When you feel like a failure...

I just had to share this article.
Many times I have felt like a failure and none more than as a Mom.
If you have ever felt like a failure as a parent you need to read this!


Read the article here: "When you feel like a failure..."

~If you are a stay-at-home mom who has ever struggled to make ends meet, or a working mother who would like to transition to a business that allows you to spend more time with your family, then Project MAHMA is for you!

Project MAHMA(Moms at Home Making A Difference…and a Lot of Money!) is a global coalition of moms (and dads) who are earning an income from home and giving themselves the gift of freedom— including more time with their families—while at the same time offering others the gift of better health and a better life.

Visit us on the Web at: Project MAHMA

Quote: "You can learn many things from children....."

"You can learn many things from children. How much patience you have, for instance."

~ Franklin P. Jones

Bad Mom, Bad Mom!

Yesterday I was a bad mom. I got angry and frustrated when my 3 year old decided he would rather sit and pout than fly his new kite.

He had been bugging me to take him to fly his new kite, his first kite, for days. The weather was perfect and very windy which meant it would be easy to get the kite into the air and keep it there, making it more fun for both of us.

All was well, till I pulled the kite out of the package and it wasn’t the color he had hoped it would be. Combine that with the fact he didn’t know how to get it into the air himself and he didn’t want me to do it for him, became the perfect time to put on a pouting show.

I tried everything I could think of to get him to come and fly it as it was dancing on the air. I tried pleasantries, coercing, pleading, demanding, threatening and finally out of frustration, I said he was acting like a spoiled brat.

My inner self gasped at the sting of my words. Words I swore to myself I would never say. Yet there they were, out there in the universe never to be able to be retrieved back. I saw the sideways glance he gave me from afar and my heart sank as I realized I had failed yet again at this parenting thing.

I should have just brought the kite in and went home, but no, I had to let my temper and frustration at not having the Kodak moment I was looking forward to further ruin the moment.

I remember being told things like that when I was little and I never, never wanted to make my son feel the way I was made to feel.

I ended up going home adding insult to injury by telling him how angry I was with him at his behavior. But I knew the truth – I was more angry at myself for my behavior.

Later that afternoon, after we both had some quiet time alone, apart from each other, I apologized to him for getting angry and saying the mean things I said. I did my best to reassure him how much I loved him, and though I didn’t like his actions, I did like (& love) him.

The only solace I could give myself was the fact that at least I made an attempt to apologize and make it right by saying how much I loved him. That was something I never got as a child.

I was amazed and grateful at his ability to forgive so easily and felt a little unworthy as he threw his little arms around my neck, kissed my cheek and said he loved me too.

That feeling of failure will stick with me I’m sure a lifetime.

Later that day, his dad and I tried to make up for it, by flying his kite at home. My husband boasted he could fly a kite anywhere and not get it caught on the wires or trees around. I was skeptical, but willing to try anything to make up for earlier.

All was great till my husband handed the string over to our son without holding onto it himself. That lasted less than a minute as I saw the handle slip through his little fingers and the wind carry it off at 100 mph, only to get the handle caught on the telephone wires.

It flew itself for the longest time before the storm that was rolling in took it to the next county. It lasted about as long as my son’s meltdown over losing it and his parents not willing to climb up to the wires to get it.

That little kite cost more than the $3 I paid for it. It cost my son and I a nice outing at the park, a self esteem blow to both he and myself (my own doing). It cost me a lot of guilt and it cost my son the reality of knowing that his parents aren’t superheroes who can fix anything since we couldn’t fly up there and get the kite down for him.

What kind of Supermom am I?

It turns out a pretty lousy one. But though I may be a bad mom from time to time, I never, never stop being a mom who loves her son more than anything.

~Project MAHMA(Moms at Home Making A Difference…and a Lot of Money!) is a global coalition of moms (and dads) who are earning an income from home and giving themselves the gift of freedom— including more time with their families—while at the same time offering others the gift of better health and a better life.

