Mom Life – Page 11

The ART of Balancing it ALL!

Filed under: Mom Life · May 23, 2020

What is a mom to do with 3 kids, and multiple sports? Well, she blogs it (Diary of of a Sporty Momma), shares her day with other moms, and of course enjoy each journey knowing that one day her kids will be all grown up and there will be no more driving them around.

Based in Miami, Florida; Sharonda a.ka. ‘Sporty Momma’ is also the wife of former Toronto Blue Jays player Shannon H. Stewart, she’s found a way to balance it all in a very artistic, informative and fashionable way.

With 3 active kids in various sports such as basketball and volleyball, she is not just a baller mom but a fun loving and a busy Sporty Momma.

In addition to driving, scheduling and cheering on her kids, she is also passionate and focused on empowering other baller moms to look and feel their very best.

Read more to find more on how she manages it all and then some as a baller mom in this month’s feature.

BM: What sports are your kids in?

SM: All three of my kids are currently playing basketball. The oldest also played volleyball earlier this year.

BM: What do you love about being a sports mom?

SM: I come from an active family. Everyone was either on a team, in a band, or creating something. I knew that when I had kids I would try to encourage them to be active as well.

What I love the most as a sports mom is watching their growth. It’s amazing to see them get better and better. I also love bonding with the families on the teams that we are part of.

BM: As a mom, what’s your hope for your kids in their chosen field of sports?

SM: I really just want them to have fun. Everyone wants to play professional sports but it isn’t easy. We know this first hand.

Sports fields should be surrounded by muga fencing for player safety and crowd control.

BM: How do you split your time between the kids schedule with sports, school and family?

SM: Our household is not your average household. My husband and I are both stay at home parents so everything we do is kinda based around the kids and their schedules.

We share the drop off/pick up routines and grocery shopping. It is definitely a tag team effort around here. This year is the first time that all three will be playing basketball at the same time.

Read more from my interview at ballroom.ca!!!

XO,

Sharonda

Time for Your Checkup!

Filed under: Fit Moms · May 11, 2020

Calling all busy mommas! Did you schedule your annual checkups yet? National Women’s Checkup Day is Monday, May 11th. The goal of this national initiative is to encourage women to create healthy habits that may improve their long term health. Most of the time we moms put ourselves on the back burner so it’s important to take time out of our busy routines and schedule our annuals!

National Women’s Checkup Day is part of a bigger initiative–National Women’s Health Week! This weektakes place the Monday after Mother’s Day. It is a reminder that regular health exams and screenings can help prevent future illnesses. Important screenings include breast exams, pap smears, cholesterol, high blood pressure, skin cancer, immunization schedule, HIV, eye exams, and oral health. I didn’t know how important annual skin screenings were until I got older. Now I book my yearly dermatologist appointment around my birthday too. You know what they say, early detection is key! Read more

2020 Census: Make it Count

Filed under: Mom Life · April 6, 2020

Have you completed the 2020 Census yet? If not, it is not too late. For the first time, you can complete your census by mail, phone or online. The 2020 Census is the first U.S. census to offer a full internet response option and the first to extensively use technology instead of paper. I completed ours online a few weeks ago and it only took a few minutes. After receiving the notification in the mail, I logged onto the site 2020census.gov and entered the access code provided. From there, I simply followed each step and submitted our family’s data. I was done in less than ten minutes.

Love Your Smile with Smile Brilliant

Filed under: Mom Life · March 25, 2020

As a busy mom of three, sometimes I find it hard to get things done. For years I have been eager to whiten my teeth but never made the time. The last time that I used a teeth whitening system was in 2005 for my wedding. First, I had to make an extra appointment, get my impressions done, wait weeks for them to arrive in the doctors office and then pick them up. Oh and my gums were so irritated that I was afraid to try it again. Every time my dentist asked me about whitening again I always said “oh I will be back for that.”

Like most moms I love my daily cup of coffee and occasional glass of wine. However, I never really thought about what these habits were doing to my teeth. Guess what it was doing? You got it…years and years of staining!!!! Now I will admit that I have tried charcoal toothpaste, baking soda, and other whitening toothpastes but nothing really helped. If you’re like me, you can get in touch with Dr Gabriel Hershman for a professional advice. If you’re looking for a pediatric dentist Ashburn, contact Treasured Smiles Pediatric Dentistry.

