Get Fit AND Support Pediatric Cancer Awareness!

In honor of a FIT FUTURE for you and your kids...

Beginning March 4th, I will be launching the very first COMBAT Pediatric Cancer Challenge group.  I am donating $15.00 per person who joins my challenge with a Les Mills COMBAT challenge pack (site listed below) to the Isabella Santos Foundation.


The Isabella Santos Foundation is a great cause that raising funds for research for a cure, as well as providing funds to the Ronald McDonald House, and local North Caroliona Families affected by Neuroblastoma and various other forms of pediatric cancer.  The ISF has made amazing strides in fundraising, but more is always better.  I made it my personal priority to help raise funds for this foundation for the past 2 years now.



If you are not familiar with the ISF, please visit the website at www.isabellasantosfoundation.com .  Sadly, Isabella herself passed away this last June (2012).  She did not make it to the 5k in September that was the biggest, race since it started approx 4 years ago.  She is missed still. Her parents soldier forward with the foundation, no doubt hoping to stop this from happening to more families.  

If you are not familiar with COMBAT, it is a mixed martial arts style workout and before you start to compare it to TaeBo, STOP. It is not TaeBo.

When I started Combat back in Mid December I was at 159 lbs.  I am now at 150. I dropped from a size 12 to a size 10.  I've got some serious guns, without the bulk.  It is a great program.  And what's more? I'ts user friendly.  Anyone can do it.  My 57 year old mom is doing my February Combat Challenge and she is loving it.

I hope to see many of you sign up, and get yourself into shape while knowing that you are helping others by doing so!

Event listing on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/548779441823078/
ISF: http://www.isabellasantosfoundation.com
Challenge Pack Purchase: www.fitfuture.biz (Shop>ChallengePacks>LesMillsCombat

"Stay with the Fight!"
Cheers!
Lisa

Tips for a Mom of Twins from A Mom of Twins

"Oh Man!  I don't know HOW you do it with TWO CHILDREN!?!"

If you are a mom of twins you have heard this statement all too often.  And the reality is, from an outsider's perspective, we are in fact, SUPER WOMAN!  

To those of you who have singletons, we struggle with the same things that you struggle with.  We do not know any different than twins, so to us, this is just normal.  The interesting part is, that we MUST create and adhere to a schedule or we are DOOMED!  Whereas with a singleton, many parents are lax (and that is ok), and don't worry about the schedule right away.  

Straight out of the gate (my uterus) I was working on a schedule.  I had the girls on the breast every 1.5 hours trying like hell to get my milk up... which was never enough to sustain them both.  I was feeding them on a schedule, changing them on a schedule, and sleeping on a schedule.  If you do not start this from the beginning with multiples you will never get any sleep and you will go crazy from sleep deprivation.  

If you have recently had twins and have no adopted a schedule, I HIGHLY suggest it for your safety and the safety of those around you.  There is NOT enough Coffee and/or Espresso in the world to help you if your children begin operating on alternating schedules, so fix it fast!  So, let's talk about feeding:

#1 tip to getting BOTH babies on the SAME feeding schedule:

1. If one wakes up for a feeding in the middle of the night, wake the other up and feed them at the same time.

Is it really that simple?  YES!  The bottom line is this, night time feedings are the most difficult, and if you are regulating their sleep/feeding habits together, they will typically fall in line for the daylight hours.  Always feed them side by side at the same time.  Whether you are breastfeeding or bottle feeding.  If you need help learning to breast feed both at the same time, I recommend talking to the lactation expert at the hospital in which you gave birth, or a reputable lactation specialist in your area.  Also invest in the Twin Boppy or similar.  It really helps to keep you from slouching and injuring your back while breastfeeding!

Dual feeding will save you time, and headache.  Not to mention it gives awesome bonding of your entire unit, (sister to sister, mother to daughter, and family).  Your babies will get used to eating together and at the same time.  I know this from personal experience.  And the fact remains that repetition breeds routine, and routine breeds stability.  Children NEED and LOVE structure in their routines because it makes them feel safe. 

I hope this is helpful to you.  If you have any other questions about raising Twins please ask!  I will answer you!  

You can follow me on Twitter (@lisaKingslayer) or Facebook (www.facebook.com/fitfuture1)

How Understanding Personalities Can Help You Raise Your Kids

"The child must know that he is a miracle, that since the beginning of the world there hasn’t been, and until the end of the world there will not be, another child like him." 
Pablo Casals 

Every Child is Different

So, we read all of these books on how to raise our kids... We try to understand why we have the "well-behaved" child and the "naughty" child.  But have you ever stopped and evaluated why one is behaving while the other is lashing out?  Is the well-behaved child more like YOU in personality?  This may be the reason your parenting skills work with that particular child.  Now, is the other child very different from you?  We like to think that our children are just like us, but in truth they are not.  They may have our eyes, our hair, our bone structure... but they do not contain our ideals... We INSTILL those.  They are not an extension of us in wills.  So, would it not be a grand idea to discover the personality types of your children?