If you are a stay-at-home mom who has ever struggled to make ends meet, or a working mother who would like to transition to a business that allows you to spend more time with your family, then Project MAHMA is for you!

Visit us on the Web at: Project MAHMA

Environmental Impact of Household Chemicals Part 2

This is the second article in a series of quotes and facts from doctors, health professionals, the EPA and more on how the toxic chemicals we use everyday impacts our lives and those around us. To read the first article in the series click Environmental Impact of Household Chemicals - the Vulnerability of Children

Exposure to Household Chemicals

· There are over 80,000 chemicals registered with the EPA and less than 20% of them have been tested for toxicity.

Today there are more than 80,000 synthetic chemicals.

Dr. Philip Landrigan, Professor of Community and Preventative Medicine at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, said less than 20% of the estimated chemicals manufactured in the past 50 years have been assessed for their neurotoxicity.

Children, because of their size and more future years of life, have a higher risk of early and prolonged exposure to chemicals than adults. The National Research Council (NRC), which is part of the National Academy of Sciences, conducted a study of 100 random chemicals. The study found that nearly 78 percent of these chemicals lacked even minimum toxicity standards.

Sources: U.S. EPA, New Chemicals Program; Landrigan, P.J., et al, (2006). The national children’s study: a 21-year prospective study of 100,000 American children. Pediatrics, 118(5), 2173-2186.

· A person who spends 15 minutes cleaning scale off shower walls could inhale three times the “acute one-hour exposure limit” for glycol-ether containing products set by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment.

Sources: News-Medical.Net; University of California at Berkeley.

· It has been estimated that a person who cleans four houses a day, five days per week, 50 weeks per year, could inhale about 80 micrograms per day of formaldehyde, double the guideline value set by California's Proposition 65.

In addition, the person's intake of fine particulate matter during the hours spent cleaning would exceed the average federal guideline level for an entire year. These quantities are in addition to the formaldehyde and particulate matter that the person would be exposed to from all other sources and activities during the year.

Sources: News-Medical.Net; University of California at Berkeley, Household Chemicals.

· Several chlorinated chemicals can cause cancer and other serious health problems.

Chlorinated chemicals can come from consumer products, dry-cleaned clothes, and treated municipal water. Air levels of these chemicals, therefore, are generally higher in the home than outdoors.

Many commonly used consumer products contain chlorinated chemical solvents, such as trichloroethylene, methyl chloroform, perchloroethylene, and methylene chloride. These products include glues, spot removers, spray cleaners, water repellents, spray paints, paint strippers, and automotive products.

Sources: California Environmental Protection Agency, Air Resources Board, Chlorinated Chemicals in Your Home, May 2001.

· Studies conducted in the United States indicate that people spend an average of 87% of their time in enclosed buildings.

Source: Klepeis, N.E., Tsang, A.M., and Behar, J.V. Analysis of the National Human Activity Pattern Survey (NHAPS) Respondents from a Standpoint of Exposure Assessment. Final EPA Report, EPA/600/R-96/074: Washington, D.C., 1996.

· Organic pollutants are 2 to 5 times higher inside homes than outside.

According to the EPA, sources of organic pollutants from household cleaners include:

solvents; wood preservatives; aerosol sprays; cleansers and disinfectants; and air fresheners.

Health effects from organic pollutants include: Eye, nose, and throat irritation; headaches, loss of coordination, nausea; damage to liver, kidney, and central nervous system.

Many organic compounds are known to cause cancer in animals; some are suspected of causing, or are known to cause, cancer in humans.

Source: U.S. EPA.

These statistics and quotes are quite scary. The chemicals in our home, under our sinks and being used everyday can pose such a danger to us in ways we never imagined.

We all want a clean, safe home for our families, but if what we are using is causing more harm than good, how do we achieve a clean home without hurting our families in the process?