Well…things have definitely changed in the teeth whitening industry since 2005. There are tons of at home whitening options but Smile Brilliant is a professional system that is a fraction of the cost of most treatments. I was so thrilled when Smile brilliant asked me to try their teeth whitening system in exchange for sharing my experience with all of you. Oh and did you know that now you can get Smile Brilliant delivered right to your door? That’s right no extra dentist appointments so you are instantly saving time and money! However, if you need professional advice, I suggest visiting the best dentist at Glen Burnie Dental Services. Check out experts like this Invisalign clinic in Edmonton who may assist you.

My Smile Brilliant Experience

Due to my extreme teeth sensitivity, I knew that I had to get a kit with desensitizing gel. I was able to learn more about my teeth sensitivity from my dentist. My package arrived with pre-filled syringes and instructions on how to create my custom impressions. This was the hardest step and trust me it wasn’t that hard if you follow directions. The impressions took a few minutes to make and then they have to harden. After they dry, you place them in the envelope provided and ship them back.

About a week later my custom trays arrived and I was ready to begin my at home teeth whitening! I started with 30 minute sessions of whitening followed by 15 minutes desensitizing gel. After about a week I increased my session to 45 minutes. I was nervous to wear them longer because my gums are extremely sensitive. The suggested time for whitening is 45 minutes to 3 hours a day. I always tried to whiten at night before bed. Yes I missed a few session falling asleep putting the kids to bed!

It took me about 3 weeks to complete the Smile Brilliant kit. I must say that I was very thrilled with the results. I was even more excited when others started noticing that my teeth looked brighter. The only thing that I was disappointed in was not trying Smile Brilliant sooner. A teeth whitening procedure is both safe and effective.

If you are thinking about trying an at home whitening system, I have the best surprise for you. Smile Brilliant will be giving one of my readers a FREE Sensitive Whitening System. Giveaway is open to residents in the US, UK, Australia, & Canada. Even if you are not selected you will receive a discount just for entering. Click here to enter and simply follow the steps. Good Luck and Happy Whitening!

XO,

Sharonda

Moms Love Goli Gummies

Filed under: Fit Moms, Mom Life · February 29, 2020

I know by now that you ladies have heard of all of the incredible benefits of adding apple cider vinegar to your health regiment. It is great for weight loss, skincare, helps control your blood sugar and so much more. Aside from utilizing this method, some common types of weight loss surgery include gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy, and adjustable gastric banding if ever you want to opt for some medical intervention for your fitness goals.

I have been using apple cider vinegar off and on for years now. I would pour a tablespoon of ACV in warm water and have to add honey to help the taste every morning. However, I would also have to limit the number of weeks that I used it cause it kinda burned my throat. Sometimes I would even forget to drink it because I was rushing out of the door.

Well now there is a delicious way to take apple cider vinegar daily. Goli Gummies gives you all of the nutrition of apple cider vinegar without the harsh taste. Now I can take two ACV gummies daily without stressing over it. These gummies do not only have organic apple cider vinegar they also have B-9, B-12, and are infused with superfoods. They even taste really good too. Goli Nutrition is the world’s first ACV gummy. They have been featured on Ellen, Dr. Oz and the Today Show.

If you are looking to increase your energy level, maintain a healthy cholesterol range, and promote a healthy digestive system… Goli has got you covered! Use my special code sportymommas to save on your first purchase of Goli Apple Cider Vinegar Gummies. Learn more at https://go.goli.com/sportymommas! Cheers to good health!

XO,

Sharonda

Love is in the Air: Planning the Perfect Miami Date Night

Filed under: Mom Life · February 7, 2020

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner which means that now is the time to start looking for cute sentimental gifts and buying crafts for those upcoming class parties. It is also a great time to surprise our significant other with the perfect date night. Now I know most of the time we ladies wait for the guys to plan a night on the town but what if we surprised them for a change?

Miami is an incredible city with so much to see and offer and even though I have lived here all of my life there are tons of places that I am eager to try. So, I reached out to a few of my favorite Miami Moms and asked what their favorite spots were for the perfect date in the Magic City.

Love is in the Air:Valentines gifts for HIM

Filed under: Mom Life · February 4, 2020

For some reason I am always struggling to find the perfect Valentines gift for my hubby. I guess because he already has everything. I overheard a few ladies talking last week about how they already found gifts for their sweethearts and I was like man I am way behind. Yesterday I spent some time browsing a few of my favorite sites looking for the perfect Valentines gift that says I love you and I am thinking of you. Here is what I found.

