Jennifer Lee and Leah Turner are two absolutely incredible women who created a literal masterpiece with Creating Your Masterpiece. It is an ingenious way to gather women together to learn and celebrate their spirit! So Moms, get your girlfriends together and come join these women and have some fun that you didn’t remember you could do!

Leah’s background was in the “corporate” world for over 20 years which caused her to eventually ask herself what was her passion. Her true life passion. She loved empowering women… helping them find the life balance we all crave.

Jen’s background was in sales, sales management, being a sole business owner, sales coaching.. .you name it, she’s done it in sales. Well, they both worked together in the corporate environment for 5 years and one night started brainstorming ideas. Over a good bottle of wine, they were talking, discussing, dreaming, using their vision boards and came up with CREATING YOUR MASTERPIECE just like that! Leah had received her degree in life coaching and was ready to go!

What they’ve done is use the group coaching method to bring together groups of women in a fun, nonthreatening environment. Using their right and left brain techniques, women go through a series of self assessments, new goals, developing new dialogue, and establish a great support system. In a 4-hour workshop, you literally rediscover who you are. This is ideal for a group of friends to experience together in order to truly support one another in changing their lives.

They also offer additional services that you can learn about online such as their presentations and one-on-one coaching sessions. Whatever you need, they will find it for you.

During our conversation, we talk about many things. One of which is that we really work with art or create our own masterpiece during this workshop. They have a 3 part series that progresses from the previous workshop. With each one, you do something creative that further emphasizes the learning process for that particular workshop or is a tool to help you implement these changes such as creating a bead bracelet or a mirror. Something to remind you of the new dialogue or way of thinking…

Both Leah and Jennifer bring up the fact that women tend to not invest in themselves. They will buy a new purse, a new pair of shoes, but rarely do women invest in something that will change their lives forever such as the Creating Your Masterpiece Workshops.

So, moms… I planted the seed earlier in the show. This would be a fun, creative idea for a gift for your closet circle of women… moms, sisters, friends.. how fun you would have doing something totally different, unique, and forever?!

Check them out! I love Jen and Leah! You will too!

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First, we begin by introducing Dr. Joe who totally fell in love with the Family Residency Program at Florida Hospital East Orlando back in the early 90’s. He was also in private practice for 5 years in Casselberry before he decided to follow his path back to Florida Hospital East Orlando. When I asked him why he chose medicine, his answer was that it was his way of giving back to the community.

Dr. Joe shares with us that it is extremely important for women to have their annual exams. The pap smear test is where cells are taken from the cervix in order to identify precancerous changes. Cervical cancer is one of the few cancers that are truly preventable. Historically, pap smears have only been done for the last 50 years. Forty years ago, cervical cancers was the number one cause of death for women.

Guidelines women over 35 years of age are if a woman has had normal pap smears and a negative HPV test, she may wait 3 years until her next pap smears. OB/GYNs may also refill oral contraceptives in that window. THis is not to say that you may skip your annual exam all together!!! You must still have an annual exam where an entire physical including a breast exam must be done.

We also discussed the HPV (Human Papilloma Virus) Vaccine called Gardasil which is recommended for ages 9-26 years of age and having the series of three injections completed before sexual activity begins. It has a huge impact on prevention of cervical cancer. Gardasil is protects against 4 types of strains of HPV- two of which are the leading types for cervical cancer. 77% of all cervical cancers is caused by these 2 strains. He continues to share with us that over 80% of women today will be affected by 1 or more of the subtypes of HPV. Most HPV infections will clear on their own which is why there is less aggressive treatment with women under the age of 30 years of age. Dr. Joe very strongly encourages us to start the Gardasil vaccination series for our daughters as soon as possible.

We also discuss a little bit about what we should do when we get a follow up phone call that our pap smear results may be slightly abnormal. It may be due to slight inflammation, an infection, or something very mild. The result usually is called ASCUS or atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance and follow up is either a repeat pap smear in a few months or having a colposcopy done which an outpatient procedure that takes a closer look at your cervix with a special instrument called a colposcope or as I call it a microsope on legs.

Dr. Joe says that the key to a good experience with your annual exam is education. Communicate with your healthcare provider and give him/her feedback if anything is uncomfortable for you so you do have a better experience the next time. If he/she does not listen, then maybe you need to go to another provider, right?

