Author Archives: Marlene Griffith

About Marlene Griffith

Wife | Mom | Creative

At-Home Workouts for the Busy Mom

I am super-psyched that my friend, Marlene has written this for our Busy Mom readers. I’m off and on the exercise wagon (just keepin’ it real) but I have got to say, when I’m on it, I feel 1000000x better in every way. I shoot for early morning as that’s the only time my kids will leave me alone 🙂 but anytime is the right time! Moms, you need to take care of your beautiful, baby-making, husband-loving body. My favorite workout (I have a fracture in my lower back) ended up being a yoga workout. DON’T FREAK OUT. I do what I like to call “Yoga without the Ya-Ya” (See the note I added at the end of this paragraph April 2019!) meaning I do all the stretches and strengthen my body while keeping my heart and my listening to my favorite, soul-healing music. Try listening to this album by Shawn McDonald. My favorite song is called “Rise.” Let’s RISE to this, moms! We can do it! <3 You want to run around with your grandkids some day with me, right? It’s not impossible, it just takes some thought and determination. Thanks Marlene for the encouragement!

EDITED APRIL 2019: Women, I used to think Yoga really was just fine, disconnected, stretching, whatever. I obviously said so right here! But I met a friend who was deeply entrenched in the Yoga world and the Lord used her to completely change my mindset on this. I implore you, listen to these podcasts!

xoxo

As moms and wives, we tend to be the heart of the home. We keep track of everyone’s schedule, meal plan, cook, clean, and somehow have to find time to take care of ourselves. More often than not, our health and fitness tend to fall to the back burner. It’s not easy making time to workout, and when we do make the time – guilt often follows shortly after. At least that was my experience. But this year I’m making it a goal to live a healthier lifestyle.

I’ve realized that if I’m not at my best, I can’t possibly offer my family the best version of me. So after some time planning and reflecting on how to do this, without going all crazy and jumping in head first, I broke it down into baby steps.

First, I started with reducing my sugary drink intake. I swapped anything high in sugar (soda, juices, etc.) for green tea or water. Making this one change alone made a huge difference in how I felt and how I responded to everything around me. Every so often I’ll treat myself, but it’s definitely more of a treat now than a way of life.

Next, I worked on my eating habits. I cleaned up our meals and have switched to high protein meals which keep me full and help me feel more energized. We all seem to be thriving on this, and I’m feeling much more energetic!

Now, I’m full force working on my physical fitness. I’m not aiming to be a fitness model, nor a body builder, but I do want my body to be strong.

My first goal was setting up a mini home gym. I have everything I could possibly need to legitimately get a good full body workout. I like to switch things up every so often, and some days the garage is just too hot to workout in, and on those days I turn to fitness videos.

*This post contains affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, thank you for supporting The Busy Mom just by shopping through my links!*

Here are my favorite at-home workout videos

Ballet Workouts

Ballet Beautiful Total Body Workout – Low impact, no jumping around like you would do in aerobics videos. I tend to have back problems, and workouts like these are my favorite.

Pilates

I’ve been doing Pilates off and on for years. They are similar workouts to ballet movements. There are many Pilate workout videos now, but here are my favorites:

Jillian Michaels

The cool part about most of these, is that they are available for free on Amazon Prime Instant Video if you are an Amazon Prime customer.

These next videos are all free and can be found on YouTube!

What are your favorite ways to work out at home?

Read more about Marlene in her Author Box below!

Summer Beauty and Fashion Must Haves

Beauty and Body

Hair

My summer hair routine consists of keeping it hydrated, and stressing it as little as possible. I have naturally curly hair, but I usually blow dry my hair. During the summer, it feels pointless to do as often because I’m always in the pool and it’s so hot outside I want to prevent excessive damage.

Shampoo and Conditioner

Look for a Shampoo and Conditioner that will restore moisture to your hair. More than likely, you’ll be getting it wet in the pool or at the beach often. Both of these strip your hair of its natural oils. I go straight for products designed for dry and damaged hair. They’ve always kept my hair in its best condition throughout the summer. My favorite line to find shampoo and conditioners are Dove and Pantene.

