So after reading an interesting article and agreeing with it, I got inspired to tell you all just how we parent Kara. Feel free to question a few things, I don't mind!
So here's the article: Article by Sunnyskyz.
It's about sharing. And how the mom doesn't "teach her kids to share."It's actually quite an interesting read, and I recommend it!
So onto how we parent our daughter.
1. Like the article, I don't see the point in "sharing" if she's the one with the toy. It's Kara's toy, she doesn't need to share it if she doesn't want to. The other kid can wait until she's done, if she ever is. And like I've said before, it goes the other way around. Kara can't just take another kid's toy.
2. When Kara is throwing her fit, I will never say "stop crying." I never understood why parents do that. They're crying for a reason and all you can say is "STOP THAT CRYING RIGHT NOW"? Now, if it's for a reason like me not letting her climb on the chair, I may say "Kara it's okay. Come on let's go play with your toys." But I will never have her repress her feelings because God forbid she's crying because she's sad. It's one of my biggest pet peeves when someone tells another to quit crying, or being emotional. Like, just because she has feelings doesn't mean they aren't justified.
3. This article is a pretty good read too. And it's pretty much what I mean when I say I won't force Kara to apologize. I don't want her to think than an empty apology and a "sorry" is okay. Because it isn't. I will let things cool down, then take her back over and have the two talk things out. I don't enjoy the word "sorry." Much like others, I was supposed to say it, even when I didnt even mean it. No, I wasn't sorry. I cared about their feelings, and I tried to make it up to them. It got to the point where I use "sorry" so often for meaningless things. I'm in someones way even though they could go around? "Sorry." Except I'm not sorry, and shouldnt be sorry. Lol. I don't want Kara doing empty apologies. There's no reason for it. She will go up to the child, say what she did wrong and why it was wrong, and then ask if they still want to carry on doing what they were doing. Easy as pie.
"In one corner, a vocal group that includes prominent child psychologist Michael Carr-Gregg, who believed that the word sorry had lost its meaning, and that children - the cheeky little rascals - will say sorry just to satisfy an adult's expectations without them actually feeling any sorrow." From this pretty nifty article. Lots of comments under it as well, just fyi.
And a huge recommendation for this article right here! This is what I mean.
4. One scenario I always see is when family members or friends grab a child and kiss/hug them even when the child clearly doesn't want a kiss or a hug. That's a big no-no. Kara has a right to her own body, and if she doesn't want to hug or kiss you, then don't force it.
5. Yelling is also a big no. It can be hard, but kids (and adults) don't deserve to be yelled at. Sure, it can happen sometimes when I'm on a short fuse, but I don't mean to. Yelling fixes nothing.
6. There's no "I'm bigger, so I have more power" either.
7. Oh, and there's no cry-it-out either. The only time Kara cries in her room, is when she's being especially bad, and I just need 5 minutes to cool off.
8. And there's no spanking. At all. There's no reason for it. I am guilty of slapping her hands though, and I'm trying not to. I feel so bad after, so slapping hands is another "there's absolutely no reason for it."
9. I could seriously go on about spanking forever. So I'll just get it out here. Do you want someone hitting you? Probably not. Kids are the only people you can legally hit, and they're also the most vulnerable. It makes me sick when people are PROUD of spanking their kids. Like, "Yeah. I totally spank my kids and make them sad and cry. It's awesome." No. No it's not okay to spank. Sure, it may work SHORT TERM, but no way does it work long term. Here, read these: MSN, Ahaparenting, Time.
Spanked kids are less emotionally healthy, more likely to have depression and anxiety, are more aggressive (no surprise there), and are more likely to hit others (again, no surprise there either.)
Not to mention, you spank because YOU'RE mad. Which makes it worse. And there's hundreds of studies against it, yet it's still okay to do. It's just so sad.
Just... stop hitting your children please. Because let's just call it what it is. It's not a spanking, it's hitting.
10. Homeschooling is a very real choice for us. We are very well considering it. Maybe not for Kindergarten, but for other grades. Public school doesn't prepare you for the "real world." How does sitting in a room full of kids ALL you age, with one adult prepare you for the real world? I spent half the time not in school, or not paying attention. The only reason I went back to school after being home schooled is because my mom and her then husband were going through a rough time, and frankly, I didn't want to deal with it. But other than that, home schooling was great. I loved it. Kara will be able to go out with me, and be around people who are all different! She will learn life lessons from actually experiencing life. We can go to museums for history, and art museums for art. We can go to the track for PE, and she can help me cook. She can read books and write books. Go to zoos and aquariums to focus on animals and science. Cater towards her likings. She can have so much more than public school could ever give her. Sure, it won't be easy, but I think it's the best option. Jason and I are still talking about it.
Read some of these: this one, and this one, and this.
There's a bit more, but I'm going to watch a movie with my baby <3 I hope you all enjoyed this and read the articles! Just remember as long as your children are happy and stable, you're doing the right thing.
Monday, July 28, 2014
Tuesday, July 15, 2014
Get to know me!
So I thought this would be fun. Just some (a lot) of fun, cool facts about me and my family. Hope you all learn something new!
