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I know it’s hard for us moms to consistently find me-time. Sure, we can occasionally make time for ourselves and take a little break, but let’s be honest, very few moms do this on a weekly basis. Right? Something more achievable, though, is to periodically squeeze in a mini-break. Let me share how I’ve been able to add me-time and hopefully inspire you to take a break for yourself!

Early on in the year I scheduled a recurring weekly block on my calendar for just me. I don’t always get to take my weekly break, but I’ve managed to do so every now and again. My weekly break is used for whatever I choose – anything from a long shower to properly wash and condition my hair to taking time to watch a recorded show. The great thing is that your breaks don’t have to be long or complicated. If you can even find 20 minutes, it can be a great thing! Here are some ideas for how you can enjoy a quick break from your routine, plus my own me-time kit I put together.

5 Ideas for a Quick Me-Time Break

1. Pamper yourself with a mini-facial using a homemade face scrub or a store-bought mask.
2. Enjoy a little treat, like the new KIT KAT Minis available at Walmart starting this weekend. I’m a huge fan of chocolate, so the samples I received from Hershey’s were definitely included in my me-time kit.
3. Listen to your favorite songs – you can create a break time playlist or make a CD for an on-the-go quick break in the car.
4. Read a magazine or part of a book. You can keep the most current issue of your favorite magazine or a book you’re currently reading in the car or in a special corner of your home for easy access when you take your break.
5. Enjoy a relaxing drink of tea, coffee, or your favorite beverage.

In building my own me-time kit, I headed to Walmart and treated myself to some tea and a new facial mask to go along with the KIT KAT Minis sent to me. Walmart also has books, magazines, CDs, and many other items you can add to your own me-time kit – just think of some of your favorite activities you can quickly enjoy to quiet your mind a little from the everyday hustle and bustle.

What would you add to your personal me-time kit?

Disclosure: As a participant in the Walmart Moms Program, I received samples and compensation for my time and efforts in creating this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

All photos © Melanie Edwards/modernmami™

Family has always been an important aspect of my life. Growing up, we were always surrounded by family. From the immediate family in our household, to extended family living nearby, to even family that lived afar but that kept in touch – family was and continues to be a central theme in my life. With a family of my own, the value of family is something I want to hold on to and pass on to my children as well.

We try to show the importance of family to our children and encourage the idea of family togetherness. We may not always be out and about doing activities, but as we tell our oldest daughter, “at least we’re together and having fun as a family.” To us, that’s the important thing – being together, looking out for each other, supporting each other – all of that helps create a loving environment for our children.

This is why I’m happy to share with you that I’ve teamed up with Together Counts as an ambassador for the year. The Together Counts program aims to inspire active and healthy living for families. As stated on their site, they “encourage families to eat meals around a table,” something we definitely enjoy in our home! We eat together as much as we can, and thankfully, we’re able to accomplish family meals almost every night.

As part of the Together Counts ambassador program, I’ll be sharing articles on the Together Counts blog starting in May, surrounding family meals, traditions, and being a good model for our children. I’m excited to share more as the months come, and read articles from fellow ambassadors who no doubt will have some great ideas about working together as families for a well-balanced life. In addition to their blog, where you can read my thoughts, you can also follow along with Together Counts on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

How does your family work together to encourage a well-balanced life?

Disclosure: As a Together Counts ambassador, I will receive compensation for my work with them this year.

Photo source: Simon Blackley/Flickr

Since one of my personal goals for 2013 is to take better care of myself, health care is one of the areas I have put on the priority list. But, aside from eating better and exercising – I also need to get up to date on medical appointments and wellness checks. It’s sad, but true, that all too often, we go to the doctor at the very last minute and only when necessary, though we make sure our children have their wellness appointments each year on their birthday. No more.

I have been wearing prescription glasses since I was 12 years old and though I am normally pretty good about getting my annual vision exam, last year I neglected to go. It was due time that I get an updated prescription and make sure all is progressing well with my eyesight. So, this past weekend, I headed to my local Walmart’s Vision Center and got a full eye exam completed, including a contact fitting. See that lovely picture of me to the right? That’s me rocking the special sunglasses I received after they dilated my pupils – it’s all in the name of good eye health!

The optometrist at my Walmart is an independent doctor housed inside the store, which makes it very convenient for you to get an eye exam done before your regular shopping trip, don’t you think? As part of this campaign with Walmart, I was also able to pick out a new frame, lenses, and will be ordering new contacts once my prescription is finalized, since the doctor switched the brand and strength of my contacts. Surprisingly, Walmart has quite a few frames to choose from, all at affordable prices. I’m used to paying close to $200 or more for just the eyeglass frame without the lenses, but Walmart has frames starting at just $9, all the way up to the mid-100s. Though I tried to find a frame in the $38 price range, my prescription is a little too strong for them and my lenses would have looked too thick. I did, however, find a nice Oscar de la Renta frame for only $88.

