Two ingrediants, two days, Mommy hack to summer rash cure!

So my daughter was experiencing a terrible rash on the back of her neck to which we discovered was a heat rash,also known as miliaria, so I did some research and came up with a remedy that not only cooled, and calmed her down enough at night to get her to sleep peacefully, but also got rid of her heat rash completely in 4 days.

I decided to do a corn starch and Aloe Vera mixture that I could apply heavily to her skin every afternoon when she come home from school, and night after her bath. I would say that you can apply it during the morning as well but it looks really weird when it dries, and it kind of gets on everything.

So I used ½ cup corn starch and ½ cup Aloe Vera. (I used the Aloe Vera that had no dies or perfumes added because they are always really sticky and would counter effective to the cleaning out of her pours.)

Then I mixed (in w whisking fashion) these two ingredients together with a small fork until nothing was separate anymore, and it simply looked like a white lotion.

I applied it every afternoon when she got home and every night after her shower before bed. I saw results by day 2 and by day 4 the rash was completely gone. 

For other tips and tricks to staying healthy check out the blog entries at www.beyoutfit.com

Natural Squirrel Repelant

So as some of you know I have had a squirrel climbing into my house now for few days and it is not to pleasant to have a crying squirrel stuck behind your walls, nor is it fun to wake up to the nonstop scratching of them trying to get in or out of your house through the worlds smallest space. So after being woken up too many times by this little guy I decided to do something about it. Ok so quick back ground before I tell you what I did is that as child my father loved birds and so we had bird feeders everywhere, and all the little birdies came to eat and build nests in our trees. Little did we know that squirrels happen to like the same food as birds and squirrels are bigger, and scarier than the birds. It wasn’t long before all of the birds were gone and there were only squirrels. We stopped putting out food, but by that time the squirrels had already settled in and were trying anything and everything to find some food, they starting eating my dogs food and would have no fear of us trying to chase them away. My parents bright idea was to then catch the squirrels in traps and then drown them in a big trash can of water.  This actually worked for them, and about 2 summers later we were squirrel free, but my father never put the bird seed back out again.

Because of this though I was determined to get rid of this squirrel in a more humane way. I found out that squirrels hate hot peppers. All of the homemade repellants though only included cayenne peppers, which for some reason I could not find in actually pepper form, anywhere! So I decided to try out some recipes and see what worked for me and my squirrel.

 

1 Green Pepper (you want a male pepper, because they are more acidic and do not have the sweetness of the female pepper. To tell the difference look for the pepper with 3 bumps at the bottom instead of 4.)

2 cups red wine vinegar

3 cups water

5 Jalapeno Peppers

1 juicer                         

 

Chop the tops off all the peppers and cut them down to manageable sizes that you can put in your juicer. Then juice. (be careful when you are juicing the Jalapenos that you do them slowly and do not breath in deeply. Some of the juice is going to come out the top and it may choke you up a bit. Save the reins.)

Pour the juiced peppers into a container, then add the 2 cups of vinegar,

and top off the rest with water.

Leave this container out uncovered at room temperature for about 2 days, and then transfer to an empty squirt bottle. (When you squirt this make sure that you are up wind, or that you are not in an enclosed space. The juice is strong and you do not want to inhale it if you can avoid it.)

***The reins can be used to make a super-hot salsa, or add them to a chicken rub to make it extra spicy!!!***

I have a garden as well and some cats that like to run around my neighborhood. This mixture should keep away a multitude of animals, and although it is spicy it is 100% consumable and non lethal to any animals. 

Are you a victim of Cyber Slacking?

Companies have been cracking down about what they are calling cyber slacking. Employees are spending less and less time actually working, and more and more time watching videos, checking emails, or hanging out on social media. Companies are starting to discuss calculating how many hours are actually spent working vs how much are spent cyber slacking and then only pay the employees for time they spent working. From an Employers standpoint that sounds fair, but not so much from the employees right. Well for those of you who have started to fall into a cycle of cyber slacking, or slacking in general, I have put together some tips on how to help improve your ability to avoid distractions, and not just the electronic ones.