As you listen to this interview, really listen to how approachable Dr. Joe is! All your physicians and healthcare providers all should be and also be willing to answer your questions! Remember this. They want only to give you the best information about your health as possible and to take care of you to the best of their ability. Ask your physician. Talk to your healthcare provider. This is what your visits should be like! Communicate with each other and your visits will be a success.

Don’t forget, if you are in the East Orlando Area, please go visit Florida Hospital East Orlando! Stop by to say hi to Dr. Joe!

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Jane shares with us that food dyes that are often in many of our foods such as RED 40 or YELLOW 5 are synthetic dyes (not natural ingredients, at all!!! )and are made from petroleum!?! ( Yes, I was rather shocked when I heard this!) Jane has had over 25 years of experience researching, writing, and educating families about this in her work. She says that all you have to do is turn the box over to read the ingredients and you will see the color and a number attached to it.

Why should we be concerned about food dyes? Many studies have shown a link to behavior issues such as ADHD or ADD with food dyes in the food we eat. Also, in animals, many of these dyes cause tumors. Making simple changes such as the type of chocolate can make a big difference. Other things we need to look for in our food is Aspertame and also VANILLIN. For more information, please log onto www.ADHDdiet.org where you will find comprehensive studies as well as lists of foods that are natural vs. not natural.

When I asked her what we can do for our families during Halloween to be able to make healthier choices, she stated that we can go to many of our local grocery stores or stores such as Whole Foods or Trader Joes and go to their natural candy section. We can have candies from Art and Palmer, Giradelli chocolate, Cloud Nine is another brand. Look at the ingredients and if they say natural flavorings, natural colorings, you are good to go! Buy away! Eat and not worry!!!

To avoid the Halloween Hangover, Jane recommends the following:

• Stock up on natural treats
• Swap the candy you collect with good treats (that you have bought that has natural ingredients)
• Collect candy and leave it outside for the Halloween Witch to switch it out with a favorite toy (works well with younger aged children)
• Pull out the candy that is “good candy” and with the remaining, you may want to have a craft with it such as one mom who made a candy castle out of all the inedible candy.

Moms, this is not meant to cause havoc or chaos during this Halloween . We just wanted to share with you what “else” is in candy besides sugar. We owe it to our children to give them the safest and best Halloween and why not start with the candy. M & M ’s with all it bright colors in the UK is colored with only natural colorings. They have banned the synthetic dyes from their M&M’s. But, not here in the US.

For more information, log onto www.ADHDdiet.org and also www.cspinet.org . When I did my bit of research on this topic, I was rather amazed at the amount of information that is available for us regarding this topic and how little we really know about it! There are many organizations and people trying to ban food dyes from our diets, which of course will take time as well as millions of dollars! What’s taking the FDA so long?! Please, check out both these sites and you will view food in an entirely different light!

After I talked to Jane, I immediately went into my candy stash that I bought specifically for Halloween to pass out. I was sadly disappointed that many of my favorites are not the wisest choices for my family. So, now I have to go back and choose differently… more wisely… for my family’s health. What about you?

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One of the things that really appealed to me about Jody’s book was how easy it was to read! That’s key in our busy lives, isn’t it? It’s compact and easy to carry around to soccer practice, waiting in the car line, or to curl up at night after the kids go to bed. Jody uses the symbolism of the bee because it means so many good things: greatness, royalty,synchronicity as well as spirititual rebirth and transformation. The journey we take is always transformational and something we go through on a constant basis. Our spirit grows each day as we choose the path for us…

Jody discusses 7 Principles such as “Bee”ing and “Bee” Willing that helps us to learn what it is we want. It is so challenging for us women to just be such as in her principle of “Bee”ing. We are always thinking of what we have to do, where we have to be, who we have to see, right? Rarely do we really “bee” in the moment and cherish that. One of the Attaction Actions that she has us participate in the book is where we pick an activity- an ordinary activity such as brushing our teeth and make it extraordinary. We pay extraordinary attention to the details… the sound of the water from the faucet, the feeling of tile beneath our feet, the smell of the toothpaste, etc. Do this for 5 minutes and see/hear/feel how different you feel. ( I did this after the interview and wow! I’ll never brush my teeth with the same perspective again. I was more mindful of this activity. )

This is what Jody and I were discussing about being more mindful of what we are doing as we are doing it. Helping our children with their homework. Are we really “with them” or are we just sitting them physically, but are thinking of other things?! Just bringing awareness to this will help you change.

