activities.

To further encourage physical activity among kids and families, Hershey is teaming up with the Nike Reuse-A-Shoe program to collect old, worn-out athletic shoes to be recycled into Nike Grind, a material used in creating athletic and playground surfaces, as well as select Nike products. Program participants will be invited to bring used athletic shoes to state and provincial meets, which will then be recycled into Nike Grind. A HERSHEY’s Track & Field Games playground will be awarded to a participating local community as part of the program’s work with Nike’s Reuse-A-Shoe program. Since its inception in the early 1990’s, Nike’s Reuse-A-Shoe program has recycled more than 25 million pairs of athletic shoes into Nike Grind.

To learn more about HERSHEY’S Track & Field Games, and to find a local event in your area, please visit www.hersheystrackandfield.com. I checked out my area and there is one at my daughter's high school!
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To help get you started you can enter to win HERSHEY’S Track & Field Games prize pack, which includes a drawstring backpack, visor, water bottle and rubber band shoelace stoppers.

Mandatory: To enter just leave a comment sharing how you keep your children/family active. Be sure to check out the site to see if there is a track meet in your area.

For additional entries: *Please leave a separate comment per entry method for each entry to count.

~ you can "like" Momfiles on Facebook
~ share this giveaway on Facebook (once daily)
~ follow Momfiles through Google Friend Connect
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Get active with a HERSHEY®’S Track & Field Games prize pack from @momfiles and #myblogspark http://tinyurl.com/47ofaxg

Giveaway is open to US Residents only and will end on March 31, 2011 at 9:00 pm EST. One winner will be chosen at random and will be contacted via email. Good luck!

The Hershey Company provided me one prize pack to keep and one to give away, as part of the MyBlogSpark program

William update

For those of you who read Momfiles regularly you might recall this post where I talked about joining the local Community Center. One of my big goals was to get William put in babysitting a few times a week to help him socialize with other kids his age and hopefully encourage him to speak. I took him on Friday and stayed in the room with him and watched him stay as far away from the other kids and babysitter. He played independently and occasionally made his way over to me to cling to me. The lady that was on that particular babysitting shift noticed that he was playing nicely alone and asked for me to walk out of the room until she gave me the heads up to return. I watched him from the slim door window and at first I saw him looking around the room for me. The babysitter (older lady) told him, "I'm here William. Let's play ball." From there he was fine, no panic or crying. He still did not quite play with the other kids but he did sit at a table voluntarily with the others. This was a great step for him and I really feel confident about leaving him perhaps starting this week. Even though you can have 2 hours of free babysitting at one time I think I will start out with 20-30 minutes. Honestly, I don't see myself working out for 2 hours! I will update more on how he does once he is completely solo.

Day One at the gym

Well today marked the first official day that the whole family went to the gym. Since I already knew that I am totally out of shape I took it easy and did little things. The first step was stepping on the dreaded scale. I was so nervous because I know I have put on some weight. Would you believe that I was way less than expected? I was so shocked that I weighed myself at another scale to be sure. I am really happy about it. Now I don't need to worry about my weight but more about toning up what I already have. My goal is to wear a fitted t-shirt and jeans and not have any rolls or muffin-top showing. I know I can do it and will do it. The girls had a blast playing volleyball, jogging, and playing basketball. We took William into the big kids room/babysitting room to let him get a feel of the room. He did pretty well and really seemed to enjoy playing on the slide, climbing things he shouldn't and taking a peek at the little baby that was in there. I got to meet one of the babysitters and it seems like things are really going to work out.