By using safe, proven and effective cleaners designed by nature and perfected by science.

I hope you found this information helpful and that you reconsider the toxins being used in your homes today.

Julie

For more information on how toxic cleaners can cause serious health problems and some safe solutions available, you can read this article: Health Hazards Associated With Household Cleaners

Or you can view this short video here > Healthy Home Video  and choose “Healthy Home” (near the bottom of list)

For more information visit our website at: http://tobehealthy.myshaklee.com

Latest Recalls of Children's Items

Here are the latest recalls on children’s items by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)

You may want to make it a habit to periodically check their website: http://www.cpsc.gov/

To see the latest recalls in case anything you’ve purchased or currently have may be on their list.

It can be exhausting trying to keep up with it, but unfortunately it needs to be done to keep our kids safe from toxic and dangerous toys and other items.

Additional Fingertip Amputations and Lacerations Prompt Reannouncement of November 2009 Recall of Strollers by Maclaren USA

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Maclaren USA, Inc., of South Norwalk, Conn., is voluntarily recalling about one million Maclaren strollers, sold prior to November 2009 (this product was recalled in November 2009). The stroller's hinge mechanism poses a fingertip amputation and laceration hazard to the child when the consumer is unfolding/opening the stroller.

UJ Trading Recalls Knight Hawk Toy Helicopters Due to Fire Hazard

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, UJ Trading, of Houston, Texas, is voluntarily recalling about 18,500 Danbar Knight Hawk Toy Helicopters. The battery housing under the helicopter canopy can overheat while charging, posing a fire hazard.

Meijer Recalls Infant Slipper Socks Due to Choking Hazard

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Meijer Inc., of Grand Rapids, Mich., is voluntarily recalling about 17,400 pairs of Bumble Bee and Lady Bug infant slipper socks. The balls at the end of the bug's antennae can detach, posing a choking hazard to young children.

CPSC Alert: Consumers Urged To Stop Using phil&teds USA Clip-on Chairs Due To Serious Dangers Posed To Children

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) warns consumers that some "metoo" clip-on table top chairs, imported by phil&teds USA Inc., of Fort Collins, Colo. put young children at risk of serious injury due to multiple safety hazards. CPSC is urging consumers to stop using some metoo clip-on chairs immediately.

G.A. Gertmenian and Sons Recalls Toy Story 3 Bowling Game Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, G.A. Gertmenian and Sons, LLC, of Los Angeles, is voluntarily recalling about 600 Toy Story 3 bowling games. The red paint used on some bowling pins has been measured to be in excess of the maximum allowable level of 90 ppm, a violation of the federal lead paint standard.

Dorel Asia Recalls to Repair Bunk Beds Due to Collapse and Fall Hazards

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada, Dorel Asia SRL, of Barbados, is voluntarily recalling about 445,000 (in the United States) and 21,700 (in Canada) wooden bunk beds. The wooden side rails that run from the headboard to the footboard and hold the bunk bed's mattress in place can split and cause the bunk bed to collapse, posing a fall hazard to consumers.

Sandbox Medical, LLC Recalls Pacifier Clip Due to Choking Hazard

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Sandbox Medical, LLC of Pembroke, Mass., is voluntarily recalling about 6,000 pacifier clips. The clip can break apart, posing a choking hazard to young children.

Tween Brands Recalls Beaded Curtains Due to Risk of Entrapment and Strangulation; Sold Exclusively at Justice Stores

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, GMA Accessories Inc., of New York, N.Y., is voluntarily recalling about 36,000 beaded curtains. The beaded curtains are prone to entanglement. When an adult or child plays with or runs through the beaded curtains, the risks of entanglement and strangulation are posed.

Girl's Hooded Sweater Recalled by El Gringo Imports Due to Strangulation Hazard

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, El Gringo Imports of Seattle, is voluntarily recalling about 300 Girl's hooded sweaters with drawstrings. The hooded sweaters have drawstrings through the hood which can pose a strangulation or entrapment hazard to children.