Jody also has a section in the book where she affectionately talks about the Monkey Mind which is from the teachings of Buddhism. This concept is where we as moms tend to go to our Funkey Monkey where the thoughts are negative, counterproductive, and eventually cause us to go into a Funk. We need to stop judging and bring our levels of energy to a higher vibration- attraction levels. Stop the Funkey Monkey now!!!

When I asked Jody what are some steps we can take to start reaching for our dreams, changing our lives now she suggested three things:

1. Get the book, Attraction Actions: New “Bee”haviors for creating the life you deserve.
2. Do the Attraction Actions that are mentioned in the book: they are easy to follow and fun!
3. Go online to www.buzZen.us and get the BuzZen Box which is wonderful support and gives you the accountability you need to start.

On the website, they also have an incredible interactive community appropriately called the Hive and guess what? Jody has given our listeners a free 60 day membership in the Hive for you to see what it is all about and what fantastic things you can learn and achieve by being members. Here like-minded women are free to be themselves and support one another with positive and encouraging energy. All good stuff!!!

Here’s the link: http://hive.buzzen.us/members/buzzen/info/Buzzen-join.html+CharterMembers.

I’ll be on there and will also have a blog as well. We’ll see what cool things we’ll learn together! So, moms… please go online and learn all what the moms are BuzZen about! Learn about the Attraction Actions and find out who you are and just “Bee”! Thanks so much for listening!

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They started out not even knowing each other! Melissa has a background in television and film and Ellie’s background was in news. They met at a birthday party while their daughters were in kindergarten and immediately bonded when talking about the high pressures of business, juggling motherhood with work. (Sounds familiar, right?) Not knowing they both went to the same baby boutique, they had the exact same experience! They both left in tears at being overwhelmed with the choices and not knowing what to choose!

They began writing down ideas on napkins and wanted to do something to change the negative experience they had at the boutique. So, in the fall of 2006, they immediately began brainstorming and researched ideas for the next 9 months. They opened their doors just last Spring 2007 and already have hit the big time! They have been on the Rachel Ray Show, In the Loop, and are contributors on iVillage and other pregnancy/baby magazines!

They are on the West Coast, but that should not limit us moms who are not in Los Angeles. Online they have a national consultation service that would be great for baby shower gifts. Rates start off at $75/30 minutes and you can ask them anything you want. They send you a rather comprehensive and detailed questionnaire so they can best understand your lifestyle and needs. So, based on your answers they customize their service just for you! You tell them what type of things you want and they do ALL THE RESEARCH and LEGWORK for you! Man! I wish I had this service over 11 years ago!!!

One of the biggest stresses they say moms (and dads) have is this pressure they have to get things right the first time around! The baby business is an over 8 billion dollar industry and it is rather overwhelming to know which stroller, high chair, diaper is the right one for your amazing bundle of life!

So, Ellie and Melissa do all the research and you pick which ones are the right ones for your family. One suggestion that they have is for you to take take for you before the baby is born. Don’t try to do everything at once. Have fun. Go on dates. Get that pedicure. Read a book. Take a nap.

They made me laugh when they suggested for moms to get the fabulous diaper bag. It’s an extension of you and your personal style. A fabulous diaper bag will immediately boost your spirits even when you’ve only had 2 hours of sleep, right?! I wish I had done that way back when.

So, moms or moms-to-be… go to TheBabyPlanners.com and speak with either Ellie or Melissa or both! They are absolutely amazing and fun. I could so fly to LA and just hang out with them! They are down-to-earth and really want to “take the labor out of your delivery.”

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This week, we have the answer for you! We bring to you Laura Faye, the chief operating officer of Happy Neuron out in San Francisco, California. She graciously agreed to speak with us so early on the West Coast and are so happy she did! Happy Neuron is an incredible program that our whole family can participate in to make our brains healthier. (Don’t you just love the name? Happy Neuron is just what our neurons become, right? )

Happy Neuron was designed by a team of neurologists, cognitive and neuroscientists as a mental exercise for a healthy brain. Research has stated that when we actively participate in a cross functional brain workout, we can defer age related brain decline. As an adult, we can learn how to stimulate our brains and neurons can be regenerated with the appropriate stimulus. So, the dynamic team at Happy Neuron has developed fun, challenging and I say , addicting games that are designed to specifically train certain areas of our brains.