1. I hold grudges. I know, I know. They say not to, but I do. It's not like I hate the person and am mean to them, I just make it known I'd rather NOT be around them than be around them. You have to do a lot to make me hold a grudge. Like, a lot a lot. Nonetheless, it happens. You move on.
2. I have strong views. And I don't back down from them. It makes me dedicated, and stubborn. It's not a bad thing.
3. Going from 2, my husband and I can't talk politics. It's not talked about in our house. We are two totally different people. I have very very deep reasons why I believe the things I believe. So we try our best not to bring things up, because we both end up pissed and mad.
4. I don't have an official religion. I'll talk about this for a bit, so hold on. I believe in God. I grew up in a Christian household, though we didn't go to church much. I met my husband and I went to church with him and his family. After we went to California, we explored our options. It was a fun time. Learned a lot of things most people don't get to because they're too stubborn. Lol.
However, after everything, I realized that I believe in God, I just don't believe in much else. I believe good people (religious or not) go to a very great place after death where they can live freely and happily. And I believe bad people (killers, rapists, manipulators, etc) go to a bad place, where they are miserable for all eternity. They don't get a happy ending.
God, to me, is a man who understands things happen. He knows he created the Earth and the heavens, but he knows not every one will believe it. He gives all the good people a place to go, because on Earth, they tried their best. He loves his children. But he keeps his nose out of things. He gave us free will, so he knows that once he created the Earth bad things would happen. So that explains why bad things happen.
He can heal people. However, it's not direct healing. He guides the surgeons, cops, etc in what they do. He's that little voice in your head that others would call a conscious.
To answer any questions: No, I don't believe the things in the Bible happened. I believe Jesus was a prophet, but not Gods direct son. Yes, if you're good, you'll go to Heaven.
5. I adopt moms. I know this sounds weird, because who adopts moms? But no fear, I'll explain! I obviously have my mom, she's an amazing woman whom I love very much. We moved to California and I missed her very much. We went to this game shop all the time where my husband played Magic the Gathering. There were two owners, a husband and wife. Kara was very young when I started going regularly. Well, I got close to the woman. She's so much fun to be around! And reminded me a bit about my mom. She's from Germany, and I can't even say how many questions I had for her about it. Haha. I miss her so much. When my husband out processed, we went and saw her as much as possible.
Then there's my mom here. Jason plays hockey and she works at the rink. It didn't take us very long to get close. She's so outgoing, and treats us all as her own. She has a nickname for Kara, and loves her so much. My mom and her would get along so well! They're both a riot to be around. All these women mean so much to me <3
6. My husband and I have a great marriage. And I'm not just saying that, we really do. We do argue, but we make up as soon as possible. He's such a great guy, and I couldn't be happier. I love being around him as much as possible. Other than when he's at work, we don't go very many places without the other. People didn't think we would last, but he's one of the best things that ever happened to me.
7. We have lost a baby. I got pregnant in November, considering I got to California at the end of October, it happened pretty quick. Lol. But I couldn't get an appointment with my OBGYN until the second week of January. We went home, announced to everyone I was pregnant. It was a great time, and I'll always remember seeing all the faces. One of my favorites is when it took Jasons uncle a few minutes to get what we were trying to say.
Anyway, we went to my appointment. I believe it was January 10th. My doctor was amazing. I couldn't have asked for anyone better. I laid down, and he gave me an ultrasound. He said, "Woah, looks like there's two in there!" In that moment, I was a bit scared, but I was also very excited. I said, "What?!" I could already imagine my two babies. Both of our families have twins in them, mine has a LOT, so it didn't surprise me too much. Then when he said, "Well, maybe not", my heart sank. There were two sacks, but only one baby was the size it was supposed to be. The other had stopped growing not long before my appointment. I called my mom up, still quite out there. I texted my mother in law, and she seemed a bit confused when I said, "There WAS 2, but not anymore." It was a very rough time for me during the whole process. I had naturally miscarried the baby, while Kara stayed safe where she was.
8. My pregnancy was far from perfect. It could've been worse, but starting with that beginning, I didn't think it would get any better. She tested quite high for Downs Syndrome, so we started seeing a specialist often. Then, her legs weren't growing at the rate they should've. By the time she was 37 weeks or so, her legs were measuring at 31-32 weeks. They through a bunch of stuff our way, skeletal dysplasia, downs syndrome, etc. I also had some calcification in the placenta, so she wasn't getting all she should have. I gave birth to her 5 days late, and she was still under 7 pounds. She was quite small, but she was healthy! No problems at all. Other then having to get her stomach pumped, her birth was as easy as it could be giving birth to a human. Lol.
9. I have a thing for scenery. I love landscapes. It isn't a big surprise if someone sees me shed a tear because something is so beautiful.
10. I'm very emotional. I cry... a lot. It's an almost daily occurrence.
11. I'm a mix of so many things. I like being a tomboy, but I also really enjoy having nice girly clothes. I like hip hop and rap, but also enjoy death metal. I could go on and on.
12. I'm also a mix of different countries. With it mainly being a big mix of Italian and German. I also have some Iroquis Indian, Polish, and a smudge of Greek.
13. I like cooking, baking, and doing crafts.
14. My sister has Autism. I helped raise her. I helped my mom out when she needed it. I have a very strong bond with my sister. She's one of the best people I know. She's one of the main reasons I like visiting, because I know I can see her.