As for the contacts, once we make sure the new brand and strength is working well for me, I’ll be able to order contacts from Walmart and take advantage of the current sale they have. In fact, if I could, I would consider the new Equate 1-Day Disposable Contact Lenses, but I have a bit of astigmatism in one eye, so they won’t work for me. However, at only $30 for a box of 90 lenses, I think this is a great alternative for those that don’t often wear contact lenses or for younger kids and teenagers!

When was the last time you had an eye exam? Don’t forget, it’s just as important to have one even if you don’t wear glasses or contacts!

Disclosure: As a participant in the Walmart Moms Program, I received compensation for my time and efforts in creating this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

All photos © Melanie Edwards/modernmami™

We’re 17 days into 2013 and I’m still working on overall plans for self- and home-organization. I’ve been able to organize a few aspects of daily life, but others still need work.

Something I’ve started doing at the end of each week, is reflecting on what worked and what could have been improved upon during the past week. It’s really helped to dissuade those feelings of not having accomplished enough. When I take inventory of what the entire week involved, I quickly notice that things did get done, even if there were parts that could have gone better.

Planned Changes

In 2013, I plan to do a few things differently in an effort to not feel like there’s chaos in every single corner of my life. Some of those changes include:

Getting back to menu planning

I am not sure why I ever stopped creating a weekly menu plan. I know that it made it so much easier to know what to cook each day and have the grocery shopping done in advance.

Following a cleaning schedule

Though it seems unnecessary to have a cleaning schedule, sometimes the housework can go ignored with work, kids, and everyday responsibilities. I know that I personally tend to put off housework in favor of other tasks or for fun with the kids, etc. Because of that, an area that wasn’t in dire need of cleaning, piles up and then becomes a daunting task of catch-up cleaning. Following a cleaning schedule where the housework can be divided up into chunks throughout the week seems to help avoid a huge pile-up.

Using an editorial calendar for blog content

Amazingly, I don’t have a formal editorial calendar for my own sites, though I am used to working with one when freelance writing for other sites. I’d like to create one this year, even if just for a few months at a time, so that I can better plan upcoming content and how to fit in various requests.

Creating a self-care routine

Something else that tends to be pushed aside is caring for myself. As an example, I can easily go a week or more without properly washing my hair (and let’s not even talk about the deep conditioning treatments I should be doing). Now that I’m in my 30s, I think it’s time I have a regular beauty/self-care routine where I take care of things like my skin and hair on a regular basis. I certainly want to avoid future issues as I “get older.”

Exercising

This is always an issue for me, but I really need to get over it and just get myself used to a regular exercise routine. I don’t want to exercise just for losing weight (though I do want to lose some), but more so for my overall health and to show my kids that exercise is important.

What changes have you put into effect for 2013?

Photo: StormKatt/Flickr

Happy New Year my friends! As I look back at 2012, I realize that while it wasn’t bad, it could have been better. But, the past is just that and I am aiming to move forward in 2013. I don’t exactly have resolutions, but I do have goals in mind. I have things I want and need to do this year – for myself, my business, and my family.

Goals for myself include taking better care of myself. Outside of the usual New Year’s goals of eating better and exercise, I also need to take care of my health and am starting the year with various doctor’s appointments to schedule. I also want to create a regular self-care routine so that I don’t go 2 months without a pedicure, or a week without washing my hair. I get caught up in the daily routine and the rush of getting ready with the kids around, that I don’t often take the time to do much beyond the basics.

My inner self needs love too and this year I’d like to read more, learn something new, and just work on growing my knowledge. I feel like my brain is mush much of the time and need to change that.

I have several goals for my business as well, though I’m still figuring out the logistics and steps required to achieve them. But, 2013 needs to be a year of business growth regardless of how I get there.

Working on all these areas of my life will ultimately help my family. In the end, that is my biggest goal for 2013: to be a better mother, wife, daughter, and person. There are just so many pieces that go into completing that goal; I have to take them one at a time.

What is your main goal (or resolution) for 2013?

Photo: Ramos Alejandro/Flickr

Source: BumbleBee.com

Editor’s note: Many New Year’s Resolutions include living a healthier life. Check out these videos from Bumble Bee Foods to help you get some fresh ideas for 2013!

