Children's Health, Food and Nutrition, Women's Health and Issues, Sleep, Relationships, Behavior

Before becoming a mom, most women have a relatively unlimited amount of time to take care of themselves, whether it is leisurely shopping for new clothes or spending a few hours at the gym on the weekend.

When you become a parent, time becomes a lot more valuable and scarce. As a mom, you have also taken on a new role as your family’s ambassador, the official head and authorized representative of your family, and should feel and look the role! Of course, you have a lot less time to take care of yourself because you are busy taking care of everyone else. Even when you do find the time, you may not feel like you have money to spend on yourself.

Ever wondered if a fitness boot camp is the right way for you to get in shape? Marin fitness expert and owner of Novato Adventure Boot Camp Carlos Payte explains what it's all about in this guest article.

"What is Novato Adventure Boot Camp and how could I possibly be helped by it?” That is one of many questions that people think as they hear the name, see the bright-orange-and-red SUV heading down the streets of Novato, hear the buzz around town, or quietly observe as they walk their dogs past one of our locations in Novato. Americans seem to constantly be looking for better, more efficient, more fun, and more challenging ways to get into better shape.

We all know the familiar rush to join a new gym (or renew that old dusty membership card) after the holidays. We all know the promises to ourselves, the new commitments, and the dedication that we really WILL stick to it this time around. The fact is that most of us don’t stick to our commitments when it relates to taking care of ourselves. We have work, families, friends, volunteerism, and just that one last committee at school we promised to sit on during these tough times for our schools and kids.

Got a question about children's health? Ask the pediatrician in our new feature here on Marin Mommies! Submit your medical questions to us via email and we'll choose some every month to be answered by our frequent guest contributors, pediatricians Dr. Steven Martel and Dr. Oded Herbsman.

Drs. Martel and Herbsman are the founders of Child’s Light Pediatrics, Inc., an innovative, house-call based pediatric practice that serves Marin County and San Francisco. For more information, please visit them at www.childslightpediatrics.com.

I decided that I’m going to do something for myself this year—I finally joined our local health club and I’m going to get myself back into shape. I signed up at the Marin YMCA a few weeks ago, and have to say that it was the best decision I’ve made so far this year. Not only am I able to take advantage of the workout room, but our entire family can participate in the classes and programs they have to offer as well.

One of our favorites features so far is the indoor pool. Believe it or not, we have been making a lot of use of it during on these recent rainy weekends, and my kids are able to burn off some energy as well as brush up on their swimming skills. My son wants to join the swim team in the spring and he needs to be able to swim the length of the pool first, so we’re getting in some valuable practice time.

There’s something I love about swimming in an indoor pool on a rainy day. At first thought it seems a little odd to want to go swimming when it’s cold and wet out, but once you get to the pool it’s warm and pleasant and a contrast to the yucky weather going just on the other side of the windows and walls.

Are you a chronically late mom? CBS News has contacted Marin Mommies to help find Bay Area moms to interview for their new segment in January on chronic lateness. The segment will feature the book, Never Be Late Again, 7 Cures for the Punctually Challenged (www.neverbelateagain.com). The ideal interview subject is a woman in her 30s or 40s who must balance a job with kids, doctor appointments, chauffeur duties, etc., but anyone who is chronically late is encouraged to apply. You can live anywhere in the Bay Area.

If you're interested or have any questions, please call Diane DeLonzor at (415) 407-7237 or email her at delonzor1@yahoo.com. CBS will want the following information: sex, age, occupation, marital status, and city of residence.

Since it's the beginning of a new year (which of course always includes those New Year's resolutions), we thought we would re-post this guest article by Marin fitness expert Michele Vaughan. There's one helpful tip here for each week of the year! Michele is president of The Balance Workout, Marin's premiere fitness studio.

Here are 52 things that you can do for the new year 

1. Put yourself first. Write your exercise in your date book as if it were a doctor’s appointment and keep it! If we aren't healthy then we can't take care of our children or partners.
 
2. Put your fork down between each bite of food. It takes 20 minutes for the stomach to signal the brain that it is full.
 
3. Make dates with your girlfriends around fitness and health. Go for a walk, hike or run instead of going out to eat a high calorie lunch.
 
4. Never go to the grocery store hungry.

Parents magazine’s children’s toy and product recalls finder for 2009 is now available online. If you want to find out if your children’s toys and other items are safe, check out their toy and product recall finder for the most current and up to date information. Recall categories include books, toys, jewelry, clothing, sporting goods, furniture, car seats, bottles, and feeding utensils. It’s very informative and a good way to make sure that your kid’s or baby’s items are safe. Parents magazine recalls 2009.

Guest contributor and Marin dentist Dr. Steven McConnell gives us some tips on how good oral hygiene can help prevent the flu and other illnesses this winter.

Teaching your kids to wash their hands frequently during flu season is a good idea, but brushing their teeth correctly could do more to prevent their actually coming down with a virus. Just as with adults, gum disease can lead to illness in other parts of the body, including flu, pneumonia, chronic colds, sinusitis, and ear infections.

Dr. McConnell shares his tips for teaching your kids flu-preventing oral hygiene techniques that parents can also use for their own benefit:

Marin mompreneur Stephanie Ziegler decided to ditch the corporate world and fulfill her dream of opening her own Pilates studio. The result of her efforts is Pilates Studio Tiburon, located in downtown Tiburon at 78 Main Street.

We asked Stephanie a few questions about her business, what led her to open her own studio, and living in Marin.

Please tell us a little about you and your background, and what inspired you to open your own Pilates studio?

My background has always had a focus on “helping others” with a health & fitness component. When my daughter, Skye, was born I wanted to be there with her as she grew. My career as a healthcare consultant had me traveling quite a bit. The companies I worked with spanned from eHealth start-ups to national health insurance companies to the Military Health System. I was going across the country in every direction. It was tearing me apart to be separated from Skye.