15. I like to draw, paint, read, write, and sing. I'm a very artistic person. Reading is one of my favorite activities.
16. I had a lot of bad happen in my life. A lot I'd rather not talk about, at least not now. Jason is the only person who knows all the truth about it, and even then, he doesn't know the half of it. He's the only person I feel comfortable talking about it. He seems to be the only one who understands.
17. But I've also had a lot of good. My mom was a great mom. And I love my sister so much. It wasn't bad all the time.
18. I want to travel the world. Jason and I talk about this a lot. We had our daughter young, and we don't plan to have another. When she's 20, I'll only be 38, and my husband will be 40. We still would have a BUNCH of time left in our lives. I hope we can travel the country, and go to other countries and just have fun together.
19. I've traveled cross country by automobile 5 times. Yup, 5 by automobile. 3 of those times were on buses. The other two were by car. First with my mother and father in law when we traveled to California to be with my husband. Second time was driving back to PA when my husband went to Arizona for training. I rode with him until we had to go our separate ways. I spent the rest of the trip with my father in law, Jason's uncle, and Kara who was 7 months at the time. Now that was a fun trip! Lol. Definitely won't forget that.
20. My husband and I have a very strong love for Amazon. We get shipments all the time from Amazon.com. I would say it's an addiction, but that's usually looked as bad.
21. I like to play Skylanders. Yeah, it's that game with Spryo and the other characters you can play with. It's one of my favorite games other than Mario games.
22. I got married at 17. No, I wasn't pregnant. I actually didn't get pregnant until 6-7 months after. My husband had recently turned 19. I was with him since December, and we got married in April. It was quick, but I wouldn't take it back. After 3 years, we're still going strong. I love knowing I'm going to spend the rest of my life with him <3
There's a lot more, but I have to get lunch ready. I hope you all enjoyed the read and learned something you didn't know. I'll be doing another one later on when I can't think of anything else to write. Lol.
Oh and visit this website. It's my husbands! He's writing his own book, and he plans to do a lot with this, so continue to keep checking on it. There's also a Facebook page.
1. I hold grudges. I know, I know. They say not to, but I do. It's not like I hate the person and am mean to them, I just make it known I'd rather NOT be around them than be around them. You have to do a lot to make me hold a grudge. Like, a lot a lot. Nonetheless, it happens. You move on.
2. I have strong views. And I don't back down from them. It makes me dedicated, and stubborn. It's not a bad thing.
3. Going from 2, my husband and I can't talk politics. It's not talked about in our house. We are two totally different people. I have very very deep reasons why I believe the things I believe. So we try our best not to bring things up, because we both end up pissed and mad.
4. I don't have an official religion. I'll talk about this for a bit, so hold on. I believe in God. I grew up in a Christian household, though we didn't go to church much. I met my husband and I went to church with him and his family. After we went to California, we explored our options. It was a fun time. Learned a lot of things most people don't get to because they're too stubborn. Lol.
However, after everything, I realized that I believe in God, I just don't believe in much else. I believe good people (religious or not) go to a very great place after death where they can live freely and happily. And I believe bad people (killers, rapists, manipulators, etc) go to a bad place, where they are miserable for all eternity. They don't get a happy ending.
God, to me, is a man who understands things happen. He knows he created the Earth and the heavens, but he knows not every one will believe it. He gives all the good people a place to go, because on Earth, they tried their best. He loves his children. But he keeps his nose out of things. He gave us free will, so he knows that once he created the Earth bad things would happen. So that explains why bad things happen.
He can heal people. However, it's not direct healing. He guides the surgeons, cops, etc in what they do. He's that little voice in your head that others would call a conscious.
To answer any questions: No, I don't believe the things in the Bible happened. I believe Jesus was a prophet, but not Gods direct son. Yes, if you're good, you'll go to Heaven.
5. I adopt moms. I know this sounds weird, because who adopts moms? But no fear, I'll explain! I obviously have my mom, she's an amazing woman whom I love very much. We moved to California and I missed her very much. We went to this game shop all the time where my husband played Magic the Gathering. There were two owners, a husband and wife. Kara was very young when I started going regularly. Well, I got close to the woman. She's so much fun to be around! And reminded me a bit about my mom. She's from Germany, and I can't even say how many questions I had for her about it. Haha. I miss her so much. When my husband out processed, we went and saw her as much as possible.
Then there's my mom here. Jason plays hockey and she works at the rink. It didn't take us very long to get close. She's so outgoing, and treats us all as her own. She has a nickname for Kara, and loves her so much. My mom and her would get along so well! They're both a riot to be around. All these women mean so much to me <3
6. My husband and I have a great marriage. And I'm not just saying that, we really do. We do argue, but we make up as soon as possible. He's such a great guy, and I couldn't be happier. I love being around him as much as possible. Other than when he's at work, we don't go very many places without the other. People didn't think we would last, but he's one of the best things that ever happened to me.
7. We have lost a baby. I got pregnant in November, considering I got to California at the end of October, it happened pretty quick. Lol. But I couldn't get an appointment with my OBGYN until the second week of January. We went home, announced to everyone I was pregnant. It was a great time, and I'll always remember seeing all the faces. One of my favorites is when it took Jasons uncle a few minutes to get what we were trying to say.