I was walking the indoor track with the girls when they decided they wanted to go for a jog. I got jealous and felt like they ditched me so I joined them. Hmm, halfway through I had a lovely cramp. Baby steps I told myself. I also played a little volleyball with the kids. I thought I was going to snap my wrists! Wow, I know I will be feeling it tomorrow. Oh well a little at a time and then hopefully I will get better and be able to hang! I will post updates on my progress. Maybe Dwayne will post about his goals and progress as well. Now off to down a half gallon of water...okay 2 glasses :)

On the way to getting fit

Well we have officially joined the Community Center/gym and we are all excited about it. One part that I am most looking forward to is getting William to socialize. They offer free babysitting (up to 2 hours) for exercising parents (you must stay on the campus) and we are hoping he will learn to be nicer to people. He is used to being around mom all day so he is very shy towards strangers. Actually he gets a little bonkers when people approach him. We plan to introduce him to the big room and slowly get to the point that we leave him in there. We are hopeful this might inadvertently spark his speech. He shows he really wants to speak but can't quite get the words out. I sure hope this works!! Wish us luck! Now I have to run out and get some workout attire... can't wait to ditch the extra fluff :)

On Sunday our family attended the USC Women's volleyball game here in Columbia. Our girls were a part of the ball crew. Their job was simple, keep your eyes out for the balls and pass them along to the next crew member so they players always had a ball ready when they are. Dwayne and I had to brace ourselves because these women were VERY strong athletes and we just knew one of the girls were going to get smacked by a loose ball. Luckily they managed not to get hit and made it through. Girls, if you are reading this... note to self: never turn my back! Check out a clip.

My new job title

I have officially changed occupations from being a SAHM to a driver/ Chauffeur. Since school has started back I feel like I spend a great deal of time behind the wheel of my car. I am always in the carpool line either dropping off or picking up children. I am the default picker upper to a couple parents at the school in the event they can't make it on time. My older child Chardonnay has made it on the volleyball team (go Lady Warriors!!) so she has practice every day of the week including some Saturdays. Then my little one Briahnna has her teaching gig (junior black belt instructor) 3 days a week both at her karate school as well as the after school karate program at her elementary. Funny how athletic my kids are as I have not a pinch of an athlete in my body. I guess their dad has a function after all! By the way, thanks to all of you for your well wishes on my pregnancy and for the advice. It is like being pregnant for the first time after having my last kid 11 years ago! Hope I know what to do!

Man or Dolphin?

Yesterday we were playing a game of impersonations. Hubby decided to be a dolphin, but turned out more like a big inch worm in the water. LOL!!!! My brother-in-law thinks he looks like a big killer whale!

Kids are like bottomless pits!!

School has been officially out for a little over a week now and I am finding myself in the grocery store about 4 times per week! How is it when school is in session my kids eat a good breakfast at home, lunch at school (sometimes cafeteria food or a home lunch), a snack after school, dinner, and then one last snack before bedtime. Now the kids wake up, eat breakfast, then a snack, another snack, lunch, snack again, one more snack, dinner, snack, snack, snack.....HELP!!! They are costing me way more with them being home. They are VERY active and are limited to a minimum amount of TV time so weight or health problems are not an issue. They are always doing something so there is little time for boredom. I may have to take on a part time job to feed them! What is so bad is I am finding myself munching more. The worse part of all is that all the "healthy" foods are so expensive so I am purchasing things that are less costly so that I can maintain some kind of budget. Does anyone have any good ideas for some low cost snacks that are still somewhat healthy?

My kids attend karate classes at Genova Family Karate and are first degree black belts as well as junior helpers. A couple of the moms that have children that take classes have recently started taking the adult karate class. We usually take a brisk walk around the track together(located around the building of the karate studio) and chat about 'mom stuff' while getting our exercise on. Of course they have been nagging me to join the class with them. My kids and hubby found out and they won't stop bugging me to join as well. Great, now if I do not at least try it out I will be a bad mom especially during those times I am encouraging the family to"try something new, you might like it!". I tell you, mothering sure can backfire on you when you least expect it! I have decided to try it out soon. I will let you all know how it worked out!

The real "Soccer Mom"

I called my cousin the other day to check on her and her new baby (her third child). She sounded great and full of energy. She advised me that she just joined a soccer team. I thought I misunderstood her because her 9 year old daughter plays on a soccer team. She assured me that it was a women's team that meets at the local indoor sports complex. The team consists of women of all ages, including moms. As it turns out, this is a trend that is very popular with moms. Now moms are not only taking the kids to practice, but are also getting in on the action. So I guess this truly makes her a "Soccer Mom". I think that it is cool way to get some exercise and also a good role model for the children. Maybe I might consider joining. Okay, well maybe not!

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