With a series of exercises, combined with an online virtual coach, we can strengthen the language, attention, memory, visual and spacial skills, and the executive function areas of our brains. But, how often do we have to do this? Are we supposed to exercise our brains every day or can we give ourselves a bolus at the beginning then take it easy for the remainder of the week? Is “brain exercise” different than physical exercise?

Laura explains that like physical training, it is best to train on a regular basis of 3 times/week for about 20 minutes. Spread it over a couple of day and learn how to have fun and use the different areas of our brains! And let me tell you, this website is so easy to use and the games just make time go by quickly! 90 minutes felt like 9 minutes instead! The virtual coach is a wonderful feature to help you feel more comfortable navigating the various games and areas of Happy Neuron.

All you have to do is register for a free 7-day trial to see how you like it! The games become gradually more challenging and offer you a wide variety for everyone’s interests. The investment to your brain health is about $9.95/month or $99.95/year. It ’s really only about 30 cents/day. Not bad to help your brain function better.

I had a great time  using Happy Neuron. And for someone who is technologically non-adept, this was a piece of cake for me to use! My neurons certainly were happy campers when I played the Happy Neuron games. Literally, that is what I did! I play and had fun! Never would have guessed I was “teaching and regenerating neurons…”!!!

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We are all created to be beings of wellness, not in a state of dis- ease… Qigong will enable us to ramp up our immune system, our cardiovascular system, our nervous system, and the list goes on! All we need to do is devote some time to it. Devote time to ourselves, as moms…

Jeff Primack encourages us to make a vow for 30 days to nourish our bodies, minds, and souls with Qigong. Guaranteed we will feel like a brand new person! We should try to practice Qigong for about 45 minutes/day, but any time we can devote is wonderful too.

So, this event will be 4 days long at the Orange County Convention Center on June 28 to July 1st, 2008. There will be presentations after 5 pm and this year will be the first ever live music event as well! We can stay as long as we’d like to, Jocelyn says. ( I sure will… kids are all taken care of and my hubby will be with me experiencing the powers of Qigong… I’m staying as long as I can!)

I did share my concern about not being a particularly “in shape ” person and worrying about the physical demands of 4 DAYS of exercise. She assured me we will feel strong and empowered. Please bring a mat, comfortable clothing and layers in case it is cool in the room. We will be doing level 1 Qigong the first 2 days then on the 3rd day, we will do level 2. Also, accompanying the days are breath empowerment exercises that Jocelyn says have so much incredible power. Wow! I can’t wait…

Make sure you listen to the end of our interview to hear the incredible insight of a 10 year old boy whom Jocelyn taught Qigong to at an elementary school. THIS is WHY Jocelyn is so happy with sharing Qigong to others. Moms, you need to sign up or at least check out their site to purchase a DVD. I’m so looking forward to this and will let you know how much of an impact it made on myself as well as the others I love. I really feel blessed to have met Jocelyn and know that she and I are only beginning this wonderful journey of self-discovery  together…

Happy Listening!

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Some of you are probably wondering by now how hokey this may all sound. Supreme Science blah, blah, blah… right? Well, I know you may be doubtful, but my hubbie, Troy and I are going to give Qigong a try. We met Jocelyn at the Green Earth Expo about 2 weeks ago along with Jeff Primack and his wife, Anne at their Supreme Science Qigong Foundation booth. We were so excited to meet them and learn about qigong. They were so genuinely warm and the way they spoke about the benefits of qigong, we were hooked!

Jocelyn and I immediately clicked and we felt like we knew each other for years! (Don’t you just love how that happens?) She shares with us how Qigong is over 5,000 years old (Tai Chi is only 700 years old…) and how it uses breath, authentic and sacred movements and setting intentions. How wonderful it is to create and tap into this life force energy and all come together to change the world. We can use it to create changes in our bodies, in our family, in our community.

So, why not gather over 3,000 people at the Orlando Convention Center and all breathe, move and set intentions for world peace, the hungry children of the world, or the people in Orlando?! On June 28-July 1st, the Supreme Science Qigong Foundation has reserved over 60,000 sq.ft for 4 days of incredible life energy. This is all for the mind boggling amount of $70 for ALL FOUR DAYS!!! Total!

All we need to do is register online and make our reservation! This empowering group energy is so strong that it was outlawed in China!