I am very prone to allowing distractions to consume my time. I have to constantly focus and refocus myself in order to stay concentrated long enough to finish the tasks that I am asked to complete. I make lists, find non distracting places and focus for certain amounts of preestablished time in order to get the most work done in the most efficient way. These distractions come to me for work, school, basic day to day obligations, just about everything, and having a phone does not help. There are many times that I turn my phone on silent and put it away in order to get a few hours of work done, however in my experience I always miss the super important phone call that won’t answer when I call back (right now it’s my tax accountant, who seems to call me everyday during my studying time and leaves his office 20 minutes after calling.) When it comes to relationships though i stay on task very well. Not only do I mean this for an intimate relationship where I am not distracted by the urge to cheat but I mean in it in relation to any and all relationships in my life, where as I become consumed in doing for others most of the time, and so I become so focused on doing the task for someone else that it often has the opposite effect. instead of become distracted with other things in my life I become devoted to doing the one thing that can help that person. So for me personally this is a challenge because most of my distractions are internal. My brain never stops working, I actually over think most things. I also have terrible anxiety which causes me to run through list after list of things that need to get done or didn’t get done, or need to be redone, which is a huge distraction as well. Here is how I cope with distractions.

1. Write Lists: Not only will this help you to stay organized, and prompt, but for those of you have suffer from anxiety , or just have a huge workload the list serves a physical representation of the weight you no longer need to carry, you can see the things you’ve crossed off, the things you’ve accomplished. You can now see what is left to do, so you do not need to worry about forgetting about it, or over-looking it.
2. Turn it OFF: Radio, Phone, TV, Social Media. I know it’s hard, when you are sitting down at the computer to do homework and you are on the internet, not to go on facebook, or YouTube, but think back to the last time you were on youtube, you probably started off watching a relevant video and ended up watching grandmothers losing their dentures, and the worst part is you can remember how  this escalated. Point is that if you turn off the music, and the tv, and the phone you have already eliminated distractions such as my jam coming on, your BFF texting you about her BF LOL, the hilarious talking baby commercial, and many others.
3. Location: Yes your location matters;location and time. Do you have an office? A daycare/sitter? A library pass? A student ID? USE THEM!!! If you are trying to get work done and you are sitting in the kitchen with a toddler running around then chances are you won’t get much done. However if you chose to work when your children and/or loved ones are out then no one has to play 20 questions with you. Sometimes just being alone isn’t right, try going to the public library, the wifi is free, and you are completely alone there and able to work in private. If the library works use it if not trying creating an office setting in your house, or if you are in school using the school campus resources (library, computer lab, tutoring labs). I love suggesting that people go outdoors to concentrate, and this method works for many, unfortunately for me I get distracted in wanting to hear and see the birds chirp or feel the wind more closely and then being outdoors becomes a distraction for me.
4. Posture: I know this sounds silly, but yes sitting correctly can help. So, when you are laying in bed or sitting in bed doing homework your body is already relaxed and material that does not grab and hold your attention will set you off to sleep. So sit in a chair, and use a desk or table. When you use a desk or a table you back is in a better alignment then if you are slouched over on your bed or on your lap. Your wrists are also in better alignment this way. This might not seem like a big thing, but being comfortable is. If your back or neck or wrists start to hurt, not only are you causing long term damage(carpel tunnel, etc...) but your brain triggers your body to want to move and find a different position or walk around which then causes you to take a break and lose your train of thought.

Graduating Class of 2015... need help concentrating and staying focused during your future studies ...?