For a deep hair conditioner I recommend 10 en 1 (ideal for thicker hair or if you have a lot of hair). I grew up on an island, so I’ve used this my whole life and still do during the summer months since I’ve lived in the states. Some others that are wonderful are Neutrogena Triple Moisture and Macadamia Natural Oil Deep Repair Mask.

Leave in conditioner

I like mix some of my favorite conditioner with water inside of a spray bottle. You can find spray bottles at the dollar store, or even at Target for less than a dollar (the Target ones are super cute!). Whenever I know I’m going to be outside in the sun a lot, I spray some of this on my hair. During the summer months, this works better for me than any leave in conditioner in a bottle ever has.

Body

Daily Lotion

You want to find something that deeply hydrates and restores the skin. I like to use anything from the Lubriderm line, but the one on my shelf right now is Lubriderm Advanced Therapy Lotion.

I also use a body butter at night. I keep it on my night-stand so I can apply it to my legs, feet, hands, and forearms before going to bed.

Sunblock

This is a total personal preference. You may want to make your own natural sunscreen or you may not have any issues purchasing one at the store. Personally, I just pick one up at the store. The important part is to know what you need your sunblock to do. You might want to check out this article which explains the differences between UVA and UVB rays. This should help you pick the best sunblock that works for you and your family.

For the face, I like to use Neutrogena Sport Face Oil-Free (I somehow still tend to break out in my 30’s…seriously though, wasn’t this supposed to stop by now?). It’s the only face sunscreen I’ve used that doesn’t cause my face to break out. I use this year round.

Sunburn

It happens. You put sunblock on every few hours while you’re out in the sun, and yet you still get home sunburned. When this happens, I like to use Aloe Vera Gel. Growing up and for most of my adult life we had a plant growing in our yard so we just used it straight from the plant. But we no longer live on an island so we have to find ours at a health-food store. I highly suggest you get Organic Aloe Vera Gel vs the ones you find on the shelf in all the stores. If you see that it contains alcohol, put it back on the shelf and run. Just imagine putting alcohol on sun-burnt skin… Ouch.

Fashion

I’m a bit of a minimalist when it comes to summer staples, I find we rotate the same thing often because we’re doing a lot of the same. Here are my favorite summer must-haves fashion items

Maxi Dress – easy to put on and you can dress it up with a belt and some cute jewelry.

Skirt – I usually have two summer skirts. A white one and a dark colored one. This way I have something to go with most of my tops.

Flip Flops – self-explanatory, eh? Target brings some really cute ones in a variety of colors.

Sandals – after I’ve been out in the sun or at the pool all day, I really don’t feel like putting shoes on. I always keep two pairs of sandals (if not more…ahem). Much like with the skirts, I like to have a white pair and a dark pare (usually black). Target is my favorite place to go for these too.

Can you tell I’m a Target girl? 🙂

When summer is full force, what are some of your beauty and fashion must haves? Let me know in the comments below!

5 simple ways to start your day well

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A few years ago I was pretty sure that I had mastered a morning routine. I was in a good rhythm, and rarely missed a beat. But after my third kiddo was born, I couldn’t find a way to get back into a routine. Having three was my tipping point, and the morning routine went right out the door.

Over the past couple of years I’ve come to realize that there will be no such thing as a perfect morning routine. Especially when you have a handful of children. But, you can find a way to start your day well.

A the list maker that I am, I decided to jot down key elements that needed to come out of my morning routine in order for me to start my day well and put my best foot forward each day. These were:

Feel Awake
Be Alert
Feel Healthy
Be Mentally Refreshed

I’ve found that these things combined were not only a benefit to myself, but also to my family, and anyone who comes into contact with me. I kept it simple, and uncomplicated. I left out the list making, the workouts, and anything I considered busy work.

5 SIMPLE WAYS TO START YOUR DAY WELL

1 – Get up before your kids

I know, I know. Sometimes, it’s not that easy. But having time without the kiddies jumping all over you first thing, is super important and essential to helping you start off your days well. It doesn’t matter if you work outside of the home, or are a stay at home mom – you should try and get into this habit. I’ve been both a work-out-of-the-home mom and now I’m a stay-at-home-mom (working from home). Waking up before my kids is a make it or break it for my day.