We really wanted to come to be able to be a part of something so positive and also to learn how to practice Qigong ourselves at home! Jocelyn and I just kept talking that I had to ask her to come back next week to talk about the details of this incredible 4-day event. She gave us a little bit of information, but I want details, don’t you?!

So, come back next week and learn more about breathing, movement, and intentions/blessings/prayers and how Qigong can help you become a more peaceful and powerful mom! I’ll definitely report back after the event to let you know what and how I felt experiencing Qigong…

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We continue our conversation about the layers of protection and Geoff reiterates to us to remember that the first and foremost layer of protection is Supervision. We all know that does break down and we just physically cannot supervise 100% and that does fail which is why there are other layers of protection! (Just like an onion from Shrek… Many layers…)

Geoff gently reminds us that we have to know what our own lifestyle like to know a products effectiveness in our families. For example, when talking about safety barriers such as a fence what kinds of fencing will suit our families lifestyle? There are different kinds out there with various mesh, colors, and brands. some are black and some are “vanishing” with a gray border and with wider mesh. (This answer was to my “mom question” regarding the aesthetics of pool fencing and their attractiveness. Surprisingly, this was a more common dad question! Ah… in touch with their inner decor sensitivities.)

Also, what about self-closing and self-latching gates? There is a magnetic latched gate developed in Australia that is extremely effective and has high closure rates. It is the de facto standard, as Geoff states.

We also get to hear how pool alarm works. He actually brought one in studio and it was so interesting as well as loud! There is no way a family can ignore this sound! There is even a warning beep to let us know that the door is open and a potential hazard. However, we may become immune to the sound and not even hear it. I liked the alarm concept and encouraged moms to get them. What do you think?

Also, we have to think about the door and windows on our homes. Do we secure all the doors and windows that lead to the pool? Which ones do we place an alarm on? Again, Geoff shares with us that it depends on each individual family.

Another layer of protection is parents becoming CPR certified! Yes. This is one thing that I can 100% tell you parents do not do! It is something that we owe our families to take that extra step. And on www.thepoolsafetyresource.com , Geoff has a company who can help us become CPR certified. Being a nurse, I am, however, I can tell you that none of my friends or family who is not in a health related field is CPR certified. This is a scary thought to consider how we have not taken this necessary step.

I just loved talking with Geoff because he is so easy to talk to! He shares with us more tips to keep us safe and also what the most common myths/misconceptions parents have regarding pool safety. Notice I’m not sharing this because I WANT you to listen to our conversation with Geoff. What do you think they are and are you guilty of believing them yourselves?!

Please go check out www.thepoolsafetyresource.com or call 407.834.9182 for more information. And just because you don’t live in Central Florida, you can STILL contact Geoff to learn more. He can direct you or refer you to someone he trusts. For all of you who have pets, Geoff has also included a pet safety solution section on his incredible website! See why we love Geoff Dawson so much?!?

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Visit our other shows:
Pediatric Pearls
Madness of Motherhood
We Make A Difference
Family Vacations

We wanted to do a special edition of our show so you can go hear her speak at the following locations:

St. Augustine, Florida

May 19th @ 5:30 pm at Present Moment Cafe. Dinner is at 5:30 pm featured a delicious raw meal prepared by Present Moment Cafe. There is a fee for dinner. Call the Cafe for details. The address: 224 W. King St. ST. Augustine, Fl 32084. Phone: 904-827-4499. Call for reservations.

Port Orange, Florida

May 20th @ 7 pm at Debbie’s Health Food Store. Address: 3850 South Nova Rd. Port Orange, Fl 32127 Phone: 386-763-7046. Call for reservations.

Flagler Beach, Florida

May 2st @ 7 pm at Almond Blossom Cafe. Address: 408 S. Daytona AVe. Flagler Beach, Fl 32136. Phone: 386-439-7544. Call for reservations.

Brenda Cobb has an incredible book, The Living Foods Lifestyle and in it she speaks about how in Feb. 1999, she was diagnosed with breast cancer with only 6 months to a year to live. Her family had a history of ovarian, cervical, and breast cancers. She knew that there was a way to help herself. So, after much research, she discovered organic, raw living foods. Within 6 months, her oncologists were amazed that the cancer was GONE!!!

Not only was her cancer gone, her acid reflux, indigestion, allergies, migraines, eczema, rashes, depression and weight problem of being almost 200 pounds also disappeared. Her gray hair was no longer gray, but the brown color of her youth! She was no longer out of balance. After two more years, her vision improved and she no longer needed to wear glasses. Amazing, isn’t it?!

