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Children’s arts and craft supplies can be a tricky thing to organize, because there are so many different types of supplies, they come in a wide range of sizes, you may not want your child to have access to all of them at once, and they can be messy or fragile (think glitter and tissue paper). What’s a mama to do? Here are some of my best organizing tips for art supplies:

1. Find one spot in the house to keep them, preferably near where your children use them. A pantry or closet with varying levels is great, because you can store the supplies that your child is allowed to access any time on a shelf at their eye level. Meanwhile, you can store the supplies they can use only with adult supervision on a high shelf out of their reach, but still within the same closet or pantry.

2. My son loves storing his markers, crayons, pencils, scissors and glue stick in a compartmentalized carrying case from Storables. (10” x 13” Infinite Divider Box, $12.95) The dividers in the case are movable, so he can make a big section for colored pencils and a small section for his glue stick. Best of all, he can easily take all his supplies with him on vacation or just carry them from room to room.

3. Consider getting another carrying case to organize buttons, pom poms, pipe cleaners, craft sticks and other craft supplies.

4. I like to store colored paper upright in magazine file boxes, so children can instantly see all of the colors available and grab the sheet they want without lifting 30 sheets off the top.

5. You might like to use a translucent accordion folder with multiple pockets to hold stickers, stencils, fabric scraps and other flat items for craft projects.

6. All of the craft items I don’t want him to use without my supervision (e.g. white glue, glitter, paint) are stored in a plastic tub.

Once you have a place for all of the art supplies, be sure to leave enough time to clean up after the art project is finished. With these steps, you will find that art and craft time can be more fun for the kids and a lot less hassle for you!

 MaryJo Monroe is a professional organizer with her business reSPACEd and mama to her son Nathan, age 7. She also serves on the board of directors for the Oregon chapter of NAPO (National Association of Professional Organizers) and blogs extensively at respacedpdx.com/blog. 

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For some of us moms, organization gets a bad rap. We think being organized means being rigid and inflexible, barking at our kids for making kid-size messes and constantly cleaning to maintain a perfect house. The truth is getting organized does not have to mean embracing perfectionism. Far from it! Here are 3 common myths about organization:

Myth 1: Organized people live in perfect houses. 

Truth: Wow, I wish you could see the dirty dishes heaped in my kitchen sink right now and the pile of laundry waiting to be put away! Organized homes get messy on a daily basis too, especially when there are kids at home. But in an organized home, the mess is easy to clean up because everyone knows where everything goes.

Myth 2: Being organized means constantly doing housework to keep the space pristine.

Truth: Actually, the more organized you are, the less housework you have to do because you don’t own as many things to clean and put away. You do less laundry because everyone owns fewer clothes. You can clean up the playroom in 10 minutes, because there aren’t mountains of toys. You can also clean up the bathroom in about 10 minutes, because there aren’t 30 bottles of product sitting on the counter that have to be cleaned around, sorted and put away. I hate housework, so I manage to do only about an hour of it a day (no, you can’t completely escape it!)

Myth 3: Being organized means you are always nagging at your kids to put their stuff away, because you have no tolerance for little kid messes.

Truth:  Being organized means you can tolerate the mess because you know it will be a snap to clean up. This is because when you are organized, items such as art and craft supplies are all stored together in easily accessible locations so putting it all away takes mere minutes. Furthermore, when older kids are taught organization skills, they can put their stuff away themselves in just minutes, so you don’t have to lift a finger!

Bottomline: Being organized means having the time and space to do what we want to do in our own homes. It means less time spent on boring, annoying tasks like housework and searching for lost items, and more free time for us. It never involves perfectionism, only a willingness to be liberated from the stranglehold having too much stuff can place on us. Are you ready to embrace a more organized lifestyle?

MaryJo Monroe is a professional organizer with her business reSPACEd and mama to her son Nathan, age 7. She also serves on the board of directors for the Oregon chapter of NAPO (National Association of Professional Organizers) and blogs extensively at respacedpdx.com/blog. 