Anyway, we went to my appointment. I believe it was January 10th. My doctor was amazing. I couldn't have asked for anyone better. I laid down, and he gave me an ultrasound. He said, "Woah, looks like there's two in there!" In that moment, I was a bit scared, but I was also very excited. I said, "What?!" I could already imagine my two babies. Both of our families have twins in them, mine has a LOT, so it didn't surprise me too much. Then when he said, "Well, maybe not", my heart sank. There were two sacks, but only one baby was the size it was supposed to be. The other had stopped growing not long before my appointment. I called my mom up, still quite out there. I texted my mother in law, and she seemed a bit confused when I said, "There WAS 2, but not anymore." It was a very rough time for me during the whole process. I had naturally miscarried the baby, while Kara stayed safe where she was.
8. My pregnancy was far from perfect. It could've been worse, but starting with that beginning, I didn't think it would get any better. She tested quite high for Downs Syndrome, so we started seeing a specialist often. Then, her legs weren't growing at the rate they should've. By the time she was 37 weeks or so, her legs were measuring at 31-32 weeks. They through a bunch of stuff our way, skeletal dysplasia, downs syndrome, etc. I also had some calcification in the placenta, so she wasn't getting all she should have. I gave birth to her 5 days late, and she was still under 7 pounds. She was quite small, but she was healthy! No problems at all. Other then having to get her stomach pumped, her birth was as easy as it could be giving birth to a human. Lol.
9. I have a thing for scenery. I love landscapes. It isn't a big surprise if someone sees me shed a tear because something is so beautiful.
10. I'm very emotional. I cry... a lot. It's an almost daily occurrence.
11. I'm a mix of so many things. I like being a tomboy, but I also really enjoy having nice girly clothes. I like hip hop and rap, but also enjoy death metal. I could go on and on.
12. I'm also a mix of different countries. With it mainly being a big mix of Italian and German. I also have some Iroquis Indian, Polish, and a smudge of Greek.
13. I like cooking, baking, and doing crafts.
14. My sister has Autism. I helped raise her. I helped my mom out when she needed it. I have a very strong bond with my sister. She's one of the best people I know. She's one of the main reasons I like visiting, because I know I can see her.
15. I like to draw, paint, read, write, and sing. I'm a very artistic person. Reading is one of my favorite activities.
16. I had a lot of bad happen in my life. A lot I'd rather not talk about, at least not now. Jason is the only person who knows all the truth about it, and even then, he doesn't know the half of it. He's the only person I feel comfortable talking about it. He seems to be the only one who understands.
17. But I've also had a lot of good. My mom was a great mom. And I love my sister so much. It wasn't bad all the time.
18. I want to travel the world. Jason and I talk about this a lot. We had our daughter young, and we don't plan to have another. When she's 20, I'll only be 38, and my husband will be 40. We still would have a BUNCH of time left in our lives. I hope we can travel the country, and go to other countries and just have fun together.
19. I've traveled cross country by automobile 5 times. Yup, 5 by automobile. 3 of those times were on buses. The other two were by car. First with my mother and father in law when we traveled to California to be with my husband. Second time was driving back to PA when my husband went to Arizona for training. I rode with him until we had to go our separate ways. I spent the rest of the trip with my father in law, Jason's uncle, and Kara who was 7 months at the time. Now that was a fun trip! Lol. Definitely won't forget that.
20. My husband and I have a very strong love for Amazon. We get shipments all the time from Amazon.com. I would say it's an addiction, but that's usually looked as bad.
21. I like to play Skylanders. Yeah, it's that game with Spryo and the other characters you can play with. It's one of my favorite games other than Mario games.
22. I got married at 17. No, I wasn't pregnant. I actually didn't get pregnant until 6-7 months after. My husband had recently turned 19. I was with him since December, and we got married in April. It was quick, but I wouldn't take it back. After 3 years, we're still going strong. I love knowing I'm going to spend the rest of my life with him <3
There's a lot more, but I have to get lunch ready. I hope you all enjoyed the read and learned something you didn't know. I'll be doing another one later on when I can't think of anything else to write. Lol.
Oh and visit this website. It's my husbands! He's writing his own book, and he plans to do a lot with this, so continue to keep checking on it. There's also a Facebook page.
Saturday, July 12, 2014
Project Pack and Play!
As most of you know, my husband and I are a one child family. So most of my beautiful daughters things will be sold, given away, turned into neat projects, or kept for remembrance! (: Her pack and play is the "turned into a neat project" one.
So pretty much, you absolutely need a Pack and Play for this. Once it's all done being used, you know you won't need it again, instead of storing it, make it into an awesome "getaway" spot!
Then, just cut the mesh out. It takes like 3 minutes. Just make sure not to cut too high and actually take the stitching out.
Viola! You now have an open side that your little babe can climb into!
Mine was quite adventurous from the start.
Put a blanket or fitted sheet over the top to give it a nice roomy feel. Throw some blankets, pillows, toys, and books in there! Make it a nice place for them! What do you think they'd want in a getaway spot?
She didn't like the blanket over top. Might have to get a fitted sheet! Look at that face. Lmao.