I do have to say upon meeting her that she does look fantastic. Her skin, her general appearance, everything! She has a center called the Living Food Institute in Atlanta, Georgia where she has a 2 week program where we can learn how to live a living foods lifestyle. You can go onto her website, www.livingfoodsinstitute.com or call 800-844-9876 or email at info@livingfoodsinstitute.com. Brenda is also avaiable for private phone consultations.

We will definitely have her back to talk more about this program and how we can apply it to our own homes for the health benefits for our entire family! I have the book and plan to read it from cover to cover.

If you’re in any of those cities, please go and listen to her speak. You will learn so much and want to start immediately in your own homes! Our normal programming of our show will have Geoff Dawson’s part 2 of his conversation with us about pool safety and our families! Thanks for listening to our first special addition!

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I met Geoff Dawson at a workshop he was giving and I was simply fascinated!!!( I already had my two older children participate in a similar program when they were 18 months old and 3 years old.) But what intrigued me about Geoff was not only his passion and dedication, but how he created another business called the Pool Safety Resource in addition to being an Infant Swimming Resource Instructor! (Plus, I really love his English accent…)

Geoff starts off by telling us that Dr. Harvey Barnett created this infant swimming survival program over 40 years ago and that there are over 20 independent instructors in the Central Florida Orlando region! Infants start as young as 6 months old and the oldest children are about 6 years of age. This program may not be for all parents, but it certainly is effective for those who participate. It also requires a great deal of dedication on the parents’ parts because this is a 4-6 week program where the baby/child is in the pool 5 days a week for a 10 minute lesson. Consistency is the key, says Geoff. And he is certainly correct!

It all depends on the personality of your child and how long it may take. Geoff suggests visiting the instructor you are interested in taking lessons from BEFORE you go to your first lesson. It is extremely important for you to 150% trust your instructor that he/she will keep your child’s best interest at heart and that you agree with his/her teaching style. He says that he does not graduate any child from his program until you are happy with the results. (How awesome is that?!?)

Geoff teaches from his home pool in Longwood… way too far for me in East Orlando! We would have loved him to be our son’s teacher. However, we found one here in our neighborhood and we ABSOLUTELY love, love,love her! Peggy Woolworth in East Orlando. She’s incredible and a gift as well.

We continued our conversation about pool safety and his topic of layers of protection regarding safety. When one layer fails, we must make sure we have other layers in place to help keep our families safe. Swimming lessons, pool fences, alarms, etc. WIth his website, thepoolsafetyresource.com we learn about all sorts of things to keep our families protected! Fantastic resource for parents!!!

One of the important things we discussed was pool rules. Geoff could not emphasize enough RULE #1: Pool Supervision by Mom and Dad. He also stated that when there is a pool party to designate a POOL WATCHER and give him/her a timer at 15 minute increments. This way the designated pool watcher watches without distraction for 15 minutes at a time and can still have fun at the party. It’s not possible to watch the children 100% of tthe time, but it is prudent to have this type of protection in place. Great suggestion, Geoff!!!

He also tells us how he became an ISR instructor. He was the biggest of all doubting Thomases, but after enrolling his 14 month old son in the program, his wife suggested he become an instructor. And, the rest is as they say, ,HISTORY!!! He’s a wonderful and caring father who absolutely is devoted to teaching children how to be safe in the pool. If you are looking for an instructor for your child and you are in Central Florida, be sure to give Geoff a ring!

We had to cut our interview short with Geoff, but will bring him back next week to continue our lesson on pool safety. Also, be sure to check out that video we were talking about earlier in our interview about the little 13 month old , Miles and how ISR helped him in this dramatization! It was on YouTube and you can find it also on the Infant Swimming Resource site.

Stay tuned next week and be sure to watch the Today Show tomorrow! Happy Listening!!!

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Dr. Nguyen wanted to increase the awareness in one of least talked about complications during pregnancy- stillbirth. The definition of a stillbirth is having a fetal death in utero (while you are pregnant) after 20 weeks gestation (pregnant). Medical journals from Harvard University, the World Health Organization (WHO) and many others have indicated that when there is decrease in fetal movement, there is a fourfold increase risk in having a stillbirth. Many of your OB/Gyn’s encourage you to keep track of your babies movements. There must be at least 10 counts of movement in less than 15 minutes is recommended, however, if you do not count 10 movements in 2 hours, you must call your physician immediately.

