I won’t let this happen, will you??!!!

Meryl Streep sings to her daughter in- “MAMA MIA“

“Slipping Through My Fingers”

Sleep in our eyes, her and me at the breakfast table
Barely awake, I let precious time go by
Then when she’s gone there’s that odd melancholy feeling
And a sense of guilt I can’t deny
What happened to the wonderful adventures
The places I had planned for us to go

Well, some of that we did but most we didn’t
And why I just don’t know

Slipping through my fingers all the time
I try to capture every minute
The feeling in it
Slipping through my fingers all the time

Dear, Meryl,

Even though  though all your critics out there called “Mama Mia”  a piece of  Crap…you once again, were brilliant , and once again made me cry like a little school girl, with a big snotty nose! When you sang those lyrics to your pretend daughter in the movie, I fell apart. It forced me to examine how I spend my time with my children.

Yours truly,

Carolyn Barnes

Although I am with my kids ALL THE TIME, (and desperately need a BREAK….), how much of that time am I truly clicked in and present?

The Lyrics to that song clearly had an impact on me. Later that night, instead of doing the usual, (brushing teeth, a bath and a story blah blah blah), I decided to change things up a bit.  I decided my daughter, Sophie and I were due for an “adventure”. We got a flash light, Some blankets, and pillows and dragged them out side and onto our front lawn.  We snuggled under our blankets,( the grass was damp, but we didn’t care.) Sophie took her flashlight and pointed it into the sky and up to the stars.

” Do you think my light can touch the stars, mommy?”  We lay cuddled, under the big world as her tiny 6 year old hand tried to touch each and every star with her light.

It was at that moment when I realized how , how wonderfully simple. A flash light, some pillows, a warm blanket and the stars, ( just 3 feet from our front door).

Of course my daughter Sophie, wants to do this almost every night (I am ready to shoot my self)… I just thought you should know that I will never sing this to her.

What happened to the wonderful adventures
The places I had planned for us to go

Well, some of that we did but most we didn’t
And why I just don’t know

cLEAN Lifestyle- Make the most out of your time. Improve your body, declutter your home, and find your “Me” time.

The day I realized I could turn my daily housecleaning routine into a great work out that could really tone my tush, arms, and tummy, bells went off in my head – CLEANING can make you LEAN! Why should I spend time and money (that I don’t have) at the gym, when I can get an intense workout doing what I’m already doing, and on my own clock?

After fine-tuning my new workout, this concept has become much more than just a workout, it’s become a wakeup call and a lifestyle change.

The cLEANmomma lifestyle has become a way to de-clutter my mind, body, soul, and yes, even my house!

What is The cLEAN Lifestyle™?

The cLEAN Routine™ is a combination of cardio and strength training exercises that allow you to multitask.

When I first started working out while cleaning my house (or doing random daily chores), I’ll admit it felt a little silly. But after doing it for a while I really noticed my body getting toned in a way that going to the gym and spending 45 minutes on an elliptical machine just didn’t do for me – and it’s actually fun! Setting aside 40 minutes several times a week to really workout while I worked around my house was really easy for me to commit to and easy to make the time for. That’s was half the battle. I was already doing the task – WIN-WIN!!

The cLEAN Diet™ isn’t about starving yourself to go to your high school reunion – it’s about creating good long-term eating habits that you can live with!

When it comes to your diet I really need to be clear. Changing your approach to food and really taking a look at what you shove in your mouth is what it’s all about. With the help of my experts, my eating habits have evolved to include more whole, healthy foods and MUCH less garbage. Don’t get me wrong, I still opt for the occasional burger, slice of cheesy pizza, or chocolate chips with a jar of peanut butter, but it’s all about moderation. And I feel better!

The cLEAN Mindset™ is the clarity of goals and the belief that you can achieve anything set your mind to.

Staying motivated to workout or changing eating habits are a challenge for even the strongest people. Being clear about what you want to achieve and having the will power to get there even when it’s tough are what the cLEAN Mindset is all about – in every area of your life.

At the risk  of sounding like some cheesy self-help book….It’s about training your brain to help you become the best possible you, with the knowledge and understanding that it takes time and the desire to want to do it!

How to motivate yourself, an easy solution!