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Diastasis Recti is the separation of the right and left halves of the rectus abdominis muscle. The rectus abdominis is often referred to as the “six pack” muscle and runs from the sternum to the pubic bone. Its separation is a common result of pregnancy, especially for women expecting multiples. Studies suggest that other risk factors include age, weight gain (more than 35 lbs), high parity, high birth weight of baby/babies, spinal alignment, and low physical activity before, during, and post pregnancy. Diastasis occurs during pregnancy not only because of the stretching of the abdominal wall, but also because hormones released by the body encourage muscles to relax and stretch in order to accommodate the extra mass present in the abdominal cavity.

A small gap (less than two fingers’ width) between the halves of the rectus abdominis is normal and will usually repair itself within three months of giving birth (youtube videos offer a quick tutorial on how to self-check for a diastasis). Deep core work is recommended to both prevent and repair a diastasis, although it is not recommended to engage in any physical exercise until consulting your physician.

Stott Pilates is one of the most successful methods of learning how to effectively engage and use the deep core. I suggest investing in at least a few private or semi-private classes before taking group classes for two reasons: First, and most importantly, many abdominal exercises (Pilates or others) can actually aggravate a diastasis because of the type of abdominal contraction they require (which pulls the two halves of the rectus abdominis further apart). Secondly, although engaging and using the deep core might seem as if it should be instinctive, unfortunately it is not. Learning how to recruit and use the deep core is easily taught but requires a degree of physical contact and personal attention that fitness videos and group classes cannot deliver.

How to Engage the Deep Core

The deep core of the abdomen is composed of two muscles: 1) the deepest layer of the abdominal wall, a muscle called the transversus abdominis (which constricts the abdomen like a girdle and can help draw the two halves of the rectus abdominis back together), and 2) the deep pelvic floor (which is actually a group of muscles that form the “floor” of the pelvis). Successful activation of these muscles during an exercise is intimately connected to breathing, something the Stott method emphasizes in what is called the “three-dimensional breath.”

To practice breathing in a three-dimensional way, inhale deeply, drawing the air into back and sides of your rib cage. If you are doing this correctly, you will feel your rib cage expand as you inhale, while your belly stays flat. If you are not breathing into your rib cage correctly, you will either feel your shoulders rise towards your ears or your belly puff out. Belly breathing is problematic because it stretches the abdominal muscles and makes it difficult to effectively engage the core, while “shoulder” breathing can cause tension in the upper body. To exhale, purse your lips as if to extinguish out a birthday candle and blow gently. The act of forcing your breath through the aperture formed by your lips encourages a very light engagement of the deep core.

To fully engage your deep core, lie on your back with your knees bent and feet in line with your sit bones. Inhale three-dimensionally to prepare, and on your exhale engage your deep abdominal muscles as though you were trying to stop the flow of urine midstream. Practicing this very simple exercise is one of the most important things you will be able to do for diastasis before, during, and after your pregnancy. It is not recommended that you practice any other exercises without learning the basics of posture, spinal movement, and abdominal engagement from a trained exercise professional as doing the wrong exercises (or the right exercises incorrectly) can exacerbate a diastasis.

My name is Emily McGrath and I am a trained Stott Pilates instructor. I teach private, semi-private, and small group Pilates lessons to mothers. My lessons take place at the client’s house, and I bring all the equipment. Semi-private and small group lessons are formed by friends or acquaintances, and take place at one members’ home. Children are always welcome, so there is no need to provide childcare during a session. My workouts are tailored to any fitness level and body type, and focus on strengthening the core, restoring spinal alignment, and rebalancing joints. If you are interested in taking Pilates lessons with me or have any questions, please feel free to email me at emily@pilatebody.com or check out my website at www.pilatebody.com.

Emily McGrath,

Pilates Instructor

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Healthy Snack Suggestions

by Megan Roosevelt, RD, LD

Healthy Grocery Girl

http://www.healthygrocerygirl.com

A favorite service that I offer through my business, Healthy Grocery Girl, is a “Healthy Kitchen Makeover.” I go to families homes and help them makeover their eating environment so that it truly is a place of health. After the makeover, no matter what the children or parents reach for, it is a healthy choice. Many people say to me, “I know what healthy is, I just have a hard time following it.” During Healthy Kitchen Makeovers it is often revealed that what we think to be healthy, often is not, and marketing does a pretty fantastic job at confusing us. So it’s my pleasure and delight to truly help families understand what healthy really means, which foods to feed children that are both healthy and delicious, and how to get picky eaters to eat vegetables. Below are three of my favorite and convenient healthy snack suggestions.

