Fit Mama Club - Week 3 reboot

FIT MAMA CLUB STATS

Last Week's Weight Loss: 1

Total Weight Loss: 3

Last Week's High: I started the exercise program "Walk Away The Pounds"!

Plan For This Week: Track my Weight Watchers points, drink 4 glasses of water per day, and do the walking DVD 5 times for the week. I'm actually walking 2 miles each time, which is awesome! 

Would you like to join this Fit Mama Club for fitness support? Just copy and paste the HTML button code on the right, and paste it on top of each Fit Mama Club post! Oh, and when you're talking about your diet/exercise on twitter, use the hashtag #FitMamaClub so we can all connect!

That's it! No More Deodorant for Me!

Yes everyone.  I've officially given up wearing deodorant.  Before you turn away from your computer with your fingers pinching your nose, I'm not going completely bare! I read a wonderful post from a fellow mommy blogger, mommyboots, who shared the benefits of making her own natural deodorant. 

What ARE the benefits of making your own deo?

Well, for one thing you know exactly what the ingredients are.  Regular deodorant has aluminum in it, and studies show that there is a link between excessive aluminum exposure and cancer.  Interestingly enough, I read that cancer patients are instructed to avoid regular deodorant, and told to use more organic products AFTER they've been diagnosed..  What the, what?! That's like a doctor only telling you to watch your diet AFTER you have a massive heart attack.  Um, no.  I don't know about you, but I'd rather practice prevention.  Not only that, but most deodorants have antiperspirant in them, which means they stop you from sweating.  God created sweating for a purpose people - not only to cool us down, but to excrete toxins.  Where do you think all those toxins go if they can't come out? .. ew...

So how do you make it?

That's the fun part!  All you need is four basic ingredients, and most are found in your cupboard: Baking Soda, Cornstarch, Coconut Oil, and Beeswax.  Some people make the homemade deodorant with just the first three ingredients listed, but I found that adding the fourth ingredient (beeswax) solidifies the product better, so it closer resembles the consistency of the deodorant that we're used to.  Here is the complete recipe:

Homemade Natural Deodorant

1/2 cup Baking Soda
1/2 cup Cornstarch
1 TBS Cornstarch
4 TBS Beeswax pellets
1/2 cup Coconut Oil
Empty Deodorant Stick
4 drops Essential Oils (optional)

Melt the Coconut Oil and Beeswax together in the Microwave for about a minute.  Then slowly mix in the powdered ingredients.  (please note that the extra TBS of cornstarch is to provide additional thickening)  If you want to add a fragrance, you can purchase essential oils from THIS online store.  (I used a Mixed Berry Oil.)  Add 4 drops, then continue mixing.  (You can also purchase the beeswax from that store as well.)

Take the empty deodorant stick (make sure that all remnants of old deodorant are gone by wiping, scraping, and even boiling the stick if needed).  Roll the deodorant stick to the lowest point, and slowly pour the mixture into the stick.  Put on the cap, and place in the fridge for 15 minutes to set. You can also store it in a small glass jar, and apply it with your fingers.  Be sure to keep the deodorant in a cool dry place, or in the fridge if you live in a hot environment. 

To stink or not to stink?

Don't worry. Natural deo works just as well as the chemical brands.  You may go through a 1-2 day detox period where you don't smell as fresh as you'd like, but don't give up.  That's just your body getting rid of the crap that's been plugged up for so long.  I had a 1 day detox, then the very next day, I smelled great.  I even had my hubby do a sniff test. (Thank God for husbands!)  Hey, I just wanted to make sure that I wasn't in some kind of funky denial.  I am happy to report that he said he did not smell any funk at all!  And that was after a 10 hour work day in humid NYC weather.  Need I say more? 

So what do you think?  Is this something you'd try?  With recent news of young women (i.e. Guiliana Rancic) now getting breast cancer, I just feel like if there is anything I can do to minimize my chances, I'm in.  Let me know how it turns out! 

When is the right time for baby #2?

When is the right time to plan for a second child? That's a question that has been roaming around the corridors of my mind lately. Perhaps it's the influx of new babies that I see every Sunday at our church. Or the fact that I'm turning 30 in two months. Or maybe it's because my son is now 2 years old, going on 25. Whatever the reason, it's definitely a question that I've been contemplating for the past few months. The thing is, my husband and I are trying to get out of debt, and eventually buy a house. We're currently doing Dave Ramsey's 7 Baby Steps to Financial Freedom:

■Baby Step 1 – $1,000 to start an Emergency Fund
■Baby Step 2 – Pay off all debt using the Debt Snowball
■Baby Step 3 – 3 to 6 months of expenses in savings
■Baby Step 4 – Invest 15% of household income into Roth IRAs and pre-tax retirement
■Baby Step 5 - College funding for children
■Baby Step 6 – Pay off home early
■Baby Step 7 – Build wealth and give!