Just crawled right in and took a nap! It worked amazingly. I ended up putting it behind the couch to give her more privacy. Since then, I've seen her several times in there reading her books.
And then our dog, Luna, naturally had to see what the fuss was all about. So she HAD to go in while Kara was napping to see if she was okay.
Our child just tends to sweat while sleeping, not to mention it was pretty warm in the house. Yet, she still wanted blankets. Thankfully, Luna made sure she was okay. She's a great guard dog!
So pretty much, you absolutely need a Pack and Play for this. Once it's all done being used, you know you won't need it again, instead of storing it, make it into an awesome "getaway" spot!
Then, just cut the mesh out. It takes like 3 minutes. Just make sure not to cut too high and actually take the stitching out.
Mine was quite adventurous from the start.
Put a blanket or fitted sheet over the top to give it a nice roomy feel. Throw some blankets, pillows, toys, and books in there! Make it a nice place for them! What do you think they'd want in a getaway spot?
She didn't like the blanket over top. Might have to get a fitted sheet! Look at that face. Lmao.
Just crawled right in and took a nap! It worked amazingly. I ended up putting it behind the couch to give her more privacy. Since then, I've seen her several times in there reading her books.
And then our dog, Luna, naturally had to see what the fuss was all about. So she HAD to go in while Kara was napping to see if she was okay.
Our child just tends to sweat while sleeping, not to mention it was pretty warm in the house. Yet, she still wanted blankets. Thankfully, Luna made sure she was okay. She's a great guard dog!
And that's it! Super easy! Remember this is a place for them, not you. So put it in a private spot where they can get away. Make sure it's filled with stuff they love. It's such a great project and will last a long time! My daughter is AT LEAST 27 pounds, and our dog has to be about the same size (if not bigger than her) by now. So that's a combined 54 pounds+, and the pack and play is still standing and fine.
Give it a try. Maybe once I get some materials, I'll make Kara a little teepee tent when she's older and we can have "campouts" in the house.
Well, that's it. Kara loves it, I love the fact she's happy, and it's a great place to take a nap without having to be completely away!
Let me know what ya'll want to hear about next. Another project? More health related stuff? More about family? Message or comment, and I'll get right on it!
Also, my husband may or may not be working on a project of his own. Such a talented man! I may be able to finally get that motivation up to write a book I've been wanting to write for a VERY long time. I'll comment more on it in the future once things are all set up <3
Friday, July 11, 2014
Biking, and why it's one of the best forms of exercise.
So some of you may know, but I LOVE biking. It's one of my favorite things to do. And there's lots of benefits. Once I get even more into it, I may just buy a bike and go riding. For now, it's stationary in the comfort of my own home. A good 5 mile ride isn't too hard to knock out. I'm working my way up to 12. I'm at 10 right now, so I'm almost there! (:
It burns calories like no one's business. Like said here: "A 135-pound woman pedaling 12 to 14 miles an hour blasts 488 calories in 60 minutes." And it's even more if you weight more. So burn those calories! It also boosts energy, tones all over (and you will get those killer legs ;D), and it's low impact. How could someone not like it when it has so many positive things about it?
For my fellas out there who read (if any of you even read this blog): Try this on for size. Thanks to Mens Fitness! Get to know the area around you, if you do it right, it can burn more calories than running, AND if you work close, ride your bike, don't ride in your car!
From Prevention Magazine, there's so many advantages. So many health benefits! And if you're a momma or poppa, they have child carriers and little trailers, so the young'un can ride along too.
Here are some links about it, but please always talk with your pediatrician first!
TravellingTwo post about baby bike rides.
bikeportland.org, who always has some interesting facts about biking in Europe!
And again, always ask their doctor. AND ALWAYS HAVE THEM WEAR A HELMET! It can't be said enough!
Not only are there health benefits, but environmental benefits too!
Save money on gas, and since most people work within 5 miles of home, why ride in a car when you can bike?!
Huffington Post article!
There's no air pollution when using a bike! How awesome is that?
Here's an article!
Just look at all these environmental benefits!
Lots of articles today! And I hope you all take the time to read them. Maybe once I get more into it, and we have some extra money, I'll get a mountain bike and a little trailer for Kara, and we will go biking. It's just such an amazing sport, exercise, and activity! I can't speak any higher about it. So go get that bike; stationary, road, or mountain!
Let me know about any further topics you all want to hear about! <3
It burns calories like no one's business. Like said here: "A 135-pound woman pedaling 12 to 14 miles an hour blasts 488 calories in 60 minutes." And it's even more if you weight more. So burn those calories! It also boosts energy, tones all over (and you will get those killer legs ;D), and it's low impact. How could someone not like it when it has so many positive things about it?
For my fellas out there who read (if any of you even read this blog): Try this on for size. Thanks to Mens Fitness! Get to know the area around you, if you do it right, it can burn more calories than running, AND if you work close, ride your bike, don't ride in your car!
From Prevention Magazine, there's so many advantages. So many health benefits! And if you're a momma or poppa, they have child carriers and little trailers, so the young'un can ride along too.
Here are some links about it, but please always talk with your pediatrician first!
TravellingTwo post about baby bike rides.
bikeportland.org, who always has some interesting facts about biking in Europe!