Are your children early risers? Gradually get them into the habit of staying in their rooms until you call them out. Or, if they are old enough, put a clock in their room and tell them they can’t come out in the morning until “x” time. If that isn’t an option, set them up in the living room with some quiet toys like coloring books. The key is to get them into the habit that until Mommy is ready for the day, they should try and stay calm and quiet.

2- Shower/wash your face

A shower first thing in the morning always wakes me up – mind and body. But sometimes I don’t have time for a shower first thing, or I’ve already showered at night. That’s when I make sure to at the very least – wash my face. It won’t have the exact wake-up effect as a shower, but it will take you from “bed-face” to “I’m-awake” face!

3- Drink a tall glass of cold water

You have gone 6-8 hours without fluids and you need to give your body water. Dehydration messes with how you feel and look. Your body needs fluids first thing in the morning.

Why cold water? Drinking cold water first thing speeds up your metabolism! Your body has to warm up that water as it enters your system. Which means you will be increasing your metabolism in the process.

4- Drink Green Tea

I’m a coffee junkie. But for first thing in the morning I prefer some green tea with honey. Green tea is loaded with antioxidants, it improves brain function and doesn’t contain as much caffeine as coffee. You’d think the less caffeine would be a deal breaker, but for me I feel lighter when I drink green tea first thing. I’ve also read the green tea helps with fat burning and lowering your risk of several types of cancer.

5- Read your Bible and pray

Starting the day off in the Word and prayer helps to set the right tone for the day. Refreshing yourself daily in the Word keeps it as a constant reminder throughout the day. If you don’t know what to read, or what to pray about, check out the different reading plans on YouVersion. They offer them by topic and you can listen to the audio version right from the app. I would also check out Heidi’s podcasts. They are all so encouraging, and she takes you right to the Word where you can read the verses yourself and pray over them.

A tip if you have little ones: Take it one step at a time. If your kids are not in the habit of being calm in the morning while you get ready for the day – you can’t expect them to get into that habit instantly. They’ll need time to get into to the new routine, so don’t stress it and don’t overwhelm yourself.

These are my 5 must do things in the morning if I want start my day well. When I skip any of these, I feel it throughout the day. Without these, I can’t even begin to tackle to-do lists, workouts, homeschooling, or chores. I would LOVE for you to share what are some of your must-do things in the morning to help you start you day off well.

A Busy Mom’s Guide To A Home Gym

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**This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting The Busy Mom at no additional cost to you!**

Fitness. Work outs. Losing weight. Five words most of us homeschool moms laugh at because come on – what homeschool mom really has the time to head to the gym every day and get a workout in? I try, trust me. But more often than not, I just can’t swing it!

As a homeschool mom, kind of shifts your time availability for these sorts of things to very little, or none at all. By the time your school day is finished, you’re getting dinner ready, the house picked up and looking forward to when the kids go down to bed. And in the morning, even if you did have a half hour or an hour to work out – it just seams impossible to get out the door to head to the gym. Or maybe, you just can’t afford the monthly gym memberships, and if you can – the gym day care is never open when you need it to be.

I think I’ve faced each and every one of those obstacles. And for those of you who share the same obstacles, I’ve compiled a list of items that will help you set up your own home gym, and easily get a full body workout without ever having to step foot in a gym.

1. Free Weights

Free weights are the essential to get a good work out. I wouldn’t be surprised if you found a pair or two at your local thrift store. I would even check out Craigslist or local garage sales. You ideal set would be a light weight, medium weight, and a heavy weight. For the heavy weights, you don’t really need two. I use my heavy wight for overhead tricep extensions. It’s easier to grab one heavy weight with both hands, than trying to isolate muscles with two individual weights. But, it’s totally up to you.

2. Resistance bands

I think I avoided resistance bands like the plague. But when I finally picked up a pair, I ended up loving them! The best kind are the ones that come with three options for resistance – light, medium, and heavy.

