August - Social Media Takeover

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It’s been a crazy few weeks trying to figure out back to school plans and what that actually will look like.

Now that things are somewhat settling down, let’s talk about tips and tricks for making Back to School 2020 the best it can be. Not perfect but the best it can be!

This coming week I will be posting daily, giving you tons value to kick start the year. From snack ideas to self care, I've got you covered.

Just check out my personal page daily! Back to school 2020 WE'VE GOT THIS!! 👊

Today is all about you! Yup you heard me it’s time to focus on the mammas!! All the back to school talk this year has raised anxiety levels for sure. We are trying to keep our kids as safe as possible, but when we get stressed it lowers our immune system, makes us susceptible to getting sick, reduces our energy levels, and frankly makes us a cranky mom. So, here are a few tips that you can implement into your day to focus on YOU!

· Start your day alone – I know, easier said than done for sure. Trust me, focusing on YOU before the whole family is up is a game changer!! Even carving out just 15 minutes of alone time to start your day and do something for yourself is HUGE. Set your alarm 15 minutes earlier if you have to (trust me it’s worth it). You can do a meditation, read a book, enjoy your coffee all alone, focus on 3 things you’re grateful for, or simply go to the bathroom without anyone calling your name lol. When you start by focusing on you, you show up as a better version of yourself.

· Move your body – no time to work out, that’s ok. Take your lunch break outside and go for a walk while the weather is still great, have a dance party with the kids, do 5 minutes of yoga stretches, go for a bike ride etc.

· Breathe – Yes, I know you are breathing otherwise you would not be alive, but do you really stop and focus on your breath? Ever try the 4-7-8 technique? It works wonders. Take a deep breath for 4 counts, hold your breath for 7 counts, and exhale slowly for 8 counts. It will help you relax, Dr. Weil has even described it as a “natural tranquilizer for the nervous system. Here’s what I love about it- you can do anywhere at any time, while you are stopped at a traffic light dropping kids off at school or at a big meeting at work.

· Find something that brings you joy and DO IT!! Stop saying you don’t have time. It’s the little things that make us happy and I promise, you have time for them. Light a candle, treat yourself to your favorite cup of tea, blast your favorite music in the car or at home, get out of the office and into nature on your lunch break, take a 15-minute time out and read.

Here’s the message I want you to walk away with. Self-care is NOT selfish. In fact, it’s the opposite of selfish. When you take care of yourself you magically show up as a better YOU for everyone else!!

I'm excited to kick off “All Things Back To School” this morning!! Listen, there is so much going on right now with what families are choosing to do with their kiddos going back to school. Whatever you are choosing for your family, I see you and I appreciate your choice.

There are so many theories around wearing masks, but if your child is getting ready to return to in-person classes soon, they will most likely be required to wear a mask for most of the school day. NO, this is NOT a typical back to school supply but it is an important one if your kids are going to in-person school this year.

Some tips for your kids to know about handling their mask:
When putting on or taking off your mask, you should only handle it by the ear loops or ties and should never touch the outside of the mask itself.

When taking the mask off, it should be folded in half and placed somewhere safe (ie. on a clean paper towel or in a brown paper bag).

Since masks should be washed before being worn again, you should have at least one mask for each day of the week and an extra in their backpack just in case something happens to the first one.

What kind of masks are best? That’s completely up to you!! You can of course get disposable face masks that you throw away after each school day or you can get cloth masks that you wash each day. Both are effective but an important thing is that you find a mask that is comfortable for your kiddos to wear over the course of the school day.

Here are some links to find face masks for your kids…
Cloth Mask Options:
https://people.com/health/reusable-cloth-face-masks-for-kids/

Disposable Mask Options:
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=kids+face+mask+disposable&ref=nbsbnoss_1

This is not how any of us expected our school year to be but together, we will figure this out! Back to school 2020, WE’VE GOT THIS!

Where am I putting my kids during the virtual school day? GREAT QUESTION! Here are some tips about creating a comfortable, functional work station for your kiddos!

1- While some older kids may prefer a desk in their room, most younger children want to be where the action is. That is a good thing so you can help field questions and help them stay on task as needed.

2- If you can, try setting up a separate workspace for them. Having a separate, special space helps them get into a different mindset so they can show up ready to focus.

3- Siblings!!! If you have multiple children learning from home at the same time and you know they will have trouble sharing a space, separate their workstations. If they’re seated at the same table, prop up tri-fold boards or a DIY separator out of a cardboard box.