And again, always ask their doctor. AND ALWAYS HAVE THEM WEAR A HELMET! It can't be said enough!
Not only are there health benefits, but environmental benefits too!
Save money on gas, and since most people work within 5 miles of home, why ride in a car when you can bike?!
Huffington Post article!
There's no air pollution when using a bike! How awesome is that?
Here's an article!
Just look at all these environmental benefits!
Lots of articles today! And I hope you all take the time to read them. Maybe once I get more into it, and we have some extra money, I'll get a mountain bike and a little trailer for Kara, and we will go biking. It's just such an amazing sport, exercise, and activity! I can't speak any higher about it. So go get that bike; stationary, road, or mountain!
Let me know about any further topics you all want to hear about! <3
Tuesday, July 8, 2014
Only children and why they're better.
Okay. Maybe I'm bias (not maybe, I totally am), but after some Google research, I'm glad in my findings. And I'm glad I have an only child (who will stay an only child forever.)
So maybe you're the person without a child who clicked on this. If so, I hope you learn some things you never knew. If you're the outraged "HOW DARE SHE SAY THAT" person, I hope you learn some things. If you're the parent of an only child (only children clique, yo), I hope you read this and feel secure in the facts <3
So let's start out. I have an almost 2 year old. She is beautiful, smart, wonderful, super chill, and also an only child. DUN DUN DUN! How could a child be so amazing, and yet us not want anymore? Because we don't. And that should be enough of a reason. But we'll get back to that later on.
Here are some facts, studies, and others. Please, I beg of you, do some of your own too.
I know what some of you are saying. "B-b-but HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO SUCH AN INNOCENT CHILD. She neeeeds a sibling. Wah-wah-wah."
In reality: "If you have one child, you are made to feel guilty for not having another. Your mother, your friends, even strangers tell you that "You can't have just one. How can you do that to your child?" It's become a numbers war among parents that has exposed one of the best kept family secrets: One child is quietly becoming the new traditional family." That's right. One in five families have an only child. Here's a hip question-answer from Psychology Today.
"But you're being SELFISH! You only care about yourself!!1!!"
"Instead of making family choices to fulfill breeding assignments we imagine we’ve been given, we might ensure that our most profound choice is a purely independent, personal one. To do so might even feel like something people rarely associate with parenting: it might feel like freedom."
Yup, You caught me. I'm selfish.
Read some of this.
While you're at it, read this one too.
And this.
And this.
And this.
But like I said, do your own research.
For all your "evidence", I have facts to back me up
"Evidence" is: "Well, I knew someone who was an only child who was miserable. Yadda-yadda-yadda."
I like motherhood. I love having just my daughter. We have so much freedom! If we had another, our whole life would change, and I wouldn't like it. Sure, if it happens, it happens. But we are NOT planning for it at all, and we are trying our best to prevent it. You would think us really REALLY just not wanting another would be enough. But apparently it isn't. And that makes me sad. I should be miserable because some people think we should have another? Yeah, not gonna happen.
Don't get me wrong, both my husband and I grew up with siblings. And our childhoods were ight. And guess what, we STILL don't want Kara to have a sibling. I love my sister so much. I really do. I'm glad I had her to grow up with. But that doesn't change my decision.
We are able to just leave the house whenever we want. We don't have two kids fighting for our attention. We are able to save up for a college fund instead of having to save up more multiple. We don't have to worry about feeding 4+ people. We can go to every sport event, art event, etc because we don't have multiple kids with separate schedules and trying to make every single one. We can invest in Kara's activities, like making sure she has everything she needs for it, and wants. And you know what, there's a bunch more. I don't see any cons so far.
And is it just me, or do families with only one child look more put together? Lol. Maybe that's not always true. But from my "evidence", when we go places the people with multiple kids need the bulky strollers, yelling at one kid, trying to get them to stop yelling at each other, etc. And the people with onlies are just kinda going down aisles looking like regular shoppers. Lmao.
So what I'm trying to say is. No one wants your opinions about their parenting. NO ONE. I tend to just sit there and try my best to ignore when people feel the need to flap their lips about my choices. Just spare everyone time and mind your own business. My child is happy, healthy, and so very awesome. And lots of onlies are well put together, just like lots of children with siblings are happy and put together.
So this is it. We have one child, and we are more than happy. We love the idea of only having one, and even possibly homeschooling her. GASP. But I'll dive more into that in another post <3
Hope you enjoyed my rant session. Don't judge others choices. Chances are they don't care what others think anyway. And if you can't tell, I don't really mean onlies are better. Just like having siblings isn't better. All comes down to choices, and lifestyles.
See my post about biking next!
So maybe you're the person without a child who clicked on this. If so, I hope you learn some things you never knew. If you're the outraged "HOW DARE SHE SAY THAT" person, I hope you learn some things. If you're the parent of an only child (only children clique, yo), I hope you read this and feel secure in the facts <3
So let's start out. I have an almost 2 year old. She is beautiful, smart, wonderful, super chill, and also an only child. DUN DUN DUN! How could a child be so amazing, and yet us not want anymore? Because we don't. And that should be enough of a reason. But we'll get back to that later on.
Here are some facts, studies, and others. Please, I beg of you, do some of your own too.
