I love going to the gym. I do, I swear. If only I hated food as much as I love going to the gym, I’d be buying a teeny weenie yellow polka dot bikini. Why do I love it, you ask? Because, other than the fact that I have a great gym located near our house, I’ve made it as pleasurable and easy as possible. Here’s how you can do it that way too:

•    First and foremost, you have to pick a gym that has a great child-care room. For me, that’s number one. The gym I joined in Texas had only adequate care, and the boys only came with me a handful of times. This forced me to work around my husband’s schedule, which meant half the time I never even went. Plus, it’s never a great situation to come home sweaty to a messy house and hungry children. Pass.

The gym we go to now (It’s a YMCA. Love, love, LOVE!) has fantastic child watch. The staff knows my boys by name, and they both just run in without hesitation because THEY love it, which is vital. Knowing my boys are safe, being attended too, and are having FUN, gives me the opportunity to work out with peace of mind. When you tour a gym, get a good look at the childcare room. Ask to talk to the manager. Get to know the staff by name.

•    Shower there. Before you get dorm room flashbacks, hear me out. Wouldn’t it be great to get home already showered and dressed? It takes a little bit of prep work, but I’d MUCH rather prep then come home, turn on the TV, give the boys a snack, sneak in a quick shower with your little one opening the curtain getting wet... I promise you’ll very quickly get over the flip flops and shower caddy when you get an extra 20 minutes of peace and quiet, and can leave the gym fully rejuvenated and ready to move on with your day. Hey, you might even get to do your hair!

•   If you don’t have time to shower, just bring a change of clothes. Even that much will help you leave “it all” at the gym.

•    Work it into your schedule. With rising gas prices, it doesn’t make sense to drive to similar locations twice in one day. Once you’ve showered at the gym, you can make that quick stop to the grocery store or Target. Hit the park on your way home. Meet some friends for lunch. Duck out of playgroup a bit early, and skip showering at the gym, since it will be naptime when you get home. Or better yet, get going right away in the morning and workout before a play date (If you have any tips on how to do that, please let me know. I am SO not a morning person)!

•    Have a specific gym bag, and keep it packed at all times. Sometimes finding the motivation to pack all the bags, on top of changing diapers and putting on shoes is enough to keep you at home. Fill your bag with extras- hair products, make-up bag, toothbrush, deodorant... just make sure it’s a big bag. =)

I got a HUGE backpack, which is great when I’m carrying one kiddo and holding hands with another. My boys have a gym bag too, with their diapers, wipes and sippy cups. We only use this for the gym, so it stays packed and I don’t have to think about it when we’re leaving in a hurry.

•    Buy yourself some nice workout clothes. It’s worth the investment.

•    If it’s a gorgeous day out, and a friend you keep playing phone tag with invites you to a picnic at the park, by all means- skip the gym and go to the park. Forcing yourself to go to the gym will only build resentment. Make the gym a place that you love to go to. Be spontaneous and go on a whim when your kids are driving you particularly NUTS (this is where that packed bag comes in handy).

•    Get a gym buddy. They work wonders.

•    Start taking a class. Get to know the regulars in the class. The accountability and socializing will keep you going week after week.

•    Just run. If you’re feeling overwhelmed with the infinite ways of working out, just run. Start with 1 mile. A mile is nothing, right? Well, once you’re comfortable there keep lengthening the distance. I started this a few months ago, and I’m up to running 2.5 miles and will be doing my first 5K!

•    When all else fails, get the most out of your gym membership by forcing your husband to go and take the kids. Bliss.

By Guest Blogger Joanna from The Bragging Mommy

Oh Television... Quite possibly the largest love/hate relationship I’ve ever had. It’s so difficult to resist the small black box that one simple push of a button can easily silence the whiniest of toddlers. What would we do without it? When I had my second baby my oldest was only one, and I used to say Baby Einstein was my only sanity. But, how much is too much? And, how do you make sure your children aren’t being overloaded by the tube?

The biggest “no-no” I try to avoid is just letting Nick Jr. run all morning. Except for illness, or one of those plain no-good-very-bad-days, our TV never just stays on a channel. I mean, is DVR not the worlds greatest invention? DVR gives you your child’s favorite TV shows at any given time, which allows you the 30 minutes of peace and quiet you were so desperate for. When that blue “delete or keep” screen pops up (followed by “Uh-oh, uh-oh Mommy”) you have two choices – turn the TV off, or choose Chuggington this time. Do I always turn the TV off the first go-around? No. But, you are forced to make a decision that gives you a level of consciousness on the total TV time you’ve had so far. How many episodes of Blue’s Clues have we watched? At least 1 too many... It’s easy to do this with DVD’s, or Netflix live stream as well. Give yourself a goal- Ok, today is a 2 show day. Or today I’m only going to let my kids watch 1 show, and stick to it. Even better, try having a no TV day. I’ve only actually accomplished this test a handful of times (when I do it, I make it a “No TV or computer day”), but each time I have, I finish the day feeling very accomplished and even better.  I feel closer to my children. It’s amazing all the quality play time you can have together when you can’t lean on something else to “babysit” your kids. It will help show you just how wonderful life can be “unplugged.”

Think about what time of day you seem to always have the TV on- is it in the morning because you can’t function until 2 cups of coffee have been consumed? Or is it during dinner prep, when your kids are at their whiniest? Try making a plan to avoid having the TV on. Keep some toys separated that you pull out only at those times. Prepare an art project to keep your kids entertained while you cook dinner. Being prepared and using “backwards planning,” as my husband calls it, can make a world of difference and can keep you from popping in a movie out of desperation. The best thing I can do to avoid my kids watching too much TV is to stay busy. I know when we’re always on the go, my boys are being properly stimulated, getting fresh air, and exploring their world. If we’re in the house all day, chances are they’ll end up spending too much time just sitting and staring. Plus, as a bonus, when we get home my boys are always so happy to play with their toys they’ve missed all day, they stay entertained and happy.

The television definitely has it’s time and place in our homes- don’t let the mommy guilt get you. TV helps me recharge my batteries when they are low, and my children definitely benefit from that. The trick is just to keep if from taking over your life. With a little moderation, life stays in a balance and everyone stays happy!

By Guest Blogger Joanna at The Bragging Mommy