Right now we're on Baby Step #2, and we'll be at this step probably for the next 10 years - if you figure in student loans along with credit card debt, and the car note. So at what point would we shift gears from hardcore payment of debt, to financially planning for a baby? I went onto the Babycenter site and found a Baby Cost Calculator. After a few calculations, it looks like we'd need to save about $3000 for baby's first year. On top of that, we still haven't purchased a home yet, and my husband is still a college student. It's tough because in a perfect world, we'd pay off debt first, then buy a house, then have a 2nd child. But life doesn't work out that way most times. And let's face it, as women we all feel the clock tick tick ticking away at our youth and child-bearing capabilities.

I remember, when I was younger, and wished for 4 children. No. Not just wished for them, but was completely adamant that there would be no other option, because I wanted a big family. My husband felt the same way. I have two brothers and no sisters, and he has two sisters with no brothers. So we both shared a common yearning for that type of same-sex sibling connection. With 4 kids, it would be perfect. Two boys and two girls. Each would have siblings of each gender. Perfect perfect pefect. Of course when we met, I was 21 and he was 23. Both of us, kids. Knowing nothing about love, life, or babies. We were sweet... but naive.

Now is the time that reality sets in. Babies cost money. Houses cost money. Goodness me, the amount of money we pay in daycare alone would make a grown man cry. ::SIGH:: Let's take a moment to reminisce about the good ol' days. The days when people could get married right out of high school, and buy a new house immediately, or very shortly after. The days when dads could go out and work, moms could stay at home, and no one felt like they were hitting the poverty level by making this decision. Ahh, those were the days alright. Of course, I've only heard about them through word of mouth.  As if it were some old time fable of a time long lost.   

Which brings me back to my original question: how do we {responsibly} plan for our next little one? Only God knows when or if it'll happen. Maybe I'm over thinking things, and need to "let go and let God". Wait, how does that work again? Is there a chart for that? Ya.. didn't think so. Whatever happens, at least we're moving in the right direction with our finances and career goals. Eventually we'll get where we want to be. And hopefully we'll also have a few more sets of little feet to enjoy it with.

Stream of Consciousness Sunday: I'm a Walker!

I've found a new fitness regime. And though I'm excited about it, I find myself reluctant to tell people about it because it would be like the 12th exercise program that I've started since I had little M (2 years ago). I have the best intentions when I begin, honest, but somehow I get discouraged, distracted, disinterested... ugh. But ok, I'll share, yet again:

Today I started "Walk Away the Pounds". It's the in home walking program by Leslie Sansone, where you can walk 1-5 miles depending on which dvd you do. And it lets you know as you're side-stepping, kicking, and marching, how far you've been "walking". I've heard great things about it. Many women who have done this fitness program, along w/ a healthy diet, have lost upwards of 50 lbs! I did a mile this morning and it was really good. I felt great that I "walked" a mile, and I loved the simplicity. The steps are simple but you still feel like you're getting a workout.

I really hope that I stick with this. At the end of the day, I want to feel healthy, have energy, and feel good about myself. My goal is to do a mile 6 days a week for 2 weeks, then move up to the 2 mile walk after that. Wish me luck! And if you have any experience with the program, let me know!

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This was my 5 minute Stream of Consciousness Sunday post. It’s five minutes of your time and a brain dump. Want to try it? Here are the rules…
■Set a timer and write for 5 minutes.
■Write an intro to the post if you want but don’t edit the post. No proofreading or spellchecking. This is writing in the raw.
■Publish it somewhere. Anywhere. The back door to your blog if you want. But make it accessible.
■Add the Stream of Consciousness Sunday badge to your post.
■Link up your post below.
■Visit your fellow bloggers and show some love.

Fit Mama Club - Week 1 reboot

 

FIT MAMA CLUB STATS

Last Week's Weight Loss: 0

Total Weight Loss: 2

Last Week's High: I decided to start Weight Watchers again!

Plan For This Week: Track my Weight Watchers points, drink 4 glasses of water per day, and do 30 Day Shred 5 days this week! Would you like to join this Fit Mama Club for fitness support? Just copy and paste the HTML button code on the right, and paste it on top of each FMC post! Oh, and when you're talking about your diet/exercise on twitter, use the hashtag #FitMamaClub so we can all connect!