Dr. Nguyen has created the Kick Track which is a very small device to help moms keep track of the baby’s movements and has an internal memory, in case Mommy brain has set in. She has also created another website, babykickalliance.org where moms receive a fetal kick chart online and can find out as much information as they need to learn how important their baby’s movements are.

A few of the risk factors for moms who may be at risk for stillbirths are:

• Smoking
• Infertility
• Hypertension
• Being of African American descent
• Obese
• Never had a baby before
• Low socioeconomic status

This is not to say that if you have the above risk factors, you will have a stillbirth. You should discuss this with your OB/Gyn and find out what you need to do to make sure your baby is healthy. What tests do you need, how frequent should you be doing the fetal kick charts, etc. Talk with your provider!!! If anything, this should encourage you to seek regular prenatal care.

Check out the following websites for more information:

• www.babykick.com
• www.makeeverykickcount.org
• www.babykick.blogspot.com
• www.babykickalliance.org

You will find out more information about your pregnancy and keeping your baby healthy during the next 40 weeks than you had ever imagined. Dr. Diep Nguyen certainly is passionate about the care of women and their unborn babies and has devoted a great deal of her expertise to help us moms! Tell everyone you know about Kick Track and BabyKick.com!

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Alexis discovered when she was with her husband on a date that the only pieces of information/instruction she left her babysitter was her cell number and the neighbor’s. What would happen to her two beautiful angels if God-forbid something happened to both her and her husband?!? So, she decided to use this fear/concern as a catalyst to take action. She created a wonderful service called The Kids Protection Plan where parents can log online and for FREE, NO CHARGE obtain forms and more information on naming the guardian for your children. It took her two years, but she did it! This website is incredible! Easy to use, easy to follow, and best of all, there is NO EXCUSE for you now to not take the appropriate steps to ensure your children’s future.

She shares with us the three steps (all of which are on her website, www.kidsprotectionplan.com):

1. List all the people you are willing to have raise your children. ( At least 3-5)
2. List the most important priorities you think you want when choosing who will raise your children (values, parenting styles, location, age).
3. Take the two lists and match them up!

You have to go to the website to learn more details and information, but that’s it in a nutshell. The site is just incredible and comprehensive!

In our conversation, she continues to tell us about the 6 most common mistakes parents make when they choose their guardians. You have to listen to find out what those 6 common mistakes are. Alexis really brings up several points that I had not even considered! She is matter-of-fact in a nice way and just tells us that we NEED TO NOT MAKE THESE MISTAKES!!!

Alexis also gives us the heads up on her fabulous new book, Wear Clean Underwear (Don’t you love the name?) that is debuting May 7th! And if you log online to purchase the book, you receive thousands of dollars of free bonuses! How cool is that?!? I don’t know of any other book at the moment who has that offer attached when buying a book! Regardless of the bonuses, this is a great resource for us to learn what exactly we need to know regarding the legal rights we have about estate planning, guardianship, and much more! She takes the boring out of legal-ese and spares us the mundane details of law. Just the nitty-gritty. Once you get the book, you are going to want to share it with all of your friends!!!

If you have any questions or comments regarding this show, please comment on our blog! We’d love to hear from you! Thanks for listening and come back next week when we hear about a fantastic invention moms can use during pregnancy. Hint… it has to do with keeping fetal kick counts.

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The risk factors are not the same as warning signs. Families where there is a highly demanding or highly punishing environment at home; families who say their love and support are contingent upon performance; sports where success depends strongly on the appearance as much as the performance which includes dancers and gymnasts; and also isolation which should be an immediate red flag. These are things to consider and may put a person at high risk for developing an eating disorder. So, be aware!

Eating disorders, as Julie said, are gradual not sudden. So, it is our duty as parents to stay connected to our children so we know what is going on in our children’s lives, who they are spending time with, what they like to do… know WHO your children are.

Treatment for eating disorders is highly dependent on the severity of the situation. Since having an eating disorder involves a person’s mental/emotional and physical needs, a multidisplinary approach is needed.This means that a physician, a therapist, and a nutritionist are all actively involved in the care of a person with an eating disorder.