4- Headphones!! Finding the right noise cancelling headphones for your children so you can keep the virtual learning distractions at a minimum is key! This gives your kids the opportunity to solely focus on what they are learning instead of all the things happening around them.

5- Sitting still can be hard for kids. Sitting on an inflatable wiggle seat or an exercise ball is a great way to help your kids stay engaged and keeps their core active during the virtual school day.

This is a learn as you go model as we start the new school year. What are some "work station" tips that you've found to be helpful? We are all in this together and sharing our best practices is how can help each other THRIVE through this, not just survive. Back to school 2020, we've got this!

Every day we are bombarded by so many viruses and bacteria and the state of affairs of our children's schools magnify these circumstances greatly!

The BEST thing we can do to protect ourselves against germs is to keep our immune systems healthy, but before we get into that, let’s discuss how we can reduce the amount of germs we come into contact with daily.

Some of the best ways ways to accomplish this during the school year are simply teaching our children proper hand hygiene techniques, and getting into the habit of taking off their shoes and completely changing into a new pair of clothes as soon as they get home from school.

HAND-HYGIENE
🧼 Soap and water is the best way for us to clean our hands and stop the spread of germs.

1 - When hand-washing allow the child to use whichever temp they are comfortable with. There hasn't been much evidence to be found that "hotter is better", and washing frequently with hot water can actually cause skin to dry and crack more frequently increasing the chances of germs and pathogens entering the body.

2 - Encourage to wash for at least 20 seconds.
Having children sing to the tune of Pop Goes the Weasel: "This is the way we wash our hands, wash our hands, wash our hands, this is the way we wash our hands when we're killing germs" 2x gets the job done!

What about all those various times a day when washing our hands in a sink is NOT an option?

🧴Hand sanitizer can serve as a portable sanitizing agent that can help prevent the spread of germs/infection when our kids are in school and washing their hands over a sink with soap/water isn’t the first available option.

Which is best? Whether spray, gel, or foam doesn't seem to make a difference, but the CDC says that a good hand sanitizer should contain at least 60% alcohol in order to help avoid the spread of germs.

IMPORTANT TO NOTE - Whether soap or sanitizer, you need to be careful about the type/brand you use! --There has been little evidence that "Antibacterial" is any better than "regular soap" in the fight against germs and any of these products containing "Triclosan" can do more harm than good! Triclosan is a common chemical found in antibacterial soaps/hand sanitizers and it actually decreases your body’s immune response and even makes your body’s bacteria more resistant to antibiotics. 🙄

Once you've found a brand you are comfortable with, stock up! Place them in your kids backpack, lunch box and even for them to leave on their desk. You can even get ones that can clip on to the outside of a backpack or lunch box that way, your child doesn’t have to go searching for it when he or she needs it.

👕👚 HAVE YOUR CHILDREN CHANGE AS SOON AS THEY COME HOME 👖🥾

🥿👟 Shoes allow microorganisms to travel very easily. If your shoes are more than a month old they have 93% percent chance of having fecal bacteria on them! (💩😳)

Having a place where all shoes go and making sure they do not pass the entry way or better yet the front door is a great step. Shoes are kinda like hands, great vehicles for the spread of germs.

👚Considering having your children change completely out of their school clothes and into clean ones immediately when they get home from school is ideal as well. (I know mommas, that DOES mean more laundry -- 👕👖🗑x2! 🤪) but if it means keeping all members of this household healthy, I'm game!

We want to keep everyone healthy this school year and following these guidelines will help in reducing our loved ones contact with germs! Remember, we are all in this together! Back to school 2020 we've got this!

(Citations that you can post in the comments of this post:

Cold vs. Hot Water hand-washing:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.today.com/today/amp/tdna112239

Antibacterial vs "Regular soap":
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/299500#No-significant-difference-in-soaps-when-used-for-handwashing )

At the start of every new school year, the world talks about immune health!! SO...let's talk about it! Our immune system protects our body from outside invaders, like bacteria, viruses, toxins and more. Think of your immune system as just that...a SYSTEM, not just a single entity. Research on diet, exercise, age, psychological stress and other factors on immune health have been on going for years. Overall, a good way to help give your immune system the upper hand is to adopt healthy living strategies!