3. Medicine Ball

Over the last year, I’ve really fallen in love with medicine balls. Ideally, you would toss one back and forth with someone else as a warm up. Fully extending your arms on each throw. If you don’t have someone to do that with, you could do the following as part of your warm up:

Stand straight up. Arms relaxed. Now bring them to the front of your hips, just right below your belly button, where they fall naturally when your hands are holding each other. Right there is where you will be holding your medicine ball.
Next, do a squat. When you are in the seated position, fully extend your arms (medicine ball in hands).
To end. Stand up, and extend arms above your head, with the medicine ball in hands.

That’s the whole move. Repeat about 10 – 15 times, or more if you feel you can go more. It’s a great warm up!

4. Balance ball

I have a love hate relationship with my balance ball. Most of them come with ideas for workouts you can do with them. I like to use them for sit ups, push-ups (legs on the ball, hands on the floor), and to balance on while I work out my upper body with free weights.

5. Pull up bar

A pull up bar can be a bit intimidating, but it’s awesome for upper body workouts. I would suggest buying this pull up bar because it has multiple grip options allowing you to target specific areas of your upper body, working muscles from different angles. If you have ever done P90X, you’ll recognize it.

So that’s it! Just those 5 things and I promise, you’ll be fully equipped and ready to do full body workout at home!

40+ Dr. Seuss Inspired Activities, Crafts, and Learning Resources

Food

Dr Seuss All About Me & Cat In The Hat Snacks from Fancy Frugal Life
Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax Inspired Food Ideas from Cute Food For Kids
Cat in the Hat Marshmallow pops from Mega Crafty
Green “Eggs” Breakfast from Tutus and Tea Parties
Green Eggs… and blueberries? from I Can Teach My Child
Grinch Punch Recipe from Taste of Home

Activities and crafts

1 Fish 2 Fish Interactive Printable Placemat from obSEUSSed
A “Seusstastic” Day: Activities to Celebrate Dr. Seuss from Motherhood on a Dime
Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax Craft: Make Truffula Trees from Craft Jr.
Making patterns with Dr Seuss’s hat! from Teach Preschool
Dr. Seuss Activity: Make a Fox in Socks Tweetle Beetle Battle Bottle from Mad in Crafts
Free Printable – Dr. Seuss Hat from A to Z Teacher Stuff
Make Your Own Truffula Trees Tutorial from Dr. Seuss The Lorax from Surviving a Teacher’s Salary
Lorax Moustach Straws from Madtown Macs
Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax Party Mask from Babble
“Sam I Am” Dr. Seuss Kids Craft from Classified: Mom
Craft Project: Thing 1 & Thing 2 (with clothes pins) from Zakka Life
Cat In The Hat Hats TP (pop ups) from Stuff by Ash
Thing 1 & Thing 2 Popsicle stick puppets from Toddler Approved
Toilet Paper Roll Dr. Seuss Characters from Lovely Lula
Get Creative with The Lorax: Truffula Tree Pencils from Zaaka Life
A Fun Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax Truffula Tree Craft (in a picture frame) from Babble
Dr. Seuss Cat in the Hat Craft ~ Finger Puppets from Craft Jr.
Green Eggs and Ham activity and a recipe from Inspiration Laboratories
Huge list of Dr Seuss Games from Apples 4 Teacher
Lorax paper bag Puppet from Frist Class teacher
Green Eggs and Ham Activities and Free Printable from obSEUSSed
Free Printables Horton Games & Activities from Early Moments
Video Tutorial One Fish Two Fish activity/craft from eHow Arts & Crafts
Horton Hears a Who Elephant Project from Mrs. Lirette’s Learning Detectives
Green Eggs and Ham Dr. Seuss Activities from Coffee Cups and Crayons
Authors read Dr. Seuss’ One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish from BookLounge
Read Aloud of Oh The Places You’ll Go! from YouTube