Staying motivated is a mindset and a change in attitude.

It’s easy to tell yourself that you haven’t got the time or that you’re tired. Stop it!

If you are not used to working out and this is all new for you then start slowly.

Look, I get it. We all juggle hundreds of tasks a day and exhaust ourselves, but enough of the pity party – its time to care of yourself!

Welcome to multitasking. Now you can fit a workout into your day (Every little bit you do for yourself counts!) and if you don’t have time, ha!… there are no more excuses!

Staying motivated

That’s a tricky beast. Try following this simple rule: Commit to something new for two weeks (keep track – it really helps). Before you know it, you’ve created a new habit!

Lisa’s story

We as moms (and all people for that matter) are worth the investment in taking care of ourselves. My girlfriend Lisa would always bitch to me how about she hated her thighs, hated her hair – you name it she would bitch about it. I finally said, “Then do something about it!”- in a kind and loving way, of course.

She told me that she had been stuck in this negative rut for years and she knows what to do, but starting was the hard part (isn’t it always??).

It made me think that this went a lot deeper, so we got to talking about the root of where she was coming from. Lisa told me that she felt frustrated with herself for “letting herself go.” She also felt the fear of failure. What if she tries a diet and can’t stick to it? Or what if she loses weight but still isn’t thrilled with herself?

After listening to what she had to say, I suggested a couple of things.

First I told her to start slowly and avoid overwhelming herself with major changes all at once. This allows you to make new habits for yourself that you can stick with (and are life changing) as opposed to a month of hell that makes you want to give up.

Next, take a look at what you eat on a daily basis and try to make healthy food choices.

Then, work on your posture! The list goes on…

Once you make these small changes, you will be motivated to continue on this path to making the best you!

Here are Some Things that Help Keep Me Motivated and Have Really Changed My Life!

• Every morning if I am not going anywhere fun or fabulous, I put on my workout shoes and pants. This helps remind me to be active through out the day.

• I used to have the TV on in the background, but I switched it to music. I love 80s music – bopping around to Duran Duran or Prince makes me happy.

• I make sure to eat healthy foods regularly throughout the day instead of crashing and eating my kid’s bag of carbohydrates.

• I used to hate water, but it’s really good for you, so I got in the habit (it took me 14 days of putting lemon juice in it). Now I sip it all day long!

• I don’t by garbage at the grocery store. If it’s not in the house, I can’t eat it. If you want to have a stash of your favorite cookies, have only one – you have to allow yourself to indulge sometimes:)
  

• I  have at least one naughty thing to eat several times a week, but I make it small. That will help you not focus on what you can’t have and it lets me rebel!
  

• I start one new exercise every two weeks and slowly build up. This way I’m always starting something new and keeping it fresh.
  

That’s it for now.

If you have any thoughts or suggestions on what helps you stay motivated, I’d love to hear!

-C

All Natural Skin & Hair Secrets for <$10

Oh joy… I’m out of face cream and money…

How many times has this happened to you?

Necessity is the mother of invention and over the years I’ve found soooo many ways to keep my skin and hair fabulous without spending more than 10 bucks.

• Hair conditioner - We don’t need shmancy shaving cream for our legs, ladies – conditioner goes sooo far! Shmeer a little on and shave away. I swear it works!
• Dryer sheets - Bye bye pet hair. It’ll take it right off your pants and who knew that if you rub these on your panty hose your dress won’t cling as you walk!
• Visine - I found if I have any broken capillaries, a little visine goes a long way!
• Baby wipes - I call it the big eraser. Take away your deodorant streaks, make up, or anything you want to remove!
• Corn starch – If you have exima or other skin irritations, rub a little corn starch with some water.
• Oatmeal — Spending a lot on a good facial exfoliate is a waste when you’ve got oatmeal in your cupboard.
• Witch hazel — Isn’t just for boo boos, and scrapes, but shmeer it on your cracked feet and it does wonders as a toner for oily skin.
• Baby powder — It’s not just for baby’s tushies. This makes your skin so soft. And sometimes when I haven’t washed my hair in a few days, I use it as a dry shampoo to take out the oil and give my hair a great lift!
• Mayonnaise — If you put it on your hair for 15 minutes with a cap around your head, then rinse …voila!