This past year, Bumble Bee Foods partnered up with Mardy Fish, American Tennis Player, and Chef Scott Leibfried to create a series of webisodes for BeeWell for Life, their wellness community. The BeeWell for Life Webisode Series consists of 13 episodes and follows Mardy and Chef Scott on various topics such as living a healthier life, how diet and fitness play a part in maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and of course, recipes from Chef Scott that become a part of Mardy’s diet.

With 2013 just a mere three days away, I know that a major New Year’s Resolution for a good chunk of the American population is to be healthier in the new year. Whether your New Year’s goal is to eat healthier or exercise more often (or perhaps both), there’s no doubt that a healthy lifestyle takes dedication. When it comes to food, I’m sure that a little creativity and plenty of recipe options are helpful in avoiding food boredom – that would be when you grow tired of eating the same food over and over.

I invite you to view a few of the BeeWell for Life webisodes to get some fresh ideas for the new year. I’ve chosen three to share with you here, but you can see all the episodes on the Bumble Bee Foods YouTube Channel.

Healthy Indulgences

I like how Chef Scott shows Mardy how to make some simple appetizers for a Valentine’s Day meal. I think these work well for any occasion, or even as a light lunch. I know I would definitely eat the crostinis for lunch while working from home!

Healthy Options

I’m a fan of easy meals that don’t require a ton of ingredients and I can put together relatively fast. For lunch, this is especially important because I have a home office and a two-year-old for company; fast meals are a must! I think both of the recipes that Chef Scott shows Mardy in this episode would be great to add to my weekly lunch menu!

Lighten Up

Shopping for fresh produce is something I still sometimes struggle with, depending on the fruit or vegetable. I like the tips that Chef Scott gives in this episode and think they’re also great for kids to start learning how to choose their own produce!

What helps you in maintaining a healthy diet?

Disclosure: modernmami is a member of the Bumble Bee Squad through Bumble Bee Foods.

Source: Singh/Flickr

I shared that this holiday season I was fortunate to work on two holiday charitable giving opportunities with the help of some really great brands that want to support local communities. You can read all about one of those opportunities where I was able to donate holiday gifts to the Harbor House, benefiting domestic violence victims. But, let me tell you about the second opportunity, a collaborative effort between myself and three other Orlando bloggers sparked by the outreach of Kohl’s that became a truly great experience.

A little back story first…Kohl’s reached out to me about a Pay It Forward effort in which they wanted to collaborate with bloggers to pay it forward in their local communities. Kohl’s was offering a gift card to shop at their store and give back to my community as I deemed fit, though they hoped deserving children would benefit, which is in-line with their overall charitable efforts. I immediately thought that instead of donating unwrapped items to a toy drive, it would be great if I could adopt a family and help them out this Christmas.

It’s funny how one thought leads to another, because soon after, my mind started racing with all the possibilities. I thought about reaching out to other brands I already work with to see if they wished to donate extra items for the family. I figured that perhaps I could go beyond the family’s wish list and provide them some extra holiday cheer. And then I wondered if this could become a larger effort and thought about how many more families could be helped if other bloggers joined the effort. If each blogger has their individual brand relationships and we each reached out to brands we know and love, just how much good could we do for Orlando families?

And that’s when it happened – Kohl’s generously agreed to provide three extra gift cards so that three more Orlando bloggers could pay it forward. One email from Kohl’s sparked a bigger idea and resulted in a wonderful holiday giving effort that ultimately helped four deserving Central Florida families! But, that was only the beginning! So many other brands jumped on board and helped the four of us (Lee Allport of mysentimentexactlee.com, Jen Burg of thesuburbanmom.com, Jessica Kirby of theunemployedmom.com and myself) to help these families. It was truly exceptional how they were all about helping our local community and made it happen – in some cases this even meant sending overnight packages to us so that we could meet our deadline for dropping off donations to the organizations.

With the help of several brands, plus the gift card money Kohl’s provided, we helped four families in total – two families were helped through Catholic Charities of Central Florida, another through the New Image Youth Center, and a fourth family came via a local public school. (By the way, I had no idea that schools identify children in need and try to find them help for the holidays and other occasions.) We were able to provide items from each family’s wish list, plus extras that came in through donations from various brands, such as food, books, health and beauty items, gift cards, and even local theme park tickets so that each family could have a fun day out! Looking over the family’s list of needs and wishes truly put a lot of things into perspective – one mom asked for kitchen towels as her wish for Christmas, and most had clothes on their lists. I am hopeful that each family will enjoy Christmas this year and only wish we could have helped out even more families.

