It’s no secret that often times you lose sight of yourself while trying to juggle it all. You take care of everyone and everything else – your family, your career, your home. By the end of the day, there’s no time for you! Sometimes you need to take a break from trying to be Super Woman and focus on yourself, your health and your body. Making yourself a priority will give you the energy and prepare you to tackle big things in life that come your way. You are too precious to ignore.
Check Yourself Out – It’s not easy, we know. You are the ringleader in your family circus – if you get sick, order stops, balls drop and chaos insues. But the consequeces of you not maintaining yourself or ignoring your body are far worse than getting a check up or taking the extra time to pay attention to your body. Below are health issues every woman should and must be aware of:
Breast Cancer
Pelvic Health
Melanoma
Diet Right! - We are what we eat – as they say. It’s true, if we eat junk, we feel like, well, junk. You can’t neglect what you put into your body as fuel. And with everything going on in our lives, we need to work in maximum efficiency. But Don’t overdo it!
Atkins Nutritionals
Diet Addiction
Don’t Be A Victim! – A study done by A.W.A.R.E (Arming Women Against Rape & Endangerment) says that a woman over the age of 21 has a 1 in 4 chance of experiencing a violent crime in their lifetime. If you’re a woman, you are a target for specific crimes. The best way to avoid a violent crime is prevention. If prevention fails, the best option is to fight back. But you need to know the how to fight back. Self defense is empowermant and if you protect yourself, you can protect your family.
Welcome to the home of the upcoming “Family Values Entertainment!”
Each Friday, tune in here to read a blog from me, the National Board of Mothers and Family Values Cinema CEO, Patty Leonard. I will be suggesting a DVD for you to watch at home with the family, hopefully something you might not have thought of, upcoming “family pick” TV shows for the week, and a good family movie in the theatres. You can always know that my top requirement is that each of my suggestions has gone through the rigorous review process from the National Board of Mothers and all the content is family friendly and “Mom Reviewed and Mom Approved,” unless otherwise noted.
I welcome your feedback and suggestions, and would love to hear what you would like for me to include in this weekly blog. In the meantime, if you are looking for more information, feel free to check Family Values Cinema for family friendly entertainment suggestions that have been “Mom Reviewed and Mom Approved.”
Be sure to come back every Friday and see what is happening in family friendly entertainment for the week! I am very excited to be here and look forward to having you join us.
Our show won 11 Telly Awards! The Balancing Act crew and O2 Media Inc. are very excited about the accomplishment. It’s wonderful to see co-workers recognized and rewarded for their hard work and their dedication to their craft. Congratulations, everybody!
Spring is FLYING by – so much so that it’s left your house behind in a dull winter funk. Summer will be here in a matter of weeks and you still haven’t gotten your Spring cleaning done? Not to fear, we’ve got you covered. Here’s a list of ”to-do’s” and tips for you to tackle in and around your home so you can breeze by comfortably into the summer months.
1. The Bedroom
Let’s tackle the toughest thing first – your bedroom (dun, dun duuunnnn!). It’s been your hibernation station throughout the winter and you’ve accumulated a lot of stuff (naturally). Well, It’s time to clear the clutter! Start with the closet and under the bed.
…and don’t let the bed bugs bite!
2. The Kitchen
The kitchen poses another problem altogether. Tackle those cupboards and drawers! Cooking aids must be handy and accessible at all times while in the kitchen. You don’t want to burn or overcook something because you can’t find a utensil on time. So, keep that in mind while your cleaning out and organizing.
3. The Bathroom
Bathrooms can get messy. With all those stray bottles of shampoo and hair products, it can easily turn into a disaster. Throw or store all the products you don’t use regularly and keep the ones you do use daily, visible and grouped together.
4. The Living Room
The living room is frequented, often, by everyone in the family. In most homes not too much clutter and hoarding takes place here (at least not as much as in the bedroom!). In this case, unless you are re-decorating, it’s just a matter of a thorough cleaning that comes along with high traffic living areas. Since your family and guests will be around this area constantly, find cleaners with chemicals that are safe for your family and the environment.
5. The Laundry Room
You may not think of the laundry room as a place that needs some sprucing, but if you’re in there for even an hour every other day, it should be clean and fresh. It is, after all, where you clean your garments. Stock it with worthwhile products so as not to accumulate too many bottles and jugs.
6. The Garage
The garage is a black hole for junk and clutter as it houses not only your car, but every sort of object imaginable (in some cases, there’s so much junk, the car can’t even fit!). We have more stuff than we do space! The solution of course is to maxamize your area with cabinets and shelving. Also, be prepared to throw out some things you don’t need or things that are broken.