My daughters: Phoebe(front) and Faith(back). Can you tell their personalities from just this picture?

I have recently been studying personality types because my business requires some outside-the-box thinking on how to better reach people.  So, I have listened to several podcasts on the topic.  Specifically, the Enneagram podcasts.  All NINE types are discussed with extensive descriptions.  I started to think about how to apply this knowledge to not just my business, but also to my children, my husband, my full type job and so on.  This is not to say that you will psycho-analyze all of your loved ones and coworkers non-stop... No, what you WILL do is discover which personality they fit, and begin to alter your mannerisms, and speech toward that person.  If you get a positive result, you've nailed which personality they are, and you can continue to interact with that person in the proper way.  

http://www.itunes.com For locating the Enneagram podcasts


Do you see how this is valuable for parenting?  If you have a child who is of the Helper personality (Type 2), he or she has a strong urge to help you and other siblings with EVERYTHING.  Give them specific jobs, and tasks, and praise them heavily for doing so.  Show them love and affection for being kind to others, and always thinking of others, but also remind them to take care of themselves.  So, give them tasks that will create something new for THEM (art projects, birdhouses, etc...)  This is just one example.

I am not a child psychologist, I am simply a mother like many of you who are reading this blog.  I have the problem of raising my children the same way because I was of the mind that it was fairness.. and balance that mattered.  It has not worked for me.  So, I begin my experiment of whether catering to their specific personalities is the better way.  I will update the blog about this experience every week.  I encourage you to leave your comments below with whether you've tried this and if you've seen success.

As always, good luck parents!  You are going to need it! ;)

Top 5 HEALTHY Substitutions for SuperBowl Staples

SuperBowl Sunday is Tomorrow
So... what do you do if you are watching your waistline?
By: Lisa "Kingslayer" Rebaglia

So, tomorrow is a time for riotous behavior and tons of "finger foods".  So,  what are you supposed to do if you have been invited to a superbowl party and you are trying to eat right?  First of all, don't say No.  Go, have fun, and cheer for your team!  If you are hosting however, you'll have total control over what you and your guests will be consuming!

Something to keep in mind is that even though YOU will be creating Healthy options of snack foods, this doesn't mean you can have a free-for-all on the buffet.  You still need to be conscious of what and how much you are eating.  If something has 1/2 the fat and calories of its unhealthy counterpart, it doesn't do you any good if you are eating twice as much.

So, without further delay, here are your TOP 5 HEALTHY Substitutions for SuperBowl Sunday!

#1 - Guacamole instead of French onion dip.  No store bought Guac, you need to make this from scratch, and it is simple!  Go here for the recipe http://penelopesoasis.com/2011/best-guacamole-recipe.html

#2 - Hummus and Roasted veggies instead of pot stickers.  Zucchini strips, bell pepper strips, Asparagus spears, green beans all tossed in extra virgin olive oil and roasted in the oven or on a grill until the outside is crispy. Serve the hummus in a cored Bell Pepper (I prefer red pepper hummus).  In addition to the roasted veggies, fresh veggies like carrots and celery are also great with hummus.

#3 -  Fruit plate with yogurt dip instead of M&M's and chex mix.  Any kind of fruit is yummy when dipped in a vanilla yogurt dip.  Vanilla Greek yogurt, or Standard Vanilla Yogurt.  If you are a Shakeology lover, Greenberry mixed into Plain greek yogurt with a dash of cinnamon and a 1/4 c vanilla milk: Mix well and serve for a colorful dip

#4 - Giant Sub Sandwiches instead of Pizza.  Top some whole wheat Baguettes with Turkey, Lean Roast Beef, and as many veggies as the bread can hold!  Offer Mustard, or Oil and Vinegar as the condiment to top this one.

#5 - Need something hot?  Go for Chili!  Instead of hot wings make a big crock pot of chili.  Here is a great recipe for Chili served with or without meat:

1 can of diced tomatoes
1 15 oz can Tomato sauce
1 can Kidney Beans
1 Can Black Beans
1 Can Corn (or fresh)
1/4 c cilantro finely chopped
1 green bell pepper chopped
1 yellow OR red Onion diced.
Optional italian sausage (turkey or venison)
1 packet of chili seasoning

Throw all of these ingredients into a crock pot by 12, turn on Low heat and by Coin Toss Time, you'll be serving up SUPERbowls of YUM. Make sure you precook the meat if you add it.

I hope this list gives you something to work from for your party!  

For more ideas, motivation, and fun follow me on Twitter: @LisaKingslayer  Or check me out on Facebook.  http://www.facebook.com/lisa.kingslayer