“How do I get my kid to eat healthy food?”

This is the number one question Abra Pappa has received over the last ten years as a Certified Health Coach and a Holistic Nutritionist. She’s decided to take a brand new approach to answer that question and is introducing a program called Vibrant Moms Healthy Kids.

Vibrant Moms Healthy Kids is a four week online course for parents hosted by Nutritious America. The course focuses on nutrition, holistic wellness therapies, and small steps to make big differences in the health of mothers and their families. Pappa and alternative medicine expert Autumn Bear will be conducting the online course, which begins enrollment Monday, June 25.
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Does controversy exist on its own or do we wait until the media tells us that we need to get hot and bothered about something?

Either way, the latest catalyst for consumer outrage is the new Yoga Teacher Barbie. She’s part of an exclusive line of Barbies in the “I Can Be…” series from Mattel and you can only find her in Target stores. The series isn’t new. Back in 2010, the brand ran an online voting competition to choose two Barbies for the series. The winners were a news anchor and computer engineer. The whole idea, according to Barbie.com, is to “ignite a national movement to inspire girls.” Who wouldn’t want to get on board with that?

Apparently it takes a twisty-legged, spandex-dressed doll to stir up a little unnecessary controversy. Just in time for the election year and the Olympics, the “I Can Be” series also includes a president and a tennis player, track star, swimmer, and gymnast. But it’s the yoga teacher that’s got people bent out of shape.

Chelsea Roff at IntentBlog.com said “Kids are being exposed to yoga at an early age, encouraged to stay active, and taught about mind-body awareness practices before they even hit kindergarten. All good things! But something about seeing that sickly-proportioned doll’s foot behind her head just makes me cringe. As if the stereotypes of yoga weren’t bad enough already, now kids are implicitly being taught that yoga teachers look like a big-headed Pam Anderson.”

We didn’t see it that way. We, like Kathryn Budig, saw a doll. Just a toy that lets little girls’ imaginations run wild.
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It’s a girl… and a boy! Jillian Michaels is a mom, a job title she’s been seeking for about two years. It was one of the main (or at least most public) reasons for her exit from Biggest Loser last year. And it’s no doubt her main focus from here on out.

Just announced today by People Magazine, Michaels’ adoption of a two-year-old girl from Haiti, Lukensia, has finalized. The adorable little girl is seen in a photo snuggled in her mom’s arms. And sitting in Jillian’s other arm is her newborn son Phoenix, born May 3 to she and partner Heidi Rhoades.

“We’re swimming in babies over here,” Michaels told People.

The fitness star and former Biggest Loser trainer hasn’t been shy about her adoption proceedings, letting everyone know she was in baby mode for quite some time. The latest update came back in January when her adoption referral came through. It was then that Jillian learned that Lukensia would soon be calling her home in Los Angeles home, too. It was previously thought that she would adopt from the Dominican Republic of Congo (DRC).
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By Cat Poland, a work-at-home mom blogging at CatPoland.com.

Car doors closing quietly, subdued greetings, sneaker-laced feet shuffling as stretches begin, hands slapping at mosquitoes eager for an early-morning snack. At 5 a.m. on a weekday morning, these are the sounds of the Fitness Junkies, all mothers (or grandmothers) who are committed to pushing their bodies to the brink of collapse all in the name of getting a good workout.

I went once, puked twice, and haven’t returned. That was before my second child, and despite my utter and complete failure during my first go-round, I’m considering giving it another try. Why?

Well, I have a confession to make. Sometimes, I want to run away from my children. No, not “Thelma and Louise” style running away, but good, old-fashioned, feet-pounding-pavement running away. I just want to escape, feel blood coursing through my veins, and just be alone. Completely and sweetly alone.

Of course, I would eventually run back (if I didn’t collapse somewhere along the way). I love my darling babies, but as a new work-at-home mom, I need “me” time. Not only that, but I need more energy (and strength, mental clarity, etc.). I went from sitting at a computer for 50+ hours a week, to chasing around a one-year-old and three-year-old overnight. As much as I love my new gig, I’m not physically prepared!
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This Thursday, Dr. Oz and fellow guests will shed light on a new underground craze among mothers in our country. The show is titled, Mother’s Little Helper: The Dangerous Diet Craze Sweeping America.

Dr. Oz will speak with women from across the nation as they explain their obsession with a new pill popping fad. These women will admit to feeling energy boosts, increased concentration, and some women will discuss how the pills have helped them lose weight.

Dr. Oz will interview one pill-using mother who said, “I feel focused, have more energy, and feel like super mom.” Another mother shares how she’s already lost 35 pounds while using the pills and yet another mom simply states, “I really can’t imagine my life without being on this.”

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