Learning

Dr. Seuss Inspired Rhyming Game from Sweet Rose Studio
Seussical Learning Pack from 123 Homeschool 4 me
The Foot Book (math activities) from Putti’s World
Dr. Seuss Rhyming cards from The Activity Mom
Dr. Seuss in Middle School from Our Journey Westward
Analyzing Theme with Dr. Seuss Picture Books from Jimmies Collage
20 Fun Dr. Seuss Themed Writing Prompts! from Minds in Bloom
Name that Dr. Seuss Book Printable from Minds in Bloom
S is for Seuss! {Mommy School Unit} from Oopsey Daisy
Dr. Seuss Busy Bag from Second Story Window
Dr. Seuss Worksheets from Have Fun Teaching
Thinking Maps with Dr. Seuss and Printables from Joyful Learning In Kc
Learning Monkeys: Dr. Seuss Inspired One Fish Two Fish Counting Game from Mama Miss
For older kids – Dr. Seuss Biography. It includes text and a couple of videos. from Biography

I would love for you to share in the comments any fun activities you do with your kiddos to celebrate Dr. Seuss!

13 Beauty & Health uses for Coconut Oil

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**This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting The Busy Mom (at no additional cost to you)!**

One of my favorite multi-purpose buys is Coconut Oil. We’ve all heard the benefits of Coconut Oil, and today I’m sharing with your some of my favorite ways to use it.

1-Drink it

Brew your favorite herbal tea and start with by adding a teaspoon of Coconut Oil. Gradually work your way up to a tablespoon. It doesn’t taste bad, but it does feel a bit oily when you drink it – so start off small until you get used to it. It’s great for digestion, skin hydration, and hair.

2-Cook with it

You can use Coconut Oil for almost any recipe that calls for vegetable oil or butter.

3-Shaving Cream Substitute

Some time ago I ditched shaving creams – they always dried out my skin and left it irritable. Sometimes I’ll use conditioner, but my all-time favorite is to use Coconut Oil as shaving cream. It leaves your skin feeling silky and smooth.

4-Hair Conditioner

Apply about a tablespoon to dry dirty hair. Wrap your hair up in a bun and either sleep with it that way, or leave it on as long as possible. When you are ready to take it out, shampoo it as normal. I like to do this one to two times a week (especially during the winter and summer months, which is when my hair gets affected by extreme weather temps the most). Your hair will be soft and shiny!

5-Scalp treatment

Dandruff? Dry/Flakey scalp? Grab some Coconut Oil, and rub it into your scalp. Leave it on as long as possible, and wash hair like you usually would.

6-Moisturizer

One tablespoon of Coconut Oil should cover your entire body, so start out with a small amount and just rub it in like lotion. I promise you it will leave your skin feeling soft and luxurious!! This is a great remedy to use when pregnant and you’re trying to prevent those stretch marks.

7-Make up Remover

I love using Coconut Oil as makeup remover, especially on my eyes. Mascara and eye makeup is sometimes hard to remove, and I don’t like roughing up my skin in that area since it’s so sensitive. With Coconut Oil and a cotton pad (or Q-tip), you’ll get your makeup and eye makeup off super quick. Plus, your skin will be left super moisturized! I love that it won’t cause you to break out either!!!

8-Eczema and Psoriasis

Both my daughters have had eczema. My oldest grew out of it pretty early on, but my second daughter has it bad. I’ve tried everything under the sun to relieve her from it. But Coconut Oil takes the win on this one. After rubbing it all over her body a couple of times, I was able to tame a really bad breakout that doctor prescribed creams couldn’t tame. Now it’s the only thing I’ll use on her eczema.

9-Anti-Wrinkle/Face moisturizer

Grab a Q-tip and dip it in some Coconut Oil. Apply gently under eyes, and then gently blot with your ring finger to spread it around the area of your eyes. Also apply to other target areas where you may have some fine lines. I usually just rub it all over my face –can’t hurt right? I rarely use makeup after doing this, but you could if you wanted to leave it on all day. I would just blot the excess off with a towel, and then put my makeup on over it.

10-Lip Scrub

I LOVE making my own lip scrubs. To make it I mix Brown sugar, Coconut Oil, and a little bit of Honey. Don’t stir this too much, or you’ll dissolve all the sugar. I prefer brown sugar to white sugar because it’s a bit softer on my lips. To use, just blot some on your lips, and rub back and forth (sort of like brushing your teeth, but on your lips) until smooth. I like to use a soft baby tooth brush instead of my finger, but it’s up to you.

