Build Muscle Tone With this One Simple Product

You don't have to own a lot of elaborate or expensive equipment to develop muscle tone. If you want one product that will help you accomplish a more defined look, takes up little room, weighs practically nothing, travels well, and is inexpensive, then resistance bands are what you're after!

Sure, you could invest a thousand dollars on a piece of machinery that you see advertised on an infomercial with a good looking person all sweaty and toned. And yes, you could fork out all that dough just to later use the equipment as an extension of your closet and hang clothes on it. Or, you could spend just $10 and get the results you want. No, your friends won't be impressed with this little fitness product because it doesn't look massive or costly but they will be impressed with the toned body that you'll quickly develop by using it.

Benefits of Resistance Bands?

* very inexpensive
* allows you to increase the intensity of your workout without buying additional products
* easy to store
* travels well because it's light weight
* builds muscle tone
* your kids will love using them too - this can be good or bad!

This one simple product can help you build muscle tone which will not only create a leaner look for you, but also increase your metabolism allowing you to burn more calories performing normal daily activities. The bands include a manual with basic moves to help you get started. As your muscle tone develops, you can adjust the resistance of the bands by how you hold them. This allows you to start off with easy moves and then graduate to more challenging ones as your strength improves.

Resistance bands allow you to workout in the comfort of your home without a lot of hi-tech equipment. They're also perfect if you're traveling and want to keep up with your workout regimen. The bands easily fit into your luggage, or purse for that matter, and can give you a great workout no matter where you are for a fraction of the cost of other workout equipment.

Whether you've never lifted a weight in your life or you're used to pumping iron on a regular basis, resistance bands will help you attain the goals you're after when trying to develop a lean and toned physique.

Fun Christmas Treat the Kids Will Love to Make and All Will Love to Eat!

Your kids will have a blast making this delicious holiday candy because it involves a hammer and lots of pounding. Perfect for boys or anyone who needs to burn off a little stress and energy!

We've been making Peppermint Bark a Christmas family tradition because it's so easy and fun and tastes delicious. My four boys love to get the opportunity to crush, pound, and hammer away at the candy canes to smash them into little pieces for the recipe. How can making a treat get any better than that?


Peppermint Bark

1 cup of crushed candy canes
2 pounds white chocolate
2 tsp pure peppermint extract (may adjust to taste)

* Place unwrapped candy canes in a heavy duty resealable bag and hammer into small pieces. (I recommend doing this on a cutting board to protect your table.)
* Melt chocolate in a double boiler. Add peppermint extract and remove from heat.
* Stir in candy canes until blended.
* Pour mixture onto a cookie sheet lined with waxed or parchment paper and place in refrigerator until firm, about 45-60 minutes.
* Break into pieces and store in a air tight container.

(This recipe makes for great gifts as well as for your whole family to enjoy. It also freezes well, which can allow you to work ahead.)

Making Time for What's Most Important!

In one of my last blog posts I talked about working ahead for the holidays just in case something unexpected occurred, such as one of your children getting sick. Well, last week I experienced something unexpected that was much more tragic than one of my children becoming ill; I had a friend that was killed in a car wreck.

Holiday parties and shopping took to the back burner and nothing was important except for being there to grieve with my friends, take food to the family and help out in any way that I could. I didn't care what I had or hadn't done to prepare for the busiest time of the year because none of that mattered. All that mattered was being a friend to help those that were grieving and to be able to grieve myself.

It did help, however, to be organized when I had to reenter the real world and have most of what I needed to accomplish for the holidays completed. I didn't feel overwhelmed by all the responsibilities I had to put aside during such a difficult time.

This tragic experience really helped me to remember what's truly important in life and that we should cherish all the blessings that we have!

Shop Now to Save Money and Sanity

Now is the time to get your holiday shopping complete if you haven't already. If you shop now instead of putting it off to the last minute, you'll end up spending less and most likely get gifts that you feel good about.

When you've put off your holiday shopping until the last minute, you're much more likely to shell out extra cash on a gift that's less than perfect because you're pressured by a deadline.

Take a minute and write out everyone you need to shop for from teachers to your children along with gift ideas. Designate a day to shop and which stores will have what you need and shop strategically so you're not driving all over town looking for what you want. Set a personal deadline for when you want to have all your shopping complete and allow a little buffer in case things don't go as planned - we all know kids love to get sick this time of year. You might also find it handy to purchase a few generic gifts for an unexpected guest or gift giver. This will also prevent you from running to the stores at the last minute if you realize you forgot to put someone down on your gift list.

Approaching your holiday shopping this way will save you money, help you pick out the perfect gifts for your friends and family and allow you to enjoy the shopping experience without feeling stressed!

Happy Shopping!

Suncreen is Needed Even in the Winter Months to Prevent Wrinkles and Have Youthful Skin

Just because you've put away your bathing suit and beach chair does NOT mean you can take a vacation from sunscreen. With the drop in temperature, you might not feel like you're being exposed to harmful rays but don't be fooled! You need to wear sunscreen all 12 months of the year to prevent the damage caused by the sun.

By applying sunscreen you're protecting yourself against the source that accounts for 90% of your skin's premature aging including wrinkling. You don't have to be at the pool or by the beach to need sunscreen. Everyday you're exposed to the sun's harmful rays even if it's just running errands. The damage from the sun is cumulative, so 5 minutes here and 10 minutes there of exposure all add up. Most people think that if they don't see themselves tan or get red from the sun that no harm was done - that's not true. You can't always see the damage and if you do, you really know you've hurt yourself. This also means that those of you with dark skin complexions aren't off the hook. Even though you never burn, you still need to apply sunscreen to prevent premature aging as well as skin cancer.

Which sunscreens are the best?

Not all sunscreens are created equal. Look at the list of active ingredients for titanium dioxide, avobenzone or zinc oxide. If a sunscreen doesn't contain one of these ingredients don't get it. The sunscreen should also state on its label "broad spectrum UVA/UVB". Again, don't buy it if it doesn't.

For my face, my favorite brands are Obagi Nu-Derm Healthy Skin Protection SPF 35 and SkinCeuticals Ultimate UV Defense and Sport Defense (these are available on my store web page at www.TodaysUltimateMom.com). If you need one that's a little more price friendly, Neutrogena Healthy Defense Oil-Free SPF 45 is a great choice. I use this brand on my arms and hands and save the more expensive brands for my face and neck. These sunscreens don't leave you feeling like you have on a layer of grease and you don't smell like you should be at the beach. For the kids and days by the pool, I have found Banana Boat Baby, Kids and Sport to be the best at keeping the sun away.

How to get the most out of your sunscreen:

1. Make sure you apply enough to get a white film initially when rubbing it in.
2. Apply 30 minutes before going out in the sun.
3. Reapply 2-4 hours if you'll be in the sun a long time.
4. Put sunscreen on your face as the last step of your daily routine. Foundations and moisturizers weaken its effect if you put it on top of the sunscreen.
5. Always use SPF of 15 or higher.
6. Wear sunscreen on your face, neck and hands everyday(the last two tend to get overlooked.)

Making it a habit to put on sunscreen everyday will protect your skin and minimize wrinkles. It's also the best way to prevent skin cancer. It's easy for busy moms to neglect this aspect of skin care but, you'll benefit tremendously if you make it a part of your morning routine. We moms have a enough wrinkle-causing stress trying to keep up with the demands placed on us in raising kids and managing our households, we don't need to add to the the aging process by forgoing this important part of skincare. Down the road, you'll be so glad you did!