7. Outside of the House
No matter how immaculate your home is inside, if the outside of your house is an eyesore, it just doesn’t seem complete. Spring cleaning must be done inside and out!
8. Maintenance
Inside and outside of your house is clean! YAY! Now if only it can stay that way. The best way to maintain and avoid such a great undertaking in the future, is to take the time to do a little every day.
…and if spring cleaning just isn’t for you, there’s always a cleaning service!
Oh, the dubious pleasure of the ultrasound. I find it odd that, besides the belly full of baby, everyone can see the shape, and debatably, the texture of my uterus. At least, that’s how it seems. It’s like, “oh here’s a picture of my most private woman parts. As you can see I’m in immaculate health. Why yes, you are correct, there is a baby in there.”
But for reals. Look at him. He’s already got the intense stare down, his tiny little ninja grip can be seen flexing as he practices his flying monkey stance or his imperious torture techniques. Man, this baby means BUSINESS! I feel bad for his future sandbox buddies. I already booked his first dojo session with Chuck Norris.
People often think that I would be disappointed if my little ninja came out to be a girl. I say: Not so! Even better! First of all, my daughter would come out so ridiculously good-looking, it would just be unfair to all other female offspring of her generation. Second of all, well, girls look cooler as ninjas. It’s true. I don’t really know whether Tim knows about my plan of world domination through our offspring. That’ll be a difficult conversation. But I’m sure he’ll agree once he sees our child’s calculated death grip on his first sippy cup.
Koreen Alvarado
Chronicles of a Baby Bump
About Koreen: This is Koreen Alvarado’s first pregnancy. She, admittedly, has no mothering credentials to speak of except that she is pregnant and finds it amusing. She does very important, big time things in Boston with her dog Duncan, cat Dash and her humorously tall boyfriend, Tim.
As women, we are constantly plagued with a style issue: How to find the perfect pair of jeans. Jeans are a wardrobe essential and choosing the perfect pair to fit your personality and body can often be daunting.
We’ve all gone through the “denim nightmares.” Whether it is a saggy butt, the dreaded mom jeans, or muffin top; none are terms which we want screaming from our rear views! I’ve shared the secrets of finding the perfect fit… The next step: giving you some “LEAVE ME SPEECHLESS” style!
The wonderful thing about personal style is you get to be anyone at any time. How much fun is that?! Today you might be classic, sophisticated, or bohemian chic and tomorrow you may feel a little more risqué, leaning towards edgy, sexy, fun and glamour. Choose your persona and let’s have some fun!
Glamour
Create a high-fashion look with Amazing Accessories: from a dramatic bag, the shiny gold hardware belt, Jackie O inspired glasses, and height-defying stilettos; every single piece should scream glamour. Combine everything together with a quality dark denim and ooh la la – très sophistiqué!
Sexy
You sexy thang, you! Nothing oozes sex appeal like a body hugging outfit – and I don’t mean the lay on your bed, out of breath, button breaking, and squeeze in your jeans tight! But a great fitted pair of jeans put together with a t-shirt/tank and a denim jacket creates effortless allure.
Fun
Mix your style up! Choose a classic jean rolled and paired with a vintage-esque looking blazer; add wedges and bold accessories for that oh-so-fun look.
Classic
Nautical stripes always inspire a timeless look, and pairing with a wide-leg denim trouser and peep-toe heel … FLAWLESS!
Bohemian Chic
Definitely my reason for living! Grab a flair jean (try white for a change), a 70s-inspired top, and a slouchy hobo bag… Don’t forget the oversized sunglasses!
Trendy
Keep your boyfriend close, but his jeans closer! Take the staple denim of the season and pair with a print top, a light scarf, and strappy sandal. Add a strand of pearls or puka shells, grab your bag, and leave your troubles on the door step!
Not everyone loves to speak in public. In fact, many people dread it, hate it, or are just plain bad at it.
The urban myth is that people fear public speaking more than they fear death. While it turns out that this isn’t quite true,* most of us probably agree that getting in front of an audience and delivering a message effectively is daunting.
And while you could try to avoid it altogether, the fact is that effective public speaking is an essential business skill that provides a competitive advantage to you – no matter what you do for a living.
It’s not only about being at a podium in front of a huge audience, either. Every day there are opportunities to use effective presentation skills to participate in meetings, network more effectively, or to motivate and inspire others.
Fear not — let’s go!
***
Rule #1. Don’t read your presentation(i.e. from notes or slideshows). Ever.