11-Lip Balm

This is a fun one to do. It’s a great DIY project if you have daughters too! Melt some Coconut Oil and put into a container. If you have a leftover Altoids container, that would work great! Add some powdered food coloring (the liquid kind won’t mix well with the melted Coconut Oil), stir til mixed, and let it harden. I like to toss it in the freezer or fridge to speed up the process. Then I let it sit out on the counter a bit so it resembles more of a Vaseline lip balm texture. I think you could add some essential oils to this too!

12-Anti-frizz serum

You want to grab as little as possible, but enough that it does its job. The key is that you don’t want to put TOO much, as to not make your hair look or feel greasy. Try to keep away from scalp, because that’s where hair gets oily faster. This is great for curly hair girls too!!

13-Scrapes

Coconut Oil is an awesome anti inflammatory (and it’s anti bacterial), just apply it over scrapes – and the Coconut Oil will soothe them instantly.

I’m sure this list could go on and on, but I’d LOVE to hear of some ways that you use Coconut Oil in your home!

P.S. (This is Heidi) 🙂
About two years ago, a girlfriend of mine told me that coconut oil is a great substitute for personal lubricants such as KY. We made the switch and I’m so glad we did! Coconut oil is fantastic for this purpose. My friend keeps hers little containers in her nightstand, in the shower and even in her car. Sounds like she’s got an adventurous marriage. I’m inspired!

New Year’s Eve Family Activities

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I am always trying to come up with activities that everyone in our family would enjoy. Our kids range from almost 2 to 11, so finding one specific activity that appeals to all of them is difficult.

New Year’s Eve is no exception. We like to let our kids stay up late to bring in the New Year with us. We watch the ball drop on TV, but we also like to throw in some activities to make it a full-on celebration and create memories that our family will cherish for years to come.

Here are a few ideas that we’ve enjoyed over the years and hopefully you’ll enjoy along with your family too!!

1-Fortune Balloons! All you need is some balloons, a few strips of paper, and a few activity ideas (think board games, conversation starts, and crafts). Write out each activity or craft on a strip of paper and gently slip them into a deflated balloon. Blow the balloon up and write a time of day on it. When that time rolls around, POP it! And do that activity! Tip: Blow up all of the balloons before writing the time on them, this way you don’t know which is which.

2-Make your own New Year’s Eve Ball! You will need a large Styrofoam ball, small craft mirrors, a thin piece of wire, and glue. Before you glue the mirrors onto the Styrofoam, gently press them into it to create an indentation. Then add some glue into that indentation and add the mirror. Next gently push the wire right through the center Styrofoam ball until it comes out the other side. Make a small loop at one end of the wire, and secure the other end so that it holds the ball on the wire. Grab a push pin or thumb tack and hang from the ceiling. When midnight rolls in, drop the ball! Tip: You should be able to find all of these materials at your local dollar store.

3- Make your own noise makers! All you need is a few small gift boxes, something probably smaller than the length of your hand (you should be able to find these at the dollar store). Fill them up with rice, dry pasta, dry beans, or anything small and hard. Close the boxes up, decorate them, and tape the tip of a popsicle stick on the bottom. You now have your very own, homemade noise makers!

4-Create a time capsule jar. Choose any jar or container that you have in the house. A mason jar will do. Fill it up with memories from the year, even if it’s notes written by all of you of what you loved most from this past year. We like to keep movie ticket stubs, so this would be something that we would put in our time capsule. Was your kiddo obsessed with silly bands, or collecting rocks this year? Throw something in the time capsule that represents that, or one of the items from their collection. Open the jar next year and enjoy the memories.

5-Family Interview! The first year we did this, we put all of our answers inside of our Time Capsule Jar. The next year, it was SO much fun reading over our responses, and especially seeing what the kids handwriting was like, or when the answered questions with drawings. You can create your own family questions, but I’ve put together some really simple questions that everyone can answer. You can download the PDF printable HERE.

6-Don’t underestimate simple! New Year’s Eve activities don’t have to be filled with glitter, sparkles, noise, and crafts. Playing a few board games with your family, while watching a few family favorite movies is a great option if you are looking to keep things simple this year.

What are some of your favorite family activities for New Year’s Eve?

Heidi St. John

Speaking the Truth in Love