The CPSC's website shows the latest recalls of all items including children's items. Visit their website at: http://www.cpsc.gov

*Healthy Nutrition – Changing brands can change your life! As the number one national nutrition company in America, we’ve been helping people live healthier for over 50 years. Are you ready to change your life? Visit our website and see how we can help – To Be Healthy

That's Too Much

According to Guinness World Records, in the 18th century, a Russian peasant set the record for most children born to one mother:
69 (16 pairs of twins, 7 sets of triplets and 4 sets of quadruplets).
Not sure if I believe that story, as I'm not convinced that's possible.
But if true, well I guess I shouldn't complain when my one is driving me crazy!

It's Days Like This....

It’s days like this that makes me wish I had an old muscle car to drive on the street, banging gears, smokin’ tires and trying to flirt my way out of a ticket. ;)

Appreciate Your Loved One Today

My husband has terrible back pain. He injured his back and it is causing him terrible pain. After a year of fighting with insurance, he finally has approval for surgery next month.

Through it all he has continued working his physically active job. I know there are some days he hurts so bad he can barely get out of bed. Yet he presses on.

So this morning I sent him a text message telling him how I appreciate how hard he works. Though I try and tell him everyday that I love him, I sometimes fail to tell him how much I appreciate him.

We all need to know we are appreciated for the work we do, the effort we put into our tasks and the hardships we sometimes face. Knowing someone loves us is very important, but knowing we are also appreciated can mean so much. Appreciation helps to keep us going when our spirit and body is tired.

Since you know how good it feels to be appreciated by someone else, why not show some appreciation for that special person in your life that does so much?

Think of what your loved one has been doing lately. It might be how hard your spouse works, or your child remembered to take out the garbage when it was full without being told to, or that good friend that always seems to be there when you need her.

It can be as simple as a text message or email, a note left in a lunch bag or left on the counter for them to find, or just telling them verbally in a quiet moment is all it takes to make them feel loved and appreciated.

When you bless someone else with your appreciation for them, you get a reward in return – a feeling of gratefulness and a feeling of being blessed for having some great people in your life.

Then everybody feels good.

Blessings to you today,

Julie

*Project MAHMA(Moms at Home Making A Difference…and a Lot of Money!) is a global coalition of moms (and dads) who are earning an income from home and giving themselves the gift of freedom— including more time with their families—while at the same time offering others the gift of better health and a better life.

If you are a stay-at-home mom who has ever struggled to make ends meet, or a working mother who would like to transition to a business that allows you to spend more time with your family, then Project MAHMA is for you!

Visit us on the Web at: Project MAHMA

Infant-SEE Week

It is Infant-SEE Week and I want to remind all parents to get their children’s eyes examined. Parents who have an infant under one year of age can get a FREE eye exam for their babies by a qualified optometrist through the Infant-SEE Program.

I highly recommend you take advantage of this free program. It is important to catch any vision problems early as early detection of any eye conditions is the best way to ensure your child’s healthy vision both now and in the future.

The exam is free, short and non invasive. They have special tools designed especially for babies who of course cannot communicate how they are seeing.

When I took my son as an infant he had such a good time. The doctor was incredibly nice and made us both feel at ease. She played and talked to my son and made it fun for him. She did a through exam including looking at the back of the eye in addition to checking his vision.

Please take the time to look into the Infant-SEE Program.

A little time invested now can mean the difference in how your child sees the world.

My son’s vision is normal and I feel relieved with one less thing to worry about. That’s a nice feeling when you have little ones.

For more information or to find a doctor in your area that is part of the program, visit their website http://www.infantsee.org/

*Healthy Nutrition – Changing brands can change your life! As the number one national nutrition company in America, we’ve been helping people live healthier for over 50 years. Are you ready to change your life? Visit our website and see how we can help – To Be Healthy

And for more information on Children’s Health please visit our website To Be Healthy – Children’s Health to find quality products for the health of your children and everyone in your household.