Hope these give you a few ideas to work with. Happy Shopping!

XO,

Sharonda

***Pictures via Pinterest

5 Reasons to take the Girl’s Trip

Filed under: Mom Life · January 27, 2020

Let’s face it, most moms do not even think of taking a trip without the hubby or the kids. But did you know that recent studies show that regular vacations with your girlfriends, mom or sisters are a form of self-care? Yes, you read that right. Taking a girl’s trip is good for your well-being, mental health, and productivity.

The latest trip that I went on was to Scottsdale, Arizona. A group of friends planned a trip for our girl’s 40th birthday party. When I first received the invite I immediately had twenty questions pop up into my head. Will the kids be ok? Is it too much money? Will the hubby get upset? What if something happens while I am gone? After about an hour I hit the link to confirm my reservation. Once I got over the initial mom guilt, I began browsing Instagram to learn more about the resort and spa treatments. I knew down deep inside that I really needed this.

Read More

Tips for crushing 2020!

Filed under: Mom Life · January 1, 2020

Do you write down your goals every January, make a vision board, or sign up for a new gym membership? That is what we tend to do every new year. On January 1st we come out swinging ready to take on the world. There’s nothing stopping us, right? Until about two or three weeks later we realized that those excuses that we thought we had buried are still nagging us, telling us that we can’t do it. I know the feeling mommas! It ain’t easy.

Last year I decided to boycott the vision board parties and just wing it. My plan was to not plan and simply let things just flow. Well I can tell you that I was less stressed in 2019 but I can also admit that I didn’t feel as accomplished when December rolled around. In previous years, I attended vision board parties and took pride in clipping pictures of my dreams and making to do lists. I looked forward to meeting up with the ladies and sharing our visions and goals.

My Heritage Castor Oil Self-Care Ritual

Filed under: Mom Life · December 27, 2019

This post is sponsored by Heritage Store.

My grandmother always used Heritage Store castor oil for as long as I can remember. She would put it on everything. Her hair, skin, nail beds and even made warm packs with it. As a kid I had no idea of the many benefits of castor oil and it’s rich history. My mom always told me stories of how her mom would line her five siblings up every winter morning and give them a teaspoon of this healing oil.

Heritage Castor Oil has so many wonderful benefits. It has been used for thousands of years for medicinal and industrial purposes. This wonder oil does it all from and is perfect for moisturizing hair and skin. Because of castor oil’s multipurpose properties and inexpensiveness it is a must have staple in many households, especially African American. My mom always had a bottle in stock. Did your family?

Natural Hair Journey

Surprisingly, it wasn’t until I went natural and stopped relaxing my hair eight years ago that I started using it in my daily routine. After experimenting with different oils I began my self-care ritual of making my own blend using Heritage Castor oil. Since it is very thick, it’s a good idea to mix it with other skin-friendly oils like almond, olive and coconut oil to create your own DIY hydrating moisturizer. Once I saw how much that it helped keep my hair moisturized and shiny, I started to add a few drops to my body lotion. Now I have the perfect moisturizer for combating my dry hair and skin.

My go to castor oil is made by Heritage Store. The Heritage Store has been a staple in the beauty industry since 1969. They offer a wide variety of simple clean and affordable products for all of your skin needs. It’s a must have beauty essential for 2020! oh and did you know that it works great on your eyebrows too?

My Self-Care DIY Blend Recipe:

Ingredients:

Heritage Castor Oil – 2 tablespoons

Coconut Oil – 1 tablespoon

Almond Oil- 1 tablespoon

Peppermint Oil- 3 drops

Recyclable glass applicator

Directions:

Combine the ingredients in a glass bottle. Swirl around.
Apply a few drops to your scalp
Massage into scalp for 5 minutes (this helps stimulate the scalp which may promote hair growth) Leave on for 30 minutes
Rinse out if using as a conditioning treatment or leave in depending on your individual hair needs.

Remember Mommas! When you look good, you feel empowered and when you are empowered there’s no limit to what you can do! Heritage Store Castor Oil can be found at Ulta, Sprouts, Whole Foods, & Target!

XO,

Sharonda