I know what some of you are saying. "B-b-but HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO SUCH AN INNOCENT CHILD. She neeeeds a sibling. Wah-wah-wah."
In reality: "If you have one child, you are made to feel guilty for not having another. Your mother, your friends, even strangers tell you that "You can't have just one. How can you do that to your child?" It's become a numbers war among parents that has exposed one of the best kept family secrets: One child is quietly becoming the new traditional family." That's right. One in five families have an only child. Here's a hip question-answer from Psychology Today.
"But you're being SELFISH! You only care about yourself!!1!!"
"Instead of making family choices to fulfill breeding assignments we imagine we’ve been given, we might ensure that our most profound choice is a purely independent, personal one. To do so might even feel like something people rarely associate with parenting: it might feel like freedom."
Yup, You caught me. I'm selfish.
Read some of this.
While you're at it, read this one too.
And this.
And this.
And this.
But like I said, do your own research.
For all your "evidence", I have facts to back me up
"Evidence" is: "Well, I knew someone who was an only child who was miserable. Yadda-yadda-yadda."
I like motherhood. I love having just my daughter. We have so much freedom! If we had another, our whole life would change, and I wouldn't like it. Sure, if it happens, it happens. But we are NOT planning for it at all, and we are trying our best to prevent it. You would think us really REALLY just not wanting another would be enough. But apparently it isn't. And that makes me sad. I should be miserable because some people think we should have another? Yeah, not gonna happen.
Don't get me wrong, both my husband and I grew up with siblings. And our childhoods were ight. And guess what, we STILL don't want Kara to have a sibling. I love my sister so much. I really do. I'm glad I had her to grow up with. But that doesn't change my decision.
We are able to just leave the house whenever we want. We don't have two kids fighting for our attention. We are able to save up for a college fund instead of having to save up more multiple. We don't have to worry about feeding 4+ people. We can go to every sport event, art event, etc because we don't have multiple kids with separate schedules and trying to make every single one. We can invest in Kara's activities, like making sure she has everything she needs for it, and wants. And you know what, there's a bunch more. I don't see any cons so far.
And is it just me, or do families with only one child look more put together? Lol. Maybe that's not always true. But from my "evidence", when we go places the people with multiple kids need the bulky strollers, yelling at one kid, trying to get them to stop yelling at each other, etc. And the people with onlies are just kinda going down aisles looking like regular shoppers. Lmao.
So what I'm trying to say is. No one wants your opinions about their parenting. NO ONE. I tend to just sit there and try my best to ignore when people feel the need to flap their lips about my choices. Just spare everyone time and mind your own business. My child is happy, healthy, and so very awesome. And lots of onlies are well put together, just like lots of children with siblings are happy and put together.
So this is it. We have one child, and we are more than happy. We love the idea of only having one, and even possibly homeschooling her. GASP. But I'll dive more into that in another post <3
Hope you enjoyed my rant session. Don't judge others choices. Chances are they don't care what others think anyway. And if you can't tell, I don't really mean onlies are better. Just like having siblings isn't better. All comes down to choices, and lifestyles.
See my post about biking next!
Sunday, July 6, 2014
Motivaton.
So you all should be happy that I love my readers because I typed this whole thing out, then it got deleted, so I have to start over again.
Motivation is one the most important things, because if you have no motivation, you don't have a reason to change. It can be anything. It could be your family, or being able to wear that bikini. I have some motivations that keep me going. Here are mine:
My daughter, Kara: One of the two people who keep me going. I want her to grow up to be healthy and have great memories of my husband and I living a healthy lifestyle. We want her to be happy and be able to do whatever she wants. If she wants to go hiking, I want to be able to go with her. Or ride that roller coaster ride with her. She deserves a mom who will be there for her through all of those things.
My husband, Jason: He's such an amazing man, and someone who would love me at any size. I truly believe that. However, he deserves a healthy wife. I want to grow old with him. I want to go on vacations with him and not feel self-conscious about my body. I want to look smokin' hot in a bikini. Lol. He needs someone who takes her health seriously. Being a stay-at-home mom I make most of the meals, so he needs someone who will make sure he's healthy too. Plus remember, healthy is sexy, and never feel weird to exercise in front, or with, your significant other.
My health: This one should be obvious, but apparently it isn't. I just overall want to be healthier. I want to live life, not sit on the sidelines. Taking an hour a day to exercise isn't that hard. Heck, even half an hour is better than nothing. And I feel so much better after exercising. I think most do because you see how amazing your body is. My body is strong and capable. It's able to carry a 2 year old toddler. It's able to bike miles faster than it ever was before. It's able to run around with a dog and not get winded as fast as it used to. And all these things will keep improving.
There are my top three. There are many more, and these things keep me going and exercising and making better choices. Everyone has motivators. Some just choose to think about whats more important. I no longer drink soda as much. My next goal is to bike 12 miles in an hour (which I can bike about 8 in half an hour, so almost there.) I make very nutritious meals that my family loves, and asks for more. And I do all this, and more, because my family is important to me and I want to live as long as possible for them.
So what are your motivators? I biked almost 8 miles today, so I'm tired. I think I'm going to relax for a bit. Then hockey ad stuff tonight. What do you want to hear about next? Let me know!