Quote: What a Mother Should Save.....

What a mother should save for a rainy day is patience.

~Unknown

I Am a Stay at Home Mom, So Sue Me!

That’s what I felt like saying when my neighbor made the comment that she has to work and can’t worry about planting flowers.

I was working hard trying to plant some flowers in the yard when the couple next door was commenting on the flowers I was planting with my son. I was joking on how he was “helping” me and talking about yard work. That’s when the comment that was dripping with resentment came from my neighbor.

I can understand her resentment, seeing me stay home and plant flowers. Her children are school age and they are struggling some financially, so I can understand where they are coming from. I have been there, so I know what’s it like.

I am lucky to be able to stay home with my son and if my business takes off, I hope to be able to continue being here for him, but I won’t apologize for it.

What she never saw was all the years I worked long, hard hours. I was up and gone to work before they were even out of bed. She wasn’t there to see the two jobs worked at the same time or me getting up at 4:00 AM to get ready for work after being up all night with an infant.

She doesn’t see me doing most of the work here so my husband doesn’t have to do anything when he gets home. She doesn’t see me using all my spare time, what little I have, trying to build my business or the hours I spend trying to save the most money off of our grocery bill.

It stung when she said it, I felt compelled to respond with the above mentioned words, but decided to just be nice, smile sympathetically and try my best to understand.

I hope someday she will be able to ease up and not have to work so much and that resentment will be replaced with gratefulness.

And I will continue "working" here.

Are you in the same spot? Then you might want to take a look at……

Project M.A.H.M.A.

Project MAHMA(Moms at Home Making A Difference…and a Lot of Money!) is a global coalition of moms (and dads) who are earning an income from home and giving themselves the gift of freedom— including more time with their families—while at the same time offering others the gift of better health and a better life.

If you are a stay-at-home mom who has ever struggled to make ends meet, or a working mother who would like to transition to a business that allows you to spend more time with your family, then Project MAHMA is for you!

Visit us on the Web at: Project MAHMA

Environmental Impact of Household Cleaners

This is a first in a series of quotes and facts from doctors, health professionals, the EPA and more on how toxic chemicals we use everyday impacts our lives and those around us.

The Vulnerability of Children

· "We are conducting a vast toxicologic experiment in our society, in which our children and our children's children are the experimental subjects," stated

pediatrician Herbert L. Needleman.

Little information on possible toxic potential is available for the 80,000 chemicals registered today with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Of the 3,000 chemicals produced or imported at over 1 million pounds a year, only 43% have received even minimal toxicologic assessment, and a mere 23% have been tested to determine whether they have the potential to cause developmental damage.

Source: Landrigan, P.J. & Weiss, B. (2000). Environmental Health Perspectives Supplements, v107

supplement 3, June.

· Children are highly vulnerable to chemical toxicants. Pound for pound of body weight children drink more water, eat more food and breathe more air than adults.

The implication of this is that children will have substantially heavier exposures than adults to any toxicants that are present in water, food or air.

Source: Landrigan, P.J. & Garg, A. (2002). Chronic effects of toxic environmental exposures on children’s health. Journal of Toxicology: Clinical Toxicology, 40(4), 449-456.

· Why are children a sensitive subpopulation?

Children’s metabolic pathways, especially in the first months after birth, are immature. Their ability to metabolize, detoxify and excrete many chemicals differs from adults.

Source: Landrigan, P.J., et al, (1998). Children's Health and the Environment: A New Agenda for Prevention Research, Environmental Health Perspectives 106, Supplement 3, June.

· Carcinogenic and toxic exposures sustained early in life including prenatal exposures appear more likely to lead to disease than similar exposures encountered later.