When I asked Julie what we should do as parents for our children to avoid this, she offered some fantastic advice. One of the first ones she stated was for Moms to be mindful of how we treat our own bodies and how we speak. Our children will internalize what they hear and research has shown that they also are at risk of developing similar obcessions.

Another point she made was “Health should be our goal” not losing weight or dieting. So true!!!

The best advice was for us to model the behavior for our children: Incorporate healthy eating habits, exercise, and positive self-esteem ourselves and our children will also be healthy. So true! Remember, if you would like to contact Julie, log online to www.julieshepardson.com and schedule time to speak with her. She’s wonderful and good at what she does! Thanks for listening!

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This week, Julie Shepardson, a licensed mental health counselor in Winter Springs, Florida discusses this very significant health issue that faces our young women today. Specializing in eating disorders, individual and couples counseling, as well as mood and anxiety disorders, Julie offers us with some valuable information. The definition of eating disorder is having severe disturbances in eating behaviors. She tells us that there are three categories: anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and soon to be binge eating disorders that affect primarily women, however, men are also affected. Out of the 8 million people who suffer with an eating disorder, 1 million are male.

Julie clearly explains to us how there is no typical stereotype for a person with eating disorders. She shares with us that there is a disconnect in their brains that constantly fuels their misconception of their body image. Anorexia nervosa and bulimia tend to be young women’s way to control their weight, whereas the binge eating disorder individual has a difficult time managing this and cycles through the same behavior. Research has shown some typical characteristics such as having low self-esteem, having a stressful home environment, and being prone to perfectionism. Genetic factors are still being researched as well.

A few of the warning signs we should look for are significant weight loss,an intense fear of being overweight, a preoccupation with thinness, an unusual preoccupation over food (portion, calories, fat grams), refusing to eat with others, skipping meals, over exercising, increase in caffeine intake, and increase in empty food packages. Of course, if you see someone with these signs, it does not mean they have an eating disorder. You have to take into account any sudden changes, the individual lifestyle, and numerous other factors before deciding an eating disorder is the concern. You must seek additional guidance from your health care provider and/or counselor to help you and your child.

This issue is extremely serious and if ignored or not taken care of immediately, eating disorders can lead to serious medical conditions and even death. So, I strongly encourage you to seek medical advice if you are even the least concerned.

Since there is just so much to talk about regarding eating disorders, we will bring Julie Shepardson back next week to continue our discussion. So, come back next week to learn more so we can help those we care about the most.

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Also, did you know that when you read that there is Dead Sea Mud in your mud masks, all you have to do is look at the ingredients to see if it truly is from there? It is something truly special in this mud that helps with our skin. Amazing! We talk a little bit about how certain scents aid in our relaxation routine, especially lavendar. Sweet and familiar, we often see this ingredient in sachets, lotions and other relaxation products.

Finally, I mention my surprise at the mention of frankincense and myhrr as a part of the beauty secrets. Ginger tells us what both smell like and where we can get them. Both are also relaxation scents and can be spritzed just like any other fragrance. I certainly learned a lot from her book and thought the other chapters were just as interesting!!!

We’ll most likely have Ginger back to talk about the other interesting chapters and alternatives we can use to help us be more beautiful inside and out! Log onto her website at www.gingergarrett.com for more information and free downloads of her recipes. Enjoy!

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Ginger continues to discuss with us the beauty secrets of honey… raw honey to be exact. Also, make sure you listen in to hear what J. Lo’s top beauty expert says is J. Lo’s secret to her beautiful skin… She explains to us that honey symbolized abundance and is the number one natural secret in helping us with our “pop-up blemishes”. She gives us instructions of how to use it on our skin and give us radiant skin. ( Being somewhat a doubting Thomas, I tried it. It REALLY does work…)

She also briefly talks about what Cleopatra used for her skin. Ginger went through hundreds of studies, spoke to experts in the beauty arena, chemists, and physicians to support the findings in her book. I was very impressed at the frequent references she made in her book as I was reading it. Ginger then talks to us about Olive Oil and why and how we should use it as a moisturizer. Incredible how practical and organic this truly is for our skin!

I had such a fun conversation with Ginger! I would just love to have some tea with her and keep talking. So, we are bringing her back next week to finish our discussion on the Beauty Secrets of the Bible and the chapter on our skin. So, please come back next week as we learn about mudmasks and myhrr (yes, it is the one ingredient that one of the 3 wise men brought… ) Find out why she included that in her book. Thanks for listening!

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