I am very prone to allowing distractions to consume my time. I have to constantly focus and refocus myself in order to stay concentrated long enough to finish the tasks that I am asked to complete. I make lists, find undistracting places and focus for certain amounts of pre established time in order to get the most work done in the most efficient way. These distractions come to me for work, school, basic day to day obligations, just about everything, and having a phone does not help. There are many times that I turn my phone on silent and put it away in order to get a few hours of work done, however in my experience I always miss the super important phone call that won’t answer when I call back (right now it’s my tax accountant, who seems to call me everyday during my studying time and leaves his office 20 minutes after calling.) When it comes to relationships though i stay on task very well. Not only do I mean this for an intimate relationship where I am not distracted by the urge to cheat but I mean in it in relation to any and all relationships in my life, where as I become consumed in doing for others most of the time, and so I become so focused on doing the task for someone else that it often has the opposite effect. instead of become distracted with other things in my life I become devoted to doing the one thing that can help that person. So for me personally this is a challenge because most of my distractions are internal. My brain never stops working, I actually overthink most things. I also have terrible anxiety which causes me to run through list after list of things that need to get done or didn’t get done, or need to be redone, which is a huge distraction as well. Here is how I cope with distractions.

1. Write Lists: Not only will this help you to stay organized, and prompt, but for those of you have suffer from anxiety , or just have a huge workload the list serves a physical representation of the weight you no longer need to carry, you can see the things you’ve crossed off, the things you’ve accomplished. You can now see what is left to do, so you do not need to worry about forgetting about it, or over-looking it.
2. Turn it OFF: Radio, Phone, TV, Social Media. I know it’s hard, when you are sitting down at the computer to do homework and you are on the internet, not to go on facebook, or YouTube, but think back to the last time you were on youtube, you probably started off watching a relevant video and ended up watching grandmothers losing their dentures, and the worst part is you can remember how  this escalated. Point is that if you turn off the music, and the tv, and the phone you have already eliminated distractions such as my jam coming on, your BFF texting you about her BF LOL, the hilarious talking baby commercial, and many others.
3. Location: Yes your location matters;location and time. Do you have an office? A daycare/sitter? A library pass? A student ID? USE THEM!!! If you are trying to get work done and you are sitting in the kitchen with a toddler running around then chances are you won’t get much done. However if you chose to work when your children and/or loved ones are out then no one has to play 20 questions with you. Sometimes just being alone isn’t right, try going to the public library, the wifi is free, and you are completely alone there and able to work in private. If the library works use it if not trying creating an office setting in your house, or if you are in school using the school campus resources (library, computer lab, tutoring labs). I love suggesting that people go outdoors to concentrate, and this method works for many, unfortunately for me I get distracted in wanting to hear and see the birds chirp or feel the wind more closely and then being outdoors becomes a distraction for me.
4. Posture: I know this sounds silly, but yes sitting correctly can help. So, when you are laying in bed or sitting in bed doing homework your body is already relaxed and material that does not grab and hold your attention will set you off to sleep. So sit in a chair, and use a desk or table. When you use a desk or a table you back is in a better alignment then if you are slouched over on your bed or on your lap. Your wrists are also in better alignment this way. This might not seem like a big thing, but being comfortable is. If your back or neck or wrists start to hurt, not only are you causing long term damage(carpel tunnel, etc...) but your brain triggers your body to want to move and find a different position or walk around which then causes you to take a break and lose your train of thought.

Benefits of Gardening

There are so many benefits to gardening the most important being that it teaches you how to grow your own food and provide for yourself and your family. In most societies though we have super markets that can provide you with food so gardening is often overlooked, especially with the busy lives that we lead and the thought that there is not enough time in the day. Other than the obvious benefit though of having fresh foods in your own backyard, there are many others. My daughters school has incorporated gardening into their curriculum and I couldn't be happier!

1. Sensual Eating 
Something that people tend to misconstrue in America is that idea that sexual is the same as sensual, and it is not. When I say sensual eaten I am referring to feeling your food, and touching your food. if you are shoveling food into your mouth, you do not have a chance to fully appreciate it and then your mouth then feels the need to eat something else in order to satisfy the body's needs. Tasting your food and slowing down your eating process is one way to help with this, but gardening is a great way to experience your food as well. By touching your food, your body is getting the sensual needs of eating met.