Source: Landrigan, P.J. & Garg, A. (2002). Chronic effects of toxic environmental exposures on

children’s health. Journal of Toxicology: Clinical Toxicology, 40(4), 449-456.

· Faster metabolisms in children speed up their absorption of contaminants.

“Children absorb a greater proportion of many substances from the intestinal tract or lung,” says pediatrician Dr. Philip Landrigan.

“For example, children take up approximately half of the lead that they swallow while adults absorb only about one-tenth.”

Source: PBS.org, Trade Secrets: A Moyers Report (2001).

· Children spend a considerable amount of time putting things in their mouths.

In 1998, scientists at Rutgers University discovered that pesticides sprayed in a home evaporate from floors and carpets, and then re-condense on plastic and foam objects such as pillows and plush toys.

By observing how frequently a group of pre-schoolers put clean toys in their mouths, the researchers calculated that contaminated toys are likely to give young children much higher doses of poison than adults would get in the same environment.

Source: PBS.org, Trade Secrets: A Moyers Report (2001).

· Children have more time to develop chronic diseases triggered by early exposures.

Many diseases that are caused by toxicants in the environment require decades to develop.

Source: Landrigan, P.J. & Garg, A. (2002). Chronic effects of toxic environmental exposures on

children’s health. Journal of Toxicology: Clinical Toxicology, 40(4), 449-456.

· Babies don't excrete contaminants or store them away in fat in the same ways that adults do, making the poisons more available to affect rapidly growing bodies.

Furthermore, because a baby’s immune system is not fully functional, a baby’s body cannot counteract toxic effects as well as an adult can.

In an adult, a blood-brain barrier insulates the brain from many of the potentially harmful chemicals circulating through the body. But in a human child, that barrier isn't fully developed until six months after birth.

Source: PBS.org, Trade Secrets: A Moyers Report (2001).

· Many contaminants such as dioxins and PCBs have an affinity for fatty tissue.

During pregnancy, women mobilize their amassed stores of body fat to provide nourishment for their growing babies; the contaminants in the fat are then passed to their children.

Nursing mothers also transfer a good portion of their lifetime accumulation of chemicals to their babies.

Source: PBS.org, Trade Secrets: A Moyers Report (2001).

· Children exposed in the womb are at greatest risk of all.

Because cellular structures change so rapidly during embryonic and fetal growth, a toxic exposure at the wrong moment can permanently alter further development.

According to Dr. Landrigan, the central nervous system is especially vulnerable. To function properly, the developing brain must lay down an intricate web of interconnecting neurons.

Small doses of neurotoxins during critical periods of brain development can alter those crucial neural pathways – one mistake early on, and the brain may be forever changed in subtle or serious ways.

Government and university scientists are currently investigating the possibility of a connection between fetal exposures to toxics and developmental disabilities such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Source: PBS.org, Trade Secrets: A Moyers Report (2001).

· Children’s metabolic pathways, especially in the first months after birth, are immature.

Their ability to metabolize, detoxify and excrete many chemicals differs from adults.

Source: Landrigan, P.J. & Garg, A. (2002). Chronic effects of toxic environmental exposures on

children’s health. Journal of Toxicology: Clinical Toxicology, 40(4), 449-456.

These statistics and quotes are quite scary. The chemicals in our home, under our sinks and being used everyday can pose such a danger to our children in ways we never imagined.

We all want a clean, safe home for our families, but if what we are using is causing more harm than good, how do we achieve a clean home without hurting our families in the process?

By using safe, proven and effective cleaners designed by nature and perfected by science.

I hope you found this information helpful and that you reconsider the toxins being used in your homes today.

Julie

For more information on how toxic cleaners can cause serious health problems and some safe solutions available, you can read this article: Health Hazards Associated With Household Cleaners

Or you can view this short video here > Healthy Home Video  and choose “Healthy Home” (near the bottom of list)

For more information visit our website at: http://tobehealthy.myshaklee.com