It’s great to know that the connections and relationships developed over the last six years of being in the social media industry can be put to use for a greater good. First, local bloggers that I briefly knew from local events did not hesitate to participate and help. Secondly, brands were eager to help and came through in the most amazing way. For that, I can never thank them enough. I encourage you to give each of these brands some love, they truly deserve it!

• ALDI: Facebook, Pinterest
• ConAgra Foods: Facebook, Twitter
  • Healthy Choice: Facebook, Twitter
  • Egg Beaters: Facebook
  • Chef Boyardee: Facebook
  • Hunt’s: Facebook, Twitter
• CoverGirl: Facebook
• CVS: Facebook, Twitter
• Dockers: Facebook, Twitter
• Energizer: Facebook, Twitter
• General Mills via Qué Rica Vida
• Hallmark: Facebook, Twitter (I’ve been working with Hallmark this year on the Life is a Special Occasion campaign and was able to coordinate through that partnership.)
• Johnson’s Baby: Facebook
• Kohl’s: Facebook, Twitter – each new Facebook like of the Kohl’s page through December 24 results in a $1 donation to Toys for Tots
• Mead: FiveStar and EarlyLearning
• Pantene
• Playskool: Facebook, Twitter
• Scholastic: Twitter
• SeaWorld Orlando: Facebook, Twitter
• The Motherhood.com: Twitter
• Veggie Tales: Facebook, Twitter

Please also consider giving back to your community, if you’re able. This holiday season is a great way to begin paying it forward, but remember that families in need in your community need help year-round. I am sure local organizations can tell you how you can help best. If anything, you can help out right in your local Kohl’s store through their Kohl’s Cares program; a simple $5 purchase of  books, plush toys, and other items means that Kohl’s donates 100% of net profits to children’s health and education programs. Just think, you can help out in two ways with such a purchase if you in turn donate the item you purchase!

Be sure to also check out the posts from the other ladies who helped Orlando families this holiday season! And for a peek at some of the brand donations, check out my Instagram pics.

• Orlando Bloggers Pay It Forward To Make Christmas Wishes Come True by Jen
• Central Florida Bloggers Take Part In Charitable Giving To Help Families In Need This Christmas! by Lee
• Orlando Bloggers Pay It Forward And Adopt 4 Local Families For Christmas by Jessica

How do you pay it forward throughout the year?

Disclosure: Kohl’s provided a gift card for purchasing donation items in order to Pay it Forward in my local community. Additional donations were provided by each respective brand. No compensation received.

Source: Shimelle Laine/Flickr

This year I really wanted to give back to our community during the holiday season. I especially wanted my baby girl to be a part of it and understand there are kids and families in need and realize we can help, even if just a bit. I want her to see that she is a very lucky girl and that we should not only be grateful, but also help others when we can.

Luckily, as I was beginning to search for the best way our family could help other families in Central Florida, I was provided two wonderful opportunities to give back through my work on this site. I’ll share one of those opportunities here and the other in a separate post.

Through my partnership with Walmart and the Walmart Moms group, I was offered the chance to shop at Walmart for items to donate to a charity or organization of my choosing. There are so many places that help local families that in turn need help to make it happen; it was really hard to choose just one. In the end, though, we chose to help Harbor House with their Presents of Hope program.

Harbor House is a local organization that helps domestic violence victims and also provides shelter, among other services. I personally have never been affected by domestic violence nor do I have any close friends or family affected by such a horrendous act, but I know this is a serious problem. When I reached out to Harbor House and received information on the current ages of children living in the shelter and overall wish lists and needs for residents, I knew it would be a good cause to support.

© modernmami.com

Equipped with their list and the knowledge that most people donate for younger kids so there was a special need for older kids’ items, my baby girl and I went shopping at Walmart to pick out fun gifts for Harbor House residents. She had fun choosing items she thought other kids would like, though she was a tad nervous about choosing for older kids, saying, “I’m not sure what teenagers like, mommy.” Little does she know that a lot of parents struggle with that issue! Here’s what we were able to get (though I wish we could have gotten so much more!):

• Made by Me Weaving Loom craft kit
• Paint Your Own Dinosaurs Kit
• Board/card games like Connect 4, Yahtzee, and Uno
• Mini Lalaloopsy doll
• Make-up sets
• Chain wallet
• Girl’s wallets and One Direction small purse
• Boxed fashion jewelry and rubber bracelets
• Assortment of gloves and hat for cooler days

I combined these purchased gifts with a couple of extra items I had at home that we had previously set aside for donating and hadn’t yet done so. I hope the kids and parents living at Harbor House enjoy the items we picked out and have a great Christmas. I encourage you to find out what organizations need some extra holiday cheer this holiday season and consider purchasing a few extra items on your next trip to Walmart to donate.

