Setting Goals and Learning How to Achieve Them
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Setting Goals and Learning How to Achieve Them

March 8, 2012 Setting goals gives you clear direction. Setting goals can enable you to make wiser decisions. Taking the time to set goals will help you spend your time and money on things that align with your values. Having clearly defined goals isn’t a magic pill, but it is a great motivator. Here are some steps for…

Is Your Ego Making You More Prone To Injury
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Is Your Ego Making You More Prone To Injury

February 13, 2012 In yoga there are many principles for healthy living. One of these is called “Svadhyaya” – which translates to self-reflection or examination. While the New Year is an excellent time to reflect on the past year and look at ways we want to improve our selves, Svadhyaya should be done regularly, even…

Developing a Positive Body Image
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Developing a Positive Body Image

February 22, 2012 In our home, “DIET” is a four letter word. Like many teenagers, I became obsessed about diet and body image, partly fueled by glamorous magazine ads, television and marketing.  As I’ve grown older I’ve gained a better body image, partly due to maturing and developing healthy habits physically and emotionally. Having my…

Social Moms
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Have You Started Your Gratitude Journal?

June 15, 2021 Writing in a gratitude journal is a popular activity highly recommended by many self-help gurus and motivational speakers. The reason they recommend journaling? Simple: it works to create more gratitude and self-growth in your life, to keep you living in appreciation, and to help you reach your goals and dreams. After the…

Using Deep Breaths To Reduce Stress & Anxiety
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Using Deep Breaths To Reduce Stress & Anxiety

December 15, 2011 Time seems to accelerate in November and December each year.  Thoughts turn to buying the perfect holiday gifts, planning parties and hosting out of town guests.  The to-do list becomes endless and this is often where stress begins to escalate. If simplifying your routine and setting realistic goals seems impossible, try this…

Social Moms
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Parenting and the New Year’s Non-Resolution

December 12, 2017 With the turn of the seasons, you’ve probably been inundated with commercials, articles, and conversations about New Year’s resolutions. These make me simultaneously excited and irritated. Visions of a well-toned me strolling a beach in the south of France while fluently conversely with a local have me resolving to go to the…

Social Moms
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Give Your Relationship the Spring Fling Treatment

April 18, 2018 If you’ve been in a relationship for a while, you can probably look back on the early days when your romance felt new and exciting. When we’re falling in love, we tend to be more adventurous and willing to overlook imperfections because having fun is more important than nitpicking. After a while,…

Social Moms
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Finding the Good During These Stressful Times

May 1, 2020 This time is hard for many people isn’t it? We’re told to stay home, we’re suddenly homeschooling, and many of us are dealing with the loss of income. It’s enough to induce massive anxiety and extremely stressful days. Fear, panic, and overwhelm can creep in, as well as doubt, anger, acceptance, and…

Social Moms
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Prep for the Long Winter Ahead: Six Items to Buy NOW for a Better Winter

October 5, 2020 Whether we’re quite ready to accept it or not, many signs indicate that we’re in for a looooong winter. Make the best of an extended hibernation by stocking up on these seven items STAT before suppliers run of stock. (Remember the great trampoline and pool shortage of summer 2020?) Make a plan…

Social Moms
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Staying Busy and Connected When You’re Alone

October 15, 2020 Staying busy and connected when you’re alone is so important, pandemic or not. However, now, more than ever, some people are finding themselves alone more often. And while being alone is not necessarily a bad thing, the feeling of disconnection and loneliness is. Whether you are an empty nester, single mom, recent…

December Doesn’t Have to be Stressful: 7 Tips For a Calmer Holiday Season
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December Doesn’t Have to be Stressful: 7 Tips For a Calmer Holiday Season

December 6, 2016 This month it’s easy for moms to feel overwhelmed and frantic. There’s a fix for that—it’s called awareness. If you’re aware of what triggers your stress, it will help make December stressLESS instead of stressFUL. Here are seven tips to help keep your days calmer, your life easier, and your month focused on family and…

New Year’s Resolutions in Spring: Your 3 Month Assessment
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New Year’s Resolutions in Spring: Your 3 Month Assessment