Justin’s Nut Butter Packets

Have you ever been in the car and suddenly everyone is hungry? You have two options – you eat the healthy snacks you brought along (if you remembered), which somehow ends up on the floor of the car more than in your passengers’ stomachs, or you take a trip to the drive-thru.

Instead, I suggest creating a bag that stays in the car at all times that you can fill once a month (or however frequently you need to) with non-perishable snacks. That way you always have healthy snacks in the car, and you don’t have to think about it every time you go somewhere.

One of my favorite travel snacks is Justin’s Nut Butter individual packets. They are perfect for adults and kids. You can easily spread the nut butter on fruit, or just it eat straight from the packet. They contain no artificial ingredients, additives or preservatives.

goodnessknows snack squares

Perhaps you’re looking for a snack bar with no artificial ingredients, that doesn’t taste like cardboard, and you can feel good about giving your children and yourself? Search no more…I share with you goodnessknows snack squares. Each bar contains 4 mini squares, so it’s perfect to share with your children or enjoy all on your own. They contain toasted rolled oats, tangy fruits, crunchy nuts, and a layer of deep chocolate and come in a variety of flavors such as Very Cranberry.

Green Goodness Smoothie with Healthy Grocery Girl’s Greens Powder

Do you have picky eaters? Are you a picky eater? Getting the greens we need to thrive and feel our best can be difficult. Either no one wants to eat them, or they go bad before we can eat them. I recommend making a green smoothie for your kids and yourself to sneak in veggies. Some people just throw in a leaf of kale or perhaps a handful of spinach to their smoothie, which is absolutely fantastic. But what is even more fantastic is Healthy Grocery Girl Greens Powder. One tablespoon contains four servings of organic green vegetables such as kale, broccoli, spinach, and spirulina, to name a few. For a little one, I suggest starting with half a tablespoon of Healthy Grocery Girl Greens Powder, then mix with fruit such as blueberries and banana, then blend with almond milk and ice. You can’t taste the greens, yet they’ve been consumed. Victory!

For more information on nutrition and healthy eating please visit Megan’s website: http://www.healthygrocerygirl.com

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I hear a subtle rumble of concern amongst parents. As we enter the winter months, parents begin to see forces aligning against one of their key interests:  making sure their children get an ample amount of physical activity (read: wear themselves out for nap).  The most common suggestion I get from parents of the kids who participate in my youth soccer program, Soccer Shots, is to find more indoor spaces for winter.  We understand the concern parents feel about the wet, rainy weather, but we also disagree.  While it may be a little less enjoyable to be outside in the cold, I believe it is important for children to continue to play outside, even when it’s cold.   We know kids’ energy levels and their need for a healthy fitness habit does not decrease as the weather worsens.  The question becomes, how does one help their child embrace a habit of fitness during the months when the weather gods give us their worst?

I think we need to start deep and set the tone early.  We teach our kids that we don’t let the weather decide what we are and aren’t going to do.  Whether or not we brave the weather ourselves, we should always encourage our kids to play outside, as long as they are dressed appropriately.  The Department of Education says, “Children benefit from vigorous exercise and should be given the opportunity to play outside whenever possible.  Unless it’s snowing or there is ice on the playground, low temperatures should not be a barrier to outside play…”  At Soccer Shots, we agree with that.  We play outside unless it is below 40 degrees and raining steadily.  While it is true that sometimes classes are muddy and there are kids who do not appreciate the mud as much as some others, we still always have fun and we strongly believe the kids are healthier for the time they spend with us.  We have found some helpful tips as far as encouraging kids to have fun, even when the weather would drive many of us indoors.

1. Be positive.  When the weather is bad, I find that if our coaches have a positive attitude, the kids will too.  It is common for my coaches to say something like, “Oh it’s raining!  That’s my favorite time to play soccer!”  If a child falls down and gets dirty, a coach can easily make it fun by saying “High five for being muddy!”