Disclosure: modernmami.com and its owner, Melanie Edwards, is a member of the Walmart Moms program, resulting in compensation for this post.

Source: stu_spivack/Flickr

Growing up, Christmas was always a fun time for me. I have great memories of Navidad in Puerto Rico, especially. I remember the vibrant music, fun spirit everyone seemed to be in, and the food. Oh, the food! The traditional Puerto Rican Nochebuena (Christmas Eve) dinner is one that I still love to this day.

In fact, one of the things I most remember is making pasteles during the weeks leading up to Christmas. Pasteles are a Puerto Rican dish made with green bananas and filled with pork, potatoes, and a few other ingredients that everyone customizes to their liking. They are typically served as part of the Nochebuena dinner and take all day to make. Because of that, my parents would set aside an entire weekend for making pasteles and each member of our family had their own task in the process. From peeling and grating the bananas, to cooking the filling, and finally assembling and tying the pasteles, each person’s task was instrumental.

I remember my father would put the radio on and we’d listen to traditional aguinaldos (Puerto Rican Christmas folk music) as we cooked and made pasteles. I grew to love this accidental tradition and looked forward to it each year. As I got older, I began to ask what day was going to be pasteles day so I could be sure to know ahead of time.

As I look at my own family now, I’m not sure that we’ve yet created a holiday tradition of our own. We put up a Christmas tree and other Christmas decorations. We wait until Christmas Eve to put the gifts under the tree and open them up bright and early on Christmas morning before even eating breakfast. But, I feel we have yet to find our way in traditions – formal ones anyway.

Photo © modernmami

One thing we do have is that we have a couple of Christmas countdown “calendars” that our baby girl enjoys updating each day to count down the days until Christmas. This year a new one has been added to our decorations that is super fun. Thanks to Hallmark, we now have a Christmas countdown radio ornament, their North Pole Countdown Keepsake Ornament, which provides special messages each day from the North Pole. My girl is definitely enjoying the fun messages each day from NOLE 1225 (the radio station’s name)!

Something else that has happened just about every year and that has jokingly become a tradition between my husband and I, is that we end up wrapping our children’s gifts late at night on Christmas Eve. For some reason, this always gets left until the last minute and we somehow find ourselves staying up late on Christmas Eve wrapping their gifts. It’s kind of become our own tradition, I suppose.

What holiday traditions do you remember from your childhood? What new traditions do you celebrate with your family?

Disclosure: This story is sponsored by Hallmark through their Life is a Special Occasion campaign. As always, all stories and opinions are my own. To receive special offers and discounts from Hallmark, sign up for their e-newsletter!

The months of November and December are a very hectic season for our family. I realize this is true for the majority of families since the holidays are always a busy time, but our family also has a couple of extra celebrations. You see, both of my children and my husband all have birthdays in December – in a span of three days – the week before Christmas. To say that the holiday season, particularly December, presents scheduling issues for our family is an understatement.

First, we have to get through November and Thanksgiving. Our November calendar typically fills up with various blogging events, as there are many holiday happenings the local theme parks and attractions want to share with families. It’s super fun, but means every weekend has something going on. We definitely have to choose wisely, since it can become overwhelming.

Then December comes and it seems like it goes by in a flash. We usually have a birthday party for the kids (luckily I can still combine both birthdays into one party), so we spend quite a bit of time planning and preparing for the party. There’s also Christmas shopping to do, along with every day life and obligations (school, work, housework, etc.). We pretty much spend the first three weeks of December running around. But, we do it together.

That’s the thing about this hectic holiday season. Even though we have a lot going on, we’re together. We attend events as a family, we plan, shop, and prepare for the birthday party together, and even do some Christmas shopping together. All that time – even the time in the car and in stores – is time for us to talk, laugh, reminisce and just hang out. Sure, there are moments of frustration or impatience, but overall, we have fun. There’s just no other way for us to get through it. Humor is a part of who we are as a family, so naturally, laughter is how we keep it together. I’m just lucky to have a family that keeps me laughing and that laughs along with me.

How do you keep the humor going during the hectic holiday season?

Disclosure: This story is sponsored by Hallmark through their Life is a Special Occasion campaign. As always, all stories and opinions are my own. To receive special offers and discounts from Hallmark, sign up for their e-newsletter!

Photo © modernmami