• Better sleep
• Consistent exercise
• Reduce stress
• Drinking plenty of water

Know what one of the most important ways to support your immune system is? Eating more fruits and vegetables! Read that again! Eating more fruits and vegetables can help support and balance your immune system. Sounds so simple right? WELL, if you look at the standard American diet, fruits and veggies are not always top of the list. How many fruits and veggies do you eat each day?

Enter Juice Plus+!! There are 4 gold standard, clinical research studies showing the benefits that Juice Plus+ has on supporting a healthy immune system. There are 21 studies showing increased blood levels of important antioxidants and plant nutrients when taking Juice Plus+ each day!

Summary...A healthy lifestyle, a diet rich in plant based nutrition and bridging the nutritional gap by adding Juice Plus+ each day, can help support your immune system this school year and all year long! And friends, supporting your immune system is just ONE of the MANY things Juice Plus+ has been clinically proven to do in your body! Just saying!

Best part, your kiddos get their Juice Plus+ for FREE!

If you've been thinking about this for a while, there is no better time than now to say YES! Saying yes to this product is one of the best decisions I've made for my family! You ready?

No matter what, we are all in this together! Back to school 2020, we've got this!

It's SNACK TIME!! No matter if your children are snacking in school or at home, make every snack count! If you are virtual learning, it's recommended to set up scheduled snack time each day so your kids can take a break and refuel their body!

Snacks don't always have to be in a package and stored in the cabinet. Snacks can also live in the fridge and have a ton of nutritional value! But, what are the best snacks to help kids stay focused while learning from home? GREAT QUESTION!!

The brain needs a ton of fuel to help kids stay focused throughout the day, but not just any fuel will do! Eating a good combination of nutrients will help with both short and long term brain function.

Top Tip: Set up at home snack stations for your children. Have a cabinet snack station AND a fridge snack station (a bin in each place that is designated for each child's snack). That way you have a good combination of healthy snacks readily available to your kids when it's snack time!

Below are some foods that you can try when your kids are virtual learning.

1- Berries are packed with antioxidants that help in so many ways!!
Berries have many positive effects on the brain, including:

*Improving communication between brain cells
*Increasing plasticity, which helps brain cells form new connections, thus boosting learning and memory

Simple Snack ideas: Frozen blueberries, berry-yogurt parfait, silver dollar blueberry pancakes

2- Nuts and seeds have a TON of brain health benefits. They not only contain antioxidants, but they are also a good source of omega-3 fatty acids!

Simple Snack ideas: Apples or celery with almond butter, trail mix with pumpkin seeds, peanut butter and banana quesadilla

3- Avocados are rich in vitamin E, vitamin K, potassium, and omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. The benefits of avocados are endless. They can protect the brain from free radicals and indirectly help with antioxidant absorption and improve blood flow to the brain.

Simple Snack ideas: Avocado toast, avocado smoothie, turkey avocado roll-up, guacamole

What are some of your favorite healthy snack ideas when your kids are virtual learning?

Always remember that we are all in this together. Back to school 2020, we've got this!

Let’s talk about lunchtime! Honestly this year’s lunch box does not need to look much different than last years. We have always wanted our kids to eat a healthy lunch and we still do. The only difference for 2020 is keeping things a bit more sanitized.

So, here are a few tips that might help..

📌 place a small hand sanitizer into the lunch box so they can clean their hands prior to eating. I also pack a wipe to clean the hand sanitizer off their hands – because it tastes gross and it’s not great to ingest.

📌 for younger kids pack them a disposable place mat for the table that they can eat on.

📌 pack a fork and encourage your kids to use that rather than their hands whenever possible.

📌 pack individually wrapped foods that you can eat without touching the food itself, for example:
· Fruit in squeeze pouches
· Peanut butter and almond butter packs (Make sure you are allowed to bring in nut butters)
· Granola bars that slide out of the package easily.
· Soups, pasta, salad or anything in a thermos
· Sandwiches wrapped in tinfoil

📌 remind your kids NOT to share food.

📌 teach your kids what to do with their masks safely when they take them off to eat their lunch. (They can place them on a paper towel or in a separate paper lunch bag)

📌📌 Bonus tip send your child to school with an extra mask or 2 in case the one they are wearing gets dirty.

Let’s focus on what really matters, keeping our kids happy and healthy. Focus on wholesome food and the tools to keep them safe and secure not nervous or anxious about eating. We are all in this together! Back to school 2020, we got this! ✌️💖