How to make Crepe Paper Pom Poms

 Meg?! I want to make some pom poms but I can’t find metallic paper, or plastic table cloths in the right colors. What do I do? Well try this pom pom making tutorial and make them from crepe paper streamers!

How to make Cheerleading pom poms | Pro NFL Style

Want pom poms like the pros use? Whatever team colors you need, make NFL style cheerleader pom poms like professional cheer leaders use with robust handles and full tassels that will grab any judges eye - using this cheerleading pom pom making tutorial. With only a few easy to follow steps, you'll have the perfect, fluffy pair of professional-grade pom poms in no time. Check out the supplies list below, gather the supplies list and lets go, go, go!

How to Make Cheerleader Tissue Pom Poms

Hey friends! Looking for a fun and easy, novice and crafter-friendly project to enhance game day? Need some cheer pom poms for a parade, cheer rally, or costume? This is it! Learn how to make easy DIY "rooter" or fan pom-poms that are perfect for your cheering needs! And these pom-poms are Frozen-themed? Yes! Frosty blues and whites make these perfect for a party! OR make them PINK for a breast-cancer march! Whatever the event, this do it yourself tissue paper pom pom tutorial will be fun and quick. Have fun!

Great Stretches for Hips | 6 Ways to Stretch Out Your Hips and Glutes

Hey Re-Mamas! Are you busy? Do you keep busy taking care of yourself so you can take care of our littles? Well here are 6 amazing and easy stretches we can do to help maintain healthy backs and bodies. Let's do this!

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Day 91: Destination - Meditation

The relaxation technique for Day 3 of 

5 Ways in 5 Days to Handle Stress 

is my favorite!

Meditation! True, it may seem like another woo-woo, new-agey thing to do, but I think of it like this. 

Imagine you are at your house, feeling stressed and trying to figure out why you can’t relax, but all the while your tv is on, your phone is ringing, the iPod is playing, the dishwasher is clanging loudly, the microwave and oven are beeping, the dog is barking, the smoke alarm is going off, the bathtub is overflowing, your toddler is flipping the lights on and off, the vacuum is vrooming.. you get the idea.

We are bombarded with stimuli in a similar way every day. Meditation disciples the mind and focuses on relaxing the body. When I ask you to clear your mind, think of the noisy house analogy, as if the house was your mind. We need to shut off the noise and distraction. Take a walk around your mind and shut things off. If the vacuum turns back on, switch it off. Your mind needs a break from the bombardment of too much stimulation and with this technique, you are doing just that.

Relaxation Technique #3: Meditation

The purpose of this relaxation technique is to get out of your head and into your body. Most of us live completely within our mind, in terms of our awareness and can separate ourselves from the rest of our physical body, ignoring signals that it may be sending us. Daily activities tax our bodies, and yet we push through them without taking time to rest and we build up stress tension in our muscles, joints and spine.

We will be activating the Sympathetic Nervous System or Rest & Repose response, which helps increase blood flow & oxygen levels, reduce toxin levels in the bloodstream, aid kidney and liver function, improve digestion and metabolism, and reduce stress tension in the muscles.

What you will need:

-A quiet, warm space, free of distractions (phone, TV, kids, pets, noise)

-A comfortable chair

-A timer

-Anything required for the focus point option of your choice (essential oils, music, etc)

-A glass of water sitting nearby, to be drunk after the session

-Pen & paper (optional)

How to meditate

1. Sit in a quiet place, where you are warm & comfortable, and undisturbed, but don’t lay down. If you want to take a nap that’s fine, but don’t lay down while meditating.

2. Chose one of the other 4 senses to focus on. See the below list;

How to take your pulse while meditating

Focus Point Options

This is the physical focal point for this session

Touch

• Tap your thumb and pointer finger together intermittently, or wiggle your toes rhythmically.
• Take your pulse. Place both hands in your lap, with one facing up, and the other facing down. With the downward facing hand, straighten the pointer and index finger and feel for the vein just below the base of the thumb on the opposite hand to find your pulse. This is where your hands should rest. Focus on your heart beat throughout the session.

• Focus on your breath. Lay your hand on your stomach and pay attention to the rise and fall of your torso with each  breath.
• Use the Deep Diaphramatic Breathing technique from Day 1.

“Taste”

• Putting a grape in your mouth but do not break the skin or chew on it, simply hold it in your mouth.

Smell

Burn an aromatic candle or heat essential oils on a warmer.

• Rub a tiny drop of Lavender or Tea Tree essential oil* just under your nose.  If you are sick, you can rub some Vicks or Eucalyptus essential oil on your chest. *Note: If you should have a mild allergic reaction, such as sneezing, watery eyes or itching, rinse the area with a washcloth soaked in cold water. Do not use warm or hot water!

Hearing

• Turning on a small fountain or nature sounds like running water or rain.
• Turn on some quiet music. Do NOT use modern music. The only music that will not distract is music without words, that is mellow and relaxing, preferably music without a recognisable tune. Search Pandora or Spotify for “meditation” playlists.