Thursday, July 3, 2014
Couch to 5k, and the difference between losing inches vs pounds.
So tomorrow I'm getting a treadmill. I'm so excited, especially for the fact that I've been using my bike a lot more, and now I can switch things up a bit (:
Now I plan to do the couch to 5k workout. I've been wanting to try it, but since I'm pretty self conscious, it's very hard to go running out in public. At least with this, I can workout in the comfort of my own home. Being a home body has it's disadvantages when it comes to workouts, but not for this home body! Actually talking about that, I can already see a change in my body since I started really working out about 2 weeks ago. It's not much, but my stomach looks just a TIIIINY bit smaller (all seen through pictures because scales scare me. Lol.)
On that topic, let's have a little talk about losing inches vs pounds. Normally when people starting working out, they want to lose weight. I know I sure do! But don't be discouraged if you don't lose a lot. People going in with the mentality of "I'm going to lose so much weight in a few months! I'll lose at LEAST 10 pounds a month." I'm sorry, but you're setting yourself up for failure. To healthily lose weight, it's good to lose 1-2 pounds a week.
And why does no one talk about losing inches? You can lose 2 pounds, but see a definite change in your body shape. Many people will tell you stories about how they didn't lose much weight, but lost inches all around. And honestly, I think I'd rather lose inches. Especially if it's in my waist :D Haha.
Now, don't get me wrong, in the first month, you may lose a lot. If you're not used to exercising, and you jump right into it, the first month may give you a boost! HOWEVER, it can also not work out the way you want it to either. Never, ever just jump right into something. Just don't. Diets are fads. You need to do a whole lifestyle change. If you want to keep it off, you need to permanently change your habits. Think about it, do you REALLY think going hard on a "diet" for a few months will work in the long run after your "diet" is done? No, it won't.
Why? Because as soon as you start eating like you did before, it'll all come right back. That's why many diets fail... like, really really fail.
Another thing, honestly, throw out that darn scale. Just do it. Throw it out. As told to me by a very good friend of mine (I won't name names since I'm not sure if she even wants to be named), throw out everything and work towards feeling healthier. And that's probably the best advice anyone has ever given me. Stop obsessing over how much you weigh, or the inches of your waist, and just try your hardest to be as healthy as possible. And once you change your habits, you'll see and feel the change.
So all in all, go do the couch to 5k. Lol.
No, but really, losing inches and losing pounds are different. Almost vastly different. You may not lose a lot, but you could possibly see a change in your body. The pounds will come off, just maybe not right away. And that's not a bad thing. Just keep at it!
Hope you stick around for my next post about motivation! And if I can't get on tomorrow, HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY! :D Don't be counting calories so much that you can't enjoy yourself. Party a bit, then work hard on the 6th.
Now I plan to do the couch to 5k workout. I've been wanting to try it, but since I'm pretty self conscious, it's very hard to go running out in public. At least with this, I can workout in the comfort of my own home. Being a home body has it's disadvantages when it comes to workouts, but not for this home body! Actually talking about that, I can already see a change in my body since I started really working out about 2 weeks ago. It's not much, but my stomach looks just a TIIIINY bit smaller (all seen through pictures because scales scare me. Lol.)
On that topic, let's have a little talk about losing inches vs pounds. Normally when people starting working out, they want to lose weight. I know I sure do! But don't be discouraged if you don't lose a lot. People going in with the mentality of "I'm going to lose so much weight in a few months! I'll lose at LEAST 10 pounds a month." I'm sorry, but you're setting yourself up for failure. To healthily lose weight, it's good to lose 1-2 pounds a week.
And why does no one talk about losing inches? You can lose 2 pounds, but see a definite change in your body shape. Many people will tell you stories about how they didn't lose much weight, but lost inches all around. And honestly, I think I'd rather lose inches. Especially if it's in my waist :D Haha.
Now, don't get me wrong, in the first month, you may lose a lot. If you're not used to exercising, and you jump right into it, the first month may give you a boost! HOWEVER, it can also not work out the way you want it to either. Never, ever just jump right into something. Just don't. Diets are fads. You need to do a whole lifestyle change. If you want to keep it off, you need to permanently change your habits. Think about it, do you REALLY think going hard on a "diet" for a few months will work in the long run after your "diet" is done? No, it won't.
Why? Because as soon as you start eating like you did before, it'll all come right back. That's why many diets fail... like, really really fail.
Another thing, honestly, throw out that darn scale. Just do it. Throw it out. As told to me by a very good friend of mine (I won't name names since I'm not sure if she even wants to be named), throw out everything and work towards feeling healthier. And that's probably the best advice anyone has ever given me. Stop obsessing over how much you weigh, or the inches of your waist, and just try your hardest to be as healthy as possible. And once you change your habits, you'll see and feel the change.
So all in all, go do the couch to 5k. Lol.
No, but really, losing inches and losing pounds are different. Almost vastly different. You may not lose a lot, but you could possibly see a change in your body. The pounds will come off, just maybe not right away. And that's not a bad thing. Just keep at it!
Hope you stick around for my next post about motivation! And if I can't get on tomorrow, HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY! :D Don't be counting calories so much that you can't enjoy yourself. Party a bit, then work hard on the 6th.
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