2. Bring a towel.  There are some kids who just do not like being muddy.   A towel can be the difference between being able to enjoy the slide and swing at the park or not. 

3. Dress your children appropriately.  Wearing the right clothes makes all the difference for winter play. We ask our parents to please remember appropriate clothing on Soccer Shots days.  That means a very warm coat, hats, gloves, even rain pants if you have them.  It is better for a child to have the option to remove a few items of clothing if they are too warm than to be freezing on the field.

4. Dress yourself appropriately.  If you bundle your child up but skimp on your own clothing, you will be wanting to run for the indoors in a matter of minutes.

5. Make sure you’re having fun, too.  Kids mimic us and our attitudes.  If you are huddled in the corner, obviously miserable, your child will notice.

6. Have a warm up ritual.  Once you get home from your outdoor adventure, do something your child enjoys to warm up.  Maybe it’s a long hot bath.  Maybe a cup of hot cocoa, snuggling on the couch under a blanket, and half an hour of tv time.  Whatever it is, if your child knows this special time is waiting after outdoor time, they will look forward to both playing outside and coming home.

I hope these tips will help you as you adventure outdoors during Oregon’s rainy winter months.  If you are looking for more activities this winter, think about joining Soccer Shots for a class.  We’ll be out there all winter, all over town, having fun and learning skills.  For a full list of our classes, visit us online at www.soccershots.org/pdx.

Joel Newman, Director & Coach, Soccer Shots of Portland

Joel Newman coaches and runs Soccer Shots of Portland, a fun, noncompetitive soccer program for kids ages 2-8.  After 8 years working as a consultant for the Australian government, Joel realized he wanted a life out of the office and on the field, so he relocated to Portland and started Soccer Shots.  Joel holds a BA in Religious Studies and an MBA from OSU.

FYI…

This Spring, Soccer Shots introduces Parent and Me Classes

Soccer Shots is launching “mini” classes for the youngest players
beginning at age 2. Through fun games, songs, and positive reinforcement, children
will begin to experience the joy of playing soccer and being active.

As the uncle of FHM triplets, Joel is happy to offer FHM sibling discounts:

Second child enrolled = $15 discount
Third child enrolled = $30 discount
Fourth child enrolled = $45 discount.

To view and register for classes, visit http://www.soccershots.org/pdx/ or for more
information, email joel@soccershots.org.

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 (My apologies to Lori, as this was due to go up at the beginning of the month.  Still good tips to follow as we head into the thick of it.)

Tips for Staying Heathy this Holiday Season:

The season of holiday parties and gathering is underway!  There’s candy at the office, more lunches and dinners out, more traveling, vacations, and of course, more stress than normal.

Ok. So let’s go over a few strategies that will help you get through this tempting time.

1. Seek Support! Through your family, Health Coach and support calls

2. Maintain your health program as closely as you can

3. Ask for sparkling water and lime instead of beer and wine

4. If there is a special holiday food that you will feel deprived of if you don’t have…then take one or two bites – just a taste and you will be surprised how satisfying it is.

5. Eat more of the salads and green veggies at a dinner party and make the meat a “side dish”

6. Don’t serve family meals family-style. Keep pots and dishes away from the table where it’s all too easy to go for seconds!

7. Learn to “eyeball” the proper serving size that is right for you and stick to them when dining out or dishing up meals. Remember the 9” plate – ½ your plate should be vegetables/fruit (about the size of a small paperback book); ¼ should be your protein selection (about the size of a deck of cards) and ¼ should be your starch (about the size of a tennis ball)

8. Eat healthy fast foods!

9. Physical activity is a good way to burn calories and it makes you feel great before going to a party, and remember to drink a shake on your way out the door!

10. Be extra careful while food shopping.  Walk in with a list, get what you need, and leave.

11. Have Fun!!!!  Become great at mingling.  Become the life of the party!!

 
In Health,

Lori Kenton
Certified Health Coach
www.startnow.tsfl.com
971.235.6390

 For more information on how I can assist you to better health please fill out a Client Profile!
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