2. Guaranteed Fresh and Real

Seriously your body gets enough fake energy from about 80% of the foods you eat. This fake energy and fake food trick your body into thinking it eating something, but you body soon realizes that you did not consume any real nutrition, and it tells you to eat again. Ever eat and less than an hour later you are starving again? Chances are  you ate some type of refined food that was loaded with sugars and salts that did nothing for your body. When you grow your own food, you are guaranteed that it is real because it comes from the ground. It grew from nature and your help. Best part is that you can pick it and eat it right then. That's as Fresh as Fresh can get!

3. Accomplishment
In the army You are told to make your bed everyday, and the reason for that is not only to instill discipline but so that no matter what happens that day you know you accomplished one thing at least. I heard an army friend of mine say that once and it stuck with me. So applying this to everyday life: even if your boss tells you that you are doing everything wrong and your kids tell you you are a horrible parent, you know that you did at least one thing right, you mdd your bed. A garden can do the same thing. Although you may think that you do not have enough time to grow a garden, let me tell you that as a mother, college student, and business owner I have time. It really does not take as long as you think. Start small with a few pots (<$10.00 each) or one bed. Follow the directions on the back of your seed packets ($.80) and start your garden. You will see that within a few weeks you will have something sprouting and growing. Then you can show off your gardening abilities to friends and family as they come over and even learn a few recipes that go along with the foods your grown to show off your skills even more. These things give you a sense of accomplishment and will hopefully encourage you to try more plant next year.


4. Get Outside

Whether you need a tan, a break from work, or are just itching from some fresh air, being outside is one of the best things you can do for your body. Sunlight helps to wake up in the morning by triggering enzymes in your body to wake up, as well as releasing endorphins to help make you feel happy and rejuvenated. Why not couple this with gardening? Gardening is a way to get in touch with the ground, the earth, and nature around you. Plus it gives you a great reason to be outside for a minute that does not make it look like you are trying to avoid your kids. Haha! Seeing you outside will inspire your friends, family and neighbors to get out too.


5. Inspire
From your new cuisine, to your flower covered walk way, your vegetable garden back yard and your fruit tree accent, you will have inspired others to want to be able to grow their own food and eat healthy like you. They will taste you food, see your garden and feel your energy and passion. Your kids will grow up outdoors in the garden rather that inside in front of a computer. Being able to inspire people to do the right thing is a great feeling especially when you can really show them how. I know. As a personal trainer, yoga instructor,and overall wellness coach, I try my best to inspire people to do right by their body everyday. I do this by teaching them about themselves and showing them the path to better themselves.

Earth Day 5 tips for saving the earth

When people think of earth day, they automatically go into the one day of the year that everyone should do something good for the planet, but this is not the case. Earth day is something you should celebrate everyday, and everywhere. Something that bothers me is when people say that because you live in a city that there are no trees, or flowers. On top of that I really don't like when people who have never been to Wilmington (my city) say that it is so dirty and that there is no beauty here. There most certainly is. This picture was taken 3 days ago as I was driving to the highway. I love these arches, simply beautiful!!! Take some time everyday to appreciate the planet you live on and take care of it each and everyday. It provides you light, energy, food, water, oxygen, and life in general. We should all be thankful! BUT HOW???

1. Going green does not have to be as radical as you think. As a personal trainer,I have realized that changes that last are made slowly over time and actually mean something to you, so find something that interests you and slowly start to make a change. For me nutrition is a big thing, so I like to think of growing food. I have always had a garden, but since moving to the city, I have no back yard, so I am super excited to move back to the suburbs so that I can replant one. Since not have a garden I have also taken to learning about foraging as well, and learning about wild foods. This has been my change within the past year, but the most important thing is to find something that is important to you and doing something that is meaningful.



2. Use Less Water! My best suggestion for this one is partner showers. these are not always the most convenient, because trying to shave your legs while someone else is walking around the shower with their eyes closed is a sure way to slice open your leg. But especially in the summer time when you just need a quick wash and rinse, this is the greatest way to help save some water plus it can help set the mood for the night or get you an early morning cardio session.