When people read to me, I lose interest, and I’m not the only one.
People want to interact with you, not just listen to you. So instead of reading off slides or notes, give yourself some key bullet points that will jog your memory and put them on note cards, then tell your story.
By the way, note cards are my best friend. I start with the entire presentation on them (sometimes 40 or 50 cards!) and just keep whittling down and whittling down until all the major points are summarized on one or two cards. This ensures I’m not tempted to read them, and helps me learn the material inside and out. I also keep my note cards for future reference, which comes in handy.
Here’s an example of an awful speech ABOUT speeches (oh, the irony) in which the speaker reads all his slides.
And this was from Toastmasters!
Rule #2. Practice.
This is the most obvious advice. It’s also the most ignored advice.
I myself have ignored it because I hate practicing. But you know what? It makes more of a difference than ALL the other tips combined. No joke.
If you really truly can’t bring yourself to practice by yourself in front of a mirror (I can’t either), then call or meet with someone – an honest someone – and do at least one quick run-through. I ALWAYS find problems with my presentations when I do this. And I ALWAYS regret when I don’t.
Rule #3. A picture’s worth 1,000 words.
Stop using slides full of bullets and text! I admit, I was guilty of this once upon a time. NO MORE. It’s FAR better to simply illustrate a principle using an image, chart or story. This guy on the right) really gets it, so I’ll let him explain it better than I can. (Click the image to watch)
Rule #4. Speak from the heart.
No matter WHAT your topic, you must be passionate about it or invested in it. Especially if it’s the most boring topic in the world!
Even when we aren’t perfect (andwho is?), the authenticity of speaking from the heart will compensate. Here is an example of a passionate speaker who perhaps isn’t perfect, but is nevertheless effective at inspiring her audience. Notice how she gets the crowd riled up and the mood crescendos from beginning to end. Very powerful.
Rule #5. Speak up!
(Corollary to Rule #5: Whenever you can, use a microphone.)
There’s nothing worse than a speaker who cannot be heard! Not only will you lose people, but they will likely start talking to people next to them, and then you’ve REALLY lost them.
So if you’re offered a microphone…take it. Embrace it! Microphones are awesome because they allow you to speak in your normal tone of voice, rather than pushing you beyond your comfort zone — this is helpful because it frees you up to focus on content.
I also highly, highly, highly recommend that if you’re giving a big talk, ask for a lavaliere mic (“lapel mic”) because holding a microphone is awkward. Freeing up your hands also allows you to use them for emphasis.
***
That’s it for now – though that’s nowhere NEAR an exhaustive list of what you can do to improve your skills. Some other ideas:
• Eliminate “verbal filler” like “um,” and “ah,” and “you know,” and “like” altogether. Try pausing instead. Pauses are great for effect.
• Know your audience. I like to use Constant Contact to take polls/surveys of my audience before speaking; this also allows me to prepare by incorporating answers to audience questions into my presentation.
• Interact! Take poll s, ask questions, try some role play. Adults learn better when they “discover” rather than are “taught.”
• Tell stories – good, short stories that illustrate a point.
• If you’re projecting a slide show, use a remote slide advancer (they’re only $40) and never, ever rely on someone else to advance your slides for you — it’s a recipe for disaster.
• Get feedback. Afterward, it’s important to get audience critiques. A great way to do this is with a feedback form (don’t look over people’s shoulders while they’re filling it out!).
• Test out your equipment ahead of time. ‘Nuff said.
Good luck! And send me YOUR tips — I want to hear them. You can post them below.
***
* It’s an urban myth because fear of public speaking was listed in The Book Of Lists (from the ’70s) as the “#1 most-reported fear,” and death came in as the #6 most-reported fear. However, that’s very different from “Which of the following things do you fear most? Public speaking or death?” Even if you are terrified of public speaking, if someone puts a gun to your head and says “I’ll kill you unless you get up on stage and speak in front of 500 people” – what would you do? Exactly.
Welcome to the home of the upcoming “Family Values Entertainment!”
About Koreen: This is Koreen Alvarado’s first pregnancy. She, admittedly, has no mothering credentials to speak of except that she is pregnant and finds it amusing. She does very important, big time things in Boston with her dog Duncan, cat Dash and her humorously tall boyfriend, Tim.
As women, we are constantly plagued with a style issue: How to find the perfect pair of jeans. Jeans are a wardrobe essential and choosing the perfect pair to fit your personality and body can often be daunting.
Glamour
Sexy
Classic
Bohemian Chic
Trendy