March 28, 2014 April 1st will be 3 months since many people made their New Year’s resolutions. How are you doing with them? If you’ve fallen a bit off track or worse, never committed to the changes you wanted for the year, it’s not too late to start. Some questions you can ask yourself: What…

Top 12 Benefits for Starting a Gratitude Journal
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Top 12 Benefits for Starting a Gratitude Journal

August 15, 2014 Busy moms rarely find time for themselves nowadays, but did you know taking just 15 minutes a day to relax and rejuvenate can have huge benefits mentally and spiritually? Keeping a gratitude journal is a wonderful way to help us have those few minutes of downtime to quietly reflect on our lives…

End Bullying: Be the Change You Want to See
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End Bullying: Be the Change You Want to See

September 9, 2014 Bullying is a hot topic, especially with the prevalence of cyber-bullying among our youth. It’s something that nearly everyone has to deal with at some point in their life, and bullying affects not only the bullied, but also the bully. Those who are bullied risk depression, low self-esteem, and isolation possibly into adulthood….

5 Meditation Tips to Improve Health During the Holidays
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5 Meditation Tips to Improve Health During the Holidays

November 3, 2014 The holidays can be an especially difficult time since, even in the happiest moments, so much it happening. Whether you are traveling or welcoming guests, attending a gathering or hosting the meal – or simply trying to figure out how everyone is going to get along, you may find yourself feeling overwhelmed….

You Time: Your Quarterly Emotional Audit
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You Time: Your Quarterly Emotional Audit

April 15, 2015 Tax season has just wrapped up and everyone, including the government, has been closely examining their financial assets and deficits which brings to mind an interesting question – when was the last time you took inventory of your emotional health? We are well into 2015 so it’s a great time to perform…

5 Things You Can Do to Slow Down and Relax This Season
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5 Things You Can Do to Slow Down and Relax This Season

December 11, 2015 For many of us December is great fun but it’s also rush, rush, rush! We barely have time to wrap gifts and clean the house, let alone relax right? I think we have to change that. Moms need time for themselves: to pamper, to unwind, basically to just destress and relax. Even…

Six Fun (Shopping-Free!) Activities for Black Friday
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Six Fun (Shopping-Free!) Activities for Black Friday

November 25, 2019 November 29, 2019 marks Black Friday, the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season. Since 2005, it’s also been the busiest shopping day of the year. When Black Friday first became a trend in the early 2000s, retailers often opened at 6:00 AM; by the late 2000s many began opening at 5:00…

Spreading Joy: Our Family’s Goal in the New Year
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Spreading Joy: Our Family’s Goal in the New Year

January 2, 2017 A few weeks ago, my kids and I had a rough day. Out of exhaustion and desperation we ended up in a fast food restaurant drive-through line. It was dinnertime, so the line stretched endlessly. As we waited, I spent the time ignoring the whining from the back seat and calculating the exact…

Moms & Stress: Modeling Stress Management For Your Children
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Moms & Stress: Modeling Stress Management For Your Children

July 6, 2011 In our Moms & Stress series, Lea Curtes-Swenson talks with leading experts on stress management and life balance. She brings you tips, tricks, and advice for understanding your stress and getting it under control—so you can enjoy your time with your kids and teach them to live stress-free too. Parenting can be…

Moms & Stress: Reprogram Your Stress Response
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Moms & Stress: Reprogram Your Stress Response

July 5, 2011 In our Moms & Stress series, Lea Curtes-Swenson talks with leading experts on stress management and life balance. She brings you tips, tricks, and advice for understanding your stress and getting it under control—so you can enjoy your time with your kids and teach them to live stress-free too. We’ve already talked…

Moms & Stress: Tackling Stress by Making Memories
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Moms & Stress: Tackling Stress by Making Memories

July 9, 2011 In our Moms & Stress series, Lea Curtes-Swenson talks with leading experts on stress management and life balance. She brings you tips, tricks, and advice for understanding your stress and getting it under control – so you can enjoy your time with your kids and teach them to live stress-free too. Now…