3. Buy Local! Not only will local businesses be more likely to have natural and organic products, but it can help boost the local economy and help your community while helping the earth. The food is more expensive at times, but farm eggs, don't need to be refrigerated, and small farms don't use as many pesticides as industrial farms. Plus if you have any questions normally the person running the cart, stand or market can tell you about each individual products birth, life, and now sale to you, from the methods to help it grow, to the food it was planted next to, and even how you can use it, and preserve it best. This is also a great way to aquatint yourself to a new area and make some new friends.

4. RECYCLE! I do not mean just plastic water bottles and old news papers, although these are super important to recycle, weather you are reusing them or sending them out for a company to reuse. here are some tips for you to reuse recyclables:
~newspaper: wrap children's gifts; use as a table cover for painting, tie-dyeing, egg coloring, and a number of other messy activities
~paper: scrap paper (writing lists or silly art from your kids)
~water bottles: I store my salad dressing in here, refill with water, cut in half (top 1/2 is a funnel, bottom 1/2 is a great place to plant and keep early seedlings)

5. Get outdoors. the more time you spend outside, the more you will find a connection with the outdoors and our earth. If you spend time outside you will pick up outdoor activities, such as foraging, gardening, birdwatching, kayaking, etc... When you spend time outside then you want the outdoors too look nice just as you would want your home (and maybe you will see that the earth itself is your home, not just your house) to look nice, and you may even find yourself picking up trash. I started with just gardening, then kayaking and hiking, and then outdoor yoga, then foraging, and now you literally cannot keep me inside. I want to be out in the sun all the time, bare feet in the dirt.

Mommy Life... (The Real Teen Mom)

I have had many people ask me about my mom life. Yes I became a parent at 18. Yes I became a single parent at 19.  ... In all honesty though I do not think that this matters at all. Why would anyone assume that it is harder to be a parent depending on your age. "your not stable in life" oh yea, that's right I forgot that as soon as you turn 30 its like everything magically comes together, the greatest paying job the house, new car, and little picket fence house with a dog, and your dream partner. They all just appear on your thirtieth birthday and tell you go forth now and bear children, right? I know pliantly of families, and single parents that had children when they "weren't ready" and they figured it out same as I did. So Savannah was born 2010 and was premature, like way premie. We are talking 26 weeks premie, and I was deviated when I was told that she had to stay in the hospital and hat I could stay with her. I did not have a car at the time and so I had to ask people for a ride to go see her every night. Because she was being fed through a tube, I couldn't nurse her, and the only thing I could do was pump, and bring her bottles every night to fill her feeding tube with for the next day. It was a painful time in my life. December 23rd She came home from the hospital and she was my christmas present that year. Shortly after her coming home, her father and I split and so began our now 4 year custody battle.
For a while it was just Savannah and I. I was going to school to be a nurse and working evenings at the local YMCA until Savannah turned 1. Right around then is when her father decided he wanted back in and so after a few visits, he ran off with her, and I did not see her again for a
                  very
                          long
                                  time.


Two maternal and 1 paternal custody filings, one huge fight, and a couple thousand drinks later, a year goes by and my mother decides to help me out... oh yea she saw my daughter during this time, and told me I was too young and irresponsible to have had a child, so I didn't deserve her.   ... harsh words from mommy

So after I was able to get her
back, we finally went before a judge who granted me custody. I moved to my dads to help get away from any drama and tries to start my life over, but as a full time bartender, I had night shifts and never had a chance to spend time with Savannah who was normally up when I was sleeping. Back to the drawing board I went.  After some time and self evaluations and inner findings I decided that bar tending just was not for me and that I would try a new path. I had found yoga and had always been into fitness so why not make a career out of that? plus Savannah was really getting a kick out of it. She has gotten really good at it and has started attending her own classes along with her dance and swimming. I am just so glad that I was able to find something that we both like and can connect with and bond with, because I don't know many parents who have this connection with their kids.

So...
Am I upset that I found myself though my child? No
Am I upset that I am not over worked in a job I hate that looks good to society? No
Am I ashamed of being a young mother? No
Am I ashamed of being a single mother? No

The only problem Ive had with being a young single mother is that no one believed I could do it.