3. Set the timer for 15-20 minutes. You may do more time if you wish.

4. Close your eyes.  I would recommend closing your eyes because visual stimuli is distracting (ooh, look at all the laundry I should be folding).

5. Take a deep breath. Each time you inhale, sit up straight. Each time you exhale, let your shoulders drop, your muscles relax.

6. Try to focus on clearing your mind of all the things you have to do, all the thoughts that may enter it while you are sitting quietly.

• You may keep a small notepad and pen to jot down important thoughts that you can come back to later. Once it is on the page, clear it from your mind and go back to your focus point.
  

• You may also use your focus point as a mental target, to center your focus back to. If your mind starts to wander, take another deep breath and focus on your focus option (the grape in your mouth, the smell of your aromatherapy oils, your pulse, etc.)

6. Breathe and focus on your physical body, your breath, or your focus point. Clear your mind of distractions. Repeat until the timer activates.

7. Once the time is up, drink a large glass of water and go about with your day. You can repeat this technique as often as you chose.
> I hope this relaxation technique is helpful. Try it and let me know what you think!

FOOD

Breakfast: scrambled eggs on toast

Snack: cinnamon oatmeal

Lunch: turkey chili, mini peppers and a HBE

Dinner: Veggie stir fry with pork loin

Snack: a mini pint of ice cream (5oz)

EXERCISE

I tell you what folks, I am STRUGGLING with exercise when it's cold. I need a goal and a plan. I know I've been saying it for a while not, but it's true. I need a pep talk!

Thanks So Much for Reading!!

Day 90: Relax! Go To It!

I am really excited about today's relaxation technique! This is my go-to way to relax when my mind and body are wound up. Sometimes I don't know how wound up and tense I am until I do it, but when I'm done, I feel like a new woman. Or I just fall asleep because I am so relaxed!

The key concept for this technique is called an "Isometric Contraction": it's a fancy term for working the muscle without moving it. Here's a practical example: imagine you are holding up a bucket of sand. This is an isometric contraction.The muscle is working, lifting the bucket, but since it is heavy, your arm does not go up more, it stays static, in one place. If you need to move the body parts in order to understand how to engage it, that's ok.

I take the time to explain this because doing isometric contractions are a key part of today's 5 Ways in 5 Days to Handle Stress.

Coming soon: Watch the Video!

Technique #2: Contract & Relax Muscle Relaxation 
This is a great technique to pair with meditation or to use on it's own. I use it when I can't fall asleep.

Lay down (face up) in an area where you will not be disturbed for at least 30 minutes without being disturbed. It is best to lay with your arms laying relaxed and loose at your sides. **The fingers, hands, feet and toes are the only regular contractions you will be doing. The rest will be isometric (static or not moving, but squeezing then relaxing)**.

• Starting with your toes, take a deep breath as you flex your toes tightly in toward your foot, and hold both your breath and the muscular contraction for 5 seconds. 
•  As you are holding the contraction and your breath, notice how tight your toes feel. 
• Relax the muscles of your toes as you exhale, and let your whole body sink into the floor.

• Next, with  both feet, take a deep breath as you flex both feet , and hold both your breath and the contraction for 5 seconds (the heel comes down, as if you are pointing your toes, but clench the toes also).
• As you are holding the contraction and your breath, notice how tight your feet feel. 
• Relax the muscles of your feet as you exhale, and let your whole body sink into the floor.

Continue these steps with the rest of the muscles on the back of the body. These will be an isometric (static) contraction. Focus on squeezing the muscles this time, as if there were something keeping them from moving.

Back of the Body
Flex toes
Flex foot
Flex calves
Flex hamstrings & Butt - back of upper leg/hip
Flex the back: the torso-arch the back
Back of neck - your chin goes straight up
Back of the Head and face - first open your eyes wide and pull the jaw back

Front of the Body
Front of the head and face - squint or close your eyes and make a pucker face
Front of the neck- drop the chin down to the chest
Flex the abs: torso - crunch forward
Flex  front of hip - raise the pelvis
Flex the front of upper leg - relax the knee and let the upper leg raise
Flex the front of lower leg - quad will engage to let the whole leg raise
Extend top of the foot and point the toes

Again, for each part of the body, the steps are;
1. Inhale and squeeze the muscle of that body part
2. Hold your breath at the top and focus on the squeezed, tightened muscle
3. Exhale and relax, let you body sink into the floor and feel your body relax
4. Hold your breath at the bottom and focus on the way the relaxed muscle feels.
5. Switch to the next area of the body and repeat steps 1-4.

I try to do at least two cycles of this, starting and ending at the toes as 1 cycle.

If you are using this technique to help you fall asleep, you can repeat this as many times as you need to until you fall asleep.

I hope you try this technique and let me know how it goes!


FOOD
Breakfast: scrambled eggs with WW toast
Snack: a banana and a HBE
Lunch: a leftover Portobello Pizza! and some mini bell peppers
Snack: an apple and a string cheese
Dinner: homemade turkey chili

EXERCISE
It's another cold day and a work day, so yeah, call me a lazy bum, but I stayed in bed again. :(

Thanks so much for reading!!