I have mentioned this little basket before but I thought it was worth mentioning again.

The feel better basket is really a first aid kit but I look at it as first aid for the heart. When my kids were little I liked to take the basket down (used to be high in my linen closet, now it is lower so we can all reach it) and stop what I was doing to really show them that I cared - no matter how big or small the hurt was.

From the photo you can see I have the usual band-aids, creams and thermometer but I also include some chocolate and bubblegum band-aids and some suckers too. I have a scanner on my printer so I cut the band-aid boxes up so I can scan the front (I like to have lots on hand, the regular and the character and colored ones) and print them onto sticker paper. The band-aids can be put into an envelope (see the brownish ones) and the sticker helps to show you what you have on hand. This makes it fun and easy to go through and the envelopes take up a lot less space than the boxes do.  If your kids grown out of a character, donate them to a friend with older kids and make space for a new design!

At this time of year, when bumps and scrapes are not as common - I try to keep a few cold/flu items in this basket to go along with my “sick-day basket” — a thermometer, coupon for a popsicle or freezie and cough drops.

By the way - my basket is starting to fall apart. If you have seen a cute basket that would make for a good replacement - please tell me where to pick one up!

I love labels!  The simple act of putting a label on a file folder, cuboard door or kitchen drawer makes me feel more organized!  Over the years I have used everything from hand written labels to hand held electronic label machines.  One thing I have discovered is that some labels stick better than others and my loyalty now sits with the Brother line of label machines.  I can depend on them to stick and the hand-held machines mean the kids can help me get organized. The replacement tapes are easy to find at our local office supply store.

My most recent addition to our label obsession, and my new favourite labeller is the P-touch: P-1230-PC.  This little machine plugs into your PC USB port and uses a built-in simple word processor, no downloading required.  You type in your label, hit print and the label comes out - simply hit the cutter button and your label is ready to go.

Why use the PC instead of the hand-held?  Well, I still love my hand-held for simple projects but the PC version allows me to change the font, add images and borders, making the labels more user-friendly and creative.  The machine fits in your hand so it is very portable and easy enough for the kids to use too!

If you have been reading along you’ll know that I am on a quest to find health via the Biggest Loser television show.  This past week I spent half of the week taking care of sick kids and the other half taking care of me.  I was able to get up off the couch and get some workouts in - let me just say that the Biggest Loser Yoga is not the kind of yoga I remember, but I was glad I pushed myself and finished.  I feel better for it.

On the food front I tried some new foods and actually ate breakfast everyday.  Doc’s Chili from the Biggest Loser 6 Week Jump Start book is amazing.  Our entire family loved it.  We also made our own hummus (really good) from the book.   My favourite breakfast of the week was an egg white omelet with some laughing cow cheese (just a little) and spicy salsa.   When a recipe didn’t appeal to me, or my schedule didn’t allow for stopping to cook a full recipe, I just did some smart food swapping.

When I got on the scale this morning I was surprised to see I was down 6.2 pounds.  I don’t expect to see big loses like that every week but it gives me that extra push I need to move on to week two where I am going to move more and drink more water!

Here’s to healthy moms everywhere!

Helen

I am fortunate enough to work from home, so a sick day can be as simple as setting the kids up with a pillow, blanket and a remote control.  Checking in on them with fluid and a thermometer from time to time gets us through the day.

So, in honour of the cold and flu season and the fact that I have already tested this out twice already this school year, I thought I would revisit our family’s Sick Bucket.  This handy plastic tote full of supplies means I am ready for a sick day.  Don’t assume your pantry or medicine cabinet will have what you need when you need it!

What goes inside?

It really depends on your family and the age of your kids.   First, I keep my bucket on a top shelve because I keep a small selection of cold medicine tucked inside.  I also keep gingerale, soda crackers, chicken soup, cough drops and jello.  My freezer has a bag where I hide a box of popsicles and freezies.   I also like to keep a few treats in the bin for the kids.  When they were small I had colouring books and crayons, now that they are both older I have books and word-search books.

Consider pulling together a few supplies so you are not caught when the kids wake up not feeling well.

I love things that make my life easier so in honour of my favourite newest discoveries and old standbys I am dedicating Fridays to My Favourite Things.  And because I love to organize my “things” — I’ll be keeping a master “My Favs ABC List” which is inspired by my friend Stacy Julian who has a very cool new website!

Pampered Chef Mini-Whipper

This may seem like a strange first pick but this little 5 dollars kitchen gadget is a mom’s best friend.  I first discovered this mini-whipper while visiting my mom who used it to mix my father’s protein shakes.  I was so impressed at how well it mixed the dry powder and instantly thought of the cool winter months and making hot chocolate for my kids. Not only does this tool work well for hot chocolate powder but I use it when I am mixing gravy, whipping potatoes — actually I find I reach for this little utensil instead of my whisk now.  Cheap - dishwasher safe - what more could you ask for!

My husband and I have a few favourite televisions shows that take up a bit of our evening time during the winter months.  And as much as we like reality tv, we haven’t really gotten into watching the Biggest Loser - at least until this season.  With the ME Project in mind, I decided to tune in weekly to see what I could learn and to see how it could help me be a more healthy mom.  The show is 2 hours in length so I am happy that I have a PVR to skip through the bits we don’t want to watch!

When I first started watching, I thought wow! - look at how unhealthy those people all are!  But just a few weeks ago I found myself not feeling very well and wondering if my lifestyle was going to push me towards an application to be on the Biggest Loser show!  I decided to take my casual watching of the show off the couch, away from the fridge and up on my feet.

I read a lot and know how to eat and exercise but the doing is a bit of a problem.  So, I have enlisted the help of the Biggest loser by picking up a copy of their Jump Start Book.  This book is a little like having the Biggest Loser trainers at your home and is packed full of tips and recipes. The thing I like the best is that the 30 days is broken into a step by step guide with a section for each day of the challenge including a suggested menu, and fitness plan - making it easy to focus on doing and not planning to do.

I just started today but feel like I am finally moving forward!  Got up early, ate breakfast!!!  and I did a workout.

If you are a biggest loser fan or are following along on the 30 day jump start plan I would love to hear how you are doing.

Here’s to a smaller and healthier me!